Manila Standard - 2018 January 13 - Saturday

VOL. XXXI • NO. 330 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

Duterte firing spree reloaded Targets: 3 generals, 49 cops, agency chairman

DECISIVE. President Rodrigo Duterte speaks to officials and guests of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. during Pagcor’s 2018 kickoff event at

the Manila Hotel on Thursday night. There, the President announced he would be firing up to 70 policemen—including three generals—and a chairman of a government agency, as he vowed to spend his remaining years as Chief Executive cleaning up corruption in government. Presidential Photo

Narco trade thriving in New Bilibid —PDEA THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Friday expressed frustration over the “new players” in the illegal drug trade after a drug bust in Mandaluyong City yielded suspects who said the drug suppliers were from the New Bilibid Prison.

“There are new players, and the number of dealers is growing instead of declining,” PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said.

In other developments: * Philippine National Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa said Friday that policemen were demanding money from drug suspects to

Rody regains ‘excellent’ trust rating

By John Paolo Bencito, Vito Barcelo and Maricel V. Cruz PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte regained his “excellent” net trust ratings in the last quarter of 2017, coming from a steep 15-point decline in the previous quarter, the latest Social Weather Stations survey shows.

The poll, conducted from Dec.

8 to 16 showed 83 percent of adult Filipinos with much trust in Duterte and 7 percent with little trust in him—resulting in a net trust rating of +75, classified by the SWS as “excellent.”

Those undecided accounted for 10 percent.

Duterte’s net trust rating has been excellent since he became President, except in September 2017 where it slipped to a “very good” +60.

The 15-point increase in Duterte’s national net trust rating was due to double-digit improvements in all geographic areas.

In his home region of Mindanao, Duterte’s ratings shot up by 12 points from +82 in September 2017 to +94 in December 2017.

It rose by one grade from very good to excellent in the Visayas, up by 19 points from +57 in September Next page to +76 by December.

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Palace ready to demolish anti-ML stand MALACAÑANG on Friday welcomed the filing of petitions before the Supreme Court questioning the legality of the martial law extension in Mindanao.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said martial law’s extension for a year enjoyed the overwhelming presumption of constitutionality given that both the executive and the legislative branches of government had found both legal and factual basis for it.

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PCSO chairman resigns due to ‘health reasons’ PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz has resigned from his post “due to health reasons,” Malacañang said Friday.

Corpuz, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1982, has traded allegations of corruption with former whistle blower Sandra Cam who is linked to gambling lord Charlie “Atong” Ang. President Rodrigo Duterte has said he will fire a government Next page

By John Paolo Bencito and Joel E. Zurbano

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte announced Thursday night that he plans to fire more government officials accused of corruption—including 49 policemen and three generals.

“I am in the thick of firing people. I intend to fire another maybe 70 or 49 policemen and three generals for corruption. This is really a purging regime. I think that I’ll be spending a lot of time just to clean up government,” the President said in his speech during an event for the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. at the Manila Hotel.

“I am firing another chairman of an entity in government maybe this week and another set of policemen. That’s why I said I’ll start with them.” he said, adding that he spend his remaining four years cleaning up corruption in government.

Present during the event were Pagcor Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Andrea Domingo, Alfredo C. Lim, president and other officials as well as casino magnates such as Enrique Razon and Dennis Uy. Earlier, the President vowed to fire government officials who traveled abroad excessively, using public funds.

“He hates the corrupt, those who frequently go on junkets. He already said that before that he closely watches government officials who are fond of joining trips abroad,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said.

“Because when you attend junkets, you spend the people’s money that should have been used to address their needs. And aside from that, you lose time for your responsibilities in the government.”

Among prominent officials who were axed were Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno, Dangerous Drugs Board chief Dionisio Santiago, and Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor Terry Ridon.

In his speech Thursday, Duterte called on Pagcor officials and employees as well as gambling licensees not to engage in graft and corruption.

He commended the gambling industry for boosting the country’s economy but reminded them to stay away from corruption.

“I can give you the assurance, we welcome you. I thank you for the income that we are earning from the gambling community,” Duterte said.

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Court resets Mamasapano hearing; Aquino no-show

By Maricel V. Cruz

10-YEAR PASSPORTS. An officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs shows the inside and outside of the new Philippine passports with 10-year validity at the DFA office in Parañaque City on Friday. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said those with existing five-year validity passports will have theirs extended to 10 years at no additional cost. (Story on A3) Norman Cruz

Budget chief backtracks, confirms tutors’ pay hike

By John Paolo Bencito and Macon Ramos-Araneta AMID a backlash over his remarks, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Friday that public school teachers would get pay hikes soon, but not double of what they are earning, unlike soldiers and police.

“Salary increase yes, doubling no,” Diokno told radio dzMM. Diokno earlier brushed off talk about President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for a pay hike for teachers, saying the priority was the government’s massive “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.

He also said giving public school

teachers a massive pay hike would “upset the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals.”

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, however, in a news briefing at Valencia City, said that Diokno got the “wrong information” when he was asked if the salary of teachers would be doubled. Next page

THE Sandiganbayan on Friday rescheduled the arraignment of former President Benigno Aquino III for graft and usurpation of authority to Feb. 15, even as his lawyer moved to have the case, related to his actions at the time of the Mamasapano massacre, dismissed.

Aquino failed to appear before Sandiganbayan Third Division during the scheduled arraignment

Friday, and instead, his lawyer, Romeo Fernandez, moved to have the case dismissed.

Fernandez said he advised Aquino not to appear before the anti-graft division and he claimed the court did not give them enough time to file a motion to quash the information.

The Aquino camp argues that the cases leveled against the former president do not constitute the Next page supposed offenses.

Charter change topbills Senate priority agenda

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE proposed revision of the 1987 Constitution would lead the list of priority bills to be tackled by the Senate when it resumes its session on Monday, Jan. 15, said Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III. Pimentel said the Senate would twitter.com/ MlaStandard

“work harder to improve the quality of life for all,” as they tackle its priority bills for the new year.

Three bills on the proposed amendments of the Constitution have been filed in the Senate, by Senators Franklin Drilon, Richard Gordon and Juan Miguel Zubiri, all of which are set to be discussed by the Senate committee

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on constitutional amendments and revisions of codes on Jan. 17.

Pimentel and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez had both expressed their support for convening both houses of Congress as a constituent assembly as a way of amending the 1987 Constitution to pave the way for the shift to federalism.

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STO. NIÑO’S TURN. A vendor along Oroquieta Street in Manila arranges various images of the Sto. Niño in preparation for the Catholic feast day of the Child Jesus next week, after Manila celebrated the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo to record crowds last week. Lino Santos

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PAO to sue execs who OKd vaccine

By Rio N. Araja

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HE Public Attorney’s Office on Friday threatened to file criminal and administrative cases against government officials who approved the use of the schoolbased dengue immunization program.

In a radio interview over dzMM, PAO chief Persida Acosta said they are filing the charges “at the soonest

possible time so that government hospitals would be aggressive to help those zero-negative children [in-

OPAPP 'quietly' working on reviving peace talks SECRETARY Jesus Dureza on Friday said the Office of the Presidential Advisor on the Peace Process is quietly working to salvage the peace negotiations with the communists, despite the termination of peace talks last November.

Despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to cancel peace talks with the leftists, the doors to peace “have not been totally shut,” Dureza said.

“The work of OPAPP is to look for ways and means to move the peace process forward. So we’re doing that but in a very unofficial and quiet way, because we have to take the directive coming from no less than the President,” he told Bloomberg TV Philippines on Thursday.

Dureza, however, said these moves aren’t backchannel talks. The OPAPP still continues to work on the peace process with the communists, but has to take the clear directive of the President.

“Nothing at all, in defer-

ence to the President’s directive,” he said.

Duterte had earlier tagged the Communist Party of the Philippines, along with its armed wing, the New People’s Army, as a terrorist organization following his decision to end peace talks with the communist rebels.

In the same interview, Dureza said he is confident that Congress will “find a way” to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law because it is the “desire of the President.”

He alluded to the President making it “very clear” that Congress must pass a BBL “in justice to the Bangsamoro.”

“I’m sure Congress will find a way, in spite of that cluttered and that very busy schedule of them, to look for ways and means on how to move this forward, because that is the desire of the President,” he said.

Dureza acknowledged that the executive and the legislative branches of government are “two different, independent bodies.”

John Paolo Bencito

Rody...

sioned poll, fielded amongst 1,200 adults had sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages.

A Palace ally in the House of Representatives on Friday told Duterte’s critics to shut up in light of the President’s 80 percent approval rating.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said majority of the Filipino people have spoken and gave their resounding approval of the President’s programs, actions, judgments and decisions in governance.

“I hope that the 20 percent who disapproved of our President’s actions would just keep their peace since the overwhelming majority of 80 percent have already spoken and approved of President Duterte’s brand of leadership. In a democracy, which these critics keep on mentioning, it is always majority wins,” Barbers said.

“Their persistence in painting a negative picture against the President is totally way off the mark and contrary to the numbers that have been staring us from Day 1.

He said he finds it “funny and pathetic” that the 20 percent who disapproved of the President were the ones making so much noise when the 80 percent approved of what the President is doing.

Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting, for his part, said critics of the President and his administration are proof of a healthy democracy.

Nevertheless, he said “while there is always space for constructive criticism, his critics should focus more on the substance of the policy rather than his way of doing things.”

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In Metro Manila, Duterte’s trust ratings rose by one grade from very good to excellent, up 19 points from +54 in September to +73 at the end of the year.

In Balance Luzon, his numbers remained very good, going up 14 points from +52 in September to +66 at the end of the year.

Welcoming the big jump in Duterte’s trust ratings, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque attributed the increase in the President’s trust rating to the successful campaign to liberate Marawi from the Maute terrorist group.

“I think the fact that he has shown that he can exercise political will to defeat terrorists and violent extremists in Marawi, the fact that people’s optimism is at an all-time high, the fact that manufacturing output is at an all-time high—so all this indicate that the economy is growing as promised,” Roque said in a news briefing at Valencia City, Bukidnon.

He said the liberation of Marawi showed Duterte’s commitment to protect the country from security threats.

“While we are elated with the survey results, we leave no room for complacency.

We therefore assure everyone that the Chief Executive, together with his team, will remain undistracted in improving the lives of the poor and marginalized; fighting criminality and enforcing the law; and curbing graft and corruption in government,” he said.

The latest non-commis-

PCSO...

From A1

official, a chairman, three generals and at least 70 policemen.

But Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Corpuz was not the chairman President Rodrigo Duterte had wanted to fire.

“Mr. Corpuz, for the information of everyone, is not the person whom the President said he will fire for corruption,” Roque said.

He confirmed the resignation of Corpuz, the official named by Sandra Cam for spending P6 million for the PCSO’s Christmas party.

Cam had publicly accused Corpuz and PCSO

general manager Alexander Balutan of spending lavishly following an employees’ Christmas Party last December.

Balutan, however, dismissed Cam’s claims and instead accused her of using her post for political gain.

Corpuz defended the spending on the party, saying the 1,580 PCSO employees who attended “deserved” it for their hard work in raising the agency’s earnings.

Balutan also said the P6million price tag was a reduction from the P14 million that the Budget department had approved for the event.

John Paolo Bencito and Vito Barcelo

oculated with the vaccine Dengvaxia].”

Dr. Anthony Leachon, a health reform advocate, would support the public attorney’s filing, Acosta said.

“I am still waiting for the [full] report of the forensic findings. We want to build a solid case. Why file if there is no solid evidence?” she said.

A seventh child examined by PAO forensic expert

Dr. Erwin Erfe manifested bleeding in the brain, heart and lungs after receiving the Dengvaxia vaccine, similar to six other victims, Acosta said.

The body of the seventh child who died in October 2015 did not show any sign of decay “surprisingly,” she said.

But the PAO chief said they will stay away from

the filing of a separate case over the government’s procurement of the P3.5-billion Dengvaxia vaccine from the French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur.

“The Department of Justice has directed the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the procurement aspect,” she said.

“We are after those who died and those zero-negative

[children],” Acosta added.

An autopsy of the remains of the seventh child who succumbed to dengue even after receiving Dengvaxia “showed a pattern in his death,” Erfe said.

Starting April 2015, the Aquino administration implemented the mass immunization of Dengvaxia among 830,000 public grade school pupils.

Duterte..

From A1

and encouraged businessmen to report them either directly to him or to his officials or through the Citizens’ Complaint Hotline 8888.

“Please do not give them the luxury of extortion. All you have to do is just call anybody in government... And I will take care of it,” he said.

“All I have to do is for you to cooperate and I said do not give in to extortion-

ists. Be it the police, the BIR, Customs, because if I find out, I’ll make it hard for you,” he added.

yond three days on any table there, just call me and I will get it to you for free.

If there are problems in this department, just call me, and I will go to the department concerned, together with you, and I will get the papers for you,” he said.

In 2017, the National Capital Region Police Office dismissed from service 158 policemen, suspended 625 others, demoted 38 and reprimanded nine others for their involvement in various illegal activities, Metro Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said in a speech Thursday.

Albayalde said 724 administrative cases were also filed against 1,198 erring personnel. “Cases were classified according to the offense committed. For grave offenses we have a total of 653; for less grave offenses 495 and 50 simple offenses.”

Albayalde said the five district commanders in Metro Manila also enforced disciplinary sanctions on 1,302 policemen who were put on floating status at the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit.

He added 334 personnel were reassigned outside the NCRPO; 147 were subjected to a reorientation program; and 1,094 Police Officers 1 were subjected to orientation programs.

“I want to stress again the point that you can come in, expand, do business peacefully but please avoid graft and corruption whether you are the giver or the receiver,” he added.

He reiterated that he would not show mercy to corrupt government officials

He said corruption in government must be stopped because it was pulling the country down.

He also addressed gaming companies applying for permits.

“If your permit goes be-

WAGE PROTEST. Members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers lie on the street in front of the Department of Budget and Management offices on Friday to demand salary increases for all public school teachers in the country, despite Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno's recent statements to the contrary. (Story on A1) Norman Cruz

Budget...

the military and police was a positive sign that a similar initiative for adjusting the pay of teachers would get under way.

“Beyond their traditional mission in the classrooms, teachers are mentors and influencers of the youth and of the community. Their critical role in nation-building cannot be overlooked,” said Pangilinan, whose mother is a retired teacher.

Senate Minority Franklin Drilon, also LP vice president, pointed out that the Department of Budget and Management was able to find funds for the salary hike of military and uniformed personnel, and there was no reason for its secretary to whine about the cost of increasing the pay of public school teachers.

“Instead of slamming the doors on the plea of the teachers, Secretary Diokno should use his wise judgment and skills to find the funds and put money where it is most needed. Invest-

ments in the country’s human resources, especially our teachers, can never go wrong,” Drilon said.

Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV said that while teachers may not bear arms or engage in dangerous missions, they give the same dedication and hard work to educate their students.

“They have legitimate demands and are not shielded from the impact of higher prices of goods and services, especially with the TRAIN law in place,” Aquino said, referring to the administration’s tax reform packages that raised taxes on most commodities.

“Like the policemen and soldiers, they also used gasoline, buy foods and spend for other goods which increased due to the TRAIN law,” said Aquino.

Also on Friday, Diokno said they are trying to find a permanent solution to the suspended retirement fund of soldiers and policemen this year so that payments can resume by January 2019.

Palace...

From A1

and Rosales asked the high court to stop the martial law extension, saying there was no longer a factual basis for it since President Rodrigo Duterte had declared in October that Marawi City had been liberated from the ISIS-inspired Maute terrorist group.

Meanwhile, former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said Duterte was correct when he requested Congress to extend martial law declaration in Mindanao despite the government’s successful campaign against the MauteISIS group in Marawi City.

“The President was correct,” Enrile told reporters at the Sandiganbayan after

attending the pre-trial of his plunder case over his alleged involvement in a pork barrel fund scam.

Duterte’s extension of martial law in Mindanao enjoyed the presumption of constitutionality since the Executive and the Legislative branches of government had found legal and factual bases for the declaration, Roque said.

Named respondents in the suits were Duterte, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Rey Guererro, Senate President Koko Pimentel and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

Vito Barcelo and Rey E. Requejo

Narco...

From A1

ing the oral arguments in December on the petitions seeking to declare drug war circulars unconstitutional.

• PDEA seized ecstasy in liquid and tablet form and cocaine in a buy-bust operation in a condominium in Mandaluyong City.

Aquino identified the suspected ecstasy and cocaine retailer and supplier as Lester Almalbez, 35, of Unit 410 Princeville Condominium, Mandaluyong City, and Herald Peñaflor, 26, an alleged drug supplier.

• One of the accused in the case involving the P6.4-billion shabu shipment that slipped past the Bureau of Customs in May last year has allegedly offered a P10-million bribe to an immigration officer in an attempt to leave the country.

Bureau of Immigration port operations division chief Marc Red Mariñas said Friday that businessman Dong Yi Shen alias Kenneth Dong attempted to bribe an Immigration officer assigned at a provincial airport last Monday.

From A1

On Thursday, Roque said he was merely speculating when he said the President wanted to double the salaries of public school teachers, because that was what he did for soldiers and the police.

“But Secretary Diokno says this cannot be done. So be it. But the mandate of the President is to find ways to raise the salaries of teachers,” Roque said.

Liberal Party senators branded as “heartless and insensitive” Diokno’s statement that raising the pay for teachers was not a priority at this time.

“It’s certainly not the way to treat our public school teachers, who have been seeking the government’s help for higher salaries and additional benefits so that they can live decently,” said the party’s president Senator Francis Pangilinan.

Pangilinan said the recent doubling of the salaries of

Former Commission on Human Rights head Etta Rosales and former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay had filed a petition before the Supreme Court questioning the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao.

“Of course, we welcome the filing of the suit because that is also a right of any citizens under the 1987 Constitution,” Roque said.

A third petition has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking to nullify the one-year extension of martial law in Mindanao.

Lawyers Hilbay and Teddy Esteban Rigoroso

have their names removed from the drug list.

• Solicitor General Jose Calida has refused to comply with the Supreme Court’s order to provide a full documentation of the more than 3,000 deaths that resulted during police operations in the war on drugs.

He asked the high court to recall the order in a Motion for Reconsideration dated Dec. 18.

The order was issued dur-

Court...

From A1

Aquino’s co-accused, former Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima, meanwhile, appeared during the pretrial of his case.

The Mamasapano cases involving Aquino and Purisima had been consolidated and transferred to the anti-graft court’s Fourth Division chaired

by Associate Justice Alex Quiroz, from the court’s Third Division led by Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang.

Tang was an Aquino. appointee, while Quiroz was an appointee of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

The Ombudsman charged Aquino for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the usurpation of official functions of authority.

Aquino has posted bail of P40,000.

The Ombudsman dropped a more serious charge, reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicides, filed by the relatives of 44 police commandos who died in the covert Mamasapano operation.

The 44 Special Action Force commandos were killed in the day-long gun battles that followed the operation that killed Malaysian bomb maker Sulkifli binhir, alias Marwan.

The Ombudsman said Aquino should be held criminally liable for allowing Purisima, who was then suspended, to direct the operation.

Mariñas said he was told that the Immigration officer, whom he did not identify, declined the offer and immediately reported the incident to Immigration officials.

Aquino said Friday’s drug bust was the fifth in which the arrested suspects claimed that the illegal drug suppliers were from the national penitentiary.

“We don’t know these suppliers and that’s frustrating,” Aquino said.

“As I said, even if policemen and PDEA agents break their backs to clear a village

4 in 10 Pinoys oppose 'RevGov'

By John Paolo Bencito NEARLY four in 10 Filipinos say they will oppose any move by President Rodrigo Duterte to proclaim a revolutionary government, the latest Social Weather Stations survey revealed Friday.

In a survey conducted from Dec. 8 to 16, some 39 percent said they disagree with any move by Duterte to declare a revolutionary government, as opposed to 31 percent who think otherwise for a net agreement rating of minus-8.

While support for a revolutionary government is higher in Mindanao at 38 percent, indecision appears to be prevailing in the southern region at 41 percent.

Meanwhile, opposition to a possible declaration of a revolutionary government is higher in almost all other parts of the country—46 percent in Balance Luzon, 43 percent in Visayas and 41 percent in NCR, SWS said.

In the same survey, some 63 percent believe Duterte has a plan should he change the present form of government, while 18 percent believe otherwise. Another 19 percent expressed indecision.

Also, 48 percent of respondents believe that it is possible to have a revolutionary government under the 1987 Constitution, despite having no such provisions, the survey firm added.

Duterte earlier floated the possibility of declaring a revolutionary government as a threat to his opponents who are trying to topple him from power.

The President reiterated his vow to declare a “RevGov” if opposition to his policies went out of control and chaos ruled the streets.

The latest non-commissioned poll, fielded among 1,200 adults, had sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages.

Charter...

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Pimentel said the Senate would also work on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, the proposed Anti-Terrorism Law, the proposed National ID System Act and the proposed Universal Health Care for All Filipinos Act. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said the Senate is united against moves to have both houses of Congress vote jointly, a move that would make the Senate vote almost insignificant, as there are only 24 senators to 294 lawmakers in the House.

Pimentel, and Senators Panfilo Lacson, Grace Poe and JV Ejercito have said they oppose joint voting.

Also on Friday, former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said there is no need to postpone elections in 2019 even if the country shifts to a federal form of government.

Talking to radio dzBB, the former senator and father of the current Senate president said the constitutional right of Filipinos to choose their leaders through elections should never be compromised.

of drugs, if tons more come in then it’s useless.

