Manila Standard - 2018 December 27 - Thursday

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Catriona as Army reservist?

Why not? Says Lorenzana THE military would love to enlist Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray as a reservist, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Wednesday.

“I’ll talk to her if she would like to be a reservist, and of so it should be in the Army, ha-ha,” Lorenzana, a retired Army major general, told reporters.

Reservists are commissioned to provide the base for the expansion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the event of war, invasion or rebellion; to help in relief and rescue operations during disasters or calamities; to assist in socioeconomic development; and to help in the operation and maintenance of essential government or private services in the furtherance of the mission.

VOL. XXXII • NO. 315 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

BATOCABE CASE:

Police tag 6 persons of interest

Next page Catriona Gray

By Francisco Tuyay and Maricel V. Cruz

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OLICE said Wednesday they have identified six persons of interest in the assassination of Ako Bikol Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe and his police escort, SPO1 Orlando Diaz, who were gunned down in broad daylight on Saturday in the town of Daraga, Albay.

In a press conference in Legazpi City, Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde said some of the names were aliases, and could not be divulged to the public as yet.

Albayalde said there was not enough evidence to tie the murders to Batocabe’s political rival in the mayoral contest next year.

He also said they were not discounting the possible involvement of the communist New People’s Army.

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Briones: Review laws on bullying, kicking out bully won’t solve issue

By Rio N. Araja EDUCATION Secretary Leonor Briones on Wednesday called for a review of laws on bullying, after Ateneo de Manila dismissed a Grade 11 student was caught on video kicking and punching a schoolmate in the restroom.

Ateneo said “dismissal” meant the boy could no longer study in Ateneo.

“Dismissal is a solution for the school because the bully is no longer in its jurisdiction, but it’s not a solution for the children and it’s not a solution to the problem of bullying in itself,” Briones

said in a mix of English and Filipino on radio dzMM. She said victims could still suffer trauma from the bullying, while the bully could remain unchanged.

Expulsion is allowed by current law, but she said this was an extreme step as it meant the student could no longer be admitted to any school.

“We have to review the law. We need to harmonize our law with our policy on child protection,” Briones added.

Meanwhile, a child advocate group called on parents to address the reasons that their children bully others. Next page

‘Cracker injuries up to 24 ahead of New Year

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Joel E. Zurbano WITH New Year still days away, the number of fireworks-related injuries has reached 24 with the addition of 11 new cases, the Department of Health reported Wednesday.

The department said this was 54 percent lower than the same reporting pe-

riod in 2017 and 52 percent lower than the five-year average.

Only one of the new cases—a sixyear-old boy in Tondo, Manila—involved the ingestion of fireworks. He was taken to UP Philippine General Hospital on Christmas Day. Of the blast injuries, six resulted in eye injury while three necessitated amputation.

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CLOSING IN. National Police chief Oscar Albayalde tells a news conference in Legazpi City Wednesday law enforcement authorities have identified at least six persons of interest in the weekened assassination of Rep. Rodel Batocabe and his police escort, although their identities are under cover still of aliases. PNP Photo

SC affirms Eli Soriano’s libel conviction

By Rey E. Requejo

GETTING READY. Unidentified workers in a pyrotechnics factory in a village in Bocaue, Bulacan are making their New Year’s Eve products in time for the fireworks celebration for the arrival of 2019 on Tuesday night. Manny Palmero

THE Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of televangelist and Ang Dating Daan head Eliseo “Brother Eli” Soriano in a libel case arising from his remarks against a fellow preacher in his radio program 20 years ago.

In a seven-page deci- Eli Soriano sion penned by Associate Justice Noel Tijam, the SC’s First Division sustained the May 2016 decision of the Court of Appeals that affirmed his conviction by Iriga City Regional Trial Court in the libel case filed by televangelist and Jesus Miracle Crusade International Ministry head Wilde Almeda.

This emerged after the SC dismissed for lack of merit Soriano’s petition seeking reversal of the rulings of the CA and RTC. The tribunal sided with the findings of the lower courts that the elements of libel—identification, publication, defama-

‘Usman’ intensifies, brings rain today till Saturday MODERATE to heavy rainfall will continue to prevail over parts of the country starting today, Thursday, until Saturday due to the tropical depression “Usman,” the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Wednesday. The agency said the rain will fall in the Visayas, Bicol, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Next page

tory imputation and malice—under Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code were all present when Soriano attacked Almeda in his program over dzAL in Iriga City, Camarines Sur on July 31, 1998.

In the said taped broadcast, Soriano slammed Almeda after the latter gave his blessing to then presidential candidate Jose de Venecia.

He called the JMCIM preacher “false prophet,” “idiot” and “apostle of demons.”

The high court turned down Soriano’s argument that he could not be held criminally liable for his statements that were supposedly protected by religious freedom under the Constitution.

“Petitioner’s claim that his statements are absolutely protected by the Constitution because they are expressions of

Iloilo town mayor, solon son face raps for beating up cop THE mayor of Guimbal town in Iloilo and his son, a congressman, will be charged for beating up a policeman, police said Wednesday.

In an interview with radio dzMM, Western Visayas regional police director Chief Supt. John Bulalacao said Mayor Oscar Garin and his son, Iloilo 1st District Rep. Richard Garin had summoned PO3 Federico Macaya and beat him up after he was disarmed, body-searched and handcuffed at gunpoint.

The mayor and his son will be charged with physical injuries, alarm and scandal, direct assault against an agent or person in authority, and grave coercion, Bulalacao said.

“I told Congressman Garin that I’m taking this incident as an affront to me.

I will not let this pass without taking

Next page

Next page

Tik Tok hooks young girls, parents not amused PARIS—Millions of teenagers seeking their 15 seconds of fame are flocking to TikTok, but many of their parents are only now learning about the express-yourself video app—often to their dismay.

The social network became the most downloaded on Apple’s App Store in the first half of this year according to market analysis firm Sensor Tower, beating out titans like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.

The site, owned by China’s ByteDance, boasted 500 million users as of June following its purchase last year of Musical.ly, which greatly expanded its reach in the US. Next page

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No need for bicam for Road Board abolition

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATE Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon insisted on Wednesday that there is no need to convene a bicameral conference committee on the abolition of the Road Board.

“With all due respect to Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, the Senate has already taken the position that the bill to abolish the Road Board is already approved by virtue of its adoption of House Bill 7436 on September 12,” Drilon said.

He said this position was reflected in Resolution 134, which he proposed and which the Senate adopted shortly before it went on a Christmas break on Dec. 13.

The resolution urged the Office of the President not to release funds from the motor vehicle user’s charge following Congress’ passage of the bill that would abolish the Road Board.

“Convening a bicam has no basis when there are no inconsistent or disagreeing provisions,” Drilon said.

“When we adopted the House bill on September 12, there were no more disagreeing provisions. The Senate’s action made the bicam unnecessary, which means the bill to abolish the corruptionplagued agency is already considered passed by both chambers, and should have long been sent to the President’s desk for his signature.”

The House leadership, however, refused to enroll the bill, saying it rescinded its own version of the measure on the same day the Senate adopted its version.

“The Senate, in several instances, has made clear its position that the Road Board abolition measure is already approved. The Senate President issued statements to assert the position of the Senate. We better stick to it,” Drilon said.

Last week, the Senate’s stand to abolish the Road Board received support from President Rodrigo Duterte, who called for the immediate abolition of the agency which, he said, was being used as a “milking cow” of corrupt officials.

Drilon had earlier said the Road Board was dead, and that the Senate, consistent with its position that it should be abolished, could move that it be given no budget.

Briones:...

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Wilma Banaga, child protection advisor of the Save the Children Philippines, said adults—the parents and school officials—must take the responsibility of initiating interventions to stop bullying.

“We need to understand that a child might bully another due to difficulties in managing anger, aggression, non-tolerance for individual differences, experiences of violence at home, or the lack of good role models at home,” she said.

The group said it is important for adults to be good role models to children.

“Parents need to find the time to build a loving relationship with their children, and provide them the necessary guidance for them to grow up to be caring and non-violent individuals, and not children who accept that it is all right to hurt others,” Banaga said.

She also called for protection of privacy of all Ateneo de Manila University junior high school students involved in the viral video of bullying act that went viral on the social media.

“Save the Children Philippines believes that bullying should be taken seriously and immediately addressed by the school or community, and by the families of the children who are involved in this,” Banaga said.

At least three out of five Filipino children have experienced being bullied, according to a 2015 National Baseline Study on Violence against Children of the Council for the Welfare of Children.

“Although schools can impose suspensions or expulsions if circumstances warrant it, we hope that this will be the last resort as such disciplinary measures have been found to increase the risk of children experience negative outcomes later in life, and do little to deter a student from misbehaving,” Banaga said.

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Lorenzana said a visit from Gray would be welcome.

“It would be an honor to have her visit our camps,” he said.

Gray, 24, won the Miss Universe crown in Bangkok on Dec. 17, besting the candidates from 93 other countries.

She is the fourth Filipina to win the Miss Universe title after Gloria Diaz in 1969, Margarita Moran in 1973 and Pia Wurtzbach in 2015.

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Palace hits NPA’s ‘failed rebellion’ M ALACAÑANG on Wednesday described the 50-year insurgency of the Communist Party of the Philippines as a “failed rebellion” and that its founding chairman, Jose Maria Sison, was “out of touch” with reality.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo made the remark after Sison told ANC that the CPP-NPA remained relevant and would strengthen its efforts to oust President Rodrigo Duterte through its revolutionary movement.

“The 50 years of Joma Sison’s rebellion speaks for itself. It’s a failed rebellion,” Panelo said.

“It only resulted in the loss of lives of Filipinos, especially the young students who were

killed in ambushes, skirmishes, battles and in sickness in the hills.”

Panelo made his statement even as the Philippine Army on Wednesday claimed that the NPA violated its self-imposed holiday ceasefire after some of its members clashed with government forces, resulting in the wounding of a member of a militia in Rodriguez, Rizal.

Panelo said many communist rebels had been laying down their arms and sur-

rendering while Sison remained in exile in The Netherlands since 1987.

“The NPA surrenderers are coming in droves, responding to the call of the government to return to the fold of the law while Mr. Sison remains ensconced in his ivory tower of comfort and luxury while his comrades die for a lost cause,” Panelo said.

“No wonder the forces on the ground no longer follow him, hence his regular rants against [the government] to give himself the appearance of relevance.”

Panelo urged Sison to also surrender before he became too weak to do so.

“It’s time for him to wave the white flag before his physique gives up on him. There is honor in returning back to a democratic society and embracing the

constitutional order,” Panelo said.

“In the spirit of Christmas, we still wish him well and pray that he be blessed with inner peace and enlightenment.”

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered his troops to “destroy” the communists despite their declaration of a fiveday holiday ceasefire.

“We do not subscribe to their ceasefire, we are ready for anything. Change your paradigm, do not fight them, destroy them. Destroy them, kill them,” Duterte said in a speech at Camp General Manuel Yan Sr. in Compostela Valley.

Duterte has terminated the peace talks the CPP-NPA, which is tagged by the US as terrorists as they continued to commit abuses and to demand a coalition government. PNA

‘Cracker...

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50 YEARS. While the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army marks 50 years since its founding, an anti-CPP-NDFNPA group holds a rally at the Mendiola Bridge near San Beda and Centro Escolar University, with the military insisting the leftists have ‘nothing to celebrate.’ Norman Cruz

Police...

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“In politics, you always point to the opponent, right? But we, the PNP cannot speculate. We cannot speculate because we cannot link this person yet because of lack of substantial evidence,” Albayalde said.

Albayalde said despite the P32 million being offered for information leading to an arrest, witnesses were afraid to come forward to testify.

“It seems that the people are afraid to come forward and I don’t know why.

Even the barangay chairman said he knew nothing,” Albayalde said.

“What we were able to establish is that the assailants came from the back,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“That means they came from the crowd.

There’s a big possibility that people in the

crowd knew or recognized the assailants but so far, nobody wants to talk.”

He said the police have collected the testimony from six people who were wounded in the attack.

Batocabe, who is running for mayor in his hometown of Daraga, Albay next year, was killed while leaving a gift-giving event for senior citizens Saturday.

Albayalde said Wednesday the congressman did not coordinate with the PNP for his visit, as he did in previous events.

Batocabe’s wife Gertie said on social media that her husband might have been killed over politics, while Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. said there were threats to the congressman’s life after he filed a certificate of candidacy for mayor in October.

Garbin Jr. on Wednesday urged the PNP not to let Batocabe’s murder join the growing list of unsolved crimes as he took the police to task for failing to up-

date the family on the case.

He also proposed that the police disarm politicians’ bodyguards.

Akbayan Party-list Rep. Tom Villarin supported Garbin’s call.

“It’s high time that we make politics an art of governance, of reasoned discourse not as a showcase for brute power and a bully pulpit,” Villarin said.

“Armed bodyguards project an image of confrontation not discourse,” he said.

“Political differences should be settled through debate and dialogue not a display of violence.”

But Magdalo Party-list Rep.Gary Alejano, a former Marine officer, rejected Garbin’s suggestion.

Disarming private bodyguards would expose politicians to harm, he said.

What the police should do is to disband private armies, impose strict gun control and improve law enforcement to make conviction a certainty, he said.

SC...

