Manila Standard - 2018 February 09 - Friday

Rody counters Joma jab: Kill 5 rebels a day

By Vito Barcelo

VOL. XXXI • NO. 357 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

Special anniversary supplement comes out on Feb. 12, 2018.

AVIATION EVENT. Pampanga in Central Luzon is once more the host for this year’s three-day Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, which skyrocketed Thursday, culminating in what is also known as the Weekend of Everything that Flies. Expected to be showcased are 26 colorful hot air balloons from all over the world, featuring a handful of new balloons in complex shapes and styles, namely the Happy Heart, Matryoshka Russian Doll, Queen’s Guard, Giant Strawberry, Buddy Balloon, Captain Jack, Princess Nellie, Vostok Balloon, Master Yoda, Morris the Donkey, Bruno the Clown and Pepe the Hedgehog.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte threatened to kill five rebels for every government soldier killed by the New People’s Army, after Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison vowed to kill one soldier a day if the government does not resume peace negotiations.

Duterte made the statement in front of former communist rebels whom he treated to a meal in Malacañang, saying he could match each soldier’s death with the lives of five NPA rebels.

“Go kill one soldier a day. To the military, you kill five NPA rebels for every soldier killed. Does he think I cannot do it, too?” Duterte said, referring to Sison.

“I can order the military to kill five rebels for every soldier killed. As long Next page

Helicopters’ deal under review, say Canadian media CANADA is reported reviewing the deal to sell 16 Bell helicopters, intended as attack planes against local insurgents, to the Philippines which the latter’s military denied Thursday would be used as such.

Canadian media reported overnight Wednesday that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government was reconsidering the sale over fears the aircraft would be used in internal security operations, just hours after both governments had announced it in public.

“They must not politicize the acquisition,” said Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla, the deputy chief of staff for plans and Next page

ICC looks into ‘killings’ Duterte ready to face accusers, says spokesman

Charter panel targets Sona as due date for changes preview

By Maricel V. Cruz THE Consultative Committee appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to review and propose amendments to the Constitution aims to submit a draft charter in time for his third State of the Nation Address on July 19.

A member of the committee, former Senate president Aquilino Pimentel Jr., said this was consensus of the 19 members who met for the first time Thursday.

“They want us to submit the proposal by…the Sona so the President can already report the results of the Consul-

tative Committee recommendations for Congress to take up,” Pimentel said.

The Sona target gives the committee six months to produce its recommendations for amending the Constitution.

Pimentel said most of the 19 members of the committee favor a federal form of government, which the President is pushing.

He acknowledged that Congress would have the final say on whether or not it would accept the committee’s recommendations.

“We are a free country and I don’t

THE Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, will start next month the revision of the votes in the 2016 vice presidential race following the protest filed by former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Marcos claims he was cheated in the vice presidential race that was won by Leni Robredo.

The recount proceedings, which was

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Tribunal starts recount of VP votes next month; rival camps make way

By Rey E. Requejo and Rio N. Araja

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

originally set this month, will begin after the camps of Robredo and Marcos withdrew their respective pending motions that would have delayed the recount.

The revision starts on March 19 and will cover Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental, which were identified by Marcos as the areas where he could prove the irregularities he cited in his poll protest.

The Marcos camp on Thursday criticized Robredo for allegedly paying lip service to his challenge to join him in

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ASSALAIMU ALAIKUM. President Rodrigo Duterte greets Kuwaiti Ambassador to the Philippines Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh who called on the Filipino chief executive at the riverside Malacañang Palace on Wednesday. Also in photo is Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. Malacañang Photo

Sereno’s IT consultant draws ‘red flag’ for high pay, high court official reveals

By Maricel V. Cruz THE continuing renewal of the contract of Helen Macasaet, an information technology consultant hired by the Supreme Court with the approval of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, has raised a red flag, an official has said.

Carlos Garay, the acting head of the high court’s Management Information Systems Office or MISO, told the House

committee on justice that Macasaet received roughly P11 million for her services through her six-month contracts over four years.

The House committee on justice is the panel hearing the impeachment case against Sereno, who is accused of violating the Constitution.

Garay said during the impeachment hearing on Wednesday that while he

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is willing to face the International Criminal Court over the alleged thousands of extrajudicial killings linked to his war on drugs, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Thursday.

In a press briefing, Roque said the President wants to be in court and put the prosecutor on the stand and to ask who prodded the ICC to proceed with a preliminary examination of the Philippine situation, because he suspected it was the work of “domestic enemies of the state.”

Roque also clarified that there was no formal complaint yet filed.

The preliminary examination, he said, was aimed at determining if there is a basis to conduct a formal investigation into the charges lodged against the President.

He added that the investigation was only “a waste of the court’s time and resources.”

“He’s more than willing to face trial.

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Korea’s most wanted ‘PH would one day even thank China’ man falls in Diliman By Vito Barcelo

NEWSMAKERS, BOTH. Former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., 2016 vice presidential candidate, greets supporters while on their vigil outside the Supreme Court in Manila, only hours after Vice President Leni Robredo (inset) filed a motion to consider as withdrawn any pending motions before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal which may delay ballot recount proceedings in Marcos’ poll protest. Ey Acasio twitter.com/ MlaStandard

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

By Vito Barcelo

and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE Bureau of Immigration on Thursday arrested one of South Korea’s most wanted men who is accused of pocketing more than $100 million in a construction investment scam.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the Korean Embassy in Manila had tagged Chun Tae Joon as a high-profile fugitive who is on top of the order of battle of Seoul authorities.

The 53-year-old fugitive was arrested in Kalayaan Avenue in Diliman, Quezon City, after hiding in the Philippines

AMID growing international concern over rising tension in the South China Sea, a Malacañang official said Thursday the Philippines would one day “thank” China for building artificial islands in the resource-rich waters.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque expressed confidence there might be a possibility the Philippines could eventually ask China to leave and assume control over its man-made islands.

But this would only happen if the Philippines would be able to ask China

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to leave the artificial islands it had reclaimed in the disputed sea.

“Clearly, eventually, those artificial islands will be ours, if we can ask China to leave the islands,” he added In related developments: • The West Philippine Sea will freeze over first before China will even begin toying with the idea of giving us back those islands, said Senator Grace Poe. Due to this, Poe said Roque’s wishful thinking was like saying a homeowner might soon be thankful to a gang of fully armed men who unlawfully intruded his place for sometime and made it their safehouse.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

UP among Asia’s top 200

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HE University of the Philippines placed 156th in the top 200 universities in Asia list of the 2018 Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings released Wednesday.

The London-based publication said UP leapfrogged into the THE’s list from being mentioned as part of the 201st to 250th ranked university group in 2017.

According to official documents, in calculating the top universities in Asia, the THE Asia University Rankings 2018 used the same 13 performance in-

dicators as the THE World University Rankings, but they are recalibrated to reflect the attributes of Asia’s institutions.

The universities are judged across all of their core missions—teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook—to provide the most comprehensive and balanced

Watchdog seeks plunder raps vs DTI chief, Hyundai

By Rey E. Requejo THE Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption on Thursday asked the Department of Justice to prosecute for plunder and other criminal charges Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez and officials of South-Korean based automotive manufacturer Hyundai Motor Co. and its Philippine partners.

The VACC alleged Lopez, Hyundai and others duped the government of more than P1 billion through the grant of tax exemptions and preferential treatment.

In its 13-page complaint, the VACC through lawyer Ferdinand Topacio also accused Lopez, as the chairman of the Board of Investments at the time, of committing the crime of economic sabotage through technical smuggling and estafa.

Besides Lopez, also named respondents were Mong-Koo Chung, Hyundai Motor Co.’s chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer; president and CoCEO Won-Hee Lee, and Yong Suk Lee, president of HMC’s Asia and Pacific Regional Headquarters.

Officials of the South Korean auto company’s local partner, Hyundai Asia Resources Inc., charged were Richard Lee, chairman emeritus; Edward Go, chairman; Conrad Marty, vice chairman; Maria Fe PerezAgudo, president and CEO; Eleazar Reyes and Ladislao Avila Jr., board members; and Cristina Salvador, customs broker.

The complaint arose from the inspection conducted by the BOI on HARI’s manufacturing plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, which discovered its non-compliance with the Motor Vehicle Development Program under Executive Order No. 156.

The EO aims to establish and/or expand production facilities of global vehicle manufacturers to allow the export of completely-built-up motor vehicles and increase the exports of motor vehicles parts and components.

In line with MVDP, global motor vehicle manufacturers of four-wheel motor vehicles that qualify under the program were accorded, among others, a preferential tariff rate of one percent in the importation of completely knocked-down units, its parts and components.

OFW killed in Taiwan quake THE body of the Filipina caretaker who was reported after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan earlier this week has been found, Manila Economic and Cultural Office head Lito Banayo said.

In a radio interview, Banayo identified the fatality as Melody Castro Albano.

Albano, a native of Abulog, Cagayan, worked as a caretaker in a nursing home in Hualien County which was hit by the earthquake. Sara Fabunan

‘PH...

From A1 She hinted that in effect, this prevented other criminals from ransacking the same.

“And this comes with false hopes that the gang members will decide to give the house back, if they have not yet transferred the title under their name,” she added.

• Senator Juan Edgardo Angara proposed the creation of a lead agency that would oversee any scientific research and exploration which would help secure the rights of the Philippines over Benham Rise.

“It would be faster and there would be more coordination in the research in Benham Rise if there’s an agency responsible for this. Moreover, it will ensure that the Filipinos would benefit from it,” Angara said.

The Philippine government took China to an international tribunal, which ruled in favor of the Philippines regarding the disputed South China sea.

But Beijing refused to take part nor acknowledge the decision.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague awarded in July 2016 to the Philippines areas in the South China Sea that lie within the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone, including the Spratly Islands.

But President Rodrigo Duterte wants a peaceful resolution and even strengthened ties with China.

China says it has a historical right to much of the South China Sea and it has rapidly been reclaiming land on the disputed reefs.

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said China respected the Philippines’ rights to the seafloor of the Benham Rise given to it by law. “ The Benham Rise is part of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the Philippines. As far as we know, as agreed [on] by both China and the Philippines, the research vessel ‘Ke Xue’ of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has finished the joint maritime scientific research in waters to the east of the Philippine Islands, with four Philippine researchers on board,” the Chinese official

Korea‘s...

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Morente said the Korean will be deported.

Immigration intelligence officer Bobby

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asking the Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, to expedite the resolution of his electoral protest.

The Marcos camp had urged Robredo to join Marcos in filing a joint motion to withdraw their respective pending motions that

comparisons available.

Singapore is home to the continent’s best university for the third year in a row— the National University of Singapore—while Japan is once again the most-represented nation in the list, boasting 89 universities.

Meanwhile, Tsinghua University has overtaken Peking University to become the top Chinese institution in the rankings.

Overall, the People’s Republic has 63 universities, many of which have made progress this year, including

several of its lower-ranked institutions.

There is also success for Hong Kong, which has three universities in the top 10, more than any other territory, and six universities in the top 60.

In Southeast Asia, Malaysia’s flagship institution, the University of Malaya, joins the top 50 for the first time, and Indonesia has doubled its representation, claiming four spaces in the table, up from two last year.

The University of the

Philippines also moved up in the THE World University Rankings, which lists the top 1000 universities in the world.

In a statement, the lone university from the Philippines on the 2018 list said it ranked from the 801st1,000th ranked universities up to the 601st-800th ranked universities.

In the areas of clinical, pre-clinical and health, UP ranks higher, falling under the 201-250 ranked group.

According to data on the THE website, there was an

uptick in the university’s scores for teaching, research and citations compared to 2017.

UP’s citations score or global scholarly mentions in 2018 went up to 40.0 from 13.5 in 2017.

The citations score is a measure of the research influence of the university.

THE tries to capture the average number of times a university’s published work is cited by scholars globally, using bibliometric data from Elsevier over five years.

ICC...

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with the campaign against illegal drugs covering the period of July 2016,” Roque said.

“As I have already said, this is only a preliminary investigation. The Office of the Prosecutor is merely exercising his mandate to determine whether there is reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation into a situation pursuant to criteria in the Rome statute namely: jurisdiction, admissibility and interest of justice,” Roque told reporters.

“I will reiterate that the preliminary examination is not a formal preliminary investigation.

Duterte, in previous speeches dared the ICC to bring him to trial and said he was willing to rot in jail to save Filipinos from the scourge of crime and drugs. His tirades against the court are notorious, and include calling it “bull---t”, “hypocritical” and “useless.”

He has also threatened to

withdraw the country’s ICC membership and said lawyers in Europe were “rotten,” “stupid,” and had a “brain like a pea.”

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a critic of the President, said the ICC action proved that he is not above the law.

“This development should jolt Duterte into realizing that he is not above the law,” he said.

“More importantly, this is the first step for the victims’ families’ quest for justice.”

Trillanes said he welcomes the ICC’s decision to conduct preliminary examination.

Jude Sabio, lawyer of Edgard Matobato, said Duterte and his cohorts will face preliminary examination by the ICC prosecutor as a prelude to a formal criminal investigation.

Matobato claimed to be a hitman of the so-called Davao Death Squad, which he said was created by Duterte to go after criminals

and personal enemies.

The ICC Office of the Prosecutor is acting on two communications filed by Sabio, Trillanes and Magdalo Partylist Rep. Gary Alejano in 2017.

Citing the number of people allegedly killed by the DDS in Davao City and in his war on drugs since becoming president in June 2016, Sabio said that Duterte has been undertaking murder “repeatedly, unchangingly, and continuously” in the Philippines.

The supplemental communications of Trillanes and Alejano urged ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to conduct a preliminary examination “to provide a glimmer of hope for the thousands of victims that Duterte’s impunity would soon end.”

Their 45-page document also highlighted the various pronouncements of Duterte regarding the killings of criminals, specifically drug addicts.

With Sara D. Fabunan

He’s sick and tired of being accused,” Roque said of the President.

The ICC’s website carried no announcement or information concerning the complaint against Duterte.

Roque, formerly a human rights lawyer, said the ICC had no jurisdiction over the war on drugs, because this was a sovereign issue.

Pending cases in the Philippine courts showed that domestic legal processes had not been exhausted, so the ICC would have no justification to go beyond its preliminary examination, he added.

“Our mission in The Hague was informed that the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is opening a preliminary examination on the alleged acts associated

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Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, whom the speaker said would be included in the senatorial slate of the administration party for the 2019 elections.

Earlier, Alvarez said that among the benefits of federalism was that the regions or states would retain the lion’s share of the taxes, instead of having to make do with the meager share the central government was currently sending back to the provinces.

He said it was crucial to achieve a shift to a federal system of government within the term of President Duterte, who was the only presidential candidate in the 2016 elections who pushed for a federal system of government.

At the same time, Alvarez vowed to push for a separate state for indigenous peoples in the Cordilleras and Mindanao under a federal system.

Alvarez made the call during a roundtable discussion on the implications of federalism to the indigenous communities at the House of Representatives. Under such a system, he said, the indigenous peoples would govern themselves according to their customs and laws.

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more than $100 million in a construction investment scam.

“The victims were promised big returns should they invest their money in construction projects that did not exist,” Raquepo said.

He said Chun, who holds an expired passport, could be sentenced to life imprisonment once convicted.

programs of the Philippine armed forces, on Thursday.

“You must understand that these are utility helicopters, not attack helicopters,” Padilla told AFP. Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs refused to comment on the decision of Canada to review the deal, saying it was waiting for an official statement.

According to the Philippine defense department, the deal was signed with trade promotion outfit Canadian Commercial Corp. last December, shortly after Trudeau clashed with President Rodrigo Duterte during a Manila visit over Philippine drug war killings.

The Philippines employs attack helicopters and planes to support ground troops battling militants in the Muslim south, as well as against communist guerrillas in other parts of the mainly Catholic Asian nation.

A Philippine defense department spokesman told AFP on Wednesday its air force would use the Bell 412EPI aircraft, worth $234.8 million, for disaster response and humanitarian missions, but also for “antiterrorism.”

However, Padilla said Thursday this did not mean they would be used as “attack helicopters.”

“Not at all. They are purely for utility purposes—ergo,

transport purposes especially during HADR operations,” he said, using a military term for disaster response.

“We have separate and dedicated attack helicopters.”

Apart from armed insurgencies, the Philippines is also regularly battered by typhoons.

Bell Helicopter had said the Philippine military would use the aircraft “for a variety of missions such as disaster relief, search and rescue, passenger transport and utility transport.”

Canadian ambassador to Manila John Holmes said Wednesday the versatility of the aircraft would improve the “search and rescue and disaster relief capabilities” of the Philippines and would be a “real benefit” to its citizens.

An embassy spokesman said it did not have a comment to make Thursday.

Trudeau said in November he had called out Duterte over “human rights, the rule of law, and specifically extrajudicial killings.”

Duterte, who has overseen a crackdown that has left nearly 4,000 drug suspects dead at the hands of the police, later described Trudeau’s comments as “a personal and official insult.”

The Philippine government says police only shot the suspects in self-defense and rejects human rights monitors’ description of the crackdown as a crime against humanity.

AFP with Sara Fabunan

her,” Sardillo said.

She called on the Marcos camp to stop using the name of the vice president to advance his personal and political agenda.

Rodriquez said that in the joint motion presented by the Robredo camp before reporters on Wednesday, only the name of Robredo’s counsel, lawyer Romulo Macalintal, appeared on the document.

“A joint manifestation is a major pleading and it cannot be done through counsel alone,” Rodriguez said.

“It should also be signed by the client because it needs his or her conformity. Since Mrs. Robredo did not sign the pleading together with her lawyer, it is obvious that she has no intention to withdraw her motions.”

Rodriguez said Robredo’s failure to sign the motion put into question her sincerity in hastening the pace of the electoral process.

Rodriguez also said it cast doubt on the authority of Macalintal, who signed the motion considering that Robredo could later on even disown the motion because it was made without her conformity.

think we should dictate,” he said. “We should allow the representatives of the people to have their say. If they are convinced, fine, and if they are not, then too bad.”

The committee, headed by former Supreme Court chief justice Reynato Puno, agreed that the members would meet Mondays to Fridays until July at the Philippine International Convention Center, Pimentel said, adding that the meetings should be open to the public so there would be no secrets.

Also on Thursday, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said the ruling PDP-Laban will campaign against candidates for senator and other elective positions in the 2019 elections who are opposed to a federal system of government.

Speaking before over 3,000 new members of the PDP-Laban at the Datu Lipus Makapandong Cultural Center in Agusan del Sur, Alvarez urged the locals to support the advocacy of Duterte and the PDP for a shift to a in a statement said.

“The relevant scientific research data will be shared by relevant research institutions in China and the Philippines. I would like to point out that this joint research is carried out in waters under the Philippines’ jurisdiction, but not in the Benham Rise,” he said.

“China submitted the application for scientific expedition to the Philippines under the framework of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and that has been approved by the Philippines. China respects the Philippines’ sovereign rights to and jurisdiction over relevant waters and hopes to work with the Philippines to maintain the sound momentum of development in bilateral relations,” he added..

Angara’s Senate Bill 312, now pending in the committee of economic affairs, seeks to create the Benham Rise Development Authority that would promote and facilitate the exploration and study of Benham Rise.

“We should accelerate its development to optimize its full potential to be a rich source of alternative energy, marine re-

Raquepo said Chun eluded arrest for more than 12 years, and that it was only recently that informants tipped the bureau with information that led to his capture.

Chun is wanted in Korea for large-scale fraud. A warrant for his arrest was issued by a district court in Seoul on Oct. 13, 2005.

The Korean flew to Manila after defrauding 10,000 of his compatriots of

would unduly delay the counting of the contested votes in the 2016 vice presidential race.

Marcos’ lawyer Vic Rodriguez said Robredo was insincere when she did not sign the copy of the “joint manifestation” that they sent her, which sought to withdraw any and all motions that might unduly delay or hamper the counting of the contested votes.

federal system of government, which he said would open up the development potential of the provinces and the regions.

“I have one request, please don’t vote for candidates, particularly for senator, who are opposing federalism,” Alvarez told the new PDP members composed practically of the entire local officials of the province led by Agusan del Sur Gov. Edward Adolph Plaza, 2nd District Rep. Evelyn Mellana and 1st District Rep. Maria Valentina Plaza.

With the mass oath-taking, the province of Agusan del Sur became the newest addition to the PDP-Laban.

Alvarez, at the sidelines of the event, said the ruling party was pushing for federalism to ensure inclusive development, particularly of the poor and neglected areas of the country.

He said it was time to focus on campaign issues instead of popularity or personality.

He also dared senatorial candidates in the 2019 elections to make a clear stand on federalism.

Accompanying Alvarez in the event were Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles and Oriental

But Robredo’s camp on Thursday maintained she was the duly elected vice president.

Maria Bernadette Sardillo, Robredo’s lawyer, said until Marcos’ camp proved otherwise, Robredo was the duly elected vice president and must be accorded respect.

“Until such time that they can prove otherwise, then accord her the respect that is owed to

sources, and as a possible tourism destination. This will spur economic activity in the area that would create jobs especially for the locals,” Angara said.

Furthermore, the BRDA will act as the official and permanent lead agency of the government in coordinating the formulation and implementation of policies, programs and strategic direction for the sustainable development of Benham Rise.

It shall also receive and administer donations, contributions and grants from foreign governments, international agencies and private entities, including ODA, to be used for such programs.

The proposed measure likewise mandates the body to advocate national policies that will foster integrated and balanced development of Benham Rise.

Under the bill, the board of directors will be composed of the Neda Director General as Chairman; BRDA Administrator, to be appointed by the President, as Vice Chairman; and as members: secretaries of DENR, DoE, DA, DoST, DoF, DoT, and three representatives from the private sector (business, academic and NGO sectors.

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Duterte also took a swipe at his former professor in political science at the Lyceum of the Philippines, saying Sison is desperate to rule.

“His brain is already melting.

What did he teach you? Kill people, ask money from the poor and the rich though arms. His work is like holding up everyone in the Philippines,” he said.

The President also told the former rebels that the government is doing all it can to provide them free education, jobs and other benefits that many ordinary Filipinos enjoy.

In criticizing the CCP leader, Duterte asked his audience, “What did Sison do? Do you know that person? He wrote a book about communism.

Europe was also poor before, that’s also what they wanted.

But now, Russia is the number one communist. And here in Asia, China is the capitalist.”

He also told the more than 200 rebel returnees, “Where is Sison now?”

He said Sison wanted many things but could provide them only weapons.

“Do you want to get the government through arms?

Because the Filipinos have a government. It has leaders. I am here, General Guerrero is here, the officials. They are not rich,” he said.

“Communism remains.

What do they do? They get the government through arms.

That’s the difference,” the President said in a speech that ran almost two hours.

Duterte also asked the rebels: “Who is your god? Is it Sison? Where did the sacredness come from? His book is being taught to you and to others. You will also follow.”

But Duterte also recalled that when he was mayor of Davao, the NPA were his friends.

“Remember I went to the mountain and talked to you because I had to rescue some people. Police and soldiers. Then I went there because I [was] just a mayor. I’m only interested to work,” he said.

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He also had no hand in drafting the terms of reference submitted to the high court’s procurement committee, which later led to Macasaet’s employment. He said those matters were handled primarily by the Office of the Chief Justice and staff member Michael Ocampo.

“I repeatedly protested personally to Attorney Mike [Ocampo] and to the Chief Justice on why there’s a continuing need for the consultant,” Garay said.

“But they said the consultant was needed. In fact, I tendered my resignation last year because there was a red flag for me as a lawyer on what’s going on.”

Ocampo disputed Garay’s statement and said the Terms of Reference was crafted with the inputs and technical knowledge of then-MISO Chief Ed Gavis. Resource speakers from the MISO, however, noted that Gavis was not primarily an IT expert.

Earlier in the proceedings, Garay questioned the employment of a generalized IT consultant such as Macasaet.

He characterized the effects of Macasaet’s services on the overall judiciary system as “nothing substantial.”

“What I would need probably are specialized consultants―consultants who have specialties in specific fields.

For instance, security of information systems. Not a generalized IT consultant,” he said.

Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, member of the House justice committee, lamented Garay’s testimony, saying it was an unfortunate revelation.

