Manila Standard - 2017 December 12 - Tuesday

IF YOUR HONORS PLEASE. (From left) Associate Justice Noel Tijam, retired Associate Justice Arturo Brion, Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza and Teresita Leonardo-de Castro join forces against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno during the resumption of the House Committee on Justice hearing Monday on the impeachment complaint against her, with one of them accusing her of alleged treason for trying to block his appointment owing to his objection on the West Philippine Sea issue. Manny Palmero

‘CJ committed treason’ Justice accuses Sereno of illegal use of top-secret WPS document

By Maricel V. Cruz

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VOL. XXXI • NO. 298 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

With ML, Duterte vows ‘total eradication’ of terrorists

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte vowed the “total eradication” of Islamic State-insipired terrorists and communist rebels, including their coddlers, sup-

porters and financiers should Congress heed his request to extend beyond Dec. 31 martial law in Mindanao for one more year .

Citing the continued threat of terrorism and rebellion in the region, which makes Min-

‘PH ratings upgrade a vote of confidence in Du30 govt’

By John Paolo Bencito MALACAÑANG welcomed Monday the Philippines’ latest credit upgrade by ratings firm Fitch which upgraded Philippines LongTerm Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating to ‘BBB’ from ‘BBB-’, citing continued strong macroeconomic performance and sound policies supporting high and sustainable growth rates.

“This is yet another affirmation that the Duterte administration’s focus on law and order as well as fight against crime and corruption is (sic) the right direction,” Communications

Secretary Martin Andanar said in a statement.

“This, together with the country’s strong macroeconomic performance and sound policies supporting high and sustainable growth rates gives us basis to hope that the country will continue to rise further in the ranks of Asian economies.”

Fitch, in a report released Monday, forecast real Gross Domestic Product growth of 6.8 percent for the Philippines in 2018 and 2019 and said it would maintain its place among the fastestgrowing economies in the Asia-Pacific region.

Credit ratings assess the default risk of a prospective Next page

danao “the hotbed of rebellion, Duterte stressed Monday the need for a one-year extension of martial law to “ensure total eradication of DAESHinspired Da’awatul Islamiyah Waliyatul Masriq, other like-minded Local/Foreign

Terrorist Groups and Armed Lawless Groups, and the communist terrorists as well as their coddlers, supporters, and financiers.”

“Public safety indubitably requires such further extension,

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By Macon RamosAraneta NEW vaccines should not be introduced to the market during an election year, said former Health secretary Paulyn Ubial while taking potshots at the P3.5-billion controversial Dengvaxia vaccine that was implemented under the administration of then Health secretary Janette Garin and former President Benigno Aquino II. “We do not introduce new vaccines during an election year,” said Ubial who failed to get the Next page

AGAINST DENGVAXIA. Members of the Alliance of Health Workers hold a protest rally Monday at the Senate in Pasay City against Dengvaxia anti-dengue vaccine, the French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur, manufacturer of the vaccine, and the Department of Health during a Senate hearing on the vaccine. Norman Cruz

Nuke war one tantrum away—Nobel winners OSLO, Norway—Mankind’s destruction caused by a nuclear war is just one “impulsive tantrum away”, the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, warned on Sunday as the United States and North Korea exchange threats over the

By Rey E. Requejo

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At the impeachment hearing, Jardeleza accused Sereno of obtaining and using “illegally secured” top-secret document on the issue and used it as basis for Jardeleza’s rejection in the shortlist of SC appointees in 2014.

The “top-secret” document was Jardeleza’s March 2014 memorandum which cited reasons to exclude the Taiwanese-occupied Itu Aba from Manila’s arbitration case against China.

“I was accused of being disloyal, of being a Judas to our country. But, in my view, it is the Chief Justice who acted disloyally, who was a Judas to our

Former DoH chief junked Sanofi deal

Trader wants P6.4-b shabu case dropped BUSINESMAN Richard Tan has asked the Justice department to dismiss the criminal charges filed against him by the Bureau of Customs in connection with the P6.4-billion shabu shipment seized in May this year.

He sought the dismissal of the smuggling against him in a counter-affidavit he submitted to State Prosecutor Charles Guhit.

Tan said the case filed

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SSOCIATE Justice Francis Jardeleza on Monday accused Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno of treason for trying to block his appointment to the Supreme Court owing to his objection on the issue of West Philippine Sea—one of four Associate Justices who testified against her at the resumption of

impeachment proceedings against her Monday.

nation’s nuclear tests.

“Will it be the end of nuclear weapons, or will it be the end of us?” ICAN head Beatrice Fihn said in a speech after receiving the peace prize on behalf of the anti-nuclear group.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have spiralled as Pyongyang has in recent

months ramped up its number of missiles and nuclear tests.

North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un has exchanged warlike threats with US President Donald Trump, who has ordered a military show of force.

“The only rational course of action is to cease living Next page

Toys for users: P30-m meth seized from Naia ROAD REHEARSAL. Staff of the MMDA monitor drivers along Metro Manila’s Edsa main street on the first day Monday of the dry run of High Occupancy Vehicle, which is the fifth lane or leftmost lane on Edsa, designated as a lane for vehicles transporting two or more people. Vehicles with only one person inside may use the motorcycle lane as well as the second and third lanes from the MRT 3. Norman Cruz

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THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group have intercepted P57.5 million worth of suspected shabu hidden in a package of toys in Pasay City,

an official said Monday.

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said the contraband was discovered on separate dates when the authorities conducted random K9 sweeping operations and X-ray screenings of inbound

packages.

Around 8 p.m. on Nov. 29, Aquino said, PDEA and Naia inter-agency task group agents intercepted a package containing about six kilograms of suspected shabu Next page

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017

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De Lima, Gascon hypocrites —Roque

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENTIAL Spokesman Harry Roque on Monday chided Senator Leila De Lima and Commission on Human Rights chairman Jose Luis Martin “Gascon, calling them “hypocrites” for insisting there were extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration when they had supported a definition of the term that excluded the summary killings of drug suspects.

Roque said Administrative Order 35, which was signed during the Aquino administration, defined extra-legal killing or extrajudicial killing as a killing in which the victim was a member of or affiliated with an organization to include political, environmental, agrarian, labor or similar causes, or an advocate of these causes, or a media practitioner, or person(s) apparently mistaken or identified to be so.

“How is it now that when drug pushers or users die, Senator De Lima and Chairman Gascon insist that these are EJKs?” Roque said in a statement.

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debtor, providing guidance to investors, corporations, and governments worldwide.

The improved credit rating of the Philippines will therefore enhance the government’s access to financing and potentially present more favorable terms and conditions for future loans, the Department of Budget and Management said in a statement.

Among the key ratings drivers cited by Fitch include the Philippine economy’s consistent growth performance evidenced by strong domestic demand and inflows of foreign direct investment, as well as the country’s robust fiscal position.

The ratings agency lauded the fiscal policies of the government that are geared to boost infrastructure spending and liability management.

The tax reform initiative, in particular, will generate revenues for the government to finance its expenditure priorities while also supporting the projected decline of the government debt-to-GDP ratio to around 34 percent, below the “BBB” median of 41 percent of GDP. On the monetary front, Fitch also mentioned it expected inflation to remain within the 2 percent–4 percent target band of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

The current account deficit is also expected to be manageable, driven by imports of capital goods, and being offset by remittance inflows and business process outsourcing receipts.

Furthermore, the credit agency said that foreign exchange reserve levels remain to be adequate, covering close to 8 months of current external payments. With AFP

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worth P30 million at a local branch of a multinational courier delivery service along Andrews Avenue.

Aquino said the shabu parcels were sent by one Tyler Wilson whose address was No. 4313 Sepulveda Boulevard, Culver City, California 90230. The consignees were identified as Rogelio Almodiel of No. 11 North Stamford Residence, Tower 2, Upper McKinley Road and Florence Way Road, Taguig City, and Hasmine Erquiza of No. 32 Vicente España Subdivision, Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City And around 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 4, the same operating unit intercepted another parcel consigned to Erquiza that contained about 5.5 kilos of suspected shabu worth P27.5 million, and which was passed off as children’s toys and puzzles.

“The package was declared as toys and its intended receiver was Almodiel,” Aquino said.

He said that, when the parcels were delivered to the consignees’ addresses, both failed to show up.

He said they will be charged.

PNA

News

House won’t relent on Trade chief

By Maricel V. Cruz

Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, chairman of the House committee on good government and public accountability, said his panel will again invite Lopez to its congressional inquiry after

Lopez failed to attend its hearing last week.

This came after Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar, who authored House Resolution 1188, said Lopez was the principal resource person

who could shed light on the issue.

At a congressional hearing last week, Evardone asked why Lopez was not around despite an invitation earlier sent to him by the committee secretariat.

“May we ask for the reason why the DTI secretary is absent for the second time around in connection with this proceeding?” Evardone said.

Trade Assistant Secretary Ireneo Vizmonte represented Lopez and said: “The Secretary is not available for this week and he gives his apology. I am not exactly aware of the reason why he is not available today, but I know for sure that he has another meeting or activity to attend.”

‘CJ...

one who committed treason. You even used a top-secret document without impunity. You even aired to the public the disagreement in the legal team.”

This developed as two other incumbent Associate Justices and a retired Associate Justice denounced Sereno’s unilateral decision over an en banc decision pertaining to the transfer of Maute cases.

At the resumption of the impeachment proceeding conducted by the House Committee on Justice, Associate Justices Noel Tijam, Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, and retired associate justice Arturo Brion, also attended the hearing and testified against Sereno.

Tijam told the House justice panel that Sereno not only failed to act promptly on the request of the Department of Justice to transfer the venue of trial of cases against members of the Maute terrorist group but also kept the court en banc in the dark on crucial information that could have allowed speedy disposition of the case.

“The Chief Justice is not the Supreme Court. In other words, unlike the chief of a tribe in a community, the chief of a conglomerate, the chief of a group of companies, Sereno could not overrule, super-

sede or cancel the decision of the en banc,” Tijam said as he urged Sereno to attend the impeachment proceedings to explain her side.

De Castro, who earlier testified at the House justice panel’s impeachment proceeding, denounced Sereno’s unilateral action without consulting the en banc.

“I believe that the actions done by the chief justice from the time that she resumed her position showed no respect or courtesy to the court en banc,” De Castro said.

Impeachment complaint lawyer Larry Gadon alleged that Sereno committed culpable violation of the Constitution when she manipulated and delayed resolution of Aguirre’s request on the transfer of venue of Maute cases.

Tijam said on June 13, Aguirre sent the SC a letter seeking reconsideration of the June 6 resolution.

The next day, the Office of the Court Administrator issued a report and recommendation to transfer the Maute cases out of Mindanao.

“These are letters which we came to know after the fact. The Chief Justice never submitted these letters to the en banc,” Tijam said.

Tijam said being chief justice did not mean having absolute powers because even the matter of pur-

chase of vehicle, as well as the matter of going on official leave, had to be submitted to the en banc.

Tijam also said while Aguirre submitted the initial request for the transfer of the Maute cases outside of Mindanao as early as May 29, 2017 for security reasons, the court en banc actually granted it only on Aug. 8, 2017.

“It is important for the en banc to consider matters of urgency. And we can only consider these matters of urgency if the en banc is given full information, immediate information, complete information,” Tijam said.

He claimed that the SC had been penalizing judges and court personnel for inordinate delay in acting on matters assigned to them so the high court must hold itself to an even higher standard.

On May 31, 2017 Court Administrator Midas Marquez wrote a letter to Sereno supporting Aguirre’s request.

However, Tijam said the matter was not taken up in the en banc session on June 6, 2017.

Also, Tijam said on the same day he received a phone call from Sereno after the June 6 session informing him that the issue was taken up during lunch after the en banc session and that the members agreed

to hold the trial in Cagayan De Oro City.

Yet, the SC en banc issued a resolution on June 6 reflecting the supposed decision that was reached by the court during lunch, he said.

“But there is distinct difference between discussing something important during the en banc session where you have the docket folders, you have the materials with you, and holding a caucus on an important matter where in front of you are forks, plates and food,” Tijam said.

Tijam clarified he was not the justice in charge of the case but he circulated his recommendation on it after the SC practically rejected Aguirre’s request to transfer the Maute cases out of Mindanao.

Jardeleza confirmed the transfer of Maute case was not taken up in the June 6 en banc session.

De Castro, a member of the raffle panel, said the case was not actually raffled off on June 5, which was inconsistent with Sereno’s claim that she was the member in charge of the case.

Brion also echoed a similar sentiment against Sereno.

“We are a very small group in the Supreme Court. ..You are getting what you want through these devious means that are not right,” Brion said.

been monitored towards continuing with their plan to build a “wilayat” or province for the Islamic State in Southeast Asia— activities including recruitment and reorganization in Central Mindanao, particularly in Maguindanao and North Cotabato as well as Sulu and Basilan, Duterte said.

The President referred to continuing threats posed by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and Abu Sayyaf group carrying out acts of terrorism in various parts of the island.

In related developments: • Congress will convene into

a joint session tomorrow to approve Duterte’s request to extend martial law in Mindanao for another year, House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas said on Monday.

Fariñas said Congress would not hold a special session during the Christmas holiday break.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said the House leadership would support the President all the way.

“We support the President’s desire to extend martial law in Mindanao to bring peace in Mindanao—’the hotbed of terrorism’ as described by the President,” Alvarez said.

• Two opposition lawmakers, meanwhile, opposed the Palace’s declaration for martial law extension, saying this violated the Constitution.

“Where is the actual invasion or actual rebellion in Mindanao?

The Constitution provides that martial law can only be declared and its extension authorized in case of invasion or rebellion when public safety requires it,” Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said, echoing the sentiments of partylist Rep. Carlos Zarate.

“Since the original or initiatory declaration of martial law is limited to not more than 60 days,

it stands to reason that any extension is subject to the same constraints with respect to duration and grounds,” Lagman added.

• Former solicitor general Florin Hilbay, in an interview with ANC News, said there was no legal basis for an extension of martial law in Mindanao as mandated by the 1987 Constitution.

Hilbay stressed the Constitution was very clear on the basis for the President’s declaration of martial law, either an actual invasion or rebellion and when the public safety required it. With AFP, Maricel V. Cruz, Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

Committee, said in her lecture during the ceremony that ICAN’s “message resonates with millions of people who perceive that the threat of nuclear war is greater than it has been for a long time, not least due to the situation in North Korea.”

Senior UN envoy Jeffrey Feltman on Saturday warned there was a grave risk that a miscalculation could trigger conflict with Pyongyang and urged the reclusive state to keep communication channels open.

Kim and Trump have taunted each other in recent months, with the US President pejoratively dubbing his rival “Little Rocket Man” and a “sick puppy.”

“A moment of panic or carelessness, a misconstrued comment or bruised ego could easily lead us unavoidably to the destruction of entire cities,” Fihn said.

Hiroshima remembered Several survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombings, which killed more than 220,000 people 72 years ago, attended the ceremony in the Oslo City Hall.

One of them, Setsuko Thurlow, received the Nobel on behalf of ICAN jointly with Fihn.

Speaking to AFP ahead of the ceremony, Thurlow recalled the horrific aftermath of the first atom-

ic bomb in Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, when she was 13 years old.

Thurlow described corpses lying on the ground, the injured and dying calling for help and the survivors looking like “a procession of ghosts.”

“The hair was standing up and they were all burned on the skin and their flesh was hanging from their bones,” she said.

“Some were carrying their eyeballs. It just was like hell on earth,” added the 85-year-old who now lives in Canada and uses a wheelchair.

‘Heed our warning’ Although the number of nuclear weapons has dropped since the end of the Cold War, there are still around 15,000 atomic bombs on earth.

“Listen to our testimony. Heed our warning. And know that your actions are consequential,” Thurlow said during her speech at the ceremony, referring to the leaders of nuclear-armed nations.

At a separate ceremony in Stockholm on Sunday, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf handed over the Nobel prizes in literature, physics, chemistry, medicine and economics.

Each prize consists of a diploma, a gold medal and a cheque for nine million Swedish kroner (900,000 euros). AFP

mittee hearing on the dengue vaccine controversy.

Testifying in the hearing chaired

by Senator Richard Gordon, Ubial said she was already against the use of the world’s first dengue vaccine for mass use in the Philippines when she was still assistant secretary.

Ubial said she strongly objected to the rollout of the government’s dengue vaccination program during her term in the Department of

Health.

The vaccine program is now under scrutiny after the government purchased P3.5 billion worth of dengue vaccines from French pharmaceutical Sanofi Pasteur, which were later stopped by Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. Duque said 830,000 children were vaccinated with Dengvaxia but it was stopped after Sanofi announced that those vaccinated

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RADE Secretary Ramon Lopez has a lot of explaining to do over the allegedly grossly disadvantageous lease contract signed by the Department of Trade and Industry, Philippines Exporters Confederation Inc. and Manila Exposition Complex Inc., a House official has said.

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country. Why would she use this top-secret document, what for?”

Jardeleza said.

“She was not involved in the arbitration. The document she used was illegally secured,” Jardeleza said, saying the memorandum was intended to inform President Benigno Simeon Aquino III of the “legal implications and risks” of having Itu Aba included in the arbitration case.

“Our case is a purely executive department activity. The judiciary is not included. The question is, how did it reach the Chief Justice?

Who gave it to her?” he added.

Jardeleza said that Sereno’s objection was merely “a difference of opinion... on an executive matter.”

Jardeleza explained that including Itu Aba in the arbitration case would be risky for it may be recognized as an “island.”

“As they say, the rest is history.

Good thing we won,” Jardeleza said.

Neverthess, he said: “While the case is pending, why would I be called a traitor to the motherland?

In my opinion, you [Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno] were the

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not only for the sake of security and public order, but more importantly to enable the government and the people of Mindanao to pursue the bigger task of rehabilitation and the promotion of a stable socioeconomic growth and development,” Duterte said in his letter dated Dec. 8 to Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

Remnants of Da’awatul Islamiyah and their allies have

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under the conditions where our mutual destruction is only one impulsive tantrum away,” Fihn added.

ICAN, a coalition of hundreds of NGOs around the world, has worked for a treaty banning nuclear weapons which was adopted in July by 122 countries.

The text was weakened by the absence of the nine nuclear powers among the signatories.

In an apparent snub of the ICAN-backed treaty, the three western nuclear powers—the US, France and Britain—broke with tradition by sending secondranking diplomats rather than their ambassadors to Sunday’s ceremony.

‘Bruised ego’ Supporters of nuclear weapons argue that they serve as a deterrent for starting a major conflict as it would guarantee mutual destruction for the nations involved.

“They are a madman’s gun held permanently to our temple,” Fihn said.

“These weapons were supposed to keep us free, but they deny us our freedoms.”

Berit Reiss-Andersen, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel

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confirmation of the powerful Commisison on Appointments.

“Because no matter how good that vaccine is, the introduction during an election year would taint it. That’s why we can’t mix health and politics,” added Ubial, during the first Senate Blue Ribbon com-

Evardone said the committee could not proceed with the hearing without Lopez’s presence.

“Unless you are ready to present the Secretary’s position on the EDC,” he told Vizmonte.

But Vizmonte said they could not speak in behalf of the Export Development Council.

This prompted the committee, then presided by Rep. Doy Leachon of Oriental Mindoro, to ask the committee secretariat to invited Lopez to attend the next hearing.

Aside from Vizmonte, the hearing last week was attended by resource persons from the Trade Department, Commission on Audit, Office of the Executive Secretary, Office of the Government

Corporate Counsel, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. and Manila Exposition Complex, Inc. Evardone’s HR 1188 says the Accredited Export Organization is a single umbrella organization selected by the Export Development Council to represent the concerns and interests of the export sector.

The accreditation will be for a period of three years, which may be renewed upon review by the EDC. In this regard, Republic Act 7844, otherwise known as the Export Development Act of 1994,” allows the AEO to, among other things, manage the Philippine Trade Centers and the authority to enter into contracts with promotion facilities or functions.

Trader... against him by Customs should be dismissed for mootness as the same charges filed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency against him and other respondents had already been filed by the Justice Department before the Valenzuela City regional trial court.

“Since the case for violation of Section 4 of R.A. No. 9165 has already been filed by this Honorable Office and is now pending before the Regional Trial Court of Valenzuela City, it is respectfully submitted that this case has already been rendered moot,” Tan says in his two-page affidavit.

He adopted his answer in the previous preliminary investigation on the PDEA case, which he submitted to the Justice Department in September.

“My lawyer has advised me that I cannot be liable for Sections 1113, 1400, 1401 and 1403 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act simply because the law does not contemplate the importation of dangerous drugs,” Tan says in his petition.

“Said act of importation of dangerous is covered under Section 4 of R.A. No. 9165. It cannot

be complexed with the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. There is simply no jurisdiction that supports it.”

Tan, whose real name is Chen Ju Long, is the chairman and general manager of Philippine Hongfei Logistics Group of Companies Inc., which owns the warehouse in Valenzuela City where the 604 kilograms of shabu were discovered on May 26.

He recently tried to leave for China but was not allowed since he os in the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order and did not have the necessary Allow Departure Order.

Businessman Kenneth Dong and customs broker Mark Ruben Taguba, who were also named respondent in the complaint, have already sought the dismissal of the charges against them in their respective answers filed last month.

The other respondents are Eirene May Tatad, owner of EMT Trading, consignee of the drug shipment; Taiwanese nationals Chen Min and Jhu Ming Jyun, warehouseman Fidel Anoche Dee, broker Teejay Marcellana, businessman Manny Li, and unidentified individuals whom Customs believe had been involved in the shabu shipment.

would suffer severe dengue cases if they had not yet been afflicted with the mosquito-borne ailment.

Ubial admitted it was hard for her to implement the vaccine program but said she had no choice because she was pressured to implement the government’s dengue vaccination program during her term.

“The pressure was there starting the first day that I became the secretary of Health,” said Ubial,

adding that the vaccination program was given to nine years old and older.

She said she was ‘already on damage control.’

