Manila Standard - 2019 June 25 - Tuesday

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VOL. XXXIII • NO. 131 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PAGSA-SAN JUAN FESTIVAL. Every June 24, residents of Barangay Bibiclat in the rice-growing town of Aliaga in Nueva Ecija, get themselves throbbing with a religious merrymaking called Taong Putik Festival celebrated to honor their patron, Saint John the Baptist—smearing themselves with mud and dressed in dry banana or coconut leaves to emulate the man who baptized Jesus Christ. Jhun Dantes/GMA News Online

DFA chief, VP swap insults over passports

By Rey E. Requejo and Rio N. Araja FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Monday rebuked Vice President Leni Robredo for questioning his order to cancel the courtesy diplomatic passports issued to former Department of Foreign Affairs secretaries and diplomats.

Calling Robredo “boba” (stupid), Locsin tore into the vice president for saying the cancellation of diplomatic passports unjustly punished Filipinos and was synonymous to siding with China.

“Hey, Boba. That is precisely why I have ordered the cancellation of all courtesy diplomatic passports because I refuse to single out Del Rosario,” Locsin said on his Twitter account—referring to former Foreign secretary Albert del Rosario, who was detained and denied entry to Hong Kong while using a diplomatic passport.

“Will someone please do her the kindness to give her a brain? Here I am trying to do what’s right, which is to restrict diplomatic passports to real existing working diplomats so as not to

PH-China joint probe avoids poaching issue

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

T

HE joint investigation by the Philippines and China into the June 9 will sidestep the question of whether the crew of the Chinese vessel that rammed and sank a Filipino fishing boat near the Recto Bank was engaged in poaching.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Monday said the joint inquiry would set aside the poaching issue, which should best be best addressed in another forum.

“The poaching issue is a collateral issue to the incident. The marine inquiry is not the proper forum to discuss this much broader economic issue. Other countries are involved—Vietnam, Taiwan, China and other coastal states with their own exclusive economic zones (EEZ),” Guevarra said.

Guevarra earlier said the Recto Bank

Next page

MWSS option: Pump out water from Angat Dam

‘Wattah’ tradition prevails over crisis

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta WATER managers have no other option but to reduce the water allocation for Metro Manila beyond should there be no improvement in the water level in Angat Dam in Bulacan, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Monday.

Danilo Flores, hydrologist at the weather bureau, said PAGASA, the National Water Resources Board, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and its two water concessionaires—Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc.—tackled the dam’s low water supply at Monday’s meeting of the technical working group and came up with a recommendation to adjust the allocation for domestic use to lower than the current 36 cubic meters.

Next page

THANKSGIVING NIGHT. Hugpong ng Pagbabago Chairperson and

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio (center) shares a memory with House Speaker candidate and Leyte Rep.-elect Martin Romualdez (right) and incoming Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Romualdez at the Thanksgiving Night for all HNP local allies during the May midterm elections at the Peninsula Manila Monday. Ver Noveno

THE board of directors of Philippine Airlines on Monday approved the request for retirement of Jaime Bautista as PAL president chief operating officer.

The retirement of Bautista will be effective June 30.

DESPITE an ongoing water shortage, the San Juan City government on Monday celebrated the Wattah Wattah Festival, in honor of its patron St. John the Baptist.

Randy Parkucho, a fireman, said the dousing of water every June 24 has been a tradition and is impossible to stop even when there is a water shortage.

“We’re first time volunteers from Sta. Ana, Manila. Manila Water provided us with limited water but the San Juan mayor told us to join. The water is limited, our tanker carries only 300 gallons of water,” Parkucho said in a mix of English and Filipino.

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WATTAH FEST. Residents of San Juan City in Metro Manila frolic under cloudy skies while water from a firetruck is sprinkled on them during the Wattah Wattah Festival in honor of Saint John the Baptist. Norman Cruz

Kapa founder defies law, vows to yield only to members Cronies cleared

By Joel E. Zurbano KAPA Community Ministry International founder Joel Apolinario said Monday he will remain in hiding following the manhunt against him, and that he would surrender only if his followers or Kapa members told him to do so.

The Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation and other

PAL chief retires effective June 30

By Darwin G. Amojelar

is part of the country’s EEZ where it has sovereign rights--but not part of the Philippine territory where it has sovereignty.

“We only have sovereign rights to exploit the natural resources found therein,” he said.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, sovereignty pertains to the exclusive legal authority of a state over its waters, particularly its internal waters and territorial seas. The state essentially has territorial sovereignty over these waters.

Next page

In a resolution initiated by directors Estelito Mendoza and former BSP Governor Amando Tetangco, the PAL Board expressed its gratitude and appreciation for Bautista’s dedication and commitment to the national flag carrier where he served for more than 26 years. Next page

law enforcement agencies have launched a manhunt against Apolinario for his alleged involvement in a large-scale investment scam in the country.

The NBI was also considering arresting Apolinario without a warrant should he be located in Mindanao, where martial law has been declared by President Rodrigo Duterte.

But Apolinario says he will not give himself up unless the members of the re-

ligious corporation ask him to do so.

“Naniniguro lang po. Hindi naman sa diskumpiyado ako pero nananatili pa rin sa isipan ko ang aking kaligtasan,” Apolinario told DZMM radio.

“Sabagay, darating din ang panahon na kung gusto na ng mga members na ako ay lumantad para sa kanila ay pati buhay ko po itataya ko po basta para sa kagustuhan ng mga members.” Next page

of behest loans

THE Supreme Court has absolved several so-called “cronies” of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, including former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, of criminal liability over the alleged behest loans granted to a sugar milling company in 1968 by the Philippine National Next page Bank.

The forgotten woman

Hair-raising tight rope act

MONTREAL, Canada—A woman boarded an Air Canada flight earlier this month, fell asleep after takeoff and woke up alone in a dark, parked plane, apparently forgotten about by ground staff.

NEW YORK—Siblings from a famed circus family—the Flying Wallendas—walked a wire strung 25 stories over New York’s Times Square Sunday, in a hair-raising balancing act performed across Next page five city blocks.

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News

TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Pump prices renew uptick as US-Iran tensions rise

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE oil distriutors raised the price of diesel by P0.55 per liter, kerosene by P0.45 per liter and gasoline by P0.30 per liter effective today, Tuesday, to reflect the movement of oil prices in the world market.

PTT Philippines raised gasoline prices by P0.30 per liter, diesel by P0.55 and kerosene by P0.45.

PTT aside, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Philippines, Seaoil Philippines and Petro Gazz also increased prices.

Shell and the other distributors also filed a petition for a temporary restraining order against the oil unbundling circular of the Department of Energy.

They filed the petition against the Revised Guidelines for the Monitoring of Prices in the Sale of Petroleum Products by the Downstream Oil Industry signed by Secretary Alfonso Cusi on May 28, saying the TRO is contrary to the spirit of the Oil Deregulation Law of 1998.

“A deregulated downstream oil industry paved the way for a truly competitive market characterized by many players, varying product offerings, competitive prices, adequate and continuous supply of environmentally-clean and high-quality petroleum products,” Shell said.

“Since deregulation, consumers have enjoyed the freedom to choose their preferred fuels in locations most convenient for them, and at prices that are acceptable to them, availing of discounts, promotions, and other value-added services that their chosen service station offers.”

Shell said that while the Energy department’s mandate is to monitor oil price movements, “We believe that the Circular leads the industry back to the path of regulation.”.

The latest oil price hike is the second consecutive weekly oil price increase after the oil firms raised the price of gasoline by P0.35 per liter, kerosene

by P0.25 per liter and diesel by P0.20 per liter on June 18.

World oil prices are going up due to geopolitical tensions. US President Donald Trump approved military strikes in response to Iran for allegedly shooting down an unmanned US surveillance drone on Thursday, but he also called off the strike.

World prices have been going up due to rising tensions between Tehran and Washington following the downing of a US surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz.

MWSS...

From A1 “It is better to have a reduction to enable [us] to stretch the number of days of our water use,” Flores told the Manila Standard.

Not reducing the allocation now would hurt consumers and lead to more and prolonged water service interruptions, he said.

“It is better that we have something to share among ourselves [than to have no water at all],” he said.

In an interview with GMA-7, MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco said the agency would have no option but to pump out water from Angat Dam should the elevation fall to 150 meters.

“We cannot fight nature,” he said.

“We will be forced to pump out water. That is why I have advised the [two water] concessionaires to really look for pumps [as early as possible]. We cannot just buy them if we are already in that situation,” he added.

As of 6 a.m. Monday, the dam’s water elevation went down to 159.09 meters, well below he 160-meter critical level.

The forgotten...

From A1 Tiffani Adams’s story was posted by a friend on Air Canada’s Facebook page, drawing incredulous reactions from readers and a request for details from the airline.

According to the post, Adams was flying from Quebec to Toronto Pearson International Airport when she fell asleep, aided by the fact that she’d ended up with a whole row of seats to herself.

She woke up in “pitch black,” with the plane having landed and apparently been towed away from the airport, after passengers and crew had disembarked.

“I think I’m having a bad dream [because] like seriously how is this happening,” she wrote.

Lightning alert delays 38 flights A TOTAL of 38 domestic and international flights were affected as the Manila International Airport Authority issued a red lightning alert late Sunday night and early Monday morning.

1:35 a.m. on Monday.

Earlier this month, President Rodrigo Duterte conducted a surprise visit to NAIA after hearing reports of flight delays and cancellations.

Authorities claimed that the delay was due to the red lightning alert issued on June 9.

Manila International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Monreal on Monday assured air travelers the four airport terminals were safe with the MIAA’s Lightning Protection System.

“While we are duty-bound to keep

Two of those flights were diverted to Clark while the rest were delayed departures and arrivals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

It was the third consecutive Sunday that the MIAA had issued a red lightning alert, a safety measure to prevent any untoward incident from happening when lightning is preva-

lent in the immediate area and may endanger passengers, personnel and flight operations.

During this period, the ramp movement for both aircraft and ramp personnel is temporarily suspended.

The most recent red lightning alert was issued from 10:35 p.m. to 11:13 p.m. Sunday, and from 12:30 a.m. to

PH-China...

From A1 On the other hand, “sovereign rights” pertain to “limited” entitlements or privileges of a state to its EEZ. Guevarra’s statement was a reaction to a call from Minority Leader Franklin Drilon that the Chinese vessel that rammed the Filipino boat should be made to pay $1.2 million for poaching inside Philippine territory.

Guevarra said the joint inquiry would focus only on two specific issues.

First, it will determine which party was at fault and the amount of restitution due to the offended party.

Second, the inquiry will answer whether there was any liability on Chinese side for not extending help to the 22 Filipino fishermen who were left adrift after the incident.

Guevarra, who proposed the joint inquiry, reiterated that the government will also defer pursuing legal action against China and the Chinese fishermen until after the investigation.

The Justice Secretary admitted that while legal actions may be pursued under the UNCLOS, such an option was still premature at this point.

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday said if a joint inquiry is conducted, there

should be a clear statement that the Philippines is not waiving its sovereign rights over the Recto Bank.

Lacson said agreeing to a joint investigation might be taken to mean the Philippines was effectively sharing concurrent jurisdiction over the Recto Bank with China.

“The 2016 Hague ruling expressly states that Recto Bank is part of the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone [EEZ], and therefore cannot be claimed by China. Having said that, allowing a joint investigation with China and a third party may be interpreted as a waiver of our right of ownership of Recto Bank,” Lacson said.

Lacson hit as inadequate and weak President Rodrigo Duterte’s reaction to the ramming by a Chinese vessel of a fishing boat manned by Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea. “We know the attitude of the President—tough even towards priests, even the European countries, Canada on other issues. If we are to compare, relatively speaking, the President’s response to this issue was inadequate and lacking,” Lacson said.

He surmised this could be due to President Duterte’s desire to preserve friendly bilateral relations with China for economic reasons.

“But at what cost? The question is, what is more important, our sovereignty or economic gains? We all know the answer to that, of course,” he said.

He again questioned the wisdom of a joint investigation.

“Why are we going to share an investigation? First, our fishermen were disadvantaged. Second, we were inside our EEZ. “Why are we going to share an investigation? Let us conduct our own investigation and whether China will accept it or not, that’s another issue,” he said.

Drilon, who opposed a joint investigation, called instead for the creation of an independent commission to look into the ramming incident.

On Twitter, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said he returned a check for P500,000 that former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario coursed through his office to help the 22 fishermen whose boat was rammed and sunk by a Chinese vessel.

“I have to return the P500,000 check donation or I shall be compelled to turn it over to Treasury,” Locsin tweeted.

“DFA cannot dispense donations. I certainly won’t turn it over to another department; that’s malversation. So with florid expressions of gratitude I had it returned to Del Rosario,” he said.

Kapa founder...

From A1

'Wattah' ...

From A1

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has assured Apolinario of his safety if he gave himself up. He said his agency would secure him so that the Kapa founder could return the money of his members.

“As secretary of Justice, I will use all the human powers in my hand and within the limits of our laws to give protection to Pastor Apolinario. It is to everyone’s interest, especially to his millions of followers, that he remain alive to return their hard-earned money,” Guevarra told ABS-CBN News.

Apolinario claims that Kapa members have advised him to go into hiding after Duterte accused their group of engaging in an investment scam.

“Hindi ko yan maiwasan dahil sa advice na rin ng mga miyembro at may mga nag-aadvise na rin na hindi mabuting mailantad ako sa mga naghahabol sa atin,” he said.

The rules require any group or company to secure a license from the Securities and Exchange Commission before engaging in any kind of investment activity.

Lawmen recently raided Kapa offices based on the search warrants issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 20 against the firm for violating Sections 8 and 26 of the Securities Corporation Code of the Philippines.

The authorities swooped down on Kapa’s branch offices in Compostela in Cebu; Tacloban City; Taytay, Rizal; Tagum City; Opol, Mislamis Oriental; and even the house of Apolinario in General Santos City.

Apolinario denied the allegations against them, saying Kapa is a legitimate religious group. Some members seconded Apolinario.

The NBI also recovered cash amounting to P2.2 million and P300,000 from two different Kapa offices.

Outgoing San Juan Mayor Guia Gomez said adjustments have been made for the celebration because of the water problem, which affected around 80 percent of San Juan.

“Before, we had 50 fire trucks coming from Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, and other places, but now they managed to send just a few, around 16 trucks, and apart from the motorcade, these trucks are going around the barangays, giving water to those who do not have water,” Gomez said.

Meanwhile, Msgr. Vicente Bauson said that water is not wasted during the festival because it signifies the blessing of life.

“This water is about cleansing, bringing new life. We would just like to moderate the use of water and promote the

right use of water in this time of water crisis because water is life and we bless people with water,” Bauson said.

Gomez said water concessionaire Manila Water has responded to the shortage in the past days by bringing down the areas with severe water shortage to only 10 percent.

“Those in the highest points are the only ones they haven’t serviced yet, but they’re [Manila Water] doing their best,” she added.

The dousing of water from the fire trucks lasted for four hours.

“Even if you don’t have fire trucks, people will still douse everybody with water, which came from different sources, some are dirty water so other people get mad. But because now the water has been blessed, they have accepted that water is life, it is a blessing, and so we must take care of it,” Gomez said. PNA

She briefly called a friend but was cut short when her phone’s battery died.

“I’m trying to focus on my breathing and control my panic attack while I attempt to charge my phone by plugging into every USB port I could find,” she wrote, but that proved fruitless because the electricity on the plane was turned off.

After finally finding a torch in the cockpit, she managed to open one of the doors but faced a drop of up to 50 feet (15 meters) to get out of the plane.

She then used the torch to draw the attention of a luggage cart driver, who arrived to find Adams with her legs hanging out of the plane’s open doorway.

“He is in shock, asking how the heck they left me on the plane,” she said. “I’m wondering the same.” AFP

Cronies...

From A1 The high court’s Second Division denied the petition filed by the Presidential Commission on Good Government seeking to set aside the resolution issued by the Office of the Ombudsman on Dec. 29, 2006, and the order dated April 21, 2009, that respectively dismissed for lack of probable cause the criminal complaints filed against the respondents.

The high court upheld the resolution of the Ombudsman dismissing the complaint filed in 1968 against PNB directors Enrile, Roberto Benedicto, Antonio Diaz, Ismael Reinoso, Simeon Miranda, Renato Tayag, Juan Trivinio, Cesar Virata, Jose Macario Laurel IV and Jose Leido.

The anti-graft body also cleared Rafael Perez and Felicisimo Gonzalo, both former PNB-Dumaguete branch managers, and the officers of Tolong Sugar Milling Company Inc. (TSMCI) Ramon Escafio, Herminio Teves, Evelina Teves, Lorenzo Teves, Catalino Noel and Lamberto Macias.

“Simply stated, no grave abuse of discretion may be attributed to the Ombudsman merely because of its alleged misappreciation of facts and evidence,” the

Hair-raising...

From A1

“If you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere—so let’s make it in New York,” Nik Wallenda, 40, told his sister Lijana before they began the fearsome feat.

The undertaking, which was broadcast live, saw the duo start the wire walk on opposite sides, slowly moving towards each other holding balancing poles as a throng of onlookers gawked from below.

When the siblings met, Lijana sat on

high court ruled.

“The petitioner in a certiorari proceeding must clearly demonstrate that the court or tribunal blatantly abused its authority to a point so grave as to deprive it of its very power to dispense justice.”

In its complaint, the PCGG said TSMCI was one of the many companies that was investigated by the Presidential Ad Hoc Fact-Finding Committee’s Technical Working Group for possible prosecution arising from behest loans.

TWG’s examination disclosed that on March 20, 1968, PNB granted TSMCI a stand-by irrevocable unconfirmed letter of credit in the amount of US$27,793,123.45 or P108.91 million to cover the importation of sugar machinery and equipment in connection with TSMCI’s proposed sugar central in Sta. Catalina and Bayawan, Negros Oriental.

The loan was granted under PNB Board Resolution 711 dated March 20, 1968, and was secured by 51.2496 hectares of agricultural land; machinery and equipment, building and other improvements to be erected and/or installed in the company’s, milling site; 3,000 hectares of central-owned and operated sugar plantation; and joint and solidary surety executed by TSMCI’s officers.

the 396-meter (1300-foot) wire strung between skyscrapers so her brother could step over her, before standing back up and finishing the walk.

Tensions were running particularly high as it was the 42-year-old Lijana’s first such attempt since 2017, when she and four others fell more than 9 meters while rehearsing an eight-person pyramid on a wire.

The near-fatal incident left her seriously injured, including breaking most bones in her face. AFP

flights safe, we are also duty-bound to protect the lives of airport personnel while at work, especially those working in areas where exposure to environmental hazards is greater, Monreal said.

He said the Ninoy Aquino International Airport had 20 lightning arresters that were upgraded in 2016 to ensure better protection. These devices, he added, were checked every three years in adherence to internationally prescribed standards on lightning protection for vital facilities. PNA with Joel E. Zurbano

DFA...

From A1 devalue them abroad—and not pass them out as favors to retirees and friends,” the DFA chief added.

Responding to Locsin, Robredo called on Locsin to cancel his own diplomatic passport if he really wants to restrict the privilege to “real, working diplomats.”

“Cancelling ‘courtesy’ diplomatic passports after China refused to honor Sec ADR’s [Albert del Rosario’s] is not promoting professionalism but justifying cowardice,” Robredo’s spokesperson Barry Gutierrez said on Twitter.

“Besides, if [Locsin] really wanted to limit these passports to ‘real, working diplomats’ he should start by cancelling his own,” he said.

On Sunday, Robredo disparaged what she called was the apparent “knee-jerk reaction” of the Duterte administration.

Locsin later apologized to Robredo, also through a tweet.

“I don’t mean to be disrespectful Ma’am. You are just a missing heartbeat away from the Presidency. I respect you for that accident of fortune.

But there are things that require a measure of study & thought. Please ask me next time. At your service, Ma’am,” he added.

The issue on diplomatic passports arose when Del Rosario was held at Hong Kong for six hours, denied entry, and deported to the Philippines.

The DFA earlier admitted that it knew that the former Foreign Affairs secretary would use the diplomatic passport for a business trip to Hong Kong and did not object to it.

Del Rosario, meanwhile, said it was unlawful for the DFA to revoke all courtesy diplomatic passports under the Philippine Passport Act of 1996.

“The DFA department order... cannot prevail over... a law passed by Congress,” Del Rosario said.

Del Rosario also criticized the move of the DFA to cancel all diplomatic passports following the incident in Hong Kong.

“Instead of fully investigating what the Philippines should be doing to respond to this disrespect, they are instead distracting the public by canceling the diplomatic passports for those who have been carrying them,” he said.

He said he was irked by how the government was handling the situation, pointing out that Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo even suggested Del Rosario had “misused” his diplomatic passport.

“How can I misuse that passport?” the former top diplomat said.

Meanwhile, Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said the Hong Kong government is under no obligation to say why a foreigner has been barred from entering its territory.

“The prerogatives of the host territory is absolute,” he said.

PAL...

From A1

The PAL Board cited his efforts to steer PAL to greater heights through initiatives anchored on fleet modernization, flight route network expansion and service innovation.

PAL executive vice president / treasurer and chief administrative officer Vivienne K. Tan is working closely with the outgoing PAL president for a smooth and orderly transition.

Tan said, “My family and I express our gratitude and only wish for the best for Jimmy Bautista as he gears up for the next chapter of his life. As we transition to new management, I urge all of you―my Philippine Airlines family― to continue your primary focus: Your work, your mandate in the company.

“When each of us contributes productively, we will collectively succeed. We must show the country and the world at large that our priority is the continued success of the flag carrier,” she added.

News

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TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Dengvaxia victims’ kin want Duque to resign

Lawmaker calls for flexible 48-hour workweek

By Rio N. Araja RELATIVES of children believed to have died after receiving Dengvaxia vaccine shots are calling for the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. At a news conference in Quezon City, Ariel Hedia, along with his wife Ruby, appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to sack Duque over his involvement in the mass vaccination of 830,000 children under his term.

