Manila Standard - 2018 October 20 - Saturday

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RICE, OIL PRICE RISE FUELED INFLATION RATE IN 3RD Q

Story on B1

VOL. XXXII • NO. 247 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

PRICE ROLLBACK: P2 Second straight week of cuts amid transport fare hikes

Bello pushes wage hike ‘not lower than P20’

By Vito Barcelo THE minimum wage for Metro Manila workers will be adjusted by at least P20 per day before the end of October, raising the wage to P532 from P512 a day, the Labor Department said Friday.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III

said the proposed wage adjustment would not be lower than P20. He said labor and management groups should first agree through public hearings on a “consensus” rate increase based on the companies’ ability to pay.

Meanwhile, a member of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Member Aileen Lizada

said economic managers had warned of the inflationary effects of the higherthan-expected P2 increase in the minimum jeepney fare.

Aileen Lizada cited an Oct. 2 letter from National Economic and Development Authority Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon suggesting a P9.50 miniNext page mum fare for jeepneys.

No ifs or VAT: Marcos seeks tax freeze on food items, fuel

By Rey E. Requejo

Imee Marcos

ILOCOS Norte Gov. Imee Marcos on Friday called for the immediate one-year suspension of the value-added tax on basic food commodities, fuel and electricity to address the record-high inflation that has burdened Filipinos for several months now.

Marcos, who is running for senator in the 2019 midterm polls, also pushed for implementation of a combination of substitute measures intended to offset the expected revenue loss from her proposed VAT suspension.

“The temporary lifting of the VAT on basic commodities will provide urgent much-needed relief to Filipinos as inflation hit the hardest in the countryside. The poor Filipinos cannot wait for anti-inflation strategies that could take months to work. They need solutions now,” said Marcos, who served nine years in the House of Representatives.

Next page

By Alena Mae S. Flores and Nat Mariano

O

IL companies are set to implement a rollback in pump prices by as much as P2 a liter based on initial estimates of industry players, even as the government announced that the rate of inflation had risen to 6.4 percent in the third quarter because of rising food and energy prices.

One company, Phoenix Petroleum, on Friday advised the public it would decrease its pump prices by P2 per liter of gasoline and by P0.90 per liter of diesel effective 6 am today (Oct. 20).

One industry source told Manila Standard the oil price rollback, for the rest of the petroleum firms, would be P1.80 per liter of gasoline and P0.90 per liter of diesel.

These prices were still “very preliminary” and could still change after the final computation came in Friday night, the source added.

Other industry officials confirmed the rollback, but estimated the price cut would be P1.40 per liter of gasoline. “[The] rollback this week [was]

China, Asean star in SCS war games CHINA and Southeast Asian states will hold their first joint maritime exercises next week, officials said Friday, in a move aimed at easing tensions but which may spark US alarm.

Beijing’s expansive claims to the South China Sea have long been a source of friction with rival claimants in Southeast Asia, as well as the US which has traditionally been the dominant naval power in the area.

Despite disagreements over Beijing’s territorial ambitions, China and Southeast Asia are trying to strike a more conciliatory tone in an effort to stop tensions from spiraling dangerously out of control.

As part of this, the navies of China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Next page

caused by large inventory build-up of crude oil in the US, slower demand growth projection by the International Monetary Fund for 2019 due to trade war and reports of Saudi and Russia saying that they have spare capacity to cover Iranian products that will be removed by November when the US sanctions take effect,” the source said.

The Philippines imports more than 90 percent of its fuel requirements.

This is the second consecutive weekly oil price rollback after the oil companies implemented a price cut of P0.85 per liter for gasoline, P0.65 per liter for diesel and P0.20 per liter for kerosene Next page effective Oct. 15.

WEATHER Time to put on those sweaters COLDER mornings and longer nights are in place following the equinox last month, the state weather bureau said Friday.

The equinox, when day and night are of equal length, happened on Sept. 23, according to forecaster Benison Estareja of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

So far, the full effect of the chilly mornings during the holiday season is yet to be felt, Estareja told ABS-CBN News.

For instance, the lowest temperature monitored in Baguio City, 15.1 degrees Celsius, was still within the normal range for the area, Estareja said.

Colder weather would be felt around December, he added.

Palace to PDEA: Drug tests voluntary

By Nat Mariano

AFTER THE KNOT.

President Rodrigo Duterte poses for a photo with newly married Senator Aquilino Pimentel III and Kathryna Yu and the principal sponsors during their wedding celebration at the Coconut Palace in Pasay City on Thursday.

Presidential Photo

Penalize nuisance bets, senator suggests SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian has filed a bill that would impose fines on nuisance candidates for local and national elections going forward, but at least two officials of the Commission on Elections think it’s not a viable solution.

In filing Senate Bill 911, Gatchalian

seeks to amend Sections 69, 261, and 269 of the Omnibus Election Code. It states that while the Comelec is mandated by law to receive certificates of candidacies as its ministerial duty, “the onslaught of candidates who do not intend to launch a viable campaign is Next page

THE mandatory drug tests on the politicians running for the 2019 midterm elections is unconstitutional, Malacañang said Friday as it rejected the proposal of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to conduct surprise drug testing.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said such medical examination would violate the Constitution.

“Mandatory drug testing for Senate and House of Representatives candidates is violative of the Constitution as it adds another qualification outside of that enu-

merated by the Constitution,” Panelo said in a statement.

“The same principle applies to local candidates as it also adds to the qualifications imposed by law.”

Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo has said she believes the 2019 midterm elections will be an “uphill climb” for the opposition.

In her keynote address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies-Pertamina Banyan Tree Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 17, Robredo said “elections in May 2019 will be tough Next page for the opposition.”

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Martial law lifting depends on AFP, PNP

By Nathaniel Mariano and Macon Ramos-Araneta

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is awaiting a recommendation from the Armed Forces before deciding whether or not to extend the imposition of martial law in Mindanao, which expires at the end of the year, the Palace said Friday.

Neither the Armed Forces of the Philippines nor the Philippine National Police have proposed an extension of military rule in Mindanao, said Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo.

“There is no proposal yet.... The President relies on what they say as they are the ones on the ground [and] they know better.

They will be the ones to advice the President whether to extend or to lift [martial

law],” he added.

On Thursday, Panelo said they will move for its extension if martial law helps make the region more peaceful.

“According to the military, martial law has helped in the peace and order situation and it has dissuaded the terrorists from inflicting the usual violence against the population,” he said.

To eradicate Islamic State-inspired ter-

rorists in Marawi, the Duterte administration had asked that Cngress allow the extension of martial law in Mindanao until Dec. 31, 2018.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, meanwhile, said his department has been consulting with various groups and members of the community and assessing the situation in Mindanao.

“We are currently assessing the situation, consulting with the population, LGUs, military, police, business and civil society.

We will make a recommendation in the next two months before the year ends,” Lorenzana said.

Senator Panfilo Lacson said the Senate would assess the situation in Mindanao before allowing another extension of martial law there.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he was sure the AFP would brief both houses of Congress on the subject.

Senator Gregorio Honasan said they should hear both sides of the issue.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, said he opposed martial law in Mindanao, saying there was no indication of an actual invasion or rebellion.

“We just passed the Bangsamoro Organic Law,” he said. “Here we see peace initiatives making major headway and unprecedented strides and yet military rule is to be extended. It looks like the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing,” he said.

AFP public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato said troops in the field are still gathering data. With PNA

Trump gives Saudi, PH, Egypt and other allies pat on the back WASHINGTON―The United States has never been especially consistent in raising human rights, but President Donald Trump’s administration, with its kid-glove treatment of Saudi Arabia, has sent a message clearer than ever before―allies need not worry about criticism.

And in case of US allies such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, a former State Department official said, the Trump administration was fully justified in emphasizing good relations for a variety of important reasons―including counterterrorism Since journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappeared in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, President Donald Trump has cast doubt on the widespread reports that the writer was killed and praised the kingdom for launching its own investigation.

Both Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who visited Riyadh on Tuesday, said they found reasons not to risk ties with the oil-rich monarchy, including its role as the biggest foreign buyer of US weapons and its support for the US campaign against regional rival Iran.

“All administrations and, frankly, all governments suffer from the need to sequence and decide when they focus on national security, when they focus on human rights, when they combine the two and use the leverage to address the one versus the other,” said Sarah Margon, the Washington director of Human Rights Watch.

Under former President Barack Obama, human rights at least came up rhetorically and issues such as approval of arms sales were considered pressure points to influence governments, she said.

“But Trump and his Cabinet officials have just dropped the pretense completely and they’ve made it clear that the primary interest is American sovereignty and America’s short-term economic and security concerns,” Margon said.

Rob Berschinski, who worked on human rights in the Obama administration and is now senior vice president for policy at Human Rights First, said that Trump’s message was even more unsettling in that he had embraced leaders with dire records on how they treat their citizens, such as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. “From trying to eliminate funding for foreign assistance aimed at promoting democracy and human rights, to openly embracing dictators, to calling journalists ‘enemies of the state,’ President Trump has made clear that he believes that there is no benefit to the United States in being seen as a force for good in the world,” Berschinski said. AFP

Bello...

From A1

Bello said his department will conduct a public hearing by the end of October this year to agree on the amount of pay adjustment in the National Capital Region.

The wage increase was proposed by labor groups as the cost of living had risen with the increase in food and gas prices and the approved bus and jeepney fare hikes, which are set to take effect in November.

“The increase will depend on what will be discussed during the public hearing. The pay hike will be effective immediately once a resolution is decided,”Bello said.

He said he favored a wage increase to help minimum wage earners cope with the rising cost of living, but there was also the need to protect establishments from going bankrupt.

The proposed increase, Bello said, would protect the interests of the stakeholders that needed to be balanced, or else many workers would suffer because many establishments will be forced to close down.

“We have to balance the interest of management and also labor. You cannot give a very high wage hike to the workers. It will only help in the short term,” he said.

“At least there is an effort to come up with an adjustment that can be acceptable to both labor and management.”

But the Alliance of Labor UnionsTrade Union Congress of the Philippines wants a wage increase of P320, and has described the proposed wage hike as demeaning and an insult to the millions of workers in Manila.

ASEAN defense ministers pose for a group photograph during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations security summit in Singapore on Oct. 19, 2018. From left: Brunei's Second Defense Minister Halbi Mohd Yusof, Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Banh, Indonesia's Ryamizard Ryacudu, Laos' Lieutenant General Chansomone Chanyalath, Malaysia's Mohamad Sabu, Singapore's Ng Eng Hen, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, General Prawit Wongsuwan, Myanmar's Lieutenant General Sein Win, Philippines' Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Vietnam's General Ngo Xuan Lich and ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Hoang Anh Tuan. AFP

Price rollback:...

From A1

BSP Officer-in-Charge Maria Almasara Tuano-Amador said consumer prices rose at 6.7 percent in September.

The BSP also increased its benchmark borrowing rate for four straight policy meetings this year to address inflation, bringing it to 4.5 percent from the previous 3 percent.

It then increased its inflation outlook for this year to 5.2 percent and for 2019 to 4.3 percent.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo asked the public to tighten their belts.

“We are not currently in control of these times especially when the oil prices have increased, affecting markets globally. But [we hope] that will taper [off] because history shows that the price of oil also drops,” he added.

On Thursday, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board approved fare increases for public utility vehicles, adjusting the minimum jeepney fare in the Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and southern Luzon to P10 from the current P9 and raising bus fares as well.

Penalize...

From A1

Palace...

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once they were elected.

A DDB regulation says local officials and appointive public officers must provide for the establishment and institutionalization of drug-free workplace policies in all government offices, including the conduct of authorized drug testing.

The regulation covers all appointive public officers in all government offices, local government units, government-owned and-controlled corporations, and even state colleges and local universities.

Any personnel found positive for use of dangerous drugs will, at first offense, be charged with grave misconduct and may be dismissed.

The regulation was signed on Aug. 30 and took effect on Oct. 6 after its publication in three newspapers of general circulation.

On the other hand, the Palace remains undecided on whether to release the names of politicians involved in the illegal drug trade even as it believed the “credible” list would help inform the public. With Rio N. Araja

wasting the precious time and resources” of the commission.

But Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the proposal may be “difficult to operationalize” and may create a chilling effect” to persons who want to run for an elective position.

Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon also told GMA News Online that Gatchalian’s bill would discourage underprivileged aspirants from seeking electoral posts, and that weeding out nuisance candidates was already part of the poll body’s responsibilities.

“It’s difficult to operationalize because how can you decide, with just one look, that a candidate is a nuisance? It doesn’t apply to all cases,” Jimenez said in a telephone interview with GMA’s “Unang Balita.”

“For me, those who don’t have money could be penalized, so they would be afraid of filing [candidacies],” Guanzon said. “It could be discriminatory to candidates who think they can run, but find out later that they could be nuisances, when it’s not their fault.”

“If [the candidates] believe they have the ability [to serve in elective posts], why would I penalize them as ‘nuisances,’ when it’s our job [at the Comelec] and we do it for free?” she added.

Gatchalian’s proposal states that if an individual is proven to have no genuine intention to run for public office, the person shall be guilty of an election offense and shall face a P50,000 fine.

However, Jimenez said: “That means you would be creating some sort of risk, where you would file a CoC if you are willing to risk that you won’t be declared a nuisance.”

Although the Comelec has grounds for declaring nuisance candidates, the spokesman said it “could not predict” such persons all the time. “Sometimes even those [candidates] you are really sure [of running] become nuisances,” Jimenez said.

In a separate interview on Unang Balita, Gatchalian said his bill aims to penalize those who want to use the filing of CoCs to see themselves on television and get their 15 minutes of fame through the media.

“In the filing [period], we saw a person who said he was Jesus Christ, who was a boyfriend of Kris Aquino, [and admitted] he filed because he wanted to be on TV,” the senator said.

“So the intention to file [a CoC] isn’t to serve the people, but to appear on TV as a gimmick to be talked about. So it means the person’s intention isn’t really to serve,” Gatchalian added.

A total of 152 senatorial aspirants filed their certificates during the five-day period set by the Comelec, while 185 partylist groups enlisted to run for seats in next year’s elections. Macon Ramos-Araneta

No ifs..

value-added tax costs being passed on to tenants.

“It is clear from the data of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas that housing rentals have increased and this has contributed to the rise in inflation over these past months. In the latest inflation data for September, housing rentals accounted for 0.40 percentage points of the total 6.7 percent inflation that month,” he said.

The Palace must jointly task the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council to make sure that landlords and other lessors are not abusing or finding reasons to charge their tenants more to make up for the VAT imposed

by the TRAIN Law and the additional charges to inflate rent, he said.

Also on Friday, Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy of the Bagong Henerasyon party-list group said the 10 percent discount on the fare for public utilities vehicles should be implemented now.

“LTFRB and other public transport regulatory agencies must implement this provision of RA 10963 now so that those who are not covered by the 20 percent discount for seniors, PWDs, and students will also be shielded from the inflationary impact of the TRAIN Law,” Herrera-Dy said, referring to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

World oil prices declined last week after the Energy Information Administration of the US released a report that US commercial crude oil stockpiles increased by 5.98 million barrels in the week ending Oct. 5 and total petroleum stockpiles in the country jumped 11.3 million barrels week on week.

Year-to-date total adjustments stand at a net increase of P10.55 per liter for gasoline, P11.50 per liter for diesel and P10.50 per liter for kerosene, according to the Department of Energy.

As of Oct. 15, gasoline sells from P52.70 to P66.50 per liter while diesel sells from P46.40 and P55.70 per liter.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, meanwhile, reported that inflation rose to 6.2 percent in the third quarter, with food inflation at 8.2 percent and non-food inflation at 4.1 percent in the quarter.

The third quarter figure, higher than the previous 4.8 percent in the second quarter, brought the year-to-date inflation average to five percent.

“[Since] The President [Rodrigo Duterte] is still very popular, the candidates he would endorse would benefit from his popularity,” Robredo said.

Panelo made his the statement after the PDEA proposed the conduct of surprise drug testing for the aspirants in the coming elections.

“I think, it should be voluntary. If the person does not want [to be tested], you cannot force him,” he said in a radio interview Thursday morning.

He said even Duterte would disapprove of such proposal on the candidates included in the government’s list of narco-politicians.

“He won’t favor that... If those people don’t have anything to hide, they would volunteer,” Panelo told Radyo Pilipinas.

On Thursday, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said it would be better if all candidates were to undergo surprise drug tests.

Meanwhile, the Dangerous Drugs Board encouraged the aspiring candidates to have a mandatory drug testing

From A1

“A combination of 10 percent improvement in income tax collection, higher absorptive capacity or much less agency underspending, and three other measures can generate P362 billion in revenues. That would replace the VAT that would be missed,” she said.

Meanwhile, a party-list lawmaker said the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law has also hurt families that rent their homes.

1-Pacman Rep. Michael Romero asked the Palace to address the increase in housing costs as a result of TRAIN’s

‘Tariffication‘ may bring down rice price, says Buhay solon THE government expects the retail price of rice to fall by an average of P3.40 per kilo once tariffication is achieved, Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza said Friday.

He said quickly raising the domestic production of the staple was the only sure way to stabilize prices.

“This is what the Department of Finance is claiming: That rice prices will go down by around P3.40 per kilo once tariffication is in place,” Atienza said.

He said boosting local output remained “the ultimate solution to elevated prices.”

“Right now, we need forceful and hands-on remedies to swiftly raise rice harvests,” he said.

Meanwhile,farmer cooperatives are selling their unmilled rice to the National Food Authority in Iloilo as the food agency launches its P3/kg Buffer Stocking Incentive at the KABSAKA Triplex, NFA Compound in Jaro, Iloilo.

The farmer cooperatives will deliver and sell 1,300 bags of unmilled rice to the NFA. Other cooperatives in the province will simultaneously deliver 2,078 bags of unmilled rice at the NFA’s Pototan Grains Center.

Atienza cited the need to clean-up rice farm irrigation channels obstructed by mud deposits that tend to pile up after every flooding due to extreme rainfall, or whenever dams have to dump excess water.

“Many small rice farmers have complained that they are simply not getting enough irrigation when needed, because canals meant to deliver water to their lands have been blocked by debris,” he said.

To address the problem, Atienza urged the Department of Labor and Employment to enlist thousands of idle but able-bodied citizens in the countryside to manually dredge the clogged watercourses.

“The DOLE has hundreds of millions of pesos at its disposal every year for emergency jobs. It should spend the money right away to sign up laborers to open up these jammed water ducts,” Atienza said.

“This way, the government will be hitting two birds with one stone. It will be creating gainful employment for the jobless while helping to pave the way for higher rice farm productivity.”

China,...

From A1

Asian Nations are set to hold their first joint drills, which will take place in the South China Sea. “As we speak, the navies of ASEAN are en route to Zhanjiang in China for the ASEAN-China Maritime Exercise,” Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said.

Making the announcement at a gathering of ASEAN defense ministers, also attended by US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his Chinese counterpart, Ng said the drills would help to build trust and confidence.

The city of Zhanjiang in southern China is home to the South Sea Fleet of the People’s Liberation Army.

Tabletop exercises between ASEAN and China were held in Singapore in August to prepare for next week’s drills.

US officials may, however, be alarmed that traditional allies in Southeast Asia appear to be drawing closer to China, at a time when concern is already growing in Asia about American commitment to the region under US President Donald Trump.

In an effort to lessen any such fears, Ng also said ASEAN was planning to hold maritime exercises with the US for the first time next year.

Four ASEAN members—Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam—have conflicting claims in the South China Sea with Beijing. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire area, including waters near the shores of smaller countries.

Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand are ASEAN’s other members.

Concerns have escalated dramatically in recent years as China started building artificial islands on reefs in disputed waters, and it has also constructed military facilities and airstrips.

Washington has expressed alarm over the island-building, saying it could affect freedom of navigation in the sea, which hosts some of the world’s most vital commercial shipping lanes.

Meanwhile, the Philippines and China reaffirmed their commitment to the principle of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea during their third bilateral consultation mechanism meeting, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday night.

“Believing that the proper management of disputes in the South China Sea is vital in safeguarding regional peace and stability, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China Sea, freedom of international commerce and other peaceful uses of the sea,” the DFA said.

However, it did not indicate whether military vessels and aircraft were covered in this reaffirmation.

Recently, a Chinese and a US destroyer had a close encounter near a Chinese artificial island at the Kalayaan Island Group after the latter conducted a freedom of navigation operation in the area. AFP and PNA

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Palace shrugs off Du30 claim that Sara led Alvarez ouster

By Nat Mariano THE Palace on Friday downplayed President Rodrigo Duterte’s admission that his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio “initiated” the ouster of Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez as speaker.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said even if Duterte-Carpio initiated the ouster, the fate of Alvarez’s speakership were decided by the members of the House of Representatives.

“Ultimately whoever suggested the ouster, the members of Congress shall still decide. Those who voted [for Alvarez’s ouster] said they were discontented with the way it is being run,” Panelo said in a radio interview.

“It’s the House of Representatives that decided regardless of whoever initiated it,” Panelo added.

He said even with the influence of the President, members of the House of Representatives still had the final say on whether to oust or let Alvarez remain based on his performance as a speaker.

He said that lawmakers appeared to be dissatisfied with how Alvarez ran Congress.

“Rightly or wrongly, that’s the perception of those who voted against him. But as far as the administration is concerned, Speaker Alvarez did all things in favor of the administration.

The bills which have been certified as urgent, he passed it through,” Panelo said, recognizing how Alvarez shepherded bills that were important to the administration.

SC urged to order gov’t to issue fishing vessels monitoring rules

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has been asked to compel the national government to promulgate rules on vessel monitoring measures covering commercial fishing vessels with gross tonnage of 3.1 to 30.

In a petition, the local unit of international ocean conservation group Oceana urged the SC to issue a writ of continuing mandamus to the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Oceana Philippines, together with municipal fisherfolk Arnulfo Febria, Edgardo Leongson, and Bernardo Rondon Jr. appealed to SC justices to issue a temporary environmental protection order stopping the DA-BFAR from issuing new licenses or renewal of commercial fishing vessels weighing 3.1 to 30 gross tons while their petition is pending resolution.