“People were telling me... I wanted to stop the next delivery because only 200,000 was delivered in March. The next delivery will be in August and in January.

I wanted to stop that,” disclosed Ubial.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Set pilot tests on jeep modernization’

By Macon Araneta

S

ENATOR Grace Poe yesterday recommended that the government should conduct a pilot test of the planned jeepney modernization in the light of sketchy details and purported lack of consultations with transport groups.

“I want to have pilot projects. They should be in various areas. If compliance within the safety, roadworthiness at saka emissions, this can be addressed first and then the others like side door ac-

cessibility, and persons with disabilities,” Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services, told reporters on the sidelines of the hearing on the jeepney modernization program.

Transport groups present during the hearing were one in backing the proposed modernization, but they lamented that there seemed to be lack of consultations, particularly on the issuance of Department Order No. 2017-011 or the omnibus franchise guidelines issued last June.

She said the said policy contained a set of standards for franchise issuance such as door location on the curbside door and not the rear door for boarding and alighting, access for persons with disability, and that jeepneys must be below seven meters in length.

She said jeepneys must also be able to pass the emission standards.

He said that those still functioning

should be allowed to run.

“For sure, many should be replaced. There should be prototypes and they should also clarified who are going to be the suppliers,” added Poe. “Secondly, if we are to get accredited companies, make sure there’s no “kumpare system.”

“But will jeepney drivers and operators afford millions in loans for new jeepneys as part of the government’s modernization program for public utility vehicles?” asked Poe. Poe raised this question as the planned jeepney modernization plan is set to initially roll out next year, with the government subsidizing P80,000 of the P1.5 to P1.8 million estimated cost of a new

jeepney.

“Kaya ba ng bulsa—hindi lang ng mga drayber/operator kung ‘di pati na rin ng mga mananakay? Kaya ba ng ating mga jeepney drayber at operator na bayaran sa loob ng itinakdang panahon ang utang para sa bagong mga jeep? May kasiguraduhan ba na papautangin sila ng bangko?” Poe said as she quizzed Transportation officials during the public hearing on the proposed jeepney modernization plan.

Poe appealed to transport officials to reconsider the “high unit cost and burdensome financing terms” to be extended to jeepney driver-operators.

“Come to think of it, if gov-

ernment is subsidizing trains run by rich companies to the tune of billions, then why should it allow jeepney drivers and operators to foot the bill for new units almost all by themselves?” said Poe. Poe also said that if the government can provide a flurry of incentives to the private sector under the scheme, then all the more it is well within its means to provide more funding support to jeepney driveroperators.

“If PPP grantees are given incentives, in amounts with dizzying number of zeros, and are hailed as patriots, then why are jeepney drivers who are asking for a little more help treated as pests?” the senator said.

BI deports 46 Chinese involved in cybercrime

Oil firms cut kerosene, gasoline prices

By Alena Mae S. Flores

By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Immigration deported 46 Chinese fugitives who were arrested for illegally operating hundreds of online gambling computers in Makati City.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the aliens left the NInoy Aquino International Airport aboard a China Southern Airlines flight to Shenyang, China, together with their police escorts from China who were there fetch them.

The deportees were among the 81 foreigners rounded up last Nov. 7 by members of the bureau’s fugitive search unit (FSU) in an operation conducted inside the Burgundy Towers along Gil Puyat Ave. where they had been illegally operating an online trading business, Morente said.

The BI agents were on a mission to capture four Chinese fugitives wanted for economic crimes but stumbled upon the other aliens during the operation.

“We already placed them in our immigration blacklist to prevent them from re-entering the country,” the BI chief said.

The Chinese nationals were detained for three weeks at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City before they were deported.

BI legal chief lawyer Arvin Cesar Santos said that the BI board of commissioners issued a summary deportation order against the Chinese nationals.

Santos said the aliens were ordered expelled after the Chinese embassy informed the BI that those arrested were all fugitives wanted for cybercrimes in their homeland.

SHABU PACKAGE. Two packages containing methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu with an estimated value of P57.5 million were intercepted by

combined operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Ninoy Aquino International Airport security. Photo shows PDEA Director Aaron Aquino presenting to the media the seized parcels of shabu. Manny Palmero

Sandiganbayan OKs Jinggoy plea for family trip in Hong Kong

By Maricel V. Cruz THE Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has granted the appeal of former senator Jinggoy Estrada to allow him to spend Christmas with his family in a trip to Hong Kong.

The anti-graft court approved Estrada’s “long desired family bonding and holiday trip” with his family: his wife Precy and their children Janella, Jolo, Julian, and Jill in Hong Kong from

Japan vows support for ‘Minda’ peace process

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan JAPAN on Monday vowed that it will “further strengthen support” to the peace process in Mindanao.

Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda also expressed Japan’s intention to enhance the JapanBangsamoro Intiative for Reconstruction and Development (J-Bird) to help Marawi City’s reconstruction as well as the government’s counter-terrorism efforts.

Haneda made the vow when he attended the groundbreaking Bangsamoro Assembly organized by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission in Sultan Kudarat,

Maguindanao.

Some 4,000 people from all over Mindanao, and more than a million others registered for the Assembly.

At the event, Haneda met with President Rodrigo Duterte, MILF Chairman Murad, MNLF Chairman Jikiri, BTC Chairman Jaafar, key Cabinet peace and security officials, and other major Mindanao stakeholders.

Haneda also visited the International Monitoring Team where Japan has dispatched its Socio-Economic Experts since 2006 and the Training Facility supported by the Embassy of Japan since 2012, and met with Bangsamoro Development Agency Chairman Dipatuan.

Dec. 26 to 31.

Estrada thanked the Sandiganbayan for allowing him to spend a vacation with his family this Christmas. He said it would be his first vacation abroad since he received his provisional liberty last September. “[I am] very, very thankful at grateful to the members of the court for granting my, parang Christmas vacation with my family. Malaking bagay yun sa

aking pamilya lalong-lalo na sa aking mga anak na makasama ako sa ibang bansa,” Estrada said.

“Ito ang unang pagkakataon na makakasama ko ang aking pamilya abroad,” he added.

Estrada posted a P2.6-million travel bond for the Singapore trip last November where he accompanied his father, former President and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada for a medical

check-up.

Estrada said he will abide by the conditions of the Sandiganbayan for the Hong Kong trip.

Estrada is facing plunder and 11 counts of graft for allegedly pocketing P183.79 million worth of kickbacks by allotting his Priority Development Assistance Fund to fake non-government organizations allegedly owned by detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

NEW PCSO BOARD.

Photo shows Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Alexander F. Balutan (right), together with the newly appointed PCSO board of directors Bong Suntay (left) and Sandra Cam (middle), leading the regular flag raising ceremony on Monday at the PCSO’s Conservatory building in Mandaluyong City.

Also in photo is Chief of Staff Raymondo A. Liwag (2nd row from right) of the Office of the General Manager.

Joseph Muego

THE country’s oil firms cut the price of gasoline

by P0.25 per liter and kerosene by P0.15 per liter starting Tuesday to reflect the movement of world oil prices.

The oil firms, however, did not move diesel prices.

“Please see fuel price rollback of Shell effective Tuesday 6am, 12 December 2017. Gasoline rollback of P0.25 per liter and kero rollback of P0.15 per liter. Diesel no change,” Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. said in its advisory.

Other oil firms that cut prices include Petron Corp., PTT Philippines, Seaoil Philippines, Eastern Petroleum, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Flying V, among others.

Last week, the oil firms also rolled back pump prices by P0.30 per liter for diesel and P0.30 per liter for kerosene but did not move gasoline prices.

Oil prices move on a weekly basis, reflecting the oil prices in the global market the previous week.

As this developed, the Energy Department is tightening regulation over the sale of adulterated gasoline and diesel to tricycles and jeepneys in the countryside.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said the Oil Industry Management Bureau has crafted policies that would ease the establishment of gas stations in the countryside.

Duterte appoints new CA justice

By Rey E. Requejo THE brother of dismissed Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gregory Ong has been appointed to the Court of Appeals.

The Supreme Court public information office on Monday revealed that lawyer Walter Ong has been named by President Rodrigo Duterte as CA associate to take the vacancy arising from the promotion of Associate Justice Noel Tijam to the SC. The new CA justice is formerly in private law practice with Ong, Meneses, Gonzalez, and Gupit law offices.

He finished his law degree from Ateneo de Manila University and master’s in law degree from University of Pennsylvania.

The Supreme Court had dismissed Walter’s brother from the judiciary in September 2014 for “gross misconduct, dishonesty and impropriety.”

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Opinion

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Fake human rights champions

G

IVEN the high body count in the government’s war on drugs, it is hardly surprising that international human rights groups have been critical of the Duterte administration. But when these groups are taken in by Liberal Party politicians who pass themselves off as human rights advocates—or even victims of oppression—they exhibit an ignorance of Philippine politics and history that is almost breathtaking.

For example, when the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) urged the government to set Liberal Party Senator Leila de Lima free in October, they offered no basis for their arrogant belief that they, better than the

Philippine judicial system, could decide the guilt or innocence of the senator, who faces drug charges before a local court.

Worse, they did not know that the senator herself, not too long ago, was a secre-

tary of Justice who persecuted the political enemies of her superior, then President Benigno Aquino III. It was De Lima, acting as Mr. Aquino’s attack dog, who defied an order from the Supreme Court so she could jail former President Gloria Arroyo and detain her without bail for more than four years on charges that were ultimately thrown out of court.

Mrs. Arroyo’s detention, instigated by De Lima, was so patently unjust that the United Nations Working Group on Arbittrary Detention deemed it arbitrary and illegal under interna-

tional law.

In its opinion released in October 2015, the fivemember UN body urged the Philippine government to reconsider Arroyo’s bail plea “in accordance with the relevant international human rights standards and to accord Ms. Arroyo with an enforceable right to compensation… for the deprivation of liberty which already occurred.”

Not even this opinion from a UN human rights body swayed then Justice secretary De Lima from keeping Mrs. Arroyo locked up for the remainder of the Aquino admin-

istration. Why, we also wonder, was the IPU silent on such a blatant violation of Mrs. Arroyo’s rights at that time?

Another Liberal Party ally, Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, now complains that a Palace-initiated impeachment against her undermines the independence of the judiciary and weakens our democracy.

Yet we did not hear Sereno object when Mr. Aquino, who appointed her to the Supreme Court, went after then Chief Justice Renato Corona hammer and tongs, and bribed law-

makers with pork barrel incentives into convicting him on the most trivial of charges. There is some irony that Sereno now faces impeachment for the same infraction—failure to fully disclose all her assets—but that doesn’t change the fact that she is hardly the paragon of judicial independence.

There are legitimate human rights issues that this administration must tackle—but we do not need to take advice from those who abused their power and position, or kept silent when their own political allies violated those rights.

TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

Why the drug war won’t end WHEN President Duterte assumed the presidency, he vowed he would end the drug problem within three to six months.

And then after realizing that the drug problem was deep-rooted and pervasive, he asked to be given another year to end it.

After another year and a half, he is again asking for another year to fulfill his duty.

I doubt another year could make a difference. Even if the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police killed the last drug pusher, the problem would never end so long as there is a demand for illegal drugs.

This is why I have been urging the government to fast-track the building of rehabilitation centers.

It’s an issue of demand.

A political decision LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES IT was, according to a top health official of the Aquino administration, a “political decision” to implement the P3.5-billion dengue vaccination program in the twilight of Noynoy Aquino’s term. And here I was thinking that inoculating up to one million children was a matter of public health, which should never be subject to politicking.

Most of us already know the strange circumstances surrounding the midnight purchase of the Dengvaxia vaccine created by the world’s fifth-largest pharmaceutical company by sales, France-based Sanofi.

But it took Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, a former un-

dersecretary of the Department of Health, to admit to the Senate yesterday the real reason for the uncharacteristic energy displayed by the usually lackadaisical Aquino government in forcing through with the vaccination program right before it bid goodbye.

In one last spasm of political will, Aquino personally met with Sanofi executives at least three times, blatantly disregarded budget procedures and brushed aside reservations made by well-intentioned medical professionals and groups to get the job done. He obviously gave direct and insistent orders to his health and budget officials, who delivered the necessary approvals and found the needed funds in record time.

To Aquino also should be addressed the plaintive question posed to Noynoy’s

Health Secretary, Janette Garin, by a parent at the hearing: How do you sleep at night?

If using a still-untest-

To Aquino should be addressed the plaintive question posed to Garin by a parent at the hearing: How do you sleep at night? ed vaccine on a total of 830,000 children (a number that could still rise if all those vaccinated are

accounted for, including those who had their shots at private hospitals and other groups like police officers) is a mere question of politics, I wonder what other important decisions were made using the same consideration during those dark years. Think about it.

Was the decision to leave 44 police commandos to die in Mamasapano a political decision? Was the delayed and condescending response to the Yolanda tragedy informed by the same politics?

I think Noynoy, Garin and the rest sleep very well at night, thank you very much. After all, to them, everything was probably just a political decision, with no bearing whatsoever on actual persons.

But I wish Go’s truthful but self-condemning statement is remembered

by all Filipinos when the next elections come along and some Yellow candidate once again seeks our vote.

Remember that to these elitist hypocrites, who like to pose as righteous reformers with no evidence to back up their claims, voters like you are just numbers who aid them in forming political decisions.

And remember that it’s not just any kind of politics. It’s got to be Yellow politics, a particularly virulent kind that only cares about a segment of the political elite that lives off the masses—whose health, welfare and lives don’t really matter. *** One person who is truly the subject of a political decision—and who must have trouble sleeping these days—is Chief Justice Ma-

ria Lourdes Sereno. But before Congress, both Houses of it, rules on her fate, she must suffer the indignity of being serially humiliated by an increasing number of her own peers and colleagues.

Five members of Sereno’s own court have either already testified or have promised to testify against the chief justice in the ongoing committee on justice investigation being conducted against her in the House of Representatives. If you include the court administrator and the clerk of court, that makes seven court officers that Sereno must deal with on a daily basis at work—and they have, for the most part, damned her with their testimony at the House.

Now, I don’t care what you make of Sereno’s flunking

The very fact that foreign drug cartels know how corrupt our Customs bureau is, and how porous our borders are, tells us that the drug business is a thriving global industry.

The President must have realized that the drug issue is not only a peace-and-order problem. It’s both poverty and health. Illegal drugs are prevalent in poor communities, while the affluent use cocaine and party drugs.

What we need are community-based rehabilitation centers. Interaction with family is essential to rehabilitation.

All of these are why President Duterte is bound for disappointment even if he is given until 2022 to fight the drug menace.

Sure, other countries have drug problems. But they do not go around killing all the drug suspects they encounter.

Mr. President, here is a bit of unsolicited advice—build

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Opinion From A4

*** These facts are now clear with regard to the Sanofi Pasteur vaccine worth P3.5 billion that has put at risk the health of some 733,000 school children, adults and even members of the police force.

It was under President Benigno Aquino III when officials, specifically former Health Secretary Janette Garin, visited the main Sanofi Pasteur headquarters in France. They did it not once but twice—it shows they negotiated the purchase of the vaccine.

At that time, the Dengvaxia vaccine was still at the experimental stage and has not yet been cleared by the World Health Organization.

It was Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad who released the funds for the P3.5-billion purchase.

The vaccination program continued under Health Secretary Francisco Duque.

He suspended it when Sanofi admitted Dengvaxia could post risks to people without a history of dengue.

Aquino and Garin should be made to explain to the combined Senate Blue Ribbon and Health committee

why they did what they did.

What was in it for them?

Frankly I don’t know how they can get out of this hole.

They allowed Filipinos to be treated like rats! *** Ask Mindanaoans whether they would like martial law to continue. They will tell you they believe it should be extended. They feel safe with the presence of the police and military in their areas.

With martial law, the people of Mindanao have gone on with their lives and businesses. There have been no reports of abuses.

Just take a look at the lawmakers opposing the extension of martial law.

They are not from Mindanao. They have no idea what the people want or need! *** I am surprised that no less than six associate justices of the Supreme Court are testifying against chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno before the House Committee on Justice.

My sources tell me that during en banc deliberations, these justices appear to dislike how Sereno is running the affairs of the court.

In my early years as a journalist, I covered the Supreme Court. But I have never seen justices helping Congress find probable cause against one of their own!

A political...

From A4

her psychological examination. But don’t tell me that her own performance will not suffer, on the offchance that she survives the move to impeach her, if he has to continue working with the people who have already condemned her before the justice committee.

Indeed, if only because of their unprecedented testimony against Sereno, I am certain that all these members of the court cannot be expected to look at the chief justice in any way except as their sworn enemy, who must be stopped or stymied at all costs. And because surviving impeachment only inoculates Sereno from the removal process for one year, I expect these declared anti-CJ dissidents to keep on trying on an annual basis.

And where would that

A5

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The challenge of the Baptist

Why... more community-based rehabilitation centers and go after drug financiers, distributors and protectors.

This should be more than enough to keep the PDEA busy.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017

leave us, the citizens who look to the Supreme Court as the final arbiter of legal disputes and ultimate interpreter of the law? Nowhere.

Again, I remember the much-loved Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was removed by Noynoy Aquino’s Congress lackeys even if he had the support of his colleagues, all the lower courts and nearly all the court workers at ever y level. And I recall that only one high court justice expressed a willingness to testify against Corona during his impeachment trial— a new associate justice by the name of Maria Lourdes Sereno, who succeeded Corona.

Karma can really be a bitch. And Sereno should really take a hint and resign.

In the Arctic, at least, diplomacy works Bloomberg editorial AMID resurgent nationalism and talk of nuclear war, it’s been a rough year for global diplomacy. So a 10-party agreement to protect the waters of the planet’s far north qualifies as a minor miracle.

For the next 16 years, commercial fishing will be prohibited in the central Arctic, a Mediterraneansized patch of icy ocean more than 200 nautical miles from any nation’s coastline. This will give scientists time to study whether fishing might safely be allowed there. The goal is to avoid the overfishing that has depleted fish populations in other parts of the world— pollock in the Bering Strait, for instance, or krill in the Antarctic Ocean.

Until recently, ice made commercial fishing impossible in the central Arctic. But global warming has changed things. The ice now melts enough in summer to expose as much as 40 percent of the water.

The parties to the new agreement include countries with extensive Arctic coastlines (Russia, Canada), and major fishing industries (South Korea, China, Japan), as well as the United States and the European Union.

They will next establish a polar research program so that scientists from around the world can survey the hundreds of species living in the central Arctic—as well as those drawn to the region’s warming waters —and learn how their food webs operate.

That this work will be done in international waters before any fishing trawlers arrive is unprecedented.

That so many countries could reach such a sensible, ecologically sound agreement shows what people can achieve when they’re prepared to cooperate.

IN THE Gospel of Mark two days after the Second Day of Advent, John the Baptist personifies repentance and reparation for Christ’s coming. John is preaching in the desert to prepare the way of the Lord. It was him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken: A voice of one crying out in the desert. Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. Indeed several centuries before the coming of Christ. Isaiah had foretold the coming of a forerunner, a “the voice of one that crieth,” indeed, of him who would “prepare in the wilderness the way of Jehovah,” and “make level in

the desert a highway for our God.” John is described as wearing clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food were locusts and wild honey.

His demeanor and appearance was a bold relief to the wealthy, indulgent Jews of his day. He was, what you might call, a veritable walking sermon.

Before the birth of Christ, the Jews were under the oppressive Roman rule who put Herod, a non-Jew as their king. The Jews, as foretold, were expecting a messiah who would free them from the yoke of Roman oppression. But how the Jews were so mistaken about the messiah that John was preaching about. The messiah in their midst was one who would not liberate them from foreign rule but who would bring salvation and free all mankind from the clutches and slavery of sin.

The culmination of John’s short ministry was meeting with Jesus and baptizing Him. He also sent some of

his own followers to join the Jesus movement. Through him, Andrew and his brother Peter, and Philip and Nathanael became apostles.

John’s message cut into the very hearts of men. John denounced evil wherever he found it. He accused Herod of living a loose moral life, addressed the Scribes and the Pharisees as “brood of vipers,” and summoned people to righteousness. His message was “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.”

John urged the tax collectors to “stop collecting more than what is prescribed,” and told the soldiers to “stop extortion and false accusation and remain satisfied with their wages.” In short, John’s message was a call for radical conversion, willingness to suffer self-denial and offering himself as an oblation of unconditional love.

A true follower of Christ is willing to follow the example of John the Baptist, courageous and never fearful of denouncing evil wherever they may be found. He is not

inclined to remain apathetic, indifferent and disinterested in the suffering of other people but is more than willing to declare a wrong for what it is and is always willing extend a helping hand to the less fortunate.

We need not go far to see how our society has descended into moral and physical degeneracy.

Criminality, abject poverty, green and all form of moral decadence are all around us. Gone were the ages of innocence when people were generally conscious of their moral responsibilities and spiritual obligations.

It is time to heed the call of John the Baptist to correct our crooked ways and follow the path of genuine conversion. To achieve genuine conversion is not only making right our own life’s path by focusing more on Christ but also encouraging others to do the same. Only by doing so can we find salvation, not in men; not in mundane goods, but in God who is the master of our destiny.

This Advent, we are challenged by the Baptist. After

all, this is season to prepare for re-experiencing the birth of our Lord at Christmas, and to prepare for the second coming of Jesus. And that preparation calls for our repentance, not only turning away from our personal sins, but more importantly, to clear our minds of the old ways and to turn towards God and the attitudes that set in sight the realm of heaven.

Advent is not preparing to welcome a liberator that promises comfort and an easy life but one who promises immortality and life to those who would respond to His call to follow him faithfully to the end.

John’s preaching reminds us of our important task of announcing Christ and sharing the Gospel to all and sundry; in our homes, neighborhood and the community at large.

For, as John the Baptist so vigorously preached during his ministry, our deliverance from pain, suffering and all forms of tribulation is Christ; for He alone is the answer. It is He and He alone who can provide us real happiness.

Did Chief Justice Sereno disobey an SC directive?

