Manila Standard - 2018 April 09 - Monday

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VOL. XXXII • NO. 53 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

Runners of all ages compete in the firstever Underpants Run at the Filinvest Abang events center on April , 2018. Ey Acasio

Sweaty spectacle at Underpants Run CLAD in underwear, loincloths, tutus or body paint, hundreds of semi-naked young people pounded the streets of Manila on Sunday in an unusual race that brought a sweaty spectacle to the capital of the conservative, mainly Catholic Philippines.

The city’s first-ever “Underpants Run” drew crowds from dawn as around a thousand runners in skimpy outfits jogged and sprinted around an upscale shopping district in balmy weather.

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PH, US heroes of WWII honored

By Ben Cal THE gallantry and heroism of the Filipino and American soldiers who fought in World War II will be honored during the 76th anniversary of Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor in Bataan today, Monday.

The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office said President Rodrigo Duterte will be the guest of honor and speaker during

Fire hits Trump Tower in NY; elderly man dies NEW YORK—An elderly man died late Saturday and four firefighters were injured after a blaze erupted on the 50th floor of Trump Tower in New York, officials said.

The New York Police Department said 67-year-old Todd Brassner was found “unconscious and unresponsive” when officers arrived at the scene.

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‘VP poll fraud worsens’ Marcos camp questions validity of Naga City ballots for Robredo

By Rey E. Requejo

—ACTS-OFW Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III

EVISORS at the official recount for the 2016 vice presidential race have uncovered more questionable ballot boxes from Naga City, the hometown and bailiwick of Vice President Leni Robredo.

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The discovery prompted the camp of former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to question the validity of the votes, as it did earlier with boxes found in Bato and Baoa towns.

At the continuation of the recount supervised by the Supreme Court, sitting as the

CJ Sereno vows to confront justices in Baguio session

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ALTAR OF THE BRAVE . A soldier stands guard at the Dambana ng Kagitingan on the eve of the 76th Commemoration of the Day of Valor and Veterans Week at the Dambana ng Kagitingan in Bataan. President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to attend the rites as guest of honor. Presidential Photo

Almost all of the OFWs in the registry acquired the infection via sexual contact.

CHIEF Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno will certainly show up at the Supreme Court session hall in Baguio City when associate justices convene Tuesday to hear oral arguments on the quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida seeking her ouster.

“So far, there is no change in her plan to attend the oral arguments,” Sereno’s spokesperson Jojo Lacanilao said, in an interview.

Lacanilao said Sereno will attend the proceedings even if the five justices— Teresita Leonardo De Castro, Noel Tijam, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin and Francis Jardeleza—whom she earlier asked to inhibit themselves from the case, refuse to do so.

Sereno earlier said the five, who testified against her in the impeachment hearings in the House of Representatives, were “biased and hostile” against her.

the commemoration.

When the Japanese invaded the Philippines on Dec. 8, 1941, they thought they would conquer the country in less than a month, but they underestimated the heroism and sacrifices of the Filipino and American defenders who held their ground in Bataan. The fighting actually lasted for three months and two days.

Presidential Electoral Tribunal, revisors found cut grass inside wet ballot boxes.

Marcos spokesman Vic Rodriguez said this was yet another indication of poll fraud and bolstered allegations that the evidence in Marcos’ election protest Next page

Bello sees peace deal with Reds in June; terror listing probed COMMAND CONFERENCE. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers a message during the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines 1st Quarter Command Conference and Sergeants Major Forum at the Grand Regal Hotel in Davao City on April 7, 2018. Presidential Photo

Many more migrant workers positive for HIV/Aids—solon

By Rio N. Araja AT LEAST 5,537 overseas Filipino workers have either tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus or have full-blown AIDS, and they now comprise 11 percent of the 52,280 cases listed in the Department of Health’s National HIV/AIDS registry as of Feb. 28, a partylist lawmaker said Sunday.

“This is very unfortunate, because if we look at the median age of these

OFWs—at 32 to 34 years old—they are actually at the top of their lives in terms of potential workforce productivity,” said ACTS-OFW Rep. Anicento Bertiz III. Citing registry statistics, he said from January to February this year alone, 140 OFWs—129 males and 11 females— were newly diagnosed as HIV-positive.

“Almost all of the OFWs in the registry acquired the infection via sexual contact,” he added.

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LABOR Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Sunday expressed confidence the government could sign an interim peace agreement with the communist rebels by June this year.

President Rodrigo Duterte last week asked his Cabinet to work on resuming the peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the umbrella organization of the communist movement, four months after he called off the peace talks with them.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Saturday urged the NDFP to comply with Duterte’s conditions for the resumption of the peace negotiations.

“I think the ball is on the side of the Left because the President has given them his conditions,” Panelo told dzMM radio.

“And I think it’s about time they complied. If they’re sincere on the peace talks they should.”

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Officials not liable for mere okay of dubious deal—SC THE Supreme Court has ruled that mere approval of anomalous contracts does not automatically make government officials liable.

In a decision written by Associate Justice Noel Tijam, the Court said the signatures of local and provincial executives and heads of agencies in procurement contracts that are found to be anomalous

are not enough to establish their criminal and administrative liabilities.

“Mere signature [of the head of office or local government unit] in the award of the contract and the contract itself without anything more cannot be considered as a presumption of liability,” the Court en banc decision penned by Associate Justice Noel Tijam declared.

“Liability depends upon the wrong committed and not solely by reason of being the head of a government agency,” the Court said.

The decision stemmed from a Commission on Audit finding against former Nueva Ecija governor Tomas Joson III, for the P155.03-million construction of Next page

COLORED COME-ONS. Colorful umbrellas and inflatable floaters at the Eastwood City Plaza,Quezon City come as extra attraction to mall goers and tourist. Manny Palmero

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News

MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Teachers’ deal sought at leaders’ forum in China THE Philippines and China will work on an agreement on the deployment of 100,000 Filipino teachers to China when President Rodrigo Duterte attends a forum of world leaders in Beijing next week, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said Sunday.

He said China needed 100,000 English teachers who could earn as much as $1,500 (P78,000) a month.

“One of the contentious issues is the requirement by the Chinese government that they will accredit the schools that will issue the certification to our English teachers,” Belo told ANC. “We maintain the position that it should be the Philippines that will choose these schools or the colleges that will issue the certification.”

Bello said he hoped to meet his Chinese counterpart at the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia to thresh out this issue.

Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to hold a bilateral meeting at the event, which is Asia’s answer to the annual World Economic Forum hosted by Switzerland.

The Philippines is eying China as an alternative market for migrant workers after Duterte in February banned the deployment of Filipinos to Kuwait following the deaths of seven Filipinos in the oil-rich nation.

But Manila may partially lift the deployment ban after it signs with Kuwait a memorandum of understanding for the protection of migrant workers.

“We’ve already come up with a finalized draft of the MOU. It is now ready for signature, but we have to wait for the President’s approval,” Bello said.

Duterte slammed Kuwait after the body of Joanna Demafelis, a Filipino maid, was found in a freezer.

He claimed Arab employers routinely raped their Filipino maids, forced them to work 21 hours a day and fed them scrap.

Authorities say 252,000 Filipinos work in Kuwait, and many as maids.

They are among the more than two-million Filipinos employed in the Middle East, and their remittances boost the Philippine economy.

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Meanwhile, some Makabayan members are batting for an investigation of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army being placed in the list of terror organizations.

The seven-member bloc filed House Resolution 1807 urging the House committee on human rights to investigate in aid of legislation the proscription of 657 alleged officers of the CPP-NPA and condemn the Department of Justice’s “terror list.”

In February, the Justice department filed a petition with a Manila court asking for the declaration of the CPP and NPA as “terrorist” organizations.

Bello, the government’s chief negotiator, said the peace deal that may be signed in June with the communists would include a unilateral ceasefire.

The communist and government panels, he said, will discuss other contentious issues when they meet in Norway or the Netherlands.

Duterte earlier promised to end the decades-old communist rebellion, but abandoned the government’s peace initiatives in November as a result of what he claimed as repeated rebel attacks.

He said he would resume the pece talks if the rebels stopped collecting “revolutionary taxes” from businesses and torching the equipment of construction firms. Rio N. Araja

NFA Council abolition backed H

By Rio N. Araja

OUSE Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Sunday supported the abolition of the policy-making National Food Authority Council to address rice shortages and stabilize the price of rice in the market.

“Personally, I think we don’t need such a council. We already have an NFA administrator,” Alvarez said in a radio interview.

“Now if he would only do his job I don’t think we would have any prob-

lems.”

Alvarez said he would support the reconstitution of the council.

A congressional investigation may be in order to determine the amendments to the law that created the body.

“We might have to look into this matter because if the council was created by law, we need to amend it,” Alvarez said.

President Rodrigo Duterte wants the 18-member body abolished amid the disagreements over the rice importation policy between it and the NFA. Malacañang later clarified that the President just wanted the council reconstituted.

Duterte ordered the NFA to proceed with its rice importation following complaints of the lack of supply of cheaper NFA rice.

“I don’t understand why we still need to import rice,” Alvarez said.

He said there were still vast tracts of agricultural land in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao that could be used to produce rice if provided with irrigation and other necessary government support.

He said rice production in Mindanao exceeds local demand, adding the Department of Agriculture, National Irrigation Administration and the NFA administration should get their act together to look deeper into the problem of the country’s rice supply and find a suitable solution.

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YOUNG AND BRAVE. Young skateboarder bravely displays some of his tricks in front of the Gat Andres Bonifacio Shrine at Plaza Lawton in Manila on the eve of ‘Araw ng Kagitingan’ commemoration onApril 9, 2018. Ey Acasio

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against Robredo had been compromised.

“We are convinced that more evidence of fraud, ballot box tampering and vote padding are to come out, validating our case that the 2016 election for vice president is the worse in history,” Rodriguez said, in a statement.

Rodriguez said the cut grass inside many ballot boxes in Naga indicated their integrity had already been compromised.

He also pointed to last week’s discovery of unused or excess ballots that had shaded votes for Robredo, ballots cut into half, and wet ballots in several clustered precincts in Camarines Sur. The Naga ballot boxes were opened Friday by the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal, which also started a recount for the congressional election in the third district of the province to resolve the protest of losing candidate Luis Villa-

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The delay altered the war plan of the Japanese Imperial Army to conquer the countries in Asia. It also enabled Gen. Douglas McArthur, commander of the US forces in the Philippines, to undertake a daring escape to Australia aboard a torpedo boat on his way to the United States, where he planned a counter attack to retake the Philippines to fulfill his promise to the Filipino people that “I shall return.”

Meanwhile, guerrilla forces were organized across the archipelago to continue

fuerte against Rep. Gabriel Bordado.

Some ballots were found organized and neatly stacked together with the other documents in what appeared to be another indication of tampering postelection, and the unauthorized opening of boxes and manipulation while in the custody of the city treasurer, the Marcos camp said.

After the revision at the HRET, the boxes from Naga will be turned to the PET for the revision of votes in the Marcos protest.

During the first week of recount in the PET, several wet ballot boxes were found from Bato and Baao towns in Camarines Sur. Some unused or excess ballots with shaded votes for Robredo and ballots cut into half were also discovered.

Robredo’s lawyer played down the wet ballots and alleged that the former senator was only trying to taint the results of the recount and twisting the developments to favor his protest.

Four of the 40 head revisors resigned

from their duties only a day after the start on the recount, in a move that is certain to delay the proceedings.

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

In his protest, Marcos contested the results in a total of 132,446 precincts in 39,221 clustered precincts covering 27 provinces and cities. He sought a recount in Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental covering a total of 5,418 clustered precincts.

Robredo filed her answer in August 2016 and filed a counter-protest, questioning the results in more than 30,000 polling precincts in several provinces where Marcos won.

She also unsuccessfully sought the dismissal of the protest for lack of merit and jurisdiction of PET. 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.

the war against the Japanese.

And when Bataan surrendered on April 9, 1942, some 60,000 Filipino and American troops were taken prisoners by the Japanese. They were made to walk some 112 kilometers from Mariveles, Bataan, to Capas, Tarlac, under a scorching sun with no food or water for days, and in what is now known the world over as the “Death March.”

Some 18,000 Filipino soldiers and 650 Americans died during the “Death March” due to exhaustion or were either shot or bayoneted to death.

But for the next three years Filipino and American guerrilla forces continued

the fight against the highly superior Japanese Imperial Army.

On Oct. 20, 1944, McArthur fulfilled his promise to return when he led US and allied forces and made a triumphant landing in Palo, Leyte, to liberate the Philippines.

The Japanese were clobbered and forced to retreat, but they were pursued wherever they went.

A week later, the USS Submarine Gar (206) transported guns, ammunition and other logistics to the Filipino guerrillas in northern Luzon fighting the remaining Japanese forces until they were crushed and forced Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita and his men to surrender. PNA

Fire...

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Brassner—a Trump Tower resident identified by US media as an art dealer—was pronounced dead after being taken to Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital, according to police, which said the medical examiner’s office would determine the cause of death as part of an ongoing investigation.

“This was a very difficult fire. As you can imagine, the apartment is quite large, we are 50 stories up.

The rest of the building had a considerable amount of smoke,” the New York City Fire Department said.

It said the four firefighters had “non-life threatening” injuries and the blaze had been brought under control.

Smoke began rising from the skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan around 6:00 p.m. (2200 GMT).

The building, which is owned by US President Donald Trump, serves as the headquarters for The Trump Organization and houses the president’s penthouse.

Surrounding streets were closed off as tourists snapped pictures on their phones.

The fire department earlier tweeted a picture of the building with several windows of the 50th floor ablaze.

Trump later said the fire had been extinguished.

“Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined [well built building]. Firemen [and women] did a great job.

THANK YOU!” he said. AFP

“It was a feast for the eyes... people were hyped,” 30-year-old runner Ronald Tugade told AFP after completing a five-kilometer (three-mile) segment of the course.

“Bystanders asked why we were dressed that way,” said the IT engineer, who said he had clocked in at a relatively slow 26 minutes because he was somewhat distracted by the many “guys with abs, as well as sexy women” around him.

The race, which participants could choose to run at three, five or 10 kilometres, also attracted a number of local celebrities, with one popular actor and go-karting driver mobbed by female runners.

“Of course you have to get your body toned for it, but there was no body shaming. All participants were welcome,” said Tugade.

While more daring participants wore G-strings and body paint, others opted for silly costumes such as grass skirts and baby-blue ballet tutus.

“Everyone stripped down to their birthday suits or dressed up to the nines—there were feathers, Egyptian costumes, superhero masks and odes to traditional [tribal loincloths],” said a post on the fitness website multisport.ph, the run’s co-sponsor.

AFP

The problem underscored the need for the Department of Labor and Employment to invest more aggressively in HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention among workers, he said.

“Awareness and prevention are our best tools against infection,” he added.

Bertiz said overseas workers are susceptible to HIV infection because they are exposed to foreign culture that usually encourages high-risk behavior, including casual sex.

He also said overseas Filipino seafarers are even more vulnerable, as they have the money to pay for readily available commercial or transactional sex services in foreign ports, he said.

Of the 5,537 OFWs in the government’s HIV/AIDS registry, Bertiz said 86 percent, or 4,763, were male.

“We do not have the figures as to how many OFWs are actually dying as a result of HIV/AIDS or complications thereof, because the registry does not track mortality by special population groups,” he said.

“But this is what we know. Of the 52,280 cases in the registry, there have been 2,511 deaths reported so far. And in 2017 alone, an average of 41 Filipinos [not necessarily OFWs] died every month due to HIV/AIDS or difficulties thereof,” he said.

the Nueva Ecija Friendship Hotel, now named the Sierra Madre Suites.

The CoA issued in 2007 notices on three contracts signed and approved by Joson with A.V.T. Construction for the project and found him liable along with members of the Bids and Awards Committee, the BAC Technical Working Group, the provincial accountant, and the provincial engineer.

Joson had filed a petition for exclusion from liability, arguing that “the determination of whether a prospective bidder is eligible or not is the exclusive responsibility of the BAC and if there is indeed a liability, the members of the BAC should be held liable since they are the persons directly responsible for the transaction.”

However, CoA, in its 2015 decision, denied the petition as it ruled that Joson was liable for the disallowed amount since “he failed to exercise due diligence in the performance of his duty.”

The commission also ruled that “being a signatory in the contracts, Joson is presumed to have prior knowledge that the bidding process was tainted with ineligibility.”

But the Supreme Court disagreed with the CoA. “The fact that petitioner [Joson] is the head of the procuring entity and the governor of Nueva Ecija does not automatically make him the party ultimately liable for the disallowed amount. He cannot be held liable simply because he was the final approving authority of the transaction in question and that the employees or officers who processed the same were under his supervision,” the tribunal said.

“In the present case, other than the mere signature of the petitioner, no other evidence was presented by the CoA to show that petitioner had actual prior knowledge of the ineligibility of A.V.T. Construction.

Nothing appears on record that would prompt petitioner to thoroughly review and go over every document submitted

by A.V.T. Construction, considering that they were already evaluated and scrutinized by the BAC,” it said.

The tribunal sided with Joson’s defense that he only approved the contract upon BAC’s recommendation to award the contract to A.V.T. Construction after evaluation of all the documents submitted by the firm and that he also only signed the contracts on behalf of the provincial government.

Citing the Government Procurement Act, the Court said the that determination of whether a prospective bidder is eligible or not falls on the BAC. “The BAC sets out to determine the eligibility of the prospective bidders based on their compliance with the eligibility requirements set forth in the Invitation to Bid and their submission of the legal, technical and financial documents required,” it said.

The Court said that even assuming that Joson did not ensure that the eligibility documents were attached to the contract, “it is settled that mistakes committed by a public officer are not actionable absent any clear showing that they were motivated by malice or gross negligence amounting to bad faith.”

“In this case, there is no showing that petitioner was motivated by malice or gross negligence amounting to bad faith in failing to ensure that the eligibility documents of A.V.T. Construction were not attached to the contract,” it said.

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Lawyer Josa Deinla, another of Sereno’s spokesperson, said the chief justice would face the en banc even if it would fail to act on her plea for the inhibition of the five justices.

However, Deinla added that if the en banc does not act and decide on her plea, Sereno’s camp would question the Court’s impartiality.

Nonetheless, Deinla said Sereno still believes in the fairness of her colleagues.

She also said Sereno sees in her appearance in the oral arguments a chance to present her side in the allegations raised by Calida in his petition.

Deinla added that Sereno’s presence does not mean she has changed her position that the en banc has no jurisdiction to hear the case, since the Constitution states that she can be removed from office only through impeachment proceedings. Rey E. Requejo

News

MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018

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Amihan ending, summer setting in

By Rio N. Araja

CLOSURE CHAOS. Tourists relax along a beach in Boracay island in Malay, Aklan on April 7, 2018. The Philippine tourism industry scrambled on April 6 to manage the fallout from the temporary shutdown of its world-famous Boracay Island, which threw into chaos trips planned by hundreds of thousands of tourists. AFP

LTO regional enforcers suspended CLARK, PAMPANGA—Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade has ordered the sacking of personnel assigned at the Land Transportation Office Bayombong District Office and Aritao Extension Office, following numerous complaints of extortion activities while in the conduct of enforcement.

The complaints of corrupt practices from rice traders and truckers drew the ire of President Rodrigo Duterte during the rice industry stakeholders meeting in Malacañang, Thursday night.

President Duterte immediately called Tugade, who then went fuming mad upon learning of the complaints.

Right after the phone call with the President, Tugade instructed LTO Chief Edgar Galvante to execute a relieve order to concerned officials and employees, pending the result of a thorough investigation.

The Relieve Order dated Friday, 6 April 2018, was issued to concerned LTO officials and personnel by LTO Regional Director Romeo Sales, as instructed by Galvante.

Sales likewise directed the cancellation of deputation orders and Temporary Operator’s Permit issued to DPWH personnel manning the weigh bridge in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya.

Based on the complaints raised by some rice traders and truckers from Nueva Vizcaya, several LTO personnel in the area earn as much as P1 million a day from over a thousand trucks from Cagayan Valley bringing agricultural products out of the region.

This practice had been hounding the industry for over a decade now, according to traders.

Tugade promised to teach the corrupt LTO enforcers a lesson and urged the traders and truckers to come out and express their grievances.

For his part, Galvante expressed his full support to the drive of President Durerte and Tugade to help put an end to corruption in government.

A new set of LTO officials and employees was designated in acting capacity to take over LTO Bayombong District Office and Aritao Extension Office, so as not to delay government transactions.

Boracay hotels, airlines waive rebooking charges W

ITH the impending closure of the country’s top summer destination Boracay, local and foreign tourists are scrambling to rebook flights or scrap hotel accomodations, airlines authorities said on Sunday.

