Manila Standard - 2018 September 4 - Tuesday

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‘Siling labuyo’ shoots up to P1,000/kg at wet market

By Jun David and Jimbo Gulle THE wet market price of “siling labuyo”—the chili variant used to spice up sauces and dips in many Filipino homesskyrocketed to as much as P1,000 per kilo on Monday, which vendors blamed both on rising inflation and recent inclement weather that flooded farms and ruined the country’s supply of vegetables.

From just P600 a kilo a week ago, “labuyo” prices at Langaray Market in Malabon City reached at least P900, as vendors there blamed the high cost of vegetables they purchased from Divisoria, Metro Manila’s depot for most goods and commodities from across the country.

“Even a single piece of ‘siling pansigang’

VOL. XXXII • NO. 20=1 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

‘NFA diverted rice-buy fund to pay its debt’

By Maricel V. Cruz and Nat Mariano THE National Food Authority is mired in debt and had to use the funds set aside for the purchase of palay last year and the first half of 2018 to pay some of its maturing obligations, Administrator Jason Aquino told congressmen Monday.

Aquino made the revelation when members of the House committee on appropriations asked him why he was using the agency’s billions of pesos intended for the purchase of rice or palay from farmers in 2017 and this year.

“I want to clarify that since 2008, we have acquired huge obligations. The NFA is living on debts,” he told the committee chaired by Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles.

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BASKET OF PROBLEMS. The basket of prime commodities for the ordinary Filipino consumer is getting indisputably heavier and decidedly bitter, with price, for instance, of the chili variant called ‘siling labuyo’ or ‘silit’ sairo’ skyrocketing to as much as P1,000 per kilo on Monday—prompting Senator Panfilo Lacson to urge President Rodrigo Duterte to address posthaste the country’s economic problems, including the looming food crisis. He warns that inflation may reach 6 percent this month or next.

Food crisis looms—Lacson 2 Reuters journalists jailed in Myanmar WORLD B3

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NFA is living on debts.

— NFA Administrator Jason Aquino

Prods Duterte to focus on solving economic woes

By Julito G. Rada, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

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ENATOR Panfilo Lacson on Monday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to stop focusing on the war on drugs and focus on addressing the country’s economic problems, including a looming food crisis.

“Prices are too high, even for fish,” Lacson said in Filipino. “People, especially the poor, can no longer afford to put even basic food on the table. We could say that we still don’t have a food crisis, but it’s getting there because the prices of goods are rising.”

Warning that inflation may reach 6 percent in September or October, Lacson said the President should leave the drug war to the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

“The President’s marching orders are already clear and don’t have to be re-

peated all the time,” he said. “What we are facing now is a bigger problem—the economy.”

Lacson’s call came as Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran reported that inflation in August rose to 5.9 percent from 5.7 percent in July, mainly due to supply-side pressures.

Beltran, who is also the chief economist of the Finance department, said in an economic bulletin that the inflationary momentum was easing, however.

“The driver of inflation is largely supply-side challenges which need to be addressed by improving productivity. In the immediate to medium-term horizon, the Next page

Gov’t in control, says Palace amid series of blasts

By Nat Mariano and Francisco Tuyay THE Palace assured the local government of Isulan town, Sultan Kudarat that the national government is in control of the situation after a second bomb attack left two people dead and 14 others wounded.

“To the mayor and the residents of Isulan, President Rodrigo Duterte will not abandon you. In the midst of terrorism, the President’s message is that we are in control,” said Presidential spokesman Harry Roque in a radio interview upon the delegation’s arrival Next page in Jerusalem.

Anti-federalism bets blacklisted

By Maricel V. Cruz

Rody’s ‘rape joke’ turns off Robredo

By Rio N. Araja VICE President Leni Robredo on Monday slammed President Rodrigo Duterte for blaming beautiful women for the high incidence of rape in Davao City.

“There is rape because there is a rapist, and not because there are beautiful women [around],” Robredo told reporters.

“We must take the matter seriously.

We cannot just shrug our shoulders. We should not toy with the idea of rape. We just cannot make rape a joke.” Next page

GRIP AND CHEERS. President Rodrigo Duterte shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) prior to their meeting in Jerusalem on Monday while Filipinos (inset) greet the 73-year-old leader on his arrival at the Ramada Hotel to meet with the Filipino community, estimated at 31,000 legally working, most of them living in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. Presidential Photo

AT LEAST a hundred congressmen will campaign against the senators who will not support the proposed shift to a federal form of government being pushed by the Duterte administration, a House official said Monday.

Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso, chairman of the House of Representatives’ committee on constitutional amendments, said the senators would get zero support from the respective legislative districts of about a hundred congressmen should they say that federalism would not make things better for the Filipino people, especially the poor.

“We will campaign against these senators come the 2019 mid-term elections Next page

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News

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

So sorry, Rody tells Barack in Jerusalem JERUSALEM—Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte has apologized to former US president Barack Obama for calling him a “son of a whore” in 2016, which sparked a new low in their nations’ long alliance.

Duterte lobbed the insult in response to steady criticism from the United States over his violent drug crackdown, which has been a target for international condemnation.

However, the Philippine President said his nation’s relationship with America has since improved under President Donald Trump, who he described as a “good friend” who “speaks my language.”

“It would be appropriate also to say at this time to Mr. Obama that you are now a civilian and I am sorry for uttering those words,” Duterte said Sunday in a speech before Filipinos in Israel.

Duterte landed in Israel on Sunday for a four-day stay as the Philippines seeks to develop new sources of military hardware and nail down protections for its overseas workers.

“If it is [in] your heart to forgive, you forgive. I have forgiven you, just like my girlfriends when I was still a bachelor... I have forgiven them also,” the Philippine leader said in the same speech.

After his election in mid-2016, Duterte quickly earned a reputation for using vulgar language against critics which his aides have tried to minimize or explain away.

He branded Pope Francis and the then US ambassador to Manila “sons of whores.” He also fired expletives at the United Nations and during a speech in the Philippines raised his middle finger in defiance to the European parliament.

Duterte often rails at critics of his campaign to rid the Philippines of narcotics, which police say has killed 4,410 alleged drug dealers or users.

Rights groups say the actual number of dead is triple that and could amount to crimes against humanity.

Duterte cursed Obama ahead of a regional summit in Laos two years ago prompting the US to cancel a meeting between the two leaders there. AFP

Pump prices rise by P1.20 a liter of diesel OIL companies raised pump prices by as much as P1.20 a liter effective Tuesday 6 am to reflect world market conditions.

The price of diesel rose a sharp P1.20 a liter, while gasoline and kerosene prices went up by 95 centavos liter.

This was the third consecutive week that oil prices have risen.

World oil prices have been rising amid reports that the supply of Iranian oil could be cut and that the supply from Venezuela is depleting.

The move followed the P1.95 per kilo increase in LPG equivalent to P21.45 per 11-kilo tank implemented over the weekend to reflect the movement of the contract price of LPG in the world market.

The oil companies also increased the price of autoLPG by P1.10 per liter.

In Aug. 28, the oil firms also raised pump prices by P0.60 per liter for diesel, P0.45 for kerosene and P0.10 per liter for gasoline.

The oil firms also raised diesel and gasoline prices by P0.25 and P0.15 per liter, respectively on Aug. 14.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Rody’s...

From A1 Robredo said any statement blaming a girl for the rape that happened to her could never be “funny.”

She made her statement even as Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Monday reminded Duterte’s critics that protecting the rights of women remained a top priority of the Chief Executive, and despite his joke that the reason why his hometown, Davao City, had the highest cases of rape in 2018 was because Davao had many beautiful women.

“The human rights critics and PRRD’s [Duterte’s] detractors are nitpicking again and making a [fuss] about a statement about many beautiful women being raped in Davao, making it a basis for accusing him of misogyny,” Panelo said in a statement.

He claimed Duterte’s critics “always distort” the meaning of his comments when the President was merely advancing a theory that “beautiful women” perpetuated the culture of rape.

Earlier, in a speech before the Filipino community in Jerusalem, Duterte justified his rape joke as freedom of expression.

During the 49th founding anniversary of Mandanue City in Cebu, Duterte said there were many rape cases in his hometown Davao City because there were many beautiful women.

Robredo did not agree.

“Freedom of expression has its limitations.

We do not abuse this to disrespect every Filipino,” Robredo said. With PNA

House workers get early bonus

By Maricel V. Cruz

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MPLOYEES of the House of Representatives will get a 700-percent increase in their grocery allowances this year, Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced Monday.

They received only P5,000 a year in grocery allowance during the time of ousted speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, a close ally of President Rodrigo Duterte and the representative of the First District of Davao del Norte.

Arroyo made the announcement as she attended the House’s flag-raising ceremony.

She said August and September were usually belt-tightening months at the House

of Representatives, and that the applications for various loans usually increased during these months.

“Well, last August, with the hard work of accounts committee Chairman Yedda Romualdez, you received a grocery allowance of P5,000,” Arroyo said.

“This month, with the even harder work of Congresswoman Yedda Romualdez, I have been able to authorize the release of P35,000.”

Israeli media villify Duterte

Romualdez, wife of former congressman and Philippine Constitution Association president Martin Romualdez, is the head of the House committee on accounts.

Arroyo also said she was impressed by how well the congressional staff had adjusted to the transition and the extra effort they had done to meet her expectations as Speaker.

“In the last six weeks, I have seen you work very, very hard. I am impressed by how well you adjusted to the transition and the extra effort you made to meet the expectations of the Speaker. Thank you very much. Please keep up the good work,” Arroyo said.

She said her concern now was not her legacy as Speaker but to support Duterte’s

‘Siling...

From A1

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has been called an admirer of Adolf Hitler and an unwanted guest, among other things, by a top Israeli newspaper.

The criticisms were published in an editorial by the Haaretz newspaper that coincided with his visit to Israel.

Another newspaper, the Times of Israel, also protested Duterte’s visit.

The editorial against Duterte is titled “A Hitler Admirer at Yad Vashem,” in reference to Duterte’s remarks in October 2016 when he compared his deadly drug war to Hitler’s genocide of at least six-million Jews. Duterte said then “Hitler massacred three-million Jews ... there’s three-million drug addicts [in the Philippines]. There are. I’d be happy to slaughter them.”

Duterte apologized for his remarks through his then spokesman Ernesto Abella, who maintained that the President was willing to kill as many as three-million “criminals.”

“Israel has never been choosy in its international relations. In fact, it has an impressive record of relations with dubious regimes and leaders, and its weapons sales to the very worst regimes have been previously reported,” the editorial read.

“Under the shadow of Duterte’s visit, Israel once again proves it’s willing to overlook

leaders’ human rights violations for the sake of opportunities for arms deals and defense contracts.

Under the shadow of Duterte’s visit, Israel must disclose the nature and scope of its arms trade with countries accused of human rights violations. The president of the Philippines isn’t a wanted guest here, and his visit is a shameful diplomatic stain.”

The editorial viewed Israel’s decision to “roll out the red carpet” for Duterte as something done in exchange for a mess of pottage that includes abstaining or supporting Israel in a few UN votes, thus giving Duterte an absolution for his anti-Semitic remarks.

“Duterte has been accused of human rights violations in his own country under the cover of his war on drugs and organized crime, which has presumably included ‘social cleansing’ operations and the murder of thousands of people without a trial.

“The man who compared himself to Hitler, boasting that he’d be happy to slaughter each and every one of the millions of drug addicts in the Philippines, will, as is usual on such visits, tour the Yad Vashem Holocaust remembrance center, and also a memorial in honor of Filipinos who saved Jews during the Holocaust.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Food...

“Meanwhile, lower diesel and kerosene prices as well as [a] modestly appreciated peso could partly temper price pressures this month,” it said.

Earlier, private economists said they expected inflation to peak at 5.9 percent in August.

In a joint report for the month of August, First Metro Investment Corp. and University of Asia & the Pacific expressed optimism that inflation would decelerate in the succeeding months.

“Headline inflation will peak in August given the heavy rains and flooding during the month,” FMIC and UA&P said in the Market Call report for the month.

“The saving factor in the third quarter would be normalizing food prices, due to September rice harvests and larger imports and downward trending crude oil prices to well below $70/barrel. Electricity rates should also go down as hydropower plants go full blast during the rainy season,” they said.

They said that inflation in September might slow down to 5.2 percent and further to 5 percent in October.

Inflation in July accelerated to a more than five-year high of 5.7 percent from 5.2 percent in June based on the 2012 price index, due mainly to higher food prices. This brought the inflation average in the first seven months to 4.5 percent, well over the target range of 2 to 4 percent this year earlier set by the government.

The economists said unless inflation start to slow down and exports begin to move to positive territory, economic growth would continue to remain tepid, around 6.5 percent or less in the third quarter. “… With construction [especially infrastructure] and manufacturing remaining robust, the underlying growth momentum should hold up,” they added.

Economic growth in the first half averaged at 6.3 percent, following the lower-than-expected 6 percent in the second quarter, which is significantly slower than the revised 6.6 percent in the first quarter. The first semester expansion was way below the target range of 7 to 8 percent earlier set by the country’s economic managers for 2018.

Rising inflation rate compelled the Bangko Sentral to raise the benchmark interest rates again on Aug. 9 by a rare 50 basis points to 4 percent in a bid to rein in inflation. The interest rates on the overnight lending and deposit facilities were also increased accordingly. The BSP earlier raised the policy rate by 25 basis points each in May and June 2018.

BSP data showed that the last time the Monetary Board raised the policy rate by 50 basis points was in July 2008, when inflation reached 12.2 percent. It was also the time of the global financial crisis.

Bangko Sentral Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said there was some risk of inflation exceeding the target in 2019.

In a briefing held at the National Press Club two weeks ago, Espenilla said he did not see the inflation rate hitting 6 percent, although he predicted that consumer prices may peak in August or September this year.

He said inflation would continue to be driven by higher oil prices and higher excise taxes might contribute to faster inflation in the coming months.

“The August inflation may actually be higher than July. The peak may be in August or September,” Espenilla said. He said if other goods—aside from food and fuel—would also be affected and saw faster price increases, it would be a “red flag for the BSP.” In the House, an opposition lawmaker filed a bill calling for a rollback and a return to a

In a separate statement, Palace denounced the latest attack in the south, adding it is deeply saddened by the casualties the incident caused.

“The President has been kept updated on all developments by the PNP, which has already ordered its men on the ground to increase visibility and patrol and tighten security,” said Roque.

“We ask the residents to report anything suspicious to the authorities as we bring to justice all culprits behind this dastardly attack,” he added.

The second in five days, the latest bombing occurred inside an Internet shop in Barangay Kalawag 2 at past 7 pm.

PNP chief Oscar Albayalde said the police are still looking if the previous blast on Tuesday was related to the recent incident.

Albayalde has already ordered the relief of provincial police officials.

Town officials suspended classes in all levels after the second blast, bringing to five the number of dead in a span of six days.

The latest victims of explosion were teenagers

Marialyn Luda, 15 and Jan Mark Luda, 18, cousins who died hours apart after an improvised explosive device went off at an internet café near Novo Department Store in Barangay Kalawag 2 in Isulan town at about 7:30 pm Sunday.

The attack heightened anxiety among residents, and led Isulan Mayor Marites Pallasigue to suspend classes in all levels until the security situation stabilized.

Reports said residents were cautioned from going to populated places and refrain from wandering in vulnerable areas during wee hours of the night, such as night markets, bars, and parks.

AFP spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo urged communities to unite to reject attacks by terrorists.

“Only with that unity of our communities; only with that degree of vigilance and participation of our people combined with the diligent and dedicated government security forces can we as a nation triumph over these terrorists,” Arevalo said. With Macon Ramos-Araneta, PNA

by line, item by item, purpose by purpose,” Nograles said at start of the hearing.

Pointing to a report by the Commission on Audit, Nograles said NFA used P2.09 billion out of its P5.1-billion Price and Supply Stabilization of Rice Fund to pay the principal and interest on loans it obtained from the Land Bank of the Philippines worth P1.046 billion and the Development Bank of the Philippines worth P1.044 billion.

Because of this, the NFA–which is under the Department of Agriculture–missed its 2017 palay procurement target by 124,969 metric tons and was only able to purchase 28,514 MT. For 2018, the NFA reportedly diverted P5 billion from its P7-billion Buffer Stocking Program Fund to pay its existing debts to the LBP and DBP. Aquino bared during the hearing that the actual diverted figure this year was P6.12 billion

and not P5 billion.

Nograles expressed concerns that this bad habit could get picked up by other departments. “[If the NFA does that], nothing will stop other other agencies and departments from also diverting their funds elsewhere in complete disregard of the law that was passed by this Congress called the General Appropriations Act,” Nograles said.

Nograles said that for 2019, the House of Representatives is again eyeing a P7-billion buffer stock subsidy for the NFA. In the Senate, Senator Francis Pangilinan urged President Rodrigo Duterte to fire Aquino and put Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia in charge of the rice problem.

From A1

country needs to enhance food security by taking advantage of international trade.”

In particular, he said, the quantitative restrictions on imports of rice, which accounts for 9.6 percent of the consumer price index, could soon be lifted.

Based on the Finance department estimate, the Manila Electric Co. rate per kilowatt-hour for households consuming 200 kW per month in August 2018 rose to P10.22 from P10.19 a month ago and P8.38 a year ago.

Meralco’s generation charge per kilowatthour for August 2018 also increased to P5.35 from P5.27 a month ago and P3.98 a year ago.

Diesel prices per liter in Metro Manila also increased to P46.80 from P46.62 a month ago and P32.56 a year ago.

The government is scheduled to release the August inflation data within the week.

Beltran’s August inflation estimate was similar to that of the Bangko Sentral when the regulator projected that inflation likely accelerated to 5.9 percent from 5.7 percent in July, driven by higher food prices due to intermittent weather disturbances during the month.

In a statement last Friday, the BSP’s Department of Economic Research projected that inflation in August settled within the range of 5.5 and 6.2 percent.

“The central forecast implies a slight deceleration of the month-on-month inflation.

Higher price of rice and key food items due to weather disturbances and supply disruptions, increase in gasoline and LPG prices, and slight upward adjustments in electricity rates in Meralco-serviced areas contributed to upward pressures in August,” the department said.

Gov’t...

From A1 “We will not be threatened. We will defend our democracy, and we will defend our republic,” Roque said, adding that the President and his Cabinet members had a small meeting while en route to Israel.

“The President has said that he has ordered the police and the military to actively investigate the two explosions in Isulan. And the President expressed thoughts that maybe there’s really a threat there,” said the Palace official.

“Even though the President is in Israel, he would do everything to go after the perpetrators of the incident,” he said.

“The President would task the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), Department of Health, and the PNP (Philippine National Police) to provide aid that the town of Isulan needs,” he said.

‘NFA...

From A1 “The rice subsidy then, and even now, is not really enough both for the procurement of rice and importation. So we advance the funds, and we pay for it later when the subsidy is released,” Aquino said.

NFA officials led by Aquino, along with members of the NFA Council, attended budget deliberations Monday, under fire over recent rice price spikes caused by the shortage of cheap NFA rice in the market.

Nograles demanded an explanation on NFA’s diversion of the funds provided to the agency under the General Appropriations Act. “The budget passes through us. We’re the ones who approve the budget every year. When we approve the budget, we approve it line

[green chili] now goes for five pesos a piece, when it used to go for just one peso each,” a Malabon vendor told Manila Standard in the vernacular.

The green chili variant is usually used for “sinigang,” the soup dish that’s a staple for most Filipinos. Prices of other chili variants, and spices in general, have also risen, vendors admitted.

The steeper price tags are consistent with rising costs of vegetables across the metropolis, as vendors at the Mega Q-Mart in Quezon City also warned of even higher prices once newer supplies of farm goods reach the wet markets.

The Department of Finance also announced Monday that inflation likely hit its fastest pace in more than nine years at 5.88 percent for August, driven by “largely supply-side challenges which need to be addressed by improving productivity.”

In television interviews, the Nepa vendors said eggplants were now priced at P60 a kilo, followed by P70 for okra, cabbage and garlic; P80 for tomatoes and white onions; P100 for red onions; and P180 for carrots.

Even prices of dry goods are still rising, despite the Department of Trade and Industry issuing new guidelines for sug-

legacy. Shortly after assuming the Speakership, she recalled saying her goal was to implement Duterte’s legislative agenda.

“I think those of who you who are involved in the priority legislative agenda, as enunciated in the State of the Nation Address, have experienced and witnessed how we are prioritizing that legislative agenda,” Arroyo said.

She described her leadership and management style as Speaker as similar to that when she was president.

“The key words are hard work, selectively hands on, and you’ve seen that with regard to the legislative agenda of the President: strict but hopefully fair and open-minded.” gested retail prices in supermarkets effective Saturday, Sept. 1.

Consumer group Laban Konsyumer Inc. said Monday it evaluated the latest SRP with the last DTI guidelines posted on Aug. 6 and found at least 13 items that saw their prices rise during that span.

Interviewed by GMA’s Balitanghali TV program, LKI president lawyer Vic Dimagiba said the Trade department’s agreement with major food manufacturers not to increase prices for at least three months wasn’t being followed.

The most notable increase, Dimagiba said, was for iodized salt, as supermarkets in Luzon priced it 10 percent higher than their counterparts in Visayas and Mindanao.

The total stock-keeping units or SKUs— shorthand for a particular item in a supermarket or grocery—under the expanded DTI SRP increased from 218 to 224 due to six brands of iodized salt added from the Vismin areas, he said.

ERRATUM UNTV News should be credited for the photo of Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol (Bukbok meal) that came out on Page One of Manila Standard’s Sept. 3, 2018 issue.

zero excise tax rate on kerosene and diesel, which had gone up as a result of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law. Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo filed House Bill 8171 in response to the steadily rising prices of basic goods and services, including fuel.

Quimbo’s bill provides for the automatic suspension of the implementation of fuel excise tax increases whenever inflation for a given quarter exceeds the government’s quarterly target. It is a counterpart to Senate Bill 1798, also known as the “Bawas Presyo Bill” filed

by Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV. “We recorded an inflation of 5.7 percent in July, with August inflation expected to be at around the same level. Clearly steps have to be taken to bring relief to our people and shield them from future spikes in inflation,” Quimbo said.