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA MORE than seven years ago, a group of elderly Filipino women who identified themselves as victims of sexual abuse by Japanese soldiers stationed in the Philippines during World War II, and euphemistically called “comfort women” by the Japanese, sought help from then Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo. They asked Romulo to espouse their claims for compensation and, more than anything else, their demand for a sovereign apology from Japan, for the inhumanity they suffered in the hands of lecherous Japanese soldiers during the war.

After Romulo refused to help them, the women filed a petition in the Supreme Court to compel Romulo to espouse their claim and demand. They were represented by Atty. Harry Roque, an acknowledged expert in public international law, and the incumbent spokesman of President Rodrigo Duterte.

In April 2010, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition through a decision written by Associate Justice Mariano Del Castillo.

Thereafter, Roque accused Justice Del Castillo of plagiarism. Roque said Del Castillo lifted, without proper attribution, arguments from the treatises of three foreign experts in the

field of public international law, then twisted the findings made in those treatises, and used the twisted findings to justify the decision of the Supreme Court.

Although Justice Del Castillo denied having committed plagiarism, the Supreme Court ordered an investigation.

Meanwhile, several faculty of the College of Law of the University of the Philippines (UP) assailed the integrity of Justice Del Castillo and demanded his resignation. They also gave statements to the press.

In October 2010, the Supreme Court ordered the faculty concerned to explain why no disciplinary action should be taken against them for those press statements.

According to the Court, lawyers should not promote distrust in the administration of justice, and should not make public statements in the media regarding a pending case.

More specifically, the rule cited by the Supreme Court provides—“A lawyer shall not make public statements in the media regarding a pending case tending to arouse public opinion for or against a party.”

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno was an associate justice of the Supreme Court in October 2010.

Sereno’s dissenting opinion in that case did not surprise many; she was a former professor of the UP College of Law. What surprised many

lawyers is that Chief Justice Sereno and her lawyers have been making public statements in the media regarding the impeachment complaint currently pending against her in the House of Representatives. During the past three weeks, Sereno’s lawyers have been appearing on television programs to announce to the public that the accusations against her are baseless.

Sereno herself has appeared in a television talk show to criticize the impeachment proceedings.

Two weeks ago, Sereno heard Mass at the chapel in UP Diliman, and she assailed anew the impeachment proceedings in a televised interview at a youth forum she attended in UP after the Mass.

Lawyers are asking—isn’t Chief Justice Sereno aware of the rule disallowing lawyers from making public statements in the media regarding pending cases? If so, why are the chief justice and her lawyers making numerous public statements in the media regarding the impeachment complaint currently pending in the House of Representatives? Are justices exempted from compliance with directives of the Supreme Court?

It will be argued that the rule prohibiting public statements in the media regarding pending cases refers only to cases pending in courts of law, and that the impeachment proceedings against

Chief Justice Sereno pending in the House is not covered by that rule. That argument, however, is purely conjectural because the prohibitory rule does not make any distinction as to whether the case concerned is pending in a court of law or in the House. In other words, the prohibitory rule applies to all pending cases, including the impeachment complaint against Sereno currently pending before the House.

Chief Justice Sereno says she refuses to appear before the House justice committee conducting the impeachment proceedings because House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has an ax to grind against her. Her refusal, however, appears to conflict with the ruling of the Supreme Court that lawyers should not promote distrust in the administration of justice.

Being a lawyer herself, Sereno is bound by the October 2010 directive of the Supreme Court, even if she dissented from that ruling in her capacity as a justice of the Court. As every law student knows, dissenting opinions cannot prevail over the majority pronouncement.

In other words, a justice may disagree with a particular judicial doctrine, but until and unless that doctrine is overturned, that doctrine is law.

It will also be argued that the impeachment proceedings in the House hardly involve “the administration of justice” within the contemplation of the canons of pro-

fessional ethics governing the legal profession. That is, however, a hollow argument.

The administration of justice is not a function that exclusively belongs to the judiciary.

Quasi-judicial agencies dispense justice when they resolve administrative cases brought before them—and they are agencies not under the judiciary but under the executive department of the national government. That the Constitution itself mentions the word “trial” in the impeachment proceedings in the Senate, and that the House committee conducting the impeachment hearings is called a “justice committee” are clear indications that even Congress is capable of dispensing justice.

Besides, why call the House committee conducting the impeachment hearings a “justice committee” if it has nothing to do with justice?

To state the obvious, the public has the right to expect public officials to obey the directives of the Supreme Court. In that light, critics of Chief Justice Sereno say that her preference to defend herself in the media rather than in the House, in violation of an explicit prohibition declared by the Supreme Court, constitutes a betrayal of the public trust. They also posit that as the head of the Supreme Court, Sereno should be the first to obey the Court’s directives.

How’s immigration going? Check the menus

By Tyler Cowen I’VE written an online ethnic dining guide to the Washington area for over 20 years, and I find food a useful way to grasp how rapidly this country can change. These days, a lot of the biggest trends just aren’t on most people’s radar screens.

The first and most striking dining development is the rise of Chinese regional cuisine. There are now Nanjing, Shanghai, Uighur, Shanxi, Taiwanese and other regional restaurants readily available. Real Hunan and Sichuan offerings are plentiful, in contrast to the thousands of nominally Hunan and “Szechuan” restaurants that have been around for decades. Cantonese food too now bears some resemblance to the real thing. The underlying reality is significant: The Chinese are now the second most numerous immigrant group arriving into the US, behind only Mexicans and catching up rapidly.

Filipinos are the US’s second largest Asian minor-

ity, and finally, after years of invisibility, Filipino restaurants are an active and growing part of the local dining scene. One of the best “fancy” restaurants in Alexandria, Virginia, serves an off-menu Filipino fixed price option in addition to its regular fare.

Relatively populous countries are making their mark on the American dining scene, including India and Pakistan. Another rapidly growing set of restaurants comes from Ethiopia and Eritrea. This too reflects the US’s likely future, as a landing point for some of Africa’s large and growing population, much of it Muslim.

It’s striking is how well this migration has proceeded, and how many East Africans are investing in education or starting businesses.

There’s also a mini-boom in restaurants from Yemen, five in the region at my last count, up from none 10 years ago. That reflects trouble in the home country, just as earlier conflicts drove many Afghans, Vietnamese and Salvadorans to the D.C. area.

Sadly, Yemen is wracked with cholera, has been falling into political chaos and is the major site for the Iran-Saudi Arabia proxy war. Thousands of people have been killed by the fighting. It’s one of the most significant issues in the world, although most Americans don’t much seem to care.

Contrary to what many people will insist, it’s now possible to eat excellent Mexican food, including tacqueria-style tacos, in D.C., Northern Virginia and nearby Maryland.

But this is not the result of a sudden influx of Mexican migrants—long an underrepresented group in the D.C. area —into the dining scene. Rather, earlier Mexican migrants are assimilating, opening larger businesses and spreading quality versions of their food to more parts of this country, just as hamburgers and pizzas earlier transcended their regional origins. This development is consistent with research showing that Mexican-Americans are assimilating more rapidly than previously we had thought.

So the next time California,

Texas or Arizona snobs complain about Mexican food offerings on the East Coast, tell them it’s better than they think.

The D.C. area also has some stagnating ethnic cuisines. Vietnamese food has continued to penetrate the market in Texas and Oklahoma, but in the Mid-Atlantic region mainstream Vietnamese restaurants seem to be in slight retreat. Vietnamese pho soups and banh mi sandwich shops are popular, and those dishes are feeding into fusion cuisine. But the full-menu restaurants don’t compete well with Thai and Chinese offerings. I am reminded of the Upper East Side of Manhattan, which decades ago had fine and reasonably authentic German restaurants, but now they are mostly gone or are shells of their former selves. In the D.C. area, Bolivian is another cuisine that’s holding steady but not advancing in either the number of restaurants or the popularity with non-Bolivian customers.

The broader lesson is that America isn’t going

to become endlessly more diverse, whether in its culinary offerings or otherwise.

There are natural limits to these processes, and some are self-reversing as immigrants either assimilate or reach a peak influence on the broader American culture. In dining markets for the last 10 years as a whole, I would say the biggest development has been the spread of highquality hamburgers and pizzas to all price ranges and dining styles, not the growth of cuisines cooked by recent immigrants.

Other big lessons? Chinese and Mexican restaurants seem well-placed to exert the most influence on the US dining scene over the next 10 to 20 years.

Both are populous, diverse countries, and Mexico has the advantage of proximity.

With African and Filipino cuisines, both from populous regions, improving their position in the market, perhaps numbers matter after all. I love the food in the Faroe Islands, but it isn’t the future for American dining. Bloomberg

News

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NCR house help get P1k raise

By John Paolo Bencito

H

OUSE help or “kasambahay” employed in the National Capital Region will be getting an increase of P1,000 in their monthly minimum wage, Malacañang said Monday.

This was after the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board approved the raise as an immediate relief measure to aid househelp manage the rising cost of living in Metro Manila.

“From P2,500 [a month],

kasambahay will soon be able to receive a minimum wage rate of P3,500,” Palace Spokesman Harry Roque said.

“Under the Wage Order, the wage hike is applicable to all domestic workers, whether on a

live-in or live-out arrangement, including general house help, yaya [nanny], cook, gardener, laundry person, or any person who regularly performs domestic work in one household on an occupational basis,” Roque added.

Earlier this month, the regional board ordered the raise in the minimum wage for household service workers or HSW in the NCR for the first time since the passage of the Kasambahay Law—Republic Act 10361 or the Domestic Workers’ Act—in 2013.

“Upon the effectivity of this Wage Order, the new monthly minimum wage rate for domestic workers in the National Capital Region shall be P3,500,” RTWPBNCR said.

The wages of the domestic workers shall be paid in cash at least once a month, the wage board added, with no deductions to be made other than those mandated by law.

RTWPB-NCR said the new wage rate was based on the result of their metrowide stakeholder consultations and public hearing

from Oct. 13 to Nov. 8. It initiated a motu propio review on the wage rate for HSWs in Metro Manila to help defray their rising cost of living.

The order will cover domestic workers but will exempt service providers, family drivers, children under foster family arrangement, and any person who performs work occasionally or sporadically and not occupationally.

The order was set to take effect within the month, or 15 days after it was published in a news-

paper of general circulation on Dec. 1.

Once the new order takes effect, HSWs in Metro Manila would have the highest minimum wage rate in the country at P3,500.

Besides RTWPB-NCR, the regional wage boards in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Bicol Region, and Central Visayas also raised the minimum wage of house help in their areas.

The monthly minimum wage of domestic helpers in the four regions now range from P2,500 to P3,000.

GARAGE SALE FOR A CAUSE. The Association of Women Legislators Foundation Inc. celebrated the reason for the Christmas season by sharing hope, love and joy to the surviving families of soldiers and police officers who were slain in the conflict in Marawi City. Proceeds from the ’PamasCONG Handog: Garage Sale for a Cause Part 2‘ were generously donated by the AWLFI led by its president, Deputy Speaker Linabelle Ruth R. Villarica, who led the ceremonial turnover of donations at the De Venecia Hall of the House of Representatives on Dec. 11. Right panel shows Major General Arnel Duco, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel J1 of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Police Director Rene Aspera, Director for Personnel and Records Management of the Philippine National Police, flanking Villarica and receiving the check donations—P12,000 for each of the Marawi heroes’ families—on their behalf.

MMDA nabs 280 in dry run of Edsa high-occupancy lane AT LEAST 280 violators were caught during the first day of the dry run for the implementation of the special lane on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue or Edsa designated only for those vehicle drivers with two or more companions.

As of noon Monday, the Metro Manila Development Authority recorded a total of 1,465 drivers who used the High Occupancy Vehicle or HOV lane. Of these numbers, only 262 drivers complied with the policy.

Using closed-circuit television cameras, personnel from MMDAMetrobase also recorded 906 heavilytinted vehicles using the lane, which

prevented the agency from apprehending possible violators.

“We need more adjustments.

We have to acquire more cameras to be used on blind spots—Shaw [Mandaluyong], Estrella [EdsaMakati]and Aurora Boulevard [Cubao, Quezon City],” said Edison Nebrija, MMDA supervising officer for operations.

“Since we released this policy, our Metrobase has been very busy trying to focus where to get the most clear or the clearest shot to apprehend HOV violators,” Nebrija added.

The MMDA will conduct the dry run for the new traffic measure for a week, looking for vehicles with

a single rider that would be barred from traversing the HOV lane.

The HOV lane is the innermost lane of Edsa, closest to the Metro Railway Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) wall.

The MMDA made the move after members of the Metro Manila Council, the agency’s governing board and policymaking body, rejected the proposal of lawmakers to implement an odd-even scheme along Edsa.

“The policy of HOV is to give privilege to carpooling. The oddeven, two-day number coding did not push through,” said Nebrija.

By introducing the HOV lane, the agency is hoping to decrease by 30

percent the number of private vehicles traversing Edsa.

The MMDA, however, clarified that HOV vehicles are still subject to the existing number coding scheme.

Should the HOV measure be fully implemented, violators will be slapped with a citation ticket and a P500 fine for disregarding traffic signs.

Apart from ground apprehensions, the MMDA also used CCTV cameras under the no-contact apprehension policy.

The scheme would cover the whole stretch of Edsa from Balintawak, Quezon City to Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City, which has five lanes. Two

Group asks Ombudsman to reopen case vs Speaker

MODERN JEEPNEY.

The 23-passenger capacity ‘modern jeepney’ with a CCTV monitor and a Euro 4 engine that does not emit smoke is examined during the Senate hearing on jeepney modernization on Monday.

Norman Cruz

By Rio N. Araja

Search for 10 Outstanding Filipinos for 2018 begins THE Metrobank Foundation Inc. has opened nominations for the 2018 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos awards.

Ten teachers, soldiers, and police officers will be recognized this year for rendering service above and beyond the call of duty, the foundation said. Their work must have transformed a community with a lasting positive impact on people and to the country, it added.

The search is held in partnership with the Department

are designated for public utility vehicles or yellow lanes, while three are designated for private vehicles and motorcycle riders.

Lawmakers earlier urged the MMDA and local executives to consider reimplementing the odd-even traffic scheme, which they claimed would reduce the volume of cars on Edsa by at least 60 percent.

Under the present number coding policy, cars in sets of two ending numbers are banned from using main roads in Metro Manila daily.

Other lawmakers have proposed increasing the number of banned number plates per day to three.

Joel E. Zurbano

of Education and Commission on Higher Education, Rotary Club of Makati Metro, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Rotary Club of New Manila East, Philippine Savings Bank, and the Philippine National Police.

“Responsible citizen, exemplary public servant, agent of positive change—all these define the Outstanding Filipino.

Once again, we are looking for these ordinary individuals with extraordinary accomplishments,” said MBFI president Aniceto Sobrepeña.

“By giving them due recognition, we hope to inspire the Filipino nation further in our collective task of building a strong and progressive society,” Sobrepeña added.

The 10 Outstanding Filipinos represent what Metrobank Foundation identifies as key pillars of society. Four members of the academe will be selected under the teacher component of the search. Three soldiers and three police officers will also be selected from the peace and security sectors.

Each awardee will receive a

cash incentive, a trophy, and a gold medallion.

Teachers, soldiers, and police officers who are eligible to join must have a minimum of 10 years of service with at least “very satisfactory” rating in the last 10 years of service to their profession. Those who are set to retire must have at least three remaining years of service.

Qualified elementary and secondary teachers must have completed academic requirements for Master’s degree, while collegiate teachers must have a doctorate degree.

AN ANTI-CORRUPTION watchdog on Monday called on the Office of the Ombudsman to reopen a plunder complaint filed against House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez over the build-operate-transfer contract between the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 and the Philippine International Air Terminals Co. Inc. or Piatco.

The Pinoy Aksyon for Governance and Environment or PAGE urged Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales to revisit the complaint of the Manila International Airport AuthorityNaia Association of Service Contractors or MASO questioning a Supreme Court decision in 2005.

“The Supreme Court’s decision in 2005 should have paved the way for a more thorough preliminary investigation of this case, but it appears that no resolution has yet been made,” the PAGE’s 16-page filing with the Ombudsman read.

“We are not unmindful of the fact that this Complaint was initiated by the MASO,

but we, the people, are no less interested in its just resolution. We appeal to the Honorable Ombudsman to shine a light on MASO’s Complaint,” the group added.

In 2002, then-Ombudsman Aniano Desierto dismissed the complaint against Alvarez and other MIAA and Naia officials, prompting MASO to challenge the decision before the Supreme Court.

Three years later, the high court granted MASO’s petition for certiorari, ordering the Ombudsman “to conduct a preliminary investigation anew of petitioner’s complaint.”

PAGE said Alvarez must be held liable for graft and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees for supposedly having financial and pecuniary interest in the NaiaPiatco contract.

In July 1997, the buildoperate-t ra nsfer deal bet ween Naia and Piatco covered the construction of Naia’s Terminal 3 “despite not having the financial capability to undertake the project.”

8 airports lauded for OTP work

by CAAP

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines on Monday awarded eight airports in the country that earned On-Time Performance star ratings in the recent reports released by the Official Aviation Guide or OAG, the air travel intelligence firm based in the United Kingdom.

The special citations were given to Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the provincial airports in Iloilo, Tacloban, Davao, Laguindingan in Cagayan de Oro City, Bacolod, Kalibo, and Puerto Princesa.

The awarding held at CAAP’s office in Pasay City was attended by Transportation Undersecretary for Aviation and Airports Manuel Antonio Tamayo, Manila International Airport general manager Eddie Monreal, Philippine Airlines president Jimmy Bautista, Cebu Pacific Air president Lance Gokongwei, and top aviation officials and airline stakeholders.

The OTP star rating is designed to benchmark against set criteria, defined by industry and flight status information experts. The OTP is measured across the whole year based on 12 months’ rolling performance, CAAP said.

To achieve an OTP star rating, airlines and airports must meet two criteria: they must have a minimum of 600 operations a month (minimum of 2.5-million departed seats) and OAG must receive flight status information for no less than 80 percent of scheduled flights within a 12-month period.

CAAP chief information officer and spokesperson Eric Apolonio said the UK-based OAG provides digital information and applications to the world’s airlines, airports, government agencies and travel-related service companies.

US body donates detectors to BoC

By Sara D. Fabunan THE United States Export Control and Related Border Security Program or EXBS donated 20 personal radiation detectors to the Bureau of Customs to enhance the agency’s nuclear and radioactive detection capability, the US Embassy in Manila said on Monday.

The small hand-held devices that were already turned over to BoC last Dec. 4 were worth P1.5 million and included training for the customs personnel using them.

“EXBS will continue to engage with and support the BoC in advanced data collection and the eventual implementation of an automated targeting system,” the embassy said.

A team of officers from the US Customs and Border Protection unit also conducted the International Seaport Interdiction Training or ISIT with the BoC. It focused on the effective use of cargo scanning through a multilayered targeting strategy, including advanced data collection, automated targeting systems, and detection technologies.

The 21 BoC officials from 10 seaports trained for three days to prepare for field exercises, which focused on the use of non-intrusive inspections equipment such as the donated detectors.

As part of the training, the US Embassy said, trainees “are given a chance to observe and analyze cargo container scans.”

The ISIT builds on a previous training of BoC officials held at the Port of Charleston in South Carolina, USA in June 2017.

Sports

A7

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Corcoran: Horn a dirty fighter B RISBANE—English challenger Gary Corcoran has claimed Australian World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Jeff Horn is a “dirty” fighter ahead of their title bout in Brisbane on Wednesday.

In an extraordinary media conference Monday, Corcoran’s camp provided a laptop presentation to indicate that Horn led with his head and left his head in the clinches.

It is Horn’s first title defence since he upset Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao, the winner of

eight world championships in different weight divisions, in Brisbane last July to win the belt.

“Let me start by saying I respect Jeff as a fighter ... they don’t give away world title belts for nothing,” Corcoran’s co-trainer Frank Greaves said. “[But] let’s get one

thing straight. He is dirty.

There is absolutely no question that he’s dirty.

“He’s leading in with his head, he leaves his head in there all the time.

I just want to draw attention to that fact.”

Greaves aired a collection of video highlights which he claimed proved his point.

The trainer also taunted Horn by pulling out a baseball cap with a boxing glove taped to it before a bout of bickering broke out between the two teams.

Horn’s trainer Glenn Rushton hit back at the Corcoran camp’s claims.

“Jeff doesn’t headbutt,” Rushton said.

“What you’re not factoring in is all the unknown—someone moves their head this way just as he moves his head.

“You’ve got two explosive fighters in Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn, both very evasive and fast moving. Sometimes they both zig when one should have zagged—boom, there’s a head clash.”

Horn also fired back at the suggestion he was “dirty.”

“Maybe I can change that hat to having gloves on the side of my head to protect my ears from the

biting,” he said.

Rushton added that he will only be satisfied with a Horn knockout victory to send a warning to the rest of the welterweight division overseas.

He also insisted he wants Horn to beat those main rivals—Americans Terence Crawford, Errol Spence and Keith Thurman—before going up a weight division.

British boxer Amir Khan is another who has designs on Horn’s world title belt and is expected to be ringside on Wednesday with a potential fight between the two next Jeff Horn year. AFP

Quid Pro Quo tops Predator qualifier THE third qualifier of Asia Pacific Predator League 2018, the region’s biggest world-class gaming tournament, ended with Quid Pro Quo emerging as the victor taking home P30,000.

Held in TNC San Fernando, La Union, the tournament had a total for 35 teams competing, with the SG Dragons and Jhazchloe coming in at 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.

The brainchild of gaming giant Predator Gaming, the Asia Pacific Predator League 2018 is a brand new DOTA: 2 league and the most anticipated eSports competition.

The Philippines joins the action together with six other countries, namely Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Hong Kong, and Indonesia, where the final round will be held.

Quid Pro Quo, the victor of the recently concluded North Luzon Leg in the Philippines, was formed only in September 2017 when the team’s current manager decided to take players from other existing

gaming teams to form an all-new team.