Major airlines in the Philippines are now mounting additional flights to other popular tourist destinations to recover the expected revenue losses from the planned six-month closure of Boracay, described as the third largest airline market in the country after Manila and Cebu.

Some airlines and hotels have expressed readiness to waive rebooking and cancellation fees for tourists who have already booked their flights and stay in Boracay, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said.

Once the island has been closed on April 26, local and foreign tourists will no longer be allowed to enter the island.

But the Tourism chief clarified that tourists who are already in Boracay and are booked past the date of the island resort’s closure will not be asked to leave and will be allowed to stay for the duration of their booking.

Workers who will be displaced by the six-month closure will be given financial assistance and temporary work by

the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The departments of Tourism, Labor and Employment and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority will also provide training for the residents and displaced workers.

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the closure of Boracay based on the recommendation of the DoT, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The three departments came up with the recommendation after Duterte ordered them to clean the “cesspool” that is Boracay in February.

A police contingent from the Visayas has been tasked to help enforce the closure effective April 26, 2018.

Airlines are reducing flights ahead of the six-month shutdown of Boracay.

“Effective April 20, we are reducing

our flights—52 to Kalibo and 42 to Caticlan—to just nine weekly flights to Kalibo and seven weekly flights to Caticlan,” said Jessica Abaya, PAL chief customer experience office.

“But what we are doing is we are adding flights to other destinations. Flights to Bacolod, Iloilo, Cebu and Puerto Princesa effective April 20. Soon after that, we will be adding flights from Cebu to Busuanga, Clark to Cebu, Clark to Busuanga, and even flights from Manila to Dumaguete and Manila to Cagayan de Oro,” added Abaya.

She also said “We are optimistic that with this additional [domestic] that we are deploying, especially to the bigger cities like Cebu, we will more than recover, fully recover the expected revenues from Bocaray.”

Without giving figures of the projected revenue losses, Abaya described it as “short-term hit.”

“It’s gonna be six months but what we really like to do is to encourage the people to rediscover other summer destination just as beautiful as Boracay,” she said.

Abaya admitted that Boracay is one of airline’s top summer destination.

“But year round, our top city destinations are Cebu and Davao.”

MUSTANG MANIA.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar (middle) mingles with Mustang owners at the Manila International Autoshow at the World Trade Center in Pasay City April 8.

Norman Cruz

BRACE for hotter days as summer is already approaching, the weather bureau said Sunday.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the northeast monsoon has weakened.

Aldczar Aurelio, weather forecaster, said the bureau may declare the onset of the dry season over the week, adding that the cool northeast monsoon or “hanging amihan” may no longer be dominant in Luzon.

“We saw in our forecast the northeast monsoon will no longer prevail, and that we will soon declare the onset of summer,” he said.

The effect of the northeast monsoon may have been prolonged this year by a “weak” La Niña condition characterized by the unusually cool ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.

Guidelines on profiling of kid workers THE Labor department has released guidelines on the profiling of child laborers to draw them away from abusive employers.

Child labor refers to any work or economic activity performed by children under 18 years of age that subject them to any form of exploitation or is harmful to their health and safety or physical, mental, or psychological development.

“Given the insufficient data on child laborers, it is necessary to first conduct nationwide profiling of the target child laborers and their families which will serve as a basis for the provision of appropriate services and interventions necessary to remove the children from child labor,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in an order issued last week.

On the 2011 survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, an estimated 2.1-million children aged five to 17 years were engaged in child labor and 97.7 percent of whom were in hazardous child labor. However, the data thus not provide the names and location of the child laborers.

In his order, Bello directed DoLE Regional/Field Offices to consolidate data from its social partners for the identification and profiling of the target child laborers to assess their needs and further referred to concerned agencies for the provision of services and assistance needed by children and their families.

The profiling of the target child laborers will come from the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and through the Community Based Monitoring System implemented by various local government units.

DoLE, as the lead agency in the implementation of the Philippine Program against Child Labor and as the chair of the National Child Labor Committee, will be responsible for the monitoring and reporting if a child has already been removed from child labor.

Govt buys machines to produce vehicle plates Car enthusiasts rev up call for SAP Go to run for senator

AMID the shortage of vehicle license plates, the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Office are taking matters into their own hands. They acquired plate making machines to boost the capacity of the government to manufacture car plates on its own.

In an inspection at the LTO Motor Vehicle License Plate Facility last Friday, April 6, 2018, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade personally inspected the seven (7) units of Manual Embossing Machines which were delivered on Feb. 26, 2018.

The plate making machines were part of the contract of Trojan Computer Forms Manufacturing Corp. and JH. Tonnjes E.A.S.T. GmbH Joint Venture, who won the con-

tract for the procurement of Motor Vehicle and Motorcyle license plates to address the backlog from July 2016 and beyond. The contract stipulated only five manual plate making machines, but the contractor added two more for temporary use at no additional cost.

One unit of Automated Embossing Machine will also be delivered in July, and will be made operational in August 2018.

“Ayaw na nating maulit ’yung problema sa plaka. Kaya naman mas maigi kung tayo na lang mismo ang mag-manufacture kaysa nagpapagawa pa abroad na nagpapatagal lang ng proseso. With the proper equipment and training, kaya naman natin,” said Tugade. [We don’t want

a repeat of the problem. So it’s better that we on our own produce the plates rather than have them made from abroad that only prolongs the process].

At full production, the seven units of manual embossing machines are capable of producing 22,000 plates per day. The machines have already been calibrated and are already operational. Meanwhile, the automated embossing machine can produce 12,000 plates per day.

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairman Martin Delgra III, LTO Executive Director Romeo Vera Cruz, and other road sector officials of the DOTr were also present during the inspection.

A GROUP of car enthusiasts has joined the call for Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go to run for senator in the 2019 elections.

During the recent 2018 Manila International Auto Show at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, members of the Mustang Enthusiasts Philippines came forward and manifested their support in the senatorial candidacy of Go. The group personally invited Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar to grace the affair.

“In a media interview, the secretary said the group’s support was a welcome

development, a strong foundation trusting in what Secretary Go could do once he is at the Senate,” it said.

Andanar said Go is an accepted candidate for sports and even “muscle cars” enthusiats.

He mentioned the people could rely on the so-called the “three-pointer ng bayan” of the government to fight crime, corruption and illegal drugs.

Supporters of Go earlier launched the “Ready, Set, Go!” campaign to convince Go to run.

Andanar said there will be more campaign programs to be organized by people loyal to Go and his friends to encourage Go to join the senatorial race in 2019.

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Opinion

MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Respecting ourselves FOR four days, I was in Bangkok with colleagues from the Cagayan State University.

We made the institutional decision earlier to internationalize the curriculum and the university’s academic delivery program. Obviously, we had to meet regional, Asean, standards first—and that is the reason that we turned to the Asean University Network-Quality Assurance program. Ambitious, for a provincial university like ours, but “provincial” should be a geographic indicator—in fact, a suggestion of accessibility, never a pejorative label.

“Provincial” is used in spite only from so-called Manileños for whom the provinces are the outback— that nonetheless feeds them and keeps them from starving. In the Philippines, only one university is “institutionally accredited”: De La Salle University. Some other universities have submitted their programs for accreditation: UP, UST, Ateneo de Manila, CEU. CSU is among the first in the country.

The facilitators of the training program for institutional assessment were from the National University of Singapore—without debate, one of the very best this part of the world.

And we joined a class of more

W

The task ahead

E SHED no tears when we learned that Oscar Albayalde will become the next chief of the Philippine National Police, replacing a predecessor who famously cried during Senate hearings when the reputation of the men and women in blue came under attack.

Albayalde, known as a strict disciplinarian, seems well suited to the task of restoring public confidence in the PNP, which has been eroded over the years by too many instances of incompetence, corruption and outright criminal behavior.

In the most recent example of incompetence, the PNP admitted it had filed a weak case that led to the dismissal of charges against a highprofile, self-confessed drug trafficker and his alleged associates.

In September 2017, Caloocan City police were accused of the execution-style killing of two teenagers, then tried in vain to cover up the murders as legitimate anti-drug operations. Fallout from these cases led President Rodrigo Duterte to temporarily relieve the PNP from its leading role in the war on illegal drugs.

In October 2016, policemen abducted a Korean businessman from his home in Angeles City in a failed attempt to extort money from him and his wife, then brought him to PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, where one of his abductors strangled him. His remains were cremated to cover up the murder.

Tellingly, Albayalde was Metro Manila police chief at the time of the teenage killings and responded swiftly by sacking 297 policemen from three precincts, then the rest of the 1,000-strong Caloocan City police force.

Albayalde also played a key role in overseeing security and traffic for the Asean summit in Manila with

Whew!

some 33,000 policemen deployed in November 2017. The minimal disruption during the summit contrasted sharply to the gridlock that motorists endured during the 2015 Apec summit.

As Metro Manila police chief, Albayalde was known for conducting surprise inspections during the night shift, sacking cops who were found sleeping or drinking on the job.

Speaking with candor, Albayalde says he cannot promise a less bloody war on drugs if suspects put up a fight. On the other hand, he has vowed to cooperate in the investigations of police operations with other government agencies, including the Commission on Human Rights. He has also promised to comply with the order of the Supreme Court to submit documents on deaths linked to the war on drugs.

It is a daunting task ahead for the new PNP chief, when most people view police on the streets with fear and suspicion. Albayalde will have truly succeeded when that perception has changed.

THAT’S how the week that was struck me. Whew! So many surprises, so many suspenseful events, so many developments happening all at the same time.

Before the Holy Week break, the President confided to some media guests that he was not satisfied with some of his appointees. And he intimated that he would go on a “firing” spree when he gets back to Manila from his Davao retreat.

Then last Wednesday, the Philippine Star bannered an exclusive story attributed by its Davaoeña veteran reporter Edith Regalado to “reliable sources” about the forthcoming exit of DoJ Secretary Vit Aguirre from the President’s Cabinet.

I have known Edith long enough to trust her with a story, and further, to agree that she does have A-1 sources in Davao.

So I texted some Palace officials to verify, considering that I was there Tuesday morning and nobody told me anything about a maelstrom about to happen.

The Palace officials did not respond. Which meant something was indeed afoot.

Surprise, surprise Why this perverse delight in selfdeprecation?

than 30 academic administrators and heads coming from Thailand, Vietnam, Timor Leste, Indonesia and Malaysia.

There was one delegate from the Central Luzon State University. Having been with academe for such a long time— virtually all of my priestly and professional life—accreditation and its demands are not new to me. But this was different: standards and criteria were several notches higher.

This was Asean accreditation, after all, something I had dreamed of only a year ago. But my university president, Dr. Urdujah Tejada and our Board Chair, Commissioner Lilian de las Llagas, were enthused with the prospect. They not only gave me the green light. They amply provided me and my team with the wherewithal for this venture! In fact, President Urdujah made it part of the priority development thrusts of the university.

All throughout the training seminar, it became clear that the four of us from the Cagayan State University had become leaders of our respective groups (no two representatives from one institution in the same group). We did not seek to be leaders, but we did not shirk from the responsibility either. In many respects, it was because our colleagues—vice-presidents, deans and department heads—recognized that we knew of what we spoke. And then too, they found our facility with English helpful for the purposes of the delivery of reports. (And I hope, we remember that familiarity with English rewards you with benefits that the popularity of Tagalog will never be able to offer, no matter that it masquerades as Filipino— something that the drafters of the Constitution might want to re-visit.)

In sum, we earned the respect of our peers—and we came out of that experience enriched by the wealth of insight shared by them and by our facilitators, but also more confident of ourselves as key players in the higher education sector in the Philippines because of the affirmation that came to us through our colleagues representing our Asean bloc-mates!

But what left an indelible mark on us, Filipino delegates, was the Turn to A5

A tragedy of collaboration and data gaps FEB. 17, 2006 would forever be remembered as a day of great tragedy for the people of Barangay Guinsaugon in Saint Bernard town, Southern Leyte. That day, a small earthquake triggered a landslide that saw an entire section of a mountain bury nearly 1,500 people.

A little-known episode in what would be known as the Guinsaugon tragedy involved a teacher who texted that she and around 400 children were trapped in an elementary school under a mass of land. The text had GPS coordinates, but it was still difficult for the evacuation team to locate its exact location because of the sheer size of the landslide.

“It was one of the biggest landslides in the world, that happened in the past century, which overwhelmed Guinsaugon and its population of

The technologies already exist for effective disaster management, but....

1,857,” said geologist Mahar Lagmay.

“We knew there was a GPS point, but that GPS point was of millimeterscale accuracy. There was data, but it was not made available. The GPS point was given only the seventh day.

And on the seventh day, they tried to locate the elementary school, but it

was too late.”

Lagmay, who teaches at the University of the Philippines National Institute of Geology, was speaking at the presentation of his study “An Open Data Law for Climate Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction” organized by independent think tank Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute.

The Guinsaugon tragedy, he said, demonstrates just how the availability of data is not only crucial in an effective climate resilience and disaster risk reduction policy, it can even save lives in critical situations.

This means that there must be a push to compel both government and private institutions to share data that might prove key in disaster management.

He said: “In order for us to communicate and to build trust, we

Turn to A5

But nothing transpired during the Wednesday night cabinet meeting, and newly arrived spokesman Harry Roque maintained that there was no resignation.

Then on Thursday afternoon, the news trickled in from all sources.

Vit had indeed resigned.

And Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra, with whom I met last Tuesday, was set to replace him.

Whew! Indeed. *** I feel sad for Vit. He is a goodnatured person, very hard-working, and a Duterte loyalist. But the DoJ in these times of so many “wars” against crime, drugs and corruption is a very “hot” seat.

I texted Meynard right after I found out he was about to be sworn in, not to congratulate, because he was actually moving from a not-toopublic job to a highly stressful and very high-profile post. I am sure Meynard realized this.

Meynard gave up an appointment to a fixed term as commissioner in the Philippine Competition Commission to assist his friend ES Bingbong Medialdea as senior deputy. Having worked in Malacañang as well during the previous administration as a deputy of then ES Jojo Ochoa, the President must have been quite impressed with the efficient but very humble Meynard, such that he chose the guy to head one of the most difficult and sensitive positions in his Cabinet.

We wish him the best. *** Quick and controversial decisions were also made on two sectors close to my heart: Boracay and the National Food Authority.

On Boracay, a six-month “shutdown” has been imposed. I have written against such a drastic move, maintaining in this space that the rehabilitation of the country’s top tourist destination could be done in phases. But a decision has been made, and we should just make sure the agencies involved in repairing the damage to the island’s ecology and carrying capacity, along with the local government unit and the private stakeholders will all do their part and coordinate with each other in making best use of the closure period.

Parenthetically, we hope these departments have a good plan to start with which they should share with the stakeholders and can coax all the 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

Remembering the Japanese Occupation and Bataan Day bombs fell on open spaces, some bombs directly hit the Post Headquarters building, LONG before Japan’s Imperial troops the Quartermaster warehouse, the radio occupied the Philippines, many Japanese station, and the big concrete Officers Mess civilians—donning innocent-looking Hall (guest house). merchants’ outfits—roamed the country’s Soon after the bombing, Japanese coastal communities in the far far northwest civilians voluntarily reported to Camp John facing Luzon Bay—by culture too trusting Hay, requesting to be interned to escape and had befriended many of those from the reprisals from the native headhunters, who Land of the Rising Sun. were even then being assembled and riled They enjoyed the blessings of the against the Japanese traitors. In all, 524 Commonwealth administration as they civilians reported to Camp John Hay. worked on their nearby farms that glistened The Japanese internees were later with grains of gold in the harvest months transferred to the custody of the Philippine that began in October or were fully carpeted officials. by deep green native tobacco leaves or On Dec. 22, the main Japanese attack vegetables in the seething summer. was launched at dawn, when 43,000 troops But that was before Japanese naval of Lt. Gen. Masaharu Homma’s 14th Army bombers made a treacherous attack on Pearl waded ashore on coconut-dotted Lingayen Harbor in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941. It was Gulf, 295 kms south of Pinili. After only Dec. 8 in the Philippines.

11 days, the Japanese occupied Manila, The attack prompted the United States and the band played the Japanese anthem to declare war against Japan. The war in “Kimigayo” as sunset guns boomed a the Pacific theater had begun. Germany snappy salute while the Japanese hoisted and Italy, both allies of Japan, declared the Rising Sun. war against the United States and Britain, On Jan. 9, the Japanese offensive igniting the global war. began with artillery barrage that shook the The war in Europe itself was triggered northern end of the Bataan Peninsula. But by the invasion of Poland by the Germans the Japanese suffered 300 dead two days on Sept. 1, 1939. But the war was later when they charged against Filipino and fundamentally a conflict between two American lines. ideologies: democracy and totalitarianism.

On the eastern side of the Atlantic, When Japan was included in the alliance British Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Germany and Italy, they were called on Dec. 8 declared, following a pledge the Axis Powers. By 1941, Japan, with an to the United States a month earlier, war expanding population, was on its way to against Japan. conquer other territories, two of which were In Southeast Asia, the Japanese prepared Manchuria and Indochina. carefully for war, especially the assault This put the Philippines yet again on the on the Philippines where many Japanese war map after Emperor Hirohito’s Imperial merchants had been deployed in the run-up Forces and Kamikaze fighters occupied the to the Pearl Harbor bombing. country for three years and put their foot On Dec. 28, 1941, President Roosevelt down on civil liberties. assured the Filipinos of Washington’s help.

This rudely interrupted the 10-year “I give to the people of the Philippines,” preparatory period for the restoration of Roosevelt declared, “my solemn pledge that Philippine Independence, known as the their freedom will be redeemed and their Commonwealth. The country’s economy independence established and protected. was pushed to meet the demands of the The entire resources, in men and material, of Japanese war efforts, its educational the United States stand behind that pledge.” structure dismantled to enable the Filipinos Days before, Japanese landings were to think along Tokyo’s track, and political made in Batan island in the north of the life was shaped to the Japanese-sponsored country, Aparri and Pandan near Vigan, Republic.

Legazpi in Albay as well as Davao and Jolo But the three years of Japanese in the country’s far south. occupation also saw the immediate birth They also made key landings in of the resistance movement. In fact, even Lingayen in Pangasinan, in Mauban, before the entry of the Japanese in Manila, Atimonan and Siain in Quezon province guerrilla units had been formed for what along Lamon Bay. was believed, wrongly, a short stay in the What aggravated the visibly nearly country of the enemy from the Land of the helpless Philippine position during the Rising Sun. landings was the failing health of the On Jan. 3, 1942, the commander-in- Commonwealth leader, Manuel Quezon. chief of the Japanese Army, only a day after His worries over the sufferings of his enemy occupation of the capital warned countrymen had not helped any as he slid Filipinos against “offering resistance or down to physical weakness. committing hostile acts against the Japanese On Dec. 24, 1941, MacArthur informed forces in any manner.”

Quezon that he, his family and some of The guerrillas did three major functions: his officials were to leave for Corregidor, one, to ambush or otherwise kill enemy the tadpole-shaped island at the mouth of soldiers and civilians; two, to relay important Manila Bay. intelligence reports to Gen. Douglas Quezon also called the last meeting of MacArthur in Australia, like size of army, his official family and informed them of the troop movements, number of Japanese decision to hole up in the island fortress. ships, disposition of troops, activities of the Earlier that month, on Dec. 10, Japanese Military Administration headed residents of the coastal towns of Ilocos by a Director General who was an Army Norte were stunned with the sudden officer, and other necessary intelligence appearance of Japanese Imperial troops information; and, three, to liquidate spies at the start of their occupation of the and Japanese sympathizers. shoreline municipalities.

The United States had underestimated On April 9, 1942, following one of the Japan. In January 1906, President Theodore fiercest battles that scorched the slopes Roosevelt opined, in a letter to Maj. Gen. of Mount Samat overlooking Corregidor Leonard Wood, that Japan had no near- and the often placid Manila Bay, some term purpose of moving against the United 78,000 Filipino and American troops States. surrendered to the Japanese Imperial In fact, the Americans had believed Forces, in the words of its commanding the Philippines, once acquired as a colony officer Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainright Jr., by the United States, would have strategic “to end the useless effusion of blood” on value and that no foreign power would dare the peninsula. stand up to it.