Asked about a possible solution to the problem, Aquino suggested an overhaul in the system within the national penitentiary.

“I don’t know, but the only solution I see is to destroy the whole NBP and transfer it to an ideal facility,” he said.

Aquino’s comments came even as the Philippine National Police’s return to the government’s campaign against illegal drugs loomed. Rio N. Araja and Rey E. Requejo

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NAPC exec questions TRAIN’S efficacy

ERC slammed for ignoring suspension order A MILITANT lawmaker on Friday scored the Energy Regulatory Commission for “obstinately defying” the Ombudsman’s order to suspend its four commissioners over the highly questionable Meralco power supply agreements pending before it.

“It is clear that Commissioners Gloria Victoria YapTaruc, Alfredo Non, Josefina Patricia Magpala-Asirit and Geronimo Sta. Ana were found guilty of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, aggravated by simple misconduct and simple neglect of duty by the Office of the Ombudsman and the said decision should be implemented immediately.

They committed an offense detrimental to the public and they should be made accountable and not treated as sacred cows,” Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate said In a decision dated Sept.

29, 2017, the Ombudsman ordered the suspension of commissioners.

The Ombudsman also ordered the filing of criminal charges for graft and corruption against the commissioners, including the already dismissed former ERC chairperson Vicente Salazar, for “manifestly” favoring Meralco when the commission extended the Nov. 9, 2015 deadline to April 30, 2016 for the conduct of competitive selection process in the procurement of electricity by distribution utilities.

Maricel V. Cruz

DFA: No extra charge for new 10-year passports FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Friday his department will not be charging an extra fee for the new 10-year validity passport.

In a press briefing, Cayetano said the Department of Foreign Affairs will not increase the price of a 10-year passport unless an applicant asks to double its pages, in which case it will be at his or her own expense.

Cayetano told the reporters during the official launching of 10-year validity passport the DFA will use the current electronic passport booklets and that the design, security features, and even the number of pages will remain the same.

“The only thing changing is the additional ink on page one, because the 10 years [mark] will replace the five years,” he added.

The current P1,200 fee for “express” processing of a passport within 10 working days and the P950 regular processing fee for 20 working days still apply, Cayetano said.

Passport “fixers” may still exist, but the secretary denied accusations of existing syndicate involving some travel agencies and DFA employees, who take advantage of Filipinos who could not secure appointments for a passbook application.

Sara Fabunan

By John Paolo Bencito

GAMING MATTERS. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte discusses matters with Casino Licensee Enrique Razon during the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. 2018 Kick Off : Game On! All in For Nation Building at the Manila Hotel in Manila on Jan. 11, 2018. Also in photo are Pagcor chairperson Andrea Domingo and Pagcor president and COO lawyer Alfredo Lim. Presidential Photo

Roque unfazed by ex-gov Reyes’ contempt charges

By John Paolo Bencito

P

ALACE Spokesman Harry Roque on Friday said he remains unfazed despite the indirect contempt charges filed against him by former Palawan governor Joel Reyes—saying that between the two of them, the former governor remains to be a criminal.

“I welcome that. I will meet him in any forum.

And I will tell the world he is the convicted felon, convicted felon, convicted felon,” Roque said in a news briefing in Valencia City.

Roque added that he made the statement because it was the duty and obligation of the state to accord its citizens justice.

“I spoke in that capacity.

I have no regrets, and even the President approved of my statements,” Roque said.

Solicitor General Jose Calida has already

bared plans of asking the Supreme Court to reverse the decision, vowing there will be no “miscarriage of justice” under his watch.

Amid rumors linking Court of Appeals Justice Normandie Pizarro to the “miracle” on Reyes’ acquittal—Roque said that he simply encourages the family “to file administrative charges.”

Roque made the statement after Reyes asked the Palace spokesman in contempt.

Reyes said Roque should be penalized for attacking

the Court of Appeals decision that freed him from detention in connection with the case involving the killing of radio commentator and environmentalist Gerry Ortega in 2011.

Ortega was allegedly killed for his radio commentaries about the Reyes’ supposed misuse of the share of the provincial government in the proceeds from the operation of the Malampaya natural gas plant off Palawan.

But the CA Former Eleventh on Jan. 4 voted 3 to 2, in voiding the warrant of arrest issued by the Puerto Princesa City Regional Trial Court Branch 52 against Reyes, citing lack of sufficient evidence for a finding of probable cause for the former governor’s indictment.

The CA also ordered the local court to discontinue the trial against the former governor.

If the CA agrees with the former Palawan governor and cite Roque for contempt, the Palace spokesman would be either fined or imprisoned.

Roque earlier branded the CA ruling as a “travesty of justice” and “alarming” in his statements to the press early this week.

Reyes said Roque’s comments against the CA justices “were unwarranted and tended to impair the Honorable Court’s independence and efficiency, as well as the public’s confidence in the Honorable Court’s honesty and integrity.”

“In his public statements, he called the Honorable Court’s decision as a ‘travesty of justice,’ insinuating that the Honorable Court decided the case for considerations other than the ends of justice. He also accused the Honorable Court of arrogance for

allegedly overruling a previous decision of the Supreme Court... which is even misleading because the matter decided, in that case, had nothing to do with the jurisdiction and validity of its exercise by the trial court, which was the matters at issue in [the CA decision],” according to Reyes petition filed last Wednesday.

Reyes said Roque may claim to have issued the statements in his personal capacity, but the Palace spokesman’s statement, according to Reyes, may have a “possible influence on the public and even the courts,” according to Reyes.

“If it were true that respondent [Reyes] was speaking in his personal capacity, there was no reason for him to have announced that the reversal of the Honorable Court’s ruling is ‘the official position of the Duterte government,’” the petition stated. With PNA

IMB: Pirate attacks more than doubled in PH in 2017 PIRATE attacks worldwide fell to their lowest level in over two decades last year, the International Maritime Bureau said, but more than doubled in the Philippines while African trouble spots remained dangerous.

A total of 180 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships were recorded last year, the lowest number since 1995 and down from 191 in 2016, the bureau said in its annual report.

Some countries such as Indonesia, the world’s

biggest archipelago nation, saw a drop in incidents, with 43 attacks in its waters last year, down more than half in the past two years.

However, a handful of countries witnessed a steady climb in attacks.

Twenty-two incidents were recorded in the Philippines, a jump from 10 in 2016, with most of them low-level attacks on vessels anchored at Manila and Batangas, south of the capital, the country’s two busiest ports.

There were also kidnappings of crew in the southern Philippines, the bureau said. Islamic militants have been increasingly targeting seafarers in the strife-torn region, abducting them and demanding ransoms for their release.

The number of attacks in Bangladesh jumped threefold to 11 in 2017, with most in Chittagong, the country’s busiest port.

The Gulf of Guinea off the west coast of Africa

remained an attack hotspot in 2017. Out of 16 incidents of vessels being fired on reported worldwide last year, seven occurred in the gulf.

There were 10 incidents of kidnapping involving 65 crew members in or around waters off Nigeria, which lies next to the Gulf of Guinea, according to the Kuala Lumpur-based IMB’s report, which was released Wednesday.

Waters off Somalia remained dangerous, with

nine incidents recorded last year, up from two in 2016.

A dramatic attack on a container ship far off the Somali coast saw pirates firing rockets at the vessel after a failed attempt to board it.

“This dramatic incident... demonstrates that Somali pirates retain the capability and intent to launch attacks against merchant vessels hundreds of miles from their coastline,” said IMB director Pottengal Mukundan. AFP

DFA seeks probe on ‘Comfort Women’ statue

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

NEW VALIDITY. Foreign Affairs Secretary Allan Peter Cayetano led the launching of the

10-year valid passport for existing passport holders and new applicants at the DFA office in Parañaque City. The validity of Philippine passport was extended to 10 years from the current five (5) effective January 2018 at no additional cost. Norman Cruz

FOREIGN Affairs chief Alan Peter Cayetano said on Friday that the Philippine government has formed an inter-agency group that will look into the controversial “Comfort Woman” statue that was erected to honor Filipino women who were forced into sexual servitude

by Japanese soldiers during the World War II. Cayetano however could not disclose the DFA’s recommendation as the probe is still ongoing, but hinted that the erection of the bronze statue along Roxas Boulevard will “affect certain feelings and relationships.”

“The official stand is not of the DFA but of the Philippines for several years

is that it has been officially part of the reparation and it has officially been settled. Having said that, that doesn’t stop any group and any individual and the Filipinos in general from seeking any kind of settlement, justice, etc.,” Cayetano told the reporters in a press briefing.

“Thare’s no final finding yet from the inter-agency group and I think they are still in the stage of factfinding, who put it up, why did they put it up, where do they put it up, who for the permits,” he added.

Cayetano said that he should have been consulted before the local government of Manila erected the controversial statue.

He added that issue involving relationships between the Philippines

and other countries will always be his concern.

“Honestly?

I believe anything that affects international relationships, there should have been consultations,” Cayetano said, citing that any individual or organizations are entitled of their freedom of speech.

“We are talking about public space. If it’s a private space, you can do what you want,” he said.

Cayetano pointed out that it will be challenging to strengthen ones relationship long-term if one of them keep on bringing up the past.

Aside from the DFA, government agencies that may be involved in the issue are the Department of Public Works and Highways, the city government of Manila and the National Historical Commission.

HOW far will your P200 go?

This was the question posed by National AntiPoverty Commission lead convenor Secretary Liza Maza, who questioned claims by economic managers that the newlypassed tax reform package will not hit the poorest of the poor, despite what they described as “maneagable” increases in the prices of basic commodities.

The government has announced that they will be allotting a P200 monthly subsidy to “augment the incomes of the poorest 50 percent of households” whom they admitted, will be affected by the new tax package.

“Pagka nagkaroon pa talaga ng inflation o pagtataas ng mga presyo ng mga bilihin, yun ang magiging problema para sa kanila. So mas lalo silang mabu-burden [If an inflation or the increase in prices of goods occurs, it will be a problem for them.

They will be burdened further],” Maza said at a news briefing in Quezon City Thursday.

“Kung kukwentahin natin kung ano ang taas ng bilihin eh di ima-minus natin yung sa P200. Makocover ba o baka mas mataas yung mangyari [If we compute the price increase in goods, then deduct it from the P200, will it be able to cover it or will it turn out to be higher?],” she said.

While the poor have long been exempted from paying income taxes, they would need to spend more due to the new tax law, Maza said.

Maza vowed that the NAPC will monitor the effect of the new tax law on the daily lives of around 21.9-million poor Filipinos, many of which are living below the poverty and are earning P9,600 and below per month.

Duterte explains chewing gum habit PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, who has a habit of chewing gum in public even while meeting world leaders, has revealed he did it to ease pain from a spinal condition.

The fiery 72-year-old has upset traditional decorum by lacing his speeches with curses, chewing gum in public, and wearing casual clothes, sometimes dispensing with socks.

Duterte affirmed his gum habit during a speech to a private audience on Thursday, when he suggested how people should repay him for his public service.

“Just pay me chewing gum because it eases up the pain when I’m chewing,” he said, according to a transcript of the speech released by his office Friday.

He suggested it had something to do with a “spinal” condition but did not elaborate.

“It eases a bit,” he added.

Protocol-conscious Japanese officials were on faux pas alert ahead of a meeting with revered Emperor Akihito last year after a video of Duterte with Chinese President Xi Jinping showed him apparently chewing gum —considered rude on such an occasion. AFP

A4

Opinion

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

This time around

A

T THE beginning of the Duterte administration, the term “tokhang” was used to identify the one aspect of the government campaign against illegal drugs.

It’s a combination of “toktok” and “hangyo,” knocking and pleading, describing the approach, at least in theory, adopted by the Philippine National Police.

The idea was to come to the homes of individuals suspected of drug use or sale, and to invite them for a talk about how they could shed their habit and return to being productive members of society, or to ask them to peacefully surrender.

Over the next few months, however, the term “tokhang” earned, not acclaim, but notoriety.

It became synonymous with a ruthless, thoughtless approach by the police, normally in impoverished communities, in barging into homes, hauling off suspects onto the streets, and shooting them because they either resisted arrest or put up a fight.

In fact, the campaign has become so notorious that the President had to transfer the leadership of the anti-drug campaign to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency—undermanned and underfunded as it was.

But now the PNP has been tapped to rejoin the efforts, and already its chief, Director General Ronald dela Rosa, assured the public the “true spirit” of “tokhang” will be observed this time around.

The PNP chief also warned policemen against committing abuses, whether or not their pay

would be increased.

This time around, there would be greater accountability among arresting officials.

The head of the PDEA, Aaron Aquino, suggested dropping the term “tokhang” this year because it has been associated with many shady activities that frustrate the objective and spirit of the anti-drug drive.

We agree, but we also point out it’s just a name.

Dropping a name will do only so much. A change in the manner the campaign is conducted is what will convince the people the anti-drug war is serious and credible.

That we all want to defeat the drug menace is a given. This time around, however, we will watch whether the change is real, taking into consideration human rights, due process and basic decency.

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

Destroying our dining tradition

No-el? No dice!

POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO NO LESS than the Speaker of the House of Representatives has said that in the course of changing the Constitution towards the shift to a federal form of government, it may be necessary to extend the term of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and cancel the 2019 midterm elections.

This will mean the extension of the terms of all sitting elected officials from the local to national levels on a hold-over capacity. By extension, this could also mean the possible continued stay of appointed public servants unless removed by the appointing power.

The Speaker’s statement has been repeated by a couple of members of the House who favor the no-el scenario come 2019.

They even rationalized the extension by saying that three years is a short term for Representatives. Obviously, these statements are self-serving especially for those in the HOR as all of them need to run and win again following the present term limits. It seems that some of the Speaker’s members are using the initiative towards federalism for their own interests.

The no-el scenario comes at the heels of major problems faced by the country brought about by this administration’s questionable policies.

The issue surrounding the West Philippine Sea is one. Various reports have

come out about China’s aggressive infrastructure development in disputed territories and our government is not defending our sovereignty.

There is also the “war on drugs” that has killed more than 13,000 innocent people. Yes, innocent because

In unison, let us all shout. not one of them received due process. They were suspected drug users and pushers. Not one has been convicted of any crime. A number who lost their lives were killed due to mistaken identities. Most of those murdered were poor and

died at the hands of law enforcers and to date, not one of the killers, even in the most publicized cases have been put behind bars.

Most of the perpetrators have just been relieved, or transferred.

Therefore, if the President’s term is extended, and given his repeated statements that he is on the side of the police, this kind of war on drugs will continue, and more will be killed. We cannot also expect changes in the PNP leadership because General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa undoubtedly is Duterte’s favorite. Remember that despite the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) accomplishments within a short time of leading the anti-drug efforts (and without any deaths at that), Duterte has

again brought the PNP into the picture.

Let us not forget that the drugs smuggled into the country are mostly from China. Remember, too, that presidential son and resigned Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte has been implicated in the case of the P6.4 billion worth of drugs that got through the Bureau of Customs.

This administration is also trying to remove or punish officials who have manifested independence from, it, or have been critical of their policies and actions. Take the case of Senator Leila de Lima who has been vilified and imprisoned on alleged drug-related cases. Supreme Court Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno is now facing impeachment charges. The HOR com-

posed largely of Duterte allies attempted to remove the budget of the Commission on Human Rights.

Most recently, the House Speaker stripped opposition Representatives of their budgets. This administration wants to control everybody. In a democracy, having a real opposition is crucial.

Let us not forget that Martial Law in Mindanao has been extended and the spectre of a nationwide Martial Law is real. No less than President Duterte has repeatedly threatened critics with this and his so-called revolutionary government.

This is an administration that wants concentration of power in the hands of a few. This is a government that uses everything to kill

THE dining scene in Metropolitan Manila has radically changed since the arrival of the 21st century. Gone are the days when dining was an experience to look forward to, and something to remember.

Back in the 1960s and the early 1970s, there were no shopping malls with basement food courts. Individual dining establishments existed and they had their own outdoor signage.

A restaurant was known for the distinct dishes it served. Families decided in advance where to dine, before embarking on its dinner adventure. Today, families just decide which shopping mall to visit, and they make up their minds on what food outlet to patronize once they get to the mall.

Back then, restaurant patrons did not line up for their food. They chose a table to their liking, sat down, and selected what food items they wanted from a menu handed to them by a waiter. The bill is paid only after the meal is finished. A tip was always welcome, since service charges were unthinkable back then.

Food was served on porcelain plates and not on plastic dishes or styrofoam containers. Beverages were imbibed from real glasses and not from the plastic, unsanitary, reusable tumblers used in many of today’s fast food joints, or the disposable wax containers in other establishments today.

The closest thing to a fast food outlet in the 1960s and the 1970s was the Makati Automat located at the old Makati Commercial Center. It used to stand on what is now the north side of the Glorietta Mall, the one nearest the Shangri-La hotel.

Patrons of the Makati Automat chose from four

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Opinion Destroying...

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restaurants inside its premises—Spoon & Fork for American meals (although some Chinese dishes were also served); Bar-B-Quick for roasted pork and chicken; Chopsticks for Chinese cuisine; and Steak Express for steaks and salads. Except for Spoon & Fork which was a self-service style eatery, the restaurants inside the Makati Automat featured a la carte dining.

The Makati Automat was open from late morning to early evening.

Fast food at a commercial scale was introduced to Filipinos in 1973 when the Fast Food Center opened in Makati, at a site facing Edsa, adjacent to the SM department store and the old Hotel Inter-Continental Manila. It was the first purposeful food-court type of dining center in the country, and it had about 40 different self-service counters, each providing a distinct menu, and each with a frontage of approximately three meters. Food and drinks were served in styrofoam containers or plastic plates, and diners used plastic utensils.

Soon thereafter, fast food centers began sprouting all over the metropolis. The first SM shopping malls, particularly the ones at the Araneta Center in Cubao, and at the Makati Commercial Center, had food courts at their basements. For a number of years, a big fast food building called the Midland Fast Food and Inihaw Center operated along Buendia Avenue across the Makati Medical Center.

The fast food burger chains came next. Local brand Jollibee was first, with its pioneering outlet along Aurora Boulevard in Cubao, underneath the old Diamond Theatre. McDonalds opened its first outlet at Morayta at Manila’s university belt in 1981. Wendy’s, Carl’s Jr., Cindy’s, and Burger King followed suit. Tropical Hut Hamburger started as a supermarket coffee shop before it became a fast food outlet.

They were followed by the buffet restaurants— Dad’s, Saisaki, Vikings and Buffet 101. The wide assortment of dishes they offered made them highend fast food centers, but where payment is made after the meal’s end. One will readily notice the plastic plates and beverage containers these buffet restaurants use.

In time, the operations of fast food outlets, shopping mall food courts, and buf-

No-el?...

From A4

fet destinations spelled the end of the classic restaurants and great dining experiences associated with the 1960s and the 1970s.

A few of those classic restaurants ought to be mentioned even for posterity.

Manila used to host great Chinese restaurants like Panciteria Carvajal, Panciteria Rice Bowl, Panciteria San Jacinto, and the Peony Restaurant.

Carvajal, which was located at a tall building along Carvajal Street parallel to Ongpin Street in Chinatown, was known for its quekiam (spelled that way back then), while the dainty San Jacinto and Rice Bowl were frequented for their fried rice and meats.

San Jacinto briefly transferred to Quezon City, near the old Delta Theatre along Quezon Avenue, and opened a few franchised outlets elsewhere.

The Peony was a quaint restaurant situated on the second floor of a building located at the corner of Padre Faura and M. H. del Pilar Streets in Ermita. Its dining room was decorated in typical 19th century Shanghai setting. Patrons loved it for its pork and vegetable dishes.

Makati hosted The Plaza and The Marquina, both located at the commercial center near Pasay Road.

Chicken a la King made The Plaza famous. Marquina had specialized buffets, mostly French or Chinese, depending on the day of the week.

Buendia Mami King located along Buendia Avenue near the MakatiPasay border specialized in noodle soups, with various types to choose from.

Although the place was not air-conditioned, it was cool enough even for diners used to cooler dining establishments.

Quezon City had Hong Ning at the Araneta Center, known for its cold cuts, and Golden Peking along Edsa near P. Tuason Avenue was popular for its’ ginger-free dishes. There was the al fresco Ongpin’s Delights near the TimogQuezon Avenue intersection, which served freshlycooked Chinese dishes at affordable prices.

Mandaluyong hosted two high-end Chinese restaurants which served sumptuous food—Moon Palace and Marco Polo, both located along Shaw Boulevard near Edsa.

Last, but not the least, was Madrid Restaurant along Edsa near the Polymedic General Hospital, which served continental cuisine.

It featured ballroom dancing every weekend, and it was known as the most elegant restaurant in Asia. tarianism. It is the time to assert citizens authority over those in position.

This is an opportunity to remove those who have been serving the interest of the few instead of pushing for public welfare. It is a time to put in position those who will truly respect and protect human rights rather than kowtow to Malacañang.

The elections can be used to send a strong message that the killings of innocent people must stop and that drugs can be fought in other ways.

The 2019 elections can possibly reinforce the weakening checks and balances in governance. This midterm election can save our democracy. Let us not lose this chance. The people should strongly oppose moves to cancel this crucial electoral exercise.

In unison, let us all shout, no-el? No dice!

dissent and unseat or immobilize critics. This administration threatens our democratic gains.

Our institutions are being controlled. Checks and balances between our branches of government are weakening by the day. Congress, both the House and Senate are overwhelmingly pro-administration. It is obvious that Congress gets directives from Malacañang.