A previous winner of the TNC Cup, Marikina Branch Qualifier, Quid Pro Quo is currently in Muntinlupa for its bootcamp.

The North Luzon Regional Qualifiers is one of 4 Regional Qualifiers in the Philippines, which will last for approximately 3 months until January 2018.

Each with a prize pool of P30,000, the Regional Qualifiers are held in various areas of the country, namely Mindanao (Bukidnon), Visayas (Bacolod), North Luzon (La Union), and NCR (Marikina).

Winners of these qualifiers will move on to compete at the National Finals.

The victor of the National Finals will then represent the Philippines in the Predator League final round, competing against the national winners of the other APAC countries for the total prize pool of $150,000.00.

In the Philippines, the Predator League 2018 eliminations are done with

Participants of the third qualifier of Asia Pacific Predator League 2018 in intense battles

THENET.COM (TNC), the cific Predator League 2018 Pro Team – DotA 2. tor League 2018 campaign, gaming company’s regular is also supported by the For further information visit https://predator-league. e-Sports partner. Asia Pa- Philippine DotA pride, TNC about Asia Pacific Preda- com/.

Petron, F2 Logistics begin Superliga title showdown HUNGER will be a major factor when Petron and F2 Logistics kick off their Chooks to Go-Philippine Superliga Grand Prix best-of-three title series today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Game 1 is set at 7 p.m. following the bronze-medal match between Cocolife and Foton in the 4:15 p.m. first match of this prestigious club tourney bankrolled

by Mikasa, Grand Sport, Senoh, Mueller, Island Rose, Cloudfone and UCPB Gen. After slicing through the eliminations with a commanding 7-1 win-loss card, both the Blaze Spikers and Cargo Movers crushed their respective foes in the quarterfinals before emerging victorious in the semifinals to book a finals duel for the second time this year.

Games Today

7 p.m. F2 Logistics vs Petron

Petron went through the wringer before pulling off a 3028, 21-25, 25-23, 25-21 victory over defending champion Foton, while F2 Logistics creamed Cocolife, 25-17, 25-16, 25-17, in the semifinals of this league that also Gerflor and Gold’s Gym as technical sponsors and ESPN5 as broadcast partner over the weekend at Mall of Asia Arena.

This will be the fourth consecutive time for the Blaze Spikers to advance to the finals of the season-ending conference while the Cargo Movers are in quest of their first Grand Prix crown since joining the league last year.

Although they won the prestigious title in 2014 with American sweetheart Alaina Bergsma and Brazilian playmaker Erica Adachi at the helm, Petron coach Shaq Delos Santos stressed that they are very hungry to regain the crown.

“We know that for the past two years, we’re always being beaten

by Foton for the title,” said Delos Santos, who was part of George Pascua’s coaching staff when the Blaze Spikers ruled the Grand Prix three years ago.

“That’s why winning the title this time means a lot to us. We are very hungry and we will do everything to win it. It’s no longer a question of roster, imports or any other factors; it’s now a question of heart and desire.”

Delos Santos noted that they

suffered a crushing four-set loss to the Cargo Movers in their lone encounter this conference, 21-25, 25-20, 23-25, 19-25.

In that match held at the University of St. La Salle Gym in Bacolod City, F2 Logistics was still a mystery as it was making its debut after missing the league’s first two weeks due to the University Games in Dumaguete City.

“That loss served as eyeopener,” said Delos Santos, adding that they had no answer to the power of imports Maria Jose Perez and Kennedy Bryan during their first encounter.

“F2 (Logistics) was just in its first match and we had no idea how strong it is. At least it helped us realize that we’re still a work in progress and we still have to learn

as the tournament progresses.”

But Petron is not the only team looking to satisfy its thirst for crown.

F2 Logistics head coach Ramil de Jesus had already conquered the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) after winning 10 titles with De La Salle University as well as the PSL All-Filipino Conference after reigning supreme last year.

The Grand Prix, however, is a different story.

“We want to experience how it feels winning the Grand Prix,” said de Jesus, who will bank Kim Fajardo, Majoy Baron, Aby Marano and Dawn Macandili against the rocksolid core of Mika Reyes, Rhea Dimaculangan, Ces Molina, Aiza Maizo-Pontillas and imports Hillary Hurley and Lindsay Stalzer.

IOC confident Tokyo 2020 venues will be ready on time

FOR SPORTY AND CASUAL LOOK. Having problems what to give your love

ones this Christmas? Why not spoil them with Manjaru products made from high grade materials, it has a stylish and fashionable appeal for the chic urban lifestyle and the sporty casual look. Manjaru has different product lines like outdoor sandals, slippers, bags, apparel and shoes. Available in different store outlets and department stores nationwide.

TOKYO—Tokyo organizers are back on track and will complete their 2020 Olympic venues on schedule, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Monday at the start of a three-day visit.

After bungling the rollout of the showpiece Olympic stadium two years ago, local organisers have come under scrutiny but last month unveiled their first new permanent venue for the 2020 Olympics in a welcome public relations boost.

The new national stadium is set to be completed by November 2019 after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tore up the original blueprints over its eye-watering $2 billion price tag.

But the IOC’s Games coordination commission chairman John Coates backed Tokyo 2020 to deliver the venue on time.

“It was a significant accomplishment to complete the first permanent venue,” he said before a meeting with key Japanese officials, including Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike and Olympics Minister Shunichi Suzuki.

“There are six other venues under way and with the progress of the national stadium, we are very confident of meeting the delivery dates you’ve set.”

Other items on the agenda in Tokyo this week are security, efforts to further reduce the $12

billion Games budget and anti-doping protocols, officials said.

Coates noted further progress with last week’s shortlist of three Tokyo 2020 mascot candidates.

Schoolchildren from across Japan will vote on the winner by the end of February and Coates said the new sports approved for Tokyo 2020—including skateboarding, sports climbing and BMX freestyle cycling—would bring some street cred to the Games.

“That youth focus and gender balance will be one of the greatest legacies of Tokyo 2020,” he added, pointing to the record 48.8 percent of women set to compete in the Games. AFP

AMA owns no. 1 pick in draft AMA Online Education will once again have the luxury of picking the best talent in the 201-man rookie pool at the 2017 PBA D-League Rookie Draft Tuesday at PBA Cafe in Metrowalk, Pasig.

Flanked by hardworking big man Andre Paras, the Mark Herrera-mentored Titans will have the chance on further fortifying their school-based core as they prepare for the upcoming 2018 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup, which will see 13 teams vying for the title.

This will be the second time AMA will pick at first overall after tapping Jeron Teng in the 2016 draft proceedings.

UE’s Alvin Pasaol and FEU’s Arvin Tolentino are expected to go high in the draft board as they are set to make their debut in the season opening conference. Now on its eighth season, the league, officially gets going on January 18, 2018.

Wangs Basketball-Letran and Batangas-EAC are set to pick second and third, respectively.

Eleven of the 13 squads participating this year will be school-based teams as they make early preparations for their respective mother leagues, namely Zark’s BurgersLyceum, Gamboa Coffee-St. Clare, JRU, and CEU, and debuting teams Akari-Adamson, Che’Lu Bar and Grill-San Sebastian, Perpetual, and Powerball-St. Benilde.

Only returning Marinerong Pilipino and newcomer Mila’s Lechon are the ones which won’t be featuring varsity crews.

Eagles, Steelers nail division titles LOS ANGELES—The Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East divisional crown with a roller coaster NFL victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday but saw quarterback Carson Wentz exit early with a knee injury.

Wentz threw for 291 yards and four touchdowns before limping off in the third quarter as the Eagles held on to claim a pulsating 43-35 victory at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

But the gloss was taken off the win by Wentz’s injury, which US media reported could be a season-ending torn ligament.

Eagles coach Doug Pederson refused to speculate on the severity of the injury.

“We will find out more tomorrow,” he said.

“You’re speculating he is going to be out, but I just don’t know yet.”

The Eagles improved to 11-2 and clinched the NFC East title for the first time since 2013.

The Rams meanwhile remain on top of the NFC West at 9-5, one game ahead of the Seattle Seahawks (8-5) who fell 30-24 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Boswell seals Steelers win The Steelers clinched the AFC North division title in dramatic style, edging the Baltimore Ravens 39-38 on Chris Boswell’s field goal with 42 seconds left in the game.

The Steelers improved to 11-2 with their eighth straight win after trailing by 11 points going into the fourth quarter.

Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger completed a career-high 44 passes on a careerhigh 66 attempts for 506 yards. He became the first NFL quarterback with three career 500yard games. AFP

LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0 M+ P0 M

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

A8

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017

Sports

Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics shoots the ball against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. AFP

FIBA tilt a chance to show PH’s world-class hospitality

By Peter Atencio

T

HE municipality of Bocaue, Bulacan is getting ready to welcome fans and delegates who will come to watch the games of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

The Asian bloc that includes the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia won a bid that beat out the Argentina-Uruguay consortium last Saturday.

This was after the candidate countries, through their representatives, presented their final pitch before the FIBA Central Board in Switzerland.

“We are extremely happy that basketball-loving Filipinos will finally witness the FIBA World Cup here in our home soil. We congratulate the officials of Samahan ng Basketball ng Pilipinas for their triumphant mission in winning the bid to host the FIBA 2023 World Cup together with Japan and Indo-

nesia,” said Villanueva.

The Philippines will host the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the finals.

The last time the event was held in the Philippines was in 1978 at the Araneta Coliseum, where Yugoslavia defeated the then-Soviet Union in the final held at the Araneta Coliseum.

Back in 1978, only 14 teams competed. This time around, 32 countries are set to battle for basketball supremacy. Indonesia and Japan will each host eight countries, with group round games to be held in Jakarta and Okinawa. The 16 other teams will play their group round games in Manila.

The Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, as co-hosts, are automatically qualified for the tournament.

The qualification stage for other nations will start in in 2021.

“I think it’s an event that makes all Filipinos very happy and I’m sure all of the fans in Indonesia and Japan are equally happy. As you know we are just a basketball crazy country,” said SBP Chairman Manny Pangilinan. “FIBA has been gracious enough to give us the hosting rights for the FIBA Basketball World Cup. It’s an extremely important event for Philippines basketball to have.” With Bill Casas

Celtics turn tables on Pistons; Pacers win LOS ANGELES—The Boston Celtics notched a satisfying win in Detroit on Sunday, handing the slumping Pistons their sixth straight NBA defeat just two weeks after losing to them in Boston.

Al Horford led the way with 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Kyrie Irving added 16 points and Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown scored 12 apiece for the Celtics, who held the Pistons to season lows in points scored and field goal percentage in the 91-81 triumph.

“I wouldn’t call it payback,” star point guard Irving said.

“It’s just always good when you can respond the way you want to, especially on their home floor, just like they did on our home floor.”

It was also good to get a win, Irving said, after a tough threepoint loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.

“We were locked in,” said Aron Baynes, who pulled down 13 rebounds for Boston and was primarily responsible for holding Detroit center Andre Drummond to a season-low six points.

The Eastern Conferenceleading Celtics did have some offensive struggles of their own. They were up by 16 in

the fourth quarter when they hit a dry spell and the Pistons closed to within four.

But Boston scored on four of their next six possessions to rebuild their lead.

“Our offense wasn’t as crisp tonight as we wanted it to be but defensively we had a game plan and we stuck with it,” Baynes said.

Oladipo on fire In Indianapolis, Victor Oladipo poured in a career-high 47 points to lead the Pacers to a 126-116 overtime triumph over the Denver Nuggets.

His electrifying performance had chants of “M-V-P” ringing around Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but Oladipo isn’t the kind of player to let the admiration go to his head.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do,” he said. “I’m trying to be great. There’s no in between, and I can’t settle for anything less.”

The Pacers scored the last eight points in regulation to tie it. Oladipo’s driving layup sliced the deficit to 114-112 with 55 seconds remaining.

After an Oladipo miss, Thaddeus made the put-back basket to tie it at 114-114 with 5.5 seconds left. Denver’s Will Barton had a chance to win it but missed at the buzzer. AFP

Diaz getting ready for lift qualifiers RUSSIA and China were among nine countries that were suspended for a year by the International Weightlifting Federation because of doping allegations.

For Hidilyn Diaz, the absence of many heavily favored lifters allowed her a chance to snatch a pair of medals in the women’s 53 kg class at the 2017 International Weightlifting Federation World Championships in Anaheim, California.

The suspensions were implemented during the World Championships, with the IWF also suspending lifters from Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Turkey and Ukraine.

Diaz took home a bronze after lifting 199 kilograms in total lifts, while her 113 clean and jerk effort was good for a silver.

Now that she’s back in Manila, her coach Tony Agustin is getting Diaz ready for qualification competitions that will earn her points for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“Umpisa na sa Asian Games. Pang-qualifying na ito para makapuntos sa Continental (qualification),” said Agustin, during the Sports Chat Forum with scribes at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex Athletes Lounge.

Agustin said the Asiad will be part of a series of competitions that Diaz needs to join.

Diaz, who has gone down in weight from 58 kgs, said her new weight class has been a challenge since the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

“Mahirap ito. ‘Pag gusto mo mag-compete (in the 53 kg), kailangan sakripisyo,” said Diaz, who is very mindful of her diet.

Diaz talked about her preparations for next year’s Asiad at a time when the IWF has been under pressure to clean up it ranks or face being dropped from the Olympics. Peter Atencio

Senator Joel Villanueva, who considers Bocaue his hometown, said this as he welcomed the successful bid of the Samagang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to co-host the event with Japan and Indonesia.

Villanueva is Vice Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Sports.

“We are also elated that the gold-medal game will be

held at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan. It will be a good opportunity for us to showcase our world-class sports facilities, as well as the hospitality of the Filipinos,” said Villanueva.

With the availability of the the world’s largest indoor arena, Villanueva expects a record crowd of over 57,000 fans to watch.

D’Friendly dominates duckpin keg meet

12-round sweep nets Rivera 4th National Slalom crown

THE D’Friendly Bowlers dominated the recent 42nd PHIDBC (Philippine Duckpin Bowling Council) National Open championships by winning three of four titles at the Marketplace Center in Mandaluyong City.

D’Friendly’s Bella Silbol, Beth dela Pena and Grace Guico bagged the ladies’ team crown while two of their teammates—Lydia Villa and Alex Lopez— claimed the women’s and men’s singles plums.

Floyd San Jose and Jeff and Alfie Tivido of BIDBA (Manny & Beth) captured the men’s team diadem.

D’Friendly beat BUDBA while BIDBA toppled CADBA in the ladies’ and men’s team finals, respectively.

Villa downed SODA’s Edith Matris while Lopez trimmed teammate Bong Prado in the ladies’ and men’s singles events, respectively.

The individual winners were Emmie Arriola (99), high pinning, and Joe Raber (100), perfect pinning; Len Alcantara (159) and Joebeth Fajardo (210), high single; INCIRBA PRES (368) and NSBA W. Lily (427), ladies’ and men’s high team single; Ruby Villamil, INCIRBA (395) and Arvin Ancirno, INCIRBA (451), top single qualifiers; and INCIRBA PRES (368) and NSBA W. Lily (427), top team qualifiers.

The winners received trophies and gift checks worth a total of P350,000.

NOW officially a fourtime National Slalom Champion, Milo Rivera has achieved something only two other drivers in the history of the National Slalom Series have— sweep an entire season.

The defeat-free year was complete after Rivera clinched the overall best time of the day in the final round of the 2017 RACE Motorsports Club - Phoenix National Slalom Series at the parking grounds of Robinsons San Fernando, Pampanga.

The Federal Tires, United Auctioneers Inc., AutoPerformance PH, and Placewell International Services Corp.-backed Rivera drove his mighty green Toyota Starlet to a winning time of 39.10, after an intense headto-head battle with Inigo Anton, which lasted until the late nights of the race.

Rivera was able to clinch

his winning time after struggling to catch Inigo’s astonishing 39.16 lap.

Completing the Top 5 were Milo’s brother Estefano Rivera, Richard Gallardo and Jevoy Moreno.

The result not just officially gave Rivera his fourth straight national plum, it also made his brother, multi-titled racer Estefano, clinch second overall in the 2017 Championship, making it a 1-2 finish by the Tough Gear stalwarts in the standings.

This will be the second time the two Riveras finished 1st and 2nd overall in this national championship after the same achievement was done last 2015.

“I could not have ended the year any better,” said the emotional Rivera, whose grandfather passed away a night leading up to the race.

“We knew what was at

stake, and that was the perfect season record -- and we knew Inigo had other plans in mind. We had to fight tooth and nail just to achieve that feat and we Praise God we were able to at the very last moment. It didn’t come easy at all, but I guess we really needed to be hungry for it to deserve it. Plus I guess we had a little bit of help from my Lolo when we needed it the most,” added Rivera, who also credited the young 13-year old sensation for a superb drive. “He’s already up there, and I’m sure he’ll definitely give us a run for our money next year.”

With the 2017 Philippine Motorsports season officially over, Rivera will eventually set his sights on his 2018 campaign where numerous opportunities and drives in and out of the country await.

“We praise God for such a beautiful year; we know that

Milo Rivera alongside his Green Toyota Starlet after clinching the 2017 Phoenix National Slalom Series title, his 4th in succession. Jon Gonzales

without His guidance and provision, none of this would have been possible. Moving forward, we shall continue

to work our way towards achieving greater heights and we will certainly put our faith in Him in the process.

2018 looks very bright for us and we’re excited and optimistic with what’s to come,” added Rivera.

Drug Busters advance to 2nd round of UNTV Cup

The DoJ Justice Boosters’ Justine Lopez tries to break the defense of the Ombudsman Graft Busters in the UNTV Cup at the Olivarez Sports Complex.

ROOKIE team PDEA Drug Busters is moving into the second round of eliminations of the UNTV Cup Season 6.

That’s because the DOJ Justice Boosters toppled the Ombudsman Graft Busters, 95-73, during Sunday’s triple header.

Based on the league’s point system, DOJ, Ombudsman and DA, teams which have inferior points, are eliminated from the league this season, allowing PDEA

to advance to the next round.

Meanwhile, Group A’s DOH Health Achievers, COA Enablers and BFP Firefighters also failed to advance.

Tthe AFP Cavaliers defeated the DOH Health Achievers, 92-71, enabling the soldiers to share their 5-1 standing with the Senate Defenders in Group A. Meanwhile, the GSIS Furies stunned the defending champions PNP

Responders, 76-68.

“Talagang trinabaho nila (Furies) nang husto.

Kasi hindi namin inisip na we’re in sa second round. Sabi ko i-solidify pa natin, maka-tsmaba tayo against defending champion PNP,” GSIS Furies’ coach Myk Saguiguit said.

This win catapulted the Furies to the third spot in Group A, with a 4-2 card, surpassing the Responders, who now have a 3-3 standing.

PNP Responders Head Coach Erik Samson said: “Nahirapan kami. Hindi kami gaanong nakadepensa nang maayos doon sa mga one-on-one nila, sa atake nila, at maaga kami nag-penalty.”

Rene Boy Banzali and James Patrick Abugan were hailed as the Best Players of the Game after combining for 54 points.

The second round of eliminations kicks off on Thursday.

Stock market advances; BDO rises

B2

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017

B1

Fitch upgrades PH credit rating

By Julito G. Rada

IN BRIEF

G

LOBAL debt watcher Fitch Ratings Inc. upgraded the Philippines’ sovereign credit rating to “BBB” from the minimum investment grade of “BBB-,” providing an endorsement of President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic plans, which include a tax reform aimed at strengthening the fiscal outlook.

TransCo offers partnership with China Telecom STATE-owned National Transmission Corp. said it is open to become the local partner of staterun China Telecom Corp., which is being eyed by the government as the country’s third telecom player.

TransCo president Melvin Matibag said the company could team up with China Telecom because the Chinese company would need a local partner under rules on foreign ownership.

“They have the technical expertise in operating telecommunications and TransCo has the facilities to offer,” he said.

Matibag said TransCo owns the fiber optic facilities that could be utilized for the broadband network to bring internet access nationwide.

“We want to push TransCo to be part of whatever project it is because considering the owner of the facility is TransCo. This is also in support of the pronouncement of the president to encourage a third player,” Matibag said.

“We can be the 60 percent. The 40 percent is the technical and financial capacity,” he said. Alena Mae S. Flores

ICTSI signs land deal in Motukea INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services Inc. said a subsidiary signed an agreement with the Motukea impacted landowner community groups in Papua New Guinea to establish a collaborative framework needed for the joint port project to move forward.

“We are privileged and excited to have been granted the opportunity to collaborate with our host community to jointly realize the potential of the Port of Motukea as a logistics hub. This mutually beneficial goal would not be possible without the support of our host communities,” said ICTSI senior vice president and head of Asia Pacific Christian Gonzalez.

ICTSI won 25-year concessions each to operate the Ports of Lae and Motukea. Last week, ICTSI subsidiary South Pacific International Container Terminal Limited and the ICTSI Foundation signed a similar memorandum of agreement to enable the Lae project to move forward.

“We extend our gratitude to the local stakeholders here in Motukea for supporting this project.

We look forward to the implementation of this engagement so we can fast track our development plans,” SICTL chief executive Edward Muttiah said. Darwin G. Amojelar

STERLING-BAYAD PARTNERSHIP. Sterling Bank of Asia Inc., a savings bank, signs a partnership agreement with CIS Bayad Center Inc., a leading multi-channel payment platform in the Philippines, as part of its commitment to make cash loading easier and more efficient for its customers. The partnership aims to increase the loading channels of SBA through Bayad Center’s branch network. Shown are (from left) CIS Bayad Center senior vice president and chief operating officer Francispito Quevedo, CIS Bayad Center president and chief executive Manuel Lorenzo Tuazon, SBA president and chief executive Cecilio San Pedro, SBA director Bansan Choa and SBA executive vice president and retail banking group head Ralph Cadiz.

China Telecom studies Duterte offer to enter PH

Mapúa offers course on renewables MAPÚA University will be offering a crash course on renewable energy.

