Manila Standard - 2018 October 4 - Thursday

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THREE TALES OF ‘ENDO’ IN GOV’T SERVICE BOWED OUT

Asec. Mocha Uson

By Macon RamosAraneta, Maricel V. Cruz, Nat Mariano and Rio N. Araja ASSISTANT Communications Secretary Mocha Uson announced her resignation at a Senate budget hearing Wednesday, expressing hope that this would clear the way for the speedy approval of the proposed P1.4-billion spending plan for the Presidential Communications Operations Office.

“There are lawmakers who have been holding back the PCOO budget. These are the leftist lawmakers who are angry at me,” Uson said in Filipino during a hearing of the Senate finance subcommittee on her agency’s budget for 2019.

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‘‘

Wait for it, this is war, this will really be war.

—Mocha Uson

Extra bucks for your caffeine THE coffee chain Starbucks says it will raise the prices of its drinks by 3 to 8 percent—equivalent to P5 to P10 per serving—in all its stores nationwide.

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BOOTED OUT

HOLDING OUT

By Nat Mariano and Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has sacked a left-leaning official of the Labor Department, Undersecretary Joel Maglunsod.

“I expelled Joel Maglunsod.

I just gave them a chance when they were new,” Duterte said in a speech before rebel returnees in Catarman, Samar Tuesday.

Duterte did not elaborate further but criticized the rising number of workers’ strikes in the country incited by the Kilusang Mayo Uno. “Your ideologies. In the long run, they also want to control the government. You argued and exchanged bullets with me, then you will expect me [to say] that

Usec. Joel Maglunsod

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By Maricel V. Cruz and Joel E. Zurbano COMPLAINING of chest pains, Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III was admitted Tuesday at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City 7, three days after he was seen on camera bullying security personnel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

House minority leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez confirmed Wednesday that Bertiz, who drew a firestorm of criticism for his behavior, was hospitalized and that he remained confined.

Bertiz’s own party-mates, led by the second nominee of ACTS-OFW, have condemned

Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III

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VOL. XXXII • NO. 231 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

Palace to Reds: Sorry, no ML stage to destab

By Nathaniel Mariano, Francisco Tuyay and Macon Ramos-Araneta

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will not declare martial law nationwide because this would be falling into the trap of communist rebels aimed at sparking public outrage, the Palace said Wednesday.

Oil firms urged: Reduce profits, help consumers

By Alena Mae S. Flores ENERGY Secretary Alfonso Cusi is urging the oil industry to “reduce the industry take,” meaning the oil companies’ profits, to help ease the impact of high oil prices on consumers.

He made the statement even as Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino said the government and the opposition should work to suspend the excise tax on gasoline to bring down the prices of food and other products.

“Instead of pointing fingers, let’s work together to suspend the additional tax on fuel scheduled for January 2019,” Aquino said in reaction to Malacañang’s repeated claims that the members of the Liberal Party were plotting to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.

Based on data from the Department of Energy, year-to-date adjustments of oil prices showed a net increase of P10.40 per liter of gasoline, P10.70 per liter of diesel and P9.35 per liter of kerosene. Next page

PRESIDENTIAL SALUTE. President Rodrigo Duterte, in full battle gear, acknowledges the salute of one of the military awardees during his visit to Camp Juan Ponce Samuroy in Catarman, Northern Samar on Tuesday. Malacañang Photo

The declaration came as the military identified 19 Metro Manila universities and colleges that had been infiltrated by the communists, who were recruiting students for their “Red October” plot to oust President Duterte.

These included the University of the Philippines, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines; Ateneo de Manila University; De La Salle University; University of Santo Tomas; Adamson University; Far Eastern University; University of the East; San Beda, Lyceum of the Philippines University, University of Manila and Philippine Normal University.

“By sowing chaos through its Red October ouster plot, the CPP [Communist Party of the Philippines] hopes that a nationwide martial law declaration would spark people’s outrage. We will therefore not fall into this trap hatched by the enemies of the State,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Wednesday.

“We stand by the statement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines [AFP] that the Communist Party of the Philippines Next page

Party’s over: Gov’t sets crackdown on beach revelry in reopened ‘Bora’

COOLING THEIR HEELS.

Up to 40,000 beachgoers were unwinding on Boracay’s sand and swimming in its turquoise waters at peak periods. AFP

BEACH boozing and smoking will be consigned to the past when Boracay, the Philippines’ top holiday island, welcomes back a capped number of tourists after its six-month shutdown, authorities said Wednesday.

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the resort shuttered to visitors in April, after declaring years of unchecked growth had turned the white-sand idyll into a “cesspool.”

When hotel doors reopen on Oct. 26, the island known for its party atmosphere will crack down on drinking and smoking on its beaches, while only 19,000 tourists will be allowed at any one time.

The rules are aimed at protecting the island’s fragile ecosystem, where up to 40,000 beachgoers were unwinding on

its sand and swimming in its turquoise waters at peak periods.

“We wanted the beachfront to be clean and to be occupied by tourists,” Environment Undersecretary Sherwin Rigor said on ABS-CBN TV. “There are more people who want to engage in wholesome activities.”

Before closure, the 1,000-hectare (2,470-acre) island drew two-million tourists a year, pumping roughly $1 billion in revenue into the economy.

The government said Boracay’s closure contributed to a sharp slowdown in Philippine economic growth in the second quarter, but Duterte said the cleanup was worth it.

In the run up to the reopening, bars, Next page

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thursday, october 4, 2018

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Top diplomat slams BBC docu

By Rey E. Requejo

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OREIGN Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano blasted the British Broadcasting Corp. for airing a documentary on Sept. 29 entitled “Philippines: Democracy in Danger?” which the DFA chief said “amounts to nothing more than anti-Duterte propaganda.”

He also demanded that BBC should present an accurate and balanced view of issues about the country in the future.

Cayetano even considered the BBC documentary as “more worthy of tabloid journalism than the venerable institution that we thought BBC was.”

“The episode misleads viewers about President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s anti-illegal drug strategy, which is actually making Philippine society safer, healthier, and more prosperous for the Filipino people,” Cayetano said, noting that it fails to mention that the strategy is a diversified and community-based

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we are one in this government. This is nonsense,” the President added.

“They always go on strikes, they will paralyze the economy... I will go after all the members of the (Kilusang) Mayo Uno and Joel Maglunsod, the undersecretary of Labor,” said Duterte, asking his top aide Christopher Go if the executive secretary were advised on the matter.

Maglunsod, a former representative for Anakpawis party-list, was the Labor undersecretary for labor relations, special concerns, regional operations, and financial services cluster.

He was among the few leftists handpicked by the President to sit in the government at the start of his term along with Commission on Appointments rejects former Social Welfare chief Judy Taguiwalo and Agrarian Reform chief Rafael Mariano.

Duterte had designated leftists to his government at a time when he was still talking peace with the communist rebels.

The Palace said it was checking on Maglunsod’s status.

“I will verify it with the executive secretary if there is already a letter of termination... Let’s just wait for the confirmation,” said Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque in a radio interview.

In a separate interview, Roque said Duterte was cracking down on illegal strikes, not silencing labor leaders.

“I think what he is saying is he will crackdown illegal strikes because there is a process that one needs to undergo to conduct a strike. And the President hates these illegal strikes,” Roque said.

Roque declined to say if Maglunsod’s termination was connected to the alleged communist plot to oust the President.

“I do not know if he is involved with the Red October... Only the President can say that because he has access to information that only he has access to,” he said.

Maglunsod, who was a political detainee during the martial law years, served as a secretary general and vice chairman for KMU promoting militant unionism.

Labor groups expressed disappointment over his sudden dismissal.

The militant labor group Bukluran Manggagawang Pilipino said the President was mistaken to think that the firing of Maglunsod will neutralize the increasing militance of the labor movement.

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The new prices will be charged beginning this week, and will mark the first time that the chain has increased its prices since December 2016.

“As part of our comprehensive approach to providing value and the Starbucks Experience, we periodically evaluate pricing to balance our need to run the business profitably while providing maximum value to our loyal customers and to attract new customers,” Starbucks Philippines said on Tuesday.

The prices of Starbucks drinks range from ₱110 to ₱200.

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“Every year, they tell me not to criticize the lawmakers so they won’t hold back the PCOO budget. So, I’ll sacrifice myself so that the budget can pass. I’ve decided to resign,” she added.

Special Assistant to the President Bong Go said Duterte has already accepted Uson’s resignation.

approach that includes enforcement, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

The country’s top diplomat lamented that the BBC documentary also made little mention of the sheer magnitude of the drug problem in the Philippines, the enormous damage to millions of families caused by addiction, and the fact that police are under strict orders to follow the law in the conduct of our campaign against illegal drugs.

“The episode did not take into consideration the actions taken by the Duterte administration against police officers and other government personnel involved

in the illegal drug trade,” he said.

“If BBC did its homework, it would have known that as of 31 August 2018, we have arrested 576 government workers, including elected officials and uniformed personnel while another 498 are being investigated for drug-related cases.

We have also dismissed 105 uniformed personnel for drug-related offenses.

More importantly, from 1 July 2016 to August 31, 2018, we have dismantled a total of 235 drug dens and clandestine laboratories; seized P24.12 billion worth of illegal drugs and drug-related items; and cleared 8,444 barangays or villages of illegal drugs,” Cayetano added.

On the other hand, the BBC report projected a one-sided picture of Senator Leila de Lima, Senator Antonio Trillanes, and former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

“It overlooks the fact that all three have been given and continue to be giv-

en their day in court. The rule of law has been upheld in all three cases. They are not, as the report unfairly alleges, victims of any crackdown on the political opposition. The report also failed to mention the obvious: All three remain free to criticize the Duterte administration,” Cayetano said.

The Foreign Affairs Secretary also debunked claims that the media in the Philippines is being persecuted.

“Freedom of the press is important to the health of any democracy. Those who read our newspapers, watch our television programs, listen to our radio broadcasts, take part in dialogue through social media, and read online publications [including Rappler, which like other media outlets, can freely publish and criticize the policies of the Duterte administration] can observe that the press is anything but inhibited in the Philippines,” he pointed out.

Three more groups ask ICC to go after Duterte

By Rio N. Araja PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is facing other petitions of human rights violations before The Hague-based International Criminal Court in The Netherlands, an official said Wednesday.

Speaking before The Source at the CNN cable television, Commission on Human Rights Chairman Chito Gascon said there were three other communications filed against Duterte questioning his war on illegal drugs.

“There are more than two communications made in a public manner but discreet communications that have been brought before the ICC by other concerned stakeholders from outside

the Philippines,” Gascon said.

He did not identity the petitioners or the nature of their petitions.

In April 2017, lawyer Jude Sabio filed a petition with the ICC on Duterte’s deadly war on drugs, and in August this year several families of the supposed victims of extrajudicial killings filed another complaint with the ICC. Last month, the International People’s Tribunal found Duterte guilty of human rights violations based on the accounts of the witnesses of the extrajudicial killings.

Gascon said the CHR had nothing to do with any of the complaints filed against the President.

“Let me put it this way: When the [ICC] prosecutors in February said they

would open a preliminary examination on the case[s], we said we were ready to cooperate,” Gascon said.

“But the ICC did not communicate [with us]. The ICC did not respond to our offer of assistance, but we are working with the individual victims who are seriously considering this as a remedy.”

Despite Duterte’s withdrawal from the ICC, Gascon said, the international tribunal still had jurisdiction over the Philippines as one of its members.

“We are under the jurisdiction of the ICC until March 2019 [because of the grace period of one year after withdrawal],” Gascon said.

“The long arm of the ICC could still be used even after 2019.”

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PH-RUSSIA TIES. Ambassador Igor Khovaev of the Russian Federation pays a courtesy call on former President and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at the House of Representatives , expressing his government’s desire to strengthen the bilateral ties with the Philippines, including improving inter-parliamentary relations.

his behavior, and some colleagues in Congress have called for his resignation.

Bertiz, however, said he will not resign.

The House ethics committee, chaired

by Agri Party-list Rep. Delphine Lee Gan, was supposed to begin its motu proprio investigation into the NAIA incident involving Bertiz.

At the NAIA Terminal 2 Saturday morning, Bertiz scolded security checker Hamilton Abdul, who had asked him to take off his shoes as part of security measures.

Bertiz then shoved his identification card at Abdul and tried to grab his ID card. His actions were captured by the closed-circuit television cameras inside the airport.

House sources said Bertiz, a deputy minority leader, experienced “sleepless nights” since his actions were exposed on the Internet.

Joining Suarez at the news conference was COOP-NATCCO Party-list

tagging 10 Metro Manila universities as being involved in the plot.

“The claim simply defies logic. Why should the CPP ‘push’ for martial law nationwide when it has repeatedly condemned and called for the lifting of martial law in Mindanao? Why should we ‘push’ for something which has relentlessly inflicted atrocious crimes on the people?” said Sison.

“To tag people’s protests as part of a so-called plot is a threat against legitimate people’s organizations mounting these democratic mass actions. To misrepresent the broad coalition against tyranny as a mere conspiracy is to make its members open to suppression through state terrorism,” he added.

He admitted that CPP calls on the public to overthrow the Duterte regime.

However, he clarified that the confluence of various democratic forces will

bring down the President.

“Given the increasingly difficult economic conditions of the people and rising internal political conflicts within the Duterte regime, the party anticipates protests to continue to mount in the coming months,” said Sison.

The Palace had previously said it considers all information about the “Red October” plot as valid information, noting that no destabilization effort will succeed as the President enjoys overwhelming support from the military and the public.

Talk of “Red October” started when Duterte claimed that communist rebels, political opposition including the Liberal Party, and the Magdalo group of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV were in a “loose conspiracy” to oust him. The groups have since denied Duterte’s claim that they were conspiring to oust him. With Joel E. Zurbano

Gasoline sells for P53.55 to P66.35 per liter depending on the octane level, while diesel sells for P45.65 to P54.90 per liter.

“This are all being studied, we are asking them to reduce also the industry take, they will discuss it,” Cusi said.

He said he met with the oil companies to discuss the mitigating measures

on Tuesday.

He said another measure being eyed to ease the impact of high oil prices was the oil importation of the state-run PNOC Exploration Corp.

PNOC Exploration is now negotiating with the fuel suppliers for the delivery of an initial 50,000 metric tons of Philippine standard Euro-4 gas oil or diesel fuel after the second round of invitation to bid.

PNOC Exploration received offers from four companies at a price lower

than the benchmark Mean of Platts Singapore, an industry source said. The company hopes to start the importation by the end of the month.

“All I know is that they are opening the bids and only then will they see the commitments,” Cusi said when asked about the status of the importation.

“Another mitigating measure we are studying is that once oil reaches $80 [per barrel], we can drop the excise tax.” With Macon Ramos-Araneta

The House of Representatives has deferred the PCOO’s budget hearing twice because Uson was absent.

Emerging from hearing, Uson vowed to step up her attacks against President Rodrigo Duterte’s critics, whom she called mga ulol or rabid dogs.

“I will do what I did during the [last presidential] campaign. Let’s have a fist fight, let’s fight it out. Don’t restrain me,” Uson said.

“Marami po diyan basta ‘yung mga

epal na senador at kongresista kasi sumosobra na sila eh,” she added. (“There are many senators and congressmen who like to butt in where they don’t belong. They’re too much.”)

Uson has been widely criticized for using her blog to spread false news and information against the President’s critics.

One of these, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, has filed administrative and criminal complaints against Uson for spreading “fake news” that he owned

offshore bank accounts.

“Wait for it. This will really be a war,” she said, noting that she was now free from any restrictions that came with her job at the PCOO. “I am free again to fight. But now you can expect that I will be even fiercer,” she said.

“To my critics, don’t be mistaken that you have won,” she said, adding that she resigned so that there would be a “fair fight.” She also vowed to double her efforts to protect the President.

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is pushing the President to place the country under martial law,” he added.

Roque said the President sees no grounds to declare martial law nationwide as the situation is under control.

Roque’s remarks came after CPP founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison said the President and the Armed Forces have good “completely cuckoo” in claiming the CPP is “pushing” Duterte to declare martial law nationwide.

“There is no Red October plot orchestrated by the CPP. The more Duterte and the AFP are trying to prove this so-called plot, the more they sound incredulous,” said Sison in a statement.

Sison said AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Carlito Galvez was “idiotic” for red-

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Strategic rice reserves sought to avert shortage

By Maricel V. Cruz and Rio N. Araja REP. Michael Romero on Wednesday called for the establishment of what he called a National Strategic Rice Reserve to shield the Philippines from shortages of the cereal.

He made the statement even as rice farmers slammed the National Food Authority for its alleged failure to include small farmers as representatives at the NFA Council, a policy-making body.

At a news conference in Quezon City, Manuel Rosario, leader of the Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Samahan sa Kanayunan, said the NFA had breached a provision in its charter ensuring the council was represented by farmers.

Romero made his proposal as he predicted that the first few years of the implementation of the import tariff for rice would likely be difficult because the expected lower retail prices would take time to sink in.

He said the Philippines would also become vulnerable to the fluctuations in the international market prices of rice.

“Historically, the global rice market is often beset with wild price swings.

We must be ready for those swings,” Romero said.

“We must have yin for yang and yang for yin when global prices spike and fall.”

Romero said the National Food Authority must have a National Strategic Rice Reserve that would be continually maintained, drawn from and replenished to make sure the stocks were always new.

Rep. Anthony Bravo who said Bertiz had undergone an angioplasty in 2016.

House senior Deputy Minority Leader and Buhay Hayaang Yumabong (Buhay) party-list Rep. Lito Atienza said the NAIA incident could have triggered hypertension.

Like Bertiz, Suarez called for an investigation of how the CCTV footage came to be posted on social media, calling this a security breach.

He also said the NAIA incident was a reminder that members of the House must adhere to the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Also on Wednesday, the Manila International Airport Authority reminded government officials that the security pass issued to them is not an excuse to violate security procedures at the airport.

Earlier, a liason officer for Bertiz turned over his ID to the airport authority.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade also asked government officials to “set a good example and respect security protocols.”

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restaurants and hotels were being demolished to restore a 30-meter (100foot) stretch of sand between the water and tourist areas.

This belt will be off-limits to drinking, smoking, weddings, vendors, and massage providers—activities which can be done inside hotels and restaurants, Rigor said.

The new rules are also set to ban the huge “Laboracay” multi-day beach parties attended by tens of thousands of tourists during the weekend that includes May 1, Labor Day, which is also the peak of the tourist season.

The government will only allow 6,000 hotel rooms, half the current total, with the rest seen going out of business for failing to comply with environmental and other regulations, the official said.

Boracay hotels are now required to put up their own sewage treatment plants, while garbage will be put on a barge every night and shipped across the sea to a landfill, Rigor said.

The Boracay Foundation, the main business industry group on the island, said it had no comment on the new rules which have not been officially conveyed to it.

“Other agencies usually consult with us and ask for our comments. So we are unsure yet if these are official or not,” its executive director Pia Miraflores told AFP. Another environment undersecretary, Benny Antiporda, told AFP all these rules will be enforced from Oct. 26, but he did not rule out a compromise if the local businesses asked for it.

“They should take the initiative...

Weren’t they the same ones who destroyed Boracay in the first place?”

Antiporda added.AFP

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

CA dismisses petition vs Megaworld

By Rey E. Requejo

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HE Court of Appeals has dismissed the petition questioning the ownership of developer Megaworld Corp. on the property in Binondo, Manila where Lucky Chinatown Mall and The City Place condominium stand.

In a seven-page decision promulgated last Sept. 28, the CA’s Second Division denied the petition filed by local firm Nesco International Development Corp. assailing the validity of the land title of Megaworld covering the 2.5-hectare land.

The appellate court instead affirmed the decision of the Securities and Exchange Commission last April, which dismissed for lack of jurisdiction the complaint filed by Nesco in 2012 that accused Megaworld of having fake titles on the property.

The CA cited as basis previous rulings of the Supreme Court on similar cases, which held that the SEC has no jurisdiction in determining the validity of certificates of title.

“In holding that the SEC’s judgment was void, the Supreme Court noted that proper adjudication of the controversy requires, at the very least, a consideration of the indefeasibility of a Torrens title and propriety of a collateral attack on a certificate of title, among others. Thus, it concluded that the SEC is not the appropriate forum to delve into these civil law concepts,” read the ruling penned by Associate Justice Ma. Luisa Quijano-Padilla.

“Applying these principles in the present case, we resolve that the SEC was correct in ruling that although the reliefs prayed for by petitioner do not directly seek the nullification of the questioned titles, the resolution of this issue would still involve an inquiry into the validity or genuineness of said titles—a matter which is civil in nature and is therefore within the exclusive jurisdiction of regular courts,” the CA said.

The CA only settled the issue on jurisdiction of the SEC in resolving the case, and no longer touched on other issues raised in the petition of Nesco— including allegations that Megaworld executives were involved in “unsound business practices” and should be investigated and prosecuted.

Associate Justices Remedios Salazar-Fernando and Franchito Diamante concurred with the ruling.

Nesco was the owner of the twostory commercial building that was demolished by the city government from the property bought by Megaworld.

In the dismissed complaint, it asked SEC to cancel or revoke Megaworld’s certificate of incorporation, file civil and criminal cases against its officers and directors and delist the firm in the Philippine Stock Exchange.

FOOD SECURITY. Department of Agriculture Secretary Manuel Piñol signs a pledge during the launch of ‘Mamamayan ko, Pakakainin ko!’ during the Local Food Security and the Municipality and City Food Security Summit Luzon Cluster at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. Norman Cruz

CA upholds decision suspending PDEA official

RICE CRISIS. Militant group Akbayan stages a protest on the rice crisis which they claimed was caused by the conspiracy between unscrupulous private traders and insiders within the National Food Authority. Manny Palmero

Asia Council, MWSS team up for water security THE Asia Water Council and the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) have firmed up their ties in an effort to improve Metro Manila’s overall water security and wastewater management systems following the official visit of AWC and K Water President Hak Soo Lee and 12 others at MWSS yesterday.