Tik Tok...

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religious beliefs do not merit any consideration.

As what this Court stated [in Soriano vs Laguardia et al], “Plain and simple insults directed at another person cannot be elevated to the status of religious speech. Even petitioner’s attempt to place his words in context show that he was moved by anger and the need to seek retribution, not by any religious conviction,” the SC ruled.

“Though religion is arguably a matter or subject of public interest, there is no standard by which we can declare petitioner’s statements as fair commentaries. On their own, the words used by petitioner do not appear to debunk the purported falsities in the preachings of JMCIM but actually to degrade and insult their pastor or founder, Almeda,” the SC said.

However, while the tribunal affirmed the conviction of Soriano in Almeda’s case, it junked the other libel case pertaining to his statements against “persons comprising” JMCIM in the same radio show.

The SC reversed the CA ruling and instead acquitted Soriano in the second count of libel, saying his statements were not addressed to any specific pastor or individual in the rival church.

“Contrary to the findings of the lower courts, We did not find anything in the records which establish or single out any specific pastor, specifically Joel Cortero. Neither can We consider petitioner’s statements, be sweeping enough as to injure the reputation of all the members of JMCIM,” the tribunal stressed.

With these, the SC then modified the decisions of the CA and RTC that imposed a P12,000 fine on Soriano.

Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin and Associate Justices Mariano del Castillo, Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Alexander Gesmundo concurred in this ruling.

Analysts say it filled the void left by Vine, which introduced countless numbers of teens to the creative possibilities of ultrashort videos but failed to find a sustainable business model.

“TikTok capitalizes on short-term creative content that other platforms don’t encourage, by their design and community,” said Brian Solis at the US tech advisory firm Altimeter.

“If there is one thing Silicon Valley can learn from Chinese app development, it’s that it is tuned in to viral-as-a-service, meaning that their most popular apps have really been about making content and personas viral and also hyper-engaged,” he said.

Yet critics say its surging popularity among young girls in particular exposes them to caustic comments and other potential abuse by their peers, while offering a choice hunting ground for sexual predators.

The app itself promises a video-sharing community that’s “raw, real and without boundaries” and claims to be appropriate for children aged 12 and older.

Parents aren’t always convinced, given the numbers of young girls suggestively singing along to sexually explicit lyrics which are often degrading to women.

Such videos are the stock in trade of Halia Beamer, an American 13-yearold who has emerged as one of TikTok’s stars, chalking up morethan five million followers.

Dangerous characters Media reports have documented cases of users being bombarded with disturbing comments, while others have been asked for private contact details or to post-provocative images.

Last summer, the Indonesian government banned the app after more than 170,000 people signed a petition saying that lip-syncing in revealingoutfits was not suitable for children.

It was lifted only after TikTok representatives from China flew to Jakarta and promised to hire more people to weed out inappropriate content.

The US internet watchdog Common Sense says the combination of mature content and privacy risks means users should be at least 16.

“Because the age limit is so low, you attract a greater assortment of dangerous characters, and users lying about their age,” Solis said.

But raising the age limit would remove millions of people from the platform, and curb TikTok’s exponential growth.

In France for example, 38 percent of youths aged 11 to 14 have a TikTok account according to Generation Numerique, which tracks internet usage.

Girls are by far the majority among French pre-teens, with 58 percent saying they have an account compared with just 15 percent for boys.

French police warned parents last month about the dangers, saying their teens “may be targeted by indecent sexual proposals.”

“TikTok promotes dancing and singing in particular, things which are still pretty feminine that boys don’t always dare to do,” said Cyril di Palma, Generation Numerique’s president.

Hard choices ByteDance, whose app is called Douyin in China, says it works extensively to protect its users, with software that monitors content and “a continually growing team of moderators.”

But Di Palma says many parents are still unaware of the risks, “and are astonished to see their little angels in poses inappropriate for their age.”

The effects of early exposure to social media are so new that “parents, educators, even doctors... are either under-qualified or completely ignorant in the face of the need to guide a young generation in the dangers and possibilities of these new technologies,” Solis said.

William Soally, a French father whose 12-year-old daughter is a dance fan, took action after seeing alerts about TikTok among YouTube users.

AFP

‘Usman’...

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Catriona...

News

manilastandard.net

Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan, Aurora, Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands. due to tropical depression “Usman” starting today until Saturday.

Light to heavy rain is expected in Metro Manila from Friday to Saturday.

“Usman” is forecast to intensify into a tropical storm and to make landfall in Eastern Samar on Dec. 28.

“Usman” was 690 kilometers east-northeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, as of 5 pm on Wednesday and was moving northwest at 15 kilometers per hour. It was packing maximum winds of 55 kph and gustiness of up to 65 kph and was forecast to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Dec. 31. Rio N. Araja

The 11 new cases came from Metro Manila, Western Visayas, Calabarzon, Bicol, Central Visayas, and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

Twenty-one of the 24 victims were male with ages ranging from 2 to 49.

Ten injuries were due to illegal fireworks—boga, triangle and kwitis.

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III told hospitals to be ready for any eventualities during the holiday celebration when alcohol and fireworks sometimes become the center of merriment.

He said the best way to prevent injuries was to organize a community fireworks display.

“This is a safer way because skilled personnel handle the lighting of the fireworks,” he said.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila police director Guillermo Eleazar urged the public to report incidents of indiscriminate firing of guns in their community during the New Year celebration.

Eleazar also warned policemen who are caught firing their firearms during the revelry will face dismissal from the service.

The Metro Manila police chief said he would deploy more uniformed policemen in areas where indiscriminate firing of guns were reported in previous celebrations.

He also ordered the cancellation of the rest and recreation and other leave applications of policemen and directed them to report for duty during the holidays.

Last year, authorities arrested two military men accused of firing their guns indiscriminately on New Year’s Eve. Taguig City police arrested S/Sgt. Jamael Mindalano and Cpl. Richard John Quijan, both of Special Operations Command-Presidential Security Group.

They were charged with indiscriminate firing, alarm and scandal, illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions, physical injury, direct assault, resisting arrest and serious disobedience.

Also on Wedensday, the environmentalist group Ecowaste Coalition asked parents to properly guide their children in using horns as an alternative to firecrackers and fireworks this New Year.

“If a torotot [horn] is the preferred noisemaker, parents should select a well-made torotot and supervise a child while she or he plays with it. The importance of parental responsibility cannot be overemphasized as the torotots being sold in the market contain zero instruction on proper use and their quality and safety cannot be guaranteed,” said Ecowaste chemical safety campaigner Thony Dizon.

“While a torotot will not blow off a child’s fingers or give off toxic fumes, it may cause injuries requiring medical care as well as add to the revelry garbage,” he said.

Iloilo...

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action against them,” Bulalacao said in a statement.

The Garins’ police escorts have been recalled, he said.

Despite an apology from the congressman, Bulalacao said his men had the right to file charges against him and the mayor.

Bulalacao said the incident stemmed from Macaya’s failure to arrest the suspect in an altercation involving the congressman and two others.

Macaya said he could not arrest the suspect because the victim refused to file charges because he didn’t want his parents to know about the incident.

Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde told radio dzMM that he ordered Bulalacao to relieve the Guimbal police chief of his duties and to cancel the mayor’s deputation over the local police.

“What really hurts is that these are elected officials, they were voted by the people,” he said in Filipino, referring to the Garins.

News

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

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BOL was among new laws signed

by Du30 in 2018

REVISITING RIZAL. As Rizal Day approaches, local and foreign tourists take time to revisit the life and story of Dr. Jose Rizal at the Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila. Norman Cruz

Submit recovery plan, BOC execs told ‘Remittances from OFWs to exceed $31b’ CITING figures from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Representative Henry Ong said he expects OFWs’ remittances for 2018 to exceed more than $31 billion.

“Considering that monthly OFW money transfers have not gone lower than $2 billion since February 2016 ... personal remittances already totaled $26.5 billion in January to October, the $31 billion mark is near certainty,” said Ong, who chairs the House Committee on Banks and Financial Intermediaries.

Since the remittances always peak in December, there is even a high probability the $31 billion would be surpassed,” he added.

According to Central Bank data, remittances from OFWs in Africa alone rose by 22.7 percent to $113.23 million in January to October this year, from $92.3 million in the same period last year.

These remittances largely came from Liberia, which posted $57,85 million. Also contributing to the hike were remittances from Nigeria, Seychelles, and Egypt at $8.74 million, $2.01 million, and $2.06 million, respectively, Ong said.

In Europe, remittances hiked to 8.7 percent to $3.44 billion from $3.16 billion, mainly from Filipino seafarers whose ships were registered and based in the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, and Cyprus, even as a significant amount also came from landbased workers, such as nurses and engineers, farmhands, and household service workers.

From the Pacific island nations, remittances also increased by 11.5 percent to $647 million from $580.4 million. Money transfers from New Zealand and the Marshall Islands reached $199.11 million and $42.80 million, respectively.

By Vito Barcelo

C

USTOMS Commissioner Leonardo Rey Guerrero directed all district collectors to submit a recovery plan following the bureau’s failure to meet its assigned collection target for the months of October and November, dimming the possibility of hitting the P584.881-billion 2018 revenue collection target.

BOC records showed that for the month of October, the bureau was only able to collect P56.392 billion as against its target of P56.586 billion or a deficit of 0.3 percent or P195 million.

For the month of November, total collection was only P50.387 billion versus target of P56.873 billion, down by 11.4 percent or P6.486 billion.

The bureau’s collection performance slowed down after President Rodrigo Duterte named Guerrero in place of former Customs commissioner Isidro Lapeña who was embroiled in the P11 billion smuggled shabu reportedly hidden inside magnetic lifters which slipped past the bureau and was found emptied of their content in a warehouse in Cavite.

Guerrero implemented several measures to rid the bureau of alleged corruption, including detailing military personnel at the BOC and restricting legitimate brokers and importers movements inside the bureau, which led to the agency’s failure to meet its collection target.

Many considered October and November as the highest months for revenue collection because of the volume of imports that come during the holiday season.

In a memorandum dated and signed on Dec. 11, Guerrero directed all district collectors to submit a collection deficit recovery plan “with concrete and deliverable measures, to help ensure that the bureau will meet the assigned target for 2018.”

The directive was issued due to the low collection performance for the months of October and November.

THE Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and the Philippine System Identification (PhilSys) were among the list of 183 new laws signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018.

Duterte signed Republic Act 11154 on July 27 to replace the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao with a new Bangsamoro government designed to bring a lasting peace in Mindanao.

The BOL, previously known as the Bangsamoro Basic Law, is considered as one of Duterte’s biggest legislative achievements which will give the Moro people basic legal tools to chart their own destiny within the country’s constitutional framework.

The BOL has yet to be approved through a plebiscite in Muslim-populated regions in Mindanao.

Eleven days after he enacted BOL, Duterte approved RA 11155 creating PhilSys or National ID which serves as a single official identification card for all citizens and foreign residents in the country.

Duterte had said the PhilSys will boost his drive against “social menaces of poverty, corruption, and criminal issues as well as terrorism and violent extremism.”

The President also signed equally important laws such as RA 11053 or the ‘Anti-Hazing Act of 2018’ which completely prohibits all forms of hazing and imposes harsher penalties.

To encourage more local and foreign investors, Duterte also signed RA 11032 or an act promoting ease of doing business and efficient delivery of government services.

Other significant measures signed into law include: RA 11148 or the socalled ‘First 1,000 Days’ Law which seeks to provide health and nutrition to children during their early days of development; RA 11037 institutionalizing a national feeding program for “undernourished” grade school pupils; and RA 11036 which will create National Mental Health policy. PNA

Bill on armchairs for left-handed students filed

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

CALENDARS FOR THE NEW YEAR. Street vendors has started selling the 2019 calendar in Recto, Manila on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2018. Norman Cruz

Funding for medical exam for public educators OKd

By Maricel V. Cruz TWO party-list lawmakers on Wednesday welcomed the inclusion of the P500 annual medical examination fund for each public school teacher as mandated by the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers in the 2019 General Appropriations Bill approved by the House of

Representatives.

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio and France Castro, members of the Makabayan Bloc, said since the enactment of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers in 1966, the provision that mandates government to provide for the annual medical examination of public school teachers remained unfunded.

“Public school teachers have to shell out from their own pockets to comply with DepEd requirements to be able to do their jobs,” Tinio said. “Though there are services offered by the PhilHealth, this clearly does not meet RA 4670’s mandate of free health care for public school teachers as PhilHealth are not free but in exchange of monthly contributions.”

A BILL seeking to require all schools to provide armchairs for left-handed students has been filed in the Senate.

Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, author of Senate Bill No. 2114, said the bill aims to promote equal development of students by requiring educational institutions nationwide to provide left-handed armchairs for lefthanded students.

“Currently, left-handed students are left without a choice but to work with right-handed armchairs,” Angara said.

He said studies showed that a righthanded armchair does not offer lefthanded students the same arm support that right-handed students enjoy, causing back, neck and shoulder pain to left-handed students.

“The inefficient and awkward writing position that left-handed students must adopt in right-handed armchairs causes slower handwriting, placing them at a disadvantage on important timed examinations,” Angara said.

In the United Kingdom, campaigners are calling for the government to recognize school room struggles which hamper the development of left-handers.