The petitioners argued that the Fisheries Administrative Order that the DA-BFAR signed last Oct. 5 does not meet the requirement of the Fisheries Code on the promulgation of rules governing the monitoring of commercial fishing vessels.

“It only covers vessels targeting highly migratory and straddling fish stocks. It excludes from its coverage commercial fishing vessels that weight 3.1 to less than 30 gross tons and commonly found illegally encroaching on municipal waters,” Oceana said in a statement.

NLEX HARBOR LINK. Department

of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar (middle), together with MPTC and NLEX Corp. president and CEO Rodrigo Franco and other officials, inspect the newly-constructed portion of NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 project along McArthur Highway, Karuhatan in Valenzuela City. The DPWH announced that it has delivered 100 percent the right of way for the project.

Manny Palmero

Embattled BOC exec says she’s receiving threats

By Vito Barcelo

A

BUREAU of Customs deputy collector said that she had been receiving death threats after insisting that the magnetic lifters found in Cavite contained billions of pesos worth of shabu.

Customs Deputy Collector for Operations and former BOC X-ray Inspection Project chief lawyer Lourdes Mangaoang said she fears for her life due to death threats after claiming that the four magnetic lifters that were cleared and released by the bureau contained P6.8 billion worth of shabu.

“Yes there are threats. In fact, there are text messages that have been shown to me. The group claimed that they will make my life miserable. They will destroy me,” Mangaoang said in television interview.

“I am a little bit worried but I am being very careful, I hope the media will protect me because I’m just telling the truth,” she said.

But BOC spokesman lawyer Erastus Austria denied that Commissioner Isidro Lapeña had something to do with the alleged threats, saying that the accusation was far from the character of the BOC chief.

Earlier, Mangaoang, who is now assigned as Customs collector for

passenger services at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, told a congressional hearing that the four magnetic lifters found in Cavite contained shabu as shown by the X-ray result with cloudy shadow.

“There is difference in color that would mean something else is inside the magnetic lifters,” she said.

“Dogs don’t lie, X-ray machines do not lie, only people can lie. I am very sure it was deliberate, because that was modus operandi. To make it appear negative, the examiner may darken the image to cover the image,” Mangaoang said.

She also dismissed claims that the current X-ray machines weren’t functioning well, and therefore cannot penetrate such magnetic lifters.

“The X-ray can penetrate 11 inches of steel, therefore it can penetrate into the four inches (of) steel. What the Bureau of Customs officials is doing, they are covering up for the crime,” Mangaoang said.

The PDEA had found P2.4 billion

worth of shabu inside the magnetic lifters at the Manila International Container Terminal last Aug. 7.

A day later, four more magnetic lifters were found in General Mariano Alvarez town in Cavite that were allegedly empty.

In a statement, Lapeña said that the issues being thrown to him was part of a propaganda to oust him because of the reforms he initiated.

“I would like to address some of the recent issues being thrown against me and the Bureau of Customs in the light of the alleged billions of drugs imported into the country through the magnetic lifters found in GMA, Cavite. For the record, I ordered for an investigation early on, from the time that two magnetic lifters containing 355 kilos of shabu were intercepted at MICP. In fact, two investigation teams were created relevant to these incidents,” he said.

“We still maintain that the four magnetic lifters consigned to SMYD Trading went through proper customs clearance. All X-ray images were submitted to the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs and the Senate Committee on Blue Ribbon. There is no single x-ray image kept from the eyes of the oversight committees. Let me stress again that I would submit to the results of the congressional investigation. Any statements made are pure speculations,” he said.

Duque condemns attack on FDA chief, cops in Daet

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SECRETARY Francisco T. Duque III has condemned the attack on a contingent led by Food and Drug Administration Director General Nela Charade Puno which resulted to the death of their three policemen-escorts after being waylaid by suspected communist rebels in Camarines Norte last Thursday morning.

Puno and her team were on their way to Daet after the provincial capital passed an ordinance requiring establishments to secure FDA clearance prior to acquiring a business license.

“I condemn in no uncertain terms

SHOOTING EXPERT. Bureau of Customs-NAIA District Director Carmelita ‘Mimel’ Talusan, one of the country’s top international shooters, leads the shooting proficiency training for members of the BOC-Enforcement and Security Service under Director Filemon Yogi Ruiz. In partnership with the Association of Firearms and Ammunition Dealers Inc. under Jethro Dionisio, the training was initiated by Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña to ensure that all new recruits are capable of handling their firearms. Dionisio is inviting gun enthusiasts to the free seminars on gun handling and responsible ownership at the Defense & Sporting Arms Show at the SM Megamall on Nov. 15-19.

the attack on FDA Director General Nela Charade Puno and her team in Camarines Sur today,” Duque said.

Duque said the DOH leadership is currently coordinating with the authorities for a full investigation.

According to police reports, the team led by Puno were fired at by unidentified armed men in Lupi, Camarines Sur. Three police escorts were reportedly killed while three others were wounded.

Puno and her team were unharmed and were later brought to a secure location.

Investigations are currently under way.

“The safety of DG Puno and FDA employees is our top priority at the moment. They have the full backing of

the department,” Duque said.

Police identified the slain policemen as SPO1 Percival Rafael, PO3 Carlito Navarroza and PO1 Ralph Jason Vida.

The wounded were PO1 Jonathan Perillo, PO1 Ruby Buena and PO1 Rodolfo Gonzaga.

Chief Supt. Arnel Escobal, Bicol police director, said it was possible that the gunmen were targeting the policemen and not Puno.

From the airport in Pili town, Camarines Sur, the group was heading to Daet town in nearby Camarines Norte province, when about 20 armed men fired at them at Barangay Napolidan in Lupi at past 9 am.

Du30 says darkened skin due to exposure, cream THE discoloration of his face was brought by a trip to Jordan and the side effects of using a whitening cream, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday.

In his speech during the 44th Philippine Business Conference and Expo, Duterte said that the darkening of his skin was a result of sunburn from prolonged exposure to the heat during his trip to Jordan and from a series of visits to military camps in the country.

“When I went to Jordan my skin was already burnt. I go to military camps every week. I go to the farthest camps in the field,” he said, adding the condition of his skin got worse after he applied a whitening cream used by his commonlaw wife Honeylet Avanceña.

“I used the cream which my wife uses.

She said there are 1,2,3,4 steps… It’s my first time to see a medicine that’s like a rocket; it has a booster. It worked well on my wife, but when I tried it, my skin got darker,” he added.

The President said that he had consulted a skin specialist about the discoloration, who recommended to only use specific skin care products suitable for his skin type. Nathaniel Mariano

De Lima seeks probe of Yang’s appointment OPPOSITION Senator Leila de Lima has sought for a Senate investigation the appointment of Chinese national Michael Yang who identifies himself as President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic adviser, and other foreign nationals to public office.

She noted that the independence of the State from foreign control necessitates that the questionable citizenship of a presidential adviser be authenticated, and the nature and scope of his influence over foreign policy is fully disclosed.

De Lima filed Senate Resolution No. 922 urging the appropriate Senate committee to look into Yang’s appointment as presidential economic adviser and determine the extent of his “official engagement” under the present Duterte administration.

Yang, also known as Yang Hong Ming, has been publicly issuing business cards which identify him as “presidential economic adviser” using the official seal of the Office of the President of the Philippines and the official logo of his firm, Full Win Company. Macon Ramos-Araneta

I can relate with poor, says new DSWD chief

Prospero, 71

HE MAY had been a soldier all his life, but newly-appointed Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rolando Bautista said he can relate to the poorest sector of society.

Speaking before reporters at the sidelines of the DSWD forum on the Panatawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps on Friday, Oct. 19, Bautista said his being a former soldier was actually an “advantage” for him.

The former Army chief said that his stint as a soldier and AFP official gave him first-hand experience the problems of marginalized groups as he sought to downplay the perceived growing militarization in government.

“Maka-relate ako when you talk about poverty kasi sabi ko nga, na kasama ko na matulog ang mga Lumad sa isang IP [indigenous peoples] community. Nakasama ko na rin sa mga lakad ang mga MILF [Moro Islamic Liberation Front] at MNLF [Moro National Liberation Front] brothers natin.

Nakatulog na rin ako sa mga mahihirap

RODRIGO M. PROSPERO, 71 years old, returned to his Creator on Oct. 19, 2018 after suffering from cardiac arrest.

He is survived by wife Sonia, brother Ding and sister Pina, daughters Joy Resurreccion Dimple Garcia and Eya Dumol, and grandchildren Lander, Lian, Lara, Aimon, Aina and Megan.

His remains are at Cosmopolitan SF Memorial Chapels, Mercedes Ave., San Miguel, Pasig City.

na tao sa sasabihin natin pinakamalayo na lugar [I can relate when you talk about poverty because I have slept with Lumads in an IP community. I’ve been with our MILF and MNLF brothers. I’ve spent time with those in poverty in far-flung areas.],” said the retired Army chief.

“Kaya nararamdaman ko ang kanilang panganagilangan at sa tingin ko nararamdaman ko din talagang nais nilang mabago ang kanilang buhay [I feel that I know what they need and I also understand they truly want to change their lives.] ,” Bautista added.

Bautista made the statement after his first official appearance as DSWD Secretary. He had taken his oath two days ago on Wednesday, Oct. 17.

Bautista retired as Army chief on Monday, Oct. 15, Monday. He had headed the 90-000 strong Philippine Army and was the overall ground commander after Marawi City was seized for almost five months last year by Muslim rebels.

A4

Opinion

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Judicial independence in Trillanes case

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

most of the evidence submitted by the senator, including the affidavits of Azcueta and Berbigal. I also hope that Judge Soriano will take judicial notice of what Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Carlito WHEN President Duterte issued Galvez himself acknowledged - that Proclamation No.572, he cited as Trillanes had applied for amnesty the reason for revoking the amnesty and that it has been properly granted to Senator Trillanes as it (the processed. General Galvez in fact amnesty) being void ab initio. The lat- took responsibility for the loss of the ter, he said, did not comply with the application which he attributed to “minimum requirements to qualify lapses within the organization. under the amnesty proclamation.”

Judge Soriano’s decision is eagerly The Proclamation cited a certification watched and is expected to come out from the Armed Forces of the Philip- anytime. It clearly has more seripines’ Office of the Deputy Chief of ous consequences as the charges that Staff for Personnel that there is no could be revived against Trillanes in available copy of Trillanes’ applica- RTC 148, being the commission of the tion for amnesty, and that he refused crime of coup d’état, is not bailable by to admit his guilt. right. Hopefully, this case stops at the Subsequently, Senator Trillanes level of the sala of Judge Soriano. If has conclusively proven that he has in not, the Supreme Court has to weigh fact submitted an in and as early as application and next Tuesday duradmitted guilt. ing its weekly en Among others, banc session. Eithe senator subThis is about all of us. ther way, this is a mitted affidavits test of the integof former defense This is about the future rity and courage amnesty panel of peace processes in the of our Judges and chair Honorio country.

Justices.

Azcueta and head In my view, of the amnesty as I have written panel secretariat before, the revoJosefa Berbigal to cation of the Trilthis effect, with lanes amnesty is the latter attesting that she personally illegal, unwise, and immoral Let me received Trillanes’ amnesty applica- expound on these points again. tion on Jan. 5 2011. In rejecting these Let’s start with Proclamation 75, the affidavits and issuing a warrant of ar- amnesty proclamation under which rest against Senator Trillanes, Judge Senator Trillanes applied for in conElmo Alameda of Makati Regional nection with his involvement in the Trial Court Branch 150 said that his Oakwood mutiny and related incifailure to produce an original copy or dents. This amnesty was processed “even a photocopy” of Senator Anto- by the defense department and the nio Trillanes IV’s actual amnesty ap- military, approved by then-President plication form is sufficient basis to say Aquino and concurred in by Conhe really failed to file it. Judge Alam- gress. Unlike pardon, amnesty looks eda reasoned that Berbigal’s affidavit backward and abolishes and puts into and similar supporting affidavits are oblivion the offense itself, it so over“substitute documents” that are “bar- looks and obliterates the offense with ren of probative weight.” which Trillanes was charged that he The same issue is now before Judge being released by amnesty stands beAndres Soriano of RTC Branch 148, fore the law precisely as though he also of Makati City. Thankfully, the had committed no offense. There is good Judge accepted and admitted Turn to A5

From the gut

I

NCREASES in the price of food, transportation and practically everything else have reminded Filipinos of their virtue-vice of resilience and fatalism.

Just this week a survey firm said the majority of the people believed that fish varieties in markets have become smaller and more expensive. Traditionally, fish is associated with austere living. Not anymore.

We all know what has become of vegetables as well. Prices of what used to be simple fare on the tables of Filipino families have also reached outrageous levels.

Rice prices have also not returned to affordable levels—and was it not just a few weeks ago when the people were exhorted

to make do with weevil-infested rice just to help manage the shortage?

This week we heard too that minimum rates for public transportation will also increase. The move is appreciated by drives and operators who have to deal with soaring oil prices.

For commuters, however, this is one more pain point—perhaps nothing they cannot tolerate, given that they have put up with so much already.

As the weeks pass approaching the Christmas holidays, there will be less money to go around.

This will definitely temper Filipinos’ spending habits even as they would still want to keep up the veneer of abundance and gaiety.

Amid this backdrop, politicians are in a frenzy, not finding solutions but to registering their candidacies for the next elections. When the campaign

period starts, there will again be grandiose promises of change, of good intentions, and bleeding hearts.

Here as with daily living, Filipinos may commit the grievous mistake of believing their only option is to suffer the inconveniences and bear the hardships, because this is the situation and there is nothing they can do about it.

But they are mistaken. There is something they can do. There is always something they can do.

It is time to stop reveling in the thought that Filipinos can bear anything that life throws at them.

This tendency has allowed our leaders to foist their bad decisions and sense of entitlement on us for many generations. While the poor desperately try to make ends meet, we should also learn to be less forgiving of the clowns and the brats in what ought to be positions of leadership.

Deal-breaker issues is a well-established machinery to propagate disinformation against opposition and towards making pro-Duterte candidates look better.

The robust exchange of opinion online is mainly between and among THE period of filing Certificates of supporters of opposition candidates Candidacy has ended. A total of 152 individually or collectively. Observwannabes filed their COCs for sena- ing ongoing conversations is fascinattor. The final number of candidates ing because one is able to determine will, however, be released by the issues that are important to people.

Commission on Elections after its These are so important that the posidetermination of nuisance candidates tion of candidates on the given issues who will be stricken off the list. determine whether or not he or she For senators, the better-known will be on the ballot of specific voters. candidates can be categorized into These are the deal-breaker issues. three: pro-Duterte administration, First, let me state that I believe that the multi-party opposition coalition, this is a good time to belong to the opand the reelectionists who are neither position because a lot of people are identified with very frustrated administration or with this adminopposition. istration’s perWhile the offormance.

The ficial campaign war on drugs has Life has become period is yet to killed thousands, begin in January harder for many and continues to 2019, excitement Filipinos, and this will kill more. The over the elections country has never be a factor in the 2019 is high especially seen this level of on social me- elections. killing of innodia.

Passionate cent people (yes, discussions and innocent because debates on canthose killed were mere suspects didates, their position on issues, qualifications, track who never had their day in court) record, character, etc. have been on- since the war. Not even the dictator going.

Ferdinand Marcos’ Martial Law can Although, it is observable that pro- compete with the ruthlessness of the administration netizens who capable ongoing war on drugs. of rationale engagement are much less Duterte’s inaction over China’s engaged compared with those criti- militarization of the West Philippine cal of Duterte and his people. The big Sea, and his decision to not pursue number of Diehard Duterte Support- the Philippines’ huge victory in the ers (DDS) present in Facebook and case against China, continue to put Twitter limit their engagement to hurl- the country’s patrimony at risk. These ing insults at, threatening, and name- have angered not a few Filipinos. calling those politically opposed to Duterte’s, and his people’s, misogythem. There is virtually zero substan- ny and abuse of women, as well as politive discussion. ticians’ silence on this issue have led These DDS trolls cannot be out- to loud voices rejecting pro-adminisrightly dismissed because as shown tration candidates no matter if some of by the 2016 national elections, theirs Turn to A5

POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO

MAIL MATTERS

Here is how the loan repayment process for teachers go THIS refers to the story, “Addressing teachers’ woes” by Charlie V. Manalo, which was published on 27 September 2018.

In his article, Mr. Manalo mentioned that “some teachers fell victims to the incompetency of some personnel of . . .

GSIS for failure to collect their monthly amortization from their salaries.”

Allow us to explain the loan repayment process to enlighten everyone.

Under the Electronic Billing and Collection System (EBCS), GSIS sends a weekly Notice to Deduct to all gov-

ernment agencies, including DepED. The notice contains the list of their employee-borrowers with corresponding amount of amortizations to pay.

The monthly billing is also electronically sent by GSIS to agencies through eBCS. Both files authorize collection officers to regularly deduct amortizations of borrowers from their salary until their loan is fully paid. If the amortization was not deducted from their salary, the borrowers may pay it directly to GSIS. Further, DepEd and GSIS are closely coordinating with

Turn to A5

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Opinion

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018

A5

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All’s well—maybe

Recolonization by Smartmatic

and, (i) Drug Test Result.

What was Monreal thinking when he issued the order? His list of requirements is stricter than those required for seeking a License to Own and Possess a Firearm.

Who were the geniuses behind this idea?

Fortunately, someone knocked senses into their shells before hell broke loose.

But unless the order is totally recalled, we cannot say everything’s well within the NAIA for all those personnel, concessionaires, stakeholders including media practitioners.

For the meantime maybe.

a holding company whose key asset remains to be owned by Smartmatic. Malloch Brown’s Manila ties dates back to the mid-1980s when he, as lead partner at the Sawyer-Miller Group, was picked as Corazon AquiIT IS so pathetic to note that a reverse no’s PR agency. Mark Malloch Brown transition is taking place in what Marx then formed a close relationship with said that history is a march towards the corrupt family dynasty. The close the liberation of society. Ours is com- cooperation between Malloch Brown pletely different, for it seems our poli- was rekindled ahead of the 2010 electicians have not been grooved to fol- tion, when Benigno S. Aquino III below the stereotypical path of seeking came the first President whose votes to perfect our freedom through a dem- were counted by Smartmatic, despite ocratic process of electing our leaders. persistent allegations that the system Our case is unique because our po- was vulnerable to manipulation.

In July 2015, Malloch Brown relitical leaders opted to adopt the modernity of computerizing our electoral turned to the Philippines and subsesystem not to bring about change, but quently Comelec’s Andres Bautista to put us back into the cage of being awarded to Smartmatic the contracts re-colonized in a make-believe man- of P2.6 billion for the 2016 election. He date done through systematic elec- however left the country after his wife toral fraud. A functional democracy exposed him for systematic corruption revolves not so much on the kind of amounting to billions of pesos. The government the people would wish crook who was appointed erstwhile to put up, but on the process whether chairman of the PCGG turned out to those they elected to govern were truly be the biggest crook. In October 2017, elected by the same democratic pro- after the House of Representatives cess, and not carried out by some kind voted to impeach him, he surfaced in of hocus-pocus machines like the ones the US claiming illness.

To this day, complaints of election rented from Smartmatic in 2009 at a staggering cost of P11.3 billion to as- irregularities remain pending in the sist us in exercising our basic right to Presidential Electoral Tribunal, prominent of which is elect our leaders. protest filed by The Comelec vice presidential cleverly tossed candidate Ferback to the Dedinand “Bongpartment of It was definitely not bong” Marcos, Budget and Manto bring about change.

Jr. against Leni agement the quesRobredo.

This tion of why it involves the disonly appropriated crepancy in the P8.1 billion. Acresult, which is cording to Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, the now taking its toll on the credibility of amount does not include the cost for the Comelec. The electoral protest of the automated election system, which Marcos has become reprehensible that he says would cost us an additional it contradicts the very purpose why Smartmatic was hired.

P4.3 billion.

Notably in the evening after the One could sense that the Comelec and the DBM played the game of charade in closing of the election, Marcos was not appropriating the amount of P12.4 already leading close to one-million billion to allow Comelec Chairman votes. But just before daybreak, he was Christian Robert Lim to reuse the old overtaken by over one-million votes ones, notwithstanding that it has caused which means that close to two-million us many problems that to this day has votes were discharged by the cheating not yet been resolved. Thus, instead machine. Nowhere in the election hisof buying new sets of voting counting tory of this country had this happened machines with the usual option to where a tsunami of votes in favor of purchase, the Comelec avoided being one candidate surged to swamp the riaccused of misappropriation by not val for it to accept that it was the result spending beyond what has been of the counting machines’ tabulation hooted as foolproof. allocated to it.

Maybe the Presidential Electoral To make sure that the government will remain tied to Smartmatic, the Tribunal presided by Justice Alfredo Comelec argued that it was able to Caguioa, an appointee—classmate of save because it is much cheaper to Noynoy Aquino, is having difficulty reuse the old VCM than buy new in making a decision that would favor ones without clarifying that the Robredo. One could sense it could old ones will remain a property of damage not the credibility of Comelec Smartmatic and if we want to reuse but of Smartmatic. This has only them again, we would have to pay hastened President Duterte’s followers another staggering cost for its mere to urge him to declare a revolutionary use. Jimenez however explained that government with the opposition Smartmatic was required to provide hallucinating that such could lead to a “security marks” on the voter receipts dictatorship.

They argue that the Liberal Party in the 2019 election which is doubtful much that it failed to comply in the and its allies in the various front organizations are using the given demo2015 presidential election.

Since it would entail the use of cratic space to bring down the governsophisticated computer machines ment, be it by way of regular election, manufactured and owned by foreign people power or coup d’ etat. It seems corporations, we were forced to hire the electoral process is being undera private company just to assist the taken by Smartmatic to protect them.