The couple was joined by more or less 100 parents, including Darwin and Merlyn Bataan, Sonia Guerra, Liberty Ganzore, Raul and Elloly Galoso, Raymond and Ma. Cecilia Torres, Danilo and Sheryl Bautista, and Nelson and Edna Santos, who earlier filed a complaint of plunder, graft and violation of the Code of Conduct for Ethical Standards of Public Officials and Employees before the Office of the Ombudsman.

The placard-bearing parents of children who supposedly died due to Dengvaxia flocked to the Ombudsman to file the complaint.

“Duque must resign for delicadeza,” Ruby Hedia told reporters.

She also blamed ex-Health secretary Janette Garin, other former and active Department of Health and Philippine Children’s Medical Center officials, and Duque for the death of her daughter Abbie in February 2018.

Earlier, the victims’ parents filed separate civil suits against the accused before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.

House backs convergence strategy for rural dev’t THE House of Representatives led by Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has approved a measure institutionalizing the convergence strategy for sustainable rural development.

House Bill 9146, or the “National Convergence Initiative Act” authored

by Rep. Anna Katrina Enverga of Quezon was approved on third and final reading by a 183 vote.

The bill proposes to strengthen cooperation the four National Convergence Initiative rural development departments. These are the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, and Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The convergence is seen to support agricultural development by adopting a participatory approach in all phases of development from planning and budgeting, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation, Enverga said.

Under the bill, the convergence strategy shall adopt the watershed and integrated ecosystem management as well as integrated area development approaches as the intervention framework in the convergence areas.

“This is primarily because the ‘ridge to reef’ convergence strategy is an environmentally sustainable approach to development since human interventions in the forest and upland areas would impact on the lowland areas, and this in turn would affect the coastal and marine areas,” the bill states.

Selection of convergence zones shall also take into consideration Strategic Agricultural and Fisheries Development Zones provisions of Republic Act 8435 or the “Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997.”

The implementation of the NCI shall be done through Technical Working Groups in an ecosystem. The three groups—the TWG on Coastal and Marine Resources Management, the TWG on Sustainable Lowland Agriculture, and the TWG on Forestry and Upland Development—are equally important and shall be mutually reinforcing. They shall ensure that the objectives of the NCI as a means of improving institutional efficiencies in the governance of sustainable rural development are achieved.

The three TWGs shall have the following crosscutting components: Policy and Advocacy; Agro-Enterprise and Agribusiness Development; Capacity Development; and Knowledge Management. Maricel V. Cruz

LIGHT MOMENT. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte shares a light moment with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha following

their successful bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 34th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit at The Athenee Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand on June 23, 2019. Presidential Photo

Jinggoy’s plunder trial set to start next month

By Maricel V. Cruz

T

HE Sandiganbayan will begin next month a full trial against former Senator Jinggoy Estrada after it junked his bid for the outright dismissal of his plunder case in connection with the pork barrel fund scam.

The anti-graft court’s Fifth Division scheduled the continuation of Estrada’s trial on July 8 at 8:30 in the morning.

“This court is convinced that the prosecution presented sufficient evidence, both testimonial and documentary, which established each element of the crime of plunder against the accused,” the court said.

Estrada is facing charges at the Sandiganbayan for the alleged misuse of

the 183 million of his Priority Development Assistance Fund.

The court earlier denied Estrada’s motion for leave of court to file a demurrer to evidence; that if granted will result in his acquittal without him having to file counter-evidence to that filed by the Ombudsman in filing the case.

The Sandiganbayan has ruled that the Ombudsman’s evidence is strong enough to warrant the holding of the full trial of the case involving alleg-

edly misuse of his PDAF funds.

In his motion, Estrada said the Ombudsman failed to prove that he allegedly misappropriated his P183-million Priority Development Assistance Fund, or pork barrel, to the fake non-government organizations of pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

He said the prosecution had no evidence that he was the mastermind behind the scheme, nor was there proof he acted in conspiracy with Napoles and his former deputy chief of staff Pauline Labayen.

Ombudsman prosecutors, however, claimed that the report of the Anti-Money Laundering Council alone showed Estrada’s receipt of P70.7 million worth of kickbacks. The prosecutors pointed out that the Sandiganbayan itself found Estrada received P55.8 million.

Romero proposes ‘Eddie Garcia Law’ on actors’ job safety 1-PACMAN Party-list Rep. Michael “Mikee” Romero, stepson of the late legendary actor-director Eddie Garcia, said on Monday that he will file an “Actors’ Occupational Safety and Health Standards Act” to be memorially named “The Eddie Garcia Law.” “Dear Fellow Legislators, please support me in my quest to create a law to put a bigger meaning to Tito Eddie Garcia’s death,” Romero said in a Facebook post.

“I expect more than 100 of my fellow

legislators to co-sign the bill with me.

And likewise expect the Senate through Senate President Tito Sotto to file the counterpart bill in the Senate,” the President of the Party-list Coalition said.

Romero said his “Eddie Garcia Law” will be his first bill when the 18th Congress opens on July 22.

“The ‘Eddie Garcia Bill’ will be a means to safeguard the welfare and wellbeing of all actors working in the television and/or in the movie industry,” the congressman said.

The bill’s salient points are as follows: 1. Mandatory actors and production insurance coverage; 2. Specific work hours for (Between 8-12 hours only): a) Below 18 years old, b) 18-59 years old and c) 60 years old and above (Senior Citizens); 3. Medical and safety procedures on production set and within its area of responsibility; 4. Mandatory installation of safety officers within its area of responsibility; 5. Emergency operational standards and procedures and 6. Penalties and liabilities for violations.

ALL ABOUT WATER. Shown in photo are (from left): Donna Perez, technical spokesperson of Manila Water; Jennifer Rufo, spokesperson of Maynilad; Roy Badilla, chief of Weather Services, Hydro-Meteorology Division, PAGASA and Kri Guevarra, technical spokesperson of Manila Water, during the Tapatan sa Aristocrat media forum which tackled Urban Planning and the ongoing water crisis. Lino Santos

TO COMPLEMENT the recently enacted Telecommuting Law, a proadministration lawmaker on Monday sought an amendment to the Labor Code which seeks to allow employees to clock in a maximum of 48 work hours per week at any time under a flexible work schedule.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, principal author in the House of the Telecommuting Act, said workers allowed to telecommute by their employers would be able to be productive at any time of the day as long as they complete the required number of work hours.

Villafuerte said he will refile in the incoming Congress his House Bill 9048 which, he said, will protect the well-being of employees by setting a 48-hour per week limit.

“With the recent enactment of Republic Act (RA) No. 11165, or the Telecommuting Act, which allows workers to clock in hours through partial or total substitution of computers of telecommunication technologies, it is this representation’s hope that this proposed bill adds to the intent of the Telecommuting act in providing employees the opportunity to be productive in the workforce no matter the situation they may find themselves in,” said Villafuerte.

Under Article 83 of the Labor Code, the normal hours of work for any employee “shall not exceed eight hours a day.” Villafuerte wants to amend this provision to conform to alternative work arrangements such as telecommuting by adding a portion that enables work hours to be counted on a per-week basis not exceeding 48 hours per week.

Thus, with HB 9048, the normal work hours of any employee shall not exceed eight hours a day, “except when the exigency of business operations or national emergency requires the adoption of alternative work arrangements subject to conditions as may be predetermined by the Secretary of Labor and Employment in appropriate regulations ensuring that hours of work shall not exceed forty-eight (48) hours a week, and the rights, health and well-being of the employees are protected.”

Villafuerte said his proposal aims to help ease the worries of employees in commuting to work by allowing “flexible working arrangements” that fit the needs of both the employers and employees.

Such flexible work arrangements, in turn, will help “ease and decongest the traffic situation in Greater Manila and lessen the stress of both citizens and the government,” he added.

Maricel V. Cruz

COA flags PCOO for not going against its own erring officials THE Commission on Audit has called the attention of the Presidential Communications Operations Office for its failure to file the necessary charges against its own officials for supposed involvement in the procurement irregularities in connection with the country’s hosting of the 2017 Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit.

In a 2018 audit report, the State Auditors called the PCOO’s inaction as “not implemented.”

In a 2017 audit, CoA flagged PCOO’s information technology equipment worth P4.04 million, saying it was much expensive than the selling price by P946,872, and that the purchase orders and payments of P27.5 million and P7.26 million for various goods/services and rental of passenger vans, respectively, were split.

In its recommendation, the agency told PCOO to explain the equipment rental and advised it to file cases against those behind the violation of the procurement law for allegedly giving favored treatment to a supplier.

To date, the commission is still awaiting an update from PCOO after Secretary Martin Andanar issued two memoranda directing Undersecretary Marvin Gatpayat to conduct a probe.

“As of to date, management is yet to comment on the following recommendations,” its report read.

PCOO said they were left with no option but to rent the IT equipment due to lack of funds. Rio N. Araja

A4

Opinion

TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

China united, Philippines divided IN THE Reed Bank ramming of a Philippine boat by who are most likely Chinese fishermen-militia, one of the most reported exchanges was between the Filipino fishermen and the Vietnamese that rescued them: “Vietnam. Philippines. Friends.”

This is not lost in translation and is as clear as day: Vietnam is aligned with us in our territorial dispute with China (even as we have our own dispute with the former) and that is because Vietnam and Vietnamese fishermen, have also been at the receiving end of similar behavior from China.

What is disheartening is our divided response to the challenges posed by China to us.

Would it be right then to describe the Philippine-China relations in sim similar words albeit the opposite: “China.

Philippines. Enemies.”?

I propose that such a framing is foolish and would not be helpful. This is a better summary of the events of the last week: “China united, Philippines divided.”

Let’s be clear what happened with the sinking of the Filipino fishing boat Gem-Ver by Chinese ship Yuemaobinyu 42212. In the words of Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, what happened is “a quantum escalation of China’s aggressive acts against the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea.” This is the first time it has happened. And because of our tepid of-

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

ficial response to it, and the way the government pressured our fishermen to doubt their own accounts, it will not be the last.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana initially released a strong statement condemning the Chinese fishing vessel for abandoning the 22 Filipino fishermen. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin likewise tweeted that he “fired off a diplomatic protest” the previous day, June 12, although the Department of Foreign Affairs has not released an official statement providing further details. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo weighed in and described the Chinese behavior as “uncivilized as it is outrageous” for them to abandon the distressed crew of Gem-Ver. He added, “Such act of desertion is inhuman as it is barbaric.”

There was at first unity in the national outrage against what was done to our fishermen.

But then, President Duterte, after what seems to be an eternity, issued a statement dismissing the occurrence as just “a little maritime incident.”

Other officials, who days earlier condemned the Chinese crew for abandoning the Filipino fishermen, followed suit in trivializing the incident.

While meeting with the fishermen in Mindoro, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said that if the Chinese fishing vessel intentionally rammed Fishing Boat Gem-Ver, they would have left bigger damage. In a not-so-surprising turnaround, the fishermen seemed to retract their prior statements after meeting with Secretary Emmanuel Piñol who said that the fishermen were now “uncertain” whether their boat was intentionally sunk by the Chinese vessel.

The Reed Bank ramming gave us an opportunity to unite around our national interest. There is actually a strong consensus among ordinary Filipinos that we must act with resolute determination against China to

P

When in Hong Kong

ROTESTS in Hong Kong continue this week, as residents call for the complete withdrawal, not just the suspension, of amendments to an extradition law that would allow suspects to be tried in other places, including mainland China.

On Monday, protesters blocked the entrance to a government building, halting its business as usual, in renewed efforts to drive home their message.

On a larger scale, analysts say this was not just about the bill, per se, but on uncertainty over the kind of democracy that awaits Hong Kong in the long run. Protesters do not trust that fair, transparent investigations and speedy justice are at all possible in the mainland.

The mass action has gained attention and support from many places in the world, especially

since Hong Kong police responded violently to the protests.

Comprised largely of young people, demonstrators call for the scrapping of the bill through a mix of traditional and modern ways.

For instance, while millions gather on city streets, they also make use of social media and delivering their message through memes.

Through the Internet, the world has been able to see highlights of the protests—for instance, that video of the crowd parting to give way to an ambulance, or streets remaining clean despite the sheer number of people who had come

and gone. They are instructive on the virtues of compassion and discipline, instead of chaos and indiscriminate action.

Despite the global attention, and despite the dramatic images, it is not sure whether the protesters could effect real people power in terms of achieving their end. After all, Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. The government—and one not used to criticism or resistance—will determine its future.

Thirty years ago this month, events at Tiananmen Square showed the world how a government can succeed in silencing its critics. Many things have changed since then, especially the way people air their grievances and disagreement. Three decades later, we have yet to see if these changes are powerful enough to help shape or sway the strong will of those in power.

Turn to A5

Sports and politics shouldn’t mix WHAT'S wrong—and right—with Philippine sports?

Last week, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Ricky Vargas tendered his irrevocable resignation, saying in his letter “that there would be other sports leaders who would have the time and inclination needed to lead the POC more effectively."

Insiders in Philippine sports swear

by Vargas' character, and look up to him as a gentleman and a class act. You wouldn't expect him to air the POC’s shortcomings in public. He remained humble and courteous up to the end, they say, rather than casting aspersions on those he worked with.

The same insiders believe the real reason Vargas quit was that he just couldn't stand the politics and divisiveness within the POC. He revealed these challenges as POC president, when earlier this year, he said that he was “uncertain” of another term at the sports body because of its prevailing political culture.

"I’m not comfortable with the culture of POC, my own personality and leadership is being forced to follow something I don’t like. I want to see to it that the culture changes to a more honest, less political organization," said Vargas before members of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) forum last April.

Vargas, who ended Peping Cojuangco’s 13-year reign as POC president in February 2018, must have been overwhelmed by the politics inside the organization. While he succeeded in being elected as POC president, Vargas had to contend with the reality that the previous administration continued to exert an influence on the organization, making it well-nigh impossible for him to institute reforms that he wanted for

the good of Philippine sports.

Now that Vargas is no longer at the helm of the POC (although he gets to sit on the board as its past president), only a few honest, principled men like him remain to face the gargantuan challenge of reforming this organization.

POC chairman and Congressman Abraham Tolentino is among these honest and principled few. He has set in motion a plan to ensure that the one who succeeds Vargas is qualified for the post.

As chairman, he plans to call for special elections for the position of president, given that the two vice presidents in the POC are not qualified to succeed Vargas.

Can the POC rid itself of this toxicity?

Tolentino is authorized to do this under Article 7, Section 6 of the POC bylaws. Under this provision, the POC chairman may call for a special election within 30 days from the date the vacancy arises if the two expected successors are not qualified.

Being an incumbent president of an Olympic sport and a National Sports Association (NSA) is among the qualifications to assume the POC presidency.

Article 7, Section 11 also states that the POC president must have had at least four years’ experience as NSA president of an Olympic sport at the time of his election, and must be elected from any of the incumbent NSA presidents representing an Olympic sport, in addition to being an active member of the POC General Assembly for two consecutive years at the time of his election.

The two POC VPs, Jose Romasanta, is 1st vice president of volleyball, while 2nd vice president Antonio Tamayo is president of soft tennis, which is not an Turn to A5

Memes, cartoons and caustic Cantonese: The language of Hong Kong’s protests

By Jerome Taylor/ Elaine Yu VIRAL artwork pummeling city leaders, clever word plays and Cantonese cursing that would make a sailor blush—Hong Kongers have displayed a characteristically riotous embrace of satire during their huge anti-government protests.

Anger has punctuated much of the historic rallies roiling Hong Kong in the last two weeks as the public vents huge opposition to an attempted China extradition law and frustrations over years of sliding freedoms.

But humor has never been far away.

The legions of tech-savvy youngsters never miss an opportunity to invent new chants, memes, banners and

slogans that often turn the criticism against the movement on its head.

Outside the city’s parliament, a shrine has sprung up for the finance hub’s beleaguered pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam. A black banner underneath reads: "Suspend your mother."

The first word is a reference to protester demands that the extradition bill be permanently taken off the table, not just suspended as the government has now done.

But the last two words reference a favorite local insult: "F*ck your mother."

Cantonese is an uproariously caustic language with misogynistic insults to an opponent's mother thrown around during even fairly pedestrian

disagreements.

But after police were filmed shouting "Reporter, your mother!" to—questioning their credentials—during clashes with protesters earlier in the month, demonstrators seized on the phrase, immortalizing it in WhatsApp stickers, banners and printing it on T-shirts.

It was also a way to skewer Lam, who gave an interview where she likened herself to an exasperated mother trying not to give into every demand from the childlike protesters.

Cantonese c-word An even more irreverent rallying cry protesters have adopted with relish—and plastered on the outside Turn to A5

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Opinion

TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019

Taking the long view IN A new administrative order, the President has instructed PEZA to suspend the declaration of new ecozones within Metro Manila. These zones enjoy a wide range of fiscal incentives designed to lure businesses, especially those backed by foreign investment and oriented toward export production, to locate in the Philippines.

Instead, Duterte ordered PEZA to hasten the development of such ecozones in rural parts of the country. He cited “the need to promote rural development, ensure inclusive growth in the countryside, and create robust economic activity and wealth generation in areas outside Metro Manila.”

We’d like to think—and we’re certainly hoping—that this means he hasn’t had a change of heart about his campaign promise in 2016 to introduce a federal system of government into the country. His latest half-hearted comments on the matter had prompted the critics of federal constitutional change—including some members of his own Cabinet—to crow that, with so much else on the President’s plate, this fundamental reform was already dead in the water.

We hope the President proves them wrong. The objectives underlying charter change—like empowering local executives, downloading resources to local governments, strengthening political parties, breaking the grip of dynasties, getting rid of case backlogs in our courts, opening up the economy to foreign investors—are all worth setting a second plate before the President, if that’s what’s needed. *** As anti-Duterte zealots stumble over themselves trying to stir up public indignation over the latest maritime incident with Chinese fishermen, let’s take a look at some of the latest de-

Memes,...

From A4

walls of the city’s legislature—is the phrase "freedom hai."

The word "hai" is arguably the rudest of what is dubbed "the five great Cantonese profanities" and refers to female genitalia.

Police were also filmed yelling an insult at demonstrators that sounded like "freedom hai," and demonstrators reclaimed the insult, adopting it with pride.

Protester Kit-ying, 25, said the slogan was a "refusal to be oppressed."

"Especially as a woman, if you call us that, we will turn it into our slogan and transform it from its passive role into an active one," she told AFP. Not all the puns are derisive.

One of the most popular chants has been "fan sung jung" which literally translates to "against being sent to China."

But "sung jung" is also a homophone for seeing off a dead relative at a funeral, encapsulating fears that the extradition law will be the death of their city.

China...

From A4

defend our national territory. But the government did not build on that. Instead, the administration and its supporters sided with China against its own people—the fishermen and our former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario.

In contrast, what we have seen in the last two weeks (and frankly, for decades now) is a united China—with a coherent strategy to dominate the region and that employs consistent actions to assert what it believes is its prerogative. This is reflected in its diplomacy in the ASEAN where it has effectively stopped the regional body from supporting its members (Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia) in their dispute with China, in its aggressive economic and military activities in the disputed territory (the reclamation work, the building of artificial islands, and the use of fish fleets as militias), and in the blatant use of immigration controls in Hong Kong (as we have seen in the case of former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales and of Del Rosario who were clearly harassed for their actions in the International Criminal Court against President Xi of China).

velopments regarding the issues that should frame a strategic point of view, i.e. peaceful resolution of the incident, multilateral engagement with the rest of ASEAN, preserving our economic ties with China while using some of the gains to beef up our own defensive capabilities: • Reversing an earlier pronouncement by his spokesman, Duterte decided to support a joint investigation together with China and a neutral third party—perhaps Brunei—into the fishing boat incident. His critics should note that we’re talking here only about investigation, not about any subsequent legal action that may be warranted.

We hope the President proves them wrong.

off-the-cuff, often profane one-liners.

To a people whose highest compliment is that someone is “wa-is”—as well as “hindi plastic”—these qualities resonate to a degree that escaped the woeful supporters of Otso Diretso last May. Duterte’s actions are the measured moves of someone who has a mayor’s canny appreciation for the populist and the tactical, combined with the immovable grounding in the long view of someone who’s been an outsider for so long—from Manila, from national politics, from the economic elite.

This long view—whether it’s about federalist reform at home, or pivoting away from the US abroad—is where the only way up and out for our country lies. *** Today’s Gospel (Mt 7: 6, 12-14) advises us to “enter through the narrow gate…How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.” As Scripture always reminds us, there is man’s way, and then there is God’s way.

In Gn 13: 2, 5-18, when scarcity of land forces Abraham and his nephew Lot to separate their clans, Lot sees the abundance of the Jordan Plain and chooses to move there. But this turns out to be a bad decision, because he had pitched his tents near Sodom, where “the inhabitants were wicked, great sinners against the Lord”. In the end he had to flee the destruction of Sodom under Abraham’s protection, losing all his possessions as well as his wife in the process.

By contrast, Abraham accepted what seemed to be the poorer choice—settling in the land of Canaan—because he relied on God’s promise: “Look about you…all the land that you see I will give to you and your descendants forever. I will make your descendants like the dust of the earth.” Only One knows what is best for each of us, because it is an infinitesimal part of what only He knows is best for all.

• At the ASEAN summit in Bangkok over the weekend, ASEAN leaders were expected to unanimously back China’s drafting of a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to replace the US-aborted Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) and help insulate their economies from the US-China trade war. This economic cooperation constrains the extent of anti-China unity on maritime issues that we might otherwise expect from our ASEAN neighbors.

• At the same summit, Duterte was scheduled to speak up for migrant rights as well as a wide range of issues on regional security and stability.

Sideline meetings with the leaders of Thailand and Indonesia—two neighbors with similar maritime concerns— were also on his agenda. Bilateral as well as multilateral discussions is the only way to conduct effective diplomacy especially in a crisis.

Unfortunately for his critics, Duterte is a lot more complicated than the caricatures they love to paint of Readers can write me at gbolivar1952@ him, based solely on his unscripted, yahoo.com.