The Supreme Court is the last bastion that can check the imbalance of power.

It is then not surprising that Duterte allies want to remove the Chief Justice who is supposed to stay in office long after the terms of those presently sitting in positions have ended. The administration also wants to control the High Court.

These are the reasons bethangsioco@gmail. why the midterm elections in 2019 is very important. com @bethangsioco on 2019 is the chance for our people to vote for Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on candidates who stand for democracy, not authori- Facebook

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Starting the year right and wrong I THINK the new year started right with the significant reduction in injuries and fatalities from firecrackers.

President Duterte should be praised unconditionally for that, given the huge public health and environmental benefits arising from this display of political will. I will not dilute this compliment by citing where I differ with the administration as my readers know that anyway. I am neither DDS or dilawan.

As I did with Presidents Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III, I compliment and criticize when necessary.

Another good news from government is the launch last month of the “Biyaya ng Pagbabago” program, designed to drum up support for the Duterte administration’s agenda of improving the lives of poor Filipinos. The program is headed by The Office of the Cabinet Secretary, under Secretary Jun Evasco in partnership with 12 agencies under the Office of the President. Its successful implementation this year will ensure inclusive development. Biyaya ng Pagbabago has become even more critical as its success can blunt the potential negative impacts of TRAIN, the tax reform law that has just taken effect.

I will also compliment the President for two recent appointments, that of Miss Universe 1973 title holder Margie Moran, who was appointed as member of the board of trustees of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and former police Director Benjamin Magalong as member of the board of directors of the Philip-

pine National Oil Co. Ms. Moran and General Magalong have good reputations. They will do well in their jobs.

TRAIN brings both good and bad news to our people. The good news is that most wage earners will no longer have withheld taxes starting their first pay day of January.

The bad news is the impact of the tax reform enacted on prices of goods and services. If the worst scenarios materialize, the poor could get hit badly and the middle class would have their gains from the reform negated. The Department of Finance, the National Economic and Development Authority, and the Department of Trade and Industry assure the public that the impact on prices and the inflation rate will be minimal. I hope they are right but if not, mitigation measures to help the poor should be put in place right away.

One good news is the increase in excise taxes for mining and fossil fuels, especially coal. The social and environmental benefits from this policy reform have been proven to be cost-effective and immensely positive everywhere in the world.

From the numbers I have seen, the impact on electricity prices should be negligible.

In the justice front, bad news came in the release of former Palawan governor Joel Reyes from detention following a Court of Appeals decision that ruled there was no probable cause to maintain a prosecution against him in the murder of environmentalist Gerry Ortega. My heart goes out to the Ortega family, two of whom are close to me personally, for this once again cruel twist in their fight for justice.

What worsened matters for

them was the initial report that all five Justices of the CA panel ruled in favor of Reyes. The report was later corrected as two of the five, Associate Justices Maria Filomena Singh and Marie Christine Azcarraga-Jacob, dissented from the majority opinion.

I will write about this decision in greater detail later this month, in the anniversary week of the Ortega murder. Suffice it to say that in my view, as a constitutional law expert that interprets the law on the rights of accused liberally, the decision is definitely wrong and in an appropriate proceeding should be reversed by the Supreme Court. Ironically, the Supreme Court has already ruled that Reyes should be tried and that it is the Regional Trial Court that will his determine his guilt or not. This is also the gist of the dissent of the Justices Singh and Jacob.

Harry Roque, currently the presidential spokesman and a former private prosecutor in the Ortega case, has also pointed out that the CA ruling, penned

by Associate Justice Normandie Pizarro (reported to be retiring next month) overruled an earlier Supreme Court decision that there was probable cause to file case against Reyes.

According to Roque, “There was already a decision by the lower court saying that the evidence was strong against former governor Joel Reyes.”

“This is a very sad development for freedom of the press in this country given that the murder of Gerry Ortega is a classic case of extralegal killing.”

Solicitor General Jose Calida agrees, pointing out that the decision stinks and he will file a motion for reconsideration.

In the meantime, the

Ombudsman has filed a motion with the Sandiganbayan to cancel the bail of Reyes for the plunder case filed against him where he has already been convicted. The decision in that case is on appeal.

This CA decision is a big letdown for justice. Unfortunately, it follows two other bad decisions by the appellate court: The ruling that disallowed Mary Jane Veloso, the OFW in death row, from testifying against her recruiters and the decision that rejected the claims of human rights victims against the estate of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Edre Olalia, president of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, correctly described these three rulings as a “triple-whammy letdown to those who still resort to our justice system for remedies.” Olalia also said that we must protest all three travesties of justice: “Justice for one must be justice for all. Silence or tolerance of injustice for others erodes credibility and integrity and even exposes hypocrisy.”

Finally, there is good news and bad news in the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s choice of Joven Laurio, the blogger behind Pinoy Ako Blog as its Filipino of the Year. When I posted in Facebook that I thought this was a good choice, there were reactions from those who thought the Inquirer editors chose wrongly.

They expressed outrage at why the soldiers that fought in Marawi ranked second to Laurio.

I found that reaction strange as I didn’t see the Inquirer choice as a competition between Laurio and what she represents and the soldiers that fought in Marawi. Both are honored by the Inquirer. In any case, we just have to Iive with our differences.

We really should not be fight over this as all of us have the right to our own opinion. The Inquirer editors have the right to choose who to honor and we should respect that.

That more editors voted for PAB is something I would expect from a Manila based paper and for journalists from national newspapers and the capital where fake news is a top of mind issue. For sure, Mindanao journalists would probably have voted differently, most likely for the soldiers or perhaps like me, they would have voted for Samira Gutoc, other Maranao leaders, and most of all the ordinary citizens of Marawi as they too are real heroes for what they had to confront and continue to endure. More importantly, their morale need to be boosted as they continue to struggle with what happened to their city and the challenge of reconstruction.

Closer to home, my second placer, among those considered by Inquirer, would be the lawyers of CenterLaw for their work in the frontlines of the fight for human rights. I am happy that they were recognized alongside the communities resisting EJKs that CenterLaw is assisting.

I am even happier that two of CenterLaw’s lawyers Joel Butuyan and Tin Antonio got married this week in what some of Joel’s UP Law classmates billed as the “wedding of the century”. This is definitely the best news, for a romantic like me, this New Year. Thanks Joel and Tin, congratulations, go accompany each other in the many battles ahead, but do find the time for life and love!

Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

Sending the wrong signal BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN HAD the Japanese embassy kept its mouth shut on the “comfort woman” statue, it could have gained the respect of Filipinos who have a broader understanding of history than those vociferous ideologues.

Everybody knows that our people paid dearly for the defense of the Motherland. Yet, for all the bad memories that linger, nothing can be done to undo the atrocities committed by the invading Japanese Imperial Army. We can only write what the enemy did or erect a statue in memory of our brothers and sisters who died for us.

But what is appalling is the undiplomatic behavior of the Japanese embassy when it expressed “regret” for the rise of the “comfort woman” statue at Roxas Boulevard.

It was reported that Japan’s Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Seiko Noda expressed her regret during her meeting with President Duterte.

Before that, the Japanese embassy sought clarification on why the City of Manila allowed the statue to be erected, saying it has created a diplomatic row between the two countries.

Most disgusting is why the Department of Foreign Affairs has taken the cudgels for Japan in questioning the statue. Behaving in the usual servile errand boy, the DFA, as requested by Japan, asked the city government to ex-

plain how the statue came about when it has all the right to put up monuments.

It even had the temerity to ask whether the statue has the permit of the National Historical Commission which was attended to by its chairman Rene Escalante and acting executive director Ludovico Badoy.

The show of displeasure

by Japan is an open denial of that historical fact that its horde of invading soldiers forced our women to become sex slaves to give comfort and gratification to a battered and insecure army. The conduct of the Japanese embassy and Minister Seiko Noda indicated not only its refusal to pay reparations, but their absolute denial about the existence of comfort women. In that, it is not only the statue that they deny but the sexual depravity committed by their soldiers.

If we have to make a comparison of their treatment of the issue to countries where similar acts of barbarity was committed, it would surprise many why Japan’s Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2002 wrote a personal letter to the South Korean people apologizing, saying it “was a grave affront to the honor and dignity of large numbers of women.”

Nonetheless, Japan was made to pay approximately $9 million. Yet, it could not compel South Korea to close the issue. South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said that Japan had failed to meet the victims’ needs.

In our case, Japan not only refused to pay compensation. It also refused

to recognize that sexual enslavement was committed by their wartime government.

Japan is using its financial leverage by threatening to cut off support to pending developmental projects. It forgot that it was Japan that requested the building of those war memorials, honoring those soldiers including those who committed crimes during the war in exchange for fi-

Do we even understand what the statues represent? nancial assistance, a consent that made us appear silly and stupid before the whole world.

Japan is so clever to make sure that the war memorials were erected at the behest of the Philippine government. They ignore that many of their economic assistance were war reparations for the destruction and atrocities committed during the war.

The loans it extended were paid or are being paid with numerous strings attached and humbly accepted by us for want of bargaining leverage.

The five war memorials erected in honor of our invaders were: 1) The Kamikaze Peace Memorial Shrine in Mabalacat, Pampanga. Accordingly, the Mabalacat Tourism Office rationalized that the erection of a memorial is not for the glorification

of the Kamikaze (suicide) pilots, but for the use of “war history” as a tool for the promotion of peace and friendship among nations. In Oct. 24, 2004, a life-size Kamikaze pilot statue was unveiled atop a tall pedestal in front of a wall showing the Japanese rising sun flag on the right half while the Philippine flag on the left half; 2) A Japanese Garden at Cavinti, Lumban, Laguna.

It is a memorial park covering 11 hectares built by the Japanese government to commemorate Japanese soldiers who died during World War II. On Jan. 29, 2016, Japanese Emperor Akihito with Empress Michiko offered flowers at the marble altar located at the elevated portion of the garden; 3) Japanese Memorial Garden in Corregidor Island giving tribute to the 6,600 Japanese soldiers who died in the island subduing the remaining Filipino-American soldiers; 4) Japanese Shrine in Muntinlupa located at the end portion of the local cemetery in the National Penitentiary (New Bilibid Prison) dedicated to Japanese generals and soldiers including General Tomoyuki Yamashita, executed and buried in Muntinlupa, and 5) Japanese Soldiers’ Shrine in Bulacan, a 500-square meter compound at Don Pedro Street in Barangay Marulas, Valenzuela City.

Were these Japanese monuments and war memorials authorized by the National Historical Commission or simply worked out by the Japanese government with our officials tolerating them

in exchange for the aid offer? The comfort women statue, which the Japanese government wants removed, represents the Filipino woman sexually enslaved by the Japanese soldiers while the war memorials represent the memory of those soldiers who invaded the country and possibly committed war crimes during the war.

The National Historical Commission can never be authorized to issue permit to foreign governments to erect statue of their own national, most especially if that represents one that committed crimes against the Filipino people pursuant of the wartime policy of their government.

By our own conduct, we are the ones distorting our own history, and that makes us appear utterly despicable and pathetic.

We could not even make a protest to say that it is our right as sovereign state to erect monuments honoring our heroes, and we are duty-bound to preserve the idealism of those who sacrificed for us.

Here we have statues and memorials honoring fictitious massacre victims in Corregidor, a statue of a comedian known for having several mistresses, a monument for known rebels but rebranded as “human rights victims,” and a husband and wife about to do their last tango for their coup d’ etat relabeled as “people power.”

All these monuments indicate that we as people do not understand what they represent. rpkapunan@gmail.com

News

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

IN BRIEF Student praises airport employee A CHINESE nursing student in Manila was all praise for an airport employee who returned his black pouch, containing $3,600 and other foreign currencies, found on top of a push cart at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Runze Shandong Zhao, 23, lost his belongings at the Main Arrival area of Naia Terminal 1 Wednesday morning.

Push cart retriever identified only as one Mr. Cubacub, of D’Frada Allied Maintenance Service Inc., found the pouch and immediately turned this over to the security guard on site who later brought the item to the airport police on duty.

Police-Aviation Security Group officer on duty PO1 Mark Anthony Lusergo inspected the pouch and found 36 pieces of $100 bills, 640 Chinese Yuan and P3,400 that belonged to Zhao.

A piece of paper with a name Ms. Linda Orozco and her contact number was also found inside the pouch.

Joel Zurbano

‘PH has sole right for research’

By John Paolo Bencito and Maricel V. Cruz

F

ILIPINOS have the sole right to do scientific research at the Philippine Rise, Malacañang insisted Friday, amid concerns raised by an opposition lawmaker over the supposed approval by the Department of Foreign Affairs on a scientific research trip of Chinese nationals in the newly-awarded Philippine territory.

“As of now, it should be sole exploration by the Philippines as part of its sovereign rights,” Palace Spokesman Harry Roque said in a news briefing in Valencia City, Bukidnon.

While it is covered by sovereign rights, “which is exclusive in nature” to the Philippines—other countries may try to explore it if “the Philippines agrees to joint explorations,” Roque said.

On Friday, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano blasted the DFA for supposedly approving the request for Chinese nationals to conduct marine scientific research in Philippine waters, including Benham Rise.

Citing “information,” Alejano said the research would be conducted by the Institute of Oceanology of Chinese Academy of Sciences), and that the DFA rejected a request from a France-based

organization to hold its own research in the same general area.

“We should be careful and prudent in granting any access to our waters especially with China that is claiming 80 percent exclusive economic zone at the West Philippine Sea through ‘9-dash line’,” Alejano said.

Alejano told the Department of Foreign Affairs to categorically state if it had approved the Chinese request, saying he had received information that approved the request of IO-CAS for a marine scientific research in Philippine waters.

“As a requirement, they will be joined by the University of the Philippines—Marine Science Institute [UPMSI]. The project’s area will cover Eastern Luzon, where Benham Rise is, and Eastern Mindanao,” he said.

Alejano said the govern-

ment recently rejeted the request of the French-based non-profit organization, Tara Expeditions Foundation, to conduct marine research in the waters east of the Philippines, including Benham Rise, the area where the Chinese intends to conduct their study in cooperation with the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute.

“Provided that we need additional resources and capabilities to study and explore our eastern waters, particularly the Benham Rise, the French-based non-profit organization is way preferable than a Chinese national scientific think tank,” Alejano, a resigned Marine officer, said.

He said the Philippines had no territorial conflict with France; while China was aggressive in claiming territories belonging to other countries.

By Rey Requejo

MOBILE VEHICLES. Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian and Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa (both not in photo) lead the turnover ceremonies for 60 Police Mobile Vehicles and K-9 Unit & Canine Kennel to the local PNP at the VC Tent, Alert Center, Malinta, to upgrade police capability in crime-fighting. Andrew Rabulan

Duterte appoints Miranda to BCDA PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte appointed retired Army commanding general Lt. Gen. Glorioso Miranda Friday to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, tasked to convert military bases and properties into “premier centers of economic growth” with the help of the private sector.

Miranda, a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Matikas” Class of 1983, served as the acting commanding general of the Philippine Army from December 2016 until his retirement in October 2017.

Miranda joins the board of directors

of the BCDA to serve the unexpired term of office of Serafin Salvador.

The retired army chief will be in his post until June 30, 2018.

Duterte previously expressed his intention to appoint Miranda since its board lacked military personnel.

Duterte wanted the military to lease their camps to beef up their funds to modernize the Armed Forces, including its procurement of arms, the s a l a r y i n c r e a s e, t he s chol a rship of their children, and other expenses. John Paolo Bencito

‘Filipinos unprepared for cyber threats’

By Macon R. Araneta DESPITE being the most attacked country in cyberspace in Southeast Asia and the 10th in the world, digital technology experts have warned that Filipinos are quite not prepared for cyber security threats since it ranks 37th out of 193 countries in the recent global security index report on cyber security preparedness.

Digital technology expert Reynaldo Lugtu, member of the Advisory Board of Global Chamber Manila, also divulged that the behavior of Filipinos make them very vulnerable to online attacks because many are not aware of the threats in cyberspace.

“In the legal aspect we are ahead of other countries because we have already passed the Data Privacy Act, the E-Commerce Law and the Anti-Wiretapping Law,” said Lugtu.

However, he noted that attackers knew that Filipinos were not very vigilant and aware.

“We are low in the cultural aspect because we are not well-informed of the dangers lurking online so

worried on whether the Philippines will be given equal access to all information culled by the joint project,” Alejano said.

“So why China? All things considered, allowing a Chinese national think tank to conduct a so-called scientific research over Philippine waters, even with participation of Filipinos, is careless and absurd. What is really the intention of the Duterte administration in allowing such activity at the expense of our national security?” Alejano asked.

Chinese vessels were reportedly spotted surveying Benham Rise for three months in 2016 without the knowledge and permission of DFA. It turned out later that Duterte gave them the authority without his officials and the Filipino people knowing it, Alejano said.

Suspects told: Refute claim

‘Local media doing well’ A SIGNIFICANT majority of Filipinos believe the local mainstream media are doing well in reporting the news fair and accurately, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of 38 countries released Thursday (Friday in Manila).

The Philippines ranked second among countries whose local media mainstream media were reporting news accurately (86 percent) and reporting political issues fairly (78 percent), behind Tanzania which occupies the top spot.

Those saying the Philippine mainstream media were reporting the news accurately were well above the global median of 62 percent and American median at 56 percent.

Mainstream media in the country are facing allegations of perceived ‘bias’ from propagandists —many of whom occupy high-ranking positions in government.

John Paolo Bencito

“Geographically speaking, France is not an immediate security threat to us compared to China,” Alejano said.

“If in terms of the capability of Tara, I think it is also safe to assume that it is competent as much as IO-CAS, having already accomplished high-level scientific research missions across the world’s oceans,” he added.

China has been seeking a permit to conduct research in Benham Rise since 2015, but alll of its requests were rejected owing to its refusal to involve Filipino experts in its study.

“China has been adamant on exploring Benham Rise and they have no intention of involving Filipino scientists.

It seems that China was only forced to collaborate with UP-MIS for the sake of getting the permit. Given this initial behavior, we should be

that we easily open emails or click links without knowing the risks,” he said.

He said data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation showed that the Philippines was the 10th most attacked country worldwide in the Internet.

The list enumerated Canada as the most attacked followed by India, United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, China, Japan and the Philippines.

Other countries listed in the 11th to 20th most attacked were Germany, South Africa, Turkey, Spain, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Singapore, Nigeria and New Zealand, respectively.

Due to the cyber threats, Global Chamber Manila has organized a one-day convention called A Forum on Cyber Security and the Internet of Things on Jan. 31, 2018 at Enderun College in McKinley Hill, Taguig City.

Colin Christie, executive director of Global Chamber Manila, said more than 250 representatives from both the public and private sector, including government officials and members of the academe, were set to attend

the event.

“We hope to use this occasion to provide Filipinos with a better grasp of recent developments in the automated age as well as the technologies and best practices to help everyone protect themselves and their systems from attack and unauthorized access,” Christie said.

The forum will be topbilled by cyber security expert Marc Goodman, author of the best-selling book “Future Crimes.”

He will discuss the technological advances of the cyber world and its many pitfalls.

“Mr. Goodman is a global strategist and consultant focused on the profound change technology is having on security, business and international affairs. He is the founder of Future Crimes Institute and Chair of the Policy, Law and Ethics at Silicon Valley’s Singularity University. Over the past20 years, he has built his expertise in international cybercrime and terrorism working with organizations such as the Interpol, the UN CounterTerrorism Task Force, Nato and the US Government,” Colin said.

THE Department of Justice has given hazing death suspects until Jan. 22 to refute the testimony of their fellow fraternity member who has since turned state witness.

This, after the government prosecutors admitted Friday the testimony of hazing suspect-turned-witness Marc Anthony Ventura in the hazing death case of University of Santo Tomas freshman law student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III. This came after Ventura subscribed to his sworn statement before the DoJ’s panel of prosecutors during the reopening on Friday of the preliminary investigation on the criminal complaints arising from Castillo’s death.

Prosecutors set the filing of counter-affidavits by the respondents and clarificatory hearing in relation to Ventura’s affidavit on Jan. 22.

Ventura, admitted to the DoJ’s Witness Protection Program on Oct. 24, earlier claimed how his fraternity brothers took turns beating up Castillo inside the Aegis Juris library in Sampaloc, Manila in the wee hours of Sept. 17.

The witness also identified some of Aegis Juris members who took part in the initiation.

However, Paterno Esmaquel, counsel for respondent John Paul Solano, interposed objection to the reopening of the probe, arguing the preliminary investigation had been submitted for resolution last November.

Pending before the DoJ are the complaints for murder, violation of the Anti-Hazing Law, obstruction of justice, robbery and perjury separately filed by the Manila Police District and Castillo’s parents against more than 30 people, most of them members of the fraternity.

In Memory of Cabie brothers

Agustin, Florencio, 94, 78 TWO brothers, retired public school teacher Agustin Cabie, died in Texas Thursday (Friday in Manila), aged 94, and his younger brother Florencio, a retired accountant, only four hours later Friday, aged 78.

Agustin, who taught in different elementary schools in Nueva Vizcaya and Ilocos Norte after finishing his course at the pre-war National Teachers College, had been in Texas since the 1980s after 40 years in the classroom and supervising his tobacco farms in Pinili in Ilocos Norte where he grew up before the second world war, near his birthplace of Paoay.

He left behind his wife, Petrona, their six children—the eldest, Saturnino, a non-commissioned officer of the now defunct Philippine Constabulary died in 1991—10 grandchildren and two great grandchildren: in Cagayan Valley, Texas, Alberta, Canada, and Metro Manila.

