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‘PH must endure high prices’ Diokno says TRAIN to benefit the poor in the long run

Cavs unfazed by underdog tag—coach OAKLAND, United States— The Cleveland Cavaliers will not be motivated by their underdog status when they take on the Golden State Warriors in the fourth installment of their NBA Finals rivalry, coach Tyronn Lue said Tuesday. The Warriors have been installed by Las Vegas bookmakers as heavy favorites to retain their NBA crown as they face the Cavaliers for a fourth straight year starting in game one on Thursday. The Warriors have won two of the three previous meetings, with the Cavaliers taking the 2016 crown after a miraculous ﬁghtback from 3-1 down. Lue, however, says the fact the Warriors are most observers’ pick for the title will not motivate his team. “Our focus is winning championships, playing our

By Julito G. Rada

VOL. XXXII • NO. 105 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

BENJAMIN DIOKNO

number of smokers.” Opposition Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV said poor Filipinos are at the receiving end of every increase in the prices of goods and services due to the hastily approved tax reform measure. He recently urged the Senate to address the rising prices to give relief to the poor who are already crying out for help. The Agriculture department, meanwhile, said it will soon implement suggested retail price for certain agricultural products as a protection for consumers.

“Remember, we had $135 per barrel under GMA,” he said at a forum Wednesday, referring to the world price of crude during the administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. “The thing to realize is that we’re not going to keep this money in the Treasury. We are going to spend this for mass transit system(s) and who will beneﬁt from this eventually? It’s also the poor,” Diokno said. At the same time, Diokno rejected calls to suspend the excise tax on fuel under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law, saying this would stall a number of government infrastructure projects. “The tax reforms cannot be stopped at the middle of the game because a number of infrastructure projects will be stalled… The government eyes long-term gains from implementing the tax reforms,” Diokno told the Manila Standard in a phone interview Wednesday. The Department of Finance earlier said TRAIN would generate funding for the administraton’s P8.4- trillion “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program, which aims to build more roads, bridges, airports, seaports, railways and irrigation

Star Wars sequel intergalactic flop LOS ANGELES, United States—With “Solo: A Star Wars Story” proving an intergalactic dud on its opening weekend, analysts have been pondering whether Lucasfilm’s enviable license to print money might just have expired. Next page

UDGET Secretary Benjamin Diokno on Wednesday said Filipinos should be “less of a cry baby” over the rapidly rising prices of goods and services as a result of the government’s tax reform law.

Tobacco tax hike pushed to offset losses from oil tax

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Othel V. Campos

SENATOR JV Ejercito on Wednesday called on economic managers to consider raising taxes on tobacco products to offset the loss that would be incurred by suspending the excise tax on fuel. “For me, there are a lot of people who are calling for the suspension of the TRAIN Law, especially the excise taxes on petroleum. My solution in order for us not to lose revenue is to get it from the tobacco tax,” Ejercito said.

Under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, the excise tax on fuel can be suspended once the world price of crude oil reaches $80 a barrel. Ejercito said that he had already suggested increasing the tax on tobacco products and lowering oil taxes during the debates on TRAIN. “We will be hitting two birds with one stone,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. “We will get much-needed revenue for the government, and at the same time, it will be a health measure that will cut the

DFA: 100 protests filed vs China; PH keen on UN ruling S’pore revives longest flight SINGAPORE—Singapore Airlines s a i d on Wednesday that it will relaunch the world’s longest commercial flight in October, a journey of almost 19

‘‘

Every minute, smokers get through nearly 11 million cigarettes and 10 die from the habit. —United Nations on World No Tobacco Day

By Maricel V. Cruz, Nathaniel A. Mariano and Vito Barcelo FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Wednesday the Philippines has filed close to 100 diplomatic protests against Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea in two years even as National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. insisted that the country is not abandoning the favorable ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. In a briefing with the House special committee on West Philippine Sea, Cayetano said the Philippines has been filing diplomatic protests for two years already, but they chose not to announce these regularly. “The critics want us to announce it loudly and to confront China each and every time to the media. That is not conducive [to] the ongoing talks,” he said. He also said he has assured acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio—an outspoken Next page

SECURITY CONCERNS. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. clarifies some issues Wednesday regarding the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay. He gave assurances the country has not abandoned the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the South China Sea disputes, stressing the Philippines will take full advantage of the tribunal’s ruling ‘at the proper time.’ Norman Cruz

Duterte shields SolGen from brickbats By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday came to the defense of Solicitor General Jose Calida who is being criticized for cornering several government contracts owned by his family’s security agency. In his speech during the destruction of smuggled motorcycles at the Bureau of Customs, Duterte said Calida’s family had owned a security agency long before he was named Solicitor General. “Why should I ﬁre him? He is good, he is also from Davao but Ilocano,” Duterte said.

“Don’t we have the right to put up our [own] business?” But opposition lawmakers on Wednesday called on Calida to resign or for Duterte to remove the government’s top lawyer amid allegations of conflict of interest Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday said he will review the Justice department’s contracts that were awarded in 2017 to the familyowned security firm of Solicitor General Jose Calida. He said he will find out if all the proper procedures were observed, and that he will call the Bids and Awards committee to confirm.

“To satisfy everyone, we’ll take a look,” Guevarra said. Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros said Wednesday Calida’s admission already pointed to his guilt after admitting he had yet to divest his business interest in his family’s private security company that had bagged more than P150 million in contracts from various government agencies since 2016. “Mr. Calida has virtually admitted to allegations of corrupt practices and conﬂict of interest. Case closed. Game over,” Hontiveros said. Senator Leila de Lima criticized Calida for his alleged hypocrisy after Next page

House okays BBL; Senate takes turn By Maricel V. Cruz, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Sara Susanne D. Fabunan TRUE to their promise to President Rodrigo Duterte, congressmen on Wednesday approved on ﬁnal reading the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. Voting 226-11-2, the House of Representatives, presided by Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu, passed House Bill 6475 that was certiﬁed as urgent by Duterte. Reps. Celso Lobregat of Zamboanga City and Abdullah Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte abstained from the voting. Next page

News

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Sereno: Ouster, tax probe illegal By Rey E. Requejo

USTED Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to reverse its decision disqualifying her as top magistrate on May 11, saying it had no jurisdiction to remove her from ofﬁce.

She said only Congress could remove her from office through impeachment as mandated by the Constitution. In a 205-page motion, Sereno asked the 15-member bench to reconsider its decision ousting her as chief justice when it

found merit on the quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida seeking to nullify her appointment in 2012. Sereno also sought the reversal of the decision of Associate Justices Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza, Noel Tijam and Samuel Martirez not to inhibit in the case. Sereno on Wednesday also described as “illegal” the tax investigation being conducted against her by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, saying it was part of the “persecution” being waged against her by the Duterte administration. “This is a clear message to everybody: You don’t mess with this administration

because we will file charges against you, we will have a tax audit and you will have all these kind of difficulties,” Sereno told One News on Tuesday night. Her statement came after the BIR started inquiring into her tax records, sent her letters demanding that she surrender her books of account and then conducted a preliminary conference. Sereno said the high court violated her constitutional right to due process and overstepped its power. “More than its numerous legal and factual errors, the decision proves that in meting out justice, an impartial tribunal is crucial and indispensable. The decision illustrates vividly the dire and far-reaching consequences of a denial of due pro-

Boracay soon to be land reform area, says Du30 DESPITE being criticized by a farmers’ group for his “obsessive fixation” in declaring Boracay Island as agricultural land, President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday declared the iconic tourist destination as a “land reform area” and vowed to fulfill his promise to give the island back to its rightful owners. “I am declaring land reform in the entire island of Boracay,” Duterte said as he attended the condemnation of smuggled luxury vehicles at the Bureau of Customs in Manila. “Let’s push it to the limit. Give it [back] to the people,” the President said. Also, Task Force Boracay, the interagency task force in charge of the sixmonth rehabilitation of Boracay island, estimated that P1.36 billion is needed to finance various efforts and cleanup works on the island. Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said this fund would shoulder the cost of providing social safety nets, ensuring health and sanitation, decongesting the island, enforcing rule of law, engaging stakeholders, and crafting and implementing a Medium-Term Rehabilitation and Recovery Program. The budget will be sourced from the funds of government agencies involved, Diokno added. Such funds may also be sourced from the government’s Contingent Fund or the Calamity Fund. Should agency programs and projects for Boracay spill over into 2019, as expected by Diokno, agencies may opt to propose their Tier-2 budget proposals for the Fiscal Year 2019 budget. But Antonio Flores, secretary general of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, called the President’s plan hypocritical. “The Department of Agrarian Reform and Duterte remain fixated on Boracay, while haciendas remain intact,” he said. Meanwhile, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu threatened to sanction polluters of Boracay and to file criminal charges against them. He said owners and operators of establishments that own the newly-discovered underground sewers and pipelines illegally discharging waste into the waters of the island shall face hefty fines and criminal cases. “We will not hesitate to file appropriate charges against these erring establishments and base these charges on all the violations we can possibly identify against them, with maximum penalty, for contributing to the deterioration of Boracay,” Cimatu said.The 1,032-hectare island was shut down for six months on Duterte’s orders to be cleaned and rehabilitated. Vito Barcelo, Rio N. Araja and Nathaniel Mariano

Duterte... From A1

he denied any conflict of interest over the P150 million worth of government contracts bagged by his family owned security agency since he assumed office in 2016. “It disturbs me that Calida has no qualms to give undue advantage to his family’s security business, thereby profiting from the people’s money,” De Lima said. Calida’s family owns the Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency Inc. that secured contracts worth over P150 million with the National Parks Development Committee, the National AntiPoverty Commission, the Department of Justice, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., and the National Economic and Development Authority from 2015 to 2018. But Duterte defended Calida. “The fact that you have divested in the sense that you have retired, don’t do it just because he is retired. So why do you have to impute or attribute malice there?” Duterte said. Malacañang had said it was not illegal for Calida to own shares of VISAI. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque had earlier said it was not illegal for Calida to own shares of VISAI that had bagged government contracts.

cess,” Sereno said. She said the high court had no authority to remove her from office because she could only be ousted through impeachment. “The indisputable intent of the Constitution is that impeachable officers, save for the President and Vice President, can be removed from office only by impeachment,” Sereno said. She said the issue on her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth could not be the basis for judging that she lacked integrity and dishonesty. “This Honorable Court erred in ruling that the Respondent ‘chronically failed to file her SALNs... The filing per se of a SALN neither proves nor negates a person’s integrity,” Sereno said.

’PH... From A1

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte witnesses the San Beda University commencement exercises at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on May 29, 2018. Joining the President on stage are Secretary Bong Go of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President and SBU Rector Fr. Aloysius Maranan. Presidential Photo

Tobacco... From A1

Agriculture Undersecretary Ariel Cayanan said among the agricultural products that will be covered by SRP are rice, meat and meat products, poultry, fish and fish products and eggs. The list may include other agricultural commodities. In the past, agricultural

DFA:... From A1

critic of the administration’s West Philippine Sea policies—that the department is fighting for the country’s interests, without making a fuss over it. During the meeting, Cayetano also fended off a call from Magdalo Partylist Rep. Gary Alejano that he resign, for constantly appeasing the Chinese. “We’re not asking you to trust us blindly. We’re asking you to trust us because that is the work of diplomats,” Cayetano said. “If you assign someone in your organization, may it be Magdalo, to do the negotiation, if you don’t trust him, replace him. But we’re in a democracy. We elected President Duterte, he was transparent that he will be going bilateral [in his approach to the South China Sea dispute]. And we have been reporting to you and the public,” he added. At the same meeting, Cayetano said any missiles China has deployed on three Philippine reefs in the West Philippine Sea form “a defensive system and it is not against the Philippines.” He said he had assurances from Beijing that the missiles deployed at Fiery Cross (Kalayaan), Subi and Mischief reefs are aimed at China’s potential enemies and not at the Philippines. “China also assured us with our good relationship that we are not their enemy,” he said. Since he assumed office in June 2016, President Duterte has sought to strengthen ties between Manila and Beijing that were strained by the maritime dispute. Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, questioned China’s claims before a United Nations-backed arbitration court. The Philippines won, but the verdict was handed down during Duterte’s term. Esperon on Wednesday assured the country that the administration has not abandoned the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in favor of the Philippines in the South China Sea dispute. “This administration does not and will not abandon the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the South China Sea disputes. This is merely set aside in

Cavs... From A1

best basketball,” Lue said. “Our main focus is to win a championship. We can’t worry about what outside guys are saying. “I don’t think we need motivation. Any time you get to the finals you’re playing for a championship and that’s motivation in itself. “We don’t have to thrive on that. Being in this position is enough.” The Cavaliers reached the finals after a

commodities were excluded from SRP due to the very nature or products being fresh and highly perishable. “I agree with Trade Secretary Mon Lopez that the prices of agricultural goods are changing every so often depending on demand and supply. We expect that the SRP will stabilize prices for commodities that are crucial for Filipino families and consumers,” he said. the meantime, in line with the efforts of government at promoting peace, stability, and cordial relations among claimant countries in the region,” Esperon said in a statement sent to media Wednesday. In order for the country to exercise its sovereignty and jurisdiction over Philippine territorial waters, Esperon said the country will take full advantage of the tribunal ruling “at the proper time.” Esperon also clarified that Duterte administration still observes the actions of the various claimants in the disputed South China Sea. “We note with serious concern the growing militarization in the area, such as the deployment of military assets especially on features near the Philippine territory,” said Esperon, saying that the Philippine government is not neglectful in undertaking diplomatic actions against any nation. The government has started the construction of five lighthouses on its claimed features in the disputed region in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea to ensure safety navigation not only to Filipino ships but and other foreign vessels that might pass near the islands, according to National Security Esperon. In a forum held in Manila, the NSA chief said the government is building lighthouses on Pag-asa, Likas, Parola, Patag, and Kota islands, all part of the Kalayaan Group of Islands, at an estimated cost P10 million. “Lighthouses are also now being constructed on features held by the Philippines to ensure safety of navigation,” Esperon said. He said the government is also upgrading its military facilities on Pagasa Island, the largest of nine features the Philippines occupies in the West Philippine Sea. “This is necessary for trade, the preservation of the livelihood of the fisherfolk, and the timely delivery of basic necessities of the community in the municipality of Pag-asa,” he said. “The upgrading of the Pag-asa runway would also allow the government to send regular supplies to troops guarding the territory and its residents. “What is more important is upgrading facilities for the comfort of our people,” he said. With AFP wild Eastern Conference series with the Boston Celtics, sealing victory in game seven on Sunday with an 87-79 win on the road. The victory made Cleveland the first team to beat the Celtics at home during the postseason. Lue said he believed the cornerstone of his team’s success was defense. “I think we’ve grown,” he said. “We talk all season about getting better and better so that when we get to the playoffs we’re playing our best basketball.AFP

projects to spur economic activities. For example, a 25-kilometer subway set to be built in Metro Manila would decongest the metropolis of heavy traffic, which one Japanese study says causes P3.5 billion in economic losses daily. President Rodrigo Duterte signed the TRAIN Law in December 2017, and it took effect in January 2018. Some have urged the government to stop its implementation because of its impact on inflation, which spiked to 4.5 percent in April, from 4.3 percent a month before. The April inflation brought the firstfour months’ average to 4 percent, which is the upper limit of the government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent for 2018. But the Finance Department said TRAIN is not the only reason for the higher inflation. Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua said rice prices spiked because of a supply problem, a weak peso and rising oil prices abroad. Chua said TRAIN accounted for only 0.4 percentage points of the 4.5 percent inflation. “In other words, if you could buy items for P100 last year, you need to spend P104.50 now for them and of that increase, only 0.40 was due to TRAIN,” Chua said. Chua said it was easy to blame the tax reform package and ask for its suspension but “we have to match the proposed solutions to issues we want to address, and TRAIN is not the main reason for inflation.” The peso has been on a downward trend against the US dollar since the start of the year and on May 29, it closed at 52.64, nearly a 12-year low due to the markets’ anticipation on the next policy moves of the US Federal Reserve. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III earlier said the department was preparing to submit a proposal to Congress to further increase the excise taxes on the so-called “sin products” in a bid to discourage the people from consuming these products that are bad for health. Diokno, meanwhile, said there must be a further review and studies on the proposals from the labor sector to increase the daily wages of workers so that they could cope with the rising prices of goods and services due to the TRAIN Law. “Employers may not be able to afford it and there might be closures of firms so employment and the economy will be affected,” Diokno said.

House... From A1

Before the third and final-reading approval, lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on the measure via voice voting. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon introduced several amendments to the Senate version of the proposed BBL to ensure that the measure will not suffer the same fate as the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain, which the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional. Senator Migz Zubiri, chairman of the Sub-Committee on the Bangsamoro Basic Law, said they were on track with the BBL. He said the landmark measure was being forged by senators across party lines. He said among the amendments tackled were. But Ozamis Arhcbishop Martin Jumoad on Wednesday said the proposed BBL was bound to fail if only one group would benefit from it. He urged Congress to hold consultations with the different sectors of society. “The BBL must not be exclusive and must give equal opportunities to everybody because a government that is exclusive is not a good government,”Jumoad said. “A government is for the people and for the people and when you only choose a sector, then it is destined to be a failure.” HB 6475, principally authored by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, was sponsored in the plenary Tuesday night by Representatives Pedro Acharon of South Cotabato, chairman of the committee on local government; Mauyag Papandayan of Lanao del Sur, head of the committee on Muslim affairs; and Ruby Sahali of Tawi-Tawi, head of panel on peace, reconciliation and unity.

Make Fox PH citizen, solons urge By Maricel V. Cruz THE Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives on Wednesday asked Congress to confer Filipino citizenship on Australian missionary Patricia Fox. In filing House Bill 7806, The group led by Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate sought to grant Filipino citizenship to Fox “to recognize and acknowledge her sacrifices in almost three decades of her selfless service to the Filipino people. “For 27 years, Sister Pat lived with and served the farmers, indigenous peoples and other marginalized people in the communities. By living with the poor and oppressed, Sr. Pat has come to understand, experience and embrace the culture and the struggle of the poor Filipino majority,” HB 7806 says. “Not only did she speak their language, Sister Pat was accepted by the Filipino communities and was treated as one of their own because she lives and struggles with them.” Fox on Wednesday said she was honored by the proposal by several legislators to grant her Filipino citizenship. She said such act from some members of the House of Representatives showed she was welcome in the Philippines. “Actually, I feel very privileged that they would consider filing a bill that would make me a citizen, because that makes me feel very accepted,” Fox said in a forum in Quezon City. “And that has been how I always felt here, very accepted. I am very honored that they would even propose such a thing.” The Bureau of Immigration has ordered Fox’s deportation following her alleged participation in partisan political activities. Fox appealed the order but the bureau denied her appeal. With PNA

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The latest prequel in the iconic space franchise opened over the Memorial Day weekend in the US and Canada on just $103 million, worryingly short of predictions of a $150-million debut. The news abroad was arguably worse, leaving Oscar-winning veteran filmmaker Ron Howard’s contribution to the “Star Wars” universe barely halfway toward the predicted $300-million opening global take. “By any other movie’s standards, this would be a home run,” comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian told AFP. “In the world of ‘Star Wars,’ where the expectations are so high and interest rises to a fever pitch, it’s being universally called a disappointment or an underwhelming performance.” “Solo,” starring 28-year-old Alden Ehrenreich (“Hail Caesar!”) in the title role, charts the adventure-filled past of smuggler Han Solo—made famous in four “Star Wars” movies by Harrison Ford. The second of three planned spinoffs from Disney-owned Lucasfilm, it follows “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” the second highest grossing movie worldwide in 2016. It has endured a journey to screen as treacherous as a picnic on a windy day in the Tatooine desert, with directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller sacked by Lucasfilm over “creative differences” far into the production.AFP

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hours from the city-state to New York, but it will not be available to economy travelers. The daily, non-stop journey from Changi to Newark Airport will cover about 16,700 kilometers (10,300 miles) and take about 18 hours 45 minutes, the airline said in a statement. The current record holder is Qatar Airways Flight 921 from Auckland to Doha, which takes 17 hours 40 minutes. The Singapore Airlines flight will use the long-range Airbus A350-900ULR, which will be configured to carry 161 passengers—67 in business class and 94 in premium economy. The airline had flown a similar route from 2004 until 2013 but canceled it as it fell short of revenue expectations. However, its latest decision comes as carriers look for new sources of revenue in a competitive environment, while longhaul flights often make more cash than those that require stops. There are also plans for a non-stop route from Singapore to Los Angeles using the same plane, the airline said. The new route comes as the city-state’s flag carrier faces tough challenges. Last year, it consolidated its low-cost units TigerAir and Scoot into a single entity in a streamlining exercise. And this month it said it will absorb its struggling premium regional wing, SilkAir, into the broader group following a multi-million-dollar upgrade as part of reforms to stay competitive. AFP

News

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Du30 fires official for travels abroad By Vito Barcelo

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte ﬁred a top ofﬁcial of the Bureau of Customs for alleged numerous travels abroad and for allowing to issue manual alert orders to at least 105 misdeclared container vans worth P69 million at the Asian Terminal Inc., in Manila.

P ON THE ROLL. Senate President Vicente Sotto III (center) poses with Comelec

Commissioner Socorro Inting (left), Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat (third from left), and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra after their appointments were confirmed by the Commission on Appointments in Pasay City. Ey Acasio

DoJ grants Peter Lim’s plea for separate probe on charges By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Justice on Wednesday granted the plea of Cebu-based businessman Peter Lim for a separate conduct of preliminary investigation on the drug charges filed against him and several other respondents. The DoJ’s panel of prosecutors led by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera granted Lim’s motion, but urged him to appear to personally swear in to the authenticity of the counter-affidavit he was supposed to submit during the preliminary investigation Wednesday. Lim earlier filed a motion for a separate preliminary investigation for the panel to be able to thoroughly look into and give proper attention to his defenses. “We granted the motion for separate preliminary investigation filed by respondent Peter Go Lim,” Navera said. But Lim failed to attend Wednesday’s

continuation of the preliminary investigation at the DoJ anew due to security reasons, according to his lawyer Magilyn Loja. This prompted Navera to remind Loja of the possible legal consequence of Lim’s failure to appear before the panel. Navera stressed it was important for the panel to determine the identity of Lim by personally appearing and swearing to the authenticity of the counter-affidavit he was supposed to submit Wednesday. “You know there are implications if he does not attend and it is really not the concern of the panel whether he intends to file a counter-affidavit or not,” Navera told Lim’s lawyer. “This is just like any other preliminary investigation, if the respondent does not submit his or her counter-affidavit then the consequences under Rule 112 must apply,” he stressed.