MWSS Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco officially welcomed Dr. Lee with a briefing and exchanges of notes along with top MWSS officials, Manila Water President Ferdinand M. dela Cruz, Maynilad President Ramoncito S. Fernandez

and officials of Bulacan Bulk Water and Angat Hydro Power of which K-Water is an affiliate of San Miguel Corporation. ‘‘We thank K Water through Dr. Lee for helping MWSS in the strengthening and retrofitting of Angat Dam as part of their commitment with SMC in operating Transmissions 1 and 2 turbines which is crucial to the government’s water security program particularly on the possible occurrence of the Big One with Angat Dam supplying 96 percent water to Metro Manila and nearby provinces,’’ Velasco said. ‘‘We are honored to be partners with

MWSS and we look forward to future joint projects including the setting up of an MWSS-AWC-K Water InstituteAcademy to serve the Philippine water industry,’’ said Dr. Lee who added that K-Water runs an academy whose roster of alumni included Manila Water President Ferdz de la Cruz.

The visit of Dr. Lee comes on the heels of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Velasco and other select officers and members of the Asia Water Council at the 7th AWC BOC in Daejoon City, South Korea last September.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte signed a proclamation declaring the month of October of every year as “National Anti-Piracy Month.”

Proclamation No. 596, signed by Duterte on Monday, underscored the need to raise the consciousness of the masses on piracy.

“There is a need to continuously elevate the awareness of the public

regarding piracy or counterfeiting of optical, magnetic and such other emerging similar media, and its adverse effects on the economy,” the proclamation said.

Also, according to the new proclamation released on Wednesday, all government agencies and instrumentalities, including state universities and colleges, as well as local government units, are enjoined to support the programs and activities of the Optical Media Board.

The OMB, the President’s arm on recording media production and distribution, aims to increase public awareness on all forms of media piracy or counterfeiting.

Duterte has amended the previous Proclamation No. 448 ordered by then-President and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2003, declaring the month of October of every year as “National Anti-Video Piracy Month.”

Group asks gov’t to lower age of beneficiaries Du30 signs PD declaring Oct. as Anti-Piracy Month of P100k incentive By Nat Mariano

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

AS THE country marks the annual National Elderly Filipino Week, health advocacy group Anakalusugan has appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to support a pending measure in Congress that seeks to lower the age bracket for beneficiaries of the P100,000 incentive under the Centenarians Act of 2016.

“Growing old is never a hindrance to leading productive lives. Lowering the age bracket will ensure that our beloved senior citizens receive the benefits as provided in the law while they still are strong and able to enjoy the cash incentive,” Anakalusugan said in a statement.

“We appeal to President Rodrigo Duterte to consider certifying the amendment as a priority measure of his administration. This will be a meaningful gift to our senior citizens, who can still make a difference in society and contribute much to nationbuilding,” the group added.

House Bill No. 7821 seeks to amend the Centenarians Act of 2018. Under the proposed measure, nanogenarians or senior citizens who reach the age of 90 may already receive a cash gift of P90,000. The remaining P10,000 will be released when they reach 100 years old.

THE Court of Appeals has sustained its earlier decision upholding the preventive suspension of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency director for intelligence and investigation service Randy Pedroso, in connection with the graft complaint filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman.

In a two-page resolution, the CA’s former Special Seventeenth Division junked the motion for reconsideration filed by Pedroso for failing to raise new arguments to support his plea to overturn its Aug. 2, 2017 decision, which affirmed the Ombudsman’s suspension order against him issued on July 19, 2017.

“A circumspect review of the said motion shows that it fails to state new arguments that would compel this Court to grant the prayer therein embodied. The fact is, the issues raised therein were already considered, weighed, and resolved at length by this Court in the impugned decision. There exists no need to belabor the issues one more time,” the appellate court ruled.

“Wherefore, the subject motion for reconsideration is hereby denied,” it added.

In its earlier decision, the appellate court held that the Ombudsman’s order was not issued with grave abuse of discretion as it was anchored on supporting documentary evidence to the complaint.

It said the petitioner could not invoke his right to due process and security of tenure because preventive suspensions are not a punishment but merely intended to avoid interference by respondent public officials in pending investigations.

The PDEA official is being investigated by the Ombudsman due to his alleged involvement along with his five other PDEA officials in the anomalous lease of luxury vehicles for PDEA operations from January to June 2013. Rey E. Requejo

DILG to declare La Union as election hotspot THE midterm polls will happen next year, but this early, the Department of the Interior and Local Government has declared La Union as an election hotspot.

DILG officer-in-charge Eduardo Año made the recommendation on Wednesday following the murder of Sudipen town Mayor Alexander Buquing, his driver-bodyguard and a police officer.

Año said authorities are looking into politics as the motive behind the killing.

“Yes, I will recommend,” Año said.

“Itong kay Mayor Buquing, ang nakikita ng PNP [Philippine National Police] ay politics. But we will go where the evidence will lead us.”

“Napansin natin with the killing of Buquing na parang katulad ito ng hotspots natin like Abra, like Mindanao

so we have to wait for the assessment of Comelec [Commission on Elections]and the PNP. Accordingly, we will address it through deployment of additional security persons,” he added.

Buquing is the 11th mayor to be killed since President Rodrigo Duterte was elected as the country’s president on June 30, 2016.

But Año said that not all mayors killed under the Duterte administration were drug-related.

“Itong labing-isa na ‘to halos ang drugs-related lamang dito ay ‘yung kay Parojinog at ‘yung sa kay Espinosa... Ang karamihan dito ay politics at personal motive,” he said.

“Slowly naman may naso-solve ang pulis natin, ‘yung kay Mayor Ferdinand Bote solved na ‘yun, nafile-an na ng kaso ’yung culprits,” he added.

DOJ BUDGET. Senator Antonio Trillanes shakes hands with DoJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra as Undersecretary Emmaline Aglipay-Villar looks on before the start of the Deliberations on the 2019 proposed budget of the Department of Justice and its attached agencies held at the Senate office in Pasay City. Lino Santos

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Opinion

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

The anomaly of party-list representation erto Tiglao, said that a party-list group is carried in the traditional territorybased representation. This explains EMIL P. why party-list representatives are JURADO merely extensions of provincial and reSANTA Banana, that incident at the gional clans.

The party-list system is a mockery of airport where ACT-OFW Party-List Rep. Aniceto Bertiz flaunted his arro- democracy! People representing margance and abrasiveness just because he ginalized groups are themselves in no was made to remove his shoes shows way marginalized at all. Worse, they the anomaly of party-list representation breed people like Bertiz who think being in Congress entitles him to arrogant in the country.

Records of deliberation during the and self-important behavior.

It has also spawned the formation of framing of the 1987 charter show that the system was copied from the consti- fake marginalized groups not contemtution of countries under a parliamen- plated by the Constitution.

There is a lot of graft and corruption tary form.

When the voting came to whether that goes with this starting from the the parliamentary system must be Commission on Elections.

The representation of moneyed peocontinued, those in favor lost by one vote. Hence, the unitary system was ple as party-list representatives is only restored. Despite this, party-list repre- the tip of the iceberg. *** sentation was maintained.

Presidential Communications OperThe reason for this was that thenations Office AsPresident Cory sistant Secretary Aquino wanted Mocha Uson has her Leftist friends resigned. Since it to be part of Conhas been said that gress.

The representatives only the PresiI have always are not even dent can fire her, maintained that Mr. Duterte must the party-list sys- marginalized. have realized that tem has no place Uson was not alin government. ready embarrassWhy make the ing him. She has people pay the salaries of Leftists serving in govern- become a barnacle in the ship of state. ment? This only funds the rallies of This must be excised.

I have no doubt that even Secretary their communist-inspired friends.

For many years, I have been saying Martin Andanar is more than relieved that if the Constitution is amended, with Uson out of the picture. She has party-list representation should be the done enough damage to the agency and to the President. first to go.

I think it’s about time the Office of It’s a ripoff. Those who are supposed to represent marginalized groups are the Press Secretary is brought back. *** millionaires and billionaires. They are The question of whether Senator led by Michael Romero of 1-Pacman with more than P7 billion to his name, Antonio Trillanes applied for amnesty and Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, the wife and complied with all its requirements of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, now boils down to credibility. Who can we believe—AFP Chief of Staff with no less than P1.4 billion.

Even that arrogant Bertiz is among Carlito Galvez who said that the senator applied for amnesty, or Presidential the millionaires, with P53 million.

The party-list system is indeed a big Spokesman Harry Roque who insists that Galvez is not a lawyer? Roque says joke!

How do they even get elected? I am he would rather rely on the judge who taking off from what my colleague, issued a warrant for Trillanes’ arrest.

Turn to A5 former Ambassador to Greece Rigob-

TO THE POINT

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Good riddance

T

O THE very end, just-resigned Assistant Secretary for Communications Margaux Uson attempted to peddle inaccuracy.

Foremost, she said her decision to quit her job was an act of sacrifice, supposedly so that the P1.4-billion budget of the Presidential Communications Operations Office could be passed. A previous budget hearing for the PCOO was deferred because of her absence.

There is no sacrifice here.

The agency’s spending is being questioned because of a history of bad spending decisions.

Second, she said her resignation was not the end of the fight; it was just the

beginning.

We wonder what fight this woman is talking about. The only fight we are aware of is her fight, not for truth but against it. Look at the string of blunders committed by her office, and her haughty defense of her actions.

Third, she wants to style herself as a heroine. Note her threatening words to her critics, sounding straight out of some sappy show: “Do not make the mistake of thinking that you won,” she said. She vows to do what she did during the campaign: ”Let’s have a fist fight, let’s fight it out.

Don’t restrain me.”

But this is not about Mocha, the person. It is about the absence of meritocracy in the appointment of officials, and the mistaken belief

that the number of online followers is enough to boost credibility.

Uson’s resignation is as phenomenal as it is overdue.

It should signal the end of an era at the PCOO when incompetence, indecency and arrogance were the norm. It should occasion the return of “communication” to its correct definition, not the opposite.

Uson vows to carry on what she has been doing in her blog, We cannot stop her from doing so, as we cannot also stop her rabid followers from parroting every line she wants them to say. It’s a consolation though that she will not anymore do these under the mantle of an official title—and that we taxpayers will no longer foot her outrageous bill.

All eyes on Medical City row although his group was quick to deny in media that it was “hostile.” If Gonzales succeeds in consolidating the takeover, he will most likely emerge as the new local icon in the art of corporate maneuvers.

Now, it looks like Gonzales’ is testONGOING intramurals at the Medical City have gotten the attention, not just ing his newfound savvy versus the Seof the medical community, but of the curities and Exchange Commission.

Many have viewed Gonzales’ move corporate sector as well.

The gripping drama hounding the to get a local trial court to act against institution seems to have been spurred the will of the Securities and Exchange by an alleged “betrayal of trust.” Ob- Commission as “brilliant” even if servers—and those caught in the cross- others may have seen such a move as fire—appear baffled by reports that the “reckless.”

It will be recalled that when the brewing conflict may have been caused corporate intramurals started to brew, by a secret plan hatched and backed by the SEC issued a a foreign business status quo order, interest in a bid to directing all parwrest control of ties involved to the management keep things at the of the hospital.

The Securities and Medical City at a Now, the growstandstill until the ing interest on Exchange Commission regulatory body the part of the will play a big role here. has determined observers apwhether or not pears to be foGonzales’ claim cused on how the that his group has group launched more control of a scheme to take over the management of the hospital more than 50 percent of the corporation and on whether or not it will succeed in is standing on solid ground.

The SEC has also refused to allow consummating the plot.

At the center of the unfolding drama the holding of two stockholders’ meetis Jose Xavier Gonzales, a former ing—the annual and a special—being executive of the Lopez-owned Benpres called at the behest of Gonzales’ group. group who had been “gently asked to The special stockholders’ meeting releave.” Gonzales is believed to have portedly pushed through despite the engineered implementation of the SEC order.

Gonzales’ group managed to obtain a takeover bid and fronted for the foreign temporary restraining order against the interest.

Gonzales is being viewed with awe SEC. The TRO, slapped on the SEC by and amazement in medical and busi- the Pasig City Regional Trial Court, enness circles. The amazement stems abled Gonzales’ group to take over the from what observers say is a master- executive offices of the Medical City. stroke in hostile corporate takeover— Turn to A5

EVERYMAN

Line dancing in Asia: On the beat

By Honor Blanco Cabie LINE dancing, which started in the United States in the latter part of the 70s to early 80s during the disco era, has persuaded advocates in East and Southeast Asia with its choreography and rhythmic beat.

Particularly in the Philippines, up north during town fiestas and in some areas of the capital, the type of country and western dancing—where everyone

dances alone, side by side, facing the same direction in lines or rows—is gaining tempo and beat on the floor.

Dances like the cha cha slide, the electric slide, and the cupid shuffle are just some of the line dances that have, dance observers note, consistently remained part of modern American culture for years.

With the emergence of the countryand-Western line dancing, including the “Walkin’ Wazi” and the “Cowboy

Boogie,” dance and music enthusiasts outside the US mainland took the ballroom for their own style of line dancing, consisting of patterned foot movements usually performed by several counts per sequence, and then the sequence is repeated.

Habitues say the dances are done one-wall, two-wall, or four-wall.

Experts say a wall is the direction in which the dancers face at any given Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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Opinion

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018

No excuse Republic Act No. 6713, or the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.”

DANILO As members of the Lower House, we SUAREZ must adhere to the Code of Conduct DEPUTY Minority Leader Aniceto established by the Rules of the House Bertiz III has been on the receiving of Representatives under Rule XIX. end of public criticism after CCTV Nobody is perfect, but as public footage of him displaying unruly behavior toward security personnel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 went viral. The video showed Bertiz defying security I laud my colleague’s protocol at the airport. initiative in submitting Aware of his inappropriate behavior, himself to an Bertiz immediately delivered a public apology. investigation.

As the Minority Leader, I recognize my colleague’s significant contribution to the Minority group since the start of the 17th Congress. However, we in the Minority do not condone such a servants, we must be more mindful of misconduct. This was not the first time our words and actions; and we should Rep. Bertiz found himself in hot water set the right example to our fellow due to his inappropriate words and Filipinos.

While I am disappointed at this actions.

As public officials, we are reminded incident involving one of my trusted by this incident that we must adhere to colleagues in the Minority, I laud his

OVERSIGHT

initiative in submitting himself to an investigation of the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges through filing of a resolution. House Resolution No. 2212 directs the Committee to inquire into the incident that transpired on 29 September 2018 at the NAIA Terminal 2, Pasay City, involving Cong. Bertiz and the security personnel of the airport.

Yesterday, the Committee on Ethics and Privileges chaired by Rep. Delphine Gan-Lee began its investigation of the case of Rep. Bertiz. This gave him an opportunity to go through due process; and this also enlightened the public of what truly transpired in the said incident. We trust that the Committee’s decision will be fair and just.

While Bertiz must deal with the consequences of his actions, what happened is also a reminder to him and to all of us that if we commit something wrong, we must sincerely apologize and move forward without forgetting the lesson learned. We should see each day as an opportunity to improve, and to be better and more decent individuals.

The fragile traffic condition DUTY CALLS FLORENCIO FIANZA THE short but heavy downpour a couple of days ago once again demonstrated the fragility of traffic in the metropolitan area. The rain was able to wreak havoc along EDSA and other major thoroughfares making a lot more difficult for people to get home.

As everyone knows, traffic congestion is a major contributing factor in the worsening quality of life in the metro area. There is no immediate relief in sight. The only one in the horizon by way of a solution is the Skyway project scheduled for completion in about 18 months.

Several months ago, the Department of Transportation came up with a plan to modernize the jeepney to provide better comfort to the riding public. This was generally greeted favorably but not by the traditional jeepney drivers and operators who believe that the plan will make things more complicated and will drive them out of business due to the cost of the new jeepneys. The government has put its foot down on this plan and will continue with the project. We, however, do not read much about it anymore in the media and one wonders whether DOTr and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, which are the implementing agencies, will push the project aggressively.

The plus side of this project is that the modern jeepney will provide better comfort to the riding public. Currently, the traditional jeepneys are not comfortable, often dirty and are uninsured. This is detrimental to the riding public in case of accidents.

There are certainly downsides. For one, the LTFRB has not provided the public with the regulations that will be followed in the operation of the new jeepneys except to say that cooperatives will be allowed to operate the new jeepney. The new jeepney is a double-edge sword. Although it will provide more comfortable rides, if

All...

From A4

Some legal minds view the TRO as “flawed,” pointing out that the country’s Rules of Court prohibits so-called “ex-parte” motions in intra-corporate quarrels. Regardless, the fact remains that Gonzales had managed to stop a powerful regulatory body from exercising its will on the goings-on at the Medical City.

Observers say the TRO is a “temporary victory.” Eyes are now on Gonzales and observers are eager to find out if he can pull off a similar feat at the SEC and the Court of Appeals.

The SEC is now probing allegations that the supposed acquisition by Gonzales’ group of the majority stake at Medical City may not have followed

The anomaly...

From A4

I am inclined to believe the Chief of Staff. It is the military that keeps the records. Just how and why the original copy disappeared is a mystery.

One of the two judges handling the

will improve immensely. What the DOTr should be doing is take a hard look at the way public transport is regulated and operated and come up with necessary reforms.

Let us take one example. EDSA, in spite of being technically a freeway because there are no traffic lights and is supposed to connect NLEX and SLEX, is always congested. It is only toward midnight that we see congestion easing. Even the traditional window between 12 noon and 1 in the afternoon when traffic becomes lighter is also gone. The LTFRB a year ago came out with a point to point bus scheme.

Instead, however, of giving the permit to existing bus operators, the LTFRB gave it to new operator thereby adding a lot more buses to the already congested road. As I have written so many times before, when there is a light rail like the MRT, along a thoroughfare, there should be fewer or no buses and

jeepneys along the same route. Certainly, there should be no tricycles.

The reduction of buses along EDSA and the prohibition of jeepneys will drastically reduce congestion along EDSA and can be done. But I believe that the DOTr and LTFRB are not confident of their ability to plan and execute such a plan and are therefore taking the safer option of not tinkering with the current system.

But not acting and taking bold steps will only worsen the traffic. It could also be that both agencies are simply banking on the completion of the Skyway in 18 months rather than do anything. It is a tough position to be in.

The situation now is very much like 20 years ago when we were managing the traffic in the metro area. Not much has changed. The MMDA law that is badly in need of amendments has not been touched at all. Many of the bureaucratic overlaps that we experienced then are still there. There are still 17 different traffic enforcement uniforms in the metro area, nineteen if the MMDA and CHPG traffic enforcers are included. If the weak MMDA cannot be amended, someone has to be appointed to manage and coordinate all the different agencies involved in traffic management. Government agencies whether local or national must be willing to give up part of their prerogatives for traffic to improve.

Much of the problems being experienced in managing traffic in the National Capital Region is incompetence and the unwillingness of some officials in some government agencies to give up certain prerogatives for the good of all. Turf unfortunately is guarded zealously by some officials preventing meaningful reform. It was like that then and it is still like that now. It is sad but in government, it is something that one must contend with.

If all these things are not possible, the person who will be appointed to take charge of traffic must be thoroughly competent. This means that the person must be well trained and young because the work is non-stop and that person has to have enough authority to do the job.

the strict requirements of the country’s Securities Regulation Code. It looks like the SEC has taken the allegations seriously that it has created a panel specifically to look into the allegations and has urged the parties in the conflict to keep the status quo at the management of the hospital.

SEC sources say the regulatory body is specifically looking at a Cooperation and Shareholders Agreement (CSA) and a loan agreement entered into by the parties identified with Gonzales.

The said documents are believed to be crucial in resolving the question of the legality and legitimacy of the supposed acquisition of the majority stake by the Gonzales group. The SEC is said to have put the CSA and the loan agreement under the proverbial microscope. The fate of the takeover bid is

believed to depend a lot on them.

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeals is reviewing a petition filed by the group identified with “ousted” Medical City president and CEO, Dr. Alfredo Bengzon. The said group now wants the CA to nullify the actions of the Pasig Court.

Sources say more prudent personalities in Gonzales’ circle have reportedly counseled the emerging corporate takeover icon against his aggressive adversarial stance against the SEC. They have a point. After all, the SEC will play a key role in his bid to legitimize the takeover of the Medical City by the group he represents. It will be the pending decisions of the regulatory body which would determine if Gonzales’ temporary victory would become permanent or end up nothing more than pyrrhic.

Trillanes case may have issued an arrest warrant, but until the Supreme Court hands down its decision, I will suspend my own judgment.

I personally do not like Trillanes for his arrogance and abrasiveness, but still I believe we need more people like him who are courageous in voicing their dissent. Absence of dissent could only promote tyranny.

*** Roque is saying six Cabinet members are running for public office in next year’s election.

I can think of Roque himself, special assistant Bong Go, political affairs adviser Francis Tolentino, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and perhaps Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.

I wonder who the others are.

operated like the current traditional jeepneys, it will also worsen the traffic situation because now, the new jeepney are designed to be bigger than the current jeepneys and will therefore occupy more road space. But if the new operators of these modern jeepneys are managed and encouraged to change the current way of jeepney operation, then the project will be beneficial to all. The trick is in the way these jeepneys will be operated.

The two biggest problems in the metro area are traffic and public transportation. Congestion and traffic gridlock is a daily fact of life. Public transportation, on the other hand, is inadequate and inefficient. Solve the two or at least lessen both problems and the quality of life in the metro area

There is no immediate relief in sight.

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Comparison with past inflations is irrelevant seemed to be saying “If the Filipino people don’t have bread, let them eat past inflation.” Another reactor said that the DBM head aded insult to inRUDY ROMERO jury: first Duterte administration economic policy takes away some of their THE managers of the Philippine econ- purchasing power then they are asked omy have been under increasingly in- to consider themselves fortunate betense pressure from for the inflation cause past inflation rates were higher. that has been hitting the economy since Still another reactor suggested that Dr. the beginning of 2018. Since they hold Diokno go to her market and try to pay the levers of economic policy making for food items with a graph containing power in this country, it is only fair a comparison of the last two decades that the economic managers explain to inflation rates.