Yuen Chan, a journalism lecturer at London’s City University, says Hong Kong's history as a trading hub has birthed a vernacular that absorbs influences "in endless creative and sometimes irreverent ways."

"In recent years, online culture and increasing interest and pride in local culture as created an even more fertile environment for Cantonese Kongish wordplay and satire," she added.

Ponchos and Gollum Many of the memes have gone viral via the website LIHKG—a sort of Cantonese Reddit—where users can vote on designs and protest plans.

There you can find cartoons of Lam showing her as the character Gollum from the Lord of the Rings, doggedly clutching the "One Ring," or crying crocodile tears over injured protesters.

The best go viral on chat groups, or are simply pinged to strangers’ phones as they walk down the street by others using Bluetooth and Apple’s Airdrop function.

Many Hong Kongers are members of constantly buzzing private Whatsapp family groups.

I actually do not resent China’s actions. I expect that behavior from a superpower. If we were smarter, we could ally with China in quite a few things not just for domestic but also for regional and global issues. In fact, I have personally seen how powerful such collaboration is in issues like marine pollution and climate change.

Because of the work I have done with the Chinese government and with academic colleagues in the last 20 years, I only have respect for China. That China is united in its engagement with us on our dispute with them in the West Philippine Sea is not a surprise for me.

It is amazing that in the recent incidents in the Reed Bank and in Hong Kong, we cannot even uphold our interest and support our countrymen.

Instead, the Duterte government has abandoned our fishermen and has been critical of our former officials, while tolerating, if not praising, the actions of China and Hong Kong.

On how to move forward, whether to do a join, tri-partite, third party, or domestic probe, we cannot even agree.

I am not surprised that the Department of Foreign Affairs has decided to discontinue this practice of allowing former high-level diplomats to use courtesy diplomatic passports. Such practice was as good only as we are courteous to each other. Because that

Youngsters have deployed so-called "elder memes"—written and designed in a style that appeals to their more conservative older relatives—in a bid to counter disinformation and win them over.

Many popular drawings have been penned by Australia-based Chinese dissident artist Badiucao, who recently unveiled his face for the first time after he said his family on the mainland received threats.

One popular cartoon is based on an AFP photograph of a lone protester in a yellow poncho getting hit by either pepper spray or water from police.

"It’s a metaphor for Hong Kong as a city against the threat from the whole nation of mainland China... it’s a photo of a modern David versus Goliath," Badiucao told AFP. Antony Dapiran, a Hong Kong-based lawyer who has written a book about the city’s protest movements, said this year’s demonstrations have a "darker tone" than the failed pro-democracy "Umbrella Movement" in 2014.

"The humor is there, to be sure, but often to leaven much more serious issues, almost as comic relief," he said. AFP era has changed and we hate and dislike each other more than we are angry or upset at the Chinese, discontinuing what I thought was a good practice is probably for the best.

Indeed, what is disheartening is our divided response to the challenges posed by China to us. In my view, both the Aquino and Duterte administrations have employed strategies that serve to disunite our people instead of unifying us before a grave and serious threat. While I support our legal actions against China that led to the filing of the arbitration case against China, it was very clear to me that there was no strong political consensus on those actions. It might have been more prudent if the Aquino government paid attention to that aspect and got the business, diplomatic, and political establishments behind its actions.

Because this was not done, there was little protest when President Duterte reversed course and pivoted to China after he was elected.

China is a big, powerful country. We are weaker—militarily and economically, although the law is on our side.

But China is united while we are divided. Guess who will prevail if our disunity continues?

Facebook Page: Professor Tony La Viña Twitter: tonylavs

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Tariffs: Repercussions on domestic politics plications of tariff-raising are clear: it’s country-versus-country. In the domestic political sphere the implications are less clear because the tariff-raising country does not know the direction and the coverage of the retaliatory action. This can be parTARIFFS are arguably the most ticularly grievous for agricultural inpowerful component of a country’s dustries: a crop of, say sorghum, that foreign-policy weaponry. It is also cannot be sold because of loss of an the most risky. The reason for this is overseas market will appear as a loss that governments that resort to tariffs in a farmer’s income statement.

Going by the hit-them-where-ithave two kinds of politics to reckon with. One—the obvious one—is ge- hurts strategy, the Chinese, the Caopolitics. The other, less obvious one nadians and the European Union members were bound to target—and is domestic politics.

In the geopolitical arena the risky have in fact targeted—the industries and frightening aspect of the use of and exports of the states that put tariffs in the conduct of foreign eco- Donald Trump over the top in 2016. nomic policy is the ‘R’ word—retali- These mainly are the states of the ation. Countries that find themselves South and Midwest.

The Chinese at the receiving are retaliating end of tariff acby imposing or tion are not in tariffs the habit of rollThey are a powerful raising on manufacing over and tured products playing dead. economic-policy originating They retaliate, weapon. from states that and when they went for Dondo, they pick ald Trump in economic areas where damage to the tariff-raising 2016. Of late Mr. Trump has been country’s economy will be great great- called out by Senators and RepreRepre est. As in boxing, “Hit him where sentatives representing states that it hurts” will be the battle cry of the are big producers of corn, sorghum, pork and kindred products as well as retaliator.

To really “hit him where it by Congress members who represent hurts,” all that the trade strategists states producing industrial goods. of a retaliating country have to do The Chinese—as well as the Canadiis study two maps, namely, (1) a ans and EU members—know how to map showing the geographical dis- effectively retaliate against the US. Tariffs are a very powerful ecotribution of the tariff-raising country’s productive facilities and (2) nomic-policy weapon, and countries a map indicating the areas where should wield this weapon with modthe ruling party of the tariff-raising eration, judiciousness and a clear country was victorious in the most eye for the political fallout. recent election. Such maps are easily obtained. In the US, the states (ERRATUM: The eighth to the last that went for Donald Trump in sentence of my June 20 column 2016 were the so-called Red states, should have read as follows. “If augmented by the Blue (Demo- such Chinese exports are pricecratic) states that ended up being elastic or income-elastic, the counted for Mr. Trump because of Trump tariffs or tariff increases will be absorbed—and paid by— the Electoral College system.

In the geopolitical sphere the im- American consumers.”)

We’ll wait THE “hit-and-run” incident in Recto Bank on F/V Gem Ver1 allegedly by a Chinese ship looks bad as it is, almost threatening to undermine the Philippines’ relations with China.

President Duterte broke his momentary silence and expressed trust and confidence in the Chinese government’s sincerity in giving justice to the 22 Filipino fishermen as soon as culpability for the maritime violation is ascertained.

Beijing must give the culprits the severe penalty for abandoning the Filipino crew in distress after ramming the fishing vessel. It made everything look iintentional.

The truth is, whether or not the collision was intentional remains to be determined. Initial reports are based solely on the account of the Filipino boat captain who was the only one awake in his fishing vessel that fateful night.

It is now between the word of the Filipino captain and the skipper of that Chinese ship on what really transpired that evening.

In the meantime, we must allow the parallel investigations to be conducted by the authorities of both countries, first to identify the “Chinese vessel” and its crew who are involved in the collision northeast of Spratlys in the West Philippine Sea. They should question, too, the Vietnamese fishing boat crew "who hap-

Sports...

From A4

pened to be there also."

Just as expected, anti-Duterte provocateurs want the President to invoke right away the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with the United States in a show of force against China, and throw the country and all of Southeast Asia into a state of emergency.

They claim it as a deliberate attack, as well as an intrusion into the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) although former Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay says the incident in fact took place in “international waters.” He points out, too, the F/V Gem Ver1 is a “private” fishing vessel, and therefore, the case may not be within the purview of the MDT. Isn’t it preposterous to jump to conclusion as the opposition says that Beijing, through its militia, purposely caused the sea collision to test our mettle and patriotism within two days prior to the celebration of Philippine Independence Day? It’s a stretch, indeed, to think it is the case. It would not be the first but an addition to complaints of harassment against Filipino fishermen in a pattern of incursion into WPS. It would give an entirely new meaning to the phrase “China Syndrome,” popularized by a Hollywood movie of the same title.

The least authorities of both countries can do when the perpetrators get tagged is to ensure they get prosecuted and made to compensate for the damages on F/V Gem Ver1 and the fishermen’s lost earnings.

If our government sought reparations for those fishermen, I don’t think it would trigger an invasion or a nuclear attack from our bully neighbor.

barrassment because of politics.

Tolentino must succeed in getting a new, qualified president of the POC elected. Someone who is tough, fully committed to sports excellence, and as honest and as principled as him and Vargas to ensure that Taguig Congressman-elect Alan Peter Cayetano’s goal as chair of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee of making this year’s SEA Games “the best hosted and most viewed” is fulfilled.

And more importantly, Tolentino needs a POC president as an ally to finally rid the organization of toxic politics.

Olympic sport.

Given these limitations of the two VPs, Tolentino is fully authorized under the POC bylaws to exercise his powers as chairman to call for a special election to elect a new president of the organization.

Tolentino has to wade through the politics of an organization where some officials, insiders claim, have always placed their personal interests above everything else, with Philippine sports suffering in the process, with the Philippines’ hosting of this year’s Southeast Asian Games possibly ending up in em- ernhil@yahoo.com

A6

News

TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Accredited cab driver ‘overcharged’ 2 foreigners

By Joel E. Zurbano ANOTHER taxi driver at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport was accused of overcharging two foreigners, this time a NAIA-accredited Yellow cab driver.

Shawn Gurcharran and Dil Mohammad, both tourists from the Republic of Guyana, claimed Arielano Gripo, 60, asked them to pay $50 taxi fare from NAIA Terminal 1 to Ortigas, Pasig City.

Police Investigator Monchito Lusterio, of the Aviation Security Group - Mobile Patrol Security Unit, said the two foreigners arrived on Sunday morning in Manila and immediately boarded the yellow cab (Royal Crown Transport) driven by Gripo, and asked him to bring them to Go Hotel in Ortigas.

The Manila International Airport Authority gave yellow taxis accreditation to reinforce existing transport service operating at the four NAIA terminals.

Lusterio said upon arrival at their agreed destination, the driver demanded the tourists to pay the amount of 50 US dollars “as taxi fare from NAIA Terminal 1 going to Ortigas, Pasig City, which the victims were obliged to pay.”

He added the foreigners were able to contact Gripo’s employer, the Royal Crown Transport Co., and asked them to tell him to appear before the Aviation office in NAIA to shed light on the allegation hurled against him.

Gripo surrendered and asked the foreigners for forgiveness. Gurcharran and Mohammad opted not to file charges against Gripo as he promised to return their taxi fare.

Just recently, Airport authorities arrested a cab driver who overcharged a lady passenger.

Ramon Leoligao was charged with swindling, estafa and unjust vexation before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office on the complaints filed by Suzanne Nagac, who reportedly works as one of the fashion design consultants of President Rodrigo Duterte.

While traversing MIAA Road, Leoligao asked Nagac to pay P600 plus the P45.00 skyway toll fee. The passenger tried to confront the driver why the fare was too costly but later lost an argument with the driver who was persistent on charging her with the P600 fare.

Upon reaching Terminal 3, Nagac was able to note down the taxi’s plate number TKY 962, and rushed to the Airport Police Department to file a complaint.

It was learned that the cab was unregistered since 2007 and the taxi’s plate number was registered to a Toyota Avanza.

Airport authorities this year banned white taxis from picking up passengers at the airport due to abusive drivers.

ROCK RELEASE. Public Works and Highways crew work double time Monday to clear the road in barangay Alab in Bontoc, Mountain Province after the main road network connecting Mountain Province and Benguet, including Baguio City, was blocked by rockslides caused by a heavy downpour. Dave Leprozo

Customs seizes P160-m fake cigarettes, other contraband

By Vito Barcelo

T

HE Bureau of Customs seized fake cigarettes and other smuggled goods worth more than P160 million stored inside several warehouses in Bulacan.

The Customs agents found fake Belmont, Camel, Double Happiness, Fortune, Hope, Marlboro, Modern, and Mighty cigarettes worth P40.12 million when they raided a warehouse along Bendicto Street, Prenza Uno, Marilao, Bulacan.

In another operation, the BOC confiscated nine cigarette-

making machines and fake cigarette tax stamps worth P120 million inside a warehouse in Kaybanto, Caysio Road in Sta. Maria, Bulacan.

Other items seized by the government included imported drinking glasses and wall clocks.

“Warrants of Seizure and Detention [WSDs] will be issued against the subject items,” the BOC said, pointing to violations of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. The series of apprehensions are the results of a more tightened enforcement operations being conducted by BOC operatives.

Last year, the BOC also seized over P500 million worth of fake Mighty, Marlboro, Champion and Jackpot cigarettes in Quezon City and Caloocan, which had fake BIR stamps.

HYGIENE KITS. Harbor

Center Port Terminal Inc. Chairman Reghis Romero and his son Reghis IV, general manager of HCPTI give free hygiene kits to children of Smokey Mountain in Tondo, Manila in celebration of the 448th Araw ng Maynila on Monday.

Norman Cruz

Go goes straight to 50 families affected by fire in 15th Ave., QC AFTER coming from Bangkok, Thailand to support the President during the opening of the 34th ASEAN Summit, Senator-elect Christopher Lawrence Go rushed to the 50 families affected by the fire incident in Quezon City.

A total of 120 residents whose houses were razed by fire on June 19 were forced to evacuate at Murphy Public Market in 15th Avenue, Quezon City.

Go assured the victims that he would continue visiting areas that were hard to be reached for him to listen to the ordinary Filipinos’ concerns even after he shall have started work at the Senate.

Through Go’s coordination, the National Housing Authority vowed to help the victims with their housing needs.

Go also requested various government agencies to provide additional relief assistance to the affected community.

He also pledged to give financial aid to those who want to go back to their respective provinces and buy students the school supplies and uniforms they need for them to go back to school as soon as possible.

Go also offered medical assistance to those who were in need through Malasakit Center.

As his brainchild, Malasakit Center is a continuing program of the administration seeking to make it easier and faster for indigent patients to avail of medical and financial assistance from the government by bringing together in one room all concerned agencies such as the DOH, DSWD, PCSO, and PhilHealth. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Villar: Centers to address low fish population

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Cynthia Villar has said the establishment of fisheries research centers in the country will address the declining fish population and high poverty incidence among the more than 1.5-million coastal fisherfolks.

Villar said building more facilities to improve fish farming capabilities was one of the long-term solutions to improve the country’s productivity.

“Many of our traditional fishing grounds are getting overfished and we need to create breeding grounds and hatcheries to help arrest the dwindling fish stock,” Villar said.

The National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, which is under the Department of Agriculture, has been in the forefront in setting directions for fisheries research and development.

The NFRDI said its programs and projects were previously conceptualized based on the Roadmaps focusing on the priority commodities namely; Tuna, Small Pelagics, Indigenous Species, High Valued Species, Tilapia, Bangus, Shrimps, Seaweeds, Cepalopods, Crabs,

Shellfish and Sea Cucumber.

The Philippines has 18,500 kilometers of coastline, 26.6 million hectares of coastal (inshore) waters and 193.4 million hectares of oceanic (offshore) waters.

Despite this vast water resources, she said the country was running out of fish, noting that fish was the primary source of animal protein in the diet of Filipinos.

“We want to solve this shortage not only because fish is an important part of the Filipino diet,” she said.

“We also want to take advantage of the ever-increasing demand for highvalue marine species in both local and export markets and to satisfy the world’s growing appetite for fish,” she added.

With the creation of these hatcheries and more in the future, she said the people were now assured of a source of food.

Through these facilities, the senator said “we can provide the opportunity to our fisherfolks to undergo training and improve present practices to improve productivity.”

Villar also noted that the Philip-

pines, being the sixth biggest fish producer in the world, had an aquaculture production of over US$1.58 billion.

She said the fisheries sector also provided direct and indirect employment to over one million people, or about 12 percent of the agriculture sector of the labor force.

The senator has bren pushing to establish a provincial fisheries and aquatic resources training, development and product center in Aklan; freshwater multispecies hatchery and research center in Balo-I, Lanao del Norte and establishment of a fisheries research center in Abulug, Cagayan.

Villar, who was given a fresh mandate for another six years by more than 25-million Filipinos during the last midterm elections, was also instrumental in the establishment of similar facilities in 14 other provinces in the country, namely, Quezon, Albay, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Sultan Kudarat, Cebu, Catanduanes, Zamboanga del Norte, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar.

The Forum says ‘tis time to address LGBT issues BEYOND recognizing the June celebration of Pride Month and the fun parades in various parts of the country, an advocacy organization said it was time to beef up the welfare of LGBTs who have unique reproductive and health needs.

“They must be equal before our laws and must be able to access opportunities and services among others just like any and all Filipinos,” said The Forum for Family Planning and Development (The Forum), the advocacy organization that works in communities to advance reproductive and sexual rights, lauded the local government initiatives in making conditions better for LGBTs. Chi Laigo-Vallido, director for programs and advocacy of The Forum, said the efforts of local governments to implement ordinances that prevent and prohibit abuse, exploitation, bullying and acts that limit employment, education and other opportunities for LGBTs had set precedents for more political leaders to formulate similar laws.

Apart from LGBT police help desks, Vallido said there was also an anti-bullying law that Congress passed in 2013 that included protection for LGBTs and child protection policies covering LGBT children and youth.

She said the Philippines was also a signatory to various international covenants promoting human rights under the United Nations.

She noted that recently the World Health Organization had removed transgender in its classification of mental disorders and calls it a legitimate sexual orientation.

“The good efforts towards LGBTs have yet to ascend into a national commitment,” says Vallido, as she took to task President Rodrigo Duterte to lead this commitment.

“For a leader who once headed a city [Davao] who has a gender and development code since 1997 and started pioneering strategies in integrating gender and development in various LGU programs, I am saddened that President Duterte is himself the one who does not support the country’s growing maturity towards sexual diversity,” she said.

Vallido notes that Duterte has faltered in his statements for LGBTs and same-sex unions, and most recently, has again invoked homosexuality to insult and imply weakness on his political rivals and critics, including communist rebels and Catholic priests.

He also said being “gay” could be cured.

The Philippines is praised for being one of the most gay-friendly nations, ranking 10th in a 2014 Pew Research Center survey of 39 countries, that are accepting of sexual orientations and gender minorities.

But Vallido said there are still areas that stigmatize and disadvantage LGBTs. She called attention to the situation of many LGBTs living with HIV who face discrimination when accessing health services, public places and facilities or wanting to go to school or wishing to work.

“What I know is that all Filipino citizens are entitled to enjoy the rights that are guaranteed under our Constitution. It makes no distinctions. We in The Forum will continue our work in communities that advocate for inclusivity and understanding to gender diversity,” Vallido said.

Vallido also cited the pending SOGIE (sexual orientation and gender identity and expression) equality bill or the antidiscrimination bill that Congress has yet to pass. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Sports Villamor assembles 149, ties Tagaytay at WGAP helm VILLAMOR assembled a 149 then nipped Sta. Elena in the countback to snare the Class B honors and gain a share of the lead with Tagaytay, which struggled at home after three legs of the 2019 Champion WGAP Circuit at Midlands and Lucky 9 courses recently.

Angelita Navalta and Beatrice Tronco shot 42 and 39 Stableford points, respectively, and Melissa Gozum and Katrina Yupangco backed them up with identical 34 points as the Villamor ladies foiled their Sta. Elena counterparts from completing a twotitle romp in the course-hopping circuit organized by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines.

Sta. Elena dominated Class C and settled for second in Class B with Divina Nemec, Misako Ogihara, Nancy Ortiga and Lily Chan carding 39, 38, 37 and 35 points, respectively, for a five-point haul that stood out in the day and put the team in solo third in the overall race with seven points, just a point behind Villamor and Tagaytay.

With Class A winner and defending WGAP circuit champion Forest Hills, Alabang and Canlubang toting identical six points, Wack Wack hiking its output to five and Fernando Air Base improving with four points, a fierce battle looms when the circuit sponsored by Champion heads to Manila Southwoods for the fourth stop on July 15.

Sharing individual honors in the third leg were Jeong Sook Cho of Eagle Ridge (41 points-Class A), Vids Torralba of Alabang (39 points-Class B) and Caroline Cheng of Camp Aguinaldo (50 points-Class C).

Sta. Elena outclassed the Class C field with a 169 behind Calene Ong (45), Cheese Ong (43), Gia Suarez (41) and Surlianti Walker (40) for an 11-shot victory over Camp Aguinaldo, which pooled a 158, with Wack Wack taking third spot with a157 followed by Tagaytay (154), Fernando Air Base (153), Alabang (153), Eagle Ridge (153), Forest Hills (152), Canlubang (140), Orchard (136) and Villamor (134).

Tagaytay, meanwhile, failed to cash in on its so-called home-course edge, settling for a pair of third place finishes in Classes A and B while ending up fourth in Class C although the Highlanders remained in joint overall lead with Villamor with eight points.

Forest Hills, which rallied in the final leg to edge Sta. Elena by one for the overall crown last year, routed the Class A field with a 157 for a huge 13-point romp over Fernando Air Base with Elizabeth Valen and Jonah Ilagan leading the charge with 42 and 41 points, respectively, and Grace Cho and Grace Atienza chipping in 37 points apiece.

Tagaytay came in third with a 142 followed by Wack Wack (141), Camp Aguinaldo (141), Alabang (139), Sta. Elena (138), Canlubang (136) and Villamor (132).

Tagaytay scored a 146 to likewise finish third in Class B with Alabang placing fourth with 140 followed by Fernando Air Base (139), Orchard (135), Camp Aguinaldo (132), Wack Wack (125), Manila Southwoods (115) and Forest Hills (109).

PSA Forum tackles NCAA Season 95 THE coming season 95 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association highlights Tuesday’s discussion of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Amelie Hotel-Manila.

Peter Cayco of Arellano University and this year’s NCAA Management Committee Chairman will be on hand to talk what is in store for the new season of the country’s oldest collegiate league.

