Manila Standard - 2020 January 21 - Tuesday

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VOL. XXXIII • NO. 341 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

TAAL FROM THE AIR.

An aerial view of Taal Volcano, which erupted recently, on Monday shows its cracked northeastern rim. Authorities warned that magma continues to deform the island, its movement resulting in an ‘uplift’ of the volcano, and could be an indication of a possible explosive eruption. Fishermen (inset) haul a boat from the water as they repair their vessels affected by the eruption. AFP

‘Windows’ in risk zone shut Economic losses reach P4.3b, agri-fishery worst hit—NEDA

By Julito G. Rada, Willie Casas and Alena Mae Flores THE eruption of Taal Volcano last week has caused P4.3 billion in economic losses in the affected towns within its 14-kilometer danger zone, the National Economic and Development Authority said Monday.

In a preliminary report released this week, NEDA said this was equivalent to 0.17 percent of the 2018 gross regional domestic product of the CALABARZON

(Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region.

NEDA said of the total amount, P3.167 billion was lost in the agriculture and fishery sector; P357.3 million in the industry sector; and, P789.1 million in the services sector. NEDA used 2018 as the basis for the loss computation.

The towns and cities within the 14-kilometer radius considered as high-risk areas are San Nicolas, Agoncillo, Talisay, Laurel, Tanauan City, Tagaytay City, Cuenca, Mataas na Kahoy, Balete, Lemery, Taal,

Lipa City, Santa Teresita, Malvar, Alitagtag, and San Jose.

The economic losses are even higher, at P6.66 billion, if the towns within a 17-kilometer radius from the main crater are considered, NEDA said.

Of this amount, the foregone income in agriculture and fishery sector was estimated at P3.167 billion; P711.9 million in the industry sector, and P2.778 billion in the services sector.

Towns and cities included in the 17-km radius considered as high-risk areas are

San Nicolas, Agoncillo, Talisay, Laurel, Tanauan City, Tagaytay City, Cuenca, Mataas na Kahoy, Balete, Lemery, Taal, Lipa City, Santa Teresita, Malvar, Alitagtag, San Jose, Alfonso, Calaca, Bauan, Lian, Nasugbu, San Luis, San Pascual, Sto. Tomas, Tuy, and Balayan.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that a total of 50,599 families or 203,763 persons from the affected barangays are Next page

DENOTING DAMAGE.

Volunteers on Monday hand out donations to families affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano in Buso Buso, the eruption inflicting significant damage on the livelihood of tens of thousands of families in the area. AFP

Rody assures victims P30-b will be made available to them

By MJ Blancaflor and Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday assured the victims of Taal Volcano’s eruption that the national government would provide funds to help them recover, after the explosion destroyed P3.2 billion worth of agricultural products and livestock.

Saying that funds will be given up to the “last centavo,” the President said he would also ask Congress, dominated by his al-

lies, to allocate a supplemental budget worth P30 billion to help Taal’s victims, since the fund for them was not included in the 2020 national appropriations.

“I’d like to assure [the people] the Department of Agriculture will provide agricultural assistance since we understand and acknowledge that this is one of your main sources of restoration,” Duterte said in his speech.

“The government has money to help.

It’s just a question of distribution of as-

sistance particularly money. We will plan that,” he added in his visit in Batangas on Monday afternoon.

He also vowed that his administration will provide housing programs to thousands of displaced families, noting that government workers are willing to help since it has been professionalized.

The President also said he will ask the National Treasury to release funds if the government budget would not be sufficient.

Next page

Motorbike taxis can get going past test run, Go says

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Darwin G. Amojelar RIDE-HAILING motorcycle taxis can continue operating despite a Department of Transportation order to terminate their pilot program and to arrest drivers who ply their routes next week, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go said Monday.

“I talked to Secretary [Arthur] Tugade

and Chairman Martin Delgra [of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board] and told them to extend the operations and not stop the pilot,” said Go, a close aide of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Go said in the interest of public convenience, he asked Tugade to cancel his order and allow the pilot program to continue until RA 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code can be amended to include

motorcycles as a public transport option.

He assured drivers of Angkas, JoyRide and MoveIt they could continue operating next week with no fear of arrest.

During yesterday’s Senate hearing on the legalization of motorcycles conducted by the Senate public services committee chaired by Senator Grace Poe, Go said he will recommend to President Rodrigo Next page

‘Recharging’ Taal hints of strong blast

By Rio N. Araja and Willie Casas

A

UTHORITIES ordered a crackdown Monday on evacuees’ daily visits to their homes in the danger zone around Taal Volcano as scientists warned it could be “recharging” for a more powerful explosion.

Those warnings come as the northeastern part of the volcano island has sunk, while the volcano itself has swelled.

More than 110,000 people have taken refuge in evacuation centers since Taal burst to life a week ago, but many hard-hit towns have let residents back for hours each day to fetch items, feed livestock and clean up their houses.

“We are directing DRRMCs (civil defense officers)... not to allow anyone to enter the danger zone,” said Epimaco Densing, undersecretary for the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

“It’s dangerous, that’s why we have imposed a lockdown,” he told reporters.

The volcano shot ash 15 kilometers high in the Jan. 12 eruption, which crushed scores of homes and killed livestock as well as crops.

Next page

Major SARS-like outbreak feared amid third death outside of China WUHAN, China―A mysterious land China and Hong Kong in 2002SARS-like virus has killed a third per- 2003. son, spread around China and reached Wuhan has 11-million inhabitants a third Asian country, authorities said and serves as a major transport hub, Monday, fueling including fears of a major THREE Chinese citizens have been quarantined during the outbreak as mil- at a hospital in Kalibo, Aklan and subjected to annual Lunar lions begin trav- close observation for the newest strain of co- New Year eling for the Lu- rona virus, the provincial health officer said. holiday that A 65-year-old Chinese, who was en route to begins later nar New Year in Boracay, was held at the quarantine section of this humanity’s bigweek the Kalibo hospital after being detected with gest migration. and sees fever, according to a report on GMA’s “24 Oras.”

The new coroh u n d r e ds Dr. Cornelio Cuachon, Aklan’s provincial navirus strain, health officer, said a second Chinese patient of millions first discovered was admitted on Jan. 18, while the third was of Chinese in the central a 3-year-old. Specimens were taken from the people travel Chinese city elder patient for examination by the Research across the of Wuhan, has Institute for Tropical Medicines. country to caused alarm bevisit family. cause of its connection to Severe A third person was confirmed to have Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which died and 136 new cases were found over killed nearly 650 people across mainNext page

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News

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

New PNP chief takes oath in ash-laden town GENERAL Archie Gamboa took his oath as the new Philippine National Police chief on Monday afternoon before President Rodrigo Duterte and evacuees of Taal Volcano’s eruption.

Gamboa officially became the 23rd PNP chief as he received his four-star rank from the President in the rites in Sto. Tomas City, Batangas.

Duterte announced Friday that Gamboa will be his third PNP chief, months after former police chief Oscar Albayalde relinquished his post amid his alleged involvement in the so-called “ninja cops” illegal drugs controversy.

As second-in-command to Albayalde, Gamboa served as acting chief of the 40,000-strong police force for about three months or since last October 14.

“Three months as OIC has made me more than ready to take on the responsibility bestowed upon myself by the Commander-in-Chief to lead the PNP,” he said.

In his full capacity as PNP Chief, Gamboa noted the scaled-up thrust of the police leadership, focusing on discipline, reform, internal cleansing, an intensified campaign against criminality and illegal drugs, crime prevention, and strengthened public relations with media engagements.

“These policies and plans will remain to be the framework of my leadership, more so now that I am vested with more authority as Chief PNP to pursue the flagship program on internal cleansing and organizational discipline with greater vigor and efficacy,” he said.

Gamboa is yet another PNP chief from the Philippine Military Academy “Sinagtala” class of 1986. Among his classmates were Albayalde and former PNP chief and current Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. MJ Blancaflor and Francisco Tuyay

Rody...

From A1

Meanwhile, a government official said local government units in the CALABARZON region are running short of calamity funds to address the problems caused by Taal‘s eruption on Jan. 12.

Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III of the Department of the Interior and Local Government said House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano is set to discuss the possible allocation of additional funding for Batangas province, which has nearly “depleted” its calamity budget.

“We have received information on the ground that many of the local government units have now a depleted risk reduction and management fund,” Densing said.

Duterte earlier instructed Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado to fast-track the release of funds for the relief and rehabilitation efforts especially in Batangas, which has been hardest hit by Taal’s eruption.

Avisado told the President that as a standard operating procedure, the towns of Batangas should first utilize their respective calamity budgets before the national government can provide additional funding.

Densing expressed confidence that funds from the Office of the President will be processed quickly if needed.

“They can process it within 24 hours, especially in times where there is a calamity,” he said.

Since additional allocation from Congress and Office of the President has yet to be released, Densing encouraged local officials to go to the provincial government for funding.

Major...

From A1

the weekend in Wuhan, the local health commission said, taking the total number of people to have been diagnosed with the virus in China to 201.

South Korea on Monday reported its first case-a 35-year-old woman who flew in from Wuhan. Thailand and Japan have previously confirmed a total of three cases-all of whom had visited the Chinese city.

No human-to-human transmission has been confirmed so far, but authorities have previously said the possibility “cannot be excluded.”

Health authorities in Beijing’s Daxing district said two people who had traveled to Wuhan were treated for pneumonia linked to the virus and are in stable condition.

In southern Guangdong province, a 66-year-old Shenzhen man was quarantined on Jan. 11 after contracting a fever and showing other symptoms following a trip to visit relatives in Wuhan, the provincial health commission said. He is also in stable condition.

Shenzhen officials said another eight

'Deployment ban to cost $250m in OFW earnings' A

By Vito Barcelo

T LEAST $250 million in remittances is seen to drop should the Philippines continue to ban the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait, which will also result in the displacement of 270,000 workers, mostly household helpers, who may lose their jobs, an expert said Monday.

Recruitment spokesman and migrant expert Emmanuel Geslani said at least 30,000 workers would lose their jobs if the problem was not resolved within a year similar, or similar to what happened in 2018.

He made his statement even as a lawmaker from Rizal cited the many problems besetting Filipino workers abroad, as well as the continuing tension in the Middle East as he pushed for the passage of a bill that would create a department to take care of the needs of overseas workers.

“Recent incidents involving Filipino workers in the Middle East as well as the potential conflict that could arise from various security issues involving armed state actors emphasize the urgency of this bill,” Rizal Rep. Fidel Nograles, one

'Windows'...

From A1 However, seismologists have warned the volcano could imminently unleash a much bigger eruption, posing a deadly risk to anyone in the 14-kilometer radius “danger zone” that surrounds it.

Continued earthquakes and an increase in the volcano’s emission of sulfur dioxide gas were possible indications of a “recharge” of magna, which would drive a major blast, a top scientist said.

“We consider these are signs that there’s a re-supply of magma which could possibly... cause an eruption that could be strong,” Renato Solidum, head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, told a local radio station.

Until experts deem the threat has passed, evacuees will need the shelters spread across some 400 sites that range from school campuses to covered basketball courts.

Conditions vary between sites, but several evacuees said they were getting food and a place to sleep, but that bathrooms were in high demand.

“It’s really difficult to take a bath or use the toilet because of the sheer numbers (of evacuees), but we can take it,” said Sonia Awitan, 55.

“What is important is we have a place to shelter and sleep in,” she added.

Authorities say they have so far been able to provide fundamental services to the evacuees, but are concerned about the longer term.

“We can handle the [current evacuee numbers]. The issue is how are we going to sustain resources over the longer term,” Alex Masiglat, spokesman for disaster relief in the ground zero Calabarzon region said.

“Our concern is how are we going to sustain a long-term evacuation period,” he added.

Though no people have been reported killed in the eruption, it has wrought havoc on agriculture and tourism.

Taal is set in the middle of a picturesque lake that is a popular draw for tourists, especially since it is just 60 kilometers south of the hot and crowded capital

people were under medical observation.

“Experts believe that the current epidemic situation is still preventable and controllable,” the Guangdong health commission said.

Five other people have been put in isolation and tested in eastern Zhejiang province.

At Beijing’s crowded central railway station, some travelers wore masks as a precaution but were not too concerned about the virus.

“Watching the news, I do feel a little worried. But I haven’t taken precautionary measures beyond wearing regular masks,” said Li Yang, a 28-year-old account manager who was heading home to the northern region of Inner Mongolia for the Lunar New Year.

A 26-year-old woman surnamed Guo, who was heading to northeast Liaoning province, said she and her friends generally avoided crowded areas and had been reminding each other to wear masks.

A seafood market is believed to be the center of the outbreak in Wuhan, but health officials have reported that some patients had no history of contact with the facility. AFP

of the bill's champions, said.

Nograles has visited Filipino workers in the Middle East to listen to their complaints and to determine their needs.

He was in the region when Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani was killed in a US drone attack near Baghdad.

In February 2018, the government also banned the deployment of Filipinos to Kuwait due to the many abuses committed by Kuwaiti employers, and the murder of Filipino worker Joanna Demafelis whose body was found in a freezer.

Geslani said the deployment of household workers only started after July 2018, with only 23,525 able to leave for Kuwait unlike in 2017, when 45,856 landed jobs in the gulf state.

“Kuwait was the second top destination of [Filipinos] in 2017, but due to the 2018 Manila.

PHIVOLCS on Monday said magma continues to deform Taal Volcano island, a sign of a possible explosive eruption.

In their updates Sunday, PHIVOLCS issued an Eruption Update on Taal Volcano, with an Alert Level 4, “Hazardous Eruption Imminent” at 6 p.m. Sunday.

“Definitely there is magma rising,” Solidum said Monday.

Since 8:00 a.m., Sunday, Taal Volcano’s activity has been generally characterized by weak emission of steam-laden plumes 300 to 500 meters high from the main crater that drifted to the general southwest.

The Philippine Seismic Network plotted a total of 701 volcanic earthquakes since 1:00 p.m., Jan. 12, 2020.

A total of 176 of these were felt with intensities ranging from Intensity I to V. Since 5:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday, there were 10 volcanic earthquakes plotted, including one felt event with Intensity I. The Taal Volcano Network, which can record small earthquakes undetectable by the PSN, recorded 24 volcanic earthquakes including three low-frequency quakes.

The intense seismic activity likely signifies continuous magmatic intrusion beneath the Taal edifice, which may lead to further eruptive activity, PHIVOLCS said. Latest sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission was measured at an average of 4,353 tons a day Sunday at 5 p.m., which was higher than the 1,442 tons emitted from 5 a.m. Jan. 18 to 5 a.m. Jan. 19.

“If the sulfur dioxide is higher, it means there’s magma going up,” Solidum said.

From 5 a.m. Sunday until 5 a.m. Monday, PHIVOLCS recorded 23 volcanic earthquakes, with magnitudes 1.2 to 3.8.

Solidum said the magnitude 4.6 quake that hit Mabini, Batangas on Sunday night was caused by fault movements.

This fault started moving during the April 2017 series of earthquakes, he added.

“We would study whether this (magnitude 4.6) earthquake has an effect on the volcano and vice versa. But for now, since there was fault movement, definitely magma would be pushed upward,”

Motorbike...

From A1 Duterte and Tugade to extend the pilot program for the ride-hailing companies.

He said, however, that the companies should follow the recommendations of an LTFRB technical working group on motorcycle taxis, and follow safety guidelines for the protection of their passengers.

“I will support the continuation of the program, “ Go told the Senate hearing.

Go said ride-hailing services such as Angkas help ease the traffic in Metro Manila and other cities by providing an alternate option to existing public transporation.

“It provides cheaper and faster services compared to many offered by other four-wheeled vehicles.... It also helps thousands of previously unregulated habal-habal drivers by enabling them to become part of the formal economy,” he said.

“We also acknowledge the high safety standards being observed by Angkas, which include 1) accepting drivers with no less than two years of driving expe-

incident the deployment has dropped to a third in 2018,” Geslani said.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has signed an administrative order on the total deployment ban to Kuwait to implement the President’s directive amid investigations on the death of Jeanelyn Villavende.

The newly imposed total deployment ban covers household service workers, semiskilled and skilled workers, as well as professionals including Filipino seafarers.

However, skilled workers and professionals who have unexpired contracts, and those who will be cleared by the secretary of labor are exempt from the ban.

“With the imposition of this new ban, many [Filipinos] in Kuwait might not return and simply renew their contracts with their employers as they will not be allowed to return to Kuwait,” Geslani said.

Out of the 270,000 estimated Filipinos in Kuwait, there are about 220,000 household workers and the rest are skilled or professional workers who value their jobs and are equally important to their employers, who may prevail on them to stay. With Maricel V. Cruz

Solidum said.

In related developments: • The House of Representatives has decided to hold a session at Batangas City Convention Center to have first hand knowledge of the situation and listen to the complaints of affected residents.

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano made the announcement in a privilege speech Monday at the resumption of session Monday. Cayetano urged his colleagues to help find solutions to address the effects of disasters and calamities.

• The mayor of Agoncillo, Batangas, told his constituents that their lives were more important than their possessions.

Mayor Daniel Reyes was reacting to pleas from residents to be allowed to return to their homes to retrieve their belongings and feed their livestock.

• Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas directed town mayors to cancel “window hours” that previously allowed residents to check their homes from which they evacuated due to the eruption of Taal Volcano. The chief of the provincial disaster office, Lito Castro, said the practice was too dangerous. “We don’t have parameters or a time frame on when Taal will erupt; that’s like an earthquake, we don’t know when it will strike,” he said in Filipino.

• The vice mayor of Talisay, Batangas appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte Monday to allow his constituents to return home even as state seismologists warned that a hazardous Taal Volcano eruption is still possible. In an interview on radio dzMM, Vice Mayor Charlie Natanauan also criticized chief seismologist Renato Solidum over the volcano alert warnings, saying the head seismologist should change his “opinion” about Taal’s activity. “No one in this world, including any scientists, could ever predict when a volcano could erupt,” he said. “Why is he saying (about a possible eruption), is he God?” he asked.

• Batangas Vice Gov. Mark Leviste warned those who would return to “high-risk” zones near the volcano could face charges of violation of the disaster management law. With Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz, AFP, PNA rience; 2) their units must not be older than seven years old; 3) training with written and practical exams needed to be passed; and 4) helmets and reflectors being provided to drivers and passengers alike. “ However, under existing laws, motorcycles may not be used for public transport, he said.

Because of this, he cited the need to amend RA 4136.

Considering its pioneering status, Angkas was tapped as a participant in the pilot implementation, which began in June 2019.

The technical working group has opened up the pilot program to include two other participants, but limited each company to 10,000 drivers―a move that hurts Angkas, which already has more than 20,000 drivers.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto criticized the “arbitrariness” of the TWG decision to limit each motorcyclehailing company to 10,000 drivers, its failure to hold public consultations, then its angry reaction when people complained.

Earlier, the Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court issued a temporary

Economic...

From A1 evacuated in evacuation centers in the three provinces of Batangas, Cavite and Laguna.

The report said there are about 2,761 sustenance fishermen in the Taal Lake alone whose livelihood depends on the gathering of finfish, crustaceans and mollusks. The lake is predominantly used for fisheries but has multi-source uses such as recreation, tourism, navigation, water source for Tagaytay, irrigation, and source of feeds for ducks.

As a major tourist destination area, the lake is used for sight-seeing, boating, swimming, sailing, and water skiing.

Taal Lake has an area of about 239 square kilometers and the lakeshore circumference is about 267 kilometers.

Within the lake is a volcano island with an area of around 24 square kilometers.

Last week, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said monetary authorities were currently looking at the possible effect of the Taal Volcano eruption to inflation but he remained confident that the increases in consumer prices this year would continue to be manageable.

“At this time, the BSP is just starting to assess preliminary data on the possible impact of the ongoing eruption of Taal Volcano on both inflation and growth,” Diokno said in a briefing.

Earlier, the Philippine National Bank said in a report the Taal Volcano eruption would have an impact on the trajectory of inflation in the days ahead because the southern Tagalog region is a main contributor to the supply of livestock and fish nationwide.

“We worry that the Taal eruption may put pressure on food prices of livestock particularly chicken and hogs [as well as fish supply] since Calabarzon―Taal’s location and region most affected, is a significant contributor to local production of livestock,” it said.

Philippine Statistics Authority data showed that Calabarzon ranked as the second largest producer of live chicken having produced 87 thousand metric tons, liveweight out of a total of 428.8 thousand MT, liveweight in the third quarter of 2019.

The region is also the second-largest source of hog supply at 17 percent of total hog production of 551.6 thousand metric tons, liveweight in third quarter 2019.

The Department of Agriculture on Monday said the total damage and losses amounted to P3.22 billion.

In a bulletin issued on Jan. 19, the department said the eruption and ash fall affected 16,150 hectares of farmland and caused the death of 55,881 head of various farm animals that include chicken, carabao, cattle, horse, swine and goat.

The Manila Electric Co., meanwhile, said it has fully restored its main lines and circuits which were damaged by ash fall from Taal’s eruption.

Meralco said its was able to restore 100 percent of the affected circuits at 3 p.m. Sunday.

Portions of Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas experienced interruptions in the past week because of Taal’s ash fall coming into contact with Meralco’s facilities, thus affecting the various circuits in these areas.

About 180,000 customers in portions of Sta. Rosa, Cabuyao, Calamba, Binan in Laguna, portions of Talisay in Batangas, portions of Silang, Amadeo, Alfonso, Mendez-Nunez, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, Dasmarinas, Indang, Maragondon, Naic, Trece Martirez in Cavite and portions of Tagaytay City were affected.

Meralco thanked its customers for “their patience and udnerstanding.”

With PNA restraining order that halted for 72 hours the implementation of the government’s ceiling on the number of motorcycle taxis allowed to participate in the ongoing pilot program.

“It shows that you lack public consultations. That’s why the court issued a TRO against you... And then because of the TRO, you show anger. It is clear in this document, too much anger. Because they had a rally against you, you’re now angry,” Recto said.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian echoed Recto’s views.

“What you’re doing is revenge. This is revenge,” said Gatchalian of the TWG’s recommendation to terminate the pilot testing of motorcycle taxis.

“All of these have no basis and you heard what our senators said and all of us agree that this resolution is not right because our riding public are already suffering,” he said.

Gatchalian said he was not convinced the legal actions taken by Angkas should hinder the implementation of the TWG activities.

