Manila Standard - 2018 April 02 - Monday

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VOL. XXXII • NO. 46 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

PEACENIKS. Anti-war activists hold signs during a rally denouncing the annual ‘Foal Eagle’ joint military drill near the US Embassy in Seoul on April 1, 2018.

AFP

Who really won VP race? Recount begins

By Rey E. Requejo

BOOK OF THE GOSPELS. Pope Francis holds the book of the gospels at St Peter’s basilica in Vatican. After the Vigil (Inset), the Pope delivered the ‘Urbi et Orbi’ blessing to the city and the world after the Easter Mass on April 1, 2018.

Christians around the world are marking the Holy Week, commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, leading up to His resurrection on Easter. AFP

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HE Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, will begin today the recount of votes for the 2016 vice presidential elections to determine who between former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Leni Robredo actually won the mandate for the vice presidency.

The recount, a result of the election protest filed by Marcos against Robredo, will take place at the gymnasium on the 5th floor of the SC-Court of Appeals Building on Padre Faura, Manila, and will run from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Jose Lemuel Arenas, a PET ad hoc committee member, said revision is the process of verifying the ballots, recounting the votes, and recording the objections or claims of the parties involved.

Arenas said there were 5,418 clustered precincts from the three pilot provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental, which were chosen by Marcos as the provinces where he could most likely prove the irregularities he cited in his election protest.

For each table, he said, there will be three revisors composed of head revisor (an employee of PET) and a revisor for each contending side.

Revisors will not be allowed to bring in their personal belongings, including mobile phones, inside the venue. The PET has provided a locker for their belongings.

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US, SoKor kick off ‘war games’ SEOUL—The United States and South Korea kicked off a low-key joint military drill Sunday as a diplomatic thaw over North Korea gathered pace.

Tension on the flashpoint peninsula have showed signs of easing in recent months after the isolated, nuclear-armed North proposed summits with the South and their “imperialist enemy” the US. Next page

China space lab earth-bound BEIJING, China—A defunct space laboratory is set to become a celestial fireball as it reenters earth’s atmosphere in the next 24 hours, China’s space authority said Sunday, hitting speeds of over 26,000 kilometers an hour before disintegrating. Next page

‘‘

A bomb has destroyed it all. Our bed has turned into ashes.

—Maimona Ambola, a 44-year-old mother of seven who returned to what was left of her home in Marawi City over the weekend

Sereno camp all set to face impeachment trial—lawyer

By Rey E. Requejo THE camp of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Sunday said she is ready to face an impeachment trial before the Senate as preparations for her defense is almost completed.

Sereno’s spokesperson Jojo Lacanilao said her defense team almost finished their preparation for the forthcoming impeachment trial.

“At this point, we think we are ready for impeachment hearing before the Senate. Anytime, we are ready to answer their allegations,” Sereno’s spokesperson, Jojo Lacanilao, told radio dzMM. Lacanilao also reiterated that Sereno has nothing to hide and that they would be able to prove during the trial that all the allegations hurled against Next page

24 disqualified party-list groups get 2nd chance THE 24 party-list organizations disqualified from participating in the 2019 midterm polls may still join the presidential elections in 2022 if they are granted new accreditation, the Commission on Elections said over the weekend.

Comelec Commissioner Rowen Guanzon said party-list groups delisted may file a new, verified petition for registration as long as they are eligible in the election immediately following their delisting.

The disqualified groups include Disabled/PWD, Salakas, Abante Retirees, 1-Abilidad, Piston, Ale, Ang Prolife, Ating Guro, Umalab Ka, Ama, Amor Seaman, 1-Aalalay, MTM Phils., Ang Kasangga, Agham, Migrante, Awat Mindanao, 1-Pabahay, Arcapp, Bida, Chinoy, Next page Sabod, Cocofed and WPI.

Lebanese, wife get Tearful residents return to Marawi death for OFW’s slay for first time since May 2017 siege KUWAIT CITY—A Kuwaiti court on Sunday sentenced in absentia a Lebanese man and his Syrian wife to death by hanging over the murder of a Filipina maid, a judicial source said.

The court issued the sentence in the first hearing in the case of Joanna Demafelis, the 29-year-old maid whose body was found in a freezer in Kuwait earlier this year.

The sentencing can still be appealed if the couple returns to Kuwait, the source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The Demafelis murder triggered a Next page

MARAWI—After fleeing for their lives nearly a year ago, residents of the battlescarred Philippine city of Marawi were allowed back Sunday for the first time—to dig through the rubble that was once their homes.

Swathes of the southern city were destroyed in five months of house-to-house fighting between troops and jihadists loyal to the Islamic State group that killed nearly 1,200.

Tearful residents dug charred furniture and broken toys from the ruins, which still conceals unexploded bombs dropped dur-

20 airlines at Naia pared down to five

By Joel E. Zurbano ONLY five out of more than 20 airlines will be left serving Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Terminal 1 once the government fully implements its rationalization plan for airport services on Aug. 31 to decongest terminals and improve passenger convenience.

The five airlines left will be Thai Airways, Saudia Airlines, Japan Airlines, Etihad Airlines and Philippine Airlines, said Jess Martinez, media affairs division chief.

“The deadline will be on Aug. 31 but some airlines are asking for an extension or enough time to prepare,” Martinez said.

The airlines that will be transferred to Naia Terminal 3 are China Southern, China Airlines, China Eastern, Xiamen Air, Oman Air, Eva Air, Kuwait Air, Jetstar, Gulf Air, Korean Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Qantas Air, Malaysian Airlines, Qatar Air, Royal Brunei, Tiger Air, Jeju Air, Air Nugini and Air China.

Terminal 2 will be used only for PAL and Cebu Pacific Air domestic flights operations while Terminal 4 will handle other domestic flights service.

Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Eddie Monreal denied reports that some airlines will transfer their operations to Clark International Airport in Pampanga, but said the rationalization is ongoing.

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ing the battles that broke out in May 2017.

“I cried in anger, pain,” Samsida Mangcol, 44, told AFP of the moment she saw what was left of her bridal boutique, which now has “I love ISIS” spray-painted across one its walls.

“I used to rent out clothes but now I have become a beggar asking my relatives for things to eat and wear,” the mother-ofthree said as she caressed a ruined wedding gown.

Marawi on Mindanao island, the principal Islamic city in the mainly Catholic Next page

Customs, ATI clash over 105 containers THE Bureau of Customs said Asian Terminals Inc. failed to observe the proper protocol in the release of 105 imported shipments, despite an alert order issued

by Commissioner Isidro Lapeña four days before the P69 million worth of goods slipped out of the Manila terminal.

In a statement, the BoC said the commissioner issued a Manual Alert Order on March 13, contrary to the claim of ATI that the agency issued a release instruction through the Online Release System.

“While the duties and taxes of the 105 containers have been paid, they were found to have violated Section 1400 or Next page

BACK IN THE CITY. Soldiers check the identity and documents of residents allowed to visit their destroyed houses at the main battle area and collect salvageable belongings in Marawi City on April 1, 2018. After fleeing for their lives nearly a year ago, residents of the battle-scarred city of Marawi made their first visit back to dig through the rubble that was once their homes. AFP

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News

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Maguindanao bets vying for Qur’an tilt in KL

By Nash B. Maulana TWO melodic readers from Maguindanao will represent the Philippines in the International Qur’an Reciters’ Assembly in Kuala Lumpur this month after they won a national competition in Quezon City on March 25.

The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos said Nuhman Pimbayabaya topped the qari or the male category of the contest, while Raihana Ambangala won the qaria or the female category of the 2018 National Qur’an Reading Competition.

Pimbayabaya, the 2017 defending champion who belongs to the Iranun tribe of Maguindanao, won over other male contestants with a scorecard of 96.46 percent.

Ambangala a 19-year-old student from Guindulungan, Maguindanao, recorded a winning rating of 96.6 percent.

She also won the championship in the 2017 Southeast Asian Youth Qur’an Reading Contest hosted by Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah at the International Convention Center of Brunei Darussalam from Sept. 15 to 17 last year.

The annual International Qur’an Reciters’ Assembly will be held in Kuala Lumpur and tentatively in the first week of April. It was held last on April 7, 2017.

NCMF Commissioner Abdulhadi Daguit said while Ambangala will represent the Philippines’ qaria in the IQRA, third-placer Yusoph Pandita of the National Capital Region will likely represent the country’s qari, since the champion and the second placer will no longer be eligible to take part as a rule, having already participated three times in the Malaysian event Qur’an reading is an art, a bridging education and a form of cultural diplomacy among Southeast Asian countries that started the international competition in 1961.

More than 1,000 people from the Muslim communities of Metro Manila attended the event held at the University of the Philippines Bahay ng Alumni in Diliman, Quezon City.

Solon seeks peace talks with Reds BAYAN Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said Sunday the resumption of the peace talks between the government and the communist rebels might push through after President Rodrigo Duterte met with officials of the Royal Norwegian Government in Davao City.

He made his statement even as two suspected New People’s Army rebels were killed while several others were wounded after a running battle erupted on the outskirts of Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon.

The clash took place a day after the rebels celebrated the 49thfounding anniversary of the communist movement on Thursday.

Army Capt. Norman Tagros of the 4th Infantry Brigade said the two rebels were killed in three separate clashes with security forces in Minalwang village in Claveria town on Friday and Saturday afternoon.

Zarate said in a radio interview that the House committee on peace, reconciliation and unity members first met with the new special envoy for the peace process of the Royal Norwegian Government, Idun Tvedt, a third party in the peace talks, after Congress passed House Resolution 1803 calling on Duterte to resume the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

The resolution was signed by 61 members of the House of Representatives. Rio N. Araja and Francisco Tuyay

Customs,...

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the misdeclaration, misclassification, and undervaluation in goods declaration, of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act,” the statement said.

The bureau also noted that before the release of alerted shipments, there must be a memo on the lifting of alert order approved by the Office of the Commissioner, and a memo lifting the alert order.

Port of Manila district collector Vener Baquiran said the BoC is still identifying the exact value of the shipments as they may have contained even more misdeclared commodities.

Lapeña said the accreditation of importers involved in bringing in the 105 containers has already been revoked.

These include Abundancegain Indent Trading Corp., Imperial Foods and Agricultural Products, Mega Abundance Steel Indent Trading Corp., Paragon Platinum International, Premiere Oak Lumber and Wood Products, and Spectrum Highlands Marketing Corp. Vito Barcelo

Grab needs a rival, says Makati solon A House deputy minority leader and Makati Rep. Luis Campos Jr. made the statement following Uber’s decision to sell its Philippine operations to rival Grab.

“No matter how you look at it, the combination of the regional businesses of Uber and Grab not only reduces but effectively eliminates competition in the Philippine ride-hailing market,” Campos said.

“To counteract the merger and reestablish competition, we may have to encourage other large suppliers such as Go-Jek to come in right away.”

With more than 400,000 motor vehicles and drivers, Jakarta-based Go-Jek is the most popular ride-hailing app in the world’s fourth most populous country.

Campos said he would have preferred that the three dominant regional players―Uber, Grab and Go-Jek―were all here in the Philippines and fiercely competing with one another.

“Three players are better than two, but if we can’t have three, two is better than one,” Campos said.

He said lawmakers were counting on

the Philippine Competition Commission to pore over the Uber-Grab unification.

“Assuming the deal qualifies as a covered transaction, then we expect the antitrust body to perform its duty in ensuring that businesses compete and that consumers benefit,’ Campos said.

On the day the Uber-Grab deal was announced, PCC chairman Arsenio Balisacan said “No notification has been filed at the PCC by Grab or Uber to date. “ I f the parties meet the new threshold, now set at ₱2 billion for the size of transaction and ₱5 billion for the size of party, they should notify the PCC within 30 days after signing their definitive agreement.”

The PCC is mandated by law to prohibit anti-competitive business agreements, abuses of dominant position as well as mergers and acquisitions that lessen competition.

In ideal markets ruled by formidable anti-trust regulators, Campos said, a busi-

Who...

ing the recount venue and the storage area.

Lawyer Ma. Carina Cunanan, another PET ad hoc committee member, said the parties will not be allowed to bring in their own security.

The PET said they still do not know when the recount will be finished.

Earlier, both camps agreed to withdraw all the motions they had filed before the PET to be able to proceed with the recount.

Marcos filed the protest on June 29, 2016, claiming that the camp of Robredo cheated in the automated polls in May that year.

In his protest, Marcos contested the results from 132,446 precincts in 39,221 clusters, covering 27 provinces and cities.

In his preliminary conference briefing, Marcos also sought a recount in Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental.

Robredo filed her answer in August last year and also submitted a counter-protest, questioning the results from more than 30,000 polling precincts in several provinces where Marcos won.

She also sought the dismissal of the protest for lack of merit and jurisdiction of the PET. In a ruling earlier this year, the PET rejected Robredo’s plea and proceeded with the case after finding the protest sufficient in form and substance.

Robredo won the vice presidential race in the May 2016 polls with 14,418,817 votes or 263,473 more than Marcos’ 14,155,344 votes.

Robredo expressed confidence Sunday that the recount would reaffirm her election victory.

“We are confident enough and there is nothing to worry about in the results of the recount since there is no doubt that the Vice President is the one who really won in the 2016 [vice presidential] elections,” Robredo’s lawyer Romulo Macalintal said.

He said the recount would underscore Robredo’s victory as vice president and vindicate her from the baseless accusation of Marcos that she cheated her way to victory.

“Through the recount, we can prove that Vice President Robredo really won in 2016, and that the accusations of Mr. Marcos are all but just lies,” he said.

Macalintal reiterated his previous stance that no single election protest involving local elective positions had been successful where the issue was merely a recount of the ballots since the implementation of the automated election in 2010.

“In the history of our automated election system, there is no [election] protest that has ever won since 2010,” he said. With Rio N. Araja

By Maricel V. Cruz

N OPPOSITION lawmaker says Go-Jek, Indonesia’s top technology firm offering ride-hailing and logistics services, must be allowed to come in and compete with Grab.

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The time limit per ballot box with fewer than 300 votes will be 5.5 hours, with 300 to 700 votes will be 8.25 hours, and for more than 700 votes will be 11 hours.

Some 213 people are expected to come in every day for the recount, which includes 60 Court employees, psychometricians, lawyers and representatives of both parties, and the revisors.

The revisors are part of the tribunal’s committee tasked to examine the contested ballots.

Arenas said the PET is currently housing some 1,400 ballot boxes from Camarines Sur, one of Marcos’ chosen pilot provinces for the recount.

The other ballot boxes are with the Commission on Elections, due to storage issues.

Once the recount on the first 1,400 ballot boxes is done, the PET will receive the other ballot boxes from Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental.

Members of the Philippine National Police, Philippine Coast Guard, Police Security Protection Group and PET guards will secure the recount venue round-the-clock.

CCTVs have also been installed surround-

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The annual Foal Eagle drill—a series of field training exercises involving some 11,500 American and 290,000 South Korean troops—began early Sunday, Seoul’s defense ministry spokesman said.

The drill—which was delayed to avoid clashing with February’s Winter Olympics in the South—will be held for a month in April, about half the time it usually lasts.

This year’s drills feature fewer strategic weapons like a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Seoul army said earlier. The deployment of such powerful weapons at past drills has frequently drawn an angry response from the North.

The two allies are also set to stage the annual Key Resolve drill—a tabletop exercise using mainly computer-based simulations—for the usual duration of two weeks beginning late April.

Pyongyang, which habitually slams the joint army drills between the South and the US as a rehearsal for invasion, has remained relatively quiet on the issue in recent weeks.

The Foal Eagle drill started the same day as a historic concert by South Korean pop stars in Pyongyang, which will be staged late Sunday as a peace gesture ahead of this month’s inter-Korea summit.AFP

The commission delisted these party-list organizations because they failed to participate in or obtain at least one seat in the last two elections.

The party-list system was created by virtue of Republic Act 7941, known as the Party-List System Act, which was enacted in 1995.

Under the law, those who received at least 2 percent of the total votes cast for the party-list system will be entitled to one

China...

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The Tiangong-1 is expected to make an uncontrolled earthbound plunge Monday Beijing time, China Manned Space said in a statement, an estimate roughly in line with European Space Agency projections.

The abandoned eight-tonne craft is unlikely to cause any damage when it comes down, but its fiery disintegration will offer a “splendid” show akin to a meteor shower, Chinese authorities said previously.

The reentry window remains “highly variable” and the debris from the lab could land anywhere between the latitudes of 43 degrees north and 43 degrees south—from New Zealand to the American Midwest, the ESA said.

There is “no need for people to worry,” the China Manned Space Engineering Office said earlier on its WeChat social media account.

Such falling spacecraft do “not crash into the Earth fiercely like in sci-fi movies, but turn into a splendid (meteor shower) and move across the beautiful starry sky as they race towards the Earth,” it said.

Tiangong-1—or “Heavenly Palace”— was placed in orbit in September 2011, an important step in China’s efforts towards building its own space station.

The module—which was used to practise complicated manual and automatic docking techniques—was originally intended to be used for just two years, but ended up serving considerably longer. AFP

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Under the present set up, Naia Terminal 2, which is currently being used by PAL, operates for both domestic and international flight services. But according to Monreal, the terminal was originally designed as a domestic terminal.

Naia Terminal 3, on the other hand, was designed for international flights, but it is also being operated for both domestic and international flight services by several airlines.

Monreal said that using these terminals for both domestic and international flights caused air traffic congestion and inconvenienced travelers.

Terminal 1 was completed in 1981 to accommodate the country’s growing international passenger traffic levels during the 1970s. The 16-gate facility with 78 checkin counters and 24 immigration stations was designed by Leandro Locsin, a National Artist of the Philippines for Architecture.

To address the continuing increase in the number of air passengers, MIAA built Naia Terminal 2, also known as Centennial Terminal.

Terminal 2 began operations in 1999.

Originally envisioned as a domestic hub, the facility now houses both the international and domestic operations of the country’s flag carrier, Philippine Airlines.

Designed by Aeroports de Paris to handle 9 million passengers annually, Terminal 2 features an arrowhead design focused on

Tearful...

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Philippines, was besieged by hundreds of local and foreign gunmen waving black IS flags who attacked it in what authorities said was an attempt to establish a Southeast Asian base.

Over the course of the next month groups of residents will be allowed to return for up to three days each, to view their old homes and salvage what they can before rebuilding starts.

On Sunday some 7,000 people walked forlornly through streets littered with rubble, twisted metal and the skeletons of bullet-riddled cars.

“Our house was still new when we left it.

We had prepared everything for Ramadan [the Islamic fasting month],” said Maimona Ambola, a 44-year-old mother of seven.

congressional seat each while those who received more than two percent of the votes will be entitled to additional seats in proportion to their total number of votes.

Each party-list organization shall not be awarded more than three seats in Congress.

The law specifically provides that partylist groups should represent “marginalized and underrepresented sectors” that include laborers, peasants, fisherfolk, the urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, the elderly, the handicapped, women, youth, veterans, overseas workers and professionals. Joel E. Zurbano a six-storey central building called the Rotunda.

The arrow wings of the facility are designated North and South. The North wing is used for PAL’s international flights while the South wing services its domestic flights.

While improvements raised Terminal 1’s capacity to six million, a peak level of 7.7-million passengers was reached in 1997, causing overflow of passengers that year. Terminal 3 was the answer to this growing traffic.

Currently the largest airport in Manila, Naia 3 stands on a 65-hectare property adjacent to the Naia runway facilities. It is a two-tiered design with its ground floor handling arrivals and the 3rd level facilitating departures.

Naia 3 can handle 13-million international passengers annually. The center of the building contains the head house where passenger processing is centralized. A total of 20 boarding gates and 140 checkin-counters can accommodate 4,000 peak hour one-way passengers.

Terminal 3 officially opened to selected domestic flights from July 2008 (initially Cebu Pacific only, then PAL’s subsidiaries Air Philippines and PAL Express), with Cebu Pacific international flights using it from August 2008.

Terminal 4, still known as the Old Domestic Terminal, is the oldest of the four existing terminals. The facility hosts the operations of local carriers such as Air SWIFT, Cebgo, Philippine Air Asia and Skyjet.

“A bomb has destroyed it all. Our bed has turned into ashes.”

The battle, which ended in October, was the biggest security crisis under firebrand President Rodrigo Duterte.

The fighting caused destruction similar to Aleppo and Mosul, military and local officials say.

Many of the city’s 200,000 residents fled their homes in a rush for safety, including more than 10,000 people from the so-called “ground zero”. They have since been living in evacuation centers or with relatives in other towns.

Months after the fighting ended, residents still visited at their own risk.

The conflict zone has 53 unexploded bombs from military airstrikes weighing as much as 226 kilograms (500 pounds) as well as explosives left behind by the militants, according to Colonel Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of the military task force in Marawi. AFP

ness combination that got rid of the competition might not be permitted until a substitute challenger came in.

He said anti-trust regulators may also compel the unloading party to sell its business to two separate buyers instead of dealing with a lone acquirer.

San Francisco, California-based Uber disclosed on March 26 that it had agreed to sell its entire Southeast Asian operations to regional contender and Singapore-based Grab for an undisclosed amount, and in return for a 27.5-percent equity stake in Grab.

Grab will take over Uber’s business in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia, including the food delivery business Uber Eats.

Here in the Philippines, the consolidation means Grab will be running more than 50,000 cars and drivers.

ASG sub-leader wounded, nabbed in Patikul

By Francisco Tuyay A SUB-LEADER of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group was captured shortly after he was wounded in an encounter with security forces who were on a mission to rescue 10 people that the group had kidnapped.

Walton Juljiron was wounded after the surrender of Abu Sayuyaf leader Nhurhassan Kamiri along with 13 of his followers.

Capt. Jo-Ann Petinglay, spokeswoman of the Western Mindanao Command, said Juljirin was wounded during a five-minute firefight with troops of the 32ndInfantry Battalion in Sitio Kan Bading, Taung village in Patikul, Sulu, around 7 a.m. on Saturday.

“Our soldiers eventually captured Walton Juljirin during the clearing operation,” said Brigadier General Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Joint Task Force Sulu.

“The troops immediately gave him medical attention before bringing him to the headquarters of the 501st Brigade in Tagbak, Indanan, Sulu,” Sobejana said.