Juan de la Cruz why, his peso lost 6.8 I’ll be kinder to Ben Diokno. As a percent of its purchasing power during fellow economist, I know where he’s the year’s first eight months. coming from. If I were in his place, I There were two approaches that the would probably have been temped to economic managers could have taken get out of my bind by resorting to a toward complying with the people’s comparison with past economic epirequest. The first was to simply meet sodes. But I’m certain that I would the issue head-on, telling the people have been able to resist that temptathat, yes, there was a serious problem tion, not because I’m a better practiand proceeding to detail the steps that tioner of economics than Dr. Diokno the government was taking to deal but because the comparison that he with it. struck is essenThe second tially irrelevant. approach was There is no practo strike a comtical point to it. parison with past Granted, Dr. Such statements about with inflaDiokno that the provide further fuel for tion, and, to say, bad 2008-2009 in effect, that the resentment against and earlier inpeople of this a government that flations did take country are betplace and that the ter off today than citizens now consider sufferers of those they would have callous. inflations were been in past inflaworse off than tionary periods. today’s inflation sufferers.

But The most promknowing those inent user of the second approach is the Secretary of things does absolutely nothing to asBudget and Management. In response suage the economic pain of today’s to a questions thrown at him during inflation victims. Higher for Diokno a recent ambush interview, Dr. Ben- perhaps be thinking that, by trotting jamin Diokno suggested that the in- out his comparison, he will emerge flation sufferers are better off than looking better in their eyes? I sure the inflation sufferers of yesteryears. hope not, because he won’t.

“We’ve had worse inflations, the My unsolicited advice to Dr. Dio(DBM) Department of Budget Man- kno is this: Stop making comparisons agement chief said. He then invited his between the current inflation and past interviewers to cast their minds back inflationary episodes. Such comparito the inflationary episode of 2008- sons are irrelevant to the economic 2009. pain that today’s inflation sufferers.

I don’t know if Dr. Diokno has had Sheets of paper containing graphs of any feedback on his “worse inflation” past consumer price movements canremark. If he hasn’t, I‘lll give him not be use to pay for groceries at the some. supermarket checkout counter. And One reaction said that Dr. Diokno they provide further fuel for resentreminded him of France’s ill-fated ment against a government that citiQueen Marie Antoinette. Dr. Diokno zens now consider callous.

BUSINESS CLASS

Line...

From A4

(achieving) perfection,” said the English-speaking Eunhee, who teaches line dance in Seoul and in Gyeonggido, the most populous province of South Korea with nearly 13 million people 51 kms southeast of the capital.

When Eunhee is not doing line dancing, she does, given her academic background, private rehabilitation training lessons.

At the same time, she does choreography, issues licenses for qualified line dancers, and makes educational materials as well as edit video.

“My video team meets every Saturday. We practice and shoot three works for two hours and practice 30 minutes per work,” Eunhee told Manila Standard.

She does much of the teaching for K.N.L.D., saying “I am doing everything by myself (but) there are three instructors who help me who lead the team when I am away.”

The K.N.L.D. has danced the different genres—cha cha, salsa, samba, mambo, swing, tango, rumba, jive, boogie, waltz—but Eunhee, while she likes all the genres, admitted partiality “to the slow rhythm like rumba and waltz.”

She expressed fondness for Jo Thompson Szymanski, the former Miss Texas, and the internationally acclaimed dance instructor and choreographer who taught taught line and couple’s dance for 30 years.

Szymanski was voted International Line Dance Instructor of the Year for five years in a row at the UK Crystal Boot Line Dance Awards and was honored with being of the first two people to be inducted into the Line Dance Hall of Fame.

Eunhee is also spaced out for Sound of Silence; Despacito; All Katchi, All Night Long; Bossa Nova; All of Me; Time in a Bottle; and Amado Mio. With aficionados and lovers of line dancing growing in number in nearly every ballroom, the rhythmic beat and music continue da capo al fine.

time: the front (the direction faced at the beginning of the dance), the back or one of the sides.

In a one-wall dance, for instance, the dancers face the same direction at the end of the sequence as at the beginning (either no turn or a full turn, 360 degrees); in a two-wall dance, repetitions of the sequence end alternately at the back and front walls; while in a four-wall dance, the direction faced at the end of the sequence is 90 degrees to the right or left from the direction in which they faced at the beginning or the quarter turn.

Ten years ago, line dance had its first bars in the Land of the Morning Calm, and with the various genres of the dance and music, line dancing quickly picked up, with line dance teams sprouting even faster than the samba beat.

In 2010, spark plug dance leader Yoon Eunhee, who holds a master’s degree in sports medicine and whose passion was to establish an educational institution that educates the line dancing leaders “who will be noble leaders” started the first chasse and, two years later, instituted the K.N.L.D., or the Korea Noble Line Dance group.

But Eunhee said she thought the degree, while closely related to the health and safety of her members, had no direct affinity to the line dance.

The 10-member all-female group— the members come from Seoul, Gyeonggi-do and Chungcheong-do—has classes all done by the award-winning Eunhee, who won the Grand Prize in Dance Contest twice in 2013 and 2014, a happy harbinger for the groups entry into the video sharing California-headquartered website YouTube that lets people upload, view, and share videos.

“There are many works or pieces, about 1,000 that I have done,” Eunhee told the Manila Standard in an interview, adding “I shoot three works or pieces for two hours every Saturday, (HBC, former 1st Trombone of The taking us 30 minutes to learn one piece.”

Mendiola Brass with The Bad Habits, “We make mistakes but I do not is a musician, musical arranger and care much, because I prefer to enjoy songwriter). the dance with the others more than

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

News

A6

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018 Standard TODAY mst.daydesk@gmail.com Manila

De Vera faces removal threat from HoR on Suarez issue

Espino loses round at Sandiganbayan

By Maricel V. Cruz REP. Eugene de Vera of Arts Business and Science Professionals Party-list is threatened to be removed from the roster of the House of Representatives for questioning before the Supreme Court the House leadership’s decision to recognize Rep. Danilo Suarez (Lakas, Quezon) as minority leader.

De Vera, who used to be a member of the Suarez’s minority bloc, was among the co-petitioners in the petition filed by former House majority leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas asking the high court to stop the House leadership from continuing to recognize Suarez as minority leader.

In House plenary session Monday night, Rep. Arnel Ty of LPGMA party-list tried but failed to question the quorum.

This, when House Majority Leader and Camarines Sur Rolando Andaya Jr. moved for a break in the ongoing plenary deliberations on the P3.757-trillion proposed national budget for 2019 to introduce “administrative matters.”

This developed as Suarez, at a news conference, denied any hand in De Vera’s alleged ouster move.

Meanwhile, Kabayan Party-list Rep. Paul Hernandez on Wednesday took his oath of office before Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, replacing the late congressman Ciriaco Calalang.

The appointment of Hernandez to replace Calalang was in response to the request of Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo, the party chairman, to include Hernandez in the roster of the House, said Andaya.

Salo was the former second nominee of the Kabayan party-list group after its first nominee, Harry Roque was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as presidential spokesman last year and was replaced by Calalang in January 2018.

Hernandez is a Cavite-based evangelical pastor and fourth nominee of KABAYAN in the 2016 elections.

He is a full Gospel pastor with the FREE Mission Philippines churches.

Calalang passed away last Sept. 23 after suffering a stroke.

As far as Suarez’s is concerned, the issue on the minority leadership had been resolved already as both the majority and minority groups had agreed on the matter.

MARKER UNVEILED. Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Former Prime Minister of Japan Yasuo Fukuda lead Monday the unveiling of the commemorative marker during the Fukuda Doctrine Commemoration at the Manila Hotel. Malacañang Photo

Higher discount rates for political ads OKd

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

M

ORE candidates would be afforded the opportunity to share their platforms to the public and pave the way for more informed voters after the Senate approved on third and final reading a bill requiring higher discount rates for political advertisements in radio and television during elections.

Senate Bill 1985 was sponsored by Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, and was co-sponsored by Senator Richard Gordon.

The measure was approved with 18 affirmative votes, zero negative votes and no abstention.

“Free expression of our people’s will is better ventilated during an election period if all those who vie for the votes of our people are undeterred in delivering their messages to their voters, especially if the deterrence is the prohibitive cost,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel said the bill sought to amend the existing Fair Elections Act (RA 9006), by re-

Republic of the Philippines NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION REGIONAL TRIAL COURT Branch 119, Pasay City SHIGETO TOMINAGA, Petitioner, -versus-

CIVIL CASE NO. R-PSY-18-30736-CV

AUTINA V. QUILANTANG, OFFICE OF THE CIVIL REGISTRAR OF PASAY CITY, THE CIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL AND PHILIPPINE STATISTICS OFFICE. Respondents. x----------------------------------------------x

ORDER Before this Court is a petition dated July 8, 2018.

The petitioner alleged, among others that: he is of legal age, Japanese National, with address at 5204, Niitomi, Koyama cho, Kimotsuki gun, Kagoshima Pre., Japan and thru the undersigned counsel at Unit 250 Valero Plaza, 124 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City and respondent Autina V. Quilantang is likewise of legal age, Filipino with last known address at 8th Street, Pildera II, NAIA, Pasay City; on August 1, 1991, petitioner and respondent were married at Pasay City, solemnized by Rev. Pedro P. Rollon; due to irreconcilable differences, the parties decided to part ways; they filed a Notification of Divorce in Japan which was granted on February 14, 1998; the fact of said divorce was duly entered and recorded in the official Family Register of the petitioner issued by the Head of Kimotsuki Cho, Kimotsuki gun, Kagoshima, Pref., Japan, per Certificate of Divorce issued by the Japanese Embassy in the Philippines; the said divorce was likewise registered with the Civil Registrar of Manila in compliance with the Administrative Order No. 1; and thus, to set the marital records straight, he filed this instant petition for judicial recognition of a foreign divorce and thereafter the cancellation of the certificate of marriage pursuant to Rule 108 of the Rules of Court.

Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the same is hereby given due course and this case is set for initial hearing on October 18, 2018 at 8:30 in the morning, at the session hall of this Court located at 4th Floor, Room 407, Hall of Justice Building, F.B. Harrison Street, Pasay City, Metro Manila.

All persons interested and who may have any opposition thereto may appear and show cause, if they have any, why the said petition should not be granted.

Let this Order be published in the newspaper of general circulation, at the expense of the petitioner, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks. Likewise, let this Order, together with the copy of the petition, be served upon the Office of the Solicitor General at 134 Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) at EDSA, Quezon City and the Local Civil Registry of Pasay City.

SO ORDERED. September 6, 2018, Pasay City.

(Sgd.) BIBIANO G. COLASITO Acting Presiding Judge (MStandard-Sep. 27, Oct. 4 & 11, 2018)

NOTICE OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE OF DIONICIA BUENSUCESO-INCIONG Notice is hereby given that the Estate of the late DIONICIA BUENSUCESO-INCIONG, who was a resident of 2395 Amatista Street, San Andres Bukid, Manila and died on June 29, 2017, left no debts, and left four (4) parcels of land covered by Transfer Certificates of Title No. T-20,217 and T-274573 issued by the Register of Deeds of the Province of Bataan, and Transfer Certificates of Title No. 173017 and 173018 issued by the Register of Deeds of the City of Manila, were settled extrajudicially by her heirs, Lizbeth Inciong Ngo, Rebecca Inciong Nuguid, Rosauro B. Inciong, Eleanor Inciong Angoncillo, and Lino B. Inciong, Jr. virtue of an Extrajudicial Settlement executed on March 19, 2018 in Makati City and entered in the Notarial Register of Notary Public Denise Anne V. Sales as Doc. No. 388, Page No. 079; Book No. I; Series of 2018 and acknowledged on March 23, 2018 in the Consulate of the Republic of the Philippines in New York City

by Consul Kerwin Orville C. Tate as Doc. No. 03699; Service No. 088-091; Series of 2018.

(MS-OCT. 4,11 & 18, 2018)

quiring higher discount rates for TV and radio ads provided by media outlets to bonafide candidates during an election period.

He said the proposed discounted rates found in the bill would be: From 30 percent to 40 percent for television, and from 20 percent to 30 percent for radio.

The higher discount rates, he said, would be applied based on “the average of the published rates these media outlets charged their regular non-political or commercial advertisers during the last three calendar years prior to an election.”

“Relieved of the burden of the prohibitive costs of political advertisements, candidates and political parties participating

in future elections will now have more opportunities to communicate their messages to the electorate in all forms of the so-called mainstream media,” he said.

According to Pimentel, the bill would not necessarily prohibit media outlets from providing greater discounts to candidates. Instead, he said, the bill requires that the discount given to one candidate must be the same discount given to other candidates for the same position, “in the name of parity and fair play.”

He also allayed fears the discounts rates would afford well-funded candidates and political parties more exposure, pointing out that existing laws would still limit the maximum air time and print space for election candidates.

Pimentel said that political advertisements should be part of the social responsibility of media outlets, since the true purpose of these advertisements is “to educate the electorate about the qualifications, platforms, and track records of political candidates.”

Customs collects P52.420b in 8 months

Ecowaste: Be wary of Xmas decorations

By Joel E. Zurbano

By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Customs exceeded its target for eight straight months this year, collecting a total revenue of P52.420 billion for September which is 30.2 percent higher than the P40.260- billion collection in the same month last year.

Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña said revenue surplus registered at 0.9 percent versus the target of P51.956 billion for the month of September or a collection surplus of P464 million.

BoC data revealed the collection performance of the bureau’s 17 ports as follows: Port of Batangas collected P12.176 billion, up 1.2 percent versus P12.029 billion target; Port of Limay collected P3.642 billion, up 15.2 percent versus P3.161 billion target; Port of NAIA collected P3.591 billion, up 0.1 percent versus P3.587 billion target; Port of Cebu collected P2.669 billion, up 14.0 percent versus P2.341 billion target; Port of Davao collected P2.535 billion, up 52.0 percent versus P1.667 billion target; Port of Subic collected P2.189 billion, up 17.1 percent versus P1.870 billion target; Port of Cagayan de Oro collected P1.816 billion, up 23.8 percent versus P1.467 billion target; Port of Iloilo collected P388 million, up 37.9 percent versus P281 million target.

Also ports that exceeded its collection targets were Port of San Fernando with P288 million, up 1.2 percent versus P284 million target; Port of Clark collected P145 million, up 6.1 percent versus P137 million target; Port of Legaspi collected P71 million, up 185 percent versus P25 million target; Port of Tacloban collected P41 million, up 75.9 percent versus P23 million target; Port of Zamboanga collected P29 million, up 18.1 percent versus P25 million target; Port of Aparri collected P5.09 million, up 4.0 percent versus P4.89 million target.

THE Sandiganbayan has denied the bid of Pangasinan Rep. Amado Espino Jr. for a leave of court that would allow him to contest his graft case over his alleged role in illegal black sand mining operations in 2011 in case his option for demurrer to evidence were denied.

With the denial of Espino’s motion for leave of court, the Sandiganbayan will no longer receive evidence in Espino’s favor in case it denies his motion for demurrer to evidence.

Filing of demurrer to evidence will then be a big gamble to Espino since all that the court now has are pieces of evidence submitted by the Ombudsman to prove the case against him.

However, the antigraft court’s Sixth Division said Espino could still file his demurrer to evidence, which seeks an outright dismissal of the case on the ground of weak evidence.

The court also denied the same motion of former Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan and former Provincial Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Officer Alvin Bagay.

In his motion for leave, Espino said the Ombudsman was unable to prove that the issuance of the SSMP caused undue injury to the government.

Espino also assailed the Ombudsman for failing to produce original documentary evidence, in effect insinuating that the evidence presented by the prosecution might have been forged.

The Sandiganbayan said these arguments from Espino were best discussed during a full-blown trial and not through a demurrer.

“Espino Jr., et al.’s arguments that there was no actual magnetite/black sand mining and that they did not act in a manner attended by manifest partiality, evident bad faith, or gross inexcusable negligence, among others, are evidentiary in nature and are matters of defense, the truth of which can best be passed upon after a full-blown trial on the merits,” the court said.

Espino and his co-accused face three counts of graft for allowing black sand mining in Lingayen Gulf in 2011 when he was still governor, while Villafuerte was being held accountable for the irregular procurement of P20 million worth of petroleum products for the provincial government in 2010. Maricel V. Cruz

LA NAVAL. Quezon City Hall employees welcome the arrival Wednesday of the statue of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary at the lobby in preparation for the Feast of La Naval de Manila on Sunday. Christian devotees are expected to join the annual grand procession of the Nuestra Señora Santissimo Rosario La Naval de Manila to Sto. Domingo Church along Quezon Avenue on Sunday. Manny Palmero

Fight vs plastic pollution up THE International Coastal Cleanup 2018 has mobilized various companies and organizations in the shared advocacy of cleanup of bodies of water while fostering awareness on the global issue of marine debris.

The Philippines first joined the international initiative in 1994, making it the first organized coastal cleanup in the country.

Now, 23 years later, the ICC remains to be one of the biggest movements on coastal conservation.

This year’s theme, “Fighting for Trash Free Seas,” unites all sectors again in a nationwide cleanup in major coastlines.

This vision is shared not only by the government and those who depend on the seas as their source of livelihood, but also by concerned citizens, the academe, NGOs

and private organizations.

One of the groups which joined this effort and actively participated in ICC initiatives is the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability.

Over 450 volunteers from PARMS members participated in the coastal cleanup activity in four cleanup sites—Manila Bay, Batangas, Subic, and Cebu. Aside from fielding in volunteers, PARMS also supplied a truck to take back the waste collected by its group for proper treatment and disposal.

In 2017, PARMS, with its members in the FMCG and plastics industry, along with other environmental NGOs, committed to build a facility to recycle sachets and other flexible plastics in the City of Parañaque from its private investment.

ENVIRONMENTALIST group Ecowaste Coalition urged the public to be on alert against defective Christmas decoration and other popular holiday products that may pose harm to human health and the environment.

In a statement issued to mark the Consumer Welfare Month, the group emphasized the right of consumers to be protected against hazards to health and safety as guaranteed by the Consumer Act of the Philippines, as well as the United Nations Guidelines on Consumer Protection.

“Consumers should be mindful of injurious, dangerous and unsafe goods flooding the market, including online shopping sites, as the festive holiday season gets underway. Consumers deserve good quality and safe products at affordable prices,” said Thony Dizon, Ecowaste Chemical Safety campaigner.

“Consumers should assert their right to product information and their right to be safeguarded against the marketing of goods that are hazardous to health, life and property,” he added.

Dizon specifically cautioned consumers against the careless purchase of popular holiday products like children’s toys, Christmas lights and gift items that have not undergone quality and safety verification procedures.

Inferior quality toys may contain hazardous substances such as cadmium, lead and mercury, brominated flame retardants and phthalates, and may pose burn, chemical, choking, laceration, strangulation and other risks for young consumers, he said.

Substandard Christmas lights and other electrical products can result in electric shock for the user and even cause fires, he pointed out.

PNP acquires gear for 10-year modernization program THE 10-year modernization program of the Philippine National Police has gained more traction with the ceremonial turnover during the flag raising ceremony Monday at Camp Crame of an enhanced combat helmet and tactical protective eyewear for the police force.

3M Philippines president and managing director Ariel Lacsamana and Gina Marie Angangco, president of Armscor Shooting Center Inc., a local partner

of 3M in the defense industry, presented commemorative tokens to Chief PNP Oscar Albayalde and PNP deputy directors, signifying the first batch of delivery of protective headgear for the police force.

The force has undertaken the upgrading of soldier protection with the 3M ballistic helmets with the objective of becoming a highly capable, effective and credible police service by 2030.

Ceradyne Inc., a 3M company, de-

signed the state-of-the-art, lightweight Combat II Ballistic Helmet L110 which leverages 3M Science to deliver the highest level of protection for its weight, based on a technology that has already been proven with the US military.

The effectiveness of the 3M L110 allows military and police forces to receive greater protection and comfort at an industry leading light weight to more easily and safely complete their missions.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Manila

Standard

TODAY

Sports

A7

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Laguna nails 4th straight MPBL victory LAGUNA continued to roll in the MPBL Datu Cup, even as Pasay finally snapped its losing skid at home Tuesday.

The Krah-supported Heroes outlasted inaugural staging champion Batangas City Athletics-Tanduay, 61-54.

It was the fourth straight win for the Heroes, who improved to 6-4.

The Athletics, who won two in a row prior to Tuesday’s game, absorbed another beating and lost for the sixth time in 10 games.

Batangas City’s 54-point production matched its lowest output as a squad, but its 29-percent shooting was the least it shot in franchise history.

Pasay stopped its bleeding at home, winning in front of its home fans for the first time in four tries.

Jan Jamon knocked in 15 points, including back-to-back jumpers in less than a minute to power the Voyagers to a 70-64 triumph over the Gen San Warriors.

It was Pasay’s third win in 10 games, but its latest victory stopped Gen San’s winning run.

Prior to this game, the Warriors won three in a row and the latest loss was their fifth in nine games.

Ramos fires 69, leads by 3 shots SEAN Ramos carded a three-under 69 to lead the early charge of the Orchard bets in the first round of the Canlubang Amateur Open at Cangolf’s North course in Laguna yesterday.

Ramos actually missed turning in a lower output with a bogey on the par-5 17th but his 35-34 proved enough to net him a three-stroke edge over Kim Tae Soo, who matched par 72, with Joachim Yu holing out with a birdie to save a 73 and make it a 1-2-3 start for the Dasmariñas City, Cavite-based shotmakers.

Club bet Carlo Villaroman kept Ramos within sight all throughout but blew a oneunder card with a double-bogey on the last hole as he dropped to joint third with Yu in the event put up annually by the Yulo family to provide the country’s leading players and budding golfers a venue where they could hone their talent and skills.

Perry Bucay of Camp Aguinaldo, Army’s Josh Jorge, Paolo Barro and Jaehyun Jung of Southwoods shot identical 74s for joint fifth while Bong Brobio of Forest Hills hobbled with a 75 to trail Ramos by six in the 54-hole championship backed by the National Golf Association of the Philippines as gold sponsor and MUST Consultatncy and Pacsports Phils., Inc. (bronze).

Paolo Wong stayed in the mix with a one-under card with three holes to go but the John Hay bet dropped three strokes on the par-4 16th then double-bogeyed the next and limped with a 76 in a tie with Aguinaldo’s Masaichi Otake in the tournament supported by hole-in-one sponsor The Turf Company and Texas Eagle (Golf Cars and Utility Vehicle).