He noted the TRO covered only the 10,000-driver cap. With Maricel V. Cruz, Joel E. Zurbano and PNA

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

QC RTC arraigns two accused in Maguindanao massacre case

By Rey E. Requejo

CHECK DONATION. House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez (center), assisted by Deputy Majority Leaders led by Rep. Boying Remulla (right) and Rep. Mikey Arroyo (10th from left), turn over the P500,000 check donation of Committee on Rules members to their colleagues whose Congressional Districts were affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano. The beneficiaries are Rep. Ma Theresa Collantes (seventh from right), Rep. Eillen Ermita-Buhain (sixth from right), Rep. Lianda Bolilla (fifth from right), Rep. Vilma SantosRecto (fourth from right) and Rep. Raneo Abu (third from right). Ver Noveno

JBC welcomes nominations for SC, CA justices THE Judicial and Bar Council is now accepting applications or nominations for associate justice of the Supreme Court and president justice post in the Court of Appeals.

In an advisory, the seven-member council concurrently chaired by Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said the upcoming vacancy at the Supreme Court will result from the forthcoming retirement of Associate Justice Andres Reyes Jr. on May 11, when he reaches his mandatory retirement age of 70.

Whoever President Rodrigo Duterte will appoint as successor of Justice Reyes will be his 14th appointee to the 15-member bench. He also has appointed three justices, namely Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Lucas Bersamin, and Peralta.

The JBC said the vacancy in the appellate court occurred when former Presiding Justice Romeo Barza retired last Aug. 2, 2019.

Applicants must fill in the required information in the Online Application Scheduler on the JBC website within 15 days from the publication of the Jan. 17 announcement, the JBC advisory said.

After that, they are to print out a computer-generated letter of intent and submit it alongside two complete sets of the documentary requirements to the JBC’s office at the SC’s Centennial Building on Padre Faura Street in Manila. Rey E. Requejo

Speed up services, Colmenares urges third telco firm A FORMER legislator on Monday demanded Congress to look into the progress of third telecommunications provider Dito Telecom’s operation in light of reports it has been way behind the target date of its supposed undertaking.

Neri Colmenares, former Bayan Muna Party-list representative, said the second quarter of 2020 was the scheduled pilot testing of Dito Telecom, and yet facilities such as communications tower and cell sites have yet to be put up.

“It has been June of 2019 yet when the telco party was given a legislative franchise, and July of 2019 when it received a permit to operate from Malacañang and the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the National Telecommunications Commission, and yet despite all of this, the firm remains delayed in its operation,” Colmenares said in a statement.

Dito Telecom, formerly Mindanao Islamic Telephone Co. Inc., is a consortium company composed of Udenna Corp. with 35 percent shares, and Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure Holdings Corp., 25 percent—both of which are owned by Davao-based businessman Denny Uy, and China Telecommunications Corp., with 40 percent shares.

Despite the issuance of a permit to operate along with consortium China Telecom, the supposed third telco party, Colmenares said, Congress should prevent the entry of China in the Philippine telecommunications sector.

Du30 vows help to ease heavy traffic in Cebu City

By MJ Blancaflor

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has vowed to help Cebu secure a loan to build a reliable mass transport that will ease traffic woes in the province, suggesting the creation of elevated highways or a train system.

In his speech during the Sinulog Festival on Sunday, the President said the province should resolve its worsening traffic condition as a “progressive” city.

“The only problem here is your transportation. Mobility is difficult because of how old the city is...So find a way to fix that. You should follow Manila...If you will make it a mass transportation, that would be better,” the President said.

“Only few will be able to do that. But it’s either train or skyways. Let’s opt for

elevated highways,” he added.

President Duterte also expressed frustration over quarrelling politicians who hamper the construction of infrastructure projects, noting he has to interfere to come up with a remedy.

Duterte vowed to look for sources of funding for the transport project.

However, he said that he does not want projects that cannot be completed before his term ends in 2022.

“So there will be a time that we would be talking about how to improve it. I’ll be back. But I will help you find

Mobile number portability rollout up AFTER prodding from Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, representatives from telecommunication companies Globe, Smart and new player Dito committed to rollout Mobile Number Portability this year and in phases.

This means subscribers will be able to switch networks or change subscriptions without losing the mobile numbers they currently use.

“They should implement the Mobile Number Portability Act (MNPA), even by phases, as long as it will be done within the first six months this year,” Gatchalian said.

He said the telcos may opt to implement mobile porting for postpaid subscribers first within this year and after that, they can focus on the mobile number portability of pre-paid subscribers next.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

‘Tackle bill on renewal of ABS-CBN franchise’ A LEADER of the House of Representatives on Monday urged the House committee on legislative franchises to immediately tackle bills seeking the renewal of the franchise of broadcasting giant ABS-CBN. “Time is of the essence because the ABSCBN franchise will expire on March 30 this year.

Congress will adjourn for its Holy Week break on March 11. There will only be 22 session days between now and March 11,” said Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, chairman of the House committee on constitutional amendments.

Maricel V. Cruz

Solo Parent Act passage pushed IF PASSED into law, the Expanded Solo Parents’ Welfare Act or Senate Bill No. 164 will grant solo parents seven additional days of parental leave annually, on top of leave privileges under existing laws.

“Raising a child is daunting, but raising a child alone constitutes a specific set of challenges and difficulties,” said Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros, principal author of the measure and the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, on Monday said.

A solo mom herself, Hontiveros said that her bill recognizes the difficulties and challenges of being a solo parent. “Sheroes’ ang mga kapwa ko solo moms,” Hontiveros added, combining the words ‘she’ and ‘hero.’

“This is also like a father who is alone. Solo parents play multiple difficult roles,” she further said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

the sourcing for that,” he said.

The President also explained to Cebuanos why he gave up implementing measures to solve the daily nightmarish traffic in EDSA, Metro Manila’s major thoroughfare.

Duterte has repeatedly expressed his disinterest on improving the situation in EDSA and said he would just let it “rot,” apparently fed up after Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the ways and means committee, blocked his request for emergency powers due to fear of corruption and abuse of power.

“And if they gave me emergency powers now, even if there’s no corruption involved, the project in EDSA will not be completed in the two years left in my term,” Duterte said.

Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo was later challenged by critics to take public transportation after saying that Filipinos should wake up early to arrive at their destinations on time.

THE Quezon City Regional Trial Court will arraign today, Jan. 21 the two accused in the Maguindanao massacre who were arrested early this month or a few weeks after it sentenced to reclusion perpetua without parole eight Ampatuan clan members and 20 others for the murder of 58 people, including 32 journalists in 2009.

Assistant State Prosecutor Michael John Humarang, a member of the prosecution team handling the Maguindanao massacre case, identified the accused as Kagi Faizal and Gambayan Kasim.

Faizal and Kasim, who were among the 80 accused in the multiple murder case who were still at large, will be arraigned before the sala of Quezon City RTC Branch 221 Presiding Judge Jocelyn Reyes, who is handling the Maguindanao massacre case.

The two are now detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City after being transferred from Maguindanao following their arrest last Jan. 6 and 9, respectively.

Faizal and Kasim are facing 57 counts of murder for slaughtering 57 people, including 32 journalists 10 years ago.

A total of 197 were initially charged of multiple murder in connection with the massacre, including 15 individuals belonging to the influential Ampatuan clan but only 117 were arrested while 80 others remained at large until now.

The Maguindanao massacre, which is considered as the worst in recent Philippine history—took place on Nov. 23, 2009 in Sitio Masalay, Buluan town in Maguindanao.

The victims were part of a convoy carrying family members, supporters and journalists and were on their way to file his certificate of candidacy in Shariff Aguak.

The journalists were invited by then Buluan Vice Mayor and now Maguindanao 2nd District Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu Esmael Mangudadatu to cover the scheduled filing of his COC at the Commission on Elections provincial office in Shariff Aguak.

Around 200 armed men, mostly

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Opinion

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Threatening the Ayalas, MVP PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has called water concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water “economic saboteurs” and “plunderers.” He also said that unless Manuel Pangilinan of Maynilad and the Ayalas of Manila Water do not accept the new concession agreement crafted by the Department of Justice, they would go to jail.

And I thought that in my 70 years as a journalist, I have seen the best and worst of those in power.

Now here is Duterte making these threats to arrest these top executives in one night, just as Ferdinand Marcos did when he declared martial law. My gulay, at least Marcos did it after suspending the writ of habeas corpus under the 1935 Constitution!

Duterte is a lawyer and as such he should know that under the 1987 Constitution, there are limits to what he can do even if he declares martial law.

If he were to read the Constitution again—I presume he has read the 1987 Charter—he cannot do what he says he will do to the Ayalas and to Pangilinan.

Santa Banana, the 1987 Constitution was precisely a reaction to the Marcos dictatorship!

It is for this that I am aghast at what Duterte has threatened to do. It would be even worse than a dictatorship, my gulay!

According to Malacañang, the contracts entered into during the Ramos administration were onerous. Some provisions included the non-intervention of government over water rates, non-payment of corporate income tax, and their claims on the government over their losses. These contracts were renewed during the Arroyo administration.

Duterte calls it his war on oligarchs, but we all know that he has his own retinue of oligarchs.

To nationalize water distribution would be the worst thing that this administration can do. We all know what happens when government enters business.

To be fair to the Ayalas and to MVP, they have already canceled their almost P11 billion claim despite the fact that the arbitration tribunal in Singapore ruled in their favor. Most importantly, they have foregone their proposed increase in water rates.

As a lawyer, Duterte must know that the best thing to do is to follow due process and uphold the rule of law. What he is doing to the concessionaires is like pointing a gun to their heads.

And now, Duterte also wants to look into the contract of Pangilinan and the Ayalas on the Light Rail Transit. I think

the President should really be looking into all contracts to ensure that the interest of the government is upheld. *** I am all for the passage of the Department of Disaster Resilience. We need it so badly, and the eruption of Taal Volcano reminds us of this.

There is also a move by a Cavite congressman to investigate PHIVOLCS for not predicting the eruption of Taal. But we are in the Pacific ring of fire with so many active fault lines and volcanoes.

Predicting when exactly they will occur is not possible.

The President might as well point a gun to their heads.

In the case of the proposed creation of a Taal Commission, that would be the job of the DDR if it comes to pass. I like the enthusiasm of Senator Ralph Recto but he should just push for the creation of the DDR. With this department, rescue, relief and rehabilitation would be focused on one department. *** The Romualdez couple at the House of Representatives has filed a bill that plugs loopholes in the law that are being exploited by sexual predators. The bill seeks to raise the age of sexual consent from 12 to 16. Indeed this is a critical move that shields children from abuse and violence. *** I lament the demise of two of my friends in media. They are press icons for me. First is the late Ambassador Andy del Rosario, my colleague in the opinion page.

The other is Ninez Cacho-Olivarez, who married Eddie Olivarez. Both of them were my best friends.

Ninez’s editorials and columns were legendary, with her biting criticism of people in power. In fact, even I was not spared: She called me a moralist— Bishop Emil, she said—for my defense of the Catholic Church, the religious, and Catholic doctrine.

I miss them both. *** On May 14, my wife and I will mark our 65th year as a married couple. Our problem is this: Whom shall we invite?

Many of our friends are either dead or incapacitated. I guess we just have to limit our celebration to family.

When I am asked how I have managed to preserve my marriage for this long, I reveal that I always have to have the last word in the house. I say “Yes, darling!”

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

T

Reasons not to go

HERE are many reasons President Rodrigo Duterte should turn down an invitation to visit the United States in March.

First and foremost of these reasons is a US ban on all Philippine officials involved in the incarceration of opposition Senator Leila de Lima.

Introduced as a rider in a US budget bill, the ban ostensibly includes President Duterte himself, who has command responsibility over his Cabinet members, who initiated the drug charges against the senator in 2017.

The ban, along with the budget, was signed into law by US President Donald Trump, with whom Mr. Duterte has often expressed an affinity—or even friendship, and who on occasion has heaped fulsome praise on the Philippine chief executive. These sentiments notwithstanding, the ban on Philippine officials is an inexcusable intrusion into Manila’s domestic affairs and an insult to our system of justice, both of which Mr. Trump

American president’s invitation?

Finally, President Trump himself is damaged goods, and not even his impending acquittal by the Republicandominated US Senate can ever erase the fact that he is only the third US president to have been impeached—having been accused of an abuse of power for inviting foreign intervention in US elections.

When Mr. Trump assumed office, observers likened him to President Duterte, perhaps because both were controversial and spoke their mind without filters. At the time, Mr. Duterte maintained there was a difference—he was not a racist.

Today, we are compelled to add that unlike Mr. Trump, our President is not in the habit of telling lies—certainly not with the frequency his “friend” in the White House does. The last time we looked, that was more than 16,241 false or misleading claims in his first three years in office.

That’s almost 15 lies a day.

That’s reason enough for President Duterte to stay away.

implicitly agreed to when he signed the budget bill. To accept Mr. Trump’s invitation would be to ignore this insult.

A second reason is the poor regard that this American president has shown the Asean.

According to a statement from the Palace, Trump also invited nine other Asean leaders to a summit with the regional bloc, to be held on March 14 in Las Vegas.

The invitation was first conveyed during the AseanUS meeting at the 2019 Asean Summit in November—a meeting in Thailand that most Southeast Asian leaders did not attend, after Trump skipped the annual event for a second year in a row.

What are the leaders of Asean, including President Duterte, to make of Mr. Trump’s refusal to go to Southeast Asia to meet with them? Should they now eagerly troop to Las Vegas simply on the

Heroism in Taal TAAL is the birthplace of many heroic Filipinos. With this latest eruption of Taal Volcano, this early, we have new heroes and heroines.

Taal Volcano has erupted at least 34 times in the past 450 years, with the 1754 event considered its biggest eruption ever, lasting almost seven months and burying four towns in Batangas. The 1911 eruption claimed 1,335 lives, injured 199 people, and caused widespread destruction.

Before last week, the last recorded eruption, which has been described as weak, was in October 1977.

Last Jan. 12, a Sunday, Taal Volcano erupted, emitting a huge plume of ash flung as high as 9 miles into the sky, belching a torrent of hot gas and lava, with lightning from the ash clouds, and made unnerving rumblings and tremors heard and felt all around. Soon after, a thick blanket of ash rained down upon the surrounding towns, turning these areas into an apocalyptic scene of desolate gray.

The ash even reached Metro Manila.

Mindful of Taal’s lethal capacity in the past, experts are keeping alert level at 4 because despite the lull, the threat of an imminent devastating eruption remains a distinct possibility.

Dr. Renato Solidum, Science and Technology undersecretary and director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and Maria Antonia Bornas, who heads the research division of PHIVOLCS, have done a heroic job in this

challenging moment for their agency and the country. Their briefings are informative, comprehensive, understandable, and helpful. They give us confidence, assurance that science will guide the response to this disaster.

Behind Solidum and Bornas are of course many other PHIVOLCS scientists and staff. They too must be praised for doing a world-class job. Tunay silang bayani (they are true heroes).

In terms of the government, two national officials so far have stood out.

Disaster resilience

Many have responded well to the demands of the times.

One is Vice President Leni Robredo, who with her staff was quick to respond and in a couple of days were already on the ground attending to evacuees. That should be emulated.

The other is Senator Francis Tolentino, former mayor of Tagaytay City (disclosure: he was my first-year college roommate in Cervini Dorm in Ateneo de Manila and my first visit to Tagaytay in 1976 was to visit his family there) who is now in the forefront of the government’s response, coordinating the response efforts of local and national officials in Batangas, Cavite, and Laguna. Because of his experience as the head of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority during the Aquino years, Tolentino would know what to do in disasters while also having the network in the region so that Turn to A5

What is Congress waiting for?

YOU can’t stop natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions from taking place, but certainly you can do something that would reduce their adverse effects on lives and property.

The Taal Volcano eruption last week, after four decades of dormancy, underscores once again the urgent need for Congress to fast-track the passage of a bill creating the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR), which will be the primary agency responsible for disaster preparedness, prevention, mitigation, response, recovery and rehabilitation.

Once the DDR is up and running, it can facilitate the creation of permanent evacuation centers and the formulation of disaster management plans at the local levels to meet the ideal goal of zero-casualty in times of disaster.

It is estimated that the national gov-

ernment will have to spend between to P60 billion to as much as P100 billion to rehabilitate areas affected by the Taal Volcano eruption. But the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council that now overseas the government’s disaster response efforts has been allotted a measly P16-billion calamity fund for this year.

The NDRRMC is a multi-sectoral, multi-organizational structure but it is a mere task force or an ad hoc body. It convenes only when a disaster strikes, making it ineffective and inefficient amid a time of climate change and global warming.

The creation of the DDR would ensure a more efficient, coordinated, and complete system of disaster management— from risk assessment to emergency response right down to reintegration assistance and rehabilitation.

The proposed department would take on the powers and functions of the Office of Civil Defense, the Climate Change Office of the Climate Change Commission, the Geo-Hazard Assessment and Engineering Geology Section of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, and other agencies now performing disaster response and management functions.

There are in fact at least 12 bills proposing the creation of the DDR, but not one of these has been passed by Congress.

So shall we wait for the next major disaster to hit the country before our lawmakers act on this measure?

We know that the Philippines is among the most disaster-prone countries in the world. We lie in the path of destructive typhoons from the Pacific Ocean that cause flooding and landslides that lead to loss of lives and property.

We are also part of the so-called ‘Pacific ring of fire’ consisting of active volcanoes that can cause massive destruction once they erupt.

We likewise know that here in our country there are geographic faults that Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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Opinion

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Betrayal

I GOT hold of a copy of the letter written last Jan. 11 by Cagayan de Oro lawyer Jude Sabio to chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda of the International Criminal Court in The Hague. In that letter, with the assistance of my good friend Atty.

Larry Gadon, Atty. Sabio withdrew his 77-page communication to the ICC in April 2017 endorsing the investigation of President Duterte over the issue of “extrajudicial killings.”

Sabio’s letter is awash with the indignation of one betrayed. His sentiments are pretty clear: “I condemn the betrayal of the truth and justice by Senator (Antonio) Trillanes and Fr (Albert) Alejo, SJ, and their allies in the LP-led opposition including Senator (Leila) de Lima and Vice President Leni Robredo, who thereby lost the legitimacy and moral upper hand in the advocacy against extrajudicial killings.”

As best this layman could make it out, the following are the main reasons behind Sabio’s ire: Trillanes insisted on trying to recruit Sabio to lawyer for Peter Advincula, aka “Bikoy,” the unseen narrator on the “Tutoong Narcolists” video linking Duterte to the drug trade, even if Trillanes at that time already knew that Bikoy wasn’t a truthful witness. That was plain and simple bad faith. As it turned out, Bikoy eventually recanted, together with similar witnesses Edgar Matobato and Guillermina Barrido.

No evidence has ever been presented for the veracity of that “Tutoong Narcolists” video. As an Ateneo law school graduate, what especially rankles Sabio is the alleged involvement of the Ateneo Communications Center in the production of that video.

Trillanes failed to pay Sabio’s requested legal fees. As the man on the street might say, “suwitik na nga, balasubas pa.”

Sabio has since gone on to flatly state that Duterte is innocent of the allegations brought against him. In this respect, he’s parted ways with Fr Alejo, a Jesuit priest whose “crusade against the drug war” the yellow media outlet Rappler repeatedly gushed over last year.

The good father may also wish to reexamine the kind of company he chooses to keep. Sabio says he first wrote to ICC “as an independent lawyer advocating for justice, and not politics.” Now that

Sabio has come to his senses and cut his ties with the yellow crowd, Fr Alejo and other like-minded activists might consider doing the same as well. If they didn’t know any better back then, they really ought to by now.

For its part, the ICC says they will still press on with their preliminary investigation of Duterte despite Sabio’s retraction. Why they’ve chosen to ignore him--as well as what else they may have against the President, now that Sabio has decamped—has not been disclosed. Absent that, one can be forgiven for thinking that the ICC—for all its hauteur, and for reasons of its own that are probably ideological—just wants to continue hanging out with the same bad crowd.

That was plain and simple bad faith. *** Our weekly news roundup brings some positive developments on the telecoms side—congratulations, DICT Secretary Honasan!—and a seeming investment paradox.

Honasan will be benefiting from several breakthroughs on the private-sector side of his Cabinet portfolio: The new third telco, Dito Telecommunity (a cute rebrand of the generic term), has agreed with the League of Municipalities of the Philippines to provide its members—all of our local government units—with their own dedicated nationwide private fiber optic network. Of course, whether or not Dito can actually deliver—given the reported shallowness of its local talent bench—is something Honasan should bird-dog.

Singapore-based Tonik Financial was awarded the first-ever, digital-only, totally branchless banking license by the Bangko Sentral. Tonik should do well in the Philippine market—where the median age is only 24 years, Internet usage is high, over 70 percent of people are still unbanked, and over half of all banking customers have expressed willingness to switch their deposits to a pure-play digital bank.

Another disruptive technology is forthcoming from property mortgage broker Nook Inc., which will offer an end-to-end online platform, covering everything from property search to loan approval. Initially based on their Website, the platform will soon be delivered from a mobile app. Their banking partners include BDO, BPI Family, RCBC, Security Bank—clearly a blue-chip list.

On the macro investment side, recent stories present a seemingly conflicted outlook for the country this year—that is, unless you take note of the different markets involved in each story.

Among a hundred mid-sized companies surveyed by Grant Thornton, business optimism registered at 67 percent in the second half of last year—among the 10 highest in the world, but still well below the 84 percent registered in the first half. Lower revenue and profit expectations as well as slowdown in exports accounted for a lot of the decline.

Among foreign investors, net inflows dropped by 33 percent in the first 10 months of 2019, largely due to a sluggish world economy as well as uncertainty over the passage of CITIRA, the second tax reform package. The expected passage of CITIRA in this quarter should improve the outlook.

But over at BOI, investment project approvals reached P1.14 trillion last year, breaching the trillion peso mark for the first time, and marking the third consecutive year of posting record investment levels. DTI Secretary Lopez is looking forward to a 10-percent increase this year. Closing the distance between (higher) approvals and (lower) actual inflows will depend a lot on the outcomes of various controversies now embroiling several large local conglomerates, and how these outcomes affect assessments by both foreign and domestic investors of their contractual and regulatory risks. *** Abroad, the big news of course was the signing of a historic trade agreement between the United States and China, defusing a trade war that’s lasted a year and a half. It’s reportedly the biggest deal since the US-China Relations Act of 2000, on Bill Clinton’s watch. China has pledged to buy an additional $200 billion of American goods over the next two years, while the US agreed to halve or eliminate tariffs on a wide range of Chinese exports, mostly consumer electronics.

