Manila Standard - 2017 November 27 - Monday

Use violent means if necessary—Palace

By Bill Casas and Macon RamosAraneta THE use of violence in dealing with crimes and drugs is not prohibited so long as there is a necessity and “proportionality,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Sunday.

Roque, a former human rights lawyer, said he and President Rodrigo Dutere shared the save view.

Last week, Duterte also named Roque as his adviser on human rights issues.

“He believes the police will be blamed even when what they do is right. If somebody dies, this is the result of a lawful engagement,” Roque said in Filipino in an interview on radio dzBB. “The President is doing the right thing. That is called the correct human rights standards. Violence is not Next page

VAT cut won’t erode tax take, senator says

By Macon RamosAraneta

A CONTINUING EXPERIENCE. Lancaster New City situated in Imus City, Cavite ushers in the Yuletide season with a Christmas light show and concert featuring well-loved OPMs to celebrate its 10th anniversary, continuing its three-year Christmas tradition spanning the whole holiday season, promising a memorable bonding experience for families of homeowners and guests alike. Ey Acasio

SENATOR Panfilo Lacson said Sunday the government can still generate at least P1.7 trillion in revenues next year even if the rate of value-added tax is lowered to 10 percent.

He had earlier proposed to reduce VAT to 10 percent from the prevailing 12 per-

cent, which has been implemented since 2006.

In an interview on radio dzBB, Lacson said the projected P1.7 trillion comes by taking 10 percent of the expected nominal gross domestic product or GDP of P17 trillion.

Nominal GDP is the value of goods and services that the country produces in a Next page

Maute nowhere in sight, says AFP THE military said Sunday there were no Maute stragglers remaining in the devastated city of Marawi and that it was aiming at finishing clearing operations there

by April 2018.

Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., Task Force Ranao deputy commander, said government troops had recovered 77 firearms since the termination of combat operations in Marawi on Oct 23.

“Maute mukhang wala na, ‘yun na lang bomba,” Brawner said.

“Galing ako sa Task Force Bangon Marawi at ang parang timeline nila by April 2018 dapat tapos na lahat yung clearing ng military ng bombs...Pero depende kasi...hindi mo masabi kung ilang bomba eh.”

On Nov. 16, Brawner said government Next page

VOL. XXXI • NO. 283 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

Sereno-arrest threat up House warns CJ not to ignore summons

Complainant falters, expert suggests end to hearings AN expert on constitutional law said the House justice committee should have dismissed the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno because he admitted that part of the case was not based on personal knowledge.

Personal knowledge is an absolute requirement in an impeachment case, said Antonio La Viña, a professor at the University of the Philippines, who said it was clear that Gadon’s complaint was insufficient in form.

Because of Gadon’s admission, he added, there was no reason for the House to continue its impeachment hearings against Sereno because the Constitution allows the case to proceed to trial at the Senate immediately.

Sereno’s camp focused also on Gadon’s admission of having no personal knowledge about the allegations against Sereno.

“Some say we cannot get justice from the justice committee, but we remain hopeful,” lawyer Carlo Cruz, a spokesman for Sereno, told radio dzBB. Next page

By Rio N. Araja

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HE chairman of the House committee on justice threatened on Sunday to arrest Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno if she continues to ignore summonses to appear before her impeachment hearings.

FESTIVE AMBIENCE. A festive atmosphere pervades the UST campus as Bar examinees, their relatives and friends gather outside the test site along España Blvd. in Manila on the last day of Bar Examinations for aspiring lawyers. Ey Acasio

“Of course, a subpoena has coercive power,” said panel chairman and Oriental Mindoro Rep. Rey Umali in an interview on radio dzBB. “Once she ignores it, we will be forced to issue a warrant.”

Sereno is mandated under the Constitution to face

Bar exams end; festive mood prevails over test site at UST

By Rey E. Requejo THE Bar exams, the most grueling tests for aspiring lawyers, ended on Sunday with the numbers of Bar takers going down from 7,227 on the first Sunday to 6,750 before the last day of testing.

Data from the Supreme Court Office of the Bar Confidant showed that 468 candidates were absent on the first tests Sunday and nine more failed to appear on the second and third Sundays of examinations.

The high court has not

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released the final number of examinees who completed the eight-subject exams as of press time.

Meanwhile, a silent protest against the 180-degree policy shift of the Duterte administration on the communist movement in the country also marked the last Sunday of the Bar examinations.

As the Bar examinees went out of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila after completing the fourSunday exams, members of the National Union of Next page

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the impeachment complaint filed against her, he said, adding the separation of powers of the legislative body and judiciary system cannot be invoked.

“We have the authority to use the committee’s coercive Next page

Senate chief eyes backdoor peace talks

SURVIVAL. A man pushes a wooden cart with children along a street in Manila on Nov. 24,

2017. AFP

manilastandard.net

SENATE President Aquilino Pimentel III on Saturday said the Senate could open an “unofficial” door for negotiations with the communists.

He made the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte terminated the peace talks with the rebels.

“I defer to the judgment of the President, because he is the peace negotiator,” Pimentel said.

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

CJ camp downplays justice’s testimony

By Rey E. Requejo and Francisco Tuyay

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HE camp of embattled Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Sunday disparaged the impact of the testimony of Supreme Court Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro before the House Committee on Justice should she decide to testify in the hearing of the impeachment complaint against Sereno.

Lawyer Winnie Salumbides said De Castro’s testimony would not affect Sereno’s defense against the impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Lorenzo Gadon.

He made his statement

even as an advocacy group prepared to file an ethics complaint against Supreme Court Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro for grave and gross misconduct for reportedly leaking confidential court matters aimed at de-

stroying the integrity of the high court.

The Filipino Alliance for Transparency and Empowerment or FATE asked the Supreme Court to investigate and punish De Castro for her alleged gross violations of Supreme Court rules.

“We are concerned citizens who advocate for the independence of the Judiciary. We respectfully file this complaint to investigate and thereafter mete the appropriate penalty against the Hon. Teresita Leonardo de Castro,” FATE wrote in its complaint. The House committee on justice, which is in the process of determining probable cause to im-

peach Sereno, has already invited De Castro to attend the impeachment hearings to shed light on some of the allegations hurled by Gadon against the top magistrate.

The committee sought De Castro’s appearance after Gadon pointed to De Castro as the source of some information he stated in his complaint, particularly the internal administrative matters of the high court, through a common “friend” whom he identified as newspaper reporter Jomar Canlas.

“Whether or not it will affect our defense, we are not worried at all. We don’t see any reason to be apprehensive,” Salumbides said.

He said it would be “highly irregular” for a magistrate to take the witness stand, especially in an impeachment proceeding against a fellow justice who happens to be the head of the judiciary.

“As a lawyer, I find it highly irregular for a magistrate, for a Supreme Court justice to go down and take the witness stand. I think it’s unconventional for a magistrate to become a witness,” Salumbides said.

The Sereno camp also warned of violation of the confidentiality rule in the Supreme Court by De Castro after she was named as the source of some information and documents by Gadon.

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year without adjustments for inflation.

“If we have the 12 percent VAT, the government can generate P2 trillion. So I said we can lower it to 10 percent, if it is clear that the government can get more than P1.7 trillion from VAT alone, setting aside other government revenues,” Lacson said.

He also recommended reducing the existing 143 tax exemptions to 78 to compensate for the expected losses from the reduction of the VAT rate.

If not for the many exemptions under the special laws passed, he said, the government should have more collections from taxes. But he said exemptions covering food, agriculture, health, and education will remain.

Lacson said his proposal was included in the individual amendments to the pending tax reform bill being heard by the Senate ways and means committee, chaired by Senator Juan Edgardo Angara.

He expressed hope that his colleagues in the Senate and House lawmakers would support his proposal.

The senator said the Philippines had more tax exemptions than its neighbors Indonesia, with 37, Thailand with 35, Vietnam with 25 and Malaysia with 14.

Lacson also said his proposal to cut the VAT rate was “most welcome” to Senator Ralph Recto, the principal author of the expanded VAT law implemented in 2006.

He said his proposal will also help Angara, who is seeking a reelection in the 2019 midterm elections.

“He [Angara] said he does not see any problem. I even told him, this is political. He will run 2019. You are the chairman of the ways and means. You can just imagine, this reduction from 12 to 10 percent will be credited to you. You are a sure winner,” said Lacson.

He recalled that Recto lost in the 2007 election due to the hike in VAT rates from 10 percent to 12 percent.

Angara said the Senate version of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) has met the revenue goal of the government after he introduced his amendments to Senate Bill 1592.

Based on the estimates by the Department of Finance, SB 1592, taking into consideration the proposed amendments, would yield P159.5 billion in revenue—a hundred billion more than the previous revenue estimate of P59.9 billion.

“We were able to meet the revenue target using the more comprehensive and accurate data that the DOF has provided the committee after the filing of the committee report,” said Angara.

The boost in the revenue was significantly sourced from the amendments to the provisions on the expansion of the VAT base. From the repeal of certain VAT special laws alone, the estimated revenue gain was raised from P14 billion to P45.5 billion.

Another major source of revenue is the doubling of the prevailing documentary stamp tax rates, which will yield about P40 billion.

Angara said mass housing projects that are worth P2 million and below located outside of Metro Manila will continue to enjoy VAT exemption under the Senate version of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion bill.

Angara, chairman of the ways and means committee, said the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council estimated that from 2017 to 2022, the total housing need of the country has reached 6.58 million.

“We don’t want to widen the huge housing backlog. That’s why the Senate opted to keep the VAT exemption so as not to exacerbate the housing problem,” Angara said.

The original proposal of the Department of Finance sought to remove the VAT exemption of both socialized housing, which is priced at P450,000 and below, and of low-cost housing as part of its move to broaden the VAT base.

The Senate version retained the VAT exemption of all socialized housing both in and outside Metro Manila.

Senators JV Ejercito and Cynthia Villar have also pushed for the retention of this exemption.

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power under the Constitution. So this is a constitutional power to pursue a constitutional mandate. The separation of powers as coequal branch may not be invoked in this particular instance,” he said.

“If there are matters that need to be testified [upon by Sereno], the committee is likely to issue a subpoena.”

He said there is no need for Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to sign the arrest warrant.

“The Speaker does not need to approve the warrant,” he added.

He said the committee would not wait for Sereno to ignore its three invitations before it would issue a warrant since there is a need to end the impeachment proceedings within 60 session days.

The committee on justice has invited Supreme Court Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, court administrator Midas Marquez, clerk of court Felipa Anama and even Manila Times reporter Jomar Canlas today to shed light on several matters in connection with the allegations against Sereno, he said.

But he said the court members still need the con-

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THEY’RE NOT KIDDING. In celebration of Children’s Month, victims of human rights violation gather at the ‘Hardin ng mga Bulaklak’ in Quezon City Memorial Circle together with children from different sectors of society to defend their rights against threats, attacks, oppression and tyranny. Manny Palmero

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prohibited, as long as there is a necessity and there is proportionality,” he added.

Duterte has come under fire from local and international rights groups over his bloody war on drugs, which has killed thousands of drug suspects.

At the same time, Roque said the President has not made up his mind to restore the Philippine National Police role in the drug war.

Under intense criticism for the questionable shooting deaths of several minors last month, the President removed the PNP from his war on drugs and put the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in charge instead.

“Just the other night, he said he was still thinking about it,” Roque said.

“Tomorrow, I will see the President when we go to Sultan Kudarat. One of the things we might talk about on the flight there is what will happen to the war on drugs,” Roque said.

Roque said attacks on the proposal to bring back the PNP were “premature and baseless.”

Administration critic Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, however, said the transfer of authority for the drug war to the PDEA last October was merely a ruse to appease the public outrage over several high-profile killings in August and September.

Trillanes said Duterte’s war on drugs was never about eradicating illegal drugs. Instead, he said it is Duterte’s instrument to sow terror and fear in the hearts of his own people so they would praise and worship him or at least won’t criticize or oppose him.

“That is what a narcissistic tyrant like him longs for,” Trillanes said.

Another opposition senator, Risa Hontiveros said the transfer back to the PNP was not only illadvised, but a real danger to the public and the greater goal of true peace and order.

Hontiveros said returning the anti-drug campaign to an unreformed PNP is a slide back into the nightmare of Tokhang and the horrors of extrajudicial killings.

“It opens up the dangerous possibility of another Kian delos Santos, of hundreds if not thousands more dead, and the further loss of trust of the public in our

police force. This is especially relevant given that the police officers involved in the death of Kian delos Santos were found to have killed him deliberately, and the recent discovery that elements of the PNP are providing security services to big-time drug personalities,” also said Hontiveros.

She said the government’s antidrug campaign under the PDEA is making significant strides.

From July to November of this year, the PDEA has arrested a total of 117,268 drug suspects and conducted 78,619 anti-drug operations in which some 2,525.77 kilos of shabu worth P18.9 billion were seized. This includes a raid by the PDEA near the Malacañang compound seizing P 15 million worth of illegal drugs.

“I suspect that President Duterte does not want the PDEA’s alternative anti-drug approach, which is less bloody and more observant of the rule of law and human rights, to succeed.

PDEA’s alternative approach is already shaming the President’s abusive and inefficient Oplan Tokhang and teaching the public that there is a better way to address the country’s drug problem,” Hontiveros added.

Maute...

Senate...

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troops had not encountered any Maute stragglers.

He said they had yet to clear 24 villages inside the main battle area, and that the residents there could only return home once the clearing operations were terminated.

“Kasi very deliberate ang pag-kwan natin, mahirap kasi yung sabihin nating clear na tapos babalik yung residente, magre-retrieve ng mga gamit tapos masasabugan sila, mas delikado ‘yun, o kaya papasok yung demolition teams, yung mga developer, tapos pag-ganun nila ng heavy equipment, masasabugan pa,” Brawner said.

Early this month, at least nine Maute stragglers, including a cousin of the Maute brothers, were killed in an operation by government troops near the building where Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute were killed last month.

President Rodrigo Duterte declared the liberation of Marawi on Oct. 17, a day after the killing of terror group leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute.

As of Oct. 17, 847 Maute members, 163 government troops and 47 civilians had been killed.

A total of 1,770 civilians had been rescued while 846 firearms had been recovered.

“He is the chief peace negotiator, and in his view the people he has been talking with are not sincere, but we in the Senate can bridge the gap. Let’s not close the doors to the negotiations.”

Pimentel made his statement even as a member of the leftist Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives on Sunday expressed concern over Malacañang’s recent attack against the communist rebels.

“We fear becoming targets of any threats based on the statements of President Duterte,” ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio told dzBB radio.

Duterte last week said he would order the arrest of all armed communist rebels and all members of the supposed “legal fronts” who assist them.

Nevertheless, Pimentel said he understood why the President terminated the peace talks.

“They’re still attacking, and the President is angry that his soldiers and policemen are being killed,” Pimentel said.

He also disagreed with the critics who said Duterte had acted like a dictator when he canceled the talks.

“He’s just exercising his power,” Pimentel said.

Duterte on Wednesday said he planned to brand the NPA a terrorist organization because of its recent attacks against security forces.

Among the casualties in a recent NPA attack in Bukidnon was a four-month-old baby.

Cruz also said the evidence Gadon has presented so far to the panel was all based on hearsay and could not be admitted in any court.

Cruz also questioned how Gadon obtained authentic documents from the Supreme Court.

He said Associate Justice Teresita de Castro had denied giving court documents to anyone, but Gadon claimed that De Castro had provided him information through print journalist Jomar Canlas.

The chairman of the justice committee, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali on Sunday urged Gadon to reinforce his com-

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Peoples’ Lawyers held placards criticizing the impending arrests of the communist leaders for alleged conspiracy to commit rebellion or terrorism under the Human Security Act after President Rodrigo Duterte officially ended the peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines.

The group described the Duterte administration as a “looming tyranny.” ‘‘The threat to arrest and file criminal charges against members of legitimate people’s organizations which this government has branded as ‘legal fronts’ of the CCP, reeks of Marcosian rule. It is clearer than broad daylight, President Duterte is laying the ground for his impending tyrannical rule in response to the indisputably growing social unrest, NUPL secretary-general Ephraim Cortez said.

The lawyers group warned the public to remain critical and vigilant as the threat of arrests could extend not only to the members of militant organizations but to all government critics as well. ‘‘This is based on historical and contemporary experience. When the President launched his all-out war against drugs, the extra-judicial killing spree claimed the lives of even innocent people and bystanders, women and children included, Cortez said.

The Bar examinations cover eight law subjects: Civil Law, Criminal Law,

sent of the en banc to attend the impeachment proceedings.

Should De Castro and the other Supreme Court officials fail to appear, the justice committee is left with no option but to continue with the impeachment process, Umali said.

The witnesses can still take the stand tomorrow and Wednesday.

In a separate interview on radio dzMM, Umali said Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre would take the stand this week to testify on allegations that Sereno manipulated and delayed his request to transfer the cases against Maute group terrorists to venues outside Mindanao for security reasons.

The Court later granted his request, however.

Lawyer Larry Gadon filed the impeachment complaint against Sereno for culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, corruption and other high crimes.

Sereno has denied the allegations against her and has refused to attend the impeachment hearings, saying her lawyers can question witnesses on her behalf.

House leaders, however, said this was against the rules of procedure, which state that only resource persons are allowed to speak, and not their lawyers. plaint.

Umali said Gadon must regain his composure once he faces proceedings today until Wednesday after his credibility was challenged last week for admitting he did not have personal knowledge or have authentic records to prove that Sereno altered a temporary restraining order drafted by De Castro in the absence of full-court approval in 2013.

“This is now the opportunity for Larry to recover [and] to make his performance better than the previous one,” Umali said.

Earlier, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Salvador Paulino Leachon expressed dismay over Gadon’s admission that he had no personal knowledge about the allegations against Sereno. Rio N. Araja Labor Law, Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises, Mercantile Law, Political Law, Taxation and Remedial Law. This year’s Bar exams committee chairman was Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin.

The high court also announced that next year’s Bar exams committee chairman will be Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo.

As in the previous years, the Manila local government and police implemented security measures for the Bar exams.

A liquor ban is imposed within the 100-meter radius of UST and a “no parking” policy is implemented along España and Dapitan Streets during the conduct of the exams.

“No tent and tarpaulins” and “no loud music” policies at the vicinity of the venue were also imposed.

Medical personnel were also deployed for emergency situations.

Additional security measures were put in place since the grenade explosion that marred the September 2010 Bar exams in De La Salle University in Manila.

In the past three years, the examinees were required to use transparent or see-through bags for convenience and security.

In the 2013 Bar exams, the high court reverted back to its previous format, which was predominantly essay-type. They consisted of 80 percent essay-type questions and 20 percent multiple-choice questions.

News

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017

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P142-m illegal cigarettes destroyed

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UTHORITIES on Sunday destroyed the first batch of close to five million packs of Mighty Corp. cigarettes worth P142.44 million which were seized earlier this year in Mindanao for having counterfeit tax stamps.

were destroyed at the Holcim Philippines Incorporated Geocycle compound in Bunawan, Davao City.

The cigarettes were destroyed using the “coprocessing” method which ensures total thermal destruction of waste materials, reduces toxic gas emissions and land and Some 9,496 master cases Menthol 100s, Marvels groundwater pollution.

“The decision to destroy equivalent to 4,748,000 Menthol, Marvels FK and cigarette packs of Mighty King Full Flavor brands these confiscated cigarettes

came easily. We imposed sin taxes on these products in part to protect the health of our people. It would be wrong to release these products to the market,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said in a statement.

Dominguez said the destruction of the seized cigarettes “is intended to deliver this message: tax evasion does not pay. We will confiscate the offending prod-

ucts and destroy them. No one will profit from the commission of a crime.”

The destruction of all 4,748,000 million packs will take place in batches because of their enormous quantity, further underscoring the scale of tax fraud attempted by the erring firm. About eight tons of cigarettes per day will be destroyed.

The cigarettes were

seized on March 6 this year in a joint operation conducted by a composite team from the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs at a warehouse leased to Mighty Corp. in General Santos City.

The BIR and BoC have stepped up their joint search and seizure operations of illicit cigarettes and other products in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s all-

C. Luzon exporters hurt by HR concerns

By Romeo Dizon CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga—Human rights issues over the government’s bloody war on drugs is affecting business in Central Luzon, an umbrella group of exporters said.

Malou Balano, executive director of the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. in Central Luzon, said the European Union, in particular, considers the human rights situation in the country in order to grant or retain preferential tariff rates for Philippine products.

Balano said local exporters are hoping that the human rights concerns voiced by the EU will not result in fewer opportunities to sell more to the bloc.

Central Luzon exported products mainly to China, United States, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, Czech Republic, Singapore and Germany.

Of the exported products, electronics accounted for 85 percent with a value of $3.8 billion.

The remainder covered from processed foods, marine and aqua culture, furniture, fashion accesoseries, garments, leather goods and small items produce by small and medium entrepreneurs in the region.

Electronics dominated the exported products because of the presence of four free zones in Pampanga, Balano said.

Balano said this makes Pampanga the leading exporter in Central Luzon with total volume reaching $5 billion, followed

by Tarlac and Bataan with roughly $300 million each.

According to the PhilExport official, 11 sectors showed decline on their export volume while eight registered a positive growth of 400 percent namely marine and aquaculture sectors from a mere $917,000 to $5.08 million.

out drive against smuggling and tax evasion.

According to the BIR, the estimated deficiency excise tax liability of the seized cigarettes, including penalties, would have amounted to P1.39 billion.

The BIR said the warehouse where the cigarettes were seized belong to Sunshine Cornmill Corp. managed by Rosie and Alicia Liang. PNA

ALL SMILES.

Philippine Constitution Association President and former Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez meets Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio in front of the famous Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte.

Mayor Duterte-Carpio represented her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, as principal sponsor to the wedding of Governor Imee Marcos’ son, Michael MarcosManotoc and Carina Manglapuz Saturday afternoon.

Ver Noveno

Urban resilience, disaster risk reduction forum slated AMID typhoons, earthquake predictions, and climate change manifestations, the Philippines will hold the Urban Resilience to Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Strategies Forum to combat natu-

ral disasters’ effect that had caused $1.7 trillion in global damage, impacting many urban populations.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau will host the forum

on Dec. 4-8, 2017 in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, a province known to be adversely impacted by drier weather or drought.

The forum will provide an avenue for the exchange of information and coping mechanisms and adaptation

strategies on the impacts of climate change and urbanization in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region.

“With the urban population expected to increase by at least 2.5 billion by 2050 according to UN reports,

pursuing urban resiliency should be an important agenda for all policy and decision makers, resource managers, and environmental scientists and researchers,” said Henry Adornado, ERDB-DENR executive director.

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Opinion

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

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A victory for reproductive rights

N A major victory for reproductive health rights, the Supreme Court this month lifted a two-year restraining order that prevented the government from fully carrying out a full fledged family planning program.

The arithmetic is fairly simple to follow. The more people there are, the less there are of scarce resources to go around. If the number of mouths to feed grow

faster than the rate we produce food, then more people will go hungry.

But Church-based groups challenged the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law in 2015, claiming— now apparently with little, if any basis in fact—that many of the governmentissued contraceptives caused abortion, which is illegal. The action delayed the implementation of important legislation for two years, and contributed to

some 500,000 unplanned pregnancies, according to the government’s Population Commission.

As it turned out, all it took to convince the Court was a Food and certification by the Drug Administration that the contraceptives in question did not cause abortions.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque said 51 types of contraceptive pills, coils and injectables could now be dis-

tributed to the public.

“It is now all systems go for us in the Department of Health to implement the law,” Duque said.

Seeking to put a brave face on its defeat, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said it is the people who must now decide whether to use billions of pesos on food and essential medicine that ordinary people need or on free contraceptives.