Petinglay said Juljirin was the same bandit that the soldiers encountered in the same municipality earlier this month. But he was able to seek sanctuary in nearby Taung village.

The soldiers’ superior firepower force Juljirin’s comrades to leave him .

Petinglay said Juljirin’s defeat came after civilians tipped off the military about his group’s presence.

Sereno...

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her in the complaint have no basis.

“CJ Sereno is not hiding anything and she did not commit any impeachable offense so if the senator-judges will be fair, I’m sure they will be able to see what really happened,” he said.

Aside from impeachment, Sereno also faces removal from her post through a quo warranto petition before the Supreme Court filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida questioning the validity of her appointment to the SC top post.

Calida said Sereno committed a gross misrepresentation before the Judicial and Bar Council when she explained that, the reason for her non-submission of SALNs was that she could no longer retrieve all her SALNs when as shown by the Certifications from the UP and the Ombudsman, she did not actually file her SALNs for the years 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

He said Sereno would not have been included in the JBC shortlist if she disclosed to the body that she failed to file her SALNs 11 times during her tenure as a professor at UP.

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diplomatic crisis between Kuwait and the Philippines, prompting Manila to impose a departure ban for its citizens planning to work in the Gulf state.

The Lebanese-Syrian couple was arrested in February in the Syrian capital Damascus following an Interpol manhunt.

Syrian authorities handed the husband, Nader Essam Assaf, over to Lebanese authorities, while his Syrian wife remained in custody in Damascus.

An estimated 252,000 Filipinos and Filipinas work in Kuwait and depend on remittances to help their families back home.

Rights groups have raised alarm around the plight of workers in the Gulf and other Arab countries, where migrant labor is regulated under a system known as “kafala.” AFP

News

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PAO consultant: Duque must resign

By Rio N. Araja

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MEDICO-LEGAL consultant of the Public Attorney’s Office on Sunday renewed his call for the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque for allegedly making it difficult to achieve transparency on Dengvaxia cases in the country.

PCSO seeks newer ISO certification PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Alexander Balutan has announced on Sunday the agency is gearing for a newer ISO certification that is risk-based and would take into consideration the context of the organization.

“ISO certification gives confidence to our public that we have strict implementation when it comes to our draw procedures, that their bets are really there, and they have equal chances of winning. It also gives us the chance to be at par with other gaming counterparts all over the world,” said Balutan.

PCSO is currently certified under the ISO 9000-2008 Quality Management System Certification by third-party auditor TUV Rheinland Philippines for the conduct and management of the Online Lottery Draws and processing of prize claims amounting to P5,000 and above.

“When we say draw procedures, it is not just the actual drawing of the winning numbers, but also the data center, which includes the actual conduct of draw, broadcast of the lotto draws, and of course the handling of ticket themselves,” explained Aimee de Viterbo, officer-in-charge manager for PCSO’s Gaming Technology Department.

Dr. Erwin Erfe slammed the issuance of Department of Health Administrative Order No. 2018-0011 which required autopsies on possible Dengvaxia-related deaths to be performed only by the DoH. “This administrative order makes it difficult to access all documents related to Dengvaxia,” Erfe said.

“DoH had ensured that information relative to Dengvaxia will be beyond the reach of victims, the PAO and other law enforcement agencies investigating the Dengue vaccine mess,” he added.

Erfe said the autopsy of 40 children and a police officer showed a pattern of

deaths after having received Dengvaxia vaccine shots.

He appealed to Duque to create a team of medical experts to treat dengue victims who received Dengvaxia shots instead of autopsy teams.

Earlier, the head of the House committee on appropriations filed a bill seeking to allocate a P1.16-billion special fund to help the children who were administered the controversial Dengvaxia anti-dengue vaccine.

Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles said the money will come from the refund for some P1.16-billion worth of unused vials that was returned to the government by Dengvaxia

manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur through its local distributor Zuellig Pharma.

Nograles proposed the P1.16 billion be used to finance the medical support for the children who were administered the Dengvaxia vaccine, such as medical assistance for hospitalization, medical kits, out-patient care services and laboratory tests.

“This will ensure prompt delivery of necessary medical assistance to Dengvaxia vaccinees even as the Department of Health continues to monitor their state in the months following their inoculation,” Nograles said.

‘Draw light from Christ amid darkness’—CBCP THE Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on Sunday reminded the faithful that rebirth is possible because of Jesus Christ.

“Our resurrection is possible, and our resurrection is ours because of Jesus. How deeply he loved us, painfully embracing death in order to conquer and defeat it, so that we might live, and live life eternally,” CBCP president and Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles said in his Easter message.

Valles noted that “the Easter celebration is our prayerful memory of the Paschal Mystery of Jesus: his suffering, his crucifixion and death and his glorious resurrection.”

“May it be that our Lenten observances have made us ready to be with the Lord in his suffering, death and resurrection,” Valles said.

The Davao prelate also urged the faithful to always remember the life of Jesus Christ and draw light and hope from it amid the many “darknesses” of life.

“May it be that our Lenten observances have made us ready to go through the many ‘darknesses’ of our present life, when often we are desperate and have lost hope, and still we walk with Jesus deeply believing that with him, we will see light and life,” the CBCP head said.

“Easter is the most wonderful feast in our Church’s life of prayer and worship. In this feast, we are again at the heart of God’s loving presence,” he added.

He also described Easter as the “Lord’s promise of eternal life and happiness.”

Meanwhile, another prelate called Jesus Christ’s resurrection as a symbol of hope.

“There is an empty tomb, the symbol of glory and eternal life. It means for us that there is hope even when life seems to be difficult and hard. Even when streams of problems seem not to end. When burdens are overflowing,” said. Fr. Jerome Secillano, executive secretary of the CBCP-Permanent Committee on Public Affairs.

“Let’s continue to hope because even though it seemed that we are powerless in the midst of life’s trials, hope tells us not to put a limit to what God can do. He already died for us and now he will bring us out of our miseries to enjoy his promise of glory,”Secillano added. PNA

SSS starts new round of loan restructuring program THE Social Security System will start receiving Loan Restructuring Program with penalty condonation applications today, April 2, in all SSS branches nationwide.

Member-borrowers who have past due loans like salary, calamity, emergency loans, educational loan (old), study-now-pay-later plan, voc-tech, Y2K, and investments incentive loans are covered by the program provided they have resided or worked in a

calamity/disaster stricken area as declared by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council or in the case of Ondoy, by the national government.

LRP applicants should bring with them a duly accomplished LRP Application Form which can be downloaded from SSS website (www.sss.gov.ph), and two valid identification cards.

The program allows member-borrowers

to clean up their overdue loan principal and interest in full or by installment under a restructured term depending on their capacity.

Qualified members only have six months to avail of the program or until Oct. 1.

Disqualified from the program are thos who have approved LRP in 2016 to 2017; members with final benefit claim prior to the LRP availment period; and those who committed fraud against SSS.

A3

Cimatu leads launching of forest rehab

By Rio N. Araja

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy Cimatu has spearheaded the groundbreaking of the first phase of a 100-hectare enterprise development project with auto giant Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. in Bangui, Ilocos Norte.

The joint venture between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and MMPC aims to rehabilitate some 100 hectares of forest land through a sustainable integrated area development approach.

“In pursuit of sustainable and inclusive growth, our government under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte necessarily employs a participatory approach,” Cimatu said.

Under the joint venture, MMPC would provide funds for the sustainable integrated area development projects to be identified by the DENR which, in turn, will provide the technical requirements in terms of manpower skills and government support.

The DENR chief, a native of Bangui, underscored the importance of the agency’s “convergence approach” with the private sector and the local government to achieve equitable growth that will “improve the ecological condition of the country as well as the socio-economic status of the community.”

“Bangui’s initiatives to sustain its local tourism industry hinges well on it people’s desire to harness and protect its ecological condition,” Cimatu said.

MMPC president and chief executive officer Mutsuhiro Oshikiri said environmental advocacy forms the core of the company’s corporate social responsibility program.

“We, too, will be doing our part for the betterment of the environment.

I applaud DENR for their commitment in ensuring the sustenance of the habitats not only here in Ilocos Norte, but also in the different regions of the Philippines,” Oshikiri said.

A4

Opinion

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018

He is risen!

Adelle Chua, Editor

Right-sizing government

EDITORIAL

THE Scriptures tell us that the Apostles saw the Risen Lord, that they broke bread with him. Mary of Magdala swears that she saw him too, perhaps before all others even. But when did they see him? When did he rise?

The conflicting accounts in the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John do not allow for a neat chronology at all. So, while the agnostic conclusion —“Then, the Resurrection is just a concocted story”—is one alternative, the other alternative is to treat the question: “When did he rise?”and companion questions like: “Who saw him rise?”—as questions resting on wrong premises.

It goes something like this. When you say: “Mabuhay ka, Kuya Pete” and Kuya Pete asks you: “Kailan ako mabuhay?”—you would be right in being totally flabbergasted, because “Mabuhay” is not timed. It is not susceptible of chronology. It is an acclamation, not a chronology!

When the centurion saw how

First things first

T

HE Department of Tourism in often thought of as the government agency that promotes the Philippines as a tourist destination to the outside world. We measure its success by the millions of tourists who visit our shores every month, often with little regard to the toll that the influx of visitors takes on the communities that host them.

That there are more urgent requirements than the slick commercials that we see on cable TV was brought home recently, when President Duterte described the waters off Boracay—sold to the world as a tropical paradise—as a cesspool.

His warning that he would shut down the entire island if the resorts and community there did not clean up their act has spurred a major effort by the DoT and the departments of Local Government and the Environment to undertake a complete renovation of the island to demolish establishments that were built in violation of environmental laws, build a comprehensive sewage and water treatment facility for the entire island, establish a sustainable

flow of tourists onto the island, and train local businesses and workers in practicing sustainable tourism.

But developments since then have brought home the fact that many of the country’s other tourism destinations are in dire need of improvement, too.

The recent account by a prominent broadcast journalist Karen Davila of how a four-star resort and the local government were woefully ill-equipped to deal with injuries that her son suffered in a surfing accident on Siargao Island in Surigao del Norte, strongly suggests that Tourism officials must also ensure that all major tourist destinations have adequate medical facilities to deal with such contingencies.

By Davila’s account, the resort at which she stayed, had put her in touch with instructors who said they could teach her sons how to surf. All seemed well until her son David ran up the beach, his chest bloodied by reef rash, and a gash under the right rib, clearly from hitting the rocks on the shallow waters. The Davilas could find no first aid station or even a lifeguard on duty to help. The boy’s instructor showed them to a sari-sari store that sold Betadine, cotton and gauze—then left the scene.

The owners of the resort offered to take them in a van to the nearest hospital, which was 45 minutes away by car. The municipal hospital, however, did not have any tetanus vaccines that the doctor had recommended.

Later, Davila said, she learned that David’s instructor had not taken him farther

out to sea where it was safer for beginners because there were no rocks there. Clearly, she added, the instructor was not trained to teach minors.

To her astonishment, she also learned: 1) That “anybody who surfs in Siargao can train in Siargao.” Some trainers drive motorcycles-for-rent for a living, and train for the extra income. There are no professional certifications, and there is no vetting of trainers.

2) There are no lifeguards on the beach of a destination that is promoted as a surfing mecca.

3) There are no first aid clinics or trained medical personnel on the beach.

Local and national officials have since promised to remedy the situation in Siargao, but what about other popular tourist destinations? Do we really need the President or a broadcast journalist to raise a stink before Tourism officials do their jobs and ensure the health and safety of our visitors—and protect the environment?

The DoT’s mission statement says it is “the primary government agency charged with the responsibility to encourage, promote, and develop tourism as a major socio-economic activity to generate foreign currency and employment and to spread the benefits of tourism to both the private and public sector.” Before the agency does any more promoting, it seems, it ought to first ensure that the destinations we sell to the outside world are properly developed to include the personnel and facilities to keep tourists safe.

Even before his death, he had already insinuated, intimated if not declared very clearly that though he was indeed to die a very real death, he was sent by the Father to be more than just ending up a corpse.

Jesus died, when witnesses saw the kingliness with which the condemned man died, they said: “Truly, this was the Son of God.” They were in fact saying: “They couldn’t defeat him.”

And that is the first aspect of the Resurrection faith: The conviction that the Cross could not defeat Jesus and could not bring about his total undoing.

Even before his death, he had already insinuated, intimated if not declared very clearly that though he was indeed to die a very real death, he was sent by the Father to be more than just ending up a corpse, because the Father’s love could not be sealed in a tomb! And it rubbed on on his disciples—that intimacy with the Father that allowed Jesus to call on God as Äma”, trusting in an Äma” who would never let him down.

And then, of course, there were those phenomena, widely attested to, that sealed on Jesus’ closest followers and an ever-widening band of believers the indelible conviction that he was risen: appearances so real as to be unmistakable, the firmness of conviction and the enthusiasm to preach his name that could only be explained by an encounter with him, Saul’s extraordinary experience that made him Paul, and the zeal to proclaim his resurrection that they could only describe as tongues of fire descending on them.

No, it is not easy to talk about the Resurrection, because it has to do with the very foundation of what we are and what we are called to be. “Resurrexit sicut dixit”...this became the cry by which martyrs courageously went to their deaths, preachers sallied forth to every lonely corner of the world, and young men and women today still preach.

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LET us take opportunity of the revision of the present Constitution not only to shift possibly to a federal form of government, but also to right-size it.

First, if we decide to adopt a federal system, let us find the right balance of resources and economic potential, along with demographics, to divide the country into the proposed federal states.

I stand by what I proposed in earlier columns, which is to have one federal state for all provinces north of Metro Manila, with the Cordilleras having a distinct special autonomous region. Thus, Bulacan up to the Ilocos, the Cagayan Valley and Batanes will constitute one federal state or region.

Then NCR would be another state.

South of Luzon, from Laguna and Cavite down to the Bicol Region, including the Mindoro provinces, Romblon and Marinduque would constitute another state or region.

The entire Visayas, from Samar and Leyte in the East to Panay and Negros in the West, and Palawan and all its component islands would be another state.

A federal state (or two) would be carved out of Mindanao for the Bangsamoro. The rest of Mindanao would be another state.

Too many elected officials serve little purpose.

Market forces versus forced legislation LAST year, the Indonesian government was forced to lift its controversial 2014 ban on exports of metal ore and mineral concentrates that was put in place originally to boost the country’s processing capacity with higher value domestic processing facilities.

Instead, the policy had a negative impact on revenues and even nearly destroyed local economies that relied on mining, such as those in Sumatra

When opportunity and viability are there, the private sector will not need any pushing for big investments to pour in.

and Kalimantan.

There is renewed relevance in this case because there are current proposals by some legislators to do exactly the same: Ban the export of unprocessed mineral ores in an effort to boost domestic mineral processing.

The mining sector had been in the headlines since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office, and this is the latest effort by some to force the industry to contribute more to economic development.

But as can be gathered from the Indonesian example, it doesn’t quite work that way. At a recent forum

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So all in all, we would have six or seven federal states, plus a special autonomous region in the Cordilleras.

Why so? In terms of population, these component states would more or less have similar demographics.

From 15 to 20-million people each.

In terms of resources as well as economic potential, they have present similarities, so that the concept of some being left out by already rich states would be solved.

The national government need not subsidize any state to equalize development or provide the basic necessities, other than in the case of the Cordillera Autonomous Region and the Bangsamoro.

I also disagree with the penchant to increase considerably the number of senators in a two-chamber national Congress, or for that matter in the House of Representatives.

After all, the federal states will have their own executive, legislative and judicial branches.

So why enlarge national representation?

My concept of a Senate is one where the North-Central Luzon state would have five senators, with the same number for NCR, Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, plus two senators from the Cordillera Autonomous Region, and three for the Bangsa Moro (or two each if we are to further divide the Muslim state into the mainlanders and the islanders). Thus, there would be a total of 30 or 31 senators of the national government, all elected by their respective regions unlike the present system where they are elected at-large by the entire Philippines.

The House of Representatives should be composed of elected representatives of districts per 500,000 voting population. So, with the exception of tiny lone-district provinces like Batanes, Siquijor, Romblon, Camiguin, etc., we would have less than 300 congressmen, again similar to the present number of legislators in the bigger House.

Since there will be federal legislatures, we should do away with party-list representation in the national Congress.

Turn to A5

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

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Opinion EVERYMAN

Are people living with HIV considered PWDs?

By Arpee Lazaro

PDAO (persons with disability affairs office) assessors have tagged PLHIV as psychosocially disabled; medical information such as testing positive for HIV cannot be disclosed publicly.

It is in the interest of the PLHIV that his illness not be revealed because of the discrimination suffered as soon as the condition is known. It has been documented that in some provincial municipal PDAOs have indicated “mental illness” as the nature of disability in the PWD ID. There is also a stigma attached to those who are sufferers of mental illness and may not be any better than just admitting outright that the person has HIV. As a disability, HIV is more than just the sum of its haters. The PLHIV is often considered to be a walking contagion. This is something that will take years to correct in the minds of the general public. Unlike sufferers or survivors of cancer or someone with an inborn disability such as blindness or deafness, HIV sufferers do not get any sympathy from those around them. Their own families hate them as they become an emotional and financial burden, plus the fear of contracting the disease in some other way other than sexual contact. HIV is a badge of humiliation and condemnation, something that other PWDs do not suffer as much. At the very least, other PWDs get pity. PLHIVs get hated. In a restaurant, a PLHIV who flashes a PWD ID that lists HIV positive as their disability face the possibility of refusal of service, something that restaurants, spas, salons and other service establishments are actually entitled to under the law.

Current laws dictate that there is a certain age requirement for HIV testing. Those who are 16 and younger cannot be tested without the approval of their legal guardians or parents.

Good luck expecting a 17-year old sexually active teenager voluntarily go for HIV testing just for the prudence of it. No one would also be brave enough to go to a government clinic for free testing because of the stigma, the possible reputational issues and even the fear of the parents finding out. With changes to the law being made ready, HIV testing will soon be available to teenagers younger than 16 years old and will not require parental approval, making anonymous testing more accessible.

With enough education and understanding, HIV can be preventable and the youth kept safe. HIV is not as contagious as people think it is, if only the people are well-educated on the nature of this disease and how it is transmitted.

THE answer to that is a resounding “yes.” People living with HIV (PLHIV) or those who are HIV positive are considered to be persons with disabilities.

However, many of our PLHIV in the Philippines are struggling with several issues that prevent them from having access to their privileges as PWDs. One such issue is the stigma attached to the medical condition itself. To most people, HIV is often wrongly believed to be abnormally contagious and can be contracted by basic human interaction like touching or using the same lavatory. From this stigma comes discrimination and the lack of sympathy for HIV sufferers.

Instead of compassion, PLHIVs are met with disdain and contempt.

As of 2017, the Department of Health reports that there are approximately 47,000 reported cases of HIV infections in the Philippines, 37 percent of which is concentrated in the National Capital Region. This is in contrast with the statistics of the World Health Organization that stated that in 2016, HIV infections in the Philippines may have already reached 52,000.

Regardless of the actual number of reported cases, the stark reality is that the number of HIV infections continues to rise, up to 140 percent in the Philippines by 2017. In fact, the Philippines has been known to have registered the fastest-growing HIV/AIDS infection rate in the entire Asia Pacific region.

Note that having the fastest-growing number of infections does not necessarily mean that we have the most number of cases. On the contrary, we are in the bottom five Asian countries that have citizens infected with HIV. Will HIV give you a disability?

That depends. Most of the HIV sufferers are not symptomatic in the early stages, meaning they show no signs of the disease. The problem with most Filipino HIV sufferers is that they will not bother going to the doctor for testing until their health begins to fail.

Only then will they have themselves tested, and when they are found to be positive, it would have been too late; they would have infected other people through indiscriminate sexual contact. By then, many HIV sufferers will be unprepared to face the deluge of issues caused by the stigma of having HIV and the plethora of health problems, coming in waves one after the other. This is the time when the term “disabled” becomes an apt description.

Though HIV is considered to be a chronic disease, those who are given Mr. Lazaro does reputation manPWD IDs, are usually tagged as psyagement, brand development, social chosocial as the nature of their disadvocacy and political campaigns. ability. There is a reason why some

Right-sizing...

From A4

The elected vice president shall be the presiding officer of the Senate, and he or she should come from the same team as the elected president, through bloc-voting for all executive positions, including the State premier, the provincial and city governors and mayors as well as the municipal officials.

We need likewise to rationalize the number of barangays, again by territory covered balanced with population numbers.

Right now, we have such a crazy distribution of barangays such that Manila has 897 barangays, versus Cebu’s 89, or Butuan’s 80, even if the territory and populations of these cities vastly differ. Demographers can come up with the right mapping of our barangays, which is the basic unit of local government.

Since we are going federal, we can do away with having to elect provincial board members and city or municipal councilors. Let the town mayors comprise the policymaking body for provinces, and the barangay chairmen constitute themselves in place of an elected city council. Where there are many barangays, term-sharing could be practiced. In many municipalities in the countryside, the average number of composite barangays is 14 anyway.

The state legislature, which determines laws for the federal state must be representative of each

component province and highly urbanized city, and cross-tabulated according to demographics.

Why am I against having too many elected officials?

Because they serve little purpose, especially for those whose task is policy-making rather than program implementation and actual governance.

They cost us taxpayers too much, not just to elect, but likewise to maintain with their high salaries, staff, perks and privileges. As some say, why pay too much for saliva?

If our barangays are elected, they are the main stakeholders in the city or municipality, in the same manner that elected mayors represent the stakeholders of the province. And after all, we would be electing our representatives and senators to the national Congress, so why not leave policy-making in the federal units to their elected CEOs, much like in corporate governance?

What we spend on an army of legislators both national, federal and local we should spend on having more doctors and nurses in each and every barangay, more agricultural technicians to help our farmers and fishermen, more policemen, more coast guard personnel to patrol our seas, more forest rangers to protect our forests, more street-sweepers even, and more front-line government personnel to address the quotidian problems of the citizenry.

Simplify rather than multiply.

Right size rather than complicate government.

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018

A5

K-pop stars to perform in rare North Korea concert SEOUL—Top South Korean musical acts including a K-pop girl band are set to hold a rare concert in North Korea Sunday evening in the latest reconciliatory gesture before a rare inter-Korean summit.