In a speech during the destruction of smuggled motorcycles at the Port of Manila, the President unceremoniously fired Deputy Commissioner Noel Patrick Sales Prudente in front of Customs officials and employees. Prudente was former director of the Philippine National Railways before he was appointed to the BoC. “I will cut short the agony of Congress. I’m firing him today, Noel Patrick Sales Prudente,” the President said. The Chief Executive did not explain the reason why he fired Prudente, but a Customs official who requested anonymity said the BoC DepCom was sacked due to his numerous travels abroad. In a piece of paper the President was reading, he read, “personal travel to Singapore, personal travel to Europe.” Prudente also got the ire of lawmakers for his scanty response with regard to the illegal release of 105 shipping containers from the premises of Manila South Harbor’s port operator ATI which were

placed under manual alert orders. The shipments from China were released by ATI allegedly without an order from the Office of the Commissioner. The President repeatedly warned government officials from traveling abroad and do their job here. Before, Duterte sacked Marcial Amaro III as administrator of the Maritime Industry Authority over excessive foreign trips and former Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor chairman Terry Ridon over “unnecessary trips.” Prudente was appointed to the BoC last February to replace Gerardo Gambala at the bureau’s Management Information System Technology Group. Duterte reiterated his warning to state workers against engaging in corruption. “If there’s anything that you cannot afford, maybe [treatment for] cancer, medications, you can always go to my office, there’s money… I will look for ways, if not I will borrow,” he said.

Human Rights Watch zaps Duterte By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan PRESIDENT Rodrido Duterte’s suggestion that drug suspects who are behind bars are safe from summary execution is “perilously wrong,” Human Rights Watch deputy director Phelim Kine said Wednesday. Kine was reacting to Duterte’s recent speech in Cebu where he warned those detained drug suspects should rather stay in jail or they would get killed outside. “Duterte’s spin doctors may try to

deﬂect criticism about this latest threat by asserting that he was ‘joking.’ But these kinds of comments send a clear message to police ofﬁcers and other security force members that certain kinds of crimes not only can be committed with impunity, but might even draw praise from the President,” Kine lamented. Kine also called on the International Criminal Court and the United Nation to conduct a separate international inquiry against Duterte’s latest threat.

Con-Com wants JBC to have more powers ASIDE from having the power to screen nominees for the Judiciary, the consultative committee tasked by President Rodrigo Duterte to review the 1987 Constitution is looking at giving the Judicial Bar Council additional powers to discipline officials and employees in the Judiciary. This will be among the proposed provisions which will be submitted to the en banc for final voting next week, Con-Com Senior Technical Assistant and spokesperson Ding Generoso said in a press conference at the Philippine International Convention Center on Wednesday. Generoso said the JBC would be renamed as the Judicial Appointments and Disciplinary Council to reflect its broader powers, functions, and coverage of vetting. “It is proposed that the Judicial and Bar Council shall be renamed Judicial Appointments and Disciplinary Council because the Con-Com wants to add to its powers and functions, not just screening of nominees for Judiciary but other functions as well,” Generoso said. The principal function of the current JBC is to recommend appointees to the Judiciary where members of the Supreme Court and judges of lower courts shall be appointed by the President from a list of at least three nominees preferred by the council. However, the Con-Com wanted the proposed JADC to also have powers of vetting for promotion and transfer of justices and judges and investigation of complaints for appropriate disciplinary action. The JADC will have the power to conduct a thorough search and investigation to find the most qualified candidates for vacant positions of justices and judges in the Judiciary and recommend to the proper appointing authority the promotion or transfer of justices and judges.

Opinion

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Calida must resign TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO THE country’s workers may finally get some relief next month if we are to believe Secretary Silvestre Bello’s words about regional wage boards coming out with recommendations on wage increases. It is important that the Duterte administration alleviate the conditions of Filipinos given the effect of higher prices. The President must realize that wages are a gut issue—perhaps more than any other government concern. History tells us that when people get hungry, they contemplate a revolution. I am not saying that a revolution is imminent. Still, listening to what workers have to say is urgent. The coming wage increase may not satisfy the demands of all labor groups, but it would be at least a sign that That is, if the government is self-respect. listening. *** As far as I am concerned, Solicitor General Jose Calida has found himself in a hole of his own making. He may not be able to extricate himself from this. He admitted that he has yet to divest himself of his business interest in a private security agency that has snared more than P150 million in contracts from various government agencies. Did he not know that what he was doing smacked of a clear conflict of interest? That was in violation of Section 30 (1) of Republic Act 6713, otherwise known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. The law says there is conflict of interest when a public official is a member of the board or a substantial stakeholder of a public corporation or business or his rights or duties therein may be opposed to or affected by the faithful performance of his duty. Isn’t this clear enough? The same law, in Section 4, also states that it is unlawful for any person having family or close personal relations with public officials to capitalize or exploit or take advantage of

such family or close personal relations by directly or indirectly requesting pecuniary advantage from other persons having some business, transaction, application, request or contract with the government. On these alone, my gulay, Calida has no choice but to resign. That is, if he has any self-respect or delicadeza left. Calida claims he has resigned as chairman and president of his security agency. But records show that he still owns 60 percent of that company—he still controls it even as his wife heads the firm with his sons having interest. Calida now comes out with the copout that the law is either resign from management or divest. But the bottom line is that he still owns the security firm that has contracts with at least three government agencies: The National Economic and Development Authority, the National Anti-Poverty Commission and the National Parks Development Corp. I had a good laugh when Calhe has any ida said that as solicitor general, he is not covered by the ethics law since he is not a cabinet member. Not a cabinet member when he holds a cabinet rank? Calida’s case will test the President’s fight against graft and corruption. *** In yesterday’s column, I sought the investigation of some governmentowned and -controlled corporations. The Commission on Audit found that at least five lawyers of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel had P621,000 in excess allowance. The law is clear that while government corporate lawyers could receive allowances, these should not exceed half of their salaries. But COA records shows that the five collectively received P372 million, when the 50-percent threshold should have been only P3.1 million. Why do GOCCs give that much to their lawyers, exceeding what the law allows, if they are not holding something? Are they hiding excessive travels, hiring of consultants, great perks and other irregularities?

For crying out loud

UDGET and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno has always enjoyed a reputation for being a good economist with the ability to look at the bigger picture. He knows how diverse and separate economic events affect each other and contribute to the whole. He has decades of knowledge in economic theory. We do not doubt that he has a clear idea of the macro and micro forces that inﬂuence the Philippine economy. Of late, however, he has also been developing the reputation for saying all the wrong things and being insensitive to the plight of the poor. Earlier this month, amid the ban on deployment of workers to Kuwait and the call for those already there to come home, Diokno said: “I think if you’re hardworking, you won’t go hungry in the Philippines.” Diokno was roundly criticized for the implications of his words—that those who are hungry and jobless here are not working hard, looking hard enough. In short, they are lazy. Millions of Filipinos make the painful decision to leave their loved ones behind and work in a foreign land because they have tried looking hard, and still failed. This week, Diokno is at it again. “I think we should be less of a crybaby,” Diokno said at a forum Wednesday, referring to growing complaints of high prices of goods and services

arising from the record prices of oil in the global market, aggravated by higher excise taxes. “Remember, we had $135 per barrel under [the administration of former President Arroyo],” the secretary said. He added that the higher prices would eventually redound to the benefit of the masses in terms of transit systems and other infrastructure. Diokno also pointed out, and pointedly, that a big chunk of the population does not pay taxes “and these are the people who are complaining.” The poorest 10 percent gets free education, free health care, conditional cash transfer, and others, he said, arguing that tax reforms should not be suspended because infrastructures would be stalled. But the poor do pay taxes, every time they buy goods which come with consumption taxes. Diokno thinks objectively and logically and we have no reason to doubt the soundness of his arguments. He forgets however that the prices of goods literally make up a gut issue—this determines how and whether Filipinos can still provide for their families the basics of decent living. He probably would not know how it is to wonder where his next meal will come from, or whether he could afford to give money to children for public transportation even, much less buy books or other means for them to improve their lot. Anyone who derides long-suffering Filipinos as crybabies, for merely expressing how difficult it is to survive from one day to the next, should be taught basic compassion and decency. Unfortunately, these cannot be learned from any fancy economic school.

Turn to A5

Amending the Anti-Wiretapping Law Previous attempts to amend the law have failed. The last attempt was in 2016 when Senator Panfilo Lacson filed Senate bill 1210; he wanted courts FLORENCIO to be given more leeway to decide FIANZA which additional serious crimes can be LAST May 28, the late Senator Lorenzo intercepted by police during criminal Tañada was honored by family, friends investigations. He failed, even if what and admirers on his death anniversary. he was proposing made a lot of sense. One of the reasons Senator Lacson He was the longest-serving senator of the Republic. He was also the princi- proposed an amendment was the onpal sponsor of Republic Act 4200, or slaught of new technologies in the comthe Anti-Wiretapping law which was munication field. Being a former police officer, he understands that new crimes signed into law on June 19, 1965. In essence, “the law prohibits the tap- will be getting the better of the ability ping of any wire or cable or using other of the police to stay abreast with newer devices to record, intercept or secretly and more sophisticated crimes. There is a need to update overhear any prithe 53-year-old vate communilaw to make it relcation or spoken evant to the times. words when it is He believes—as unauthorized by Private conversation I do—that R.A. all parties in the 4200 is a relic of conversation ex- is protected at all costs. the Jurassic age. cept when it is The dictaphone, done pursuant to which is mena court order and tioned in the law, complies with all conditions approved by law.” Because can now only be found in museums. Yet, the law has remained unchanged of this law, all intercepted communications not authorized by the courts are all these years. The question is why inadmissible as evidence in any judi- lawmakers have refused to make cial, quasi-judicial, administrative and changes in it. Is it only because of the lobby of those who will fight to the legislative hearings or investigations. According to Senator Tañada, one of death to protect their privacy? Or could his reasons of filing the bill was to stop there be more sinister reasons why the practice of government officials there is no movement to amend the law of spying on one another—“a most even if there are legitimate questions in obnoxious instrument of oppression legal circles about what is and what is or arbitrary power.” It is a very short not covered by the law? Could it be that law consisting of one page but in its 53 one reason is the possible involvement years of existence, it has stood the test of public officials in high crimes and of time. Turn to A5

DUTY CALLS

#PTGF: The online world of Hong Kong’s young sex workers By Laura Mannering FOR Hong Kong’s “part-time girlfriends,” social media provides an easy way to connect with clients looking for sex, but campaigners warn that online convenience is tempting girls as young as 13 to put themselves at risk. The label “part-time girlfriend” is a euphemism often used by young women in the city who may be studying or have jobs, but who also offer sex on the side. By using variations of the hashtag #ptgf as shorthand, they connect with men on networks such as Instagram then switch to direct messaging to offer

services and arrange to meet. Instagram says it has made #ptgf and #hkptgf unsearchable, but a host of new alternatives that add Chinese characters or initials to the original tag circumvent the block. Loneliness, curiosity, family breakdown and financial pressures are key motivators for young women to try it out, according to support workers on the ground. High-school student Kiki, a pseudonym she chose to protect her identity, started part-time sex work aged 17, saying it was easy to search for men on Instagram by using one of the #ptgf tags.

“I had an argument with my sister and was not very happy, so I just wanted to find someone to listen to me,” she told A FP. “For the first few times I felt quite good... so I kept looking for clients for company.” She admits she was nervous about meeting strangers, but the financial incentive outweighed her doubts. “My family is not very wealthy. I was making money for myself and saved it,” she says. Kiki says she charged from HK$300 ($38) for dinner or “touching”, up to HK$1,000 for other sexual services. Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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Opinion

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018

The tougher part OVERSIGHT DANILO SUAREZ IN TWO months, the Filipino people will witness the President’s third State of the Nation Address. Almost two years into the Duterte administration, we are now looking at actual delivery of committed results. The time for promises is over. The learning curve should have been turned. President Duterte is considered as the most trusted and most approved President of the Philippines. However, his high ratings do not automatically mean excellent performance. The administration’s intensified anti-illegal drug campaign has resulted in the arrest of 130,271 drug suspects out of 83,057 anti-illegal drug operations conducted by the law enforcement agencies as of April 9, as reported by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. Besides fighting illegal drugs, the President has also promised to eradicate corruption. He has relieved several appointed officials and Cabinet members who were allegedly involved in several corrupt practices. In March 2017 alone, the President has removed at least 92 government employees for graft. These employees were from different agencies, such as the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the Energy Regulatory Commission.

In 2016, President Duterte axed two Bureau of Immigration officials, who also happened to be his fraternity brothers, after being allegedly involved in a bribery scandal. In 2017, National Irrigation Administrator Peter Laviña was asked to quit after allegedly receiving 40-percent kickbacks from the contracts of the agency. Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno was relieved from his position over alleged irregularity in the procurement of firetrucks worth P20 million from Austria without competitive public bidding. Department of Information and Technology Secretary Rodolfo Salalima was asked

What about the follow through?

to resign over allegations of preferential treatment to a “giant” local telecommunications company. Dangerous Drugs Board Chairman Dionisio Santiago was removed from his position due to his frequent trips abroad and allegations of receiving favors from drug lords. Bureau of Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon resigned after the BoC’s P6.4-billion “shabu” shipment mess. This year, the President has further proved to us his strong stance against

The forest, not the trees illegal drugs and corruption through the resignation of the Department of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and Department of Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo. SOJ Aguirre’s resignation was due to the dismissal of the charges against drug suspects, Kerwin Espinosa, Peter Lim, and several others. These drug suspects were named by the President himself during the start of his administration, so it was befuddling to the nation that the cases against these identified personalities would be dismissed. Secretary Teo’s resignation was amid the controversy of the DOT’s P60-million advertising money being placed in the program of her brothers on People’s Television Network Inc. Just this Monday, the President removed General Corporate Counsel Rudolf Jurado with regard to the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone (APECO) franchise. I believe in the President’s zero tolerance for illegal drugs and corruption; however, I think it is time for follow through. Dismissing government officials is one thing. The tougher part is ensuring that they pay the consequences of their wrongdoings. The work should not stop at the removal of the violators from their positions. Thorough investigations must be pursued until criminal charges are filed against government officials who will be proven to have violated the law, and failed their mandates. I look forward to the next steps to see that the President is serious with his drive against corruption.

‘A city like no other’: Hopes on hold for model Indian capital By Bhuvan Bagga IT PROMISED to be “an Indian city like no other”—a modern, leafy metropolis modelled on Singapore, where citizens would enjoy parks and rivers and breath air unrivalled in freshness. But the southern capital of Amaravati has been painfully slow to materialize and remains little more than dust and farms as its crusaders resort to crowdfunding to turn the pipe dreaam into reality. A staggering $15 billion is needed to transform Amaravati from a few shiny buildings, villages and thousands of acres of agricultural land into the envisioned capital of Andhra Pradesh, one of India’s largest states. Andhra once had another capital— the booming tech and business powerhouse of Hyderabad, which pulses with IT know-how and a startup culture. But the revenue-rich city was assigned as the capital of a brand new state, Telangana, when it was carved out of Andhra in 2014 following a populist movement to secede. The two states were to share Hyderabad until Andhra chose another city as its capital. But authorities decided instead to build a grand new seat of power some 275 kilometers away on the banks of the river Krishna. While India has a tradition of planned cities, including Sir Edwin Lutyens’ New Delhi and Chandigarh in the north which was designed by Franco-Swiss modernist trailblazer Le Corbusier, nothing of this scale has been tackled for decades. Amaravati was envisioned as a metropolis free of the chaos, traffic and air pollution that plagues India’s urban centres. “It’ll be an Indian city like no other,” said Sreedhar Cherukuri, commissioner of Andhra’s Capital Regional Development Authority. Largely deserted Amaravati’s anticipated 3.5 million inhabitants would enjoy efficient public

#PTGF:... From A4

After less than a year she gave up because she had started a new relationship. Now 19, she says she is left with a sense of regret and warns other girls to think carefully before taking the leap. “A future boyfriend or husband might find it hard to accept,” she says. “It’s like you have a needle piercing your heart and it’s always there.” Blurred boundaries Connecting with clients online often gives young women a false sense of security, says Bowie Lam, executive director of Teen’s Key, a charity that offers support to Hong Kong’s sex workers under the age of 25. She says the age of “part-time girlfriends” is getting lower and believes that social media is a factor. “They think they have autonomy and control because they can screen a client online, talk with him, but it makes the boundary more blurred,” Lam says. These young women often do not see themselves as sex workers because they are not based out of seedy rooms, or the bars and clubs of Hong Kong’s traditional red light districts, she adds.

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transport including a monorail and metro network, while trees would shroud half the city with a green zone akin to New York’s Central Park, Cherukuri told AFP. Consultants from Amsterdam provided advice about an extensive canal system and expert opinion was sought from Singapore and Japan, among others. “Everything has been planned to the last detail. We’ve taken the best ideas from around two dozen global cities but this perhaps comes closest to Singapore in its inspiration,” Cherukuri said. However, nearly three years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone, Amaravati is largely deserted. An island of modern office buildings in the middle of fields hosts Andhra’s chief minister and state government, which relocated there after Telangana claimed Hyderabad. Yet there is scant evidence of the promised utopia. Half-finished settlements dot farmlands, most not connected by proper roads. Plans for the promised riverfront, housing and public transport have been marred by delays. “We came here because it really has the plans and potential to become a global city,” said a university official at a huge but largely empty campus in the planned city. “The on-ground infrastructure development, particularly the roads, has been slow,” he said, asking not to be named. K. Nageshwar, an independent legislator in Telangana, said: “Nothing much has happened on the ground in Amaravati. It is still more dream than reality.” ‘Extravagance’ criticized Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu ambitiously suggested in 2014 that the project—unlike anything ever seen in India—could be completed within five years. But since then officials have been reluctant to offer a timetable for its

completion. Naidu, who today governs Andhra from a high-tech office in Amaravati, insists a magnificent city will one day rise from the plains. “I am not changing any plans for Amaravati. I only have to work harder to make it a reality,” the brainchild of the nascent capital told AFP recently. Cherukuri, the official overseeing Amaravati’s development, said contracts worth $5 billion have already been issued, spurring the first phase of development. It was hoped the project would also attract foreign investment, he added. But funds are running low. Naidu blames the national government for reneging on promises made during the Telangana split that would have conferred a special status and ensured a stream of financial aid and incentives to bankroll the dream city. The dispute soured ties with New Delhi, culminating with Naidu going on a hunger strike in April and severing ties with Modi’s ruling party. “This is a prestigious project for the nation and if government of India had supported it, we could have showcased it to the world,” Naidu said. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has rejected assertions Andhra was double crossed, saying it got all it was promised. Naidu remains broadly popular in Andhra but has been accused of pursuing the eye-wateringly extravagant project for personal prestige. “Naidu very clearly projected Amaravati more as an instrument of electioneering,” said K. Nageshwar, the independent legislator. Unflagging in optimism, the chief minister declared last month that his new city would be among the happiest in the world, promising a dedicated commission to gauge the wellbeing of its future citizens. “This is all optics and not substantial,” said Nageshwar. “He can’t disown the capital now. I won’t be surprised if he’s still talking about it in 2019 and 2024 elections.” AFP

Sometimes they meet clients without offering sex at first and are taken to theme parks, dinner or even on hikes, but as more money is offered, the path usually leads to paid sex. Some young women have their first sexual experience as a “part-time girlfriend,” says Lam. Believing they have become friends with a client can lead them to drop their guard. “Girls have been treated violently and even raped because they trusted the man wouldn’t harm them,” Lam told AFP. Addressing taboos Hong Kong police said they have taken action against websites, chat rooms and discussion forums to combat “illegal prostitution activities” in a statement to AFP. The “act of prostitution” in itself is not illegal in Hong Kong, police say, but soliciting is. Instagram told AFP it acts to “swiftly remove” content, accounts and hashtags that violate its community guidelines. A long-term strategy addressing taboos around talking about sex within schools and families in Hong Kong’s conservative society is what is most needed to stop girls putting themselves at risk, says Lam. Teen’s Key offers young sex workers a range of support services, ranging from health tests to career advice and help with financial planning.

Lam says they want to help the women reconnect with their dreams and aspirations. However, even when they are given support by the charity, some feel they cannot leave part-time sex work behind. As the cost of living in Hong Kong soars, financial pressure is often the main factor. Nicole, also a pseudonym, aged 24, started at the age of 18 to make money to put herself through college. She found clients on online forums then communicated directly with them via the popular messaging app WeChat. She now has a full-time office job, but still does after-hours sex work to pay off her college debts as her family cannot afford to help. Nicole sees what she is doing as a practical solution but admits it has taken an emotional toll. She describes sex work as a “dark patch” in her life and says she will feel guilty about it with any future boyfriend. “I don’t think I’m a pure person, I feel like I’m very dirty. If someone else wanted to do this, I wouldn’t recommend it,” she told AFP. But she urged people not to judge young women who have made the choices she has. “Maybe they are in need, or have problems they can’t solve,” she said. “There isn’t anyone who does this job because they want to.” AFP

Arroyo were times of much poverty selfrating also. No administration has had a monopoly of much self-rated poverty. But that’s not the point. The point is RUDY that for decades and decades this counROMERO try has had to countenance and live ILIKE the expressions “See the trees, with so much poverty in general and but don’t forget the forest” because food poverty in particular. No administration will ever have the there are numerous situations in real life to which it is perfectly applicable. courage and the will to acknowledge that For one reason or another—intention- the forest is there: There is a persistent ally or otherwise—certain people go amount of unacceptable poverty. But to such lengths to decide the trees but administrations—such as the current one—should acknowledge, not the very completely disregard the forest. Cases in point are the surveys of self- least the existence of the forest. Do they? rated poverty that polling organization They don’t. They prefer, instead, to disSocial Weather Stations regularly con- cuss the trees that populate the forest. Instead they point to things like the ducts among families belonging to the lower strata of Philippine society. The decline of the overall self-rated poverty family heads included in the sample— total from that of a previous year or the usually 1,200 individuals—are asked preceding quarter, or the improvement to rate themselves with regard to their of the poverty situation in a particular general economic and their food-avail- region or the slower rise in the selfability situations. The questions are rated food poverty compared to a phrased along the lines of “Do you rate preceding year. Consider a newspaper report on the your family as poor?” and “Do you rate press briefing given by the presidential your family as food-poor?” The result of the SWS surveys have spokesman after the release of the latest SWS findings: always been heart“Harry Roque rending and very Jr. noted that the depressing. The percentage of results of the last Filipino famisurvey—the one Forty-three percent lies who considconducted during of Filipino families rate ered themselves the last quarter dropped from 47 of 2017—were no themselves poor, and percent in Sepexceptions. Mr. Roque talks about a tember to 44 perIf one were to cent in Decemlook for the for- modest improvement in ber. When it was est—as opposed the incidence of poverty. pointed out that to the trees—of Ridiculous. the 3-percentage the survey results, point drop was it would be the equivalent to the finding that 46 survey’s margin percent of the respondents, or almost half of all Filipino of error, Roque said, ‘It’s still an imfamilies, rated themselves poor. That provement, modest as it was.’” Good Lord! Forty-three percent of percentage translated to almost 10 million families. Even worse, 33 percent of Filipino families rate themselves poor, the respondents rated their families as and Mr. Roque talks about a modest food-poor, which SWS defines as hav- improvement in the incidence of ing experienced involuntary hunger at poverty. Ridiculous. There’s no denying that significantly least once during the past three months. Those are terrible findings. All that bringing down the self-rated poverty poverty, especially all that food pov- percentage is done easily within the erty, in a country whose economy is life-span of an administration, but currently growing annually at close to those whose job it is to discuss the inci7 percent. These findings are enough to dence and their poverty in the country must stop trying to finance or to skirt make a grown man cry. SWS’ surveys have produced these the fact that there is an enormous povdepressing findings for a long time. erty forest in our midst. Stop talking about the trees and start High self-rated poverty and food-poverty percentage were there during pre- addressing the forest. Forty-six percent Duterte administration also. The years of Filipino families rate themselves as of the two Aquinos, Ramos, Estrada and poor: that, to repeat, is the forest.