The program, through Mapúa International Summer School in partnership with local oil exploration and development company PetroEnergy Resources Corp., is slated to open in July 2018 at Mapúa University Intramuros Campus.

Spread over a three-week period, the summer classes will be held from Mondays to Fridays for a total of 49 hours of classroom interaction. Geothermal energy will be the focus of discussion in the first week, while solar and wind energy will be given emphasis in the second and third weeks, respectively.

In addition to classroom lectures and activities, each week will be culminated by a power plant visit to provide students with firsthand industry experience. Cultural trips within Metro Manila and a culminating activity in Boracay are also part of the program.

Certificates of completion will be provided to participating students upon the fulfillment of the three-unit course.

CHINA Telecommunications Corp. is studying an investment in the Philippines after President Rodrigo Duterte invited China to enter the Southeast Asian country and challenge local phone carriers PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. The Chinese government, which controls its phone carriers, picked China Telecom to be the one entering the Philippines,

with China amid a South China Sea territorial dispute, pushes through his pledges to open the phone market. For China Telecom, entering the Philippines would help the company expand into one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia.

Philippine Telegraph & Telephone Corp. said that it’s in partnership talks with China Telecom, Chi-

na Mobile Ltd. and other Chinese companies. China Telecom confirmed in an emailed statement that it’s conducting a preliminary study on investing in the Philippines but that no concrete plan had been determined.

PLDT fell 5 percent Monday to P1,440, while Globe Telecom dropped 4 percent to P1,690.

Bloomberg

LRWC, Galaxy in talks for Boracay casino-resort

By Jenniffer B. Austria LISTED gaming company Leisure & Resorts World Corp. is in talks with Macau-based gaming and hospitality conglomerate Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. to develop a worldclass beach resort and casino in Boracay Island at a cost of $300 million to $500 million.

Executives from Galaxy Entertainment and LRWC last week paid a courtesy call on President Rodrigo Duterte to discuss the project and business opportunities’ in the country.

The GEG team was led

by GEG chairman Dr. Lui Che-woo with vice chairman Francis Lui Yiu Tung and other senior managers of the company.

“Galaxy is excited about the possibility of teaming with LRWC to develop a world-class beach resort for our players in Boracay which was just rated the number one island in the world in 2017 by Conde Nast Traveller readers,” Tung said.

Tung said that with the improving China-Philippines relations, GEG and its mother company K Wah Group expected to play a role in the One Belt One Road initiative and planned to explore the great potential and attractive business opportunities in the Philippines.

LRWC vice president for legal and corporate secretary Katrina Nepomuceno said the company was honored and pleased to be chosen as GEG’s local partner.

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

Peso

United States

Dollar

0.008810

0.4455

Japan

Yen

1.338700

67.7007

UK

Pound

0.128123

6.4794

Hong Kong

Dollar

1.007557

50.9542

Switzerland

Franc

0.778089

39.3495

Canada

Dollar

0.739536

37.3998

Singapore

Dollar

0.750700

37.9644

Australia

Dollar

2.651816

134.1076

Bahrain

Dinar

0.266652

13.4851

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.736811

37.2620

Brunei

Dollar

0.000074

0.0037

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.030613

1.5482

Thailand

Baht

0.272339

13.7727

UAE

Dirham

1.176500

59.4980

Euro

Euro

0.000916

0.0463

Korea

Won

0.150966

7.6347

China

Yuan

0.015511

0.7844

India

Rupee

0.244678

12.3739

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.684000

34.5912

New Zealand

Dollar

0.033330

1.6856 Source: PDS Bridge

NET inflows of foreign direct investments jumped 61.8 percent in September to $754 million from $466 million a year ago, bringing total inflows in the first nine months to $5.84 billion.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said this meant foreign investors remained attracted to the Philippines given its “strong macroeconomic fundamentals and high growth prospects.”

Net equity capital investments in September increased 31.8 percent to $182 million, as gross placements amounting to $194 million more than offset withdrawals of $12 million.

Foreign infusion came mostly from the United States, Singapore, the Netherlands, China

pines’ strong and consistent macroeconomic performance has continued and underpinned by sound policies that are supporting high and sustainable growth rates.”

Despite the controversy over Duterte’s bloody anti-drug war, Fitch said there’s no evidence it’s undermined investor confidence. The economy is set to remain one of the fastest expanding in Asia with growth of 6.8 percent next year and in 2019, the ratings company said.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the government was pleased that Fitch was finally convinced that the Philippine economy was much stronger now and more resilient than in 2013, when it granted the Philippines its first investment grade rating of BBB. “Our macroeconomic fundamentals are on par with, if not better than, those of higher-rated sovereigns and continue to improve.

Our economic growth in recent years has been one of the fastest in the region and among our rating peers,” Dominguez said.

“While we are not targeting ratings per se, I am confident that with these reforms, there will be more positive rating actions in the next couple of years,” Dominguez said. With Bloomberg

CebuPac flying to Melbourne in 2018

CHOCOLATE PRODUCTION. The Trade Department Region 2 conducts Kakawsafe: Capability Building and Knowledge Sharing of Cacao Processors at the Department of Agriculture Food Technology Center, Carig Sur, Tuguegarao City. The two-day capability building and knowledge sharing aims to provide skills training on tableya-based chocolate production compliant with food safety standards. Farmers, processors, traders and enablers participate in the activity.

Foreign direct investments jumped 62% to $754m in September

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Monday, December 11, 2017 US Dollar

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said Sunday, citing information from a cabinet meeting last week.

China Telecom will have to look for a local partner with an existing franchise and a significant presence in the Philippines, Andanar said.

Shares of PLDT and Globe fell as Duterte, who has sought warmer ties

“The Duterte administration welcomes the good news of the credit upgrade

by Fitch Ratings,” said Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno. “The upgrade supports the growing consensus that the Philippines is one of the fastest growing countries not only in the fast-growing Asia Pacific region but also in the entire world.”

Credit ratings assess the default risk of a prospective debtor, providing guidance to investors, corporations and governments worldwide. “The improved credit rating of the Philippines will therefore enhance the government’s access to financing and potentially present more favorable terms and conditions for future loans,” the Budget Department said.

The upgrade puts the Philippines on par with Italy and ahead of Indonesia. It came more than four years since Fitch gave the Philippines its very first investment grade in March 2013. The upgrade also put Fitch Ratings’ score at par with those of Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings.

The new rating is assigned a “stable” outlook, which means there are no pressing factors that could trigger an adjustment within the near term.

Fitch said the “Philip-

and Japan. These were invested mainly in construction; professional, scientific and technical; manufacturing, real estate, and accommodation and food service activities.

Net inflows in January to September hit $5.84 billion, nearly unchanged from $5.85 billion a year ago. Net equity capital in the nine-month period recorded lower inflows of $1.1 billion, compared to $1.6 billion a year earlier.

These came mainly from the US, Singapore, Japan, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong and were invested mainly in manufacturing, real estate, wholesale and retail trade, financial and insurance and construction activities.

Bangko Sentral officials earlier

said inflows of foreign direct investments this year would likely match the $8 billion recorded in 2016. They also downplayed concerns by some quarters that the country was losing its attractiveness to foreign businessmen.

The Bangko Sentral said prospects for inward FDI flows continued to be favorable as both “push” (subdued global economic growth) and “pull” (sustained robust macroeconomic performance and investment grade status) factors remained.

Global debt watcher Fitch Ratings raised its investment grade score of the Philippines by a notch to “BBB” from “BBB-“ with a stable outlook, citing the country’s solid macroeconomic

fundamentals backed by the government’s economic reforms that sustained economic growth.

The economy grew 6.7 percent in the first three quarters, within the government’s official target range of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent this year.

FDI net inflows reached a record $7.9 billion in 2016, surpassing the target of $6.7 billion. The 2016 figure was also 40.7 percent higher than $5.72 billion recorded in 2015.

The National Economic Development Authority earlier assured that foreign investors remained confident to do business in the country despite a 14-percent decline in FDIs in the first half.

Julito G. Rada

CEBU Pacific asked the Civil Aeronautics Board for flights entitlements from Manila to Melbourne, as the low-cost carrier plans to mount flights to the Australian city by the middle of 2018.

Cebu Pacific vice president of corporate communications JR Mantaring said the airline requested the Philippine air panel to hold air talks with the government of Australia.

Manataring said the airline requested for 872 seats between Manila and Melbourne.

“I think our request is still pending with the CAB,” Mantaring said.

The Philippine air panel and its counterpart in Australia raised seat entitlements between the two countries to 9,300 seats from 6,300 seats per week in 2015.

Cebu Pacific currently operates between Manila and Sydney, while Philippine Airlines flies to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Darwin.

Cebu Pacific increased flight frequency between Manila and Sydney from five times weekly to daily operations beginning Dec. 1, 2017 to Jan. 31, 2018. The airline also offers the most number of seats between Manila and Sydney.

B2

Business

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market advances; BDO rises

T

HE stock market rose Monday, buoyed by the move of Fitch Ratings to raise the Philippines’ sovereign rating by one level.

The rating on the nation’s long-term foreign currency-denominated debt was raised to BBB with a stable outlook, Fitch said in a statement on Monday. The upgrade puts the Philippines on par with Italy and ahead of Indonesia.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index rose 53.87 points, or 0.6 percent to 8,358.57 on a value turnover of P5.85 billion. Gainers beat losers, 114 to 82, with 42 issues unchanged.

BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, climbed 3.4 percent to P153, while Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second-largest bank, added 2 percent to P98.10.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which is into toll roads, electricity and water distribution, and hospitals, advanced 2.3 percent to P6.55. PLDT Inc., the biggest telecommunications firm, fell 5 percent to P1,440.

Most Asian markets, meanwhile, rose

Monday, tracking fresh records on Wall Street following forecast-busting US jobs data, as investors eyed the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting later this week.

US data on Friday showed 228,000 jobs were created last month and unemployment held at a 17-year low, reinforcing the view that the world’s number one economy is in a healthy state.

The reading—mixed with news of a breakthrough in Brexit talks, strong Chinese indicators and progress in US tax reform—helped fire a rally in US equities, driving the Dow and S&P 500 to close at all-time highs.

Adding to the upbeat sentiment was an agreement by US lawmakers to keep funding the government to avert a painful shutdown.

The advance helped staunch a sell-off that has hit global markets for most of this month as traders wind down for the end of the year, while tech firms took a hit from profit-taking.

Tokyo ended 0.6 percent higher as the Nikkei rose for a third straight day, while Hong Kong surged more than one percent in afternoon trade and Shanghai added one percent

as Chinese traders brushed off lower than expected inflation figures.

Singapore put on 0.8 percent and Taipei jumped 0.7 percent, while Seoul rose 0.3 percent and Sydney was broadly flat.

Eyes are on the Fed’s last meeting of the year, which winds down on Wednesday. Most analysts expect the central bank to lift interest rates again, but they will be more interested in what boss Janet Yellen has to say about the timetable for future increases.

Bitcoin rose more than $1,300 to jump back above $16,000 following a sharp drop Friday on profit-taking after the cryptocurrency touched a record high above $17,000.

The unit is in focus after surging to multiple records since the start of December.

However, it made a muted debut as futures trading in the currency began on the Chicago board options exchange (Cboe) on a major global exchange.

The move is a milestone for Bitcoin, which has seen a buying frenzy by investors and prompted skeptics to warn of a bubble.

With AFP

Philab Industries buys 67% of Sydenham Laboratories

By Jenniffer B. Austria PHILAB Holdings Corp. plans to acquire 67 percent of local pharmaceutical firm Sydenham Laboratories Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

Philab said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the acquisition, which is subject to due diligence and regulatory approvals, would broaden the company’s current product offerings.

“The acquisition of Sydenham Lab enables Philab Holdings to broaden our service offering to the

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW MONDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 3.51 205,000 59.85 24,390 104 825,300 3.88 3,000 153 2,458,060 2.06 532,000 33.1 153,900 9.05 500 15.9 5,000 33.7 667,600 1.7 9,000 975 30 0.56 182,000 98.1 2,993,590 0.84 1,600,000 11.84 5,900 25 52,200 55.1 31,730 239.8 90 96 720 90 100 54.4 201,280 250.2 363,690 86.9 38,030 1.25 210,000

676,490 1,457,288.50 85,293,039 11,660 369,017,305 1,105,560 5,110,220 4,525 77,890 22,402,115 15,460 29,250 102,220 291,662,595.50 1,327,120 70,260 1,305,000 1,761,455.50 21,582 69,120 9,000 10,968,853 90,887,254 3,305,112.50 262,500

-52,800 1,343,258.50 -5,975,472 -90,856,617 240,100 -312,500 2,754,550 -1,540 -19,500 51,449,807 1,186 -1,426,701.50 -3,859,753.50 14,601,690 -615,317.50 -

38.65 12.36 0.66 1.35 16.68 0.218 4.58 15.94 42.1 19.82 63.95 1.89 5.25 10.9 11.24 14.8 11.2 7.23 5.67 17 61.85 24.8 11.56 18.14 2.35 246.8 4.27 3.17 20 28.35 17.84 17 316.2 0.188 8.35 2.45 6 9.38 7.47 8.5 1.55 11.5 59.9 6.77 550 4.95 2.06 4.5 2 13 5.38 0.133 1.16 142.5 3.01 1.93 0.76

INDUSTRIAL 39.3 1,485,600 12.6 807,000 0.68 54,000 1.37 271,000 16.88 10,300 0.226 4,880,000 4.74 3,615,000 16.18 1,599,800 43.5 520,500 20 21,800 64 140 1.92 126,000 5.55 20,700 11 10,400 11.7 3,036,000 14.84 690,100 11.2 94,100 7.25 286,800 5.8 5,856,400 17.1 520,200 62.2 336,760 24.8 249,100 11.56 7,500 18.98 944,400 2.5 15,549,000 249 642,820 4.4 275,000 3.35 68,000 21.5 6,900 28.6 868,600 18.5 57,600 17.32 1,590,600 318.4 507,470 0.198 450,000 9.18 25,800 2.49 4,000 6.01 99,700 9.5 395,900 7.7 61,700 8.84 32,100 1.56 1,036,000 12 345,600 60.2 225,740 6.77 300 550 50,560 4.99 41,000 2.06 4,000 4.5 26,000 2.07 339,000 13.16 304,200 5.38 280,400 0.133 40,000 1.21 360,000 143.5 1,475,320 3.01 82,000 1.97 1,698,000 0.81 6,574,000

57,931,585 10,118,756 36,230 369,220 176,100 1,120,610 17,013,540 25,665,146 22,395,515 442,555 8,955 241,120 112,150 114,308 34,632,816 10,240,954 1,059,568 2,079,605 33,968,439 8,875,340 20,952,752 6,259,930 86,936 17,565,640 38,437,090 159,047,600 1,216,440 224,750 140,710 24,857,235 1,053,884 27,549,606 161,557,374 86,520 227,308 9,840 599,389 3,729,578 472,261 273,776 1,606,590 4,100,236 13,629,848.50 2,033 28,224,395 203,960 8,240 128,260 703,980 4,010,210 1,520,026 5,320 429,840 211,869,391 253,780 3,342,120 5,342,880

-16,589,490 -281,684 -7,920 14,400 -3,792,720 678,454 2 8,748 11,743,048 983,814 -426,178 -899,699 4,858,525 -5,562,736 1,063,189 -75 -73,048 829,630 -4,952,030 -98,573,422 -52,800 -79,330 -20,715,395 79,564 19,838,178 71,070,538 33,712 -643,654 1,030,750 1,347,971 -798,980 99,520 2,386,988 5,380 -2,660 181,936,462 -1,354,480 352,950

0.305 70.9 15.96 7.09 0.375 0.38 1,043 7.61 14.7 7.9 5 1,180 7.88 70.1 0.67 5.72 19 0.285 6.57 3.77 0.045 1.1 2.06 112.5 2.66 999 2.03 285 0.23

0.3 69.4 15.74 6.85 0.365 0.38 1,012 7.45 14.4 7.75 5 1,166 7.88 68.2 0.62 5.5 18.62 0.28 6.45 3.68 0.044 1.05 2.05 110 2.52 982 1.79 284.8 0.23

HOLDING FIRMS 0.305 580,000 70.4 600,390 15.9 5,955,200 6.85 29,400 0.365 710,000 0.38 300,000 1,040 520,900 7.48 2,602,900 14.7 4,436,600 7.85 24,100 5 47,000 1,180 34,805 7.88 100 68.8 375,950 0.66 480,000 5.7 294,300 18.9 197,100 0.28 490,000 6.55 18,248,300 3.68 99,000 0.044 9,000,000 1.08 172,000 2.05 389,000 110.5 423,240 2.66 23,000 997 374,410 1.8 12,926,000 285 960 0.23 10,000

175,450 42,224,724 94,526,260 203,062 262,250 114,000 534,022,960 19,540,230 64,398,892 188,595 235,000 40,960,475 788 25,867,729.50 306,820 1,662,352 3,723,048 137,350 118,840,505 367,640 396,300 184,020 798,000 46,767,484 60,760 371,887,535 24,266,040 273,592 2,300

5.82 1.08 10.7 2.44 0.9 43.5 3.66 4.78 5.44 0.48 1.19 1.25 0.213 0.47 39.2 0.68 1.88 1.45 0.75 5.26 0.37 0.385

5.67 1.02 10.04 2.22 0.88 43 3.62 4.7 5.44 0.47 1.12 1.19 0.206 0.45 37.6 0.65 1.79 1.4 0.73 5.21 0.35 0.37

1,985,687 7,312,050 168,844 1,507,220 669,000 195,777,285 1,170,400 2,630,400 42,432 1,572,750 80,180 64,910 520,550 9,200 5,828,225 940,030 13,248,710 9,218,090 73,890 97,234,134 16,031,200 1,155,500

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

3.1 59.65 103.5 3.89 147 2.14 33.2 9.05 15.2 33.2 1.7 975 0.56 96.15 0.82 11.98 25 55.2 239.8 96 90 54.5 250 86.95 1.25

3.55 59.85 104.1 3.89 153 2.14 33.4 9.05 15.9 33.8 1.78 975 0.57 98.4 0.84 12.98 25 59.1 239.8 96 90 56 251 86.95 1.25

3.1 59.1 102 3.88 146 2.05 33.05 9.05 15.2 33.2 1.7 975 0.56 95.7 0.82 11.84 25 55.1 239.8 96 90 54.4 247 86.9 1.25

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR ENERGY DEVT FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MACAY HLDG MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHIL H2O PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP PUREFOODS RFM CORP ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VULCAN INDL

38.85 12.48 0.66 1.36 19.96 0.223 4.58 16.04 42.1 20 63.95 1.89 5.25 10.9 11.5 14.9 11.4 7.3 5.67 17.3 62 25.9 11.8 18.5 2.38 247.2 4.7 3.17 20.1 29 17.86 17 320 0.192 8.35 2.45 6.04 9.5 7.6 9 1.57 12 60.6 6.79 560 4.99 2.06 5.78 2.15 13 5.6 0.133 1.17 143.1 3.1 1.93 0.76

39.4 12.6 0.68 1.4 19.96 0.24 4.76 16.2 43.5 22.2 64 1.92 5.6 11.26 11.7 14.9 11.4 7.3 5.81 17.3 62.45 26 11.8 19.1 2.55 249 4.7 3.36 21.5 29.1 18.5 17.48 320.8 0.2 9.38 2.49 6.05 9.5 7.9 9 1.57 12 60.6 6.79 565 5 2.06 5.78 2.15 13.24 5.6 0.133 1.21 144 3.1 1.98 0.84

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANSCOR ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B AYALA CORP COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FJ PRINCE A GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV MJC INVESTMENTS PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA PRIME ORION SAN MIGUEL CORP SEAFRONT RES SM INVESTMENTS SOLID GROUP TOP FRONTIER UNIOIL HLDG

0.305 70.9 15.74 7 0.375 0.38 1,015 7.45 14.58 7.85 5 1,175 7.88 69.05 0.65 5.69 18.82 0.285 6.45 3.75 0.045 1.1 2.06 112.5 2.52 982 1.97 284.8 0.23

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

5.82 1.06 10.04 2.37 0.9 43 3.66 4.7 5.44 0.47 1.18 1.25 0.208 0.45 38.45 0.65 1.8 1.4 0.74 5.22 0.37 0.385

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

0.61 6.26 34.4 22.4 2.66 3.19 36.55 1.01 8 0.81 5.66

0.61 6.28 34.4 22.4 2.74 3.21 37 1.02 8 0.86 5.8

0.57 6.15 34.4 21.8 2.49 3.19 36.5 1 7.68 0.81 5.62

0.57 6.18 34.4 21.85 2.58 3.19 36.8 1 7.68 0.86 5.7

18,267,000 1,159,300 100 1,107,600 10,043,000 862,000 9,446,000 596,000 400 29,000 3,626,900

10,565,440 7,191,547 3,440 24,295,945 26,496,080 2,757,940 347,397,695 597,360 3,104 24,460 20,659,995

-311,500 -15,880,330 23,390 115,200 -49,790,180 -3,619,996

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CHELSEA DISCOVERY WORLD EASYCALL FAR EASTERN U GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN HAVEN HARBOR STAR INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY MELCO RESORTS METRO RETAIL MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PAL HLDG PHIL RACING PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

18.38 34.6 1.46 0.5 0.045 11.5 10.5 0.073 101 8.7 2.89 3.95 960 1,759 5.8 17.5 4.68 104 12.08 8.35 0.14 1.37 3.07 4.45 1.2 21.3 0.52 6.49 7.3 3.89 18.9 2.89 5.15 9.4 137.5 8.35 1,515 1.45 0.35 49.4 92.85 5.78 3.02 1.73 4.12 1.07 8.21

18.4 35 1.46 0.5 0.045 11.5 10.72 0.077 101.6 8.7 4.18 4.4 960 1,759 5.85 18.2 5.05 105.2 12.2 9 0.142 1.37 3.18 4.75 1.2 21.75 0.56 6.53 7.43 3.92 18.9 2.93 5.15 9.4 143.9 8.35 1,522 1.45 0.38 50.5 94 5.99 3.19 1.73 4.19 1.1 8.21