Sunday’s event—which will be the first concert by South Korean artists in the North for more than a decade— comes as a diplomatic thaw quickens on the peninsula after months of military tensions.

The 120-member group—11 musical acts as well as dancers and technicians—flew to Pyongyang on Saturday to perform concerts on Sunday as well as on Tuesday.

South Korean singers held a rehearsal Sunday afternoon at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre where the concert is set to begin at 0830 GMT, according to South Korean pool photos.

The rapprochement was triggered by the South’s Winter Olympics, to which the North’s leader Kim Jong Un sent athletes, cheerleaders and his powerful sister as an envoy.

Kim followed up by agreeing to

summits with US President Donald Trump and the South’s President Moon Jae-in. The young leader also met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last week during his first overseas trip.

The inter-Korean summit, the third after meetings in 2000 and 2007, will be held on April 27. No date has been set for the US-North Korean summit although it is expected before the end of May. The most closely-watched group set to perform Sunday is Red Velvet, part of the South’s hugely popular K-pop phenomenon that has taken audiences in Asia and beyond by storm in recent decades.

The five-member girlband is known for a mix of upbeat electronic music, stylish fashion and high-voltage choreography.

Joy, one of the five members, would miss the trip to Pyongyang due to her TV drama shooting schedule, their agency has said.

Despite the North’s isolation and strict curbs on unauthorised foreign culture, backed up by prison terms, K-pop has become increasingly

popular there thanks to flash drives smuggled across the border with its neighbour China.

Other Seoul stars to join the concerts include Cho Yong-pil, a singer who held a solo sell-out concert in Pyongyang in 2005.

Kim’s late father and longtime ruler, Kim Jong Il, was known to be a fan of the 68-year-old. singer.

Another famed singer, Choi Jinhee, is set to perform for the fourth time in the North and to sing “Maze of Love”—a pan-peninsula hit and one of the late Kim’s favourites.

It was unclear whether Kim Jong Un would make an appearance at the concerts. President Moon attended a concert by visiting North Korean singers in Seoul to celebrate the opening of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February.

“I hope that something similar will happen during this concert held in response (to the North’s Seoul concert),” Do Jong-hwan, Seoul’s culture chief leading the delegation, told reporters in Pyongyang. AFP

Members of K-pop girlband “Red Velvet” speak to the media before departing for Pyongyang from Gimpo International Airport in Seoul on March 31, 2018. K-pop stars will play the first concerts by South Korean artists in North Korea for more than a decade as the dramatic thaw in relations kicked off by the recent Winter Olympics gathers pace. AFP

He is...

From A4

All that they had heard from Jesus before his death, the power that they saw in his works and his words, but most of all in his person, the intimacy with the Father that he assured them was

Market...

From A4

organized by independent think tank Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute (ADRi), experts from the academe, government, and industry all voiced their opposition to such plans, agreeing that moves to boost mineral processing via legislation will be counter-productive due to a number of factors.

Ateneo School of Government Dean Ronald Mendoza, who presented his study “Mining through the National Security Lens,” said the lack of viable investments and capacity in processing and strong competition from other countries, among others, will make a legislative ban on mineral exports problematic at the very least.

“The United States’ recent policy regarding steel may be an additional complicating factor, and it is wellknown that China is shopping around to unload its excess supply of manufactured processed minerals,” he said, adding that the all these trends make the environment much more volatile.

Simply imitating the mineral industry models in countries like South Korea, China, and Australia is unsound because, unlike the Philippines, these countries have “complete value chains.” Those links and connectivities between upstream—exploration and production—and downstream— processing—will have to be present first.

In fact, even Australia, Mendoza said, no longer processes its own minerals anymore and imports finished products instead, presumably from China as well. “They had to depart

the same love he had for all those who came to him, none of whom he would ever lose, his triumph in death, though bloodied and martyred but dying with an invincible faith more powerful than the anger of his enemies, the testimony of those who he appeared to, talked and ate with, the report of the empty tomb, and the courage that seized

them all to proclaim without fear and hesitation that he was victorious—that is everything that is summed up on the greatest acclamation of humankind: HE IS RISEN!

from their initial strategy,” he said.

Adrian Cristobal Jr., former Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry agreed: “It is the market, we cannot legislate that [mandatory processing]. Indonesia found out they can’t even if they passed a law on forced processing.”

Indeed, it’s a lesson that Indonesia is finding out the hard way, and which has increasingly become relevant for the Philippines as the Duterte administration’s massive Build Build Build program necessitates taking a closer look at the country’s vast and untapped mineral resources.

“Having a conversation with all sectors will help uncover issues and solutions vital to pursuing mining downstream industry development to further our national security interest,” said ADRi president, professor Dindo Manhit.

Nelia Halcon, Executive Vice President of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, said pursuing such an ambitious infrastructure agenda also requires caution especially with regard to accompanying diplomatic matters seeing as China, Japan, and Taiwan might just supply the country’s needed minerals and metals, particularly steel.

“The iron and steel industry is the backbone of industrialization and steel is part of the raw material supply chain for many products. Befriending these countries in a more open and transparent relationships but openly declaring that our sovereignty is nonnegotiable in the territorial issue is also a strategic policy decision, if only to ensure an unhampered supply of the commodity,” she said.

As seen in the Indonesia experience, a legislated intervention in the downstream industry also runs the risk of affecting local communities that

rely on mining, a multiplier effect that policymakers will have to take into account, said Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship Secretary General Lysander Castillo.

“We recognize the strategic impact of responsible mining in the country’s remote areas not only for job creation but also infrastructure, and all the hospitals and schools that the mining industry actually provides,” Castillo said. “There are existing local models that performs beyond laws that sets high benchmarks in environmental protection and community development for all mining operations to emulate.”

The ecological context is indeed something that also has to be considered, Halcon said.

“We still have to deal with the challenges of pursuing our mining downstream industry development in view of the longstanding debates on its environmental impacts and the government’s reform agenda on regulatory requirements which seem to be a never-ending story.”

When opportunity and viability are there, the private sector will not need any pushing for big investments to pour in. Establishing a clear and stable policy environment that encourages the most qualified companies to bring in the best technologies should be the focus of new legislation. The timeline of a successful extractive industry goes beyond the six-year political cycle of our government.

A long-term mineral development roadmap will set up the unleashing of the country’s huge mineral assets that experts predict can potentially push the economy to two-digit figures and most important, will benefit some of the remote undeveloped areas.

rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie-aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@outlook.com

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News

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018

House bill sets curbs on social welfare groups

EASTER SWIM. Despite the warning, revelers frolic off the polluted waters of Manila Bay near the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) complex in Pasay City to celebrate Easter which marks the end of lenten season. Ey Acasio

By Maricel V Cruz THE House of Representatives has pushed for the enactment of measure creating a registration, licensing, and accreditation system for social welfare and development agencies.

House Bill 7033, or the proposed “Social Welfare and Development Agencies Act, authored by COOPNATCCO party-list Rep. Antonio Bravo, was approved on second reading. It aims to ensure effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability in the delivery of quality social welfare and development programs and services.

It defines a SWDA as “a non-stock, non-profit corporation, organization, association, or cooperative engaged in providing, directly or indirectly, social welfare and development programs and services. “ To qualify as a SWDA, the bill provides that an organization’s finances must be obtained either totally or in part from any government agency or instrumentality, whether foreign or local, or from the community by direct or indirect solicitations and other fund-generating activities authorized by law.

SWDAs are classified as either a social welfare agency or an auxiliary SWDA. Under the measure, a SWA employs social workers, community development workers, and other qualified paraprofessionals who have related trainings and experiences that directly provide restorative, preventive, and developmental programs and services to the underprivileged and marginalized.

A SWA may be a residential based agency, community based agency, or a child placing agency.

Meanwhile, an auxiliary SWDA provides supportive activities in the delivery of social welfare development programs and services such as grant of funds, conduct of trainings, and other resources to help in the efficient operations of SWAs. Auxiliary SWDAs may be a people’s organization, resource agency, or a social welfare and development network.

Licensed and accredited SWAs as well as registered SWDAs are eligible for grant benefits and privileges.

Halfway home for Mimaropa patients soon to open—DoH HEALTH Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo of Mimaropa on Sunday said that a new dormitory for Medical Assistance Indigent Patients will open this month beside the regional office at the Quirino Memorial Medical Center Compound in Project 4, Quezon City.

“All MAIP patients of Mimaropa, especially those without relatives to settle with temporarily in Metro Manila are welcome to stay in the facility while waiting for their scheduled treatment,” Janairo said.

He said the dorm will be their temporary abode with essential amenities in place for them to be comfortable and secure.

“It is not just a dormitory per se, but a home away from home,” he emphasized.

The MAIP Dormitory includes three bedrooms, a receiving area, separate shower rooms for male and female and a spacious kitchen.

Funds for the construction of the MAIP dormitory came from the 2018 Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses Allocation with a total budget of P1,670.314.41. It was started last Feb. 16, 2018.

There are currently four MAIP patients from the province of Palawan and Oriental Mindoro given temporary shelter at the regional office.

“Once this facility is completed, we can accommodate more patients from the provinces and they will be provided with free board and lodging and other basic needs including meals and medicines,” Janairo added.

The DoH official said it is very important indigent patients be provided the assistance and morale support so they can feel they are not neglected.

He assured that the government is always prepared to give them what they need. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Labor eases rules on child-workers

By Vito Barcelo

T

HE Department of Labor and Employment has issued an order allowing children who will be featured in a documentary material to work even without permit.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III issued Department Circular No. 2 series of 2018 amending the coverage and requirements for the issuance of a working child permit, thus will no longer compel them to secure a work permit prior to engaging in public entertainment or information related projects.

Under the new rule, working child permit is no longer required for young talents who will be featured in documentary materials.

However, in case the child in the documentary material is engaged in child labor, the rule requires the producer to refer the child to the nearest DoLE Office for the necessary services needed by the child and family.

The producer is also enjoined not to

Silvestre Bello

disclose the identity of the child laborer including his or her photographs, images or video footages for the best interest of the minor pursuant to the Guide for Media Practitioners on the Reporting and Coverage of Cases Involving Children.

For group working permits, the DoLE Office must issue a group permit for children appearing in a single project covering those without working child permit yet.

“As for the validity of working child permit, the amended rule states that in case the rescheduling is due to unforeseen events and not the employer’s fault, the latter must notify in writing the DoLE Office that issued the permit immediately after the parent or guardian of the child has been informed that the work has been rescheduled,” the DoLE said.

The new rule also requires that before a work permit is issued, the guardian is obliged to submit proof of parental authority. This includes proof of relationship to the child and a Notarized Affidavit that explains the reason for exercising parental authority over the child.

The rule also provides that substitution of child’s guardian in terms of parental authority must only be applied in case of death, absence or unsuitability of both parents and a legal guardian of the child.

BAYWATCH MANILA. Policemen keep watch of swimmers along the polluted Manila Bay along Roxas Boulevard, a favorite destination of Metro Manila residents. Norman Cruz

Vaping causes harm to users—group CANCER survivors and former smokers from the advocacy group New Vois Association of the Philippines have warned young Filipinos against getting hooked with vaping following various studies released in the United States this year about the harmful health effects of using e-cigarettes.

NVAP president Emer Rojas said the studies confirmed what health advocates have been saying all along— that e-cigarettes are also dangerous to people as smoking regular tobacco.

One study found that vaping daily is linked with twice the risk of heart attack while smoking regular tobacco increases the risk by three times, NVAP said.

“This belies what the vaping community was promoting—that e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to smoking. E-cigarettes must then be banned from public use until proper regulation be enacted.” Rojas said.

The study was recently presented by Stanton Glantz, lead author and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and also the director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education.

Professor Glantz concluded that the risk of a heart attack was even higher for people who both smoke and vape every day.

Meantime, the largest report on the health effects of vaping found that while e-cigarettes may help adults to quit conventional smoking it can however encourage young people to start early.

The report was a result of studies done by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine that found a host of evidence linking vaping to harmful substances such as nicotine which is the addictive substance in tobacco.

“One major finding of the report was that young people who vape are at a higher risk for ever using a conventional cigarette than their counterparts who don’t,” Rojas said.

Rojas cited a section of the study that revealed that people who vape get the same amount of nicotine as in conventional cigarettes depending on the device and the type of e-liquid that they use. Macon Ramos-Araneta

MWSS concessionaires to boost water treatment services IN LINE with President Rodrigo Duterte’s marching orders to ensure public health and safety and as part of the inter-government agency committee monitoring compliance to the Philippine Clean Water Act, the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System has stepped up its comprehensive action plan to improve the sewerage systems in Mega Manila.

This was announced by MWSS Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco who added that MWSS and its concessionaires, Manila Water and Maynilad, are working non-stop to improve the waste water treatment and sewerage services in their areas of coverage.

The two concessionaires have already submitted their business plans for 2018-2022 that included capital expenditures for sewerage and wastewater treatment facilities.

In Metro Manila, the MWSS is among the 15 agencies identified in the Clean Water Act responsible for the provision of sewerage and sanitation facilities, and for the efficient and safe collection, treatment and disposal of

sewage―a mandate provided for in the MWSS charter as well.

A 2008 writ of continuing mandamus issued by the Supreme Court names the water agency among those ordered to “clean up, rehabilitate and preserve Manila Bay and restore and maintain its water to SB level fit for swimming, skin diving and other forms of contact recreation.”

Maynilad president and CEO Ramon Fernandez said that Maynilad operates 20 wastewater treatment plants that process waste water and sludge collected from customers. Over the next five years, the company will be building four new STPs. It has also adopted the Combined Sewerage System concept, involving the use of existing drainages to catch waste water.

He added that Maynilad has allotted about 30 percent of this year’s capital investment budget for waste water management programs to create a bigger impact in the global effort to protect the environment.

“The construction of these new wastewater facilities is part of our effort to conform with the Supreme Court ruling in helping improve the quality of

water,” he said. “It is our fervent hope that other stakeholders will also do their part so we can gain noteworthy ground in this endeavor.”

Meanwhile, Manila Water’s plan includes the protection of customers’ health and environment by providing adequate sewer and sanitation services and ensuring that treated used water discharged to river systems is of such quality that supports marine life. Manila Water has also put in place the Three River Master Plan which aims to achieve 100 percent sewer coverage by year 2037 through a combination of sewer-drainage and separate sewer systems, covering all catchments that discharge to the three river systems within the east concession―Marikina, Pasig and San Juan Rivers. Manila Water has a water treatment capacity of 310 MLD. It operates sewage treatment plants and two septage treatment facilities.

“Given all of our programs, we make sure that wastewater is well taken care of within the communities,” said Manila Water president and CEO Ferdinand dela Cruz. “Protection of the environ-

ment is a responsibility we share with everyone and we encourage the public to do his share in being environmental stewards to create a bigger impact.”

According to the MWSS administrator, the partnership with the water companies has not only made potable water accessible to residents of Metro Manila and its environs, it has also fasttracked the improvement of sanitation services in coverage areas. “We need to reduce the quantity and pollution load of wastewater that we produce to help protect the environment and our water resources,” Velasco said.

Prior to the MWSS privatization instituted by former President Fidel V. Ramos in 1997, less than 8 percent had sewer coverage in the Greater Manila area. There was minimal treatment at 2 percent and no septage treatment plant. Only some areas in Manila and Makati had sewerage facilities with most establishments using their own communal septic tanks.

Today, MWSS and its concessionaires Manila Water and Maynilad have water treatment programs that benefit their customers, Velasco said.

Sports

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MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

PH seeks strong ice hockey finish T

HE Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Philippine ice hockey team gears up for a tough outing as it slugs it out with some of the best in the region in the Challenge Cup of Asia unfolding Tuesday (April 3) at SM Skating Mall of Asia in Pasay.

The Filipinos hope to ride the momentum of their gold medal romp in the inaugural ice hockey event of last year’s SEA Games and draw inspiration from the local crowd as they seek a podium finish in the five-nation, six-day event sanctioned by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).

“We are very proud and excited to host, for the first time, the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia which has been held in different countries since it was founded in 2008,” said Chris Sy, Federation of Ice Hockey Philippines president.

The event also marks the first time that the Philippines will compete in the men’s top division of the annual tournament among some of the best ice hockey teams in the region.

Team Philippines, backed by the SM Group, kicks off its campaign against Thailand on April 3, then faces Kuwait on April 5, before tackling Mongolia and Singapore on April 6 and 8, respectively. All Phl games are scheduled at 7 p.m.

In other matches, Singapore will play Mongolia on April 3 at 3:30 p.m.; Mongolia battles Kuwait on April 4 at 7 p.m.; Thailand clashes with Singapore on April 5 at 3:30 p.m.; Mongolia collides with Thailand on April 7 at 3:30 p.m.; Kuwait squares off with Singapore on April 7 at 7 p.m.; and Kuwait and Thailand face off on April 8 at 3:30 p.m.

The SM Skating Mall of Asia is equipped with complete facilities such as digital scoreboard, players’ boxes, scorekeeper and penalty boxes, locker rooms, and a 200-seater stands located around the rink.

“We are honored to be a part of this opportunity to host the first official IIHF event in the country. This shows how the Philippines can truly be at par with its Asian neighbors not only in terms of the quality of its sports programs and athletes, but also in the quality of its sports facilities,” said Herman Medina-Cue, COO of SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc., the only company in the Philippines to carry Olympic size ice rinks.

Members of Team Philippines are shown during a break in training for the Challenge Cup of Asia.

Prulla, Lim dominate PPS netfest JENAILA Prulla and Kriz Lim fashioned out a pair of victories each in varying fashions to share MVP honors in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Angeles leg regional age group tennis in Pampanga last Monday.

Prulla whipped Angely Atos, 6-0, 6-1, in the girls’ 14-U finals then the Bulacan find upended top seed Achaia Cabahug, 6-1, 6-0, to claim the premier 18-U diadem in the event presented by Slazenger with Dunlop as the official ball and backed by Rep. Carmelo “Jonjon” Lazatin.

Prulla didn’t see action in the 16-U play but teamed up with Adriana Cabahug to repulse Charisse Bajet and Tristen Kitong, 8-4, in the 14-U doubles and partnered with Martina Naredo to rout Achaia Cabahug and Lucy Inalves, 8-2, in the 18-U doubles to emerge with four titles overall.

Kriz, from Urdaneta, Pangasinan, dominated sibling John twice, scoring a 4-2, 4-2 romp in the 10-unisex finals then hacking out a 2-6, 6-1, (10-7) decision to nail the 12-U crown in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop through president/CEO Bobby Castro at the Angeles City Tennis Club.

Lim fell short by one plum as he settled for the 10-U doubles diadem with John in an 8-1 rout of Jeremiah Labasano and Ethan Tiotuico in the tournament sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg, Other doubles winners were local bets Jed Labasano and Izaak Virtucio, who nipped Eric Bajet and Brian Oliveros, 8-7(3); and Jundee Magtabog and Nathan Navilla, who thumped Jaycee Manganti and Sherwin Ramirez, 8-3.

Local bet Mike Gamalo stunned second seed Jundee Magtabog, 6-3, 6-1, to snare the boys’ singles 14-U title; Antipolo’s Michael Fuents took the 16-U cronw with a 6-0, 6-0 romp over Jeric Magtabog; Jed Labasano repelled Andrei Torres, 6-4, 6-4, to pocket the boys’ 18-U diadem; Baguio’s Adriana Cabahug routed Bernice Egipto, 6-1, 6-2, to bag the girls’ 12-U crown; and Angely Atos, also from Baguio, copped the girls’ 16-U trophy with a 6-4, 4-6, `0-4 decision over Achaia Cabahug.

Meanwhile, action resumes on April 2-9 for the PPS-PEPP Bicol Open at the Usant Tennis Club in Iriga City. Listup is ongoing.

For details, call PPS Sports Program Development director and event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

Bullpups whip Light Bombers

Mighty Sports players and their supporters are shown after the team received its championship trophy and a cash prize of P150,000.

Mighty Sports tops Republica Cup cagefest MIGHTY Sports proved steadier down the stretch as it outlasted Mighty Baliwag, 94-91, to rule the 5th Republica Cup Invitational Basketball Tournament held over the weekend at the Malolos Sports and Convention Center.

Former San Beda College star center Ola Adeogun was almost unstoppable in the paint, scoring 22 points to lead Mighty Sports to its fourth title in the annual tournament.

He highlighted his game-long brilliance with a power play that shattered an 84-all count and made a pair

of defensive stops to finally take the fight out of the Baliwag squad in the one-game championship witnessed by a huge crowd, including Mayor Christian Natividad.

Also providing the needed firepower to the Caesar Wongchukingmanaged Mighty Sports were UP hotshot Paul Desiderio and import Jamal Thomas who made clutch baskets to help repel Baliwag’s comeback.

“I would like to congratulate our coaching staff headed by coach Charles Tiu as well as our players for

a well-played tournament. Mighty Sports will always support the sports programs of Mayor Christian (Natividad) and the municipality of Malolos,” team owner Caesar Wongchuking said.

Showing the company’s legendary generosity, Wongchuking said the P150,000 prize they received will be donated to a youth-oriented foundation.

Mighty Sports won the first two seasons of the tournament (20132014) before lording it over again two years ago.

Joshua calls for heavyweight unification fight CARDIFF, United Kingdom – Anthony Joshua called for a heavyweight unification fight with Deontay Wilder, saying it was “not time to sit back and enjoy the ride”, after beating Joseph Parker in Cardiff on Saturday.

Joshua added Parker’s World Boxing Organization heavyweight title to his International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association belts with a unanimous points decision over the New Zealander after being taken to 12 rounds for the first time in his unbeaten 21-fight professional career.

Now the pressure will build for a unification bout with the United

States’ Wilder, the World Boxing Council heavyweight champion.

“I want Wilder... Get him in the ring and I’ll knock him spark out,” Britain’s Joshua said in the ring immediately after judges had scored the fight 118-110, 118-110, 119-109 in his favor.

But the London 2012 Olympic champion was in more considered mood at the post-fight press conference.

“2018 was always a time to capture all the belts,” said Joshua, flanked by promoter Eddie Hearn and trainer Rob McCracken. “We are one away now.

