Manila Standard - 2018 April 10 - Tuesday

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Sereno sees ‘evil’ hand in quo warranto

By Rey E. Requejo EMBATTLED Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Monday accused President Rodrigo Duterte of being behind the move to oust her through a quo warranto petition filed before the Supreme Court.

“Mr. President, if you say that you have no hand in this, please explain why Solicitor General [Jose] Calida, who reports to you, filed the quo warranto petition,” Sereno said in Filipino at an event organized by the Movement Against Tyranny.

“Is that the way it is, President Duterte?

That I should be removed either by quo warranto or impeachment?” the chief jusNext page tice added.

VOL. XXXII • NO. 54 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

Facebook founder faces US Congress WASHINGTON—Mark Zuckerberg will appear before US lawmakers this week as a firestorm rocks Facebook over its data privacy scandal, with pressure mounting for new regulations on social media platforms.

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President Rodrigo Duterte has called on his allies in Congress to hasten the impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno who in her speech at an event organized by a civil society group coinciding with the Araw ng Kagitingan on Monday, accuses the Chief Executive of having a hand in the impeachment complaint and quo warranto petition against her. Manny Palmero

Du30 urges fast-track ouster of Chief Justice

By Vito Barcelo, F. Pearl A. Gajunera and Maricel V. Cruz

MARK ZUCKERBERG

SoKor’s ex-president indicted for graft SEOUL—Former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was formally indicted for corruption Monday, becoming the latest of the country’s former leaders to face criminal charges.

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte urged lawmakers to speed up the impeachment of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, declaring her an enemy and stacking the odds against her staying in office.

76TH COMMEMORATION. Representing President Rodrigo Duterte, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea leads the commemoration of the 76th Araw ng Kagitingan at Mt. Samat Shrine in Pilar, Bataan on April 9, 2018. Presidential Photo

New Justice head Associate justice singled out takes second look for ‘harboring ill will’ vs CJ at pork, drug cases

By Rey E. Requejo NEWLY appointed Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Sunday he will review the decisions of the Justice department that resulted in the resignation of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II last week.

He said he will also review the dismissal of the drug charges against Cebuano businessman Peter Lim and self-confessed drug trader Kerwin Espinosa that angered President Rodrigo Duterte.

He also vowed to review the provisional coverage of pork-barrel scam queen Janet Lim-Napoles in the government’s witness protection program.

“I will review the previous actions on the Espinosa and Napoles cases. That’s top priority in view of the public interest,” Guevarra said in a text message.

“I will reserve any judgment, though, till I have thoroughly studied the matter.

For now I’m forming a small legal team to assist me on top of the veteran guys at the DoJ.” But Guevarra said he would not be like Aguirre or former Justice secretary and now detained Senator Leila de Lima in terms of granting media interviews.

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Teresita Leonardo-de Castro

CHIEF Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Monday lashed out at Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro for harboring resentment against her since she was appointed to head the Supreme Court in 2012.

“Although most of them said, ‘All right, we will cooperate,’ there was one justice, Justice Teresita de Castro, who said, ‘I will never forgive you for accepting the Chief Justiceship.’ ‘You should not even have applied in the first place,’” Sereno said, in a speech before a Day of Valor program organized by the Movement Against Tyranny.

“I’m putting you [Sereno] on notice that I am now your enemy and you have to be out of the Supreme Court,” Duterte said before flying to China for an economic forum.

“I held my temper before because she’s a woman. This time I’m asking the congressmen and the Speaker: ‘Do it now. Cut out the drama, or else I will do it for you’,” he added.

Duterte appeared enraged by Sereno’s statement linking him to the quo warranto petition filed against her before the Supreme Court by Solicitor General Jose Calida.

“I’m not into the habit of going after my enemies. I have no history on that,” Duterte said in a mix of English and Filipino. “You, Sereno, I told you I did not involve myself in this [but] if you are insisting, then count me in. Count me in and I will let Calida do his best.”

Saying that Congress could proceed

‘‘

LEE MYUNG-BAK

I just simply love Xi Jinping. He understands my problem and he is willing to help.

—President Rodrigo Duterte in his speech before leaving for China to attend the Boao Forum of world leaders.

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Duterte earmarks P2b for Boracay under state of calamity, junks casino

By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said he would place Boracay Island under a state of calamity to release P2 billion in calamity funds for workers and residents hurt by the six-month closure, adding he would not also allow any casino to be built in the world-famous beach resort despite the approval from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

“I’m going to sign the proclamation

on calamity and we can make P2 billion in assistance but these are for the poor Filipinos. I will not spend for those hotel owners, and those with beautiful houses.

Do not expect me to spend anything there,” Duterte told reporters before leaving for China.

The President said that the six-month closure would affect 80 percent of the livelihood of the residents, and it would only be proper to put the island under a Next page

CALAMITY AID. Some of the vendors who will be displaced by the closure of Boracay due to the upcoming cleanup and rehabilitation works slated on April 26 are expected to benefit from the quick-disbursing funds with Boracay being placed under state of calamity. PNA

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PH backs off from territorial issues at Boao

By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he will not raise the territorial issue in the South China Sea when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the sidelines of the Boao Forum in Hainan province.

China has vowed not to expand or build another structure in the disputed waters after the Philippines protested the construction of communications facilities at a military base it built over Kagitingan Reef.

“In our bilateral meeting, we will discuss the full range of PhilippinesChina relations,” Duterte told reporters before leaving for China.

But he added he will not raise the disputes in the West Philippine Sea. “I will just thank them and say thank you for issuing the statement. It’s a word of honor for one,” Duterte said.

He said he was confident China would be true to its word.

He vowed to advance the Philippines’ interests in trade expansion and investment promotion during the Boao Forum.

Xi aside, Duterte will also meet with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Mongolian Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khürelsükh, UN Secretary-General António Guterres and IMF managing director Christine Lagarde.

“As friends and sovereign equals, we will review the progress of our efforts and chart ways to ensure prosperity for our nations and region,” Duterte said.

‘Replant trees in denuded mining areas’ PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday gave the mining firms six months to plant new trees on the land they have denuded or he will revoke their permits.

He issued the order before leaving for China and warned he will ban open-pit mining next year if the mining firms ignore his call.

“I am going to give you six months from now. Six months. I want trees as tall as me by six months,” Duterte said.

“I am not joking. Do not wait for the day of your sorrow. Six months. I do not want to see any bald piece of land there.

If I don’t see trees as tall as me, better pack up your things. You can go.”

In February this year, Duterte threatened to bomb open-pit mines if their operators would continue to defy a government ban on open-pit mining.

“If some open-pit mining will still be operating, I will instruct the Air Force to bomb it,” he said.

Duterte repeatedly expressed his opposition to open-pit mining, saying he would no longer allow the environmental situation to worsen due to this destructive form of mining. Vito Barcelo

Associate...

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De Castro was one of the five Supreme Court justices that Sereno wanted to inhibit from participating in and resolving the quo warranto petition seeking to nullify her appointment.

De Castro and four other justices had testified in the impeachment proceedings against Sereno, accusing her of bypassing colleagues in the issuance of court orders and failing to submit requirements when she applied for her post in 2012.

Sereno also said some of her colleagues had resented her for issuing dissenting opinions when she was still associate justice.

She said she tried to patch up their relationship days after her appointment as the country’s top judge, but De Castro allegedly rejected her efforts.

De Castro, who also applied for the position of chief justice in 2012, had said Sereno should not have been among the candidates for the post because she failed to submit her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth.

Sereno earlier lamented that her critics are “harassing” and “bullying” her to unseat her, but had never spoken out against any Supreme Court colleague before Monday’s speech.

The Supreme Court will hold oral arguments on the quo warranto petition today (April 10).

Sereno has been on leave from her duties at the Supreme Court since March to prepare her defense for her impending impeachment trial.

PAO lines up more cases vs former Aquino officials T

By Rey E. Requejo

PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said the charges filed against former Health Secretary Janette Garin and 34 other people by the families of four schoolchildren who died after being inoculated by the anti-dengue vaccine last week was only the first of a series of charges.

“That’s only the first batch of complaints covering four deaths. We have documented 43 deaths so far, so definitely there are more complaints coming,” Acosta said.

She said the charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide might even include more respondents.

“We are still waiting for the result and recommendation of the Senate blue ribbon committee headed by Senator

[Richard] Gordon as well as the recommendation by the House on the liabilities of higher officials like former President [Benigno] Aquino [III]. Whatever the recommendations will be, we will follow,” Acosta said.

She said the National Bureau of Investigation would file a separate complaint against the former officials involved in the procurement of the P3.5-billion vaccines from manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur Inc. and distributor Zuellig Pharma Corp.

“The DoJ divided the task for the PAO and the NBI. Our investigation focused on death and illnesses while the NBI was assigned to look into the procurement aspect,” Acosta said.

Among those being looked into by the

NBI is the possible liability of Aquino and former Budget secretary Florencio Abad who both approved the financing for the immunization program reportedly without undergoing the proper procurement procedures.

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and the Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution Inc. have already filed criminal charges against Aquino, Abad and 18 other people over the Dengvaxia controversy before the Justice department last February.

But the investigating prosecutors suspended their probe due to incomplete information and documents in the charges for multiple homicide and physical injuries through negligence.

On the other hand, the PAO filed four separate complaints for the families of Aejay Bautista, 11; Angelica Pestilos, 10; Lenard Baldonado, 10; and Zandro Colite, 11--four schoolchildren who died allegedly due to the Dengvaxia shots.

Vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur Inc. and distributor Zuellig Pharma Corp. were also included as respondents in each of the complaints.

Du30...

Alvarez is reportedly the prosecution manager of the 11-man prosecution panel once the case is sent to the Senate for trial.

The House committee on justice approved last month the articles of impeachment against Sereno containing six charges.

The panel chairman, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, said “the six articles are anchored on strong evidence, documentary, and testimonial that will stand trial.”

With a vote of 33-1, the committee approved the committee report and articles of impeachment against Sereno before it adjourned March 23.

The committee report and articles of impeachment shall be submitted to the House plenary for deliberation and approval. If it earns one-third of the votes of all the representatives, the impeachment complaint will be transmitted to the Senate, which shall convene as an impeachment court.

The first article charges Sereno of non-filing and non-disclosure of SALN constituting the impeachable grounds of culpable violation of the Constitution and/ or betrayal of public trust.

The second article charges the chief justice of committing corruption and betrayal of public trust over the misuse of P18 million of public funds.

This covers the chief magistrate’s procurement and purchase of a Toyota Land Cruiser worth over P5 million, violation of the procurement law, causing the hiring and engagement of a costly IT consultant, and misuse of roughly P3 million of government funds in the selection of Shangri-La Boracay for the 3rd Asean Chief Justices Meeting and subsequent arrangement for a room

upgrade.

The third article charges Sereno of committing culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust and/ or other high crimes when she arrogated unto herself the powers reposed upon the Supreme Court en banc as a collegial, deliberative and consultative body.

This pertains to Sereno issuing and causing to be issued resolutions and orders without the approval of, or contrary to what was agreed upon by the en banc, through acts of misrepresentation and manipulation, showing a pattern of deception.

The fourth article alleges Sereno committed culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust and/ or other high crimes when she abused her position as the Chief Justice and exofficio chairperson of the Judicial and Bar Council.

The fifth article charges her with culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust by undermining and violating the principles of separation of powers among the three branches of government.

Specifically, Sereno is alleged to have interfered with the House probe on the misuse of tobacco funds in Ilocos Norte by issuing a joint statement asking the House to reconsider its show cause order against three SC associate justices, as well as directing the justices to question any order issued by the House. It further notes that Sereno undermined and disrespected the impeachment proceedings against her.

The sixth and last article charges the Chief Justice with betrayal of public trust for failing to comply with her oath of office by tyrannical abuse of discretionary power.

tural. So maybe after that, I’ll give it to the farmers, put it under land reform,” he said.

Despite Pagcor’s approval of a provisional license for a $500-million casino resort on the island, Duterte said he would not allow even a nipa hut to be built on the popular beach resort.

He said he would consider allowing a floating casino, however.

Duterte repeatedly said that no casinos nor any other businesses will be built on Boracay while it is closed for cleaning.

“Why will I allow a casino to be built there? What will Filipinos gain from that?

I will issue a proclamation that all the land is agricultural,” he said.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, meanwhile, warned establishments in Boracay against terminating their employees during the six-month closure of the resort island starting April 26.

In an advisory, Bello said the “temporary suspension of business operations should not and must not result in the termination or separation of any employee.”

While saying the closure of Boracay as ordered by the President will necessarily compel the temporary suspension of business operations, Bello said employers may only observe the principle of “No work, no pay.”

The Labor chief also said that employers may require their employees to go on leave by utilizing their leave credits.

“Employees are expected to be recalled back to work upon the lifting of the temporary closure of Boracay Island,” he said. ‘‘The labor advisory is for ‘strict observance and compliance’,” the Labor chief said.

Bello earlier said the department will extend assistance to affected workers on the island, including the provision of emergency employment .

HE Public Attorney’s Office will file more charges against the officials of the previous administration implicated in the Dengvaxia vaccine scandal, an official said Sunday.

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with the impeachment process even while the Supreme Court is hearing the quo warranto petition, Duterte said he would ask House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to speed up moves to impeach her.

President Duterte said an ordinary public school teacher who does not fully disclose his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth can be subject to dismissal while Sereno, who earned hefty lawyer’s fees from the government before she became chief justice, is asking for consideration.

“I told you I was not involved,” Duterte said in Filipino, addressing Sereno. “But you won’t stop yakking. Now I will strike you down. I will help any investigator and I will really strike you down.”

Alvarez on Monday responded to Duterte’s call to speed up the proceedings against Sereno.

“Yes, it will be done once we resume sessions,” Alvarez told the Manila Standard.

Alvarez earlier said the impeachment proceedings against Sereno would proceed despite the quo warranto petition filed against her at the Supreme Court last March.

An impeachment proceeding—which is an inherent power of Congress— and a quo warranto petition are two independent and legal courses of action to oust Sereno, he said.

“Impeachment is an implied and exclusive power of Congress. It presupposes a valid appointment. The quo warranto petition, on the other hand, is a legal action to question the validity of appointment itself,” he has said.

Duterte...

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state of calamity as a result of a humaninduced hazard.

He also cited a law, saying Boracay has been declared as an agricultural and forestal area and therefore needs to be under land reform.

“The law says it is forestal, agricultural. Why would I deviate from that? Do I have a good reason?” he said.

The entire island of Boracay will be a land reform area and will be given to farmers once the six-month rehabilitation of the area is done, Duterte said.

“You want to know now? I’m going to give the announcement. It’s going to be a land reform area for the Filipino,” he said.

“Master plan? I have no master plan.

I will clean it up because it is agricul-

Facebook...

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The 33-year-old chief executive is expected to face a grilling before a Senate panel Tuesday, and follow up with an appearance in the House of Representatives the following day.

It comes amid a raft of inquiries on both sides of the Atlantic following disclosures that data on 87 million users was hijacked and improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica, a British political consultancy working for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

On Sunday, Facebook said it had suspended another data analysis firm, USbased Cubeyou, after CNBC reported it used Facebook user information--harvested from psychological testing apps, as in the case of Cambridge Analytica-for commercial purposes.

“These are serious claims and we have suspended CubeYou from Facebook while we investigate them,” a Facebook spokesperson told AFP in an email.

“If they refuse or fail our audit, their apps will be banned from Facebook.”

Lawmakers, meanwhile, have signaled they intend to get tough on Facebook and other online services over privacy.

“A day of reckoning is coming for websites like @facebook,” Democratic Senator Ed Markey wrote on Twitter Friday.

“We need a privacy bill of rights that all Americans can rely upon.”

Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, agreed that legislation is needed “to protect Americans’ dignity and privacy from bad faith actors like Cambridge Analytica, who use social media data to manipulate people.”

Khanna tweeted that “self-regulation will not work. Congress must act in the public interest to protect consumers and citizens.”

Several lawmakers and activists believe the United States should follow the lead of Europe’s data protection law set to be implemented in May, which has strict terms for notification and sharing of personal data online. AFP

SoKor's...

Sereno...

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The public would see that her imminent impeachment in Congress and the ouster petition before the Supreme Court had Duterte’s imprimatur.

“Filipinos are smart. They understand. You do not need to spell out the truth for them,” Sereno said. “It can’t be denied that there is an unseen hand behind this… The budget for this must be in the hundreds of millions. It could even run up to a billion.”

Sereno, who is on indefinite leave to prepare for her defense in the forthcoming impeachment trial before the Senate, also scored Calida for filing what she described as “absurd” petition and taking part in the “hypocrisy” of the quo warranto case.

“Surely you must explain this unconstitutional act,” she said. “What you’re doing is so evil.”

Sereno said she believed that the President wanted her out after she wrote a letter in August 2016 seeking due process for members of the judiciary that he accused of being involved in the illegal drug trade.

Sereno reiterated her view that the quo warranto case was a desperate measure to oust her because the impeachment case against her was weak.

She insisted she would not give in to such “bullying.”

“We are not destined to slavery but to freedom. What is evil, we denounce, what is good, we affirm,” she said.

Sereno also assailed her fellow justices in the Supreme Court whom she wanted to inhibit from the resolution of the quo warranto case for alleged biases.

Sereno specifically cited Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, whom she accused of having ill will against her.

Sereno recalled De Castro asking her not to accept the chief justice nomination in 2012 and later on telling her, “I will never forgive you for accepting the CJ-ship.”

Sereno has sought the inhibition of De Castro and four other justices— Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Francis Jardeleza and Noel Tijam—in the quo warranto case that the SC will hear in oral arguments today.

However, all five justices are expected to deny Sereno’s inhibition pleas against them.

For today’s oral arguments, the Court has required Sereno to personally appear to “testify under oath” and “verify under oath the truth and veracity of the allegations in the comment filed by counsels supposedly on her behalf.”

In the petition filed last month, Calida asked the Supreme Court to nullify the Sereno’s appointment over ineligibility for the top judicial post and order her removal from office as a de facto official whose authority was allegedly hinged on an appointment that was void from the start.

The solicitor general insisted that Sereno did not meet the specific qualification of proven integrity for the chief justice post with her failure to comply with the required submission of 10-year Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

A quo warranto petition challenges the legal basis of one’s appointment and seeks the removal of the respondent from office because of lack of qualification or legal basis to continue holding such office.

It was filed while Sereno is facing impeachment proceedings in Congress where the House justice committee has just approved the articles of impeachment for deliberations of the plenary and her official impeachment.

In her answer, the chief justice asked the SC to dismiss the petition on technical ground, particularly for lack of jurisdiction and violation of the one-year prescription period for filing such case.

Sereno argued that the Supreme Court has no jurisdiction and authority to remove her from office because the 1987 Constitution provides that she could only be ousted by impeachment in Congress.

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It comes just days after Lee’s successor as president, Park Geun-hye, was jailed for 24 years for corruption.

Lee, a CEO-turned-president who served from 2008 to 2013, has been charged with bribery, power abuse, embezzlement, and tax evasion, state prosecutors said in a statement.

“We will thoroughly retrieve the criminal proceeds that were accumulated by Lee through illegal means,” prosecutor Han Dong-hoon told reporters.

Lee was detained late last month but has since refused to be interrogated by prosecutors.

He has denied any wrongdoing and has denounced the investigation as a “political revenge.”

If convicted of all the allegations, the septuagenarian Lee could be jailed for life, Yonhap news agency reported.

His trial is expected to begin next month, according to Yonhap. AFP

“Very much unlike my predecessors, I’d like to be the last person to speak about the cases under investigation. I will not prejudge till I’ve formed my own conclusion,” Guevarra said.

“Prudence is my guiding principle, and the rule of law is my one and only compass. As an individual with a quiet family, I have neither political ambitions nor any agenda to dispense justice.”

Guevarra, who served as deputy executive secretary in the Aquino and Duterte administrations, was appointed Justice secretary last week following Aguirre’s resignation.

Guevarra is reportedly a close friend of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

Before his resignation, Aguirre ordered a reinvestigation of the Espinoza drug charges that were previously dismissed by a panel of prosecutors. Rey Requejo

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TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Alvarez insists on enactment of divorce law

By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on Monday said he is not giving up on his bid for the enactment of dissolution of marriage and divorce law despite the opposition of several senators to the measure.