Meanwhile, action in Classes A, B and C and ladies division, all slated over 36 holes, starts today (Thursday) at the North and South courses.

Taguig, QC crush foes in Metro League Open Games Thursday

Oct. 4 ‘18 (San Andres Sports Complex) 4:00 p.m. San Juan vs. Quezon City 5:30 p.m. Las Piñas vs. Parañaque 7:00 p.m. Manila vs. Pateros

WORLD CHAMPIONS. The Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragonboat Federation team paid Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr.

(seated, center) a courtesy call at the Malacanang Palace after bringing home five gold medals from the ICF World Dragon Boat Championship in Georgia, United States. Go For Gold top executive Jeremy Go (standing, seventh from left) made the trip possible for the women’s team that helped the Philippines win the overall seniors’ title. Also in photo are PCKDF president Jonne Go (seated, second from left) and head coach Len Escollante (seated, extreme right).

Melecio, Baltazar carry Archers past UST Tigers

By Peter Atencio

A

Games Saturday (MOA Arena) 12 noon UST vs UE

4 p.m. Ateneo vs La Salle LJUN Melecio presided over a big assault in the first quarter and the La Salle Green Archers kept the momentum until the end in a 99-72 plastering of the University of Santo dogs improved to 5-0 this season with Tomas Growling Tigers yesterday in the 81st University Athletic a runaway 92-62 win over Adamson University.

Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament at the Rookie center Angel Quingco scored Mall of Asia Arena.

“For me, it’s just another game. Gusto ko lang manalo at mag-bounce back sa loss namin sa UP,” said Melecio, who scored 19 points as the Green Archers came up with their most productive game in the young season.

The winning output of the Archers, who rebounded from their 61-67 loss to the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, surpassed those of the University of the East Warriors (Far Eastern U, 90-65) and the Adamson Falcons (UE, 90-76).

And with Justine Baltazar providing muscle underneath, the Green Archers had little trouble in coming up with their first win against a squad handled by their former coach Aldin Ayo. The Archers showed Ayo that they meant business as they drew 10 points from Melecio in the first period, where they coasted to a 28-13 lead.

Jollo Go shot all of his 11 points in the second canto, with his triple in the remaining 3:24 giving La Salle a

24-point spread, 46-22.

“That’s the primary game plan--for us, today, to play 40 minutes composed.

We play 40 minutes at the highest level.

Good thing they all played, everybody contributed,” said Green Archers’ coach Louie Gonzalez, who added that the win will keep La Salle in shape when it meets defending champion and arch-rival Ateneo at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

The 6’8” Baltazar also came up with his season’s best after he dominated with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

The Growling Tigers, who missed big man Steve Akomo because of a bum stomach, got 16 points from Henri Subido, while Marvin Lee and Zach Huang had 13.

Meanwhile, defending four-time champion National University extended its remarkable perfect streak to 69, while De La Salle pulled off a stunner Wednesday in the UAAP Season 81 women’s basketball tournament.

Ria Nabalan scattered the Lady Bull-

13 points and hauled down 21 rebounds as the Lady Archers bested University of Santo Tomas, 73-63, to tie their victims at 3-2 in third place.

Reigning MVP Jack Danielle Animam and Kaye Pingol each had 14 markers while Congo’s Rhena Itesi had a double-double outing of 13 points and 10 rebounds for NU, which led by as much as 37 points.

De La Salle unloaded a telling 15-0 run to turn a two-point deficit to a 64-51 advantage courtesy of a Charmaine Torres basket with 4:15 remaining in the game witnessed by four-time WNBA All-Star and Los Angeles Sparks legend Alana Beard.

Congo’s Grace Irebu had 23 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks while Tin Capilit was the other Tigresses player in twin digits with 11 markers.

Tin Camacho had 17 points, five boards, four steals and two assists while Nathalie Prado chipped in 16 points, nine rebounds and three steals for the Lady Falcons, who fell at 2-3.

PSC boosts DTI Consumer Fun Run 2018 at MOA grounds ABOUT 180 personnel from the Philippine Sports Commission strengthened the second year of the Department of Trade and Industry “Consumer Fun Run” last September 29 at the SM Mall of Asia Concerts Grounds.

DTI Consumer Protection and Advocacy Bureau, Director Ronnel Abrenica thanked PSC Chairman William Ramirez and the rest of the agency, for its continuing support for other government agencies in sporting activities.

“The PSC was a big help in staging this event, given that most of us have no expertise in conducting a fun run,” said Abrenica. He furthered

that the run was supposed to “raise public awareness on their basic rights as consumers.”

The PSC successfully provided technical, logistics, documentation and transportation services for the fun run that was attended by around 3,500 participants from national government agencies, local government units and private sectors.

“Last year, we only had 700 runners but for this year, umakyat na tayo sa around 3,500 registered participants doing either 3K, 5K or 10K tracks,” added Abrenica, who also served as the Senior Executive Assistant of Ramirez before he transferred to DTI.

MBL opens with 5 new teams

By Denniel Nicole Dioneo and Paul David Gelario THE Makabansa Basketball League opened its second season with five new teams at the Meralco Fitness Center in Pasig City last Sept. 29.

The five new teams from the 18team roster are the PSA Pakitang Gilas, DOE Energizers, Comelec Sentinels, Tanodbayan Watchdogs and Office of the President Kamao.

Kings of the Court founder Cholo Legisma introduced the new format of MBL. “The teams are ranked according to last year’s performance. As you can see, the champions Senate

Advocates are separated (by bracket) with DENR, the third seed, and with Meralco, the fourth seed,” Legisma said.

The five new teams were spread across the brackets via drawing of lots.

“The tournament will have a standard round robin. Each team will have five games, they will face opponents each from their respective brackets,” Legisma added. “To refresh the returning teams and to address the new teams, the top four teams will advance to the round of 12. We will have 12 teams, number one will face number 12; number two will face number 11, and so on.”

Republic of the Philippines Dopxlment of Transportaflon MARITIME INDUSTRY AUTHORITY-V Legaspi City RE: Petition for amendment of Exemption from the need of securing a Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) to effect the Permanent Addition of Ship pursuant to Republic Act No. 9295 Sec 7.14.2.2 Rule ill of the 2014 Amendments of the Revised implementing Rules and Regulations

FILMINERA RESOURCES CORPORATION

Petitioner.

Case No. LMRO 14-020A

x-----------------------------x

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES TARIFF COMMISSION NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND SUBMISSION OF COMMENTS / POSITION PAPERS In the exercise of its function to conduct investigations in connection with any recommendation for tariff modification under Section 1608(b) of R.A. No. 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), and its functions to “study the impact of tariff policies and programs on national competitiveness and consumer welfare in line with the economic objectives of the government” and to “provide the President and Congress with independent analysis, information and technical support on matters related to tariff and nontariff measures” under Section 1603 (b) and (e), respectively, of the CMTA, the Tariff Commission will conduct a public hearing on a petition from the Philippine Plastics Industry Association, Inc. for the extraction of tariff lines for low-density polyethylene (LDPE) under AHTN 2017 heading 39.01, and for the reduction of the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff rate of subject article from 10% to 0% (Investigation No. MFN-2018-LDPE). The product coverage is as follows: AHTN 2017 Code 3901.10.19 3901.10.99

2018 MFN Rate of Duty (%)

Description Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)

10 10

The hearing will be conducted on 17 October 2018 (Wednesday), 9:00 a.m., at the Tariff Commission Conference Room, 4th Floor West Insula Condominium, 135 West Avenue, Quezon City.

Comments/position papers relative to the subject matter should be submitted on or before 12 October 2018 to the Commission. For reference, please see the position paper template provided on the Commission’s website, www. tariffcommission.gov.ph.

For inquiries, please get in touch with Director Ma. Lourdes M. Saluta, Research, Investigation and International Trade Analysis Service (RIITAS), who may be contacted at Telephone Number 926-7476.

Issued this 3rdday of October 2018, Quezon City, Metro Manila.

DOE Undersecretary Wimpy Fuentebella, Meralco President and CEO Oscar Reyes, President of Transco, Melvin A. Matibag, and MBL Commissioner Rebo Sagisag. are shown during the MBL opener.

HOST Taguig and Quezon City debuted in style against separate opponents, while Caloocan bounced back from an opening day loss to notch a first win, all in the second playdate of the Metro League Open Division tournament last Tuesday at the Hagonoy Sports Complex.

On a day of one-sided results in the Philippine Basketball Associationbacked tourney which is part of the Metro Manila Development Authority’s Metro Manila Sports Fest, the Generals demolished San Juan 91-71, the Junior Capitals routed Las Piñas 72-53 while the Supremos overpowered Marikina 101-80.

Quezon City thus joined openingday winners Valenzuela and Manila for the early lead in the North Division, while Taguig also grabbed a share of the early lead in the South Division with another opening winner in Pateros in this tourney presented by “mobile app ng bayan” Barangay 143 and which has Spalding as official ball and Team Rebel Sports as official outfitter.

The Junior Capitals eye a second straight win while the All-Stars will try to do the same when they take on San Juan and Pateros, respectively, as action shifts to the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila Thursday.

Quezon City takes on Solid San Juan in the 4:00 p.m. first game while Manila squares off with Isang Pateros in an early battle of undefeated teams at 7:30 p.m. Las Piñas and Parañaque collide in the 5:30 p.m. second game eyeing a first win at each other’s expense.

McArthur John Enriquez fired a tournament-best seven triples en route to a game-high 29 points in Caloocan’s win over undermanned Marikina.

Enriquez scored all his output in the first three quarters of the game where the Supremos outscored the 10-man Shoelanders squad in every period en route to leads of as much 27.

John Mahari’s 14 points and Sandy Señal’s 12 led Quezon City’s balanced attack against Las Piñas whose output for the game matched the Junior Capitals output for three quarters.

MARILOU P. MENDOZA Chairperson (MS- OCT.. 4, 2018)

O R D E R This refers to the Petition for Amendment of Exemption from the Need of Securing a Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC) to effect the Permanent Addition of Ship filed by Applicant on 23 August 2018, viz: Name of Ship/s D/B “BEE TOO ORO”

Area of Operation

Service/s offered/to be offered

To ply the route from Legazpi City (homeport) to any port in the Bicol Region or any port in the Philipines.

For the carriage of company’s personnel.

The Petitioner shall cause the publication of this Order once in any of the five (5) major newspapers of national circulation in the Philippines or in a newspaper of local circulation, as applicable.

The Petitioner shall present the jurisdictional, qualification and documentary requirements in a summary proceeding to be conducted on 17 October 2018, Wednesday at 2:30 PM at the Hearing Room, Maritime industry Authority-V, 2”‘ Floor RDC Primeland inc. Building, Landco Business Park. Legazpi City, which is within five (5) days from the date of publication/posting.

The Petitioner shall be required to make a written Formal Offer of Evidence (FOE), aften/vhich. the application is deemed submitted for resolution/decision.

WITNESS the Administrator, REY LEONARDO B GUERRERO this 17th day of September 2018, Legazpi City, Philippines.

BY AUTHORITY OF THE ADMINISTRATOR:

(Pursuant to Admlnlstrntlvo Order No. 11-14 dated 12 August 2014)

(SGD) ENGR. JAIME B. BEA Director, MRO V JBB/elm Copy furnished: Applicant, Filminera Resources Corporation. Puro, Amroy. Masbate File

(MS-OCT. 4 2018)

Sports

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

A8 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018

San Beda eyes top 2; St. Benilde fights for life Games Thursday

(Filoil Flying V Centre, San Juan) 10 a.m.- SSC-R vs Perpetual Help (jrs) 12 nn.- SBU vs CSB (jrs) 2 p.m.- SSC-R vs Perpetual Help (srs) 4 p.m.- SBU vs CSB (srs)

SAN Beda College aims to move closer to finishing in the top two, while College of St. Benilde fights for dear Final Four life as the they face off today in the 94th NCAA basketball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The Lions are currently at second with a 13-1 (win-loss) mark and will jump into joint first with the Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates (14-1) if the former could hurdle the Blazers, who are at fifth with an 8-6 slate, in their 4 p.m. showdown.

It will also clinch the reigning back-to-back champion at least a playoff for a place in the top two and the twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four.

The Blazers, for their part, will go all out to pull the rug from under the Lions as a win will push them closer to regaining their place in the magic four.

Interestingly, Perpetual Help, currently at No. 4 with a 9-5 mark, has a chance to put some distance from CSB as it shoots for a fifth straight win against an already ousted San Sebastian (4-10) at 2 p.m.

Perpetual Help got the better of San Sebastian in their first-round duel, 78-76, thanks to Prince Eze’s game-winner on Aug. 8 at the Perpetual Help Gym. The Altas are also riding high on a four-game streak highlighted by a shock 83-81 win over the Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates on Sept. 21 and capped by an 88-71 demolition of the Mapua Cardinals Friday.

Perpetual Help’s last three assignments are Emilio Aguinaldo on Oct, 5, Letran on Oct. 12 and San Beda on Oct. 23.

Rome dela Rosa of Magnolia collars the rebound as two Columbian Dyip players look on in a PBA Governors’ Cup game won by the Hotshots, 113-95.

Hotshots crush Dyip, secure share of lead

already an insurmountable 23-point bubble, 71-48, at that juncture.

While Magnolia continues to asTILL in tip-top form, Magnolia demolished woeful Columbian cend, Columbian now needs to sweep Dyip, 113-95, with much ease for its third straight win to get a its remaining games to, at the very, share of the lead in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association least keep its slimmest of hopes of Governors’ Cup last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. making it to the top eight.

Jackson Corpuz led Columbian with Romeo Travis once again took charge asserted its superiority over helpless a career-high 20 points. for the Hotshots, nearly tallying a triple- Columbian as it zoomed to a sigdouble with 32 points, 14 rebounds and nificant lead right away after a burly The scores: seven assists. opening salvo.

Magnolia 113 - Travis 32, Barroca Mark Barroca and Paul Lee provided Mark Barroca’s buzzer-beating triple 16, Lee 13, Sangalang 11, Herndon 8, the scoring punch from the Magnolia to end the quarter gave the Hotshots a Dela Rosa 7, Jalalon 6, Reavis 5, Menbackcourt, adding 16 and 13 markers, comfortable 31-20 advantage. doza 3, Melton 3, Simon 3, Gamalinda respectively.

That was only the beginning of the 2, Ramos 2, Brondial 2, Pascual 0, The Hotshots, who dominated from end for the Dyip as the Hotshots contin- Abundo 0. start to finish, now enjoy a 5-1 card, ued to pounce relentlessly.

Columbian 95 - Corpuz 20, tying Barangay Ginebra at the top of By halftime, Magnolia extended Wright 19, Reyes 15, King 12, Mcthe heap. its lead to 60-46 before finally put- Carthy 12, Sara 7, Khobuntin 6, EsOn the contrary, there is still no ting the final nail in Columbian’s coto 2, Gabriel 2, Celda 0, Ababou 0, change of luck for Columbian Dyip as coffin.

Tubid 0, Cabrera 0. its recored worsened further at 0-7.

An 11-2 spurt to start the third by the Quarters: 31-20, 60-46, 92-70, 113From the start, Magnolia already Hotshots finished off the Dyip as it was 95.

By Jeric Lopez

S

Superal trails Taiwanese by 3 TAIWAN—Princess Superal bucked howling winds that blew from all over all day yesterday with a gutsy backside charge, shooting a twounder 70 and trailing local amateur Chia Yen Wu by three at the start of the Party Golfers Ladies Open at the National Golf Country Club in Miaoli County here.

Working on 2- to 3-club adjustments in tough conditions, Superal overcame a bogey start with a tap-in birdie on the par-5 third then came through with superb iron play at the back to sink three birdies, including another “gimme” on the closing hole that negated her other missed green miscue on No. 15.

“I actually didn’t expect to go under given the windy conditions and a bad start. But I was able to adjust in time and hit some solid iron shots and made the putts,” said Superal, who birdied the 150yard par-3 11th from 10 feet off a 5-iron tee shot and tapped in for birdies on Nos. 13 and 18.

Aside from blustery condition at the punishing up-and-down layout, the starting 105-player field also had to deal with the layout’s unpredictable surface where flubbed short putts came aplenty, ruining a number of players’ bids in the $100,000 tournament, the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour’s first co-sanctioned event with the Taiwan LPGA. Like Superal, back-to-back winner at LPGT Highlands and Riviera last March, Cyna Rodriguez

stumbled with back-to-back bogeys to start her title drive in the 54-hole championship also serving as the kickoff leg of LPGT’s 2019 season. But the former three-time LPGT winner and LPGA Tour veteran fought back with two birdies in the next three holes only to fumble with three more bogeys against a birdie in a five-hole stretch from No. 8.

She, however, matched Superal’s closing birdie to salvage a 73 for joint 15th with four others, six strokes behind Wu, who rammed in four straight birdies from No. 13 on her way to shooting a 67 and grabbing a one-stroke lead over Thai Wanchana Poruangrong, who fired an eagle-spiked 68.

Another Thai and former LPGT winner Renuka Suksokont put in a 69 to join current TLPGA Order of Merit leader Chen Yu Ju at third with Taiwanese Yu Pei Lin and Thai Saraporn Langkulgasettrin, also a former LPGT winner, matching Superal’s 70.

While Superal and Rodriguez stayed in early contention, Mia Piccio limped with a 76, her closing 39 marred by a triple-bogey 8 on the par-5 16th off an out-of-bounds drive for joint 48th, just within the top 50 plus ties cutoff line after 36 holes.

Daniella Uy opened with an even par card at the back but struggled at the front and skied to a 41 for a 77 while Marvi Monsalve tottered with a seven- Princess Superal hits a solid approach shot on the ninth for birdie and a 70. over 79 for a share of 86th.

Rivero-led PH 3x3 team takes on Slovenia

By Peter Atencio THE Ricci Rivero-led Philippine team is set to test its mettle against Slovenia in its opening game in the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup in Xi’an, China.

Getting past the Slovenia will give the team the confidence it needs when the Filipinos confront Serbia the following day.

Rivero, with teammates composed of 6’6” center Jeepy Faundo, Far Eastern University juniors’ point guard RJ Abarrientos and San Beda juniors forward Rhayyan Amsali, are in Pool D, with Turkmenistan and China.

The top two teams from each of the three brackets in both women’s and men’s categories will earn a direct ticket to the quarterfinals.

The Knock-Out Rounds, which culminate with the finals, will commence on Oct. 7.

The World Cup is held in parallel with the FIBA World Basketball Summit 2018.

Meanwhile, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio, SBP Executive Director Sonny Barrios and Special Assistant to the President Ryan Gregorio represented the Philippines in the summit.

The objective of the two-day summit is to bring together a wide range of high-ranking personalities in world basketball, from top level officials and management personnel in federations, clubs and leagues to business leaders.

As the international governing body for basketball, FIBA’s mission is to develop and promote the game worldwide as well as support their National Member Federations and the many other stakeholders in the sport to maximize their potential.

The theme of the conference, “Building the Future of Basketball Together”, sums up not only its objectives but the spirit in which it is being held.

Panlilio is one of the panel speakers and will discuss effective basketball development strategies covering the role of National Federations, schools and colleges, expectations on government, achieving the best ROI and the development of young pro players.

Smart recognizes ‘18 Asian Games medalists

Filipino athletes receive connectivity incentives for bagging medals at the Asian Games 2018

SMART Communications recently joined the Philippine Olympic Committee in honoring Filipino athletes who bagged medals during the 2018 Asian Games held in Indonesia last Aug. 18 to Sept. 2.

During the awarding ceremonies held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the Filipino Asian Games 2018 medalists received incentives from Smart, on top of their grants from POC’s donors including the MVP Sports Foundation, Inc. The gold and silver medalists received smartphones powered by Smart postpaid plans. Meanwhile, bronze medalists were given pre-loaded Smart Pocket WiFi kits.

“We want our PH medalists to experience our fastest LTE network,” said

Gabby Cui, Smart assistant vice president and head of community development and partnerships. “We hope that with these Smart-powered phones, we are able to empower them in preparing themselves for future games; and of course, to connect them with their loved ones.”

From the beginning of their journey at the Asian Games, Smart, through POC, turned over Smart Prepaid LTE SIMS and load cards that the Filipino athletes can use on Smart World Data Roaming Manager - an international service that Smart subscribers abroad can access to easily manage mobile internet usage.

Filipino Asian Games medalists received incentives from Smart Communications on top of their cash grant from the Philippine

Olympic Committee and its partners.

Bringing honor to the country During their stint at the Asian Games 2018, the Filipino medalists learned the value of teamwork and discipline despite the high level of competition.

“What I learned here is no matter what happens just don’t give up, persevere,” said Pauline Lopez, Bronze medalist for Taekwando.

She also mentioned that camaraderie among team mates and the other Philippine national delegates helped them survive the pressure at the tournament.

For the Philippines’ first female athlete to win the Asian Games Gold medal for weightlifting, Hidilyn Diaz, she claims her strong faith in God made her win.

IN BRIEF

Maynilad to study Marawi water pipes

THE International Committee of the Red Cross, in coordination with the Marawi City Water District and Task Force Bangon Marawi, commissioned Maynilad Water Services Inc. to conduct a study on Marawi City’s current pipeline condition, distribution network and water quality.

“Our desire to be part of the sustained effort for Marawi’s recovery has been realized through this project. We are happy to contribute in any way we can, and we hope to be of further help to the government by being part of actual rehabilitation works on Marawi City’s water supply system,” said Maynilad president and chief executive Ramoncito Fernandez.

The engineers were also tapped to conduct a general assessment of damage sustained by the water infrastructure in last year’s armed conflict.

Findings and recommendations from the study will allow for the creation of a hydraulic model to be used for the repair and construction of the water supply system in Marawi City, which will benefit almost 38,000 residents of 96 barangays.

Othel V. Campos

Finance terminates 4 Customs officers

THE sustained anti-graft campaign of the Department of Finance resulted in the dismissal from the service of five Bureau of Customs personnel.

The department said in a statement the anti-graft campaign became successful with prosecution of cases against personnel of the Customs and other DoFattached agencies before the Office of the Ombudsman and the Civil Service Commission, in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s goal of stamping out corruption in the government.