Comelec in managing and operating Propaganda-wise, the elite control them, unmindful that it already consti- the mainstream media. Lucky for the tutes a violation of the constitution. It President, we have the social media is absurd, for while we strictly require that remain highly partisan to him. that only Filipino citizens could vote, The religious organizations could still those that conduct and operate those muster the support of its followers but have been weakened because of their machines are aliens.

This column is particularly inter- close association with the country’s ested in how Smartmatic managed to elite and on the issue of taxing the sneak in to determine the fate of our Church.

Despite the accusation that SmartRepublic. I am saying these because it appears that Smartmatic began as a matic is being supported by the CIA partner of Strategic Alliance Holding and the National Endowment for Inc. to supply the counting machines Democracy, an organization known in the Autonomous Region in Muslim for overthrowing of governments Mindanao in the 2008 election. What under the banner of colored revoluis not clear is whether it was the gov- tion, our militant organizations conernment through Comelec that con- tinue to participate in the seemingly tracted Strategic Alliance Holding US-sponsored circus. We could only Inc., and later brought in its partner, speculate that they participate and the Smartmatic, or that their partner- are allowed to win a few seats, to ship was forged immediately after it give credibility to Smartmatic, which was able to clinch the deal to comput- reason why the public are uncannily curious why the Left remain silent on erize our electoral system.

To some, this came as no surprise the issue of electoral fraud committed because of the murky role of CEO by Smartmatic.

Mugica and of Mark Malloch-Brown rpkapunan@gmail.com who launched the SGO Corp. Ltd,

IT’S good to hear the memorandum issued by Manila International Airport General Manager Eddie Monreal dated Oct. 4, 2018—providing for stringent requirements for all personnel, concessionaires, stakeholders including media practitioners covering the Ninoy Aquino International Airport—has been suspended.

The suspension of the order was announced by Assistant General Manager of the MIAA Security and Emergency Services.

Media practitioners covering the NAIA beat welcomed the news as they were about to raise hell when Monreal issued the order saying they were not employees of the airport to be bound by the requirements. It would have cost them a few thousand pesos had it been implemented.

Included in the requirements to gain accreditation as provided for in the Monreal Order are: (a) Filled-up Personnel Security Investigation form; (b) NBI Clearance; (c) Birth Certificate (PSA Copy); Regional Trial Court Clearance; (e) Municipal Trial Court Clearance; (f) Prosecutor’s Office Clearance; (g) Police Clearance; (h) Barangay Clearance;

Deal-breaker...

From A4

them have, in the past, been identified as champions of women’s rights. Filipino women, particularly, are very vocal about their opposition to misogyny and those enabling this mindset.

Life for the most number of Filipinos, including the middle class, has significantly been, and continues to be harder. Inflation rates are increasing at record levels. Gasoline prices have repeatedly gone up. This led to the skyrocketing prices of goods and services, particularly the basic staples such as rice and vegetables. Imagine the prices of “sili” and ‘wansoy” soaring up to more than P1,000.00 a kilo!

Fares for public utility vehicles have gone up as well. Commuters are hit by a double whammy—horrendous traffic and increased transportation costs.

Economists outside of government attribute the drastic increase in cost of living to the passage and implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law. As if people’s sufferings are not enough, TRAIN 2 is set to be implemented soon despite people’s complaints.

Reelectionist senators are being blamed by people for TRAIN and this can put them at a disadvantage come election time.

Political dynasty is another issue

Judicial...

From A4

no question that Trillanes is a grantee of a valid amnesty proclamation, as such his criminal liability was fully extinguished. The courts on the other hand cannot issue an arrest warrant for cases that have already been dismissed by virtue of the amnesty.

The revocation of the Trillanes amnesty is also unwise and detrimental to the national interest. Indeed, the revocation of any amnesty is disastrous for a country riven by social conflicts where political amnesties has been resorted to as a means for healing social and national strife.

As I wrote online: “In the Philippine American war, as the hostilities wound down, amnesty was resorted to so that everyone would have an option to come down from the hills. After World War II, even as it was controversial, amnesty was offered even to collaborators with the Japanese so the country could move on. In the 1960s and 1970s, and even during the martial law era, amnesties were resorted to bring the Huks, Moro rebels, and other groups back to the fold of the law. More recently, members of the

Here...

From A4

each other to address ensuing concerns of teachers in the collection and settlement of their loans.

Mr. Manalo also laments the teachers’ perennial bondage to private lending institutions (PLIs), which he said DepEd Circular No. 5 seeks to resolve.

GSIS and DepEd precisely share his sentiment. The newly launched GSIS Financial Assistance Loan (GFAL), in

Just asking.

*** The other day, we received a call from Atty. Manny Luna of Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission the clarifying some matters on the issue of the complaint filed by one Ed Cordevilla against Customs lawyer Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang, who was the subject of my column last Thursday.

Luna made it clear the PACC has yet to take cognizance on Cordevilla’s complaint, dismissing rumors

the Commission has already dropped Mangaoang.

The full text of the PACC statement, as Luna had sent to this writer, is as follows: “The PACC disavows that it has taken cognizance of the unverified letter of a certain Ed Cordevilla.

As is the practice and rule of the PACC, all complaints undergo processing and determination of the jurisdiction of the Commission and sufficiency of allegations.

As a matter of fact, Customs Collector Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang is a resource person of the Commission and is under its protection in accordance with E.O. 43.” *** Just wondering.

While I have encountered a lot of cases wherein almost all the members of a political family entering a political race, rare is the case of spouses— resigned Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, who will be vying for the representation of the First and Second District of Taguig, respectively.

Of course there is nothing illegal there. But what is puzzling is that running for different districts would require them to register with different addresses.

Does that mean they are not living under the same roof?

Just asking.

that appears to be given importance by voters. Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and wife Lani have received severe criticism for running as representatives of Taguig’s two districts. A Cayetano brother is also running as mayor, and sister Pia is running as senator. Political dynasties are seen by people as a sure sign of greed for power. Other political families are doing the same and many netizens are planning to reject them.

Graft and corruption is another deal breaker for many voters especially those who have followed the cases of Janet Napoles that implicated a good number of legislators, and led to the filing of cases, even imprisonment of Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Ramon Revilla. The three are back in the race as they filed their candidacies for senator. Their entry in the May 2019 elections met a huge, loud howl from netizens who said that not only are they not going to vote for them, they are also going to campaign against them.

While it is still too early in the game, these important issues have already determined how a good number of netizens will vote next year. These people will most probably go opposition. For now, the multi-party opposition slate has eight (8) candidates: Magdalo representative Gary Alejano, re-electionist senator Bam Aquino, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, former Bangsamoro Transition Commission member

Samira Gutoc-Tomawis, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, former DILG secretary Mar Roxas, and former representative Erin Tañada.

Will people block-vote for the opposition? Surely, some will do, and there are those campaigning for block voting. However, my observation of social media discussions has led me to believe that there are other deal breaker issues even when it comes to opposition candidates. These are reproductive health and divorce. In Particular, Alejano is singled out for his “no” vote during the House voting on the divorce bill, and Macalintal for his consistent ant-RH position from way back.

Women are saying that they no longer want to add to the Sottos and Pacquiaos of the Senate. There are those who have declared that they will not vote for the two. As a women’s rights advocate, I agree with this position as indeed, RH and divorce should be nonnegotiable especially for women.

It will be interesting to follow how these deal breaker issues will play out during the campaign. The important thing is, people seem to be setting high standards for candidates for the May 2019 elections. I am hopeful that this will continue and people will vote for a better Senate.

Moro National Liberation Front, the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army, several left-wing groups independent of the Communist Party of the Philippines, and military rebels were granted amnesty. In the future, amnesty has to be granted to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as well as the cadres and combatants of the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army, and National Democratic Front of the Philippines if a permanent peace settlement is achieved with the latter groups.”

There has never been an instance when amnesty given by one president has been revoked by a subsequent president. If this becomes a rule, future presidents would lose an important tool for national healing and unity.

Who would trust any president who makes promises to rebel groups if his or her successor could on a whim revoke an amnesty?

Finally, the revocation of the Trillanes amnesty is evil, immoral and unjust because it is done for a personal reason, for partisan political motives, and not for the good of the country.

The last-minute argument that the amnesty certifications are invalid because they are not personally signed by the President is a desperate move by

the executive branch, raised because there is no doubt that in fact Senator Trillanes had applied for amnesty and admitted guilt, which application was subsequently validated, processed, and approved under the rules established by the amnesty proclamation signed by the President and concurred in by Congress.

The revocation of the Trillanes amnesty is a very dangerous precedent. It will create a Damocles’ sword hovering over the heads of rebels or dissidents who want to return to the fold of law.

After all, it can be voided by a hostile administration at any time and cases previously dismissed can then be resurrected.

Like the De Lima cases, where the partiality of the Department of Justice and the lower courts have been questions, this is not just a fight that concerns the liberty of one senator. This is about all of us. This is about the future of peace processes in the country. This is also about due process and its role in our system. It is about the rule of law prevailing over power politics. And yes, most definitely under the circumstances, the Trillanes case is also about judicial independence.

fact, hopes to ‘liberate’ teachers from the lure of heavy borrowing from PLIs, which only sinks them deeper into debts and hampers their ability to repay their loans. GFAL has an interest rate of only 6 percent and a term of six years. A balance transfer and debt-consolidation facility in one, GFAL also promotes good money management practices by requiring qualified teacher-borrowers to undergo an evaluation and counseling process via the GSIS Financial Literacy Seminar before their loan application

is approved.

Moreover, we wish to emphasize that GSIS is not entering into an agreement with the Unionbank of the Philippines with regard to “refinancing of teachers loan” as alleged in the article. The refinancing of loans obtained from PLIs is an option given by GSIS to DepEd employees and not to any bank or institution, for that matter. UBP is one of the service banks of GSIS, which releases loan proceeds to the accounts of members and pensioners through e-crediting.

@bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

Facebook: tonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

In a recent development and as part of mitigating “teachers’ woes,” GSIS has extended the deadline for all GSIS members to settle past due loan accounts to one more month or until Oct. 31, 2018.

This is to give more time for DepEd employees as well as other members with overdue accounts to benefit from the condoned penalties and surcharges of the Enhanced Consolidated Loan Program. Notwithstanding, GSIS remains steadfast in reminding its members that delayed or non-payment of loans may impair their retirement and other ben-

efits due them or their family We thank Mr. Manalo for conveying his opinion on various concerns that affect teachers. He has our earnest assurance that the well-being of teachers and non-teaching personnel of DepEd, who constitute more than half of GSIS’s total membership, remains our paramount consideration.

JESUS CLINT O. ARANAS President and General Manager Government Service Insurance System

News

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Ultra Lotto winner needed fare money to claim his prize

ENJOYING THE LAST DRIP. A boy and his mother, among remaining informal settlers inside the Makati Catholic Cemetery in Makati City being demolished to make way for a new memorial park, enjoy free water tapped from an underground source inside the graveyard. The MWSS has ordered the Maynilad to stop passing on to the public an earlier approved water rate increase of P0.90 per cubic meter starting next month to compensate for its corporate income tax. Diana Noche

2 caretakers of Espinosa slain in Leyte

Gov’t bans water activities but eyes Boracay expansion

By Francisco Tuyay

By Joel Zurbano

TWO caretakers, including the believed hit man of selfconfessed drug lord Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr., have been killed inside a beach house owned by a private contractor outside of Albuera, Leyte Thursday.

Initial reports said the two caretakers were separately found dead after they were shot by armed suspects at the beach house owned by Ronnie Allosa in Brgy. Cambalading at 3:30 p.m.

The victims were identified as Jesus Tulin and his live-in partner, Sunshine Paton-ong-Tulin.

Police investigators found the lifeless body of Jesus at the second floor of the twostory house while his wife, Sunshine, was lying on the ground floor.

Eyewitnesses’ accounts, including construction workers near the crime scene, told police investigators the suspects in the shooting were wearing bonnets.

Recovered from the crime scene were 13 empty shells and one .45 cal. pistol.

Unverified reports said Jesus was the supposed hit man of Espinosa tagged by authorities as the drug lord in the Visayas.

His father, the late Albuera mayor Rolando Espinosa, was killed inside his cell at the Baybay City Sub-Provincial jail on drugs charges.

The older Espinosa was included in the drug watch list of President Rodrigo Duterte.

HE Duterte administration is prohibiting temporarily water activities in Boracay to check the island’s marine biodiversity and “to lengthen the beach and swimming area for tourists,” an Environment official said Friday.

T

Environment Undersecretary Sherwin Rigor told reporters officials were completing a “biodiversity assessment” to designate marine sanctuaries, and “regulate water sue zones” for water sports activities and swimming.

In related developments: • Major airlines in the country on Friday reminded air travelers going to Boracay that only guests with confirmed reservations at any accredited establishments would be allowed to enter the newly rehabilitated island.

“We would like to remind guests booked for flights to Caticlan and Kalibo that they will be requested to show proof of confirmed hotel and bookings before entering Boracay island,” said the management of Cebu

Pacific Air in its advisory.

The Philippine Airlines made the same public advisory, saying a pre-booking with a hotel was required as a prerequisite to enter Boracay.

“The Department of Tourism will be implementing a No Booking / No Entry Policy and will be setting up a verification booth at the Caticlan Airport and the Kalibo International Airport,” the PAL stated.

Passengers are advised to book their stay in the establishments that are compliant with the requirements of the Department of Tourism, Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

CEB said “to avoid any possible inconvenience, we strongly advise guests who

are travelling or planning to go to Boracay Island starting October 26, 2018 to check if their chosen hotel or resort has been certified compliant and permitted to operate.”

It added “further information regarding accredited establishments on Boracay can be found at facebook.com/DepartmentofTourism or @TourismPHL on Twitter.”

The airline recently donated plastic trash bins to be used in time for the reopening of Boracay.

The donation is in line with the CEB’s Juan Effect project aimed to encourage responsible travel among passengers, and empower everyone to change at least one everyday habit.

Meanwhile, in anticipation of Boracay’s reopening on Oct. 26, PAL announced it was set to resume flight operations between Manila and Caticlan, Cebu and Caticlan, and Cebu and Kalibo on Oct. 28.

Local airlines supported the government when it announced early this year that it is shutting down Boracay for a six-month rehabilitation and become fully safe and environmentally friendly.

Cops probe inmate’s role in drug trade

REMOVING OBSTRUCTIONS. I-ACT and MMDA special operations commander Bong Nebrija conducts clearing operations Friday along Road 10 in Manila to remove road obstructions like sari-sari stores and illegal tricycle terminals. Norman Cruz

Solon slams AFP’s ‘overstretched Red October charade’

By Rio N. Araja GABRIELA Rep. Emmi de Jesus on Friday slammed the Armed Forces of the Philippines’s “overstretched Red October charade” while asserting the release of women’s rights defender Hedda Calderon.

“We in Gabriela Women’s Party strongly demand the immediate release of Hedda Calderon, who is our regular consultant at the House of Representatives, following the court’s issuance of a release order and with the flimsy, fabricated charges flunking the test of reason and truth,” she said.

She said it was clear the AFP was just “grasping at straws” over accusation that Calderon was part of the Red October plot to overthrow President Rodrigo Duterte.

“It is ridiculous for the AFP to claim

that the arrest of Calderon and four others broke a crucial chain in the concocted ouster tale when they already claimed days before the arrest that such imaginary plot already fizzled out,” she added.

She alleged the military and the police were actually the plotters of the Red October plan when they planted grenades and firearms on Calderon and others to suit their “preposterous storyline.”

“The macho-fascists should stop overstretching this Red October charade to justify the illegal arrest of Calderon and their abuse of power against legal activists,” De Jesus noted.

National Democratic Front of the Philippine consultant Adelberto Silva, 70, along with Calderon, 63, Ediecel Legaspi, 60, Ireneo Atadeo, 55, and their driver Ju-

lio Lusana, 53, were arrested on Oct. 15 and brought to the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City.

“No amount of terrorist tagging can besmirch the record of Calderon in selflessly defending the rights and welfare of women and the people. She is a long-time women’s rights activist who has fiercely stood against misogyny and fascism, and remains a staunch supporter of the fight for justice by Filipino comfort women who were victimized by Japanese forces during the Second World War,” De Jesus said.

Gabriela vowed to continue the fight for the dismissal of the criminal raps against Calderon and other human rights defenders.

TAGBILARAN CITY—Following the seizure of the P11 million worth of suspected shabu (crystal meth) last Wednesday, authorities are looking into the possible involvement of a Bohol District Jail inmate in the drug trade.

In a press conference Thursday afternoon, BDJ warden Chief Insp. Richard Tulabing said he was going to investigate the alleged links of BDJ inmate Jojo Aguilar to suspected drug pusher Joseph Alburadora, who was arrested Wednesday with P11 million worth of shabu in his possession.

With Alburadora’s arrest, the Provincial Intelligence Branch learned the illegal drugs operation was allegedly being orchestrated by Aguilar from inside the jail.

Tulabing, only a week old in his post as warden, said he had created a team to investigate the alleged role of Aguilar in the drug trade.

Last Wednesday night, police raided the home of Alburadora in Barangay Mansasa armed with a search warrant (not arrest warrant as earlier reported).

The raid yielded 36 large and 17 medium-sized packs of shabu with an estimated weight of 935 grams and a street value of P11 million.

The drug haul is the largest seized by local police in a single operation since May 2017.

On May 6, 2017, police confiscated P18 million worth of shabu from highvalue target Teofilo Campus. PNA

ONE of the two winners of the recent P1.12-billion Ultra Lotto 6/58 jackpot needed to borrow money for fare from his home in Samar to claim his share of the prize—P472 million after taxes—at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office in Manila, an agency official said Friday.

The winner, described as a middleaged family man “galing sa masa” (from the masses), arrived at the PCSO head office on Tuesday to claim his prize, said Arnel Casas, the state lottery operator’s assistant general manager for gaming.

He and another person bet on the winning combination of 40-50-37-25-01-45 in the Oct. 14 draw, which was the biggest pot in the history of Philippine lottery games.

The man from Samar and the other winner, reportedly from Albay province, were each entitled to a prize of P590,311,264, less 20 percent in taxes —hence the P472million figure, Casas explained in an interview with radio dzMM. “He now has more than enough blessings to pay back the person who lent him fare many times over,” the PCSO official said of the lucky winner, who was accompanied by a relative.

Casas said he hoped the man would take care of his winnings and start a business with it so he could create job opportunities for others.

In a separate interview, Florante Solmerin, PCSO deputy spokesperson, told GMA News Online winners of big jackpots usually didn’t wait long to claim their prizes.

“Sometimes they would take up to two weeks if they come from the provinces, but just days if they live here in Metro Manila,” Solmerin added.

The lottery agency has yet to receive word from the winner from Albay, he said.

Winners have a year from the date they won to claim their prizes, and unclaimed prizes will go to the PCSO charity fund. Solmerin said as much as P2.5 billion worth of prizes could go unclaimed in a year. Jimbo Gulle

Poe hopes LTO offices would serve more applicants

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Grace Poe on Friday expressed hopes that opening more Land Transportation Office district offices and regular licensing centers would serve more applicants and would mean faster transactions.

Recently, Poe, chairman of the Senate public service committee and sponsor of a number of bills seeking to create more LTO offices, shepherded their passage, with six measures now enacted into law.

She said “our people no longer need to travel that far only to get driver’s license or renew their license.”

“Less hassle as well for them,” Poe said.

Six Poe-sponsored LTO measures have been enacted into law converting licensing centers into regular offices or establishing new ones: Republic Act 11068 (San Pablo, Laguna), RA 11067 (Balayan, Batangas), RA 11066 (Batangas City), RA 11065 (Kawit, Cavite), RA 11063 (Malabon City) and RA 11062 (Muntinlupa City).

But Poe, citing reports she received about the struggles of driver’s license applicants regarding long queues in various LTO offices nationwide, asserted that there should be no “limited slots only” for fresh and renewal of license applicants.

Save tamaraw movement on THE Biodiversity Management Bureau is advocating more efforts to save from extinction Mindoro island’s endemic but critically endangered tamaraw (scientific name ‘Bubalus mindorensis’) despite advances in its conservation.

“We’re gaining headway in conserving the tamaraw but must do more to avoid losing this wildlife species,” BMB tamaraw focal person Cecile Garcia said in an interview on Thursday.

Garcia pointed out that refraining from hunting tamaraws and destroying their habitats are among the measures the public can do to help conserve this species.

She warned that since the tamaraw was part of Mindoro’s environment, its extinction would create an ecological imbalance.

An increase in the annual April count of tamaraws this year and reported fresh sightings of the mammal in one of its former habitats in Mindoro could help boost efforts to save the animal, Garcia said.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature, a global authority on status and measures for safeguarding the natural world, cited studies indicating that tamaraws formerly inhabited the entire Mindoro.

The IUCN noted that hunting and habitat loss due to farming contributed to the tamaraw population’s decline. PNA

Sports

A7

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Lady Warriors try to recover in Premier tilt

Hosana, Adorna top Sun Life Aquathlon

Games today

4 p.m. – Tacloban vs Pocari-Air Force 6 p.m. – Iriga-Navy vs Adamson-Akari

POCARI-AIR Force seeks to recover from a heartbreaker of a five-set setback the last time out as it faces a skidding Tacloban side in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Open Conference elims at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan today.

The Lady Warriors gallantly fought back from two sets down to force a decider but lost steam in the end and yielded a 19-25, 17-25, 25-20, 25-16, 14-16 decision to the surging Creamline Cool Smashers last week, dropping the former to fifth in the eightteam field at 3-2.

But the former Reinforced Conference champions are raring to bounce back, ready to pounce on the Fighting Warays’ three-game skid that included a five-set defeat to the Motolite-Ateneo Lady Eagles last Wednesday.

They clash at 4 p.m. with former league MVP Myla Pablo, Jeanette Panaga, Del Palomata, Iari Yongco and May Ann Pantino along with playmaker Wendy Semana hoping to cash in on their edge in power and experience against the likes of Jovielyn Prado, Mary Ann Esguerra, Heather Guino-o and new recruit Dimdim Pacres.