Alvarez said that efforts are ongoing to reach out to their counterparts in the Senate to convince them of the necessity of passing such a law.

“I am not at liberty to name names but there are ongoing discussions on this [measure],” Alvarez told a radio interview Monday.

Last March 19 the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading House Bill 7303 which legalizes absolute divorce in the country.

However, at least five senators voiced opposition to the measure.

He said he is optimistic the senators will understand the need for marriage dissolution and divorce law and the reality of the problem of increasing number of couples trapped in broken marriages.

“In fact we have conducted several committee hearings on this measure, including those conducted abroad, and we have seen people crying, pleading with us to address their situation,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said he believes that the suggested compromise proposed by some lawmakers to merely amend the existing annulment law would be inadequate to address the problem.

“Under the law the grounds for annulment must exist before or during the celebration of marriage. That is why all decrees of annulment of marriage are based on the presumption that there was no marriage at all, that it was void from the beginning,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez admitted it is possible to amend the law and provide additional grounds for annulment but these should all adhere to the criteria of existing before or during the celebration of marriage.

“But you have a situation where, for example, there was an attempt on the life of the other during their marriage or in cases where the spouse is being subjected to physical abuse. Also, there are situations where the husband doesn’t want to work at all to support his family,” he pointed out.

He said there were situations where the wife who is working as an Overseas Filipino Worker is sending her entire salary to her family but the husband is keeping all the money for himself and spending it on another woman.

“Why do we have to condemn couples to get trapped in this situation where their relationship is already irreparable?”

Alvarez said.

Unlike in annulment, Alvarez said the marriage dissolution and divorce process under the approved House bill is not as lengthy or as costly.

While Duterte has expressed reservation over the marriage dissolution and divorce bill, Alvarez said lawmakers are ready to explain to the President why the House approved the measure.

Tax reform review eyed SENATOR Bam Aquino has called on his colleagues in the Senate to revisit the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act as Filipinos deal with high prices of goods and services.

He noted that the spike in prices was due to the additional excise tax on petroleum products and the country’s inflation rate shooting up to 4.3 percent in March.

In his Senate Resolution No. 704, Aquino wants the appropriate Senate committees tolook into TRAIN’s inflationary impact and effect on the economy.

He underscored the need to take another look at the government’s tax reform program amid the rise in prices due to the imposition of additional excise tax on fuel.

He pointed out that Congress approved the inclusion of increased excise taxes in the TRAIN Law due to assurance by the Department of Finance that its impact on inflation would not be more than 0.7 percent.

However, the Philippine Statistics Authority said that the inflation rate for March rose to 4.3 percent, way above the government’s forecast of 2 to 4 percent.

Earlier, Aquino filed Senate Resolution No. 597, urging a Senate committee to scrutinize the implementation of the unconditional cash transfer to ensure that it is sufficient to cover the increase in prices of goods and other services.

Macon Ramos Araneta

FEDERAL FORCE. Ceza Administrator Raul L. Lambino explains how a federal form of government would work better than the current unitary system in liberating Filipinos from poverty and other chronic social ills at a forum on federalism Sunday in San Pablo City organized by the Order of the Knights of Rizal. The Administrator and CEO of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority was invited by the club as resource speaker. In Manila, members of Pwersang Pilipino gather at Liwasang Bonifacio to celebrate the 76th Araw ng kagitingan and show their support for President Rodrigo Duterte’s planned shift to federal government on Monday. Joseph Muego and Norman Cruz

Drug test on village officials pushed

By Francisco Tuyay

I

NCOMING National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde said aspirants and reelectionist in the forthcoming barangay elections should voluntary submit themselves to drug testing.

“If I were a candidate for a barangay office, maybe If I’m not hiding anything, I myself should volunteer for a drug test,” Albayalde said in a recent radio interview.

Albayalde said there’s no need for a law mandating village chief aspirants to undergo drug testing even as he urged voters to choose the deserving candidates.

About 289 barangay officials have been monitored for having allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agencysaid that most of the officials came from Mindanao while the Interior department called on the public to reject

officials linked to illegal drugs.

Albayalde said village chiefs would undergo validation under the police watch list.

He said PNP has conducted a coordinating conference with the Commission on Elections relating to the holding of Barangay elections while he pressed for voters’ education on who among the candidates to elect.

President Rodrigo Duterte said he would not allow anyone contributing to the proliferation of drugs to be elected as barangay official.

“There will be [village] elections, okay. But remember, the drug situation

is still very, very alive and vicious. So if those backed up by drug money will win as village captains, it will be another war, another killing,” he said.

Meanwhile, a party-list lawmaker on Monday batted for increased police visibility in schools amid rising incidents of theft and robbery of school equipment.

Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo said public schools, are soft targets of thieves and robbers because of inadequate number of watchmen and security guards, poor perimeter security, and poorly lit surroundings.

“There are frequent cases of computer thefts, CCTV equipment, and LCD projectors in schools. Worse, there are cases of high school students caught carrying guns. There are also rape cases where the victims are students, Salo said.

Salo also said reports reaching his office showed there are students who ended up as victims of the administration’s war on drugs, drug syndicates, hazing, and street gangs.

PPP spurred water expansion in Asean—MWSS chief METROPOLITAN Waterworks and Sewerage System Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco praised Manila Water, one of its concessionaires, for expanding its reach in building water facilities in the provinces of Isabela, Pangasinan, and in Southeast Asia, specifically Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.

“This is indeed a milestone in the history of our water sy.pageonestem,” says Velasco. “We take pride in Manila Water’s ever-growing presence not only in our country but in other parts of Asia, as well.”

According to Manila Water president and CEO Ferdinand M. dela Cruz, such an expansion is part of the water agency’s robust pipeline through 2020. “This will contribute to our goal of achieving a net

income of P11.5 billion by 2020,” he says.

“We are eager to share our service quality and technical expertise to these markets— expertise that Manila Water has developed over the last 20 years.”

Manila Water has recently partnered with Calasiao Water District in Pangasinan and has inked a contract to provide wastewater services and bulk water supply to Ilagan City in Isabela.

The company has also widened its critical presence and expert cadence in the pristine island of Boracay through Boracay Island Water Co., earmarking more than P4 billion to meet the growing demands for a reliable water and sewerage system in the island.

Overseas, the water agency has also successfully acquired a momentous stake in Eastern Water Resources and

Development Management Public Company Limited, a publicly listed water supply and distribution company in Thailand, and has also expanded its presence in Yangon, Myanmar, and Bandung, Indonesia as part of its plan to meet an ambitious profit target by 2020.

Velasco credits Manila Water’s successful expansion to the Public-Private Partnership instituted by former President Fidel V. Ramos in 1997.

He said, “The successful PPP legal framework started in 1997 by President Ramos through a Concession Agreement in the water industry made this possible.

We are now exporting to ASEAN countries like Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, and I believe that there is more to come.”

DRY RUN.

Metro Manila Development Authority traffic enforcers together with members of Quezon City’s Department of Public Order and Safety start a dry run of traffic rerouting to make way for the construction of MRT -7.

Manny Palmero

Traffic violations yield P126.26m for MMDA

By Joel E. Zurbano FOR the Metro Manila Development Authority, traffic is business. The agency collected a total of P126.267 million in traffic violation fines last year, up by P27 million compared to P99.15 million in 2016.

It attributed the increase in revenue to the good performance of men and women personnel of Traffic Discipline Office, the MMDA’s unit tasked with traffic management and enforcement in Metro Manila.

“The big increase in income from traffic in 2017 is attributable to the 63.82-percent increase in the number of traffic apprehensions,” the MMDA stated in its 2017 accomplishment report.

The report showed that the total apprehensions made last year reached 408,420, up by 255 percent than the annual target of 160,000, and 159,116 (63.82 percent) higher than the 2016 figure.

Disregarding traffic sign topped the list of top 10 violations committed by motorists on the road in 2017 with 91,843 the numbers of apprehended violators, followed by road obstruction with 73,082 and number coding with 30,474 apprehensions.

Illegal parking came in fourth with 26,110 (not towed) and 19,126 (towed vehicles), followed by loading and unloading in prohibited zone along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (11,888), truck ban (9,604), stalled vehicles (8,253), reckless driving (7,754) and private cars using the yellow lane (7,671).

The report showed that out-of-line operations listed number one in the top five administrative violations last year with 989 apprehension, followed by colorum operation (passenger) with 730 apprehension, tampering of official receipt and certificate of registration (88), colorum cargo vehicles (83) and illegal transfer of registration plates, tags and stickers (38).

The MMDA -TDO is tasked to deliver the three E’s in traffic management in the metropolis—Enforcement, Engineering and Education.

The unit has a total manpower complement of 3,232 as of December 7, 2017, of which 2,205 are assigned in traffic enforcement; 384 in traffic engineering and 19 in traffic education.

TDO also has a 308-man support group composed of the Road Emergency Group, the Towing and Impounding Division, Task Force Landas assigned in Malacañang, and the Children’s Road Safety Park.

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Opinion

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

A form of valor

EVERYMAN

12 bridges to cross

By David Ricardo Cagahastian SOON, there will be 12 more bridges to cross Pasig River and Marikina River—two of these to be constructed for free as a donation from China—perhaps the single biggest change to happen in the horrendous traffic situation in Metro Manila.

The 10 new bridges, to cost P27.4 billion, have been approved for official development assistance financing by the Neda Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CabCom), and Chinese funding is also being eyed for this package.

These bridges, along with three other big-ticket infrastructure projects—the P10.9-billion New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam, the P2.7-billion Chico River Pump Irrigation Facility, and the P151-billion South LongHaul Railway in Bicol region —are among the many palpable economic gains President Rodrigo Duterte and his team stand to push and achieve at the 16th Boao Economic Forum in Hainan today.

In Boao, Duterte will have the opportunity to meet again with Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has received a new mandate of sort from the Chinese people with the scrapping of term limits for the presidency. Xi is also chairman of the China’s military commission and general secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China, where real political power emanates.

Two conversation topics that might be taken up by Duterte and Xi are the possible joint exploration in the South China Sea and the entry of a third player in the telecommunications industry in the Philippines, which had been offered by Duterte to Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang during his visit last year.

A similar economic forum in Davos, Switzerland was held last January but Duterte, smarting from his feud with European human rights officials, was understandably absent there.

The President’s choice to participate in Boao is well timed, as this indeed is the year that power shifts from the West to the East, and not just to China but also to Asia as a whole.

The Philippine President’s attendance in Boao Forum is significant, too because the forum was initiated by a group of world leaders in 1998 which included its prime mover, President Fidel V. Ramos, and former Prime Minister Bob Hawke of Australia, and former Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa of Japan.

It was formally inaugurated in February 2001, with participation from 26 Asian and Australasian nations, including its most ardent supporter, China.

From April 9 to 10, world leaders and great minds in governance, science and technology, academia, business and economics gather in Hainan for the Boao Forum.

Happily, there will be a Filipino delegation headed by Duterte himself, to participate in this learning and sharing experience which China is sponsoring for the benefits of all nationalities.

Without a doubt, Boao has become the “Voice of Asia” and the message that it carries this year is “Reform, opening up and innovation,” which is the hallmark of the Xi Jinping vision for a rejuvenated China under a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

T

HIS year’s commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan is not much different from events of previous years.

Because of the holiday, there is the usual break from the regular workday routine, notably the absence of metro traffic.

There is the usual remembrance of the many who gave up their lives in the pursuit of freedom. They displayed not just bravery, which in itself is an admirable quality, but valor, which speaks of something nobler, more heroic.

Finally there are the usual platitudes from government officials on how valor is best manifested in the modern context.

The answer varies, depending on who is talking.

One can interpret valor as

fearlessness, feeling bold enough to do anything one wishes, or one believes is right, and bowing to no authority.

It’s a good trait to see in a leader, but dangerous in someone who is out to seek personal glory instead of being of real service to the people.

Another interpretation could be weathering what could be perceived as persecution, knowing that other forces are out to destroy them. It can be argued there is valor in standing strong amid attacks.

We are sure, however, that the kind of valor being contemplated here does

TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

not include a mentality that one should be bigger, more powerful or more threatening than the other, and that it is a competition on who possesses more valor than the other.

Unfortunately, we see today a kind of governance where individuals gun for greatness at the expense of others, and allegiances are tested by loyalty to persons instead of principles.

How much better society would be if these leader focused on working together instead of taking each other down. Perhaps yet another type of valor, one that will apply to the people, is to keep on hoping that despite what we’re seeing now, such constructive, positive leadership is still possible.

A glorious victory YESTERDAY was Day of Valor, when we commemorate the Fall of Bataan. Filipino and American soldiers fought overwhelming numbers of Japanese invaders for three months. It is also on April 9 that we commemorate the Fall of Corregidor. The late General Douglas MacArthur left Filipino and American soldiers with a promise: “I shall return.”

Those who died in Bataan and Corregidor must indeed be remembered.

What makes this day tragic, however, is the nation’s penchant for making holidays out of defeats instead of victories.

April 9 is just an example.

Ninoy Aquino was assassinated Aug. 21. Jose Rizal was executed Dec. 30. It’s masochism of the worst kind!

Somebody asked—when did we ever win?

Yes, we did win. On June 14, 1945, we won the Battle of Bessang Pass that led to the surrender of the infamous Japanese general, Tomiyuki Yamashita.

The Battle of Bessang Pass is also known as the Battle Among the Clouds. My brother Desiderio fought this battle as lieutenant of the Third Battalion under Major Conrado Rigor. In fact, it was Desi who led the assault team to overcome the Japanese soldiers

Why do we have a penchant for commemorating defeats?

Secretary Bello, Kuwait and OFWs HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

IT IS undoubtedly saddening to learn of the plight of Joanna Demafelis, the 29-year-old Filipina overseas contract worker who was employed as a housemaid in Kuwait, and who was later killed by her employers—a Lebanese man and his Syrian wife. Demafelis’ body was left in a freezer at her place of employment before the

Lebanese-Syrian couple fled Kuwait earlier this year.

A worldwide manhunt conducted by the International Police Organi-

Had Bello attended to this mandate of the law dutifully, the Demafelis incident could have been avoided.

zation (Interpol) succeeded in locating the killers in Damascus, the capital of Syria. Although the Syrian government has already handed over the husband to Lebanese authorities, the wife is still in Damascus. It is not clear if Lebanon and Syria are willing to turn over the couple to the Kuwaiti police.

Last week, a trial court in Kuwait tried the couple in absentia and convicted them. They were sentenced to death by hanging.

Under Kuwait law, however, the couple can still appeal their conviction to a higher court, provided Turn to A5

who were on higher ground for almost three months. It was my brother who eventually led to the surrender of Yamashita, later on hanged for his war crimes.

Much later, when Desi became an associate justice of the Court of Appeals, he was awarded a silver star for “bravery beyond the call of duty.”

My other brother Willie was also a veteran of the Battle of Bessang Pass. In his desire to fight the Japanese, he jumped onto a passing truck along España Street. Our family later found out that Willie became a sergeant under the late strongman President Ferdinand Marcos, a major of the Philippine Army. Willie survived the Death March and was in the Capas concentration camp until the Japanese gave amnesty to all who survived Bataan.

Desi, who was seven years older than me, was incarcerated in Fort Santiago for eight months when the Japanese occupied Manila. He was a member of the underground movement together with his bosom friend, the late Manuel Manahan, who later on became a senator.

But the freedom of both Desi and Willie did not last long. They later on decided to join the guerilla movement in Northern Luzon.

That’s the reason why our family went to Abra, to join them, or else we would be in danger from the dreaded Makapili.

It’s tragic that the Battle of Bessang Pass did not merit any commemoration, much less a holiday.

The only presidents who

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*** Perhaps one of the biggest fake news items ever peddled in the Philippines was the Yamashita treasure. This led to many socalled treasure hunters coming to the Philippines to look for this.

The general was supposed to have raided Malaysia temples for their gold. For this, Yamashita was called the Tiger of Malaysia.

It was during the Marcos presi-

dency that this rumor became widespread, especially during that time when Marcos was accused of amassing hidden wealth. Santa Banana, Marcos was supposed to have found that hidden treasure!

The big question—was there ever such a thing? I asked former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile about this. He laughed and said it was exactly that, a rumor.

This is why believe there should be a law against fake news, especially when they come from public officials who are subject to higher standards.

Freedom of expression and press freedom are not absolute, boundless or limitless.

Secretary...

From A4

that they return to Kuwait and submit themselves to Kuwaiti judicial authorities.

Kuwait law allows the state to vacate a judgment of conviction if the Demafelis family agrees to a settlement with the Lebanese-Syrian couple.

Settlement of this sort often involves the payment by the felons of so-called “blood money” to the family of the murdered person. News reports last week indicate, however, that the Demafelis family is not willing to settle the case.

Legal proceedings in Arab countries, especially cases involving domestic workers from Asia, usually take several years to resolve. That is why the swift action taken by the Kuwait trial court in the Demafelis case has surprised many veterans in the consular service. Observers say that the involvement of the Interpol put pressure on Kuwait.

When the news of the Demafelis murder broke out, an angry President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a total ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait. That move forced the Kuwait government to request President Duterte to reconsider the ban. It also compelled Kuwait to revisit its oppressive policies regarding the treatment of Filipino contract workers in Kuwait.

President Duterte succeeded in hitting Kuwait at its most vulnerable point—the desperate need of its lazy, abusive citizens for domestic helpers whom they treat as modernday slaves. Duterte’s move is also a welcome measure—it’s about time a national leader took serious notice of and do something to prevent the abuses Filipino migrant workers routinely suffer in the hands of abusive Arab employers, those from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in particular.

The irony in all this is that President Duterte had to do the work which his Labor Secretary, Silvestre Bello III, is supposed to do in the first place—to see to it that Filipino workers are deployed only to countries which have sufficient systems, legal and administrative, to protect the Filipino workers.

Under existing laws, which Secretary Bello ought to know as the chief labor law enforcer in the country, Filipino workers cannot be deployed to countries which do not meet pre-set Philippine safety and legal criteria for the treatment of Filipino migrant workers. Observers believe that had Bello attended to this mandate of the law dutifully, the Demafelis incident could have been avoided.

By and large, Bello should have had constructive notice of the notoriety of employers in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Many Filipino migrant workers there often die of mysterious medical illnesses, or commit suicide.

Oil revenues have made Kuwaiti nationals so wealthy that they have retrogressed to the

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The future of justice

A glorious... marked this victory were Marcos and Fidel Ramos. They were both former soldiers. In fact, Ramos had a shrine built in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, to commemorate this victory.

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

backward and barbarous times of their desert Bedouin ancestors who enslaved or maltreated members of other tribes, and who measured one’s rights on the sole basis of wealth.

Kuwaitis of the latter part of the twentieth century were so self-centered and focused on worldly pleasures that they became complacent about their own national defense. The result—Saddam Hussein of neighboring Iraq invaded Kuwait and declared it an Iraqi province. It took a multinational military alliance led by the United States to boot out the Iraqis from a helpless Kuwait.

Saudi Arabian employers are equally objectionable. Like in Kuwait, petroleum revenues in Saudi Arabia have made the former backwater desert kingdom very wealthy in the years following World War II. Because the Saudi government could afford to do so, the expenses of all Saudi subjects— like education and health care —are shouldered by the state.

Everyone in the kingdom became so wealthy that they all became abusive in their treatment of migrant workers in the kingdom. Like many of their counterparts in Kuwait, many Saudi males routinely rape domestic helpers in their employ.

Until the discovery of oil and the wealth it brought to the Gulf region after World War II, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were virtually desert plains populated by tribesmen who lived in tents, engaged in the slave trade, and had camels for intimate company. Records indicate that Saudi Arabia is the last nation in the world to outlaw slavery. That was in 1965.

Good grief!

The debauchery which unprecedented wealth has brought to Saudi Arabia has also corrupted its leaders.

Recent international media reports reveal that the Saudi crown prince, exasperated with the corruption in the kingdom, threw many members of the extended royal family to prison on unprecedented corruption charges.

Thanks to President Duterte’s no-nonsense treatment of the Demafelis incident, and no thanks to Bello, Kuwait is now seriously considering reforming its laws governing the treatment of migrant workers.

Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries similarly situated with Kuwait who do not want to lose their domestic workers from the Philippines are also rethinking their stance on the treatment of Filipino migrant workers lest President Duterte include those countries in his list of countries where deployment of Filipino migrant workers are banned.

Arab employers will stop maltreating Filipino employees only when their nation’s oil wells run dry, and they themselves become desperate for employment outside their country.

THERE are two important developments we must all watch out for if we care about the future of justice in the Philippines: the change of leadership in the Department of Justice and the quo warranto case against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno now pending in the Supreme Court.

First, the good news on the Department of Justice. The firing of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre is most welcome. As President Rodrigo Duterte himself said, it is time to restore dignity to this very crucial department. Above all, it must veer away from being weaponized for political purposes— whether it’s the charges against Senator Leila de Lima, the pork barrel issue, the bad deal with Napoles, or indiscriminate charges in relation to the Dengvaxia controversy—and regain its probity, objectivity, and above all independence.

President Duterte has chosen the right person for this challenging tasks of rescuing the Department of Justice. Secretary Menardo Guevarra is the man for the job. Regardless of our political leanings, we should all welcome the appointment of this brilliant, principled, compassionate, and excellent lawyer to the DoJ. Those of us who knows Guevarra’s work will attest to his professionalism, objectivity, and integrity. His students at the Ateneo Law School, where I also teach, praise him for his goodness and kindness.

Secretary Guevarra of course has been appointed to a political position and I expect him to take into account the interests of his principal, the President, when such interests are aligned with the law. But I am confident he will always do the right thing.

Among others, I hope Secretary Guevarra will rev iew the charges against Senator De Lima. That prosecution is a train wreck and will surely result in acquittal. Let’s spare the senator, her family, and the country the agony of such a prosecution. To be fair, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, her family, and the country should have been spared of that same suffering.

I would also pay attention to the Dengvaxia cases that have been filed by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption as that is what lawyers call a bazooka attack, charging everyone remotely connected to the issue and some without basis. One of those the VACC included in their complaint is Dr. Mario Villaverde, a Health undersecretary. I have known Mario for more than 25 years, having worked with him when I was an environment undersecretary in the 1990s and he was the environmental health division chief.

I was so impressed with Mario’s competence and integrity then that, two decades later, I invited him to leave the DoH in 2010 where he had risen to the position of undersecretary to join me at the Ateneo School of Government where he became Associate Dean. He

only returned to the DoH last year as a matter of duty and had absolutely nothing to do with Dengvaxia.

I hope also that Secretary Guevarra will review the list of persons included in the anti-terrorism case against the Communist Party of the Philippines. That list is a product of terrible military intelligence and unjustly maligns many good people. I will pay attention particularly to the inclusion of Ms. Vicky Tauli-Corpuz, United Nations Special Rap-

This case could unleash even more dreadful consequences on the institution—on its stability, credibility, its inner harmony, and independence.

ering the perceived hostility and rumored squabbles which have been going on for years between Sereno and some of her colleagues? That there is bad blood among the members has been reinforced when some justices—Associate Justices Teresita de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Noel Tijam and Francis Jardeleza—testified against her before the House Committee on Justice. In seeking their inhibition, the Sereno camp argued that the five have shown “actual bias” against her and “cannot decide the quo warranto petition objectively and impartially.”

On a number of occasions, the Supreme Court, including in decisions penned by some of the Justices being asked to inhibit, has emphasized that any judicial decision should be based on the judge’s rational and logical assessment of the circumstances prevailing in the case before him. The requirement of “cold neutrality of an impartial judge,” is designed to preserve the integrity of the judiciary and more fundamentally, to gain and maintain the people’s faith in the institutions they have erected when they adopted our Constitution; that “justice must satisfy the appearance of justice” is an imposition as the final judge of the conduct of public business, including trials, upon the courts of a high and uncompromising standard in the proper dispensation of justice.

The first paragraph of Section 1, Rule 137 of the Revised Rules of Court set specific grounds for inhibition of judges.

Beyond these grounds, a judge may, in the exercise of his sound discretion, disqualify himself from sitting in a case, for just or valid reasons. It’s all a matter of conscience and sound discretion. That the appearance of propriety is as important as acting with propriety is essential in dispensing cases.

That judges and justices must be above suspicion at all times—they must be like Caesar’s wife—is of utmost importance because the loss of confidence and trust in our courts by the public can have catastrophic impact in our justice system.

I have deep respect for all the members of the Supreme Court. As an officer of the court, I would never criticize the Chief Justice or any Associate Justice in a personal way. This for me is not a matter of ego or ruffled feathers. The Supreme Court, the institution that the justices represent, is larger than the individuals that compose it. The quo warranto decision, which could come soon, absolutely could change our constitutional system radically. The Corona impeachment was terrible and led to the opening of a Pandora’s Box that released destructive forces on the judiciary. This case could unleash even more dreadful consequences on the institution—on its stability, credibility, its inner harmony, and independence. That would be unfortunate for an institution which is essential to a functioning society. That would be a disaster for the future of justice in our republic.

porteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, in that list. I have worked closely with Vicky, and her colleague in Tebtebba Foundation Joan Carling (who is also in the list), for more than 20 years in many international forums, especially on climate change, biological diversity, and human rights where we have represented and negotiated for the Philippines as bona fide members of the Philippine delegation. Although not government officials, Vicky and I have been trusted by successive Philippine governments, the Arroyo and Aquino administrations, to lead the negotiations in forests and climate change from 2009 to 2015. This is because of our seniority and because our officials know we are completely loyal to the country and obedient to whatever instructions were given us. The inclusion of Corpuz and Carling in the proscription list has been condemned internationally, and in the case of the former has serious diplomatic consequences.

Second, even more important than the Guevarra appointment, the quo warranto case against Chief Justice Sereno will determine the future of justice in this country.

Chief Justice Sereno is set to face her colleagues in the Supreme Court this Tuesday during the oral arguments on the petition to nullify her appointment as chief magistrate. For the first time in history, a sitting chief justice will argue her case as a respondent, not as a sitting judge, before her peers. She decided to abide by the order of the Court for her to “attend personally and answer questions from the Court” even as her camp insists that the Court has no jurisdiction to hear the petition as in the Constitution she could be removed only through impeachment.

The question in everyone’s mind is—can the Court be depended on to pass judgment Facebook: Antonio La Vina or tonylavs2 with impartiality and competence consid- Twitter: tonylavs

Teacher protests across the US reflect deepening malaise

By Veronique Dupont RECENT protests by thousands of teachers in far-flung parts of the United States reflect a deepening malaise in American education after years of budget cuts and stagnant salaries that have left many instructors feeling their work is not valued.

“We’ve never seen a brushfire like this,” National Education Association president Lily Eskelsen Garcia told AFP. In the central and southern states of Oklahoma and Kentucky, thousands of public school teachers—supported by students and their parents—have been occupying the halls of state legislatures since Monday.

The last time Oklahoma saw such a teacher protest was 1990, and that lasted only four days. But now, hundreds of schools have been closed and the strikes are expected to continue into the coming week.

Teachers in the southwestern state of Arizona are expected to join the protest movement.

The various protests have taken their inspiration from a similar—and successful —movement in West Virginia.

School administrators and a majority of parents appear to be supporting the protests, while celebrities like singer Carrie Underwood have turned to social media to proclaim their solidarity.

“Yes, I expect we’ll see this movement spreading to other states, because the school conditions, as well as the stagnant pay, are very widespread,” said Darleen Opfer, an education analyst at the Rand Corp. think-tank.

She compared it to the exasperation of teachers and high school students whose impassioned “enough is enough” calls for gun control, after the mass shooting on Feb. 14 at a Florida high school, prompted mass demonstrations nationwide.

“We’ve been seeing conditions in schools deteriorate, stagnate or increase school violence,” Opfer said. “The conditions are widespread enough we’d consider schools being in crisis.”

In several states governed by Republicans, schools have suffered serious budget cuts as politicians seek to keep electoral promises to lower taxes. The trend grew rapidly after the 2008 financial crisis.

In the United States, public schools are funded mainly by state and local governments, with the federal government offering only targeted subsidies to help, for example, with the education of handicapped children.

Vast inequalities The schools thus reflect vast funding inequalities across the country.

Affluent areas feature gleaming school buildings with all the bells and whistles, from immaculately groomed football fields with high-tech scoreboards to wellstocked libraries and amply supplied science labs.

Schools in poorer regions struggle on paltry budgets, with underpaid teachers sometimes having to take second jobs to make ends meet.

A brain-drain of teachers moving from low-wage states to others where they can earn far more has left the poorer states struggling to recruit even marginally qualified replacements.

The overall result is chronic underperformance by American students on the international student assessment tests known as PISA, organized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

American students place far behind Finland, South Korea and Estonia, among others.

Nor has the veritable mania for standardized testing in American schools done much to help.

Many states rely on the results of such exams—often involving the controversial use of multiple-choice questions—to weigh the work of schools and teachers, with potential consequences on pay and careers.

In the face of the public schools’ serious challenges, many parents opt to send their children to private schools—but these can

cost around $20,000 a year per student, or even more.

In this country passionately attached to individualism and free choice, so-called charter schools have steadily gained popularity.

These schools receive public funding and must apply local standards but generally have greater freedom from certain laws and regulations, and face less accountability than do public schools.

Some of these schools offer old-style approaches—requiring students to wear uniforms, applying strict discipline and employing classic methods—while others experiment with progressive teaching methods, including interdisciplinary teaching and individual projects designed to stimulate creativity.

Some parents swear by these schools, but others—and the major public teachers’ unions—accuse them of siphoning off resources, and sometimes the more talented students, from public schools.

This has been a key complaint against Education Secretary Betsy Devos, who is accused of favoring charter and private schools to the detriment of public education.

Faced with American students’ poor results on international tests, a state-based movement arose several years ago to try to raise education standards through a program known as “Common Core.”

A majority of the 50 states have now adopted Common Core standards, setting objectives for students from kindergarten through high school—a dramatic change for a country where education is highly decentralized and standards in some places have been low.

But some states—notably Massachusetts and New York—already have high-performing school systems.

New York offers specialized public high schools—in arts, science, politics and literature—that are highly prestigious and merit-based.

And they are free. AFP

News

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TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Solon pushes for ‘energized’ Pasig River Ferry service

By Maricel V. Cruz AN OPPOSITION leader in the House of Representatives on Monday batted for the deployment of more smaller air-conditioned boats as well as the construction of more stations to attract commuters to use the Pasig River service.

Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. said some 76,000 commuters are expected to take the new Pasig River ferry service every day once the water transport system is revitalized with two dozen 50-seater air-conditioned boats and 29 stations, with a vessel moving through each terminal every 15 minutes.

“Malacañang’s decision to revive the ferry system is a bold move,” Campos said, as he batted for the renewal of the service to help fight worsening road congestion.

Campos said the old ferry service that ran from 2007 to 2010 flopped simply because the private operator digressed from the original plan to deploy 18 boats with a seating capacity of 50 each.

The previous operator used fewer and bigger boats—six vessels with 150 seats each. As a result, passengers had to wait for a long time for the vessels to fill up and depart, Campos said.

“The key to drawing in passengers is fast and reliable service—one that will allow riders to easily predict what time they will get to their intended destination, plus connectivity to other modes of public transport on land,” Campos said.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque recently announced the Cabinet has approved the restoration of the ferry system, with Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno overseeing the technical working group.

“Secretary Diokno can definitely get the job done faster. If necessary, he can propose to lodge all the required new funding for the project in the executive budgets of the multiple agencies involved,” Campos said.

The project will engage the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, Metro Manila Development Authority and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, among other agencies.

The new ferry service, set for soft-launch in December this year, will require the construction of up to 19 additional stations.

The old ferry service was originally designed to have 14 stations, but actually operated with only 10 functional terminals.

The old stations will also be rehabilitated and improved under the new system.

Campos said he is counting on the project “to drive the rejuvenation of the Pasig River to its historically pristine condition conducive to transport, recreation and tourism.”

‘Undesirable’ Dutch ordered deported

WALLED CITY. A foreign tourist admires a vintage defense artillery gun displayed at Intramuros, Manila as he roams around the old Walled City with a local guide. Ey Acasio

Lawmaker slams UP exec over post on UPCAT result A

PARTY-LIST lawmaker is calling for the resignation of University of the Philippines Board of Regents member Frederick ‘Spocky”’ Farolan over his controversial comments on social media against critics who slammed the delayed release of UP College Admission Test results.

In a statement on Monday, 1-Care Rep. Carlos Roman Uybarreta hit Farolan for his “ingrates” and “entitled millennials” remarks targeting over 82,000 test takers.

“Many of my young kababayans in Bicol are among the over 80,000 high school graduates who took the UPCAT results and whom UP Regent Frederick Mikhail Farolan targeted in his now viral social media post,” Uybarreta said.

Uybarreta said that service to the Filipino people “with utmost responsibility” is the standard of public service that the Constitution requires of

Farolan as a member of the highest governing body of the country's premier state university.

“The honorable exit for you is to become a private citizen. It seems like you need a respite from the strenuous requirements of public service,” Uybarreta said.

Farolan earlier announced on his Facebook page that UPCAT results would be released on April 30.

Farolan’s post, however, drew criticisms over the delay in release of UPCAT results, which were expected to be out by the end of March or the first week of April.

VACCINE SHORTAGE.

By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Immigration ordered the deportation of a Dutch national who was declared persona non grata by a town council in Cebu for being an undesirable alien.

Ordered deported was a certain Vondeling Niklaas, who was arrested in Barangay Eastern Poblacion, Poro, Cebu by operatives from the bureau’s fugitive search unit for being an overstaying alien.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente ordered the Dutchman’s expulsion after the San Francisco, Cebu municipal council and Barangay Poblacion council in the town both passed a resolution in July 2014 declaring him persona non grata and recommending his deportation.

Both resolutions, which declared the Dutchman “inimical to public order, safety and morals,” stemmed from his alleged construction of two resorts in the town without the proper local government building permits.

He was also charged with grave oral defamation for engaging in a heated altercation with local officials over the said building permits issue.

“Foreigners like him [Niklaas] who refuses to comply with our laws and who openly manifest disrespect to persons of authority do not deserve the privilege to stay in our country,” Morente said.

BI intelligence officer and FSU chief Bobby Raquepo explained that it took the bureau some time to effect the Dutchman’s arrest because he sought reconsideration of the deportation order that was issued against him.

Raquepo said that on Nov. 17, 2016, the BI board passed a resolution denying the Dutch’s motion for reconsideration and affirming the finality of the order for his deportation.

“He had been overstaying here for a long time already as there was no way he could apply for a extension of his stay due to his inclusion in the Immigration blacklist,” Raquepo added.

The UP board member responded to the backlash about the delay via his Facebook post.

“Forgive me for saying this...pero ’yung mga kung makahirit e parang hulog ng Diyos kayo para sa UP, siguraduhin ’nyo lang na papasa kayo ng UPCAT. Dahil kung hindi, lalaitin ko pati kaibuturan ng kaluluwa niyo (Forgive me for saying this... but to those who chide us as if they’re godsent, [you] have to guarantee that you’ll pass the UPCAT. Because if you don’t, I will belittle you ’till the very depths of your soul),” Farolan said.

“Ipapatikim ko sa iyo ang purong panlalait ng isang tunay na pumasa ng UPCAT at nakapagtapos ’di lamang ng undergrad pero pati na ng law sa UP [I will let you relish the pure insult from someone who passed the UPCAT and finished both undergraduate and law degrees in UP],” he added. PNA

A canine lover prepares to feed his dogs along Jose Diokno Boulevard in Pasay City on Monday. The Department of Health says that the shortage of human rabies vaccine is not only in the country but also globally.

Norman Cruz

Koko urges Pinoys to honor war heroes, vets

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATE President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Monday called on Filipinos to honor the courage of war heroes and veterans through their own efforts to improve the quality of life of all Filipinos.

On April 9, 1942, more than 78,000 Filipino and American troops surrendered to the Japanese invaders and were forced to march from Bataan to San Fernando, Pampanga, with almost 10, 000 Filipino soldiers perishing in the process.

“Filipinos never failed to respond to the call of duty when their country needed them. And this is a time when the country needs all its citizens, not to fight in trenches, but to make the Philippines better for Filipinos,” Pimentel said.

“It’s time to aim our sights higher. We are no longer locked in a struggle for survival,

but a struggle for better lives,” he added.

In 1961, the Philippine Congress passed Republic Act No. 3022, proclaiming April 9, the date of the surrender of FilipinoAmerican forces in Bataan, as Bataan Day and a holiday.

In 1987, the holiday was renamed Araw ng Kagitingan.

Pimentel said that the threat faced before of foreign invasion has transformed into threats against the empowerment of Filipinos posed by unequal development of regions, the rising gap between the rich and the poor, and widespread corruption.

“We must continue to be valiant in defending our country from all forms of threats; not just from foreign invasions, but also from threats found within our own nation,” Pimentel said.

For his part, Senator Richard J. Gordon pointed out that the country are not just

commemorating the courage and bravery of the defenders of Bataan and Corregidor but it is also a reminder Filipinos can achieve as a nation if we are united and with our love of country in mind.

“Today, we are not just giving honor to the brave men and women who courageously fought against the Japanese invaders. We should also be reminded of the very moral fiber of the men and women who fought against the invading Japanese,” said Gordon.

“We also honor the intangible virtues drawn upon in times of struggle. The willingness, the courage, the valor of thousands of ordinary Filipinos—with or without formal training but took up arms anyway; soldiers who had not surrendered or had escaped; and civilians who provided logistical, intelligence, and moral support—to find ways to continue the struggle against the occupation forces,” he added.

KMP: NPA ‘surrenderees’ fake, deceived

By Rio N. Araja THE surrender of over 4,500 members of the New People’s Army is either “fake or forced and carried through deception,” the militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas said on Monday.

Antonio Flores, KMP secretarygeneral, said the surrender campaign is also a lucrative extortion racket.

He said one of the highlights of a four-day international fact-finding mission in Mindanao was the surrender campaign of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as a money-making modus operandi of both the military and the civilian bureaucracy.

The Army claimed that under Duterte’s watch, there have already been more than 4,500 surrenderees of the NPA in Mindanao, particularly in Compostela Valley and Agusan del Sur. “These so-called ‘surrenders,’ however, are either fake or forced and carried through deception, coercion and other unscrupulous ways,” he said.

According to Flores, testimonies of the witnesses and documentary evidence showed such modus had allowed the military to access and received the reward offered by the government for NPA fighters who surrendered.

Flores said that based on their interviews with ‘surenderees’ in Agusan del Sur, including farmers, army personnel offered them firearms that they would bring if they would surrender and promised them P5,000 as livelihood assistance.

"Worse, if the farmer is still “uncooperative” after all these attempts by the military, he is included in the military 'kill list' and becomes a target of extrajudicial killing," he said.

MWSS community ‘partner’ cited A COMMUNITY partner of the west zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. has been recently recognized by Go Negosyo as one of 2018's inspiring Filipina entrepreneurs.

The water concessionaire said it was no less than President Rodrigo Duterte, along with Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, who gave special recognition to Lydia Codiñera, president of the Samahang Tubig Maynilad, and 19 others.

Under the micro business category, Codiñera was awarded for pioneering the STM community in Tondo, Manila, which enabled some 1,000 urban poor residents to have water access and eventually establish a thriving business where Tondo mothers produce and sell home care products called “Kapwa."

“Our warmest congratulations go out to Aling Lydia, whose iron resolve and kind heart helped Maynilad to rally the urban poor of Tondo and establish a community water system. Aling Lydia’s accomplishment is proof that marginalized communities, if given the necessary support, can learn to help themselves and be a positive force for society,” Maynilad president and chief executive officer Ramoncito Fernandez said. Rio N. Araja

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Sports

Manila

Standard

TODAY

A7

Huge field vies in 2nd PH Golf qualifying school ONE hundred thirty two players from at least 20 countries gear up for four days of grueling battle for 40-plus ties berths leading to high-stakes tournaments in the PGT Asia Qualifying School beginning tomorrow (Wednesday, April 11) at the Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac.

Twenty-six Thais and 17 Australians join the 30 locals and a slew of other international players chasing precious spots in the second season of the Philippine Golf Tour Asia, the huge field underlining the pull and appeal of the region’s newest circuit sponsored by ICTSI which offers $100,000 prize fund per leg.