BUSINESS CLASS

Amending... From A4

therefore want to keep the law intact for their protection? This scenario is entirely possible but let us hope not. The operative term in the law is “private conversation. It is protected at all costs. The law does not make any distinction between innocent private conversation and simple private conversation. How about two public officials discussing to commit treason, plunder or electoral fraud? Is this considered private conversation? If it is, the bigger question to ask is why these people should receive the protection of the law when their intention is to commit high crimes. In 1965, there was no such thing as transnational crime. Now, it is the name of the ball game in law enforcement. As the name suggests, transnational crimes are crimes committed across borders. These are crimes that can be planned in one country, committed in another and the proceeds brought to another country. Illegal drugs were also a non-existent problem in 1965 in the scale that we know it today. We know now that methamphetamine or shabu is manufactured in other countries and smuggled into this country by floating them in containers only to be retrieved by local drug lords out in the sea. Foreigners who operate illegal laboratories here easily escape arrest by hopping on a plane to get out of the country’s jurisdiction. Today, there are communication equipment that one

Calida... From A4

*** After President Rodrigo Duterte certified the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law as urgent, there are hopes that both the Senate and House of Representatives will rush its passage. But there are still unconstitutional provisions in the proposed BBL that should be threshed out. One of these is whether the Philippine National Police will still have control of the police under the BBL. Another contentious provision is whether the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will be dissolved. This will entail the amendment of the

can buy in shops that can intercept communications. What if someone intercepts a conversation between two criminals planning to commit a serious crime? Can this person bring this intercepted communication without fear of being arrested by the police? What if he does not and the crime is committed? Also, what if the two talking are powerful people in government? We know that there are many crimes wherein high officials in government are involved not only in illegal drugs, corruption, plunder, and electoral fraud. This kind of situation is not so simple especially if time is of the essence. The current law is too rigid and limited in scope. The courts can only authorize the interception of a limited number of crimes such as treason, espionage, rebellion or sedition and kidnapping. It does not include other crimes such as plunder, electoral fraud and illegal drugs. One of the features of the law is that all parties of the private communication must agree to the release of any recording in order for the intercepted communication to be admitted as evidence. One party is not enough to give the permission. What the law should protect should only be innocent private conversations. Communications involving high crimes such as treason, plunder and espionage should receive no protection at all. People who for instance accidentally intercept a conversation should have no fear in bringing the intercepted conversation to the police without any fear of arrest in order for the police to start an investigation. 1987 Constitution. There is no doubt that Mindanao needs the BBL, but it should not be enacted in haste. ** I fully support the President’s war on corruption. Corruption is something that has been endemic in government. Other presidents have tried—but failed. If there is anybody who can at least reduce corruption in government, it is President Duterte. He has the political capital. He has the resolve to do it. Still, he must know that he must have some proof of the alleged wrongdoing before calling the officials out—or else their reputations get tarnished for good. Once a person is cited for alleged corruption, he or she is condemned forever, guilty or not.

News

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

CA confirms Guevarra, Castriciones, AFP’s Galvez

IN BRIEF Observe decorum, oath takers told THE Supreme Court has advised all 2017 Bar passers and those attending the oath-taking on Friday, June 11, 2018, at the Philippine International Convention Center, CCP Complex in Pasay, to observe proper decorum or face contempt of court. 2017 Bar Examinations Committee chairman Associate Justice Lucas P. Bersamin said that SC security ofﬁcials and personnel have been deputized to ensure the safe and orderly conduct of the event and expressly authorized to prevent or reprimand any violations of the orderly conduct of the oath-taking rites. “Any act that undermines the safe and orderly conduct of the Oath-Taking Ceremonies or disturbs the due decorum therefor shall be punished with direct contempt of court, and shall be dealt with summarily,” Bersamin said, in an advisory. Rey E. Requejo

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vito Barcelo THE poweful Commission on Appointments on Wednesday gave its nod on the interim appointments of Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones and AFP chief of staff Carlito Galvez. Senator Win Gatchalian, chairman of the CA Committee on Justice and Judicial and Bar Council, sponsored Guevarra’s confirmation. “Significantly, it seems that Secretary Guevarra is well aware of the challenges facing the DoJ after recent controversies, and is willing to face these challenges head-on. He said Guevarra has pledged to reform the DoJ’s image and transform the department into a “cornerstone of our justice system,” to use his own words,” During his short time on the job so far, he said Guevarra has been pro-active in fulfilling this ambitious but worthy promise. “I hope that the good Secretary will stay true to his word and pursue his vision for the Department of Justice with courage, perseverance, and integrity. Like I said earlier, the new Secretary of Justice has a difficult task ahead of him—but no challenge, no matter how daunting, should be able to stop a genuine public servant from achieving the change he seeks to create for the benefit of the people,” said Gatchalian. “In my humble estimation, it appears that Secretary Guevarra is more than capable of keeping his promise and making real change, as long as he stays the course he has set for himself,” he added. Guevarra was a deputy of Medialdea prior to his appointment to the DoJ to replace resigned Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II. He also served as Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs during the term of former President Benigno Aquino III. Guevarra had also been appointed commissioner at the Philippine Competition Commission. He had worked for the National Economic and Development Authority, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and was a former faculty member of the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law. He placed second in the 1985 Bar examinations. Upon the confirmation of Catriciones, Poe, chairman of the CA Agrarian Reform committee, reminded him to address the longstanding woes of the country’s farmers and landless tillers and to use government resources judiciously.

PICKET PROTEST. Members of Alliance of Concerned Teachers hold a picket protest in front of the Comelec building at Intramuros, Manila on Wednesday to denounce the commission's failure to give the tax refund for teachers and full election service pay to all those who served in the May 14 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. Norman Cruz

Budget OK for Dengvaxia victims seen before Sona By Maricel V. Cruz

HE chairman of the House of Representatives’ committee on appropriations on Wednesday expressed conﬁdence that the proposed supplemental budget providing medical aid to Dengvaxia vaccines, would get enacted before President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his State of the Nation Address in July. Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, the panel chairperson, made the statement after the House unanimously passed House Bill 7449 or the Supplemental Budget for 2018 on third and final reading late Tuesday night. The bill was passed at the Lower House by a 231-0 vote after it was certified as urgent by President Duterte. “The House of Representatives has taken a huge concrete step in making right a huge wrong of the government in the past,” Nograles said on Wednesday. “The passage of the P1.161-billion Supplemental Budget of 2018 on second and third reading brings peace of mind closer to the parents of the thousands of schoolchildren vaccinated with Dengvaxia even as we

all hope that the worst-case scenario doesn't happen to them,” he said. Nograles said he expects the Senate to also act expeditiously on the measure for the sake of the nearly 900,000 vaccinees. “I am optimistic that the supplemental budget will be a law by the time the President delivers his third Sona on July 23,” he said. Nograles earlier filed HB 7449 which sought to turn French pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Pasteur's P1.161-billion partial refund to the Philippine government into standby medical funds for the vaccinees. Sanofi manufactured Dengvaxia, which in April 2016, was used by the Aquino administration to launch a massive anti-den-

gue inoculation program. The program was suspended by the current administration after Sanofi itself admitted in November 2017 that Dengvaxia could worsen symptoms for vaccinated children who contract dengue for the first time, as per the results of their follow-up study. Nograles said the swift approval of the supplemental budget in the House would not have been possible without the intervention of President Duterte. He added that the unanimous approval of the Dengvaxia medical assistance “shows that this House has its heart in the right place.” “The best way to exercise the House of Representatives' power of the purse is during moments when it can literally save lives,” Nograles said. The P1.161-billion refund was for the unused vials of Dengvaxia that was returned by the Department of Health to Sanofi. Nograles also supported the plan of the DoH to get a full refund of the government's P3-billion purchase of the vaccine.

Surigao del Sur mayor suspended THE Sandiganbayan has ordered the 90-day preventive suspension of Mayor Generoso Naraiso of Tagbina, Surigao del Sur and Councilor Nolly Concepcion of San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan pending their graft and usurpation charges at the anti-graft court. The anti-graft court, in separate resolutions, said the suspension order was intended to prevent the accused from intimidating potential witnesses in their respective cases. “The court trying a case has neither discretion nor duty to determine whether or not a preventive suspension is required to prevent the accused from using his office to intimidate witnesses or frustrate his prosecution or continue committing malfeasance in office,” the Sandiganbayan said in Naraiso's case. “The presumption is that unless the accused is suspended, he may

frustrate the prosecution of the case, commit further acts of malfeasance, or do both,” the anti-graft court noted in Concepcion’s case. The Ombudsman accused Naraiso of violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act owing to his alleged unlawful withholding of the municipal accountant’s representation and transportation allowance for five months in 2015 despite orders from the Civil Service Commission. Concepcion, on the other hand, was accused of usurpation of authority when he unlawfully assumed the functions of the vice mayor from September to October 2009. Concepcion allegedly failed to relinquish the post despite a directive from the Department of the Interior and Local Government for him to perform the functions and responsibilities of a councilor. Maricel V. Cruz

TRAIN INSPECTION. Light Rail Management Corp. president and CEO Juan Alfonso and LRMC COO Rodolfo Chansuyco (not in photo) inspect the improvement of the LRT facilities and coaches at Doroteo Jose Station in Recto, Manila yesterday. The improvement project is under the LRT’s P7.5-billion capital investment for the betterment of their coaches that resulted in the availability of 109 LRT coaches, an increase of ridership of 4 percent this year and rising daily trips of 9.7 percent. Norman Cruz

Signing of ‘Ease of Doing Business Act’ lauded, backed By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz SENATE Majority Leader Migz Zubiri said on Wednesday that the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act earlier signed by President Rodrigo Duterte would be the “skyway and subway” that will liberate businesses from the gridlock of red tape, graft and corruption. Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting, on the other hand, described the signing of the measure as a ‘game-changer.’ “I am elated that this very important piece of legislation has been signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.” The new law which amended RA 9845 or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, is seen to be relevant to businessmen and entrepreneurs who have suffered red tape, graft and corruption. “As I had experienced, the hundreds of signatures needed seemed like a sticky web from which there was no escape. Fixers boastfully compounded lies to create a stickier

web of ‘lagay’ that forced you to spit out ‘padulas.’ No wonder that the underground economy was booming. We want it to be legal, ans yet you are being burdened, Starting from the barangay, going up, it’s difficult to complete documents,” said Zubiri, sponsor and author of the law. He said the new law is custom-made to hyper-activate business in the Philippines. “We all want to grow businesses, big or small, be they old establishments or new firms. We all know that the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Law is long overdue,” said Zubiri. “We knew that bureaucratic red tape and a maze of processes slowed down transactions and discouraged Filipinos from setting up businesses. These drove away foreign investors in droves. Government procedures slowed business like Edsa traffic slowed down everyone in Highway 54,” he added. According to Zubiri, the law will likewise benefit everybody including government itself, whose agencies are tasked to reform its cantankerous and crabby ways.

“Business activities will accelerate in geometric progression as entrepreneurs become confident that government indeed delivers the services they need in record time as never before." The new law, he added, will be accompanied by memos, circulars and directives that will streamline, make transparent and facilitate government procedures at all levels. The law has the following salient features: streamlined procedures and shorter processing time for government transactions; automatic approval clause will apply if an application or request is not acted upon within the prescribed processing time; adoption of Zero Contact policy, Creation of the One central business portal to receive and obtain data involving business related transactions, Creation of the Philippine Business Databank, Creation of Anti-Red tape Authority and the Ease of Doing Business/AntiRed Tape Advisory Council; and Increase in penalties, among others. The Senate leader warned that government employees and officials who fail to comply with the law will face stiffer penalties.

NGCP issues ‘yellow alert’ on Luzon grid GRID operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines has issued a yellow alert for the Luzon power grid for two hours on Wednesday, the second consecutive yellow alert this week. NGCP also announced a yellow alert for the Luzon grid on Tuesday due to thin reserves following high demand and plant outage. “Luzon grid is on yellow alert due to the unexpected shutdown and limited generation of some power plants, and high power demand,” NGCP said. NGCP declared the Luzon grid on yellow alert from 1 to 3 pm, May 30, 2018. Available capacity was placed at 11,764 MW versus peak demand of 10,891 MW. Alena Mae S. Flores

Militant solon claims victory in probe vs ERC A MILITANT lawmaker on Wednesday claimed victory following the conclusion of the joint congressional investigation on the seven allegedly questionable power supply agreement applications before the Energy Regulatory Commission. Speaking to reporters, Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate said that the possible violations ERC committed in the handling of the Manila Electric Company-linked PSAs would not have come to light if the matter did not go through the scrutiny of the House. “In a way, I think we achieved one of our main objectives: to raise this issue [through congressional hearings]. The Filipino consumers were not aware of this issue until we brought it to their consciousness. Meralco appeared to be untouchable then... But because of the committee hearings, everything came out,” Zarate said. Since last year, the House joint House committees on good government and public accountability and on energy, chaired by Reps. Johnny Pimentel of Surigao del Sur and Lord Allan Jay Velasco of Marinduque, has probed the seven pending PSAs between Meralco and its suppliers. Maricel V. Cruz

‘All Grab fares legal and upfront’ By Darwin G. Amojelar GRAB Philippines said its fares is “legal and upfront “ and covered by a Department of Transportation Order in 2015 which allowed Transport Network Companies to set their own fares. Leo Gonzales, head of Grab Philippines Public Affairs, said even the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board confirmed this in a February 2016 decision saying the DO is “valid, legal and subsisting until nullified by court.” “The LTFRB decision also said the DO was issued to ‘promote mobility’ and respond to the needs of the modern commuter (who is)...able and willing to pay more for better transport services,” Gonzales said. The Grab statement came after PBA Representative Jericho Nograles accused the ride-sharing app it charging an “illegal” minimum fare of P80 and charging its passengers of P2 per minute. “Because of his efforts, the P2 per

minute fare component was suspended by LTFRB. This reduced the income of drivers and discouraged them from going out and serving our passengers. That is why we have an extreme lack of vehicles and why the public find it hard to get a ride,” he said. He said the P2 fare per minute component is legal because it was imposed at the time that the 2015 DO was still in effect. The DO was taken back when a new one was issued in August 2017 requiring all fares to be approved by the LTFRB moving forward. “So how can Nograles claim the fares are illegal when the fares have always been upfront and the DO allowing us to set fares with LTFRB’s oversight was in effect? The riding public is suffering because of Nograles’ mistaken claims,” he said. The DO, he said, was issued when the ride-hailing service was new and the government at that time was looking for ways to give the public another transport choice.

Sports

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Nationals challenge visitors I

Thailand, Malaysia and Sabah, who are using the games to tune up for the 18th Asian Junior Athletics Championships in Gifu, Japan on June 7 to 10. “It is already hot in Gifu, so this is a perfect training ground for these visitors, who I am sure, will be going all out to test their own mettle for the coming Asian Juniors,” added Juico. One of the highlights of the trackfest, which used to be known as the National Athletics Open, is the Masters’ Competition. “Some 800 to 900 athletes will be coming over. It is a big list, considering there is a Masters’ and Junior Division, making it truly an open competition,” said Juico of the trackfest presented by the City of Ilagan and sponsored by Ayala Corporation, Milo and the Philippine Sports Commission. All national team athletes are expected to join, with the exception of pole vault specialist EJ Obiena, who is currently training Formia, Italy under Ukrainian coach Vitaly Petrov.

LAGAN CITY—Members of the national team, led by Eric Cray, will be tested to the fullest by the foreign challenge in the 2017 Ayala Philippine National Open Invitational Athletics Championships, which goes full blast here today (Thursday) at the sprawling Ilagan City Sports Complex. Cray, a two-time Olympian, banners the list of track and field luminaries, who will slug it out for the over 150 gold medals stake in the five-day track and field spectacle, which is part of the national team’s preparations for the Asian Games in Indonesia in August and the 30th Southeast Asian Games next year. Competition officially begins today at 5 a.m. with the 10,000 meters (women), and the shotput (men) and high jump (women) at 6 a.m. The Texas-based Cray, once the fastest man in Southeast Asia, is already in this sun-baked city and is expected to formally register his entry together with his fellow

Bayking pockets 2nd MVP crown in PPS net tourney

national team mainstays Fil-Am 4x100 specialist Trenten Beram, long jump queen Marestella Torres-Sunang, decathlete star Aries Toledo and triple jumper Mark Harry Diones, among others. “We expect our athletes to match or break their personal and season bests. To make it more enticing, incentives of P20,000 to P100,000 await athletes who can shatter Philippine records,” said Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association of the Philippines (Patafa) president Dr. Philip Ella Juico. But standing in the way of the national athletes are crack athletes from the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Sri Lanka,

BLISS Bayking sustained her top form and duplicated her two-title feat in Maasin last week, posting a pair of lopsided triumphs in the PPS-PEPP Baybay City regional age-group tennis tournament at the Baybay Tennis Club in Leyte. The 16-year-old Bayking, from San Carlos City, toppled Joyce Gorgonio twice, scoring a 6-2, 6-0 victory in the finals of her age division then taking the girls’ 18-and-under diadem—and the MVP trophy—via a 6-2, 6-3 scoreline. No. 3 Vinz Lominoque also eased past the same opponent to match Bayking’s feat in the boys’ side of the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan PawnshopPalawan Express Pera Padala headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro and presented by Dunlop. The unranked Cebu City bet beat Sail Lago, 6-1, 6-2, in the 16-U championship then took the 18-U title—and also the MVP trophy—with

an emphatic 6-0, 6-0 win. Lago, from Sogod, Leyte, recovered from the twin losses by winning the 14-U plum with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Zymer Casem with No. 2 Mia Gemida from Ormoc City claiming the girls’ crown with a 6-1, 6-1 reversal over top seed Corazon Lambonao. Local bet Aaesha Bandalan and Gerald Gemida shared the 12-U honors in the event backed by Asiatraders Corp. and sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg, with the former holding off Elna Beronio, 6-0, 7-5. Gerald Gemida thwarted Bert Manlimos, 6-4, 6-1, while Manuel Jocson III, also from the host province, foiled Baybay leg winner Christian Estrada’s back-toback title bid in the 10-unisex side via a 4-0, 4-0 victory.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard Republic of the Philippines TODAY

ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURE PROJECTS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2017, WITH PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

ERC CASE NO. 2017-097 RC

of IV scanners, tap changing, load center splitting, transformer uprating, among others, to address customer concerns in relation to voltage complaints. f.

DAVAO LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY, INC. (DLPC), Applicant. x - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

3. For DLPC to pursue its mandate under its franchise and the EPIRA, it is necessary for DLPC to continuously invest in the improvement of its system and services to better serve its customers.

Substation Projects; Lines Projects; Other Network Projects; and Non-network Projects

6. The major CAPEX of DLPC under the bracket of Substation Projects consist of the following: a. Upgrade of 15 MVA to 33 MVA, Victoria Substation project b. Bangkal Substation- Substation Upgrade project c. Substation Upgrade, San Vicente S/S project d. New Braker, PSS-DVO3 project 7. The Upgrade of 15 MVA to 33 MVA, Victoria Substation project is needed as the 15 MVA power transformer at Victoria is 75% loaded, furthermore, the adjacent substations clustered with it are also nearing critical loading, thus limiting the single operating contingency in case one of the adjacent substations fails or is undergoing maintenance shutdown. a.

9. The Substation Upgrade, San Vicente S/S project involves the installation of a new 33MVA, 69/13.8kV transformer and other electrical related equipment to meet the foreseen load growth in the area concerned. In case of load transfers during preventive maintenance, the San Vicente, Tadeco and Panabo substation cluster is in critical condition. In the event that any of these will be down, the remaining substations will not be capable of carrying the load. The age of the 20MVA power transformer is likewise taken into account. When this unit malfunctions, the adjacent substations will reach critical loading. The present project will solve these issues. 10. The major CAPEX of DLPC under the Lines Projects are the following: a. b.

Line New, Davao Line 1, from MAA SS to Magtuod project; and 13.8kV Underground Distribution System (3rd of 5 phases)

11. The Line New, Davao Line 1, from MAA SS to Magtuod project is a component of a plan intended to close the subtransmission loop of Davao Line 2 and Davao Line 1 via Magtuod. The completion of the 69kV subtransmission loop will be advantageous during single operating contingency as the load from Maa and Bucana substations can be transferred to Davao Line 2 in case the ERA Substation will be shutdown. Furthermore, the Davao Line 1 - Davao Line 2 loop is beneficial for single outage contingency purposes. 12. The 13.8kV Underground Distribution System (3rd of 5 phases) entails the conversion of overhead distribution feeder to underground distribution system. This project is in furtherance of an LGU directive aimed at mitigating safety hazards brought about by the overhead distribution lines. 13. The additional CAPEX projects under Line Projects are for varying purposes. Certain projects are geared for the completion of sequential projects, others are for the prevention of feeder overloading, or to provide reliability support during single outage contingency. Others are for purposes of deloading Substations, addressing line capacity issues due to demand growth or allowing load transfer in the event of power interruptions. The complete set of Lines Projects can be seen in Table 1 below. 14. DLPC’s projects under the Other Network Projects bracket are the following: a. Line Rehabilitation/ Maintenance projects. This is a combination of line rehabilitation, upgrade and maintenance works. The components of this project include replacement of wooden or dilapidated 138kV,69kV and 13.8kV structures and fixtures together with their accessories, installation of insulators and arresters, tree wires and line markers and typhoon failure containment of 69kV and 13.8kV lines. b.

