Manila Standard - 2018 January 27 - Saturday

VOL. XXXI • NO. 344 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

FIRE OUT. Firefighters douse one of the coaches of a Metro Rail Transit train heading southbound on Friday, causing heavy traffic near Nepa Q Mart in Quezon City. The MRT passengers were forced to alight the train between the GMA-Kamuning and Araneta Center-Cubao stations after smoke from an electrical fire under one of the seats filled the coaches, train officials said. See story on A3. Manny Palmero

Pols‘ budget lower under federal govt —Pimentel THE budget for the office expenses of politicians should shrink once the government shifts to federalism, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said Friday.

Under the administration party’s proposed federal setup, the 24-member Senate will expand into a 33-member chamber as each federal region will be represented by three senators.

Pimentel also said that President Rodrigo Duterte’s party mates who have been pushing for the shift to federalism were uncertain if the party-list setup should be kept under the proposed new charter.

“The party-list is really valuable especially in representing the marginalized sector, but it has been hijacked to the point that only the rich people run as party-list representatives,” Pimentel told Next page dzMM radio.

Rody blasts UN, advises Suu Kyi to ignore critics

‘Congress can veto Puno draft charter’ Fariñas insists solons have final say on Cha-Cha

By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

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OUSE leaders on Friday played down President Rodrigo Duterte’s appointment of a consultative committee of legal experts to propose amendments to the Constitution, saying they had the final say over what changes would be made.

“The matter or manner of proposing amendments to or revision of the Constitution is a power exclusively retained by the sovereign Filipino [people] directly or through their duly elected representatives, that is, the Congress of the Philippines,” said House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte

Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas.

“As the name connotes, it is a consultative, or advisory, commission of the President. It cannot, and will not work in tandem with the Congress,” he added.

Fariñas said Congress still has the final say on whether it will approve or reject the proposed amendments to be sub-

Duterte (second from left) joins other Southeast Asian leaders and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (center) in celebrating India’s Republic Day at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. Modi hosted the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations over three days in a bid to blunt China’s influence in the region. AFP

By John Paolo Bencito

Palace supports SolGen in charging PNoy over deaths of SAF 44

By Vito Barcelo and Bill Casas MALACAÑANG said Friday it supports the move of the Office of the Solicitor General to take legal

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Duterte mocks IS threat, jokes on ‘42 virgins’

INDIA-ASEAN TIES. President Rodrigo

By John Paolo Bencito MYANMAR State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi should ignore mounting criticisms against her for remaining mum on the plight of Rohingya Muslims deprived of citizenship, President Rodrigo Duterte said Friday.

Suu Kyi, who was once hailed “an outstanding example of the power of the powerless,” is now under fire amid allegations that she has failed to speak out over violence against the Rohingyas.

“Aung San Suu Kyi was with us. I pity her, because she seems to be caught in the middle being a Nobel Peace Prize winner and there is the ruckus where she is heavily criticized,” Duterte told an audience of Indian businessmen interested at investing in the country.

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mitted by President Duterte’s consultative committee headed by retired Chief Justice Reynato Puno.

“The Congress may consider the commission’s recommendations, as well as those of any citizen, and may adopt or not adopt them at all,” Fariñas said.

action against former President Benigno Aquino III and hold him accountable for the deaths of 44 Special Action Force commandos in the botched Mamasapano operation.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the Solicitor General, the government’s counsel, was correct in saying the people behind the bloody deaths of the SAF 44 should be held liable.

He said “there ought to be accountability for those responsible for the SAF 44 debacle.”

Roque made his statement even as Manila Mayor Joseph

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is “on the radar of the Islamic State” after his repeated vows to wipe out the jihadist group’s branch in Southeast Asia, an Indian newspaper reported Friday.

Talking to Indian businessmen, Duterte mocked the ISIS recruitment promise that a martyr to their cause would go to heaven with 42 virgins waiting for him.

“I’d like to have the virgins here, not in heaven,” the President said. “God may not allow it.”

Duterte advised Indian businessmen to “avoid Mindanao” because it remains under military rule.

“Avoid Mindanao. There’s still martial law there,” he said. “But it’s a martial law that’s not really a martial law. It is a martial law for the enemies of the state,” he said.

“The implementation is against the enemies of the state, ISIS, for example and the rebellious Abu Sayyaf, who are fond of decapitating foreigners,” he added.

Citing intelligence sources, India’s “ThePrint” newspaper reported that the

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‘Ring of Fire’ Mayon eruption: 3-month emergency set activity raises risk concerns

FIERY WARNINGS.

The Philippines’ Mayon Volcano (top right) joins (clockwise from bottom right) Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra, Indonesia, Mount Shirane in Japan and Mount Agung in Bali, also in Indonesia as volcanos that recently came alive on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The recent spate of activity, plus a magnitude 7.9-earthquake off the coast of Alaska across the Pacific on Wednesday, has raised concerns that a major, potentially deadly volcanic eruption or earthquake could be on the way. AFP

TOKYO―A volcanic eruption in the Philippines forces mass evacuations, while another in Japan kills one person. Across the Pacific, a 7.9-magnitude earthquake hits off Alaska. So what’s the link?

The spate of activity around the so-called Ring of Fire has raised concerns that a major and potentially Next page

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LEGAZPI CITY—Disaster officials are preparing to deal with a threemonth-long emergency around the restive Mayon Volcano, which has already sent more than 80,000 residents fleeing to evacuation centers or

elsewhere.

“We’re gearing up for three months,” said Romina Marasigan, spokesperson for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, citing similar situations during previ-

ous eruptions of the volcano.

Displaced families may need to stay in evacuation centers for that long, she said.

Ashfall could also cause a rise in respiratory ailments, Next page she added.

Trump unveils citizenship plan for‘Dreamers’ WA S H I N G T O N — United States President Donald Trump’s administration has unveiled a sweeping new immigration plan to Congress that offers 1.8 million young

unauthorized immigrants known as “Dreamers” a path to citizenship over 10 to 12 years.

In a comprehensive reform that will be formally presented next

week, Trump also asked Congress Thursday to eliminate the popular “green card lottery” program and severely restrict family immigration, steps

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018

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DoJ asked to probe CJ's non-filing of SALNs

By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Justice has been asked to investigate the criminal liability of Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for her alleged failure to file her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth or SALN for more than 15 years when she was a professor at the University of the Philippines.

In a complaint filed with the DOJ, Atty. Lorenzo Gadon accused Sereno of violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and RA 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, for failing to submit her SALN when she was teaching at the UP College of Law. Based on the document Gadon submitted, Sereno was a professor at the UP College of Law from November 1986 to 2006. But during the impeachment hearing in Congress, the Office of the College President certified that Sereno only submitted her SALN for 1998, 2002 and 2006.

Gadon, who filed the impeachment complaint against Sereno at the House of Representatives, also said the Office of the Ombudsman’s Central Records Division certified on December 2017 they have no record that Sereno submitted her SALN from 1999 to 2009. The certification noted that the 1998 SALN was submitted only in 2003.

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Estrada honored and praised two Manila policemen who were killed in the line of duty and offered prayers for the SAF 44 on the occasion of the 117 years of service of the Manila Police District to the City of Manila.

The MPD is better known as Manila’s Finest, which connotes “Bravery, Dedication and Integrity,” Estrada said.

He asked the audience to join him in a moment of prayer in the memory of Senior Officer 1 Randy Marlon Lebrilla and Police Officer 1 Marmy Ventinilla Montemayor and the 44 brave men of the PNP’S Special Action Force who died in Mamasapano three years ago.

To Estrada, the MPD is his valued partner in keeping Manila safe, secure and peaceful.

The OSG on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to order the filing of homicide charges against Aquino and two former police officials over the bloody Mamasapano encounter in January 2015.

Aside from Aquino, the OSG also said former Philippine National Police chief Alan Purisima and former SAF director Getulio Napeñas Jr. should be charged with 44 counts of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.

The OSG asked the high court “to direct the Office of the Ombudsman to file forty-four counts of reckless imprudence each resulting in homicide against the respondents Aquino, Purisima and Napeñas.”

Earn P6b from STL, Ang dared P

HILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager Alexander Balutan on Friday challenged gambling consultant Charlie “Atong” Ang and PCSO board member Sandra Cam to run small-town lottery operations and produce P6 billion in monthly revenue.

Balutan told the television program Unang Balita he would resign from the PCSO if the two could produce the P6 billion in six months.

“I challenge them to run STL operations nationwide and I will resign if they can produce that amount,” Balutan said.

He made his statement even as a House leader on Friday called on the new leadership of the PCSO to adopt a two-step approach in helping President Rodrigo Duterte eradicate illegal gambling nationwide.

Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte urged the PCSO to first

kick out certain Accredited Agent Corporations that have been using the Small Town Lottery as a cover for their illicit numbers racket, as well consider PCSO’s eventual takeover of STL operations from all AACs. Villafuerte said that “while the replacement or at least suspension of the AACs engaged in jueteng should top the agency’s immediate concerns under the leadership of newly-appointed PCSO chairman Anselmo Pinili, PCSO’s long-term goal should be its takeover of all STL operations from its AACs in support of President Duterte’s drive against jueteng and other illicit

‘Congress...

the issue.

“The work of the Puno Commission will be a valuable input to the Senate,” Drilon said.

Senate President Ralph Recto said the Puno committee is “a league of extraordinary gentlemen.”

“It should be able to meet the people’s expectation of an output that is far from ordinary,” he said.

He said the President is right in forming a study group on the Constitution whose members cannot be tempted to propose amendments tailored to their own personal interests.

Although they are competent to speak on Charter change, he said the mandate of the appointees is to listen to the diverse opinions on how to improve the basic law.

“On this, they are expected to crowdsource the wisdom of the people,” he said.

An opposition lawmaker, Buhay Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza welcomed the creation of the consultative committee.

“We find this very reassuring because it means the difficult and delicate task of drafting a new charter will not just be left to the House of Representatives and the Senate. Most of the members are men and women of impeccable character and track record,” Atienza said.

Atienza had earlier warned against what he considered as the inordinate rush to amend the 1987 Constitution, after the approval of House Concurrent Resolution Number 9, convening Congress

into a constituent assembly.

Atienza said it is important to ease the people’s fears that the task of renaming the Charter will not be hijacked by vested interests or by a bid to lift term limits or edge toward creeping authoritarianism.

“With an independent consultative committee with members who are beyond reproach,” lawmakers can focus on other tasks and then subsequently deliberate on the output of the committee, as part of the two chambers’ respective reports on the Charter changes, Atienza said.

Puno, 77, said he would accept the new job with “misgivings” about the method the House prefers to change the Constitution.

“We shall proceed on the basis of good faith on the part of everybody... that if we are revising the Constitution, it is for the good of the country,” he said.

San Beda Graduate School of Law dean Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, a member of the committee, said the vote on federalism should not be seen as a vote for or against President Duterte.

“I don’t want to see this debate become personalized, that if you favor Duterte you vote for federalism but if you don’t like him, you oppose it,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English on radio dzMM. Duterte has long pushed for a federal form of government to give the regions more autonomy and control over their own finances.

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President Duterte on Thursday named Puno as head of a 25-person consultative committee to review and rewrite the 1987 Constitution.

At the same time, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said the House and Senate had agreed to set aside the contentious issue of how the two chambers would vote on constitutional amendments, and instead focus on the general features of the proposed federal system of government.

Before the announcement, Alvarez had insisted that the House could propose amendments to the Constitution on its own, without the Senate, and submit these to the people in a plebiscite.

The Senate―and most legal experts―oppose this view.

Opposition lawmaker Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna hit the “exclusive” meeting of leaders of both chambers, saying Congress is a collegial body and that discussions on such matters as Charter change must be transparent.

“That is dangerous... Only a few people are deciding the fate of the country. I don’t think that’s a good process,” Zarate said.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Friday noted that Duterte’s creation of a 25man consultative committee on amending the 1987 Constitution will help the senators decide on

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analysts say could cut in half the more than one million foreignborn people moving to the country annually.

And in the name of halting illegal immigration, he has also demanded Congress budget $25 billion for a “trust fund” for constructing a wall on the USMexico border—a major plank of Trump’s White House campaign.

“The Department of Homeland Security must have the tools to deter illegal immigrants; the ability to remove individuals who illegally enter the United States, and the vital authorities necessary to protect national security,” a senior White House official told journalists.

The White House’s offer of a path to citizenship for the Dreamers was much wider than expected. Earlier it had suggested it was only open to granting citizenship to the 690,000 young immigrants registered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. AFP

numbers games.”

Meanwhile, Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda blasted jueteng bagman-turned-whistleblower Sandra Cam, who accused her husband, businessman Bong Pineda, of allegedly using the STL of the PCSO as a front for jueteng operations.

“Do not accuse anyone if you have no evidence,” Pineda said in a television interview.

Ang had claimed he could deliver to the government a minimum of P5 billion a month if President Duterte sought his help to “clean up” the PCSO. He said current monthly PCSO revenue

Pols’...

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“Some of our party mates are also turned off by the hijacked party-list system.”

Pimentel said the public should not worry about the possibility of spending more taxpayers’ money on the salaries of politicians.

“The power these officials hold now will be different under federalism because some of their responsibilities will be delegated to other officials,” he said.

“Therefore, the maintenance budget of their offices should be reduced and transferred to other officials.

Pimentel said the regional governments would also be allowed to abolish several offices to save funds.

Under federalism, the national government would be in charge of security, foreign affairs and banking so each region would not need to spend funds on those areas, Pimentel said.

The national government could also spend less as the programs and concerns on education would be delegated to the regions, he said.

Under the current Constitution, the government must allot the biggest chunk of the annual budget to the Education Department.

But Pimentel’s willingness to cut allocations for politicians is not yet set in stone as the legislative branch has yet to agree on the constitutional changes that will be made should Congress convene as a constituent assembly.

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BATH TIME. Young volcano-affected evacuees take a bath in the compounds of a school serving as their temporary shelter from Mayon Volcano's eruption in Ligao, Albay on Friday. Authorities have imposed a no-go zone around the 2,460-meter (8,070-foot) mountain, as they warned of a hazardous eruption within days, leaving more than 77,000 people stuck in crowded shelters, likely for months. AFP

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“We remain on red alert,” Marasigan told a media briefing, adding that 69,672 evacuees were housed in schools while nearly 12,000 took shelter in tents or went to relatives in more secure locations.

The overcrowded shelters also present a health hazard as there are not enough toilets.

In a tiny schoolroom she shared with 55 people seeking refuge, Edna Orila has to sidestep human excrement as she looks for a space

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deadly volcanic eruption or earthquake could be on the way. Here is what the experts say: Philippines third-most at risk As reported by The Telegraph of London via Yahoo, the Philippines is third on the list of 20 countries most at risk for natural disasters according to the 2015 World Risk Report, compiled by the United Nations University for Environment and Human Security.

to sleep.

A self-described “evacuee since birth,” Orila has fled the fury of the volcano more than a dozen times since she was born 53 years ago.

She was only three years old when her parents first brought her to an evacuation center during an eruption in 1968.

It never gets any easier.

“It’s gruelling here. We are crammed with strangers. There are children, there are elderly,” Orila said as she stood in the courtyard of a school in Guinobatan town, where evacuees’ washing hung on clothes lines.

“There is a 93-year-old woman

who removes her diaper at night and defecates in our room. I have to pass by her. But I try to understand because she is already old and sickly,” Orila sighed.

Orila is one of more than 80,000 people who have been forced to leave their homes around the 2,460-meter mountain, which volcanologists say could blow its top--violently--any day now.

But as a family of farmers, tilling the rich volcanic soils of Mayon’s slopes, they cannot afford to abandon their smallholding and she has left her husband to keep watch.

Macon Ramos-Araneta, Joel E. Zurbano, AFP

The Philippines has a 27.52-percent chance of natural disasters according to the UN group, trailing only Vanuatu (36.43 percent probability) and Tonga (28.23 percent), also island-nations in the Pacific Ocean.

The report assigned a risk percentage to a total of 173 countries, based on the chances of experiencing earthquakes, storms, floods, droughts and sea level rises, The Telegraph reported.

The report also took into account how well prepared each country is to deal with a disaster.

“Risk is at its highest where a high level of exposure to natural hazards coincides with very vulnerable societies,” it explained.

Where are these events happening?

The recent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occurred along a belt that runs around the Pacific Ocean and is known as the “Ring of Fire.”

Reaching from Indonesia to the coast of Chile in a 40,000-kilometer (25,000 mile) arc, the belt is home to most of the world’s active and dormant volcanos and is where the vast majority of earthquakes occur. AFP

“I said, ‘Don’t mind the human rights, they are just a noisy bunch.’”

Once again launching into a tirade against critics of his bloody drug war, Duterte insisted that the concept of human rights is ‘Western’, and may not necessarily apply to other parts of the world.

He even called the United Nations “useless” after its special rapporteurs spoke out against alleged state-sponsored killings in the Philippines.

“The UN has no purpose at all, actually, for mankind,” Duterte said.

“As far as I’m concerned, with all its inutility, it has not prevented any war, it has not prevented any massacre.

And [while] here I am trying to protect my country, [they are] saying that I have killed 10,000.”

Critics lamented Suu Kyi’s inaction over the world’s fastest-growing refugee crisis, as hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims flee to neighboring Bangladesh amid persecution from Myanmar’s Buddhist majority.

Many of those who have fled describe troops and Rakhine Buddhist mobs burning their villages and attacking civilians.

Myanmar’s military, however, claims it is fighting Rohingya militants, and denies ever targeting civilians.

In November last year, the Philippines voted against a United Nations General Assembly committee draft resolution calling on Myanmar to grant full and unhindered humanitarian aid access for the Rohingya minority and for Myanmar to grant them full citizenship rights.

In explaining the decision, Palace spokesman Harry Roque then insisted that “isolation and censure” would only add to the difficulty in Rakhine state, which “has deep historical roots.”

With Sara Susanne Fabunan

was P1.7 billion.

In a separate interview, Cam said there was a “connivance” between gambling lords and the “hierarchy” of the PCSO. That setup, she said, was turning the otherwise legitimate STL into a front for jueteng.

She also dared Pineda to let her husband Bong, allegedly involved in jueteng, to “face” her “squarely.”

Meanwhile, Ang accepted Balutan’s challenge on the basis of his knowledge as a gaming consultant, explaining that the STL was not needed and gambling lords should be removed.

Maricel V. Cruz

De Vera new CHED OIC; Olalia, Paras get posts, too

By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has named Commissioner Prospero de Vera as officer-in-charge of the Commission on Higher Education and Labor Undersecretary Bernard Olalia the new administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea informed De Vera of Duterte’s instructions in a letter dated Jan. 24, a copy of which Malacañang released on Friday.

“Upon the instruction of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, and to ensure the continuous and effective delivery of public service, please be informed that you are hereby designed as officerin-charge of the Commission on Higher Education effective immediately,” Malacanang’s statement said.

Meanwhile, Duterte also named former Negros Oriental Rep. Jacinto Paras an undersecretary of Labor Department in a letter he signed on Jan 23.

Paras is one of the volunteer lawyers of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption who went after the perceived political opponents of the Duterte administration such as Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales as well as Senators Risa Hontiveros and Antonio Trillanes IV.

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IS is planning “to mobilize sleeper cells based in Indonesia, which are now planning a strike” against the visiting dignitaries who were in New Delhi to join their Republic Day celebrations.

“Duterte is coming with baggage, as he has been very vocal about wiping out IS. The Indonesian President, too will be present, and could also be a target. We have intelligence inputs that the IS has mobilized its people and is planning to strike,” a source told ThePrint.

The presence of the 10 Asean heads of state also presents a “chance to strike and send out a message,” another source said.

Duterte, who in the past vocally condemned the Islamic State, has also vowed that he will never allow the terrorist organization to build a “wilayat” in Southeast Asia after the southern city of Marawi was reduced to rubble.

Following a bloody siege that started May last year--Duterte has placed Mindanao under martial law, which state forces claim would help eradicate terror groups and communist rebels in the country’s south.

Despite these, Palace spokesman Harry Roque said the Palace “will not cower to threats from ISIS nor any other terrorist organization.”

Roque added that Indian security agencies and the Presidential Security Group had taken “all precautions” amid possible attempts on Duterte’s life.

Addressing fellow Southeast Asian leaders and leaders of India, Duterte during the plenary session of the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-India Commemorative Summit Thursday night called for stronger cooperation among countries in a bid to stop the financing of terrorist organizations. With Vito Barcelo

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NGO slams shutting down of cell sites

Roadmap vital to solve tourist spot woes

By Maricel V. Cruz A LAWMAKER on Friday underscored the need for government to establish a roadmap to ensure the sustainability of the country’s popular tourist destinations.

Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento made the proposal in House Resolution 1087 to determine necessary actions of government to prevent the deterioration of local tourist spots, most notably the world-famous Boracay in Aklan province.

Sarmiento”s resolution was tackled by the Houae committee on tourism, chaired by Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez.

“The ocular inspection in Boracay during the House “Western-Eastern Nautical Highway Expedition” last March 2017 prompted me to file this resolution. What I witnessed there made me deeply concerned that the issues besetting the popular island destination will be replicated in other areas if we do not take decisive action,” Sarmiento said in his speech at a congressional deliberation of his measure.

“But this hearing is not only about Boracay. The situation there can be a universal example of how the tourism industry could be detrimental to the environment if there is no roadmap ensuring sustainability,” he added.

MRT riders offloaded from ‘smoking’ coach ANOTHER MRT 3 glitch inconvenienced several passengers on Friday.

A television report said MRT’s southbound train stopped and had to unload passengers between the GMA-Kamuning and Araneta Center-Cubao stations after smoke billowed from one of its doors on Friday afternoon.

The report said the smoke came “probably from the electronic components under the seat.”

MRT officials offloaded the passengers at 1:42 p.m.

Normal operations were resumed at 2:46 p.m.

NBI arrests teen online voyeur AGENTS of the National Bureau of InvestigationCybercrime Division have arrested a teenaged information technology savvy and “bug hunter” in Taytay, Rizal last Tueday morning for online voyuerism and robbery.

Director Dante Gierran identified the suspect as Christian Gil D. Guaves, 18 years old, alias Kael Bustamante, and a Grade 12 student who works as part-time bug hunter in the internet.

The case stemmed from a complaint from a female victim who alleged that she received messages through Facebook Messenger containing her nude photos and videos.

She said the Facebook account that sent her those photos was using the name Kael Sato.

The victim was threatened that if she won’t pay P10,000.00, her nude photos and videos will be uploaded in the Internet. Bill Casas

FOOD PACKS. Philippine Coast Guard members load a truck of relief food packs from DSWD warehouse in Pasay City on Friday, Jan. 26. The relief goods will be distributed to victims of the Mayon eruption in Legazpi, Albay. Norman Cruz

LGUs, IPs, other groups back passage of BBL

By Bill Casas

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OCAL executives from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Christian groups, Indigenous Peoples, and Civil Society Organizations convened on Friday to declare their support for the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law that will address the historical injustice committed to the Bangsamoro.

ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman said that the passage of the BBL will prevent conflicts like what had happened in Marawi.

“Let us not give the terrorists an opportunity to create a narrative that we are not true to our promises,” Hataman said.

Maguindanao Gov. Es-

mael Mangudadatu expressed his full support to the bill for the future generation and for the unity of Muslims, Christians, and Lumads.

“If we [politicians] are a hindrance to the passage of the bill, then I’m willing to step down,” Mangudadatu said.

The Provincial Government of Cotabato, on the other hand, has submitted a resolution to the Senate declaring their support to the proposed bill and calling on the Congress and Senate to hasten its passage.

The IP community also shared their confidence on the gains of BBL once passed.

“We are optimistic that once that BBL is passed, we can achieve just and genuine peace, meaningful development and political and social empowerment,” Director Fatima Karakan of the Office of the Southern Communities of ARMM, said.

Led by the Subcommittee on the BBL, the public hearing held in Shariff Kabunsuan Complex was organized for the Mindanaoans to fully participate in the deliberations. The hearing will continue in Marawi City today.

The Bangsamoro Transition Commission, the body tasked to create an inclusive Bangsamoro Law, presented the historical struggle of Moros for peace as well as the salient points of BBL in front of hundreds of local officials, IPs and representatives from different CSOs. There have been two Senate hearings on BBL held in Manila in Dec. 20 last year and Jan. 23 where the Senate has thrown its full support on the passage of BBL with Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri solution to achieve peace in Mindanao.

As this developed, senators took a step closer to the realization of the BBL bill when they visited the main battle area in Marawi City for another hearing on the proposed measure.

The senators were led by Zubiri, the chairman of the sub-commitee on the BBL,

who was joined by Senators JV Ejercito, Risa Hontiveros, Cynthia Villar, Paolo Benigo “Bam” Aquino IV, and Sonny Angara.

Zubiri said the passage of the BBL will help prevent the spread of extremism in the region.

“As we speak now, tuloytuloy ang recruitment nitong mga grupong ito for the next battle. To be able to stop that, kailangan natin itong long-term political solution na BBL para ang ating mga leaders dito sa Bangsamoro region ay maikumbinse nila na mawala na ang local support dito sa mga extremist groups na ito,” Zubiri said.

Ejercito, for his part, said, ‘‘Kung magkaroon na ng BBL, binigyan na natin ng autonomy that they want, and siguro itong Marawi, yung rehabilitation plan dito I think would be very crucial,” Ejercito said.

Immigration bureau earns all-time high P4.8b in 2017

By Vito Barcelo DESPITE the temporary discontinuance of charging the express lane fees last year, the Bureau of Immigration still earned an all-time high income of P4.75 billion from various fees it collected from its clientele and the transacting public.

While it collected more than P4 billion in 2017, the BI employees will get their overtime pay in the

middle of February, and will be divided based on the collections it earned from the ELF which started on Jan. 2, 2018.

The BI will get at least 90 percent from the ELF collections while the rest to the government coffers, the Department of Budget and Management said.

I m m i g r a t i o n Commissioner Jaime Morente said that the BI’s 2017 revenue take was P894.6 million or 18

percent higher than the P3.86 billion the agency earned in 2016.

Morente observed that the bureau still managed to register record high revenues despite the unusually frequent declaration of holidays and work suspensions as well as the numerous resignations of BI personnel nationwide last year due to financial difficulties arising from the drastic reduction of their take-home pay in 2017.

“This is a tribute to the men and women of the bureau who persevered and opted to remain in their jobs even in the face of financial adversities. They are the unsung heroes of our bureau who deserve our deepest appreciation and gratitude,” the BI chief said.

Morente said he is optimistic that the BI will surpass its 2017 record and remit a bigger amount to the national coffers this year as its employees are doubly inspired

and motivated to work harder with the restoration of their benefits by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Scores of BI workers quit their jobs last year due to the drastic reduction of their salaries and their low salary grades. This happened after the Palace vetoed the use of their express lane collections in paying the overtime services of its regular employees and salaries of its contractual personnel.

US-based Pinoy cites PH nurses’ contribution to global health

By Ben Cal

MANILA—A USbased Filipino lawyer on Thursday cited the great contribution of some 200,000 Filipino nurses working in the United States to global health care and the millions of dollars of remittances they send back home that help boost the Philippine economy.

Rev. Arnedo S. Valera, Esquire Executive Director and Migrant Heritage Commission chairman, cited the role of Filipino nurses working abroad in his speech entitled “Nurses without Borders” at the Filipino Nurses Global Summit and 11th International Nursing Conference at the Blue Leaf Filipinas in Pasay City.

Valera, who also

chairs the US Pinoys for Real Change in the Philippines, and is a probono legal counsel of the Philippine Nurses Association of America and the Philippine Nurses Association Foundation of America, said that “at the turn of the 21st century, the Philippines became the single largest source of foreign nurses in the US, accounting for nearly 50 percent of all foreign nurses.”

Valera said the Philippines is “the largest exporter of nurses globally, with roughly 25 percent of all overseas nurses worldwide,” adding that “about 85 percent of employed Filipino nurses work in more than 50 countries.”

SHABU HAUL. Quezon City Police District Director P/CSupt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar,

with Laloma station 1 commander P/Supt. Robert Sales, inspect the recovered 2 kilos of high grade shabu with a street value of P10 million found in a ceiling of a house in #22 Antoniette St., Parkway Village, Barangay Apolonio Samson, Quezon City. Manny Palmero

THE Foundation for Media Alternatives on Friday expressed grave concern over the decision of Philippine authorities to shut down cell sites during huge festivities.

The organization calls for transparency regarding the guidelines used by authorities before resorting to signal jamming.

The FMA is a non-profit NGO in the Philippines whose mission is to assist citizens and communities —especially civil society organizations and other development stakeholders—in their strategic and appropriate use of the various information and communications media for democratization and popular empowerment.

As advocates of human rights and communication rights, FMA believes that human rights and fundamental freedoms offline should also equally apply online. Internet shutdowns, which may come in various forms such as signal jamming, restrict people’s right to communicate.

The National Telecommunications Commission has approved the Philippine National Police’s request to shut down mobile services in time for the Dinagyang Festival this coming weekend, Jan. 27 to 28, 2018.

This means that mobile features such as phone calls, short message service, and access to mobile data will not be possible in select areas.

Philippine mobile operators are not new to such request.

In January 2018 alone, network shutdowns were carried out at the Feast of the Black Nazarene, and at the Sinulog and Ati-atihan festivals held in Cebu and Aklan, respectively.

Bill Casas

Activate monitoring teams, Villar urges DTI

By Macon Araneta AMID reports of spikes in prices of commodities and services, Senator Cynthia Villar asked the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture to activate their price monitoring teams to guard against unreasonable price increases.

“Unfortunately, there are businessmen who would take advantage of the situation and use the enactment of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion [TRAIN] to justify price increases,” said Villar.

“We don’t want these unreasonable increases to undermine the intended benefits of the law and we ask concerned government agencies to protect the consumers,” she added.

Villar noted that there are reports of spikes in the price of rice in some areas, and asked the DA to check on the report, emphasizing that no agricultural product was taxed under the new tax system.

“Hindi naman natax ang bigas. Ang natax is gasoline kaya transportation lang ang tatamaan. Hindi naman iyon ang major cost kaya kailangang tingnan kung tama ang pagtaas ng presyo ng bigas,“ Villar said.

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Opinion

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Never his fault

O

N this, we agree with the Solicitor General. This week, as the nation commemorated the third anniversary of the Mamasapano massacre, the government lawyer asked the Supreme Court to indict former President Benigno Aquino III for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide for the deaths of the 44 members of the Special Action Force who perished in the operation.

The men were supposed to arrest two suspected terrorists in the town. They neutralized one, cut off his finger to prove it, but they were later killed by Moro re-

Adelle Chua, Editor

bels in the latter’s lair.

The Office of the Ombudsman had earlier dismissed homicide raps against the former president—along with former Philippine National

Police chief Director General Alan Purisima and former Special Action Force chief Getulio Napeñas—and charged him with graft and usurpation of authority instead.

We struggled to understand why Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales decided this way and we found no compelling reason except for the possibility that she was a grateful, loyal appointee of Mr. Aquino.

Indeed the former president bore responsibility for the operation

that sent the men to their deaths. He also allowed a then-suspended police chief to be involved in the plan. The facts established during the subsequent Senate probe pointed to Mr. Aquino’s series of decisions as ultimately causing the death of the men.

We could almost hear him say—“It was not my fault!”

In the days following the massacre, did he not put the blame on Napeñas who he said failed to coordinate with the Army for help? Did

he not skip the arrival of the bodies to attend some car manufacturer’s inauguration? Did he not feign empathy with the men’s grieving families by saying he knew how they felt because he had lost his father, and did he not fail, spectacularly?

Did he not believe a socalled peace pact with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front was worth saving at all costs?

And then we remember—this was a president who could do no wrong in his own eyes.

Now that he is out of office, we no longer have to suffer his monologues regarding some straight and narrow path. As an ordinary citizen, Mr. Aquino will, just like any citizen, have the opportunity to argue his case, through hard facts and not motherhood statements.

Let us see where his defense would take him.

“It’s not my fault” will just not cut it, because he is no longer president, and truth and justice do have a way of catching up with us and putting us in our rightful place.

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

Mocha Uson’s ‘award’

Snubbing billions in aid POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO PRESIDENT Duterte’s statement that the Philippines will no longer accept aid from the European Union is now a reality and no longer just a threat. An initial P382 million (6.1 million euros) under the EU-Philippines Trade Related Technical Assistance in 2017 was rejected by Malacañang Palace. This was confirmed by EU Ambassador Franz Jessen who said that the documents that should have been signed by end of 2017 to activate the program were returned to them unsigned.

This trade assistance was aimed at helping small businesses in the country to

become competitive in the world market. This will no longer happen.

Jessen also indicated that another aid package worth P695 million (11 million euro) for sustainable energy to poor communities in Mindanao will probably not push through as well as this is supposed to start in February of this year. This program was for renewable energy and livelihood projects for rural areas in Mindanao that are not yet connected to the power grid.

The Philippines also runs the risk of losing P15.4 billion (244 million euro) of EU’s development budget if top-level negotiations in March fail to reach an agreement. These aid programs are included in the package totalling P20.2 billion (320 million euro)

negotiated by the previous administration for the period 2014 to 2020.

According to Jessen, the EU will conduct a midterm review of EU’s global development aid allocations

Imagine what all that money can do.

in May and it is possible that the aid will be given to other interested countries should negotiations with the Philippine government fail. Surely, there will be no shortage of countries that will gratefully accept EU’s help.

Philippine government

officials, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Foreign Affairs Secretary have said that the rejection of EU aid is to prevent the EU from meddling in the country’s internal affairs. They said that conditionalities attached to the aid undermine Philippine sovereignty.

Any which way we look at it, P20.2 billion is a lot of money. If used for the intended programs, this amount will help impoverished Filipinos especially in Mindanao. If communities without electricity have access to energy, the quality of life of thousands of families would drastically be better. Imagine the comfort it will bring to our brothers and sisters should they have electricity in their households!

Livelihood projects will

mean increased productivity and income for poor families. This may be the opportunity they have been waiting for and it is unacceptable that they are denied the chance to have better lives.

I am a witness to the positive impact of development programs in the lives of economically marginalized families. For more than 10 years, I have had the chance to work with some EU countries in the provision of livelihood and education opportunities to those living in poverty in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Although the project costs of the ones we implemented were small, nowhere in the vicinity of the amounts of the aids rejected by this administration, I have seen how lives of families improved, how the confidence

and self-image of ordinary women developed, and how the children of their families benefited. Imagine what tens of billions of investment in people can do.

Jessen said that the EU aid is not for the government but for the Filipino people. However, they will not be able to do this without the government’s concurrence. The Duterte administration’s premise in not accepting EU aid are their so-called conditionalities that interfere in our internal affairs.

I know that in development aid, the contracting parties must agree to achieving certain objectives and outputs. These objectives are consistent with the program’s theme. If it is about trade, then the objectives and outputs are trade-related.

ABOUT a week ago, the alumni association of the University of Santo Tomas conferred on UST alumna Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson its Thomasian Alumni Award for Government Service. Uson was given the award at appropriate ceremonies.

Shortly after the award was given to Uson, the social media carried numerous adverse commentaries against her and her award.

Reports reveal that the UST student council and the campus student publication opposed the laurel given to Uson. The campus paper even demanded the resignation of the officials of the UST Alumni Association responsible for the award.

A number of UST alumni protested. Two previous alumni awardees threatened to return their awards to the alumni association to express their disapproval.

In addition, the UST administration announced that the university had nothing to do with the awards given by its alumni association.

Days later, in an interview he gave on national television, alumni association president Henry Tenedero clarified that morality and uprightness were not among the criteria for the award given to Assistant Secretary Uson. He said that it was enough that the awardee for government service is actually working in the government.

On the other hand, Malacañang was pleased that Assistant Secretary Uson was honored by her alma mater.

A few days ago, however, Tenedero resigned his post in the UST alumni association. This was followed by Uson’s decision to return her award to the alumni association, with appropriate thanks and appreciation duly conveyed by her.

Supporters of Uson resented the protests

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Opinion Mocha...

From A4

of several UST alumni and described the critics’ adverse public remarks as bullying tactics directed against the outspoken communications official of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Critics of Uson may not realize it, but their tirades against her are more damaging to the UST Alumni Association, than to Uson herself. In fact, their antiUson efforts have opened a can of worms, so to speak.

The disclaimer by the UST Alumni Association (which was prompted by the intense anti-Uson statements in the social media) to the effect that morality and uprightness were not among the criteria in giving the award to Uson, and Tenedero’s explanation that the government service award can be given to any alumnus or alumna who happens to be in government service anyway—is a cheap and clumsy attempt to pacify Uson’s critics, especially those among the alumni of UST. If morality and uprightness were not even considered at all in the giving of the alumni award for government service, the UST Alumni Association should not have called it an “award” in the first place.

What is the use of conferring an “award” when it is supposedly given under the rather superficial criterion suggested by Tenedero?

The awarding ceremonies would have been an utter waste of time and money for everyone concerned.

Following Tenedero’s “disclaimer” and “explanation,” the “award” should have been called a mere “statement of fact.”

Actually, Tenedero’s lame excuse devalued whatever honor is supposed to go, not only with the “award” for government service given to Assistant Secretary Uson, but to other similar “awards” given to other UST alumni. Tenedero’s excuse is, to say the least, insulting not just to Uson but to the other UST alumni who were awardees on earlier occasions. Thus, the UST alumni who threatened to return their previously conferred awards to their alumni association have valid reasons to make those threats, not so much because Uson got the same award this year, but because of the award’s alleged superficial criterion cited by Tenedero. It’s no surprise why Uson decided to return the award.

Snubbing...

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Despite the insults hurled her way by Tenedoro and her critics among the UST alumni, and despite Tenedero’s disclaimer, Uson was courteous enough to convey her thanks to the alumni association upon returning the award.

Likewise, Uson’s detractors may have created an unsettling precedent.

What they did to both Uson and their alumni association will certainly embolden others to follow suit. For reasons fair or foul, many alumni of other universities will begin to protest awards given by the alumni associations of their own universities.

Enemies of potential awardees will have a heyday assassinating the character of the potential awardees the moment the award or the nomination for the award is made public. Those enemies can come from anywhere, including the envious, as well as those who were nominated or considered for the award, but did not get it.

Since the saying “you can’t please everybody” is true, even the most deserving university alumni who are bound to have their own share of critics and enemies, will be terrified at the mere prospect of getting nominated for an alumni award. That scenario will be a nightmare for all university alumni associations in the country.

Good grief!

Incidentally, this is not the first time a UST graduate made it to the public eye.

Back in 2001, the UST expressed its displeasure with retired Chief Justice Andres Narvasa, a UST alumnus, for the latter’s decision to defend then President Joseph Estrada in the latter’s impeachment trial in the Senate. The Narvasa family and the UST eventually reconciled in 2013.

In January 2012, the UST conferred upon then Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona a doctorate degree in civil law, summa cum laude. Almost overnight, news reports from Rappler triggered questions on whether Corona deserved a doctorate degree which the UST was allegedly not even authorized by the Commission on Higher Education to confer in the first place.

The controversy added to the furor against Corona, who was later impeached by the House of Representatives and convicted by the Senate. His conviction led to his ouster from office. Corona died in April 2016. duty-bearer in the respect and fulfillment of our citizens’ human rights. It is thus, the government’s responsibility to make good its obligations under international Covenants and Conventions.

The UN and the EU are simply doing what they are supposed to do. Aid or no aid, our government is responsible to the international community in terms of honoring our commitments. Aid or no aid, the UN and EU will surely continue making our government accountable if human rights violations continue.

It is unreasonable that development aid aimed at improving poor Filipinos’ lives is rejected because of imagined conditionalities.

It is most unfair that families are deprived of the opportunities brought by such aid to improve their lives.

Snubbing the tens of billions of pesos in EU aid is a big disservice to poor Filipino families. This administration’s attention must be called on this matter.

If it is energy, then objectives on this will be agreed upon. These are what will be assessed at the end of any program. These are the program conditionalities.

Those of us in social development know that programs are confined to these.

President Duterte dislikes EU because it has criticized the administration’s disrespect and violations of our people’s human rights especially in terms of the killings perpetrated under the “war on drugs.”

This, to them is meddling.

This disrespects Philippine sovereignty.

The United Nations has also called attention to human rights atrocities in the country. Of course, this administration also looks at the UN in an unfavorable light.

What should be stressed here is the fact that the Philippines is a signatory to all international human rights agreements. This bethangsioco@gmail means that government is committed to implement- com @bethangsioco on ing the provisions of these Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco treaties. Government is the on Facebook

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018

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The truth shall set us free THE critics of Mocha Uson accuse her of peddling and disseminating fake news and bullying people and organizations. Certainly, her errors are not harmless, such as the Naga mistake, and have consequences especially now that she is in government.

Conversely, the latest attacks against her, the UST Alumni Association, and UST itself are not justified. Any reading of the so-called award given her yields clearly the conclusion that she was not being extolled but only recognized as a public official.

It’s a kind of distinction that many schools and alumni associations give to appointed government officials, done without any kind of vetting. In my view, reporting the recognition as bestowing honor on Mocha was fake news with intention or certainly had the result of humiliating her.