The second PGT Asia fires off April 1720, also at Luisita, with this week’s qualifiers joining the top 50 players from the inaugural PGTA Order of Merit ranking, led by OOM winner Miguel Tabuena, and the top 30 from the PGT OOM ranking.

From an eight-leg circuit, the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. has added two more events this year as part of ICTSI’s long-term commitment to help develop the game of the local pros and at the same time make the Philippines a leading international golfing destination.

From Luisita, the PGTA shifts to Riviera on May 30-June 2 with Manila Southwoods hosting the third leg on June 6-9 followed by Forest Hills on July 18-21. The fifth leg, a cosanctioned event, will be held on July 25-28 at a still unspecified venue while Orchard will stage the next stop on Sept. 5-8 followed by the CAT Open back at Luisita on Sept. 11-14.

Cagers, Patriots seek finals’ slot Game today (Muntinlupa Sports Complex) 7 p.m. – Muntinlupa vs Parañaque

THE last finals’ berth will be up for grabs tonight as Muntinlupa and Parañaque clash in a no-tomorrow encounter at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex.

The Angelis Resort-backed Cagers and the Gamboa Coffee-supported Patriots battle it out at 7 p.m., with the winner earning the right to face the Batangas City Athletics-Tanduay in a best-of-five championship series, where teams playing in the finals will play in alternate venues.

Muntinlupa set up a winner-take-all showdown following a big win at home, 66-56, in Game 2. It was a big bounce back win for the Cagers, who were beaten soundly by the Patriots in Batangas City in their series opener.

With the series down to one final game, expect the Cagers and the Patriots to fight for every possession.

Ex-PBA player Chito Jaime continued his solid showing in the conference for the Cagers and he is expected to carry the brunt for Muntinlupa. He finished with 26 points, including 11 of his team’s first 19 points.

But it was the Cagers’ defense that stifled the Patriots, who were held down to just 56 points.

“Siguro sa depensa pa, ‘yun pa ang dapat naming i-improve. We just have to keep the kind of energy we played in Game 2. Kung puwede nga lagpasan naming dahil I’m sure, all-out rin ‘yung kalaban,” added head coach Aldrin Morante of Muntinlupa.

Patrombon, Arcilla boost PPS net cast

SMART CANDY WINS. Jockey Kelvin Abobo (second from right, second row) and trainer Chito Santos (right, second row) display their trophies after their filly Smart Candy won the 3rd leg of the 2018 Philippine Racing Commission’s 3YO Local Fillies and Colts Stakes Race at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite. Smart Candy won for owner SC Stockfarm the top purse of P600,000.

They are joined by (from right, front row) Philracom Commissioner Victor Tantoco and Manila Jockey Club Racing Manager Jose Ramon Magboo and Assistant Racing Manager J-Fel Cuevas.

Sixers on a roll; Cavs win L

OS ANGELES—Australia’s Ben Simmons tallied 20 points and 15 assists as the Philadelphia 76ers won their 10th straight game with a 119-102 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.

Marco Belinelli came off the bench score 22 points against his former Hornet teammates. JJ Redick added 20 points and Robert Covington delivered 17 points and 11 rebounds in the win which kept the Sixers on track for homecourt advantage in the playoffs.

“I think he’s one of these rare players who shoots better when he’s off balance,” said Sixers coach Brett Brown of Belinelli. “He came in and hit tough shots. He was massive and has been a huge pickup for us.”

Philadelphia had 36 assists, setting a franchise record with its ninth straight game of 30 or more assists.

After falling behind 33-28 early in the

PSA tackles athletics, tennis HEADS of both the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association and the Philippine Tennis Association will be gracing Tuesday’s session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Tapa King Restaurant at Farmers Plaza in Cubao.

Philta chief Atty. Antonio Cablitas, also presidential adviser on foreign investments, and men’s national team coach Chris Cuarto are going to talk about the federation’s preparation for the coming Asian Games in Indonesia as well as the country’s stint in the Davis Cup Asia Oceania Group II tie against Thailand at the PCA clay court in Plaza Dilao over the weekend.

His Patafa counterpart Philip Ella Juico, meanwhile, will be accompanied by secretary general Renato Unso, Ilagan City Mayor Evelyn Diaz, and former Mayor Jay Diaz to tackle this year’s edition of the Philippine Athletic Championship in Ilagan, Isabela from May 31 to June 4.

The session starts at 10:30 a.m.

STRIDER CUP. Winners and participants, led by Attack Bike Shop’s Ceana Aleonar (center), daughter of former National rider March Aleonar, receive their certificates and medals during the awarding ceremony of the Strider Cup Round (four-years-old class) of the Sandugo Bike Festival recently at the Eastridge, Binangonan, Rizal.

Team 90s crowned volley champs of ERJHS tourney TEAM 90s is the 2018 ERJHS 93 contributed eight markers.

Benjamin Baet of Batch 89 and Alumni Sports Club Battle of the Vic de Guzman of Batch 81 paced Generations volleyball champion.

Mamei Apinado of Batch 94 Team 80s with 20 and 18 points, provided the leadership as Teams respectively.

Ronald Carillo of Batch 85, who 90s defeated Team 80s, 25-21, 2520, 25-19, to complete a sweep of led Team 80s to victory in Game 2, the best-of-five series at the Baran- did not see action.

Team 90s can wrap up the title gay N.S. Amoranto covered courts with another victory in Game 4 on in Malaya St., Quezon City.

Apinado teamed up with Sunday, April 15. Game 5, if necesLourdes Reyes, Jocelyn Igarta, sary, will be played on April 22.

The scores: Alvin Salazar, Rick Boy Pacaldo Team 90s (76)—Magpantay 29, and Allen Gonzales as Team 90s finished off Team 80s in the tour- C. Santiago 10, Santos 10, Blysma nament organized by the ASC, 8, Paeng 7, J. Santiago 4, Lazaro 4, headed by Ed Andaya of Batch 81 R. Nell 2, Capistrano 2.

Team 80s (68)—Baet 20, V. De and Zeny Castor of Batch 70, in cooperation with Quezon City Cong. Guzman 18, Alvin Tanare 8, GeoBingbong Crisologo, Councilor lin 6, Arnold Tanare 5, Sabando Onyx Crisologo and Brgy. Amo- 4, Andaya 2, Cano 2, De Jesus 2, Mercado 1. ranto Chairman Von Yalong.

Rica Alonsagay, Nini Villanueva, Helen Undag, Beng Samson, Alvin Estocapio and Pablo Mananghaya put up a good fight in Team 80s’ losing effort.

In basketball, Jhoseph 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M+ Magpantay of Batch 95 exploded with 29 points to power Team 90s to 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M a 76-68 win over Team 80s and a 2-1 lead in their DIGITS 0-0-0-0 own best-of-five series.

Choy Santiago of Batch 99 and Jerry SanDIGITS 0-0-0 tos of Batch 93 added 10 points apiece, while EZ2 0-0 Daniel Blysma of Batch

LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 6/45 4 3 2

second quarter, the 76ers went on a 13-1 burst to take the lead with 6:53 left in the first half.

The Sixers led 68-55 early in a see-saw second half. After the Hornets went on a 16-3 surge to get within 72-71 midway through the third quarter, the 76ers pulled away by scoring 14 consecutive points.

Malik Monk and Michael KiddGilchrist led the Hornets with 16 points apiece. Willy Hernangomez added 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Elsewhere, LeBron James stretched his record double-digit scoring streak to 868 games and the Cleveland Cavaliers won a low scoring 98-87 game over the Dallas Mavericks.

James broke Michael Jordan’s alltime NBA mark for consecutive games with at least 10 points on Friday night.

But on Sunday, he didn’t hit the 10 point mark until the fourth quarter and finished with just 16.

He shot five of 21 from the field but made a pair of three-pointers as Cleveland sealed the victory with a 15-2 run in the fourth quarter.

James also tallied 13 rebounds and 12 assists for his 17th triple-double this season and No. 72 of his brilliant career.

“I missed four, five, maybe six layups, which I’m not accustomed to doing,” James said.

“But me not shooting the ball well never stopped me making an impact on the game.

“So if I’m not shooting well, I gotta make sure I get my guys on time, on target with my passes and I gotta rebound and I gotta do other things to help us win and I was able to do that.” AFP

JOHNNY Arcilla and Jeson Patrombon hope to recover from their Davis Cup debacle as they lead the title chase in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Brookside Open unfolding April 13 at the Brookside Hills Tennis Club in Cainta, Rizal.

Patrombon, 25, actually set the pace for Team Phl in its Davis Cup tie with Thailand, winning the first singles. But the hosts lost the next four matches, (second singles, doubles and first reverse singles) and yielded a 1-4 setback.

But Patrombon and Arcilla are expected to figure prominently in the upcoming tournament along with Vicente Anasta and Rolando Ruel Jr plus a slew of young, rising stars raring to show their worth in the event sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Dunlop as official ball.

Fierce action is also seen in women’s play with the Patrimonio sisters—Clarice and Christine—tipped to crowd the likes of Marian Capadocia and Aileen Rogan for top honors in the event backed by Rep. Jack Duavit, Mayor Keith Nieto, Vitoria Construction, Pastule to Plate, Feeds Edition, Rublou Mall and Allan del Castillo with Greenrose, St. Louis Realty Corp. board member Gongora, East Electric Construction and Ortigas Hospital as donors.

“They will not only battle it out for top honors but will also serve as inspiration for our junior players, who look up to them for their exploits, both here and abroad,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Meanwhile, the country’s top and rising junior players take the spotlight ahead of the national pool and team members as they dispute nine singles titles and four in doubles in the PPS-PEPP agegroup tournament, which got under way yesterday (Monday), also at the BHTC. Tim Gumban and Loucas Fernandez, and Paula Uy and Miles Vitaliano set out as the top picks in the premier 18-and-under section of the boys and girls’ divisions, respectively, with Daniel Estanislao II and Edgardo Angara, and Alexa Milliam and Justine Maneja looming as the players to beat in the 16-U category.

Meanwhile, Legazpi City will host the next age-grouper on April 10 to 14 while the PPS-PEPP Macs Crankit Open will be played on April 21-28. Listup is ongoing. For details, call PPS Sports Program Development director and event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

Republika ng Pilipinas

(Pambansang Pangasiwaan ng Patubig)

Regional Office No. VIII, Tacloban City Biliran-Leyte del Norte-Leyte del Sur Irrigation Management Office Office Address

:

Website

:

NIA Road, Marasbaras Tacloban City, Philippines www.nia.gov.ph

Tel. No.: Fax No.:

(053) 888-1514 (053)-323-7204

InvItatIon to BId No. 12-2018 The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Biliran-Leyte del Norte-Leyte del Sur Irrigation Management Office, Marasbaras, Tacloban City through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) 2018 intends to apply the sum corresponding to the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC), to payment for the following contracts listed hereunder.

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) now invites bids for: Item/Description 1. BNLSL-LCB-46-2018 – Construction of Diversion Works, Canal, Farm Level and Drainage System of Anapaw CIP, San Miguel, Leyte 2. BNLSL-LCB-51-2018 – Construction of Diversion Works (Dam 1 & 2), Canal, Farm Level and Road System of Puntana CIP, Silago, Southern Leyte

Approved Budget 23,625,000.86

Duration 270 cd

Republic of the Philippines

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF ORIENTAL MINDORO C a mi l mi l , C a l a p a n C i t y 5 2 0 0 , O ri e n t a l Mi n d o ro

BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO BID IB-NO. CW-2018-37 Improvement of Lucio Laurel-Manguyang-Malayong-Banutan Road, Gloria, Oriental Mindoro IB NO. CW-2017-38 Improvement of Junction National-Adrialuna-Bagong Buhay-Pagkakaisa Road, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro IB NO. CW-2018-39 Improvement of Junction National-Nabuslot-Calingag-Pambisan Munti Road, Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro April 10, 2018 1. The Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro (PGOM) through the FY 2018 General Appropriation Act under the Local Government Support Fund-Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces intends to apply the sum of the amounts being the approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payment under the contracts for Improvement of Lucio Laurel-ManguyangMalayong-Banutan Road, Gloria, Oriental Mindoro,Improvement of Junction NationalAdrialuna-Bagong Buhay-Pagkakaisa Road, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro and Improvement of Junction National-Nabuslot-Calingag-Pambisan Munti Road, Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro. The related details of these projects are indicated in the table below. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2. The PGOM now invites bids for Improvement of Lucio Laurel-Manguyang-MalayongBanutan Road, Gloria, Oriental Mindoro,Improvement of Junction National-AdrialunaBagong Buhay-Pagkakaisa Road, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro and Improvement of Junction National-Nabuslot-Calingag-Pambisan Munti Road, Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro.

Bidders should have completed, within the last ten (10) years before the date of submission and receipt of bids, a single completed contract similar to the Project worth at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Approved Budget Completion Bid for the Contract Document of Works (ABC) Fee IB-NO. CW-2018-37 Improvement of Lucio Laurel-Manguyang- Php 68,162,787.90 177 days Php 50,000.00 Malayong-Banutan Road, Gloria, Oriental Mindoro Solicitation No.

23,625,000.87

270 cd

Bidding will be conducted in accordance with relevant procedures for open competitive bidding as specified in the IRR of RA 9184. Bids received in excess of ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. The contract shall be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bidder (LCRB) who was determined as such during post-qualification.

Interested bidders may submit a Letter of Intent together with the Class “A” documents addressed to the Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee, NIA, BiliranLeyte del Norte-Leyte del Sur Irrigation Management Office, Marasbaras, Tacloban City.

of Junction NationalIB NO. CW-2018-38 Improvement Adrialuna-Bagong Buhay-Pagkakaisa Road, Naujan, Oriental Mindoro

Php 74,861,631.11

163 days

Php 50,000.00

Improvement of Junction NationalIB NO. CW-2018-39 Nabuslot-Calingag-Pambisan Munti Road, Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro.

Php 77,316,181.82

225 days

Php 50,000.00

3.

4.

The schedules of BAC activities are as follows: BAC Activities 1. Issuance of Bid Documents 2. Pre-Bid Conference 3. Receipt and Opening of Bids

Schedule Starting April 10, 2018 April 17, 2018 April 30, 2018

Time 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m 10:00 a.m.

1:30 p.m.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by the interested bidders from the address above and upon payment of a non-refundable fee of P25,000.00 for Contracts above P10.0M up to P50.0M to the Cashier.

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

5.

6.

7.

For further information, please refer to: CATHERINE G. MACANIP National Irrigation Administration Marasbaras, Tacloban City (053) 888-1514

8.

9.

Sgd. CATHERINE G. MACANIP BAC Chairman Noted:

Title of Contract

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, cooperatives, and partnerships or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested Bidders may obtain further information from Bids and Awards Committee of the PGOM and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM of Mondays to Fridays.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested bidders from April 11, 2018 to June 13, 2018 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the bidding documents in the amount indicated in the table above.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Electronic Procurement System (Philgeps) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders hall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The PGOM will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on April 30, 2018 at 10:00 A.M. at BAC Office, Provincial Capitol Complex, Camilmil, Calapan City, which shall be open to prospective bidders and interested parties.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat, Capitol Complex, Camilmil, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro on or before June 13, 2018 at 9:30 A.M. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Claus 18.

Bid opening shall be on June 13, 2018 at 10:00 AM at BAC Office, Provincial Capitol Complex, Camilmil, Calapan city, Oriental Mindoro. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend at the address stated. Late bids shall not be accepted.

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

For further information. Please refer to : ENGR. ELMER V. DILAY BAC Chairperson Provincial Capitol Complex, Camilmil Calapan City, Mindoro (043) 286-7144

Sgd. ALEJANDRO C. CULIBAR, D.M. Division Manager A

(SGD) ELMER V. DILAY Provincial Engineer BAC Chairperson (MS-APR. 10, 2018)

(MS-APR. 10, 2018)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

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

A8

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

Dela Cruz captures 2nd gold in Asian tournament

By Peter Atencio PAUL Marton dela Cruz got another

Patrick Reed of the United States celebrates after making par on the 18th green during the final round to win the 2018 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. AFP

Cuarto bats for more exposure for PH Cuppers THE Philippine national men’s tennis team needs more exposure from foreign competitions.

Non-playing captain Chris Cuarto said this after Team Philippines absorbe a 1-4 loss to Thailand last Sunday at the Philippine Columbian Association indoor shell courts.

“What these boys need is more exposure. There are three to four young players in the team. We lack the finishing. We can stay (in the game), pero iyun ang kulang,” said Cuarto after their Davis Cup AsiaOceania Group 2 semifinal tie with the Thais.

With the win, Thailand moved to Group 2 and will next face Lebanon in the finals.

Last Sunday, Lebanon earned the right to face Thailand after turning back Hong Kong, 3-1.

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

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

It was the 5’9” Wishaya Trongcharooencharakul, who clinched the crucial third point in the second reverse singles when he finished strong and stopped Jeson Patrombon, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5.

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

Last Saturday, Patrombon gave the Philippines its first point when he defeated Jirat Navasirisomboon, 6-2, 6-2, in the first singles.

The long-haired Trongcharooencharakul equalized with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph over J Otico in the second singles.

Early Sunday, the Ratiwatana twins, Sonchat and Sanchai, secured the doubles with a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 beating of Johnny Arcilla and Francis Casey Alcantara, and put the Thais in a 2-1 lead.

Peter Atencio

Masters’ champ Reed finally walks the talk A

UGUSTA—Patrick Reed still isn’t a top-five player in the world, but when he walked off the 18th green Sunday at Augusta National, he was something more important— a Masters champion.

The outspoken 27-year-old American, who first came to world attention in 2014 by declaring himself a world topfive talent after a WGC win at Doral, held off Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler down the back nine Sunday to win the 82nd Masters.

He’s projected to jump from 24th to 11th in Monday’s world rankings, but he has still never reached the top five, with a career high of seventh.

Comparing himself to idol Tiger Woods and other “legends of the game” four years ago rubbed many the wrong way, especially since he had never played in a major tournament.

“I don’t ever regret anything I really say. I stand by my comments,” Reed said.

Having broken through for his first major title by one stroke over Fowler and

two over Spieth, he has proven his point that he deserves consideration among the finest players in the world.

“I feel like I’ve played some golf that I need to play in order to get to where I want to be, and that’s to be the best golfer in the world,” he said. “The way you’re going to do that is perform in these big events and to win these big events.”

The win was especially welcome for the 2017 PGA Championship runner-up, who didn’t take any title last year.

“I’m just happy to be up here and be able to say I’ve gotten over that hump of not winning at all last year, coming into a year that one of my biggest goals was to win a major and compete,” Reed said.

“To be able to get them both at once, to end the drought and win a major, it helps

Jungolfers take spotlight in JRo Cup

BIKERS’ HAVEN. As the first and only bike park in the country, The Bike

Playground at the Circulo Verde in Quezon City celebrated another milestone with its first anniversary event last April 7. The Bike Playground held the Red Bull Pump Track World Championships qualifier, an exhilarating global race series that took local pump track racing to new heights and welcomed local biking enthusiasts from all over the country. Norman Cruz

Cocolife parades new import against Petron in PSL COCOLIFE intensifies its quest for its first title as it parades a new import when it battles Petron in the penultimate day of classification of the Chooks to Go-Philippine Superliga Grand Prix today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Action starts at 4:15 p.m. with the Asset Managers bringing in Serbian national team member Marta Drpa to replace American Taylor Milton as this prestigious women’s club tourney bankrolled by Isuzu and UCPB Gen with ESPN5 as official broadcast partner enters its crucial stretch.

Also gunning for an important victory is F2 Logistics, which will battle Foton in the 7 p.m. featured encounter of this thrilling double-header that also has Mikasa, Senoh, Asics, Grand Sport and LGR as technical partners.

me mentally, and also helps my resume, and hopefully I can just take this momentum going forward and play some really solid golf.”

Tiger wants Reed in 2019 Woods, the 2019 US Presidents Cup captain and 14-time major winner, backs Reed, tweeting of the new Masters champion: “Congrats @PReedGolf! At worst you have assured yourself a captain’s pick for next year’s @PresidentsCup.” Reed has been a fiery Ryder Cup player, shushing European fans and exciting US crowds with flamboyance in the team match-play event.