This breakthrough on Trump’s watch comes on the heels of Iran backing away from its threat of “severe reprisal” for the assassination of General Qassam Soleimani. Nobody was hurt in their retaliatory missile attacks on US bases in Iraq, except for the tragic shooting-down by mistake of a civilian airliner that took a lot of steam out of their pugnacity. With these back-to-back wins, one might be forgiven for thinking that Trump—for all the liberal left rhetoric against him, especially abroad—may know a thing or two, after all.

Readers can write me at gbolivar1952@yahoo.com.

Enough of PNP cover-ups, whitewash IT’S preposterous to say that the Philippine National Police, with a new chief installed, will instantly turn over a new leaf.

The extended time President Duterte took to finally designate officer-incharge P/Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa as Chief PNP accentuates the leadership, moral and credibility crisis that the police organization has suffered. On the other hand, the indictment of former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde highlights yet again the widespread, deep-seated corruption in the police ranks.

Gamboa, a Philippine Military Academy (PMA) 1986 class mistah of Albayalde and former PNP chief-turned-senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, certainly has his work cut out for his eight-month stint at the helm which is to leave a face-saving legacy. It’s his “Sinagtala challenge” so to speak.

We welcome the new Chief PNP’s pledge to initiate reforms that will inculcate police professionalism, as well as inspire moral ascendancy, as it has become contrived to say that “not all policemen are scalawags.” Manong Digong has bluntly stated that the PNP has been a disgrace to every administration.

Albayalde, the second PNP chief sacked for graft since Alan Purisima, is involved in the 2013 case of 13 Pampanga “Ninja cops” under his command who resold over P50 million worth of shabu sei-

Heroism...

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good decisions can be made. Most important of all, he has the ear of the President.

I would, however, caution Senator Tolentino about rushing for Tagaytay or similar places to go back to normal. While Tagaytay is within the 14-mile high risk zone, it being in a ridge means that it is relatively safe. Still, notwithstanding this assurance, how could one enjoy Tagaytay during these times? And what if the worstcase scenario played out, how would you get out of the city? Already last Jan. 12, many visitors of Tagaytay shared harrowing stories of traveling back to Manila.

The local government units have mobilized, receiving help from their counter-

Much lower poverty rate: Possible but difficult sification rose to P10,727 a month in 2018 from P9,452 in 2015. The positive factors were greater availability of better-paying jobs and grants of cash by the government, he said.

Third, Secretary Pernia said that he “expected” the poverty rate to drop WHEN they want to know the level by more than five percentage points of a country’s economic achievement more—to 11 percent—by mid-2022, and the standard of living of its peo- the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s ple, economists ask for that country’s term. poverty rate. A poverty rate, which is Fourth, Secretary Pernia said that the the unit of economic measurement em- poverty rate could even fall to “possibly ployed by the World Bank and other below 10 percent” by mid-2022. international financial institutions, is Did the NEDA chief offer any cathe percentage of veats for his a country’s popcourageous foreulation that lives casts? He did. “It below a certain would mainly Here’s Secretary level of monthly depend on a susincome availa- Ernesto Pernia speaking. tained economic ble to a family growth rate of of a certain size, 6-7 percent, or which for the Philippines is five per- better, and intensity in family-planning sons. Thus, a poverty rate of 20 percent program implementation, especially means that 20 percent of a country’s among poor households, which are havpopulation has a monthly family in- ing more children than they want and come of less than a determined amount, can provide for,” the NEDA chief said. which changes over time in response to Those are tough caveats, considering changes in economic conditions, chief- the recent performance of the Philiply salaries/wages and consumer prices. pine economy and the attitude of ConThe government prepares statistics gress—especially the Senate—toward on poverty on a triennial basis. The family planning in general and the Relatest statistics, released in 2019, cov- productive Health Care and Responsiers the period 2015-2018. Last week, ble Parenthood Act in particular. the Secretary of Socio-Economic PlanWhether the four-month delay in ning, who is currently Director-General President Duterte’s approval of the of NEDA (National Economic and De- 2019 GAA (General Appropriations velopment Authority), discussed with Act) deserves much of the blame for the media the 2018 poverty statistics. the economy’s faltering last year is deThe highlights of what Dr. Ernesto batable. What is beyond debate is that M. Pernia told the media were the fol- the Philippine economy performed lowing facts: less strongly in 2019 than it did in the First, this country’s poverty rate fell immediately preceding years. But “7 by almost 7 percentage points over a percent or better” economic growth three-year period—from 23.3 percent definitely is unlikely under present cirin 2015 to 16.6 percent in 2018. In terms cumstances. of the number of Filipinos involved, As for greater “intensity in famithis meant a drop, Dr. Pernia said, in ly-planning program implementation,” the number of poor Filipinos from 23.5 methinks Secretary Pernia should million in 2015 to 17.6 million in 2018. have a little chat with the president of Second, the NEDA chief said that the Senate. Senator Vicente Sotto III due largely to two positive factors, goes apoplectic whenever he hears the the income threshold for a Poor clas- phrase “family planning.”

Disaster...

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Little wonder that some aggrieved victims of policemen’s crimes said that Albayalde’s fall is a work of “poetic justice.” It’s karma, as far as former Biliran congressman Glenn Chong, whose aide and a female companion were gunned down by 23 Cainta, Rizal policemen in December 2018. The victim Richard Santillan was tortured before he and his companion were mowed down while driving

an alleged stolen vehicle, according to the National Bureau of Investigation.

Again in this instance, Albayalde is accused of protecting and obstructing justice against another mistah, then CALABARZON regional director Brig. Gen. Edward Carranza and the 23 Cainta cops under his jurisdiction.

Another high-profile case still crying for justice is the cold-blooded kidnap-murder of Korean businessman Jee-ick Joo inside the Camp Crame in 2017. To the dismay of terrified Korean community, no suspect has been convicted since Jee was executed by policemen inside the PNP Headquarters.

Gamboa might also want to get updated on the case of 16 policemen of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) caught twice smuggling contrabands like cellphones and cigarettes into the New Bilibid Prison for the benefit of detained druglords. In the wake of the massive irregularities at the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), we are confident that the new Chief PNP will not turn a blind eye to these nefarious activities of Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas’ own Ninja cops.

If, in the next eight months, some policemen’s abuses and unlawful activities continue to be tolerated, covered up and whitewashed, then Gamboa will have lost the Sinagtala challenge and failed to save the day for the entire 190,000-strong PNP.

trigger earthquakes and cause death and destruction in our communities.

And we have our fair share every year of man-made disasters, such as fires that exact a heavy toll on lives and property and even on the economy as a whole, and armed conflict in some parts of the country that lead to displacement of people from their homes.

The Philippines ranks fourth in the world among countries hit by the highest number of weather-related disasters over the past 20 years, according to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). We’ve known this from our own direct experience, but the UN keeps the records, so we are now aware that a total of 274 disasters were recorded in the Philippines from 1995 to 2015 alone. The Philippines is also among the top 10 countries with the highest absolute number of affected people, with 130 million.

No matter how hard we try, the economy will suffer setbacks every year.

That’s because natural disasters exact a heavy toll on the Philippine economy annually, amounting to as much as P130 billion in damages, according to the Department of Finance. This is equivalent to about 1.1 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, according to Department of Finance estimates.

The sad reality is that developing countries such as the Philippines are the most vulnerable to the adverse impact of natural disasters. In other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, the annual economic loss due to natural disasters is around 0.6 percent to 0.7 percent of the

parts all over the country. I praise all these local officials for doing their duties.

In the same manner, the usual first responders—from the military and the police assisting in the evacuation to health officials and teachers that have to help in the evacuation centers—have risen up to the occasion.

Religious institutions like the Catholic Church are offering shelter to the displaced and giving relief assistance by opening places of worship and seminaries to evacuees and for leading the people to prayer.

Schools like De La Salle University in Lipa and youth organizations led by the Kabataan Party-List are participating in the relief efforts.

People as far away as Sagada in the Cordillera sent food to their countrymen in their time of need.

The business community has also re-

sponded well to the demands of the emergency.

We must thank especially the three young men—Rio Abel, Maximino Alcantara and Darwin Lajara, all in their 20s, who died in an accident while delivering relief goods in Batangas. Tunay din silang bayani (they are also true heroes).

Indeed, as it always happens during times like this, our people have opened their hearts (and pockets) with unlimited generosity. This kindness has extended to animals.

Unfortunately, there are exceptions to this spirit of unity and solidarity—those who choose to still be divisive at this time, grandstanding legislators criticizing our volcanologists without basis, those who misinform us with fake news about Robredo’s relief operations, and leaders who distract people from efforts to address the

crisis by once again attacking the Catholic Church and business leaders.

At some point, we must also ask how the national government is performing on its disaster response, on where the gaps are—especially on the budget and on the adequacy of our disaster institutions. Taal reminds that the country needs an independent, stand-alone, and well-funded disaster resilience agency.

I will be remiss if I do not end this column by praising the people of Volcano Island and the communities around the lake. I know people in those communities—Howie Severino and Ipat Luna whose Kapusod has been a place of rest and comfort for me, fisherfolk families in Barrio Kinalaglagan where I spent a week of immersion in 1979 during my college years, my Overseas Filipino Worker students in Rome and other places who have

zure. Until he became Chief PNP, Albayalde managed to prevent such case prospering against the policemen who instead got promoted.

The exposé on Albayalde’s “Ninja cops” is but one of virtually countless criminal cases policemen or former policemen they themselves perpetrated or have been involved in during the past years.

The new chief has his work cut out for him.

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country’s GDP. The losses incurred from natural disasters prevent the government from concentrating on poverty reduction efforts, as the funds that should be used for programs aimed at alleviating poverty are instead channeled to disaster response and relief assistance.

Apart from the loss of lives, natural disasters cause widespread destruction of public infrastructure and private property and negate the gains made in our efforts to accelerate socio-economic development and reduce poverty.

Thus, poor countries should invest in disaster risk mitigation measures to prevent severe economic losses that could drive them deeper into poverty.

What’s worse is that just one powerful typhoon could wreak havoc on a massive scale, destroy the homes of the poor and their sources of livelihood, and thus wipe out the gains made in economic development. The higher we try to climb up the economic ladder, we find ourselves falling every time a disaster strikes. This should not be our inescapable fate at all, if only we are fully prepared to cope with natural disasters.

Being prepared can reduce fear, anxiety, and losses that accompany both natural and man-made disasters. Communities, families, and individuals should know what to do in the event of typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions other natural disaster. They should also be ready to evacuate their homes and take refuge in shelters and evacuation centers where they can avail the themselves of adequate food and medical help as needed.

So what’s Congress waiting for? ernhil@yahoo.com spent their savings building beautiful villas in their hometowns around the lake, and my former driver Dante and his mother who lived in Talisay and who has now evacuated.

In a note he posted in Facebook, Howie captures an essential truth about the lake. “My wife, son, and I may soon lose everything. But that only means that at one stage in our lives, we had everything.

This volcano, always alive and ready to blow, makes a pact with everyone who chooses to live near it: whatever it gives can be taken away at any time.”

Some people do not like the word resilience. I do. I thank Howie, Ipat, Dante, and all the people of Taal for their resilience. We will need a lot of that in the days to come.

Facebook: Dean Tony La Vina Twitter: tonylavs

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

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News

TODAY JANUARY 21, 2020 TUESDAY,

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Immigration income hits P11b in 2019

By Vito Barcelo

T

HE Bureau of Immigration has posted a record high income of more than P11 billion in 2019, up by 29 percent compared to its revenue earnings in 2018.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said that as of Dec. 31, the bureau’s total revenue collection reached a whopping P11.9 billion, which is roughly P2.6 billion higher than the P9.2 billion the agency earned a year ago.

“We expect our income to increase again this year as a result of the improvements in services and programs that awe instituted for the benefit of the transacting and traveling public,”

Morente said.

Morente attributed last year’s ph nomenal rise in immigration fee collections to the success of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration in initiating reforms and programs that attracted many foreigners to visit and do business in the country.

Morente bared that the BI’s annual collections have steadily increased over the past several years, adding that revenues jumped by four-fold from

its facilities, simplify its 2012 when it amounted procedures and improve to only P2.7 billion. its frontline operations.

Citing reports that “The bureau also conthe number of foreigntinued to strictly monitor ers who arrived last the bureau’s collections year could reach eight in the main office and at million, he said “more its field, extension and foreign visitors natusatellite offices to ensure rally results in more that all revenues are fully income from immigraaccounted and remitted tion fees for the governto the government,” BI ment. This contributes finance chief Judith Fersignificantly to governrera said. ment coffers and may Ferrera said immigrabe used for major im- Morente tion fees paid by foreignprovement projects for ers to the bureau are processed elecour country,” said Morente.

Morente likewise cited the con- tronically and are issued computerized tinuing efforts of the BI to modernize official receipts.

Republic of the Philippines COMMISSION ON AUDIT Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City

No. : ___________________ 2020-001

CIRCULAR

JAN. 08, 2020 Date: ___________________ TO

:

All Heads of Departments, Bureaus, Offices, Agencies and Instrumentalities of the National Government, All Heads of Government Corporations that are Maintaining Special Accounts in the General Fund, COA Assistant Commissioners, COA Directors, COA Auditors, and All Others Concerned

SUBJECT

:

Prescribing Volume III-Revised Chart of Accounts (Updated 2019) to replace Volume III-The Revised Chart of Accounts (Updated 2015) of the Government Accounting Manual for National Government Agencies

1.0 Rationale 1.1 Pursuant to Section 2 (2), Article IX-D of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which mandates the Commission on Audit (COA) to promulgate accounting rules and regulations, the COA prescribed throughCOA Circular No. 2015007 dated October 22, 2015 the Government Accounting Manual for National Government Agencies (GAM for NGAs) to integrate in one set of guide all accounting and financial reporting standards, policies, rules, regulations and procedures applicable to NGAs which were adopted and implemented under the Public Financial Management Reform Roadmap (2011-2015). The GAM, which was effective January 1, 2016, consists of three volumes, namely: Volume I-Accounting Policies, Guidelines and Procedures, and Illustrative Accounting Entries; Volume II-Accounting Books, Registries, Records, Forms and Reports; and Volume III-The Revised Chart of Accounts (Updated 2015).

1.2 COA Resolution No. 2017-006 dated April 26, 2017 was issuedfor the adoption of additional six Philippine Public Sector Accounting Standards (PPSAS) (PPSAS 33-First-time Adoption of Accrual Basis International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSASs), PPSAS 34-Separate Financial Statements, PPSAS 35-Consolidated Financial Statements, PPSAS 36-Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures, PPSAS 37-Joint Arrangements, and PPSAS 38-Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities)and updates on the PPSAS prescribed through COA Resolution No. 2014-003 dated January 24, 2014 based on the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) contained in the 2016 Edition of the Handbook of International Public Sector Accounting Pronouncements (HIPSAP) published by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).

1.3 The IFAC published in February 2018 the 2017 Edition of the HIPSAP, which contains changes in the IPSAS which were the bases of the PPSAS already adopted by the COA through COA Resolution Nos. 2013-003 and 2017-006.

1.4 The implementation of the Unified Accounts Code Structure (UACS) pursuant to Joint Circular No. 2013-1 dated August 6, 2013 of the COA, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and Department of Finance (DOF), DBM National Budget Circular No. 554 dated March 14, 2014, COA-DBM-DOF Joint Circular No. 2014-1 dated November 7, 2014, and COA-DBM-DOF Joint Circular No. 1 dated August 11, 2017 necessitates alignment of the account codes and sub-codes in the COA-prescribed Revised Chart of Accounts (RCA), which represent the 10-digit Object Code of the 54-digit UACS. 1.5 Notwithstanding the comprehensive list of accounts included in Volume IIIThe RevisedChart of Accounts(Updated 2015) of the GAM for NGAs, the Commission still receives requests from some NGAs and recommendations from some COA auditorsfor the creation of new accounts and/or modification of the codes and descriptions of existing accounts for the financial transactions peculiar to the NGAs concerned.

1.6 The Commission recognizes the need to update the existing RCA for NGAs in view of theadoption of the new PPSAS enumerated in Item 1.2, the issuance by the IFAC of the 2017 Edition of the HIPSAP, the requests/ recommendations from some NGAs and COA auditors, and the needed alignment with the UACS, to facilitate the recognition of pertinent financial transactions in the books of accounts of the NGAs concerned.

2.0 Purpose/Coverage 2.1 This Circular is issued to prescribe Volume III-The Revised Chart of Accounts (Updated 2019) of the GAM for NGAs. The Revised Chart of Accounts (Updated 2019) provides additional accounts and modified account codes and descriptions to facilitate proper recognition of financial transactions in the books of accounts and preclude misuse of accounts.

2.2 This Circular covers all the offices, departments, agencies and instrumentalities of the National Government, including state universities and colleges, as well as government corporations that are maintaining Special Accounts in the General Fund (SAGF).

3.0 Guidelines/Procedures 3.1 The Volume III-The Revised Chart of Accounts (Updated 2019) of the GAM for NGAs, attached as Annex A hereof,shall replace Volume III-The Revised Chart of Accounts (Updated 2015) of the GAM for NGAs prescribed under COA Circular No. 2015-007 dated October 22, 2015.

3.2 The following additional annexes are also integral part of this Circular: a. b. c. d. e. f.

Additional RCA Account (UACS Object) Codes and Descriptions – Annex B; Additional UACS Sub-Object Codes – Annex C; Modified Account Titles and UACS Object Codes – Annex D; Modified RCA (UACS Object) Codes Description – Annex E; Modified UACS Sub-Object Codes – Annex F; and List of Deleted Accounts and Descriptions – Annex G.

3.3 To align with the UACS, all the subsidiary ledger (SL) accounts embedded in the description of some accounts in the Revised Chart of Accounts (Updated 2015) were deleted. The agencies/entities concerned shall be responsible for creating the appropriate SL accounts they need for financial reporting/other purposes.

liquid marijuana worth 700,000 intercepted in various air cargo parcels at the airport warehouse on Monday. Norman Cruz

Authorities seize P4m worth of shabu, liquid marijuana AUTHORITIES seized more than P4 million worth of shabu and liquid marijuana in separate anti-illegal drug operations in Las Piñas City and various warehouses in Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Suspected drug dealer Danizon Manese, 29, alias Tenten, was also arrested during a buy-bust operation along C-5 Road Extension in Barangay Manuyo Dos, Las Piñas City shortly before midnight Sunday.

Recovered from Manese’s possession were 500 grams of shabu worth P3.4 million, five pieces of ice bags also containing prohibited substance and P20,000 cash used by the police poseur buyer in the drug entrapment operation.

Manese’s arrest came two days after the buybust operation made at Verdant Acres Subdivision in Barangay Pamplona Tres, also in Las Piñas, which resulted in the arrest of two suspected drug traffickers Jerrymias Suson and Miguel Castillo and the seizure of 2.5 kilos of shabu worth P17 million.

A composite team from the Las Piñas City Police Station and Philippine Drug Enforcement

4.0 Repealing Clause All issuances inconsistent with this Circular are deemed repealed or amended accordingly.

5.0 Saving Clause Cases not covered in this Circular shall be referred to the Government Accountancy Sector, this Commission, for resolution.

6.0 Effectivity This Circular takes effect on January 1, 2020.

MICHAEL G. AGUINALDO Chairperson

Note: Annexes A to G of the Circular may be accessed in the COA Website at https://www.coa.gov.ph.

(MS-JAN. 21, 2020)

MEMBERS of Anakpawis Party-list, together with peasant mass organizations under the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and Amihan, on Monday trooped to the House of Representatives and held a protest action against the bid to change the 1987 Constitution.

In particular, Congress wants to ease foreign ownership of strategic utilities and ownership of land, said former Anakpawis Party-list Rep. Ariel Casilao.

Casilao said last year the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, in an executive session, approved a bill to seek amendments to the Constitution.

Included in the draft proposal were various bills allowing 100-percent foreign ownership of land which is practically sell-out of national patrimony and term extension of local and national elected officials.

“While the people of Batangas and nearby provinces in Southern Tagalog continue to suffer due to the Taal Volcano eruption, Congress even have the gall to tackle ChaCha and term extension which are brazenly a self-serving proposals. Anakpawis denounces such insensitive move of Congress.

Instead of exerting comprehensive efforts on how to overcome the effects of Taal eruption that affected almost 500, 000 individuals, and already damaged P3 billion worth of crops and livestock,” said Casilao.

NHA slammed for denying housing units for beneficiaries

3.5 Updates on the sub-object codes for disaggregation/financial reporting purposes as provided/published in the UACS website based on the recommendations of the responsible oversight agencies (COA, DBM, DOF and the Bureau of the Treasury) shall be automatically adopted by agencies concerned.

ROLAND C. PONDOC Commissioner

By Willie Casas

Group conducted the operations.

Las Piñas City police station commander Col. Segundo Lagundi Jr. said the campaign against illegal drugs is a top priority in the Southern Police District, considering the “location of our district serves as the crossing place going to south and north.”

On Sunday, Customs and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency operatives intercepted various cargo parcels containing liquid marijuana worth P700,000 at different warehouses situated near Manila airport.

Customs-NAIA district collector Carmelita Talusan said the confiscated items—a total of 11 packages containing 330 cartridges of liquid marijuana—arrived from various countries on separate dates late last year.

Two weeks ago, Customs agents also intercepted a shipment of kush weeds and liquid marijuana worth P200,000 at the Central Mail Exchange Center in Pasay City.

Upon examination, the parcel from California, USA was found to contain four packs of kush weeds and 10 cartridges of liquid marijuana.

The authorities also arrested the claimant of the shipment identified as Xavier Martin Bulos, a resident of Sampaloc, Manila.

3.4 For budget purposes, budgetary accounts for Capital Outlays were added in the List of Accounts, Chapter 2 of the Revised Chart of Accounts (Updated 2019).

JOSE A. FABIA Commissioner

THE Bureau of Immigration on Monday urged all foreign residents in the country who plan to spend Chinese New Year abroad to process their reentry fees in any of the Bureau’s offices before proceeding to the airport.

BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina issued the appeal following the expected annual surge in volume of travelers lining up to pay their reentry fees to immigration cashiers at the departure areas of the three NAIA terminals.

“We are expecting a surge of Chinese residents in the Philippines who wish to spend the Chinese New Year abroad. It may result to heavy congestion of our airports, which could be avoided if they process and pay their fees before heading to the airport,” he said.

The Philippines is host to tens of thousands of Chinese immigrants and non-immigrants.

In 2018 alone, a total of 1.3-million Chinese citizens were recorded to have entered the country.

Medina said they expect a 10 to 15percent increase in departures during the Chinese New Year, adding “last year we saw a 14-percent increase in departures, this year the increase might be more or less the same.”