“In my eyes, it’s not time to sit

back and enjoy the ride.”

The unbeaten Wilder took to Twitter after Saturday’s contest in front of a 78,000 capacity crowd at the Principality Stadium to insist he was “the baddest man in the world, the baddest man on the planet, and that’s fact”.

Joshua refused to rise to Wilder’s comments, including a previous remark when the American said he wanted a “body” on his record.

“I’m not into the business of hype, hype, talk, talk. I’d love to maybe go to America with Eddie and Rob and look at the landscape and see how serious they are, and deal with this behind closed doors.” AFP

THE Nazareth School-National University Bullpups relied on a decisive breakaway in the fourth period and turned back the Jose Rizal University Light Bombers, 102-93, recently at the Buddhacare Gym in Quezon City.

Big efforts from Kevin Quiambao and Carl Tamayo at the start of the last quarter allowed the Bullpups to claim the under-19 crown of the 2018 Milcu Sports Basketball, presented by Got Skills Premier League Hard to Guard tournament.

Quiambao and Tamayo had 11 and 14 points, respectively, and led a 7-0 breakaway with baskets in the last 9:05, allowing the Bullpups to add to their title haul.

Cyril Gonzales showed the way with 28 points for the Bullpups, who earlier won the 2018 National Basketball Training Center title.

Reyland Torres banged in 17 points, and Gerry Abadiano shot 16 for the Bullpups, who were up by nine, 84-75.

John Amores made 21 points for the Light Bombers.

Azul of Ateneo won over La Salle College-Antipolo, 76-75, behind Joseph Espinosa, who shot 21 points and scored the winning basket in the battle for the under-14 crown.

Niko Tan tallied 20 points, with a jump shot in the last six seconds sending Xavier SchoolMakati to a 76-75 triumph over Makati East in the under-12 finals.

Peco Napenas knocked in 41 points for Xavier School in its 79-76 beating of Filipinas Basketball Academy, and this earned them the under-13 honors.

Sports

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

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MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018

Perseverance pays off for Azkals

By Peter Atencio THE Philippine Azkals made an effort to finish strong and hold out until the end.

And it paid off as Phil Younghusband and Kevin Ingresso came up with late goals, sending the Philippine Azkals to an historic 2-1 win over Tajikistan on Tuesday evening at the Rizal Memorial Football Field.

“That was the focus that we never give up. Sometimes, we see team under pressure in those games. They score 20 minutes before the end of the game. We had great chances and good corners. Everything worked, and we could not finish,” said coach Thomas Dooley.

Dooley talked about the team’s improvements minutes after the team made history in hurdling their last assignment in Group F of the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup 2019 qualifiers at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

The Azkals spent a lot of time working on their finishing touches during training camp in Tajikistan, and after they lost a friendly to China.

“They score 20 minutes before the end. A lot of teams will fall down and collapse. Our team did not. They stepped up,” said Dooley.

The Azkals became one of eight squads which reached the tournament proper, which will be held at the United Arab Emirates from Jan. 1 to Feb. 5, 2019.

Younghusband connected on his penalty shot from 15 meters after he was fouled by Ergashev Davronjon.

This sent the Filipino fans in the stands on a cheering frenzy.

Tajikistan drew first blood when they struck with their first goal in the 64th minute.

Nazarove Akhtam struck from a penalty shot that was awarded to him after he got pushed by Misagh Bahadoran.

Ingresso later equalized in the 73rd minute with a header off Iain Ramsay’s cross.

PSC wants to hike budget to P1.2 billion

IN the coming years, the Philippine Sports Commission will seek to have an annual budget of more than P1.2-billion.

This will cover its efforts to fund the elite programs of the national sports associations and the assistance that it gives to grassroots sports.

That is why it is finalizing a master plan that it will soon submit to Congress for approval.

PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said this after the board approved the release of P600-million as this year’s budget allocation for around 46 national sports associations.

With the release of P1.2 billion in funding from PAGCOR this year, the government was able to also set aside P300-million for grassroots development.

“We are submitting this requirement, an initial master plan of the PSC after 20 years,” said Ramirez, who spoke on the occasion of President Duterte’s 73rd birthday last Wednesday. Peter Atencio

San Miguel Beer center June Mar Fajardo (15) drives strong to the hoop against Magnolia Hotshots defender Ian Sanggalang. PBA

Fajardo nears record th 6 Best Player award

By Jeric Lopez

T

HE championship of the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association might still be in the balance but the Best Player of the Conference is most certainly not.

Four-time reigning Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo is a shoo-in to make history in a few days.

The dominant behemoth of San Miguel is a cinch to win a record sixth BPC award in a couple of days.

Once again, Fajardo is head and shoulders above anyone else in the race for the top individual award of the tournament.

With no one close, he is set to re-

ceive yet another accolade prior to Game 4 of the Philippine Cup finals this Wednesday.

While his focus is on leading his team win a fourth straight Philippine Cup jewel, Fajardo is still grateful for yet another pending accomplishment in his already storied PBA career.

“Siyempre priority naman talaga is makakuha ulit ng championship pero masaya rin kung sakali man mag Best

Player ulit,” said the soft-spoken Cebu native. “Magandang bonus din.”

With this impending win, Fajardo is set to surpass his mentor Danny Ildefonso as the player with the most number of BPC wins in history.

Currently, the two are tied with five apiece and a sixth for Fajardo will move him up over the two-time MVP. With the BPC plum virtually decided, the finals of the Philippine Cup isn’t.

Currently tied at 1-1 in the best-ofseven finale, protagonists San Miguel and Magnolia are both looking to gain a vital edge.

The finalists are currently locking horns in Game 3 as of this report.

Princess Superal (left) is soaked by friends after posting a five-stroke victory over Gretchen Villacencio to rule the ICTSI Riviera Ladies Classic.

Superal eyes 3rd straight LPGT crown PRINCESS Superal hopes to further hone up for the Symetra Tour as she seeks a third straight Ladies Philippine Golf Tour crown in the ICTSI Luisita Ladies Championship beginning Wednesday, April 4 at the Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac.

Superal deferred plans to play in her first Symetra Tour also set this week in California, opting instead to compete here and get better after scoring back-toback victories in Tagaytay and Riviera last month.

But the field she’s facing in the P1.5 million event sponsored by ICTSI also get tougher with seven Thai aces signing up along with a host of amateurs out to keep a tradition in the country’s premier ladies circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. Former leg winner Saruttaya Ngamusawan banners the delegation from the country’s perennial regional rival that includes Jaruporn P. Na Ayuttaya, Numa Gulyanamitta, Sarinee Thitiratanakorn, Supakchaya Pattaranakrueang, Thanuttra Boonraksasat and Ananya Vitayakonkomol.

But Superal will also have fellow local aces to contend with, including former three-time Order of Merit winner and fellow Symetra Tour campaigner Cyna Rodriguez and recent Eagle Ridge leg winner Chihiro Ikeda, who is expected to come into the 54-hole tournament in top shape after struggling in the last two legs with a slight hand injury.

Still, focus will be on the 21-year-old Superal, who broke a long LPGT titlespell with a record setting 16-shot victory at Tagaytay Highlands then followed it up with a five-stroke romp at Riviera two weeks ago.

“I feel good and pretty confident of my chances for another crack at the crown,” said Superal. “But the rest have also prepared hard for this during the break, so I expect a tough challenge.”

That could also come from the amateurs who have continuously proved their mettle against the best year-in and year-out, snatching one or two victories each season.

This week’s cast will be led by The Country Club mainstays Mikha Fortuna, Sofia Chabon, Laia Barro, Samantha

IN BRIEF

MAP backs reforms in corporate taxation BUSINESS leaders expressed their support for the proposed reforms in corporate taxation and the grant of incentives of the Duterte administration, saying the “bold move” will strengthen the country’s competitiveness in Southeast Asia.

The Management Association of the Philippines said in a letter to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III lowering corporate income taxes would put these on par with the rates imposed by other countries in the region.

They said that modernizing investment incentives would streamline overlapping laws and make such perks time-bound and based on performance. “[Package 2] is another milestone initiative for the government and a bold move that we believe will create a positive impact overall.

The MAP commits its continuing support for the passage of [Package 2],” the organization said in a letter to Dominguez dated March 7.

Julito G. Rada

Stocks seen moving sideways this week SHARE prices are expected to continue their sideways movement this week, needing to build a strong base before attempting to climb above the 8,000-point level.

“Looking at the technical indicators, and assuming no macroeconomic event happen during the holidays, the index might see a continuation of its downward trend,” Regina Capital Development Corp. managing director Luis Limlingan said.

With fears of a looming trade war between the US and China starting to ease, investors are focusing on the March inflation rate report which could push the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to consider raising interest rates in the next policy meeting.

Meanwhile, analysts expects bargain hunters be active after the main index dipped below record territory in previous weeks.

Analysts said investors should consider buying oversold stocks during the consolidation period. Jenniffer B. Austria

Mineral ore ban won’t work—mining experts CURRENT proposals by some sectors to ban the export of unprocessed mineral ores in an effort to boost domestic mineral processing will not work, mining experts from the academe, government and industry said over the weekend.

At a forum organized by independent think tank Stratbase ADR Institute, experts from the academe, government and industry discussed the Philippine mining industry in the context of promoting national security through industrialization.

“There is a need to look at the massive mineral potential of the Philippines today more than ever, especially in the context of the Duterte administration’s Build Build Build program.

Having a conversation with all sectors will help uncover issues and solutions vital to pursuing mining downstream industry development to further our national security interest,” said ADRi president Dindo Manhit.

Business

Ty Group unveils plan to spend P111b in 2018 G

By Jenniffer B. Austria

T CAPITAL Holdings Inc., the listed investment company of tycoon George Ty, said it plans to spend up to P111.9 billion in 2018 to support the expansion of banking unit and other businesses.

GT Capital said in a filing with the stock exchange it would allocate between P63 billion and P65 billion to support the planned stock rights offering of Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the country’s second largest bank, and fund its systems upgrade, expansion of electronic banking channel, ATM installation, investment in new and renovation of existing branches.

The conglomerate also budgeted P20 billion for potential investments, P9 billion for real estate arm Federal Land Inc. and another P7.9 billion for mass housing unit Property Company of Friends Inc., or Pro-Friends.

The group’s automotive unit, Toyota Motor Philippines, will get P6.3 billion in capital expenditures to launch new vehicle models and support logistics expansion. Toyota Financial Services Philippines Corp. will receive P1.9 billion to improve its capital ratio and support loan expansion.

The remaining amount will be appropriated for the group’s other subsidiaries, including Sumisho Motor Finance Corp. and Philippine Axa Life Insurance Corp.

The group said it would secure funding for this year’s capital expenditures from internally generated funds and debt.

GT Capital said last week net in-

come attributable to equity holders of the parent company declined 3 percent in 2017 to P14.18 billion from P14.63 billion in 2016.

It said the decline was primarily due to the recognition of non-recurring gains from the sale of investments in 2016.

The group said excluding non-recurring gains, core net income went up 29 percent to P15 billion from the 2016 level of P11.67 billion.

Consolidated revenues climbed 19 percent in 2017 to P239.8 billion from P202.1 billion in 2016 on strong car sales and improved financial performance of Metrobank, Axa Philippines and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

“Our full-year 2017 results show encouraging growth momentum, with core net income up by 29 percent. GT Capital’s key sectors continue to be in the sweet spot, in line with our country’s stage of economic development, reaping demographic dividends,” GT Capital president Carmelo Maria Luza Bautista said.

ANZ: Peso may sink to 53.50:$1 this year THE peso is expected to decline further against the US dollar and may close the year at 53.50 because of the widening current account deficit, the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. said in a report over the weekend.

Latest data showed the country’s external position continued to weaken in 2017, with the current account deficit hitting $2.5 billion, surpassing the projection of a $100-million gap for the year.

The deficit was also more than double compared to the $1.2-billion gap a year ago. It was the biggest since 1999, when the current account shortfall stood at $2.85 billion.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expects the current account deficit to hit $700 million this year.

ANZ said the full-year deficit last year accounted for around 0.8 percent of the GDP, in sharp contrast in 2013, when the country ran a surplus equivalent to 4.2 percent of GDP. Julito G. Rada

BDO’S GOVERNANCE AWARD. Corporate Governance Asia, a Hong Kong-based journal that gives credit to corporate governance practices in the region, again recognizes BDO Unibank Inc. as one of Asia’s Icons of Corporate Governance in The Best of Asia 2017. At the awarding ceremony are (from left) BDO president and chief executive Nestor Tan, BDO chairperson Teresita SyCoson, Corporate Governance Asia founder and publisher Aldrin Monsod and BDO senior vice president Ismael Estela.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018

B

Inflation seen hitting as high 4.6% in March

By Julito G. Rada THE inflation rate likely settled within a range of 3.8 percent to 4.6 percent in March, driven by higher power rates and petroleum products, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said over the weekend.

The Bangko Sentral said in a statement it considered all recent developments and information that could affect price dynamics before coming up with the March inflation projection.

“The BSP Department of Economic Research projects the 2012-based March 2018 inflation to settle within the 3.8 [percent] to 4.6 percent range...

Adjustments in electricity rates owing to increased power generation charges as well as higher prices of domestic petroleum products, reflecting recent depreciation of the peso, are expected to contribute to upside price pressures,” it said.

“There were also observed higher rice prices during the month. Meanwhile, these upside pressures could be partly offset by lower liquefied petroleum gas prices,” it said.

Inflation in February accelerated to 4.5 percent, the fastest in more than three years on faster increases in the prices of food, non-alcoholic beverages and tobacco products.

The data were based on the 2006 consumer price index. Based on the 2012 index which was recently adopted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, inflation settled at 3.9 percent in February, faster than 3.4 percent in January.

The Bangko Sentral said it would continue to monitor closely evolving price conditions over the policy horizon against any signs of incipient price pressures and remained ready to take appropriate measures as necessary to ensure that the monetary policy stance continued to support price stability objectives.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said earlier inflation was expected to remain manageable although it would likely peak in the third quarter this year.

“In terms of our preliminary estimates on the monthly movements of inflation, we expect inflation to peak by the third quarter and thereafter, we should be seeing on a monthly basis the inflation rate 4 percent or lower than 4 percent,” Guinigundo said in an interview.

BSP issues routine alert to banks NLEx-SLEx connector set to start construction in June following cyber attack in Malaysia

By Darwin G. Amojelar

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said it issued a routine alert to local banks in the wake of a reported cyber attack at Bank Negara Malaysia where cyber thieves tried to steal money through fraudulent wire transfers.

Bangko Sentral Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said in a statement over the weekend the alert was just “a routine alert in light of an incident reported by BNM” or the central bank of Malaysia.

“Let’s not get too excited please.

It’s just a routine alert in light of an incident reported by BNM. No specific threat received on the Philippines.

Just being careful,” Espenilla said in a statement.

Bank Negara Malaysia was quoted as saying that no funds were lost in the incident, which was detected Tuesday, and involved falsified wire-transfer requests over the Swift bank messaging

network, the latest in a series of electronic heists at financial institutions around the world.

BNM did not identify the individuals behind the incident, adding “there was no disruption to other payment and settlement systems the central bank operates because of the cyber attack.”

Espenilla said during his appointment as the successor to former governor Amando Tetangco Jr. that one of his priorities as the chief of the BSP was to strengthen the domestic financial system especially after it was rocked by the $81-million money laundering incident in February 2016.

Investigations showed that cyber thieves stole $81 million from the Bangladesh central bank and wired to some fictitious accounts at the Jupiter Makati branch of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Julito G. Rada

NLEX Corp. said it will start the construction of the P23-billion expressway linking North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway by June.

“By June or July, we should be mobilizing by that date,” NLEX president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said.

NLEX secured the notice of award from the Public Works Department on Sept. 19, 2016, but the construction of the NLEx-SLEx Connector Road was affected by the delay in the delivery of right-of-way.

The project is an unsolicited proposal approved by the National Economic and Development Authority under the build-operate-transfer scheme for

Project and the Harbor Link Segment 10, including the R10 Section in DagatDagatan, Navotas City.

Expected to be opened this year, Harbor Link Segment 10 is a 5.7-km elevated expressway traversing NLEx from Smart Connect Interchange and cross over Mac Arthur Highway in Valenzuela City with down ramps along C3/5th Ave. Interchange in Caloocan City.

Once Harbor Link is fully completed, travel between the Port of Manila and NLEx will take only 10 minutes and will provide direct expressway access to commercial vehicles, specially heavy trucks.

Around 40,000 vehicles traversing the Port of Manila and NLEx daily are expected to benefit from Harbor Link.

German conglomerate offers proposal to build PH war ships

By Othel V. Campos

BUTUAN CITY LOAN. State-run Development Bank of the Philippines is funding key initiatives in Butuan City to improve community services and sustain the fastgrowing local economy. At the signing of the P1.3-billion term loan are (from left) DBP executive vice president Anthony Robles, DBP president and chief executive Cecilia Borromeo, DBP chairman Alberto Romulo, Butuan City mayor Ronnie Vicente Lagnada and Butuan City vice mayor Jose Aquino II.

the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of an 8-kilometer elevated toll expressway over the right-of-way of Philippine National Railways.

The project starts at the junction of NLEx Segment 10 at C-3 Road/5th Ave. in Caloocan City and will connect to South Luzon Expressway though Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 Project in Manila.

Upon its completion in 2021, the elevated expressway will provide motorists another alternative to the heavily congested Edsa.

The project is also expected to reduce travel time between NLEx and SLEx from two hours to only 20 minutes.

NLEX budgeted P19 billion this year for the construction of NLEx-SLEx

GERMAN industrial engineering company thyssenkrupp AG submitted a proposal to the Philippine government to build defense ships in the country.

Heinrich Hiesinger, chief executive of thyssenkrupp, said the offer was to boost the country’s defense through an engineering, procurement and construction contract to build military ships.

Hiesinger said the company would focus on building military ships like frigates and submarines, after China and Korea dominated the market for commercial ships.

“We have very strong offering on the defense side. If your government decides to grow defense, we will definitely be interested to be a partner,” he said over the weekend.

Hiesinger said the proposed partnership would cover a long period, as building a war ship would take time.

Hiesinger said if the government accepted the offer, the German company would look for a local shipyard as a partner to manufacture the ship locally.

He said thyssenkrupp would also tap local talents and workers to build the ship here.

“We take the expertise in engineering but we normally look at the local milieu and build it locally. We are one of the companies who can build ships locally.

If the government is using tax payers money, then there should be jobs here,” he said.

Thysenkrupp is the top builder of war ships and conventional submarines.

Heisinger said the Philippine government has the sovereign decision on defense matters.

“This is a sensitive topic. We will never make a push in the defense decision of your government. I think the government will have to make a decision themselves. Only then we will be

able to support it. But it is not up to us to push anything with any country. If the government has not made any decision, then we will be standing aside but we will never push for any contract,” he said.

Thyssenkrupp has a long history in the Philippines starting 1903, when it delivered components for the construction of railways, small trucks and engines.

The German firm also supplied machinery and equipment for cement plants and key components for complete cement clinker production lines.

It was involved in the construction of the Petron plant in Bataan―the first polypropylene plant in the Philippines and provided various heavy machinery for the Sual Power Plant.

Thyssenkrupp is a diversified industrial group with traditional strengths in materials and a growing share of capital goods and services businesses.

B2

Business

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

First Gen eyes 2 new gas Standard standard standard

Standard stan Adversity Quotient standard stan GREEN LIGHT standard stan standard stan

power plants in Batangas

By Alena Mae S. Flores

F

IRST Gen Corp., a unit of the Lopez Group, plans to build two 450-megawatt, natural gas-fired power plants in Batangas, namely Santa Maria and Saint Joseph, as part of an expansion program.

“The company expects that the construction and operation of these new facilities would benefit from synergies throughout the gas projects, such as efficiencies from the shared fuel delivery and shared fuel storage facilities,” First Gen disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange over the weekend.

First Gen said the use of similar gen-

eration technology would enable the company to take advantage of the operational expertise of its personnel.

First Gen’s natural gas power generation portfolio includes the Sta. Rita, San Lorenzo, Avion and San Gabriel facilities, all in its energy complex in Batangas.

Its energy platform also includes geothermal, hydro and solar.

First Gen reported a flat growth in recurring net income of $163 million in 2017 due to the impact of calamities and weak spot market prices for the hydro and geothermal facilities.

“The flat earnings growth does not reflect the many noteworthy achievements of 2017 that strongly positions the company to develop a cost-competitive and flexible platform. This platform is best prepared to both enable and address a lowcarbon energy future,” First Gen president

RACHEL ALVENDIAQUERO

and chief operating officer Francis Giles Puno said earlier.

The company, meanwhile, reported an attributable net income of $134 million in 2017, down $29 million from a year ago due to the one-time effect of break funding costs.

It incurred the funding costs as a result of the $500-million refinancing of the 1,000 megawatt Santa Rita power plant’s long-term debt in May last year, as well as premiums paid for the partial buyback of the US dollardenominated bonds of First Gen and Energy Development Corp..

These were in addition to EDC’s earthquake- and typhoon-related expenditures.

Puno is optimistic of the company’s prospects this year with the recent approval of First Gen’s ancillary service contracts.

1 2600

AS Philippine business schools today traverse their institutional road maps for enhanced curricula and instruction that meet the challenges of the 21st century and the learning standards of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), students are expected to acquire multidimensional skills that better integrate technical, social and personal development. As such, educators and industry professionals have increasingly turned their attention to studying humanrelated indicators for success in work and life achievements. One indicator is Adversity Quotient, which is defined as a person’s capacity to deal with life adversities, and not merely to cope, but to triumph over those challenges. It is also referred to as human resilience, or simply, grit.