Meanwhile, Adamson-Akari and Iriga-Navy break their six-game slump as they tangle at 6 p.m. Coming off a week-long rest, the Lady Warriors brace for a grueling weekend as they head straight to Bulacan tomorrow (Sunday) to face the BanKoPerlas Spikers in another explosive out-of-sortie in the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.

Pocari and BanKo-Perlas square off at 4 p.m. while Creamline, which stopped BanKo-Perlas’ five game run with an emphatic three-set romp last Wednesday, tests co-leader MotoliteAteneo in the 6 p.m. mainer at the Baliwag Star Arena.

Creamline, Motolite-Ateneo and BanKo-Perlas tote identical 5-1 marks with PetroGazz in solo fourth at 4-3 followed by Pocari with Tacloban still in the semis hunt despite a 2-4 slate with still a full round left in the elims of the tournament backed by Mikasa and Asics.

Clyde Mondilla beams as he holds his trophy after topping this year’s PGT’s finale at Luisita.

Mondilla averts winless season, bags Luisita title TARLAC—Clyde Mondilla checked a season-long slump with a big victory in the final leg of this year’s Philippine Golf Tour, outdueling Peter Stojanovski and Jay Bayron in a thrilling clash of nerves in the stretch to nail the hotly disputed ICTSI Luisita Invitational crown with a closing 67 here yesterday.

Mondilla literally saved his best for last, coming through with clutch shots and putts after clutch shots and putts in blistering condition, including a birdie on the par-5 16th to surge ahead. He held on to the finish as Stojanovski blew his bid with a wet bogey at Luisita’s most perilous hole on No. 17.

Not even a 5 on the closing par-4 hole could stymie Mondilla’s claim on a most cherished crown with an 18-under 270 total for a two-stroke victory as Stojanovski also closed out with a bogey in a desperate attempt to come up with a miracle finish and save his season. The closing bogeys marred an otherwise brilliant round for the Macedonian, who ended up with a 70 for a 272.

“There was pressure and Peter just wouldn’t give up until the last two holes.

But I was able to play solid and my putting clicked,” said Mondilla, referring to his decisive four-birdie binge inside six feet in a five-hole stretch from No. 12 that keyed his stirring fightback from two down with eight holes left.

Mondilla, who missed a number of tournaments early in the season due to injury and could finish no better than 10th in Iloilo, thus averted going winless in the season after ruling four tournaments on his way to bagging the 2017 PGT Order of Merit crown. He received the top P750,000 purse from PGT executive director Narlene Soriano.

Sports Science Series 3rd leg set Dec. 7

SIXTY national and university coaches, athletes and sports science practitioners are expected to attend the third installment of the Sports Science Lecture Series at the PhilSports Complex, Pasig City on December 7.

The Philippine Sports Commission, with the Korea Institute of Sports Science, is now preparing for the said event which will tackle topics on Sports Physiology, Sports Psychology and Sports Policy among others.

UNESCO-KISS Chair Program Manager Hyunwoo Jung, together with Administrator Joopeel Kim, KISS Senior Researcher Youngkoo Noh and Administrator for Donation and Volunteering Minju Park will lead resource speakers of said seminar.

“We have a standing Memorandum-of-Understanding with KISS for two years now, and we at the PSC are happy to be able to conduct another sports science series with them,” said PSC Chairman William Ramirez.

The first sports science series was held in December 2016. The KISS contingent then returned to the country last September 2017 for the second edition.

“I played good except in the last two holes. It’s quite frustrating to see things fall apart when the game was on the line,” said Stojanovski, “Clyde played remarkable.

He’s tough and he deserved the win.”

Aussie Tim Stewart rallied from five down to fire the day’s best 65 and tied Stojanovski at second worth P382,500 each while Bayron lost steam and also bogeyed the 17th to likewise wind up with a 70. He dropped to fourth at 273 and pocketed P220,000.

Arnold Villacencio also fought back with a 67 to snare fifth at 278 while Zanieboy Gialon carded a 70 to tie Tony Lascuña, who matched par 72, at sixth at 280.

Joenard Rates and Japanese Issei Mori both shot 69s and wound up tied at eighth at 281 while Gerald Rosales also fired a 70 to share 10th place with Reymon Jaraula, who turned in a 71, at 282 at the close of the PGT season that featured 10 legs, including three each in Visayas and Mindanao.

IMUS, Cavite—Philippine national team triathletes Mark Hosana and Claire Adorna clinched the fastest male and female honors at the 2nd Sun Life Aquathlon held at the Vermosa Sports Hub on Oct. 14.

The two elite triathletes, competing in the 25-29 age group, finished the standard distance 500-meter swim and the 5-km run in under 30 minutes, with the fleet-footed Hosana clocking in at 26 minutes and 26 seconds.

SEA Games gold medalist Adorna breasted the tape in 29 minutes flat.

Other noteworthy Sun Life Aquathlon standard distance champions from over 400 participants were two 15-year-olds with autism, Angie Powell and Peggy Geiser, who won 1st and 3rd place, respectively.

Sun Life GoWell ambassador Bubbles Paraiso topped 20 other women in her 30-34 age group to win 1st place, while 2017 Ironman Kona finisher Celma Hitalia proved the prowess of women above 50. Age was no issue for Chicho Mantaring, who came in 1st place in the 60 and above category, besting more than 30 males younger than him.

The 2nd Sun Life Aquathlon also capped a year-long aquathlon series, which included the Vermosa Aquathlon, Animo Aquathlon, Island Cove Aquathlon, and the Aquaman. The overall 2018 aquathlon series champions were awarded as well post-race following a tally of the points they accumulated from all five races.

For the complete race results of the Sun Life Aquathlon and the list of the 2018 Aquathlon Series winners, visit bikekingphilippines.com.

Sun Life pursues its mission of helping Filipinos live healthier lives with two big races: Sun Life Cycle PH on Nov. 17, 2018 at Bonifacio Global City, spearheaded by Sun Life ambassador and cycling enthusiast, actor Piolo Pascual.

The Sun Life Resolution Run and Sun vs Stars with ABS-CBN’s Star Magic will be held on Jan. 26, 2019 at Camp Aguinaldo.

Visit sunpiology.com for more details on how to join.

“Sun Life is happy to nurture the Filipinos’ interest to become fitter and healthier through sports,” Sun Life Chief Marketing Officer Mylene Lopa said.

Warriors edge Heroes, 69 to 66

PSC Chairman William Ramirez (center) and Philippine Sports Institute director Marc Velasco (right) with the sports body’s Korean guests

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Once again, the General Santos Warriors did not disappoint their hometown crowd, who trooped to the Lagao Gymnasium here Thursday night.

John Orbeta finished with a doubledouble effort, while Dekmar Mahaling came through with crucial baskets before fouling out as the Golden State Collegebacked Warriors outlasted the Laguna Heroes-Krah, 69-66, in the MPBL Datu Cup. It was the second win in as many games at home by General Santos City this season, improving its win-loss record to 5-6 and snapping back-to-back losses.

Orbeta finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds, while Mahaling had 14, including crucial baskets inside the final minute, allowing the host team to hold on to the win.

After winning four in a row, the Heroes lost their last two games and fell to 6-6.

Earlier, inaugural staging champion

Batangas City ripped Muntinlupa, 82-71, in a rematch of last season’s finale.

The Tanduay-backed Athletics, who were playing on and off this season, made sure they will preserve once of their best games in the tournament facing one of the top teams in the fastest growing regional amateur basketball league in the country.

Behind ex-pro Denice Villamor, the Athletics bucked the absence of Paul Varilla and an ailing Val Acuña, as the former Barangay Ginebra Gin King came away with nine of his 15 points in the fourth period.

The 6’4” Villamor scored his team’s last six points in a solid effort.

“I think Denice is one of the best players in the squad and has a chance of making his way back in the PBA. I motivated him to continue pursuing that dream by playing solid ever game here in the MPBL,” said Batangas City coach Mac Tan, whose team made it back to the .500 win-loss mark with a 6-6 card.

Asian award gives PH Superliga a boost ITS recognition in the Top 10 of the SPIA Asia is expected to add a big boost to the Philippine Superliga, especially with the inclusion of a grassroots sports program through the Collegiate Grand Slam set to start on Nov. 3.

PSL chairman Philip Ella Juico reiterated his appreciation to the organizers of SPIA Asia Awards and Conference, who nominated the PSL as one of the 10 finalists in the Best Women Sports Event Category in its Awards Night on Nov. 19 and 20 in Bangkok.

The PSL is the only finalist from the Philippines.

Also in the elite list of finalists are the organizers of 19th AFC Women’s Asian Cup of Jordan, the AFC Women’s Futsal Championship of Thailand, the Asian Women’s Hockey Championship Trophy of South Korea and the BNP Paribas WTA Finals of Singapore.

Juico said being part of this

elite list is already a major honor.

“It is the Oscar Award of Sports in Asia,” said Juico, former chairman of the Philippine Sports Commission and president of the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association.

“That’s why we’re so grateful to the organizers of the SPIA Asia Awards and Conference—MMC Sportz—for recognizing our hard work, dedication and sincere advocacy in boosting women’s volleyball in the Philippines,” he added.

Juico said the nomination for the prestigious award came at a very perfect time as they are about to roll out their contribution to grassroots volleyball from the CGS. Featuring six of the country’s best collegiate teams in University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines, University of the East, Far Eastern University, Colegio San Agustin and De La SalleDasmarinas, the CGS aims to give

young players a chance to compete at a higher level using the technology and standards of the premier club league in the country.

With that, they will be equipped to join the club and national ranks as soon as they finish their academic and athletic commitments with their respective university teams.

“This is our contribution to grassroots volleyball,” said Juico, adding that they would also implement all existing PSL rules and allow college players to use tablet and challenge system during actual competition.

“Since we want to prepare these college players for what lies ahead in the PSL and the national team, we’re more than willing to give them valuable experiences on how it feels playing in the league. The earlier they start, the better for their respective volleyball careers.”

NET CHAMPS. Bliss Bayking and Macie Carlos (second and third, respectively) stand beside (from left) UTP board member Gerard Madronilla, Cebuana Lhuillier president/CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier and UTP general manager Jackie Tomacruz after topping the WTA Futures qualifier. Carlos and Bayking hope to display top form as they slug it out with 46 of the best and rising junior players in Asia-Pacific in the WTA Future Stars at the Kallang Tennis Center this week in Singapore. Carlos and Bayking gained spots in the top-level event featuring the girls’ Under-14 and U-16 categories by topping the gruelling Cebuana Lhuillier Girls’ Tennis Challenge at the Makati Sports Club recently.

Sports

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

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers soars for a dunk against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first quarter of their game at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. AFP

Specialized PH returns to cater to bikers AFTER a nine-month absence in the market, Specialized Philippines is back.

Now in partnership with Gruppo Innovare Corporation, the authorized and appointed distributor of Specialized Bicycle Components in the Philippines, a Specialized Elite Store opened last Wednesday at the SM by the Bay, Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

“We hope to serve the riders here,” said managing director Jacinto Laure Gavino following an opening ceremony with Sales Director Ritchie Santayana, Gino Abano, Commercial Director of Specialized SESA, and Hideki Mochizuki, Marketing Director for Asia.

The store takes pride in being the first Specialized Elite Store at the SM by the Bay. They believe that the area is a perfect location because of the big presence of bikers and that it has become a haven for the biking community, especially in the morning.

Specialized has strived to make the best bikes for riders since 1974. They have rolled out various Specialized bike products like the Venge, which is considered the fastest road bike.

Gavino said they will have the best sellers like the Tarmac, the lightest race bike ever made by the brand.

The Tarmac, as a road bike, is designed for climbing uphill terrain.

They also have the Allez series, an aluminum bike ]built to be lighter than the carbon-framed bikes--another bestseller.

“The Philippine riding community can expect the best one-stop bike shop experience the moment they walk in our store,” said Santayana.

The store also has something to offer those who love off-road riding--the Stumpjumper, which is the brand’s most versatile trail bike.

Then’s there’s and the Turbo Levo and Kenevo, which is a pair of e-mountain bikes built to give riders the power to ride more trails.

Gavino said they will cater mostly road and triathlon riders.

“Most of the products are really for them. But, as distributors, we have access to a full range of products,” added Gavino.

The Specialized Elite Store in SM by the Bay is the first of three Specialized concept stores to open. Peter Atencio

Dyip notch 1st victory, hurt Painters’ chances

By Jeric Lopez

A

T last, Columbian Dyip was able to break into the win column.

It took 10 games, but the Dyip managed to put up a solid outing to finally list a win at the expense of Rain or Shine, 100-84, snapping its nine-game losing streak in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup last night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Akeem Wright put up solid number of 23 points and 12 rebounds, while the backcourt tandem of Jerramy King and Rashawn McCarthy combined for 34 points to finally carry Columbian to its first win.

King had 18, while McCarthy and Ronald Tubid each added 16 marker.

Putting up its best game in the tournament thus far, Columbian Dyip finally broke through as it led by double-digits for most part to stun a shell-shocked Elasto Painters and end its prolonged woes.

The already-eliminated Dyip hacked out a victory to avoid a winless campaign as it improved to 1-9 with one game left in its schedule.

The loss was huge for Rain or Shine as its bid for a place in the Top 8 took a big hit.

Not only did its two-game winning streak got snapped, the Elasto Painters

fell to 2-5 and remained outside the magic eight as they sit at No. 9, currently.

The good thing for them is that they still control their fate, having four more games remaining in their schedule.

For a change, Columbian Dyip woke up on the right side of the bed as it was able to seize control early and maintain its surge until the win was preserved.

The Dyip won the second quarter by eight points to carry over a sizeable 5039 lead into halftime.

Prior to that, it was already able to establish its twindigit lead midway the second frame to set the tone for the rest of the game.

Keeping its foot on the gas pedal in the second half, Columbian Dyip was able to sail through as Rain or Shine simply had no answer.

Rain or Shine was led by Terrence Watson in the losing cause with the reinforcement scoring a team-high 18 markers.

The scores: Columbian 100—Wright 23, King 18, McCarthy 16, Tubid 16, Cahilig 13, Reyes 5, Corpuz 4, Celda 3, Ababou 2, Khobuntin 0, Escoto 0.

Rain or Shine 84—Watson 18, Ahanmisi 16, Norwood 11, Ponferada 9, Yap 8, Belga 7, Washington 6, Borboran 5, Daquioag 4, Nambatac 0, Tiu 0.

Quarters: 24-21, 50-39, 68-63, 100-84.

HAVING a consistent game will be the Adamson Falcons’ goal when they face the La Salle University Green Archers today at the Araneta Coliseum.

This was missing in the first round of the 81st University Athletic Association of the Philippine men’s basketball tournament when the Falcons absorbed a 78-79 overtime setback to the Green Archers.

“We just have to be consistent, avoid lapses down the stretch. If you look at the stats of the last game, we completely dominated the stats. It’s just the breaks of the game and lapses during the course of the game. But, it’s a learning experience for us,” said Falcons coach Franz Pumaren.

The Falcons are looking forward to another streak of victories after their 8959 smashing of the National University Bulldogs in their 2 p.m. clash with the Green Archers.

Their sixth win in eighth matches put them in a share of the lead with the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles, who will miss three teammates when they meet the Far Eastern University Tamaraws at 4 p.m.

The Green Archers, who have the same 5-3 card in second spot with FEU, are looking forward to another great showing from Andrei Caracut, who is now on his senior year.

A lot is expected of Caracut, 5’11” guard, in terms of leadership.

Caracut plays 25 minutes a game with

Akeem Wright (right) vs James Yap

averages of 8.0 ponts, 3.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

Against La Salle in the first round, Caracut had eight points.

This time, Green Archers’ coach Louie Gonzalez wants Caracut to bring his game to another level, now that he is a cocaptain with Kib Montalbo.

“Sinabihan ko nga siya yesterday na, ‘Andrei, you need to change whatever you’re doing right now, because it’s different now,’” said Gonzalez after his team beat Adamson in their first-round encounter.

Caracut did just that when La Salle pulled off a 79-59 demolition of the University of the East Red Warriors with his season-high 16 points, six rebounds and two assists.

Red Sox dethrone Astros, reach World Series

Christian Vazquez #7 and the Boston Red Sox celebrate defeating the Houston Astros 4-1 in Game Five of the American League Championship Series to advance to the 2018 World Series at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. AFP

LOS ANGELES—David Price pitched six shutout innings and Rafael Devers clubbed a three-run homer as the Boston Red Sox booked a World Series berth with a 4-1 win over the defending champion Houston Astros on Thursday.

Price overcame his postseason misery and the Boston offence delivered a pair of homers in support as the Red Sox clinched the American League pennant for the first time since 2013.

Devers hit his homer in the sixth and JD Martinez belted a towering solo shot in the third inning for Boston, who took the series by four games to one.

Left fielder Andrew Benintendi caught a long fly for the final out of the series for Boston, who ended an 86-year championship drought back in 2004.

LOS ANGELES—LeBron James began his Los Angeles Lakers era with two rim-rattling dunks on Thursday, but the 14-time all star couldn’t reverse a string of losing debut games with new NBA teams.

James scored a game-high 26 points and had 12 rebounds but the Portland Trail Blazers spoiled his Lakers debut with a 128-119 victory at the Moda Center arena.

The basketball world has been waiting months to see the 33-year-old James in the purple and gold jersey and when the moment arrived he delivered.

James electrified the Portland crowd with back-to-back monster slams for his first points as a Laker, but ultimately he couldn’t prevent them from dropping their 16th straight game to Portland dating back to March 2014.

“It’s not instant oatmeal. It’s not that fast,” James said. “It takes some time to get that chemistry where you can just close your eyes and know exactly where guys are.”

The Lakers will play their first home game on Saturday against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center.

James opted out of his contract with Cleveland in the offseason and agreed to a four-year deal worth $154 million with the Lakers.

Against Portland, James shot nineof-16 from the field in 37 minutes of playing time. Josh Hart added 20 points for the Lakers.

“I liked our fight to get back into the game when we were down double digits. I liked the way we competed at times. I liked the way we shared the ball as well,” James said. “Those were all positive.

“There’s some things that we could do better. We can rebound a lot better, we had some turnovers, which I expected. Us just trying to get a feel for one another.”

Said Lakers coach Luke Walton, “Glad he’s on our team. He’s pretty good at the game of basketball.”

Damian Lillard had 28 points and Nik Stauskas scored 24 points off the bench for Portland, which won its NBA record 18th straight home opener.

With the Lakers up 6-2 after baskets

by Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee and Brandon Ingram, James stole the ball from Portland forward Jake Layman and raced to the other end for a dunk.

The Blazers answered with a dunk of their own from Lillard. James immediately hit back, weaving through defenders for another emphatic dunk to record his second basket as a new Laker. AFP

Banario picks Folayang to win over Khan

Falcons want to be more consistent vs Archers

By Peter Atencio

James scores 26 pts, but Blazers spoil his LA debut

“We got four more wins. That was very, very special, absolutely. But we want more,” Price said of the Red Sox who are 5-0 in road games this postseason. “To be the one to start the game and help us push our season to the World Series I have never done it before. It is a new feeling to me and one that I definitely enjoy.”

The Red Sox will face either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Milwaukee Brewers in Major League Baseball’s championship showcase. The Dodgers lead that series 3-2 with game six set for Friday in Milwaukee.

The Red Sox are back in the Fall Classic for the first time in five years. The last time they beat the St. Louis Cardinals in six games.

Boston will be seeking their fourth title in 15 years as they begin the World Series next Tuesday at Fenway Park. AFP

FORMER ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio Banario is banking on his teammate Eduard Folayang to emerge victorious when the latter collides with Singaporean sensation Amir Khan for the vacant ONE Lightweight World Title.

Both men are slated to square off against each other in the main event of ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS, which emanates from the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines on Nov. 23.

Banario’s five-bout winning streak came to a heartbreaking conclusion when he locked horns with Khan this past September in a losing effort.

After exchanging strikes in the opening minute, Banario was caught with a rear-naked choke that forced him to wave the white flag at the 4:34 mark of the first round.

Banario admitted that he became very careless in his bout against the young martial artist from Singapore, which he believes that Folayang is unlikely to commit when he faces Khan.

“I became careless and overconfident in our fight, but I don’t see Eduard making the same mistake. We all know that he is a complete fighter. He has this style that Khan will have a hard time dealing with,” he said.

“When it comes to strength, striking and wrestling, Khan will have a hard time overcoming Eduard in those areas.

I’m not underestimating Khan, but Folayang is simply on another level. Both are complete fighters, but Folayang is a much more experienced veteran,” Banario added.

Banario also revealed that Folayang is much more motivated in training for the five-round championship clash with Khan.

“I see a highly-motivated Eduard Folayang in training because he didn’t expect to be blessed with another shot at the world title. He’s just so motivated for this bout and is ready reclaim the world title,” he disclosed.

IN BRIEF NLEX to finish harbor link by end of 2018 NLEX Corp. on Friday said it expects to complete the P10.5-billion North Luzon Expressway Harbor Link Segment 10 before the end of the year after the Department of Public Workers and Highways delivered 100 percent right of way for the project.

Metro Pacific Tollways and NLEX president Rodrigo Franco said the company’s construction team was working nonstop to complete the project by the end of this year.

“We are happy that our team was able to deliver 100 percent right-of-way for the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10. We hope we can finish this just in time for the Christmas rush to help ease the public’s traffic woes,” DPWH Secretary Mark Villar, said.

NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 is composed of the 5.65-km elevated expressway traversing the NLEX from MacArthur Highway Karuhatan, Valenzuela City, passing through Malabon City and C3 Road, Caloocan City, and the 2.6-km section between C3 Road, Caloocan City and R10, Navotas City.

Including the extension to R10, the total project cost is P16.5 billion.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Hyundai auto sales fell 6% in third quarter HYUNDAI Asia Resources Inc., the official distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines, said Friday third-quarter sales fell 6 percent to 9,483 units from 10,085 units year-on-year.

“Hyundai’s third-quarter performance remains consistent with the industry trend. The brand has proven itself resilient amidst times of uncertainties supported by a strong community,” said Hari president and chief executive Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo.