The DOF’s Revenue Integrity Protection Service said in a report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III that from January to August 2018, at least five employees of the Customs were dismissed from the service and indicted for false declaration in their statement of assets, liabilities and networth, while others were slapped with suspension orders.

Thes Customs personnel were found to have owned properties that they did not report in their respective SALNs, according to the agency. Julito G. Rada

Learn To Trade denies allegations

LEARN to Trade Philippines denied allegations made by its former employees that it is conducting an online trading business and is not a registered corporation in the country.

“The corporation is duly registered before the SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission]. It has wholly complied with all the requirements prescribed by laws and will faithfully adhere to all regulatory standards,” said Atty. Herschel Magracia, legal counsel of LTT. Magracia said given its valid recognition, LTT remained and continued to provide service to all its valued clientele.

He said LTT is engaged in teaching and coaching its clients on how to trade in currency exchanges and is not involved in on-line trading.

“The company is duly authorized to provide coaching services on currency exchanges in accordance with its articles of incorporation as approved by SEC and legitimately operates within that authorized framework,” Magracia said.

Coaches are limited to coaching and consultation only and were not directly engaged in trading the money of their clients, he said.

Bank presidents bullish on two-year economic outlook

By Julito G. Rada BANKS remain bullish on the growth outlook of the industry over the next two years, on the back of the solid macroeconomic fundamentals, results of the maiden Banking Sector Outlook Survey show.

The first semester survey released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Wednesday gathered the sentiments of the presidents/ chief executives/country managers of 114 banks in the country related to their growth outlook and risk assessments, business performance strategies and insights on regulation and supervision within a twoyear horizon.

It is also part of the BSP’s surveillance toolkit to promote the sustained resilience of the banking system.

Survey results showed that about 66.7 percent of the respondents considered a stable outlook for the banking system, while the remaining 33.3 percent viewed that banking system would be stronger in the next two years.

“This is anchored on the respondents’ economic growth forecast of 5 to 7 percent. The stable outlook for the banking system can be attributed to the strong macroeconomic fundamentals, adequate liquidity, rising capital buffers and profitability of banks,” the BSP said.

Majority of the respondents believed that expanding client base, deepening of customer relationships and developing new products were necessary to grow the bank.

Business

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

B1

SMC to replace coal with rice husks as fuel for 2 coal plants

REMITTANCE NETWORK. Bank of Commerce, an affiliate of San Miguel Corp., expands its remittance payout network by teaming up with Palawan Express PeraPadala, one of the country’s leading money remittance companies. The partnership, which aims to reach and serve more overseas Filipino workers and their beneficiaries, enables the bank’s clients to receive remittances from abroad through over 2,500 Palawan Express PeraPadala outlets. At the signing ceremony are (from left) Palawan Pawnshop head of remittance partners department Rebecca Badayos, Palawan Pawnshop vice president for finance and controls Lilian Concepcion Selda, Bank of Commerce executive support group head Edward Dennis Zshornack, operations group head Jay Velasco, international operations division head Morena Abadilla and remittance business consultant Amroussi Rasul.

Cusi seeks lifting of oil exploration ban in WPS E

By Alena Mae S. Flores

NERGY Secretary Alfonso Cusi is pushing for the lifting of the moratorium on oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea.

Cusi said the lifting of the ban, which was imposed amid the territorial dispute with China, would enable the oil and gas industry to drill more wells and increase local production.

“The lifting of moratorium will help our effort. That’s why we have been asking for the lifting of the moratorium, but again we defer to DFA [Department of Foreign Affairs]. Again, there is a diplomatic issue that is being addressed, but I am pushing for its lifting and for immediate resumption of exploration,” Cusi said.

Cusi said the government aimed to generate strong support from the oil and gas industry for the 14 pre-determined areas offered by the Department of Energy under the Philippine Conventional

Energy Contracting Program.

“We really need to develop our own source for our own national security.

That is our aspiration. At present, our drilling is very low. We are only averaging, during the last [Aquino] administration, it was three [wells a year],” Cusi said.

He said an average of eight wells were

drilled a year during the term of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

“During this administration, we are having the difficulty, but we are rushing it. We are pushing it because the only way for us to find oil is to explore, and we know the difficulty of exploring. So the more we explore, the more that our chances will be higher,” the energy official said.

He said other countries drilled an average of 29 to 40 wells drilled annually.

Cusi said he was hoping the industry would be able to drill at least two wells in the 14 pre-determined areas on offer.

“Why we are pushing it? Because we want to find oil,” he said, adding that the industry also faced challenges such as the corporate income tax interpretation by the Commission on Audit.

“The issues haunting us are, the taxes, the sharing of the taxes and our reputation of us changing the rules of the game. That is creating uncertainties,” he said.

The oil and gas industry almost came to a halt amid the territorial dispute with China on the West Philippine Sea, which prompted some companies to call for a moratorium of their service contracts.

First Circle opens another P1.5-b funding for SMEs

By Othel V. Campos FINANCIAL technology company First Circle opened up an additional P1.5 billion in funding for small and medium enterprises.

The financing product is a partnership between the Department of Trade and Industry and First Circle, according to co-founder and chief technology officer Tony Ennis.

“The product will be available to all Go Negosyo members nationwide as we also expand our services to cover the entire Philippines,” he said.

Loans are expected to incur 1.99 percent to 2.49 percent interest per month depending on the creditworthiness of the borrower,

on top of the 1.99-percent processing fee.

“With the partnership of First Circle and DTI, we will be able to tap into the 900+ Go Negosyo Centers of DTI to help promote to SMEs the availability of First Circle loans,” said company vice president Benedict Carandang.

Borrowers are given one to six months for loan repayment.

The fintech company is still in the process of being accredited as a wholesale lending partner of SB Corp.

First Circle co-founder and chief executive Patrick Lynch said the company thrived in the empowerment of business owners who were willing to expand their businesses.

“It is because of our mission align-

ment that the we have been selected by the Trade Department as their official partner. We can leverage the educational tools and other resources of the department and use our capabilities in distribution to reach more businesses than ever before,” Lynch said.

The company created a simple application process that allows SMEs to avail of the financial service that is fast, convenient and flexible.

First Circle grew its client base in just a span of two years and monitored more than 10,000 invoices.

The total value of application was estimated at P3.4 billion, showing the demand exceeded supply, according to the company.

CONGLOMERATE San Miguel Corp. said Wednesday its energy unit will replace coal with rice husks as fuel for two new circulating fluidized bed power plants to help boost farmers’ income.

SMC Global Power Holdings Inc. said it would convert existing power plants using CFB clean coal technology into biomass power facilities.

SMC Global operates two new clean coal power facilities in Limay, Bataan (600 megawatts) and Malita, Davao (300 MW).

“Instead of burning or dumping rice husks, we want to fully utilize this agricultural waste product both as energy source for our power plants and income source for our rice farmers,” SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said in a statement.

“This way, we reduce our emission further, encourage more farmers to increase rice production, make their lives better and help address a perennial food security challenge,” Ang said.

SMC’s new clean coal plants in Bataan and Davao utilize the circulating fluidized bed combustion technology. It is among the world’s most advanced pollution-mitigating technologies for power plants, yielding significantly lower emissions.

SMC said while emissions of these power plants were way below the limits set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and even the standards set by the World Bank, “emissions from rice-husk based fuel are expected be even lower.

“This way, we reduce our emission further, encourage more farmers to increase rice production, make their lives better and help address a perennial food security challenge,” Ang said.

Ang said using rice husks as fuel could also boost rice farming in the country.

“If we encourage more farmers to plant rice by providing them additional sources of income, our rice sufficiency and food security improves.

At the same time, we use palay husks to generate more environment-friendly energy,” he said.

Ang said SMC was willing to invest and put up the necessary infrastructure and facilities needed to support rice farmers to collect husks that would be acquired from them.

Ang earlier said SMC could go into rice importation to help address the current rice shortage if a proposed scheme that imposes tariffs on imports but lifts quantity limits was passed.

SMC operates grains terminals and silos nationwide which could be used to stockpile rice to help ensure the country’s food supply and provide Filipinos with high-quality rice at low prices.

SMC said the tariffs to be imposed on importing rice could be used to support local farmers and boost the agriculture sector.

“Ultimately, what we want is for our farmers to get the support they need; for farming to be a viable option again for many Filipinos and, maybe someday, for our country to be able to produce what we need and more,” Ang said. Alena Mae S. Flores

Vapers ask govt to consider UK Parliament report LOCAL vaping groups asked the government to consider the United Kingdom Parliament’s report urging the UK government to relax regulations on e-cigarettes to reduce the harms associated with tobacco use and help more people quit smoking.

“E-cigarettes are helping many people in the UK quit smoking. The government should seriously consider the UK tobacco control model in order to reduce the harms caused by conventional cigarettes to Filipino smokers,” said Peter Paul Dator, president of The Vapers Philippines.

“The Philippines will remain a backwater country in the area of tobacco harm reduction if the Department of Health continues its ill-informed and myopic position on e-cigarettes. It’s high time that the DOH take its cue from the UK and other countries that have acknowledged the growing body of scientific evidence supporting e-cigarettes and tobacco harm reduction,” said Joey Dulay, president of the Philippine E-Cigarette Indus-

try Association.

Published recently by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, the report entitled “Ecigarettes” concluded that e-cigarettes should not be treated in the same way as conventional cigarettes, noting that e-cigarettes are 95-percent less harmful than conventional cigarettes.

In its Tobacco Control Plan 20172022, the UK government stated its intention to support consumers in stopping smoking and adopting the use of less harmful nicotine products, particularly e-cigarettes.

The parliamentary report pointed out that “e-cigarettes…are too often being overlooked as a stop smoking tool by the NHS [National Health Service, the UK public healthcare system]. Regulations should be relaxed relating to e-cigarettes’ licensing, prescribing and advertising of their health benefits. Their level of taxation and use in public places must be reconsidered.”

JOLLIBEE IN MACAU. The rapid global expansion of Jollibee Foods Corp. is in full swing, with the inauguration of its first Jollibee store in the Macau Special Administrative Region. Shown during the opening ceremony are (from left) businessman William Chuacokiong; Carlos Ching, franchise partner for Jollibee Macau; Jollibee Foods Corp. chairman Tony Tan Caktiong; Alexis Tam, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Macau; Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III; Lilybeth Deapera, consul general of the Philippines to Macau; Jollibee chief executive Ernesto Tanmantiong; and Dennis Flores, president and head of Jollibee international business.

B2

Business

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market snaps 3-day slump T HE stock market recovered Wednesday to snap a three-day slump, with select blue chips leading the rally.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index rose 78.51 points, or 1.1 percent, to 7,210.87 on a value turnover of P5.4 billion. Gainers edged losers, 93 to 92, with 60 issues unchanged.

Manila Electric Co., the biggest retailer of electricity, advanced 4.9 percent to P358.80, while major property developer Ayala Land Inc. climbed 3 percent to P40.50.

Security Bank Corp., the sixth-largest lender in terms of assets, gained 2.5 percent to P149.90, while Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which is into toll roads, water and electricity distribution,

power generation and hospitals, added 2.4 percent to P4.80.

The rest of Asian markets were mixed Wednesday but the euro staged a mild recovery on hopes Italy and the European Union can ease a row that has fueled fears of another crisis in the eurozone.

Equity investors were shifting warily, with Tokyo down 0.7 percent after hitting a new 27-year high.

Hong Kong eased 0.1 percent after plunging more than two percent, Sydney put on 0.3 percent and Singapore gained 0.7 percent, while Bangkok rose.

Jakarta shed 0.3 percent and there were also losses in Wellington, Taipei and Mumbai.

Shanghai and Seoul were closed for public holidays.

While the China-US trade spate simmers, the source of angst among dealers has moved to Rome after the populist government passed a purse-busting bud-

get last week that drew a rebuke from Brussels and warnings to abide by EU rules on public spending.

That prompted Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini to threaten to seek damages for scaring off investors as the yield on government bonds surged, making it more expensive for Rome to borrow on international markets.

Traders were also spooked by comments from Claudio Borghi, the head of the lower house budget committee, that the euro was “not sufficient” to solve Italy’s money problems.

But the euro enjoyed a small rally Wednesday afternoon as Italian bonds edged back on reports in the country that Rome was willing to work on cutting some of its projected budget deficits.

However, Ray Attrill, head of foreignexchange strategy at the National Australia Bank, said while “Italexit” con-

cerns were overblown, he still thought there were possible problems for Rome.

“The more significant issue is the risk—albeit not immediate—of Italy being downgraded to ‘junk’ status by at least two of the major ratings agencies. “(That) would have profound implications for the ability of investors with minimum credit rating restrictions—including global sovereign bond market index trackers—from holding Italian government debt,” he wrote.

And Justin Tyler, a director and portfolio manager at Daintree Capital, echoed the fears, warning of “political risks coming out of Italy,” adding: “You’re going to continue to see volatility in the euro.”

On currency markets the dollar held above 15,000 Indonesian rupiah after breaking the mark Tuesday for the first time since 1998 during the Asian financial crisis. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2018

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

57.7 82.4 2.56 119.5 1.47 28.65 6.89 16.12 12.56 4.25 1.79 0.54 68 0.92 11.78 43 184.2 112 79.45 25.5 148.9 1,940 66.5 1.18

58.9 82.4 2.56 121 1.48 29 6.89 16.14 12.56 4.3 1.79 0.54 69 0.93 11.78 43.1 188.5 112 79.65 25.7 150.1 1,940 66.5 1.18

55.2 79.35 2.36 118.5 1.47 28.6 6.87 16 12.5 4.2 1.72 0.52 67.4 0.92 11.5 42.9 184.1 106 79.45 25.2 147.5 1,910 66 1.18

FINANCIALS 58.65 92,740 81.1 1,216,880 2.36 50,000 120 856,890 1.47 145,000 28.7 64,200 6.87 1,100 16.14 20,300 12.5 223,600 4.28 55,000 1.72 105,000 0.54 101,000 69 1,562,430 0.93 204,000 11.5 30,900 42.9 46,400 188.5 550 106 550 79.65 120 25.5 207,000 149.9 884,780 1,910 35 66 22,710 1.18 9,000

5,384,666 98,579,631.50 119,220 102,361,539 213,280 1,846,300 7,568 325,092 2,799,994 235,010 183,580 52,560 106,987,173 189,680 361,150 1,997,160 101,372 58,540 9,552 5,265,825 132,253,414 67,600 1,499,288 10,620

2,298,329.50 -71,889,689 -4,906,178 73,500 -463,570 -485,950 4,582,096.50 -1,359,950 -2,660,865 -54,028,287 -446,170 -

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

33.95 18.26 1.01 1.25 0.223 2.5 13.5 193.2 33.9 18 41 1.73 4.5 7.1 9.9 15.48 8.4 7.03 7.08 16.5 64 27.5 6.8 12.62 1.88 251 41.05 4.8 3.14 24.8 11.5 15.46 341.8 0.177 6.45 1.82 4.12 8.67 4.72 9 1 10.88 53.9 4.9 2.42 1.55 12 97.2 5.7 0.124 1 137 2.45 1.98 2.14

34.35 18.32 1.06 1.28 0.223 2.51 13.52 193.2 34.1 18 41.5 1.74 4.6 7.46 9.9 15.48 8.4 7.04 7.08 16.5 64.75 27.5 6.8 12.68 1.9 252.4 41.05 4.8 3.14 24.9 11.5 15.5 358.8 0.185 6.45 1.82 4.12 8.69 4.75 9.28 1.01 10.88 53.9 4.9 2.5 1.57 12 97.4 5.7 0.124 1 137 2.45 2 2.2

33.5 18.06 0.99 1.23 0.215 2.36 13.5 192 33.2 17.24 38.6 1.7 4.5 7 9.55 15.14 8.33 7.01 7.07 16.2 64 25.9 6.71 12.2 1.85 250.8 41.05 4.8 3.14 24.5 11.36 14.1 341.4 0.175 6.42 1.8 4.11 8.53 4.7 8.95 0.94 10.78 53.1 4.85 2.42 1.55 11.8 93.05 5.26 0.124 1 134.9 2.41 1.95 2.1

INDUSTRIAL 34.35 1,279,300 18.2 1,009,500 1.01 6,535,000 1.26 600,000 0.222 1,970,000 2.36 3,575,000 13.5 471,200 192 1,230 34 431,300 17.96 600 38.6 11,000 1.74 53,000 4.6 5,000 7.42 2,800 9.8 625,600 15.16 12,200 8.4 70,700 7.03 20,800 7.07 454,100 16.44 211,200 64 40,830 26 293,800 6.71 128,400 12.5 1,585,900 1.88 176,000 252 393,580 41.05 100 4.8 90,000 3.14 1,000 24.8 1,208,500 11.4 164,000 14.74 9,702,100 358.8 260,500 0.185 1,230,000 6.42 700 1.8 53,000 4.11 10,000 8.69 168,100 4.75 70,000 8.95 82,000 0.96 6,877,000 10.8 27,800 53.45 38,100 4.9 32,000 2.43 5,557,000 1.57 144,000 12 37,500 94 3,999,950 5.3 683,400 0.124 510,000 1 162,000 136.5 413,510 2.41 70,000 1.97 3,005,000 2.1 4,194,000

43,173,010 36 18,432,452 6,702,750 749,400 426,390 8,565,580 6,361,202 237,316 14,657,430 10,518 433,030 91,050 22,780 19,892 6,075,622 185,112 591,216 146,100 3,214,558 3,463,490 2,620,452.50 7,739,825 864,697 19,775,906 329,480 99,140,658 4,105 432,000 3,140 29,968,320 1,868,750 142,176,914 91,479,782 216,020 4,503 95,510 41,110 1,453,321 331,030 738,080 6,660,340 300,208 2,037,388 155,800 13,511,650 224,690 449,600 385,128,654.50 3,652,342 63,240 162,000 56,374,661 170,500 5,926,590 8,911,070

,469,784.9997 10,203,040 -241,140 -4,954,850 399,598 -217,520 -354,930 1,159,952 -252,000 -14,049 -2,967,698 -615,738 2,572,898.50 79,600 2,717,986 -101,520 7,864,160 2,254,235 -303,278 -77,717,616 60,432,372 192,920 -91,880 -166,068 -37,780 308,900 -250,029.50 -155,800 297,260 -28,502,204 30,981.00 19,288,976 121,900 -471,750 -183,960

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

0.42 47.5 12.2 27.8 1.31 1.33 908 5.87 11.84 7.05 800 6.15 52 5.06 0.57 4.75 14.7 0.56 4.7 0.039 1.18 2.42 170 2.55 875 1.42 320 280 0.255 0.211

0.43 48.05 12.24 28.5 1.35 1.36 940 5.87 12.12 7.05 800 6.15 53.55 5.06 0.57 4.75 14.88 0.57 4.83 0.039 1.18 2.45 170 2.55 892.5 1.42 320 280 0.27 0.211

0.415 47 12.08 27.5 1.3 1.33 908 5.74 11.48 7 799 6.03 51.4 5.06 0.52 4.41 14.62 0.56 4.69 0.038 1.18 2.42 168 2.55 871 1.41 320 278 0.255 0.211

HOLDING FIRMS 0.42 9,440,000 48 4,409,700 12.24 566,200 27.7 65,200 1.33 6,696,000 1.34 931,000 940 175,070 5.78 28,526,100 12.12 1,110,700 7 56,500 800 79,560 6.14 7,300 53.55 483,900 5.06 1,000 0.56 854,000 4.56 135,000 14.86 484,400 0.57 1,369,000 4.8 20,412,000 0.038 7,500,000 1.18 9,000 2.42 459,000 168.9 315,420 2.55 4,000 875 105,960 1.41 2,000 320 90 280 3,070 0.26 3,490,000 0.211 40,000

3,936,850 208,942,535 6,896,522 1,818,290 8,920,830 1,249,300 163,058,920 165,986,980 13,281,840 396,245 63,646,435 44,718 25,541,374.50 5,060 446,510 614,660 7,183,220 769,910 97,038,640 285,700 10,620 1,111,110 53,365,339 10,200 92,691,500 2,830 28,800 856,760 904,050 8,440

273,000 78,490,495 -6,006,530 86,280 -65,990 24,218,360 -129,878,456 1,448,256 129,745 14,687,405 -363,639 52,000 485,340 -2,492,266 -6,691,680 72,600 -17,413,975 -18,660,255 -2,600 -

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE IRC PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG

7.28 0.84 12 2.05 0.64 39.15 2.53 4.3 5.27 0.44 0.93 0.222 0.39 8.38 19.3 0.55 1.43 1.1 2.5 4.17 0.63 0.45 0.42 3.9 20.3 1.98 3.19 34

7.3 0.86 12 2.05 0.64 40.5 2.53 4.41 5.36 0.44 0.93 0.232 0.39 8.39 20 0.55 1.45 1.11 2.52 4.27 0.64 0.45 0.435 3.98 20.3 2.04 3.2 34.65

7.06 0.83 11.04 2.05 0.64 39 2.41 4.28 5.27 0.43 0.91 0.221 0.39 8.26 19.3 0.55 1.43 1.1 2.43 4.15 0.62 0.44 0.42 3.86 20 1.94 3.19 33.7

3,510,639 1,279,470 14,684 82,000 208,640 177,618,265 477,210 1,250,840 57,569 1,275,750 281,340 264,390 7,800 1,358,185 4,963,532 10,450 2,613,930 224,720 15,368,620 25,602,160 6,772,060 79,300 88,350 648,760 23,828,450 1,482,200 95,960 241,995,295

-102,458 8,300 -14,670,370 -157,470 -74,970 13,000 7,800 41,682 721,700 278,360 -12,148,710 -58,590 193,500 -2,067,580 1,080 -122,082,860

NAME

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

1.1 6.45 0.75 6

1.11 6.5 0.75 6.05

1.07 6.3 0.75 5.92

1.11 6.4 0.75 6.05

680,000 181,500 50,000 1,433,500

740,060 1,148,721 37,500 8,575,807

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

11 21.8 0.465 0.044 13.02 1.93 8.2 0.063 68 5.5 8.39 22.75 2,170 5.35 310 2.67 1.82 92.1 12 7.75 0.115 2.46 3.33 3.65 16.22 0.42 5.6 7.03 2.43 1.58 7.47 10.8 8.6 3.3 99.5 4.27 1,405 0.85 0.375 43.15 79.3 7.45 2.25 0.91 0.58 5.19 0.66 10.58