“In terms of the objective set forth by the EISP, it is supposed to improve the efficiency of the Supreme Court, nothing substantial happened...They were not even participants in the drafting of the TOR,” Marcoleta said.

Committee vice chairman Vicente Veloso admonished Ocampo over the decision to recommend in the TOR the fees of Macasaet, which jumped from P100,000 per month during the first six-month contract to over P252,000 per month on the subsequent renewals. Veloso further contested the necessity of such services.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Transfer TNVs supervision to DOTr’

By Maricel V. Cruz

MOA SIGNING. A ceremonial signing for a three (3) year Memorandum of Agreement among Metrobank Foundation Inc., Rotary Club of New Manila East, PSBank, and the Philippine

National Police for the conduct of the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos - Award for Police Officers was held last Jan. 30, 2018 at the PNP Headquarters, Camp Rafael Crame, Quezon City. Present during the MOA signing were Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa (5th from right); Metrobank Foundation president Aniceto Sobrepeña (4th from left); the new head of the Directorate for Police Community Relations, Police Director Eduardo Serapio Garado (4th from right) who delivered his welcome remarks highlighting the role of his office in the conduct of the award-giving program; MBFI senior program officer Hero Hernandez (leftmost); institutional partners representatives from RCNME president Christopher Ponce (3rd from left); and PSBank executive vice president Jose Vicente Alde (2nd from left). Also in attendance were past outstanding police officer awardees who are currently holding key positions at the National Headquarters —Police Director Cedrick Train (2nd from right), Police Chief Superintendent Rhodel Semonia (3rd from right), and Police Senior Superintendent Mario Rariza Jr. (rightmost).

Bam hits delayed pay hike for teachers

Duterte OKs importation of 250k metric tons of rice

SENATOR Bam Aquino expressed disappointment over the government’s pronouncement that public school teachers and other government workers will have to wait until 2020 to enjoy an increase in their meager salaries, saying many of them are buried in debt amounting to P171 billion.

“If we can do it for policemen, we must also increase pay for our teachers, nurses and other government workers,” said Aquino, referring to the recent salary hike given to members of the Philippine National Police.

He said teachers play a major role in ensuring our graduates are job-ready and poised for success.

“By educating our youth, teachers can influence the fate of the country.

The teachers, he said, cannot afford to wait until 2020 for an increase in salary as they are experiencing personal burdens, including debt problems.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

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ESPONDING to reports that the National Food Authority buffer stock has dwindled, President has ordered the importation of 250,000 metric tons of rice immediately.

According to Secretary to the Cabinet Leoncio Evasco, the president has ordered to activate the standby order to import rice on Wednesday.

“Last night [Feb. 7], I received an oral order, an instruction from the president to buy the standby rice. We will buy 250,000 metric tons,” Evasco said in a television interview.

“We have no option but to follow the President to activate the 250,000 metric tons on standby. That will be on top of the 325,000 [metric tons] that will arrive anytime this month,” he said.

Evasco said that the NFA clearance approves the request of the agency’s management but only

after the National Food Security Council certifies that there is indeed a need to increase the rice supply in the country.

“We are so careful in buying so as not to affect the production of local farmers,” Evasco said.

In the Senate, Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, has sought for a Senate investigation into the reported insufficient supply of rice at the National Food Authority.

Villar filed Senate Resolution No. 608, directing the proper committee to investigate the issue.

It also called for a review on the role of the agency in ensuring the country’s

97 drug Live poultry from three dealers, users countries banned in PH surrender

By Othel V. Campos to NCRPO

By Joel E. Zurbano NINETY-SEVEN suspected drug dealers and dependents have surrendered to the National Capital Region Police Office following the resumption of the government’s antidrug campaign dubbed “Operation Tokhang.”

There were no reported injuries or deaths during the relaunch of the antidrug operation, according to the NCRPO. “This is a proof that we are doing our job correctly.

The positive feedback from the people will be our ultimate reward,” said NCRPO chief Oscar Albayalde.

The NCRPO conducted Tokhang in all community and villages in Metro Manila to promote awareness on illegal drugs and to convince suspected illegal drug personalities to submit themselves to the authorities.

Tokhang (toktok-hangyo or knock and plead) mandates police station commanders to ask the barangay captains to submit a list of residents known to be into illegal drugs, including pushers, dealers, users and couriers.

Albayalde said his men assigned to conduct the operation are working hard to appeal to suspected drug personalities to surrender and to commit not to engage with illegal drugs activities anymore.

THE Agriculture Department has banned the entry of live poultry and poultry products from the Russia, Saudi Arabia and The Netherlands following reports of an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in the said countries.

Agriculture Secretary Manuel Piñol issued the order after an official notice was released by the Office Internationale des Epizooties or the World Organization for Animal Health upon confirmation by the three countries’ governments.

Three different strains of the bird flu virus affected the poultry population in the said countries.

The H5N2 virus was found to have infected poultry in ZAO Pticefabrika Kostromskaya, Komstronskoy, Kostromskaya Oblast in Russia based on the report of the All Russian Research Institute for Animal Health.

The Ministry of Environment, Health and Agriculture in Saudi Arabia monitored and confirmed the outbreak of H5N8 strain in Riyadh, Al Kharj and Al Mazahmyia in Saudi Arabia.

The third strain, the H5N6 strain was found to have affected fattening ducks in Biddinghuizen, Flevoland, Netherlands as reported by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, The Hague, Netherlands.

food security.

She cited the need to look into the supply of NFA rice for the consuming public and NFA in fulfilling its administrative capabilities to respond to the need of the people.

“The present NFA’s mandate to ensure food sufficiency should be looked into for the purpose of rationalizing its functions in the advent of the need to impose tariff on rice importation,” Villar said.

“It should be responsible to respond to natural and artificial shortages of rice or buffer stocking,” she added.

She said the NFA policymaking body determines the rice importation program, including placing caps on imports to ensure fair trade.

NFA spokesperson Rebecca Olarte confirmed that the NFA has temporarily stopped the issuance of NFA rice to accredited retailers due to the low supply. It has requested a permit to import an additional 250,000 metric tons to ensure rice availability.

She said that the NFA’s buffer stock of about 64,000 metric tons at the end of January was at its “lowest monthly holding in 10 years.”

Because of this, Olarte said NFA-accredited rice retailers are not be able to sell NFA rice for the time being because of the prevailing low buffer stock.

The senator recalled that the same thing happened last year, in March and in July, even if the NFA is required to keep a 15-day buffer stock at any given time.

In June 2017, the Philippines’ quantitative restriction on rice expired. The QR allows the government to limit the volume of rice that could be imported each year.

With the expiration, the government is moving towards the tariff system. Villar said local rice producers are expected to suffer from the “adverse effects of cheap rice imports.”

“The NFA should be responsible to respond to natural and artificial shortages of rice or buffer stocking,”

she said.

Meanwhile, Senator Nancy Binay called on the Department of Agriculture, NFA and the National Food Authority Council to settle their differences and come up with a plan to augment the dwindling supply of NFA rice.

Binay said she does not dispute Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol’s claim that there is “a huge inventory of locally harvested rice.” However, she argued that the rice varieties available in the market are more expensive than NFA rice.

The NFA sells rice between P27 and P32 per kilo which is lower than commercial prices of P45 to P60 per kilo.

Binay said the Grains Retailers Confederation in North Cotabato is already complaining of limited stocks of NFA rice.

Grecon Cotabato President Carmelito Bacus said each accredited NFA rice retailer is only given five sacks of NFA rice monthly.

Recto seeks ‘fine print’ on BBL SENATE President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Thursday pressed the government to submit “the economic fine print” that will underpin the proposed Bangsamoro government’s fiscal autonomy.

In a request coursed through Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, Recto sought “facts and figures that will bolster the financial feasibility” of the Bangsamoro self-ruled homeland.

Recto said the submission of these will clarify ambiguities in the provisions in Bangsamoro Basic Law bill, and “hasten its passage in the Senate.” ”Like any bill, if you scratch the surface of a provision of the BBL, you will find the price tag under-

neath,” he said.

Among the data Recto has requested are “national revenue collections in ARMM since its creation to the present, as well as budget utilization of ARMM, including relevant financial statements, from the time it was created.”

Included in the request are “budget allocations and subsidies lodged in different national government agencies, earmarked and off-budget revenue sources.”

“The purpose is to find out if past allocations to ARMM were at levels sufficient to meet the imperatives of growth. Kasi kung historically lacking, then we are properly informed not to commit the same mistakes with the future Bangasamoro govern-

ment,” Recto said.

In his letter to Zubiri, Recto also sought additional data on the formula used in computing and allocating the proposed Annual Block Grants, “funds which are to be automatically appropriated and released by the national government.”

For 2019, the Block Grant is pegged at P72 billion. “What then is the revenue basis used in setting this amount?” Recto said.

Recto likewise requested “elaboration” on the nature of the Special Development Fund, or SDF, which has been pegged at P100 billion for 20 years, P10 billion of which shall be given by the national government the year following the ratification of the BBL. Macon Ramos-Araneta

PRRC, Estrada lead unveiling of Estero de Pandacan Linear Park PASIG River Rehabilitation Commission Executive Director Jose Antonio E. Goitia led the unveiling of the newly constructed Estero de Pandacan (phase II) Linear Park together with Manila City Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada, ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. managing director Susanna Rachel B. Afan, Honda Foundation Inc. executive director Riza Quito, Brgy. 832 chairman Ireneo Fernandez and Brgy. 847 chairman Nemia dela Rosa on Feb. 8, 2017.

The park has a total length of 30 linear meters and features solar-powered lamps,

garden plants, and mural paintings, which represent the dreams and hopes of the communities around it.

Honda Foundation Inc. and GT Metro Foundation funded the construction and development of the linear park, which used to be occupied by informal settlers.

During the tripartite agreement signing last Oct. 26, 2017, Honda expressed its desire to support PRRC in transforming Estero de Pandacan into environmental protection area through development of linear park, which will serve as a walkway and recreation area for the residents of Barangay 832.

CLEANUP. Following a successful cleanup of the Rizal Monument last December, workers from National Historical Commission of the Philippines conduct a cleaning activity at the People Power Monument along Edsa in Quezon City in preparation for the coming Edsa People Power Revolution Anniversary which happens every Feb. 25. The National Historical Commission of the Philippines has partnered with Kärcher to clean and restore historical landmarks around the country. Manny Palmero

AN ADMINISTRATION lawmaker on Thursday underscored the need to overhaul regulations of ride-sharing car services such as Grab and Uber and transfer their supervision to the Department of Transportation following the recent move by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to restrict the number of transport network vehicles to only 45,000 cars.

Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte said the 45,000 vehicles in the ride-sharing pool specified by the LTFRB was evidently a whimsical figure plucked out of thin air on the part of the regulatory agency as it had not even explained to the public how it had come up with this figure.

“Can the LTFRB elaborate on how it had come up with its number? There appears to be no rhyme or reason to the way the LTFRB has reached this figure considering that it has not even conducted an exhaustive study about the supply and demand requirements of the ridesharing services offered by transport network companies Uber and Grab,” Villafuerte, vice chairperson of the House committee on appropriations, said.

Villafuerte was referring to reports that the LTFRB would soon limit the number of transport network vehicles plying to only 45,000 vehicles for both Grab and Uber.

A common pool of both Grab and Uber vehicles would then be set up and as the need arises, the LTFRB will allow more allow more vehicles to ply Metro Manila’s streets by drawing from the pool.

He said the 45,000 carlimit was obviously too small, given the high demand for TNVs by riders, who now prefer Grab and Uber for their transport needs rather than ride in dilapidated, ill-maintained taxicabs with discourteous and unprofessional drivers.

Anda, Bohol mayor indicted for graft

By Rio N. Araja THE Office of the Ombudsman has indicted a Bohol mayor for graft for an overpriced P2.5-million multipurpose center built in 2013.

Anda Mayor Angelina Simacio was accused of initiating the construction of the Anda multipurpose building or center that was publicly bid and won by A.S.O. Construction at P2,498,923.50.

The center was funded by the Priority Development Assistance Fund of then senator Juan Ponce Enrile.

On Oct. 7, 2013, the Commission on Audit issued an audit observation memorandum, finding the project overpriced by as much as P754,517.36 and recommended the contractor refund the amount to the local government.

“The excessiveness is due to the high labor cost which is higher than the normal and usual practice in construction, and an overestimated quantity of reinforcing steel bars,” the Ombudsman’s decision read.

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EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Inflation watch

R

ISING inflation could crimp economic growth if monetary authorities decide to raise interest rates to contain prices. That decision, in turn, will slow down consumption and the expansion of companies, and lessen their ability to generate more jobs.

The inflation rate is probably one of the most important economic indicators being watched by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and

private-sector economists. It is one critical guide that leads investors in their decision-making. Increasing prices beyond market expectations, for one, could alter the interest-rate policy of the Bangko Sentral and inevitably raise the cost of doing business in the Philippines.

Consumer prices in January rose at the fastest rate in more than three years following the implementation of the government’s new tax measures and the upward spike in petroleum and food prices. Inflation rate climbed to 4 percent in January from 3.3 percent in December and 2.7 percent a year ago. It was the fastest increase in prices since October 2014 when

inflation hit 4.3 percent.

Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia blamed the higher inflation on the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law, or TRAIN, which among other things, increased the excise tax on fuel, and to the scheduled rise in tobacco taxes. TRAIN cut the personal income taxes but raised the excise taxes on fuel, coal, minerals, automobiles, alcohol, tobacco and sweetened beverages.

The government also noted a rise in the prices of food and nonalcoholic beverages prices, along with the series of typhoons late last year that led to lower supplies

of farm products.

The Monetary Board, meanwhile, decided to keep interest rates unchanged, citing a robust domestic demand that would prod manufacturers to produce more. Monetary authorities were more wary of global oil prices that touched $70 a barrel last month.

Consumer prices may stay on the upper range of the government inflation target, especially if unscrupulous traders continue to take advantage of the misunderstood TRAIN. But prices should stabilize once consumers adjust and prioritize their spending habits while transitioning to the new tax regime.

EVERYMAN

Darkness and luminosity

By Eric Jurado

Getting to know you PENSEES FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO YESTERDAY, Thursday, the members of the Consultative Committee created

by Executive Order No. 10 of President Duterte met for the first time: Presiding— Reynato S. Puno; Members —Arthur Aguilar (President of San Carlos Clean Energy), Eddie Mapag Alih (Former Chancellor, Mindanao State University), Ranhilio Callangan Aquino (Vice-President, Cagayan State University and Dean, Graduate School of Law, San Beda University), Antonio Binas Arellano (Lawyer, Negotiating Panel for talks with CPP-NPA-NDF), Ali Pangolin M. Balindong (Lawyer; former Congress-

man, 2nd District of Lanao del Sur), Virgilio Castillo Bautista (President and Chairman of Bridge Auxiliary Finance Corporation), Reuben Rabe Canoy (Lawyer; Presidential Adviser n Urban Development), Roan I. Libarios (Lawyer, Former IBP President), Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura (retired Justice of the Supreme Court; law author), Susan Usero Ubalde-Ordinario (Lawyer, President of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Randolph Climaco Parcasio (Lawyer, Peace Adviser, ARMM), Aquilino Quilinging Pimentel (Lawyer, Former Senate President), Bienvenido L. Reyes (retired Justice of the Supreme Court), Rodolfo Dia Robles (Lawyer, Delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention, 1967 Bar To-

pnotcher), Victor s. de la Serna (Laywer, Delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention), Edmund Soriano Tayao (UST Professor and Executive Director

We meet on Constitution Day, an auspicious day for us who were tasked with proposing the draft of a new Constitution.

of the Local Government Development Foundation), Julio Cabral Teehankee (Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, DLSU),

and Laurence B. Wacnang (Lawyer, former Congressman of the Lone District of Kalinga). It is a veritable, exciting mix of academics, seasoned jurists, constitutional convention veterans, representatives of commerce and industry and spokespersons for indigenous cultural communities, dominated—quite predictably—by lawyers.

We are agents not of Congress but of the President of the Republic of the Philippines. And while it is true that the revision of the Constitution is vested principally in the Legislature, there is Executive participation in that the President may propose— but not impose—the agenda on the Legislature in the same way that he asks Congress occasionally for the passage of law. The work

of our Committee—which we are given six miserly months to accomplish—is to be submitted to the President who may return it to us if he is displeased with any of its provisions or, God forbid, with the entire handiwork, and from him, it goes to Congress—with him relying on the suasion he has over the members of both Chambers.

“To study, conduct consultation and review the 1987 Constitution including, but not limited to, the provisions on structure and powers of government, local governance and economic policies.” The priority given to the examination of the “structure and powers of government” already suggests that a change of structure may be in the offing.

It was when the committee took up the “emergent pri-

orities for review” that it became clear that “the structure of a federal government, the creation of states with priority to Bangsamoro, the division of powers between the federal government and the States, the structure of the States, liberalization of the economy” were to be the center of gravity.

For rational individuals, there should be no alarm bells there. No one, in the assembly that it was my good fortune to join this morning, is a paid hack.

No one does the bidding of another. No one is a lackey or a bootlicker. And once more, it has to be stressed, the Committee is not out to wipe the slate clean, for even if the task is to draft the provisions of a Constitution for a Federal Republic, there is much of

HAVE you ever seen a photograph of the earth at night? Lights are scattered across the globe, wherever human beings live and work and prosper. But there is a strange blank shape at the top of the Korean peninsula, all the more remarkable because the lower half of the peninsula, South Korea, is a blaze of luminosity. The dark patch above it is socialist North Korea, where people live in such desperate poverty that their country is dark at night.

The one tiny point of light is Pyongyang, where party elites enjoy the fruits of the miserable labor of the North Korean people, who are essentially slaves. Otherwise, North Korea is essentially dark.

Mention the Korean War today and most people will look at you with a blank stare. At the time it was fought, just five years after World War II ended, everyone recognized it as a world-shaping conflict, a stark confrontation between the forces of democracy and communism.

It began on June 25, 1950 when Soviet-backed communist North Korea crossed the 38th parallel and invaded its US-backed anti-communist South Korean neighbor. Within weeks the communists had nearly absorbed the entire country. The United States at first was confused over whether it should—or even could—respond.

America had slashed its military budget after the end of World War II and was short both men and equipment. It still had not awakened fully to the expansionist threat of Soviet Russia.

The Soviets—buoyed by their own recent development of an atomic bomb and Mao Zedong’s communist victory in China —sensed America’s lack of resolve and encouraged the North’s aggression. Yet, within weeks, President Harry Truman rushed troops to save the shrinking Allied perimeter at Pusan on the

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southern tip of the Korean Peninsula. And by late September, 1950, General Douglas MacArthur had successfully completed the Inchon landings and launched counter-attacks.

He quickly reclaimed the entire south and sent American-led United Nations forces far into North Korea to reunite the entire peninsula—only to be surprised when hundreds of thousands of Chinese Red Army troops crossed the Yalu River at the Chinese border and sent the outnumbered Americans reeling back into South Korea.

Thanks to the genius of General Matthew Ridgeway, who arrived to assume supreme command in South Korea in December 1950, over the next 100 days, US led UN forces pushed the communists back across the 38th Parallel. The fighting was fierce.

Seoul, the capital city of South Korea, exchanged hands between communist and US led forces five times before it was finally secured.

During the years 1952 and 1953, the war grew static, neither side able to deliver a knockout blow.

Eventually the conflict ended with a tense armistice in July 1953. For over the next 60 years, a cold war persisted between the Stalinist North and what, by the 1980s, had evolved into the democratic, economic powerhouse of South Korea.

Over 35,000 Americans died in the Korean War. The war marked the first major armed conflict of the Nuclear Age, and one in which the United States had not clearly defeated the enemy and thus not dictated terms of surrender. Was fighting the Korean War and restoring the South— without uniting the entire peninsula—worth the huge cost in blood and treasure?

The natural dividend of saving the South was the evolution of today’s democratic and prosperous South Korea that has given its 50 million citizens undreamed of freedom and affluence— and has blessed the world with topflight products from the likes of Hyundai, Kia, LG, and Samsung.

South Korea is a model global citizen and a strong

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ally of the US —and stands in sharp contrast to the communist regime in the North that has starved and murdered millions of its own people and caused untold mischief in the world community. Had it not been for US intervention and support to the South, the current monstrous regime in Pyongyang would now rule all of Korea, ensuring its nuclear-armed dictatorship even greater power and resources.

The American effort to save South Korea also sent a message to both communist China and the Soviet Union that the free world, under US leadership, would no longer tolerate communist military takeovers of free nations. The resulting deterrence policy helped to keep the communist world from attempting similar surprise attacks on Japan, Taiwan, and Western Europe.

Finally, the Korean War awakened the United States to the dangers of disarmament and isolationism, and led to the bipartisan foreign policy of containment of global communism that, in 1989, finally led to the collapse of the Soviet Union, and with it victory in the Cold War. The Korean War was an incomplete American victory in its failure to liberate North Korea and unite the peninsula, but a victory nonetheless. And not just from a military perspective, but from a moral one as well. The reason 35,000 Americans died in Korea was to keep at least half the Korean people free. Korea did not have a single material resource that would have benefited America.

The illuminated lower half of the peninsula offers us a vision of what the world looks like with freedom—the freedom to create, prosper, and, as is obvious, even to illuminate. But you also have in that photograph an image of what the world might look like where a torch of human liberty to sputter out, casting civilization into darkness.

The Korean War merits more than a blank stare. It deserves to be remembered and studied by free people —with pride.

Eric Jurado is a hedge fund manager. He covers economic and political issues with liberty as his guiding star. gayan and to the assistance I give our university president. And when I raised the question, others raised similar concerns. And while, at first, Sec. Bing ventured the opinion that it might be the more practicable thing to take a leave, he hesitated when so many others expressed the same reservation, and promised that he would come up with a solution. CJ Puno was more assuring. He told us that our working schedule would be such that we would work individually, study, write, then meet in sub-groups, and finally meet in plenum for the final debates. That is acceptable.

And I do wish to commend CJ Puno for his brief but truly inspiring remarks at the meeting: We meet on Constitution Day, he reminded us, an auspicious day for us who were tasked with proposing the draft of a new constitution.

Nobody, he insisted, has a monopoly on writing a constitution: and that was a humbling reminder to all of us handpicked by the President of the republic to make suggestions to him on how a new Constitution should read, but also a repudiation of claims that a constitution is so perfect that it is immutable!

the 1987 Constitution that is so brilliantly written. I cannot imagine, for one thing, trimming down on the provisions of Article III, the Bill of Rights, nor do I think that it will ever be correct to abolish the Commission on Human Rights, given our obligations under international covenants. The extension of term-limits, a dictatorial president, the curtailment of civil and political rights, the postponement of elections—none of these seem to be necessary logical entailments of a change to a federal system. They are possibilities, of course, but whatever is not selfcontradictory is possible, and therefore getting mired in possibilities is not very productive a posture.

I did raise one question though—and I thought it was peculiar to me, until I heard voices of concurrence with my dilemma.

Would working on the Committee necessitate a leave from my work as vice president of a state university? Frankly, I told the very accommodating and friendly Executive Secretary Bing Medialdea that if the answer were in the ra n nie_ a qu in o @ c s u . firm affirmative, I would decline the appointment, edu.ph rannie_aquino@sanbebecause I would not trade a six-month engagement for da.edu.ph ra n nie_ a qu in o @ o u tmy commitment to the education of the youth of Ca- look.com

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The Marcos legacy BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO A BOOK on the life and times of the late former President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos will be launched today. Written by journalist and political author Cecilio T. Arillo, the title of the book alone, The Marcos Legacy, will surely stoke controversy from both sides of the political fence.

Author Arillo certainly knows how to tweak readers’ interest. What legacy did Marcos leave? This will surely be asked by those who had demonized the former strongman for his alleged human rights violations during Marcos’ 21-year rule in the Philippines He was elected in 1965 , declared martial law in 1972 and was toppled

by People Power in 1986.

For the record, Marcos was

a duly elected head of state from 1965, and again when he won a snap election he called in 1969. That would make the extended rule of Marcos via martial law only by 14 years.

Why it took Filipinos 14 years before staging the People Power protest at Edsa in February 1986 was a reflection of their dismay over the corrupt oligarchy that Marcos dismantled.