Agustin, a clarinetist, has been credited for writing the music and lyrics of the hymn of Don Mariano Marcos Memorial School in Pinili where at some point he taught.

Florencio, a trumpeter, died in a hospital in Minglanilla town, where he resided after retiring as accountant of the Paper Industries Corporation of the Philippines in Mangagoy, Bislig in Surigao del Sur where he worked soon after finishing his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of the East in 1965.

He was a trumpet player in the old Pinili Troubadours Band, the Paoay Majestic Band and the Rhythm Masters Band and Orchestra of Paoay, where he and Agustin were born before the war to Bernardo Cabie and the former Francisca Toledo Blanco, a violinist.

Florencio left behind his five daughters, three sons—Vicente, Bernardo IV, and Dexter—preceded him, as did his wife, Vicenta, a former public school teacher, and eight grandchildren.

The two left behind their youngest brother, Honor, night editor of the Manila Standard and executive editor of the POU Group of Publications in Quezon City, sisters-in-law Maria Rosa in the Philippines and Lolita in Hawaii, nephews and nieces and younger in-laws.

Funeral dates for both will be announced by the family spokesman.

Sports Arellano spikers crush Letran

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Philracom sales net P1.2B in taxes H

ORSE-RACING revenues amounting to P7.3 billion in 2017 has netted the government P1.2 billion in taxes, an increase of P88 million or 7.56 percent from the previous year.

The Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) attributes this to its innovations and membership in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), whose mission is to promote good regulation and best practices on international matters pertaining to the sport, such as the rating-based handicapping system.

Games Monday (Filoil Arena, San Juan) 9:30 a.m.- MU vs LPU (m) 11 a.m.- MU vs LPU (w) 12:30 p.m.- SSC vs UPHSD (w) 2 p.m.- SSC vs UPHSD (m) 3:30 p.m.- SSC vs UPHSD (jrs)

ARELLANO University continued to display championship form as it bashed Letran, 25-17, 25-17, 25-12, yesterday to reclaim the solo lead in the 93rd NCAA women’s volleyball tournament at the Filoil Arena in San Juan City.

Nicole Ebuen dropped 11 hits on her former school, while Regine Anne Arocha likewise fired 11 points to help the Lady Chiefs, the defending champions, to their third straight win and back to the top ahead of the St. Benilde Lady Blazers and San Beda Red Spikers, both with 2-0 (win-loss) cards.

It was also AU’s 15th win in row dating back from last season when it racked up 12 straight wins including a three-game sweep of San Sebastian in the finals to snare the crown.

“My players are just focused on winning,” said an impressed AU coach Obet Javier in Filipino.

The game also marked the return of last year’s Best Setter Rhea Marist Ramirez, who came off the bench and saw some action in the second and third sets behind Sarah Princess Verutiao, who dished out 21 excellent sets.

The Lady Knights fell to their second defeat against a win.

In the men’s division, AU likewise remained unbeaten as it waylaid Letran, 25-16, 25-12, 25-15.

“The Philracom is very proud of this accomplishment as the commission not only arrested the dwindling horse-racing sales for the past three years, it also bettered last year’s revenues,” said Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez.

The actual figure for 2017 stood at P7,378,571,897 in sales, an increase of P159,830,562 from 2016’s

P7,218,741,335. Taxed by 17 percent, the total revenue for the national coffers will amount to P1,254,357,222.49 for a 7.56% increase of P88,208,096.55 compared to 2016’s P1,166,149,125.94.

“The boost in revenues is a product of the increase in our prizes and the implementation of a new rating-based handicapping system as a result of our recent membership with IFHA,” added Sanchez. “Aficionados are now more confident to place their bets because they know the races are not only very competitive, they are conducted fair and square.”

Meanwhile, the Philracom also released its nominated entries to its first biggest salvo for the new year, the 2018 Philracom Commissioner’s Cup, held in honor of former Philracom Commissioner and Executive Director Francisco Paulino V. Cayco.

The event is set Sunday at the Saddle & Clubs Leisure Park, Naic Cavite at a distance of 1,700 meters.

The entries are Bite My Dust of owner Nicomedes Cruz, Electric Truth of Leonardo Javier Jr., coupled entry Eugene Onegin and Lakan of owner Banjamin

C. Abalos Jr., Messi of Narciso Morales, Salt and Pepper of Herminio Esguerra and 2017 Triple Crown winner Sepfourteen of SC Stockfarm.

A total of P1.5 million is offered in the stakes race, with P900,000 going to the winner and P337,500 awarded to the runnerup. Third and fourth get P187,500 and P75,000, respectively. A purse of P70,000 is also set for the breeder of the winning horse.

In September last year, the Philracom finalized its rating-based handicap-

Raptors blow out Cavaliers, 133-99

Isaiah Thomas #3 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. AFP

LOS ANGELES—The Toronto Raptors used a balanced attack to crush Cleveland 133-99 on Thursday, handing LeBron James’ struggling Cavaliers their most lopsided loss of the season.

Fred VanVleet came off the bench to score 22 points as the Raptors embarrassed the Cavaliers by getting double figure scoring from seven different players at Air Canada Centre arena.

The Raptors improved to a 15-2 at home despite playing Thursday without starters Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka.

James finished with 26 points for Cleveland who have lost six of eight games going back to a defeat to defending champion Golden State on Christmas Day. Isaiah Thomas, who was slapped with a $20,000 fine on Wednesday for knocking Minnesota Timberwolves player Andrew Wiggins to the floor, missed his first 11 shots.

“I don’t know where it kind of went wrong or what

ABS-CBN S+A is broadcaster of Pacman’s cage league UNDISCOVERED Filipino basketball talents and former collegiate and professional players will get their chance to shine on national TV as Senator Manny Pacquiao’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League will now be shown on ABS-CBN S+A. ABS-CBN Sports head Dino Laurena, ALV Events International chairman Arnold Vegafria, and MPBL commissioner Kenneth Duremdes announced this yesterday as they sealed their broadcast and me-

dia partnership for the league, which will open its inaugural season this Jan. 25 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.

The entire country can catch the opening ceremony and games live on S+A and S+A HD, which will be regularly airing MPBL games every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 7 to 11 p.m.

“Through Senator Manny Pacquiao’s vision, we have a basketball league that truly reaches the grassroots level. Finally, Filipinos from all walks

of life who have the talent and passion for the game will be able to show their mettle in the hardcourt. We are thankful for I hope advertisers and basketball fans will support this. This is another platform where Pinoys can find their potential basketball heroes,” said Vegafria, the business manager of Pacquiao and overall head of MPBL. Laurena expressed his excitement with the entry of the MPBL S+A, which aims to give grassroots athletes and undrafted or untapped basketball play-

ers a venue to showcase their skills and continue to pursue their basketball dreams.

“It was very natural for us to get together because of our shared vision for Philippines sports and our desire to support Filipino athletes in the grassroots level. Serendipitously, we are celebrating the anniversary of the MBA (Metropolitan Basketball Association) this year, which had the same concept and objective,” he said.

Similar to the MBA, the MPBL features teams that

represent a province, city, or municipality in the country and has a home and away format that will give the teams a chance to play in their home court in front of their fans. Currently, the league has 10 teams from Metro Manila and Luzon, and will eventually expand to include teams from Visayas and Mindanao.

Commissioner Duremdes also said that each team is required to have at least three players that are truly homegrown to the area.

GSIS Furies confident against Malacanang-PSC in UNTV Cup DESPITE a loss at the hands of two-time champion Judiciary Magis last Sunday, the GSIS Furies are confident ahead of a collision with Season 5 runner-up MalacañangPSC Kamao at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the Pasig City Sports Center.

“Eventhough natalo kami rito (Judiciary Magis), ‘yung mood sa dug out maganda pa rin.

They are still hoping, tatrabahuhin daw nila,” GSIS coach Mike Saguigit said.

The Furies now have a

ping system based on IFHA standards with the help of international expert Michael Wanklin.

In April, the Philracom welcomed Japanese Racing Association Facilities Co. LTD. Director Kazuhiro Youfu and JRA Facilities Co. LTD. Adviser Sadamichi Imabayashi to help raise the standards of the Philippines’ three premier racetracks. A month before, the Philracom hosted International racing consultant Ciaran Kennelly to review the current structure of the Philracom’s Racing Programme.

Games Sunday

(Pasig City Sports Center) 2 p.m. GSIS vs Malacañang-PSC 3:30 p.m. Senate vs PDEA 5 p.m. NHA vs AFP

5-3 record, while the Kamao tote a 5-2 card.

For the Furies, winning the match against the Palace’s hoopers is a must in order to ease into the quarterfinal round.

“Made-determine ‘yun sa Final 4, ‘yung top four.

If we’re going to win that game, ‘yung status namin sa Top 4 magiging solid,” Saguigit said.

Saguitguit’s side is also

awaiting a hard-court battle against the NHA Builders on Jan. 21.

Of the eight remaining teams in the second-round of elimination, the seventh and eighth placers will exit the league.

Numbers 1 and 2 teams will automatically advance to the semifinal round both holding a twice-to-beat advantage, while numbers 3 to 6 will battle in the quarterfinals, with the third- and fourth-placers both possessing a twice-to-beat advantages.

GSIS Furies’ Anthony Cuevas tries to steal the ball from Judiciary Magis’ Chester Tolomia in the UNTV Cup.

Nazareth School-NU forfeits 1st game for fielding ineligible player

By Peter Atencio FOR fielding an ineligible player in their opening game, the Nazareth School-National University Bullpups forfeited their won match against the University of the East Junior Warriors.

Commissioner Rebo Saguisag said this after reviewing the eligibility records of the players seeing action in the ongoing 80th University Athletic Association of the Philippines junior basketball tournament.

This means that the Bullpups’ 10769 win last Nov. 11 will be reversed in favor of the losing team, the Junior Warriors.

The forfeiture dropped the Bullpups out of solo second position in the team standings at the end of the first round.

The Bullpups are now even with the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Cubs with 5-2 slates.

“Records show that in the game against UE last Nov. 11, the Bullpups

fielded in an ineligible player who was not able to satisfy eligibility requirements,” wrote Saguisag in his memo.

Saguisag did not identify the player, but according to statistics released after the games, it was Jayson Puray.

In succeeding games, stats records show that Puray did not play in the Bullpups’ next six games.

The second-round games will resume today at The Arena in San Juan, with the Bullpups clashing with the defending champion Far Eastern Uni-

versity Baby Tamaraws at 8 a.m.

The solo-leading Ateneo Blue Eaglets will go for their eighth straight win in their 11 a.m. encounter with the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Cubs.

The Junior Warriors, who have one win to show after seven games, will meet La Salle Zobel at 1 p.m., while the Adamson Baby Falcons take on the University of the Philippines Integrated School Junior Maroons at 3 p.m.

happened,” James said.

“We’ve got to try to pick it back up and find it.”

Toronto’s 133 points were the most by a Cleveland opponent this season, and marked the third consecutive contest that they have allowed at least 127.

C.J. Miles scored 16 points, Pascal Siakam and Norm Powell each had 14 and DeMar DeRozan 13 for the Raptors, who were without point guard Lowry (bruised tailbone) and forward Ibaka (suspension). Jakob Poeltl tallied 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Raptors.

“One of our advantages is our youth and our speed and our fresh legs. We’ve got to take advantage of that,” said VanVleet.

The Raptors had their 12game winning streak snapped when they lost Tuesday to Miami, but they rebounded in their first meeting with the Cavaliers since May when Cleveland swept the Raptors out of the second round of the NBA playoffs. AFP

Fr. Suarez Cup net tourney gets going in Bulacan THE first PPS-PEPP Fr. Fernando Suarez Cup unwraps today (Saturday, Jan. 13) at the Colegio San Agustin in Bulacan with the Big City bets, led by Manuel Balce III and Rafaella Villanueva, slugging it out with a slew of top players from the host and other provinces for top honors in various divisions.

Balce, from Ateneo, banners the boys’ 18-and-under cast that includes Klyde Lagarde and Ramon Bentillo from Gen. Santos City, and Vince Tugade from Isulan, Sultan Kudarat while Villanueva, from De La Salle-Zobel, joins Laguna’s Denise Bernardo, Anna Demyer from San Fabian, Pangasinan and Quezon City’s Miles Vitaliano in the premier girls side of the Group 1 tournament organized and sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines.

The week-long event, held in honor of healing priest and presented by Asiatraders Corp. with Slazenger and Dunlop as official balls, also serves as the kickoff of this year’s 50-leg Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala circuit and the first of three tournaments in Bulacan. Up next are the Open and the Inter-school championships.

“By supporting this tournament, I hope to help promote, develop and improve the quality of Philippine tennis, starting from the junior level to the pro ranks,” said Fr. Suarez, a tennis buff.

Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro also praised Fr. Suarez’s all-out support to the sport, adding it further inspires them to put up more and more tournaments for the youth as well as members of the national pool and team.

This year’s PPS-PEPP calendar will feature 10 festival Open tournaments and 40 age-groupers spread in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. For details, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director and organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

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

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

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018

Loss to Floyd still in Pacquiao‘s mind

Sports

By Randy Caluag FILIPINO boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has fought the best in the world and broken the sport’s record books as the only eight-division world champion.

He’s a contented man now, ending up as a multi-millionaire and a senator of the Republic.

But when asked about something that continues to bother him to this day, his answer was quick and easy.

“Itong si (Floyd) Mayweather,” said Pacquiao in an interview at Erwin Tulfo Live over Radyo Pilipinas.

Billed as the Fight of the Century, the fight didn’t live up to the hype as Mayweather, as he usually did in his previous fights, didn’t engage, while Pacquiao, citing shoulder injury, lacked the usual grit and power in his attacks.

The American won by unanimous decision to pick up all the world title belts at staked—the World Boxing Organization, World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council and The Ring super welterweight titles.

The result of the fight became a hot debate among boxing aficionados.

Pacquiao said he couldn’t believe that Mayweather won their bout despite his constant attacks. He knew that he connected more than he was hit.

“Nanalo lang nang takbo lang nang takbo. Paanong magaling ‘yun na takbo lang nang takbo,” asked 39-yearold Pacquiao, who is still being lined up for one more fight by his promoter Bob Arum in April.

But it’s definitely not an undercard to the reported tiff between Australian Jeff Horn and American Terrence Crawford.

Horn was the last boxer to defeat Pacquiao via a controversial unanimous decision for the WBO welterweight title in July last year.

There were talks of a rematch, but Pacquiao pulled out.

Morales, Gorospe, Prado top elite races

GlobalPort’s Stanley Pringle beats the defense of Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood as he scores on a layup in a PBA Philippine Cup game won by the Batang Pier, 78-70, at the Mall of Asia Arena Friday.

Pringle, Anthony star st in GlobalPort’s 1 win

By Jeric Lopez

O

N ITS third try, GlobalPort finally broke into the winning column, methodically walloping Rain or Shine, 78-70, to give its campaign a boost in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup last night at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

As expected, Stanley Pringle was the man for the Batang Pier as he f lirted with a doubledouble with a game-high of 29 points and nine rebounds, while Sean Anthony was equally impressive without scoring much, tallying 13 rebounds and 12 assists on

So tries to defend Tata Steel chess title FILIPINO Grandmaster Wesley So, now ranked no. 6 in the world, will be back to defend the crown he won last year in the 2018 Tata Steel chess tournament.

Big challenges are in store for So, with reigning world champion and three-time Tata Steel winner, grandmaster Magnus Carslen of Norway around.

GM Fabiano Caruana of the United States and GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan, who are among the Ttop 3 players in the world, are also listed.

Action gets going Saturday in three different venues in the Netherlands, with the 10th and final round set on Jan. 28.

The 24-year-old So is seeded fourth.

Also playing are GM Vladimir Kramnik, GM Peter Svidler, GM Sergey Karjakin and GM Maxim Matlakov of Russia, GM Viswanathan Anand and GM Baskaran Adhiban of India, GM Anish Giri of the Netherlands, GM Wei Yi and GM Hou Yifan of China and GM Gawain Jones of Great Britain Last year, So took the crown after collecting nine points on five wins and eight draws.

Carlsen was second with eight points, while Adhiban third with 7.5 points.

Peter Atencio

top of three points.

The dynamic twosome did damage once again for GlobalPort, but with a different result this time.

The Batang Pier improved to 1-2, tying the Elasto Painters, who lost their second straight game after winning their opener.

The Batang Pier turned in a solid finishing kick to eventually get itself its first success this season.

Determined to go all the way, GlobalPort, which led for most part of the contest, uncorked a key 8-0 run midway the payoff period to establish a vital 70-61 lead after Pringle’s jumper with 4:26 left.

There was no turning back from there as the Batang Pier, this time arou nd, held on and f i n ished off the Elasto Painters in the closing minutes.

The game was hanging in the balance with GlobalPort only ahead, 62-61, with 7:16 remaining, but that piv-

otal blitz proved to be the difference.

Kelly Nabong added 12 points and 13 rebounds for GlobalPort, while Bradwyn Guinto was likewise solid, contributing 10 markers and nine boards.

The Batang Pier started like a house on fire, quickly zooming to a significant double-digit lead, 19-5, halfway the opening period, but the Elasto Painters answered right away with a 13-0 blast of their own, making it 19-18 for GlobalPort at the end of one.

However, the Batang Pier kept their composure and remained in control the rest of the way, even though

it wasn’t able to take a commanding lead after that initial onslaught.

Gabe Norwood led Rain or Shine with his team-high 15 points.

The scores: GLOBALPORT 78 —Pringle 29, Nabong 12, Guinto 10, Grey 8, Sargent 8, Gabayni 4, Anthony 3, Flores 2, Elorde 2, Arana 0, Juico 0, Taha 0.

RAIN OR SHINE 70 —Norwood 15, Borboran 13, Ahanmisi 10, Belga 8, Nambatac 6, Yap 5, Ponferada 3, Daquioag 3, Trollano 3, Almazan 2, Maiquez 2, Quarters: 19-18, 41-35, 58-56, 78-70.

Carcueva figured in a race incident close to the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center finish and shared third place in one of the races that highlight the PRUride PH 2018.

Oranza brought home P25,000 while Marcelo and Carcueva shared the third and fourth place prizes of P15,000 and P12,500, respectively.

Also earning tickets to London and P50,000 each were Prado and Men Under 23 winner Ismael Gorospe.

Prado clocked 3:26:00 to win gold in the 96.55-km women elite race, beating by more than two miniutes Chinese Taipei’s Chang Ting Ting and by over five minutes Arianne Dormitorio.

Two-time Asean mountain bike champion Dormitorio was almost successful in her first foray with the road discipline but crashed against the strong cross winds inside Subic.

Chang also banked P25,000 and P12,500, respectively.

Gorospe won the Men Under 23 jewel in 3:45:40 over the same course at the elite race.

Danielver Carinon and Ronilla Quita completed the podium.

JAN Paul Morales won a sprint finish against Ronald Oranza and Jermyn Prado prevailed pulling away to rule the Philippine National Cycling Championships for Road over a technical and treacherous route yesterday in Subic and Bataan.

A total of 96 riders answered the gun for the men’s elite race of the PhilCycling, but it was Morales, a manytime national team member who emerged as one of the biggest winners of the event that awarded the coveted national champions’ jerseys to the victors.

“I really went for the win, but I had to work hard for this one,” said Morales moments after his victory that earned him not only P50,000 in cash from organizer Pru Life UK, but also an all-expense paid trip to the Prudential Ride London in July.

Morales clocked three hours, 42 minutes and 55 seconds— same time as Oranza—over the 137-km course that included a treacherous climb to the Dambana ng Mga Bayani at Mt. Samat in Mariveles, Bataan.

Felipe Marcelo and Jonel

Saso rallies, wins Infinity PH Ladies Open by 2 strokes DASMARINAS, Cavite— Yuka Saso made it two-in-row in big-time golf, putting on a late charge to stun Mikha Fortuna and snare the 2018 Champion Infinity Philippine Ladies Open crown by two on a 70 at the Orchard Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Saso closed out in a flourish, gunning down three birdies in the last six holes to overhaul a three-stroke deficit then capped her stirring rally with a chip-in birdie on the final hole for a 3634 and a 54-hole total of 209, finally claiming the crown after a runner-up and third place fin-

ish in the last two years of the country’s premier championship organized and conducted by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines.

Fortuna, who stunned the elite field with a solid 65 Thursday, cracked under pressure in a windy final day, mishitting her drive on No. 15 and missing a couple of birdie putts. She hobbled with a 74 and wound up with a 211.

Unlike in her wire-to-wire triumph in a pro tournament at Ayala Greenfield last week, the 16-year-old Saso nailed her second victory in come-from-

behind fashion.

“I never expected to win.

Mikha was playing well but I got my own game going to No. 13 and that’s when I got the needed confidence,” said Saso, who also dominated the ranks by winning the Phl Amateur Stroke and Match Play crowns and the national junior title last year.

Three down and unable to shake off Fortuna after 12 holes, Saso pulled her drive on the par-4 13th in front of a tree.

Caught between playing out or going for the green, Saso opted for the latter and came through

with what could easily be the shot of the day.

She hit a lob shot from 70 yards, the ball clearing the huge obstacle and landing three feet off the cup. Birdie.

Saso blasted another power drive on the short par-4 14th and made a one-pitch, one-putt for another birdie, pulling her to within one off Fortuna, who settled for pars.

The Fil-Japanese threeputted for bogey on the next but still drew level with Fortuna, who holed out with a double-bogey on an errant drive and a three-putt miscue

then the former surged ahead as the latter muffed a five-foot par putt on the next hole.