Line RecIosers project. This project entails the installation of circuit closers at selected Distribution feeder lines and contestable ILP customers. This will provide automation of the distribution system and will likewise enhance network reliability. The project will likewise control the effect of supply curtailment in situations wherein load shedding is required in the event of tight power supply.

Emergency-Others project- This project will ensure that there is a ready supply of structures, transformers and line hardwares on the 69kV and 13.8kV system for replacement purposes. This assures DLPC has the required back-up electric distribution materials needed in responding to emergency situations.

Rotten Pole and Transformer Replacement project. This project involves the replacement of rotten poles with steel poles, together with distribution transformers together with the accessories. This project aims to ensure reliability of supply to consumers and reduce interruption caused by dilapidated poles and overloaded transformers. Voltage Correction project. This project entails the installation

Php 14,693,120

D. Rotten Pole and Transformer Replacement

Php 27,583,123

E. Voltage Correction

Subdivision Electrification project. This project relates to addressing applications of real property developers to DLPC’s distribution system.

Php8,643,905

F. New Application

Php175,656,746

G. Rural Electrification

Php74,401,145

Php10,427,488

K. Installation, Replacement and Maintenance of Industrial and Commercial Meters

Php26,285,304

Streetlights and Signal Systems project. Under this project, there will be installation of new streetlights and maintenance or replacement of defective ones.

I. Installation and Replacement of Residential Meters

Php176,242,759

Installation, Replacement and Maintenance of Industrial and Commercial Meters project. This project involves the installation, replacement and maintenance of the meters of DLPC’s industrial and commercial customers. This is inline with the on-going five (5) year replacement plan of electromechanical meters to electronic meters aimed at increasing accuracy and monitoring of the meter data information.

NON-NETWORK PROJECTS A. TELECOMMUNICATION

Radio and Fiber Optic Communications Installations, Replacement and Maintenance. Under this project, new SCADA substation platform, and additional SCADA infrastructure such as fiber-optic cables will be procured, further, existing radio repeater sites will undergo maintenance. The project aims to strengthen the communication link between substations through the SCADA platform.

Acquisition of Lots for New Substations, Expansion or Improvement of Existing Substations. DLPC will need additional lots for its new switching stations for the expansion of a number of its substations. The HOLCIM switching station was originally planned to be installed on a lot owned by HOLCIM under the terms and conditions of a Memorandum of Agreement between DLPC and HOLCIM. Eventually however, the MOA was not executed, thus DLPC needed to locate another location for the installation of the HOLCIM switching station. The installation of the AYA substation was necessitated by the rapid growth in the northern part of DLPC’s franchise area. With only the 200 MVA capacity of Don Ramon substation and a critically loaded 150 MVA ERA substation in the 138kV level, power supply is seen to be tight by 2020. The area selected provides a strategic lot for the location of the AYA substation. A lot is likewise needed for the new Bucana and MEGAWORLD, Matina, and Bangkal expansion.

16. The total estimated cost of DLPC’s CY 2017 CAPEX is Php 1,389,183,112 and the complete list of DLPC’s 2017 CAPEX, together with its estimated cost, is shown in table 1 below: Table 1 Project Summary Description

Estimated Cost

F. COMPUTER EQUIPMENT (SOFTWARE & HARDWARE)

Php60,589,214 Php1,389,183,112

ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY 24. Public interest and necessity requires the immediate implementation, without delay, of the subject CAPEX projects. The loading and reliability constraints of the current substations are reaching critical levels, necessitating the upgrade and/ or construction of the relevant substations. Aside from these, in the event that the CAPEX projects are not immediately implemented, the consumers may suffer from prolonged power interruptions and additional load coming from existing and new customers may likewise not be accommodated. These negative consequences, which are detrimental not only to the economy of the areas covered by DLPC, but also to the livelihood and everyday lives of the consumers may be mitigated by the immediate approval of the DLPC 2017 CAPEX projects. 25. Thus, pending final approval, there is an urgent need for a provisional authority for DLPC to immediately implement its proposed CAPEX projects. In support of the prayer for provisional authority, attached as Annex “B” is the Judicial Affidavit of Orville C. Lazaro. 26. The foregoing CAPEX for CY 2017 are indispensable for the systematic and economic expansion and rehabilitation of DLPC’s distribution facilities and ensuring compliance with safety, performance and regulatory requirements. The benefit arising from these CAPEX projects will ultimately redound to the end-consumers of DLPC in terms of continuous, reliable and efficient power supply. PRAYER WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed that the Honorable Commission: 1. Pending trial on the merits, immediately issue a PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY authorizing DLPC to implement its proposed Capital Expenditure Projects Calendar Year 2017; and 2. After due hearing, APPROVE with FINALITY, DLPC’s proposed Capital Expenditure Projects Calendar Year 2017. Other reliefs just and equitable under the premises are likewise prayed for. The Commission has set the Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, Pre-trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on 27 June 2018 at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00 A.M.), at ERC Mindanao Field Office, Mintrade Building, Monteverde Avenue corner Sales Street, Davao City. All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following: 1) The petitioner’s name and address;

SUBSTATION PROJECT A. Substation Upgrade, Victoria S/S

Php63,080,165

B. Substation Upgrade, Bangkal S/S

Php58,629,047

C. Substation Upgrade, San Vicente S/S

Php55,098,893 Php7,510,650

LINES PROJECTS New Lines Project E. 69kV Line New, Davao Line 2. from Dacudao to Tugbok Substation

Php10,025,196

F. 69kV Line New,Davao Line 1, from Maa Substation to Magtuod

Php53,669,419

2) The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and 3) A statement of the relief desired. All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file their Opposition or Comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before Applicant rests its case, subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following: 1) The name and address of such person; 2) A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and 3) The grounds relied upon.

G. 13.8kV Line New, Bkl2, from Bangkal S/S to Matina Crossing

Php2,796,931

H. 13.8kV Line New, Bkl4, from Skyline Crossing to DCWD

Php3,367,664

I. 13.8kV Line New, Maa1/ 3, Maa1/ 3 Gai2 Tie up via Sn Rafael to Torres

Php3,263,643

J. 13.8kV Line New, BKL2, from Ulas to Catalunan Agricultural Development Corp.

Php1,818,959

K. 13.8kV Underground Distribution System (3rd of 5 phases)

Php50,290,373

23. The proposed CAPEX for CY 2017 will not have a direct impact on the current rates of DLPC until approved by the Honorable Commission as part of DLPC’s Regulatory Asset Base in the next applicable Regulatory Period.

NETWORK PROJECTS

D. New Breaker, PSS-DVO3

E.BUILDINGS AND IMPROVEMENT, OFFICE EQUIPMENT, FURNITURE AND FIXTURES AND MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT

22. The detailed justifications, technical analysis, economic analysis and alternatives considered for DLPC’s CAPEX for CY 2017 are discussed in detail in Annex “A” in support of this Application.

Repairs and Expansion of Office Buildings, Equipment and Utilities. The various components of this project relates to mostly expansion, construction, improvements, maintenance and rehabilitation of new and existing buildings. Computer Equipment (software & hardware). Under this project, the replacement of computer units and other IT related equipment together with the Multi-tenant option in the Oracle Database shall be implemented. Further, there will be the deployment of monitoring tools in the Oracle Enterprise Manager. These projects are foreseen to improve the overall manageability of the database system used by DLPC leading to efficiency for the DU and will enhance the integration of the existing systems in preparation of the planned Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Smartgrid projects.

Php222,230,000

GRAND TOTAL

Acquisition, Replacement, Repairs and Maintenance of Work Tools project. This project involves the procurement of tools and equipment that are required by various departments within DLPC for safety working equipment at live and high tension lines, power quality monitoring and analytical tools to boost reliability of the distribution system and protect system equipment. Work Vehicles. Under this project, vehicles to be used by DLPC in connection to its works are to be procured and repaired. Included herein are the procurement of bucket trucks and repairs on existing service vehicles to prolong its useful life.

Php22,167,000

D.ACQUISITION OF LAND - (HOLCIM, MATINA, AYA, BUCANA, BANGKAL, MEGAWORLD,)

Installation and Replacement of Residential Meters. This project relates to the installation of new electronic meters and replacement of defective or electromechanical meters, including accessories thereof, for residential consumers. Included herein is an Elevated Metering Center (EMC) installation. Installation of EMC will be done in areas wherein the local government has requested for the installation of the same.

Php28,825,918

C. TRANSPORTATION

15. The projects under Non-Network Projects are the following: a.

Php8,817,567

B. TOOLS AND WORK EQUIPMENT

All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from Applicant that it be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing. Applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours. WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson and CEO AGNES VST DEVANADERA, and the Honorable Commissioners ALFREDO J. NON, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAPTARUC and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 27th day of February 2018 in Pasig City.

Php100,000,000

FOR AND BY AUTHORITY OF THE COMMISSION: JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT Oversight Commissioner for Legal

Line Upgrade Project L. 13.8kV Line Upgrade, SNV 4, from Maryknoll to New Malitbog D/S

Php4,216,282

M. 13.8kV Line Upgrade, GAl 2, from Torres St. to Quirino St

Php1,146,430 1

Php 42,304,687

C. Emergency

Php19,893,526

To supplement this project, the 13.8kV Line Victoria Feeder 4 from Victoria S/S to Motolite Cabagiuo and 13.8kv Line New, VIC 2 S/S to City High School projects will also be undertaken. Without these, any planned or unplanned shutdown of any of the pertinent substations will overload any adjacent substations.

8. The Bangkal Substation- Substation Upgrade project, involves the installation of 33 MVA 69kV/13.8kV three phase transformer and other miscellaneous materials. This transformer serves as a replacement to the defective 12MVA transformer, further, substation loading forecasts yields that the Bangkal substation will become 82.9% loading soon. This project likewise aids nearby substation during single outage contingency situations.

B. Line Reclosers

J. Street Llights and Signal Systems

DLPC’s 2017 CAPEX Program can be categorized as follows: a. b. c. d.

Php 46,836,750

I. Rehabilitation of Substation

4. As such, DLPC, in furtherance of its duty to better serve its customers, and in accordance with Section 20 (b) of Commonwealth Act No. 2 146 , hereby applies for approval of the Honorable Commission to implement its Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) Program, for Calendar Year (CY) 2017. 5.

Rural Electrification project. This project pertains to new line extension to be used in rural areas with transformer additions and capacitor or voltage regulator installations. This is seen to provide reliable and continuous power to areas in need within DLPC’s franchise.

A. Line Rehabilitation/Maintenance

Php5,985,317

Notice is hereby given that on 26 October 2017, Davao Light and Power Company, Inc. (DLPC) filed an Application seeking the Commission’s approval of its capital expenditure projects for calendar year 2017, with prayer for the issuance of provisional authority.

2. Republic Act 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (“EPIRA”), under Section 23 thereof, obligates a distribution utility, such as DLPC, to provide distribution services and connections to its system for any end-user within its franchise area consistent with the distribution code. Further, distribution utilities share in the objective of the EPIRA to ensure the quality, reliability, security and affordability of the supply of electric power.1

OTHER NETWORK PROJECTS

H. Subdivision Electrification

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

1. DLPC is a corporation duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with office address at C. Bangoy Sr. St., Davao City. It is the grantee of a legislative franchise under Republic Act No. 8960 to operate the electric light and power distribution system in the Cities of Davao and Panabo, and in the Municipalities of Carmen, Sto. Tomas and Braulio Dujali, Province of Davao del Norte (the “Franchise Area”). DLPC may be served with orders and other processes of the Honorable Commission through its undersigned counsel at the address indicated below.

New Application project. This project addresses the need to effectively cater and supply new customer applications to the distribution system. The procurement of transformers, poles, wires, line hardwares and other distribution apparatus necessary to provide service to new applicants are covered herein.

Php2,685,891

Substation Rehabilitation and Maintenance project. This involves replacement of defective, non-SCADA, non-recording and old meters, relays and annunciators, among others. This will aid DLPC to control relays remotely through SCADA, furthermore, the data recording feature provides much needed event logging for post-fault analysis. Aging oil circuit breakers will likewise be replaced with new SF6 circuit breakers while old and defective 69kV and 15 kV disconnect switches will likewise be replaced.

DLPC alleged the following in its Application:

N. 13.8kV Line Upgrade, STO1, from STO S/S to PN 1013790

Section 2(b) of the EPlRA Public Service Act (MS-MAY 31 & JUNE 7, 2018)

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

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018

Sports

James faces his toughest test yet LeBron James: We have an opportunity to play for a championship. That’s all that matters. AFP

AKLAND—LeBron James will attempt the most amazing achievement of his historic career by leading the twice-rebuilt Cleveland Cavaliers against heavily fancied defending champion Golden State in the 72nd NBA Finals.

The 33-year-old superstar reached his eighth consecutive finals seemingly by sheer force of will, lifting the Cavs on his shoulders throughout the NBA playoffs to book their fourth finals meeting in a row against the Warriors, with the bestof-seven championship series opening Thursday at Golden State. This marks the first time in North American pro sports history that two clubs will meet in the final for a fourth consecutive season. A title would cap the superlatives of an epic career because never has a James-led finals club been so huge an underdog as the Cavs are now. Las Vegas oddsmakers have the Warriors as the biggest NBA Finals favorites since 2002. “We have an opportunity to play for a championship. That’s all that matters,” James said. “We’ve been counted out for a long time this season. It’s a heck of an accomplishment for our ball club. “No matter what the storyline is going

Serena wins; Rafa, Maria survive scares PARIS—Serena Williams made a winning return to Grand Slam tennis which was as memorable as her body-hugging black catsuit when she reached the Roland Garros second round on Tuesday. The 36-year-old downed Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 to register her first victory at the majors since her 2017 Australian Open triumph. “I missed Roland Garros so much, I missed the battle,” Williams, the 2002, 2013 and 2015 champion, said after playing her first clay court match since finishing runnerup to Garbine Muguruza in the 2016 final on the same Philippe Chatrier Court. “It’s been two years since I played here. It wasn’t easy but I have been training really hard. I feel good and just so happy to be back here.” As Williams—and her eye-catching outfit—grabbed the headlines, there were wins but a few scares for 10-time champion Rafael Nadal and two-time winner Maria Sharapova. Nadal racked up his 80th win in Paris by seeing off Italian lucky loser Simone Bolelli 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (11/9). Sharapova, playing the tournament for the first time in three years after missing 2016 through a doping ban and last year when she was refused a wildcard, battled from a 0-3 deficit in the final set to beat Dutch qualifier Richel Hogenkamp 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. Williams, the winner of an Open era record 23 Grand Slam titles, had arrived at Roland Garros with just four matches under her belt in 2018, the last of which was in Miami in March. AFP

to be, no matter if we’re picked to win or not, let’s just go out and play.” No more juice left Rebuilding after the off-season trade of star guard Kyrie Irving, the Cavs struggled and were retooled again at the trade deadline, leaving James and forward Kevin Love alongside role players such as outside shooters J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver and inside man Tristan Thompson. “I switched my mindset at the trade deadline to ‘Let’s get the most out of this season I can,’” James said. “I’m trying to squeeze the most out of this orange to where there’s no more juice left.” Skeptics wonder how much juice James has left. He has seen 164 playoff games— the equal of two full extra seasons—from his first finals run with Miami to now. And this year, in his 15th NBA campaign, James played all 82 regular season games, a career first, as he adjusted to ever-changing rosters.

“This has been one of the most challenging seasons I’ve had,” James said. “It has been six seasons in one. It has been a whirlwind. It has been a roller coaster. There has been everything that you can ask for.” ‘A crazy feeling’ James is 3-5 in career NBA Finals after losing his first with Cleveland in 2007, winning two of four with Miami from 2010-2014 and taking the 2016 title in seven games over Golden State between 2015 and 2017 losses to the Warriors. Only three players in NBA history have reached more consecutive finals than James, with Sam Jones and Tom Heinsohn managing nine and Bill Russell a record 10 in a row. All three played on a 1960s Boston Celtics dynasty. Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James has averaged 34.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the playoffs, taking command in game-seven playoff wins over Boston and Indiana to keep the title dream alive. “After all these years, we almost expect him to do that,” Smith said. “We expect him to get over the hump and take us with him. It’s a crazy feeling.” Beware ‘other guys’ The Warriors seek their third crown in four seasons and sixth overall, which

would match the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls for third on the all-time list behind Boston and the Los Angeles Lakers. With Kevin Durant dominating inside, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson as 3-point sharpshooters and Draymond Green inside contributing rebounds and assists, the Warriors have been nearly as formidable as they were in last year’s title run. “Somebody asked, it’s four years in a row getting to the finals, do you appreciate it? Yes, because it’s really hard,” Curry said. “All the smiles and embraces you have with your teammates, your coaches, it’s well deserved.” Curry is also wary of dismissing James’s supporting cast. “They are NBA players and yeah they are new and what not and ‘Bron is amazing. He played an unbelievable playoff run to date and has willed his team to his eighth straight finals and all that,” Curry said. “It was an amazing performance, but don’t disrespect the other guys out there. They fought hard, too.” Injuries could play a role, with Love uncertain for the opener while in the NBA concussion protocol and Golden State’s Andre Iguodala questionable with a sore left knee. AFP

Strong start pushes Bibat to 2-shot lead SILANG, Cavite—Michael Bibat flashed a near-impeccable iron game and putting and tamed Langer’s tough backside with a 32, leading to a five-under 66 and a two-stroke edge over Englishman Grant Jackson and three other local aces at the start of the ICTSI Riviera Classic here yesterday. Bibat came through with a pair of back-to-back birdie feats inside six feet from Nos. 12 and 15 to launch his title drive then kept his spot on top of the huge 120-player international field with a two-birdie, one-bogey effort at the front of the dreaded par-71 layout. “The game plan was to hit the fairway and near the target and I’m glad I made some good approach shots and my putting clicked,” said Bibat, who placed tied for second with Korean ace amateur Tom Kim here behind last year’s winner Clyde Mondilla. Despite his joint 18th finish in last week’s Philippine Masters, Bibat said he’s enjoying top form and his superb start this week more than served notice of his bid for a first crown since scoring a breakthrough at Rancho Palos Verdes in 2013. But the former Asian Games bronze medalist expects the going to get tougher and rougher in the next three days of the $100,000 event sponsored by ICTSI with Jackson, Charles Hong, Jun Bernis and Erwin Arcillas putting their own title bids in motion with 68s and the crack group of South African Mathiam Keyser and locals Tony Lascuña and Rufino Bayron churning out identical 69s. Jackson, who tied for 19th in the kickoff leg of the second Philippine Golf Tour Asia season at Luisita won by Aussie David Gleeson last month, actually matched Bibat’s hot start with his own fiery binge at the front, going three-under after five holes. But he settled for pars the rest of the way, enabling Hong, Bernis

Michael Bibat chips onto the green on No. 2

and Arcillas to join him at second with a final hole birdie on No. 9. Hong, also out to snap a long title drought in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., checked a rollercoaster backside stint that featured four birdies but marred by a double-bogey and a bogey as he birdied the first two holes at the back then rebounded from a bogey mishap on No. 7 with that closing birdie for a 33-35 card. Bernis came in on one of the late flights with three straight birdies from No. 15 to highlight his 37-31 card, while Arcillas, a playoff loser to Aussie David Gleason in the PGT Asia kickoff leg at Luisita last month, birdied Nos. 16 and 17 for a 33-35 round.

Staglets crush Providential College of Bulacan KEAN Baclaan unloaded 21 points for the defending champion San Sebastian Staglets in their 83-70 beating of First City Providential College of Bulacan, 83-70, in the junior division of the ongoing 24th Fr. Martin Cup summer tournament at the St. Placid gymnasium inside the San Beda-Mendiola campus in Manila. Rafael Are contributed 15 points for the Staglets as they picked up their first tri-

umph in four matches in this cagefest supported by Cocolife. This allowed the Staglets to bounce back from their loss to the University of Perpetual Help Junior Altas, who posted an 84-82 triumph over them. In other matches, Paco Catholic Foundation prevailed over San Beda-Rizal B, 6755, while St. Patrick School won over San Beda-Manila, 97-71.

Meanwhile, Sydney Mosqueda delivered 16 points for the La Salle Greenhills Greenies as they warded off St. Patrick School, 107-77. In women’s action, Valerie Mamaril and Mary Ann Bastatas showed the way for the Far Eastern University Lady Tamaraws in their 81-71 smothering of the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons. This handed the Lady Tamaraws their first triumph in three matches.

1st Century Tuna Full IRONMAN sets 2-hour, 20-minute cutoff WHILE the elite pros are expected to finish it in over eight hours or so, the bulk of the brave 1,268 bidders from 47 countries brace for a grueling race that could stretch into the night when the first Century Tuna Full IRONMAN is fired off Sunday (June 3) in Subic. In fact, the organizing Sunrise Events, Inc. has set a two-hour, 20-minute cutoff in the 3.8k swim leg; a 10-hour, 30-minute limit in the 180km bike stage; and a 17-hour deadline to finish the 42.95km closing run to ensure a smooth, hassle-free staging of

the most demanding endurance challenge ever to be held here. Seven each in the men’s and women’s sides will slug it out for the coveted crown in the centerpiece Pro division while two in each category are vying in the Asian Elite. But focus will also be on the 11 age group divisions, which drew the bulk of the full IRONMAN participants. Two hundred ninety nine are entered in the 40-44 age class, including 266 in the men’s side, while 280, including 257 in the

men’s, are entered in the 45-49 category. The 35-39 group has 248 entries while the 30-34 and 50-54 classes drew 151 and 122 casts, respectively. “Everybody’s got that mixed feelings rush heading to the event – thrilled yet wary. But it will certainly be a unique feeling for every full Ironman finisher, a combination of relief, fatigue, joy, this being the first full IRONMAN to be staged here,” said SEI general manager Princess Galura. Century Tuna, after successfully holding

three 5150 and 70.3 races, is putting up the first full IRONMAN in partnership with SEI, the country’s producer and organizer of triathlon, which incidentally is celebrating a decade of IRONMAN staging here. “The last three years, we saw our Century Tuna IRONMAN 70.3 races sold to almost full capacity, proving that the Philippine triathlon community has grown and progressed,” said Greg Banzon, vice president and general manager of Century Pacific Food Inc.