One can argue of course says that Mocha deserves the bullying. I disagree. As I have written before we must treat everyone alike from the point of view of human rights and dignity.

Politics should not be the basis of how we treat people. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo should not have been detained. Senator Leila De Lima should be released from prison. President Aquino should not have unleashed all the powers of presidency against Chief Justice Corona. The House of Representatives should stop its persecution of Chief Justice Sereno.

It’s time for all of us to look at ourselves and how ugly we have made our so-

ciety. For sure, it did not start under the Duterte government but this disregard of the truth for political gain has intensified.

Veritas liberabit vos.

The truth will set you free.

This was the school motto of Xavier University, the Jesuit university in Cagayan de Oro where I gained my basic education. This is also the title of Pope Francis; annual message issued in advance for the World Day of Social Communications. It is powerful. Excerpts follow below for our collective pondering and especially for those who will be attending the Senate hearing on fake news, to be chaired once again

by Senator Grace Poe, this coming Tuesday.

Pope Francis defines fake news (which he traces all the way to the biblical story of the snake tempting Eve in paradise with a false promise), the objective of those who disseminate it, and why it is effective: “The term ‘fake news’ has been the object of great discussion and debate. In general, it refers to the spreading of disinformation on line or in the traditional media. It has to do with false information based on non-existent or distorted data meant to deceive and manipulate the reader. Spreading fake news can serve to advance specific goals, influence political decisions, and serve economic interests.”

“The effectiveness of fake news is primarily due to its ability to mimic real news, to seem plausible.

Secondly, this false but believable news is “captious,” inasmuch as it grasps people’s attention by appealing to stereotypes and common social prejudices, and exploiting instantaneous emotions like anxiety, con-

tempt, anger and frustration. The ability to spread such fake news often relies on a manipulative use of the social networks and the way they function. Untrue stories can spread so quickly that even authoritative denials fail to contain the damage.”

Pope Francis elaborate on the consequences of fake news, quoting from Doestevsky’s epic novel Brothers Karamazov: “The tragedy of disinformation is that it discredits others, presenting them as enemies, to the point of demonizing them and fomenting conflict.

Fake news is a sign of intolerant and hypersensitive attitudes, and leads only to the spread of arrogance and hatred. That is the end result of untruth.”

“What is at stake is our greed. Fake news often goes viral, spreading so fast that it is hard to stop, not because of the sense of sharing that inspires the social media, but because it appeals to the insatiable greed so easily aroused in human beings. The economic and manipulative aims that feed disinformation are rooted in a thirst for power, a desire to possess and enjoy, which ultimately makes us victims of something much more tragic: the deceptive power of evil that moves from one lie to another in order to rob us of our interior freedom.”

“Constant contamination by deceptive language can end up darkening our interior life. Dostoevsky’s observation is illuminating: “People who lie to themselves and listen to their own lie come to such a pass that they cannot distinguish the truth within them, or around them, and so lose all respect for themselves and for others.

And having no respect, they cease to love, and in order to occupy and distract themselves without love they give way to passions and to coarse pleasures, and sink to bestiality in their vices, all from continual lying to others and to themselves.”

Pope Francis suggests ways on how we can defend ourselves, and expounds, among others, on the role of journalists: “The most radical antidote to the virus of falsehood is purification by the truth . . . To discern the truth, we need to discern everything that encourages communion and promotes goodness from whatever instead tends to isolate, divide, and oppose . . . An impeccable argument can indeed rest on undeniable facts, but if it is used to hurt another and to discredit that person in the eyes of others, however correct it may appear, it is not truthful. We can recognize the truth of statements from their fruits: whether they provoke quarrels, foment division, encourage resignation; or, on the other hand, they promote informed and mature reflection leading to constructive dialogue and fruitful results.”

“The best antidotes to falsehoods are not strategies, but people: people who are not greedy but ready to listen, people who make the effort to engage in sincere dialogue so that the truth can emerge; people who are attracted by goodness and take responsibility for how they use language. If responsibility is the answer to the spread of fake news, then a weighty responsibility rests on the shoulders of those whose job is to provide information, namely, journalists, the protectors

of news. In today’s world, theirs is, in every sense, not just a job; it is a mission.

Amid feeding frenzies and the mad rush for a scoop, they must remember that the heart of information is not the speed with which it is reported or its audience impact, but persons.

Informing others means forming others; it means being in touch with people’s lives. That is why ensuring the accuracy of sources and protecting communication are real means of promoting goodness, generating trust, and opening the way to communion and peace.”

Finally, Pope Francis promotes a journalism of peace, an idea whose time has come.

“I would like, then, to invite everyone to promote a journalism of peace. By that, I do not mean the saccharine kind of journalism that refuses to acknowledge the existence of serious problems or smacks of sentimentalism. On the contrary, I mean a journalism that is truthful and opposed to falsehoods, rhetorical slogans, and sensational headlines. A journalism created by people for people, one that is at the service of all, especially those—and they are the majority in our world— who have no voice. A journalism less concentrated on breaking news than on exploring the underlying causes of conflicts, in order to promote deeper understanding and contribute to their resolution by setting in place virtuous processes. A journalism committed to pointing out alternatives to the escalation of shouting matches and verbal violence.”

Facebook page: Professor Tony La Viña (deantonylavs) Twitter: tonylavs

Freedom of the press and mass media BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN IF THERE is one area where nationalism has a rightful place, it is in the right of the state to limit the operations of mass media to its citizens. The rationale is rooted on the concept of protecting our interest as sovereign and independent state.

The exercise of freedom of the press is different from the operations of mass media.

First, freedom of the press refers to the act of the writer to publish, transmit or communicate his views, ideas or position on certain issues, while mass media aims to promote the business interest of the owners where they owe their loyalty or citizenship.

Second, freedom of the press refers to the stand of the individual reporter/ opinion maker, while the articles released by mass media organizations reflect the interest of the corporate-business of the owners, and the writers or opinion makers are paid employees.

Third, freedom of the press being attributable to the writer, the number of readers is inconsequential, while news and information distributed by mass media organization are intended for mass dissemination.

Fourth, freedom of the press today is conditional whether the mass media outfit would allow his/her article to be published, while the mass media has the final say whether to disseminate such news or

information.

Fifth, freedom of the press like any of our freedom can be regulated by law, while the right to operate mass media can be denied by the state as a matter of right like prohibition on foreign ownership.

Sixth, while freedom of the press is inherent in man as an intelligent being, mass media can be limited to prevent its people from being influenced by negative views done by the dissemination of fake news and propaganda, especially those fabricated by foreign-controlled media organization.

This is why the public seldom knows that freedom of the press is far superior to the rights of corporations classified as mass media. For that matter, only the writer and author can invoke freedom of the press or freedom of expression if referring to paintings or works of art, but not mass media. This is the rationale by publishers are automatically included in the filing of libel against the writer.

Mass media is a tool to engage in the dissemination of information to the widest possible audience.

It cannot operate without an army of writers.

Though bestowed with rights like any corporation, mass media operations can be curtailed by the Constitution.

Foreign–owned mass media often express the sentiments and interest of the business corporation, the government where the owners/stockholders are citizens, or are often instructed to pursue news line enunciated by their government. Mass media is a big propaganda ma-

chine using the modern technology of Internet.

The popularity of social media has completely put the mainstream media on the defensive. They have to come out with innovative ways to counter “negative” news and divergent opinions. By putting up online mass media organizations, they thought they can get away with the constitutional restriction of foreign ownership.

Many suspect

They are two different things.

Rappler, Vera Files, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) and the defunct Newsday are all foreign-operated mass media organizations but intended for local operations. There is also a foreign-funded watchdog called Transparency and Accountability Network to exclusively monitor corruption in the country.

Even if national security is the foremost consideration to prevent foreignowned mass media from fomenting discontent and in subverting the minds of its citizens, such acts are nonetheless tantamount to interfering in our internal affairs. The same rationale can be said of the advertising industry. Section 11, Article XVI of the Constitution is clear, to quote: “(1) The ownership and management of mass media shall be limited to citizens of the Philippines, or to corporations, cooperatives or associations,

wholly-owned and managed by such citizens.

The Congress shall regulate or prohibit monopolies in commercial mass media when the public interest so requires. No combination in restraint of trade or unfair competition thereof shall be allowed.

(2) The advertising industry is impressed with public interest, and shall be regulated by law for the protection of the general welfare.

Only Filipino citizens or corporations or association at least seventy per centum of the capital of which is owned by such citizens shall be allowed to engage in the advertising industry.

The participation of foreign investors in the governing bodies of entities in such industry shall be limited to their proportionate share in the capital thereof, and all the executives and managing officers of such entities must be citizens of the Philippines.”

Corporations such as mass media and advertising agency are often used as fronts to spread fake news and malicious information, using their stool pigeons to foment discontent, discredit and subvert governments that take an independent stand on foreign policy. It is this aspect that Rappler stubbornly refuses to understand. They cleverly use freedom of the press to cover their systematic propaganda to discredit the Duterte administration or any official that disagrees with the policy dictated or instructed to them by their foreign funders.

The greatest irony is that these stool pigeons or should we say, mercenar-

ies, insist that their freedom of the press is inviolable. They skirt the issue that they continue to mock our Constitution by misrepresenting their outfit as wholly-owned by Filipinos, and not fabricators of lies for and in behalf of the real operator/manipulator.

These stool pigeons disguising as media men thought their online outfit would not catch the attention of the public, the same way they interpret the entry of alien investors as not equivalent to ownership.

Even if investors cannot be presumed to own the mass media as Maria Ressa insists, Omidyar is not that damn, naïve and stupid to throw away his millions if he cannot control the organization that churns out lies and propaganda.

In fact, a similar mass media outlet suspected as affiliate of Rappler has already been reported as being funded by foreign intelligence services like the US Central Intelligence Agency through another front organization known as the National Endowment for Democracy to spread fake news and propaganda to discredit the government.

Rappler Inc. is specifically funded by Pierre Omidyar, the founder of eBay and publisher of Honolulu Civil Beat. He gained notoriety for supporting the ouster of the duly-elected president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014. The association of Omidyar Network with NED is beyond doubt.

Many countries experienced the same fate under the banner of what they call “colored” revolution. rpkapunan@gmail.com

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Miascor hopes for Du30’s help

By Joel E. Zurbano

O

FFICIALS of the Miascor Ground Handling, whose contract was shelved after some of its employees got involved in alleged baggage theft at the airports, are hoping President Rodrigo Duterte would allow the firm to continue its service.

“Everybody is hoping that the President will hear our side of the story and the appeal that we are conveying is mainly for forgiveness for whatever mistakes some of our em-

ployees have committed and the kindness of the President to allow us to continue,” said Miascor Fidel Herman Reyes in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.

Manila International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Monreal said the leasing and concession contract of Miascor with the Ninoy Aquino International Airport was not renewed following its expiration last year.

Monreal made the announcement few days after a returning Filipino overseas worker claimed his luggage was pilfered at Clark International Airport.

Five employees of the firm were suspended and placed under investiga-

tion in connection with the case.

In August 2016, four Miascor employees were also involved in theft involving pieces of jewelry owned by the wife of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

“If we dig deeper into these incidents, these are isolated incidents and Miascor, [has been] portrayed as a villain in this isolated incident,” said Reyes.

“These two, three incidents were highlighted but I would like to dwell is (sic) what’s not captured in social

media or mainstream media that Miascor has been doing all along,” he said.

Reyes said the company terminated erring employees even before the incidents were reported to the President.

Monreal already formed a special team from the agency’s police department tasked to wipe out erring individuals engaged in baggage theft.

He hinted that airport baggage handlers did the wrongdoing in cahoots with other airport employees.

“They’re not doing it with-

out the help of other workers who are now the subjects of our [surveillance] operation.”

Monreal also ordered all baggage handlers and security providers at the airport to wear body cameras while on duty to prevent incidents of baggage theft.

In Naia alone, some 26 pilferage cases were reported in 2016 and 18 of them reportedly done by ground handlers of Miascor.

The number of pilferage cases has been reduced from 26 to seven last year.

Gatchalian bats for anti-hazing law

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Win Gatchalian on Friday renewed his call to fellow lawmakers to expedite the approval of landmark anti-hazing legislation which would ensure that “no more blood will be shed in the pursuit of brotherhood.”

“I am overcome with a sad sense of déjà vu,” expressed Gatchalian during his co-sponsorship speech for Senate Bill No. 1662, the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018. “History has repeated itself once more.”

“Yet another innocent and promising young man, Atio Castillo, has lost his life during brutal hazing rites conducted by his fraternity brothers-to-be, and the people demand action from their representatives in Congress,” he added.

He recalled that when he was still congressman of Valenzuela City, the vicious murder of De La Salle-College of St. Benidle student Guillo Servando during initiation rites conducted by the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity “shocked the nation” and propelled the House of Representatives to pass Gatchalian’s proposed antihazing measure—House Bill No. 5760, informally known as the Servando Act—on third and final reading a year later.

Unfortunately, he said the bill was not approved by the Senate and died a natural death when the 16th Congress came to a close in June of last year.

Noting that the House of Representatives of the 17th Congress had passed its proposed amend-

ments to the Anti-Hazing Law of 1995 (Republic Act 8049) earlier this week, Gatchalian said “the ball is once again in the Senate’s court.”

The senator lobbied for the speedy passage of the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018 to close glaring loopholes in the 23-year-old Anti-Hazing Law uncovered by the Senate during its explosive investigation into the hazing death of UST freshman law student Horacio “Atio” Castillo III at the hands of members of the Aegis Juris Fraternity.

He noted the importance of provisions in the Senate bill that “establish clear-cut responsibilities and liabilities of educational institutions in preventing and policing hazing” and “severely punish resident and alumni members of fraternities who would dare attempt to frustrate the ends of justice by covering up the hazing crimes committed by their brothers.”

“Most importantly,” the senator stressed, “this bill changes the central paradigm of the law—instead of regulating hazing it will completely prohibit all forms of hazing, once and for all.”

He stressed a poignant thought: “This bill is written in the blood of Atio, Guillo, and all of the other promising young Filipinos who have lost their lives to the senseless crime of hazing.”

“I urge the esteemed members of this chamber to rally behind the swift passage of Senate Bill No. 1662, so that no more blood will be shed in the pursuit of brotherhood. We must not allow history to repeat itself once more,” he added.

Republic of the Phillippines Department of Health National Capital Regional Office VALENZUELA MEDICAL CENTER BIDS AND AWARD COMMITTEE Padrigal St., Karuhatan, Valenzuela City Telefax No. 294-4625 Email addressvmc_bac@yahoo.com

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InvItatIon to BId Procurement of varIous medIcal suPPlIes cY 2018 PuBlIc BIddInG no. vmc-2018 - 003 The Valenzuela Medical Center (VMC), through the General Appropriations Act/Income CY 2018, intends to apply the sum of Philippine Currency:TWENTY SEVEN MILLION EIGHTY THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED FORTY EIGHT PESOS, AND 40/100 ONLY, (PhP27,080,748.40)being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments for theProcurement of Various Medical Supplies CY 2018 under PB No. VMC-2018 - 003.

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

The VMC now invites sealed Bids from eligible Bidders for the procurement of the abovecaptioned package.The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II, entitled“Instructions to Bidders”.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act” and is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or corporationswith at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to Republic ActNo. 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

Only Bids from Bidders who passed the eligibility check will be opened. The process for the eligibility check is described in Section II of the Bidding Documents entitled, “ITB”.

The Bidder with the Lowest Calculated Bid (LCB) shall advance to the post-qualification stage in order to finally determine the responsiveness of the bid submission to the technical and financial requirements of the project. The contract shall then be awarded to the Lowest Calculated And Responsive Bidder (LCRB) who was determined as such during the post-qualification procedure.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from theVMC and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00am-11:00am and 2:00pm-4:00pm starting January 27, 2018.

The VMC will hold a Pre-bid Conference for this bidding activity on February 6, 2018, 11:00 amat the Valenzuela Medical Center, Padrigal St., Karuhatan, Valenzuela City.

Only those who have purchased the bidding documents shall be allowed to participate in the Pre-Bid Conference. Those who have not purchased the bidding documents may act as observers andsubmit written queries, subject to the guidelines as stated in the IRR of RA 9184.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee in the amount as follows: P1 - P1,000,000.00 – P1,000.00; P10,000,001.00-P20,000,000.00 – P15,000.00; P1,000,001.00-P5,000,000.00 – P5,000.00; P20,000,001.00-above – P25,000.00; P5,000,001.00-P10,000,000.00 – P10,000.00; The method of payment will be in cash, manager’s check, bank guarantee or surety bond. The Bidding Documents shall be received personally by the prospective bidder or his authorized representative. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity;Provided,that Bidders shall pay the non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

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Bids and eligibility requirements must be delivered to the address below on or before, February 20, 2018, 11:00am, at the VMC BAC Secretariats’ Office.

9. Bid Opening and Eligibility Check will be on February 20, 2018at 11:00am. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late submission of bids will not be entertained. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security in the prescribed form, amount and validity period 10. The Valenzuela Medical Center reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all Bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariats’ Office Valenzuela Medical Center Annex Building, 2nd Floor, Padrigal St., Valenzuela City Telefax No. 294-4625 (SGD) JOSEPH T. NOCOM, MD, FPOA Chairperson Bids and Awards Committee

PUSH FOR ENVIRONMENT. Health advocates from the Ecowaste Coalition and No Burn Pilipinas push for best practices and ecological waste management sans incineration as Republic Act 9003 of the Ecological Management Act of 2000 marks its 17th anniversary Friday during a news conference in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

Activists criticize extended OJT hours

By Bill Casas YOUTH activists on Friday condemned a proposal issued last week by the largest business group in the country to amend the curriculum of the K to 12 program of the Department of Education which pertains to the required number of hours of on-the job training a Grade 12 student must fulfill to graduate from Senior High School.

Under the proposal of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the on-thejob training manhour requirements for Senior High students must be increased from 80 to 800, allegedly to make them “work-ready” upon graduation.

In a statement, the Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (Spark) criticized the business group, calling its proposal “an outright attempt to siphon more free labor from K to 12 students for them to profit from.”

Back in 2015, the PCCI collaborated with the DepEd in initiating the integration of dual training program in the K to 12 curriculum to address gripes of the business sector—graduates of the Philippine education system are not in tune with the skills required by industries.

“The PCCI was part of those who formulated the internship program for their member-companies to benefit from and now they want to expand it more and turn students to slaves,” the group said.

“Despite being on its pilot stage and has not yet produced graduates, the PCCI is aggressively engaged in conditioning the public to claim that the present OJT program is insufficient,” the group said.

Ombudsman indicts Suplico of Iloilo City

By Rio N. Araja THE Office of the Ombudsman has indicted ex-representative Rolex Suplico of Iloilo City for supposed involvement over an anomalous use of his Priority Development Assistance Fund in 2007.

In a Jan. 8 resolution, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio -Morales found probable cause to charge Suplico with one count of graft for violation of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Also charged were Antonio Ortiz, former Technology and Livelihood Resource Center director general, and Alfredo Ronquillo, AARON Foundation Philippines Inc. president.

Before the 2007 elections, Suplico received P14,700,000 as part of his pork barrel fund on May 4, 2007.

The funds were transferred to the TLRC for livelihood and development projects in Iloilo City’s District 5.

The funds were then released to the foundation for project implementation.

The Commission on Audit’s special audit office said Suplico’s

PDAF remained unliquidated, and that the project implementation and the AARON-selection process were not compliant with the provisions of CoA Circular No. 2007-01 and Government Procurement Policy Board Resolution No. 12-2007.

The foundation did not have a business permit since 2004, the Ombudsman said, adding even its business address was located in a vacant lot.

“There is no evidence showing that respondent Suplico exerted efforts to ensure that AARON liquidated the P14,700,000 which could only mean that he benefitted from the transaction or that he was grossly negligent. It is emphasized that respondent Suplico is accountable for the funds because he has control and actual custody of the funds as these funds cannot be released without his consent and directives. Such failure/refusal to liquidate the P14,700,000 clearly casts doubt as to the validity, propriety and legality of the transaction between respondents, causing undue injury to the government and giving unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference to AARON,” the resolution read.

DANCING IN RED. The Benedictine community in Manila, which includes students in the different college disciplines and monks wear red—with white and red the colors they have been known for—mark the annual tradition Pista ng Santo Niño with Street Dancing and Parade with the image of Sto. Niño de Praga, a 16th-century Roman Catholic waxcoated wooden statue of the child Jesus holding a globus cruciger, located in the Discalced Carmelite Church of Our Lady Victorious in Malá Strana, Prague, Czech Republic. Lino Santos

New 19 RTC judges named; CA has list for justice post

By Rey E. Requejo MALACAÑANG has appointed 19 new judges for various courts in Luzon.