11 21.95 0.475 0.044 13.02 1.94 8.5 0.064 68 5.5 8.51 23 2,210 5.36 313 2.72 2.04 95 12.18 7.75 0.115 2.5 3.33 3.65 17 0.43 5.87 7.08 2.45 1.58 7.55 10.8 8.6 3.39 100 4.27 1,409 0.87 0.375 44 79.3 7.55 2.36 0.92 0.6 5.2 0.68 10.96

10.5 21.7 0.465 0.044 13.02 1.87 8.12 0.061 67.2 5.2 8.39 22.15 2,170 5.31 303 2.6 1.82 92.1 11 7.7 0.115 2.32 3.13 3.58 16.04 0.42 5.6 7.03 2.42 1.45 7.4 10.8 8.6 3.28 99.5 4.19 1,370 0.85 0.37 43.15 78.9 7.45 2.22 0.88 0.58 5.19 0.66 10.58

SERVICES 10.9 21.7 0.475 0.044 13.02 1.89 8.48 0.061 67.55 5.27 8.51 22.5 2,210 5.31 313 2.72 2.04 95 11.5 7.7 0.115 2.33 3.29 3.58 17 0.42 5.86 7.07 2.42 1.53 7.41 10.8 8.6 3.39 100 4.21 1,400 0.85 0.375 44 79 7.53 2.35 0.88 0.59 5.19 0.67 10.8

66,600 21,600 60,500,000 200,000 100 1,616,000 4,710,400 22,040,000 25,220 1,426,100 7,200 53,000 23,030 142,400 2,000 906,000 10,000 368,440 7,200 7,000 790,000 3,871,000 28,000 309,000 906,500 220,000 17,800 6,779,200 468,000 57,000 2,088,900 500 200 3,000 39,600 69,000 49,295 1,299,000 620,000 1,110,900 1,359,300 5,000 18,075,000 7,865,000 27,304,000 2,117,900 416,000 2,029,300

714,822 470,400 28,434,400 8,800 1,302 3,055,460 39,276,871 5 1,358,090 1,701,902 7,578,443 61,152 1,190,505 50,828,620 759,284 621,036 2,403,540 18,820 34,583,232 83,390 54,000 90,850 9,222,880 88,470 1,112,520 15,050,566 93,250 103,744 47,797,530 1,143,570 84,040 15,541,197 5,400 1,720 9,970 3,941,995.50 290,050 68,828,330 1,113,760 230,900 48,525,865 107,459,840 37,690 41,815,440 6,989,490 16,169,510 11,000,080 278,730 21,916,220

228,900 23,250 15,020 ,210,530.9996 -683,822 273,935 34,112,680 116,370 5,489,438 109,050 -104,290 -626,092 -15,120,565 -2,390 -7,312,052 91,590.50 14,631,970 -112,450 -3,778,165 -10,250,015 -4,609,410 3,540 -510,290 -5,023,490 -11,930 5,394,556

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

0.0023 1.51 2.99 18.4 1.93 0.3 7.15 1.84 0.203 0.112 0.111 0.007 1.28 4.35 1.15 0.68 1.12 0.013 0.014 0.012 3.5 3.32 16.34 25 0.0066

0.0024 1.59 2.99 19.7 1.93 0.3 7.16 1.85 0.206 0.112 0.115 0.007 1.28 4.35 1.15 0.68 1.15 0.014 0.014 0.012 3.84 3.37 17.08 25 0.0066

0.0023 1.5 2.95 18 1.92 0.3 7.06 1.82 0.203 0.109 0.111 0.007 1.26 4.3 1.07 0.66 1.12 0.013 0.014 0.012 3.5 3.31 16.3 24.4 0.0066

MINING & OIL 0.0024 57,000,000 1.58 11,088,000 2.95 10,000 19.7 20,500 1.92 24,000 0.3 150,000 7.1 16,400 1.84 582,000 0.203 80,000 0.109 680,000 0.115 340,000 0.007 7,000,000 1.26 2,000 4.32 298,000 1.08 69,000 0.67 377,000 1.13 248,000 0.014 76,600,000 0.014 100,000 0.012 14,800,000 3.79 108,000 3.32 777,000 16.9 11,694,400 24.7 871,400 0.0066 1,000,000

133,800 17,274,400 29,860 380,792 46,300 45,000 116,454 1,069,100 16,370 75,650 37,780 49,000 2,540 1,284,920 74,690 252,290 282,030 1,038,900 1,400 177,600 397,980 2,582,990 195,620,232 21,451,155 6,600

59,800 1,088,350 -2,950 -810 -112,200 -5,600 -129,790 504,996 -304,670 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

18.8 489 490 100 100 103 490 5.13 970 902 95.4 1.04 101 1,000 100 103 1,000 75.05 77 75.4 75 75 75 75 72.75

19.1 489 490 100 100 103 490 5.13 970 942.5 95.4 1.04 101 1,000 102 103 1,000 75.05 77 75.4 75 75 75 75 75

18.8 485 490 100 100 103 490 5.13 970 902 95.4 1.02 100.2 1,000 100 103 981 75 76.35 75.4 74.75 75 75 75 72.75

PREFERRED 19 14,400 485 2,040 490 3,020 100 10,000 100 16,950 103 3,000 490 7,500 5.13 148,400 970 10 942.5 40 95.4 14,230 1.02 101,000 100.2 10,750 1,000 150 102 30 103 90 1,000 1,380 75 1,900 76.35 9,870 75.4 42,840 75 59,000 75 4,030 75 1,000 75 1,000 75 25,800

271,170 989,500 1,479,800 1,000,000 1,695,000 309,000 3,675,000 761,292 9,700 36,485 1,357,542 103,040 1,085,343 150,000 3,020 9,270 1,370,155 142,515 759,918.50 3,230,136 4,424,835 302,250 75,000 75,000 1,899,450

-265,530 -720,252 -751,520 -

LR WARRANT

2.37

2.45

2.34

WARRANTS 2.45 55,000

129,300

-

2,608,114 2,086,040

-51,970 -177,470

812,878

10,720

10,080 4,200

-

MS

PROPERTY 7.3 0.84 11.98 2.05 0.64 40.5 2.43 4.41 5.36 0.435 0.93 0.23 0.39 8.33 19.84 0.55 1.45 1.1 2.44 4.15 0.63 0.44 0.42 3.94 20.3 1.97 3.2 34.5

486,000 1,520,000 1,300 40,000 326,000 4,483,800 196,000 289,000 10,900 2,930,000 309,000 1,170,000 20,000 163,700 251,700 19,000 1,813,000 204,000 6,244,000 6,134,000 10,742,000 180,000 210,000 167,000 1,180,200 739,000 30,000 7,060,900

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

OPEN

ITALPINAS XURPAS

5.34 2.33

5.41 2.38

5.24 2.3

FIRST METRO ETF

107.5

108

107.1

USD DMPL A1 USD TECH B2

10.08 1

10.08 1

10.08 1

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

11,327,697

INDUSTRIAL

58,867,867

HOLDING FIRMS

112,181,880

PROPERTY

49,320,963

SERVICES

170,365,067

MINING & OIL

184,502,504

GRAND TOTAL

587,959,417

5.36 2.3

SME

490,600 895,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 108 7,540 DDS 10.08 1

1,000 4,200

-5,489,108

VALUE 1,614.14 (up) 5.03 1,166,392,780.90 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,543.46 (up) 111.66 1,021,443,488.70 HOLDING FIRMS 7,088.42 (up) 72.99 1,885,776,953.71 PROPERTY 3,577.67 (up) 73.39 1,507.50 (up) 7.02 526,051,708.67 SERVICES MINING & OIL 8,766.42 (up) 133.50 597,116,894.32 PSEI 7,210.87 (up) 78.51 242,466,215.50 All Shares Index 4,422.97 (up) 24.17 5,444,758,073.03 Gainers: 93; Losers: 92; Unchanged: 60; Total: 245

Double Dragon set to complete 2 buildings by the end of ‘18

By Jenniffer B. Austria DOUBLEDRAGON Properties Corp. is scheduled to complete two office buildings within its 4.75-hectare mixed-use development DD Meridian Park at the Bay Area in Pasay City toward the end of 2018 DoubleDragon said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the two towers―DoubleDragon Center West and DoubleDragon Center East―will add another 35,752 square meters of leasable office space to the 138,503 sqm already completed in DD Meridian Park.

“As we complete more projects nationwide, our rental revenues will continue to grow exponentially quarter on quarter. DoubleDragon is now starting to harvest from the seeds that it has been planting around the country in the last four years”, said DoubleDragon chairman Edgar Sia II. DoubleDragon also broke ground on DD Meridian Tower located also within the DD Meridian Park.

DD Meridian Tower, which will be the company’s ninth building, will house eight office towers and one luxury serviced apartment building. The planned mixed-use tower is slated for completion in 2020.

The first phase of DD Meridian Park, involving four office towers, is already 100-percent leased to date and is expected to house over 20,000 employees of tenants by the end of the year.

Once fully developed, DD Meridian Park is expected to house over 50,000 employees by 2020.

The company plans to complete a leasable portfolio of 1.2 million sqm by 2020 comprising of 700,000 square meters from 100 CityMalls, 300,000 sqm from its Metro Manila office projects,100,000 sqm from the planned 5,000 hotel rooms and another 100,000 sqm of industrial space from several CentralHub sites across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Meanwhile, DoubleDragon chief investment officer Hannah Yulo said the company remained generally unaffected by the current rising interest environment in the country as all its corporate notes and retail bonds had fixed interest rates for seven to 10 years.

ABS-CBN, GMA sustain increased television ratings

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE country’s two largest broadcasting networks both sustained higher television ratings nationwide in September.

ABS-CBN Corp. said it recorded an average audience share of 44 percent and a double digit lead gainst GMA Network Inc.’s 33 percent, according to data from Kantar Media.

Like in the previous months, ABSCBN’s primetime block attracted more viewers as it scored an average audience share of 47 percent, 13 points higher than GMA’s 34 percent.

ABS-CBN also led in Metro Manila households, where it scored an average audience share of 41 percent against GMA’s 28 percent.

In Total Luzon, ABS-CBN got 39 percent against GMA’s 36 percent and in Total Visayas where it garnered 53 percent against GMA’s 25 percent.

GMA, meanwhile, maintained its lead in the nationwide television ratings competition based on the latest data from the industry’s widely-trusted ratings service provider Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.

For the month of September, GMA posted an average total day people audience share of 41.1 percent in the National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM), beating ABS-CBN’s 37.1 percent.

The Kapuso Network emerged as the viewers’ top choice as it continued to lead across all day parts. In the morning block, GMA registered 38.2 percent people audience share versus ABS-CBN’s 34.3 percent.

GMA remained undefeated in the afternoon block after tallying 41.2 percent while ABS-CBN managed to get 37.1 percent.

Likewise in the evening block, GMA again led competition with 42.2 percent against ABS-CBN’s 38.3 percent.

GMA garnered an average total day people audience share of 46.7 percent in Urban Luzon versus ABS-CBN’s 30.8 percent.

Manila

Standard

TODAY

extrastory2000@gmail.com

Business/World

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

B3

Death toll in Indonesia earthquake tops 1,400 W ANI, Indonesia― The death toll in Indonesia’s twin quake-tsunami disaster passed 1,400 Wednesday, with time running out to rescue survivors and the UN warning of “vast” unmet needs.

AHEAD OF THE FESTIVAL. An Indian artist decorates statues of the Hindu goddess

Durga ahead of the forthcoming ‘Dushhera-Vijaya Dashami’ festival on the roadside in Hyderabad on October 3, 2018. ‘Durga Puja,’ the annual Hindu festival involving the worship of the goddess Durga, who symbolizes power and the triumph of good over evil in Hindu mythology, culminates in the immersion of idols in bodies of water. AFP

Telecom tower rules add to bureaucracy OPENING up the construction of common cellular towers to everybody is promoting fair competition. Limiting the number to just two, however, will result in inefficiency and is prone to corruption.

What was originally meant to benefit the general public may end up favoring only a select few after all. Government regulators recently held a public hearing on a draft memorandum circular of the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the National Telecommunications Commission on common cell towers.

The outcome of the hearing immediately drew sharp criticisms from industry stakeholders.

Much of the disagreement centered on Presidential Adviser Ramon Jacinto’s insistence on allowing only a maximum of two independent tower companies to build common cell towers. The private tower companies opposed the proposed policy, saying there should be as many towers as possible, and not just two.

Advocacy group Better Broadband Alliance lead convenor Grace Mirandilla-Santos questioned Jacinto and the DICT on the government’s rationale for limiting the participating tower companies.

“The tower companies are finding it viable to have more, why are they limiting it to two?” Mirandilla-Santos asked, and sought the legal basis for inviting just two independent tower companies.

Many in the industry raised concern that the proposal could turn into a money-making scheme for some businessmen.

A more open accreditation process ensures a more level playing field and market competition, says one stakeholder, but limiting the process to only two companies breeds favoritism and corruption.

Jacinto as early as January this year seemed to have played favorites when he cited American Tower Corp. as a viable option. His business interests and involvement in highly-coveted broadcasting frequencies, radio stations and towers, being an owner of Rajah Broadcasting Network Inc., now deserve scrutiny.

Jacinto operates 10 radio stations whose towers, along with those of other prospective broadcast companies, could kick off the telco tower companies’ goal of 20,000 plus towers. There’s no stopping Jacinto under the draft circular to infuse equity in the two accredited tower companies.

DICT Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr., of course, will have the last say on the issue. Rio says he is responsible for the decision, and that he and not Jacinto will sign the policy.

Globe Telecom Inc. head of corporate and legal services group Froilan Castelo, during the public consultations, also opposed the proposal of the DICT and NTC to prohibit them from building their own towers in the future.

“We do not see how an independent tower company can alleviate or ease out the problems that we are fixing. They are private companies, the same as us and they are going to face the same problems. We do not see any reason how this will help us. If we are going to make this exclusive, we do not know and we do not see how this will speed up the rollout,” Castelo said.

“Preventing us from doing that is a violation of our contract and with the constitution. What we right now need is the easing out of bureaucracy in the government,” he added.

Globe Telecom is not mincing its words in posing a strong objection to the draft circular. “The proposed rule of limiting the entire tower sub-industry again only to two independent, private tower companies is anti-competitive, retrogressive, and against global best practice,” Castelo said The Philippines currently has just 16,500 cell sites and needs an additional 50,000 towers at least to properly serve 113 million subscribers today.

Castelo doubts if two tower companies can help overcome the bureaucracy in building cell sites.

“Right now, it takes an average of 25 permits and adding up the time to acquire right-of-way, it will take an average of 8 months to build a single cell site. These supposed two private independent towercos will not be better than us because they will be subjected to the same difficulties we are currently facing,” he said. “The main objective should be to build more and augment the efforts of the telcos to densify the country with cell sites.”

The lack of cellular towers is the greatest barrier to seamless mobile internet connectivity in the Philippines, with no viable short-term solution in sight due to permitting issues.

E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or business@manilastandard.net or extrastory2000@gmail.com

National disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said the number of dead had risen to 1,407 across four areas around the ravaged seaside city of Palu, and 519 bodies had been already buried.

Authorities set a tentative deadline of Friday to find anyone still trapped under rubble, at which point—a

week after this devastating double disaster—the chances of finding survivors will dwindle to almost zero.

Government rescue workers are focusing on half a dozen key sites around the city―the Hotel Roa-Roa where up to 60 people are still believed buried, a shopping mall, a restaurant and the Balaroa area where the sheer force of the quake turned the earth temporarily to mush.

At least 150 people are unaccounted for beneath the rubble, officials said.

According to the UN’s humanitarian office almost 200,000 people need urgent help, among them tens of thousands of children, with an estimated 66,000 homes destroyed or damaged by the 7.5-magnitude quake and the tsunami it spawned.

Despite the Indonesian government urging foreign rescue teams to

US-China military tensions soar WASHINGTON―The bitter trade dispute between China and the US is increasingly spilling into the military domain, with a risky incident in the South China Sea highlighting the dangers of souring relations.

In what the US Navy has called an “unsafe and unprofessional” encounter, a Chinese warship sailed within 41 meters of a US destroyer Sunday as it passed by Chinese-claimed features in the South China Sea, forcing the American vessel to take evasive action.

The close call capped days of tit-for-tat military moves that came as President Donald Trump ramped up his trade war with China.

“The close encounter between the Chinese destroyer and the USS Decatur was the closest one yet,” Timothy Heath, senior international defense research analyst at the RAND Corporation, told AFP. It “may reflect in part the growing US-China tensions. But it also appears to reflect a growing willingness by Beijing to test the Americans in the South China Sea,” he added.

Beijing reacted furiously after the incident, saying America’s “freedom of navigation” operation threatened China’s sovereignty and security, and damaged military relations between the two powers.

The encounter followed a string of other military incidents.

Last week, plans for a Beijing meeting between US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe fell through after China declined to make Wei available.

Days earlier, China nixed a planned port visit of a US warship to Hong Kong, and canceled a meeting between the head of the Chinese navy and his American counterpart.

That all came around the time US B-52 bombers took part in a combined operation with Japan over the East China Sea, and flew through international airspace over the South China Sea. AFP

MR Guidance: The future of radiotherapy OVER the years there is significant rise in cancer cases and scientific community is working with several approaches to overcome this disease. There are couple of treatment approaches, radiotherapy is one of viable treatment option and in certain situations it is the only treatment option. Scientifically it is a complex process and is continuously evolving with efforts of research community. In recent clinical work and follow up on AAPM and ASTRO publications, we noticed that a specific group of researchers is using innovative techniques and followed their efforts in cancer cure.

UW Madison Department of Human Oncology (HUMONC) is one of original 03 sites for ViewRay (VR) system. VR is a novel radiotherapy treatment modality and is first modality with onboard MR imaging. Since it is an MR system, patients don’t receive additional imaging related radiation exposure which is a critical concern in CT imaging.

VR physics team at HUMONC, recently commissioned and upgraded theirVR Cobalt system to MRIdianLinac. Since it was first upgrade of its kind in world there were commissioning, research, validation, calibration, process flow, hardware, technology and regulation related challenges.

The physics team successfully completed this upgrade and are treating patients on this new system and this complex process took more than 06 months from inception to completion.

The upgraded MRIdian system has opened avenues of increasing not only the number of clinical treatment sites for VR but also helps in improving

overall success of radiotherapy process in general.

In some of the radiotherapy treatments like SBRT (Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy) a specific tumor target is given high radiation dose but precise imaging is very important in such complex treatments. VR based SBRT procedures are under investigation at HUMONC. The VR physics team at HUMONC is exploring feasibility of such cases especially for spine SBRT and abdominal sites like pancreatic cancer and liver tumor. Also, respiratory motion is big challenge in radiotherapy especially when tumor is in proximity of critical organs like lung, heart, spine and others. Dr Yadav who is lead physicist on this system at UW is exploring an innovative approach for tracking respiratory motion management in real time so that only tumor receives the prescribed radiation dose and her team recently published several research manuscripts on their unique and novel work on various aspects of MR guided radiotherapy.

We came to know that she is also working with radiology scientists and other interdisciplinary researchers to explore the possibility of totally removing CT related radiation dose to the patients undergoing radiotherapy.

With their ongoing efforts in addressing such critical challenges the team has been awarded a competitive NIHNIBIB (National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering) grant. This is transforming the discipline of radiotherapy and is an exciting time to be working on such aspects of the discipline.

“stand down” because the crisis was in hand, residents in hard-hit, remote villages like Wani in Donggala province say little help has arrived and hope is fading.

“Twelve people in this area haven’t yet been found,” Mohammad Thahir Talib told AFP. “In the area to the south, because there hasn’t been an evacuation we don’t know if there are bodies.

It’s possible there are more,” the 39-year-old said.

In Geneva, the United Nations expressed frustration at the slow pace of the response.

“There are still large areas of what might be the worst-affected areas that haven’t been properly reached, but the teams are pushing, they are doing what they can,” Jens Laerke, from the UN’s humanitarian office, told reporters late Tuesday. AFP

HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD Expanded National Capital Region Field Office 2nd Floor, HLURB Building, Kalayaan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City

N O T I C E Notice is hereby given that CITYLAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (owner/developer) have filed with this Board a sworn registration statement for the sale of units at PIONEER HEIGHTS I located a Pioneer Street, Brgy. Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City specifically described as Lot 1, PCS-00015528 (TCT No. 008-2017001115) at Lot 1, Pcs-00-015559 (TCT No. 011-2017002686) with total area of 4,831 square meters. This project was issued Certificate of Registration No.028182 and License to Sell No. 033367 both dated April 04, 2018.

The foregoing project is utilizing BALAI-LASANG Housing Project located at Brgy. Cabidianan, Municipality of Nabunturan, Provice of Compostela Valley, as its compliance project pursuant to Section 18 of Republic Act No. 7279 as amended

by RA 10884.

All papers relative thereto shall, upon request and payment of processing fee, be available for inspection during business hours by an person having legal interest thereron.

Absent and legal impediment, the above-cited project is deemed registered and a certificate, in evidence thereof, shall forthwith be issued after five (5) days from the last day of publication.

Quezon City, Metro Manila, (SGD) ATTY. NORMA JACINTO P. DORAL Office In Charge

(MS-OCT. 4, 2018)

HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD Expanded National Capital Region Field Office 6th Floor, Sunnymede IT Center, Quezon Avenue Quezon City

N O T I C E Notice is hereby given that CITYLAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, (owner/developer) have filed with this Board for the sale of condominium units of 101 XAVIERVILLE located Xavierville Ave,. Brgy. Loyola Heights, Quezon City, specifically described as Lot Nos. 2 & 3, Block No. 20, Psd-35337, TCT Nos. 004-2016014690 and 004-2017000804, with a total area of 1,800 square meters. A Certificate of Registration No. 028186 and License to Sell NO. 033370 both dated 17 April 2018 were issued for the abovementioned project.

The foregoing project is utilizing a socialized housing project located at Brgy. Cabidianan, Municipality of Nabunturan, Province of Compostela Valley, under BALAI Housing Program, as its compliance pursuant to Section 18 Republic Act No. 7279, as amended by R.A. 10884.