Reed led nearby Augusta State University to US college titles in 2010 and 2011, but only after departing the University of Georgia under a cloud after one season, denying reports of cheating and stealing from a teammate.

Reed has also been estranged from his parents and sister. Asked about not being able to share his success with them, Reed matched Woods at his best on sore subjects with a deft deflection. AFP

Games Today (Filoil Flying V Centre) 4:15 pm – Petron vs Cocolife 7:00 pm – F2 Logistics vs Foton

With Petron absorbing a sorry straightset loss to Sta. Lucia Realty, reigning champion F2 Logistics grabbed a golden opportunity to steal the lead following a four-set conquest of Cignal last week.

Both F2 Logistics and Petron are on top of the leaderboard with eight victories in nine matches, but the Cargo Movers occupy the top spot due to a superior quotient, making their respective matches against Cocolife and Foton super exciting.

Whoever will emerge on top after the 10-game classification battle will be armed with a twice-to-beat advantage against the

eighth seed while the second seed will face the seventh seed, the third seed will clash with the sixth seed, and the fourth seed will tangle with the fifth seed in the quarterfinals.

“Our last game against Foton will be very crucial as it determines our placing in the next round,” said F2 Logistics coach Arnold Laniog, adding that Kim Fajardo, Aby Marano and Cha Cruz are expected to step up to support imports Maria Jose Perez and Kennedy Bryan against the solid Tornadoes side bannered by Channon Thompson, Dindin Santiago and Elizabeth Wendel.

But all eyes will be on Cocolife.

After witnessing Gyselle Silva break the league’s scoring record with a 56-point performance over the weekend, the Asset Managers opted to bring in a seasoned international campaigner in Drpa.

THE second JRo Cup fires off today (Tuesday, April 10) at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club with a novel format pitting 40 of the country’s top and upcoming jungolfers from various ranks in a Ryder Cup-style tournament.

Jennifer Rosales will hit the ceremonial drive at 8 a.m. along with other guests, including former President and long-time Rosales backer Fidel V. Ramos, and other supporters of the 18-hole tournament the two-time LPGA champion is putting up to give back to the sport and help inspire the youth and develop their talent and skills.

“My goal here is for all the participants to have fun and enjoy the game. I want the Class C and D girls and boys players to learn from those ranked in Classes A and B, that’s why I paired them against each other,” said Rosales, who won the Philippine Ladies Amateur Open crown five times in row from 1994. She also became the first Filipina to win on the LPGA Tour in 2004 in Georgia and nailed her second crown in Hawaii the following year.

Rosales is expected to impart her “3 D’s” (discipline, determination and dedication) among the participants from whose bunch she hopes would come the next “JRo.” “When I started playing golf, my Dad would always tell me the 3 D’s, which inspired and motivated me and got to where I am now. Even when I struggled, I kept fighting and finally made a breakthrough and won my first LPGA in 2004. I just never gave up and just worked really hard.”

Jolo Magcalayo, Nathan Kawpeng, Lester Lagman, Paqo Barro, Riggs Illescas, Masaichi Otake, Carlo Villaroman and Santino Gatmaytan head the Class A player with newly crowned Phiippine Junior champion Harmie Constantino bannering the girls’ Class A roster that includes Nicole Abelar, Kristine Torralba, Jona Magcalayo, Laia Barro, Mariel Tee, Tomi Arejola and Missy Legaspi.

gold medal in the individual men’s compound event of the Stage 2 competition yesterday of the Asia Archery Cup at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

That’s after he ruled the Olympic round of the individual men’s compound event.

For the second time, he beat Chen Hsiang-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei in the gold medal shoot-off, 10-9.

The shootoff took place after Dela Cruz, a bronze medallist in the 2014 Asian Games, and Chen were tied at 143.

In getting to the finals with Chen, he also outpointed two Chinese Taipei archers.

First, he topped Pan Yu Ping in the second round, 144-140, before outplaying Lin Hsin-Min in the quarterfinals.

Then, he got past Aman Saini of India, 148-146, in the semifinal round.

Last Friday, Dela Cruz captured his first gold in the individual men’s compound qualification.

This gave him the top seeding and a first-round bye in the Olympic round.

Dela Cruz finished with a score of 704 score.

Calimag to miss Batang Gilas practice sessions BATANG Gilas standout RC Calimag will miss some of the practices of the national team preparing for the 2018 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup. The 6’2 ½” Calimag, son of retired PBA player Ricky Calimag, suffered from a hyperextended knee injury during their quarterfinal game with Japan.

According to family members, Calimag will need to have his knee checked by sports medicine specialist Dr. Raul Canlas.

Members of the Batang Gilas squad arrived in Manila Monday evening.

The team made history during the quarterfinals of the Fiba Under-16 Asian Championship in Foshan, China last Thursday.

Calimag scored what proved to be the winning basket in the last eight seconds, sending Batang Gilas to a 7270 triumph over Japan.

With the win, Batang Gilas reached the semifinals and earned a slot to the 2018 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup, with New Zealand, Australia and China, from June 30 to July 8 in Argentina.

Despite his injury, Calimag is expected to be back midway through the team’s preparations for the tourney. Peter Atencio

Best Center still accepting enrollees for Malate classes THE pioneering Best Center will still accept enrollees for its award-winning clinics until tomorrow (Wednesday) at the Malate Catholic School, Basketball Efficiency and Scientific Training Center founder and president Nic Jorge said yesterday.

Listup for the basketball clinics, sponsored by Milo, for Levels 2, 3 and 4 will be from 1 to 4 pm.

Also accepting students are the clinics set in Balanga, Bataan, at theTomas del Rosario College, Capitol Drive, Balanga City, through organizer Badette Navarro at 0917-271-1113 and 0928-274-1229.

Roxas City will also have clinics at the Don Ynocencio A. del Rolsario National High School Gym for Preparatory Level, Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4, through organizer Ronnie Degala (0945-238-6485 and 0922-866-8053) Bacolod City clinics will be at St. John’s Intitute Activities Center for Preparatory Level, Levels 1, 2 and 3 , through organizer Joanne and Jed Soto at 0943-634-1010.

A volleyball for Level 1 at Nestle Lipa factory is also scheduled. Contact Persons are Maarn or Lorena (0926768-9895 or 0977-733-0748 and 0999431-1100.

Enrolees in the provincial schedules set April 16-21 can also get in touch with BEST Center Sports at 411-6260 and 372-3065.

IN BRIEF

Court order on ERC to expire on April 12 ENERGY stakeholders expressed hope the Energy Regulatory Commission will continue its function even as the 60-day temporary restraining order issued by the Court of Appeals on the Office of the Ombudsman is set to expire this week.

The Ombudsman ordered the suspension of four commissioners of the five-man commission in December last year, but the CA granted a 60-day TRO against the suspension order on Feb. 9.

ERC chairman Agnes Devanadera said the agency “deal with matters by the day” but industry players were hoping that the issue would be resolved soon.

The CA issued a resolution on Feb. 9 stating that the 60-day TRO was issued “in view of the foregoing, and to avoid serious and irreparable disruption in the operation of the ERC and to prevent adverse repercussions on the power industry as a whole.”

ERC spokesman Floresinda Digal earlier said the TRO was set to expire on April 12.

“That’s beyond us, but we just hope we have a working ERC for the sake of our country having reliable and stable energy,” Meralco PowerGen president Rogelio Singson said.

Semirara Mining & Power Corp. chairman Isidro Consunji said he was hoping that the ERC would continue its work as “many things are pending.” Alena Mae S. Flores

ABS-CBN’s telecom unit contains losses ABS-CBN Corp. said it was able to control the losses of its mobile unit last year, but it has no decision yet on the renewal of its mobile network sharing agreement with Globe Telecom Inc. “We’ve managed to contain the losses last year. For ABS-CBN Mobile, we’re still in discussion with Globe, so in the next few weeks, most likely, we will probably have some decision on ABS-CBN Mobile. We’re still in discussion with Globe in terms of the plans for the mobile business of ABS-CBN,” ABS-CBN chief financial officer Aldrin Cerrado said.

Cerrado said the losses of ABS-CBN Mobile last year were almost the same as in 2016.

ABS-CBN Mobile posted a net loss of P560 million in 2016, lower than the P600-million net loss in 2015.

ABS-CBN’s agreement with Globe will expire in June this year. Under the agreement signed in May 2013, Globe will provide the capacity and coverage on existing cellular mobile telephony network to ABS-CBN Convergence Inc. on a nationwide basis. The parties may also share assets such as servers, towers and switches.

ABS-CBN Corp. earlier reported a net income of P3.16 billion in 2017, down 10.3 percent from P3.53 billion in 2016 in the absence of election-related advertisements. Darwin G. Amojelar

Business

House panel crafts PPP bill to support ‘Build, Build, Build’ THE House public works committee’s technical working group finalized a substitute bill for the proposed Public Private Partnership Rationalization Act designed to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, who chairs the technical panel and authored one of the original PPPRA bills, said the measure sought to “institutionalize and strengthen publicprivate partnership in infrastructure and development projects, the value of PPPs in delivering the country’s infrastructure requirements and utilizing the efficiencies of private sector participation is crucial to the success of the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program.”

“We need enormous investments, resources and innovation from the private sector. We will translate these PPP opportunities into more jobs, improved competitiveness and higher economic growth. . . Now is indeed the time to forge more public-private partnerships to deliver critical projects that will usher the country’s Golden Age of Infrastructure,” he said.

Salceda said the bill proposed major reforms to help boost the PPP program, among them, providing clearer and simpler rules for faster project implementation to foster competition, which is what the government needs as it rolls out big ticket projects.

It sets clearer parameters on government undertakings and investment recovery schemes, procedures on project approval and procurement, fiscal rules on contingent liabilities and other vital concerns, he said.

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

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Villar going into casino, telecom Weak peso T contributing

By Jenniffer B. Austria

HE Villar Group led by former Senate president Manuel Villar is venturing into casino, telecommunications and infrastructure amid its bullish outlook on the economy under the Duterte administration.

Paolo Villar, the eldest son of Villar and who heads the family’s real estate arm Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., said the group was looking at these sectors to help boost the domestic economy.

Villar said the group’s real estate properties could potentially house the planned casino venture.

He said on the the telecommunication side, the group was involved in several property developments across the country that needed telecommuni-

cation-related infrastructure.

“We are seriously looking at casino and telecommunication,” Villar said.

Villar said the group was also looking at possible partners for the planned casino and telecommunication ventures.

He did not provide details on the diversification into new sectors and which vehicle the group would use to undertake the projects.

Villar-owned Streamtech Systems Technologies Inc. applied for congressional franchise last year “to construct, install, establish, operate and maintain telecommunications systems throughout the Philippines.”

Villar plans to initially provide fixed broadband services to homebuyers at communities being developed by Vista Land.

The Villar group is primarily into property development through listed firms Vista Land, which owns the Camella brand; mall developer Starmalls Inc.; and memorial park developer Golden Haven Inc. Villar, who lost in the 2000 presi-

dential elections, ventured into retail development with the establishment of All Value, which owns and operates AllHome, a home improvement and builders’ center; All Day Supermarket; All Day Convenience Store; Coffee Project; Bake my Day pastry shop; All Sports; and AllToys.

Villar said the group was also looking at unsolicited infrastructure projects, including an airport project.

“Other groups are looking at infrastructure. So we are definitely looking at infrastructure sector and definitely we have some projects in mind,” Villar said.

Villar said the family would not venture into toll road projects because his brother, Mark Villar, is currently the secretary of Department of Works and Highways.

“Obviously, we are optimistic about on the Philippines over the next few years. That is one the key reasons why we are getting into all these things. The conditions have been set for growth.

We are expecting growth and so we are planning for growth,” he said.

Prices of sin products lifted March inflation THE Finance Department said higher prices of sin products, especially tobacco, will continue to cause a spike in inflation rate in the near term.

The agency, citing available data, said the uptick in March inflation to 4.3 percent from the revised 3.8 percent in February could be traced to higher prices of the so-called sin products.

“As expected, the inflationary pressure came largely from elevated food prices [e.g., rice, fish and vegetables] due to absence of NFA [National Food Authority] rice, rough seas limiting fish supply, and bad weather affecting vegetables, respectively. Continuing higher prices of non-alcoholic beverages due to TRAIN and sin products due to sin tax adjustment likewise pushed up inflation pace,” the department said.

“Appropriate adjustments in prices of sin products, tobacco specifically, will continue to fuel inflationary momentum in the near term,” it said.

It said the government was in fact discouraging the consumption of these products through higher prices, among others.

The March inflation breached the upper limit of the target band of 2 percent to 4 percent for the year. It was also significantly faster than 3.1 percent a year ago. This brought the first three months’ average to 3.8 percent, still below the target range. Julito G. Rada

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

LBC INVESTMENT. Orient Freight International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rayomar Management, approves a 30-percent strategic investment into the company by LBC Express Holdings Inc., the country’s leader in express logistics services with over 6,400 branch offices, hubs and agents. Signing of the memorandum of agreement are (seated, from left) Orient Freight chairman Jose Ramon Garcia, LBC Development Corp. chairman Santiago Araneta, Rayomar chairman Ramon Garcia and LBC Holdings chairman and chief executive Miguel Camahort. With them are (standing, from left) Orient Freight corporate secretary Glenn Mangaoil, LBC chief financial officer Enrique Rey and Orient Freight vice president Rene Garcia.

Cavite toll road construction to start Port of Subic’s

By Darwin G. Amojelar MPCALA Holdings Inc., a unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., said it expects to start the construction of the Cavite side of the Cavite Laguna Expressway Project by the end of April.

“We expect to break ground in the Cavite side towards the end of April,” MPCala president and chief executive Luigi Bautista said.

MPCala Holdings earlier tapped Leighton Holdings of Australia to build the Cavite side, while local contractor DMCI Consunji Inc. will construct the Laguna side.

Calax, one of the largest publicprivate partnership projects, involves the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of a fourlane, 47-kilometer closed-system toll

expressway connecting Cavitex (Manila–Cavite Expressway) and South Luzon Expressway.

The P34.5-billion expressway will start from Cavitex in Kawit, Cavite and end at the SLEx-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.

Construction is expected to be completed by 2020, while operations and maintenance are set from 2020 to 2050.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. is also constructing the P27.9-billion CebuCordova Link Expressway project.

The 8.25-km bridge project, set to be completed by 2020, will connect Cebu City to Mactan Island via Cordova.

The group is also building the NLEx-SLEx Connector Road, an elevated expressway to connect the northern and southern toll road systems at a cost of P23 billion.

DBP LOAN. State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines grants a P684million loan to Taguibo Acquatech Solutions Corp., which supplies water to the Butuan City Water District, for a bulk water project designed to improve water supply and quality in the city. Shown during the loan signing for the bulk water project of TASC are (seated, from left) DBP vice president Neogen Chavez, DBP chairman Alberto Romulo, DBP president and chief executive Cecilia Borromeo, Ruben Javier of TASC, DBP executive vice president Anthony Robles pand DBP first vice president Sisinio Narisma.

With them are other officers and staff of DBP and TASC.

revenues rose 6% to P1.2b in 2017

By Othel V. Campos THE Port of Subic said revenues grew 6 percent in 2017 to P1.2 billion from P1.13 billion in 2016 after handling more shipments.

Data showed the volume of containerized cargo handled by the Port of Subic rose 13 percent to 140,938 twenty-foot equivalent units last year from 124,707 TEUs in 2016.

The volume of non-containerized cargo volume dropped 6 percent to 6.63 million metric tons in 2017 from 7 million MT in 2016, while gross registered tonnage slipped 7 percent to 28.45 million GRT from 30.7 million GRT. Foreign ship calls improved 12 percent to 1,526 in 2017 from 1,365 calls in 2016, while domestic ship calls declined 27 percent to 1,252. Transshipment significantly increased 468 percent to 2,084 from 368.

Both export and import trade value climbed 38 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

Export trade value went up to $2.3 billion from $1.69 billion, while import trade value increased to $1.7 billion from $1.6 billion.

Cargo traffic by land is also expected to spike with the creation of a cargo rail system that will run from Subic to Clark, linking the ports from both agencies.

State-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority plans to build first the component of the P57.6-billion railway project and then its cargo part.

BCDA vice president Jake Bingcang said the project had already passed the economic hurdle rate of the National Economic and Development Authority based on the projected traffic at Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.

to increasing inflation—ING

By Julito G. Rada THE local unit of Dutch financial giant ING Bank said the weakness of the peso contributed to higher inflation rate in March and will likely compel the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to be “hawkish” and tweak the benchmark interest rates.

ING Bank Manila senior economist Joey Cuyegkeng said in a report the weak peso caused the uptick in inflation in March to 4.3 percent from the revised 3.8 percent in February.

“The government’s plan to import rice and tapering impact of tax-related price pressures would moderate inflation over the policy horizon.

Saudi Arabia plans to cut its oil price for Asia next month as US oil makes inroads to Asia…,” Cuyegkeng said.

“But the sustained weakness of the peso is likely to increase its impact on overall inflation. The peso is 4.4 percent weaker in April which would likely lead to a 0.25 percentage point impact on inflation. We cannot brush aside the possibility of a significantly weaker peso,” he said.

Cuyegkeng said the peso weakened by 7 percent to 9 percent in 2013, 2015 and 2016 because of the shifting US monetary policy and heightened local and global risks.

“A weak peso may eventually spur the central bank to turn hawkish,” Cuyegkeng said.

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. said earlier the peso could decline further against the US dollar and might close the year at 53.50 per greenback amid the widening current account deficit.

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

The deficit was also more than double compared to the $1.2-billion deficit a year ago. The 2017 deficit was the biggest since 1999, when the current account shortfall hit $2.85 billion.

The full-year deficit last year accounted for around 0.8 percent of GDP. This was in sharp contrast to 2013, when the country ran a current account surplus of 4.2 percent of GDP.

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Business

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Dubai set to splash billions on projects ahead of Expo

This photo taken on April 8, 2018 shows a view of the Boao Forum for Asia International Conference Center ahead of the annual conference’s opening in Boao, south China’s Hainan province. The BFA annual conference 2018 takes place between April 8-11. Investors will be keeping a close eye on comments Tuesday by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Boao Forum, dubbed the Asian Davos. AFP

Forced employee regularization is unconstitutional PERHAPS because he thought that he wasn’t going to win anyway, candidate Rodrigo Duterte made a number of extravagant promises to the voters in the 2016 Presidential election. One related to the labor sector. If elected, Mr. Duterte said, he would lose no time working for the eradication of the endo (end of contract) practice, under which employers hired workers on a contractual basis, repeatedly renewing the four-month or five-month contracts after brief intervals.

True to his word, newly-elected Rodrigo Duterte lost no time instructing DoLE (the Department of Labor and Employment) to issue nomore-endo orders to business establishments determined to be employing their workers on a contractual basis. It was no secret that the biggest endo practitioners were―and remain―the leading retailing and fast-food (QSR, or quick service restaurant) companies. Newly-appointed DoLE head Silvestre Bello III and his minions dutifully went to work, conducting meetings with the top officials of the targeted establishments and obtaining the employment profiles of their workforces.

During the past year and a half there has been no hard information, from DoLE or the companies, as to the progress of the drive against endo. (Although it is widely believed that DoLE has met firm resistance from the no. 1 conglomerate in this country). As a result, the Filipino people have been left to speculate as to whether the anti-endo campaign has been a successful government initiative.

Then, three weeks ago, the no-information situation came to an end.

President Duterte declared that the government “could not force” business establishment to stop engaging in the endo employment practice, in effect admitting (1) that there has been push-back from the private sector and (2) that consequently the anti-endo drive has been less than successful. Secretary Bello, a lawyer steeped in the nature of employment

and the rights of employers and employees, heartily agreed.

One would have thought that that was the end of the endo story. But it wasn’t. A few days ago the head of the NCR (National Capital Region) office of DoLE issued an order to the nation’s largest fast-food group Jollibee, to regularize 7,500 of its employees. The order has raised two questions. One is more immediate than the other.

The immediate question is whether the Jollibee group will comply with the DoLE-NCR order. Already some labor lawyer have pointed out that an order of that nature should have been issued by the Secretary of Labor and Employment, not a mere regional director. I don’t know much about the approach of Jollibee management to these matters, but I am certain that the company’s legal advisers will point out to Jollibee management the implications of Jollibee compliance with the DoLE regional director’s order.