“We should ask the people. Will you agree to buy billions of pesos worth of pills and condoms? Will those make you full when you need food? When you get sick, will the pills and condoms make you better?” he said.

The question is a loaded one, of course, and speaks to the nature of the budget-

ing process. We do not allocate all our scarce resources for food and medicine; a large chunk of it goes to education, infrastructure, defense and security. And reproductive health and family planning.

These decisions on how scarce resources are allocated are made by Congress as representatives of the people, not by religious groups that would impose their own values on the rest of the nation, particularly the estimated 14 million women of reproductive age who, having no access to contraceptives, are stripped of their right to choose how many children they want to support.

The government should take a moment to celebrate its victory—then get right down to work and move swiftly to make up for lost time.

Usec Chavez

Reinventing higher education IN MORE ways than one, higher education in the Philippines is like a patient whose grotesque and misshapen features bespeak of the botched ministrations of different cosmetic surgeons who had different conceptions of the beautiful and about how to reach an ideal over which there is no agreement! From one perspective, it has been not just a roller-coaster but an insane ride from one experiment to the other—the latest being outcomes-based education and vertical typology. So when I propose a re-invention of higher education, I am proposing less, not more regulation; I am advancing the cause of greater, not less, institutional autonomy.

It is not a matter of fortuity that when the 1987 Constitution erected the framework for the regulatory authority of the state over education, it etched the felicitous phrase “reasonable regulation” and shunned the unlikeable word “control.” The State reasonably regulates education, particularly higher education and never controls it. The Constitutional intent is clear—as it is clear in respect to its rejection of dynasties, but there are many ways of making a constitutional provision effete. The four-fold entailment of academic freedom—what to teach, who to teach, who may teach, how to teach—is certainly known and repeated ad nauseam, but in the face of aggressive if not

over reachmore, the ing govconst antly ernment int r usive reg u lat ion CMOs, the It does not and an acDepartmean greater quiescent ment of regulation.

Philippi ne Labor and a c a de m ia , Employall that acament (for demic freeprivate dom should HEIs) and mean has, in Colling- the Civil Service Commiswood’s very apt summa- sion (for government or tion, “died the death of a state institutions) require hundred qualifications.” that appointments receive What more is left of the their seal of approval? freedom to determine No matter that later what to teach when CMOs philosophers would fault lay down the model curric- Descartes on a number of ula of different programs, grounds, the heuristic deleaving only the morsels vice of universal methodic of “electives” to the ex- doubt always serves phiercise of an institution’s losophy in good stead— discretion? And what can and it might just well be the freedom to determine the most promising way who should teach pos- to re-invent higher edusibly mean when, once cation. In this case, the

doubt should be directed at the assumption that government knows best how education should go, with the result that the creativity, inventiveness and bold experimentation of educators who, when left to themselves, would be able to offer the nation richer fare than the bland regulation diet to which we are now confined are all but smothered! Reinvented, regulatory agencies such as CHED became enablers and “impeders of impeders”—rather than impedances— to the boldness of innovation to which college and university executives should be given free rein.

In other jurisdictions, there have been successful experiments at allowing students to structure their

own programs of study.

That, to my mind, is to be preferred to regimenting the courses of students and virtually herding them into classes that they loathe or worse still, that leave them detesting higher education. After all, while education ought to be able to meet the demands of the job market, education, more fundamentally, should meet the demand of human persons that they live fulfilled lives.

When the University of the Philippines re-wrote its charter, it gave the nation what, to me, is the ideal model of a higher education institute, especially one that exists at the fiat of the State. For UP, autonomy is a really

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I WOKE up Thursday morning to the news that Cesar Chavez, a good and loyal friend, an able assistant who was always ready to help, resigned abruptly as Undersecretary for Rail in the beleaguered Department of Transportation.

Everybody and his mother knows the DoTr is in one hell of a mess, particularly insofar as its rail operations are concerned. Cynosure of public attention and target of its daily wrath is the MRT 3, which spans the busiest transport artery of Metro Manila.

Secretary Tugade and his team inherited a monumental headache from the previous administration, which botched the operations and maintenance of the public train big-time. I shall not belabor these any longer; the public knows all the loose nuts and bolts of the criminally negligent and apparently larcenous manner the MRT has been through the years run.

Philippine Star columnist Jarius Bondoc has made an unending crusade of exposing the incompetence and scandalous manner by which public trains have been run to the ground, just as he has unearthed many other anomalies in agencies led by the three As of the Aquino administration. These three A’s refer to the first letter of the surnames of the favorite cabinet members of the President Rodrigo Duterte succeeded.

Apart from Mamasapano, the trio constituted the primary reasons why Benigno S. Aquino III, son of the revered Ninoy whose birthday we commemorate today, has transmogrified from a leader who gave us all a reason to hope in 2010 to an object of rejected disillusion.

Try reading Jarius’ article last Friday, Nov. 24 on the MRT 3 and Cesar Chavez’s sudden resignation and know why Cesar, in a burst of exasperation Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher can be accessed at: manilastandard.net Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

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Opinion

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017

A5

Uncertain times THESE are uncertain times. President Rodrigo Duterte in several public speeches talked about his possible declaration of emergency or forming a revolutionary government. While both instances are within the President’s prerogative under the Constitution when the national situation warrants such a draconian measure, the citizenry nonetheless is wary that an emergency rule or a revolutionary government would be declared only to perpetuate oneself in power.

President Duterte’s threat to declare such extreme measure, he said, is brought about by destabilization plots to oust him from the presidency. While there is indeed widespread criticism against his war on drugs and the collateral damage of extrajudicial killings, the public perception is that he is still in full con-

trol of the government.

Talking about possible emergency rule or a revolutionary government can only betray the President’s own fears and uncertainty with his own people .

Former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile gives credit to Duterte for his foreign policy in attracting China and Russia to take notice of the Philippines as no longer America’s fairhaired boy in Asia, he said. This has prompted both China and Russia to provide weapons in the country’s fight against terrorists . China has also offered financial aid in the reconstruction of Marawi and the building of two bridges over the Pasig River to ease traffic congestion along Edsa.

“No president of the Philippines has ever achieved the coming over of China and Russia except for Digong,” said Enrile.

Enrile, however, was not in favor of President Duterte making public his every move especially on such a sensitive matter as the declaration of emergency rule or forming a revolutionary govern-

ment.

“Before President Marcos and I declared and imposed martial law throughout the country, not once did we talk about it in public,” said Enrile, adding it took at least two years of serious study on its impact on the national life. More importantly, he said , we thought of ways how martial law can be implemented with the least resistance from the populace. Enrile must know what he’s talking about. It took 14 and a half years before Marcos was toppled by the February 1986 People Power uprising at Edsa.

I was then news editor of the Lopez-owned Manila Chronicle when Marcos declared martial law on Sept. 21, 1972. Unlike the rest of the populace who woke up the next morning to find out there was no radio, TV or newspapers to know what was happening . The Chronicle knew the unfolding scenario. On the eve of that fateful day, a truckload of soldiers came to the Chronicle office at midnight on Escarpment Road In Ortigas to shut down our newspaper.

Duterte’s possible emergency rule has been floated in appearances before the military establishment.

While these “floaters” did not elicit the gung-ho response from officers and troops, a reading of the army’s sentiment did indicate either acquiescence or lukewarm acceptance of a revolutionary government.Our soldiers will, of course, be at the forefront of implementing either a revolutionary government or emergency rule.

Our troops have just been through a harrowing fivemonth battle against the Maute/ISIS terrorists who laid siege to Marawi City.

To implement emergency rule would be asking too much of our soldiers. They also now will be stretched thin against the communist New People’s Army whom President Duterte declared as terrorists. The President scuttled any more peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front because of ambuscades against government troops even as the peace talks were going on in Norway.

We can now only expect

an escalation of hostilities from these two communist forces.

The Maute ISIS terrorists are far from being a dissipated group. Their defeat in Marawi can only make them mount new offensives to recover from this setback. Defeating an enemy in one battle does not win a war.

The people need to support President Duterte in the event of war on two fronts against the communist NPA rebels and the Maute-inspired terrorists.

An emergency rule might then be justified.

Against this possible conflict scenario, there is the backdrop of political uncertainty with the pending impeachment against Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and another move to oust Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales. Why is Carpio being targeted?

Her term is only up to July next year. That is only eight months away.

Is this a consolidation of power to control the High Court that would question an emergency rule or the legality of a revolutionary government? We hope not.

Muslims are often the first victims of Muslim terrorists

By Eli Lake THE terror in Egypt on Friday is only the latest grim reminder that Muslims are often the first victims of Muslim fanatics.

The massacre of at least 235 people attending a Sufi mosque in Bir al-Abd on the Sinai coast is being attributed to a local affiliate of the Islamic State, known as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis. This slaughter was particularly venal. Gunmen waited for ambulances and first responders to come to the mosque after an initial detonation and sprayed bullets into the survivors and those dispatched to save them.

An anonymous Muslim cleric told the New York Times that he was

Reinventing...

From A4

powerful word, and the real authority that governs the university is its own Board of Regents. That is as it should be, and I do not think that such an organization is reserved only for UP. In fact, the unquestioned excellence of the country’s premier state university can be attributed, I can assert with little fear of contradiction, to the fact that its professors have been free to teach what they wish to teach in the manner they

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over excruciatingly endless accidents after aberrations, gave up.

It certainly was not any of Art Tugade’s doing.

The secretary was as surprised as everybody else, and his instant reaction, even as he was in sickbay at the time, was to iterate his full trust and confidence in his undersecretary.

Cesar absorbed the faults of others in that caboodle called the MRT. Not one to stand by and simply pass on responsibility and fault to others, he manned up to the near impossible task of making broken trains run, as in daily trying to patch

shocked the killers would attack a mosque. Prior targets for the terrorists in the Sinai included Coptic Christian churches and a Russian airliner in 2013.

But the killing of Muslims should surprise no one. Just look at the trail of blood in Iraq. Sunni terrorists attacked the al-Aksari mosque in both 2006 and 2007 in Samarra. The site is one of the holiest in Shiite Islam and was known for its golden dome. While it was rebuilt in 2009, the attack sparked pledges of sectarian reprisals. Al Qaeda and the Islamic State perfected car bomb attacks that detonated inside crowded markets in Baghdad, killing Muslims. Shiite militias responded to these at-

tacks by meting out random terror on the Sunni minorities in Iraq with death squads, at times abetted by the state’s interior ministry. The killing is not limited to Iraq.

Civil wars in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen have increasingly pitted Islamist extremists against one another.

This is important for a few reasons. To start it puts the lie to the mantra of the Islamic State, al Qaeda and other Islamic terrorists that they are protecting the faith from the West. These groups are responsible for turning their battlefields into abattoirs. They slaughter the group they claim to protect.

But it’s also a reminder of the short sightedness of President Donald Trump,

who has at times tried to frame the war on terror as a contest between Islam and the West. It’s true that fiends like the Islamic State have targeted religious minorities in the Middle East like Christians and Yazidis, but this has not stopped them from killing so many of their own religion too.

The West’s quarrel is with the extremists of political Islam, or the sect of the faith that seeks to impose Islamic law on others—not the entire religion. Indeed, our military relies on local Muslims fighting alongside it in the war on terror. It’s a strategy Trump himself has pursued in Syria and Iraq.

Many of the regimes in the Islamic world have internalized this lesson.

Today Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates are no longer trying to buy off jihadis or remain neutral. They seek to confront both the Sunni and the Shiite extremists.

And while this is a good sign, it’s also not a cureall. This gets us back to Egypt. The current leader, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, has tried to crush the radicals in his own country with an iron fist since assuming power in a coup that unseated Egypt’s elected and Islamist leader, Mohammed Morsi.

His crackdown on Islamists, human rights groups and moderate opposition, however, has not stopped the terror. And as long as the terror continues, Muslim civilians will suffer. Bloomberg

deem fit, and that the institution has been free to invent, re-structure, configure and re-configure courses and programs of study.

The specter of diploma mills and sub-standard HEIs has always been used as the justification for tighter regulation.

That, to me, is a bad argument, for it overlooks the fact that when all is said and done, the work force, industry, employers, stakeholders and the public will be the ultimate judges of the excellence or the decadence of any institution. I am not referring

only to performance in licensure examinations (not even the Bar) that are tools of regimented instruction.

I refer rather to the fact that the employers, stakeholders and the public will recognize which higher education institutions are worthy of respect and those that invite repudiation, if not spite.

Undeniably, this places a tremendous responsibility on university heads and executives—as it should be. The fact that one is the son or the daughter of one who founded a school is no guarantee that one is fit to lead an institution.

A non-academic has no business leading a community of academics, and never should academic policy be formulated and determined by business interests, which is not to say that business and financial concerns are irrelevant to higher education.

It is interesting that while our regulatory agencies put their hands into the minutiae of institutional operations — scheduling of classes, number of units, subjects to be taken, qualifications of teachers—the selection, choice, election or appointment of university heads and insti-

tutions are left to the vagaries of business or family interests if not political posturing and patronage.

No, re-invention does not mean more regulation. It means less regulation. This will not make CHED any less relevant.

It will become supremely relevant as the enabler of the creativity, innovative spirit, intelligence and executive deportment that should be found in every university and college head and executive!

up the Humpty-Dumpty dumped upon the Duterte administration by years and years of graft and incompetence.

But that was characteristic of the intrepid Chavez. I remember him as the daring DZRH reporter who broadcast from the battle lines of the coups d’etat against President Cory even as bullets whizzed past him. Anything to get his job done.

I was honored, along with President Fidel V. Ramos, to be his “ninong” when he got married in simple rites at the Paco chapel in 1992. It was the late Joe Taruc, another esteemed friend who passed away this year, who introduced Cesar Chavez to me when I was still a newbie in government.

There were times when we supported different politicians, as when I was for Ping Lacson while he helped Noli de Castro, who ran and won as GMA’s vice president.

But we always respected each other.

From the early stirrings of the Duterte candidacy, dismissed by many in officialdom and media as an “impossible dream,” Cesar was supportive of the man in whose capabilities, character and resolve I likewise worked for.

To be clear, an undersecretary is not a Chief Executive Officer. Neither is he the Chief Operations Officer in the MRT, or LRT, or PNR, or whatever else passes for a railway contraption in this benighted land. An un-

dersecretary is a staff position, there to coordinate the program implementation of the line agencies entrusted to him by the secretary of the department.

But for want of enough support or effort from the guy whom Jarius Bondoc described as the “absentee ex-general” who heads the MRT, Cesar Chavez took on the public face of the decrepit agency where he had NO line authority.

He it was who would go to the railway tracks when an “aberya” happened.

Even at the break of dawn.

He it was who explained to the public incessantly, and assured them that the DoTr was trying its best, trying to coax some embers of patience from a

public so crucified daily by the transport and traffic mess.

He it was who that maintenance contractor BURI, whatever stupid words intertwine into its meaning, sued for breach of their irregular contract hatched during the previous administration. And Cesar took it on the chin, knowing that he stood for what was, and is, right.

He had, as I assured him the other day, done everything humanly possible. I fully understand why he gave up and filed an irrevocable resignation. And I sympathize with Secretary Art for losing a good man.

Even his choice of timing showed his respect for his boss. He did it on a Thursday, even if he inti-

rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@outlook.com

Consumer taxes will hit D and E hard PRESENTED as a landmark law that will ease the burden on low-income earners and simultaneously help fund the government’s massive infrastructure program, the ambitious tax reform package has nevertheless been hit by critics from seemingly all sides.

Groups have come out of the woodwork to decry some proposed measures under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) bill, specifically those that they say are inherently anti-poor and anticonsumer. For instance, the Senate’s version attempts to soften the impact of the Department of Finance proposal of a P6 increase in the excise tax of petroleum products by spreading the increase over three years from 2018 to 2020.

“Sa usapin ng produktong pampetrolyo, panukala ng Senado ay isang 1.75-2.00-2.25 na schedule ng pagtaas ng excise tax, mula 2018 hanggang 2020,” said Senator Sonny Angara. This slightly diverges from the Lower House’s version of 3-2-1. Needless to say, any movement in the prices of petroleum products predictably sends shockwaves elsewhere, from the minimum fares in public transportation to the prices of commodities.

On top of this, power rates will also be affected. For power the majority of electricity distribution utilities that sources all their needs from coal, an additional P100 tax per metric ton would increase electricity prices by around five centavos per kilowatt hour.

But even more debilitating, from a growing clamor of opposition, is the proposed excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverWe hope ages (SSB), which Senafor a lasttor Ralph Recto said was the most controversial and minute sensitive because of its change of expected impact on large swathes of the population. heart from our He said: “Maraming legislators. tatamaan dito. We include the sari-sari stores.

We include the D and E consumers who consume these products the most … We are going to hit the consumers, especially the poor, who will not benefit from the tax reduction to begin with. They will not benefit from the tax reduction, to begin with, and we are going to hit them with P280 billion of consumption tax.”

Recto rightly said that the proposed taxes can very well undermine the spirit of the law as well as its avowed fiscal objective. TRAIN’s burden on the poor, he explained, will consequently require increasing the budget for social protection and social services, not infrastructure. “[But] if we reduce the burden on the poor, then there is no need to spend too much on social protection. We free up that money for the purpose of this measure really is to ‘Build, Build, Build.’ That is the idea.”

This doesn’t include yet considerations on the proposal’s impact on industry, big and small. At its current form, the bill will disrupt not only the sugar and food and beverage industries but the entire value chain to which they are linked, all the way down to the neighborhood sari-sari and store and carinderia.

Millions of jobs are on the line, Recto said.

Unfortunately for consumers, this line of reasoning and Recto’s alternative proposal of P3 per liter of SSB lost by a very close vote of eight to seven. As of writing, the senate version proposes P5 per liter for caloric sweetened beverages, P5 per liter of mixed caloric and non-caloric beverages, and P10 per liter for beverages using HFCS. This is estimated to translate to the following increases. For powdered juice and iced tea, from P9 to P14 per 1 Liter sachet; for sodas, from P16 to P21 per liter; and for ready-to-drink juice, from P20 to P25 per liter. These are products that low-income earners, with the lowest wages consume every day. As they will not benefit by the income tax reduction of TRAIN, the price hikes, already with big repercussions on an individual’s budget, ought to be multiplied thousands of times, just to have a grasp of how significant this bill is for ordinary Filipinos.

From the point of view of a single minimum wage earner, with present-day expenses and with a very plain lifestyle, you may be able to save a few pesos.

Try computing a decent budget for yourself and you will immediately appreciate the financial challenges of our countrymen in the D and E brackets. What more if you are the breadwinner of even a family of three or four?

As the Senate reconvenes to finalize amendments on this high-priority legislation, we can only hope that they carefully consider the burden they are about to impose on all consumers as all these taxes that will increase the cost of fuel, electricity, SSBs and starts pushing inflation rates up.

While the senators are expected to approve their version en route to the Bicameral Conference Committee and eventual signing by the President into law, we hope for a last-minute change of heart from our legislators. mated that he decided to give up earlier. He wanted to spare his boss or the department from one week of media attention.

A sudden Thursday resignation and no interviews thereafter. Friday up, and it was over, or so Cesar would have wanted. He knows his media play very well. Till the end,

Cesar deferred to his immediate superior.

As another friend, Arnold Clavio in his Abante column said, “Hail, Cesar!”

Cesar returns to the Manila Broadcasting Company, which runs the nationwide DZRH and its affiliated stations.

Fare thee well, my friend.

Chill!

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

Mayor hit for ‘substandard’ works

By Rio N. Araja

A

TAWI-TAWI mayor is facing charges of serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, and falsification of documents before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Sitangkai Mayor Serbin Ahaja is facing charges filed by the Anti-Trapo Movement for allegedly allowing the implementation of “substandard” infrastructure projects.

In a three-page complaint, the group alleged the “rampant use of substandard materials” and incomplete delivery of infrastructure projects, and falsification of

accomplishment reports involving the 20 percent appropriation for development projects under the Local Government Code, Section 287 and its implementing rules under the Department of the Interior and Local Government and Department of Budget and Management Joint Circular No. 2011-1, which took effect on or after April 13, 2011.

The movement, represented by Leon Peralta, said local officials must be held responsible for failure to ensure optimal utilization of development funds.

Vice Mayor Tiblan Ahaja, the presiding officer, and the town’s eight councilors as well as several project contractors were included in the charge sheet.

“Development projects

were made to appear complete in accomplishment reports,” the anti-corruption watchdog said.

Curiously, Ahaja was named as one of the “10 Outstanding Public Servants” in the Muslim autonomous region during the 109th anniversary of the Philippine Civil Service in 2009, receiving the award at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural

Complex in Cotabato City in Mindanao Island.

The award was also the first for the municipality of Sitangkai.

Shashtri Buddin, the director of the Civil Service Commission in Tawi-Tawi province, said at the time that Ahaja was chosen for his distinguished achievements and important accomplishments in Sitangkai.

SIPAG runs freshwater aquaculture program

By Macon RamosAraneta THE Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance recently conducted a 10-day training on freshwater aquaculture as an alternative source of livelihood, where 31 trainees completed modules and hands-on activities on the art of fish food processing, aquascaping and aquaponics.

In coordination with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 4A, the freshwater aquaculture training and graduation ceremony was held at the Villar SIPAG Farm School in Bacoor City, Cavite.

The training involved the identification of fish gender, cultivation and breeding of freshwater and ornamental fishes, proper feeding of the fish, and as food processing.

The lowly knife fish, which is the most affordable fish in the market today at P20 per kilo, took center stage as it was used as the base product in making siomai, kikiam, fish nuggets and fish patties.

EARLY TREAT. Mall goers watch the Christmas characters perform during the colorful and vibrant Grand Magical Christmas parade in SM Dasmariñas in Cavite City.

De Lima ‘overjoyed’ with Pope Francis’ rosary birthday gift SENATOR Leila de Lima has expressed jubilation at what she described as a “beautiful rosary” sent to her by Pope Francis. This she shared during today’s Mass at the PNP Custodial Center attended by family members, friends and supporters.

In a handwritten letter she sent ahead of her birthday last August, De Lima requested Pope Francis for prayers for herself and the Filipino people, especially for the thousands of victims of extrajudicial killings in the country.

“I cannot thank Pope Francis enough for his thoughtfulness. I’m deeply, deeply touched by the Pope’s gesture. This gift will constantly remind me that, despite the political persecution I am experiencing right now at the hands of a vengeful President.

I should keep the faith and fight tirelessly for the welfare of the Filipino people,” she said.

De Lima told the group that last Nov. 22, the Philippine National Police Chaplain personally paid a visit to the

senator and handed to her the rosary from Pope Francis, which was coursed through the Papal Nuncio.

“According to the Chaplain, Pope Francis was able to read my letter and assured that he is praying for me,” she added.

In her letter to Pope Francis, she asked the Pontiff to offer a prayer for her and her beloved countrymen who are suffering from abuses and injustices since Duterte launched his government’s all-out war on drugs.

“Papa Francesco, if I may be granted one wish, I hope that you will say a prayer for me and the Filipino people. Please bless me so I can have the strength to continue the fight against the injustice that is happening not only to me, but to thousands of Filipinos who are victims of extrajudicial killing,” she said in her letter.

The Senator from Bicol also asked for the Pope’s blessing to give her strength in relentlessly standing up against the state-led abuses.

Abra gets P110-m tourism funding for 3 major provincial road projects

SPECIAL TREE. Exactly a month before Christmas, and a month after residents of Floodway East Bank Road in Barangay Sta. Lucia, Pasig saw their houses demolished, members of Balikwas Kadamay mounted their camp at the gate of Malacañang Palace to light their Christmas tree, which they named ‘Krisismas Tree’ to slam the inaction of President Duterte to their demands.