In a Jan. 17, 2017 transmittal letter to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea informed her of the new judges earlier recommended by the Judicial and Bar Council for posting in regional trial courts in Quezon, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Palawan, Marinduque, Rizal and Romblon.

The new judges include former Department of Justice Prosecutor Aris-

totle Reyes who will be assigned to RTC Branch 15 in Lucena City, Quezon Province. Reyes is a veteran prosecutor who handled sensitive cases in the DoJ such as the P6.4billion shabu shipment.

Former Antipolo City Prosecutor Jennifer Santos-De Lumen has been appointed judge of Cainta, Rizal RTC. The other appointees include Ismael Macasaet as judge for RTC, Branch 1, of Batangas; Noel Lindog for RTC Lipa City, Batangas; Raquel Aspiras-Sanchez for Tagaytay City, Cavite; Adeliza Magno-Gin-

goyon of RTC Imus, Cavite; Flordeliza Cabanlit-Fargas of RTC Trece Martires, Cavite; Suwerte OfrecioGonzales of RTC Sta. Cruz, Laguna; Myla VillavicencioOlan of RTC San Pablo, Laguna; Virgilio Gesmundo of RTC Calamba, Laguna; Eugene Ricardo Parrone of RTC Boac, Marinduque; CAtherine Marino-Monsod of RTC Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro; Cefelene Goco of RTC Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro; Rosalie Ang Lui of RTC Naujan, Oriental Mindoro; Arlene Bayuga Guillen of RTC Puer-

to Princesa, Palawan; PAtricia Angeles Cataquiz of RTC Sariaya, Quezon; Anna Zita Abuda Caballegan of RTC Antipolo City, Rizal and Donna Borda Pascual of RTC Romblon.

Meanwhile, the Judicial and Bar Council has transmitted to Malacañang its shortlist of candidates for vacancy at the Court of Appeals following the retirement of Associate Justice Leoncia Dimagiba last December.

The JBC, concurrently chaired by Sereno voted to endorse the nomination of the seven aspirants, namely:

Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Ma. Celestina Cruz-Mangrobang, Quezon City RTC Judge Mary Angelene Quimpo Sale, Manila City RTC Judge Merianthe Pacita M. Zuraek.

Also included in the shortlist were Judges Emily Alino-Geluz, Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga, Mia Joy OallaresCawed, and Rowena de Juan-Quinagoran.

The nominees have been submitted to President Duterte to choose Dimagiba’s replacement in Pursuant to Article VIII, Section 9 of the 1987 Constitution.

(MS-JAN. 27, 2018)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Manila Jockey Club hosts Japan Cup

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HE Manila Jockey Club Inc. (MJCI), in cooperation with the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom), is hosting the Japan Cup Races on Sunday at the San Lazaro Leisure and Business Park (SLLBP) in Carmona, Cavite.

Formerly known as the JRA (Japan Racing Association) Cup, which has been going on for more than a decade, the prestigious event features the local and imported divisions offering a total of P1 million in prizes.

The Philracom Japan Cup local race will pit Lol-

lipop (jockey MA Alvarez), Mam Candy (KB Abobo), Manda (JB Hernandez), Morning Breeze (JT Zarate), Sky Hook (JB Cordova), Summer Romance (Val R Dilema) and Temecula (JB Guce) against one another, with the champion getting P300,000 and runner-up re-

ceiving P112,500.

Third and fourth placers pocket P62,500 and P25,000, respectively, with a breeder’s purse set at P15,000 to the breeder of the winning horse.

The Imported division, on the other hand, will have Anaffairtoremember (jockey Val R. Dilema), Ava Natalia (JB Guce), Mystic Award (JD Juco), Naughty Girl (JB Hernandez), Thomasina (JB Cordova) and War Dancer (RO Niu Jr.), with the winners receiving the same amount of prizes as the local category.

“The MJCI is privileged

to host the Japan Cup Races, which have been steeped in tradition considering that it has been in existence for a decade,” said MJCI Racing Manager Jose Ding Magboo.

“I’m sure we have another set of action-packed races for our aficionados.”

The Japan Cup Races is a reciprocal arrangement between the Philracom and the Japan Racing Association, which in turn, hosts the Annual Philippine Trophy Race.

The JRA will be represented in the Japan Cup Races by Hiroyuki Koezuka,

Chief Representative of the JRA Hong Kong Office.

Established in 1867, the MJCI is the country’s premier horse racing club and one of the oldest existing racing clubs in the Asia Pacific region.

As a business entity, the MJCI was formally incorporated in 1937, operating the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite, which features world-class horse racing, gaming, and hospitality facilities.

MJCI’s broadcast outfit, the San Lazaro Broadcasting

Network, transmits live horse races, eight days a month, enthralling a growing number of 300,000 horse racing fans at Off-Track Betting stations every race day.

Through partnerships with the Philippines’ leading cabletelevision and satellite-television providers, SLBN broadcasts Manila Jockey Club races to the entire country.

Each race day’s uninterrupted coverage also provides analyses, dividends, news, and special features on horse racing and other major sporting events.

Durant triple-double lifts Dubs past Wolves OAKLAND—-Kevin Durant showed why he was LeBron James’ first pick for the NBA All-Star game on Thursday as the Golden State Warriors romped past the Minnesota Timberwolves for a comfortable victory.

Durant, who was snapped up by James for next month’s All-Star extravaganza, bagged a 28-point triple-double as the Warriors cruised to a 126-113 win at Oakland’s Oracle Arena.

Stephen Curry added 25 points and Klay Thompson also got 25 to give the Warriors the perfect preparation for Saturday’s meeting with the Eastern Conference pacesetters Boston.

Durant contributed 11 assists and pulled down 10 rebounds in a commanding display which also saw him link superbly with Curry.

A brilliant three-pointer from Durant after a sublime no-look pass from Curry late

in the third quarter drew gasps from the crowd and put the Warriors into a 101-88 lead.

“We play good defense, we can rebound, we can push we’ve got shooters everywhere.

I was just trying to make the right decisions,” a satisfied Durant said, acknowledging the all-round potency of the Warriors offense.

“That’s just how we play.

Everybody gets involved, everybody touches the ball,” he said.

Durant, meanwhile, revealed he was happy to have been chosen as the top pick in the All-Star game draft by James—even if it means he will line up opposite Warriors team-mates Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green.

“Finally somebody picked me number one. That feels pretty good. It’s going to be fun competing against Steph, Klay and Draymond over the weekend,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of trash talking, a lot of fun.” AFP

Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. The Warriors won, 126-113. AFP

Beach Volley Republic opens 3rd season in Ilocos Sur BEACH Volleyball Republic opens the year with a bigger and better “BVR On Tour” this today (Saturday) at the Ichthus Beach Resort, Magsingal, Ilocos Sur, and beach volleyball fans can catch the action via livestreaming on the ABS-CBN Sports Youtube at http://youtube. com/abscbnsports.

Twenty-five teams are participating in the first leg of the year-long beach volleyball tournament founded by volleyball stars Charo Soriano, Bea Tan, Dzi Gervacio, and Fille Cainglet-Cayetano.

The winning pair in the Men’s and Women’s divisions will get P50,000 each while second placers and third placers will receive P30,000 and P20,000 respectively.

Fighting in the Women’s division are the pairs of Gervacio and Soriano (Perlas 1); Tan and Amanda Villanueva (Perlas 2); Amy Ahomiro and Gizelle Tan (Perlas 3); Judy Caballejo and Coyah Abanto (Air Force 1); Jossa Calbasa and Jen Manzano (Air Force 2); Dhamae Demontano and Jackie Estoquia (Ilo-Ilo); Louann Latigay and Maru Banaticla (PLDT); Jem Guttierez and Nene Bautista

(Army 1); Tin Agno and Jeanine Delos Reyes (Army 2); Rapril Aguilar and Danika Gerandrauli (Cebu); Ivana Agudo and MJ Ebro (FEU); and Babylove Barbon and Genesa Eslapor (UST).

Over at the Men’s side, bannering the division will be the likes of Ranran Abdilla and Jessie Lopez (Air Force 1); Pol Salvador and James Buytrago (NU); Joel Villonson and Jayson Uy (Army); Henry Pacana and KR Guzman (UST Thunders); Brian Nordberg and Giovanni Maria Musillo (Hong Kong); Jayson and EJ Ramos (Team

Ramos); Raffy Mosuela and Jeffrey Malabanan (Air Force 2); Chris Macasaet and Renz Casanova (DLSUAAi); Jade Bacaldo and Fort Libres (Cebu 1); Kevin Juban and Raphy Abanto (Cebu 2); Pemie Bagalay and Alfred Valbuena (Manila); Jaron Requinton and Efraim Dimaculangan (UST); and Gilbert Longavela and Calvin Sarte (Perlas).

According to CaingletCayetano, there are two major developments that will make the 2018 season more competitive and exciting.

“With all the experiences we’ve

had bringing it around the Philippines, we feel nothing but excitement for what’s to come. With our mission of growing the sport and building our community of athletes, we are making our making BVR On Tour open to international teams this year,” she said.

Apart from allowing international teams to join the field in all of the legs of BVR On Tour, BVR is also giving its fans the opportunity to join the whole BVR contingent to one of its legs in the scenic beaches in the Philippines and watch the matches live with some friends.

Filinvest hosts 7-Eleven Run FILINVEST City provides 7-Eleven Run participants a healthy dose of the outdoors with its lush surroundings.

Excitement and anticipation build in Filinvest City, the premier lifestyle destination in Metro South, as it once again plays host to the 7-Eleven Run 2018 on Feb. 4.

With its tree-canopied roads, verdant garden views, and fresh air, Filinvest City continues to provide participants a healthy dose of the outdoors.

“We are happy that 7-Eleven has chosen Filinvest City once again as venue partner of their run series. And we cannot wait to welcome thousands of participants and let them ex-

perience the outdoors Filinvest City offers,” said Don Ubaldo, Filinvest Alabang Inc.’s senior assistant vice president for Townships.

Now on its fourth year, the 7-Eleven Run 2018 promises to be bigger and more exhilarating with simultaneous races in Manila, Cebu, and Davao.

Manila runners have the option to race in nine categories: 42KM, 21KM, 16KM, 10KM, 10KM Buddy Run, 5KM, 5KM Buddy Run, 3KM, and 500M Kids Run. For the 10KM, 5KM, 3KM, and 500M categories, participants can look forward to a challenging organized race course set amidst the green, masterplanned urbanscape of

Filinvest City. Making the race even more energizing is the Spectrum Linear Park, the innovative “green belt” that spans across the north and south ends of the township.

“Having 7-Eleven Run here is a testament of our commitment to promote active lifestyle. More greens and parks are in place so people go out and run or even walk. Bike lanes are also present in major roads.

Infrastructures are there to encourage people to live their lives actively,” Ubaldo added.

Powering the 7-Eleven Some of last year’s participants of the 7-Eleven Run negotiate the course.

Run 2018 is 7-Eleven’s proprietary system of Self-se- and allows them to run with category of each leg will and fitness with family and lected Wave Starts, which people of the same skill, get a chance to take home friends at Filinvest City, a cash prizes and medals. live-work-play environment enables runners to select speed, or with friends!

Top three winners per So, gear up for a day of fun made real! their individual wave starts

Samsung Electronics launches official App of PyeongChang Olympics IN CELEBRATION of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Worldwide Olympic Partner in the Wireless Communications Equipment and Computing Equipment category announced that the Official App of PyeongChang 2018 is available for download.

Samsung is once again powering the custom mobile application, as an effort to further enhance the Olympic Winter Games experience for all, ensuring smarter communications and smoother wireless operations during the Olympic Games. The Official

App of PyeongChang 2018 was created in partnership with the International Olympic Committee and the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games. The all-in-one app will help fans better enjoy the Olympic Winter Games experience by offering real-time updates, athlete information, medal standings and Olympic and Paralympic records.

Evolving from the Wireless Olympic Works service which began in 2004, the Official App of PyeongChang 2018 offers differentiated content based on location,

news updates, ticket and venue information as well as online cheering service to support athletes.

“As part of our commitment to creating an enjoyable Olympic Winter Games experience for athletes, fans, and consumers, we’re proud to create connections, and to help share the Olympic Spirit around the world,” said Younghee Lee, CMO and Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics.

“Through our innovative technology advancements, our goal is to contribute to a meaningful and unforgettable experience for all.”

In addition to providing the

latest updates that users need to know about the Olympic Winter Games, the Official App of PyeongChang 2018 is also customizable, allowing users to stay up-todate on specific events and results they care about the most, and to receive push-notification alerts based on their favorite countries, sports or athletes.

The Official App of PyeongChang 2018 is available in English, Korean, French, Japanese and Chinese, and can be downloaded for free on Google Apps, Google Play Store, and iOS App Store.

Patriots turn back Supremos in MPBL Games Saturday

(Muntinlupa Gym) 7 p.m. – Batangas vs Valenzuela 9 p.m. – Navotas vs Muntinlupa

SENATOR Manny Pacquiao’s opened the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Anta Raja Cup on the same night veteran Aric del Rosario made a coaching return and weaved his old magic to lead the Parañaque Patriots to a 70-60 victory over the Caloocan Supremos at the Araneta Coliseum late Thursday night.

Del Rosario’s secret was plain and simple—get people who are no stranger to his system. “‘Yung mga anak ko kinuha ko para hindi na ako kukuha ng alalay. ‘Yung tatlong anak ko ginawa kong assistant para may tumutulong sa akin. Kasi minsan, mahina na ‘yung tuhod natin eh,” said Del Rosario. “Kasi nga ‘yung mga yan may kumukuhang ibang team, tumawag sila sa akin, tinatanong kung mayroon pa silang lugar diyan. Kung gusto niyo rito, samasama tayo, kaya andiyan sila.”

Gab Dangangon, one of Del Rosario’s key players in Perpetual Help, fired 20 points on a steady 10-of-16 shooting from the field.

Jemal Vizacarra, one of Del Rosario’s old reliables when he was coach of the University of Santo Tomas Tigers, contributed 14 markers, while ex-pro and former Perpetual star Harold Arboleda posted a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Patriots, who held the Supremos to only nine points in the fourth period.

Yulo Memorial golf under way THE Jose Yulo Memorial gets going today (Saturday) with 196 players making up 98 teams bracing for competitive but fun tournament at the North and South Courses of Canlubang Golf and Country Club in Laguna.

The host club’s premier member-guest tournament features teams composed of one member and one guest with the member’s maximum handicap set at 26 for male and 32 for female and maximum of 18 for male guest and 24 for female guest.

The field will clash for the overall team championship, the overall low gross crown and the individual low net and gross titles in the two-day tournament played under the Stableford Aggregate scoring system.

Meanwhile, a brand new Mitsubishi Mirage G4 (GLS CVT) will be staked as the grand raffle prize in the event held in honor of the late Speaker while The Turf Company and Texas Eagle are putting up golf carts and utility vehicles as hole-in-one prizes.

Pacsports Philippines, Inc. and Mitsubishi Motors Phil. Corp. are the other hole-inone sponsors.

President’s Cup on at Wack Wack THE 17th President’s Cup fires off today (Saturday) with 288 players clashing for top honors in various divisions at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club’s East course.

Also up for grabs are hole-in-one prizes, including one Harley Davidson Street XG750 from CATS Motors, a Toyota Vios from Toyota North Edsa and an Inada Massage Chair Nagomi.

Wack Wack president and Senator JV Ejercito headlines the field in the event to be played under the Modified Double Peoria format.

To accommodate the big number of participants, two shotgun will be held at 6:30 a.m. and 12 noon.

Backing up the event are Transview, San Miguel Corp., DDT Konstruct, Federal Land, Powerball Marketing and Logistics Corp., Oxford Distributions, Duty Free PH, United Auctioneers, S-Ang Construction, Stradcom and Pacific Links.

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 27, 2018

Ababa, Lascuna brace for shootout

Sports

LUBAO, Pampanga—Jhonnel Ababa shrugged off erstwhile co-leader Nicolas Paez of the US with an eaglespiked 70 but failed to shake off Tony Lascuña, who closed out with a flourish to seal a final round shootout for the ICTSI Pradera Verde Classic crown here.

Lascuña birdied three of the last six holes to fire a 69, pulling to within one with a 54-hole haul of 210 as Ababa hung tough with a two-under card spiked by an eagle on the par-5 12th for a 209.

That guarantees a fierce showdown not only for the crown but also for the bragging rights as the first player to win two titles on the Philippine Golf Tour Asia with Ababa going for back-to-back after a seven-stroke romp at Eagle Ridge last week.

Lascuña, on the other hand, is seeking a follow-up to his Wack Wack feat last November.

“I like my chances but it will take a lot of effort as Jhonnel is playing solid,” said Lascuña, who moved into contention after breaking a three-birdie, three-bogey game after 12 holes with birdies on Nos. 13, 16 and 17.

That late birdie flurry was Lascuña’s response to Ababa’s eagle on No. 12, a feat that kept the two-day leader and fellow Davaoeño three strokes ahead of his pursuers majority of the third round of the $100,000 event put up by ICTSI. With Paez unable to keep pace with Ababa and Lascuña’s games and limped with a 75, the American tumbled to joint seventh with compatriot Lexus Keoninh, who shot a 70, at 214, enabling Josh Salah, also of the US, to clinch the other spot in today’s championship flight with a 212 after a 71.

Clyde Mondilla turned in a third straight 71, missing joining Salah at third with a bogey on No. 18 but staying in the hunt with a 213 in a tie with Aussie Andrew Campbell and Jay Bayron, who carded a 70 and 72, respectively, in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. Korean Park Jun Sung fired a 70 for a 215 while American John Michael O’Toole rallied with a 69 to tie Frankie Miñoza, who struggled with a 73, at 10th at 216.

PH polo team makes All Asia Cup finale

Jhonnel Ababa reacts after missing a birdie putt from the fringe on No. 14.

Painters coast to 97-86 rout of NLEX Warriors

By Jeric Lopez

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ROM start to finish, Rain or Shine showed just how much it badly wanted a victory as it coasted to a 97-86 rout of ailing NLEX to get back on the right path in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

Maverick Ahanmisi stepped up for the Elasto Painters, scoring a teamhigh 20 points, to go with eight assists for a near double-double showing to lead the way.

He got plenty of support from his pals Gabe Norwood, who had 13, James Yap, who added 12 and Chris Tiu, who scored 11.

Rain or Shine evened its card to 3-3 with the victory,

while NLEX continued to stumble as it lost its fourth straight, dropping to 2-4.

Slowly but surely, Rain or Shine established its game and rhythm while taking command in the process.

After taking a 25-20 headstart after one, the Painters had an even more solid second quarter to create more distance.

They continued to pounce on the Road Warriors to outscore them 2818 in the second canto and stretch their lead further to 15, 53-38, at the half.

It was then all about coasting the rest of the way for the Painters as they took care of their grip and never looked back in the second half, holding on to their double-digit lead until the final buzzer.

JR Quinahan led all scorers with a game-high 22 points for the Road Warriors in another losing effort.

Two more struggling teams are doing battle as of this report as Barangay Ginebra (2-2) and Phoenix (2-3) are currently duking it out.

The Scores RAIN OR SHINE 97— Ahanmisi 20, Norwood 13, Yap 12, Tiu 11, Borboran 9, Daquioag 7, Belga 6, Maiquez 6, Nambatac 6, Cruz 3, Ponferada 2, Trollano 2.

NLEX 86—Quiñahan 22, Mallari 17, Ravena 14, Baguio 9, Alas 6, Tiongson 6, Gotladera 4, Fonacier 3, Uyloan 3, Soyud 2, Monfort 0, Taulava 0.

Quarters: 25-20, 53-38, 73-62, 97-86.

mistakes against the Thai team,” added Romero.

The Nationals made it to the medal round by topping their Group B elims that saw them outlast Indonesia, 12-9, before pulling a surprising 9-5 win over China.

Romero said their win over China greatly enhanced their confidence in time for their semis showdown with Brunei.

“Our win over China further motivated us to play a lot harder knowing Brunei is a solid team,” said Romero.

Rep. Mikee Romero with Prince Harry of Wales

Federer reaches Aussie Open final

Arellano U whitewashes San Beda REIGNING titlist Arellano University whitewashed San Beda College, 25-17, 25-10, 25-17, in a duel between unbeaten teams to grab the first Final Four seat in the 93rd NCAA women’s volleyball tournament at the Filoil Arena in San Juan City yesterday.

The Lady Chiefs relied on Jovielyn Prado’s 17-point performance and their defense to hammer out the surprisingly lopsided triumph and secure a spot in the next round with a perfect 7-0 (win-loss) record.