The Battle of Bataan had ended. But it But the Pearl Harbor “surprise offensive” was, in the view of a soldier who fought changed all that. there, the beginning of yet another battle— Japan was rising fast as a military power not to fight but to stay alive. in the Pacific and defenses in the Philippines It was on the slopes of Mt. Samat that were not sufficient. Washington’s military battle-scarred and exhausted American anxieties heightened. and Filipino soldiers surrendered to the But when President Manuel L. Japanese, ending the organized resistance of Quezon, soon after the inauguration of the US Armed Forces in the Far East in the the Commonwealth government, was early months of the Pacific war. able to prevail upon Gen. MacArthur to Only 54,000 men survived the become Field Marshal of the Philippine subsequent “Death March” of 112 kms on Army, Washington’s apprehensions were hot, dusty roads across the Bataan peninsula somehow addressed. MacArthur wanted to to San Fernando in Pampanga before the establish a Filipino Army, strong enough to train ride to a piteously congested prison repel a foreign invasion. camp in the now lahar-devastated Central Responding to MacArthur’s vision, Luzon Plains town of Capas, Tarlac. the Commonwealth Assembly passed The town is about 10 kms northwest Commonwealth Act No. 1, the National of the site of the Kamikaze—sometimes Defense Act, which provided for a citizens’ referred to as the Divine Wind—Airfield in army supported by bomber squadrons.

Mabalacat, off the northeast perimeter fence A total 108 Japanese bombers and 84 of Clark Economic Zone. zero fighters were airborne on Dec. 8 from But many, decades after the notorious Japan’s Formosa-based 11th Imperial Air Death March, waited in vain for justice.

Fleet and speeding south toward Luzon, Some have died without seeing the first flying past the rolling hills of northern letter of the term. One, who participated in Philippines on a mission to bomb the US the Death March, retired Col. Bartolome bomber base at Clark Field, some 100 Gacad, wore on his death bed a T-shirt kilometers north of Manila. that read “Justice for the Filipino WW II Zero pilot Saburo Sakai chopped up veterans.” two B-17 bombers on the Clark runway It was a powerful reminder of a then got in his sights an airborne American controversy that had resonated for six P-40 fighter for the first kill of World War decades, after what military historians had II. Sakai later became the leading Japanese described as one of the worst atrocities of air ace.

World War II. On that same day, 17 planes hovered Each passing year, the veteran lines got over Camp John Hay in Baguio and dropped thinner. But their search for justice was a bombs unexpectedly. Although most of the continuing, if painful, drama.

By Honor Blanco Cabie

Respecting...

From A4

courtesy in the demeanor of the Thais: the charming, endearing and beautiful way they fold their hands and bow to a visitor and even to each other. It was just wonderful. Even the very tone of their beautiful language bespeaks of a deferential attitude that is certainly not submissive but that which is the antithesis of domineering and imperious!

By contrast, in the Philippines, there is an invidious obsequiousness to American mores that we think it “in,” “democratic,” “liberal” and “progressive” to do away with the last vestiges of the respectfulness that used to be demanded of students and that they ungrudgingly exhibited towards teachers, superiors and elders. Not too long ago, some selfproclaimed prophet of modernity announced—and advocated—the demise of “sir” and “ma’am.” But what is wrong with these appellations of respect? If the Americans find it offensive, let them wallow in the growing heap of “resented” terms they consign to their cultural backyards, proscribed by the peculiarly perverse version of modernity and democracy that they have made theirs. Feminists take offense at “human” because it contains the particle “man.” How much more stupid can one get than that? I once was willing to give the arguments for “political correctness” a kindly hearing. I have only spite for it and for its hypocrisy now.

And if freedom means for them the right to keep the weapons by which schoolchildren are slaughtered, why should we tread the same path of their perdition?

And I am worried about us, because we have become increasingly

Whew!...

From A4

concerned sectors to cooperate fully. *** Of course, the toll on Boracay’s economy would be considerable.

Estimates have been coming out, but consider as well that the entire Aklan province will be affected, particularly its capital, Kalibo, whose airport is the bigger international gateway to the island.

Likewise, Philippine tourism will take a big hit. It’s easy to say tourists can be enticed to our other beautiful destinations.

Truth is, travel plans are made ahead of time, and shifting to another destination is such a hassle that the visitor would rather cancel plans to visit the country instead.

What we must all be concerned with now is how all sectors can unite to “save” our national treasure within the time frame, and even on a continuing basis, sustain the “save Boracay” effort. *** The other “whew” issue is the absence of NFA, or low-priced rice, in the market. It is easy to say there is enough locally-produced rice to get us through, or even add the privatelyimported rice stocks in the hands of the commercial sector, but at the prices they now command, where will the poor buy affordable rice?

Furthermore, the lean months

A tragedy...

From A4

must have open data. We must have open access. We must have open knowledge, open science, and open government … Open data is data that can be freely used, shared and builton by anyone, anywhere, for any purpose.”

For disaster risk reduction, you’ll never know what data you might need, he said. During emergencies like the Guinsaugon landslide, time is of the essence, and so such data must be readily available without asking for anything.

The combination of the country’s disaster profile and the “new normal” brought about by the effects of climate change makes this imperative to institutionalize an open data law for climate resilience and disaster risk reduction extra urgent, said professor Dindo Manhit, Stratbase ADRi President.

“We’re one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change, as well as other natural disasters, owing mainly to our geographical location. Worse, the consequence of these disasters is aggravated by poor infrastructure, which is more pronounced in the countryside, where, tragically, calamities more frequently occur,” he said.

MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018

A5

tolerant of disrespect, rudeness and uncouthness. When high officials of the land throw cuss words about without so much as a hint of regret for behavior most unstatesmanlike, then soon, cursing and the routine recourse to expletives become “in” and “acceptable”—and the few, remaining strands of decency fly out the windows! Recently, Acting Commission on Higher Education Chairman Popoy de Vera recounted how a party-list representative of the youth and her cohorts in the Lower House (where lower is particularly apt in this case) demanded answers of him like he was a heretic facing trial by the Inquisition. Where did these youngsters, many of whom can have hardly anything more said of them than distressing shallowness and pathetic mediocrity, find such gumption? The highest officials of the land are fair game—first, by the media that, has adopted a particularly perverse reading of the constitutional guarantee of a free press. Reporters and anchor persons who can ask the most insulting and offensive questions without trepidation or reticence are lauded as brave, acclaimed as fearless.

And so goes the entire nation. We compete with each other at rudeness to assure ourselves that we are truly free. Maybe, Plato and Aristotle were right after all, about their fear of a democracy—especially when the “people” fall far short of the thoughtful and self-respecting citizens a good democracy demands!

It shows too in the way we act towards each other. Our CSU team boarded the evening Philippine Airlines flight from Bangkok on Friday night, April 7. The flight was scheduled for seven in the evening.

It was delayed—and with the delay came one more distressing signal

that we are losing self-respect. A Philippine airline did not feel itself obliged to explain to its passengers the reason for the inordinate delay that had us landing in Manila way past midnight. The reason was not too difficult to surmise: Most passengers were Filipinos and overseas workers, with only a sprinkling of foreigners on board. The PAL management, I surmise, did not find the need to explain to compatriots, especially not to the OFWs on board, why their already long flights from the Middle East, probably even from Europe, had to take longer than scheduled.

Filipinos were expected to accept with docility the travails visited on them by a mighty airline. One Filipino flight attendant serving in the economy section was particularly uncouth.

He all but flung dinner trays at the passengers, and poured water into plastic glasses hardly taking any care not to cause any of the liquid to spill on the passengers.

We are not a stupid people. In several respects, we have proved ourselves to be brilliant, intellectually superior and capable of works of high culture and artistry. In the sciences, in industry, in art and the whole gamut of culture, in education—we are in the higher echelons. But why this perverse delight in self-deprecation?

Why this willingness to lose respect for ourselves? If one advances the opinion that the West’s influence on us—the US, in particularly—is to blame, that explains nothing but only heightens the question, for why should we be willing to take as paradigmatic and normative for our own nation the decadence and moral bankruptcy of another?

are just around the corner, during which time, as they wait for their palay to mature into harvest, farmers themselves are consumers. With the summer crop fetching P24 to P25 per kilo, our farmers must have sold, or are currently selling all their produce.

When harvest wanes and their families wait for the wet season crop to become cash, that’s when they buy NFA rice.

But there ain’t any; and that 250,000-ton approved import volume, good for eight days of the country’s staple consumption, will not even be enough as we enter the lean months soon. It had to take an angry president to tell the NFA to go ahead and import and not wait for the Council’s debating on the terms of reference.

My departed Bulakeña grandmother who was born just before Aguinaldo proclaimed the First Republic, used to tell us a “pamahiin” that whenever Good Friday falls on March instead of April, the crops will not be good.

The sugar crop this year is down by some 10 percent to 15 percent. Nueva Ecija, our onion supplier, reports that worms have eaten up more than half the projected harvest for the year. Too much rain in the eastern seaboard and Mindanao presage bad fruit harvests as well. And then there is the rice price crisis.

Que lastima! Lesson to be learned, as SP Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said in so many words: Don’t play with rice. *** The March inflation rate was 4.3 percent, the highest in five years.

Whew!

A combination of factors, from a depreciating peso, to higher fuel costs, to a rice price spike, plus the nearterm effects of the TRAIN tax hikes conspired to push the price index upwards.

Now the Bangko Sentral and the Monetary Board will have to come up with measures, most likely by the first or second week of May, to staunch the inflation rate, so that prices will not fly up, up and away. *** On the international scene, Trump’s America and Xi’s China have started moves that could push the world economy into crisis via a disastrous “trade war.” Trump last week upped the ante when he said another $100 billion worth of US imports from China should be slapped with bigger tariffs. China said it will respond in kind to Trump’s bullying.

A trade war is in the offing, and it will be disastrous to the world economic order. Then our collective “whews” this week could become a collective “Oh, no!” *** We end this April 9 article noting that it is a national holiday that commemorates the Fall of Bataan.

Why do we commemorate defeats and death more than celebrations of life or victories? Fall of Bataan on April 9. Ninoy Aquino’s murder on Aug. 21. Rizal’s death on Dec. 30 rather than his birth on June 19.

Then again, when did we ever win?

For lawyer Lysander Castillo, Secretary General of Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship, such data-sharing law can jumpstart our efforts in responding to natural calamities and become the basis for sound disaster management.

Given the cumbersome bureaucracy, it can push government agencies to the right direction.

“We have manpower challenges, technology challenges, capacity challenges and that’s where having a law is an advantage. We have to allocate a lot of resources as against merely promulgating executive or administrative orders. This kind of initiative that you have to put your resources into reversing a culture and a bureaucracy. This is the value of having a law lies.”

Echoing this was engineer Ludwig Federigan, executive director and cofounder of the Young Environmental Forum, who said that a legislated open data policy represents a clear step toward having climate-resilient communities and, eventually, country.

“We cannot achieve climate resiliency if the available data are delayed in delivery, are denied, or withheld using the issues of cost recovery, sustainability, and intellectual property,” he said, adding that adopting an open data law on climate resilience and disaster risk reduction further strengthens the country’s commitment to the Paris

Agreement on Climate Change.

The good news is the Department of Information and Communications Technology is in fact already in the process of proposing the passage of a law on open data, said Maria Teresa Magno-Garcia, Director of DICT’s National ICT Governance Service.

“In drafting this e-government bill, we are proposing a section on data sharing and open data. There is going to be a technical working group, and we’re going to sit down to flesh out the provisions.”

Political science professor and Stratbase ADRi trustee Francisco Magno said the ecosystem involved in making data relevant available requires a “society approach” but that government institutions must initially take the reins.

“Right now our Freedom of Information policy only applies to the executive because of an executive order. But a law will have to be applied to the different government branches including congress, the judiciary, and the local government units.”

The multi-sectoral forum of scientists, government, academe and civil society was unanimous in support of the legislative initiative of Lagmay and should become a priority of our lawmakers. The technologies already exist for effective disaster management but these needed to be backed by the most accurate information that should be open to all.

rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@outlook.com

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News

MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

AFP forms Special Operations Command

T

HE Armed Forces of the Philippines on Sunday activated the AFP Special Operations Command, which effectively places control of all special operation units of major services under one command.

AFP chief of staff Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero said the activation of AFPSOCOM was the “result of lessons learned in the Zamboanga City attack in 2013 and the Marawi siege in 2017.”

“I have personally seen the need for a joint SOCOM, having been a Brigade, Division, and Area Commander. In the Eastern Mindanao Command, I saw the need for a single unit that would oversee the proper employment of the different major service special operations forces deployed in the area,” he added.

“I expect that all of the gaps and challenges we encountered in joint operations involving our SOFs will be addressed with our activation of the AFPSOCOM. [These] organizational improvements will ensure that the AFP remains responsive and adaptive to current and emerging challenges in the global security environment,” Guerrero added.

Military public affairs chief Lt. Col. Em-

manuel Garcia said AFPSOCOM will be headquartered in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

Garcia said AFPSOCOM will take command and supervision of the Special Operations Wing of the Air Force; the Naval Special Operations Group from the Navy; the Army’s Scout Ranger Regiment, Special Forces Regiment and Light Reaction Regiment; and the Joint Special Operations Group of the AFP General Headquarters.

“We are all very thankful because our dream of being under one umbrella has been realized. This has been our dream because we know the intricacies and peculiarities of special operations,” AFPSOCOM head Maj. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista said.

“Now that we have an AFP special operations command controlling special operations units down the line, the utilization of special operations forces will be more efficient and effective,” he added. PNA

PIMP MY RIDE.

Kids are dwarfed by a big foot F150 exhibited at the 2018 Manila International Auto Show at the World Trade Center in Pasay city.

Ey Acasio

JBC opens nominations for 96 judges in Mindanao THE JUDICIAL and Bar Council has opened the application for 96 vacancies for judges in various courts in Mindanao.

Supreme Court Clerk of Court and JBC Ex Officio Secretary Edgar Aricheta said those interested for judgeship positions in four judicial regions, which include 27 in Region 9; 29 in Region 10; 16 in Region 11; and 24 in Region 12, should submit their respective applications on or before April 24.

Among the requirements are reports of medical examinations; Income Tax Returns or Certificates of Compensation Payment/Tax Withheld; Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Networth; performance ratings from 2015 to 2017 for those in government; notarized personal data sheet; law school records; certificate of admission to the Bar; certificate of employment; service records for those who have been employed in government; samples of written works like decisions, treatises, opinions and articles; and clearances from the Ombudsman, Office of the Bar Confidant, Integrated Bar of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police.

“The date of actual receipt by the JBC of the applications and complete documentary requirements shall be deemed

as the date of filing. Qualifications of applicants shall be reckoned from the said deadline,” Aricheta said.

Meanwhile, the JBC announced that there are 30 applicants seeking to be named to vacant positions as presiding judges.

They are Ma. Veronica Abutan, Dennis Aguila, Elena Aguilar, Glenn Paul Armamento, Heidi Bacolor-Ragsac, Ma. Paz Besonya, Edwin Buffe, Russel Dalisay, Angela Kristine De GuinoRoyandoyan, Shiela Dasco Del Rosario, Eric Anthony Dumpilo, Reigi Estillero, Gladys Follero-Moreno, Marcelino Gonzales II and Nerissa Guirao; and Alvin Landicho, Jennie Ann Lagronio, Jorge Manaois Jr., Enrico Mantuano II, Charlene Clara Mendoza, Ma. Cecilia Moldez, Perly Anne Pe, Divina Lea Pedriguerra, Jeicqpoi Politico, Maria Cristita Rivas-Santos, Jam Tristan Sulit, Rachelle Tandoc-Ricabierta, Sergio Duke Villar, and Crescencio Cortes Jr. The JBC said the public may submit “a sworn complaint, report, or opposition against any of the aforesaid applicants.”

The JBC is constitutionally mandated to screen and vet nominees to the President for vacant posts in the judiciary and the Offices of the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman. PNA

REBLOCKING.

South bound traffic builds up along Edsa Cubao underpass as workers prepare for road repair on Sunday.

Manny Palmero

Wage hike petitions filed in Central Visayas CEBU CITY—At least six labor organizations have petitioned for an acrossthe-board wage increase in Central Visayas, the Department of Labor and Employment Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Cebu said yesterday.

DoLE Region 7 Director Cyril Ticao, who serves as chairman of the RTWPB, said a P155.80 across-the-board daily wage adjustment petition was collectively filed by the Cebu Labor Coalition, Lonbisco Employees Organization, Metaphil Workers Union, NUWHRAINMontebello Chapter, NLM-Katipunan, and Union Bank Employees Association.

The Associated Labor Unions-Trade

Union Congress of the Philippines also filed a P120.00 across-the-board daily wage hike petition.

All petitions, Ticao said, have to be formally presented to the Wage Board in a public hearing, which is a requirement in fixing wages.

The first public hearing that will tackle the wage hike petition will be on April 12 in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

The second one is to take place the following day, April 13, in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

On April 26, the Board will hold the same in Cebu City, which will be followed by a final hearing on May 10 in Bogo City, Northern Cebu.

“Wage fixing is done on a regular basis to ensure that the welfare of those in the vulnerable sector is protected. The task now of the Board is to balance the interest of labor and management,” Ticao said.

The inputs gathered in the public consultation, Ticao added, will be instrumental for the Board to arrive at a collective, accurate, and precise decision—something which is beneficial not only to management and labor but also to the entire region.

“Interested parties could ask for a copy of the petitions filed and may examine the contents therein and other related pertinent records at the office of the RTWPB during the business hours,” he said. PNA

High-powered firearms seized from 8 MILF men

By Francisco Tuyay ARMY troopers seized high-powered firearms from eight members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Maguindanao over the weekend.

The arrested MILF fighters were identified as Esmael Sampiano, Talipasan Lachali, Duma Lachali, Abubakar Kamactil, Abpa Kuradsang, Mohamad Viajar, Tinod Dimaguil and Commander Taib Kalanganan.

The arrest came after troops from the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion implemented preemptive security measures, including setting up of checkpoints, amid reports of an ongoing clan conflict among MILF members.

The military was alerted due to the armed confrontation between the groups of commander Mohammas Pausa of the MILF National Guard and Datu Dima Mamaluba.

Seized from the MILF members were

2 M16 rifles; one home-made Caliber 50 Barret rifle; one M14 rifle, 6 short magazines for M16 rifle; a long magazine and 5 short magazine for M14 rifle; 84 rounds of bullets for M14 rifle; 139 rounds of bullets for M16 rifle; and various military uniforms and bandoliers.

The troops immediately coordinated the arrest with the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities to verify their identities and their affiliation along with the legality of their movement.

PCSO confident Albayalde to strike hard vs jueteng

DROWNING IN HAPPINESS. Children enjoy playing with colorful plastic balls at Eastwood City Plaza in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Alexander Balutan has expressed confidence that incoming Philippine National Police chief Police Director Oscar Albayalde will hit hard against jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling in the country.

Albayalde, head of the National Capital Regional Police Office, will replace outgoing PNP chief General Ronald dela Rosa, Both are members of the Philippine Military Academy Sinagtala Class of 1986.

“Albayalde is a hard-working officer and we have confidence that aside from his pronouncement to continue President Duterte and outgoing PNP chief Gen. dela Rosa’s war against drugs, he will also strengthen the administration’s war against illegal gambling,” Balutan, a retired Marine major general, said.

Duterte last year signed Executive Order No. 13 which orders the PNP, National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and other law enforcement agencies to coordinate with each other to stop illegal gambling.

Sports

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MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Reed leads McIlroy at Masters A

UGUSTA—Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy are headed into a last-round Masters showdown, 18 months after their epic Ryder Cup duel at Hazeltine.

America’s Reed eagled both par-5 holes on Augusta National’s back nine on Saturday en route to a five-under par 67 and, at 14-under 202, a three-shot lead over Northern Ireland star McIlroy.

McIlroy, a four-time major-winner who only needs a green jacket to complete his collection of Grand Slam titles, had five birdies and an eagle in his 7-under 65 for 205 -- and said he would be ready to swing away come Sunday.

“All the pressure is on him,” McIlroy

said. “He’s got to go out and protect that, and he’s got a few guys chasing him that are pretty big-time players. He’s got that to deal with and sleep on.

“I can go out there and play like I’ve got nothing to lose ... I can go out and sort of free wheel.”

McIlroy has been hankering for a return to the last group on Sunday at Augusta since 2011, when he took a four-shot lead into the final round and carded an 80.

Since then he has won four majors, but never a Masters.

“I’ve been waiting for this chance,” McIlroy said. “I always have said that 2011 was a huge turning point in my career. Now I’m ready.”

Reed, who is seeking his first major title, hinted that McIlroy’s bid to become just the sixth player to win all four of golf’s major championships carried it’s

own pressure.

“You can put it either way,” Reed said, adding that he “felt fine” after sleeping on the halfway lead.

“I believe that’s how it’s going to be ...

Wake up and just come out and play golf.”

The needling was no surprise given their history -- specifically Reed’s 1 up victory, secured with a birdie at 18, which set the tone for the US Ryder Cup victory over Europe.

- Not a two-horse race Both Reed and McIlroy, however, said it would be dangerous to go into Sunday with eyes only for each other.