By far the most important implication will be legal, nay constitutional.

One of the freedom enshrined in the Constitution is the freedom to contract with regard to matters that are not illegal or immoral or harmful to public health and safety. Going beyond freedom to contract, the Constitution safeguards the inviolability of lawful contracts. There has been no determination that the endo contracts have been unlawful.

The endo practitioners’ resort to this approach to employee hiring is based on sound economic considerations revolving around cost. No one will dispute the proposition that labor regulation cannot be about profits alone, with worker welfare enjoying low priority. But these interests are not irreconcilable. The correct approach to reconciling the business sector’s concerns with the workers’ desire for employment stability is to examine why regularization produces higher operational costs.

In time, enhancing the welfare of Filipino workers must be pursued within the framework of the Constitution, more specifically the Basic Law’s provision on freedom to contract. Employment regularization must not be done in a manner violative of the Constitution.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates―Dubai is splashing tens of billions of dollars on infrastructure and hospitality projects related to the international trade fair Expo 2020, Dubai-based BNC Network said in a report published Sunday.

The value of Expo-related projects underway hit $42.5 billion in March, according to the Construction Intelligence Report.

It said that $17.4 billion were invested in infrastructure and transport projects, $13.2 billion on housing and $11 billion for hotels and theme parks.

The projects include an $8-billion expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport―located at the southern pole of the city and tipped to complement Dubai International Airport to the north.

Dubai airport was the world’s busiest for international travel in 2017, handling more than 88 million travelers.

Al Maktoum, when complete, will have the capacity to handle 160 million travelers per year.

The emirate is spending $2.9 billion to develop a new metro line that will link its main transport hubs to the Expo site.

The new line will also link the $13.4-billion Dubai South Villages and Dubai Exhibition City, projects currently underway.

Authorities expect Expo 2020 to boost the real estate market and the hospitality sector, creating up to 300,000 new jobs and energizing the economy.

The six-month event, the first World Expo to be staged in the Middle East, is expected to attract up to 300,000 visitors per day, half of them from abroad, when it opens in October 2020, according to the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Dubai, a city state which has established itself as a regional business hub and tourism destination, has the Gulf’s most diversified economy that is not dependent on oil.

The economy of Dubai, where the population of three million people is comprised mainly of foreigners, is based on finance, property, tourism and leisure.

Over 21 percent of this year’s public spending of $15.5 billion is earmarked for infrastructure projects. Oil income contributes just six percent to public revenues. AFP

Asian stock markets up as trade war fears ease H ONG KONG―Asian markets rose on Monday as fears about a potentially catastrophic China-US trade war were tempered by hopes the two sides will be able to hammer out an agreement.

US markets plunged on Friday after Donald Trump warned of tariffs on an additional $100 billion worth of Chinese imports, to which Beijing responded by saying it would stand firm.

The president’s announcement came weeks after his decision to tax imports of steel and aluminum, followed by planned levies on $50 billion worth of goods from China over what Washington says is theft of intellectual property and technology.

China retaliated by unveiling planned levies on $50 billion worth of major US exports.

Trump’s moves, part of his protectionist “America First” agenda, have rattled world markets, fearing a trade war between the world’s top two economies could reverse the tentative global recovery.

“Much ink has been spilt over trade wars in the last few days, and we now wait to see what the Trump administration does next,” Stephen Innes, head of forex trading for Asia Pacific at OANDA, said in a note.

There are hopes Trump’s headlinegrabbing tariffs are part of a plan to take a harsh line as a bargaining tactic towards a deal with China.

And on Sunday Trump tweeted that he saw an end to the dispute, saying: “China will take down its trade barriers because it is the right thing to do.”

However top advisor Larry Kudlow, who has often suggested the tariffs might not go into effect, warned Friday the announcements were not negotiating tactics, while Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the White House hoped to negotiate but acknowledged a trade war was a possibility.

All three main indexes on Wall Street ended more than two percent down Friday.

But US futures rose Monday and Asian markets, after fluctuating in early trade, pushed higher.

Tokyo ended 0.5 percent higher, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 1.29 percent, or 384.64 points, to close at 30,229.58.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite

Index climbed 0.23 percent, or 7.18 points, to 3,138.29. The Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China’s second exchange, inched up 0.01 percent, or 0.13 points, to 1,831.83.

Singapore was 0.1 percent higher, Seoul gained 0.6 percent and Wellington added 0.7 percent, while Taipei, Bangkok and Jakarta also rose.

“Focus this week will remain the trade issues between the US and China... as some people began to have an optimistic view on the outcome of the issue. It’s getting harder to predict what will come next,” SBI Securities said in a commentary.

Investors will be keeping a close eye on comments Tuesday by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Boao Forum—dubbed the Asian Davos—to see if he comments on the brewing row.

Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader asked: “Will Xi crank the handle on rhetoric or will he strike a more conciliatory tone?”

A report Friday showed the US created far fewer jobs than expected in March, tempering expectations of sharp interest rate rises by the Federal Reserve. AFP

Trump sees end to worsening dispute with China’s Xi WASHINGHTON―US President Donald Trump on Sunday said he sees an end to the escalating trade dispute with China, after tit-for-tat retaliatory tariffs and threats that rattled markets.

“China will take down its trade barriers because it is the right thing to do,” Trump said in a tweet.

“Taxes will become reciprocal & deal will be made on Intellectual Property.

Great future for both countries!”

He added that he and China’s President Xi Jinping “will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade.”

US stocks plunged more than two percent Friday after Trump warned of tariffs on an additional $100 billion worth of Chinese imports, provoking a strong response from Beijing and fanning fears

of a full-blown trade war.

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

Some global investors have, however, taken solace from signals that the Trump administration may be taking a harsh line as a bargaining tactic towards dealmaking with China.

In the wake of Trump’s decision in March to impose steep tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, primarily to target China, the US on Tuesday published a list of $50 billion in Chinese goods to be hit by tariffs over what Washington says is widespread theft of intellectual property and technology.

China retaliated by unveiling planned

levies on $50 billion worth of major US exports including soybeans, cars and small aircraft.

Trump hit back again late Thursday, instructing trade officials to consider the additional levies on $100 billion in imports.

“Rather than remedy its misconduct, China has chosen to harm our farmers and manufacturers,” Trump said at the time, calling Beijing’s reaction “unfair.”

So far, only the tariffs on steel and aluminum have taken effect.

US businesses, and farm states most vulnerable to Chinese retaliation, have called for restraint.

Trump’s senior economic advisers on Sunday dismissed talk of a trade war and said the president is serious about imposing tariffs, even as talks continue with China. AFP

French rail strike resumes; Macron not backing down PARIS―French rail workers launched their latest two-day strike on Sunday over plans to overhaul the heavily indebted train operator SNCF, the biggest test yet to President Emmanuel Macron’s drive to reform the country’s economy.

Neither side appears ready to back down, with Prime Minister Edouard Philippe warning that the government would not be deterred despite union pledges for three months of rolling stoppages, and possibly more.

“I get messages from people who support the government, saying we need to carry this through all the way. And that’s what we are going to do,” Philippe told the Parisien newspaper Sunday.

Just one in five high-speed TGV trains were operating and similar disruptions were expected Monday, with roughly

one-quarter of Eurostar trains serving London to be cancelled, the SNCF said.

On some main lines just one in six trains will be running Monday, and only one in three regional trains, including the heavily used lines serving the Paris region.

Among international lines, Thalys trains to Brussels and beyond will be operating “almost normally” but only one in six trains to Switzerland will run, one in five to Spain and one in three to Germany, and all trains to Italy are cancelled.

Public opinion appears to be swinging toward the government, with an Ifop poll published Sunday by the Journal du Dimanche newspaper―carried out April 5-6, just after last week’s strike―showing 62 percent in favor of the SNCF reform.

It was an increase of 11 percentage

points from Ifop’s survey on March 3031, in which just 51 percent supported the reform.

“I understand the determination of certain unions, but they need to understand mine as well,” Philippe said.

Macron, who has barely spoken publicly about the conflict so far, is scheduled to give an hour-long TV interview on Thursday.

Rail unions show no signs of giving in, setting up a showdown that could spell weeks of headaches for the network’s 4.5 million daily passengers.

“We’re going to have a marathon if the government forces it,” Laurent Brun of the CGT’s rail branch said Friday after two days of talks with government officials, while warning that the strike could extend beyond its scheduled end on June 28. AFP

Commuters stand under information boards at the gare Saint-Lazare in Paris on April 9, 2018 as French rail workers launched their latest two-day strike over plans to overhaul the heavily indebted train operator SNCF, the biggest test yet to French President’s drive to reform the country’s economy. AFP

World IN BRIEF Russian army blames Israel for strikes MOSCOW—The Russian army on Monday accused Israel of carrying out deadly missile strikes on a Syrian military airbase from Lebanon, Russian media reported.

Damascus made the same accusation against Israel Monday.

“Two F-15 planes of the Israeli army hit the airbase between 03:25 am and 03:53 am Moscow time (0025 GMT and 0053 GMT) with the help of eight missiles controlled remotely from Lebanese territory, without entering Syrian air space,” the Russian defense ministry was quoted as saying by news agencies.

Five of the missiles were destroyed by Syrian defense systems but the remaining three struck “the Western part of the airbase,” the ministry said.

At least 14 fighters, including Iranians, were killed in the strike on the T-4 airbase, according to the monitoring organization the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Forces from regime allies Russia and Iran, as well as fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, are known to have a presence at the base, according to the observatory.

No Russian specialists present in Syria were injured in the attack, Moscow’s defense ministry said.

A military spokeswoman for Israel, which has struck Syrian military positions several times in recent years, declined to comment on the strike. AFP

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, World Editor

Deadly strikes hit Syria air base D AMASCUS―Syria and its Russian ally accused Israel on Monday of carrying out a deadly dawn bombing raid on a military air base, as global outrage mounted over an alleged poison gas attack outside Damascus.

US President Donald Trump and French counterpart Emmanuel Macron had vowed a strong response to the suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma and the UN Security Council was expected to discuss the crisis later on Monday.

Syrian state media reported “several missiles” had hit the T-4 base in central Syria just before dawn on Monday. Washington and Paris denied any involvement, and Damascus later blamed Israel.

“The Israeli attack on the T-4 airport was carried out with F-15 aircraft that

fired several missiles from above Lebanese territory,” state news agency SANA reported, quoting a military source.

The Russian army also accused Israel, saying two Israeli F-15s had fired eight missiles at the base and that five were destroyed by air defence systems but three hit a western part of the facility.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the country’s conflict, said 14 fighters had been killed, including Syrian army officers and Iranian forces.

Forces from regime backers Rus-

sia and Iran, as well as fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, are known to have a presence at the base, said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman.

In Washington, a Pentagon spokesman denied it was involved, saying: “At this time, the Department of Defense is not conducting air strikes in Syria.”

US forces a year ago fired a volley of cruise missiles at the government’s Shayrat air base in retaliation for another suspected chemical attack in April 2017.

The Shayrat airport lies just 70 kilometers west of T-4, also known as the Tiyas base.

French army spokesman Colonel Patrik Steiger also denied France carried out the strike, telling AFP: “It was not us.”

A military spokeswoman for Israel, which has hit Syrian military positions several times in recent years, declined to comment.

Israel has repeatedly warned it will not accept its arch-foe Iran entrenching itself militarily in Syria.

In February, it accused Iranian forces at the T-4 base of sending a drone into Israeli territory. After targeting Iranian units in Syria in retaliation, an Israel F-16 was shot down by Syrian anti-aircraft fire in one of the conflict’s most notable escalations.

Israel then carried out what it called “large-scale” raids on Syrian air defense systems and Iranian targets, which reportedly included T-4.

Nick Heras, an analyst at the Center for a New American Security, said it Israel had a vested interest in bombing T-4.

“The Israelis, well aware of the importance of the T-4 base for Iran to apply strategic military pressure on Israel, would have ample reason to strike the base hard,” he told AFP. AFP

Hungary’s Orban ready for third term after win

Syria accuses Israel of bombing raids DAMASCUS—Syria accused Israel on Monday of carrying out deadly bombing raids on a military airbase in the country’s center, state news agency SANA reported.

“The Israeli attack on the T-4 airport was carried out with F-15 aircraft that fired several missiles from above Lebanese territory,” SANA said, citing a military source.

It had reported just before dawn that “several missiles” had hit T-4, which lies in central Syria and is also known as the Tiyas air base.

A military spokeswoman for Israel declined to comment on Monday.

SANA had initially reported the strike as a “suspected US attack” but later withdrew all references to the United States.

It said the attack had left dead and wounded but did not give casualty figures.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the country’s conflict, said 14 fighters had been killed, including at least three Syrian officers and Iranian forces.

Forces from regime backers Russia and Iran, as well as fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, are known to have a presence at the base, said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman.

Israel has repeatedly warned it will not accept its arch-foe Tehran entrenching itself militarily in Syria and has bombed Iranian targets there.

In February, it accused Iranian forces at the T-4 base of sending a drone into Israeli territory.

After bombing Iranian units in Syria in retaliation, an Israel F-16 was shot down by Syrian antiaircraft fire in one of the conflict’s most notable escalations.

Israel then carried out what it called “large-scale” raids on Syrian air defense systems and Iranian targets, which reportedly included T-4. AFP

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SAILING IN THE RAIN. A Kashmiri Indian man transports passengers during rainfall on Dal Lake in Srinagar on April 9, 2018. AFP

Canada town honors hockey crash victims at vigil HUMBOLDT-Mourners in the tiny Canadian town of Humboldt, still struggling to make sense of a devastating tragedy, gathered at a prayer vigil Sunday to honor the victims of a truck-bus crash that killed 15 of their own and shook North American ice hockey.

Nearly 3,000 people-half of the local population―attended the vigil at the Humboldt Broncos’ arena, which began with an a cappella performance of the national anthem, echoed by the crowd.

Having visited the bedsides of injured players, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and public safety minister Ralph Goodale attended the event, which was punctuated

with songs, prayers and a minute of silence.

“By far it’s the biggest event that has ever been in our city. This is tonight one of the steps we have to go through to heal,” said Rob Muench, mayor of the town in Saskatchewan province, wearing a Broncos team jersey.

Police said a collision late Friday between a transport truck and a bus carrying players, coaches and team personnel of the junior hockey team claimed 15 lives and left the other 14 people on the bus injured, some critically.

“I have some friends who died, and I don’t want them to be forgotten. I want to remember, just pay my respects,” Mitchel

Mueller, a close friend of several players, told AFP. Volunteers, many red-eyed, had lined up chairs earlier on Sunday at the arena, where the team were supposed to play a playoff game that fans had excitedly anticipated.

An additional 1,000 chairs were set up at a local curling rink, and live broadcast feeds were planned for other area venues, the Regina Leader-Post reported.

“It’s a close-knit community, everybody gets along and works good together,” said Fred Stanec, a member of St Augustine Catholic Church, which hosted a breakfast in support of the team. AFP Manila

BUDAPEST―Hungary’s anti-immigration populist premier Viktor Orban was set for a third straight term Monday after a crushing election victory, delighting other nationalists but likely causing unease in some other EU members.

Addressing cheering supporters in Budapest late on Sunday, Orban called the result a “destiny-deciding victory” which would give Hungarians “the opportunity to defend themselves and to defend Hungary”.

Orban’s Fidesz party won around 49 percent of the vote, an improvement on its score from four years ago and which may even gift it a two-thirds majority in parliament, which would enable it to change the constitution.

Some other EU members are likely to view Orban’s renewed internal dominance with trepidation, given his repeated run-ins with Brussels institutions over his hardline anti-immigration policies and rejection of the EU’s refugee resettlement program, as well as his moves to clamp down on civil society groups.

However, nationalists and those on the far-right who admire Orban’s strident brand of identity politics and claims to be a protector of “Christian Europe” will take comfort in the result.

In his victory speech on Sunday night, Orban himself thanked Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of Poland’s governing PiS party, for his support.

Poland and Hungary see each other as key allies in their battles with EU institutions.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and her Dutch counterpart Geert Wilders were quick to tweet their congratulations once results became clear. AFP

Standard

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

TODAY

INVITATION TO BID FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF VARIOUS GOODS 1.

The Department of Health (DOH), through the General Appropriations Act of 2018 intends to procure the following projects listed below: IB No.

Name of Contract

2018-213 Procurement of Radio Placement for Various DOH Programs 2018-214 Procurement of Giant Fixed LED TV Billboard and Collapsible LED Display

ABC (PHP)

Cost of Bidding Documents (Php)

20,000,000.00

25,000.00

190,000,000.00

50,000.00

2.

The DOH now invites Bids from eligible Bidders for the procurement of the abovecaptioned projects. Delivery of the Goods is required within period specified under Section VI. Schedule of Requirements. Bidders should have completed contracts similar to the cited projects as stated in the ITB. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

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

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

4.

PROTEST. Protestors wearing mask stand amid smoke during clashes with riot police as French police officers move in to clear the area during the eviction of environmental protesters from the site, known as ZAD (Zone a Defendre - Zone to defend), of what had been a proposed new airport in Notre-Damedes-Landes on April 9, 2018. AFP

Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman starts official visit to Paris PARIS―Saudi Arabia’s crown prince kicks off his official visit to France Monday, part of an image-building global tour as he seeks to revitalize cultural and investment ties with Paris despite lurking tensions.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, widely known as MBS, dined with President Emmanuel Macron at Paris’s historic Louvre museum after flying in Sunday on his first trip to France as the heir to the Saudi throne.

Macron faces a diplomatic tightrope in talks with the reformist prince as he seeks to bolster ties with the world’s top crude exporter, while also managing relations with the kingdom’s arch-rival Iran.

A scheduled visit to the Paris-based startup campus Station F along with French Prime

Minister Edouard Philippe was abruptly canceled, but the two leaders are set to meet for lunch on Monday.

The 32-year-old prince, who spearheads the kingdom’s armed forces, is also set to meet French Defense Minister Florence Parly.

Campaigners are expected to mobilize to denounce French weapon exports to Saudi Arabia despite the kingdom’s role in the longrunning war in Yemen, dubbed the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

Three out of four French people believe it is “unacceptable” to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia, according to a poll last month by independent research group YouGov. The visit comes after a tumultuous period at home that saw a major military shake-up and

a royal purge as the crown prince consolidates power to a degree well beyond that wielded by previous rulers.

The prince’s trip to France following a weeks-long tour of the United States, Britain and Egypt where he courted a host of business titans and several multi-million dollar deals.

Around 18 memorandums of understanding in energy, agriculture, tourism and culture are set to be signed at an official Saudi-France CEO Forum on Tuesday, a source close to the crown prince’s delegation told AFP. A Franco-Saudi cooperation deal to develop Al Ula, a Saudi city richly endowed with archeological remnants, is also expected to be a central highlight of the visit. AFP

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

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

5.

The DOH will hold a Pre-Bid Conference and the Submission and Opening of Bids at the COBAC Conference Room, Ground Floor, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, Sta. Cruz, Manila, on the schedule given below: IBNo.

Name of Contract

2018-213

Procurement of Radio Placement for Various DOH program Procurement of Giant Fixed LED TV Billboard and Collapsible LED Display

2018-214

6.

Activity (Date & Time) Pre-bidding Submission and Conference Opening of Bids 18 April 2018; 10:00 A.M.

02 May 2018; 9:00 A.M.

Bids must be duly received by the COBAC Secretariat at the address below on or before the date given above. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable fonns and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be at the COBA C Conference Room, Ground Floor, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, Sta. Cruz, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representarives who choose to attend at the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted.

7.

8.

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

For further information, please refer to: COBAC-B Secretariat Department of Health San Lazaro Compound Sta. Cruz, Manila Tel. Nos. 651-7800 local 1625 to 1627; 1650 to 52 Facsimile No.: 741-9775; 740-6830 (SGD) MARIA ROSARIO S. VERGEIRE, MD, MPH, CESO IV Assistant Secretary of Health Chairperson, COBAC-B

(MS-APR. 10, 2018)

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

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tuesday, aPRIL 10, 2018

LGUs LocaL government units

Belmonte leads seminar for SK aspirants

By Rio N. Araja AMID corruption issues hounding the Sangguniang Kabataan, Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte will spearhead a seminar for those aspiring to run in the national youth legislature elections in May. She said it is high time the city government put an effort to cleanse the ranks of SK officials and insulate them from the culture of corruption.