18.2 34.6 1.46 0.47 0.043 11.5 10.5 0.072 100.8 8.51 2.79 3.7 960 1,661 5.8 17.5 4.68 103.5 12.08 8.35 0.14 1.32 3.07 4.3 1.16 21.1 0.52 5.5 7.28 3.81 15 2.77 5 9.4 137.5 7.9 1,437 1.28 0.34 49.3 91.25 5.78 3.02 1.68 3.89 1.04 8.1

SERVICES 18.32 35 1.46 0.47 0.043 11.5 10.7 0.073 100.8 8.57 4.18 4 960 1,690 5.8 18.2 4.94 104.6 12.2 8.36 0.142 1.32 3.18 4.65 1.18 21.35 0.56 5.5 7.39 3.85 15 2.79 5 9.4 143.6 8.1 1,440 1.3 0.36 50.5 94 5.99 3.08 1.69 3.91 1.06 8.21

39,300 48,100 8,000 40,000 25,000,000 100 17,023,600 16,170,000 158,060 433,700 2,380,000 89,000 40 69,930 176,100 1,300 11,385,000 286,000 1,000 306,000 5,240,000 44,000 48,000 9,901,000 434,000 1,252,500 38,000 5,818,200 10,277,700 855,000 2,700 4,825,000 6,000 100 560 4,500,400 150,485 684,000 360,000 598,600 536,650 15,400 1,289,000 3,104,000 1,604,000 10,164,000 464,400

721,134 1,668,460 11,680 19,200 1,086,300 1,150 181,010,542 1,195,230 15,981,378 3,707,358 9,150,920 356,380 38,400 119,187,790 1,021,748 23,520 55,824,790 29,883,536 12,140 2,558,690 739,810 58,280 147,470 45,358,450 511,430 26,707,025 20,110 34,721,679 75,890,682 3,276,160 45,690 13,745,180 30,470 940 79,876 36,175,830 218,541,420 882,990 129,650 29,950,415 49,965,606 91,825 3,985,320 5,261,320 6,418,830 10,812,640 3,800,033

126,566 8,700 51,232,316 -5,200 6,440,856 596,562 19,950 -76,625,195 437,450 -9,256,859 -14,310,980 -14,380 11,296,410 -3,378,812 27,759,685 -368,790 14,450 20,146 454,353 -91,236,045 -2,590 14,513,810 -16,150,266.50 203,850 -13,500 -24,960 -153,570 2,892,777

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

0.0023 1.62 4.66 1.71 1.64 0.31 7.3 2.6 0.235 0.151 0.15 0.0099 1.8 6.17 1.78 0.91 0.013 0.013 0.011 2.02 5.71 8.52 37.05

0.0024 1.63 4.79 1.71 1.64 0.31 8 2.64 0.242 0.165 0.163 0.01 1.8 6.36 1.78 0.92 0.013 0.013 0.012 2.1 5.91 8.8 37.95

0.0022 1.59 4.55 1.71 1.58 0.31 7.3 2.6 0.235 0.15 0.15 0.0099 1.71 6.17 1.5 0.91 0.013 0.013 0.011 2.02 5.71 8.49 37.05

389,600 7,360,180 1,053,550 3,420 12,552,860 213,900 56,565 3,094,310 4,770 1,207,980 1,074,860 69,600 36,000 4,255,871 96,890 87,300 179,400 85,800 2,785,100 32,760 3,084,644 18,935,283 163,815,455

863,660 -50,050 1,066,150 -589,490 1,569,895 16,560 -2,600 -739,103 352,854 13,574,225

39,000 -6,719,656.50 -44,416,022 -117,300 -25,322,140 -3,110,746 -34,303,058 -790 17,834,000 -16,346,580 -6,200 568,439 -1,281,450 -714,306 37,300 4,400 33,731,891 -101,885,395 45,980 17,092 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF G GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A PF PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2H

34.5 524.5 530 108 105 115.5 5.48 1,025 100.2 1.09 109.6 1,049 1,002 75.35 82 76.25 78.05 79.35

34.5 550 530.5 108 105 115.5 5.54 1,025 101 1.09 109.6 1,049 1,002 77.3 82 76.25 78.05 79.35

34.3 523.5 530 108 104.6 115.5 5.44 1,018 100.2 1.08 109.6 1,049 1,001 75.35 80.15 76.25 78 78.5

PREFERRED 34.3 38,700 523.5 7,820 530 50 108 5,130 104.6 12,500 115.5 10,000 5.49 139,700 1,020 905 101 750 1.09 224,000 109.6 200 1,049 600 1,002 900 77.3 21,810 80.15 22,660 76.25 13,300 78 21,000 78.5 2,010

1,331,150 4,099,680 26,505 554,040 1,308,075 1,155,000 766,957 923,835 75,630 243,050 21,920 629,400 901,020 1,656,676 1,841,220 1,014,125 1,638,285 157,793.50

-686,000 5,240 5,300 -338,040 -1,308,075 -747,250 -50,500 -

LR WARRANT

2.82

3.08

2.78

WARRANTS 3.02 2,412,000

7,159,220

-140,150

9,898,188 1,934,890 28,110,120

14,745 1,622,420

737,880

-

-593,813 2,080 90,000 -37,369,915 -87,400 519,200 40,800 -251,600 601,035 -539,880 4,726,230 1,030,710 -36,313,034 25,050 -

7,700

-

MS

PROPERTY 5.69 1.04 10.64 2.39 0.89 43.5 3.64 4.72 5.44 0.48 1.12 1.19 0.209 0.47 37.75 0.66 1.86 1.42 0.75 5.22 0.355 0.375

348,000 6,979,000 15,900 670,000 751,000 4,521,300 322,000 557,000 7,800 3,300,000 68,000 52,000 2,510,000 20,000 151,000 1,411,000 7,156,000 6,461,000 99,000 18,610,700 45,030,000 3,090,000

ITALPINAS PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

10.1 3.2 3.75

10.18 3.8 4.19

9.51 3.18 3.75

FIRST METRO ETF

125.8

126.6

125.4

USD DMPL A1

10

10

10

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

13,728,715

INDUSTRIAL

60,313,135

HOLDING FIRMS

59,484,93

PROPERTY

156,151,440

SERVICES

138,920,748

MINING & OIL

486,192,749

GRAND TOTAL

923,342,892

MINING AND OIL 0.0023 169,000,000 1.6 4,572,000 4.55 228,000 1.71 2,000 1.58 7,881,000 0.31 690,000 7.35 7,300 2.62 1,181,000 0.242 20,000 0.159 7,820,000 0.159 6,890,000 0.01 7,000,000 1.71 21,000 6.36 673,600 1.51 63,000 0.92 95,000 0.013 13,800,000 0.013 6,600,000 0.011 252,400,000 2.1 16,000 5.91 530,600 8.6 2,191,300 37.6 4,356,100

9.6 3.8 4.15

SME

1,011,700 552,000 6,975,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 126.2 5,840 10

DDS

770

VALUE 2,143.9 (up) 33.57 1,195,921,616.76 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,032.08 up 16.76 1,021,728,109.14 HOLDING FIRMS 8,500.2 (up) 74.32 1,433,237,476.21 PROPERTY 3,897.12 (up) 29.32 1,583.49 (down) -21.99 937,582,892.06 SERVICES MINING & OIL 11,708.82 (up) 226.45 1,000,370,186.71 PSEI 8,358.57 (up) 53.87 220,497,765.6123 All Shares Index 4,885.45 (up) 26.59 5,850,044,117.78 Gainers: 91; Losers: 63; Unchanged: 84; Total: 238

Filipinos. SLI’s specialty in manufacturing pharmaceutical products will enhance our product services, especially in providing universal healthcare for the Filipinos and expanding the generics line,” said Philab Holdings chairman and president Tom Navasero.

With over 40 years in the industry, SLI is the country’s only manufacturer of hormone-based drugs. It specializes in oral drug preparation in dosage forms, such as tablet, capsule, syrup and powder for suspension.

The company is known for its long line of drugs, with having over 300 certificates of product registration. Its line of business also includes production of food additives, which are used for their added nutritional benefit and served in rural schools for less fortunate children.

SLI also offers a variety products focused on the central nervous system, endocrine system, cardiovascular system, and several medicines to cater the needs of its consumers.

Philab Holdings after the merger plans to launch a program in support of precision medicine that will enable both companies to maximize their synergies and prowess in the field of healthcare.

Philab is confident the merger would pave the way for an even more competitive line of generic drugs in the Philippine market and a lower price alternative.

Stockbroker sees index hitting 9,100 points in ‘18 BDO Nomura Securities is bullish on the Philippine stock market, saying the bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange Index will hit 9,100 points in 2018 from 8,300 this year on the back of strong economic growth BDO Normura senior vice president and research head Dante Tinga Jr. said he was upbeat despite the risk of increasing interest rates next year and a further slowdown in the business process outsourcing industry.

BDO Nomura sees the property, banks and industrial sectors outperforming next year. The sectors are expected to benefit from the domestic growth as well as increased government spending on infrastructure.

BDO Nomura, however, has a bearish outlook on consumer issues because of intensifying competition and rising input costs, as well as telecom stocks amid margin pressures and increased capital expenditures as telco companies continue to improve their data service.

BDO-Nomura’s top stock picks for 2018 are Ayala Land Inc., Bank of the Philippine Islands, International Container Terminal Services Inc., Jollibee Foods Corp., Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., Petron Corp., Semirara Mining and Power Corp., Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures, SM Prime Holdings Inc. and Wilcon Depot Inc. On the pending tax reform bill, BDO Nomura senior economist Euben Paracuelles said package 1, without the proposed increase in coal taxes, would increase the 2018 inflation rate by 0.8 to 0.9 percentage point. Jenniffer B. Austria

Business/World A Master Plan for agriculture is needed EVERY release of Philippine GDP (gross domestic product) data in these times produces two surprises. The first has to do with the performance of the economy in comparison with the preceding year or the preceding quarter. The second surprise relates to the performance of Philippine agriculture.

The recent release of GDP data for the third quarter of 2017 ran true to form; it produced the same two surprises. The surprise about the GDP was positive: the economy grew at a rate slightly faster than the widespread expectation, i.e., 6.9 percent rather than 6.8 percent. The surprise about the agricultural sectors was, not surprisingly, less cheerful. Philippine agriculture grew at the lowest sectoral rate (less than one percent).

Dismal performance data from the agricultural sector are numbers to which the Filipino people have become accustomed. Filipinos are no longer shocked when they see very low or negligible performance numbers for Philippine agriculture. This is not how things should be. There are two principal reasons why not. The first reason is that the sector that produces this country’s food and fiber is walking on a treadmill; it is running in order to be able to stand still. The last figure for the nation’s population released by the National Statistics Authority placed it at 104 million, but my own best estimate based on a claimed annual population growth rate of 1.9 percent, is that this country now has 110 million people living in it. Clearly, Philippine agriculture cannot afford to be growing at very low or minimal rates when at least 1 million souls are added to the national population every year. And the 1.9 percent official growth rate does not look likely to come down significantly anytime soon.

The other reason why the situation represented by perennially dismal agricultural growth rates need not be the norm is that the government – the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Public Works and Highways and the science agencies – can craft a master plan for Philippine agriculture that will correct whatever policy misdirections exist, remove all biases and prejudices that exist toward the agricultural sector, deploy all the latest advances in agricultural science and provide the sector with all the physical infrastructure it needs in order to be able to operate efficiently.

What is needed is nothing short of a Big Push. The tons of verbiage about the importance of agricultural development no longer suffices. Neither does the feeble annual exercise known as the Congressional agricultural-budget hearings.

The progressive decrease in the importance accorded to Philippine agriculture can be traced to the birth of the OFW (overseas Filipino worker) phenomenon in the early 1970s. With the steady onrush of OFW remittances, the government felt a lessening of pressure to concentrate on the basic internal concerns, such as agricultural efficiency. The OFW phenomenon was followed in due course by the surge in the worldwide demand for semiconductors and related electronic products, which caused the export of such products to reach 50 percent of Philippine export trade, and, more recently, there has been the birth of another phenomenon, the BPO (business process outsourcing) industry.

Important though these changes have been for the Philippine economy, they caused the government to take its eyes off the agriculture ball.

The government of this country has a choice where Philippine agriculture is concerned. It can continue to muddle along, hoping that growth rates, like last quarter’s less than one percent will suffice for purposes of economic stability and national security. Or it can take the bull by its horns and go for a Master Plan for Philippine agriculture.

For a sensible government the choice is obvious.

E-mail: romero.business.class@gmail.com

B3

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Nation watches on eve of toxic Senate election

B

IRMINGHAM―The US Senate race wrenching Alabama and testing the Republican Party’s character neared its tumultuous conclusion Monday, with President Donald Trump urging loyalists to elect Roy Moore despite accusations he molested minors decades ago.

Voters in this traditionally conservative southern state will take to the polls Tuesday to pick their newest senator, to replace Jeff Sessions who was named US attorney general earlier this year.

“I need Alabama to go vote for Roy Moore,” Trump said in a robocall to voters that began Sunday, declaring the candidate would help stop illegal immigration, rebuild a stronger military and protect pro-life values.

“But if Alabama elects liberal Democrat Doug Jones, all of our progress

will be stopped full.”

Until recently it had been unimaginable for a Republican to lose statewide election in Alabama, which Trump carried handily and which has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1992.

But Moore is unlike just about any Republican. Polls show he no longer enjoys the commanding advantage he held before the Washington Post published the first of multiple accusations by women who claim Moore sexually molested or pursued them when they were in their teens and he was a

state attorney in his thirties.

Moore, now 70, denies all the allegations.

“I never molested anyone,” Moore declared in a local interview published Sunday. “I don’t know why they’re saying it, but it’s not true.”

Moore has twice been elected chief justice of Alabama’s Supreme Court, and twice dismissed from the post, first in 2003 for refusing an order to remove a statue of the Ten Commandments from the court house.

In 2016, he defied the US Supreme Court by refusing to apply its decision legalizing same-sex marriage.

Some in the Republican establishment have sought to distance themselves from Moore, and as a signal of the lack of enthusiasm, proMoore campaign signs outside residents’ homes are seldom seen.

But with Republicans clinging to a razor thin majority in the US Senate, Trump―after weeks of stalling―has given Moore his political blessing.

It’s a pragmatic alliance between the president’s economic populism and Moore’s religious activism.

Stephen Bannon, the former White House strategist who proclaimed himself the guardian of the Trump revolution, will be appearing alongside Moore at a final rally Monday night.

For the Republican majority in Washington, the election is a loser in every way.

Should Moore prevail, party leaders fear being soiled by association. Should he lose, their thin Senate majority of 52 out of 100 seats will shrink to 51, allowing Trump virtually no room for maneuver against hostile Democrats.

Golden Globes a test of Weinstein effect

BOWLING FOR BUDDIES. Cindy Crawford attends Bowling For Buddies at PINZ Bowling & Entertainment Center on December 10, 2017, in Studio City, California. AFP

LOS ANGELES―The nominations will be unveiled Monday for the Golden Globes, kicking off an awards season expected to be overshadowed by the sexual misconduct scandal engulfing the movie industry.

The announcements, which come two days before the influential Screen Actors Guild nominations, are the first major bellwether of momentum going into the Oscars race.

Awards analysis website Gold Derby is predicting that coming-of-age romance “Call Me By Your Name” will be the top contender with six nominations.

“In addition to best film drama, we’re betting on nominations for lead actor Timothee Chalamet, supporting actors Armie Hammer and Michael Stuhlbarg, director Luca Guadagnino, and the screenplay by James Ivory,” said senior editor Daniel Montgomery.

He added that Guillermo del Toro’s fairy tale “The Shape of Water” should get five nods while four

US man on the run after Allies start their missile-tracking exercises escaping notorious prison DENPASAR―A US man convicted on drugs charges escaped Bali’s notorious Kerobokan jail in an early Monday morning jailbreak with another American prisoner who was caught almost immediately, an official said.

The pair made a break from the Indonesian resort island’s main prison by cutting a hole in the roof with a hacksaw, authorities said. It was not clear how they obtained the tool.

Police are now scouring the palm-fringed island and handing out pictures of escapee Chrishan Beasley, a 32-year-old arrested in August for carrying five grams of hashish.

Foreigners are regularly arrested for drugs offenses on Bali.

Beasley was awaiting a sentencing in his case. It was not immediately clear how much jail time he was facing, but Indonesia has some of the world’s toughest drugs laws, with the death penalty available in some trafficking cases.

Beasley’s accomplice in the escape, convicted thief Paul Anthony Hoffman, 57, was apprehended before he

could make good on the escape.

“Paul was immediately recaptured by the locals who saw him trying to escape while Chrishan, who climbed up before him, managed to run away,” Kerobokan chief warden Tonny Nainggolan told AFP. Hoffman is serving a 20-month sentence for robbing a number of convenience stores at knifepoint.

Kerobokan houses some of the country’s most notorious and high-profile inmates, including members of the so-called Bali Nine which plotted to bring heroin into Australia via Bali.

Two members of the group have been executed.

Jailbreaks are common in Indonesia, where inmates are often held in unsanitary conditions at overcrowded and poorly guarded prisons.

In May, more than 200 inmates staged a mass breakout from an overcrowded prison on Sumatra island, while last year a convicted child murderer escaped from jail by putting on a woman’s Muslim veil, make-up and sunglasses and walking out past unsuspecting guards. AFP

Across Alabama, which has not received this much political attention in decades, the Moore case dominates all conversation. The man is a political and social lightning rod.

“He is the type of figure that thrives on having conflict, that thrives on staking out his position, almost like a crusader type,” Andrew Yeager, a WBHM local radio host, told AFP. “The way you see the allegations depends a lot on what you think of Roy Moore.”

Jones, the Democrat in the race, is a 63-year-old former federal prosecutor known for having convicted two Ku Klux Klan members for bombing a black church in Birmingham, killing four African-American girls.

He has increased his campaign events in the hopes of mobilizing his Democratic base which is largely black.

AFP

SEOUL―The US, South Korea and Japan started joint exercises Monday to track missiles from North Korea, Seoul’s military said, following the nucleararmed Pyongyang’s longestrange test launch to date.

The trilateral drill comes less than two weeks after Pyongyang testfired a new intercontinental ballistic missile and declared it had achieved nuclear statehood, escalating global alarm over its weapons push.

The two-day exercise―the sixth since June last year― kicked off in waters near the Korean peninsula and Japan, Seoul’s defense ministry said.

“During the drill, Aegis warships from each country will simulate detecting and tracking down potential ballistic missiles from the North and sharing information,” it said in a statement.

Two US ships are taking part, with one each from the two Asian countries.

Both South Korea and Japan have security alliances with the US, although their own relationship is marred by disputes over history and territory.

Washington and Seoul staged their biggest-ever joint air drill last week in a show of force against Pyongyang, which is sub-

ject to multiple sets of UN sanctions over its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs.

Tension flared anew in the flashpoint peninsula after the November 29 launch of the Hwasong-15 ICBM, which the North claimed could deliver a “superlarge heavy warhead” anywhere on the US mainland.

Many analysts suggest that the rocket is capable of reaching the US mainland but voiced skepticism that Pyongyang has mastered the advanced technology needed to allow the rocket to survive re-entry to the Earth’s atmosphere. AFP

NOBEL LAUREATE.

Norwegian prime minister Erna Solberg watches Nobel Peace Prize laureate Beatrice Fihn, leader of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, signing the guest book on her arrival for a meeting at her residence in Oslo on December 11, 2017. The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons as its representatives warn of “an urgent threat” over the US-North Korea tensions in a ceremony at the Oslo town hall on December 10. AFP

movies―”Get Out,” “Lady Bird,” “The Post” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”―are expected to pick up four each.

Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk,” much-loved for its masterful cinematography if not its sparkling dialogue, is expected to pick up just two nominations, for best film drama and best director.

Gold Derby said however that it is likely to win both awards at the ceremony itself.

The Globes is seen as a chance for Hollywood to demonstrate its intolerance of sexual misconduct following a wave of allegations that emerged after movie mogul Harvey Weinstein was accused of a career of misbehavior that would make him the most egregious sexual predator in the history of film-making.

The Weinstein Company, which sacked its co-founder, was a long shot to land a sixth consecutive nomination in the prestigious best film drama category, even before the scandal broke. AFP

more importantly, financial quarrels.

That respondent demanded that petitioner stop sending money to her family in the Philippines and obliged petitioner to give him 5 “lapad”, but respondent became more violent until they separated sometime in April 2014.

IN RE: PETITION FOR JUDICIAL That petitioner and respondent have no children out of their marriage and RECOGNITION OF FOREIGN DIVORCE AND DECLARATION OF they have not acquired any property.

That on April 14, 2014, petitioner and CAPACITY TO REMARRY UNDER respondent mutually agreed to divorce ART. 26 OF THE FAMILY CODE. and they signed the divorce certificate.

The divorce was registered in the SHERRY YEE PANUELOS, Official Family Register issued by the Petitioner, Mayor of Amakusa City, Kumamoto Pref., Japan, and a copy of the divorce -versuscertificate is hereto attached as Annex “B”.

R-MND-17-03734-SP petitioner caused the FOR: JUDICIAL RECOGNITION That registration of the Divorce Certificate OF FOREIGN DIVORCE with the Department of Foreign Affairs so that the document can be accepted ISAMU KANDA by the Local Civil Registrar of Manila in accordance with the circular by the Respondent.

Supreme Court, and the petitioner x----------------------------------x was presented the original copy of the ORDER divorce certificate by the Department This is a verified petition filed by of Foreign Affairs for authentication, the petitioner praying that after due hereto attached as Annex “C” and “D”, publication, notice and hearing, respectively. an Order be issued rendering the That the divorce was filed in following judgment: conformity with the laws of Japan, 1. Recognizing, upholding and particulary Book IV, Chapter II, Section enforcing the divorce on April 4, Subsection 2, Article 763 of the Civil 14, 2014 obtained in Japan by Code of Japan and pertinent portion of petitioner as contained in the which reads as follows: Family Registration; “Section 4. Divorce.