American Rickie Fowler and Spain’s Jon Rahm matched McIlroy’s 65 on Saturday, Fowler heading into the final round five shots off the lead and Rahm one stroke behind him.

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, a British Open champion, is seven adrift and two-

time Masters champion Bubba Watson is eight shots off the lead.

“There’s a lot more players in this golf tournament than just Patrick Reed and I,” McIlroy said. “It’s definitely not a two-horse race at this point.”

McIlroy believes his nine prior Masters appearances have earned him some support around Augusta, while Reed led Augusta State to two national collegiate golf championships in 2010 and 2011.

“It’s going to be awesome to come out tomorrow and have a lot of Augusta State guys out here cheering me on,” Reed said -- although he noted that the stately confines of Augusta National would make for a far different experience than a rowdy Ryder Cup. There’s a lot of stuff that you can do at Ryder Cup that you can’t do at Augusta National,” he said. AFP

Patrick Reed of the United States reacts to a putt on the 18th green during the third round of the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. AFP

Danao hosts Matta siblings dominate Lhuillier net tourney Xterra Off-Road tilt on April 22

DANAO, Cebu primes up for another grueling staging of what has long been considered as the toughest endurance event – the Xterra Off-Road Triathlon Asia-Pacific Championship, which fires off April 22.

Host of a number of international mountain bike events in recent years, Danao put up a successful first-ever hosting of Xterra last year that saw South African Bradley Weiss and Carina Wasle of Austria top their respective sides in the challenging 1.5K swim, 28K bike on fireroads and rocky terrain, and 8K trail run with the city’s scenic mountain ranges as backdrop.

Danao, which offers a challenging course that tests not only the field’s stamina and power but also their mental toughness, will stage the Xterra until 2019 in line with the three-year contract signed by city officials with the organizing Sunrise Events, Inc. Registration is going. For details, visit www.danao.xterraphil.com or at facebook and twitter xterrasouthph.

Aside from the full Xterra (individual and relay), also on tap are competitions in the Lite (individual and relay), a 750m swim-14km mountain bike-4km trail run, and the duathlon (individual), a 2km trail run-14km mountain bike-4km trail run event.

The event, presented by the Province of Cebu and the City of Danao, is backed by venue hosts Coco Palms Beach Resort and Cebu Technological U, and 2Go Express, David’s Salon, Intercare, Motor Ace, Hyper on Cignal, The Philippine Star, AlcoPlus, DeVant, Sanicare and Storck.

The swim leg starts and end at Coco Palm Beach Resort with triathletes swimming on a counter-clockwise rectangular course that traverses the perimeter of the beach area.

For the bike, competitors ride on a twoloop course starting with barangay road leading to a higher elevation. They can expect to encounter several punishing climbs as they go deeper into the course before entering fireroads and then rocky terrain.

They have to pedal on numerous single track with varying vegetation in the area, as well fast downhill sections and some technical flat portions in the course.

IT WAS a mix of local and visiting netters, who emerged winners at the recent Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series leg held in Coron, Palawan.

The local bets were led by the Matta siblings from Puerto Princesa, who dominated their age groups, led by Marianne Almera Matta, who won three titles.

Matta was untouchable in the girls’ 16-under and 18-under as she won both age groups in impressive fashion against different opponents.

She swept aside 14-under champion Crisha Santos from Puerto Princesa, 6-2, 6-2, for the 16-under crown, then blanked local bet from Coron Maeshi Gabayan, 6-0, 6-0, in the finals of the 18-under. Matta added another title when she teamed up with Santos in the girls’

18-under doubles’ event, where they beat Gabayan and Eicille Molina, 8-0, in the finals of the tournament.

Her younger siblings Miguel Javier ruled the boys’ 12-under with an easy 6-2, 6-2 victory over another Puerto Princese bet Andreaskoepf Ubay, while Jorge Miguel demolished Abraham delos Santos, 4-0, 4-0, to take the 10-under unisex crown in the tournament backed

by Dunlop as official ball.

“It is always good to see a family where the children all play the same sport and this is where the parents play a big role in supporting their children in sports.

We congratulate the Matta family for its success in our Coron leg of the series,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President/CEO of the sponsoring Cebuana Lhuillier Group, which has been behind this grassroots tennis developmental program

for the past 12 years.

Familiar names also came out winners, including many-time leg champions like Marc Nicole Suson from Cebu City, who beat another veteran campaigner in Stephen Zion Guia from Dipolog City, 6-1, 6-4, in the finals of the boys’ 18-under.

Guia earlier claimed the boys’ 16-under, taming Coron bet Rayven Lance Hitosis, 6-1, 6-3.

Raineir Angelo Selmar from Bacoor, Cavite edged out Jacob Erin Diago from Bais City, 6-0, 4-6, 10-0, in a three-setter for the boys’ 14-under title. Selmar also partnered with Luis Ong to share the boys’ 14-under doubles’ title, beating the duo of Miguel Matta and Ubay, 8-2.

Winners in the boys’ 18-under doubles age group were Hitosis and Ong following the withdrawal of Suson and Sebastian Lhuillier in the finals.

YOUNGHUSBAND LAUDS ROTA. Phil Younghusband, who played the hero’s role in the Philippine Azkals’ recent victory over Tajikistan, lauded the defensive role of Simone Rota in the victory that allowed the Philippines to qualify to the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup. Younghusband and Rota are teammates in the Davao Aguilas team that has been at the forefront of football in Mindanao. The Davao Aguilas Football Club, which includes some of the country’s best football players, also supported the documentary movie of Rota, “The Journeyman Finds Home” and even adopted a local orphanage in Davao, inspired by Rota’s support for an orphanage in Paranaque, where he was adopted by an Italian couple when he was a baby.

Photo shows Younghusband and Rota at the documentary movie’s showing at the Uptown Mall.

MVPSF Visayas Regional Matchplay gets going today THE third MVPSF Visayas Regional Match Play Championship gets going today (Monday) with the region’s leading and rising players plus a slew of aces from Luzon clashing for top honors in the men’s and ladies divisions at the Cebu Country Club.

The field slugs it out in a 36-hole stroke play tournament in the first two days with the top 32 in the men’s category and top 16 in the women’s section advancing to the tournament proper where play shifts to match beginning Wednesday.

After the first round of the knockout phase, the survivors brace for the grueling stage with two matches set on Thursday, the morning quarters and the semis in the afternoon.

The finals on Friday will also be played over 36 holes in both sides.

PH Veterans Bank holds Freedom Run

By Peter Paul Duran BALANGA, Bataan--In a bid to bring the youth closer to their roots and history through fun and unique ways, the Philippine Veterans Bank held the Bataan Freedom Run 2018 to honor heroes of the Death March Saturday night.

The festivities are in time for the 76th Year of the Bataan Death March and the Araw ng Kagitingan today (Monday). This also the Freedom Run’s fifth installment since the first starting gun fired off in 2014.

“Every year, we continue with our Bataan Death March Anniversary activities to reach out and share especially to the younger generation the heroism of both soldiers and civilians during the tumultuous times,” said Veterans Bank Corporate and Consumer Relations Division Head Mike-Villareal.

This year’s BFR top-billed a night of fun and surprises that featured a 42KM full marathon with a solo run; a solo with 10lbs rucksack run for civilian or police and military; a team run for three civilians; and a team with 20lbs rucksack run for military and police.

Apart from these, there was also a 21KM half marathon, a non-competitive 10KM and 5KM color fun run and 1KM color run for kids, while a golden retriever named Percy was crowned the sole champion-and participant--of the 1KM pet run that added to the night’s excitement.

Winners received cash prizes and medals, while finishers of the 42KM marathon had a finisher’s medal and a Bataan Freedom Run Finisher’s shirt.

Proceeds from the BFR will be used for the restoration of Battle of Bataan markers.

The annual commemoration of the Bataan Death March Anniversary is not just a day of remembering, but a weeklong celebration in honor of the country’s WWII heroes. Since 2014, the Philippine Veterans Bank together with the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office, the Provincial Tourism of Bataan and other partners gather in Bataan for various activities that encourage participation of the veterans’ relatives and families, as well as civilians and the military.

PH Youth nips P’Cali to stay unbeaten THE Philippine Youth women’s team sustained its hot charge, edging Team P’Cali, 2-1, to stretch its win run to five halfway through the Summer Grand Slam 12 softball tournament at the Sto. Niño ballpark in Marikina City over the weekend.

The Nationals, honing up for a series of competitions, actually kicked off their title drive in emphatic fashions, ripping the University of the East and Indonesia sides, 10-0, and 8-1, respectively, in the Open division last Friday. They also dominated the Chikara-Brunei squad, 7-2, before nipping fancied Adamson U, 3-2.

In other results of the tournament, presented by Cebuana Lhuillier and sanctioned by the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (AsaPhil) and which drew 49 teams from all over the country, UE outduelled Team P’Cali, 4-2, but fell short against Indonesia, 4-6, while the Adamson University Alumni squad crushed De La Salle U, 5-0.

“I’m very happy with the big turnout that we have for this year’s Summer Grand Slam. We have 49 teams participating from all over the Philippines and representatives from Brunei and Indonesia as well. I am proud of the passion and hard work of the players and wish them the best for the rest of the tournament,” said AsaPhil president and Cebuana Lhuillier president/CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier.

The PH Youth is gunning for No. 6 against La Salle at press time. Other matches pit Adamson against Indonesia, while Chikara-Brunei collides with UE and Indonesia, and Team P’Cali squares off with AdU Alumni.

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

P0 M+ P0 M

Sports

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

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MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018

OKC Thunder shoot down Houston LOS ANGELES—Russell Westbrook and Paul George combined for 48 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Houston Rockets 108-102.

Oklahoma City was behind by one point with seven minutes to go before going on an 11-0 burst.

The host Rockets scored five straight points with less than a minute left to get within five, but George made two free throws to clinch the win and snap Houston’s 20-game home win streak.

The Thunder are battling with a number of teams for the final playoff berths in the Western Conference.

Carmelo Anthony tallied 22 points for the Thunder, including some clutch three pointers.

James Harden had 26 and Chris Paul chipped in 17 points for the Rockets in the loss.

In Oakland, Anthony Davis carried the load down the stretch en route to 34 points as the New Orleans Pelicans snapped a 10-game losing streak to Golden State with a 126-120 win over the Warriors.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Paul George (center) shoots over Houston Rockets defenders. The Thunder beat the Houston Rockets 108-102. AFP Elsewhere, Will Barton scored 31 points as the Denver Nuggets kept their playoffs hopes alive with a 134-115 victory over the Los Angeles Clipper.

Nikola Jokic finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as the Nuggets won their fifth straight to move into a tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves for eighth place in the Western Conference with two games to play.

Both teams are 45-35. AFP

Philippine Malditas scramble past Jordan

By Peter Atencio

S

CORING on late goals, the Philippine Malditas came away with a 2-1 triumph over host Jordan in their opening game in the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup at the Amman International Stadium in Amman, Jordan.

An own-goal from Jordanian Yasmeen Khair and Malditas booter Sarina Bolden’s efforts earned goals for the Filipinas who are playing on the Asian stage for the first time.

It was a memorable start for the Malditas after Khair equalized in the 51st minutes, and Bolden made

her big move in the 76th minute.

The Malditas, who are the lowest ranked team in the eight-team field, share the Group B lead with China, which demolished Thailand, 4-0.

The world no. 70th Malditas struggled after Jordan took the lead in the 14th minute after Maysa Jabarah unleashed a half-volley into the left side of the goal.

Goalkeeper Kerra Bastes-Jones tried to fend it off, but it was out of her reach.

In the 51st minute, Jesse Shugg attempted a free kick. It ricocheted off the head of Khair for an own goal.

Then in the 76th minute Sarina Bolden got a chance to put the Malditas in front.

Getting a pass from Sarina Long, she outran Jordan keeper Salma Ghazal with a well-placed strike that silenced the crowd of 9,473 spectators that watched the game.

China will next meet the Philippines today, Monday. AFP

Thais oust PH in Davis Cup tie

Floyd Mayweather Jr. (right) turns his back to avoid being hit by mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor during their fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

Mayweather wants to fight in the UFC LOS ANGELES—Floyd Mayweather says if he fights again it will be in a mixed martial arts bout but added he’s not focused on getting in the ring again with Conor McGregor.

“McGregor has other things to deal with,” Mayweather said Saturday.

Mayweather told Showtime sports that if he comes out of retirement it would be against the wishes of his trusted adviser Al Haymon. He added it would have to be for the right amount of money and at the 145 pound division in UFC. “It is possible I do come back, but if I do come back, it has to be in the Octagon,” said Mayweather, who has never fought in the UFC before.

“I spoke with my team, I spoke with (adviser) Al Haymon. Al Haymon says no.

“If I do come back, Showtime and CBS have to be involved.”

Mayweather, who has often used a re-

tirement ruse as a way to sell tickets to his title fights, said people should know he is not serious when he says this will be his last time in the ring.

“Retirement has been great, but as you know and everyone knows, I go into retirement and I come back,” he said.

Mayweather did not give any details about who he might seek to fight.

“I can do whatever I want, when I want to, and how I want to,” he said.

McGregor crossed over to boxing in August and Mayweather knocked him out in the 10th round of the secondhighest grossing fight in history.

Mixed martial arts star McGregor was arraigned Friday on charges including felony criminal mischief and assault, following a melee outside at a UFC sponsored media event in New York City that left fighters injured and a bus window smashed. AFP

WISHAYA TRONGCHAROENCHAIKUL celebrated his 23rd birthday with a bang.

The 5’9” Trongcharoenchaikul finished strong and stopped Jeson Patrombon, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, to help carry Thailand to a 4-1 triumph over the Philippines yesterday at the Philippine Columbian Association indoor shell courts.

Ranked no. 433 in the world, Trongcharoenchaikul held his ground from the baseline in the first reverse singles, securing the crucial third point in their Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group 2 semifinals tie.

As the match ended with the Thais ahead at 3-1, after 2 hours and 20 minutes, the Thais moved to the Group 2, and will next face the winner of the Hong Kong-Leba-

non tie in the finals.

The Philippines, which have lost to the Thais twice in a row since last year, are now tied with Thailand in their head-to-record at 4-all.

With the setback, the Philippines will remain in Group 2.

In the final match of the day, Palaphoom Kovapitukted formalized Thailand’s win with a 6-4, 6-3, stopping of Bryan Otico.

After the world ranked Patrombon tied the match for the last time at 4-all, Trongcharooencharakul stayed close to the baseline.

And he hardly left his position as he unleashed an ace and a service winner that allowed him to hold serve in the ninth games.

Peter Atencio

New Zealand’s Under-16 boys boot Batang Gilas to 4th NEW ZEALAND struck hard in the second period and turned back Batang Gilas, 76-60, yesterday in the battle for third place at the Fiba Under-16 Asian Championship in Foshan, China.

Marvin Williams-Dunn led the Kiwis with 17 points while Terrence Fortea delivered 18 for the Filipinos, which settled for fourth place.

The loss hardly mattered since Batang Gilas has already earned a slot to the 2018 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup with New Zealand, Australia and China.

The Kiwis took charge with a 14-0 run in the last 5:15.

Dunn took charge during the Kiwi blitz, shattering an 18-all tie with his jumper and split free throw.

Harrison Payne, who only had four points, capped the run with layup in the last 5:11, and the Kiwis enjoyed a 32-18 edge afterwards.

Kai Sotto finished with 13 points and seven rebounds for Batang Gilas.

China earlier defeated Batang Gilas, 60-54, in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, Moon JeonHyeon hit 25 points for South Korea which took fifth place after prevailing over Japan, 75-63.

Jalal Agha Mir made 27 points for Iran, which settled for seventh spot after whipping Lebanon, 95-82. Peter Atencio

Filipino veteran campaigner Johnny Arcilla chases after a ball during doubles action in the Davis Cup tie against Thailand.

IN BRIEF

Isuzu, others seek income tax holiday

ISUZU Philippines Co. and other applicants to the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program are seeking the inclusion of the income tax holiday as part of the set of incentives to be granted by the Board of Investments.

“We are hoping ITH will be considered as one of incentives the BoI will offer to attract bigger and more qualified manufacturers,” said Isuzu vice president for marketing Joseph Bautista.

The proposed ITH incentive is part of the possible options the industry is working out as the BoI finalizes the proposal by June.

Bautista said the ITH would be a major come-on to PUV manufacturers like Isuzu.

He added incentives could also be granted to the supply side through a fixed investments support.

The incentives are expected to reduce the cost of acquisition and make the program attractive to jeepney and bus operators Othel V. Campos

Business

Ford upbeat despite higher ‘18 auto taxes FORD Philippines is still optimistic to land as the country’s third biggest car company in 2018 amid the challenges faced by the automotive industry.

Ford managing director Bert Lessard said the company was confident of posting growth this year despite the new set of excise taxes.

“We don’t fight for the space, we fight for ourselves. Fighting another competitor is irrelevant because were not competing in all the segments. We want be better in each of the segments we have. We want to be better this year,” he said.

He noted the company’s line up of new models in 2018 were all geared up to sustain growth.

Ford launched the new Expedition and the iconic Mustang Convertible during the 15th Manila International Auto Show held from April 5 to April 8, 2018 at the World Trade Center.

Ford relies more on pick-up and SUVs, which are estimated to account for 90 percent of the 2018 annual sales. Othel V. Campos

Smartphone market expected to rebound THE smartphone market in the Philippines is expected to rebound in 2018 as competition between popular brands will continue to intensify, Intentional Data Corp. said.

“We expect smartphone vendors to continue shipping in more phablets and equipping their new models with enticing features, such as dual cameras, thin bezels, and on-device artificial intelligence,” said senior market analyst Jensen Ooi of Client Devices, IDC Asean.

IDC said smartphone shipments declined 7 percent to about 15 million units in 2017, its first drop since its introduction into the local market, as intense competition from top brands, such as Samsung, Oppo, and Vivo, resulted in some vendors being ousted from the market.

The Philippines has historically been among the price-sensitive markets in Asia/ Pacific and still is. Despite this, the average selling price of smartphones in 2017 grew to $134, up 13 percent from a year ago. Darwin G Amojelar

MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018

B

By Julito G. Rada

PAYMAYA AT BSP. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor for resource management sector Cyd Tuaño-Amador (third from left) helps officially introduce digital payments through PayMaya QR in its headquarters in Manila in partnership with the BSP Employees Consumers Cooperative. With Tuaño-Amador are (from left) BSP managing director for comptrollership sub-sector Eduardo Bobier, PayMaya head of consumer business Raymund Villanueva, BSP managing director for human resource sub-sector Gerardo Butardo, BSP acting manager of the human resource management division Maria Teresa Payuan and PayMaya head of international business Kenneth Palacios.

Anti-trust body asks Uber to continue PH operation T

By Darwin G. Amojelar

HE government’s anti-trust body ordered ridesharing service provider Uber to continue operating its mobile application in the Philippines while the agency is reviewing the deal.

The Philippine Competition Commission also directed Singapore-based Grab to defer the acquisition of its California-based rival while the deal was under review.

An official of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, however, said Uber’s accreditation as a transport provider in the country already expired and thus should not be allowed to operate.

Grab Holdings Inc. and MyTaxi.

PH Inc. earlier announced the acquisition of assets of Uber B.V. and Uber Systems Inc. in Southeast Asia and has started to carry out the terms of its sale, including the migration of Uber drivers to its platform and the shutdown of the

Uber app by April 9 in the Philippines.

PCC said in a bid to protect competition in a looming monopoly, it issued a set of interim measures to ensure the welfare of the riding public and the drivers while the in-depth merger review of the Grab-Uber deal was ongoing.

“The PCC believes that Uber is capable of operating its ride-hailing app in the country, despite its claims that it has already exited the Southeast Asia market,” PCC chairman Arsenio Balisacan said.

“Uber is highlighting its exit, but what it does not emphasize enough is its integration with Grab. Thus, Uber is not truly exiting the Philippine

market, but rather effectively merging their operations with Grab here.

The deal makes Uber a part-owner of Grab,” Balisacan said.

“This move by Uber in the Philippine market leads to further substantial concentration of what is, to begin with, an already highly concentrated ride-sharing market. This virtual monopolization of the market by Grab can harm the riding public,” Balisacan said.

PCC conducted a public hearing with the representatives of the parties on Thursday regarding the imposition of interim measures.

PCC also asked Grab and Uber to maintain the independence of their business operations and other conditions prevailing prior to March 25, which included ride hailing and delivery platforms; pricing and payment policies including incentives and promotions to riders; product options; customer and rider database; and on-boarding of new partner drivers as well as the fees, charges, and incentives to partner drivers, among other measures.