Asia Pacific Mustang 9, 10 tilt begins TANAUAN CITY—The PONY Asia Pacific Zone Mustang-9 and Mustang-10 Championships gets going today (Thursday) at Tanauan City Sports Academy with host Philippines seeking to cash in on home field advantage to boost its twin bid for the titles and berths to the coming World Series. The PH Mustang-9 team look to continue its winning tradition while the Pinoy Mustang-10 squad aims to wrest the crown back after its unexpected loss to Indonesia in last year’s edition in Singapore. Winners of the May 31-June 2 meet hosted by PONY Philippines headed by Tot Baseball president Boy Tingzon and co-hosted by Tanauan Mayor Tony Halili will represent the zone in the PONY International Mustang-9 World Series scheduled July 27-30 in Walnut, California and the Mustang-10 World Series on Aug. 3-6 in Youngsville, Louisiana. Before plunging into action at 10 a.m., the PH, Indonesia, Vietnam and guests teams from Tanauan attend the opening ceremonies at 9 a.m., with Halili and other local executives expected to welcome participants with the famous Filipino warmth and hospitality. Rodolfo “Totoy” Tingzon, the father of PH youth baseball, is also expected to grace the opener to inspire the youngsters. The Filipinos brace for a tough challenge from vastly improved Indonesian side in the 9-year-old play of the event presented by HMR Trading Haus and Loro Sports. “We have a good chance considering we’ve been the Asian champions in Mustang-9 since the establishment of the tournament in 2015. But Indonesia has been slowly catching up in terms of skills and knowledge of the game because of Japanese pitchers,” said Tingzon. The home squad is out for redemption in Mustang-10, a division it dominated from 2012 until it fell to an Indonesian ambush in 2017. “We’re fielding a stronger team than last year and they’re more determined than ever to bring out their best and play in front of their home crowd,” said Tingzon.

Ravena-less NLEX keeps Elite winless By Jeric Lopez

NLEX muscled its way down the stretch to notch a hard-fought 93-89 grinder over listless Blackwater for a much-needed win in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night. Arnett Moultrie had a big bounceback game, tallying a game-high 26 points together with 16 rebounds to lead the Road Warriors. Juami Tiongson and Lex Mallari added 10 markers each. Trailing by nine with only five minutes remaining, the Road Warriors came up big in the clutch, finishing the game on a 16-3 blast to snatch the game away from the Elite. Tiongson’s basket with 2:44 left gave NLEX the lead, 87-86, for good. Blackwater wasn’t able to respond in the waning moments as NLEX made sure it had the last say. As a result, NLEX suddenly boosted its campaign with an improved 2-4 slate, while Blackwater remained luckless as it fell to 0-7. Another loss for the Elite will result in elimination. The Road Warriors were off to a solid start, opening up a 30-19 spread early in the second quarter but the Elite immediately dug itself out of trouble by finishing the first half strong, trimming the gap to only two, 42-40, in favor of NLEX. NLEX played its first game without rookie star Kiefer Ravena, who was suspended for 18 months by the FIBA in all of its competitions after testing positive for three banned substance during the second window of the qualifiers early this year. Since the PBA is sanctioned by FIBA, Ravena likewise serves the same reprimand in the local league, as of now. Still, the league board is set to convene to further clarify Ravena’s status and situation. Henry Walker made his return to Blackwater but only managed 12 points. Mike DiGregorio led the Elite with his 25 points in yet another losing cause.

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6 DIGITS 00-00-00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

Call centers expect to hire 70,000 more agents this year By Othel V. Campos CALL centers expect to add 60,000 to 70,000 agents annually over the next five years, despite the threat of automation and artificial intelligence on the business process outsourcing sector. Contact Center Association of the Philippines chairman Benedict Hernandez, however, said the projection which was originally based on the 2016 roadmap would depend on the proposed second package of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or Train program. Hernandez said while the group had not yet revised the target, the passage of the second package of tax reforms could affect the additional $1-billion revenue target in 2018. “When we did this [roadmap], the Train scenario was not there yet. But we haven’t changed it yet. If anything happens that will affect us, we might re-forecast,” Hernandez said in a news briefing Wednesday. All information technology and BPO companies including contact centers that receive tax incentives are registered with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority. Despite being located outside the economic zones, these companies enjoy the same benefits as other economic zone locators. The second phase of tax reforms could include reforming the corporate income tax and the different incentives received by foreign and local companies. Under the 2016 road map, the Philippine contact center sector is projected to grow by 7 percent to 9 percent until 2022. “The global market for outsourcing the IT and BPO services, including contact centers, is far from being saturated. The view from the roadmap for the 2022 study is that it’s a trillion economy for the IT and BPO markets globally. Of this trillion economy, we penetrated about 16 percent of that two years ago,” Hernandez said. The roadmap expects call center revenues to hit $13 billion in 2018. Employment in the call center industry is also projected to increase by 60,000 to 70,000 heads annually.

IN BRIEF

Hybrid rice farming successful in Marawi THE war-ravaged Marawi City is now being rehabilitated and prepared as the food basket of Mindanao with the successful harvest of rice in an initial 50-hectare demo farm of hybrid rice. Each of the farmers earned at least P100,000 over a three month period in a successful partnership between the province and hybrid rice producer SL Agritech . During the rice harvest festival in Bubong, Marawi City, site of the demo farm, ofﬁcials from the province talked of an ambitious plan to make Marawi City, which has a cool clime like that of Baguio City, to be the rice and vegetable capital of Mindanao. The Maranaws of Lanao del Sur are not into farming and they want to be merchants. Thus, ofﬁcials said it took a while before the initial 50 farmers were convinced. Lanao del Sur provincial agriculturist Mohamadali Macarayan said there were 40,000 hectares initially available in Marawi City and this could be marshaled for the food basket plan. SL Agritech had donated the seeds and provided technical assistance to open the eyes of the Maranaws to the farming potential of Marawi City, according to company senior technical consultant Frisco Malabanan.

SPC Power’s profit down slightly in Q1 NET income of listed SPC Power Corp. fell 7.3 percent in the first quarter of 2018 to P495.093 million from P533.97 million year-on-year due to lower power generation output and the expiration of income tax holiday. SPC Power senior vice president for finance and administration Jaime Balisacan attributed the decline “mainly due to lower generation brought about by planned overhaul of generating units and the expiration of income tax holiday in February last year.” Gross revenues in the first three months, however, rose to P560.14 million from P546.619 million on year. SPC Power posted a 6-percent decline in total comprehensive income to P1.677 billion in 2017 from P1.788 billion in 2016 “despite a challenging operating environment.” Balisacan said the slightly lower income last year was due mainly to the impact of a power system disturbance that hit Visayas in July 2017 and the expiration of the income tax holiday previously enjoyed by a major associate. Alena Mae S. Flores

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018

San Miguel revives US brewery plan By Alena Mae S. Flores

AN Miguel Brewery Inc., a joint venture of San Miguel Corp. and Kirin Holdings Company Ltd. of Japan, revived plans to put up a brewery in the United States, according to its top executive.

SMB chairman Ramon Ang told reporters the company was preparing for the licensing and permitting of the US brewery. Ang announced in May 2017 plans to build a $150-million brewery in Los Angles. “We’re in the moment, at the ﬁnal

stage of checking the licenses and taxes,” Ang said. “When you put up a brewery, you want to know the taxes. Are there incentives, transfer taxes, distribution taxes, what are the taxes. We need to understand all of that before we jump to put up a brewery,” he said. Ang said the company was hoping to get “the ﬁnal on the viability” of the US investment within the year. “We have a strong export market in the US. It’s better to for us to put up a plant there to save on the freight and hauling,” Ang said. “At least 50 percent of the factory capacity will be coming from our export volume,” he said. He said putting up a brewery in the US would cost $100 million.

Ang said last year the planned ﬁrst SMB facility in the US would have a capacity to produce 2 million hectoliters (200 million liters) and would be situated in a 10-hectare property. “The reason why we are going to build a brewery in the US is because the volume of exports today in America can now warrant us to put up the brewery to support that volume,” Ang said. Ang said SMB was also pursuing an aggressive capacity expansion program domestically. “We are looking at certain locations… to save on logistics. These are costcutting measures. We’re trying to cut cost so you can spend the money you save on advertising, marketing,” he said. The company recently broke ground

for a new brewery in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, the sixth in the country, while construction of more breweries in key locations across the country were being planned. SMB expects the capacity expansion programs and company-wide productivity initiatives to redound to higher margins and proﬁtability, he said. “We are looking at Asean expansion. We are looking at options,” Ang said. SMB also has plants and facilities in Thailand, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong and Vietnam. The international plants have a combined capacity of 7.81 million hectoliters. SMB posted a net income of P5.67 billion in the ﬁrst three months, up 26 percent from P4.5 billion a year earlier.

Rockwell Land spending P5b to boost land bank

MODERN STEEL MILL. Steel Asia

Manufacturing Corp. breaks ground in Barangay Poblacion, Compostela, Cebu for what will be the Philippines’ largest, most efficient and environmentally friendly steel mill. It will also be the country’s only wire-rod production, a product that will give birth to downstream SME industry clusters such as steel cables, mesh, screws, welding rods, springs and other industries that use wire-rods as inputs. Shown are (from left) Barangay Poblacion chairman Froilan Quiño, SteelAsia president Adrian Cristobal Jr., SteelAsia senior vice president Emily Lim, Cebu vice governor Agnes Magpale, SteelAsia chief executive Benjamin Yao, Compostela mayor Joel Quiño, Compostela vice-mayor Josephine Abing, Cebu provincial board member Miguel Antonio Magpale and SteelAsia senior vice president Benjamin Magalong.

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PH set to buy oil from Russia in June—Cusi

Govt wants to cut interconnection charges to help third telecom player

THE Philippines is set to import oil from Russia next month to boost the country’s fuel reserves, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said in a radio interview Wednesday. Cusi pushed for oil stockpiling to secure the country’s oil requirements amid global uncertainties. He said state-owned PNOC Exploration Corp. would likely start importing oil from Russia by end of June. “We will feel that towards the end of June, because there is shipment time...This is a result of shortage of supply experienced globally,” Cusi said. “So we just want to be assured that our country will have sufﬁcient supply,” he said. Cusi said the decision to import oil from other countries came about after the visit of President Rodrigo Duterte to the Middle East and Russia. “So during those visits, we talked about the need to put up a strategic reserve for the country… So we are pursuing this now , so that we can import and we can set up this reserve,” he said. Cusi said the oil companies had an inventory of around 15 days for ﬁnished products and 30 days for crude products. “We want to have a higher inventory so we have a safety measure. So we asked PNOC-EC to import…and we can sell that to a third party in the industry,” the energy chief said. Cusi said the Philippines was eyeing an initial shipment of 200,000 metric tons per month. “First, we are looking at our storage capacity, its location,” he said. He said the oil importation from Russia was now under negotiation. Cusi said the plan was to give special discounts to buyers of fuel imported by PNOC EC. Cusi said he also asked the oil companies to avoid implementing a price increase this week and treat it as a “sort of a discount.” “I think some oil companies are doing it, but not all. Again, it’s a free market,” he said. Alena Mae S. Flores

THE government wants to further reduce the interconnection charges for text and voice call services in preparation for the entry of a third major telecom player. The National Telecommunications Commission prepared a memorandum circular reducing the interconnection rates for mobile voice calls from P2.50 to P0.50 per minute, and for short messaging services from P0.15 to P0.05 per text. The memorandum circular will be subject to a public hearing on June 13. Sought for comment, Yolanda Crisanto, senior vice president for corporate communications of Globe Telecom said: “ “We will work with NTC and DICT [Department of Information and Communication Technology] closely on this new initiative.” PLDT Inc. spokesperson Ramon Isberto said: “We’re deferring comment while we review this matter.” PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom cut

By Darwin G. Amojelar

the interconnection charges for voice calls by 40 percent, or from P4 per minute to P2.50 per minute for mobile to mobile and landline to mobile voice calls in January 2017. Access charges for mobile to landline voice calls cost P3 per minute. This means the existing retail rates for voice calls will drop to P5.50 per minute from the existing prevailing rates of P6.50 per minute. The access charge for SMS between mobile operators was reduced from P0.35 per SMS to P0.15 per SMS effective Nov. 30, 2011, but it was not implemented because of a pending case ﬁled before the Supreme Court. Telcos’ voice and text revenues have been affected by the popularity of internet-based applications such as Viber, Facebook, Skype, and Whatsapp. Globe’s mobile voice revenues fell 5.6 percent to P32.27 billion last year from P34.19 billion in 2016, while SMS revenues amounted to P23.14 billion, down from P23.19 billion.

ROCKWELL Land Inc., the property arm of the Lopez Group, plans to spend between P4 billion and P5 billion for future residential and mixeduse development projects. Rockwell Land chief finance officer Ellen Almondiel said in an interview following the annual stockholders’ meeting the group aimed to increase its land bank to 12 percent of total assets from 3 percent at present. He said if ongoing talks were finalized, Rockwell Land would acquire 64 hectares this year to add to existing 50 hectares. He said another 220 hectares would be added to the group’s land bank by 2019. The property firm said it was looking at Metro Manila and north and south Luzon for the planned land acquisitions. It said it was also open to joint venture partnerships to achieve the target. It said the budget for land acquisition would primarily come from bank loans and internally generated funds. Rockwell Land plans to launch three new residential projects this year with total sales value of P10.7 billion. Slated for launching in the third quarter is the company’s first resort development in Mactan, Cebu. The 5.3-hectare property will have over 200 residential units and a 200room hotel that will serve the growing tourism industry. Rockwell Land intends to sell half of the hotel room inventory to interested investors. Rockwell Land is also set to unveil Arton’s second tower in Quezon City. The project will offer 500 units with total sales value of P4 billion. The three-tower Arton is a joint venture of Rockwell Land and Japan’s largest real estate company Mitsui Fudosan Inc. The whole development is scheduled for completion by 2023. “Our venture into the Quezon City area surprised us with robust sales. Riding on this success, we will officially open inventory for Arton North this June with different sizes per unit type to cater to different market profiles,” Rockwell Land president and chief executive Nestor Padilla said.

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

52.6020

Japan

Yen

0.009195

0.4837 69.7292

Pound

1.325600

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127462

6.7048

Switzerland

Franc

1.008980

53.0744

Canada

Dollar

0.768285

40.4133

Singapore

Dollar

0.743108

39.0890

Australia

Dollar

0.750400

39.4725

Bahrain

Dinar

2.649709

139.3800

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266645

14.0261

Brunei

Dollar

0.740357

38.9443

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000072

0.0038

Thailand

Baht

0.031240

1.6433

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

14.3221

Euro

1.154200

60.7132

Korea

Won

0.000923

0.0486

China

Yuan

0.155885

8.1999

India

Rupee

0.014743

0.7755

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.251256

13.2166

New Zealand

Dollar

0.690200

36.3059

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033275

1.7503

Source: PDS Bridge

FPH BOARD. Lopez Group patriarch Oscar Lopez (left), chairman emeritus of First Philippine Holdings Corp. joins two other members of the FPH board of directors after they were re-elected during the annual stockholders’ meeting on May 28, 2018. With him are Federico Lopez (center), FPH chairman and chief executive, and Ambassador Manuel Lopez (right). FPH is a diversified holding company with interests in energy, real estate, manufacturing construction and energy services.

Business

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks plunge; Metrobank, BPI fall

HE stock market plummeted Wednesday as the turmoil in Italy sparked a frantic dash for safety, with blue chip issues leading the retreat. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index tumbled 132.22 points, or 1.7 percent, to 7,470.14 on a value turnover of P7.4 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 132 to 56, with 49 issues unchanged. Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the second-biggest lender in terms of assets, slumped 4 percent to P79, while Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-largest, also lost 4 percent to P96. Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., which is into power generation and retail, banking, infrastructure and ﬂour milling, declined 3.8 percent to P59.45, while JG

Summit Holdings Inc. of John Gokongwei dropped 3 percent to P57.20. The rest of Asian equities tumbled Wednesday while the euro was stuck around 10-month lows Wednesday, while investors have also been spooked by fresh worries about the China-US trade row. Regional investors tracked big losses Tuesday in Milan, Madrid and other European and US markets. Tokyo ended 1.5 percent down, Hong Kong lost 1.6 percent and Shanghai was 2.5 percent lower. Sydney gave up 0.5 percent, Singapore dived 1.9 percent and Seoul was two percent lower. Taipei and Kuala Lumpur were also sharply down. Global markets have been sent into a tailspin as a political crisis unfolding in Rome has thrust the stability of the eurozone and European Union back on to

the far-right League to form a government. Mattarella then named Carlo Cottarelli, a pro-austerity economist formerly with the International Monetary Fund, to lead a technocrat government, with another election likely in a few months. The chaotic developments have spooked investors, who fear another election will essentially be seen as a referendum on the country’s future in the eurozone. Adding to the selling pressure was a brewing crisis in Spain, where Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy faces a no-conﬁdence vote after his party was found guilty of beneﬁting from illegal funds in a massive graft trial. The euro dived against the dollar and yen Tuesday to lows not seen since mid2017 and it extended the losses in Asian trade. With AFP

the agenda. “As the third biggest economy in the EU, as a heavily indebted one, and with Euroskeptics seemingly in the ascendancy markets have worried that the EU again faces an existential crisis,” Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader, said. However, he added; “I’ll go out on a limb and suggest there are a bunch of experienced political operatives in Europe and some neophytes in Italy who might just have got the shock of their lives on how quickly this situation developed and we’ll see some backpedalling.” Italy was plunged into crisis when President Sergio Mattarella at the weekend vetoed the nomination of a ﬁerce euroskeptic as economy minister, leading the prime minister-designate to step down and upending a bid by the antiestablishment Five Star Movement and

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2018

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 59 30,490 96 1,263,670 2.8 572,000 128 3,509,170 1.56 181,000 33.75 161,500 6.7 900 16.52 900 14.74 1,371,000 3.62 1,000 8.35 2,500 1.52 8,000 0.52 927,000 79 3,809,410 1.08 103,000 12.38 159,100 51.1 346,020 203 2,050 86.7 40 36 244,400 189 460,090 1,950 5 89.05 92,360 1.2 53,000

1,797,037 121,997,106 1,606,660 445,327,383 272,340 5,455,770 6,033 14,976 20,223,824 3,620 20,875 12,160 478,760 303,313,325.50 109,480 1,968,658 17,715,580.50 418,778 3,468 8,813,900 86,839,330 9,750 8,227,713.50 63,600

1,654,647 -46,520,618 -54,124,001 89,670 -361,585.00 -1,627,678 -175,663,263 -22,070 -16,858,975 2,440,265 -11,791,075 -129,151.50 -

37.7 13.3 0.58 1.22 19.5 0.223 114.1 2.93 16.8 49.95 23.55 53 62 1.91 5 9.01 10.76 15.62 11.32 7.18 5.22 1.76 14.36 61.85 19.3 8.64 15.42 2 278.6 5.02 17.48 25.6 12.5 22 327.2 0.172 6.44 2.34 4.13 9.06 5.55 7.97 1.38 12.4 49.8 6 4.65 2.4 3.76 1.7 12.52 66.6 5.51 0.135 0.95 131 2.85 0.8

INDUSTRIAL 38 920,800 14.18 2,419,800 0.59 1,743,000 1.27 1,352,000 19.9 53,100 0.229 3,560,000 114.1 200 2.95 2,932,000 16.88 135,800 50 485,200 23.65 15,900 55 1,007,820 64 1,600 1.92 252,000 5 714,100 9.69 45,000 10.98 4,298,400 15.98 599,600 11.9 175,000 7.18 2,641,900 5.27 1,561,500 1.76 1,000 14.4 377,000 61.95 152,350 19.36 55,400 8.64 196,000 15.9 1,210,700 2.05 1,860,000 280 1,104,490 5.03 376,800 17.5 6,300 27 479,600 12.58 160,500 22.5 1,831,200 327.8 384,030 0.18 1,680,000 6.5 22,000 2.36 1,016,000 4.57 68,000 9.19 1,135,600 5.7 175,000 7.97 300 1.4 1,436,000 12.68 66,100 50 1,244,970 6.2 55,000 4.65 60,000 2.56 1,193,000 3.76 46,000 1.75 699,000 13.1 480,600 66.85 793,900 5.51 1,857,700 0.135 610,000 0.95 9,000 131.3 858,130 2.9 10,600,000 0.8 1,084,000

34,907,360 34,274,012 1,016,250 1,681,320 1,054,238 794,750 22,820 8,651,760 2,293,430 24,333,310 375,110 55,421,116.50 99,959.50 481,710 3,570,500 407,189 46,657,960 9,541,948 2,073,950 18,969,344 8,190,978 1,760 5,433,722 9,466,549 1,073,220 1,723,189 18,912,630 3,789,020 309,562,038 1,895,272 110,184 12,799,025 2,070,974 40,930,635 126,950,866 297,600 142,623 2,396,840 283,950 10,384,559 988,556 2,391 2,010,310 825,788 62,251,371.50 330,960 279,000 3,043,990 173,260 1,201,700 6,129,260 54,815,390 10,413,997 82,350 8,650 112,681,106 31,185,460 877,220

-10,580,215 3,186,580 199,000 1,604,300 626,520 2,730,000 -417,235.50 -346,002.00 13,504,660 7,168,924 1,135,200 -17,508,420 5,816,205 -1,757,810 -7,866,218.50 -290,760 -550,513 -1,620,248 -40,080 7,191,598 7,533,980 1,458,838 2,162,880 24,475,940 -120 1,593,423.00 1,672,790 -37,370 -3,612,844 69,900 -1,759,566 10,660,900 271,246 3,800 -44,188,316 64,670 -

0.219 61.8 13.1 0.89 6.2 0.69 0.71 931 6.4 10.78 7.5 0.196 1,000 59.5 5.06 5.8 0.6 4.05 21.3 0.58 4.73 0.037 1.45 3.02 143.8 2.55 863 1.61 575 265 0.237 0.205

0.207 59.3 12.94 0.88 6.17 0.66 0.68 925 6.29 10.34 7.5 0.196 975 56.3 5.06 5.38 0.58 3.95 20.9 0.56 4.53 0.036 1.29 2.9 141 2.55 850 1.59 503 258.2 0.225 0.205

HOLDING FIRMS 0.209 2,020,000 59.45 2,391,030 12.98 4,745,300 0.88 165,000 6.2 37,500 0.67 22,394,000 0.7 3,117,000 930.5 434,100 6.4 1,564,000 10.6 3,642,000 7.5 23,800 0.196 400,000 975 160,480 57.2 2,594,080 5.06 200 5.38 2,200 0.58 1,107,000 3.95 18,678,000 21 1,562,300 0.58 977,000 4.57 29,448,000 0.037 15,800,000 1.41 9,780,000 2.92 2,385,000 142.7 141,170 2.55 12,000 860 433,140 1.6 104,000 570 490 264.6 5,910 0.237 2,600,000 0.205 10,000