Norman Cruz

BANGUED, Abra—The Department of Tourism is getting P110 million to improve three major roads going to tourist destinations in this province, DOT officials recently told Gov. Maria Jocelyn V. Bernos.

The funding would “help achieve the primordial goal of the local government to become one of the growing tourism destinations in the Cordillera,” Bernos added.

During the recent fourth-quarter joint meeting of the Regional Development Council and the Regional Peace and Order Council, the DOT said it was able to include in its budget some P30 million for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the road leading to the Kaparkan waterfalls in Tineg.

Another P30 million was allotted for the development of the road leading to the Kiling waterfalls in Tubo, while some P50 million was appropriated for the improvement of the road leading to the Bani hot springs in Boliney town.

Bernos pointed out the provincial government needs sufficient funding support from concerned government agencies to significantly improve the various roads leading to identified tourism destinations.

Of the province’s 174.5-kilometer provincial road system, 70 percent is classified as earth and dirt roads, and more than 64 kilometers are said to be

gravel roads with steep slopes.

“We want to sustain the change in the image of the province to be one of the premier tourist destinations in the region in the future, once our provincial road networks are fully developed,” Bernos said.

Abra’s 27 towns have their unique tourist spots, which should be aggressively promoted so that foreign and domestic visitors will be enticed to include Abra in their list of must-see places around the region, she stressed.

The RDC and RPOC still recommended the inclusion of the province’s priority road projects to the various agencies responsible for the implementation of convergence projects, particularly the development of tourism roads under the DPWH and DOT convergence, among others.

Bernos revealed by next month the provincial government will be rolling out its comprehensive tourism master development plan that will incorporate all the potential tourist spots in the 27 towns by consulting with local stakeholders.

The governor said she has an ambitious plan to make Abra as one of the priority choices of tourists who are going around the country looking for new ecotourist spots because of its existing unique waterfalls, rice terraces, hot springs among other nature destinations. Dexter A. See

Revamp of NCIP FPIC team for Benguet project sought

By Dexter A. See KIBUNGAN, Benguet – The Cordillera office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples is scouting for a replacement of the head of the agency’s free and prior informed consent FPIC team before it will be able to schedule a special community consultative assembly or CCA in barangay Badeo in relation to the proposed 500-megawatt pump storage project of the Coheco Badeo Corp.

NCIP-CAR regional director Roland P. Calde said FPIC team leader Seferino Lumiqued was already relieved of his duties and responsibilities, following numerous

complaints on his alleged bias in favor of the proponents during the conduct of the previous CCA in Badeo that serves as host for the project.

“We are still currently scouting for a replacement of our FPIC team leader before we will be able to schedule the conduct of the mandatory special community consultative assembly to put an end to the numerous issues being raised against the conduct of the previous assembly in Badeo,” Calde said.

“We are being prodded by the proponent to immediately schedule the conduct of the assembly, but we have yet to ascertain who will be the head of our FPIC team,” he added.

Training, right tools needed for barangay health workers DEPARTMENT of HealthMimaropa Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo wants barangay health workers to be “placed in the mainstream of the health system” to achieve the agency’s goal of providing everyone in the community the health service they deserve.

“We have been speaking of their unselfish acts and providing them recognition, but the BHWs deserve more that words and commemoratives,” said Janairo.

“They need more support in exchange for their noble and selfless regular undertakings in the local community,” he added.

In order for the department to provide more health benefits and double its delivery of primary health care,

Janairo said BHWs must be given full support training on the use of medical tools and diagnostic instruments, including the provision of stethoscopes, ventilator, and blood testing kits, which will help them in the diagnosis, prevention, monitoring, treatment and alleviation of diseases in the community.

DoH defines a BHW as a person who has undergone training under any accredited government and nongovernment organization.

He voluntarily renders primary health care services in the community after having been accredited to function as such by the local health board, in accordance with the guidelines promulgated by the department. Macon Ramos-Araneta

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Sports

Standard

TODAY

Local bets seek PPS spotlight JOEWYN Pascua and Exequiel Jucutan hope to get some push from the hometown crowd as they slug it out with the regular campaigners in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Urdaneta leg tennis tournament which got under way at the Urdaneta Tennis Club in Pangasinan.

Pascua and Jucutan actually primed up for the Group 2 tournament with big reversals in the last PPS-PEPP leg in La Union last week with the former clinching the boys’ 12-and-under crown against top seed JT Bernardo and the latter frustrating No. 1 Andre Jarata for the 14-U title.

But they will be up against a host of talented rivals also out to gain ranking points in the five-day event sponsored

by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president/ CEO Bobby Castro and presented by Slazenger, including Justin Erpelo, Prince Lim and Thomas Gabuat (12-U) while Jarata is raring to rebound together with Eric Bajet in the 14-U side.

Raymond Gabuco, on the other hand, eyes a sweep of the boys’ 16and 18-U plums while fellow Pangasinense Anna Demyer is also fancied in the two premier divisions in the girls’ side of the tournament serving as the third of the four-stage Northern swing of the country’s longest talent-search supported by the Unified Tennis Philippines, including PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Baguio courses ready for Fil-Am golf

B

AGUIO CITY -- All is set for the 68th Fil-Am Invitational Golf Tournament with both courses ready to welcome the more than 1,300 players in more than two weeks of action.

“We’re ready for the games,” said Baguio Country Club general manager and Fil-Am co-chair Anthony de Leon as practice rounds set to start on Wednesday, Nov. 29.

The Fil-Am this year is in partnership with the Department of Tourism, whose representative will join the Fil-Am organizing committee for the ceremonial tee on Friday that

Hobe Bihon nails MCBL semis berth HOBE Bihon-Macway has made it to the semifinals of the Marikina City Basketball League the easy way.

Behind the hot-shooting Ronjay Buenafe, Hobe Bihon-Macway dumped Madam Tess, 104-88, and barged into the semifinal round of the tournament at the Marikina Sports Center.

Buenafe, one among the players vying for a spot at NLEX in the PBA, banged in 31 points built around nine three-point shots.

The stocky but shifty guard got ample support from import Darrel Bowie, who had 21 points and 11 rebounds while Eric dela Cuesta added 11 markers in a display of balanced firepower by Hobe Bihon-Macway, co-owned by Bobby Co and Erick Kirong.

Madam Tess was led by Jamil Ortuoste, who scattered 23 points.

Hobe Bihon-Macway shook off a slow start with a 13-0 run in the last three minutes of the first period to take control of the game. There was no looking back from there as the squad posted a 29-point lead off Chito Jaime’s triple in the last 42 seconds of the third period and made it a 78-49 advantage for Hobe Bihon-Macway.

Hobe Bihon Macway’s road to the playoffs was capped with a big win last week by blasting Philippine Army.

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES, P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES TEL. NO. (0632) 527-8356, FAX NO. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

INVITATION TO BID

will officially start one of the oldest and biggest amateur golf tournament in the world.

“The courses are in good condition,” said BCC spokesman Andrew Pinero.

It will be the latest start for the Fil-Am with the organizing committee agreeing to give way to many players’ request for a late start as they try to celebrate

the American Thanksgiving Day on Nov. 23.

The Fil-Am golf is expected to hole out on Dec. 16, nearly one week later of last year’s Dec. 10 finale when Manila Southwoods hoisted the premier Championship trophies.

Pinero said that games end at the early part of the second week of December.

This year, the Fil-Am was organized in line with

the department’s campaign to invite more foreign tourists and their families to the Philippines and Baguio.

Games for the senior side starts on Dec. 2 and will be played until the seventh.

San Miguel Northern Cement led by former Eddie Bagtas, defends in the FilChamp side.

On Dec. 8, practice rounds for the regular FilAm begins with the tourna-

ment proper to commence on Dec. 11.

The Carmona, Cavite -based Manila Southwoods defend in both Fil and Am Championship. Yuto Katsugarawa, who shot an eight under for 152 points last year, will lead the Southwoods Fil Championship flight team, while veteran Junjun Plana is skipper of the Am side which won by 88 points last year.

Pantino claims ITF Phinma crown ARTHUR Pantino fought back from an opening set setback, dominated Bryan Otico in the next before rallying in the decider to hack out a 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 victory and snare the PhinmaPSC Juniors Tennis Championships Week 2 boys’ singles crown at the Manila Polo Club in Forbes Park yesterday.

Pantino blew a huge lead in the opening frame but went on an attack mode in the second set then fought back from 0-2, 2-3 deficits in the decider to complete the come-frombehind victory over his fellow Philippine Tennis Academy standout and top seeded rival.

The victory thus made up for the No. 3 University of San Carlos-Cebu ace’s straight-set defeat to Japanese Shunsuke Matsui in last week’s finale of the two-week Group 4 ITF (International Tennis Federation) 18-and-under event sponsored by the Philippine Investment Management Consultants (Phinma) and Technifiber.

“I saw he was getting tired so I took a chance and hit my shots,” said Pantino, who also flashed his stamina as he survived a third straight three-set triumph after bundling out Japanese Ryota Ishii, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3, in the quarters and then getting back

at Mitsui, 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-0, in last Saturday’s Final Four of the event sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) and backed by Technifiber as official ball and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Otico, who racked up a series of straight-set victories to set up a title clash with Pantino, looked headed for scoring a follow-up to his stunning PCA Open victory last week after taking the opening frame. But he failed to neutralize Pantino’s strong fightback in the second and lost steam in the decider, enabling the Cebuano find to record his biggest win in a young career.

Punnin Kovapitukted shared the spotlight as the No. 2 seed Thai ace turned back the seventh ranked Saki Oyama of Japan, 6-4, 7-5, to pocket the girls’ singles diadem.

Pantino actually completed a sweep of Week 2 as he teamed up with Otico to beat Japanese Kei Manaka and Taiyo Yamanaka, 6-3, 6-4, in the doubles finals.

Local bet Shaira Rivera also nailed her first ITF junior win as she partnered with Week I singles runner-up Elizabeth Stevens to down Kovapitukted and Oyama for the girls’ doubles crown. Dexter See

Klisura named PSL Best Player of Week FOR notching a record-setting 41 points, there is no doubt that Sara Klisura of Foton deserves the Philippine Superliga Press Corps’ Chooks to Go-Player of the Week award.

In Foton’s emphatic five-set conquest of erstwhile unbeaten F2 Logistics, 17-25, 32-30, 259, 21-25, 16-14, before a massive crowd at the Batangas City Sports Center late Saturday, the Serbian sensation was simply on a different level.

She was unstoppable in the second set before completely asserting her dominance in the

Sara Klisura odf Foton displays her stats sheet

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES, P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES TEL. NO. (0632) 527-8356, FAX NO. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

INVITATION TO BID

third with her vast array of attacks that left the Cargo Movers groping for defensive form.

In the crucial stretch of the decider, Klisura broke the 14-all deadlock with a powerful attack from the backrow before converting off a gift from Kim Fajardo for the final count, 16-14.

Klisura finished the night with 36 attacks, four aces and a block for 41 points, prompting the group of sportswriters from various broadsheets, tabloids and online portals that covers the league to name her as its unanimous choice for the weekly honor.

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES, P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES TEL. NO. (0632) 527-8356, FAX NO. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

INVITATION TO BID

FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF TWELVE (12) UNITS OF BODY SCANNER MACHINES

FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF SIX (6) UNITS OF VEHICLE X-RAY MACHINES FOR RORO PORTS

FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF TWENTY FIVE (25) UNITS OF BAGGAGE X-RAY MACHINES FOR PPA PORT MANAGEMENT OFFICES

The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of P 168,000,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Procurement of Twelve (12) Units of Body Scanner Machines (BAC-PGCS-31-2017). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of P 750,000,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Procurement of Six (6) Units of Vehicle X-Ray Machines for RoRo Ports (BAC-PGCS-32-2017). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for A. Supply, Delivery and Installation of Twelve (12) Units of Body Scanner Machines. Delivery and Installation of the Goods is required within the timeline stated in the Terms of Reference. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for A. Supply, Delivery and Installation of Six (6) Units of Vehicle X-Ray Machines for Designated Roll-On/ Roll-Off (RORO) Ports. Delivery and Installation of the Goods is required within the timeline stated in the Terms of Reference. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of P 200,000,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Procurement of Twenty Five (25) Units of Baggage X-Ray Machines for PPA Port Management Offices (BAC-PGCS-33-2017). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.”

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.”

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least 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 RA 5183.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 27 November 2017 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of FIFTY THOUSAND (P50,000.00) PESOS. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Philippine Ports Authority, provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 06 December 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 19 December 2017 at 9:00 a.m. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents.

Bid opening shall be on 19 December 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The Philippine Ports Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to:

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with 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 RA 5183.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 27 November 2017 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND (P75,000.00) PESOS. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Philippine Ports Authority, provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 06 December 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 19 December 2017 at 1:00 p.m. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents.

Bid opening shall be on 19 December 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The Philippine Ports Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to:

Standard – Nov. 27, 2017

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 27 November 2017 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of FIFTY THOUSAND (P50,000.00) PESOS. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Philippine Ports Authority, provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 06 December 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 19 December 2017 at 1:00 p.m. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents.

Bid opening shall be on 19 December 2017 at 3:00 p.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The Philippine Ports Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

PPA Website: www.ppa.com.ph

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for the Procurement of Goods and Consultancy Services (HO-BAC-PGCS)

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for the Procurement of Goods and Consultancy Services (HO-BAC-PGCS)

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539

PPA Website: www.ppa.com.ph

PPA Website: www.ppa.com.ph

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with 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 RA 5183.

BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila

Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539

Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.”

For further information, please refer to:

BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila

BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila

The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for A. Supply, Delivery and Installation of Twenty Five (25) Units of Baggage X-Ray Machines for PPA Port Management Offices. Delivery and Installation of the Goods is required within the timeline stated in the Terms of Reference. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for the Procurement of Goods and Consultancy Services (HO-BAC-PGCS) Standard – Nov. 27, 2017

Standard – Nov. 27, 2017

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

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

A8

Spurs use stingy defense to crush Hornets

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017

Jameer Nelson of the New Orleans Pelicans handles the ball against the Golden State Warriors at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. AFP

Gilas PH battles Taiwanese, shoots for 2nd straight win

By Jeric Lopez

T

WO-ZERO. That’s the aim of Gilas Pilipinas as it shoots for a second straight win when it takea on Chinese Taipei in its continued quest in the home-and-away FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

\ Back in their home soil, the Nationals go for another victory as they take on Chinese Taipei at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Smart Araneta

Manila Classico is Game of Season FOR the first time ever, the Philippine Basketball Association Press Corps is handing out a Game of the Season award during the 24th staging of its Annual Awards Night this Thursday at the Gloria Maris Restaurant inside the Gateway Mall in Cubao.

The ‘Manila Classico’ duel between Barangay Ginebra and Star in the last Governors Cup was chosen by the group which regularly covers the PBA beat, as the first recipient of the award honoring the most memorable and best played game of the year.

The match took place in the elimination round on Sept. 3 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Kings beat the Hotshots in overtime, 105-101, after 29 lead changes and 16 deadlocks.

Import Malcolm Hill sent the game into extra period after sinking three pressurepacked free throws with 0.6 tenths of a second left to tie the score at 95-all.

Japeth Aguilar, who fouled Hill while attempting a threepointer and Ginebra leading, 95-92, atoned for the miscue when he followed up a missed basket by Justine Brownlee in the waning seconds of overtime to clinch the win for the Kings and secure a playoff spot in the season-ending tournament.

Other games considered for the award include Game Two of the Philippine Cup finals between San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra, which the Kings won in overtime, 124-118, Game Three of the Commissioner’s Cup semifinals between the Beermen and Hotshots which Marcio Lassiter won for his team behind a huge three-pointer at the buzzer, 111,110. and the Phoenix-Alaska Governors Cup elimination round outing which the Fuel Masters won on import Eugene Phelps basket at the buzzer, 95-93.

Coliseum in a home game.

This comes just three days after Gilas Pilipinas carved out a 77-71 triumph over Japan in its away game Friday

night at Komazawa Olympic Park General Sports Gymnasium in Tokyo.

Even with the nice start, National coach Chot Reyes still wasn’t fully pleased with his squad as it blew a double-digit lead before holding on against the Japanese chargers.

He hopes that his wards can outperform themselves against the Taiwanese cagers.

“We got the win against Japan but we weren’t satis-

fied with how we closed it out. Against Chinese Taipei, we have a good chance but we need to fix the things we need to and continue learning,” said Reyes.

As steady as he is at the point, Jayson Castro led the charge for the Philippines against Japan, finishing with a game-high 20 points.

While Gilas got the result it wanted in its first outing, the same can’t be said of Chinese Taipei.

Chinese Taipei wasn’t

fortunate enough in its first game as it got manhandled by powerhouse Australia, 104-66, in Taiwan.

Currently, Gilas and Australia, teams bound to play in February, are the leaders in Group B with 1-0 slates.

Chinese Taipei will be led by its naturalized import Quincy Davis, who is set to go toe-to-toe with Gilas’ own naturalized reinforcement Andray Blatche.

Gilas PH scrapes past Japan in Fiba qualifier

In the game against Japan last Friday, the nationals banked on the heroics of ever reliable Castro, who scored five of Gilas’ last seven points to help the team snare the scrambling win.

Gilas looked like it had a firm grip of the game as it led by 23-10 early, only to lose the lead to the Japanese’ patient plays.

The Philippines cut loose again at 70-60, but Japan’s 9-2 run put the hosts to within 69-72.

`LOS ANGELES—Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge combined for 34 points as the San Antonio Spurs completed a twogame season sweep of the Charlotte Hornets with a 106-86 win on Saturday.

San Antonio, who improved to 12-7 on the season, led by 11 points at halftime and stretched the lead to as many as 20 points in the fourth quarter at the Spectrum Center arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Spurs’ defenze held the cold-shooting Hornets to just 29 first-half points and 22.2 percent shooting from the floor.

The Spurs also got 15 points from Rudy Gay, 14 from Kyle Anderson, 11 from Manu Ginobili and 10 from Patty Mills.

The Hornets dropped to 8-11 on the season and have now lost eight of their last 11 games.

Kemba Walker led Charlotte with 18 points despite missing about five minutes in the third quarter with a bruised left shoulder.

The Hornets also got 12 points each from Frank Kaminsky and Jeremy Lamb, and 10 points and 11 rebounds from Dwight Howard.

Elsewhere, J.J. Redick hit eight three-pointers and scored 29 points as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the struggling Orlando Magic 130111 at the Wells Fargo Center.

Redick drained six three-pointers in the first half and the Sixers never trailed after the first quarter en route to their fifth win in six contests. AFP

Locals seek to extend PH Golf Tour domination at Luisita Golf in Tarlac THE local top guns brace for another four-day battle of shotmaking and putting against an elite foreign field but remain upbeat of their chances to score a repeat on the Philippine Golf Tour Asia which resumes Wednesday (Nov. 29) with the CAT (Central Azucarera de Tarlac) Open at the Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac.

Former PGT Order of Merit winner Miguel Tabuena ruled the kickoff leg of the region’s newest circuit at Southwoods last August then Rene Menor scored a career breakthrough at Splendido via a playoff win over Thai Pasavee Lertvilai and John Michael O’Toole of the US last September. Clyde Mondilla, this year’s PGT OOM champion, topped the Riviera stop before multi-titled Tony Lascuña rallied to snare the ICTSI Wack Wack Championship two weeks ago.

While Tabuena won’t be around to shoot for another crown on a course he calls home to compete abroad, a slew of local aces will be on hand to man the fort, including the three other PGTA winners along with Zanieboy Gialon, Jay Bayron, Elmer Salvador, Michael Bibat and Jhonnel Ababa.

A host of young Filipino talents are also expected to figure prominently in the chase for the top P17,500 purse in the 72-hole championship sponsored by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. They include Jobim Carlos, Ira Alido, Keanu Jahns and Justin Quiban, who had held his own against the veteran campaigners and turned in impressive finishes in the last two big international tournaments here.

The Tarlac layout is also expected

to challenge the field’s skills again the way it did when it hosted the ICTSI Luisita Championship last May where Tabuena charged back from seven down in the final round then edged South African Mathiam Keyser in the playoff.

The wooded, tight layout also boasts of elegant-looking bunkers with the water hazards coming into play in all 12 holes, including the signature No. 17 with a huge lake guarding the frontside.

Meanwhile, the upcoming tournament, backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc., has lured an early roster of 104 players from 17 countries, including seven each from Australia and the US.

Tony Lascuña, Clyde Mondilla and Rene Menor are expected to lead the local challenge in the PGTA CAT Open in the absence of Miguel Tabuena.

Nazareth, La Salle Lipa seal title clash in Rebisco Volley League NAZARETH School of National University clipped Holy Rosary College and silenced the home crowd, scoring a 25-17, 25-13, 25-19 victory to set up a title clash with De La Salle-Lipa in the 18-and-under Rebisco Volleyball League at the Sta. Rosa MultiPurpose Sports Complex in Laguna late Saturday.

But while the NSNU girls kept their unbeaten run going from the elims to the crossover semis, the Batangas-based squad needed five sets to ward off the Hope Chris-

tian High School side in the other Final Four clash in the event sponsored by Rebisco.

De La Salle-Lipa blew a twoset lead but came out strong in the decider to foil Hope Christian, 25-16, 25-21, 19-25, 18-25, 158, and gain a crack at the crown in the week-long tournament organized by Metropolitan Sports and Events Group, Inc. headed by Freddie Infante.

The Batangueñas took the first five points in the fifth set then held sway by thwarting every HCHS ral-

ly with Kimberly Adajar converting on a Janel Maraguinot one-handed feed to finish off the Hope spikers and seal a face-off with the fancied NSNU side for the crown.

They were disputing the championship at presstime with Hope Christian and Holy Rosary College slugging it out for third place honors in the event backed by Mikasa and Asics.

The National U girls, led by Faith Nisperos, Michaela Belen, Sheena Toring, Ivy Lacsina, Barbie Jamili, Camille Lamina and

Joyme Cagande, dominated the hosts in the first two sets then thwarted their rivals’ one last stand in the third to reach the finals without dropping a set.

Hope CHS, which bounced back strong after dropping the first two sets, broke DLL’s fifth set opening run on a Mirgie Bautista error but just couldn’t put it all together, coming in closest at 5-8 and 7-11.

An Yvonne Humarang kill and two HCHS miscues all but settled the outcome of the contest.

In other results, Bacolod Tay

Tung HS repelled University of Mindanao-Tagum, 25-17, 20-25, 25-12, to place fifth, University of San Jose-Recoletos ripped Leyte National HS, 25-19, 25-6, to finish seventh, Far Eastern U-Diliman survived Koronadal National CHS, 25-18, 26-24, for ninth while Holy Family Academy of Pampanga trounced Angelicum Learning Center of Cagayan de Oro, 25-19, 2518, for 11th in the 12-team tournament which gathered the top high school squads from NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Bullpups edge Tiger Cubs for 3rd straight triumph

By Peter Atencio

Ateneo’s Matt Nieto goes one-on-one against La Salle’s Aljun Melecio in Game 1 of the UAAP Finals. The Eagles won, 76-70, and will shoot for the title on Wednesday.

Peter Atencio

THE Nazareth School-National University Bullpups drew big plays from Rhayyan Amsali, Terrence Fortea and Matthew Manalang in the last period to put away the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Cubs, 89-85, yesterday at The Arena in San Juan.

Fighting their way back from a 15-point deficit, the Bullpups went on to post their third straight win in the 80th University Athletic Associa-

Games Wednesday (The Arena in San Juan) 9 a.m. La Salle Zobel vs UPIS 11 a.m. UST vs FEU 1 p.m. UE vs Ateneo 3 p.m. NU vs Adamson

tion of the Philippines junior basketball tournament.