Experts said thousands of left-handed school children are struggling in the classroom because of the failure to meet their needs.

Studies say that there are between 10 to 15 percent of the population worldwide that are left-handed.

Student fare discounts on all types of transport pushed Distribute TES funds immediately

By Maricel V. Cruz A LAWMAKER on Wednesday appealed to the leadership of the House of Representatives to prioritize the passage of a bill institutionalizing a 20 percent discount for students in land, air and sea transport fares.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, author of House Bill 7269, said the proposed fare discount will help students and their parents cope with the ever-increasing costs of basic goods and of education.

“This will mostly benefit indigent

students and their families who have to cope with rising prices of basic goods.

“A discount on transport fares would help ease the daily woes of low-income families, especially parents sending more than one kid to school,” said Villafuerte whose bill was among the measures earlier passed and consolidated into a substutute bill by the House committee on transportation.

Under the bill, a student shall be entitled to a 20-percent discount on the regular domestic fares of all kinds of public transportation utilities upon the presentation of a duly issued and

validated school identification card or current validated enrolment form, supported by any document to properly establish identity.

This substitute bill seeks to institutionalize the grant of fare discount currently being enforced by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board even during weekends and holidays and which covers all means of transportation all-year round.

The Senate already approved its version of the bill on third and final reading last October.

for public/private school students—Bam

WHILE he welcomes the Commission on Higher Education’s release of around P4.8 billion for its Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) program, Senator Bam Aquino said the allocated budget for its full implementation should be distributed immediately to studentbeneficiaries in both public and private education institutions.

“I welcome the release of the said amount as it proves the administration’s commitment to implement the program under the law,” said Aquino.

Aquino is the principal sponsor of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which he pushed during his term as chairman of the Committee on Education.

The CHED recently announced the release of P4.8 billion for the TES program under the free higher education law to students in 112 state universities and colleges (SUCs) and 78 local universities and colleges (LUCs). Macon Ramos-Araneta

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Opinion

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

A year of reckoning TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

when he exhibited a streak common to his predecessors—a dislike for criticism. Look at what happened to Rappler. And he also threatened ABS-CBN with non-renewal of franchise when it was accused of not airing his ads during the 2016 campaign.

Generally I think Philippine press has been free.

As for me, I’d like to think I am a fair opinion writer. I praise and criticize as needed.

AS THE new year approaches, it is a good time to evaluate whether President Duterte has fulfilled his promise of change.

We will also know whether the people would vote for candidates endorsed by the President. *** So far, the people appreciate the Bullying in school is nothing new. I bloody war on drugs, criminality and say it’s part of growing up among male corruption despite the setbacks. students.

On the war against corruption, while What happened at Ateneo Junior the President has made inroads, people High School reminds me of the time also see that he is just recycling and when an American student bullied reappointing his friends and even pro- boy named Mario Tiaoqi, who later moting them. on became Energy Secretary. They All in all, I think had a classmate, change has not Joseph Ejercito, come. who stepped in Fortunately the to protect his President has three friend Tiaoqi.

Do the people think more years to go.

Erap challenged But this is why I Duterte has delivered on the American to a say that 2019 will his promise? fight at the boy’s be a year of reckrestroom. oning. The results Both Erap of the election will and the Amerishow whether the can student were people believe that Mr. Duterte can still called to the principal’s office. deliver on his promise of change.

The American boy was expelled As of now, I would say things do not while Estrada was dismissed. The diflook good for the President. The killings ference is that you can no longer enroll done in the name of the drug war have in other schools if you are expelled, but brought about a climate of impunity. And when you are only dismissed, you still it will get worse as the polls approach! can. Erap went on to finish high school For so long as the police cannot stop guns at San Sebastian. for hire, private armies and the proliferaAs for the American, Patrick Hilton, tion of firearms, I am afraid we will see he went back to the US and eventually worse things to come. settled in Miami.

In my almost 70 years as journalist, it’s the same story all over again. Politi*** cians greedy for power and influence The Commission on Elections should will do anything, even kill their rivals, monitor the spending of candidates this to stay in power. early.

And we say we are a predominantly The President’s senatorial candidate, Catholic country.

Bong Go, has been campaigning nationwide and helping calamity victims. *** The President said Bong Go was a I have covered ten presidents, walked billionaire—just how he got there, we the corridors of power and seen history don’t know. All we know is that the in the making. I can say with certainty company of his father and stepbrother that President Duterte has been rela- cornered contracts amounting to P2.4 tively fair to the press. billion, according to the Philippine There were instances, however, Turn to A5

Universal message

A

T THE Christmas Eve Mass Monday in Rome, Pope Francis, the leader of the 1.3-billion strong Roman Catholic church, cautioned the faithful against greed and finding meaning in material possessions.

skin, or the language they speak, or the faith that they espouse, are not the same.

“Our differences are not a detriment or a danger,” the Pope said.

“They are a source of richness.”

These messages well apply to what is now happening in the Philippines. First, the soaring prices of everyday goods and services have only served to make poor Filipinos feel even more marginalized and powerless than ever.

The coming year is an election year and candidates, as they have always done, will package themselves as saviors who will lift their constituents out of poverty. Alas, these are empty promises. They do not serve the people by handing them a few bills in times of need or giving a bag of goods when disasters strike.

What the people need is an envi-

“An insatiable greed marks all human history, even today, when paradoxically a few dine luxuriantly while all too many go without the daily bread needed to survive,” the pontiff said.

It’s a message apt for today’s fast-paced, tech-driven, consumerist world. Trends move fast—as does the desire to acquire material wealth which are unfortunately seen as the source of meaning and self-esteem.

On Christmas Day, Pope Francis then said he wished for fraternity— “among individuals of every nation and culture, among people with different ideas, and among persons of different religions.”

Again it’s an apt call amid a world of intolerance and hatred, where people look upon others unfavorably just because the color of their

ronment conducive to economic activity so they could fend for themselves and have more options on how they want to live their lives.

The coming campaign will also again highlight the mindless animosity among supporters of various politicians. The exchange of statements could be acrimonious. Worse, they are based less on thoughtful consideration of issues than they are on rehearsed lines fed to trolls.

Worse than hatred peddled online is the physical violence that has started creeping up on us.

There is a climate of impunity that emboldens criminals—sometimes masquerading as protectors or servants of the people—to kill anybody who gets in the way of their objectives.

The Pope’s messages are worthy of reflection by Catholics and non-Catholics alike. In the end, we are all the same, and the labels and possessions we adorn ourselves with will not really matter as much as how genuinely we live our lives.

Fighting back against a sex maniac He added, “Salute to ate na gumawa ng paraan para mabisto yung nambabastos sa kanya” [I salute elder sister who found a way to call out the man who was being obscene to her].

The unidentified young woman was STRIKING a blow against the patri- declared a heroine by many netizens archy, a young woman roundly cussed who saw her action as one of women out a pervert who whipped out his empowerment. Many bared their simipenis and flashed it at her while they lar experiences of sexual harassment were riding a packed bus. by strangers in public vehicles.

The woman, showing courage and Jinhwan commented, “Got teary presence of mind, took a video of eyed watching this. Nagsasalsal yung the man’s exposed privates and him nakatabi ko sa tricycle [A man beside zipping up after she began cursing me in a tricycle was masturbating] one him. “Put*ngina time but I couldn’t mo ha, ba’t mo say anything benilalabas t*ti mo, cause he seemed ha!” [You son of drunk and I was a bitch, why are afraid he’d hurt Thank you for you taking out your bravery that is me. Wish I could your penis] She get this same appealed to fel- an example to the courage if I ever low passengers in sisterhood, and for encounter another Filipino: “Look at showing the rest asshole during this man with his commute. Super of us that we can dick out! Miss, bilib ako kay ate you saw him zip- fight against the [I am very imping up, right?” pressed by her].” manifestations of toxic The man looked Shekinah said, masculinity, particularly “Ang embarrassed, tapang ni moved away, and when they put us ate gurl hindi lastammered “Pa- at risk. hat nagkakaroon sensiya na” [I beg ng ganyan ka layour patience]. kas ng loob katuTwitter user lad ni ate. [She Ushwa, who shared the video on Dec. was so brave. Not everyone has that 22, said, “I hope pag tapos mapanood kind of courage.] I almost got raped to ng mga babae na nababastos mas when I was 10yrs old I was the only naging matapang sila na kailangan one in that vehicle I didn’t know how nila gumawa ng aksyon kapag saka- to confront that asshole bc he’s got a nila nangyare to” [I hope that after freakin’ knife!I wish I had that same women who are being sexually har- courage of you ate.” assed watch this, that they will beMost of the male commenters were come brave enough to act if something supportive like Ryl, who said, “The like this happens to them]. world needs more of you, ma’am.”

Turn to A5

EVERYMAN

Fears and hopes

By Val Abelgas AFTER quietly celebrating Christmas Day, many people must now face reality and ask themselves: What’s ahead in 2019? How are we going to cope?

The year comes to a close and the new year approaches the United States with dark clouds in the horizon. Washington is at a standstill as a stalemate prevails between President Donald Trump, who insists on building a $5-billion wall across the border with Mexico, and the Democrats in Congress, who vehemently oppose it, forcing a partial government shutdown that threatens to stretch well into the start of the new year.

The stock market plunged dangerously last week and is now on track for

its worst year since 2008 and its worst December since 1931 during the Great Depression. The plunge was a reflection of investors’ concerns about a slowing global economy, the continuing trade dispute with China, and another interest rate increase announced by the Federal Reserve just before Christmas.

The stock market plunge also reflects a general pessimism over what former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg described as Trump’s “recklessly emotional and senselessly chaotic” administration that in the past few days have resulted in the following: the shocking decision to a full withdraw of US troops from Syria and partial pullout from Afghanistan, the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the firing of White

House Chief of Staff John Kelly, and the firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, among others.

With no clear end in sight for the partial government shutdown, fears of a looming recession, and an expected larger divide between a soon Democratic-dominated House and Trump, Americans must now dig deep into their reserve of optimism to welcome the new year with hope.

In the Homeland, on the other hand, despite uncertainties raised by the escalating political violence ahead of the coming May elections, the constant threats of political repression, a possible shift to federal form of government, continuously rising prices of goods and Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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Opinion

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

Things that bring countries closer together

Justice for Rodel OVERSIGHT DANILO SUAREZ DAYS before Christmas, we were shocked and deeply saddened by the death of one of most active and vocal legislators and a member of the Minority, our dear Congressman Rodel Batocabe. Rodel joined the Minority this year and displayed his dedication to public service. He was Vice Chairman of several Committees—Dangerous Drugs, Good Government and Public Accountability, and Natural Resources.

He died a true public servant.

Rodel was known to be kind and amicable to everyone—to his colleagues and staff members.

Congressman Rodel was set to run as Mayor in Daraga in the coming 2019 elections. In this context, I firmly believe that there is no place for violence in the exercise of suffrage and democracy.

I call on the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies to hasten its investigation so that the perpetrators of this unspeakable crime be brought to justice It is unfortunate that 2018 is leaving us with heavy hearts. But as we approach the new year, I will assure you that we will be more active in discussions and legislative investigations. We are on the last stretch in the 17th Congress. Election period will soon commence. In memory of Congressman Rodel Batocabe, who died a true public servant, I fervently call for an honest, and violence-free election.

Planning for climate change to ask our government what it is doing to mitigate the effects of natural disasters brought about by climate change.

The answer to this question is unfortunately hardly enough. A simple glance at the map will tell us that our country which is already one of the most natural disaster-prone countries in the world and IT IS only the 27th and there are already has also been identified as one of many 14 reported firecracker victims. At this countries that will be affected most rate, firecracker casualties will increase compared to last year. People cannot seem to learn at all. It is time to ban the sale and manufacture of the dangerous types of firecrackers that could maim Poor countries or kill. Losing fingers, a hand or getsuffer more. ting killed is never the way to celebrate the coming of the New Year. Instead we should simply try to celebrate with wholesome family activities instead of lighting firecrackers that could bring us harm. by climate change. Even in the best of times, typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis *** often batter the nation causing so much The tsunami in Indonesia that killed misery. As we are now learning, it no several hundred people was triggered longer matters where one lives. One can by the volcano Anak Krakatau when it live by the sea or away from it and no one erupted causing an underwater landslide is spared the wrath of natural calamities. that killed many unsuspecting people. Although there are still people who deny This once again signals the importance that climate change is caused primarily of disaster preparedness. by human activity, climate change as a Anak Krakatau is what remained of result of global warming is very real. the gigantic Krakatau volcano that eruptWe, Filipinos are experiencing this aled in 1883 killing 36,417 people. This ready. Typhoons are getting stronger and tsunami a few days ago came without can come even when we least expect it. any warning whatsoever and therefore The strongest storm that ever hit land hit caught the people totally by surprise. the country in 2013 under the internaTo top it all, the tsunami early warning tional name of Haiyan. It had sustained devices have been out of service for the winds of 315 kph and gusts of 380 kph. last six years and were never repaired. Never before in the history of our counThis disaster came just three months af- try did we experience such a typhoon. It ter another earthquake and tsunami that killed more than 10,000 people, many of killed about 2,556 people when a vol- them were never found. The government cano erupted in Palu, Central Sulawesi. stopped counting when the figure reach Indonesian President Joko Widodo seven thousand plus because of the dehas now ordered the purchase of new sire of the incompetent Aquino governtsunami warning devices and the repair ment to minimize the destruction. of those unserviceable tsunami early The storm caused destruction never warning devices. This action sort of re- before experienced in this country that it mind us of the way we do things in this is now the accepted yardstick on how the country. For countries located along the government prepares for disaster mitigaso-called Pacific Ring of Fire, natural tion. People are now more conscious and disasters is a real and present danger willing to evacuate when required to that could strike anytime without any do so. But unfortunately, there are still warning. This is as good a time as any many people who do not seem to have

learned any lessons or simply refuse to follow sensible government suggestions to vacate areas when strong typhoons that can cause landslides and flooding might hit the country. This is where the government must be firm and resolute.