429,090 144,005,455.50 61,606,086 145,980 232,497 14,910,670 2,150,160 403,570,945 9,972,349 38,325,596 178,500 78,400 157,202,140 147,803,257.50 1,012 12,046 642,410 74,298,720 32,819,335 558,060 135,494,050 568,900 13,491,690 6,985,090 20,071,911 30,600 371,979,695 165,590 265,430 1,541,116 603,230 2,050

-97,472,320 -5,812,532 637,800 -28,900,055 1,421,660 -1,268,912 -24,735,360 -54,666,706 -64,020,650 -2,258,740 -40,252,030 -93,920 168,400 -6,134,652 -100,064,405 -97,750 -

7.43 1.02 14.2 0.8 41.05 3.45 4.9 6.41 6.6 0.435 1.02 0.98 0.24 31 0.64 1.6 1.27 1.1 4.79

7.28 0.99 13.58 0.78 40.15 3.34 4.7 5.82 6.59 0.43 1.02 0.97 0.225 30 0.63 1.57 1.25 1.02 4.54

33,924,598 7,252,540 6,852 285,340 429,885,955 612,170 4,213,860 283,231,058 74,540 8,868,000 16,320 212,500 1,510,970 16,497,365 741,780 5,914,580 509,200 2,306,280 80,866,310

-4,524,354 54,000 -78,218,100 61,230 -24,250 -277,779,045 -3,394,350 -2,390 -471,420 0 2,900,670 -5,040 -21,123,060

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

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

57.75 99 2.95 129.8 1.6 33.8 6.71 16.7 15.08 3.62 8.35 1.52 0.52 82 1.06 12.38 51.35 205.2 86.7 36.75 190.1 1,950 89.1 1.2

59 99.05 2.95 129.8 1.6 33.95 6.71 16.7 15.08 3.62 8.35 1.52 0.53 82 1.08 12.38 51.4 205.2 86.7 36.75 190.1 1,950 89.1 1.2

57.75 95 2.8 125 1.47 33.7 6.7 16.52 14.64 3.62 8.35 1.52 0.51 79 1.04 12.36 51.1 203 86.7 35.8 186.8 1,950 89.05 1.2

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

38.3 14.22 0.59 1.28 20 0.23 114.1 2.98 16.96 50 23.6 56.9 62.95 1.92 5 9.98 10.76 15.88 11.6 7.18 5.22 1.76 14.44 63.25 19.38 8.83 15.6 2.06 280 5.03 17.48 26.65 13 22.75 335.8 0.183 6.51 2.39 4.2 9.13 5.73 7.97 1.39 12.5 50.5 6.17 4.65 2.72 3.77 1.74 12.7 69.3 5.8 0.135 1 132 2.95 0.81

38.3 14.22 0.6 1.32 20 0.23 114.1 2.99 16.96 50.5 23.75 56.9 64 1.96 5 9.98 10.98 15.98 11.9 7.2 5.27 1.76 14.64 63.25 19.4 8.9 15.9 2.11 283.6 5.08 17.5 27 13.1 22.75 335.8 0.183 6.51 2.39 4.57 9.2 5.74 7.97 1.41 12.68 50.5 6.2 4.65 2.72 3.78 1.75 13.1 69.55 5.86 0.135 1 134.2 3.05 0.83

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

0.219 61.5 12.96 0.89 6.2 0.68 0.71 930 6.34 10.78 7.5 0.196 999.5 58 5.06 5.8 0.59 4 21.2 0.57 4.7 0.036 1.34 3.02 143.8 2.55 860 1.6 513 265 0.23 0.205

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

7.31 1.02 13.58 0.8 40.8 3.45 4.88 5.92 6.59 0.435 1.02 0.98 0.239 30.9 0.64 1.57 1.26 1.1 4.79

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

0.62 0.425 0.52 2.63 20 2.08 3.26 37.7 1.1 14.5 0.8 6.8

0.63 0.44 0.52 2.71 20.05 2.09 3.26 37.95 1.12 18.3 0.86 6.85

0.59 0.425 0.5 2.53 19.8 2.03 3.24 36.6 1.08 10.7 0.8 6.37

0.62 0.44 0.5 2.54 20.05 2.07 3.24 37 1.1 10.7 0.83 6.73

160,586,000 2,650,000 2,767,000 5,731,000 5,266,600 293,000 53,000 18,344,500 1,041,000 21,375,900 344,000 7,404,100

97,194,640 1,152,900 1,407,030 14,661,920 105,372,357 604,540 171,760 683,509,360 1,142,540 309,693,788 289,130 48,780,566

183,510 101,600 8,912,401 -56,096,515 -150,970 -3,264,661

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

16 26.9 1.32 0.445 0.046 12.62 10.88 0.054 88.75 8.8 7.55 7.3 2.27 18.96 1,530 5.71 317 4.02 2.09 84 8 0.112 1.36 3.8 15.76 4.36 1.12 26.2 3.95 5.85 3 18.78 9.37 11.86 9.76 2.85 127 5.7 1,320 1 0.355 46.85 89.9 7.8 2.18 1.18 0.45 4.94 0.84 11.06

16 27.2 1.38 0.45 0.046 12.62 10.88 0.055 89.6 8.8 7.55 7.75 2.27 23 1,542 5.72 329 4.07 2.09 84.3 8.21 0.113 1.4 3.8 15.76 4.36 1.15 26.45 4.23 5.85 3 18.78 9.88 11.86 9.76 2.85 127 5.7 1,320 1.02 0.355 47.5 90 7.88 2.19 1.19 0.45 4.96 0.84 11.28

15.6 26.3 1.31 0.44 0.044 12.6 10.76 0.054 88 8.8 7.14 7.3 2.27 18.06 1,510 5.63 270.4 3.83 2.09 82.55 8 0.112 1.35 3.68 15.1 4.13 1.02 25.8 3.94 5.54 2.96 18.76 8.61 11.82 9.5 2.85 123.5 5.5 1,288 0.98 0.345 46.6 87.9 7.2 2.13 1.17 0.43 4.8 0.8 11

SERVICES 15.8 26.5 1.38 0.445 0.045 12.6 10.8 0.054 88 8.8 7.3 7.75 2.27 18.84 1,523 5.7 309 3.95 2.09 83.6 8.2 0.112 1.39 3.8 15.1 4.14 1.03 26.35 4.2 5.69 2.97 18.76 9.88 11.82 9.5 2.85 125.5 5.5 1,288 1 0.35 47 88 7.81 2.15 1.19 0.435 4.88 0.83 11.26

42,100 14,100 60,000 2,450,000 5,400,000 498,900 10,779,600 9,650,000 70,770 7,400 1,450,500 7,200 1,000 1,362,800 54,310 334,800 112,220 1,064,000 2,000 2,019,480 12,200 1,130,000 1,098,000 10,000 700 1,423,000 5,698,000 991,300 51,000 1,855,800 446,000 3,400 32,146,700 2,600 1,500 1,000 4,910 585,000 97,300 4,308,000 2,520,000 979,000 551,340 391,700 626,000 190,000 27,470,000 1,744,000 1,184,000 1,902,800

665,876 377,485 79,440 1,088,600 242,100 6,286,640 116,484,308 525,210 6,300,170.50 65,120 10,491,130 54,225 2,270 28,184,368 82,585,630 1,895,345 34,458,974 4,141,970 4,180 168,709,066 99,650 126,760 1,491,010 37,760 10,962 5,979,530 6,275,680 26,049,525 213,000 10,477,790 1,328,440 63,792 300,199,347 30,808 14,578 2,850 613,240 3,248,684 125,837,675 4,260,480 888,050 45,918,240 48,538,615 3,007,999 1,346,660 223,930 12,040,200 8,450,680 961,340 21,059,734

334,630 -13,800.00 -215,954 -25,261,572 -3,053,064.50 152,772 102,330 -23,715,565 -601,872 -566,710 -11,294,245.50 25,020 -39,580 99,000 18,885,235 -907,105 464,680 4,754,030 512,397 52,821 -47,665,405 79,630 -6,912,330 28,969,763.50 30,720 -219,670 -83,850 -3,290 14,363,016

ABRA MINING APEX MINING ATOK CENTURY PEAK FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE LEPANTO A LEPANTO B MANILA MINING B MARCVENTURES NICKEL ASIA NIHAO ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL A PHILODRILL PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING UNITED PARAGON

0.0027 1.6 16.4 1.68 2.39 0.175 0.134 0.139 0.0089 1.52 4.8 1.1 0.92 0.012 0.012 5.12 11.6 28.35 0.0063

0.0027 1.6 18.4 1.69 2.44 0.18 0.134 0.139 0.0093 1.6 4.8 1.11 0.92 0.013 0.012 5.14 12.08 28.5 0.0063

0.0027 1.55 16.4 1.67 2.36 0.175 0.134 0.139 0.0089 1.42 4.75 1.06 0.84 0.012 0.012 5.12 10.88 28.1 0.0062

MINING & OIL 0.0027 70,000,000 1.58 2,929,000 18.4 2,300 1.67 192,000 2.41 3,089,000 0.18 20,000 0.134 360,000 0.139 220,000 0.009 19,000,000 1.6 944,000 4.75 892,000 1.1 138,000 0.86 1,038,000 0.012 33,100,000 0.012 4,100,000 5.14 81,700 11.88 2,173,800 28.25 883,100 0.0062 2,000,000

189,000 4,582,630 40,140 323,380 7,430,870 3,550 48,240 30,580 170,500 1,445,920 4,251,180 149,760 887,810 397,800 49,200 419,420 24,483,830 24,947,835 12,500

-180,830 -119,530 -2,726,500 31,800 -451,062 -7,969,275 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B2 DD PREF FGEN PREF F FGEN PREF G FPH PREF C GMA HLDG PDR LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2B PNX PREF 3A SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2I

25.55 515 101.3 107 107.1 505 5.46 1.07 105 1,109 103 993 77 79 75.5 76.15 78.15

25.55 515 101.3 107 107.1 505 5.49 1.07 105 1,109 103 993 77 79.95 75.5 76.15 78.15

25.55 502 100.6 107 107 505 5.46 1.07 103.5 1,109 103 993 77 79 75.2 76.05 77

PREFERRED 25.55 1,200 515 630 100.6 19,100 107 470 107 24,770 505 9,370 5.46 298,900 1.07 3,000 103.5 25,500 1,109 10 103 990 993 50 77 50 79.95 620 75.2 82,000 76.05 30,000 78.1 32,000

30,660 316,600 1,927,530 50,290 2,650,542 4,731,850 1,632,047 3,210 2,640,750 11,090 101,970 49,650 3,850 49,550 6,184,430 2,283,800 2,481,625

-2,555 -1,631,501 -

LR WARRANT

2.54

2.6

2.5

WARRANTS 2.52 381,000

960,890

ITALPINAS XURPAS

5.05 3.18

5.7 3.4

5.05 3.16

5.37 3.4

24,301,237 6,049,060

-42,865 3,738,960

FIRST METRO ETF

117.1

115.5

4,383,244

-89,285

67,300 25,500

NAME

PROPERTY 7.43 1.01 14.2 0.79 40.2 3.34 4.7 5.82 6.6 0.435 1.02 0.97 0.226 30 0.63 1.6 1.27 1.04 4.55

4,602,800 7,250,000 500 360,000 10,633,900 182,000 881,000 47,804,200 11,300 20,560,000 16,000 219,000 6,560,000 544,300 1,177,000 3,708,000 404,000 2,218,000 17,454,000

USD DMPL A1 USD TECH B2

10 1.02

TRADING SUMMARY

10 1.02

FINANCIAL

13,299,503

INDUSTRIAL

58,947,405

HOLDING FIRMS

126,891,085

PROPERTY

455,496,932

SERVICES

123,630,217

MINING & OIL

141,369,531

GRAND TOTAL

926,005,167

10 1.02

SME

4,484,100 1,847,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 115.5 37,750 10 1.02

DDS

6,730 25,000

VALUE 1,850.38 (down) 48.68 1,024,739,654.58 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,814.04 (down) 76.50 1,178,441,574.68 HOLDING FIRMS 7,316.01 (down) 106.34 1,651,618,031.57 PROPERTY 3,732.75 (down) 63.02 1,469.10 (down) 19.76 2,305,673,365.73 SERVICES MINING & OIL 9,745.01 (up) 15.27 1,094,153,268.185 PSEI 7,470.14 (down) 132.22 69,884,991.606 All Shares Index 4,571.31 (down) 69.36 7,359,249,918.27 Gainers: 56; Losers: 132; Unchanged: 49; Total: 237

DoubleDragon reduces share sale to P6b on market slump By Jenniffer B. Austria DOUBLEDRAGON Properties Corp. reduced the value of its planned share sale to P6 billion after lowering the offering price to between P30 and P40 apiece. DoubleDragon adjusted the offering price after the share price recently dropped because of the current volatility in the equities market. The company initially planned to raise as much as P7.5 billion from the sale of 150 million common shares at an offering price of P50 apiece when it filed a registration statement with the corporate regulators in March. The Philippine Stock Exchange recently approved DoubleDragon’s share sale plan. The company set the offering period from June 4 to 8 and the listing date on June 18. DoubleDragon plans to sell up to 108 million shares to foreign investors and 20 percent to domestic buyers. The company has tapped Credit Suisse (Singapore) Ltd., Maybank Eng Securities Pte Ltd. and UBS as international book runners and lead managers and BPI Capital Corp. and Maybank ATR Kim Eng Capital Partners Inc. as domestic lead underwriters. DoubleDragon plans to use the net proceeds from the offering to finance the company’s industrial leasing and hospitality business. It is set to add 200,000 square meters of leasable space to its portfolio by 2020. DoubleDragon also plans to spend for land acquisition to fuel growth of the business beyond 2020 and for general corporate purposes. DoubleDragon earlier said the planned share sale would result in an increase of the company’s total equity, which the company believes would strengthen its financial position. The share sale is also expected to boost the company’s chances of becoming one of the blue chip stocks in the bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange Index in the near term. The company earlier increased its 2020 leasable portfolio target 1.2 million sq. m. comprising of 700,000 sq. m. from 100 CityMalls, 300,000 sq. m. from its Metro Manila office projects, 100,000 sq. m. from the planned 5,000 hotel rooms of Hotel 101 and Jinjiang Inn Philippines, and another 100,000 sq. m. from the its latest industrial leasing.

AUB approves P776m worth of cash dividends By Julito G. Rada ASIA United Bank, the financial arm of the Rebisco Group of companies and one of the country’s fastest-growing publicly listed-universal banks, said on Wednesday it will pay P776 million in cash dividends to stockholders. AUB said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board of directors approved the declaration of cash dividends amounting to P1.60 per share to stockholders on record as of May 15, 2018. The dividends are payable in two tranches—P1 per share on May 31, 2018 for record date May 15, 2018, and P0.60 per share on Aug 10, 2018 for record date Aug. 3, 2018. “The cash dividend will come from the unrestricted retained earnings of the bank,” it said. AUB first declared a cash dividend of P0.67 per share on June 24, 2016, only three years after its initial public offering. Earlier, AUB said consolidated net income in the first quarter rose 21 percent to P797.7 million year-on-year. The profit translated into a return on assets of 1.7 percent and return on equity of 12.2 percent against year-ago ratios of 1.6 percent and 11.4 percent, respectively. Boosting the group’s bottom line was the double-digit growth of core lending businesses, particularly the 29.4-percent increase in interest income from loans and receivables, which was the third-highest growth in the local banking industry for the first quarter of 2018. AUB president Manuel Gomez said the bank remained confident of sustaining the momentum to expand the business further. “We are taking advantage of our IT innovation to serve our customers better and faster, particularly in our growing consumer lending business,” said Gomez.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

World

Manila

Standard

TODAY

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

Israel, denying truce, hits more Hamas targets

OFFICIAL VISIT. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviews an honor guard with Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the presidential palace in Jakarta on May 30. AFP

Murder of anti-Kremlin reporter shocks Russians MOSCOW―Russia’s embattled liberal community was reeling Wednesday from the murder of ﬁercely anti-Kremlin journalist Arkady Babchenko who was gunned down in Ukraine after leaving Moscow following a campaign of harassment. A prominent Russian war correspondent, Babchenko, 41, was murdered on Tuesday evening in a contract-style killing in the stairwell of his building in the Ukrainian capital Kiev where he moved last year. He was found bleeding and died in an ambulance en route to hospital. The journalist was killed less than a month after President Vladimir Putin was inaugurated for his fourth Kremlin term and as Russia gears up to host the World Cup later this month. Babchenko was shot three times in the back, his killing reminiscent of that of another prominent Kremlin critic, politician Boris Nemtsov who was gunned down near the Kremlin

in February 2015. Babchenko fought in Russia’s two Chechen campaigns in the 1990s and early 2000s before becoming a war correspondent and author. He repeatedly said he faced death threats. He contributed to a number of media outlets including top opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta and had become an avid blogger, accusing Russian authorities of slaughtering Kremlin critics and unleashing wars in Ukraine, Syria and elsewhere. His increasingly bombastic posts constantly pushed the boundaries of good taste and some of his colleagues and followers stopped reading him in recent years. Pro-Kremlin supporters launched a campaign of intimidation and harassment against Babchenko after he wrote on Facebook he was not sorry when a plane transporting a Russian military choir crashed into the Black Sea en route to Syria in December 2016. AFP

Italian PM has yet to name govt ROME―Italy’s caretaker prime minister is expected to unveil his cabinet lineup Wednesday in a bid to end the chaos that has raised fears for the stability of the eurozone after the populist coalition’s bid to govern collapsed. Carlo Cottarelli had promised to deliver the list “as soon as possible” but the economist discreetly left the presidential palace after a brief meeting with President Sergio Mattarella on Tuesday afternoon without making any statement. Shortly afterwards Giovanni Grasso, a spokesman for the president, said Cottarelli “has informed the head of state of the situation and... both will meet again tomorrow morning.” Mattarella on Sunday blocked a cabinet proposed by the anti-immigrant League and their allies in the Five Star Movement (M5S). Mattarella vetoed the League-Five Star pick for economy minister, eurosceptic Paolo Savona. The populists cried foul and abandoned their joint bid for power. That left Cottarelli, a former IMF economist known as “Mr Scissors”, tasked with naming a technocrat government. Five Star and the League, who hold a majority in both houses of parliament, have vowed to reject Cottarelli’s proposed technocrat government. New elections are now considered the most likely outcome of the political saga, sparked by an inconclusive poll in March. On Tuesday Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio called for a return to the polls “as soon as possible”. Italian media said the elections could be scheduled for as early as July. AFP NOTICE EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT BETWEEN HEIRS Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late Moises L. Almanon, Jr., who died intestate on March 1,2018 at the City of Manila, without a Will or Testament, and without any outstanding debts in favor of any person or entity was extra-judicially settled by his wife and sole compulsory heir Christelle Anne M. Almanon. That the said deceased at the time of his death left the following properties: A.

Real Property TCT No. 613682, containing an area of 150 square meters situated in Bo. of Mapandan, Municipality of Taytay, Province of Rizal

B. Personal Properties 1. Unit Investment Trust Fund (UITF) Metrobank Investment Account No. UTI60000059614 2. Investment in Peso MCBL Affluence Income Max Manulife China Bank Life Assurance Corporation Policy No. 8890935370 3. Current Account China Bank Account No. 10560-000053-1

GAZA CITY―Israel said it struck 25 more Hamas sites overnight after a barrage of rocket and mortar fire from the Gaza Strip, denying Palestinian claims of a ceasefire Wednesday after the worst flare-up since a 2014 war. The exchange of fire raised the possibility of yet another war in the beleaguered Palestinian enclave run by the Islamist movement Hamas, which would be the fourth since 2008. Israel has targeted more than 60 military targets in the Gaza Strip over 24 hours, saying some 70 rockets and mortars were fired into its territory throughout the day Tuesday, a number of which were intercepted by air defense systems. Three Israeli soldiers were wounded, one moderately and two lightly, the military said. There were no immediate reports of casualties in Gaza. But after Tuesday’s flareup, followed by sirens and explosions into the night, there were Palestinian claims of a ceasefire. Late Tuesday, an Islamic Jihad spokesman said a ceasefire agreement had been reached, and on Wednesday senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya also spoke of an accord. AFP

Russian FM to visit N. Korea

ASHINGTON― A senior ﬁgure in the North Korean regime was en route to the US on Wednesday, and Russia’s top diplomat was preparing to visit Pyongyang as diplomatic preparations for a historic nuclear summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un gathered pace.

General Kim Yong Chol, right-hand man to the North Korean leader, will meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in New York, ofﬁcials said. Trump conﬁrmed the general was on his way in a tweet and boasted that Washington would have a “great team” for the talks aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff. The US president still hopes the summit will take place on June 12 in Singapore. “Meetings are currently taking place concerning Summit, and more. Kim Young (sic) Chol, the Vice Chairman of North Korea, heading now to New York. Solid response to my letter, thank you!” Trump wrote. Moscow said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would travel to North Korea on Thursday to discuss Pyongyang’s nuclear program. Last month the North’s foreign minister Ri Yong Ho held rare talks with Lavrov in Mos-

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES Tel. No. (0632) 527-8356, Fax. No. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

INVITATION TO BID

FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PORT OPERATIONS BUILDING, PORT OF CURRIMAO, ILOCOS NORTE The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2018, intends to apply the sum of P 118,722,659.09 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Construction of Port Operations Building (LFP NLZ No. 011-2018). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for A. Demolition and Removal Works B. Construction of Port Operations Building. Completion of the Works is required in 450 calendar days. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.” Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, cooperatives, and partnerships or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

cow, part of a quickening effort to improve strained ties with global powers. Russia was a member of six-nation talks held between 2003-8 aimed at persuading the North to scrap its nuclear program. Japan is also keenly watching summit preparations. Trump will meet its Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Washington on June 7, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. “Since the president’s May 24 letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the North Koreans have been engaging,” she said. “The United States continues to actively prepare for President Trump’s expected summit with leader Kim in Singapore.” Kim Yong Chol was at Beijing airport Wednesday for his ﬂight to New York. He used the restricted VIP entrance, according to AFP journalists. AFP

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES, P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES TEL. NO. (0632) 527-8356, FAX NO. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

INVITATION TO BID

FOR THE SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF MAINTENANCE SERVICES FOR ENTERPRISE STORAGE ARRAY AND RELATED EQUIPMENT The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2018, intends to apply the sum of P 5,000,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Supply and Delivery of Maintenance Services for Enterprise Storage Array and Related Equipment (BAC-PGCS-109-2018). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for A. Supply and Delivery of Maintenance Services with Corrective/Remedial Maintenance for Equipment Located on Two (2) Sites – One for the Head Office (HO) Data Center and One for the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) Site. Contract Duration is for One (1) year from the receipt by the successful bidder of the Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.”