Their big win allowed the Bullpups to stay in the lead with the Ateneo Blue Eaglets, who got 15 points from SJ Belangel and toppled the defending champion Far Eastern

University –Diliman Baby Tamaraws.

The 16-year-old Amsali, the Bulldogs’ top forward, tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds.

He struck hard twice in the last 2:05 to help give the Bullpups a decisive advantage.

“Mas nag-respond sa challenge ang mga bata sa fourth quarter, unlike in the first half.

We played better as a team,” said Bullpups’ coach Goldwyn Monteverde.

Amsali first scored off a steal from Jinrich Co, and drive

after Michael Malonzo stole off Kobe Palencia.

This allowed the Bullpups to take the upperhand, 85-83, in the ensuing play.

With his team behind by 15, 60-75, in the last nine minutes, Amsali also drove in twice, touching off a 16-5 blast in the remaining 7:40.

Fortea had 16 points and got two big assists from Manalang for a pair of triples in the last 4:48 as the Bullpups moved within range of the Tiger Cubs, 76-77.

Stocks likely to consolidate, look for new leads—analysts B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017

B

Japan opens to Filipino workers IN BRIEF

By Othel V. Campos

J

APAN Officially opened its labor market to Filipino workers under the Human Resource Development Model Project 2017, according to the Trade Department.

Imported sweeteners to be probed

THE Sugar Alliance of the Philippines asked the Sugar Regulatory Administration to investigate whether the importation of high fructose corn syrup has an impact on the continued decline of sugar prices.

The group said in a letter addressed to SRA administrator Hermenegildo Serafica that the importation of corn syrup might have contributed to the prevailing low prices of sugar.

It also asked SRA to hold the approval of the importation of HFCS until such time that the issue was properly investigated.

“During its regular board meeting, held on Nov. 23, 2017, the SRA board created a committee to investigate the cause for the decline of prices,” said Serafica.

“The board directed the committee to look into the importation and consumption of all forms of sugars. They will also run a check on custom bonded warehouses and food processors’ utilization of sugar,” he said. Othel V. Campos

Century unveils art park REAL estate developer Century Properties Group is developing its first horizontal development in its leisure and tourism portfolio, the 54-hectare Batulao Artscapes, dubbed the world’s first livable art park and ArtVenture community in Batangas.

CPG, through subsidiary Century Limitless Corp., is putting up its first horizontal development project in a 142-hectare lot near the foothills of Mount Batulao in Nasugbu, Batangas.

Batulao Artscapes will cover the first phase of the mixed tourism development with an active retirement village component featuring designer homes from Revolution Precrafted, world-class villageexclusive vacation amenities, a man-made beach with clubhouse and a lake with a charming wedding chapel.

Art cum adventure or ‘artventure’ facilities include a sports park, flavor park, and art park with museums designed

by Pritzker Prize-winning architects.

“Art is the driving force behind the entire development of Batulao Artscapes, and not just an afterthought. Our vision is to create a design-driven community that celebrates art and adventure in an expansive natural landscape. The launch of this spectacular development also affirms CPG’s commitment to pursuing its strategic business plan of diversification into allied real estate segments including leisure and tourism,” said CPG head of investor relations Kristina Garcia. Alena Mae S. Flores

Meralco questions RE rules POWER distributor Manila Electric Co. asked government agencies to reconsider a decision mandating compliance to the renewable energy portfolio standards or RPS, which requires distribution utilities to secure a fraction of their power supply from eligible RE resources.

Meralco vice president and head of utility economics Lawrence Fernandez told reporters mandating RPS “will reduce renewable energy developers’ incentive to be more competitive” to the detriment of consumers.

Meralco made the appeal to National Renewable Energy Board, the agency tasked to implement the Renewable Energy Law, which provides RPS as one of the incentives to renewable energy developers.

NREB came out with a draft circular on RPS. Meralco, however, pushed for the deferment of RPS until a comprehensive technical and economic study was conducted on the feasibility and necessity of of the policy mechanism.

“In recent months, we have seen RE projects become more price competitive, even without government imposed mandates,” Fernandez said.

He said RPS would create an artificial sellers’ market to the detriment of the consumers and “disregards the least cost mandate of distribution firms.”

Alena Mae S. Flores

DBP AWARD. State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines receives the Visa Inclusive Growth Award 2017 for its role in promoting financial inclusion in the country. DBP president and chief executive Cecilia Borromeo (second from right) receives the award from Visa Philippines country manager Stu Tomlinson. With them are Visa Philippines relationship manager Jay Tirona (left) and DBP executive vice president Anthony Robles (right).

NLEX set to start construction of Port Area link in Q1

By Darwin G Amojelar NLEX Corp. said it will start the construction of a P6billion elevated expressway from Circumferential Road 3 in Caloocan City to Radial Road 10 in Navotas City in the first quarter of 2018.

NLEX president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said the company expected to start the development of R-10 section of the NLEx Harbor Link early next year, or once it obtained an approval for tariff from the regulator.

“We already have clearance

to proceed but we are still negotiating the investment recovery. It’s a new road, so we are seeking guidance from the Toll Regulatory Board for the tariff,” Franco said.

“We are hoping towards the end of the year we will get the approval from TRB and start construction by early next year,” Franco said.

The R10 section of Segment 10 involves the construction of a 2.5-kilometer elevated expressway that would connect R-10 to Circumferential Road 3.

It is the continuation of the

P10.5-billion, 5.7-kilometer Segment 10, an elevated expressway passing through MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City, Governor Pascual Avenue in Malabon City and C3 Road/5th Avenue.

Franco said the R-10 section was designed to provide direct access between Port Area and the northern provinces of Luzon via North Luzon Expressway.

He said the Valenzuela to C3 section of the NLEx Harbor Link was expected to be completed by first quarter of 2018, while the R-10 section

was scheduled to be completed by the fourth quarter of next year.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar earlier said the R-10 section of NLEx would help decongest Edsa and other major roads in Metro Manila. Once the project is completed, motorists would only need 10 minutes going from Port Area to NLEx. Cargo trucks will also have 24/7 access from the ports to their respective destinations in the north and south as NLEx is not covered by the truck ban.

This is the first time that the Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism made the hiring of Filipino manpower official, the agency said.

“This is a program that will train Filipinos to be skilled in construction work. Part of the agreement is that Japan will get to hire 30 percent of trainees per batch and allow the remaining 70 percent to be locally-hired,” said Trade Undersecretary for construction and ease of doing business Ruth Castelo.

Castelo said while Japan needed people to help in the reconstruction and creation of new infrastructure, the Philippines was also in dire need of workers to implement the ‘Build, Build, Build’ infrastructure program and other ongoing projects.

Data showed that Filipino trainees to Japan increased four times from 402 in 2011 to 1,608 in 2016 under the Foreign Construction Workers Acceptance Program.

The Philippines ranked third after China and Vietnam in terms of number of trainees.

The Philippines and Japan recently signed a memorandum of cooperation to kickoff the training program and the subsequent hiring of trained workers in Japan and in the Philippines.

One of the factors the Philippines chose Japan as its training partner is because of the discipline it could instill among Filipi-

KB Kookmin Bank plans to establish a branch in PH

By Julito G. Rada KB Kookmin Bank, South Korea’s leading financial services provider, expressed intention to put up a branch in the Philippines, a reliable source from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas told reporters.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said KB remained interested in penetrating the Philippine banking industry after a reported unsuccessful bid to acquire a stake in East West Banking Corp. of the Filinvest Group.

“The Korean bank has inquired, although not yet submitted the application,” the source said.

The source said uf the plan pushed through, KB would be the fourth Korean bank to enter the Philippines following the successful entry of Shinhan Bank, Industrial Bank of Korea and Woori Bank. It would

also be the 12th foreign bank to enter the country since 2014.

The source said foreign banks remained interested to expand in the country not only to take advantage of a further liberalized banking industry but also to seize the opportunities in the growing economy, currently one of the fastest in the region.

Online news reports earlier said Kookmin was in talks with officials of East West Bank to acquire a stake in the bank, a report repeatedly denied by the local bank’s top officials.

KB is Korea’s leading financial services provider offering broad range of financial products and services. It is a core subsidiary of KB Financial Group, which was founded in 2008 to better serve clients, enable growth and deliver value in a rapidly-changing financial environment.

PLDT’s enterprise business grows 11%

OUTSTANDING FILIPINO. Philippine Business for Social Progress president Br. Armin Luistro (center) joins the roster of distinguished citizens in the country after being hailed as one of the recipients of The Outstanding Filipino Awards 2017 by the Junior Chamber International Senate Philippines. JCISP recognizes Luistro’s service to the country’s education sector, especially revolutionizing and implementing systemic processes and leading the implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program of the Department of Education where he served as secretary for six years.

Govt expects to implement fuel marking in second semester of 2018 FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said he expects the fuel marking and monitoring system, which is a part of the proposed tax reforms, to be in place by the second half of 2018 to curb smuggling in the oil sector.

Dominguez said in a statement over the weekend the government needed to decide what kind of fuel marking service it would have to implement, given the variety of offers it received from private providers and the kind of training that personnel from the Bureau of Internal Revenue

and Bureau of Customs would have to undergo.

Dominguez said he agreed that the service and supply of equipment for the fuel marking system should get the approval of the Investment Coordination Committee as suggested by the Department of Budget and Management.

“I said ‘let’s just put it through ICC.’ We will have a meeting on the 6th [of December] anyway, so whether or not it is needed we will just put it before them. Anyway there is no controversy over that,”

no workers training on-site.

“We saw in Japan during a benchmarking forum how teamwork plays an important role in getting a job done. Technology aside, the discipline of workers made the job easier and the timeline to get it done, shorter,” Castelo said.

Workers will start earning during the training period for an internship period of three to four months, while those who will be hired by Japan are required to finish the program in three years.

Returning workers to the Philippines, after working for three years in Japan, will undergo retraining for them to get reintegrated into the Philippine workforce.

“That is why I told our Japanese counterpart to inform us if the program period is about to end so we can apply the necessary intervention and match them with local construction companies here,” Castelo said.

The Construction Manpower Development Foundation would be in charge of the training of workers and coordinate with legitimate agencies like the MLIT of Japan for the program and the private construction firms for job matching.

Major construction firms like DMCI Holdings Inc., Makati Development Corp., EEI Corp., MDC, Megaworld Corp. and Pacific Paint Development Inc., makers of Boysen paints, have their own training facilities.

Dominguez said.

Finance Undersecretary Antonette Tionko said the terms of reference for the system were almost completed and would be available by the end of the month, with the procurement process expected to start by December.

“The procurement process [is expected to be] finished by the first quarter, and we want to implement already by the second half,” Tionko said. Tionko said the procurement and implementation schedule for the system remained on target.

Dominguez said the government was “basically outsourcing” the service because it did not have the technical expertise to put in place fuel markers on petroleum products.

Tionko said the government was carefully crafting the TOR to ensure that it was able to acquire the service that would be most effective in curbing oil smuggling, given the various technologies offered by fuel marking system providers.

The mandatory implementation of a fuel marking and monitoring system is

among the tax administration reforms included in the proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act now pending in Congress.

House Bill 5636, the Train version approved by the House of Representatives, specifies a fuel marking provision in the measure. A similar provision is also written in the Senate version of the Train bill.

The said revenue losses (value-added tax and excise taxes) from smuggled or misdeclared fuel reached P26.87 billion in 2016 alone. Julito G. Rada

PLDT Inc. said its enterprise segment grew 11 percent in terms of sales to P25.3 million in the first nine months from a year ago, boosted by data and information and communication technology services.

The country’s largest telecom attributed the increase to the 15-percent growth in revenues from data and ICT services to P16 billion. It said all product lines registered doubledigit increases, with ICT revenues showing the heftiest increase of 23 percent.

“We are continuing to grow where it matters the most,” Eric Alberto, PLDT chief revenue officer and executive vice president said, adding that revenues from data and ICT accounted for 63 percent of PLDT’s enterprise business in January to September.

Revenues from enterprise voice and text grew 6 percent year-on-year and accounted for the remaining 37 percent, with nearly P9.3 billion in revenues as of end-September.

“We are now enabling even more large companies, the outsourcing industry, the public sector, and small and medium enterprises not just with reliable connectivity and basic telco services but relevant and competitive data-driven solutions that help them achieve success and better serve their customers,” Alberto said.

Darwin G Amojelar

B2

Business

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Meralco expects sales growth to slow in 2018

By Alena Mae S. Flores MANILA Electric Co., the biggest retailer of electricity, expects sales volume growth to slow down next year due higher energy efficiency awareness and increased solar rooftop penetration.

“We are still calling potential growth of say three and half percent (next year)... So, it was 9 in 2016, likely 4.5 in 2017 and 3.5 in 2018,” Meralco president Oscar Reyes told reporters.

Reyes said the utility saw lower growth next year after a high sales volume base in 2016.

“I think we have a relatively strong performance in 2016 and 2017, so I think you have to take it in the context of high base effects of the past 24 months,” Reyes said.

He said Meralco had to take into consideration domestic and international developments that impact on sales growth.

“I think we have to recognize what’s happening now not only here but also globally. We are seeing increased energy efficiency in terms of facilities, appliances, practices and mindset, behavior,” Reyes said.

He said Meralco had also seen “increasing adoption of distributed generation, specifically solar rooftops.”

Stocks likely to consolidate, look for new leads—analysts

By Jenniffer B. Austria

S

HARE prices are expected to move sideways this week as the market continues to consolidate amid lack of leads.

Analysts said major contributors to the market’s recent rise, like the anticipated passage of the tax reform program, increase in government infrastructure spending and possible US rate hike, had all been factored. Investors are, thus, waiting for new catalysts that can push the market forward.

BDO Unibank chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravelas said the market

could still try to make an attempt toward the 8,600-point level before the end of 2017 on renewed optimism that the upcoming passage of the tax reform bill would accelerate growth of the domestic economy.

“Chartwise, the week’s close at 8,365.11 highlights the market could still try another assault toward the 8,600 levels in the nearterm. Immediate support and resistance is seen at

8,150 and 8,600 levels, respectively,” Ravelas said.

The seasonal increase in consumer spending during this holiday season could also boost consumer-related stocks, including energy and utilities.

Analysts said the market’s current sideways trading could provide opportunity for investors to accumulate on stocks that are expected to sustain their growth momentum in 2018.

“While we have seen how investors seize on intra-day strength to cash in from the local bourse’s ascent, this phenomenon is typical to a market poised in firming up a new solid base,” 2TradeAsia. com said.

The 30-company PSEi last week inched up 0.6 percent t 8,365.11, while the All Shares Index climbed 0.3 percent to 4,889.12.

Foreign investors were net sellers by P908 million, while the average daily value traded declined to P6.6 billion from the previous week’s average of P7.3 billion.

Weekly top price gainers were San Miguel Pure Foods

Manila Standard Business Weekly Stocks Review

STOCKS

NOVEMBER 20-24, 2017 Close Volume Value

NOVEMBER 13-17, 2017 Close Volume Value

FINANCIAL AG Finance 3.42 1,017,000 3,564,670.00 3.97 1,965,000 7,813,170.00 Asia United Bank 59.8 176,740 10,488,062.50 59.8 492,030 29,135,540.50 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 145.10 5,111,800 752,156,306.00 146.20 11,602,980 1,679,092,295.00 Banco Filipino Bank of PI 103.90 8,947,570 894,745,759.00 97.55 14,131,950 1,393,825,730.00 Bankard Inc. China Bank 33.5 1,035,800 34,637,435.00 33.55 1,351,500 45,168,200.00 BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. 3.89 159,000 598,350.00 3.83 135,000 519,470.00 Bright Kindle Resources 2.05 2,926,000 6,017,420.00 2.10 5,558,000 11,546,540.00 COL Financial 15.78 172,600 2,663,482.00 15.96 8,457,500 131,943,086.00 Eastwest Bank 35.6 8,680,400 305,530,145.00 34.2 20,833,900 713,515,740.00 Filipino Fund Inc. 7.72 12,400 96,442.00 7.80 20,800 165,875.00 First Abacus 0.66 84,000 56,010.00 0.69 7,000 4,830.00 I-Remit Inc. 1.79 176,000 298,950.00 1.67 104,000 175,590.00 Manulife Fin. Corp.

950.00 10 9,500.00 945.00 1,040 988,960.00 MEDCO Holdings 0.600 7,388,000 4,409,270.00 0.620 6,638,000 4,041,430.00 Metrobank 95.2 6,275,840 591,062,684.00 93.8 6,270,920 584,378,801.50 Metropolitan Ins. Co. Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

0.82 3,434,000 2,744,480.00 0.84 6,403,000 5,447,790.00 PB Bank 12.04 297,800 3,636,818.00 12.2 37,600 456,316.00 Phil Bank of Comm 25.00 37,500 936,880.00 25.00 1,600 39,780.00 Phil. National Bank 56.70 422,950 24,238,498.00 57.90 432,000 25,048,433.00 Phil. Savings Bank 88 1,990 173,795.00 89.9 3,780 335,083.00 Philippine trust Co. 99.1 1,450 144,340.00 100.1 30 3,041.00 PSE Inc. 238 8,710 2,102,118.00 243 2,340 568,124.00 RCBC `A’ 59.05 6,120,620 340,797,715.00 54.9 5,659,300 305,433,029.50 Security Bank 254.4 1,308,470 329,134,448.00 250 2,164,650 543,913,504.00 Sun Life Financial 1880.00 995 1,890,325.00 1870.00 615 1,166,375.00 Union Bank 86.95 348,110 30,262,534.00 86.90 122,040 10,623,607.00 Vantage Equities 1.29 1,614,500 2,204,470.00 1.3 285,000 379,750.00

INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

40.5 6,012,200 241,908,495.00 41.2 5,018,800 206,843,930.00 Agrinurture Inc. 12.38 8,325,500 102,516,898.00 12.52 6,218,600 76,581,160.00 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.71 615,000 442,020.00 0.73 1,483,000 1,098,250.00 Alsons Cons.

1.35 1,546,000 2,065,500.00 1.36 1,648,000 2,216,860.00 Armstrong Holdings 1.35 285,000 381,240.00 Asiabest Group 17.18 206,900 3,541,158.00 17 276,300 4,648,556.00 Basic Energy Corp.

0.220 9,370,000 2,122,110.00 0.226 10,720,000 2,394,010.00 Bogo Medelin 114 30 3,420.00 114.5 750 78,556.00 C. Azuc De Tarlac 20.20 33,400 640,700.00 17.80 19,800 347,134.00 Cemex Holdings 4.11 43,719,000 177,595,560.00 4.23 50,929,000 212,280,250.00 Century Food 15.32 2,749,700 42,719,182.00 16.1 7,031,800 112,181,174.00 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 63 4,170 267,391.00 67.9 3,140 206,658.50 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 42.35 3,409,700 147,166,965.00 45 2,526,300 111,282,515.00 Concepcion 64 259,810 16,665,514.50 64.95 1,890 122,703.50 Crown Asia 2.05 4,024,000 8,022,970.00 1.9 1,118,000 2,121,060.00 Da Vinci Capital 5.46 328,100 1,750,839.00 5.49 545,200 2,922,403.00 Del Monte 11.1 47,700 534,178.00 11.54 52,300 590,860.00 DNL Industries Inc. 10.680 31,067,700 327,672,258.00 10.640 78,303,400 840,638,254.00 Eagle Cement 14.7 2,312,500 33,948,640.00 14.8 3,970,500 59,035,236.00 Emperador 7.23 1,888,800 13,768,912.00 7.30 1,644,800 11,937,738.00 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.77 39,373,200 226,542,641.00 5.74 36,989,900 211,820,478.00 EEI 11.20 6,281,400 71,661,920.00 12.40 1,902,600 23,152,834.00 Euro-Med Lab 1.75 2,000 3,380.00 1.63 5,000 8,270.00 First Gen Corp.

17.1 6,584,400 112,831,976.00 17.4 3,526,000 61,405,034.00 First Holdings ‘A’ 61.5 750,550 46,151,735.00 61.6 417,400 25,693,058.00 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 24.00 4,526,100 108,496,150.00 24.55 5,504,700 137,896,955.00 Holcim Philippines Inc. 11.80 219,000 2,606,276.00 11.88 358,100 4,264,828.00 Integ. Micro-Electronics 19.2 13,209,800 254,134,939.00 19.46 20,316,400 424,415,619.00 Ionics Inc 2.050 10,057,000 20,407,860.00 1.890 15,816,000 31,639,360.00 Jollibee Foods Corp.

258.40 3,383,600 866,045,088.00 259.80 4,583,470 1,182,202,788.00 Liberty Flour 60.00 457,980 26,819,071.50 63.00 1,730 107,455.00 LMG Chemicals 4.03 3,177,000 13,223,160.00 4.19 689,000 2,792,250.00 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.6 1,885,000 7,035,120.00 3.31 1,686,700 45,950,350.00 Macay Holdings 22.70 800 17,380.00 22.65 1,100 24,965.00 Manila Water Co. Inc. 28.8 9,385,900 270,917,060.00 28.9 4,082,700 120,644,605.00 Maxs Group 18.12 854,200 15,527,536.00 18.2 2,091,300 38,305,054.00 Megawide 18.38 14,002,800 253,476,398.00 18.2 18,507,600 344,500,688.00 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 319.00 4,015,160 1,293,827,730.00 322.00 9,174,870 2,234,868,072.00 MG Holdings 0.200 6,790,000 1,375,180.00 0.198 8,260,000 1,622,940.00 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 8.49 165,000 1,352,310.00 8.50 390,400 3,445,242.00 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

2.49 2,873,000 7,016,650.00 2.48 16,114,000 40,893,900.00 Petron Corporation 9.16 21,979,300 207,326,135.00 9.69 11,511,900 113,537,686.00 Petroenergy Res. Corp.

6.40 990,600 6,145,858.00 6.00 532,300 3,181,878.00 Phil H2O 7.59 403,200 3,014,607.00 7.5 275,200 2,025,392.00 Pilipinas Shell 58 3,061,110 178,354,413.50 59.95 2,445,930 148,151,697.50 Phinma Corporation 9.66 70,900 682,385.00 9.40 30,200 287,422.00 Phinma Energy 1.58 5,350,000 8,360,250.00 1.59 6,975,000 11,240,380.00 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 12.00 1,716,200 20,918,010.00 12.54 3,034,500 37,617,264.00 Pryce Corp. `A’ 6.88 297,800 2,019,266.00 6.65 50,200 322,081.00 RFM Corporation 5.00 8,307,300 41,513,497.00 8.00 9,876,700 49,908,137.00 Roxas and Co. 1.92 1,000 1,920.00 1.96 13,000 25,480.00 Roxas Holdings 4.5 376,000 1,779,810.00 4.95 194,400 957,550.00 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 534 352,370 191,000,775.00 494.6 114,620 55,762,634.00 SFA Semicon 1.95 2,464,000 4,983,760.00 1.98 3,585,000 7,083,070.00 Shakeys Pizza 12.9 3,685,300 47,396,812.00 12.94 1,869,700 24,081,470.00 SPC Power Corp.

6.82 6,724,700 42,467,661.00 5.07 1,599,400 8,302,656.00 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.138 1,660,000 228,240.00 0.138 4,640,000 640,830.00 TKC Steel Corp.

1.18 603,000 716,130.00 1.18 239,000 281,770.00 Universal Robina 138.9 4,812,420 666,536,287.00 139 5,442,650 741,163,526.00 Victorias Milling 3.17 19,000 60,680.00 3.35 79,000 261,950.00 Vitarich Corp.

1.97 29,752,000 59,747,640.00 1.97 43,768,000 87,104,070.00 Vivant Corp.

25.10 700 17,570.00 25.15 800 20,525.00 Vulcan Ind’l.