AU could zoom straight to the finals and clinch a thrice-tobeat advantage if it could sweep its final two outings in the elimination round against College of St. Benilde on Monday and last year’s finals foe San Sebastian on Thursday.

Defense proved the biggest key as the Lady Chiefs shut down MVP contender Cesca Racraquin, who finished a season-low six points after coming into the duel averaging 17.5, which was second only to Jose Rizal’s Shola Alvarez’s 20.67.

“Our defense helped us get this win, we made it harder for them,” said AU coach Obet Javier in Fiipino.

The Lady Red Spikers slid to their first defeat after six straight triumphs.

In the men’s section, AU trounced San Beda, 25-23, 25-19, 25-16, to jump back to the No. 2 spot with a 6-1 slate, while sending the latter to fourth with a 5-2 mark.

Perpetual Help leads the way with a perfect 6-0 record.

Both are trying to snap a two-game losing slide.

THE Philippine polo team made history recently by advancing to the final of the All Asia Cup for the first time at the VS Sports Club in Bangkok, Thailand.

Behind the gutsy effort of team captain and Rep. Mikee Romero (1Pacman partyList), the Nationals made their feat doubly significant by beating SEA Games bronze medalist Brunei, 11-7, in the semis.

“We finally made it to the final of this prestigious event,” said Romero, who owns GlobalPort in the PBA. “It was a great effort, we played hard and smart.”

Other members of the PH team are Anthony Garcia, Adrian Garcia and Ricardo Garcia.

Romero and company dispute the title against SEA Games silver medalist and host Thailand today.

“We hope we can sustain our momentum because Thailand is a tough team. We can’t afford to make many

Switzerland’s Roger Federer waves after South Korea’s Chung Hyeon retired from their men’s singles semi-finals match on day 12 of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. AFP

MELBOURNE—Defending champion Roger Federer strolled into the Australian Open final in a bitter-sweet win after Chung Hyeon’s retired injured in their semi-final on Friday.

The Swiss star was leading 6-1, 5-2 when the South Korean called it quits with foot blisters and will now face Marin Cilic in Sunday’s final.

Chung, the first South Korean man or woman to play in a Grand Slam semi-final, was treated in a medical timeout for the left foot problem two games earlier.

But it came as a big surprise when the 21-year-old walked to the net at 30-30 and trailing 2-5 after 1hr 02mins in the second set to concede defeat.

It put Federer into his seventh Australian final as he chases his sixth Melbourne title and 20th Grand Slam victory.

Federer leads 2014 US Open champion Cilic 8-1 in their meetings.

The Swiss maestro now has a 3013 win-loss record in Grand Slam semi-finals and has yet to drop a set in this year’s Australian Open.

“You couldn’t tell until the end,” he said of Chung’s injury problems.

“That’s probably why a lot of people are stunned (he retired).

“I could tell something was wrong before he took the injury timeout, but he has a great composure.

“I think he is already a great player, but we are talking next level excellence and I think he will achieve that.

“We will see much more of him. Top 10 for sure. The rest we will see.”

It was a muted semi-final with the Rod Laver Arena retractable roof closed for rain further improving Federer’s chances given

his indoor record.

He broke Chung’s opening service and twice more to romp away with the first set in just 33 minutes as the Korean made a flurry of errors.

It got no better in the second set with Federer again breaking in the fourth game before the trainer was called on to the court to treat Chung for his foot blisters.

Chung only lasted a bit more than two games before pulling out to a stunned silence.

“In the second set I felt he was starting to get a bit slower, fighting with a blister,” Federer said.

“I’ve played with blisters in the past a lot, and it hurts a lot, and at one point it is just too much and you can’t take it anymore.

“That’s when you realize there is no way you can come back and you make things really worse, it is better to stop. That’s why this feels bitter-sweet. AFP

Sports commission to review athletes/coaches’ allowance scheme TO keep up with the times, a review of the current allowances of national coaches and athletes is in the offing.

The board of commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission will discuss on Monday if an increase should be done in order to respond to the present economic situation in the country.

“It’s incumbent for us to review in order to respond to the times,” said PSC chairman William”Butch” Ramirez during yesterday’s press conference

that was held on the occasion of the government sports agency’s 28th anniversary.

A top-tier PH athlete gets as much as P40,000 a month, while a top-level coach gets as much as P41,000.

Since 2014, the PSC began the business of reevaluating its prioritization program, which will involve 101 athletes whio have won medals in the recent 2013 Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar.

Under the program, a gold medallist will

receive monthly allowances of P40,000, while silver and bronze medallists will get P30,000 and P25,000, respectively.

Last December, the PSC created a new policy in response to allegations that several karate athletes they did not fully receive their allowances during their 20-day training stint in Germany last July.

There are nearly a thousand athletes who are being supported by the PSC. Ramirez went on

to talk about the PSC’s milestones last year and its plans for 2018 Among milestones in 2017 was the relaunching of the Ph i l ip pi ne Sports Institute and their nationwide meetings with local government units on the national grassroots program.

This year, the PSI will relaunch its SMART program on talent identification, and extend its consultative meetings on sports in seven areas in Mindanao.

Peter Atencio

PSC Chairman William Ramirez (right) briefs sportswriters on the plans of the sports body in 2018 as his commissioners Ramon Fernandez (left) and Charles Maxey listen. Lino Santos

SEC warns vs pre-selling of stocks in hospitals B2

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018

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Stock index climbs past 9,000 points

By Jenniffer B. Austria

T

he stock market surged Friday on rosy prospects for the economy, with the Philippine Stock Exchange Index surging past the 9,000-point mark for the first time.

The PSEi rose 42.03 points, or 0.5 percent, to an all-time high of 9,041.20 on a value turnover of P7.8 billion. Gainers beat losers, 110 to 97, with 52 issues unchanged.

Regina Capital Development Corp. managing director Luis Limlingan said

the market ended the week on a positive note ahead of next week’s window dressing and in step with the performance of the regional market.

The PSEi gained 1.41 percent week-on-week, marking the market’s eight straight weekly gain after

the government reported a 6.7-percent economic growth rate for the full year of 2017.

“The investors remain bullish on the economy as recent data highlights the underlying strength of the economy,” BDO Unibank Inc. chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravelas said.

“Chartwise, the week’s close at 9,041.20 highlights the market still has some gas to try the 9,100/9,350 levels. Immediate support and resistance is seen at 8,600 and 9,100 levels, respectively,” Ravelas added.

But analysts expect the market to correct as early as February as valuations have become pricey compared with other markets.

April Lynn Lee-Tan, head of research at COL Financial Group Inc., said the market level already priced in the positives and that a technical correction could be in the offing before the market resumed its upward trend.

“Although we remain positive, the strategy is not to chase prices. The bull market isn’t dead, but it

would be good to keep some cash and deploy this when the market corrects because share prices have gone up quite a bit in a short time,” Tan said.

Tan last week projected the PSEI reaching 9,300 this year.

Actively traded stocks included BDO Unibank Inc., which climbed 0.3 percent to P157.50; Ayala Land Inc., which advanced 1.1 percent to P47.50; SM Prime Holdings Inc., which rose 0.3 percent to P38.60; and SM Investments Corp.,

the leading LPG solutions company behind the brand Solane, inaugurates a new tank farm in ISLA LPG Rabon Terminal, La Union. The new tank facility will help the company achieve sustained volume growth by improving operational efficiency and capacity to accommodate more products. At the inauguration ceremony are (from left) ISLA LPG Corp.

HSSE manager Arnel Laygo, ILC chief executive officer Ruben Domingo, ISLA Petroleum and Gas CEO Shoichi Watanabe, ILC general manager of supply chain operations Ronald Nepomuceno and ILC technical and engineering manager John Macoy.

Bayer PH inaugurates P80-m seed conditioning facility CANLUBANG, Laguna— Bayer Philippines Inc. inaugurated Friday an P80million seed conditioning facility that can process as much as 3,000 metric tons of rice seeds annually.

Bayer head of seeds for Asia Pacific Amit Trikha said the facility would help boost local hybrid seeds production by 30 percent annually, increasing the availability to farmers for better yield.

“More than anything,

Shanghai added 0.3 percent and Seoul rose 0.5 percent. Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur also rose while Singapore was flat.

But Wellington, Taipei and Bangkok retreated.

Sydney was closed for a public holiday.

Forex markets have been on a roller-coaster ride the past few days after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin sent the dollar spiraling to multi-year lows by saying at the Davos meeting of business and political leaders that a weaker unit was “good for us.” With AFP

Razon offers to acquire 16-ha. Solaire casino lot

SOLANE TANK FARM. ISLA LPG,

By Othel V. Campos

which advanced 3.6 percent to P1,140.

The dollar, meanwhile, edged back down in Asia on Friday as a Donald Trumpinspired surge petered out with analysts tipping the US unit to continue weakening.

The resumption in the greenback’s sell-off reversed early gains in Tokyo, which ended down for a third day, though Hong Kong surged to new peaks in mixed equity trade.

Hong Kong jumped 1.6 percent after sinking almost one percent on profit-taking, while

this infrastructure is dedicated to improve the quality of seeds. This conditioning line of Bayer will be kind of self-sufficient also. Before there was dependency on India, but with this new capacity there will be more flexibility to supply the needs for market,” he said.

The company’s seed production operations is entirely focused in Mindanao.

Bayer is producing about 150 to 200 MT of hybrid seeds locally from 120 hectares, a combination of five

hybrid varieties—Arize Bigante, Arize Bigante Plus, Arize Habilis, Arize Habilis Plus, and the premium Arize AZ 7888.

The company contributes approximately 30 percent of total hybrid seeds supply in the Philippines. With the seed conditioning line, the company expects to augment production by another 30 percent.

Bayer crop science division head for seeds in the Philippines Reecher Ondap disclosed plans to move away from the traditional

production site in Mindanao to Luzon.

“We’re scouting for more areas where we can establish new seeds plantation. There are locations in Luzon that we are eyeing now,” he said.

Bayer, meanwhile, expressed concern on an imminent increase in the price of seeds due to highern logistics cost, especially fuel.

Bayer’s mother unit plans to develop the Philippines as the rice seed production hub in Southeast Asia.

The company in 2017

opened a P40-million rice breeding facility in Calauan, Laguna where it can pursue experimental initiatives to improve and create new hybrid seed varieties that are diseaseresistant and climate change-ready.

The hectarage planted to hybrid seeds, according to the Department of Agriculture, is estimated at 500,000 hectares. The agency plans to increase the coverage to 1 million hectares within the tenure of President Rodrigo Duterte.

IN BRIEF

Union Bank’s 2017 income down UNION Bank of the Philippines of the Aboitiz group, the 10th largest lender in terms of assets, said net income in 2017 fell 16.8 percent to P8.4 billion from P10.1 billion a year ago, pulled down by lower trading gains.

The bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Friday excluding one-time gains from securities trading a year ago, core income was up by a robust 30.4 percent to P8.2 billion from P6.3 billion in 2016.

Total assets reached a new high of P622.1 billion, up 18.6 percent, with total loans growing 19.4 percent to P281 billion. The bank’s loan portfolio is well-diversified, with consumer loans accounting to more than one-third of total loans.

Total deposits similarly registered an 18.9-percent increase from P447.6 billion a year ago. Julito G. Rada

China Bank Securities upbeat CHINA Bank Securities Corp., the stock brokerage unit of China Bank subsidiary China Bank Capital Corp., plans to raise revenues by 75 percent this year amid the backdrop of a robust economy and healthy capital markets.

“The supportive economic conditions, positive investor confidence, upbeat trend in both the equity and capital markets, in addition to the healthy pipeline of initial public offerings or IPOs bode well for our growth projections and plans to further build our business,” president and chief executive Marisol Teodoro said in a statement Friday.

Formerly known as ATC Securities, the stock brokerage firm was acquired by CBCC in March 2017. The Securities and Exchange Commission approved a change in name to China Bank Securities in July, along with a capital infusion that raised its authorized capitalization almost four-fold to P150 million from P38 million. Julito G. Rada

Globe cuts account delinquencies

GLOBE Telecom Inc., one of the major telecommunications services providers in the Philippines, has reduced account delinquencies by 40 percent year-on-year, since its deployment of FICO® Customer Communication Services in 2016.

By automating a portion of its collections efforts, the company also managed to reduce the cost to collect by 15 percent and the time it takes to collect by three days.

Globe won the 2017 FICO Decisions Award for Debt Management for its achievements. The introduction of the CCS solution was seen as essential to cope with Globe Telecom’s rapidly growing business. With more than 59 million mobile customers and over 1.2 million broadband customers, Globe had to scale its collections efforts quickly while considering cost and improving customer care.

Bayer Philippines Inc. inaugurates Friday a seed conditioning facility that can process as much as 3,000 metric tons of rice seeds annually. Leading the inaugural rites are (from left) Ruel Gesmundo of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Bayer head of seeds Philippines Recher Ondap, Agriculture Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan, Bayer commercial unit head Iiinas Ivan Lao and Bayer head of seeds APAC Amit Trikha.

BUSINESS tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. has offered to acquire the 16-hectare property in Entertainment City where his Solaire Resort & Casino (Solaire) operates, Casino operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp. said in a disclosure to the stock exchange wholly owned unit Sureste Properties Inc. submitted a bid to state-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp to purchase the property. The property has a minimum bid price of P37.23 billion.

“The bidding is conducted by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. as owner of the land. SPI, the owner and operator of the hotel and non-gaming facilities in Solaire, is the lessee of the subject land,” Bloomberry said.

Sureste also submitted to Pagcor an offer to purchase the land by negotiated sale in the event the bidding fails.

Bloomberry said the first bidding conducted by Pagcor on Dec. 1, 2017 failed because no bidder made an offer.

Pagcor conducted a second round of bidding with the deadline of submission of bids scheduled on Jan 26.

Sureste currently holds a long-term lease on the same property up to July 11, 2033. The lease is extendable for another term under certain conditions.

Share price of Bloomberry on Friday fell 0.2 percent to 12.80.

The $1.2-billion Solaire Resort & Casino is the first integrated destination resort to open in Entertainment City.

The complex includes a five-star hotel with 800 guest rooms, suites and villas, as well as retail, dining and gaming areas.

Bloomberry reported a net income of P5.96 billion in the first nine months of 2017, up 275 percent year-onyear, on record gaming revenues.

Nine-month gross gaming revenues reached P34.57 billion, up 23 percent from a year ago, driven by record VIP volume, mass table drop and electronic gaming machine coin-in. Jenniffer B. Austria

BURI blames govt for poor maintenance of MRT3 line

By Darwin G. Amojelar BUSAN Universal Rail Inc. is blaming the government for the unreliable service and poor maintenance of the Metro Trail Transit (MRT) Line 3 after taking full responsibility of the train system in November last year.

BURI said in a statement it turned over to DOTr a wellmaintained and operating MRT3 when its contract was terminated in November.

BURI said it consistently met all its contracted requirements of 20 trains and at times exceeding it up to 21 or 22 trains.

BURI began to maintain the MRT3 in 2016 with only 12 trains, and increased the rail cars to 16 in two months and eventually to 20 in 10 months.

“This is a far cry from what we are experiencing today, 11 trains running at peak hours and occasionally dropping to just 5 trains,” BURI said.

“It is to BURI’s credit, with its experienced Korean and Filipino engineers, to achieve all this despite payments for services already rendered were withheld for 10 months, resulting in even higher operational cost and indebted to its suppliers,” the company added.

BURI said the DOTr failed to organize a transition team, composed of experienced rail engineers, to ensure the continued safety and efficient maintenance of the MRT3.

“The excessively long queues have resulted not only in the dismay of the riders but the loss of a limb of one female passenger and worse, the life of a young woman. DOTr reported that this did not happen on peak hours but they fail to say that the present operation of the MRT3 is now likened to peak hours on any given time due to the lack of running trains to serve the high volume of passengers,” BURI said.

Dominguez credits Arroyo, Aquino for Duterte’s success in tax reforms

By Julito G. Rada

FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III credited the government’s success in pushing a tax reform package aimed at reducing poverty and inequality in part to the key reforms put in place by past administrations.

Dominguez said the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act, which is the first package under President Rodrigo Duterte’s Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, was a logi-

cal continuation of decades of reforms passed by previous administrations.

He mentioned the efforts of former Presidents Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III in ensuring the passage of legislative measures that paved the way for the Duterte administration to carry out the tax reforms needed to make the country’s system fairer, simpler and more efficient. “... We have not forgotten their achievements. We will build on these past gains

and do better,” Dominguez said during the 69th inaugural meeting of the Management Association of the Philippines held at the Shangri-La, The Fort in Taguig City.

Dominguez also took note of the support of organizations such as the MAP for the successful enactment of TRAIN, which slashes personal income tax rates while raising additional revenues to help fund the government’s infrastructure modernization program

and increased spending for health, education, and other social services.

He said the TRAIN, which will help fulfill President Duterte’s “promise of real change,” provided the government with a robust revenue stream for programs in support of the administration’s agenda to achieve high inclusive growth by modernizing the nation’s logistics backbone, upgrading public services and improving living standards.

Dominguez said the country’s stable fiscal position was the result of the years of work of the previous administrations, especially those that carried out austerity programs to lift the economy out of the debt crisis.

He cited the passage of the value-added tax reform law in 2005 under President Arroyo, which saved the Philippines from a fiscal crisis and allowed the economy to grow robustly in the last 14 years.

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Business

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

PH insurance assets hit P1.55t

By Julito G. Rada

T

OTAL assets of the insurance industry rose to a record P1.549 trillion in 2017, 17.9 percent higher than P1.314 trillion a year ago, as economic activities expanded, Insurance Commissioner Dennis Funa said Friday. “... 2017 has turned out to be another banner year for us, with industries under our jurisdiction performing exceedingly well... ,” Funa said in his speech during the 69th anniversary of the Insurance Commission.

He said total net worth of the industry climbed 16.3 percent to P315.435

billion from P271.180 billion in 2016. Total premiums also grew 12 percent to P259.646 billion from P231.883 billion a year ago, while total paid-up capital/guaranty increase 10.5 percent to P50.750 billion from P45.939 billion a year ago.

“The three sectors, life, non-life and MBAs [mu-

tual benefit associations], all posted positive growth in the four parameters of assets, premiums earned, net worth and paid-up capital or guaranty fund,” Funa said.

Data showed total assets of the life insurance sector rose 18.3 percent to P1.264 trillion from P1.069 trillion in 2016.

Total net worth grew 19.7 percent to P202.904 billion from P169.461 billion a year ago. Total premiums increased 10.7 percent to P202.341 billion from P182.793 billion, while total paid-up capital climbed 26.1 percent to P20.559

billion from P16.300 billion a year ago.

Total assets of the nonlife insurance sector in 2017, meanwhile, rose 18 percent to P207.328 billion from P175.630 billion a year ago. Total net worth increased 7 percent to P81.978 billion from P76.629 billion. Total premiums increased climbed 16.7 percent to P48.561 billion from P41.608 billion, while total paid-up capital rose 1.77 percent to P29.282 billion from P28.771 billion in 2016.

Mutual benefit associations posted total assets of P77.468 billion in 2017, up

11.6 percent from P69.433 billion a year ago. Total fund balance of the sector also rose 21.8 percent to P30.552 billion from P25.088 billion on year.

Total premiums increased 16.9 percent to P8.744 billion from P7.480 billion on year, while total guaranty fund rose 4.7 percent to P908.9 million from P868 million.

Funa said the insurance industry continued to seek ways of improving its services in order to ensure the continued financial strength of the licensed providers and the protection of policy and plan

holders.

Funa said around 32 million low-income Filipinos as of the third quarter of 2017 were already insured under the commission’s micro-insurance program, up 22 percent year-on-year.

“In celebration of the continued success of the micro-insurance program, and to further enhance its growth, we are aiming to launch a Micro-insurance Awareness Campaign by the end of this month. We are also preparing other avenues and materials which will further promote micro-insurance,” Funa said.