The impact of global warming and climate change will only get worse if government fails to put in place sensible policies to strengthen the country’s resilience to climate change. We know that the government already has the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which is supposed to coordinate the government response to climate change.

But nothing insignificant has come out of this body. Let me also quote a statement from NEDA Secretary Ernesto Pernia, the principal planning official of the government. “The NEDA Climate Change Strategy is a four-part initiative that will be implemented from 2018 to 2021 to catalyze behavioral change among the NEDA employees. With this strategy, we aim to reduce the agency’s energy and water consumption and per capita greenhouse emissions while maximizing productivity of our agency.”

If this is the government strategy, then it is sadly lacking. The good secretary wants to start small and is hoping to influence all government offices to follow suit but what this country needs is a program that can be implemented all over the country like for instance stopping the building of coalfired power plants which seem to be picking up instead of going down. The more sensible policy should be to concentrate on renewable energy. One absurd news item that I read is that the pork worth P8 billion intended for the Bicol region was in fact flood control measures to mitigate climate change. The thing about global warming and climate change is that no country will be left unaffected. If our government officials think that climate change is more the problem of the developed world and we do not have to do our share, they should think again. In fact, poorer countries will suffer more because these countries have less resources to spend to surmount the problem.

A Happy New Year to one and all. www.emiljurado.weebly.com

Fears...

From A4

services, and fears of even higher prices with another tax reform bill in the horizon, Filipinos remain as hopeful as ever of the coming year.

Year after year, hope springs eternal for Filipinos as shown by surveys in the last few years. Surveys every year conducted by the Social Weather Stations show that at least 93 percent or more than nine of ten Filipinos face each coming year with hope.

Last year, the percentage was 96 percent, the highest since SWS started the hope survey in 2000, while in the previous year it was 95 percent. In 2015, it was 92 percent and in 2014, the figure was 93 percent.

Hope surveys had customarily been at high levels, starting at 87 percent when the SWS first polled about hope in December 2000, and 88 percent in December 2001. In December 2002, New Year hope reached a record high of 95 percent before declining to 90 percent in December 2003.

It slumped to 81 percent at the end of December 2004, but rebounded to 85 percent in 2005 and to 91 percent in 2006. In 2009 and 2010, 89 percent of Filipinos showed the same optimism about the coming year, which was slightly lower than in the three previous years—91 percent in 2006 and 2007, and 92 percent in 2008.

Except for that period following the Garci cheating scandal in 2004 when street protests nearly toppled Gloria Macapagal Arroyo from Malacanang, Filipinos have been traditionally hopeful of the coming year.

It may be worthwhile to note that in Germany, where the first survey about fear and hope was made in 1991, hope among Germans never topped 58% in any year from 1991 to the present. It is ironic that the Philippines, one of the poorest coun-

tries in the world, has a much higher hope rating than Germany, which is the world’s fifth largest economy, next only to the United States, China, Japan and India.

Analysts cite the resiliency and the traditionally happy disposition of Filipinos as the reason for their eternal optimism in the face of poverty, disasters, calamities, corruption and inefficiency of government, and the prolonged separation of families because of the export of labor. This was clearly shown during the typhoon Yolanda disaster in Central Visayas and was recognized by CNN’s Anderson Cooper, US State Secretary John Kerry, UN chief Kim Ban-moon and many others who witnessed how the Filipinos “dusted off the dirt” and went on with their lives in the midst of extreme deprivation, devastation and death.

That Filipinos remain hopeful despite all these negative factors is indeed a testament to the resiliency of Filipinos, which was first noted by the late President Manuel L. Quezon who described Filipinos as “pliant like a bamboo,” in reference to the bamboo tree, which bends with the wind and survives the storm. This inherent characteristic of the Filipino enables him to survive disasters and calamities that confront him, enabling him to adjust to life’s difficulties and move on.

In fact, in a Gallup Poll survey released last year, the Philippines came out as the third happiest country in the world behind Fiji and Colombia, two equally poor countries where people remain happy despite depravity.

But whether such eternal optimism and resiliency is good for the country or not is another thing.

In an editorial about the Filipinos’ end-

less optimism in 2005, the Philippine Daily Inquirer said: “We may be incurable optimists because we expect too little of the future, or from ourselves. We let alleged crimes slide because we do not demand an accounting; we are happy to continue eating two square meals a day and call that progress. Enough already. If this is optimism, let’s all get real.”

And that precisely is the problem with the Filipinos’ eternal optimism.

Because we have set the bar too low, we tend to be satisfied with what we have even though it is clearly not enough, and in this situation, it is not difficult to be hopeful. And because of our ever-hopeful spirit, we tend to ignore the problems of the past and move on, only to encounter the same problems in the coming year.

Add this to the Filipinos’ “bahala na” attitude and we know why many Filipinos tend to be contended with what they have and just ignore the problems and dangers that they confront every day.

The problem with these hope surveys is that they are usually conducted in the first week of December, when a festive atmosphere prevails over the Philippines because of the coming Christmas season.

At this time of the year, Filipinos put their problems under the rug and put a happy face for the most festive of all Filipino celebrations. And besides, many of them enjoy a moment of satisfaction at this time of the year, having just received or about to receive 13th month pay, bonuses and other perks.

While hope is generally a good thing, too much of it can bring bad results. After all, isn’t it a fact of life that anything in excess is not a good thing? valabelgas@aol.com w

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

IT WOULD not be right if the year 2018 were allowed to slip into history without mention being made of two events, different in character and attendant circumstance that had the effect of bringing closer together the Philippines and two of its best friends in the world. The two friends are the U.S. and Australia.

First, the U.S. The felicitous event involving our most important geopolitical and economic partners—all claims of pivot-to-China advocates to the country notwithstanding—was the return, at year-end, of the three bells of the San Lorenzo de Martini Church of Balangiga, Easter Samar. The bells were taken away by the U.S. Army after the September 27, 1901 encounter between the Independence fighters of the Samar town and a company of American soldiers: Two of the bells were placed on display at a U.S. Armed Forces base in the state of Wyoming and the third was brought by the U.S. Army to a base in South Korea. The reprisal ordered by the commanding general for the Samar sector was severe: Balangiga was to be turned into a “howling wilderness,” with no Filipino male ten years old and above left alive.

Relations between this country and its former colonial master were close before the grant of Philippine independence in July 1946, and they have remained close since then. Those relations have spanned geopolitics, economics, culture and last but not lease, immigration. Until 1991 the U.S. maintained, by virtue of the Philippine-U.S. Bases Agreement, two large bases and several smaller military facilities in this country.

But through the years—117 years to be exact—the fact of U.S. custody of the Balangiga bells has remained a painful thorn in the side of the Philippines. The U.S. has been a generous partner and ally—military aid, development assistance and investments—but the generosity has only dulled, but not removed, the pain from the memory of the cart-

ing away of Balangiga’s church bells.

As long as the bells were not returned, Philippine-American relations would never be 100 percent right.

A succession of Philippine presidents worked hard and lobbied for the return of the Balangiga bells. The latest to do so was Rodrigo Duterte, who mentioned it in one of his State of the Nation Addresses. Whether the administration of President Donald Trump wanted to make a strategic gesture in the face of the Duterte administration’s so-called pivot to China,’ we don’t know. What we do know is that the Trump administration decided to do right—at long last—by the Philippines.

Let there be no mistake about it. The return of Balangiga bells, after 117 long years, has been a tremendous shot in the arm for Philippine-American relation. No high-powered public’s relations campaign can ever achieve what this one U.S. government act has done for those relations. An enormous thorn in the side of the Philippines has been removed.

There has been closure of the Philippine-American what would that was there for over a century.

Now, Australia. The felicitous event that has served to bring the Philippines and Australia even closer together can be summed up by one name —Catriona. At the close of 2018, Catriona Magnayon Gray was crowned the 2019 Miss Universe.

Australia and the Philippines have always been staunch friends and allies, and Australia has been one of this country’s top three sources of development assistance. It has been most welcoming and hospitable to Filipino immigrants.

But the magnitude of the Filipino goodwill that Australia has earned over the decades has been mostly augmented by the recognition given by the Miss Universe judges to the gorgeous lass born to an Australian father and a Bicolana mother. The fact that a Queensland newspaper thinks that Catriona Gray should be called Miss Queensland is a measure of the good that she has done for Philippine-Australian relations.

The two events discussed here are the kinds of things that bring close nations even closer together.

Fighting...

From A4

However, there were also some who objected to the young woman’s vocal condemnation, saying that her cussing was extreme.

What these people don’t realize is that the woman felt unsafe and threatened in that situation, as many other women can attest they do, and she was doing what she thought best to protect herself.

Most women in similar circumstances ignore the obscene conduct and keep silent, because they fear that “making a scene” will provoke the man to retaliate and further escalate their offensive actions. Inaction on the victims’ part emboldens offenders and reinforces their behavior, causing them to repeat it until they are caught or get some sort of comeuppance.

Exhibitionism by men and harassment of women on public vehicles is not unusual. Exhibitionistic disorder is when a person “experiences recurrent and intense sexual arousal (manifested by fantasies, urges, or behaviors) related to exposing the genitals to a stranger” (Medscape.com). It is among the deviant behaviors that violate social norms and laws.

Article 200 of the Revised Penal Code penalizes “grave scandal,” which is “a crime consisting of the performance or doing any act which is highly scandalous as to offend against decency and good custom.”

The act must be “either a physical observable activity or audible noise,

both of which scandalizes those who see or hear them,” done either in “a public place…[or] within public knowledge or public view.”

If that pervert is ever caught he can be charged with the above crime, because the video shows that all the required elements are present. The case serves as an example to women to stand up for themselves, but with discretion if they are being physically threatened with a weapon or other aggressive behavior.

It should also make men aware that there are laws against actions like these, and that women are becoming more aware of their rights and are more likely than before to take matters into their own hands to obtain relief from intimidation and threat, especially when it is easy now to obtain video evidence of the wrongdoing.

Ate gurl, whoever you are, I applaud you. Thank you for your bravery that is an example to the sisterhood, and for showing the rest of us that we can fight against the manifestations of toxic masculinity, particularly when they put us at risk.

No woman should live in fear, not when riding the bus, not anywhere, not anytime. *** Dr. Ortuoste invites you to join her in dismantling the patriarchy, one jerk at a time. FB and Twitter: @ DrJennyO

A year...

From A4

Center for Investigative Journalism. *** As of now, here is my list of probable winners in the senatorial race, not necessarily in order: Grace Poe, Cynthia Villar, Pia Cayetano, Nancy Binay, Sonny Angara, Koko Pimentel, Jinggoy Estrada, Imee Marcos, Bong Revilla, Lito Lapid.

Not far behind are Juan Ponce Enrile, Serge Osmena and Bato dela Rosa.

It also means the people do not want a return of the Yellows.

*** The way I see it, performers in the Duterte Cabinet are Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez, NEDA Director-General Ernesto Pernia, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.

May their tribe increase. www.emiljurado.weebly.com

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

Bill requires schools to post food content A MEASURE has been filed in the Senate mandating the establishment of a labeling and nutritional awareness program that will require schools to post nutritional content information of the food served in schools.

Senate Bill 2125, authored by Senator Nancy Binay, aims to guide students to make the right choices in selecting good food for them to lead healthy lifestyles.

“It is our objective to ensure that good nutritional choices becomes part of their [students] everyday life. In addition, it can help them reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of chronic diseases and promote overall health,” the senator said in her explanatory note.

Under the proposed “Healthy Food Choices for Kids Act,” the Education secretary shall award grants to not more than five regions that will assist not more than 10 schools carrying out the pilot program.

The schools that will be given grants should post nutritional content information in school canteens regarding the food items served there and teach students how to make healthy food selections.

To qualify for the grant, a region shall submit to the Department of Education an application stating that it will ensure that the schools meet the pilot program requirements within one year.

Under the proposed bill, the region should also have a plan to inform all the schools about the pilot program, give assurance that it will use not less than 95 percent of the grant funds to award to schools; and award subgrants to at least three but not more than five schools located in the rural areas.

For a school to be qualified for the grant, it shall submit an application to the region stating the plan for the implementation of the program including efforts to ensure that nutritional content information, such as calories, are posted in a visible location at the point of decision in the canteen and are readable and appropriate for students.