Manila Standard BuSineSS Weekly StockS revieW STOCKS

MARCH 26-28, 2018 Close Volume

Value

Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources China Bank Citystate Savings COL Financial Eastwest Bank Ferronoux Holding Filipino Fund Inc. I-Remit Inc. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

PB Bank Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

59.7 139.00 117.00 3.20 1.65 35.2 8.4 15.68 18.9 3.47 9.32 1.56 0.570 85.8 1.22 12.7 53.90 85.5 145 238.4 45.65 240 1885.00 90.00 1.2

15,410 8,781,270 3,741,310 56,000 524,000 316,000 3,200 519,800 7,743,100 19,000 5,300 57,000 471,000 10,138,740 2,109,000 22,500 123,750 200 7,820 5,580 239,400 975,390 150 177,300 2,000

FINANCIAL 913,328.50 1,218,550,909.00 424,248,301.00 173,650.00 881,190.00 11,093,135.00 25,400.00 8,157,878.00 143,239,442.00 65,060.00 49,396.00 88,920.00 261,560.00 858,588,307.00 2,430,590.00 275,480.00 6,688,278.50 17,100.00 1,089,640.00 1,331,292.00 10,790,660.00 235,698,208.00 285,900.00 15,957,912.00 2,400.00

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group Basic Energy Corp.

Bogo Medelin C. Azuc De Tarlac Cemex Holdings Century Food Chemphil Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ Conc. Aggr. ‘B’ Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Eagle Cement EEI Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) Euro-Med Lab First Gen Corp.

First Holdings ‘A’ Ginebra San Miguel Inc. Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp.

Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Macay Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide MG Holdings Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petroenergy Res. Corp.

Petron Corporation Phil H2O Phinma Corporation Phinma Energy Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Pilipinas Shell Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ SFA Semicon Shakeys Pizza SPC Power Corp.

Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

38.7 13.96 0.59 1.29 20.15 0.245 175 29.80 3.64 17.08 289 50.5 72.25 97 61.2 2.05 5.26 10.08 11.560 14.24 10.76 7.43 5.59 1.7 17 66 25.50 9.60 15.6 2.450 299.00 52.55 4.88 3.04 18.88 27.8 16.04 20.45 0.195 318.00 7.96 2.9 4.91 9.25 5.8 8.26 1.50 12.20 54.45 6 4.70 2.21 3.4 603 2.28 14.44 5.31 0.136 1.04 152 2 2 0.75

4,189,600 3,331,200 10,180,000 567,000 161,900 245,940,000 2,490 961,100 10,594,000 5,306,000 180 1,849,610 11,180 2,410 1,660 1,875,000 148,800 296,700 12,872,500 3,161,100 251,800 70,200 28,570,500 7,000 3,539,800 156,250 60,900 26,200 11,706,800 10,571,000 1,520,460 10 241,000 62,000 100 3,064,200 394,400 4,981,300 2,200,000 844,610 54,100 3,114,000 411,000 5,163,300 143,700 10,100 5,751,000 293,800 4,443,890 47,600 76,000 333,000 14,000 60,640 1,487,000 310,800 152,000 3,460,000 112,000 2,252,110 6,438,000 12,929,000 47,325,000

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor `A’ ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp `A’ BHI Holdings Inc. Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings F&J Prince ‘A’ Filinvest Dev. Corp.

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Jolliville Holdings Keppel Holdings `A’ Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

Lopez Holdings Corp.

LT Group Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Pacifica `A’ Prime Media Hldg Prime Orion San Miguel Corp `A’ Seafront `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Transgrid Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.290 67.50 13.20 0.93 6.64 0.570 0.580 948 1900.00 7.4 12.16 4.7 7.55 0.207 1169 6.92 62.70 5.1 5.23 0.65 5.15 18.8 0.730 5.24 0.0450 1.110 3.250 134.00 2.57 917.00 1.77 0.81 276.000 700.00 0.2490 0.1940 0.211

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Anchor Land Holdings Inc. Araneta Prop `A’ Arthaland Corp.

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ CEB Landmasters Cebu Holdings Cebu Prop. `B’ Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Filinvest Land,Inc. Global-Estate Interport `A’ Megaworld MRC Allied Ind.

6.600 1.00 16.00 2.160 0.860 41.100 3.71 4.7 5.96 6.5 0.435 1.09 1.030 0.280 0.470 31.9 0.620 0.121 1.65 1.56 1.03 4.69 0.580

MARCH 19-23, 2018 Close Volume Value 59.5 140.00 109.10 3.05 1.60 34.9

29,710 16,642,440 10,580,690 338,000 1,014,000 1,543,900

1,764,169.50 1,728,450,692.00 1,170,088,055.00 1,053,700.00 1,664,880.00 53,987,055.00

15.5 29 3.4

54,900 6,625,000 163,000

850,478.00 196,823,295.00 543,700.00

1.5 0.540 83.75 1.18 12.78 54.30 85.5 111.5 238.8 45 244.6 1930.00 90.00 1.2

90,000 2,995,000 28,054,600 14,404,000 163,800 628,000 1,100 8,800 78,680 434,300 1,584,480 250 1,202,470 257,000

144,780.00 1,646,480.00 2,389,931,193.50 16,827,040.00 2,045,650.00 34,612,489.50 95,028.00 928,381.00 18,899,244.00 19,734,710.00 391,897,322.00 482,325.00 108,224,759.50 309,230.00

INDUSTRIAL 162,533,285.00 46,442,580.00 6,109,500.00 719,580.00 3,291,074.00 68,468,160.00 435,621.00 29,317,410.00 38,970,960.00 90,387,758.00 51,058.00 93,774,575.00 857,658.00 208,907.50 98,756.50 3,799,570.00 789,510.00 2,966,106.00 147,659,270.00 44,628,390.00 2,702,260.00 524,163.00 159,995,412.00 12,160.00 59,276,714.00 9,975,141.50 1,469,285.00 254,864.00 185,557,500.00 24,706,380.00 447,171,612.00 525.50 1,173,860.00 189,140.00 1,888.00 82,578,755.00 6,315,842.00 101,305,709.00 419,870.00 272,056,226.00 426,120.00 9,050,100.00 1,998,300.00 46,864,446.00 844,640.00 80,826.00 8,588,300.00 3,483,728.00 242,691,343.50 285,945.00 357,200.00 759,170.00 47,600.00 35,985,395.00 3,296,460.00 4,476,950.00 823,018.00 465,040.00 111,280.00 337,439,579.00 12,856,000.00 25,225,300.00 35,534,750.00

38.8 13.9 0.59 1.27 22 0.217 178 23.30 3.64 17.32 290 50.5 81 85.25 63 2.07 5.35 10 1.400 14.38 10.60 7.34 5.77 1.64 16.82 64.5 23.50 9.65 16 2.240 288.00 52.55 4.95 3.06 18.78 26 16.06 19.52 0.194 325.00 7.90 2.85 4.92 8.68 6 8.00 1.50 11.80 55.55 6.05 4.70 2.24 3.4 580 2.19 14.7 5.28 0.137 1.00 150 2.63 1.9 0.80

7,473,200 5,879,600 2,398,000 5,092,000 901,200 9,280,000 14,200 769,100 11,388,000 4,161,100 1,550 2,638,660 66,390 3,980 257,000 9,786,000 342,300 159,600 4,851,200 2,091,500 1,938,100 1,380,800 13,351,400 167,000 6,818,100 715,720 343,100 3,850,400 19,040,700 42,293,000 3,952,080 8,320 1,028,800 126,000 58,600 5,281,800 465,000 4,178,100 15,530,000 1,842,200 69,000 5,428,000 3,181,700 13,950,500 679,900 145,400 4,511,000 1,040,100 10,389,190 212,400 540,000 1,058,000 88,000 144,460 12,809,000 3,328,100 211,700 6,180,000 1,124,000 7,492,440 468,000 47,419,000 520,055,000

288,139,685.00 81,456,386.00 1,376,380.00 6,460,160.00 20,108,164.00 2,039,080.00 2,411,350.00 18,382,950.00 42,259,680.00 72,860,766.00 457,518.00 131,959,488.00 5,326,866.50 390,940.00 15,478,862.00 20,498,850.00 1,833,053.00 1,609,665.00 55,610,970.00 30,103,656.00 21,189,722.00 10,094,430.00 76,684,109.00 283,640.00 113,345,194.00 46,211,835.00 8,440,805.00 37,634,317.00 320,368,948.00 99,017,020.00 1,136,424,442.00 460,639.50 4,983,364.00 385,310.00 1,080,590.00 137,533,930.00 7,570,992.00 84,179,904.00 3,005,020.00 602,777,358.00 550,109.00 15,369,480.00 15,918,309.00 123,826,530.00 4,082,299.00 1,167,045.00 6,845,730.00 12,071,422.00 609,336,047.00 1,277,407.00 2,538,180.00 2,428,930.00 299,550.00 85,306,280.00 28,985,800.00 49,276,154.00 1,130,198.00 832,790.00 1,147,250.00 1,120,922,789.00 1,223,780.00 95,090,530.00 402,218,210.00

2,920,000 4,234,460 43,164,900 150,000 141,500 10,232,000 867,000 1,289,360 50 2,255,300 19,861,600 5,000 37,900 170,000 429,360 29,300 5,439,780 5,000 9,800 2,913,000 2,028,200 4,795,700 161,954,000 57,348,400 11,300,000 1,532,000 8,767,000 919,860 29,130 799,160 2,481,000 10,000 107,260 20,050 1,070,000 2,020,000 2,210,000

HOLDING FIRMS 858,250.00 291,557,718.00 557,589,990.00 136,690.00 891,328.00 5,798,110.00 503,290.00 1,217,253,565.00 96,350.00 16,320,974.00 244,076,718.00 23,400.00 279,083.00 34,860.00 499,051,205.00 202,979.00 342,369,374.50 25,600.00 54,838.00 1,865,520.00 10,136,587.00 91,199,724.00 124,064,930.00 299,769,709.00 506,700.00 1,705,730.00 12,869,320.00 127,925,979.00 74,530.00 743,005,065.00 4,285,240.00 8,240.00 28,940,870.00 13,860,900.00 248,710.00 388,430.00 429,430.00

0.305 68.70 12.98 0.95 6.42 0.570 0.570 918 1920.00 7.05 12.98 4.65 7.56 0.200 1170 6.94 63.50 5.15 5.2 0.67 5.03 18.54 0.740 5.2 0.0460 1.140 3.300 137.00 2.57 949.00 1.79 0.83 273.000 690.00 0.2300 0.1950 0.195

7,740,000 6,349,060 30,294,600 1,143,000 954,400 50,798,000 23,120,000 2,935,160 2,015 5,002,300 51,321,572 95,000 106,500 1,560,000 634,290 150,700 17,607,230 1,400 2,100 4,443,000 2,482,400 18,598,500 214,987,000 182,855,600 54,400,000 8,719,000 30,309,000 1,573,400 51,000 1,937,460 17,490,000 88,000 17,120 33,280 2,250,000 9,120,000 4,010,000

2,330,450.00 441,022,300.50 410,041,066.00 1,046,540.00 6,840,057.00 29,415,100.00 14,067,660.00 2,751,393,277.50 2,841,850.00 36,504,022.00 208,834,122.00 483,410.00 781,299.00 303,000.00 775,649,085.00 1,050,950.00 151,638,164,813.00 7,416.00 10,920.00 2,845,530.00 12,635,449.00 350,604,706.00 157,243,580.00 982,615,523.00 3,506,000.00 10,073,940.00 97,692,580.00 215,213,393.00 131,070.00 1,828,305,820.00 31,965,900.00 73,150.00 4,530,550.00 19,848,255.00 532,110.00 1,777,630.00 832,750.00

821,900 14,665,000 130,900 29,000 1,875,000 43,514,600 1,148,000 916,000 172,700 300 95,310,000 66,000 830,000 89,230,000 5,670,000 1,467,400 2,520,000 410,000 25,442,000 29,927,000 21,527,000 29,483,000 294,726,000

PROPERTY 5,453,052.00 14,397,850.00 1,990,380.00 61,370.00 1,586,040.00 1,768,935,495.00 4,235,240.00 4,257,290.00 1,028,888.00 1,950.00 41,460,400.00 71,970.00 835,300.00 24,419,210.00 2,463,050.00 46,458,095.00 1,572,520.00 49,530.00 41,929,470.00 46,067,930.00 22,122,430.00 137,202,420.00 169,162,390.00

6.480 1.03 15.38 2.130 0.840 40.350 3.66 4.6 6 6.5 0.435 1.12 1.030 0.255 0.460 31.3 0.640 0.129 1.68 1.52 0.94 4.66 0.600

2,895,300 43,939,000 1,181,100 326,000 13,665,000 97,127,400 1,950,000 5,307,000 824,800 14,000 134,570,000 393,000 1,080,000 158,910,000 3,870,000 3,169,700 2,005,000 4,020,000 72,926,000 76,198,000 24,832,000 98,060,740 1,919,823,000

19,421,067.00 44,193,580.00 21,037,640.00 675,590.00 11,587,710.00 3,941,262,865.00 7,155,740.00 25,068,430.00 5,005,905.00 98,360.00 59,171,000.00 425,120.00 1,085,800.00 40,811,700.00 1,757,100.00 100,560,990.00 1,287,450.00 488,760.00 123,953,320.00 114,699,710.00 24,462,080.00 559,854,040.00 1,162,796,400.00

STOCKS

MARCH 26-28, 2018 Close Volume

MARCH 19-23, 2018 Close Volume Value

Value

Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Realty `A’ Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp.

Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

0.4050 0.540 33.30 4 19.94 1.95 3.18 34.50 1 15.88 0.850 6.500

9,140,000 56,336,000 1,500 942,000 5,311,000 1,032,000 653,000 24,143,200 2,106,000 787,700 715,000 11,616,600

3,619,650.00 29,676,140.00 50,900.00 3,774,440.00 105,908,284.00 2,017,920.00 2,062,890.00 817,297,200.00 2,093,710.00 13,215,694.00 587,760.00 73,778,353.00

0.3750 0.510 35.00 4.09 20.45 1.95 3.32 33.90 0.99 18 0.830 6.500

42,350,000 17,809,000 2,100 3,186,000 7,906,000 2,826,000 5,219,000 43,741,000 3,566,000 2,279,600 2,721,000 28,796,400

16,412,100.00 9,131,360.00 72,485.00 13,057,830.00 156,521,139.00 5,571,640.00 16,951,510.00 1,483,889,645.00 3,557,700.00 40,640,225.00 2,365,130.00 179,418,614.00

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Apollo Global Asian Terminals Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Chelsea DFNN Inc. Discovery World Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Golden Haven Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp.

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp.

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Wilcon Depot

18 30.4 1.28 0.480 0.049 12.52 5.41 14.34 0.0620 94.6 8.02 7.50 2.38 27.00 910 1622 6.33 308.00 15.80 5.25 100 2.49 13.16 8.30 0.125 1.4700 3.32 15 6.89 1.04 26.25 17.98 0.530 5.7 7.8 3.39 8.190 11.4 10.00 2.88 124.00 6.60 1470.00 0.450 1.080 52.45 89.30 7.49 2.75 1.460 0.42 4.16 0.850 10.900

81,000 408,900 52,000 14,047,000 57,310,000 18,200 32,700 21,940,500 40,140,000 924,610 6,673,500 283,500 60,000 679,500 140 160,635 1,924,200 30,060 37,500 4,062,200 4,917,010 86,000 11,200 37,000 3,600,000 2,401,000 495,000 47,700 38,126,500 458,000 3,036,600 1,600 197,000 4,367,300 7,095,600 2,276,000 96,643,500 1,554,700 54,400 44,000 90,230 1,262,800 326,525 37,510,000 14,378,000 3,107,370 8,124,500 2,658,100 2,379,000 3,997,000 49,150,000 10,642,000 9,838,000 9,407,800

SERVICES 1,434,080.00 12,396,080.00 64,570.00 6,880,055.00 2,826,670.00 227,882.00 169,992.00 314,452,874.00 2,511,560.00 85,856,594.00 52,862,857.00 2,129,745.00 143,620.00 17,550,055.00 127,400.00 257,471,580.00 12,258,496.00 9,211,770.00 553,544.00 20,773,239.00 492,113,268.00 204,820.00 146,106.00 306,855.00 447,420.00 3,505,950.00 1,585,950.00 699,736.00 259,073,144.00 459,070.00 81,198,000.00 27,738.00 101,480.00 25,483,371.00 54,647,632.00 7,526,400.00 734,327,048.00 17,717,240.00 545,608.00 121,960.00 10,765,318.00 8,170,427.00 484,471,695.00 16,697,600.00 15,462,220.00 161,905,632.50 722,532,107.50 19,548,762.00 6,410,410.00 5,819,850.00 20,432,550.00 42,987,620.00 8,377,770.00 101,170,622.00

17.92 28.4 1.23 0.500 0.052 12.56 5.24 14.30 0.0640 93.9 7.84 7.40 2.42 25.25 970 1557 6.35 311.80 12.90 5.25 103 2.42 12.9 8.30 0.126 1.4900 3.25 15.48 6.89 1.04 27.60 17.78 0.495 5.6 7.61 3.27 8.120 11.3 10.00 2.76 113.00 6.51 1500.00 0.465 1.090 52.80 86.60 7.50 2.70 1.470 0.44 3.97 0.890 10.800

141,100 482,700 2,292,000 62,996,000 388,480,000 160,900 11,200 42,462,300 157,130,000 624,540 11,080,300 842,500 128,000 2,073,700 7,070 272,455 1,052,300 168,330 33,400 9,208,400 6,187,530 369,000 12,000 70,500 16,630,000 2,574,000 2,752,000 166,500 113,500,900 2,341,000 12,154,400 3,200 140,000 4,491,800 23,572,200 7,355,000 207,485,900 494,400 60,400 632,000 3,199,140 4,236,000 737,365 177,786,000 37,168,000 6,217,210 5,398,390 4,609,600 3,661,000 12,046,000 214,864,000 23,356,000 87,591,000 21,859,700

2,539,310.00 13,872,955.00 2,910,280.00 32,931,645.00 19,210,860.00 2,029,208.00 54,734.00 604,292,202.00 10,050,540.00 60,065,470.50 83,089,586.00 6,208,803.00 310,950.00 55,809,660.00 6,857,900.00 434,198,320.00 6,629,556.00 51,940,124.00 458,420.00 48,937,978.00 651,334,160.00 935,010.00 155,934.00 584,800.00 2,085,550.00 3,828,110.00 9,513,590.00 2,492,688.00 780,285,705.00 2,353,160.00 330,029,350.00 55,184.00 69,825.00 25,027,167.00 179,107,893.00 24,478,150.00 1,973,458,203.00 5,555,678.00 611,204.00 1,788,040.00 358,443,952.00 28,485,386.00 1,098,167,145.00 85,332,815.00 41,158,240.00 329,220,505.50 458,677,278.50 35,872,966.00 9,584,680.00 17,803,170.00 100,276,750.00 89,957,760.00 77,079,390.00 241,261,490.00

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Philex `A’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. `A’ Phinma Petro Semirara Corp.

United Paragon

0.0028 1.69 4.64 18.34 1.63 0.325 7.69 2.420 0.219 0.146 0.153 1.47 6.1 1.19 0.5500 0.8600 0.0120 0.0130 6.09 14.50 0.0130 2.2900 30.30 0.0067

MINING & OIL 3,977,000,000 11,600,900.00 6,113,200 15,669,420.00 166,000 773,200.00 6,700 122,982.00 7,357,000 11,763,790.00 1,500,000 475,850.00 107,600 819,852.00 3,461,000 8,340,340.00 443,000 100,390.00 2,250,000 327,830.00 90,000 13,770.00 2,789,000 4,093,760.00 1,294,400 7,751,143.00 852,000 1,008,420.00 11,408,000 6,469,290.00 900,000 766,290.00 140,800,000 1,673,200.00 4,000,000 50,500.00 2,047,100 12,372,931.00 15,680,600 215,521,550.00 50,000,000 611,700.00 61,000 136,110.00 8,536,800 259,823,900.00 4,000,000 26,800.00

0.0031 1.69 4.72 18.30 1.61 0.315 7.35 2.450 0.217 0.143 0.155 1.44 5.9 1.26 0.4650 0.8400 0.0120 0.0120 5.97 13.30 0.0120 2.2000 30.95 0.0067

9,288,000,000 35,051,000 520,000 30,500 6,719,000 4,040,000 121,200 15,475,000 1,510,000 49,270,000 3,220,000 1,406,000 12,510,500 2,586,000 680,000 7,693,000 214,600,000 200,000 1,841,300 93,381,300 119,000,000 199,000 15,435,800 41,000,000

31,777,200.00 89,116,310.00 2,477,870.00 549,302.00 11,071,050.00 1,250,500.00 907,606.00 37,931,270.00 322,610.00 7,195,870.00 497,520.00 2,022,340.00 75,097,633.00 3,150,990.00 295,950.00 6,691,840.00 2,489,100.00 2,400.00 10,999,106.00 1,182,130,229.00 1,450,800.00 440,150.00 469,427,825.00 277,700.00

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ DD PREF First Gen F First Gen G GMA Holdings Inc. GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B House Preferred Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I

28 507 515 102 102.6 112 6.15 1000 1000 100.3 1.05 104.7 1050 1169 1000 102 76.5 79.85 75 75.1 79.2 76.6 76.7 77.2

PREFERRED 73,279,450.00 1,140,750.00 8,986,950.00 6,696,690.00 5,130.00 221,970.00 140,196.00 15,508,505.00 75,150.00 5,621,640.00 93,460.00 471,150.00 304,500.00 5,845.00 2,076,000.00 210,152.00 8,351,683.50 16,242,754.00 39,592,090.00 2,694,206.00 2,271,267.50 11,421,058.00 670,643.00 7,616,780.00

27.55 510 512 102 108 110.8 6.27 1001 1002 101.7 1.06 104.6 1034 1066 983 104.8 76.5 79 75 77 77.75 75.7 79 77.2

1,155,900 2,020 32,380 194,030 20,210 150 48,300 555 5,700 41,920 191,000 500 405 5,150 44,145 3,430 130,840 181,390 72,750 259,500 6,250 31,810 489,030 54,850

32,627,795.00 1,024,790.00 16,558,200.00 19,542,745.00 2,072,167.00 16,620.00 301,568.00 557,115.00 5,704,045.00 4,237,362.00 202,560.00 52,300.00 418,805.00 5,489,900.00 44,151,175.00 359,737.00 9,861,374.50 14,136,534.00 5,458,821.00 19,893,704.00 484,820.00 2,418,179.00 38,394,798.00 4,258,465.00

LR Warrant

4.460

WARRANTS & BONDS 5,798,000 25,855,130.00

4.510

57,442,000

260,882,990.00

5.07 3.36 3.34

15,014,400 1,699,000 17,328,000

79,035,458.00 5,634,970.00 55,513,420.00

2,640,800 2,250 17,550 66,280 50 2,000 22,300 15,500 56,000 89,000 4,500 290 5 2,100 2,060 91,440 206,760 527,900 35,900 29,300 148,630 8,710 98,650

SME 18,668,841.00 1,357,310.00 30,110,500.00

Italpinas Philab Holdings Xurpas

5.14 3.37 3.66

3,721,800 424,000 8,703,000

First Metro ETF

122.6

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 77,200 9,355,317.00

122.3

159,600

19,605,065.00

10.26 1.02

DOLLAR DENONIMATED SEC. 250 2,565.00 70,000 71,400.00

10.2 1.02

2,100 129,220

21,420.00 132,596.60

USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Abra Mining MRC Allied Ind. Basic Energy Corp.

Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Oriental Pet. `A’ NOW Corp.

Century Property Crown Equities Inc. Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Apollo Global

VOLUME 3,977,000,000 294,726,000 245,940,000 161,954,000 140,800,000 96,643,500 95,310,000 89,230,000 57,348,400 57,310,000

STOCKS Ayala Land `B’ Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Ayala Corp `A’ Metrobank SM Prime Holdings SM Investments Inc. NOW Corp.

Robinsons RTL Alliance Global Inc. GT Capital

VALUE 1,768,935,495.00 1,218,550,909.00 1,217,253,565.00 858,588,307.00 817,297,200.00 743,005,065.00 734,327,048.00 722,532,107.50 557,589,990.00 499,051,205.00

The concept and principles of Adversity Quotient were developed by Dr. Paul Stoltz, a noted thought leader, motivational speaker, business consultant and author of several books on the subject. Stoltz narrates that top companies have chosen the quality of grit as the most important factor for corporate decisions involving employee retention, promotion and succession planning. After intensive research, he developed an instrument to help measure Adversity Quotient, which can be accessed by readers through the internet.

Interestingly, the theoretical foundations of Adversity Quotient are from the science fields: First is from psychoneuroimmunology, which examines the mind-body relationship.

This emphasizes that our thoughts and emotions determine the strength of our body chemistry and even deep down to our cells. Second is from neurophysiology, which focuses how the brain learns and functions. This emphasizes that our habits of thought and behavior are hardwired to our brain such that we can learn how to change those habits. Third is from cognitive psychology, which focuses on how thoughts and feelings affect a person’s mental health. This underscores the need to manage our thoughts and feelings to improve how we react to negative situations. This helps to understand why “learned helplessness” may occur in some individuals such that they tend to give up when they are confronted with problems or difficulties.

Understanding human resilience has implications for understanding and managing change along several contexts. One area that relates to Adversity Quotient is disaster preparedness and resiliency. As the country is prone to natural disasters, proper measures are required to mitigate the impact of natural disasters. Managers need to implement business continuity measures for the company and organizational members to recover quickly.

Business continuity measures should include psychosocial interventions for the affected groups, apart from technical measures to protect company information systems, communication systems, physical safety and utilities.

Adversity Quotient also has implications on business management and risk assessment. Managers should learn how to confront common adverse conditions and institutional risks. Operational problems often occur in the normal course of the business, such as changes in consumer preferences, employee turnover, entry of new competitors and technology innovation. With technology advancements and increasing globalization, managers need to be flexible, adapt quickly, and continually search for innovative solutions to recurring problems and risks.

Adversity Quotient can also relate to corporate governance issues. For instance, companies often experience problems in balancing the different interests among stakeholders. In one case, the board of directors could favor rapid expansion of markets and products, but the operations and sales department may stifle this move as they need more time to adjust their technical systems and improve the skills of the workforce.

Another implication is in business ethics, since some negative events could test the integrity of company leaders and affect the image of the firm.

For instance, accidents or customer complaints due to faulty products or services require strong ethical decisions from its leaders. An ethical dilemma occurs because managers must decide whether to put first the economic interests of their company by doing nothing and thus save costs, or to take proper measures to correct the problem and protect the consumers even if it results in a loss. As such, during a crisis, leaders are often tested for integrity and fairness. Their ability to discern and adopt ethical solutions are part of the challenges during adverse conditions.

Last, but not the least, Adversity Quotient has implications for advocating corporate social responsibility.

This pertains to the challenge of instilling among organizational members the value and culture of social and economic inclusion. Today’s businesses are expected by society to undertake meaningful programs for the well-being of underprivileged groups. While CSR practices are varied in scope and purposes, a greater challenge is for managers to craft sustainable strategies that empower the underprivileged on the long-term.

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Dr. Rachel A. Quero is an Associate Professorial Lecturer and teaches strategic human resource management, organizational behavior, and corporate social responsibility and governance at the Management and Organization Department of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University. She can be reached at rachel.quero@dlsu.edu. ph. The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty and its administrators.

World

extrastory2000@gmail.com

Manila

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TODAY

With IPBA president Denis McNamara, SEC Chairperson Teresita Herbosa, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, incoming IPBA president Perry Pe and past IPBA president Dhinesh Bhaskaran

THE IPBA ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN MANILA THE Inter-Pacific Bar Association or IPBA was established in April 1991 in Tokyo as an international organization of business and commercial lawyers who practiced, or had strong influence, in the Asia-Pacific Region. More than 500 lawyers comprised the initial group; this has now grown to over 1300 members in 65 jurisdictions worldwide.

The first IPBA President back in 1991 was Kunio Hamada from Japan. The first Filipino IPBA President was Teodoro “Teddy” Regala in 1996-1997. Teddy is a Founding Partner of the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala and Cruz Law Offices or ACCRA, and I do wax sentimental every time Teddy is mentioned because he was the one who hired me to work in ACCRA back in the day -- not an easy boss to work with, but you can be sure that under TDR, as he was called, you will come out a much better lawyer, even better than what you aspired to be when you first entered law school.

The current President for 2018-2019 is my good friend and accomplished lawyer Perry Pe of the Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & De Los Angeles Law Offices.

The huge success of the Manila IPBA conference was due to a large measure to Atty Pe’s leadership .

One of the main activities of IPBA is its Annual Meeting and With Denis McNamara, Sec. Carlos Dominguez, Perry Conference, held in Pe, and Dhinesh Bhaskaran different jurisdictions, and this year the Philippines is fortunate to be hosting this principal event, now on its 28th year.

This year’s conference theme was “Fostering Seamless Cooperation in ASEAN and Beyond”. Quite appropriate, really, considering how the upcoming ASEAN integration would necessary impact on the practice of law across jurisdictions. As the blurb went, “the 28th IPBA Annual Meeting and Conference is an avenue to discuss and dissect legal trends, opportunities and challenges brought by ASEAN integration and how it improves the professional and the business landscape in the region.”

The conference was held last March 14-16 at the Shangri-La at the Fort, Bonifacio Global City, though March 13 was a day set for council meetings and the Regala Golf Tournament at Wack-Wack.

Day One of the meeting-conference opened with the first plenary session on “The Philippines is Open for Business”. I had the honor to deliver the speech of our Chairman, Manuel V. Pangilinan or MVP, who was invited as the keynote speaker for the first plenary session.

In his keynote entitled “Beyond Opening the Philippines for Business”, MVP said that the Philippines will continue to be among the best performing economies in the region and will, thus, be a promising destination for investments. However, it seems to be lagging behind its ASEAN neighbors in terms of average FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) inflows.

MVP proposed that the country must “accelerate its engines” and institute reforms that will open the economy further to investments that would speed up inclusive growth, similar to what its ASEAN neighbors had done.

In his speech, MVP said that government must continue to “enable addition and not obstruction” when it comes to policy and regulation by, among others: easing up on foreign ownership restrictions; rationalizing the provision of incentives, as well as pursue options beyond tax holidays, in favor of industries that push for better countryside development; speeding up efforts to improve competitiveness and enhance ease of doing business, complemented with the right kind of support infrastructure through Build, Build, Build; and preserve the sanctity of contracts across administrations.

MVP closed on the point that if all these can be done with the active cooperation of government, the private sector and strategic associations like IPBA, then we can be confident that “enduring partnerships and seamless cooperation can be forged for development.”

The next keynote speech was delivered

by Finance Secretary Carlos “Sonny” Dominguez who described the Philippines as “Asia’s next economic powerhouse”.

Sec. Sonny’s speech entitled “Determined to Grow” complemented and was symmetrical to MVP’s ; where MVP’s keynote outlined the challenges, Sec. Sonny’s speech enumerated actions of government in response to those challenges.

It was highly evident that the administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was making headways in making this country very much open for business, and that he had the people’s approval behind him.

Sec. Sonny said it all in his speech: “I hope today to infect you with that pervasive confidence of our people in our economic future. I hope you will help us Delivering the keynote spread theSERVICE Philippines is the best NOTICEthe OF word: SALE OF VAN OF placeERRORS to invest in.” & To this he adds: “Asia is nowVENTECH the center of gravity of the global PHILS.INC. economy and the Philippines isNotice nowisa hereby leadinggiven engine that regional growth.” that of in accordance to Section 13.3 (D) OMISSIONS the Contract ofdid Lease with Insularthe Lifefact Assurance Ltd., As always, the self-effacingof Sec. Sonny not mention that heCo. leads the personal property of VENTECH PHILS., INC. in Insular I n C l a s s i f i e d the economic team who is at the all these efforts.

Lifeforefront Corporate of Centre, Insular Drive, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City will be placed in public AIndthe s engaging, sectio n provocative, and highly-stimulating open forum that bidding. ensued,All interested bidders may call Lester or Carol at 582-1818 local ably moderated

by Dhinesh Bhaskaran, IPBA Past-President Sec. must be brought 2331, Monday-Friday, 7:00 am – 4:00for pm,2016-2017, or email mljacinto@ insular.com.ph for that the walkthrough, registration procedures and Sonny said,attention in clear and unequivocal terms, the Duterte administration supto our ports growth business requirements. investments in the country; has provided the right the the very dayofthe Walkthrough: infrastructure support through Schedules the Build,of Build, Build program; has respect for the advertisement is March 23 & 28,of2018, 8am to 4pm rule of law; and has respect for the22, sanctity contracts.

This was well received April 2 – 5, 2018, 8am to 4pm published. willforeign and local delegates present, business and commerand applauded We by the Sealed bids will be accepted on or before April 6, 2018, Friday notlawyers be responsible cial themselves. until 4:00 pm.

In the same breath, I also mentioned for any incorrect Service Van:in the open forum, as a take-away from MVP’s speech, that, more anything, looks forGL predictability in govTOYOTAbusiness HI-ACE GRANDIA (Manual transmission): ads not reported to than2007 BidBusiness Price is P450,000.00 (as-is where-is basis). ernment policies, to allow it toMinimum plan well. usually abhors surprises . us immediately.

(MS–MAR. 18, 25 & APR 2, 2018) The plenary session that followed dealt with “The Business of Corporate Counsels.”

Of course, we given are very much aware that corporate counsels do not only deal NOTICE is hereby “LEGAL NOTICE” that the the legal Intestate Estate with aspect of corporations, but are also involved in every other aspect Notice is hereby given to the public that an Extra-Judicial of Spouses WILFREDO as well.

Settlement of Estate has been executed by the heirs of S. ENCOMIENDA AND No other speaker can best the discuss this topic than my good friend, SUSAN M. ENCOMIENDA late PACITA JHOCSON OCAMPO, namely:top-notch BENIGNO who died in Las Vegas, OCAMPO, JOSE ELIGIO J. OCAMPO, ENRICO corporate and commercial lawyer, a colleague at the TEODORO MVP group, Bar topnotcher, Nevada, USA on March JHOCSON OCAMPO, MARIA MICHELINE ESTELA O. Atty.

Rayand C. Espinosa, First Pacifi c Associate Director and PLDT-SMART’s ChiefJ. 22, 2015 Medical City, DUQUE, JOSE NILO J. OCAMPO and JOSE LUIS Ortigas onServices December OCAMPO, all of hats legal he agewears. and residents of Malate, Manila; Corporate Offi9,cer, among the many 2015, respectively, is the Greenhills, and San Juan; Kaunlaran, Cubao, Quezon City, Las Alsoofpart of the plenary discussion equally astute as speaker is another subject EXTRA-JUDICIAL Piñas City; and Mandaluyong City, respectively, adjudicating SETTLEMENT and Bar topnotcher, by my former colleague both at ACCRA Law and consisting in government among themselves the parcels of land of Twoamong their sale heirs, Hundred Square and Presidential Eighty Square during Estrada Administration, whoNinety-Three was considered theMeters youngest namely:the Wilson Anthony M. Decimeters (293.80 sq.m.), more or less, located in City Encomienda and Kathleen Management Staff head then, Atty.

Macel Fernandez – Estavillo, now Senior the Viceof Manila and covered by No. TCT 74470; and consisting M. Encomienda, as per Doc. President andNo. General CounselofofSix JGHundred Summit. and Ninety-Six Square Meters (696 sq.m.), No. 123; Page 26; Book more or all less, located in the Municipality of Cavinti, Province No.Before I; Series of 2018I wish of the to greet I close, you a Happy Easter!

Easter brings about new of Laguna, and covered by TCT No. T-100945 per deed Notarial Register/Book of ways directions, new hope, new of moving forward.

May theNotary GloryPublic of the Risen executed February 26, 2018, before Atty.

Henry HENSON M. MONTALVO, Christ to fiin ll us love and and grow.

Notary continue Public for and the with the D. Adasa, per passion Doc. No. to 51;change Page No. 12;toBook No. II; Series City of Makati.

of 2018.”

(MS-MAR. 19,26 & APR. 2, 2018)

(MS-MAR.16, 23 & APR. 2, 2018)

Some US states press ahead with climate-change goals W ASHINGTON―US President Donald Trump has taken an ax to the environmental regulations he inherited from his predecessor Barack Obama, cutting dozens of rules ranging from fracking on public land to protections for endangered species.

Yet supporters of the Paris climate change accord believe statelevel efforts could mean the US will meet greenhouse gas emissions targets envisioned under the landmark agreement, despite being the only country to announce its withdrawal.

Automobile fuel and emission

If no adverse claim regarding the above certificate of stock is represented to the Corporate Secretary of Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club, Inc at Level 21, Tower 2, The Enterprise Center, 6766 Ayala Ave, Cor. Paseo de Roxas, Makati City, within one (1) year from the last publication of this Notice, the right to make such claim shall be forever barred and the Corporation shall cancel in its books the above certificate of stock and issue a new certificate in lieu thereof.

With Sec. Carlos Dominguez and Dhinesh Bhaskaran during the plenary(MS-APR. session 1 2, 2018)

standards are the latest regulations in the administration’s cross-hairs, according to a report by the New York Times.

The paper reported Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Scott Pruitt, a climate change skeptic with ties to the fossil fuel industry, has determined Obama-

era controls placed too great a burden on manufacturers.

It comes on the heels of the EPA’s announcement last fall it was seeking to repeal the Clean Power Plan, Obama’s signature environmental policy that would have limited each state’s greenhouse-gas emissions.

Already tied up by legal challenges, the Trump administration has vowed to bury it for good.

These and other regulations constituted the building blocks of Obama’s plan to fulfill US commitments to the 2015 pact.

The targets, which were already modest compared to those of the

European Union, are clearly in danger.

But the United States’ federal system of government and polarized political climate offer hope: states like California and New York are governed by opposition Democrats horrified by their Republican president’s stance on global climate change, and are taking steps to oppose it.

It was for these reasons that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was the most recent figure to suggest “there are expectations” the US will meet its erstwhile commitments, with or without Trump’s blessing. AFP

Japanese women confront grim taboo by saying ‘me too’ TOKYO―When Rinko Nakajiri was first raped by a producer who seduced her with the promise of a record deal, the 17-year-old singer kept quiet, terrified about her career prospects.

Twenty years later, the Tokyo housewife has long since abandoned the music industry and is facing her demons, encouraged by the global #MeToo movement triggered by accusations of rape against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Despite widespread allegations of misogyny and sexual violence from Hollywood to Hong Kong, however, there has been relatively little support for the campaign in Japan, where victims are often told to keep quiet.

“It’s almost impossible to talk about it in Japan,” Nakajiri told AFP. “There’s a terrible stigma about rape. People would rather you kept it bottled up.

“It happened in a recording studio late at night,” added the mother of two, who says she quit music after three years of sexual abuse.

“And many times after that. I was afraid if I resisted or reported it, my career would be over.”

In patriarchal Japan, where a culture of silence persists when it comes to sexual assault and harassment, raising the alarm comes at a price.

Journalist Shiori Ito refused to suffer in silence and went public last year.

The 28-year-old accused a tele-

Governor resigns over mall fire MOSCOW―Aman Tuleyev, the longtime governor of Russia’s Kemerovo region where a mall fire killed at least 64 people, including 41 children last weekend, resigned on Sunday.

Tuleyev, who had been at the helm of the key coal-mining region since 1997, said in a video address that he could no longer remain at his post with “such a heavy burden” and added that his resignation was “the only right choice”.

President Vladimir Putin accepted his resignation, the Kremlin said.

The fire ravaged a mall in the industrial city of Kemerovo in western Siberia last Sunday, a tragedy that plunged Russia into shock.

Some parents lost all their chil-

dren, and the youngest victim was a two-year-old toddler.

Many people who lost relatives have said they died because of the inaction of firefighters and police lacking the necessary equipment and skills.

Tuleyev himself came under heavy criticism for failing to visit the scene of the tragedy in the first few days or meet with angry relatives.

Putin―who traveled to Kemerovo last Tuesday―had initially refused to sack the 73-year-old governor despite rare protests in the city.

Tuleyev apologized to the president over the rally―where the protesters also called for Putin’s resignation―calling its organizers troublemakers. AFP

vision newsman with close ties to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of raping her after inviting her to dinner to discuss a job opportunity in 2015.

Ito was savaged online for daring to break her silence and even received death threats.

ERRORS & OMISSIONS

theProcurement of rhIvda

1.

2.

3.

InvItatIon to BId for hIv confIrmatory and dIfferentIatIon test (test 3) IB no. 2018-212

The Department of Health (DOH), through the General Appropriations Act of 2018 intends to apply the sum of Thirty One Million Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Philippine Pesos(PhP31,250,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Procurement of rHIVda HIV Confirmatory and Differentiation Test (Test 3) under IB No. 2018-212. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The DOH now invites bids for the procurement of the above-captioned project.

Delivery of the Goods is required within the period specified under SECTION VI. Schedule of Requirements. Bidders should have completed, within two (2) yearsfrom the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project, equivalent to at least twenty five percent (25%)of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the COBAC Secretariat, G/F, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given above during 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 02 April –24 April 2018 from the address above and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand Philippine Pesos (PhP25,000.00).

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

6.

The DOH will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 10 April 2018, 10:00 A.M. at the COBAC Conference Room, Ground Floor, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, Sta. Cruz, Manila, which shall beopen to prospective bidders.

7.

Bids must be duly received by the COBAC-C Secretariat at the address below on or before 24 April 2018, 9:00 A.M. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

8.

Bid opening shall be on24 April 2018, 9:00 A.M. at the COBAC Conference Room, Ground Floor, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, Sta. Cruz, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted.

9.

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

10. For further information, please refer to: COBAC-C Secretariat Department of Health San Lazaro Compound Sta. Cruz, Manila Tel. Nos. 651-7800 local 1625 to 1627; 1650 to 52 Facsimile No.: 741-9775; 740-6830

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(MS–MAR. 18, 25 & APR 2, 2018)

NOTICE is hereby given that the Intestate Estate of Spouses WILFREDO S. ENCOMIENDA AND SUSAN M. ENCOMIENDA who died in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on March 22, 2015 and Medical City, Ortigas on December 9, 2015, respectively, is the subject of EXTRA-JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT by and among their sale heirs, namely: Wilson Anthony M. Encomienda and Kathleen M. Encomienda, as per Doc. No. 123; Page No. 26; Book No. I; Series of 2018 of the Notarial Register/Book of HENSON M. MONTALVO, Notary Public for and in the City of Makati.

“LEGAL NOTICE” Notice is hereby given to the public that an Extra-Judicial Settlement of Estate has been executed by the heirs of the late PACITA JHOCSON OCAMPO, namely: BENIGNO OCAMPO, JOSE ELIGIO TEODORO J. OCAMPO, ENRICO JHOCSON OCAMPO, MARIA MICHELINE ESTELA O. DUQUE, JOSE NILO J. OCAMPO and JOSE LUIS J. OCAMPO, all of legal age and residents of Malate, Manila; Greenhills, San Juan; Kaunlaran, Cubao, Quezon City, Las Piñas City; and Mandaluyong City, respectively, adjudicating among themselves the parcels of land consisting of TwoHundred Ninety-Three Square Meters and Eighty Square Decimeters (293.80 sq.m.), more or less, located in the City of Manila and covered by No. TCT 74470; and consisting of Six Hundred and Ninety-Six Square Meters (696 sq.m.), more or less, located in the Municipality of Cavinti, Province of Laguna, and covered by TCT No. T-100945 per deed executed February 26, 2018, before Notary Public Atty. Henry D. Adasa, per Doc. No. 51; Page No. 12; Book No. II; Series of 2018.”

(MS-MAR.16, 23 & APR. 2, 2018)

(MS-MAR. 19,26 & APR. 2, 2018)

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NOTICE OF LOSS Notice is given to the public that Sta. Elena Golf and Country Estate Stock Certificate No. M315A for one (1) share issued in favor of Mr. David Wuson was declared lost in the Affidavit of Loss executed by him and recorded in the notarial register of Atty. Betsy T. Arvesu of Manila on 6 December 2017 as Document No. 70 on Page No. 15 of Book 1, Series of 2017.

9.

10.

If no adverse claim regarding the above certificate of stock is represented to the Corporate Secretary of Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club, Inc at Level 21, Tower 2, The Enterprise Center, 6766 Ayala Ave, Cor. Paseo de Roxas, Makati City, within one (1) year from the last publication of this Notice, the right to make such claim shall be forever barred and the Corporation shall cancel in its books the above certificate of stock and issue a new certificate in lieu thereof.