The populace during the martial law regime were willing to experiment with a benign totalitarian government. Alas, absolute power, as they say, also corrupts absolutely.

Former President Cory Aquino’s supporters for sure will bash the book while Marcos loyalists who are also legions will defend Arillo’s work as the first true account of the martial law years. So, Cory Yellow army, your line forms at the left. Marcos loyalist, yours is at the right. No

matter what political shade you wear, just line up at the nearest bookstore near you and make Arillo also line up at his bank.

The book is timely and relevant in light of certain political developments unfolding in the country today. The Supreme Court

You never know—the stars have a way of aligning themselves. this week ruled that the one-year extension of martial law in terrorist-gripped Mindanao is legal and constitutional. Former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is challenging Vice Presi-

dent Leni Robredo in a poll protest that could result in Bongbong being a breath away from the presidency of Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

Hey, you never know —the stars have a way of aligning themselves. A confluence of events might give us a deja vu.

I will not give a synopsis nor a review of “The Marcos Legacy.“ You have to read and appreciate Arillo’s account of those years presided by the man some Filipinos think was still the best president the country ever had. To Arillo’s credit, he was able to give us a dispassionate narrative of Marcos despite spending some close-in moments with him.

But the man who could best give an insight into Marcos’ legacy is lawyer and former Justice Manuel “Lolong” Lazaro. In his introduction to Arillo’’s book, he said and I quote certain excerpts:

“There is a tragic irony in the life of the late President Ferdinand Marcos. His perceived illegal acts have been incessantly repeated to veil a veneer of truth or marginalize his landmark contributions particularly in the political and legal system. But as the playwright William Shakespeare once said, ‘the evil men do lives after them; the good is oft buried with their bones.’ It is typical of some people to have short memories of another’s good deeds but long memories of the other’s bad or perceived wrongs. FM’s place in history, however, is secured.”

Indeed Arillo’s book is a legacy in itself for addressing misconceptions about Marcos and laying the foundation for truth and justice.

Arillo is best remembered for his exclusive interview with the former and late Libyan strongman Muammar Ghaddafi.

Mark Aguilar Villar: The czar VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ THE youngest member of the Cabinet, Mark Aguilar Villar, 39, is President Duterte’s infrastructure czar.

He comes to the job with ample credentials. He is the son of former House Speaker and former Senate President Manuel B. Villar, a self-made billionaire with estimated wealth of over $2 billion. His mother is incumbent Senator Cynthia Villar.

Mark was first elected to public office in 2010 as congressman of the lone district of Las Piñas, succeeding his mother, Cynthia Villar, who served for three terms before becoming senator.

As congressman, Mark served as chairman of the House Committee on Trade and Industry, and vice chairman of the House Committees on Overseas Workers Affairs, Labor and Employment, and Science and Technology.

As a member of the 15th and 16th Congress, young Villar authored several bills on education, health and livelihood, including the Negosyo Act promoting micro finance and the Lemon Law protecting buyers of motor vehicles. He was also one of the proponents of the Co-

Loading Act which opened domestic transport and shipping to foreign vessels.

Villar ran for a third term in the 2016 elections and won. He joined Duterte’s Cabinet on Aug. 1, 2016.

He is married to fellow lawmaker, DIWA Party-list Representative Emmeline Yan Aglipay. They have a daughter, Emma Therese.

As secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways, Mark Villar presides over the largest infrastructure spending by government in history—both in value per year, and in combined spending in six years.

The massive modernization program has already accounted for 5.4 percent of the Gross Domestic Product, the value of total goods and services produced by the economy, in 2017. The 5.4 percent is double the 2.6 percent of GDP average infra spending of the six administrations in 50 years before Duterte.

In six years, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno estimates the Duterte administration will spend P8 trillion to P9 trillion ($160 billion to $180 billion) in public infrastructure to make up for the government’s underinvestment in roads, railways, airports, seaports, and other infrastructure facilities.

From 1983 to 2006, infrastructure and capital spend-

ing amounted to a mere 1.1 percent to 1.5 percent of GDP. Analysts and academicians have long cited the country’s poor and crumbling infrastructure as a constraint to growth and investments. “Poor infrastructure hampers economic productivity, trade mobility, and the accessibility of public services,” says Diokno.

Poor infrastructure has pulled down the Philippines’ overall competitiveness. The country lags behind its Asean-5 peers in terms of the quality of its overall infrastructure.

“What is worrisome is that the Philippines’ overall infrastructure rank has steeply declined from 94th in 2009 to 112th,” Diokno points out.

In 2017, the first full year of the Duterte administration, infra spending was a record P450 billion. That enabled the government to escape the bane of postelection growth—a sharp decline. The economy grew by 6.7 percent in 2017.

Economic growth slowed to 4.8 percent in 2005 from 6.7 percent in 2004, an election year. Growth fell to 3.7 percent in 2011, from 7.6 percent in 2010, an election year.

So huge infra spending works magic. This 2018, the DPWH budget is a whopping P650.9 billion, up P200.9 billion or 45 per-

cent over 2017. The P650.9 billion is only the DPWH portion of total spending for infra. Including other projects outside the DPWH ambit, such as those under the Department of Transportation (2018 budget: P73.8 billion), total infra spending under Duterte’s “Build, Build, Build” will reach P1.097 trillion this year—6.3 percent of GDP. The other projects not other the DPWH ambit: Roads, school buildings and flood control systems • P431.1 billion = construction of roads and bridges • P92.4 billion = school buildings • P95.6 billion = flood control systems • P48 billion = right-ofway acquisitions Rail transport program = P26 billion • P6.6 billion for Mindanao Railway Project Phase I • P7.1 billion for NorthSouth Railway Project Phase II, PNR South • P1.3 billion for LRT Line I South Extension (Cavite) Project • P4.8 billion for MRT-III subsidy Aviation infrastructure program = P10.1 billion Ports and harbors development and modernization = P1.7 billion PAMANA (Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process) P8.5 billion

for development interventions in the form of road and bridge construction, free tertiary education, livelihood opportunities, welfare assistance and health insurance coverage “We have just completed the plans for the projects,” says the Wharton-educated Villar.

“Implementation will readily ramp up in 2018,” he vows.

“As a result, you will see our economic indicators rising as well,” he enthuses.

“The projects are actually investments,” Villar points out. As investments, they will yield an internal rate of return (IRR) of not less than 10 percent for exceeding the 2012 inflation rate of 3.2 percent. In fact, most of the projects have an IRR of 15 percent.

“These investments will drive up economic growth,” explains Villar. He thinks growth of 7.5 percent-8 percent per year very do-able.

The DPWH’s P650.9 billion budget will create additional one million jobs a year or 2,740 jobs a day. That will make Mark the country’s biggest job generator.

“You will see the employment rising,” gushes Villar. And poverty incidence declining.

Duterte hopes to reduce poverty to 14 percent by the end of his term in 2022. biznewsasia@gmail.com

Biotech billionaire buys Los Angeles Times BILLIONAIRE physician and investor Patrick Soon-Shiong agreed Wednesday to buy the Los Angeles Times, in a move aimed at reviving the fortunes of the newspaper amid recent turmoil.

Publishing group Tronc Inc. said it reached a deal to sell the LA Times and San Diego Union-Tribune to Soon-Shiong’s Nant Capital for $500 million plus the assumption of $90 million in pension liabilities.

The move comes after months of newsroom unrest at the storied Los Angeles daily that has seen three editors in the past six months, and a vote to unionize the journalists.

“We are pleased to transition leadership of the Los Angeles Times and The San Diego UnionTribune to local ownership, and we are certain that the journalistic excellence in Southern California will continue long into the future,” said Justin Dearborn, chief executive of Tronc, the name adopted for the group previously known as Tribune Publishing.

Soon-Shiong, a surgeon whose biotech investments have boosted his net worth to some $7.8 billion, said in a statement: “We look forward to continuing the great tradition of award-winning journalism carried out by the reporters and editors of the Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune and the other California News Group titles.”

The LA Times, like many newspapers, has been downsizing its staff as readers turn away from print to on-

line news platforms.

The Los Angeles daily was family-owned for more than a century before being sold to the Chicago-based Tribune Co. in 2000.

Tribune Co., which split off its broadcast division and renamed its publishing arm Tronc (for Tribune Online Content), will continue to own the Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Baltimore Sun and the New York Daily News.

The LA Times Guild, which recently won the right to represent employees, welcomed the news, saying it “looks forward to working with a local owner who can help us preserve The Times as a guardian of our community and as the voice of the American West.”

Billionaire newspaper owners Soon-Shiong, born in South Africa to Chinese parents, has been an investor in Tronc and also owns a stake in the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team. He has been a faculty member at the UCLA medical school and has invested in and donated to medical research.

He was a founder of the Cancer MoonShot 2020 program, renamed Cancer Breakthroughs, aimed at developing immunotherapies to cure cancer.

Soon-Shiong is the latest billionaire to seek to turn around struggling newspapers, following on the heels of Amazon owner Jeff Bezos’s purchase of the Washington Post and Boston Red Sox owner John Henry’s deal for the Boston Globe.

“I’d say this is good news, but with a caveat,” said Dan Kennedy, a Northeastern University journalism professor and author of a forthcoming book on the efforts of Bezos and Henry to remake American newspapers.

“Wealthy local ownership is exactly what the Los Angeles Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune need, assuming that Dr. Soon-Shiong is willing to be patient and to respect the independence of the newsroom.”

Kennedy noted that the businessman has in the past criticized “false reporting” about his own research efforts.

“Given that, we’ll have to see which Dr. Soon-Shiong shows up in the owner’s suite,” Kennedy said.

Separately, Tronc announced a new digital strategy, and appointed recently reinstated executive Ross Levinsohn to head a new Tribune Interactive division.

Levinsohn, a former interim CEO at Yahoo who has worked in other online services, returns from leave after an independent probe into allegations of sexual harassment which found no wrongdoing, according to Tronc.

New York University journalism professor Jay Rosen said the new digital strategy appears at odds with the plan to shed the Los Angeles Times.

“If there was any discernible plan at @tronc it depended on the idea of scale,” Rosen tweeted. “Selling @latimes means that idea has gone bust.” AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

News

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018 A6 Standard Manila

TODAY mst.daydesk@gmail.com

MMDA to deploy workers to Mayon areas next week

By Joel E. Zurbano

C

HAIRMAN Danilo Lim of the Metro Manila Development Authority said the agency will start next week the deployment of emergency response personnel to Albay to assist families affected by the continuous eruption of Mayon Volcano. temporary shelters in 58 evacuation centers, while 2,954 families or 12,169 individuals are staying with their relatives and friends in Camalig, Daraga, Guinobatan, Malilipot and Sto. Domingo in Albay, the report added.

In November 2012, the

In its report submitted to Lim’s office, the MMDA Operations Unit said 23,399 families or 86,052 persons residing in six municipalities were affected by the eruption.

A total of 17,137 families or 64,895 persons are staying at

MMDA formed its Rescue Battalion, a unit composed of personnel specially trained and equipped to respond to major disasters and calamities within Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces.

The deployment of volunteers is also in line with the “Adopt an LGU” (local government unit) project of the Metro Manila Council, the MMDA’s governing board and policy-making body.

On Wednesday, Lim and other MMDA officials met Metro Manila mayors at the agency’s main office in Makati City and agreed to assist provincial government units

helping the affected residents.

“Local government units’ assistance would be a great help to victims, particularly families who remain at different evacuation centers,” said Lim. Each LGU committed to send five personnel to Albay aside from the MMDA manpower, he added. “This is a good opportunity to expose emergency responders in this mission.”

Lim said the 17 mayors also agreed to extend financial and relief assistance to the affected victims.

The LGUs have agreed to

: : :

pool their resources, giving a minimum of P500,000 from each city to assist municipalities in Albay in meeting the needs of their constituents.

Lim said the resources will be coming from the respective disaster risk reduction management funds of the LGUs. Jose Arturo Garcia Jr., MMDA assistant general manager for planning, said they are targeting the deployment of emergency response personnel next week and will bring along with them relief goods, clothing, medicines, portalets/toilets, and water purifiers.

Republika ng Pilipinas

(Pambansang Pangasiwaan ng Patubig)

(Pambansang Pangasiwaan ng Patubig)

(Pambansang Pangasiwaan ng Patubig)

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan (044) 766-2467,766-4839,816-6808 www.region3.nia.gov.ph

Regional Office No. III

Regional Office No. III

Email Address:nia03@yahoo.com Telefax No.: (044) 766-2467 TIN No.: 000-979-570-000

Office Address Telephone Nos. Website

: : :

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan (044) 766-2467,766-4839,816-6808 www.region3.nia.gov.ph

Email Address:nia03@yahoo.com Telefax No.: (044) 766-2467 TIN No.: 000-979-570-000

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3, hereby invites all interested PhilGEPS registered contractors to bid for the project, through the General Appropriations Act of CY 2018, intends to apply the sum of Thirty Eight Million Four Hundred Ninety Six Thousand Four Hundred Sixteen Pesos and 10/100 ( P 38,496,416.10) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the contract for NIAR3-2018-BUL-AMRIS-4. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

1.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3, hereby invites all interested PhilGEPS registered contractors to bid for the project, through the General Appropriations Act of CY 2018, intends to apply the sum of Thirty Eight Million Five Hundred Nineteen Thousand Two Hundred Thirty Three Pesos and 56/100 ( P 38,519,233.56) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the contract for NIAR3-2018-BUL-AMRIS-5. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

Bidders must secure Site Inspection Certificate from IMO Office as a technical requirement for Eligibility and Technical Document (Envelop A). Non compliance will be a ground for disqualification.

2.

3.

Only those Letter of Intent with a company profile, submitted by the owner or its authorized liaison officer, will be accepted to participate in the bidding

4.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 now invites bids for (AMRIS) Canal Lining of Lat. A-1 & Rehabilitation of Lat. A-2 & Adia Maningsing Creek. Completion of the Works is required within Three Hundred (300) calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

4.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday to Friday.

7.

8.

9.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on February 14, 2018, 10:00 a.m. at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:30 a.m.

(PST) of February 27, 2018 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on 10:00 a.m. (PST) of February 27, 2018 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

10. All particulars relative to the eligibility screening, bid security, performance security, pre-bid conference/s, evaluation of bids, post qualification and award of contracts shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its revised IRR. 11.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

Noted by:

3.

Only those Letter of Intent with a company profile, submitted by the owner or its authorized liaison officer, will be accepted to participate in the bidding

Bidders must secure Site Inspection Certificate from IMO Office as a technical requirement for Eligibility and Technical Document (Envelop A). Non compliance will be a ground for disqualification.

3.

4.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 now invites bids for Embankment Protection of South Main Canal & Canal Lining of Lateral D, D-1 & D-3. Completion of the Works is required within Three Hundred (300) calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

Only those Letter of Intent with a company profile, submitted by the owner or its authorized liaison officer, will be accepted to participate in the bidding

4.

5.

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

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 now invites bids for Construction of Diversion Works and Canal System of Cabalantian CIS, Cabambangan CIS and Sta. Ines CIS and Supply, Delivery and Installation of STW for Maliwalu CIS. Completion of the Works is required within Three Hundred (300) calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

5.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

6.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday to Friday.

7.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on February 07, 2018 to February 27, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, except holidays from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Thirty Five Thousand Pesos (P 35,000.00).

6.

7.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on February 07, 2018 to February 27, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, except holidays from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Thirty Eight Thousand Pesos (P 38,000.00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later that the submission of their bids.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on February 14, 2018, 10:00 a.m. at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

8.

9.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:30 a.m.

(PST) of February 27, 2018 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on February 14, 2018, 10:00 a.m. at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

9.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:30 a.m.

(PST) of February 27, 2018 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on 10:00 a.m. (PST) of February 27, 2018 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

Bid opening shall be on 10:00 a.m. (PST) of February 27, 2018 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

10. All particulars relative to the eligibility screening, bid security, performance security, pre-bid conference/s, evaluation of bids, post qualification and award of contracts shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its revised IRR. 11.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

12. For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat/s; NIA – Region 3,Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Tel No. (044) 766-4839 and 816-8608

10. All particulars relative to the eligibility screening, bid security, performance security, pre-bid conference/s, evaluation of bids, post qualification and award of contracts shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its revised IRR. 11.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

12. For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat/s; NIA – Region 3,Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Tel No. (044) 766-4839 and 816-8608

(SGD) VIRGILIO J. ILAO BAC - Chairman

Noted by: Noted by:

JOSEPHINE B. SALAZAR Regional Manager

JOSEPHINE B. SALAZAR Regional Manager

(MS-FEB. 9, 2018)

(MS-FEB. 9, 2018)

Republika ng Pilipinas

Republika ng Pilipinas

Republika ng Pilipinas

(Pambansang Pangasiwaan ng Patubig)

(Pambansang Pangasiwaan ng Patubig)

(Pambansang Pangasiwaan ng Patubig)

Regional Office No. III

: : :

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later that the submission of their bids.

8.

(MS-FEB. 9, 2018)

Office Address Telephone Nos. Website

Invitation to Bid Construction of Diversion Works and Canal System of Cabalantian CIS, Cabambangan CIS and Sta. Ines CIS and Supply, Delivery and Installation of STW for Maliwalu CIS ITB No. NIAR3-2018-PAM-CCSIM-6

2.

(SGD) VIRGILIO J. ILAO BAC - Chairman

JOSEPHINE B. SALAZAR Regional Manager

Email Address:nia03@yahoo.com Telefax No.: (044) 766-2467 TIN No.: 000-979-570-000

Bidders must secure Site Inspection Certificate from IMO Office as a technical requirement for Eligibility and Technical Document (Envelop A). Non compliance will be a ground for disqualification.

(SGD) VIRGILIO J. ILAO BAC - Chairman

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan (044) 766-2467,766-4839,816-6808 www.region3.nia.gov.ph

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3, hereby invites all interested PhilGEPS registered contractors to bid for the project, through the General Appropriations Act of CY 2018, intends to apply the sum of Thirty Five Million Five Hundred Four Thousand Seventy Seven Pesos and 09/100 (P 35,504,077.09) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the contract for NIAR3-2018-PAM-CCSIM-6. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

12. For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat/s; NIA – Region 3,Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Tel No. (044) 766-4839 and 816-8608

: : :

1.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on February 07, 2018 to February 27, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, except holidays from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Thirty Eight Thousand Pesos (P 38,000.00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later that the submission of their bids.

Office Address Telephone Nos. Website

Invitation to Bid Embankment Protection of South Main Canal & Canal Lining of Lateral D, D-1 & D-3 ITB No. NIAR3-2018-BUL-AMRIS-5

1.

6.

THE Sandiganbayan Third Division has denied former vice president Jejomar Binay Sr.’s appeal for the dismissal of his criminal case in connection with the alleged overpriced P2.28-billion Makati City parking building.

The anti-graft court also denied the same motion from Hilmarc’s Construction board chairman Efren Canlas.

The Third Division denied Binay’s urgent motion to quash for lack of merit.

“After an assiduous evaluation of the arguments raised by the accused-movants in their respective motions to quash, together with the oppositions thereto of the prosecution, the court finds the said motions bereft of merit,” the Sandiganbayan said in its 53-page resolution.

The court sets Binay's arraignment on Feb. 23 at 1:30 p.m.

Binay earlier appealed the dismissal of his case, saying the alleged overpriced building project does not constitute a crime.

The Ombudsman earlier filed a complaint against Binay and other Makati officials for implementing five phases of the project from 2007 to 2013 without the approved design standards, contract plans, agency cost estimates, detailed engineering and programs of work.

Binay was charged with four counts of graft, one count of malversation, and nine counts of falsification of public documents.

Similarly, his son, dismissed Makati City mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr., was charged with two counts of graft and six counts of falsification of public documents.

Republika ng Pilipinas

Invitation to Bid (AMRIS) Canal Lining of Lat. A-1 & Rehabilitation of Lat. A-2 & Adia Maninsing Creek ITB No. NIAR3-2018-BUL-AMRIS-4

5.

By Maricel V. Cruz

Republika ng Pilipinas

Regional Office No. III

Office Address Telephone Nos. Website

Sandigan nixes Binay plea to dismiss case

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan (044) 766-2467,766-4839,816-6808 www.region3.nia.gov.ph

Regional Office No. III

Email Address:nia03@yahoo.com Telefax No.: (044) 766-2467 TIN No.: 000-979-570-000

Office Address Telephone Nos. Website

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3, hereby invites all interested Phil-GEPS registered contractors to bid for the project, through the General Appropriations Act of CY 2018, intends to apply the sum of Thirty Seven Million Five Hundred Eighty Two Thousand Nine Hundred Fifty Pesos and 42/100 ( P 37,582,950.42 ) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the contract for NIAR3-2018-STRIS MAPANUEPE-8. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

Bidders must secure Site Inspection Certificate from IMO Office as a technical requirement for Eligibility and Technical Document (Envelop A). Non compliance will be a ground for disqualification.

3.

Only those Letter of Intent with a company profile, submitted by the owner or its authorized liaison officer, will be accepted to participate in the bidding

4.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 now invites bids for Construction of Diversion Works and Canal System of STRIS Mapanuepe, San Marcelino, Zambales. Completion of the Works is required within Three Hundred (300) calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan (044) 766-2467,766-4839,816-6808 www.region3.nia.gov.ph

Regional Office No. III

Email Address:nia03@yahoo.com Telefax No.: (044) 766-2467 TIN No.: 000-979-570-000

Office Address Telephone Nos. Website

Invitation to Bid Protection Works of PGRIS (Solib Checkgate & Sto Cristo Checkgate) ITB No. NIAR3-2018-PAM-PGRIS-2

Invitation to Bid Construction of Diversion Works and Canal System of STRIS Mapanuepe, San Marcelino, Zambales 1.

: : :

1.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3, hereby invites all interested Phil-GEPS registered contractors to bid for the project, through the General Appropriations Act of CY 2018, intends to apply the sum of Thirty Six Million Six Hundred Fifty Five Thousand Two Hundred Four Pesos ( P 36,655,204.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the contract for NIAR3-2018-PAM-PGRIS-2.

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

: : :

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan (044) 766-2467,766-4839,816-6808 www.region3.nia.gov.ph

Email Address:nia03@yahoo.com Telefax No.: (044) 766-2467 TIN No.: 000-979-570-000

Invitation to Bid Improvement of Canal System of CAMILING RIS & Procurement and Installation of Pump and Engine (19 HP) ITB No. NIAR3-2018-TAR-CAMRIS-3 1.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3, hereby invites all interested PhilGEPS registered contractors to bid for the project, through the General Appropriations Act of CY 2018, intends to apply the sum of Fifty Seven Million Five Hundred Twenty Thousand One Hundred Sixty Seven Pesos and 60/100 ( P 57,520,167.60) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the contract for NIAR3-2018-TAR-CAMRIS-3. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Bidders must secure Site Inspection Certificate from IMO Office as a technical requirement for Eligibility and Technical Document (Envelop A). Non compliance will be a ground for disqualification.

Only those Letter of Intent with a company profile, submitted by the owner or its authorized liaison officer, will be accepted to participate in the bidding

2.

Bidders must secure Site Inspection Certificate from IMO Office as a technical requirement for Eligibility and Technical Document (Envelop A). Non compliance will be a ground for disqualification.

3.

Only those Letter of Intent with a company profile, submitted by the owner or its authorized liaison officer, will be accepted to participate in the bidding

4.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 now invites bids for Improvement of Canal System of CAMILING RIS & Procurement and Installation of Pump and Engine (19 HP). Completion of the Works is required within Three Hundred (300) calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II, Instruction to Bidders.

5.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

6.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday to Friday.

7.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on February 07, 2018 to February 27, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, except holidays from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Fifty Seven Thousand Pesos (P 57,000.00).

Noted by:

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 now invites bids for Protection Works of PGRIS (Solib Checkgate & Sto Cristo Checkgate). Completion of the Works is required within Three Hundred (300) calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

6. Interested bidders may obtain further information from NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday to Friday.

7. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on February 07, 2018 to February 27, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, except holidays from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Thirty Seven Thousand Pesos (P 37,000.00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later that the submission of their bids.

8. The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on February 14, 2018, 10:00 a.m. at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy.