Arellano will be NCAA host for the first time, with the centerpiece event of basketball again ushering the start of the season on July 7 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

PSA members are enjoin to attend the session presented by San Miguel Corp. Braska Restaurant, Amelie Hotel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

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TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

MPBL’s 1st triple-header slated today Games Tuesday

Australia’s Ashleigh Barty poses for a photograph with the trophy after her straight sets victory over Germany’s Julia Gorges in their women’s singles final tennis match at the WTA Nature Valley Classic tournament at Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham, central England. AFP

All hail new queen: Aussies heap praise on no. 1 Barty S

YDNEY—Australia hailed “humble and inspirational” Ashley Barty as the new queen of tennis Monday after she joined Evonne Goolagong Cawley as the country’s second woman to reach world number one.

The French Open champion claimed the top spot by beating Julia Goerges to win the Birmingham WTA title on Sunday, capping a remarkable rise by the 23-year-old who once quit tennis to play cricket.

Along with Goolagong Cawley, who briefly held the top rank in 1976, she emulated John Newcombe, Pat Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt in the pantheon of Australians to reach world number one.

Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley commended a “remarkable historical accomplishment.”

“It’s a really hard thing to do and to achieve, that is just fantastic,” he told the Channel Nine TV network.

“I know her, she’s humble about it. She just wants to get back on the tennis court

and have a good hit.”

Sydney’s Daily Telegraph crowned her the “new queen” of tennis, with her downto-earth approach a refreshing change for Australian tennis fans more used to the histrionics of Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic.

“Watching her win a match is like watching those old-fashioned black and white news reels where an Evonne Goolagong or a Rod Laver graciously accepted their win without huge fuss or fanfare,” it wrote.

“She makes Australians feel proud she is one of us. Long may she reign.”

National broadcaster ABC said her rise was “nothing but deserved” after being unranked in 2016 when she returned to the game from a stint playing cricket with Brisbane Heat, while Fox Sports Aus-

tralia tweeted: “Put your hands together for your new queen.”

Billie Jean King was among the tennis greats offering congratulations to Barty, who displaced Japan’s Naomi Osaka to reach number one.

“With incredible versatility, perseverance, and focus, Ash Barty is an inspiration to the next generation of young players in Australia. Well done!” she tweeted.

Barty, who began playing tennis as a child in the Queensland state capital Brisbane, has her eyes firmly on Wimbledon and told reporters her close-knit team would not be getting carried away with what had been achieved.

“We’ll just be very boring, to be honest,” she said when asked how they would celebrate.

“We’ve got a big couple of weeks coming up; make sure we’re ready to go, but we’ll certainly be having a beer or two.”

Tennis Queensland chief Mark Bloomfield said children “have a role model now.” AFP

(Navotas Sports Complex) 4 p.m. – Gen San vs Marikina 6:30 p.m. – Biñan vs Quezon City 9 p.m. – Navotas vs Rizal

AFTER three seasons, the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League has scheduled its first triple-header which will happen on Tuesday at the Navotas Sports Complex.

The home team Clutch will host the Rizal Golden Coolers in the main game at 9 p.m. right after the first two matches, which feature three teams trying to get into the win column.

Biñan City battles Quezon City at 6:30 p.m. as both teams try to bounce back from separate losses. Formerly known as the Laguna Krah-Heroes, Biñan City is aching to atone from its 7562 loss to the Bataan Risers.

The Capitals, on the other hand, are still licking the wounds of their 86-85 heartbreaking loss to the Manila Stars.

General Santos City will take on Marikina in the curtain raiser at 4 p.m.

The Warriors, now being backed by Burlington, are looking for a fitting follow-up victory as they are fresh from their morale boosting 81-77 win over the Bulacan Kuyas and want to score two in a row, this time against the slumping Shoemasters, who have yet to win after two games.

League commissioner Kenneth Duremdes said the MPBL has now taken steps on how to shorten the season, especially now that there are 30 teams competing in the fastest growing regional amateur event put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao.

Having a triple-header six days a week would definitely shorten a season that is expected to narrow down to nine months from a projected yearlong event.

Aside from having more games scheduled, the league has also inked a deal to bring the MPBL to Dubai as Imus, Batangas City and Davao Occidental will play in the largest city in the United Arab Emirates slated late September.

RUNRIO, NowheretogobutUP launch fun run to raise funds UNIVERSITY of the Philippines varsity teams got a big boost from a new fundraising event called The Great UP Run, spearheaded by RUNRIO Inc. and nowheretogobutUP Foundation Inc..

Organizers of the event together with UP officials and representatives from the Quezon City Athletic Association launched the event via a press conference held at Quezon Hall to kickstart preparations for Season 82 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.

The Great UP Run, which aims to attract 3,000 runners in 3K, 5K, 10K and

21K categories, will begin at sundown on Aug. 11 at UP Diliman and cover the outer roads of the UP campus. Expected to participate are all UP varsity athletes, UP students and faculty from different campuses, UP alumni and The event will end with a concert featuring homegrown UP artists and is the first of many yearly events meant to sustain all UP varsity teams. Beneficiaries of the fundraising are UP varsity teams in Badminton, Baseball, Softball, Chess, Fencing, Football, Judo, Poomsae, Swimming, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, Lawn Tennis, Table Tennis,

Proponents of The Great UP Run attend its press conference.

Men’s Volleyball, Beach Volleyball and Women’s Basketball.

UP Diliman alumnus Coach Rio de la Cruz, President and Founder of RUNRIO Inc. NTGBUP Chairman, Atty.

Agaton Uvero, NTGBUP VP for Ways and Means Cocoy Mercado, UP College of Human Kinetics Dean Francis Diaz and QCAA officials led the proceedings at the media launch.

Globe Business backs Hinelaban Foundation through golf THE country’s top enterprise leaders have joined Globe Business, the enterprise arm of Globe Telecom, in supporting the “rainforestation” efforts of Hineleban Foundation through donations coming from a friendly game of golf.

The CEO Golf Classic organized by Globe Business combined fun with environmental consciousness. One of its special component is the “Mulligan” or the doover shot where a player had to donate funds for another chance to recover from a putt that went wrong.

Because of the “Mulligan”, the players were able to contribute a total of P44,000.00 to Hineleban Foundation, the game’s chosen beneficiary. Last year, they also contributed P38,400 to the foundation through the same tournament.

Hineleban (Hē-ne-leu-bän) is a sacred Binukid term literally meaning “Mother Tree of the rainforest that sustains the cycle of all life.” The term was adopted

by Hineleban Foundation, a non-stock, non-profit organization based in Bukidnon, Mindanao, whose vision is to ensure the nation’s water, food and human security by reforesting the mountain ranges of Mind-

Participants of the CEO Golf Classic are shown here.

anao. Bukidonon is home to the country’s last watersheds and is inhabited by Indigenous People (IP’s) and Bangsamoro communities.

Globe and Hineleban Foundation’s partnership began in December 2016 where they entered into a Sacred Customary Compact with the IPs as well as a Peace and Development role with the Bangsamoro People to identify steps to fulfil the dream of rainforestation. Together, they are reforesting 300 hectares of denuded primary rainforests, a fraction of the 44,000 hectares surveyed and targeted by the Foundation in Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur. The program is structured into five phases over a fiveyear period, lasting until December 2021.

Globe Business Senior Vice President Peter Maquera shared his delight in the participants’ generosity, “Through the Golf Classic, our partners are able to take part in this important cause of reforesting Bukidnon. We are grateful for the support of our customers, and we are proud to have come together to help the Indigenous People of Bukidnon and Bangsamoro communities.”

The annual CEO Golf Classic, which is now on its record 15th consecutive year, is considered one of the most

highly anticipated events from Globe Business. As a premiere event, enterprise clientele are invited to play a rousing 18 holes of golf, resulting in stronger bonds and ties with new and existing business partners. This year’s golf classic gathered ninety (90) golf-loving Chief Executive Officers from various industries.

The 15th Globe Business CEO Golf champions are Concentrix’s Michael Montero, Autohub Group’s Willy Te, Globe’s JV Tandingan, and VXI’s Jovy Llanes for Division 1, while IMI’s Art Tan, Accenture’s Lito Tayag, Visaya KPO’s Butch Valenzuela, and Genpact’s Dan Reyes comprise the winners for Division 2. They competed in a four-man scramble with sliding tee-box format, designed to foster teamwork between the players and establish a balance of power among various competing teams’ capabilities.

Globe Business continues to redefine how businesses work—which goes beyond functions, numbers, and performance. It, likewise, enables its clients and partners to catapult their enterprises to success by providing the right technology, infrastructure, and know-how to create a positive impact and transform people’s lives.

Sports

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

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TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019

Boss Emong stuns the field that included first-leg winner Real Gold, winning the 2nd leg of the Philracom Triple Crown series by half a length on Sunday at the Saddle and Clubs Leisure Park in Naic, Cavite.

Overhauled Foton tests mettle of Petron in PSL Games Today

(Filoil Flying V Centre) 2:00 p.m. – PLDT vs Marinera 4:15 p.m. – Sta. Lucia vs Cignal 7:00 p.m. – Petron vs Foton

AN overhauled Foton squad tests the mettle of reigning champion Petron in the main game of another explosive triple-header in the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Action starts at 7 p.m. with the Tornadoes set to deploy their powerhouse roster against Blaze Spikers, who are looking to capture a rare three-peat in the midseason battle of this prestigious women’s club tourney bankrolled by Team Rebel Sports, SOGO, Eurotel, PCSO, Cocolife, UCPB Gen, Mueller, Senoh, Asics, Bizooku and One Sport.

Prior to that, Marinerang Pilipina hunts its first win against a red-hot PLDT Home Fibr side in the 2 pm opener while struggling Sta. Lucia battles Cignal in the 4 p.m. encounter that has ESPN5 and Kapatid TV5 as broadcast partners.

Despite beefing up its roster with quality talents like Marian Buitre, Justine Dorog and Laizah Bendong to help the solid core of Jaja Santiago, Dindin Manabat, Elaine Kasilag and Jen Reyes, Foton still had a slow start.

The split their first two games against Sta. Lucia and Generika-Ayala before losing a tough 9-25, 25-23, 2225, 16-25 setback to F2 Logistics last Saturday at the Imus Sports Center in Imus City, Cavite.

In that match, open spiker Shaya Adorador carried the cudgels, but the Tornadoes failed to draw impressive numbers from other scorers like Santiago, Mina Aganon, Manabat and Kasilag.

Still, Petron coach Shaq Delos Santos will not take Foton lightly.

“They are still contenders, a powerhouse team that has tall players.

We cannot let our guards down,” said Delos Santos, who steered the Blaze Spikers to the All-Filipino throne for the past couple of years.

Delos Santos said his wards are oozing with confidence after making short work of Marinerang Pilipina in their first match since winning the Grand Prix title last month, 25-21, 25-16, 25-10.

Alaska’s Jeffrey Cariaso drives against Ginebra’s Marlou Aquino (right) and Vince Hizon during their UNTV Cup PBA Legends Faceoff last Sunday at the Pasig City Sports Center.

POC assembly to review SEAG’s technical issues

By Peter Atencio

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REVIEW of the technical handbook will be the main agenda of today’s meeting of the Philippine Olympic Committee General Assembly.

POC spokesman Clint Aranas said this ahead of their talks with Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee Chairman, Congressman-elect Alan Peter Cayetano.

Most of the national sports associations need to be updated on the venues that will be used for the games, with five months left before the opening.

“We are looking for the technical handbook. And the PHISGOC is supposed to be taking care of this,” said Aranas, the head of the national sports association for archery, and also the president and general manager of the Government Service Insurance System.

The scheduled POC Extraordinary General Assembly at the GSIS gymnasium is set at 1 p.m.

Acting president Joey Romasanta, the former POC first vice president who assumed the POC presidency via succession after Ricky Vargas filed his irrevocable resignation last Tuesday, will listen to the many concerns of NSA leaders.

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez, who is also the chef de mission of the national delegation, will be present.

The POC, according to Aranas, is mainly concerned on the management

and conduct of the 30th SEA Games.

“We will iron this out with the PHISGOC. The POC is concerned about the management and conduct of the Games. The national sports associations are supposed to handle the technical side of this,” said Aranas.

The POC believes that it should be on top of the Games’ preparations and that an ad hoc committee must be subject to the rules and regulations of the POC. On the other hand, the Phisgoc Foundation formed by the previous POC administration, is not supposed to be part of the Games’ organization.

“We have to take a more active role in organizing the SEA Games because that is the mandate of the Philippine Olympic Committee,” said Aranas.

The Phisgoc Foundation is a body that is different from the organizing committee approved and ratified by the POC under the leadership of Jose “Peping” Cojuangco back in 2017.

Australian ace firms up PH Golf Tour Iloilo cast AUSSIE Tim Stewart seeks to complete an unfinished business and mark his return to the Philippine Golf Tour in big fashion as he headlines a stellar international field in the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge which gets going tomorrow (Wednesday) at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club in Sta. Barbara.

The big-hitting ace from Sydney took charge in the opener of this event last year but failed to match Jobim Carlos’ recordsetting 62 in the third and settled for runner-up honors for his best finish thus far in the circuit put up by ICTSI. But with Carlos still out of commission for the seventh straight week and Juvic Pagunsan opting to take a rest after scoring back-to-back title romps in the Bacolod and Negros stops of the four-leg Visayan swing, Stewart could be looking to a breakthrough on the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., He tied for 11th in his last PGT tournament at The Country Club Invitational last April and toughened for this week’s event with a five-week stint on the China tour.

But he will be as much tested as the rest of the 92-player field featuring the other leading players on the PGT, including a host of other foreign aces all geared up for four days of iron duel at what has long been considered as the country’s oldest

par-70 course.

They include Lexus Keoninh, who tied for third here last year, and fellow Americans Greg Gonzalez. Charles Lee, Sean Talmadge and Pete Vilairatana, who tied for third in last week’s Negros Occidental Classic, along with Aussies Fidel Concepcion and Calum Juniper, Japanese Ryui Hashimoto, Kei Matsuoka, Kanata Nakagawa and Yudai Suzuki, who is out to redeem himself from a poor finish in Negros which he led in the first round with a bogey-free 64 only to end up with three overpar cards and ended up in joint 29th.

Dutch Guido Van der Valk, a wire-towire in Club Filipino de Cebu Invitational three weeks ago, is also tipped to contend for the P550,000 purse along with Koreans Myung Chal Hwang and Sangun Lee, Argentina’s Emilio Parodi, Jesus Rafael Parra of Venezuela and Spain’s Marcos Pastor.

Twelve invitees also aim for a strong finish, including former PGT Asia leg winner David Gleeson of Australia, Swede Sebastian Hansson, Colombia’s Mateo Gomez and Sebastian Lopez and Finland’s Teemu Putkonen.

But the locals will be out to keep crown

Tim Stewart aims for a big finish in Iloilo

at home with Clyde Mondilla hoping to settle down with his game after a long layoff and so-so finishes in the past two tournaments along with Jhonnel Ababa, Jay Bayron, Michael Bibat, Zanieboy Gialon, James Ryan Lam, Keanu Jahns, Tony Lascuña, Elmer Salvador and Richard Sinfuego.

Darkhorse Boss Emong stuns field, wins 2nd leg of Triple Crown BOSS Emong showed the field who’s the boss, stunning overwhelming pick Real Gold by half a length in a frantic finish marking the second leg of the Philippine Racing Commission’s 2019 Triple Crown series at the Saddle and Clubs Leisure Park in Naic, Cavite on Sunday.

The darkhorse winner in the seven-horse cast featuring some of the country’s best three-yearolds, trailed Best Regards at second halfway through the race and made its move in the final 600, with Jayz in tow.

Boss Emong grabbed the lead in the final straight, with Jayz gaining the edge for a split second, but the Dan Camanero-steered colt unleashed a final burst to regain the lead and stayed up front for the close victory denying the first-leg champion what could have been the second jewel in its Triple Crown goal.

“Sinunod ko lang po ang bilin nila boss, kung hindi kaya mauna, sunod sunod lang kami.

Pero noong last 600, kinuha ko na,” said jockey Camanero. “May bisyo talaga itong si Boss Emong, humihinto kaya nakahabol ang iba pero tinodo ko na sa huli.”

The win was worth P1.8 million from the total guaranteed prize of P3 million for owner Edward Vincent Diokno, who personally received the champion’s trophy from newly appointed Philracom commissioner Aurelio De Leon and Victor Tantoco, Philippine Racing Club Inc. manager Oyet Alcasid Jr. and PRCI Handicapper Tony Selda.

Antonio Tan received the winning breeder’s prize of P100,000.

The JP A Guce-ridden Real Gold, which obliterated field during the first leg at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite last month, came from the outside this time and nearly caught up with the leader, but fell short in the end as it settled for the runner-up purse of P675,000 for owner C&H Enterprises.

Jayz, ridden by JA Guce and owned by SC Stockfarm, pocketed the third-place purse of P375,000 in the race ran in 1,800 meters.

Meanwhile, My Jopay (jockey Pat Dilema) ruled the Philracom Hopeful Stakes and rewarded owner Moises Villasenor the champion’s purse of P600,000.

Two Timer (jockey JA Guce, owner Melaine Habla) placed second and clinched P225,000, while The Accountant (CP Henson, Luis Aguila) ranked third and got P125,000.

In the Philracom 3YO Locally Bred Stakes Race, the placings were My Shelltex (JB Guce, Antonio Tan Jr.), Silab (AR Villegas, Benjamin Abalos Jr.) and Weather Lang (JB Hernandez, Melaine Habla), winning P300,000, P112,500 and P62,500, respectively.

The final leg of the Triple Crown will be held at the MetroTurf in Malvar, Batangas on July 21, featuring the series’ longest route of 2,000 meters.

The three-leg series is patterned after the United States’ Triple Crown, with its three legs comprised of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes, also with progressively longer distances.

San Miguel Beer, Alaska dispute UNTV Cup crown SAN Miguel Beer and Alaska arranged a winner-take-all showdown by besting their respective semis rivals in the UNTV Cup PBA Legends Faceoff held over the weekend at the Pasig City Sports Center.

The Beermen banked heavily on the troika of two-time MVP Danny Ildefonso, Kiko Adriano and Dondon Hontiveros to outlast the Purefoods Hotdogs of four-time MVP Alvin Patrimonio, 79-70, while the Alaska Milkmen demolished the Ginebra Kings, 84-69, through another solid effort from Willie Miller and Jeff Cariano.

Both San Miguel and Alaska came into their games enjoying twice-to-beat privileges in their respective semis series after finishing 1-2 in the short elims but they needed no extra game as they reaffirmed their mastery over their rivals.

The face-off of the event bankrolled by UNTV through its president and CEO Dr. Daniel Razon

Games July 8

(Smart Araneta Coliseum) 6 p.m. – Ginebra vs Purefoods (Battle for third) 8 p.m. – San Miguel vs Alaska (Championship)

is set July 8 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Razon said the combined prizes of the tournament worth P2 million – P1 million to the champion, P500,000 to the runnerup, P300,000 and P200,000 to the third and fourth placers, respectively – will go to the PBA Legends Foundation.

The foundation was formed to help former PBA players who are either sick or are in need of financial help for the education of their children.

Adriano topscored for the Beermen with 24 points but it was Ildefonso who made the key baskets that enabled them to pull away

for good in the third quarters.

Ildefonso posted another double-double with 19 points and 14 boards while Hontiveros added 16 points.

Miller got the better of his shootout with Pido Jarencio and produced 25 points while Johnny Abarrientos and Cariaso combined for 33 points, eight rebounds and seven assits.

Kenneth Duremdes, another MVP winner in Alaska jersey, chipped in 9 points.

The scores: First Game ALASKA 84—Miller 25, Cariaso 17, Abarrientos 16, Hawkins 10, Duremdes 8, Ferriols 6, B. Lim 2.

GINEBRA 69—Jarencio 18, David 13, Aquino 10, Feihl 8, Jose 6, Hizon 6, Cheng 2, Orquillas 2, Palad 2, Marzan 2.

Quarters: 20-16, 38-34, 61-52, 84-69.

IN BRIEF

Xiamen Air set to begin Chengdu-Mactan flight GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. on Monday announced the newest service of Xiamen Air from Mactan-Cebu International Airport to Chengdu, China starting on June 27.

“We are glad to welcome Xiamen Air’s newest direct service to Chengdu, one of China’s busiest and economically-robust cities. Through this partnership with Xiamen Air, we aim to achieve a common goal which is to increase connectivity between Cebu to international destinations,” said GMCAC president Louie Ferrer.

Xiamen Air will serve the Cebu-Chengdu route thrice weekly every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday using a Boeing 737-800 with 22 seats in Business class and 161 seats in Economy class.

Chengdu to Cebu was previously operated during the Chinese peak travel season only. This is the first time that Cebu will have regular scheduled flights to Chengdu.

“The launching of the Chengdu service is in line with Xiamen Air’s plan to open more routes between the Philippines and China, specially in Cebu and Chengdu as these two major cities have huge tourist markets and are internationally known for its tourism destinations and upbeat economic activities,” said Xiamen Air Cebu station manager Bruce Gong. Darwin G. Amojelar

Phoenix appoints China Bank Capital THE board of Phoenix Petroleum Corp. approved the appointment of China Bank Capital Corp., and any additional partners later, to underwrite the sale of the company’s perpetual preferred shares amounting to P5 billion.

The shares will be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and listed with the Philippine Stock Exchange.

“Proceeds from the fundraising will be used to fund the company’s expansion requirements,” Phoenix said in a disclosure Monday.

The board also approved the transfer of Phoenix’s allocated capital expenditure budget of P2 billion to wholly-owned subsidiary PFL Petroleum Management Inc. and “thereby increase its investments of same amount to PPMI for the purpose of retail expansion.”

Phoenix has been on an aggressive expansion mode in the past years, venturing into liquefied petroleum gas, bitumen, convenience store retailing business and liquefied natural gas. Alena Mae S. Flores

Air Asia PH eyes more Taiwan, Macau seats THE Philippine unit of Southeast Asia’s largest budget airline is seeking more flight entitlements to Taiwan and Macau from the Civil Aeronautics Board.