Saso dashed whatever Fortuna’s hopes for a playoff with that closing chip-in feat.

It was a sorry loss for Fortuna, who came into the final round brimming with confidence after a bogey-free sevenunder card in the second round that put her three strokes off the most feared player in the fold.

“I’ve learned a lot here. But these things happen in golf. I’ll just try again next year,” said Fortuna.

Saso

4S1M wows fans with Speedfest

Winners of the 4S1M speedfest display their trophies and prizes.

Motorcycle riders race to the finish.

THE screeching tires became the soundtrack of the moment, as the full traction of drag race cars gave the crowd an experience of a ‘need for speed’ movie-like scene when the 4S1M kicked off its first-ever Speed Fest at the Clark International Speedway last December.

The 4S1M Speed Fest was organized in celebration of 4S1M-Yamaha Racing Team’s series of wins all throughout 2017.

Mark Tan, owner of 4S1M admitted that the whole team was very excited to carry through this flagship event.

“This is our first time pa lang to do an event, a big step for us,” Tan said. “We also hope to organize the Speed Fest annually.”

From the pre-planning to actual execution of the

Speed Fest, the team made sure that everything is in order. The crews set up the stage early in the morning.

The 4S1M booth, filled with motor engines and racing parts on display, was also installed in the area.

Soon, the flock of people arrived to witness a legal drag racing brought by the pride of City of Malolos Bulacan— MVB Cup Hari ng Mio. The participants, who came from all over the country, positioned themselves carrying their dialed in motorcycles and blazing determination in the drag strip. As the riders fired up their engines, the strip heard an audible cheer from the crowd—adding more to the adrenaline rush of the moment.

Meanwhile, the car drifting and Touge battle by Dr. Drift brimmed a ‘burnout’—

giving the fans a movie scene of noisy spinning tires and full tractions as the smoke engulfed the track.

The Clark International Speedway was transformed into a mosh pit of raving racing cars and motorcycles, flashing its striking neonlike colors of headlights and wheels rims, synced into the beat of a ‘fast and the furious’ type of music.

Cars and motorsports fans and enthusiasts feasted their eyes on the motorcycle show by Run 17’s and the car show by Formula1. From pickup trucks showing off tough wheels, thunderous speaker systems boarding SUVs and sedans, classic engines of retro cars, to a modern and sleek physique of motorcycles, the Speed Fest by 4S1M clearly did not disappoint the attendees. Fol-

lowing the exhibition, victors of the motorcycle drag race, car drifting and touge battles were awarded with trophies and cash prizes.

Extending the excitement of everyone, the raffle draw took place wherein an orange Yamaha Aerox motorcycle for the grand prize, a 45” Flat Screen TV for the second prize, and a refrigerator for the third, were all taken home by the lucky winners.

For more information on 4S1M and 4S1M-Yamaha Racing Team powered by BRT and Racing Force, interested parties may visit its showroom located at Racing Force, 2nd Avenue along Rizal Avenue, Caloocan City; visit their website at www.4s1m.com; or like its Facebook page, www.facebook.com/forcespeed1m.

PayMaya, McDonald’s franchisee teaming up

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Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018

B1

SSS, Megawide eye infra venture

By Jenniffer B. Austria

S

TATE-pension fund Social Security System and Megawide Construction Corp. plan to form a joint venture that that will bid for the redevelopment of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

SSS chairman Amado Valdez said the two formed a task force that would conduct a feasibility study on the NAIA redevelopment, as well as other infrastructure projects like railways,

tollroads, highways and airports.

The Megawide-SSS partnership will likely compete with the so called “super consortium” composed of Ayala

Corp., LT Group Inc., Filinvest Group, JG Summit Holdings Inc., Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Megaworld Corp. The group earlier announced plans to submit an unsolicited proposal to the Duterte administration for the much-needed rehabilitation and upgrade of the country’s main gateway.

Amado said the SSS’ move to directly invest in

infrastructure projects was aimed to boost the pension fund’s recurring income and help augment revenues amid the implementation of the pension hike approved by President Rodrigo Duterte.

SSS has been looking to participate in the booming infrastructure sector given the government’s focus on the “Build Build Build” infrastructure program.

Valdez said the infrastructure projects that SSS

would join would be subject to a review by the risk committee of the pension fund.

“We will have the safety nets to protect the fund,” Valdez said.

The planned MegawideSSS joint venture followed the pension fund’s decision to raise its stake in the construction firm to 5.12 percent in December.

“Our entry into Megawide is highly strategic. We see investments in the infrastructure sector as viable

The country’s largest foreign bank and its top university have formed a partnership to equip microentrepreneurs in Central Luzon with skills to succeed in business. Citi Philippines chief executive Aftab Ahmed (from left) formalizes the partnership with UP Chancellor Michael Tan, University of the Philippines Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga director Grace Jamon and UP Foundation Inc. executive director Gerardo Agulto.

BoI to include Marawi City, others in investment priority areas THE Board of Investments has proposed the inclusion of Marawi City and affected adjacent communities in the list of Less Developed Areas to attract investments and create more jobs for residents and displaced persons.

“Listing these areas as LDAs will encourage more investors, both local and foreign, to seriously look into investment opportunities in the said areas,” said Trade Undersecretary and BoI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo.

dence in the company’s vision and we are motivated to work even harder so we can deliver positive returns for all out stakeholders,” Saavedra said.

Megawide recently bagged the engineering, procurement and construction contract of the P12.5billion Clark International Airport expansion project.

It also submitted an unsolicited proposal for the P51 billion East-West Railway Project.

Robinsons Land’s stock rights offering approved

CITI ADVOCACY.

By Othel V. Campos

given the level of funding being poured by the public and private sectors into the infrastructure drive and volume of projects across the country,” Valdez said.

Megawide chairman Edgar Saavedra said SSS’ investment in the construction firm was a vote of confidence for the company.

“It is encouraging that SSS, the country’s biggest pension fund, is willing to invest in Megawide. It is an outstanding vote of confi-

Investment projects under LDAs are entitled to maximum incentives provided under the Omnibus Investments Code, including a 100-percent deduction from taxable income of major infrastructure works under the 2017 Investment Priorities Plan.

Among the activities entitled to incentives are manufacturing, agribusiness, services, infrastructure, logistics, power generation, and mass housing.

The BoI is approving investment projects that create impact and those that are socially-relevant and labor-

intensive and promote innovation.

Earlier in 2016, the BoI approved the inclusion of 134 calamity-stricken cities and municipalities including those devastated by Typhoon Yolanda in the list of LDAs in the 2014-2016 IPP. The initiative aims to stabilize and speed up the rehabilitation and re-development in the areas devastated by the super typhoon in 2013.

The BoI approved 92 projects worth P141.36 billion on Yolanda-devastated areas from November 2013 to October 2017 that will generate

around 12,622 in new jobs at full operations.

About 83 percent of the approved investment projects were in the power sector.

They included 27 renewable energy project, two bunkerfired power plants, one diesel generator, an energy storage and one energy source exploration.

The balance of the registered investment activities are shared by the sectors of transportation and storage, manufacturing, real estate activities, mostly mass housing projects, accommodation and food service.

Trade Secretary and BoI chairman Ramon Lopez reassured foreign and local investors that the government was prioritizing the restoration of peace and order in the country, and safeguarding the citizens and the security of businesses and investments.

“We wish to reassure our investors that the peace and order climate in the country remains stable and sound,” he said, adding the government guarantees the protection of investments and the right to repatriate profits.

IN BRIEF SC order will keep salary tax high

FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said many people will be affected if the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives succeeds in securing a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court stopping the implementation of the first package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program.

In a 34-page petition, lawmakers led by Rep. Carlos Zarate said the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law should be considered void because the House approved it without a quorum as required in the Constitution. “... Well, if they get a TRO, then you guys will not benefit from the tax reduction in your salary. All of us will not benefit,” Dominguez told reporters in a briefing.

But he welcomed the move of the lawmakers, saying “everybody is entitled to file a weak or strong case... That is democracy,” Dominguez said. Julito G. Rada

Subic terminal bullish this year

SUBIC Bay International Terminal Corp. said it is optimistic about its prospects this year due to increasing investments and activities in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

“The Subic Freeport Zone is bustling with activity from various logistics and trading firms and we project growth will continue due to the infrastructure program of the administration,” SBITC president Roberto Locsin said.

“2018 will be an exciting year for the Subic Bay Freeport Zone as various international firms have recognized the potential of Subic Bay as a strategic gateway in the Asian market. With cautious optimism, SBITC will continue to be a progressive partner for economic prosperity through managing our ports,” Locsin added.

The government has allocated P500 million to refurbish the piers and wharves in the Subic Bay Freeport zone. Darwin G. Amojelar

World Bank okays $170-m loan

THE board of executive directors of the World Bank has approved $170 million in additional financing for the Philippine Rural Development Project designed to boost rural incomes and reduce poverty in the country.

Jointly implemented by local government units and the Department of Agriculture, the additional financing will support development of rural infrastructure such as roads, bridges, communal irrigation systems, potable water supply, solar dryers, greenhouses, and composting facilities.

Over 400,000 rural residents are estimated to directly benefit from the project’s infrastructure initiatives, and another 100,000 from the development of rural enterprises.

“The PRDP is one of the most innovative projects of the Philippines,” Mara Warwick, World Bank country director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand, said in a statement Friday.

Julito G. Rada

SMART’S REWARDS PROGRAM. Executives of PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. led by CEO Manuel Pangilinan (fourth from right) congratulate on stage the raffle winners during the recent Ka-Partner Level Up national retailers’ convention at Smart Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City. The year 2017 has proven gainful for Smart Communications’ load retailers, who have reaped the benefits of the company’s Ka-Partner Rewards loyalty incentive program.

ROBINSONS Land Corp. obtained the approval of the Philippine Stock Exchange to proceed with a planned P20-billion stock rights offering.

Robinsons Land will offer up to 1.1 billion common shares at an offering price of between P18 and P21 apiece.

Shareholders as of record date Jan. 31 will be entitled to purchase one right share for every 3.7 to 4.3 common stocks owned.

The offering period is set from Feb. 2 to 8, with the listing date scheduled on Feb 15. BPI Capital Corp is the sole issue manager, book runner and underwriter of the offering.

The property company expects to raise gross proceeds of up to P20 billion, which it will use to finance the acquisition of land in several parts of the country for all its business segments.

JG Summit Holdings Inc., which owns 60.97 percent of Robinsons Land, has committed to purchase not just its entitlement of rights but also any unsubscribed portion during the offering period.

Robinsons Land reported total consolidated revenues of P16.64 billion in the first nine months 2017, down 2.8 percent from P17.11 billion year-on-year.

Net income in the same period stood at P4.57 billion, up 1.5 percent from P4.50 billion on year.

Robinsons Land as of end-September last year had 46 malls, 13 office developments in strategic locations and within central business districts, 16 hotel properties across three brand segments and over 100 vertical and horizontal residential properties nationwide, providing the company with stability in revenue and earnings growth, as well as opportunities to accelerate growth during property up-cycles.

Robinsons Land in 2016 completed the acquisition of an 8.5-hectare property in Chengdu, China, marking its first international foray. The company plans to develop the property into a residential project with a minor commercial component. It plans to pre-sell the residential projects in China this year. Jenniffer B. Austria

Metro Pacific secures P8-b loan to retire debt CONGLOMERATE Metro Pacific Investments Corp. has obtained P8 billion worth of term loan facility to partially finance a debt redemption plan.

Metro Pacific said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the P8-billion loan had a tenor of 10 and 15 years.

Metro Pacific plans to use the loan proceeds to partially finance “the redemption of the outstanding debt obligations of Beacon Electric Asset Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MPIC and for other general corporate purposes.”

The conglomerate hired BDO Capital & Investment Corp. as arranger and bookrunner.

The conglomerate has been tapping the debt market and indicated it has no plans to raise capital through the equities market to finance its programmed capital expenditures over the next five years.

Metro Pacific in December secured a 10-year fixed-rate term loan worth P5 billion from BDO Unibank Inc and a similar amount and tenor from Union Bank of the Philippines to finance its investments in several projects.

Metro Pacific plans to spend P100 billion in capital expenditure this year, or nearly double the P56-billon programmed spending in 2017.

Metro Pacific will allot the bulk or P38 billion of the 2018 capital spending to the tollroad business, P21 billion for Manila Electric Co., P17 billion for Light Rail Manila Corp., and P6 billion each for Maynilad Water Services Inc. and logistics and hospital units.

The conglomerate also plans to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission a P30-billion bond shelf registration with an initial tranche of P10 billion, its maiden issue.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Cusi orders Meralco to explain P0.08 per kWh power rate increase

By Alena Mae S. Flores

ENERGY Secretary Alfonso Cusi has asked Manila Electric Co. to explain its computation of a P0.08 per kilowatt-hour increase in electricity rates following the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion, or TRAIN, tax package. “… I asked Meralco how did it arrive at P0.08 per kWh,” Cusi told reporters.

Cusi directed Energy Undersecretary Jesus Posadas

to study the impact of the TRAIN on the power sector.

“That is the role of DoE, we set the policy, we make sure that everybody will follow the policy,” the energy chief said.

Meralco head of utility economics Lawrence Fernandez said early this week the company was waiting for the billing of National Grid Corp. of the Philippines to reflect the lifting of the value added tax exemption that would increase rates by P0.07 per kilowatt-hour.

Fernandez said the impact

of the higher excise tax on coal was around P0.01 per kWh. Cusi said the department was also studying the impact of the TRAIN on the Small Power Utilities Group, or the missionary areas of National Power Corp.

“These people are scrutinizing all of those to make sure that the consumers are protected,” he said.

Cusi said he had a responsibility to the public to ensure the rates passed on the utilities were accurate.

Fernandez said NGCP was previously exempted from the VAT on transmission wheeling charges until it was repealed by the TRAIN. “For NGCP, the TRAIN is in effect January 1. We expect them to apply the VAT on transmission wheeling charges, Fernandez said, adding a 12 percent percent VAT would add P0.07 per kWh to the electric bills of consumers.

He said the earliest Meralco could pass on the TRAIN impact to consumers would

be in the February billing.

“If NGCP incorporates it in their January billing, we should expect by February that it will be effective,” Fernandez said.

He said the impact of higher excise tax on coal on Meralco customer was estimated at P0.01 per kWh. “For generators, it will depend on their stock of coal if they bought it new or in stock. Our expectations is they will stagger the implementation of the coal tax,” he said.

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Business

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks close flat; Ayala rises

T

he stock market closed virtually flat Friday on mixed trading, with investors consolidating their holdings ahead of the release of fourth-quarter corporate earnings.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 1.37 points, or 0.02 percent, to 8,814.62 on a value turnover of nearly P8 billion.

Losers edged gainers, 103 to 96, with 48 issues unchanged.

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second biggest bank in terms of assets, rose 1.6 percent to P109.70, while conglomerate Ayala Corp. gained 1.4 percent to P1,065.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures

Inc., which is into power generation, banking, electricity distribution and flour milling, declined 2.2 percent to P73.70, while Semirara Mining and Power Corp., the largest coal miner and a major power producer, fell 2.2 percent to P37.

Most Asian markets, meanwhile, resumed their positive start to the year on Friday with Hong Kong extending its record run to 14 days while the euro held

gains after the previous day’s jump.

Investors were once again provided a strong lead from Wall Street where all three main indexes advanced to new all-time highs, with energy firms riding a surge in oil prices.

Confidence across world markets is booming on the back of a healthy economic outlook and optimism about corporate profits heading into the latest earnings season.

Hong Kong rose 0.7 percent, supported by flows of cash from mainland Chinese investors attracted by cheaper valuations than at

home. The rally has put the Hang Seng Index within two percent of its record high that was set in October 2007.

Shanghai finished 0.1 percent up, an 11th successive gain, while Seoul added 0.3 percent. Singapore climbed 0.2 percent and Taipei put on 0.7 percent. Sydney was marginally higher.

However, Tokyo ended 0.2 percent lower on a stronger yen.

The Japanese unit has strengthened this week after the country’s central bank cut back on its bond-buying stimulus program. The dollar fell toward 111 yen

briefly Thursday, its lowest since November, with disappointing US factory gate inflation adding downward pressure.

The euro also ticked up against the greenback after minutes from the European Central Bank’s December board meeting showed members were considering altering their guidance on policy in light of the eurozone’s improving economy.

That suggests policymakers are leading towards winding in their own crisisera stimulus program, putting it on course to synchronize with the US Federal

Reserve, which is already in the process of raising interest rates.

“The big picture is that any shift in communication, whether it happens in March or June or if it’s gradual or hawkish, now seems to be backed by the majority of the governing council, which didn’t seem to be the case in October,” Frederik Ducrozet, an economist at Banque Pictet & Cie in Geneva, told Bloomberg News.

The euro, which had eased slightly this week, bounced back above $1.20 Thursday and was consolidating in Asia. With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review Friday, January 12, 2018

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 3.18 282,000 59.85 8,490 116.8 1,503,410 3.9 368,000 164.9 3,145,360 1.94 1,131,000 37 1,903,100 15.6 1,300 31.05 3,792,500 0.7 2,690,000 1.7 49,000 0.58 194,000 109.7 2,484,920 1.18 9,197,000 12.8 187,100 56.95 321,500 240 5,470 88.95 50 55.6 144,850 255.4 3,136,680 90.05 70,240 1.24 509,000

859,010 506,779 175,710,538 1,446,730 521,066,207 2,174,640 70,228,445 20,230 118,301,410 1,883,000 83,450 112,600 271,288,053 10,524,470 2,384,182 18,331,882 1,315,210 4,447.50 8,062,738.50 809,481,238 6,323,111.50 634,310

-67,100 400,912 34,602,256 108,746,789 -494,700 10,380,095 10,012,450 71,777,246 176,510.00 -38,400 -3,724,344.50 -4,675,042.50 11,764,830 -344,927.50 -

39.8 10.54 0.62 1.3 17 0.215 112.1 5.26 15.34 51.15 19.2 62 59.15 1.9 5.4 10.8 11.5 15.36 12.74 7.85 5.57 15.9 62.5 28.1 10 17.9 1.97 255 58.25 4.13 3.22 19 28.25 18.08 17.54 325.2 0.198 9.37 2.2 4.9 9.23 5 8.3 1.76 12.34 64.05 6.35 550 4.81 2.05 4.13 1.76 13.7 5.47 0.133 1.15 163 2.84 2.05 0.82

INDUSTRIAL 40 1,699,700 10.78 1,004,700 0.65 179,000 1.35 1,358,000 17.7 11,300 0.219 280,000 120 990 5.27 2,772,300 15.5 3,192,300 54 1,611,410 19.5 3,600 62 21,340 61.8 300 1.91 62,000 5.4 11,000 11 4,300 11.66 2,595,600 15.5 1,983,000 12.88 8,394,800 7.87 551,300 5.6 771,700 15.92 2,532,400 62.95 77,220 28.25 176,400 10.04 800,900 18 368,600 2 1,289,000 255 1,311,930 58.25 200 4.13 76,000 3.28 49,000 20.15 1,000 28.25 322,500 18.1 148,300 17.94 1,398,500 331 287,790 0.203 1,000,000 9.37 600 2.25 2,461,000 4.97 144,600 9.25 4,586,600 5.01 322,300 8.3 20,000 1.78 2,115,000 12.42 359,000 64.05 106,310 6.35 9,300 557 40,110 4.82 18,000 2.07 26,000 4.13 21,000 1.77 137,000 14.06 1,805,100 5.5 152,400 0.134 1,090,000 1.19 73,000 163 1,159,410 73,000 2.85 2.05 11,318,000 0.82 180,000

68,565,710 10,919,394 114,350 1,791,520 196,700 60,520 117,856 14,812,617 49,458,446 85,292,459 70,124 1,326,410 18,275 118,170 59,400 47,000 30,256,638 30,762,056 109,179,538 4,330,034 4,324,803 40,378,816 4,858,959 5,067,430 8,041,160 6,677,898 2,567,320 336,474,914 11,650 314,530 158,800 19,240 9,209,900 2,687,726 24,712,484 95,060,644 199,300 5,627 5,481,760 722,393 42,765,345 1,612,827 166,000 3,765,710 4,471,716 6,814,487 59,058 22,444,300 87,410 53,440 86,890 244,420 25,352,008 837,823 145,830 84,880 191,813,825 209,640 23,678,190 149,250

-22,344,315 1,083,652 209,896 -13,021,866 -472,447 -1,050,222.50 -49,140 3,982,390 12,097,130 -3,615,026 2,972,795 3,207,613 -3,926,710 4,350,279.50 2,910 -7,700,206 784,410 -56,263,272 -11,650 -38,640 -1,065,355 -544,800 10,148,590 34,458,514 -1,042,140 5,100 -6,654,353 41,500 3,560,670 728,693.00 -4,323,130 14,850 -28,980 -62,110 11,077,154 5,390 -26,697,676 -4,078,050 -

0.315 76.9 16.2 0.97 6.99 0.46 0.5 1,065 7.69 14.64 7.6 6.7 1,435 7.8 79.8 5.32 0.71 5.8 21.6 0.33 6.7 0.045 1.42 2.06 2.5 133 1,044 0.81 1.77 287 0.234 0.183 0.192

0.295 73.35 16 0.97 6.99 0.44 0.48 1,035 7.62 14.38 7.5 5 1,410 7.59 77.1 5.29 0.68 5.66 21.1 0.3 6.55 0.043 1.15 2.06 2.5 127.3 1,026 0.8 1.68 283 0.232 0.182 0.192