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2018

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 3.6 115,000 59.7 47,010 117.8 1,546,280 3.8 3,000 157.5 2,779,990 1.96 1,409,000 36.75 154,200 15.5 1,500 29.1 5,455,700 0.65 23,000 1.71 38,000 1,000 60 0.55 297,000 101.3 1,288,820 1.23 4,643,000 13.4 89,600 57.5 19,950 245 4,070 89.5 410 55.05 732,010 251.6 1,146,120 1,945 170 90 68,320 1.24 96,000

411,600 2,763,522 182,090,311 11,400 437,531,071 2,839,630 5,663,775 23,088 160,756,830 14,950 65,010 59,750 163,750 130,745,415 5,570,920 1,200,812 1,145,717 997,072 36,695 40,277,599.50 288,275,820 331,000 6,140,944.50 118,580

129,377.50 -21,024,193 -71,935,294 698,885 -2,968,400 -45,941,747 -61,450 -67,100 -316,414 444,122 -32,236,586 10,258,868 -1,928,024 -

41.4 11 0.61 1.3 17.24 0.214 4.54 16.12 53.6 19.82 60 1.89 10.7 12.3 14.76 12.9 8.54 5.6 1.66 15.96 62 30.4 10.62 18.1 1.85 290 55.05 4.19 3.19 20.75 28.3 18 20.75 332 0.196 9 2.77 5 9.18 6.24 8.3 1.74 13 65 6.2 620 4.73 2.05 3.85 1.56 14.64 5.4 0.131 1.13 169.5 2.85 2 25.65 0.82

INDUSTRIAL 41.75 570,500 11.9 2,833,600 0.62 377,000 1.32 169,000 17.26 3,000 0.219 1,480,000 4.59 4,514,000 16.24 216,600 54 535,190 19.82 600 60 120 1.91 29,000 10.9 22,100 12.4 2,009,500 14.82 1,017,800 13 590,800 8.7 2,255,900 5.62 2,246,300 1.66 89,000 16 416,800 62.7 92,890 30.7 785,300 10.72 534,900 18.66 2,141,200 1.97 2,304,000 292.2 375,570 55.05 1,550 4.45 1,814,000 3.19 58,000 20.75 1,100 28.5 11,555,000 18.08 68,500 21.6 6,405,600 335 120,030 0.196 350,000 9.03 27,600 2.88 7,658,000 5.12 57,300 9.21 2,298,900 6.43 98,400 8.3 2,000 1.74 237,000 13.2 3,359,900 65.05 360,770 6.2 50,200 628 48,840 4.8 96,000 2.05 20,000 3.85 3,000 1.71 5,353,000 14.8 3,383,700 5.48 53,900 0.132 2,660,000 1.17 65,000 171 836,630 2.85 737,000 2.04 13,990,000 25.65 2,400 0.82 90,000

23,735,350 33,223,238 231,100 220,830 52,238 319,050 20,685,360 3,510,986 28,940,985 11,894 7,284.50 55,110 237,542 24,828,602 15,094,084 7,660,176 19,750,472 12,623,331 148,240 6,668,862 5,796,197 24,281,135 5,735,538 39,911,446 4,427,540 109,459,678 85,645.50 7,945,980 189,320 22,835 329,592,690 1,235,494 136,439,385 40,115,228 69,240 251,578 22,068,170 290,147 21,179,935 617,377 16,600 414,830 44,687,152 23,466,075 311,290 30,501,100 458,210 41,000 11,550 8,981,990 50,359,572 292,864 355,000 74,140 142,549,187 2,114,910 28,301,850 61,955 73,800

5,332,260 -985,576 5,240 -5,269,520 1,467,696 606,994 -3,780 4,153,264 5,974,898 -3,820,772 1,294,739 390,258 2,113,604 -1,264,404.50 15,250 1,763,642 -20,922,096 23,755,460 42,069,370 252,280 61,653,210 7,905,912 7,458,230 164,989 8,300 -442,410 -1,691,723.50 10,522,260 161,550 -1,778,400 -1,999,136 1,641 54,206,224 284,150 30,000 -

0.295 76.7 15.7 0.94 6.97 0.42 0.455 1,034 7.44 14.5 7.5 4.99 0.186 1,340 7.38 77.5 5.59 5.35 0.67 5.6 23.2 0.33 6.66 0.039 1.31 2.55 2.5 140 2.6 1,076 0.82 1.61 279.8 0.235 0.18 0.194

HOLDING FIRMS 0.3 260,000 78.5 480,680 15.84 8,485,700 0.94 1,000 7 68,300 0.43 2,490,000 0.465 1,010,000 1,040 245,005 7.48 2,094,500 14.5 8,071,100 7.6 12,300 5 129,000 0.186 210,000 1,350 94,120 7.38 62,000 78 1,382,790 5.97 1,300 5.74 75,000 0.68 482,000 5.7 438,300 23.5 7,942,000 0.335 110,000 6.69 5,438,100 0.04 24,000,000 1.35 259,000 2.68 7,143,000 2.5 204,000 141.1 361,940 2.6 61,000 1,140 343,345 0.82 38,000 1.61 592,000 282 2,570 0.235 430,000 0.18 120,000 0.2 280,000

77,550 37,691,854.50 134,543,812 940 478,468 1,065,350 470,900 255,711,545 15,683,005 117,258,772 92,987 644,960 39,060 126,949,745 458,739 108,449,676 7,305 480,768 323,280 2,493,024 188,572,665 36,800 36,364,288 964,000 343,960 19,039,170 510,040 50,993,803 158,600 382,027,170 31,160 954,360 723,236 101,200 21,620 55,970

30,604,980.50 -24,789,924 -240,818 -82,844,810 -1,350,910 -62,732,628 -6,589,260 -10,319,276 1,713,109 -130,769,625 10,611,634 -2,283,430 25,000 2,386,502 49,341,495 39,480 -

NAME

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LOW

CLOSE

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

3.5 59.2 117.9 3.8 157.5 1.93 36.8 15.32 30.6 0.65 1.74 975 0.55 103.5 1.17 13.5 56.9 241.4 89.5 54.85 251.6 1,955 89 1.23

3.7 59.7 118 3.8 158.1 2.07 36.9 15.5 30.6 0.65 1.74 1,000 0.57 103.5 1.24 13.7 57.65 247 89.5 55.1 251.8 1,955 90 1.24

3.42 57.85 117.1 3.8 156.4 1.93 36.65 15.32 28.8 0.65 1.7 975 0.55 101 1.14 13.4 56.9 241.4 89.5 54.8 250.2 1,945 89 1.23

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCRETE A CROWN ASIA DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR ENERGY DEVT EUROMED FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LIBERTY FLOUR LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL 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 VIVANT VULCAN INDL

41.5 11.16 0.62 1.31 17.64 0.214 4.7 16.12 55.1 19.84 60.95 1.89 10.72 12.3 15 13.18 8.77 5.65 1.67 15.98 62.6 31.2 10.84 18.14 1.87 290.4 55.05 4.19 3.26 20.85 28.7 18 20.75 337.6 0.196 9.39 2.86 5.11 9.2 6.45 8.3 1.75 13 65 6.2 620 4.73 2.05 3.85 1.59 14.98 5.4 0.131 1.13 169.7 2.95 2.03 26 0.82

41.75 11.9 0.62 1.32 17.64 0.219 4.7 16.3 55.1 19.84 60.95 1.91 10.9 12.42 15 13.2 8.96 5.65 1.67 16.1 62.7 31.75 10.84 18.9 1.99 293 59.95 4.69 3.29 20.85 28.85 18.08 21.65 337.6 0.202 9.4 2.9 5.18 9.3 6.45 8.3 1.79 13.5 65.2 6.21 630 4.8 2.05 3.85 1.77 15.32 5.48 0.135 1.17 171 2.95 2.04 26 0.82

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

0.305 78.35 15.78 0.94 7.05 0.44 0.49 1,035 7.49 14.58 7.67 4.99 0.186 1,341 7.42 78 5.59 6.5 0.67 5.64 24 0.335 6.68 0.041 1.36 2.63 2.51 141 2.6 1,100 0.82 1.62 280 0.235 0.18 0.194

0.305 78.5 15.98 0.94 7.05 0.44 0.49 1,058 7.5 14.62 7.67 5 0.186 1,354 7.42 79.75 5.97 6.5 0.69 5.72 24.3 0.335 6.69 0.041 1.36 2.75 2.51 141.4 2.6 1,140 0.82 1.62 282 0.236 0.181 0.203

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

6.34 0.98 14.6 2.22 0.91 47 3.86 4.82 5.84 0.47 1.12 1.1 0.233 0.47 39.65 0.71 0.14 1.85 1.36 0.75 4.23 5.1 0.315 0.345 0.54

6.34 0.99 17.5 2.22 0.92 47.5 3.89 4.85 5.86 0.475 1.12 1.1 0.244 0.485 40 0.71 0.14 1.89 1.38 0.77 4.25 5.11 0.325 0.35 0.55

6.2 0.97 14.6 2.16 0.9 46.95 3.85 4.74 5.8 0.47 1.1 1.1 0.233 0.455 39.2 0.65 0.137 1.84 1.36 0.75 4.23 5.04 0.31 0.345 0.52

VOLUME

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HIGH

LOW

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VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

5.11 49.9 21.6 2.06 3.2 38.55 1.03 18.5 0.85 5.93

5.19 49.95 21.6 2.09 3.22 39.15 1.05 23 0.86 6.5

5 39.3 20.75 2 3.2 38.15 1.02 13.1 0.85 5.85

5.09 41 21.15 2.09 3.22 38.6 1.03 19.3 0.85 6.5

2,227,300 52,300 2,814,800 179,000 25,000 10,435,100 551,000 3,582,400 29,000 18,195,700

11,380,167 2,245,380 59,429,655 369,320 80,300 402,369,600 567,540 72,647,272 24,870 113,084,021

-209,246 -22,700 -13,627,430 -6,180 -153,440,180.00 350,819 -55,384,283

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC DISCOVERY WORLD EASYCALL GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN HAVEN GRAND PLAZA HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY MELCO RESORTS METRO RETAIL MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PAXYS PHIL RACING 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 33 1.37 0.45 0.048 12.8 0.069 100.4 8.82 9.03 8.1 2.72 44.2 1,735 5.94 74 11.28 4.41 3.1 113.5 13 8.33 0.142 1.42 3.31 15.8 4.05 1.13 23.2 0.52 4.88 9.13 3.75 18.28 5.58 10.6 10.58 2.79 9.5 110 7 1,508 1.26 0.355 53.95 100 5.79 3.32 1.54 3.16 4.12 0.97 9.8

22 33.85 1.37 0.45 0.051 12.8 0.07 100.6 8.82 9.32 8.5 2.83 62.95 1,746 5.94 109.9 11.28 4.73 3.1 113.5 13.5 8.34 0.142 1.52 3.31 15.8 4.24 1.13 23.5 0.52 5.1 9.27 3.75 18.28 5.9 10.6 10.6 2.8 9.5 110 7.05 1,508 1.26 0.37 54.15 100 5.8 3.32 1.55 3.97 4.15 0.97 9.86

21.1 33 1.34 0.435 0.046 12.3 0.068 98.85 8.8 9.03 8.1 2.72 44.2 1,727 5.89 70.05 11.26 4.39 2.78 112 13 8.33 0.14 1.42 3.19 15.1 4 1.11 22.7 0.52 4.78 8.88 3.69 17.02 5.4 10.6 10.3 2.77 9.49 107 6.9 1,480 1.25 0.34 53.7 97.15 5.75 3.23 1.52 3.16 4.05 0.95 9.6

SERVICES 21.7 33.75 1.35 0.44 0.05 12.8 0.07 99.6 8.8 9.23 8.19 2.83 50.5 1,746 5.9 99 11.26 4.64 3.1 113 13.5 8.33 0.14 1.46 3.19 15.1 4.2 1.13 22.7 0.52 5.1 9 3.69 18.28 5.78 10.6 10.3 2.8 9.49 109.5 7.04 1,503 1.25 0.345 54 98.5 5.76 3.23 1.54 3.68 4.11 0.95 9.78

210,200 47,900 560,000 740,000 106,300,000 12,670,000 15,230,000 278,280 8,400 4,327,400 119,100 393,000 1,498,000 60,405 446,700 803,160 1,000 5,199,000 141,000 597,680 6,400 40,000 1,260,000 627,000 50,000 37,800 3,875,000 448,000 2,340,700 28,000 525,000 4,641,800 304,000 1,600 37,100,700 45,700 17,200 46,000 4,700 18,260 543,000 41,915 1,843,000 1,060,000 2,660,330 417,020 92,200 831,000 1,466,000 21,227,000 609,000 5,112,000 4,104,100

4,569,570 1,601,470 755,820 323,100 5,242,900 159,798,578 1,049,220 27,644,923.50 73,932 39,895,167 983,340 1,106,600 83,959,910 104,760,865 2,640,919 76,988,180.50 11,270 24,022,880 417,820 67,540,001 86,080 333,220 176,850 923,650 160,810 587,022 16,061,510 501,930 53,678,265 14,560 2,585,160 42,171,532 1,123,820 28,992 211,533,750 484,420 179,924 128,700 44,604 1,994,448 3,791,445 62,622,325 2,309,110 368,050 143,855,072 40,752,308 531,061 2,707,960 2,252,240 77,735,370 2,482,260 4,890,240 40,006,074

24,225 -10,200 63,719,350 2,070 4,884,332.50 -1,266,781 -99,120 19,790 274,385 19,056,610 424,003 153,160 -20,811,526 -9,163 28,200.00 28,840 -8,400 -107,670 224,702 169,700 -1,130,327 -41,950 -329,408 4,891,430 49,140 18,395,935.50 -31,068,923 276,980 -1,262,650 36,450.00 -19,200 13,889,030.00

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

0.0023 1.6 4.96 13.62 1.71 1.61 0.33 7.25 2.67 0.195 0.154 0.157 0.0096 1.72 6.71 1.44 0.95 0.012 0.012 0.012 2.38 7.15 9.77 38.7

0.0023 1.61 4.96 13.62 1.71 1.61 0.335 7.3 2.68 0.197 0.154 0.157 0.0097 1.75 6.81 1.44 0.95 0.013 0.012 0.012 2.38 7.2 9.91 38.9

0.0022 1.57 4.95 13.5 1.7 1.57 0.32 7.23 2.55 0.185 0.153 0.156 0.0096 1.68 6.5 1.35 0.92 0.012 0.012 0.011 2.26 6.85 9.25 38.3

MINING & OIL 0.0023 77,000,000 1.58 5,418,000 4.95 122,000 13.5 19,000 1.7 8,000 1.6 1,670,000 0.335 260,000 7.3 13,300 2.65 1,801,000 0.185 1,480,000 0.153 13,830,000 0.156 3,560,000 0.0097 8,000,000 1.69 1,172,000 6.52 6,040,200 1.44 859,000 0.93 241,000 0.013 18,800,000 0.012 1,200,000 0.012 12,100,000 2.26 57,000 7.1 565,200 9.31 6,472,200 38.55 1,185,800

175,900 8,626,210 604,110 256,704 13,620 2,643,010 85,750 96,678 4,717,270 275,160 2,116,290 555,520 77,400 2,017,140 39,583,263 1,167,630 223,040 226,200 14,400 136,500 134,890 4,000,420 62,024,890 45,748,710

326,020 -4,950 -256,704 652,020 -156,000 14,603,133 -2,400 1,055,569 -2,685,734.00 -3,863,165

ABS HLDG PDR DD PREF FGEN PREF F FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF PCOR PREF 2B PF PREF 2 PNX PREF 3A SFI PREF SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H

33.3 104.5 107.9 113 523 5.65 1,009 1,010 101.2 1.05 1,105 1,002 104 2.14 76.75 75.8 77 80 77 78.4

33.3 104.5 107.9 113 523 5.65 1,009 1,020 101.7 1.05 1,105 1,002 104 2.15 76.75 75.8 79 80 77 79.25

33.3 104.5 107.9 113 523 5.6 1,006 1,010 101.2 1.04 1,098 1,000 104 2.14 76.65 75.8 77 80 77 78.4

PREFERRED 33.3 147,900 104.5 5,230 107.9 10 113 13,200 523 2,920 5.6 580,300 1,006 450 1,020 1,050 101.2 13,040 1.04 1,435,000 1,098 55 1,000 1,500 104 7,000 2.15 10,000 76.65 1,410 75.8 3,990 79 52,840 80 6,000 77 10,000 79.25 89,570

4,925,070 546,535 1,079 1,491,600 1,527,160 3,259,805 452,790 1,065,000 1,319,983 1,494,600 60,425 1,501,020 728,000 21,440 108,176.50 302,442 4,068,760 480,000 770,000 7,060,545

-33,300 -3,088,760 238,055 -

LR WARRANT

2.45

2.46

2.33

WARRANTS 2.44 255,000

611,670

-

14,157,248 8,370 197,910 6,506,750

83,305 77,330

5,878,757

-

101,956 2,000

-

NAME

MS

PROPERTY 6.27 0.99 16.38 2.17 0.9 47.5 3.85 4.82 5.86 0.47 1.1 1.1 0.24 0.455 40 0.66 0.137 1.89 1.37 0.77 4.24 5.05 0.32 0.35 0.55

1,022,800 1,837,000 221,200 106,000 1,817,000 8,978,000 598,000 1,024,000 249,100 2,150,000 43,000 114,000 69,550,000 2,900,000 160,400 4,649,000 1,310,000 2,246,000 767,000 16,000 5,000 45,321,800 34,610,000 1,020,000 4,267,000

6,405,052 1,802,220 3,592,142 229,890 1,640,670 425,506,460 2,316,840 4,906,420 ( 1,456,126 1,011,650 47,540 125,400 16,649,200 1,367,000 6,341,400 3,073,870 183,100 4,228,390 1,051,610 12,200 21,200 229,103,195 10,985,750 353,000 2,261,730

-789,597 -15,600 192,788,365 46,600 594,590.0001) 303,220 -28,200 7,700 23,100 -12,050 -50 3,220,560 -836,740 980,430 -20,550 9,685,953 -620,050 208,980

ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

9.1 2.79 3.65 4.48

9.1 2.79 3.74 4.7

8.54 2.79 3.48 4.33

FIRST METRO ETF

135.7

136.5

135.1

USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

10.1 1

T RADING S UMMARY FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

10.28 1

10.1 1

8.55 2.79 3.74 4.65

SME

1,634,500 3,000 55,000 1,450,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 136.1 43,380 DDS 10.28 1

SHARES

VALUE

20,206,366

1,329,424,817.01

87,903,205

1,409,284,878.61

276,737,571

2,032,298,395.319 1,454,316,763.115

PROPERTY

224,851,082

SERVICES

246,954,741

1,404,090,905.07

MINING & OIL

162,077,154

175,546,107.9389

GRAND TOTAL

1,021,926,517

7,831,756,625.85

9,920 2,000

FINANCIAL 2,256.73 (down) 8.38 INDUSTRIAL 12,089.96 (up) 39.21 HOLDING FIRMS 9,358.00 (up) 100.23 PROPERTY 4,126.96 (up) 35.14 SERVICES 1,696.81 (up) 0.47 MINING & OIL 12,189.62 (down) 93.42 PSEI 9,041.20 (up) 42.03 All Shares Index 5,269.32 (up) 24.07 Gainers: 110; Losers: 97; Unchanged: 52; Total: 259

SEC warns vs pre-selling of stocks in hospitals

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Securities and Exchange Commission again warned investors against the “pre-selling” of stocks of hospitals that are currently under construction.

The SEC said in an advisory posted on its website it received information that several individuals or groups of persons had been offering or “pre-selling” securities to the public in the form of shares stock in hospitals currently under construction.

The SEC said these shares of stock to attract investors allegedly grant the purchasers certain hospital benefits, such as waived or discounted operating room fees, free or discounted private room, ward and intensive care unit accommodations, discounts on use of ICU equipment, medicines, medical supplies and other merchandise, and discounts on hospital services as well as out-patient and in-patient case rates.

“The public is hereby informed that these shares of stock being offered are within the definition of ‘securities’ under Section 3.1 of the Securities Regulation Code and are required... to be registered with the SEC under a simplified format pursuant... before being offered or sold to the general public,”the SEC said.

“Thus, a pending application for registration without approval of the commission does not give hospitals the imprimatur to issue such shares of stock,” it added.

AG&P offers solution to expanding LNG demand

By Darwin G. Amojelar AG&P, a local company at the forefront of developing end-to-end LNG delivery solutions, said demand aggregation is the key to growing and unlocking the market for gas in Asia.

AG&P said in a statement liquid-fueled power plants remained the key driver for increasing global gas demand across the region.

However, these power plants are typically remote and too small to be viably served on a standalone basis, especially in archipelagoes like the Philippines and Indonesia. Thus, they remained stranded without access to gas supply.

In order to address the challenge, AG&P is aggregating downstream demand in off-grid areas to achieve the minimum throughput required to unlock new gas-to-power markets.

AG&P is also pushing for the development of the missing LNG supply chain infrastructure off-grid areas by offering a fully integrated, end-to-end solution from sourcing to last mile delivery, making it possible and viable for customers to switch to LNG. “Most liquid-fueled power plants are remotely located and cut-off from the main grid. Leveraging our standardized designs and modular approach to building LNG terminals, AG&P has created a solution that not only eliminates expensive, bespoke engineering costs, but significantly reduces construction time,” Abhilesh Gupta, AG&P’s Global chief financial officer and commercial head, said.

World Venezuela opposition excluded from vote CARACAS―Venezuela’s top court on Thursday excluded the opposition from a coming presidential election, clearing the way for unpopular President Nicolas Maduro to win another term.