0.65 4,078,000 2,686,390.00 0.69 16,640,000 11,879,090.00

HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.330 3,680,000 1,207,900.00 0.340 310,000 101,500.00 Aboitiz Equity 71.00 5,388,000 376,779,252.00 70.00 5,765,950 410,195,616.00 Alliance Global Inc. 15.60 19,230,000 302,395,116.00 15.50 21,155,600 326,242,148.00 Anglo Holdings A 1.00 750,000 714,980.00 1.05 2,501,000 2,463,540.00 Anscor `A’ 7.06 45,000 313,564.00 6.94 249,600 1,744,494.00 ATN Holdings A 0.370 38,830,000 14,650,700.00 0.395 61,720,000 25,620,550.00 ATN Holdings B 0.375 6,790,000 2,590,900.00 0.410 11,860,000 5,004,600.00 Ayala Corp `A’ 1020 1,406,470 1,433,260,950.00 1013 1,393,990 1,423,979,132.50 BHI Holdings Inc. 1150.00 20 23,000.00 Cosco Capital 7.47 6,121,400 46,138,739.00 7.7 5,778,000 46,058,785.00 DMCI Holdings 15.00 26,064,900 381,765,874.00 14.50 33,788,200 501,828,552.00 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5.1 100 510.00 F&J Prince ‘B’ 5.1 1,600 8,160.00 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

7.95 240,100 1,904,708.00 7.85 1,924,400 15,147,215.00 Forum Pacific 0.199 1,200,000 220,930.00 0.185 1,110,000 207,390.00 GT Capital 1195 455,090 534,316,530.00 1169 357,770 416,989,685.00 House of Inv. 7.92 131,700 1,007,446.00 7.63 92,200 706,001.00 JG Summit Holdings 71.00 6,544,830 469,045,387.00 74.00 5,804,180 429,315,676.00 Jolliville Holdings 5 200 961.00 5 15,500 77,500.00 Keppel Holdings `A’ 5.07 3,400 17,270.00 5.3 4,000 21,200.00 Lopez Holdings Corp.

5.51 1,323,600 7,343,833.00 5.5 6,174,000 34,893,902.00 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.66 4,996,000 3,275,580.00 0.71 1,626,000 1,141,830.00 LT Group 18.98 8,088,200 150,745,992.00 18.3 7,696,400 139,297,156.00 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.355 240,000 91,050.00 0.395 20,000 7,900.00 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

6.61 85,374,300 567,936,468.00 6.69 151,796,500 1,018,466,813.00 MJCI Investments Inc. 3.3 139,000 475,700.00 3.15 11,000 34,700.00 Pacifica `A’ 0.0470 44,900,000 2,108,200.00 0.0470 92,840,000 4,421,190.00 Prime Media Hldg 1.100 1,699,000 1,871,180.00 1.210 2,860,000 3,472,510.00 Prime Orion 2.060 2,362,000 4,848,210.00 2.070 316,000 653,450.00 San Miguel Corp `A’ 112.90 957,320 106,352,679.00 113.00 1,149,580 130,596,455.00 Seafront `A’ 2.84 185,000 501,910.00 2.58 39,000 100,580.00 SM Investments Inc. 983.50 1,530,600 1,493,409,575.00 965.50 1,421,330 1,361,943,675.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.76 43,502,000 73,675,350.00 1.48 12,719,000 19,577,230.00 South China Res. Inc. 0.83 437,000 366,070.00 Transgrid 190.00 20 3,800.00 190.10 50 9,505.00 Top Frontier 286.000 23,120 6,518,488.00 290.000 14,080 4,115,290.00 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.2300 4,160,000 1,012,240.00 0.2300 3,980,000 933,600.00 Wellex Industries 0.1840 1,210,000 224,290.00 0.1900 670,000 125,810.00 Zeus Holdings 0.190 5,670,000 1,094,410.00 0.198 4,990,000 996,430.00

PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 5.500 2,606,500 14,335,468.00 5.420 1,297,200 6,946,272.00 Anchor Land Holdings Inc. 10.34 403,900 3,957,442.00 8.58 22,400 195,748.00 A. Brown Co., Inc. 0.95 15,885,000 14,974,940.00 0.96 15,470,000 15,096,130.00 Araneta Prop `A’ 2.400 958,000 2,333,370.00 2.500 2,436,000 6,266,470.00 Arthaland Corp.

0.930 13,268,000 12,436,980.00 0.960 7,486,000 7,063,760.00 Ayala Land `B’ 44.500 39,315,200 1,697,634,425.00 42.750 54,422,700 2,307,658,820.00 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.69 2,111,000 7,785,170.00 3.8 3,029,000 11,522,930.00 Cebu Holdings 5.46 8,699,600 47,233,621.00 5.46 111,500 606,554.00 CEB Landmasters 4.72 4,163,000 19,816,500.00 4.86 5,937,600 29,116,359.00 Century Property 0.475 55,150,000 26,196,150.00 0.485 135,801,000 66,616,965.00 City & Land Dev. 1.13 68,000 77,190.00 1.13 564,000 656,250.00 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.150 267,000 306,700.00 1.150 895,000 1,038,880.00 Crown Equities Inc. 0.211 57,480,000 11,972,710.00 0.202 18,746,530 3,657,770.00 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.470 4,770,000 2,258,000.00 0.480 4,322,000 2,078,725.00 Double Dragon 37.95 973,400 37,802,695.00 38.75 1,767,600 68,120,255.00 Empire East Land 0.660 1,749,000 1,162,700.00 0.670 1,800,000 1,204,350.00 Ever Gotesco 0.138 1,900,000 273,210.00 0.138 1,190,000 164,890.00 Global-Estate 1.50 21,203,000 31,836,900.00 1.51 26,514,000 39,791,920.00 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.82 75,839,000 136,715,800.00 1.84 74,005,000 138,919,030.00 Interport `A’ 0.78 3,575,000 2,780,420.00 0.79 2,083,000 1,702,010.00 Keppel Properties 4.03 1,000 4,030.00 4.15 80,000 332,050.00 Megaworld 5.6 90,375,200 501,665,642.00 5.42 140,557,400 762,734,592.00

STOCKS

NOVEMBER 20-24, 2017 Close Volume Value

NOVEMBER 13-17, 2017 Close Volume Value

MRC Allied Ind. 0.430 1,501,310,000 591,354,950.00 0.340 203,350,000 68,297,450.00 Phil. Estates Corp.

0.3800 9,130,000 3,456,600.00 0.3950 7,960,000 3,034,000.00 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.560 87,337,000 48,569,070.00 0.520 48,405,000 25,960,940.00 Primex Corp.

6.64 9,582,400 64,204,628.00 6.86 18,936,000 130,603,153.00 Robinson’s Land `B’ 21.00 20,641,000 470,421,745.00 23.95 12,157,100 293,641,060.00 Rockwell 2.07 15,916,000 31,574,570.00 2.06 22,933,000 46,081,260.00 Shang Properties Inc. 3.16 1,778,000 5,693,660.00 3.18 743,000 2,370,810.00 SM Prime Holdings 36.00 32,798,200 1,171,733,520.00 35.75 32,799,700 1,176,867,900.00 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 1.03 2,686,000 2,769,720.00 1.02 8,276,000 8,652,770.00 Starmalls 7.45 4,000 29,800.00 7.45 58,400 392,158.00 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 0.870 600,000 512,760.00 0.840 187,000 159,860.00 Vista Land & Lifescapes 6.100 38,416,700 226,039,148.00 6.200 6,256,100 38,534,296.00

SERVICES 2GO Group’ 16.9 271,800 4,635,482.00 17.3 479,400 8,431,006.00 ABS-CBN 36.15 265,100 9,867,035.00 37.8 152,300 5,749,915.00 Acesite Hotel 1.36 2,545,000 3,622,680.00 1.54 2,582,000 3,770,400.00 APC Group, Inc. 0.475 2,680,000 1,272,850.00 0.470 12,020,000 5,765,450.00 Apollo Global 0.047 149,400,000 6,989,300.00 0.049 194,240,000 9,203,780.00 Asian Terminals Inc. 11.98 670,500 7,735,012.00 11.5 171,000 1,972,244.00 Berjaya Phils. Inc. 4.61 32,500 148,410.00 5.23 57,400 290,209.00 Bloomberry 10.14 41,563,500 416,934,098.00 10.02 32,366,300 337,002,268.00 Boulevard Holdings 0.0800 577,250,000 44,637,370.00 0.0710 315,090,000 22,837,630.00 Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 100 704,470 70,989,682.50 100.4 2,056,060 204,536,539.00 Centro Esc. Univ.

9 7,200 63,396.00 8.82 35,400 311,628.00 Chelsea 9.02 7,360,100 66,883,017.00 9.27 10,268,900 94,811,154.00 Discovery World 3.19 3,280,000 9,674,420.00 DFNN Inc. 7.06 261,700 1,868,349.00 7.12 138,600 1,008,817.00 FEUI 960 535 513,600.00 1020 1,735 1,767,400.00 Globe Telecom 1780 314,160 584,725,170.00 1915 249,960 491,526,520.00 GMA Network Inc. 5.90 2,132,700 12,511,948.00 5.81 2,426,300 14,216,852.00 Golden Haven 18.00 58,400 1,041,230.00 18.20 50,800 924,760.00 Grand Plaza Hotel 11.50 1,900 21,872.00 Harbor Star 3.93 105,794,000 367,531,950.00 3.30 58,896,000 187,320,190.00 I.C.T.S.I. 106.9 2,376,940 247,838,835.00 105 3,948,470 403,760,800.00 Imperial Res. `A’ 237.00 73,000 173,520.00 2.44 118,000 282,920.00 IPeople Inc. `A’ 12 27,000 324,000.00 12 82,600 999,104.00 IPM Holdings 8.36 1,528,100 12,752,126.00 8.35 1,597,200 13,324,909.00 Island Info 0.144 14,340,000 2,095,640.00 0.150 12,420,000 1,820,890.00 ISM Communications 1.3700 1,632,000 2,252,240.00 1.3900 641,000 873,710.00 Jackstones 3.22 381,000 1,176,820.00 3.28 461,000 1,483,750.00 Kep. Phils. Marine 15.2 2,000 30,400.00 LBC Express 15.2 6,900 108,160.00 15.8 5,300 82,960.00 Leisure & Resorts 3.65 2,860,000 10,612,850.00 3.83 8,935,000 33,471,030.00 Lorenzo Shipping 1.20 3,907,000 4,768,320.00 1.25 4,183,000 5,294,990.00 Macroasia Corp.

22.30 25,736,600 582,856,370.00 22.85 17,926,200 422,343,230.00 Manila Broadcasting 16.10 900 14,850.00 16.00 5,900 95,824.00 Manila Bulletin 0.520 21,000 11,030.00 0.520 690,000 359,780.00 Manila Jockey 3.6 24,500,000 84,631,840.00 2.82 927,000 2,578,810.00 Melco Crown 6.7 28,902,800 181,159,081.00 6.57 5,913,200 39,957,751.00 Metro Retail 3.90 6,706,000 26,362,930.00 3.96 2,836,000 11,283,190.00 NOW Corp.

2.940 116,811,000 344,957,760.00 3.090 122,352,000 357,490,720.00 Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

11.1 5,900 65,080.00 11.08 14,200 157,506.00 PAL Holdings Inc. 4.82 70,300 346,504.00 5.09 36,500 184,226.00 Paxys Inc. 2.85 43,000 122,960.00 2.95 9,000 26,300.00 Phil. Racing Club 7.95 150,000 1,192,500.00 8 1,800 14,400.00 Phil. Seven Corp.

150.00 69,240 11,885,451.00 210.00 84,360 17,797,688.00 Philweb.Com Inc. 8.87 8,524,600 73,807,762.00 8.35 1,405,500 11,529,800.00 PLDT Common 1586000.00 544,005 882,069,685.00 1660.00 717,940 1,195,506,385.00 PremiereHorizon 0.335 1,940,000 643,150.00 0.340 3,970,000 201,715,698.50 Premium Leisure 1.300 14,446,000 18,767,160.00 1.330 7,319,000 9,865,330.00 Puregold 48.05 12,995,200 625,539,895.00 47.85 23,542,090 1,151,778,097.50 Robinsons RTL 96.50 1,596,130 149,609,673.00 92.00 4,317,920 398,478,848.50 SBS Phil. Corp.

6.00 2,814,900 17,208,081.00 5.88 1,651,900 10,065,027.00 SSI Group 3.20 27,725,000 95,132,040.00 3.36 9,226,000 31,400,410.00 STI Holdings 1.720 27,619,000 46,434,540.00 1.650 38,029,000 63,023,980.00 Travellers 3.75 2,836,000 10,537,260.00 3.79 4,364,000 16,543,450.00 Waterfront Phils.

0.960 41,414,000 40,508,520.00 1.050 44,935,000 43,173,270.00 Wilcon Depot 8.140 16,519,800 133,755,705.00 8.180 12,283,900 100,543,264.00

MINING & OIL Abra Mining 0.0023 5,685,000,000 14,113,700.00 0.0025 7,135,000,000 18,271,300.00 Apex `A’ 1.67 101,987,000 181,141,140.00 1.67 20,311,000 33,917,270.00 Atlas Cons. `A’ 4.80 1,204,000 5,763,740.00 4.80 1,422,300 6,992,218.00 Atok-Big Wedge `A’ 15.98 60,500 934,978.00 14.90 500 7,270.00 Benguet Corp `A’ 1.7000 152,000 264,380.00 1.7600 101,000 179,050.00 Benguet Corp `B’ 1.6700 181,000 309,740.00 1.7800 100,000 178,940.00 Century Peak Metals Hldgs 1.61 15,596,000 25,313,210.00 1.68 9,320,000 15,329,290.00 Coal Asia 0.360 4,060,000 1,426,400.00 0.365 1,366,000 579,900.00 Dizon 7.80 28,200 209,074.00 7.95 12,400 96,772.00 Ferronickel 2.880 24,699,000 70,609,300.00 2.930 60,380,000 180,612,180.00 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.238 5,280,000 1,282,790.00 0.255 860,000 213,780.00 Lepanto `A’ 0.150 80,320,000 12,109,600.00 0.153 47,730,000 7,342,990.00 Lepanto `B’ 0.152 45,530,000 6,903,720.00 0.155 12,300,000 1,911,740.00 Manila Mining `A’ 0.010 461,500,000 4,635,000.00 0.010 72,800,000 754,100.00 Manila Mining `B’ 0.0110 9,600,000 105,600.00 0.0110 100,000 1,100.00 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 1.85 3,622,000 6,586,890.00 1.89 2,666,000 5,136,880.00 Nickelasia 6.61 14,241,700 95,678,729.00 6.82 9,790,200 67,670,095.00 Nihao Mineral Resources 1.5 2,888,000 4,301,550.00 1.61 1,373,000 2,185,580.00 Omico 0.4600 1,190,000 547,950.00 0.4650 1,990,000 936,600.00 Oriental Peninsula Res. 0.9000 4,208,000 3,885,040.00 0.9700 1,236,000 1,223,240.00 Oriental Pet. `A’ 0.0120 27,500,000 331,100.00 0.0120 9,500,000 114,000.00 Oriental Pet. `B’ 0.0130 31,000,000 377,400.00 0.0120 1,289,100,000 16,777,300.00 Philex `A’ 6.88 2,994,100 21,046,591.00 7.39 1,765,700 13,203,444.00 PhilexPetroleum 10.24 149,632,200 1,587,990,380.00 8.98 37,394,600 331,985,134.00 Philodrill Corp. `A’ 0.0120 142,000,000 1,624,100.00 0.0110 284,000,000 3,270,400.00 Phinma Petro 2.1100 485,000 1,059,690.00 2.3200 104,000 235,330.00 Semirara Corp.

36.50 12,839,000 469,069,315.00 36.80 15,069,400 566,341,330.00 United Paragon 0.0070 52,000,000 366,500.00 0.0073 25,000,000 184,700.00

PREFERRED ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

35.5 1,041,200 37,927,635.00 37 1,286,500 47,913,330.00 Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ 520 350 187,000.00 549 66,200 35,072,220.00 Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ 520 1,840 956,800.00 535 3,270 1,688,200.00 Alco Preferred B 107.1 45,530 4,880,618.00 108.3 1,870 202,521.00 DD PREF 104.5 80,880 8,452,950.00 104.6 46,290 4,837,904.00 First Gen F 108 80 8,636.00 108 12,030 1,298,838.00 First Gen G 118.4 40,110 4,633,024.00 118.5 210 24,885.00 GLOBE PREF P 521 3,050 1,589,050.00 521 3,500 1,823,530.00 GMA Holdings Inc. 5.43 3,912,800 21,455,836.00 5.47 1,621,100 8,899,464.00 GTCAP PREF A 1050 1,051,085 1,104,190.00 1020 2,485 2,553,585.00 GTCAP PREF B 1030 3,670 3,743,550.00 1020 5,970 6,070,810.00 Leisure and Resort 1.06 176,000 187,180.00 1.07 153,000 163,200.00 MWIDE PREF 106.1 17,340 1,838,589.00 106 35,670 3,790,740.00 PCOR-Preferred A 1049 30,115 31,590,765.00 1049 2,150 2,255,350.00 PCOR-Preferred B 1150 2,425 2,767,105.00 1141 300 342,300.00 PF Pref 2 1002 38,165 38,605,525.00 1010 3,625 3,660,720.00 PNX PREF 3A 100.1 15,900 1,657,370.00 105.9 760 80,494.00 PNX PREF 3B 115 10,000 1,149,910.00 114.9 3,500 375,222.00 SMC Preferred B 76.05 104,150 7,985,526.50 78 80,520 6,171,954.00 SMC Preferred C 81.3 114,630 9,370,225.00 82.8 59,790 4,939,633.50 SMC Preferred D 76.5 9,100 695,480.00 76.3 177,000 13,506,825.50 SMC Preferred E 78.1 72,200 5,649,295.00 78.1 1,280 99,968.00 SMC Preferred F 80.25 294,200 23,801,822.00 81.5 14,020 1,149,847.00 SMC Preferred G 77.3 20,580 1,589,834.00 SMC Preferred H 79.5 140,220 11,099,099.00 78.5 16,960 1,338,901.00 SMC Preferred I 81.7 34,990 2,799,551.00 79.85 34,740 2,773,994.00 Swift Pref 1.95 2,000 3,870.00 1.91 10,000 19,410.00

WARRANTS & BONDS LR Warrant 2.250 1,857,000 4,216,950.00 2.360 1,442,000 3,347,340.00

SME Makati Fin. Corp.

2.89 1,000 2,890.00 Italpinas 11.56 21,102,100 249,762,372.00 12.9 35,240,500 503,377,034.00 Philab Holdings 3.3 1,311,000 4,008,510.00 3 970,000 3,118,580.00 Xurpas 3.88 18,827,000 72,071,780.00 3.9 18,111,200 76,074,783.00

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS First Metro ETF 126 364,910 45,189,749.00 126.1 240,560 30,106,318.00

DOLLAR DENONIMATED SEC. USD DMPL A1 10.2 5,000 51,000.00 10 39,100 403,674.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS VOLUME

STOCKS

Abra Mining 5,685,000,000 MRC Allied Ind. 1,501,310,000 Boulevard Holdings 577,250,000 Manila Mining `A’ 461,500,000 PhilexPetroleum 149,632,200 Apollo Global 149,400,000 Philodrill Corp. `A’ 142,000,000 NOW Corp.

116,811,000 Harbor Star 105,794,000 Apex `A’ 101,987,000

Ayala Land `B’ 1,697,634,425.00 PhilexPetroleum 1,587,990,380.00 SM Investments Inc. 1,493,409,575.00 Ayala Corp `A’ 1,433,260,950.00 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 1,293,827,730.00 SM Prime Holdings 1,171,733,520.00 Bank of PI 894,745,759.00 PLDT Common 882,069,685.00 Jollibee Foods Corp.

866,045,088.00 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 752,156,306.00

VALUE

Co. Inc., which rose 7.9 percent to P534; Bank of the Philippine Islands which advanced 6.5 percent to P103; and Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc., climbed 4.8 percent to P96.50 per share.

Weekly top price losers were Robinsons Land Corp., which declined 12.3 percent to P21 per share; EEI Corp., which dropped 9.6 percent to P11.20; and Globe Telecom Inc., which dipped 7 percent to P1,780.

US stocks, meanwhile, climbed to fresh records Friday on optimism about the holiday shopping season, while the euro surged following strong German economic data and on hopes that Europe’s biggest economy would soon resolve a political crisis.

Both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended at all-time highs, with the S&P 500 topping 2,600 points for the first time, amid forecasts that US holiday sales could jump by four percent or more compared with the year-ago period.

“Holiday retail sales in 2017 are expected to rise 4.2 percent above last year, which would be the strongest growth rate since 2014,” said a note this week from IHS Markit.

Some early data has already suggested an uptick in online sales compared with the year-ago period, but “the question is—and will remain throughout the holiday selling season—how much of the online sales strength will come at the expense of in-store sales?” said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O’Hare. With AFP

AdmitAll, Union Bank introduce Smart ID ADMITALL, a user-friendly platform that aims to bridge the gap between schools and students, and Union Bank of the Philippines signed a partnership deal to launch the Smart ID, an all-in-one ID card.

The AdmitAll Smart ID functions both as a debit card and university ID card for students. It aims to teach the Filipino youth about handling their money and building their personal economy at an early age.

“The AdmitAll Smart ID is part of our thrust to make Filipino students learn the value of saving and investing in their personal economy even while still in school. With the Smart ID innovation, they can be taught how to manage their finances so students can prepare for an even brighter future,” said Christian Schweigler, chief executive officer of AdmitAll. Schweigler noted that most Filipino youth still did not have bank accounts and that the words “savings” and “financial management” were still rare to them. While some already have bank accounts, it’s either their parents opened up one for them or they earn it during their first employment. They hope to change that mindset with the introduction of the AdmitAll Smart ID. The AdmitAll Smart ID is an EON card from the Union Bank of the Philippines, one of the country’s leading financial institutions. It allows personal or school-related purchases, cashless payment of tuition and other necessities. There is no minimum deposit required and it also comes with PayPal accessibility. One also load it up just like a piggy bank, only electronically, while allowing one to track transactions safely and securely.

CYAN CYAN MAGENTA MAGENTA YELLOW YELLOW BLACK BLACK Manila Manila

Standard

OFFICE OFFICE OF OF THE THE PRESIDENT PRESIDENT

TODAY TODAY

NATIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY Elliptical Elliptical Road, Road, Diliman, Diliman, Quezon Quezon City City

Business/World

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017

B3

Invitation to Bid The The National National Housing Housing Authority Authority (NHA), (NHA), through through the the NHA NHA Board Board approved approved NG NG Subsidy Subsidy for for CY CY 2017 2017 intends intends to to apply apply the the sum sum of of the the Approved Approved Budget Budget for for the the Contract Contract (ABC) (ABC) to to payment payment under under the the contract: contract:

Fidel Castro honored H Ref. Ref. No. No.

ABC/ ABC/ Source Source of of Funds Funds (P) (P)

Project Project

Duration Duration (c.d) (c.d)

Work Work Description Description

Procurement, Procurement, delivery delivery and and

riibbuuttiioonn has organized ddaiissttr“political-cultural AVANA—With of of housing housing evening” marking materials materialstheto to “physical little fanfare, Procurement, Procurement, Delivery Delivery 4,600 4,600 affected affected death” of El Comandante. and and Distribution Distribution of of ff aa m m ii ll ii ee ss // Cuba on Saturday Raul 180 Castro, beneficiaries the 86 year-old lead2017 2017 Housing Housing Materials Materials for for 23,000,000.00/ 180 beneficiaries 23,000,000.00/ -11-11the the Families Familiesthe Affected Affected (6 (6 for for the the when HOMA HOMA his older commemorated first er who took power NG NG Subsidy Subsidy 243 243 by by Calamities Calamities in in months) months) Program Program in in brother Fidel became ill the the Lone Lone District District of of d d e e s s i i g g n n aatte edd in 2006, anniversary of the death of Mandaluyong Mandaluyong City City areas areas in in may make an appearance.