“During the deliberations on TRAIN 1, I repeatedly stressed that the imposition of excise tax on kerosene and diesel are anti-poor. More than 60 percent of the poorest households in the country depend on kerosene for lighting and cooking while fishermen, PUVs, and small power utility groups in far-flung areas rely heavily on diesel,” Quimbo added.

Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday joined calls for the suspension of the excise tax on fuel products.

“At the start of the year, we have already felt inflation. [Even] The Department of Finance admitted that they did not expect that inflation [rate] would go up that high,” she said.

“From their admission, it is high time to review if [excise] tax is applicable on fuel products,” she added.

Robredo, along with the other Liberal Party members, backed the passage of Aquino’s Bawas Presyo bill.

Anti-federalism...

From A1 who will say that federalism will not change their lives for the better,” Veloso, a former Court of Appeals associate justice, told reporters.

Speaking in front of 1,400 Filipino workers upon his arrival in Israel, President Rodrigo Duterte asked them to “choose the best” leaders in the Senate as the filing of certificates of candidacy and the 2019 midterm elections drew nearer.

“You can pick whoever you want to be a congressman, but as for the senators, since you’re far from the country, choose the best,” said Duterte in his hour-long speech during his meeting with the Filipino community in Israel.

The President said he would not mention the names of the best people who would be running in the elections.

Former Philippine National Police chief and now Bureau of Corrections chief Ronald dela Rosa said Monday he will run for a Senate seat in 2019.

Dela Rosa made the statement in a chance interview after the flag-raising ceremony at the New Bilibid Prison after he was asked for an update on his plans for the coming polls.

“The President has announced it. The President told me to run, so I will run [for senator],” Dela Rosa said.

Veloso said about a hundred congressmen had come to such an agreement “in an informal exchange of views on the matter to vote on federalism.”

He said the House would work hard for federalism even if the Senate did not seem to be supportive of it, adding that the government had utilized funds to study the viability of the proposed federalism by creating a consultative committee. With Nat Mariano

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Ping wants to delete P16-b ROW DPWH fund

Fox appeals deportation case before DoJ AUSTRALIAN nun Patricia Anne Fox on Monday formally asked the Department of Justice to overturn the final decision issued by the Bureau of Immigration ordering her deportation for violating the terms and conditions of the missionary visa that the agency issued to her and included her name in the blacklist.

In a 39-page petition for review, Fox through National Union of People’s Lawyers secretary-general Edre Olalia, argued that the 72-year-old missionary did not commit illegal acts that would justify her deportation from the country.

“In a supposedly civilized country that respects and promotes human rights and the well-being of its people, no amount of ratiocination could justify such an order. For there is nothing illegal and political in petitioner’s act of espousing social justice, peace and human rights,” petitioner said.

Fox warned that if the BI’s order will not be reversed, this would curtail her exercise of her religious belief.

“By her acts, the petitioner simply showed that she is living her missionary life consistent with the charisms of her living congregation and the social teaching of the Catholic Church and any other church to help the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized,” the petitioner said. Rey E. Requejo

SSS pilots Pension Loan Program in 20 branches IN CELEBRATION of its 61st founding anniversary, state-run Social Security System on Monday launched the Pension Loan Program for the benefit of more than 1.3-million retiree pensioners.

SSS president and chief executive Officer Emmanuel F. Dooc said the program was in response to the clamor from senior citizens to put an end to the growing incidence of pensioners falling victims to loan institutions that offer steep interest rates and to help them with their short-term needs like emergency medical expenses.

“As we celebrate the 61st anniversary of SSS, the launching of this program is our way of extending our assistance to our dear pensioners. SSS would not be able to reach 61 strong years if not for the contributions of our pensioners during the time that they were still strong and working,” Dooc said.

SC asked to junk quo warranto case vs Duterte THE Supreme Court has been asked to dismiss the quo warranto case filed by suspended lawyer and former nuisance presidential candidate Elly Pamatong against President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a 21-page comment, Solicitor General Jose Calida urged the SC to dismiss for lack of merit Pamatong’s petition that accused Duterte of usurping the powers of the chief executive due to his alleged invalid certificate of candidacy for the 2016 polls.

The Solicitor General described Pamatong’s suit as a “nuisance petition” consisting of “false allegations.”

The chief state lawyer even asked the SC to sanction petitioner who “deplorably trivialized the rules of procedure” and who “may be held liable for indirect contempt without prejudice to the corresponding administrative and criminal actions.”

Calida disputed Pamatong’s claim that Duterte’s certificate of candidacy in the May 2016 presidential poll was invalid because his withdrawal of COC for mayor in Davao City and substitution for presidential bet of PDPLaban were not allowed under the rules of the Commission on Elections.

Rey E. Requejo

By Macon Ramos-Araneta6

FLAG RAISING. Chief Justice Teresita de Castro addresses the employees and justices during the flag raising ceremony at the Supreme Court building on Monday, Sept. 3, 2018. Norman Cruz

CJ asks Palace, Congress: Respect judicial independence

By Rey E. Requejo and Maricel V. Cruz

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EWLY APPOINTED Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro on Monday appealed to both the executive and legislative branch of government not to interfere in the affairs of the judiciary, as well as to respect the decision of the Supreme Court, particularly on controversial issues.

In a speech during her first flag-raising ceremony as top magistrate, De Castro said that the SC must be left to decide for itself without interference from other branches of government.

“The other members of the coequal and independent branches of the government should understand that based on our constitutional order, the decisions reached by the justices of the Supreme Court, whether unanimously or by majority vote, must be respected,” De Castro told SC justices, officials and employees of the high court.

She noted that it is the high court, “more than anyone else,” that would be affected by a wrong decision because it would affect the institution’s integrity.

She said that some sectors would easily believe and judge the justices based on

PET junks Marcos Jr.’s motion that Caguioa inhibit in case

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, has denied the plea of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for inhibition of Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa from handling his election protest against Vice President Leni Robredo.

In an Aug. 28, 2018 resolution, the PET dismissed the motion of Marcos seeking for inhibition of Caguioa for lack of basis and “sternly warned” the former lawmaker and his lawyers that “any unfounded and inappropriate accusation made in the future will be dealt with more severely.”

The PET ruled that Caguioa “has been

‘Allow Veloso to testify via deposition’ THE parents of convicted drug mule Mary Jane Veloso has asked the Supreme Court to allow her to testify in the criminal cases against her recruiters from her detention cell in Indonesia through a deposition.

In a 38-page petition, the petitioners through National Union of People’s Lawyers led by Edre Olalia, Cesar and Celia Veloso pleaded the SC to reverse and set aside the decision of the Court of Appeals that prevented the taking of their daughter’s deposition or affidavit.

Instead, the petitioners sought the reinstatement of the earlier ruling of Nueva Ecija Regional Trial Court, Branch 88, that allowed the deposition for the trial of Veloso’s detained recruiters, couple Ma. Cristina Sergio and Julius Lacanilao, who are facing qualified human trafficking before the RTC. The parents argued that the CA’s former 11th Division erred in issuing the the permanent injunction order against the taking of Mary Jane’s testimony by deposition.

what they only hear from others.

De Castro noted that most of these people are oblivious about justices’ works and what is actually happening inside the Court.

“People outside would like to judge us by what they see or hear from afar but it is us, the justices and officials of the Court, who know what is happening inside the Supreme Court and we should be left alone,” De Castro added.

The new chief justice conveyed the strong message to the executive and legislative departments that the SC under her leadership will not compromise its judicial independence.

“We should be left alone to decide the fate of this institution without interference. We, more than anyone else will be affected if we decide wrongly a

case which will affect the integrity and the fate of this institution,” De Castro pointed out.

De Castro said each of the justices have studied the Constitution meticulously as well as the law and evidence on record, thus, their decisions should be accorded with great respect.

“The other members of the co-equal and independent branches of the government should understand that based on our constitutional order, the decisions reached by the justices of the Supreme Court whether unanimously or by majority vote must be respected,” she said.

De Castro’s fellow associate justices and the employees of the Court showed up during their so-called “Blue Monday” event, which dramatized what they considered as the return of peace and normalcy in the judiciary.

The Supreme Court Employees Association, the same group that led the “Black Friday, initiated the event” and “Red Monday” protests to pressure Sereno to resign from her post at the height of the impeachment proceedings against her.

De Castro earlier vowed to restore collegiality in the SC, which was obviously ignored during the term of Sereno, who was accused of making decisions without the approval of the en banc.

“Clearly, Respondents Sergio and Lacanilao failed to show grave abuse of discretion on the part of the trial court which issued the subject Resolutions.

Hence, there is no basis—legal and factual—for the Court of Appeals to act on their Petition and grant the reliefs prayed for therein,” the petition stated.

The parents of Mary Jane also accused the CA of grave abuse of discretion in “depriving Mary Jane’s right to fair trial” and issuing the assailed order that they said “practically muzzled her from telling the truth.”

“To bar Mary Jane from testifying will prevent the prosecution from fully representing their case by means of crucial material evidence, thereby denying the victim of her opportunity to finally be heard. This strikes at the very core of the due process guarantee of the Constitution and puts a premium on technicality at the expense of the right of the State to prosecute criminal wrongdoing” they said. Rey E. Requejo

nothing but impartial” in his conduct of matters involved in the Marcos’ protest against Robredo because all decisions have been reached through a majority vote of the Court en banc.

“Amid baseless allegations of delay, the Tribunal has given these no serious consideration as it knows that the proceedings in the Protest have, in fact, been pushed forward with utmost dispatch despite numerous pending incidents arising from it,” the PET resolution stated.

The PET described the motion as a “mere scrap of paper” when it resolved to deny the motion for inhibition of Caguiao for “utter lack of merit.”

Marcos had sought for recusal of Caguioa his pending electoral protest

against the vice president, citing the justice’s “fraternal relations” with his former classmate, former President Benigno Aquino III. Former senator also alleged that Caguioa’s wife is an “ardent supporter” of Robredo.

However, the PET ruled that Marcos allegations are “empty” imputation that “cannot form basis for voluntary inhibition” under the Internal Rules of the Supreme Court.

According to the PET, the argument that that Aquino appointed Caguioa to the SC and that the two belonged to the same political party does “not automatically mean” that the latter is biased in favor of Robredo and against Marcos.

RICE PROTEST.

Members of a militant group protested in front of the House of Representatives in Quezon City to oppose what they claim as NFA’s dependence on importation, and to demand P20 per kilo paddy buying rice and the full utilization of its buffer stocking budget in local procurement from farmers.

Manny Palmero

SENATOR Panfilo Lacson might again seek to delete more than P16-billion rightof-way funding under the Department of Public Works and Highways proposed budget next year, which he said can be a source of the so-called pork barrel.

He warned that the fund, which can also be called a pork barrel, could be used as another source of funding for projects of legislators. He said the fund was lumped at the DPWH’s central office.

The Supreme Court earlier ruled as “unconstitutional” Congress’ Priority Development Assistance Funds, commonly known as pork barrel.

“Sa 2019, ang nakalagay dun parang P16 bilyon. Isang P10 billion at saka isang P6 bilyon,” said Lacson in an interview after the Senate Finance committee deliberations on the budget of the DPWH. “We’ll ask for their deletion because last year they were restored. Many of them were insertions by congressmen” he said.

But tshe senator said he would first ask the DPWH to submit the details of the P16-billion ROW funding, saying it’s not clear.

Senator Nancy Binay also urged DPWH to stop its localized patchwork approach to address flooding, and instead come up with an integrated flood management plan for the country.

CAAP says final report on Xiamen plane incident out soon

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines announced on Monday that it will come out with the final report of its probe in connection with the Chinese commuter jet that overshot the main runway of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Aug. 16.

This developed shortly after the readout of the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder of the disabled Xiamen Air flight MF-8667 has finally arrived in Manila from Singapore last Friday.

CAAP chief information officer and spokesperson Eric Apolonio said under international and Philippine aviation rules, substantial content of the FDR and CVR readouts still cannot be disclosed until the final report.

The CAAP Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board investigators confirmed that the black box data recording was of good quality.

“The CAAP-AAIIB will release an official report once the investigation and analysis are concluded,” said Apolonio.

He added that the black box, which was sent to Singapore for analysis, was already submitted to the AAIIB “to match with the interview and earlier investigation of the flight crew.”

The AAIIB personnel—Rommel Ronda and Renier Baculinao—were instructed by CAAP Director General Capt. Jim Sydiongco to hasten their investigation and told “he wants results as soon as possible.”

Two weeks ago, the AAIIB officials brought with them the device to Singapore get all the information they want to know, particularly the conversations between the pilots and personnel of the Manila Control Tower, and the status of the Boeing 737-800 prior to its landing at the runway 06-24 during heavy downpour.

Cabiling, 93 PRIMITIVA D. Cabiling, beloved mother of longtime Manila Standard employee Rey Cabiling, passed away on Sept. 2, 2018 She was 93.

Cabiling left behind her children, grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

Her remains lie at 301 Interior 15, Aguado Street, in San Miguel, Manila.

Interment will be announced later.

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Opinion

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

A double whammy

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

much money to enable the government to borrow so it can pay its bills. Money supply also increases through savings in banks.

That is why, my gulay, when the inflation rate goes to 20 percent of 25 THERE were events last week which I percent beyond, the prices of goods was not able to attend because it was and services will hit the ceiling. What raining a lot and I was not feeling well. is unfortunate is that politicians often One was the birth anniversary of blame greedy businessmen, the tax the late Antonio Cabangon Chua, for- reform program, and the Build Build mer ambassador to Laos and chairman Build program of the administration of the group of companies that is into for higher prices.

The BSP and our economic managinsurance, banking, hotels, property development, media, health, pre-need, ers need to rein in the rapid supply of cemeteries and automotive dealership. money because it is outpacing the supTony was my good friend. His life ply of goods and services.

On the rice crisis now prevailing nawas an inspiring saga of rags to riches.

He was a cigaret vendor when he was tionwide, the National Food Authority young. Fortunately, he has children to and Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol must be blamed. Their duty is to take over his business empire.

The second event was the solemn in- see to it that the price of rice and other vestiture of Dr. Emmanuel Angeles as agricultural products are stable.

Why didn’t Piñol and the NFA anticichairman emeritus of the Angeles Unipate the shortage versity Foundaof imported rice? tion. The guest of Why did the NFA honor was House divert these funds Speaker Gloria Macapagal ArLack of rice can cause to pay its debts?

That’s criminal, royo. to say the least.

Manny Ange- revolutions.

Thus, when les as head of the Piñol suggested biggest Catholic that rice smuguniversity north of Metro Manila conferred on me in gling in Mindanao should be legalized, March 2008 a doctorate honoris causa it was a desperate move to save his skin —even through a ridiculous idea. because of my decades in journalism.

It’s Piñol’s responsibility to ensure *** It’s actually a double whammy for we have enough rice supply. Rice is a the Philippines. The inflation rate is staple. Lack of rice can cause revolugetting higher, pushing up the prices of tions, does he not realize that?

The country has had a rice crisis beeverything. And then the rice crisis is making like difficult for Filipinos. We fore, but other presidents were able to address the problem. We may blame do not see a solution anytime soon.

There is no mystery to increasing in- the NFA and Pinol for this situation, flation. According to the Bangko Sen- but ultimately the responsibility falls tral, it could have hit 6.1 percent this on President Duterte. *** August.

I have known many press secretarLike other commodities, the value of money is determined by the law of sup- ies and information ministers, since the ply and demand. When the supply of time of President Elpidio Quirino.

Santa Banana, I must say that Presimoney is constant or when it increases at a slow and steady rate, the purchas- dent Duterte’s press office—called the ing power of money will be relatively Presidential Communications Operastable. In contrast, when the supply of tions Office—is populated by incommoney expands rapidly compared to petent minions.

I will no longer cite the many gaffes the supply of goods and services, the value of money declines and prices rise. of the PCOO under Secretary Martin This is what is called inflation. It Andanar. People know them too well. occurs when the liquidity of money What I cannot understand is why the goes up suddenly and money supply in- President treats them with kid’s gloves. creases rapidly. The BSP may print too Turn to A5

TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

H

Leading by example “We have not really lost to crisis levels—if they would E EVEN cooked the anything except that there’s an not even step down in shame rice himself, he said.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol ate weevil-infested rice in front of the camera Friday night as he tried to assure the public that such was safe for consumption.

Piñol pulled the PR stunt amid calls for his ouster following the dwindling supply of rice and the resulting surge in prices.

The shortage has prompted suggestions that consumers should consider eating “bukbok” rice because it only needs to be washed.

Piñol also helped himself to some galunggong, which used to be regarded as poor man’s fish but which is also now in scarce supply. Even bangus is also said to be in short supply.

The Agriculture secretary has thus far enjoyed the confidence of the President, who refuses to acknowledge that Piñol has committed any serious offense.

aberration in the market,” said Mr. Duterte.

But the aberration has made the lives of Filipinos, for whom rice is a fixture on the table, difficult. In some areas the price of a kilo of rice has soared to more than P70—a big adjustment especially since they also have to grapple with the increase in the price of other goods and services.

That’s a serious offense as far as the people are concerned— but perhaps not serious enough by the President’s standards for his own men and women.

Rice is quite literally a gut issue and this government should not trivialize the people’s woes by suggesting they alter their lifestyle by eating other grain types, or be content with inferior variety, or even see the legalizing smuggling in some areas as Piñol suggested.

Firing the officials whose incompetence drove the rice issue

in the first place—will send a strong message to the people that the Duterte administration is serious about getting things done and done right.

It appears, however, that Piñol and National Food Authority administrator Jason Aquino are concerned more about hanging on to their posts despite the likelihood of somebody else being able to do the job better.

If Piñol indeed wanted to lead by example, he would do more than publicly eat rice. He would acknowledge his failure to anticipate the problem and to take action to prevent what is happening now.

And if President Duterte also wants to set an example, he should install new, competent and decisive executives to fix the problem and make sure it never happens again. He must weed out incompetent officials —like weevils that must be removed before rice is consumed.

Fighting for our freedom and speeches is divided into five (v) parts, namely: Part 1, “From My Desk” are random thoughts and reflections by the author in detention. It also contains her acceptance speech during the awardMORE than a year in detention on drug ing ceremony of the Liberal Internacharges which she decries as political tional Prize for Freedom held July 28. persecution by the Duterte administra- 2018. A few writings extol the value tion, Senator Leila de Lima, who vowed of the Universal Declaration of Hunever to be silenced, has once again man Rights which she sees as a beaspoken out, this time through a collec- con of light in times of rampant human tion of writings and letters by her, some right violations by oppressive regimes. opinion makers, friends and colleagues In this essay, the author narrates her essaying her continued struggle to seek plight as a detainee and victim of pojustice and freedom amidst persecution litical persecution. De Lima sees human rights fighters as lighthouses and and blatant violation of her rights.

Titled “Fight for Freedom and other watchtowers. In her own words, those Writings,” the book captures the com- “who call out warnings that a destrucmon thread of the writings which is the tive force is bearing down upon us. We are always on the fight of the Senaalert so that peotor for justice and ple can afford to freedom not only live their lives befor herself but for ing secure in the the multitude of If injustice could be knowledge that human rights vicdone to Leila, a sitting watchdogs like tims. us are ever alert Former Presi- senator, injustice could and ever willing dent Benigno be done to anyone. to risk ourselves “Noynoy” Aquijust to sound the no, who delivered alarm when it the foreword, notbecomes necesed: As it stands, sary.” this collection Part II, “Freedom Fighters” contains sends a clear message: If injustice could be done to Leila, a sitting sena- the speeches by Hon. Emily Lau, fortor, injustice could be done to anyone. mer member of the Hong Kong LegOne is therefore challenged to make islative Council and (Liberal Internaa personal inquiry: What could I do? tional (LI) President Dr. Juli Minoves And if I have done something, is it delivered during the awarding ceremoenough? Noynoy then quotes his father, ny of the Liberal International Prize for the late Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, who Freedom. Included is the inspirational once said: “If you allow the rights of speech by Vice President Leni Robredo others to be violated, you are setting in the same ceremony.

Part III, “Standing by My Innocence” up the condition for your own rights to be violated.” He then expresses hope contains the published writings by that “when the time comes, our peo- several opinion-makers who continue ple. Cognizant of this undeniable and to support the Senator in her trials and believe in her innocence. Some enduring truth, will do what is right.”

The collection of writings, essays Turn to A5

US firefighters battle suicidal thoughts after the blaze

By Javier Tovar MATT Shobert opens his eyes and wishes he was dead, a recurrent thought that started four years ago when the former firefighter first contemplated taking his own life.

He is not the only one: Some of his comrades suffer in silence, and some end up committing suicide.

Fighting forest fires such as those that have ravaged the western regions of the United States this summer means days that are both exhausting and intermi-

nable, while the death and destruction weigh heavily on the minds of those tasked with stemming the flames.

“You’ve got firefighters working 12 to 36 hours straight on the fire line, so they are physically exhausted, they are emotionally exhausted because we’ve been killing firemen in these fires, firemen have been dying,” said fire chief Tony Bommarito in Yorba Linda, 40 miles (65 kilometers) south of Los Angeles.

California, one of the worst-hit states, has seen five firefighters die battling the flames so far this year. Across the

whole country, that number rises to 64, according to official figures.

That figure does not include the 45 who killed themselves in 2018, according to Jeff Dill, whose Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance group helps those battling depression or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, otherwise known as PTSD. “We are not superheroes. Everybody has a limit,” said Bommarito, 48.

“We are expected to act brave, strong, courageous to help, don’t ask for help,” Turn to A5

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Opinion

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

Imee FORMATION GARY OLIVAR LAST Friday’s Nanka media forum in QC featured Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, a week after her brother guested on the show. She dresses a bit young for her age, but she gets away with it because of her seemingly ageless good looks.

The governor fielded the usual unkind media questions with aplomb.

When asked about her “moving on” remark, she conceded that her family was in fact willing to apologize, but would never admit guilt to anything. It’s a politically astute response that builds on her brother’s earlier comment that the courts—not to mention Edsa—have already passed definitive judgment on the Marcos era.

I was surprised to learn that Imee, a consistent honor student from grade school, has earned a PhD in Government from Yale. I remarked that she’s clearly taken after her father, who was quite possibly the brainiest president this country ever had. I think she liked the comparison.

At the same media forum, the redoubtable lawyer Larry Gadon (“Hindi kami bobo!”) issued his fearless forecast that Supreme Court chief justice Teresita de Castro will be replaced upon her retirement consecutively by associate justices Lucas Bersamin and Diosdado Peralta, in either order. The reason is simple: Both of them follow her in number of years within the judiciary.