The late socialist icon Hugo Chavez’s handpicked successor has drawn criticism at home and abroad, accused of running a leftist dictatorial regime in this oil-rich and once prosperous country whose economy is now a basket case marked by acute shortages of food and medicine and even such basics as soap and toilet paper.

The main opposition coalition, called the Democratic Union Roundtable, or MUD in Spanish, declined to field candidates in local elections in December.

It said the voting would be rigged, just as it said gubernatorial elections in October were. In both cases, pro-government candidates scored big wins.

So the parties that make up the coalition had to re-register with electoral authorities. And that was supposed to happen this weekend.

But on Thursday the Supreme Court―accused of being stacked with Maduro loyalists―told the national election council to delay this registration by six months.

The presidential election, originally scheduled for December, has been moved up to April 30 at the latest. No final date has been set. AFP

Trump apologizes for tweet LONDON―US President Donald Trump has apologized for the first time for re-tweeting a British farright group’s videos apparently showing Islamist violence, in an ITV interview aired in Britain on Friday.

“If you’re telling me they’re horrible racist people, I would certainly apologize if you’d like me to do that,” he told Good Morning Britain’s Piers Morgan during the interview, conducted in Davos on Thursday.

Trump sparked outrage in Britain in November when he re-tweeted, in quick succession, three anti-Muslim videos posted

by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of Britain First who was in 2016 convicted of religiously aggravated harassment of a Muslim woman. AFP

B3

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018 Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

Victims relive Zimbabwe massacres that taint new leader MAHETSHE, Zimbabwe―To ward off evil spirits, Jochonia Moyo picks wild herbs as he returns to Bhalagwe detention camp―the site of unimaginable brutality during a series of massacres more than 30 years ago that still haunts Zimbabwe today.

Here, Moyo was detained, beaten with clubs and forced to abuse other prisoners as Robert Mugabe’s soldiers embarked on an orgy of kill-

ing that left an estimated 20,000 dead in just two years.

The massacres occurred in the early 1980s, but for decades were discussed only in hushed voices.

Now, though, the end of Mugabe’s iron-fisted rule has revived calls for justice―and renewed accusations that the new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, played a key role in the bloodshed.

“I remember perfectly the day,

March 8, 1984, when they arrested me and brought me to Bhalagwe,” Moyo, now in his 60s, told AFP as he surveyed the scant remains of the camp.

“While we slept, the soldiers urinated on us and new detainees were even forced to lick women’s menstrual blood,” he said.

Moyo had been targeted for attending meetings of ZAPU, a rival political party that Mugabe was

determined to crush as he strengthened his ZANU party’s grip on power.

Troops from the notorious Fifth Brigade, trained by North Korean advisers, committed mass atrocities during the crackdown on a supposed rebellion in southwestern Matabeleland province.

ZAPU supporters, plus many other villagers, women and children, were rounded up, tortured and killed in the

massacres, called “Gukurahundi”― loosely meaning “the early rain which washes away the chaff”.

Amnesty International has backed the estimated death toll of 20,000 compiled following an investigation by the rights group, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe.

Amnesty says it first heard reports of killings in 1982 and has described them as “bloody and brutal.” AFP

Dozens dead in S. Korea fire S

EOUL―A huge fire tore through a South Korean hospital on Friday, killing at least 37 people in the country’s worst blaze for a decade, the government said.

FIRE. Firefighters try to put out a fire at a hospital building engulfed by heavy gray smoke in Miryang. AFP

Ousted Thai party criticizes fresh election delay to 2019 BANGKOK―Thailand’s former ruling party on Friday slammed the junta’s latest postponement of elections until 2019, accusing the generals of buying time to consolidate support ahead of a return to voting.

The junta has delayed several poll dates since toppling the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014 and instituting a ban on all political activity.

Late Thursday, the military government’s rubber-stamp parliament voted to change an election law and pave the way for polls to be pushed back from the junta’s previously-stated timetable of November 2018.

Elections will likely be delayed for three months and fall some time in 2019, deputy prime minister General Prawit Wongsuwon told reporters on Friday, without giving a clear date.

The move was swiftly panned by the toppled Pheu Thai party, whose

various incarnations have won every national election since 2001 but have been taken out by elite-backed coups and court rulings.

Chaturon Chaisang, a former minister and senior Pheu Thai leader, said the junta is trying to position itself for victory ahead of the poll.

“They want time to prepare to make sure they can come back to power after an election,” he told AFP. The military regime, which has yet to lift its ban on political activities, is trying to “weaken all existing parties,” Chaturon added, giving room for support to grow for an appointed prime minister or a military-backed party.

Thailand’s generals have already enshrined their influence in government for years to come through a new charter that curbs the power of elected politicians and strengthens other arms of government.

The junta-drafted constitution calls for a fully-appointed Upper House, with six spots reserved for military leaders, and a proportional voting system likely to reduce the influence of major parties.

Analysts expect the generals to return to power in the form of a military-allied party, or rely on a charter loophole that could see an unelected premier installed through a parliamentary vote.

The poll postponement comes as the junta takes flak over a corruption scandal centering on deputy premier Prawit, who has been dubbed “the Rolex General” for parading a collection of luxury watches.

Since December, a muckraking Thailanguage Facebook page called “CSI LA” has unearthed photos of the junta No. 2 wearing 25 watches collectively worth $1.2 million, including 11 Rolexes, eight Patek Philippes and three Richard Milles. AFP

Shoppers go nuts for Nutella

PARADE. Indian Cadets from the National Cadet Corps contingent march during India’s 69th Republic Day Parade. AFP

STRASBOURG―A French supermarket chain’s decision to slash the price of Nutella by 70 percent has sparked frenzy, with shoppers across the country jostling to squirrel away as many jars of the nutty spread as possible in what one worker likened to an orgy.

Video posted online Thursday and testimony from baffled supermarket workers showed long queues forming outside Intermarche supermarkets and chaotic scenes as bargain hunters stormed inside.

“People just rushed in, shoving everyone, breaking things. It was like an orgy,” one employee in the northeastern town of Forbach told AFP, asking to remain anonymous.

“We were on the verge of calling the police.” AFP

Around 130 others were hurt in the fire, which comes just weeks before thousands of athletes and foreign visitors are expected in the country for the Winter Olympics.

While South Korea has risen to become the world’s 11th-largest economy, some of its infrastructure was built rapidly and it has a history of preventable disasters.

It was the country’s second major blaze in a month, and officials admitted there was no sprinkler system installed at the hospital.

Videos posted on social media showed a patient hanging on to a rope dangling from a helicopter above the hospital in Miryang, in the far south, and another crawling out of a window to climb down a ladder.

The death toll rose rapidly throughout the morning as some of those initially pulled from the blaze succumbed to their injuries. At one point the presidential Blue House put it at 41, before authorities lowered it to 37, blaming double-counting.

Three of the dead were medical staff, officials said.

“Two nurses said they had seen fire suddenly erupting in the emergency room,” said fire chief Choi ManWoo. The six-story structure housed a nursing home as well as the Sejong Hospital, and around 200 people were inside when the fire broke out according to police.

All the dead were in the hospital, Choi said.

Video footage and pictures showed the building engulfed by thick, dark smoke and surrounded by multiple fire trucks.

Survivors were brought

out wrapped in blankets, and firefighters picked their way through the blackened shell of the building after the blaze was extinguished.

Jang Yeong-Jae, a surviving patient, said he was on the second floor when nurses screamed “Fire!” in the hallway and urged people to leave through the emergency exits.

“But when I opened the exit door, the whole stairway was filled with dark smoke and I couldn’t see a thing,” he told Seoul’s major daily JoongAng Ilbo.

“Everybody was running around in panic, falling over and screaming as smoke filled the rooms,” he was quoted as saying. Jang tore open window screens and escaped on a ladder erected by firefighters.

“There were so many aged patients on other floors... I wonder if they escaped safely,” JoongAng quoted Jang’s wife as saying.

Hospital director Son Gyeong-Cheol admitted there was no sprinkler system in the building.

None had been required under fire prevention laws, he told journalists, but the hospital had been planning to install them in the coming week to comply with new regulations coming into force in June.

“There were two heatingcooling air conditioners in the emergency room and the fire started in that area,” he said. “We suspect electrical short circuits.”

South Korean President Moon Jae-In called an emergency meeting with advisers, and demanded an immediate probe into the cause of the blaze. AFP

Trump ordered Mueller’s firing but reversed course WASHINGTON―US President Donald Trump ordered the firing of Russia investigation special prosecutor Robert Mueller last year but the White House counsel’s threatened resignation pushed him to reverse course, US media reported Thursday.

Mueller is leading the probe into allegations of collusion between the US president’s campaign team and Russia in the 2016 election, which Trump has repeatedly criticized and views as an attack on the legitimacy of his presidency.

Trump gave the order in June 2017, according to The New York Times, but White House counsel Don McGahn opposed the decision, telling senior officials it would have a “catastrophic effect” on Trump’s presidency.

After McGahn threatened to quit, Trump backed down, the Times reported, citing four anonymous sources.

The Washington Post, also citing anonymous sources, confirmed that Trump sought to fire Mueller but reconsidered after the White House counsel’s threat.

“We decline to comment out of respect for the Office of the Special Counsel and its process,” Trump attorney Ty Cobb told AFP. The president told journalists in August that he had not considered firing Mueller, some two months after he reportedly had moved to do just that.

“I haven’t given it any thought. I mean, I’ve been reading about it from you people, you say, ‘Oh, I’m gonna dismiss him.’ No, I’m not dismissing anybody,” Trump said.

According to the Times, Trump had accused Mueller of three conflicts of interest that he argued disqualified him from running the Russia collusion investigation.

The alleged conflicts were as follows: Mueller had terminated his membership at a Trump golf course over a dispute about fees, had worked for the law firm that previously represented the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and had been interviewed to return as director of the FBI before he was appointed special counsel.

Democratic Senator Mark Warner, the vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said Thursday that firing Mueller was a “red line.” AFP

Trucks &Buses

Dino Ray Directo III, Editor

B4

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018

Bulk of Isuzu's sales were attributed to their heavy and light duty trucks

Isuzu smashes sales record for 2017!

T

HE country’s diesel authority, Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) ended 2017 on a high note as it achieved its highest annual record sales to date. Sales data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers in the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association, Inc. (TMA), IPC recorded an impressive 30,086 units of sales in the full year of 2017, which reflected a 10-percent increase compared to the previous year’s 27,361 units.

MANILA, Philippines—Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. (HARI), the Philippines’ official distributor of Hyundai passenger and commercial vehicles, has brought the New Generation of the Hyundai XCIENT heavy-duty truck to the Philippine shore. It was witnessed by those who attended the recently concluded 2017 PHILCONSTRUCT Construction Show held at the World Trade Center & SMX Convention Center last January 6 to 9, 2018.

HARI Brings The XCIENT Power To The Philippines HARI, being one of the sponsors of the 2017 PHILCONSTRUCT, showcased the Hyundai XCIENT as the newest addition to the Hyundai Trucks and Buses to let everyone know how it can bring the efficiency you need to expand your construction business.

Your Dependable & Efficient Construction Partner Hailed both as Korea’s King of Fuel Efficiency and Hyundai’s heavyweight champion, the Hyundai XCIENT is the heavy-duty 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.

Ready To Support Your Hauling Requirements 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.

Gain the extra advantage and discover how the XCIENT can bring your business the versatility and efficiency it needs. Visit hyundai.ph or follow Hyundai Philippines’ Facebook for more details.

Strong sales of the MU-X SUV spurred sales to increase their year-end performance

On a separate report, IPC achieved its highest monthly sales record when December sales reached 3,809 units— stamping a 7.4-percent difference over its November 2017 sales record.

The strong sales figures were spearheaded by the stellar sales numbers brought in by their well-loved models, the Isuzu mu-X, D-MAX and the outgoing vehicle, Crosswind.

For the whole year, a total of 13,157 Isuzu mu-X SUVs were sold, increasing the vehicle’s sales by 4 percent versus the 12,657 units that rolled out in 2016. In December alone, some 1,997mu-X units were delivered a staggering 27 percent rise from November 2017’s 1,572 sales tally.

Meanwhile, the D-MAX pickup truck sold some 4,675 units from January to December 2017, showing a whopping 17.9 percent jump over the previous year when IPC recorded 3,966 D-MAX unit sales. December sales for the IPC’s pick-up truck went up a notch, selling 599 units, which showed a growth of 26.3 percent against 471 sold the month before.

Further, the ever-reliable AUV, Crosswind showed a slight 2.1 hike on sales figures, garnering a total of 4,755 units for the whole year, as opposed to 4,651 units for the same duration the previous year.

The IPC’s truck sales record also skyrocketed, with the N-Series providing much of the firepower. 2017 sales went up by 23 percent; from 3,734 in 2016 to

an awesome 4,599 units sold last year.

The strength in sales especially during the latter part of 2017 was attributed to the strong economic performance of the country, introduction of Blue Power Technology across all models, as well as the consumers’ anticipation for the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.

IPC president Hajime Koso expressed his utmost gratitude over the outstanding sales performance, saying that they will continue to strive hard to provide the best to the Philippine market that IPC can offer.

“While we have reached greater heights this year, we will continue to provide and look for more ways to cater to everyone. Thanks for the unwavering support, trust and loyalty to our brand,” Koso said.

In September last year, IPC introduced their latest tech offering for all their available units locally during the celebration of their 20th anniversary in the local automotive industry.

Isuzu’s Blue Power Technology is an eco-friendly diesel engine designed to provide maximum engine output, cleaner emissions, superb fuel economy, as well as engine durability.

Metal FRESH

Automotive Art from Foilacar

IT is a go to place for high-end car owners who want to transform their sports cars, SUV’s and even planes for a unique makeover. For the past few years, Foilacar Industries have always been at the forefront of automotive art and design.

This year, Foilacar is setting the trend once again with their “collaboration art”.

“We call it Collab art because we coordinate with fashion designers and upon the request of the vehicle owner, we can have fashion design houses from all over the World to create a one off design for their cars,” explains Lester Codog, President of Foilacar Industries.

The company’s first two collaboration art projects are the Lotus Elise and a Masseratti that you see here. “The Kurakina artwork is by a designer from Lithuania and it was exclusively designed for Foilacar,” explains Codog. “We can have it designed by Armani, Louie Vuitton, Isey Miyake or any fashion designer that your heart desires,” he adds. The service is expensive, in fact very expensive, but Foilacar does not have any problem finding high-caliber clients.

Collaboration Art is just one of Foilacar’s unique services, which also includes protective film application, six-days car makeover and La Deco, wallart for house interiors. Foilainterior also has its own team of five award winning architects and interior designers which the client can consult for the project. “We can sync your house interiors with the color of your car, or have the car’s interiors similar to the wall art of your house,”adds Codog.

The materials used are imported from Belgium, giving clients a wide variety of wall art designs to choose from. “Our turnover is quicker compared to the usual sanding, cutting and interior molding. Our product can be

applied to your walls in a day or two depending on the size of the project house. One good thing about our wall art is that it does not fade,” explains Codog.

The company’s team of seasoned automotive wrap specialist has been re-trained for the Interior Division as well.

For more information on how to redesign, transform, protect and preserve your car, boat or jet and housing facility, visit Foilacar Industries at 10 Brixton St. Pasig City 1600 or call (02) 656-7200

Life

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

HealtH and environment

satuRday, januaRy 27, 2018

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FOR THE DRIVEN AND DETERMINED. The Vermosa Sports Hub, Ayala Land’s premier sports destination built in partnership with Sante International, is geared towards triathletes, sports enthusiasts, and individuals who want to

pursue a healthy and active lifestyle.

Healthy and Active Living A

Vermosa Sports Hub will be home to bike lanes, jogging trails, Olympic-sized swimming pool, and an Oval Track

yALA Land continues to redefine suburban living through Vermosa—a master planned community that thrives in fueling one’s passion for a healthy and active lifestyle.

With over 700-hectares, Vermosa is currently the fourth largest mixed-use estate of Ayala Land Inc. It will be home to 6,000 households that highlight the diverse living options with the presence of four of ALI’s res residential brands – Ayala Land Premier, Alveo, Avida and Amaia.

To complement the diverse lifestyles each brand offers, Vermosa is also set to debut the Vermosa Sports Hub. The Vermosa Sports Hub is set to rise as a premier destination for triathletes, sports en enthusiasts, and individuals who want to pursue a healthy and active lifestyle. Designed specifi specifically to offer a seamless integration of facilities and sports-related lifestyle elements, it’s meant to be a complete destination designed specifically to provide an effective and complete training experience for athletes. Aside from the sports facilities, other components are also designed to promote healthy and active living. The mall will highlight health and sports merchants for retail, while bike lanes, jogging, and biking trails will be available all over Vermosa.

To back this up, the Vermosa Sports Hub will feature several groundbreaking firsts. It will be home to an Olympic-sized pool and an Oval Track that follows International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) standards. To complete the development is a Sports Science Laboratory. “The Vermosa Sports Hub will be a perfect venue for professional triathletes and ordinary athletes who want to professionalize their training,” shares Jay Teodoro, Estate Head of Vermosa.

In partnership with Sante International, known as one of the fastest growing global providers of organic health and wellness products and services, Vermosa Sports Hub will be home to the a 800-square meter Sante Fitness Lab. This partnership is geared towards creating an environment where people can hone their athletic skills, with a long-term objec objective of nurturing athletes who can be trained for international competitions, and in the fu future, bring home more medals and recogni recognition for the country.

“Sante is a company with a very strong involvement in wellness and sports. They are of course renowned for their health and wellness products and services. However, their dedica dedication to health and wellness extends beyond their products. Sante supports its own triathlon team and operates a fitness center dedicated to en enhance fitness and athletic performance. Their CEO Joey Marcelo is an avid triathlete himself, and we believe that his personal experience and drive is where the company’s passion for health and fitness emanates from.

More than just a whitening tablet SInCE its introduction to the Philippine market, Glutathione has received a well-deserved amount of hype. Medical science and the health and wellness industry have “weighed in”; this is well and truly a “miracle substance”.

While it has become known primarily for its skin whitening properties, Glutathione does in fact do so much more; skin whitening is the very tip of a very large iceberg. One of the most affordable, and unshakably reputable brands of Glutathione is SnowCaps at just under P50 per tablet (P 1,495 for 30 pcs).

As with a lot of the “miracle ingredients,’ Glutathione is a substance that the human body itself actually produces in the liver. In the body it performs several functions such as tissue building and repair, producing vital chemicals and proteins for the

body and for the immune system.

Fortunately, Glutathione can also be found in many other natural sources such as fruits, vegetables and even meat.

Once the substance could be isolated it simply became a question of finding applications for it, and what they found was nothing short of miraculous.

Glutathione is of course one of the best anti-aging ingredients science has ever found but the other applications are numerous, and several studies have yielded surprising benefits.

Glutathione has a role in preventing cataracts and glaucoma; even predisposition to alcoholism, asthma, cancer, heart disease (atherosclerosis and high cholesterol), hepatitis, liver disease can be curbed by regularly taking Glutathione. It has also shown promise as a supplementary treatment for immune system degenerating conditions such as AIDS

and chronic fatigue syndrome. Glutathione is naturally a great way to take the sting off age related ailments and conditions such a memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoarthritis, and Parkinson’s disease.

Over the years the ever-growing popularity of the SnowCaps brand speaks volumes about the supplement’s efficacy. SnowCaps’ 500 mg Kojin L-Glutathione from Japan is the very best available on the market, and at 50 pesos per tablet, it is reasonably affordable, especially when you consider that it reduces the risk of so many potentially “back and bank breaking” expensive health care conditions.

SnowCaps 500 mg L-Glutathione is available at Mercury Drug, Watsons, and other leading drugstores and retail outlets nationwide.

Glutathione is more than just a whitening supplement, as studies found it also prevents several diseases such as asthma, cancer, and heart disease among others

This passion is perfectly aligned with what we wanted to achieve in Vermosa – to create a modern community that promotes healthy and active living,” says Teodoro.

Beyond national recognition and development of potential Olympians, the partnership is a tangible demonstration of two organizations taking a more active role in ensuring a healthy and active lifestyle for an increasingly sedentary generation.

“Sante Fitness Lab is also going to be a major leap in Philippine sports as the upcoming world-class center will feature a first-of-itskind combination of facilities in the country.

We envision it to become a one-stop venue for people who are pursuing a healthy and active lifestyle whether they are into competitive sports or they are common individuals seeking to lead an active life,” says Joey Marcelo, CEO, Sante International.

The facility will feature strength and conditioning fitness facility, sports rehab areas, a dance studio, a spinning class area, bike shop and services, a nutrition and fitness café, VO2 max/lactate testing, plus conference and lecture rooms. All these go hand in hand in creating a space especially primed for the driven and the determined.