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

9. Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:30 a.m. (PST) of February 27, 2018 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on 10:00 a.m. (PST) of February 27, 2018 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

10. All particulars relative to the eligibility screening, bid security, performance security, prebid conference/s, evaluation of bids, post qualification and award of contracts shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its revised IRR. 11. The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

12. For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat/s; NIA – Region 3,Tambubong; San Rafael, Bulacan

Tel No. (044) 766-4839 and 816-8608 (SGD) VIRGILIO J. ILAO BAC - Chairman Noted by:

JOSEPHINE B. SALAZAR Regional Manager

JOSEPHINE B. SALAZAR Regional Manager

5.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

6.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday to Friday.

7.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on February 7, 2018 to February 26, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday February 27, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m except holidays from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Thirty Seven Thousand Pesos (P 37,000.00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later that the submission of their bids.

8.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on February 14, 2018, 10:00 a.m. at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy.

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

9.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:30 a.m. (PST) of February 26, 2018 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on 10:00 a.m. (PST) of February 27, 2018 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

10. All particulars relative to the eligibility screening, bid security, performance security, pre-bid conference/s, evaluation of bids, post qualification and award of contracts shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its revised IRR. 11. The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

12. For further information, please refer to:

BAC Secretariat/s; NIA – Region 3,Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Tel No. (044) 766-4839 and 816-8608 (SGD) VIRGILIO J. ILAO BAC - Chairperson

(MS-FEB. 9, 2018)

3.

4.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later that the submission of their bids.

8.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on February 14, 2018, 10:00 a.m. at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

9.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:30 a.m.

(PST) of February 27, 2018 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on 10:00 a.m. (PST) of February 27, 2018 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

10. All particulars relative to the eligibility screening, bid security, performance security, pre-bid conference/s, evaluation of bids, post qualification and award of contracts shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its revised IRR. 11.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

12. For further information, please refer to:

BAC Secretariat/s; NIA – Region 3,Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Tel No. (044) 766-4839 and 816-8608

Noted by:

(SGD) VIRGILIO J. ILAO BAC - Chairman

JOSEPHINE B. SALAZAR Regional Manager (MS-FEB. 9, 2018)

(MS-FEB. 9, 2018)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

StandardRepublic of the Philippines TODAY

COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS OFFICE OF CITY ELECTION OFFICER Puerto Princesa City

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION TO RECALL LUIS M. MARCAIDA III AS VICE MAYOR OF PUERTO PRINCESA CITY PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 69 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, R.A. NO. 7160, AND COMELEC RESOLUTION NO. 7505 FOR LOSS OF CONFIDENCE.

chance to elect a vice mayor who is competent and able to LEAD the City of Puerto Princesa, MEET their necessities, and MOVE forward.

14. Facing circumstance of disappointment and frustration, “The best cure for the ills of democracy is more democracy.” Ergo, it is but a truism that a recall election is designed to afford relief from popular dissatisfaction with the conduct of a public officer, whom they want to be removed, thus, a valid revocation of the people’s embodiment of their will to the subject public official.

65

Tanglaw

208

2443-2461

19

66

Tiniguiban

1758

2462-2583

121

67A

Assorted I

4595

2584-2942

360

67B

Tagburos II

351

2943-2966

24

67C

Assorted II

777

2967-3019

53

TOTAL

39,768

15. On this note, the effects are inevitable leading to an overwhelming dearth of hope and trust on the public official’s leadership. Verily, the sole ground for recall is LOSS OF CONFIDENCE, in accordance with R.A. No. 7160, which states that: CHAPTER 5: RECALL

PRC NO.

COMES NOW, Main Petitioner, Oscar D. Lapida Jr. by himself, together with the supporting petitioners, unto this Honorable Office, most respectfully alleges THAT: PREFATORY STATEMENT 1. The right to recall is complementary to the right to elect or appoint. It is included in the right of suffrage. It is based on the theory that the electorate must maintain a direct and elastic control over public functionaries. It is also predicated upon the idea that a public office is “burdened” with public interests and that the representatives of the people holding public offices are simply agents or servants of the people with definite powers and specific duties to perform and to follow if they wish to remain in their respective offices.1 2. The power of recall for loss of confidence shall be exercised by the registered voters of a local government unit to which the local elective official subject to such recall belongs.2 3. Loss of confidence is the formal withdrawal by an electorate of their trust in a person’s ability to discharge his office previously bestowed on him by the same electorate.3

17. Section 6 of COMELEC Resolution No. 75057 provides:

SEC. 69: By Whom Exercised. – The power of recall FOR LOSS OF CONFIDENCE shall be exercised by the registered voters of a local government unit to which the local elective official subject to such recall belongs.

OSCAR D. LAPIDA JR. Main Petitioner

PETITION

COMPLIANCE WITH PERCENTAGE REQUIREMENTS SUFFICIENT TO RECALL

Section 6. Supporting petitioners in a petition for recall.

– the supporting petitioners in a petition for recall shall be the registered voters of the local government unit concerned, who are registered as such during the election in which the local official sought to be recalled was elected, and whose total number shall comply with the following percentage requirements:

16. In view of the foregoing, the people were compelled and left with no choice but to oust and recall Vice Mayor Luis M. Marcaida III of the City of Puerto Princesa due to loss of confidence. Taking into account the significant number of signatories that DIVULGED the support of residents of Puerto Princesa in effectively recalling their incompetent Vice Mayor, below is the summary of the number of supporting Petitioners6 on a per Barangay basis and reflecting likewise the number of corresponding page number and number of pages:

NO.

BARANGAY

NO. OF SUPPORTING PETITIONERS WHO HAVE AFFIXED THEIR SIGNATURE and/or THUMBMARK FOR THIS PETITION FOR RECALL AGAINST VICE MAYOR MARCAIDA

PAGE NUMBER

NUMBER OF PAGES

Voting Population of Local Government Units Concerned

Required Percentage or Minimum Number of Petitioners

Not more than 20,000

At least twenty·flve per cent (25%)

At least 20,000 but not more than 75,000

At least twenty per cent (20%) But not less than 5,000

At least 75,000 but not more than 300,000

Atleastftfteen percent (15%] But not less than 15,000

Over 300,000

At least ten per cent (10%) But not less than 45,000

18. In the instant case, the main and the supporting Petitioners have complied with the above percentage requirement, thus:

1

Babuyan

495

1-35

35

2

Bacungan

803

36-90

55

3

Bagong Bayan

234

91-108

18

4

Bagong Pag-Asa

49

109-112

4

5

Bagong Sikat

1056

113-191

79

6

Bagong Silang

808

192-251

60

7

Bahile

417

252-284

33

8

Bancao–Bancao

1653

285-416

132

9

Binduyan

289

417-440

24

10

Buenavista

254

441-458

18

11

Cabayugan

571

459-507

49

THE PARTIES

12

Concepcion

197

508-523

16

6. The main Petitioner of this case is OSCAR D. LAPIDA JR. who is of legal age, Filipino, married, and a resident of Barangay Irawan, Puerto Princesa City. He is a registered voter of said Barangay in Precinct No. 0181A as evidenced by the hereto attached certification and voter’s records duly issued by Mangombaya S. Madale, Acting City Election Officer, Puerto Princesa City, herein marked as ANNEXES “A” to “A-1” hereof.

13

Inagawan

90

524-530

7

14

Inagawan–Sub

1062

531-607

77

15

Irawan

951

608-676

69

16

Iwahig

138

677-687

11

7. The supporting Petitioners are also all of legal ages, residents and registered voters in their respective precincts from barangays of Puerto Princesa City as indicated in the attached FOLDERS (per Volume) containing the signatures and/or thumb marks in the COMELEC prescribed form with their addresses marked as ANNEXES “B” to “B-66C” to form an integral part of this Petition.

17

Kalipay

101

688-694

7

18

Kamuning

498

695-729

35

19

Langogan

292

730-753

24

20

Liwanag

291

754-782

23

21

Lucbuan

316

783-805

23

22

Luzviminda

775

806-859

54

23

Mabuhay

278

860-878

19

GROUNDS FOR RECALL

24

Macarascas

484

879-917

39

9. As the famous dictum states, “Salus populi est supreme lex” –the will of the people is the supreme law—this Petition is in the nature of upholding the paramount will of the people, particularly, the residents of Puerto Princesa City.

25

Magkakaibigan

75

918-922

5

22. In view of the foregoing, it is respectfully prayed that this Honorable Office cause the submission of the instant Petition together with all the supporting documents appended thereto with the Honorable Commission for appropriate action.

26

Maligaya

36

923-925

3

PRAYER

27

Manalo

459

926-959

34

28

Mandaragat

1602

960-1083

123

29

Manggahan

107

1084-1091

8

30

Mangingisda

1167

1092-1176

85

WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is most respectfully prayed of this Honorable Office that after verification of the Petitioners’ names, addresses and signatures and FINDING the same to be in order and sufficient in form and substance, a favorable recommendation be SUBMITTED to the Honorable Commission seeking its concurrence and fixing the date of the recall election.

31

Maningning

85

1194-1200

7

32

Maoyon

270

1201-1223

23

33

Marufinas

110

1224-1233

10

34

Maruyugon

178

1234-1248

15

35

Masigla

95

1249-1255

7

36

Masikap

80

1256-1262

7

37

Masipag

445

1263-1292

30

38

Matahimik

700

1293-1342

50

What is more, Vice Mayor Marcaida just recently was tagged as one of the HIGH VALUE TARGETS in the city per report of the Puerto Princesa City Police Office to the Philippine National Police-Regional Office for MIMAROPA as shown in the herein document marked as ANNEXES “C” to “C-1.” All of which are punishable under the Revised Penal Code and other related laws. Truly, these misdeeds affect the entire peace and order in Puerto Princesa City, as evidenced by drastic increase in crimes related to illegal drugs within the locality.

39

Matiyaga

74

1343-1348

6

40

Maunlad

598

1394-1395

47

41

Milagrosa

401

1397-1428

32

42

Model

30

1430-1431

2

43

Montible

75

1432-1438

7

Vice Mayor Marcaida’s involvement in illegal drugs is not only disturbing but also puts the lives of his constituencies in danger.

44

Napsan

241

1439-1457

19

45

New Panggangan

139

1468-1478

11

46

Pagkakaisa

389

1479-1508

30

47

Princesa

99

1511-1517

7

48

Salvacion

222

1522-1541

20

49

San Isidro

262

1542-1559

18

4.

Moreover, as held in Dunham vs. Ardery 4:

“We understand that the principle underlying the recall of public officers means that the people may have an effective and speedy remedy to remove an official who is not giving satisfaction – one who they do not want to continue in office, regardless of whether or not he is discharging his full duty to best of his ability and as his conscience dictates. If the policies pursued do not meet the approval of a majority of the people, it is the underlying principle of the recall doctrine to permit them to expeditiously recall the official, without form or ceremony, as provided for in the charter.”

NATURE OF THE ACTION 5. The instant petition is filed pursuant to the provision of Local Government Code of 1991 (R.A. No. 7160) and the implementing guidelines promulgated by the Honorable Commission on Elections through Resolution No. 75055 dated June 6, 2005.

8. The name of the official sought to be recalled is VICE MAYOR LUIS M. MARCAIDA III (“Vice Mayor Marcaida”), the Vice Mayor of Puerto Princesa City. Vice Mayor Marcaida was elected during the May 9, 2016 elections and had assumed office on June 30, 2016. He may be served summons and other processes of this Honorable Office at the Office of the Vice Mayor, New City Hall Complex, Bgy. Sta. Monica, Puerto Princesa City.

10. Vice Mayor Marcaida is subjected to recall for LOSS OF CONFIDENCE. The people of Puerto Princesa City clamor for a change of leadership in the Office of the Vice Mayor owing to the following reasons: Vice Mayor Marcaida has not proven himself commendable to be the vice mayor of Puerto Princesa City.

He has not shown any sign of competence, transparency and integrity as the people of Puerto Princesa has been expecting from him Worse, the public is well aware that he is involved in drugs and once tried to facilitate the release of an arrested drug pusher (Arvin Clavecilla) in Puerto Princesa City. He is also involved in corruption when he, without any authority from the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Puerto Princesa, allowed the employees under him to accept donations through checks given by a private foundation, which checks were not remitted to the City Treasurer of Puerto Princesa. These are clear manifestations of his lack of moral integrity and fiber to govern and lead by example, to the detriment of the constituents of Puerto Princesa City..

11. In addition, Vice Mayor Marcaida has not made, at the very least, any commendable projects and programs for his constituents, to date, as he is hounded by (a) corruption and greed to grab political power which work against public interest and the general welfare; (b) lack of respect for the clamor of the people of Puerto Princesa who hate illegal drugs; (c) lack of regard for the laws and public officials like the President who is a known enemy of drug lords and anyone who peddles illegal drugs, which is conduct unbecoming of a public official and speaks of his lack of integrity and ascendancy to lead.

50

San Jose

1874

1560-1694

134

12. Provided hereunder are the manifestation of Vice Mayor Marcaida’s lack of integrity and ascendancy to lead and stay as vice mayor of Puerto Princesa City:

51

San Manuel

1402

1695-1796

102

52

San Miguel

964

1797-1867

71

PEACE AND ORDER

53

San Pedro

1654

1868-1986

119

For not helping the authorities in their campaign against illegal drugs and instead, it was he who tried to protect and coddle drug pushers by attempting to facilitate their release from the hands of the PDEA/police officers who arrested them; even worse is the fact that Vice Mayor Marcaida himself is a HIGH VALUE TARGET, hence the proliferation of illegal drugs and illegal drug trade in Puerto Princesa City;

54

San Rafael

353

1987-2013

27

55

Sicsican

1466

2014-2116

103

56

Simpocan

226

2117-2133

17

57

Sta. Cruz

264

2134-2151

18

PUBLIC OFFICE IS A PUBLIC TRUST

58

Sta. Lourdes

868

2152-2214

63

For closing his eyes to corruption committed by his employees or even consenting to such corruption when he allowed them to accept checks which proceeds were not remitted to the City Treasurer of Puerto Princesa, which acts he did not bother to investigate, revoke, or censure thus robbing the City Government of Puerto Princesa of money that rightfully belongs to it

59

Sta. Lucia

89

2215-2220

6

60

Sta. Monica

1165

2221-2331

111

61

Tagabinet

438

2332-2361

30

62

Tagburos

952

2362-2419

58

13. All of the foregoing recitals indubitably show that Vice Mayor Marcaida is remiss in the performance of his sworn duties and responsibilities which eventually resulted to LOSS OF CONFIDENCE by the constituency of the City of Puerto Princesa. Perforce, Petitioners are constrained to initiate the instant Petition so as to give the people another

Total Voting Population of the City of Puerto Princesa based on the 2015 census (18 years old and above) 8 Percentage required per the rules.

Tagumpay

125

2420-2428

9

64

Tanabag

198

2429-2442

14

15% required

24,113

Total number of main and supporting Petitioners in this Petition for Recall.

39,768

Total number of equivalent to 15%

Petitioners

Undoubtedly, with the total number of 39,768 Petitioners, this Petition is, therefore, OVERWHELMINGLY supported by more than what is required by law.

19. Moreover and in compliance with Section 10 of the same rules, the Provincial Statistics Office of Palawan through its Supervising Statistical Specialist (Officer-in-Charge), Ms. Evelyn O. Apellido, issued a LetterReply/Certification dated August 10, 2017, attaching therein the latest TOTAL POPULATION BY AGE GROUP AND SEX in the City of Puerto Princesa based on the 2015 Census of Population (POPCEN 2015) which shows that the latest number of voting population thereat (18 years old and above) is 160,747. Copy of the said Letter-Reply/Certification with the attached 2015 Census are hereto appended and marked as Annexes “D” to “D-1”.

20. With regard to the date of assumption to office of Vice Mayor Marcaida, it is shown that he took his oath of office as vice mayor on June 30, 2016 and assumed said position the next day or on July 1, 2016. Copy of the letter issued by the City-DILG of Puerto Princesa, dated August 25, 2017, with the attached Oath of Office, and the Service Record issued

by Human Resource Management Office of Puerto Princesa are hereto appended and marked as ANNEXES “E” to “E-2”.

21. Penultimately, herein Petitioners have tendered the requisite filing fee of THIRTY THOUSAND PESOS (PhP 30,000.00)9 in the form of Manager’s Check (Check No. MC 0000009618) payable to the Cash Division of this Commission in compliance with Section 9 of the same rules before the City Election Officer of Puerto Princesa City who is tasked by law to remit said sum to the Cash Division of the Commission on Elections at Palacio del Gobernador, Intramuros, Manila.

OTHER RELIEFS, which this Honorable Office may deem just and equitable, are likewise prayed for.

Puerto Princesa City, August 30, 2017.

OSCAR D. LAPIDA JR. Petitioner Barangay Irawan, Puerto Princesa City

VERIFICATION and CERTIFICATION of NON-FORUM SHOPPING Republic of the Philippines) CITY OF PUERTO PRINCESA) Ss. I, OSCAR D. LAPIDA JR., Filipino, of legal age and a resident of Barangay Irawan, Puerto Princesa City, after having been sworn to in accordance with law, hereby depose and state that: 1.

I am the PRINCIPAL PETITIONER in the above-captioned case;

2. I have caused the preparation of the foregoing PETITION FOR RECALL, the contents thereof and the facts stated therein are true based on our own personal knowledge and on authentic records/documents; 3. Pursuant to and in compliance with Supreme Court Administrative Circular No. 04-94, we hereby certify that we have not commenced any other action or proceeding involving the same issues in the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, or different Divisions thereof, or any other tribunal or agency; that to the best of our knowledge, no such action or proceeding is pending with the Supreme Court, the Court of appeals, or different Divisions thereof, or any other tribunal or agency; and that if we should thereafter learn that a similar action or proceeding has been filed or is pending before the above tribunals or agency, we hereby undertake to report that fact within five (5) days therefrom to the Court or agency wherein the original pleading and sworn certification contemplated herein have been filed.

AFFIANT FURTHERSAYETH NAUGHT.

OSCAR D. LAPIDA JR. Affiant Barangay Irawan, Puerto Princesa City SSS ID No. 03-9786893-9 SUBSCRIBED and SWORN to before me this 30th day of August 2017 at Puerto Princesa City, Philippines. Affiant personally appeared and exhibited to me his SSS ID No. 03-9786893-9/Voter’s Identification Certificate with VIN: 5316-0181A-K1162ODL10000-2. He is the same person who personally signed before me the foregoing Verification and acknowledged that he executed the same. I hereby certify that I have personally examined the affiant and I am satisfied that he voluntarily executed and understood his Affidavit.

MANGOMBAYA S. MADALE Acting City Election Officer Commission on Elections Puerto Princesa City 1 2 3

63

160,747

4 5 6 7 8 9

Evardone vs. COMELEC, G.R. No. 94010 December 2, 1991 Section 69, Chapter 5, R.A. 7160 Supra note 1 43 Okl. 619, 143 P. 331 Rules and Regulations for the Recall of Elective Local Government Officials as Provided for Under the Local Government Code, as Amended.

Please see Annex “B” and series Supra note 5 Please refer to Annex “C”.

Please see attached Acknowledgment Receipt issued by the Election Officer of Caramoan, herein marked as Annex “E” hereof.

(MS-FEB. 2 / 9 / 16, 2018)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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

A8

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018

Lebron powers Cavs to OT win

Sports

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) raises both hands in victory after making a fadeaway jumper as time expired in overtime to propel the Cavaliers to 140-138 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. AFP

Junior Archers upset UST Games Sunday (at the Blue Eagle gym) 9 a.m. UPIS vs UE 11 a.m. Adamson vs La Salle Zobel 1 p.m. FEU vs UST 3 p.m. Ateneo vs NU

THE La Salle Zobel Junior Archers were already out of contention.

But they still played like champions, and put the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Cubs’ semifinal hopes in peril with an 86-79 victory on Wednesday.

This kept the Tigers from securing the last semis berth in the 80th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) junior basketball tournament.

Batang Gilas standout Chris Calimag and Rogil Carlos made things possible for the Junior Archers in the last four minutes of play at the Blue Eagle gym in Quezon City.

They led an 11-4 windup that allowed them to earn their fourth win in 13 games, and with still a game left in the second round.

“The players I have are promising. and they are in development for next season,” said Junior Archers coach Boris Aldeguer.

Two charities from Carlos, followed by Calimag’s inside play allowed the Junior Archers to start moving away, 79-74, in the last 2:33.

Calimag, the son of former PBA standout Ricky Calimag, showed the way with 19 points and five rebounds while Carlos provided 17 points.

CJ Cansino and Jezreel Villapando delivered 16 points each for UST, which took their second straight loss, and dropped to a share of fourth with the Adamson Baby Falcons at 6-7.

Peter Atencio

Karate to lose NSA status month, questioning athletes, coaches and PKF officials to find out what happened to funds amounting to around P3.217-million.

The money was supposed to be spent for the seminars and tournaments joined, accommodations, meals and allowances among other things, while the national squad was in Germany from July 20 to Aug. 9.

The agency began investigating the PKF after learning from karatedo athletes that they did not get the full US$1800 allowance that they were supposed to get from the trip.

Privaldo said they were able to determine inconsistencies upon the submission of a liquidation report from secretary general Raymund Lee Reyes.

Questions were raised when the PKF issued bills

By Peter Atencio

R

ECOGNITION of the Philippine Karatedo Federation as a national sports association has been dropped by the Philippine Sports Commission.

A five man task formed by the Philippine Sports Commission made this recommendation and the government sports agency is set to carry this out.

Executive Director Sannah Privaldo talked about the result of their investigations following a probe on allegations that several national karatedo athletes did not receive their full their allowances during their 20day training stint in Germany last July.

For the PSC, this means that it will indefinitely suspend financial assistance to the PKF, and will withdraw

its privilege of holding office within the premises of the Philsports Complex in Pasig City.

Privaldo said the result of the task force came out ahead of the separate investigation that the National Bureau of Investigation is holding.

“The NBI is more concerned with the criminal aspect committed by the NSA. There will be other sanctions. Their actions and recommendations will also be considered,” said Privaldo.

The PSC and NBI launched separate probes last

of less than $85 when athletes stayed at the Budo Center Kelkheim and at the Topaz Karate.

The task force also took a look at the liquidation report when the national squad was in Frankfurt, Germany, in the Netherlands and in Belgium.

The PSC approved a budget for the use of vans for transportation, amounting to $2,800. But it was learned that most of the athletes used public transportation to go to their dojos.

They also learned that the medical care of karatedo Kimberly Madrona went unreported after she bumped her head during training.

Among the national athletes who went to Germany are Eugene Dagohoy, John Paul Bejar, Rexor Tacay,

Jayson Macaalay, Erica Samonte, Miyuki Taccay, Madrona, OJ de los Reyes, Sharief Afif, John Michael Badil, Carmelo Patricio, Irineo Soriano and Mae Soriano. They were accompanied by Iranian coach Ali Parvinfar.

The task force’s findings have been forwarded to the Philippine Olympic Committee and PKF president Joey Romasanta.

Despite the suspension of financial assistance to the NSA, the PSC will still continue its support to the national karatedo athletes.

She added that new guidelines and policies on financial assistance will be issued as soon as the PSC finishes reviewing its present policies, rules and regulations, and guidelines on financial assistance.

Superal, Ikeda catch Hwang at helm with 69s GENERAL TRIAS, Cavite—Princess Superal and Chihiro Ikeda carded identical 69s to tie Hwang Minjeong at the helm in a tense, shaky finish that highlighted the second round yesterday and set up a shootout for the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Ladies Invitational crown at the Aoki course here.

Hwang, who seized the first round lead with a 68 Wednesday, held off the local aces’ early charge with three birdies in the first 13 holes but wavered at the finish, falling off the pace twice, re-taking the lead before gaining a piece of it on a bogey-par-birdie-doublebogey-birdie windup.

In a flight ahead, Ikeda, who eagled No. 5, took control despite flubbing a twofoot downhiller for par on the par-3 17th, which Hwang

double-bogeyed, for another 69. But that missed putt later cost the Fil-Japanese the solo lead as the Korean amateur came through with that closing birdie to save a 70 and tie Ikeda at six-under 138.