Air Asia Philippines said in a filing with the CAB it wanted the allocation of entitlements to Macau under the Philippines Air Series Agreement from Clark and Cebu.

The airline also filed a petition for designation as official Philippine carrier and allocation of entitlements to Taiwan under the MECO-TECO agreement on the exchange of traffic rights.

By August 1, AirAsia Philippine will be flying to Kaohsiung, Taiwan from Clark and Cebu. The airline currently operates from Manila to Taipei.

AirAsia Philippines also operates international flights to and from Shanghai, Incheon (Seoul), Hong Kong, Macau, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Guangzhou, Vietnam, Shenzhen, Kaohshing, Bali, Shenzhen, Indonesia, Singapore and soon Japan.

It flies to and from Manila, Davao, Cebu, Kalibo, Caticlan (Boracay), Tacloban, Tagbilaran (Bohol), Puerto Princesa (Palawan), Clark and Iloilo in the Philippines.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Business government of Manila recognizes major trade enabler Asian Terminals Inc. as the Philippine capital’s top taxpayer and development partner. In ceremonies commemorating the city’s 448th founding anniversary, former president and Manila mayor Joseph Estrada (second from left) lauded ATI and other corporations for serving as Manila’s staunch partners in progress through taxes they dutifully contribute to the city coffers. With Estrada are (from left) ATI government affairs consultant Jun Balita, assistant vice president Steve Realuyo and corporate communications manager Doan Bustamante.

PSALM seeks to recover P10.8b from power users S

By Alena Mae S. Flores

tate-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. said it is set to file a petition with the Energy Regulatory Commission this week to recover another P10.842 billion worth of universal charges for stranded contract costs and stranded debt.

tract costs of National Power Corp. as the “excess of the contracted cost of electricity under eligible contracts over the actual selling price of the contracted energy output of such contracts in the market.”

Stranded debts, meanwhile, are defined as “any unpaid financial obligations of Napocor which have not been liquidated by the proceeds from the sales and privatization of Napocor assets.”

Garcia said the UC-SD and UC-SCC, which cover the year 2018, carry a recovery period of seven years and one

year, respectively. The petitions will be filed separately.

“The reason why we need to file this is because if we don’t file it, we will be forfeiting the opportunity and there is deadline which is June 30,” she said.

Garcia said PSALM was diligent in meeting the annual deadline for the filing of the universal charge petition.

“Thankfully with diligent efforts to follow up with the ERC, PSALM was able to recently secure approval for UCSCC amounting to P0.0543 per kWh,” the official said.

The recently approved petition which was expected to be implemented in August would bring PSALM’s UC-SCC to P0.0971 per kWh from P0.0428 per kWh. “This is just a filing of the petition and it can still be included in the Murang Kuryente Bill if they were able to come up with IRR and we start already with the funding from the Malampaya,” Garcia said.

TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019

B1

AC ENERGY Inc., the energy platform of Ayala Corp., said Monday it completed the acquisition of a combined 51.48-percent stake of Phinma Inc. and Phinma Corp. in Phinma Energy Corp.

AC Energy acquired the Phinma group’s stake through the purchase of secondary shares for P3.669 billion.

AC Energy also subscribed to 2.632 billion PHEN primary shares at par value.

With the transactions, AC Energy acquired a total of 7.5 billion shares of Phinma Energy corresponding to 68 percent for a total value of P6.3 billion.

“We are pleased to complete this transaction, as we see Phinma Energy as a platform for AC Energy’s domestic growth,” said AC Energy president and chief executive Eric Francia.

Meanwhile, the mandatory tender offer for PHEN shares ended June 19 with 156,476 shares having been tendered.

The Philippine Competition Commission already approved the acquisition on April 11 after AC Energy conducted a mandatory tender offer in accordance with the Securities Regulation Code.

Francia said the Phinma acquisition was an important step to achieve AC Energy’s goal of reaching 5,000 megawatts of renewables capacity by 2025, of which 50 percent would come from renewable energy.

AC Energy, based on its equity interest in power generation businesses, owns 1,600 gigawatts of generation capacity in operation and under construction.

AC Energy generated 2,800 gigawatt-hours of energy in 2018, 48 percent of which was from renewable sources.

AC Energy is one of the fastest growing energy companies with more than $1 billion in investment and committed equity in renewable and thermal energy in the Philippines and around the region.

Korean firm set to open Duty Free outlet inside Clark

GCash wooing prepaid subscribers to join digital mart GCASH, operated by Globe Fintech Innovations Inc., is enticing the prepaid mobile subscriber market in the Philippines to participate in the digital economy through its e-money platform, as it aims to bring the benefits of financial technology to more Filipinos.

While GCash is partly owned by Globe Telecom Inc., it has adopted a telco agnostic approach in promoting the mobile wallet. This means all subscribers in the Philippines such as those of Globe, TM, Smart, Sun, TNT or Cherry users may download and register for a GCash account through their mobile phones.

Even subscribers of the future third telco player are afforded the capability to download the free GCash app on Google Play Store or iOS App Store and register for an account.

This means more than 100 million Filipinos have access to GCash services.

Globe had a subscriber base of 74.1 million as of end-2018, while the PLDT Group, which owns Smart, Sun, and TNT, ended the year at 60.5 million users. In total, prepaid accounted for 129.7 million subscribers, and the remainder were postpaid accounts.

“Our vision is to promote financial inclusion across all sectors of society.

As we lead the movement for financial inclusion in the country, we believe that providing a telco agnostic platform will help more Filipinos participate in the digital economy,” Mynt vice president for corporate communications Ney Villasenor said.

GCash targets to capture the prepaid market, which mostly comprises Filipinos that belong to the Classes C and D in the socioeconomic bracket, as they are also usually the ones that are excluded from fully participating in the digital economy.

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

AC completes acquisition of 51.4% stake in Phinma Energy

MANILA’S TOP TAXPAYER. The city

The petition, once approved, would increase power rates by P0.125 per kilowatt-hour, on top of the existing universal charges.

“We are timely filing new petitions for UC-SCC amounting to P6.12 billion or equivalent to P0.062 per kilowatt-hour and for UC-SD amounting to P4.722 billion equivalent to P0.063 per kWh,” PSALM president Irene Garcia said during the company’s 18th-anniversary celebration.

The Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 defines the stranded con-

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

By Othel V. Campos

REMITLY’S NEW OFFICE. Global online money remittance service provider Remitly moves into its new headquarters at Greenfield District, Mandaluyong City. The new office space is equipped with facilities to create a stress-free environment, provide comfort and boost productivity. Attending the new office space launch are (from left) Remitly co-founder and chief executive Matt Oppenheimer, Remitly ambassador Kim Atienza, co-founder and chief operating officer Josh Hug and chief customer and people officer Rene Yoakum.

PH moves to narrow $5.5-b trade deficit with Indonesia THE Philippinesis moving to bridge a $5.5-billion trade gap with Indonesia by exporting more agricultural products and automobile parts to its southern neighbor.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez discussed trade opportunities with his Indonesia’s Minister of Trade Enggartiasto Lukita at the sidelines of the 34th Asean Summit on June 21 to 24.

The two ministers agreed to organize a business matching session in Indonesia in August or September 2019 to connect Filipino and Indonesian manufacturers and distributors.

“President Rodrigo Duterte is pushing for the Philippines to narrow its trade imbalance with Indonesia. Thus we hope that openness from both countries

will result in a mutually beneficial trade relationship between the two countries,” said Lopez.

Indonesia was the Philippines’ 9th major trading partner in 2018, with trade reaching $7.27 billion, but there was a great disparity of value between exports and imports.

Data showed that while Philippine imports from Indonesia reached $6.40 billion last year, Philippine exports was only $866.20 million.

Indonesian company PT Mayora said it started importing desiccated coconuts from the Philippines since April 2019.

Indonesian companies said they were willing to import shallots, bananas and alcoholic beverages from the Philippines.

Lopez said that Toyota Fortuner, manufactured in Indonesia, is one of the top vehicle imports of the Philippines.

He proposed that Indonesia source some of its automobile parts from the Philippines to manufacture the said vehicle.

Another proposal to increase Philippine exports to Indonesia was to export Mitsubishi Mirage G4 and Toyota Vios as soon once the Philippines became the regional production hub for these vehicles.

The trade ministers also discussed the special safeguards on Philippines coffee imports issued through Department Order No. 6 by the Department of Agriculture in March 2018.

Othel V. Campos

DUTY Free Philippines Corp. signed a partnership with Donggwang Clark Corp., the Philippine subsidiary of Sun Valley Group of South Korea, to open a Duty Free outlet at Hilton Sun Valley Resort inside the Clark Freeport Zone.

The agreement will launch the construction of a 370-square-meter outlet operated by DFP and designed and constructed by DCC. The outlet which is expected to open in the first quarter of 2020 will be the second DFP store in Pampanga province in addition to a branch at Clark International Airport.

“This partnership is part of our ongoing efforts to accelerate DFP’s presence in major tourism and economic destinations to tap the increasing number of foreign tourists and expatriates in the country,” said Duty Free Philippines chief operating officer Vicente Pelagio Angala.

“We strategically chose the location at an integrated tourism estate that includes condo units and commercial spaces,” said Angala.

The said outlet will highlight Filipino export-quality products through Go Lokal! kiosk and regular tax-exempt items such as perfumes and cosmetics, health and beauty, fashion, confectioneries, liquor and tobacco.

Angala said they would work on partnerships with the organizers of international events hosted in Clark.

DCC committed to supporting the business operations of DFP through advertising and marketing efforts and gift certificates as giveaways to their hotel and casino guests.

Clark Freeport Zone is becoming the next economic haven of Luzon with unprecedented gains in investments, revenues, employment and other significant achievements.

B2

Business

TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks close flat; Ayala Land up T HE stock market virtually closed flat Monday ahead of a crunch meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping this week.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 5.11 points, or 0.06 percent, to 8,060.58 on a value turnover of P9 billion. Losers edged gainers, 98 to 88, with 50 issues unchanged.

Major property developer Ayala Land Inc. rose 2.1 percent to P51.80, while conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. climbed 1.9 percent to P4.86.

PLDT Inc., the biggest telecommunications firm, gained 1.1 percent to P1,294, but Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second-largest lender in terms of assets, fell 1.5 percent to P73.50.

Oil prices, meanwhile, extended gains Monday as rising US-Iran tensions

fueled supply concerns, while Asian equities also edged up.

Both main crude contracts are up almost 10 percent since Tehran last week shot down a US “spy drone” for breaching its airspace, ratcheting up fears of a conflict between the old foes.

At the weekend Trump said he would impose fresh sanctions on Iran, following bans of countries buying its oil, while US media reports said Washington secretly launched cyberattacks against missile control systems and a spy network.

Both sides say they want to avoid war, but tensions have spiraled as a series of incidents, including the drone downing and recent attacks on tankers, raised fears of an unintended slide towards conflict.

Hong Kong was up 0.1 percent in the afternoon, while Shanghai ended up 0.2 percent and Tokyo was 0.1 percent higher.

There were also gains in Seoul, Sydney, Wellington and Bangkok, though Singapore, Taipei, Mumbai and Jakarta were in the red.

The US president said he was ready to reach out to Iran if it renounced nuclear weapons, adding that if leaders did so “I’m going to be their best friend.”

But Iran continues to insist its atomic program is for civilian purposes.

Brent rose 0.3 percent Monday and WTI was 0.5 percent higher.

“The geopolitical escalation in the Middle East is unquestionably a bullish short-term signal for oil markets, as even the thought of 20 percent of the world oil supply being affected is enough to trigger significant tremors,” said Stephen Innes, managing partner at Vanguard Markets.

“And these tremors are noticeably moving up the Richter scale.”

The stand-off, coupled with a weak dollar as the Federal Reserve flags an

interest rate cut, has helped push gold prices to six-year highs above $1,400 as dealers look for a safe haven to park their cash.

Still, share markets remain buoyant on hopes Trump and Xi can break an impasse in their trade war when they meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka this week.

Global equities have been rallying since Trump hailed positive telephone talks last week and said the two would have a face-to-face in Japan, fueling hopes of a possible end to their longrunning tariffs battle.

“No one thinks the US and China will do a deal in Osaka, but there is some hope that we will have a positive development that marks a shift in the rhetoric and a re-energizing of talks following the breakdown in the recent discussions,” said Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at Markets.com.

With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

58.4 80.6 2.35 141.3 1.22 28.7 18.68 11.7 5.05 0.5 74.6 0.96 13.2 21.15 48.5 188 28.6 170 1,760 63.55 1.13

58.8 81.25 2.35 143.4 1.22 28.7 18.68 11.86 5.1 0.52 75.4 1 13.2 21.15 50.15 192.8 28.6 170 1,760 63.55 1.13

58.4 80.05 2.32 140.1 1.22 27.9 18.6 11.48 5.02 0.5 73.5 0.96 13.2 21.15 48 188 28.4 168.5 1,760 61.45 1.12

58.4 80.05 2.35 141.5 1.22 27.9 18.6 11.52 5.05 0.5 73.5 0.99 13.2 21.15 49.75 191 28.5 169.1 1,760 62 1.12

1,100 870,630 231,000 2,935,810 2,000 137,600 9,500 760,000 341,100 135,000 2,262,750 106,000 4,600 200 645,900 1,360 86,100 402,550 850 12,460 24,000

64,280 70165735.5 541,030 418,064,515 2,440 3,874,610 177,396 8,792,238 1,725,707 70,000 167,350,540.50 101,860 60,720 4,230 31,692,545 259,698 2,459,970 68,071,063 1,496,000 773,393 26,890

-30,408 -19121567.9999 69,099,355 286,440 -4,627,328 4,019,778.50 35,520 -7,131,750 -17,290 -594,750 19,233,323 101,330 -

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

35.35 14.38 0.77 1.38 0.285 2.93 15.1 107 22.3 16.62 41.65 67.8 56 2.1 5.3 5.68 10.34 16 10.62 7.47 25 78.15 56.25 2.42 13.54 10.22 1.68 287.4 9.2 24.6 14.26 19.78 378 0.186 5.95 1.43 4.54 5.94 9.05 2.6 12.2 38 4.99 4.85 1.43 1.16 14.22 109.9 6.5 1.27 175.8 2.6 1.26 16.5 1.36

35.5 14.42 0.78 1.39 0.285 2.95 15.2 107 22.3 16.62 41.65 67.8 74.95 2.12 5.3 5.81 10.46 16.06 10.86 7.57 25 78.6 59.5 2.49 13.76 10.22 1.68 288.2 9.2 24.9 14.26 19.94 384 0.186 5.97 1.43 4.68 6.01 9.1 2.66 12.2 38.8 5.08 4.85 1.43 1.23 14.22 109.9 6.59 1.27 176 2.6 1.28 16.5 1.5

35 14.26 0.76 1.38 0.275 2.88 15.1 105 21.2 15.08 41.65 58.8 56 2.1 5.25 5.68 10.3 15.92 10.62 7.47 24.75 78.15 56.25 2.38 13.52 10 1.65 284 9.15 24.35 13.8 19.54 378 0.186 5.95 1.37 4.54 5.92 9.05 2.52 12 38 4.99 4.85 1.38 1.12 13.92 107.2 6.48 1.25 173.7 2.58 1.24 16 1.34

35.3 14.34 0.77 1.39 0.285 2.9 15.12 105 21.2 16.56 41.65 64 70 2.12 5.25 5.7 10.44 15.94 10.8 7.57 25 78.25 59.4 2.48 13.62 10.12 1.65 287 9.15 24.6 13.82 19.54 382 0.186 5.97 1.4 4.64 6 9.1 2.61 12.14 38.2 5.05 4.85 1.4 1.21 13.98 109.5 6.59 1.26 176 2.59 1.26 16.02 1.5

536,600 1,115,800 966,000 31,000 730,000 8,025,000 8,800 310 178,800 1,500 200 99,270 382,060 732,000 34,400 107,900 2,212,500 23,100 845,800 6,559,900 1,827,500 84,650 593,500 4,585,000 551,900 130,200 563,000 530,980 41,200 1,113,600 1,302,200 885,600 139,390 70,000 1,500 2,116,000 78,000 1,621,500 91,200 18,377,000 25,100 136,200 41,200 14,000 941,000 377,000 930,200 81,680 66,500 2,103,000 538,560 26,000 2,941,000 14,000 51,948,000

18,940,995 16,028,288 741,970 42,980 202,200 23,362,350 133,030 33,125 3,811,385 24,688 8,330 6,028,065.50 21,520,168 1,546,050 182,140 616,555 22,932,152 368,744 9,140,168 49,456,088 45,448,995 6,645,740 34,484,012 11,141,050 7,503,822 1,321,546 938,730 152,052,148 377,262 27,374,100 18,107,560 17,446,218 53,272,498 13,020 8,953 2,954,310 361,680 9,698,406 825,370 48,183,890 304,216 5208505 208,690 67,900 1,311,360 448,650 12,999,188 8,933,633 435,330 2,643,760 94,673,872 67,180 3,707,010 230,030 75,046,660

-2,436,280 -76,250 7,697,570 -65,016 -1,678,840 -20,427,680 -153,730 -22,886 3,201,196 -12,832 53,870 -46,987,832 20,863,200 -2,990,246 5,392,798.50 -672,660 2,690,248 276,432 6,635,010 78,690 24,397,530 5,548,118 -4,838,640 1,343,626 112,630 -5,554,608 1,121,310 -2265620.0002 187,450 -5,750 -3,194,102 1,328,689 11,718 -619,490 22,599,667 -101,800 167,770

HOLDING FIRMS ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANGLO PHIL HLDG ANSCOR ASIABEST GROUP ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B AYALA CORP AYALA LAND LOG COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG KEPPEL HLDG B LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA SAN MIGUEL CORP SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SOLID GROUP TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.8 55.25 15.18 0.75 6.7 12.54 1.35 1.36 904.5 3.66 6.77 10.56 13.72 0.25 959 6.23 66.45 6.01 4.85 0.5 4.28 15.36 0.66 4.78 0.038 1.21 177 971 0.87 1.34 270 0.24 0.305

0.82 55.6 15.36 0.75 6.78 12.9 1.36 1.37 904.5 3.68 6.9 10.56 14.02 0.25 959 6.23 66.6 6.37 4.85 0.51 4.39 15.36 0.67 4.88 0.039 1.27 179 973 0.87 1.37 270 0.243 0.31

0.8 54.85 15.18 0.74 6.7 12.5 1.34 1.36 895.5 3.64 6.76 10.42 13.72 0.242 941 6.22 64.55 6.01 4.85 0.495 4.15 15.14 0.63 4.78 0.038 1.17 177 953 0.85 1.34 268 0.233 0.305

0.81 54.85 15.2 0.75 6.78 12.9 1.34 1.37 897 3.64 6.76 10.44 14 0.25 941 6.22 65.5 6.37 4.85 0.495 4.16 15.24 0.66 4.86 0.038 1.24 178 964 0.87 1.36 270 0.242 0.305

30,552,000 519,650 1,945,500 317,000 6,900 86,300 761,000 155,000 407,990 5,399,000 451,900 3,649,000 22,600 110,000 76,570 11,000 1,446,130 8,200 1,000 90,000 725,000 413,600 6,692,000 45,499,000 7,400,000 305,000 46,180 218,230 71,000 22,000 80 100,000 2,680,000

24,568,110 28,622,257.50 29,599,230 237,400 46,382 1,104,620 1,025,220 210,850 366,263,060 19,764,210 3,074,901 38,296,048 315,838 27,070 72,406,200 68,520 95,220,829 ( 49,358 4,850 45,050 3,044,190 6,299,190 4,350,110 220,562,320 281,300 368,280 8,230,365 211,377,290 60,710 29,710 21,550 24,010 819,800

3,885,140 2,021,148.50 -1,656,384 75,000 33,500 -70,630 204,000 -68,382,765 1,324,220 -709,747 -27,699,860 -29,228 -13,725,475 14,640,954.5) -1,328,870 415,774 33,283,550 2,111,551 126,430,395 -5,370 52,650

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

16.14 0.8 11 2 0.88 50.5 2.32 4.85 0.58 0.82 0.96 0.244 0.445 9.92 26.35 0.47 0.125 1.74 1.33 6 0.315 0.465 1.86

16.14 0.81 11 2.09 0.89 52 2.35 4.91 0.59 0.84 0.96 0.244 0.46 9.94 26.35 0.475 0.125 1.75 1.33 6.11 0.33 0.475 1.86

15.82 0.79 11 1.97 0.86 50.5 2.31 4.85 0.57 0.8 0.95 0.236 0.44 9.7 25.8 0.47 0.125 1.72 1.27 6 0.31 0.465 1.82

16 0.8 11 2.08 0.87 51.8 2.31 4.9 0.58 0.8 0.95 0.236 0.46 9.84 25.8 0.47 0.125 1.73 1.27 6.1 0.33 0.475 1.84

1,404,900 1,593,000 23,500 631,000 2,296,000 11,312,640 661,000 587,000 42,455,000 174,000 7,000 3,370,000 4,980,000 211,500 439,000 2,910,000 140,000 21,676,000 5,767,000 12,159,400 22,900,000 290,000 2,992,000

22,292,512 1,275,190 258,500 1,272,710 2,017,870 584,988,335 1,532,360 ( 2,855,720 24,554,160 143,140 6,670 797,330 2,251,200 2,086,967 11,405,740 1,369,450 17,500 37,571,380 7,439,260 73,939,819 7,369,900 136,900 5,485,830

-131,968 292,150 870 134,735,976.50 518,480.0001) 192,350 35,400 -8,900 13,780 1,708,400 -1,308,350 -26,871,740 -1,400,820 18,842,209 -557,050 273,670

