Manila Standard - 2018 December 4 - Tuesday

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VOL. XXXII • NO. 292 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

Rody smoked marijuana?

‘It was a joke’

By Nat Mariano and Macon R. Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he used marijuana to cope with the “killing” schedule at last month’s summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Singapore, then later said he was just joking—and that anyone who believed him was stupid.

In a speech during the awarding ceremony to recognize several government agencies, officials and employees for their work on the ASEAN National Organizing Council, Duterte said he used marijuana—an illegal substance—to stay awake for strenuous sessions.

“It’s a killing activity, and I think [at] my age… me not so much because I take marijuana to stay awake,” said the 73-year-old Duterte, who said he could not attend all the related meetings consecutively.

“I really cannot do it. I don’t know Next page

BIG-TIME ROLLBACK. A gas station attendant in Metro Manila fills up a jeepney Monday, as world oil prices eased in Asian trading after earlier on sending a shudder through the global economy by hitting a record $100 per barrel for the first time. During rush hours on the same day (inset) commuters clamber up a jeepney to get a ride. Jeepney fare was down by P1 in Metro Manila. AFP

Fare cut after oil price slash World Bank kicks in $200b for ‘climate’ KATOWICE, POLAND—The World Bank on Monday unveiled $200 billion in climate action investment for 2021 to 25, adding this amount to a doubling of its current five-year funding.

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AFP backs ML extension; Duterte undecided

By Nat Mariano and Maricel V. Cruz PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he has not decided yet on whether he will extend martial law in Mindanao, after receiving a recommendation from the Armed Forces that he do.

“The papers have not yet been submitted to me. The issue has not been raised.

It might be during the Cabinet [meet-

ing],” the President said in an ambush interview after the conferment of the Quezon Service Cross Award on the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago “It would depend on the recommendation of military and police. They are the guys on the ground. I am here in [the] Pasig River. I am not aware of the nitty-gritty happenings all over the country,” he added.

The President said he knows rebels are active in some parts of the country, includ-

ing “Negros, then Bicol and Quezon City.”

He did not elaborate on his statement, however.

The Palace said Duterte “may be persuaded” to approve the recommendation of the Armed Forces to extend martial law in Mindanao.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte would have to evaluate the recommendations given to him by the Next page

THE University of the Philippines’ Board of Regents on Monday has withdrawn its recommendation to reappoint Regent Frederick “Spocky” Farolan following his Facebook post on the UAAP Men’s Basketball finals.

“Committed to a higher standard of accountability for its members, the Board hereby withdraws its recommendation for the reappointment of Regent Farolan to the Board of Regents,” the UP Board of Regents said in a statement on Monday.

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T

HE government has ordered the provisional rollback of the minimum fare for public utility jeepneys from P10 to P9.

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A FILIPINO inventor has developed what he claims to be an unsinkable rescue boat that is the only one of its kind in the world.

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By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

By Darwin G. Amojelar

“Because of the continuous rollback in the price of fuel, [Transportation] Secretary [Arthur] Tugade directed us to implement a motu propio fare decrease,” said Martin Delgra III, chairman of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

The rollback covers the first four kilometers of PUJ routes for Metro Manila and Regions 3 and 4, and will take effect immediately upon publication, Delgra added.

World oil prices have declined, weighed down by uncertainty over the

Pinoy develops ‘unsinkable’ boat

UP regents scoff at member’s post

LTFRB reduces jeepney fare

by P1 in MM

News website editor posts bail

HONORING GESTURE. Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio takes the hand of Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada as a sign of respect during the Signing and Oath of Allegiance between the former’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago and the latter’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino at the San Andres gym in Manila. Also in the picture are Harry Roque, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos and former Senator Jinggoy Estrada.

Lino Santos

THE journalist who leads a news site that has battled Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte turned herself in on Monday to face what she described as a “manufactured” tax fraud case that carries the threat of a decade behind bars.

A day after Rappler CEO Maria Ressa flew home to the Philippines under the threat of an arrest warrant, she surrendered at a Manila court and was allowed to remain free after paying a cash bail.

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Castro, Ocampo deserve dignified treatment, Arroyo says

By Maricel V. Cruz, Francisco Tuyay and Nat Mariano SPEAKER Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday urged the authorities to treat ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro and former congressman Satur Ocampo with dignity and respect, after the two were arrested on Nov. 28 in Davao del Norte.

“They entitled to a certain level of

dignified and respectful treatment in situations such as this, particularly since our judicial system is based upon the principle of presumption of innocence,” Arroyo said in a statement. “This is my position regarding any member of the House, regardless of political or ideological alignment.”

“At the same time the House will always uphold the law and its processes.

I understand that they have been given

10 days to file their counter affidavits in order to refute the charges against them, and I would urge a speedy resolution of the matter within the framework of our judicial system,” she said.

“I have long known former Rep. Satur Ocampo personally, and I pray that he, Rep. Castro and their co-respondents are well and will continue to be so until this matter is resolved.”

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Maria Ressa

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News

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Chief justice vows reforms, seeks support of colleagues

By Rey E. Requejo NEWLY-APPOINTED Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin on Monday appealed to his colleagues and court officials to help him in instituting reforms in the judiciary.

During his first flag-raising ceremony as chief magistrate, Bersamin vowed to address perennial problems in courts, but appealed for cooperation from court workers and personnel.

“I have no promise to you except that I will continue to serve with all sincerity in my heart. I intend also to address our persistent problems in the lower courts,” the new chief justice said.

“I ask you to welcome me, to love me, to support me, to help me in my 11 months. It’s just a short period so just bear with me),” Bersamin added.

The new top magistrate was greeted by a big banner and colorful balloons during his first flag-raising ceremony after appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte last week vice retired Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro.

Bersamin branded himself as an “accidental chief justice,” recognizing that he is not the most senior among the justices and many court personnel were expecting someone else appointed as chief justice.

“I know that you have expected maybe another individual to be appointed to this office. I am not apologizing for myself, I am not apologizing for the President. I am here because I was appointed, so that should stop all speculations from within and without regarding whether Justicr Bersamin deserved to be chief justice or not,” he said.

“There may be someone more senior than me now sitting in the Court, but at age 69, I can look back and tell you that I have 32 years behind me in this business,” Bersamin stressed.

He did not name who he was referring to, but was obviously referring to Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who was bypassed for the chief justice post for the second time.

Carpio is the most senior member of the Court, having been appointed as associate justice in 2001. But Bersamin is the longest serving magistrate of SC in the judiciary with 32 years of experience in the courts or since 1986.

Malacañang already explained that Carpio was not picked by the President because of his earlier decision not to apply for the chief justice post in deference to his position against the ouster of chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno via quo warranto last May. Carpio said he did not want to benefit from Sereno’s ouster, whom he had voted against, but decided to apply for the post after De Castro’s retirement last October because he believed that the vacancy was no longer questionable.

But Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the President did not buy such explanation from Carpio, saying the vacancy from De Castro’s retirement also stemmed from Sereno’s ouster.

Sara, Erap forge alliance Estrada said the alliance was a big step toward achieving his goal of making Manila a “great city” that would benefit everyone.

Duterte-Carpio’s party HNP and Estrada’s PMP signed the alliance at the San Andres Sports Complex in Malate, Manila, on Monday to bring what they described as democratic changes in accordance with the peoples’ will.

“The alliance that we form recognizes our intention to cooperate and unite on behalf of our parties for the benefit of all,” Estrada said.

The former President, who is running for his third and last term in office, said the alliance went beyond self-interest to serve the public.

Estrada said the partnership would make Manila as peaceful and drug-

free as Davao.

“I believe that every Filipino has the right to live happy, safe and with dignity. It is my fervent hope to give every Filipino the hope of living peacefully,” he said.

Duterte-Carpio said she was going around the country to look for friends who would help Rodrigo Duterte in his remaining three years as President.

Among those who attended the signing were Estrada’s running mate and former Manila 5th District Rep. Amado Bagatsing, former Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque; former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Maguindanao 2nd District Rep. Zajid Dong Mangudadatu; Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos; former Senator Jinggoy Estrada; Senator Sonny Angara and former Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Francis Tolentino.

Rody...

now,” he told reporters at the time.

“There are medicines right now being developed or already in the market that [have] marijuana as a component but used for medical purposes,” he added.

He rejected the use of cannabis in cigarettes, however, saying it could make Filipino families “dysfunctional.”

WebMD notes that the effects of marijuana usage on people may differ as it is used to relieve pain and help a person relax. But it can also heighten a person’s senses.

In the same speech, Duterte complained about his tedious schedule during two-day 33rd Asean Summit in Singapore in November.

He then called on the attention of the Asean Secretariat, which manages the official activities and schedule of the Asean Summit and its related meetings.

“You know we start at 8:30 in the morning and we end up almost 10? 11?

They were all there. And it’s every 30 minutes. 8:30 then 9:30, 10:30, it’s different. Maybe the Asean Secretariat thought we were boy scouts. The whole day is not enough,” he said.

“You have to give that to the technical working group or at least the lower echelons. We only take the important ones,

the nuisances about other countries, never mind that. Only the urgent and immediate concerns of ASEAN,” he added.

The President said he barely slept during the ASEAN Summit and hardly had time to catch up on the related reading materials.

“You do not want your President to look ignorant or sound ignorant, so I have to catch up with the readings. There’s not much time,” he said.

During the summit, Duterte skipped five engagements to take “power naps” in between.

He only managed to attend several summits with China, Russia, Japan, United States, Plus-Three summit, East Asia Summit, and its closing ceremony as he deemed those to be important.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, a staunch anti-drug advocate, seemed to cut the President some slack, saying “marijuana is mostly to calm you down.”

“It is not an upper,” he said.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, however, said Duterte’s admission was clearly untrue.

“The President told me just now that he has never touched marijuana in his entire life,” Pimentel said.

need to constrict, limit the maneuver space of the terrorist to the maximum,” the outgoing AFP chief told reporters on Monday.

PNP Chief Dir. Gen. Oscar Albayalde added that they already drafted the recommendation for “We are one with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. We are for the extension,” he said in a separate press briefing.

Panelo said Malacañang would leave it to Congress to determine whether to approve the extension of martial law or not if the President recommends it.

“Again, the Constitution grants them the authority to decide whether or not it will extend martial law. So, we’ll leave it to them,” he said.

In May 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte put the entire Mindanao in martial law to fend off Islamic State-inspired terrorists during the Marawi siege.

In a bid to hold off extremism in the region, Congress then granted its extension twice in July and December 2017.

Unless it is extended, martial law in Mindanao will lose its effectivity on Dec.

31, 2018.

Galvez said the proposed extension is aimed at reducing or eliminating the threat of terrorism on the island.

Lawmakers on Monday urged government’s security officials to provide Congress an update on the situation in Mindanao following the AFP and PNP recommendation to extend martial law.

At the same time, House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. expressed readiness on the part of the House of Representatives to grant an extension.

“If the President will ask for it, then chances are it shall be given,” Andaya said.

“The concurrence will be expedited if the military and the police will renew their commitment to respect the constitutional rights of every individual in the territory covered by the declaration,” he added.

Reps. Makmod Mending Jr. of Anak Mindanao Party-list, Luis Raymund Villafuerte of Camarines Sur, and Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte said they saw nothing wrong with an extension of martial law, if it is needed.

By Vito Barcelo

T

HE Hugpong ng Pagbabago of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino has forged an alliance as a display of unity among local and national candidates in the coming 2019 elections.

From A1

how to reconfigure the style of taking up the [related meetings]. I said only the important, the most urgent, [and] the most immediate,” he added.

“But the others [ASEAN leaders], they really cannot do it. The food is not even good. My God... I brought corned beef and dried fish,” Duterte said.

Asked later about his remarks, Duterte said he was joking.

“I’m like that. If you [media] said it was a joke, I do not mind that. Of course, it was a joke, but nobody can stop me from just doing my style,” he said.

“Sometimes you told me I’m a misogynist when I fool around, that’s my style, it still needs to change. If I want to joke, I will joke. Now, if you believed it, then you are stupid,” he added.

Duterte, who promised an intensified war on drugs as his administration’s centerpiece program, said in May 2016 that he does not oppose the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.

“Medical marijuana, yes, because it is really an ingredient of modern medicine

AFP...

From A1

Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

Panelo said the President might be convinced to further lengthen the duration of the martial rule in Mindanao given the public’s support for its extension.

“Given the support of martial law in Mindanao, even by a Catholic bishop and the citizens there, the President may be persuaded to grant, to approve their recommendation,” he said.

“But of course, again, that is the prerogative of the President.”

The Palace official made the remark after AFP Chief Gen. Carlito Galvez said they moved for the extension of martial law due to the continuous bombings in several parts of the region.

“We have recommendations already because there is really a great clamor for the extension, considering that the terrorism is still lurking in the area. There is really

UP Regents...

From A1

Pinoy...

From A1

Ronald Pagsanghan said he thought of developing an unsinkable boat after he witnessed the devastation wrought by Typhoon “Ketsana” or “Ondoy” in Luzon, including Metro Manila, in 2009.

The typhoon killed 789 people and caused billions of pesos worth of damage to infrastructure and the agricultural sector. And the rescue operations were delayed by the flood waters that flowed in many areas.

“Rubber boats could not maneuver at the height of the floods,” Pagsanghan said.

“That horrible experience gave me the idea of developing an unsinkable boat designed for rescue operations in flooded areas.”

It was in 2011 that he came up with a prototype of his unsinkable portable boat that he tested successfully.

“My portable unsinkable boat is primarily designed for flooded areas in urban areas and rivers,” Pagsanghan said, adding it was the only one of its kind in the world.

He said in 2012 he received the 2012 award for his invention from the Rotary Club of Manila and the Manila Polo Club.

Since then, local government units from Isabela, Bulacan and Quezon had ordered boats from him. His rescue boat was one of the main attractions during the recent Filipino Inventory Week held at the SM Dome in North EDSA, Quezon City.

Pagsanghan said he hoped that the government would fully extend help to promote not only his invention, but also other notable inventions by Filipino inventors. PNA

“We enjoin Regent Farolan from making any such further statements which can compromise the reputation and the goodwill of the University.”

In other developments: • Malacañang on Monday said it would be up to the University of the Philippines to act on the calls for Farolan to step down.

“We leave it to UP because it happened there. We always respect the independence of any entity in this country,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo told reporters.

• At least three senators who are UP alumni have called for Farolan’s resignation over his Facebook post.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, who served as UP Regent twice, said Farolan’s statements were unacceptable and a disgrace to the state university.

Senator Nancy Binay said, “Out of del-

World Bank...

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The World Bank said the move, coinciding with a UN climate summit meeting of some 200 nations in Poland, represented a “significantly ramped up ambition” to tackle climate change, “sending an important signal to the wider global community to do the same.”

Developed countries are committed to lifting combined annual public and private spending to $100 billion in developing countries by 2020 to fight the impact of climate change―up from 48.5 billion in 2016 and 56.7 billion last year, according to latest OECD data.

Southern hemisphere countries fighting the impact of warming temperatures are nonetheless pushing northern coun-

icadeza and out of love for UP, it is best for Regent Spocky Farolan to tender his resignation.”

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III echoed the sentiments of his fellow senators.

In a Facebook post, Farolan said: “Sayang hindi kumpleto ang players ng Ateneo sa Wednesday. Tatlo injured. Pili na kayo kung sinu-sino mga yon.”

This has triggered violence between the fraternities of the two universities in the comment section.

“Suggestion ko nga para sign of solidarity, a composite strike team of all UP frats. Tatlong players lang. Kaya na ‘yon. mwehehehe,” he said.

Farolan later deleted the post.

He claimed he could have been misinterpreted, and he did not intend to sow violence.

Some lawmakers, including Senator Francis Pangilinan, called for Farolan’s resignation, noting that Farolan’s statements were a “disgrace” to the University. With PNA terparts for firmer commitments.

In a statement, the World Bank said the breakdown of the $200 billion would comprise “approximately $100 billion in direct finance from the World Bank.”

Around one third of the remaining funding will come from two World Bank Group agencies with the rest private capital “mobilized by the World Bank Group.”

“If we don’t reduce emissions and build adaptation now, we’ll have 100 million more people living in poverty by 2030,” John Roome, World Bank senior director for climate change, warned.

“And we also know that the less we address this issue proactively just in three regions―Africa, South Asia and Latin America―we’ll have 133 million climate migrants,” Roome told AFP. AFP

News website...

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In other developments: • Malacañang said Monday Duterte “has nothing to do” with the issuance of an arrest warrant against Ressa, and that the cases against her and her outfit were tax-evasion charges and not political persecution.

“We have repeatedly said that we never and will never interfere with the function of the Judiciary, as well as the other branch,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters.

“If the Judiciary finds probable cause for an information filed, we have to respect the law on the matter.”

• Senator Risa Hontiveros said the issuance of an arrest warrant against Ressa was yet another attempt by the Duterte administration to silence dissent and to muzzle the media.

“The Duterte administration is implementing a harass the dissenters, protect the plunderers” policy,” Hontiveros said.

Rappler has been hit by a string of government efforts to shut it down since the site took a critical tone on Duterte, in particular his internationally condemned drug war that has killed thousands.

Ressa now faces the prospect of a trial in an overburdened court system that is notoriously susceptible to influence from powerful elites.

“They [the charges] are politically motivated and... they are manufactured,” she told journalists outside court. “Rappler pays the right taxes.”

If found guilty of the charge that Rappler provided false information to tax authorities, she risks up to 10 years behind bars. She posted a bail equivalent of $1,100 (970 euros).

AFP, with Nat Mariano and Macon Ramos-Araneta

Fare cut...

From A1

US-China trade war and signs of increased global crude production, the Department of Energy said in its latest monitoring report.

Last week, oil companies cut pump prices by P2 per liter for gasoline and diesel, triggering the eighth weekly consecutive oil price rollback.

On Monday, more oil companies announced cuts in their pump prices.

Eastern Petroleum, Total Philippines, and Jetti Petroleum Philippines said they would cut the per liter price of gasoline by P2.00 and diesel by P2.10 on Tuesday.

Other companies that have announced rollbacks are PTT Philippines, Pilipinas Shell, Chevron Philippines, Seaoil Philippines and Phoenix Petroleum Philippines.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday urged President Rodrigo Duterte not to lift the suspension of fuel excise tax hikes which are set to take effect in January 2019.

He said most Filipino families have not felt the effects of the oil price rollbacks, and the prices of basic commodities have not kept pace with the decline in pump prices.

Duterte’s economic managers had proposed the excise tax hike be suspended as a way of coping with rising inflation, but took back their recommendation as world oil prices declined.

In the House, the committee on Transportation began deliberations on several bills that grant a 20- percent student discount on land, water and air transport.

Committee chairman and Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento said his panel hopes to consolidate the nine bills soon and to have the bill approved Wednesday. With Macon RamosAraneta and Maricel V. Cruz

Castro, Ocampo...

From A1

Arroyo said she learned of their arrest through Gabriela Reps. Arlene Brosas and Emmi de Jesus, who called on her to look into their situation.

The leftist Makabayan bloc in the House said they would file charges against Armed Forces chief Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. for accusing Castro of being a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army.

“We will file a case sa Ombudsman against the military,” Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Ariel Casilao, a member of the bloc, said at a news conference.

“This very dangerous and baseless statement,” he added.

Casilao said Galvez was quoted as saying that Ocampo was as a “propagandist” of the CPP-NPA, and that the Salugpongan Tatanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, and the Alternative Learning Center for Agriculture Livelihood Development are “breeding grounds” of the NPA. Castro denied she is an NPA member.

Castro, Ocampo, and 16 others have been charged with kidnapping and human trafficking for allegedly taking custody of minors during their solidarity mission in Talaingod, Davao del Norte, on the evening of Nov. 28.

All of them were released from detention on Saturday night after they each posted P80,000 bail for their charges.

Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde rejected a challenge from a legislator that he visit the Lumad school that the military and police say is a communist breeding ground.

“There’s no need to visit them because when you get there, they’ll be teaching something else,” he said in Filipino.

“That’s not what our IPs (indigenous people) say. We believe them. You could just imagine, they were exploited there and their minds were poisoned. Even their children.”

Earlier, Castro dared Abayalde and the police to visit Lumad schools to check on their condition.

But Albayalde said he had no interest in visiting a Lumad school, where he said IP students were being brainwashed by the communists.

“What they are teaching is how to rally and other ways to help the [communist] movement,” he added.

Albayalde rejected suggestions that Castro and Ocampo were arrested on trumped-up charges.

“We cannot fabricate charges because that won’t stand in court. We can never fabricate charges. If there is no complainant, there are no charges,” he said, citing the complaint filed by parents and relatives of the children.

Castro said Albayalde’s refusal to visit Lumad schools reflects his ignorance.

Ocampo, meanwhile, denied allegations that the communists were recruiting minors through the Lumad schools.

In an interview with ANC Headstart, Ocampo said the communists had “a rule against recruiting minors.”

“The NPA operates in the hinterlands.

It so happens that most if not all of the communities of the Lumads are in the hinterlands, so they become battleground areas. It is not surprising that the NPA has its main objective of organizing the people in the struggle for their own welfare,” he said.

News

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Balangiga bells back in PH on Dec. 15 —Lorenzana

SHABU PROBE. Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate committee on accountability of public officers, who is leading the probe on the P6.4 billion worth of shabu shipment from China, fields questions to Director General Aaron Aquino of the PDEA, BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero and former Commissioner Isidro Lapeña at the Senate office in Pasay City. Lino Santos

Cops arrest ‘docu’ actors for wearing police uniforms during film shoot

By Francisco Tuyay AFTER going after popular television series ‘Ang Probinsiyano’ for its alleged unfair and erroneous portrayal of men in uniform, the police turned its focus on a short documentary, which was filming a story on HIV and drugs.

Report said that two men wearing police uniforms who were part of the documentary titled Complexities of ChemSex in Cainta, Rizal was arrested by the police.

The film tackles real-life stories of people affected by HIV and the drug war in the Philippines.

The Cainta police said that the actors had no permit to use the uniforms which they rented from a props shop.

Supt. Pablito Naganag, Cainta, Rizal police chief said the actors were reenacting a scene where police arrest a suspected drug suspect.

According to film producer Faustine Angeles, the documentary was supposed to compete in the ANPUD Short Films Competition in Bangkok, Thailand. It is unclear if it will still participate.

Angeles later posted on his Facebook page on Monday that he hoped the incident will serve as an eye-opener to those who plan to make stories about the drug war in the country.