Senior associate justice Tony Carpio may have served the longest inside the SC, but his stint in the judiciary is only 17 years. We wouldn’t be surprised if the President echoes Gadon when he chooses De Castro’s replacement in October. He won’t even need to bring up the perfectly acceptable reason of “differences in judicial philosophy” if he decides to turn down Carpio. *** We’re glad to note that the Philippines for the first time ever was rated above minimum investment grade, courtesy of RAM Rating Services Bhd, established in 1990 by the Malaysian central bank and today the ASEAN region’s largest rating agency as well as the world’s largest rater of Islamicfinance bonds, or sukuk.

RAM upgraded the country’s rating to “gBBB2(pi)”, the equivalent of S&P’s “BBB”, on the back of our “sustained growth momentum, persistent uptrend in foreign investment inflows, and continuous progress in reforms”.

The only downside noted was that “fiscal incentives rationalization could hold back investments”.

The timing is perfect, with the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) poised

US...

From A4

said Dill, a retired firefighter whom Matt Shobert called when his thoughts turned to leaping off a bridge in San Diego.

Left with nothing Shobert, 56, was overseeing a cleanup in the middle of nowhere: The brush was dry and combustible, perfect tinder for a forest fire.

In a freak accident, the blade of commercial-grade mower hit a rock and fired it like a missile into his jaw: The operator of the machine was half a football field away and failed to notice what had happened.

Shobert was knocked out cold, and was covered in blood when he woke up.

He was not sure how he was going to make it 500 yards to his pick-up truck to call for help.

“I basically had this very traumatic injury and I had to save my own life,” he said. “After spending about 30 years in the fire service, dealing with death and destruction and carnage, and I think all those things came together.”

It took him a long time to recover from his injury. When he returned to work he was not the same man, oscillating between bursts of anger and sadness.

“I realized at that point I had to retire from the fire service and that was

Fighting...

From A4

illustrious names who have expressed that the charges against Senator De Lima are fabricated are economist Solita Monsod, Law Dean Mel Sta. Maria, John Nery, Vergel Santos, blogger Candy Cruz Datu, Rina Jimenez-David and a number of columnists, and yours truly (although I do not consider myself illustrious at all).

Part IV, “Voices of Hope” includes a

to take a bow, not only as an unprecedentedly autonomous new region, but also as the only one uniquely positioned to access the multibillion-dollar global Islamic finance market, which it can then onlend to other regions of the country under a federal set-up.

Unfortunately, what one Malaysian hand gives, another hand takes away.

The government there has decided not to extend its amnesty and voluntary deportation program for illegal aliens beyond August. The impending crackdown will affect some 400,000 undocumented Filipinos, of whom only a handful of thousands have availed of the amnesty.

Our embassy there, under former DFA spokesman Charles Jose, has already been extending all kinds of support to our countrymen, such as free travel documents and assistance with exit fees and even airfare.

Looking farther out, though, we’re a bit more sanguine. Our border with

She liked the comparison with her father.

year, bringing up to P10-B the total funds diverted from budgeted uses.

Senators Cynthia Villar and Win Gatchalian have already called for Aquino’s resignation and abolishing the NFA. Speaker GMA did not go that far, saying instead that she would not object to whatever may be necessary to restore stability in the domestic rice market.

The free marketeers at Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) have weighed in with their support for abolishing NFA as well as immediately implementing tariffication of open-market rice imports.

Rice security is clearly one area— and a very important one at that— where the President’s men have been unable to make good on his promises to our people. There’s only one direction non-performers should go, and we hope that Duterte hasn’t forgotten where it is. *** After taking a couple on the chin from Duterte’s economic managers, the idealistic men and women pushing for federalism have started to counter-punch.

For starters, they came up with their own estimate of P13.5 billion for the total costs of transitioning to federalism.

This is only 5 percent of the humongous number of P250 billion that was floated

by Neda, which apparently includes new buildings, a lot more staff, wholesale duplication of functions between federal and regional levels—in short, all the bureaucracy that central planners seem to love by instinct.

Perhaps in response, Neda has now come up with a proposal for an extended, 15-year “transition roadmap” toward federalism. It starts with a yearlong detailed spatial and economic analysis of the proposed new regions, complete accounting of government workforce, and inventory of affected laws, regulations and policies.

These requirements are not unreasonable, but 15 years is too long. And inexplicably, the roadmap ends on the 15th year with the ratification of the proposed new federal constitution only at that time! In short, what should take place on Day One will be pushed back to Year-end 15. We don’t know if the Neda folks were really serious about being taken seriously on this.

Clearly, a lot more discussion needs to take place between both sides of the issue. The federalism folks have proposed setting up a technical working group to iron out their differences with the economic team and come up with a consensus number for the costs of transition.

This will add more time to the process, but it will be worth the extra effort.

My own fearless forecast of transition costs (for the entire new charter, not just for federalism) is a consensus number of P40 billion. Let’s see how close we come to the mark.

Malaysia has always been extremely porous. Traders from both sides regularly take day trips by pumpboat to do business on the other side. In fact, smuggling from Malaysia is credited for keeping prices down in Mindanao on many commodities, including rice.

Besides, the drafters of the proposed new federal constitution cleverly left the door open for our longstanding claim on Sabah by defining our sovereignty to include “territories belonging to the Philippines by historic right.” Which of course would bring up the question, only half-jokingly: Who should then be calling whom “illegal aliens”? *** The hapless bureaucrats at the NFA are fast running out of supporters and options. Consider the latest developments: Problems of not enough rice, spoiled rice, and/or too expensive rice have been hitting one province after another, the latest one being Zamboanga. Down in Bohol, the “rice bowl of Central Visayas,” rice farmers are praying for rain as a drought threatens their crop and presages another El Niño.

NFA administrator Jason Aquino and his accounting manager were charged with graft for using P5.1-B of funds meant for buying grain last year to pay off the agency’s debts, which resulted in soaring prices of rice and corn. On top of that, Congressman Karlo Nograles Readers can write me at gbolisays they did the same thing again this var1952@yahoo.com. all I knew for the past 30 years because it was my life, it was my hobby, it was everything I did. And in a split second it was taken away,” he said.

“I contemplated suicide. And for whatever reason I decided to just call a friend of mine... rather than jump off the bridge in San Diego,” he said.

Shobert was diagnosed with PTSD and since then has undergone therapy and taken medication, but the road is long and hard.

“I still wake up in the morning and sometimes wish I was dead,” he said.

“I’m still fairly miserable, but at least now I have a tool box.”

Dill became interested in the mental health issues that his “brothers and sisters” were facing when a group from his fire station came back from helping out in New Orleans in 2005, after the devastating Hurricane Katrina.

He felt the therapy they were offered was not enough, so he started studying and began the transition from firefighter to counselor.

He has tallied 1,200 suicides over the past 20 years, including 93 in 2017.

But Dill thinks that only represents around 40 percent of the actual number of suicides, because his research depends on families and friends coming forward with the information for his list.

‘A dark place’ Experts say that the decision to commit suicide is often the result of an ac-

cumulation of factors.

That is what happened with Mike Bilek. It was his past in the military, then as a firefighter, all mixed in with unspecified personal issues, that led him to think about killing himself.

“At one point, I was getting into such a dark place that I started having those thoughts of suicide,” he said.

“I never got to the point where I was going to act out on it,” he said. “But the fact that those thoughts were even creeping into my head really scared the daylights out of me.”

Bilek sought help and now treats his condition with a combination of therapy, medication and meditation, which he needed more than ever when a back injury forced him to retire at 39 and start a new life.

There is more talk these days in fire stations about mental health issues, with support groups, but there is still resistance.

Dill said he recently talked with seven firefighters diagnosed with PTSD who were “fired from the job because they were told, ‘Well you can’t do the job no more,’” he said.

In his mission to spread the word, Dill bought a caravan so he can travel the country and talk to firefighters about their mental health.

And as he left the fire station in Yorba Linda, he received a text message on his cell phone: Another suicide. AFP

selection of handwritten notes of support from guests- among them friends, dignitaries, colleagues in governmentwho were present during the awarding ceremony of the Liberal International Prize for Freedom.

Part V, “Truth be Told” is De Lima’s Motion for Reconsideration (MR) fled by her legal team with the Supreme SC, voting 9-5, in April 2018). The MR was eventually denied by the Court (SC) last November 3, 2017, on the Court’s dismissal of the petition to recall the arrest warrant issued against the Sena-

tor for drug charges. Here the author gives a time line of events” leading to her incarceration which she dubs “Timeline of Political Persecution and Injustice.”

The release of De Lima’s book, during her birthday celebration last week, is timely. First, Senator Leila is a true heroine of the country, with faults for sure, and we just celebrated National Heroes’ Day. Moreover, now that September is here, more than an inauguration of the season of Jose Mari Chan, this is the month when we

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PAL revving up for five-star status The government presence in PAL meant access to government—especially GSIS—funds for operations and RUDY greater leverage in the acquisition of ROMERO international routes. But it also brought THE recent bestowal on Philippine in politics, more specifically Imelda Airlines of a four-star rating and the Marcos-era politics. Before long, the 2nd Most Improved Airline Award by flag carrier began to be used, domesthe world’s top airline rating organiza- tically and internationally, for political tion are the latest events in the life of purpose, and its receivables from the government started to build up. The this country’s flag carrier.

It has been a long, challenge-filled exit of the Toda group, and the takeover and exciting life. It all began in 1946, by GSIS, has never been satisfactorily barely one year after the end of World explained, but a story that has refused War II when Col. Andres Soriano, fresh to go away has it that Mrs. Marcos got from a stint as an aide to President Ma- very upset with Mr. Toda when PAL nuel Quezon, decided that the newly in- sent Malacañang a bill for the former dependent Republic of the Philippines First Lady’s use of PAL aircraft.

PAL’s balance had deteriorated durneeded an airline for its reconstruction ing the Marcos era, and the two decades and development. Philippine Airlines following the Edsa Revolution were a began its life with a small fleet of DCtime for balance3s, the workhorssheet strengthenes of World War ing and operationII, and operated al rationalization. out of Nichols The PAL story is an Longstanding Field. management and excellent case study Its only domeslegal problems— tic competition worthy of inclusion in particular, labor was FEATI (Far in the syllabus of any problems — had East Air Transbusiness school. to be addressed port Inc.), which resolutely if Asia’s had been organoldest airline was ized by the Aranto be able to enjoy eta and Lopez the fruits of its longevity. interests. Given the largely colonial When the GSIS’ interest was eventucomplexion of the East-Asia Pacific ally put up for sale, the best offer was region, the only significant operating made

by Lucio Tan, who had risen to airline was Australia’s Qantas. taipan status on the back of his tobacco Having achieved steady growth in (Fortune Tobacco) and banking (Althe late 1940s and early 1950s, PAL delied Banking Corporation) businesses. cided to expand its international presWhether it is now possible to say “The ence. The airline had been flying to rest is history” is not a matter of cerHonoluu and San Francisco for some tainty. time. It had also been flying to Hong Suffice it to say that PAL has made Kong and Tokyo. Now it commended much headway since the Tan takeover. flights to three Westers European cities The 4-Star and 2nd Most Improved (Madrid, Rome and London).

Airline awards attest to that. So does The Western European routes appear the recent acceptance by the airline of to have been unprofitable, for they were its first Airbus A-350-900 and Airbus abandoned in the mid-1950s. PAL now A321-neo.

In the estimation of presiconcentrated on its US West Coast and dent Jaime Bautista, the A-350-900 is East Asian routes. “the world’s most advanced commerIn the meantime the Philippine Government, through GSIS (Govern- cial aircraft.”

The airline industry is extremely ment Service Insurance System) had complicated, and the PAL story is an acquired an equity interest in PAL. In excellent case study worthy of inclutime it would become a controlling insion in the syllabus of any business terest. On the private-equity side, the school.

Having dealt successfully with Soriano interest had been acquired by headwinds, forced landings and route a group led by Benigno Toda.

The government’s entry was to changes, this country’s flag carrier now prove to be both a boon and a bane to appears capable of sustained flight..

PAL. In the end it proved to be more Next stop? 5-Star status, which is targeted for 2020. of a bane.

BUSINESS CLASS

A double...

From A4

He may be grateful to them for what they did for him in the past. Still he should do something about their incompetence. They are doing him a great disservice.

If the President is thinking about firing people, he should start with the PCOO. *** Makati Mayor Abigail Binay should be wary about the government’s intervention in the plan of the city government to build a $3.7-billion subway project around Makati. This is the proposal of a private-sector consortium that includes IRC Properties and China Harbour Engineering Construction Ltd. The inter-city project is supposed to start at the end of this year and be completed in 2025.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade wants the Makati subway project to be integrated with the DOTr’s own plan for a 35-kilometer subway from Quezon City, through Bonifacio Global City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Mayor Binay should be forewarned about the intention of the government to intervene. We know only too well that the moment gets into a privaterecall the US-Marcos dictatorship—a very bad moment of our history when human rights was trampled upon and our democracy was in hibernation.

We are at a similar moment again.

Opposition voices like De Lima are being silenced; critical and independent voices like Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno have also been suppressed. Whole cities, and along with them their officials and citizens, like Iloilo, Naga, and Cebu have been attacked. Corruption that has caused the rice crisis is being defended. And

sector project, it gets murky. Tugade may even claim that the subway project is a national project!

The city project is viable as it is. *** Last week, after President Duterte scuttled the lease agreement between the Nayong Pilipino Foundation with Landing International Development Ltd. of Hong Kong for a theme park, and after he fired officials and members of the board of trustees of the foundation, NPF chairwoman Patricia Yvette Ocampo came out with a fullpage advertisement explaining their side in the controversy.

The ad says the NPF’s side was not heard and denied that there was graft and corruption in the transaction.

That should have been the end of it.

But the Palace said it was in open defiance of the President.

Should every citizen in pursuit of human and civil rights have the opportunity to air their side?

It seems that from the point of view of Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, people commit open defiance just by disagreeing with the President.

But last we heard, Mr. Duterte is not a dictator, right?

They have the right to be heard, and the public should be the the judge. www.emiljurado.weebly.com

above all, tens of thousands of poor Filipinos have been killed in a failing war against drugs.

On Sept. 21, the Unified People’s Action will be held in Luneta. The call will be loud and clear: never again a dictatorship, never again a regime like Marcos.

Senator De Lima, who deserves the Nobel peace prize for her courage and heroism, echoes this call. In fighting for her freedom, she is fighting for ours.

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News

A6

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Cases against Sycip son, 4 associates withdrawn

Andaya seeks details on Malampaya

By Maricel V. Cruz

By Joel E. Zurbano A MAKATI City court judge withdrew the criminal cases filed against the son of the late business leader Washington SyCip and his four business associates at the Alliance Select Foods International Inc. accused of violating the Corporation Code of the Philippines.

Judge Andres Bartolome Soriano, of Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148, in his order dated July 9, 2018, granted the motion filed by prosecutors to withdraw the information and attachments of cases against ASFI executives, namely: George E. SyCip, Jonathan Y. Dee, Maria Grace T. Vera-Cruz, Antonio C. Pacis, and Raymond K.H. See. Based on the July 4 motion filed by Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Emilie Fe delos Santos, the information pertaining to the cases against SyCip and his fellow businessmen at the tuna canning firm must be withdrawn due to the court’s lack of jurisdiction.

The Motion to Withdraw filed by Delos Santos was pursuant to the review resolution of the court dated March 20.

The cases against ASFI officials stemmed from the complaint of Singaporean Hedy S.C. Yap-Chua, then a stockholder and/or director of ASFI, who claimed that the company was arbitrarily withholding its corporate records, including the stock and transfer records, from her and other stockholders.

The complainant stated that such refusal to give access and examine ASFI records is a violation of Sections 74 and 75 in relation to Section 144 of the Corporation Code which states that “records of all business transactions of the corporation and the minutes of any meetings shall be open to inspection by any director, trustee, stockholder or member of the corporation” and the right of stockholders to financial statements, respectively.

Section 144, meanwhile, stated that violators of the code will be punished by a fine of not less than P1,000 but not more than P10,000, or imprisonment of not less than 30 days but not more than five years.

OUTSTANDING FILIPINOS. Senators, led by Senate President Vicente Sotto III (standing at the back, center), pose Monday in a photo op with the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos; from (4th right) SPO1 Aida Awitin; Sr. Insp. Dennis Ebsolo; Sr. Supt. Pascual Muñoz, Dr. Aimee Marie Gragasin; Dr. Carla Dimalanta, Dr. Alma Janagap, Mary Jane Ramo; Navy Marines Lt. Col. Danilo Facundo; Air Force Lt. Col. Thomas Ryan Seguin; and Army Maj. Francis Senoron. The Senate of the Philippines honored this year’s awardees consisting of four teachers, three soldiers and three police officers. PNA

Authorities nab 20 Chinese working illegally at mall

By Vito Barcelo

I

MMIGRATION authorities arrested 20 Chinese nationals working illegally at a shopping mall in Divisoria, Manila where they were caught in the act of selling retail goods to the public.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the alien traders were rounded up inside the 11/88 Mall along Reina Regente Street in Binondo and were brought to the BI Detention Facility in Bicutan, Taguig City where they are still detained.

Morente said the aliens would un-

dergo summary deportation proceedings for working without permits and violating the conditions of their stay in the country.

The BI chief said most of those arrested were tourist visa holders and were not supposed to engage in gainful activity in the country.

BI Acting Intelligence Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. said that the operation was conducted due to complaints received by the bureau about the presence of foreigners inside the said mall who openly sell retail goods to the public.

“We will recommend to our legal division the filing of deportation charges against them for violating our immigration laws,” Manahan said.

Initial investigation has shown some of those arrested are already overstaying while others appear to be undocumented for failing to produce their passport and visa.

HOUSE Majority Leader and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. has appealed the decision of the Sandiganbayan denying his plea to be provided with the specific offenses that he was accused of committing in connection with the alleged P900-million Malampaya Fund scam.

“Considering the gravity and magnitude of the charges against him, such a request for more factual details concerning his alleged complicity is not just a matter of procedural remedy but is a substantive right founded on the Constitution,” Andaya said in his 21page motion dated Aug. 28.

Andaya, and his several co-accused in the case, including detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, and 22 others, are facing 97 counts each of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents.

They were accused of diverting P900 million from the Malampaya funds allocated by the Department of Budget and Management to the Department of Agrarian Reform in 2009 and in the process using 12 Janet Lim Napoles-led non-government organizations as conduits to the alleged fraud.

In his motion, “accused Andaya respectfully beseeches this honorable court to take a second look at his omnibus motion (especially the motion for bill of particulars therein contained) and for that purpose, seeks the reconsideration of assailed resolution on any or all of the following: • With all due respect, this honorable court ered in denying accused Andaya’s motion for bills of particulars considering that the informations charging accused Andaya with violations of Sec. 3(E) of RA No. 3019 and of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents are clearly ambigious and undeniably lack the details needed for accused Andaya to be fully apprised of the prosecution’s theory of the cases as against him. Consequently, accused Andaya is rendered unable to properly prepare his defenses (while allowing the prosecution to unduly surprise accuse Andaya at trial).

• This honorable court failed in its duty to weigh accused Andaya’s request for details from the prosecution and to determine specifically whether the details accused Andaya seeks to be specified are wiithin the office of a bill of particulars.”

No timeline yet on ship

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES StandardDEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

TODAY

MARITIME INDUSTRY AUTHORITY Caraga Regional Office XIII RE:

Petition for Transfer of Ownership of the Ships named, LCT “CTP-I”, LCT “CTP-II”, LCT “CTPIII”, LCT “CTP-IV”, LCT “MARIA MAY 3067”, LCT “CHARLES JASON 2996”, LCT “CHRISTIAN JAMES 2693”, LCT “SIR CARLO 1476”, LCT “SIR LAWRENCE 1577”, MTUG “CLARIZZA”, BARGE “CATHERINE” and BARGE “CLARENCE”, pursuant to Section 7.18. Rule III of The 2014 Amendments to the Revised Rules and Regulations Implementing RA 9295.

CTP SHIPPING LINES CORPORATION.,

CASE NO.SUR 18-018-P

Petitioner. x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -x

ORDER

Before us is the above-entitled Petition which was filed on 06 July 2018. The Petitioner sought for the Transfer of Ownership of the ships named, LCT “CTP-I”, LCT “CTP-II”, LCT “CTP-III”, LCT “CTP-IV”, LCT “MARIA MAY 3067”, LCT “CHARLES JASON 2996”, LCT “CHRISTIAN JAMES 2693”, LCT “SIR CARLO 1476”, LCT “SIR LAWRENCE 1577”, MTUG “CLARIZZA”, BARGE “CATHERINE” and BARGE “CLARENCE”, by virtue of the Deed of Assignment entered by the Petitioner and CTP Construction and Mining Corp on 10 July 2018. The ships have the following particulars: Name of Vessels:

LCT “CTP-I”

LCT “CTP-II”

LCT “CTP-III”

Official Number:

07-0000289

07-0000250

07-0000251

Type of Ship:

Cargo Ship

Cargo Ship

Cargo Ship

Gross Tonnage:

415.24

415.24

496.82

Hull:

Steel

Steel

Steel

Year Built:

2006

2007

1997

Place Built:

Mauban, Quezon

Mauban, Quezon

Navotas, Manila

Date of Issuance of CO/CPR:

12 August 2015

11 August 2015

11 August 2015

LCT “MARIA 3067”

MAY

LCT “CHARLES JASON 2996”

Name of Vessels:

LCT “CTP-IV”

Official Number:

04-0000888

05-0000339

04-0000840

Type of Ship:

Cargo Ship

Cargo Ship

Cargo Ship

Gross Tonnage:

632.00

659.00

893.00

Hull:

Steel

Steel

Steel

Year Built:

2010

2010

2010

Place Built:

Mauban, Quezon

Port Area, Manila

Navotas, Manila

Date of Issuance of CO/CPR:

12 August 2015

18 August 2015

12 August 2015

Name of Vessels:

LCT “CHRISTIAN JAMES 2693”

LCT “SIR LAWRENCE 1577”

LCT “SIR CARLO 1476”

Official Number:

04-0000270

04-0001495

04-0001990

Type of Ship:

Cargo Ship

Cargo Ship

Cargo Ship

Gross Tonnage:

893.00

893.00

893.00

Hull:

Steel

Steel

Steel

Year Built:

2009

2011

2011

Place Built:

Navotas, Manila

Port Area, Manila

Port Area, Manila

Date of Issuance of CO/CPR:

12 August 2015

12 August 2015

12 August 2015

Name of Vessels:

M/Tug “CLARIZZA”

BARGE “CLARENCE”

BARGE “CATHERINE”

Official Number:

04-0002649

13-0001181

13-0001180

Tug

Cargo Ship

Cargo Ship

Type of Ship: Gross Tonnage:

82.83

797.00

797.00

Hull:

Steel

Steel

Steel

Year Built:

2012

2014

2014

Place Built:

Navotas City

Butuan City

Butuan City

Date of Issuance of CO/CPR:

14 June 2016

20 November 2014

20 November 2014

Notice is hereby given that the said Petition will be heard by this Authority on 11 September 2018, Tuesday at 10:00 o’clock in the morning, at the MARINA, Regional Office XIII, 2nd floor, Eva Macapagal Passenger Terminal Bldg., PPA Compound, Surigao City.

