Manila Standard - 2018 September 3 - Monday

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‘Bangus, like GG, in short supply too’

By Orlan L. Mauricio MALOLOS CITY—Fishermen, fish traders, fishpen and fishpond operators in Laguna Lake are asking President Rodrigo Duterte to step in to address the shortage of locally produced bangus or milkfish and the resulting high prices.

“Although we want to help the President address this crisis, our hands are tied by the mismanagement of the Laguna Lake Development Authority,” the Fishing Industry Stakeholders and Distributors Alliance said in Filipino.

Fishponds in Bulacan were

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losing bangus because they were flooded by monsoon rains, the same way they were in Dagupan, said Michael Next page

Rody ready to use extra powers vs rice hoarders

By Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday warned rice hoarders not to test his patience, saying he would not hesitate to use his emergency powers against them amid the country’s rice woes.

“I’m just warning the traders, especially if it concerns the stomachs of Filipinos, do not force me to resort to emergency measures,” Duterte in a mix of English and Filipino at a press conference before flying out to Israel and Jordan.

He said he would not hesitate to order law enforcers to raid their warehouses and vowed not to let Filipinos go huntry.

“If I see any hoarding, I will not hesitate to exercise the powers of the President and I will ask the military and the police to raid your warehouses, bodegas,” Duterte said. “I can do that, and if you force me, I will,” he added.

Senate Minroity Leader Franklin Drilon, however, said the government should focus its efforts to improve the poor agricultural infrastructure that has stymied the growth of the industry.

“The government should take a closer look at the state of agriculture infrastructure in the country, if it wants to enhance agricultural productivity in order to prevent rice shortage and stop unscrupulous traders from taking advantage of the situation,” Drilon said.

Drilon said “it is unfortunate that the Philippines, considered an agricultural country, has no sufficient rice on the table, which is a staple food of millions of Filipinos.”

“Why did it happen? Because our farmers do not get the support they need in terms of infrastructure resulting in

Du30 chides Piñol but spares the ax

By Nat Mariano

PH delegation embarks on landmark trips to Jordan, Israel

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday waved away calls for Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol to resign over the mishandling of the rice crisis, saying he did not see “any serious offense.”

By Nat Mariano PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will bring a delegation of 150 businessmen and 15 government officials on his trip to Israel this week, in hopes of reaffirming the ties between the two countries.

“I leave today for landmark visits that underscore our vision for our country—a responsible member of the world community—a Philippines that is a friend to all, an enemy to no one,” said the President in his departure statement Sunday afternoon.

Duterte, who was criticized in 2016 for comparing the Jews to the victims of the campaign against illegal drugs, said he responded to the call of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We have about 28,000 Filipinos in Israel and there are 48,000 Filipinos in Jordan. And you know, without mentioning anything,

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‘BUKBOK’ MEAL. Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol samples a fistful of weevil-laden rice to illustrate the point that the pest-infested staple is safe for human consumption.

Another opening for high court post

By Rey E. Requejo

DOLPHIN DIE-HARD. Hundreds of dolphin advocates join the bike ride from Bonifacio Shrine to the Japanese Embassy to show their protest against Taiji dolphin hunts on Sept. 2, 2018. The group aims to make it better for dolphins, whales and their habitat. Environmentalists believe that continued pressure from advocates is the way to reduce the annual kills in Taiji for the 2017/2018 dolphin killing season. Norman Cruz

THE Judicial and Bar Council has opened the period of application and nomination for associate justice of the Supreme Court left vacant by the promotion of Associate Justice TeresitaLeonardo de Castro to chief justice, the position previously held by ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

“The JBC announces the opening, for application or recommendation, of the position of Supreme Court Associate Justice (vice Hon. Teresita J. Leonardode Castro, who was appointed Chief Justice on 25 August 2018),” the JBC said in its public advisory.

“Interested applicants shall submit two complete sets of application or recommendation with conforme, together with all the documentary requirements to the JBC Office not later than 4:30 pm of 1 October 2018.”

The council said the date of actual receipt by the JBC of the complete documentary requirements will be deemed as the date of filing.

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“I don’t see any serious offense there.

We have not really lost anything except that there’s an aberration in the market,” the President said in his departure statement before flying to Israel and Jordan.

Duterte said all public officials, including him, are bound by laws.

“Maybe the laws are weak or unenforceable. All we have to do is to improve on those laws, not necessarily fire people,” he said.

The President also warbed rice traders not to hoard the grain to drive up prices, saying he would not allow Filipinos to starve.

“I will not hesitate to exercise the powers of the President. I will ask the military and the police to raid your warehouses, bodegas… I can do that, and if you force me, I will,” he added.

But Duterte also shot down a proposal from Piñol to legalize the operations of rice smugglers in some provinces such as Zamboanga, which recently declared a state of calamity because of shortage of rice.

“No, of course not,” Duterte said in response to a question about legalizing rice smuggling. “That would be destructive to the economy. You’d put the market in turmoil… and promote disorder in the country.”

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‘Ultimate grandmother’ of Malabon TIMELESS. That is probably the best word to describe the winners of the 2018 Grandma Malabon, a special pageant that brought together the most vivacious, charming and smart grandmothers who represented the various villages Next page of the city.

Princess Salome Soriano

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Palace mocks De Lima: Prison hallucination

By Nat Mariano and Macon Ramos-Araneta MALACAÑANG on Sunday dismissed the claim of detained Senator Leila de Lima that President Rodrigo Duterte had a “malevolent” plan to oust Vice President Leni Robredo to allow former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take his seat should he step down from the presidency. “[That is] prison hallucination.

[The] fate of the VP hangs with the [Supreme Court] and not [with] the President,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque told reporters in a text message.

He said Duterte had nothing to do with Marcos’ electoral protest.

De Lima said Sunday Duterte was destroying Robredo’s public image to make it easier for the Filipinos to acknowledge Marcos as his replacement should Marcos win at the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

“Duterte has several ideas how he will be replaced in case he decides to step down before his term ends,” De Lima said in a statement issued from her cell in Camp Crame.

“He has expressed his preference for Bongbong Marcos, Chiz Escudero, a military junta [but] none of them include the constitutional mode of succession, which is the only legal way of replacing him.

“With the federal Charter change campaign dead on the water, and a military junta having no avid takers from the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines], this means that the only viable option remaining is to make sure that Marcos is in a position to succeed as VP when Duterte decides to step down.”

De Lima, one of Duterte’s top critics, said that as the math of the co-opted high court votes improved to favor a Marcos fake victory, so would the Marcos-Robredo PET case unravel to its malevolent conclusion.

“After the Supreme Court has demonstrated its capability to perform the unconstitutional ouster of its own Chief Justice, it can no longer be relied upon to stand as the guardian of the Constitution and the rule of law,” De Lima said.

She urged the public to be vigilant in opposing Duterte’s plan.

“Now, more than ever, citizens must rely on their own organic power to thwart any attempt to undermine constitutional democracy and to foist Duterte’s illegitimate choice of successor upon the Filipino people,” De Lima said.

Asked to comment on De Lima’s 59th birthday on Thursday, the Palace insisted it would not give her birthday wishes.

The Palace has consistently belied De Lima’s statements and told her to spend the rest of her life in jail.

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Applicants and nominees are also required to submit to the JBC the Service Record of applicants who have been employed in the government at any point, issued not earlier than April 1, 2018, Certificate of Assumption of Office or Oath of Office of applicant’s current position (applies only to Justices, Judges, Prosecutors and Lawyers from Government Offices who have judicial rank), Income Tax Returns or Certificates of Compensation Payment/ Tax Withheld for Years 2015, 2016 and 2017 and the Sworn Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth for the last 10 years.

The JBC, which is tasked by the Constitution to vet and screen the applicants and nominees to the high court, Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan and the Office of the Ombudsman, said the body will not entertain those who failed to submit all the documents within the deadline.

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low harvest each year. We must therefore provide them infrastructure that can boost their production,” he said.

Drilon urged the government to include in its Build-Build-Build program more infrastructure support in the agriculture sector.

Several farmer groups said sustained investment in the rice industry is “the only sustainable solution” to recurring food security problems, even as the government moves toward imports.

The Federation of Free Farmers and 25 other farmer organizations said there is no guarantee that rice prices will go down once the rice trade is liberalized through the removal of the quantitative restric-

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Drug suspect coddlers liable—DoJ C He made the statement even as he said Lim was still in the country because there was no indication he had been able to leave.

“Definitely, we will also run after the coddlers of Peter Lim. Those found to have aided him in evading arrest will face

criminal cases,” Guevarra said in a text message.

He said obstruction-of-justice charges could be filed against those harboring a fugitive.

Arresting teams of the Philippine National Police and National Bureau of Investiga-

tion have been hunting down Lim ever since the Makati City regional trial court Branch 65 ordered his arrest on Aug. 14.

“Too bad the PNP and the NBI have yet to find some leads as to his whereabouts,” Guevarra said.

The authorities claim Lim is being aided by the people in his network to evade arrest.

The Makati court has also issued a hold- departure order against the businessman to prevent him from leaving the country.

Guevarra said Lim could still be in the country based on the records of the Bureau of Immigration, but the government could seek help from the Interpol should

Du30...

Malaysia.

Lawmakers called for his resignation.

The Palace has defended Piñol, however, saying the rice situation will normalize next month when the harvest comes in.

ANAC-IP Party-list Rep. Jose Panganiban Jr. also defended Piñol and National Food Authority Administrator Jason Aquino amid mounting calls for them to resign.

He blamed the recent supply problems for the lack of coordination between the NFA and the NFA Council.

Opposition lawmakers led by House Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez had hit Piñol and Aquino, blaming

them for the rice crisis and soaring prices for the staple in Zamboanga City.

Suarez also slammed Piñol for allowing the importation of agricultureal and fishery products, instead of protecting the interests of local farmers and fishers.

Piñol, meanwhile, said the issue of weevil-infested rice imports was being blown out of proportion, saying it was safe to eat rice found in sacks infested with the insect.

Piñol said there is nothing wrong with eating rice infested with weevils or “bukbok” as it only needed to be washed. On Friday, Piñol showed how to cook weevil-laced rice, and even ate it.

flights will bring a rise in the number of Filipino t‎ ourists going to Israel, particularly Christians wanting to make pilgrimages to the H ‎ oly Land.

Nahshon said other agreements to be discussed or signs include one that would regulate the employment of thousands of Filipino caregivers.

“The agreement will protect the workers’ rights, ensure equal and fair t‎ reatment of them, and cancel all the fees that until now they have been forced to pay to i‎ ntermediate agents,” he said.

Nahshon also said there are agreements waiting to be signed in science and technology, p‎ romotion of investments, agreements between chambers of commerce, and the e‎ nvironment.‎ The official delegation includes: Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, Special Assistant to the President Christopher Go, Political Adviser Francis Tolentino, Senator Richard Gordon, Interior and Local Government officer in charge Eduardo Año, and Philippine Coast Guard commandant Rear Admiral Elson Hermogino.

The Palace has already said that public funds will be used to finance Duterte’s trip to Israel and Jordan, but said the benefits would outweigh the cost.

Duterte is set to arrive Sunday for a visit to Israel and Jordan, pursuing a pivot away from his nation’s long-time reliance on American military hardware and backing.

The four-day stay in Israel is the first

by a Philippine leader in more than 60 years of diplomatic ties between the two nations, even though their links go back to Manila sheltering Jews during the Holocaust.

Duterte’s visit has generated a lot of attention, powered both by his penchant for foul-mouthed statements—including likening himself to Hitler—and his internationally condemned drug crackdown that has killed thousands.

Duterte, accompanied by an entourage including soldiers and police, will sit down with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hold an event with some of the thousands of Filipino migrant workers in Israel.

“We assign great importance to this visit, which symbolizes the strong, warm ties between our t‎ wo peoples,” Israel’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Duterte has pivoted the Philippines away from its former colonial master the United States and toward warmer diplomatic and business ties with China and Russia.

The US and Canada have both had military hardware deals fall apart with the Philippines due to concerns over Duterte’s drug war. But so far sales with Israel have gone smoothly. “[The visit] is for President Duterte to look for an alternative market for... weapons for our armed forces as well as for the police,” Henelito Sevilla, an international relations expert at University of the Philippines, said.

Israel is among the world’s top arms dealers, with nearly 60 percent of its defence exports going to the Asia Pacific region, according to Israeli defence ministry data.

The Philippines emerged as a significant new customer in 2017 for Israel, with sales of radar and anti-tank equipment worth $21 million.

Ramos, barangay captain in Bulakan, Bulacan.

The group said the crisis can be traced to the ill-advised disruption of the breeding and spawning of locally produced fish in Laguna, particularly bangus, tilapia, and bighead carp, coupled with the recent destruction caused by the monsoon and typhoons ‘‘Josie’’ and ‘‘Karding.’’

Fisda said the LLDA is doing fine in implementing environmental and ecological policies but lacks foresight and expertise in managing the fishing industry in the lake that abounds with phytoplanktons, which are the natural food source of all fish species thriving in the waters of Laguna de Bay.

“The huge reduction in the volume of bangus comes from Laguna,” said Mel dela Merced, representing fish brokers in Navotas Fish Port and the CardonaBinangonan fish ports. “And this is what the poor buy because it is cheaper than the bangus from Pangasinan and Bulacan.”

The sudden reduction of fishpen structures from the allowable 50-hectare area of operation that was reduced to a maximum of 25 hectares without any plan on how to augment the loss of sizeable percentage of fish production is detrimental to the supply of fresh water bangus, the group said.

Data from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resorces show the production of fish from the lake dropped by almost 78 percent in mid-2018.

Fisda also opposed the LLDA’s plan to

implement a total relocation of all fishpens to comply with its 2018 Zone Management Guidelines which the group said will completely disrupt the operation of aquaculture in the lake for two to three years. This move will be a disaster to the industry as the new zone management guidelines are not conducive to aquaculturem the group said.

The alliance asked Duterte to recommend a moratorium on the guidelines’ implementation pending further studies and consultations with all stakeholders in the fishing industry.

The group also supported a nationwide boycott of imported galunggong or round scad.

Also on Sunday, Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez said manufacturers of basic commodities will not jack up prices.

tions.

The farmers groups said they fear that importers will only maximize their profits, sell their rice at the highest price possible, and take advantage of the situation.

“Hoarding, price manipulation, and cartelized trading will not disappear. There is a possibility that a large portion of the rice trade will be taken over by well-financed speculators who will instigate sudden movements in rice prices in order to make a quick profit, regardless of its effect on consumers,” the farmer groups said.

They speculated that a sudden surge in the demand for rice imports will lead to a higher international market price for the grain.

“If large rice consuming countries like China and Indonesia suddenly decide to import rice, the Philippines might not even be able to source enough rice from

its traditional suppliers,” they said, calling on the government planners to analyze comprehensively the repercussions of rice trade liberalization so as to place necessary measures before the removing quantitative restrictions.

“At present, government planners are simply claiming that the QR removal will allow more and cheaper imports to come in, leading to lower prices of rice for consumers,” they said.

“However, their analysis does not measure the long-run effects on rice farmers who will have to absorb lower prices for their products, and on rural communities that will be affected correspondingly,” they added.

To expand and intensify the programs of the Department of Agriculture improving the competitiveness and profitability of rice farmers, the farmer groups backed

the proposal to establish the so-called Rice Competitiveness Fund.

RCEF will be funded from tariffs collected on rice imports, stakeholders said.

“Additionally, the fund can be used to provide farmers with safety nets in the event of natural calamities, market disruptions, and personal emergencies,” they said, emphasizing that the Agriculture department should formulate guidelines and policies for proper usage of the said fund.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, said if government officials can stomach weevil-infested rice, the people they serve cannot.

His comment was in response to Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol’s assurances that it was all right to eat weevilinfested rice, since the insects could be removed with washing.

By Rey E. Requejo

RIMINAL cases will be filed against those helping Cebuano businessman Peter Lim hide from the authorities following the charge against him of conspiring to smuggle illegal drugs, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Sunday.

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The President said he would import rice and lose money in the market than allow smuggling.

On Thursday, Piñol drew criticism for recommending that trice smugglers in Mindanao be allowed to operate as legitimate importers to decrease the rice prices.

He said people in the region considered the smuggling of rice in Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi as “traditional trading” between the country and

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there’s a volatile situation there and we have to be sure that our citizens are fully protected,” said Duterte, who promised to bring several retiring military officials as a “gift” for serving the country.

“I shall seek to have a robust relationship that looks forward to broader cooperation on a broad range of mutually important areas—defense and security, law enforcement, economic development, trade [and] investments and labor,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Duterte’s three-day visit “symbolizes the strong, warm ties” between the two countries and the potential for developing and strengthening those relations.

“The Philippine President will be accompanied by a large delegation of ministers, including the ministers of foreign affairs, national defense, trade and industry, agriculture, i‎ nternal security, science and technology, labor and employment, tourism and transportation. S ‎ enior senators will also be part of the delegation,” MFA spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon said in a statement.

Nahshon said Duterte’s visit will mark several important events such as the 80year anniversary of the Philippines opening its doors to the Jewish refugees in the late 1930s, the 70-year anniversary of the Philippines’ support of United Nations Resolution 181, paving the way for the creation of the State of Israel, and 60-year anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel a‎ nd the Philippines.‎ “One of the important subjects to be discussed is the opening of a direct flight route between M ‎ anila and Ben Gurion Airport,” said Nahshon, saying that direct

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he be able to sneak out of the county via the back door.

The Justice department indicted Lim on Aug. 10 after finding probable cause in the complaint filed by the PNP-CIDG, which was earlier dismissed by a previous panel of prosecutors. Also charged in court were detained drug trader Kerwin Espinosa, state witness Marcelo Adorco and Ruel Malindangan The new panel led by Senior Associate State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera cited as evidence Espinosa’s confession at the Senate―the transcript of which was submitted to the investigating prosecutors for the new probe―and Adorco’s positive identification of Lim.

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The top five contenders were the perfect embodiment of the belief that old age is more than just having white hair and wrinkles, or that it’s too late to do anything new. Age doesn’t seem to matter to the bubbly bunch who faced each day the way they did when they were young-— with grace and enthusiasm.

It’s hard not to admire their energy.

Most are well into their 60s, but they remain sprightly and sharp, proving that age is really but a number. The grandmas, winners of the recently concluded, month-long Tambobong Festival, which celebrated the 419th anniversary of the City of Malabon, now take on an important role in the community: To uphold Filipino family values.

“We give honor to these grandmothers because they play an important role in upholding the family values of Malabonians,” said Malabon City Mayor Lenlen Oreta.

“Today, most parents work for their families, leaving the kids without any guidance. We see grandmothers to fill this gap in the structure, to serve as the guide while the parents are away so the youth will grow up with the right character and values needed to succeed in life.”

The pageant, however, proved to be more than just finding a role model to step into the responsibility of helping to uphold the values of the community. The participants saw this as a chance to once more showcase their talents and wisdom, and to prove that getting older does not mean the end of the road for most of them.

“I really admire Mayor Oreta for organizing this pageant because it helped us grandmothers in overcoming our fear of getting old. He showed us that there’s still more in life to enjoy,” said Margarita Bautista, 61, fourth runner-up in the Grandma Malabon 2018 contest.

Bautista has dedicated her life to serving the church as a member of the Mother Butler of Saints Peter and John after her husband died, but now, because of the pageant, she realized that she could take on more roles to serve her community as well.

The pageant was also an avenue for discovering rare gems among the grandmothers in the community. Judith Dela Cruz Reyes (third runner-up), for example, a housewife and stay-at-home businesswoman, showcased her flair during the talent competition. She wowed the audience with her enthralling performance of combining aerobics, zumba, folk dancing and ballroom dancing into one lively ensemble.

“I’ve stayed home most of my life, raising my family while my husband works abroad. So it was nice to be recognized by my barangay as a fitting representative of the Grandma Malabon competition.”

Zenaida Andaya, first runner-up, turned out to be actress Fe Galvez, who once became leading lady to actors like Dolphy, Jun Aristorenas and Fernando Poe Jr. “I’ve had a colorful past, but what I enjoyed most about the pageant was how the community showed genuine care to us grandmothers. During the event, I was feeling very sick because I just had my leg operated on, but the people from City Hall made sure I was well taken care of, to the point that they would feed me just to be sure that I was eating right. It feels nice, it’s a beautiful feeling to be surrounded by people who support you.”