Mandaluyong Mandaluyong revolutionary leader Fidel City City based based But the government has scheduled on on the the sites sites Castro as it prepares to move no major events and andmarking schedule schedule the death given. given. of Fidel, who governed Cuba for 48 into the post-Castro era. years.rejected Bids Bids received received in in excess excess of of the the ABC ABC shall shall be be automatically automatically rejected at at bid bid opening. opening.

Still, signs and slogans painted on Since his death at the age of 90 The The NHA NHA now now invites invites bids bids for for the the above-cited above-cited project. project. Delivery Delivery of of the the Goods Goods is is required required walls that read “I should am Fidel,” on November lastcited year, within within the the duration duration25 herein herein cited upon uponCastro’s receipt receipt of of Notice Notice to to Proceed.

Proceed.

Bidders Bidders should have have “Fidel completed, completed, within within been five five years years from from the the date date submission of of bids, bids, aa single single contract contractis among will always live” and “Fidel wishes have respected.

Noofof submission similar similar to to the the Project Project costing at at least least fifty fifty percent percent (50%) (50%) of the ABC. ABC. The The description description us” canofbethe seen around the country. street, square or isiscosting building bears his of of an an eligible eligible bidder bidder contained contained in in the the Bidding Bidding Documents, Documents, particularly, particularly, in in Section Section II. II. Instructions Instructions to to Bidders.

Bidders.

Cuba’s two newspapers, the statename, and no statue or monument Bidding Bidding will be be conducted conducted through open competitive competitive bidding procedures procedures using using nonnon-Rebelde, run bidding Granma and Juventud has beenwill erected in histhrough honor.open discretionary discretionary pass/fail pass/fail criterion criterion as as specified specified in in the the Implementing Implementing Rules Rules and and Regulations Regulations dedicated most of their issues to the But Castro remains present in the (IRR) (IRR)of ofRepublic RepublicAct Act9184 9184(RA (RA9184), 9184),otherwise otherwiseknown knownas asthe the“Government “GovernmentProcurement Procurement late communist leader. minds Cubans, and state to media reReform Reformof Act”.

Act”.

Bidding Bidding is is restricted restricted to Filipino Filipino citizens/sole citizens/sole proprietorships, proprietorships, partnerships, partnerships, or or organizations organizations with with at at least least sixty sixtyand percent percent (60%) (60%) interest interest oryear outstanding outstanding capital capital stock stockof Cuba, “Thisor we, the people calls his exploits, speeches writbelonging belonging to to citizens citizens of of the the Philippines.

Philippines. have within us great sadness but mixed ings on a daily basis.

A A complete complete set set of of Bidding Bidding Documents Documents shall shall be be issued issued only only to to bidders/authorized bidders/authorized official official with because he (Fidel) The most or important representatives representatives or employees employees commemoraof of the the bidder bidder who who can can show showjoy proof proof of of Notarized Notarized Authority Authorityleft to to a youth secure secure bid bidbe documents documents for the the specific specific Project Project and and Official Official Company ID upon upon submission submission that...Company is muchID better than us old folk,” tion will held at for nightfall at Havana of of aa Letter Letter of of Intent Intent (LOI) (LOI) and and upon upon Cash Cash Payment Payment of of non-refundable non-refundable fee fee of of P17,000.00 P17,000.00 nd nd said Emerido, a 2275-year-old University, where Castro delivfor for Ref. Ref. No. No. 2017-11-243 2017-11-243 at at the theoften Office Office of of the the NHA-BAC NHA-BAC 22 Secretariat, Secretariat, Floor Floor NHA NHA retiree Main Mainhis Building, Building, Diliman, Diliman, Quezon Quezon City City starting starting on on November November 27, 27,to2017.

2017.

For further who declined giveFor hisfurther last name. ered lengthy and fiery speeches. information, information, the the NHA NHA BAC BAC 22 Secretariat Secretariat may may be be contacted contacted at at Tel/FAX Tel/FAX No. No. 928-8272.

928-8272.

Leisi Chi, a 22-year-old history The Union of Communist Youth The The NHA NHA will will hold hold aa Pre-Bid Pre-Bid Conference Conference on on December December 5, 5, 2017 2017 at at 10:00 10:00 a.m. a.m. at at the the SLB-AMO SLB-AMO Conference Conference Room, Room, Annex Annex Building Building NHA NHA Main Main Complex, Complex, Elliptical Elliptical Road, Road, Diliman, Diliman, Quezon Quezon City, City, which which shall shall be be OPEN OPEN to to all all interested interested parties. parties.

student, recalled the pain she felt upon hearing of Fidel’s death.

“It touched us, especially the youth and the people here, even if some people rejoiced,” she told AFP. Fidel Castro “is alive in our thoughts, our culture, our battle of ideas,” added elementary school principal Gladys Garcia.

When Fidel Castro died, Cuba went into mourning until his ashes were interred in the southeastern city of Santiago de Cuba. An event marking the anniversary may be held there on December 4.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro—the Castro regime’s closest ally—wrote to the Cuban president to say that his mentor, the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, loved Fidel “like a father.”

Fidel Castro’s eldest grandson, Fidel Antonio Castro, shared personal memories of his time with the aged leader in an interview published Saturday. AFP

My father’s daughter

Bids Bids must must be be delivered delivered at at the the SLB-AMO SLB-AMO Conference Conference Room, Room,Annex Annex Building Building NHA NHAMain Main Complex, Complex, Elliptical EllipticalLURLEEN Road, Road, Diliman, Diliman, Quezon Quezon City City on on December December 19, 19, 2017, 2017, not not later later than than 10:00 10:00 a.m. a.m. All AllMERCADO bids bids must must be be accompanied accompanied by by aa bid bid security security in in any any of of the the acceptable acceptable forms forms and and in in the the amount amount as as stated stated in in BDS. BDS. Bid Bid opening opening shall shall follow follow immediately immediately after after the the deadline deadline of of submission submission of of bids bids at at the the same same venue. venue. Bids Bids will will be be opened opened in in the the presence presence of of the the Bidders Bidders representative representative who who choose choose to to attend attend at at the the address address above. above. Late Late bids bids shall shall not not be be accepted. accepted.

Green Light

I AM my father’s daughter, maybe it’s not meant to be. nate as to religion and gen- some of the best talent and The NHA NHA reserves reserves the right right ethto to accept accept or or reject reject any bid, bid,relationship, to to annul annul the the bidding bidding process, process, I The realized.

My the work Just likeany any der.

Most of all, a company best people to work with and and to to reject reject all all bids bids at at any any time time prior prior to to contract contract award, award, without without thereby thereby incurring incurring any any ics is an extension of my you only see the failure that shares your personal in the world, which is the liability liability to to the the affected affected bidder bidder or or bidders. bidders. parents work view. My once you are no longer part values. Is this just a wish most important bit.”

AR. AR. SUSANA SUSANA V. V. NONATO NONATO parent worked for a bever- of it. Thus, I can see clearly list? Maybe not.

4. Smart perks – Google Chairperson Chairperson Bids Bidscompany and and Awards Awardsthat Committee Committee 22 age operates now what went wrong with Best companies offers on-site doctors, free 24 hours a day and seven my work relationship: the Fortune 100 named gourmet food, haircuts, days a week. He has work absence of work/life bal- Google as one of the best and laundry services deon holidays and even on ance and finding the right companies to work for. In signed to keep employees Christmas day. I remember job for my skills, knowl- search for the reasons why, satisfied. when I was younger, my edge and inclinations.

I came across the article 5. Unparalleled career dad will leave very early Imagining the ideal The 5 Reasons Googlers opportunities – “Opporin the morning while we company (Google’s employees) tunities for career growth, are still asleep. There are Imagine if you can work think it’s the best place to and tons of career developtimes he is already home for a company that pro- work by Oscar Raymun- ment resources available.” and the company car will vides all the conditions do. He provided the reason The above five reasons arrive to fetch him. On you like. A company that and quoted an employee to meet some my wish list Sundays, he will bring one offers a generous compen- support his claim. Here are and it makes me wonder: of us to work and the rest sation with medical health their top 5 reasons: if Google employs me, would follow so we will benefits. A company that 1. Work that matters will I stay for twenty years have lunch at our favorite recognizes your need to – “My work is used by just like my dad? I guess I restaurant. No wonder, he take time off to be with lots and lots of users.” would. availed of early retirement family. A company that Googler’s are motivated and transferred to a less has a daycare center for by their belief that their The author is an MBA time demanding job. your toddlers. A company work has a positive impact student at the Ramon V. del Come to think of it, that recognizes your con- on the lives of others.

Rosario College of Busiisn’t this the story tribution. A company that 2. Benefits for families – ness. This essay is part of of my life? helps you find your job fit “Not only is the policy gen- a journal she kept in fulfillCall me workaholic and within the organization. A erous, but the atmosphere at ment of the requirements of work devoted. I have been company that encourages Google is such that you can the course, Lasallian Busiworking for more than you to study and invest in take the full leave and not ness Leadership with Cortwo decades now. Before your professional growth. hurt your career.” porate Social ResponsibilI got married, I don’t mind A company that encouragGoogle boosted their ity and Ethics. Visit her working till late night es you to participate in de- parental-leave policies al- blog at https://pinchofsaltand reporting for work on signing the employee ben- lowing new fathers and totaste.wordpress.com/. weekends and holidays. I efits or new products and adoptive parents to avail of don’t complain if the load even policy improvements. up to 12 weeks of paid paThe views expressed is too much for me or if I A company that allows you ternity leave while moth- here are the author’s and am already tired and ex- to be creative and think out ers are allowed up to 22 do not necessarily reflect hausted. I simply accept of the box. A company that weeks. the official position of and enjoyed the perks of helps you plans for your 3. “Genius” co-workers DLSU, its faculty, and its work. Work is a blessing, financial wellness and re- – “The company attracts administrators.

I always tell myself until tirement.

A I woke up one day feeling company that burned-out and drained. allows personal OFFICE OFFICE OF OF THE THE PRESIDENT PRESIDENT I guess me and work, time to indulge NATIONAL HOUSING AUTHORITY we seem not to blend well. in hobbies and Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City Maybe it’s the work, may- sports. A combe it’s me, maybe it’s the pany that does Invitation Invitation to to Bid Bid stars and their alignment or not discrimi((M MSS--NNO OV. V. 227, 7, 22017 017))

REPUBLIC REPUBLIC OF OFTHE THE PHILIPPINES PHILIPPINES

REGIONAL REGIONALTRIAL TRIAL COURT COURT

NATIONAL NATIONAL CAPITAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL JUDICIAL REGION REGION

BRANCH BRANCH 90, 90, QUEZON QUEZON CITY CITY ROBERT ROBERT FRAGMAN, FRAGMAN, represented represented By

By MARILYN MARILYN MENDEZ MENDEZ Plaintiff, Plaintiff, -versus-versusCIVIL CIVIL CASE CASE NO. NO. R-QZN-14-00713-CV R-QZN-14-00713-CV VICENTE VICENTE O. O. AGUSTIN AGUSTIN Defendant.

Defendant. x------------------------------------------x x------------------------------------------x

NOTICE NOTICE OF OF SALE SALE ON ON EXECUTION EXECUTION OF OF REAL REAL PROPERTY PROPERTY WHEREAS, WHEREAS, by by virtue virtue of of the the Writ Writ of of Execution Execution dated dated July July 29, 29, 2016 2016 issued issued in in the the aboveaboveentitled entitled case, case, wherein wherein ROBERT ROBERT FRAGMAN, FRAGMAN, represented represented by by MARILYN MARILYN MENDEZ, MENDEZ, is is the the plaintiff, plaintiff, and and VICENTE VICENTE O. O. AGUSTIN AGUSTIN is is the the defendant defendant for for Collection Collection of of Sum Sum of of Money Money with with Damage/s Damage/s the the defendant defendant is is ordered ordered to to pay pay the the plaintiff plaintiff the the following: following: (1) (1) Php Php 2,420,000.00 2,420,000.00 as as actual actual damages damages with with 6% 6% interest interest per per annum annum to to be be computed computed on on the the Php Php 2,420,000.00, 2,420,000.00, computed computed from from the the date date of of demand demand in in August, August, 2009 2009 until until fully fully paid; paid; (2) (2) Php Php 500,000.00 500,000.00 as as moral moral damages; damages; (3) (3) Php Php 200,000.00 200,000.00 as as exemplary exemplary damages damages to to teach teach defendant defendant not not to to deceive deceive foreigners foreigners and and other other persons persons similarly similarly situated situated to to part part with with their their money; money; (4) (4) Php Php 100,000.00 100,000.00 as as attorney’s attorney’s fees; fees; and and (5) (5) Php Php 63,214.00 63,214.00 as as costs costs of of suit, suit, together together with with the the lawful lawful fees fees for for the the service service of of this this execution execution and and sale, sale, and and on on August August 09, 09, 2017, 2017, levy levy was was made made upon upon the the rights, rights, interests, interests, titles, titles, and and participation participation of of the the defendant defendant VICENTE VICENTE O. O. AGUSTIN AGUSTIN may may have have in in the the real real property property and and all all existing existing improvements improvements which which are are more more particularly particularly described described as as follows, follows, to to wit: wit: “TAX “TAX DECLARATION DECLARATION REAL REAL PROPERTY PROPERTY

OF OF

TD/ARP TD/ARP No.: No.: F-041-02984 F-041-02984 00 00 00 00 -- 22 00 11 77 -- 00 11 -- 00 77 44 88 22 11 PROPERTY PROPERTY INDEX: INDEX: 21-04121-041031-075 031-075 Owner: Owner: AGUSTIN AGUSTIN GRACIA GRACIA M M & & VICENTE VICENTE O O AGUSTIN AGUSTIN (GS (GS Address: Address: LOT LOT 22 BLK BLK 45 45 FAIRVIEW FAIRVIEW PARK PARK QC QC Location Location of of Property: Property: FAIRVIEW FAIRVIEW CAPITOL CAPITOL Quezon Quezon City City OCT/TCT OCT/TCT 157368 157368 Dated: Dated: 08/14/1970 08/14/1970 Lot Lot No.: No.: 22 Block Block NO.: NO.: 45 45 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KIND KIND OF OF PROPERTY PROPERTY ASSESSED ASSESSED LAND LAND Ra-3 Ra-3 CORNER CORNER N N Actual Actual Use: Use: RESIDENTIAL RESIDENTIAL Area: Area: 514.000 514.000 Market Value (Php): Market Value (Php): 6,168,000.00 6,168,000.00 Classification: RESIDENTIAL RESIDENTIAL Classification: Assessment Level Level (%): (%): 66 Assessment Assessed Value (Php): Assessed Value (Php): 308,400.00 308,400.00 Total Assessed Assessed Value: Value: THREE THREE Total HUNDRED EIGHT EIGHT THOUSAND THOUSAND HUNDRED FOUR HUNDRED HUNDRED PESOS PESOS FOUR Taxable/Exempt: TAXABLE Taxable/Exempt: TAXABLE Effectivity of of Assessment/ Assessment/ Effectivity Reassessment: 2017 2017 Annual Annual Reassessment: Tax Due: Due: 7,710.00 7,710.00 Tax This declaration declaration cancels cancels TD/ TD/ This ARP: ARP: E-041-03977 Previous AV: AV: E-041-03977 Previous 138,780.00 (php) (php) 138,780.00 Prev. Owner Owner Prev.

AGUSTIN GRACIA GRACIA M M & & AGUSTIN VICENTE O O AGUSTIN AGUSTIN (GS (GS xxx” xxx” VICENTE NOW THEREFORE, by NOW THEREFORE, by virtue of of said said Execution Execution and and virtue in accordance accordance with with Rule Rule 39 39 of of in the 1997 1997 Rules Rules of of Civil Civil Case Case the Procedure, the the undersigned undersigned Procedure, Sheriff will will sell sell thru thru Public Public Sheriff Auction to to the the highest highest bidder, bidder, Auction for CASH CASH and and in in Philippine Philippine for Currency on on December December 15, 15, Currency 2017 at at 9:00 9:00 o’clock o’clock in in the the 2017 morning, in in front front of of the the Hall Hall morning, of Justice Justice Building, Building, Regional Regional of Trial Court, Court, Quezon Quezon City, City, all all the the Trial rights, interests, interests, titles titles and/or and/or rights, participation of of the the defendant defendant participation VICENTE O. O. AGUSTIN AGUSTIN in in the the VICENTE above-described real real property property above-described together with with its its improvements improvements together in order order to to satisfy satisfy said said Writ Writ in of Execution Execution together together with with of expenses for for this this execution execution and and expenses sale. sale.

This NOTICE NOTICE OF OF SHERIFF’S SHERIFF’S This SALE will will be be published published in in SALE the MANILA STANDARD, the MANILA STANDARD, newspaper of general newspaper of general circulation, once once aa week week for for two two circulation, (2) consecutive consecutive weeks. weeks.

(2) Likewise, let let copies copies of of this this Likewise, Notice of of Sheriff’s Sheriff’s Sale Sale be be Notice posted in in three three (3) (3) conspicuous conspicuous posted places where where the the real real property property places is located located and and where where the the public public is auction shall shall take take place. place. auction Prospective bidders bidders or or buyers buyers Prospective are enjoined enjoined to to investigate investigate are for themselves themselves the the title title to to the the for said real real property property and and the the said encumbrances thereon, thereon, ifif there there encumbrances be any. any. be Quezon City, City, November November 08, 08, Quezon 2017.

2017.

FOR FOR THE THE EX-OFFICIO EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF: SHERIFF:

(Sgd.) (Sgd.) EDWIN EDWIN F. F.VIRAY VIRAY Sheriff Sheriff IV IV WARNING: WARNING: ItIt is is absolutely absolutely prohibited prohibited to to remove, remove, deface deface or or Destroy Destroy this this NoNotice tice of of Sheriff’s Sheriff’s Sale Sale on on or or Before Before the the date date of of the the auction auction sale sale under under penalty penalty of of the the law. law.

(MS-Nov. (MS-Nov.13 13 && 20, 20, 2017) 2017)

The The National National Housing HousingAuthority Authority (NHA), (NHA), through through the the NHA NHA Board Board approved approved NG NG Subsidy Subsidy for for CY CY 2017 2017 intends intends to to apply apply the the sum sum of of the the Approved Approved Budget Budget for for the the Contract Contract (ABC) (ABC) to to payment payment under under the the contract: contract: Ref. Ref. No. No.

Project Project

2017 2017 -11-11243 243

Procurement, Procurement, Delivery Delivery and and D Diissttrriibbuuttiioonn of of Housing Housing Materials Materials for for the the Families Families Affected Affected by by C C aa ll aa m m ii tt ii ee ss in in the the Lone Lone District District of of Mandaluyong Mandaluyong City City

ABC/ ABC/ Source Source of of Funds Funds (P) (P)

23,000,000.00/ 23,000,000.00/ NG NG Subsidy Subsidy

Duration Duration (c.d) (c.d)

Work Work Description Description

180 180 (6 (6months) months)

Procurement, Procurement, delivery delivery and and distribution distribution of of housing housing materials materials to to 4,600 4,600 affected affected families/ families/ beneficiaries beneficiaries for for the the HOMA HOMAProgram Program in in designated designated areas areas in in Mandaluyong Mandaluyong City City based based on on the the sites sites and and schedule schedule given. given.

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

The The NHA NHA now now invites invites bids bids for for the the above-cited above-cited project. project. Delivery Delivery of of the the Goods Goods is is required required within within the the duration duration herein herein cited cited upon upon receipt receipt of of Notice Notice to to Proceed.

Proceed. Bidders Bidders should should have have completed, completed, within within five five years years from from the the date date of of submission submission of of bids, bids, aa single single contract contract similar similar to to the the Project Project costing costing at at least least fifty fifty percent percent (50%) (50%) of of the the ABC. ABC. The The description description of of an an eligible eligible bidder bidder is is contained contained in in the the Bidding Bidding Documents, Documents, particularly, particularly, in in Section Section II. II. Instructions Instructions to to Bidders.

Bidders.

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

Act”. Bidding Bidding is is restricted restricted to to Filipino Filipino citizens/sole citizens/sole proprietorships, proprietorships, partnerships, partnerships, or or organizations organizations with with at at least least sixty sixty percent percent (60%) (60%) interest interest or or outstanding outstanding capital capital stock stock belonging belonging to to citizens citizens of of the the Philippines.

Philippines.

A Acomplete complete set set of of Bidding Bidding Documents Documents shall shall be be issued issued only only to to bidders/authorized bidders/authorized official official representatives representatives or or employees employees of of the the bidder bidder who who can can show show proof proof of of Notarized Notarized Authority Authority to to secure secure bid bid documents documents for for the the specific specific Project Project and and Official Official Company Company ID ID upon upon submission submission of of aa Letter Letter of of Intent Intent (LOI) (LOI) and and upon upon Cash Cash Payment Payment of of non-refundable non-refundable fee fee of of P17,000.00 P17,000.00 for for Ref. Ref. No. No. 2017-11-243 2017-11-243 at at the the Office Office of of the the NHA-BAC NHA-BAC 22 Secretariat, Secretariat, nd nd Floor NHA NHA Main Main Building, Building, Diliman, Diliman, Quezon Quezon City City starting starting on on November November 27, 27, 22 Floor 2017.

2017. For For further further information, information, the the NHA NHA BAC BAC 22 Secretariat Secretariat may may be be contacted contacted at at Tel/ Tel/ FAX FAX No. No. 928-8272.

928-8272.

The The NHA NHA will will hold hold aa Pre-Bid Pre-Bid Conference Conference on on December December 5, 5, 2017 2017 at at 10:00 10:00 a.m. a.m. at at the the SLB-AMO SLB-AMO Conference Conference Room, Room, Annex Annex Building Building NHA NHA Main Main Complex, Complex, Elliptical Elliptical Road, Road, Diliman, Diliman, Quezon Quezon City, City, which which shall shall be be OPEN OPEN to to all all interested interested parties. parties.

Bids Bids must must be be delivered delivered at at the the SLB-AMO SLB-AMO Conference Conference Room, Room, Annex Annex Building Building NHA NHA Main Main Complex, Complex, Elliptical Elliptical Road, Road, Diliman, Diliman, Quezon Quezon City City on on December December 19, 19, 2017, 2017, not not later later than than 10:00 10:00 a.m. a.m. All All bids bids must must be be accompanied accompanied by by aa bid bid security security in in any any of of the the acceptable acceptable forms forms and and in in the the amount amount as as stated stated in in BDS. BDS. Bid Bid opening opening shall shall follow follow immediately immediately after after the the deadline deadline of of submission submission of of bids bids at at the the same same venue. venue. Bids Bids will will be be opened opened in in the the presence presence of of the the Bidders Bidders representative representative who who choose choose to to attend attend at at the the address address above. above. Late Late bids bids shall shall not not be be accepted. accepted.

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

(SGD.) (SGD.) AR. AR. SUSANA SUSANA V. V. NONATO NONATO Chairperson Chairperson Bids Bids and and Awards Awards Committee Committee 22

BREAKFAST WITH THE NEW NZ PM I WAS invited to a business breakfast on commercial connections between the Philippines and New Zealand by His Excellency David Strachan, the Ambassador of New Zealand to the Philippines, to be Prime Minister of graced no less than by New Zealand, The the new Prime MinisRight Honourable ter of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern The Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern.