The two actors were also held for using fake firearms, which police said alarmed the residents.

“No matter how good your intention is as long as the police is (sic) being mentioned or used in your film you are at risk,” he wrote.

“We citizens of this country no longer have the freedom of speech.

We can no longer be free to express what we see in our community even in artistic ways which is very saddening.”

Naganag, however, Naganag rejected Angeles claim, saying that “kung meron permit ‘yan puede pa kaming mag assist.”

In a report by ABS-CBN’s Umagang Kay Ganda, the two actors were detained at the Cainta police station. They will be charged for violating Article 179 of the Revised Penal Code or the illegal use of the Philippine National Police uniform and badge.

Last week, the PNP and ABSCBN signed a memorandum of agreement which said that the PNP will allow the network to use its uniform, vehicles, and facilities when shooting its top-rated TV show Ang Probinsyano but only if the show doesn’t tarnish the image of the police force.

Under Article 1799 of Revised Peal Code of the Philippines penalizes any person who shall publicly and improperly make use of insignia, uniforms or dress pertaining to an office not held by such person or to a class of persons of which he is not a member.

Sotto: Reenacted budget likely as time ticks away CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

S

ENATE President Vicente Sotto III on Monday said it might not be “physically possible” for President Rodrigo Duterte to sign the proposed 2019 national budget by Dec. 15.

Sotto said it would take time to print the proposal as well as its approval by the bicameral conference committee.

“Printing alone takes days. Assuming we are able to pass it by next week, paano bicam and printing?” Sotto said in a text message to reporters on Monday.

He said that in 2007, the Senate was able to start deliberating on the national budget in October but this year, he said they would only start their deliberations on the matter by Dec. 4.

Sotton again blamed the House of Representatives for the delay of the passage of the 2019 national budget.

[The] “House of Representatives should have considered that when they delayed their transmittal to us. The

revamp in the lower house is the major cause of delay,” Sotto said.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri earlier said that the Senate leadership is ready to “work double time” and do its “best efforts” to approve the 2019 national budget before the end of the year.

Still, Zubiri warned of the possibility that the proposed P3.757trillion budget for 2019 may not be approved before Congress goes on Christmas break.

Because of this, Zubiri foresees that there would be a reenacted budget for two weeks to a month.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto and Senator Panfilo Lacson held the same view, even as Sotto had said

Nebrija assigned to supervise EDSA traffic

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metro Manila Development Authority on Monday designated Task Force Special Operations chief Edison Nebrija as the new manager to supervise the traffic situation along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, which will be declared a “traffic discipline zone.”

Nebrija will replace Rodolfo Calpito, the outgoing EDSA Special Traffic and Transport Zone chief, who is set to retire this month.

“Starting Monday, Mr. Bong Nebrija will have a new big role—managing traffic along EDSA. Bong is a big loss to the task force but we need the kind of personality that he has on how to discipline road users and inspire traffic enforcers along EDSA,” said MMDA general manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. in a press briefing Monday.

Garcia said Nebrija will be given the full authority to deal with the engineering problems along the stretch of EDSA, the country’s busiest thoroughfare and face of Metro Manila’s traffic woes.

“We have full trust on Mr. Nebrija to handle traffic problems along EDSA,” said Garcia.

Acknowledging the big task on his shoulders, Nebrija vowed to restore discipline along EDSA by enforcing traffic rules and regulations seriously.

“We need to address whole caboodle of problems along EDSA. To do this, we need the cooperation of road users—pedestrians, drivers, private motorists. There should be full enforcement of the law,” he said.

There are 427 traffic enforcers deployed along EDSA working in three shifts. To manage traffic along EDSA, Nebrija vowed to strictly carry out traffic rules concerning passenger buses, includimg bus segregation scheme, loading and unloading rules, yellow lane policy and closed door policy.

He will also intensify sidewalk clearing operations to remove vendors on footbridges and obstructions in the vicinity of terminals.

that he had already informed House leaders of this limitation.

“Realistically, we only have Dec. 3, 4, and 5, and 10, 11, 12 to be able to pass it on third and final reading, but it’s too short. Senators who were with us, especially Senators Ping Lacson and Recto said it’s very difficult to be able to discuss intelligently, lengthily, pertinent provisions of the budget at this short period of time. We really can’t do it,” Zubiri said.

Lacson blamed the House of Representatives’ last-minute “pork barrel allocations” for the delay in the budget passage.

“They defy the rules just to make way for their pork…Their insertions, aka pork barrel allocations, which I guess is their main reason for the delay, will not be implemented if the national government operates under a reenacted budget. It serves them right,” Lacson said.

A reenacted budget, he said, has historically given the sitting President wider latitude to spend funds already appropriated in the current year and automatically appearing as savings.

THE Balangiga bells will be back to its original place on Dec. 15, in time for the start of Christmas tradition of nineday dawn Masses, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced on Monday.

The National Defense chief said the three bells will arrive at the Villamor Air Base on Dec. 11 with a simple military ceremony.

“We will look at the availability of President Duterte, but the target is to bring back the bells to Balangiga town by Dec. 15 in time for the Misa de Gallo,” Lorenzana told Eastern Visayas officials during the joint meeting of regional councils on development, disaster management, and peace and order held in this city.

Misa de Gallo is a devotional nineday series of Masses practiced by Roman Catholics in the country in anticipation of Christmas.

The country’s defense chief said he got a call from the office of US Defense Secretary James Mattis about the schedule of the bells’ arrival in the country.

The official said the refurbishing of the bells has already been completed and the artifacts are now ready for transit to the Philippines.

“This is my good news to you that after 117 years, the bells will come where they should belong,” he said.

On Aug. 9, US Defense Secretary James Mattis notified US Congress of its intention to return the Balangiga bells to the country. The decision followed a yearlong consultative process with associated veterans’ organizations and government officials to ensure appropriate steps are taken to preserve the history associated with the bells.

Over a century ago, American soldiers took the bells from Balangiga town’s church as war trophy. The bells’ ringing signaled the attack by the villagers against the invaders.

The Balangiga Encounter happened on Sept. 28, 1901, when town residents led by Valeriano Abanador initiated an attack against US soldiers.

The villagers killed 54 American soldiers using bolos. It was the biggest defeat of the the foreign troop during the Philippine-American war.

Around 2,500 Filipinos were killed by the US retaliatory attack. The Americans took the Balangiga Bells after they turned the town into a “howling wilderness.”

Balangiga town is about 98 kilometers east of Tacloban City. It is a fourth-class town in Eastern Samar, with a population of 14,085. PNA

Upsilon sigma phi UniVERsiTY oF ThE philippinEs Last November 20, 2018, an anonymous source posted unverified screenshots of an alleged conversation containing various slurs and highly offensive statements against different sectors including women, LGBTQIA+, Lumads, and Muslims.

We the student members of the Upsilon Sigma Phi strongly condemn all acts of discrimination specially against these sectors. Many student leaders who are members of our Fraternity have time and again led and worked with organizations and individuals to fight for equality. We will continue to do so because this is what we stand for.

Unfortunately, these postings are being attributed to a few students who are members of the Upsilon Sigma Phi. The student members of the Fraternity take these accusations very seriously and will not tolerate members espousing such backward, misogynistic, and discriminatory views.

In light of these recent events, we have conducted an initial investigation on the matter, and we will relay to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (OVCSA) all information at our disposal. We will unconditionally cooperate with the efforts of the OVCSA not only in gathering facts but in ensuring accountability consistent with the dictates of due process.

We sincerely empathize with everyone affected by the postings. This is why, during the conduct of the investigation, we appeal for sobriety. We wish not to further aggravate any harm that may have been caused by the postings.

It is unfortunate that the postings came in the heels of our Fraternity’s Centennial Anniversary last November 18. It appears that there is a concerted effort to besmirch the reputation of our Fraternity during this momentous celebration.

In our 100 years of existence as the oldest fraternity in Asia, our members have fought hand in hand with UP students for the rights of women, LGBTQIA+, Lumads, Muslims, and other oppressed sectors. The doctrines and principles we stand for, including our imperatives of leadership and service, impel us no less than to fight for these rights and not to contribute in any manner to hate and discrimination.

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Opinion

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018

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Change never came TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO PRESIDENTIAL Spokesman Salvador Panelo, in an effort to defend his boss’ attacks on the Catholic Church, says Mr. Duterte’s words are his personal opinion and not official statements.

Panelo forgets that whenever the President opens his mouth, whatever he says is official. Panelo insults our intelligence!

Now the President wants to kill all the drug addicts, some 3 million or 4 million of them. Would that not amount to genocide?

President Duterte made promises in 2016.

We are still waiting.

I am sure Panelo will say that the President was only expressing his frustration at illegal drugs, which does not seem to end. But the Police may take him seriously and pursue all drug addicts as criminals and enemies of the state!

So why does the drug problem persist, despite the administration’s efforts to end it? Why are illegal shipments still coming in from other countries?

Didn’t the President promise to end the menace?

That promise resonated with the people. He won by a good plurality and his popularity hit the ceiling.

But I’d like to ask: Has change come?

Sadly, no. The problem is that President Duterte considers the drug problem as a peace and order issue, such that whoever is involved in it must be terminated with extreme prejudice.

But it’s the wrong approach. The drug problem is a health issue. And it can be explained simply by the law of supply and demand.

I used to be vice president of the DARE Foundation, the rehabilitation center of former priest Bob Garon. I know for a fact that you can only help drug addicts and users by rehabilitating them, and you can only address the problem by cutting the supply of drugs.

President Duterte is only now finding out that corruption seems embedded in

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

government, especially at Customs and the Bureau of Internal Revenue. These are agencies where a lot of human discretion and intervention take place. *** All congressional inquiries should be in aid of legislation. Our lawmakers were not elected by the people to act as investigators.

Has anybody counted how many laws have been crafted or amended as a result of congressional probes?

This is why I am glad that House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has clamped down on congressional investigations. First, whoever files a resolution to investigate something must first seek what laws can be drafted as a result of such inquiry.

The Speaker knows too well how investigations can be used for harassment and browbeating.

For example, what laws were made when the Senate investigated the killing of 44 members of the Special Action Force in Mamasapano, Maguindanao?

How about the Dengvaxia controversy?

Drug smuggling at Customs?

My gulay, it’s about time that grandstanding members of Congress are stopped from harassing resource persons through probes that lead nowhere.

Let’s hope that Senate President Tito Sotto agrees with Rep. Arroyo. *** A recent survey on the Binay-versusBinay phenomenon in Makati City simply validates what I have been saying— that Mayor Abby will win because she is doing as excellent job.

Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed said they would vote for Abby; just 20 percent will vote for her brother, Junjun.

For vice mayor, Monique Lagdameo got 83 percent while Monsour del Rosario, Jun-jun’s running mate, only got 9 percent of the votes.

There are two things that I think Mayor Abby is doing very well. First is her plan to give citizens 90 years old and over a lump sum or P10,000. There will be a P5,000 bonus for Makati residents holding the Blue Card.

The other is the 10-kilometer subway around Makati. This is groundbreaking!

Project is set to be completed at 2022. *** Do your Christmas shopping now. My wife, who is always the wise one in the family, has completed her shopping as early as September.

Team spirit

T

HE tendency to identify oneself with a team is universal. This is exactly why sports, as an industry, has always been profitable, and why loyalties based on affiliations last throughout a person’s life.

Filipinos especially love their basketball. This season’s UAAP championship, pitting players of Ateneo de Manila against those of the University of the Philippines, is always a rich source of conversation and good-natured ribbing.

The fight is even made more compelling because of the two schools’ proximity to—and affinity with—each other and because this is the first time in more than three decades that the UP team made it to the finals. There was even an exhortation on social media that those rooting for the teams should wear black instead, to show their unity in protesting human rights violations and other social ills.

Reactions to the rivalry

had been mutually respectful thus far—until a member of the Board of Regents made a disturbing post on social media. “Sayang hindi kumpleto ang players ng Ateneo sa Wednesday, Tatlo injured.

Pili na kayo kung sinu-sino mga yon.” (It’s a shame Ateneo players won’t be complete on Wednesday. Three are injured. Just choose who you’d like them to be.)

The board has distanced itself from the statement of Frederick Mikhail I. Farolan, and rightly so. “There is no excuse for sowing fear and confusion...we view [the statement] with extreme disapproval and strongly condemn violence in any form.”

This is an issue that is not

host coastal community, including livelihoods, water and food security, solid waste disposal, water pollution and social and environmental factors.

We realize the critical importance of regional collaboration in dealing with coastal and marine hazards such as storm surges and tsunamis. We commit to working together to adopt innovative strategies to raise awareness and build regional capacity to monitor, forecast and provide timely early warnings to support safety of life and property at sea, coastal management and minimization of impact of such hazards.

We recognize that we are all parties to the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC and aware of the urgency and seriousness of the threat of climate change to the sustainable development of our countries and region; We commit to implement adaptation and mitigation strategies to

respond to climate change.”

PEMSEA Executive Director Aimee Gonzales said the ministerial declaration was “not just an outcome of the Congress.” According to her, “It is actually our marching orders to move forward and actually develop a work plan. So we will develop a work plan in the next three years and we already have a draft. We just need to refine it a bit so that we could focus on the seven priority areas that are actually also in our shared development strategy for us to fine tune it also.” They will be reporting the progress from the Iloilo Declaration during their next Congress in 2021, Gonzales added.

There was also a second Iloilo Declaration, adopted and issued by the newly inaugurated PEMSEA Network of Young Leaders Council. Its elected Captain, John Carl Alonsagay, read the statement declaring that the youth

at all unique to collegiate basketball. People who are expected to know better reveal themselves to be susceptible to simplifications.

We see how an excess of usversus-them mentality can bring animosity and even violence. This could happen between and among sports teams and schools, but also religions, geographic locations, race, political clans and parties.

We should check our own tendencies to get wrapped up in differentiating ourselves from others. It is easy to get blinded and to forget the spirit of diversity, healthy competition, acceptance and respect—reasons why sports and similar activities are organized in the first place. Ultimately there is no greater team than the nation. We need all the unity we can muster to fight the real adversaries: impunity, entitlement, hatred, and grossly narrow minds.

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Iloilo Declaration for healthy oceans CONFIDENCE, optimism and determination reigned in Iloilo City last Thursday, 29 November 2018, as the 2018 East Asian Seas Congress concluded. After three days of events and sessions that brought together various ocean stakeholders from 19 countries across the region, the closing ceremony was attended by ministers and other high-level officials from the partner countries of the Partnership for the Environmental Management of the Seas of East Asia. These included leaders from Cambodia, China, East Timor, Indonesia, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Japan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Philippines, and Singapore. On the last day of the EAS Congress, the ministerial representatives from these countries also signed the Iloilo Declaration, entitled “East Asian Region Moving As One to Secure Healthy Oceans, People and Economies.” Through this declaration, governments in the region committed to intensifying its actions to save our coasts and oceans.

Among others, the Iloilo Declaration acknowledges “the significant value and critical contribution of coastal and marine ecosystems goods and services to securing food and jobs; helping to eradicate poverty and building resilient coastal communities and blue economies in the East Asian region.” It points out that: “Juxtaposed against these opportunities is the vulnerability of the region to climate change and other environmental threats such as marine-related disasters, destruction and loss of habitats and natural coastlines, biodiversity loss and degradation, overfishing and lack of food security, pollution from land and sea-based sources, and impairment of water quality, water supply and water security.”

The ministerial representatives did not hesitate to take responsibility for the environmental management and sustainable development of our seas and oceans, including coastal areas: “The biggest threat that we face in the region is ourselves, in the way we live our lives and the way we manage our resources. We therefore strongly urge everyone to shift towards a mindset of responsible stewardship, and pledge to take bold steps to protect, manage and restore our coasts and oceans for our present and future generations. PEMSEA Country Partners are ready to engage citizens in East Asia and peoples in other regions to work together to secure our shared vision of healthy oceans, people and economy.”

The East Asian Seas Congress broke new ground.

While reiterating commitments made in earlier Congresses, the Iloilo Declaration also broke new ground on addressing issues like marine litter, sustainable tourism, coastal and marine hazards, and climate change. The Ministers stated: “We acknowledge the current strong momentum to tackle marine debris globally. We commit to significantly reducing or preventing marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based and sea-based activities, including marine litter and nutrient pollution.

“We commit to implementing policies and programs for the sustainable management of coastal tourism destinations. If properly planned and managed, coastal tourism will benefit the environment, the people and the economy.

Sustainable tourism planning not only considers social, environmental and economic impacts within the tourist area or facility itself, but also the impacts on the

delegates commitment to build a better future for the region. PNYL Council members, representing the PEMSEA country partners, each presented a letter of hope they had written to their country’s respective minister.

During the closing ceremony of the EAS Congress, the participants listened to a video message by United Nations Special Envoy for the Oceans, Ambassador Peter Thomson. Thompson emphasized the importance of giving particular attention to the connection between landbased activities and that of the oceans, urging, participants to not be weighed down by the issues discussed, but rather energized by the solutions offered by the EAS Congress.

Thompson echoed DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu’s opening speech when he said the EAS Congress is an “opportune Turn to A5

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FORMATION GARY OLIVAR CONGRATULATIONS first to an old friend and UP schoolmate, newly-appointed Supreme Court associate justice Rosmari Carandang, who makes the big jump from the Court of Appeals where she was first appointed in 2003 by former President Arroyo.

The new justice was reportedly salutatorian in the same UP Law class headed by valedictorian and repeated CJ nominee, senior associate justice Antonio Carpio.

Some of her opinions on record would not displease the yellow camp, e.g. Congress should have convened to discuss martial law in Mindanao; detained Senator Enrile was not entitled to bail under the Rules of Court; there were no “moral grounds” to allow the late President Marcos’ hero’s burial.

Evidently, Justice Carandang is still marked by the experiences I share with her from the “parliament of the streets” decades ago. We can only hope this will clear the way for her through the yellow attack dogs in the Senate.

On the other hand, the man whose seat she’s taking, newly-appointed Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin—another PGMA appointee, to the SC itself in 2009—has adopted the opposite side from Carandang on all of the issues above. Expect a somewhat rougher time for him in the confirmation process.

Fortunately, CJ Bersamin was the most senior of the three men on the JBC’s final nominee list, having served in the judiciary for over 30 years (compared to Carpio who spent most of his professional life as a practicing lawyer).

Not surprisingly, the yellows who’re carping over Carpio’s seniority—in the High Court alone—are the same guys who were gushing not too long ago over PNoy’s appointment to the top seat of Meilou Sereno, the newest of the newbies, so raw that you could practically see the wetness dripping from behind her ears. *** One percolating issue that may well make it to the Supreme Court is the Executive recommendation to authorize the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) to shut down

social media sites that are “inimical to national interest.”

The recommendation, from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), has already won support from Senators Ping Lacson, public order committee chair, and Greg Honasan, national defense committee chair and, after he leaves the Senate, the new DICT head.

Lacson and other experts have cited countries like Australia and India as precedents for this kind of online regulation, with today’s terrorist networks globally linked over the Internet, as well as the increasing dangers posed by cybercrime.

We expect great new things.

OpenSignal’s reports are based on realtime measurements gathered from mobile devices located in-country. It runs automated tests randomly to get a glimpse of how actual users are experiencing their mobile network service.

It came as no surprise that Singapore leads Asia’s telcos in video quality—specifically, M1 with a mean score of 68.57.

FarEasTone and Chunghwa, both of Taiwan, took the next two places. Singtel from Singapore was number four, while Australia’s Vodafone rounded out the top five.

Where was the Philippines? Sadly, not (yet?) among the top 10. But based entirely on the mean score of 42.21 posted by Smart, our country might have ranked among the rregion’s top 15. Unfortunately, after including Globe’s video quality score of 29.22, we ended up posting a much lower combined mean score of 34.98. *** Compared to the United States alone, it’s worth noting that Smart’s video streaming quality was at par with US telecom carriers AT&T and Sprint, and teleco not too far behind the experience provided by other US carriers T-Mobile and Verizon to their subscribers.

Smart’s advantage is said to derive from PLDT’s fiber footprint, which extends over 221,000 kilometers, the most extensive in the country today. The company has been re-equipping its cell sites with low-frequency and high-frequency bands, taking advantage of advanced technologies that improve coverage, capacity and speeds. Better known as 4G, Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and LTEAdvanced coverage simply means greater capacity and speeds when using LTE-compatible smartphones.

This advanced bandwidth experience, with download speeds of 200 MBPS or more, is delivered over 14,300 LTE base stations spread across the country. By the end of this year, PLDT will have spent the P58 billion it had earmarked for its 2018 network expansion.

This kind of expansion greatly assists government’s stated objective to bring high-speed mobile data to more than 90 percent of the country’s cities and municipalities. With a third telco soon to join the fray, backed by Chinese resources, we expect great new things for the country’s telco consumers.

In fact, Honasan even wondered aloud if the proscribed behavior could include “incomplete, inaccurate and malicious” information coming from media. That might be too tall an order, although there’s nothing to prevent Congress from, say, requiring “balanced reporting” by media companies—especially on terrorism, whether jihadist or leftist in variety—in order to obtain or renew their media franchises. *** As and when he settles into his new job at the helm of DICT, one of Honasan’s biggest—and more benign—jobs will be to oversee the rollout of the telecom industry’s infrastructure expansion, in order to keep up with international quality standards as well as the local market’s growing appetites.

A big nod to the efforts already being undertaken by industry incumbent PLDT/Smart is a recent report by mobile analytics company OpenSignal that the quality of video experience in our country is already comparable to that of the United States.

For the first time this month, OpenSignal tracked the performance of telecom carriers in Asia, culled from its State of Mobile Video Report. Included in its video quality analysis were telecom carriers in Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, MalayReaders can write me at gbolisia, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Camvar1952@yahoo.com. bodia and the Philippines.

Can we be poverty-free at all? in the economy.

We should also strive to create a level playing field and simplify business regulations so that more enterprises will be ERNESTO M. encouraged to enter the market and inHILARIO vest, grow and innovate, the WB said.

No doubt these are sound proposals SUCCESSIVE administrations have that the Duterte administration’s ecovowed to reduce poverty incidence in the nomic managers should take into serious country, with results that can best be de- consideration if we really want to win the war against poverty in the years ahead. scribed as less than salutary.