The grandmas also showed wisdom during the competition―characteristics that Mayor Oreta expects for the villages where they belong.

Second runner-up Norma Bustamante from Barangay Tugatog for example, showed that no matter how much hardships you experience, you should never give up.

“I’ve lived a fulfilling life, but I also faced many hardships like losing my husband at an early age, getting scammed in my business, and even losing all my property to a huge fire. But I choose to see life as half-full. I’m still here, I’m still alive, and I want to show everyone that no matter what happens to you, what’s important is that you remain strong for the people you love. You should invest in yourself and continue to improve physically, mentally and spiritually.”

News

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

Plastics-ban in Boracay gets DENR backing

PDEA’s shabu claim requires proof—Barbers

DESPITE the assertion of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency that P6.8 billion worth of shabu had slipped past Customs last month, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Sunday said that claim could only be validated with physical evidence.

In a dzBB radio interview anchored by Rowena Salvacion, Barbers said it would be difficult to prove that the four empty magnetic lifters found in General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite could have actually contained P6.8 billion worth of shabu.

“We still stand by the principle of corpus delicti, or the body of crime. It is hard to tell if the four lifters contained the drugs. Even if there is a circumstantial evidence indicating there is, it will still be difficult to tell in the absence of the body of crime,” he said.

“That is why we are giving the PDEA a chance to conduct follow-up operations and recover [the drugs].

And if there is [such entry of drugs], we will have to investigate why it slipped past the bureau,” he added.

He, however, said drug syndicates could also be sowing intrigues to divide the PDEA and BoC. PDEA director general Aaron Aquino stood by their assessment that the four empty magnetic lifters seized in Cavite, on Aug. 9, contained the P68-billion shabu that made its way to the streets. Rio Araja

By Rio Araja

PORT CALL. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is accorded with honors upon boarding the JS Kag helicopter carrier Japanese ship, which is anchored at the Alava Pier in Subic, Zambales on Sept. 1, 2018. Presidential Photo

18 Palawan officials, workers fired

By Rey E. Requejo

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HE Court of Appeals has sustained the resolution of the Office of the Ombudsman ordering the dismissal of 18 officials and employees of the Provincial Government of Palawan for their role in the anomalous use of the province share in the Malampaya fund amounting to P2.57 billion.

In a 33-page decision, the CA’s Special Seventeenth Division through Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez dismissed the petition filed by Palawan government officials and employees seeking the reversal of the Ombudsman’s decision issued on Nov. 21, 2014.

The Ombudsman found them administratively liable and dismissed them from the service.

The anti-graft body also ordered the

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cancellation of their eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification from holding public office and bar them from taking civil service examinations.

The appellate court upheld the findings and recommendation of the Ombudsman against Ronelo del Socorro, senior technical audit specialist; Edwin Iglesia, state auditor II; Romeo Llacuna, Engineer III; Bernard Zambales,

Engineer III; Ferdinand Dilig, provincial general; Luis Marcaida, provincial budget officer; Rolando Bonoan Jr., Sangguniang Panlalawigan member; Elena Rodriguez; former provincial legal officer; Samuel Madamba II, former provincial planning and development coordinator; Orlando Colobong, provincial accountant; Renato Abrina, engineer IV; Manuela Cabiguen, assistant provincial engineer-administration/inspectorate team leader; Federico Rubio, Jr., assistant provincial engineer-operation/inspectorate team leader; Rosario Pascual-Abacial, engineer II; Pedro Gatinga Jr., engineer IV; Tommy Panes, engineer II; Bayani Buenaventura, engineer III; Pepe Martinez Patacsil, engineer IV; and Alfredo Padua, engineer IV/chief, quality control division.

The court, however, exonerated Elena Rodriguez after complainant

Commission on Audit chairperson Ma. Gracia Pulido-Tan failed to appeal the dismissal of the charges against her.

“Given the finality of the consolidated decision with respect to Elena, the September 13, 2016 order reversing the decision and penalizing Elena for grave misconduct, serious dishonest and gross neglect of duty is erroneous,” the appellate court stressed.

In ruling against the other petitioners, the CA rejected their assertion that the investigation of the Ombudsman was premature since under Commission on Audit’s Rules and Regulation on Settlement of Accounts, an audit report should be followed by notices of disallowances, which may be appealed within six months.

The respondents noted that even before the NDs were issued, the Ombudsman already conducted an investigation against them.

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Sunday endorsed the initiative of the local government of Malay in Aklan province to ban single-use plastics in Boracay Island and the rest of the town.

Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and LGU Concerns Benny Antiporda welcomed the approval of Municipal Ordinance No. 386 in an effort to augment government rehabilitation efforts in the pollution-challenged island.

The measure prohibits the use of single-use or disposable plastic items by hotels, resorts, restaurants and establishments in the accommodation business.

The Boracay Island was ordered closed to tourists until Oct. 26 to give way for its six-month rehabilitation.

DoST pushes creation of PH space agency SCIENCE and Technolog Secretary Fortunato de la Peña expressed confidence that the Senate would support the passage of a bill creating a space agency in the country.

Among the priority measures the DoST pushes for is the creation of the Philippine Space Agency, which, according to De la Peña, is crucial to help communities to become more resilient.

Space technology, he said, can give early warnings when threatened by natural disasters, and could also monitor the status of the country’s agricultural production.

Speaking in front of students over the weekend, De la Peña said he is “confident [that] the Senate will be very cooperative [on this].” PNA

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Opinion

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

The parable of the long spoons eyes, a dining hall filled with rows and rows of tables, and on those tables, a marvelous feast. But instead of moaning with hunger, the people around the tables were sitting contentedly, talking with one another, sated from the abundance before them.”

“Like those in hell, these people were THERE was an old woman who was nearing the end of her life. As she also holding different lengths of very closed her eyes one night, she saw a long spoons. As I watched, a woman bright light and was transported to an- dipped her spoon into a bowl of stew other realm. She didn’t pass away just before her, but rather than struggling then. Instead, she returned to the liv- to feed herself, she extended her spoon ing world to find her family gathered at out and fed the man seated across from her bedside. She smiled and whispered her. This person, now satisfied and no to her children, “I have seen the great longer hungry, gave thanks and returned the favor, leaning across the tahereafter.”

“The great whereafter?” her son ble to feed the woman and others.”

“I suddenly understood the differasks.

“Heaven and hell. I have seen them ence between heaven and hell,” the old woman said to her family. “It is neiboth.” ther the qualities The old woman goes on to of the place, nor explain, “I came of the abundance upon a door, and of resources, but the way people behind it was People who earn high use their gifts and hell. What I saw incomes do so because treat each other.” there confound“In hell, we are ed me. There they provide others with selfish. We would was a dining things they value more rather go hungry hall filled with than give the peorows of tables, than their cost. ple we don’t care each table teamfor the pleasure of ing with a mageating.” nificent feast.

“But in heaven, It looked and smelled delicious, yet the people seated we feed each other. We put trust in around the tables were emaciated and those around us, and never go hungry.”

The economic lesson: sickly, moaning with hunger.”

People differ in many ways—in their “As I came closer, I realized that each person held different lengths of spoons, productive abilities, preferences, spebut each spoon was longer than normal. cialized skills, attitudes, and willingWith each spoon, they could reach the ness to take risks. These differences feast, but each spoon was just too long. influence people’s incomes because Though they tried and tried again, they they affect the value of the goods and couldn’t bring nourishment to their services that individuals are willing mouths. In spite of the abundance be- and able to provide to others.

In a market economy, people who fore them, they were starving.”

She continued, “I left this horrid earn high incomes do so because place and opened a new door, one that they provide others with things they led to heaven. Inside, I was surprised value more than their cost. If these to see that very same scene before my Turn to A5

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

W

Five minutes of shame

E watched with morbid fascination a video posted online that showed a woman shouting at traffic enforcers and engaging them in a heated argument last week after they tried to give her a ticket for illegal parking.

“Where are my five minutes?” she repeatedly demanded, referring to the grace period that the Metro Manila Development Authority [MMDA] grants before it tows illegally parked vehicles.

Whether it was the result of anger, arrogance, or simple ignorance, the woman clearly did not understand that getting to her car before the five minutes were up simply saved her from towing, not a ticket.

At one point, she apparently tried to drive away and almost hit an MMDA enforcer in the attempt. She then continued to defy the growing number of traffic officials, and even policemen who tried to get her to comply with the regulations, creating a scene on a busy Quezon City street.

The truly shameful part was that her husband arrived on the

scene, shouting expletives at the MMDA enforcers, and warning them that his wife was pregnant and bleeding, and that he would sue them if she lost the baby.

Then, in a supreme display of arrogance, he told them, “Don’t you know who she is? She’s a fiscal!”

It was at that moment that our morbid fascination turned to outrage over the sheer arrogance of these people who are supposed to be servants of the people, and who work in an agency that it supposed to dispense justice.

Subsequent investigation revealed that the woman, Christine Estepa, was indeed a state prosecutor, as is her husband, Macky.

Both work for the Department of Justice.

Both have since posted a video apology, saying that emotions

got the better of them, but the MMDA says it will file a complaint just the same and has asked the Land Transportation Office to suspend the woman’s driver’s license.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, for his part, says Christine Estepa has already been directed to comment on the MMDA complaint.

“Then we’ll decide if we should dismiss the complaint outright or formally charge her,” he said, explaining that this was part of the procedural due process.

The Justice secretary, however, is not clear what charges will be filed against the couple, or if any departmental sanctions will be imposed, not for her traffic violations, but for their unacceptable behavior.

The actions of these two prosecutors have given the Justice department a black eye. If Guevarra doesn’t deal with this in a way that signals to all that such arrogance will never be tolerated, the damage to the department’s image will certainly last longer than five minutes.

To be or not to be NFA execution, President Fidel V. Ramos was confronted by a scarcity brought about by the inability of NFA to import rice to augment dwindling stocks because the NFA Council chaired by the agriculture secretary did not want an importation due to a “self-sufficiency” goal and the imports becoming an election issue.

FOR probably the longest time running Both Agriculture Secretary Bobot Sein its 46-year history, the National Food bastian and NFA Administrator Romeo Authority is the hottest topic of the news, David resigned, and Ramos forthwith whether print, TV, radio or social media. replaced them with then Rep. Salvador Last week, practically all newspapers Escudero and DA USec Joemari Gerochi. bannered the agency and the failure to Then, in 2008, DA Sec. Arthur Yap stabilize the availability and affordability and his NFA Administrator Jessup Navof its now single-commodity reason for arro had to grapple with a rice price criexistence: Rice. sis, where people lined up for dwindling It is always easy rations, and the to point fingers at price of rice hit the alleged culprits, ceiling. So high and blaming each that it triggered a other among the world price crisis, To paraphrase a high councils of with the Philipgreat leader: ‘The government is par pines becoming for the course. the world’s largproblem with those in There are also the est rice importer, government is that they usual suspects–the Massive impormiddlemen, a.k.a. tation with the talk too much, do so the cartels. help of Vietnam little, and act too late.’

Just as it is alstanched the 2008 ways easy to creshortage. But in ate problems, and 2009 and 2010, the more difficult to massive importaarrive at proper sotions continued, lutions. In the case of rice, that species resulting in a P178-billion debt accumuof grass scientifically named oryza sativa lation that President Benigno Aquino III could be fatal. in his first State of the Nation Address So fatal that legislators, economists, slammed along with warehouses packed and some in media are now calling for the even beyond the rafters of NFA’s owned abolition of the agency created on Sep- and newly rented bodegas. tember 26, 1972 by Ferdinand E. Marcos, That massive debt was halted by our released on the fourth day after martial policy of shifting the task of importation law was actually operationalized. It was gradually to the private sector in the two then called the National Grains Agency, years that this writer was at NFA’s helm. in charge of rice, corn, flour, and other The P178 billion was trimmed to P143 bilstaple food, since reduced to just rice. lion but succeeding government importaIn President Marcos’ hierarchy of tions brought it up to almost P170 billion national concerns, the country’s staple when President Duterte took over in 2016. grain occupied premium attention. That In 2014, under the watch of DA Sec. primacy of concern has somehow abated, Proceso Alcala and his NFA appointee with the price of gasoline and diesel being Orlan Calayag, prices of rice again deemed the more watched barometer of spiked to 50-peso levels. An irate price changes since the Oil Price Stabi- PNoy removed NFA from DA, along lization Fund was mercifully abolished. with the Philippine Coconut Authority, Marcos had a reason beyond econom- the National Irrigation Authority and ics: rice is politics. He won over reelec- the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, tionist President Diosdado Macapagal in transferring these agencies to the Office 1965 chiefly on the issue of the higher of the President, and appointing now price of rice. Just as Macapagal hit prede- Sen. Francis Pangilinan as Food Security cessor Carlos P. Garcia’s inability to stop secretary. NFA still remains under the the price of a ganta of rice, then the meas- OP, with Cabinet Sec. Leoncio Evasco urement of volume rather than weight.

Jr. as chairman of the NFA Council, at Of more recent memory, rice became least until mid-year 2018. scarce after the 1995 mid-term elections.

Now, in what insiders proclaim as their Still reeling from the Flor Contemplacion Turn to A5

Rapacious ranting and raving Harry Roque has a difficult job.

“DON’T take the President seriously when he makes jokes about rape. A joke can be taken differently in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” so said Harry Roque.

This is the presidential spokesman talking about his boss in a feeble attempt to defend President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest controversial comment about women and rape. Critics have

suggested President Duterte should take a rest from running the country. It seems, however, it is Harry Roque who needs to take a break from his job. He’s running out of punch lines to defend his chief’s erratic behavior.

Harry Roque should have stopped at “don’t take the President serious-

ly.” Period.

Going into the second half of his presidency, Du-Dirty should know that Filipinos have stopped taking him seriously when he unleashed profanities against Pope Francis and US President Barack Obama, told government soldiers to shoot captured communist women between the legs, and unleashed vitriolic words against the US, the United Nations and the European Union. This is a man who hates everybody and everything.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not personal.

I don’t have any fixation to loathe Harry Roque. His job is difficult enough—defending Duterte who spews mouthful of profanities and sick jokes about women Turn to A5

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

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Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua

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Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Opinion Crazy poor Asians and other minorities CROSSROADS JONATHAN DE LA CRUZ AND you thought that the movie “Crazy Rich Asians” which set a record for generating the most sales of all newly released films in the United States some two weeks ago was the only victory for Asians during that period. No, sir. While the movie drew crowds and even raves from film critics, there was another dramatic win for Asians almost the same time. This time, it is not only for Asians but other minorities who continue to struggle to get decent housing in America’s richest state-California.

This time around it is the story of Crazy Poor Asians and their continuing struggle to get a part of the American dream—affordable, decent housing. Sounds familiar?

Well, it is, The struggle to have decent housing cuts across all countries and races. In the United States, more so after the 2008 financial crisis which was set in play to a significant degree by the mess in housing mortgages and other home financing problems. The crisis ensnared even the huge, state-sponsored housing finance companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In any event, that problem drew a lot of people into the political arena, foremost being people’s organizations which reasonably believed that government, at both the federal and state levels, have actually been very remiss in their duty to provide adequate, reasonable financing for housing the “homeless, renters and the disadvantaged.”

One such group is the National Asian American Coalition whose president/CEO is a Filipina from Pandan, Antique. Faith Bautista is the president and CEO of National Asian American Coalition, a HUD-approved home counseling agency and the nation’s leading Asian- American nonprofit advocating against foreclosures while also advocating for greater economic and small business development and for the advancement of the growing economic and social power of Asian Americans.

The NAAC is at the forefront in the fight for affordable housing and financing. Thanks to Ms. Bautista and her group of NGO activists, NAAC just won a case against the State

The parable...

From A4

individuals did not provide valuable goods and services, consumers would not pay them so generously. There is a moral here: If you want to earn a high income, you had better figure out how to help others a great deal. On the other hand, if you are unable or unwilling to help others in ways they value, your income will be low.

This direct link between helping others and receiving income gives each of us a strong incentive to acquire skills, develop talents, and cultivate habits that will help us provide others with valuable goods and services. College students study for long hours, endure stress, and incur the financial cost of schooling in order to become doctors, lawyers, accountants, and engineers.

Other people acquire training, certification, and experience that will help them become electricians, maintenance workers, or website designers. Still, others invest and start businesses. Why do people do these things?

Rapacious...

From A4

and now rape.

And what is this latest joke?

“We have many beautiful women in Davao that is why we have a lot of rape incidents,” said Mr. Duterte. It was said in Visayan. But no matter what dialect Digong said it, it’s still a sick joke done in very bad taste. Militant group Gabriela and the Philippine Commission on Women are furious Duterte can joke about such a sensitive subject.

We hope Davao does not use the Duterte joke as a tourism promotion slogan.

“Come to Davao where we have many beautiful women to rape.” But of course, tourists who might be enticed to terrorize the women of Davao will have to deal with Mayor Inday Sara Duterte. She has a reputation for having mean knuckles, gained when she punched a sheriff on the face. The sheriff was serving an eviction notice to Davao’s homeless.

The beauty of women and tourism spots are used by other countries as come-

of California and Governor Jerry Brown. But their fight is not yet over.

And their biggest nemesis? You will be most surprised. It’s a fellow AsianAmerican, California State Assembly Member, Democrat Phil Ting. And the NAAC’s fight continues.

In support of that struggle of Crazy Poor Asians and other minorities, I have decided to reprint in this column an editorial piece penned by Ms. Bautista now being circulated and getting viral not only in California but globally. Here goes: Is Assemblymember Phil Ting Only For The Crazy Rich Asians, Or Will He Fight For The Crazy Poor Ones, Too?

The fight is not yet over.

By Faith Bautista August 23, 2018 Last week, the movie Crazy Rich Asians opened in theaters nationwide to long lines and critical acclaim, especially here in Daly City where a lot of Asians reside.

Of course, where people are, there the politicians will be. Assembly member Phil Ting, who is of Chinese descent and who represents the California 19th Assembly District which includes the west side of San Francisco, Broadmoor, Daly City, South San Francisco, and Colma, was one of those who prominently supported the movie.

At a press conference before a screening of Crazy Rich Asians, Ting, who is the Vice Chair of the AsianPacific Islander Legislative Caucus, touted Senate Bill 871 or the film tax credit law recently signed by Governor Jerry Brown, which supposedly “moves the needle towards inclusion” by including diversity statistics in the application process for tax incentives.

What Ting didn’t say during the press conference was that the very next day, the Assembly Budget Committee that he chairs was about to pass another Senate Bill—Senate Bill 861 (SB 861). He wouldn’t have been proud about passing SB 861 through

his committee, however, because this trailer budget bill would move the needle towards exclusion for the Asian Americans and other low-income communities he is supposed to represent.

Here is the plot to the SB 861 story: In 2014, the National Asian American Coalition, of which I am the President and CEO, and two other nonprofit organizations, sued Governor Jerry Brown to seek the return of $331 million, which his government illegally diverted for other budgetary purposes from the National Mortgage Special Deposit Fund—a fund that was created in the aftermath of the subprime mortgage crisis to help fund housing counselors and other essential housing service providers, so that they in turn may help financially distressed homeowners buy homes or modify their mortgages to avoid foreclosure.

Long story short: The NAAC won. Governor Brown appealed.

The NAAC won again. Governor Brown was ordered to immediately return the money.

Instead of doing so, like any of us regular citizens would do when we receive a court order, Governor Brown and his Legislative Democratic Allies in the Budget Committee sneakily passed SB 861 and AB 1829, both of which are trailer budget bills that seek to overturn the two emphatic California court rulings and forever put out of the reach of struggling homeowners the $331 million that they badly need.

It is a shame that Assemblymember Ting would allow this bill to even pass his committee without scrutinizing how badly it will affect his constituents. He seems only interested in supporting the fictional Crazy Rich Asians—which perpetuates the “model minority” stereotype that Asians in America can survive on their own and don’t need governmental help—but not the real-life, “crazy poor” Asians, Latinos, Blacks, and other low-income communities in his district, who are struggling to make ends meet and struggling even more to buy or keep their homes.

The fate of SB 861 is largely in Assemblymember Ting’s hands, being the Chair of the powerful Budget Committee, and he can definitely “move the needle” on passing or rejecting the bill. The question is: ‘‘Is Assemblymember Phil Ting only for the Crazy Rich Asians, or will he fight for the crazy poor ones, too?’’