Despite a big hike in light commercial vehicles sales of 56.4 percent to 4,962 units from 3,172 units, third-quarter passenger car sales declined 19 percent to 4,521 units in 2018 from 6,913 units in 2017.

Nine-month sales hof light commercial vehicle rose 18.6 percent to 10,081 units from 8,499 units a year ago.

However, passenger car sales dropped 19 percent to 15,359 units in the first nine months from 18,952 units a year ago.

Hyundai vehicles in the nine-month period fell 7.3 percent to 25,440 units on year. Othel V. Campos

Business September BoP deficit hit 5-year high of $2.7b

By Julito G. Rada

T

HE country’s balance of payments’ position in September posted the biggest deficit in nearly five years at $2.7 billion, pulled down mainly by the government’s payment of foreign exchange obligations, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday.

Data showed the September deficit was a reversal of the $24-million surplus a year ago and the $1.272-billion surplus a month ago. The gap in September was the BoP’s biggest since the $4.48-billion deficit registered in January 2014.

The September figure brought the BoP deficit in the first nine months to $5.136 billion, significantly higher than the $1.367-billion gap in the same period last year.

“Outflows in September 2018 stemmed

mainly from foreign exchange operations of the BSP and payments made by the national government for its foreign exchange obligations. These were partially offset, however, by the net foreign currency deposits of the national government,” the central bank said.

The Bangko Sentral said the higher deficit on a cumulative basis could be attributed partly to the widening merchandise trade gap in the first eight months of the year.

“This, in turn, was brought about mainly by the sustained rise in imports of raw materials and intermediate goods as well as capital goods to support domestic economic expansion,” it said.

The regulator said the BoP position was consistent with the final gross international reserves level of $74.94 billion as of end-September 2018.

“At this level, the GIR represents a more than ample liquidity buffer and is equivalent to 6.8 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income. It is also equivalent to 5.9 times the country’s shortterm external debt based on original maturity and 4.2 times based on residual

maturity,” it said.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that trade-in-goods deficit in August 2018 expanded to $3.51 billion from a $2.74-billion gap a year ago as the 11-percent growth in imports outpaced the 3.1-percent increase in exports.

The figures brought the trade deficit in the first eight months to $26 billion, significantly higher than the $15.791-billion gap a year ago.

The balance of payments summarizes the country’s economic transactions with the rest of the world, with a deficit indicating that foreign exchange payments outstripping receipts and a surplus the reverse.

Persistent surpluses help build up the country’s gross international reserves, an ample supply of which helps prop up the peso vis-à-vis the US dollar and keep domestic inflation at bay.

The Bangko Sentral earlier said it was expecting the balance of payments this year to post a wider deficit of $1.5 billion instead of $1 billion projected earlier, due to the strong importation of capital equipment and raw materials to support the economy.

NGCP boosts Aklan transmission line TRANSMISSION grid operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines is set to reinforce power transmission services in Aklan province with the construction of its P4.27-billion Nabas-Caticlan-Boracay 138-kiloVolt (kV) Transmission Line Project.

The area is currently being served by a single 69kV line, which is not enough to address the growing power needs of Boracay Island.

“Boracay Island is projected to see continuous growth in power consumption, this according to Aklan Electric Cooperative, the electric cooperative servicing the area. An additional power transmission avenue must be built to secure the stability and continuous flow of power to residents and businesses in the area,” NGCP said.

The new line will traverse through the municipalities of Nabas and Malay.

The project includes the construction of a new 138kV submarine cable between Caticlan and Boracay in order to support the existing line and increase the resiliency of the transmission system to and from the island. Alena Mae S. Flores

Japan urges PH to consider plea in ‘Trabaho’bill

By Othel V. Campos JAPANESE Ambassador to the Philippines Koji Haneda on Friday asked the Philippine government to consider the inputs of the Japanese companies operating in the Philippines to the proposed Trabaho bill.

“We have already expressed our views. I hope that in the course of deliberation it will be duly considered (by the Philippine government),” he said at at the sidelines of the 44th Philippine Business Conference held at the Manila Hotel.

The Japanese embassy in the Philippines, he noted, took the same position as that of the Japanese companies operating in the Philippines through the Japanese Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

Japan Embassy Minister for Economic Affairs Makoto Iyori said the embassy was supportive of the position of the Japanese companies in the Philippines.

“We want to have a more comfortable environment for the companies in the Philippines here. We don’t want to unilaterally say this is the system. But we want the Philippine government to listen to the Japanese companies operating here,” he said.

Japanese chamber vice president Nobuo Fujii said Japanese companies were worried about the second tranche of the TRAIN Law, known as the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-Quality Opportunities, or the Trabaho bill.

“Most of our manufacturing companies will not enjoy the privileges they were promised because of the threat of incentives being diluted in the Trabaho bill. “There is a shared consensus among Japanese companies not to pull out (from the Philippines) but they will not expand also,” he said.

SANTIAGO CITY LOAN. Santiago City, Isabela Mayor Joseph Tan (fourth from left) and Land Bank of the Philippines senior vice president for Northern and Central Luzon Group Filipina Monje (third from left) seal a P1-billion loan agreement that will help finance the city government’s local development projects. They are joined by (from left) city consultant Victorino Santos, councilor Benzi Tan Chai, city legal officer Dennis Ernesto Ruiz, city treasurer Elizabeth Casabar, LandBank vice president Bernardo Bayangos and account officer Charito Barit. The loan will help finance the city government’s development projects, including hospitals, a convention center, sports complex and theme park.

IFC commits to invest $150m in China Bank green bonds INTERNATIONAL Finance Corp., a member of the World Bank Group, has committed to invest $150 million in a green bond issued by China Banking Corp. as it continues to support developing the Philippines’ climate finance market.

The bond follows IFC’s issuance of the first peso-denominated internationally-rated green bond called Mabuhay Bond in August, and an earlier green bond issued by BDO Unibank in support of the market in the Philippines.

“IFC is proud to play a role in creating a new green bond market in the Philippines, a country challenged by climate change impacts but where green financing is low,” IFC chief executive Philippe Le Houérou said in a statement.

“Our investment in this bond will increase access to new financing for climate-smart projects. IFC is keen to provide investment and advisory support to develop innovative green financing products with private sector players who are committed to contribute to achieving sustainable economic growth in the Philippines,” he said.

The Philippine government has put in place key national policies to fight climate change. The green bond will see the bank scale up its investments in environmentally-friendly projects, supporting the government’s target of 70-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

China Bank president William Whang said the bond affirmed the bank’s long-

term commitment to sustainability.

“We are glad to partner with IFC on our first green bond issuance to step up our green lending activities and further contribute to a sustainable economy,” Whang said.

The proceeds will finance climaterelated projects in renewable energy, green buildings, energy efficiency and water conservatio, in accordance with the Green Bond Principles.

IFC and China Bank first worked together in 2012 on a sustainable energy finance advisory project.

IFC is one of the world’s largest financiers of climate-smart projects for developing countries. IFC issued 32 green bonds totaling $1.8 billion—a record for IFC—in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2018. Julito G. Rada

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018

B1

SMC gets offer to buy coal stake of Ayala

By Alena Mae S. Flores CONGLOMERATE San Miguel Corp. received an offer to acquire the stake of AC Energy Holdings Inc. in the 552-megawatt Kauswagan coal project in Mindanao.

“Yes, it was offered to us,” San Miguel president Ramon Ang told reporters at a recent business forum. He did not elaborate.

San Miguel is one of the country’s biggest power generators.

It has been expanding its power generation portfolio following its acquisition of the stakes of Electricity Generating Public Company Ltd., or Egco Group, and AES Corp. in Masinloc Power Partners Co. Ltd. for $2 billion last year.

The sale included AES’ equity interest in the 630-megawatt Masinloc coal-fired power plant, the 335-MW Masinloc 2 coal-fired power plant under construction and the 10-MW Masinloc energy storage project in operation.

Meanwhile, AC Energy owns an 85-percent economic stake in GNPower Kauswagan in partnership with the Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure Fund and Power Partners.

The construction of the plant is in full swing and is expected to be in commercial operation by 2019.

The 552-MW plant will operate as a base load plant to support the power demand and economic development of Mindanao.

The plant is a 4 x 138 MW pulverized coal combustion thermal plant with Shanghai boilers and Siemens turbines and generators.

AC Energy originally wanted to sell up to 50 percent of its 1,300MW coal platform but Aboitiz Power Corp. acquired just 500 MW of capacity. This means AC Energy can still sell up to 150 MW of coal capacity if it wants to achieve its original 50-percent coal thermal asset sale.

AC Energy officials were unavailable for comment as of press time.

Aboitiz Power earlier announced its acquisition of a 49-percent voting stake and 60-percent economic stake in AA Thermal Inc.., Ayala Group’s thermal or coal asset platform in the country for $579.2 million (P31.4 billion).

Aboitiz Power and Arlington Mariveles Netherlands Holding B.V., an affiliate of AC Energy, the power unit of Ayala Corp., signed a share purchase agreement on September 26 for the acquisition.

Q3 inflation rate rose to 6.2%—BSP

NEW PEZA EXPORTER. Provocative Quality Apparel Philippines managing director Clifford Edmund Mee (left) receives the company’s certificate of registration from Philippine Economic Zone Authority officer-in-charge and deputy director general for policy and planning Tereso Panga as an Ecozone Export Enterprise to engage in the manufacture of Lycra-based women’s swimwear, lingerie and outerwear at the Pampanga Economic Zone.

THE inflation rate in the third quarter rose faster to 6.2 percent from 4.8 percent a quarter ago, driven mainly by rising food and energy prices, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday.

The figure brought the average inflation rate in the first three quarters of the year to 5 percent, well over the upper end of the government’s target range of 2 percent to 4 percent in 2018.

“Inflation pressures during the review quarter were attributed mainly to rising food and energy prices. Similarly, core inflation increased to 4.7 percent, higher than the rates posted in the previous quarter and a year ago,” the central bank said during the inflation report for the third quarter released Friday.

The inflation rate in September accelerated to a nine-year high of 6.7 percent from 6.4 percent a month ago.

The regulator said latest baseline forecasts using the 2012-based CPI series showed that average inflation was likely to exceed the upper end of the target range in 2018 and 2019, even as inflation was expected to revert to

within the target in 2020.

“However, the implementation of non-monetary mitigating measures, particularly the approval of rice tariffication, could temper further price pressures and thus lead to an earlier return of inflation to within the target range in 2019,” the Bangko Sentral said.

Meanwhile, inflation expectations have also remained elevated amid indications of second-round effects.

It said with persistent signs of sustained and broadening price pressures, and the balance of risks skewing to the upside, the successive increases in the policy rate during the quarter were undertaken to further anchor inflation expectations and to safeguard the inflation target over the policy horizon.

The Monetary Board on Sept. 27 raised the policy rates by another 50 basis points to 4.5 percent amid persistent signs of sustained and broadening price pressures. The interest rates on the overnight lending and deposit facilities were likewise increased accordingly. Julito G. Rada

B2

Business

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks rise slightly; BDO gains

T

HE stock market rose slightly Friday to extend its rally for the fourth straight day, ignoring global uncertainties and ahead of the release of third-quarter earnings.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 10.27 points, or 0.1 percent, to 7,151.52 on a value turnover of P4.9 billion. Gainers edged losers, 92 to 88, with 48 issues unchanged.

Semirara Mining and Power Corp., the biggest coal miner, advanced 5.7 percent to P29.50, while major power generator Aboitiz Power Corp., gained 1 percent to P35.15.

BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, climbed 1.2 percent to P119.80, while Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-largest bank, increased

1.2 percent to P82.95.

The rest of Asian markets were mixed Friday, with Shanghai bouncing back from early losses to end the week with a rally following a rare joint intervention by some of China’s top financial officials.

Comments from the heads of the central bank, as well as the securities commission and banking regulator, were made to shore up confidence in China’s equities and came just before data showed quarterly growth in the world’s number two economy slowing to a nine-year low.

After starting the day in negative territory, Shanghai ended Friday 2.6 percent higher, while Hong Kong also performed a U-turn to sit 0.9 percent higher in the afternoon.

Other regional markets also pared their initial losses or ended with gains.

Seoul added 0.4 percent but Sydney and Singapore were each down 0.1 percent,

while Taipei eased 0.4 percent and Jakarta dipped 0.1 percent.

Wellington and Mumbai were both more than one percent lower.

Global investors have been swiped by a series of problems in recent months including rising US interest rates, geopolitical tensions and the China-US trade conflict, and they are running to the hills as they seek out safe havens.

Another round of mixed earnings out of Wall Street and expectations the Federal Reserve will lift borrowing costs for some time also weighed, helping to send all three major indexes in New York sharply lower Thursday.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s decision to pull out of a huge investment summit in Saudi Arabia added to the unease as it was the clearest indication yet of the White House distancing itself from Riyadh over the disappearance of a journalist.

Those losses spread to Asia in the morning, with a slowdown in China providing further concern.

The economy expanded 6.5 percent on-year in the third quarter, the weakest rate since 2009.

The numbers were in line with forecasts in an AFP poll but much slower than the 6.7 percent seen in the previous three months, and were hit by the US trade row and a deleveraging drive.

The result is the latest highlighting weakness in China, a crucial driver of global economic growth, with observers predicting fresh stimulus following a series of measures earlier this year.

“We expect further escalation of USChina trade tensions going into 2019, which will likely be partially offset by yuan adjustment and more growth-supportive fiscal and monetary policies,” JPMorgan economists led by Zhu Haibin, wrote. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2018

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 59.45 32,670 82.95 1,222,440 2.27 96,000 119.8 1,840,640 1.44 1,000 28.5 1,391,300 15.7 1,600 11.4 1,084,400 4.1 1,000 1.69 26,000 786 470 0.485 10,000 66.05 1,771,830 0.93 47,000 11.1 2,700 19.88 800 41.4 9,800 189.9 120 78.4 3,360 28.3 3,000 152.5 894,630 1,820 95 66.4 22,050 1.18 5,000

1,934,030 100,499,199 215,380 220,202,911 1,440 39,655,210 25,142 12,341,240 4,100 40,820 370,180 4,850 118,639,213.50 43,710 30,004 15,002 404,485 22,718 246,849.50 84,580 136,235,747 173,355 1,457,298.50 5,900

1,457,541 -25,490,612 127,086,600 -2,192,290 -7,751,024 -67,634,081 -25,020 -1,078,963 -838,470 -

34 17.92 0.94 1.3 2.22 13.48 190 35.5 16.6 36 1.6 7 10.7 14.7 7.96 6.98 7.19 15.76 63.7 24.5 6.2 11.88 1.7 258 4.79 25.6 10.8 16.82 341.6 0.172 6.39 1.62 8.25 4.7 9 0.95 10.2 50.65 5.85 4.8 2.21 1.51 11.38 84.05 5.19 0.9 145 1.63 19.98 2.58

INDUSTRIAL 35.15 5,085,200 18.1 280,600 0.96 2,084,000 1.3 142,000 2.22 6,704,000 13.48 507,400 190 210 36.95 668,600 16.8 4,100 39.45 19,800 1.6 326,000 7 1,200 10.8 3,775,900 14.76 8,800 8 203,000 7 257,500 7.27 3,607,900 15.9 1,532,200 65 87,010 25.9 4,400 6.4 13,200 11.9 471,700 1.7 380,000 265 328,340 4.79 56,000 25.8 3,073,000 10.9 77,300 16.98 901,000 346.8 787,880 0.175 640,000 6.39 200 1.65 55,000 8.25 6,276,700 4.97 72,000 9 57,400 0.97 122,000 10.8 110,900 50.65 640,530 5.85 1,400 4.8 100,000 2.32 34,000 1.57 172,000 11.4 23,600 84.15 1,146,370 5.19 199,000 0.9 48,000 145.9 2,880,540 1.65 1,314,000 19.98 100 2.6 25,973,000

177,654,190 5,051,460 1,989,040 185,000 15,138,070 6,843,420 39,900 24,520,630 68,470 714,290 522,530 8,400 40,531,058 129,758 1,623,992 1,801,280 26,224,017 24,239,006 5,622,579.50 109,630 83,758 5,627,786 650,680 86,535,340 268,490 79,473,495 837,158 15,300,294 273,803,428 112,180 1,278 89,940 51,852,467 351,700 516,620 116,360 1,184,408 32,982,736.50 8,240 480,290 76,080 267,860 269,220 96,868,997 1,034,661 44,080 418,510,882 2,164,180 1,998 68,947,540

56,808,700.00 395,168 -12,580 -26,200 -3,568,240 104,062 365,855 -670,400 33,332,742 -10,326 -1,055,404 21,445,807 -6,317,724 2,196,942.50 -724,234.00 -264,420 39,254,290 7,306,970 -5,080,056.00 -96,833,942 -26,370 -540,003 -632,440 -13,972,876 -5,900 0 -68,842,290.50 -2,023,958 649,470

HOLDING FIRMS 0.48 87,130,000 47.8 907,600 11.9 2,856,800 6.15 17,000 26.4 12,000 1.17 5,380,000 1.19 1,989,000 910 130,230 6.7 7,384,900 12.34 8,899,300 7.1 814,700 728.5 81,150 5.95 2,300 48 1,172,000 0.53 172,000 4.44 109,000 13.28 6,590,400 0.53 276,000 4.95 11,221,800 0.037 4,400,000 2.41 558,000 158 497,760 865 170,390 0.81 127,000 1.4 37,000 277 1,580 0.231 370,000 0.21 150,000

40,781,550 42,893,455 33,901,502 104,450 316,020 6,360,540 2,369,190 118,434,895 49,327,055 110,864,426 5,863,107 59,467,500 13,692 56,495,800 90,890 485,360 87,641,206 143,040 55,462,442 162,800 1,339,500 78,976,008 147,256,160 102,870 51,870 435,760 84,530 31,500

-245,300 2,809,395 -10,202,614 61,400 20,840 -17,696,310 3,122,035 50,286,050 -9,399,775 -8,764,610 48,890 -2,777,028 -520 5,918,282 -44,311,974 -67,307,045 -7,050 -

8,306,629 236,300 8,620 76,460 216,090 200,477,990 266,880 2,141,230 38,725 860,950 10,820 63,290 3,153,497 5,623,254 135,680 3,150 48,227,190 1,132,770 31,008,770 52,210,080 8,983,170 37,350 25,100 12,134,570 36,760,815 67,740

-169,412 4,633,190 -108,310 -2,675 -29,400 -30,749.00 -5,302,010 -22,500 169,660 -17,637,320 -135,000 1,650,880 9,123,400 60,140

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

59.35 82.15 2.57 118.3 1.44 28.7 15.82 11.82 4.1 1.56 791 0.485 67 0.93 11.44 18.6 40.7 189.9 79.75 27.4 152 1,900 66 1.18

59.45 82.95 2.57 121 1.44 28.75 15.82 11.82 4.1 1.69 791 0.485 67.75 0.93 11.44 19.88 41.55 189.9 79.75 28.8 153.5 1,900 66.9 1.18

58.5 81.05 2.2 117.4 1.44 28.5 15.7 11.3 4.1 1.56 785 0.485 66.05 0.93 11.1 18.58 40.7 188.5 70 27.4 150.3 1,820 65.95 1.18

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

34.7 17.98 0.95 1.31 2.27 13.56 190 36.5 16.7 38.6 1.61 7 10.78 14.76 8 6.99 7.19 15.96 64.95 25 6.2 12.2 1.73 261 4.8 26.45 10.86 17.06 352.6 0.172 6.39 1.63 8.49 5.04 9 0.95 10.66 53.65 5.9 4.81 2.21 1.56 11.88 85.25 5.2 0.9 145.8 1.67 19.98 2.68

35.95 18.16 0.98 1.31 2.29 13.56 190 36.95 16.8 39.45 1.61 7 10.8 14.76 8 7 7.29 15.96 65 25.9 6.46 12.2 1.8 265 4.88 26.45 10.9 17.14 358.8 0.178 6.39 1.65 8.49 5.05 9.02 0.97 10.8 53.65 5.9 4.81 2.32 1.57 11.88 86 5.21 0.95 146 1.67 19.98 2.75

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

0.455 47 11.9 6.14 26.5 1.21 1.2 907 6.48 12.44 7.19 740 6.02 47.5 0.55 4.47 13.26 0.52 4.98 0.037 2.36 163 865 0.81 1.35 275 0.227 0.21

0.48 47.8 12.02 6.15 26.6 1.21 1.2 917 6.85 12.84 7.2 750 6.02 49.25 0.55 4.47 13.56 0.53 4.98 0.037 2.44 165.9 866 0.81 1.41 277 0.231 0.21

0.435 46.05 11.68 6.14 26 1.17 1.18 901 6.43 12.14 7.1 725 5.95 47.5 0.52 4.39 13.2 0.51 4.88 0.037 2.36 153 853.5 0.81 1.35 268 0.226 0.21

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

7 0.76 10.1 1.98 0.62 40.1 2.39 4.34 5.15 0.42 0.9 0.22 7.71 20 0.53 0.105 1.44 1.07 2.2 4.36 0.6 0.415 0.41 3.05 20.75 1.9

7.1 0.78 11 1.98 0.65 40.95 2.45 4.39 5.35 0.42 0.92 0.22 8 20.2 0.53 0.105 1.44 1.08 2.34 4.43 0.61 0.415 0.43 3.19 21.45 1.94

6.92 0.76 10.1 1.94 0.62 39.8 2.37 4.3 5.15 0.415 0.89 0.21 7.71 19.86 0.53 0.105 1.42 1.06 2.19 4.24 0.59 0.415 0.41 3.01 20.2 1.9

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS VISTA LAND

3.12 34.45 1.12 6.08 5.38

3.12 34.5 1.12 6.08 5.47

3.12 33.9 1.1 5.9 5.35

3.12 34.5 1.12 6 5.41

8,000 6,069,700 611,000 70,900 12,323,000

24,960 209,119,455 677,240 423,958 66,529,717

24,960 -46,749,745 -25,567,543

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY CEBU AIR CHELSEA DFNN INC EASYCALL GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA HARBOR STAR INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE ISLAND INFO JACKSTONES LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA JOCKEY MELCO RESORTS METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG 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