Superal, who matched Ikeda’s opening 69, battled Hwang from start to finish in the featured flight, hitting four birdies after eight holes to earn a share of the lead. But the Symetra Tour campaigner failed to gain headway with two birdies against three bogeys the rest of the way but cashed in on Hwang and Ikeda’s late bogeys to match their 36-hole totals with another three-under card.

That set up a fitting ending to what had been a thrilling battle in the third leg of this year’s Ladies Philippine Golf Tour sponsored by ICTSI with Ikeda, looking for a

follow-up to her Forest Hills romp last November, and Superal, seeking to snap a long spell in the circuit she used to dominate, bracing for a shootout with the Korean amateur, who humbled them in the Mt. Malarayat stop of the LPGT in 2015.

“I had a great game but I missed so many short putts,” said Hwang. “But I will just enjoy my game tomorrow (today), try to concentrate more and play pressure-free.”

The rest are too far behind to contend for the top P150,000 purse in the 54-hole tournament organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. with Lee Ji Hyeon, another Korean amateur, losing steam in the last flight and fumbling with a 74 to slip to joint fourth at 143, five shots behind, with Thai Pavarista Yoktuan, who turned in a 73.

Princess Superal blasts out of a bunker during ICTI Ladies Invitational action.

Arellano, San Beda chase berth in NCAA Finals ARELLANO University and San Beda try to forge an interesting title duel while Jose Rizal and Perpetual Help seek to spoil it as they collide today in the Final Four of the 93rd NCAA women’s volleyball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan City.

Assured of a twice-to-beat incentive after ending the elimination round tied on top with 8-1 (win-loss) slates, the Lady Chiefs tangle with the Lady Bombers at 4 p.m. while the Lady Red Spikers tackle the Perpetual Help Lady Altas at 2 p.m. eyeing a win that

LOS ANGELES—LeBron James drained a buzzerbeating game-winner on Wednesday as the Cleveland Cavaliers set aside their troubles with a 140-138 overtime victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

A Cavs team in free-fall got a desperately needed win thanks to “King” James. With a second remaining in overtime he swatted away a shot by Minnesota’s Jimmy Butler.

He then seized an inbounds pass from Jeff Green, turned and fired over Butler for the desperately needed victory.

“It was a great win for us,” said James, who threw both arms in the air in triumph when his game-winner fell—capping a triple-double performance of 37 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds.

“The way we’ve been playing we needed that from him tonight,” said Cavs coach Tyronn Lue. “He was very special.”

The Cavs are now just 7-13 since Christmas.

Meanwhile, Houston’s MVP candidate James Harden torched the Heat in Miami, pouring in 41 points in the Rockets’ 109-101 victory.

Harden, the league’s leading scorer, connected on 13 of 25 shots from the field, including five of 12 from three-point range, as the Rockets notched a sixth straight victory.

Chris Paul added 22 points for the Rockets, who withstood a career-high 30 points from Miami’s Josh Richardson and 30 points from Goran Dragic.

The Heat had edged ahead 87-85 early in the fourth quarter, but Houston answered with nine straight points.

A three-pointer from Richardson pulled the Heat within 94-90, but Paul answered with a three-pointer and Harden drained another pair of threes to effectively seal the victory—Rockets’ 10th in their last 11 games.

Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said he could see some signs of fatigue as his team wrapped up a four-game road trip.

“James and Chris, again, found some extra juice and just finished it off,” he said. AFP

Games today (Feb. 9) (Filoil, San Juan) 9 a.m.- CSB vs CSJL (jrs) 11 a.m.- SBC vs CSB (m) 2 p.m.- SBC vs UPHSD (w) 4 p.m.- AU vs JRU (w)

would arrange a best-of-three finals showdown next week.

AU is eyeing a second straight finals appearance where it hopes to capture a second straight crown and third overall while San Beda is aiming to make it to the finals for the first time ever.

“Winning the title has always been our goal. But we need to focus in the Final Four first before thinking of

anything,” said AU coach Obet Javier in Filipino.

Perpetual Help and Jose Rizal, which finished third and fourth after the elims with 7-2 and 6-3 marks, respectively, for their part, eye to extend the series to another game on Tuesday.

The Lady Altas fought hard in their first game against the Lady Red Spikers but ended up absorbing a heartbreaking 26-28, 18-25, 27-29 defeat on Jan. 11 while the Lady Bombers extended their earlier duel with the Lady Chiefs to a set before falling, 11-25, 25-22, 18-25, 16-25, on Jan. 16.

Beermen battle Elite

By Jeric Lopez PACE-SETTER San Miguel Beer aims on strengthening its tournament lead and formalizing its entry to the quarterfinals in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup. The Beermen (6-1) can secure a spot in the next round should they claim a second straight win when they face desperate Blackwater Elite (2-5) at 4:30 p.m. at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

The defending champion is once again in a good position to not only be the first team through to the next round, but to be in the thick of things for a top two finish and a twice-to-beat incentive that can make its title defense a bit easier.

So far, San Miguel coach Leo Austria is satisfied with how his cha mpion sh ip -la den squad is performing in its quest for a fourth straight Philippine Cup jewel.

“We’re a veteran team and we’re playing consistently. The players are showing signs of maturity. Walang nagre-relax.

That’s why we’re in a good position,” he said.

The Beermen will be heavily favored against the Elite, who can’t seem to regain its early success as it is riding a four-game losing streak.

PSC probes SEA Games stint of pregnant karatedo athlete

San Beda’s Satrriani Espiritu (right) scores off Emilio Aguinaldo College’s Crislie Jean Pablo during their NCAA women’s volleyball match at the Filoil Flying V Centre. Sonny Espiritu

ONE of the female athletes who saw action in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games was reportedly three months pregnant when she competed in her event and lost.

The national women’s kumite team that she took part eventually won the bronze.

But the Philippine Sports Commission is set to look into her case since athletes who are on the family way are not supposed

to be allowed to join competitions.

Commissioner Ramon Fernandez, who is currently talking to members of the Philippine karatedo community about her case, said they are just starting to learn about the situation.

“Ngayon lang namin na-discover ito,” said Fernandez.

He said he has delegated the case to the five-man task force that was formed by the PSC

to look into allegations that several national karatedo athletes did not receive their full allowances during their 20-day training stint in Germany last July.

Fernandez identified the girl as Erica, and is listed with the national squad as Erica Samonte.

She is among the members of the national pool that went to Germany to train for the SEA Games.

Peter Atencio

Vista Land to triple mall portfolio in two years B2

Govt adopts nuclear policy

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Department is keen on including nuclear power in the country’s energy energy mix to provide long-term energy supply, as it prepares to submit the national nuclear energy position to Malacañang.

“Based on the technical assessment, the use of nuclear technologies, including nuclear energy, is seen as a long-term energy option for the country. The possible inclusion of nuclear power in the current energy mix is consistent with the national policy towards a technology-neutral energy sector,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said in a statement.

Cusi and the other energy officials met with International Atomic Energy Agency director-general Yukiya Amano during a courtesy call Thursday.

Cusi said the bilateral meeting “comes at an opportune time as the DoE will submit its recommendations to President Rodrigo Duterte on the country’s position on the civilian use of nuclear technology following a series of technical cooperation with IAEA.” The department’s recommendations on the country’s national position included the results of the energy planning studies implemented under IAEA’s technical cooperation projects.

The meeting also discussed the scope of IAEA’s work and its role in assisting member-states in attaining the UN Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the use of nuclear science technology for socio-economic development in the country.

Aside from the on-going technical cooperation, the department presented its activities concerning the crafting of a national position.

The report touched on the possible cooperation in areas such as human resource development, nuclear safety, legal and regulatory framework, international standards, cooperation with international community, stakeholders involvement and challenges which include the closure on the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018

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RCBC suing Bangladesh Bank

By Julito G. Rada

R

IZAL Commercial Banking Corp., the ninth-largest lender in terms of assets, is mulling over a legal action against officials of Bangladesh’s central bank for alleged “continuous coverup” in connection with the $81-million cyber heist in 2016.

RCBC said in a statement it would not back down from the earlier threat of Bangladesh Bank to sue the Philippine bank for its involvement in the cyber heist.

Bangladesh Bank said it would file a lawsuit in New York against RCBC over the world’s largest cyber heist, its finance minister said Wednesday.

Unidentified hackers stole $81 million in February 2016 from the Bangladesh Bank’s account with the US Federal Reserve in New York. The money was transferred to a Manila branch of RCBC, then quickly withdrawn and laundered through local casinos.

With only a small amount of the stolen money recovered and frustration growing in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s Finance Minister A.M.A. Muhith said last year he wanted to “wipe out” RCBC. RCBC said in response that it “has had it and will consider a lawsuit against Bangladesh Central Bank officials for claiming the bank had a hand in the $81-million cyber heist two years ago.”

“We will not allow them to continue to malign RCBC. Various reports, includ-

ing their own, indicate an inside job. BB and Dhaka officials refuse to release their findings to hide from the Bangladeshi public what could very well be the involvement of its own officials who may have helped loot their money deposited with the New York Federal Reserve,” RCBC said.

The bank said Bangladesh Central Bank officials were perpetuating the cover-up and using RCBC as a “scapegoat” to keep their people in the dark.

“If they sue, RCBC is ready and prepared. The first thing we will ask is for BB and Dhaka to submit to court their findings.

If they refuse, they will immediately suffer from comparison since RCBC willingly shared information to the extent allowed by law,” it said.

It said Bangladesh Central Bank officials should be suing their own and the criminal elements from within instead of suing RCBC. “Again, why is BB not going against those who have been identified as having possession of the remaining money? There is none left in RCBC. It is time for BB and Dhaka to come clean and give its people answers,” RCBC said.

The deputy central bank governor Razee Hassan told AFP the case would be filed in April. “They [RCBC] are the main accused,” he said.

“Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. and its various officials are involved in money heist from Bangladesh Bank’s reserve account and the bank is liable in this regard,” Hassan said in a written statement. With AFP

BSP keeps policy rates unchanged

FIRST METRO-TREASURY AGREEMENT. First Metro Investment Corp., the investment banking arm of the Metrobank Group, signs the Global Master Repurchase Agreement with the Bureau of the Treasury’s Bond Sinking Fund. The GMRA is a legal agreement designed for parties transacting repurchase agreements and enables First Metro to tap the BTr-BSF as a last resort for repo transactions. Shown signing the agreement are (seated, from left) deputy treasurer Sharon Almanza, Treasurer Rosalia de Leon, First Metro president Rabboni Francis Arjonillo and First Metro senior vice president and head of Financial Markets Group Christopher Ma. Carmelo Salazar.

Meralco agrees to limit projected power rate increase in February POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. said Thursday it will not fully implement the estimated P1.08-perkilowatt-hour power rate increase for a typical household in February to mitigate the impact on customers.

Meralco said in a statement the overall adjustment this month was mainly due to the P0.85-per-kWh increase in power generation charges, which reflected the return to previous levels of the capacity fees of suppliers under power supply agreements.

The power firm said the higher fuel costs and the depreciation of the peso against major currencies also contributed to the higher generation charges.

IN BRIEF NGCP offers free data network

NATIONAL Grid Corp. of the Philippines on Thursday assured its support to the Duterte administration’s National Broadband Plan by allowing the use of its dark fiber network for free.

NGCP, operator of the country’s transmission network, runs a network of dark fiber cables inherent to its transmission grid communication system.

The fiber optic system runs along its power transmission backbone which stretches all over the country’s three main islands.

“Contrary to some allegations, NGCP has always been willing and eager to participate in the government’s efforts to develop a national broadband network, and we are willing to let government use these facilities at no cost,” NGCP said.

NGCP said any arrangement with a private entity “will, of course, be subject to commercial negotiations.”

“Under the Epira [Electric Power Industry Reform Act], a portion of the revenue from the use of transmission assets

by NGCP for purposes other than transmission must go into lowering transmission rates,” the company said.

“But if it is for government’s direct use and operation, we will give it for free. Either way, whether we partner with government or a private entity, there will be great benefit for the public. We give government priority in development,” it said. Alena Mae S. Flores

Forex reserves fall to $81.2b

THE country’s gross international reserves fell to $81.2 billion in January from $81.56 billion in December, after the government settled some of its maturing foreign debt, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said Thursday.

“The month-on-month marginal decline in the GIR level was due mainly to outflows arising from the foreign exchange operations of the BSP and payments made by the national government for its maturing foreign exchange obligations,” Espenilla said in a statement.

He said this was partially tempered by the national government’s net foreign currency deposits, revaluation adjustments on the BSP’s gold holdings resulting from the increase in the price of gold in the international market as well as its income from investments abroad.

“This will not be implemented in full, in the interest of consumer welfare,” the country’s biggest power distributor said. A typical household consumes an average of 200 kilowatt-hours a month.

Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga said the company would not implement the full impact of the rate adjustment in the interest of consumer welfare “and cognizant of the fact that there were recent price increases on fuel and other basic commodities.”

Meralco said its distribution charge had remained unchanged for 31 months, after a reduction in July 2015.

“The rate increase, the

biggest of which goes to the generation charge is paid in full to the power suppliers who operate their power plants. These power plants use fuel like natural gas from Malampaya and coal in generating electricity,” it said.

Meralco said there was also a P0.27/kWh increase in taxes and other charges, reflecting the value added tax on transmission, equiv-

alent to around P0.05/kWh, as provided for in the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law.

The higher generation cost was offset by a P0.04/ kWh reduction in the transmission charge.

Meralco advised the public to await the official announcement on the final rate adjustment in February “and how the remainder of the increase will be imple-

mented.”

The February increase followed two consecutive months of power rate reduction in overall electricity rates totaling P0.90 per kWh for a typical household.

Meralco earlier warned that its power rates would go up this month due to the normalization of the capacity fees.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Data showed that the value of Bangko Sentral’s gold holdings as of end-January increased to $8.50 billion from $8.336 billion in end-December 2017.

“At this level, the GIR represents more than ample liquidity buffer and is equivalent to 8.2 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income,” Espenilla said. Julito G. Rada

Torre building P1.9-b resort

PROPERTY developer Torre Lorenzo Development Corp. is building a P1.9-billion resort in Kopiat Island, Compostela Valley province.

TLDC president Tomas Lorenzo said Lubi Plantation Resort would make Kopiat Island a world-class island destination.

“This is very similar to Dusit Maldives. We want a very luxurious resort that we can market as another opulent island destination. It will be a very fitting venue for a celebrity weddings as we plan to have the chapel on the other side of the island where the sun sets majestically,” he said.

Lorenzo also said that by the second half of 2018, the company expected to wrap up the construction of two Davao developments – the Dusit D2 Hotel and the Dusit Thani Residences.

Torre Lorenzo is also preparing a P2 -billion student residence project in Loyola Heights, Quezon City.

It has recently acquired the property near Ateneo de Manila University. Othel V. Campos

Calax project ahead of schedule

MPCala Holdings Inc., a unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., said it plans to complete the Laguna Boulevard to Malampasan section of the Cavite Laguna Expressway by December this year, ahead of the original target of February 2019.

“The original target is February. We will expedite the construction and we will finish it by end of the year,” Luigi Bautista, president and chief executive of MPCala, told reporters.

The whole segment of the Laguna side of Calax is up for completion by June 2020.

Bautista also said groundbreaking of the Cavite side of Calax was expected by April this year.

MPCala Holdings earlier tapped Leighton Holdings of Australia to build the Cavite side, while local contractor DMCI Consunj Inc. will construct the Laguna side.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said the project was expected to decongest traffic in Metro Manila.

Darwin G. Amojelar

NEW PASAY TOWER. Golden Bay Properties president Araceli Wong (second from left) views the scale model of Aspire Corporate Plaza, a 10-story building development that will rise on a 3,500-square-meter lot along Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City. With Wong are chief executive Jardin Brian Wong and the company’s partners after the signing ceremony for the architectural, engineering and construction contracts.

Lino Santos

THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, on Thursday kept the prevailing benchmark interest rates unchanged despite the accelerating consumer prices.

Bangko Sentral managing director Francisco Dakila Jr., reading the official statement of Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr., said in a news briefing the Monetary Board maintained policy rates at 3.5 percent for overnight lending, 3 percent for overnight borrowing and 2.5 percent for overnight deposits. The reserve requirement ratio of 20 percent was also left untouched.

Dakila said the board’s decision was based on its assessment that while the latest baseline forecasts showed higher inflation this year, the inflation path could be expected to moderate and settle within the inflation target range of 2 percent to 4 percent in 2019.

Inflation rate climbed to a three-year high of 4 percent in January from 3.3 percent in December. The Monetary Board now expects an average inflation of 4.3 percent in 2018, up from 3.4 percent predicted in the previous meeting on Dec. 14, 2017. The inflation forecast for 2019 was also raised to 3.5 percent from 3.2 percent.

Dakila said the Monetary Board took into account the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law last month, the continued rise in global crude oil prices and the higher January inflation of 4 percent.

“The board also noted that prospects for domestic activity continue to be firm on the back of robust domestic demand, manageable growth in credit and liquidity, and a sustained recovery in global economic growth,” Dakila said.

Julito G. Rada

Ayala acquires 96% stake in National Teachers College

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE Ayala Corp. said it acquired a 96-percent stake in National Teachers College as the group continues to expand its education portfolio while pursuing the merger of its education unit with the Yuchengco group.

Ayala Corp. said in a disclosure to the stock exchange wholly-owned education unit AC Education Inc. signed a share purchase agreement after it was selected as the winning bidder for the share sale

of NTC. NTC, located on Nepomuceno Street in Quiapo, Manila, was founded in 1928 as the first school in the country to offer General Education leading to a Bachelor of Science in Education.

It has a long track record of commitment to excellence in teaching, growth and inclusion, with almost 10,000 students from basic to higher education.

It is one of the most wellrecognized teacher education institutions in the country.

“The Ayala Group is committed to investing in the education sector because we recognize that it is critical to building our nation. We believe that NTC can play an integral role in our efforts to contribute to a better education system in the Philippines, because of NTC’s long and successful track record in producing quality educators who go on to teach in both public and private schools,” said Ayala Corp. chairman and chief executive Jaime Au-

gusto Zobel de Ayala.

NTC chairman of the board Rolando De Castro said the partnership with AC Education would enable the school to achieve its vision of becoming a world-class institution.

AC Education chief executive Alfredo Ayala said the acquisition would be a strategic element in its planned merger with iPeople, the listed education arm of House of Investments Inc., a member of the Yuchengco Group of Companies.

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Business

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks fall; Bloomberry surges

T

HE stock market fell slightly in cautious trading ahead of the first meeting of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas later in the day after January inflation rose to a three-year high.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 22.48 points, or 0.3 percent, to 8,645.08 on a trading volume of P7.1 billion. Gainers beat losers, 107 to 92, with 60 issues unchanged.

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second-biggest lender in terms of assets, lost 1.2 percent to P96, while Megawide Construction Corp. slumped 3.5 percent to P20.70.

Casino operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp. surged 5.2 percent to P13.46, while Now Corp., which is bidding to become the third telecommunications company, advanced 4.8 percent to P7.16.

Most major Asian markets, meanwhile, rose on Thursday following the week’s sharp losses but traders are struggling to get a firm footing in a volatile February, spooked by heavy selling and warnings of more upheaval to come.

After a run of almost uninterrupted gains across the globe fueled by cheap money and optimism about the economy, traders are having to navigate turbulent waters as central banks—led by the Federal Reserve—look to lift borrowing costs.

Last Friday’s strong US jobs and wage growth data, coupled with rising yields on key US Treasury bills, brought an end to the record-setting global rally, sending Wall Street spiraling down before slamming world markets this week.

Asia took the biggest hit on Tuesday, with Hong Kong and Tokyo among the worst affected but others also felt the

pinch.

And investors have been unable to steady the ship with a rebound on Wednesday running out of steam.

On Thursday there were more swings, though most markets stayed in the green.

Tokyo ended 1.1 percent higher while Hong Kong was 0.4 percent up having fallen around eight percent over the previous five sessions.

Sydney was 0.2 percent higher while Seoul and Singapore each gained 0.5 percent. Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok also advanced.

However, Shanghai tumbled 1.4 percent despite data showing Chinese imports smashed expectations and exports were supported by strong global demand.

Wellington, Taipei and Mumbai all fell.

Wall Street’s three main indexes sank into the red, while in early European

trade markets that saw strong gains on Wednesday reversed at the open. London fell 0.8 percent, Paris slipped 0.5 percent and Frankfurt lost 0.7 percent.

“There are a lot of risks ahead and we’ve been lulled into a false sense of security over the last couple of years with central banks keeping rates low for a very long time,” Steve Goldman, Kapstream Capital head and portfolio manager, told Bloomberg TV. “Risk assets are going to continue to perform well albeit with a lot more volatility than what we’ve seen in the past.”

Expectations the Fed will hike interest rates more than the three times expected this year have lifted the dollar against high-yielding currencies including the Australian dollar, South Korean won, Indonesian rupiah and South African rand.