The Applicant shall publish this Order once in a newspaper of national circulation at least five (5) days prior to the scheduled date of hearing.

The Applicant shall submit a written Formal Offer of Evidence during the hearing or five (5) days thereafter.

WITNESS, the Honorable MARINA Administrator, Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero, this 23rd day of August 2018, Surigao City, Philippines.

BY AUTHORITY OF THE MARINA ADMINISTRATOR: (Pursuant to Administrative Order No. 11-14) ATTY. MANUEL C. PORTUS Regional Director Copy Furnished: Petitioner/Assignee: CTP Shipping Lines Corp.

Brgy. Carrascal, Surigao del Sur Assignor: CTP Construction and Mining Corp.

Brgy. Carrascal, Surigao del Sur File

(MS-SEPTEMBER 4, 2018)

PARENTS’ PLEA. Cesar and Celia Veloso, parents of convicted OFW Mary Jane Veloso, accompanied by their lawyer, submit a petition to the Supreme Court urging the highest court to reverse the appellate court’s decision and allow Veloso her right to testify. Norman Cruz

PCSO okays 13 more STL agents PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes office general manager Alexander Balutan announced Monday the agency had approved 13 more Small Town Lottery agents for the first semester this year.

“We would like to welcome these new STL agents.

We have also terminated some agents for violating provisions in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of STL. This only goes to show that we will not hesitate to terminate them,” said Balutan.

Based on data from the Branch Operations Sector headed by assistant general manager Remeliza Gabuyo, the list of newly awarded Authorized Agent Corporations include the Mountain View Games of Chance Corp. both for Provinces of Kalinga and Apayao; Red Carpet Gaming Corp. of Province of Siquijor; Zamboanga Amusement and Recreational Incorporated of Province of Zamboanga Sibugay.

Also included are Fairways Management and Gaming Corp. of Province of Zamboanga del Norte, Mindanao ABCD Corp. of Province of Dinagat, JGM Gaming and Leisure Corp. of Sarangani, Scorpio Games and Amusement Inc. of Bohol, Jy Archers Games & Entertainment Corp. of South Cotabato, Goldfranc Amusement and Gaming Corp. of Ifugao, Red Subay Gaming Corp. of Iloilo Province, Nuebe Swerte Inc. of Davao Occidental, and Top Gem Gaming Inc. of Cavite City.

THERE is still no timeline to follow regarding the recovery of Philippine Navy flagship, BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (FF-15), which ran aground off Hasa-Hasa (international name Half-Moon) Shoal, Palawan Wednesday.

This was stressed by PN flag-officer-incommand Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad in an interview with reporters Sunday.

He added this would be only realized once the total extent of the damage is determined when the two privately-owned tugboats, which are expected to be on the scene by Monday, have arrived and managed to tow the frigate off the shoal.

“But as for now the ship is intact, the crew are [safe] and we are on top on the situation...” Empedrad said.

Also, the PN chief said China, South Korea, and the US—along with the country’s Asean neighbors—have all offered help in the recovery operations but the Philippines opted to go alone with the operations as waiting for them would take time.

Initial reports indicated the grounded frigate could be recovered.

BRP Sindangan (MRRV 4407) arrived in the area 11 am Friday and will be joined by the BRP Cabra (MRRV 4409) anytime soon to render any assistance. BRP Nestor Reinoso (PG-380) is also on hand to provide help. PNA

2 teams to stop illegal parking

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metro Manila Development Authority on Monday formed two groups and resumed operations against illegally parked vehicles and other obstructions along Mabuhay Lanes, the alternate routes designated for private vehicles avoiding congested main roads in the National Capital Region.

The 17 Mabuhay Lanes cover the cities of Mandaluyong, San Juan, Makati, Manila and Quezon City. It also include secondary roads going to shopping destinations in Metro Manila such as Baclaran in Parañaque City, Greenhills in San Juan City, and Divisoria and Carriedo in Manila.

Based on the regulations, the Mabuhay Lanes should be cleared of any kind of obstructions from 6 am to 9 pm.

The MMDA Task Force Special Operations led by its chief Edison Nebrija Jr. on Monday assembled the Task Group Alpha and Task Group Bravo and go against parked vehicles in the areas of Caloocan City, Manila and Quezon City.

Sharon Gentalian, the agency’s chief information officer, said members of the Task

Group Alpha concentrated their operation on major streets of Caloocan and along Andres Bonifacio Avenue in Quezon City, and along Mabuhay Lane 2 covering routes from Epifanio de los Santos going to West Avenue, Del Monte Avenue, Sto. Domingo or Biak na Bato, Amoranto, Banawe or D. Tuazon and Maria Clara or Dapitan.

Task Group Alpha personnel, on the other hand, focused their operation on Mabuhay Lane 15 covering the route from Dapitan Zuki Market, Lacson Avenue, Tayuman Street and Dagupan Street to Divisoria, and Mabuhay Lane 16 covering the route from Roxas Boulevard, Claro M. Recto going to Divisoria.

Without using tow trucks, the MMDA on Aug. 31 started its crackdown by issuing three citation tickets against erring motorists for illegal parking on the 17 listed Mabuhay Lanes or express routes connected to Edsa and roads going to commercial districts and shopping hubs in Metro Manila.

Nebrija said the campaign aimed to further ease traffic along Edsa and other major streets as the holiday season draws near when traffic flow is expected to be heavy.

Sports UTP backs junior tennis program FRESH from a successful campaign with two singles finals in the International Tennis Federation (ITF)-AGS Junior Tennis championships in Indonesia, the Unified Tennis Philippines is confident that its ongoing nationwide grassroots program will yield future world-class players.

“UTP continues to scour the Philippines and even abroad for young, emerging Filipino hopefuls who could help bring back the sport’s glory days. It is our mission to provide them with proper training and international exposure. In fact, we recently introduced the members of the UTP national junior tennis team who saw action in Indonesia and Malaysia earlier this year,” said UTP president and founding member Jean Henri Lhuillier.

Committed to their vision of discovering fresh talent, UTP continues to hold more than 100 age group tournaments nationwide with the support of Cebuana Lhuillier, Palawan Pawnshop, Babolat, HEAD, Chris’ Sports, Dunlop, Toby’s Sports, Wilson and Decathlon.

UTP is sending a third batch of five players making up the UTP juniors national team vying in the 13th ATF Asian 14-and-under series in Sarawak, Malaysia this week. UTP is also backing the Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge where the champions will represent the country in the WTA Future Stars in Singapore next month.

UTP is also supporting the Philippine Tennis Tour, a series of tennis clinics and workshops for coaches and trainers led by certified MTM (Modern Tennis Methodology) and USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association) coach Alex Marcial. The tour will hold clinics in Cavite, Butuan, Surigao Del Sur, Cebu, Aklan, Capiz and Iloilo for the rest of the year.

Through its partnership with the Pinoy Tennis Trainers by Stephan Lhuillier, 10 training sessions for 600 trainers were also held nationwide.

UTP also supports top Filipino players such as Treat Huey, among the top 100 players in the world doubles, and Ruben Gonzales, who is on his way to cracking the top 100 doubles with his career best 135 ranking. Both aim to qualify in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Other UTP initiatives include Tennis on Wheels, a project by former Davis Cup hero Rod Rafael which provides free tennis lessons to kids, especially those in depressed areas as well as an ongoing partnership with Universal Tennis Rating (UTR), an accurate and reliable technique for rating tennis skills worldwide, which allows players to measure their abilities through UTR’s 16-point scale which covers all ages, genders, and levels of tennis skill; and the UTP membership program.

Larga Pilipinas at PSA Forum WHAT the new odyssey on wheels Larga Pilipinas is all about will be tackled when the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum resumes its weekly session today, September 4 at the Tapa King Restaurant at Farmers Plaza in Cubao.

Chief Commissaire Caloy Gredona and Jose Antonio Goitia, executive director of the Pasig Rehabilitation Commission are going to discuss the event in the public sports program presented by San Miguel Corporation, Tapa King, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

Joining them in the 10:30 a.m. session is media bureau head is Edmund ‘Snow’ Badua.

The forum is held every week by the Philippine Sportswriters Association, a Philippine-based media organization composed of sports writers and reporters, section editors and columnists from print (broadsheet and tabloids) and online media.

PSA is headed by Eduardo “Dodo” Catacutan of Sports Interactive Network Philippines.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

A7

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Nadal rolls into last eight N

EW YORK—Defending champion Rafael Nadal on Sunday reached the US Open quarter-finals for the eighth time where he will face Dominic Thiem, one of only three men to defeat him in 2018.

World number one Nadal saw off a battling Nikoloz Basilashvili, the first Georgian in a fourth round in New York, 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-4.

“It’s a big victory for me,” said the 32-year-old Nadal, the champion in 2010, 2013 and 2017.

“He was hitting the ball very strong and when I thought I was in control of the points, he always came back with strong shots.”

It was world number 37 Basilashvili’s strength, however, which proved his undoing.

His 56 winners were erased by 59 unforced errors, three times as many as Nadal.

Elsewhere, Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 champion, beat Borna Coric 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 to make the last-

eight for a third successive year.

The third seeded Argentine will next face John Isner, the last American man standing, who defeated Milos Raonic 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, taking his tournament aces total past the 100-mark.

Thiem, who beat Nadal on clay in Madrid in the run-up to Paris, booked his place in the quarter-finals for the first time with a 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (7/2) win over 2017 runner-up Kevin Anderson.

The ninth-seeded Austrian’s three other appearances in the last-eight of a Slam were all on Paris clay in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Nadal leads their head-to-head 7-3 with all of their matches coming on clay courts, including in the final of Roland Garros in June when he captured an 11th French Open.

“Thiem is a great opponent, he has the big serve and he had a big win today against Kevin,” said Nadal who has made the last-eight of every Slam in the same year for the first time since 2011.

Thiem has unfinished business at the US Open.

Last year, he had two match points against del Potro in the fourth round but fell in five sets.

Thiem’s progress to the last-eight comes despite choosing to play European clay court events after Wimbledon before then losing his only summer hard court outing in Cincinnati to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

He is the first Austrian in the last-eight at the US Open since Thomas Muster in 1996.

“Against Rafa, I’ve had three very nice experiences and seven horrible experiences,” said Thiem who turns 25 on Monday.

“On clay, it’s one of the biggest challenges in sports to beat this guy. I hope that it’s a little bit more comfortable on hard court, but I’m not sure.”

Third-seeded del Potro made the last-eight for the sixth time against Croatian 20th seed Coric who was playing in his maiden last 16 of a Slam.

Coric, 21, saw his challenge undone by a right thigh injury which needed two visits by the trainer as well as general unhappiness with the humidity of the Arther Ashe court.

“To win in straight sets in every round is good for the body and physical condition,” said del Potro. AFP

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates victory during his men’s singles fourth round match against Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia on Day Seven of the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 2 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. AFP

President Du30 shoulders Lariba’s bills

By Peter Atencio IAN LARIBA’S contributions as the first Filipino Olympian from table tennis will never be forgotten.

Lariba, 23, passed away Sunday evening after more than a year of battle against acute myeloid leukemia, and efforts are being recognized by the La Sallian community, and the Philippine Sports Commission and president Rodrigo Duterte to honor her.

“The President, through the PSC, will take care of the bills of Yanyan. We committed support to her,” said PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez in a statement.

Lariba was admitted to St. Luke’s Bonifacio Global City on August 17, following a relapse.

She was completing a five-day chemotherapy protocol and just had a brain and spine MRI last August 23, before things went downhill for her.

And she was set to undergo lymphocyte infusion and a three-week stay at the hospital as well.

“We committed support to her. We paid the hospital bills and we will help the family until she goes to Cagayan de Oro. It’s important that people should know her and her contributions to sports being the first Filipino Olympian from table tennis,” added Ramirez.

Her mom Imelda said Lariba was able to set a good example to kids her age.

“She served as an ambassador for cancer patients. She inspired children with cancer when she was invited as guest speaker in an event organized

Ian Lariba

by the Rotary in Bacolod last Dec. 28 to 30. She spoke about her experiences sa treatment and admission,” said Mrs. Lariba.

The young Lariba became well-known when, as a multi-titled student-athlete at La Salle, she saw action in the Rio Olympics in 2016. “(She) inspired these kids by telling them that they should not be discour-

aged and depressed. She told them that I got sick kahit na athlete ako. Binigay sa akin ito, fight lang and move on. She also spoke infront of children with cancer at bahay aruga this year and was invited speaker at St. Lukes on being a blood recipient,” Mrs. Lariba added.

The Philippine Table Tennis Federation, through its president Ting Ledesma, said they will miss Lariba.

Imus Bandera take on Cebu Sharks; Cagers battle Strikers Games Tuesday

(Imus Sports Complex) 7 p.m. – Muntinlupa vs Bacoor 9 p.m. – Imus vs Cebu

THE MPBL Datu Cup concluded its Mindanao sojourn and the games swing back to the metropolis when the Imus Bandera-GLC Truck and Equipment host the Cebu Sharks-Casino Ethyl Alcohol.

Game time is 9 p.m. right after the match between the Muntinlupa Cagers-Angelis Resort and the Bacoor Strikers at 7 p.m.

Still the only undefeated squad in the tournament, the Cagers try to extend their winning streak to six against the unpredictable Strikers, who carry a 4-3 win-loss record.

Allan Mangahas continued his great overall performance as he had led not just in scoring but also in playmaking and steals as well for the Lito Alvarez-owned franchise.

The former Meralco Bolt had another scintillating performance as he finished with 21 points, five assists and four rebounds in helping his team deal the San Juan Knights their first loss in the tournament put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner.

Mangahas will be pitted in an exciting backcourt duel with fellow ex-pro MIkee Reyes, the cerebral guard of the Strikers.

In the main game, the Bandera try to continue their rise from the lower half of the standings when they take the floor against the Sharks.

Since taking over the head coaching chores from PBA legend Jerry Codiñera, Mike Orquillas has propelled the squad to two straight wins and the Bandera have no plans of settling down with guys like Ian Melencio and James Castro and Genmar Bragais working double time to get their team back in the hunt.

Bragais had a breakout game last time around, finishing with 20 points in powering the squad to an upset win over the Valenzuela Classic-CdO Idol Cheesedog.

These three will lead Imus at the firing end anew in facing Cebu, which continued to slump at 1-6 record and lost its last two games.

Arellano’s Sera Josef earns press corps nod

CHASING POLE POSITION. McLaren’s Spanish driver Fernando Alonso competes during the qualifying session at the Autodromo Nazionale circuit in Monza. AFP

WITHOUT top playmaker Kent Salado this NCAA Season 94, Arellano coach Jerry Codinera only had low expectations for his boys this year as all he wanted was to see some semblance of fight.

It turns out, the Chiefs have more than enough weapons in the shed to do just that.

A vital cog of that uprising is first-year player Maui Sera Josef who was the catalyst in Arellano’s 76-72 shocker over Perpetual to end the first round.

The Las Vegas-raised forward anchored the Chiefs’ fightback from 17 points down on his way to racking 14 points, three rebounds, a steal, and a block in the victory, including the go-ahead bucket with 1:13 to spare.

More importantly, Sera Josef’s defense frustrated Altas big man Prince Eze in the endgame

that sent the latter’s 22-point, 25-rebound performance down the drain.

“I just needed to be sure to do a good job in containing him. It was a good matchup,” he said.

That was enough for Sera Josef to be hailed as the Chooks-to-Go NCAA Press Corps Player of the Week, the last in the first round.

He beat out Eze and San Beda’s Calvin Oftana for the weekly citation handed out by print and online sportswriters covering the beat.

More than the individual accolade, what mattered more was Sera Josef helping Arellano finish the first round on a good note, keeping it in the thick of things in the Final Four.

“I was hoping na we could get more than three wins, pero ok na rin because this will make us motivated for the second round,” said Codinera.

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

A8

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

Sports

Indonesia dreams of hosting Olympics

Fireworks explode over the Gelora Bung Karno main stadium during the closing ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on September 2. AFP

Lyceum Pirates face SSC Games today

(Filoil Flying V Centre, San Juan) 10 a.m.- LPU vs SSCR (jrs) 12 nn.- SBU vs JRU (jrs) 2 p.m.- LPU vs SSCR (srs) 4 p.m.- SBU vs JRU (srs)

LYCEUM of the Philippines University guns for win No. 10 as it tackles a San Sebastian team that is trying to pick up the pieces of its sorry first round effort at the start of the second round of eliminations of the 94th NCAA basketball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City today.

Drawing strength from another MVP effort of CJ Perez, the Pirates have swept the first round in nine games for the second straight season and should carry the momentum into the second round when they face the Stags at 2 p.m.

LPU had a hard time before edging a stubborn San Sebastian, 85-80, in the opener on July 7 at the MOA Arena in Pasay City and expect things to get tougher with the latter back in full force with the return of RK Ilagan.

Ilagan is back after serving a three-game suspension slapped by the team for playing in other leagues early in the season.

It also led to the league forfeiting the Stags’ two wins against the Jose Rizal Bombers and the St. Benilde Blazers that sent the former crashing to the bottom of the standings with a 1-8 (winloss) slate.

And LPU coach Topex Robinson knows what to expect.

“San Sebastian is always a tough opponent, complete or not.

We just have to always be prepared,” said Robinson.

San Beda, meanwhile, is currently at second with an 8-1 record and will try to keep close to LPU as it takes on JRU (2-7) at 4 p.m.

The Lions demolished the Bombers, 77-40, on Aug. 28 and should be heavily favored to repeat.

All eyes on UAAP Season 81 launch

By Peter Atencio

I

N season 81, the transfer of many coaches to rival school teams, and the recruitment of competitive players from the junior division is expected to be the focus of attention when the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament begins this Saturday.

The La Salle Green Archers, now coached by Louie Gonzales, will be wary of the University of Santo Tomas Tigers, a struggling squad for many years which will be handled by Aldin Ayo. “”Every year naman, this team is expected to compete. We have six rookies and seven holdovers. And I see to it that as a rookie coach, and a rookie team, that you can expect the same animo spirit. Our team will fight it out till the end,” said Gonzales during yesterday’s press conference at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Ayo, since leaving La Salle last December, has shed his Mayhem system and put

in a new game plan for the Tigers which is expected to put the Espana-based cagers in contention this season.

“Every game, we’ll just be there to compete, try our best and make no promises,” said assistant coach Nap Garcia, who added that the Ayo’s Hail Mary plan, an offshoot of the Mayhem system is in place.

Many teams, including the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles, will not be worried about these changes.

While the Blue Eagles remain the favorites, the teams with new coaches will make this a competitive season. These

are expected to level the playing field as well.

“We’ll have a good season, tough season. We will battle it out,” said Blue Eagles coach Tab Baldwin on their campaign for the coming season, which will bear the theme, “It all Begins Here,” The Blue Eagles will also have to keep an eye on the University of the East Red Warriors, who acquired assistant coach and Ateneo Blue Eaglets mentor Joe Silva.

Silva left the Blue Eaglets after they won a UAAP junior crown last season, and took over from Derrick Pumaren, who is now with the Centro Escolar University Scorpions.

The National University Bulldogs, who will have former Blue Eaglets coach Jamike Jarin, will also be keeping an eye on the Warriors, since Jarin and Silva used to be on the same team.

The Bulldogs will be less worried though, since Silva’s wards, the Ildefonso brothers Sean and Shaun, did not stay with Ateneo after their recent title conquest, and have joined the NU roster.

JAKARTA, Indonesia—An Indonesian bid to host the 2032 Olympics would have been laughed off just a few weeks ago, but a smooth Asian Games may just have put it in the frame to host the world’s biggest multi-sports event.

No Southeast Asian country has talked seriously about holding the Summer Games, meaning that even a bid would be another major step forward for a region enjoying rising economic fortunes.

Indonesia’s confidence comes from successfully staging the 2018 Asian Games, a giant event with 40 sports and 17,000 athletes and officials held in the capital Jakarta and Palembang, a port city on Sumatra island.

Despite concerns about infrastructure, terrorism, pollution and traffic, the venues were delivered on time and most events passed off without incident, save some problems with ticketing.

President Joko Widodo probably had one eye on next year’s election when he announced his intentions for 2032, but the move has been welcomed in Indonesia – and by Olympics chief Thomas Bach.

“You can see the ingredients are there, you see a young, enthusiastic nation,” said Bach in Jakarta, where he held talks with Widodo and attended Sunday’s closing ceremony.

“Passionate about sports, working with high efficiency in the organisation... so, I think it will be a very strong candidature.”

Part of Bach’s enthusiasm may stem from the fact that the number of candidate cities has been shrinking, mainly because of the Games’ multibillion-dollar price tag.

Last September, Paris and Los Angeles were named as hosts of the 2024 and 2028 Olympics in a double announcement, a move to lock in two high-profile cities while they were still available.

Already Asia’s fifth-largest economy, Indonesia is the world’s fourth-most populated country with about 261 million people spread across a sprawling, tropical archipelago.

But it could face some heavyweight competition: bids for 2032 have also been discussed in Germany, India, China and Australia.

The winner is scheduled to be announced in 2025.