10.9 21.3 1.4 0.455 0.04 1.7 8.65 66 5.61 7.71 14.6 2,000 5.2 301.4 2.64 94 12.4 0.108 3.03 3.5 0.85 18.14 5.1 7.04 2.25 1.39 5.42 10.56 8.38 106.2 3.55 1,425 0.82 0.34 40.2 76 6.71 2.62 0.81 0.51 5.2 0.59 10.88

11.28 21.3 1.4 0.455 0.041 1.7 8.74 66.9 5.86 8 14.96 2,040 5.2 310 2.7 95.1 12.4 0.11 3.04 3.66 0.87 18.24 5.2 7.24 2.3 1.39 5.42 10.56 8.38 111.9 3.65 1,436 0.86 0.355 40.7 77.5 6.76 2.65 0.81 0.55 5.21 0.6 11.2

10.9 20.9 1.37 0.43 0.039 1.64 8.5 64.5 5.58 7.71 14.1 1,915 5.15 301.2 2.6 93.9 11.6 0.105 2.91 3.5 0.82 18 5.1 7 2.19 1.35 5.12 10.56 8.38 106.2 3.52 1,390 0.82 0.34 40 75.8 6.71 2.53 0.78 0.51 5.17 0.56 10.78

SERVICES 11.28 21.3 1.37 0.435 0.041 1.69 8.74 64.5 5.67 8 14.12 1,915 5.18 310 2.63 95 12.38 0.11 3.04 3.6 0.85 18.22 5.1 7.11 2.22 1.39 5.29 10.56 8.38 111.9 3.58 1,430 0.84 0.355 40.4 76.5 6.72 2.63 0.79 0.54 5.21 0.59 11.2

155,900 23,700 22,000 2,520,000 2,800,000 1,396,000 2,917,500 800,530 6,783,100 7,600 83,700 80,635 133,600 3,490 1,647,000 526,830 1,500 2,070,000 20,000 832,000 100,000 636,600 158,100 10,794,000 355,000 26,000 4,163,700 1,000 1,200 15,840 196,000 73,660 2,639,000 30,000 1,006,400 468,220 29,000 13,391,000 3,136,000 40,966,000 1,761,700 2,175,000 2,202,700

1,717,868 502,090 30,740 1,090,550 110,300 2,317,660 25,214,279 51,958,821.50 38,600,434 58,944 1,197,136 157,186,110 691,663 1,077,098 4,341,420 49,911,676 17,660 221,740 59,410 2,999,090 83,510 11,513,464 806,520 76,500,576 786,420 35,510 21,707,591 10,560 10,056 1,772,097 696,830 105,077,940 2,215,910 10,500 40,560,795 35,790,128.50 195,417 34,418,080 2,484,150 21,802,380 9,155,976 1,256,270 24,401,616

-11,000 -2,062,898 -20,240,552 108,780 15,420 -73,097,840 62,000 15,840 -4,448,043.50 -76,010 3,614,944 -20,670,677 -17,740 -931,673 43,641 -313,390 23,115,940 149,920 -26,166,725 -9,976,138 -191,386 8,690,290 -645,690 244,620 -2,874,724 -7,762,458

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

0.0023 1.56 16.7 1.27 1.92 0.305 7.36 1.82 0.208 0.11 0.111 0.0074 2.8 1.07 0.61 1.01 0.014 0.012 4.33 3.19 16.5 27.8 0.0069

0.0024 1.63 17.3 1.27 1.92 0.305 7.4 1.83 0.215 0.11 0.112 0.008 2.8 1.08 0.61 1.06 0.014 0.013 4.33 3.25 16.9 29.5 0.007

0.0022 1.55 15.02 1.22 1.9 0.305 7.28 1.81 0.208 0.11 0.109 0.0074 2.67 1.06 0.61 1.01 0.013 0.012 4.12 3.19 15.84 27.15 0.0069

MINING & OIL 0.0023 1,641,000,000 1.59 13,425,000 15.06 11,200 1.22 11,000 1.9 836,000 0.305 220,000 7.28 2,500 1.81 549,000 0.212 460,000 0.11 150,000 0.112 250,000 0.0076 18,000,000 2.74 1,366,000 1.07 10,000 0.61 28,000 1.05 446,000 0.013 10,400,000 0.012 17,200,000 4.2 63,000 3.22 4,303,000 16.06 3,851,500 29.5 8,768,500 0.007 2,000,000

3,716,700 21,430,950 183,098 13,470 1,590,560 67,100 18,276 996,210 98,290 16,500 27,560 136,600 3,761,140 10,700 17,080 459,680 139,200 216,300 261,570 13,861,490 63,004,894 255,363,340 13,900

115,000 173,840 76,100 -110,430 -357,110 -1,080 -3,558,870 -3,609,438 87,645,110 -

ABS HLDG PDR 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 2B PNX PREF 3A 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

21 495 100.5 98 101 482.2 5 886.5 900 96.05 1.03 100 1,005 100.1 1,000 76 76.6 74.7 75 75.25 75 74.9 74.7

21 495 100.5 98 103 482.2 5 886.5 900 96.05 1.03 100 1,019 100.1 1,000 76 77 74.7 75 75.25 75 74.9 74.7

20 495 100.3 97.7 100.8 482.2 4.95 886.5 881.5 96.05 1.02 100 1,005 100.1 1,000 76 76.6 74.7 75 75.2 75 74.9 74.7

PREFERRED 21 2,200 495 100,000 100.3 10,000 97.7 11,650 100.8 5,990 482.2 100,000 4.95 105,000 886.5 10,590 881.5 50 96.05 850 1.02 138,000 100 50 1,019 20 100.1 420 1,000 1,150 76 50 77 3,250 74.7 350 75 300 75.2 4,140 75 50 74.9 1,300 74.7 700

44,200 49,500,000 1,003,028 1,138,440 605,012 48,220,000 520,000 9,388,035 44,815 81,642.50 140,770 5,000 20,240 42,042 1,150,000 3,800 250,234 26,145 22,500 311,398 3,750 97,370 52,290

-2,000 -520,000 -244,106 -

LR WARRANT

2.51

2.51

2.45

WARRANTS 2.45 223,000

551,390

-

ITALPINAS XURPAS

4.97 1.92

5.05 1.93

4.94 1.9

4.95 1.91

1,190,530 2,249,390

19,840 -794,330

FIRST METRO ETF

106.9

107.5

106.9

474,981

103,110

USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

10 1.01

10 1.01

10 1.01

25,000 1,373.60

-

MS

PROPERTY 7.1 0.78 11 1.94 0.64 40.9 2.38 4.39 5.35 0.42 0.92 0.21 7.99 20.15 0.53 0.105 1.43 1.08 2.3 4.4 0.61 0.415 0.43 3.19 21.45 1.94

1,192,100 307,000 800 39,000 338,000 4,918,700 111,000 491,000 7,500 2,070,000 12,000 300,000 394,700 280,900 256,000 30,000 33,714,000 1,058,000 13,551,000 12,040,000 14,876,000 90,000 60,000 3,877,000 1,742,200 35,000

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

8,477,280

INDUSTRIAL

71,462,837

HOLDING FIRMS

141,667,416

PROPERTY

110,919,467

SERVICES

107,735,966

MINING & OIL

1,723,353,962

GRAND TOTAL

2,165,041,487

SME

239,000 1,179,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 107.4 4,430 10 1.01

DDS

2,500 1,360

VALUE 1,612.55 (UP) 6.78 632,683,283.30 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,806.83 (DOWN) 30.83 1,502,582,507.99 HOLDING FIRMS 6,867.37 (DOWN) 16.36 959,199,582.60 PROPERTY 3,577.81 (UP) 21.41 1,487.69 (DOWN) 1.50 691,249,941.42 SERVICES MINING & OIL 9,617.80 (UP) 207.94 780,124,968.86 PSEI 7,151.52 (UP) 10.27 365,418,787.88 All Shares Index 4,359.65 (DOWN) 2.75 4,935,183,102.39 Gainers: 92; Losers: 88; Unchanged: 48; Total: 228

Melco drops plant to delist shares from stock market

By Jenniffer B. Austria CASINO operator Melco Resorts and Entertainment (Philippines) Corp. withdrew its bid to delist the company’s shares from the Philippine Stock Exchange but will proceed with a planned tender offer.

Melco received strong opposition from the planned tender offer, especially on the valuation of the shares.

Melco said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it informed the Philippine Stock Exchange that it was withdrawing its petition for voluntary delisting.

Melco said controlling shareholder MCO (Philippines) Investments Ltd. would push through with a planned tender offer to increase its stake in the gaming company.

MCO Philippines plans to conduct a tender offer for up to 1.57 billion Melco shares owned by minority investors.

Melco said MCO Philippines would file an amended tender offer to reflect the revised purpose of the tender offer and the schedule.

Melco did not say if it would maintain the tender offer price of P7.25 per share that was strongly opposed by minority investors, PSE chief operating officer Roel Refran in an interview at the sidelines of Philippine Investment Forum sponsored by Euromoney welcomed the decision of Melco to remain listed with the local bourse.

“This is a development that surely calm down sentiments from minority shareholders who did have certain issues when they (Melco) first came up with the valuation,” Refran said.

“It also reinforces the prospects, as the company sees the value of carrying on and remaining to be a listed company. I think that is fully appreciated by the investors who raised (a) couple of issues as they do see the value in the continuing listing of the company” he added.

MCO Philippines in September reported plans to delist Melco Resorts, saying its listed status in recent years had not contributed to the ability to raise funds.

Several minority shareholders questioned the P7.25 per share tender offer price considering that Melco conducted an equity placement in 2013 at a price of P14 apiece Melco, owned by Macau-based casino operator Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd., was listed in the PSE through a backdoor listing when it acquired Manchester International Holdings Unlimited Corp. in 2012.

Phoenix approves commercial paper issue worth P10b

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE board of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines approved the issuance of up to P10 billion in commercial paper to fund working capital requirements and refinance short-term loans.

Phoenix plans to register the paper with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. It tapped PNB Capital and Investment Corp. as sole issue manager, lead underwriter and sole book runner The Phoenix board also approved the capital infusion of P507.925 million into three wholly-owned subsidiaries this month.

The three are PFL Petroleum Management Inc., P429.625 million; Subic Petroleum Trading and Transport Inc., P55.8 million; and Phoenix Global Mercantile Inc., P22.5 million.

“The capital infusion shall correct capital deficiencies in the subsidiaries as well as for the use of expansion of their respective operations,” it said.

Phoenix is one of the country’s most aggressive oil companies today. It posted a 59-percent increase in net income to ₱969.8 million in the firs six months of 2018 from P610 million yer-on-year.

Revenues jumped 113 percent to ₱40.25 billion in the first half from ₱18.89 billion a year ago, driven by the 63-percent increase in total volume sold.

“As we grow our core business, we are also realizing the value of our new businesses, as we maximize synergies across our portfolio of fuels, lubricants, LPG, trading and supply, convenience store retailing, and asphalt. We are committed to delivering greater value to our stakeholders and being their indispensable partner,” Phoenix Petroleum chief operating officer Henry Albert Fadullon earlier said.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

World

Manila

Standard

TODAY

B3

SATURDAY, OCTOBER , 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Trump warns of severe Saudi response

ON THE BEACH. Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, leave after a ‘Fluro Friday’ session run by OneWave, a local surfing community group that raises awareness for mental health and wellbeing, at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach on October 19. The pair kicked off their shoes and donned tropical garlands on as they hit Sydney’s famed Bondi beach for the latest stop on their Australian tour. AFP

WASHINGTON―President Donald Trump said Thursday he now believes journalist Jamal Khashoggi is dead and warned of “very severe” consequences should Saudi Arabia be proven responsible.

“It certainly looks that way to me. It’s very sad,” Trump told journalists when asked if he believed that Khashoggi, who disappeared more than two weeks ago, is no longer alive.

Asked about the potential US response to Saudi Arabia, which is accused of murdering the Washington Post columnist and critic of the Saudi regime, Trump said: “It will have to be very severe. It’s bad, bad stuff.”

This marked a hardening of tone from the Trump administration, which has been reluctant to blame ally Saudi Arabia, despite mounting evidence that the kingdom’s agents killed and dismembered Khashoggi inside its consulate in Istanbul more than two weeks ago.

Trump threatens to send military to stop migrants

W

ASHINGTON― President Donald Trump threatened Thursday to send the military to close the US-Mexican border against an “onslaught” of migrants, stepping up his anti-immigrant rhetoric ahead of congressional elections.

As several thousand Hondurans made their way through Central America toward the US border, Trump blamed the Democrats for an “assault on our country by Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador” with a caravan “INCLUDING MANY CRIMINALS.” “I must, in the strongest of terms, ask Mexico to stop this onslaught―and if unable to do so I will call up the US Military and CLOSE OUR SOUTHERN BORDER!”

IN BRIEF Official who hit reporter praised WASHINGTON―US President Donald Trump on Thursday praised a US congressman who assaulted a reporter, making light of the attack.

Greg Gianforte was sentenced to six months of deferred jail time, 40 hours of community service, 20 hours of anger management sessions and $385 in fines and court fees for the misdemeanor assault that propelled him and his congressional race into the national spotlight last year.

Trump’s remarks at a rally in Montana come amid an international outcry over the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist who has been missing since entering Saudi Arabia’s consulate in Istanbul on October 2, whom the president has said is likely dead.

At the rally, Trump urged people to vote for Gianforte, describing him as “an incredible Montana leader” and “one of the most respected people in Congress.” AFP

UN to meet on atrocities report UNITED NATIONS―The UN Security Council is scheduled to hear a briefing next week from the head of a UN factfinding mission that has accused Myanmar’s military of atrocities against Muslim Rohingya, diplomats said Thursday.

Nine countries including the United States, Britain and France requested the briefing that is likely to be opposed by China, which has friendly ties with Myanmar’s military.

The meeting was scheduled for October 24 despite objections from Myanmar, which has rejected the findings of the UN inquiry.

The fact-finding mission released an explosive report last month that called on the council to refer the Myanmar situation to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, or to create an ad hoc international criminal tribunal, as was done with the former Yugoslavia. AFP

Trump has made his call for a wall on the southern border a signature issue of his twoyear presidency, but Thursday’s tweet storm was especially fierce.

Trump suggested he was even prepared to put at risk the recently renegotiated North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Mexico, the United States and Canada, redubbed as USMCA. “The assault on our country at our Southern Border, including the Criminal elements and DRUGS pouring in, is far more important to me, as President, than Trade or the USMCA,” he said.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders meanwhile said that “we are passionate about solving the issue of illegal immigration,” and that “our administration is doing a great job on the border.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo embarked on a tour of the region that took him to Panama on Thursday with a visit to Mexico set for Friday.

The Mexican stop is important for future relations because it comes just ahead of the inauguration in December of President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s foreign minister designate, downplayed Trump’s comments as aimed at his domestic political base.

“The position of President Trump is the one he has always raised,” Ebrard told local radio station Radio Centro.

“It was predictable and also the election process is very close, so he is making a political calculation,” he added.

The president’s message was part of a broad strategy to crack down on unauthorized immigrants and tighten rules for legal migrants.

Barely a week goes by without Trump warning about the danger posed by ultraviolent Central American gangs like MS-13, while chants of “build the wall” are a staple of his pre-midterms campaign rallies. AFP

Fear for life of former head of Interpol BEIJING―The wife of fallen former Interpol demic corruption. But some analysts say it also chief Meng Hongwei has expressed fears for his enables the Chinese president to eliminate rivals.

One of the most powerful officials to fall was life and her own safety, lashing out at what she called the “cruel” and “dirty” Chinese govern- former security ministry chief Zhou Yongkang, ment that arrested him in mysterious circum- who promoted Meng more than a decade ago and was sentenced to life in prison in 2015. AFP stances.

The comments by Grace Meng in a BBC interview repNOTICE resent a rare and extraordinarily blunt level of criticism of Chi- Extra – judicial of the na’s government by the victims settlement Estate of Antonio of Beijing’s tough crackdown on Talavera by Nenita corruption, in which cases are and Bryan Anthony Talavera containing typically wrapped up in secrecy an area of 164sq.m and with only the official ver- located at #5 Marcel Drive Himlayan, QC sion of events coming to light. covered by TCT “I think it is political persecu- No.104176 of the tion. I’m not sure he’s alive,” Registry of Deeds, QC. Grace Meng said in the interview conducted in France, where Meng was based at InterRepublic of the Philippines pol’s headquarters.

Province of Bohol MUNICIPALITY OF SEVILLA Meng Hongwei, also a Chinese vice public security minINVITATION TO BID ister, went missing on a trip to 1.

The Municipality of Sevilla, Bohol through its Bids and Awards Committee, (BAC), invites Bidders to apply for Eligibility and to Bid for: China last month. He subseName of Project : PURCHASE OF ONE (1) UNIT BRAND NEW 4 4 PICK UP TYPE VEHICLE quently resigned as head of the (RESCUE SETUP) international police organization Project Description : Purchase of one (1) unit brand new 4 x 4 pick-up type vehicle (rescue setup), with a low-sided open cargo hauler, and a passenger cab (extended/crew cab) accommodating up to 6 passengers on October 7 after Chinese auincluding the driver, with 4 side doors designed to carry both passengers and cargoes, diesel-fed, with an engine displacement not exceeding 3000 cc, power-steering, manual transmission. Detailed thorities announced he was unTechnical Specifications are found in Section VI of the Bidding Documents. der investigation.

Location : Poblacion, Sevilla, Bohol China has since said he is susContract Duration : 60 Calendar Days Approved Budget for pected of accepting bribes. the Contract : Php2,000,000.00 “I tell [my children] daddy is Fund Source : Unutilized LDRRMF balances for 2013, 2014 & 2015 (70% Allocation for Preparedness and Mitigation per SB Resolution No. 16, series of 2018) on a long business trip,” the sobBid Documents Fee : Php 5,000.00 bing Grace Meng said, appear2.

Price quotations shall be FOB-Sevilla, Bohol, i.e., prices shall be inclusive of freight and handling costs, VAT, custom clearance charges and other related charges. The unit must be delivered to Sevilla, Bohol. ing in the interview only in silAdd-ons, if any, shall be for the account of the bidder/supplier. Contract duration shall be sixty (60) calendar days reckoned from the date of receipt of Notice to Proceed and Purchase Order. houette to hide her appearance.

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedure using non-discretionary pass/fail Complaining that there is “no criteria as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. 9184 known as the Government Procurement Reform Act. Only bids from Bidders who pass the eligibility check will be opened. limit” to China’s power to act 4.

The Municipal Government of Sevilla, through its Bids and Awards Committee, will hold a Pre-Bid Conference open to all interested bidders on October 25, 2018 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning at the against opponents, she claimed Municipal Conference Hall, 2 Floor, Municipal Building, Poblacion, Sevilla, Bohol. to have received threatening 5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents in English may be purchased by any interested bidder or his duly authorized representative upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Five Thousand Pesos (Php5,000.00), phone calls suggesting she was Philippine currency. Bidding Documents will be available during office hours from October 25, 2018 to November 6, 2018at the BAC Secretariat, Office of the Municipal Accountant, Ground Floor, Municipal Hall, Sevilla, Bohol. being “targeted” in France.

6.

Deadline for submission of bids will be on November 7, 2018 at 12:00 noon. Bidders may submit their “They are cruel. They are sealed bids on or before the said time and date to the BAC Secretariat, Office of the Municipal Accountant, Ground Floor, Municipal Hall, Sevilla, Bohol. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security in the form dirty,” she said. indicated in the Bid Documents. LATE BIDS SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED. 7.

Bid Opening shall be at 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon on the 7 of November 2018 at the Municipal “I must stand up and I don’t Conference Hall, 2 Floor, Municipal Building, Poblacion, Sevilla, Bohol. want any other wives and chil8.

Bidders should have completed, within the last five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a single largest contract similar to the project to be bid with a value of at least 50% of the Approved dren like me.”

Budget for the Contract, and must meet the other minimum eligibility requirements stated in the eligibility documents.

The body investigating Meng, 9.

All particulars relative to the Eligibility Requirements and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference, Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed the National Supervisory Comby the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulation as Revised. mission, can hold suspects for as 10. The Municipal Government of Sevilla, Bohol reserves the right to accept or reject any bid or to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award. Likewise, the LGU assumes long as six months without prono responsibility or liability for any and all costs associated with the Bidder’s Participation in the bidding process regardless of its result. viding access to legal counsel.

Bids and Awards Committee.

Xi’s anti-graft campaign has (SGD.) JOCELYN M. DANO BAC Chairman punished more than one million Municipal Hall Poblacion, Sevilla, Bohol officials, and has wide support 09196680508 from citizens fed up with en-

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nd

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nd

A former regime insider, Khashoggi had become a critic of powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the point man in ever-tightening military and commercial relations between the petro-state and the Trump administration.

Just hours earlier, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had Manila told Trump the Saudis should be Standard given “aTODAY few more days to com-

plete” an investigation.

Only then, Pompeo said, “we can make decisions how or if the United States should respond.”

In a possible sign of how the Saudis will seek to defuse the diplomatic crisis, The New York Times reported that the country’s rulers could come out and blame General Ahmed al-Assiri, a top intelligence official close to the crown prince. AFP

SEC Memorandum Circular No. 13 Series of 2018 SUBJECT : ADOPTION OF ACCOUNTING STANDARDS AND INTERPRETATIONS The Commission, in its meeting held on September 18, 2018, approved the adoption of the recently approved accounting standards and interpretations as part of SEC’s rules and regulations on financial reporting: A. Accounting Standards Title Prepayment Features with Negative Compensation [Amendments to Philippine Financial Reporting Standards (PFRS) 9]

Brief Description An entity shall apply these amendments for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019. Earlier application is permitted.

Long-term Interest in Associates and Joint Ventures (Amendments to PAS 28)

An entity shall apply these amendments for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2019. Earlier application is permitted.