Eton set to launch fourth project in Sta. Rosa, Laguna

10 local, foreign companies keen on LNG project

By Jenniffer B. Austria

By Alena Mae S. Flores TEN foreign and local companies have expressed interest to participate in the country’s $2-billion integrated liquefied natural gas project, a government official said over the weekend.

“A total of 10 [firms] already have had pre-application conferences with the DoE [Department of Energy],” Energy Assistant Secretary Leonido Pulido III said.

The number increased to 10 interested parties from seven firms in March.

“We have received LoIs but they have not actually submitted their plans. Here in DoE, six or seven expressed interest,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said earlier.

The department previously identified the four parties as CleanwayFilipino and Resiro, a UK company; Tokyo Gas; local firm First Gen Corp.; and China National Offshore Oil Corp.

The other interested parties are state-owned Philippine National Oil Co., Vires Energy Corp. and Carmine Energy Ltd. Pte. with partner Golar Energy.

The agency has yet to identify the three new interested firms in the list.

“Based on PDNGR [Philippine Downstream Natural Gas Rules], anyone who has the qualification can participate but there will only be one to put up the terminal. PNOC would like to become the operator. But PNOC would need a partner to do it. PNOC is looking for the partner… Once they found a partner, they will submit to the DoE their proposal. DoE will evaluate the project,” Cusi said.

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

British bank expects PH trade deficit to further rise

Power consumption up 4% in 2017—data POWER consumption in the Philippines reached nearly 95 million gigawatt-hours in 2017, up four percent from 90.798 million gWh in 2016.

Latest data from the Energy Department showed residential customers had the highest consumption at 26.792 million gWh last year, followed by industrial customers at 25.573 million gWh and commercial at 22.767 million gWh. Data also showed that Luzon generated the highest power output at 68.512 million gWh compared with 14 million gWh in Visayas and 11.8 million gWh in Mindanao.

Total installed capacity of the entire power grid stood at 22,728 MW as of last year.

Coal-fired power plants remain the biggest power generation contributor with 46.847 million gWh, followed by renewable energy at 23.183 million gWh, natural gas at 20.547 million gWh and oil based plants at 3.792 million gWh. Alena Mae S. Flores

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

SM’S ANVIL AWARDS. SM Investments Corp., SM Prime Holdings, SM Foundation and SM Retail win four awards during the Public Relations Society of the Philippines’ Gabi ng Parangal 53rd Anvil Awards. At the awarding ceremony are (from left) PRSP vice president for external affairs Norman Agatep, PRSP ex-officio Angelica Dalupan, SM senior manager for corporate communications Jocelyn Diga, SM assistant vice president for corporate communications Elizabeth Lacson, SM vice president for planning and corporate communications Paul Arcenas, SM vice president for sustainability Koleen Davila-Palaganas, SM assistant VP for corporate communications Aileen Malabuyoc, SM Prime VP for corporate Affairs Elena Horn, SM manager for corporate communications Andrea Maningo and PRSP director and 53rd Anvil Awards chairman Owen Cammayo.

Manila’s Panda bond issue breaks record in subscription, pricing THE Philippines’ inaugural issue of Panda bonds on March 20 shook up the renminbi-denominated market with an “exceptionally tight debut” that marked the largest oversubscription ever of any sovereign Panda bond float, according to the International Financing Review Asia.

IFR Asia said in a report the Philippines set a record in the Panda bond market as almost 90 percent was cornered by offshore or overseas buyers, helping the Philippines “smash through pricing expectations” and prompting other issuers grappling to understand this “achievement” and wondering why they had to pay higher spreads on their own floats.

The final pricing on the Philippines’ Panda bonds “represented a spread of only 35 basis points over the three-year notes of China Development Bank [rated Aa3 by Moody’s and AA- by Standard and Poor’s], and no premium at all over the 10 billion renminbi three-year issue of Central Huijin, a unit of sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp., also priced at 5 percent last week [March 16],” IFR Asia said.

This means the three-year Philippines’ maiden Panda bond issue was above the benchmark rate, with overwhelming demand pushing the coupon rate to its lowest at 5 percent, it said.

Julito G. Rada

ETON Properties Philippines Inc., the real estate unit of tycoon Lucio Tan, said it is set to launch its fourth residential village in Eton City, Sta. Rosa, Laguna this week.

The company said in a statement the fourth residential project would be called TierraBela at Eton City, an 8.7-hectare development that would offer residential lots with an average size of 323 square meters.

“We are currently offering our clients the opportunity to invest in lots in TierraBela. This lets them take advantage of the natural features of the land area and allows flexibility in terms of building their dream home that is close to nature, away from congested CBDs, without having to travel far for the conveniences of the city,” Eton assistance vice president for marketing Martha Herrera-Subido said.

TierraBela will be fully-integrated with a township that offers diverse options in shopping, dining, leisure and entertainment – perfect for mobile families who choose to relocate and work there, it said.

The first phase of the project is Eton City Square, a commercial strip which features over 11.5 hectares of a low-rise retail community mall with modern dining choices, retail outlets and recreational spaces. It will be launched this year.

TierraBela will offer amenities such as fitness trails, parks, playground, picnic and barbecue areas for residents. The village clubhouse has an adult and kiddie pool exclusively for the use of residents, basketball court and a function hall.

HONGKONG and Shanghai Banking Corp. said it expects the trade deficit of the Philippines to widen further to $3.719 billion in February from $3.317 billion in January amid surging imports that continue to outpace exports.

The British bank said in a report over the weekend imports growth could accelerate by 16 percent in February, faster than 11.4 percent in January. Exports are forecast to decline 0.5 percent from a 0.5-percent growth in January.

“We expect the trade balance to widen in February as exports decline due to cyclical factors and imports remain elevated to build out the government’s planned infrastructure projects,” HSBC said.

“Imports have been high since the fourth quarter of 2017 due to raw material imports, particularly iron and steel. As a result, the current account deficit was wider than expected in 2017 at 0.8 percent of GDP,” the bank said.

HSBC said the trend would continue with a higher current account deficit forecast this year at 0.9 percent of GDP. The country’s trade deficit widened 34.4 percent to $3.32 billion in January from $2.47 billion a year ago on surging imports. Merchandise imports jumped 11.4 percent year-onyear to $8.54 billion while exports inched up 0.5 percent to $5.52 billion during the month.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported that the deficit in the current account, one of the main components of the balance of payments, more than doubled to $2.5 billion in 2017 from a $1.2-billion deficit a year ago because of the widening trade-ingoods deficit.

The current account deficit was the biggest since 1999, when the shortfall hit $2.85 billion.

Imports rose 14.2 percent last year, faster than the 12.8-percent rise in exports.

The Bangko Sentral said it was optimistic the current account would return to a surplus in the years ahead especially with the recovery of the Philippines’ main trading partners, particularly the United States.

The balance of payments position in 2017 registered a deficit of $863 million, more than double the $420-million deficit a year ago.

The Bangko Sentral expects the balance of payments to post a surplus of $1 billion in 2018.

B2

Business

MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Volatile stock market trading seen S

By Jenniffer B. Austria

HARE prices are expected to continue to trade sideways during this shortened trading week as investors weigh the prospects of the Philippine economy amid the negative developments overseas.

Analysts said the rising tension and concerns over the trade war between the US and China would make trading in the equity markets volatile.

BDO Unibank Inc chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravelas said the bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange Index could weaken toward the 7,500-7,800 point level over the the near-term period.

Investors are also concerned about rising consumer prices, which have been pushing inflation rate over the past couple of months and could lead to higher interest rates, weakening the country’s economic growth prospects.

The Philippine Statistics Authority last week report-

ed that inflation rate in March rose to 4.3 percent, exceeding the government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent for the year, driven mainly by faster increases in the prices of the so-called sin products.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, however, said its expects inflation to average 3.9 percent this year, before easing to 3 percent in 2019.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week closed below 8,000 points, dropping 0.4 percent to end at 7,945.66, while the All Shares Index dipped 0.2 percent to 4,828.50.

Except for mining and oil and holding firms, which climbed 3.86 percent and 1.89 percent respectively, all other sub-indices ended in the negative.

Foreign investors were net sellers by P1.5 billion, while average daily value traded stood at P6.2 billion.

The weekly top price gainers were San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc., which advanced 14.7 percent to P69.20; Travellers International Hotel Group Inc., which rose 12.9 percent to P4.70; and SM Investments Corp., which gained 6.3 percent to P976.

The weekly top price losers were Jollibee Foods Corp., which decreased 7 percent to P278; Universal

Robina Corp., which declined 5.9 percent to P143; ABS-CBN Corp., which fell 5.6 percent to P28.70; and Bank of the Philippine Islands, which lost 4.9 percent to P108.

US stocks, meanwhile, plunged more than two percent Friday after President Donald Trump warned of tariffs on an additional $100 billion of Chinese imports, provoking a strong response from Beijing and fanning fears of a full-blown trade war.

Investors were unnerved by the latest broadside from the volatile US president and by China’s strident response, which vowed Beijing would stand firm “until the end at any cost.”

The Dow finished down 2.3 percent at 23,932.76, with all 30 members ending in the red. The S&P 500 and tech-rich Nasdaq indices also lost more than two percent.

The barbs over trade overshadowed a lackluster jobs report, which placed US jobs growth at 103,000 in March, well below analyst expectations. Unemployment held steady at 4.1 percent.

European equity markets also retreated, but not as severely, with Paris, Frankfurt and London falling half a percentage point or less. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS WEEKLY STOCKS REVIEW STOCKS

APRIL 2-6, 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. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

59.55 134.60 108.10 3.08 1.69 35.3 7.3 16.16 18.84 3.5 8.71 1.56 875.00 0.540 83.9 1.21 12.6 21.90 55.50 87 114.2 231 44.95 229.8 1910.00 90.50 1.21

28,090 7,717,190 7,740,820 13,000 1,631,000 483,700 37,300 153,300 6,047,900 204,000 1,500 85,000 400 1,613,000 8,379,330 14,788,000 463,700 28,300 249,230 1,320 8,140 23,790 172,200 3,826,650 380 125,110 305,000

FINANCIAL 1,673,053.00 1,069,827,361.00 847,041,096.00 40,260.00 2,687,370.00 17,047,135.00 253,663.00 2,465,624.00 125,676,254.00 705,600.00 13,059.00 133,260.00 345,375.00 890,600.00 714,315,991.50 18,983,650.00 5,830,696.00 620,595.00 13,655,815.50 113,481.50 1,029,185.00 5,551,340.00 7,750,775.00 880,889,840.00 727,950.00 11,313,870.00 366,430.00

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 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.

38.5 13.98 0.67 1.28 20 0.236 170 29.55 3.62 17.18 299 51.5 80.75 99.9 61.8 2 5.35 10.28 11.040 15.16 11.70 7.36 5.47 1.7 17.12 65.65 24.00 9.75 17.2 2.400 278.00 59.90 4.9 3.3 27.25 16.04 21.5 0.192 322.60 7.99 2.85 4.95 9.19 5.45 7.81 1.51 12.28 52.8 6.1 4.84 2.19 3.55 633 2.19 14.4 5.47 0.137 1.05 143 2.78 2.07 0.95

4,064,500 3,041,000 66,426,000 718,000 185,200 65,160,000 610 1,131,300 14,428,000 3,367,900 1,080 2,265,340 37,100 1,660 320 8,201,000 106,400 460,400 9,228,800 17,267,200 3,557,100 623,700 19,884,800 12,000 6,528,400 409,740 225,300 162,300 7,416,800 28,241,000 4,915,440 61,780 1,058,500 72,000 9,101,400 238,100 14,585,500 790,000 567,880 33,100 5,295,000 681,500 4,049,900 1,116,200 298,600 3,296,000 419,800 2,850,270 13,300 454,000 1,187,000 269,000 92,510 2,960,000 582,100 96,700 930,000 232,000 4,050,370 16,000 31,770,000 364,003,000

INDUSTRIAL 156,054,440.00 42,117,980.00 43,633,560.00 912,930.00 3,653,539.00 25,537,940.00 99,492.00 37,777,960.00 52,808,120.00 57,457,646.00 323,906.00 116,694,454.00 2,967,794.50 164,449.00 19,583.00 17,283,640.00 569,880.00 4,801,682.00 103,819,692.00 257,811,034.00 40,287,708.00 4,650,042.00 107,848,114.00 20,580.00 111,289,116.00 26,753,264.00 5,627,300.00 1,588,805.00 124,997,234.00 71,765,260.00 1,422,319,820.00 3,095,287.50 5,319,578.00 230,220.00 246,324,415.00 3,861,172.00 310,101,550.00 151,730.00 183,788,476.00 261,011.00 15,057,600.00 3,418,040.00 37,142,756.00 6,022,989.00 2,354,601.00 4,932,850.00 5,279,412.00 153,554,668.50 81,040.00 2,194,780.00 2,610,310.00 953,200.00 58,029,815.00 6,615,340.00 8,524,548.00 519,272.00 125,560.00 238,320.00 599,773,420.00 43,130.00 63,849,490.00 362,298,540.00

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’ F&J Prince ‘B’ Filinvest Dev. Corp.

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

Lopez Holdings Corp.

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

Minerales Industrias Corp.

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

0.300 67.95 13.66 0.92 6.50 0.630 0.650 919 2150.00 7.19 12.46 4.5 5.4 7.49 0.207 1140 6.92 62.30 5.3 0.66 4.93 19.7 0.750 5.2 3.37 3.38 0.0450 1.180 3.210 2.54 142.00 976.00 1.72 0.84 270.000 650.00 0.2450 0.1960 0.215

4,660,000 5,736,580 27,753,500 251,000 111,900 32,670,000 13,353,000 1,993,760 45 5,286,100 15,893,100 27,000 100 211,300 130,000 548,870 318,300 7,471,510 21,800 1,867,000 1,080,200 16,912,800 60,274,000 125,649,900 2,000 8,000 30,600,000 14,042,000 12,029,000 4,000 1,394,400 1,496,540 2,439,000 5,982,000 9,960 9,310 2,300,000 7,820,000 230,000

HOLDING FIRMS 1,410,950.00 394,760,600.50 377,553,060.00 226,080.00 709,203.00 20,438,640.00 8,574,090.00 1,827,275,315.00 90,500.00 38,154,018.00 199,430,142.00 124,130.00 540.00 1,581,826.00 25,300.00 630,374,590.00 2,208,033.00 475,741,307.50 115,779.00 567,630.00 5,487,357.00 335,448,667.00 43,322,690.00 668,658,510.00 6,740.00 27,040.00 1,335,500.00 16,786,920.00 39,902,030.00 10,160.00 197,223,034.00 1,442,617,715.00 4,307,570.00 5,782,390.00 2,691,800.00 6,163,400.00 577,930.00 1,584,000.00 49,270.00

986,400 13,412,600 53,200 211,000 10,714,000 34,539,500 1,730,000 2,184,000 470,600 6,000 2,700 257,300,000 411,000 2,726,000 653,710,000 820,000 1,324,800 113,211,000 2,540,000 30,273,000 44,616,000 43,431,000 1,000 55,569,000 719,575,000 30,080,000 30,651,000

PROPERTY 6,503,466.00 17,991,700.00 817,820.00 452,560.00 9,495,290.00 1,427,335,530.00 6,334,760.00 10,110,540.00 2,860,958.00 36,300.00 16,281.00 117,183,800.00 446,640.00 2,697,370.00 188,491,950.00 376,750.00 42,252,350.00 80,966,780.00 315,640.00 52,106,530.00 68,397,930.00 49,003,330.00 4,260.00 257,945,200.00 463,943,050.00 12,621,250.00 17,229,460.00

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. `A’ 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’ Keppel Properties Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Realty `A’

6.540 0.99 15.72 2.120 0.900 41.000 3.63 4.61 6.19 6.05 6.03 0.470 1.06 0.990 0.285 0.470 32.15 0.690 0.124 1.76 1.46 1.24 4.26 4.52 0.620 0.4250 0.570

MARCH 26-28, 2018 Close Volume Value 59.7 139.00 117.00 3.20 1.65 35.2 8.4 15.68 18.9 3.47 9.32 1.56

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

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

0.570 85.8 1.22 12.7

471,000 10,138,740 2,109,000 22,500

261,560.00 858,588,307.00 2,430,590.00 275,480.00

53.90 85.5 145 238.4 45.65 240 1885.00 90.00 1.2

123,750 200 7,820 5,580 239,400 975,390 150 177,300 2,000

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

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 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 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

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 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

0.290 67.50 13.20 0.93 6.64 0.570 0.580 948 1900.00 7.4 12.16 4.7

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

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

7.55 0.207 1169 6.92 62.70 5.1 0.65 5.15 18.8 0.730 5.24

37,900 170,000 429,360 29,300 5,439,780 5,000 2,913,000 2,028,200 4,795,700 161,954,000 57,348,400

279,083.00 34,860.00 499,051,205.00 202,979.00 342,369,374.50 25,600.00 1,865,520.00 10,136,587.00 91,199,724.00 124,064,930.00 299,769,709.00

0.0450 1.110 3.250

11,300,000 1,532,000 8,767,000

506,700.00 1,705,730.00 12,869,320.00

134.00 917.00 1.77 0.81 276.000 700.00 0.2490 0.1940 0.211

919,860 799,160 2,481,000 10,000 107,260 20,050 1,070,000 2,020,000 2,210,000

127,925,979.00 743,005,065.00 4,285,240.00 8,240.00 28,940,870.00 13,860,900.00 248,710.00 388,430.00 429,430.00

6.600 1.00 16.00 2.160 0.860 41.100 3.71 4.7 5.96

821,900 14,665,000 130,900 29,000 1,875,000 43,514,600 1,148,000 916,000 172,700

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

6.5 0.435 1.09 1.030 0.280 0.470 31.9 0.620 0.121 1.65 1.56 1.03

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

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

4.69 0.580 0.4050 0.540

29,483,000 294,726,000 9,140,000 56,336,000

137,202,420.00 169,162,390.00 3,619,650.00 29,676,140.00

STOCKS

APRIL 2-6, 2018 Close Volume

MARCH 26-28, 2018 Close Volume Value

Value

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

33.20 4.08 19.32 1.98 3.17 33.90 1.03 15.2 0.840 6.650

400 7,425,000 11,660,000 1,423,000 178,000 29,111,800 7,859,000 1,196,100 532,000 16,294,100

13,350.00 30,762,460.00 227,754,662.00 2,797,690.00 566,100.00 992,921,080.00 7,922,840.00 19,328,290.00 445,890.00 107,244,992.00

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Apollo Global Asian Terminals Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ.