And this raises the question: Can we reach that level of development where we can definitely say that at the very least, we have managed to eliminate extreme poverty and created a strong What conditions will middle class? allow us to become a For the World Bank, the answer lies in sustaining higher productivity growth. prosperous middle-class In a recent study titled “Growth and country free of poverty by Productivity in the Philippines: Winning the Future”, the WB said the more efficiently 2040? the country can use its resources—human capital, natural resources, machines, technology, knowledge—the better chances we will have to generate highDemographic dividend paying jobs and reduce poverty.

From another direction, this time the The report emphasizes that our ability to sustain our current high growth rate National Economic and Development will depend primarily on two factors: Authority (Neda), we’re told that also accelerated investment in physical infra- crucial to the country’s sustained growth structure, and better use of capital, labor, is a concerted effort by government and technology to increase productivity. agencies and the private sector towards What conditions will allow the coun- attaining and maximizing the demotry to become a prosperous middle-class graphic dividend.

The demographic dividend refers to country free of poverty by 2040?

First, we will have to triple income per the transition that takes place when birth capita in the next two decades. That will and mortality rates decline, and the require an annual average growth rate of government spends less on the needs of 6.5 percent in the next 22 years, or better the youngest and oldest age groups in the than our average growth rate of 5.3 per- country, allowing the country to use its cent since 2000. resources for investment in economic deAnd second, we will have to remove velopment and family welfare.

It is not only the population per se that constraints affecting the country’s entrepreneurs, potential investors, farmers, the government must work on but its and other producers. These constraints quality. Studies show that workers’ popuinclude low domestic and foreign com- lation growth has a positive and signifipetition, especially in key sectors like cant impact on economic growth.

In other words, the higher our working telecommunications, transport, and electricity; regulations that stifle entrepreneur- age population, the faster our economic ship and small and medium-enterprises; growth will be.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and restrictions on foreign participation

Ernesto Pernia is correct in pointing out that the government must ensure the full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health or simply RH Law for the country to reach its demographic dividend period by 2022 to 2025. It will also translate to lower poverty incidence.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show that our total fertility rate is at 2.7 births per woman in 2017.

This indicates that we are already behind our neighbors, such as Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam, in terms of reaching the demographic dividend period.

This is alarming, the Neda chief says, because “we are really late in the ballgame.”

The full implementation of the RH Law could accelerate the push towards the demographic dividend period as it may lead to what is really necessary: To lower the country’s fertility rate.

The full implementation of the RH law will bring down the unmet need for family planning in the country.

The ideal situation is for the country to substantially reduce the fertility rate, preferably to zero. The government must therefore be aggressive in implementing the RH law by providing better access to family planning services and contraceptives.

Pernia is on the right track in saying that the government must educate Filipinos on the benefits of planning and managing families: “The fewer the children, the easier to invest in all of them and give them good education.”

There’s yet another benefit from the full implementation of the RH Law, especially at the local level: our poverty incidence can be brought down to as low as nine percent, according to experts. As of now, the Duterte administration targets to bring down poverty incidence from 21.6 percent in 2015 to 14 percent by the end of its term in 2022, or a reduction of 7.6 percent. If the next administration can further whittle down that rate to nine percent, then we can lift more Filipinos from debilitating poverty.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

Iloilo...

Congress successful. I was particularly impressed by the quality of the liaison officers they provided to ensure that participants would be guided throughout the three days.

As the current Chair of the PEMSEA Partnership Council, I look forward to the work ahead of us to secure healthy oceans, peoples, and economies, in our region. It will not take us another twenty-five years as long as we act and move as one.

ABOUT TOWN

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time to strengthen partnerships in the region” through the sharing of initiatives and best practices on integrated coastal and river management (ICM) that will help manage and protect marine life and promote a blue economy.” Cimatu added that “a blue economy does not only consider business revenues. More importantly, it considers how the proper use and care of marine resources can provide employment and food

security to many people.”

The EAS Congress was also a celebration of PEMSEA’s 25 years of good work in the region. The Province and City of Iloilo did not spare any expense to make the conference successful, including hosting a conference dinner and a ministerial banquet, featuring the best of Iloilo’s dancers and rondalla ensemble. The DENR was also an excellent host. In addition to participating extensively in the substantive work, our colleagues in the department walked an extra mile to make the

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018

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If Lapeña, Faeldon et al were Japanese BUSINESS CLASS RUDY ROMERO ISIDRO Lapeña and Nicanor Faeldon Jr. are Filipinos. As far as I know, they have lived their entire lives in this country. Accordingly, they have not imbibed the culture of any other country. The only culture that they have familiarity with is Filipino culture.

Messrs. Lapeña and Faeldon are not citizens of Japan, and because they are not Japanese, they are not highly familiar with the culture of the Land of the Rising Sun. They know little —or at least appear to know little —about the Japanese people’s attitude toward the body of traditions, customs and practices that make up Japanese culture.

Why am I pointedly making this distinction between Filipino culture and Japanese culture and between the Filipinoness and non-Japaneseness of Lapeña and Faeldon? Because of the recent series of events involving the tenures by former military officers, of the position of Commissioner of Customs. President Rodrigo Duterte fired Faeldon and then appointed Lapeña as Faeldon’s successor. Lapeña was subsequently fired as well.

The firings were for the same reason.

During Lapeña’s and Faeldon’s incumbencies massive quantities of an illegal drug—methamphetamine or shabu— were smuggled out of South Harbor, virtually right under the nose of the Commissioner of Customs. In Faeldon’s case it was a little over six tons; in Lapeña’s case the quantity was in excess of 11 tons. In both cases the Office of the Commissioner appears to have had advance warning from the Customs intelligence personnel about the probable entry of shipments containing shabu. Witnesses who testified before the Senate indicated that their warnings were ignored. In Faeldon’s case, the illegal shipment was eventually traced to a warehouse in Valenzuela City. In Lapena’s case the illegal shipment, which was detected by the South Harbor Xray equipment, ended up in a Cavite warehouse.

What happened after the discovery of the two massive shabu shipments is the reason for my having brought up the matter of Japanese culture. In keeping with Filipino culture, the reaction of both Isidro Lapeña and Nicanor Faeldon Jr. went something like this: “I have done nothing wrong. My conscience is clear. I had absolutely no knowledge about the entry and release of the illegal shipment. I serve at the pleasure of the President of the Philippines and I will resign the moment he indicates that he has ceased to have trust in me.”

Upon hearing the facts about the two infamous shipments, President Duterte showed his loss of trust in Lapeña and Faeldon by firing them. But a Duterte firing is not the same as a firing done by other Philippine presidents; after giving an official his walking papers, Mr. Duterte usually gives him another appointment, often to a position with a

higher rank. Faeldon was appointed director of the Bureau of Corrections, and Lapeña was made the Director-General of TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority), with the rank of a Cabinet member. Not bad for a couple of notoriously malperformig officials.

What troubles me about all this is not President Duterte’s way of dealing with instances of official malfeasance, although that is certainly a cause for very serious concern. What alarms me is the absence of an it-was-during-my-watchso-I-am-accountable mindset among Philippine government officials. When something bad happens in their official domains, Philippine government officials do not immediately accept command responsibility and tender their irrevocable resignations; they wait to be either fired—and given another, better appointment—or be forgiven by the Chief Executive.

But they are Filipinos, and this is the Philippines.

It’s different in Japan. When something bad happens in a Japanese ministry, department or agency, the highestranking official loses no time tendering his firm resignation to the Prime Minister. Not too long ago, the crash of an airline triggered the prompt resignation of the Minister of Transportation, notwithstanding the fact that the only connection between the crash and the Minister’s official domain was that transportation was involved. In another instance, the Minister of Railways was quick to tender his resignation upon the a train derailment that caused the loss of many lives. Again, by no stretch of the imagination could the minister be held directly responsible for the occurrence of the train disaster.

In the earlier part of Japanese history, Japanese government officials were known to disembowel themselves—the Japanese word for the ritual is seppuku—out of shame and embarrassment for the bad things that happened in the ministries, departments and agencies that they headed.

Which brings me back to the title of this piece. If Nicanor Faeldon Jr., Isidro Lapena and others like them were Japanese, they would not have waited to be fired by President Duterte and to be subjected to humiliating Congressional hearings; they would have adopted an it-was-during-my-watch posture and promptly resigned.

But Faeldon and Lapeña are not Japanese. They are Filipinos. And this is the Philippines.

(Erratum: An alert reader has pointed out that I failed to mention Clark Field, Burnham Park, Kennon Road and Dalton Pass among my November 7 “Reminders of US Colonial Rule: Place Names.” Thank you, reader.)

Useless, corrupt or what?

POINT OF IMPACT ERWIN TULFO A FORMER neighbor in Ayala Land’s Montgomery Place along E. Rodriguez Ave. in Quezon City won via landslide during last year’s election as president of the homeowners’ association there.

But instead of declaring the poor guy winner, the board, which by the way is reportedly controlled by the Ayalas, disqualified him for being absent during election day. It turned out that the board’s decision had no basis in the by-laws of Montgomery’s homeowners’ manual.

My friend immediately lodged his complaint before the Ayala Property Management Corporation office the next day for the unlawful action of the homeowners’ board.

Just as expected, APMC told him they had no business in meddling in the affairs of the homeowners’ association despite the fact they manage the day-to-day operations of the said subdivision—from its security to its upkeep, and the collection of dues.

Understandably desperate, my friend asked me to accompany him to the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board to file a complaint versus the Montgomery homeowners’ board and the APMC. The HLURB is the country’s primary government agency tasked with providing technical support in matters including, but not limited to: housing regulations, land development and homeowners associations, and settlement of land disputes.

It’s vision states that it is “an institution of professionals exemplifying public service with responsibility, integrity, competence and justice geared towards the attainment of well-planned and sustainable communities through the regulation of land use, housing development and homeowners associations, and the just resolution of disputes.”

It is mandated by Executive Order 648 and Republic Acts 9904 and 8763 to adjudicate “intra and inter-homeowners associations dispute.”

Therefore, it is a regulatory and a quasi-judicial body authorized to review and approve by-laws of every homeowners’ association.

However, after over a year, the HLURB has yet to act on the complaint of my friend. A source within the agency said the housing office has not lifted a finger, like talking to Montgomery’s board, or calling up APMC and informing them about the complaint.

The same source said more than a dozen complaints have been filed before the HLURB against several Ayala properties like Serendra Condominiums, Avida Homes, Woodside Homes, and Montgomery Place over matters from security issues to conduct of tenants or residents, and from excessive monthly dues to upkeep of its units and surroundings. None reportedly have been acted upon so far.

An informant at HLURB claims that not only Ayala Land or Ayala Properties get special treatment from the housing regulatory body but other major developers.

We are calling the attention of Presidential Anti-Corruption Chairman Dante Jimenez. It won’t hurt to look at these allegations against the HLURB for sitting on complaints against the major developers, does it Mr. Chairman?

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News

tuesday, december 4, 2018

Authorities to travellers: Declare your money at NAIA

PROJECT LAUNCH.

(from left) Ramon del Rosario, Aftab Ahmed, Gigi Montinola, Jesus Tambunting, Riza Mantaring, business representatives and K-12 students during Monday’s First Future Project launch at the Makati ShangriLa initiative

by Philippine Business for Education and Citi Foundation with business firms to support youth employability by hiring and training K-12 students and graduates.

Diana Noche

By Joel E. Zurbano

3 PNPA cadets face dismissal 2 ex-PCMC execs charged in DOJ mess

By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Justice has been asked to prosecute two more former officials for their alleged complicity in the deaths of schoolchildren inoculated with the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine.

Drs. Raymundo Lo and Sonia Gonzales, former officials at the state-owned Philippine Children’s Medical Center in Quezon City, were charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and violations of the Anti-Torture Act. During the continuation of the preliminary hearing on Monday, the Public Attorney’s Office filed a motion to include Lo and Gonzales as respondents in the second batch of complaints filed by families of eight students who died after getting the dengue immunization vaccine.

The complainants alleged that the two former PCMC officials were among the “known personalities who facilitated the purchase of Dengvaxia vaccine” as found during the recent hearing in the inquiry of the House of Representatives on the Dengvaxia controversy.

According to them, Lo and Gonzalez “actively participated in the purchase of Dengvaxia and/or spearheaded the implementation of the anti-dengue mass vaccination program of the Dh despite the danger that Dengvaxia poses to the target population/recipients.”

They stressed that while Lo did not sign the purchase request himself, he admitted during the congressional hearing that he authorized the order.

Lo was the deputy executive director for professional services of PCMC who issued the purchase request to buy the P3.5-billion vaccines through Gonzales.

Because of this, the complainants said the two former PCMC officials—just like the other respondents led by former Health Secretary Janette Garin—“displayed grave recklessness, utter bad faith, lack of foresight, lack of skill, want of care, gross neglect and deliberate, arbitrary and even malicious disregard of the safety and lives of thousands of Filipino children,” read the 15-page motion.

T

HREE senior cadets of the Silang, Cavite-based Philippine National Police Academy are facing dismissal for their involvement in the oral sex scandal that rocked the elite police academy.

Philippine Public Safety College president Ricardo de Leon confirmed this to Rappler.

The Quezon City-headquartered Philippine Public Safety College System is the umbrella organization that comprises the National Police College, Philippine National Police Academy, National Police Training Institute with its 18 Regional Training Centers, National Fire Training Institute, National Jail Management and Penology Training Institute, and the National Forensic

Science Training Institute.

But the three cadets, whose identities were not mentioned, were given two days to appeal the decision to have them expelled.

According to Rappler, on Oct. 6, a 3rd-year cadet allegedly ordered two freshmen cadets, neither identified, to perform oral sex for allegedly committing violations inside the academy.

While this was going on, two academy sophomores reportedly watched and did not lift a finger to intervene.

These “violations” inside the academy usually refer to cadets failing to follow orders of their upperclassmen, Rappler reported.

The corresponding punishments are typically just limited to physical exercises, such as push-ups or laps around the academy’s oval.

The grounds for dismissal: The three cadets were found guilty of the administrative charge Grave Delinquency, and Conduct Unbecoming of an Officer or Acts Inimical or Prejudicial to Good Order or Discipline.

Dismissal is the toughest punishment that could come out of administrative cases.

Rappler added the three cadets were also facing hazing charges which could land them in prison.

AUTHORITIES on Monday reminded foreign and local air travelers to declare their money at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to avoid any inconvenience or prevent their money being confiscated.

Government agents late last Friday intercepted a huge amount of undeclared foreign currency brought into the country by Korean tourist Kim Junheon.

Kim arrived in Manila on board a Philippine Airlines flight from Hong Kong with an undeclared cash amounting to HK$3.828 million (about P25 million in Philippine peso) in his possession.

The foreigner was about to exit the arrival area with his silver carry-on bag when Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service agent Tomas Maranan stopped him.

Maranan directed the tourist to place his luggage to the portable X-ray scanning machine. It was then that bundles of Hong Kong dollars were found.

Customs officials said bringing in or out of foreign currencies in the Philippines is allowed but must be declared when it exceeded $10,000 using the foreign currency declaration form upon arrival or prior to departure from the country’s airports.

NAIA port district collector Carmelita Talusan said Kim violated provisions of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (Republic Act 10863) in relation to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Manual of Regulations on Foreign Exchange.

Project to uplift poor pushed

By Joel E. Zurbano CIVIL society group Zero Extreme Poverty is pushing for an ambitious project to uplift one-million Filipino families from extreme poverty to selfsufficiency by 2030.

Benjamin Abadiano, ZEP head secretariat, said the project dubbed “ZEP Philippines 2030” had now reached 10,000 families nationwide, including informal settlers, farmers, fisherfolk, and indigenous peoples who are considered some of the most marginalized sectors in the Philippines.

ZEP operations, which started in 2015, is a coalition of non-government entities aimed to reduce extreme poverty in the country by 2030 and has interventions and programs in 109 cities and municipalities from 33 provinces in 15 regions across the country.

To create a sustainable and long-term plan to help extremely poor families become self-sufficient, ZEP pushes for multi-sector collaboration from various public and private organizations.

Collective impact from the convergence of initiatives from ZEP’s seven clusters helped achieve self-sufficiency and inclusive prosperity in the communities that they assist.

WOODEN SPOON.

Rosanna Urdaneta, TESDA Deputy Director General (right), receives the Wooden Spoon from Tristan Aboitiz-Coo of Pilmico Food Group during the official turnover Monday.

Urdaneta started her government career at a very young age working as a rank and file employee of the then National Manpower and Youth Council.

Manny Palmero

Solons appeal to House leadership to prioritize chalk allowance bill

By Maricel V. Cruz TWO militant lawmakers on Monday appealed to the leadership of the House of Representatives to prioritize the approval of a bill increasing the allowance for teaching supplies of public school teachers to P5,000 annually.

ACT Teachers Party-List Representa-

tives Antonio Tinio and France Castro made the appeal after the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture, chaired by Cebu Rep. Ramon Durano, approved House Bill 474 recently.

Tinio and Castro authored the bill, or the Teaching Supplies Allowance Act, which increases from P3,500 to P5,000 the cash allowance given yearly to class-

room teachers in public schools for the purchase of chalks, erasers, forms, and other classroom supplies and materials.

The Senate approved on third reading the counterpart bill on May 30, 2017.

Last September, the House basic education committee adopted the Senate version of the bill.

“More than two years have already

passed since we filed this measure. One year after the Senate’s approval, we are expecting the Lower House to act swiftly for this bill’s approval,” Tinio said.

Castro said with only P3,500 chalk allowance for this current school year, public school teachers were forced to shell out from their own pockets for the supplies they use daily in their classrooms.

Party-list group asks who premature campaigners are Federalism campaign launched

By Maricel V. Cruz and Vito Barcelo lution to premature campaigning is to chairs the House committee on rules, A PARTY-LIST group that has yet to bag a seat in the House of Representatives on Monday asked the Commission on Elections to reveal the identities of candidates engaged in premature campaigning.

Earlier, the group, Partido Lakas ng Masa, launched a campaign against premature campaigners through media advertisements asking voters to not vote for those involved in premature campaigning.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez agreed with the group saying, “ultimately, the only real non-legislative so-

not vote for those who indulge in it.”

“We at PLM share Jimenez’s belief that the voting public is the supreme authority to make or unmake any aspirant for a public post but this is only effective if the electorate has an informed choice,” said Benjo Basas, the group’s first nominee.

Meanwhile, a new party-list lawmaker on Monday took his oath of office before Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu during plenary session, replacing ousted Arts Business and Science Professionals Party-list Rep. Eugene de Vera.

House Majority Leader and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., who

moved to take the oath of Ulysses Garces, ABS party-list second nominee, as new congressman.

Andaya also merely took note of the opposition made by Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers Association Party-list Rep. Arnel Ty to the oathtaking of Garces.

He said Ty’s motion could not be entertained as he did not make a formal motion to oppose de Vera’s ouster.

Last Nov. 19, Andaya, through his manifestation, directed the House’s Office of the House Secretary General to remove De Vera from the Rolls of Members of the House of Representatives.

AN INTENSIVE information campaign on federalism has kicked off nationwide to educate various sectors of society, especially the underprivileged, down to the barangay level on the merits and benefits of a federal Philippines.

Partido Federal ng Pilipinas secretary-general Thompson Lantion said in a press statement “we are launching this nationwide campaign to properly inform and educate our people why federalism can be an effective solution to our country’s lingering problems.”

Lantion is a former Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairperson under the Arroyo administration.

He asked: “The Philippines is such a rich and blessed country in terms of natural and human resources. Why is it then that majority of our people remains to be miserable and suffering in poverty? “Does the distribution of wealth or government resources, among our people, in a way related to this problem?

“Is there really an equitable sharing of resources among the national and local government today?

“Is the type or form of government or even our very own Constitution be the key to the ultimate liberation of our people from perennial poverty?”

Sports Asian chess tournament lures top GMs SIXTEEN countries, including top Grandmasters from China, India and Iran will compete in the 17th Asian Continental Chess Championships, also known as the 2nd Manny Pacquiao Cup, scheduled Dec. 9 to 19 at the Tiara Hotel in Makati City.

China’s GMs Wang Hao (2730), Wei Yi (2728) and Ni Hua (2683), Iran’s GM Parham Maghsoodloo (2689), and India’s GM Baskaran Adhiban (2682) and GM S. P. Sethuraman (2664) are among the woodpushers to watch out for in the tournament sanctioned by National Chess Federation of the Philippines president Butch Pichay and sponsored

by Sen. Manny Pacquiao and the Philippine Sports Commission.

China’s WGM Guo Qi, who took home a silver in both the team and individual event of the 2014 World Chess Olympiad in Tromso, Norway and is currently rated 2368, is the top seed in the women’s division while China’s WGM Wang Jue (2367) and India’s WGM Padmini Rout (2341) are also expected to battle it out for the crown.

GMs John Paul Gomez, Darwin Laylo and Joey Antonio, a slew of promising IMs in Jan Emmanuel Garcia, Haridas Pascua, Marvin Miciano, Paolo Bersamina and recently-crowned ASEAN seniors chess champion International Master Chito Garma, will spearhead the country’s challenge in the men’s division and WGM Janelle Mae Frayna in the women’s side.

An automatic GM title and norms will be given to the champion.

The top five finishers in the men’s side will also earn slots to the World Chess Cup 2019 set Nov. 4 to 30 in Khanty-Mansyisk, Russia where the top two will automatically booked a berth to the Candidates Tournament serving as the last qualifying tournament before the next World Championship in 2020.

The top woman will advance straight to the Women’s World Cup, which is similar to the men’s World Cup. A total of $50,000 many pot will be given away including $10,000 to the men’s titlist and $6,000 to the women’s winner.

Coach Eriksson rues PH Azkals’ porous defense DEFENSE was difficult all throughout.

This kept the Philippine Azkals from getting past Vietnam in the first leg of their 2018 AFF Suzuki Cup semifinal series at the Panaad Stadium here.

“Vietnam is a very good team, the best team we have played against in the Suzuki Cup. If you want to beat a team like them, you cannot concede two goals,” said Azkals coach Sven Goran Eriksson.

It was a struggle for the Philippines to stop Vietnam from their attacks throughout their 90-minute encounter.

And the Azkals’ defense seemed to have collapsed on both times Vietnam scored.

That’s when Nguyen Anh Duc and Phan Van Duc made their goals in the 12th and 48th minutes.

The game could have ended in a draw after Patrick Reichelt scored for the Philippines in the 47th, 1-all.

But Vietnam was quick with their counterattacks.

Reichelt had another decent chance to score in the closing stages after getting a pass from Stephan Schrock, but his shot from a difficult angle on the right was a bit too high in the 82nd minute.

Anh Duc’s first goal for Vietnam was a header from the center of the box to the top right corner.