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for Engineering Projects and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

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

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Philippine Ports Authority, provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 08 June 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders. Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:00 a.m. of 21 June 2018. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents. Bid opening shall be on 21 June 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted. •

Required PCAB Registration: Medium B – Building and Industrial Plant

The Philippine Ports Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 31 May 2018 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Five Thousand (P5,000.00) Pesos. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Philippine Ports Authority, provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 08 June 2018 at 11:00 a.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders. Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 22 June 2018 at 9:00 a.m. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents. Bid opening shall be on 22 June 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted. The Philippine Ports Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539

Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539

PPA Website: www.ppa.com.ph

4. Shares of Stocks in Happy Readers Publishing House, Inc. and all of which, are the subjects of an Extrajudicial Settlement Between Heirs executed by the heirs and acknowledged on May 18, 2018 before Atty. Agustin B. Cabredo, Notary Public for and in Manila with Doc. No. 603; Page No. 122; Book No. I; Series of 2018 of his Notarial Register. (MS-MAY 31, JUNE 7 & 14, 2018)

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for the Procurement of Goods and Consultancy Services (HO-BAC-PGCS)

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects (HO-BAC-EP) M. Standard – May 31, 2018

Standard – May 31, 2018

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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

thursday, may 31, 2018

LGUs LoCaL goverNmeNt uNIts

Leni lends hand to Brigada work at Navotas school Vice President Leni Robredo joined Navotas Maayor John Rey Tiangco and locals in the Brigada Eskwela of a public school at Barangay Tangos South in the city on Tuesday. Tiangco and Robredo helped repaint a classroom at Wawa elementary School, where around 700 students were enrolled. Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco also joined the activity. Robredo, through the Federation of indian chambers of commerce and industry and the Philippine Toy Library, vowed to provide a toy library for Wawa elementary. Together with her staff, the vice president stayed at the school until around 2 pm. in a speech, Mayor Tiangco noted that the weeklong cleanup drive highlights a community’s concern for the well-being of the students and the kind of learning they get from their respective schools. “Brigada Eskwela is a community effort that reflects every one’s commitment to ensure that schools are ready before the academic year starts,” he said. “Having a clean, orderly and safe school makes for a positive learning. We want our youth to get the best quality of education and this includes en-

PRE-SCHOOL WORK. Kervin Anten, an incoming Grade III student of Salcedo Elementary

School in Noveleta, Cavite, avails of the ‘Gupitan Pogi’ free haircut program of local government before classes in public schools start on June 4. In Navotas City, Vice President Leni Robredo joins Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco (inset left photo) in repainting walls of Wawa Elementary School, where 700 pupils are expected to return this school year. In Los Baños, Anna Karenina Lim-Puerto (inset right photo, in black) of Laguna Aquatech Resources Corp. and Laguna Water District joined Sheila Sigui of LARC to donate paints, school kits and hygiene kits to Los Baños Central Elementary School, also as part of the annual Brigada Eskwela program spearheaded by the Department of Education. Jun David and Roy Tomandao

suring that their school environment is conducive for learning,” he added. Aside from Brigada, Mayor Tiangco noted that the Navotas city government seeks to address the issue of students to classroom ratio. “We have additional school buildings under construction. Our goal is to reduce, if not eliminate, the shifting of classes and meet the standard for stu-

dents-classroom ratio,” he said. Meanwhile, in San Pablo city, Laguna, the Department of education will once again conduct the 2018 Brigada Eskwela from May 28 to June 2, with the theme “Pagkakaisa Para sa Handa, Ligtas at Matatag na Paaralan Tungo sa Magandang Kinabukasan.” SM city San Pablo will be adopting Sta Monica Public elementary School for this

year’s Brigada eskwela 2018. Five years ago, SM Foundation donated two classrooms to Sta. Monica, allocated to incoming Grade 1 students in the area, and thus SM San Pablo Admin employees will return there to volunteer. The Brigada Eskwela is the National Schools Maintenance Week that aims to brings together all education stakeholders to participate and contribute their

Makati rewards students, sets Vin d’honneur Friday By Joel E. Zurbano

He city government of Makati has started giving cash awards to some 1,799 honor graduates of the city’s public elementary and high schools for school year 2017-2018.

inc.- Philippine Branch; Rockwell Land corp.; Homeworld Shopping corp.; Asalus corp. (intellicare); and Bank of the Philippine islands. each awardee received a plaque of recognition made of wood with bronze and gold trimming. The companies were chosen because of their correct and timely tax payments which formed their overall performance in 2016. For elementary, Gawad Parangal will be on May 30 with morning and afternoon batches at 7:30 am., 10:30 am., and 1:30 pm. On the other hand, Gawad Parangal for senior high will commence on the same day at 4:30 pm., and will continue May 31 at 7:30 am., 10:30 am, and 1:30 pm. in her report to the Office of the Mayor, Deped-Makati superintendent Rita Riddle said Fort Bonifacio elementary School has the most number with 80 graduates with honors and four with high honors of the total 765 honor graduates in elementary. it is followed by Rizal elem. School which has 67 with honors and two with honors; and east Rembo elem. School which has 63 with honors and one with high honors. From the seven senior high schools supervised by Deped-Makati, some 468 honor graduates have been named. Makati Science High School has 133 graduates with honors and eight with high honors. it

is followed by Makati High School, 129 with honors and eight with high honors; and Pitogo High School, 69 with honors and 13 with high honors. Benigno Aquino High School has 47 with honors and one with high honors; senior high in Nemesio Yabut elem. School, 24 with honors and two with high honors; Fort Bonifacio High School, 24 with honors and one with high honors; and senior high in Maximo estrella elem. School, nine with honors. Meanwhile, the Higher School of UMak under the auspices of the cityrun UMak has a total of 566 honor graduates consisting of 554 with honors and 12 with high honors. in 2017, the city has given the same cash incentives to 1,493 honor graduates and completers during the holding of Gawad Parangal, composed of 656 Grade 6 graduates, 827 Grade 10 completers, and 10 Grade 12 graduates. Fifty brand new laptops were also raffled off among the awardees. Under Deped Order No. 36, series of 2016, for the K to 12 program, academic excellence awards are granted to Grades 1 to 12 learners with a general average of 90 percent and a passing final grade in all learning areas. Learners who obtained a general average of 98 to 100 percent will finish with highest honors, 95 to 97 percent with high honors, and 90 to 94 percent with honors.

The cash incentives ranging from P6,000 to P10,000 will go to the recipients during the Gawad Parangal rites from May 30 to 31 at the University of Makati (UMak) covered court, 12th floor, Health and Physical Science Building. Mayor Abigail Binay said the annual program aims to recognize students for their hard work and exemplary academic excellence, and to inspire young residents to be “conscientious and passionate learners.” “Through Gawad Parangal, we aim to reward the hard work and exemplary achievements of our public-school students. We wish to inspire them to persist in their passion for excellence, and challenge younger students to make the most out of the opportunity we are giving them to attain their full potential,” Binay said. The mayor said P6,000 each will be given to graduates with honors, P8,000 to graduates with high honors, and P10,000 for those with highest honors. Aside from cash incentives, 50 laptops are also being raffled off. Meanwhile, the city government will

hold its annual Vin d’honneur this Friday to pay tribute to its development partners in the private sector. Romulo Salgado Jr., Officer-in-charge of the city’s information and community Relations Department, said the event at the Peninsula Manila is part of Makati’s 348th Foundation Day celebration. During this year’s Vin d’honneur, which forms part of the 10-day “Makati Makisalo” fest, Mayor Abigail Binay will lead other city officials in recognizing selected industry leaders and preeminent organizations and institutions for their contributions to Makati’s socioeconomic development. Members of the diplomatic corps, foreign dignitaries, and other stakeholders from the Makati business community are also expected to attend the occasion. in 2017, the city government named the top ten Outstanding corporate citizens of Makati during its 347th Foundation Day Vin d’honneur event. The awardees, in no order, were Ayala Land inc.; ALi commercial center inc.; BDO Unibank inc.; Phinma energy corp.; HP PPS Philippines inc.; Pepsico

PITC hosts gab on industrial cooperation

10k free HPV vaccines for Davao girls and women

THe Philippine international Trading corp. recently hosted and organized the successful 1st National conference on industrial cooperation Program at the Philippine international convention center. PiTc president and ceO Dave M. Almarinez welcomed guests from various government agencies and private companies. in his message, Almarinez encouraged the participants to understand the program so they can integrate and implement the countertrade provision in their respective agencies’ procurements to leverage on the numerous benefits of icP as a toll for economic and industrial development of the country. executive Order No. 120 directs all government agencies to adopt countertrade as a supplemental trade tool with respect to the importation or procurement of foreign capital equipment, machinery, products, goods and services. Roy Tomandao

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO ciTY—The city Health Office is set to provide free Human Papillomavirus vaccines for women from June 1 to 5 to bolster its campaign against cervical cancer. The month of May has been designated as cervical cancer Awareness

Month in the Philippines. The campaign is backed by Proclamation No. 368, which was signed by then-President Gloria Arroyo in 2003. “We have 10,000 vaccines available,” cHO Head Dr. Josephine Villafuerte said. Among those qualified to get the HPV vaccine are girls aged nine to 13 and women up to 45 years old.

Data from the World Health Organization shows that cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women. it is the second leading cause of death among women in the Philippines, next only to breast cancer. DoH data shows that 12 Filipino women die from cervical cancer every day, even if it is a preventable disease through screening and vaccination.

time, effort, and resources to prepare public school facilities for the opening of the school year in June. SM Foundation will be taking care of the upkeep of these classrooms and SM city San Pablo Admin people will be joining in support of the advocacy of the foundation, true to its commitment of making public schools clean, safe and conducive for learning. Jun David and Roy Tomandao

In BrIef Imee ‘inspires’ QC’s Belmonte QUeZON city Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte on Wednesday said she is drawing inspiration from ilocos Norte Rep. imee Marcos. She said she was inspired by the tourism policies of Marcos that have significantly facilitated the province’s transformation as one of the top tourism destinations in the country. As a means to promote the local tourism industry, she said she is planning to pass a legislation granting incentives to local and international artists and film producers. “As we know her province is one of the most popular tourism destinations in the country and she gave me a lot of input in crafting legislation to improve tourism here in Quezon city,” she added. According to Belmonte, she has known Marcos for a long time since her sister irene is also an archaeologist, just like her, and that the governor’s first cousin eliza Romualdez-Valtos is also her colleague in the University of the Philippines’ institute of Archaeology. Rio N. Araja

Navotas kids get free talent, sports clinics SOMe 1,000 young Navoteños recently took part in free talent and sports workshops offered by the Navotas city Government. Around 289 who joined the city’s Summer Youth Program learned how to act, dance, draw, play guitar or perform arnis. Meanwhile, 865 trained under the NavotaAs Sports camp Batch 17 where they learned basketball, volleyball, badminton, taekwondo, table tennis, judo, track & field, soccer, poomsae and swimming. “Young Navoteños deserve to have access to trainings and workshops that could develop and enhance their interest in arts or sports. We want them to enjoy and, at the same time, make the most of their summer break,” Mayor John Rey Tiangco said. Jun David

8 slain in Bulacan anti-drug raids

‘ANGAS’ BEEF. Magsasaka Inc., a group of non-government organizations that aim to unite famers toward progress and self-sufficiency, has launched a 100-percent grass-fed beef product through cows raised in Batangas—Angas beef, which they said was ‘a Filipino heritage rediscovered.’ In photo at the launch on Tuesday are (from left) Gilbert Bugia, president of DV Boer Microfinance; Executive Chef Vittorio Bertini, DV Boer Farm Founder and CEO, and Dexter Villamin, director general of Magsasaka Inc. Manny Palmero

eiGHTS drug suspects were killed while 38 others, including four minors, were arrested in Bulacan on Wednesday as the government pressed its relentless antiillegal drugs war in the province. Sr. Supt. chito Bersaluna, acting Bulacan Police Provincial director, said the drug suspects were killed in separate simultaneous anti-criminality and law-enforcement operations in the 12 towns of Bulacan. The slain suspects were identified only thru their nicknames – “Gorio,” “Lino,” “Allen,” “Ali,” “Bakal,” “Larry,” “Lito Onse” and one still unidentified man

who was armed, Bersaluna said. The killings were part of 18 buy-bust operations, four serviced warrants, and two checkpoints for index crimes that Bulacan authorities, including the provincial police drug enforcement unit and provincial mobile force, had initiated relating to the anti-illegal drugs campaign. Bersaluna said the operations also led to the arrest of 38 drug personalities in Bustos, Bocaue, calumpit, Norzagaray, Malolos, Marilao, Meycauayan, Hagonoy, Paombong, Angat, Plaridel, and San Rafael. Francisco Tuyay

Life

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

household

@mstandardLIFE thursday, may 31, 2018

HOME AWAY FROM HOME. Tagaytay Highlands’ newest themed residential development, Horizon Terraces features villas in contemporary Asian design that offer postcard-pretty views, perfect for families seeking for an idyllic vacation home.

Picture-perfect vacation home T

AgAyTAy remains a favorite of Metro Manila residents looking for a quick respite from the ruckus and pollution. An hour and a half drive from the country’s capital brings you to its lush landscape and chilly climate that rejuvenate one’s tired body and mind.

SM chairman for Executive Committee Hans T. Sy (left), SM Markets vice chair Herbert T. Sy (2nd from left), SM Investments vice chair Teresita Sy-Coson (3rd from left), and SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. president Elizabeth T. Sy (right) during the ceremonial toast at the launch of SM’s 60th anniversary celebration at the SM Mall of Asia.

SM celebrates 60th year Filipinos’ favorite shopping mall sM celebrates its 60 th Anniversary with a series of exciting themed attractions, fun experiences, and interactive activities for its customers in sM malls nationwide rom May to october. The celebrations kicked off last week with the lighting of the iconic Mall of Asia globe which was attended by sM executives, businessmen, celebrities, and other personalities. The sM story began in 1958 when founder Henry sy, sr. opened the first shoemart store in downtown Ma-

nila, introducing exciting new merchandising and retailing concepts. At that time, sy, who has been honored as the Father of philippine Retail by the philippine Retailers Association, thought that if he could sell a pair of shoes to every Filipino, he could be a successful man. in the 1960s, shoemart expanded its shoe store chain and became one of the pioneers in the new urban centers in Makati and Cubao. in the ‘70s, shoemart evolved into a department store, becoming sM,

There are plenty of reasons why Tagaytay is a popular tourist destination, especially among urban dwellers, and is now a favorite location for families who desire to settle down. Tagaytay Highlands, a premier mountain resort community, offers a new addition to its portfolio of themed residences. The Horizon Terraces is made for families seeking for an idyllic vacation home. Horizon Terraces is a 3.2-hectare community that boasts a contemporary Asian design aesthetic in its garden Villas and garden suites, which are laid out terrace-style, to afford postcard-pretty views of the Taal lake and Volcano, the distant Mt. Makiling, the Midlands golf Course, and its own central park. An exclusive first in Tagaytay Highlands, the garden Villas are three-bed-

Families living in Horizon Terraces have access to Midlands Golf Club including all its facilities and amenities.

room townhouses masterfully designed for large, close-knit families who want to disconnect from the fast-paced urban frenzy through quick weekend retreats. The ground floor in each unit features a multi-functional den that may be converted into an entertainment area or a guest room. its living spaces are complemented by large glass windows and sliding doors that open up to breathtaking nature views and lets in natural light and cool breeze for a refreshing ambiance.

Turn to C2

Focus on what truly matters in the comforts of nature.

Sandy Prieto Romualdez and Tessa Prieto-Valdes

SM senior vice president for marketing Millie Dizon (right) with Tonichi Nocom

McDonald’s Kenneth Yang and wife Cindy

Mrs. Felicidad T. Sy and Mara Coson The Garden Suite is a low density condominium made up of one- and two-bedroom units.

on the other hand, the garden suites are well-planned one- and two-bedroom units that range from 43 to 68 square meters. Each unit provides living spaces for growing families who want to focus on what truly matters in the comforts of nature and individuals who long for that much-needed break with an intimate and expedient getaway. Each suite is highlighted by large panel windows that maximize natural lighting and ventilation, plus a sizable balcony from which to enjoy the panoramic vistas of Mt. Makiling, Midlands golf Course, and Taal lake. Residents of Horizon Terraces are entitled to membership at the Midlands golf Club along with access to sports facilities for swimming, bowling, and badminton. Recreational activities at The Country Club include outdoor attractions such as the Aerial Walk, sporting Arrow, and pedal go Kart Racing. Residents in this new development have access to Tagaytay Highlands’ specialty restaurants such as the gourmet Avenue, and members’ and residents’ old favorites such as the Highlander steakhouse and Highlands China palace. Call (02) 505-2422 or 0917-5150158 or visit www.tagaytayhighlands.com for inquiries and more details.

Life

thursday, may 31, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

The HydroGen plus is a portable hydrogen water generator that converts regular drinking water into hydrogen-rich water using a Japan-made platinum electrode.

Festival

brings community closer Filinvest City stages its first Festival of Possibilities that aims to bring the community closer through fun activities.

rEMIEr garden central business district in the south, Filinvest City, gives its residents, employees, and guests a chance to come together, enjoy the city’s healthy outdoors, and make new friends with its first-ever Festival of Possibilities. Happening on June 8, from 3:00 p.m. onwards at the Filinvest City Events Grounds, the Festival of Possibilities is a social gathering that aims to bring the community closer. Through this exciting town-wide fair, city dwellers will get to explore the possibilities of play and music with activities consisting of inflatables, arcades, a bazaar, and awesome performances from Ben&Ben, Autotelic, Franco, and Parokya ni Edgar. “We are happy to host the first Festival of Possibilities as it showcases Filinvest City’s lush greeneries and open spaces,” says Filinvest Alabang, Inc. senior vice president for townships Don Ubaldo. “We also believe that with Festival of Possibilities, we further cement our stature as a community that brings

together family and friends through fun, engaging events.” To join the festival, residents and employees only need to present a proof of residence or employment at Filinvest City. Non-residents and non-employees, meanwhile, may buy tickets priced at P500 at the venue gates or may purchase items from any of the merchants in Festival Alabang, Westgate Center, and Fastbytes in Northgate Cyberzone until June 8. The receipts equivalent to P1,000 may be exchanged at the venue gates for one ticket. There is no limit in the number of receipts to be presented, but each transaction must have a minimum purchase of P200. Visit Filinvest’s official Facebook page to know more.

Kids are guaranteed a fun time at the townwide fair’s inflatables.

Araneta Center opens its doors to pets

Pet owners and their furry friends can now bond together at Araneta Center.

CUBAO’S commercial hub, Araneta Center officially becomes a pet-friendly destination as it opens its doors to the cutest and fluffiest members of your family. Araneta Center will now allow owners to bring their pets to the Gateway Mall, Ali Mall, Farmers Plaza, and other parts of the Center, provided that they have secured the Pet Pals ID. Owners who want to apply for the Pet Pals ID only have to submit the following requirements to the malls’ concierges: original and photocopy of rabies vaccination record, 1x1 colored photos, and Pet Pals ID application form, which is downloadable on www.aranetacenter.net. The ID will be given for free. A temporary Pet Pals Day Pass IDs will also be available to those who have yet to complete the requirements. Even with the Pet Pals ID, pet owners are expected to be responsible in bringing their pets around the Center by keeping them on a leash while they

are walking, carrying them while riding escalators and elevators, and cleaning after their wastes. To celebrate this “paw-sitive” development, Araneta Center launched the Pet Pals program with a pet soiree on May 27 at the Gateway Mall Activity Area. Pet owners and their fur babies were treated to an afternoon of bonding and talks on taking care of pets despite the owners’ busy schedules and on firstaid for pets facilitated by experts Jester Jo Onchuan and Dr. Flori-Ann Buiser. A handful of cute freebies—including leashes for the early birds—were given to the attendees and their pets. The Quezon City Hall Animal Care and Disease Control Division administered free rabies vaccination. Binibining Pilipinas Supranational Jehza Huelar and Binibining Pilipinas Grand International Eva Patalinjug joined in the fun and shared their fun stories about their own pets.

Home products geared towards wellness rEDEFINING the standard of home families stay healthy indoors, OHome appliances by introducing features and launches the Zen 4-in-1 Air Purifier functions that uphold the user’s wellbe- that eliminates hazardous allergens and ing is the goal of OHome, a home and diffuses air with aromatic scent, therekitchen products brand. by improving indoor air quality. Following the footsteps of its mother OHome banks on the decades of excompany Multi-Mach, a trusted kitchen pertise of its mother company Multiand home appliance distributor in the coun- Mach to deliver a kitchen appliance try, OHome is committed to finding a so- that definitely ups the ante in terms of lution to every modern Filipino family’s cooking and keeping the kitchen safe need for products that support a lifestyle and healthy for the entire family. anchored on health and wellness. The O-range 360 is an exhaustOHome’s initial line of prodintegrated gas range designed ucts consists of the Hydrofor easy and healthy cooking. Gen Plus hydrogen water It has a built-in cooker hood generator, the Zen 4-in-1 that absorbs the harmful Air Purifier and the Osmoke produced by cookrange 360 exhaust-inteing, eliminating up to 99 grated gas range—all of percent of pollutants. In which were designed and addition, it has two gas created specifically for burners with a higher Britthe Philippine market utiish Thermal Unit, which lizing technology and parts generates high heat for faster from Japan and Italy. cooking. These feature-rich This gas range comes home and kitchen in three different variproducts boast qualants: O-range 360 with The Zen 4-in-1 Air Purifier ity design which inheated cabinet, O-range improves indoor air quality by corporates unique fea- eliminating hazardous allergens 360 with UV sterilizer, tures normally not seen and diffusing aromatic scent. and O-range 360 with in everyday appliances. steam oven. The Hydrogen Plus is a hydrogen “We at OHome believe that good water generator that converts regular health is every family’s priority. With this drinking water into hydrogen-rich wa- in mind, we can’t wait for Filipino famiter using a platinum electrode made in lies to experience OHome’s innovations,” Japan. Since studies found that hydro- enthused Oliver Kaw, chief executive ofgen-rich water provides antioxidants ficer of Multi-Mach International. that protect the body against illnesses as well as help prevent premature ag- The HydroGen Plus is available at ing, this device helps families get easy Rustan’s Department Stores, Lazaaccess to this healthy water. da, Shopee, and OHome’s showroom According to a World Health Or- in Makati. The Zen 4-in-1 Air Puriganization study, the average amount fier is available at Lazada, Shopee, of both indoor and outdoor air pollut- and OHome’s showroom. And the Oants in Manila is 70 percent higher than Range 360 is available at Shopee and the recommended safe level. To help OHome’s showroom.