Tommy Apriantono, a sport science lecturer at the Institute of Technology Bandung, one of Indonesia’s top universities, said the nation would have to pull out all the stops for an Olympic bid. AFP

Bayron, Salvador target record at Aboitiz Invit’l JAY BAYRON and Elmer Salvador each gear up for a crack at a record third Aboitiz Invitational crown but hard-pressed to check their erratic games in time for the $100,000 event beginning tomorrow, Wednesday at the Orchard Golf and Country Club’s Palmer Course in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Bayron, who ruled the first two editions of what has become a major championship on the local circuit from 2011-12, and Salvador, who dominated the next two staging, all in Cebu, have turned in just a runner-up finish each in the last seven tournaments on the Philippine Golf Tour in stints marred by mediocre finishes that included one missed cut each.

“They say I’m lucky playing in Aboitiz but the field is strong,” said Bayron. “But I hope I can put it all together this week and win again.”

Bayron actually captured the PGA Asia crown at Manila Southwoods last June but the former Order of Merit winner has struggled after placing second to Justin Quiban at PGT Bacolod last month, finishing tied for 19th in Negros, sharing

13th place in Iloilo and ending up tied at 23rd in the rain-shortened Club Filipino de Cebu Invitational last week.

The reticent Salvador started the provincial circuit on a high note with a second place finish to Jobim Carlos at Apo but wavered in the next six events organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., finishing at joint 20th in Iloilo before missing the cut in Cebu.

But a record third win in the event sponsored by Aboitiz Equity Ventures and now serving as one of the featured events of PGT Asia will be more than motivation for these two veteran campaigners from talent-rich Davao along with the rest of the 100-player starting field eager to slug it out for the top $17,500 purse.

They include Jobim Carlos, also out to rebound from a so-so finish in Club Filipino after dominating the Visayas and Mindanao swing of the PGT with two victories and two runner-up finishes to all but clinch the coveted Order of Merit crown, Jhonnel Ababa, who

Elmer Salvador watches the flight of the ball after making a drive from the fairway. He is gearing up for a crack at a record third Aboitiz Invitational crown beginning tomorrow, Wednesday at the Orchard Golf and Country Club’s Palmer Course in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

won in Cebu and winner of the last PGT Asia leg at Forest Hills last July.

Tony Lascuña, the Aboitiz Invitational champion in 2014 but whose game took a downswing at the start of the 2018 season, also hopes to regain his win-

ning touch, particularly on the greens, along with reigning OOM winner but slumping Clyde Mondilla, Phl Masters titlist Jerson Balasabas, Zanieboy Gialon, Keanu Jahns, former PGTA leg champion Quiban and Nilo Salahog.

Banario tries to extend ONE win streak

Filipino ONE Championship MMA fighter Honorio Banario (right) trades haymakers with veteran Adrian Pang. ONE Championship

FILIPINO ONE Championship MMA fighter Honorio Banario tries to extend his win streak when he takes on top lightweight contender Amir Khan. Banario is riding a red-hot five-bout win streak, but that could come to an end against the devastating Khan, who owns the most knockouts in ONE history.

Shanghai is in for another electrifying night of the world’s most exciting martial arts action on September 8 with ONE: Beyond the Horizon at Baoshan Arena, Shanghai.

The blockbuster event is headlined

by ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion Xiong Jing Nan, who defends China’s first-ever mixed martial arts world

title against top Brazilian contender Samara Santos. Both are proven finishers who are capable of stopping a bout at any moment with their skills, so get ready for a spectacular contest.

They will be joined on the card by several of the planet’s very best martial artists and world-famous strikers in ONE Super Series, which means fireworks are all but guaranteed.

Each man has a number of ways to win, and can move on to even greater things in the division, if they can get their hand raised after the fight.

Banario (13-6) comes into this contest in red-hot form. No one can match his five-

bout win streak in the lightweight division, not even reigning World Champion Martin Nguyen or top contenders Ev Ting and Shinya Aoki.

Since moving up a weight class at the start of 2016, the 28-year-old has looked better and better against increasingly stronger opposition. Unanimous decision victories over Vaughn Donayre and Eddie Ng were followed by an armbar of Rajinder Singh Meena, and then a sensational knockout of Jaroslav Jartim.

His streak was completed at ONE: Heroes of Honor in June with another unanimous decision—this time against the teak-tough Adrian Pang.

Business

IN BRIEF

Meralco expects stable September power rates

MANILA Electric Co., the biggest electricity retailer, expects the September power rates to be stable with the possibility of a reduction, an official said Monday.

“Based on our early projections, indications point to the movement of September power rates to be stable/flattish, with even a possibility of a rate decrease,” Meralco spokesman Joe Zaldarriaga said.

Meralco’s power rates remained stable despite the increase in prices of basic commodities.

Zaldarriaga said compared with July, the average power demand and outage in the Luzon grid in July were lower.

“In effect, there is a chance that there will be a small reduction in rates if the improvement in the Luzon grid’s supply situation translates to lower WESM prices this month,” he said.

Meralco also expects lower prices at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, the country’s trading floor of electricity, will offset any impact from the peso depreciation.

Meralco rates announced a slight increase of P0.0265 per kilowatt-hour in August at P10.2190 per kWh from P10.1925 per kWh in July.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Groups slam higher car registration fees

TRANSPORT groups slammed the proposal of the Department of Finance to increase the car registration fees amid the failure of government to provide the public an efficient mass transport system.

“It’s not fair to increase fees when the government is not able to provide the public an efficient mass transport system,” Automobile Association of the Philippines president Augusto Lagman said.

Lagman said since the government had not provided the public with an efficient transport system, the only alternative for commuters was to buy cars.

“If government cannot provide that, then it should at least make it easy and inexpensive to buy and maintain cars,” he added.

Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide national president George San Mateo, agreed with Lagman as saying the proposed additional fees in car registration would only mean additional burden to the people. Darwin G. Amojelar

Electric co-ops warns against solar franchise

ELECTRIC cooperative groups warned against granting a national franchise to a private entity planning to roll out solar projects to ensure total rural electrification.

The National Association of General Managers of Electric Cooperatives and Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association expressed concerns over the planned “Solar Para Sa Bayan” project of Solar Philippines.

Solar Philippines announced last month it was completing hybrid mini grids in 12 towns in response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for the private sector to contribute to ending energy poverty in the Philippines.

Solar Philippines launched its Solar Para Sa Bayan to bring 24/7 power to far flung and off-grid towns at a lower cost to consumers and at zero cost to the government.

Nagmec and Philreca said in a statement Solar Philippines was applying for a “national franchise” under the socalled “Solar ng Bayan” entity, which the House Committee on Franchises is reportedly scheduled to pass during plenary deliberations Monday.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

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Nestlé plans to close coffee factory

By Othel V. Campos

M

ULTINATIONAL food company Nestle plans to exit coffee production in the Philippines, amid rising prices of raw materials, higher taxes, dwindling local supplies and increasing imports.

Nestlé, which produces coffee products from a factory in Cagayan de Oro City, is among the companies affected by the implementation of the first package of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law, which imposed ex-

cise taxes on sweetened beverage.

Coffee is a core business of Nestle in the Philippines, along with other beverages such as juices, tea preparations and milk products.

Nestlé Philippines vice president for communications Ernesto Mascenon said local coffee producers needed government support against increasing import volumes.

“We’re requesting them [the government] for Train 2 to address the disadvantage of local manufacturers who use local agricultural products against those who are importing finished products especially from Asean. Otherwise, we will close down our manufacturing here and just move on to Indonesia, Malaysia or Vietnam and import finished products,” Mascenon said.

He said the government “should include

local manufacturers [in the discussion of Train 2] to make us more competitive, not only export-oriented industries.”

Mascenon said the company was also feeling the pinch of inflation as prices of electricity and raw materials, including sugar, went up.

He said Nestle might also stop the production of fruit juice brand Nesfruta, after sales dropped 30 percent this year amid the implementation of the first package of Train law.

Prices of sweetened beverage surged 80 percent, when Train 1 took effect on Jan. 1, 2018. The price of Nesfruta increased to P16 per sachet from just P7 to P8 per 1 liter pack in 2017.

Milo, its choco malt beverage, registered flat sales year-to-date. Nescafe, the company’s flagship brand, could also

register a decline in sales if concerns on the availability and pricing of sugar and the inflation factor were not properly addressed, he said.

Mascenon said compared with companies importing manufactured coffee products, local manufacturers were at a gross disadvantage as sugar and electricity prices were cheaper in other countries.

He said local manufacturers should be given proper incentives. The Agriculture Department supported the plan to incentivize local manufacturers that use local raw materials for production.

Mascenon said despite issues affecting its manufacturing operations, Nestle was committed to assisting farmers to increase their productivity by exposing 10,000 farmers to technologies that could help them increase yield sustainably.

BDO board clears P100-b bond issue to fund expansion

By Julito G. Rada BDO Unibank Inc., the largest lender in terms of assets controlled by tycoon Henry Sy, will put up a P100-billion peso bond program to fund growth and expansion plans.

BDO said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday its board of directors approved the planned bond program in a meeting on Friday.

“Please be informed that the board of directors of BDO Unibank Inc., at its regular board meeting held Aug. 31, 2018, approved the establishment of a peso bond program of up to P100 billion,” the bank said.

Luis Reyes Jr., head of BDO investor relations and corporate planning division, said there was no timetable yet for the bond issuance.

“While the program has been established, there is no definite timetable yet for an issuance under the approved peso bond program,” Reyes said in a statement.

The bank’s board also approved the declaration of regular cash dividends on common shares in the amount of P0.30 per share for the third quarter of 2018, payable on Sept.

28 to all stockholders of record as of Sept.

14, 2018.

BDO said the source of cash dividend payment was the surplus profit of the bank.

The bank remained the biggest in terms of assets, loans and deposits as of the first half.

It posted a 1.5-percent decline in net income in the first semester to P13.1 billion from P13.3 billion a year ago, partially affected by the implementation of the Philippine Financial Reporting Standard-9.

American BPO firms worried over Train 2 AMERICAN business processing outsourcing companies expressed concern over the proposed second package of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law that could alter the tax incentives given to them, results of a business survey show.

“Although, nothing is definite yet, a few of them are still sorting how they can rearrange their business because they will still finger push it if it still makes sense,” said PwC Philippines chairman and senior partner Alexander Cabrera during the launch of CEO Survey 2018 that focused on the future of businesses in the age of disruption.

Cabrera said this is one of the reasons the revenue growth confidence among businessmen dropped to 89 percent this year from 97 percent in the 2017 survey.

Aside from BPO and IT executives, other respondents in the survey included representatives from consumer and retail; healthcare, pharmaceutical and life;

agriculture, forestry and fisheries; manufacturing of consumer and industrial products; and infrastructure.

Cabrera said the US BPOs came to the Philippines on the promise of tax incentives by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority and on the commitment by the Arroyo administration when it conducted its US roadshow in California a decade ago.

“Decades after, they’re changing it.

Some of them [BPOs] have asked for an exit strategy but nobody has left yet,” he said.

Cabrera said some BPO companies halted their expansion programs due to uncertainties.

“They don’t understand the constitution change and based on their experience, it’s not really the economic cost that has great effect on their survival but the political uncertainty in the country. These businesses want predictability. If it is a bit predictable, they can work around it,” Cabrera said. Othel V. Campos

Dominguez sees GDP expanding 6.8% this year FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III is optimistic the economy will expand 6.8 percent this year despite the slower-than-expected expansion in the first half.

Dominguez said in an interview with Stephen Schwartz, head of the Asia-Pacific Sovereigns of global debt watcher Fitch Ratings, the ‘Build, Build, Build’ infrastructure program of the Duterte administration would provide the needed boost in the second half.

“The economy took a breather in the second quarter but we still grew by 6.3 percent in the first half. I think we will grow at a faster rate in the coming months,” Dominguez said.

“I still believe we will be close to 6.8 percent this year. The momentum of the ‘Build, Build, Build’ is strong and we are moving quite well in our infrastructure program,” Dominguez said.

The economy grew 6 percent in the second

quarter, slower than the revised 6.6 percent in the first quarter. Economic managers cited faster inflation, trade imbalance, closure of Boracay island and some mining companies,and sluggish agricultural output as among the reasons for the anemic second-quarter expansion.

This brought the GDP growth in the first half to 6.3 percent, below the government’s target range of 7 percent to 8 percent for the year.

Dominguez said the economy was not overheating at the moment and local industries were not even running at 90 percent of their capacities, “so we are in safe borders.”

He said another reason the economy was not in a “great danger” was the passage into law of the administration’s first package of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law that reduced personal income taxes but raised excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, fuel and automobiles. Julito G. Rada

CEMENT SUPPLY. Top officials of building solutions provider Holcim Philippines Inc. meets with Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (second from right) to share the company’s initiatives to better support the government in upgrading the country’s infrastructure through stable supply of quality cement nationwide. With Lopez are (from left) Holcim Philippines senior vice president for sales William Sumalinog, chairman Tomas Alcantara and president and chief executive John Stull.

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Business

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks slip; Ayala, Jollibee retreat

T

HE stock market

declined Monday on lingering concerns on rising inflation and tensions on trade talks involving the US, Canada and China.

The Philippine Stock exchange Index slipped 23.49 points, or 0.3 percent, to 7,832.22 on a value turnover of nearly P6 billion. Losers beat gainers, 101 to 85, with 54 issues unchanged.

Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran on Monday said the inflation rate in August likely accelerated to 5.9 percent from 5.7 percent in July mainly due to supply-side pressures.

The Bangko Sentral earlier projected the August inflation could reach as high as 5.9 percent. The Philippine Statistics Authority will release the inflation data for August within the week.

Conglomerate Ayala Corp. fell 2.2 percent to P978, while Jollibee Foods Corp., the biggest fast-food chain, lost 2.1 percent to P282.

Philippine H20 Ventures Corp. of businessman Dennis Uy jumped 24 percent to P6.45. Philippine H20, soon be called PH Resorts Group Holdings Inc., said in an earlier 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.

Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan climbed 3.8 percent to P14.32.

The rest of Asian markets started Monday on a negative note as trade tensions returned to the fore, with Donald Trump eyeing fresh tariffs on a swathe of Chinese goods and Nafta talks with Canada hitting a wall.

The optimism that permeated trading floors at the start of last week has been replaced by a now-familiar sense of dread after the US president hit out at Ottawa over the weekend as the two sides struggle to hammer out a new deal.

In a tweet over the weekend, Trump threatened to exclude Canada from a new North American Free Trade Agreement after negotiations to rewrite the 1994 pact ended without agreement Friday.

Japan’s Nikkei ended 0.7 percent lower, Hong Kong was down 0.8 percent in the afternoon and Shanghai fell 0.2 percent. Singapore lost 0.4 percent, Seoul shed 0.7 percent and Sydney was 0.1 percent off.

There were also losses in Wellington, Taipei and Jakarta.

Trump said there was “no political necessity to keep Canada in the new Nafta deal. If we don’t make a fair deal for the

US after decades of abuse, Canada will be out.”

While talks will resume Wednesday, his outburst seemed designed to ramp up pressure on Canadian negotiators.

The comments threw a spanner in the works for investors after the US and Mexico said earlier in the week they had agreed a revised pact.

Trump also roiled markets last week by saying he wanted to impose tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports as soon as public consultation ends on Thursday, adding to the $50 billion already targeted.

That rekindled fears of an all-out trade war between the world’s top two economies, while European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker on Friday warned the EU would retaliate in kind if Trump pushes through duties on foreign cars.

With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2018

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 59.8 44,680 92 1,121,980 2.6 2,000 129.8 2,608,350 1.69 45,000 31.9 81,800 7.7 100 16.4 400 14.9 551,600 4.17 208,000 8.66 4,800 0.59 7,039,000 73 3,626,180 1 734,000 11.8 32,500 48.1 113,300 194.4 2,670 29 149,700 196.1 132,900 1,810 140 76.1 27,760 1.24 1,000

2,644,193.50 103,477,798.50 5,200 339,250,798 75,970 2,608,145 770 6,560 8,119,508 859,310 41,568 4,293,010 264,626,328 732,200 383,500 5,514,370 508,858 4,337,765 26,054,389 256,350 2,123,091.50 1,240

1,826,099 -87,433,313 -2,135,486 1,750 -468,710 -458,332 5,900 -205,308,094 50,000 1,333,040 40,791 39,660 -3,893,505 -184,083.50 -

35.85 16.72 0.97 1.2 0.228 3.22 14.42 31.6 19.04 46 68.2 80.25 1.8 5.01 7.4 10.46 16.06 10.1 7.27 7.03 16.64 63.95 28.2 7.3 13.6 2.16 282 4.95 3.21 12.5 24.1 13.12 18 367 6.81 2.04 4.03 8.95 5.64 7.71 0.94 11.6 55.7 6.01 4.8 2.49 3.09 1.68 13.04 99.35 5.5 1.05 139.3 2.5 1.98 1.82

INDUSTRIAL 36.7 743,300 16.88 919,900 1 9,882,000 1.2 197,000 0.23 5,260,000 3.22 3,932,000 14.5 390,900 32.4 1,373,400 20 9,400 46 13,700 68.55 710 80.25 100 1.8 26,000 5.01 300 7.63 6,500 10.46 2,428,300 16.1 687,100 10.12 63,800 7.29 84,700 7.03 193,700 16.8 965,200 64.85 21,660 29.65 672,900 7.31 112,100 13.6 109,700 2.17 519,000 282 347,880 4.95 29,000 3.21 4,000 13.4 8,600 24.15 1,520,500 13.22 296,600 18 1,582,700 367 62,170 6.85 2,700 2.07 81,000 4.18 12,000 9.02 705,400 6.45 8,342,900 7.95 112,600 1.02 2,855,000 11.8 33,500 55.85 323,750 6.01 4,500 4.8 4,000 2.49 87,000 3.1 9,000 1.68 218,000 13.04 183,900 103 1,720,700 5.66 106,000 1.09 768,000 143 284,250 2.5 48,000 2.03 9,343,000 1.86 6,696,000

27,204,265 15,584,106 9,841,090 237,610 1,210,130 12,716,290 5,662,686 45,126,615 190,101 643,800 48,445 8,025 47,010 1,503 49,030 25,593,762 11,170,974 649,262 616,250 1,362,468 16,190,762 1,391,794 19,758,185 823,621 1,501,410 1,131,990 98,555,520 143,550 12,840 113,660 36,794,410 3,917,172 28,491,652 22,996,716 18,447 167,110 49,050 6,352,977 51,431,103 877,153 2,856,240 394,760 18,112,085 27,045 19,200 216,890 27,880 368,390 2,404,872 176,331,614 596,795 825,560 40,033,620 120,580 18,947,400 12,403,970

-7,709,375 -24,900 -12,000 -11,500 -6,098,080 -3,468,400 -14,676,975 -75,200 23,610 1,601,932 -5,049,918 -312,798 10,900.00 -187,644 -5,585,678 645,614.50 702,966 -28,571,978 3,750 -10,873,610 -1,989,784 -10,763,812 8,948,756 -41,250 -589,433 361,502 10,200 236,000 -13,733,431.50 19,200 13,040 -22,731,793 -5,807,685 5,000 109,090 129,070

0.39 53.55 13.52 0.92 6 35.7 1.46 1.48 972 5.99 12.5 7.05 0.204 878 58.35 5.7 0.58 4.71 16.82 0.62 5.36 0.04 1.22 2.8 2.6 169.3 966 0.77 1.49 299.4 0.325

HOLDING FIRMS 0.39 3,660,000 53.8 941,140 14.32 96,261,900 0.92 63,000 6.11 29,000 36.05 210,900 1.5 12,963,000 1.5 1,618,000 978 198,560 6.02 3,440,200 12.72 2,655,200 7.1 117,400 0.204 440,000 880 587,860 60 432,400 5.7 4,000 0.59 22,000 4.8 416,000 16.9 1,958,800 0.65 2,477,000 5.45 18,890,900 0.04 2,900,000 1.25 448,000 2.84 2,045,000 2.6 44,000 175 1,683,720 970 197,900 0.77 20,000 1.49 100,000 310.8 73,580 0.325 7,400,000

1,437,300 50,666,289 1,356,372,206 57,970 176,563 7,667,435 19,290,880 2,410,680 194,332,950 20,683,226 33,563,572 831,175 90,020 525,824,070 25,886,061.50 22,800 12,800 1,999,250 33,242,946 1,602,310 102,536,688 116,100 556,230 5,796,400 114,620 299,695,759 191,895,900 15,400 149,000 22,240,168 2,426,750

39,250 -7,457,316 8,060,496 163,140 293,210 -105,270 -59,277,782.50 -9,896,432 -4,184,368 -58,871,820 6,437,662 125,000 -17,412,220 44,944,880 62,000 -45,800 -15,237,384 -13,087,585 30,052 -55,250

4,863,573 803,770 50,008 1,314,790 1,419,460 121,826,880 469,910 4,211,750 101,810 198,200 1,880 84,980 1,949,170 139,400 5,985,767 3,964,080 3,390 6,350,000 928,510 56,679,240 42,060,390 55,974,300 937,650 611,750

649,767 -33,000 9,691,190 -65,480 -2,174,400 60,787 419,995 -2,091,670 37,650 -22,377,450 -6,120.00 47,250 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

57.85 94.25 2.6 131 1.68 31.9 7.7 16.4 14.5 4.19 8.66 0.59 73 1 11.8 48 189 28.75 196 1,850 76.2 1.24

59.85 94.35 2.6 131.1 1.75 31.95 7.7 16.4 14.9 4.2 8.66 0.62 73.5 1 11.8 49 194.5 29.15 197 1,850 78.5 1.24

57.85 91.9 2.6 129.5 1.68 31.8 7.7 16.4 14.5 4.01 8.66 0.58 72.65 0.99 11.8 48 189 28.5 195 1,810 76.1 1.24

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

36.4 17.16 0.99 1.24 0.233 3.23 14.5 32 19.6 47 68.25 80.25 1.81 5.01 7.68 10.52 16.36 10.26 7.27 7.03 16.98 64 28.2 7.36 13.82 2.2 288 4.95 3.21 12.5 24.9 13.2 18 375 6.86 2.06 4.03 9 5.64 7.71 0.97 11.8 57.4 6.01 4.8 2.53 3.09 1.73 13.14 99.5 5.66 1.08 139.5 2.51 2.09 1.82