PFRS Practice Statement An entity that chooses to apply 2: Making Materiality the guidance in the Practice Judgments Statement is permitted to apply it to financial statements prepared from November 8, 2017.

Guidance on Financial Effective immediately.

Reporting (June 2017 edition) PFRS 15, Implementation The consensus in these Q&A are Issues Affecting the Real effective on the same date as the Estate Industries effective date of PFRS 15.

B. PIC Q&As Title Q&A No. 2017-02 Philippine Accounting Standard (PAS) 2 and PAS 16-Capitalization of operating lease cost as part of construction costs of a building Q&A No. 2017-03 PAS 28- Elimination of profits and losses resulting from transactions between associates and/or joint ventures Q&A No. 2017-06 PAS 2, 16 and 40 – Accounting for Collector’s Items

Brief Description The consensus in the Q&A is effective from the date of approval by the FRSC.

Q&A No. 2016-03 Accounting for Common Areas and the Related Subsequent Costs by Condominium Corporations Q&A No. 2017-04 PAS 24Related Party Relationship Between Parents, Subsidiary, Associate and Non-Controlling Shareholder Q&A No. 2017-05 Philippine Financial Reporting Standard (PFRS) 7 - Frequently Asked Questions on the Disclosure Requirements of Financial Instruments under PFRS 7, Financial Instruments; Disclosures Q&A No. 2017-07 PFRS 10 - Accounting for Reciprocal Holdings in Associates and Joint Ventures Q&A No. 2017-08 PFRS 10 – Requirement to Prepare Consolidated Financial Statements Where an Entity Disposes of its Single Investment in a Subsidiary, Associate or Joint Venture Q&A No. 2017-09 PAS 17 and Philippine Interpretation SIC 15-Accounting for Payments Between and Among Lessors and Lessees.

Q&A No. 2017-10 PAS 40 – Separation of Property and Classification as Investment Property Q&A No. 2017-11 PFRS 10 and PAS 32 – Transaction Costs Incurred to Acquire Outstanding Non-Controlling Interest or to Sell Non-Controlling Interest Without a Loss of Control Q&A No. 2017-12 Subsequent Treatment of Equity Component Arising from Intercompany Loans

The consensus in this Q&A is effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2018 and should be applied retrospectively. Earlier application is permitted.

The consensus in the Q&A is effective from the date of approval by the FRSC.

The consensus in the Q&A is effective from the date of approval by the FRSC.

The consensus in the Q&A is effective from the date of approval by the FRSC.

The consensus in the Q&A is effective from the date of approval by the FRSC.

The consensus in the Q&A is effective from the date of approval by the FRSC. The consensus in the Q&A is effective from the date of approval by the FRSC.

The consensus in the Q&A is effective from the date of approval by the FRSC.

The consensus in the Q&A is effective from the date of approval by the FRSC. The consensus in the Q&A is effective from the date of approval by the FRSC.

The consensus in the Q&A is effective from the date of approval by the FRSC. It shall be applied retrospectively.

All of the foregoing pronouncements have been adopted by the Philippine Financial Reporting Standards Council and approved by the Board of Accountancy and Professional Regulation Commission and published in the Official Gazette.

Issued this 15 day of October 2018 at Pasay City, Philippines.

For the Commission: EMILIO B. AQUINO Chairperson

(MS-OCT. 20, 2018)

(MS-OCT. 20, 2018)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Beat humid days with an outdoor shower

I

T USED to be that unless you lived in Bali, owned a sauna or were one of those hardy, cold-water types, an outdoor shower was about as appealing as flip-flops in arctic Russia.

But it’s time to reconsider: global warming is getting our days hotter— we’re growing accustomed to sporadic week-long heatwaves; our gardens are increasingly serving as extensions to our homes as we become squeezed for living space; and the more we travel to exotic climes, the more our homes, for better or worse, are reflecting the tropical, Ibiza-in-the-suburbs vibe.

Above all, though, there are few things more pleasurable, invigorating and fun than showering under the sky, a soft breeze on your face.

WHERE TO YOU SET UP The first question is where to put your outdoor shower, and that often relates to use. Is this going to be a shower right next to the house? Off in the garden? By the pool?

Most locations are workable. The choice just affects how you’ll run the piping, which most of the time can be tied into your home’s existing system.

One needs to plumb the water out from some part of the house through the wall. Or it could come out a bathroom or kitchen or somewhere where there is accessible water on the inside of the wall.

Location, of course, goes hand in hand with privacy. Not every member of your household, or every guest, has the same level of comfort.

INDECENT EXPOSURE To ease fears about who can see what, look for sight lines from second-story windows or neighbors’ homes, and taking into account the surrounding environment.

You could locate the shower near a garden or, overlooking trees and then put a little window in, one that you can see out of but that neighbors can’t see into.

Materials are another consideration.

PVC, the hard plastic polymer polyvinyl chloride, is always the easiest option, though be warned that it is not a long-term, ultra-permanent material.

That takes care of bringing the water in, but what about getting the used water out?

KEEPING THING CLEAN Typically, someone has a stone or wooden platform that gets them off the ground, and water percolates into the ground. Or you can dig a dry well, which is basically a big hole filled with gravel, and put your platform on top of that, and that allows for the water to immediately seep into the gravel and not stay on the surface. You don’t want standing water on the surface. Insects breed in it. It creates a nasty little environment.”

In a more urban site, you could connect the drain back to the septic line in your house.

If you’re building the shower against a wall of your home, consider installing marine-grade plywood beneath the exterior of the house to prevent rotting. If your home is already built, layers of sealant will do the trick. As for the shower itself, resilient hardwoods like teak, cedar or mahogany work well.

And be sure to build the shower enclosure and platform to allow for air flow—by spacing the slats or leaving a gap at foot level—so the enclosure can

B4

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

SPLASH IN STYLE Sleepy Siargao community bags 2018 Galing Pook Award

dry. As you’d expect, mold and odors do not add to the idyllic ambience.

STYLE AWAY! Once the basic fittings are in place, the fun can start–styling your shower. For a surf shack feel, try weathered tree trunks for seats, scattered sea shells, painted clapboard and corrugated iron.

A bamboo screen and pebbles under foot lend a touch of the tropics. Towels can be draped over wooden tables or hung on trees. Or, for the truly creative, paint a reclaimed oil drum and cut a door in the side.

Showering will never be the same again.

LANDPORT HO! The Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX), will start serving some 100,000 passengers daily from Cavite and Batangas going to Metro Manila, and vice versa, beginning November. One of the flagship projects of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the 35-year Build-TransferOperate concession was awarded to infrastructure conglomerate Megawide in 2015. “Preparations for the opening are in full swing,” said Louie Ferrer, president of Megawide subsidiary MWM Terminals, Inc., developer of the PITX. “We are working closely with the DOTr and affiliated agencies such as the LTFRB to ensure that we are ready.” PITX, Ferrer told the Manila Standard, was designed to be “the first Landport in the country,” providing transfers between different modes of land transportation such as buses, taxis, jeepneys, and other PUVs. The terminal building will have three levels. Departure bays for buses, jeepneys, and taxis are situated on the ground floor while bus arrival bays are located on the second floor. The third floor is dedicated to private car parking facilities, AUV bays, and a future connection to the LRT-1 extension project. PITX has a terminal capacity of 200,000 passengers per day. The terminal systems are designed to be passenger-friendly, such as the assured seating system for buses, public information displays in multiple locations, and ample seating throughout the facility. Automated boarding pass scanners will ensure that passengers can board buses only during their chosen trip schedules. PITX is located beside the old Coastal Mall at 1 Kennedy Road, Barangay Tambo, Parañaque City.

AN ECO-TOURISM program jointly shepherded by a major conglomerate and the leadership of a Local Government Unit (LGU) to transform mangrove cutters into fisherfolk and illegal fishermen into tourist boat guides, recently captured the imagination of judges of an annual search for outstanding local government programs.

• The far-flung municipality of Del Carmen in Siargao, Surigao Del Norte bagged a Galing Pook Award for the Siargao It Up! Mangrove Management and Social Tourism Program.

Town mayor Alfredo M. Coro II (Seen here) received the award for the program, which he said creatively uses tourism to fight poverty in Del Carmen.

• “Siargao It Up! was among the 10 winners of the nationwide 2018 Gawad Galing Pook.

• The Galing Pook program selects the best practices of LGUs, and shares information on these beneficial programs for replication.

• The awards have cited some 319 programs from at least 200 LGUs over the years, including this year’s winners who are picked by judges based on the impact and positive results the projects have brought to communities, their empowerment of people, the project’s transferability and sustainability, innovation and the efficiency of its service delivery.

LONG-TIME PARTNERSHIP The Metro Pacific Investment Corporation (MPIC), has been a partner of Coro’s government and local community leaders, to protect and preserve the municipality’s mangrove forests since 2010.

MPIC’s assistance involved the establishment of the Mangrove Protection and Information Center, a venue that helps people know and experience the importance and benefits of mangroves in terms of biodiversity and its contribution to the safety of the coastal communities.

“We would like to thank MPIC and of course, chairman Manny V. Pangilinan, for partnering with the municipality of Del Carmen to create a new understanding and appreciation of the eco-tourism in the mangrove forest and in Siargao Islands,” Coro said, upon accepting the award from Vice President Leni Robredo, the keynote speaker of this year’s Galing Pook Awards.

“The Del Carmen Mangrove Forest is our source of food, livelihood and protection from natural disasters—is also a critical ecosystem that supports the fish stocks of Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Bohol, and Cebu,” Coro explained.

The town chief executive assured this

year’s Galing Pook judges that the award will serve to “increase the credibility” of Public-Private Partnerships such as Siargao It Up!, and pave the way for potentially new partners to help communities like Del Carmen build an ecosystem-based growth and development.

“It is with great honor and privilege to have the support of MVP and MPIC, as we move towards preserving the environment and the people that serves to protect the environment of Del Carmen and Siargao Islands,” he declared.

A DECADE OF COMMITMENTS Now on its 10th year, MPIC’s Shore It Up! (SIU) program continues to expand its partnership with institutions, foundations, organizations, civic groups and scuba diving teams who help restore and revive the coastal environments of various provinces all over the country.

SIU’s partner venues today include coastal municipalities in Alaminos, Pangasinan; Mabini, Batangas; Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro; Cordova, Cebu; Medina, Misamis Oriental; and of course, Del Carmen, Siargao in Surigao Del Norte.

“Shore It Up undertakes environmental issues in a holistic manner,” explained Metro Pacific Investment Foundation (MPIF) president Melody Del Rosario.

“We believe that for our environmental ecosystem to work, various marine and coastal support must be sustained with livelihood programs and proper education on environmental awareness,” she said.

BAY AREA MOVER Anchor Land is currently building the Copeton Baysuites, its fifth project in Aseana City. The 204-hectare property where the 16-storey, three-tower condominium is being constructed, is just across the upcoming Ayala Mall Bay Area, which will open in 2019. It is also located near Pagcor’s Entertainment City which hosts Solaire Resorts and Casinos, City of Dreams, and Okada Manila. “Copeton is master-planned to provide residents easy access to Aseana’s entertainment and gaming complexes, and the magnificent Manila Bay Sunset,” said Anchor Land CEO Steve Li. Copeton Baysuites has a highly modern architectural design with a curtain wall façade for the West Tower.

It features Low-E (low-emissivity) window panels. Anchor Land has been the mover in residential development in Aseana with its first two high-end properties, Sole Mare Parksuites and Monarch Parksuites.

Life

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

young life

saturday, october 20, 2018

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The next big YouTube stars l

uCkY for today’s generation, they have varied ways to share their interests with a wide audience—they can post a simple tweet or Facebook status or create a content themselves, upload it online, and share it with those on the interwebs

These three individuals and one group love sharing their interests with fellow fans. They are the up-and-coming YouTube creators who won in the recently concluded YouTube nextup Manila 2018.

Theater enthusiast stephen Flores, figure skater and cos-

player Joel Minas, k-culture lover Jam Raquinon, and acoustic group kithara were among the 12 creators who participated in seminars and workshops by YouTube and fellow creators, and received new production equipment to take their channels to the next level.

Ice skating cosplayer

Stephen Flores

From stage to screen

stephen Flores showcases his love for theater, movies, and comedies on his channel, inReellife, where he uploads skits, reviews, and travel vlogs.

This young and quirky creator started his YouTube journey in 2015 and has since then grown his subscribers to over 26,000, as of this writing. His passion for stage plays can be seen on his video series “When You’re obsessed…” where he shows his playful side by lip-synching to his favorite songs from different Broadway shows. His currently most viewed video follows him in a skit singing along to the tracks of this year’s musical release The Greatest Showman.

“When i was growing up, i was into movies and musicals, and my parents never really tried to put me into a box. so a lot of my creativity comes from the fact that they support me so well,” shared stephen.

Joel Minas

Joel Minas first captured the hearts of Yuri on Ice fans with his cover of the anime’s routine In Regards to Love: Eros, which has reached 1.9 million views. The said video combines his two passions: anime and ice skating.

He started figure skating at the age of nine and has brought home plenty of medals from local and international competitions, including the title Asian Junior Champion in 2010.

Today, he takes his more than 10,000 subscribers with him on and off the rink through his vlogs on his YouTube channel, where he posts ice-skating tutorials through his series “Be My Coach, Joel!” to inspire beginners. He also creates makeup tutorials, DIY crafts videos, and random challenge vlogs.

For Joel, being on YouTube is an avenue to inspire young people. “My favorite moment is reading the comments from people that watch my videos. It warms my heart to see that there are people who become inspired to try skating from my videos.”

Jam Raquinon

Bubbly fangirl

A true fangirl at heart, Jam Raquinon embraces her love for Korea with K-pop dance covers, K-drama reviews, and hilarious vlogs. On her channel, Jam-packed, her over 36,000 subscribers enjoy a variety of content that showcases her bubbly personality and infectious humor.

Many K-fans can find themselves relating with her most viewed video where she enumerates 10 signs that show if a person’s a certified Korean drama fan. She also posts beauty tutorials, random challenge videos, and travel journals.

When given an opportunity to work on a dream project with a Korean YouTuber, Jam wants to do it with “1Million Dance Studio because they create such beautiful choreography videos, not only with Korean songs, but also with Western songs.”

Kithara

Advocates of OPM

promoting original pinoy music is what motivates kithara. The five-member acoustic group made their debut on YouTube in 2008, and now they are making waves in the local music scene with the success of their albums loVE.losT.FounD (2015) and onE WoRD sToRY (2016).

With pato (vocals), poli (guitar), Dex (cajon), Jun (bass), and Apollo (violin), the band has released self-composed songs on their channel, which currently has over 17,000 subscribers. some of their hit singles include “Hindi para sa’yo,” “To Move on,” and “Mag-isa.” The group also makes their own music covers of popular local and international songs.

Filipinos can eat food even without utensils. in fact, dining using bare hands is one of the most loved Filipino traditions. it evokes positive thoughts, brings back childhood memories, and for some, makes dishes taste better.

With the convenience of utensils and the possibility of catching diseases, most people opt not to eat with their hands anytime, anywhere. The embarrassment and self-consciousness of being caught eating with one’s hands has also prevented many from enjoying the custom of kamayan. safeguard’s latest short film, which premiered on oct. 15, aims to let people rediscover the joy of eating with bare hands.

Entitled “The Dinner,” the film stars Boy Abunda, AiAi delas Alas, Bianca Gonzalez, Tessa prieto-Valdes, neri Miranda, James Deakin, lA Tenorio, and Drew Arellano all dressed to the nines, expecting to partake of a multi'The Dinner' features celebrities and course meal personalities partaking of a multi-course meal prepared by Chef JP Anglo using But surprise came when Chef Jp Antheir bare hands. glo told the dinner guests they will be eating sans utensils. shot without a script and in just one take, the film captured the celebrities’ real and natural reactions to the experi- barriers that come in the way of Filipi- answered, “Nakakahiya naman diba. ence of eating using their hands. nos eating with hands more often.

Kasi grabe naman—nagugutuman?

The celebrities delved into deeper Abunda asked, “Ano ba mga stigmas Parang ganoon.” conversations and talked more about the ‘pag nagkakamay?” to which Miranda Despite the reasons that hinder Fili-

“The taste of food changes when you eat with your hands. Everything is about the senses, right? You have the sense of smell, taste, and touch when you eat with your hands. so, the whole experience is improved,” shared Deakin.

Tenorio added, “Kahit after practice nagkakamayan kami. May ibang lasa eh.” This depicts how eating with bare hands is a way to bond and have fun with family and friends—which was evident when the celebrities engaged in conversations and freely ate with their hands, even licking their fingers.

Apart from showing how using bare hands to eat food can bring about comfort toward the people around us and make food taste better, the film showed how clean hands enable richer experiences. “safeguard not only recognizes the health benefits of hand washing but it also wants to remind people of the joys that eating kamayan-style can bring. it is a celebration of the Filipino heritage that is made even more worthwhile with clean hands, and allows us to create richer experiences with our loved ones,” said Alex Vogler, associate director, digital transformation and brand compinos from doing kamayan, some of the munications for procter & Gamble’s dinner guests recognize the fact that Beauty Division in Asia pacific.

Go to Safeguard’s Facebook and there is really something special when YouTube pages to watch the short film. one eats with their bare hands.

Short film recognizes Filipino dining tradition

Life

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saturday, october 20, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Foundation champions education for the youth

“E

DUCATion is not just about making people literate. it is about helping the youth find out the reason behind everything through the knowledge they gain,” shares Althea Silvestre.

Silvestre is one of the many graduates who benefitted from a scholarship grant

by Max’s group’s Edgardo S. Trota Memorial Foundation, inc.

Driven by the values of Edgardo S. Trota, former president of Max’s restaurant, who believed in the importance of the youth finishing school, the ESTMFi scholarship is Mgi’s way of making sure every child gets a chance to graduate and succeed—as seen through Silvestre’s story and of other numerous beneficiaries who, with the help of the foundation, are now working in different industries.

Silvestre now puts her Accountancy degree to good use in Max’s group.

With her dad being a waiter at Max’s Luisita Tarlac, the scholar can’t thank the foundation and the group enough for all their help in securing the kind of opportunity her family dreamed of.

“All i have is a grateful heart for Max’s group,” she enthuses. “The scholarship was a great blessing to me and to my whole family. i can’t thank them enough for bringing me to where i am today. i pray that this foundation continues to touch more lives and be an instrument to help more young individuals achieve their dreams.”

ESTMFi was established in 2000 to support and provide opportunities to improve the standard of living of indigent school children and urban and rural poor communities through various projects and programs. inspired by Max’s restaurant’s founder Maximo gimenez, who himself was a scholar at Stanford, the foundation decided to make education a part of its Corporate Sustainability, Synergies, and Relationships initiatives.

Silvestre recently celebrated her first anniversary working as a credit and collection associate in the Accounting Department of Mgi. “Max’s has been so generous for extending my opportunity to work in their company. My career is proof that the foundation creates a huge impact in the lives of young individuals by helping them attain education, which i believe, is essential to achieving one’s goal,” she notes.

Silvestre has this to say to fellow young scholars: “Take advantage of every opportunity to achieve your dream.

Max’s Group, led by Cristina Trota-Garcia, awards Edgardo S. Trota Memorial Foundation, Inc. scholarships to elementary students.

Althea Silvestre is one of the many ESTMFI scholars who is now working in the Accounting Department of Max’s Group, Inc.

Realize that success requires hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. Do not stop learning, because through learning, you will know how to really value life and the people that will help you make it to the top.” in pursuit of providing opportunities to young, deserving Filipinos, ESTMFi recently awarded scholarships to 80 exemplary students across

elementary, high school, and college levels for the school year 2019-2020.

From numerous submissions received from different parts of the country, 22 from elementary, 37 from junior high school, 12 from senior high school, and nine from college were awarded scholarships and will each receive tuition assistance and monthly allowance for one school year.

A bridge for dreams MAny Filipinos dream of working as a healthcare professional in the United kingdom. Luckily for 25-year-old Charles Castaneda, that dream will soon come to fruition. in a few months, he will be flying to the Uk to start his career as a nurse, a dream come true that Castaneda attributes to his success taking the iELTS test (international English Language Testing System).

At first, Castaneda viewed iELTS as a challenge that he needed to overcome to push through with his plan of working abroad.

“But the more i prepared for it, i realized it was more of a bridge that will bring me closer to pursuing my dream of becoming a nurse in the Uk,” he shared.

Taking iELTS is among the Uk body requirements to work as a nurse in the Uk. An iELTS band score of not less than 7 across all sections of the test is required to prove that the test taker is able to communicate well in English. This will allow them to be able to communicate well, to build rapport with colleagues, understand the needs of the patients, and explain therapeutic interventions.

“As a healthcare professional, being able to communicate well in English is essential because we deal with people’s health and wellbeing,” said Castaneda.

Castaneda took iELTS with the British Council earlier this year. He chose to take it with the organization because of its long history of teaching and assessing English, making them an authority in the English language. “i also found out that upon signing up for the test, the British Council offered a lot of free resources for me to utilize, so i can really prepare for the test and achieve my desired band score,” shared Castaneda.

Castaneda noted how the Road to iELTS, an online preparation course by

Charles Castaneda is excited to start his career as a nurse in the United Kingdom.

the British Council, made preparation for the test convenient for him.

Working as a nurse in one of the biggest hospitals in Manila, he didn’t really have time for himself because he often had to render overtime work beyond his assigned 9-to-5 shift, even on weekends. “it was really convenient for me because i couldn’t find time to physically be at their office to use the resources,” he said. “With Road to iELTS, i was able to prepare for the test during my free time. i had 30 hours free access to its video tutorials and sample tests. All i needed was an internet connection and my phone.” overall, Castaneda is grateful to have the chance to make his dream of working in the Uk come true by taking the exam. “i’m excited to practice my profession in the Uk, and i’m happy that i will soon be reaping the benefits of the hours i spent in preparing for this test,” he enthused.

The Levi’s Tailor Shop promotes self-expression and creativity by offering customization services to shoppers.