(MS-APR. 2, 2018)

Republic of the Philippines Province of Bataan Municipality of Hermosa Tel.No. (047-633-1531 to 34) Telefax No. (047) 633-1531 to 34 E-mail address:hermosa_bataan@yahoo.com

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID (IAEB) The MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF HERMOSA, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites contractors to apply for eligibility and, if found eligible, to bid for the following contract: Contract ID Name of Project Barangay Road Location Brief Description ABC Funding Source Contract Duration

: 18CRN006 : Supply of Materials, Labor and Equipment for the Asphalt Overlay of Various : Hermosa, Bataan : Asphalting of Road : P16,200,000.00 : GENERAL FUND of 2018 : 15 Calendar Days

The BAC will conduct this public bidding in accordance with R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations Part A. To be eligible to bid for this contract, a contractor must meet the following major criteria: (a) prior registration with MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF HERMOSA, (b) Filipino Citizen or 75% Filipino-owned partnership/ corporation with PCAB license applicable to the type and cost of this contract, (c) completion of similar contract costing at least 50% of ABC, and (d) Net Financial Contracting Capacity at least equal to ABC, or credit line commitment/cash deposit certificate for at least 10% of ABC or. The MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF HERMOSAwill use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the eligibility check, preliminary examination of bids, post qualification, and award.

The significant times and deadlines of procurement activities are shown below: Activities Schedule April 2 to April 18, 2018 1. Issuance of Bid Documents (Regular Office Hours) 2. Pre-Bid conference April 6, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.

Venue Mayor’s Conference Rm. 2nd floor 3. Submission and Receipts of Bids April 18, 2018–8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Venue Mayor’s Conference Rm. 2nd floor 4. Eligibility Screening/Opening of Bids April 18, 2018 @ 10:00 a.m.

Venue Mayor’s Conference Rm. 2nd floor

The BAC will issue copies of Bid documents at the same address to eligible bidders upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Twenty Thousand Pesos (P 20,000.00) to the Municipal Treasurer of Hermosa.

The MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF HERMOSA reserves the right to accept or reject any Bid to annul the Bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

Approved by:

(SGD) MARIA FRANCIA M. LAXAMANA, MD, MHSA, CHS Assistant Secretary of Health COBAC – C Chairperson (MS-APR. 2, 2018)

“The last thing I remembered was when I went to the bathroom at the sushi restaurant,” said Ito, who suspects her alleged attacker, Noriyuki Yamaguchi, drugged her and claims police failed to test for substances. AFP

NOTICE OF SALE OF SERVICE VAN OF VENTECH PHILS.INC. Notice is hereby given that in accordance to Section 13.3 (D) of the Contract of Lease with Insular Life Assurance Co. Ltd., the personal property of VENTECH PHILS., INC. in Insular Life Corporate Centre, Insular Drive, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City will be placed in public bidding. All interested bidders may call Lester or Carol at 582-1818 local 2331, Monday-Friday, 7:00 am – 4:00 pm, or email mljacinto@ insular.com.ph for the walkthrough, registration procedures and requirements.

Schedules of Walkthrough: March 22, 23 & 28, 2018, 8am to 4pm April 2 – 5, 2018, 8am to 4pm Sealed bids will be accepted on or before April 6, 2018, Friday until 4:00 pm.

Service Van: 2007 TOYOTA HI-ACE GRANDIA GL (Manual transmission): Minimum Bid Price is P450,000.00 (as-is where-is basis).

In Classified Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published. We will not be responsible for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

Republic of the Philippines Department of Health CENTRAL OFFICE BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

NOTICE OF LOSS Notice is given to the public that Sta. Elena Golf and Country Estate Stock Certificate No. M315A for one (1) share issued in favor of Mr. David Wuson was declared lost in the Affidavit of Loss executed by him and recorded in the notarial register of Atty. Betsy T. Arvesu of Manila on 6 December 2017 as Document No. 70 on Page No. 15 of Book 1, Series of 2017.

B3

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW MONDAY, APRIL 2,BLACK 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

(SGD) NORMITA P. TRIA BAC Chairperson (MS-APR. 2, 2018)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

(MS-A

LGUs

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

B4

SBMA’s strong financial, trade performance in 2017 hailed

LocaL government units

monday, april 2, 2018

By Butch Gunio Jr.

P400-m Calapan water project faces govt delay

By Robert A. Evora CALAPAN CITY—The Calapan City government is halting the full implementation of the P400-million water improvement project by the lone water service provider here as it expressed strong opposition to the renewal of the water firm’s expired Certificate of Public Convenience.

Business groups allied with some city officials have also expressed interest in putting up their own company in lieu of the Calapan Waterworks Corp. or Calapan Water, which has been operating in this city for 21 years since 1997.

The water company, the lone water service provider in this city, has applied before the National Water Regulatory Board the renewal of its CPC, which expired this year.

The Sangguniang Panglungsod, however, also filed before the NWRB its opposition, citing among other reasons “mismanagement of its operations.”

The CWC capital infusion of P400 million was meant to construct and laying of 26.4 kilometers of additional transmission and distribution pipelines to “deliver more water to our existing service areas as well as expand to new areas in Calapan to reach more customers,” said Roderick A. Ongcarranceja, CWC president.

The investment will also ensure the additional 15 million liters of fresh and potable water per day for its growing customers within the city proper and outlying areas in almost 32 out of 62 barangays of Calapan City, he added.

Eric Montelibano, CWC vice-president for corporate affairs, said Calapan City is “one of the fastest growing cities in the region that continues to provide accelerated growth in the various segments of business, agriculture and tourism.”

“The P400-million investment initiative, which has been ongoing since early 2017, will result in system improvement that will benefit up to 25,000 households and businesses,” he said.

The ongoing water improvement project is designed to provide adequate water supply to address the progressive development in Calapan City for the next five years and beyond, Montelibano added.

CAPINPIN SALUTE. Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu and Maj. Gen. Rhoderick M. Parayno, Commander of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, salute at the wreath laying at the Gen. Mateo Capinpin Monument and Heroes Wall during the 2nd ID 42nd Founding Anniversary at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal with the theme ‘42 Years of Serving the People and Securing the Land.’ Roy Tomandao

Tensions rise over sale of ‘Sendong’ housing

By Nash B. Maulana

C

OTABATO CITY—Housing disputes in Iligan City are feared to escalate into a sectarian conflict, even as officials there warned of the penal consequences of illegally selling houses owned by beneficiary-victims of the December 2011 Typhoon “Sendong.”

The row is stirring a religious divide, as the Task Force Bayanihan Village in Iligan was reportedly rude in dealing with Maranao Muslim occupants who have bought housing units that were later found to be sold illegally from as early as 2016, according to residents.

Iligan City Mayor Celso Regencia said in an official notice posted citywide that penalties under the law would be meted out to the original occupants who illegally sold their houses.

But the city’s task force found out that 1,000 of the 1,700 housing units in Bayanihan sa Iligan Village, in Barangay Santa Elena, have been sold by the first owner-beneficiaries.

Jimaloden Abdullah, whose family bought a house from a Sendong beneficiary, said the Task Force Bayanihan Village under the mayor’s office warned him he would be forced out of his unit if he would not vacate it voluntarily.

Vice Governor Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said masked men have ringed-off Bayanihan houses lived in by Maranaos, and on March 28 they raided a unit and “arrested” an unidentified Maranao male resident.

Lucman said many of the Maranaos occupying housing units in Bayanihan Village are among families displaced

by the six-month armed conflict in Marawi City last year.

“This early morning, I woke up to a call from a friend in Bayanihan village. A house was raided, and one was arrested. The wife and other household members saw a member of the raiding team placing a .38 caliber and a sachet of drugs,” Lucman said.

Residents have asked why Maranaos are being singled out when only a few of them bought more than half of the houses, as they suspected deception by the sellers.

Some residents, requesting anonymity, said the armed men taking part in the roundups, which they described as “hoodlum-like”, could be part of a scam by the sellers, as the new house occupants would later be forcibly evicted.

Abdullah said he and other buyers were probably conned by selling owners or middlemen who assured them their transactions, covered by deeds of sale, were in order.

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority reported a steady growth in income and a strong performance in key financial operations last year, as it set into motion a more aggressive program in investment generation, project expansion and job creation.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma said in her State of the Freeport Address that the Subic agency recorded a 34-percent increase in net income last year, which grew to more than P91 million compared to P68 million in 2016.

SBMA posted total revenue of P3.08 billion in 2017, compared to P2.95 billion in 2016, for a positive variance of 4 percent; and showed an increase of 8 percent in operating income, which rose from P1.44 billion in 2016 to P1.55 billion in 2017.

At the same time, the agency’s cash and investments grew by 4 percent to P4.43 billion, compared to P4.24 billion in 2016, while total debt went down by 5 percent from P6.55 billion in 2016 to P6.2 billion last year.

“These are indicators of robust financial health,” Eisma said, as she went on to cite similar accomplishments in employment, revenue sources, and contributions to the national economy. “If this is not success, then I don’t know what it is,” she added.

Eisma explained that despite a downturn in committed investments, the SBMA managed to win over 239 new investors last year, compared to just 144 in 2016, for a 66 percent increase. Thus, while committed investments went down to P2.54 billion in 2017 from P6.35 billion in 2016, projected employment still grew to 3,488 from 3,868 in 2016, or just a slight dip of less than 10 percent.

The SBMA chief likewise pointed out that Subic was a runaway winner last year in terms of project expansion by existing business locators with 63 expansion projects put up, compared to 37 in 2016. These expansions gave Subic an additional P1.09 billion in committed investments, which translated to a huge 203 percent increase over the P36 million recorded in 2016.

Overall, Eisma said the SBMA earned a total of P3.08 billion in revenues from seven sources: leases, which yielded P1.52 billion; port services, P961 million; regulatory fees, P338 million; common use service area (CUSA) fees, P103 million; tourism, P16 million; environmental and tourism admission fee (ETAF), P10, million; and other revenue sources, P126 million.

QC allocates 1% of budget for disabled

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

TODAY

By Rio N. Araja

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID Security Services Reference No. 5221451 1. Mid-Pasig Land Development Corporation for CY 2018 intends to apply the sum corresponding to the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) amounting to Nineteen Million Seven Hundred Eighty Thousand Nine Hundred Forty Seven Pesos (PhP19,780,947.00), for Security Services.

The MPLDC BAC now invites bids for: Item/Description ABC Security Services With the following personnel requirements: Forty Two (42) Security Guards PhP19,780,947.09 Delivery of the services is required within the period specified in the bidding ocuments upon receipt of Notice to Proceed (NTP). Bidders should have completed, within Two (2) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section 3.0 (Eligibility Criteria).

2. Bidding will be conducted in accordance with relevant procedures for open competitive bidding as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9164. Bids in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The contract shall be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bidder (LCRB) who was determined as such during post-qualification evaluation.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to R.A. No. 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from March 12-April 4 2018 at the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand Pesos (PhP25,000.00) The schedule of procurement activities is listed as follows: Activities Schedule Date Venue 1. Period of Availability/Issuance of Bidding Documents :March 12 – April 4, 2018 MPLDC Office, 8 A.M.-5 P.M., PCGG Building No. 82 EDSA, Barangay Wack Wack Greenhills East, Mandaluyong City.

2. Schedule of Pre-Bid Conference March 19, 2018 at 10:00 A.M. 3. Deadline of Submission/Receipt and Opening of Bids: April 4, 2018 at 2:00 P.M. 4. Bid Evaluation and Post Qualification April 6, 2018.

5. MPLDC will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on March 19, 2018, Monday at 10:00 A.M., at the Salonga Room,Ground Floor, PCGG Building No. 82 EDSA, Barangay Wack Wack Greenhills East, Mandaluyong City.Only Prospective Bidders who have purchased the bidding documents can participate in the conference. Other interested parties may attend as observers.

6. Bidders must submit their bids on the date, time and place specified in the above schedule. Late bid/s shall not be accepted. All bids must be accompanied with a Bid Security in any of the forms and corresponding amount stated in the Bidding Documents.

Bids higher than the ABC shall be automatically disqualified during the opening of bids.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder/s who choose to attend at the specified address.

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

7. For further information, please refer to: MS. EDNA VALENCIANO BAC Secretariat Bids and Awards Committee No. 82 EDSA, Barangay Wack Wack Greenhills East, Mandaluyong City 727-3372; 724-2437 (SGD) ATTY. ABDUSSABOR B. SAWADJAAN, JR. BAC Chairperson (MS-APR. 2, 2018)

Visitors gather at the beach area of the Aurora Ecozone to witness the grand opening and the different activities of the Ecozone’s 2nd Summerfest. The weeklong festivities included strongman sports, water sports, tribal games, music festival and dance contest, fireworks, tree planting, lantern lighting, artwork seminar, poster making contest, film showing, medical mission and gift giving for the poor, entrepreneurship training, youth camp, and interfaith praise and worship.

Tourists fill Aurora Ecozone summer fest

TOURISTS came in droves to Aurora this Holy Week to witness the grand opening and the different sports, musical, art, dance, and other environmental, entrepreneurship, and religious activities included in the 2nd Summer Festival in the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority.

The weeklong celebration was anchored on the theme “Tulung-tulong sa pagsulong: Kabuhayan, Kaunlaran, Kapayapaan.”

The event highlights the Aurora Economic Zone as a leading partner of the Provincial government in terms of preserving Aurora’s cultural ingenuity and history, environment and natural resources.

It also serves as a tool for economic progress by improving the tourism aspect and all areas of possible investments spearheaded by the APECO. The Grand Opening Ceremony on March

26 was graced by distinguished guests from national and local governments, NGOs and guests from the private sector.

Among those who attended was the Department of Tourism’s Spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Frederick Alegre, who had committed the DOT’s support for the Aurora Ecozone.

He said that the five-day festivity which offers business opportunities, training programs, sports, beauty, arts, dance and other competitions, health and wellness and many other interesting activities will prove to be memorable for the residents and their guests.

While remaining positive that the government will overcome the Boracay problem, he said that “for tourism to really work, we must be responsible caretakers of the community resources and to be fun yet responsible hosts to our visitors.”

THE Quezon City government has allocated 1 percent of its collected taxes for the welfare of all persons with disabilities in the city.

Mayor Herbert Bautista said the city will now adopt a comprehensive development program for the benefit of the PWDs, following the passage of an ordinance mandating a 1-percent budget allocation for programs and projects to benefit the PWDs. He said the move is imperative to the city government’s continuing effort to mainstream PWDs in all government programs and to open opportunities toward an inclusive society for all.

“What the city is doing is planning our investments for us to able to address the city’s various health challenges, especially those concerns affecting PWDs in the city,” Bautista said.

To date, there are about 39,744 registered PWDs in Quezon City.

Based on a report, at least 20 percent of the PWDs given employment referrals are now gainfully employed in retail stores, food chains, business process outsourcing and government agencies as well.

Bautista tasked the city’s Persons with Disability Affairs Office to partner with big companies and the national government agencies to help the PWDs avail of job opportunities.

Meanwhile, Bautista approved an ordinance to establish the Fernando C. Amorsolo Senior High School in Barangay Kamuning.

City Ordinance 2656 of 2018 stated the local school board has recommended to name the Senior High School within M.H. del Pilar Elementary School compound after the first National Artist of the country, Fernando C. Amorsolo.

“In honor of his legacy, the senior high school to be established at Barangay Kamuning, shall be named as Fernando C. Amorsolo Senior High School,” the measure read.

Life

Bernadette lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @mStandardliFE

food

monday, april 2, 2018

C1

A whole lot of love

from New Zealand’s

happy cows

Fish and fries with marinara sauce made with grated parmesan, culinary cream, and unsalted butter

L

eaDINg dairy brand anchor has been in the Philippines for 37 years now, but there are a lot of things about its products that most Filipinos are not aware of.

For starters, anchor is more than just butter. It has a wide array of cheeses and milk that are easily available in supermarkets and groceries. These include shredded mozzarella, shredded cheddar, grated parmesan, cheddar block, cream cheese spread, full cream milk powder, full cream UhT T milk, and low fat UhT milk.

“It is true that most people associate our brand with butter. But we have so much more to offer,” said Mike Boness, general manager of Fonterra Brands Philippines Inc. which owns and produces anchor.

“The volume of cheeses sold in the Philippines is growing as more and more people have traveled abroad and have become open to trying different kinds of food, including cheese,” he added. anchor is also a product of New Zealand, but the implication of this is not clearly communicated in its present packaging.

Fonterra, a cooperative owned by at least 10,500 farming families in New exclu Zealand, produces dairy from exclusively grass-fed cows.

Melba toast with garlic and chives butter

“We have happy cows, and that state of happiness is evidenced in the quality of our milk. We have what we call a fromgrass-to-glass process, which means the quality of the milk does not deteriorate as we go through the supply chain,” said Boness.

he continued, “Our New Zealand farmer families are committed to the strictest standards of quality control through regular on-farm testing and independent farm and environmental assessments. Our tanker drivers collect milk samples from every farm they visit to test its quality.” anchor’s commitment to traceability in every drop of milk it processes also means that all ingredients and sources of milk in every batch of product throughout the sup supply chain can be traced, allowing the com company to quickly identify issues and take

White truffle pasta with culinary cream, grated parmesan, and unsalted butter

Make every occasion sweeter with a box of decadent Italian chocolates

Celebrating with chocolates They say “life is like a box of chocolates,” so when celebrating special occasions, especially important life milestones, make sure you pick a sweet chocolate from the box—or get a whole box instead.

Make every celebration sweeter and more special with decadent Villa Del Conte premium chocolates from Padova, Italy. Fill your box with milk or dark chocolates filled with delectable fillings such as caramel, nougat,

almond, hazelnut, velvety white cream, and torrone. Or go for a variety of pralines, Neapolitan, and tavoletta chocolates.

Villa del Conte has outlets at Greenbelt 5, Century City Mall, Shangri-La Mall, Resorts World Manila, SM Megamall, and Robinsons Magnolia. For bulk orders, call (02) 893-2575 or visit www.villadelcontecioccolato.com.

Pumpkin and cinnamon soup with culinary cream

action if needed. This ensures that anchor’s dairy products only use world-class milk that is naturally rich in antioxidants and free from genetically modified organisms.

Perhaps the final misconception about anchor is that it is not a premium product, given its competitive price point.

“We want our products to be more accessible. To achieve that, we had to strike a balance between the volume of products to be sold and the price. That is how we reached our sweet spot for our price point,” said Boness.

every anchor product is sold on the back of a 150-year-old legacy founded by henry Reynolds, an entrepreneurial farmer whose butter won a gold medal at the Melbourne exhibition in 1888. Over the years, the brand that Reynolds built has become an internationally-recognized name with a strong heritage of quality and nutrition, with over 160 products present in 80 countries across the globe.

During anchor’s #AWholeLotToLove press event, the kitchen crew at Single Turn to C2

Life

C2

monday, apri apriL 2, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Fundador Café is a 50-square-meter store that serves cocktail concoctions made of brandy and sherry wines, spiked desserts, and exclusive Fundador products and merchandise.

A new take on desserts and beverages

By Mae Gianina C. Pascual

Explosion of flavors

C

OCKTAIL concoctions and spiked desserts that are sure to intrigue taste buds are available at the newly opened Fundador Café, the first-ever concept store of Spain’s largest and oldest brandy company in the Philippines.

Featuring a sophisticated cocktail bar ambiance in a modest 50-square-meter store, it offers a wide list of unique drinks and pastries spiked with brandy and Sherry wines.

“The Fundador Café was launched with the Filipino millennials in mind,” says Emperador Inc. executive director Kendrick Tan. “It’s the Philippines’ first concept store where customers can indulge in a variety of beverages and cupcakes infused with liquor while shopping from rare and exclusive collections of Fundador.”

Harveys Bristol Cream—a sherry wine produced in Jerez, Spain—adds a clean, fruity with subtle spiciness, and velvety smooth flavor to the four “sinful” cupcakes, namely Sherry Butter Cupcake, Banana Cupcake, ChocolateCupcake, and Vanilla Butter Cupcake, on offer. The spiked pastries are also topped with Harveys Dark Chocolate Ganache for an extra kick of alcohol.

Bottles of Harveys Bristol Cream are also sold exclusively at Fundador Café.

“Everyone who steps inside the café will be welcomed by a wide array of Fundador selections, including the ex-

in every chicken drum and thigh

Sherry Butter Cupcake spiked with Harveys Bristol Cream

clusive Harveys wines that are sold only at the store, along with other branded merchandise, like T-shirts, bags, umbrellas, glasses, caps, key chains, and others,” says Tan. Beverages on the menu come in hot, cold, and blended, and are mixed with either Fundador or Harveys Bristol Cream.

For hot drinks, the store serves Fundador Café Latte, made of premium espresso mixed with Fundador Gold Reserve and the classic Fundador Solera; Café Exclusivo, is an exquisite blend of coffee and Fundador Exclusivo brandy; and Double Salted Caramel, which is mixed with Fundador Double Light.

Perfect for summer are the cold beverage options, that include Light Iced Tea with a shot of Fundador Light; Café Solera, made of premium roast coffee and a shot of Fundador Solera; and Har-

veys Mojito, which features the sweet and refreshing taste of lemon, mint, and Harveys.

Those who would like to opt for blended drinks can choose from Orange Passion, a sweet soda based drink blended with Harveys Bristol Cream; Fundador Frappe, an ice swirl of espresso infused with Fundador Gold Reserve and Fundador Solera; and Matcha Light, a sweet, creamy vanilla blend of matcha and Fundador Light.

According to Tan, Fundador Café also serves gelato mixed with Harveys Bristol Cream.

“We highly recommend that customers try out our Amara Dark Chocolate or Dulce De Leche because either of those will surely tickle your taste buds,” says Tan.

a whole...

From C1

Origin Rockwell prepared dishes that showcased the premium taste of Anchor products. The meal began with an appetizer of Melba toast with garlic and chives with salted butter and cheese

Drum & Thigh in Korean BBQ features a sweet and tangy flavor courtesy of the secret blend of sesame oil and spices. new York BBQ is the perfect flavor for those who like their chicken smoky, sweet, and dense. Or go for Garlic Parmesan, a signature Yellow Cab flavor, chicken tossed in garlic butter and topped with parmesan cheese.