36.9 17.2 1.03 1.24 0.233 3.26 14.5 33.95 21.1 47 68.55 80.25 1.82 5.01 7.68 10.58 16.36 10.26 7.29 7.05 16.98 64.9 29.9 7.36 13.82 2.2 288 4.95 3.21 13.94 24.9 13.4 18.1 375 6.86 2.07 4.18 9.09 6.53 7.95 1.03 11.8 57.4 6.01 4.8 2.53 3.1 1.73 13.14 104 5.68 1.09 143 2.53 2.09 1.9

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

0.4 54 13.78 0.92 6.1 37.5 1.47 1.48 997 6 12.76 7.05 0.205 881 59.85 5.7 0.59 4.71 17.2 0.63 5.45 0.04 1.25 2.84 2.62 169.3 975.5 0.77 1.49 299.4 0.33

0.4 54.05 14.32 0.93 6.11 37.85 1.51 1.51 997 6.09 12.78 7.1 0.205 915 60 5.7 0.59 4.9 17.2 0.66 5.47 0.041 1.29 2.9 2.62 180.1 975.5 0.77 1.49 319.8 0.34

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

7.06 0.98 13.16 1.99 0.73 44.5 3.13 4.5 5.7 0.44 0.94 0.98 0.237 0.41 9.2 25.5 0.113 1.51 1.18 1.72 4.68 0.67 0.485 0.49

7.3 0.98 13.16 2.13 0.75 44.5 3.14 4.63 5.7 0.445 0.94 0.98 0.237 0.41 9.27 25.8 0.113 1.51 1.2 1.84 4.68 0.7 0.485 0.495

7.06 0.97 13.16 1.99 0.73 43.45 3.1 4.5 5.61 0.44 0.94 0.96 0.235 0.41 9.2 25.35 0.113 1.48 1.18 1.71 4.58 0.67 0.47 0.485

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS VISTA LAND

3.5 21.3 2.01 3.2 39 1.14 7.16 6.4

3.5 21.5 2.04 3.2 39.05 1.15 7.16 6.4

3.46 20.95 2.01 3.2 38.3 1.13 7.06 6.36

3.48 21.5 2.04 3.2 38.55 1.15 7.1 6.4

337,000 1,653,100 124,000 54,000 1,787,900 3,427,000 201,200 2,856,700

1,177,110 35,265,075 250,470 172,800 68,844,000 3,878,890 1,425,839 18,279,870

175,990 -3,639,485 9,600 -20,873,185 -46,056 -29,923

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

13.8 24.6 0.495 0.046 13.62 3.04 9.58 0.062 74.4 6.4 8.26 24 2,114 5.57 317.8 11.24 3.9 2.1 93.1 12.08 7.83 0.123 3.13 3.52 15 3.98 1.03 19.94 5.22 6.8 2.87 2.08 1.95 8.16 10.6 8.8 3.68 110 5.14 1,420 0.87 0.4 46 81.5 8 2.19 0.84 0.67 5.11 0.79 11.38

14 24.85 0.52 0.047 13.62 3.06 9.58 0.064 74.95 6.6 8.26 24.9 2,114 5.57 317.8 11.24 3.99 2.1 94.5 12.08 7.83 0.124 3.17 3.58 15 4.05 1.03 19.94 5.48 6.82 2.87 2.08 2.08 8.19 11.1 9.2 3.69 110 5.34 1,420 0.87 0.415 46.05 82.3 8.28 2.27 0.85 0.69 5.29 0.81 11.44

13.8 24.25 0.49 0.046 13.5 2.97 9.29 0.062 72.7 6.35 8.25 24 2,082 5.49 308.2 11.24 3.75 2.08 92.15 12.08 7.8 0.122 3.07 3.4 15 3.94 1.01 19.52 5.22 6.6 2.84 2 1.92 8.05 10.6 8.75 3.68 102 5.14 1,403 0.85 0.38 45.7 79.5 8 2.15 0.82 0.66 5.08 0.78 11.34

SERVICES 14 24.3 0.51 0.047 13.5 3.03 9.3 0.063 73 6.5 8.25 24 2,100 5.5 317 11.24 3.76 2.08 94 12.08 7.83 0.123 3.12 3.57 15 4.05 1.03 19.6 5.48 6.62 2.85 2.04 2.06 8.08 11.1 8.8 3.69 108.9 5.28 1,410 0.86 0.4 45.8 82 8.07 2.25 0.83 0.67 5.15 0.79 11.38

16,200 62,800 12,740,000 5,700,000 1,500 4,605,000 4,935,300 15,800,000 234,690 1,626,100 7,000 42,500 18,680 116,900 540 400 2,600,000 19,000 609,500 800 25,000 2,800,000 4,668,000 24,000 4,000 842,000 253,000 378,000 1,100 780,900 379,000 190,000 24,000 2,011,200 20,200 25,400 3,000 8,610 535,500 27,670 2,731,000 13,980,000 227,400 1,075,170 36,900 2,899,000 4,257,000 18,358,000 1,575,400 1,380,000 3,128,300

226,650 1,538,965 6,440,250 262,600 20,370 13,865,540 46,236,439 981,840 17,146,688 10,607,870 57,770 1,026,265 39,212,620 643,092 170,760 4,496 9,931,110 39,560 56,810,082 9,664 195,675 343,880 14,559,520 82,510 60,000 3,381,590 257,550 7,400,708 5,898 5,187,344 1,083,270 383,940 47,120 16,293,291 221,382 228,073 11,050 898,668 2,812,018 38,993,025 2,335,090 5,537,550 10,428,955 87,286,088.50 296,391 6,378,130 3,541,780 12,418,370 8,101,313 1,091,200 35,618,728

-60 -181,320 -24,897,553 -5,670 -5,993,890.50 -4,424,861 398,640 427,450 -9,038,851.50 21,600 400,000 -5,162,920 -3,926,427 617,180 117,333 -15,215.00 13,150,955 -175,010 12,150 -7,412,285 -37,098,020.50 -722,440 35,690 -8,470 -6,623,369 -21,408,762

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

0.0027 1.59 3.49 20.15 1.41 1.97 0.305 7.29 2 0.212 0.122 0.131 0.0081 1.39 5.41 1.18 0.58 1.23 0.013 0.012 0.013 3.72 4.1 15.68 29.1 0.0087

0.0027 1.6 3.52 20.75 1.41 1.97 0.305 7.41 2 0.216 0.122 0.131 0.0082 1.39 5.48 1.18 0.62 1.26 0.013 0.012 0.013 3.72 4.1 16.04 29.7 0.0087

0.0026 1.58 3.43 20.15 1.41 1.97 0.305 7.29 1.98 0.212 0.121 0.123 0.0081 1.38 5.38 1.16 0.58 1.21 0.012 0.012 0.012 3.61 4.08 15.48 29.05 0.0082

MINING & OIL 0.0027 34,000,000 1.58 437,000 3.43 253,000 20.75 10,300 1.41 1,000 1.97 393,000 0.305 20,000 7.38 1,500 1.99 2,726,000 0.213 380,000 0.122 2,540,000 0.123 90,000 0.0081 7,000,000 1.38 326,000 5.38 2,661,500 1.16 84,000 0.6 646,000 1.23 2,906,000 0.012 32,300,000 0.012 10,100,000 0.012 7,400,000 3.62 96,000 4.1 323,000 15.6 1,231,600 29.55 672,300 0.0082 96,000,000

90,100 693,940 873,770 209,105 1,410 774,210 6,100 11,055 5,405,030 82,000 309,770 11,710 56,900 450,160 14,391,355 98,280 390,200 3,595,120 393,300 121,200 89,300 355,050 1,321,150 19,340,984 19,841,130 804,500

-6,870 20,400 3,043,260 2,760 -4,220,225 148,000 1,200 -568,740 1,181,944 953,950 98,400

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 DD PREF FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A HOUSE PREF A LR PREF PCOR PREF 2B SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H

24.3 501 501 101 104.9 502 5.3 974.5 99.8 1.04 1,049 1,000 77.4 79.5 75.3 76.5 75.5 75.7

24.3 501 501 101 104.9 502 5.3 974.5 99.8 1.05 1,049 1,000 77.4 80.2 75.3 76.5 75.5 76

23.7 501 500 101 104.9 500 5.26 974.5 99.8 1.02 1,049 990 77.4 79 75.3 75.6 75.4 75.7

PREFERRED 23.75 23,500 501 1,000 500 7,000 101 2,220 104.9 10 500 3,060 5.3 100,800 974.5 20 99.8 200 1.02 108,000 1,049 10 1,000 3,200 77.4 1,100 80.2 22,100 75.3 2,000 75.6 877,540 75.4 1,350 76 25,400

567,785 501,000 3,500,070 224,220 1,049 1,530,120 533,800 19,490 19,960 112,250 10,490 3,171,100 85,140 1,753,335 150,600 66,373,830 101,863 1,926,565.50

-141,245 -533,800 38,000 -

LR WARRANT

2.43

2.51

2.42

WARRANTS 2.51 142,000

351,490

-

ITALPINAS XURPAS

5.35 2.83

5.75 2.83

5.21 2.76

5.69 2.8

20,142,611 4,326,190

-2,766,421 8,680

FIRST METRO ETF

117

117.1

116.1

571,548

-

MS

PROPERTY 7.19 0.97 13.16 2.1 0.73 43.95 3.11 4.61 5.61 0.445 0.94 0.98 0.235 0.41 9.21 25.65 0.113 1.48 1.19 1.81 4.59 0.69 0.47 0.49

676,200 828,000 3,800 623,000 1,910,000 2,772,800 150,000 915,000 18,100 450,000 2,000 87,000 8,270,000 340,000 649,800 155,300 30,000 4,278,000 780,000 31,503,000 9,147,000 81,683,000 1,980,000 1,250,000

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

16,529,268

INDUSTRIAL

64,414,784

HOLDING FIRMS

172,677,185

PROPERTY

158,993,147

SERVICES

112,663,079

MINING & OIL

206,494,999

GRAND TOTAL

736,947,325

SME

3,619,700 1,549,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 116.8 4,910

VALUE 1,802.01 (DOWN) 8.08 765,945,161.15 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,223.45 (DOWN) 49.40 725,591,017.562 HOLDING FIRMS 7,766.26 (UP) 1.59 3,075,824,105.416 PROPERTY 3,910.55 (DOWN) 34.98 1,537.27 (UP) 0.09 440,578,339.97 SERVICES MINING & OIL 9,968.37 (UP) 64.41 493,916,850.58 PSEI 7,832.22 (DOWN) 23.49 69,763,105.505 All Shares Index 4,772.17 (DOWN) 0.16 5,596,663,419.82 Gainers: 85; Losers: 101; Unchanged: 54; Total: 240

PAL gets nod to restructure equity ahead of new partner

By Darwin G. Amojelar PAL Holdings Inc., the parent of Philippine Airlines, obtained the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission to restructure its equity in preparation for the entry of a new strategic investor.

PAL Holdings said in a disclosure Monday to the stock exchange the SEC issued a certificate of approval of equity structuring on August 23.

“With the grant of the said application, the company’s additional paid-in capital of P25,339,985,000 shall be used to partially wipe out the company’s deficit of P29,073,623,000,” PAL Holdings said.

PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista earlier said the airline was in talks with possible investors.

The investor is expected to acquire up to 40 percent of the flag carrier.

PAL tapped Morgan Stanley as financial advisor to the transaction.

The airline, now wholly-owned by tycoon Lucio Tan after he bought back a 49-percent stake that San Miguel Corp. purchased from him in 2012, registered a total comprehensive loss of P444.78 million in the January-to-June period this year, up 59 percent from P279.79 million year-on-year.

The company also reported a comprehensive loss of P243.11 million in the second quarter of the year from P254.28 million on year.

The country’s flag carrier posted total revenues of P75.13 billion in the first half of the year, up 13.3 percent from P66.31 billion on year.

PAL Holding’s total expenses rose 15 percent to P75.57 billion from P65.61 billion a year ago primarily due to the increase in flights mounted.

The company attributed the higher expenses mainly to higher flying operations, aircraft and traffic servicing, reservations and sales and passenger service expenses.

PAL Holdings said the increase in flying operations 21.7 percent over last year’s same period P33.70 billion was mainly due to the surge in fuel cost.

PAL’s fuel expenses increased 27 percent as a result of the escalation in average price per barrel of aviation fuel from $74.99 in 2017 to $91.08 in 2018.

Robinsons Retail increases stake in Ministop to 59.1%

By Jenniffer B. Austria ROBINSONS Retail Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei Group is boosting its stake in Ministop Philippines to 59.1 percent from 51 percent as Japanese trading firm Mitsubishi Corp. divests from the business.

Robinsons Retail said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday whollyowned unit Robinsons Inc. signed an agreement to buy the shares of Mitsubishi in Robinsons Convenience Stores Inc. RCSI is the exclusive master franchisee of Ministop in the Philippines.

Robinsons Retail under share purchase agreement will purchase Mitsubishi’s eight percent stake in RCSI. Mitsubishi Corp also sold its remaining 4-percent interest in RSCI to Japanbased partner Ministop Co. Ltd., increasing the latter’s stake to 40.9 percent.

“We remain fully committed in keeping and growing our convenience store business. The CVS format is the fastest growing retail channel in the region and we intend to take advantage of this trend,” said Robinsons Retail president and chief executive Robina Gokongwei-Pe said.

Ministop generated total system-wide sales of P4.5 billion in the six-month period ending June 2018, up 4.4 percent from the previous year’s level of P4.26 billion.

Mini Stop’s same store sales growth in the first half of the year stood at 4.3 percent, up from the previous year’s level of 1.3 percent. It reported a gross profit of P1.18 billion, up 5.7 percent from P1.11 billion year-on-year Robinsons Retail to date has 492 Ministop branches in key areas of Metro Manila, Luzon and Visayas.

Robinsons Retail teamed up with Ministop Co. Ltd and Mitsubishi in 2000 to establish Ministop in the Philippines.

Originally from Japan, Ministop has become one of the best known convenience stores among urban communities and business districts in Metro Manila, Luzon and Visayas.

World

B3

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

2 Malaysian women caned for indulging in lesbian sex

FASHION WEEK.

A Kurdish woman poses on the catwalk during the Kurdistan Fashion Week in Arbil, the capital of the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq, on September 2, 2018. AFP

IN BRIEF UAE postpones Da Vinci unveiling

DUBAI―The UAE said Monday it had postponed the unveiling of the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s most prized acquisition―a painting attributed to Leonardo da Vinci, bought for a record $450 million.

The painting, which was bought last year, had been due to be unveiled on September 18.

But Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism department on Monday announced “the postponement of the unveiling of Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi” in a tweet.

“More details will be announced soon,” it said.

The “Salvator Mundi”, a portrait of Jesus Christ painted in 1500, was the only one of the fewer than 20 paintings believed to be the work of the famed Renaissance Old Master still in private hands when it went under the hammer, and sold, at Christie’s in November.

The painting was declared authentic six years ago, after long being dismissed as a copy by one of Da Vinci’s students.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi has kept tightlipped over the identity of the painting’s buyer, saying only that the emirate’s Department of Culture and Tourism had “acquired” it.

Last December, the New York Times identified the buyer as an obscure member of the Saudi royal family, Prince Badr bin Abdullah. AFP

Japan: China escalating military actions

KUALA TERENGGANU, Malaysia――Two Malaysian women were caned Monday for having lesbian sex in violation of strict Islamic laws, sparking outrage from activists at the “inhuman and degrading” punishment.

The women, dressed in white dresses and Muslim head scarves, were each given six strokes as they sat on stools in a sharia court, with one of them breaking down in tears.

Campaigners said it was the first time women in Malaysia had been caned for violating a sharia regulation that forbids same-sex relations. They said the case highlighted the worsening climate for gay people in the Muslim-majority country.

The country operates a dual-track legal system. Islamic courts can handle religious and family matters for Muslim citizens, as well as cases such as adultery.

The women, aged 22 and 32, were arrested in April by Islamic enforcement officers after they were found in a car in

Reuters reporters sent to prison Y ANGON―Two Reuters journalists accused of breaching Myanmar’s state secrets law while reporting on a massacre of Rohingya Muslims were jailed for seven years Monday, fueling further international outrage a week after the army was accused of genocide.

Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, who have been held in Yangon’s Insein prison since their arrest in December, were charged with violating the Official Secrets Act, a draconian British colonial-era law that carries a maximum sentence of 14 years.

The case has sparked an outcry among the international community as an attempt to muzzle reporting on last year’s crackdown by Myanmar’s security forces on the Muslim Rohingya minority in Rakhine state.

Army-led “clearance operations”

drove 700,000 Rohingya into Bangladesh, carrying with them widespread accounts of atrocities―rape, murder and arson―by Myanmar police and troops.

The reporters denied the charges, insisting they were set up while exposing the extra-judicial killing of 10 Rohingya Muslims in the Rakhine village of Inn Din in September last year.

They had told the court they were arrested after being invited to dinner by police in Yangon, who handed them documents.

As they left the restaurant, the pair were detained for possessing classified material.

But Judge Ye Lwin was unmoved by their testimony.

“The culprits intended to harm the interests of the state. And so they have been found guilty under the state secrets act,” he told the packed Yangon court.

“They are sentenced to seven years in prison each.”

Kyaw Soe Oo’s wife wept after the judge delivered the verdict.

As they were led to the waiting prison van the handcuffed pair, both Myanmar nationals, gave brief but defiant state-

ments on the court steps.

“The government can detain us in the prison but... don’t close the ears and eyes of the people,” Kyaw Soe Oo said.

Wa Lone, who gave a defiant “thumbs up” to the massed ranks of reporters, said: “We will face it [the verdict] with stability and courage.”

Defense lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said an appeal would be lodged as soon as possible against the verdict, which Reuters denounced as based on “false charges”.

“Today is a sad day for Myanmar... and the press everywhere,” Stephen J. Adler, Reuters Editor-in-Chief, said in a statement, adding that the outcome was “designed to silence their reporting and intimidate the press”.

The UN in Myanmar and the European Union joined the growing chorus of calls for the reporters’ release. Rights groups decried the verdict as a sign of enduring repression in a country meant to be edging towards a more open and democratic future after almost a halfcentury of army rule.

The ruling “sends a stark warning to other journalists in the country of the severe consequences that await should

COLOMBO―Sri Lankan authorities on Monda’y began investigating the deaths of wild elephants in the east of the island after pulling seven carcasses out of a marsh, a minister said.

Wildlife Minister Palitha Thewarapperuma said six out of the seven animals found in the swamp were young―below the age of 12―and he suspected that many more may have died there.

“We have wildlife experts and vets who are investigating the cause,” Thewarapperuma told AFP from the district of Polonnaruwa, 220 kilometers east of Colombo.

He said a possible reason was that the swamp is currently strewn with water hyacinth, an invasive plant known locally as Japan Jabara.

The swamp is located on a migratory route and the animals may have become bogged down and exhausted battling through the plants and then drowned.

Japan Jabara was introduced to Sri Lanka at the turn of the last century and has spread rapidly since World War II. Allied forces stationed in Sri Lanka planted the free-floating species on waterways in a bid to mislead Japanese pilots on bombing missions into thinking that they were grassy fields suitable for landing in emergency. AFP

they look too closely at military abuses”, Tirana Hassan, Amnesty International’s director of crisis response, said in a statement.

“This amounts to censorship through fear.”

The army has published its version of events at Inn Din village, conceding the Rohingya men were killed while in custody but saying it was a one-off case of abuse by a mixture of security forces and ethnic Rakhine locals.

Monday’s ruling comes a week after the release of an explosive United Nations-led study into abuses in Rakhine, accusing Myanmar’s army chief of heading a campaign of “genocide” and “crimes against humanity” against the Rohingya.

It also strongly criticized de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi for failing to use her moral authority to stand up for the stateless minority.

The same day, Facebook shut down the pages of Myanmar’s army chief Min Aung Hlaing and other military top brass, in what the company said was a bid to prevent them from further fanning “ethnic and religious tensions”. AFP

McCain laid to rest after celebration of his career

TOKYO―Japan’s defense chief on Monday warned the country faces a tough security environment, with China and Russia stepping up military activity and North Korea posing “imminent threats”.

Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said China had been “unilaterally escalating” its military activities in the past year, including carrying out new airborne operations around Japan and running a nuclear submarine near disputed East Coast isles.

“China has been rapidly improving its military strength and fast increasing its military activities,” Onodera told an annual gathering of the top brass of Japan’s SelfDefense Forces.

“It is unilaterally escalating its military activities in the sea and aviation spaces around our country. This has become a significant concern for our country’s defense,” he said.

Onodera made the remarks as Tokyo attempts to improve its tense diplomatic ties with Beijing, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expected to visit Japan’s biggest trade partner next month.

On coming to power, Abe took a firm position on Japan’s claims to a disputed island chain in the East China Sea, aggravating tensions with Beijing. AFP

Sri Lanka probes deaths of elephants

a public square in the northern state of Terengganu, one of the country’s most conservative areas.

The pair, whose identities have not been revealed, pleaded guilty last month to breaking Islamic laws and were sentenced to be whipped and fined 3,300 ringgit ($800).

They were caned at the Sharia High Court in the state capital Kuala Terengganu.

A judge read out their sentence just before 10:00 am (0300 GMT) and then officials meted out the punishment using thin canes in front of a packed courtroom, according to a journalist in the court.

The younger woman sobbed but the elder one showed no reaction.

The punishment sparked a barrage of criticism, with Malaysian rights group Women’s Aid Organization saying it was “outraged and appalled by this grave violation of human rights.

“Sexual acts between two consenting adults should not be criminalized, let alone punished with whipping.” AFP

VISIT. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (second, left) and Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera review an honor guard during Abe’s visit to the Defense Ministry to meet with senior officials in Tokyo on September 3, 2018. AFP

Massive fire tears through prized museum in Rio RIO DE JANEIRO―A massive fire on Sunday ripped through Rio de Janeiro’s treasured National Museum, one of Brazil’s oldest, in what the nation’s president said was a “tragic” loss of knowledge and heritage.

The majestic edifice stood engulfed in flames as plumes of smoke shot into the night sky, while some 20 fire brigades battled to control the blaze that erupted around 2230 GMT. Five hours later they had managed to smother much of the inferno that had torn through hundreds of rooms, but were still working to extinguish it completely, according to an AFP photographer at the scene.