In some cases, individuals may be motivated by a strong personal desire to improve the world. However—and this is the key point—even people who don’t care about improving the world, who are motivated mostly by the desire for income, will have a strong incentive to develop skills and take actions that are valuable to others. High earnings come from providing goods and services that others value. People seeking great wealth will have a strong incentive to pay close attention to what others want. And even those people who want to improve the world need information on the education and skills they can acquire, which will do the most to make the world a better place for others.

This information is generally provided by the earning opportunities in different occupations.

Some people think that high-income individuals must be exploiting others.

But, people who earn high incomes in the marketplace generally do so by providing others with things they value and for which they are willing to pay.

Mark Zuckerberg, one of the founders of Facebook, earned billions of dollars because the social network provided an

enhanced communication tool to billions of people worldwide. As of the second quarter of 2018, there were approximately 2.23-billion Facebook subscribers. Popular singers, movie stars, and athletes, each have huge earnings because millions enjoy what they do.

Business entrepreneurs, who succeed in a big way, do so by making or providing products that millions of consumers find attractive. Henry Sy, who founded SM, became one of the richest men in the Philippines because he figured out how to manage large inventories effectively and sell brand-name merchandise at low prices to every corner of the country.

Bill Gates and Paul Allen, cofounders of Microsoft, became billionaires by developing a set of products that dramatically improved the efficiency and compatibility of desktop computers. Millions of consumers who never heard of Zuckerberg, Sy, Gates, or Allen benefited from their talents and products. They made a lot of money because they helped a lot of people and brought heaven closer to earth.

ons. Hungary ran a tourism ad in the New York Times with a beautiful blonde as illustration. The copy (text) says: “Beauty, we have more like her per square miles more than any other country.” Hungarian women are really beautiful. Take it from someone who had been assigned as Philippine ambassador based in Budapest for six years. Yet Hungary has never won a world beauty pageant title, while the Philippines has three Miss Universe titlists in Pia Wurztbach, Gloria Diaz and Margie Moran.

My appreciation of Hungarian women’s beauty was responsibly kept at a distance.

There are other things more beautiful in Hungary such as the River Danube that flows along Austria, Hungary and Romania. Then of course there is the music— that can “soothe the savage beast”—composed by such masters as Franz Liszt, Bela Bartok and Zoltan Kodaly. I had my fill of the music of these world famous composers during the many concerts the diplomatic community was invited to by the host government.

“Come to our island before the tourists discover it.” Now, that catchy and imagi-

native tourism promo ad comes from a little-known country. The text was original and NOT plagiarized from another country’s.

But back to Digong’s latest rape remark, which has drawn a backlash from women’s groups and netizens. The joke is adding insult to injury considering that Davao recorded 42 cases of rape from April to June 2018 alone. This is according to the Philippine National Police. Quezon City came in a close second for the same period, according to the same PNP report.

Manila is third with 42 rape cases, followed by Cagayan de Oro with 34, and Zamboanga City, 21.

The overall number of rapes committed in the country is alarming, From 4,712 in 2012, the figure jumped to 10,000 in 2015! This, despite the government’s anticrime campaign and focus on illegal drug trafficking.

Since there are allegations of rampant extrajudicial killings of drug suspects, perhaps it’s time for Congress to legislate the return of the death penalty to put the fear of God on rapists and drug traffickers.

eric.jurado@gmail.com

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

A5

The awakening of a national cancer constituency ment,” said Senator Angara, adding that medical advances in cancer treatment like chemotherapy remain prohibitive and beyond the reach of the poor.

Civil society, the academe, and other stakeholders have also mobilized to support the long-overdue bill, led by the WHEN Congress reopened regular ses- broad and multi-sectoral Cancer Coalisions last week, the powerful House tion of the Philippines. Considering the Committee on Appropriations, chaired 100,000 new cancer cases every year,

by Rep. Karlo Nograles (Davao City) ap- multiplied by their immediate families proved the budget-related provisions of and circles of support, the head count of an important bill that has been gaining stakeholders who stand to benefit from the empathy and support of each legisla- the bill can easily be in the millions. tor touched by its advocates.

And indeed, if the coalition’s chief adThe pending Cancer Control Act is a vocacy is making cancer treatment more landmark legislation that aims to institu- affordable, if not free, how can it incite tionalize a national, integrated, holistic anything but support? approach to address a disease that is now “As cancer is a catastrophic disease the third leading cause of death in the which pushes families deeper into povcountry. While the Universal Health Care erty, the financial burden can be overBill rightly got emphasis from President whelming given that financial risk protecDuterte during his tion mechanisms State of the Nation are limited, and Address in July, patients often need cancer is a long to shell out money over-looked comfrom their own We can win the war plex and specialpockets to pay for ized phenomenon treatment and othagainst this disease. that demands leger costs, such as islative priority. medical supplies, The key profood, and even visions recently transportation,” integrated in the the group said. latest House version of the proposed law It’s an important, emotionally invested include the establishment of a Cancer demographic that has been struggling Assistance Fund, to be managed by the with a growing national health threat, Department of Health, which will then but even with 60,000 deaths a year, there report regularly to the Office of the Presi- has only been decades of lackluster redent and Congress. The Department of sponse from policy makers. Hopefully Health may also solicit and receive tax- this changes with this Congress. exempt donations that can be part of the Thus, certifying the Cancer Control fund. The government’s cancer programs Bill as a priority legislation will surely are also due to receive appropriations resonate across all classes, rich and poor, from the national budget. throughout Luzon, Visayas, and MindanThankfully the bill had found champi- ao. It is the pervasive character of cancer ons in both houses of congress through- that if the President signs the bill into law out its journey. In the House of Repre- this year, millions will be grateful, all of sentatives, the first version was filed by whom are so deeply attached to this cause.

Rep. Alfred Vargas (Quezon City), with To end, let’s hear from someone who more than 200 members as co-authors, had personally experienced the harrowand was prioritized by the Chairperson ing, life-changing ordeal that comes with of the House Committee on Health, Rep. cancer diagnosis. Jojo Flores, 52 years Helen Tan (Quezon). old, has been a Stage IV tongue cancer In the upper house, both Senator Son- survivor for more than nine years now. ny Angara and Senate Committee on In an open letter addressed to President Health Chairman JV Ejercito filed their Duterte, he stressed the importance of own counterpart versions. Aside from the law to ordinary Filipinos like him and the two, 14 other senators are counted as the legacy that it could leave this adminco-authors: Loren Legarda, Nancy Bi- istration. nay, Frank Drilon, Migz Zubiri, Ralph He wrote: “I write this letter to you on Recto, Francis Pangilinan, Richard behalf of all Filipino cancer survivors Gordon, Grace Poe, Sonny Trillanes, (newly diagnosed, ongoing treatment, Win Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, Cyn- and post treatment), their affected family thia Villar, Joel Villanueva, and Panfilo members and loved ones, and all cancer Lacson. This is already a majority in the patient advocates. Our collective prayer Senate and more will hopefully throw in and desire—spearheaded by the efforts their support when Senator JV Ejercito of the Cancer Coalition of the Philipofficially delivers his much-anticipated pines—is for the speedy passage of the sponsorship speech.

Cancer Control Act. Chairman JV Ejercito conducted long “When you sign the Cancer Control hours of stakeholder consultations that has Act into law, this will become a landmark produced a consolidated Senate commit- health legislation, supported by millions tee version that addresses the various gaps of cancer stakeholders and co-authored in the cancer care continuum and integrat- by a great majority of legislators from ed solutions for every single step: from both Houses of Congress. A legislation prevention, detection, correct diagnosis, that has broken the political lines and will treatment and palliative care, pain man- benefit the poorest Filipinos. agement and survivorship or end of life.

“By your simple endorsement, you will “The vision is a patient centric support achieve what many administrations have system that is caring, supportive, within a sadly neglected.” progressive and enabling environment so ‘‘With your help, we can win the war that Filipinos affected with cancer can live against cancer. With your help tens of thouwith dignity, enjoying long, productive, and sands of Filipino lives will be saved to bemeaningful lives,” said Senator JV Ejercito. come productive citizens of our country.”

“We need to develop a system in which Pass the Cancer Control Act! all people with cancer have access to https://www.facebook.com/Cancerhigh-quality and affordable cancer treat- CoalitionPH/

To be...

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“worst crisis” ever, with stocks of NFA rice reaching a one-day national inventory sometime in June, the resonating call is for leadership to abolish the agency once and for all, especially since rice tarriffication to replace the QR is about a done deal.

One can understand, even empathize with Speaker Arroyo’s “neither being here or there” on the issue of the NFA abolition that several quarters demand.

She understands the politics of rice, as much as she fully grasps the workings of the law of supply and demand. She saw how rice affected her father’s re-election, and how rice supply and prices bedeviled her in 2008.

Her loyalists in the HoR, Rep. Danilo Suarez and Joselito Atienza, are crying for the removal of DA Sec. Manny Pinol and NFA Administrator Jason Aquino for the mess we are in. Without them mentioning recent history, that was what happened in 1995 under FVR where both Sebastian and David unequivocally resigned.

At the heart of the conundrum is the expiration of our quantitative restrictions in June 2017. We are now the only WTO-affiliated economy still under a QR regime, which means we can restrict the amount of rice allowed to be imported into the Philippines, and that volume is determined by the NFA and the NFA Council where our economic managers preside.

In 1995 when we joined the World

Trade Organization, we applied for, and were given a 10-year period to improve our palay farmer’s competitiveness, along with Taiwan and South Korea. But in 2004 when the QR expired, we were far from being competitive, and so we asked for another reprieve. Taiwan graduated, but South Korea joined us in asking for another extension, seven years, to end June 30, 2012. But PNoy believed Alcala’s boast that he could achieve selfsufficiency, and echoed this goal even before the world’s economic managers in Davos, who of course raised their eyebrows.

I was tasked along with DA Usec Fred Serrano and Asec Romy Recide to ask for a five-year reextension. Korea did not, and we were alone. The same was finally granted, with extreme reluctance and at great quid-pro-quo to our Minimum Access Volume not only in rice but in pork and poultry as well, only in late 2015, a five-year extension that expired last June 30, 2017.

Yet the conundrum still haunts our palay farmers sector vis-à-vis our humongous consuming population.

The plain and simple truth is, our farmers have remained uncompetitive. And our consumers are reeling from the impact of rice supply mismanagement that has created shortages and roof-high inflation in the staple.

To be or not to be NFA, that is the question.

To paraphrase a great leader: “The problem with those in government is that they talk too much, do so little, and act too late.”

Amen to that.

A6

News

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Convene NSC, Ledac for Marawi rehab, BOL’

By Rio N. Araja

A

HOUSE majority leader has urged President Rodrigo Duterte to convene the National Security Council and the LegislativeExecutive Development Advisory Council to discuss the progress of the Marawi City rehabilitation program and the Bangsamoro Organic Law. Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., committee on rules chairperson, said the rehabilitation efforts in war-torn Marawi and the BOL must be discusses in the deliberation of next year’s P3.757-trillion national budget.

“I would suggest that Malacañang call a meeting of the NSC or even Ledac,” he said.

Andaya is pushing for a supplemental budget to be able to meet the financial requirements of the implementation of the BOL. “What are the financing bottlenecks, for example? The bottomline is the people of Mindanao should be consulted,” he said.

“At the House, the views of the Mindanao bloc are important. The people in or around the so-called ground zero should be consulted. Civilian views should be part of the discussion,” Andaya added.

Task Force Bangon Marawi head Eduardo del Rosario said changes in the reconstruction of Marawi City would not cause a delay in their target project completion of 2021.

The task force earlier faced a setback after a failed negotiation with the developer, the Bangon Marawi Consortium.

Falconi Millar, task force secretarygeneral, said the Chinese-led consortium failed to satisfy the financial, technical and legal requirements of the project.

As this developed, the Department of Trade and Industry is planning to provide more assistance to affected Maranao entrepreneurs in Marawi.

“We plan to allocate more budget for this year to support the Bangon Marawi programs to provide livelihood assistance to around 80 percent of identified internally displaced persons in 2018,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said.

MOBILE GREENS. An enterprising family transports assorted ornamental plants for sale along Laon Laan St. in Sampaloc, Manila. Lino Santos

Gov’t urged to upgrade provincial airports after Xiamen mess

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Joseph Victor Ejercito has urged the government to upgrade provincial airports and decide on the location of a new gateway to avert a similar paralysis that hit the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after a Xiamen Air plane skidded off its runway.

In an interview over radio dzbb on Sunday, Ejercito said authorities should already decide where to locate the secondary airport, noting

that many options have been offered, such as Sangley Point in Cavite.

“The DOTr should make a decision on where our airport would be,” he said, adding this is the only long-term solution to the congestion at Naia.

Ejercito said the Xiamen incident should serve as an eye opener for the government.

“Naia is a single runway international airport.

By today’s standards, all airports should have two parallel runways,” he said.

He said authorities can develop Clark International Airport for a medium- term solution.

“Clark is already there. It’s about triple the size of Naia. And they are already constructing the new airport building in Clark, and that’s a P12-billion facility,” he said.

Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr., for his part, said Clark International Airport should be primed this early so that it can fully function as the country’s main gateway should the so-called “The Big One” knock out Naia.

Lawmaker hails support for 100-day maternity leave

By Rio N. Araja LEYTE Rep. Yedda Romualdez has lauded her fellow lawmakers for the passage of a proposed measure to grant a 100-day paid maternity leave through a viva voce voting.

The House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 4113 on second reading.

“This is a very important proposal that deserves the support of Congress.

This would definitely give ample time for mothers to nurture, take care and breastfeed their newborns for the first 100 days,” she said.

At present, a paid maternity leave covers only 60 days after giving normal birth, and 78 days for caesarean delivery.

“We have to support the bill because this will provide better benefits to the ordinary working women. It’s really difficult to recover, especially if the delivery is through caesarean. I can relate to this experience,” Romualdez said.

HB No. 4113 was earlier endorsed for plenary approval by former Democratic Independent Workers’ Association Rep. Emmeline AglipayVillar, a former chairperson of the House committee on women and gender equality.

On March 6, 2017, the Senate approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 1305 to grant a 120day paid maternity leave with an option to extend it for another 30 days without pay.

Floirendo to set up scholarship fund

FUN RUN. Civil Service Commission chairperson Alicia dela Rosa-Bala leads the RACE Fun Run in celebration of the 118th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary, with the theme ‘Lingkod Bayani: Maka-Diyos, Makatao, Makabayan’ at the Quirino Granstand in Manila on Sunday.

Avito C. Dalan

‘Use Malampaya Funds to offset stranded power costs’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE electricity bill paid by Filipino consumers would be reduced if the proposed “Murang Kuryente Act” is passed into law, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said.

The measure calls for the use of the P207-billion Malampaya Funds to pay off the stranded contract costs and stranded debt of the National Power Corp.

He said this would provide savings for Filipino households.

“It is high time for the Filipino people to receive tangible benefits from the Malampaya Fund. With the approval of this measure, the government profits realized from the Malampaya Natural Gas Project will end up producing more affordable retail power rates for millions of consumers across the country,” he said.

Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate Committee on Energy, sponsored Senate Bill No. 1950 or the Murang Kuryente Act, which is based on a bill authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto.

He noted that the Malampaya fund, which was initially intended to fund the exploration, development, and exploitation of energy resources, has remained largely unused since 2001.

ALVAREZ

FLOIRENDO

IF HE wins in the P15-million libel suit he filed against former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. said he will use the money to put up a scholarship foundation.

Floirendo said he would ensure that the foundation’s scholarship program shall benefit poor but deserving students of Davao del Norte’s second district.

Half of the amount he would get if he

wins the case would go for the scholarship fund for college students, while students enrolled in accredited vocational schools shall benefit from the other half, Floirendo said.

Floirendo filed a five-page P15million libel case against Alvarez, his former friend from District 1, before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.

Rio N. Araja

Sports

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

US Open: Federer ousts Kyrgios F

Gadgets galore at PTT Run this Sept. 16

IVE-TIME champion Roger Federer found a new way to amaze Saturday as he reached the US Open last 16 with a 6-4, 6-1, 7-5 victory over Nick Kyrgios.

IT’S going to be “Gadgets Galore!” at the Grand Raffle of the PTT Run for Clean Energy Year 2 on Sept.16 at the CCP Grounds.

All runners have a chance to win smartphones, home camera, headphones, bluetooth speakers, watches and many more!

Just register at Chris Sports Outlets at SM Manila, SM Mall of Asia and SM North EDSA. An advocacy run aimed at promoting the call for clean energy in our streets, work and homes, the PTT Run for Clean Energy also accepts registrants an hour before the running of the categories during raceday at the CCP Grounds.

Interested runners may also call tel. nos. 09186002411 and landline 9759584 for more details.

Race categories are 10k (P520), 5k (P420) and 3k (P320), all inclusive of race shirt, race bib and giveaways. Top three male and female runners of the 10k and 5k will get cash prizes and medals.

Backed by PTT Lubricants, Cafe Amazon, Wish 107.5, Chris Sports, Milcu, Leslie’s Corp., ChloRelief, Lubie, CocaCola, La Filipina, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Maynilad, Herbalife, Vegemore, Science in Sport, Medicard Foundation, Ripples Daily, Gold Seas, Maynilad, Business Mirror and Business Mirror Health and Fitness Magazine, Village Connect, Philippine School of Business Administration, Mariano Marcos High School Batch ‘91 and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, the run aims to demonstrate the power of collaborative efforts, using sports as one of the main tools, to provide information campaign about the use of clean energy.

The sponsoring PTT Philippines is one of the wholly owned subsidiary companies of Thailand’s largest oil and gas company PTT Public Company Limited. PTT Philippines’ primary business of marketing refined petroleum products and lubricants are focused on three major segments- retail, wholesale, and commercial markets.

The second-seeded Swiss withstood an early onslaught from the unpredictable Aussie, firing 51 winners that included an unlikely forehand flicked around the net post that Kyrgios couldn’t believe.

“Definitely a bit of luck and good feet,” Federer said of the shot that had Kyrgios wide-eyed at the net.

The wonder shot was the talk of the day -- but the night belonged to 2014

champion Marin Cilic and 19-yearold Australian Alex de Minaur, who battled for four hours on Louis Armstrong Stadium before Cilic pulled off a 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 victory.

De Minaur, ranked 45th in the world, pushed seventh-ranked Cilic until the bitter end, saving seven match points as he rallied from 5-2 down in the fifth set before finally succumbing after four hours on court.

“Incredible fighting spirit,” Cilic said of de Minaur after the young Aussie kept him on court until 2.22 am (0622 GMT) Sunday morning -- the secondlatest finish in US Open history.

“This is a moment to remember,” added Cilic, who booked a fourthround meeting with Belgian David Goffin.

Federer will take on Australian John Millman, who reached the last 16 of a major for the first time with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin.

If he makes it past Millman, Federer could find Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic waiting in the last eight.

Warriors wow 10,000 fans; Risers sustain MPBL climb

ICTSI CLUB FILIPINO CHAMP. Jhonnel Ababa (center) holds his trophy as he poses with Philippine Golf Tour executive director Narlene Soriano (left) and Club Filipino de Cebu president Edgar Aliño after ruling the rain-shortened ICTSI Club Filipino de Cebu Invitational in Danao City over the weekend.

Bike King Duathlon all set in Clark DUATHLON action returns to the sprawling Clark Global City as one of the country’s leading race organizers, Bike King Philippines, stages the 2018 edition of the run-bike-run event on Sunday, September 9.

Over 850 participants are signed up for the Bike King Duathlon, a mainstay on the multisport calendar since 2012.

The duathlon will consist of two

categories, the long-distance 6km run60km bike, 4km run, and the shortdistance 3km run- 30km bike, 2km run. The headwind, rolling terrain, and false flats all make for one exciting and challenging race regardless of distance.

The run course takes duathletes through Clark Global City’s main roads, while the cycling route includes loops on a stretch of about 15km of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Ex-

Foreign aces seek to end Aboitiz spell A SLEW of Thai and American aces banner the 42-player strong foreign contingent out to end the Filipinos’ domination of the rich Aboitiz Invitational, which unwraps Wednesday (Sept. 5) at the Orchard Golf and Country Club’s Palmer Course in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Jay Bayron and Elmer Salvador have won two apiece while Tony Lascuña, Juvic Pagunsan and Miguel Tabuena have nailed one title each as the locals shared the honors in the first seven editions of one of the premier championships on the Philippine Golf Tour Asia calendar sponsored by Aboitiz Equity Ventures.