Cook meals that nourish and protect your family’s health using the O-Range 360, an exhaust-integrated gas range.

SM... From C1

which has been synonymous with onestop shopping experience. SM positioned itself for growth in the 1980s, expanding its department store chain and venturing in the supermarket and appliance business. The year 1985 saw the opening of the first SM shopping center, SM City North Edsa. It was a time of a major political and economic crisis, but the mall was an instant success, paving way for the so-called malling phenomenon in the Philippines. Malls became part of the Filipino lifestyle, places where families and friends could shop together, dine together, and have fun together. Today, SM has close to a thousand retail stores, 70 malls in the Philippines, and seven malls in China. Through its property arm, SM Prime Holdings, it has also become a leading developer of residential condominiums in Metro Manila. Through SM Hotels and Conventions, the company now owns and operates world class hotels, a state-of-the-art arena, convention and exhibition centers, and premier beach and mountain resorts. SM’s main bank, BDO is the country’s largest bank in terms of resources, deposits, and loans. Through SM Foundation, SM reaches out to communities with its educational, health, and livelihood training programs aimed at making farmers self-sufficient.

SM chairman for Executive Committee Hans T. Sy (right) and SM chief operating officer Steven Tan (left) welcome Vicki Belo and Hayden Kho during the SM’s 60th Anniversary.

National Bookstore’s vice president Presentacion Ramos

Max’s Group Inc.’s chairman Sharon Fuentebella

Ben Chan, executive creative director of Bench and the founder and chairman of Suyen Corporation.

Jollibee’s William Tan-Untiong with SM’s SAVP for mall-based units Froilan Manotok

Entertainment

ICONIC MOMENTS

on the history of the world’s greatest

GAME

'History of Football' captures the anticipation and excitement of the 2018 World Cup.

A WORLDWIDE broadcasting first the History of Football is set to broadcast on History ® in the Philippines until June 4. The 24/7 mega television event captures the anticipation and excitement of the 2018 World Cup with a 7-day programming in Asia with over 26 hours of History originally produced content. David Villa, World Cup Winner and one of the most decorated players in the world, is the global press spokesperson. As a passionate football player, I’ve been lucky enough to see first-hand how much football means to so many people and how it affects people’s lives. History of Football, told so comprehensively by such a well-loved and highly respected global brand as History, is a remarkable initiative. I am thrilled and honored to work with History on this fantastic television event, because it gives my fellow players, coaches, and myself, an opportunity to talk about what the game means to us and also to re-live so many incredible memories.” said David Villa. History of Football airs in over 160 territories around the world including Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Netherlands,

Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom; as well as across Africa, Latin America and Asia. As part of the 7-day programming event in Asia, History presents a slate of original, globally-focused premium documentary series as well as short form specials, complemented by a careful curation of World Cup films. History channels around the world will also broadcast locally-sourced television series and documentaries that will offer a unique lens into each country’s particular passions for football. Supported by Villa and many other established players, coaches, journalists and experts, History of Football will be a deep exploration of the sport from multiple perspectives. In addition, History of Football is giving fans extraordinary opportunities to engage with History in new and exciting ways. Social media activations including polls, Q+A with experts, discussions, and interactions with local football brands will help inspire entire countries to join the conversation to debate and share opinions on some of the most influential players, managers and moments in the game’s history.

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018

nickie.standard@gmail.com

ERMAIDS in popular culture are often shy but enchanting half-human, half-fish creatures that would risk exposing their secret existence to save drowning sailors in a stormy sea.

In mythology, however, these aquatic beings are far from benign, and would prey on hapless seafarers by luring them with their hypnotic song. It’s these vicious mermaids of ancient times that are wreaking havoc not just in the water but also on land in the newest and exciting American drama series Siren premiering June 4 at 9:45 p.m. on Blue Ant Entertainment. Legend has it that mermaids once lived on what is now Bristol Cove, a quiet coastal town on the Pacific Northwest. The town folklore would soon prove more than a fairytale with the sudden appearance of a young woman who calls herself Ryn. The mysterious visitor catches the eye of local marine biologist Ben Pownall, whose interest on the strange woman arouses suspicion from fellow marine biologist, Maddie Bishop. Others, like deep-sea fisherman Xander McClure, are also on a quest to uncover the truth beneath the waves, while town eccentric Helen Hawkins seems to know more about the local legend than what Bristol Cove has been led to believe. Tension rises between the denizens of land and sea as predatory mermaids seek to claim their birthright. Belgian actress Eline Powell stars as the mysterious Ryn, opposite British actor Alex Roe playing marine biologist Ben Pownall. Together they unravel the secrets of Bristol Cove along with British actress Fola Evans-Akingbola as Maddie Bishop, American actor Ian Verdun as Xander McClure, and New

‘SIREN’ awakens the fear of the deep

Belgian actress Eline Powell stars as the mysterious Ryn

Zealand actress Rena Owen as the town folklorist, Helen Hawkins. Women’s digital media and entertainment company Refinery29 describes Siren as “gripping and original,” while one of Florida’s largest newspapers, Tampa Bay Times, says that the show is “worth the deep dive in.” The Internet’s go-to source of entertainment news Cinemablend further applauds Powell as “a standout as Ryn.”

American drama series ’Siren’ is created by Eric Wald and Dean White and sees the action set in the coastal town of Bristol Cove.

Finalists compete for ‘Tanghalan’ golden microphone FINALISTS compete for ‘Tanghalan’ golden microphone After a year of scouring the whole archipelago and the world, “Tawag ng Tanghalan” places its 12 best singers with different styles and strengths on their final journey to become the newest grand champion in the competition’s highly anticipated grand finals in It’s Showtime. Another week-long battle awaits the grand finalists—one of them from Metro Manila, two from Luzon, three from Visayas, four from Mindanao, and two global contenders— who first have to get one of the six slots in Saturday’s (June 2) final showdown live at the Aliw Theater. Six finalists kicked off the competition on Monday (May 28) namely Alfred Relatado of Davao Occidental, Remy Luntayao of Negros Occidental, Sofronio

Vasquez of Misamis Occidental, Makoto Inoue of Japan, Reggie Tortugo of Ormoc, Leyte, and Arabelle Dela Cruz of Calamba, Laguna. With the weight of their life stories and dreams on their shoulders, continuing their bid to become the grand champion on Tuesday (May 29) were Jovany Satera of North Cotabato, Anton Antenorcruz of Parañaque, Tuko Delos Reyes of Aurora, Steven Paysu of California, USA, Janine Berdin of Cebu, and Ato Arman of Bukidnon. The two grand finalists who will get the highest combined average scores from the judges’ scores and text and online votes will advance to Saturday’s final showdown, while the two finalists with the lowest average scores will have to leave the race.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Thursday, May 31, 2018

ACROSS 1 Potter or Belafonte 6 Swamp grass 11 Natural resin 14 In a snit 15 Hunter constellation 16 Turkish official 17 Twangy stringed instrument (2 wds.) 19 A real swine 20 Swings along 21 Not skimpy 23 Close relatives 27 Musical works 28 Rub against 29 Family members 31 Blazer 32 Office furniture 34 Little kids 38 Fix a manuscript 39 Ernesto Guevara 40 Warmth 41 Yvette’s head 42 Take forcibly 44 Water, to Pedro 45 “Late Show” feature 47 Gushing over 49 Beehive 52 Shy quality 53 Human trunk

54 Piecrust 56 Regret a lot 57 Bright 63 Rustic hotel 64 Egypt’s capital 65 Breakfast item 66 Fruit drink 67 Chef’s attire 68 Soccer or hockey DOWN 1 Casual greetings 2 — Nouveau 3 Charlotte of “Bananas” 4 Road map info 5 Cried out loudly 6 Liquid foods 7 Great Lake 8 Dah partners 9 — — few rounds 10 Transported 11 Reindeer herders 12 Nimble 13 Confines 18 Hurt by a bull 22 Essential (hyph.) 23 Gem surface 24 Dwelling place 25 Peculiarity 26 North Carolina cape 27 Add- — (extras)

29 Very pale 30 Hula accompaniment 33 Light brown 35 Zeus’ shield 36 Frighten 37 Too theatrical 42 Perverse 43 Fish from a boat 46 Beethoven’s Third 48 Improvises (hyph.) 49 Heart chambers 50 Hammer

51 “Good night” girl 52 Juicy fruit 54 Agitate 55 Knight, often 58 Tot’s time-out 59 Divergence 60 Environmental prefix 61 Neither’s partner 62 Big bang ltrs.

The four remaining contenders will perform in a do-or-die match tomorrow. Two of them will move on to the Saturday match, while the journey of the other two will come to an end. On Saturday, the top six grand finalists will clash in the first round to woo the judges and the madlang people. In the end, the final three contenders with the highest average scores will battle it out to become the grand champion. The newest “Tawag ng Tanghalan” grand champion will win an ultimate vacation package from 2GO, a musical gadgets package from JB Music, a livelihood package from Siomai house, premium television sets from HKTV, management contracts, a brand new house and lot from Camella, P2 million, and

a trophy created by renowned Filipino visual artist Toym Imao. ‘‘Tawag ng Tanghalan” is the biggest singing competition with global eliminations, enlisting contenders from Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, North America, and Europe. Launched in 1953, the legendary singing contest was loved by Filipinos across different generations and produced some of the most respected icons in the music industry. It returned to television in 2016, opening its stage to the most talented Filipino singers and has since become a daily TV viewing habit watched by millions on TV and online. Meanwhile, netizens may watch the grand finals live on Showtime.abs-cbn. com/LivestreamShowtime.abs-cbn.com/ Livestream.

Mental health awareness highlighted through experiential play THE De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Arts Management Batch 114 students, together with the Benilde Arts and Culture Cluster, and Theater. Applied.Experiential.Immersive Theater (TAXI Theater), unraveled at the School of Design and Arts (SDA) Theater, the inner workings of depression through a multisensorial journey entitled ‘musta. Designed and directed by DLS-CSB Theater Arts and Arts Management professor Eric Villanueva Dela Cruz, and the founder and creative navigator of TAXI Theater, the production questioned the types of relationships individuals form not only with others but also with oneself. The experiential play allowed the audience to follow Shiloh, a teenager suffering from depression, as she led them through various immersive spaces, interactive installations, and sensorial stimulations crafted to reveal her feelings, beliefs, matched with struggles. Each environment was designed to push the audience to confront their ideas on the mental illnesses and how to better understand it. ‘musta drew inspiration from various sources including shared real-life experiences confronting depression. The scripts, including the production, underwent consultations with mental health experts from the Philippine Mental Health Association, Inc. and the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation. The immersive journey was made possible through the collaborative effort, artworks, and installations of the institutions’ art management students, Benildean faculty, and alumni.

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018

Entertainment

GMA’s Martial Law special wins gold

at U.S. International Film & Video Festival ToFarm Film Festival official entries unveiled By Nickie Wang THE organizer of ToFarm Film Festival 2018 has announced the seven official entries in the third edition of the advocacy-driven film event that showcases the lives, journeys, trials and triumphs of the Filipino farmers. With a theme “A Tribute to Life: Parating Na,” this year’s lineup is a good mix of drama, science fiction, romance and comedy chosen out of 119 submissions. The official entries are: 1957, historical drama written and directed by Hubert Tibi; Alimuom, a science fiction by Keith Sicat; Fasang, a period romance written by Charlson Ong; Isang Kwento ng Gubat (The Leonard Co Story), a biopic written by Rosalie Matilac and directed by Ellen Ongkeko-Marfil, Rosalie Matilac, and Milo Paz; Lola Igna, a cultural drama written and directed by Eduardo Roy, Jr.; Mga Anak ng Kamote, a futuristic drama written by John Carlo Pacala; and Sol Searching, a dark comedy written and directed by Ramon Perez, Jr. “We wanted to come up with a lineup of films with box office potential so we can sustain the festival and have another festival next year,” festival director Bibeth Orteza said during the official announcement held on Tuesday at Novotel in Quezon City. In 1957, a group of farmers in Bicol are at the mercy of Don Pepe, a strict landlord. Twenty-year-old Lucio, son of a farmer member of the Hukbalahap, pins hopes on arrival of President Ramon Magsaysay in their area, for genuine land reform to take place. But we all know what happened in 1957. Alimuon is set in a futuristic Philippines with specific sections of the country under individual bio-domes. The OFWs are actually Outerspace Filipino Workers and the song “Bahay Kubo” is a distant

memory that makes a young boy ask, “Ano ang singkamas.” Meanwhile Fasang is a period romance based on the classic Philippine short story Tanabata’s Wife. Set in 1920s, it revolves around a middle-aged and lonely man who hires a young feisty Bontoc woman, Fasang, as farmland. He falls in love with her. They get married and have a son, but Fasang is attracted to the city lights of Baguio and to someone else. Isang Kwentong Gubat is a biopic, a homage to the great Filipino botanist slain together with a guide and forest ranger in the forest of Kanannga, Leyte; government troops claimed they were in a crossfire between military and the NPA, but two of the survivors said there was no gunfight and that they were apparently mistaken to be NPAs. Lola Igna is a cultural drama set in Sagada. The character is a 115-yearold who becomes a tourist attraction to benefit the farming community close to the cliff of the hanging coffins. Mga Anak ng Kamote, on the other hand, is another futuristic drama set in the 2052 Philippines when the planting of kamote has been outlawed and those caught planting and selling kamote is put in jail. Lastly, Sol Searching is a dark comedy about a teacher named Sol who cannot be buried because there are no funds. The story asks how will the community come forward to put her to rest , this strict and no-nonsense teacher of grade school students and farmers who need to be taught scientific farming methods. This year's selection committee is composed of Raquel Villavicencio (chairperson), Krip Yuson, Antoinette Jadaone, Mario Cornejo, and Manny Buising with Dr. Milagros O. How of Universal Harvester, Inc. as Executive Producer. The festival will run from Sept. 12 to 19 in select cinemas.

Universal Harvester Inc.'s Dr.Milagros O. How(center) with Joey Romero and Bibeth Orteza during ToFarm Film Festival press conference held at Shangri-la Makati. Sonny Espiritu (File Photo)

Reel Time's ‘Batang Maestro’ won a Gold Camera Award in the Social Issues category.

HE Alden Richards-starrer Alaala: A Martial Law Special, which competed in the docudrama category, brought home a Gold Camera Award at the recently concluded 2018 U.S. International Film & Video Festival. Alaala aired in commemoration of the 45th anniversary of President Ferdinand Marcos’ declaration of Martial Law. It took viewers through the journey of Martial Law activist and award-winning screenwriter Bonifacio Ilagan (portrayed in the special by Richards), as well as Ilagan’s good friend Pete Lacaba, played by Rocco Nacino and his activist sister Rizalina, portrayed by Bianca Umali. Meanwhile, GMA Network brought pride to the country once again as the most internationally-awarded broadcast network in Philippine Television won six other medals and seven certiﬁcates at the prestigious event. The Network’s News and Public Affairs group dominated the recipients of this year’s awards with four gold medals (including the one won by Alaala). Documentary program Reel Time earned a Gold medal in the Documentary: Social Issues category for its “Batang Maestro” episode. The winning piece featured a 12-year-old Dagul, who together with his fellow ‘little teachers’, braves the long river of Donsol on board a bamboo raft to teach younger children how to read. Meanwhile, Kapuso documentarian Atom Araullo earned two gold medals—one for his ﬁrst GMA documentary special, Philippine Seas, and another for his I-Witness episode entitled “Silang Kinalimutan”.

Comebacking ex-La Diva hopes for one-time reunion BACK in November 2009, Filipino viewers were glued to TV screens watching boxing legend Manny Pacquiao slugged it out with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto where for probably the YUGEL last time, the Pacman won by knockout. LOSORATA Among music aficionados, that match was also remembered for the seamless rendition of “Lupang Hinirang” by a updated, also has done her own version trio of promising pop stars collectively of IV of Spades’ "Mundo.” Elaborating a bit about her upcoming called La Diva. The girl group, however, concert, the 30-year old “Divine Princess” disbanded six years later. One of the members, Maricris Garcia, stated that it will cover her story from who perhaps is the quietest in terms of getting her break in that TV contest, to public exposure since the breakup, is now singing TV series theme songs, including getting back into the mainstream with her first major solo concert set in September at Teatrino, Promenade in Greenhills, San Juan City. Though the still-untitled concert is primarily being inked to celebrate her 10th year since winning GMA-7’s Pinoy Pop Superstar, the idea of a reunion with her former mates Jonalyn Viray (now known as Jona) and Aicelle Santos comes across her mind every now and then. “Gusto ko talaga mabuo kami even for a show lang,” she said during a recent presscon where she shared spotlight with other GMA Artist Center talents, namely, Rita Daniela, Nar Cabico, JBK, and T.O.P. While she kept it low-profile in the past few years where marriage and life got in the way, Maricris has returned as the voice behind a song for the romance-comedy series The One That Got Away, fittingly titled “I Know You're There.” She, as if sending a statement she is still musically Former La Diva member Maricris Garcia

Philippine Seas, Atom Araullo's first documentary in GMA Network, took home a Gold Camera Award in the Environment, Ecology category.

the hit piece “Mahal Kita” for Marimar, and into becoming one of La Diva members. Talking about her former mates’ individual successes, she noted, “Masaya ako for them kasi nagsimula kami magkakasama and alam namin ang struggles namin together. Ngayon na-achieve na nila yun.” Maricris, who is now Mrs. Cruz after tying the knot with a non-showbiz entrepreneur dealing with taxi business, is releasing a new single in time for her selfproduced concert. She revealed that Nar let her hear something she thinks might work. “I want to try something new and wala na munang birit,” she insisted. It gives her satisfaction that musically she hasn’t lost her footing and can deliver the goods head-to-head with newer acts. Rita brought a new ﬂavor to the OPM hit ‘‘Hanggang Ngayon’’; Nar has made waves with his selfpenned ‘‘Natapos Tayo’’; millennial trio JBK came up with the ballad ‘‘Letting You Go’’; and T.O.P (Top One Project) captured listeners with ‘‘Nasa Dulo.” Some of Maricris’s Kapuso series theme tracks are “Nang Dahil Sa Iyo” (Mga Mata Ni Anghelita), “Pinakamamahal” (The Borrowed Wife), and “Pangarap” (Legally Blind). La Diva, whose spilt was initiated by Jona’s dated departure in 2013, is acknowledged as the fourth best-selling female group in the country having sold 20,000 albums.

Alden Richards as Boni Ilagan in ‘Alaala A Martial Law Special,’ a Gold Camera Awardee in the Docudrama category.

A special that aimed to uncover the wonders and threats surrounding the Philippines’ marine gems, Philippine Seas won in the Documentary: Environment, Ecology category. “Silang Kinalimutan”, on the other hand, which is Araullo’s ﬁrst documentary for IWitness, triumphed in the Documentary: Social Issues category. It showed the story of the Rohingya people who had to ﬂee to neighboring Bangladesh after the Myanmar government denied them citizenship. A Silver Screen Award was conferred to Raffy Tima’s Inside Marawi: A Report On 360 Video. The video, which was shot and produced by Tima as he traveled through the war-torn city with his 360 degree video camera, won in the Craft/Production Techniques: 360 Video category. Meanwhile, multi-awarded investigative program Reporter’s Notebook gave the country a silver medal in the Documentary: Social Issues category. The winning report by Maki Pulido, entitled “Yapak sa Pusod ng Dagat”, saw the story of Filipinos who risk their lives diving into the ocean without proper equipment in the hope of mining gold that they could sell. GMA’s Entertainment Group also

took home a Silver Screen award for the primetime show The One That Got Away in the Entertainment: Dramatic Comedy category. The recentlyconcluded sexy romantic-comedy series that told a modern-day tale of how women deal with love and friendship was bannered by actresses Lovi Poe, Rhian Ramos, Max Collins, and actor Dennis Trillo. On top of the 7 medals, GMA Network also received seven “Certiﬁcate for Creative Excellence” for the following: I-Witness’s “Huling Gabi” by Howie Severino and “War Zone ER” by Sandra Aguinaldo (both in the Documentary: Current Affairs category); Brigada’s “Combat Camera Team” by Marisol Abdurahman and Raffy Tima (Documentary: Current Affairs category); Born To Be Wild’s “Bagong Mukha ni Pag-asa” by Doc Nielsen Donato (Documentary: Public Affairs Programs category); Reel Time’s “Hawla” (Documentary: Health, Medical category); GMA Public Affairs Anniversary Special “Sa Serbisyong Totoo, Nabago Ang Buhay Ko” (Documentary: News Specials category; and Pepito Manaloto (Entertainment: Situation Comedy category).

HOLLYWOOD

‘SOLO’ struggles to take off in opening weekend

SOLO: A Star Wars Story, the latest prequel in the hugely popular film franchise, struggled to achieve escape velocity this holiday weekend, with an estimated $101 million four-day take falling far below expectations. Analysts had predicted the Disney/ Lucasfilm project—directed by Ron Howard and with Alden Ehrenreich as a young version of the swashbuckling Han Solo—would reach $130 million to $150 million, possibly setting a Memorial Day weekend record. But the film, with a cast including Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson and Emilia Clarke, was falling short not only in North America, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations predicted, but also abroad. “The news is grim overseas,” said Hollywood Reporter, saying the film was heading for barely half the $300 million global take many had predicted. Last weekend’s No. 1 film, Deadpool 2 from 20th Century Fox and Marvel, took second spot this weekend, with a four-day estimate of $53.5 million. The movie stars Ryan Reynolds as the foul-mouthed, irreverent title character as he forms an X-Force team to protect a young mutant from evil Cable (Josh Brolin).

Third place went to Disney/Marvel collaboration Avengers: Infinity War, which took in $20.1 million in its fifth weekend out. It starsRobert Downey Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Hemsworth. In fourth, with $12 million in ticket sales, was a movie featuring no superheroes or interplanetary battles, and with a sedate sounding title—Book Club—that belies its racy story line. And in fifth was Warner Bros. comedy Life of the Party, at $6.5 million. AFP

A scene from "Solo: A Star Wars Story', the latest prequel in the popular ’ Star Wars’ franchise.