2. Nullifying the marriage of petitioner Subsection1, Divorce Agreement. and respondent solemnized on Article 763. Husband and wife may August 17, 2010 and to cause the effect divorce agreement.” cancellation in the entries of the and a copy of the English version Book of Marriages the marriage of the Civil Code of Japan is hereto of the parties; 3. Declaring the petitioner as attached as Annex “E”. capacitated to remarry under That paragraph 2 of Article 26 of Articles 26 paragraph 2 of the the Family Code in relation to Section Family Code in view of the divorce 48, Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, certificate. the divorce certificate has the effect That petitioner Sherry Yee Panuelos of a judgment as final order with is a Filipino, of legal age, married and presumptive value as evidence. with residence address at 907 Block That under the foregoing 39, Fabella Street, Mandaluyong circumstances, petitioner respectfully City where she may be served with seeks of the Honorable Court that summons and other court processes. their divorce dated April 14, 2014 be That respondent Isamu Kanda recognized and upheld. is a Japanese citizen, of legal age, Acting on the petition, this Court married and with residence address at hereby orders the petitioner to cause Okayaman Shi, Kitaku, Sayuwai Shou the publication of a copy of this Order 4-26-506, Bukyo, Japan and summons at its own expense before the hearing and other court processes under the on January 31, 2018 at 1:30 o’ clock circumstances may be served through in the afternoon before the Regional publication.

Trial Court, Branch 211, 2nd Floor, That petitioner and respondent met Old Municipal Hall Building, Maysilo where petitioner was working in a club Circle, Mandaluyong City. Let a copy and respondent would frequent the of this Order be published in the Manila club and for months they met almost Standard, a newspaper of general circulation in Metro Manila selected every day. by the raffle pursuant to PD No. 1079, That the relationship became serious once a week for three (3) consecutive and they eventually married on August weeks.

17, 2010 before the Regional Trial A copy of this Order shall likewise Court of Mandaluyong presided by Hon. Judge Monique Quisumbing- be posted in the bulletin board of this Ignacio and the NSO copy of the Court.

Report of Marriage is hereto attached Let the Office of the Solicitor General, as Annex “A”.

Philippine Statistics Authority and the That as promised, respondent Local Civil Registrar of Mandaluyong secured for petitioner a visa to enable City be furnished with a copy of this Order, together with the petition and her to go to Japan. its annexes at the expense of the That while in Japan, petitioner petitioner, the proof of service thereof and respondent lived together after to be duly proven and established to marriage, and during the early stage the satisfaction of the Court. of their marriage, petitioner and SO ORDERED. respondent went along well and enjoyed their married life for the Mandaluyong City, November 17, respondent then had a well paying job. 2017.

(Sgd.) OFELIA L. CALO That however, the respondent got sick and everything change because Judge respondent stopped working.

Copy Furnished: That respondent became hot- Atty. Tomas J. Caspe tempered and always shouted at the Office of the Solicitor General petitioner and they almost have daily Local Civil Registrar of heated arguments because they have Mandaluyong City separate and difficult personalities, Philippine Statistics Authority ranging from language barrier, Manila Standard jealousy, verbal abuse, age gap, and (MS-Dec. 12, 19 & 26, 2017)

Republic of the Philippines National Capital Judicial Region REGIONAL TRIAL COURT Mandaluyong City Branch 211

QC joins Bloomberg anti-illness network

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

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tuesday, december 12, 2017

By Rio N. Araja

LGUs LocaL government units

FESTIVITIES. Mall workers dressed as elves, fairies, and princes join young princesses in surrounding a Santa Claus mascot, as SM San Mateo in Rizal treated its patrons to a magical parade of different Disney characters on Sunday, boosting the holiday spirit. Manny Palmero

Makati hits Dof goal

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

he city government of Makati, after exceeding this year’s revenue goal, has also met the performance target set by the Department of Finance-Bureau of Local Government Finance.

City Treasurer Jesusa Cuneta said Makati has already achieved 100 percent of the BLGF total locallysourced income target for the year amounting to P14.25 billion, after its ac-

tual collections from local sources reached P14.26 billion as of Nov. 30.

The bulk of revenues came from Business Tax with P8.08 billion (99 percent of BLGF target), followed

by Real Property Tax with P5.35 billion (103 percent of target). The rest came from Fees and Charges (P616.01 million) and Economic Enterprises (P210.72 million), the treasurer said.

Cuneta said the BLGF computation of target collection from local sources is higher than the city targets on locally-sourced income.

Mayor Abigail Binay cited the city’s improved overall collection efficiency in the significant increase Makati’s

revenue collection.

She also noted that Makati is among the few local government units in the country that are not dependent on the Internal Revenue Allotment, which accounts for only six percent of the city’s total income to date.

The mayor also reassured real property owners and businesses in the city that her administration was in no rush to heed the Commission on Audit’s recommendation to increase tax rates by

adjusting the city’s schedule of fair market values, which was last updated in 1997.

“We see no pressing need to raise taxes at this time, considering the substantial growth in our revenue collection this year as compared to previous years. Adjusting our FMV schedule would affect tax rates and we want to ensure that it will not unduly burden Makati residents and the business sector,” Binay said.

The mayor said her administration is instead pushing the

In BrIef

QC villages lead fight vs online sex abuse FIVE barangays in Quezon City will pilot a threeyear project to fight online sexual abuse of children.

The five barangays— Commonwealth, Batasan Hills, Marilag, Tatalon and Escopa 2—were selected to implement the WeProtect Project of Plan International.

According to WeProtect child protection specialist Renie Martin, they chose the five barangays not because of the prevalence of cases of online abuse, but because the city government under the administration of Mayor Herbert Bautista has worked diligently to make QC a child-friendly city and has been active in supporting their child protection advocacies in the past.

ongoing review of the city’s Investment and Incentives Code to effect appropriate amendments, such as placing incentives that would attract more investors to the city.

“We need to further strengthen Makati’s competitiveness as an investment destination. We are consulting with concerned stakeholders to be able to come up with a highly competitive incentive package suited to prevailing industry needs and standards,” she said.

QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Monday welcomed a partnership with a global network of cities to develop high-impact policy interventions targeting noncommunicable diseases and injuries.

“Quezon City will actively participate in this initiative by taking all steps to ensure that the implementation plan is mutually defined and fully delivered,” Bautista said.

To jumpstart Quezon City’s effort to reduce premature deaths caused by non-communicable diseases, Bautista recently signed into law an ordinance prohibiting the selling and promotion of junk food and sugary drinks to preparatory, elementary and high school students inside and within a 100-meter perimeter in public and private schools.

In a letter to Bautista, Bloomberg Philanthropies chairman Michael Bloomberg said participating cities would receive technical assistance as needed, and communication support to increase their global visibility.

“As the global ambassador of the World Health Organization for NonCommunicable Diseases, I am committed to supporting cities to achieve measurable success in non-communicable diseases and injury protection. I sincerely hope you will join this effort to reflect your leadership in promoting health and reducing premature deaths,” Bloomberg told Baustista.

Pangasinan launches agriculture caravan

A teacher carries a Smart School in a Bag into Nayon Elementary School in Tanay, Rizal, which is so remote it takes two hours to reach from the town proper and another hour through a rocky path and 13 river crossings. A Filipino couple from Japan donated P100,000 to sponsor the School in a Bag for the 123 students (inset) in the isolated school.

Couple gifts digital learning kit to Tanay school On a mountain in Tanay, Rizal sits Nayon Elementary School, which is second home to 123 students and their four teachers. To reach the school, one needs to travel two hours from the town proper, transfer to a customized jeep, and travel another hour through a rocky path and 13 river crossings. The terrain is so rugged that chains are

looped around the jeep’s tires for better traction.

Because of its remoteness, the school does not have ready access to a lot of conveniences available to city-dwellers—electricity, technology tools such as computers, and information that can be derived from such devices.

But because of the kindness of a Filipino couple

based in Japan, the students and hardworking teachers of Nayon Elementary School can now use digital tools to enhance their education.

The couple—an entrepreneur and a preschool teacher in their 30s who wish to remain anonymous—donated P100,000 to sponsor a School-in-aBag unit created by PLDT mobile subsidiary Smart

Communications.

Designed as a waterproof backpack that can be brought to far-flung areas like islands and mountains, the School-in-a-Bag contains a solar panel, a laptop, tablets, digital learning content, an LED TV, and pocket Wi-Fi with starter load. The package also comes with training sessions for teachers and yearlong monitoring.

Aboitiz helps North Cotabato public schools get rewired

MORE than 2,000 public school students from North Cotabato will soon benefit from the recent rewiring initiative and computer donation that are aimed at nurturing the communities’ growth potential despite social unrest in the region.

AboitizPower and Aboitiz Foundation, in collaboration with the Department of Education-Kidapawan Division and Cotabato Electrical Cooperative (Cotelco), rewired and installed new electrical lines in Kisante Elementary School and donated computers to Antipas Central Elementary School―a known school for indigenous people.

The rewiring assistance, which

will benefit 800 students in the school in the outskirts of Makilala, North Cotabato, will resolve electrical reliability issues, Aboitiz officials said.

Meanwhile, computers were donated to the Antipas Central Elementary, located in Antipas, North Cotabato. This project benefits the school’s 1,400 students, who are mostly indigenous people and hopes to enhance the school’s K-12 capability in terms of computer literacy.

These initiatives are part of the Aboitiz Group’s strategy of co-creating communities that are safe, empowered, and sustainable through the implementation of various education programs.

GROUNDBREAKING. To decongest the lone public cemetery of Paraňaque, a

crematorium and columbarium will be constructed in the one-hectare lot of Palanyag Public Cemetery in Barangay San Dionisio, this month. The project is a public-private partnership with BM Cremation Services Inc. The groundbreaking ceremony was led

by Paraňaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez, Rep. Eric Olivarez, city health officer Olga Virtusio, city agriculturist Nilo Germedia and Rev. Paul Ines, SDB.

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan―The provincial government of Pangasinan, led by Governor Amado I. Espino III, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, has launched the “Agrikultura Para Sa Pagbabago” (Agriculture for Change) Information Caravan at the Sison Auditorium here.

Over 1,400 agriculturists and farmer leaders from various municipalities of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur converged in Lingayen for the regionwide information caravan.

DA Central Office Agriculture and Fisheries Services Officer Adora Rodriguez said the caravan, which was launched in Pangasinan, is the first of six to be conducted nationwide.

The caravan seeks to educate agriculturists and fish producers regarding modern farming, and propagation techniques, as well as services offered by the Department of Agriculture and its National Line Agencies, which will aid farmers with credit policies, agricultural trainings, and crop insurances among others, Rodriguez said.

Reminiscing his days as mayor of Bautista town, Espino urged participants to learn from the information caravan and apply the modern farming techniques to boost crop production. Dexter A. See

Kalinga agri workers win in corn awards TABUK CITY, Kalinga—The Department of Agriculture has recognized the outstanding work of two of the province’s Agricultural Extension Workers during the recently concluded National Quality Corn Achievers Awards 2017 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

It was the second straight time for Remy Balliyao, and the second time overall for Marvin Ladiwan, to win the National Quality Corn Achievers Awards under the Agricultural Extension Worker category. Both received a plaque and P20,000 cash incentive.

“I always want to excel for the sake of the farmers in the province and to bring recognition to the agriculture office,” said Balliyao, who is in charge of corn farmers in Tabuk and the municipalities of Pinukpuk and Rizal, while Ladiwan oversees the municipality of Pasil.

The National Quality Corn Achievers Awards was devised by the DA to develop and raise corn production and quality in the Philippines and improve the welfare of small-holder farmers.

It recognizes local governments and DA-Regional Field Offices that have significantly performed in terms of improving corn quality and safety, increasing production yield, organizing corn farmers, and development of corn-related programs and projects. Dexter A. See

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com tuesday, decemBeR 12, 2017

The Traditions of Christmas

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Life travel and leisure

Mastercard Philippines Director of Account Management Jo-Ann Camacho, SSI Group, Inc. Executive Vice President Elizabeth Quiambao, and SSI Group, Inc. President Anthony Huang welcome everyone to celebrate the holidays at Central Square.

‘T

IS the season to be jolly as Central Square brings in more cheer and merry into the holidays with a slew of fun activities, thoughtful gift ideas and inspirations, and of course, incredible promos and shopping deals.

Like the memorable days of your childhood, relive the same fun and excitement this season with your family and loved ones at Central Square.

See their eyes grow wide with wonder as they discover the true meaning of the holidays through Central Square’s “Traditions of Christmas.”

Gift giving is reminiscent of Christmas, and what better way to style up your little ones’ presents than by attending Central Square’s Christmas workshops held every Saturday of December from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

On Dec. 2, the kids discovered the joy of gift-giving as they learned how to put their personal touch on presents during the gift-wrapping workshop.

Homemakers had the chance to fill their homes with the sweet aromas of gingerbread and cookies during the cookie-decorating workshop on Dec. 9.

On Dec. 16, kids can learn how to deck the halls and decorate their Christmas trees with their very own Christmas socks –another holiday activity that’s sure to excite kids. Finally, just days before Christmas, Central Square heightens the joy and whimsy of the holidays with captivating stories of Christmas.

Join in on the weekend holiday parades, featuring Hamley’s well-loved characters from 4:30 to 5 p.m.

Let your child know that Santa is working hard and checking his list

twice by bringing them to Santa’s corner every Saturday and Sunday, 5 to 7 p.m.

Take part in another Christmas tradition of music and cheer as group chorales serenade mall-goers with their beautiful Christmas carols, every Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m..

While the kids have fun at the workshops and Christmas Village Central, the real Santas – the moms and dads, the ninongs and ninangs – can get ahead of the Christmas rush by shopping at Central Square, the premier lifestyle destination, housing numerous stores and boutiques. From beauty to bags, fashion, food, and a whole lot more, Central Square inspires the true meaning of thoughtful gift giving.

Use your Philippine-issued Mastercard and start checking off your wish list this Christmas while earning the chance to be one of the lucky winners of the “Swipe to Travel” and “Swipe to Shop” promotions drawn through the electronic raffle of SSI Group, Inc. and Mastercard in collaboration with Singapore Airlines. You can double your luck and entries by shopping at Central Square. Every purchase with your Mastercard also lets you pick a prize at the Concierge until Dec.31.

With “Swipe to Travel,” three lucky winners will get SSI Purple gift cards worth P200,000, a flight to London, Par-

All guests relived the traditions of Christmas with Grandma Carol and her granddaughter Christina, plus, a beautiful rendition of Christmas carols by Alay Sa May Mga Kapansanan Association Inc.

is, or Singapore while enjoying the ultimate luxe travel experience in Business Class via Singapore Airlines, luxury accommodations for two, and a private and curated tour of the destination, a professional makeover, and photo shoots around the scenic sites, among others. Participating luxury labels include Alexander McQueen, Cartier, Charriol, Givenchy, Gucci, Jimmy Choo, and Salvatore Ferragamo, to name a few. Earn one raffle entry for every single receipt purchase worth P30,000. Promo runs until Jan. 15., 2018.

As this is the season of giving, SSI Group, Inc. and Mastercard give you more rewards through “Swipe to Shop” when you splurge on contemporary beauty, fashion, and food staples like Beauty Bar, Kate Spade, Lush, Marks & Spencer, MAX&Co., Michael Kors, SaladStop!, Samsonite, Tommy Hilfiger, TWG Tea, and Zara, among others. Ten lucky shoppers can win SSI Purple gift cards loaded up with P500,000 credits. Consolation prizes include two SSI Purple gift cards with P100,000 credits, two SSI

Purple gift cards with P75,000.00 credits, and five SSI Purple gift cards with P30,000 credits. Shop now until Jan. 15, 2018, and earn one raffle entry for every single receipt purchase worth P3,000.

This Christmas, relive the wonderful traditions of your childhood and experience the true meaning of Christmas at Central Square.

Visit www.swipetoshopandtravel. com to join and know more about the raffle promotion.

The Heart of the Holidays

HSBC Premier Mastercard offers enticing benefits for travelers

Essential travel partner TrAVELInG is one of life’s most enriching experiences. It opens your eyes to a sea of ever-changing possibilities.

With every corner of the world offering an unforgettable adventure, traveling is indeed a much-coveted luxury.

The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) understands the needs of its globetrotting Premier clients and has further developed the quintessential partner of every HSBC Premier traveler - meet the newly upgraded HSBC Premier Mastercard. This credit card provides all the benefits needed to make your journey as memorable as possible through added conveniences every step of the way.

The HSBC Premier Mastercard relaunched with new offerings to entice all travel-holics.

Cardholders can start off by satisfying their wanderlust with exciting discounts from top hotels and resorts around the world. Travel fare aggregator website Agoda offers HSBC Premier Credit Cardholders an exclusive 10 percent discount at more than 180,000 hotels worldwide through a dedicated

promotional landing page www.agoda. com/hsbcpremier. Ministry of Villas, which specializes in booking idyllic villa holidays in some of the world’s most luxurious destinations, also offers a 10 percent discount plus a complimentary bottle of champagne upon arrival.

HSBC Premier has also included lounge privileges, giving travelers the much-needed respite before and in-between transit. Cardholders can visit any of the four local MIASCOr and Skyview Lounges for just P99 per visit or access a network of 850+ airport lounges worldwide through LoungeKey for just $27 per visit.

Shopping is made extra rewarding this holiday season through a partnership with the rustan Group of Companies in celebration of the retail giant’s 65th anniversary. All HSBC Premier customers get three times more chances of winning in the rustan’s Extraordinary Christmas raffle Promo with at least 165 prizes plus a chance to win a business class trip for two to London, Aukland new Zealand, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok via Philippine Airlines.

MAKE Diamond Hotel Philippines your home away from home this holiday season. relax and enjoy quality time with family and friends as you celebrate the most wonderful time of the year.

Escape during the holidays with the Yuletide Bliss and new Year Getaway room promo. Book an overnight stay until Dec. 29 and Jan. 2-15, 2018 in a Deluxe room with buffet breakfast for two persons for only P5,800 nett per night. Stay for a minimum of two nights for only P5,500 nett per night with buffet breakfast for two. You may also book online using the promo code BLISS. Wear you party hats and cherish the

last days of the year. The Year End Blast promo will surely leave a memorable mark priced for only P7,500 nett for a Deluxe room with buffet breakfast for two persons from Dec. 30 to Jan.1, 2018. Check-in for an extended stay or for a minimum of two nights with buffet breakfast for two persons for only P7,300 nett per night. Package includes access to the new Year’s Eve Countdown Party for two with drinks on Dec. 31 at 11 p.m. Promo code is BLAST. Have a sparkling start with the Sparkling new Year’s Eve with Dinner for Two. Celebrate in style when you book

an overnight stay in a Deluxe room on Dec. 31 for P12,500 nett inclusive of a new Year’s Eve Dinner Buffet for two at Corniche and access to the new Year’s Eve Countdown Party. Use the promo code SPArKLE. All packages include use of the Health Club and Spa and swimming pool, wi-fi access in the guest club and 20 percent off on massage and laundry services.

For room reservations call (632) 5283000 ext. 1141. room packages are valid for local residents only. Promotions may not be combined with any other discount or offer. Other terms and conditions may apply.

The plush bed and posh amenities in Premier Room await guests spending their holidays at Diamond Hotel

Life

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tuesday, december 12, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

mercury rising

R

BY BOB zOzOBRADO

IGHT in the heart of Manila, is one of the nerve centers of the country. Intramuros is not only a bastion of history and culture. it also shelters within its walls a fast growing commercial activity of private businesses, government offices, universities, and street hawkers.

Its varied and colorful physical assets make it very attractive and interesting to tourists, both domestic and foreign. In fact, the hawkers’ stalls define a distinctive style of settling in the streets. These vendors, a lot of which are not even registered with the appropriate government offices, are mostly women and plant themselves on specific locations, making it easy for their customers to locate them for the specific items they sell.

Aware of the importance of these vendors who have become a permanent fixture in the area, and adding to the enticing character of the Walled City, some agencies have initiated moves towards further improving the aesthetic value of this cultural tourist attraction.

The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), through its ACERCA Program, has teamed up with the Intramuros Administration and the Design Center of the Philippines in launching the “Rolling Manila” project. Food carts and stalls inside Intramuros have been redesigned using sustainable materials, making them more attractive to tourists and more efficient for their owners to use.

Adding sparkle to Intramuros The prototype of the new ‘Rolling Manila’ food stalls in Intramuros

The active partnership of these three agencies ensures the creation of designs that will effectively work for the upliftment of the Filipino street-food vendors, without forgetting the role they play in the kaleidoscope of cultural diversity that our country is known for.

YOUR TUESDAY CHUCKLE OVERHEARD: You’re not fat. You’re just easier to see.

Moreover, this creative collaboration is in sync with the government’s efforts in adopting strategies to boost Philippine economy.

Intramuros Administration has made available a location mapping of these vendors and a thorough research on their practical needs, and has ensured the vendors’ total commitment to this project. Design Center of the Philippines has taken into consideration the current tours inside the Walled City and the Philippine street-food culture.

Of course, their research also included visits to and interaction with tricycle manufacturers, including the Sarao Jeepney Factory, for a deeper understanding of the city’s landscape and transportation system. Visits were also made to Divisoria, Tondo, Quiapo and Recto to see how other stalls and food carts have been configured, and for sourcing of possible materials needed for the new design.

The prototype of the redesigned carts and stalls were done in partnership with Escuella Taller de Filipinas and the students of Lyceum of the Philippines University, and the new carts were launched during ceremonies at Plaza Sto. Tomas.

Mercy de Sahagun, chief for Finance and Administrative Division of the Intramuros Administration, gave the Opening Remarks in the Program that followed, while relevant messages were delivered by Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, Samahan ng Mga Nagkakaisang Manininda President Ronilo Revuelta, and the Embassy of Spain’s First Secretary of Cultural Affairs Guillermo Escribano.