But the likes of Wisut Artjanawat, Pasavee Lertvilai, Tommy Mansuwan, Chirat Jirasuwan, Sutijet Kooratanapisan and Thammanoon Sriroj of Thailand along with PGT campaigners Lexus Keoninh, Brett Munson, Cory Oride and John Michael O’Toole of the US are all geared up to foil the locals’ bid to extend their reign in the $100,000 event put up by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. David Gleeson, who ruled the PGT Asia second season’s kickoff leg at Luisita last April, is also back in the hunt along with fellow Aussies Calum Juniper, Nathan Miller, Nathan Park and Simon Treby while England’s George Twyman, Joe Knox and David Benjamin also aiming to sneak into title contention in the blue-ribbon event that has since become one of the keenly awaited tournaments in the circuit for its prize money and participation.

Djokovic, winner of US Open titles in 2011 and 2015, extended his dominance over Richard Gasquet with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 victory in front of a rowdy night crowd on the massive Ashe Stadium.

“It was the best match of the week so far without a doubt, and one of the best performances of the hardcourt season after Wimbledon,” said Djokovic, who warmed up for Flushing Meadows by beating Federer in the Cincinnati Masters final.

Djokovic saved all five break points he faced to book a meeting with Joao Sousa of Portugal, a 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5) winner over France’s Lucas Pouille. AFP

pressway (SCTEx).

Specially designed trophies and gift items for the winners in the age-group, relay, and team competitions are at the stake in this event presented by Clark Global City and NLEX-SCTEx and supported by FamilyMart, TIMEX, Standard Insurance, Gardenia, Clark Water, Nescafe’ Dolce Gusto, Vittoria, and partner hotels The Villages at Global Clark and Royce Hotel.

Duathletes can also take advantage of early-bird rates for the My Daily Collagen (MDC) Triathlon (formerly known as Bike King 1) on February 24, 2019 in Subic!

Drop by the MDC booth on Sept 8 and 9 in the duathlon expo to register on-site. For details on the Bike King Duathlon registration and race schedule, visit http://www.bikekingphilippines.com

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Drawing inspiration from the loud crowd of over 10,000 and firepower from Leomer Losentes, the Warriors repulsed the Pampanga Lanterns, 72-64, to overshadow the Bataan Risers’ victory earlier in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Datu Cup doubleheader at Lagao Gymnasium here.

The Risers were forced to an overtime before downing the Makati Skyscrapers, 72-70, employing tight defense while coming through with clutch hits, the Warriors surged ahead, 50-39, then quelled the Lanterns’ repeated rallies.

The 5-foot-11 Losentes, a former star of St. Francis of Assisi who became a byword in Mindanao and Visayas cage leagues, poured 19 of his game-high 21 points in the second half to power the Warriors to their second straight win and a 3-4 record.

Feeling the absence of Michael Juico, the MPBL’s leading scorer who got injured in the second quarter and never returned, the Lanterns dropped to 3-5.

With another gunner, Cristopher Masaglang, out of commission due to bone fracture, the 33-year-old Losentes took charge and with some help from John Orbeta, who chipped in 11 points, bailed the Warriors out of trouble in the game serving as part of the GenSan Tuna Festival running up to Sept. 5.

League founder Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who initiated the event in this city ten years ago as the Manny Pacquiao Basketball League, graced the MPBL Mindanao Invasion together with GenSan Mayor Ronnel Rivera and other city and Soccsksargen officials.

Pamboy Raymundo’s jumper with 1:28 seconds left in extension turned out to be the marginal basket for Bataan, which notched its sixth straight win after dropping its inaugural game and gained a share of top spot with the Manila Stars in the North division.

Ateneo out to snatch UAAP 81 crown

By Peter Atencio THE Ateneo Blue Eagles will be a more cohesive team in season 81 of the coming UAAP men’s basketball season thanks to three pocket tournaments which included the 2018 William Jones Cup in Taiwan along with a two-weeklong training stint in Greece.

The Blue Eagles will show everyone the stuff they’re made of when they clash with the Adamson Falcons on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“We’re very excited for the coming season. We’re out for the challenge of defending the crown. Alam namin na hindi madali,” said Blue Eagles skipper Mike Nieto.

The Katipunan-based squad finished fourth in the recent Jones Cup, won a crown in the Break Down tournament, and topped San Beda in the 2018 FilOilFlying V finals.

“This tournament (Jones Cup) was a bridge too far, to put ourselves against this level of competition, to be standing

DAVID GLEESON

out there, not as champions, and rightfully hold ourselves speaks positively of the team,” said Blue Eagles coach Tab Baldwin who is positive the experience has prepared them well to take it all this season.

The Blue Eagles will play without two major front court threats in Chibueze Ikeh and Vince Tolentino, who graduated after their successful campaign last season. New foreign student-athlete Angelo Kouame, a 6-foot-10 center, who impressed in the Blue Eagles preseason performances is coming in.

Blue Eaglets standout SJ Belangel, who is recovering from an offseason injury, is also in, along with 6’5 Fil-Canadian Matthew Daves, who is expected to dazzle with his midrange and long range jumpers.

Season 80 begins this Saturday with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons clashing with the University of the East Warriors at 2 p.m. while National University meets University of Santo Tomas at 4 p.m.

Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin talks about the Ateneo Blue Eagles coming campaign in season 81 of the UAAP. He is pictured above with Bounty Fresh president and CEO Ronald Mascarinas, and other members of the team during a press con for the Jones Cup. Peter Atencio

Sports

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

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

Molde, UP shoot down Falcons, gain PVL finals

TNT KaTropa’s Terrence Romeo (7) floats a shot inside the key against Jon Gabriel (L) and Eric Camson of Columbian Dyip.

TNT stops bleeding with crucial OT win

By Jeric Lopez

JAYSON Castro and Terrence Romeo made key plays down the stretch to help TNT KaTropa escape with a tough 118-114 overtime squeaker over stubborn Columbian Dyip to snap its losing skid and gain some positivity in a thrilling battle of two ailing teams in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

Castro capped his game-long brilliance by draining a critical trey with 2:22 remaining to give the Tropang Texters a vital 115-112 lead entering the twilight zone, something they will hold onto until the final horn.

In his full element, Castro errupted for a conference-high 25 points, including four triples, with seven assists to lead his squad, while Romeo finished with 22 markers.

Rashawn McCarthy had a chance to tie the game at the 1:06 mark of the extra period after Romeo was called for a technical foul due to a second motion, but he missed, allowing TNT to remain on the driver seat, 115-114.

Then, Romeo answered with a tough lay-up in traffic with 58 seconds remaining to extend the Texters’ lead to three, 117-114.

Columbian once again had an opportunity to tie or inch closer,but Akeem Wright, with Castro all over him, turned the ball over with 10.5 ticks left, giving TNT the ball back with its lead to work on.

A huge delay of game infraction cost the Dyip a lot as a technical foul was called and Castro drained an insuring free throw out of it with the same amount of time left, icing the win.

The Tropang Texters are now at 2-4 after breaking their losing streak to three.

On the other hand, the woeful Dyip remained without a win and fell to 0-5 after yet another loss to remain at the bottom.

POC President: So much work to do J

AKARTA—The Philippines pulled off an unexpected four-gold medal harvest in the 18th Asian Games that came to a close on Sunday—but the improved performance was still lacking in almost all departments.

The gold medals in weightlifting, golf and skateboarding placed Team Philippines at No. 19 among 37 of the 45-nation Games that clinched at least one bronze medal.

Filipino athletes also bagged two silver and 15 bronze medals in these Games that favored the hosts, who got their wish of finishing in the magic five with 31 golds, 15 of them won in the subjective sport of pencak silat, an Indonesian traditional martial art.

And with the campaign over, Philippine Olympic Committee President Ricky Vargas, said there is so much

work to do.

“I realized that despite the improved performance, there are so many things that we still need to do,” said Vargas Sunday morning, hours before the closing ceremony of the Asian Games Indonesia has hosted only for the second time since 1962.

“By all indications, the Asian Games was a success for Team Philippines— total medal count improved, gold count quadrupled,” Vargas said. “The ranking went up from 22nd to 19th, although short of the goal of 15th, but still acceptable.”

But Vargas threw caution into the air.

The Philippines does not look primed to emerge as overall champion of the 30th Southeast Asian Games that the country is hosting in November next year.

“To be honest? No!” Vargas said, a few hours before the last man standing for a possible gold medal, boxer Rogen Ladon, fought—and eventually lost to a head-butting Jasurbek Latipov of Uzbekistan, on Saturday.

“To aim for No. 1 is very difficult, but to aim for the top three is possible—it depends on how we manage the events and the sports,” he added.

The Indonesians’ sweep of the 14 pencak silat gold medals, Vargas said, is a clear indication of the advantage a host country gets. He also mentioned strong chances for the gold medal in arnis, an indigenous martial art, as well as basketball, taekwondo, boxing, bowling, billiards, among others.

ISA Molde broke a two-game slump with a brilliant 27-hit performance in a sudden death match, powering University of the Philippines to a stirring 25-19, 29-27, 20-25, 25-20 reversal over top seed Adamson U and into the championship round of the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Collegiate Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan yesterday.

Molde, who struggled for eight hits in the opener of their bestof-three semis series and put in a nine-point show in Game Two, struck when the Lady Maroons needed her most, unleashing a number of crisp crosscourt hits while adding four kill blocks to her outstanding performance.

With Molde on the firing end, the Lady Maroons took the first two frames, outlasting the Lady Falcons in a thrilling, extended second set duel, then bounced back from a third set defeat with a strong finish in the fourth to complete the fourth seeded squad’s rise to vie for a championship in the mid-season conference of the league organized

by Sports Vision.

“We’re very happy that we got what we wanted,” said Molde.

UST and FEU were disputing the other championship slot in another rubber match at presstime.

Game One of the finals, another best-of-three affair, begins Sunday.

The Lady Falcons, who swept the single round elims of the league backed by Mikasa and Asics but dropped a 26-24, 19-25, 22-25, 2520 decision in Game One, came out flat a day after forcing a “rubber” via a 25-23, 25-19, 25-21 triumph last Saturday.

But they fought back strong in the third to stall the Lady Maroons’ sweep bid but blew a 1615 lead in the fourth with sloppy plays, enabling their rivals to string four straight points to gain control at 19-16 capped by Molde’s power hit.

Refusing to give up, Adamson pulled to within, 18-19, on an Eli Soyud crosscourt hit but Molde countered with her own kill and UP took five of the last seven points to clinch the set and the match on a Marian Buitre’s vicious baseline spike.

In men’s play, UST withstood Adamson’s furious fightback and pulled off a 25-15, 16-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-8 victory to sweep their best-of-three semis series and clinch the first slot in the finals.

PH jins vying in Malaysia tourney

Shown are the Filipino campaigners in Malaysia. They are, front row, from left: Joseph Gadiana, Vina Marie Ignacio-Rivera, Alileah Dulce Amor Perez and Roderick Rivera. Back row, same order: Joel Lacsamana, June Ninobla Galilee Tinaya, Raul Samson (team leader), Renan Desaluna, Arnold Valenzuela and Jan Joseph Hernandez. Not in pucture are Eulogio Rodriguez, Jean Pierre Sabido, Ernesto Guzman Jr., Glenn Buenafe, Jeffry Ysmael and Carlos Jose Padilla V.

CARRYING the colors of SMART/MVP Sports Foundation, a 17-man Philippine taekwondo team shoots for more international honors when it competes in the 2018 Asia Pacific Masters Games, September 6-9 in Palembang, Malaysia.

Two officials and 15 athletes make up the Philippine squad which sees action against entries from 34 other countries in two events -- kyorugi (free sparring) and poomsae (forms).

Among the Filipinos’ tough rivals in the tournament are Korea, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Iran and China.

Raul Samson will head the team while Carlos Jose Padilla V willserve as coach.

The Filipino athletes are: Kyorugi -- Joseph Gadiana (-58 kg),

Roderick Rivera (-58 kg), Jan Joseph Hernandez (-68 kg), Arnold Valenzuela (-80 kg) and Renan Desaluna (-80 kg). Poomsae -Jean Pierre Sabido, playing coach; Galilee Tinaya, Ernesto Guzman Jr., June Ninobla, Glenn Buenafe, Jerry Ysmael, Joel Lacsamana, Eulogio Rodriguez, Alileah Dulce Amor Perez and Vina Marie Ignacio-Rivera.

Filipino fighters have always been considered among the top performers in prestigious international competitions because of the year-round training and preparations conducted by the Philippine Taekwondo Associaition.

The Malaysia-bound PH team is supported by PLDT, Meralco, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and Milo.

PH ends Asiad with sixth place finish in Triathlon PALEMBANG—The Philippines capped its campaign in the 18th Asian Games by finishing sixth in mixed relay of triathlon that ended in front of the Jakabaring Sport City Shooting Range on a sunny Sunday morning.

Teaming up for the first time in a major event, the Philippine quartet—Claire Adorna, John Chicano, Kim Manrobang and Asian Games newcomer Mark Anthony Hosana—logged a total time of one hour, 39 minutes and .08 seconds in the 300-meter swim, 6.3-km. bike and 2.1-km run to finish sixth out of 13 countries that saw action in the event.

Fresh from a one-month training in Johore Bahru in Malaysia, the squad matched the sixth-place finish of the country with the team composed of Adorna, Niko Huelgas, Mangrobang

and Chicano in the 2014 Incheon Games.

The Filipinos finished eight minutes and 29 seconds behind gold medalist Japan (1:30.39), which swept all three golds at stake in the sport, with Korea (1:32.21) and surprising Hong Kong (1:33.04) bagging the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

“Claire is our strongest swimmer, while Kim and John are our strongest links in the relay so we placed them in the middle,” said national men’s coach Melvin Fausto of the team’s strategy. “Those two athletes served as the bridge so hindi masyadong makalayo ang kalaban.”

The battle for top honors was intense because the Asian Games served as an Olympic qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, where

the mixed relay will be a medal sport for the first time in the sportsfest,” explained national women’s coach Ani Deleon Brown.

With Japan assured of a slot as the host, the other two will go to the silver and bronze medalist in the mixed relay “kaya patay kung patay kung lumaban ang mga strong teams dito,” noted Brown.

Assessing the overall performance of the triathlon squad, Triathlon Association of the Philippines president Tom Carrasco said “we need more training overseas and competition to bring ourselves closer Asian level of Japan, Korea and China.

“This is why we sent Kim to train in Portugal while the other team members are now training in Johore Bahru,” he said.

VOLLEYBELLES BOW OUT. Philippine Team for Women’s Volleyball bowing out of the 18th Asian Games finishing 8th in GOR Bulungan Sports Complex.

Inflation report to weigh on stocks

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

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PH asked to ease foreign restrictions

By Julito G. Rada

T

HE Philippines receives the least amount of foreign direct investments in Southeast Asia because of constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership in several industries, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. said in a report over the weekend.

HSBC said the continued restrictions to foreign direct investments were among the reasons the Philippines lagged behind its neighbors in terms of attracting foreign capital. It said the government’s plan to remove tax incentives

IN BRIEF SteelAsia posted record output in first 6 months STEELASIA Manufacturing Corp., the country’s biggest steel company, produced a record 1 million metric tons of reinforcing steel bars or rebars in the first six months, amid increasing demand from both private and public infrastructure projects.

SteelAsia chairman Benjamin Yao said total production from six operating plants hit 1.023 million MT in the first semester, almost 11 percent higher than 925,503 MT in the same period last year.

“We are fortunate to be able to ride on the current infrastructure boom. With sustained economic growth, we believe that SteelAsia along with the whole steel industry will also continue to grow and serve more customers,” he said.

The biggest production came from SteelAsia’s steel mill in Meycauayan with 271,329 MT in the first half. SteelAsia’s Meycauayan mill supplies rebars to Metro Manila and Central and Northern Luzon.

This was followed by its manufacturing units Davao Works with 257,032 MT and Calaca Works in Batangas with 255,147 MT output during the six-month period. Othel V. Campos

Energy to bid out 14 oil and gas blocs THE Energy Department plans to bid out 14 areas for oil and gas exploration under the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program early next year.

Energy Undersecretary Donato Marcos said a roadshow was ongoing in Singapore to attract investors and interested service contractors for the 14 areas.

“We have a one on one meeting with all the interested service contractors or investors because we are talking and discussing the 14 pre-determined areas which will be bidded early next year,” Marcos said.

Marcos said the agency came out with a twopronged approach to entice investors to participate in the PCECP. The first involves the DoE coming out with the pre-determined areas and bidding it out to investors, while the second approach involves the investors nominating frontier areas and opening it to Swiss Challenge. Alena Mae S. Flores

Investors to infuse P2.5b in Zamcelco THE board of Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative Inc. or Zamcelco awarded the investor-management contract to the joint venture of Crowninvestments Holdings Inc. and Desco Co., which offered a P2.5-billion deal.

The winning joint venture bid will manage the operations of the Zamcelco and resolve the financial woes of the electric cooperative which handles the distribution of electricity in Zamboanga City.

“The joint venture deems that this is the appropriate amount to pay all existing obligations, provide capital infusion to upgrade the facilities and improve the services of Zamcelco. The great city of Zamboanga deserves this infusion so as to be the premier distribution utility in Mindanao,” Crowninvestments and Desco said in a joint statement.

Zamcelco was saddled with more than P2 billion worth of debt to power suppliers, including a P374-million loan with the National Electrification Administration. Alena Mae S. Flores

August inflation likely reached 5.8% INFLATION rate likely accelerated to 5.8 percent in August from 5.7 percent in July on higher food prices and demand-side pressures, Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. said in a report over the weekend.

“Driven by higher food prices and demand side pressures, we expect headline CPI [consumer price index] to have increased by 0.3 percent month-onmonth in August [versus July: 0.5 percent monthon-month]. This will translate into an annual increase of 5.8 percent year-on-year,” ANZ said.

“Although the sequential increase is likely to be lower than in July, the annual inflation will remain well above the central bank’s inflation target band of 2 to 4 percent,” ANZ said.

It said as the uptrend in inflation was still volatile, the case for further policy tightening of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas remained firmly on the table.

Inflation in July hit a more than five-year high of 5.7 percent and brought the average inflation in the first seven months to 4.5 percent, beyond the Bangko Sentral’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent this year.

The government is scheduled to release the August inflation data this week. Julito G. Rada

PH asks S. Korea to cut banana tariff THE Trade Department filed a new request with the Korean government to reduce the tariff on Philippine banana exports.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, who recently met with Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong, reiterated the Philippines’ request for wider market access to South Korea.

“We will open discussion and we are considering options for a better process moving forward, either bilateral through PTA [Preferential Trade Agreement] or under Asean-Korea trade agreement,” he said.

The Philippine remains the biggest supplier of bananas to South Korea with over 85-percent market share. Other countries with similar trade arrangements are asking Korea to increase their market presence.

South Korea imports about 30 million boxes of Philippine bananas or about 390,000 tons a year.

Philippine bananas are levied a 30-percent duty in Korea. Othel V. Campos

enjoyed by foreign companies could reduce capital inflows further.

“Not all countries are benefitting equally from the recent FDI windfall.

Structural restrictions to FDI and the sustainability of investment incentives pres-

ent downside risks for some countries, which means that the region must continue to find new ways to attract foreign investment in the long term,” the bank said.

HSBC said while total FDI flows to the six largest members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations averaged nearly $117 billion per year since 2010, much of it went to Singapore.

It said the Philippines and Indonesia received a relatively small part of inflows, despite constituting almost half of the region’s population.

FDI as a percentage of GDP in Singapore increased to over 20 percent

since 2010, while the Philippines and Indonesia’s share remained below their regional peers.

“We believe these are primarily due to structural issues, such constitutional restrictions to FDI in the Philippines and souring foreign investment sentiment in Indonesia, which their respective governments must address to take larger part in the broader region’s FDI windfall,” HSBC said.

It said the US and Japan remained the primary investors in Asean’s most valued-added and productive industries such as services and manufacturing,

while China was finding its footing in the region’s smaller economies and in several niche sectors such as real estate and mining/quarrying.

HSBC said intra-regional investment was also a key in the recent FDI surge.

The most developed economies (Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand) were the largest sources of intra-Asean FDI, with their largest recipient being Indonesia– the biggest economy in the region.

Intra-regional investment to Indonesia averaged around $9 billion per year since 2010.

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Business

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Inflation report to weigh on stocks

By Jenniffer B. Austria

S

HARE prices are expected move sideways this week as investors await the inflation rate figure for the month of August.