Vietnam’s second goal from Van Duc came off his right-footed shot from the center of the box to the centre of the goal on a pass by Nguyen Trong Hoang. Peter Atencio

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018

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sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Training center to rise in Pangasinan

By Peter Atencio

T

HE Philippine Sports Training Center will be built in Rosales, Pangasinan.

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said this after the Senate bicameral conference committee recently approved a bill that will make this happen.

“In my discussions with the bicame ra l com mittee, the land that will become the PSTC will be owned by the PSC,” said Ramirez.

The approved bill, which was authored by Sen. Sonny Angara, autho-

rizes the construction of the PSTC to provide more support for Filipino athletes.

The PSTC is expected to help boost the country’s performance in the Olympics and other international sports events.

Under the bill, P3.5 billion will be allocated for the project.

The PSTC should be completed in two years after the bill’s signing into law, according to Angara These facilities, coupled with top level coaching and access to international competition, are key drivers of an effective sports system as these directly affect athletes, he explained.

Angara said that training centers “reflect the state of sports in a given

country, and particularly, the support being given.”

The sports facility will adopt a scientific approach in training athletes using modern equipment.

It would also house athletes to allow unhampered and immersive training for major tournaments, including facilities for expert coaching and referee development.

Meanwhile, the design of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games needed a makeover after it drew flak from netizens.

Organizing Committee Chairman Allan Peter Cayetano said this after Chef de Missions from member nations joined Philippine sports officials at Clark Freeport in Pampanga last

Friday to start the one-year countdown to the Games.

The design, which has been compared to rubber bands, Christmas balls, bubbles and sago pearls, was made fatter. There were only 11 circles left when it was unveiled with a digital countdown clock.

“It was part of our presentation in Indonesia. Some people loved it. Some people hated it. We wanted to show something different,” said Cayetano.

The new logo design was unveiled with a new mascot called “Pami,” which stands for family.

Organizers said there is excitement on the choice of New Clark City as one of the venues of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

Shootout looms as Pradera Verde Ladies’ Classic begins

Dottie Ardina is brimming with confidence after coming off a number of runner-up finishes in the Symetra Tour that secured her a full card for next year’s LPGA Tour.

PH Go for Gold wrestlers start SEAG preparations BEFORE the year ends, the Philippine Go For Gold wrestling team will go to a much-needed international trip in an effort to win more gold medals in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

Two-time SEAG gold medalist Margarito Angana Jr. and veterans Jhonny Morte and Alvin Lobreguito are ready to measure themselves against some of the fiercest wrestlers in the continent during the Jagsport Wrestling Championship in Singapore on Dec. 6 to 9.

Angana will see action in the 61-kilogram men’s freestyle senior event, while Lobreguito and Morte have been entered in the 57kg and 65kg of the same event, where grapplers from Uzbekistan, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore are set to compete.

Also vying for gold medals in the three-day tourney are Royce Tiu (86kg), Ronil Tubog (61kg), Jonathan Maquilan (65kg) and cadet division entry Cadel Hualda (80kg). ``I believe that our wrestlers will do well and continue to prove that we are one of the best in Asia,’’ said Go For Gold godfather Jeremy Go. Besides wrestling, Go For Gold has been supporting the training and exposure of national and junior athletes from cycling, triathlon, sepak takraw, skateboarding and dragonboat. ``We need to expose our wrestlers to this kind of tournament if we want to achieve something in the SEA Games,’’ said Go For Gold project director Ednalyn Hualda, a former national grappler herself.

Joining the team in Singapore are coaches and former national

(From L-R) Michael Cater, Jhonny Morte, Margarito Angana, Cadel Evance Hualda, Jonathan Maquilan and Ronil Tubog.

wrestlers Michael Baletin and Efrelyn Crosby. ``This is part of our year-long preparation for the SEA Games.

The more tournaments that we participate in, the better for our wrestlers,’’ said Crosby.

There are tentatively 15 gold medals at stake in wrestling during the 30th SEA Games scheduled a year from now with five weight categories each for men’s Greco Roman, freestyle and women’s freestyle.

NAGT triathlon set in Subic, registration ongoing OVER six hundred entries beat the early bird cut-off for the National Age-Group Triathlon Subic Bay race set for Jan. 27, 2019 at San Bernardino inside the Subic Bay Freeport.

The event organized by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines, in cooperation with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Tourism Department will have Standard Distance (1.5 Km swim–40 Km bike–10 Km run), Sprint Distance (750 M swim–20 Km bike–5 Km run) and Super Sprint Distance (500 M swim–13 Km bike–2.5 Km run) courses that will start and end at San Bernardino. The NAGT series serves as TRAP’s main development and recruitment

program from the grassroots level. The next stops are in Cebu, Dipolog City, Roxas City and Cagayan de Oro. Competition manager Kenneth Romero said members of the Philippine Team, who are aspiring for slots for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, including Claire Adorna, Kim Kilgroe, Nikko Huelgas, John Chicano, Mark Hosana, JC Abad and Edward Macalalad will be racing for their respective early season tests. Many prominent junior elite and youth triathletes from around the country have registered including Cebuano standouts Andrew Kim Remolino, Karen Manayon and Moira Frances Erediano.

At stake in the event sponsored by the

Philippine Sports Commission, Gatorade, Standard Insurance, Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines and the SBMA are medals for the Top 3 winners by age-group.

Registration is still ongoing with entry fees set at P3,750 for Standard Distance, P3,000 for Sprint Distance, P2,500 for Super Sprint Distance and P7,500 for Team Relay competitions. Registration will end on December 31 to ensure that the field will not exceed the capacity of the venue.

For inquiries, contact the TRAP by email at trapsecretariat@gmail.com, by landline at 710-8259 and by visiting their official website at www.triathlon.org.ph

Team Lakay vows to win more titles

By Paul David L. Gelario REIGNING ONE Flyweight champion Geje Eustaquio told his supporters that Team Lakay will do its best to capture more championship belts.

Eustaquio presented his victory speech during the team’s victory celebration at the People’s Park, in Baguio City, adding that Team Lakay’s future goals will be to give more glory to the team and country after dominating the ONE Conquest of Champions Members of Team Lakay hoist their championship belts. and the Brave Combat Federation by winning five titles in all.

Paul David Gelario

“There’s more belts to come.

There’s more belts to grab. There’s more championships to join and we believe we will get those belts,” Eustaquio said. “First thing, we always say in Team Lakay—champions are not born. We are made. We are made because there’s people like you.”

Eustaquio said that their titles are not sole property, but also by the fans due to their support.

“We don’t claim it as our own,” he said “Sa inyong mga kababayan namin, whether positive or negative you are all our inspiration. We believe

na hindi namin makukuha ‘to without your support.”

Brave Combat Federation Bantamweight two-time defending champion Stephen Loman started the first victory speech by thanking his fellow countrymen for the support they offered which boosted the team’s motivation to train harder.

“Mga kababayan ako’y nagpapasalamat sa inyong suporta.

At lalong lalo na ‘yung city officials natin dito. Dahil po sa inyong suporta kami po ay nagte-training ng husto,” Loman said.

THE best of the country’s ladies pro golf and a crack Thai crew slug it out one last time this year as the ICTSI Pradera Verde Ladies Classic unwraps today with a promise of slam-bang start at the Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club in Lubao, Pampanga.

The perennial regional rivals have slugged it out all-year long on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour although the Thais have dominated the circuit by winning six of the 11 tournaments in the just concluded 2018 season. But with LPGA Tour-bound Dottie Ardina joining the hunt, the locals have bolstered their chances to put one over the Thais this time.

Ardina gears up for an early duel of power and putting with Thais Dolnapa Phudthipinij and Chouvarest Chourkittisopon at 8 a.m. with the Filipina ace brimming with confidence coming off a number of runnerup finishes in the Symetra Tour that secured her a full card for next year’s LPGA Tour.

Pauline del Rosario and Princess Superal are also in the fold with the former out to defend the crown she won in runaway fashion last year and the latter seeking a third victory after ruling the Riviera and Midlands stops of the 2018 LPGT season.

Del Rosario, who won four tournaments last year to clinch the LPGT Order of Merit crown, slugs it out with Thai Chommapat Pongthanarak and Daniella Uy at 7 a.m. while Superal, coming off a series of qualifying tournaments in Japan, kicks off her drive against Thai Jaruporn P Na Ayutthaya and club bet amateur Annyka Cayabyab at 8:30 a.m.

Former three-time LPGT OOM winner Cyna Rodriguez has also primed herself up for the P1 million event sponsored by ICTSI, raring to snap a long title spell in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. She starts at 8:10 a.m. with Thai ace Yupaporn Kawinpakorn and Taiwanese Hsin Ning Yeh. Alex Etter, Gretchen Villacencio, Marvi Monsalve and many-time LPGT winner Chihiro Ikeda complete the local challenge, each ready to stop the big Thai contingent out to reassert its domination of the circuit.

But the Thais are hell-bent on extending their win run with Kawinpakorn going for a third victory after ruling the Beverly Place and Summit Point legs and Onkanok Soisuwan and Wannasiri Sirisampant looking for a follow-up to their breakthrough victories in the circuit backed by Custom Clubmakers, BDO, Meralco, Sharp, KZG, PLDT, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and K&G Golf.

PSA Forum to tackle 2 finals’ events THE coming finals of two tournaments headline today’s session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Tapa King Restaurant at Farmers Plaza in Cubao.

Representatives of Creamline and Ateneo-Motolite have been invited in the public sports program to discuss their coming series for the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Open Conference championship.

Joining them are National Basketball League Chairman Celso Mercado along with finals protagonists Paranaque Aces coach Harold Sta. Cruz and Dasmarinas Ballers counterpart Azli Guro to talk about the finals of the league’s inaugural season.

The 11 a.m. forum is presented by San Miguel Corporation, Tapa King, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

Special Feature

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tuesday, december 4, 2018 advertise@manilastandard.net

Renewable energy for a livable future In such a fast-paced world, when are you going to make time to take a look at what’s happening around you?

With rampant development happening all over the world, there always seems to be a race to be better, to develop more, to be the first to innovate.

However, such innovations and progress do not always lead to good things for the environment - and we now continue to experience the effects of such neglect.

Not many people know this, but we had the opportunity to solve the climate crisis back in 1979 to 1989, particularly at the First World Climate Conference in 1979. However, efforts have been unsuccessful.

During this decade, we have already been able to successfully identify the warming of the earth and its threats, while policies have been proposed to properly guide people on how to address them. If only affirmative action was taken to solve the impending climate crisis then, carbon emissions would have been frozen with a 20% reduction by 2005, and we could have been able to hold warming to less than 1.5 degrees.

It is unfortunate that we have failed to do the necessary actions that were proposed in various conferences and summits like the Villach Conference in 1985, NoordwijkConference in 1989, etc., as such, the world is now in an irreversible position where we can only try to “manage” the ill effects of our changing climate.

Despite being blessed with rich natural resources, the Philippines’ ecosystem and biodiversity have become increasingly vulnerable to tropical cyclones, rising temperatures, and long dry periods.

The Philippines is no stranger to natural calamities devastating our cities where Typhoon “Ompong” (international name: “Mangkhut”) left the country with P4.4 billion worth of damages on public infrastructure and P14.3 billion on agriculture in Regions I, II, III, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), V and CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region), according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

The weather has been increasingly unpredictable and tend to be in extremes, ourseasons no longer based

on certain months. Climate change has clearly caught up.

As we are now pressed for time in saving the earth, every action must start now.

Climate change is a worldwide phenomenon, it affects everyone, which is why there has been attempts to create a global framework to address this threat.

Through the signing of an international environmental treaty like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the weight of the problem is now shared among nations, yet the effects are personal. The implementation stays dependent on the policy makers and corporations in the local setting.

Still, the goal remains - to create a space that is safe and livable especially for future generations. The same soil where we stand offers us an option to lessen the effects of climate change.

Geographically, the Philippines has the capacity to shift its major energy source from fossil fuels to renewable energy, like geothermal.

About 10% of the world’s land area carries high thermal gradients that ensure heat flow to the surface of the earth. These zones are situated along

the Pacific Ring of Fire, the southern part of which includes the Philippines.

Geothermal leader Energy Development Corporation (EDC) has been championing this cause for years.

More than 40 years ago, EDC has emerged as the largest producer of geothermal energy in the Philippines, and has put the Philippines on the map as the third largest geothermal producer in the world, next to the United States and Indonesia. Its track record and pool of geoscientists and engineers gives the assurance to the successful assessment of every exploration. EDC’s advocacy on the development of sustainable energy has paved the way to the seven geothermal steam fields in five geothermal contract areas, and the operation of eleven geothermal power plants in the country— power plants that release only a tenth of carbon dioxide in comparison to coal power plants.

True to its roots, EDC continues to search for alternative energy sources in the middle of a crisis. Established during the oil crisis in the 1970s, EDC provides a cleaner alternative in the midst of the

climate crisis. Geothermal energy remains to be the most reliable among other natural sources of energy, as it is the only source of power that can provide clean, renewable, and reliable baseload power, operating 24/7.

The possibilities of geothermal energy for power production are endless. Even now, it has not yet reached the peak of its potential development.

According to a Stanford coursework

by Aloysius Makalinao, a Schneider fellow for Climate and Clean Energy, who also has a diverse background in energy resources engineering and earth systems, the existing trend showcases that by 2030, much of the energy will come from geothermal in addition to the growth of renewable energy. The earth will continue to provide us what we need. It gives what it can take. This opens more opportunities to save the earth from a crisis that we’ve caused and should have addressed a decades ago.

It’s time to shift to renewable energy now to make this planet a livable one for for future generations like these BINHI Youth Champions.

EDC’s 112.5-Megawatt Palinpinon-1 geothermal power plant in Valencia, Negros Oriental has been supplying clean, uninterrupted power to Negros Island and the rest of the Visayas region for over 35 years.

IN BRIEF

DPWH completes new road to Baguio

THE Public Works Department said it completed three infrastructure projects in northern part of Luzon to ease traffic going to Baguio City.

The agency said in a statement the Aringay-Tubao Alternate Road and Anduyan Bridge, a new route to Baguio City, would lessen traffic congestion along Agoo-Baguio City Road or Marcos Highway and Bauang-Baguio Road or Naguilian Road.

The opening of these projects will provide a better and faster road network for motorists going to Benguet and Baguio City.

“This alternate route will lessen travel time from Tuba, La Union to Benguet from 2 hours to 35 minutes and will cut travel time from 2 hours and 25 minutes to just 1 hour going to Baguio City,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said. The projects cost P493.9 million.

The travel time of 2 hours and 25 minutes from Tubao, La Union to Baguio City will be cut to just one hour.

The new bridge with sidewalks on each side and reinforced concrete railings virtually abandoned the use of bamboo raft for the people of Barangay Rizal and Alog East in Tubao, La Union to cross Aringay River. Darwin G. Amojelar

Business

Turkey inflation fell to 22% in November

ANKARA—Inflation in Turkey dropped for the first time to nearly 22 percent last month after surging to a 15-year high in October, official statistics showed on Monday.

The increase in consumer prices fell to 21.62 percent in November compared with he same month last year, still very high in relative terms but down from the 25.24 percent rate recorded in October and the first drop since March this year, according to the Turkish statistics office (TUIK).

The figure was also lower than the Bloomberg consensus forecast of 23 percent.

The better figures reflect the likely effects of an aggressive rate hike in September when the central bank raised the one week repo rate 625 basis points to 24 percent.

Compared with October, November consumer prices fell 1.44 percent.

The value of the Turkish lira—which has been rallying against the US dollar since an Ankara-Washington spat ended last month—firmed after the announcement. AFP

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018

B1

By Alena Mae S. Flores

1,000TH NEGOSYO CENTER. The Department of Trade and Industry marks another milestone as the number of Negosyo Centers in the country has now reached 1,000. Of the total, 756 were established during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez (front row, center) says the milestone shows DTI’s commitment to the directive of President Duterte to support the micro, small, and medium enterprises, promote entrepreneurship development and provide Filipinos with a comfortable and better quality of life. Negosyo Centers facilitate access to services for MSMEs, such as business registration assistance, business advisory services, micro-financing and market leads.

2019 economic growth seen decelerating to 6.1%

By Julito G. Rada

E

CONOMIC growth may slow down to 6.1 percent in 2019, weighed down by inflation and expected interest rate hikes by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the local unit of Dutch financial company ING Bank said Monday.

ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa said in a report the bank’s estimate for 2019 Philippines gross domestic product growth would be the slowest since 2015, reflecting recent monetary policy adjustments and elevated inflation in the first half of 2019.

“Philippines growth in 2019 could post its lowest print since 2015. Recent monetary policy adjustments are ex-

pected to sap economic growth momentum, with GDP averaging 6.1 percent in 2019 and decelerating from 2018’s projected 6.2 percent,” Mapa said.

The policy-making Monetary Board of the BSP unloaded an aggressive 175-basis-point rate hike this year to contain inflation which, Mapa said, would continue to weigh on overall growth momentum in 2019.

“Elevated borrowing costs will sap both consumption and investment momentum and this will be a key theme throughout 2019. Meanwhile, inflation is expected to trend lower and eventually fall within target by the second half, after monetary and non-monetary policy measures feed into the economy,” he said.

Mapa said a recovery could be expected in the second half next year as the country was transitioning to an investment-led growth phase with capital formation and government spending driving domestic demand. Mapa said this could result in a protracted current account deficit.

Mapa said growth in the first half of 2019 would be boosted by electionrelated spending although a five-month ban on public spending could well offset this positive development. He said postelection, decelerating inflation would partially restore lost purchasing power while also helping to lead financing costs lower.

“This should lead to a slightly faster pace of growth in the second half as household spending, business investment and government spending accelerate from the first half,” he said.

The economy grew 6.1 percent in the third quarter, slower than 7.2 percent a year ago and 6.2 percent in the second quarter. The sluggish performance was blamed on the decline in agricultural output and slowdown in household spending, which was triggered by higher inflation rate.

The Monetary Board raised for the fifth time this year the benchmark interest rates by 25 basis points to 4.75 percent on Nov. 15 to further temper the accelerating inflation.

Most jobs today likely to disappear by 2030—study

ELECTRICITY rates are not expected to see any major adjustment in December, according to power retailer Manila Electric Co. Initial estimates showed the December power rates would be “stable and flattish,” following the slight increase in November.

“There are no final figures yet. We are still waiting for bills from power suppliers, but the official announcement will definitely be next week,” Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga said.

“Right now, we expect the movement of December power rates to be stable and flattish,” he said.

Zaldarriaga said rates could even decline because of the peso appreciation and potentially lower prices at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market.

“There may be a slight decrease in WESM prices with lower demand and fewer plant outages in the Luzon grid,” he said. WESM serves as the country’s trading floor for electricity.

Zaldarriaga said Meralco had yet to calculate “the upward pressure on rates as the quarterly repricing of Malampaya becomes fully reflected in the power bills of natural gas plants.”

Meralco consumers experienced higher power rates in November by P0.1135 per kilowatt-hour or equivalent to P23 in the monthly bill of households with a consumption of 200 kWh. The company said overall electricity rates slightly increased to P10.0901 per kWh in November from P9.9766 per kWh in October.

“The slight upward adjustment of P0.1135 per kWh, mainly due to higher WESM charges following an uptick in demand and an increase in Malampaya gas prices for the period, will mean an increase of around P23 in the total bill of a typical household consuming 200kWh,” Meralco said in a statement earlier.

Holcim investing $300m to expand output to 13m tons

By Jenniffer B. Austria

By Othel V. Campos ABOUT 65 percent of the current generation’s children entering school today will hold jobs that don’t currently exist, according to Guillermo Luz, a member of the Apec Business Advisory Council.

Luz said in a statement the figure was based on the RMIT University research project which looked at the impact of digitization on existing and future jobs. The results were reported in this year’s meeting of Apec business leaders.

The study noted that a third of present skill sets would be replaced by 2020, and 375 million workers would have new occupations by 2030.

Digital innovation is a part of the council’s four-point agenda which it pushed in Apec meetings in Port Moresby.

“Harnessing digital innovation is the key to the future economy, and for the Philippines this means leveraging on our human capital through education and training,” Luz said.

The advisory group said the current and future workforce should be digitally literate and proficient.

This is critical for industries like information technology-business process management to remain competitive and help the sector gear up for higher valueadding services such as knowledge process outsourcing and big data analytics.

The advisory group also said that students and workers should know how to work with current and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain to take full advantage of the digital economy.

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

Power rates likely stable in December, says Meralco

Qatar leaving Opec in ‘19 to focus on gas

DOHA, Qatar—Qatar is to leave Opec next month in order for the Gulf state to focus on gas production, the country’s new Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi announced in a surprise move on Monday.

Qatar has been a member of Opec since 1961, and the decision to pull out comes at a turbulent time in Gulf politics, with Doha under a boycott by former neighboring allies including Saudi Arabia for 18 months.

“Qatar has decided to withdraw its membership from Opec effective January 2019 and this decision was communicated to Opec this morning,” Kaabi said at a Doha press conference.

Kaabi, who also heads state-owned Qatar Petroleum, denied the move was linked to the feud with Saudi Arabia and its allies.

The decision was “technical and strategic” and had “nothing to do with the blockade,” he said.

Qatar would continue to produce oil and seek deals in countries including Latin America’s top oil producer Brazil, said Kaabi.

But gas production would remain the top priority for Qatar, which is the world’s the biggest exporter of liquified natural gas. AFP

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

FINAL PITCH. 1 Pacman Partylist Rep. Mikee Romero (left) and Mega Global Corp. president and chief executive William Tiu Lim lead the launching of Season 3 of business reality TV show The Final Pitch with a promise to entertain viewers with more business insights. The reality TV show aims to provide an avenue for entrepreneurs to be funded by established business leaders and investors.

Both businessmen aim to generate more jobs in the country by training the next generation of Filipino entrepreneurs.

Treasury: National govt debt jumped P666b to P7.17t in October OUTSTANDING national government debt jumped P666 billion or 10.2 percent over a 12-month period to P7.17 trillion as of October, data from the Treasury show.

The amount was larger than P6.5 trillion recorded in October 2017. Monthon-month, government debt rose P7.3 billion or 0.1 percent from P7.16 trillion in September.

The Bureau of Treasury said in a statement about 35.54 percent of the total debt stock were sourced externally while 64.46 percent were borrowed domestically.

Domestic debt amounted to P4.620 trillion, P32.45 billion or 0.71 percent higher compared to the end-September 2018 level.