With this very laudable project of the aforementioned agencies, there is no doubt that Intramuros’ attraction to tourists from here and abroad will now have an added dimension that is uniquely Filipino. To borrow from Nick Joaquin, “Intramuros! The old Manila.

The original Manila. The Noble and Ever Loyal City...” sparkles anew!

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

Roxas river relived as ecotourism spot

‘Ice Cave,’ one of the landscape photographs by Leslie Dizon on exhibit

Leslie Dizon captures mystical Iceland FOUR years after her sold-out solo exhibit in 2013, landscape photographer, Leslie Dizon, recently launched Ember and Ice at the Dizon Corporate Center on 116 Esteban Abada St. Varsity Hills Subdivision, Loyola Heights, QC. The exhibition parallels Dizon’s inner journey of triumph over hesitation, and coasting along safe shores.

As a landscape photographer for eight years now, Dizon’s constant longing for aesthetic stimulus helped hone her craft while shooting around picturesque locations in various parts of the Philippines.

‘This year I felt it was time to get out of my comfort zone and start participating in photo tours outside the Philippines. I have always wanted to visit Iceland since I came across the Blue Lagoon Hot Springs in a fashion spread back in college,’ shared Dizon.

She added, ‘It caught my fascination and adventurous spirit. At the same time, a friend of mine introduced me to

the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. Before the digital age, hardly anyone knew about it except maybe those who admired its perfect spirals in Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”

Coincidentally, around the time that Dizon had upgraded to her dream camera, she was invited to join the Iceland photography tour. But already on a financial downturn with the investment she made, her partner gladly pitched and a mentor encouraged her to pursue.

Everything simply aligned.

Ember and Ice is all about keeping one’s earnest desires burning and making things happen. It is taking a leap of faith, saying yes to opportunity and allowing immense fulfillment to take place. Having experienced the merging of fine art and the mystical world of Iceland, Dizon is sure to set a renewed excitement in the beauty and strength of Mother Nature, and a fiery inspiration to follow one’s dreams.

WHAT was once a silted river has been given a new lease on life and has become a showcase of how ecotourism can help revive and conserve the environment, and create livelihood opportunities to communities.

This is the story of Palina Greenbelt Ecopark, one of Roxas City’s ecotourism sites, which offers a scenic river tour, fishing and onboard relaxation.

Designated by the city government as a mangrove reservation zone in its coastal zoning plan in 2002, the Ecopark started in 2006 with the formation of the Palina River Development Association (PARIDA) composed initially of 31 members.

The involvement of fisherfolk came out of the need to rehabilitate Palina River, which traverses barangays Cagay and Talon. From 1999 to 2003, fish pens and other illegal structures proliferated, and aggravated by the siltation which came from upland erosion due to cutting of trees for charcoal production.

The river’s current was disrupted which contributed to its pollution.

Demolition of structures started in 2003 and those displaced were given alternative livelihood in 2007.

Supervised by the City’s Coastal Resource Management Office, the project received a P250,000-initial fund from the City under Mayor Angel Alan Celino. The local government has, since then, infused additional capital upon seeing the project’s progress.

The project has also received support from the Department of Tourism and was given a Pearl Award by the Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines several times.

The Ecopark’s first phase was planting of mangroves which already earned the participating fisherfolk about P187,000 for the surviving 45,0000 mangrove trees they planted.

Its second phase consisted of the building of facilities which include two function halls, two floating cabañas, two paddle boats and a motorized boat.

Palina has also become an educational facility for community participation in rehabilitating the river and the mangrove ecosystems. Students from all over Panay have visited the area to study the river ecosystem and observe the fisherfolk’s way of life and interact with them.

Visitors from various local governments have done benchmarking tours to

learn from the project’s best practices, which can be replicated in their localities.

On a typical weekend, it hosts hundreds of guests from family and group events, doing a river cruise picnic composed mostly of seafood which Roxas is known for. For a complete relaxing experience, hilot massage is offered in the cruise.

Guests can buy live lapu-lapu from the cages, which they can cook themselves or have them cooked by the fisherfolks already trained in food preparation.

Palina River and its adjacent areas are economic zones with fish cages containing some 3,000 groupers. The sunken galleon ship and Japanese garrison near the river’s mouth can be declared a historic site. There is also a good beach for bathing near the reservation zone.

The riverbank, lined with mangroves, is about a kilometer in length with eight species of true mangroves some of which are century-old. Among the identified wildlife in the area are 34 bird, 13 fish and 64 shellfish species.

The Ecopark is the city’s fifth ecotourism site after the Culajao Mangrove Ecopark, Cadimahan River, Olotayan Island, and the Vermi Demosite.

Families and friends enjoy fresh seafood and relaxing massage in the Palina River Cruise

Student game designers win trips to Germany

Champion Team Diaspora receives three trips to Cologne, Germany

YOUNG game designers were challenged to create games that have migration and nationalism as their themes at the recent Games and Politics Game Jam held at the Augusto-Rosario Gonzales Theater of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB).

Organized by Benilde’s Game Design and Development (GDD) Program, the Games and Politics Game Jam tasked participants to develop a new program in just 24 hours.

Gamers Union for Innovation and Leadership Development (GUILD) Vice President for Academics Gab Dacanay revealed that only 50 of 100 registrants

qualified after assessment. A total of seven groups competed in the finals of the impromptu creation sessions.

Dacanay said the event showcased the talent of developers, many of them with as much as two years experience in their craft. He said the hackathon aimed to send a positive message about gaming.

Diaspora was hailed as the Champion, while Lit Path and What’s At Steak were first runner up and second runner up, respectively.

Team Diaspora received free flight tickets to Gamescon 2018 in Cologne, Germany from Geothe-Insitut. Like-

wise, those named winners were provided with booths at the recent Electronic Sports Gaming Summit (ESGS) Indie Arena.

Games and Politics is a touring political exhibition produced by GoetheInstitut Philippines and new media institution ZKM Center for Art and Media, which features a number of video games with unique political potential, including Positech Games’ political strategy game Democracy3, Lucas Pope’s diplomatic puzzler Papers, Please, and 11-bit Studios’ civilian-perspective survival story This War of Mine.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017

GMA Network tallies bigger TV ratings lead in November

Model and TV host Georgina Wilson with baby Archie

GEORGINA WILSON tackles motherhood AFTER her dreamy wedding to Arthur Burnand, a British businessman and hotelier, in April 2016, the 31-year-old model/TV host and entrepreneur was surprised to find out four months later that she was pregnant. But she embraced her new role wholeheartedly, with the same drive and passion she brings into her career.

Georgina Wilson researched to prepare herself, wanting only the best for her coming baby. Then she came across CHICCO, a beloved brand from Italy that has been making high quality baby products, toys, carriers, strollers, walkers and playpens since 1958. Immediately, she knew she would be able to trust the brand to help her take care of her baby.

“Nobody thought I would be super excited to be a wife or a mom since I was very career-driven.

When I got married, it was not in my plan to have a baby so soon, so I was so surprised when I found out. I was like, ‘Wow, this is happening!’”

Georgina shares with a laugh. “But there are some things in life that you can plan for, and there are some things that just happen at the right time,” she adds.

So in December 2016, she gave birth to Archie.

It was challenging at first, but she was determined to learn as much as she could. “I planned as much as I can because, really, you’re dealing with another individual. Archie is a human being too and he has his own kind of sets of wants, needs. He has his own thing going on so being a mother has taught me that I am not in control of everything. It was very difficult but an important lesson as well,” says Georgina.

Georgina believes that motherhood has changed her, and made her stronger. “I was so excited to do breastfeeding, but it was extremely challenging. I was in pain, and was up for so long during the night. Night after night I was up from midnight until 7am,” she recalls. “I wish somebody would just have told me that it is this difficult. Mothers are strong women that sometimes they forget to share such difficulties. That’s why I’m sharing my story — so that other moms will be empowered to feel okay when they have difficulties, that the pain is part of motherhood, and it’s okay to have that.”

Despite the many challenges, Georgina says motherhood is extremely rewarding, and having her son Archie makes all the stress worth it.

“The pros outweigh the cons all the time,” she chuckles. “The first few months were difficult.

But Archie is so loveable and he’s such a good boy! He’s such a nice baby that I have to share him with so many people. So even if I am his mom, everyone loves him so much so I feel that he is not just mine, you know. Even fans come up to us and ask him for a photo with them so I think he has grown to love that. Well, that’s a different and nice way of growing up.”

CHICCO is available in all leading department stores nationwide, or shop conveniently online at www.KidsCompany.com.ph.

The cast of Kapuso Network's top-rating series, "Ika-6 Na Utos" (left) and "My Korean Jagiya" (right)

G

MA Network, Inc. (GMA) strengthened its nationwide ratings lead based on the latest data from Nielsen Phils.TV Audience Measurement.

For the month of November (with Nov. 19 to 30 based on overnight data), the Kapuso Network ruled over its counterparts in the National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM) with an average total day people audience share of 43.2 percent, leading ABS-CBN’s 38.2 percent.

GMA also posted winning numbers

across all day parts in NUTAM. The Network recorded 38.8 percent people audience share in the morning block versus ABS-CBN’s 35.9 percent.

GMA’s afternoon line-up consistently dominated the 12 nn to 6 p.m. block with 47 percent; way ahead of ABS-CBN’s 36.2 percent.

The Kapuso Network’s strong showing continued in the evening block with 42.1 percent versus competition’s 40.8 percent.

Likewise, GMA toppled its rival network in all time blocks in both Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, which respectively account for 76 and 59 percent of all urban viewers in the country.

In Urban Luzon, the Network registered a total day people audience share of 48.8 percent; besting ABS-

Kim Domingo, Ruru Madrid in Dubai

Matinee idol Ruru Madrid delights his fans with a group photo

BUBBLE Gang mainstay and Asia’s Sexy Fantasy Kim Domingo heated up the holiday season with two events in Dubai.

A sizzling entertainment event were the Kapuso network’s treat to its followers overseas as Kim Domingo headlined Kim and Queen in Dubai Dubai, a special show on Dec. 8 at the Boracay Bar Aseana Hotel in Dubai, UAE. The alluring Kapuso actress and Super Ma’am mainstay delighted her fans in that UAE city along with comedian Kim Idol Idol.

Kim changed from being a performer to a model in an exclusive photography session on the second day of the workshop dubbed, “Breaking Barriers” on Dec. 8 and 9, the two-

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Tuesday, December 12, 2017

ACROSS 1 Jars 6 Urges on 11 Mr. Ameche 14 Orange-andwhite rental (hyph.)

15 Useful thing 16 — you with it?

17 “48 Hrs.” lead 18 Apathy 20 Doo-wop’s — Na Na 21 Russian veto 23 Felt nostalgia 24 Web surfer’s must 26 NASA splashdown 28 Sure! (2 wds.)

30 Subatomic particles 31 Late bloomer 32 Light-headed?

33 Regal emblem 36 Miss Muffet’s fare 37 Ribs and chops 38 Roquefort hue 39 Stockholm carrier 40 Yeats and Keats 41 The present 42 Dumps a lover 43 Alligator milieux 44 Kidnaps 47 Cowcatcher?

48 Unwritten on 49 Gull relative 50 Herr in Madras 53 Flourished 56 Slalom obstacles 58 Id — 59 Escalator part 60 “Maria —” 61 Keep it down!

62 Describing underbelly 63 Like some jokes DOWN 1 Hair balls?

2 Oops! (hyph.)

3 Sled dogs 4 — a lid on it!

5 Willowy 6 Hawthorne’s town 7 Jr.’s exam 8 — Enterprise 9 Second notes 10 Grant 11 Intimidate 12 Decree 13 Down and out 19 Sardine holders 22 So far 25 Be compliant 26 Disorderly demonstrations 27 Zillions of years 28 Veers 29 Safety agcy.

30 Urban maps

CBN’s 32.6 percent.

Similarly, in Mega Manila (based on Nov. 1 to 18 data), the Kapuso Network continued its dominance with 51.1 percent total day people audience share as against competition’s 28.5 percent.

More Kapuso shows also made it to the list of top programs in NUTAM. Pepito Manaloto still reigned as the most watched Kapuso program nationwide in November.

Included in the list were Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho; Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko; Magpakailanman; 24 Oras; Super Ma’am; All-Star Videoke; 24 Oras Weekend; and the Dingdong Dantesstarrer Alyas Robin Hood, which concluded in Nov. 24.

Newly launched primetime series Kambal, Karibal immediately made its way to the list of most

32 Sugar crop 33 Gallery hanging (2 wds.)

34 Make hay 35 Falls for 37 Shed 38 Anchor terminus 40 Fence stakes 41 Played banjo 42 Carl Gustav — 43 Private’s word 44 French clerics 45 Feel embarrassment 46 Foe of Luke and

Han 47 Helen of “I Am Woman” 49 Pair of mules 51 Landlord’s income 52 By Jove!

(2 wds.)

54 Hematite 55 PBS funder 57 Frazier foe

day photography clinic led by Raymund Isaac from at the Burjuman Tower, Arjaan Rotana Hotel.

The GMA Pinoy TV-sponsored events were organized by FilHub Events Management.

The events featured Kim on the heels of “The Grand Welcome”, which happened on Nov. 24 and headlined

by Ruru Madrid. It was a special event held at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Dubai, where the Kapuso heartthrob serenaded the contestants in the beauty pageant portion. Ruru spread “kilig” as he picked the winner based on several challenges during the mini dating game.

Ahead of Ruru’s performance, local artists and talents managed by organizer Sey Yes Events Management and Training Services turned up with rousing musical numbers for the audience. Prior to the main event, the Kapuso actor also paid a courtesy call to Philippine Consul General Paul Raymond Cortes of the Philippine Consulate in Dubai, where he also met and entertained Pinoys under the care of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) with a heartfelt song number.

TV star and model Kim Domingo

watched Kapuso programs in NUTAM along with consistent ratings drivers Ika-6 na Utos; Wowowin; My Korean Jagiya; Imbestigador; Eat Bulaga; Sunday PinaSaya; Celebrity Bluff; and Impostora.

GMA Network again dominated the list of top programs in Urban Luzon with eight of the top 10; while sweeping Mega Manila’s top 10 list.

Further, GMA’s flagship AM radio station Super Radyo DZBB was also hailed as the listeners’ no.1 choice in Mega Manila proving GMA’s dominance both on TV and radio.

Based on the latest data from Nielsen Radio Audience Measurement, DZBB garnered a total day average audience share of 32.3 percent in October, which toppled DZMM’s 27.5 percent and DWWW’s 12.6 percent.

ISAH V. RED

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2017

A

menus and shop for all your cooking needs.

It also holds hundreds of no-fail, tried-andtested Recipes for every meal category. For tips and all sorts of kitchen hacks—from measuring to storage times—the informative Kitchen College section is readily available to give you the proper knowledge in preparing your dishes.

And to watch previous and all new Del Monte Kitchenomics episodes, as well as other recipes and tips in action, visit the Kitchenomics Cooking Show section.

The latest feature of www.lifegetsbetter.ph is the Reading Room tab which serves as a wellness library and catalogues a variety of health and nutrition-centric articles. It’s a surefire way to get you motivated and inspired to live a better, healthier life.

All in all, the site is a fun way to level up its users’ culinary skills and kitchen experience in an easily-accessible and stress-free way. So sign up now to get first dibs and receive all the latest news and updates from your trusted culinary partner, Del Monte Kitchenomics.

T THE 12th anniversary of German Moreno’s Walk of Fame at Eastwood in Libis, Quezon City, the late Mastershowman’s son, Federico Moreno, thanked Alice Eduardo, CEO of Sta. Elena Construction, and honored her for being the first person to support his father’s project.

“Walk of Fame is the realization of my dad’s dream. It didn’t ISAH V. RED push through, almost, without the help of Tita Alice,” he said, adding, “Alice Eduardo has been quietly helping (my father) for over a decade. My dad wanted to recognize her, pero siya (Alice) ang may ayaw.”

Federico admitted that there were times his father almost gave up on his dream for a Walk of Fame. For him it was a great struggle because he was doing it alone. He nearly turned his back on it and just walk away.

But with Alice’s help and encouragement, Kuya Germs was able to put it up.

Now, it has been a dozen years and the stars of Philippine showbiz are grateful the Master Showman put up something like this.

At the anniversary, 19 Philippine showbiz talents got their Walk of Fame stars. They were the late Isabel Granada, director Emmanuel Borlaza, radio and TV commentator Joe Taruc, director Eddie Romero, producer Lily Y. Monteverde, TV host Karen Davila, comedian Empoy Marquez, singer Jake Zyrus (Charice), public affairs host Atom Araulo, radio/TV commentator Anthony Taberna, rock group Parokya ni Edgar, matinee idol Matteo Guidicelli, and singer/actress Solenn Heussaff.

Federico remembered that Alice Eduardo was the last person his dad talked with over the phone.

“She was in the US then and my dad wanted to call her. So, when the plane landed in Manila, they were finally able to talk. That was my dad’s last phone call. You see, Alice and my dad were really inseparable.” *** The Filipino cooks’ trusted culinary partner Del Monte Kitchenomics makes meal times easier and more fun with new episodes beginning Dec. 10, 11:55 a.m. on GMA 7.

Hosted by Carla Abellana and multi-awarded pastry chef Jackie Ang-Po, the new episodes continue to showcase family-tested, easy-tofollow, and enjoyable recipes that are perfect for family get-togethers, just in time for the holiday festivities.

And because Del Monte Kitchenomics is committed to making life better for Filipino home cooks, their all-around handy website www. lifegetsbetter.ph is now accessible 24/7 to ensure a convenient and hassle-free culinary experience.

The website provides easy access for exciting and useful features that will surely elevate your kitchen expertise with every visit. Under the Kitchenomics section, you may sign up for free to unlock the Meal Planner function and effortlessly plan up to a month’s worth of

A good friend to the late Kuya Germs Moreno, Alice Eduardo continues the Mastershowman's legacy by giving her support to The Walk of Fame, a project that she initially helped to put up.

Kuya Germs’ son thanks Alice Eduardo

Mothery Lily Monteverde (second from left) with Fedrico Moreno (second from right) and Alice Eduardo (leftmost)

TV host Carla Abellana (right) with Chef Jackie Ang-Po

‘MAESTRA’ WINS HONORS

in Venezuela filmfest, screens in CineLokal

Anna Luna as Iah

MAESTRA, says producer Dr. Carl Balita, pays tribute to teachers as modern-day heroes. He is very happy that it finally screens in theaters via CineLokal in eight SM cinemas — Megamall, Mall of Asia, North Edsa, Southmall, Manila, Sta. Mesa, Fairview and Bacoor.

The film, directed by Lemuel Lorca, features three generations of courageous teachers who share significant lessons in life as they cross paths in a journey of dreaming to achieve, struggling to succeed and pursuing to find life’s greater meaning — as teachers.

Maestra recently won Best Actress for Anna Luna and Special Mention for Best Screenplay for Archie del Mundo in the feature films section of the Five Continents Film Festival at Puerto La Cruz in Venezuela.

Luna, who previously won Best Supporting Actress trophies for Paglipay at the 2016 ToFarm Film Festival and for Bendor at the 2013 Cinema One Originals, essays the role of Iah Seraspi, a poor dreamer from Looc, Romblon who passionately pursued her studies to reach the top. The story of Seraspi, who managed to place second in the nationwide Licensure Exam for Teachers, became viral on social media and was featured on television.

Gawad Urian Best Actress Angeli Bayani plays Gennie Panguelo, an AetaIlocana parateacher who dreams of passing the LET exam. Panguelo, more popularly known as Ma’am Gennie, defies the odds by walking four hours everyday to school just to teach young Aeta students. She helped build the Tarukan Elementary School for children who mostly have slim chances of completing a school year.

Queen of Visayan Movies Gloria Sevilla portrays the character of Esperanza

Bautista,, a respected teacher and most outstanding principal. Bautista, or Ma’am Espie to her students, can also write and deliver poems on the spot as part of her inspirational talks. Now more than 80 years old, she still refuses to retire from teaching.

The veteran actress was able to relate a lot Kahit may to her role as a tireless educator. “Kahit edad na ako, gusto ko pa ring mag-artista dahil kaligayahan kong maging artista.. I want to enjoy myself. I want to make people happy. Kahit may edad na ako, nandito pa rin ako. Kapag nasa dugo mo ang isang bagay, go for it,” she said.

“I really like the story. This is about the plight of teachers na hindi masyadong napapansin ng mga tao. Ang mga teachers ang siyang nagmo-mold ng utak ng mga kabataan,” she added.

Meanwhile, Dr. Carl Balita, who runs 94 branches of his review center nationwide, produced his second advocacy film after the success of his first production Nars, a film about Filipino nurses. “I want to pay forward to the teachers’ community who has helped me a lot. I realized that they’re really the unsung heroes of our generation,” the popular educator said.

Balita, who is also an entrepreneur and media personality, revealed that he knows of several other inspiring stories of teachers. “There’s so much to say. There’s so much to tell. Beyond three is probably too crowded. It’s blending three different stories in one harmonized script.”

Maestra also stars Lou Veloso, Lui Manansala, William Martinez, Yayo Aguila, Suzette Ranillo, Karl Medina, Bong Cabrera, Paul Salas, Star Orjaliza and Balita as himself. A co-production with the Carl Balita Review Center and Spotlight Artists Centre, the film also competed at the Sydney World Film

Gloria Sevilla as Espie

Festival, Warsaw Avenue Film Festival, 24th annual Filipino International Cine Festival and NPS International Children’s Film Festival in India.

Balita explained why he also decided to take the festival route. “I believe in the movie. I got the right people. I got the right production team. I got the right artists. I know we got a good story. I’ll let it speak for itself.” The film was Graded A by the Cinema Evaluation Board.

Cine Lokal is a cinema line that houses independent, award-winning films and Film Development Council of the Philippines programs in select SM Cinema branches across the country.

The CBRC branches will be in charge of further local distribution of the film.