Analysts also expect developments in Turkey and Argentina, both embroiled in currency crises, to weigh on market sentiments this week.

Papa Securities trader Gio Perez said further weakness in the currencies of Turkey and Argentina could lead to more tensions in the emerging markets The government is set to release on Wednesday the inflation rate figure for the month of August. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas BSP Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. last week said the inflation rate in August could be close to 5.7 percent in July.

While the inflation rate would continue to be driven by higher oil and commodity proces, Espenilla downplayed stronger monetary policy action from the Bangko Sentral, saying the decision of monetary authorities would always be guided by available data, not just inflation.

The PSEi last week increased 1.w percent to 7,855.71 due to window dressing at the end of the month.

Except for services index, which dipped 0.6 percent, all other sub-indices ended in green led by holding firms, which rose 2.05 percent; property which advanced 1 percent; and financial which added 0.7 percent.

Foreign investors were net sellers by P414 million, while the average daily value traded hit P7.05 billion from the previous week’s average of P6.7 billion.

The market however is still down 8.21 percent year-to-date.

Weekly top price gainers were JG

Summit Holdings Inc., which jumped 9.4 percent to P60; Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which advanced 8.6 percent to P5.45; and First Gen Corp., which gained 7.6 percent to P17.

Weekly top price losers, meanwhile, were led by Cirtek Holdings Philippines Corp., which dropped 8.3 percent to P32; Union Bank of the Philippines which declined 5.9 percent to P76.10; and Philippine Savings Bank which dipped 5.4 percent to P83.30.

Global stock markets, meanwhile, wobbled Friday as US President Donald Trump eyed further tariffs even as roadblocks emerged on striking a key trade deal with Canada.

US stocks were essentially flat on the last trading day of August, heading into the long holiday weekend.

Markets closed before the news emerged that US-Canada talks ended without an agreement on rewriting the

North American Free Trade Agreement, but will resume next week.

Even so, the US is pressing ahead with plans to sign a free trade deal with Mexico, and with Canada if talks are successful. Optimism about the talks had sent US stocks to four record-setting closes earlier in the week.

But by Friday the benchmark Dow and the broad S&P 500 were barely moved. US markets will be closed Monday for the Labor Day holiday.

A report that Trump is planning to impose tariffs on a further $200 billion of Chinese imports as soon as next week jolted trading floors in Europe and Asia.

European Commission chief JeanClaude Juncker on Friday warned that the European Union would hit back with tariffs of its own, should Trump make good on threats to slap duties on foreign cars, as cracks emerged in an EU-US trade truce.

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS WEEKLY STOCKS REVIEW STOCKS

AUGUST 28-31, 2018 Close Volume

Value

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

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

59 130.10 93.75 2.60 1.68 31.9 7.7 16.4 14.48 4.18 8.66 1.61 820.00 0.590 73.25 1.01 11.8 22.40 48.00 83.3 109.9 195 28.5 194.5 1850.00 76.10 1.24

56,370 11,178,950 4,700,690 258,000 351,000 416,400 1,800 170,100 1,242,700 847,000 3,700 5,000 30 3,782,000 17,543,670 2,910,000 60,300 1,100 933,700 2,300 4,520 5,310 620,600 2,492,010 250 690,700 4,000

FINANCIAL 3,355,900.00 1,455,787,393.00 440,047,051.50 660,660.00 596,790.00 13,128,280.00 12,950.00 2,795,498.00 17,965,094.00 3,458,430.00 32,076.00 7,930.00 24,500.00 2,214,070.00 1,290,620,497.50 2,917,790.00 711,740.00 24,140.00 44,931,185.00 193,419.50 484,596.00 1,042,972.00 18,003,785.00 495,588,398.00 462,500.00 57,011,701.00 4,940.00

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group Basic Energy Corp.

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

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

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

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petroenergy Res. Corp.

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

Pilipinas Shell Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings SFA Semicon Shakeys Pizza SMC Food and Beverage SPC Power Corp.

Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Universal Robina Vitarich Corp.

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

37 17.18 1 1.25 36.55 0.234 19.40 3.21 14.28 210 32 68.25 80.05 46 1.8 5.01 7.68 10.540 16.24 10.22 7.30 7.04 1.6 17 64.9 28.20 7.40 13.82 2.200 288.00 4.97 3.04 24.4 13.2 18.1 0.197 373.40 6.85 2.06 4.02 9.06 5.2 7.95 0.98 11.80 57.5 6 4.80 2.49 3.15 1.69 13.1 99 5.6 0.127 1.08 139.5 2.1 20.50 1.81

9,473,200 3,642,500 52,482,000 3,115,000 1,228,100 4,980,000 26,800 15,229,000 1,310,100 110 8,706,000 2,580 30 1,647,500 97,000 100 94,900 4,446,800 7,928,800 947,000 3,863,800 26,963,200 40,000 11,307,500 1,471,430 947,900 182,600 1,657,800 3,087,000 3,094,990 428,000 60,000 5,580,600 2,201,100 12,179,000 2,580,000 1,504,170 5,000 1,886,000 331,000 3,621,400 765,100 222,200 16,722,000 250,700 4,661,280 113,800 3,462,000 788,000 181,000 954,000 2,095,200 7,724,650 776,000 10,000 1,273,000 4,429,330 9,687,000 1,000 85,742,000

INDUSTRIAL 346,420,185.00 62,374,338.00 54,338,220.00 3,779,590.00 45,918,985.00 1,173,490.00 528,221.00 49,756,010.00 19,004,754.00 23,100.00 273,165,705.00 178,106.00 2,401.50 75,661,445.00 175,020.00 501.00 712,392.00 46,386,384.00 127,552,402.00 9,769,822.00 28,148,292.00 189,875,249.00 64,120.00 190,629,190.00 94,468,559.50 26,245,820.00 1,351,319.00 22,543,822.00 6,782,240.00 886,724,626.00 2,126,478.00 187,880.00 137,494,530.00 29,774,198.00 222,708,248.00 510,320.00 559,003,122.00 34,304.00 3,977,000.00 1,352,160.00 32,604,445.00 3,882,755.00 1,726,959.00 16,745,540.00 2,909,712.00 267,757,044.50 686,441.00 16,618,840.00 1,964,020.00 565,140.00 1,621,420.00 27,663,990.00 742,274,463.50 4,345,794.00 1,270.00 1,350,130.00 624,324,541.00 20,457,310.00 20,500.00 163,785,060.00

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor `A’ ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp `A’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings Filinvest Dev. Corp.

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

Lopez Holdings Corp.

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

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

0.390 53.45 13.80 0.92 6.10 1.470 1.480 1000 5.99 12.80 7.05 0.205 876 5.98 60.00 5.73 0.59 4.7 17.2 0.630 5.45 3.73 0.0400 1.270 2.840 2.79 169.00 2.6 966.00 1.53 0.76 299.000 417.00 0.3300 0.207

155,370,000 10,558,820 27,292,500 407,000 122,700 78,705,000 14,108,000 931,520 39,044,800 25,886,700 214,000 750,000 1,013,080 12,300 6,360,320 9,200 143,000 11,686,000 8,060,700 11,711,000 222,498,400 64,000 70,900,000 2,058,000 3,755,000 756,000 2,620,540 3,000 1,154,540 1,168,000 140,000 440,620 460 101,950,000 110,000

HOLDING FIRMS 60,396,450.00 565,764,746.50 368,754,478.00 379,630.00 747,226.00 118,675,090.00 21,515,880.00 923,721,545.00 233,675,021.00 314,394,734.00 1,503,398.00 155,660.00 886,992,490.00 73,653.00 373,532,237.50 48,679.00 84,130.00 54,979,290.00 139,354,274.00 7,507,350.00 1,181,237,139.00 225,540.00 2,841,400.00 2,595,910.00 10,613,900.00 2,101,730.00 444,481,976.00 7,800.00 1,117,947,885.00 1,782,630.00 107,220.00 130,436,258.00 191,370.00 35,836,550.00 22,760.00

1,789,000 7,089,000 84,500 179,000 1,399,000 58,023,100 3,338,000 999,000 32,300 2,100 100 26,070,000 2,244,000 1,668,000 37,390,000 1,080,000 2,549,300 2,062,100 581,000 2,450,000 9,038,000 5,327,000 39,553,000 106,346,000 193,258,000 130,875,000 2,460,000 3,224,000 14,300,000 696,000

PROPERTY 13,027,085.00 6,846,630.00 1,108,612.00 351,040.00 1,015,900.00 2,568,497,120.00 10,318,820.00 4,533,310.00 181,378.00 12,290.00 650.00 11,621,850.00 2,000,590.00 1,619,300.00 9,185,730.00 462,350.00 23,726,690.00 53,121,265.00 336,420.00 280,110.00 13,642,190.00 6,339,250.00 68,146,790.00 495,396,790.00 126,189,560.00 67,965,800.00 1,207,550.00 11,134,090.00 301,222,610.00 1,402,500.00

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

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

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

Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp.

Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell

7.100 0.98 13.10 1.970 0.730 44.500 3.08 4.59 5.71 6.5 6.5 0.440 0.95 0.970 0.240 0.410 9.200 25.5 0.570 0.113 1.51 1.18 1.70 4.59 0.670 0.4750 0.495 3.49 21.30 2.03

AUGUST 20-24, 2018 Close Volume Value 59.9 128.00 92.70 2.68 1.71 31.05

55,870 6,530,180 5,329,170 92,000 1,580,000 1,110,700

3,338,810.50 830,677,877.00 491,145,711.50 239,340.00 2,739,410.00 35,337,090.00

16.36 14.44 4.12 8.67 1.55 805.00 0.550 72.5 0.98 11.96 21.90 47.25 88.05 106.5 196 29.3 202 1850.00 83.55 1.24

12,600 1,108,100 804,000 1,300 92,000 1,230 5,030,000 15,707,090 1,100,000 4,700 3,700 1,321,300 620 1,240 105,100 817,700 590,530 25 26,630 88,000

206,388.00 16,031,748.00 3,229,580.00 11,472.00 147,240.00 986,670.00 2,916,280.00 1,148,744,103.50 1,083,460.00 56,212.00 80,270.00 61,215,530.00 54,604.50 130,220.00 20,600,873.00 24,037,440.00 117,964,821.00 46,250.00 2,231,027.50 109,120.00

36.9 17.18 1.02 1.26 35.15 0.240 20.60 3.23 14.7 210 34.9 72.95 90 49 1.84 5 7.6 10.180 15.62 10.20 7.31 7.05 1.8 15.8 63.9 27.20 7.22 14 2.100 288.00 5.1 3.26 24.15 13.4 18.8 0.196 366.00 6.85 2.18 4.27 9.00 5.2 7.89 1.03 11.00 55.9 6.1 4.83 2.57 3.08 1.71 13.14 96 5.45 0.129 1.03 143 2.08 20.50 1.76

4,652,100 5,673,000 150,183,000 4,294,000 490,600 8,430,000 46,000 12,014,000 411,700 60 2,713,600 3,110 250 2,322,210 200,000 29,900 42,400 7,601,700 1,258,900 680,100 2,856,100 13,567,600 1,000 1,754,600 468,190 1,157,000 1,115,500 2,245,200 6,381,000 4,730,980 142,400 44,000 3,072,500 2,143,400 3,545,500 10,750,000 827,420 40,400 981,000 243,000 8,064,000 916,800 42,200 6,537,000 643,000 417,610 79,000 79,000 3,568,000 1,173,000 1,956,000 1,563,700 7,609,990 566,100 650,000 2,325,000 3,835,740 26,765,000 50,300 195,417,000

170,783,575.00 96,365,900.00 165,425,720.00 5,528,690.00 17,061,685.00 1,990,980.00 933,975.00 39,306,430.00 6,071,708.00 12,600.00 99,957,305.00 231,456.50 22,098.50 112,680,303.50 361,040.00 149,860.00 324,207.00 77,736,136.00 19,678,528.00 6,985,660.00 20,813,758.00 95,614,907.00 1,800.00 27,384,940.00 29,586,460.50 32,214,995.00 8,152,099.00 30,421,016.00 13,875,090.00 1,348,419,402.00 708,328.00 140,750.00 75,428,785.00 28,553,636.00 67,286,362.00 2,053,320.00 300,235,072.00 277,262.00 2,142,020.00 1,030,330.00 72,394,271.00 4,739,970.00 320,708.00 6,846,490.00 7,409,810.00 23,350,371.50 480,870.00 375,600.00 8,711,100.00 3,904,550.00 3,366,750.00 20,593,948.00 716,687,658.00 3,055,373.00 83,320.00 2,414,400.00 528,379,812.00 58,050,560.00 1,031,000.00 370,789,620.00

0.340 56.70 13.18 0.92 6.09 1.480 1.470 990 5.97 12.02 7.09 0.209 870 6.00 54.85 5.45 0.61 4.45 17.24 0.650 5.02

58,610,000 4,258,130 23,354,000 156,000 45,500 161,175,000 33,863,000 919,860 24,324,800 13,857,100 5,200 460,000 511,600 14,000 5,279,900 18,500 1,707,000 12,995,000 5,310,700 15,248,000 55,760,900

19,220,400.00 240,297,053.50 302,406,004.00 144,980.00 275,950.00 236,125,770.00 50,019,610.00 898,215,670.00 145,918,080.00 161,456,982.00 36,484.00 96,500.00 451,501,740.00 83,923.00 284,017,065.00 100,105.00 1,009,180.00 57,391,990.00 92,853,398.00 9,968,230.00 275,206,399.00

0.0380 1.300 2.870 2.78 171.80

219,400,000 24,385,000 27,435,000 4,000 8,267,030

8,928,100.00 35,259,640.00 83,686,190.00 11,140.00 1,351,250,984.00

948.00 1.56 0.79 300.800 400.00 0.3550 0.207

952,810 2,260,000 610,000 223,440 270 105,780,000 1,230,000

889,427,440.00 3,544,140.00 489,340.00 65,480,900.00 108,818.00 37,587,000.00 255,560.00

7.300 0.97 13.00 1.940 0.720 43.900 3.08 4.6 5.52

6,494,400 17,372,000 134,800 222,000 1,713,000 57,818,700 886,000 4,340,000 106,700

48,272,482.00 17,282,790.00 1,822,902.00 433,010.00 1,243,390.00 2,519,119,490.00 2,728,800.00 19,587,810.00 591,963.00

5.9 0.450 0.94 1.010 0.240 0.435 9.550 26.45 0.580 0.124 1.48 1.19 1.65 4.68 0.620 0.5500 0.495 3.5 20.60 2

1,400 15,020,000 704,000 1,662,000 378,500,000 11,250,000 804,500 1,265,300 1,158,000 870,000 29,961,000 3,674,000 135,835,000 87,171,000 82,615,000 144,917,000 6,520,000 8,638,000 7,011,200 400,000

8,260.00 6,784,300.00 683,170.00 1,668,480.00 97,333,240.00 5,165,400.00 7,809,162.00 34,094,000.00 673,670.00 102,320.00 45,471,810.00 4,403,540.00 230,974,190.00 420,865,530.00 50,365,910.00 74,021,300.00 3,223,925.00 30,596,790.00 144,463,160.00 796,700.00

STOCKS

AUGUST 28-31, 2018 Close Volume

AUGUST 20-24, 2018 Close Volume Value

Value

Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

3.22 39.00 1.14 7.16 0.770 6.400

355,000 40,183,600 3,206,000 1,376,900 151,000 9,936,000

1,136,830.00 1,559,813,445.00 3,643,720.00 9,856,279.00 120,090.00 63,517,098.00

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

Chelsea DFNN Inc. Discovery World Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Golden Haven Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp.

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail MetroAlliance A MetroAlliance B NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Wilcon Depot

13.6 24.8 1.43 0.495 0.046 13.6 3.04 9.55 0.0620 72 7.95 6.32 8.25 2.25 24.00 900 2116 5.55 317.00 11.26 3.90 93.65 2.09 12.06 7.83 0.122 3.0700 3.57 15 3.94 1.03 19.64 17.50 0.450 5.46 6.82 2.88 2.05 1.95 8.160 11 8.80 3.68 8.95 109.80 5.13 1393.00 0.405 0.870 46.00 81.60 8.00 2.19 0.840 0.67 5.11 0.790 11.520

57,800 147,500 124,000 87,381,000 25,400,000 308,800 19,488,000 64,255,700 76,230,000 808,640 3,800 8,228,300 249,800 37,000 258,200 1,530 319,280 1,112,600 7,910 300 5,199,000 10,394,680 9,000 20,100 88,500 8,650,000 27,425,000 77,000 14,300 3,791,000 1,359,000 2,441,000 100 60,000 348,600 9,917,200 1,155,000 822,000 131,000 5,069,600 253,400 20,200 315,000 157,800 249,900 1,357,600 335,725 99,050,000 9,032,000 2,944,200 4,852,000 209,300 15,873,000 54,096,000 150,120,000 6,348,100 24,855,000 5,719,100

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

United Paragon

0.0027 1.59 3.46 20.10 1.4500 1.4500 1.98 0.315 7.38 2.000 0.214 0.123 0.129 0.008 0.0085 1.4 5.43 1.16 0.5800 1.2100 0.0130 0.0130 4.10 15.70 0.0130 3.5600 29.00 0.0089

MINING & OIL 1,263,000,000 3,435,300.00 11,012,000 17,795,820.00 1,235,000 4,351,930.00 100,600 2,078,425.00 41,000 58,890.00 11,000 15,960.00 3,006,000 5,919,110.00 820,000 253,050.00 24,900 183,867.00 42,299,000 83,898,460.00 1,980,000 418,650.00 13,840,000 1,723,350.00 2,490,000 316,450.00 280,000,000 2,436,200.00 79,000,000 690,100.00 1,672,000 2,375,710.00 32,194,800 172,836,493.00 937,000 1,089,210.00 1,214,000 699,200.00 13,025,000 15,625,760.00 70,200,000 878,500.00 5,500,000 72,300.00 4,525,000 18,825,280.00 19,152,800 313,357,714.00 266,300,000 3,202,700.00 646,000 2,306,380.00 14,110,200 410,646,940.00 2,109,800,000 20,436,940.00

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

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

24.35 503 501 101 104.9 451 500 5.3 970 987.5 99.6 1.03 98.1 1011 1050 99.5 1000 77.4 80.2 75.5 75.3 76.5 75.9 75.6 77 1.94

83,900 8,100 5,000 71,360 10,660 4,000 7,110 907,200 1,010 560 60 25,000 33,500 3,480 3,040 30,150 5,255 1,334,550 54,180 501,470 59,390 50,600 9,340 109,190 248,010 3,000

LR Warrant

2.450

WARRANTS & BONDS 1,263,000 3,076,590.00

SERVICES 793,174.00 3,663,905.00 178,880.00 46,329,185.00 1,136,500.00 4,172,750.00 60,161,950.00 594,865,691.00 4,768,010.00 59,543,357.00 30,366.00 51,971,735.00 2,087,995.00 83,420.00 6,446,025.00 1,377,020.00 664,628,275.00 6,125,723.00 2,484,268.00 3,378.00 20,735,250.00 985,759,804.50 18,650.00 242,806.00 692,320.00 1,048,950.00 86,353,060.00 274,130.00 212,500.00 15,048,820.00 1,385,090.00 48,184,742.00 1,750.00 26,600.00 1,896,276.00 66,982,981.00 3,343,760.00 1,675,180.00 262,220.00 41,564,958.00 2,696,452.00 175,518.00 1,102,760.00 1,412,310.00 27,498,700.00 6,887,782.00 472,591,695.00 43,060,250.00 7,815,240.00 135,879,585.00 384,794,189.00 1,696,313.00 34,624,730.00 48,006,690.00 102,787,250.00 32,520,574.00 20,326,050.00 66,162,448.00

PREFERRED 2,055,440.00 4,020,120.00 2,509,325.00 7,167,461.00 1,074,338.00 1,814,260.00 3,555,000.00 4,777,807.00 982,200.00 544,075.00 5,976.00 25,820.00 3,194,599.00 3,518,280.00 3,093,340.00 3,007,285.00 5,248,350.00 101,508,002.00 4,321,776.00 37,611,187.50 4,475,085.00 3,883,325.00 706,856.00 8,231,602.00 18,872,730.00 5,780.00