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

0.42 2.15 26.8 2.17 2.98 38.6 1.87 6.29 0.74 7.04

0.42 2.18 26.8 2.17 2.99 38.75 1.96 6.8 0.74 7.1

0.41 2.09 26.3 2.15 2.98 38.4 1.86 6.22 0.74 7.03

0.41 2.14 26.5 2.15 2.99 38.45 1.95 6.62 0.74 7.09

240,000 2,316,000 1,533,700 306,000 21,000 7,021,300 3,288,000 673,200 145,000 3,107,200

98,700 4,904,180 40,649,115 661,900 62,780 270,765,245 6,295,990 4,454,993 107,300 21,977,914

6,545,825 -110,042,865 -39,000 95,465 -17,240,213

SERVICES 2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CHELSEA DFNN INC EASYCALL GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE ISLAND INFO ISM COMM LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PAXYS PH RESORTS GRP PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRANSPACIFIC BR TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

11.38 17.26 1.38 0.485 0.043 20.75 2.78 11.3 0.056 89.45 8.1 6.41 10.22 2,218 5.39 401 2.28 1.79 143.7 10.1 0.116 7.03 14.98 4.19 0.81 19.46 0.53 3.15 2.57 1.76 1.65 15.5 2.55 3.08 9.3 3.01 4.98 134.5 3.5 1,280 0.8 0.82 45.25 75.85 9.28 3.46 0.74 0.385 5.2 0.76 17.4

11.38 17.26 1.38 0.495 0.044 20.75 2.86 11.66 0.057 91.5 8.44 6.41 10.3 2,230 5.4 411 2.28 1.79 147 10.12 0.118 7.13 14.98 4.33 0.83 19.7 0.54 3.23 2.67 1.76 1.65 15.5 2.63 3.09 9.34 3.03 5.1 141 3.65 1,304 0.8 0.83 45.25 76.05 9.29 3.64 0.74 0.39 5.28 0.81 17.4

11.3 17.12 1.38 0.465 0.043 20.6 2.78 11.1 0.056 89.45 8.1 6.39 10.22 2,182 5.35 390 2.22 1.79 143.5 10.1 0.116 6.98 14.1 4.19 0.81 19.44 0.53 3.1 2.57 1.55 1.65 15.5 2.52 3.08 9.25 3.01 4.9 134.5 3.4 1,276 0.78 0.81 44.6 75.75 9.28 3.43 0.73 0.375 5.2 0.76 17.22

11.3 17.2 1.38 0.485 0.044 20.65 2.86 11.2 0.056 90.2 8.43 6.41 10.22 2,208 5.39 410 2.24 1.79 143.5 10.12 0.118 7.08 14.1 4.22 0.83 19.66 0.54 3.1 2.62 1.56 1.65 15.5 2.6 3.08 9.3 3.03 5.1 141 3.44 1,294 0.8 0.82 45 76 9.29 3.6 0.74 0.385 5.25 0.78 17.28

15,100 96,300 3,000 3,270,000 10,600,000 9,500 884,000 3,010,500 39,500,000 180,580 6,148,100 10,500 47,400 37,315 77,400 660 2,330,000 7,000 1,940,500 1,100 690,000 11,808,500 400 839,000 115,000 699,400 124,000 123,000 5,640,000 62,000 37,000 500 4,021,000 50,000 15,700 15,000 264,000 43,560 5,077,000 96,210 3,492,000 5,440,000 914,300 1,567,590 22,400 12,161,000 1,521,000 11,280,000 4,970,300 16,549,000 702,100

171,056 1,657,072 4,140 1,552,550 462,900 196,155 2,505,010 33,770,100 2,213,280 16,384,077.50 51,448,073 67,145 484,996 82,543,520 416,521 265,240 5,227,960 12,530 279,350,283 11,130 80,990 83,420,141 5,904 3,533,770 93,310 13,691,136 66,260 386,710 14,837,430 104,910 61,050 7,750 10,443,650 154,200 146,261 45,410 1,320,870 5,881,839 17,673,170 124,210,065 2,753,360 4,439,630 41,185,630 119,139,180 208,089 43,496,580 1,113,560 4,302,000 26,061,504 13,060,090 12,131,952 7

24,250 -119,780 -22,294,696 -123,200 1,874,822.50 1,536,972 -6,411,250 404,660 -134,755,789 -3,141,324 25,220 -1,087,778 3,150 304,080 -61,050 -14,070 -52,450 -63,920 5,698,539 -580,350 79,161,295 318,540 -311,600 -7,952,520 -675,714.50 512,050 611,870 153,850 -16,129,504 -39,000 ,774,947.9996

MINING & OIL ABRA MINING 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 PHINMA PETRO PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING

0.0018 1.31 2.75 12.24 2.82 0.28 7.44 1.46 0.233 0.118 0.0077 1.06 2.11 1 0.87 0.012 0.01 4.27 3.45 8.18 21.8

0.0018 1.31 2.76 12.38 2.85 0.28 7.59 1.47 0.233 0.118 0.0077 1.06 2.21 1.01 0.88 0.013 0.011 4.34 3.61 8.18 22.2

0.0018 1.22 2.75 11.4 2.8 0.28 7.43 1.43 0.219 0.111 0.0075 1.04 2.11 0.96 0.86 0.012 0.01 4.1 3.45 7.5 21.8

0.0018 1.22 2.75 12.34 2.8 0.28 7.48 1.43 0.23 0.112 0.0075 1.04 2.18 1 0.86 0.012 0.011 4.29 3.6 7.7 22.1

142,000,000 7,201,000 78,000 1,900 345,000 1,250,000 2,300 2,051,000 150,000 1,790,000 23,000,000 217,000 3,134,000 16,000 219,000 35,100,000 9,800,000 98,000 2,284,000 2,130,900 504,300

255,600 9,051,420 214,600 22,782 968,760 350,000 17,112 2,970,960 34,320 205,280 172,800 226,180 6,797,590 15,950 189,950 422,200 103,000 415,800 8,096,920 16,624,093 11,167,890

90,000 -2,531,640 -223,600 -5,600 554,660 143,520 -2,531,490 2,580 -646,650 -671,154 1,124,630

PREFERRED ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 FGEN PREF G FPH PREF C GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PNX PREF 3A SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H

17 480 494 109 439 497 5.4 97 0.99 100.5 100 965 74.5 75.85 73.85 73.95 72.5

17 480 494 109 439.6 497 5.54 97 0.99 100.5 100 965 74.55 76 73.85 73.95 72.5

16.82 465 490 109 439 497 5.4 97 0.99 100.5 100 963 74.5 75.8 73.85 73.4 71

16.82 465 490 109 439.6 497 5.53 97 0.99 100.5 100 963 74.55 75.8 73.85 73.4 72

40,600 30 2,500 1,000 350 2,100 4,500 490 51,000 900 500 50 1,740 15,860 105,000 2,200 18,500

689,354 14,250 1,229,000 109,000 153,792 1,043,700 24,775 47,530 50,490 90,450 50,000 48,190 129,655 1,204,408.50 7,754,250 162,635 1,326,650

-147,054 -422,450 20,100 30,400 -

WARRANTS LR WARRANT

1.95

1.95

1.95

1.95

118,000

230,100

-

SME ITALPINAS XURPAS

4.96 1.11

5 1.13

4.96 1.07

4.97 1.1

235,000 7,404,000

1,170,780 8,113,570

372,870

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS FIRST METRO ETF 120.4

121

120.2

120.9

4,560

550,427

-

DDS USD DMPL A1

10.2

10.1

10.2

11,730

119,645

-

NAME

MS 10.1

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

SHARES 8,972,176

2,650,085,529 116,054,539

PROPERTY

158,180,974

SERVICES

156,815,876

MINING & OIL

294,350,022

GRAND TOTAL

3,392,104,365

VALUE 1,746.33 (down) 10.53 775,859,041.72 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,841.44 (down) 8.55 4,683,597,811.04 HOLDING FIRMS 7,669.23 (down) 24.07 1,175,420,885.44 PROPERTY 4,363.42 (up) 38.86 SERVICES 1,708.15 (up) 4.20 1,165,209,721.885 MINING & OIL 7,360.05 (up) 55.95 1,024,931,939.47 PSEI 8,060.58 (up) 5.11 211,992,395.50 All Shares Index 4,922.54 (down0 5.27 9,046,853,018.85 Gainers: 88; Losers: 98; Unchanged: 50; Total: 236

SEC OKs public offer of Butuan hospital

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Securities and Exchange Commission said it approved the P1billion initial public offering of ACE Medical Center-Butuan Inc., a member of hospital chain Allied Care Experts (ACE) Group.

The SEC in an en banc meeting approved the registration statement of ACE Medical Center-Butuan covering 228,000 shares with a par value of P1,000 apiece.

The registration statement covers 36,000 common shares, which ACE Medical Center-Butuan will offer to the public at a price ranging from P200,000 to P400,000 for every block of 10 shares.

ACE Medical Center-Butuan will offer the first 600 blocks at P200,000, the next 900 blocks at P250,000, the following 1,850 blocks at P300,000 and the remaining 250 blocks at P400,000.

The company will use the net proceeds from the offering to finance the construction of a hospital building, purchase of medical equipment, preoperating expenses and debt servicing.

ACE Medical Center-Butuan is building a second multidisciplinary health care facility at South Montilla Boulevard, Villa Kananga, Butuan City.

It will provide services to residents of Butuan City and nearby municipalities.

As of May 31, the construction of the eight-story, 176-bed hospital with a total floor area of 20,370 square meters is 42.47 percent complete. The hospital expects to inaugurate the hospital in May 2021.

The intended market for the IPO are mostly medical specialists and individuals related to them. The shares will be traded over the counter.

Subscribing to the offer shares is a prerequisite for physicians and medical specialists to practice at ACE Medical Center-Butuan.

Such stockholders, however, must undergo a screening process and possess the minimum requirements provided in the company’s articles of incorporation, bylaws and internal rules.

BPI creates framework for green loans

By Julito G. Rada BANK of the Philippine Islands, the third-largest lender in terms of assets, said Monday it successfully established its Green Finance Framework, highlighting its long-standing commitment to fund projects with clear environmental benefits.

The framework details guidelines for the following with respect to any green bonds or loans to be issued by the bank: evaluation and selection of eligible projects, management of proceeds and reporting, the bank told the stock exchange.

It said the framework was aligned with the International Capital Market Association Green Bond Principles, the Asean Green Bond Standards and the Loan Market Association Green Loan Principles.

“BPI is committed to contributing to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the Philippines.

Our chairman is a UN sustainability champion and the whole Ayala Group has incorporated sustainability in its business practices,” BPI president and chief executive Cezar Consing said.

The bank is a consistent market leader in sustainable energy finance, with cumulative disbursements from the bank’s sustainable energy finance team and structured finance division amounting to P125.76 billion as of 2018.

Consing said green bonds and green loans pursuant to the framework would further bolster the figure, in addition to financing projects in sustainable water and wastewater management, pollution prevention and control, and green buildings.

BPI Capital Corp., Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Citigroup acted as green structuring advisors for the establishment of the bank’s framework, while Sustainalytics provided the second party opinion for the framework.

BPI, the first bank in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, provides diverse financial services that include deposits, cash management, asset management, securities brokerage, foreign exchange and capital markets investments, bancassurance, corporate lending, leasing, and investment banking.

World

B3

TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Georgia protesters criticize ‘Putinism’

IN BRIEF Iran denies being hit

by US cyber attack TEHRAN―Iran said Monday that no cyber attack against the Islamic republic had ever succeeded, after American media reported the US launched one last week amid a standoff between the two countries.

“The media are asking about the veracity of the alleged cyber attack against Iran.

No successful attack has been carried out by them, although they are making a lot of effort,” telecommunications minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi said on Twitter without referring to any US attack.

US media on Saturday said Washington launched cyber attacks against Iranian missile control systems and a spy network this week after Tehran downed an American surveillance drone.

The Washington Post said that after the drone shooting US President Donald Trump authorized US Cyber Command to carry out a retaliatory cyber attack on Iran.

The attack crippled computers used to control rocket and missile launches but caused no casualties, according to the Post, which cited people familiar with the matter.

Yahoo cited two former intelligence officials as saying the US targeted a spying group responsible for tracking ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian telecommunications minister acknowledged that Iran has “been facing cyber terrorism―such as Stuxnet-sand unilateralism―such as sanctions”.

The Stuxnet virus, discovered in 2010, is believed to have been engineered by Israel and the US to damage nuclear facilities in Iran.

And Tehran is believed to have stepped up its own cyber capabilities in the face of US efforts to isolate the Islamic republic.

“We foiled last year not one attack but 33 million attacks with Dejpha shield,” Azari Jahromi said referring to a new internet defense system.

Tensions between Iran and the United States have been high since Trump last year unilaterally withdrew from the multinational 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.

The accord sought to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief.

After leaving the accord Trump imposed biting sanctions on Iran to choke off its oil sales and cripple its economy, and his administration is expected to announce more sanctions on Iran later Monday.

The tensions between Iran and the US were exacerbated in recent weeks after Washington accused Tehran of being behind a series of attacks on tankers in the strategic Gulf.

Iran has denied any involvement. AFP

Indonesia quake felt in Australia

JAKARTA―A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck remote eastern Indonesia on Monday, forcing people to flee office buildings as far away as the northern Australian city of Darwin, officials and reports said.

The deep and powerful earthquake sent shock waves around the region, with people on the tourist island of Bali as well as in East Timor reporting feeling the tremor.

Indonesia was the epicenter of the Asian tsunami in 2004 that killed more than 170,000 people but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said Monday’s quake was too deep to trigger a destructive wave.

Indonesia’s disaster agency, which urged people to “stay calm”, said the tremor was felt weakly in faraway Bali.

It hit at a depth of 208 kilometers south of Ambon island in the Banda Sea at 11:53 local time, according to the US Geological Survey.

There were no reports of casualties or any major damage.

“Wow, that was quite an impact for #Darwin, hope everyone is safe,” the bureau of meteorology in Australia’s Northern Territory said on Twitter.

People in Darwin’s central business district fled buildings after the quake struck, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

The Southeast Asian archipelago of Indonesia, which is one of the most disasterprone nations on Earth, lies to the north of Australia.

While the quake was too deep to spark a tsunami, its raw power jolted the region.

“The earthquake occurred at a depth of about 200 kilometers, and as the energy spreads upwards and outwards from the point at which it occurs, it will be felt in places as far away as Darwin,” said Chris Elders, a quake expert at Australia’s Curtin University.

Residents of Dili, the capital of East Timor, which lies southwest of the epicenter, were terrified as buildings shook.

“I was shocked. People were running around and screaming,” Agida dos Santos told AFP. “I saw the ground shaking—it was really scary,” added the woman, who was in her Dili home when the quake struck. AFP

ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR RESCUE. Ekkapol ‘Coach Ek”’Chantawong makes a speech on behalf of the ‘Wild Boars’ football team as they mark the first anniversary of their rescue from the Tham Luang cave in the Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai province on June 24, 2019. Thailand’s ‘Wild Boars’ footballers, who captivated the world one year ago after floods trapped them underground for nearly three weeks, paid respects on June 24 to the diver who died during the rescue efforts. AFP

China won’t allow G20 to discuss HK situation

B

EIJING―China said Monday it will not allow discussion of Hong Kong at the G20 summit this week even as US President Donald Trump plans to raise the city’s mass protests during his meeting with President Xi Jinping.

The semi-autonomous city has been shaken by huge demonstrations this month with protesters demanding the withdrawal of a bill that would allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland.

Trump has weighed in on Hong Kong’s worst political unrest since its handover from Britain to China in 1997, saying he understood the reason for the protests and hoped demonstrators could “work it out with China”.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo later said Trump would discuss Hong Kong with Xi at the Group of 20 summit, which is taking place in Osaka, Japan, on Friday and Saturday.

But Chinese assistant foreign minister Zhang Jun said the G20 is a forum to focus on global economic issues.

Xi and Trump have agreed to hold bilateral talks focusing on the US-China trade war during the summit.

“I can tell you with certainty that the G20 will not discuss the Hong Kong issue and we will not allow the G20 to discuss the Hong Kong issue,” Zhang said at a press briefing previewing Xi’s attendance at the summit.

“Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal affairs and no foreign country has the right to intervene,” he said, noting that the city is a special administrative region of China.

The international finance hub has been rocked by its worst political unrest in nearly 50 years.

Millions have marched this month to oppose the hugely unpopular extradition law, which has since been postponed in the face of the huge public backlash. Police also fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators earlier in the month.

The demonstrations have since morphed into a wider movement against city leader Carrie Lam and Beijing after

BOYCOTT.

A Palestinian farmer takes care of one of his trees in Gaza City on April 24, 2019.

The Palestinian Authority is boycotting the Peace to Prosperity conference that opens in Bahrain, charging that it is seeking to buy off the Palestinians and deprive them of an independent state.

AFP

Saudi women use wedding contract to assert right to drive DAMMAM, Saudi Arabia―Saudi salesman Majd had just begun his wedding preparations when his fiancee sought to enshrine in their marriage contract a condition already guaranteed by law―her right to drive.

Wedding contracts have long been a safety net for brides in the deeply patriarchal society, used to guarantee demands that are often otherwise vulnerable to the whims of the husband or his family.

Such legally binding contracts typically codify anything from the woman’s right to have her own house, hire a maid, or to study or work.

But after the kingdom last year lifted a decades-long ban on female motorists, a popular new condition in the contracts is the right to own and drive a car, according to documents seen by AFP and interviews with wedding clerics.

Majd, 29, who is due to marry this month in his native Dammam in east-

years of sliding political freedoms.

Protest groups in Hong Kong on Monday announced plans to hold a new rally on Wednesday evening, directly aimed at the G20 leaders who will begin arriving in Japan the following day.

“In holding this rally, we are facing the world, posing several questions to the leaders of 20 countries: Do Hong Kongers deserve democracy? Should Hong Kongers have democracy? Can Hong Kongers implement our democratic system yet?” Jimmy Sham, from the Civil Human Rights Front, which has organized the recent mass protests, told reporters.

On China’s refusal to address the Hong Kong protests at the G20, Sham responded: “If you think that you do not need to explain what happens in your country to the world because they are internal affairs, then China, you should withdraw from the United Nations.”

Protest leaders also plan to hold another huge rally on July 1 but studentled groups―communicating through encrypted messaging apps―have also begun embracing spontaneous, fastmoving acts of civil disobedience. AFP

ern Saudi Arabia, signed off on two demands from his 21-year-old fiancee―the right to drive and to work after marriage, according to the contract he shared with AFP. “She said she [would] like to be independent,” explained Majd, who requested his last name be withheld as the discussion was a private family matter.

“I replied: ‘sure, why not?’”

Overturning the world’s only ban on women drivers is the most palpable social change in the ultra-conservative kingdom, which is pursuing a wideranging liberalization drive.

To drive, women do not require the explicit approval of their male “guardians”―husbands, fathers and other male relatives, whose permission is needed by women to study, get married and even leave prison.

But it remains unclear whether women have any legal recourse should their guardians prevent them from taking the wheel.

And many in the kingdom appear to be trapped in this troubling scenario.

“Some women prefer to include the driving condition in their contract to avoid any marital conflicts” over the issue, said Abdulmohsen al-Ajemi, a Riyadh wedding cleric who received his first such enquiry from the family of an engaged woman last week.

“It’s a way to guarantee the husband will keep his promise.”

A breach of wedding conditions can be used by women as grounds for divorce, clerics say.

There are no official statistics on the number of such contracts. Saudi Arabia’s justice and media ministries did not respond to AFP’s request for comment.

But Munirah al-Sinani, a 72-yearold housewife in Dhahran, a city in the kingdom’s east, said she had come across two such cases recently among her acquaintances. AFP

TBILISI―Several thousand anti-government protesters took to the streets of the Georgian capital Tbilisi for a fourth day on Sunday as tensions rose between Moscow and its ex-Soviet neighbor.

The Tbilisi protests erupted after a Russian lawmaker addressed parliament from the speaker’s seat last week, a hugely sensitive move for two countries whose ties remain strained after a brief war in 2008.

The rallies have quickly morphed into a broader movement against billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili, widely believed to be calling the shots in Georgia as a leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party he founded.

Demonstrators have gathered in front of the imposing building of Georgia’s parliament, flooding the capital’s main Rustavi Avenue and blocking traffic.

Protest placards took aim at billionaire tycoon Ivanishvili and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who in response to the protests has banned Russian airlines from flying to Georgia and Georgian air carriers traveling to Russia.

“Russia will not enslave my country again!” read one of the placards.

Chanting “Resign!” protesters marched at midnight towards the seat of the Georgian government which was encircled by a police cordon.

Waving Georgia’s five-cross redand-white flags, they sang the national anthem and-before dispersing―vowed to resume the protest on Monday at 1500 GMT. AFP

IS orphans rescued from camp in Syria SYDNEY―Eight orphans of Australian Islamic State fighters have been spirited out of a camp in Syria, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Monday, in an apparent U-turn.

The children and grandchildren of two notorious jihadist are now in the care of Australian officials, he said in a statement.

The children are believed to be aged between two and 17 and were living in a camp in northern Syria―making consular access all but impossible.

Morrison previously indicated his government would only help citizens if they approached an embassy or consulate but appeared to have had a change of heart.

“The fact that parents put their children into harm’s way by taking them into a war zone was a despicable act,” Morrison said in a statement.

“However, children should not be punished for the crimes of their parents.”

The group includes three surviving children and two grandchildren of Sydney-born Khaled Sharrouf―who came to prominence after posting a photo of one of his sons holding the head of a Syrian soldier.

There are also three children of Yasin Rizvic who traveled from Australia to Syria with his wife.

Both Islamic State fighters are presumed dead.

Morrison did not name the children or elaborate on how they were removed, but confirmed they were “repatriated from the conflict zone into the care of Australian government officials”. AFP

Erdogan’s party loses re-run of Istanbul mayor election ISTANBUL―Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suffered a bruising defeat on Sunday as the opposition candidate in Istanbul’s controversial mayoral election re-run romped to victory.

Ekrem Imamoglu had won the first mayoral vote in March by a slim margin of 13,000 votes over Erdogan’s chosen candidate, Binali Yildirim, who contested the results and a new election was ordered.