HOLDING FIRMS 0.3 1,410,000 73.7 5,356,750 16.1 1,506,300 0.97 50,000 6.99 2,000 0.44 6,070,000 0.49 1,720,000 1,065 363,710 7.68 7,321,300 14.6 11,186,100 7.6 6,500 5 45,000 1,430 126,590 7.6 3,519,200 77.9 569,480 5.29 1,500 0.69 564,000 5.7 360,600 21.3 6,051,500 0.33 590,000 6.55 12,886,000 0.044 11,800,000 1.26 1,949,000 2.06 34,000 2.5 30,000 129 534,770 1,029 235,085 0.8 178,000 1.76 1,556,000 283 4,390 0.232 20,000 0.182 240,000 0.192 10,000

423,400 395,955,409.50 24,273,844 48,500 13,980 2,708,800 841,600 383,112,000 56,140,129 163,194,370 49,195 238,550 180,273,000 26,747,060 44,715,128 7,941 388,770 2,059,129 127,907,510 182,400 85,580,817 513,200 2,581,570 70,040 75,000 69,773,658 243,171,320 142,530 2,684,330 1,246,706 4,660 43,720 1,920

16,337,328 1,159,046 -48,500 -49,500 65,808,390 1,208,676 -26,417,312 36,319,490 24,371,560 29,502,850 501,763 13,132,230 -3,496,135 -28,580,937 -7,145,630 28,386 -

6.2 1.11 13.46 2.3 1.02 44.65 3.95 4.93 5.77 0.485 1.12 1.16 0.219 0.47 41.4 0.65 0.139 1.89 1.4 0.83

6.16 1.06 13.46 2.29 0.95 44.1 3.87 4.77 5.63 0.48 1.12 1.13 0.218 0.455 40.8 0.65 0.139 1.87 1.37 0.77

1,729,472 7,414,020 13,460 87,200 16,271,570 542,079,345 2,567,450 14,199,340 261,965 1,143,500 8,960 83,090 185,800 993,700 6,519,180 802,100 11,120 6,811,890 4,977,690 85,240

70,338 -88,600 -194,229,180 443,770 -128,110 213,390 -52,950 5,124,110 -770,900 2,412,560 1,390 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

3.1 59.6 117 3.87 165.5 1.92 36.05 15.68 31.35 0.7 1.76 0.57 108.1 1.2 12.76 57.3 242 88.95 55.5 255 89.9 1.26

3.2 59.85 117.4 4.36 167.7 1.94 37.5 15.68 31.5 0.7 1.76 0.59 109.7 1.2 12.8 57.3 242 88.95 56 260 90.2 1.26

3 59.6 116.2 3.87 164 1.9 36.05 15.32 30.9 0.7 1.7 0.57 108.1 1.1 12.02 56.8 240 88.95 55.5 254.4 89.9 1.24

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

41.7 11.06 0.63 1.33 17.94 0.219 112.1 5.32 15.54 51.55 19.2 62.75 59.15 1.91 5.4 10.8 11.8 15.7 12.94 7.95 5.58 16 62.65 29.2 10.06 17.94 2 257.8 58.25 4.18 3.22 19.02 29 18.16 17.76 325.2 0.2 9.38 2.24 5.1 9.27 5 8.3 1.8 12.34 64.4 6.36 573 4.95 2.07 4.14 1.76 13.7 5.47 0.135 1.17 166.5 2.87 2.06 0.83

41.7 11.06 0.65 1.35 17.94 0.219 120 5.41 15.54 54 19.62 62.75 61.8 1.91 5.4 11 11.8 15.72 13.1 7.95 5.63 16.06 63 29.45 10.08 18.18 2.03 258 58.25 4.27 3.28 20.15 29 18.18 17.94 331 0.203 9.38 2.25 5.1 9.42 5.18 8.3 1.8 12.62 64.4 6.36 573 4.95 2.07 4.14 1.89 14.2 5.51 0.135 1.19 169 2.9 2.1 0.83

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

0.315 76.9 16.14 0.97 6.99 0.45 0.49 1,050 7.66 14.5 7.55 5 1,410 7.6 77.1 5.32 0.7 5.7 21.1 0.305 6.62 0.044 1.15 2.06 2.5 132.1 1,040 0.81 1.73 284 0.234 0.182 0.192

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

6.16 1.09 13.46 2.3 0.96 44.35 3.95 4.77 5.76 0.48 1.12 1.13 0.218 0.46 41 0.65 0.139 1.89 1.37 0.83

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

5.14 0.35 0.35 0.61 4.77 21.05 2.2 3.18 38.5 1.04 8.3 0.84 5.95

5.14 0.355 0.365 0.61 5 21.3 2.2 3.18 38.9 1.04 9.5 0.87 5.95

5.02 0.34 0.35 0.58 4.65 21 2.11 3.18 38.5 1.03 8.1 0.84 5.91

5.1 0.34 0.36 0.59 5 21.05 2.11 3.18 38.9 1.04 8.1 0.86 5.95

36,556,200 21,510,000 3,900,000 3,756,000 1,669,000 2,493,800 1,185,000 2,000 6,451,700 831,000 9,400 46,000 3,005,400

185,469,326 7,435,600 1,409,500 2,196,660 8,052,180 52,601,530 2,540,180 6,360 249,508,730 861,700 84,083 38,910 17,822,386

-75,748,629 116,700 408,000 -180,060.00 -6,291,895 8,002,115 -9,769,239

2GO GROUP ABS CBN APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CHELSEA DFNN INC DISCOVERY WORLD EASYCALL GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN HAVEN 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

21.8 34.5 0.44 0.047 12 11.48 0.071 100.5 8.48 7.4 2.36 16.2 1,739 6 21.9 4.52 2.62 110.7 14.7 8.33 0.141 1.4 3.07 15.2 3.88 1.17 22.8 0.53 4.33 8.29 3.72 18.98 2.99 10.94 11.52 2.9 111 7.21 1,408 1.3 0.365 53.6 98.6 5.6 3.1 1.55 2.65 4.02 1.01 8.68

22.45 34.85 0.44 0.047 12 11.6 0.071 101 8.53 7.4 2.37 22.7 1,740 6 21.95 4.64 2.71 112 14.7 8.33 0.141 1.47 3.16 15.2 3.9 1.17 23 0.53 4.4 8.5 3.73 18.98 3.04 10.94 12.52 2.9 111 7.31 1,440 1.3 0.375 54.25 101.8 5.96 3.1 1.56 3.57 4.09 1.01 8.84

21.4 34.45 0.43 0.043 12 11.24 0.071 98.8 8.35 7.1 2.2 16.2 1,723 5.93 21.6 4.48 2.62 108.5 14.5 8.32 0.138 1.38 3.07 15.2 3.83 1.13 22.55 0.53 4.2 8.2 3.68 18.78 2.91 10.9 11 2.8 107.5 7.21 1,408 1.28 0.365 53 96.75 5.55 3.07 1.54 2.63 3.98 0.99 8.68

SERVICES 22.15 34.7 0.435 0.045 12 11.3 0.071 98.95 8.36 7.35 2.32 22.7 1,740 5.93 21.95 4.48 2.64 108.5 14.5 8.32 0.141 1.41 3.16 15.2 3.89 1.13 22.6 0.53 4.37 8.2 3.68 18.78 2.95 10.94 11.36 2.9 107.5 7.31 1,419 1.28 0.375 53.5 100 5.96 3.09 1.54 3.15 4.09 0.99 8.7

514,300 44,000 3,740,000 35,500,000 21,400 10,494,800 5,270,000 131,770 1,072,900 13,000 52,000 1,298,200 38,425 454,300 66,500 1,723,000 31,000 1,308,790 14,600 139,100 4,500,000 2,304,000 26,000 400 293,000 140,000 1,358,200 30,000 362,000 8,371,100 844,000 300 4,843,000 2,600 180,900 50,000 7,400 1,017,600 125,830 698,000 390,000 1,052,430 1,030,490 481,600 454,000 2,098,000 25,297,000 910,000 2,060,000 3,883,700

11,340,620 1,529,970 1,618,050 1,599,400 256,800 120,161,784 374,170 13,142,550 9,015,522 95,375 119,400 27,219,706 66,681,740 2,707,199 1,456,550 7,774,640 82,480 145,587,784 212,456 1,158,473 625,590 3,264,440 80,000 6,080 1,131,240 159,100 30,854,015 15,900 1,543,470 68,954,146 3,124,840 5,654 14,428,100 28,416 2,070,548 144,500 809,569 7,413,268 178,582,400 898,690 142,450 56,423,837.50 103,108,648.50 2,819,398 1,399,610 3,238,070 80,767,170 3,650,000 2,050,700 34,116,783

-45,455 92,400 -9,000 -15,600 17,434,318 -997,358 92,390 -9,250 42,391,090 238,180 18,860,981 -12,481 19,400 9,112,870 15,518,767.00 549,760 -87,300 18,598 -273,493 38,354,330 -269,110 27,681,352.50 -8,507,946 1,221,800 -83,400 878,400 762,820 152,750.00 9,377,796

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

0.0022 1.59 4.91 1.75 1.59 0.315 7.25 2.64 0.199 0.157 0.16 0.0096 0.01 1.7 6.71 1.45 0.93 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.03 6.6 8 37.85 0.007

0.0023 1.6 4.95 1.75 1.6 0.325 7.25 2.64 0.199 0.157 0.16 0.0097 0.01 1.7 6.79 1.49 0.94 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.1 6.7 8.3 38.05 0.007

0.0022 1.56 4.9 1.75 1.59 0.315 7.1 2.62 0.198 0.154 0.158 0.0096 0.01 1.69 6.58 1.41 0.92 0.012 0.012 0.011 2.03 6.56 7.95 36.7 0.007

MINING & OIL 0.0023 39,000,000 1.58 2,137,000 4.95 338,300 1.75 1,000 1.59 429,000 0.325 1,160,000 7.18 21,400 2.62 524,000 0.198 50,000 0.156 2,080,000 0.159 1,190,000 0.0097 7,000,000 0.01 10,000,000 1.69 148,000 6.59 1,858,000 1.48 111,000 0.92 130,000 0.012 2,400,000 0.012 500,000 0.011 121,100,000 2.1 51,000 6.59 863,600 8.05 1,881,100 37 3,896,600 0.007 1,000,000

86,000 3,363,690 1,660,291 1,750 683,200 374,700 153,049 1,377,010 9,910 323,050 188,780 67,500 100,000 250,500 12,369,999 158,090 121,000 28,800 6,400 1,434,600 107,020 5,698,622 15,344,863 145,390,760 7,000

31,400 9,800 127,000 34,220 -79,300 1,843,533 -1,300 750,015 3,066,040 6,392,900 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 DD PREF FGEN PREF F GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF SFI PREF SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

34.1 517.5 104.4 104 5.76 1,008 1,020 102.1 1.05 105.7 2.05 76.7 80 76.7 78.8 75.8 78.5 78

34.2 520.5 104.4 105.8 5.76 1,008 1,025 102.1 1.05 105.7 2.07 76.7 80 76.7 78.8 76.2 78.6 78

33.8 513 104.4 104 5.64 1,008 1,020 102 1.04 105.7 2.05 76.7 79.5 76.7 78.8 75.8 78.5 78

PREFERRED 33.8 569,500 513.5 1,610 104.4 16,400 105.8 7,900 5.64 617,600 1,008 100 1,025 190 102.1 16,340 1.04 53,000 105.7 500 2.07 11,000 76.7 100 79.5 14,710 76.7 90,690 78.8 27,000 76.2 111,170 78.6 30,420 78 127,950

19,365,095 826,310 1,712,160 822,290 3,510,817 100,800 194,075 1,668,304 55,460 52,850 22,650 7,670 1,174,135 6,955,923 2,127,600 8,440,736 2,390,342 9,980,100

-2,122,295 -3,102,230 -

LR WARRANT

2.4

2.4

2.36

WARRANTS 2.37 209,000

495,070

-2,370

16,620,916 14,070 144,060 8,026,016

140,150 268,873

1,275,488

-

NAME

MS

PROPERTY 6.2 1.09 13.46 2.29 1.01 44.35 3.89 4.9 5.77 0.48 1.12 1.16 0.219 0.465 40.8 0.65 0.139 1.87 1.38 0.82

279,800 6,841,000 1,000 38,000 16,291,000 12,227,500 660,000 2,909,000 45,500 2,380,000 8,000 73,000 850,000 2,140,000 158,900 1,234,000 80,000 3,631,000 3,590,000 107,000

ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

7.99 2.82 3.6 5.12

8.1 2.82 3.66 5.2

7.65 2.81 3.52 4.98

FIRST METRO ETF

133.4

134

133.3

7.77 2.81 3.53 5

SME

2,132,600 5,000 40,000 1,596,900

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 133.3 9,560

Trading Summary SHARES

VALUE

FINANCIAL

31,809,009

2,093,988,134.37

INDUSTRIAL

67,595,507

1,415,362,454.22

HOLDING FIRMS

83,991,112

1,934,783,010.84

PROPERTY

136,610,718

1,206,790,662.90

SERVICES

126,997,459

1,080,388,181.38

MINING & OIL

198,452,877

189,325,082.849

GRAND TOTAL

649,240,848

7,946,719,140.56

FINANCIAL 2,325.65 (UP) 8.18 INDUSTRIAL 11,471.49 (DOWN) 104.46 HOLDING FIRMS 8,995.48 (UP) 6.04 PROPERTY 4,020.67 (UP) 15.55 SERVICES 1,619.58 (UP) 0.63 MINING & OIL 11,752.81 (DOWN) 144.90 PSEI 8,814.62 (UP) 1.37 All Shares Index 5,098.75 (DOWN) 2.66 Gainers: 96; Losers: 103; Unchanged: 48; Total: 247

PayMaya, McDonald’s franchisee teaming up

By Darwin G. Amojelar PAYMAYA Philippines Inc. has teamed up with Golden Arches Development Corp., the franchise holder of McDonald’s in the Philippines, to accept cashless payments in over 40 stores nationwide.

“This is digital technology at its most convenient, and we are working toward enabling more partners like McDonald’s to further build a ‘cashless’ ecosystem all around the country,” PLDT Inc., Smart Communications and PayMaya chairman Manuel Pangilinan said Friday.

“We’re starting with McDonald’s today, but we envision a future where most of our transactions will be carried out with the help of a PayMaya account,” he added.

Over 40 McDonald’s restaurants nationwide have already begun accepting card payments for all types of Mastercard and Visa credit, debit and prepaid cards, including PayMaya Visa cards and Smart Mastercard.

The company will also soon be accepting PayMaya QR payments in its McCafe BGC Arts Center and McCafe Tagaytay Calamba stores, with more stores accepting QR-based payments in the coming months.

“Our goal is to continuously provide our customers with a convenient and feel-good restaurant experience, which is why we are committed in seeking out innovations that can deliver this to them,” McDonald’s president and chief executive Kenneth Yang,said.

EasyCall focusing on remote provinces EASYCALL Communications Philippines Inc. said it will focus on providing data communications and satellite technology to bring connectivity to farflung Philippine provinces.

“The need for connectivity is more important than ever, and we feel the responsibility to open up that possibility to millions of Filipinos who have limited connectivity access,” Easycall president Zaki Delgado said.

The company over the years rolled out its EasyNet VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) managed service to underserved and unserved provincial communities in Samar, Quezon, Iloilo, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Leyte and Antique, and is currently setting up VSAT installations in Zambales, Negros Occidental, Cavite, Bicol, Isabela, Iloilo and Cebu as part of efforts to continue to improve the digital landscape of the Philippines.

“There is a critical demand for connectivity in far-flung cities and municipalities, especially in the aftermath of disasters and emergencies, for businesses with remote offices, and for efficient access to services. Despite the complexities we are facing with the terrain and climate [of the Philippines], VSAT can effectively deliver secure and reliable connectivity to these places, and enable progress and development,” Delgado adds.

Darwin G. Amojelar

World

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018

B3

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

All jewels Trump decision looms over Iran nuke deal as Europe watches recovered after heist in the Ritz PARIS―All of the jewels looted in a multi-millioneuro robbery at the Ritz hotel in Paris have been recovered, a source close to the case said Thursday, as a police hunt for two of the robbers continued.

In the latest of a series of audacious heists in France, a gang armed with hatchets and handguns burst into the fivestar hotel on the capital’s glitzy Place Vendome on Wednesday evening and smashed the display windows of jewelry shops on the ground floor.

The robbers, wearing balaclavas and gloves, entered through a rear staff entrance and swiped gems and watches worth over four million euros ($4.8 million).

But the plot began to unravel as soon as they attempted to make their getaway, with three men arrested when they came up against locked doors as they tried to flee out the back of the building.

Some of the loot was recovered after being dropped during those arrests, a source told AFP. The rest of the jewels and watches were found in a bag dropped by one of the two robbers who got away, another source said.

The three arrested men, all around 30 years old, are from the Seine-Saint-Denis area north of Paris, and are “well known to the police for armed robbery, violent crime and receiving stolen goods”, a source close to the inquiry said. Police extended their custody for a further 24 hours on Thursday night. AFP

‘Frost Boy’ stir’s debate on poverty BEIJING―A viral photo of a Chinese boy whose hair is encrusted with ice after his hour-long walk to school in freezing temperatures has stirred debate about the impact of poverty on children in the rural regions.

Wang Fuman, a primary school student in southwest Yunnan province, gained the moniker “Frost Boy” after his principal shared a photo online of his rosy cheeks and icy hair, Chinese media reported this week.

According to the stateowned China News Service agency, the teacher who took the photo said it generally takes Wang more than an hour to make the 4.5-kilometer journey from his home to the school.

The temperature was -9 degrees Celsius the day the photo was taken, China News Service reported.

Other photos online appeared to show Wang’s chapped and swollen hands atop a near-perfect exam sheet.

Poverty alleviation has been one of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s banner initiatives since taking office in 2012.

Calling for the establishment of a “moderately prosperous society,” Xi has vowed to wipe out rural poverty by 2020.

Official statistics found in 2016 that around 43.3 million rural residents still lived below the country’s official poverty line of 2,300 yuan ($346) a year in the country of 1.4 billion people. AFP

WASHINGTON―US President Donald Trump was set Friday to decide whether to jeopardize the 2015 Iran nuclear deal by re-imposing American sanctions on an agreement European leaders say is working just fine.

Washington agreed to sanctions relief under the terms of the landmark agreement reached between

Tehran and six world powers―an accord Trump has denounced as one of the worst of all time.

US officials expect Trump to grudgingly sign the sanction waivers once again before they start to expire this weekend―though he is also likely to impose new sanctions on Tehran over nonnuclear issues.

But the angst in Berlin, Brussels, London and Paris underlined what is at stake: the mercurial US president is quite capable of sabotaging the agreement.

America’s allies see the accord as the best way of thwarting Iran’s quest for nuclear arms and a victory for multilateral diplomacy.

Tehran categorically de-

nies it is seeking to develop atomic weapons.

But Trump argues that his predecessor Barack Obama gave away too much to Iran in sanctions relief, without forcing the Islamic republic to end its ballistic missile program and aggressive support for militant groups.

“The president still strongly believes this is

one of the worst deals of all time,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters as Trump’s meeting started.

“One of the single greatest flaws is its restrictions leave Iran free... to openly develop their nuclear program and rapidly achieve a nuclear weapons breakout capability.”

Sanders did not say when an announcement would be made. State Department officials initially suggested it could come as early as Thursday, but later said it would not happen before Friday.

Trump has already declared that he thinks the Iran nuclear deal is no longer in the United States’ national interest. AFP

Trump insults immigrants W

ASHINGTON―President Donald Trump reportedly lashed out in a Thursday meeting with lawmakers about immigration reform, demanding to know why the US should accept citizens from what he called “shithole” countries.

VOLUNTEER SANTA CLAUSES. This file photo taken on November 28, 2015 shows men dressed as father christmas and women dressed as angels attending the annual meeting of volunteer Santa Clauses and Angels in Berlin. AFP

Drinking by Australia’s teenagers continues to decline SYDNEY―Drinking among Australian teenagers has declined sharply in the past two decades, with parents less likely to supply kids with booze and youths increasingly conscious of their health, researchers said Friday.

The study by Deakin University, which surveyed more than 41,000 teenagers between 1999 and 2015, found

that the number of adolescents who had consumed alcohol has dropped from close to 70 percent to 45 percent.

Australia, where the legal drinking age is 18, was among the highest youth consumers of alcohol in the world when the survey began, researchers said.

But minors buying alcohol has declined from 12 percent nearly two decades ago to

just one percent today, the study published in the Drug and Alcohol Review found, while parents supplying booze to kids had dropped from a peak of 22 percent in 2007 to 12 percent in 2015.

“Parents’ attitudes have changed towards alcohol use at home and in adolescents, and this has been a really important trigger for the change we have observed,” lead re-

searcher John Toumbourou at Deakin told AFP. “Also, other adults are far less likely to provide a young person with any alcohol, in the context of other homes or with a licensed alcohol retailer.”

Reachers said a mix of tighter laws and education programs targeted at schools and parents had contributed to sobriety. AFP

The comments, first reported by The Washington Post, sparked anger among Democrats and Republicans and revived questions about Trump’s tendency to make racially charged remarks.

Trump sat down with senators and congressmen at the White House to discuss a proposed bipartisan deal that would limit immigrants from bringing family members into the country, and restrict the green card visa lottery in exchange for shielding hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation.

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?”

Trump said, according to the people briefed on the meeting who spoke with The Washington Post.