SME 172,800.00 33,702,714.00 5,080,650.00

3.2 38.50 1.15 7.22 0.750 6.340

1,887,000 33,846,200 3,275,000 1,061,400 210,000 10,592,900

6,038,130.00 1,273,154,555.00 3,738,950.00 7,688,871.00 158,250.00 67,006,879.00

13.78 24.8 1.43 0.580 0.045 13.5 2.95 9.68 0.0610 72 8 6.47 8.70 2.37 25.45 910 1998 5.50 319.00 11.20 4.13 92.5 2.07 12.06 7.85 0.123 3.0300 3.67 15.04 3.78 1.02 20.00 17.78 0.440 5.55 7.09 2.89 2.09 2.10 8.200 11 8.70 3.73

137,700 285,600 129,000 366,898,000 74,100,000 2,879,300 135,519,400 41,779,000 144,340,000 1,490,730 9,200 4,906,000 1,258,300 60,000 277,600 80 289,065 1,166,700 20,360 300 9,222,000 9,416,130 33,000 67,000 81,600 17,320,000 19,022,000 84,000 2,100 2,445,000 968,000 1,853,100 1,200 310,000 1,237,200 10,512,200 1,277,000 1,480,000 43,000 5,456,900 14,147,100 9,500 49,000

1,902,858.00 7,128,275.00 185,040.00 220,887,400.00 3,360,200.00 38,879,456.00 470,585,665.00 398,394,617.00 8,680,600.00 107,905,528.50 73,600.00 32,196,998.00 11,061,263.00 140,100.00 7,217,465.00 72,800.00 577,907,500.00 6,431,777.00 6,358,526.00 3,360.00 38,307,850.00 869,652,774.00 68,570.00 821,172.00 635,910.00 2,140,510.00 56,598,640.00 299,590.00 31,542.00 9,316,050.00 993,020.00 36,859,921.00 21,498.00 136,250.00 6,823,022.00 74,111,193.00 3,742,210.00 3,000,090.00 86,940.00 45,069,666.00 156,754,770.00 81,686.00 178,990.00

112.30 5.18 1439.00 0.375 0.880 46.50 81.95 8.37 2.26 0.950 0.69 5.12 0.810 11.580

154,190 2,551,700 294,810 16,780,000 6,144,000 2,490,700 1,389,570 99,600 25,657,000 11,962,000 257,663,000 7,084,000 27,287,000 12,921,900

17,515,403.00 13,184,080.00 416,862,865.00 6,296,100.00 5,364,890.00 114,795,550.00 113,043,510.50 819,288.00 58,252,760.00 11,649,160.00 176,443,960.00 36,755,088.00 21,879,710.00 149,866,204.00

0.0027 1.60 3.53 21.70

1,511,000,000 8,413,000 763,000 135,700

4,038,300.00 13,515,510.00 2,719,740.00 2,889,600.00

1.98 0.300 7.38 1.980 0.208 0.122 0.127 0.008 0.0083 1.4 4.7 1.14 0.5800 1.1900 0.0130 0.0120 4.05 16.64 0.0110 3.4400 29.25 0.0066

4,121,000 300,000 31,800 15,262,000 1,300,000 6,220,000 40,000 43,000,000 8,000,000 2,885,000 8,326,000 645,000 2,678,000 12,603,000 13,300,000 305,400,000 4,196,000 23,686,200 43,000,000 2,440,000 10,367,200 306,300,000

8,099,490.00 90,050.00 234,476.00 30,284,120.00 270,420.00 761,030.00 5,050.00 340,900.00 66,400.00 4,080,100.00 39,116,180.00 723,840.00 1,510,780.00 14,804,730.00 164,000.00 3,668,200.00 17,051,780.00 382,090,362.00 490,800.00 8,484,070.00 307,250,145.00 2,211,000.00

23.6 501 505 101 100

115,200 2,950 40 198,750 48,130

2,808,430.00 1,446,510.00 20,200.00 19,921,105.00 4,814,798.00

503 5.3 950 987.5 99.6 1.04 105 1010 1050 100 1000 77 80 75.05 75.5 77 75.9 75.6 77 1.92

60 1,035,600 6,030 370 10,540 6,000 4,690 1,670 6,230 13,200 9,420 356,150 67,170 10,200 3,380 31,780 111,160 184,040 252,870 13,000

30,180.00 5,461,797.00 5,779,400.00 365,365.00 1,050,516.00 6,160.00 474,200.00 1,697,710.00 6,391,500.00 1,320,530.00 9,353,850.00 26,909,837.50 5,328,634.00 765,510.00 255,069.50 2,435,880.00 8,410,146.00 13,898,236.00 19,207,778.50 24,970.00

2.380

426,000

995,280.00

5.07 2.83

1,664,800 4,448,000

8,435,948.00 12,615,980.00

Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

2.88 5.33 2.83

60,000 6,304,700 1,777,000

First Metro ETF

117

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 34,770 4,053,056.00

115.3

23,220

2,641,047.00

USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

10.3 10.26 1.04

DOLLAR DENONIMATED SEC. 17,900 184,370.00 8,280 83,002.80 147,920 149,836.80

10.3 10 1.04

9,000 21,900 1,520

92,700.00 219,525.20 1,525.60

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS United Paragon Abra Mining Manila Mining `A’ Philodrill Corp. `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

MRC Allied Ind. Abacus Cons. `A’ Transpacific Broadcast Phil. Estates Corp.

Megaworld

VOLUME 2,109,800,000 1,263,000,000 280,000,000 266,300,000 222,498,400 193,258,000 155,370,000 150,120,000 130,875,000 106,346,000

STOCKS Ayala Land `B’ SM Prime Holdings Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Metrobank Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

SM Investments Inc. I.C.T.S.I. Ayala Corp `A’ GT Capital Jollibee Foods Corp.

VALUE 2,568,497,120.00 1,559,813,445.00 1,455,787,393.00 1,290,620,497.50 1,181,237,139.00 1,117,947,885.00 985,759,804.50 923,721,545.00 886,992,490.00 886,724,626.00

Dennis Uy set to raise P1.48b from share sale to fund casinos THE casino venture of businessman Dennis Uy plans to raise as much as P18.48 billion through a share sale scheduled before the end of 2018.

Philippine H20 Ventures Inc., soon to be called PH Resorts Group Holdings Inc., said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission it would sell up to 2.054 billion in common shares with an indicative offer price of up to P9 apiece About 1.78 billion of the 2.054 billion shares are primary shares while 267.94 million are for over-allotment shares.

The indicative offering price of P9 is 73-percent higher compared with Philippine H20 closing price of P5.20 per share on Friday.

The company has reportedly tapped China Banking Corp.and CLSA Ltd. as the underwriters of the follow-on offering.

The planned share sale will also enable the company to comply with the 10 percent minimum public ownership required on listed companies.

The Uy-led Udenna Development Corp. in March completed the acquisition of a 62-percent stake in Philippine H2O under a share purchase agreement mainly with Jolliville Holdings Corp.

Shareholders of Philippine H20 during a stockholders’ meeting held in June approved the change in the company’s corporate name to PH Resorts Group Holdings. Inc and an increase in the capital base to P8 billion from P500 million.

The increase in the company’s capital will enable Philippine H20 to issue P4.5 billion worth of shares and cash to Udenna Group, which in turn, will infuse capital into tourism-related businesses, including the two integrated resort and casino projects.

The additional capital will increase Udenna’s stake in Philippine H2O to 98 percent.

Uy is building a $300-million casino project called Lapu-Lapu Leisure Mactan on a 12-hectare lot in Cebu.

Jenniffer B. Austria

MPCala, Egis installing modern payment system

By Darwin G Amojelar MPCALA Holdings Inc., a whollyowned subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., has signed a contract with Egis Projects Philippines to install an electronic toll collection system at the Cavite Laguna Expressway project.

“It’s a first in the Philippines which is system capable to transact 1,200 vehicles per hour as it passes without any barriers. It is a big jump from the RFID transaction of 700-800 vehicles per hour at present,” said MPCALA and Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. president and chief executive Luigi Bautista said.

“Our objective in using this new toll collection system is for our motorists to experience seamless, fast and reliable cashless transactions, making them spend less time on the road and more time with their families,” he said.

“With Egis bringing this technology to the MPTC tollroad networks, we will expect a more efficient travel experience, and also boost tourism, trade and commerce in the areas being linked by our thoroughfares.”

EPPI president and managing director Jean-Claude Neumann said the toll collection system that MPCala would use was another breakthrough in the industry.

“One of the advanced features of this ETC is the Automatic License Plate Recognition Solution technology which will help motorists experience uninterrupted and faster toll transactions. Through these unhampered transactions, we can lessen their travel time,” Neumann said.

The system is set to be installed in phases after the completion of each section of CALAEX. CAVITEX, meanwhile, will have an upgrade to the existing ETC system designed to be compatible and interoperable with other ETCs of other toll roads.

The CAVITEX is part of the road network being expanded by the MPTC. The copmpany is currently constructing the 7.7-km C5 South-Link which will traverse Taguig, Las Piñas and Parañaque.

extrastory2000@gmail.com

IN BRIEF S. Korean team to discuss summit SEOUL―A high-level South Korean delegation will fly to North Korea this week to discuss arrangements for an inter-Korean summit there this month, as relations grow cooler between Washington and Pyongyang.

The South’s President Moon Jae-in Sunday named his top security adviser as a special envoy to the North to discuss details before Moon’s planned meeting in Pyongyang with Kim Jong-Un. Chung Eui-yong, head of the presidential National Security Office, will lead a five-member delegation to the North’s capital on Wednesday, Moon’s spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told reporters.

The delegation, which also includes South Korea’s spy chief Suh Hoon, will fly to Pyongyang via a rare direct route across the inter-Korean border for their day trip.

It will be Chung’s second visit to the North since March, when he headed the same five-member team to arrange the first summit between Moon and Kim and met Kim Jong-Un. AFP

Japan braces for strong typhoon

Business/World

Two presidents honor McCain

W

ASHINGTON―Two expresidents from opposing parties united Saturday to honor US senator John McCain, in a momentous funeral that championed his aspirations of political comity but also rebuked the tribalism and division trafficked by Donald Trump.

As millions tuned in to the nationally televised memorial attended by the breadth of Washington power brokers, Trump himself was notably absent―leaving the capital to head to his golf club in Virginia just when eulogies to McCain were being delivered.

And while Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Barack Obama offered subtle swipes at the current commander in chief, McCain’s daughter Meghan used the words of Trump’s campaign slogan to deliver a searing, unmistakable rebuke.

“The America of John McCain has no need to be made great again because America was always

great,” she said, to extended applause.

As Bush and Obama praised McCain for repeatedly placing country over party or self, the stunning contrast between the unifying ceremony under the neo-Gothic arches of Washington National Cathedral and an outcast Trump only highlighted the astonishing state of US politics.

Hailing his friend as “an extraordinary man” who embodied what is best in America, Obama said McCain, who battled fiercely but respectfully in the political arena, “made us better presidents-just as he made the Senate better, just as he made the country better.”

He was echoing similar sentiments expressed minutes earlier by Bush, who defeated McCain in a “hard fought” Republican primary battle in 2000, only to see that bitter rivalry melt away into a lasting friendship.

While Bush and Obama hail from different parties, their message Saturday was clear: US politics can and should rise to a higher level with the example set

by McCain.

“We never doubted the other man’s sincerity or the other man’s patriotism―or that when all was said and

TOKYO―Japan on Sunday braced for a “very strong” typhoon, with authorities warning of high waves, floods and landslides, including in the areas hit by deadly flooding earlier this year.

Typhoon Jebi, packing winds of up to 252 kilometers an hour, is expected to make landfall on the country’s main island on Tuesday, according to Japan’s Meteorological Agency.

“Maintaining its very strong power, the typhoon is forecast to approach western and eastern Japan,” the agency said.

The path of the typhoon appeared to cover the western Chugoku region, where record rainfall in July unleashed flooding and landslides, killing around 220 people in Japan’s worst weatherrelated disaster in decades.

Local media said the typhoon, which is still hundreds of kilometers away from Japan in the Pacific, could be the strongest storm to hit the nation this year. AFP

U2 cancels Berlin show BERLIN―Irish rock group U2 was forced to cut short a concert in Berlin before thousands of fans after performing only a few songs when lead singer Bono lost his voice.

“We’re so sorry for tonight’s cancellation,” the group said in a statement on its website about the Saturday night show.

“Bono was in great form and great voice prior to the show and we were all looking forward to the second night in Berlin, but after a few songs, he suffered a complete loss of voice.”

“We don’t know what has happened and we’re taking medical advice.”

It was the second and last concert by the group in the German capital as part of its “Experience + Innocence” tour.

After the first few songs Bono appeared to have a problem with his voice. Several times, the 58-year-old stopped singing to drink from a thermos flask. AFP

B3

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

FOOD AID. Displaced Yemenis from Hiran, in the border area with Saudi Arabia, receive food aid from Yemen Red Crescent in the northern district of Abs in Hajjah province on September 1, 2018. AFP

Talks begin on treaty to protect high seas UNITED NATIONS―United Nations member states on Tuesday kick off long-awaited talks on a 2020 treaty that would regulate the high seas, which cover half the planet yet lack adequate environmental protection.

Four sessions of talks, each lasting two weeks, are planned to take place over two years, with the goal of protecting marine biodiversity and avoiding further pillaging of the oceans.

“The negotiations will relate to spaces beyond national jurisdictions, or areas that belong to no country in particular,” said Julien Rochette of the Paris-based think tank Iddri, or the Institute of Sus-

REAL CARPIO SO

GREEN LIGHT WE’RE hearing this again.

In 2015, the Volkswagen Group was found to have used a software “defeat device” to circumvent strict emissions standards set by the US and other countries for diesel engine vehicles. Engines programmed with this software controls emissions during regulatory testing. As a result, the emissions meet US standards. In reality, however, over 500,000 of its diesel engine vehicles had been producing emissions up to 40 times the levels allowed by regulators. This is in the US alone.

According to reports, VW had been doing this since 2009.

In 2014, General Motors faced an uproar over its handling of a defective ignition switch in some of its car models. Drivers could knock off the keys from the ignition switch. As a result, engine would shut off and cars would lose their power steering and power braking capabilities. And in the likely event of a crash, the airbags would not inflate. As of May 2015, there were 97 reported deaths caused by this defect.

According to evidence, GM had known of this defect this since 2003.

In 2010, Toyota faced a scandal relating to vehicles that suddenly accelerate. This was attributed to faulty accelerator pedals. The defect was caused “on a plastic material that could cause gas pedals to stick in a partially depressed position.” News reported that in the first two quarters of 2010, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had received more than “6,200 complaints involving sudden acceleration of Toyota vehicles. The reports include 89 deaths and 57 injuries over the same period.”

Apparently, “despite knowing the vehicles had a potentially fatal defect, Toyota kept producing them with the same specifications.”

tainable Development and International Relations.

Talk will focus on “the high seas and the international zone of marine waters, or about 46 percent of the planet’s surface,” he added.

In 1982, the UN adopted the Convention on the Law of the Sea, but left the high seas free from restrictions.

“All States enjoy the traditional freedoms of navigation, overflight, scientific research and fishing on the high seas,” it said.

The convention took effect in 1994, without the participation of the United States.

Since then, shipping routes

have expanded considerably, and the resources of the ocean deep have aroused significant interest, whether by fishing or mineral extraction.

“Marine life is already reeling from the impact of industrial fishing, climate change and other extractive industries. We have a shared responsibility to protect our global oceans before it is too late,” said Sandra Schoettner, a marine biologist with Greenpeace.

Talks will focus on creating protected areas on the high seas, more sharing of maritime resources and technology, and research on environmental impacts. AFP

The loop As a consequence, Toyota recalled a total of 9 million cars and GM recalled about 2.6 million affected models. VW announced plans to refit up to 11 million affected vehicles.

Despite the recency of the scandal, sale of VW vehicles was hardly affected. In 2017, the VW Group posted revenues of approximately 230 billion euros. Less than four years after recalling vehicles with a faulty ignition switch in 2014, GM generated revenues of US$145 billion. In the 2018 ranking of the world’s most valuable car brands, Toyota is on top. The same rankings showed also that VW has “climbed back.”

In preparing for the 2014 Global Automotive Consumer Study, Deloitte fielded a survey in 19 countries. More than 23,000 individuals responded. The study explored consumer mobility choices and transportation decisions. It also analyzed “different tradeoffs consumers are willing to pay for to own a vehicle,” as well as “assess the customer experience and the factors influencing the final vehicle purchase decision.”

Although more than half of one survey group prefer and are willing to pay more for vehicles with alternative energy source, e.g. hybrid electric, battery powered electric, fuel cell, compressed natural gas, etc., cost and price are still the primary purchase motivators. Almost the same number of respondents says that the motivation to use a vehicle with alternative energy source “would be driven more by my desire to save money on fuel than to save the environment.”

In the same year, Nielsen Global Survey of Automotive Demand collected data from 30,000 respondents from 60 countries. Results show that the top driver for car purchase is financial, followed by emotional and status drivers. Function or utility is the least moti-

vator.

In the Weve Primary Automotive Research 2017 conducted in the UK, the spike in new car purchases from 2015 to 2016 is driven by “finance deals.” Moreover, the look and brand of cars are the main influencers of car purchases. In the order of influence and consideration, safety and emissions were the last on the list.

One study revealed that although participants will almost always emphasize the safety features, “safety was superseded by other purchasing considerations, most notably price.”

When asked, a substantial number of affected VW owners are relatively chill, “happy with their vehicle and ready to move past the scandal altogether.” Not surprisingly, most of them agree that funds to be used to mitigate the impact of the scandal “would be better off going to compensate affected owners.”

A month ago, Nissan Motors admitted falsifying product-quality data. According to the company, an internal review showed that “altered measurement values” were used on emission inspection reports. Moreover, the tests also “deviated from prescribed testing environments.”

We’ve heard this before, right?

Real Carpio So lectures at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University. He is an entrepreneur and a management consultant. Comments are welcomed at realwalksonwater@gmail.com. Archives can be accessed at realwalksonwater. wordpress.com. The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

done, we were on the same team,” Obama said of his rough but respectful campaign battles with McCain.

So much of today’s politics, “our public discourse, can seem small and mean and petty, trafficking in bombast and insult,” he added.

“It’s a politics that pretends to be brave and tough but in fact is born of fear. John called on us to be bigger than that.”

McCain’s final public ceremony before his private burial Sunday at the US Naval Academy in nearby Annapolis, Maryland highlighted the warrior politician’s call for healing.

“Perhaps above all John detested the abuse of power, could not abide bigots and swaggering despots,” said Bush, as Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner sat in attendance.

Trump’s Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly were also present.

But it was the gathering of heavyweights from both parties past and present that drew more attention, including Bill and Hillary Clinton; former vice presidents Al Gore, Dick Cheney and Joe Biden; and former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright and John Kerry. AFP

LGUs

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

B4

monday, september 3, 2018

San Mig Brewery kicks off ‘Trees Brew Life’ project

LocaL government units

GSIS allots P1.8b in loans to Luzon typhoon victims THE Government Service Insurance System has allotted P1.84 billion in emergency loans for its active members and old-age pensioners affected by calamities in seven areas in Luzon.

The province of Bataan was affected by typhoon “Josie,” while Bulacan province was battered by typhoons “Inday,” “Josie” and “Karding.”

The municipalities of Anao, Camiling, La Paz, Moncada, and Ramos in Tarlac were also affected by typhoons “Inday,” “Josie,” and heavy rains due to the southwest monsoon or “habagat.”

The application deadline for Bataan is Sept. 6, Sept. 8 for the Tarlac areas, and Sept. 23 for Bulacan province, except for the emergency loan earlier offered for the municipalities of Calumpit, Marilao and Paombong, which has a deadline of September 16.

A total of 48,954 active members in the calamity areas who have no existing emergency loan may apply for a P20,000 loan. A total of 16,760 members who have not yet fully paid their emergency loan may apply for an amount of P40,000, from which the outstanding balance will be deducted.

Qualified borrowers are active members who are working or residing in said areas, are not on leave of absence without pay, have no arrears in paying monthly social insurance premium contributions, and have no unpaid loans for more than six months.

They should also have a minimum net take-home pay of P5,000 after monthly premium contributions and loan amortization have been deducted.