Looking for a stylish way to express yourself? or do you want to give someone a gift made especially for them?

Levi’s Tailor Shop is going around Metro Manila, offering customization services to shoppers. For a minimum spend of P3,500 on apparel, customers can distress, alter, or reinvent tees, jeans, and denim jackets. They can also add patches, embroidery, and fabric applique, a fun way to reflect their sense of style.

“Every Levi’s jacket or jeans combines the perfect fit and the classic look, but beyond the promise of comfort and style is the capacity for full self-expression,” said kat Costas, Levi’s Philippines marketing manager.

She added, “By bringing the Levi’s Tailor Shop to Levi’s boutiques, we want every gift gift giver to have the opportunity to be as thoughtful, personal, and creative as possible, especially now that we’re in the season of giving gifts and sharing love.”

Levi’s Tailor Shop is at SM Mall of Asia on oct. 20-21, UP Town Center on nov. 10-11, Trinoma on nov. 17-18, Robinsons galleria ortigas on nov. 24-25, Robinsons Ermita on nov. 30 to Dec. 2, SM Megamall on Dec. 8-9, and glorietta pop-up on Dec. 15-16.

Customize your denim

Customers can reinvent tees, jeans, and denim jackets at Levi’s Tailor Shop.

Spotify users can now enable playback controls within the Google Maps app.

Jam through the traffic jam: Control Spotify on Google Maps TWo of most important essentials of every road trip: music and maps.

Music streaming service Spotify makes it easier to bring music on the go. While google Maps has been a reliable navigation partner. But when you’re driving and trying to find your way using the Maps, it can be difficult, if not dangerous, to multi-task; switching from one app to another.

Spotify on oct. 1 announced that its integration with google Maps, allowing users to control what they’re listening to right on the Maps app.

Users can now enable playback controls within the Maps navigation settings.

There will be simple entry-point

from the google Maps app into Spotify, a small icon located on the sidebar, through which users will be able to browse songs, albums, and playlists.

Meanwhile, there will be a banner on Spotify to help users return to their active navigation.

Spotify’s integration with google Maps follows the success of the music streaming service’s integration with Waze in 2017, which showed how navigation works in harmony with music.

To use this new feature, Android and iOS users need to download the latest version of both Spotify and Google Maps.

Entertainment

Aga Muhlach

experience D

ASIANOVELA Channel is bringing the Asian drama experience on a new level for TVplus users as it launches this month eight uncut popular shows from South Korea, China, and Taiwan.

Headlining the offerings for this month is China’s A Love So Beautiful starring Shen Yue, the actress who plays Shancai in the 2018 Meteor Garden remake.

In the coming-of-age series, Shen Yue breathes life into Chen Xiaoxi who has a huge crush on Jiang Chen (Hu Yitian), a popular classmate with an icy demeanor. Together, they go through growing pains with their other classmates and confront their blossoming feelings towards each other.

Another exciting show that is packed with kilig is South Korea’s I am not a Robot, which follows the story of a woman who finds herself in a love triangle after pretending to be a robot that can pass off as her spitting image.

Meanwhile, drama unfolds in the Taiwanese series My Dearest Intruder where two best friends fall madly in love with the same guy.

Other hit K-Drama titles that fans will definitely go crazy over are the melodrama High Society, the fantasy-thriller W, the period romance Hwarang, the Vampire medical drama Blood, and the family drama Mask.

To begin watching shows from Asianovela Channel, TVplus users need to press the scan

'Love So Beautiful' is a Chinese high school romcom that stars Shen Yue and Hu Yitian.

button on their TVplus remote and browse the TV list to find the channel assignment. It is initially available in Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Metro Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro. Since 2015, ABS-CBN TVplus has transformed the way Filipinos watch television as it delivers clear picture and crisp sound without any monthly and installation fee. As the pioneering digital terrestrial television (DTT) product in the Philippines, ABS-CBN TVplus also adds to the digital properties of ABS-CBN as the network transitions into an agile digital company.

O YOU still ARIAS remember the band named The Aga ALWIN IGNACIO Muhlach Experience? I don’t know where they are now.

No recollection if they were one of the better bands during the late ‘90s and how long their reign was. Not even remembering a song from them that became part of Pinoy pop rock history.

The name of group came to mind when I graced the premiere of Aga Muhlach’s new film, Paul Soriano’s First Love, opposite Bea Alonzo.

First love, yes, for the people born under the demographic labeled as Generation X, for the majority of us, Muhlach was our first showbiz guy love.

In the Maryo delos Reyes’ comingof-age film Bagets, it propelled him to instant matinee idol status.

On screen, with Herbert Bautista as constant comrade, you cannot forget those puppy dog eyes, the killer dimples and smile, that penchant for conversational English , the middle class persona and of course, the scene where he jumped in the swimming pool wearing only his tidy white underwear, became legendary.

A confession, if there was one guy I had the longest relationship with, it is definitely the one with Ariel, his real name. And the reason why we lasted, he does not even know me from Adam or Steve, and he is not aware that I am alive.

For the millennial who only knew Aga through his judging stint in Boyband PH, PH your required viewing, to savor and realize why we are still truly, madly and deeply in love with Mr. Muhlach, is May Minahal, Minahal which also stars his one time,

big time girlfriend, Aiko Melendez.

Another necessary popcorn flick to watch was his team up with Regine Velasquez, Pangako Ikaw Lang. And finally, Sana’y Maulit Muli, with Lea Salonga.

We are most aware now that Aga acknowledged that Salonga was his “the one who got away” lady love.

Sana’y Maulit Muli, since 1995 up to its restored version, continues to bring the magic and hope for your one true love and that distance and hardship are not enough to dissipate and destroy the love you feel if he or she is your “the one.”

Clamor and yearning for a reunion movie has not stop and continues to burn.

Do we get to see Aga and Lea on screen again? Soon, we hope, keeping all the body parts we can cross.

For now, let us be content with his first team up with Bea. From what I watched, Aga did not disappoint. Despite the obvious heft and his experimentation with facial hair, his eyes still convey a young boy playfulness, that special look of love he gives his leading lady and yes, in this Soriano directed motion picture, there is a fresh emotional maturity that he brings and gives Nick.

First Love, graded B by the Cinema Evaluation Board, is showing in cinemas nationwide.

Film industry experts speak on film education HOW does film education shape Philippine cinema?

This is the question asked by De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) Digital Filmmaking (DFilm) Program Chairperson Jose Javier Reyes, during an open forum of award-winning film practitioners, industry experts, and educators, to include Liza Diño, Patrick Campos, Kristoffer “Tops” Brugada, Jag Garcia, and David Corpuz at the College’s School of Design and Arts (SDA) Campus.

The dialogue was moderated by film education advocate Edward Cabagnot, who worked for over three decades at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and was one of the founding members of the respected Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

Cabagnot claimed that today’s growing number of film programs allowed aspiring filmmakers to express themselves. In 2005, only those working with big producers could witness their concepts come to life.

“However, if filmmakers are on the right path, how come we’re not making films that are teaching us ways to change the Filipinos for the right?” he asked.

Campos, University of the Philippines Film Institute (UPFI) Chairperson and National Commission for Culture and the

Arts (NCCA) Cinema Committee Member, stressed that the curriculum must be timely, relevant, and meaningful. He shared that UPFI prepared two tracks for their students: one for film scholars and one for future filmmakers.

“Film literacy is part of the education so filmmakers will understand the different disciplines,” he stated.

Campos added that UPFI will continue to recognize film literacy programs so Filipinos will have better critical view of the social value of the media.

Meanwhile Brugada, documentary filmmaker and De La Salle University professional lecturer, added that educational institutions must adjust based on the demands on film, one of which is its role to open the minds of the audience.

“I always tell my students that if they want to say something, they should create a film,” he said asserting that the schools will be left out if they do not adapt to these changes.

The speakers also commended how universities and colleges are hiring professionals together with theorists to provide appropriate guidance to the students.

“You need practitioners because they have the pragmatics of filmmaking. It is really delicate to find that balance in teaching the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of doing films,” Cabagnot

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, October 20, 2018

ACROSS 1 Window part 5 Dwarflike being 10 Pickling ingredient 14 Software buyer 15 Ecological hazard 16 Deli-scale word 17 Moonshot people 18 Develop 19 Forum attire 20 Get cozy 22 Wakened 24 Reunion crowd 25 Stratford’s river 26 In an insolent manner 29 Like some walls 33 Helps go wrong 34 Informal talk 36 Muhammad — 37 Earth’s sun 38 Dividend earner 39 Way to satori 40 Cry of disdain 41 Sword part 42 Movie part 44 Bur 47 Bauble 48 Pound sound 49 Happy sighs 50 Computer language 53 Taking away rank 58 Stadium shape

59 Fragrance 61 In a short time 62 Be generous 63 Soothes 64 Gam or Rudner 65 Byron’s works 66 Talk 67 Hot pot DOWN 1 Popular wedding month 2 Strong — — ox 3 Sergeant’s supper 4 Shelf support 5 A favorite relative 6 DEA operative 7 Comics pooch 8 Wks. and wks.

9 Deprive of force 10 Bring into accord 11 Far East land 12 Sudden impulse 13 Honey wine 21 Van Gogh’s medium 23 Caveman Alley — 25 Separate 26 Grates upon 27 Depth charge target (hyph.)

28 Raj headquarters 30 Tore down

31 Helen, in Spanish 32 Had a nice meal 34 Tweet 35 Sci-fi computer 38 Varnishes 42 London district 43 Splits top billing 45 Dishwasher phases 46 Large parrot 47 Deep rose 50 Comic-strip possum 51 Keen 52 Hoard

53 Allot 54 Ms. Thompson of films 55 Rolling — — (rich) 56 Memorandum 57 Chew 60 Knock sharply

explained.

Garcia, Assistant Professor and Founding Chairperson of Benilde’s DFilm Program, Educational Technology Coach at Center for Instruction, Research, and Curriculum (CIRC) EdTech office, and NCCA Cinema Committee Member, clarified that NCCA is currently gearing up with projects to establish film culture in the provinces.

“We are now putting in real effort through literacy and enrichment programs because it has a big impact. There are student films now as prominent as non-student films and young filmmakers who started as studentfilmmakers,” he noted.

The panel discussed how film education extends to the emerging media, which makes films accessible to a wider audience. Corpuz, director and Mapua University Digital Cinema Program Cluster Head, believes that Hollywood has always been the people’s initial exposure when it comes to movies, but hopes that the new media will change it for the better.

“There are already various ways to watch different kinds of films. That’s why I always tell my students that they no longer have any excuses now,” he noted.

While there are student-filmmakers who can still produce quality outputs given the limited equipment, the country’s lack in

C3

nickie.standard@gmail.com

Simply...

The

Uncut shows from East Asia land on TV Plus’ Asianovela Channel

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018

From C4

Davao load retailer wins Smart Ka-Partner P1M prize Making the move from Manila to Davao City has been worth it for this load retailer, who has won P1 million courtesy of PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications.

The load retailer and variety (sari-sari) store owner, who began selling Smart load just less than five years ago, won the grand prize at the Smart Ka-Partner retailers’ convention at SMX Convention Center, SM Lanang Premier in Davao City.

The latest Ka-Partner millionaire is a 65-year-old mother of two, who plans to use her winnings to pay off their house loan and help her children with their family expenses.

Born and raised in Manila, she and her family moved to Davao City in the early 2000s to pursue business opportunities and a better life.

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

More than 2,000 Smart load retailers or “Ka-Partners” from all over Mindanao attended the gathering, which featured entertainment, games, and raffle prizes.

Apart from P1 million, other prizes were also raffled off to the lucky attendees, such as cash, mobile phones and other gadgets, a brand-new motorcycle, and other exciting prizes.

The participants were able to join the raffle just by selling load credits, which were automatically converted to raffle entries.

The convention is part of Smart’s KaPartner rewards program, which gives incentives to the company’s load sellers to help them grow their businesses and enhance their livelihood, while enabling communities to stay connected.

The theme of this year’s retailer convention is “Bilis Asenso sa LTE,” as more and more load retailers are seeing increases in their earnings with the improved customer mobile experience because of Smart’s fast LTE network.

Smart Ka-Partner retailers are usually found at our neighborhood sari-sari or grocery store. Sometimes, they can also be our friend or relative from whom we can buy load, wherever they may be.

Smart hosted five retailer conventions in various locations across the country this year. Each assembly had its own set of raffle winners, including one recipient each of the P1 million grand prize. *** Watch if you ‘bilib’ Learning about science is fun in I-Bilib featuring Curious!

This Sunday, make your morning more exciting with award-winning host Chris Tiu Tiu, the wacky duo of James & Rodfil of Moymoy Palaboy Palaboy, Kapuso cutie Denise Barbacena and one of showbiz’ most beautiful faces, Rhian Ramos.

What will happen to a heap of marshmallows in a jar if all the air was sucked out?

Can a rope made of toilet paper hold up one person?

archiving necessary educational materials is still a different issue. “Philippines is one of the countries who first created films way back in the 1930s, yet we don’t have much to show to this generation and it’s a big loss,” Cabagnot reiterated.

Dino, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairperson and CEO, clarified that FDCP is attempting to understand the gaps – where is Philippine cinema now, what are the goals moving forward, and why is filmmaking not profitable for others.

“Philippine cinema is unique because we have our own stories from our own localities, which we transform into a beautiful piece,” she beamed. “That’s what FDCP wants to champion – to help filmmakers find their voice and make it universally available and relatable to a bigger audience,” she added.

Dino also asserted that as much as film scholars and educators find the need to cater a different kind of film to the audience, it is not proper to antagonize other genres.

“There has to be an understanding that Philippine cinema is an industry and a community and that there will always be films catering to the lowest common denominator,” she stated. “We just have to continue to make everything available to the audience because they will be the ones to decide what they want DFilm Program Chairperson Jose Javier to watch.”

Reyes

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

C4

Entertainment

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2018

Regine Velasquez-Alcasid with Cory Vidanes, Carlo Katigbak, Mark Lopez, Ogie Alcasid, and Cacai Velasquez-Mitra.

The

Songbird

has landed I

With ABS-CBN chairman Mark Lopez

T WAS a red carpet welcome fit for a queen, or the biggest OPM artist of all time – the way ABS-CBN wanted to put it.

Patiently waiting at the audience area of the Dolphy Theater were her fandoms of some 200 strong members.

“We have invited a record-breaking number of press just for this occasion alone,” the program host said to further convince the fans that they’re witnessing an event considered as one of the biggest on the entertainment scene this year.

Prior to the grand welcome, Regine Velasquez met with ABS-CBN chairman Mark Lopez, president and CEO

TEARS OF JOY. Regine Velasquez went emotional when she visited ABS-CBN headquarters and was greeted by her fans, executives and employees of the media giant.

HAPPIER SATURDAY MORNINGS

with Carmina and twins Mavy and Cassy PREPARE for fun-filled Saturday mornings with the whole family as GMA Network brings to Filipino homes its newest talk-variety show, Sarap ‘Di Ba?, beginning today after Maynila.

This program is hosted by no less than celebrity mom, actress and TV host Carmina Villarroel together with her talented twins Mavy and Cassy Legaspi.

Carmina, who is recognized as one of the country’s well-loved endorsers and most admired female personalities, returns to hosting but this time, she will be joined by her children in this family-oriented program.

A platform for bridging gaps between the parents and children, Sarap ‘Di Ba? will show how family members can strengthe n their rela-

tionship with each other. Carmina, being the Gen X mom, will keep televiewers happily entertained as she tackles relatable and more dynamic topics about family, food and fun activities for everyone.

The twins, being the Gen Z teens, will join their mom in the weekend morning chikahan about the latest trends in music, pop culture, fashion, and technology.

Carmina and her twins have been successfully making it work for almost 18 years now through their ability to relate with each other that’s why they are the perfect hosts of this program. Carmina might not be a “millennial”, and she may not be readily aware of all the trends and lingo that kids these days use, but she knows how to observe, listen, and be interested in what Mavy and Cassy are into.

The twins will definitely be a breath of fresh air to Kapuso viewers as they help their mom entertain and bond with their guests. Viewers should look forward to their adventures and misadventures in their personal vlogs or video blogs as they share what teens and children actually care about. The program will also be a platform

for sharing experiences, no matter what age group you belong to.

The fun bonding would not be complete without the delicious and healthy meals you can prepare for your picky children, your hungry husband, or to simply satisfy your own cravings! Learn new recipe ideas from Carmina and the twins while they share tips on parenting with their Kapuso celebrity guests.

Turn Saturday mornings into meaningful and special moments in Sarap ‘Di Ba? at 10:45 a.m. on GMA. Get the latest updates about the show from its official Facebook page www.facebook.com/ SarapDiBaGMA, and Instagram and Twitter accounts @SarapDiBaGMA. Kapuso viewers from across the globe can also catch their favorite Kapuso shows via GMA’s international channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV International.

For the program guide, visit www. gmapin o y t v. com.

'Sarap 'Di Ba?' is a weekly show that aims to serve as a platform for bridging gaps between the parents and children.

VERY WANG NICKIE WANG

Carlo Katigbak, COO for broadcast Cory Vidanes, TV production head Laurenti Dyogi, Dreamscape Entertainment head Deo Endrinal, head of finance for broadcast and news and current affairs Cat Lopez, to formalize her “return” to ABS-CBN, after weeks-long anticipation, by finally inking a two-year contract with the media giant.

Fans and Kapamilya employees warmly welcomed the Songbird, too, when she stepped in ABS-CBN headquarters for the first time in years.

At the presscon, the 48-year-old chanteuse revealed that she will be part of ASAP as a mainstay. Her inclusion though in ASAP Live in Sydney concert happening today is just a special guest appearance. She added that she is doing a yet-to-be-titled musical sitcom with her husband Ogie Alcasid and Ian Veneracion, and for the first time, she will be a judge in a reality singing competition.

Manila Standard Isah Red, who Regine recognized instantly and said was the first person to interview her when she was just starting out as a teen singer, asked the Songbird what sparked her return to the network.

“The reason why I’m here is because I don’t how much longer I will be able to sing. And I want to work with very talented singers, that’s it -- that before I end my career I can say that I worked with the number one station,” she retorted.

“I realized that I still have something to give. That’s why I’m here, that’s why I returned,” she added, and said that “now is the perfect time” for her ABS-CBN homecoming.

While emotions were high the program unveiled a VRT and video greeting from top Kapamilya stars that wanted to work with the Songbird.Sarah Geronimo, Piolo Pascual, Gary Valenciano, Angel Locsin, and Vice Ganda all sent video messages welcoming Regine to the network and conveyed that they could no longer wait to collaborate with her for future projects.

With excitement, the also Songbird announced that she will perform the theme song—written by Ogie—of the upcoming television series The General’s Daughter, which stars Angel Locsin.

Regine started her television career in the 80s on ABS-CBN musical shows Teen Pan Alley and Triple Treat, and starred in an episode of MMK in 2002, for which she won the Best Actress trophy at the PMPC Star Awards for TV. In 2002, she headlined One Night with Regine at the National Museum, which she identified as one of her most memorable concerts, which raised funds for ABS-CBN Bantay Bata 163. At the ABS-CBN Ball 2018, she announced her plan to stage another benefit concert for the reopening of Bantay Bata Children Village.

Darna is now a bag designer ISAH V. RED

WHO would have thought Angel Locsin would join the fashion world as a bag designer?

While she has become an icon of beauty and fashion, none of us even had an iota of imagination that this girl that made big waves in show business for playing the iconic Mars Ravelo creation of a Filipino superwoman, Darna, wouldn’t shout “Ding ang bato!” after more than a decade (she backed out of the planned film version of Star Cinema due to health reasons) but start her own bag collection for a worldwide beauty and fashion brand.

Just recently, ABS-CBN’s star of the upcoming series The General’s Daughter was presented to members of the press with her Avon Fashions x Angel Locsin collection – three pieces of bags she designed for the brand.

The three bags were inspired by three very distinct facets of Angel Locsin.

Angel, the She-EO If there’s one thing Angel does best, it’s handling her time well. She knows that every hour is an opportunity, and she does her best with it. Between managing her own ventures and meeting new business partners, she needs a bag that can handle all without needing a change.

The Angel Locsin Everyday Bag transforms between a tote and a sling, in a classic color that can match any outfit. It has an adjustable strap, and has enough room to cover the whole day. This classy yet edgy bag goes with two clear pouches perfect to keep things even more organized.

Angel, the Screen Icon It takes more than just looks to thrive in show business, and Angel knows this by heart. That’s why she takes every opportunity to expand her repertoire and hone her craft.

Whether she’s taking on a new role or sharing her wisdom as a talent show judge, the Angel Locsin Sling

Angel Locsin ventures into bag designing.

Bag holds all her essentials in a stylish little package. Its three compartments make it easy to organize, while the chic red leatherette ensures that she’s stylish, wherever the shoot may take her.

Angel, the Renaissance Woman Even outside work, Angel sees to it that she takes every chance to experience something new. It’s not unusual to see her exploring a new country, learning a new martial art, or taking part in various efforts for the community. Such a spontaneous life requires something that she can just grab at a moment’s notice. The Angel Locsin Backpack has room for a variety of activities, and keeps her hands free while she’s at it. The drawstring closure adjusts to every situation, and the zipped pockets keep essentials within easy reach.

It even comes with a matching wallet!

The bags now being sold to millions of women in the Philippines by Avon Ladies as the Avon Fashions x Angel Locsin collection bears the same carpe diem attitude that makes Angel Locsin such an icon for women. Each piece was designed to help women organize, hence making it easier to be a go-getter like Angel. After all, it’s easier to make the most out of every opportunity when one is on top of everything, Take every opportunity with no worries as Avon Fashions x Angel Locsin helps you stay in control of your day.

Distributed exclusively by the Avon Fashions—the #1 handbag seller in the Philippines—each bag is made with high quality materials, and is designed for maximum style and practicality, wherever and whenever you need it.

The Avon Fashions x Angel Locsin collection will be available in October through any Avon Representative or AvonShop.ph. Continued on C3