21 Chinese nationals arrested

By Vito Barcelo

NONPLUS STROLLERS. Parkgoers are in a visible state of disquiet, jabbed by the depressing sight of uncollected garbage at the 27-hectare Quezon Memorial Circle in the erstwhile capital city left by Christmas sojourners. Manny Palmero

Long-term NAIA pay parking to be temporarily prohibited

By Joel E. Zurbano OVERNIGHT or long-term pay parking at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport - Terminal 3 will be temporarily prohibited to ease traffic going to and from the airport during the rest of the holidays.

“Please be advised that beginning December 28, 2018 overnight or long-term parking in all pay parking areas at the NAIA Terminal 3 will be suspended due to the heavy volume of vehicles sending off and meeting passengers this holiday season,” the Manila International Airport Authority stated in its advisory.

Officials of the MIAA Media Affairs

Division, however, said the NAIA Terminal 3 management would still allow vehicles to park at pay parking areas but only for a limited period.

They added that overnight and long-term parking would resume on Jan. 4, 2019.

The MIAA has anticipated the arrival of at least two million air travellers, including overseas Filipino workers, in four terminals this month to spend and enjoy their vacations with friends and families this holiday season.

Meanwhile, the Cebu Pacific Air urged air travelers on domestic flights over the next few days to check-in for their flights online before they head

the airport.

To expedite check-in and boarding, passengers are also requested to print their boarding passes or save these in their mobile devices.

“We are anticipating heavy passenger volume over the next few days.

Checking in for flights online will save passengers from waiting in line at our airport check-in counters and self check-in kiosks,” the CEB management stated.

Airline officials said guests traveling on domestic flights who have checkedin could go straight to the bag-drop counter for their check-in baggage, or straight to boarding gate if no bags.

IMMIGRATION agents rounded up 21 Chinese nationals caught working in two malls in Baclaran without proper working permits.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the operations against illegal Chinese workers was made following complaints that several foreigners were working inside the said malls without working visas.

“They will be deported for violating the conditions of their stay in the country and for engaging in gainful activity without the necessary permits,” the BI chief said.

He said the foreigners continued to sell at the malls even after BI agents raided the same establishment more than a month ago and arrested several illegal foreign vendors.

“These illegal aliens are brazenly working out in the open, violating immigration laws and steal jobs from Filipinos,” Morente said.

“We will not stop hunting them down and sending them out,” he added.

According to BI acting intelligence chief Fortunato Manahan Jr., 12 of the Chinese vendors were arrested at the One Shopping Center while nine others were rounded up at the nearby Two Shopping Center, both located in Baclaran, Pasay.

Manahan said that most of those arrested are in the country as mere tourists or temporary visitors while some could not even present their travel documents.

He stated that the aliens seemed to be “taking advantage of the holiday rush” by selling retail goods.

They are presently detained at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation proceedings.

Sports

A7

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Woods roars back, ‘Moliwood’ star in 2018 P ARIS—Tiger Woods snatched plenty of golfing headlines in 2018 with his remarkable comeback after years in the wilderness and will now be eyeing a 15th major title, while British Open champion Francesco Molinari inspired Europe to a Ryder Cup thrashing of the United States in Paris.

It was an eventful year for golf chances of edging closer to Jack fans, with Woods’ return adding a Nicklaus’ all-time record of 18 sub-plot to the bigger tournaments, major titles in 2019, but Woods has even as many of the younger gen- still not lifted one of golf’s biggest eration confirmed their respective prizes for a decade. rises to the top of the game.

A rise from outside the top 1,000 Justin Thomas’ spectacular in the rankings to world number eagle on the final hole at the WGC 13 in less than a year was stunMexico Championship kicked off ning, though, and Woods will have the season in style, and although a chance to put a disastrous Ryder the 25-yearCup perforold lost out to mance behind veteran Phil him when he Mickelson that likely doubles day in a playup as captain off, three maand player at jor titles went next year’s Presto Americans idents Cup in under the age Melbourne. of 30.

“I want to Woods, compete. I want who claimed to play,” he said his first tourof the Decemnament victober 2019 matchry since 2013 es against Ernie in front of rauEls’ Internationcous galleral side earlier ies at the Tour TIGER WOODS this month.

Championship, ended his year The pre-Ryder Cup narrative with four straight Ryder Cup loss- centred around Woods and the es and a defeat by Mickelson in Americans’ bid to end a 25-year their overly-hyped and ultimately wait for victory on European soil, low-quality $9 million match in but the matchplay showdown endLas Vegas. ed in a familiar one-sided home But nothing can take away from win as Molinari teamed up with the impact the 14-time major win- Tommy Fleetwood to devastating ner made on his return after over effect in September. four years spent battling injuries.

‘Moliwood’ reeled off four The 42-year-old led on the back straight victories as a partnership, nine in the fourth round of the with Thomas Bjorn’s hosts ruthBritish Open at Carnoustie, and lessly grinding down the US to also produced a thrilling charge triumph 17.5-10.5 after losing the at the USPGA Championship opening session, before Molinari before ending his title drought in capped a golden year by becomthe final individual event of the ing the first European in history to campaign. claim a perfect five points.

As ever, the former world numThe Italian won the prestigious ber one will be bullish about his BMW PGA Championship at

Supermaxis fight for lead in Sydney to Hobart race

Wentworth, clinched his first PGA Tour title in the States and became the first player from his country to seal a major title before his heroics in France.

“If someone told me I would go on to win Wentworth, win on the PGA Tour, win the Open, five points at the Ryder Cup, I probably

B)

EXCLUDING PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE “S” CUSTOMER TYPE Residential

Low Higher Voltage Voltage

Distribution Charges: Demand Charge

PhP/kW

-

Distribution System Charge PhP/kWh

-

282.78

0.8918 0.9773

-

Supply Charges:

ERC Case No. 2018-101 RC DON ORESTES ROMUALDEZ ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (DORELCO),

Retail Customer Charge

PhP/Customer/ Mo.

Supply System Charge

PhP/kWh

42.38

42.38

0.8162

-

-

5.28

30.32

30.32

0.4823

-

-

Metering Charges: Retail Customer Charge

PhP/Meter/Mo.

Metering System Charge

PhP/kWh

12. Consequently, in compliance with the TGP Rules, DORELCO hereby applies to implement either of the above two calculated alternative DSM Rates, to be made retroactive starting 01 January 2017 and up to 31 December 2019;

Applicant. x-----------------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

SUPPORTING DATA AND DOCUMENTS 13. In support of the foregoing computations, DORELCO is submitting herewith the following documents, which are being made integral parts hereof, to wit:

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Annex Markings

Notice is hereby given that on 04 October 2018, Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative Inc. (DORELCO) filed an Application dated 06 September 2018, seeking the Commission’s approval of the adjustment in rates based on the Tariff Glide Path on the fourth to sixth regulatory years of the first regulatory period for the first entrant electric cooperatives under the TGP Rules.

A to A-2

In its Application, DORELCO alleged, among others, the following: 1.

2.

It is a non-stock, non-profit electric cooperative, duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office at Brgy. San Roque,Tolosa,Leyte; It holds an exclusive franchise from the National Electrification Commission to operate an electric light and power distribution service in certain municipalities of the Province of Leyte, namely: Tanauan, Tolosa, Abuyog, Dulag, Macarthur, Julita, La Paz, Burauen, Mayorga, Mahaplag, Dagami, Tabon-tabon and Javier; NATURE OF THE APPLICATION

3.

This application is for the approval of DORELCO’s proposed adjustment in its Distribution, Supply and Metering (DSM) Rates to be made effective on the First to Third Regulatory Years of the Second Regulatory Period for electric cooperatives belonging to the First Entrant Group under the Tariff Glide Path Rules (TGP Rules); STATEMENT OF FACTS

4.

5.

Sometime in Year 2013, DORELCO filed with the Commission an application for approval of proposed adjustment in its DSM Rates pursuant to the TGP Rules, docketed as ERC Case No. 2013-153 RC;

B

MFSR - Sections B and E (2012-2015)

C

Billing Determinants Template (2012-2015) (kWh Sales, No. of Customers, kW Demand)

D

Sample Bills per customer type (2012-2015)

E

Regional CPI (2012-2015)

F

RFSC Utilization (2013-2015)

G

Consumer Complaints Summary or Tracking Form (20132015)

H

Audited Financial Statements (2013 -2015) SUBMISSION OF PRE-FILING REQUIREMENTS

14. Finally, in compliance with the pre-filing requirements under the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, DORELCO is likewise submitting herewith the following documents, which are being made integral parts hereof, to wit: Annex Markings

Nature of Document

A. WITH PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE “S”

J and series Proof of publication of the Application in a newspaper of general circulation in DORELCO’s franchise area or where it principally operates

B)

CUSTOMER TYPE Low Higher Residential Voltage Voltage

PhP/kW PhP/KWh

0.9096

0.9968

288.40

PhP/Customer /Mo. PhP/kWh

0.8324

43.22 -

43.22 -

PhP/Meter/ Mo. PhP/kWh

5.38 0.4919

30.92 -

30.92 -

15. DORELCO also prays of this Commission that after due notice and hearing, it be allowed to implement either of the following two (2) alternative rates for its Distribution, Supply and Metering (DSM) charges retroactively starting 01 January 2017 and up to 31 December 2019, to wit: A.

CUSTOMER TYPE Low Higher Voltage Voltage

Residential

PhP/kW PhP/KWh

0.9129

1.0005

289.47

PhP/Customer /Mo. PhP/kWh

0.8355

43.38 -

43.38 -

PhP/Meter/ Mo. PhP/kWh

5.40 0.4937

31.04 -

31.04 -

CUSTOMER TYPE UNITS

DORELCO belongs to the First Entrant Group under the TGP Rules, whose first regulatory period is from 01 January 2011 to 31 December 2016.

It filed its initial application for DSM rate adjustment in 2013 which is the third regulatory year of the First Regulatory Period. It is filing the instant application based on the Tariff Glide Path from 01 January 2014 to 31 December 2016, the fourth to sixth regulatory years of the First Regulatory Period, for the proposed adjustment of its DSM rates to take effect on the first to third regulatory years of the Second Regulatory Period for the First Entrant Group under the TGP Rules, or from 01 January 2017 to 31 December 2019; DORELCO’s first TGP application under ERC Case No. 2013-153 RC is still pending evaluation of the Commission. However, despite said pendency, it adopted and used the proposed DSM rates in said pending application as bases in computing the proposed adjustment in the instant application; THE PROPOSED DSM RATE ADJUSTMENT Under the TGP Rules, the concerned electric cooperative shall use the following formula in determining the TGP for the fourth to sixth years of the Regulatory Period, to wit: TGPB= TGPn + TGPn+1TGPn+2 where TGPn = In - Xn - Sn n = the fourth year of the Regulatory Period and succeeding Regulatory Periods The TGP calculated for each of the three years will be summed to determine the possible rate adjustment starting on the First Year of the next Regulatory Period.

10. Applying the methodology embodied in the TGP Rules, DORELCO calculated the values of the “I”, “X” and “S” and came up with the following results, to wit:

YEAR 2014 YEAR 2015 YEAR 2016 TOTAL

4.34% 6.95% 0.00%

“X”(B) 0.00% 13.60% 0.00%

“S”(B) 0.40% 1.60% 0.00%

TGP B 4.74% -5.05% 0.00% -0.31%

TGP B (excluding S) 4.34% -6.65% 0.00% -2.31%

11. Utilizing the above values will result in adjustments in the cooperative’s DSM Rates covering the first to third regulatory years of the Second Regulatory Period for electric cooperatives belonging to the First Entrant Group, as follows A.

WITH PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE “S” UNITS

Distribution Charges: Demand Charge Distribution System Charge Supply Charges: Retail Customer Charge Supply System Charge Metering Charges: Retail Customer Charge Metering System Charge

CUSTOMER TYPE Low Higher Residential Voltage Voltage

PhP/kW PhP/kWh

0.9067

0.9937

287.50

PhP/Customer/ Mo. PhP/kWh

0.8298

43.09 -

43.09 -

PhP/Meter/Mo. PhP/kWh

5.37 0.4903

30.83 -

30.83 -

Residential

Low Higher Voltage Voltage

Distribution Charges: PhP/kW

Distribution System Charge PhP/kWh

-

-

287.50

0.9067 0.9937

Supply Charges: Retail Customer Charge

PhP/Customer/ Mo.

Supply System Charge

PhP/kWh

43.09

43.09

0.8298

-

-

5.37

30.83

30.83

0.4903

-

-

Metering Charges: Retail Customer Charge

PhP/Meter/Mo.

Metering System Charge

PhP/kWh

(This space is intentionally left blank.)

Foregoing application was DORELCO’s initial application for DSM rate adjustment pursuant to the TGP Rules, under which electric cooperatives are given an opportunity to adjust their rates once every three (3) years, which may occur at the start of the fourth year of the First Regulatory Period and every three years thereafter;

“I”(B)

WITH PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE “S”

Demand Charge

EXCLUDING PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE “S” UNITS

9.

Proposed TGP Calculations and supporting documents using the prescribed templates: Index “I” Calculation Efficiency Factor “X” Calculation Performance Incentive “S” Calculation

I and series Proof of furnishing copies of the Application to the Sangguniang Bayan of Tolosa and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Leyte

Distribution Charges: Demand Charge Distribution System Charge Supply Charges: Retail Customer Charge Supply System Charge Metering Charges: Retail Customer Charge Metering System Charge

8.