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. Racing Club 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

18.82 28.7 1.28 0.490 0.050 12.5 5.36 13.50 0.0640 92.9 8.9 7.71 7.50 2.24 27.80 905 1623 6.36 303.00 15.90 5.18 99.4 2.55 12.98 8.30 0.122 1.4700 3.4 15 5.95 1.12 27.00 17.00 0.500 5.24 7.81 3.45 8.270 11.5 9.70 3.1 8.01 121.00 6.71 1487.00 0.435 1.060 52.00 89.90 7.24 2.65 1.460 0.44 4.7 0.930 10.840

2,065,200 626,400 190,000 88,042,000 273,050,000 75,200 2,700 65,960,400 107,530,000 873,340 7,300 9,204,700 514,100 368,000 2,761,900 1,180 164,180 4,444,600 104,350 11,200 3,946,600 5,095,890 87,000 2,863,700 89,100 23,070,000 1,099,000 505,000 15,800 80,882,100 30,447,000 8,878,600 1,900 172,000 5,267,800 15,907,300 5,927,000 71,813,600 40,800 95,200 174,000 1,700 258,920 1,414,200 737,410 21,470,000 4,880,000 2,876,960 1,793,510 2,131,600 2,212,000 4,025,000 64,560,000 44,539,000 93,163,000 8,791,300

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Benguet Corp `A’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `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 1.78 4.60 19.00 1.6500 1.64 0.325 8.22 2.450 0.212 0.151 0.154 0.009 0.0094 1.5 5.99 1.2 0.6000 0.8900 0.0140 0.0140 6.06 15.68 0.0120 2.2300 32.35 0.0066

MINING & OIL 5,172,000,000 14,943,000.00 42,054,000 73,597,870.00 137,355,000 2,290,690.00 11,900 220,508.00 66,000 107,500.00 1,723,000 2,806,920.00 1,530,000 485,800.00 386,800 3,222,181.00 160,535,000 403,676,310.00 2,070,000 439,000.00 7,650,000 1,140,600.00 3,360,000 520,190.00 10,000,000 92,400.00 10,000,000 94,000.00 494,000 731,210.00 2,705,700 16,417,905.00 1,016,300 1,270,080.00 4,318,000 2,526,160.00 2,359,000 2,087,900.00 1,481,400,000 18,928,600.00 385,700,000 5,334,700.00 2,927,000 17,830,033.00 32,853,800 512,036,136.00 36,500,000 449,700.00 231,000 514,210.00 6,945,900 223,306,750.00 51,000,000 340,300.00

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Alco Preferred B Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ DD PREF First Gen F First Gen G GLOBE PREF P 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 FB PREF 2 SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I Swift Pref

27.8 105 508 511 100.5 107.9 109.2 504.5 6.28 988 1000 100.5 1.06 107.5 1034 1164 980 104.6 980 75.9 79 74.95 76.1 78 76.8 76 75.5 1.96

1,335,900 1,400 8,160 7,310 103,910 10 1,710 3,020 1,082,100 70 1,695 31,720 324,000 10,180 2,755 70 7,670 140 20,000 13,760 100,520 108,880 100 165,050 11,180 214,160 287,030 19,000

LR Warrant

3.900

WARRANTS & BONDS 17,986,000 76,811,290.00

SERVICES 41,313,036.00 18,216,280.00 244,930.00 46,870,855.00 13,615,220.00 947,326.00 14,247.00 903,203,182.00 7,122,360.00 81,013,572.50 64,094.00 74,044,399.00 3,872,742.00 846,530.00 86,976,620.00 1,068,700.00 268,938,305.00 28,480,630.00 32,030,648.00 161,098.00 20,708,238.00 505,793,798.00 218,660.00 36,954,386.00 731,545.00 2,801,770.00 1,592,220.00 1,675,850.00 233,442.00 543,362,359.00 35,620,190.00 238,904,995.00 32,880.00 87,280.00 29,704,231.00 121,843,939.00 20,776,220.00 635,779,552.00 467,524.00 912,666.00 532,430.00 13,617.00 32,101,869.00 9,429,790.00 1,090,178,955.00 9,364,400.00 5,242,220.00 149,497,103.00 159,555,511.50 16,071,865.00 6,000,600.00 5,844,390.00 28,218,650.00 192,257,420.00 88,979,940.00 96,415,660.00

PREFERRED 37,295,220.00 148,050.00 4,118,890.00 3,740,070.00 10,500,382.00 1,079.00 186,732.00 1,524,390.00 6,710,466.00 69,160.00 1,688,682.50 3,152,210.00 343,180.00 1,057,305.00 2,852,040.00 81,520.00 7,516,720.00 14,541.00 19,679,720.00 1,039,240.00 7,916,342.00 8,164,967.00 7,610.00 12,722,627.50 854,610.00 16,308,312.00 21,994,698.50 37,240.00

SME 5,860.00 76,750,736.00 1,332,960.00 104,931,680.00

33.30 4 19.94 1.95 3.18 34.50 1 15.88 0.850 6.500

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

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

18 30.4 1.28 0.480 0.049 12.52 5.41 14.34 0.0620 94.6

81,000 408,900 52,000 14,047,000 57,310,000 18,200 32,700 21,940,500 40,140,000 924,610

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

0.0028 1.69 4.64 18.34

3,977,000,000 6,113,200 166,000 6,700

11,600,900.00 15,669,420.00 773,200.00 122,982.00

1.63 0.325 7.69 2.420 0.219 0.146 0.153

7,357,000 1,500,000 107,600 3,461,000 443,000 2,250,000 90,000

11,763,790.00 475,850.00 819,852.00 8,340,340.00 100,390.00 327,830.00 13,770.00

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

2,789,000 1,294,400 852,000 11,408,000 900,000 140,800,000 4,000,000 2,047,100 15,680,600 50,000,000 61,000 8,536,800 4,000,000

4,093,760.00 7,751,143.00 1,008,420.00 6,469,290.00 766,290.00 1,673,200.00 50,500.00 12,372,931.00 215,521,550.00 611,700.00 136,110.00 259,823,900.00 26,800.00

28

2,640,800

73,279,450.00

507 515 102 102.6 112

2,250 17,550 66,280 50 2,000

1,140,750.00 8,986,950.00 6,696,690.00 5,130.00 221,970.00

6.15 1000 1000 100.3 1.05 104.7 1050 1169 1000 102

22,300 15,500 56,000 89,000 4,500 290 5 2,100 2,060

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

76.5 79.85 75 75.1 79.2 76.6 76.7 77.2

91,440 206,760 527,900 35,900 29,300 148,630 8,710 98,650

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

4.460

5,798,000

25,855,130.00

5.14 3.37 3.66

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

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

Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Philab Holdings Xurpas

2.93 5.7 3.48 3.41

2,000 13,141,800 396,000 28,456,000

First Metro ETF

121.1

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 43,030 5,257,131.00

122.6

77,200

9,355,317.00

USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

10.2 10.2 1.02

DOLLAR DENONIMATED SEC. 100 1,020.00 16,620 170,155.20 295,300 301,384.00

10.26 1.02

250 70,000

2,565.00 71,400.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Abra Mining Oriental Pet. `A’ MRC Allied Ind. Crown Equities Inc. Oriental Pet. `B’ Vulcan Ind’l.

Apollo Global Century Property Ferronickel Atlas Cons. `A’

VOLUME 5,172,000,000 1,481,400,000 719,575,000 653,710,000 385,700,000 364,003,000 273,050,000 257,300,000 160,535,000 137,355,000

STOCKS Ayala Corp `A’ SM Investments Inc. Ayala Land `B’ Jollibee Foods Corp.

PLDT Common Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. SM Prime Holdings Bloomberry Security Bank Bank of PI

VALUE 1,827,275,315.00 1,442,617,715.00 1,427,335,530.00 1,422,319,820.00 1,090,178,955.00 1,069,827,361.00 992,921,080.00 903,203,182.00 880,889,840.00 847,041,096.00

Fed chief eyes gradual interest rate increases CHICAGO—Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Friday used his first speech as central bank chief to offer a rosy view of the world’s largest economy while predicting only gradual interest rate hikes.

Powell, who took office in February, also said the Fed’s drawdown of its bond-buying stimulus program was proceeding “smoothly.”

Global stock markets have been anxious to divine the US central bank’s next moves, fearing a faster pace of interest rate hikes could slow the world’s largest economy just as a decade of recovery reaches its peak.

“The labor market has been strong and my colleagues and I... expect it to remain strong,” Powell said in an address to the Economic Club of Chicago.

The Fed raised rates last month for the first time this year and plans to do so twice more by December. Wall Street has shown heightened sensitivity to the possibility the Fed could move a total of four times this year, however.

But economists say 2018 could be the year that gathering conditions—a weak dollar, rising oil prices and simultaneous growth among the world’s major economies—could at last combine with falling unemployment, rising wages and steady job growth to spur rising inflation in the United States.

Still, the most closely watched measures of inflation have run below the Fed’s two percent target for six years.

Hewing closely to prior Fed policy, Powell said Friday the central bank wanted to avoid raising rates either too quickly or too slowly—the former could stunt growth while the latter could force the Fed to raise rates suddenly further down the line, jolting the economy.

“Our path of gradual rate increases is intended to balance these two risks,” Powell said.

Powell also said the Fed’s policy of ending a post-crisis stimulus program by allowing the central bank’s nearly $4.5-trillion balance sheet of US Treasuries and government debt to wind down was going well.

“The balance sheet reduction process is going smoothly and is expected to contribute over time to a gradual tightening of financial conditions,” he said. AFP

Canada says negotiations to revamp Nafta progressing WASHINGTON—Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said Friday officials were making progress in intensive talks to revamp the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Mexico.

Freeland met over two days in Washington with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who described the talks as “positive,” and Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo to try to reach an agreement on a new Nafta.

The discussions have entered “a new, more intensive phase of engagement,” Freeland told Canadian television.

“The tone is positive. We are making progress. And we’re just all very committed to working as hard as we can to get a good deal, a win-win-win.”

She said talks would continue and she would stay on in Washington “a little while longer.”

“The bottom line is we had two days of intensive and constructive and productive work.”

The administration of US President Donald Trump is increasing pressure in hopes of quickly reaching a deal.

Looming on the horizon are July’s presidential elections in Mexico and November’s midterm US congressional elections.

The sides reportedly are aiming to have a deal in principle finished by the time of next week’s Summit of the Americas in Peru.

The White House is also contending with deepening public fears of an all-out trade war with China, amid escalating tariff threats that sent global markets lower and Wall Street tumbling two percent Friday, for a loss of nearly 10 percent since the peak in late January. AFP

World

extrastory2000@gmail.com

B3

MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Manila

Standard

TODAY

Critics claim Kremlin now cracking down on the internet

IN BRIEF Crowe nets millions from ‘divorce auction’ SYDNEY—Hollywood actor Russell Crowe’s unusual “divorce auction” of personal items and movie memorabilia, including “Gladiator” props and a leather jockstrap he wore in “Cinderella Man”, exceeded expectations and raked in millions of dollars for the Australian star.

The Sotheby’s sale of more than 200 items in Sydney, titled “Russell Crowe: The Art of Divorce”, was held late Saturday on his 54th birthday and brought in Aus$3.7 million (US$2.8 million).

“Not a bad hourly rate for a 5 hour shift,” Crowe tweeted after the auction.

Sotheby’s Australia chief executive officer Gary Singer said the auction was “incredibly successful”, with the most popular items from Crow’s Oscar-winning film “Gladiator”.

“People just went mad. It was Crowe-mania,” he told television broadcaster Channel Seven Sunday.

Among the items that were fiercely contested was a fully functioning replica Roman chariot from “Gladiator”, which was estimated to fetch up to A$10,000 but went for A$65,000.

The breastplate he wore for his death scene in the film sold for A$125,000 while a wooden training sword went for A$20,000 and a metal one for A$70,000. AFP

Canada mourns 15 killed in bus crash HUMBOLDT—A shocked Canada was in mourning Saturday after a bus carrying a junior ice hockey team collided with a semi-trailer truck in Saskatchewan province, killing 15 people.

In a country where love of the sport is almost a religion, the crash sparked an outpouring of grief among players and fans, while national political leaders and the head of the National Hockey League expressed their sympathies.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which said determining the cause of the accident would require some time, did not say how many of the victims were players or coaches of the Humboldt Broncos team, which hails from a town of 6,000 people.

Police said there had been 29 people on board the team bus, including the driver, and 14 were injured, including some in critical condition.

“An entire country is in shock and mourning today,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

“We are heartbroken knowing many of those we lost had their entire lives in front of them... This is every parent’s worst nightmare. No one should ever have to see their child leave to play the sport they love and never come back.”

Tom Straschnitzki told CBC News that his son Ryan was among the injured.

“He remembers he was in the middle of the bus and then he remembers waking up when the paramedics took him off the bus,” said Straschnitzki, whose son suffered a severe back injury.

The team comprises 24 players, all from Canada, with the youngest aged 16 and the oldest 21. AFP

ALLAN PAMIS

GREEN LIGHT NO. This is not your typical tragic love story. Rather, this is a recall of a simple discussion with my colleagues on why employees leave organizations.

Turnover is a burning issue for any organization. To sustain an organization’s productivity, it is essential to maintain its skilled workforce. However, many organizations find it difficult to control their turnover rates, given that there are so many factors to consider. A crucial point that entrepreneurial organizations neglect is the application of a humanistic approach in managing employees.

The traditional notion is that compensation and promotions are key drivers of motivation. It is assumed that humans are naturally inclined to perform better when they perceive that they will get sufficient payment or returns from their efforts. Given today’s competitive economic environment, coupled with the consumerist mindset, it is not a surprise that some people are motivated by money, at least

BEFORE THE MASS. Swiss Guards speak with a Vatican’s gendarme before a Holy mass on April 8, 2018 in Vatican. AFP

Hungarians start voting in keenly-watched polls B UDAPEST-Hungarians began voting Sunday in an election that is being keenly observed across Europe, which will determine whether firebrand nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban will win an expected third consecutive term.

Orban has clashed with EU institutions over his moves to clamp down on civil society and his fiery anti-immigration rhetoric, but he has drawn plaudits from other nationalist politicians and those on the far-right who look to him as an inspiration.

Opinion polls have consistently put Orban and his right-wing Fidesz party 20 or more points clear of their nearest rivals, Jobbik, a far-right party that has been moving towards the center, and the center-left Socialists.

Orban himself voted early on Sunday morning with his wife at a school in the leafy Zugliget suburb of Budapest.

“This is a country which has always stepped up for itself, so we can trust in the people, I will accept their decision,”

he said.

Casting her vote at the same polling station, retired kindergarten worker Zsuzsanna Draxler said: “Of course I hope the Orban government will be able to continue its work”.

But the first person to cast their vote at the station, who did not wish to be named, said only that he hoped for “something better” from the result.

Around 7.9 million Hungarians are eligible to vote and turnout figures will be closely watched for any clues of a possible upset.

A mainly first-past-the-post election system designed by Fidesz gives it an edge over a divided opposition but a high turnout and anti-Fidesz tactical voting could add an element of unpredictability.

Polling stations opened at 6:00 am local time (0400 GMT) and will stay open until 7:00 pm local time.

Preliminary results are expected one or two hours after polls close, with broader trends expected to become clear only slowly over the course of the evening.

Even if Fidesz does gain its expected parliamentary majority, analysts will be watching to see whether it falls short of the two-thirds “super majority” that has enabled it to pass some of its most controversial bills.

These include some of the measures that have put Orban on a collision course with Brussels, such as eroding the independence of the media and the judiciary, as well as its crackdown on civil society groups, particularly those funded by Hungarian-born US billionaire George Soros.

The government has been accused by critics of using anti-Semitic stereotypes in its relentless campaign against Soros, who is Jewish.

Orban accuses Soros and the organizations he funds of promoting mass Muslim and African immigration into Europe in order to undermine its Christian identity. AFP

MOSCOW―As Vladimir Putin starts his fourth Kremlin term, authorities are turning up the heat on popular websites and apps ostensibly to fight terrorism but analysts say the real motive is to muzzle critics.

A move this week to block the strongly encrypted messenger Telegram, less than a month after Putin’s crushing poll win, marks a new stage in the crackdown launched after his previous victory in 2012.

Telegram, which has 200 million users and is ironically the go-to messaging app for top Kremlin officials, was specifically designed by Russian developers to circumvent the Kremlin’s security forces.

Putin has gradually brought media, primarily television, under state control since the early 2000s.

Experts say the Kremlin recognizes the internet as the principal threat to its domination and one of the last refuges of free speech―especially after it helped fuel unprecedented mass demonstrations when Putin returned to the presidency six years ago after four years as prime minister.

“The Kremlin got scared and responded with an attack on internet freedoms,” said Andrei Soldatov, editor-inchief of Agentura.ru, a site monitoring the security services.

In the summer of 2012, Russia created a blacklist of sites showing child pornography or drug use and also those deemed to be “extremist”―a term vague enough to include opposition activism. The professed intention of the move was to protect children from harmful content online.

Two years later, the parliament unleashed a barrage of new anti-terrorist laws, including a ruling that blogs with more than 3,000 viewers per day must face the same strict regulations as news media.

Since then, Russian and foreign internet providers have been legally obliged to store the data of their Russian users in Russia.

This led to the blocking of professional networking site LinkedIn, which did not comply. AFP

US clears Taiwan’s submarine project

VIGIL Egyptian Greek Orthodox acolytes hold candles during the midnight Easter

Saturday vigil at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Archangels in Cairo’s central Daher neighborhood on April 7, 2018. AFP

TAIPEI―Washington has agreed to allow US defense contractors help Taiwan build its own submarines, Taipei said, welcoming the breakthrough in its longstanding ambitions to build up its fleet to counter the threat from China.

Taiwan last year launched a plan to manufacture its own submarines amid its deteriorating relations with China after its hopes of buying them from the US came to nothing.

The US State Department has approved granting the license necessary to sell Taiwan the technology needed for its submarine project.

The approval was a “breakthrough,” Taiwan defense ministry spokesman Chen Chung-chi said Sunday.

“It is part of a process. We’ll take it step by step,” he told AFP, declining to provide further details.

He stayed, she left: A humanistic approach to organizational commitment

for their basic needs and wants.

Promotions, on the other hand, are assumed to keep people from considering better opportunities offered by competitors.

A departure from the abovementioned notions, which focus on extrinsic factors, is the increasing appreciation for the role of meaning in motivating people in the workplace.

According to Positive Psychology advocate Martin Seligman, meaning allows individuals to transcend, either through promoting positive social relationships or connecting to a higher power.

Individuals seek to live lives that are purposeful and significant.

Employees consider jobs that are interesting, generate feelings of accomplishment, promote helpfulness, and contribute to making other people’s lives better. Fulfillment, autonomy, good working relations, engagement, and learning opportunities, mostly intrinsic factors, are associated with meaningful jobs.

In “Humanistic Entrepreneurship: An Approach to Virtuebased Enterprise,” DLSU professor Dr. Benito Teehankee cited three levels of entrepreneurial humanism. The levels are instrumentalism, collaboration and humanism. The lowest level of entrepreneurial humanism is called “instrumentalism” or working through people. This approach is based on the view of human beings as principally inputs or resources to be used in the production process. The second level is called “collaboration” or working with people and is characterized by the view of human beings as partners or team mates in the work process—to be led and involved rather than simply to be directed by the use of authority. The third and highest level in the framework is simply called “humanism,” or working for people. At this level, the integral development of employees as human beings becomes an explicit goal of the entrepreneur, higher in importance although supported

by the traditional goals of financial viability.

In order to enhance organizational commitment, management and organizational leaders should incorporate in their leadership style the highest level of entrepreneurial humanism. It should complement the motivational factors discussed above,and should lead to the holistic development of the employees while achieving organizational objectives at the same time. A successful integration of humanistic approach might just be the best way of keeping valuable talent in our organizations.

Allan Pamis earned his Political Science, M.B.A., and Law degrees from De La Salle University. He is currently enrolled in the DBA program of the same university. He can be reached atedgarallanpamis@ yahoo.com. The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

The agreement is likely to anger Beijing, which regards the island as part of its territory even though the two sides have been ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949.

Washington’s approval comes after President Donald Trump last month signed new rules allowing top-level US officials to travel to Taiwan.

China has protested the move, saying the US should stop official exchanges with Taiwan to avoid “damaging SinoUS relations”.

Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979 but maintains trade relations with the island and is its main arms supplier.

Since coming to power in May 2016, President Tsai Ing-wen has pushed for Taiwan to develop and build more of its weapons domestically. AFP

BATAAN SHIPYARD & ENGINEERING COMPANY INC. (BASECO) 967 A. Maceda St., Sampaloc, Manila INVITATION TO BID BASECO, through the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) invites interested parties/suppliers to apply for eligibility and to bid for the procurement of two(2) motor vehicles with the following minimum specifications: a. Gasoline Engine displacement not exceeding 1500 cc b. At least seven (7) seat capacity c. Automatic transmission d. Overall (4,190 x 1,660 x 1,695) Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) is P2,200,000.00. The BAC is conducting the public bidding in accordance with Republic Act No. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.

The schedule of procurement activities are shown below: Activities 1. Issuance of Bidding Documents 2. Pre-Bid Conference 3. Submission & Opening of Bids

Date & Time Place April 9, 2018 to April 30, 2018 967 A. Maceda St., April 17, 2018 Sampaloc, Manila 2:00 p.m.

May 2, 2018 2:00 p.m.

BASECO hereby reserves the right to reject any or all bids, declare failure of bidding or not to award the contract without disclosing any reason, to waive any minor defects of infirmities therein, and to accept such bids as may be advantageous to BASECO. For particulars, please contact BASECO thru Ms. Michelle Pobre, telephone no. 5437864.

(MS-APR. 9, 2018)

LGUs

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

B4

LocaL government units

monday, april 9, 2018

Searca draws in Taiwan for SEA agri, rural devt

By Brenda Jocson THE Taiwanese government is looking at the Philippine government-hosted Southeast Asian regional Center for Graduate Study and research in Agriculture as major partner and a window to the Association of South East Asian Nations in agriculture and rural development.

Searca in its recent visit to Taiwan have discussed with Council of Agriculture Executive Yuan, National Taiwan University and the Taiwanbased Food and Fertilizer Technology Center common interest and priority concerns that will be the basis for collaborations in research, graduate education and institutional development, and knowledge management initiatives.

Searca is mandated to promote inclusive and sustainable agricultural and rural development in Asean countries and Timor-Leste through its core programs on graduate education and institutional development, research, and knowledge management.

CoA, on the other hand, is the authority on agriculture, forestry, fisheries, animal husbandry, and food affairs in Taiwan, and NTU is the most prestigious university in the country with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen among its alumni.

Gil Saguiguit Jr., Searca director, said their recent visit to these major agriculture-focused institutions in Taiwan was on the heels of separate visits of NTU and CoA officials to the Center in 2017.