This took place the week of the Asean Summit here in Manila and, in spite of the flurry of commitments I had at the time, foremost of which were attending the Asean Opening Ceremonies, the Gala Dinner and the Closing Ceremonies, as well as moderating the Asean Business and Investment Summit 2017 (ABIS), I could not say no to my good friend, Ambassador Strachan.

Relations between the Philippines and New Zealand have spanned the breadth of more than half a century – almost the same as the life of Asean, if I may point out – and this relationship just keeps on getting stronger.

There has been a rise in commercial relations, as well as in tourism, migration, and person-to-person contact. Direct flights between the two countries have also increased in frequency. Philippine Airlines (PAL) will start direct flights to Auckland on December 6.

As of 2016, total trade between the two countries reached $ 745 million. Exports to New Zealand—roughly fruits and nuts, electronics, paint and dye, leather, and vegetables—amounted to $ 111 million.

Credit to this must also be given to the very hardworking Dr. Jesus “Gary” Domingo, Ph.D., Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to New Zealand, Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa and Tonga.

There are around twenty established New Zealand companies operating in the Philippines. As of 2015, approximately 2,000 New Zealanders or Kiwis have called the Philippines home, while in New Zealand we have around 50,000 Filipinos living there. I believe that these numbers have increased since then.

There have been many regular visits by New Zealand ministers in the near past. In August of this year, for example, then-Foreign Affairs Minister Gerry Brownlee visited the country for the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting. Two years ago, then Prime Minister John Jaime Bautista, President & COO, PAL Holdings, Inc / Stephen England-Hall, Chief Executive, Tourism New Zealand

With Prime Minister of New Zealand, The Right Honourable Jacinda Ardern and Stuart Tomlinson, Country Manager, Philippines & Viet Nam – VISA Card Singapore, Inc.

Key came to the Philippines for the APEC Leaders Meeting.

This visit now is significant, not just because it is part of the Asean Summit and related activities, but because New Zealand has a new Prime Minister in the person Dr. Jesus “Gary” Domingo, Ph.D., of Jacinda Ardern.

Jacinda Kate Lau- Ambassador of the rell Ardern became Republic of the the 40th Prime Min- Philippines to New ister of New Zealand Zealand, Cook Islands, last October this year. Fiji, Niue, Samoa The 40th Prime Min- and Tonga (photo from ister, yes, but this Amb. Domingo’s Facebook Right Honourable account) member of the New Zealand Labour Party is not yet even 40. She is considered as the world’s youngest leader.

Up close and personal during our breakfast meeting, New Zealand’s new Prime Minister is as beautiful as the magnificent landscapes that have made her country a favorite location for epic blockbuster movies like Lord of the Rings. Her captivating smile, youthful vigor and charming demeanor complement her intelligence and astute political sense.

Engaging her in lively discussions on politics and business shows that she feels her people’s pulse.

I also must make mention of the heartwarming presence of New Zealand Deputy Minister Winston Peters, who also serves as Foreign Minister and the leader of the New Zealand First party.

I sense only good things happening in the relations between the Philippines and New Zealand with President Duterte and Prime Minister Ardern at the helm.

As they say in that part of the world: All good, Bro! Shot!

MOU signing between Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, and Ambassador David Strachan, witnessed by PM Adern, to strengthen geothermal energy cooperation between the two countries

With Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister of New Zealand

1598 1598 M.H. M.H. Del Del Pilar Pilar corner corner Dr. Dr. J. J. Quintos Quintos Streets Streets Malate, Malate, Manila Manila Tel. Tel. Nos. Nos. 522-0000, 522-0000, 551-2200 551-2200 connecting connecting all all departments departments

INVITATION TO BID The The Land Land Bank Bank of of the the Philippines Philippines (LANDBANK), (LANDBANK), through through its its Bids Bids and and Awards Awards Committee Committee (BAC), (BAC), invites invites consultants/ consultants/ suppliers/manufacturers/distributors/contractors suppliers/manufacturers/distributors/contractors to to bid bid for for the the hereunder hereunder project: project: Items Items ITB ITB -- CS-20171102-01 CS-20171102-01 Job Job Tracking Tracking and and Mobile Mobile Appraisal Appraisal System System Project Project

Approved Approved Budget Budget Bidding Bidding for for the the Contract Contract Documents Documents Fee Fee P P 31,911,250.00 31,911,250.00

P P 16,000.00 16,000.00

Project Project Timeline Timeline

Within Within fourteen fourteen (14) (14) months months from from contract contract signing signing

Consultant Consultant shall shall be be required required to to submit submit its its eligibility, eligibility, technical technical and and financial financial proposals proposals simultaneously simultaneously in in three three (3) (3) separate separate sealed sealed envelopes. envelopes.

After After the the receipt receipt of of bids, bids, the the eligibility eligibility documents documents shall shall first first be be opened opened and and evaluated evaluated in in the the presence presence of of the the prospective prospective bidder’s bidder’s representatives representatives who who choose choose to to attend attend at at the the time, time, on on the the date date and and at at the the place place specified specified below. below.

The The BAC BAC shall shall draw draw up up the the short short list list of of consultants consultants from from those those who who have have submitted submitted the the eligibility, eligibility, technical technical and and financial financial documents/components documents/components and and have have been been determined determined as as eligible eligible in in accordance accordance with with the the provisions provisions of of Republic Republic Act Act 9184 9184 (RA (RA 9184), 9184), otherwise otherwise known known as as the the “Government “Government Procurement Procurement Reform Reform Act”, Act”, and and its its Implementing Implementing Rules Rules and and Regulations Regulations (IRR).

(IRR).

The The minimum minimum score score to to be be included included in in the the shortlist shortlist is is 78% 78% using using the the following following criteria: criteria: 1.

1.

2.

2.

3.

3.

4.

4.

5.

5.

Shortlisting Shortlisting Criteria Criteria Fit Fit to to Functional Functional Requirements Requirements Fit Fit to to Non-Functional Non-Functional Requirements Requirements Implementation Implementation Methodology Methodology Firm Firm Credentials Credentials (Experience, (Experience, Expertise Expertise and and Capability) Capability) Personnel Personnel Qualifications Qualifications

Weight Weight 40% 40% 30% 30% 5% 5% 10% 10% 15% 15%

LANDBANK LANDBANK shall shall evaluate evaluate bids bids using using the the Quality Quality Cost Cost Based Based Evaluation/Selection Evaluation/Selection with with 80% 80% and and 20% 20% weight weight allocation allocation for for the the Technical Technical Proposal Proposal and and Financial Financial Proposal, Proposal, respectively. respectively. The The criteria criteria and and rating rating system system for for the the evaluation evaluation of of bids bids shall shall be be provided provided in in the the Instructions Instructions to to Bidders.

Bidders.

All All particulars particulars relative relative to to Eligibility Eligibility Statement Statement and and Screening, Screening, Bid Bid Security, Security, Performance Performance Security, Security, Pre-Bidding Pre-Bidding Conference(s), Conference(s), Evaluation Evaluation of of Bids, Bids, Post Post Qualification Qualification and and Award Award of of Contract Contract shall shall be be governed governed by by the the pertinent pertinent provisions provisions of of R.A. R.A. 9184 9184 and and its its Implementing Implementing Rules Rules and and Regulations Regulations (IRRs).

(IRRs).

The The schedule schedule of of activities activities are are as as follows: follows: ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES 1.

1. Issuance Issuance of of Bid Bid Documents Documents 2.

2. Pre-Bid Pre-Bid Conference Conference 3.

3. Submission Submission // Opening Opening of of Bids Bids 4.

4.

5.

5.

6.

6.

7.

7.

5.

5.

Shortlisting Shortlisting Opening Opening of of Financial Financial Bids Bids Bid Bid Evaluation/Ranking Evaluation/Ranking Negotiation/Post-Qualification Negotiation/Post-Qualification Notice Notice of of Award Award

SCHEDULE SCHEDULE November November 27 27 to to December December 21, 21, 2017 2017 December December 7, 7, 2017 2017 -- 2:00 2:00 PM PM Bidding Bidding Room, Room, 25th 25th Floor, Floor, LANDBANK LANDBANK Plaza Plaza Building Building 1598 1598 M. M. H. H. Del Del Pilar Pilar corner corner Dr. Dr. J. J. Quintos Quintos Streets, Streets, Malate, Malate, Manila Manila December December 21, 21, 2017 2017 -- 11:00 11:00 A.M. A.M. Procurement Procurement Department, Department, 25th 25th Floor, Floor, LANDBANK LANDBANK Plaza Plaza Building Building 1598 1598 M. M. H. H. Del Del Pilar Pilar corner corner Dr. Dr. J. J. Quintos Quintos Streets, Streets, Malate, Malate, Manila Manila December December 22, 22, 2017 2017 to to January January 4, 4, 2018 2018 January January 11, 11, 2018 2018 January January 18, 18, 2018 2018 January January 25, 25, 2018 2018 January January 30, 30, 2018 2018

Bid Bid documents documents will will be be available available to to prospective prospective bidders bidders upon upon payment payment of of the the applicable applicable Bidding Bidding Documents Documents fee fee to to the the LANDBANK LANDBANK Cashier.

Cashier.

LANDBANK LANDBANK reserves reserves the the right right to to (a) (a) reject reject any any and and all all bids bids at at any any time time prior prior to to the the award award of of the the contract; contract; (b) (b) waive waive any any minor minor formal formal requirements requirements in in the the bid bid documents; documents; (c) (c) accept accept such such bids, bids, itit may may consider consider advantageous advantageous and and beneficial beneficial without without thereby thereby incurring incurring any any liability liability to to the the affected affected bidder bidder or or bidders. bidders.

BIDS BIDS AND AND AWARDS AWARDS COMMITTEE COMMITTEE

((M MSS--NNO OV. V. 227, 7, 22017 017))

CYAN CYAN MAGENTA MAGENTA YELLOW YELLOW BLACK BLACK

LGUs

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

B4

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

CHRISTMAS CHEER.

A choral group belts out Christmas carols as Greenfield in Mandaluyong City marks the holiday season with the lighting of a giant Christmas tree at the commercial complex in Mandaluyong City.

Lino Santos

Navotas gets DILG ‘Seal’

N

AVOTAS has bagged the highlycoveted 2017 Seal of Good Local Governance from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Mayor John Rey Tiangco announced Sunday.

Through the SGLG, the national government recognizes LGUs that demonstrate exemplary performance in local governance.

This year, SGLG awar-

dees passed a more rigorous assessment as the DILG upped the criteria to a 4+1 principle, pertaining to the various facets of local governance as classi-

fied by the department.

To become a recipient of the SGLG award, an LGU must pass all four core assessment areas namely Financial Administration, Disaster Preparedness, Social Protection, and Peace and Order.

“We are very thankful and honored to receive the highest award bestowed by the DILG to LGUs. This is

a humbling validation that we are on the right track in terms of public service,” Tiangco said.

He also acknowledged everyone who helped the city achieve the said milestone and reminded them to continue serving Navoteños wholeheartedly.

“I extend my appreciation and gratitude to our city council, department

heads, city hall employees, and other functionaries.

Their genuine desire and commitment to observe the best practices in governance and public service made this happen.

“I also thank our constituents for their constant support to the projects and programs of the city government,” he said.

It also requires that an

By Abe Almirol KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya—Oceanagold Philippines Inc., the operator of Didipio Gold-Copper mine here, reaped five major awards at the 64th Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference.

The annual event, organized by the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association, was held in Camp John Hay, Baguio City last week.

“Our pursuit for excellence and continual improvement is never-ending.

Our recent victory is a green light for us to perform even better in what we do—enhancing quality and safe workplace for our employees, protecting the environment for future generations, and delivering our commitments to our communities wherein we operate,” Didipio operations manager David Way told members of the media.

The company received the following awards: Safest Mining Operation Award; Safest Surface Mining Operation Award; Safest Mineral Processing Award – Concentrator Category; PMIEA Selection Committee Platinum Achievement Award—Surface Mining Operation Category; and 1st Runner-up Best Mining Forest—Metallic Mining Operation Category.

OGPI fought to assert its compliance to responsible mining standards, Way said.

Didipio mine was successful in its bid to continue operation despite issues raised against it during the incumbency of secretary Regina Lopez at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

IN BRIEF

QC big biz turn over green fund proceeds

3,500 Manileños get PhilHealth coverage MANILA Mayor Joseph Estrada has enrolled 3,500 more indigent city residents to Philippine Health Insurance Corp. or PhilHealth coverage to enable them to access quality and subsidized healthcare.

The fourth batch of beneficiaries came from Districts 4, 5, and 6, bringing the number of PhilHealthenrolled marginalized Manileños to 17,594 for this year alone, Estrada said.

“As PhilHealth members, you are now entitled to benefits enjoyed by regular members,” the Manila mayor told the beneficiaries during the distribution of PhilHealth ID cards at San Andres Sports Complex.

With the rising costs of hospitalization and medicines, Estrada emphasized that being a member of PhilHealth would mean a lot to poor residents needing hospitalization and prolonged, expensive procedures and medications. Bill Casas

By Rio N. Araja THREE major business establishments have turned over several items acquired using Quezon City’s green fund, the city government announced Sunday.

Robinson’s Handyman and Puregold Price Club have a combined donation of 450 sets of waste segregation bins, while Mercury Drug purchased 35 mountain bikes for the Quezon City Police District.

Mayor Herbert Bautista received the donations emanating from the proceeds of the P2 plastic bag fee mandated under the Quezon City Plastic Bag Reduction Ordinance.

The measure encourages consumers to bring their reusable bags when going to supermarkets or any similar establishments.

It restricts the use of plastic bags by imposing a P2 fee for each plastic bag requested at the point of sale.

LGU must meet at least one of the essential assessment areas which include Environmental Management, Business-Friendliness and Competitiveness, and Tourism, Culture and the Arts.

Among the other recipients of the SGLG award in Metro Manila are Caloocan, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City and San Juan. Jun David

Didipio reaps PMSEA awards

‘SIBOL 2.’ Thai oil firm PTT Philippines has returned to the Marikina Watershed in Antipolo to continue fulfilling its three-year commitment to plant 50,000 trees on 100 hectares of the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape in Rizal province. Photo shows PTT Philippines president and CEO Sukanya Seriyothin (middle), Rep. Rogelio Neil Roque (4th District, Bukidnon), and Minister Counsellor and Consul Somjai Taphaopong of the Royal Thai Embassy Manila leading the tree planting activity together with student volunteers from Sitio San Ysiro Elementary School in Barangay San Jose, Antipolo City. Manny Palmero

Manila’s fountains restored in time for Christmas

By Bill Casas

THE City of Manila under Mayor Joseph Estrada has successfully restored and renovated several fountains, which the previous administration had left neglected, in time for the expected increase in the number of local and foreign tourists during the Christmas season.

Estrada said the fountains, equipped with colored lights, provide added attractions to Manila’s tourist spots, especially at nighttime.

“Christmas is the time of the year where people go out with their families and loved ones, and many tourists will come and have a vacation here, not to men-

tion the Christmas shoppers,” the Manila mayor said, “so this is why we have renovated our fountains and public parks.”

The fountains have been beautifully restored that it attracted not only weary spectators and travelers, but also people who want to cool down by plunging into them which the city gov-

ernment does not tolerate, according to Arsenic Lacson, Jr., officer-in-charge of the Manila Parks Development Office.

“Ang problema natin ngayon, nililiguan. Mayroon pa ngang naglalaba (Our problem is that they take a bath here. The also do their laundry),” Lacson, however, lamented.

Butuan health center improved BUTUAN CITY—The constituents of Libertad in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, led by its local government leaders and Department of Health officials, came together to celebrate the inauguration of the town’s newly rehabilitated rural health unit.

The community welcomed the unveiling of Libertad Main Health Center, which now has new and improved offices, consultation rooms, treatment rooms, dental clinic, labo-

ratory, labor room, breastfeeding area and birthing clinic. The health center also has a new play area for children complete with books and toys as well as a waiting lounge for the comfortable use of senior citizens.

The renovation helps its doctors, nurses and midwives improve the delivery of healthcare services to a population of more than 100,000 people from 29 barangays. The Libertad Main Health Center, recently rehabilitated by BDO Foundation, will help rural health unit averages around improve the health and well-being of a catchment population of more than 100,000 200 child births per month. people in Butuan City and its surroundings.

DTI pours P119m into Bagabag town BAGABAG, Nueva Vizcaya—The Department of Trade and Industry will be giving P119 million to the local government to undertake the concreting of a road project in Barangay Amballo here.

Mayor Tony Sevillena said the fund will be used for the development of the 3.5-kilometer national highway—Amballo Farm-to-Market Road Project.

“This will help our pineapple farmers in the barangay Amballo including other neighboring barangays. The road project will also support the activities of villagers managing the Pineapple Processing Center,” he said.

The PPC, Sevillena said, was earlier funded and built by pineapple food processors and the DTI to turn waste products into processed foods. Ben Moses Ebreo

SBMA workers recall past freeport struggles SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Hundreds of former volunteers and current employees and officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority recalled the hardship they overcame in building the first Philippine free port, and renewed their commitment for a sustainable and more progressive Subic.

In a ceremony graciously attended by former heads of the agency, participants and guests in the culminating activity of the month-long SBMA 25th Anniversary Celebration remembered momentous events since Subic Bay Freeport was established in 1992.

Foremost, among the images evoked here was the historic time when the Stars and Stripes was lowered for the last time in this former American military base, and an enormous 20-by-40-foot Philippine banner was raised. Butch Gunio

Life FOOD

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017

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“When I bake cake, I go into what I call the zone,” says Buddy Valastro.

“And if you find that thing that makes you tick the way that cake decorating makes me tick, I think you’ll be successful.”

Chasing that sweet dream B

THE JOYCE OF EATING JOYCE BABE PAÑARES

UDDY VALASTRO has been lording it over TLC for nine years now with his show, Cake Boss, screened in 200 countries and dubbed in 45 languages. One would expect him to have the air of man who has nothing else to prove. Yet he remains passionate about his job, and always curious to try something new.

“What’s a good Philippine tea?” he asked during an intimate interview with select journalists ahead of The Lifestyle Channel’s TLC Festival 2017 at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig early this month.

And, in between sips of warm salabat (ginger tea), he recalled enjoying pan de sal and ensaymada during his last visit

to the Philippines, but lamented he could not get the same in New Jersey.

A defining moment for this celebrity baker, who regaled us with his soft hands—from working on butter almost From his sushi cake to too-cute-to-eat birthday showstoppers, Buddy Valastro continues to amaze his fans worldwide with his fantastic cake every day, he said—happened when he decorating skills. was 11 years old when his father taught him there is dignity in labor.

“I got caught playing matches and as want this feeling for the rest of my life. That would be my dream cake. The punishment, I was made to work in our It’s my art and my passion,” Valastro Pope is trying to do is to preach about bakery. To be more specific, he made me added. the poor, the hungry, the underpriviclean the toilet bowl. And then he asked For the Cake Boss, he is never not “in leged, and making the world not forget me—‘Are you too good to clean this?’ the zone.” about them, which is something dear He taught me to take pride in whatever “That never happens come hell or to my heart. Every night in the bakery, I do, whether in baking cake or cleaning high water. There are times that you whatever is left over, we give it to the the toilet bowl,” Valastro said. feel less enthused or you need someone homeless. My dad started that tradition, He would take to heart that life les- else to take the lead but thank God that and that’s something we’ve kept up and HOME-cooked meals will always parang may lutong-bahay kang ma- son, from the time he began baking I have a great team around me. It is such we continue to do so.” away from the public eye up to now a rarity that I’m not in the mood for it.”

“I want to make him a cake because hold a place in Filipinos’ hearts. uuwian,” Baste adds. when Cake Boss has become a houseBut more than a renewable stream of I think he’s doing a great job, but the For Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, Joined by his good friends Atty. real indulgence is found in the comfort Alexis Lumbatan, Sboi Malicay, and hold name, thanks to his smash hit of a creative juices, Valastro said it is impor- problem is what the hell do you make tant to be humble enough to continu- the Pope?” Valastro added. of a home-cooked spread served with Sandro Gonzalez, Baste Duterte will television show.

Valastro fell in love with cake decoously learn from others and disciplined Valastro, who headlined the TLC Fesno frills and no pretentions. remind Filipinos of the real uninhibitrating—a creative process that requires enough to do one’s work every day. tival 2017 that was attended by whopThis is what established Filipino food ed indulgence home-cooked food pro“I humbled myself to people who ping 130,000 participants, said bakers chain Tapa King offers; and this is also vides. When asked about his favorite, much discipline despite the fun-looking know more than me and learn from like him should not be afraid to dream the reason why they recently signed Baste cites Tapa Flakes as his go-to, output.

“When I bake cake, I go into what I call them. To this day, I still have a learning big while remaining authentic.

Baste up as their brand new endorser. with its best-tasting original tapa recithe zone, and all of a sudden, it’s just me desire. I never think that I’m a know“Never forget who you are, where you Filipino food chain Tapa King, rep- pe, served with garlic rice, sunny side and the cake. The room goes quiet, and I it-all and that I can’t learn more. Have came from, your roots and values. And if resented by President and CEO Bea- up egg, and atchara. am laser-focused on it. My problems go an open mind and be smart enough to you find that thing that makes you tick the trice Magallanes, partners with TV away, I am calm and I put my heart and know that you can always learn new way that cake decorating made me tick, I show host and businessman Baste Home-cooked legacy tricks,” he said. think you’ll be successful.”

Duterte for its “Lutong-Bahay. KaingTapa King’s original tapa recipe has soul in my creation,” he said.

“And then I step back, and look at He has, however, yet to bake his Bahay.” campaign. been around for years. What began in 1987 For feedback, send comments to “We’re celebrating our 30th an- as a humble intent to provide classic home- what I’ve created, and get that feeling dream cake. of wow.

I knew from an early age that I “I want to make a cake for the Pope. joyce.panares@gmail.com niversary by introducing someone style Pinoy favorites on Gallardo Street in who completely embodies the way we Makati, Tapa King has now grown into a serve food,” said Magallanes. “Baste well-known provider of pure meal goodhas authentic Filipino grit, the kind ness with over 100 branches from Luzon who eats without pretenses. What you to Mindanao, four of which are located see is what you get with him, which is outside of the Philippines (three in Dubai essentially how we are.” and one in Singapore).

Tapa King prides itself in serving FILL your kitchen with delightful Real taste of home meals from a menu of delectable Pinoy aromas and experience the exquisite In today’s overly-staged, filtered, favorites. Whether you’re up for clas- flavors of the world’s best olive oil, and curated world, Tapa King stands sic Tapa, Tocino, Longganisa, Dang- balsamic vinegar, truffle oil, and conout by being one of the few remaining git or Beef Steak, Tapa King can bring diments with Oliviers&Co. The explaces where people can just be them- you what you crave for and more. They ceptional quality and taste of O&CO.’s selves, and eat as if they were home. even serve comfort Pinoy staples like products make everyday cooking more “Pagdating sa pagkain, I’m the Beef Kare-Kare and Bulalo. special, giving ordinary recipes a detype who enjoys what I want, kahit “Authentic and purely uninhibited, lightful upgrade. sa’n pa man ‘yan. Wala nang arte- Tapa King offers home-cooked indulProduced from the finest groves arte. The best for me ‘pag relax lang, gence at its finest – the kind that any- in the Mediterranean, then bottled in when it makes me feel at home. ‘Yun one with a healthy appetite will want Haute-Provence, O&Co.’s passion is reang gusto ko sa Tapa King – ‘yung to come home to,” Beatrice ends. vealed behind each bottle. Oliviers&Co. has the strictest guidelines and selection criteria from harvesting to bottling, and has continued in their commitment towards high quality standards, transparency, and traceability of their products.