“For the month, the registered increase in domestic debt was due to the net issuance of government securities amounting to P32.74 billion. This was slightly offset by the appreciation of the peso that decreased the value of onshore dollar bonds by P0.29 billion,” the Treasury said.

Data showed that on a year-on-year basis, domestic debt climbed P404 billion or 9.6 percent from P4.22 trillion in October 2017.

Foreign debt amounted to P2.546 trillion in October, down P25.15 billion or 0.98 percent from the end-September 2018 level of P2.572 trillion in September.

“The decline in external debt level was principally due to the P27.34-billion impact of the stronger peso and net repay-

ment on foreign obligations amounting to P0.33 billion. This was tempered by the net appreciation of third-currency denominated external debt amounting to P2.52 billion,” it said.

Foreign debt increased P262 billion over a 12-month period from P2.285 trillion in October 2017.

Total guaranteed obligations of the national government increased P3.41 billion or 0.71 percent month-on-month to P484.71 billion in October.

The increment in NG guarantees was due to the net appreciation of third-currency denominated guarantees amounting to P0.54 billion and net availments on both domestic and external guarantees amounting to P6.00 billion and P0.01 billion, respectively. Julito G. Rada

CEMENT maker Holcim Philippines Inc. is spending close to $300 million to expand output by 30 percent to 13 million metric tons by 2020.

Holcim Philippines said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the company would expand the capacity of cement plants in Bulacan and Misamis Oriental provinces with the installation of new and efficient kilns and mills and waste heat recovery systems.

“Our company believes in the sustained development of the Philippines.

This investment is proof of our confidence in the country and our commitment to be a strong partner for progress. With this, Holcim Philippines will continue being a reliable partner in building a better future for the country,” Holcim Philippines chairman Tomas Alcantara said.

The cement firm said the expansion projects formed part of its capacity and productivity investments that started in 2012 with the rehabilitation of a grinding plant in Mabini, Batangas.

This was followed by de-bottlenecking of plants in 2015 and the P3-billion expansion of La Union and Davao plants set to be completed in 2019.

“These projects enable our company to continue playing an important role in the country’s growth. Our capacity expansion ensures that we can provide a steady supply of quality building materials to support the government’s infrastructure program and the resulting construction activity from the economy’s sustained rise,” Holcim Philippines president and chief executive John Stull said.

Other cement companies are also on the expansion mode, betting on the Duterte administration’s strong push for infrastructure.

B2

Business

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

PH, global stock markets surge

T

HE stock market jumped Monday, joining a surge across global markets after the United States agreed to suspend imposing tariffs on China for three months, while oil prices soared on expectations of a big production cut.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index advanced 165.05 points, or 2.2 percent, to 7,532.90 on a value turnover of P10.2 billion. Gainers beat losers, 115 to 73, with 48 issues unchanged.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. of retail tycoon Henry Sy Sr. climbed 5.2 percent to P36.50, while parent SM Investments Corp. gained 4.4 percent to P948.

Aboitiz Power Corp., which is into

power generation and distribution, banking, food and infrastructure, rallied 4.4 percent to P33.10, while conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. gained 4.3 percent to P4.90.

In a much-anticipated meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping at the weekend, the heads of the world’s two biggest economies hammered out a deal that will see them hold off on their tit-for-tat tariffs row, which has roiled global equities for most of the year.

The US will not raise levies on Chinese goods on January 1 while China promised to buy more from the US and enter a 90-day period of talks to bring an end to the dispute.

If the negotiations, fail tariffs will jump from 10 percent now to 25 percent.

Trump hailed the meeting—held on the sidelines of the G20 in Buenos Aires—as “amazing and productive... with unlimited possibilities for both the United States and China”.

And on Sunday the US president said

Beijing had agreed to cut tariffs on car imports.

“China has agreed to reduce and remove tariffs on cars coming into China from the US. Currently the tariff is 40%,” he wrote on Twitter.

News of Saturday’s deal lit a fuse under Asian markets, with Hong Kong and Shanghai each rallying 2.6 percent, while the Chinese yuan—which has tumbled this year on worries about the trade row—jumped 0.8 percent.

Tokyo climbed one percent, Sydney rose 1.8 percent, Seoul put on 1.7 percent, Singapore was 2.4 percent higher and Taipei rallied 2.5 percent. There were also big gains in Bangkok and Jakarta.

“This is the best outcome that we had hoped for out of this meeting,” said Frances Cheung, head of Asia macro strategy at Westpac Banking Corp.

However, while the early reaction was positive, observers warned there were still major issues that need to be

resolved.

The “imposition of no new tariffs is not the same as retracing the existing tariffs that have come into play this year and will gradually have an impact on the US economy,” said Kerry Craig, global market strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management.

“Moreover, the ideology behind the trade tensions is still about strategic positioning of the two economies, which means until issues around technology transfer and (intellectual property) are resolved, nerves will persist.

“We anticipate that things are still likely to get worse before they get better.”

And Hao Hong, a strategist with Bocom International Holdings, added: “What we have now is a truce at the best. This may produce a short-term rebound, though the resilience of the rally depends on how soon everyone will begin to see the situation through.”

With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2018

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 60 24,000 92.05 2,630,350 2.3 5,000 133.2 4,035,740 1.59 4,081,000 27.65 72,000 15.8 67,400 11.78 178,500 4.08 156,000 0.67 3,000,000 0.475 10,000 76.85 8,860,050 0.79 129,000 11.02 14,300 41.4 520,800 179 300 71.2 3,490 29.05 130,100 164.3 868,570 1,825 120 67.2 4,990 1.14 1,000

1,431,256 244,815,348 11,540 539,257,058 6,563,520 1,996,305 1,056,534 2,089,004 633,570 2,010,000 4,750 679,276,649.50 98,180 157,340 21,650,950 53,615 248,620 3,775,260 142,398,372 220,045 336,062.50 1,140

768,592 -12,217,176 107,006,740 -740,200 -304,720 254,754,260 25,840 135,300 4,705,590 113,280 19,708,607 100,375 -14,112.50 -

32 17.5 1.03 1.24 0.24 1.7 15.02 32.35 17.1 37 60.65 1.54 6.85 10.24 15.4 8.52 6.97 17.6 61.7 24.05 2.06 5.7 9.24 1.67 278.6 8.5 26.15 9.9 18.3 385.2 0.168 6 1.35 3.92 8.25 4.8 8.02 0.88 10.84 46.2 5.54 4.7 1.81 2.8 1.28 10.5 82.75 5.41 0.122 0.8 128.6 1.67 16.98 1.71

INDUSTRIAL 33.1 16,780,300 17.58 675,900 1.03 11,194,000 1.24 80,000 0.249 820,000 1.7 13,418,000 15.6 680,000 35 138,000 17.2 7,700 37 152,100 60.65 160 1.57 107,000 6.85 19,700 10.6 2,524,600 15.5 30,100 8.52 94,000 6.98 434,200 17.84 1,571,400 63.2 287,840 25 6,600 2.1 9,576,000 5.88 416,400 9.49 5,367,900 1.75 1,016,000 286.8 1,030,870 8.51 1,900 27 625,500 10 121,700 18.66 6,766,600 388 466,230 0.179 20,000 6 100 1.38 1,016,000 3.92 13,000 8.28 1,412,400 4.81 63,000 8.78 3,600 0.9 713,000 11 163,000 46.2 936,600 5.59 40,400 4.8 33,000 1.85 756,000 2.8 2,000 1.37 356,000 10.7 45,700 83.6 1,678,800 5.42 1,677,600 0.122 200,000 0.84 1,262,000 130 2,535,390 1.88 20,305,000 17 1,000 1.72 11,030,000

539,774,085 11,934,018 11,743,010 100,170 197,360 23,144,250 10,593,484 4,744,295 138,278 5,627,745 9,731 167,120 136,165 26,612,482 465,110 801,589 3,033,874 27,836,468 17,868,757.50 165,190 20,125,400 2,408,120 50,919,060 1,747,760 294,411,962 16,161 16,797,525 1,213,563 126,628,224 180,400,864 3,470 600 1,412,690 51,760 11,684,818 303,780 31,532 641,210 1,788,800 43,731,970 225,740 156,950 1,390,610 5,600 482,560 483,490 139,214,025.50 9,118,365 24,740 1,020,990 330,390,875 36,539,730 16,994 19,284,190

6,553,050 4,072,266 -42,600 -4,636,720 2,692,216 32,690 0 42,440 -50,049 3,544,590 -437,210 31,556 -1,655,801 1,784,316 3,367,996.50 -530,800 -1,466,356 4,591,394.00 -496,040 36,298,114 9,401,345 -435,530 52,246,824 108,108,302 -1,364,420 -5,827,122 202,500 -919,620 -20,937,180 -55,900 -4,700 38,532,628 62,665 -64,433,926 1,101,670 -11,900 95,310

0.58 51.15 11.28 6.4 20.1 1.48 1.51 940 7.01 12.5 9.49 4 0.201 898.5 5.94 49.05 0.495 3.9 16.04 0.57 4.74 0.038 1.17 2.28 173 2.2 920 0.73 1.27 475.8 272.4 0.247 0.216

HOLDING FIRMS 0.63 61,639,000 52.9 1,181,640 11.4 30,395,900 6.4 13,900 21.7 225,000 1.5 16,232,000 1.51 307,000 950 514,410 7.35 778,100 13 8,326,600 9.9 836,000 4.6 800 0.201 210,000 917 143,680 5.94 1,500 50.4 2,415,700 0.52 91,000 3.95 15,589,000 16.3 5,579,500 0.58 370,000 4.9 70,298,000 0.039 46,700,000 1.23 31,000 2.29 135,000 174.9 364,970 2.21 21,000 948 428,860 0.73 80,000 1.35 14,000 475.8 20 280.8 7,560 0.25 20,730,000 0.218 610,000

37,738,270 62,255,780 347,937,294 88,980 4,809,525 24,650,130 467,130 487,937,565 5,719,539 107,020,000 8,219,198 3,260 48,890 131,358,340 8,910 121,015,505 45,440 63,250,630 90,792,752 224,130 337,857,130 1,807,100 37,360 310,500 63,798,687 46,230 405,869,570 58,900 18,820 9,516 2,091,592 5,290,080 132,740

165,790 -7,499,831 -1,701,432 80,640 8,585 90,900 -256,983,485 -535,858 -9,153,626 94,006 40,725,610 467,910 -9,738,350.00 24,741,560 -20,404,390 -39,000 -3,981,346.00 -82,139,550 -

3,794,165 286,310 7,330 117,500 670,910,325 6,387,340 541,370 600 1,230,200 21,950 77,500 183,600 363,336 2,743,152 242,850 3,200 1,117,870 4,057,480 106,299,700 10,698,250 1,069,650 31,172,260 139,150 2,169,850

-98,066,700 -6,134,590 -41,000 -170,000 -90,360 383,620 69,250 20,539,530 -23,400 -2,640,710 -350,550

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

59.2 94 2.34 133.5 1.6 28 15.5 11.76 4.1 0.67 0.475 76.5 0.76 11 41.4 171.2 71.25 29 164.6 1,878 67.7 1.14

60 95 2.34 134.9 1.61 28 15.8 11.86 4.1 0.67 0.475 76.9 0.79 11.02 41.85 180 71.25 29.05 164.6 1,878 68.5 1.14

58.1 91.5 2.3 133 1.55 27.65 15.5 11.58 3.98 0.67 0.475 75.95 0.74 11 41.4 171.2 71.2 28.8 162 1,825 67 1.14

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS BASIC ENERGY CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CROWN ASIA 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 PHIL H2O PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP RFM CORP ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH VIVANT VULCAN INDL

32.5 17.84 1.05 1.26 0.25 1.7 15.02 32.35 17.1 37.45 62 1.56 6.95 10.24 15.4 8.64 6.99 17.72 62 25.4 2.12 5.78 9.32 1.68 278.6 8.51 26.9 9.93 18.3 385.8 0.168 6 1.35 4 8.25 4.9 8.78 0.92 11.02 47.45 5.54 4.75 1.85 2.8 1.36 10.72 82.85 5.5 0.126 0.82 129 1.76 16.98 1.73

33.3 17.84 1.08 1.28 0.25 1.77 15.6 35 18.34 37.45 62 1.58 6.95 10.6 15.5 8.64 7 17.84 63.2 26 2.14 5.9 9.65 1.76 286.8 8.51 27.1 10 18.78 388 0.179 6 1.4 4 8.3 4.9 8.78 0.92 11.02 48.8 5.65 4.8 1.87 2.8 1.37 10.78 83.6 5.55 0.126 0.84 131.2 1.89 17 1.82

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

0.59 54 11.6 6.42 20.1 1.5 1.51 950 7.05 12.7 9.49 4 0.239 899 5.94 49.05 0.54 4.1 16.18 0.62 4.75 0.038 1.17 2.28 174.7 2.2 920 0.74 1.27 475.8 272.4 0.25 0.217

0.63 54 11.64 6.42 22 1.56 1.55 959.5 7.41 13 9.9 4.6 0.24 926 5.94 50.4 0.54 4.1 16.3 0.63 4.9 0.04 1.24 2.32 175.4 2.21 958 0.74 1.35 475.8 280.8 0.27 0.218

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

7.52 0.77 1.81 0.56 42.2 2.26 4.03 6 0.415 0.87 0.217 0.34 7.8 18.22 0.5 0.106 1.48 1.04 4.65 0.375 0.475 2.45 0.385 3.64

7.59 0.79 1.84 0.59 42.85 2.28 4.1 6 0.415 0.88 0.218 0.34 7.93 18.34 0.5 0.107 1.48 1.06 4.75 0.39 0.485 2.45 0.39 3.7

7.52 0.77 1.81 0.56 41.3 2.23 4.02 6 0.4 0.87 0.213 0.34 7.8 17.92 0.49 0.106 1.45 1.03 4.64 0.375 0.47 2.32 0.38 3.64

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

20.9 1.94 3.12 35.35 1.18 5.37 0.74 5.36

21.75 1.96 3.12 36.5 1.19 5.48 0.74 5.38

20.55 1.94 3.1 35.05 1.16 5.24 0.73 5.23

21.75 1.96 3.12 36.5 1.19 5.29 0.73 5.25

2,270,400 16,000 22,000 17,323,500 458,000 538,500 31,000 2,999,200

48,529,400 31,170 68,340 622,532,765 544,320 2,869,548 22,830 15,858,176

12,404,410 91,579,760 -5,724,583

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

9.96 19.9 0.38 0.037 13.02 2.28 8.42 74 7.2 7.03 17.8 2,000 5.26 315.2 3.41 1.72 93.8 10.8 0.104 6.72 3.34 13.88 3.28 0.78 14.58 5.28 7.1 2.2 1.9 1.85 15.5 3.41 10.32 7.9 3.2 112 2.94 1,188 0.67 0.32 42.55 76.5 7 2.33 0.63 0.395 5.3 0.66 12.06

10.3 19.9 0.38 0.038 13.02 2.54 8.64 76.3 7.29 8.07 19.2 2,018 5.28 325 3.51 1.72 95 11.7 0.108 6.78 3.45 14 3.8 0.78 14.58 5.53 7.1 2.3 2.04 1.85 15.5 3.8 10.32 8 3.38 118 2.97 1,200 0.71 0.32 42.85 77 7.46 2.42 0.63 0.42 5.3 0.67 12.22

9.96 19.76 0.37 0.037 13 2.22 8.35 73.5 6.86 7.03 16.12 1,976 5.2 315.2 3.28 1.72 93.5 10.8 0.104 6.02 3.34 13.88 3.23 0.78 14.12 5.28 7 2.2 1.8 1.66 15.5 3.41 10.02 7.9 3.18 109.5 2.92 1,157 0.66 0.32 42.5 74.05 7 2.33 0.59 0.39 5.24 0.64 11.94

SERVICES 10.26 19.76 0.37 0.038 13 2.47 8.4 73.75 6.91 8.07 17 2,016 5.2 325 3.28 1.72 93.5 11.7 0.106 6.19 3.45 13.88 3.8 0.78 14.42 5.48 7.1 2.25 1.95 1.82 15.5 3.8 10.02 8 3.38 117 2.95 1,170 0.69 0.32 42.7 74.95 7.46 2.38 0.6 0.405 5.25 0.65 12

77,600 55,800 970,000 6,400,000 27,700 11,495,000 12,771,100 136,630 2,777,300 300 583,800 83,685 402,300 550 4,002,000 5,000 3,307,280 200 3,240,000 32,469,600 2,000 2,500 2,938,000 12,000 249,500 47,200 70,700 1,613,000 1,327,000 80,000 400 4,872,000 17,200 500 4,000 200,020 449,000 240,650 14,869,000 280,000 6,843,500 872,260 21,400 5,172,000 10,106,000 40,870,000 60,100 8,786,000 2,568,200

785,473 1,108,600 361,450 240,200 360,252 27,587,070 108,018,837 10,249,884 19,509,006 2,279 10,307,738 168,270,025 2,102,802 177,162 13,427,410 8,600 309,952,754.50 2,250 344,810 205,343,840 6,790 34,840 10,443,450 9,360 3,599,894 250,230 501,860 3,657,070 2,559,550 143,120 6,200 17,811,970 173,094 3,970 12,960 22,435,079 1,325,750 282,137,310 10,245,060 89,600 292,054,865 66,098,634.50 159,000 12,277,710 6,080,520 16,578,200 315,094 5,770,060 30,807,178

-5,280 37,500 -132,752 84,760 -44,454,664.00 969,830.50 23,530 -46,194.00 13,144,615 570,340 -120,161,665 -1,708,211 -21,450 858,424 310,270 -17,760.00 473,270 1,116,429 -588,480 -19,629,640 -1,649,260 -98,417,620 -2,285,602.50 976,440 -4,795,600 -29,000 -42,430 7,440,530

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

0.0019 1.56 2.64 14.2 1.92 7.1 1.7 0.2 0.091 0.102 0.007 1.1 2.31 1.03 0.55 0.9 0.013 0.012 0.012 3.22 2.56 14.46 26.5 0.0066

0.002 1.63 2.64 14.2 1.92 7.29 1.71 0.202 0.092 0.102 0.007 1.1 2.33 1.07 0.55 0.92 0.013 0.013 0.012 3.22 2.59 14.8 27.1 0.0066

0.0019 1.56 2.64 13.5 1.91 7.03 1.67 0.2 0.091 0.095 0.0063 1.1 2.25 1 0.52 0.88 0.012 0.012 0.012 3.19 2.5 14.46 26.3 0.0066

MINING & OIL 0.002 584,000,000 1.63 2,138,000 2.64 63,000 14 1,500 1.91 310,000 7.11 7,000 1.7 1,254,000 0.201 250,000 0.092 790,000 0.101 1,190,000 0.0063 29,000,000 1.1 5,000 2.26 8,573,000 1.03 353,000 0.53 202,000 0.92 391,000 0.013 40,600,000 0.013 57,500,000 0.012 7,800,000 3.19 3,000 2.51 1,673,000 14.5 931,600 26.65 1,408,300 0.0066 1,000,000

1,146,700 3,442,280 166,320 20,904 595,100 50,217 2,124,350 50,090 72,610 113,680 193,400 5,500 19,549,740 369,650 107,070 356,510 520,000 740,000 93,600 9,600 4,234,030 13,532,658 37,571,960 6,600

-7,920 -960,200 -3,467,230 -264,820 1,820 -470,600 93,600 -1,610,580 -4,077,816 8,211,195 -

LR PREF SFI PREF GMA HLDG PDR ABS HLDG PDR SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2I SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C HOUSE PREF A DD PREF PNX PREF 3B FGEN PREF G GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B PCOR PREF 2B

1 2.16 5.15 19.2 70.8 73 73.5 74.5 75.95 76.55 95 97.9 102 102.5 853 923 1,000

1.01 2.16 5.15 19.2 74.95 73 73.5 74.5 75.95 76.55 95 98 102 102.5 853 923 1,000

1 2.16 5.15 19 70.8 73 73.5 74.5 75.1 76.15 95 97.9 102 102.5 836 923 1,000

PREFERRED 1.01 344,000 2.16 1,000 5.15 500 19.1 151,400 74.95 16,800 73 2,900 73.5 800 74.5 10,000 75.1 240 76.15 30,770 95 1,530 98 38,780 102 1,230 102.5 1,940 836 400 923 10 1,000 70

344,930 2,160 2,575 2,898,276 1,215,930 211,700 58,800 745,000 18,092 2,343,981 145,350 3,799,558 125,460 198,850 338,175 9,230 70,000

-1,776,238 -

LR WARRANT

1.94

2.25

1.85

WARRANTS 2.25 1,997,000

4,298,490

-930

ITALPINAS XURPAS

4.5 1.35

4.64 1.4

4.45 1.28

4.58 1.32

1,745,190 14,220,520

17,920 -1,611,740

FIRST METRO ETF

110.8

112

110.8

1,157,084

-

112,200

-

MS

PROPERTY 7.59 0.79 1.84 0.56 41.9 2.25 4.07 6 0.405 0.88 0.217 0.34 7.91 17.92 0.49 0.107 1.45 1.06 4.75 0.38 0.47 2.38 0.39 3.7

501,800 369,000 4,000 202,000 15,998,700 2,835,000 134,000 100 3,040,000 25,000 360,000 540,000 46,100 152,000 490,000 30,000 764,000 3,856,000 22,580,000 28,070,000 2,250,000 13,104,000 360,000 589,000

USD DMPL A1

10.2

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL

10.2

SHARES

26,547,033

INDUSTRIAL

119,249,174

HOLDING FIRMS

285,173,546

PROPERTY

127,888,839

SERVICES

183,907,585

MINING & OIL

739,929,668

GRAND TOTAL

1,493,711,594

10.2

SME

381,000 10,622,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 111.9 10,370 10.2

DDS

11,000

VALUE 1,775.70 (up) 17.45 1,816,277,660.47 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,848.59 (up) 193.45 2,139,619,818.90 HOLDING FIRMS 7,429.95 (up) 199.05 2,644,076,208.23 PROPERTY 3,705.77 (up) 104.63 SERVICES 1,412.10 (up) 10.55 1,842,969,681.055 MINING & OIL 8,595.48 (up) 107.85 1,671,402,423.45 PSEI 7,532.90 (up) 165.05 85,106,444.1055 All Shares Index 4,524.25 (up) 82.92 10,216,584,521.71 Gainers: 115; Losers: 73; Unchanged: 48; Total: 236

Crude prices soar as Russia, Saudi Arabia pledge cuts SINGAPORE—Oil prices soared on Monday after Russia and Saudi Arabia renewed a pact to cap output, while the US agreed to halt raising tariffs on Chinese imports, stalling a trade row that many feared could hit demand for the commodity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday he and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “have agreed to extend our agreement” to limit production as prices slump on global markets.