All papers relative thereto shall, upon request and payment of processing fee, be available for inspection during business hours by any person having legal interest thereron.

Absent and legal impediment, the name of the above-cited project is deemed registered and a certificate, in evidence thereof, shall forthwith be issued after five (5) days from the last day of publication.

Quezon City, Metro Manila, (SGD) ATTY. NORMA JACINTO P. DORAL Office In Charge

(MS-OCT. 4, 2018)

HOUSING AND LAND USE REGULATORY BOARD Expanded National Capital Region Field Office 6th Floor, Sunnymede IT Center, Quezon Avenue Quezon City

N O T I C E Notice is hereby given that CITYLAND INCORPORATED, (owner/developer) have filed with this Board for the sale of condominium units of ONE PREMIER located Alabang Premier, Alabang-Zapote Road, Brgy. Almanza Uno, Las Piñas City specifically described as Lot No. 3-A-3-D, Psd-00093911 (TCT No. 005-2017003443), with a total area of 1,828 square meters.

The foregoing project is utilizing a socialized housing project located at Brgy. Cabidianan, Municipality of Nabunturan, Province of Compostela Valley, under BALAI Housing Program, as its compliance pursuant to Section 18 Republic Act No. 7279, as amended by R.A. 10884.

All papers relative thereto shall, upon request and payment of processing fee, be available for inspection during business hours by any person having legal interest thereron.

Absent and legal impediment, the name of the above-cited project is deemed registered and a certificate, in evidence thereof, shall forthwith be issued after five (5) days from the last day of publication.

Quezon City, Metro Manila, (SGD) ATTY. NORMA JACINTO P. DORAL Office In Charge (MS-OCT. 4, 2018)

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that HOUSEHOLD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION with office address at LGF Bldg. B, Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari, Almanza Dos, Las Piñas City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as a New Developer of Economic and Low-Cost Housing Project under the Preferred List - (Camella Dos Rios Trails) with a capacity of 92 house and lot units on a NonPioneer status, with project site at Brgy. Pittland (Diezmo), Cabuyao City, Laguna.

Any person with valid objection/s on the above-mentioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD.) MARY ANNE E. RAGANIT Officer-In-Charge Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-OCT. 4, 2018)

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that HOUSEHOLD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION with office address at LGF Bldg. B, Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari, Almanza Dos, Las Piñas City is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as a New Developer of Economic and Low-Cost Housing Project under the Preferred List - (Camella Dasma at the Island Phase 3) with a capacity of 564 house and lot units on a non-pioneer status, with project site at Brgy.

Paliparan 3, Dasmariñas City, Cavite.

Any person with valid objection/s on the above-mentioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

(SGD.) MARY ANNE E. RAGANIT Officer-In-Charge Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-OCT. 4, 2018)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

LGUs

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

B4

thursday, october 4, 2018

LoCaL GovernMent unitS

Priests, church volunteers, government officials, and officers of First Gen Corp. link hands after signing the agreement for Project BASIC in Batangas. In photo (from left) are Rev. Fr. Jayson Siapco, LASAC director; Sr. Insp. Elaine B. Evangelista, Batangas City acting BFP fire marshal; Batangas Gov. Hermilando I. Mandanas; Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera; First Gen president Francis Giles B. Puno; Batangas City Councilor Armando C. Lazarte; First Gen vice president Ramon Araneta; Batangas Councilor Oliver Z. Macatangay; and Rev. Fr. Renante Ilagan, LASAC assistant director.

In BrIef Movie tickets in QC to fund Boy Scouts QUEZON City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte on Wednesday backed the Boy Scouts of the Philippines through the passage of an ordinance mandating a P1 price increase per movie ticket in all city cinemas this month.

“The city government is committed to assisting the various programs of the boy scouts since this is one of the city’s premier organizations for young people. In celebration of National Scouting Month this October, this is one of the ways we can show our support,” Belmonte said.

“This measure also aims to spread awareness about the importance of the scouting movement and other youthled activities in the city,” she added.

According to the ordinance, the activities of the Boy Scouts are aligned with the city government’s bid to promote “the moral, spiritual and physical wellbeing of the youth” especially through sports, livelihood, environment and waste management programs.

Theater owners and operators shall turn over the collated funds to the BSP-QC Council along with a report to be submitted to the local treasurer. Rio N. Araja

23 ARMM LGUs win in DILG ‘Seal’ awards

By Nash B. Maulana

C

OTABATO CITy—Who says the Autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao is underdeveloped?

For the last time, and before it is dissolved to a new political order, ArMM topped most of the country’s 14 regions in the 2018 Seal of Good Local Governance Awards.

Gov. Mujiv Hataman said the ArMM will remain in the SGLG Map of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, even after it is dissolved for the incoming Bangsamoro ArMM. ArMM will be abolished early next year, pursuant to republic Act 11054, the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which will be sealed by a plebiscite slated for Jan. 21.

In an official list the DILG released Tuesday, 23 ArMM local government units—21 municipalities, one city and

one province—won the 2018 SGLG Award of the DILG. Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said it’s “all or nothing” this time in terms of criteria required of local government units in winning the 2018 SGLG. As this developed, the Office of the regional Governor has been certified Quality Management System-compliant as required under ISO 9001:2015, said lawyer Laisa Masuhud Alamia, executive secretary of the ArMM. Alamia said OrG-ArMM has been ISO certified during the prior two years, making it consistently so, three years in a row.

DILG-ArMM Secretary Kirby Ab-

dullah said Sharif Aguak, one of the SGLG winning municipalities, is the hometown of the Ampatuans. The current leadership of the town, under Mayor Maroup Ampatuan and ViceMayor Hadji Akmad Ampatuan, asserts it represents the other side of the family heavily bigoted for the gruesome Maguindanao massacre in 2009.

Of ArMM’s five provinces, Maguindanao has the greatest number of winners in the region—Barira, Buldon, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Datu Paglas, Guindolongan, Matanog, Parang, Sharif Aguak, South Upi, Sultan Kudarat, Upi. Lanao del Sur has five winners in Buadipuso Buntong, Kapatagan, Piagapo, Taraka, and Wao. Basilan has three winners with two towns (Maluso and Sumisip) and the city of Lamitan.

Tawi-Tawi has two in Sibutu and Simunul, and Sulu has only one in Talipao.

MiGuard anti-crime ‘911’ now in GenSan SECUrITy firm Miguard has signed up new franchisors from General Santos City to help prevent crimes in the Mindanao metropolis.

Miguard CEO Nolasco Fernandez and president Manuel Siquian Jr. recently signed the contract with GenSan franchisors Edwin Adriano, lawyer Jing Gacal, and James Damalerio at the Solaire Hotel and Casino in Pasay City.

“We are proud that Miguard is now a part in preventing crimes in Mindanao through our Miguard franchise partners from General Santos City. Our technology may be new in the country, but a lot of initiatives from future partners are coming in from different sectors and areas,” Siquian Jr. said.

The company launched the Miguard Security Alarm System— a local but upgraded version of the American 911 system thanks to a sophisticated command center—in the country on Aug. 17 this year.

“Our target is to have partners and command centers in all key cities around the country. It is our mission to be part in lessening crimes and to safeguard our countrymen from calamities and deluge. We have devices to detect fire and flood,” Siquian Jr. added.

Also present at the event was Osang dela Cruz, Miguard’s franchising partner for Marikina City; raeyan Basa, Miguard VP for Sales; and Benjie Varella, public information officer of Miguard.

Students at San Josef Elementary School in Cabanatuan City lift the bags containing some of the 2,000 shoes donated to them by SM City Cabanatuan and SM Megacenter, part of the 60,000 shoes pledged by the retail giant in line with its 60th anniversary celebration. Brenda Jocson

SM donates 2,000 pairs of shoes to Cabanatuan kids

By Brenda Jocson CABANATUAN CITy, Nueva Ecija — SM City Cabanatuan and SM Megacenter donated 2,000 pairs of shoes to public elementary school students here on Monday, part of the 60,000 shoes pledged in a simultaneous donation by the different SM malls nationwide in line with the 60th anniversary celebration of the retail giant.

Mark Carlo G. Herrera, SM Cabanatuan mall manager, reminisced on the company’s humble beginnings in 1958, when Henry Sy Sr. opened the country’s first ShoeMart branch in Manila, as he led the donation ceremony.

SM employees personally delivered and gave the shoes to the students of Lazaro Francisco Integrated School, San Josef Elementary School, ACA

PrIESTS and church volunteers from the roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lipa, Batangas, have agreed to undergo training as emergency response volunteers during local calamities and disasters.

Archbishop Gilbert A. Garcera of the Archdiocese of Lipa and Fr. Jayson T. Siapco of the Lipa Archdiocesan Social Action Commission Inc., signified their willingness to help by signing on Sept. 25 an agreement in support of a multi-sectoral activity, called Project Batangueños’ Assistance and Social Involvement during Calamities.

Through Project BASIC, priests and church volunteers from the archdiocese will undergo basic emergency and disaster response training with support from the provincial government of Batangas, the Batangas City government, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Lopez-led First Gen Corp.

Project BASIC is part of a wider, province-wide disaster response program, called Batangas Advance Local Emergency response Team, which First Gen also supports.

Under the agreement, the provincial government of Batangas and the Batangas City government will provide, among others, the venues and equipment for the training activity; the BFP, fire-fighting, first-aid and rescue basic training; LASAC and the archdiocese, the personnel for both training and Batangas ALErT; and First Gen, the fund to shoulder all costs related to Project BASIC. In organizing the project, the groups acknowledge the need for rapid response, especially during emergencies and disasters, such as floods and typhoons, related to climate change.

First Gen’s advocacies include a campaign to help mitigate the adverse impact of climate change. It is the country’s leading clean and renewable energy company.

Makati earmarks P12.5m for math project for schools

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Makati City government has allocated P12.5 million to implement its new program dubbed Project MILES (Mathematics Intensive Learning Enhancement for Students).

Launched last Sept. 8, Project MILES consists of programs designed to improve the math competency of students in Makati public elementary and junior high schools.

Mayor Abigail Binay said the project aims to develop and improve the mathematical proficiency of public schoolchildren in the city, especially those who are having difficulty with the subject.

“The city, in partnership with DepEd-Makati, continually strives to help the students develop and improve their mathematical proficiency. Project MILES will help them in this area at no cost to their parents or guardians,” she said.

The city chief executive said the city will provide for the worksheets and online subscription of students.

Honoraria will also be granted to teachers who opt to take part in the project, she added.

Binay also said “We want to help struggling students gain competence in Mathematics. But as the city advocates inclusivity, the project is open to all students in Grades 1 to 10. Even if a student already excels in Math but would still like to advance his or her proficiency in the subject, he or she is welcome to join Project MILES.” According to Makati´s Department of Education, the P12-million budget for the project will be used for the production of worksheets, installation of pure fiber internet connection for the first 11 pilot elementary schools, and individual subscriptions to KooBits.

Regional council lauds SBMA tack on cruise tourism

By Butch Gunio

GENSAN DEAL. General Santos City Miguard Franchisors James Damalerio, lawyer Jing Gacal, and Edwin Adriano (from left) sign their franchise agreement with Miguard CEO Nolasco Fernandez and Miguard president Manuel S. Siquian Jr.

Elementary School, and Sumacab Elementary School.

In 60 years, SM has evolved into a giant conglomerate that operates 71 malls in the Philippines and several more in China; BDO, the Philippines’ largest bank; and a property arm in its business portfolio that includes residences, commercial buildings, resorts, hotels, and convention centers.

Priests, church volunteers back Project BASIC for Batangas

SUBIC BAy FrEEPOrT—The Central Luzon regional Development Council or rDC 3 has commended the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority for developing the freeport into a premier cruise ship destination in the country.

In a resolution passed during its recent 9th regular full-council meeting at the National Economic and Development Administration regional Office, rDC 3 recognized the SBMA for its cruise ship tourism program and pledged its support to the agency effort.

Subic has hosted 17 cruise ship arrivals since February this year. The SBMA Tourism Department said around five to 10 more ships will be coming before the yearend, while 20 bookings have already been confirmed for next year.

“The growing number of cruise ship arrivals enabled the economic growth in Subic Bay Freeport and its surrounding provinces, namely Bataan, Zambales and Pampanga,” the rDC 3 noted.

The council noted that the Department of Tourism has identified the cruise tourism industry as one of the economic drivers in achieving the annual target of 7.5

million tourists visiting the Philippines.

It also recognized that the development of the regional tourism sector was one of the key components of the SBMA’s ten-point program.

NEDA Assistant regional Director Agustin C. Mendoza, as secretary of rDC 3, presented the citation to SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma during a visit here on Tuesday. rDC-3 pointed out that Subic Bay Freeport “has accommodated cruise ship arrivals in February to June 2018 with an estimated value of more than P85 million in economic activity.”

Life

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

household

@MstandardLIFe thursday, october 4, 2018

C1

Ranch-style

living

in Tagaytay

G

ETAWAy with the family is always greatly anticipated. And living in home that always feels like vacation is a dream perhaps every individual desires to give to their loved ones.

Tagaytay Highlands makes leisure mountainside living in the country possible with its ranch-style enclave Aspenhills, which is currently under construction. luxuriating in a dream cabin home that looks out on verdant mountains is what this exclusive gated community beckons to families who seek not just a fun weekend getaway but modern ranch-style living.

Perched on one of the highest points of Tagaytay Highlands, Aspenhills, in-

spired by the colorful and happy summers of Aspen in Colorado, will feature mountain lodge homes that blend rustic and modern design influences.

With lots ranging from 306 to 801 square meters, the residential community’s architecture masterfully combines the country charm of wood with the contemporary touches of glass and stone.

Aspenhills boasts exclusive recreational amenities for the whole family to enjoy. The Village Hall offers residents

GETAWAY EVERY DAY. It always feels like vacation for families living in Aspenhills as they can enjoy Tagaytay’s year-round cool weather and breathtaking views.

Aspenhills’ architecture masterfully combines the country charm of wood with the contemporary touches of glass and stone.

The gated community boasts exclusive recreational activities for the whole family.

a place where they can celebrate life’s milestones, the little ranch Playground and Sunshine Picnic Grove is a conducive place for families to spend quality time with their kids, and the nature Trail features dedicated pathways perfect for casual daytime strolls and for savoring the nature-enriched vistas of the community.

This 27-hectare development features lush environs; generous open spaces;

magnificent views of The Highlands, the mountain range, laguna de Bay from the peak; and a refreshing landscape of Araucaria pine trees.

Aspenhills’ homeowners can bask in the year-round cool weather and classic log cabin atmosphere that Tagaytay Highlands is known for.

In addition to ranch-style living and great views, the purchase of a lot in As-

penhills comes with membership rights at The Country Club, which can be upgraded to one in Tagaytay Midlands Golf Club for a world-class country club lifestyle.

Tagaytay Highlands is the premier mountain resort development of the SM Group in Tagaytay. For inquiries, call (02) 505-2422 or 0917-5150158 or visit www.tagaytayhighlands.com.

Make a statement at home

Brooklyn-Born furniture and home decor retailer West Elm recently opened its newest store at Central Square in Bonifacio High Street, four years after opening its first Philippine location at Estancia in Capitol Commons.

To mark the official opening of the store and commemorate the occasion, ceremonial toast and bell-ringing were headed by SSI Group Inc. president Anton Huang, rustan Commercial Corporation member of the board Maritess Tantoco-Enriquez, and West Elm Global visual merchandiser Isaias Caballero.

Taking its cue from the global brand’s mission to enrich lives by harnessing the power of design and human connections, the new West Elm Central Square store is highly Instagrammable to say the least.

It prominently features West Elm’s fall 2018 collection as seen in its main pillar aesthetics for the season: Manhattan living inspired by a modern look; “organic architecture” inspired by the idea of clean, pure lines and colors; and Italy’s mid-century bohemian luxe vibe inspired by a global theme.

Designed to make an impact in everyday life, West Elm pieces are meticulously made to speak to people’s every life stage, decorating taste, and budget.

For this season, modern, streamlined style, retro accents, textures, rich fabrics, prints, and bright pops of color will bring in bold and elevated style to homes.

Liven up the living room with interesting furniture and furnishings.

Home design ideas

liven up the living room with interesting colored furniture and chairs like

Turn to C2

Quirky tableware adds a pop of style.

Bedroom furniture and accents designed with clean lines.

Life

C2

thursday, october 4, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Life begins at 60

By Diana B. Noche

T

HERE is always a reason for regrets when one is 60. S-i-xt-y! The person that used to be there, the true salt-of-the-earth person one was, is nowhere now. Alive, maybe, but kicking unstably. The wear and tear of years have started to sag the paunch and limp the tendons—all the grimness of time’s downward lug on the human anatomy. OMG, that stings. Boo-hoo-hoo!

Life lived is irreversible, something orthodontic teeth. Charitably called “ecspent that can’t be recovered no matter centric” by people around him, he is what, like trying to put toothpaste squirt- given to impulsive suspicions, to persised too much back into the cylinder. tent discontent, and to some sequestered Bald is beautigrudges. The youthful, beat, ful, you say? The and dance-floortruth isn’t pretty. A ready hip per60-year-old person sona has become may still have some a social solitaire, knucklehead in his a lumbering dinosoul and puff a saur.

Prosac-ian level of We’ve had happy on a hyperour time on top. smiley face. Don’t Known fat purses let that delude and roomy pockyou. ets. Filled our At over 70, nights with longwith intimations ings for the unforof reaching the gettable (what’slimits of mortalhis-name-again?) ity and energy first love or for an turning from imaginary lover. zip to zzzz, he Ranted at sore backbecomes prone sides and rheumatic to dramatic knees. Rattled beSliding into life full of positivity mood changes. tween unruly rages .

He feels there’s and total forgetfulstill so much to ness—for something do and is hurrying to get them done, yet as simple as connectthe body refuses to co-act as the will is ing faces to names—because the memsuppressed by crippling limitations. ory is too fragmentary to stay coherent.

Trudging the diminished years of reHowever grim is the prospect of posttirement, we sense a deep sentiment on poning life’s ebb, SMILE! Cool it. Chasthe worthlessness of all kinetic mobil- ing lost youth will not further expand ity except to sit in front of a TV set and horizons. Youth was then. Today is now. force a smile out of a porcelain-perfect Forget about clinging to the shadows

Seniors spending their retirement years having fun.

of glory. Stomp on the what-ifs and ifonlys, and instead, embrace the richness (as well as the pains) of aging.

Forget about getting a face lift or wearing a hair piece. Wear your hair gray. Steady your baseball cap backward. Show up at class reunions with your favorite DI all dolled up but not overdressed. It’s soooo ugly! Buddy up with everybody. Take a lot of selfies. Be proud of your wrinkly smiles, or the belly growing thickly in the waist. Eat your broccolis. Put less sugar in your coffee.

Reliving high school fun Sleep well. at reunions.

You don’t have to run a marathon; crabwalk if you must, but just keep on moving. Riot in whatever floats your boat. board if you dare despite the muscle at- There is a lot more to life than merely Life cannot be lived tomorrow. It must rophy, but graciously we must, like the breathing till the last croak. be lived NOW. Roll downhill on a skate- way we did on a park slide as a child.

Photos by Diana B. Noche

Travel deals, food finds, and spook-tacular Halloween at the Shang

Larossa is conveniently located near prestigious academic institutions in Quezon City.

A residential community ideal for students PARENTS understand that one of the keys to their children’s success is finding the best institution where their kids can receive high-quality education. But aside from a great school, a conducive living space where students can thrive is also important.

Primehomes’ flagship project, Larossa in Capitol Hills Drive in Quezon City, is strategically located near prestigious academic institutions in QC, as well as offers urban botanical living conducive to learning.

The Garden Row, Larossa’s Phase 1, features three 10-story mediumrise buildings, namely Camia, Magnolia, and Sampaguita. Camia Tower is now ready for occupancy while Magnolia and Sampaguita Towers are soon to be completed.

Each building provides spacious rooms where occupants can arrange their own sanctuaries. In Camia and Sampaguita, they can choose from one-bedroom, studio, and studio premiere units; while in Magnolia, families have the option to join units for a bigger space to suit their needs.

The rooms are also designed with low density floors which make for a less cramped living area.

Families residing in Larossa are assured of their kids’ safety as the entire property is securely gated and guarded 24 hours a day. There is an accessible clubhouse which doubles as a study area with its quiet and well-lit surroundings. The inviting atmosphere also promotes a healthy lifestyle where students can maintain their fitness by jogging or biking around the wide community grounds.

On top of its features and amenities, Larossa makes sure that busy and hardworking students can live a balanced life as it is conveniently located at the center of everything that they need. Those who are studying in Ateneo de Manila University, University of the Philippines, Miriam College, and other nearby schools can find a relaxing escape in the property’s welcoming and peaceful environment.

Shopping malls, weekend markets, recreational parks, fitness centers, restaurants, and cafes are also abundant in the city. It also provides access to other dining and commercial districts in the city, such as Maginhawa Street, Congressional Street, and Katipunan Avenue.

Make a...

Velvet has always been synonymous with opulence and luxury. Indulge your velvet obsession with velvet seating and accessories like the Carlo Mid-Century Chair in Olive, Roar + Rabbit Swivel Chair in Blush Pink, or the Paidge Sofa in Ink Blue; and incorporate the Lush Velvet Chinoiserie Pillow or the Pressed Velvet Pillow Cover available in shades of Stone, Midnight, and Copper.

From C1

the Rosanna Media Console in yellow lacquer, or the Phoebe chair in Pop Art Jacquard upholstery, or the Crescent swivel chair in Teal. If sleek, sexy leather is your thing, go with the gray leather Sloane sofa.

PREMIER lifestyle mall Edsa ShangriLa offers a lineup of treats and activities for mall-goers this October.

Over 25 of the best higher education institutions in the EU region will be presenting latest course offerings, scholarships, and more at the European Higher Educational Fair on Oct. 10 at the Grand Atrium. Attendees to the fair, organized by the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines in cooperation with the EU Member States’ Embassies and Cultural Institutes and the Commission on Higher Education, will discover the best of each university through fellow students, researchers, and professionals at the fair.