Immigration policies require foreign nationals who are registered holders of valid immigrant and non-immigrant visas to pay exit and reentry permits every time they leave the country.

Said foreign nationals to present official receipts of their reentry permit fees before they are cleared for departure, otherwise they are directed to first pay their fees to BI cashiers at the airport.

“We expect that the surge could congest our immigration cashiers, hence, we are appealing to registered aliens to pre-pay their fees to avoid the congestion,” he stated. Vito Barcelo

Anakpawis slams attempts to change Charter

LIQUID MARIJUANA. Officials of the Bureau of Customs at the NAIA present 330 cartridges of

By Joel E. Zurbano

BI to aliens: Process your reentry fees

ONE DIES IN FIRE. One was reported killed Sunday night when some 7- shanties, housing 140 families, went up in flames along Don Pepe in Barangay Santo Domingo in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

GABRIELA Women’s Party has slammed the National Housing Authority for refusing to issue entry pass stubs for qualified housing beneficiaries in Villa Lois, Pandi, Bulacan.

“The release of entry passes for qualified beneficiaries in Pandi today is a result of continuous dialogues with the agency, as well as part of the resolution between urban poor group Kadamay and NHA based on last year’s consultation at the House of Representatives,” Gabriela said in a statement.

According to Kadamay, NHA officials declared that they would refuse to issue entry pass stubs to members of the organization unless they quit and join the militarybacked ‘pro-government’ organization that has been harassing residents of Pandi.

Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas said that NHA’s move was unconstitutional and that everyone was entitled to have access to decent housing regardless of political affiliation “It was clear during last year’s consultation with the National Housing Authority at the House of Representatives that those who currently occupy housing units in Pandi will undergo a validation process, and that those who will be validated will be qualified for an entry pass. As a matter of fact, Gabriela Women’s Party was there during the whole process. We were also able to obtain the official list of validated housing beneficiaries which was released by the agency itself,” Brosas said.

Brosas also said the NHA’s response to homelessness and displacement was a preview of the government’s rehabilitation response to families affected by the Taal Volcano eruption. Willie Casas

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports Lhuillier sees bright future for softball, tennis in ‘20 LONGTIME sports patron and head honcho of Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines and Unified Tennis Philippines Jean Henri Lhuillier sees an even stronger 2020 for Philippine softball and tennis.

“Last year, we saw team Philippines proving their might both in softball and tennis in the i nt e r n at ion a l scene with several wins in many global competitions, capped off in Lhuillier the last SEA Games,” said the sports patron.

The Cebuana Lhuillier Sportsbacked National Softball Teams won a gold and a silver medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

On the other hand, the Blu Girls dominated softball in the SEA Games maintaining their hold on the championship which has now spanned for 10 years since the sport was introduced to the games in 1981. The Blu Boys settled for the silver.

Cebuana Lhuillier Sports netters both garnered the gold and silver medals in the men’s doubles events, Francis Casey Niño Alcantara, whose partner was Jeson Patrombon, faced off with the Fil-Am team of Treat Huey and Ruben Gonzales in the finals, with Alcantara and Patrombon earning the first place berth.

“I hope we can continue to rally behind our athletes and support them in their coming games this year!” said Lhuillier.

Big Plans for ASAPHIL, UTP The country’s leading supporter of softball and tennis also bared that the upcoming year will be a busy one for the sport organizations that he heads with the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines kicking of 2020 with various grassroots tournaments that aims to strengthen appreciation of the sport in the provinces, while scouting new talent in these same places.

This is complemented by efforts with the Department of Education to revive the sport in local schools, especially with the inclusion of the sport in inter-school tournaments such as the annual Palarong Pambansa, National PRISAA, and the Batang Pinoy tournament. These efforts also reach the intercollegiate level with invitationals that pit various universities and colleges against each other. While for the local scene, the tournament such as the Summer Grand Slam, Philippine National Games, Men’s and Women’s tournaments and invitationals are lined up for the year.

In the international scene, the Blu Girls and Blu Boys will continue to participate in various global tournaments with the aim of improving their world rankings. The national team is set to compete in the USA Cup, the Canada Cup as well as the Asian Games set to happen this 2020.

Meanwhile, efforts to strengthen the team will continue as the recruitment program for both local and FilForeigner players start early 2020.

Santiago named new UE mentor

By Peter Atencio THE University of the East Red Warriors are set to have a new coach following the death of businessmansportsman Lucio Tan Jr. Schools officials are tapping Jack Santiago, who was set to step in as head coach yesterday.

Santiago was an assistant coach of the Adamson Falcons, which is being mentored by Franz Pumaren.

He has been with Pumaren’s coaching staff back when he was still with the La Salle Green Archers back in 2007.

School administrators took him into the fold following a meeting last Wednesday.

Last season, the Red Warriors finished with a 4-10 win-loss record.

The Red Warriors will be bannered

by Senegalese center Alex Diakhite and guard Harvey Pagsanjan.

Former Malayan High School standout Clint Escamis is said to be coming in.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Chiefs, 49ers clash in Super Bowl L

OS ANGELES—Patrick Mahomes ended the Kansas City Chiefs’ 50-year wait for a return to the Super Bowl on Sunday as the San Francisco 49ers routed the Green Bay Packers to advance to next month’s NFL showpiece.

Mahomes helped the Chiefs overturn a 10-point deficit to complete a convincing 35-24 win over the Tennessee Titans to take the American Football Conference Championship at Arrowhead Stadium.

The reigning NFL MVP threw for three touchdowns and danced into the end zone for a superb individual score as the Chiefs successfully neutralised the threat posed by Titans running back Derrick Henry.

It is the first time the Chiefs have advanced to the Super Bowl since their victory over the Minnesota Vikings in 1970.

“I’m lucky to be a part of this team with all these guys - it makes my job a lot easi-

er,” said Mahomes, who finished with 294 passing yards and 23 completions.

The win came one year after the Chiefs suffered an agonising home overtime loss to the New England Patriots at the same stage of the playoffs.

“It’s amazing, to be here to do it at Arrowhead, these people deserve it.

We’re not done yet,” Mahomes added.

“We’re going to get it.”

Mahomes said the Chiefs—who had fought back from 24-0 down to rout the Houston Texans in the divisional round last week—had kept their cool after falling behind early on against the Titans.

“We just stayed with the process. It was like last week, we just stuck with the game plan and knew it was going to work out,” he said.

The Titans had reached the brink of the Super Bowl after a giant-killing playoff run which included wins over the New England Patriots and the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens.

‘Great game plan’ But despite starting strongly the Titans ran out of ideas once the Chiefs defense contained powerhouse rusher Henry, who helped Tennessee forge early leads of 10-0 and 17-7 before the Chiefs rallied.

Henry had few complaints after being restricted to a relatively paltry 69 yards and one touchdown after 19 carries.

“They just had a great game plan, man,” Henry said after the defeat.

“They were coming off the ball, those guys were being physical. They played

a great game today on defense and you know their offense, we know the type of offense that is: explosive, can score at any moment.

“We just came up short. All the credit to them and good luck to them.”

In Santa Clara, meanwhile, the 49ers clinched the National Football Conference Championship with a 37-20 rout of the Green Bay Packers that was more one-sided than the scoreline suggested.

Niners running back Raheem Mostert rushed for four touchdowns and a whopping 220 yards as the run-oriented San Francisco offense punched hole after hole through a porous Packers defense.

The game was effectively over by half-time with Mostert crossing for three of his four touchdowns—a record in an NFC championship game—in the opening two quarters as San Francisco opened up a 27-0 lead by halftime. AFP

Lascuña starts Order of Merit bid

Head coach Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates with the George Halas Trophy after winning the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers beat the Packers 37-20. AFP

Builders, Traders firm up UNTV semis bids NATIONAL Housing Authority and the Philippine International Trading Corporation firmed up their semis bids by downing their respective rivals at the start of the quarterfinal round of the 8th UNTV Cup held recently at the Paco Arena in Manila.

The NHA Builders of coach Benneth Palad used a big fourth quarter assault to end the four-game winning streak of the Judiciary Magis, 67-59, while the PITC Global Traders came through with a 35-point explosion in the second quarter to beat the Department of Agriculture Food Masters, 74-61.

Antonio Lustestica and Alvin Vitug sparked the team’s decisive breakaway by combining for 20 points in the payoff period with the former highlighting the run with two booming treys that shattered a 43-all count.

NHA’s win improved its record to 7-3 in the annual tournament for public servants that offers P4 million to the chosen charity of the champion.

Vitug went on to finish in double-double with 21 points and 11 boards while Lustestica added 14 aside from helping limit the production of Judiciary’s top gun Chester Tolomia to just 17 points.

The Global Traders started tentatively but went on a scoring spree in the second quarter that saw them outscore the Food Masters, 35-12, for a 44-29 halftime advantage.

Ryan Regalado struck hardest for the Global Traders scoring all his 12 points from the trifectaville while Luis Lopez had 10 points and 12 boards.

They gallantly protected their fort the rest of the way in hiking their record to 6-4 – the same mark of the Magis.

Games Tomorrow (Paco Arena) 3 p.m. – Agriculture vs Judiciary 4:30 p.m. – NHA vs PITC

Luis Lopez of PITC grabs the rebound during their game against the Department of Agriculture in the 8th UNTV Cup. Lopez produced 10 points and 12 boards in the team’s 74-61 win.

The scores: First Game PITC 74—Taplah 14, Porto 14, Vassallo 13, Regalado 12, Lopez 10, Gecale 6, Almarinez 3, Martin 2.

DA 61—Oreta 21, Dematera 13, Comerciase 11, Silva 6, Casaysayan 5, Lim 3, Mastelero 2.

Quarters: 9-17, 44-29, 66-41, 74-61.

TONY Lascuña hopes to come out strong coming off a playoff setback the last time out, aiming for a top finish in the ICTSI Pradera Verde Classic firing off today (Tuesday) in Lubao, Pampanga and a boost to his Order of Merit bid in the Philippine Golf Tour Asia.

T h e m u l t i t i t l e d Davaoeño shotmaker paces the OOM derby with $38,950 in earnings with two tour- Lascuña naments left in the third season (2019-20) of the region’s emerging circuit which broke barriers by holding a couple of tournaments in Taiwan last year.

Lascuña won the other leg in Tainan, besting a slew of Taiwanese and Thai aces, then rebounding from a forgettable joint 31st place finish at Luisita with a runner-up effort at Summit Point on a sudden death loss to Juvic Pagunsan last November.

“I feel good coming off a long break but so do the rest, so it’s going to be tough,” said Lascuña, 49, also wary of the tour’s long hitters who are expected to dominate the vast Pradera Verde layout.

Although diminutive Jhonnel Ababa had ruled the last two Pradera events with 10-under 278 totals, a player’s length off the tee remains one of the key factors to one’s title drive at Pradera with the average distance of PGTA drives rising steadily buoyed by improvement in training and equipment.

“It depends, players with average drives can make it up through solid rescue or long iron shots. And there’s the short game and putting to talk on,” added Lascuña.

Whatever, the elite international field braces for an all-out assault of long, flat layout in Round One of the $100,000 event put up

by ICTSI with Aussies Damien Jordan and Jack Lane-Weston, Thai Pachara Sakulyong, Spain’s Marcos Pastor, Josh Salah and Lexus Keoninh of the US and Japan’s Toru Nakajima spearheading the foreign challenge.

PSA Forum tackles PH rowing, PSC THE new officers of the Philippine Rowing Association, led by president Patrick ‘Pato’ Gregorio, lead Tuesday’s guests list in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Amelie Hotel Manila.

Gregorio will be accompanied by deputy secretary-general Magnum Membrere to discuss their plans for the association in the public sports program presented by San Miguel Corp., Braska Restaurant, Amelie Hotel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

Philippine Sports Institute national training director Marc Velasco has also been invited in the 10:00 a.m. to talk about the 30th anniversary of the Philippine Sports Commission on January 24.

PSA members are enjoined to attend the forum livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2 from 1 to 2 p.m. and later at 6:30 p.m.

PBA GIVES BACK TO COMMUNITY. PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial (third from left) hands over to executive assistants Romy Atienza and Eric James Armand de Castro the check of P1 million as the league’s donation for the victims of the Taal Volcano eruption. Atienza and De Castro received the donation on behalf of Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas. With them are PBA team governors Rene Pardo (Magnolia, left), Alfrancis Chua (Ginebra, second from left), Bobby Rosales (Columbian, second from right) and Al Panlilio (Meralco, right).

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor

sports@manilastandard.net

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020

World Slasher Cup honors Alexander

By Peter Paul Duran QUEZON CITY—This year, the prestigious World Slasher Cup is paying tribute to a legend of cockfighting.

The premier event is all set with over 200 top fighters from all over the world ready to rumble from until Jan. 26 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum for the WSC 2020 Invitational 9-cock derby: A tribute to Ray Alexander.

Billed as the Olympics of Sabong, WSC pays homage to Alexander, who has become a household name in the sport and earned the admiration of cockfighting enthusiasts all over the world, most especially in the Philippines, which he had been visiting for nearly 50 years.

Alexander passed away July 3, 2019 in Alabama. He was 82.

“I’m very thankful for the kindness, generosity, and respect all of you have shown him through the years,” said Alexander’s daughter Ryandra to guests, participants and members of the media during the event’s press conference at Novotel-Araneta City Saturday.

“Knowing him, he’d rather be here than in heaven,” she added.

Expect a clash of champions as last year’s WSC 2 winners Nene Araneta, Frank Berin, Rey Cañedo, and Jun Durano return to defend their crown against the likes of WSC 1 champion Claude Bautista and Patrick “Idol” Antonio who is looking to score his 8th WSC title this year.

The invitational derby, which will have its Grand Finals on January 26, promises to showcase exciting match-ups of only the best fowl fighters and cockers to ever grace the WSC. Alexander, who won Cocker of the Year back-to-back at Sunset, Indiana, gained acclaim because of his breeds of Griffin Clarets and Lacey Roundheads. His birds were specifically bred for their speed and cutting power that complimented a “Salto” fighting style of waiting and countering. These bloodlines would eventually be used by top Sabungeros to win championships both locally and the world over.

Sports In record fashion, the 1,115-strong Philippine bets delivered a total of 149 gold, 117 silver, and 121 bronze medals out of the 56 sports played in the entire duration of the 11-day competitions held in three major clusters within Luzon.

Team PH gets highest award

C

OUNT on the Filipino athletes to deliver when the going gets tough.

Amid the distractions and doubts hovering Team Philippines’ preparations and campaign for the 30th Southeast Asian Games, the Filipinos remained poised and kept their focus on the task at hand, resulting in one of the most inspiring moments in the history of Philippine sports.

In record fashion, the 1,115-strong Philippine bets delivered a total of 149 gold, 117 silver, and 121 bronze medals out of the 56 sports played in the entire duration of the 11-day competitions held in three major clusters within Luzon.

The numbers were the highest ever tallied by the country since it began competing in the biennial meet in 1977, and more than enough to clinch for the host the SEA Games overall championship just for the second time in 42 long years.

For that momentous feat in a December to remember, Team Philippines will be been bestowed with the 2019 Athlete of the Year award in the coming SMCPSA (Philippine Sportswriters Association) Annual Awards Night.

The traditional gala honoring the top sports heroes and heroines of the year that has just passed is set on March 6

at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel and is presented by the Philippine Sports Commission, MILO, Cignal TV, and the Philippine Basketball Association.

This is the second time the country’s oldest media organization is recognizing the entire Team Philippines as its Athlete of the Year awardee, the first one coming in 2005 when the Filipinos first won the overall title of the biennial meet also staged on local soil.

Olympic silver medal winner Hidilyn Diaz and Asian Games golden girls Margielyn Didal Bianca Pagdanganan, and Lois Kaye Go, all recipients of the Athlete of the Year honor in 2018, are but some of the prominent gold medalists for Team Philippines in the SEA Games, along with world champions Carlos Yulo and Nesthy Petecio, Tokyo Olympic-bound pole vaulter Ernest John Obienna, among others.

“The choice of Team Philippines as 2019 PSA Athlete of the Year has never been as unanimous. And it was felt the least the PSA can do to honor the men and women who brought singular distinction to the country during the 30th SEA Games is to give them one resounding, united vote,” said PSA president Eriberto ‘Tito’ Talao of the Manila Bulletin.

The Athlete of the Year is the highest honor solely given by the PSA which was first established in 1949 and composed of editors and sportswriters from the different broadsheets, tabloids, and sports websites.

The country’s sportswriting fraternity will be handing out trophies for the President’s Award, Executive of the Year, and the National Sports Association of the Year.

There are also awards for Ms. Basketball, Mr. Volleyball, Ms. Golf, Mr. Football, and Coach of the Year.

There will also be recipients of Major Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, Tony Siddayao Awards, MILO Junior Athletes Award, and citations to be led by the SEA Games gold medal winners.

Meanwhile, sports personalities who passed away last year will also be accorded with a posthumous recognition.

Eala makes Aussie quarterfinals WORLD no. 9 Alexandra Eala continued her winning ways as she reached the quarterfinals of the 2020 AGL Loy Yang Traralgon Junior International Tennis Tournament in Victoria, Australia.

The 14-year-old Eala needed to three sets to shake off Russian netter Elina Avanesyan, 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, to barge into the round of eight.

Eala will next face another Russian Polina Kudermetova.

The right-handed Kudermetova, who is ranked seventh, reached the quarterfinals with her 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, conquest of Italian Liza Pigato.

Coached by Daniel Gomez of the Rafa Nadal Academy, Eala earlier pulled off a 6-1, 6-2 win over Hungarian netter Amarisa Toth in the first round, before disposing of China’s Na Dong, 6-2, 6-1, in the second.

Top seed Elsa Jacquemont prevailed over Savannah Broadus of the United States, 6-1, 6-4.

Jacquemont will now go after Spain’s Ane del Olmo, who slipped past Mia Repac of Australia, 7-5, 6-3.

Celle Mohir of France upset second seed Robin Montgomery of the USA 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, to also advance to the quarterfinals. Peter Atencio

Mills shines as Spurs surprise Heat LOS ANGELES—San Antonio held on to beat NBA Eastern Conference contenders Miami 107-102 on Sunday, with Patty Mills making a key contribution as the Spurs, at his behest, hosted the league’s first “Indigenous Night.”

LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 21 points and DeMar DeRozan added 20 with nine rebounds and nine assists.

Mills, an Australian of Aboriginal descent,

scored 18 points and pulled down five rebounds for the Spurs, who knocked off the number two team in the East.

Mills scored 14 points in the first half, helping San Antonio rally after the Heat took an early 10-point lead behind hot shooting from Duncan Robinson.

During the second quarter Mills hit the 1,000th three-pointer of his NBA career, finishing the night with 1,002. AFP

HERO OF THE NIGHT. NorthPort owner and Party-list Rep. Mikee Romero (center) shows the plaque of appreciation given by the PBA Board of Governors during the league’s Hero of the Night for his participation in last year’s 30th SEA Games where Team Philippines won the overall championship. Romero was a member of the PH team that won a bronze medal in polo’s 0-2 goal event at the Miguel Romero Polo Field in Batangas. With Romero is Commissioner Willie Marcial and PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas.

Lady Blazers notch 3rd straight win

By Peter Atencio THE College of St. Benilde Lady Blazers played a well-coordinated game as they put way the Lady Knights, 25-20, 25-18, 25-15, yesterday in the 95th National Collegiate Athletic Association women’s volleyball tournament With liberos Christine Lim and Arianne Daguil effectively directing the flow of the game, the Lady Blazers went to quickly post their third straight triumph at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.

Balanced scoring from 11 teammates during their 68-minute contest allowed the Lady Blazers to move ahead of the Arellano University Lady Chiefs (2-0).

Chelsea Umali showed the way with 11 points, scoring five of them on attacks, while Michelle Gamit, Jade Gantapa and Klarissa Abriam had six apiece for the Lady Blazers.

“Sinabi namin sa kanila ibigay nila ang 100% nila. Mas relaxed sila ngayon kaysa sa last two games nila,” said Lady Blazers assistant coach Jay Chua, on behalf of coach Jerry Yee. Daguil found open teammates, who could score right after the Lady Blazers broke past a 19-all deadlock in the first set.

Then, Lim took over in finding a scorer as they grabbed a 9-3 edge in the second set.

Letran dropped to a 1-1 in a tie with University of Perpetual Help System Dalta and Jose Rizal University.

Chamberlaine Cuñada finished with 15 hits for the Lady Knights.

Earlier, Ruvince Abrot had two service aces to finish with 15 points as St. Benilde downed Letran, 2521, 25-16, 25-22.

This allowed the Blazers to raise their record to 2-1 in the men’s division.

First smog, now rain rocks Australian Open

Serena Williams of the US reacts after a point against Russia’s Anastasia Potapova during their women’s singles match on day one of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne. AFP

MELBOURNE—Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka made lightning starts before rain halted day one of the Australian Open on Monday, causing further chaos after a buildup hit by haze from raging bushfires.

Hazardous smog left several players with coughs and breathing difficulties during qualifying last week, prompting speculation about whether the year’s first tennis Grand Slam would be delayed.

Air quality was rated as ‘good’ as the tournament started but four hours later at about 3:00 pm (0400 GMT), play was suspended on most courts as a downpour hit Melbourne Park.

World number three Roger Federer was briefly hauled off court while the roof was

closed on Rod Laver Arena, before returning to complete a routine 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Steve Johnson.

Play also continued under the retractable roofs of Margaret Court Arena and Melbourne Arena, but was impossible elsewhere as rain persisted.

More rain is forecast for Tuesday, threatening further disruption at a tournament more often associated with extreme heat at the height of the Australian summer.

Officials said play would resume on the outside courts once the rain stops, and would continue into the evening under floodlights to complete Monday’s schedule of 64 matches.

Defending champion Osaka avoided the downpour as she dismissed Marie Bouzkova

of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-4 in 80 minutes, breaking a net fitting with one powerful serve in the process.

“It was really tough for me trying to control my nerves,” said Osaka. “It’s tough to play someone you’ve never played before in the first round of a Grand Slam.”

Williams, on the hunt for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title, won the first set against Anastasia Potapova in just 19 minutes as she cruised to a 6-0, 6-3 win in less than an hour.

“I felt like I started out really well. Played really strong in the first set and just building on that,” Williams said.

“I feel like I can still improve and get better throughout this tournament, for sure. This is a good stepping stone for right now.” AFP

IN BRIEF

PEZA eyes partners in 33-story building

THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority is looking for partners to build a P3-billion mixeduse building set to rise behind the proposed new PEZA building along Roxas Boulevard.