After being stripped of that victory over disputed claims of fraud, Imamoglu vowed a “battle for democracy” that turned him into a household name.

With some 99 percent of the ballots counted by Sunday night, Imamoglu was winning by more than 775,000 votes―54 percent, with Yildirim on 45 percent, the Anadolu state news agency reported.

“It was not a single group or party, but the whole of Istanbul and Turkey that won this election,” Imamoglu said in his victory speech as scenes of his ecstatic supporters broke out across the city of 15 million.

“Mr President, I am ready to work in harmony with you. I convey from here my request to meet with you in the shortest time possible,” he added.

Critics had accused Erdogan of refusing to give up control of Istanbul, Turkey’s economic powerhouse and a crucial source of patronage for Islamic conservatives since he won the mayorship himself a quarter of a century ago.

But the Turkish leader conceded defeat this time, writing on Twitter: “I congratulate Ekrem Imamoglu who has won the election based on preliminary results.” AFP

LGUs

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

B4

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019

ZUMBASAAN. Residents of Tanza town in Cavite participate in the 3rd Zumbasaan water fest and foam party in Barangay Poblacion on Monday, June 24, celebration of St. John The Baptist. Dennis Abrina

Hospital upgrade for N. Vizcaya underway

By Ben Moses Ebreo BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Infrastructure projects are in the pipeline for the upgrading of the facilities of the Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Hospital in Bambang town, Gov. Carlos Padilla said.

Padilla said he has ordered the preparation of all required documents and integration of technical inputs from offices of the provincial government for the construction of medical projects within the NVPH that will start this year.

“We have recently conducted an ocular inspection with heads of offices of the provincial government and the Department of Health to put in their technical knowledge and expertise to solve pressing problems, issues and concerns to further improve NVPH services,” he said.

The projects include the construction of a 4-storey Medical Arts Building which will house, among others, the doctors’ clinics, outpatient department facilities, and a dialysis center.

“This will be funded by the DOH through the Cagayan Valley Center for Health Development,” Padilla added.

The local government will also fund the establishment of another 200-bed capacity 4-storey building which will also accommodate administrative operations, he said.

“These infrastructure projects are in response to the increasing number of patients being served by the NVPH. As a Level I hospital, it is serving 250 patients during the peak season,” Padilla said.

“We should always be mindful of the sentiments of our people, as they get disappointed with delayed completion of government projects,” he added.

Gov’t, MILF to decommission 12,000 combatants this year M

EMBERS of the different joint mechanisms under the Normalization Track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro as well as international independent bodies have begun preparations for the smooth decommissioning of at least 12,000 combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front this year.

According to the heads of the government and the MILF Joint Normalization Committee, the purpose of the two-day meeting over the weekend

here is to harmonize the collaborations between the parties and their international partners as the Bangsamoro peace process enters a new phase.

“We are in unity to express our hope for faster implementation of the Normalization Track,” said Ariel Hernandez, chairperson of the government JNC. “Our aim here is for the normalization process to be felt down to the households of the [MILF] communities.”

His MILF counterpart, Eduard Guerra, said a strong partnership is the key to surmount the challenges in the normalization process.

“We should work in partnership and always with consultation,” Guerra said.

President Rodrigo Duterte in April

OCD wants local disaster offices to do quake drills

Masbate village councilman shot dead during LEGAZPI CITY—A Masbate village councilman was killed on Sunday night by an unidentified gunman during a barangay fiesta in Esperanza town, a police report said on Monday.

Maj. Maria Luisa Calubaquib, Police Regional Office-5 spokesperson, identified the victim as Domingo Barotil, 47, councilor of Barangay Puting Bato.

According to the report, the victim was attending to visitors during an event at the village’s covered court at around 10:30 p.m. when the attacker, armed with a handgun, approached him and fired at close range.

Barotil was hit in various parts of his body resulting in his instantaneous death.

Calubaquib said investigators are still determining whether the killing was politically motivated or related to anti-insurgency efforts. PNA

signed Executive Order No. 79 which consolidated the efforts of at least 17 government agencies involved in the normalization process.

Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. said it is critical for the normalization process to address the “drivers and triggers” that breed conflict “through eliminating the conditions and vulnerabilities for potential conflict, changing the behavioral patterns and mindset of individuals and organizations, and pushing them to work to achieve harmony, interdependence, and the common good.”

COASTAL PROTECTION. Representatives of M Lhuillier’s OPEC Norte region participated in a mangrove tree rehabilitation activity in Sta. Rosa, Olango Island in Cebu done in collaboration with the Olango Island Eco-Tour Association. Environmental protection and awareness remains to be a key component in M Lhuillier’s mission in improving the lives of the Filipino people.

ILOILO CITY—Instead of relying on the national government to take the lead in the conduct of earthquake drills, the Office of the Civil Defense in Western Visayas said local disaster risk reduction and management offices should take the initiative to ensure continuity.

OCD Western Visayas director Jose Roberto Nuñez said he will be coming out with a memorandum to direct LDRRMOs to facilitate the local drills.

“We will just tie up with them and send evaluators,” he said.

Nuñez said he broached the plan during last week’s conduct of the National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill in Kalibo, Aklan that was chosen as the pilot site for Western Visayas.

He described the quake drill in Kalibo as “very overwhelming” due to the presence of local officials.

Nuñez likewise invited the public to join the OCD in celebrating the National Disaster Resilience Month in July.

The month-long celebration will kick off with a motorcade along the city’s major thoroughfares that will be followed by a short program on Monday, July 1, at the city hall.

On July 7, there will be a Bike-for– Resilience in Guimaras while on July 13, there will be an exhibit of capability equipment. PNA

SIDA budget slashed anew due to underspending THE Sugarcane Industry Development Act fund will be further slashed next year—from the original P2 billion annual budget down to only P67 million.

For this year, SIDA’s allocation was at P500 million.

The Department of Budget and Management said the budget cut was due to underutilization or underspending.

SIDA was created to boost the production of sugarcane and sugar

as well as increase the income of sugarcane farmers or planters and farm workers, for which the law provides the allocation of P2 billion a year.

Of the P2 billion annual fund of SIDA, some P1 billion should go to infrastructure for farm-tomill roads; P300 million for credit; P100 million for scholarships; P300 million for block farms of agrarian reform beneficiaries; and P300 million for shared facilities

program.

“We have been often told that the only way for our sugar industry to be globally competitive is to improve our productivity for which the SIDA law was created so that we can mechanize, have technical and financial assistance and more,” Confederation of Sugar Producers spokesperson Raymond Montinola said.

Montinola said underutilization of the fund has been the constant

excuse to slash the budget “but the industry has very little to do with it.”

“We have continuously urged to revisit the law, especially the implementing rules and guidelines which has been very constricting for the sugar producers to access, particularly the small planters and our agrarian reform beneficiaries which comprise over 85 percent of sugar producers, yet none has been made,” Montinola said. PNA

Life

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

@MStandardLIFE TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019

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Not your run-off-the-mill gym WHERE STARS ARE BORN.

Celebrity Fitness offers a fun and interesting approach to fitness with its unique signature programs and additional amenities, among others.

By Mae Gianina C. Pasual

W

HEN I hit back to the gym a few months ago, I was looking for an intense action with a lot of stretching, core exercises, and cardio activities—something my body wanted after a long period of inactivity. Over time, it made my body go back to feeling active again with increased energy levels.

But there was something with regular It was then I realized I wanted a kind gyms that made me feel I was in Black of fitness space that didn’t only puts Mirror’s “Fifteen Million Merits.” The one’s body to active state, but also gave routine just got boring. a one-of-a-kind vibe that’d set everyone

Members of Celebrity Fitness are called ‘SuperStars,’ while the trainers are the ‘Starmakers.’

Country manager Mark Ellis (left) with winners at the launch of Celebrity Fitness.

in high spirits and with a different level of confidence.

Enter Celebrity Fitness, a comprehensive lifestyle-based fitness chain from Indonesia that opened in Manila on the second floor of One Bonifacio High Street Mall last year.

At this gym, members are called SuperStars and trainers are the Starmakers. It offers a full range of unique signature programs which encourage members to not only move, but party.

The programs include Playground, a 35-minute class on the gym floor that incorporates a range of innovative functional equipment and adventurous game-based workouts; Dance N’ Attitude (DNA), a 60-minute class perfect for those who want to get their body grooving to the latest beats; Floating Yoga, a 60-minute class combining yoga, pilates, and functional movements in a suspended hammock; and Saltar, a 60-minute uberfun trampoline workout. Saltar, which means “jump”

Some of the equipment at the gym

in Portuguese, is the first workout of its kind in the Philippines.

“Celebrity Fitness brings a unique take on fitness with its brand purpose of making fitness fun, and helping members to look and feel sensational,” said country manager Mark Ellis.

He added, “We believe that fitness builds inner confidence that makes you feel fierce, confident, bold, sexy. And what better way to get started on building your confidence through fitness than with our team of fabulous StarMakers?”

To help SuperStars fast-track their fitness goals and get their body fit like a true superstar, Celebrity Fitness also offers an array of personal training programs with its team of StarMakers. Members who sign up for personal training will get a goal-specific program designed based on their fitness level by the StarMaker they’ve been assigned to, in addition to group fitness recommendations, assessments, and

8th HPV Summit highlights ‘goals’ to address the virus THE Cervical Cancer Prevention Network of the Philippines (CECAP) gathered healthcare professionals, medical societies, patient groups, and policymakers to discuss key developments and strategies in the road to eliminating human papillomavirus and cervical cancer in the country.

Themed “HPV-Free GOALS,” the 8th HPV Summit was focused on identifying current challenges and action points that should be undertaken by strong multi-stakeholder collaboration.

The HPV-Free GOALS outlined key pillars for addressing the healthcare burden posed by HPV. The pillars include the need for the public to “Get informed” in order to “Optimize strategies” for disease prevention. Likewise, the key pillars emphasize the need to provide patients with “Access to diagnostics and therapy” which is supported by a strong “Law implementation.” These, in essence, are needed to be able to “Secure the future for an HPV-free Philippines.”

As discussed in the summit, getting informed and being aware are the foremost steps to HPV prevention, as it is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. A large percent-

The 8th HPV Summit focuses on action points that should be undertaken by stakeholders to address HPV and cervical cancer.

age of men and women will get at least one type of HPV in their lifetime, as the virus can be spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact and intercourse.

Additionally, there is no way to know which people who have HPV will develop cancer or other health problems. For instance, 99 percent of cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV. CECAP, represented by its chairperson Dr. Cecilia Llave, continues to push

the vital fact that cervical cancer is a vaccine-preventable disease and is one of the most treatable forms of cancer when diagnosed at its early stages.

“At the HPV Summit, we emphasize increasing awareness on HPV and improving access to HPV prevention and treatment. Prevention includes access to HPV vaccinations, early screening with pap smear or visual inspection with ascetic acid, and treatments for pre-can-

cerous lesions and cervical cancer in a single-visit approach,” said Dr. Llave.

The medical expert also strongly emphasized that vaccination is one of the optimal strategies in fighting HPV, citing that it has highly favorable benefits and very minimal side effects. “It is always better to protect and screen early than to diagnose late. Immediate investigations are undertaken should there be a rare event that major side effects occur,” she assured.

On the same note, Dr. Clarito Cairo, cancer program manager of the Department of Health, and a staunch advocate in the fight against cancer, elaborated on the DOH Roadmap to Cervical Cancer Elimination.

The roadmap, which begins from a healthy lifestyle campaign and goes on through a comprehensive program until its apex in 2040 with the ultimate goal of eliminating cervical cancer, also touches on information dissemination and vaccine confidence-building.

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feedback sessions.

What further sets this new fitness gym apart is its fleet of amenities: a cardio area, free weights, Playground areas, a swanking fitness studio, members’ lounge, male and female changing rooms with highly secure lockers that uses Gantner smart lock system, female and male shower areas with rainshower head showers, hair dryers, and free WiFi. Established in 2003, Celebrity Fitness has over the years established itself as a lifestyle-based fitness chain that appeals to the young and the young-atheart. Its BGC branch is the brand’s first foray outside of Indonesia and Malaysia.

Ellis enthused, “We’ve been really pleased with the community’s positive interest in the club even during our soft opening phase.”

“With the addition of this One Bonifacio High Street club, we now have a Turn to C2

CECAP chairperson Dr. Cecilia Llave

Life

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TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

T

Optometry congress sheds light on childhood myopia

HE prevalence of myopia is increasing at an alarming rate. As of today, more than two billion individuals are diagnosed with myopia. By 2050, five billion or half the world will be affected by myopia and nearly one billion will suffer from high myopia.

The recent 22nd Asia Pacific Optometry Congress held in Manila has brought together 28 renowned speakers from over 22 countries to explore the latest advances in optometry and discuss the prevalence and management of myopia.

Myopia, also called nearsightedness or shortsightedness, is a vision condition in which people find it difficult to see distant objects clearly. High myopia (-5.0D or more) is associated with a higher risk of serious eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataract, retinal detachment, and myopic macular degeneration—which can even lead to vision impairment or blindness later in life.

However, when detected early, myopia can be managed with the right solutions, substantially reducing these risks.

A major cause for concern is that more children are getting myopia at younger ages than before, particularly in Asia, where studies suggest rapid increases in the prevalence of childhood myopia, affecting 80 to 90 percent of young people

in some major cities.

In the Philippines, myopia prevalence (-0.50D or more) has been steadily increasing each decade, with nearly 40 percent of the overall population currently being myopic, predicted to increase to nearly 50 percent by 2030 and 60 percent by 2050.

Despite the magnitude of this challenge, the science of myopia is still young and awareness of the long-term adverse effects of myopia is low.

A recent Essilor survey has shown that only five to six percent of parents in the United States and China are aware of any form of solutions to manage myopia. This growing prevalence among children has been associated with factors such as increased near-work activities and less outdoor time, which are consequences of rising educational pressures and urbanization.

The Department of Health has issued Medical experts strongly advise parents to encourage their children to minimize near-distance work and spend more time outdoors to an alarm on the rising number of chil- prevent myopia or nearsightedness. dren in developed cities like Metro Manila and Cebu who are suffering from Regular eye examinations are key to initiate early intervention programmes myopia, mostly rooted from their con- early detection of myopia in children. at schools and effect policy change,” said stant use of electronic gadgets.

The sooner a child’s myopia gets detect- Kovin Naidoo, senior vice president for Essilor also emphasized the important ed, the earlier the child will gain access inclusive business at Essilor. role that parents play in ensuring the vi- to myopia management solutions and According to research, a number of sion health of their children. To delay on- proper eye care. different solutions could help in slowset of myopia, children should be encourTo detect and manage myopia in chil- ing down the progression of myopia in aged to minimize near distance work and dren, it is critical for parents to know children. Myopilux, a range of ophthalspend more time outdoors. Taking regular that regular eye exams by an optom- mic lenses developed by Essilor, is devision or outdoor activity breaks during etrist are as important as basic health signed to both correct myopia and help near-work can help. screening. It is important for children slow down its progression in myopic With regard to the usage of various to have regular eye checks, once every children. This non-invasive solution has electronic devices, the ophthalmic optics six months. Even if a child has been successfully helped more than one milcompany said it’s not the digital devices screened for myopia in school, it’s a lion myopic children in Asia over the as such, but the fact that digital devices good idea to take them for an eye check last eight years. are used at shorter distances than books, if they are squinting, having headaches Myopilux Max lenses have slowed as near-work has been shown to be a sig- or complaining of blurred vision. down myopia progression by up to 51 nificant risk factor for developing myopia.

“Together, we need to adopt a compre- percent compared to other regular sinChildren should be encouraged to main- hensive approach to improve accessibil- gle vision lenses. In the Philippines, tain an optimal reading distance from the ity, drive research and innovative product Essilor has engaged all optical clinics screen, which is the distance between the development, educate eye care practition- nationwide to provide information on elbow and the fingers. ers, build coalitions and partnerships, myopia management and Myopilux.

Dr. John Ang and Dr. Emelita Roleda at the 22nd Asia Pacific Optometry Congress in Manila.

Davao youth promotes less meat IN CELEBRATION of the World Meat Free Week on June 17-23, Davao City’s youth led a gathering of environmental activists and civil society groups to promote eating “less meat more veggies.”

Harold Banggay, youth leader from # I A m Ha mpa slupa and Mindanaoan Yo u t h Develop ment Center, said, “We are taking on the challenge of cutting down on eating meat as we are now aware of the negative impact it causes to the planet. Industrial meat production is one of the greatest contributors to climate change; it causes deforestation; air, water, and soil pollution.”

Banggay, who initiated the event along with other youth groups in Davao, is already at the forefront of fighting further environmental damage but still sees the need to up the ante.

“We have been participating in various campaigns to help protect the environment: we joined mass actions to save the oceans, break free from plastic, rehabilitate and protect waterways, and organize events to empower youth for

environmental advocacy. But I can see that many of us still have not looked into what we are eating and how it contributes to damaging our planet. We need to challenge ourselves to ditch our fast-food culture, eat less meat and more locally and ecologically grown fruits, vegetables, and root crops,” he emphasized.

According to a Greenpeace report, our food system is currently responsible for a quarter of all g reen house

8th...

medical societies, patient groups, and policymakers organized the HPV Summit as a venue to align efforts and programs in support of the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA).

The law mandates PhilHealth to cover cancer screening, treatment, rehabilitation, pain management, and palliative care for all Filipino patients (especially those in high-risk and high population communities), and for all types and stages of cancer. The law also lobbies for the establishment of a Philippine Cancer Center and regional cancer centers, under the supervision of the DOH. “The law can help further our research on HPV vaccination as well as support innovations and capacity-building on cervical cancer screening and

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“The Department of Health prioritizes cervical cancer elimination by 2040.

We also aim to ensure that the cervical cancer control program is well-established, institutionalized, and sustained by the year 2025,” said Dr. Cairo, echoing the DOH’s support of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

The Health department is committed to support immunization through its Expanded Program on Immunization, and through its willingness to provide easy access to cancer diagnostics and treatment.

Alongside the CECAP and DOH,

gas emissions that cause climate change.

Reducing meat and dairy consumption and production by 50 percent by 2050 could reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by 64 percent.

Filipinos are heavy meat eaters. A 2017 Social Weather Stations survey showed that the largest portion of the population (46 percent) eats meat a few times a week.

Greenpeace Philippines campaigner Virginia Benosa-Llorin expressed support and admiration to these young leaders.

“We are happy that more and more young people are taking on the challenge of changing their eating habit.

Shifting mindset and changing behavior on eating, especially if there is no strong support, is hard to do, we are glad that these young people are taking this on,” said Llorin.

Greenpeace promotes eating less meat to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. (Photo from Greenpeace Philippines / Facebook)

treatment,” added Dr. Cairo.

With the patient voice at the heart of the creation of the NICCA, the HPV Summit brought to light the value of patient groups in the drafting of the Implementing Rules and Regulations and in supporting the service delivery network of the new law.

Kara Alikpala, cancer survivor and cofounder of ICanServe Foundation, shared that one of the Cancer Coalition’s foremost goals was to push for the NICCA. “We felt like we hit a dead end in the way we helped patients, so we needed government intervention because they had the muscle and the money for implementation. With the cancer law, hope is now going to be on the table for the cancer patient and their family,” said Alikpala.

Aging gracefully

Mobility products allow the elderly to achieve a quality life.

THE Philippine population is aging at a Top American Products Solutions Inc., rapid rate. Reports indicate that the num- has brought in products manufactured ber of older people is increasing rapidly by US company Drive Medical, one of at 4 percent, faster than the growth in the fastest growing global manufacturthe total population. The Philippine Sta- ers of durable medical equipment.

Drive Medical has a line tistics Authority projects that by 2030, of mobility, bath safety, older people will make and personal care produp around 11.5 percent ucts for the elder popof the total population, ulation. and will increase to 14 Available in select percent by 2050.

Watsons are Drive An aging populaMedical’s line of motion comes with an inbility products that crease in the demand Deluxe include Hurrycane for health services Folding Freedom, Offset Grip and products. MobilTravel Cane, and Deluxe ity devices are vital Walker Folding Travel Walkto allow the elderly er, among others. to achieve quality of Bath safety items life. These will also include Grab Bars, enable them to do the Tub and Stair Safethings they enjoy while ty Treads, and Cast they spend time with their Protector Arm. Its line of personal care family.

To cater to the growi n g products include Universal Arm Sling, needs of the Philippine elder popula- Metal Shoe Horn, and accessories.

Go to www.seniorsphilippines.com tion, Watsons, Asia’s leading health and beauty retailer, in partnership with for more information.

Not...

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total of 60 Celebrity Fitness clubs in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

We’re very pleased at how the brand’s refreshing approach to fitness has resonated with Filipinos so far, and we look forward to growing the Celebrity Fitness network of clubs in the Philippines,” said Simon Flint, chief executive officer of Evolution Wellness, the company behind the Celebrity Fitness brand.

Officials reveal two more dynamic fitness clubs are set to open in key busi-

ness districts in the country this year.

“We’re also excited to share our Celebrity Fitness anthem, titled ‘Unleash the Star.’ The music style and lyrics reflect the Celebrity Fitness brand values, which we hope will inspire more people to make positive changes in their lives, and have fun doing so. We think it’s cool, and as far as we know, has never been done before by any other gym brand!” shared Ellis.

Celebrity Fitness One Bonifacio High Street is open Monday to Friday at 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.; and Saturdays and Sundays at 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Photos by Mae Gianina C. Pascual

Entertainment

Boy with love

J

AKE Cuenca has finally revealed the status of his romantic involvement with beauty queen-actress Kylie Verzosa.

They used to keep their lips tightly zipped when asked about the real score between them even though people see “the couple” posting sweet photos together in their respective social media accounts. But recently, the Kapamilya actor admitted that he’s dating the 2016 Miss International beauty titlist.

“We’ve been dating for seven months now and I’d rather that we’re both there at the same time in confirming something. But personally, I want to be open with what I feel. That’s why I’m saying now that I love Kylie from the bottom of my heart. I love her so much.