On Oct. 12-14, the Edsa Shangri-La Manila Voucher Sale at the Level 4 hallway fronting Muji will offer deals for that much-needed staycation, while the Thai Airways Travel Fair at the Grand Atrium will present special offers on trips to Thailand and other exciting destinations.

The Shang’s highly-anticipated musical offerings for October features a performance by one of the most popular musicians today, rising local star and

Circus-themed Halloween events happening at Edsa Shangri-La.

former IV of Spades member UNIQUE on Oct. 13, 7:00 p.m. at the East Atrium.

Flavorful finds abound at the GourmetFest from Oct. 18-21 at the Grand Atrium, where Shang’s top restaurants will gather to offer delicious samplers, products at

Kids trick or treating at a premier mall.

More is more when it comes to luxe pieces that set the mood in any room.

Choose from floral pillows overlaid with geo crewel embroidery, deco-inspired lighting and retro encased glass vases, which you can match with the fall Faux Botanical Collection.

Layer on your personality and style with decorative accents like metal spun planters, chic trays, modern bar carts,

and colorful woven rugs like the reversible Cecil Flatweave Rug with abstract pattern and the Alloy Rug and Mineral Rug in soft tones; and lush colorful throw pillows like the Cotton Canvas Pillow Covers and Textured Border Pillow Covers available in Dusty Blush, Midnight, Stone White, and Blue Teal.

For the bedroom, the Andes Deco Upholstered Bed which is designed with

special deals, celebrity chef demos and workshops, and interactive installations for food loving-guests to enjoy.

Mall-goers will be treated to one-of-akind shopping experiences at the Shang’s lineup of bazaars this October, starting with the Rustan’s Children’s Fair from Oct. 2 to 8 at the Level 2 Grand Atrium, ideal for parents looking to update their kids’ closets. Get a head start on shopping for the holidays with the Christmas Bazaar also happening from Oct. 4 to 7 at the East Atrium, Mid-Level 2/3. Then from Oct. 19 to 21, drop by the East Atrium as Spectrum Fair Manila brings together nearly a hundred local brands, perfect for those looking for unique fashion, home, arts and crafts, and food finds.

It’s all treats and some tricks at Spooktacular Circus at the Shang where kids can enjoy trick or treating, magic shows, and more.

The circus-themed festivities are scheduled on Oct. 27-28, 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the Grand Atrium, East Atrium, and Luxury Lane.

Parents can let the kids hop aboard the Shang Holiday Express, which starts taking passengers around the Level 4 hallway fronting Muji beginning Oct. 27.

Call (02) 370-2597/98 or visit www. facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficial for more information.

clean lines and fully upholstered on all sides has metal legs that instantly add a hint of glam; while the Stella Metal Bed in brass has a gently curving headboard with spindles and tall, tapering legs adding to the polished look.

In the Philippines, West Elm Philippines is located at Bonifacio High Street Central and Estancia at Capitol Commons.

Entertainment TRENDING

ABS-CBN BALL 2018 shares love; tops Twitter trending topics

W

ITH over 300 of the brightest stars in their most stunning looks present, the ABS-CBN Ball 2018 inevitably became a hot topic on social site Twitter with 5.6 million tweets from fans all over the Philippines and overseas, according to the official Twitter Philippines account.

With the theme “Share the love,” the ABSCBN Ball is dedicated to the relaunch of the Bantay Banta 163 Children’s Village, a halfway house for children rescued by Bantay Bata 163 where victims of abuse are cared for towards their healing and recovery.

The much-awaited ABS-CBN Ball 2018 did not disappoint fans who took their excitement to Twitter and talked about the starstudded gathering.

According to Twitter Philippines, the “Most Talked-about Celebrities on Twitter” related to #ABSCBNBall2018 were Maymay Entrata, Kisses Delavin, Donny Pangilinan, Edward Barber, Vivore Esclito, Charles Kieron, Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, Maris Racal, and Barbie Imperial.

Twitter PH also tweeted the 10 “Most Tweeted Hashtags related to the event. These were #ABSCBNBall2018, #DONKISSFairestOfThemBALL, #MaywardFaballousNight, #KathnielBrightest7thBall, #RegallyMAYWARD, #JaDineAtTheREIDCarpet, #LizQuenAtABSCBNBall, #ABSCBNBallFanFave, #KierViABSCBNLovaBALL, and #Mayward.

The ABS-CBN Ball is the stage for the country’s biggest stars to come together and celebrate a night of fashion, friendship, and advocacies.

According to Twitter PH, both Donny Pangilinan and Kisses Delavin are among the most talked about celebrities on the micro-blogging site during the inaugural ABS-CBN Ball.

QCinema gives homage to French Cinema classics QCINEMA International Film Festival (QCinema) pays tribute to the richness of French cinema by highlighting classic titles for the Filipino cinephile.

The sixth edition of QCinema casts a spell with Diaboliques, And God Created Woman, and Five and the Skin, which are influenced by the French New Wave (La Nouvelle Vague), a significant movement in the history of cinema.

Considered a classic on the horror genre and one of the greatest films in the 50s, Diaboliques made waves with its original release that gave recognition to Henri-Georges Clouzot.

Clouzot was best known for his works in the thriller film genre, which made him one of the greatest French film directors.

In the suspense film Diaboliques, a wife and mistress of a loathed school principal hatch a plan to murder him while having the perfect alibi. They successfully carry out the plan but the story takes a turn for the worst when his corpse mysteriously disappears.

Diaboliques won the Best Foreign Film Award at the 1956 Edgar Allan Poe Awards and the Best Foreign Language Film at the 1955 New York Film Critics Circle Awards.

And God Created Woman pushed the boundaries of sexuality in American cinema. The film is a seductive and appealing story of an 18-year-old woman who teases her husband, his brother, and a Riviera millionaire.

Creating 25 motion pictures over his 40-year career, French filmmaker Roger Vadim was able to showcase his appreciation of beautiful women, that defined his personal life, by featuring them in his films.

Five and the Skin, slated as a French-Filipino production directed by Pierre Rissient, was shot entirely in Manila with the cast and crew consisting of Filipinos.

It features a writer who comes back to Manila with no specific reason as to why he returned. He travels in the fascinating city in search of its past while also looking for the meaning of his existence.

Pierre Rissient was an influential filmmaker in Cannes and brought many unknown directors to the international limelight including Filipino filmmaker Lino Brocka. He played a significant role in bringing Philippine cinema to the French Riviera.

The films are set to show under the French Classics section from TF1, one of the most viewed French television channels in Europe.

QCinema will feature the films from October 21 to 30, 2018, at Gateway Mall (Cineplex 10); Robinsons Galleria (Robinsons Movieworld); and Ayala Malls Cinema in Trinoma and U.P. Town Center.

Block screenings are welcome. Email festival@qcinema.ph for more details.

'Diaboliques' is a 1955 French psychological thriller that blends elements of thriller and horror, with the plot focusing on a woman and her husband's mistress who conspire to murder him.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Thursday, October 4, 2018

ACROSS 1 Health clubs 5 Coveted prize 10 Ebb or neap 14 Mineral deposit 15 Concur 16 Siberian river 17 Very soon after 18 — incognita 19 Tree feature 20 Dregs 22 Motives 24 Paddle cousin 25 Famed fabulist 26 Antennas 29 Picasso or Neruda 33 RSVP word 34 Not taut 36 Devious one 37 Atlas dot 39 Dangerous woman 41 Mlle. in Barcelona 42 Leaping biters 44 Wiped out 46 Quaker pronoun 47 Edgy 48 Oxygen suppliers 50 Try a mouthful 53 Chromosome material 54 Fighter 57 Made a garden 61 Gambling town

62 Cartridge holder 64 Went headlong 65 Mr. Klemperer 66 Zips by 67 Composer — Satie 68 Garden intruder 69 Sleighs or luges 70 Spicy Mexican sauce DOWN 1 Disparaging remark 2 Poet Alexander — 3 Turmoils 4 Next year’s alumnus 5 Talented people 6 Kind of molding 7 Wintry cry 8 Like “The Twilight Zone” 9 Slants 10 Bundt cake maker’s need (2 wds.)

11 Where to hear Farsi 12 Flit about 13 Yellowstone sight 21 Lecturer’s spot 23 Crests 25 Give credit 26 Bride’s walk

27 Glasgow or Burstyn 28 Cafe au — 30 Bed on a ship 31 Slats 32 Just fine 33 Prepare flour 35 “The Galloping Gourmet” 38 Actor Clint — 40 Redundant 43 Whiskery animal 45 Funny — Carvey 49 Single file

51 Feudal workers 52 Warble 54 Forehead 55 Nerve network 56 Before 57 Implored 58 Pamplona runner 59 Villainous 60 Hockey feint 63 Interjection of mild disgust

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Student films bag 5 awards in ComVal fest

By Seymour Barros Sanchez BELLE Kay Loyola’s Dalit (Poison) and Leyvie Anne Santos’ In-Tay won a total of five awards at the 6th Nabunturan Independent Film Exhibition (Nabifilmex 6) in Compostela Valley, Mindanao last Sept. 21.

Dalit and In-Tay are capstone projects from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts. Loyola graduated from the Digital Filmmaking program last year while Santos is set to march at the Benilde commencement exercises on Oct. 6.

Dalit, which tells the story of a man with special healing abilities who uses his power for his own benefit, got Best Production Design for Noel Amorcillo, Jr. and Best Cinematography for Vic Ryan Julius Ong. Meanwhile, In-Tay, which is about a daughter raised by lesbian parents, won Best Actress (Fe Saligumba), Best Song (Korona by Mark Robina Ortiguero) and Best Acting Ensemble (Saligumba and her costars, child performer Caith Annika Angkay, Ruth Lopez-Dee, Jessica Marco and Reggie Caranyagan) in a triple tie with Rose by Jessa ValerSanchez and Yano at ang Itim na Watawat by Arnie Valdez.

Both films were also nominated for the Gimadyawan Award for Best Film

and Best Director. Dalit also received nominations for Best Sound (Louie Dormido, Dan Alayon and Aica Guevarra) and Best Actor (John Arceo) while In-Tay got another Best Actress nod for Angkay and Best Screenplay nomination for Santos.

“It’s a great honor to be part of this festival knowing the number of wins and nominations Dalit got. I would like to thank Nabifilmex for recognizing my thesis film,” Loyola shared.

Santos, on the other hand, dedicated her film’s victory mainly to her parents. “My film In-Tay has always been so close to my heart. However, in the process of turning the screenplay into a film, it became a film that is not just for my parents but for everyone who dreams to have a complete family. It is a film that talks about honesty, family, love and contentment.”

“Honestly, I came to a point that I doubted the capacity of my own film not realizing that I, together with all the people behind it, poured their hearts to In-Tay ever since I started writing it. I am thankful to Nabifilmex for opening such a great opportunity for filmmakers to explore our capacities and express our hearts,” she added.

Nabifilmex, recognized as one of the leading regional film festivals, is supported by National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Film Development Council of the Philippines.

Filipina teen singer gets a seat in ‘UK X Factor’ challenge IT WAS like an X Factor UK version of musical chairs before judge Simon Cowell identified his final six for the girls category on the fifth week of the reality singing competition.

The X Factor UK is now on the six chair challenge round where contestants are narrowed down to six acts for every category to move forward on the competition. This round started with the Girls category under the mentoring of Cowell.

The 15 girls who passed the judges deliberation were called one by one to perform again for Simon to decide who gets a chair.

Maria Laroco was the fifth performer to be called, before she sang Whitney Houston Houston’s “Queen of the Night,” Cowell asked if she can cope with the pressure despite being only 17 years old.

“Well, I’m really nervous but I can do this,” Maria responded.

During her performance, Maria clearly impressed Cowell when she sang the high notes of the song with no hesitation, the camera caught the judge’s reaction where his lips said “wow!”

After her song number, Maria got praised by judge Robbie Williams, “You’ve got a huge personality, a huge voice, you’re incredible, baby!”

Cowell then made her take the next available seat however it was not guaranteed until everyone has finished performing.

After a couple of performances, Cowell then asked the 23-year-old Jennifer Owens to take the young singer’s

seat, supposedly eliminating her from this round. The audience was clearly not pleased and started booing Cowell, demanding to bring Maria back.

Judge Williams also expressed his disapproval by telling Cowell, “I don’t understand.” Simon then asked Maria to come back on stage and traded another contestant’s seat.

When the rest of the girls started performing, it got more difficult for the Girls category mentor to decide. Down to the last act, Cowell opted to give contestant Scarlet Lee a seat which prompted him to ask for a sing-off between Maria and another competitor Georgia Burgess.

Belting out their audition pieces, Cowell decided to keep them both and let go of Jennifer Owens who initially took Maria’s chair.

Maria Laroco now moves on to the next round of The X Factor UK, which airs first and exclusive, same day as the UK on Blue Ant Entertainment every Sunday and Monday at 7:55 p.m..

Teen singer Maria Laroco performs 'Purple Rain' during the nervewracking six-chair challenge.

Entertainment

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

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2018

VERY WANG NICKIE WANG

I

WAS a bit nostalgic when I attended the SunPIOLOgy 2018 media launch held at the Novotel Manila recently where actor Piolo Pascual talked about the milestones of the charity-sporting event.

SunPiology was one of the first events I covered as a newbie. Hence, I couldn’t help but look back a decade ago when Piolo was talking about visual poetry, a different artistic side of him that most of his fans didn’t know.

During my interview with the actor, the then 31-year-old Kapamilya heartthrob said he was into photography and that his passion for photography started when one-mega pixel cameras were introduced in the market.

A few weeks later he would showcase his flair as a lens master in a benefit photo exhibit on view at the Art Hall of the Enterprise Center along Ayala Avenue in Makati.

Since then, from art auctions, SunPIOLOgy has come a long way. It has evolved into a charity-sporting event that involves not just his fans but everybody who’s into sport activities that promote well-meaning causes.

“It’s really overwhelming because this is not just a milestone for me but also for our foundation. And I’m extremely glad that this event also goes international,” Piolo said about SunPIOLOgy turning a decade old.

For its 10th anniversary, the events organized by the actor, his foundation and in partnership with Sun Life, will thrill fans to raise funds for education, diabetes awareness, and help more Filipinos live healthier lives.

Dubbed as “SUNPIOLOGY TR10”, there are three ways to be part of this milestone: SUN CYCLE PH on Nov. 17 at Bonifacio Global City, SUN LIFE RESOLUTION RUN and SUN vs STARS with Star Magic, both happening on Jan. 26, at Camp Aguinaldo.

“Wellness has been one of our key initiatives for the past years. Now, we are strengthening our message by inspiring more people to ‘live healthier lives’. With our line of new-generation Health and Accident products, Go Well community events, and partnerships such as SUNPIOLOGY, we want to show Filipinos how health and wealth shine brighter together,” explains Sun Life Chief Marketing Officer Mylene Lopa, who joined Piolo in announcing the event lineup.

Bike with SUN LIFE CYCLE PH With the growing interest in biking and its health benefits, SUN LIFE CYCLE PH once again takes riders around four cities (Taguig, Makati, Manila, and Pasay) in routes fit for beginner and seasoned bikers. Organized

by Sunrise Events, SUN LIFE CYCLE PH categories include a Family Ride (30mins dur.); Tricycle Ride (100m and 500m); Short Ride (20km); and Long Ride (40km).

Celebrity cycling

Coming from a family of singers and showbiz personalities, 16-year-old Angelina Cruz officially starts her musical career.

Sign of the Cruz

TEN YEARS OF

SunPIOLOgy Piolo at the launch of TR10 which marks the 10th anniversary of SunPIOLOgy

HOLLYWOOD

‘Night School’ passes the test at the tills The actor with his partners in Sun LIfe and participating groups that organize the annual SunPIOLOgy.

enthusiasts like Sun Life ambassadors Matteo Guidicelli and Piolo will be leading the race. Interested parties may register at www.sunlife.cycleph.com.

Run with SUN LIFE RESOLUTION RUN Part of SunPIOLOgy TR10 is the SUN LIFE RESOLUTION RUN. It has evolved to a regional spectacle with counterparts in different Sun Life Asia territories. Aside from the Philippines, a Resolution Run to kick diabetes and live healthier lives will also happen in Malaysia (Jan.13), Indonesia (Jan. 20), Hong Kong (Jan. 27), and Vietnam (Jan. 27).

Here in the Philippines, the charity Run will retain its charm of a gun start by sunset as the country’s biggest stars race for beneficiaries Hebreo Foundation, Institute for Studies on Diabetes Foundation, Nordhoff Foundation, and Star Magic scholars. Registration is now open at

www.sunpiology.com.

Play with SUN VS STARS Rekindling memories of sports fest and intramurals, the Star Magic games shine brighter this year with the return of SUN VS STARS. Facing off to test each other’s physical prowess and mental fortitude, Sun Lifers and Star Magic talents will participate in friendly matches of basketball, volleyball, and badminton among other events.

This will take place before the Resolution Run in Camp Aguinaldo with select portions stream LIVE over social media. More details will be unveiled soon.

As the SunPIOLOgy series expands in scope and relevance, embracing the twin advocacies of education and wellness, its heart remains as bold as its vision of helping the less fortunate.

“With SunPIOLOgy, we hope to spread awareness about diabetes prevention, send more scholars to school, and promote the benefits of living healthier lives,” added Piolo during the press conference.

To be part of SUNPIOLOGY TR10, visit www.sunpiology.com and follow #SunpiologyTRIO for more information.

THROWBACK. This is Piolo Pascual in a publicity photo for the first SunPIOLOgy 10 years ago. The event has since evolved from art auctions into a charity-sporting event.

Thai actor Tao Phiangphor melts hearts of Filipino fans AFTER captivating Kapuso viewers in Lakorn remake of Princess Hours, Thai actor Sattaphong “Tao” Phiangphor flew to Manila for the first time to personally meet his Filipino fans last week.

Known for his role as the crown prince “Prince Ian” in the Thai series, Tao felt easily at home because of the warm welcome of his Filipino admirers.

“I was so excited to meet my fans here in the Philippines. I didn’t expect that a lot would come to the airport and at the fan meeting. They are so warm to me. I love the food and people,” he shared.

During his visit at GMA

Network on Sept. 24, the Thai heartthrob also expressed his gladness and gratitude for the warm reception of Lakorn from Filipino viewers, particularly of his show Princess Hours.

“Lakorn is good, funny and light. We want them to know more about Thai culture, Thai character and Thailand, so everyone can connect more together.”

Tao is looking forward to come back again and bond with his Pinoy fans. He also shared that he is open to work with Filipino celebrities.

“I think it could happen if there is an opportunity. I want to challenge myself too.”

The cast of the American comedy film, 'Night School'

FOR once it was a comedy, not a superhero or horror flick, that topped North American box offices this weekend as Universal’s raucous new release Night School pulled in an estimated $28 million, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

Kevin Hart stars as one of a group of misfits attending night school to earn their high school diplomas, under the firm tutelage of Tiffany Haddish. The film nearly paid off its $29 million production costs over the three-day weekend, Variety reported.

In second was another new release, family animation Smallfoot from Warner Bros., which netted $23 million. The comic tale about a group of Yeti who run into a human—to the amazement and consternation of both sides—features the voices of Channing Tatum, LeBron James, James Corden, Zendaya and Danny DeVito.

Last weekend’s top attraction, Universal’s family film The House With a Clock in Its Walls, slipped to third spot, pulling in $12.5 million.

In fourth was A Simple Favor, Lionsgate’s drama about a mommy blogger (Anna Kendrick) who investigates the mysterious disappearance of her friend (Blake Lively). It earned $6.6 million.

And fifth place went to horror film The Nun from Warner Bros., the latest fright fest in the popular Conjuring series. The story of a young nun, an exorcist and a guide stumbling onto a dark secret in Dracula country netted $5.4 million. AFP

YUGEL LOSORATA BEING the daughter of actors Cesar Montano and Sunshine Cruz may count as points against Angelina Cruz leading a professional singing career.

But if one puts to consideration that Cesar tried singing (with guitar) himself to relatively fair reviews and Sunshine belongs to a family of musicians including Donna Cruz and Sheryl Cruz, then any unfair pre-judgment should succumb to the firmness of a proven, versatile genetic strain.

Her five-song, all-original selftitled EP is a strong suit to proving that point. It contains her million-streams single “Sumilong Ka”, her duet with pop heartthrob Iñigo Pascual called “Paraiso,” and a couple of other little gems that all expressly display her consistently caressing, jazzy voice worthy of online music exposure and more.

“I’m an old soul who is open to modern music like R&B and Pop,” she neatly said.

Thanks to her famous mom who exposes her to music of the yesteryears. In fact, she singled out “Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko” as one of her favorites. For her actual cover recording, she nailed one that sounds arguably old as classic but released just last decade: “Hanggang Kailan (Umuwi Ka Na Baby).” Her version of the Orange and Lemons hit favorably put the familiar track in a different safe zone.

Angelina’s EP, available on iTunes, Apple Music, Deezer, Amazon, and of course, Spotify, is backed by Universal Records, with Ito Rapadas happily on board as producer. It was UR that called mother Sunshine after noticing her Instagram posts gaining momentum.

Angelina recalls her asking, “Are you ready to commit to this?”

Obviously she is. But not even the lure of fame can make her set aside logic and priority: studies. “Education is my priority and I love to focus on my studies,” she insisted.

When asked why she wouldn’t try home schooling, she pointed out preferring “the environment of a real school.”

While that may sound like a hindrance to her escalating showbiz run, the way she embraces her break in the music scene displays a young act who can smoothly balance her love for singing and commitment to schooling. She values being an artist as “a time to grow more” like what her days in school bring on the table.

Angelina ensured, “It has been really exciting and fun working on my EP. I got to collaborate with amazing people.”

Other tracks in the small but tight package are “Kaya Mo Ba?”, “The Boy I Used to Know”, and “The Best Of You,” which is likewise rendered in tidy acoustic touch.

A self-taught musician, this rising talent plays ukulele and may be on her way to writing her own songs.

“I’m always open to new things and opportunities,” she related.

The latest of the Cruzes is really looking forward to graduate by 2020, the beginning of a new era wherein she may end up as a certified ‘star of the new decade.’

With a strong parental guidance and one of those born on a silver ‘screen,’ Angelina is definitely on the right path and note.