PEZA director general Charito Plaza said the second building behind PEZA tower would be 33-stories high and could house IT companies and other offices with provision for commercial spaces for lease.

“We are still looking for a joint venture (JV) partner for the 33-storey building. It will be mixed-use but we will never allow POGO operators to lease space from us,” she said.

The building will be constructed behind the soon-to-rise PEZA building, a 13-story edifice with a floor area of 14,000 square meters.

“We have to be resourceful. We don’t have the money to spare for the construction that is why we are also looking for partners for the JV. We have been self-reliant right from the start,” Plaza said.

PEZA’s head office is currently located in four buildings within the Energy Department complex, making it difficult for employees to interact with each other. Othel V. Campos

DPWH rushing work on C6 access road

THE Department of Public Works and Highways said it is accelerating the construction of a new access road that will shorten the route between South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and Circumferential Road-6 (C6).

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said the road dubbed Bambang ni Felix Road in Barangay Sta. Ana, Taguig City is now 71 percent completed.

The project is set to be completed on March 2020.

“Decongesting traffic in major roadways in the City of Taguig such as Cayetano Boulevard, the two lane 688-meter road will also serve as an additional access from Pateros going to C-6 road which will then be linked to C-5 road,” Villar said.

The ongoing construction of Bambang ni Felix Road is a portion of a whole program developed to link C-6 and C-5 road.

Construction works on the 41-million road project, funded under the 2019 General Appropriations Act, started in July 2019.

The agency, meanwhile, said that P122-million Magat River Flood Control Project was recently completed. Darwin G. Amojelar

Business

By Jenniffer B. Austria

P

HILCEMENT Corp., a unit of conglomerate Phinma Corp., said it opened a $100-million stateof-the-art cement facility at the Freeport Area of Bataan in Mariveles, Bataan, marking its return to the cement industry.

Philcement said in a statement the cement plant and port in Mariveles was the first of its kind in the Philippines and potentially one of the largest in the world with an initial annual capacity of 2 million tons.

The facility, with automated equipment, will allow Philcement to serve the growing demand for high-quality

cement of Filipino customers in an efficient manner.

“We are today telling the world that we are back in cement and, like when we first began over 60 years ago with a vision to help build the nation, we are back with that same burning desire to make it our business to help build the nation by

playing a significant role in infrastructure development,” Phinma president and chief executive Ramon del Rosario Jr. said in a speech during the inauguration of the plant.

Phinma, founded in 1956 after the acquisition of the Cebu Portland Cement Company plant in Bacnotan, La Union, took over the management of cement plants in Bulacan, Rizal and Davao and expanded its stake in the industry with quality cement under the Union Cement brand.

Phinma said with the revival of the Union Cement legacy brand, it aimed to return to its position of prominence, helping provide a stable supply of highquality cement.

Philcement president and chief exec-

B1

utive Eduardo Sahagun said the Mariveles facility made Phinma extremely well-placed to take advantage of the growing regional opportunity.

“In Phinma, cement is what we know best. Looking at the opportunities from the construction business now, we should prepare to expand, not just in the Philippines, but also in the ASEAN region,” said Sahagun, a veteran in the local cement industry.

The Phinma group exited the cement business in 2004 when it sold its majority interest in Union Cement Holdings Corp. to Holcim Philippines Inc. Phinma is a holding company with investments in the education, steel products, housing, business process outsourcing and energy sectors.

By Julito G. Rada

BOP posted $7.8-b surplus last year

CHEVRON Corp. said it expects to close the sale of its Malampaya assets in northwest Palawan to Udenna Corp. controlled by businessman Dennis Uy within the first half.

Chevron, in an investor presentation report, confirmed the divestment of a 45-percent stake in the $4.5-billion Malampaya gas project, the country’s largest gas producing facility.

“SPA [sale and purchase agreement] signed on Oct. 25. Expected to close in first half 2020,” the company said.

Udenna earlier announced the signing of the SPA to acquire the entire shareholdings of Chevron Malampaya LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chevron Philippines Ltd. “The acquisition of Chevron’s interest in the Malampaya gas field marks an important milestone for Udenna, fitting strategically with our long-term ambitions of developing a sustainable clean energy business in the Philippines,” Uy, Udenna chairman and chief executive, said earlier.

UC Malampaya Philippines Pte. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Udenna, signed the SPA on Oct. 25 last year to acquire 100 percent of the shares of Chevron Malampaya, which owns a 45-percent interest in the Malampaya gas field in the Philippines.

The other Malampaya consortium members are Shell Philippines Exploration BV with a 45-percent stake and state-run PNOC Exploration Corp. with 10 percent.

The Malampaya gas field is an energy asset of significant national importance, being Philippines’ largest and only commercially producing gas field. Alena Mae S. Flores

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020

Gov’t prepares euro-bond sale to avail of low interest rates

AIRASIA officially opened applications Monday for the Dare to Fly! The Allstars Cadet Pilot Program to select and train aspiring young pilots.

A partnership between AirAsia and Omni Aviation Corp., the program provides successful cadets with up to two years of technical and leadership training, with the aim of reaching the competencies required by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

“AirAsia is proud to have the best pilots in the country and we will strive to train more young cadets with our partner Omni Aviation Corporation. Through the ‘Dare to Fly! The Allstars Cadet Pilot Program’, we invite Filipinos to dare to dream with AirAsia,” said AirAsia Philippines chief executive officer Ricky Isla.

Interested applicants are required to register via the QR code and answer a free eligibility test.

Applications are open to Filipino citizens who are 21 to 28 years of age and are college graduates of any course.

Chevron expects to complete sale of Malampaya assets in 1st half

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

Phinma opens $100-m cement plant

AirAsia launches cadet pilot program

THE country’s balance of payments position swung to a surplus of $7.84 billion in 2019 from a deficit of $2.31 billion in 2018, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

It also surpassed the target of $4.8-billion surplus set by the BSP for the year.

“Based on preliminary data, the surplus was supported by higher net receipts of trade in services, personal remittance inflows from overseas Filipinos, and sustained net inflows of foreign direct investments and portfolio investments,” the BSP said in a statement.

Data showed that the BOP position posted a surplus of $1.57 billion in December 2019, lower than the $2.44-billion BOP surplus in the same month a year ago.

“Inflows in December 2019 reflected the BSP’s net foreign exchange purchases from its foreign exchange operations and income from its investments abroad, and increase in the national government’s net foreign currency deposits,” the BSP said.

The BOP position reflects the final gross international reserves level of $87.84 billion as of end-December 2019. Julito G. Rada

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor

AUTO LOANS. EastWest signs a strategic partnership with Nissan Philippines to offer superior wholesale and retail customer financing options. Through special auto loan offers, EastWest customers can now conveniently realize their dreams of owning their favorite Nissan vehicles. Signing the agreement are (from left) Edgardo Obias, Nissan Philippines Inc. general manager for marketing; Atsushi Najima, Nissan Philippines president and managing director; Jacqueline Fernandez, EastWest senior executive vice president and consumer lending head; and Jocelyn Legaspi, EastWest first vice president and auto loan sales head.

Metro Manila water rates lowest among urban centers nationwide

By Othel V. Campos WATER rates in Metro Manila are the lowest among major urban centers in the Philippines, based on the latest data from the Local Water Utilities Administration.

Data showed water costs P10.40 per cubic meter in Metro Manila, the lowest among 11 metro areas and cities across the country.

Water rates were highest in Baguio City, with consumers there paying up to P37 per cu. m. Water rates in Metro Manila were also lower than in the cities of San Jose Del Monte at P28 per cu. m.; Cagayan de Oro at P21.80; Bacolod, P20.80; Batangas, P20.50; Cabanatuan, P19.20; Angeles, P19.20; and Dasmariñas, P17.30.

Metro Iloilo and Metro Cebu also had higher rates at P15.90 per cu. m.

and P15.20 while Davao City had P13.70 per cu. m.

Some 13 million mostly low-income consumers in Metro Manila have enjoyed affordable water since distribution was privatized 22 years ago.

Manila Water and Maynilad brought down water rates from as high as P10 per cu. m. to about P2.50 per cu. m. soon after they took over from the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.

“We now have 100-percent coverage. Water runs for 24 hours. Water loss is down to 10 percent. People no longer have to queue with pails to get water. All that happened at no cost to the government, to the Philippines,” former MWSS administrator Angel Lazaro said.

Lazaro led the MWSS when the government, under then President

Fidel Ramos, privatized water distribution in Metro Manila in 1997.

Lazaro said the government had little choice but to privatize water distribution, which had been plagued by corruption, inefficiency and a bloated bureaucracy that ultimately led to a water crisis.

Back then, water coverage only reached 63 percent of the National Capital Region and water ran for just 16 hours a day. Losses due to pilferage, leakage and other factors were as high as 50 percent.

The MWSS also had to run to Congress each year to secure P300 million to P500 million to cover its shortfall.

“So, I don’t understand why I hear people saying we are putting a burden on the people. The truth is the people have been given great relief when we privatized,” Lazaro said.

THE government is preparing to issue benchmark-size euro-denominated bonds this month to take advantage of favorable interest rates and diversify funding sources.

Debt watchers S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings assigned investment grade ratings to the proposed euro bonds after the Bureau of Treasury hired Citigroup Inc., Credit Suisse Group Inc. Standard Chartered Plc. and UBS Group AG to arrange investor calls on Jan. 20.

S&P said it assigned “BBB+” long-term foreign currency issue rating to the proposed bond issuance, the same rating of “BBB+” with a stable outlook it gave to the Philippines in April 2019.

“The notes represent direct, general, unconditional, unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of the sovereign, and rank equally with the sovereign’s other unsecured and unsubordinated debt obligations,” S&P said.

S&P had a higher rating for the Philippines compared to the one issued by Fitch.

Fitch said it assigned an expected rating of “BBB” to the proposed bond issuance.

“The expected rating is in line with the Philippines’ long-term foreigncurrency issuer default rating ‘BBB’ with a stable outlook,” Fitch said.

“The rating would be sensitive to any changes in the Philippines’ longterm foreign-currency IDR,” it said.

Fitch affirmed the Philippines’ long-term foreign- and local-currency IDRs at “BBB” with a stable outlook in May 2019.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III earlier said the government was planning to price its foreign bond issuances this year at “even tighter” spreads amid expectations of a credit rating upgrade in the medium term and policy easing from global central banks.

Meralco’s 2019 power sales rose over 5%

By Alena Mae S. Flores POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. said electricity sales in 2019 grew faster than the previous year’s 5.3-percent expansion.

“Energy sales in 2019 was better than last 2018’s 5.3 percent growth,” Meralco first vice president and head of customer retail services and corporate communications Victor Emmanuel Genuino said.

Genuino did not provide full figures, but said residential sales were very strong in 2019.

Meralco expects to end the year with a core net income of P23 billion.

“There is no doubt that Meralco has performed responsively in respect of its franchise mandate to provide power at least, while maintaining highly reliable and resilient facilities. With the combined efforts of the entire organization and our subsidiaries, we expect to end 2019 with consolidated core net income of over P23 billion,” Meralco chairman Manuel Pangilinan said earlier.

The company announced an 11-percent increase in core net income to P18.5 billion in the first nine months of 2019 from P16.7 billion in the same pe-

riod in 2018.

Meralco’s reported net income, adjusted to exclude the effects of foreign exchange gains or losses and other transactions, reached P18.3 billion in the said period, up 1 percent from P18.212 billion a year ago.

The company posted a 6-percent sales growth fin the nine-month period to reach 35,005 gigawatt-hours with residential customers posting the highest growth of 8 percent, followed by commercial at 6 percent and industrial at 5 percent.

A low inflation rate of 2.8 percent in the first nine months, a more favorable interest rate environment, stable foreign remittances and a growing services sector provided the backdrop for the stable growth in sales volume.

“The 6 percent and 11 percent volume growths within the Meralco and Clark Electric franchise areas, respectively are testaments of the robust distribution systems we have built and maintained, even while we await further regulatory approvals for capital expenditures filed,” Pangilinan said.

“Manageable inflation together with increased liquidity in the financial system provides opportunities for growth across all customer segments,” Pangilinan said.

TAAL ASSISTANCE. In response to the adverse impact of Taal Volcano’s unrest, Phoenix Petroleum launches the ‘Tulong para sa Taal’ campaign to provide immediate relief to the affected families in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite. Phoenix rolls out various initiatives such as ‘Operation Wash-off’, ‘Refuel Relief’, ‘Drive and Donate’ and ‘SUPER Fam Food Drive’ in select areas.

B2

Business

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market slumps on regulatory risks

T

HE stock market plummeted Monday as investors turned nervous on reports that President Duterte will also investigate the LRT-1 concession agreement won by the groups of conglomerates Ayala Corp. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index tumbled 169.98 points, or 2.2 percent, to 7,552.60 on a value turnover of P6.3 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 130 to 64, with 44 issues unchanged.

President Duterte vowed over the weekend to look into the P65-billion concession agreement on the operations contract of the Light Rail Transit 1 awarded

to the Ayala and MPIC groups. Duterte’s warning has added to the increasing regulatory risks faced by investors.

Ayala slumped 6.6 percent to P750, while property unit Ayala Land Inc. fell 7 percent to P40.50. Unit Water Manila Water Co. Inc. also dropped 7.1 percent, while MPIC dropped 5.4 percent to P3.31.

Most Asian markets, meanwhile, were mixed Monday as investors took a step back after last week’s rally, though the mood remains upbeat after the ChinaUS trade pact was signed, while the global outlook appears a little rosier.

Focus now turns to the release of corporate earnings, with big US names including Netflix, IBM and Hyundai due to report over the coming days.

Friday’s broadly healthy Chinese data provided some reassurance to traders, indicating a growth slowdown in the world’s number two economy may have

bottomed out, and suggesting this year could see some improvement.

“We are entering 2020 on a more stable footing with economies globally stabilizing and looking like they’re turning up, and the phase one trade deal,” Anne Anderson, of UBS Asset Management, told Bloomberg TV. “So it’s a bit more positive with regard to the economic fundamentals.”

The positive sentiment helped Wall Street to chalk up more records, though there are worries the upward momentum could slow and gains could trigger some profit-taking soon.

In Asian trade, Tokyo and Sydney each ended up 0.2 percent, while Shanghai gained 0.7 percent. Seoul piled on 0.5 percent while Taipei was also up.

But Hong Kong struggled after last week’s advances and was 0.7 percent lower in the afternoon, with Singapore, Wellington, Mumbai, Bangkok and

Jakarta also in the red.

AxiTrader’s Stephen Innes said the general outlook was for further rises.

“There’s a belief that global growth will continue to pick up speed over the coming months, as significant downside risks to the global economy have been turned aside, and worries over a possible recession have diminished, with the data giving credence to the possibility,” he said in a note.

However, Michael Hewson of CMC Markets UK said there was still “an element of worry, with the resilience of the gold price speaking to a market that doesn’t necessarily want to put all of its eggs into one basket.”

Oil prices rose more than one percent on supply concerns after exports from Libya, which has been riven by fighting between rival factions since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising, were blocked after a pipeline was shut down by armed forces. With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review Monday, January 20, 2020

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

FINANCIALS 53.5 1,260 87.5 860,250 2.84 277,000 154 1,298,610 0.89 24,000 25.05 154,800 8.49 700 18.2 3,000 12.24 77,900 3.89 8,000 0.64 6,000 1.21 23,000 870 160 0.34 80,000 65 2,855,040 0.91 68,000 12 22,200 20.5 2,000 31.7 145,600 173.5 320 58 10,330 22.45 28,300 186 162,170 1,890 390 58.45 8,820 1.04 649,000

67,105 74,500,975.50 805,200 200,364,905 21,360 3,878,235 5,213 54,564 954,040 30,370 3,390 27,630 138,700 27,200 185,046,455 61,210 266,814 41,000 4,618,700 55,555 601,642.50 636,470 30,222,874 739,750 508,398 674,960

20,861,078 -36,041,077 5,020 71,400 -52,200 -73,630,844.50 -2,659,360 -298,097.50 -22,759,976 29,447 -

32.55 2.14 12 0.52 2.74 0.226 101 1.56 14.86 9.25 32.3 67 68 2.13 5.46 4.79 8.95 13.5 8.99 7.22 19.62 66 1.62 37 2.07 12.1 7.76 1.29 210 42.1 4.82 6.81 9.31 11.16 14.36 280.4 0.175 4.57 1.61 3.83 9.62 11.94 31.45 4.7 5.3 1.83 1.68 1.01 9.63 70.5 8.8 0.115 0.93 150.2 2.56 1.19 14.9 0.91

INDUSTRIAL 32.75 511,700 2.15 10,788,000 12.08 958,800 0.52 1,072,000 2.89 3,671,000 0.235 2,920,000 101 90 1.58 33,928,000 14.96 18,300 11.08 17,819,800 32.4 3,700 67 120 68 460 2.14 85,000 5.46 600 5.14 4,900 8.95 839,200 13.5 34,800 9.02 129,700 7.23 2,655,800 19.9 2,703,500 66.05 72,200 1.68 60,994,000 37 133,300 2.09 13,072,000 12.98 672,400 7.8 443,100 1.29 721,000 212.8 310,910 42.1 100 4.82 50,000 6.98 4,700 9.35 9,680,500 11.16 63,700 15 1,678,900 281 357,150 0.175 100,000 5.1 65,900 1.64 255,000 3.84 1,683,000 10 217,700 11.98 16,700 31.6 824,300 4.7 181,000 5.3 3,500 1.83 917,000 1.68 189,000 1.11 2,046,000 9.71 1,839,600 72 339,620 8.81 170,800 0.115 1,080,000 0.99 168,000 543,060 153 2.57 3,000 1.19 2,856,000 15.1 2,000 0.94 2,054,000

16,760,155 23,624,180 11,745,462 557,830 10,516,610 672,710 9,090 53,593,440 272,480 182,936,775 119,830 8,040 31,907 181,820 3,276 23,700 7,546,358 474,980 1,168,321 19,198,981 54,171,866 4,779,969.50 102,205,270 4,932,165 27,727,510 8,799,344 3,456,050 964,960 65,952,208 4,210 241,000 32,580 91,800,479 715,078 24,942,094 101,994,336 17,500 312,479 414,660 6,505,550 2,169,253 199,932 26,313,785 850,980 18,550 1,697,570 324,210 2,210,800 17,846,565 24,280,825.50 1,505,755 125,140 160,280 82,960,327 7,690 3,412,570 30,144 1,924,300

-7,394,930 1,525,820 -510,178 11,200 -19,173,750 68,504 -739,273 119,830.00 5,523,300 -1,362 193,110 14,707,156 -34,000,639 136,202 519,410 4,624,990 -931,580 -4,248,350 2,938,922 24,768,086 -5,584 -20,219,514 -66,164 -12,585,976 -69,602,528 -17,500 -203,110 -135,880 -31,922 -8,380 1,539,295 -564,000 -18,550 -298,980 -17,263,872 -2,675,311 -407,022 28,035,647 -142,800 -18,080 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

53.25 87.05 2.89 157.5 0.89 25.1 7.03 18.2 12.5 3.78 0.53 1.2 860 0.34 65.05 0.9 12.2 20.5 31.65 175 58.25 22.5 190.8 1,890 57.7 1.04

53.5 87.5 3.17 157.5 0.89 25.1 8.49 18.2 12.5 3.89 0.64 1.21 870 0.34 65.2 0.91 12.2 20.5 32.25 175 58.45 22.5 190.8 1,900 58.5 1.04

53 84.55 2.8 153.3 0.89 25.05 7.03 18.02 12.1 3.78 0.53 1.2 860 0.34 64.2 0.9 12 20.5 31.5 173.5 58 22.45 185.6 1,890 57.6 1.04

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

33 2.25 12.46 0.52 2.83 0.235 101 1.62 14.86 9.65 32.3 67 70.95 2.13 5.46 4.79 9.12 13.62 9 7.23 21.4 67 1.63 37.05 2.15 13.34 7.8 1.39 214 42.1 4.82 6.81 9.74 11.36 14.92 295 0.175 5.3 1.62 3.9 9.96 11.94 32.95 4.74 5.3 1.9 1.73 1.04 9.75 73 8.81 0.116 0.95 155 2.56 1.22 14.9 0.96

33 2.26 12.96 0.53 2.95 0.236 101 1.64 14.96 11.3 32.4 67 70.95 2.15 5.46 5.15 9.13 13.8 9.02 7.24 21.4 67.4 1.75 37.1 2.16 13.34 7.95 1.4 214.4 42.1 4.82 7 9.88 11.38 15 295 0.175 5.3 1.65 3.93 10 11.98 33.15 4.74 5.3 1.91 1.73 1.11 9.77 73 8.84 0.116 1 155 2.57 1.22 15.1 0.96

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV PRIMEX CORP PTFC REDEV CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND VISTAMALLS

0.26 0.42 1.27 2.28 49.45 27.6 2.09 3.24 40.7 2.47 1.92 7.35 5.89

0.27 0.42 1.29 2.31 49.45 27.9 2.12 3.24 40.7 2.5 2.25 7.35 5.89

0.247 0.41 1.2 2.22 49.45 26.2 2.09 3.24 39.75 2.47 1.9 7.3 5.72

0.25 0.41 1.23 2.22 49.45 26.2 2.12 3.24 39.75 2.49 2.12 7.3 5.87

52,860,000 110,000 4,243,000 710,000 300 2,863,800 25,000 15,000 9,864,400 981,000 73,710,000 8,363,000 15,200

13,531,350 45,200 5,320,840 1,612,130 14,835 76,037,500 52,410 48,600 393,734,220 2,441,490 153,511,630 61,063,758 88,744

11,050 21,160 17,760 -20,571,195 6,270 48,600 -26,046,790 -2,613,920 -4,927,853 -

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL ALLHOME APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY CEBU AIR CHELSEA DISCOVERY WORLD EASYCALL FAR EASTERN U GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRANSPACIFIC BR WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

9.81 17.5 1.33 11.44 0.42 0.045 18.3 3.32 10.74 87.5 5.33 1.79 8.99 890 2,084 5.42 1.4 1.66 131.2 9.44 7.45 0.104 3.95 1.9 12.94 2.47 0.9 13.6 0.4 3.08 2.14 1 2.58 2.27 7.4 135 2.73 1,086 0.58 0.385 39.5 78.3 9.18 2.82 0.61 0.275 0.61 18.6

9.81 19 1.33 11.44 0.42 0.047 18.3 3.32 10.8 87.8 5.5 2 9.09 890 2,084 5.42 1.53 1.66 132.9 9.44 7.45 0.104 4 1.9 12.94 2.47 0.92 13.6 0.4 3.08 2.14 1 2.65 2.27 7.45 137 2.73 1,088 0.59 0.395 40 78.55 9.2 2.82 0.62 0.29 0.63 18.6