With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 3.43 27,000 59.7 4,760 118.9 1,015,290 3.66 64,000 153.7 1,820,910 1.85 86,000 36.05 254,200 15.7 90,900 28 885,500 9.01 14,400 1.64 63,000 970 80 0.54 135,000 96 2,239,820 1.48 6,240,000 13.1 123,400 58 40,100 238 1,150 87 630 46.5 719,600 244 497,340 90.5 23,670 1.22 30,000

92,110 283,909 120,716,297 234,830 279,574,052 158,510 9,161,265 1,423,790 24,884,760 127,659 104,750 77,600 71,260 214,848,146 9,212,280 1,616,462 2,273,944.50 275,740 54,830 33,810,745 121,299,544 2,141,838 36,600

262,044.50 -33,965,947 -82,174,998 7,379,350 5,695,625 3,300 -77,600 2,080 -126,974,344.50 630,800 -45,780 -1,923,480 242,300 6,345,605 7,490,926 618,961.50 -

40.15 12.82 0.61 1.3 18.2 0.214 113.6 4.08 15.2 49.5 18.76 56.2 1.89 5.3 10.68 11.3 14.68 11.38 7.49 5.63 1.76 15.9 62.9 30 10.2 20.8 1.75 288 52 4.08 3.16 27.45 17.8 20.7 320.4 0.191 8.32 2.75 4.83 9.3 6.16 8.04 1.57 12.1 59.95 5.91 610.5 4.86 2.01 3.55 1.56 15.74 5.4 0.131 1.04 162 1.9 0.98

INDUSTRIAL 40.85 945,900 13 2,206,400 0.62 188,000 1.31 208,000 19.16 93,200 0.219 4,800,000 113.6 80 4.13 6,107,000 15.28 57,800 52 676,000 18.76 2,400 59.8 9,330 1.9 198,000 5.3 61,200 10.9 59,200 11.52 2,730,600 14.68 108,000 11.54 835,900 7.5 477,800 5.67 3,015,500 1.76 2,000 16.1 1,315,900 62.9 563,770 30.2 211,800 10.24 49,700 22.6 13,657,200 1.84 3,748,000 292.8 871,390 57.35 770 4.13 18,000 3.16 6,000 28 1,833,500 17.8 242,800 20.7 5,498,000 322 251,320 0.195 170,000 8.32 1,100 2.88 4,992,000 4.88 86,000 9.49 2,145,000 6.2 226,800 8.16 76,200 1.61 438,000 12.5 276,300 60 427,830 5.91 50,800 619 5,890 4.89 50,000 2.01 1,000 3.9 5,000 1.65 766,000 16.04 2,357,300 5.45 9,100 0.131 2,820,000 1.1 273,000 162 1,023,330 1.9 16,470,000 1.18 22,245,000

38,505,860 28,548,678 115,280 271,750 1,748,396 1,043,240 9,088 25,294,460 882,588 34,598,000 45,114 588,890.50 376,440 324,830 651,542 31,375,956 1,594,660 9,609,594 3,598,935 17,038,685 3,520 20,983,736 35,519,128 6,407,370 509,338 302,955,950 6,801,230 253,249,822 41,251 73,840 18,960 50,891,960 4,334,176 118,379,595 81,010,332 32,910 9,153 14,198,040 419,300 20,109,555 1,407,230 622,326 697,520 3,458,772 25,672,498.50 310,108 3,634,910 243,500 2,010 18,780 1,237,680 37,986,864 49,495 372,380 292,080 166,645,024 31,788,860 24,940,580

-7,345,075 12,114,060 -16,080,200 105,534 478,960 -47,750 -11,562,602 -124,602 -4,189,606 -562,779 1,566,834 834,942 5,212,052.50 2,252,320 45,357,345 -54,210 38,817,692 5,791,175 -411,770.00 8,545,325 -10,230,750 1,950 83,870 -512,936 635 -615,839 112,000 228,906 -20,905,285.50 2,532,465 165,580 -20,550 6,799,566 545 7,940 -18,588,951 9,847,080 -84,870

0.305 74.1 15.64 1 6.99 0.64 0.65 1,050 7.45 14.32 7.48 5.01 1,325 7.3 75 5.25 0.76 5.51 23 0.34 6.4 3.28 0.04 1.23 2.8 2.53 148 2.58 994 1.7 280 0.249 0.18 0.191

0.3 72 15.38 0.95 6.91 0.59 0.6 1,035 7.38 14 7.48 5 1,305 7.16 73.8 5 0.69 5.43 22.35 0.34 6.28 3.28 0.039 1.17 2.65 2.5 146.4 2.57 977 1.64 277 0.235 0.18 0.191

HOLDING FIRMS 0.3 30,000 73.95 736,050 15.5 7,952,700 1 404,000 6.99 30,300 0.61 52,793,000 0.63 12,954,000 1,042 321,710 7.38 1,717,000 14.2 5,049,000 7.48 22,600 5 5,000 1,312 47,665 7.16 6,400 74.8 959,160 5.02 24,100 0.73 2,689,000 5.43 138,900 23 669,400 0.34 10,000 6.4 10,735,400 3.28 3,000 0.04 7,400,000 1.23 158,000 2.69 5,504,000 2.5 602,000 147 245,160 2.57 554,000 980 381,670 1.68 871,000 280 2,250 0.235 590,000 0.18 20,000 0.191 60,000

9,100 54,260,522 123,207,038 391,560 210,921 32,559,060 8,105,420 335,179,250 12,714,019 71,659,600 169,048 25,020 62,528,180 45,908 71,676,647.50 124,488 1,927,920 757,736 15,307,835 3,400 68,291,459 9,840 293,500 190,710 15,044,110 1,505,290 36,013,457 1,423,860 374,137,085 1,455,940 624,882 141,640 3,600 11,460

-15,058,581 44,013,736 -127,500 -38,470,005 1,207,571 14,259,358 -31,610,385 -5,243,505 -205,358 -5,257,805 -31,188,313 80,000 -302,350 -9,711,589 -253,071,905 25,200 -265,824 -

6.44 0.93 19.2 2.16 0.93 45.4 3.73 4.69 5.87 0.46 1.15 1.13 0.249 0.45 38.3 0.64 0.137 1.85 1.35 0.78 4.29 5.02 0.34 0.335 0.54 4.38 41 21 2 3.25 36.15

6.2 0.91 17.7 2.12 0.89 44.7 3.63 4.62 5.74 0.455 1.08 1.1 0.238 0.43 36.85 0.63 0.137 1.8 1.34 0.76 4.29 4.89 0.31 0.32 0.52 4.23 36.05 20.85 1.95 3.24 35.65

3,982,085 1,485,700 1,532,114 157,140 1,586,350 392,903,505 577,660 2,163,430 1,197,571 2,973,800 29,050 880,390 7,135,440 17,450 21,037,830 18,950 27,400 8,404,550 1,524,000 56,720 4,290 160,775,430 46,549,050 893,250 1,967,810 695,510 126,195 19,770,970 924,050 58,330 228,536,770

-1,516,427 16,434,545 -73,300 727,230 86,876 -218,600 -1,150 40,700 -300 4,300 900,090 -2,731,950 -299,640 16,744,490 -523,050 12,900 -4,066,035 336,390 -65,845,520

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

3.48 59.5 119 3.68 153 1.84 35.85 15.3 28.15 8.9 1.68 970 0.55 98.95 1.5 13.06 56.85 240 87 49 242 90.75 1.22

3.48 59.7 120 3.68 154.5 1.87 36.15 15.7 28.3 9.09 1.68 970 0.55 98.95 1.53 13.1 58 240 87.5 49 246.2 90.75 1.22

3.37 58.35 118 3.66 152.3 1.83 35.8 15.3 27.9 8.7 1.64 970 0.52 95.2 1.43 13.06 56.5 238 87 46.3 242 90.3 1.22

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA 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 VITARICH VULCAN INDL

40.4 12.86 0.62 1.3 19.6 0.222 113.6 4.19 15.3 49.5 18.84 56.75 1.9 5.32 10.68 11.4 14.86 11.6 7.6 5.65 1.76 16 62.95 30.2 10.34 20.8 1.77 294 52 4.08 3.16 27.45 17.9 21.55 327.2 0.191 8.33 2.85 4.83 9.35 6.21 8.04 1.6 12.54 60 5.92 620 4.86 2.01 3.55 1.57 15.74 5.4 0.131 1.1 165.8 1.93 1

40.85 13.02 0.62 1.32 19.9 0.222 113.6 4.2 15.38 52 18.84 71.4 1.91 5.32 11.2 11.58 14.86 11.6 7.64 5.67 1.76 16.1 63.3 30.8 10.34 23 1.9 294 57.4 4.14 3.16 28 18 22.15 327.2 0.195 8.33 2.9 4.9 9.49 6.35 8.21 1.61 12.6 60.3 6.3 620 4.9 2.01 3.9 1.65 16.42 5.45 0.133 1.1 166 1.97 1.18

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 B GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV MJC INVESTMENTS PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA PRIME ORION REPUBLIC GLASS SAN MIGUEL CORP SEAFRONT RES SM INVESTMENTS SOLID GROUP TOP FRONTIER UNIOIL HLDG WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.305 72.9 15.58 0.95 6.91 0.63 0.62 1,037 7.41 14.32 7.48 5.01 1,325 7.3 74.8 5.25 0.73 5.47 22.4 0.34 6.37 3.28 0.039 1.2 2.67 2.52 148 2.58 990 1.64 277.6 0.24 0.18 0.191

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

6.41 0.93 17.7 2.16 0.93 45.3 3.63 4.64 5.78 0.455 1.08 1.11 0.24 0.435 37.75 0.63 0.137 1.8 1.35 0.76 4.29 5 0.31 0.33 0.54 4.37 41 21 1.95 3.25 36

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

1.01 16.12 0.83 6.2

1.04 19.1 0.83 6.4

1.01 16.12 0.81 6.08

1.01 18.9 0.81 6.39

108,000 1,074,000 80,000 7,840,700

109,170 19,423,244 64,880 49,542,755

1,124,226 -7,745,005

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC DISCOVERY WORLD EASYCALL FAR EASTERN U GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN HAVEN GRAND PLAZA HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY MELCO RESORTS METRO RETAIL MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP 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

19.48 32.8 1.32 0.435 0.045 11.8 4.7 12.82 0.067 100.8 8.8 8.96 8.67 2.43 61.6 980 1,880 6 169.9 12.58 5.7 2.9 112 13.9 8.31 0.144 1.65 3.4 15 4 1.04 24.5 0.51 4.53 8.76 3.55 17.02 6.86 10.5 10 2.81 109 6.87 1,560 1.21 0.34 52.9 97 6.04 3 1.47 0.67 3.74 0.94 10.04

19.48 32.95 1.39 0.46 0.046 11.8 5.39 13.54 0.069 101.5 8.8 8.96 8.67 2.6 65 999.5 1,880 6.07 194.2 12.58 5.86 2.9 112 14 8.31 0.144 1.68 3.4 15.48 4.03 1.07 25.25 0.51 4.54 9.06 3.59 18.8 7.38 10.5 10 2.84 109 6.88 1,564 1.27 0.355 52.9 97 6.36 3 1.47 0.67 3.89 1 10.4

19.2 32.8 1.3 0.435 0.045 11.8 4.7 12.74 0.066 100.1 8.8 8.7 8.28 2.43 60.1 980 1,830 5.98 165.1 12.58 5.65 2.86 109.9 13.9 8.3 0.143 1.6 3.17 14.9 3.95 1.04 24.5 0.5 4.45 8.61 3.49 17.02 6.6 10.46 9.99 2.8 108.8 6.75 1,529 1.21 0.34 50 94.95 6 2.84 1.42 0.63 3.74 0.92 9.98

SERVICES 19.3 32.95 1.39 0.46 0.045 11.8 5.39 13.46 0.068 101.3 8.8 8.93 8.65 2.47 60.7 999.5 1,830 6 176.3 12.58 5.68 2.86 111 13.9 8.3 0.143 1.6 3.3 14.9 3.98 1.07 24.9 0.5 4.52 8.68 3.49 18.8 7.16 10.48 10 2.84 108.8 6.8 1,540 1.21 0.355 50.8 95.1 6.26 2.87 1.43 0.64 3.85 0.99 10.32

23,800 11,900 302,000 240,000 18,200,000 200 7,600 35,352,500 6,260,000 100,440 3,100 626,700 34,600 122,000 569,380 500 47,415 592,700 407,630 200 4,847,500 28,000 360,120 1,700 22,600 2,160,000 2,248,000 24,000 30,200 1,486,000 297,000 7,652,500 906,000 816,000 6,097,400 2,625,000 4,800 46,660,400 22,000 13,600 7,000 840 138,400 213,305 8,417,000 220,000 2,050,110 652,560 1,243,600 2,141,000 3,059,000 68,350,000 510,000 15,096,000 17,697,200

460,132 391,380 407,980 107,700 820,700 2,360 36,439 467,793,302 420,700 10,150,356 27,280 5,567,852 297,082 299,340 35,468,887 496,275 87,176,480 3,566,303 73,835,998 2,516 27,913,083 80,560 39,929,765 23,770 187,604 308,960 3,652,730 77,340 452,462 5,913,210 311,220 190,869,645 461,080 3,649,070 53,976,857 9,220,170 88,542 330,510,213 230,608 135,985 19,710 91,518 939,997 330,212,380 10,398,100 77,050 103,795,331 62,043,973 7,792,331 6,182,530 4,357,340 43,979,240 1,953,400 14,707,200 180,725,858

26,000 1,884 100,404,122 3,604,265 -266,757 4,920 130,246.50 -20,577,385 -1,793,599 212,285 -7,937,696 45,000 23,970 104,000 60,956,820 36,090 -13,730,846 -28,340 942,817 3,150 10,000 -21,760 678 25,309,685 -735,640 -65,483,407 -47,502,914 3,738,971 -1,031,450 1,236,400 -475,500 -26,880 174,850 48,293,548.00

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

0.0023 1.52 4.99 12.02 1.59 0.31 7.47 2.5 0.19 0.151 0.156 0.0092 0.0098 1.59 6.5 1.4 0.91 0.013 0.012 2.11 6.8 8.6 36.7 0.0068

0.0023 1.55 5 13.2 1.6 0.33 7.47 2.52 0.199 0.151 0.16 0.0092 0.0098 1.59 6.51 1.4 0.91 0.013 0.012 2.27 6.8 8.73 36.8 0.0068

0.0022 1.51 4.98 12 1.58 0.31 7.27 2.48 0.19 0.15 0.156 0.0092 0.0098 1.5 6.33 1.35 0.9 0.013 0.011 2.1 6.57 8.5 35.2 0.0067

MINING & OIL 0.0023 145,000,000 1.52 2,532,000 4.99 108,000 13.18 5,300 1.59 1,045,000 0.325 290,000 7.27 6,900 2.5 1,007,000 0.191 410,000 0.151 6,330,000 0.16 260,000 0.0092 1,000,000 0.0098 1,000,000 1.57 620,000 6.5 4,544,800 1.39 55,000 0.91 123,000 0.013 64,800,000 0.011 33,600,000 2.27 14,000 6.59 973,200 8.53 969,900 36 4,019,400 0.0067 3,000,000

320,700 3,848,960 539,400 66,098 1,659,450 94,550 50,743 2,514,760 78,350 953,580 40,650 9,200 9,800 940,160 29,172,063 75,620 111,080 842,400 378,200 29,930 6,436,719 8,310,442 145,230,905 20,200

6,600 10,640 -19,960 -47,500 5,822,550 13,800 33,000 2,007,991 856,998 -36,362,385.00 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B2 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF F FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A PCOR PREF 2B PF PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

32.9 517 107 104.5 105 111 527 5.85 1,005 1,009 101.8 108.4 1,041 1,144 1,001 77 80 75.4 76.85 78.9 77 78 78.1

32.9 517 107.1 104.5 105 111 527 5.92 1,005 1,009 101.9 108.4 1,041 1,144 1,002 77 80 75.4 76.85 79 77 78 78.1

32.5 517 107 104.5 104 110.7 527 5.85 1,005 1,009 101.5 108.4 1,041 1,144 1,001 77 80 75.4 76.7 78.85 77 77 78

PREFERRED 32.5 23,900 517 20 107 10,070 104.5 640 104 660 110.7 30,000 527 10 5.92 47,500 1,005 300 1,009 40 101.9 46,490 108.4 110 1,041 540 1,144 10 1,001 630 77 5,000 80 7,500 75.4 3,600 76.7 15,400 79 20,300 77 330 77 25,300 78 76,530

785,950 10,340 1,077,627 66,880 68,800 3,326,440 5,270 279,624 301,500 40,360 4,736,795 11,924 562,140 11,440 630,735 385,000 600,000 271,440 1,181,680 1,603,125 25,410 1,969,165 5,969,840

750,120 101,424 30,270 -11,924 -

LR WARRANT

2.4

2.4

2.34

WARRANTS 2.4 254,000

601,150

-

17,917,045 2,900 18,708,760 1,113,310

404,930 -741,990 -182,260

1,506,389

-63,066

25,650

-

MS

PROPERTY 6.3 0.92 18 2.12 0.9 45.2 3.67 4.69 5.87 0.46 1.15 1.12 0.249 0.43 37.5 0.64 0.137 1.81 1.35 0.78 4.29 5 0.335 0.33 0.53 4.33 36.9 21 1.97 3.24 36

626,300 1,620,000 84,100 74,000 1,766,000 8,698,200 157,000 465,000 207,700 6,520,000 26,000 789,000 29,020,000 40,000 562,100 30,000 200,000 4,640,000 1,131,000 73,000 1,000 32,417,000 141,320,000 2,710,000 3,727,000 162,000 3,100 943,800 472,000 18,000 6,370,400

ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

6.9 2.9 4.4 4.05

7.4 2.9 5.04 4.07

6.71 2.9 4.39 4.02

FIRST METRO ETF

131.7

131.7

131

USD DMPL A1

10.26

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL

10.26

SHARES

15,507,130

INDUSTRIAL

106,018,906

HOLDING FIRMS

114,149,995

PROPERTY

255,168,841

SERVICES

259,683,872

MINING & OIL

272,384,919

GRAND TOTAL

1,029,646,722

10.26

6.98 2.9 4.7 4.07

SME

2,552,000 1,000 3,883,000 275,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 131.5 11,450 DDS 10.26

2,500

VALUE 2,205.45 (DOWN) 7.02 932,500,429.21 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,712.34 (DOWN) 44.92 1,417,570,085.30 HOLDING FIRMS 8,752.29 (DOWN) 2.83 1,339,133,952.841 PROPERTY 3,920.35 (UP) 7.92 SERVICES 1,711.91 (DOWN) 2.74 1,027,791,728.75 MINING & OIL 11,538.72 (DOWN) 115.06 2,149,782,017.109 PSEI 8,645.08 (DOWN) 22.48 201,761,869.9581 All Shares Index 5,094.67 (UP) 8.59 7,107,840,292.81 Gainers: 107; Losers: 92; Unchanged: 60; Total: 259

Vista Land triples mall portfolio in two years

By Jenniffer B. Austria VISTA Land & Lifescapes Inc., the property unit of the Villar Group, said it will nearly triple its mall portfolio to 60 by the end of 2020 from the current 22 as part of a plan to boost recurring income.

Vista Land said in a statement mall subsidiary Starmalls would construct 38 new shopping malls over the next three year across the country “We remain bullish with the expansion plans of our leasing business through our subsidiary, Starmalls Inc., to add 38 more malls in the next three years,” Vista Land chairman Manuel Villar Jr. said.

“We remain optimistic for the industry, given the strong demand for our commercial spaces and housing products, propelled by the stable growth in the disposable income, remittances and sound Philippine macroeconomic fundamentals,” he added.

Vista Land said it budgeted P50 billion in capital expenditures this year, with a significant portion earmarked for the constriction of new malls.

Vista Land aims to hit 1.4 million square meters of gross floor area by the end of 2018 from the leasing business, an upgrade from its initial target of 1.3 million sq. m.

Vista Land is also rolling out office, hospitals, and hotel projects to boost recurring income.

The move to expand into the leasing business will provide stability to the existing core residential business.

ICTSI expands Iraq port terminal

By Darwin G. Amojelar PORT operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. said it expects to complete the second phase of Basra Gateway Terminal’s expansion at the Port of Umm Qasr in Iraq by the third quarter of 2019.

The phase two expansion, to be completed in stages, will deliver 400 meters of new quay with a draft of 14 meters, alongside a new 30-hectare yard area and a 15-hectare secure parking area.

ICTSI said three postPanamax ship-to-shore cranes would also be installed along the quay, and seven rubber tired gantries would provide state-of-theart stacking and handling power in the yard area.

The overall design provides for handling container vessels of up to 9,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit capacity. Upon completion of the second phase, BGT will have an annual handling capacity of over one million TEUs. The second phase was triggered by strong demand, a reflection of the high service levels and modern facilities offered by BGT to shipping lines and cargo owners, according to the company.

Underlining BGT’s ongoing commitment to maintaining high service levels, the latest round of development also includes the acquisition of a cutter suction dredger with the dual objective of ensuring strict adherence to the construction schedule and maintaining draft alongside the terminal’s new and existing births.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard TODAY

TODAY

World

extrastory2000@gmail.com

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018

B3

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Venezuelans dumping their money C ARACAS― Venezuela’s currency has lost so much value that people simply throw away their small bills―they are virtually worthless anyway.

Enter Wilmer Rojas, 25, who scoops them up off the street, uses an origami-like folding technique, a needle and thread to make handbags with an eye to selling them―maybe even abroad, where people have real money.

Rojas can use as many as 800 bills to make such a purse. And if you add up the face value of all that money, it’s enough to buy... half a kilo (one pound) of rice. Rojas and his wife have three kids to feed, and another is on the way.

“People throw them away because they are no good to buy anything. No one even ac-

REHEARSAL. Dancers perform during a rehearsal on the eve of the Opera Ball 2018, the sumptuous highlight of the Austrian capital’s ball season, on February 7, 2018, at the State Opera House in Vienna. AFP

Galapagos fights to protect islands PUERTO AYORA, Ecuador―With its iconic giant tortoises, crested black iguanas, huge ocean manta rays and a veritable menagerie of other cool creatures, the Galapagos Islands are one of the most beautiful places you will probably never visit.

Why not? Who wouldn’t want to go to a white sand beach and soak up some sun alongside a lounging iguana, or surf in waters with those lumbering tortoises swimming beside you and a rainbow of tropical fish below?

But in order to protect the flora, fauna and ecosystems of this Pacific archipelago that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, Ecuador is in the odd position of having to turn away perhaps millions of would-be tourists each year.

Keeping a tight lid on tourism is the way the South American country has preserved this volcanic string of 19 large islands, dozens of islets and rocky outcroppings.

Authorities wage this fight as world tourism grows and grows―it was up seven percent last year―and they must resist the temptation to let in hordes of visitors, their pockets bulging with dollars.

“The Galapagos are the crown jewel, and as such, we have to protect them,” Tourism Minister Enrique Ponce de Leon told AFP. “We must be drastic in caring for the environment.”

With a network of small hotels and ferries running between the islands, the Galapagos―about 1,000 kilometers off the coast― is an eco-tourism destination that is among the most select spots in all of the Pacific.

Flights from Quito or Guayaquil cost about $400 round-trip, and a one-week stay ranges from $2,000-7,000 per person.

The flow of tourists has risen to 245,000 per year and authorities say that’s pretty much the limit: the maximum the islands can withstand without harming their various ecosystems.

“The environmental, social and biological features of this place―which is like no other―forces us to set a limit, to manage tourism in terms of supply, rather than demand,” said Walter Bustos, director of the Galapagos National Park. AFP

Aftershocks rattle quake survivors HUALIEN, Taiwan―At an elementary school turned shelter in Taiwan’s Hualien city, some survivors of a tower block left teetering by Tuesday’s quake were baffled and angry that such a seemingly solid structure had folded with deadly results.

Emergency workers on Thursday were still pulling bodies from the 12-story Yun Tsui apartment block, which was left tottering at a fifty-degree angle when its lower floors pancaked during the 6.4-magnitude quake.

At least six of the nine confirmed dead so far perished there.

“It’s unbelievable such a big building toppled,” 66-year-old Chen Chien-hsiang told AFP as fellow residents huddled under blankets, occasional aftershocks rattling the school and their already frayed nerves.

“We question whether the structural integrity of the building was damaged. Otherwise why else would it fall the way it did?” he fumed.

Like many of those who survived, Chen had to crawl his way out of an apartment suddenly upended by the tremor.

“My TV, a traditional one, was flying like it was in space,” he recalled. “All the appliances were really like they’re flying.”

His apartment was on the sixth floor, but he managed to drag himself out of a window which was suddenly perched closer to the ground as a result of the quake.

“The sixth floor is usually quite high up but when I squeezed myself out the road was right there,” he said.

Another resident, 70-year-old Chang Teching, said many apartment owners feared that the lower floors of the complex containing a hotel and restaurant may have lacked proper reinforcement to support the building’s weight. AFP

Republika ng Pilipinas

(Pambansang Pangasiwaan ng Patubig) Regional Office No. III

Office Address Telephone Nos. Website

: : :

Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan (044) 766-2467,766-4839,816-6808 www.region3.nia.gov.ph

Email Address:nia03@yahoo.com Telefax No.: (044) 766-2467 TIN No.: 000-979-570-000

Invitation to Bid Construction of Diversion Works and Canal System of Calaguiman & Imelda CIS ITB No. NIAR3-2018-BAT-CALAGUIMAN IMELDA-7 1.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3, hereby invites all interested PhilGEPS registered contractors to bid for the project, through the General Appropriations Act of CY 2018, intends to apply the sum of Sixty Six Million One Hundred Forty Nine Thousand Five Hundred Seventy Six Pesos and 50/100 (P 66,149,576.50) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the contract for NIAR3-2018-BAT-CALAGUIMAN IMELDA-7. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

Bidders must secure Site Inspection Certificate from IMO Office as a technical requirement for Eligibility and Technical Document (Envelop A). Non compliance will be a ground for disqualification.

3.

Only those Letter of Intent with a company profile, submitted by the owner or its authorized liaison officer, will be accepted to participate in the bidding

4.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 now invites bids for Construction of Diversion Works and Canal System of Calaguiman & Imelda CIS. Completion of the Works is required within Three Hundred (300) calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

5.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

cepts them anymore,” Rojas told AFP outside a subway station, where he also sells coffee and cigarettes in addition to his unusual bagweaving work.

Meanwhile, inflation in this oil-rich, cashpoor economy churns on and on: since August, the bolivar has lost 87 percent of its value against the euro.

Inflation this year is forecast by the International Monetary Fund to come in at a staggering 13,000 percent.

With two-, five- and 10-bolivar notes, “you can’t even buy a piece of candy,” Rojas says, explaining how he used 400 such bills to make a smaller handbag.

Manila

Standard

NOTICE OF SALE OF OFFICE FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT OF VENTECH PHILS. INC.

TODAY

Notice is hereby given that in accordance to Section 13.3 (D) of the Contract of Lease with Insular Life Assurance Co. Ltd., the personal properties of VENTECH PHILS., INC. located at 23/F Tower 1, Insular Life Corporate Centre, Insular Drive, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City will be placed in public bidding. All interested bidders may call Lester or Carol at 582-1818 local 2331, Monday-Friday, 7:00 am – 4:00 pm, or email mljacinto@insular.com.ph for the walkthrough, registration procedures and requirements.

Schedules of Walkthrough: • Jan. 31,2018 - Feb. 2, 2018 • Feb. 7, 2018 - Feb. 9, 2018 • Feb. 13, 2018 - Feb. 15, 2018 Sealed bids will be accepted on or before February 23, 2018, Friday until 4:00 pm.