The museum, located in the city’s north near the Maracana football stadium, was closed to the public when the fire sparked from a yet unknown cause.

The fire “spread very quickly; there is a lot of inflammable material,” a spokesperson for Rio’s fire department

told AFP, adding that there were no reports of victims so far.

The natural history and anthropology museum was founded in 1818 by King Joao VI and is considered a jewel of Brazilian culture, housing more than 20 million valuable pieces.

“This is a tragic day for Brazil,” President Michel Temer said in a statement. “Two hundred years of work and research and knowledge are lost.”

“The loss of the collection of the National Museum is incalculable,” he said.

The collection included art and artifacts from Greco-Roman times and Egypt, as well as the oldest human fossil found within today’s Brazilian borders, known as “Luzia.”

The museum also housed the skeleton of a dinosaur found in the Minas Gerais region along with the largest meteorite discovered in Brazil, which was named “Bendego” and weighed 5.3 tons.

Pieces covering a period of nearly

four centuries―from the arrival of the Portuguese to the territory in the 1500s until the declaration of the first Brazilian republic in 1889―had also been stored there.

A deputy director at the museum, Luiz Fernando Dias Duarte, voiced “profound discouragement and immense anger” as the treasured institution burned, accusing Brazilian authorities of a “lack of attention.”

He said the museum, a former palace that was once the official residence of the Portuguese royal family, had never had necessary support.

“We fought years ago, in different governments, to obtain resources to adequately preserve everything that was destroyed today,” Dias Duerte told journalists.

The National Museum, which is linked to the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, has suffered from funding cuts. AFP

WASHINGTON―A nearly weeklong celebration of the life of US senator John McCain-war hero, maverick, two-time presidential candidate and outspoken critic of Donald Trump― came to a solemn and subdued end Sunday as he was laid to rest at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

McCain, who died August 25 aged 81 after a year-long struggle against brain cancer, was interred in a private ceremony in the academy’s grassy cemetery overlooking the Severn River.

McCain, the son and grandson of four-star admirals, graduated from the naval academy in 1958.

Large crowds lined the road to pay their respects as the funeral cortege carrying McCain’s flag-draped casket passed by. Some saluted or held signs paying tribute. One woman shouted out, “God bless America!”

“I watched them lay my friend to rest today. I will miss him,” Senator Jeff Flake tweeted Sunday along with a photo of him and McCain, in which the former pilot wore a Navy hat.

A day after a nationally televised memorial service at Washington’s National Cathedral brought together a remarkable gathering of luminaries from both parties―including three former presidents, but not the current one― Sunday’s ceremony was designed more as a family affair, including the military family to which McCain proudly belonged.

His casket was taken to the Naval Academy’s chapel for a private ceremony, at which General David Petraeus, Senator Lindsey Graham and McCain’s son Jack delivered tributes. AFP

LGUs

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

B4

LocaL government units

tuesday, september 4, 2018

‘Batas QC’ app launched this month—Joy

By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City is launching the “Batas QC” mobile application this month to spread awareness on the penalties and rules of local ordinances, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte announced Monday.

“This is our way of empowering the people of Quezon City to be aware of their rights and the ordinances of the city so that they could not experience abuses and would know the corresponding sanctions for violation,” she said.

Citing the data from National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Guillermo Eleazar, the Quezon City Police District was able to arrest 99,040 city ordinance violators from June 13 to Sept. 2, posting the highest number of persons arrested for ordinance violations in Metro Manila.

For this reason, Belmonte said, the city council is set to launch the “Batas QC” app that would be available for download for all smartphone users of the city.

The city government will also distribute digital tablets containing the mobile app to barangay officials and city law enforcement units.

Meanwhile, Mayor Herbert Bautista has lauded Sr. Supt. Manuel Manuel of the Bureau of Fire Protection for a 90-percent decrease in fire occurrence from July to August this year.

He thanked the bureau for its intensive “Oplan Paalala” to ensure the safety of the public.

Quezon City has the least number of fire cases among the 17 localities in the National Capital Region.

Manuel said “Oplan Paalala” through the conduct of seminars and the deployment of fire trucks in the city’s 142 barangays are very effective tools to heighten public awareness on fire prevention and lower fire incidence.

“Our firemen are always ready,” he said.

In BrIef rP energy, volunteers plant trees in eco park CASTILLEJOS, Zambales―Redondo Peninsula Energy led environmentalists and volunteers in the planting of trees at proposed Eco Tourism Park in Barangay Balaybay, this town on Friday.

“This is not merely a tree-planting activity, but also an educational one.

We have invited experts from Cenro Olongapo and Subic Cawag Upland Farmers Association to teach our volunteers the proper way of removing the plastic, handling the roots and caring for the trees,” said RP Energy Corporate Social Responsibility Officer Jason Gavina.

The energy company launched three years ago Adopt-A-Forest Project that has been instrumental in planting over thousand trees both fruit-bearing and endemic tree species in Subic area.

DENR, SCUFA, Barangay Balaybay, PNP 305th Maneuver Company, and Castillejos Resettlement High School participated in the planting activity.

RP Energy is the developer of a 2x300 MW coal-fired power plant in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Butch Gunio

marines in sulu use kites for peace ZAMBOANGA CITY—As Peace Month began, Philippine Marines deployed in conflict-affected Sulu sent messages of peace to enemies of the state that are lurking in the province and causing havoc using Tausug kites known as “taguri.”

Marine Battalion Landing Team 1 Commanding Officer LtC Stephen Cabanlet sent off his unit’s message to members of the Abu Sayyaf Group and other lawless elements to surrender and return to the fold of the law.

The Marine Battalion, in partnership with the Notre Dame of Jolo College, kicked off Peace Month with a kite-Making Contest and an Art Exhibit in Jolo, Sulu’s capital town.

“To the Abu Sayyaf, the path where you stand right now may not be of your choosing but the future is yours to make. Make that decisión right now and join me in this journey towards peace,” Cabanlet said.

Frencie L. Carreon

BIñAN-SEOUL TIES. Biñan City Mayor Arman Dimaguila, (front row, second from left) together with Vice Mayor Gel Alonte (red shirt) lead a dialogue on cultural exchange, economic

education and a city sisterhood agreement with Korean delegates from Seoul City, led by Congresswoman An Sook Kim (front row, left) with colleagues Cheol Gwon Moon, Soo Dung Choi, Hyun Yi Park, Han Soo Lee, Jung Hyeon La, Dong Hun Jung, and Hyeonjoo Park. Roy Tomandao

Parañaque housing program in full gear

T

WO hundred more homeless Parañaque City residents will benefit from the social housing project of the city government as it identified the latest beneficiaries who will receive their respective certificates of ownership early next year.

This developed yesterday after Mayor Edwin Olivarez disclosed the city will be allocating P15 million in next year’s city budget for the housing project dubbed “Bagong Parañaque Homes III” in C-5 Extension in Barangay La Huerta.

According to Olivarez, the identified beneficiaries are hundreds of families mostly residing near the runway of Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Airport Village in Barangay Moonwalk.

The remaining beneficiaries are longtime informal settlers whose shanties are located in danger zones, riverbanks, creeks, and those with court demolition orders in several barangays in District I. During his birthday last week, Oli-

varez also turned over 204 housing units to beneficiaries of “Bagong Parañaque Homes II” located in the same housing project in Barangay La Huerta.

The mayor also unveiled three other major projects of his administration―the new Materials Recovery Facility, the City Motorpool, and the Animal Shelter, all located near the housing project.

The housing units are given free to the beneficiaries, who will only pay the

city government the cost of the land on easy installment terms.

The city’s socialized housing project are two-story condominiums to optimize the use of scarce and costly land in Parañaque.

It sits on three hectares of land owned by the city government which, when fully developed, can accommodate about 1,000 housing units, PIO chief Mar Jimenez announced.

He said among the beneficiaries since the project started in 2015 are families from Bacass, Hotiveros in Barangay San Antonio; Balicanta in Barangay Don Bosco, and Icarna in Moonwalk.

Last April 2015, the local government also turned over 144 housing units to beneficiaries of “Bagong Parañaque Homes I.”

COCONUT CONGRESS. Senator Cynthia Villar (left) speaks at the Philippine Coconut Authority’s 32nd National Coconut Week

and First World Coconut Congress at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. The chairman of the Senate agriculture committee hopes the event opens up opportunities and the sharing of best practices, information, technology, and others among the participants to spur the growth of the coconut sector.

3 lady miners from Didipio pass PRC exam

By Abe Almirol BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya— Mining is slowly losing its image as a male-dominated industry as three more lady mining engineers, who are scholars of a mining firm based here, passed the August 2018 licensure examination administered by the Professional Regulation Commission.

Engineers Geneva Muhyang, Princess Doniego and Angelica Tayaban, all scholars of OceanaGold’s Didipio mining operations, passed the recent PRC exams.

Muhyang and Doniego were grantees of the Development of Mining Technology and Geosciences program, while Tabayan is a dependent of company driver Johnny Tayaban which entitled her to a scholarship.

“With the Company’s help and assistance, I was able to finish my higher education and closer to making my goals a reality,” Muhyang said.

A resident of Quirino province, Muhyang graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman campus early this year.

Doniego is from Nueva Vizcaya, while Tayaban is from Ifugao. Both are graduates of Saint Louis University in Baguio City.

The three engineers also finished their On-The-Job training at OceanaGold’s facility in Didipio.

Scholars of the company are always prioritized in terms of internship programs and even employment after graduation, the firm said in a statement.

According to the new engineers, the benefits they received were not limited to financial assistance, but also include values imparted to them by OceanaGold, which served as their guiding principles in materializing their dreams.

So far, OceanaGold has produced 144 graduates since 2007 through its wide range of scholarship program, 50 of them are PRC license-holders.

Region 12 teens take grand prize at Unilab Foundation youth forum OVER 1,000 delegates watched as Team TeenPUYOG, from Region XII—SOCCSkSARGEN, was named the Grand Champion of Ideas Positive Run 8 at the two-day Ideas Positive Youth Forum on Public Health, organized by Unilab Foundation in Iloilo City.

Their project, “IDOLescent M.A.T.T.E.R,”

empowered peer educators to engage T’boli youth on the prevention of teenage pregnancy.

The team’s members—Claresse Ann Bautista, Desirre Merced Mae Pagaduan, Elizabeth Ariel Hannah Maturan, Edgardo Martinez, and Raffle Tagapulotan—were assisted by their mentor, Godwin Lord Gallo.

“The positive idea behind this project is to capacitate our IDOLescents to take lead in [addressing] teenage pregnancy through peer education,” they said, as the project helped reduce teenage pregnancy by 50 percent during the time of implementation.

The team believes the key to their project’s success was “the positive en-

gagement of the indigenous community of T’boli in Barangay Maligang, together with the barangay council and Sangguniang kabataan.”

Youth delegates were joined by representatives from civil society organizations, government agencies and local government units, advocates and persons with disability.

SBFI builds classrooms for ‘Gapo

Officials of Security Bank Foundation and the host school celebrate the inauguration of 12 classrooms for up to 7,000 students in Olongapo City.

SECURITY Bank Foundation Inc. continues its investment in education by helping the government address classroom shortage in public schools through its Build a School, Build a Nation: The Classrooms Project.

Beginning with its commitment in 2011 to construct 60 classrooms over a period of five years, SBFI has exceeded its initial target and has turned over 417 classrooms nationwide, with Olongapo City receiving 12 new classrooms.

A two-storey, four-classroom building was inaugurated in Gordon Heights I Elementary School while a two-storey, eight-classroom building was turned over to Olongapo City National High School.

Both school buildings were built to pro-

vide conducive learning facilities for 7,000 learners in Olongapo City.

Officers from Security Bank were present during the inauguration headed

by SBFI Chairman Rafael F. Simpao, Jr., Olongapo Branch Business Manager Homer Guerrero, and Subic Branch Business Manager Amalia Trinidad.

Partners from local government and educational institutions also graced the event led by Olongapo City Councilor Benjamin Cajudo, Department of Education Division of Olongapo City Schools Division Superintendent Bernadette Tamayo, Ateneo Center for Educational Development Executive Director Dr. Carmela Oracion, GHIES Principal Nestor Balois and OCNHS Principal Eva Unay.

Life

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

health and environment

@mstandardLIFe tuesday, september 4, 2018

C1

How DNA profiling helps improve fitness and wellbeing Coryn Rivera currently holds 72 national titles as of June 2018—she’s the first Fil-Am to win the Tour of Flanders. (@corynrivera/Instagram)

I

NTerNATIONALLy acclaimed racing cyclist Coryn rivera is not one to rest on her laurels.

Despite achieving hard-earned championships around the world, she has won 72 national titles as of June 2018, she continues to look for ways to be her best in every race. rivera, the first Filipino-American to win the Tour of Flanders, took a DNA profile test to find out how she can improve her fitness and overall wellbeing.

Through Pru Life UK’s myDNA Pro, the 26-year-old cyclist found out her injury risk, hence she has made improvements on her routine especially when it comes to her warm up and cool down, hydration, and time for rest to avoid possible damages to her body.

“As a professional cyclist, it’s my number one job to know my body,” says rivera.

Fitbit’s no. 1 fitness tracker

gets an update

myDNA Pro provides tailored diet and fitness recommendations on reducing health risks.

The myDNA Pro is a DNA-based, personalized precision health program specifically designed to help customers identify and reduce the “3 highs” of health risks (i.e. type 2 d iabet es, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol).

The program provides tailored diet and fitness recommendations on re reducing health risks, as well as ideniden tifies one’s metabolic and inflaminflam matory responses, obesity risk, and appetite control.

Furthermore, it analyzes users’ injury risk, oxygen efficiency, recovery, and power and endurance levels.

It a proprietary precision health propro gram developed by Prenetics Limited, a leading genetic testing company based in Hong Kong.

It is included in Pru Life UK’s myDmyD NA Pro Bundle, an exclusive product that combines insuravest, or investinvest ment-linked life insurance with genetic profiling to help improve an individuindividu al’s fitness and wellbeing.

“The myDNA Pro Program offers customers a more accessible, scientifscientif ic, and effective solution to achieve their fitness and wellness goals, whether they are professional athletes like Coryn or just starting out in any fitness endeavor,” says Pru Life UK senior vice president and chief marketing officer Allan Tumbaga.

Pro cyclist Coryn Rivera made improvements on her routine after discovering her injury risks through a DNA test.

THe rising popularity and several studies proving the health and weight loss benefits of low-carb, high-fat diets has had individuals cutting on carbs and increasing fat intake.

However, nutrition experts over at Cohen Lifestyle Center warn that most fats can have bad effects on a person’s health.

BUILDINg on the success of its case and Corning gorilla glass 3 disbestselling product lineup, Fitbit has play, for a slimmer, modern silhoulaunched Charge 3, the latest in its ette, increased durability, and more Charge family of devices. comfortable fit.

Fitbit’s Charge range is the most It features a crisp, touchscreen popular of the global wearables display that brilliantly showcases brand’s product lineup, with 35 mil- grayscale graphics with new playful lion devicanimations, es sold to and is neardate. ly 40 perDubbed cent larger as the most and brighti n novative er than its tracker curpredecesrently on sor, offerthe market, ing a more Charge 3 intuitive features an experience elevated, with easy premium access to swim-proof impor tant design with infor maa touchtion. screen disIn adplay, 15+ d it ion , goal-based Charge 3 exercise also delivm o d e s , ers the most essential advanced smart feahealth and tures to fitness feastay contures found nected, up on a Fitto seven bit tracker days batto date. tery life, It has the and Fitenhanced bit’s most 2 4 / 7 advanced PurePulse sensor and al- Fitbit Charge 3 boasts improved features such as heart rate swim-proof design, advanced sensor, and 7-day gorithm techtechnology battery life. nology in a and provides tracker. a better measure of calorie burn and “Charge 3 gives existing users a resting heart rate. compelling reason to upgrade, while The addition of a relative SpO2 also allowing us to reach new users sensor—a first for a Fitbit tracker— who want a more sleek and afford- adds the potential to estimate relaable wearable in a tracker form fac- tive blood oxygen levels and help tor,” said James Park, co-founder and track new health indicators, like chief executive officer of Fitbit. sleep apnea.

The newly released fitness tracker Charge 3 will be available in the is made of lightweight materials, Philippines starting November for such as an aerospace grade aluminum P9,990 each.

High-fat diet might not be good for you YIKES! High-fat diet can lead to bad breath, as ketones stick to breath, according to experts at Cohen Lifestyle Center.

Fast facts on fats

Fats can be classified into different types. The most dangerous type is trans fat, the by-product of a process called hydrogenation. This is found in margarine, butter, shortening, lard, baked goods, and French fries.

Saturated fats, on the other hand, are common in most diets. They are found in red meat, coconut oil, commercially prepared baked goods, and whole milk and other whole milk dairy products. excessive amounts of saturated fats can also be bad for health, said Cohen Lifestyle Center.

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are considered “good” since they are healthier for the heart. These fats are liquid at room temperature and are found mostly in fish, vegetables, seeds, and nuts.

The dark side of fats

The goal of high-fat diets is to get the body into the state of ketosis, a metabolic process where a person burns stored body fat Turn to C2

As much as we love our juicy burger and French fries, they are rich in trans fats and saturated fats.

Life

C2

tuesday, september 4, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

PCPPI employees transformed PET bottles into sustainable sources of light for Marawi City.

S

EVERAL companies have taken active steps to protect and conserve the environment and advocate sustainable living.

Among those that embark on an environmental sustainability mission is Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, inc.

Since the launch of its nationwide environmental sustainability program in 2016, it has seen major changes in its operations and received recognition from the government.

Luntiang Yaman program initiates PCPPi’s solution to address climate change as an institution, and minimize impact by nurturing the environment.

The program focuses heavily on five key areas for conservation and development until 2020—water, electricity, fuel, solid waste, and the community. it aims to reduce PCPPi’s water usage by 10 percent year-on-year, reduce electricity usage by 5 percent year-onyear, reduce fuel usage by 5 percent year-on-year, and improve solid waste recycling to 85 percent through management systems.

“PCPPi stands as a prime industry advocate for a greener earth through our sustainability mission: Doing what’s right for the business without

compromising the environment and the communities where the company operates,” said PCPPi senior vice president for operations Allan Frias ii.

According to Frias, the program maximizes the bottling company’s opportunity to manufacture and distribute products using viable means, while consuming less resources and minimizing waste generation. included also in the initiative is the company’s commitment to conduct social responsibility initiatives that highlight environmentalism through annual community volunteerism projects. it also involves its workforce in impacting the company’s surrounding communities through various initiatives like yearly tree planting drives and estero and street cleanups.

The employees recently brought light back into Marawi through a partnership with MyShelter foundation. They transformed PET bottles into sustainable sources of light for the war-ravaged city.

Since the program’s implementation, Frias said the company has consistently

Bottling firm’s green efforts yield fruits LET THERE BE LIGHT. Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. actively takes steps in minimizing its impact on environment, such as recycling PET bottles into viable source of light for communities that need it. (@pepsiphilippines/Instagram)

outpaced its targets and has been commended by the Department of Energy for its successful energy conservation.

PCPPi received six awards from the Energy department’s Don Emilio

Abello Energy Efficiency Awards in December 2017.

“As of 2018, to date, compared to 2017 in the same period, water usage has been reduced by 23 percent, fuel

usage has been reduced by 15 percent, electricity usage has been reduced by 12 percent, and solid waste recycling has reached 85 percent,” said Frias.

FITNESS GEAR

Get in shape without gym membership TAiWAn Excellence presents state-of-the-art exercise equipment for individuals who can’t be bothered going to the gym. These products are carefully evaluated and sealed by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council with the guidance from the Bureau of Foreign Trade.

Individuals age 40 and above may experience age-related vision problems like blurred vision and dry eyes, among others.

Understanding age-related vision problems

Portable bicycle

Those who prefer to bike outdoors may opt for Tern Taiwan Ltd.’s Verge X20.

This portable bicycle can be easily folded as it weighs only 9.9 kilograms.

Moreover, the Verge X20 makes biking more exciting as it is equipped with Kinetic Pro X wheels, which help strengthen muscles and improve aerodynamics to make users go faster.

Stationary bicycle

Johnson Health Tech. Co., Ltd.’s Upright Bike-Matrix U50 has a Comfort Arc Seat designed to provide comfort while regulating perspiration, improving calves and hamstrings, and strengthening abdominal muscles.

This sophisticated stationary bicycle has an ergonomic design, and provides an easy step-through access. it also has an Exact Force feature to let users adjust the resistance of the pedal depending on their stamina.

AS A person ages, the risk of developing agerelated vision problems increases. An ophthalmic optics company shares common eyesight changes an individual may experience as he gets older, and how to minimize the risks.

Blurred vision. Reading printed materials can become less clear, partly because the lens in the eyes becomes less flexible as people age.

Objects can also appear hazy or out of focus at certain distances. When this happens, it’s best to rest eyes for a few seconds. it also helps exercising eye muscles by regularly blinking.

Dry eyes. Aging also causes bodies to produce lesser tears. Some people experience a burning sensation, stinging, or eye discomfort related to dry eyes. Those who experience this may use artificial tears as needed throughout the day for comfort, or consult an eye doctor for prescription dry eyes medication.

Sensitivity to bright lights. When driving, there may be additional glare from other cars, street lights, or sun reflecting off wind-

shields. This is because, as individuals age, the light entering their eyes tend to scatter rather than be focused precisely on the retina. it is important to be more cautious when driving and if possible, avoid driving at night.

Decreased color vision. While aging, normal colors may decline in sensitivity, causing things around a person to become less bright; and contrast between different colors becomes less noticeable.

Ophthalmic optics company Essilor offers solutions to age-related vision problems with Varilux X series, a new premium progressive lens designed to help people 40 years old and above achieve clearer, better vision.

Manufactured by Essilor, this latest progressive lens is developed using Xtend, a revolutionary technology which provides seamless vision between distances—near, mid, far. it also eliminates eye constraints, reduces glare, and vividly brings out colors for wearers to enjoy edge-to-edge clarity.

High-fat...

Too much saturated or trans fat may increase inflammation and blood cholesterol levels. This can, in turn, increase the risk of heart diseases, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, especially when combined with refined carbohydrates.

Finally, embarking on a high-fat diet to lose weight might be counterproductive, as CLC notes that fat contains more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates, so it contributes more to weight gain and, eventually, obesity.