9.4 17.5 1.32 11.3 0.405 0.044 18.3 2.92 10.52 86.45 5.33 1.79 8.7 890 2,042 5.36 1.4 1.66 130.4 8.18 7.45 0.102 3.84 1.83 12.94 2.46 0.9 12.2 0.395 3.01 2.08 0.96 2.43 2.1 7.4 134.5 2.61 1,038 0.57 0.37 39.25 76.95 9.18 2.74 0.6 0.275 0.6 18.4

SERVICES 9.4 17.92 1.32 11.34 0.405 0.046 18.3 2.97 10.8 86.5 5.35 2 8.73 890 2,046 5.39 1.52 1.66 132.9 8.18 7.45 0.102 3.84 1.83 12.94 2.47 0.92 12.34 0.4 3.01 2.1 0.96 2.49 2.25 7.45 135 2.64 1,070 0.58 0.39 39.85 78.5 9.2 2.76 0.61 0.285 0.63 18.58

20,100 573,700 20,000 1,181,100 750,000 6,500,000 155,000 3,072,000 845,700 459,080 402,600 10,000 54,600 500 61,615 241,300 8,513,000 6,000 1,870,040 4,600 300 950,000 2,831,000 155,000 1,000 33,000 297,000 2,463,600 510,000 115,000 207,000 17,000 2,160,000 51,000 9,300 370,870 155,000 159,895 1,529,000 9,700,000 908,800 84,800 140,000 768,000 5,890,000 9,980,000 537,000 3,198,700

191,247 10,301,088 26,460 13,399,290 308,800 293,200 2,836,500 9,387,220 9,057,964 39,992,529.50 2,168,062 18,720 489,458 445,000 126,143,410 1,301,888 12,680,870 9,960 246,820,334 39,392 2,235 97,370 11,136,310 286,590 12,940 81,410 269,740 31,234,992 202,700 348,590 434,010 16,570 5,519,640 111,150 68,830 50,006,775 410,950 169,862,115 890,170 3,722,150 36,023,300 6,604,917 1,287,460 2,128,810 3,592,060 2,807,750 328,400 59,449,634

1,914 219,792 20,500 2,836,500 83,680 -2,421,088 -11,845,249 106,320 11,376,330 -118,600 17,570,661 219,300 -4,230,744 -70,950 -26,320 149,850 5,380 -14,716,720 -207,310.00 40,450 694,965 -218,512 -1,780 271,450 31,608,690

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

0.0014 8.71 1.05 2.53 10.88 2.98 0.275 7.18 1.6 0.219 0.098 0.0079 0.87 3.44 1.07 0.73 0.011 0.011 2.97 9.3 21.8

0.0014 8.89 1.06 2.53 10.88 3.15 0.275 7.18 1.62 0.223 0.099 0.0079 0.87 3.46 1.07 0.74 0.011 0.011 2.97 9.5 21.8

0.0013 7.91 1.03 2.52 10.88 2.96 0.275 7.18 1.57 0.21 0.098 0.0077 0.83 3.37 1.02 0.72 0.011 0.01 2.92 8.9 21.05

MINING & OIL 0.0014 70,000,000 8.1 1,536,200 1.06 369,000 2.52 759,000 10.88 100 3.15 7,360,000 0.275 30,000 7.18 200 1.57 1,618,000 0.211 1,300,000 0.099 180,000 0.0077 162,000,000 0.83 959,000 3.41 6,084,000 1.06 24,000 0.74 51,000 0.011 800,000 0.011 24,300,000 2.94 476,000 8.92 790,700 21.5 271,400

97,500 12,504,306 386,120 1,917,550 1,088 22,664,530 8,250 1,436 2,566,660 279,550 17,780 1,247,900 817,100 20,696,260 25,410 37,170 8,800 262,600 1,397,030 7,182,912 5,812,515

3,371 -3,150 -1,641,780.00 535,780 -167,800 -592,060 -2,170,390 -929,430 -99,787 -768,985

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 CPG PREF A GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 3A PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B PNX PREF 4 SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2I

16.7 501 101.1 5.14 970 970 99.8 100 1,030 102 109 1,030 990 76.9 74.9 76.2 75.1 75.9

16.7 502 102 5.14 970 970 99.8 100 1,030 102 109 1,030 990 77.5 74.9 76.2 75.1 76

16.38 501 101.1 5.13 970 970 99.05 100 1,030 102 109 1,030 990 76.9 74.9 75.8 75 75.9

PREFERRED 16.58 80,600 502 30 102 25,640 5.13 300,000 970 10 970 180 99.05 3,990 100 24,500 1,030 500 102 100 109 160 1,030 10 990 10 77.1 13,820 74.9 2,000 75.8 14,000 75 1,400 76 27,600

1,337,004 15,040 2,608,674 1,539,040 9,700 174,600 397,969 2,450,000 515,000 10,200 17,440 10,300 9,900 1,064,959 149,800 1,062,046 105,060 2,096,660

-840,104 -1,539,040 76,950 -

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

3.96 9.62 0.93

3.96 9.9 0.93

3.9 9.56 0.9

3.9 9.58 0.91

707,980 2,270,561 2,960,490

-39,000 1,976 57,040

FIRST METRO ETF

115.6

115.6

113.5

2,278,863

80,286

USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2

10 9.95

10.1 9.95

10 9.95

55,300 17,910

-

MS

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANGLO PHIL HLDG ASIABEST GROUP ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B AYALA CORP AYALA LAND LOG COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV GT CAPITAL JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA HLDG PRIME MEDIA REPUBLIC GLASS SAN MIGUEL CORP SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.91 54 11 0.69 11.78 0.99 0.99 796 2.83 6.53 6.3 13.26 797 72.95 6.66 0.5 3.69 11.02 0.59 3.42 4.4 1.23 2.72 152.5 1,062 0.84 1.23 194 0.207 0.234

0.91 54 11.06 0.73 11.78 1.05 1.09 796 2.84 6.56 6.35 13.26 797 74 6.66 0.5 3.72 11.02 0.6 3.45 4.4 1.25 2.72 152.6 1,062 0.84 1.23 194 0.207 0.234

0.86 52.25 11 0.69 11.08 0.96 0.97 750 2.66 6.53 6.2 12.98 779.5 71.85 6.66 0.495 3.69 10.88 0.58 3.28 4.25 1.23 2.72 146 1,012 0.8 1.23 181 0.207 0.218

HOLDING FIRMS 0.89 34,907,000 52.75 483,480 11 3,122,200 0.7 910,000 11.08 18,600 1.01 3,771,000 1.02 301,000 750 284,670 2.68 7,379,000 6.54 294,000 6.35 9,129,700 13 10,500 780 97,090 74 1,012,620 6.66 300 0.495 20,000 3.71 121,000 10.9 687,200 0.6 266,000 3.31 32,911,000 4.33 23,000 1.25 14,000 2.72 2,000 148.1 240,180 1,030 219,330 0.84 75,000 1.23 1,000 181 170 0.207 100,000 0.218 610,000

8990 HLDG A BROWN ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE MEGAWORLD

14.72 0.73 1.4 0.85 43.4 1.86 4.67 6.5 0.54 0.83 0.182 0.405 9.5 18.24 0.42 1.54 1.1 4.31

14.82 0.73 1.4 0.85 43.4 1.86 4.77 6.69 0.55 0.86 0.185 0.405 9.64 18.4 0.43 1.54 1.1 4.42

14.7 0.7 1.33 0.82 40.5 1.75 4.65 6.4 0.52 0.83 0.182 0.405 9.3 17.94 0.415 1.51 1.07 4.23

PROPERTY 14.7 527,600 0.7 1,182,000 1.33 8,000 0.84 464,000 40.5 19,904,400 1.79 851,000 4.77 144,000 6.4 7,400 0.53 11,383,000 0.86 20,000 0.185 1,150,000 0.405 20,000 9.4 51,800 18 381,000 0.425 460,000 1.53 11,041,000 1.08 453,000 4.42 54,627,000

30,979,430 25,602,641.50 34,352,532 633,380 207,120 3,805,750 299,390 216,579,265 19,993,590 1,921,888 57,238,356 136,570 76,033,535 73,890,783.50 1,998 9,950 447,600 7,504,974 155,300 109,404,380 98,630 17,240 5,440 35,651,883 225,965,115 61,240 1,230 31,610 20,700 135,920

198,480 -5,623,357.50 -1,524,980 32,190 -67,178,240 -113,820 1,113,998 -26,432,625 -65,432,020 -18,746,468.50 -29,640 -3,340,070 -5,463,250 -7,446,422 -119,482,015 -

7,765,762 835,980 10,840 386,410 820,883,780 1,540,760 672,460 47,817 6,035,120 16,630 212,600 8,100 488,442 6,895,686 193,000 16,828,800 488,050 237,115,180

-1,982,784 -24,360 -213,875,255 98,280 -21,760 24,400 1,932,722 -3,648,310 10,793,380

Trading Summary FINANCIAL

SHARES 8,677,635

INDUSTRIAL

184,850,009

HOLDING FIRMS

101,474,596

PROPERTY

260,896,071

SERVICES

75,171,240

MINING & OIL

278,915,842

GRAND TOTAL

913,655,987

SME

181,000 236,100 3,231,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 113.6 19,960 10.1 9.95

DDS

5,500 1,800

VALUE 1,825.74 (DOWN) 21.17 653,932,676.00 FINANCIAL 9,366.33 (DOWN) 111.09 INDUSTRIAL 1,230,342,663.85 7,310.89 (DOWN) 164.70 HOLDING FIRMS 1,143,927,978.21 PROPERTY 3,879.29 (DOWN) 156.49 1,553.78 (DOWN) 10.24 SERVICES 1,995,846,070.35 8,045.24 (DOWN) 98.29 MINING & OIL 1,164,644,020.99 7,552.60 (DOWN) 169.98 PSEI 77,942,450.45 All Shares Index 4,474.27 (DOWN) 76.92 6,274,859,779.55 Gainers: 64; Losers: 130; Unchanged: 44; Total: 238

PSE bullish on prospects of REIT after revised rules

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Philippine Stock Exchange said it expects the Real Estate Investment Trust to finally take off after the government issued regulations covering the ownership and taxation requirements of the scheme.

PSE president and chief executive Ramon Monzon said he expects companies to start filing their REIT applications after the amended regulations becomes effective 15 days after publication.

REITs are a welcome addition to our product offerings as they will help our market become more competitive in the region,” Monzon said.

“Potential issuers and investors both retail and institutional have been looking forward to the introduction of REITs in the country given the benefits of both listing and investing in new asset class,” he added.

The Department of Finance, Securities and Exchange Commission, Bureau of Internal Revenue and the PSE launched the amendments to the regulations governing REIT in a joint signing ceremony held Monday.

The DOF and the BIR released a new revenue regulation updating the tax treatment of the REIT transactions, specially on tax incentives for REIT companies and the exemption from VAT on the transfer of the property to a REIT company for its shares of stocks, among others.

The SEC also reduced the minimum public ownership requirement to 33 percent from the previous 40 percent in the first year of listing and to 67 percent within three years.

In exchange for lower public ownership requirement, a REIT company must reinvest all the proceeds raised from the REIT offering in real estate or infrastructure projects within the country within a period of one year.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said reinvestment was aimed to ensure the funds invested by Filipinos would stay in the domestic economy and contribute to the improvement of the country’s real estate and infrastructure sectors.

The REIT law allows real estate companies to sell through an initial public offering of shares of real-estate trusts that hold assets, like shopping malls and office buildings. Since these assets generate a steady stream of income, they will pay regular dividends to shareholders.

BDO starts offer of P5b worth of fixed-rate bonds

By Julito G. Rada BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s biggest lender controlled by the Sy family, started on Monday the offering period for P5 billion worth of fixed-rate bonds in a bid to support lending business and diversify funding sources.

BDO said in a statement Monday the issuance was a component of the P100billion bond program approved by its board of directors in August last year.

“This follows the P35-billion fixed-rate bond issuance in February 2019, and is part of the bank’s continuing efforts to diversify its funding sources and support its lending activities,” BDO said.

The bonds will have a tenor of twoand-a-half years and will be priced at 4.408 percent. Interest will be paid quarterly, calculated on a 30/360 count basis. The minimum investment is P100,000 with increments of P50,000.

The offering period will run from Jan. 20, 2020 to Jan. 24, 2020, with the issue date targeted on Feb. 3, 2020. The bank reserves the right to adjust the timing of the offering as needed.

Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd. is the sole lead arranger and book-runner of the issue, while BDO Unibank Inc., BDO Private Bank Inc. and HSBC are the selling agents.

BDO is a full-service universal bank which provides a wide range of corporate and retail banking services.

Net income in the first nine months of 2019 jumped 49.3 percent to P32.1 billion from P21.5 billion a year ago, largely driven by the expansion in recurring core revenues. The profit translated into a return on common equity of 12.5 percent, significantly higher from 9.5 percent in the same period in 2018.

Customer loans increased 6 percent year-on-year to P2.1 trillion, led by the sustained growth in the middle-market and consumer segments. Meanwhile, total deposits rose 3 percent to P2.4 trillion, with low-cost current account/savings account or CASA deposits increasing by 6 percent and accounted for 72 percent of total deposits.

World

Manila

Standard

B3

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

TODAY

Dust storms, hail batter east coast of Australia

S

YDNEY―Thunderstorms and giant hail battered parts of Australia’s east coast on Monday after “apocalyptic” dust storms swept across drought-stricken areas, as extreme weather patterns collided in the bushfirefatigued country.

ANNUAL MEETING. The ski resort of Davos is seen at sunrise ahead of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum on Jan. 20, 2020. AFP

IN BRIEF China moves on takeout containers

BEIJING―China will ban non-degradable plastic bags in major cities and single-use straws from restaurants by the end of this year in a bid to cut down on waste.

The country is one of the world’s biggest users of plastic, and the plan targets a 30 percent reduction in non-degradable, disposable tableware for takeout in major cities within five years.

In a document released Sunday, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said the production and sale of disposable foam and plastic tableware will be banned by the end of the year.

The plan also outlaws non-degradable, single-use straws in the catering industry this year, while disposable plastic products should not be “actively provided” by hotels by 2022.

By 2025, the authorities said they planned to effectively control plastic pollution and cut the amount of waste in landfills of key cities, on top of setting up a management system.

The bid to contain pollution comes as decades of rapid development and a drive for convenience have created huge levels of waste.AFP

Species hit hard by bushfires

SYDNEY―Australia’s bushfires have burned more than half the known habitat of 100 threatened plants and animals, including 32 critically endangered species, the government said Monday.

Wildlife experts worry that more than a billion animals have perished in the unprecedented wave of bushfires that have ravaged eastern and southern Australia for months.

Twenty-eight people died in the blazes, which have swept through an area larger than Portugal.

Officials say it will take weeks to assess the exact toll as many fire grounds remain too dangerous to inspect.

But the government’s Department of the Environment and Energy on Monday issued a preliminary list of threatened species of plants, animals and insects which have seen more than 10 percent of their known habitat affected.

More than 80 percent of the known or likely habitats of 49 species has fallen within fire zones, while another 65 species have seen 50-80 percent of their distribution areas affected.

Sally Box, the department’s Threatened Species Commissioner, said the survey results were just a first step in understanding the potential impact of the bushfires on Australia’s wildlife.

“Some species are more vulnerable to fire than others and some areas were more severely burnt than others, so further analysis will be needed before we can fully assess the impact of the fires on the ground,” she said. AFP

Prince Harry sad at royal split

LONDON―Britain’s Prince Harry expressed “great sadness” on Sunday at the way he and his wife Meghan had to give up their royal titles as part of a separation settlement with the Queen.

“It brings me great sadness that it has come to this,” Harry said in his first remarks on Saturday’s historic agreement, made during a public address and posted on the couple’s Instagram account.

“Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible,” he told supporters of his Africa-based charity for youngsters with HIV at an event in London.

The settlement stripped Harry and Meghan of public funding and required them to repay ￡2.4 million ($3.1 million) of taxpayer’s money spent on renovating their Frogmore Cottage home near Windsor Castle.

Harry was also forced to give up the military titles and patronages he was awarded after serving two tours in Afghanistan with the British Army.

But Harry said he felt “utmost respect” for Queen Elizabeth II. “It has been our privilege to serve you, and we will continue to lead a life of service.”

“I will always have the utmost respect for my grandmother, my commander in chief, and I am incredibly grateful to her and the rest of my family, for the support they have shown Meghan and I over the last few months.”AFP

HK protest models become major hit HONG KONG―Intricately detailed Hong Kong protester figurines have become the latest must-have collectibles as toy stores recreate the pro-democracy movement’s street battles with police in their shop displays.

Stacked on shelves next to comic book superheroes, the models come in a variety of shapes and sizes, some holding make-shift shields and flags, others extinguishing tear gas rounds or playing instruments in protest orchestras.

A local figurine enthusiast and his friend designed dozens of characters based on their own experiences of attending months of protests.

Among their 1:6 scale figures are white-collar workers who hold regular lunchtime rallies outside their offices, elderly “silver-haired” protesters and a demonstrator wearing an oversize Pepe the Frog mask.

“We hope the figurines can reconstruct the situation with authenticity,” said Charlie, a 30-year-old freelance photographer by day, who asked to use a pseudonym.

Their models boast many features of the street protests, which have upended Hong Kong for the last seven months in the most serious challenge to Beijing’s rule since the city’s 1997 handover.

Slogans have been painstakingly painted onto small helmets and some models have cling-film wrapped around their arms -- a method protesters use to defend against police pepper spray.

Others have scrapes on their legs from street skirmishes and almost all have removable gas masks that have become ubiquitous during the protests.

“We want to make them as detailed as possible so that they can evoke empathy in people,” Charlie said.

Some of the parts came from the duo’s own military toy collections or were made with 3D printers.

Other elements were built from scratch.

For a reporter figurine, the pair hand-stitched a tiny camera bag while popsicle sticks have been transformed into wooden shields used by hardcore activists.

Two of their front-line figure characters― named after the lyrics of the protest anthem “Glory to Hong Kong”―have gone into mass production after the pair became a hit online.

“I want to raise peoples’ awareness within the movement and hopefully the figurines will allow more people to know what has happened in Hong Kong,” Charlie said.

Priced at about HK$900 (US$116) per set, the different parts of their products had to be manufactured in seven countries to avoid political sensitivities -- especially in mainland China.

“A water bottle or a helmet is not sensitive by itself. But after this movement began, they are seen as sensitive... This is self-censorship,” said Charlie. AFP

Australia has since October been overwhelmed by an unprecedented bushfire season made worse by climate change.

Swathes of the country have burned, hundreds of millions of animals have died, more than 2,000 homes have been destroyed and at least 29 lives have been lost.

Violent hail storms pelted the capital Canberra on Monday, with footage showing the storm ripping branches off trees.

Emergency services were warning people there to “move cars undercover and away from trees and power lines”.

The bureau of meteorology told people in the southeast of New South Wales, including Sydney, to brace for the approaching storm.

“Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging, locally destructive winds, large, possibly giant hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours,” the bureau said.

Two people visiting the popular tourist destination the Blue Mountains were taken to hospital when a 16-year-old boy was hit by lightning and a 24-year-old man suffered injuries while leaning on a nearby metal railing.

“These people are extremely lucky to be alive,” Ambulance New South Wales duty manager Greg Marshall said in a statement.

“One centimeter either way and they would have faced a direct hit, which could’ve been fatal.”

They both remain in hospital in a stable condition.

Dramatic images captured over the weekend from western New South Wales show a massive wall of dust rolling through outback towns. Locals reported being cast into darkness in the middle of the day.

“We are used to the ritual and rush of bringing in washing, turning air cons off, closing windows and doors, before a big dust storm hits,” Ashleigh Hull from the rural town of Dubbo told AFP. This one was “more spectacular” than the typical dust storm, she added.

“It was honestly like an apocalyptic movie, a huge wave coming towards us, really quite impressive, but I just wish it actually brought a good amount of rain, not dust.”

The southern city of Melbourne was also lashed by huge hailstones late Sunday.

In Victoria, where bushfires continue to smolder, heavy rainfall overnight was welcomed in fire grounds in the north, but authorities said it also brought with it new dangers. AFP Republika ng Pilipinas

National Irrigation Administration

(PambansangPangasiwaan ng Patubig) Regional Office No.III

Office Address : Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Telephone Nos. : (044) 766-2467, 766-4839, 816-6808 Website : www.region3.nia.gov.ph

Email Address: niar03@yahoo.com Telefax No. (044) 766-2467 TIN No. 000-979-570-000

Invitation to Bid Construction of Remaining Irrigation Facilities of Bulo SRIP ITB No. NIAR3-2020-BULO SRIP-1

ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS. Actress Kathryn Newton attends the 26th annual Screen Actors†Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 19, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Billionaires richer than 60% of all people DAVOS―The world’s billionaires have doubled in the past decade and are richer than 60 percent of the global population, the charity Oxfam said Monday.

It said poor women and girls were at the bottom of the scale, putting in “12.5 billion hours of unpaid care work each and every day,” estimated to be worth at least $10.8 trillion a year.

“Our broken economies are lining the pockets of billionaires and big business at the expense of ordinary men and women. No wonder people are starting to question whether billionaires should even exist,” Oxfam’s India head Amitabh Behar said.

“The gap between rich and poor can’t be resolved without deliberate inequality-busting policies,” Behar said ahead of the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, where he will represent Oxfam.

Oxfam’s annual report on global inequality is traditionally released just before the forum opens on Tuesday in the Swiss Alpine resort.

It had some astonishing statistics.

“The 22 richest men in the world have more

wealth than all the women in Africa,” it said.

If the world’s richest one percent paid just 0.5 percent extra tax on their wealth for 10 years, it would equal the investment needed to create 117 million new jobs in elderly and child care, education and health, Oxfam said.

Oxfam’s figures are based on data from Forbes magazine and Swiss bank Credit Suisse, but they are disputed by some economists.

The numbers show that 2,153 billionaires now have more wealth than the 4.6 billion poorest people on the planet.

Women and girls are burdened in particular because they are most often care givers that keep “the wheels of our economies, businesses and societies moving,” Behar said.

They “often have little time to get an education, earn a decent living or have a say in how our societies are run,” and “are therefore trapped at the bottom of the economy,” he added.