“Our new venture with Ayala Land will serve as an inspiration to other organizations to incorporate health and wellness into their course of doing business and contribute to their industry and the community. The direction of Vermosa is to promote healthy and active living, which is very much aligned with Sante’s vision of becoming a global provider of premier wellness products and services and our mission of helping people live better lives,” Marcelo adds.

Vermosa was coined from two Latin words, Verde and Mossa. “Verde,” which meansg green, refers to the lush environment within the healthy, sustainable, and suburban living concept of the estate. “Mossa,” or movement, represents the active elements of the project. Combined, Vermosa represents a modern suburban community that promotes healthy and active living that stays true to its name.

With the goal of providing a premier training venue anchored on international standards, Vermosa Sports Hub is engineered to be a comprehensive one-stop training and lifestyle destination for everyone — whether you’re a casual sports enthusiast seeking to indulge in a more active way of life, or a serious athlete in need of a venue that will support your dream.

“One thing’s for sure – it’s engineered to be the home of those who choose to never settle for anything less,” Teodoro shares.

Life

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saturday, january 27, 2018 isahred@gmail.com

Build gym at home on a budget

T

HE Season for feasting is done. Now that all the indulging is over, it’s time to reverse the effects of all those excess calories. But whether you’ve gained a few inches from the merrymaking or just looking to get in much better shape, the New Year is always the best time to build new habits.

There are many considerations when starting a regular fitness routine. While convenience, interest, and personal fitness level are key, it’s often the price tag that comes with it that limits most people. Gym memberships and access passes to programs in the metro don’t come cheap.

While it can be considered a good investment, you have to be prepared to shell out for the continuing costs. Another option if you’re self-motivated, have some cash, and an extra nook at home: Build your own workout space.

To help you start your journey, here’s a list of popular exercise equipment and machines you can find on OLX.

Heavy Bag and Boxing Gloves

If you’re aiming to have super toned arms like Floyd Mayweather Jr., then boxing is definitely for you.

Boxing offers a total body workout that burns more than 600 calories per hour. Heavy bag allows you to throw punch combinations that will help you fight off the fat!

Achieve your fitness goals this year by building your own workout space complete with exercise equipment and machines

There are classes in premier boxing studios in the city but they can cost anywhere between P350 to P1,000 per session. Imagine how much you’ll spend per month! For half that amount, you can already turn your garage into your own fight gym by purchasing a heavy bag and boxing gloves on OLX.

Stationary Bikes

Studios offering high intensity spinning classes have popped up all over the metro—proving that indoor cycling was definitely a hit in 2017. The trendy workout has gained popularity as an exciting and effective way to burn calo-

ries. A cycling studio’s nightclub vibe coupled with real results have created a cult-like following with people willing to shell out up to more than to P60,000 for packages. Mimic the feeling while achieving the same goals by getting yourself a pre-loved stationary bike for as low as P5,000 only. Create your own playlist and routine and be your own pacesetter.

10-minute mile. A good blitz also leaves you with a runner’s high—a good kind of rush. Investing in an exercise machine allows you to sweat out even on rainy days.

A manual treadmill on OLX can go for as low as Php 5,000.00, while a motorized treadmill costs P20,000 onwards. If you have knee issues, you can opt for elliptical trainers starting at P8,000.

Treadmill and Elliptical Trainers

While cardio may burn more calories per minute, resistance training through free weights turns your body into a furnace—you’ll continue to torch fat hours after you’re done. A nice gym will

Nothing gets you in real shape like good old-fashioned cardio. Studies show that the average 150-pound person can burn about 12.2 calories per minute when running a

Free Weights

give you access to a wide selection of weights and machines—but you won’t use all of them in one session.

Why not buy what you need instead?

Pre-loved and brand new free weights such as dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells start from P1,600 on OLX. If you invest strictly on items that you need, you will save up to P30,000—roughly what an annual gym membership costs.

These are just some tools you can find whether pre-owned or brand new on OLX. With thousands of listings for fitness equipment, you can start investing on equipment that will help you stay fit for the long haul.

ACUP 2018 National Conference in Holy Angel University

Beauty expert and philanthropist Ricky Reyes and SM Prime Holdings, Inc. president Hans Sy (center) led the celebration of the 14th year of CHILD Haus

CHILD Haus going strong at 14 NOTHING is impossible for someone who has genuine kindness and compassion for the needy. This holds true in the case of beauty expert and philanthropist Ricky Reyes who, over the years, has perfectly exhibited what “giving back” means. Mother Ricky’s humble beginnings is an open book and it’s touching how he is able to come up with various projects that aim to uplift the plight of the underprivileged, considering his present societal stature.

One of these worthwhile projects is CHILD Haus, whose first five letters stand for: Center for Health Improvement and Life Development. Running on its 14th year now, this charitable institution is one of Mother Ricky’s banner undertakings in collaboration with SM Prime Holdings, Inc. President Hans Sy, who like the popular beauty czar has a compassionate heart by nature.

Actually, CHILD Haus happens to be a temporary shelter for indigent patients from different provinces who have cancer or other dreaded diseases and have no place to stay in Metro Manila while undergoing medical evaluation or treatment. They provide free room and boarding to its residents which can

reach as high as 100. It is run along the principles of hospice care and promotes the concept of holistic care healing through its various programs, services and activities.

Apart from its rooms, CHILDHaus boasts facilities that make each occupant’s stay unforgettable and convenient at the same time. Located on Agoncillo Street in Paco, Manila, this 380-square meter, seven-story establishment has two dormitories for children and nine for adults.

Unique in concept, it has a playground, play and learn room, entertainment area, social hall, library, dispensary, milk feeding, dining area, laundry room, isolation rooms for delicate patients, viewing deck and a garden.

Interestingly, apart from Mother Ricky and the generosity of Hans’ family, many local celebrities extend their helping hand and contribute in whatever way they can in the operations of CHILD Haus. Some of these stars who staunchly support its cause are: Karylle, ZsaZsa Padilla, Dingdong Dantes, Marian Rivera, Anne Curtis, Vic Sotto, Pauleen Luna, Daniel Padilla, Julia Montes, Karla Estrada,

Ejay Falcon, Gloria Romero, Alicia Alonzo and Luis Manzano.

CHILD Haus has become renowned in the passing of times with various institutions such as government hospitals and charitable foundations and organizations maintain its stream of referrals of qualified patients not just here in Manila but in the provinces as well. And what’s good is that its location is just a short walk away from the Philippine General Hospital where they’re getting treatment, which makes it so convenient and easier for the sick kids.

Just recently, the charitable institution celebrated its annual Christmas party where Mother Ricky and Hans Sy mingled with the patients and through the help of other entities, they were able to make a difference in the lives of some of its present occupants, like giving a small business and a modest shelter to a mother and son pair who are in dire need of financial assistance.

As for the future of CHILD Haus, Mother Ricky avers, “I’m proud that we’re hitting our 14th year. I hope and pray that every day be a day of grace for all of us who want to help in this advocacy. I’ll always be forever grateful to all our benefactors and volunteers!”

THE Association of Catholic Universities of the Philippines (ACUP) will hold its 2018 national conference with the theme, “The Role of Catholic Universities in Strengthening the Filipino Families Toward Nation-Building: A Response to Amoris Laetitia,” on Jan. 2931 at Angeles City’s Holy Angel University (HAU).

The three-day conference is co-hosted

by Saint Louis University, Baguio and Saint Mary’s University, Nueva Vizcaya.

Dr. Luis Maria Calingo, HAU president and ACUP board member, will give the opening remarks, to be followed by the message of Rev. Fr. Marcelo Manimtim, CM, ACUP’s president. Later, Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, D.D., will give the keynote address to about 180 participants from different universities in the country.

Archbishop So- Holy Angel University president Dr. Luis Maria Calingo crates Villegas, D.D., will give a talk during the conference’s last day on the pasto- family values; the Filipino family today ral response to the challenge of Amoris from the perspectives of an anthropoloLaetitia, meaning joy of love, which is gist, a psychologist, and a sociologist; a post-synodal apostolic exhortation by sharing of best pastoral methods and Pope Francis addressing the pastoral practices; and expression of commitcare of families. ment to the family through the arts, Among the topics to be covered are among others. the challenges of Amoris Laetitia to the Previous to the main conference’s government, the family, the media and activities, a religious tour of heritage business, and the youth in promoting churches in Pampanga will be conducted.

#TouchOfCare Campaign VICkS, a brand synonymous with Family Care globally, has launched a heartwarming online video entitled Learning to Love #TouchOfCare, which reinforces the brand’s belief in the power of care. A single act of care not only has the capacity to transform lives but can transcend social norms, definitions and stereotypes. Vicks believes that it is Care that makes a family, and not the other way around. Thus, the film also endeavors to provoke conversations about what it means to be “a family” within contemporary society. This message is personified in a 4-minute online film inspired by the real-life story of an innocent child and his adoptive father, and how a loving

touch of care is central to the transformation of both their lives.

Created by Publicis Singapore, the film reveals the story of a young man called Hernando and his journey of transformation when a hapless orphan enters his life, triggering a series of life-changing events that culminate in the creation of a very unusual and very caring new family. The film beautifully captures how Hernando cared for an abandoned baby as if he were his own, against all odds, and with deep compassion and love, and how their relationship and care for each other changed not just their own lives, but also the lives of those around them.

According to Maithreyi Jagannathan, Regional Associate Brand Director, P&G HealthCare Asia, “Vicks has always stood for care and the relief it provides from cold and cough by the gentle touch of our products. In this #touchofcare campaign we are elevating this brand idea and explaining how care can transform lives and the future of people who are not just connected by blood but end up being family through care itself.”

According to Lipi Banerjee, Country Manager, P&G VICkS Philippines & Indonesia, “Vicks in the Philippines has a long history…mothers rely on Vicks to help them provide loving care to their families. Vicks

believes that a touch of care can work wonders and with this campaign, we explore how a touch of care can build relationships and transform lives.

Ajay Thrivikraman, Publicis Singapore Chief Creative Officer, Global Clients also commented, “As we interrogated the nature of care, we realized that it is a more transformative and powerful force than even love. To care about someone or something is a conscious choice, and a simple one that we can all make, to touch lives and transform them. Hernando’s story is all the inspiration. We needed.”

Finally, Sheron Dayoc, the film’s director too said, “To be cared for is a

wonderful feeling, but the act of caring is also powerful because it can be transformative… hands gently wiping away tears, a comforting pat at the back, are maybe simple acts but can give a sense of emotional security, trust and positivity - not only for the one receiving it but also for the one sharing the touch of care. Hernando’ story is a genuine example of how caring for someone can help change how we view life – that it will never be made of milk and honey, but we always have a choice to make it better. Laking pasasalamat ko kasi naging parte ako ng paggawa ng film na ito. Sana ay maging inspirasyon rin para sa lahat!”

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018

C3

Isah V. Red, Editor • Nickie Wang, Writer

…are talking about

...are not talking about Kris Bernal

Julie Anne San Jose

Her motivation to portray outof-the-box characters on TV is her desire to win an acting award. But she feels frustrated that her efforts are not paying off due to the fact that major award giving bodies still don’t see her performances worthy of any acting recognition. She can’t even secure a place in the hearts of the audience for the roles she plays.

You see, that’s the trouble when we praise people too much, they tend to develop this illusion that they are already great in their craft.

The brightest music artist in the Kapuso network has made history after her single “Nothing Left” was released on Monday. Thirty minutes after it was dropped on iTunes Philippines, the song topped the singles chart and has remained in the top 5.

The song, her first single under Universal Records, gives people a sneak peek of what Julie Anne can deliver once her full-blown album under the music label is released. No wonder, fans can no longer wait for that moment to come.

Sirkus

Super Ma’am

How did the pilot episode of GMA7’s fantasy drama fare in the ratings game? Well, it’s safe to say that the network has just cemented its being a ratings leader on weekends. According to data from Urban Philippines, the new program starring Mikoy Morales and Mikee Quintos got an AGB TV rating of 8.6 percent or 3.1 percent higher than its direct competition. And that’s quite a big lead.

Gandarrapido: The Revenger Squad

Making a hit TV show is a tough business that’s why we totally understand why the series starring the socalled “primetime queen” is finally taking a bow. But in all fairness, Super Ma’am tried to stay afloat, but populating the fantasy drama with virtually unknown talents didn’t work on its favor. Apart from not being satisfied with their own creative vision, the program doesn’t get the necessary audience to stay on air.

AlDub Nation

The superhero-themed movie starring Pia Wurtzbach, Daniel Padilla, and Vice Ganda emerged as the top-grosser in the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival. This was revealed recently by the Executive Committee of MMFF 2017. At the same time, at the victory party of the Star Cinema movie, it was announced that it broke local box office figures after it raked in P571 million making it the most successful local movie of all time.

Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards may have the biggest and the most rabid fans in showbiz today. But having a large following, especially on social media, is not doing them any good anymore. Instead of building each other up, AlDud Nation has split into smaller fandoms with different ways of supporting their idols. Their only common denominator is that they hate each other so much and they love bashing and trolling each other up including the part of AlDub love team that they support.

JULIE ANNE SAN JOSE in concert today After her successful performance in the highly anticipated 3 Stars, 1 Heart concert in Cebu with Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez and Asia’s Romantic Balladeer Christian Bautista, Asia’s Pop Sweetheart Julie Anne San Jose is ready for her solo concert #Julie tonight at the Music Museum.

The Kapuso singer and mainstay of Pepito Manaloto and Sunday PinaSaya promises her audience acoustic night that will tell the different stages of love.

When asked what to expect in her concert, “It’s going to be an intimate celebration with the people who have been with me since the beginning. This time, mas mature ito pagdating sa song choices.

I will be showing the different stages of love, at yung kung anong meron sa isang relationship. I’m excited to share a part of me with the audience dahil I can say, malaking bahagi ng puso ko ang sinama ko rito,” she shares.

Meanwhile, director Marvin Caldito looks forward to seeing Julie give life to the concept that is relatable to people of all ages. He shares what he likes best from the Kapuso star, “There was never a time that I had to worry about the concert, since she’s really hands on. She’s game for anything and she’s quick to choose the songs, which tells me she really knows what she’s doing.”

For ticket inquiries, interested parties may call Music Museum at 02-7216726 or visit www.ticketworld.com.ph. *** This Sunday on I-Bilib, Analyn Barro helps Chris Tiu,

James and Roadfill construct a flying pendulum and a floating kite, by way of neodymium magnets.

In “Bilibabols,” James & Roadfill challenge I-bilibers to form themselves into a human Ferris wheel.

In “Curious,” we learn about the humble beginnings of aerobics and videogames.

And for “Huling Hirit,” Analyn creates a toy table football game with the help of clothespins!

All these on your favorite science show every Sunday morning on GMA! *** If you’re wondering why suddenly your SKY cable TV subscription is receiving extra channels you normally don’t, it’s the cable TV service’s way of allowing you to experience these channels. The company calls it #FREESKYCHANNELS and that will last till the end of January only, So, catch over 90 channels including five new ones – Fight Sports HD, EdgeSport, Liga, Euronews, and TLC HD. There’s something for every member of the family, from movies, talk shows and series, cartoons, documentaries, and reality TV, to lifestyle, cooking shows, and sports programs.

Fans of Scarlett Johansson can look forward to watching her suit up in the action adventure movie Ghost in the Shell. Based on a popular anime series, the story is set in a future world where people are

enhanced with technology to counter cyber-terrorism. One soldier, Major Mira Killian, discovers a plot to uncover a secret experiment on artificial bodies, which involves her past. Watch it at 9 p.m. on HBO tonight.

K-Pop fans will get a kick

From movies, talk shows and series, cartoons, documentaries, and reality TV, Sky offers something for every member of the family

from watching Sandara Park and her brother, fellow K-popstar, Thunder, tour the Philippines and try different delicacies and experiences all while competing against Grace Lee and Sam YG in tvN’s One Night Food Trip – International. Watch them every Wednesday at 8 PM. These are just some of the wonderful, exciting shows that air on the channels on SKY. *** GMA programs Pepito Manaloto and Celebrity Bluff remain unstoppable in providing Kapuso viewers unlimited good vibes every Saturday night.

Another back-to-back fun-filled episodes from these two Kapuso shows are about to happen this Saturday.

Kapuso stars Ina Fe-

leo and Miggs Cuaderno together with Keempee de Leon and Carlos Agassi join the family of Pepito Manaloto as they tackle a story about the LGBT community.

What new life lesson will the Manaloto family share to its followers?

Meanwhile, join Celebrity Bluff’s gimmick led by award-winning host Eugene Domingo and its guest Boobsie.

Joining them in this episode are the teams of Valeen Montenegro and Ryza Cenon; Gardo Versoza and Sinon Loresca; and Shenan and Zaito of the famous hiphop duo Ex Batallion.

Who among them will bluffers Edu Manzano, Boobay and Isko Moreno be able to help?

Catch all these in Pepito Manaloto and Celebrity Bluff this tonight on GMA.

Pop Sweetheart Julie Anne San Jose stages a solo concert at the Music Museum

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 2018

B

Home library ideas

for the perfect quiet moment

OOKS are our never failing friends. Our worldly friends may leave us, but books remain our best friends, philosophers and guides.

Like a true friend, books stand by us through thick and thin. They encourage and uphold us when we feel sad or despondent.

These days we see so many different books so much books around. around, both new and There have never been second-hand.

Thus,

Because books are fun to read, and look at

more people are building or adding an extra room where they can put their books. But because of the problem of space, designers are thinking how to create “smart places” and improve storaging.

Here are some quick tips when designing a home library.

STRUCTURAL SUPPORT. Books on shelves are heavier than most pieces of furniture.

Consult your architect to ensure that the walls and the floor can support the weight.

THE RIGHT ROOM. When deciding on a room/portion of your home for a library, keep in mind to stay away from too much natural light and humidity. Both these factors have adverse effects on books. Excess light causes the inks to fade and high humidity leads to the growth of mold. Pests such as silverfish and termites can be gotten rid of by sealing the book in a plastic bag and freezing it. The bookshelves also need to be treated to keep away pests and moisture. Periodic cleaning (with a feather duster) of the books is a must.

READING AREA. Plan for a spot to read. Wing chairs, futons and couches are popular choices for seating. Make sure there is enough light to read and that the spot is protected from outside weather.

SHELVING METHOD. When sorting and shelving your collection, pick a method that suits you best. Sort alphabetically, chronologically or even by subject.

SMART TOILETS OKADA Manila, with Lixil Corp., recently unveiled the Inax Satis S, a smart toilet system with high tech amenities now being used at the hotel’s restrooms (Inset).

The Inax Satis S features ‘plasmacluster logy’ with ions that kill bacteria across the surface of the bowl and eliminates odors. It boasts hands-free convenience with its fully automated system, with a remote control to adjust bidet water pressure, choose between front and rear cleansing, or even opt to use dryer.

Its automatic seat and cover has a builtin sensor to open and close its lid whenever it detects the presence of a user.

Another hands-free feature is the fully automatic flushing action where flushing occurs as soon as the user steps away from the toilet.

At the Inax Satis S launch were Lixil Corp. key executives Audrey Yeo, Angie Ng, Bijoy Mohan, Joralyn Ong, Alen Alban, Priyanka Tanwar, Emily Besavilla, and Josephine Lee.

BEACHSIDE LIVING. The Azure Urban Resort Residences (off the Bicutan exit from South Luzon Expressway) attracted

a lot of attention when Paris Hilton kicked off its central amenity dubbed the Paris Beach Club. The first residents of the 9-building development by Century Properties, now enjoy what may be the rarest feature among condominium communities in the city: sunbathing on the sand, beach volleyball, and of course, swimming, as daily options. Further north of the city is The Residences Commonwealth, also by Century Properties, in Quezon City (Seen here). The development will take a similar approach to amenity development, with indoor and outdoor spaces that provide healthy lifestyle experiences.

Sustainable architecture

JAMES Hardie Philippines recently launched Discover - an educational series which shares the latest construction trends and building technologies with local contractors, developers and manufacturers.

The series explores the use of more environmentally conscious, yet sustainable building materials with Filipino builders and architects. “This first Discover event was set up to serve as a think tank where industry players and specialists can come together to exchange knowledge on new building technologies and

trends,” said Liza Alde, James Hardie Philippines’ marketing manager.

At the launch in Manila, Carmelito Tatlonghari of the Green Architecture Advocacy of the Philippines (Shown here)highlighted the impact construction materials have on the environment. He urged builders and architects to first consider using materials that are better for the environment, cost-efficient, and durable in any project, and to utilize resources made available by green building rating systems like LEED and BERDE to assist them with their choice.