OFFICE FURNITURE, FIXTURE & EQUIPMENT (1 lot): Minimum Bid Price is P2,581,000.00 Arm Sofa Digital Biometric Machine Phone Receiver Visitor Chairs Executive/Staff Arm Chair Mobile Pedestals Desktop Computers & peripherals Printers (Brother, Kyocera) Corkboards Wooden Shelves/Cabinets Paper Shredder (Dahle) Office Tables Binder Machine (DSB) Paper Cutter Push Cart Executive Table MagazineTable Personal Refrigerator

Mobile Pedestals Stand/Floor/Tower Fan Lateral Cabinets Papertrays Electronic Typewriter (Brother) Foldable Table Partition Whiteboard Fire Extinquishers UPS-APC LED Monitors Storage Rack Trash Bin Central Processing Unit (Acer) Scanner Safety Vault Refrigerator Contoured Folding Chairs File Cabinets

SCN FORM NO. 1 (R.A. NO. 9139)

contagious disease. The country of which I am a citizen or subject is not at war with the Philippines and grants to Filipinos the right to be naturalized citizens or subjects thereof.

001177

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON NATURALIZATION

Interested bidders may obtain further information from NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday to Friday.

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION OF DENISE CAI YANG to be naturalized as Filipino citizen pursuant to Republic Act No. 9139.

7.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on February 07, 2018 to February 27, 2018 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, except holidays from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Sixty Six Thousand Pesos (P 66,000.00).

SCN CASE NO. x------------------ x

9.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:30 a.m.

(PST) of February 27, 2018 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on 10:00 a.m. (PST) of February 27, 2018 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

10.

All particulars relative to the eligibility screening, bid security, performance security, pre-bid conference/s, evaluation of bids, post qualification and award of contracts shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its revised IRR.

11.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

12.

For further information, please refer to:

(SGD) VIRGILIO J. ILAO BAC - Chairman Noted by: JOSEPHINE B. SALAZAR Regional Manager (MS-FEB. 9, 2018)

Republic of the Philippines) Makati, Metro Manila…….) s.s AFFIDAVIT OF SELF-ADJUDICATION OF SOLE HEIR I, MARIA RINA SANTIAGO SCHOELLEN, of legal age, Filipino-American with dual citizenship and a holder of a Philippine Passport, single parent and a resident of 20 Milestone, Irvine, California, United States of America, and at No. 25 Derby Street, White Plains, Quezon City, after having been sworn in accordance with law, hereby depose and say: That I am the only child and sole and only surviving legal heir of the late VIRGINIA M. SANTIAGO who died on January 25, 2018 at Makati City, Metro Manila leaving without any will or debt that has not been settled up to the present; That to the best of my knowledge the deceased at the time of her death left the following parcels of residential land more particularly described to wit; 1. A parcel of land located in the City of Parañaque covered by Transfer Certificate of Title No. (S-36508)) 96182; 2. A parcel of land located in Quezon City covered by Transfer Certificate of Title No. RT-76907 (280074); 3. A parcel of land located in City of Parañaque covered by Transfer Certificate of Title No. (275497) S-30387 (17042-A) 85534.

Also, to the best of my knowledge, the deceased left the following bank deposits: 1. BPI Family Savings Bank Account No. 005997-2855-75 TD#050411, 35 days, renewable Php 100,000.00 2. BPI Family Savings Bank Account No. S/A No. 005993-3677-63 Php27,802.29 3. Metro Savings Bank Account No. 362-3-362-10541-3 Php3,216,097.15 4. BPI FCDU Account No. 2104-0056-94 US $1629.27 Likewise, to the best of my knowledge, the deceased has certificate of stocks on the following: TELECTRONIC SYSTEMS, INC. (TSI) Stock Certificates 1. Cert. A-11 116,666 shares 2. Cert. B-030/B033 533,812 shares 3. Cert. A-627 32,369 shares 4. Cert. A-624 83,013,162 shares Total 83,696,009 shares PHILIPPINE TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE CORP. (PT&T) Stock Certificates 1. Cert. A-00010037 729,926 shares 2. Cert. A-00036279 36,666 shares Total 766,592 shares JLS, INC Stock Certificates 4,000 shares PSVSIA Stock Certificates 1. 025-A 2. 045-A 3. 052-A 4. 063-A 5. 067-A 6. 100-A 7. 103-A

1. My full name is DENISE CAI YANG, but I have also been known since childhood as N/A or I have been judicially N/A . authorized to use the alias name(s) 2. My present place of residence is 2673-C RAFAEL ALUNAN ST., INTERIOR ROAD, MALATE City/Municipality of MANILA Province of METRO MANILA and all my former places of residence are (please indicate periods of residence) (1998-2009) GREENEREY TOWER, UNIT 1402, GALERIA DE BINONDO, NUMANCIA ST., BINONDO, MANILA (2009-PRESENT) 2673-C RAFAEL ALUNAN ST., INTERIOR ROAD, MALATE, MANILA

4. My father's name is YANG, HUA HUANG and he was born on SEPTEMBER 14, 1965, in CHINA. He is a citizen or subject of CHINA. My mother's name is CAI, JI RU and she was born on APRIL 21, 1971 in CHINA. She is a citizen or subject of CHINA. 5. My trade, business, profession or lawful occupation is N/A and from which I derive an average annual income of N/A , inclusive of bonuses, commissions and allowances.

My wife's/husband's trade, business, profession or lawful occupation is N/A and from which she derives an average annual income of P N/A .

(Where the above does not apply): I am exempt from the requirement of lucrative trade or occupation and from submitting income tax returns for the past three (3) years because I am a college degree holder [please state (1) degree obtained: N/A, (2) name of school: N/A and (3) years graduated: N/A who cannot practice my profession (the practice of which requires a government licensure examination) by reason of my citizenship.

6 shares 2 shares 9 shares 4 shares 13 shares 5,593,256 shares 6,796 shares

EL JOVIR Stock Certificates-490-187 shares 1. 0049 490,187 shares Pursuant to SEC. 1 Rule 74 of the Revised Rules of Court of the Philippines, I hereby adjudicate unto myself the above described parcel of lands, bank accounts/investments and stock certificates without judicial proceedings as prescribed by the aforementioned Rules of Court.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day of February 2018 at Makati City.

MARIA RINA SANTIAGO SCHOELLEN Affiant SUBSCRIBED SWORN to before me this 1st day of February 2018 at Makati City.

Affiant exhibiting to me her USA Passport No. 559347163 issued on May 11, 2017 at Manila, Philippines

15. Attached hereto as annexes and made part of this petition are the duplicate originals or certified photocopies of the following documents (please check the appropriate box): [ / ] a. Petitioner's birth certificate [ / ] b. Petitioner's alien certificate of registration (ACR) [ ] c. Petitioner's native-born certificate of residence (NBCR) [ ] d. Petitioner's marriage certificate, if married [ ] e. Death certificate of his/her spouse, if widowed [ ] f. Court decree annulling his/her marriage or granting legal separation, if such was the fact [ ] g. Birth certificates of petitioner's minor children [ ] h. ACRs of petitioner's minor children [ ] i. NBCRs of petitioner's minor children [ ] j. Affidavits of financial capacity by the petitioner, duly supported by bank certifications, passbooks, stock certificates, or proof of ownership of other properties [ / ] k. Affidavits of at least two (2) credible witnesses who must be Filipino citizens of good reputation in petitioner's place of residence [ / ] l. Medical certificate from a government hospital stating that petitioner is not suffering from mental alienation or a user of prohibited drugs or otherwise a drug dependent and that he/she is not afflicted with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), or any incurable contagious disease. [ / ] m. School diploma and transcript of records of the petitioner from the school/s he or she attended in the Philippines [ ] n. Certifications stating that petitioner's minor children are enrolled in public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the DECS, where Philippine history, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality [ ] o. Petitioner's income tax returns for the past three years [ ] p. Petitioner's receipts of payment of income tax for the past three years 16. Other documents submitted by the petitioner in support of his/her petition:

6. My civil status is SINGLE, I was married on N/A in N/A. My wife's/husband's name is N/A and she/he was born on in N/A. She/he is a citizen or subject of N/A and presently resides N/A

NBI CLEARANCE, OFFICE OF THE CITY PROSECUTOR CLEARANCE, RTC CLEARANCE, MTC CLEARANCE, POLICE CLEARANCE,BARANGAY CLEARANCE, AFFIDAVIT OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF PARENTS WITH CERTIFICATE OF EMPLOYMENT , INCOME TAX RETURN OF PARENTS

7. I am legally separated from my spouse; my marriage was annulled, per decree of legal separation/annulment dated N/A granted by N/A. (please indicate the particular court which granted the same). I am a widower/widow and my spouse died on N/A in N/A.

WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed that petitioner be conferred Philippine citizenship pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No, 9139.

8. I have N/A child/children, whose names, dates and places of birth and residences are as follows:

Dated at Makati City, Metro Manila, this 5th day of DECEMBER, 2017.

Name N/A

Date of Birth N/A

Place of Birth N/A

N/A

9. I received my primary and secondary education from the following public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), where Philippine history, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality:

Name of School UNO HIGH SCHOOL UNO HIGH SCHOOL

Place of School TONDO, MANILA TONDO, MANILA

Dates of Highest Grade Study Completed 2003 to 2010 PRIMARY 2010 to 2014

N/A

Name and Place of School N/A

DENISE CAI YANG Name and Signature of Petitioner Address: 2673-C RAFAEL ALUNAN ST., INTERIOR ROAD, MALATE, MANILA Telephone Number: 567-0000 ext. 7007

Right Thumbmark of Petitioner

SECONDARY

11. I have enrolled my minor children of school age in the following public schools or private educational institutions duly recognized by the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), where Philipine History, government and civics are taught and prescribed as part of the school curriculum and where enrollment is not limited to any race or nationality:

Name of Child

PRAYER

Residence

10. I am able to read, write and speak Filipino and/or any of the following dialects of the Philippines: TAGALOG

GVM SECURITY AGENCY, INC. Stock Certificates-500 shares 1. 009 250 shares 2. 022 250 shares

Doc. No. 164 Page No.34 Book No.472 Series of 2018

PETITION Pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act No. 9139, petitioner hereby submits a petition for naturalization to become a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines and respectfully declares:

3. I was born on JUNE 4, 1998, in MANILA, Philippines. I have been a resident of the Philippines since birth. At present, I am a citizen or subject of CHINA.

BAC Secretariat/s; NIA – Region 3,Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Tel No. (044) 766-4839 and 816-8608

13. It is my true and honest intention to become a citizen of the Philippines and to renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, and, particularly, to CHINA of which at this time I am a citizen or subject. I will reside continuously in the Philippines from the date of the filing of this petition up to the time of my admission to Philippine citizenship.

14. My character witnesses are CLAUDINE JENNIFER TING NG and HEIDY RYANNA GUEVARRA both Filipino citizens, of legal age, and residing at 24 BEECHCRAFT ST., CONCORDE VILLAGE, PARAÑAQUE and 1249 MASANGKAY ST., STA CRUZ, MANILA respectively, who have executed sworn statements attached hereto in support of my instant petition, together with: (a) brief biographical data about themselves; (b) detailed statements on the dates they first came to know me, the circumstances of our initial acquaintance and the reasons and extent of our continuing familiarity; and (c) the number of times they have acted as character witnesses in other petitions for naturalization.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later that the submission of their bids.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on February 14, 2018, 10:00 a.m. at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Laptop (Lenovo, Aces, Toshiba) Wifi Extender Computer Server Server Cabinet Locker Cabinet Conference Table with Chairs Conference Telephone Video Conferencing System HDD/DVD Player TV Stand Projector Screen Coffeemaker Ethernet Desktop Switch Photocopying Machine PABX System AVR Video Splitter Working Table Wide Format Printers (Kyocera) Mobile Compactor (Moem, mechanical type, 6 bays) (MS-JAN. 26, FEB. 2 & 9, 2018)

6.

8.

Rojas then points to a queen’s crown he made out of bolivar notes.

“Here there are about 50,000 bolivars, which is maybe enough for a pack of cigarettes,” he explains.

Rojas says he learned his craft from another makeshift artist.

“You can use magazine paper or newspaper pulp, but currency notes are better because they are not worth anything, they are all the same size and you don’t have to waste time cutting them,” Rojas said.

He hopes to start selling his creations soon.

But he fears Venezuela’s economic crisis may foil his plans. AFP

Date of Enrollment N/A

12. I shall never be a public charge. I am of good moral character. I believe in the principles underlying the Philippine Constitution. I have conducted myself in a proper and irreproachable manner during the entire period of my residence in the Philippines in my relations with the constituted government as well as with the community in which I am living. I mingled socially with Filipinos and have evinced a sincere desire to learn and embrace the customs, traditions and ideals of the Filipino people. I have all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications under Republic Act No. 9139.

I am not opposed to organized government or affiliated with any association or group of persons who uphold and teach doctrines opposing all organized governments. I am not defending or teaching the necessity or propriety of violence, personal assault or assassination for the success and predominance of one's ideas. I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy. I have not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude. I am not suffering from mental alienation or from any incurable

Petitioner's signature and right thumbmark

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) CITY/MUNICIPALITY OF QUEZON CITY) S.S. I, DENISE CAI YANG of legal age and a resident of 2673C RAFAEL ALUNAN ST., INTERIOR ROAD, MALATE, MANILA after being duly sworn, depose and say that I am the petitioner herein, that I have read the foregoing petition and know the foregoing petition and known the contents thereof, and that the same is true of my own knowledge.

DENISE CAI YANG Name and Signature of Petitioner

SUBCRIBED AND SWORN to before me at QUEZON CITY, this 05 day of DECEMBER 2017. __________________________________ Official authorized to administrative oaths/ Notary Public

(MS-DATE)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

‘More festive’ Chinese New Year bash in Davao

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

B4

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

EDIBLE GARDEN LAUNCH. Senator Cynthia A. Villar (right) leads the launching of the Gulayan sa Gasangan (Edible Gardening) during a livelihood and cleanup caravan in Baseco, Tondo. As chairman of the Senate agriculture and food committee, Villar believes edible gardening is a simple but effective platform in solving poor nutrition and lack of livelihood. Also in the photo with the senator is Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Danny Lim (center). Lino Santos

‘Crime boxes are nothing to fear‘ QUEZON City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte on Thursday assured the public there is nothing to worry about crime drop boxes.

She said city residents need not fear the crime drop box reporting program of the city government because strict protocols are in place to protect the innocent.

Belmonte said she has personally made sure all names reported in the drop boxes are stringently checked, validated, and kept confidential in keeping with the city government’s vow to protect human rights.

“We have addressed that,” the vice mayor said when asked about the scheme’s vulnerability to abuse.

“We have protocols in place to make sure each name is adequately validated,” she said, adding “we are not allowing this system to be abused.”

Last December, the city government, through the Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council headed by Belmonte, installed drop boxes in the city’s 142 barangays, several churches and police stations to combat crime.

Belmonte clarified the boxes, which she prefers to call “suggestion boxes,” are not only meant for drugs but also for complaints against corruption and anomalies.

“It’s a suggestion box that all citizens can drop names or reports about drug pushers or users or even any kind of anomaly they have experienced,” she said.

QC hosts quake drill

By Rio N. Araja

Q

UEZON City will once again host the nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill on Feb. 15.

Mayor Herbert Bautista volunteered to take on the hosting of the drill to enable the city government to test its emergency management capabilities and interoperability with the national

government, communities and the private sector.

The city was the national drill host in 2014.

Bautista vowed to continue embarking on an unprecedented massive investment

in public safety as it anticipates a massive multihazard scenario unfolding anytime in what some people referred to as The Big One. Edna Conda of the Office of the Civil Defense said Quezon City will also pilot a new disaster assessment scheme during the drill.

The city placed first runnerup in the last Gawad Kalasag Nationwide Awards.

Bautista said he is confident that Quezon City will

execute all its contingency plans during the drill.

Karl Michael Marasigan, Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office head, said the city will showcase the readiness of its plans while executing several emergency response scenarios.

There will be four staging areas for the drill— Veterans Hospital, Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City Hall and Quezon City General Hospital.

Biñan City Mayor Arman Dimaguila Jr. (left) and Biñan Rep. Marlyn Len Alonte Naguiat (right) flank Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, who was the guest of honor in the Biñan 73rd Liberation Day Celebration with World War II veterans (inset) at the Alonte Sport Arena in Biñan, Laguna.

Roy Tomandao

By Ben Moses Ebreo

Solcom unfazed by NPA threat to kill troops

By Benjie A. Antioquia LUCENA CITY—Officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Southern Luzon Command remain unfazed by Joma Sison’s warning that New People’s Army rebels could kill one soldier a day or more than 500 troopers a month across the country.

“It is not true. Joma Sison must be dreaming that the NPAs could kill one soldier

fined P500 to P5,000 and two to 14 hours community service.

The inspection lasted from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Molito Lifestyle Center, Madrigal Business Park, Crimson Hotel, Northgate and Fire Station in Alabang, Navarro said.

The Task Force’s operations netted 55 more violators from Jan. 29 to Feb. 2.

Muntinlupa City is one of the first cities in NCR to pass a local ordinance following President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order

Meanwhile, the Philippine Horticulture Society urged Bautista to declare February as Horticulture month According to Nelson Cabangon, member of the organizing committee of Hortikultura Filipina 2018, they will pitch the idea to Bautista though there has been an initial talk with the city tourism department on the matter.

In another development, the Quezon City Council has

passed a resolution urging Bautista to adopt a program that will provide public elementary and high school students with electronic identification cards that will monitor their whereabouts through an innovative Message Cast messaging system.

Message Cast is a webbased messaging service that allows subscribers to send and broadcast SMS to one or multiple recipients across all networks.

Nueva Vizcaya govt sets P1.4-b budget for 2018

HONORING VETERANS.

a day. We are mandated by the government to protect the sovereignty of this country and we will not allow them to inflict further harm and kill our soldiers just like that, so they could get what they want from the government,” said Lt. Gen. Danilo G. Pamonag, Solcom commander.

In 2017, records show 52 NPAs were killed in combat operations, 18 were captured, 57 surrendered,

Munti task force nabs 61 smokers AT LEAST 61 persons were apprehended in a three-hour surprise inspection of the Muntinlupa Smoke-Free Task Force last Feb. 7 at Alabang business centers.

Public Information Officer Tez Navarro said both residents and nonresident were given penalty tickets by members of SFTF for violating Muntinlupa City Ordinance No. 17-072, the Comprehensive Smoke Free Ordinance of the City of Muntinlupa.

Violators caught smoking in public places were

DAVAO CITY—This city will experience a more festive Chinese New Year celebration this year, according to the Chinatown Development Council of Davao City.

Jasper Huang, the council’s public relations officer, said the celebration will feature Chinese-themed food stalls during the countdown program on Feb. 15 at the Rizal Park.

Chinese lion and dragon dances will be the highlights of the celebration. Organizers said they will be giving away “tikoy” or rice cakes, the most popular delicacy each Chinese New Year.

Huang said during the countdown, Chinese-themed performances such as the dragon and lion dances of students from various Chinese schools are expected to be witnessed.

He said as part of the preparation for the festivity, the council has requested all establishments in the Chinatown area to put up Chinese lanterns or Chinese symbols outside their establishments.

The countdown program on Feb. 15 will start with a 5:30 p.m. Mass at the San Pedro Cathedral. The opening ceremony will start at 6:30 p.m.

The welcoming of Chinese New Year will end at midnight on the same day.

No. 26 or the nationwide smoking ban.

Under Section 5a of Muntinlupa Ordinance No. 17-072, the use and distribution of cigarette and tobacco products are prohibited in the city.

It includes smoking or vaping in enclosed or partially enclosed public places, workplaces, public conveyances (whether mobile or stationary), except in Designated Smoking Areas duly approved and fully compliant with the requirements set by the City Health Office.

96 high-powered firearms and 54 low-powered firearms were recovered from the communist terrorists.

The AFP’s casualty ratio for 2017 is 1:2.3, which means the government suffered less deaths compared to the NPAs who were killed in firefights.

This does not include rebels who were captured, apprehended and surrendered.

Pamonag said in the first quarter of 2018, the government side has no casualty

recorded, compared to the NPAs who suffered two kills during combat operations conducted by government troops.

Moreover, 17 regular NPAs and 35 NPA supporters surrendered in the Bicol region in last month.

This indicates that more NPAs and their supporters have realized the futility of armed struggle and decided to leave the rebel group, Pamonag added.

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—The provincial government has approved more than P1.4 billion for its Local Expenditure Program this year.

Gov. Carlos Padilla said the bulk of the LEP will be spent on infrastructure projects and social services, while they pursue streamlining government operations to make service delivery more efficient.

“In this way, we give our people the best value for every peso we collect and spend,” he said.

Padilla said the provincial government’s finances are in a much better shape due to the updating of outdated tax rates and increased collection from investment projects.

He said the LEP will be rolled out for the implementation of the provincial government’s 2018 Annual Investment Plan, which seeks to increase forestlands with tree cover, households that practice zero solid waste management, conservation and protection of the cave systems and regulation of all mine and quarry operations, improved efficiency and effectiveness of government delivery systems, crops

productivity, lower the cost of production and increase small farmers’ income.

Padilla also said the provincial government will enhance the productivity of out of school youths and excel in sports competitions, improve enrolment, participation and schools’ achievement rate, broader access to social welfare services, improve peace and order, and promote safety.

It also aims to increase access to quality farm to market roads, all weather provincial roads and robust infrastructures which support health, tourism, agriculture and administrative services, enhanced arts and preserved cultural practices and empowered indigenous peoples and pursue the achievement of the Health Millennium Development Goals and reduce housing backlogs, among others.

More than P225 million or 20 percent of the IRA has been allotted for the province’s development fund, divided into P85 million for improvement of provincial roads, P48 million for road concreting, P12 million for road rehabilitation and improvement, P15 million for road maintenance, and P10 million for the acquisition of heavy equipment.

MAYON DONATION.

Rotary Club of Sta. Mesa President Paulo Legaspi of District 3780 (left) hands the organization’s donation to the Alagang Kapatid Foundation through Musikaramay’s founder Stanley Seludo, witnessed by Rotarian Jojo Gacang and District 3780 Past president Biboy Badilles.

Musikaramay held a benefit concert on Jan. 27 at the Centris Grounds in Quezon City for the evacuees from 10 barangays around Mayon Volcano. The concert featured Jensen and the Flips, Climax, Crib, K247, Julianne, Blue Rascals, and other artists.

life

bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor E manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLife

culture and Media

friday, february 9, 2018

c1

Maguindanao celebrates textile tradition KEEPING TRADITION ALIVE. The Al Jamela weavers of Maguindanao, led by Bai Abaya Wampa, preserve the old practice of creating inaul, a hand-woven tapestry fabric.

By Hadji ayunan G. Gunting

T

O CeLeBRATe its indigenous textile tradition, the Maguindanao provincial government stages its second “Inaul Festival” ongoing until Feb. 14 at the capitol grounds.

Inaul, which means “woven” in Maguindanaon, is a hand-woven tapestry fabric with geometric designs. A status symbol, it is revered as an object of “bara-bangsa” which means dignity. The inaul is commonly used in malong, the multitasking tubular fabric. One of the best image models of the textile is ARMM Deputy Speaker, Congresswoman Bai Sandra Sinsuat Sema who collects the inaul and wears it with pride.

As one of the province’s major earner, the inaul raked in P1 million in sales during its first week-long festival last year. The festival itself generated P20 million in tourism revenues. The textile appeals to both domestic and international clients.

A main proponent of the inaul, Bai

Albaya Wampa preserves the tradition through her store in Datu Odin Sinsuat, a first-class municipality on the boundary of Maguindanao and Cotabato.

The granddaughter of the sultan of this town, she owns a farm and a women’s cooperative called Al Jamela, which has become a tourist destination for quality souvenirs. The ARMM government orders inaul shawls from her co-op for gifts.

Al Jamela was established in 2001 to give jobs to widows of Moro National Liberation Front soldiers, Christians, highlanders, single mothers, returning OFWs, and spinsters.