An existing deal committing Opec and non-members to cuts expires this year.

While there was no announcement on how much would be cut and for how long, the pact between the world’s two biggest crude exporters was cheered by oil traders, with Brent jumping $2.60 to $62.06 and West Texas Intermediate up $2.42 to $53.35 on Monday.

There was a slight paring of prices after Qatar announced it would be leaving Opec next year as it looks to concentrate on its gas production, though it would continue to pump crude. The country contributes a fraction of the entire output from the group.

“While we still need to know by how much Opec will curb its production, Putin’s comment does clear a barrier for Opec in stabilizing prices as Russia has been ambiguous about its stance,” Ahn Yea Ha, a commodities analyst at Kiwoom Securities told Bloomberg News.

Both main contracts have plunged by about a third since hitting four-year highs at the start of October, hit by a number of factors including easing demand, high production, softer-thanexpected US sanctions on Iran and a global growth slowdown.

Another major reason for the sell-off has been the ongoing trade row between China and the US, which has seen the world’s top economies swap tariffs on imports worth hundreds of billions of dollars fueling fears about the impact globally. AFP

Aboitiz Equity gets P9-b water project loan

By Jenniffer B. Austria APO Agua Infrastructura Inc., a unit of Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., has secured P9 billion in loans for its P12.6billion bulk water supply project in Davao City.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Apo Agua signed an agreement with a consortium of lender-banks to obtain P9 billion in loans to finance the construction and operation of a 347 million-liter-per-day water treatment facility to supply bulk water to the Davao City Water District, and an integrated 2.5-megawatt hydroelectric power plant.

The consortium of lender-banks is composed of BPI Capital Corp. as lead arranger and book runner, China Bank Capital Corp. as joint lead arranger, Bank of the Philippine Islands, China Banking Corp., Development Bank of the Philippines and Bank of Commerce as initial note holders, and BPI Asset Management and Trust Corp. as trustee and notes facility agent.

Set to be the largest private bulk water supply facility in the country, the Davao project project will provide to DCWD over 300 million liters per day (mld) of safe water.

The treated water will be distributed to over one million residents through the DCWD’s five existing water systems, namely, Dumoy, Calinan, Tugbok, Panacan and Cabantian, as well as through three additional new water systems in Talandang, Mandug and Indangan.

The project is scheduled for completion by 2021.

The project’s water treatment facility will be powered by renewable energy from a hydroelectric power plant.

By tapping the Tamugan River, the project will gain access to the right quality and ample quantity of water to allow the DCWD to temporarily shut down many of its groundwater well sources.

Aboitiz Equity earlier said the project would ensure the preservation of the city’s water table and save it from irreversible environmental degradation, such as land subsidence and saltwater intrusion—both typical results of groundwater over-extraction.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PNG hurries to vaccinate as polio back after 18 years

M

OUNT HAGEN―Decades after polio was eradicated from Papua New Guinea, the crippling and sometimes deadly disease has returned, leaving doctors scrambling to revive longlapsed vaccination programs.

AFTER THE FIRE. Syrian refugees check the damage following a fire that ripped through their refugee camp in the village of Yammouneh in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley on December 3, 2018. AFP

IN BRIEF Australia slammed over refugee camp

SYDNEY―Australia’s under-pressure government received a double blow Monday from the United Nations and a leading doctors’ group over harsh treatment of refugees on off-shore island camps.

In an unusual broadside, a top official for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees accused “bureaucrats and politicians” of overruling doctors and putting lives at risk at camps on Nauru and Manus.

Australia holds unauthorized migrants who try to reach the island continent by boat in “off-shore detention”—part of a harsh policy designed to deter would-be asylum-seekers.

UNHCR’s Catherine Stubberfield decried the policy as “sold too simplistically” and said changing it was now a matter of “basic human treatment and decency.”

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians on Monday also threw its voice behind those calling for the government to change course.

Around 160 people remain on the island of Nauru—including women and children—and it is believed as many as 600 men are still in transition centres on Manus after the Australian-run camp there was closed late last year.

The minority government of Prime Minister Scott Morrison has quietly agreed to transfer children off Nauru, but is under fierce pressure to close it completely. AFP

At-risk nations to make case at climate summit

Exiled activist: China going further backward under Xi FORT WASHINGTON―Exiled Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng has lived a good life in the United States for more than 20 years.

But the man often called the father of his country’s modern democracy movement still welcomes visitors the Chinese way―by offering them a cigarette.

In a lengthy interview with AFP at his home in a Maryland suburb south of the US capital, he lights one for himself― and starts unleashing harsh criticism of the “one-party dictatorship” in power in Beijing.

It’s a familiar battle cry: for four decades, Wei has railed against state oppression of the Chinese people’s democratic aspirations.

That battle cost him 18 years of his life, spent in a series of prison cells. In 1997, after international pressure—including a plea from then US president Bill Clinton—he was released, ostensibly on medical grounds, and put on a plane to America.

Now 68, Wei is hooked on Gauloises—strong French cigarettes that are hard to find in the US—but is otherwise in good shape. He runs his namesake foundation from his home, battling for human rights in China.

On Wednesday, he will mark a landmark anniversary—on December 5, 1978, he posted “The Fifth Modernization” on a wall in Beijing.

The essay said that Deng Xiaoping’s “Four Modernizations” did not go far enough, and called for democracy to be a goal for China alongside the four Deng cited: the development of industry, agriculture, science and technology, and national defense.

Deng is considered the architect of China’s opening up to the world.

But Wei, whose essay landed him in prison, says that Deng gets too much credit.

“I should correct a popular saying, both inside China and internationally, which claims that Deng Xiaoping is responsible for the opening-up and the reform,” he said, speaking in Mandarin.

“This reform only went halfway, economically but not politically,” he lamented.

“Now, in the Xi Jinping era, politically it is even going further backwards,” he added, referring to the ongoing offensive against rights activists.

In the post-Mao era that began in the late 1970s, China’s opening-up was prompted by a broad popular movement, supported not just by Deng but by other senior Communist Party leaders.

In the end, Wei said, “communist China is a mix between a one-party dictatorship and capitalism.”

“When they suppress the people, it’s more severe than anywhere else,” he charged. AFP

KATOWICE, Poland―Nations most threatened by rising sea levels and devastating droughts will use a UN summit in Poland on Monday to urge richer countries to pay their fair share in the climate change fight.

The presidents of at-risk states such as Fiji, Nigeria and Nepal are expected at COP24 talks, which aim to flesh out the promises agreed in the 2015 Paris climate accord.

But host Poland—heavily reliant on energy from coal—will push its own agenda: a “just transition” from fossil fuels that critics say could allow it to continue polluting for decades.

The Paris deal saw nations agree to limit global temperature rises to below two degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) and under 1.5C if possible.

Delegates from nearly 200 countries now have two weeks of negotiations to finalize how those goals work in practice, even as science suggests the pace of climate change is rapidly outstripping mankind’s response.

One of the key disputes is finance. AFP

French government holds crisis talks

PARIS―French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe holds talks with party leaders on Monday as Paris scrambles to forge a response to violence by anti-government protesters that has left hundreds injured nationwide and caused widespread destruction around the capital.

The talks follow a crisis meeting chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday as he surveyed the damage from a day of riots across Paris that saw violence “on a level not seen in decades.”

Philippe has been asked to meet protest organizers and party leaders as part of a “constant wish for dialogue,” the Elysee Palace said.

Environment Minister Francois de Rugy met representatives of the socalled “yellow vest” protesters last week but failed to convince them to end the demonstrations that have taken place over the last two weeks.

The government has not ruled out imposing a state of emergency to combat the protests, which began over fuel taxes but have morphed into a broad opposition front to Macron, 40, a pro-business centrist elected in May 2017. AFP

Until earlier this year, the polio virus the risk of vaccine-derived polio. was endemic in only three countries in the World Health Organization experts esworld: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. timate well over 10 million cases of polio But a relatively rare strain is now have been averted worldwide since widespreading throughout rugged, jungle- spread vaccination began two decades cloaked Papua New Guinea, one of the ago, a 99 percent reduction. world’s poorest countries.

But even with modern treatment, an Since the first case was detected in estimated one in 100 cases of polio reApril—paralyzing a six-year-old boy sults in irreversible paralysis. A fraction named Gafo near the northern coast of those who are paralyzed die.

—polio has infected dozens more naDoctors in Papua New Guinea are tionwide, prompting the government to trying to respond to the crisis by providdeclare a national emergency. ing countrywide immunization—with Papua New Guinea, which today has at least three oral doses for each child. a population of around eight million Hundreds of thousands have already people, thought it had eradicated the been vaccinated. wild variant of the virus in 1996, and Despite government and internationwas certified polio-free in 2000. al support, the country’s lack of roads But since then, experts say, lapsed and unforgiving terrain—particularly in vaccination programs and poor sanita- the central highlands—have made that tion have left an open invitation for the task difficult. prehistoric disease to return.

Many villages can only be reached by “It’s not a sudden surprise,” said air, or by day-long river trips.

Monjur Hossain, a UNICEF expert livThrow into the mix tribal violence, ing in Port Moresby. malnutrition, drought, multiple out“The government knew about it,” he breaks of other diseases like measles told AFP. “We all knew about it.” and the aftermath of a massive FebruIn a cruel twist, the virus afflicting ary earthquake and things become more Papua New Guineans today—clinically difficult still. AFP known as VDPV1—started life as a vaccine.

The much-weakened version of the polio virus was first ingested as an oral vaccine, before spreading throughout the community via feces.

N OTICE Because of low-levels of immuNotice is hereby given that CEBU AIR, INC. doing nization, the harmless attenuated business under the names and styles of Cebu and Cebu Pacific Air [ Formerly: CEBU AIR, virus continued to circulate person- Pacific INC.], with office address at Cebu Pacific Building, to-person for a long period of time, Domestic Road, Barangay 191, Zone 20, Pasig City, is for registration with the Board of Investments allowing it to mutate into a more applying (BOI) as a New Operator of Air Transport Services virulent strain.

(A321NEO with CAB Registration No. Rp-C4118 Serial No. MSN8608) on a Non-Pioneer status Similar localized outbreaks of and with project site at Airline Opertions Center, Domestic vaccine-derived polio have been Road, Pasay City. previously detected in the Horn of Any person with valid objections on the aboveAfrica, Syria and the Democratic mentioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the Republic of Congo. date of this publication.

Still, health care workers are ada(SGD.) MARY ANN E. RAGANIT mant that the benefits of vaccinaOfficer-In-Charge tion programs massively outweigh Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-DEC. 4, 2018)

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

To :

Subject : 1.0

No. :2018-003 Date :November 21, 2018 All Heads of Departments, Bureaus, Offices, Agencies and Instrumentalities of the National Government, Chief Executives of Local Government Units (LGUs), Managing Heads of Government-Owned and/or Controlled Corporations (GOCCs), including their Subsidiaries, Heads of State Universities and Colleges, and Heads of Water Districts, COA Assistant Commissioners, COA Directors, COA Auditors, and All Others Concerned Prescribing the use of the Internal Auditing Standards for the Philippine Public Sector and Internal Control Standards for the Philippine Public Sector

Rationale Article IX-D of the 1987 Constitution vests in the Commission on Audit (COA) the exclusive authority to promulgate auditing rules and regulations. Further, it provides that where the internal control system of the audited agency is inadequate, the Commission may adopt such measures, including temporary or special pre-audit, as necessary and appropriate to correct deficiencies.

Section 4 of Republic Act (RA) No. 3456, or the Internal Auditing Act of 1962, as amended

by RA No. 4177, provides that the Auditor General shall be responsible for the promulgation and enforcement of general policies, rules and regulations on internal auditing; and shall also develop for execution, working plans and training programs to continuously maintain the effectiveness of these internal audit services.

The Internal Audit Service (IAS) has a vital role in enhancing good governance, transparency, accountability, and efficiency and effectiveness of government operations, including risk management and the internal control framework of all government entities. The existing rules and regulations require all government agencies to establish a sound Internal Control System (ICS). The ICS aims to achieve four general objectives - operations (orderly, ethical, economical, efficient, and effective), reporting (accountability), compliance (with laws and regulations), and safeguarding of resources.

In view of the lapse of more than three decades since the promulgation of Presidential Decree No. 1445 (The Government Auditing Code of the Philippines) and more than five decades since the promulgation of RA No. 3456, as amended by RA No. 4177, it is deemed necessary to adopt the internal auditing standards, update the existing rules and regulations on the internal control system, and keep abreast with the recent developments in the internal auditing profession and in the internal control system.

PROTEST. French MP Jean Lassale speaks with ambulance drivers demonstrating near the French

National Assembly in Paris on December 3, 2018, to protest against their working conditions and call for a withdrawal of article 80 of the finance act on social security. (Photo by Lucas BARIOULET/AFP)

A happy ending to engagement ring disaster NEW YORK―For many visitors to New York, Times Square is a must-see. For one British man, it was where his romantic marriage proposal went horribly wrong―the diamond ring fell through a grate.

But don’t worry, thanks to the power of the internet, the story has a happy ending.

John Drennan got down on bended knee to ask his girlfriend of 10 years, Daniella Anthony, to marry him in New York’s Central Park.

She said yes.

But the ring was the wrong size, the couple told the BBC. “I tried to tell John it was too big, but he insisted I wear it,” Anthony said.

As the couple walked through Times Square later on, the sparkling diamond ring fell off and―plop!―it fell through a grate.

“We were walking back to the hotel. I can still visualize the ring. Bouncing once… bounc-

ing twice and then it was gone,” Drennan said.

Enter the power of the internet.

The couple called police, who opened the grate and hunted for hours. No luck. So Drennan and Anthony headed home and planned to buy a new ring.

But in the interim, the New York Police Department had located the bauble after all, and launched a social media campaign Saturday to find the couple, with pictures of them both and the ring.

Police even had the ring cleaned.

And on Sunday, the mystery was solved.

“The [now] happy couple is back in their home country, but thanks to your re-tweets they heard we were looking for them! We’re making arrangements to get them their ring back. Congratulations!” the NYPD said on Twitter.

“We don’t use Twitter―we had absolutely no idea this was going on. But we are so happy,” Anthony told the BBC. AFP

In line with the foregoing, this Commission hereby promulgates and prescribes the use of the Internal Auditing Standards for the Philippine Public Sector (IASPPS) and Internal Control Standards for the Philippine Public Sector (ICSPPS).

2.0

Coverage The IASPPS provides guidance essential for the professional practice of internal auditing to improve the effectiveness of governance, risk management, and control processes in all agencies of the government. It comprises two main categories: Attribute and Performance Standards, as shown in Annex A. On the other hand, the ICSPPS provides guidelines on a basic framework and is integrated with the essential management processes of planning, executing, and monitoring. It consists of the four general objectives, five components of internal control, and levels of agency’s structure, as shown in Annex B.

3.0

Repealing Clause All existing COA circulars, memoranda, and rules and regulations inconsistent with this circular are hereby amended/modified accordingly.

4.0

Effectivity This Circular shall take effect on November 21, 2018.

MICHAEL G. AGUINALDO Chairperson

JOSE A. FABIA Commissioner

ROLAND C. PONDOC Commissioner

Note: Annexes A and B of the Circular may be accessed in the COA Website @ www.coa.gov.ph (MS-DEC. 4, 2018)

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66.

Amepa OFW Access Center, Inc.,

AMEPA OFW

AMEPA OFW

ANG KABUHAYAN

ANG KABUHAYAN

CWS

CWS

5.

TOURISM EDUCATORS AND MOVERS, PHILIPPINES KILUSAN NG ORGANISADONG MAMAMAYAN PARA SA ULIRANG TRANSPORTASYON AT EPEKTIBONG REPORMA GUARDJAN (ASSOCIATION OF GUARD, UTILITY HELPER, AIDER, RIDER, DRIVER/ DOMESTIC HELPER, JANITOR, AGENT, NANNY OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC.

TEAM PHILIPPINES

TEAM PHILIPPINES

KOMYUTER

KOMYUTER

GUARDJAN

GUARDJAN

ATIN

ATIN

TEACHERS’ DIGNITY PROBINSYANO PARTY A-SOCCSKSARGEN PARTY-LIST

TEACHERS DIGNITY PROBINSYANO PARTY A-SOCCSKSARGEN

67.

Ang Kabuhayan

68.

Construction Workers’ Solidarity

Republic of the Philippines COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS Manila

69.

Dumper Philippines Taxi Drivers Association, Inc.

DUMPER PTDA

DUMPER PTDA

EN BANC

70.

Federation of International Cable TV and Telecommunications Associations of the Philippines

FICTAP

FICTAP

71.

Global Workers and Family Federation, Inc.

GLOBAL

GLOBAL

72.

Kaisahan ng mga Maliliit na Magsasaka

KMM

KMM

73.

Kusug Tausug

KUSUG TAUSUG

KUSUG TAUSUG

11.

74.

Movement For Economic Transformation and Righteous Opportunities

ALLIANCE FOR TRUTHFUL INFORMATION. TEACHERS’ DIGNITY PARTYLIST ( PROBINSYANO PEOPLE’S MOVEMENT ASSOCIATION OF FARMERS, FISHERFOLKS AND SMALL MINERS

METRO

METRO

12.

YESPH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, INC.,

YESPH

YESPH

75.

Partido Manggagawa

PM

PM

13.

CYMPIL

CYMPIL

76.

Sandigan ng mga Manggagawa sa Konstruksiyon

SAMAKO

SAMAKO

14.

CYCLISTA AT MOTORISTA NG PILIPINAS, INC. PAMBANSANG KILUSAN NG NAGKAKAISANG MANGGAGAWA, OR KILOS NA MANGGAGAWA

KILOS NA MANGGAGAWA

MANGGAGAWA PARTYLIST (KILOS NA MANGGAGAWA)

77.

Sinag Tungo Sa Kaunlaran

SINAG

SINAG

15.

PEOPLE SURGE DISASTER SURVIVORS GROUP, INC.

PEOPLE SURGE

PEOPLE SURGE

A. Registered Party-list groups, organizations or coalitions.

78.

Tanggol Maralita

ITO ANG TAMA

ITO ANG TAMA

1) Existing party-list groups, organizations, or coalitions whose registrations were retained by the Commission,1 and which have filed their Manifestations of Intent to Participate in the Party-List Elections not later than 02 May 2018.

79.

Tinderong Pinoy Party

TINDERONG PINOY

TINDERONG PINOY

ALLIANCE ISOGDABAW ANG BOL-ANON WACCAA

ALLIANCE ISOGDABAW ANG BOL-ANON WACCAA

80.

Tingog Sinirangan

TINGOG SINIRANGAN

TINGOG SINIRANGAN

STOP & GO

STOP & GO

81.

Tribal Communities Association of the Philippines

GUTOM

GUTOM

TRICAP

TRICAP

KAP

Una Ang Edukasyon

1-ANG EDUKASYON

KAP

82.

1-ANG EDUKASYON

83.

Union of Nationalist Democratic Filipino Organization

UNIDO

UNIDO

ALLIANCE OF OFW PARTY ISOGDABAW, INC. ANG BOL-ANON WOMEN AND CHILD CRIME ABUSE ASSISTANCE STOP & GO TRANSPORT COALITION GAWING UNA ANG TAGUMPAY NG ORDINARYONG MAMAMAYAN KAAGAPAY NG MAMAMAYANG PILIPINO (KAP) AGILA NG KATUTUBONG PILIPINO, INC.

AGILA

AGILA

84.

Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa

RAM

RAM

LAANG KAWAL UFCC

LAANG KAWAL UFCC

85.

Serbisyo Sa Bayan Party

SBP

SBP

DUTERTE YOUTH

DUTERTE YOUTH

27.

LAANG KAWAL NG PILIPINAS UNITED FILIPINO CONSUMERS AND COMMUTERS, INC. (UFCC) DUTY TO ENERGIZE THE REPUBLIC THROUGH THE ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE YOUTH SECTORAL PARTYLIST ORGANIZATION BARKADAHAN PARA SA BANSA, INC. (BARKADAHAN)

BARKADAHAN

BARKADAHAN

28.

WIRED AND WIRELESS INTERNET FOR FILIPINO INC.

WIFI

WIFI

ANGAT-PINOY

ANGAT-PINOY

AKO OFW

AKO OFW

PRAI

PRAI

1-ATPINOY

1-ATPINOY

A.G.P.T.A-IP

A.G.P.T.A.-IP

1ACCOUNTANTS

1ACCOUNTANTS

MINIMUM WAGE EARNERS GAWANG PINOY

MINIMUM WAGE EARNERS GAWANG PINOY

PNPA

PNPA

KAUNLARAN

KAUNLARAN

GRECON

GRECON

A.S.I.

ASI

P.E.R.A.

P.E.R.A.

AKO PADAYON PPP API AKSYON HEALTH WORKERS

AKO PADAYON PPP API AKSYON HEALTH WORKERS

MAGSASAKA

MAGSASAKA

IN THE MATTER OF THE PARTYLIST GROUPS, Abas, S.M., O R G A N I Z AT I O N S Parreno, A.A., OR COALITIONS Guia, L.T.F., INCLUDED IN THE Guanzon, M.R.A.V., RAFFLE TO BE Inting, S.B. , CONDUCTED ON 5 Casquejo, M. S., DECEMBER 2018 Kho, A.T. Jr. TO DETERMINE THE ORDER OF THEIR LISTING ON THE OFFICIAL BALLOT x-----------------------------------------------------x

Chairman Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner

RESOLUTION NO. _______________ The following party-list groups, organizations and coalitions may be qualified to participate in the raffle for purposes of determining their order of listing in the official ballot:

NAME OF PARTY LIST 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

REGISTERED ACRONYM

AS PER THEIR MANIFESTATION OF INTENT

1-CARE

1-CARE

ABS

ABS

OFW Family Club, Inc.

OFWFC

OFW FAMILY

MAGDALO ABONO

MAGDALO ABONO

A TEACHER

A TEACHER

86.

Alliance of Philippine Fishing Federations Inc.

ALL-FISH

ALL-FISH

1-LAMBAT

1-LAMBAT

87.

Awareness of Keepers of the Environment, Inc.