“The bottom line: Fats have been linked to many health risks. Knowing how to separate the good from bad fats can make a difference.

Take everything in moderation and stay healthy by exercising regularly and eating a well-balanced diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains,” Cohen Lifestyle Center said in a statement.

From C1

Sports goggles

For eye protection, First Rank Co., Ltd. offers JET-S58, a stylish pair whose double-coating technology enhances the durability of anti-fog performance. This helps users see when swimming, and guard their eyes from water or chemicals.

Sports pants

Unite Creative Design Co., Ltd.’s compression seamless bike sports pants provide protection and help in reducing blood pressure and improve heart rhythm.

for fuel. As the body burns fat, it produces ketones in the liver. However, according to Cohen Lifestyle Center, when ketones are discharged, they stick to urine and breath, giving off a bad smell.

Aside from bad breath, it can also lead to kidney stones and gout.

While the diet itself has not resulted in an increase or decrease in kidney stones, doctors are seeing a new development: patients are eating more meat and fish, which can increase their calcium and uric acid levels and acidify their urine. This may lead to kidney stones. High levels of uric acid can cause gout.

Entertainment

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Is Paulo Avelino retiring from acting?

Members of the premiere music ensemble, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra

A PRELUDE TO 45 YEARS OF HARMONY:

PPO brings music to the people

By Darwin Pesco

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ELEBRATING its 45th Anniversary, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) announced its plan to kick-start this year’s outreach concert, which aims to educate the youngsters who want to pursue music career from north to south of the country.

“CCP brings art to the people,” said Cultural Center of the Philippines President Arsenio Lizaso after the signing of contract at the Roma Solon in the Manila Hotel. The contract was penned among various local government units, embassies, and private institutions to bring music to the people instead of them coming to the CCP. The country’s leading orchestra’s outreach has started on the first week of August at the University of Baguio with the help of Tourism Promotions Board and Pine Cone Movement and in cooperation with the Department of Tourism of Cordillera Administrative Region. A day before the concert, a Masterclass Woodwind and Brass was also officiated.

A l s o , CCP has

a target of more or less 3,000 students all over the country to develop their love for music especially the classic ones. Their concert serves new wave of performances through making symphonic sound into pop songs.

CCP President Lizaso added that balancing the repertoire and expanding the term properly are the efforts of the CCP to persuade millennials having to listen to classical music. Additionally, the challenge for the orchestra nowadays is how to convert pop into symphonic. Hence, whenever they have a performance they always include pop songs in their set list.

While, Dr. Rachel Marie Rosario of the Philippine Cancer Society recognized the importance of PPO’s continuous effort to their patients.

“Music is healing,” emphasized Dr.

Rosario acknowledging the power of music to everyone.

Next spots of the outreach performance will be in Davao on Nov. 23 and 24 at the University of Southeastern Philippines, UP Diliman on Dec. 8, in Nueva Ecija on Dec. 20, and in Bacolod on Jan. 29.

Furthermore, the PPO is seeing a possibility to expand the outreach performance in Sorsogon, Cagayan de Oro, Bukidnon, and Leyte.

Another highlight of the orchestra’s anniversary is the opening of its 36 th concert series beginning this month. Performance will be under the baton of Maestro Yoshikazu Fukumura, who has extended his term for a year.

Every month until April, the concert series will feature French pianist Monique Duphil, Chinese violinist Lee-Chin Siow, Japanese violinist Ryu Goto, Filipino violinist Joaquin Gutierrez and Maestro Herminigildo Ranera, Filipina pianist Hiyas Hila, Hungarian pianist and conductor Tamas Vasary, Hong Kong cellist Ray Wang, and ending the series is the Japanese guitarist Kiyoshi Shomura.

The PPO’s annual concert series will commence at 8:00 p.m. on Sept. 14 at the CCP Main Theater.

HOLLYWOOD

Why Dakota Johnson needed therapy after shooting a horror film ACTRESS Dakota Johnson admitted Saturday that she had to see a shrink after playing the lead in Oscar-winning director Luca Guadagnino’s new horror flick, Suspiria.

The star of the sado-masochism-tinged Fifty Shades of Grey films made the confession as the movie was premiered at the Venice film festival.

“When you’re working sometimes with dark subject matter it can stay with you. I absorb a lot of people’s feelings,” Johnson told reporters.

“Then you talk about it with someone very nice afterwards. It is a really nice to (help you) move on from the project and my therapist is a very nice woman,” she added.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Tuesday, September 4, 2018

ACROSS 1 Wee circles 5 Fume 9 Rises up on the hind legs 14 Siberian river 15 Trevi Fountain site 16 Avid 17 Fabricated 18 — — for keeps 19 BYU city 20 Level expanses 22 Snared a dogie 24 High desert of Asia 26 Got closer to 29 Opulence 33 Makes amends 35 WWW addresses 36 Organic compound 38 Breathe hard 39 Kiwi’s extinct cousin 40 Coffee dispenser 41 Publicity info 42 Disagreeable task 44 Forms droplets 46 Pizzazz 47 Used car deal 49 Courteously 51 Assistant 53 Became frayed

54 Fluff feathers 56 Grave risks 60 Harem owner 63 Leah’s son 65 Obscure corner 66 Madras money 67 Kind of chop 68 On vacation 69 Dig discovery 70 Disadvantage 71 Aberdeen kids DOWN 1 Landfill 2 Ph.D. exam 3 Mock fanfare (hyph.)

4 Horses pull them 5 Lawn game 6 Howard or Guidry 7 Mideast VIP 8 Wyoming range 9 Echo 10 Pendant jewelry 11 Historian’s word 12 Step on the gas 13 Full-house letters 21 Persona — grata 23 Orchard produce 25 Hand out

27 Make possible 28 Refusal 29 Gossip’s delight 30 Did a laundry chore 31 Contract proviso 32 Watchband 34 Coldhearted 37 Set up a fund 43 More sentimental 44 — noire 45 Not level 46 Timeless

48 Lay in wait 50 Intense anger 52 Shouts 55 Motel sign 57 Des Moines’ state 58 Trucker’s amount 59 The — the limit!

60 Almost-grads 61 Say what?

62 PCB regulator 64 Airline ticket word

Johnson, 28, the daughter of actors Melanie Griffiths and Don Johnson, and the grand-daughter of Hitchcock favourite, Tippi Hedren, plays a young American Amish woman obsessed with a German modern dance group.

After auditioning for them she is drawn into a macabre cult of modern witches as fellow dancers disappear one after the other.

Guadagnino—maker of last year’s arthouse hit Call Me By Your Name— unleashes his most savagely baroque fantasies onto a stellar female cast that included his regular muse, British actress Tilda Swinton, in one of her best roles in years.

The film, a blood-soaked remake of horror legend Dario Argento’s 1977 chiller, is set in a creepy all-female dance school in Cold War Berlin hard by the wall. AFP

THE Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral sheds light on the rumor that Paulo Avelino will retire from showbiz soon after reports came out that he’s planning to take a break as soon as he’s finished taping for his latest soap, The General’s Daughter.

“I might be out for three days or one week or three months. I really want to take a break. I can’t say how long at this point. Let’s see,” he says.

Rumor has it he’s already getting married that’s why he’s considering this showbiz hiatus.

“That’s not true either. If it will happen, so be it. But as of now, I don’t see myself settling down with someone.

There are still a lot guys out there who will tie the knot before me. Maybe, I’m aiming for a more balanced life. I want to be more relaxed now. I don’t want to get under pressure with my work schedule. I don’t want to be work with various projects all at the same time.”

He did the 2017 MMFF entry Ang Larawan side by side with his newest silver screen offering Goyo. He also tapes for the afternoon soap Asintado opposite Julia Montes and is about to begin with The General’s Daughter alongside Angel Locsin.

“That’s why after my show with Angel, I intend to rest for a while. I want a slower pace this time. I realized that it’s important to balance your personal side with the professional.

All these years, I think that’s what I lack. I worked and worked to the point that I forgot to rest in-between,” avers Paulo.

Some are curious if he actually got inspired by John Lloyd Cruz who is currently on an indefinite leave from the ‘biz.

“Honestly, I admire him. At his peak, he was able to come up with such decision. Imagine he stepped back totally from something which he loves dearly. But I’m pretty sure he’s going to come back in the coming days. I heard he watched entries in the recently-concluded Cinemalaya and Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino. From there you can see that he still supports the film industry.”

Speaking of his latest silver screen offering Goyo, Paulo states that he is under pressure as to its performance at the tills. Everyone knows that its predecessor, Heneral Luna was a huge hit.

“I really want the movie to make money so that the team would no longer look for a sponsor or who will produce the next project. This is really an ambitious venture. Our director, Jerold Tarog wants to complete the three films so that the public would further understand the timeline. It’s really a depiction of what really happened in the past. I hope Goyo will also make money,” ends Paulo. *** Pops Fernandez doesn’t deny that at present, she is loveless but is just okay with it.

“Honestly, it’s been a while since I last entertained suitors.

I’m not worried though,” she states.

ON A ROLL. Paulo Avelino

plans to take a break after completing his commitments with his latest film, 'Goyo,' and the taping of his latest TV drama, 'The General's Daughter.'

But this doesn’t mean she’s already closing her door to the possibility of finding a new love in the future.

“Oh yes! I’m not saying that I don’t want to be in a relationship in the coming days but at this point, I’m just happy doing things on my own. I guess, apart from that, I’m very much okay taking care of my sons Robin and Ram at this point.’’

“You know, even if my boys are already grown-ups, I still take care of them like any normal mom. They have their sets of friends and so do I. I go out with my pals from time to time.

I enjoy those moments and I think, that’s what matters, right?”

Interestingly, what characteristics does she look for in a guy?

“Actually, I don’t look for them, they better look for me. Ha-ha-ha!

That’s my current stand.”

The be-dimpled singer-actress-host believes that true love will just knock at her door.

“Well, it will just come my way. If it’s already the right one, I’ll figure it out. I admit that when I was young, I also dreamt of the ideal guy—I have all these qualities in mind. But as years went by, I realized that it depends on who will click with you. It’s important that the spark is there!” she avers.

It seems that apart from love life, Pops is also taking a respite from her showbiz career. Many are already missing her appear in grand concerts like she used to.

“I’m not really forgetting my singing career. As I’ve said, I’m just concentrating on other things. Everyone knows that I entered show business at a rather young age. Perhaps now, I just want to enjoy those things that I missed when my career was at its prime. I love the fact that I have more time now for my family. I can also venture into various businesses and travel.”

Being local entertainment’s Concert Queen, the witty star admits she also misses singing.

“Every so often, I can still do that. But not the concert type, huh!

I haven’t done such stuff for a long time. I guess, there’s the pressure if I can still mount something like that until now.”

For some time now, Pops is already okay working behind the scene like producing concerts for fellow artists.

“It’s good because I learn a lot on the business side. Apart from that, it helps me feel like I’m still part of the ‘biz and have the opportunity to help fellow artists, right? I also get to think of concepts which is both challenging and fulfilling,” she points out.

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

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Entertainment

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

Coke Studio’s new season brings OPM home OPM is back on stage with a taste of coming home.

Launching its second season, Coke Studio is set to bring back the Filipino sound on track with a mixture of genres by its 14 new artists aboard.

The studio launched the sophomore season with the theme “Homecoming” at the World Trade Center in Pasay, which revealed the artists who will perform every episode with their masterpiece without boundaries in expressing their musical creativity.

With a secret artist has yet been to unveil, the artists take the OPM to spotlight

with their soon collaborations giving front row experience of tasting the feeling of fresh sounds to the Filipino audience.

Teemed with vocals and sounds, the revelation of the artists was wholeheartedly welcomed and drew cheers and chants to the fans.

As the young blood of OPM, the diverse lineup is ready to set the stage on fire. The Season 2 features IV of Spades, Ben&Ben, Sam Concepcion, Khalil Ramos, Quest, DJ Patty Tiu, Moira dela Torre, Shanti Dope, Juan Miguel Severo, KZ Tandingan, December Avenue, AJ Rafael, and Kriesha Chu. The ebullient crowd enjoyed every performance in the launch with a soulful performance from KZ Tandingan, electrifying production by DJ Patty, IVOS’s out-of-this-world falsetto and funky beats, and Juan Miguel Severo’s straightto-the-heart piece.

Also, jaw-dropping staging from Quest, impactful bars by Shanti Dope, stupendous singing of Khalil and Sam

Concepcion, and heart-stopping sweet lullaby by Ben&Ben intensified the sound-filled event.

“We really want to help OPM get back on stage and being on the spotlight,” CocaCola Philippines Vice President for Marketing Stephan Czypionka pointed out.

“We’re telling stories of homecoming” he added as the studio wants to get closer to the heart of the Filipino audience by adding more emotions to every song of the artists.

The Coke Studio also wants to bring out the best of the music scene in the Philippines. He also recognizes the contributions of the millennials in realizing a concept for their musical platform in the country.

“OPM is a great genre,” he acclaimed.

“We started this experiment to bring OPM back into the spotlight where it belongs, we brought together icons of original Filipino music with young bloods, with very talented young artists,” he emphasized as the Coke Studio is a platform that truly showcases the talent and the greatness of music.

“It’s not only about geographical homecoming, it’s also about homecoming to your friends, homecoming to certain moments, homecoming to certain memories,” Czypionka concluded.

Moreover, artists from the previous season showed up with stellar performances. The Ransom Collective sang some of their songs, while Abra joined Nikki Gil, Lilet and 100 voices of Filipino teens performing the mash-up of Coke classic anthems.

Other alumni of the Coke Studio are Raymond Marasigan and Myrene Academia of Sandwich, Curtismith, Noel Cabangon, Reese Lansangan, Jensen Gomez of Jensen and the Flips, BP Valenzuela, Josh Villena of Autotelic, Eunice Jorge of Gracenote, Franco Reyes of FRANCO, Buddy Zabala, Ebe Dancel, Maysh Baay of Moonstar 88, Gabby Alipe and John Dinopol.

Season 1 undoubtedly gained success with 121 million still counting views of all the episodes on YouTube, three times hitting the trend list on Twitter, and had 13 songs among top 50 hits on Spotify.

The studio vows to make the season more exciting as music is a unifying element among Filipinos.

Coke Studio airs every Sunday at 11:00 a.m. starting Sept. 16 on its new home, ABS-CBN and can also be streamed on the Coke Studio PH YouTube channel.

Why no celebrity endorser for NWorld ALPHANETWORLD Corporation (NWorld), one of the country’s largest and the only Filipino-owned multilevel marketing and direct sales company that made it to 2016 Top 1000 corporations in the Philippines, has collaborated with Metrobank Card Corporation (A Finance Company and General Insurance Agency).

During the contract signing, Manila Standard asked founder and CEO Juluis Allan G. Nolasco to give reporters a brief background on the company and the partnership they are forging with Metrobank.

According to the dynamic executive, the collaboration gives NWorld Ntrepreneurs, NWorld’s moniker for its distributors, more access to cashless transactions with the NWorld Cash Card Reloadable Prepaid Visa.

It means, Ntrepreneurs can now receive their cash incentives through the NWorld Cash Card Reloadable Prepaid Visa.

Ntrepreneurs can use the card to purchase NWorld products and boost promotions of their inventory online. They can also easily withdraw the loaded incentives at any BancNet and VISA ATMs nationwide and worldwide.

Being multilevel marketing and direct sales company, we also asked why they are not getting the service of celebrity endorsers that could further boost their presence in the mass market.

“People are more intelligent now. They know for a fact that when a company gets a celebrity endorser to promote a product, they already know that’s its millions of pesos worth of endorsement deal, so instead, we use the endorsement money to

fund research and development of great product line and services,” Nolasco told Manila Standard.

He further said that their partnership is one of the results of the research that they have done to improve their service.

“The card offers the power and convenience of a credit card for cashless transactions. Once the card is loaded, Ntrepreneurs can do online shopping, subscribe to online streaming sites, and even book seat sale promos and hotel accommodations,” he added.

Beyond the incentives, the NWorld Cash Card Reloadable Prepaid Visa not only lets cardholders enjoy cashless shopping but also helps them save money without a maintaining balance. It even allows Ntrepreneurs to send money instantly to family and friends.

“It has always been a vision of ours to bring NWorld to an admirable position in the global market. We’re honored and excited to have Metrobank Card Corporation as our partner for the NWorld Cash Card Reloadable Prepaid Visa in giving our Ntrepreneurs an easy access to their incentives and value-adding card features, such as an affordable way to send and receive money, to save money with no maintaining balance, and to even shop online for those who don’t have credit cards,” shared the Nworld executive.

The NWorld Cash Card Reloadable Prepaid Visa will be available for purchase at the NWorld stores this coming Sept. 24. It can be loaded at SM, Robinsons, National Book Store, Family Mart, RD Pawnshop, H Lhuillier, Express Pay, Petron Treats, and 3,000 other ECPay Merchant Partners. Nickie Wang

From left: Metrobank Card's Anna Therese Cuenco, NWorld's Josarah Nolasco and Juluis Allan Nolasco, Metrobank Card's Pradeep Pant and Aloysius Alday, Jr.

Angeline Quinto, Radha, Liezel Garcia, Kyla and Jayda Avanzado headline 'Limitless' concert, Outbox Media's 12 anniversary celebration and benefit show.

BENEFIT

CONCERT

for women empowerment

O

UTBOX MeVERY dia is training WANG the spotlight NICKIE WANG on empowered women by staging Limitless, an all-female concert and a benefit dinner happening on Friday, Sept. 7 at the Metrotent Convention Center in Pasig.

The show, headlined by Cornerstone Entertainment artists Angeline Quinto, Radha, Liezel Garcia and up and coming singer-songwriter Jayda Avanzado, also serves as Outbox Media’s 12th anniversary celebration.

Led by the Queen of Events, Outbox Media Powerhouse Corporation managing director Rossel Velasco-Taberna, the concert aims to showcase the company’s event handling expertise, spread love and joy though popular songs and timeless hits, and at the same time celebrate the impact and significance of what women can do in the society today.

“Nowadays women in the country and all over the world are given more opportunities to succeed. This development today is not just the right thing to do, but it can be powerful enough to inspire many, empower others and even transform society,” noted in a statement Outbox Media shared with the entertainment press.

With Taberna’s leadership , Outbox Media continues to uphold their mantra of “Burning Passion, Unceasing Dedication and Limitless Diversity; catering to different multinational companies such as Wyeth Nutrition Philippines, Royale Business Club, EMS Components Assembly, Inc., and Monde Nissin to name a few.

Beyond their numerous breakthroughs, they never forget to pay it forward by hosting an annual benefit show.

This benefit event honors women with moving stories that inspire more people, including SpED teachers of Antipolo City Sped Center, who dedicate their lives to teaching more than 250 differently-abled kids. These teachers empower women and children with special needs to prove their disability is not a hindrance to success.

To aid them in educating their students, Outbox Media will be donating U-shaped chairs which can help make the school more conducive to learning for the students and aid the teachers to do their jobs with ease.

Other beneficiaries of the concert are visually impaired siblings Alma and Alice Corsanes, who despite having glaucoma that leads to blindness, continue to persevere in life. They had undergone computer livelihood training for the blind and applying for computer-based jobs to help alleviate their family’s situation, despite their condition. Outbox Media is set to donate a desktop computer unit to the siblings. With a computer unit at home, they can start applying for several jobs or even work from home.

Limitless: Empowered Women, Empower Women is made possible by Foton Motors Philippines, San Miguel Corporation, Sta. Elena Development & Construction Corporation, Palayan City Business Hub, Petrol Jeans, Hotel Sogo, Waterfront Hotel, Acacia Hotel, Bounty Fresh Chooks To Go, Eurotel, Oishi. New San Jose Builders, P.A. Properties,Megasoft, Chinese General Hospital, Rite N Lite, Ferma, Jc Premier, King Cup Sardines, Courbe, Uratex, Phoenix, Grab and Crossover Fm 105.1 as media partner Co-producing this 12th anniversary dinner benefit show as caterer is Anthony Taberna’s Ka News personality Anthony Taberna with wife Rossel Velasco-Taberna and their children Tunying’s. join 'Limitless' headliners during a press conference held at Cornerstone Studios.

NICO Bolzico, Bistronomia coRoast suckling pig or coowner Dani Aliaga, and Chef chinillos is a famous Castilian Willy Trullas Moreno let viewdish, and is one to watch out ers experience Europe as they for in “The Crawl” in Madrid. bring their appetite to the streets The dish is mainly piglet meat of Spain in search of ‘sexy food’ coated in batter, with pork fat, in the two-episode feature of a bit of laurel leaves and twigs, Metro Channel’s travel-food and is traditionally prepared in show The Crawl this September. an earthenware pot and served The Spain expedition is sure to hot with a crispy crust. The lot be filled with fun as the food lovalso winds down for beer and ers trio tests out the local cuisine cider at La Tita Rivera, a faand explore inspiring sight-seeing mous green oasis in the middle spots and restos in three cities— of the city, and enjoys a lively From left: Chef Willy Trullas, Nico Bolzico, and Dani Aliaga of Barcelona, Madrid, and Logrono. flamenco performance.

Relish great architecture and 'The Crawl Spain.'

Discover sexy Spanish eats check out tourist spots such as La and zesty sights with Nico, As Spain is the third largest wine proSagrada Familia, Puerta de AlcaDani, and Chef Willy in The la, and Avignon street; and visit renowned ducer in the world, Nico, Dani, and Chef Crawl: Spain. First episode premiered Spanish restaurants such as Disfrutar, Xar- Willy did not miss trying their hand at on Sept. 1 and will be followed by its cuteria La Pineda, Bar La Plata, El Botin, the intricate art of wine-making. Visit- finale on Sept. 8, 8:00 p.m.. Replays are and DSTAgE. Here, the gentlemen dish ing a number of wine cellars, they make available every Sunday (10:00 a.m., and out on mouthwatering eats such as bacon sure they get to know wine in a differ- 6:00 p.m.), Monday (8:00 a.m. and 10:00 butter, famous tapas, paella, boqueron, bu- ent light—whether red, white, or rose— p.m.), Wednesday (12:00 noon), Friday through their journey. tifarra, croquettes, and hippo cheeks.

(7:00 p.m.), and Saturday (9:00 a.m.).

Search for sexy food in Spain