“Across the globe, 42 percent of women cannot get jobs because they are responsible for all the caregiving, compared to just six percent of men,” Oxfam figures showed. AFP

1.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3, hereby invites all interested PhilGEPS registered contractors to bid for the project, through the General Appropriations Act of CY 2020, intends to apply the sum of Thirty-Two Million Four Hundred Fifty-Seven Thousand Two Hundred Seventy Pesos and 35/100 (P 32,457,270.35) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the contract for NIAR3-2020-BULO SRIP-1. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

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

3.

Only those who submitted Document Request List (DRL) from PhilGEPS including updated company profile by the owner or its authorized liaison officer, will be accepted to participate in the bidding.

4.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 now invites bids for Construction of Remaining Irrigation Facilities of BULO SRIP located in San Miguel, Bulacan. Completion of the Works is required within Three Thirty Hundred (300) calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

5.

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

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

6.

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

7.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on January 21, 2020 to February 12, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., Monday to Friday, and February 13, 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., except holidays from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Thirty-Three Thousand Pesos (P 33,000.00).

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

8.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on January 30, 2020, 10:00 a.m. at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, which shall be open to all interested parties.

9.

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

(PST) of February 13, 2020 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on 10:00 a.m. (PST) of February 13, 2020 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

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

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

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

SGD. JOSEPHINE B. SALAZAR Regional Manager

(MS-JAN. 21, 2020)

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

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020

Makati volunteers start caring for rescued animals VOLUNTEERS sent by the Makati City government to communities affected by the Taal Volcano eruption have started feeding, and giving necessary medical and health cares to rescued animals trapped in danger zones.

The team from the Makati Veterinary Services Department was part of the city government’s 200-man relief operation contingent which served several barangays in Bauan, Batangas.

They also turned over dog and cat food, vitamins, antibiotics, and antiseptic solutions to the Batangas Provincial Veterinary Office.

Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay said aside from sending rescue and disaster response equipment, she also ordered on Sunday the deployment of personnel to help the local government units in the province rescue and treat the animals left abandoned by owners following the eruption.

“It is important to save our pets and other animals during disasters because they are also part of our families,” Binay said.

VSD chief Dr. Ma. Katherina Mangahas said the impounding vehicle has eight cages that can accommodate up to 24 medium-sized dogs.

Several netizens have shown concern for animals left near the Taal Volcano.

Photos and videos of animals, including horses and cows covered in ash, have circulated online, prompting animal rights groups and local government units to provide food and basic veterinary care for abandoned animals.

Mayor Binay earlier ordered the deployment of the city’s disaster response vehicles and equipment to Bauan to assist thousands of evacuees from localities affected.

She said the city’s Makati Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has designated a composite team to handle the transport of a super tanker, a chemical fire truck, two penetrator fire trucks, two advanced cardiac life support vehicles, a mobile clinic, a mobile shower and portalet, a vacuum tanker, two mobile kitchens, and 500 jerry cans to Bauan.

Some 1,000 blankets, pails, and dippers will also be sent as her personal donation to the victims.

Taal Volcano has been spewing ash since Jan. 12. As of press time, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Alert Level 4 remains in effect, which means a hazardous eruption is possible within days or hours. Joel E. Zurbano

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

FOR MINING. About 1,000 mine workers,

their families and supporters from Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino province, including the indigenous people groups Tuwali and Bugkalot (inset), staged a protest rally on Friday along Mendiola Peaceful Arch, asking the help of President Rodrigo Duterte in avoiding loss of livelihood of thousands of IPs — 1,500 direct jobs, 2,000 indirect jobs and 17,000 IP residents benefitting from the gold-copper mine in Didipio — through the immediate approval and signing of OceanaGold Philippines’ FTAA renewal. Norman Cruz

Makati extends tax deadline by 5 days

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

HE Makati City Council has approved a measure extending the Jan. 20 deadline of the assessment and payment of business and realty taxes in the city.

Mayor Abigail Binay said the assessment of business permits is extended until Jan. 25, while acceptance of payments for business and realty taxes is until the end of office hours of Jan. 31. She added no penalties will be imposed.

“We are giving our taxpayers more time to comply with requirements for the renewal of their business permits and payment of taxes due. We hope they will do their part to make the extension

count and serve its purpose, which is for their benefit,” Binay said.

The city chief executive reminded taxpayers of the penalties for late payments, such as a 25-percent surcharge and 2-percent interest per month of the delay until the full payment of business tax due has been settled.

On the other hand, a 10-percent discount is given to non-delinquent taxpayers of real property tax who will pay for the full year on or before the Jan. 31 deadline.

On Monday, taxpayers were treated to free lunch provided by the Business Permits Office.

According to BPO chief Atty. Maribert Pagente, about 700 meals were distributed to clients as the city’s gesture of appreciation for their efforts to put their papers in order and pay the correct taxes and dues to the city government.

Mayor Binay said frontline offices have been authorized to render overtime ser-

vices to serve taxpayers until Jan. 31.

The Business Permits and Licensing Office will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday to Friday (Jan. 20 to 24; Jan. 27 to 31), and on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 25 to 26, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Business Tax Division will be open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. until Jan. 31, and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays, Jan. 18 and 25. On Sundays, Jan. 19 and 26, it will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Realty Tax Division will be open to accept payments on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. until Jan. 31, and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Jan. 18, 19, 25 and 26).

During the same period, the Miscellaneous Tax Division will also be open to accept payments for miscellaneous fees and taxes, including professional tax payments, on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

First NVSU alumni building completed

By Ben Moses Ebreo BAMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya—The first alumni building of the Nueva Vizcaya State University campus here has been completed.

The P2.3 million, two-story building within the university compound will serve as the operations and management center of the NVSU Alumni Association Bambang Chapter.

“This is a significant project considering our plans to reach out to our alumni members in the country and abroad inorder to further institutionalize our organization for the initiation of development projects, programs and activities,” said Deomedes Ranjo, president of the NVSU Federation of Alumni Associations.

NVSU-FAA consists of graduates from the Bayombong main and Bambang campuses.

Ranjo said the NVSU Alumni Building was constructed using an initial P600,000 in funds raised by the NVSUAABC through donations, among other activities.

The fund used was further complemented through the initiative of Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Luisa Cuaresma.

“We are working out the processes needed for the NVSU Alumni Building’s proper turn-over so that we can start more works that are needed for its full occupancy, operations and management,” Ranjo said.

The NVSU Alumni Building was implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways 1st District Engineering Office under its Local Infrastructure Program Construction of Multi-Purpose Buildings regular fund.

Tulong Kapatid continues Taal relief efforts M Lhuillier funds MRF in Brooke’s Point

Over 2,500 families who evacuated from Silang, Amadeo, Tagaytay, and Alfonso in Cavite receive continuous relief distribution efforts from volunteers of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.

Roy Tomandao

THE Tulong Kapatid consortium of businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan continues its relief efforts for residents affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano.

Maynilad teamed up with the Department of Public Works and Highways to fill up their water tankers for cleaning purposes.

The water services provider also donated 1,500 pieces of 6-liter bottled water to evacuees in Calaca, Batangas, where two Static Water Tanks (SWTs) were also installed for sanitation, hygiene, and ashfall clearing.

Maynilad will station tankers in the area to continuously refill these. Various evacuation areas will also receive SWTs in coordination with the Local Government offices and Office of the Civil Defense.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.

(MPTC) continues to conduct ashfall clearing of the Cavite-Laguna Expressway. The toll road developer and operator also ensures standby water supply for windshield washing to ensure unimpeded passage of motorists.

Up to 2,500 families evacuated in the areas of Silang, Amadeo, Tagaytay, Alfonso, and Nasugbu can also expect continuous relief distribution efforts from MPTC in the next days.

Drone show wows crowd at 114th Navotas Day

A CROWD of 14,000 stood in amazement as a fleet of drones danced in the night sky to celebrate the 114th founding anniversary of Navotas.

The exhibition, held at the Navotas Centennial Park, involved some 180 drones forming various images such as the Navotas map, fish, ship and buildings that symbolized the city’s thriving fishing industry.

“Each year, we hope to give you a celebration grander than the previous one.

This is our way of thanking you for your steadfast support to our government and

your valuable contribution to our city’s progress,” Mayor Toby Tiangco said.

The drone dance was part of the Variety Show and Grand Fireworks Display conducted every Jan. 15 as penultimate event of the Pangisdaan Festival.

This year’s show featured Loisa Andalio and Ronnie Alonte, Rayver Cruz, Zephanie Dimaranan, Michael Pangilinan, Jericho Rosales, and December Avenue.

Also present were Jana Agoncillo, Kyline Alcantara, Andrea Torres, Negi and Pepay, and MC and Lassie.

The festival organizers also tapped local talents including the NavotaAs art scholars, Navotas All Stars dance group, Mutya ng Navotas 2019 Anne Tenorio and Prince of Ballads Gerald Santos.

Meanwhile, amid the merriment, Rep. John Rey Tiangco called on the public to pray for the survivors of Taal Volcano’s unrest and extend help in any way they can.

The lawmaker said donations may be brought to the City Social Welfare and Development Office at the Navotas City Hall Annex. Jun David

One Meralco Foundation (OMF) deployed its solar-powered mobile charging stations in evacuation centers while Meralco’s linemen and engineers work round the clock to immediately restore power in affected areas.

Together with TV5’s Alagang Kapatid Foundation Inc., OMF also distributed more than 3,000 relief packages to residents staying at various evacuation centers in Batangas and Cavite. It also teamed up with PLDT-Smart Foundation for its feeding missions.

PLDT and PSF distributed relief goods and hot meals to over 500 evacuees staying at Tagaytay City Integrated School in Cavite. The ongoing feeding missions are joint initiatives with OMF and AKFI, which provided the use of its truck.

Hundreds of evacuated families in sites such as Sto. Tomas Central and Primary Annex Schools were provided

by PLDT and PSF with an assortment of hygiene kits and relief goods, with fruits given specifically for children to aid in nutrition.

The telco team will continue to distribute food and personal care supplies to different evacuation centers around Batangas City within the next days.

M LHUILLIER, one of the country’s largest and most respected non-bank financial institutions, remains firm in its corporate social responsibility and environmental protection programs as it recently turned over a Materials Recovery Facility in Brooke’s Point, Palawan.

Despite the challenging weather in the province, MLhuillier officials travelled at least four hours from Puerto Princesa City to Brooke’s Point for the actual turnover of the facility to the Maquina B. Tunggal Elementary School.

The MRF will maximize the quantity of recyclables processed while producing materials that will generate the highest possible revenues in the market.

This is one of the required facilities in every school that aims to teach students how to properly segregate garbage and waste.

The Lhuillier team also distributed some giveaways that included ML Pack Bag, ML T-shirts, ML Eco bag, and ML Ballpens to the students and teachers.

The exhibition held at the Navotas Centennial Park involved some 180 drones forming various images such as the Navotas map, fish, ship and buildings that symbolized the city’s thriving fishing industry.

Jun David

Life Life

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE TUESDAY, TUESDAY,JANUARY JANUARY 21, 14, 2020

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Released into the waters WILDLIFE ON WALLS. Muralist and environmentalist AG Saño led a team of PLDT-Smart employee volunteers in painting over 3,000 square feet of plant TILLand WEanimal MEET A total 66 Olive Ridley turtle hatchlings into the ocean theyawareness were hatched in the nest onprotection. the beachfront of a premier resort in Boracay. (Photo from Mövenpick Resort and Spa Boracay) species life AGAIN. on the walls of theofcompany’s headquarters in Makativenture City. The mural aims toafter spread of environmental

T Nature on the walls

By Monica Sanchez

HE new year begins swimmingly well for some of our marine ecosystem as sea turtle hatchlings were released into the waters this January.

Following the laying of eggs of an Ol- 2 feet and weigh up to 100 lbs., making

Byive Monica Sanchez Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys oli- it the smallest of the sea turtles—along

A

vacea) on Nov. 5 last year on the beach- with Kemp Ridley.

RTIST-ACTIVIST (“artivist”) AG Saño at again.

According to the is National Geographfront of premier Mövenpick Resort and ic, environmentalist these omnivorous turtles their Spa in Boracay, a total of 66muralist hatchlings and The renowned has got used name from the message greenish color of their have finally from theirtonest on an hisemerged paintbrushes send important about skin andtoshell.

They can live up to 50 Jan.environment, 9 and were released into the ocean. the encouraging everyone make better choices The resort’s staff, with the help of years. for tomorrow.

“Olive Ridleys have nesting sites all municipal biologist Haron Deo Vargas, worked together to ensure the ap- over the world, on tropical and subtropical beaches.

Females layempowabout a proximately eggs the mothervollaid field Saño led the106 team of employee research and community hundred eggs, but may nest up to three remained safe during the 65-day incuunteers from PLDT-Smart to paint erment through environment education times year.

The nesting season is from bation period.

Mövenpick andspecies the De- and over 3,000 square feet of plant artsafor almost two decades June to December,” saysthe thedegradaNational partment of Environment andtheNatural and animal life on the walls of dig“Having seen firsthand Geographic.

Resources put up fences around the ital services company’s headquarters tion of different ecosystems and witThough widely the “most innesting Makati.area to protect it. nessing the rise of considered problems involving abundant of the marine turtles,”that the the NatIt was indeedGabay a welcome—strange, PLDT-Smart Kalikasan’s climate change, I’ve realized Geo saysthat they are in trouble even—occurrence as authorities last creatures “SmART for Nature” has its general ofcomprise naturedue havepredabefice’s frontage, Rosaonwalkvulnerable,” Saño said tors extremely and other threats.

Sadly, some are yearLegazpi cited the laying Dela of eggs Bora- come a statement. way, andshore Gallardo back awashed on by crabs, raccoons, snakes, cay’s a sign thatentrance the animal, which inpreyed Hence eachFishing of thenets animals painted in are colors, all toinbethe name and of spreading sharks. also pose harm known solitary lay eggs in and an frequently armor. awareness and engaging the beach public despite to do wears as they snag and drown these hidden areas, trusted the He explained, “Since their natural something ourwho environment. turtles. the manyabout people flock to it. mechanisms not enough to The animals thriving Meanwhile, in are Noveleta, Cavite, Anmural Olive features Ridley can grow only about defense in nature wearing armors. Saño said the protect them from the dangers that humural, and other murals he has created, mans created, the armors that cover the were born after being exposed to the animals throughout the ‘SmART for

Nature’ mural symbolize the need for more protection.”

The concept can also be seen in Saño’s another mural in Paseo de Roxas underpass, entitled “Art in Defense of Nature.” He has painted over 700 murals in 16 countries; his body of work showcases his passion for environmental protection.

Representing the environmental

stewardship pillar of PLDT-Smart’s ments #SaveOurHome, #SmartPlanet, newly established Sustainability Of- and #SustainableEnterprise—referring to fice, Gabay Kalikasan upholds the PLDT Group’s various business units. concept behind Saño’s creation and “The impact of climate change affects encourages the public to make better everyone pervasively. This includes our Residents, young of Barangay San Rafael IV in choices for tomorrow—acknowledgsafety,and ourold, health, our existence, hence Noveleta, Cavite help the Leatherback Sea Turtle hatchlings ing that better environmental practic- the need to raise environmental awarego to their natural habitat. (Photo by Dennis Abrina) es are crucial to sustain the services ness through the mural,” said PLDTthat nature provides.

Smart chief sustainability officer Chaye The mural also features the state- Cabal-Revilla.

about 44 Leatherback Sea Turtle (Der- hatchlings, which hopefully survive un- They are carnivores.

The locality also follows the Promochelys coriacea) hatchlings were re- til their expected life span of 45 years.

“Ito po isang patunay na ang dalam- vincial Environment and Natural Released on Jan. 13 in a bid to ensure the pasigan dito sa Long Beach ay malinis sources Office’s information campaign conservation of marine turtle species.

The hatchlings went into the waters sa pagtutulungan ng local government to save the sea turtles which are now in from Long Beach Resort in Barangay unit and Barangay San Rafael. Unti-un- its vulnerable stage due to irresponsible ti nang bumabalik ang sigla, umaasa po killing for meat and illegal trade of its San Rafael IV. According to Ed Chavez, head of ang inyong lingkod na darami pa ang shell and other body parts, according to Health Hazard Network.

Noveleta Municipal mga pawikan na mangingitlog sa pam- Wildlife Resources Conservation and The DOH said exposure Environment to ashfall andresult Natural Resources, the eggs were pang ng Noveleta para maging marine Protection Act. RA 9147. may in throat irritation, coughIn addition to human activity, Leathburied in the sandillness, of the discomfort resort where sanctuary ang Bayan ng Noveleta.” ing, bronchitis-like while eye irritation, theybreathing, eventually hatched andand set miout to (This is proof that the water in Long erbacks fall victim to fishing lines and northe skin problems. sea.

Beach is clean, thanks to the coopera- nets, struck by boats, or die when they The World Organization in the Prior to Health the release, authorities led a tion between the local government unit ingest floating plastic debris mistaken Philippines seconded, adding folks, trauma short meeting with village pre- and Barangay San Rafael. With this de- for jellyfish. andsenting injuries, skin burns andabout irritation, “We are hoping that all of them surbrief information the ma- velopment, I hope that more turtles will andrine gastrointestinal problems to the ad- in lay eggs in Noveleta so that hopefully vive and we are looking forward to sea turtles and their importance verse volcanic eruptions. the effects marineof biodiversity. we become a marine sanctuary), Chua see them again soon when these sea PHIVOLCS, WHO, andChua DOHand share turtles go back where they hatched Mayor Dino Reyes Cav- said in an interview. theitefollowing reminders on whatTirona, to do a City Councilor Edmund Leatherbacks are the largest turtle to lay their eggs in same area here,” during andWildlife after ashfall: and stay indoorsup unless necessary during Tirona saidashfall. hopefully during an interCavite Enforcement Officer of Stay oncalm Earth, growing to 7absolutely feet long the Cavite Province, led the release of and weighing up to 2,000 pounds. view. With Dennis Abrina

What to do during and after ashfall MORE than an inconvenience, a nuisance, ashfall, which currently plagues Calabarzon and Metro Manila, poses potential health risks.

The Department of Health on Sunday told the public to be vigilant about the conditions that may arise after the exposure to volcanic ash, after the Taal Volcano in Batangas spewed an ash column which prompted the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to raise its status to Alert Level 4 (“hazardous eruption” may occur within hours to days).

Volcanic ash consists of very fine particles of rock. According to the US National Weather Service, it is abrasive and corrosive thus can irritate eyes and lungs, cause minor to major damage to vehicles and buildings, contaminate water supplies, disrupt sewage and electrical systems, and damage or kill vegetation.

“Ash is different from ordinary house dust. Its sharp, crystalline structure causes it to scratch and abrade surfaces when it is removed by wiping or brushing,” said the International Volcanic

Olive Ridley is the smallest sea turtle, growing only about 2 feet and weighing up to 100 lbs.

DURING

AFTER

New imaging system to improve CT experience

• Stay calm and stay indoors unless absolutely • Wear effective dust mask or wet cloth and necessary. goggles before undertaking clean-up operations.

• Wear masks that block small particles of ash— • Take caution when walking outside as volcanideally N95 mask or company damp cloth. ic ash can be slippery.

HEALTH technology Royal Philips has recently that today’s healthcare organizations face,” said Philips Philunveiled new CT (computed platform, country manager Chari.

• Wearaprotective eye gear, tomography) especially when go- ex- ippines • Carefully scrape theAshwin ash from the roof of house panding its diagnostic imaging portfolio.

CT’sdamage.

70 kV scan mode allows for improved ing outside. orThe carIncisive to prevent The Incisive CT aims to help imaging low-contrast detectability and confidence at • Close doors and windows of house and car.

• Moisten the ash with sprinkler, use shovels to departments and healthcare organilow dose for patients.

• Place damp towels or cloth on door opening remove thick deposits or stiff brooms forwith lesser zations meet their most pressing It also seamlessly integrates Philips and other open areas to avoid infiltration. amounts. financial, clinical, and operational IntelliSpace Portal to offer post-processing for complex cases, enabling radiologists to access goals.

• Keep pets in closed shelter • Keep collected ash in heavy-duty plastic It• integrates innovations in imagadvanced analysis tools in one comprehensive Avoid low-lying areas and those downwind bags or containers, don’t dump in gardens or ing, workflow, and lifecycle manfrom the volcano. roadside. system. agement, helping healthThe new imaging system also supports a Observe improve traffic notifications and road safety • When cleaning inside,ofopen all doors and win-across care• providers the high level scanning consistency measure. dows to promote ventilation.

CT experience for patients different members of the system’s operating news for updates.

• Use soaked cloth for showing glass, porceand• Listen staff, toenable smart team, withora sponge recent study the system clinical decision-making, andto be consumed are safe. reduced examination time by 19 percent.

• Ensure food and water lain, and acrylic surfaces.

Those covered with fabincrease efficiency.

It canunder also berunning combined with Philips’ DoseCover water containers to avoid contamination. rics must be rinsed water.

“Today, a CT system is much more Wise Portal, a web-based dose monitoring • Have the car and air conditioner professionally than just an advanced diagnostic tool. solution that collects, measures, analyzes, and cleaned. reports patient and staff radiation exposure, asIt’s a diagnostic imaging cornerstone The Incisive CT helps improve as Carefully follow guidelines in cleaning up after ashfall; it is best to wear masks and goggles when • Ensure water is clean before drinking.

Thecleaning. new imaging system aims to improve CT experience for patients and staff, providing that provides answers to pressing finansisting in control of quality of care, efficiency, diagnostic imaging in cial, clinical, and operational challenges

healthcare organizations.

and patient and staff safety.

more efficient results.

Photos By Nico Candelario

Life

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

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S PART of its commitment to aid in mitigating plastic wastes, leading consumer goods company Procter & Gamble Philippines, together with World Vision Development Foundation Inc., has successfully implemented the school-based Pag-asa sa Basura program.

School-based program promotes proper solid waste management

The environmental sustainability program aims to collect and upcycle plastic sachets into school chairs, trash bins, and other useful products.

For its pilot run, Pag-asa sa Basura has partnered with 26 public schools in Malabon and Quezon City for the collection of used plastic sachets and plastic bottles in their respective communities.

Within the first three months of the program, the schools were able to recover over 2.3 million plastic sachets and more than 700,000 hard plastic bottles. In return, each student received incentives for every sachet and bottle collected.

The program, aside from enabling plastic recovery and recycling, aims to promote the importance of proper solid waste management. P&G and World Vision rehabilitated the schools’ materials recovery facilities, and trained teachers and students on proper waste segregation, upcycling, and circular economy.

Pag-Asa sa Basura is a school-based environmental sustainability program that aims to collect and upcycle plastic waste into school chairs and other useful products.