Active members may apply through the GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System kiosk located in all GSIS branch and extension offices; provincial capitols; city halls; selected municipal offices; large government agencies such as the Department of Education; Robinsons Malls; and selected SM City branches in North Edsa, Manila, Pampanga, Cebu, SM Aura in Taguig and Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

A total of 9,701 old-age pensioners in the calamity areas are qualified to apply for a P20,000 loan. Interested pensioners should personally file their application over the counter. Pensioners who are also active members may apply for the loan only once.

Emergency loan is payable in 36 equal monthly instalments at the rate of six percent interest per annum. It is covered by a loan redemption insurance, which deems the loan fully paid in case of the borrower’s demise, provided that loan repayment is up to date.

Loan proceeds are electronically credited to the borrower’s GSIS electronic card or unified multipurpose identification card.

Interested parties who have inquiries may visit the GSIS website, www.gsis.gov. ph, or Facebook account, @gsis.ph; email gsiscares@gsis.gov.ph; or call the GSIS Contact Center at 847-4747 or 1-800-8847-4747 (for Globe [free with minimum P8.00 load] and TM subscribers) or 1-80010-847-4747 [for Smart, Sun, and Talk ’N Text subscribers; P8.00/call]).

CITY IN A CITY. Vanessa B. Salvador (left), Marketing Department Head of Aseana Holdings Inc., and Diane A. Taala (right) Corporate Communications manager, present to the media the scale model map of Aseana City during a media tour and launching held at the Aseana Powerstation along D. Macapagal Boulevard corner Bradco Ave. in Parañaque City. Aseana City is equipped with an advanced city management technology dubbed as the ‘Smart City Network’ (inset), which ensures public security and safety for locators and residents alike. Manny Palmero

Manila hands out PSI implants for families

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

I

N LINE with President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to intensify access to modern family planning, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada led the city’s Family Month celebration, where the latest family planning method, Progestin Subdermal Implants, were given for free to qualified beneficiaries.

In his speech, Estrada appealed to his audience to do family planning to ensure a better future for their family.

“Pigilan ang panggigigil (Control your urges),” Estrada jestingly told the crowd at the Unibersidad de Manila.

While ensuring to continue doing his best for his constituents, the former president reminded parents to be responsible in having children.

“They would be in a pitiful situation if you cannot give them a good life,” noted Estrada, who is seeking his third

and last term to continue his programs that would benefit Manilenos.

He stressed that “population has a great impact in our city, and one of my objectives is to give every family [in Manila] a good life by providing them free hospitalization, education and job opportunities.”

“I want all our young people to have what they need to succeed in life,” said estrada.

The importance of family planning must be tackled and addressed “with

logic and reason, not hysteria,” added estrada in the event organized through the Manila Family Planning Division composed of its chief Dr. Criselda Coroza, and her staff Sanford Araneta, Marivic Bagallon, Marianne Caliguia, Evelyn Cabundoc, and Sarah Demit Mendoza.

Estrada, Manila Health Department acting chief Dr. Benjamin Yson, and Coroza also gave plaques of appreciation to the Department of Health, PopCom, Mary Johnston Hospital, DKT Health Inc., Family Planning Organization of the Philippines, International Container Terminal Services Inc., Likhaan, United Nations Population Fund, Philippine Society for Responsible Parenthood, AP Margin, and DILG-Napolcom to recognize their valuable help and contributions to Manila’s health programs.

COVENANT OF SUPPORT.

Undersecretary Dave Almarinez, president and CEO of the Philippine International Trade Corp., signs on a pledge wall during the recent celebration of the National Tech-Voc Initiative by Tesda during the World Cafe Opportunity job fair at the PICC in Pasay City.

Roy Tomandao

OFW stays home in Pangasinan, sells e-load, wins P1 million every time an overseas Filipino worker departs from the homeland, part of the OFW wishes he or she did not have to, especially if there are children to be left behind.

A former OFW who spent nearly a decade away from home finally got that wish—with a big bonus to boot.

A native of Pangasinan, the OFW

went into Smart’s electronic load selling business, and within only a year found it to be an economically viable alternative to working abroad.

After 11 years in the business, the load seller got an even bigger profit: P1 million in cash, as the grand prize winner during a recent convention of Smart’s annual retailers.

More than 2,000 load retailers from all over Northern and Central Luzon attended the convention, held under Smart’s “Ka-Partner Rewards” program.

It is the company’s way of giving back to its load retailers, whose sales account for a significant share of its prepaid revenues.

The convention is also a venue for Smart to give the retailers incentives to help them grow their business and keep them informed about network developments.

Through its fast and superior LongTerm Evolution network, Smart load retailers are assured of even better business as customers enjoy improved service.

Balatong Elementary gains new bulding via SM

The new two-story, four-classroom building of Balatong Elementary School is fully furnished with 200 armchairs (inset) that include 20 chairs for left-handed students.

SM Foundation has the distinction of being the only company that provide such amenities for southpaw students.

SM PrIMe through the SM Foundation recently turned over a two-storey, fourclassroom school building to the Balatong Elementary School in Pulilan, Bulacan.

It is the first school building donated

by SM to the municipality but the 89th donated by SM Prime through SM Foundation, for a total of 284 classrooms nationwide since SMFI started its school building program in 2002.

The new school building is fully furnished with 200 armchairs that include 20 chairs for left-handed students, earning for SM Foundation the distinction of being the only company that provide such amenities for southpaw students.

The arm chairs were built by persons

with disabilities of the Foundation of These-abled, instilling in them self-pride and self-esteem.

Each classroom is also equipped with a set of teacher’s table and chair, four wall fans, two blackboards, a wall clock, and a toilet, including a ramp and toilet for PWDs. The new school building follows the Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications in the design of Deped school buildings to ensure the comfort and safety of their would-be occupants.

Balatong elemenntary School is the only school servicing three barangays: Barangay Balatong, Penabatan, and Tenejero, with a student population of 1,173.

Beer market leader San Miguel Brewery Inc. recently strengthened its efforts to aid in “regreening” the country with its annual Trees Brew Life tree planting activity.

In response to Malacaňang’s directive for citizens to become stewards of the country’s natural resources, SMB conducted its environmental outreach in locations where the company operates.

On its ninth year, the campaign consists of tree planting engagements in Cebu, followed by activities in Davao Del Sur, Quezon City, Pampanga, Negros Occidental, Makati, and Calamba.

This year, volunteer employees and partner institutions, will work hand in hand to plant over 75,000 seedlings of hardwood, mangrove and fruit-bearing species in identified areas nationwide.

“With the current administration zeroing in on its efforts to rehabilitate the country’s environmental integrity, we readily extend our support by aligning our programs with our government’s initiatives,” says SMB President Roberto N. Huang.

“The Trees Brew Life project is one of the pillars of our organization’s commitment toward environmental stewardship. Having our campaign supplement our nation’s goals is a source of pride for us beermen. It not only contributes to the preservation of our country’s natural resources, it also promotes a sense of responsibility among our employees.”

The initiative directly supports the Expanded National Greening Program of the Department of environment and Natural Resources, which aims to reforest unproductive, denuded and degraded forestlands.

Since its inception in 2010, SMB’s Trees Brew Life has successfully planted over 600,000 seedlings.

Under the brewery’s flagship Buhayin ang Kalikasan program, the nationwide environmental program aims to protect, preserve, and rehabilitate forest covers in both urban and rural settings and aid in regenerating mangrove areas in coastal communities.

The project likewise aims to ensure the availability of water supply in its host communities.

SMB has also adapted water sustainability measures in line with San Miguel Corporation’s pledge to cut water consumption across all its businesses by 50 percent.

As of March 2018, SMC has been able to save four billion liters of water, equivalent to the daily water consumption of 137,000 households.

Last September 2017, SMB discontinued its plastic bottled water business, which furthered the company’s commitment to reduce its environmental footprint.

Caloocan City boosts anti-drug abuse program

By Jun David TO STRENGTHEN the anti-illegal drug abuse programs in its 188 barangays, the local government of Caloocan City, under the leadership of Mayor Oscar Malapitan, recently held a training and orientation seminar.

More than 150 barangay officials from Barangays 1-24 participated in the first leg of the event conducted by the City’s Anti-Drug Abuse Council in partnership with the Department of Interior and Local Government.

DILG-Caloocan City director Marco Cabueños said one of their primary objectives is to welcome drug surrenderers back to society.

“We must actively participate in the campaign against illegal drugs. We are not enemies of drug surrenderers.

We must help them through our sustainable community-based drug rehabilitation program,” Cabueños said.

Speakers from the DILG, CADAC and Philippine National Police emphasized that the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council’s role is not just about creating a drug watchlist, but also about implementing necessary programs and monitoring its impacts.

During the training and seminar, participants came up with their Badac’s action plan.

Participants from other barangays are also set to undergo the same seminar on Sept. 3, 10, 14, 17, 24, and 28.

According to Cadac head Atty. Sikini Labastilla, Caloocan City has a total of seven drug-cleared barangays right now.

Meanwhile, Mayor Oscar Malapitan continuously encourages drug dependents to undergo the city’s rehabilitation program to gain new lives.

Life

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

food

@mstandardLIFe monday, september 3, 2018

C1

FINE FILIPINO FLAVORS. The recent Philippine Harvest, held at Central Square on Aug 24-26, celebrated and promoted a wide range of local food, as well as farm tourism and sustainable travel.

Philippine Harvest highlights local food, farm tourism O

ur country boasts a smorgasbord of fine food items—from FarmHouse by EDL from Capas, Tarindigenous to organic to artisanal—grown and manufactured lac; and Amadeo Nurture Farmacy from Cavite. in our very own backyard.

The Visayas and Mindanao con-

Local food once again took the spotlight at the recently concluded Philippine Harvest held at Central Square in Bonifacio Global City on Aug 24-26.

In its second edition under the helm of the Department of Tourism, the three-day food and travel fair paid homage to the people who produce good food by highlighting farm tourism, local food, and tourist destinations around the country.

“At the core of our programs and projects in the department is our sustainable and responsible tourism advocacy which we aim to promote with this edition of Philippine Harvest,” Tourism secretary Bernadette romulo-Puyat said in a statement.

In earlier statements, Puyat, who was a former undersecretary of the Agriculture department, said she’s planning to focus on farm tourism.

Fresh fruit shakes made from fruits from El Dorado Farms.

Diners can customize their bowls by choosing their base carbohydrates and protein.

“We hope to develop sustainable farm tourism as a dependable source of income for Filipinos in line with implementation of the Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016, which serves as one of our strategies for countryside development,” added Puyat.

Specialty retailer Stores Specialists, Inc. Group and Central Square, in partnership with the DoT and the Tourism Promotions Board brought together DoT-accredited farm sites across the different regions together with selected travel agencies and 30 local food exhibitors.

Among the Luzon-based farm tour operators that participated were Terra Verde Eco Farm from Maragondon, Cavite; Layog Country Farm from Mountain Province; Amancio’s Dairy and Produce Farm from Cordon, Isabela; Tam-An Eco-Tourism Farm from Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya; The

tingents included Sonrisa Farm from Magarao, Camarines Sur; Ephrathah Farms Corp. from Iloilo; BinahonAgroforesty Farm from Lantapan, Bukidnon; and Mariano’s Blooming Agri-Tourism Park from Tupi, South Cotabato.

Fair goers had a chance to sample and purchase local produce such as dried seafood, coffee, heirloom rice, chocolate, craft beers, fruit wines, fresh fruits, and local sausages, among others.

Staging the recent Philippine Harvest was, SSI Group president Anton Huang said, a way to create more awareness on Philippines’ finest flavors as well as how traveling impacts our planet.

“Travel has become a big part of all of our lives and this is our way of practicing this advocacy here in our own backyard, and presenting Filipino travelers with options and ideas,” said Huang.

From left: Department of Tourism Development undersecretary Bong Bengzon, Sen. Nancy Binay, SSI Group president Anton Huang, and WWF-Philippines president Joel Palma led the opening of the three-day food and travel expo.

Oh My Gulayf!

WHEN I was invited to try Gusto!, a restaurant at The Corner Market food hall at The Podium in Ortigas, there was a moment of hesitation on my part.

Its tagline, after all, was “Welcome to the gulayf.” And healthy meals are, well, not exactly my thing.

But I was told that the dishes at Gusto! have the right proportion of carbohydrates and protein, and more importantly, taste delicious. So off to The Podium I went.

“We are not a vegetarian restaurant,” confirmed restaurant owner Pia Ojeda. “We just offer healthier, cleaner food. Here you can build your own bowl and choose your protein and carbohydrates.”

There are seven main bowls to choose from—kimchi, lemon yogurt, sesame soy, kalabasa curry, silog, and Ojeda’s personal favorite—the peanut Nuoc Mam Cham.

Guests choose from five base carbohydrates—adlai (a local whole super grain sourced from Bukidnon), heirloom rice, vermicelli, soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles), and fresh greens from Ojeda’s family-owned El Dorado Farms.

Lastly, customers choose their own protein—chicken, tofu, beef, or shrimp, except for the silog bowl, which can be topped with tapa, chicken tocino, or tuyo.

“Most of our ingredients, we grow in our farm. If we don’t grow it, we

source it from communities to help empower and support local farmers as well,” she said.

“Our price points are also competitive. We want to be very approachable for the everyday diner,” added Ojeda.

The bowls are priced at P250, and you just have to fork out an extra P55 if you want to upgrade the toppings to beef or shrimp.

I ordered the peanut Nuoc Mam Cham, with adlai as base and beef as topping. The bowl did not disappoint—the combination of the meat, farm greens, carrots, cucumber, sliced unripe mangoes, pickled ginger, and Vietnamese-style peanut sauce was surprisingly very flavorful. I could eat another bowl had the adlai not been very filling.

Gusto! also offers vegetarian chili, which is rich and hearty you can almost forget it doesn’t have meat in it; tomato parmesan soup; sweet potato leek soup; Mediterranean pita pocket with either chicken or tofu; and Italian hot beef sandwich.

Even the salad bowls look like “happy bowls”—none of the sad-looking dishes that one would associate with certain diets and hospital meals. Gusto! has zesty Caesar salad, El Dorado Farms cobb salad with blue cheese and tangy yogurt herb dressing, Kani Sesame with hints of miso, and tomato mozzarella salad.

Gusto! likewise serves fresh fruit shakes, but you have to ask the server what is fresh and on hand on the day that you visit. From dragonfruit and pineapple to honeydew and santol, the fruits are picked fresh from El Dorado Farms.

“We have a lot of return customers, and that makes us very happy. We want people to know that you can eat healthy and clean without spending too much,” said Ojeda.

I’m at joyce.panares@gmail.com.

Life

C2

monday, september 3, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Sashimi set

Where to host your next ‘power lunch’ Let’s eAt. Signature dishes and drinks of participating restaurants and bars at the first-ever Let’s Food Crawl, Pare!.

Eat and run

at Poblacion food crawl

ExECuTIvE meetings are an integral part of the corporate world. These intimate gatherings of corporate officers often unfold during what the industry calls “power lunches.”

Japanese restaurant Kitsho offers conducive function rooms for executives to close deals or discuss important business matters, as well as a sumptuous selection of set meals.

Those who love shrimp could go for any of the tempura sets. While diners who prefer the freshest catch have sashimi or sushi sets to choose from.

Those who have a hankering for meat and seafood could go for the hot

pot options, while those who want their meats prepared differently could opt for the teppanyaki set choices.

For the month of September, Kitsho waives the consumable rates for its function rooms. Normally, smaller rooms have a P5,000 consumable rate while bigger rooms have a P7,000 consumable rate.

Guests also get free parking.

Kitsho Japanese Restaurant is conveniently located on the ground floor of Hotel Jen Manila right across the CCP Complex along Roxas Boulevard.

Call (02) 994-3623 or 795-8888 ext.

2312 for reservations.

M

AKATI’S bustling food and bar hub, Poblacion, continues to attract foodies and the curious crowd into its many interesting establishments.

Recently, a group of business owners, bloggers, members of the press, and Globe representatives tried on some of the neighborhood’s best dining and bar outlets during the first-ever Let’s Food Crawl, Pare!.

The restaurant and bar hopping event was organized by Globe myBusiness, in partnership with Let’s Eat Pare and Poblacion Land and urban Development.

Poblacion favorites like Alamat, Ñ, ABKD, Smokeyard, Yalla, Bucky’s, Wild Poppy, Pura vida, Z Hostel, and The Apartment prepared some of their most popular meals and drinks.

The Ruins hosted the event where the food vendors showcased their signature dishes for everyone to enjoy.

Let’s Food Crawl, Pare! was more than just a grand display of Poblacion’s best. It was also designed to help small and medium enterprises become more efficient in their operations as Globe myBusiness brought its wide range of business solutions to Poblacion’s vendors.

“We are always in support of SMEs and we hope to contribute to the growing, thriving food tourism sector. We really want to help SMEs grow, and we do this by providing business solutions.

This helps them to be more efficient in their operations, while we lend a hand in their marketing efforts,” said Debbie Obias, vice president of segment marketing at Globe myBusiness.

Among the Globe myBusiness solutions that were highlighted during the food crawl was GCash, a secure mobile money service that lets Globe or TM users buy load, purchase items, send and receive money, pay bills, and more using their handsets. It turns mobile devices into virtual wallets, eliminating the need to bring cash.

Participating establishments in the food crawl accepted payment via GCash, which helped them elevate the customer experience in two ways: first, by providing a secure and fast way to settle their patrons’ bills and second, by helping their customers go cashless as they partied around Poblacion.

From left: Grilled fish set, Kaisendon set, and Tempura set

bites Do-it-yourself parfait at Bucky’s

ABKD’s style your own avocado toast

Pura Vida’s tea-infused whiskey

Local flavors in each bite LOCAL processed meat brand King Sue offers Filipino favorites in easy to prepare and cook products.

Pinoy breakfast staples Longganisa, Pork Tocino, and Chicken Tocino are available to be cooked and served on the dining table or for school or work lunch.

King Sue’s Beef Teriyaki is made to suit the Filipino palate with its slightly sweet taste. While its take on the alltime favorite bar chow Sisig comes in a convenient heat-and-serve version.

King Sue products are available in leading supermarkets nationwide.

From left: King Sue’s Beef Teriyaki, Garlic Longaniza, and Pork Tocino

traditional mooncakes Customarily eaten together with family and business associates during the Mid-Autumn festival, mooncakes are an expression of harmony and best wishes. Its round shape, like that of a full moon, symbolizes abundance, completeness, and togetherness for those who share the treat.

City of Dreams Manila ushers in a prosperous Mid-Autumn festival with premium mooncakes available today until Sept. 24 at Crystal Dragon and at Café Society.

CoD’s traditional mooncakes with white lotus paste and double egg yolk filling in a soft pastry are offered at P3,988 nett for a box of four. This specially-crafted delicacy is packaged in an elegant box, which makes it a perfect gift for family and friends.

Call (02) 800-8080 or email guestservices@cod-manila.com to order.

City of Dreams Manila’s traditional mooncake

tea-infused mooncakes Luxury tea brand TWG Tea heralds the arrival of autumn with its very own White Sky Tea Mooncake collection, a range of the seasonal pastry infused with tea.

TWG’s tea-infused traditional mooncakes include Constellation, a mooncake with smooth and elegant Singapore Breakfast Tea-infused brown lotus filling; Harvest, a golden mooncake with mixed almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans enveloped in a luxurious brown lotus paste infused with Camelot Tea; Jewel, a baked chocolate mooncake with white lotus paste infused with Chocolate Tea; and Ruby, a blend of apricot and cranberry inflected white lotus paste infused with Geisha Blossom Tea in a perfectly baked bold red crust.

Meanwhile, Pure, a white satin snowskin with smooth white lotus and lemon paste inflected with White Sky Tea and a delicate lotus cream center; Serenity, a blush pink mooncake with Earl Grey Fortune Tea-infused brown lotus paste; Jade, a green mooncake with Paris-Singapore Tea-infused white lotus and velvety pistachio paste; and Illumination, an orange snowskin with chestnut and white lotus paste infused TWG Tea’s tea-infused with Okayti Tea comprise snowskin mooncakes TWG’s tea-infused snowskin mooncakes.

Beautifully packaged in the elegant White Sky Tea Mooncake gift box, TWG Tea’s set of four tea-infused traditional and snowskin mooncakes retails at P2,150 and P2,588, respectively. Each mooncake retails at P498 (tea-infused traditional mooncake) and P598 (tea-infused snowskin mooncake).

These mooncakes are available at all TWG Tea Salons and Boutiques today until Sept. 23.