Among the O&CO. favorites are the Specialty Oils, which are made of freshly picked ingredients: aromatic plants, condiments, or citrus fruits, crushed simultaneously with the olives, without any added flavorings. These oils are perfect Marinated Calamari Creamy Risotto made with Oliviers&Co.’s Specialty Oils for salads, meat or fish, and even desserts.

A simple drizzle of these oils quickly peps Adding O&CO. oils and other products ive Oil, Olive & Fresh Thyme Oil, Fleur up your favorite dishes. to recipes is a great way to bring out the de Sel, and Cherry Balsamic. Or quickly There are also Balsamic Fruity Con- best flavors in different dishes. Make a to- spice up a marinated calamari and creamy diments that are often paired with the mato and mozzarella baguette tastier with risotto dish with a drizzle of Pressed OlO&CO. Specialty Oils. Both are versa- O&CO. Olive & Basil Oil, Premium Bal- ive & Fresh Shallot Oil. tile ingredients in the kitchen for salad samic Vinegar, and Fleur de Sel Sea Salt.

Get ready to whip up amazing dishes Tapa King president and CEO Beatrice Magallanes welcomes their newest endorser dressings, bread and appetizer dips, and Whip up a delicious roast pork tenderloin and have more fun in the kitchen with Baste Duterte meat marinades. with O&CO. 2017 Organic Lakudia Ol- Oliviers&Co.

Baste Duterte is Tapa King’s first and newest endorser

Everyday cooking with Oliviers&Co.

Life

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

New Japanese delights at Katsu Sora

K

ATSU SORA, home of authentic Japanese tonkatsu and other premium dishes, takes Japanese cuisine to new heights as it presents Ten Zaro Soba set and Ebi Tempura, the newest additions to its menu.

Light and refreshing, Ten Zaro Soba is the perfect dish for warm days. It is served chilled on a bamboo dish with delicious Ebi tempura on the side. Dip both noodles and tempura in the soba tsuyu sauce. Add sliced green onions, wasabi, and grated daikon for an extra kick.

Complete your authentic Japanese culinary experience with Katsu Sora’s Ebi Tempura, fresh tiger prawns deep-fried in a light and crispy batter. Served with the restaurant’s signature tempura sauce, Ebi Tempura is the perfect healthy dish for everyone no matter the season.

Offering a wide variety of Japanese dishes, Katsu Sora delivers authenticity, diversity and quality that are cut above the rest.

Dine at Katsu Sora and try its latest delicious offerings.

Katsu Sora branches: SM City BF in Paranaque City; Trinoma Mall in Quezon City; Glorietta 4 in Makati; Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan City; Eastwood City in Libis, Quezon City; Ayala Malls Serin, The District, Tagaytay City; and Ayala Malls Solenad in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa Laguna.

Katsu Sora offers its newest Ten Zaro Soba dish served with Ebi tempura on the side

Exciting weekends with Citi

Nuggets of Love with Chicken Nuggets

Sail Away with Cheese hotdog

Excite your kids with bento box lunches with Fresh Options ONE of the biggest challenges every mom faces once the school year rolls in is figuring out what to pack into the kids’ lunchbox or baon. Although every mother wants to prepare a healthy and hearty baon, the truth of the matter is, their schoolaged children hardly touch their vegetables, fruits or healthy dishes when they’re away at school. Picky eaters, in particular, find ways to eat around their baon by choosing only the tidbits they think are tasty enough for them.

So how can you make sure that your kids will eat the nutritious meal you packed for them? Based on one mom’s experiThe Animal Farm with Pork Patty ence, the answer to this is to make it kid-friendly. In other words: eye-catching, engaging, and delicious. This can be achieved by applying the time-honored food preparation technique of the Japanese – the bento box.

Creating a bento meal for kids is easy as long as you have the right ingredients, like Fresh Options Kiddie Goodie line, and a playful mindset. Bento meal designs need not be com-

The Animal Farm with Pork Patty Ingredients: Pork Patty White rice Spinach Beans Carrots Garlic Olive oil Butter Pork patty procedure: Fried pork patty White rice Sautéed spinach, beans, and carrots

plex as long as they’re interesting enough to entice your child to explore and finish each segment of their meal.

Fresh Options’ Kiddie Goodie food line is a perfect complement to bento baons. These include varieties of hotdogs, patties and breaded products such as chicken nuggets, drumettes, chicken pops and breaded pork patties. Kiddie Goodie products are easy to cook, easy to handle (when putting inside the bento) and delicious.

Available in all Fresh Options stores in Luzon, they are every mom’s go-to solution for kidapproved bento baons.

Try your hand at preparing a bento baon for your kid with these kiddieapproved recipes created by Noobcookery’s bento aficionado Diane Gabriel, which she served and were enjoyed by her two kids. Use Fresh Options Kiddie Goodie line to make it easier for you (and yummier for the kids) to prepare each lunchbox. Fresh Options Kiddie Goodie line is available at all Fresh Options stores in Luzon.

Nuggets of Love with Chicken Nuggets Ingredients: Chicken nuggets Butter or oil Garlic Egg Leftover white rice Peas Ham bits Salt Pepper Chicken nuggets procedure: Fried chicken nuggets w/ ketchup dip Fried rice

Sail Away with Cheese hotdog Ingredients: Cheese hotdog Cheese sticks Ketchup Cheese hotdog wraps procedure: Cook hotdogs according to package.

Use cheese spread or mayonnaise on tortilla (premade or homemade, recipe below) and then wrap around cheese hotdogs Secure with toothpicks and slice into 2 or 3 pieces.

Homemade Tortillas ingredients: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking powder

Sautéed vegetable procedure: Fried Rice procedure: Blanch carrots and beans Heat butter or oil in a pan Wash spinach but leave some of the Chop up Sliced Ham (off cuts from water pizza!)

Homemade Tortillas procedure: Sauté chopped garlic in olive oil and Sauté garlic, add an egg and scramble Combine with 1 cup warm water and butter, add spinach leaves in pan.

1/3 cup vegetable oil Add carrots and beans, season to taste Add leftover white rice, peas, and Roll out tortillas ham bits.

Cook on high heat in a dry pan (cast Season to taste. iron or steel)

THE holiday season is finally approaching and in anticipation of the upcoming dining celebrations, Citi credit cards recently launched the Weekends with Citi campaign. From now until Jan. 28, 2018, use your Citi credit card when dining out from Friday to Sunday, and get the chance to win what you dine, up to P5,000.

A total of 1,200 winners will be chosen throughout the promotion period – that’s 60 winners every weekend. Dine anywhere—from fast food restaurants to bars to cocktail lounges to hotel dining outlets—and your purchase will be eligible to win.

What’s more, no minimum order or spend is required, so every swipe gives you one chance to win. Winners will be conveniently notified through SMS soon after their cards are swiped to pay for their meals. The total dining bill or a

max of P5,000 will be credited back to their card, no need to claim separately.

In the recently concluded launch, David Stoughton, Citi’s Credit Payment Products head for the Philippines, said that this campaign is only one of the many successful dining promotions offered by Citi. He encouraged everyone to follow Citi’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and see more of this exciting offer and other irresistible #LoveToDine deals.

Aside from Stoughton, Aneth NgLim, Corporate Affairs director of Citi Philippines and Roy Villareal, Citi Consumer Franchise head were also present in the event.

With Citi Credit Cards, you have more reason to dine with family and friends, and swipe your Citi plastic.

For more information, go to www. citibank.com.ph/weekends.

Tefal’s Dark Ruby Collection

Tefal launches ceramic cookware collection

TEFAL, the leading brand in non-stick cookware is once again at the forefront of innovation with the introduction of its newest cookware line that brings together exceptional design with optimal functionality and extreme durability.

Introducing Tefal Dark Ruby Collection, a full range of stylish ceramic cookware that boasts of high density ceramic coating on aluminum hard base, reinforced with mica minerals for glossy effect and extra hard surface— delivering unrivaled resistance to scratches from the most extreme cookware use to everyday cooking wear and tear.

This extra hard surface and ceramic coating provide added resistance to abrasion from metal spatulas, rough cleaning tools and accidental scratches from other kitchen utensils, making both cooking and cleaning as easy as pie. While its extra dense non-porous surface and 100 percent non-toxic ceramic coating makes the Dark Ruby pots and pans safe and ideal for everyday cooking—including crispy cooking using just a little oil or fat.

Crafted with Tefal’s Thermo-Spot Technology, that turns red when the cookware reaches the ideal temperature for cooking and searing meat, The Dark Ruby Collection is the only ceramic cookware line that has a heat indicator, ensuring that each meal is perfectly cooked, every time. This range of cookware is also compatible with all cooking hobs, including induction, making the Dark Ruby collection as versatile as it is durable.

From inventing the first teflon-coated non-stick frypan and developing the Tefal Thermo-Spot Technology, to venturing into stainless steel and now ceramic cookware, Tefal never cease to delight with their innovative solutions to everyday cooking needs.

With the holidays just around the corner, having this cookware collection makes for easy and stylish party cooking, allowing more time and energy for family and friends, rather than slaving in the kitchen.

Tefal Cookware is exclusively distributed by Rustan Marketing Corporation and available in leading department stores nationwide.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017

Sylvia’s extent of mother’s LOVE and SACRIFICE From left: GMA's Joel Jimenez, Felipe L. Gozon, and Gilbert R Duavit with Teresita Ssen Marquez (second from right)

GMA Network welcomes

REINA HISPANOAMERICANA 2017 AFTER making a milestone in the pageant history as Philippines’ first-ever Reina Hispanoamericana, Teresita Ssen ‘Winwyn’ Marquez went to her home Network on Nov. 17 for a courtesy call to GMA executives.

Network’s executives led by GMA Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, GMA President and COO Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr. and GMA Board Director Joel G. Jimenez welcomed la reina warmly.

Atty.

Gozon extended his congratulations to the international beauty queen who is also a homegrown talent of GMA, “We are really very proud of Winwyn, this proves once again na nandito sa Pilipinas ang magagandang mga binibini.”

Meanwhile, Duavit thanked Winwyn for bringing pride not just to the Kapuso community but also to fellow countrymen.

“Bukod sa karangalan nating lahat ay karangalan din ng buong bayan ang pagkapanalo ni Winwyn. We’re very, very

proud sa kanyang pagiging Kapuso at sa karangalan na dinala niya sa bansa natin.

Congratulations again and thank you for the pride you bring to all of us,” he shares.

Winwyn, in return, expressed her gratitude for the unconditional love and support she receives from her home Network. “Hindi ko inakala na ganun yung attention na ibibigay nila sa akin so I am really thankful. Dito ako na-hone, dito lumabas yung talent ko. Dito ko nakita yung kaya kong gawin— acting, dancing, and I am really grateful for GMA kasi kung hindi ako dito nag-start, wala akong confidence mag-perform sa Reina Hispanoamericana which is an essential part of the pageant na kailangan magaling ka magperform and hindi ka nahihiya. With that, thankful ako sa GMA kasi sa kanila ako galing and dito ko natutunan yung mga bagay na ‘yon.”

The Kapuso actress is the first Filipina and Asian delegate to compete in the said annual pageant that celebrates Hispanic heritage, language and culture.

The cast of 'Hanggang Saan'

H

OW far will a mother go to protect the life of her child?

Find out the answer in ABS-CBN’s newest teleserye Hanggang Saan Saan, which premieres today on Kapamilya Gold.

After her remarkable performance as Gloria in The Greatest Love Love, Sylvia Sanchez now breathes life to Sonya, a brave

mother who will do everything to give her sons a good life.

The award-winning actress also teams up for the first time with her real-life son Arjo Atayde, who plays the smart and reliable Paco, a law student and Sonya’s dedicated son.

They will also meet mother and daughter Jean (Teresa Loyzaga) and Anna (Sue Ramirez), who will become their closest friends and change their lives.

Sonya’s family may seem ordinary, but her life will leave a

Stellar cast of suspects in ‘Murder On The Orient Express’ IN THE most timeless of whodunits, Murder on the Orient Express follows renowned detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) as he attempts to solve what would become one of the most infamous crimes in history based on Agatha Christie’s classic and most ingenious novel of the same title.

After a shocking murder of a wealthy businessman on the lavish European train barreling its way west in the dead of winter, private detective Poirot must use every tool of his trade to uncover which of the train’s eclectic passengers is the killer, before he or she strikes again.

More than 80 years after its publishing, Christie’s novel remains beloved by new generations of readers. Kenneth Branagh’s stunning retelling of the beloved mystery with its acclaimed ensemble and breathtaking visuals invites audiences to take the most suspenseful train ride of their lives. Branagh explains why it was a natural fit for him to direct and play Poirot: “It felt that there was a way in which those two things were very congruent with one person doing the same job. Because, crucially, I think, Hercule Poirot is a director. He directs the characters, and like a director, Poirot intuitively tries to

Josh Gad and Johnny Depp in 'Murder On The Orient Express'

listen to the way in which he can be specific and bespoke about how to create the mood that’s required for each interrogation.”

Starring with Branagh in the movie is a stellar cast composed of Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dame Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Josh Gad, Penélope Cruz, Olivia Colman, Daisy Ridley, Sergei Polunin, Leslie Odom, Jr., Tom Bateman and Lucy Boynton.

Oscar-nominated actor Johnny Depp was intrigued by how the story felt relevant and fresh.

“It’s got everything you might expect from Agatha Christie,” said Depp.

“Death, murder, interesting characters, an unusual, often glamorous situation - all of

those elements, inside a wonderful location and journey, are all there.

But I was really impressed to return to it and see how it hadn’t dated, and, in fact, it had reinvented itself, I think, which is a sign of very good storytelling.”

Oscar-nominated actor Willem Dafoe was drawn to the script for its character-driven narrative: “For this story, it’s the tone that’s so important, and the role of Poirot is interesting and beautifully written, as are the balance of the characters.

It has a nice edge and it’s fun, but it also has a moral dilemma at its center.”

When Josh Gad first read the script, he immediately knew he wanted to be involved in the project. He explains: “I got about

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Monday, November 27, 2017

ACROSS 1 Deputy 6 Goldfish 10 Blunt 14 Higher in rank 15 In charge of 16 John Glenn’s state 17 Stars in the Big Dipper 18 Denver’s st.

19 Billionth, in combos 20 Strenuous effort 22 Soft brimless women’s hats 24 Menu phrase (2 wds.)

25 Beat back 26 For some time 30 Desert plants 31 Monsoons 32 Is obstinate 33 TV’s “Warrior Princess” 37 Made a hole in one 38 Minor dents 39 Livy contemporary 40 Way 41 Whirlpool 42 Trial figure 43 Walk-on 45 — Aires 46 Nearly alike 49 Plant sci.

50 Gotten up 51 Pageant winners 56 Ham-on-rye source 57 Pharmacy purchase 59 Copal or mastic 60 Part of A.D. 61 Light brown 62 Helen, in Spanish 63 Summer job seeker 64 Repair a toe 65 Drowse off DOWN 1 Place for posies 2 Mountain goat 3 Bay 4 State positively 5 Lake cabins, often 6 Winter drink 7 Home-products brand 8 Aunt or bro.

9 Defends 10 Cervantes hero (2 wds.)

11 Self-move firm (hyph.)

12 Bus routes 13 Set free 21 Henri’s island 23 Decide on 25 Tall and lanky

26 27 28 29 30

Ancient Syria Baylor’s city Sped off Vacillation Owned apartment 32 Less cramped 34 Flush with 35 Muchacho 36 Hubbubs 38 Insisted on 42 Fixes a gash 44 Ginger — 45 Elegant accessory

46 Anwar of Egypt 47 “Forsyte Saga” heroine 48 Piglet’s creator 49 Started 51 Hamilton’s dueling opponent 52 Pass the word 53 Um-hmm (2 wds.)

54 One, in Bonn 55 Dress fastener 58 Electronics co.

twenty pages into the script and called my agent and I said, ‘I don’t care if I have to play an usher who’s taking tickets, I need to be a part of this film, it’s extraordinary.’

To me, something this smart, something this epic, something that almost harks back to the golden age of Hollywood cinema, as an actor but also as a cinephile, was really exciting.”

Oscar-winning actress Penélope Cruz was also impressed with Branagh’s ability to seamlessly move between directing and playing Poirot. “What he’s doing with the performances and the camera is really powerful and I feel like he’s making a film that will get into our brains in a way that is going to trap us, like some strange magic,” said Cruz.”

Michelle Pfeiffer dazzles as Caroline Hubbard— a kind of character that Agatha Christie met numerously on her own travels, and is often quite ruthless about describing. “Hubbard is a husbandhunter,” offers Pfeiffer. “Or so she says. In some ways she’s a lonely, and rather sweet, and tender, and often funny woman, but she can be very forceful, and to some people a little irritating and a little intense. It was fun to step into her shoes.”

Murder on the Orient Express opens Nov. 29 in cinemas nationwide from 20th Century Fox.

lot questions to viewers because unlike the usual story of a mother’s sacrifice, Sonya gets herself in a perilous situation where she kills an innocent man in order to prolong the life of her son.

“Sonya will create an argument between mothers and children.

The questions are: Will I also do what Sonya did? Did she have to commit the crime or not?” said Sylvia.

“We will shatter the image of the ideal mother. We will see how a person can love another who is

extremely flawed,” Arjo added.

Also in the cast are Ariel Rivera, Yves Flores, Maris Racal, Marlo Mortel, as well as Nikko Natividad, Rommel Padilla, Nanding Josef, Anna Luna, Mercedes Cabral, Rubi Rubi, Viveika Ravanes, Sharmaine Suarez, Ces Quesada, Arnold Reyes, Maila Gumila, and Junjun Quintana..

Hanggang Saan, airs after Pusong Ligaw on ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable ch 167).

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2017

F

ROM the time she started in show business in 2000, Kapuso actress, host, social activist and painter Heart Evangelista has always wanted to try something different. While showbiz gave her everything that a girl could dream of—fame, fortune, and good life—the actress felt that it was not exactly the medium through which she could express her untapped creative energy.

But. since she had not discovered her creative outlet yet, Heart went on with her showbiz career for almost 20 years, finding success in drama, romantic, and fantasy TV shows and movies. She was paired with different leading men, bagged high-profile endorsement deals, and established herself as one of the most bankable actresses of her generation.

Success, however, did not come with a steep price. While from the outside Heart seemed happy and content, on the inside she was yearning for something that would give herself the one thing that showbiz could not: freedom.

“I got to a point in my life that I thought that I needed to get away and do something else,” the My Korean Jagiya star says, referring to the time of her life when she was going through a rough patch with her family.

Feeling alone, Heart turned to the place where she had always felt loved and accepted: art.

Painting eventually became therapeutic for Heart. Not only did it help her make sense of her situation and see things from a much clearer perspective, painting emboldened and inspired her. It gave her a purpose and a direction.

On a blank canvas, Heart poured her heart and soul out. All the things that she could not say or do she expressed through colors and brush strokes. With a brush in her hand, deftly applying oil on canvas, she was not Heart the actress. She was Heart the person.

It didn’t take long for the rest of the world to take notice of Heart’s artistic talents.

In 2014, almost a year after she took painting seriously, Heart was given the chance to mount I Am Love Marie, her first solo exhibit of dreamy female portraits, at the Art Space of the Ayala Museum. Her works were sold out within the day.

Looking back, Heart admits that she felt extremely nervous to showcase her work.

More than the fear of being rejected, it was the fact that people she didn’t know would get to have a peek of her true self that unnerved her. Heart, who was used to adulation from showbiz-loving Pinoys, suddenly realized that her works exposed to the world her desires, her hopes, her dreams, the very private matters that she kept to herself for years.

“When I came out with my first exhibit, I was extremely nervous. I didn’t want them to see me. I wanted them to see my soul. This is what makes my paintings more interesting – the reality of my life. And they loved it.”

Months after her first solo exhibition, Heart held another show at Galerie Joaquin in San Juan City. In 2015, Heart had the privilege to have her Love Marie exhibit at the Chan Hampe Galleries, a successful art space at the Raffle Hotels Shopping Arcade in Singapore.

There was no turning back for Heart.

Whatever her surface and medium, may it be a blank canvas or an ultra expensive Birkin Bag or a stylish Mark Bumgarner dress, Heart’s love affair with art continues to flourish.

When she was free from fears and doubts, Heart was finally able to accept herself and embrace (and fully understand) her own transformation.

And that is why Heart was chosen as one of Cream Silk’s Modern Filipinas. “Our Cream Silk women represent Filipinas who have the desire and drive to transform to their best self.

These women are confident and empowered, and they possess beauty that stands out,” says Raiza Revilla, Brand Manager of Cream Silk.

As the longest-serving Cream Silk ambassador, Heart, now 32, truly epitomizes who the Modern Filipina is. She is not afraid to embrace her individuality and let her uniqueness shine through, constantly reinventing and improving herself to succeed in whatever endeavour she sets her heart to.

From being the little girl who loved doodling on walls and magazine covers to the beautiful woman filled with aspirations and confident in her own skin, Heart Evangelista seems to have transformed to the best version of herself.

“As I showed the world my art, my heart, I wasn’t just an actress. I was actually an artist.

And that was my transformation.”

Watch Heart Evangelista as she shares her transformation story from actress to artist at https://tinyurl.com/HeartTransformed.

Visit Cream Silk’s official YouTube and Facebook page for more details.

Heart Evangelista expresses her creative side through painting luxury handbags and creating big canvases

Heart Evangelista

from ACTRESS to ARTIST

Heart Evangelista discovers her true self—her strengths, weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and all—through art and embraces her beautiful transformation from being “just an actress” to an accomplished artist.

’KAMBAL, KARIBAL’ premieres on GMA Telebabad tonight BEGINNING Tonight, GMA Network proudly introduces its newest primetime drama series Kambal, Karibal, a riveting tale of family and love that also transcends into the supernatural realm.

It tells the story of twins Crisanta and Criselda. Unfortunately, Criselda dies because of a rare disease and remains a spirit that only appears to Crisanta. However, their close bond will start to fall apart when they both fall in love with Diego. The rivalry between them builds up when their mother’s affections are focused on Crisanta.

Eventually, Criselda’s emotions finally consume her and her soul finds another person’s body to inhabit. Now that she is “alive”, she is stopping at nothing to take both her mother’s affection and Diego’s love.

Headlining this series is two of GMA’s brightest young stars, Miguel Tanfelix and Bianca Umali who are both excited and ready to take on more mature roles.

Tanfelix is Diego Ocampo, a hardworking and street smart young man who does odd jobs for a living. He grew up alone as his father abandoned him and his mother is in jail. Eventually, he meets Crisanta and falls in love with her.

Umali is Crisanta Bautista, a kind and intelligent young woman who dreams of becoming an engineer someday. She loves her twin sister very much but is forced to make sacrifices when they both fall for the same man.

Joining them is a powerhouse cast composed of seasoned actors and actresses: Jean Garcia as Teresa Abaya; Marvin Agustin as Raymond De Villa; Alfred Vargas as Alex Magpantay; and returning Kapuso Carmina Villarroel as Geraldine Enriquez-De Villa.

The series also features awardwinning artists: Gloria Romero as Anicia Enriquez andChristopher De Leon as Emmanuel De Villa.

Completing the star-studded cast are Jeric Gonzales as Makoy Claveria; Pauline Mendoza as Criselda Bautista; Rafa Siguion Reyna as Vincent; Sheree as Lilian Ocampo; Racquel Montessa as Mildred Abaya; introducing Kyline Alcantara as Cheska De Villa, with the special participation of Katrina Halili as Nida and Gardo Versoza as Noli.

Kambal, Karibal airs after Super Ma’am on GMA Telebabad.

GMA’s brightest young stars Miguel Tanfelix and Bianca Umali headline "Kambal, Karibal"