Saguiguit said NTU and CoA officials during their visit sought to renew ties with Searca considering the Taiwanese government’s New Southbound Policy which seeks new regional partners to enhance economic cooperation, talent exchange, and resource sharing between Taiwan and 18 countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Australasia.

CoA and NTU are pivoting their expertise and resources to benefit developing countries in the Southeast Asian region in support of the New Southbound Policy.

“As such, they are looking at Searca as a major partner and a window to the region,” Saguiguit said.

He said that in a planning workshop held on Feb. 8-9, 2018, NTU and Searca agreed to support scholarships for Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in biotechnology tenable at NTU’s Institute of Biotechnology.

Moreover, Saguiguit said, both institutions are interested in jointly developing and offering training courses, possibly on sustainable ecological environment, bio-fertilizers, plant factories, and biotechnology regulations and policymaking, with a view to draw in CoA and FFTC into the collaboration.

The improvement of the rural health unit in Majayjay, Laguna is in line with BDO Foundation’s advocacy to promote the health and well-being of people of all ages.

Mercury-tainted skin products sold in Davao

A

NoN-ProFIT watch group tracking poisonous chemicals in products and wastes has notified the local government of Davao City about the unlawful sale of mercury-tainted skin whitening cosmetics that pose health risks to Davaoeños, especially to users who are predominantly women.

Through a letter sent to Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, the EcoWaste Coalition reported the blatant sale of Goree, Jiaoli, S’Zitang and Yu Dan Tang skin whitening products previously banned by the Food and Drug Administration for containing violative levels of mercury, which is harmful to human health even in small amounts.

The FDA Mindanao East Cluster has already signified its plan to conduct surveillance activities in collaboration with the mayor’s office and the Philippine National Police.

Citing information from the World Health organization, the group informed the city mayor that mercury in skin lightening can damage the nervous, immune and renal systems; cause skin discoloration, rashes, and scarring; and reduce skin resistance to bacterial and fungal infections,. It can also contaminate the environment when mercury is discharged into wastewater.

“To our shock and disbelief, the banned products are openly displayed and sold in the stores we visited. We deplore the unabated sale of mercury-

tainted skin whitening products by some cosmetic dealers in Davao City in brazen defiance of the nationwide ban on such highly injurious items,” said Thony Dizon, EcoWaste Coalition’s chemical safety campaigner.

“The looming crackdown on peddlers of hazardous skin lightening cosmetics in Davao City, we hope, will put a stop to this illegal trade for the sake of human health and the environment,” he added.

Test buys conducted by an EcoWaste visiting team on April 2 and 3 netted 12 samples of banned skin whitening products imported from Pakistan, mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, respectively.

The items were procured from four cosmetic stores, one Chinese drug store and one department store.

7TH MARILAG FESTIVAL. Senator Cynthia A. Villar graces the Suman and Tamales contest and ribbon cutting of the trade booth and food park with Sta. Maria, Laguna Mayor lawyer Tony M. Carolino (second from left) his wife and former mayor lawyer Cindy V. Carolino (right) and Sta Maria Vice Mayor Vergie Tuazon (left) and municipal councilors during the opening ceremony of the 7th Marilag Festival with the theme ‘Himig at Indayog: Pagtutulungan at Pagkakaisa’ on Friday. Roy Tomandao

LandBank to extend hours for income tax deadline on April 16 AHEAD of the income tax-filing deadline on April 16, selected LandBank branches and extension offices will be open on Saturday, April 14, to accept tax payments.

Banking hours will likewise be extended up to 5 p.m. during weekdays up to April 16, in compliance with the Bureau of Internal revenue’s Bank Bulletin requiring all BIr-Authorized Agent Banks to extend banking hours prior to the income tax payment deadline.

For the complete list of LandBank branches operating on extended bank-

ing hours, visit www.landbank.com.

To avoid the inconvenience of long queues that come with the tax season, the Bank urges taxpayers to pay their dues online through the LandBank Link.BizPortal—an alternative channel that offers a safer and more convenient means to pay government fees anytime, anywhere.

To avail of the epayment facility, taxpayers must first file their tax return through eBIr Forms that can be accessed through the BIr website. once filing is completed, they can visit the

LandBank website, go to the e-Banking tab and click on LANDBANK Link.BizPortal.

In the LANDBANK Link.BizPortal window, the taxpayers will have to do the following: 1. Enter BIr for the merchant name.

2. Select tax payment as transaction type.

3. Choose LandBank ATM for payment mode.

Tax payment details and LandBank ATM account information will be required

to proceed with the online payment. once submitted, a payment confirmation will be displayed, which will also be sent in the email that the client will provide.

Paying electronically is initially available for individual and non-individual taxpayers and tax agents who maintain Peso ATM Savings and Current Accounts with LandBank. Soon, this payment facility will also be available for Bancnet-member banks, and internationally branded cards as additional payment option for taxpayers.

PDRF sets up emergency center

By Othel V. Campos THE Philippine Disaster resilience Foundation, one of the leading business networks in disaster management, announced that it has started operating the world’s first national emergency operations center inside the Clark Freeport zone.

Clark Development Corp. President Noel F. Manankil said the free port appreciated the entry of the Foundation as a new locator.

The EoC is a self-sufficient operations hub geared towards training for disaster preparedness and the coordination of relief and response during major disasters.

The Foundation chose Clark as the best location for the facility for it is one

of the designated recovery sites identified by the government in the national contingency plan and an ideal place due to its proximity to the Clark International Airport and Port of Subic Bay. Foundation co-chairman Manny V. Pangilinan stressed that disaster management in the country should be a collaborative effort between the government and the private sector.

He also cited the Foundation’s effort for creating platforms in establishing a disaster-resilient Philippines.

“PDrF’s formation is premised on the conviction that disaster management is not solely up to the government. The despair of one must touch us all and everyone must help,” he said. With Romeo Dizon

HEALTH UNIT BLESSING. Pagsanjan Mayor Maita Ejercito (third from right) and

former Laguna governor Jeorge ER Ejercito (beside her) lead the ribbon cutting and ceremonial turnover of the new Pagsanjan Rural Health Unit in Brgy. Biñan, Pagsanjan, Laguna. With them are officers of BDO Foundation headed by president Mario Deriquito (third from left), BDO Foundation program director Rosemarie Espinosa (left) and officials led by Vice Mayor Peter Casius M. Trinidad (right) and municipal health officers Dr. Lyra Leron-Torres (center). Roy Tomandao

Majayjay flies high with new health center For five long years, the medical workers of Majayjay, a municipality in the province of Laguna, served their constituents in makeshift consultation and treatment rooms. It was difficult to deliver healthcare services, as the facilities were not meant for this purpose.

That was until BDo Foundation came into the picture. The corporate social responsibility arm of BDo Unibank, in partnership with the local government unit, recently rehabilitated rural Health Unit Majayjay.

With the project completed, the town’s health officer, nurses and midwives can now attend to patients more efficiently in rooms designed specifically for medical care.

“Fly high, Majayjay!” the people exclaimed as they witnessed the unveiling of the two-storey health center, which was turned over to local officials by BDo Foundation president Mario Deriquito and BDo Foundation program director rose Espinosa.

They were joined by BDo Laguna area head Antonio roña, BDo Laguna-Sta. Cruz branch head Jason Alimario, BDo Laguna-Pagsanjan branch head Marlette Coral and BDo Laguna-Sta. Cruz National Highway branch head rowena Dizon.

BDo branches support the foundation’s rehabilitation program, disaster response efforts and other corporate citizenship initiatives.

The newly rehabilitated rural Health Unit Majayjay was graciously accepted by Mayor Carlo Clado, municipal health officer Dr. Ivan Villareal and local officials of the Department of Health. The event was witnessed by Laguna Vice Governor Karen Agapay, who lauded BDo Foundation’s projects in the province.

A population of more than 37,000 people from 40 barangays stand to benefit from the newly rehabilitated rural Health Unit Majayjay.

The health center’s overall structure, lobby and waiting areas, offices, consultation room, laboratory, nurses’ station, dental clinic and birthing facilities were renovated by BDo Foundation. The foundation also installed a breastfeeding station, play area for children and waiting lounge for senior citizens. New furniture and fixtures were donated.

NV readies lecture series for Women’s Congress

By Ben Moses Ebreo BAYoMBoNG, Nueva Vizcaya— officials of the women’s sector here are in the process of finalizing the proposed activities for the second conduct of the yearly Women’s Congress in the province.

Former governor ruth Padilla, federation president of the all-women Abot Palad Association Federation and convenor said the congress will be held separately in the southern and northern part of the province.

The first activity will be held on April 14 at Bambang town gymnasium while the next event will be on April 24 at the Sacred Heart Center of the St. Mary’s University in Bayombong town.

“This will again serve as a venue to further empower our women in the province so that they can participate properly and meaningfully in various development affairs of the national as well as the local government units where they belong,” she said.

Padilla said the women’s congress this year will offer lectures on the Magna Carta for Women, Federalism, Violence Against Women and Children, reproductive Health, responsible Parenthood.

PNP records show that there is an increase on VAWC cases in the province.

However, Gov. Carlos Padilla said he is not alarmed because it clearly reflects the high awareness of women and children on their rights and responsibilities in their respective homes and communities.

The guest speaker during the program is Judge Merianthe Pacita Manzano Zuraek of the Manila regional Trial Court Branch 51.

The lecturers are Chanda Tuppil of Department of Social Welfare and Development regional office on Magna Carta of Women of rA 9710; PCI oglanyer Endrinal of the NV Provincial Police office on VAWC or rA 9262; rosario Eugenio, planning officer of Commission on Population regional office on responsible Parenthood and reproductive Health or rA 10354 and Governor Carlos Padilla on Federalism.

Life

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

food

monday, april 9, 2018

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Best Food Forward

The Baron Method is a six-month program that teaches people how to consume food, when to consume food, and what type of food to consume.

Eat your way to a

hEalthy lifE

“L

et food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”

this line inspired Harvie Baron, a nutritionist and athlete, to learn about the healing power of food—a journey that helped him battle a lifelong health condition, break free from a lifetime of medicine, earn a nutrition diploma from Oxford College, and embark on a mission to teach others to gain their own lives back through the healing power of food.

In today’s stress-filled world, people struggle with a multitude of health concerns. Cancer, hypertension, diabetes, attention deficit disorder, gout—all these illnesses are affecting the lives and limiting the activities of people, often making them dependent on a lifetime of prescription medicines. this is why the Baron Method was created. the Baron Method, painstakingly developed by Harvie, focuses on the transformational healing power of food. It believes that an individual who properly learns how to consume food, when to consume food, and what type of food to consume, will not only attain optimum health, but also the ability to freely design their lives with their newfound vitality.

Seven years since its inception, Harvie has managed to help almost a thousand people transform their health—diabetics brought down their blood sugar to normal levels, hypertensive clients achieved normal blood pressure readings, cancer patients went into remission, and hyperactive kids learned how to focus.

Alex Yu, 41, and Deana Collins, 64, are only two of the many that subscribe to the Baron Method. Both of them were overweight, had high cholesterol, and registered off-the-charts blood chemistry levels, and it was during that time of their lives when they realized that they needed to change in order to enjoy life.

“I was sick of being sick,” shares Collins.

Barbecue Potato Chips

FACeD with the possibility of a flat growth this year, stakeholders in the local food industry are gearing up for both challenges and opportunities that an increasingly competitive regional market presents amid the economic integration of memberstates of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

“We are now benchmarking ourselves with Asean and looking at how we can best perform vis-a-vis our regional neighbors. We have to stop benchmarking our performance with our previous local data but with Asean data,” said Roberto Amores, president of the Philippine Food Processors and exporters Organization (Philfoodex) Inc. Philfoodex is organizing the 14th Philippine Food expo, a three-day event from April 20 to 22 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, which will gather 300 leading firms involved in the food industry, such as manufacture, export, equipment, and packaging, among others. the expo, which is recognized as the country’s “only all-Filipino food show,” has the theme “emerging trends in Food trade” this year, precisely in recognition of the challenges that come with changes in consumption and demand.

In the fourth quarter of 2017, the country’s agricultural exports declined by 3.6 percent to $4.19 billion from $4.35 billion in the same period in 2016. the share of agricultural exports to the country’s total exports likewise fell to 8.4 percent from 10.3 percent in 2016.

“We don’t expect any substantial growth this year. We expect growth to plateau. Our current volume of agricultural exports is still way below our Asean neighbors,” Amores said.

He, however, expects the industry to bounce back next year. “Our expectation is that we will register growth in 2019 because of the interventions that have been introduced.

Perhaps we will hit a 3 percent growth increase,” he added.

Key interventions, Amores said, include technological advancements both in addressing pests and diseases as well as in mechanizing the farming processes.

“Manual farming will soon become a thing of the past. Our concern is how to bring back millennials to our farms. the average age of our farmers today is 62 years old. We can only encourage our millennials to go back to farming with mechanization,” he said.

During the three-day expo, Philfoodex has lined up several seminars to help companies adapt to market demands and become more competitive. the topics include agribusiness support for investments promotion in regional expositions, franchising opportunities, application of the tRAIN Law to the food industry, trends and business opportunities in the Asean food and beverage industry, threats to food business, and financial assistance for SMes, among others.

Co-organized by the Philippine exporters Federation (Philexport), the Department of Agriculture, the Department of trade and Industry and the export Marketing Bureau, the expo will also include its first ever Chocolate, Coffee and tea Festival. there will also be a culinary showdown for college students and faculty, and a barista challenge.

“We are seeing some aggressive moves in the agri-business sector. there are burning issues concerning competitiveness, the availability of raw materials, improving technologies and adapting innovations,” Amores said.

“We hope to address these issues through the Philippine Food expo, and see how the government and the private sector can work hand-inhand in helping the industry grow,” he concluded.

I’m at joyce.panares@gmail.com

Grass-fed Beef Ribs

With the Baron Method program, they both learned how to eat better and healthier, read labels, prepare nutritional food, and make better choices.

Collins, who have beaten cancer with the help of Baron method says, “I absolutely believe in the healing power of food. I’ve experienced it in my life, in my heart, mind, body, and soul.”

Meanwhile, Yu shares that he hasn’t taken any medication in the past six months. “All I did was eat healthy and eat right, and my blood chemistry result is a testimony of how eating healthy food can heal our body.”

Because of increasing demand for the program, bolstered by such stories of transformation, the first Baron Method Center in the country has opened its doors to the general public.

Located on the ground floor of the edsa Shangri-la Hotel in Mandaluyong City, the Baron Method center aims to help people enjoy a better and healthier life, free from disease, through smarter food choices and overall health literacy.

In a nutshell, the program teaches people how to procure proper ingredients by reading labels; how to choose the right

poultry, meat, and vegetables; how to prepare food through kitchen strategies and recipes; and most importantly, it provides a customized plan to suit an individual’s body’s long-term needs.

“We’re not a diet program,” Harvie points out. “Our primary thrust is not to make you lose weight, but to permanently free you from a lifetime of prescription medicines through the healing power of food.” the six-month program includes a highly personalized eating plan based on an individual’s current state of health, goal, and daily schedule.

In addition, the center offers a onetime food education program where people learn what to look for when they’re at the grocery stores and how to read labels. It also provides 28 recipes they can cook, a one-week sample meal calendar, the worst ingredients in food, and a pantry-staple swap list.

Harvie noted that the most common diseases that urge people to use the method are lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension; chronic diseases like asthma; and autoimmune diseases like psoriasis and irritable bowel syndrome.

Others are simply too tired and lethargic to concentrate on what they are doing.

“People all have different goals, ideals, plans, and lives, so if you put them on a diet that’s not suitable for them individually, then it won’t work, especially long-term,” opines Harvie.

He continues, “A program or an eating plan is only effective if it has sustainability. If it doesn’t have sustainability, then it doesn’t work. At Baron Method, each program is made specific to the client’s needs and body type.

We believe that anything worthwhile takes commitment and discipline, and we’re here to help you make that change through every step of the way.”

For more information, go to www. baronmethod.com or follow www.facebook.com/baronmethod.

The 14th Philippine Food Expo will feature a variety of Fillipino food products

With the theme ‘Emerging Trends in Food Trade’ the food expo recognizes the challenges that come with changes in consumption and demand.

Life

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monday, apri apriL 9, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

recipe files

LocaL veggie dish MAMA Sita’s presented appetizing vegetable dishes at the Sikat Pinoy National Food Fair held recently at the Mega trade hall in a bid to emphasize the need for cooking more healthy dishes.

Mama Sita’s showcased delicious and nutritious examples of home-cooked meals, such as sitaw guisado, kare-kareng gulay, and barbecue salad, in their seven-day menu incorporating various locally available vegetables. the menu was designed to encourage families to include more vegetables in their daily meals for a healthier lifestyle.

Poolside chill The Boodle Platter features a hearty serving of Filipino food favorites good for two diners

N

othiNg beats a refreshing treat while lounging by the poolside. Reason why Diamond hotel makes sure its guests at the Poolside have a couple of thirst-quenching food and drink options to help them beat the tropical heat.

No child can ever resist a frosty glass of cooling and mouthwatering Kiddie Slushie, available for P180 nett. But if a scoop, or two, of ice cream is your kind of refreshing summer treat, Poolside offers Scoops of Delight creamy creations that will keep summer revelers coming back for more. gather the folks to partake of a hearty and scrumptious Boodle Platter, a grand slam feast featuring Filipino food favorites available for P1,780 nett, good for two persons dining al fresco at the Poolside.

Aside from the refreshing and summer treats, Diamond hotel offers its Summer Fun room promo for P5,500 nett that comes with overnight accommodation, Wi-Fi internet access, buffet breakfast for two, P2000 dining credit, 20 percent discount on massage and laundry, scheduled weekend shuttle service to and from intramuros, Mall of Asia, and Robinsons Manila, and access to the health Club and Spa and swimming pool.

Diamond Hotel Philippines is located at Roxas Boulevard corner Dr. J. Quintos Street, Manila. For restaurant reservations call (02) 529-3000 ext. 1121.

Beat the heat with a thirst-quenching Watermelon Slushie

Mama Sita’s Kare-kareng Gulay

Mama sita’s Kare-Kareng gulay

Cooking time: 12 mins. | Serves: 3

Ingredients: 1 pc sliced eggplant 12 pcs sitaw, cut into two-inch lengths ¼ cup sliced banana heart 4 pcs pechay 2 cloves crushed garlic 1 pc sliced red onion 1 pouch Mama Sita’s Kare-Kareng gulay Mix (dissolved in ½ cup water) 1 tbsp cooking oil ½ cup water bagoong Procedure: 1. in a pan, heat cooking oil and fry eggplant. Set aside.

2. in a separate saucepan, heat cooking oil and sauté garlic and onion.

3. Add sitaw and banana heart. Stir for 30 seconds.

4. Add water then the pechay stems. Bring to a boil.

5. Pour the dissolved Mama Sita’s Kare-kareng gulay Mix. Stir. Boil and let it simmer for two minutes.

6. Add the pechay leaves. Stir and continue simmering until the sauce thickens.

7. Add the fried eggplant. Stir and simmer for one minute.

8. Serve with rice and bagoong.

Poolside’s Scoops of Delight ice cream selections are a sweet and refreshing summer treat

Tea party

One of the exhibitors at the Philippine Harvest meets Sabores de España

with the March Hare FolloW the rabbit to reveal the richly flavored tea Party tea from the haute Couture tea Collection of tWg tea. tea Party features the rich infusion of black tea with notes of pineapple and Mediterranean orange that infuses into a cup of orchard sweetness. For the ideal afternoon fête, the tea Party tea is perfect served iced or hot, paired with an assortment of tea cakes, sandwiches, and petit fours. it is packaged in a delicately designed tin can in hues of pastel green, gold, and emerald. it retails at P1,800, and is available at tWg tea Salons & Boutiques in greenbelt 5, Shangri-la Plaza, Central Tea Party Tea features a rich infusion of black tea, pineapple, and orange Square, and S Maison Conrad Manila.

Philippine Harvest meets Sabores de España the Agriculture department, Central Square, and SSi group partnered with the embassy of Spain to showcase the world-famous Spanish flavors side by side Filipino produce and ingredients. the three-day gastronomic market and festival, dubbed “Philippine harvest meets Sabores de españa,” featured time-honored Spanish staples such as olive oil, sausages, jamon iberico, and wines from 15 exhibitors. Meanwhile 25 exhibitors from the Philippines show-

cased the country’s diverse agricultural products, including organic heirloom rice, artisanal chocolates, coffee, fresh fruits and vegetables.