The New York Times later reported the same comment, citing unnamed people with direct knowledge of the meeting.

The president was referring to African countries and Haiti, both newspapers said, with the Post including El Salvador on its list.

Trump then suggested the United States should welcome immigrants from places like Norway, whose prime minister met with Trump on Wednesday.

“Why do we need more Haitians?” he added, according to the Post account.

“Take them out.”

‘Me Too’ bashing sparks soul-searching in France PARIS―Catherine Deneuve’s bashing of the “Me Too” movement rippled around the world and has unleashed soul-searching at home over a culture that has long accepted flirting, welcome or not, with a Gallic shrug.

France’s most revered actress was among 100 prominent women to sign a letter in Le Monde this week defending a man’s right to “bother” women, complaining that the campaign against harassment had become “puritanical”.

For hordes of young feminists taking to the internet, 74-year-old Deneuve’s defense of men who flirt insistently―even when such attentions are unwanted―are the words of a generation that has had its time.

“Their world is disappearing,” some 30 activists wrote in a riposte, comparing the letter to “a tired old uncle who doesn’t understand what is happening”.

Deneuve and dozens of other performers, writers and academics argued that women should not have to feel guilty about being an object of sexual pleasure.

Women complaining of being traumatized after a man rubs up against them on the metro, they added, should just get over it.

And the idea of someone being forced to resign “just” for touching a woman’s knee or trying to plant a kiss is for

them outrageous.

For some readers abroad, these comments fit comfortably with cliches of France as a nation that revels in the art of seduction.

But New Yorker correspondent Lauren Collins was among those urging foreigners to resist attributing the letter “to some innately French point of view”.

She noted that France’s answer to the “Me Too” hashtag, “BalanceTonPorc” or “Squeal on your pig”, had led to a similarly prolific outpouring of tales of harassment―though far fewer high-profile figures have been named and shamed.

France, where surveys suggest at least half of all women have suffered some form of harassment, is no stranger to public debates over how to tackle everything from persistent catcalling to rampant domestic abuse.

The government announced new legislation against harassment in October, with President Emmanuel Macron denouncing a society that was “riddled with sexism” in November as the Me Too campaign gained pace.

In 2011 rape accusations against former IMF chief Dominic Strauss-Kahn revealed that the Frenchman had long had a reputation as a sexual predator -- raising questions over how such behaviour went quietly tolerated for so long.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Dick Durbin came to the White House to outline their bipartisan compromise, but found themselves in the room with several Republican immigration hardliners.

Graham and Durbin are leading efforts to codify protections for so-called “dreamers”, immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children.

In exchange, the deal would end extended family “chain migration”.

It also reportedly would cut the visa lottery program by half and prioritize certain countries in the system, instead of scrapping it altogether as several Republicans have suggested as part of an agreement.

The president and lawmakers are in the midst of intense negotiations about how to shield nearly 800,000 “dreamers” from deportation.

Last year, Trump scrapped the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that protected the immigrants, and set a deadline of March 5 for Congress to legislate a fix.

The White House did not deny the account of Trump’s use of language, but instead suggested the president was “fighting for permanent solutions” that strengthen the nation, in part through the use of a merit-based immigration system. AFP

Marriott’s website shut over mistake

PREMIERE. Dakota Fanning attends the Premiere Of TNT’s ‘The Alienist’- Arrivals on January 11, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

SHANGHAI―Authorities in China have shut down Marriott’s local website for a week after the US hotel giant mistakenly listed Chineseclaimed regions such as Tibet and Hong Kong as separate countries.

Shanghai’s cyberspace authority late Thursday ordered Marriott to close its Chinese website and app for a week and completely clear out illegal and irregular information, according to a government statement.

Marriott’s Chinese website now shows a message with an apology.

“We never support any separatist organization that damages China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it says.

“We apologize profoundly for any behavior that will cause misunderstanding about the above stance.”

In a customer questionnaire in Mandarin, Marriott asked members of the chain’s customer rewards program to list their country of residence, giving Tibet, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan as possible options.

It triggered an uproar on Chinese social media as Tibet is an “autonomous region” firmly under Chinese control since the 1950s. AFP

Dino Ray Directo III, Editor

B4

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018

Trucks &Buses

Industry players flex muscles at trade fair

Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

I

NDUSTRY players placed their best foot forward over the weekend at a construction and trade fair held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Organized by the Philippine Constructions Association, Inc. (PCA), Philconstruct is the country’s longest running trade exposition in the country.

The four day trade and expo show was simultaneously in two huge venues—the SMX Convention Center Manila and World Trade Center in Pasay City—and showcased the latest building materials and construction equipment from 23 countries. In addition, tents and massive outdoor displays were also put up in front of the venues that generated attention from both visitors and the commuting public.

With more than a dozen construction-related and heavy equipment manufacturers display-

ing their latest models and innovative products, three major truck manufacturers stood out from the rest of the pack, namely: Hyundai Asia Resouces Incorporated (HARI), MAN and the country’s dominant truck manufacturer, Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC). Hajime Koso, President of Isuzu Philippines Corporation, said: “Participating in Philconstruct Manila allows us to showcase our credibility in providing a quality and reliable heavy-duty transport in the construction business.”

Hyundai HYUNDAI showcased their latest Generation of the Hyundai XCIENT heavy-duty truck. Hailed both as Korea’s King of Fuel Efficiency and Hyundai’s heavyweight champion, the Hyundai XCIENT is the heavyduty truck that set the new world standard in South Korea’s construction industry due to is its fuel efficiency, engine torque up, optimized suspension and tough components made of high tensile steel frame.

Power, efficiency, and even the versatility of being used as a transit mixer or a dump truck—these are the traits that make up the Hyundai XCIENT, transforming it into your ideal construction partner that can bring your business more stability for the long haul.

Aside from the bringing the XCIENT and its dependability for your construction needs 24/7, the Hyundai Trucks and Buses are also ready to supply customers with upper body requirements such as: cement bulk carrier, lowbed & flatbed trailer (for container vans and for transporting heavy equipment), car carrier and fuel tank, thus guaranteeing better business efficiency.

Isuzu ALONG WITH 1,500 participating companies, IPC displayed its top heavyduty models, the CYZ52M with 18-cubic meter dump truck body which as a GVW of 33,000 kgs - ideal for carrying construction materials. Also on display is Isuzu’s EXZ52K Tractor Head unit which has Gross Combination Mass of 60 tons – usually used for heavy and long hauling.

Both models are now equipped with a 6WG1-TCR Blue Power Diesel Engine that is Euro V compliant - which promises to deliver low emission while maintain durability and fuel efficiency. The engine is tested to produce a maximum output of 400PS at 1,800 rpm and a maximum torque of 1,863 N-m at 1,300 rpm.

“The building and construction industry is already a booming market with total of 3.8-million employed workers in 2017. The support of the government to implement infrastructure allows a new road map for a more safer roads and better smarter cities,” Koso added further.

During the event, Isuzu offered promos and freebies to potential customers who will purchase a maximum of 50 units order per fleet account. To qualify, all registered customers were required to be physically attend the event with their name and company to avail a FREE LTO registration and 10,000 worth of parts coupons. Th IPC promo and freebies covered N-Series, F-Series, C&E Series, and other indent models.

Isuzu's strong presence was topbilled by two of its best sellers, the EX2 and CY2 heavy and light duty trucks

Metal FRESH

Drive safe with Speed Limiter WITH catastrophic accidents caused by speeding trucks and buses which have claimed innocent lives, the commuting public demands more protection and safety from bus/truck fleet operators. Despite the presence of the an existing law, R.A. No. 10916, otherwise known as the Road Speed Limiter Act of 2016”, the MMDA reports that 10 bus related accidents occur on a daily basis.

Pioneer Truck Parts and Equipment Corporation, local distributors of Speed Limiter of UK, is a company on a mission of public safety. Developed in 1980, Speed Limiter is an electronic control device that limits and controls a vehicle’s top speed. Aside from improving driver behavior and vehicle preservation, this device also improves fuel consumption, emissions and is guaranteed to cut maintenance costs of fleet owners.

“The ECU is connected to a speed signal (electronic speedometer, ABS or mechanical sensor) and receives frequency signals while the vehicle is moving. At a pre set frequency, say 80kph, the ECU transmits a signal to the engine management system which then holds the vehicle’s speed. The operator/owner can pre set the maximum speed of the truck or van as he wishes,” explains Aaron Go of Pioneer Corporation. The system operates by way of drive by wire or a romatic speed limiter for vehicles without an ECU. Speed Limiter is a Romatic Speed Control System designed and developed since 1980 and currently used in Europe, Middle East and Asia as a standard equipment for truck, bus and commercial vehicle fleet operations. The system have received numerous approvals from truck manufacturing such as Toyota, Mitsubishi, Mercedes Benz, Isuzu, Leyland, DAF, GM General Motors, Peugeot, Renault, FUSO, Land Rover, ERF, and approval from the British Ministry of Defence for Land Rover and Pinzgauer Vehicles.

The World Health Organization and The Global Road Safety Partnership in their publication “Speed Management, a Road Safety Manual for Decision-Makers and Practitioners”, recommend that all countries should introduce Speed Limiters as the method of reducing the maximum speeds of vehicles on their roads in the pursuit of improved road safety.

For details on how to improve safety and fleet maintenance costs, call 713-1998/7882190 or visit the Pioneer Trucks showroom along 341 G. Araneta Avenue, Bgy. Santol, Quezon City.

Hyundai's awesome trucks were lined up for all the crowd to see

Man

MAN displayed their workhorse, the TGS with a simulator for booth visitors

EXCLUSIVELY distributed

by MAN Automotive Concessionaires Corp. (MACC), displayed the redesigned “Lion”, the MAN TGS 33.360. The Euro-3 compliant TGS is powered by a 10.5 liter 360 bhp, six-cylinder inline diesel engine and is equipped with an Exhaust Valve Brake (EVB), Electronic Diesel Control (EDC), Speed Limiters, ABS and MAN BrakeMatic. It is matted to a 12-speed Tipmatic transmission. In this configuration, hauling capacity is rated at 70 tons and can be used for construction applications, as well as hauling applications. MAN also focused on driver comfort for all of its models by providing adjustable steering racks, pneumatic seats and air suspension for TGS trucks.

According to Saatchi Bargas, MAN’s newly minted corporate communications specialist, MACC currently has two service centers for its trucks and buses, one long EDSA which is their main showroom and headquarters.

It also serves as the primary service center for its buses and can accommodate up to 20 vehicles. MAN’s Novaliches facility serves as the vehicle assembly plant for the company and is manned by internationally trained and MAN certified mechanics and technicians.

Life

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

HealtH and environment

satuRday, januaRy 13, 2018

C1

Bayanihan festival

for the deaf

Benilde’s School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies recently held the 23rd ‘Bayanihan: Reminiscing Filipino Traditions in the Deaf Community’ that showcased the talents and abilities of the hearing impaired.

I

n commemoratIon of its 25th anniversary, the School of Deaf education and applied Studies (SDeaS) of De La Sallecollege of Saint Benilde (DLS-cSB) recently held the 23rd Bayanihan: reminiscing Filipino traditions in the Deaf community, a weeklong festival that showcased the talents and abilities of the hearing impaired. among activities held included a Deaf Visual Images art (De’VIa) workshop, a sign language poetry competition, and a sportsfest.

Festival chairperson Veronica del Rosario said Filipino sign language breaks down barriers that prevented the deaf from expressing their feelings.

SDEAS students advocate for the breaking down of barriers that prevent the deaf from expressing their feelings

“We are advocating their identity, that they need to express what they feel, not just using words or in oral form,” Del rosario continued.

Facilitated by Festival Vice chairperson Erika Aguillon and Rosanna Mariano, the art workshop participants were tasked to illustrate their sentiments and hidden desires.

“De’VIa will help the deaf express through art and be able to identify all the struggles they have experienced in their lives,” mariano states.

SDeaS students used sign language to create visually stimulating poems that expressed their emotions. named champion was Dominador Aniban, followed by Joseph Balongag and Joshua Camposano, first and second runners-up, respectively. most of the pieces conveyed the discrimination and frustration they regularly encounter. aguillon shared most have problems with their family and at school, issues that they expressed in their works. meanwhile, the DLS-cSB taft campus Gymnasium was the venue for a number of games, including traditional Filipino ones, such as patintero and bunot (coconut husk) relay.

Festival Finance Head Dexter Belandres shared the sessions were not intended to be competitions against teams, but gave the players an opportunity to interact and enjoy themselves, as embraced by the bayanihan spirit.

Don’t let work stop you

from being healthier tHe holiday season is over, which means it’s time to fulfill “new Year, new me” resolutions. For most of the working population, achieving a healthier lifestyle is one of their biggest goals. Work can sometimes be too demanding, but it does not justify overlooking your health. achieving a healthier lifestyle is no rocket science, you just need to have self-discipline, determination and time management. and to help you, rHea Generics, a world-class provider of generic medicines, prepared a list for you to follow in order to have a healthier lifestyle this 2018:

Watch what you eat

It is important to watch your diet and avoid eating unhealthy food. Start to refrain from consuming processed and fast food. maybe try to eat more freshly prepared or home-cooked meals this year? as much as possible, find time to prepare your own food at home - it’s not only healthier but it will also help you to save some cash.

This couldn’t be emphasized more, but take your vitamins.

Promil Four’s Learning Workshop featured expert speakers and gifted children

Nurturing every child’s gift

aS part of the celebration of the Gifted awareness month, promIL® Four, in partnership with the philippine center for Gifted education (pcGe), conducted a Learning Workshop, that features expert speakers in the field of Developmental pediatrics, clinical psychology, obstetrics, Health & Wellness, arts, and nutrition recently at Sofitel. the event was in line with the brand’s theme of “Shaping the Gift to Build tomorrow’s Greats.” It gathered celebrity and blogger parents that participated in a series of workshops and activities in a bid to educate them on the importance of building a strong foundation for their child’s learning abilities. according to Dr. Leticia Ho, clinical psychologist/ neurotherapist and pcGe president, the future will be different for children. In the face of an ever-changing world, they will need to learn a different set of skills. the best period to nurture these abilities lies in the crucial first 1,000 days of the child, starting with the mother’s pregnancy. It is during these days that the child responds and adapts to different interventions. “a child’s development results from an ongoing and cumulative process of nurturing. this means that your child’s brain development can be affected by both environmental and intrinsic factors,” added Ho. “this event aims to educate the parents on the proper tools and approach to help shape their child’s gift. With the proper parenting, proper stimulation, and proper nutrition we believe that your child can reach his full potential.” promIL® Four’s Learning Workshop highlights three different activities that show the advantage of multi-dimensional development in nurturing a child’s gift to its full potential. these activities are based on three learning zones focused on the physical, mental,

and socio-emotional development. the physical activity focused on the importance of growth and immunity to strengthen physical agility through a yoga class. as a productive meditation activity, it showed how yoga can stimulate body movement and sensory experiences for children. It also promotes multi-dimensional learning as it encourages balance and coordination, focus and concentration, mind and body connection, and selfawareness and mindfulness. meanwhile, the mental activity featured an art workshop developed to encourage recognition and memory. this activity focused on bringing the experience on how art can develop a child’s memory through storytelling and painting while inculcating repetitive practices and rhythms.

Lastly, the camp also has a social activity, through a giant block game, focused on the need of being socially adept for better learning. It underlined how an imaginative game can promote strong leadership qualities in children through imagination, communication, and collaboration. meanwhile, promIL® Four’s Learning camp also emphasized the importance nutrition plays in supporting a child’s advanced learning abilities. “proper nutrition plays an essential role in your child’s brain development. With the right nutrients, it can further support a child’s advanced learning abilities,” added Ma. Neva Luna Batayola, medical director. to end the event, Ho gave a key take away message, “every child has the talent which can be a Gift if discovered and nurtured early. It is the parent’s role to make the child’s talent reach his full potential, or else that gift could just be there un- The Learning Camp features mental, physical, and social tapped and undiscovered.” activities

taking vitamins may seem to be such a chore but it obviously has immense health benefits. It can boost your immune system to combat viruses or sickness. take that daily dose of protection and make sure to stock up on calcium ascorbate to help your immune system defend your body from viruses. calcium ascorbate is the first adult vitamins available in the market that includes Vitamin c and Zinc. It can be compared to the regular ascorbic acid which has the same Vitamin c that increases body resistance to stress and infections and enhances the immune system but the best part? It’s non-acidic.

You are not a robot so get some rest!

as much as we want to maximize ourselves every day, it might lead to exhaustion or catching the flu. remember to take care of your body and be especially mindful of your limitations. take a break, de-stress, and get sufficient sleep.

Skip that late night booze and avoid excessive drinking.

Drinking alcohol is one of the most favorite pastimes of employees or workers after their shift. many treat drinking as a way to de-stress, but according to the national Institute of alcohol abuse and alcoholism as part of the national Institute of Health in the US, excessive alcohol suppresses the immune system by reducing the ability of white blood cells to effectively kill bacteria. So be mindful of the alcohol you consume on a night out!

Sweat out the stress, exercise.

When was the last time you went out for a run? a walk? What about hitting the gym? Work sure sometimes takes us away from activities like those, but research shows that easy to moderate exercise actually boosts your immune system. So try to hit the gym every now and then or exercise at home for 30 minutes and you’ll surely reap the benefits. need a little help keeping healthy? try rHea Generics!

With its wide variety of world-class quality medicines and vitamins available in mercury Drug stores nationwide, you’ll surely survive work challenges and get to enjoy the new you this new year.

For more tips about health & well-being, just follow rHea Generics on Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/rHeaGenericspH.

Life

C2

saturday, january 13, 2018 isahred@gmail.com

Ultimate champion experience

WORLD-CLASS TALENT. Participants trained under the guidance of coaches from the esteemed FCB Escola youth academy.

T

hE MILO FCB Road to Barcelona program recently culminated in a nine-day journey of extraordinary football opportunities, multicultural camaraderie, and unforgettable memories for the very first Philippine delegation.

Joining 55 other players from different countries, namely Australia, Colombia, Jamaica, New Zealand, Tahiti, Thailand, Singapore, and Panama, the Philippine team, composed of nine talented football players, embarked on a once-in-a-lifetime training in Barcelona, Spain that proved to be the biggest milestone in their promising journey as athletes to date.

The delegates’ ultimate champion experience began at the home stadium of FC Barcelona, Camp Nou. here, they were taught the theoretical foundations of playing the Barca way, followed by an awe-inspiring tour of the entire football mecca and its inhouse museum. No doubt, celebrating the club’s rich history in its home court, walking the halls of the arena, and stepping on the pitch where their idols play was a mark off on these kids’ bucket list.

They underwent a series of football clinics over the next two days, led by the coaches of FCB Escola, the youth academy of FC Barcelona. This gave the Philippine players a chance to interact with the their fellow delegates, make new friends, and talk about their passion for the sport with kids

their age. Under the tutelage of the coaches, the players were taught custom club drills and the principles of Tiki-taka—a style of play characterized by short, effective passing and movement during possession.

Outside the trainings, group activities like bowling, football freestyle, and other games strengthened the bond these kids had with one another.

Another highlight of their trip to Barcelona was being able to watch a marquee football match. Seeing football icons Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Gerard Piqué, Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, and the other stars of FC Barcelona play in the flesh was a surreal moment for the kids.

Treated to premier seats for an impressive view of the action, the children cheered their hearts out as FC Barcelona prevailed over Málaga CF. During the tour of the city and its famous attractions, the participants marveled at Barcelona’s distinct architectures and cultural landmarks, and even had their pictures taken at the Sagrada Família and Park güell—scenic masterpieces by renowned Catalan architect, Antonio gaudi.

CHAMPION ARRIVAL. The players arrived in Barcelona excited and proud to be representing the Philippines in the global camp.

The MILO FCB Ultimate Experience further thrilled the Philippine team, as they were part of the select markets to participate in an intimate training session with FC Barcelona legend, Eric Abidal. It was a privilege for the players to learn firsthand from one of the most revered defenders of the sport, who not only facilitated the drills, but also imparted some words of encouragement on the importance of team play and hard work to the youth present.

“My MILO FCB experience was truly unforgettable as I finally learned how to play the Barça way. It also made me real-

caption

as it is the only oil-form malunggay food supplement in the market.

It is made from pure malunggay leaves and seeds oil extract, and contains active chlorophyll, an essential nutrient we get from eating fresh, green leafy vegetables. Malunggay oil is a long-chain fatty acid that is filled with omega-3, which is not found in powder-filled capsules made from semi-dried malunggay leaves.

Malungai LifeOil capsules are available in leading drug stores nationwide.

Building future Filipino leaders IN LINE with its focus on education, Prudence Foundation – the community investment arm of life insurer Pru Life UK’s regional head office, Prudential Corporation Asia – continues its advocacy to nurture and build future leaders by supporting the British government-funded Chevening Scholarship in the Philippines.

The Foundation will sponsor two Filipino graduate school aspirants for academic year 2018-2019, with the goal to develop the country’s promising young professionals in the fields of education and finance journalism. Pru Life UK, through the support of Prudence Foundation, is the first life insurance company in the Philippines to support Chevening scholars.

Marc Fancy, executive director of Prudence Foundation, said, “Education is one of the key areas of focus of Prudence Foundation as we recognize the vital role it plays in making communities more resilient and empowering people. Our sup-

in the future,” shared 10-year old delegate from Cebu, Ethan Jacob Roxas.