AWAKE

AWAKE

BH BAGONG HENERASYON

BH BAGONG HENERASYON

88.

Talino at Galing PInoy

89.

Kapatirang Magmamais ng Pilipinas Inc.

KAMAIS

KAMAIS

90.

Marino Samahan ng mga Seaman, Inc.

MARINO

MARINO

91.

Partido ng Bayan ang Bida

PBB

PBB

92.

One Bagong Ahapo ng Pilipinas Party-List

1-AHAPO

1-AHAPO

93.

Aksyon MagsasakaPartido Tinig ng Masa

Magdalo Para sa Pilipino Abono Advocacy for Teacher Empowerment Through Action Cooperation and Harmony Towards Education Reform Isang Lapian ng Mangingisda at Bayan Tungo Sa Kaunlaran

8.

Bagong Henerasyon

9.

10.

Kabataan Partylist

KABATAAN

KABATAAN

Ako Bicol Political Party

AKO BICOL

AKO BICOL AKB

11.

Alay Buhay Community Development Foundation, Inc. An Waray

12.

13.

Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta

14.

Trade Union Congress Party

15.

Adhikaing Tinataguyod ng Kooperatiba Agricultural Sector Alliance of the Philippines Agbiag! Timpuyog Ilocano, Inc. Alliance of Volunteer Educators

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

Act Teachers Butil Farmers Party

ALAY BUHAY

ALAY BUHAY

AN WARAY

AN WARAY

PBA TUCP

PBA TUCP

ATING KOOP

ATING KOOP

AGAP

AGAP

AGBIAG!

AGBIAG!

AVE

AVE

ACT TEACHERS

ACT TEACHERS

BUTIL

BUTIL

21.

Cooperative Natcco Network

COOP-NATCCO

COOP-NATCCO

22.

Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support, Inc.

ACT-CIS

ACT-CIS

23.

Gabriela Women’s Partylist

GABRIELA

24.

Anak Mindanao

25.

Abakada Guro

26.

TGP

NAME OF PARTY LIST

ACRONYM

AMIN

5.

ABAKADA

ABAKADA

6.

You Against Corruption and Poverty

YACAP

YACAP

27.

Ang National Coalition of Indigenous Peoples Action Na! Inc.

ANAC-IP

ANAC-IP

Joint Union of Active Nationalist Filipino JUAN Movement MOVEMENT Avid Builders of Active Nation’s ABANTE Citizenry Towards Empowered PILIPINAS Philippines Partido Lakas ng Masa PLM Bahay Para Sa Pamilyang Pilipino, BAHAY Inc.

28.

Angkla: Ang Partido Ng Mga Pilipinong Marino, Inc.

ANGKLA

ANGKLA

29.

Ang Asosasyon Sang Mangunguma Nga BisayaOwa Mangunguma, Inc. Barangay Natin

PEOPLE’S CHAMP

1BRO-PGBI

BAYAN MUNA

BAYAN MUNA

7.

8.

BHW FFP

Kabalikat ng Bayan sa Kaunlaran

KABAKA

KABAKA

GP

GP PARTY

9.

Murang Kuryente Partylist

MURANG KURYENTE

10.

Luntiang Pilipinas Partylist

LUNTIAN

MURANG KURYENTE LUNTIANG PILIPINAS

11.

Alliance of Public Organization, Inc.

1-APTO

1-APTO

12.

Kooperatiba-Kapisanan Magsasaka ng Pilipinas

ng

KOOP-KAMPI

KOOP-KAMPI

13.

Noble Advancement of Marvelous People of the Philippines, Inc.

MARVELOUS TAYO

MURANG KURYENTE

14.

Ina Na Nagmamahal Sa Anak

INANG MAHAL

INANG MAHAL

15.

Ako Ayoko Sa Bawal Na Droga

AKO

AKO

1P

1P

1 UTAP BICOL

1 UTAP BICOL

PTA

PTA

MAYPAGASA

KMI (MAYPAGASA)

WOW PILIPINAS

WOW PILIPINAS

Transport

LPGMA

AA-KASOSYO PARTY

AA-KASOSYO

35.

1-United Transport Koalisyon

1-UTAK

1-UTAK

16.

36.

Democratic Independent Workers’ Association Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption Ating Agapay Sentrong Samahan ng mga Obrero, Inc.

One Philippines

DIWA

DIWA

17.

CIBAC

CIBAC

One Unified Transport Alliance of the Philippines –Bicol Region

18.

Parents Teachers Alliance

19.

Kilusang Maypagasa

20.

Wow Pilipinas Movement

PDDS

PDDS

ANG PROBINSIYANO

ANG PROBINSIYANO

ABEKA

ABEKA

KONTRA BROWNOUT PARTYLIST

KONTRA BROWNOUT

39.

Ang Mata’y Alagaan

MATA

MATA

40.

Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives

APEC

APEC

21.

Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan

41.

Akbayan Citizens Action Party

AKBAYAN

AKBAYAN

22.

Alyansa ng mga Mamamayang Probinsiyano

42.

Social Amelioration & Genuine Intervention on Poverty

SAGIP

SAGIP

23.

Abe Kapampangan

One Patriotic Coalition of Marginalized Nationals

1PACMAN

1PACMAN

43.

44.

Abante Mindanao, Inc

ABAMIN

ABAMIN

45.

Append, Inc

APPEND

APPEND

46.

Agri-Agra na Reporma para sa Magsasaka ng Pilipinas Movement

47.

Aangat Tayo

48.

Ang Nars, Inc.

49.

Coalition of Association of Senior Citizens in the Philippines, Inc. Ang Laban ng Indiginong Filipino Kalinga-Advocacy For Social Empowerment And NationBuilding Through Easing Poverty, Inc.

50.

51.

52.

Anakpawis

53.

Buhay Hayaan Yumabong

54.

Abang Lingkod, Inc.,

ANG NARS

ANG NARS

28.

Ako Bisaya, Inc.

AKO BISAYA

AKO BISAYA

SENIOR CITIZENS

SENIOR CITIZENS

29.

Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc.

PHILRECA

PHILRECA

ALIF

ALIF 30.

KALINGA

ANAKPAWIS

ANAKPAWIS

BUHAY

BUHAY

ABANG LINGKOD

ABANG LINGKOD

ANAKALUSUGAN

KABAYAN

KABAYAN

1AAAP

1AAAP PARTY LIST

Manila Teachers’ Savings and Loan Association, Inc. Alliance of Organizations, Networks and Associations of the Philippines Ako An Bisaya

MANILA TEACHERS’

MANILA TEACHERS

ALONA

ALONA

AKO AN BISAYA

AKO AN BISAYA

ANUPA

ANUPA

63.

64.

65.

Confederation of Savings and Loan Associations, Inc.

CONSLA

CONSLA

Academicians, Students and Educators Alliance, Inc.

ASEAN

ASEAN

Acts Overseas Filipino Workers Coalition of Organizations

SULONG DIGNIDAD KABALIKAT

ANAKALUSUGAN

62.

SULONG DIGNIDAD KABALIKAT

56.

Alliance of National Urban Poor Organizations Assembly, Inc.

Sulong Dignidad Party Kabalikat ng Nagkakaisang Manileño

TAO MUNA

61.

AKO BISDAK

27.

TAO MUNA

60.

26.

AKO BISDAK

AANGAT TAYO

Ang Tao Muna At Bayan

59.

25.

Ako Bisdak-Bisayang Dako (ABBD), INC.

AANGAT TAYO

Alagaan Natin Ating Kalusugan Kabalikat ng Mamamayan 1 Alliance Advocating Autonomy Party

58.

National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms, Inc.

AGRI

55.

57.

24.

AGRI

KALINGA

ACTS-OFW

ACTS-OFW

30.

31.

32.

33.

31.

Public Safety Alliance For Transformation and Rule of Law Inc. Partido Sandugo

PATROL

PATROL

PARTIDO SANDUGO

SANDUGO

32.

Pinagbuklod Na Filipino Para Sa Bayan

33.

Philippine Educators Alliance for Community Empowerment Party

PEACE

PEACE

34.

Rural Electric Consumers and Beneficiaries of Development and Advancement, Inc.

RECOBODA

RECOBODA

35.

MINIMUM WAGE EARNERS

36.

GAWANG PINOY PAMBANSANG NAGKAKAISA SA PAGGAWA AT AGRIKULTURA

37.

KAPISANAN NG NAGKAKAISANG NAGHAHANGAD NG KAUNLARAN, KASAGANAAN, KATAHIMIKAN AT PAGKAKAISA GRAINS RETAILERS’ CONFEDERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC. ANG SIGURO, INC. PHILIPPINE ENVIRONMENT RECYCLING ASSOCIATION, INC. (PERA SA KALIKASAN) AKO PADAYON PILIPINO PILIPINAS PARA SA PINOY ANG PASAHERO, INC. AKSYON HEALTH WORKERS MAGKAKASAMA SA SAKAHAN, KAUNLARAN

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

43.

44.

BAHAY Party-List

LPGMA

AASENSO

NAGKAKAISANG PILIPINO PARA SA PAG-ANGAT NG MARALITANG MANILEÑO AKO OFW, INC. PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE RETIREES ASSOCIATION, INC. (PRAI) 1-ANG TRABAHADOR NA PINOY ALYANSA GENERAL, PARENTS TEACHER ASSOCIATION INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, INC. 1ACCOUNTANTS PARTYLIST, INC

29.

PLM

Bayan Muna

AASENSO

25.

ABANTE PILIPINAS

LPG Marketers Association, Inc. Kasosyo ProducerConsumer Exchange Association, Inc.

38.

23.

JUAN MOVEMENT

33.

37.

22.

AS PER THEIR MANIFESTATION OF INTENT BHW PARTY FILIPINO FAMILY

32.

34.

21.

(2) Party-list groups, organizations, or coalitions duly registered and accredited by the Commission, and which have filed their Manifestations of Intent to Participate in the Party-List Elections not later than 02 May 2018.

AMIN

People’s Champ Guardians

20.

34.

Galing Sa Puso Party

BANAT

19.

AKMA-PTM

4.

BANAT

16.

17.

18.

TGP

GABRIELA

30.

31.

10.

26.

Barangay Health Wellness Filipino Family Party

AAMBIS-OWA

8.

24.

1.

2.

3.

AAMBIS-OWA

7.

9.

1 Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy, Inc. Arts Business and Science Professionals st

6.

45.

46.

Meanwhile, the following party-list groups, organizations, or coalitions for consideration of the Commission En Banc shall be included in the publication but their inclusion in the raffle shall be subject to the resolution of the pending incidents respecting their cases: (1) Those whose registrations were retained by the Commission, but have filed their Manifestations of Intent to Participate in the Party-List Elections beyond the 2 May 2018 deadline.

1.

NAME OF PARTY LIST

ACRONYM

KATIPUNAN NG MGA GUARDIANS BROTHERHOOD, INC.

KGB

(2) Those that are neither registered nor has filed a Petition for Registration under the party-list system, but have filed a Manifestation of Intent to Participate not later than 02 May 2018.

NAME OF PARTY LIST

ACRONYM

1.

1ANAK TI ILOCANO ASSOCIATION, INC.

1 ATIAI

2.

CONFEDERATION OF SENIOR CITIZENS COALITION OF PHIL. ADHIKAIN AT KILUSAN NG ORDINARYONG TAO LABAN SA KAHIRAPAN

SENIORS COALITION

3.

AKO LABAN

(3) Party-list group whose Petition for Registration was granted and duly accredited by the Commission, and has filed a Manifestation of Intent to Participate not later than 02 May 2018 but not in the proper form and as an annex in the said petition.

1.

NAME OF PARTY LIST PROBINSYANO AKO

ACRONYM PROBINSYANO AKO

(4) Those that have been delisted by the Commission En Banc pursuant to Resolution Nos. 9932 and 10273, but have filed their Manifestations of Intent to Participate in the Party-List Elections on or before the 2 May 2018 deadline.

1.

2.

NAME OF PARTY LIST GREEN FORCE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF MOTHER EARTH ISANG ALYANSANG AALALAY SA PINOY SKILLED WORKERS INC.

ACRONYM GREEN FORCE 1-AALALAY

The above-mentioned party-list groups, organizations and coalitions may be included in the publication but their inclusion in the raffle shall be subject to the resolution of the pending incidents respecting their cases.

SO ORDERED.

BUKLOD FILIPINO BUKLOD FILIPINO

3) Those party-list groups, organizations, or coalitions which have filed their Manifestations of Intent to Participate in the Party-List Elections not later than 02 May 2018, but whose Petitions for Registration have been denied by a Division of the Commission and have filed a motion for reconsideration with the Commission En Banc, which remains pending as of the scheduled date of the raffle, and is approved for inclusion in the raffle by the Commission En Banc.

NAME OF PARTY LIST

ACRONYM

ANG AKING INA IPAGLABAN INC LIGA NG MGA MAGUUMANG PROBINSYANO, INC.

AS PER THEIR MANIFESTATION OF INTENT

ANG AKING INA

ANG AKING INA

LIGA NG MGA MAG-UUMA .

LIGA NG MGA MAG-UUMA

3.

RBU TAMANG ISIP MENTAL HEALTH CENTER

TAMANG ISIP

TAMANG ISIP

4.

RANAO FEDERAL STATE MOVEMENT

RANAO FEDERAL PARTY-LIST

RANAO FEDERAL

1.

In relation to RESOLUTION NO. 10273, IN RE: CANCELLATION OF REGISTRATION AND DELISTING OF PARTY-LIST GROUPS, ORGANIZATIONS OR COALITIONS UNDER THE PARTY-LIST SYSTEM, 19 March 2018.

1

(MS-DEC. 4, 2018)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Life

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

health and environment

@mstandardLIFe tuesday, december 4, 2018

C1

Cancer care on wheels MOBILE HEALTHCARE. The first mobile hematology and oncology treatment unit by Johnson & Johnson (Philippines), Inc., furnished with facilities and equipment that will allow for diagnostics, transfusions, and consultations with patients.

A

PHArMACEuTICAL company has donated a customized mobile hematology and oncology treatment unit to the Andres Soriano Foundation.

Dr. Erwin Benedicto

Johnson & Johnson (Philippines) Inc. donated a first of its kind, customized mini bus converted into a mobile treatment unit for the exclusive use of the Cancer Institute of the Philippine General Hospital, in support of the Andres Soriano Foundation’s hematologic and oncologic programs.

“As a company dedicated to caring for Filipino families, we make sure to care for all our stakeholders in every life stage and every need state,” said Dr. Erwin Benedicto, senior manager of Scientific Affairs and Medical Compliance of JJPI. He added, “With the donation of this mobile treatment unit, we hope to educate more Filipinos about the different

hematologic and oncologic diseases, as well, as encourage them to seek treatment when necessary.”

The unit also provides access to educational materials about various blood cancers and treatments available.

Managed by experts and doctors of the Cancer Institute of the Philippine General Hospital, the unit will soon be deployed to communities within Metro Manila and surrounding provinces.

“Blood cancer and diseases affect thousands of Filipino lives each year but access to healthcare and treatment facilities is still limited. With this donation from Johnson & Johnson (Philippines) Inc., we, along with our partners at the Cancer Institute, hope to expand the reach and treat more Filipino patients suffering from hematologic and oncologic diseases, and lessen the burden of Filipino families,” said executive director Lemia L. Simbulan of the Andres Soriano Foundation.

The Cancer Institute is the only national referral center for tertiary care, providing direct and quality patient services to thousands of indigent Filipinos all over the country, which according to Dr. Jorge Ignacio, chairman of the Cancer Institute and section head of Medical Oncology of the Philippine General Hospital, proves to be difficult considering the overwhelming number of patients that comes in everyday—20 percent of which are cancer patients.

From left: Dr. Ma. Angelina Mirasol, section chief of Adult Hematology at the Cancer Institute of Philippine General Hospital; Dr. Jorge Ignacio, chairman and section head of Medical Oncology at CI, Lemia T. Simbulan, executive director of Andres Soriano Foundation; Wigbert Funtanilla, country director for hospital channels at JJPI; Dr. Jerry Castillo of CI; and Dr. Erwin Benedicto, senior manager of scientific affairs and medical compliance at JJPI.

Dr. Ignacio said, “This donation will create many opportunities for us at the Cancer Institute and our patients. Given the accessibility this mobile clinic provides us, we foresee patient care response to go up by 20 percent as well as an increase in productivity among our partnerdoctors and healthcare practitioners.”

Dr. Ma. Angelina Mirasol, section chief of Adult Hematology at the Cancer Institute of PGH also shared that, “The provision of the red Van for the Hematology and Medical Oncology units at the Cancer Institute will also create opportunities for outreach programs that will improve adherence to treatment

through follow ups and other projects.”

She added, “This will help most especially the indigent patients who may have difficulties in tucking in transportation in their expenses. In the future, this may even open doors for community-based research and training that will better the quality of care for our patients.”

New health hub opens at Manila Doctors TOP executives of Manila Doctors Hospital and Maxicare Healthcare Corporation recently gathered together on the 2nd floor of Manila Doctors in Ermita, Manila to inaugurate the newest Maxicare HealthHub. It is a one-stop health hub that utilizes cutting-edge technol-

ogy to streamline the process of undergoing a medical consultation.

A new generation of self-service, the Maxicare HealthHub is an HMO-owned healthcare system especially designed for members to access their benefits in the most relaxing and convenient way.

The Maxicare health pod offers members a convenient and time-saving way of getting their LOA (letter of authorization). It is a fully automated system that manages patient queuing and makes gathering of initial vital signs quick, accurate, and hassle-free.

Maxicare president and chief executive Christian Argos and Manila Doctors Hospital president Elizabeth Dantes

Leading the inauguration were Maxicare president and chief executive Christian Argos, medical vice president and medical director Erlinda Tiuseco, vice president for marketing Artemio rillo, vice president for operations Sylvia Stolk, customer experience consultant rihard Vanags, and Manila Doctors Hospital president Elizabeth Dantes, vice president and assistant medical director Dr. Nelson Abelardo, and first vice president and hospital director Dr. Hian Ho N. Kua. One of the pioneers of health maintenance organization or HMO, Maxicare has more than 1.2 million members, more than 56,000 affiliated doctors, more than 1,000 affiliated hospitals and clinics, 3,800 dental providers, eight primary care centers, 13 help desks, nine satellite offices, and five exclusive wings.

Maxicare HealthHub at Manila Doctors Hospital has a patient queuing corner that makes waiting in line quicker and more comfortable, as well as a self-service health pods for automated gathering of vital signs.

The Maxicare HealthHub is located on the 2nd floor of Manila Doctors Hospital in Ermita, Manila. It’s open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Life

C2

tuesday, december 4, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

‘t

iS the season to be overweight?

your doctors hope not. though it can be quite a struggle to resist temptations to overeat with all the festivities going on, anyone can still have a good time and get through the holiday season without expanding their waistline. Here are some ways to stay in shape and in the pink of health.

How to stay healthy this holiday season

Prioritize sleep

Lack of sleep may result in not just fatigue but also poor decisions, such as going for bad food choices and canceling workout plans. experts say taking a 20-minute nap can help clear the mind. try to get at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night even with all the celebrations you may have to attend.

Hydrate

try drinking at least two glasses of water before each holiday meal to avoid overeating. carry a reusable water bottle and refill it often throughout the day.

Keep in mind that alcohol dehydrates the body, so if you are having a few alcoholic drinks, drink water in between.

Exercise whenever possible

Make small changes to your daily routine, like parking your car a comfortable distance from your destination or taking the stairs instead of the elevator to burn the excess calories from all those holiday goodies.

Take advantage of every opportunity to stay active even during the holiday season. Go to yoga class or take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Take a breather

Try to get at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night even with all the celebrations you may have to attend.

running errands and attending holiday parties and family gatherings can be quite stressful. Do your best to limit your stress, whether it is by slowing down or saying no to some invitations. if you are hosting lunch or dinner at home, delegate the tasks.

Give yourself the gift of health protection

Set your health goals early and live them as soon as possible. Go the extra mile for your well-being by getting a health insurance, like AXA Philippines’ Global Health Access. this health plan provides coverage of up to P100 million

and world-class medical service in the Philippines or abroad. this comprehensive worldwide health solution gives policyholders you access to the very best health options available, because you deserve no less.

Visit www.axa.com.ph for more information.

Security Bank recognized for employee wellness Security Bank was recently conferred the People Program of the year (Wellness) Award by the People Management Association of the Philippines for its total Wellness Program during the 42nd PMAP Awards in clark Field, Pampanga. the bank’s total Wellness Program is a series of activities, benefits, and perks that exceed the usual employer practices and addresses all aspects of health: physical fitness, mental and spiritual well-being, developmental, educational, and financial wellness. to ensure physical fitness, the Security Bank head office houses a gym where employees may do their fitness routines or attend after-work Zumba, yoga, and martial arts classes. in addition, the bank holds an annual Health, Wellness and Fitness Fair where employees enjoy free check-ups, healthy food options, and gym membership discounts. to promote spiritual well-being, the bank holds daily Masses, Advent and Lenten recollections, midweek services, and Bible study groups—all of which employees may choose to join. in addition, a wellness coach is available for personal counselling to nurture employees’ mental and spiritual health.

“At Security Bank, we believe that caring for our people’s needs helps

Prudential Corporation Asia chief health officer Andrew Wong

Insurer advocates supplementary healthcare

Security Bank holds daily Masses, midweek services, and Bible study groups for employees.

create a healthy and happy workforce that is prepared for success,” said SBc president and chief executive Alfonso L. Salcedo, Jr. For developmental, educational, and financial wellness, the bank’s training entity, SBc Academy, offers rigorous

The bank holds an annual Health, Wellness and Fitness Fair where employees enjoy free check-ups, healthy food options, and gym membership discounts.

skills and capacities training through seminars on leadership, management, sales, and service. Security Bank likewise offers wealth management, financial literacy, investments and insurance to employees, along with a workshop that seeks to prepare employees for retirement financially and emotionally.

Security Bank supports its employees and agency personnel by providing emergency financial and medical assistance in times of illness or natural calamities. Living up to its name, Security Bank puts a premium on the safety and security of employees, by regularly communicating traffic and weather bulletins, and hosting of self-defense workshops, disaster response seminars, and fire and earthquake drills. it also makes sure to give back to the communities it serves through the Security Bank Foundation, inc., its corporate social responsibility arm. employees volunteer their time and resources through various activities spearheaded by the foundation. through SBFi, the bank supports education by providing scholarships to deserving students all over the Philippines, some of whom are the children of Security Bank’s employees and agency personnel.

in Line with its commitment to helping close the health protection gap, British life insurer Pru Life uK, together with its regional headquarter Prudential corporation Asia, is at the forefront of promoting accessible supplementary health solutions to help more Filipinos mitigate healthcare costs and reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Pru Life uK, a subsidiary of international financial services group Prudential plc, sponsored this year’s eu-Philippines Business Summit, a high-level event which gathered around 350 participants from the government and private sectors in the country.