Nature of Document

In said application, the cooperative prayed for approval of either of the following two (2) proposed alternative DSM rates, to be implemented effective January 2014, to wit:

UNITS

7.

Strait between Tasmania and the Australian mainland in particular is looking to serve up erratic conditions, with crews expecting a tactically challenging contest as they try to avoid windless holes.

This means Comanche’s race record of one day, nine hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds, set last year for the bluewater classic, should remain intact.

“The real issue is linking all the bits of wind up,” said strategist Iain Murray Wednesday of eight-time line honors Wild Oats XI ahead of the race.

His boat was first to Hobart in 2017 but was stripped of the win after being handed a one-hour penalty over a near-collision.

“There will be light spots and spots where there is not much wind.

“I think the boats that keep continuously moving fast (will benefit)... the difference between going fast is going five knots, or 10 knots or 12 knots and if you do that for a couple of hours it is a big difference.”

The tricky conditions also mean the race to grab the handicap honours -- which goes to the vessel that performs best according to size -- is wide open, said owner-skipper Matt Allen of yacht Ichi Ban.

The men’s season will have a more truncated feel to it with all four majors being played between April and July after drastic changes to the schedule, with the USPGA to be played before the US Open, making the British Open at Royal Portrush the final major of the year. AFP

UNITS

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF ADJUSTMENT IN RATES BASED ON THE TARIFF GLIDE PATH ON THE FOURTH TO SIXTH REGULATORY YEARS OF THE FIRST REGULATORY PERIOD FOR FIRST ENTRANT ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES UNDER THE TARIFF GLIDE PATH (TGP) RULES

6.

SYDNEY—Defending champion Comanche was leading the gruelling Sydney to Hobart ocean race down Australia’s east coast Wednesday following a slow start out of a hot and glittering Sydney Harbour.

The 100-footer Comanche is among four supermaxis vying to be the first yacht to cross the finish line in Hobart, after Hong Kong’s Scallywag withdrew from the race with a broken bowsprit.

TP52 yacht Zen also retired with damaged rigging, leaving 83 yachts left in the race including 10 international entries.

Thousands of spectators had lined the harbour and watched on boats as the yachts sped away earlier Wednesday under clear blue summer skies and aided by 10-15 knot north-easterly winds, with Comanche lagging behind its large rivals when exiting Sydney Heads.

But the yacht skippered by owner Jim Cooney soon hit the front, travelling at 30 knots, closely followed by supermaxis Wild Oats XI, Infotrack and Black Jack.

Medium north-easterly winds were pushing the fleet down the coast, but conditions were expected to weaken on Thursday.

The notoriously wild Bass

Masters through injury by winning two majors.

He and the likes of Thomas, Rickie Fowler and Masters champion Patrick Reed will be young Americans to watch in the new year, with exciting Spaniard Jon Rahm seeking to continue his incredible rise.

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

Distribution Charges: Demand Charge Distribution System Charge Supply Charges: Retail Customer Charge Supply System Charge Metering Charges: Retail Customer Charge Metering System Charge

This handout from Rolex/Studio Borlenghi shows an aerial view of the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race in Sydney. - Supermaxi Black Jack led a 85-strong fleet out of a hot and glittering Sydney Harbour at the start of one of the toughest yacht races in the world. AFP

would have laughed,” he said after adding the European Tour’s Race to Dubai crown in November.

Brooks Koepka bristled late in the season at a perceived lack of media attention in his game after a magnificent 2018 which saw the 28-year-old brush off the disappointment of missing the

B)

EXCLUDING PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE “S” UNITS

CUSTOMER TYPE Residential

Low Higher Voltage Voltage

Distribution Charges: Demand Charge

PhP/kW

Distribution System Charge PhP/kWh

-

282.78

0.8918 0.9773

-

-

Supply Charges: Retail Customer Charge

PhP/Customer/ Mo.

Supply System Charge

PhP/kWh

42.38

42.38

0.8162

-

-

5.28

30.32

30.32

Metering Charges: Retail Customer Charge

PhP/Meter/Mo.

Metering System Charge PhP/kWh 0.4823 The Commission has set the Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, Pre-trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on 09 January 2019 (Wednesday) nine o’clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.), at DORELCO’s Principal Office. Brgy. San Roque, Tolosa, Leyte.

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following: 1)

The petitioner’s name and address;

2)

The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and

3)

A statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file their Opposition or Comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before Applicant rests its case, subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure.

No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should, contain the following: 1)

The name and address of such person;

2)

A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and

3)

The grounds relied upon.

All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from Applicant that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing.

Applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours.

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson, AGNES VST DEVANADERA and the Honorable Commissioners ALEXIS M. LUMBATAN and CATHERINE P. MACEDA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 10th day of December 2018 in Pasig City.

JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT Oversight Commissioner for Legal M. Standard – Dec. 20 & 27, 2018

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

A8 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

16 athletes, 2 coaches to be feted in KISLAP awards BAGUIO CITY—Sixteen athletes and two coaches/promoters will be honored during the Kafagway/Kordillera International Sportsman Luminary Award Podium on Dec. 29 at the Sunshine Park here.

Mixed martial artists and Team Lakay champions Kevin Belingon, Stephen Loman, Joshua Pacio, Geje Eustaquio and Eduard Folayang, as well as Mark Sangiao, will banner the morning show that will come after the outstanding senior citizens from different sectors are honored.

Belingon is the ONE Championship bantamweight king after he beat one of ONE’s greatest champions in Bibiano Hernandez.

Loman is the Brave Combat Federation bantamweight king, who last defended his crown last Nov. 16 at the Khalifa Sports City against a dangerous Felipe Efrain despite being the underdog.

Pacio, the youngest member of Team Lakay, put on a display to score a unanimous decision win over Yoshitaka Naito last Sept. 22 in Jakarta to secure the straw weight crown.

Eustaquio started the Lakay rampage in the ONE Championship with a split decision win over legend Adriano Moraes on June 23 to avenge a loss four years ago.

Folayang became a king for the second time when he decided Amir Khan last Nov. 25 for the vacant lightweight title after he was named fighter of the year by the same organization.

Team Lakay is led by Sangiao, who is a gold medalist in the 2001 South East Asian Games, where a 19-yearold Folayang debuted.

Asian Games’ bronze medalists Divine Wally, Carlo Paalam and Jeordan Dominguez will also get recognition in the event organized by the National Correspondent Club of Baguio and eponymous Publication and Media Works and backed by the Larry Puckett Green Meadows Foundation.

Wally, the wushu sanda heir of Folayang and Sangiao, and is cousin to the former and inspiration, took the bronze also in the world cup of sanda last Oct. 31.

Paalam is a senior high University of Baguio student, who is one of the three medalists in the Asian Games last August.

Dominguez was one of the three who performed to a third-place finish in taekwondo poomsae. He later won the same medal in the Taiwan hosted World Pomsae Championship last month. Earlier this year, he won a silver in the Korean Open.

Daniel Parantac, Jones Inso and Thornton Lou Sayan won a gold each in the Traditional Wushu Championship in Nanjing, China late October.

Parantac took a bronze, while Inso had another silver in the same competition.

Another awardee is Brico Santig, who owns the Highland Boxing Promotions, which has gyms in La Trinidad, Benguet and Bangkik, Thailand, where he raises a family, too. He promotes Orient Pacific Boxing Federation Silver winner Jelbirt Gomera, OPBF champion Carlo Magali, KK Natuplag (World Boxing League Asia champion), JayR Raquinel (OPBF champion) and Michael Zulueta (Asian Boxing Federation minimum weight champion).

Sports LAST DAY OF PH TRAINING. Filipino boxing icon Sen. Manny Pacquiao is shown during his last day of training in Manila with his sparring partner before leaving to the US for the final phase of his training against Adrien Broner on Jan. 19, 2019 in Las Vegas. Sonny Espiritu

Lakers maul Dubs, but LeBron injured L

OS ANGELES—LeBron James left with a groin injury but the Los Angeles Lakers regrouped for a 127-101 blowout win over two-time defending champion Golden State that snapped an 11-game losing streak on the Warriors’ home court.

“That was our most complete game of the season,” said Lakers coach Luke Walton. “We knew they were going to go on a run and a lot of the time we rely on LeBron or our veteran leaders to keep us in it.”

“Without LeBron, the group as a whole did a good job of fighting back.”

James was injured halfway through the third quarter when he reached for a loose ball. He grimaced and grabbed his left groin before heading to the sidelines where he tried to stretch it out.

He was moving gingerly when he left the court for good and headed to the team’s locker room.

“Hopefully it is not a long thing I can get back on the floor as soon as possible,” said James, who finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Walton said team doctors would examine James on Wednesday.

“He will get an MRI tomorrow and we will have a better understanding of what he has got going on,” Walton said.

Kyle Kuzma contributed 19 points, Croatian Ivica Zubac had 18 points and 11 rebounds and Rajon Rondo 15 points and 10 assists as the Lakers won on the Warriors’ home floor for the first time in six years.

They also ended a seven-game losing streak overall in the series with their first win in the California rivalry since 2016.

“We just want to continue to get better,” James said. “It is always the next man up. You have to be able to take punches and punch back and we were able to do that.”

Kevin Durant had 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Andre Iguodala came off the bench scored a seasonhigh 23 points in the contest -- one of five NBA games on Christmas Day. Golden State struggled mightily from three-point range, shooting just nine for 36 overall, with Stephen Curry going two of eight and Durant three for eight.

Elsewhere, James Harden scored 41 points as the Houston Rockets recorded their seventh win in their last eight games with a 113-109 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Harden has scored 35 points or more in his last five contests, which is the longest such streak since Carmelo Anthony did it over a sixgame stretch in April 2013.

“Our record isn’t where we want it to be, but it’s getting there,” Harden said. “And we’ve got to continue to

work hard every day, continue to get better and grow.”

Harden became the first player to score 40 or more points on Christmas since Durant had 44 for the Thunder eight years ago.

Russell Westbrook sank one of two free throws to cut the Rockets’ lead to just three points with 15 seconds left, but Houston’s Austin Rivers made a free throw with seven seconds left to secure the victory.

LEBRON JAMES

PH Sports Commission starts new program in January

By Peter Atencio A NEW program is coming out and it will expand the role of the Philippine Sports Commission in the coming year.

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez said they are ready to roll out the National Sports Development Program this January.

The program will will focus more on the agency’s efforts to strength the country’s grassroots development program.

Ramirez said this will help the PSC

implement its mandate even more in the coming years.

“It’s something new in the board, the implementation of the program in January,” said Ramirez.

The PSC chief explained that when the PSC was created in 1998, the agency only had two bureaus – the administration and finance, and the support services.

With a third bureau in place, the agency will be able to attend to the needs of the athletes and coaches at the grassroots level.

This will be supported by the activ-

Aguinaldo GCC hosts National doubles amateur golf

ities now being done by the Philippine Sports Institute and the construction of the Philippine Sports Training Center in Rosales, Pangasinan in the middle of the year.

The programs will be done in collaboration with the Department of Education and the local government units.

Support for the NSDP will come from services given by the PSC’s efforts to improve its services in sports science and medicine research, and sports education with coaches and trainers.

THE country’s top and rising players hope to turn in strong performances coming off the holiday break as they clash in the eighth National Doubles Amateur Golf Championship firing off today (Dec. 27) at the Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club in QC. Don Petil seeks to defend the crown with a new partner in JR Salahug but they expect a tough challenge from a field toughened by the presence of Asian Games bronze medalist Bianca Pagdanganan, a noted team player who helped anchor the Philippines’ gold medal feat in team competition in the recent Asiad in Jakarta.

Pagdanganan, also a former Philippine Ladies Amateur Open winner, will have former Junior World champion Jed Dy as teammate, making them one of the pairs to watch in the three-day tournament sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

Others tipped to contend for the crown in NGAP’s season-ending tournament serving as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour and backed by Cignal and Metro Pacific are the tandems of Jet Hernandez-Josh Jorge and Kristine Torralba-Santino Laurel, Ivan Monsalve-Aldo Barro, along with those of Paqo Barro-Jeff Jung; Lanz Uy-Ryan Monsalve, Leandro Bagtas-Francis Lanuza, David Guangko-Annika Guangko, Rald Sarmiento-Masaichi Otake, Arnie Taguines-Samanthan Dizon and Paolo Uy-Patrick Uy. Sean Ramos, winner of the Cangolf Am Open and Northern Luzon Regional Championship, also hopes to close out the season with another win, tapping Gabby Macalaguim as partner in the event which features the four-ball (best ball), aggregate and foursomes (alternate shot) formats.

The field plays the four-ball format today with action shifting to aggregate tomorrow. Friday’s final round will feature the two-ball foursomes.

Aside from Group I for members of national team and for players with handicap index of 4.0 or less, also on tap are the Group 2 (4.1 and above) and Group III (players 30-years-old-andabove regardless of handicap).

Busy 2019 for ONE Championship heavyweight champ Vera AFTER his successful run, both as a mixed martial artist and film actor this year, ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth’’ Vera aims to sustain his momentum going into 2019.

From his must-see action thriller “BuyBust” to his spectacular title defense, the FilipinoAmerican superstar plans to have a proactive new year both inside and outside the cage.