“As we continue to take progressive action to mitigate plastic wastes, we aim to champion sustainable innovations through our brands and manufacturing, and empower Filipino communities to be part of the solution through recycling, upcycling, and other waste diversion initiatives,” said P&G communications head Anna Legarda-Locsin.

“The Pag-asa sa Basura program is one of the ways we collaborate with stakeholders and consumers for environmental sustainability,” she added.

P&G and World Vision’s program was able to orient over 3,000 students and teachers in Malabon and Quezon City on RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Law. Alongside the workshop, Pag-asa sa Procter and Gamble and World Vision provided schools in Malabon and Quezon City with materials recovery facilities and training on proper waste management. (Photos from World Vision) Basura helped establish 21 Solid Waste Management Committees in Malabon management more effectively inside wastes in our community through recy- their homes as well,” shared Catmon to recover more used sachets and botand five committees in Quezon City, their campuses and homes. cling and upcycling. More importantly, Integrated School Malabon YES-O co- tles in the coming months and prevent equipping students and faculty mem“P&G and World Vision helped sig- this program motivated our students to ordinator Genmart Alejandro. plastic wastes from ending up in oceans bers knowledge on practicing waste nificantly reduce the amount of plastic practice proper waste segregation in P&G and World Vision are expecting or landfills.

Carry with pride THERE are perhaps a few things much more special than these cloth bags. They are colorful, creative, and empowering.

Southstar Drug, in partnership with Project Inclusion Network and Goodwill Industries of the Philippines, launched the Drop the Prefix Advocacy bags to enable Persons with Disabilities to explore their full potential and spread awareness of acceptance and care among the general public.

Each canvas bag was carefully crafted by chosen persons with disabilities; an avenue for informing people about

the plight of the artists and other people like them.

“We believe that everyone should be valued and appreciate one’s uniqueness, capability, and ability.

With this project, we are able to help our society not just by delivering healthcare but also by providing love and care to everyone,” share Christine Tueres, general manager of South Star Drug, Inc.

Southstar Drug’s Drop the Prefix Advocacy bags made by chosen persons with disabilities.

Sanitary products manufacturer Grohe steps up its initiatives to finally reach its goal to become carbon-neutral this 2020.

HEALTH BULLETIN

Early combination treatment better for newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes A NEW study found that early intervention with a combination therapy of vildagliptin plus metformin provides greater and durable long-term benefits compared with the current initial metformin monotherapy for patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

This was the initial key finding of Verify, a unique study designed to determine durability, over a pre-specified five-year follow-up of early use of combination therapy strategy with vildagliptin-metformin.

The study was conducted across 254 centers in 34 countries, and involved 2,001 diverse individuals recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes whose HbA1c (hemoglobin A1c) ranged between 7.5 and 6.5 and who had not yet been prescribed treatment.

“We all know that early treatment intensification to achieve good blood glucose control is crucial to delaying diabetic complications.

What we’re not yet certain was whether early combination therapy would be more beneficial than an ad hoc sequential process starting with metformin monotherapy, knowing that the majority of type 2 diabetes patients over a period of three years are going to experience treatment failure,” said Professor Merlin Thomas, endocrinologist and kidney specialist at the Department of Diabetes of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia “Not anymore. Verify clearly shows that investing in early combination therapy pays big dividends in terms of less treatment failures over the long term,” added Thomas.

According to one of the study directors, Dr. Päivi Paldánius, “Previous studies on type 2 diabetes have been repeating the same pattern, and not really focusing on the clinically relevant questions and clinical situations that doctors face.”

“With Verify,” the Novartis Worldwide

brand medical director for diabetes said, “we are finally asking the right questions and getting marvelous answers.”

Verify showed that early combination therapy of vildagliptin (50 mg, twice daily) and metformin (individually, 1000-2000 mg, daily) resulted in a statistically significant 49 percent reduction in the relative risk for time to initial treatment failure, versus metformin alone.

Treatment failure is defined as HbA1c of 7 percent or higher, twice consecutively, 13 weeks apart. The combination treatment strategy also showed a lower frequency of secondary failure when all patients were receiving combination therapy.

Furthermore, patients treated with early combination had consecutively lower HbA1c levels (below 6, 6.5, or 7 percent) for five years versus those receiving combination therapy only after metformin monotherapy failure.

The major strength of the study is the selection of a geographically distributed diverse, multi-ethnic population and long-term duration A new study found a much more effective therapy strategy for patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

of five years for all the participants. The study design ensures the generalizability of the trial results and provides guidance in clinical decision making for the increasing number of people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

“In designing the study, we thought about what was actually needed to make a difference in the management of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a worldwide epidemic, so we decided to go to every continent and ethnic group, as well as countries with different kinds of healthcare systems, from the most advanced to the very basic,” explained Dr. Paldánius.

Professor Thomas and Dr. Paldánius were in Manila recently for the Philippine launch of the Verify study.

“There are an estimated 3.8 million Filipinos with type 2 diabetes. We hope that the promising results of the Verify study can help improve patient outcomes and type 2 diabetes treatment,” said Jugo Tsumura, country president and managing director of Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

The road to zero IN A bid to become the first leading manufacturer of sanitary products to achieve carbon-neutral production by 2020, Grohe has once again stepped up its pledge with “Grohe goes Zero” initiative, where all five production plants worldwide as well as the logistics centers in Germany were converted to run on green electricity in July of this year.

By April, the manufacturer will offset unavoidable CO2 emissions through two compensation projects, namely, the clean energy through hydropower in Pradesh, India and repairing damaged boreholes in Malawi.

Clean energy through hydropower The project is located on the Satluj River between Karcham and Wangtoo in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. As a hydropower plant, the project uses the river’s natural flow to generate energy.

More importantly, there is no reservoir in which the water is temporarily stored, thus the potential negative environmental impacts of water storage are avoided. In the underground turbine house, four Francis turbines are driven by the

power of the river water before the water is returned to the river bed below.

All the power generated by the power plant is fed into the North Indian transmission grid and replaces conventionally generated electricity, which mainly comes from coalfired power plants.

Repairing damaged boreholes In the project’s districts of Dowa and Kasungu in Malawi, half of the population lives without access to clean drinking water. Part of the problem is that around one third of the existing boreholes can’t be used due to wear and tear.

This is the reason why Grohe supports a project that repairs damaged boreholes and improves the living conditions for the people based in the area. Most boreholes are operated by a hand pump. Generally, the pumped water is clean and can be consumed without any additional treatment. This also reduces carbon emissions, since water would otherwise be purified using fuel to boil it.

In addition, the project also makes it possible to set up financing mechanisms to ensure the boreholes are maintained in the longterm, securing the water supply.

Entertainment

Truefaith, feng shui guru topbill CNY at Winford

Truefaith is one of '90s most accomplished bands

T

his year, Chinese New Year falls on Jan. 25 and Winford Manila Resort & Casino (WMRC) is set to usher in the Year of the Metal Rat with a celebration featuring iconic OPM band Truefaith, celebrity feng shui expert Master Hanz Cua, and a showcase of traditional ceremonies and performances to mark the auspicious occasion.

Festivities begin at 2:00 p.m. with a ceremonial eye-dotting activity, followed by the traditional lion dance and a merry percussion-heavy parade around the property before culminating at the hotel lobby entrance.

At 7:30 p.m., Master hanz Cua takes the reins of an eye-opening seminar to share valuable insights and the good fortune each of us can expect from the Lunar New Year through his feng shui readings. seminar admission is free of charge.

Wrapping up the full day activities is a not-to-be-missed concert by Truefaith, one of the country’s most iconic bands, who broke into the local music scene back in 1993 with their infectious hit, “Perfect.” since then, Truefaith has released numerous albums, performed gigs locally and abroad, earned countless accolades, and produced hits such as “Kung OK Lang sa’Yo,” “huwag Na Lang Kaya?,” “Alaala,” “Paano Ka

Pageant Concept...

From C4

Goldman, an 18-year-old FilAmerican beauty from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, fulfills her dream of becoming a seasoned and accomplished beauty queen, denied her by the Miss Tourism international organizers by virtue of her having not a resident of the country, the Philippines, which she is representing.

Goldman hopes to surpass or duplicate fellow Mutya April Short’s Top 12 finish in World Top Model held in Monte Carlo, Monaco, last December, not to be confused with the 27th Top Model of the World, staged by the World Beauty Organziation, which Goldman is competing in.

Goldman said that she got some pointers from short, especially, in her walk to make it fiercer.

The statuesque Goldman, who aspires to become a doctor, has decided to pursue her studies in Cebu, her mother’s hometown. she went to sacred heart school - Ateneo de Cebu in Mandaue City before high school in Arbor View high school in Nevada. she works as a model at shutter Models/ Model Management.

The 5-foot-9 teener is the sister of Trevor goldman who recently won as Mr. World Noble King 2019. *** giving underprivileged children education Elite Mrs. Philippines international 2020 Michelle Vitug Encarnacion is

Magiging Akin?,” and “Dahil ikaw,” its 11th album, Eleven, will soon be released by Viva Records.

Bannered under the Saturday Special concert series held at hippodrome Bar & Lounge, Truefaith live at WMRC is free for casino floor viewing for all members and guests 21 years and above.

For a more intimate concert experience, ViP tickets are available for only P1,250 nett per person. Each ticket includes a prime seat near the stage and is inclusive of food and drinks.

No Lunar New Year celebration would be complete without a smorgasbord of gastronomic delights.

Filipino-spanish fusion restaurant Copa de Manila, located on WMRC’s ground floor, has got that covered in spades with an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Available for lunch and dinner, other highlights include carving and pasta stations, a salad bar, and the freshest

stepping up efforts to pursue her advocacy on helping provide free education for poor and underprivileged children while she prepares for the Elite Mrs. international 2020 beauty pageant to be held in singapore sometime this year.

The 42-year-old Bicolana mother and businesswoman, is the president and CEO of Belmere skin Care Centre. she strongly supports the sMiLE (share More in Love and Effort) charity of Onesimo Foundation, a Christ-centered ministry foundation, with license from the Department of social Welfare Development, which houses poor children.

“Let’s give back, to be an instrument to do good and make a difference in other’s lives, especially poor children,”

Feng shui expert Hanz Cua

seafood you can feast on to your heart’s desire.

Choi Garden Manila on WMRC’s second floor completes the Chinese New Year experience with a comprehensive selection of authentic Chinese cuisine, right in the heart of Greater Manila. Dinein customers are invited to take advantage of Choi Garden Manila’s ongoing promo: 50 percent off all dim sum between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., seven days a week.

Visit www.winfordmanila.com for more information or call the hotline at +63 (2) 8528-3600 for inquiries. Follow Winford Manila on Facebook, Twitter, and instagram for the latest updates on special events and promotions.

said Encarnacion who plans to expand the “Lapis at Papel” project that she started in her hometown in Albany.

The initiative aims to provide education to children living in depressed areas in the province through various programs.

Being true to her passion and heart’s desire, Encarnacion plans to retire once she reached 50 and devotes her time while still strong to her work to help the children. The philanthropist beauty queen gets help from Jovita Laureola of Belmere skin Care Center, Prof. Alex Moico, Miss Fashion World international 2019 sharmaine Magdasoc, Mr. international Philippines Kevin Baloaloa, Miss Earth Air 2018 Melanie Mader, and actor Richard Quan.

tuesDAY, JANuARY 21, 2020

C3

Losing doesn’t change Aga AgA Muhlach’s acting talent has long been recognized by the industry. Looking at his track record, he started out as a popular matinee idol in the early ‘80s, until he remarkably transformed into a critically-acclaimed thespian in the passing of times.

Aga has already bagged numerous Best Actor trophies from the different award-giving bodies in the country like the FAMAs, Gawad Urian, star Awards, Luna Awards, Metro Manila Film Festival, Golden screen Awards, Maria Clara Awards and Young Critics Circle.

Among his award-winning performances are for the potboilers: Napakasakit, Kuya Eddie(1986), Joey Boy Munti (1991), Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal (1992), May Minamahal (1993), Hindi Kita Malilimutan (1993), Sinungaling Mong Puso (1993), Sana Maulit Muli(1995), Kung Ako na Lang Sana (2003), Dubai (2005), In the Name of Love (2011), Of All the Things (2012), and Seven Sundays (2018). interestingly, before the start of the recently-concluded 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival, many were saying that he was a shoo-in for the Best Actor plum for his heart-tugging performance in Miracle in Cell No. 7, which incidentally, was also the official topgrosser. however, come awards night, he lost to Allen Dizon who was chosen for his work in Mindanao. Due to this, people got curious as to how he felt about such development.

“Of course, who wouldn’t want to win, right?” says Aga. “But in the many years that i stayed in the ‘biz, i’ve learned not to expect.”

The actor recalls that his past experiences taught him how to accept results of awarding ceremonies. “i’ve had my share of such feeling before. When i was younger, yes, i would admit that there were instances when i really expected. You wanted so bad to win in this award-giving body then as it turns out, you’d lose. Of course, you’ll get sad and disappointed so i’ve conditioned myself not to expect anymore.”

For Aga, what matters is that the public appreciates and supports his offerings.

“That’s right! The trophies? i’ve learned not to take them seriously. For me, the real trophy is when the people watch and enjoy my films.”

The popular actor points out though that he still likes to win acting awards in the future.

“Oh, yes, i like that. You’re in high heavens in that moment when your name is called to come up on stage. But when you lose, it shouldn’t change you.”

When it comes to his recent loss to Allen, Aga remains positive and

optimistic. “i’ve always been happy for any of my co-nominees who would bag the award. in this case, Allen got it. i’m happy for him. i’m like, ‘Wow! i know that feeling.” “it’s simply inexplicable. so to Allen, my sincerest congratulations. There’s nothing wrong really if he got the award. it’s just okay with me,” he states. *** This early, John Prats already senses that his three-year-old daughter Feather has inclinations to enter the ‘biz. “she loves to sing and dance.

Whenever she watches me in Ang Probinsyano, she says she also wants to see herself on television. i remember myself in her when i was a kid. i also wanted to see myself on TV. That motivated me to go into show business,” he avers.

Curiously, will he allow his children to enter showbiz at a young age?

“As much as possible, no. As of now, i want them to prioritize their studies.

John Prats with wife Isabel Oli and children Feather and Freedom

That’s what I found difficult when I was young—to balance my studies with my showbiz career. There were things that i had to sacrifice as a kid. In their case, I want them to experience such stuff,” he relates.

“Eventually, when they grow up and they want to try showbiz, i can’t do anything about it. it’s their choice. i’m just here to support them. But for now, i want them to enjoy a normal childhood.”

John knows the uncertainties of show business.

“Not everyone is blessed to stay long in the field. Like me, I’m thankful because i’m already on my 28th year here. But not everybody will be as blessed. i want my children to have longterm goals through formal studies.

Like if they want to be a doctor, i will support t h e m .

That’s long-term. it’s every parent’s concern that his children are secured with their future, which cannot be said of the ‘biz due to its unpredictability,” he ends.

Seasoned screen actor Aga Muhlach

Asia’s...

From C4

Michelle Vitug Encarnacion (center) during her crowning as Mrs. Philippines International 2019

nickie.standard@gmail.com

‘‘i told myself that to be nominated is already enough and to be recognized all around Asia along with these beautiful and brilliant actors. But the biggest blessing for me is to be able to represent my country, the Philippines,” Del Rosario said in his acceptance speech.

Mystified, iFlix’ first Filipino original movie, won the Best single Drama or single Movie category.

Manny V. Pangilinan, the chairman of TV network TV5, was the recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Asian Television special award. Jane Basas of TV5 received the award for Pangilinan. “it is a validation for a journey that— about a decade ago—many thought as foolish to embark. We invested as a

third player in a two-network town at the crux of unpredictable and rapid seismic changes in content creation, consumption, and human behavior. it would not have been a worthwhile adventure though if we did not have moments of trepidation,” Pangilinan said in the speech that was delivered by Basas at the awards night.

The 24th Asian Television Awards ended the three-day spectacle with a sundown Concert on January 12 that was headlined by some of the country’s best acclaimed and young performers—including singers Jona, Morisette, Kiana Valenciano, and Martin Nievera, among others. international acts who performed at the concert include K-Pop girl group Cherry Bullet and indonesian singersongwriter Anggun, who also received the special award for Outstanding Contribution to Asian Television Performing Arts.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2020

Rapper Eminem surprised fans by dropping a new album featuring a strong anti-gun violence theme but also stoking the kind of controversy that brought him fame.

Eminem album urges gun control, sparks anger over bomb lyric GUESS who’s back?... Rapper Eminem surprised fans Friday by dropping a new album featuring a strong anti-gun violence theme but also stoking the kind of controversy that brought him fame.

On the album, one track called “Darkness” tells the story of a loner going on a shooting spree, while another song, “Unaccommodating,” has triggered outcry and muddied the veteran singer’s call for gun control.

The song references the 2017 deadly bombing at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, Britain, which left 22 people dead.

“But I’m contemplating yelling ‘bombs away’ on the game like I’m outside of an Ariana Grande concert waiting,” the 47-year-old artist, born Marshall Mathers, raps on the track.

The lyric was met with scorn on social media, with some users dubbing it “disgusting” and “trash.”

The new album, called “Music to be Murdered by,” features appearances from the late rapper Juice WRLD, along with Q-Tip, Ed Sheeran, Anderson, Paak, and regular collaborator singer Skylar Grey.

Dr. Dre is credited throughout as a pro-

Asia’s best and brightest shine in Manila-hosted 24th ATA

ducer.

Eminem released his last album Kamikaze in 2018 in a similar sudden fashion.

That album included several attacks on President Donald Trump.

The rapper also released Friday a video for “Darkness” that featured audio and footage from the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas, the deadliest US gun massacre carried about by an individual in modern history.

It ends urging viewers to register to vote: “Make your voice heard and help change gun laws in America,” closing text reads. AFP

It takes THREE to TANGO

THAI CONTINGENT. Thailand’s most promising stars, led by Best Actress Tisanart Sornsuek (2nd from right) of 'True Life of a Drama Queen,' graced the 24th edition of Asian Television Awards and walked home bagged some of the top awards in the acting category.

IT WAS a celebration of the region’s best and brightest when the 24th Asian Television Awards was held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater at Resorts World Manila in Pasay City on Jan. 10 to 12.

This was the first time the celebrated awards festival, considered as the region’s most prestigious gathering of Asian TV celebrities and professionals, was held in the Philippines since its founding in 1996.

Overall, almost 60 awards were given out during the three-day awards festival that saw over 300 actors, filmmakers, TV directors and producers gracing the event.

During the Technical and Creative Awards Night of the 24th Asian TV Awards on Jan. 10, the Philippines’ Synergy 88 Entertainment Media Inc. won the Best 2D Animated Program award for their show Barangay 143, which the company considers as the “first Filipino anime.” It aired on TV network GMA-7.

“This award is not just for us. It is for all talented Filipino animators out there,”

Tyra Goldman competes in Top Model of the World in Egypt

AFTER getting disqualified in the Miss Tourism International 2019 pageant, former Mutya Pilipinas-Tourism International 2019, Tyra Rae Goldman gets to compete abroad when she vies for the titleTop Model of the World 2019.

The competition is currently being held in Hurghada, Egypt and finals will be on Jan. 24. Continued on C3 Tyra Goldman, who was unable to compete in the Miss Tourism International competition in Malaysia due to citizenship restrictions, is representing the Philippines at Top Model of the World contest.

Synergy 88 programs manager Jan Kristoffer Enriquez.

Catherine Yap-Yang of cable news channel ANC won the Best News Presenter or Anchor award.

Yang, who had won the Best TV Newscaster award at the Asian Television Awards from 2001 to 2003, is the anchor of the ANC show Market Edge with Cathy Yang.

Meanwhile, the best and brightest actors and programs from Asia were honored during the Awards Ceremony on Jan. 11.

Among the highlights of the night include Filipino actor Martin del Rosario winning the Best Leading Male Performance - Digital category for his role as the transwoman Barbs in the series Born Beautiful. He bested three other actors from Thailand, including popular actors Teeradon Supapunpinyo and Krissanapoom Pibulsonggram of Line TV’s The Great Men Academy.

1 FOR 3. Mark Bautista, Aicelle Santos, and Christian Bautista band together to produce and stage a pre-Valentine show happening on Feb. 1 at The Theatre at Solaire.

F

OR stage director Paulo Valenciano, doing a show is not just all about business.

For him, it’s more rewarding and he feels more inspired to do a concert when it has something to offer than good performances—it has to have a statement. “ Well it’s good that we earn, or that we make money, but without a statement, the key message that we are trying to say, it’s just business, there’s no takeaway. Those are the kinds of projects that are so tiring, I easily get burnt out with those kinds of projects,” the 35-year-old son of Gary V said during the press conference for a pre-Valentine show featuring the vocal talents of Christian Bautista, Aicelle Santos, and Mark Bautista.

Christian, Aicelle, and Mark come together for a night of vocal prowess—mixing pop, jazz, and a pinch of theatrics—for their concert dubbed as 1 for 3 on Feb. 1 at The Theatre at Solaire.

“But you know, seeing them meet late at night when they’re free, that’s

how we’ve been meeting since months ago, we say, ‘let’’s figure this out.’ I love that they have that mindset, you guys are asking about their TF (talent fee), I witnessed them in that conversation where the tree of them said, ‘You know what, let’s forget about the TF, let’s just make this a beautiful show,” Paulo shared.

“Man, when I hear things like that, or when I work with people like them, it really drives me to make it the best possible show that we can make. There’s not a lot of artists like them in the industry that’s why I’m really excited to do this show,” he continued.

The three music stars are celebrated for having left their imprint on the international stage, each one recognized for various artistic endeavors in the industry and applauded for possessing a voice that withstand the test of time.

Stage and concert director Paolo Valenciano

“But the best thing about them, this concert is something they came up with as producers, as well as long-time performers and friends,” Paolo said of the three artists’ passion to stage the concert.

For Christian, they designed the concert to showcase what they have become as singers and stage performers and how their music evolved to stay relevant.

“The concert will show who we are now, what we can do and what we can’t do now.

And even our personal lives have changed so the show will feature a lot of things other than our voices. That’s what people should expect from us,” Christian said.

At present, Christian, Aicelle and Mark are part of GMA’s newest musical-comedyvariety show All-Out Sundays.

Under the helm of musical director Mel Villena, 1 for 3 is set to feature songs that promise to move, enthrall, and spark joy among the audience.

1 for 3 is presented by Solaire Resort & Casino in cooperation with PLDT Home.

For tickets, call the TicketWorld hotlines at at (+632) 8891.9999 or visit their website atticketworld.com.ph.