The Drum & Thigh is available in all Yellow Cab branches nationwide for P189 for an a la carte meal with two pieces chicken (drumstick and thigh) or P239 with a side of Italian Red Rice or Baked Potato Wedges.

Photos by Mae Gianina C. Pascual

Jollibee opens first store in Europe OuR very own bee mascot, Jollibee says “ciao Italia!” as it welcomes customers to the local fast food chain’s first European branch in Milan, Italy.

Located in Piazza Diaz 7, Milan, the Jollibee branch is just a stone’s throw from Duomo, Milan Cathedral.

In the early hours of its opening day, customers—families, young people, members of the Filipino community, and even locals—were already seen lining up in front of the Jollibee store.

Among those who patiently waited for Jollibee’s doors to open was Tommy Flores Jr. who said the experience was all worth it. “Naghintay kami ng four hours sa labas pero sulit,” he shared on his Facebook post. Meanwhile the Aquilon, Flores, and Mendoza families unanimously exclaimed, “Kahit mahaba ang pila, sobrang sulit ‘yung pagpunta namin! It tastes just like the Chickenjoy sa Pinas!”

The queue of eager and ecstatic customers outside of the outlet was so long that it poured out of the restaurant.

“Getting a foothold in Milan is a fundamental step for Jollibee, as well as a launch pad for the expansion of the brand to the rest of Europe,” said Jollibee Foods Corporation chief executive

CHICKEn lovers are in for a flavorful treat as Yellow Cab Pizza Co. relaunches its Drum & Thigh, now available in six explosive flavors: Sriracha, Salt & Pepper, Hot Chix, Korean BBQ, new York BBQ, and Garlic Parmesan.

If you like your chicken sweet and hot, go for the crowd favorite Sriracha. Salt & Pepper is perfect for those who prefer the classic taste of crispy fried chicken speckled with cracked black pepper. Meanwhile, Hot Chix is for those daring enough to bite into a spicy explosion of flavors that punches you right in the mouth.

Long lines of Filipinos eagerly awaiting the opening of Jollibee Milan, the Filipino fastfood brand’s first store in Europe.

officer Ernesto Tanmantiong.

The opening of the Jollibee branch in Milan followed the signing of a joint venture between Jollibee Foods Corporation and Singapore Blackbird Holdings to export the fast food chain to Europe.

Tanmantiong shared, “This newest venture sets off our journey that will lead to opening more stores around the continent—an ambitious goal, which we will achieve by consistently offering a unique dining experience with our de-

licious food and warm service.”

The chief executive said JFC aims to bring Filipinos “a taste of home” and at the same time share with Italians both the fast food chain’s food offerings and the joyful experience of being together.

At its first European store, Jollibee’s menu offers its bestsellers such as Chickenjoy and Yumburger, along with special items like Chicken Tenders and Chicken Burgers that cater to both Filipino and Italian tastes.

block followed by pumpkin and cinnamon soup with culinary cream. The main dishes consisted of fish and fries with marinara sauce; grated parmesan and unsalted butter; four cheese pizza with shredded mozzarella, shredded cheddar, and grated parmesan; and white truffle pasta with culinary cream, grated parmesan and unsalted butter. A

hearty serving of mango caramel Grand Marnier with whipping cream capped the delicious meal.

Indeed, Anchor has a whole lot more to offer Filipino consumers, with its products that celebrate the nourishing goodness of milk.

I’m at joyce.panares @gmail.com

Yellow Cab Drum & Thigh in Sriracha flavor with a side of Italian Red Rice

Sunday barbecue brunch at Sage SunDAY brunch is meaty at Sage Bespoke Grill as it presents a BBQ brunch buffet featuring a variety of carvings in a relaxed and casual setting from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. until June 24.

“We are excited to introduce this Sunday BBQ brunch to our patrons,” enthused Patrick Duff, executive assistant manager for food and beverage.

“We want family and friends to break away from the usual brunch buffet and experience a luscious BBQ brunch and live-action stations.”

Guests can start off their Sunday brunch with delectable appetizers, such as Buffalo-Sriracha Chicken Wing Skewers, Crab Cakes, and Cajun-Style Cured Turkey Ham. Live stations offer classic Caesar Salad and California Wraps.

But the real star of the brunch are the chefs firing up the grills to cook the delicious BBQ feast of Miami-Style Beef Short Ribs, Beer-Simmered Grilled Sausage, Tex-Mex Burger with Jalapeño and Tomato Salsa, and more.

A sumptuous meal deserves a sweet ending from the dessert selection which includes Vanilla Panna Cotta with Salted Caramel, Josper-Grilled Banana and Apple and Cinnamon Crumble.

The BBQ brunch buffet is priced at P2,000 net per person. Diners may add P800 net to enjoy unlimited house wine, beer, and soft drinks.

Call (02) 814-2580 or email rric. slm@shangri-la.com for inquiries and reservations.

Sage Bespoke Grill serves up sumptuous BBQ brunch every Sunday

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018

C3

nickie.standard@gmail.com

Why Gabbi is your new favorite girl G ABBI Garcia is living her best life right now. Following her self-produced single “All I Need” and starring alongside Ruru Madrid in the primetime series Sherlock Jr., she is also the only Kapuso star nominated this year at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards as Favorite Pinoy Newbie.

Gabbi recently flew to Japan for a Maybelline campaign and met with supermodel Gigi Hadid. And earlier this month, it was finally announced that Gabbi is the newest Filipina ambassador for the brand.

With her pretty face, people say she can get away with anything but the 19-year-old actress claims otherwise. She dreams to have it all, and she wakes up to work hard for it and achieve it one by one.

“I can still remember my promise to myself when I turned eighteen. This is just the beginning for me, and right now I’m enjoying the thrill of challenging myself into different things,” she says.

Gabbi has been juggling different schedules -- from studying in Meridian International College as a Music Business Management major, to several shoots here and abroad. Now, she can’t wait to share all the things that she has lined up for this year. She knows she’s in control, and she wants to inspire young girls to aspire for the same.

“I have a lot of goals that I plan to put in reality. I want to concentrate more on my music, and I also want to do films this year. They say to take it easy, and I know I need to chill but I’m really feeling this pull to strive harder,” the Kapuso star asserts.

For millennials, it is believed that

Gabby enjoys the sun in Bangkok's elegant and luxurious Okura Prestige.

they feel the most pressure to leave a mark and find their rightful place in the world. So how does she handle the work?

“I find the right balance with my family. They are really the ones that keep me grounded, and I have my sister to keep me in check,” she states.

Gabbi recently flew to Thailand for another photo shoot, and she also took this opportunity to pause and unwind.

“I had the opportunity to experience the majesty of Okura Prestige, one of

the best skyscrapers in the world. It has the protruding infinity pool, and I loved it,” she shares adding that she also plans to return to Hawaii for a quick beach getaway with her family after her participation in a music festival this month.

With her grit to succeed, Gabbi can surely tick off each item in her bucket list. And through her online show with GMA ONE Online Exclusives #GOALS, she is able to share with her followers some tips on how to achieve what is essential in one’s life.

Gandarrappido’s pay-per-view premiere GANDARRAPPIDO! The Revenger Squad, the highest grossing movie of the 2018 Metro Manila Film Festival starring Vice Ganda, Daniel Padilla, and 2015 Miss Universe, Pia Wurtzbach, is now showing on Star Cinema on SKY PayPer-View.

The movie, which premiered on SKY on March 25, is about Emy (Vice Ganda) a makeup reseller who is actually Gandarra, a super hero, who must remember who she is and team up with her siblings Chino (Padilla) and Cassey (Wurtzbach) to form the Revenger Squad and save the world.

Meanwhile, the comeback vehicle of Sharon Cuneta and Robin Padilla tandem, Unexpectedly Yours, will also make a pay-per-view premiere. In this movie, they are joined by rising stars Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia.

These movies are available in high-definition viewing until April 13.

The offer is available to all One SKY, SKYcable, SKYdirect, subscribers at a special summer offer of P99. This is also available for SKYbroadband subscribers through SKY on Demand.

Young actor Daniel Padilla in a scene from the blockbuster comedy, "Gandarrappido! The Revenger Squad."

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Monday, April 2, 2018

ACROSS 1 — Hari 5 Exam for jrs.

9 They may offer rides 14 Ion source 15 Wheels 16 “— vincit amor” 17 Stoic philosopher 18 Little chirper 19 Brit’s football 20 “— we having fun yet?”

21 Patch locale 22 Determine value 23 Even less macho 25 — gin fizz 26 WNW opposite 27 John Glenn’s state 28 Roadie gear 31 Pillowcases 34 Mull (2 wds.)

36 “Bonanza” heavyweight 37 Wrecking-ball swinger 38 Good conductor 39 Capricious 41 Chinchilla habitat 42 Noise 43 Disguise 44 Deadlock 45 Golf’s — Zaharias

46 What Nero did 50 Yellowstone range 53 Sudden impulse 54 Cow chow 55 Arkansas mountains 56 Universe creator, along the Nile 57 Alert 58 It’s plum dried out!

59 Well-bred chap 60 Capri, for one 61 Overfed 62 Invites 63 Votes not in favor DOWN 1 Large parrot 2 Video game pioneer 3 Aleut carving 4 Latin I verb 5 Plains tribe 6 More certain 7 To — — (precisely) 8 Lots 9 Left in the lurch 10 Divert 11 “Picnic” author 12 Corduroy ridges 13 Responds 21 Part of SWAK 22 Flared garment

(hyph.)

24 Coke rival 25 Glossy 27 Windy City airport 28 Eager, plus 29 Just 30 Co. honcho 31 Large herring 32 Petty or Loughlin 33 Novel ID 34 Gridiron deal 35 Paid for 37 Corn holders 40 Was gracious

41 Man Friday 44 Dancer’s garb 45 Carried by 46 Campfire fare 47 Capital of Tibet 48 At sunup 49 Units of force 50 Lids 51 Pound the poet 52 Like a bowstring 53 Sporty trucks 56 Nicklaus’ org.

57 Team’s goal

'Bagani' lead cast (from left) Matteo Guidicelli, Liza Soberano, Enrique Gil, and Sofia Andres

Simply Red...

From C4

So, four million have viewed current YouTube sensation ExBattalion’s music video for the group’s astonishingly popular single “Hayaan Mo Sila.”

The popularity has prompted RS Francisco, actor entrepreneur and owner of Frontrow, a direct-selling company that also manufactures health products, to sign the group as the company’s newest ambassadors.

At the media presentation on Palm Sunday at the AiAi de las Alas-owned eatery called Ai Sarap Express near the ABS-CBN Broadcast Center, Francisco said he and the group’s manager, De las Alas, have big plans for them.

Francisco related how impressed he was when the group wrote the song he asked them to record at his recording studio. “In less than half an hour, they had written the song.” (Which he asked the technician to play for members of the media called “Follow The Lead” that Frontrow will use as the company’s anthem for now.)

He also said that for the music video of the song he plans to shoot in different cities around the world where Frontrow has a presence.

Lucky group this Ex-Battalion and similarly lucky this De las Alas as everyone seems interested to have a piece of this group. In fact, the comedian-turned-talent manager said she has plans for a big concert for ExBattalion in July.

Well, there’s a saying “make hay while the sun shines.” And for ExBattalion and De las Alas, carpe diem, for the heat and fire might turn to dying ember in a wink of an eye. *** Retro-pop, rock & roll band The Bloomfields recently signed an exclusive recording agreement with Curve Entertainment Inc. It’s been almost seven years since their last album and the band is very excited with their new record label partnership.

They are set to release all-new original material very soon.

Present during the contract signing were the band members – Louie Poco, Lakan Hila, Dino Pascual, and Rocky Collado. Curve’s President & CEO Narciso Chan with Curve’s COO Chito Confiado were also there with the band managers Mitch Razote and Dennis Razote. *** The lead stars of the ABS-CBN’s newest hit fantaserye, Bagani – Liza Soberano, Matteo Guidicelli, Sofia Andres, Makisig Morales, and Enrique Gil – were very grateful to all the viewers who continue to support their epic journey at the press conference held for the program on March 15 at the Dolphy Theater.

The cast sent their warm messages of thanks to all the Kapamilya who watched them on free to air TV, online via iWant TV, and worldwide via The Filipino Channel that made the series a consistent top-rater on weeknights and a consistent trending topic on social media.

That week, the battle among the five tribes of Sansinukob began. After Dakil (Christian Vasquez) threatened to kill Lakas’ (Enrique) mother, Lila (Ana

Abad Santos), the young warrior was left with no choice but to betray Ganda (Liza) and let the desert region conquer the farm region.

As all the chaos happened, the deity of Sansinukob, Apo (Diether Ocampo) and his brother Sarimaw (Ryan Eigenmann), watched over them.

Bagani airs weeknights after FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano on ABS-CBN or ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable ch 167). *** Families that enjoy watching TV and binge-watching online shows are in for a great deal with SKY’s 50 percent off promo on its cable TV and fiberpowered broadband bundle plans, One SKY. Until April 30, families in all One SKY covered areas can enjoy 50 percent off on their basic monthly service fee for the first three months, as well as a low initial cash-out since they will not be charged an advance payment.

They can choose from three kinds of One SKY plans depending on their lifestyle: One SKY Premium (unlimited internet and HD cable TV), One SKY Lite (internet with usage allowance and HD cable TV), and One SKY Broadband + VOD (fiber-powered broadband with free access to video-on-demand).

With One SKY’s fiber-powered connection, Internet speed is faster, making online surfing seamless for users. On the other hand, data cannot travel quickly in a DSL Internet connection that is offered by other service providers in the country.

Besides slashing off 50 percent on the first three months, SKY will also shower those who avail of a One SKY Premium or Lite plan with a free 15-day access to all SKYcable channels.

Meanwhile, those who choose a One SKY Broadband + VOD plan will get to experience a free two-month access to the channel pack of SKY On Demand, an online streaming platform that lets subscribers watch cable TV shows and movies on the go.

Launched in 2016, One SKY enables families to enjoy convenient and superior entertainment. SKY’s introduction of One SKY also complements ABS-CBN, SKY’s mother company, in its transition to become a digital organization.

Score the best cable and Internet deal for your family and switch to One SKY. Visit mysky.com.ph/switch or drop by any SKYzone business center for more details. ** * Spotify has been launched in Israel, Romania, South Africa, and Vietnam.

Offering an unrivaled mix of domestic and international music, discovery features, it is curated perfectly tuned to your taste.

Music fans can now enjoy instant access to Spotify’s free ad-supported and subscription services.

“We’re really excited to bring Spotify to Israel, Romania, South Africa and Vietnam, connecting their rich music cultures with millions of artists and users across the world,” says Cecilia Qvist, Global head of Markets at Spotify.

Spotify continues to be the world’s largest music streaming subscription service with a community of over 159 million users, including over 71 million Spotify Premium subscribers, now across 65 markets worldwide.

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018

Barbie and Derrick’s ‘Almost a Love Story’ A WEEK after Easter Sunday, fans of Barbie Forteza and Derrick Monasterio, the current toast of the Kapuso network, will grace the big screen in a film shot partly in Italy.

The “DerBie” love team had already worked together in several teleseryes like Tween Hearts, Luna Blanca, and Half Sisters, which showcased the tandem’s unmistakable kilig factor. The love team will also be seen in a new soap titled Inday Will Always Love You on GMA 7.

Since they have been working together in a variety of soaps, it can’t be helped that they developed feelings for each other. Derrick courted Barbie, and he nearly got his “yes.” Derrick said he was five points away and some things didn’t work, so the romance was almost a love story, to borrow the title of their newest movie.

“We were almost there, just a few points to go and we have been a couple but maybe it was not meant to be.

Siguro it might happen sometime in the future,” said Derrick.

Barbie recalled with fondness the time that Derrick courted her.

“I felt that he was really serious in courting me but we were still too young then. What is important now is we have become close to one another and I am really comfortable with him. Derrick and I are super close and if there’s a need for us to be sweet in a scene, we just do it. It is effortless on our part.

There’s no need to act it out,” said Bar-

bie.

Almost A Love Story was shot in December (sometime before Christmas) last year ISAH V. RED in Salento, Tricase in Southern Italy.

The production team behind Almost A Love Story made sure that the audience would feel the love and kilig, and would be touched as well by the story of Barbie and Derrick. It’s a plus factor that the beautiful place of Salento became the backdrop of the love story. BG Productions International’s Baby Go spent a fortune to make it a perfect movie for the two.

The movie tackles the theme of “long distance relationship” between childhood friends Baneng and Luigi had. It was Baneng’s OFW mom (played by Lotlot de Leon who was taking care of Luigi in Italy) who was instrumental in making love blossom between the two. In the story, both Baneng and Luigi have the inclination for the arts that also drew them together. Is there a fairy tale ending to the kilig-filled romance between Baneng and Luigi?

An offering from BG Productions International in cooperation with Salento Cinema of Italy and GMA-7 to be distributed by Regal Films Inc., Almost A Love Story will open in cinemas nationwide on April 11.

Written by Onay Sales and directed by the award-winning Louie Ignacio, it also stars, apart from Barbie, Derrick and Lotlot, Ana Capri as Derrick’s mom and Matet de Leon. Continued on C3

The most anticipated concert of the year, Ed Sheeran's Divide Tour, is happening on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds.

Smart Music Live heats up summer with

E

ED SHEERAN CONCERT

D SHEERAN on a summer night sounds “Perfect” for the singer’s legions of fans.

On April 8, prepare to camp out while celebrating the hits that made Sheeran a household name when Smart Music Live presents Ed Sheeran’s Manila concert at the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds.

Recently, Sheeran rewarded fans who had standing tickets in Brisbane, Australia by having pizza delivered to them.

Fans lined up a day before the concert

Barbie Forteza and Derrick Monasterio reunite in a film.

‘Kambal, Karibal’ stars in ‘Lip Sync Battle’ pilot The Miguel-Jeric and Bianca-Kyline GMA Network’s Lip Sync Battle Philippines returned for its 3rd season and tandems surprised everyone with their daring song choices for both rounds of aired its pilot episode yesterday.

Hosted by Michael V. together with the competition.

Iya Villania-Arellano as color commentator, this Philippine franchise of the world-renowned celebrity lip sync competition is poised to become the country’s newest Sunday night habit with a fresh line-up of celebrity battlers and new alliances, all geared up to win the most coveted Lip Sync Battle Championship belt.

Under the direction of Rico Gutierrez, Lip Sync Battle Philippines Season 3 opened with a sample of the lip sync challenges to come when Michael V. and Iya engaged in a showdown of skills with hit songs from Bruno Mars and Yoyoy Villame.

The real battle started off with a twoon-two battle featuring the stars of the hit drama, Kambal, Karibal. Former Lip Sync Battle Philippines tag team champion Miguel Tanfelix and Bianca Umali returned to compete as rivals, with Jeric Gonzales and Kyline Al‘Lip Sync Battle Philippines' host cantara, respectively, as their lip-sync Michael V and color commentator Iya Villania partners.

at Sunport Stadium for closest possible position to the stage. Expect the unexpected when the “Shape Of You” hit-maker arrives in Manila, a leg in his current ÷ World Tour.

The 27-year-old British musician started his career in 2011 when he released the album “+” (read as plus) that churned out the hit “The A Team” that went on to be nominated for Song of the Year in the 2013 Grammy Awards.

Sheeran went on to release “X” (read as multiply) that scored the monster hit “Thinking Out Loud.” The song went on to win Grammy Song of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

Last year, Sheeran served his third

CD, “÷” (read as divide) and along with it charted hits like “Shape Of You,” “Castle On The Hill” and “Perfect.”

Hundreds of Smart subscribers won tickets to the concert. More perks, activities and freebies await these winners when they reach the venue on Sunday.

Smart Music Live presents Ed Sheeran is just the part of the network’s summer lineup, Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic in Manila is up next and scheduled on May 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena. To qualify for perks and free tickets, simply track #SmartEdSheeran, #SmartBrunoMars and #SmartMusicLive on Smart’s official Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.

Iñigo Pascual, DJ Moophs drop summer anthem DALY City, CA– Spring may have officially started in the U.S. though it still feels like winter in most places. But with the latest collab track dropped

by Iñigo Pascual and music producer Chris Lopez a.k.a. Moophs, expect the duo to fan the flames of summer heat from the Philippines and bring it to American shores with their new single, “OMW (On My Way).”

This is not the first time that Iñigo and Moophs have worked or performed together. Both are coming off the high profile success of One Music X last November in Dubai, UAE which turned out to be one of the biggest music festivals of the year in the Middle East. A few weeks ago, the two also performed at the prestigious Coronation Night of the Bb. Pilipinas beauty pageant held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

When “OMW” debuted on YouTube on March 15 with hardly any publicity and promotions. It immediately garnered tens of thousands of views, scores of likes and positive comments.

“When I wrote ‘OMW’, I tried to put myself in the shoes of my 21-year-old self, since that’s where Iñigo’s at now,” said Moophs. “I definitely wasn’t the young superstar at 21 that Iñigo is today. But I think a lot of the driving forces are ultimately the same.”

Moophs continued, “The vibe of the production for ‘OMW’ came from a blend of my tastes and Iñigo’s. I tried to keep it lighthearted and accessible

with a drop that’s fun but still slaps.

‘OMW’ is your twenty-something summer anthem.”

While based in the Philippines right now as ABS-CBN’s International Music Content Officer and head of the Tarsier Records imprint, which was launched by Star Music for international audiences, Moophs shares the Los Angeles feels and vibes with Iñigo because both of them lived for years in the City of Angels.

On the other hand, when Iñigo returned to the Philippines, his first big break in music came when he composed

and recorded “Dahil Sa ‘Yo.” The song jumpstarted his career as a recording artist as it became the first number one song on Billboard Philippines’ Top 10 Charts at opening, then holding the top spot for nine weeks.

Currently, Iñigo’s music resides in the genres of Pop and R&B. “I want to create music that helps people express their unspoken emotions -- music that takes them back to a specific time in their lives, an anthem of sorts for a generation,” he said.

Check out “OMW (On My Way)” from Tarsier Records on YouTube and Spotify.

Iñigo Pascual (left) collaborates with DJ Moophs in a single, which the latter describes as the summer anthem for the Gen-Z.