This is the happiest I’ve ever been,” Jake confesses.

It’s public knowledge that before Kylie, the Kapamilya was in a relationship with American model Sara Grace Kelley. Unfortunately, they broke up in the latter part of 2016. With his revelation, it’s clear that Jake is ready to fall in love once again.

“I’m just so happy that I’ve met Kylie at this point in my life. At 31, I guess I’m more mature when it comes to relationships. I’m more disciplined now and I know I can take care of her. I want to be deserving of her and that’s what I work for every day,” he says.

“I feel that the timing is perfect because, for two years, I underwent the process of fixing myself. If you’ll notice, I was able to focus on my career during that period. As you can see, I was able to fulfill some endeavors like doing theatre, studying in the US, making movies and appearing in various TV programs. Now I feel that I’m prepared to be in a new relationship once again,” he adds.

Jake also says that he already sees himself ending up with Kylie.

“If you’ll ask me right now, I will choose to marry her. You know, I’m in that stage where I’m not getting any younger and I want to think of my future already.”

Meanwhile, Jake is proud of his latest big-screen offering titled, KontrAdiksyon in which their director Niel de Mesa has only good words for him.

In his interviews, the film director said that he couldn’t think of another actor

Love birds Jake Cuenca and Kylie Verzosa

besides Jake who can effectively breathe life to the character he portrayed in the film about illegal drugs.

“That’s really flattering and is a great reward for all the efforts I exerted while doing the project. Sometimes, you do the scenes and you’re not sure if what you’re doing is still right. The only time that you are able to relax is when the director tells you that you’re on the right path.

With KontrAdiksyon, I’m just grateful that I was given a chance to offer something new in the table, so to speak,” he states. *** Aga Muhlach explains that in his being a sought-after brand endorser over the years, it’s important that he believes in the product he’s promoting.

“If I don’t believe and use the product myself, there’s no way I’m going to promote it. That’s my guiding principle in accepting endorsements,” he avers.

The critically-acclaimed actor adds

another feather into his cap as he was recently chosen by Daikin Airconditioning Philippines, Inc. to be its maiden brand ambassador.

“I’m really honored and proud to be part of their family. When they asked me to become their agent of influence, I didn’t think twice because my family is using the unit. In our house, we don’t trust any brand.”

Speaking of his family, Aga reveals he couldn’t recall an incident in which he scolded his children Andres and Atasha during their childhood years. The twins are turning 18 this coming November. “ I’m really a proud dad because they are good kids. I think Charlene (Gonzales) and I brought them up well. The same with my son Iggy Boy who is now a family man himself. For this, I’m grateful to his mom Janice (de Belen) for bringing him up well, too,” he ends.

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Spotify brings together alt rock's new, established acts AS OF January this year, OPM has garnered nearly 10 billion streams on Spotify globally, cementing its place as an immensely popular genre—especially in the Philippines. Spotify continues to show its support for the thriving OPM industry by zeroing in on the Pinoy Rock genre and the talented artists who have been dominating Spotify’s Top 50 charts in the Philippines.

Today, Spotify brings Filipino fans closer to their favorite artists with the launch of its three-part Pinoy Rock video series that trains the spotlight on Pinoy Rock musicians of the past and present.

Available on Spotify Philippines’ Facebook page, the series brings together timeless musical acts such as Sponge Cola, Hale, and Callalily, with up-andcoming talents like This Band, December Avenue, and I Belong to the Zoo to chat about the OPM rock scene, their struggles as artists, and what they want to see in the local music scene in the next few years.

On Pinoy Alt Rock Sponge Cola credits the rise of Pinoy Alt Rock to the groundwork laid by bands like Eraserheads, Rivermaya, and Parokya Ni Edgar, who performed in Manila’s iconic Club Dredd during the ‘90s. It’s a sentiment echoed by Callalily and December Avenue.

The members of This Band describe Pinoy Alt Rock as “the right balance of sadness and anger.”

Their best song ever This Band considers “Kahit Ayaw Mo Na” as the best song they’ve released to date. The track is their first single, which hit #1 on Spotify’s Philippines Top 50 and Viral Charts and has consistently trended on the Philippines Top 50 Charts since its release.

It even entered Spotify’s Global Viral 50 Charts in December 2018 and has more than 54 million streams to date.

For Sponge Cola, “The best song we released would have to be ‘Jeepney,’” says frontman Yael Yuzon, “I think it embodies who

we are. We’re very sentimental people.”

Callalily says 2006’s “Magbalik” is their best song because of how “life-changing” it was, while Hale jokes that their 2005 hit “The Day You Said Goodnight” changed their lives so much that they “had to stop school.”

On today’s Alt Rock music scene I Belong to the Zoo credits technology for changing the way he sees fans listening to his music. “Now, you can see who listens to you. I can see where they’re listening, how they’re listening, and where I’m most listened to.”

“Back then, it was very traditional. You really need to be signed by a big label because everything is expensive when produced,” says Hale frontman Champ Lui Pio. “Before, for you to be able to release something, it has to be part of an album,” says Callalily. “But now, you can write and release a song, and the mileage gets so far because of Spotify.”

December Avenue also shares their experience as an independent band. “We don’t have radio or TV presence, so we resort to the tools available at our disposal, like the Internet. Spotify is a huge help, actually. It became like a form of distribution for us.”

December Avenue is currently Spotify’s second most-streamed local artist in the Philippines in 2018.

Discover the best and freshest music in OPM on Spotify’s “Tatak Pinoy” playlist and stay tuned to Spotify Philippines’ Facebook page this week for the rest of the artist interviews.

This Band

Playwright Layeta Bucoy adapts classic Spanish play ‘Bodas de Sangre’ Coach Potato...

From C4

CARLOS Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature Hall of Famer and multi-awarded

playwright Layeta Bucoy recreates Bodas de Sangre, (Blood Wedding), the classic tragedy by internationally acclaimed Spanish dramatist, theater director, and poet Federico García Lorca for a special showcase by the budding thespians of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLSCSB) come July.

Titled El Mar de Sangre (The Sea of Blood), Bucoy’s Filipino adaptation of Garcia Lorca’s 1932 three-act play transports the spectators into a humble town bordered by three seas where the community anticipates a much-awaited union through marriage.

Directed by Gawad Buhay Philstage Awardee and Virgin Labfest Festival Head and dramaturg Tuxqs Rutaquio, it narrates tragic romantic endeavors between a young lady ((Sara Louise Garcia) her bridesgroom ((Karel Coldenhoff) and her lover ((Karl Caminade) as their fates were shaped and challenged by the cycle of time, the weights of choices, the

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Tuesday, June 25, 2019

ACROSS 1 Top digit 5 Gridiron stats 8 Piece of information 12 Face-to-face exams 14 Drip 15 Air France destination 16 Like a good cake 17 Alleviate 18 Bibliophile’s love 19 Darkroom gear 21 Sneezer’s need 23 Cartoon mice — and Meek 24 Hypo units 25 Sullivan and Murrow 26 Like diet cola 30 Taj — 32 Elite squad (hyph.)

33 Buddies 37 Frees of 38 Goes on the lam 39 Jai — 40 Attacker 42 Quavering sound from a songbird 43 Hoaxes 44 Scatter 45 Towel word

48 Go-aheads 49 Pro 50 Squid relatives 52 Trifling 57 Spotted, as a horse 58 Jacket style 60 Station 61 High-fashion mag 62 Polio vaccine inventor 63 Put in a log 64 Hair salon stock 65 Boot part 66 Fish choice DOWN 1 Icy burg 2 Press, as pants 3 Hardware item 4 “Born Free” lioness 5 Shred 6 Berlin article 7 Drawings 8 Watch chains 9 Came up 10 Obscure 11 Youngsters 13 River 14 Chive relative 20 Some toothpaste 22 Ms. Dinesen 24 Officer wannabe 26 “Tomb Raider”

heroine 27 Elevator inventor 28 Merges 29 Mexican homes 30 Behaviors 31 Fibbers, plus 33 Bangs 34 Cut, as coupons 35 Cabbage 36 Threshold 38 Wackiest 41 Flapjack chain 42 Diatribe 44 Wyatt’s cohort 45 Wished

46 In an aloof manner 47 Stone pillar 49 Stoolie 51 Poet’s tributes 52 Amundsen goal 53 Desires 54 Capable of (2 wds.)

55 Christmas song 56 Raison d’ — 59 Cosmic force

consequences of deception, and the reality of fate and nature.

The rest of the cast includes nanay (Jannah Baniasia), biyenan (Jana Isabel La Victoria), asawa (Phoebe Louise Lina), buwan (Isabella Pedersen), kapitbahay (Robyn Antonio), Kamatayan (Jan Enrique Capinianes), and mangingisda (John Marticio).

Bucoy’s translation breathes new life to Garcia Lorca’s remarkable characters, plus redesigned and grounded their trajectories in the Filipino context, culture, and identity.

Spearheaded by Benilde’s Theater Arts Program, this production is a collaboration with the creative efforts from the College’s Arts and Music Cluster, with participation of its Music Production (MP), Multimedia Arts (MMA), Arts Management (AM), and Production Design (PD) Programs.

The college allows aspiring artists to develop their skills and knowledge under the guidance and meticulous mentorship

of award-winning industry fellows. Its wide range of courses cover vast areas of theater studies from literature analysis and interpretation; direction, design, and performance conceptualization; resource, equipment, and instrument utilization; and play production to business and marketing Integration.

El Mar de Sangre will open its doors to the public on July 3 to 6, and repeat performances on July 10 to 13, with shows at 1:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at the 5/F Theater of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s School of Design and Arts (SDA) Campus, 950 Pablo Ocampo (Vito Cruz) Street, Malate, Manila.

Tickets are at P500 for regular patrons, while P350 for students, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and senior citizens. For inquiries, contact +(63906) 4018531 or send an e-mail to theaterarts116@gmail.com.

Check the official Facebook page of the College’s Theater Arts Program @ csbtheaterarts.

Padi’s Point Happy Hour Barkada Treat 2019 For the second straight year, the country’s widest bar chain, Padi’s Point Restaurant and Bar and the largest beer producer of the country---San Miguel Brewery Inc., partnered for one amazing treat for all “barkadas” Happy Hour Barkada Treat made San Miguel Beer products available at three bottles for only P150 in all Padi’s Point branches in their respective Happy Hour schedules from April 1 to May 31.

But as an added treat, all customers who availed of this offer during the promo period were given raffle coupons where they write their names and two of other friends and they had a chance to win in the grand raffle on June 7 at Padi’s Point-Metro East. Three Game Consuls were given away.

In the previous raffle, three Pocket Drones were won by MicroSourcing employee Karl Devoe Guidaya and his friends/team mates Rommel Longatang and Rodel Carulasan.

Guidaya, Longatang, and Carulasan are occasional visitors of different Padi’s Point branches particularly in the South Manila/ Cavite area where they work and live, such as Padi’s Point- Bacoor, The Pad-MOA and where their winning entry came from--Padi’s Point-Las Piñas.

“We work from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., so coming in after work or during Happy Hour is perfect for us. Mas mura ang Cocktails, Beers ang dami pang ibang promo na sakto sa budget”, confirms Guidaya.

Being on the techie-side and working in a BPO, specifically a gaming account, all three guaranteed that they will be using the drones during travels, barkada adventures and even on team- building activities.

Definitely, all three will be visiting Padi’s Point branches even more as there is no better place to gimmick, party and win.

Hollywood...

From C4

“We’ve been communicating with her during the writing process and we look forward to continuing to work closely with her on the movie.”

Author Collins said the book would explore “the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival.”

The as-yet-untitled book will be published on May 19, 2020. AFP

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2019

COUCH POTATO IVY ROSSINI

Heart Evangelista’s stamp of approval

Catriona Gray with event host Mond Gutierrez

A

PART from her signature VERY walk, her beauty, and WANG overwhelming presence, NICKIE we’ve known Miss Universe WANG 2018 Catriona Gray as someone who can talk for hours and discuss topics ranging from pageants to pressing issues confronting the country and our society, and from simple things like makeup to women empowerment.

Catriona can explore, in a witty way at that, many issues and subjects even in a very short interview. And without her even trying, you’d be mesmerized by her eloquence and wisdom—she’s just always in her element whenever there’s a mic in front of her and or there’s a recorder ready to capture her words.

At the Smart Signature event held recently at The Fifth at Rockwell where she was introduced as the telco’s newest brand ambassador, Catriona once again charmed local reporters when they had a brief moment with the statuesque beauty queen.

Naturally, the questions were all about her emotional farewell speech during the Binibining Pilipinas 2019 pageant and the new batch of candidates who apparently didn’t do well in the question and answer round, which is obviously the 25-year-old Fil-Aussie’s favorite part of beauty tilts.

“It was a really emotional moment for me. Weeks going up to the pageant as well. To be honest, I didn’t know what to say! I’m thinking about it a lot because so much has happened this journey. I mean how do you put all that in such a short amount of time?” she said of her farewell speech.

“The message that I gave really came from my heart. It was really what I wanted to share and to see that it touched so many people, it’s even more overwhelming,” she added Meanwhile, Catriona admitted that she was rooting for Vickie Rushton, who was the most decorated candidate of the pageant but stuttered during the Q&A round and failed to give a coherent answer.

“You know it happens. It’s a ‘grace under pressure’ environment. It’s a completely high nerve environment. If it’s your time, it’s your time. Who knows, she might make a comeback? I would totally root for her if she’s planning to join again,” she said.

Regarding the dreaded Q&A round, Catriona said there’s actually “no formula that you can apply to every single girl.”

“Honestly, the girl needs to be driven and see where her weaknesses are and build upon that,” she pointed out. “It’s really a unique thing. Every girl is different. Everyone has different strengths. It’s really the girl needs to assess where she’s lacking and build

upon that.”

Digital lifestyle PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications has officially launched the new Signature Plans in a dazzling celebration that featured inspiring Filipinos who have reimagined themselves, broken barriers, and established their indelible signature in their respective career and craft headlined by reigning Miss Universe and Smart Signature endorser Catriona Gray.

The event suited what the digital services provider has set out to offer with Smart Signature, a reimagined postpaid experience that empowers customers with a prioritized, worry-free, and incontrol mobile lifestyle. Designed to put customers first, Smart Signature come in four plans with generous open data allocations, unlimited calls and texts, data rollover, and other enhanced customer service features.

Hundreds of highly valued Smart Postpaid subscribers were invited to the exclusive event where they got a chance to upgrade to the new Smart Signature Plans on site while celebrating with some of the country’s most inspiring lifestyle curators and Smart Signature ambassadors.

Smart Signature ambassadors include celebrity host Mond Gutierrez; digital content creator and online storyteller Erwan Heussaff, creative director and entrepreneur Martine Cajucom Ho; beauty queen and host Laura Lehmann; fashion designer Patty Ang; musician and creative director Paolo Valenciano; tech entrepreneur Chris Johnson;

‘SIGNATURE’ sportscaster Selina Dagdag; beauty vlogger Aryanna Epperson; indie musician Mito Fabie aka Curtismith; models Arianna Cowper and Ava Diaz Daza; mountaineer and adventurer Javi Cang; entrepreneur and model Brent Javier; medical student and model Kara Gozali; and ophthalmologist and model Mark Agas, among others.

At the event, celebrated Filipino photographers Andrea Beldua, Dookie Ducay, and Shaira Luna brought to life their artistic vision through their specially designed pop-up studios reflecting the reimagined postpaid experience powered

by Smart Signature.

With Smart Signature, subscribers are prioritized on the Smart LTE, the country’s undisputed fastest mobile network, so you can enjoy consistent data to connect to your favorite apps, send messages in real time, and make uninterrupted calls - even during peak hours.

Smart Signature’s four SIM-only plans—Small (S), Medium (M), Large (L), and Extra Large (XL)—range from P999 to P2,999 per month and come with open access data allocations from 10GB to 60GB; worry-free unlimited calls to Smart, Sun, and TNT; worry-free AnyNet call minutes to PLDT landline

and other networks; and unlimited texts to all networks—so you never have to worry about connecting with family, friends, and colleagues on any network.

Smart Signature also offers Device Plans, which include flagship handsets like Apple’s iPhone Xs Series, the Samsung Galaxy S10 Series, and the Huawei Mate P30 Series—bundled with big-sized open access data, calls, and texts.

To keep subscribers in control of their plan, Smart Signature features real-time billing and usage alerts, so you never have to worry about exceeding your monthly plan, incurring unwanted charges, or getting bill-shocked.

Smart Signature also comes with the handy myPLDT Smart App, which lets you monitor and manage your usage and monthly bill in real time, as well as purchase Data or Call Boosters as needed.

The app is now downloadable on Google Play for Android devices and The App Store for iOS devices.

Reimagine life with Smart Signature Plans now! Sign up as a new subscriber, or upgrade your current Smart Postpaid Plan for free, at select Smart Stores nationwide.

Learn more about the Smart Signature Plan perfect for your lifestyle at www. smart.com.ph/signature.

SIGNATURE TOAST. Miss Universe 2018 and Smart Signature endorser Catriona Gray joins PLDT Chairman and CEO Manny V. Pangilinan at the official launch of Smart Signature Plans in Makati City.

‘Hunger Games’ prequel book and film planned A NEW Hunger Games novel set decades before the original best-selling trilogy will be published next year, its publisher said last Monday, with plans for an accompanying film already underway.

The book will revisit the macabre post-apocalyptic world of Panem created

by Suzanne Collins’ young adult novels, which were adapted into one of Hollywood’s biggest movie franchises starring Jennifer Lawrence.

The original books, which sold more than 100 million copies, told the story of Katniss Everdeen, a teenage heroine forced by the realm’s totalitarian leaders to participate in a reality TV-style fight to the death.

The new book will revisit Panem 64 years before the events of the trilogy during a period known as the “Dark Days,” in which the nation “struggles to get back to its feet” after a devastating war, Collins said.

Four films based on the trilogy of novels —the final book was split into two parts— turned Lawrence into an A-list movie star and grossed $2.97 billion worldwide.

Movie studio Lionsgate said another film

Catriona Gray’s

was already being planned.

“As the proud home of the Hunger Games movies, we can hardly wait for Suzanne’s next book to be published,” said Joe Drake, chairman of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group. Continued on C3

Four films based on the trilogy of novels —the final book was split into two parts —turned Jennifer Lawrence (center) into an A-list movie star and grossed $2.97 billion worldwide

GMA Network’s Entertainment Group inked a partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for the highlyanticipated Philippine adaptation of the hit Korean drama series, Descendants of the Sun. Present during the MOA signing on June 20, at the GMA Network Center were Major General Bienvenido R. Datuin, Jr., Commander of Civil Relations Service, Armed Forces of the Philippines (CRSAFP), GMA Senior Vice President for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable; GMAVice President for Drama Productions Redgie A. Magno, GMA Assistant Vice President for Drama Cheryl Ching-Sy, and Senior Program Manager Ali Nokom Dedicatoria.

The lead stars of Descendants of the Sun—Dingdong Dantes, Rocco Nacino, and Jasmine Curtis-Smith – also came in full force.

Major General Datuin is looking forward to working with the Network for the Pinoy version of the series. “The pleasure and the honor are ours. As I always say, this is an AFP that you can trust. We have evolved into your partners in the civilian community. This is an opportunity for us para maipakita ang aming core values which are patriotism, honor, and service, which I know that our actors and actresses here will be able to portray,” he said.

Rasonable, in turn, is grateful to the AFP for partnering with GMA. “First of all, we are so honored and very thankful that the AFP has agreed to help us and partner with GMA for this project. This is a much-awaited and very important flagship project of the Network and we cannot have it any other way than with the AFP helping us out,” she shared.

Joining the star-studded cast of the Philippine adaptation

WHEN popular actress Heart Evangelista puts her stamp of approval on something, the public can be assured that the product is excellent.

Launched last Thursday as a brand endorser, Heart said she discovered a premium oral glutathione supplement (in lozenge form) in the market.

According to her and the brand’s COOT. K. Rameash, it delivers a glowing and more radiant skin dramatically as promised. It is clinically proven to reduce pigmentation and achieve healthier, brighter and more beautiful skin in as early as two weeks.

Heart says credibility is very important to her. In fact, she reveals that before she endorses a product, she really makes sure that the reputation of the brand is untainted, on top of her personal experience in using that specific product.

In the case of the glutathione brand she’s promoting, the beautiful fashionista first made sure that doctors attest to its efficacy “because there are so many medicines now in the market that’s just very commercial,” she quipped.

Heart started using the product since early 2018 after she heard about it from some of her friends. When she did try, she was won over by its efficacy. She says, “It is a complete body health supplement, which is what I need most. It’s also the only glutathione in lozenge form, hence making it easy for my body to absorb it, so it helps me glow effortlessly.

Heart Evangelista

The company’s director and COO T. K. Rameash says that the product’s optimal absorption in the body sets it apart from the rest of the glutathione available in the market today.

He says, “The grape-flavored lozenge is dissolved in the oral cavity and can be consumed safely. All the active ingredients enter the systemic circulation intact, and that ensures highest efficacy.”

The product fits Heart’s lifestyle perfectly, especially with the many hats she wears now—as a politician’s wife to newly-elected Sorsogon Governor Chiz Escudero; as the actress who currently shoots an international action movie where she plays the lead role; the television personality being one of the judges in the new edition of Starstruck on GMA 7; the painter who is preparing for her next art show exhibit in 2020; the PAWS advocate; and the businesswoman and globetrotter where her fashion takes her.

The company also launched its #RedefineBeauty campaign which aims to support women who go beyond the stereotype and are confident and empowered in their own skin. Continued on C3

GMA seals partnership with AFP for ‘Descendants of the Sun’ series

'Descendants of the Sun' lead stars Dingdong Dantes, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, and Rocco Nacino

of Descendants of the Sun are Andre Paras, Chariz Solomon, Renz Fernandez, Lucho Ayala, Paul Salas, Prince Clemente, Jon Lucas, and Hailey Mendes.