Speaking at the Business Summit’s panel on healthcare, PcA chief health officer Andrew Wong remarked, “in the Philippines and in the rest of Asia, health is a significant concern. the rising underinsured middle class, aging populations, and escalation in medical costs across the region will put increasing pressure on the health and financial burdens of the governments and their citizens.” the Department of Health estimates that one out of three Filipinos dies before the age of 70 from a noncommunicable disease due to lifestyle choices, such as tobacco, diet, and physical inactivity.

Over the past years, Prudential has launched a wide range of health insur-

ance solutions to complement its traditional life insurance policy offerings. these solutions are aimed at meeting the evolving needs of its customers as well as helping them live healthier and longer lives. in Asia, Prudential is a leading provider of medical insurance with over five million health customers and premium income exceeding £800 million in 2017.

“Prudential’s vision towards improving health and building a health ecosystem is to protect people’s health and wealth,” said Wong. “through partnering with strategic ecosystem players and leveraging our prevent-postpone-protect propositions, we will be able to provide comprehensive virtual and physical health services to our customers.” the holistic propositions have many benefits. the prevention approach covers lifestyle and wellness solutions such as sleep and diet tracking and coaching, as well as risk factor identification such as DnA analysis and health assessments to monitor current and future health risk factors. the postponement approach, on the other hand, focuses on disease management and recovery, while the protection approach covers triage, symptom diagnosis, telemedicine, electronic prescription and medical consultation.

Entertainment

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

The ‘One Music X Abu Dhabi 2018’ experience The proud team behind the success of the “One Music X Abu Dhabi 2018”

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HEERS and thrills filled the Mubadala Arena, Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi, UEA after thousands of Filipinos and non-Filipinos filled the venue and experienced an epic weekend at the One Music X Abu Dhabi 2018 music festival held on Nov. 9.

Fans of Inigo Pascual and Maris Racal’s tandem, popularly known as MarNigo, cannot contain their excitement upon seeing them together KZ Tandingan was on fire as she reonstage to perform the song “Havana” by turns on the “One Music X” stage Camila Cabello.

Kris Bernal in her most daring project to date KRIS Bernal is happy and excited with the turnout of her maiden indie project titled, Kontradiksyon under Bell Films which she just finished shooting.

“The character is very new to me. It’s far different from the previous roles I played in the past. In the story, I’m a call center agent who sells illegal drugs. She does this to make money although it’s against her principle.”

For the first time, she is paired with actor Jake Cuenca, who plays a government agent in the film.

“I only have good words for him. He’s a good performer and is very professional,” she said.

Kris shares that at first, she got intimidated with her Kapamilya co-star especially during the initial shooting days.

“I don’t really know him. Let’s face it, apart from his considerable acting skills, Jake’s also a looker. Add to this the fact that he comes from the rival network. But as I’ve said, the good thing about him is that he’s kind and supportive. He made me comfortable in our scenes together,” shared Kris.

She and Jake have intimate scenes in the movie, and Kris admitted that she had some challenges doing the scenes. Interestingly, even if she already figured in lots of kissing scenes and love scenes in her previous screen outings, the petite star still felt nervous.

“I feel awkward doing passionate scenes.

I don’t feel comfortable. Every time there’s a required love scene in my projects, I really get nervous as to how to do it realistically.

I told our director (Niel de Mesa) about my limitations: first, I don’t like to moan, next, I don’t want to figure in a pumping scene and last, I don’t want to expose my bosom. It’s good he understood and just like what I’ve mentioned earlier, Jake was very professional and supportive in such scenes.”

So far, Kris considers Kontradiksyon as her most mature and daring project to date.

“I’ve already done lots of mature roles on TV but generally, they’re still conservative.

Here, I have scenes in which I was just wearing sports bra or lingerie. Some quarters say that I’m not getting any younger and I should do more mature roles now. I

can say that Kontradiksyon is a good start. It’s a good challenge to my growing range as an actress.”

Kris is grateful to be given another crack at headlining a potboiler. Her last big screen project was Regal Entertainment’s Nandito Ako…Nagmamahal Sa ‘Yo in 2009 where she shared stellar billing with Aljur Abrenica. *** Rayver Cruz feels so elated that his first soap after inking a contract with GMA Asawa Ko, Karibal Ko is presently doing well in the ratings chart.

“Of course, it brings joy to my heart. Who wants that his maiden show have lukewarm results, right? I’m glad that the show is wellreceived by viewers,” he states.

Rayver admits that before the show started airing, he also had fears. “ I guess, that’s just natural. You’ll have jitters if the program will rate. But you know, you just have to trust the process, the story and the whole team. There are the writers, our director and of course, my two leading ladies, Kris (Bernal) and Thea (Tolentino) who are splendid actresses. It’s really heartwarming to read the tweets and comments of the public. It’s so encouraging.”

According to the former Kapamilya star, he feels more inspired to work given these positives in their soap.

“The more it motivates me to give it my best shot. It’s inspiring to act and do good scenes for the viewers. They should not miss the upcoming episodes,” he ends.

Kris and Jake in a scene from their latest film project

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Tuesday, December 4, 2018

ACROSS 1 Large wading bird 5 Figureheads’ places 10 Rapid current of water 14 Type style 15 Equip again 16 — so much 17 London district 18 Steer clear of 19 Withered 20 Brunch favorites 22 Approve 24 Descartes or Russo 25 Put oil on 26 — alai 28 Hedge shrubs 30 Fitness center 31 Autumn mo.

32 Flavorful seed 34 Iffy attempts 38 Shot up 40 Moved in a furtive manner 42 McClurg of sitcoms 43 Four-door model 45 More arid 47 From, in Hamburg 48 Gold Medal grp.

50 Competitive advantage

51 Schedule abbr.

52 Seized 56 Mellow fruit 58 Pupil 59 Promotes (2 wds.)

62 Buffalo’s lake 63 Benefactor 65 Like blue moons 66 Scuba gear 67 Ninny 68 Assns.

69 Treats fractures 70 Londoner’s tube 71 Nikita’s no DOWN 1 In that case (2 wds.)

2 Prosperous period 3 Came into 4 Evening wrap 5 Preadolescents 6 Guns the engine 7 Two — — kind 8 Expand 9 Dictation pros 10 Resound 11 Turn aside 12 Stop 13 Made a typo 21 “The Memory of Trees” singer 23 Quick swims 25 Made certain 26 Keeps in shape

27 Cropland measure 29 Rugged 33 Writer — Bagnold 35 Foe 36 Life stories 37 Dispatched 39 Diner worker 41 Frat bash (2 wds.)

44 Name of a thing 46 Get dizzy 49 College unit 52 Musical signs

53 Hawk’s lair 54 Enamel 55 Rust away 57 Goodyear’s headquarters locale 59 Garage item 60 Persuade 61 Genuine nuisance 64 None

On its second year, One Music X music festival once again left everyone with a weekend to remember as people get to enjoy variety of activities, capped with exceptional performances from world-class Filipino artists.

Now considered as a premier Filipinoproduced music festival in the Middle East, One Music X was made possible by the brilliant minds from Star Music, MOR 101.9, Myx Philippines, One Music PH and The Filipino Channel (TFC).

Kicking-off the night of music was the high-energy performance from Maris Racal, who also made a debut on the One Racal Music X stage.

She won the hearts of the crowd when she went all out in every performance, especially when she performed her original song “Ikaw Lang Sapat Na (You are Enough)” where she also showcased her talent in playing the guitar.

Gracing the One Music X stage the second time, Inigo Pascual has inspired everyone to pursue their dreams.

Recalling the series of milestones in his career in 2017, he tells the crowd: “Go for your dreams, don’t ever stop. People will always tell you negative things, people will always tell you why you cannot do these or that, but if you put your heart in it, be passionate and believe in your dreams, everything is possible.”

He then performed his hit single “Dahil

Sa’Yo”, which he dedicated to everyone who always believed and supported him.

Also performing for the first time on the One Music X stage was Moira dela Torre, who entered the stage with a big smile after seeing the warm welcome from the crowd.

As if sharing her personal story to everyone that night, she first performed “Tagu-Taguan” which is about someone leaving a person behind; followed by “Malaya” that is about letting go; and finally, “Tagpuan” which is about finally finding true love.

On her second time on the One Music X stage, KZ Tandingan made sure to interact with the crowd by doing a series of duet performances with some of them.

One of the crowd-members who did a duet with KZ was Adel Bagarinao, a nurse in Abu Dhabi who was so excited to watch her idol perform live but got more than she asked for. “The duet part is such a big bonus for me. Can’t explain the feeling! Sobrang saya at kilig!” said Adel on a Facebook message.

Meantime, it was one empowering set from Maja Salvador who did a special appearance that night. Channeling her character Ivy Aguas in her recent series Wildflower, she did a song and dance number performance of the songs “Power”

by Little Mix, “Cheap Thrills” by Sia and her original song “Dahan-Dahan.”

As soon as the OPM band Aegis went onstage for the final set of performances, the cheers got louder, and excitement filled the air. They brought the house down by performing their hit singles like “Basang Basa sa Ulan” and “Halik”.

There was even a part of their performance where they just listened and watch in awe as the crowd sings their song in chorus, knowing every line by heart.

Meantime, some overseas Filipinos headed early to the venue to showcase their talent in singing, dancing, acting and shared their inspiring stories during the Star Hunt at One Music X Abu Dhabi 2018 auditions. If luck is on their side, we will get to see some of them be part of different ABS-CBN programs either on TV, radio and online.

With the high energy flowing the entire day at the One Music X Abu Dhabi 2018 music festival, no one was left starving or dehydrated. There were different food trucks at the venue that filled everyone’s tummy with great food and refreshing drinks that were shared among family and friends.

More than just being a music festival, One Music X Abu Dhabi 2018 was able to work its magic once again of bringing together people from different walks of life and cultures to celebrate their love for music, great entertainment, and value for family and friendships.

Indie-Siyensya honors winning science films

By Seymour Barros Sanchez THE Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute awarded the winners of the third Indie-Siyensya science filmmaking competition on Nov. 28 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

The winners were chosen by Indie-Siyensya’s distinguished board of judges from the final entries submitted in the Youth and Open categories, with the themes “What My Community Needs Now” and “What My Country Needs Now,” respectively.

Three films from each category received trophies and cash prizes: 100,000 pesos for the Best Film, 50,000 pesos for the second prize and 25,000 pesos for the third prize. The competition’s main organizer also gave a special Viewer’s Choice Award to the film with the most number of votes from the Indie-Siyensya audience.

Judging this year’s Indie-Siyensya were Prof. Patrick Campos Campos, director of the University of the Philippines Film Institute; Prof. Garry Jay Montemayor, chair of the Department of Science Communication, UP Los Bayous College of Development Communication; advocacy filmmaker and educator Seymour Sanchez from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Digital Filmmaking program and Far Eastern University Department of Communication; Dr. Mudjekeewis “Mudjie” Santos, Santos father and founder of the Genetic Fingerprinting Laboratory under the Department of AgricultureNational Fisheries Research and Development Institute; and astrophysicist and data scientist Dr. Reinabelle “Reina” Reyes, who became known as “the Filipina who proved Einstein right” with her work on his Theory of Relativity.

The judges screened more than 300 film concept proposals for short documentaries that capture science as it works to answer the needs of communities and the country. The criteria for judging are Scientific Content and Adherence to the Theme (50 percent for the Youth category and 40 percent for the Open category), Execution

of Idea (30 percent for both categories), and Film Techniques (20 percent for Youth and 30 percent for Open).

“We were surprised by the number of individuals and groups interested in joining this year’s Indie-Siyensya. We’re hopeful that projects like this will encourage more students to choose science courses,” DOST-SEI Director Dr. Josette Biyo shared.

Indie-Siyensya partnered with the Film Development Council of the Philippines to hold a free science communication and film workshop last July 6 at the Cinematheque Centre Manila. This activity aims to help equip participants with the skills needed to create visually appealing and credible science films. The seminar talks were facilitated by Montemayor, 2017 Breakthrough Junior Challenge Challenge winner Hillary Diane Andales and director of photography Joshua Reyles.

Aside from organizing Indie-Siyensya, DOST-SEI primarily spearheads the country’s premier science scholarship programs and conducts teacher training and science promotion programs for the youth.

Capture science in action. Cinematographer Joshua Reyles (rightmost) gives hands-on camera and lighting experience to the participants of the 3rd Indie-Siyensya Filmmaking Competition Workshop.

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

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Entertainment

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 TNT Boys' explosive opening number features their cover of the popular classic hit and vocal powerhouse 'And I Am Telling You.'

VERY WANG NICKIE WANG

Listen, TNT Boys just made history at the Big Dome Hit Korean dramas air back-to-back on GMA BRACE for kilig weekday mornings as GMA Heart of Asia brings to light backto-back Koreanovelas with the premiere of Something About 1% and Don’t Dare to Dream.

T h e romanticcomedy tale of Something About 1%, features Jeon So Min as Darlene, a simple girl who is content with her simple life as a teacher at a small school and as the fan club president of a K-pop idol; and Ha Seok Jin as Irvin, a ruthless businessman with only making money as his goal.

Darlene’s life changed when she helped a random old man, without knowing he was rich. After seeing Darlene’s sincerity, he thinks she is the perfect pair for his arrogant grandson, Irvin, and orders the two to date. Darlene and Irvin agree in exchange for their own motives. In the one percent probability they have, will they get to know each other skin deep and find true love?

On the other hand, Don’t Dare to Dream follows the story of Nikki, played

by Gong Hyo Jin, a weather broadcaster who dreams of falling in love, and being an anchor.

She has a long-time crush on Harvey Lee (Jo Jung Suk), the famous n e w s reporter in the broadcast station she’s working at.

One time, Nikki accidentally touched the bump on Harvey’s chest. Nikki says he should get it checked in case he has breast cancer.

When he finds out he has breast cancer, he started taking Nikki seriously but it may be too late for him as his best friend, Johnny (Go Gyung Pyo), is already making moves on Nikki. Can Nikki get what she wants in her career and in her personal life?

Something About 1% and Don’t Dare to Dream premiered yesterday, Dec. 3, and airs from Monday to Friday, after The Legend of Zu on GMA-7.

E

MOTIONS poured out during the show’s finale. Amid the eye-catching pyrotechnics and flying confetti, they were hugging and comforting each other onstage after belting out “Listen,” a cover of Beyonce’s iconic torch song, which also took them to many parts of the world performing to live TV audience.

Pop sensations Mackie Empuerto (13), Keifer Sanchez (14), and Francis Concepcion (12), collectively known as TNT Boys, couldn’t hold back their tears as they thank the massive crowd that flocked to the Araneta Coliseum on Friday night to see them in a historic show—the boys are the youngest act to ever perform a full show on the stage of the almost 60-year-old multi-purpose arena.

Known for their electrifying belting showdowns and impersonations of legendary music icons, the trio featured powerhouse performances in their first major show billed Listen:

EMOTIONAL FINALE. Fans were moved when TNT Boys

got emotional during their performance of 'Listen,' the song that catapulted them to stardom.

The Big Shot Concert.

The show began with a tribute video that chronicled the trio’s humble beginnings to their rise to fame. Then, the crowd―a diverse group of kids, teens, parents and adult fans―erupted in ear-shattering screams when TNT Boys officially opened the show with their dynamic performance of “And I Am Telling You.” The same amount of enthusiasm was felt throughout the entire evening as the boys dished out powerful performances in succession with their covers of classic hits popularized by Bee Gees and Queen.

The two hour spectacle also witnessed TNT Boys perform the Christmas song

First business reality show returns for 3rd season THE Final Pitch, the Philippines’ first business reality TV show which airs on CNN Philippines, is set to return for its third season—linking promising entrepreneurs with multi-millionaire and billionaire investors looking to forge the next exciting business deals. “ Based on the success of our two previous seasons, we’ve proven how the combination of the right business models and talented entrepreneurs can attract angel funding from even the most traditional businessmen in the Philippines,” shares the show’s creator and host, serial entrepreneur and TV producer John Aguilar.

“This motivated us to create a bigger, better season that will help bridge the gap in mentorship and funding that startups face. Our goal is to connect them to the right people, get them funded, and help them scale to eventually become successful contributors to nation building,” adds Aguilar.

The upcoming season will bring back two of the previous season’s investor judges. William Tiu Lim, multi-awarded President and CEO of diversified food conglomerate Mega Global Corporation, makers of market leading Mega Sardines, returns with an eye to find and mentor more budding entrepreneurs. Cong.

Mikee Romero, energy and power industrialist and Co-founding Owner of Philippines AirAsia, rejoins the show together with his daughter, millennial entrepreneur Milka Romero.

Joining the lineup of the show’s illustrious investor judges are Michael Dargani, President and CEO of IceDream, Inc., Philippine franchise owner of Baskin Robbins, and Philippinebased British national Mark Vernon,

founder of Tagcash Ltd., a blockchain and cryptocurrency payments and crowdfunding platform.

Vernon’s involvement will be complemented by the special participation of the Manila Angels Investor Network (MAIN).

The Final Pitch once again renews its partnership with BPI Foundation for the show’s social enterprise category. BPI Foundation Executive Director Maricris Sandiego joins the show as a guest judge, earmarking a P500,000 grant to a social enterprise of their choice. Joining Sandiego as guest judges and mentors are John-C Syquia, SVP and Group Head of BPI Corporate Banking, and Junie Veloso, SVP and Group Head of BPI Business Banking.

The season begins with an initial pitch, where the entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to the investor judges.

Those selected in the initial pitch will undergo a boot camp complete with business challenges and mentoring opportunities from industry thought leaders and the show’s partners on how to better run, brand, and grow their businesses. The season culminates in a nerve-wracking final pitch, where the deals are eventually made.

Mentors of the third season will include Thames International Business School President Joel Santos, EON The Stakeholder Relationships Group Co-Founder and Chairman Junie del Mundo, Gorriceta Law Partner Mark Gorriceta, and other resource experts.

Filming for The Final Pitch Season 3 begins this month and premieres March 2019 on CNN Philippines.

For more information, partnership inquiries, and to view past episodes, visit TheFinalPitch.ph or call 09178136674.

The country’s business champions unite as the “The Final Pitch” Season 3 premieres in March 2019.

Thousands of TNT Boys fans flocked to the Araneta Coliseum to see the vocal trio perform live.

INTERNATIONAL

“O Holy Night” and sing the pop hits “A Million Dreams” from the blockbuster film The Greatest Showman, Beyonce’s “Halo,” Jessie J’s “Flashlight, and the bouncy tune “Bang Bang” of Ariana Grande, Jessie J and Nicki Minaj.

The trio also sang a new repertoire of songs they have not performed in public before including the new Bantay Bata theme song, and original track “I Wanna look That Way” by Hill de Roberts and Froilan Canlas.

Joining them as special guests were Vice Ganda, Jed Madela, K Brosas, and fellow Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids performers Chun-sa Jung, Esang de Torres, Krystal Brimner, Marco Masa, Noel Comia Jr., Onyok Pineda, Sheena Belarmino, and Xia Vigor.

Initially known as grand finalists of “Tawag ng Tanghalan Kids,” Mackie, Keifer, and Francis shot to fame and were launched as the TNT Boys after their singing showdown on Gandang Gabi Vice in June 2017 went viral.

Since then, they have traveled the world to perform for different audiences, appeared in Little Big Shots in the UK, US, and Australia this year (the first Filipino act to do so), and won the second season of Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids.

Listen: The Big Shot Concert was a solid testament of what these kids can do vocally, and what they can offer as music artists and performers in the years to come.

And even if they hit puberty, with a strong and growing following, like what we have witnessed in their concert, TNT Boys can definitely make history and even break more records.

New York’s iconic restaurant reopens for Amazon’s ‘MRS MAISEL’ THE Carnegie Deli was a New York institution for decades until it closed its doors in 2016.

On Saturday, it will reopen—but only for a week, and in a new location—as a promotion for the launch of the second season of Amazon’s Emmy-winning comedy, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel.

The pop-up restaurant—a fully-functioning eatery, not just Instagram bait -- has shifted from midtown Manhattan to the Nolita neighborhood. It has also shifted back in time to the 1950s to suit the program, which tells the story of a New York housewife who turns to stand-up comedy when her husband leaves her for another woman.

Mrs Maisel racked up eight Emmys and two Golden Globes for its debut season, including statuettes at both galas for best comedy series.

Season two will go live tomorrow (Wednesday in the US) on Amazon, the online retail giant with ever-increasing ambitions in the world of original entertainment.

The deli’s former owners worked with Amazon to get every last detail right—the wait staff, the menus, the jukebox, the kosher-style favorites.

There is even a sandwich named “The Midge”—pastrami, salami and cole slaw on rye—after Mrs Maisel. The price? A period-appropriate 99 cents.

Joshua Greenberg, who is the producer behind the pop-up, said the creative team worked hard to replicate “the look and feel of the show, which has a very distinct, beautiful art direction.”

New Yorkers are wild about the idea. Reservations for the 15 tables or so were all snapped up for a week within three hours.

Fans who can’t get a table can order takeout -- at the counter.

The return of the legendary deli, which was open for eight decades, is the latest in the “pop-up” trend -- a temporary store

or restaurant designed to generate buzz.

“People want to be in an environment that is unique. They want to put it on Instagram or on some other social platform,” Greenberg said.

“We’re hoping that people see it online and say to themselves, ‘Wow, I wish I was there.’”

The restaurant opened on Saturday and remains open through Dec. 8. A few walk-in seats will be available so a line is expected.

Organizers have bought 4,000 pounds (1.8 metric tons) of pastrami for the week.

No matter what happens, Marian Harper, the president and owner of the Carnegie Deli brand, has no plans to reopen a restaurant in New York over the long term, explains her daughter and brand vice president Sarri.

All of the proceeds from the project will go to the Lower Eastside Girls Club, a community center for area youth. AFP

The entrance to the Carnegie Deli pop-up, a recreation of the iconic New York restaurant that will be open for a week as part of a marketing campaign for Amazon comedy "The Marvelous Mrs Maisel"