“MILO is very proud and honored to have given our young players this ultimate champion journey in Barcelona, as they are truly deserving of it. We recognize how this experience has inspired them further as they pursue success back home on and off the pitch. It is our hope that this values-driven partnership with FC Barcelona will continue to give hope to more aspiring athletes in the country,” said Robbie De Vera, Sports Marketing Manager of MILO Philippines.

5 ways to deal with hair loss

The super “super food”

ThE TERM “super foods” has been going around these days, referring to food items jam packed with nutrients such as chia seeds or goji berries. There is a super food that has been around for a long time now, and the even better news is that it is affordable and very accessible.

Presenting malunggay leaves!

If you grew up in a traditional Filipino household, surely malunggay leaves are always in your kitchen –in viands such as tinola or ginisang munggo, even the Ilokano bulanglang or the Ilonggo laswa.

Now there are even malunggay smoothies, malunggay pan de sal, malunggay omelet and other twists to the classic food items.

Why are more and more people excited to put malunggay in their food?

“Because it contains 13 different essential vitamins and 16 minerals. It has seven times more Vitamin C than oranges, four times more Vitamin A than carrots, four times more calcium than milk, three times more potassium than bananas, three times more iron than spinach, three times more Vitamin E than almonds, and two times more protein than yogurt,” says Andy Lugtu, founder of Manila Nature’s Link Corp., creator of the Malungai LifeOil capsules.

Malungai LifeOil capsules give complete malunggay nutrition,

ize that no matter how good a player is, still nothing beats playing with a team. The lessons and values imparted to me during the trip will stay with me on and off the pitch,” said 10-year old delegate Boris Malcolm Uy, “My favorite part of the trip was making new friends with other young football players from different countries and the training we got from FC Barcelona. It really helped me become not only a better player, but also a better person altogether. I learned that when you score or make a goal, it’s not your goal. It’s your team’s goal. It’s a team effort. I hope I get another chance like this

port for the Chevening Scholarships helps put this commitment to action. Our hope is that these scholars, as subject experts in their chosen fields, will align with Prudence Foundation and Pru Life UK in our advocacy to make the Philippines more financially literate in the future.”

Daniel Pruce, British ambassador to the Philippines, expressed his gratitude to Pru Life UK and Prudence Foundation for joining the mission in sending the brightest future leaders from the Philippines to study in the UK. “Over the last 34 years, many others have been selected for a Chevening Scholarship and have subsequently gone on to become respected leaders across a range of sectors,” he said. “The goal is to send more scholars from the Philippines because we see the role Chevening Scholars and Chevening Alumni play in building bridges between the UK and the Philippines, and it is as important now as it has ever been.”

“We thank Pru Life UK and Prudence Foundation for their contributions, and we look forward to a productive partnership,” he continued.

Since 1997, Prudence Foundation has been a strong patron of the Chevening Scholarships, having supported over 107 students from nine countries in Asia, including Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam. The Foundation covers the tuition fees, stipend, and airfare of the chosen scholars.

Funded by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Chevening is the British government’s international scholarship program aimed at developing leaders and offers a unique opportunity for future leaders and influencers from all over the world to develop professionally and academically, network extensively, experience UK culture, and build lasting positive relationships with the UK.

LOSINg lots of hair each day? Starting to have bald patches on your head? One of the most fearsome thoughts for both men and women is the prospect of thinning hair. Though hair loss occurrence is higher among men, women are not exempted from this problem. According to studies, roughly 30 percent of the adult population suffers from some degree of hair loss, which can lower one’s confidence and cause anxiety. If hair is one’s crowning glory, balding hair can be a real nightmare. But worry no more. We made a list of ways for you to cope with major or minor hair loss: 1. Cut it short. Ask your hairstylist about what haircut will best flatter your look. Short hairstyles can minimize the appearance of thinning hair and make baldness less apparent.

2. Style it right. Use volume-enhancing products that will make your hair stand up from the scalp to give it a thicker appearance. Avoid using greasy hair products and putting heavy hairsprays as they will flatten and clamp your hair together, thus emphasizing your bald patches. For women, layering and locking your hair in large curls can give an illusion of volume.

You may also opt to blow dry your hair for extra volume.

3. Try topical treatments. There are plenty of shampoos and scalp lotions that claim to help re-grow hair. Look for a good over-the-counter topical treatment available in the market and use it rigorously. Watch your diet closely and make sure you eat plenty of iron-, protein-, and zinc-rich foods.

4. Look for an appropriate wig and toupee. If you want to flaunt a full head of hair without using any topical treatments or products, invest in a good hair dress like wigs, toupees or hair extensions. With this option, you can style your hair the way you want without fear that your bald patches might be

exposed. You can also pick and change your look with less hassle.

5. go for the long-term and permanent medical treatment. If you want to grow your own hair naturally, and permanently, a hair transplant procedure might be the best for you. MAXiM hair Restoration, a 12-year old American hair transplant company that has a branch in the Philippines, offers the advanced no-stitch, no linear scar technique called Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) as well as the conventional hair transplant technique known as Follicular Unit Transplant (FUT). Both enable clients to grow back their hair via hair transplantation. It also offers a non-surgical method called Scalp Micropigmentation that produces a short buzz-cut look without the client undergoing an actual transplant.

MAXiM’s expert doctors are registered plastic surgeons who are skilled in surgery and aesthetics as well. happy clients include professionals, international models, entertainment personalities and sports celebrities, most notably PBA Legend Alvin “The Captain” Patrimonio, who was the latest addition to the list of happy celebrities who have undergone MAXiM’s hair procedure. Balikbayans and overseas workers also choose to have hair transplants from MAXiM, which is super-specialized and focused on hair restoration and nothing else, for job and professional advancement.

MAXiM, offers complimentary hair transplant consultations in their office or via Skype. Interested parties may email their photos to MAXiM to get an estimate number of grafts and quotation.

For more information about hair restoration, go to www.maximhairrestoration.com/locations/manila or call (02) 818 6000 or 813 3001 for a FREE consultation. OFWs and those residing outside Metro Manila can avail of Skype consultations.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018

C3

Isah V. Red, Editor • Nickie Wang, Writer

PEOPLE ...are not talking about

…are talking about Megan Young and Mikael Daez

Jason Abalos

Many people thought that the actor was going to be huge as he had done almost everything he could to make it happen, and yet he hasn’t still make it as he’s even relegated to playing support roles. Of course, to save he’s ego, he’d say he is still fortunate for the countless assignments given to him.

It’s a matter of quantity over quality, and that simply explains why Jason remains a starlet.

Forget PDA and occasional LQ made publicly through social media. That’s not the proper venue to tell the entire world that you are dating and having a grand time together. Take for example this couple that decided to keep everything about their relationship low key. Who would have thought that Megan and Mikael are already celebrating seven years as a couple? Maybe almost a decade of not to blatantly blabbing about their private lives is the reason they are still together.

Diego Loyzaga

Moira dela Torre

The young actor has spoken in reference to the nude video he “accidentally” posted online. He said he was just trying to join a Swedish and Finnish tradition when people go in a tub naked before heading to a sauna. Well, if that’s really the case, why was there a video clip of his nakedness? Is he really that adventurous? We doubt!

She is, without a single doubt, the most popular upcoming singer in town. Not only has she dominated Spotify, YouTube, and Billboard PH, she’s also able to amass a number of solid following in a very short span of time. Now for a litmus test, the young singer, who’s behind the hit songs “Malaya” and “Titibo Tibo,” will finally be in a concert of her own. Will she get the same reception from concertgoers? That’s what we are more excited to find out.

John Llloyd Cruz and Ellen Adarna

The not so very private couple who never even asked for privacy plays a different game in terms of revealing the status of their relationship including the supposed wedding plans and the baby on the way. They play so hard to get but at the same time show too much off on social media. If that’s a strategy just to be at everyone’s radar, it will reach a saturation point as some people already find it really cheap. It’s as if they’re just doing it to elicit reaction from the public so they could still remain relevant.

Donna Carriaga

From winning the stand-up comedy contest in It’s Showtime to being an online sensation, the comedienne and former stage actress is now making it big. With her videos watched by millions on YouTube, everyone is just excited about what she’s going to do next. No wonder, even the country’s most watched music channels have tapped her to be their celebrity VJ this month.

TRUE to PLDT Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan’s promise of bringing the PLDT Gabay Guro celebrations to the provinces, the much-awaited “Grand Gathering” came all the way to Bulacan to give early holiday treats and pay tribute to the teachers of this historical province on Dec. 9.

The star-studded event was held at the Bulacan Province Capitol Gymnasium where around 4,000 teachers from Meycauayan, San Jose Del Monte, and Malolos gathered for a day full of fun, prizes, and world-class entertainment led by the country’s biggest performers - Regine Velasquez, Ogie Alcasid, Jaya, Jona and Regine Tolentino with comedians Ate Gay and Regina.

Hosted by actress Jasmine Curtis-Smith, beauty queen MJ Lastimosa and TV personality IC Mendoza, the teachers’ tribute was mounted successfully in cooperation with the provincial schools and the local government of Bulacan led by Gov. Willy Sy-Alvarado.

In the morning of Dec. 9, 250 teachers were handpicked to become recipients of two significant seminar-workshops -- Gabay Guro’s “Teachers’ Treasure Chest” led by Deng Kibanoff and “Teaching in a Digital World” facilitated

by Addie Robles.

This is in keeping with the ongoing programs of Gabay Guro that are summed up in the Pillars of Learnings advocated by the men of women behind the foundation.

These programs include Scholarships, Livelihood Programs, Housing and Educational Facilities, Broadband and Computer-

Jacintha nixes prophecy in ‘La Luna Sangre’

Gabay Guro Chairman Chaye Cabal-Revilla (second from left) with performers (from left) Regine Velasquez, Jona and Ogie Alcasid

Star-studded teacher’s tribute in Bulacan

ization, Teachers Training and the Teachers’ Tribute.

Gabay Guro Chairman Chaye Cabal-Revilla and her team of dedicated volunteers worked tirelessly behind the scenes for everything that the foundation stands for. It is in these events where teachers get to experience the tribute they deserve.

Revilla says she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“We give our all to make our teachers feel special but at the end of the day, we are the ones who feel so much more blessed.

The gratitude they show is priceless. It makes everything worth it,” she said.

Pangilinan has thrown his all-out support to this endeavor saying, “I am extremely proud of Gabay Guro’s achievements. They are doing a wonderful job for the Filipino teachers. We plan to increase our teacherscholars to 10,000 in the

next 3-5 years. The event here in Bulacan is just one of the many regional celebrations that we plan to hold in the near future. So watch out for more.”

Gabay Guro on its 10th year carries with it an outstanding history littered with awards and citations that make all of them advocates stand a little taller. Among these are the Gawad Tanglaw award, Anvil Awards and from the Phil. Association of National Advertisers (PANA) and the Philippine Quill Awards.

Revilla and the Gabay Guro team of visionaries are propelled by this belief: “our nation’s children depend on our nation’s teachers to lead them to the future. Gabay Guro has also partnered with local government units to further teacher education by conducting trainings for over 20,000 teachers.

Today, it runs eight train-

ing programs for teachers around the country namely: Teacher’s Treasure Chest; English Proficiency Training; Computer Literacy; Emotional Intelligence; Teacher’s Armor; Leadership Training; IT Sustainability and Literacy; and Unleashing Creativity in Teaching.

Gabay Guro answers to the needs of the times by doing grassroots antidrugs trainings in schools.

It has also taken the cudgels in the construction of classrooms in the provinces, mostly those that have been hit by debilitating calamities. There are over 40 classrooms constructed and donated already in Cebu, Bohol, Leyte and Capiz.

For more information please visit the Gabay Guro official website www.gabayguro. com, and follow them on twitter and Instagram at @PLDTGabayGuro.

Sandrino (Richard Gutierrez) and Malia (Kathryn Bernardo) in an epic face-off in ‘La Luna Sangre’

THE much-awaited night of the blood moon finally happened last Tuesday night in the ABS-CBN’s hit action series La Luna Sangre that saw Jacintha (Angel Locsin) and Malia (Kathryn Bernardo) desperately protecting Tristan (Daniel Padilla) from his fate and from his brother Sandrino (Richard Gutierrez).

More viewers nationwide tuned in to the episode and hit a national TV rating of 31.7 percent compared to its rival with only 17.3 percent, according to data from Kantar Media.

Jacintha gave her all to battle Sandrino but the supreme vampire still managed to quickly get a hold of Tristan and bit him.

This shocked Jacintha and though she was a bit hesitant, she still chose to put an end to the prophecy by stabbing Tristan right through his heart using a knife made of a wolf’s fang. She later on finished her mission by doing the same thing to Sandrino.

The devastated Malia, meanwhile, was left hugging Tristan’s already lifeless body.

How will this change the course of the story? Did Jacintha succeed in ending the prophecy? What happened to Tristan and Sandrino?

La Luna Sangre airs weeknights after FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano on ABS-CBN and on ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable ch 167).

A scene from the top rating episode of ‘La Luna Sangre’

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2018

H

OW often do you find yourself looking up at the ceilings of your home or anyone else’s? It’s likely that it’s not too often.

Many interior design efforts are focused on specific rooms of the house, rather than the ceilings. Most ceilings are typical, flat, and plain, but there are numerous ways to dress them up and impress your guests.

Not only will your ceilings be impressive, there’s a chance they can increase the value of your home.

If you’re in need of a change and some new interior design ideas, check out these five ways to spruce up your ceiling.

Tin ceiling tiles Tin ceiling tiles come in all different colors (most being metallic), patterns, and textures that help to add flair to the whole room. If you can’t find the right color for you, they can be painted to match your existing home decor. It’s also good to know that a stylish appearance isn’t all tin ceiling tiles have going for them. They’re also moisture resistant, fire resistant, and require minimal dusting, and because they’re so easy to install, they’re one of the best ways to cover existing imperfections on your ceiling.

Decorative ceilings Decorative ceilings have the ability to change the whole look and feel of a room. Specific ones will even make the room feel larger than before, as well as allow more light to shine through. The different types of decorative ceilings include dome ceilings (perfect for hanging chandeliers), cove ceilings, groin vault ceilings, and more.

Decorative ceilings are highly compatible with entryways, master bathrooms above the bath, kitchens, bedrooms, and

Things are looking up, with a creative ceiling

Eye-catching tiles that tell a story.

basically any other room.

Lighting Almost anything can be decorated, even lights. From crystal chandeliers to ceiling medallions, there’s plenty to do to dress up those lights on your ceiling.

If crystal chandeliers don’t fit into your budget at the moment, there are others that can impress almost as much. Examples include pendant, lantern, glass, candle, and shaded chandeliers. The list goes on, but these are some popular examples.

If you have low ceilings, recessed lighting is an option. This modern look creates an atmosphere that is more open.

In this case, hanging fixtures will only

make your space feel tighter.

Ceiling drapes Ceiling drapes are eye-catching, especially in a bedroom or living space.

They’re known to provide a cozy feel and are appropriate for any age. With all of the available color and fabric combinations, you can purchase ceiling drapes that are great for children’s rooms or mature adult rooms. Children’s ceiling drapes are usually bright and colorful, while adult ceiling drapes are usually more on the neutral side, but this could depend on the room’s existing color and decor.

Paint Last but not least, and not always the

Even doing one room’s ceiling can make a difference.

most obvious, paint. While it’s true the majority of households have painted ceilings, it’s likely that most of them are plain.

Instead of a simple white one, there are numerous ways to paint your ceilings that will make them pop. One way to do this is by making the ceiling your accent wall.

Paint your walls a neutral color and then paint your ceiling a bold color, one that matches an item or a piece of furniture in

that room.

Another way is by extending the paint from the walls to the ceiling. For example, you can paint the bottom half of your walls solid and the top half of your walls striped, then take those stripes and follow through across the ceiling.

Finally, you can choose to paint a design. Depending on the room, examples include chevron, sponge paint, and clouds.

Data analytics reveal netizens’ spending concerns Research outfit delves into how netizens’ spend their money THE amount of digital data is growing by the minute.

With almost every Filipino owning at least one social media account, every thought or photo shared becomes part of the treasury of data that can be translated into information that can move businesses toward the right direction. The key is to sift through the volume and find those that can be converted into insight which in turn give companies and organizations the upper hand by making faster and better-informed decisions.

Digital data analytics has been a buzzword in developed countries years back. Big-name companies have long tapped into this process in order to boost their brands, know their customers’ needs, improve their MILLENNIAL HEALTH NUTS. Over 20 percent of Filipino FB users prioritize health products and services, identify and wellness over other concerns. Business heads in this sector can leverage this interest by risks, and predict future trends. providing products that are affordable, trust-worthy and will help young people be in control The Philippines is catching of their health choices. up, albeit at a slower pace, but has the potential of becoming Health and wellness are “We are a very tech-savvy formation found online as they a global player in data analysis country that can adapt to monitor it real-time. Data gathtops much like its current status as a technology with internet pen- ered are filtered, examined, Over 20 percent of local one of the leaders in the voice etration at 60 to 65 percent,” and translated into simple and FB users expressed concerns sector of the BPO industry. over health and wellness.

Capulong explained.

“But actionable information.

“When it comes to digital we are still at the threshold as Mining the unlimited flow This is quite telling as there maturity, I consider the Phil- international influencers such of information available in is a 6.58% difference over ippines to be in the infancy Facebook, Uber, Google and social media enables RTL to what most would think to be stage,” said Allan Capulong, the like have just started op- convey the pulse of the in- people’s chief priority which founder and CEO of RTL Re- erations by putting up their of- ternet generation. Their most is food. Food only came in search and Tech Lab, a home- fices here.” recent analysis showed where second at 15.91%. Perhaps grown digital research and conRTL Research & Tech Lab Filipino Facebook users are the many health and wellness sulting company. trends— both previous and gives context to important in- spending their money.

LAGUNA DREAMING. Amaia

Land Corp., the affordable housing arm of Ayala Land, recently opened Amaia Scapes Cabuyao—its third project in the province of Laguna. Located at Barrio Marinig in Sala, the project is a community in a sprawling 6.6-hectare land in Cabuyao. Amaia Scapes Cabuyao offers a variety of house designs, such as bungalow pods that range in size from 34 to 75 square meters with a total of 123 units, and twin pods that range in size from 28 to 65 square meters with a total of 128 units. The homes feature an energy-efficient architectural design that allows cross ventilation and lets natural light in. The community comes with amenities like a village pavilion, swimming pool, basketball court, and playground. Amaia Scapes Cabuyao may be accessed from Cabuyao proper, Sta. Rosa, and Calamba City—and is just 25 minutes away from the South Luzon Expressway.

emerging, government health awareness campaigns, as well as the proliferation of health and wellness products in the local market have contributed to the shift.

With a mere fraction of a difference comes internet and electricity with 11.72% and 11.69% respectively and following closely is mobile plan with 10.05%. These sentiments show just how much people put a premium on connectivity.

Such revelation should perhaps not come as a surprise as the Philippines has always been active social media users where the country is number one when it comes to time spent on various social media platforms according to earlier reports this year.

Over 9 percent focus their spending concerns on education followed by utilities: water 7.09%, cable 5.87%, and rent 3.25%. Rounding up the list is insurance with 2.04%.

Translating figures into business Having such figures allow companies to come up with strategies that are directed at their audience. Armed with this information, business heads can confidently allocate funds for marketing campaign and advertising that can translate to high value sales.

COOLING YOU CAN’T BELIEVE. Beko Philippines, a European appliance brand, used the recent holiday season to unveil the latest trends in keeping perishables fresh while preserving their nutritive value for a longer time. Beko refrigerators are equipped with ‘ever fresh+ technology.’ With this innovation, the crisper compartment’s humidity can be precisely controlled. The condensation is also reduced through air channels and the temperature variations are minimized so fruits and vegetables stay fresh for up to three times longer than normal (up to 30 days). These refrigerators also have ‘neo frost technology’ that allows a perfect airflow rate and temperature level. It allows for stable and faster cooling, both in the fridge and freezer compartments. Beko Philippines is now expanding as it opens its door to other retail business partners in a bid to reach more Filipinos.

BEEFING UP THE ACADEMIC SCENE IN THE SOUTH. Far Eastern

University (FEU) last year marked the construction of its newest campus in Filinvest, Muntinlupa.

The development aims to welcome up to 18,000 students in 2018. As the first tertiary campus inside Filinvest Alabang’s Central Business District, the new site will offer programs in business, health sciences, computer science, information technology, and engineering. FEU Alabang will have a 16-floor academic building that will primarily house classrooms and laboratories, a 7-floor administration building that will have an auditorium and a centralized library, and a separate 200-seat chapel. FEU Chair Emeritus Dr. Lourdes Reyes Montinola, Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi, representatives of both the Filinvest Group and the Casas+ Architect Group, and trustees and administrators of the FEU System of Schools, attended the event.

OWNING THE COMMUNITY.

DMCI Homes recently hosted a gathering of unit owners in its Sheridan Towers development in Pasig City to promote responsible condominium ownership amid the increasing popularity of vertical-living. Enrico C. Wong, senior vice president of DMCI’s property management corporation, welcomed over 100 unit owners to Sheridan Towers. “One of our objectives for this gathering is to create a culture of community spirit. Don’t just be an owner of your unit: please own the community,” Wong said. Dubbed “Home at last,” the event, held at the roof-deck of Sheridan Towers’ south tower, also served as an opportunity for unit owners to get to know DMCI Homes officers. Unit owners were treated to a night of fun, music, games, and laughter as they got to mingle with DMCI Homes officers and fellow members of the community. Sheridan Tower’s south tower was marked ready for occupancy (RFO) status last September, a year ahead of the November 2018 target turnover schedule.