“I think this preelection seminar is important so that the young people running for SK posts understand what the value of their work is all about,” she said.

“I believe that this early we should keep them away from the path of dirty politics,” she added.

The Office of the Vice Mayor has partnered with the San Sebastian College for the orientation seminar for aspiring SK candidates.

Belmonte said its principal purpose is to educate SK bets about platform building, good governance and leadership.

“Because the perception of running for elective posts, which we’re trying to change with our advocacy for good governance, is that it has something to do with power and wealth generation.

I think we have to change that mindset,” she said.

“We want them understand the true meaning of public service,” Belmonte added.

3D show marks Pangasinan’s founding day

By Dexter A. See LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Pangasinenses saw a unique showcase of the 438th Agew na Pangasinan (Pangasinan Founding Date) celebration via the staging of the Kidiyam PangAwaran (sparkles of Pangasinan history) on April 5.

Gov. Amado Espino III said the innovative way of presenting Pangasinan history has stirred the attention of Pangasinenses, particularly the youth, to love their province by knowing their history and culture.

“With this sounds and lights show, and cultural dance presentations, we try to stir up people’s interest to embrace Pangasinan’s history and culture,” the governor said.

Kidiyam PangAwaran, a feature of Pangasinan history in 3D projection, was complemented by performances of local talents and a fireworks display held at the Capitol Plaza.

The Pangasinan Capitol building was utilized as a “big projection screen” where significant periods of Pangasinan history and development were shown.

TRADITIONAL DANCE.

Tribal folks clad in colorful ethnic regalia participate in the 14th Lang-ay festival celebration in Bontoc, Mt. Province. Dave Leprozo Jr.

P3-b terminal exchange complete by Q2—Orbos

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

HE P3-billion Integrated Terminal Exchange in Parañaque City is now 75 percent complete and is expected to be finished by second quarter this year.

Once fully operational, the intermodal transport hub will interconnect Line 1 of the Light Railway Transit system, city and provincial buses, as well as UV express and public utility jeeps routes for the convenience of about 200,000 passengers daily.

“This ensures a safe, convenient, and hassle-free travel experience for the commuting public,” said Thomas Orbos, Inter-agency Council for Traffic chief and Transportation undersecretary for Roads and Infrastructure.

Orbos said the terminal exchange will further ease the flow of traffic along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.

The facility, located in four-hectare land along Coastal Road, will be the first modern intermodal public transport terminal to be built in the country.

The terminal is envisioned to be a modern transportation hub that will significantly improve the commuting and terminal experience of passengers.

It will be the first among several terminals that will be built around the pe-

ripheries of Metro Manila, Orbos said.

He added that the strategic location will maximize road usage and reduce the number of public utility vehicles plying busy road networks such as Edsa, particularly in the areas of Baclaran and Taft Avenue.

With the government’s Route Rationalization Plan that will be soon implemented, Orbos said the reorganization of routes will be a priority, and provincial PUVs will only be allowed to load and unload in ITX, avoiding Edsa altogether.

“At least 1,000 buses will be taken out of Edsa daily for the comfort and safety of our Cavite and Batangas brothers going to Metro Manila and greatly help decongest Metro Manila traffic,” Orbos said.

POSTCARD PRETTY.

Tourists take a dip in the pristine waters of Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—An aspirant for barangay chairman was killed in an ambush while another was injured in a shooting incident in Zamboanga del Sur, the police reported Monday.

The incident happened six days before the filing of the Certificate of Candidacy for the forthcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

Chief Supt. Edwin De Ocampo, deputy regional police director for administration for Region 9, said the shooting incident happened Sunday afternoon at Purok 3, Barangay Barubuhan in Sominot, Zamboanga del Sur. De Ocampo identified the fatality as Rolando Labad, who succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds.

Labad’s companion, Carlito Murcia, was hospitalized for a bullet wound on his right leg.

Two other companions of the victims, Santiago Miñoza and Enrico Estrada, were unharmed as they managed to run and hide for safety.

De Ocampo said the victims were ambushed by unidentified gunmen while they were in a motorcycle convoy traveling from Barangay Poblacion to the residence of Miñoza.

He said a team of responding policemen recovered at the ambush site 42 empty shells, two live ammunitions of M-16 Armalite rifle, and two empty shells of .45 cal. pistol.

Authorities are eyeing political rivarly as possible motive. PNA

Appointed city councilor takes oath before Sara

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera

Ilocos Norte expects tourist influx after record Holy Week arrivals ILOCOS Norte welcomed over 500,000 day visitors during the Holy Week season, posting an increase of at least 115 percent in a span of three years from the recorded 232,678 tourist arrivals in 2015.

The Provincial Tourism Office said the tourist influx is expected to continue throughout the upcoming Labor Day weekend, the rest of the summer season, and the extended vacation for schools still undergoing a shift in their school calendars.

Among the top tourist destinations for 2018 was the San Agustin Church in Paoay, followed by the Bangui Windmill Farm, the Blue Lagoon Resort in Pagudpud, the Karpurpurawan Rock Formation in Burgos; the La Milagrosa Cove and Chapel, also in Badoc, together with the Badoc Gateway; the Marcos Heritage Trail

Potential brgy chairman bet killed in ambush

in Sarrat, the Davila Seafood Area in Pasuquin; the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, also in Burgos; and the Batac Empanadahan alongside the city’s Immaculate Conception Parish.

The Pagudpud resorts, Kapurpurawan Rock Formation, and Davila Seafood Area are largely founded on Ilocos Norte’s rich and diverse natural resources: white-sanded beaches often compared to those of Boracay Island; the white limestone cliffs shaped by oceans waves; and the bounty of fish, squid, seaweed, and other coastal delicacies caught and prepared by locals into savory dishes.

Badoc’s La Milagrosa Chapel and Shrine, overlooking the sea, is home to the provincial patroness, La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc. Being the first town

of Ilocos Norte when arriving from the south, it also marks the tangible gateway into the province.

The town of Sarrat, being the birthplace and childhood hometown of former President Ferdinand Marcos, offers the Marcos Heritage Trail, which includes a tour of the late strongman’s actual childhood home as well as of the Sta. Monica Church, the longest and largest church in Ilocos Norte.

Events that potential tourists can look out for in coming weeks include the opening of a Marian Exhibition in Arte Luna, Paoay, on April 25; the Himala! Sa Buhangin Arts and Music Festival at the Paoay Sand Dunes on April 28; the Miss Ilocos Norte pageant at the Centennial Arena, Laoag City, on May 11; and the Canonical Coronation of La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc on May 31.

DAVAO CITY—Newly appointed city councilor Carmelo Clarion took oath Monday morning before Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio to officially start his duty.

Clarion, who was the Barangay Captain of Barangay Mulig in Toril District, will replace Bernard Al-ag.

Al-ag was promoted to vice mayor after presidential son Paolo Duterte resigned from his post on December 25.

“I’d like to take some time and go around the 82 barangays of the 3rd district to know what they need, but for now I can see that there is a need of potable water,” he said.

Some areas in Toril have a low supply of potable water, especially for the elevated areas.

Duterte-Carpio said Clarion was chosen after the local council reached a consensus that “it will be better if we choose a barangay captain to address [issues at] the grass-roots level.”

Datu Piang mayor turns over loose firearms of residents to AFP DATU PIANG, Maguindanao—More town mayors in Maguindanao are coming out with loose guns collected from residents and have turned them over to the military.

The latest town executive to respond to military’s campaign against loose firearms was Mayor Genuine Kamaong of Datu Piang, which is one of the most conflict-affected areas in the province.

“This is our support to President Duterte’s dream of a gunless Maguindanao,” Kamaong told reporters and military personnel during turnover rites over the weekend at the town’s covered court.

Kamaong turned over 16 assorted firearms to Lt. Colonel Alvin Iyog, chief of the Army’s 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion and later to Brig. Gen. Diosdado Carreon, Army’s 601st Brigade commander.

The surrendered firearms comprised of four locallymade Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifles, four 9mm pistols, one M14 rifle, two Hydramax M16 rifle, three homemade M79 launchers, a shotgun, and two Garand rifles.

Maj. Gen. Arnel B. Dela Vega, Army’s 6th Infantry Division commander, expressed his gratitude to the efforts of Datu Piang officials for extending their support to the AFP in its campaign

against loose firearms.

A total of 338 firearms were surrendered in Maguindanao since January this year.

Lt. Colonel Gerry Besana, head of the 6ID civilmilitary operations unit, said more guns are expected to be turned over by the local officials since they are well-informed of Martial Law Order No. 1 for them to help in the disarmament drive. PNA

Life

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

health and environment

tuesday, april 10, 2018

C1

Lush Philippines and Lush Hong Kong pledged a total of 1,250 Makaasim seedlings to Haribon Foundation’s reforestation activity

CosmetiCs Company

supports Haribon Foundation

H

AndmAdE cosmetics company Lush has recently directed its Charity Pot campaign donations to local environmental protection organization Haribon Foundation.

Charity Pot campaign collects proceeds of the sales (minus taxes) of Charity Pot, a luxurious hand and body lotion from Lush, and allocates it towards supporting small grassroots organizations geared towards humanitarian efforts, animal protection, environmental conservation, and other worthy causes.

Local groups with the aforementioned initiatives, have no links to animal testing, and committed to non-violent action can apply to be recipients of the Charity Pot funding.

Lush Philippines chose to support Haribon Foundation’s tree planting activities. The organization aims to conserve natural habitats, save species, and encourage sustainability.

Haribon’s tree planting activities are part of the ROAd (Rainforest Organizations and Advocates) to 2020, which aims to restore one million hectares of Philippine rainforests using native tree species.

Lush Philippines and Lush Hong Kong pledged a total of 1,250 Makaasim seedlings, equivalent to one hectare of forest. Lush International retail manager Lauren Savage joined Lush’s local team, composed of staff and store managers, in the seedling planting activity at nPC Caliraya-Lumot Watershed in Cavinti, Laguna.

Lush Charity Pot is available in 45g at P295, 95g at P485, and 240g at P925.00

It is vital that we cover our mouth when we sneeze to avoid spread of airborne diseases

5 facts about airborne germs EvEn if you always wash your hands or refrain from touching anything, at all, to prevent germs they can still get to you, as there are tiny, microscopic germs in the air around us.

But skin germ protection soap brand Safeguard believes that even if we can’t see them with our naked eye, it does not mean we can’t fight them. The family soap label is taking active steps to spread awareness about these airborne enemies, which it calls #HAnGInfection. Here are five facts about it:

HANGINfection can travel from one place to another

Winds transport HAnGInfection from places to places. Airborne germs can enter your home through open spaces in your door or window. It can stay airborne for long periods of time, and can even survive for a few days or up to a week.

HANGINfection is bioaerosols

Bioaerosols contain living organisms and/or are released by living organisms.

HANGINfection contains viruses, bacteria, and fungi

These living organisms may include bacteria such as Legionella, Staphylococcus, Leptospira, Bacillus; viruses such as influenza and rhinovirus; and fungi such as Aspergillus and Histoplasmsa.

HANGINfection is around us and it comes from different sources

Since it also comes from living organisms, these tiny airborne particles are most prevalent in areas with many people and animals, including damp locations.

Sources of HAnGInfection are so ubiquitous that it can come from soil, organic debris, humidifiers, industrial pollution, farming, and even ourselves.

This is the reason why we’re taught to cover our mouths when we cough and sneeze. Each time we don’t, germs can travel in the air through droplets.

HANGINfection can cause skin infection and other diseases

Lush Charity Pot body lotion Lush International retail manager Lauren Savage plants seedlings

The Lush Philippines team, composed of staff and store managers, participated in the seedling planting activity at NPC Caliraya-Lumot Watershed in Laguna

Just like ordinary germs, HAnGInfection can irritate the skin, which could lead to skin infections such as pimples and acne. It can also be the culprit for respiratory diseases as well as gastrointestinal infections and other illnesses.

Then again, there’s nothing to worry about it with proper protection.

When it comes to germ protection, Safeguard gives up to 24 hours of germ protection even from HAnGInfection. It’s part of the soap brand’s commitment to provide our first line of defense against germs for over 50 years now.

Recently, Safeguard partnered with Alden Richards to release a music video “I Wash It That Way,” which aims to spread awareness about HAnGInfection or airborne germs. Watch the music video on Facebook or Youtube.

HANGINfection can irritate the skin which could lead to skin infections

Life

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tuesday, apri apriL 10, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

From left: Planet CORA founder Antoinette Taus, University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute associate dean for research Laura David, and UP College of Mass Communication dean Elena Pernia share creative ways to preserve and protect the environment

Creative ways to protect the environment

BIDA sa GIDA has helped reduce the number of maternal deaths in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas in Samar and Northern Samar

Program helps reduce

maternal deaths

M

aternal mortality is a serious healthcare concern worldwide.

In the Philippines, there are 114 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, according to a 2017 report by the asian Development Bank.

“no mother should die while giving life,” asserted Dr. Beaver tamesis, president and managing director of MSD in the Philippines.

He added, “Maternal mortality is one of the many problems that MSD sees as a threat to the health and well-being not only of mothers, but also to their families and community.”

Protecting mothers from death while giving life is at the core of MSD for Mothers and the Zuellig Family Foundation’s three-year alliance that aims to improve maternal care in 20 Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged areas (GIDas) in Samar and northern Samar provinces. the partnership began in 2013, with the program, “MSD for Mothers and ZFF Community Health Partnership: the Joint Initiative” that followed ZFF’s “Health Change Model,” with the local mayors, community leaders, and health workers who underwent transformative leadership training that enabled them to understand the significance of their role in developing healthcare systems for the poor. to encourage collaborative leadership to improve maternal health, the “BIDa sa GIDa” framework and mantra was piloted as an integral part of the approach.

“BIDa” stands for Bulig, Inspirasyon, Dedikasyon, at Aksyon (help, inspiration, dedication and action).

THere are many ways to efficiently utilize our resources and properly manage our waste, but only a few know how. this urged the aboitiz Group and four sustainability experts to share their knowledge on resource efficiency and waste management during aboitiz equity Ventures, Inc.’s earth Hour activity dubbed “an Hour of r2r (race 2 reduce).”

Here are some of the creative ways we can do to help our environment, according to experts:

Have empathy

environmentalist and Planet COra founder antoinette taus insists that we must have empathy towards creation and the efforts that we put in everything we do. She said, “everything we do, everything we use, everything we throw away is precious. It took a lot to make them, it took a lot precious resources that we are running out of.”

Convey the message clearly

Matuguinao Mayor Melissa Dela Cruz engages with mothers in the municipality

“this partnership program was the first in asia for MSD for Mothers. From its conception until now we are seeing it to its fruition; the program is one corporate responsibility initiative we are most proud of as we know this is where we can make a great difference for the purpose of life,” said tamesis. the national Statistics Coordination Board reported in 2012 that Samar and northern Samar provinces recorded a higher poverty incidence compared to the regional rate. not surprisingly, the maternal mortality ratio was very high, way beyond the national goal of 52 by 2015. through engagements, trainings, and coaching, the number of maternal deaths decreased from 27 to eight in 2015. Mothers choosing facility-based deliveries increased from 55 to 85 percent; deliveries attended by skilled birth attendants increased from 71 to 87 per-

cent; and contraceptive prevalence rates rose from 34 to 40 percent.

Further, ZFF also donated birthing facilities or halfway homes in the far-flung areas.

Use of facilities and childbirth delivery were accredited as part of PhilHealth benefits. the number of health workers trained in the BIDa sa GIDa Modules has reached 118, including 91 midwives, 14 public health nurses, and 13 barangay health worker federation presidents in a span of three years. to share and consolidate learnings from the GIDa communities that were part of the Joint Development Initiative, a GIDa Summit was recently hosted by the DOH regional Office 8 at leyte Park Hotel, tacloban. the summit showcased the health leadership program supported

by MSD for Mothers which was instrumental in the development of the GIDa framework employed by ZFF.

University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication dean elena Pernia claimed that communication of science initiatives formed a critical part of sustainability efforts—and medium is just as important as the message. “It is not just about the crafting of messages, but also ensuring understanding,” said Pernia.

Make it relatable

laura David, associate dean for research of UP Marine Science Institute, shared that the institute developed a board game on disaster resilience and response that has a sense of familiarity and appeals to its target audience. the “anti-Monopoly” resilience: Sur-

vive and thrive traditional tabletop card game teaches players lessons on balanced development and sustainability.

Set a good example

the aboitiz Group and its business units have long been strong supporters of the environment in its businesses and facilities. But understanding that “support” only goes so far towards effecting a real change, the company makes sure it walks the talk, too. according to UnionBank sustainability officer abby Bonita, the bank’s corporate headquarters in Ortigas Center is now fully powered by Cleanergy, aboitizPower’s brand of clean and renewable energy. In addition, it is now leeD-certified by the United States Green Building Council, making it a healthy, highly-efficient, and cost-saving “green” building.

Furthermore, the aboitiz group, through the aboitiz Foundation, spearheads the implementation of programs that promote environmental conservation and biodiversity enhancement. through the active participation of aboitiz team members across the Group, the orga n i z ation ensures that it is doing its part in caring for the planet while building a sustainable enterprise that can be entrusted to future generations. among these initiatives include the r2r program; the a-Park Program, which aims to grow nine million trees nationwide by 2020; and the aboitiz Cleanergy Park, an eight-hectare outdoor biodiversity park in Davao City that is home to the critically-endangered hawksbill sea turtle (pawikan) and 66 other species.

There are many creative ways to efficiently utilize our resources and properly manage our waste

Company to award research grants newtrItIOn, the human nutrition brand of German chemicals company BaSF, has launched the sixth grant call for its science-based innovation research program, the newtrition asia research Grant. the program aims to fund and support academics in asia Pacific to study nutritional topics that will advance research relevant to diet and health for consumers in this region.

For the first time, under the theme of “Beyond Basic nutrition,” the research will center on three focus areas: cardiovascular health, metabolic health, and physical function and mobility. Potential projects will study the relationship between functional ingredients and those focus health areas. this is a change from the previous focus on ingredients only, to ensure that the grant continues to stay relevant to consumers’ evolving nutrition needs and health demands. “rapid economic development and urbanization have brought about a nutritional transition in asia as well as epidemiological changes. we have seen a shift from nutrient deficiencies to a higher incidence of chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases,” said tina low, vice president for Global Business Management of BaSF Human nutrition. “the newtrition asia research Grant is an excellent platform for us to team up with academics in the region, to

The 63rd Annual Convention organizing committee with the distinguished speakers during the Nutritionist-Dietitians Association of the Philippines Chapters Night

Nutritionist-dietitian association

fights ‘fake news’

The Newtrition Asia Research Grant 2018 aims to fund research studies relevant to diet and health

delve deeper into how we can play a part in overcoming these health challenges,” she added.

Proposals will be evaluated and selected by an expert panel, which includes eminent academics and key opinion leaders in human nutrition.

Five researchers will be awarded up to €40,000 (about P2.5 million) each and given 18 months to work on their respective projects.

all proposals must be submitted by May 31. recipients of the grant will be announced in the third quarter of the year.

Detailed guidelines, eligibility requirements and other information about the program are available at www.basf. com/newtrition-asia-research-grant or by email at newtrition-researchgrant@basf.com.

tHe nutritionist-Dietitians association of the Philippines, the country’s largest accredited organization of healthcare professionals in the nutrition and dietetics fields, highlighted the importance of disseminating evidencebased medical health information during its 63rd annual Convention. the three-day congress held in Davao City touched on the timely topic of misinformation and “fake news” while updating members with the latest advancements and ethical standards that shape the competitiveness of Filipino professionals in the food and nutrition service. nDaP president Zenaida Velasco said, “Part of the continuing education is to do away with fake news. “that is why all the topics and discussions this year are topics of general interest, in order to iron out the myths and fallacies on health and nutrition,”

said Velasco. “as a key influencer, we are recognized by the Professional regulation Commission and the Board of nutrition and Dietetics and our members are ‘pure breed’ licensed rnDs. One can only make a strong impact if you have a strong organization, and we are banking on the strength of 33 chapters located all over the country.” anchoring on the theme “road to excellence: Bringing education and nutrition together,” the event highlighted nDaP’s mission to reach out to its community of practitioners and various stakeholders through continuous professional education. according to nDaP vice president eloisa e. Villaraza, the organization is adamant in using digital technology to fight false and misleading online content by spreading truthful, science-backed published information on health, wellness, and nutrition.