“With Philippine harvest, we give our customers another opportunity to enrich their appreciation of the culinary tradition of both our country and of Spain, as well as recognize the men and women behind the different varieties of food products,” said SSi group president Anthony huang.

siP a cup of Frostino every Wednesday CoStA Coffee heeds the clamor of customers looking for a refreshing summer treat as it brings back Frostino Wednesday. every Wednesday of April there will be a Frostino flavor offered at P100. the first Wednesday of this month featured Berry Vanilla. on April 11, chocoholics will have a field day with the Roasted hazelnut Chocolate Frostino. An extra chocolate boost is added to this rich drink and topped with whipped cream and more chocolate.

Mint Choco Chip Frostino is what customers will get on April 18. this another favorite features the classic combination of fresh mint with dark chocolate chip, finished with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle.

Finally, the decadent Double Chocolate Cookie Mocha is offered on April 25. this thick and chocolatey cookie-like concoction is a decadent dessert that can be sipped.

Fuel up conversations with coffee WhAt’S the best way to fuel up a conversation? Do it over a great cup of coffee. McCafé offers a range of coffee to match your taste any time of the day.

Savor the bold flavor and smoothness of McCafé Premium Roast Coffee, which is available ala carte for only P29. if you want to cool down, the the 39peso McCafé iced Coffee is the perfect coffee drink for you. looking for something even sweeter and cooler? Break the ice with the McCafé Coffee Float, only at P55 ala carte.

Costa Coffee Frostino

McCafé Iced Coffee

MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018

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Wild card Wishful PRINCESS SEVILLENA wins Wishcovery The 1st Wishcovery Grand Winner Princess Sevilla sings her heart out during the singing tilt's finale.

W

ISHCOVERY’S wild card round winner Princess Sevillena of Metro Manila emerged victorious during the competition’s grand finals held on March 27 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The 24-year-old supply chain coordinator won Php 1 million cash prize, another guaranteed Php 1 million worth of management contract with Breakthrough and Milestones Productions International (BMPI), a recording deal with Star Music, a house and lot courtesy of Bria Homes, and a brand-new car.

She will also be flying to New York, U.S.A. for a makeover by stylist Richie Rich and for a musical training with stage director Joe Barros.

During the grand finals, Sevillena competed in five “Wish rounds” against four other Wishfuls namely Carmela Ariola, Kimberly Baluzo, Hacel

Bartolome, and Louie Anne Culala.

The scores from the first two rounds came from the contenders’ Grand Finals Wish Bus performances.

In the third round, the grand finalists sung a medley of OPM pieces they have performed throughout the competition.

This portion was scored by New Yorkbased foreign reactors—Rich, and highprofile talent agency chief, Cicero Oca. The fourth round was a live collaboration among the Wishful 5. They delivered a dashing rendition of “Discovered,” an original penned by hitmaker Jungee Marcelo especially for the competition’s grand finale.

Meanwhile, the fifth round witnessed the ultimate vocal clash among the five finalists as they sang their respective solo numbers.

Marcelo, together with fellow resident reactors Annie Quintos of The Company and R&B King Jay R, scored the last two rounds.

The grand finals battles were a fitting way to cap off the pilot season of the country’s biggest online singing competition, which premiered in September 2017. The show, aired on Wish 107.5’s YouTube Channel, originally featured 20 singing hopefuls who have gone through a series of intense

sing-offs staged aboard the Wish 107.5 Bus. Apart from the life-changing rewards won by Sevillena, the other finalists have also secured amazing prizes.

Baluzo, who won 1st runner-up, took home a cash prize worth Php 500,000, while 2nd runner-up Culala received Php 300,000. Ariola and Bartolome, who were hailed 3rd and 4th runners-up respectively, have won Php 100,000 each.

Just like Sevillena, the four are also recipients of a five-year management contract with BMPI, the firm the provides content for Wish 107.5, as well as a twoyear recording deal with Star Music.

Meanwhile, all of the Wishful 5 were also able to donate Php 100,000 to each of their chosen beneficiaries.

Asked about the sophomore season of Wishcovery, BMPI CEO and President Kuya Daniel Razon shared, “The next season is now ready and we have big plans for it. We are just waiting for the right time to reveal [the details].”

Wishcovery grand finals was hosted

by Kris Lawrence. It also featured performance from OPM stars Erik Santos, Christian Bautista and Marcelito Pomoy.

Dove’s global partnership with Cartoon Network DOVE announces a two-year global partnership with Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe to educate young people on body confidence through the cartoon’s themes of inclusivity and empowerment.

This pioneering collaboration comes from the “Dove Self-Esteem Project,” which has been helping young people build self-esteem and body confidence through educational programmes since 2004.

The project is based on the knowledge that over half of girls do not have high body confidence, leading them to avoid spending time with friends and family, put their health at risk and opt-out of important

life events. The “Dove Self-Esteem Project” exists in 140 countries around the world and is committed to reaching 40 million young people by 2020 through its existing educational programmes; and with the help of Steven Universe, will now reach 20 million more, including in Asia Pacific.

Using a public health intervention model, the “Dove Self-Esteem Project” will expand beyond structured workshops delivered by adults to taking educational content direct to young people on a scale never-seen before. And in the case of the project’s partnership with Cartoon Network, this will be Steven Universe’s

An animated short inspired by the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the world’s largest provider of self-esteem education.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Monday, April 9, 2018

ACROSS 1 Flock together 6 “Make” or “break” 10 Sword part 14 Split 15 Pitcher 16 Marvin Lee — (Meat Loaf) 17 Capri and Wight 18 Ms. Morrison 19 Blow on the head 20 Athens rival 22 Russell or Olin 23 Swiss painter Paul — 24 Name in jeans 26 Departure 28 Harpooned 31 South, in Mexico 32 Gives a leg up 33 Utterly confused (3 wds.)

39 “Exodus” name 40 Mountain range 41 Deep water 42 Faultfinding 45 Written in the stars 47 Son — — gun 48 Columns 50 Shark tagalong 53 Mop the deck

54 VHS predecessor 55 — now or never!

57 Garland 61 Grades 1-12 62 We, in Le Havre 64 Kermit’s colleague 65 Debt securer 66 The avenging Mrs. Peel 67 Serviceable 68 Piece of land 69 Kitchen meas.

70 Blanched DOWN 1 The nearer one 2 Say hoarsely 3 Earthen jar 4 Partly cover 5 Bothers 6 Herriot, for one 7 Furry “Star Wars” being 8 “Walk Away —” 9 Harvests (2 wds.)

10 PC adepts 11 Superstars 12 Byways 13 Little kid 21 St. 25 Wyoming neighbor 27 Wheel track 28 Hoops

nickname 29 Llama country 30 Ducommun or Wiesel 34 Sweater letter 35 Thin clouds 36 This, in Spain 37 Not e’en once 38 Many parents 40 Band instrument 43 Kind of lettuce 44 Strange sighting 45 Sudden outburst of

anger (hyph.)

46 Banff’s locale 49 Labor org.

50 Antique 51 Knockout gas 52 Cyclotron targets 54 Bartok or Lugosi 56 Cesspool 58 Dye-yielding plant 59 Roofing piece 60 Listen 63 Stockholm carrier

young viewers to positively impact their self-esteem and body confidence.

“It has always been important to us that our content resonates with our audience and empowers them,” says Christina Miller, president Cartoon Network.

The partnership will come to life in a series of six short animated films directed by Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar, the first of which premiered recently in the US and in the Philippines on April 23.

Working with the “Dove Self-Esteem Project,” all content has been carefully co-created and grounded in scientific evidence by body image expert, Dr Phillippa Diedrichs at the Center for Appearance Research at the University of the West of England, in order to make a meaningful impact on a young person’s self-esteem and body confidence.

Critically acclaimed, Steven Universe is the first animated series on Cartoon Network to be created by a woman.

“Since 2004, through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, we have been providing young people with the tools and resources they need to develop body confidence and self-esteem so they can fully participate in life and reach their full potential,” says Sophie Galvani, Dove Global Vice President.

Simply Red...

From C4

TV5 President & CEO, Chot Reyes, says, “We at TV5 are excited to finally be able to share AMO with everyone.

Brillante has done a beautiful job in bringing paper to life, and the show’s acquisition provides an additional platform to help share the first-ever Filipino series on Netflix to a worldwide audience.”

Starring in the series is Vince Rillon, an upcoming indie film actor from the movies Captive, Fallback, and Bagahe.

He is supported by Derek Ramsay.

“TV5’s partnership with Netflix shows that the network is capable of producing high quality programs that can be showcased to a wider audience worldwide,” TV5 First Vice President – Head of Content & Programming Mellanie Yazon-Tolentino said.

AMO is the first-ever 12 episode miniseries from the Philippines to be streamed on Netflix.

Tolentino said the company is looking at the possibility of producing more entertainment, news and sports content to boost its revenue.

“Depending on how AMO will be received by the worldwide audience, TV5 is open to the idea of producing more entertainment content on top of its high rating sports content,” she added. *** Thanks to the overwhelming response from netizens, AXN has proven that crowdsourcing has become an effective tool in obtaining their share of adventures in its weekly 30-minute travel show, Adventure Your Way. For the last six episodes, the audiences have been treated to fun activities, as Atom Araullo took on his #AdventureGoals and embarked on the most exciting adventures on land, at sea, and in the air around the Philippines. From skydiving in Bantayan, Cebu to canyoneering in the waterfalls of Sagada, from flying a plane in Camiguin to diving with manta rays in Masbate, and from surviving a night in the jungle in Subic to rock climbing in Rizal, Atom immersed himself in every adventure and gamely experienced the bucket lists of would-be adventurers.

AXN fans are encouraged to send more suggestions on Adventure Your Way’s social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using #AdventureGoals, where they can also help Atom decide which road to take by watching out for his #TakeMeAnywhere posts.

Adventure Your Way airs every Thursday at 8:00 p.m. on AXN. Watch it on AXN HD on SKYCable Channel 247 for clearer images and crisper sound. *** Help your kids continue learning even when school is out for the summer, with Knowledge Channel’s shows that are a perfect mix of entertainment and education. Available on ABS-CBN TVplus, Knowledge Channel is easily accessible

to kids of different levels, with topics that cover math, science, English, Filipino, social studies, values education, and even early childhood education.

1. Agricoolture (Monday to Wednesday, 11:20 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.)

Teach your children to value the country’s lush tropical climate and the wonders of our agricultural sector in time for your yearly summer trip to the beach or province. The show educates children on crop, livestock and poultry, and fish farming, while featuring the business potential of each sector. It also tackles economy and science in a way that children can understand and appreciate the concepts.

2. MathDali (Monday to Friday at 10:20 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.)

Trying to think up ways you can entertain the kids? Join them in a MathDali viewing session daily. The show helps make learning fun and easy by tackling common core topics in math in a light, entertaining way. The topics that the show covers are math concepts that kids can use later, more advanced math lessons.

3. Pamana (Monday to Wednesday at 9:20 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.)

If the family is planning a trip, this show might be a good learning companion for the kids. It’s a fun way to learn about history and geography as it follows lead character Nico while he learns about the country’s different regions and provinces, as well as each location’s unique culture and history. Watch the episodes on the specific destinations to give your kids a better appreciation of the places they’ll be seeing.

4. Wow (Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.)

Help your kids cultivate a love for local culture, as kids get to see what each region in our country has to offer. Kids will learn a wealth of knowledge about the different histories, cultures and industries unique to the country’s different regions.

5. Solved (Monday to Friday at 11:00 a.m. and 3:40 p.m.)

Children can learn math while learning practical life skills in “Solved,” an intermediate math program that illustrates math concepts in real life situations. Save on the extra math tutorials and join them in these interactive videos, which you can also help explain to them if needed.

6. Kasaysayan TV (Monday at 10:00 a.m. and 2:40 p.m.)

It tackles different aspects of Philippine history in a digestible way while teaching values education. Children will easily digest information in the storytelling style of tackling moments in our country’s history.

7. Alikabuk (Thursday and Friday at 9:20 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.)

It encourages the new generation of Filipino schoolchildren to understand, study, and appreciate Philippine Literature, by introducing classics by using day to day settings and educating them on nuances on proper intonation and pronunciation.

Watch these shows and more on Knowledge Channel, available on ABS-CBN TVplus.

TV5 President & CEO Chot Reyes (center) with actor Vince Rillon (left) and Brillante Mendoza (right)

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2018

By Nickie Wang

T

OM Rodriguez has revealed how landing a role in an upcoming series, The Cure, is a childhood dream come true.

In the series, directed by Mark Reyes and also stars Jennylyn Mercado and LJ Reyes, Tom plays Greg, a family man who works for a pharmaceutical firm successful in creating effective medicines.

One day, Greg’s life takes a turn when his mother is diagnosed with late-stage cancer. Desperate to find treatment, he gets his hands on an experimental drug derived from a type of rabies that only exist in simians and gives it to his mother.

The drug becomes the root of an infection that threatens to spread all over the city.

In an interview with Manila Standard and some select members of the entertainment press, the 30-year-old Kapuso actor revealed how his character would evolve from someone who has a weak personality into an action hero.

“My character, he’s weak in the

beginning. And the look, they didn’t change the way I look. I even get to wear my glasses, which is somehow much closer to how I usually am when I’m just at home,” he started.

“Greg means well. He wants to do good things. His natural instinct is to jump into and take risks but pag nauunahan ng utak niya..that stops him. That’s his barrier in the beginning. But all he wanted to do is to protect his family,” he explained.

Talking about the character, he said although Greg is depicted as somehow geeky and weak in the beginning of the story, he will transform into some kind of an action hero due to the development in the series that requires him to run, jump off a building and do some other crazy physical stunts.

“The stunts…they are so much fun to

FOUR YEARS IN DETENTION

BONG REVILLA

hopes he’d be free soon ISAH V. RED

THE actor-turned-politician spent the Holy Week and Easter in detention. It has been four years since he surrendered to Sandiganbayan and eventually detained at the PNP custodial center at Camp Crame along with fellow actor and member of the Senate Jinggoy Estrada (who has been allowed to post bail for temporary freedom).

His fans in show business have been wondering whether the actor/ senator would be, like Jinggoy, be allowed to post bail (at least) while he is being tried for his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam filed against him and the other senators, Juan Ponce Enrile and Estrada.

“I do not deserve to be incarcerated,” he said when we visited him one time at his detention.

“Gayunpaman, buo ang tiwala ko sa sistema kaya’t mula’t sapul ay sumailalim na ako rito (Even then I trust the system that’s the reason I surrendered.)”

“As I promised, I continue to face the lies and intrigues thrown at me by my detractors,” he continued.”

This has never weakened my resolve to fight for the truth and what is right. I am steadfast in my commitment to our kababayans.

I still believe in justice and I trust that the truth will prevail and that I will be vindicated.”

His fans began to express their sentiments since late last year when Coco Martin’s movie Ang Panday started getting media buzz. It will be recalled that Revilla starred in not one but two Ang Panday films.

One was released in 2009 and the other in 2011. In fact, if he were not in detention, he could have shot a third Ang Panday.

He, however, said that once he is allowed to leave his detention cell, he’d star in another movie, not another Ang Panday as its franchise has been acquired by

do. You feel renewed. Whereas when you do dramatic scenes sometime it can be the opposite, it can be draining,” Tom said while showing some bruises and scratches on his forearms.

Little did many people know, Tom is a big fan of action genre. As a kid he enjoyed watching Star Wars and E.T.. He was interested in any Stephen King stuff and even pretended as Indiana Jones that's why one of his dream projects is to do an action series or film.

“Action and sci-fi are the genres that I grew up with. It’s my first time to do an action series, and I hope they’d give me more like this. And I’m happy whenever GMA offers me something because every project stretches me in one way or another. Every role that they’ve given me makes feel so scared, but in a positive way,” he stated.

Tom is also fortunate that because of his role’s physical requirement, he’s able to keep fit without going to the gym.

“I wasn’t able to prepare physically but because of the stunts I’m doing right now, I am able to burn all the calories I packed after the Bench show. The stunts serve as my form of exercise,” he ended.

Kapamilya inspires viewers with new summer anthem LOVE continues to shine and inspire in ABS-CBN’s new summer anthem “Just Love Araw-Araw,” which will feature the voices of 30 Kapamilya artists led by It’s Showtime hosts Vice Ganda, Anne Curtis, Billy Crawford, Karylle, and Vhong Navarro, Singer 2018 contender KZ Tandingan, and The Voice PH mentor Bamboo.

The Kapamilya network launched the official lyric video for its much-awaited 2018 Summer Station ID on April 7 on the ABS-CBN Entertainment Youtube channel. The actual Station ID, meanwhile, will have its debut on national television on April 14 in It’s Showtime.

Taking inspiration from the hit “Just Love Ngayong Christmas” Station ID last December, “Just Love Araw-Araw” encourages Filipinos to express how they feel through acts of love, care, and service directed to their family, friends, community, and the entire nation. With the rallying lyrics and vibe, the song inspires people to have fun with a purpose this summer and in every day of their lives.

Also performing in the song are other members of the well-loved noontime show including Jugs Jugueta, Teddy

Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr.

another film company. But, yes, that his promise to his fans. *** Netflix, the world’s leading Internet entertainment company, known for huge hits like The Crown, House Of Cards, Stranger Things, and Black Mirror, has acquired AMO, a TV5-produced show set against the backdrop of the Duterte government’s controversial drug war.

It is the first-ever TV series from the Philippines to be on Netflix.

AMO started streaming worldwide on April 9.

Directed by Cannes Awardwinning director Brillante Mendoza, AMO tells the story of Joseph, a high school student who starts out as a small-time “shabu” peddler. His involvement in the drug trade eventually gets him entangled in the violent and dangerous circle of drug lords, crooked cops, and corrupt government officials.

“AMO is a bold and suspenseful show that has the potential of capturing thrill-seeking audiences worldwide,” said Robert Roy, VP of Content Acquisition at Netflix. “We’re always seeking to work with passionate, talented storytellers like Mr. Mendoza, to bring premium content to the more than 117 million Netflix members around the world.”

Continued on C3

From left: Ryan Bang, Amy Perez, Vhong Navarro, and Jhong Hilario

From left: Karylle, Vice Ganda, and Anne Curtis

Corpuz, Amy Perez, “Tawag ng Tanghalan” (TNT) judges Rey Valera, Nyoy Volante, Mitoy Yonting, Yeng Constantino, K Brosas, Erik Santos, Jaya, Jed Madela, Louie Ocampo, Ogie Alcasid, and Rico J. Puno, TNT grand finalists Remy Luntayao, Anton Antenorcruz, Tuko Delos Reyes, Sofronio Vasquez, Alfred Relatado and Jovany Satera, and “Ms. Q and A’s” finalists Juliana Parizcova Segovia, Matrica Matmat Centino, and Rhian Rianne Azares.

“Just Love Araw-Araw” was written by ABS-CBN Creative Communications Management (CCM) head Robert Labayen with Lloyd Oliver “Tiny” Corpuz and Paolo Ramos, also of CCM. The music, meanwhile, was done by hit Filipino composers Thyro Alfaro and Yumi Lacsamana with additional melody from Jimmy Antiporda.

ABS-CBN’s Summer and Christmas Station IDs have become a tradition not only for the Kapamilya Network but also for Filipinos all over the world who take inspiration from the messages of hope and love that the songs and videos bring.

Michael V is still home MULTITALENTED and award-winning actor, comedian and TV host Michael V. affirmed his commitment with GMA Network, Inc. in a contract signing held on April 4.

Present in the contract signing were GMA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, GMA President and Chief Operating Officer Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., GMA Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Felipe S. Yalong, GMA Entertainment Content Group Senior Vice President Lilybeth G. Rasonable, GMA Senior Assistant Vice President for Business Development Department II Janine PiadNacar, Senior Program Manager Bang Arespacochaga, Program Managers Cecille de Guzman, Mildred Natividad and Enri Calaycay and Bitoy’s wife and manager Carolina Bunagan.

Bitoy hosts the longest-running comedy gag show Bubble Gang and stars in the

award-winning family sitcom, Pepito Manaloto. He is also the host of the celebrity competition Lip Sync Battle Philippines.

The comedian, who has been a loyal Kapuso for more than two decades, revealed that he is happy to renew his contract with the network.

“Twenty-three years na ako sa GMA. Mahirap kasing magpasaya kung hindi ka masaya. So masaya ako dito sa GMA dahil nagagawa ko yung gusto ko, napagbibigyan yung mga hiling ko at yung kagustuhan kong magpasaya ay sinusuportahan nila. That’s what really makes me happy,” Bitoy said.

He shared that he owes his success to all his fans and loyal viewers who have been continuously supporting his shows. Bubble Gang is celebrating its 23rd anniversary this year while Pepito Manaloto is now on its 9th year and Lip Sync Battle Philippines returns on its 3rd season.

SOLID KAPUSO.

Comedian Michael V renews his contract with GMA Network.