Entertainment

W

nickie.standard@gmail.com

From C4

It is with this perspective that Convergys Philippines, one of the largest and leading BPO companies in the country, celebrates its 15th anniversary.

With the theme “Made By YOU – Celebrating Our Stories, Embracing New Possibilities”, Convergys puts its people front and center.

This focus on people has been true since Convergys Philippines opened its first contact center back in 2003, creating jobs and careers for talented Filipinos with its nationwide expansion, and helping build its communities and the country’s economy in the process. This same focus has enabled a number of breakthroughs such as nationwide operations from North Luzon to Mindanao, being first to be inducted into the ICT Hall of Fame as Best Company and Best Employer, first BPO in the world to gain the global standard on workplace gender equality, and sustaining its position as the country’s largest private employer. More than anything, this focus on people is perhaps the greatest quality the company has tried to sustain for the past 15 years – a place where employees know that they truly matter.

Now, 15 years of growth and 55,000 employees later, the company celebrated this milestone in the BIGGEST and BEST way, with another breakthrough: the FIRST-EVER concert headlining two of the country’s greatest singers, Sarah Geronimo and Regine Velasquez.

Held last Aug. 13 at the Araneta Coliseum, the concert was the first time the two musical artists starred together, and it was Convergys that successfully pulled off this casting coup.

Long-time followers of both the country’s Popstar Royalty and Asia’s Songbird can no doubt appreciate that the attributes shared by the two singers in their rise to fame seem to parallel the journey of Convergys and its people: talent, determination, hard work and dedication to excellence. The company’s workforce is the very reason that Convergys was able to maintain its status as an industry leader for a decade and a half. In that span of time, men and women across the country, with stories similar to Regine’s or Sarah’s realized their dreams through hard work and commitment, were able to provide for their loved ones, and able to contribute to the company’s legacy.

As Regine and Sarah headlined the historic concert for Convergys’ 15th anniversary together, the message was also clear: Convergys is breaking new ground and embracing new possibilities.

Convergys’ success in having Regine and Sarah together in a single, momentous event also signaled a welcoming of a new chapter in its journey.

It seems fitting then, that on Regine’s 30th and Sarah’s 15th respective anniversaries in the entertainment industry, they joined forces for a perfect night of celebration in honor of Convergys’ employees and excitement for the company’s future. The concert title stayed true to theme: “Convergys at 15: Made By YOU – Celebrating Our Stories, Embracing New Possibilities.”

With its track record, Convergys has every right to look to its future with both satisfaction and optimism – with the assurance that its team is moving forward every step of the way, together.

“From the very beginning, our people, and the commitment we have to their growth and to the country, have been the backbone of our company,” says Convergys President for AsiaPacific Ivic Mueco. “This celebration

REGINE, SARAH G join in

‘15: THE NUMBER OF SUCCESS’CELEBRATION Regine V and Sarah G end their performance with famous songs from Bamboo and Eraserheads.

is to show our employees the gratitude and appreciation they so deserve, and to recognize the stories they made that brought us the industry leadership

position we have today. In holding this concert–itself also a first–we are not only celebrating a milestone, we are also showing that the possibilities

HBO and SKY will give the entire family the chance to bond over the most popular movie franchises—from big Hollywood studio productions to surprise indie hits this month of September.

Cars Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) teaches kids lessons in humility, teamwork, and acceptance from the time he gives up the chance to win a race to helping friends stop a gang of sinister minds out to halt the use of alternative and environmentally-friendly fuel in the international Grand Prix race.

Kids get to enjoy Cars and Cars 2 until Sept. 30.

remain endless. Together, we are excited to become even stronger and better as we continue the journey forward,” she closes.

Not to be missed hit movie franchises on HBO HD this September

Star Wars If you’ve never had the chance to enjoy one of the world’s greatest sci-fi adventures and modern day epic series in its proper chronology, now is the time. The George Lucas franchise which began with Episode 4 in 1977, is on TV screens beginning with The Phantom Menace followed by Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and The Force Awakens. The epic marathon ends in Sept 29.

The Blair Witch The trilogy that reinvented horror filmmaking through its “found footage” style of storytelling, The Blair Witch trilogy is back to scare the living daylights out of the uninitiated with stories that stay with viewers long after the movies have rolled their end credits. See what got the world fascinated in this truly haunting horror movie series starting this Sept. 7 (Friday).

Monday, September 3, 2018

25 Spring growth 27 Pet lovers’ grp.

28 Command, to Fido 29 Fencing sword 31 Dentist’s photo (hyph.)

33 Mix it up 35 Opened a crack 36 Prefix for second 37 Smooch 40 Laments loudly 41 Cockpit button 44 Easy gallops 47 Gasohol ingre-

Ocean’s Series Danny Ocean’s (George Clooney) determined and highly skilled gang of thieves pull off consecutive heists in this star-studded and widely-received trilogy directed by Steven Soderbergh. Relive the excitement as each character show off their talent in executing the perfect and most elaborate heists on screen. Watch the movies that also stared Brad Pitt and Matt Damon along with talented ensemble casts in Ocean’s Eleven, Ocean’s Twelve, and Ocean’s Thirteen beginning Sept. 8.

SKYcable subscribers can catch these movie franchises and more on HBO Ch. 54 SD | Ch. 168 HD (For Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, LipaBatangas) or on Ch. 402 SD | 710 HD (For Bacolod, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo). SKYdirect subscribers can watch on Ch. 22.

Don’t miss the two weekends of pure, movie excitement by subscribing to HBO GO, exclusively on SKY, for anytime, anywhere viewing. Visit mysky. com.ph/hbogo for more details.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 54 Impart knowledge 56 Running amok (3 wds.)

58 A, B or C 62 Woodworking tool 63 Kind of pool 65 Mad Roman emperor 66 Lascivious look 67 Piano exercise 68 Leave out 69 Appends 70 One-edged sword 71 Fail to win DOWN 1 Some parents 2 Clapton or Sevareid 3 — -do-well 4 Burritos’ kin 5 Marinates 6 Export or import 7 Matter, in law 8 Wide sts.

9 Tutorial 10 Roughly 11 Name in spreadsheets 12 That is (Lat.) 13 Genuine nuisances 21 Grill locale 23 What and where’s partner

C3

Simply...

HETHER it’s the ‘first’ or the ‘15th’, anniversaries are momentous occasions meant to be celebrated for the journey involved to get there, and the anticipation for what’s to come.

ACROSS 1 Fender mishap 5 Fine violin, briefly 10 Neaten the hedge 14 Caller’s code 15 Fountain in Rome 16 Hopped the train 17 Carpe —!

18 Soothed 19 Colorado tribe 20 Removed paint 22 Carpenter’s sweepings 24 Suit coat feature 26 Bedroom furniture 27 White-sale buys 30 Praise highly 32 Coke rival 33 Mumbai attire 34 Pull hard 38 Middling grade 39 Stare down 42 Fronton word 43 Novelist — Waugh 45 Fragrant blossom 46 Denims 48 Sky-colored 50 Subways 51 Nut part

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

dient 49 Last letter 50 Padded envelope 51 Eucalyptus muncher 52 Wrapped up 53 Demolished 55 Weasel out of 57 Coolidge or Hayworth 59 Quick reminder 60 Lens opening 61 Short letter 64 Make a knight

Tarog simply lays out what he has found out about Gregorio del Pilar, and he infers he has demons that he had to confront and fears he had to overcome, like his own death.

“We had to give Jerrold his vision. We knew from the beginning that ‘Goyo’ had to be much bigger than ‘Luna’. It is an epic story,” Ortigas said. “As the producers, whatever Jerrold needed for the set, it was there.”

To put to life director Tarog’s vision for Goyo’s story to the big screen, production employed talents and a cast of over 2,000 and built an entire movie set to recreate a late-1800s town in Tarlac.

Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral was shot in 60 days in multiple locations like Tarlac, Bataan, Rizal, Batangas, and Ilocos, among others, in a span of eight months, with an extra year spent in pre-production.

When asked why the story of Gregorio del Pilar is important to be told in today’s time, the director has this to say: “In many ways, ‘yung kwento ni Goyo, para siyang a call to critical thinking.

Kinukwestiyon niya yung sarili niya, kinukwestiyon niya kung bakit ginagawa ito. And in a way, ‘yun din ‘yung magiging tanong ng audience kapag lumabas sila ng sinehan,” Jerrold said. “Ano ba talaga yung pinaglaban ni Goyo? Pag-ibig ba? Si Aguinaldo ba? O yung bayan? I think magandang pag-isipan yun nung audience, especially ng kabataan.”

This film also marks TBA Studios’ first movie co-production with Globe Studios Paulo’s performance as Goyo is antithetical to Tarog’s vision of him as a pop star during the revolution. He seems an introvert, unassertive unless pushed to the ground, and as a general (thanks to Aguinaldo who recognized his loyalty more than his military skills (although he is known as the hero of Bulakan, Tarog doesn’t give the audience a hint why and how). In the climax sequence leading to his death as a marksman fells him to the ground, we see him as less stellar in military tactics; failing as he shouldn’t in understanding Tirad’s topography.

Memorable performances, apart from Avelino, were those of Carlo Aquino as Col. Vicente Enriquez, and Rafa SiguionReyna as Col. Julian del Pilar, Gregorio’s brother.

Gwen Zamora’s mestiza features are distracting as Remedios Nable Jose so were Empress Schuck’s as Felicidad Aguinaldo, although both are competent in their roles.

Mon Confiado as Pres. Emilio Aguinaldo is satisfactory, and Epy Quizon as Apolinario Mabini is remarkable.

The audience should watch Alvin Anson as Gen. Jose Alejandrino, and Art Acuña as Manuel Berna, delivering perhaps the most interesting perforances in the film.

Though I can’t say much about Ronnie Lazaro as Lt. Pantaleon Garcia, Perla Bautista as Doña Trinidad Aguinaldo, and Benjamin Alves as Lt. Manuel Quezon whose appearances are very brief for me to absorb.

Arron Villaflor as Joven Hernando has a lengthy but unremarkable exposure.

It reminds me of Steven Spielberg’s Corporal Upham (Jeremy Davies) in Saving Private Ryan.

Also in the cast are Jojit Lorenzo, Tomas Santos, Carlo Cruz, Che Ramos, Matt Evans, RK Bagatsing, Karl Medina, Stephanie Sol, Miguel Faustmann, Jason Dewey, Bret Jackson, Ethan Salvador, and Robert Seña.

Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral is supported by several government agencies from across the country, including the National Council for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), Department of Education (DepEd), and the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

At the film’s slated gala premiere, FDCP head Liza Diño-Seguerra, chairing its Invitational Committee, asked the audience to continue supporting Filipino films.

Entertainment

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

C4

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

ISAH V. RED

A primer on GREGORIO DEL PILAR I HAVE to raise a toast to Jerrold Tarog, TBA Studio’s Fernando Ortigas, E.A.Rocha and actor Paulo Avelino for their audacity to produce a film based on some historical personality that has been granted the label as a national hero for, naturally, being a prominent personality during the Philippine-American war.

Like a pop star, he had been known as “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral.”

In Philippine film history, costume dramas, of films loosely based on events in Philippine history, have long been considered box-office poison, suffering generally from comparisons to well-produced, better researched, brilliantly executed films from Hollywood and other western countries.

Yet, the local audience’s response to TBA’s Heneral Luna (that Tarrog also wrote, edited, and directed) three years ago, gave Ortigas and Rocha enough reason to invest in another historical screen tableau.

And last Thursday, Aug. 30, the film premiered at the SM Megamall Cineplex, screening in three cinemas for history enthusiasts, the movie press and bloggers, friends of the producers, members of the production (both crew and performers) and others who believe that the local film industry has hopes to be of global consequence, despite and in spite of the limitations local financial resources have given on any attempt to be at par with the world’s dominant film industries.

So, the audience in the three screens watched Paulo Avelino as Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral, and Tarogs paean to possibly the best looking in Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo’s revolutionary army.

It has been three years after Heneral Luna, and Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral has been a much- awaited follow up.

Set during the Philipine-American war, the film picks up where Heneral Luna ends. It seems as if Tarog finds another subject worthy to tell the story, he shifts the camera’s focus on another personality of the revolution as it marches on against the Americans after the death of Gen. Antonio Luna.

Unlike Heneral Luna’s dramatic flow of his narrative leading to his murder be fellow revolutionaries upon the orders of Aguinaldo, Ang Batang Heneral, doesn’t have the same intense conflict to make the audience cheer or hate him.

Tarog said in an interview, earlier that this film is “lyrical, like a poem.” Indeed, it is as the film runs for nearly two hours where Del Pilar has no major dramatic encounters with the films other characters. We relied on the musings of Apolinario Mabini (Epy Quizon) and scenes with Aguinaldo (Mon Confiado) to make out the narrative flow of the film.

“We expect people to get a terrific ebb and flow of emotional reactions that will deal in an indelible memory or experience,” Rocha said.

“The Filipino audience can expect a world-standard, a world-class cinema I hope they appreciate and realize that we put out the necessary budget and effort to give the Filipino moviegoers the best film that we think they deserve.”

Tarog is no Oliver Stone ( A l e x a n d e r, 2004; Nixon.1995); JFK.1991) who agitates the audience to thinking critically whether the personality he is exploring needs empathy or indifference.

Continued on C3

Paulo Avelino as Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral

KEN CHAN embarks on a ‘special’ role

in KAPUSO NEW SERIES

By Darwin Pesco

S

URPASSING the hurdles of his new role, actor Ken Chan plays father with intellectual disability in GMA Network’s newest afternoon series, My Special Tatay.

The Kapuso star is all set to portray the role of a man with Mild Intellectual Disability with Mild Autism Spectrum Disorder who tries to win over world’s challenges despite internal struggles.

“I’m very thankful to GMA dahil ipinagkatiwala sa akin ang proyektong ito. I am excited because they gave me another chance to portray a very challenging character,” the actor said expressing his gratitude to GMA for trusting him to play a tough role in the extraordinary project.

After his recent performance in The Cure, in which he played the role of a doctor named “Josh Lazaro”, and his stellar acting in Destiny Rose, Chan is ready to essay another arduous role as Boyet.

“Mas doble ang kaba ko for this show dahil kailangan nating ipaintindi sa viewers kung ano ba talaga ang pinagdaraanan ng mga taong may intellectual disability,” he shared.

The actor, together with the production and the creative team of the soap, went through acting workshops and immersion to experience and to understand better the condition of people suffering from the condition.

Series centers on the life of Boyet, who grew up as a kind man with optimism. Obstacle tests him when he discovered that he has a child.

Director L.A. Madridejos, together with second unit director Conrado Peru, orchestrates the Kapuso series.

“We are offering something good to the table. We wanted to give our viewers an extraordinary story. In fact, apart from doing extensive research, and having specialists on board, whenever we do a scene, even though it’s already okay, we would make four to five versions because we wanted to make everything look and appear realistic,” Madridejos shared with MS Entertainment.

Served as part of the GMA’s My Special Nanay, the director cleared out the differences of the two series. In Nanay, Kris Bernal’s role has a severe condition while in Tatay, Chan’s character is considered mild for he is still aware of the social setting.

Also, Madridejos said that he is hands on to every nuance of Chan’s acting. He also shared that the series consulted psychiatrists to have more realistic approach on Chan’s character.

Joining the series are seasoned actors and actresses like Jestoni Alarcon, Teresa Loyzaga, Soledad Villarama, Lilet, and Candy Pangilinan, with special guesting appearance of Matt Evans, Empress Schuck, Valeen Montenegro, and Ashley Rivera.

Also behind this engrossing drama is the creative team composed of creative director Roy Iglesias, concept creator and headwriter Agnes Uligan, creative head for Afternoon Prime Block Aloy Adlawan, writers Patrick Louie Lim Ilagan, Renei Patricia Dimla, Loi Argel R. Nova, Ken Chan takes on a challenging role in GMA Network's 'My Special Tatay,' a series about a man with Mild Intellectual Disability with Mild Autism Spectrum Disorder.

THE singing trio of Francis Concepcion, Mackie Empuerto, and Kiefer Sanchez Sanchez, otherwise known as the TNT Boys, wowed a jam-packed theater at the MVP Academic Achievement Awards (MVP AAA) held recently at the Meralco Theater in Pasig City.

The group, which caught the attention of TV audiences in the U.S. when they performed in the hit talent show Little Big Shots, serenaded close to 300 awardees of One Meralco Foundation’s annual recognition program, which rewards the academic achievement of children and siblings of qualified employees of Meralco and its subsidiaries.

On its eighth year, the MVP AAA recognized 210 winners and 76 top achievers.

Each winner received an MVP AAA medal and a P20,000 cash prize. Meanwhile, top achievers—those who won during the previous year and continued to excel academically and have received honors during the current academic year— each received an MVP AAA Top Achievers medal.

The awardees and their parents cheered as the TNT Boys rendered a back-to-back performance of Angeline Quinto’s “Patuloy ang Pangarap” and Sarah Geronimo’s hit single “Forever’s Not Enough.”

brainstormers Liberty Trinidad, and Nehemiarey Debad Dallego.

The program is another original creation of the GMA Drama group under the supervision of Senior Vice President for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, Vice President for Drama Redgie AcuñaMagno, Assistant Vice President for Drama Cheryl Ching-Sy, and Program Manager Anthony Pastorpide.

The heart-warming story of My Special Tatay unfolds today on GMA Afternoon Prime.

Kapuso viewers from across the globe can also catch their favorite Kapuso shows via GMA’s international channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV International.

For the program guide, visit www. gmapinoytv.com.

Bruno Gabriel and Arra San Agustin play support but equally important roles in the afternoon drama that starts airing today.

Addressing a primarily young audience, the boys congratulated the MVP AAA winners for doing their best to deserve the recognition. They also shared that despite their very tight work schedule, they still set aside time for their studies in between shows. They are currently home-schooled.

The TNT Boys capped the show with an encore performance of “This is Me,” a theme from the musical film, The Greatest Showman.

The TNT Boys performs during the awarding ceremonies of the 2018 MVP Academic Achievement Awards (MVP AAA) at the Meralco Theater in Pasig City.

Mike Sandejas, Pepe Diokno, Perci Intalan and Joel Lamangan share their insights and opinions on the current state of Philippine Cinema, as moderated by Jose Javier Reyes.

Let’s Get Real: Status of Philippine Cinema ACCLAIMED Philippine directors Joel Lamangan, Pepe Diokno, Perci Intalan and Mike Sandejas shared their valued opinions and prized insights on the current state of local cinema before aspiring filmmaking students of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) and other film buffs and enthusiasts, in an open forum entitled Meet the Directors: The Veterans and The Maverick at the college’s School of Design and Arts (SDA) Theater.

In partnership with Benildean Filmworks, the official film organization of the institution, the seminar was moderated by multi award-winning director Jose Javier Reyes, Program Chairperson of Digital Filmmaking (DFilm) Program, which celebrates its 10th Anniversary.

Intalan, President of The IdeaFirst Company which focuses on content creation, and who has produced 18 films so far, clarified that there are numerous productions every year.

However, the problem is the lack of venues, for these have been gobbled up by foreign films, as well as certain powers which prevent commercial screenings of some works.

The speakers likewise discussed other factors affecting the decline of the country’s cinema. One of the most crucial issues facing the film industry today is distribution and its fair share of local releases at the theaters without being pulledout unceremoniously by major mall operators.

The panelists unanimously agreed that the mall board of directors treat films as businesses and are more inclined towards profits, more than the hard work and passion of artists or the directors.

Respected director and producer Sandejas claimed that movie makers should look at what is more challenging, audience preferences, and what works.

“I think the method of distribution has changed viewing habits, especially for young people. They have lesser attention spans and everything is readily available on their smartphones. So, the path I am taking is I am exploring that. The way I see things is we have to open Philippine cinema doors to utilize the new methods of distribution to new media,” he declared.

Lamangan, who created the prize-winning Mano Po movies, lamented that the Philippine cinema is declining. He said the status of Philippine movie is critical, there are only few who watch film on cinemas.

The group pointed out one key indicator on the waning of Philippine cinema is the spawning of film festivals, which are avenues even for filmmakers with established names to air their masterpieces in the big screen.

Lauded independent filmmaker Diokno shared that these film festivals likewise play a big part in supporting up-andcoming filmmakers in their quest to get their stories told.

The jury unanimously concluded that television has greatly affected the appetite of Filipinos to watch movies as the stars in noontime variety shows and primetime teleseryes are the same actors in films.