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

C3

nickie.standard@gmail.com

Simply Red...

From C4

From left: Kate Valdez, Ruru Madrid, Gabbi Garcia, and Andre Paras take a group photo with the crowd after a mall show for Araw ng Dabaw.

GMA Regional TV rounds off March with awards,

G

SUCCESSFUL EVENTS

MA Regional TV (RTV) continues to forge ahead, rounding off the first quarter of 2018 with various awards and successful events all over the country.

At the Gandingan 2018: The 12th UPLB Isko’t Iska’s Multi-media Awards held on March 17, GMA Network’s regional arm took home four core awards including the Most Development-Oriented TV Station.

North Central Luzon’s top-rating local news program Balitang Amianan won Most Development-Oriented News Program award. Meanwhile, broadcast journalist Tek Ocampo of One Mindanao was recognized as Best News Anchor, while Lou-Anne Mae Rondina of Balitang Bisdak was named as Best Field Reporter.

At the 2018 Aninaw Media Awards by the University of Pangasinan also held on March 17, GMA RTV took home five major awards: Balitang Amianan won Best News Program and its anchor CJ Torida was honored as Most Outstanding News Presenter of the Year (Male Category) and as the Most Popular TV Personality of the Year; Joanne Ponsoy was named as Most Outstanding News Presenter of the Year (Female Category); and Alfe Tulagan was recognized as the Best Field Reporter of the Year (Male Category).

GMA RTV also won as the Best Regional TV Network at the 2018 Platinum Stallion Media Awards by Trinity University of Asia.

“We are happy to be recognized by these universities for our local programs, activi-

ties, and other efforts to help improve the lives of Filipinos and communities in the regions,” says GMA Regional TV Department Vice President and Head Oliver Amoroso.

“Every time we find ourselves doubting how far we can go, we just remember how far we have come.”

During the whole month of March, GMA Regional TV went around the Philippines to celebrate some of the country’s colorful festivals and to mount various Kapuso mall events.

On March 3, Gabby Concepcion and Rafael Rosell flew to Palawan for a Kapuso Mall Show in SM City Puerto Princesa.

Contessa lead actors Glaiza De Castro and Jak Roberto, meanwhile, celebrated the Araw ng Tagum in a jam-packed crowd in Gaisano Mall Tagum on March 7.

GMA News’ Jessica Soho kicked-off the “Kapuso Campus Tour: The Regional Masterclass Series” on March 9 in Dagupan City, Pangasinan.

Meanwhile, Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez went to SM City Davao on March 10 for the Mindanao leg of the nationwide auditions of the upcoming singing contest, The Clash.

Some of the most-sought after Kapuso stars also bannered this year’s celebration of “Araw ng Dabaw”. The stars of the upcoming GMA teleserye The Cure—Jennylyn Mercado and Tom Rodriguez—led the Parada Dabawenyo last March 16. Joining them onboard the Kapuso Float were Megan Young and Mikael Daez, and Katrina Halili of The Stepdaughters. Later that day, the group treated their fans to an exciting Kapuso Mall Show at SM City Davao.

The following day, March 17, the cast of GMA Telebabad series Sherlock Jr. spread cheers and fun at Abreeza Mall. Ruru Ma-

drid and Gabbi Garcia were joined by their co-stars Andre Paras and Kate Valdez. On the same day, Megan and Mikael went to Cagayan de Oro to celebrate the province’s food festival “Big Bite” at Centrio Ayala Mall.

Meanwhile in Angeles, Pampanga, Hindi ko Kayang Iwan Ka lead actors Yasmien Kurdi and Martin del Rosario treated their fans to a Kapuso Mall Show in Nepo Mall.

Joining them were Ken Chan and Rocco Nacino as well as some of the stars of the upcoming series Inday Will Always Love You (IWALY) Juancho Trivino and Kim Rodriguez.

On March 23 in Zamboanga City, Julie Anne San Jose treated her fans to a Kapuso Mall Show in KCC Mall de Zamboanga.

Adding fun to the event were Jake Vargas and Joyce Ching.

The following day (March 24) Contessa’s Glaiza and Jak celebrated the Tobacco Festival via a Kapuso Fiesta. They were joined

by Rafael Rosell. Meanwhile in Negros Occidental, Kapuso actress Kris Bernal also headlined that day the celebration of Sipalay City Charter Anniversary. Joining her in a Kapuso Fiesta were Benjamin Alves and Rodjun Cruz.

Rounding off the series of March events was the Kapuso Fiesta in celebration of Pangasinan’s Balungao Festival. Some of the lead actors of Inday Will Always Love You— Derrick Monasterio, Kim Rodriguez and Juancho Trivino—gave their fans a glimpse of what to expect in the upcoming series.

They were joined by Sirkus cast member Klea Pineda.

“We remain consistent in our goal of giving our boss—the viewers—the best programs and events in the regions,” ends Amoroso.

“Not yet! That’s one thing that’s still far from our minds. It will take some more time. We’re not hurrying anyway.”

The actress wants to concentrate first on her showbiz career. She always makes it clear that it’s on top of my priorities.

“I want to achieve my goals in the industry first. I want to save and save while the iron is still hot, so to speak.

I’ll make my bank account fat first,” she quips.

It is good Jeff understands her stand.

“We have our respective work to attend to. I’m acting, he’s doing businesses. I guess we’ll reach that eventually—when the time is already right for the both of us,” KidZania Manila eagerly awaits the lucky guest who holds the honor of being its one millionth visitor expected to arrive at the play city anytime until this month.

The lucky individual will be given special treats, such as the KidZania UnliPaZZ, an overnight staycation package from Holiday Inn & Suites Makati, and an exciting celebration inside the premiere play hub.

KidZania Manila’s CEO and Governor Cookie Salvador-Bartolome shared that the merriment extends not only to the special visitor, but to everyone who has helped the play city since its inception.

“We’re happy to have reached a great milestone in creating one-of-a-kind experiences to all our visitors in KidZania Manila. This wouldn’t be possible if not for everyone who has made this dream of ours a reality - our industry partners, Zupervisors, staff, and communities who have continuously supported our vision to build a better world for the Filipino children,” she said.

To count down the lucky visitor’s arrival, a digital counter will be put up near its entrance where visitors will scan their bracelets to show their chronological count as they enter the city.

Opened in August 2015, KidZania Manila is the 20th metropolis in the KidZania Nation around the globe. The educational family entertainment facility for kids ages 4 to 17 years old is a replica of a real city scaled down to kids’ size— with its own history, culture, language, and even currency.

“In less than three years, we have made a world where kids can fulfill their dreams and prove that you’re never too young to craft the future that you want.

We will continue to carry on this vision and count many more significant events such as this for the years to come,” added Governor Cookie.

For more information on KidZania Manila and the play city’s various offerings, visit manila.kidzania.com or follow the play city’s social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) @kidzaniamanila *** G Diaries gets even more meaningful and exciting with the launch of “The Quest for LOVE,” a nationwide search that aims to help communities launch their own sustainable businesses, that

will soon air as a special segment in the program this July.

Gina Lopez and partners in the private and government sectors led by Sen. Loren Legarda, Department of Public Works and Highways secretary Mark Villar, and Department of Science and Technology secretary Fortunato de la Peña announced the project that brings together government and private sector to promote widespread social and environmental development on March 8 at Rockwell Club, Makati.

Through “The Quest,” the Investments in Loving Organizations for Village Economies (ILOVE) Foundation that Gina founded, and its partners will provide financial and technical support to eight deserving organizations in transforming their communities into sites for sustainable development through agro-forestry, fisheries, or ecotourism.

The search begins with 16 organizations that will be chosen from online entries from all over the Philippines based on their track record, leaders, and the potential impact of the proposed intervention on the partner community. They will then participate in a three-day training where candidates shall pitch their preliminary plans to a panel of judges at the end of the boot camp. I Love assessors will then choose the eight candidates that will undergo the I LOVE mentoring and support program, receive Php100,000 cash, plus direct access to government support. Social enterprises, cooperatives, people’s associations, foundations, NGOs, and other socially oriented organizations are open to join the competition.

Viewers will get to follow the journey of the eight semifinalists this July on G Diaries, which launched its second season early this year.

Gina said ILOVE hopes to address the reality that although the Philippines boasts of a 6.7 percent GDP growth and is seen to be one of the top three fastest growing economies in Asia, the robust growth has not trickled down to the remotest areas of the country. She believes that the strategy to uplift the lives of the marginalized community is through inspiring them and providing them proper mentoring.

“The key is the person. The key is the partner. If you find partner that can do things on the ground efficiently and sincerely, then you have found a partner that is gold,” she noted.

Also present in the launch of “The Quest for LOVE” were Department of Tourism assistant secretary Reynaldo Lacao Ching, Department of National Defense undersecretary Cesar Yano, Department of Social Welfare and Development undersecretary Malou Turalde, Department of Trade and Industry assistant secretary Amina Fajardo, and TESDA director Sonia Lipio.

G Diaries airs every second Sunday of the month before ASAP on ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN HD. Watch online on iwantv. com.ph or skyondemand.com.ph. Visit QuestforLove.ph for more information and follow @GdiariesPH on Twitter and @GDiaries on Facebook for program updates.

Time never an issue for Jerome and Mika DESPITE their respective busy work schedule, Jerome Ponce says his relationship with former DLSU volleyball star Mika Reyes remains strong.

“Time never became an issue for us. Unlike with other couples, who point out lack of moments of togetherness as the main hindrance to their relationship, Mika and I understand the demands of our job so we adjust,” Jerome says.

The Kapamilya star believes that there’s always a way if a person truly wants to meet his partner.

“You’ll find time no matter how busy you are.

You won’t have reasons not to see each other even if you’re tired. Anyway, it’s better to spend time with your loved one than rest, right?”

Maturity plays a vital role why their relationship clicks.

“We understand each other’s situation.

Even in facing problems, we think of the most logical explanation right away to avoid further complications. Like when it comes to our work schedule, we just explain to each other and presto! We settle things immediately especially if it’s simple by nature.

“In that way, the more we appreciate each other. No further questions asked. On my part, I understand all about her sport… her strict training, what she does when she’s into the game. On her end, she listens to me with all enthusiasm when I have stories on a new script or a challenging sequence I just finished. She knows that I get sad if I wasn’t

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Tuesday, April 10, 2018

ACROSS 1 Larger than large 6 Toweled off 11 Robust energy 14 Baking need 15 Cheapen 16 Law (abbr.)

17 Small hill 18 Minces 19 Craven or Unseld 20 World books 22 Public tiff 24 Signs a contract 25 Bayou dweller 27 Wanting it all 30 Uncouth ones 31 Excel 32 Long-distance races 36 Stadium cry 37 Melted together 38 Kiwi’s extinct cousin 39 Phone buttons 42 Props 44 Flirtatious signals 45 “Bus Stop” star 46 Like an evening gown 48 Finds fault 49 Chilly 50 Adages 53 One, to Fritz

54 Estuary 57 “Alfie” star 59 VCR musts 60 Construct 61 Clothe 62 Have a look 63 Tattered 64 Flowerpot spot

30 Soaks up the sun 32 Like some perfumes 33 Rubaiyat author 34 Banned thing (hyph.)

35 Courtesy env.

DOWN 37 Shark 1 LBJ predecessor giveaways 2 Radius 40 Bleaters neighbor 41 Not as safe 3 Debatable 42 Like Spock 4 Pushed around 43 Trap 5 Disney World 45 Spring month city 6 Stays near the shore 7 Hieroglyphics bird 8 “— -Man Fever” 9 Vane dir.

10 Dinner course 11 E or O 12 “Good night” girl 13 Consumer gds.

21 Cloudy region 23 Blackjack 25 Geologic samples 26 Pothole locale 27 “Naked Maja” artist 28 Paris streets 29 Coup d’—

46 Take the car 47 Shampoobottle word 48 Dapper 49 Puts money on 50 Denomination 51 Encompass 52 Unexpected difficulty 55 Firearms gp.

56 Bad tennis serve 58 Gaze at

able to give my 100 percent in a scene. I’m so proud that she understands my work!”

With their hectic schedule, how do they spend time together?

“We make the most of the time when we’re given the chance to be together. Like I watch her games or we go out on a movie date. That’s simple but we cherish it deeply.”

The young actor who is a The Good Son mainstay describes Mika as very understanding.

“Perhaps, people see her as a toughie especially when she’s inside the court. But as a girlfriend, she’s tops! As I’ve said, there’s nothing she won’t understand,” ends Jerome. *** Jasmine Curtis-Smith’s love life is doing very well at present. Her relationship with beau Jeff Ortega is smooth-sailing.

“Honestly, I can’t ask for anything more. I draw strength from him. He gives me inspiration whenever I go through difficult moments. Apart from being my love, he’s my best friend, too,” she says.

They’ve been together for two years already.

“That’s right! So far, so good. We’re very happy.”

Considering this, some quarters ask if wedding bells are in the offing.

“Not yet! That’s one thing that’s still far from our minds. It will take some more time.

We’re not hurrying anyway.”

The actress wants to concentrate first on her showbiz career. She always makes it clear that it’s on top of my priorities.

“I want to achieve my goals in the industry first. I want to save and save while the iron is still hot, so to speak. I’ll make my bank account fat first,” she quips.

It is good Jeff understands her stand.

“We have our respective work to attend to.

I’m acting, he’s doing businesses. I guess we’ll reach that eventually—when the time is already right for the both of us,” Jasmine states.

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

C4

TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2018

ISAH V. RED

Why Greg Segal shot ‘WHITE KNIGHT’ in PH #ADULTING. The original iWant TV web drama explores the lives of four millennials who are about to face the challenges of the real world.

R

A coming-of-age comedy drama

APIDLY transitioning into an agile digital company, having the biggest online presence among Filipino media companies, ABS-CBN’s online streaming and video-on-demand content platform, iWant TV, is releasing a new and original web series by award-winning director Pam Reyes.

Titled #Adulting, the web series is a coming-of-age, light drama-comedy that follows four young Filipina women from different colleges who are about to leave the comforts of their university life for the first time.

Reyes, the creative producer of the award-winning movie Birdshot, said “#Adulting” explores the lives of millennials and explicitly shows the bitter, harsh, but fun reality of a young woman’s struggle in modern day Metro Manila while tapping on relevant issues.

When asked about what she expects from the series, she said, “I’ve always wanted to create something that shows the lives of young women in the Philippines. It’s a unique perspective that I hope the audience will like. It’s cool to note that we shot this with a team that’s predominantly women. The four characters I co-wrote with Rae Red have different paths and issues. We both graduated from U.P. Diliman so most of the characters and situations are inspired by real life events.”

The main character is Aira, is a Film graduate and aspires to be a film director but has to go through the ropes as a production assistant. It is through her character that the show throws inside jokes about the film industry.

Lars, the “ate” of the group, comes from a long-term relationship and is struggling to choose between her dreams and her love life. Sab, the conyo quirky girl, is battling personal and mental issues while maintaining a seemingly positive life. Bulak, the

American who finds himself in trouble in Manila. “It’s a kind of thriller, the character, a retired American serviceman who decides to come to the Philippines gets tangled up in a series of murders, then a stalker begins to assassinate his romantic partners.”

The cast is a mix of Filipino and American actors. The American serviceman, Nick, is played by Lev Gorn (Russian-born) and a friend of Segal’s. Dianco helped in casting the Filipino actors for the film, like Lovely Abella who plays Delilah and Mon Confiado as Cruz. Leo Martinez also plays a special role as the Mindoro Police Chief.

The film is now in post-production and Segal hopes he could bring the film to various film markets (like Cannes) to sell it to distributors worldwide.

Does he have any plan to screen it here in Manila?

“We will see,” he said, “It depends if a local distributor would pick it up.

But I love the idea of showing it here for the Filipino audience.”

Segal thinks that after White Knight, he can shoot other films in the Philippines. “I have many interesting story ideas that I can develop into films. The possibilities are endless because I find the Philippines a very interesting place to shoot films.”

The budding director said he had been here many times over—at least nine times—since he had worked in China previously and came to the Philippines for R & R where he met Filipinos who became his friends.

Continued on C3

'White Knight' cast member Mon Confiado (left) with his co-actor

K-drama ‘Bride of the Water God’ debuts on local TV Scenes from the web series that will be available on different platforms.

Public Administration Ilongga graduate, is working her way to the work force but also working on her confusions about sexuality.

“Adulting” is a term used by millennials to show they’ve carried out duties and responsibilities expected of adults. #Adulting will premiere three full ep-

isodes on April 11, for free exclusively on iWant TV, available online on www. iWantv.com.ph, and through the iWant TV app available on the App Store, and on Google Play. iWant TV is available to all ABS-CBN mobile, Smart, Sun, Talk ‘n Text, PLDT Home, Globe and TM subscribers.

‘Donut Showdown‘ on Skycable

DIVA's 'Donut Showdown' challenges bakers to make creative donuts using even weird ingredients.

CREATING donuts that look as good as they taste is the challenge posed by the newest season of DIVA’s Donut Showdown, a food competition airing on SKYcable that pits bakers against each other to make attractive and mouthwa-

WHITE Knight is a film shot entirely in the Philippines in the last couple of weeks (some 23 days or so in Intramuros, Puerto Galera in Mindoro and some parts in Luzon.

We met Gregory Segal at Relish, a popular restaurant around T. Morato area last week, with his associate, Yuson Charles, and the film’s Filipino producer, Charlotte Dianco.

We talked about White Knight and why Segal, an entertainment lawyer and film producer, based in Los Angeles and New York City chose the Philippines as the location for his debut film as a director.

Segal said he works frequently as an independent producer, legal counsel to production companies, writers, directors and actors.

He said Philippines, compared to other countries, has the advantage of the language. “Most Filipinos know how to speak and understand English. And the Filipinos are a very welcoming people.”

White Knight, he said, is about an

American film producer and director Gregory Segal

tering donuts.

In each episode, viewers witness how three bakers stretch the limits of their imagination to add a surprising ingredient in their recipe to create delectable and eye-catching do-

nuts–all in the name of taking home the USD10,000 prize.

Of the current crop of cooking shows on TV today, Donut Showdown takes a quirky approach as the show revolves around an iconic and favorite pastry.

Not limited to sweets, ingredients can include the most unlikely and savory flavors.

Contestants also have to come up with recipes such as fried chicken skin donuts with maple glaze, root beer float donut, vegan coconut donuts, and sriracha peanut butter donuts–all worthy of any foodie’s Instagram feed.

But just like other TV food competitions, creativity and skills are put to the test as contestants bake under pressure and make donuts based on a theme chosen for them by a panel of judges.

Who will crack under pressure and who will successfully let their creative juices flow? The season 2 of DIVA’s Donut Showdown airs every Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. on SKYcable (Ch. 37).

CLAIMING his throne tomorrow on GMA is Nam Joo Hyuk as Habaek the Water God who seeks a magical stone that can help him with his endeavors to become king.

As he sets foot on Earth, he meets Lara (Shin Se Kyung), the woman he believes to be his rightful servant.

Lara is an aquaphobic neuropsychiatrist who does not believe in anything mythological or supernatural, and thinks she is being harassed by a lunatic when Habaek claimed himself to be her master. She initially hesitates to help him, but finds logic in his claims as they get to know each other more.

Joining the cast are Lim Ju Hwan as Henry, a disguised CEO in the mortal world and Habaek’s main rival in terms of love and the throne; Gong Myung as Biryeom/ Charlie, Lara’s college classmate who turns out to be a Sky God; and Krystal Jung as Moora/ Ciara, a Water Goddess who has become a celebrity after living on Earth for long, and is recognized as a national goddess and harbors one-sided feelings for Habaek.

How will each of their paths cross and

what struggles would Habaek face in finding the stones? Will Lara find the heart to accept a god that gets his power from the one thing she’s scared of?

Follow their adventures in life and in love, in Bride of the Water God every Monday to Thursday after The One That Got Away on GMA.