Weavers use cotton and rayon silk threads inserted on big looms that can handle huge volumes. Bai Albaya explains that the process starts with arranging the threads to

determine the colors, the quantity and the length of the malong. The threads are put on the wheel, spun, and inserted into the loom’s comb to create the design. To assure quality, weavers are tasked to one inaul tapestry.

“Once the weaver starts on the inaul, she has to finish it. If she delegates, the result will be different. each one has their own way with the tension of the threads and the loom,” explains Bai Albaya.

By convention, the weaving can take as long as a month to produce a four-meter fabric. A fully embroidered inaul fetches P1,900 to P2,500. The price is P500 for a 12-inch by two meter shawl.

“The inaul has over 100 uses—as bed sheet, turban, table runner, men’s trousers, basket, pillowcase and cradle. The special inaul is made from imported thread. They are used for formal clothes like gowns and jackets,” says Bai Albaya.

She explains that in the olden times, princesses in royal households wove their own clothes. To denote their status, they used yellow, maroon, orange, and black for royalty. White threads were used for

mourning clothes. Green symbolized coolness and peace.

The common designs are the rainbows or changing hues of threads, stripes, taro, and wide borders. The lumbayan na ta’dman is silhouette of a woman peering from the window, waiting for her lover. Modern designs consist of twisted florals, the elbow or siko-siko, geometric patterns, triangles, and the reversible fabric.

The co-op receives support from the Cotabato tourism office which brings tourists to Al Jamela. The Department of Labor and employment and the local government donate looms and provide training. The NonTimber Forest Products, a crafts center in Quezon City, promotes its products and exports.

Thanks to people like Bai Albaya and her weavers, the Maguindanao textile tradition will thrive as they continue to create demands.

ARMM Deputy Speaker Bai Sandra Sema is one of the major proponents of the Maguindanao inaul fabric.

In creating inaul, the weavers arrange the threads to determine the colors, quantity, and length of the malong; they are tasked to only one tapestry.

IN THEATERS AND GALLERIES LOVE IT AND LEAVE IT Arete, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City February 18 The inaugural exhibition of ADMU’s art gallery will feature the Ateneo Art Gallery’s collection from various donors. It will be divided into decades featuring works from post-war Philippine modern art, Socialist Realist Art (‘70s and ‘80s), and contemporary art. Email aag@ateneo. edu or call (02) 426-6488 for more information.

ROMANCING THE CLASSICS Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo, CCP, Manila February 16, 8:00 p.m.

Guest conductor from Spain David Gomez Ramirez leads the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra on its sixth concert featuring Bedrich Smetana’s Die Moldau (Vltava) No. 2 from “Má vlast (My Country),” Manuel De Falla’s Interlude and Spanish Dance from “La Vida Breve,” and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. Op. 47. Call (02) 832-1125 local 1806 for inquiries.

SENA AT BORLONGAN: BASIC DRAWING Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Manila February 24, 1:30 p.m.

Learn the basic principles in drawing from two of the most celebrated artists in the country: the “Father of the Philippine Workshop,” Fernando Sena, and contemporary artist elmer Borlongan—whose over 200 paintings and drawings are currently on display at the MeT. Email info@metmuseum.ph or call (02) 708-7828 for more details.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018 Nickie Wang, Issue Editor

nickie.standard@gmail.com

DIONNE WARWICK

in Manila for Valentine show

E

VEN if she’s had her share of Grammy trophies and triumphs, Billboard achievements, and a great number of popular ballads, Dionne Warwick humbly declares, “The word or label ‘Diva’ is an operatic term and I do not sing opera, therefore I cannot and do not accept being called as such.”

She is revered as a singing legend and popular music icon gifted with a melodic and soulful voice. Her songs continue to touch the hearts of people who believe in romance, love, friendship, and forever.

On Feb. 13 and 14, at the Grand Ballroom of Solaire Resort and Casino, the charismatic chanteuse headlines a two-night concert.

“I’ve been to Manila several times...

Manila audiences are wonderful, they have always seemed to enjoy my show,” says the singing legend.

For her Valentine concert, people will get to enjoy, “Songs I am expected to sing and a few surprises…it will just be two nights of wonderful musical evenings.”

Be ready to be enthralled and mesmerized when you hear her famous songs such as “Don’t Make Me Over,” “Walk On By,” “Do You Know The Way to San Jose?,” “Alfie,” and “I’ll Never Love This Way Again” and other signature songs.

She shares, “All of my songs are close to my heart as they are like my children.

The success of these songs; I attribute both to the wonderful composers and lyricists.”

What are the ingredients for a great song? Warwick replies, “Lyrics first, as I must believe in the words I sing, and of course, a memorable melody.”

The musical icon has formed a long and successful partnership with songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Warwick ranks among the 40 biggest hit makers of the entire rock era, based on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Charts, with 56 of the legendary American singer’s singles making the Billboard Hot 100 between 1962 and 1998 and 80 singles making all Billboard charts combined.

For Bacharach, Warwick is “A woman who has a tremendously strong side and a delicacy when singing softly--- like miniature ships in bottles.”

Warwick received her first Grammy in 1968 for “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?” and her second in 1970 for “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again.”

Under Arista Records, Warwick won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “I’ll Never Love This Way Again” and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “Déjà Vu” in 1980. She became the first female artist in the history of the Grammys to win in

Legendary chanteuse Dionne Warwick will deliver her signature hits at the Solaire Resort and Casino’s Grand Ballroom on Feb. 13 and 14.

two categories on the same year.

In 1985, Warwick contributed her voice to the multi-Grammy winning song “We Are The World” which also spent four consecutive weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. On the same year, she recorded the American Foundation for AIDS Research benefit song “That’s What Friends Are For” with Stevie Wonder, Elton John, and Gladys Knight.

In a career that spans five decades, Dionne Warwick’s melodic and soulful voice remains unmatched.

To Bacharach, David and the multitude of people she had the pleasure of working with, Warwick enthuses, “I am forever grateful.”

To newcomers in the industry, her advice, “Be true to yourself and what you want...if you can think it, you can do it.”

‘WILDFLOWER’

to his lovelife. Madali siyang ma-fall at masaktan and if that happens, nawawala sa tamang direksyon ang mga galaw niya,” related fung shui expert Willy Go, when he guested and read stars at our Chismax program at DZMM teleradyo last Sunday.

Well, same source claimed that even Julia is destined to reach a higher ground on her career, again, if she learns to manage matter of her heart.

Well.... **** We have but praises to Regine VelasquezAlcasid for bravely admitting that as s h e

is ending, finally THE production team behind ABS-CBN’s Wildflower decided to put an end to the teleserye’s repetitious plot, dialogues and yes, even the seemingly cat and dog chasing scenes of the main protagonists and antagonists.

“Nakakaumay,” as the Tagalog word would aptly say it.

Maja Salvador’s soap has long ago reached its climax and yet it’s success made the people running the show continue it even if there are no more angles to delve on, thus making the whole thing boring and a waste of time.

No question about its main stars doing their jobs excellently, but the televiewers deserve more than those “acting na acting” style, don’t we?

Can we therefore expect Coco Martin’s Ang Probinsyano do the same as again, the story angles it presents were already done and shown repeatedly?

And aggghhh....those lines about Cardo promising to give justice to those killed by enemies had been a dozen times used, said and delivered, as if, it has become now the “mantra” of their loyal televiewers.

Hello dear writers and directors? ***** My good friend who is a top rank officer at the Philippine National Police called my attention about another top rating show from ABS-CBN, that is The Good Son. Says he, “Friend, can you please express our sentiments to those who run the show to do a deeper research on police matters especially in solving

Maja Salvador as the feisty Lily Cruz in ‘Wildflower’

Nico Antonio as SPO1 Romeo Colmenares in ‘The Good Son’

crimes? It appears to us that like the movies before, portrayals of police are made a laughing matter in their stories? Masyadong old school.”

Apparently, The Good Son talks about finding and giving justice to a crime committed in a very, very dramatic and yet full of conflicts way.

Is somebody reading this uh? ***** Joshua Garcia was among the showbiz names we asked from our tarot and fung shui expert-guest who proclaimed him as this year’s biggest star in showbiz.

But, there is a condition and that is, if he will continue to be

“I am truly looking forward to coming again to Manila and I do hope all of you will be at the concert to enjoy,” says Warwick.

We know we will never love this way again, that is why this season of romance, be part of Dionne Warwick: A Valentine Concert to be held on Feb. 13 and 14 at the Solaire Grand Ballroom.

For tickets, please visit solaireresort. com or call Ticketworld at 8919999.

sober with his feelings, err romantic emotions with Julia Barretto.

Accordingly, his aura and the movement of his stars as per his zodiac sign and elements, all have one direction and that is super success.

“Only that he needs to know how to control his f e e l i n g s because he seems to be a very, very emotional p e r s o n especially when it comes

used to be the most famous pop star in the country, she now considers herself, “Madalang na. Pawala na talaga.”

This she answered when asked: “What if the time comes that nobody gets her in concerts/shows or no one gives her a recording deal?”

Regine is called the “Asia’s Songbird” and really is a music industry’s gem and icon, but she admits to preparing for the time when newbies enjoy her reign and be marked as the next big thing.

“That’s the way of life.

That’s how it goes. I think I have long prepared for that and I must admit, nararanasan ko na iyan. But the better way to accept it is to still continue what I do best and enjoy it. Because I believe that for as long as there are people who want my music, who listen to them and appreciate and sing them, I will still be here. Yun nga lang, at this point of my life talaga, nadiscover kong buo na ako dahil sa family ko,” explains she.

In a rare moment, Regine is joining husband Ogie Alcasid, Martin Nievera and Erik Santos, in a pre-Valentine show called #paMORE at the SM MOA on Feb. 10.

“This is our Valentine offering for the Millenials who love music,” adds she.

Songbird Regine VelasquezAlcasid

Motoring

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018

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Together is always better: Hyundai, Gawad Kalinga team up for shared prosperity

Mitsubishi slates VIP preview of Xpander Isuzu Philippines inks partnership with GMA Kapuso Foundation AS PART of its corporate social responsibility program, Isuzu Philippines Corporation, the country’s leader in commercial vehicle segment, has formally signed a memorandum of agreement with GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKP)—the socio-civic arm of GMA Network—in response to provide vehicle assistance and emergency relief operations to communities across the country.

The partnership aims to help over 600,000 individuals who are affected with calamity-stricken and underserved communities. Most of these beneficiaries are recipients of Operation Bayanihan Project—a series of relief operations and medical missions; and “Unang Hakbang sa Kinabukasan” project, which focuses on the importance of education by providing complete set of school supplies to underprivileged students.

Isuzu Philippines Corporation President Hajime Koso said, “Our support to GMA Kapuso Foundation demonstrate our true commitment in helping out the lives of communities everywhere. It’s an honor and privilege to reach out and extend our hands to communities that need us the most.”

Under the agreement, Isuzu Philippines Corporation will donate one (1) unit of Isuzu D-MAX 4x4 LS pickup truck to GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) in its bid to support and deliver public service through its charitable missions nationwide.

“Our company (Isuzu) is not only known in creating vehicles across the world, but also in building hope and compassion towards other people. This partnership is our way of helping out and sharing our commitment and passion in public service, “said Koso. “We are happy to partner with GMA Kapuso Foundation to become a responsible steward of our society through their Serbisyong Totoo philosophy,” he added.

“This is just the beginning of many wonderful things that stored for Isuzu. IPC and GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) will continue to provide a stronger partnership that will help elevate the lives of underprivileged Filipinos all over the country,” said Koso.

For the last 20 years, GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) has become the most accomplished, most trusted and reliable non-government organization in the country today. The foundation continues to serve Filipinos through programs that are anchored with health, education, values formation, disaster response and reconstruction.

“With this partnership, we will able to bridge and change the life of every communities in every city.

More than just giving, what a great reward to see families that has been transformed,” added Koso.

Present at the signing ceremony were GMAKF Founder and Ambassador Mel Tiangco; IPC President Hajime Koso; IPC Vice President for Sales Yasuhiko Oyama; and GMAKF Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Rikki Escudero-Catibog, who gave her inspiring opening remarks during the actual turnover of the Isuzu D-MAX vehicle.

T

HINGS are definitely getting more exciting as the public can now take a closer look at the most-awaited cross multi-purpose, sport utility vehicle which is recently creating a buzz in the local automotive market.

After the announcement of the start of its pre-order, Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) will enthuse the public again with the start of the VIP preview of the all – new XPANDER in Mitsubishi Motors dealerships nationwide. An all – new XPANDER unit will be available for viewing in the showroom of selected Mitsubishi Motors dealerships starting February 2018. Customers who are interested to see the all – new XPANDER up close before reserving a unit can contact their nearest Mitsubishi Motors dealership to inquire about the Previe

DATE

VENUE

HYUNDAI Asia Resources, Inc. (HARI), through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm HARI Foundation, Inc. (HFI), renewed its commitment to support Gawad Kalinga’s (GK) social entrepreneurship program at the 5th Global Social Business Summit held at the Hyundai Center for Green Innovation. HFI President Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo joined a panel of leaders from the public and private sectors to tackle the topic, “A Fresh Connection for Communities: New Approaches for Shared Prosperity.”

January 20, 2018, Bulacan--HARI Foundation, Inc. (HFI) President, Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo, joined peers and fellow Gawad Kalinga (GK) supporters at the 5th Global Social Business Summit, with the theme “Scaling Towards Social Progress” at the Hyundai Center for Green Innovation located in GK Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan.

Day 3 of the annual summit had leaders from the public and private sectors tackling the topic, “A Fresh Connection for Communities: New Approaches for Share Prosperity.”

Speaking to an audience of 600 from 20 countries, Ms. Agudo noted how the collaboration among GK’s corporate partners has helped spread the culture of innovation and grow GK Enchanted Farm into what it is today: as one of the country’s biggest platforms for inclusive economic

growth, and a trailblazing mentorship hub for social entrepreneurship where people and organizations--rich and poor, urban and rural alike--build the economy from the top down and bottom up.

“One word comes to mind when I describe our milestones with Gawad Kalinga through the years: empowerment....

An expression of shared values--one mind (and) one heart to empower people to help themselves, so that they may help others become not mere recipients of aid, but partners in driving inclusive growth...

Kasama sa biyahe ng buhay. Lifetime partners. This is what the Hyundai-GK partnership is about,” said Ms. Agudo.

Capping the day’s session was the turnover of five new vehicles, signifying the renewed commitment of Hyundai Philippines, through HFI, to drive GK’s spirit of innovation and enterprise to more parts of the country.

Three vehicles will be used to transport the products and produce of GK communities from farm to market, while two will support Kusina ng Kalinga (KNK), GK’s platform to address hunger and malnutrition among underprivileged children, especially those living in conflict areas.

Currently, there are over 20 KNKs in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. One of the most recently opened was the Marawi Kitchen, which started operations at the tail-end of the conflict.

At the session were (from left) GK Executive Director Luis Oquiñena; Rustan Supercenters, Inc. CEO Irwin Lee; Microsoft Philippines CEO Hans Bayaborda; Mayor Joan LorenzanaAquende of Castilla, Sorsogon; GK Chairman Tony Del Rosario; HFI President Ma. Fe PerezAgudo; Congressman Karlo Nograles, Chairman of the 2018 Budget Committee; and Rev. Fr. Bienvenido F. Nebres, SJ, former President of Ateneo De Manila University.

PIAA is Gazoo Racing partner WITH research and development gained from motorsports campaigns such as being the official lighting system of Team Mitsubishi Ralliart; Team ADVAN-Tein Subaru, Nakajima-Epson Racing and a domineering presence in the Paris-Dakar and Japan Super GT, PIAA upholds the knowledge gained by combining market driven concepts with the latest technology to make night, inclement weather, and off-road driving as safe as possible. PIAA technicians continually raise the bar on visibility products whose lamps take their styling and lighting performance cues from the popular PIAA 1100x lamps, which have been a staple of the PIAA line up for years.

Aldrich Sacdalan of PIAA Ph explains that PIAA developed the LED driving and fog lamps as a quality alternative for those vehicle owners who are attracted to the visual appearance and low-heat attributes of LED lighting. Sacdalan says, “With the introduction of PIAA 1100LED driving lamps, we’re now offering vehicle owners the convenient choice of outfitting their vehicles with high-quality LED lamps, because the PIAA bulbs and fog lamps fit into the exact on OEM bumpers or custom brackets,” PIAA has always been committed to providing quality products that drive customer satisfaction with their line of LED headlights and fog lamps. A special beam “cutline” is what differentiates PIAA technology from the competition. The beam of light is clear; and a directional frontal burst is engineered to not inconvenience oncoming motorists.

Illuminate your driving lifestyle with PIAA at these dealers: Autoplus EDSA, Atoy Bodykits in West Avenue Q.C., BLADE, CKT Autoshop in San Juan, Roadstar BGC and at 199 Offroad House.

Liven up your interiors with Chupa Chups

Schedule may change without prior notice. Please contact your nearest dealership for more information about the preview of the all – new XPANDER. To complement this special vehicle viewing is the on-going all new XPANDER pre-order activity which began last January 24. During the special preview of the XPANDER at the dealer showrooms, customers can also immediately make a unit reservation after paying the reservation fee of Php10,000. Customers may also access the all-new XPANDER special webpage at http://xpander.mmpc.ph to register and place a reservation.

THOSE of us may still remember it as a sweet treat that comforts us during study groups or when the urge for something sweet gets the better of us. Our beloved Chupa Chups have evolved from being just a candy treat, into something that can freshen up any household, office or automotive interiors with a variety of flavors and accessories to choose from.

Air fresheners are commonplace in many cars, as a way of covering up odors, musty smells, and dank air.

Using environmentally and health friendly ingredients, Chupa Chups have developed a line of car air fresheners that utilize natural ingredients which are free of harmful chemicals and artificial scents. Chupa Chups air fresheners come in a variety of scents which include fresh cut flowers, fruit flavors and citrus scents that counter bad odors and filter the air with clean and a fresher smelling interior. “We developed this line of air fresheners based on customer feedback, which explains its ease of use and its wide variety of scents and flavors,” explains Albert Go. Aside from air fresheners, Chupa Chups also offer car mats, car seat covers and sun shades which sport the Chupa Chups brand logo. “We carry

an entire line up for automotive interiors, which are well designed and engineered to be comfortable and functional,” adds Go. Established in 2004, Blade Auto Center is the largest chain of car accessories shops in the country with over 35 stores nationwide. Known as the alternative venue to “Banawe”, a popular car accessories and parts area in Quezon City, Blade is a convenient alternative due to its location, whose stores are strategically spread nationwide in all SM and Robinson’s malls.

As an automotive lifestyle store, Blade offers everything you need to accessorize your ride, from audio, video, detailing products, dash cameras and motor oils among others.

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor DINO DIRECTO III Asst. Editor

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2018

Motoring

A walk through time with Honda Text and photo by Dino Ray V. Directo III

A

S A TRIBUTE to its best seller, Honda Cars Philippines Inc. organized an event to celebrate the history of the CR-V. Now on its fifth generation, Honda’s compact crossover SUV has been a global sales performer since its introduction in 1995. What better way to highlight this historic feat than by going to a place that allows its visitors to appreciate the beauty of the old Manila.

Recently, Honda Ph conducted a ride and drive event to highlight the features of the current generation CR-V. With members of the motoring media in tow, Honda’s first seven-seater diesel turbo SUV was driven all the way to the heritage village of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan.

HCPI prepared the lineup of the All-New CR-Vs consisting of three variants namely the SX Diesel 9AT AWD, S Diesel 9AT and 2.0 S CVT. This allowed motoring pen pushers to have another look at the All-New CR-V’s stylish and commanding exterior with its wide, muscular fenders and distinctive LED headlights and tail lamps which give its modern and dynamic stance.

The drive to Bataan allowed us to test the fuel efficiency and driving dynamics of the CR-V in various road conditions. The first leg of the journey from Manila to Bataan allowed the participants to experience the AllNew CR-V’s ample power and

torque along the stretches of the North Luzon Expressway and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, delivered by the synergy of its i-DTEC Diesel Turbo Engine matted to a nine-speed Automatic Transmission. Those who drove the 2.0 S CVT gas variant kept pace with its equally-capable i-VTEC gasoline engine mated to a new ContinuouslyVariable Transmission. Along with this, the All-New CR-V’s Honda SENSING (SX Diesel 9AT AWD) also showcased some of its key features namely the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Low Speed Follow (LSF), and Lane Keep Assist (LKAS) which proved to be useful during the rush hour traffic along EDSA. Throughout the drive, the participants enjoyed a pleasant ride with the scenic views along Pampanga and Bataan while being kept comfortable in the All-New CR-V’s premium, refined and not so plastic interior.

Despite the size and heft of my colleagues Ira Panganiban and

A replica of a centuries-old church is the perfect backdrop for the modern CR-V.

Anjo Perez, the legroom and ample headroom of the CR-V provided a spacious feel inside the cabin, while the improved Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH) allowed us to converse without shouting at one another. The cargo area was commendable with 472 Liters of cargo space for our bags and camera equipment.

Veteran race driver George

Ramirez and his crew prepared a short off-road course in Las Casas for the media to test the CR-V in tough terrain conditions. With a mud pit leading up to a hillclimb, participants experienced how the CR-V’s 208mm ground clearance (SX AWD Variant) proved to be more than adequate in traversing steep elevated roads and rough, uneven road surface, giving the All-

New CR-V a chance to exhibit its dependable drivetrain.

Traction and torque was tested along the beach head of Las Casas, as the organizers let us drive through a figure eight track that tested not just the SUV, but the driving experience of the participants.

On our way back to civilization, we were able to test the traction and power of the turbo-diesel CR-V as

we drove through a series of winding roads leading up to Subic Bay. Our convoy had a brief stop over at the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), where we were educated about the history and potential of the nuclear facility. Built to provide electrical power for the entire Luzon grid during the time of President Marcos, it was not used and left to rot due to political reasons.

Volkswagen starts 2018 on a ‘high’with the Golf GTS VOLKSWAGEN Philippines, the official importer and distributor of Volkswagen vehicles in the country, now offers the Golf GTS Highline variant to jumpstart 2018 for both Volkswagen fans and car enthusiasts alike.

Since the Volkswagen Golf GTS was introduced in the Philippines in May 2017, the local market has warmly welcomed one of the German carmaker’s most successful brands.

The Golf GTS (Grand Touring Sport) wagon body style carries the DNA of the original Golf, which has sold over 30 million units in seven generations of production, but offers 350 liters more cargo space than its hatchback version. The GTS wagon style is ideal for those who love the power and performance the Golf has been known for over the years, yet still value the comfort and space of a wagon.

The Golf GTS Highline is powered by the 4-cylinder, inline 2.0 TDI diesel engine mated to the 6-speed DSG transmission

system, and generates 150 PS of power at 3,500-4,000 rpm, and class-leading maximum torque of 340 Nm at 1,750-3,000 rpm. The electromechanical speed-sensitive power steering, 15-inch front ventilated and rear disc brakes, the struts and 3-point wishbone with stabilizer front suspension and torsion beam (for the comfort yet ability to carry heavy cargo), add to the premium feel of the

Golf GTS Highline ride.

The Golf GTS Highline comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, and is feature-packed with the following: Bi-Xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights; fog lamps with static cornering lights; front wiper with rain sensor; electrically adjustable heated side mirrors with side turn lights; 2-way power adjustable backrest and manual lumbar front seats;

leather 3-spoke steering wheel with paddle shift and multifunction display, radio and telephone controls; “Keyless-Go” entry/exit with Safelock; 6.5” Composition Media touchscreen; Infotainment system (radio, CD, MP3, Auxin) with Bluetooth connectivity, App Connect, and voice control, and; Fender sound system with 8 speakers and subwoofer.

The Golf GTS Highline is being offered at a starting price of P1,340,000, until pre-excise tax stocks last. The available exterior colors are Black, Blue Silk, Night Blue Metallic, Platinum Grey, Pure White, Reflex Silver, Tornado Red, Tungsten Silver while interior colors are Titan Black and Beige.

The Golf GTS Highline adds more than just cargo space to the classic and enduring Golf design.

It enriches the brand’s heritage, as it would the overall motoring lifestyle experience of every new owner who drives home with it.

With Volkswagen, It’s More Than Just a Car.