“I’m planning to have a busy 2019 doing both entertainment and coming back to the cage,” the 41-year-old champion stated. “I have three upcoming movies, two of which will be filmed here in the Philippines and one in Hong Kong. I have a lot of other entertainment projects lined up. We’re going to finish those, and I’ll come back as soon as I can. But I promise

you, I will never be out for two years again.”

Despite being out of the cage for nearly two years, Vera successfully defended his heavyweight belt against Italy’s Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli in the main event of ONE: Conquest of Champions this past November.

“The Truth” displayed his impressive timing and accurate striking in front of his countrymen en route to a 64-second knockout victory.

For Vera, he is just following the trail of what he wants to do, which includes mixed martial arts, movie projects, endorsements, and, eventually, a run for political office.

“I positioned myself to become the ‘Filipino Truth,’ wherein you can follow the path I will lay out for you so you can see where I want to

go,” he said.

“I know I’m doing a lot, but I take it one day at a time – chin down, hands up, one foot in front of the other – moving carefully.”

After successfully defending his title for the second time, Vera wants to pursue his dream to compete in “The Land Of The Rising Sun” and be a part of ONE: Greatness Unleashed— the promotion’s second live event in Tokyo, Japan on October 11.

He already has the perfect opponent in mind for his potential bout in Japan.

Vera revealed his intention of moving down a division to vie for the ONE Light Heavyweight World Title, which is currently held by two-division ONE World Champion “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang.

IN BRIEF

DoE readies policy on energy storage

THE Energy Department will come out with a circular on the adoption of energy storage system in the electric power industry in January, a government official said.

Energy Assistant Secretary Redentor Delola said the policy for ESS, classified as both power generator and load, would come out next month.

“The general policy is to recognize ESS and its corresponding applications and benefits to the electric power industry and encourage the use of ESS for the operational improvement of electric power industry,” Delola said.

An ESS is a facility which is connected to the grid, small grid, distribution system and end-user facility. It acts as a load or a generating facility and is designed to receive electrical energy, store energy and convert such energy into electricity and deliver such electricity for energy demand and requirement, or to convert such energy to provide improved reliability or economic benefits to the electric power industry. Alena Mae S. Flores

Tax academy offers off-campus programs

FINANCE Undersecretary Gil Beltran said the Philippine Tax Academy, the first of its kind in the country, will start offering an off-campus specialized study program on public finance along with online courses next year.

Beltran said in a statement the specialized post-graduate course would be open to personnel of the Finance Department, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Customs and Bureau of Local Government Finance.

PTA will offer the study program in partnership with the Graduate School of the University of the Philippines campus in Los Baños, Laguna.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III instructed Beltran to film the lectures and upload these online and for the academy to offer online courses as well.

Beltran said this setup would be cheaper than organizing courses that require the physical presence of employees and would make the PTA courses available to all personnel of DOF and its attached agencies nationwide.

Julito G. Rada

Business Govt prepares to impose higher oil taxes in January

By Alena Mae S. Flores

T

HE Department of Energy is preparing to implement the second tranche of excise taxes on oil products by Jan. 1 which is expected to raise prices at the pump, a government official said Wednesday.

“The DoE, in coordination with the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, is ready to implement the second tranche of excise taxes by Jan. 1. Government devised a mechanism to monitor closely the inventories,” Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said.

Fuentebella said the sale of old fuel stocks would not be covered by excise taxes and should not be collected from the consumers.

“Otherwise, it would be a violation of the law―not only administrative penalties like closure of the establishment will be imposed but also the criminal penalty of large scale estafa,” he said.

“We have to ensure the proper implementation of the Train [Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion] law because the collection will be used to support our ‘Build, Build, Build’ programs, free tuition and medical assistance for our needy kababayans,” he said.

The department supported the recommendation of the Finance Department for the continued implementation of the second tranche of excise tax increase on petroleum products under Republic Act No. 10963, or the Train law.

“The excise tax will proceed because the country will really need to build infrastructures, so we need the funds,” Cusi said.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III earlier said the government’s decision followed the favorable outlook in world oil prices, as the cost of Dubai crude oil prices declined 14 percent from an average of $79 per barrel in October to $68 a barrel in November.

Under the Train law, the government imposed an excise tax of P2.50 a liter on diesel and bunker fuel on Jan. 1, 2018.

The rate will go up to P4.50 in January 2019 and P6 in January 2020.

The law provides that the increase in petroleum taxes will be automatically postponed if the average price of Dubai crude―used as benchmark for Asia― reached $80 per barrel for three consecutive months before the next round of tax hike.

Pampanga group lauds Clark airport auction

THE Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. lauded the government for successfully bidding out the operations and maintenance contract of Clark International Airport in record time and in a very transparent manner with its transaction adviser, International Finance Corp. of the World Bank, that aired all the activities live on its social media pages.

The careful and rigorous selection process undertaken by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, in partnership with the Department of Transportation, that led to the awarding of the contract to the consortium assures the chamber that the best airport service and VIP passenger experience awaits local and foreign travelers in Clark.

The consortium is led by Changi Airport Group, operator of the number one airport in the world, Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions, Inc. The North Luzon Airport Consortium brings together Changi’s expertise and experience, and Filinvest and JG Summit’s strengths in the local development market.

“We commend the Duterte administration for heeding the appeal of the business community in Pampanga and Central Luzon, for the full development of the Clark International Airport as Asia’s next premier gateway. Once a dream, now finally becoming a reality through its massive infrastructure program—‘Build, Build,Build’,” the chamber said.

Hot money seen to end ‘18 with net outlfow of $100m THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said it expects foreign portfolio investments or hot money to end with a $100-million net outflow in 2018, lower than the shortfall of $800 million in 2017.

The estimate under the bank’s latest round of economic data revisions was also lower than the projection of a net outflow of $900 million made in May. Data showed that foreign portfolio investments more than doubled to $2 billion in November from $953 million in October, “fueled mainly by positive investors’ reaction to the decreasing global oil prices and the warming relations between the Philippines and China.”

The November figure resulted in a net inflow of $832 million for the month, an improvement from the $108 million net inflow a year ago.

About 66.8 percent of investments registered in November were parked in Philippine Stock Exchange -listed securities (pertaining mainly to food, beverage and tobacco companies holding firms, property companies, banks, and utilities companies), while the 33.2-percent balance went to peso government securities.

Transactions in peso government securities and PSE-listed securities yielded net inflows of $510 million and $322 million, respectively.

The United Kingdom, Singapore, the United States, British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands were the top five investor countries in November, with combined share of 83.5 percent.

This brought the total transactions in the first 11 months to a a net inflow of $926 million, an improvement from the $635-million net outflow in the same period last year. The BSP attributed this to a large investment in a holding company registered this year.

Foreign portfolio investments are also called hot money because of the ease they are invested in and taken out of the local financial markets.

Julito G. Rada

CHEAPER RICE AT SM. The Trade Department launches its Presyong Risonable Dapat program at SM Makati on Dec. 21 to give the public more access to cheaper rice. Consumers can now buy imported well-milled rice at P35 per kilo in 230 SM Supermarket, Hypermarket, and Savemore branches in the Greater Manila Area and North Luzon. SM joins Robinsons Supermarket and Puregold in launching the PRD program this month. Shown during the launch are (from left) Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo, assistant director Lilian Salonga, SM Supermarket president Joey Mendoza, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, SM Hypermarket senior vice president for operations Arnold Daluz, Savemore Market president Jojo Tagbo and National Food Authority director Rex Estoperez.

MetroPac obtains P24-b loan to build Cavite-Laguna road

By Darwin G. Amojelar MPCALA Holdings Inc., a unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., obtained a P24.2-billion loan from six local banks to partly finance the construction and concession fee for the Cavite Laguna Expressway project.

MPTC chief financial officer Christopher Daniel Lizo told reporters that MPCala signed on Dec. 21 a P24.2-billion loan with Banco De Oro Unibank Inc., Union Bank of the Philippines, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., Bank of the Philippine Islands, Security Bank Corp. and Land Bank of the Philippines.

Lizo said the loan would partly cover the project cost and concession fee to

the government.

MPCala is paying P27.3 billion in concession fee to the government for the construction of Calax.

Calax, one of the largest publicprivate partnership projects, involves the financing, design, construction, operation and maintenance of a fourlane, 47-kilometer closed-system toll expressway connecting Cavitex (Manila–Cavite Expressway) and South Luzon Expressway.

The P35.43-billion expressway will start from Cavitex in Kawit, Cavite and end at the SLEx-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.

Lizo said MPCala planned to open the Mamplasan to Sta. Rosa section of

Calax by July next year.

Construction is expected to be completed by 2020, while operations and maintenance would last until 2050.

MPCala tapped Leighton Holdings of Australia to build the Cavite side and local contractor DMCI Consunji Inc. to construct the Laguna side.

MPCala also secured the original proponent status from the Public Works Department for its unsolicited proposal to build the P22.43-billion Cavite-Batangas Expressway.

CTBex is a 49-kilometer expressway that will connect Cavite and Batangas, with a spur road to Tagaytay City and ultimately terminating in Nasugbu, with another spur road to Tuy, Batangas.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

B1

Winstron, Catcher plan to leave China, relocate to PH

By Othel V. Campos TAIWANESE manufacturers Winstron Infocomm Corp. and Catcher Technologies are preparing to move out of China to relocate to the Philippines in 2019, the Board of Investments said.

The BoI said Winstrom revisited the list of incentives it enjoyed during its stint in Subic Bay Freeport and decided that the incentives they were given here were still the best package. Winstron is a parts supplier for Apple.

Catcher, a supplier or aluminum casing for mobile phones and laptops, committed to invest in a manufacturing plant in the Philippines.

“What happened was that Taiwan has grown increasingly bullish about the Philippines for a number of reasons. First, it can have access to the world market via the FTA and GSP agreements the Philippines currently enjoys with partner countries. A stable wage economy and less strikes regime were other come-ons for Taiwanese firms “ said BoI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo.

Taiwan has a thriving electronics manufacturing sector and is heavy on toll manufacturing. However, it cannot sign free trade agreements with other countries because of the One China policy.

The only FTA it has is with Singapore and New Zealand.

Earlier reports indicated that Winstron was eyeing Vietnam or the Philippines for its manufacturing plant, but the company subsequently announced that the Philippine would host its operations as a returning investor.

It also proposed to bring with it one of its biggest suppliers, Catcher Technologies, to produce aluminum casing for iPhones and Apple laptops. The company asked for at least 60 hectares of land where they can build the facility.

Rodolfo said both companies did not disclose yet how much they would invest in the country, “but they have firmed their commitments with us.”

He said Japan was also raring to invest in the Philippines, after a Philippine trade mission visited 30 to 40 companies in Japan. Their only concern is the impact of the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-quality Opportunities or Trabaho bill on foreign investments.

“I told them that they will be given a choice once they locate here. They can avail of the classic or current set of incentives or they can go to Trabaho bill,” Rodolfo said.

He said both Taiwan and Japan were eyeing the Philippines as an attractive place for investments because of its growing economy, respect to intellectual property rights and English proficiency.

PSALM to rebid Malaya thermal plant in March

By Alena Mae S. Flores POWER Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. will rebid the 650-megawatt Malaya Thermal Power Plant, along with its land in Barangay Malaya, Pililia, Rizal on March 13, an official said Wednesday.

PSALM president Irene Joy BesidoGarcia said the submission of bids for Malaya privatization was originally scheduled on Dec. 14, but was deferred to March next year.

“In view of the failure of the fourth round of bidding for the third party advisor [to appraise Malaya], PBAC was constrained to move the deadline for submission of bid to March 13,” Garcia said.

PSALM’s bids and awards committee previously prequalified four bidders based on the documentary deliverables they submitted, including AC Energy Inc., D.M. Wenceslao & Associates Inc., DMCI Power Corp. and FGen Reliable Energy Holdings Inc.

There were originally 11 companies that expressed interest but only the four groups submitted the requirements.

Garcia said that for the selection of the third-party advisor for the privatization of the Malaya power plant, PSALM set new timeline for another round of procurement.

PSALM sent the request for proposals early this month. “If the procurement of the Malaya consultancy will be successful, their output will be submitted on 13 March 2019, the same date for the bid submission and setting of the reserve price by the PSALM board for Malaya privatization,” she said.

Bidding for the consultancy for the privatization process was declared a failure twice, while a request for proposal is now ongoing. PSALM said the bidders needed more time to move forward with the privatization.

“We lacked time but we had to bite the bullet and revise to give longer time for bidders. That’s why we moved the bidding,” Garcia said.

CREBA CONFERENCE. The Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations Inc. launches its 27th annual national convention in Makati City Oct. 17 to 20 in La Union. It is the biggest national gathering of stakeholders in the real estate and housing industry. Creba is the Philippine umbrella association of the housing and real estate industry whose 5-point agenda aim to address the 5.7-million housing backlog by intensifying housing production to the level of about 500,000 housing per year in the next 20 years. Shown are (from left) Creba national chairman Charlie Gorayeb, La Union Governor Emmanuel Francisco Ortega and Creba national president Noel Toti Cariño.

B2

Business

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market slips; Jollibee down T HE stock market fell Wednesday after a two-day holiday that saw Wall Street and the Nikkei index falling sharply following a government shutdown in the US.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slipped 29.70 points, or 0.4 percent, to 7,450.01 on a thin value turnover of P3.4 billion. Losers beat gainers, 115 to 70, with 41 issues unchanged.

Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andre Tan lost 4.6 percent to P11.74, while GT Capital Holdings Inc. of the late tycoon George Ty dropped 3.7 percent to P955. Jollibee Foods Corp., the biggest fast-food chain, declined 3.4 percent to P292, but Berjaya Philippines

Inc., a unit of Malaysia-based conglomerate Berjaya Group that is into gaming, hotels, quick service restaurant and automotive distribution, surged 10 percent to P4.29.

Tokyo stocks, meanwhile, closed higher on Wednesday, rebounding from the previous day’s five-percent drop as the yen’s rise took a breather.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index, which on Tuesday closed at a 20-month low on worries over the US economy, gained 0.89 percent, or 171.32 points, to 19,327.06 to log its first positive finish in six sessions.

The broader Topix index rose 1.12 percent, or 15.92 points, to 1,431.47.

Despite the recent market rout, there has been no clear sign of a recession in the US economy, said Norio Miyagawa, senior economist at Mizuho Securities.

“Our judgement is that the US economy remains solid at the moment” though investors need to pay attention to the

possible impact of US trade rows with other countries on financial markets and business outlooks, he said in a report.

“As financial markets regain their calm, we expect US stocks and the dollar will track higher,” he said.

Share prices in Wednesday’s rebound failed to recoup all the ground lost the previous day as investors grew cautious before Wall Street reopens after a bruising session before Christmas.

Chinese stocks opened slightly lower, while Seoul also dropped. Financial markets in Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand are closed for a public holiday.

“The future direction of Japanese stocks will depend on whether New York will rebound or sink further,” Masayuki Kubota, chief strategist at Rakuten Securities, told AFP. Heavy selling hit the Tokyo market on Christmas Day following sell-offs on Wall Street. The yen drew safe-haven

buying, weighing on sentiment.

On Wednesday, the yen’s appreciation came to a lull, helping boost exporter shares.

Toyota rose 1.10 percent to 6,146 yen and Nintendo climbed 1.24 percent to 28,115 yen.

The dollar was changing hands at 110.45 yen, up from 110.01 yen late Tuesday but still down from the 111-yen range seen last week.

As the US stock market looked on track for its worst December since the Great Depression, Trump on Tuesday berated the Federal Reserve for its stewardship of the economy, a regular recent complaint.

Markets have been roiled by ongoing uncertainty in the US, with Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin berated for holding a call with the six biggest US banks and then reporting on Twitter that the six CEOs have “ample liquidity” available. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2018

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

58.5 90.8 126 1.49 27.5 15.9 11.7 5.16 1.41 0.475 81 0.9 12 19.78 43.3 178 63.4 28.7 154.1 63.6

59 92.5 127.6 1.52 27.5 15.9 11.8 5.35 1.41 0.49 81 0.9 12 20.2 43.3 180.5 63.4 28.7 156.6 65.8

58.5 90.8 122 1.46 27.3 15.7 11.44 4.52 1.41 0.475 78.6 0.88 11.84 19.78 42.25 178 61.7 28.5 152.6 63.6

FINANCIALS 59 3,830 92.5 1,142,670 127 2,613,480 1.46 853,000 27.3 16,100 15.7 32,900 11.6 342,800 4.6 2,794,100 1.41 12,000 0.475 30,000 81 1,184,170 0.9 365,000 11.84 7,000 20.2 900 42.3 4,100 180 410 61.8 4,010 28.7 176,400 155.1 230,740 63.7 1,350

225,728 105,080,585 329,956,793 1,249,390 441,815 516,840 3,976,506 13,426,685 16,920 14,400 95,168,729.50 327,920 83,040 18,053 174,585 73,660 248,865 5,061,660 35,738,622 86,253

155,303 1,332,048.50 -66,561,483 13,410 -807,862 1,980.00 41,008,129 -31,500 -4,225 43,160 9,292.50 -3,753,830 -18,216,519 -

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

34.85 17.28 1.02 1.27 0.233 91.15 1.72 14.64 170 31.9 15.82 1.78 7.39 6.6 10.52 15.3 8.19 7 19.54 64.35 25.1 1.95 5.9 10.54 1.85 298 45 4.3 3.17 9.89 26.5 10.36 18 385.4 0.164 5.8 1.4 7.77 5.3 9 1.18 10.64 46.8 5.65 1.95 1.44 11.88 81.5 5.38 0.83 128.3 2.32 1.85 1.68

34.9 17.5 1.02 1.29 0.25 91.15 1.73 14.92 170 31.9 16 1.78 7.39 6.6 10.6 15.5 8.2 7.1 19.98 64.9 25.7 1.98 5.9 10.54 1.88 300 45 4.3 3.29 9.89 27 10.36 18.44 389.6 0.178 5.8 1.42 7.93 5.57 9 1.2 10.64 47.1 5.75 2.03 1.44 11.96 81.6 5.59 0.86 128.5 2.32 1.86 1.68

33.9 16.6 1.01 1.27 0.23 91.15 1.67 14.6 169 31 15.82 1.72 6.9 6.4 10.44 15 7.95 6.98 19.5 64.3 25.05 1.86 5.8 10.08 1.79 285 45 4.3 3.16 9.89 26.5 10.06 17.98 380 0.164 5.8 1.37 7.76 5.16 9 1.16 10.5 46.6 5.65 1.94 1.37 11.4 80.25 5.35 0.83 126 2.32 1.77 1.63

INDUSTRIAL 34.9 1,831,900 17.1 481,900 1.02 1,343,000 1.29 32,000 0.25 14,620,000 91.15 80 1.7 12,737,000 14.6 10,300 169 150 31.65 317,000 16 1,200 1.77 107,000 7.15 93,500 6.4 36,100 10.5 2,881,500 15.34 319,200 7.95 224,000 7 5,196,800 19.7 674,200 64.4 199,870 25.05 2,300 1.9 14,425,000 5.9 28,300 10.2 2,841,800 1.88 332,000 292 1,087,620 45 200 4.3 40,000 3.16 11,000 9.89 500 26.95 136,100 10.2 145,100 18 6,271,000 389.6 97,320 0.166 120,000 5.8 2,800 1.38 866,000 7.78 4,170,100 5.39 127,700 9 1,000 1.19 8,669,000 10.54 35,900 46.7 276,800 5.75 28,600 1.94 779,000 1.42 41,000 11.6 3,900 80.25 3,460 5.54 306,200 0.86 41,000 128 641,770 2.32 107,000 1.81 9,726,000 1.65 3,512,000

63,557,985 8,164,112 1,362,220 41,000 3,577,050 7,292 21,612,720 150,544 25,480 9,919,315 19,092 189,810 652,948 233,460 30,309,226 4,915,934 1,792,577 36,515,058 13,225,012 12,857,077 57,780 27,388,860 165,800 29,001,024 602,650 316,868,200 9,000 172,000 35,060 4,945 3,649,710 1,478,562 114,142,644 37,760,216 19,920 16,240 1,201,860 32,503,537 673,339 9,000 10,289,780 377,920 12,927,890 163,450 1,564,020 58,200 45,700 279,419.50 1,670,628 34,810 82,000,015 248,240 17,553,080 5,779,300

-38,922,175 -2,881,812 -40,800 -2,604,000 -7,292 -2,413,560 -110,960 10,670 -110,120 -7,413,644 3,104,364 8,190.00 -228,120 2,758,550 -764,792.50 470,960 -106,800 5,875,790 -1,880 -132,243,546 2,310,465 636,946 -459,842 -1,161,824 -326,410 11,488,879 -118,000 -10,217,125 -106,950 -69,595.50 43,200 -25,556,071 -190,240 302,580 -71,090

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

0.59 55.5 12.2 0.88 6.5 26 1.39 1.38 918 6.65 12.5 12.28 0.203 991.5 55.7 4.51 4.6 0.57 4.18 16.44 0.62 4.6 0.036 2.46 145 910 1.3 541 250 0.245 0.206

0.61 56.8 12.2 0.88 6.5 26.35 1.39 1.38 918 6.65 12.5 13.2 0.203 991.5 55.7 4.62 5.34 0.57 4.18 16.8 0.63 4.63 0.036 2.5 146.4 927 1.32 541 250.2 0.25 0.222

0.59 53.65 11.68 0.88 6.5 25.05 1.35 1.38 909 6.6 12.34 11.06 0.201 949.5 54.15 4.4 4.6 0.56 4 16.42 0.57 4.56 0.036 2.37 144.5 907.5 1.3 536 249 0.244 0.206

4,294,220 30,451,700.50 51,190,580 880 167,050 1,422,020 2,061,170 423,660 121,685,500 2,427,438 22,114,152 12,090,740 60,740 52,511,760 32,784,713 45,070 76,384 2,260 1,933,560 7,776,554 2,742,700 36,861,010 64,800 1,152,310 24,554,336 132,624,860 152,800 43,200 1,069,190 159,240 22,820

-342,370 692,906 -19,793,720 165,750 9,860 -36,965,160 -1,061,633 -16,880,166 877,276 1,364,035 -7,834,394.50 -1,703,120.00 -4,162,652 -89,620 -11,928,980 48,400 -10,931,000.00 -62,191,950 -

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE KEPPEL PROP MEGAWORLD

8.02 0.84 11.24 1.74 0.82 40.9 2.2 3.99 6.49 0.415 0.85 0.86 0.248 0.38 7.99 18.02 0.49 1.43 1.05 3.86 4.77

8.05 0.84 11.24 1.76 0.9 41.25 2.26 4.02 6.5 0.425 0.85 0.88 0.248 0.38 7.99 18.02 0.49 1.43 1.08 3.86 4.77

7.97 0.75 11.2 1.72 0.82 40.7 2.19 3.92 6.49 0.41 0.85 0.86 0.235 0.375 7.7 17.58 0.49 1.42 1.05 3.81 4.66

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MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS VISTA LAND

0.43 0.45 2.27 0.42 3.55 20.6 2 3.12 34.85 1.25 5.87 5.23

0.445 0.475 2.27 0.425 3.58 20.6 2 3.12 35.5 1.25 5.87 5.25

0.425 0.45 2.14 0.415 3.55 20.3 1.99 3.12 34.7 1.2 5.7 5.17

0.44 0.475 2.2 0.425 3.58 20.3 1.99 3.12 35.5 1.24 5.7 5.2

30,870,000 130,000 11,852,000 270,000 100,000 567,200 15,000 15,000 3,999,100 302,000 125,400 2,576,300

13,502,950 61,500 26,059,960 113,500 355,340 11,559,960 29,930 46,800 140,906,895 373,420 722,942 13,401,800

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

14 20 1.49 0.42 0.039 13.5 3.9 9.68 72.1 6.41 7.7 16 1,900 5.48 312.2 3.07 99.95 0.123 6.02 14.6 3.5 0.8 16.1 5.2 2.48 2.06 3.38 9.98 8.3 3.25 111 3.05 1,150 0.84 0.325 42.15 79.5 7.54 2.38 0.73 0.46 5.26 0.69 12.02

14 20.1 1.49 0.42 0.04 13.5 4.3 9.68 74 6.53 7.7 16 1,929 5.48 325 3.07 99.95 0.125 6.24 14.6 3.5 0.85 16.48 5.45 2.57 2.08 3.43 9.98 8.3 3.39 113 3.08 1,156 0.84 0.33 43.3 80 7.55 2.38 0.75 0.46 5.3 0.69 12.4

12.8 20 1.27 0.41 0.039 13.5 3.79 9.32 72 6.4 7.5 15.5 1,880 5.4 312.2 2.95 98.45 0.118 5.95 14.6 3.4 0.76 16.1 5.2 2.43 2.04 3.3 9.95 8.3 3.13 111 3.01 1,143 0.79 0.32 42.15 78.4 7.4 2.3 0.71 0.445 5.26 0.67 12.02

SERVICES 13 20.1 1.36 0.415 0.04 13.5 4.29 9.36 73.8 6.5 7.5 15.7 1,908 5.45 325 2.95 99 0.125 6.18 14.6 3.45 0.76 16.4 5.45 2.5 2.04 3.38 9.95 8.3 3.39 112 3.04 1,150 0.8 0.33 43.3 80 7.42 2.37 0.74 0.445 5.3 0.69 12.4

255,600 82,000 450,000 460,000 300,000 3,700 12,572,000 2,519,100 43,770 666,100 2,300 25,900 13,605 30,000 370 2,017,000 2,110,400 8,100,000 10,206,000 7,600 700,000 390,000 448,700 400 722,000 58,000 1,242,000 19,900 1,000 3,000 50,860 225,000 41,180 6,151,000 60,000 653,400 338,240 50,000 1,896,000 1,803,000 12,400,000 83,200 899,000 825,600

3,382,194 1,646,175 591,910 190,750 11,900 49,950 49,804,450 23,712,095 3,203,893 4,307,232 17,650 406,544 25,810,870 163,119 118,594 6,014,080 208,831,950.50 983,920 62,845,763 110,960 2,394,870 298,630 7,350,242 2,130 1,820,970 119,860 4,192,130 198,314 8,300 9,770 5,696,260 682,770 47,381,200 4,941,270 19,400 27,958,120 27,029,415 375,554 4,454,120 1,310,010 5,554,450 440,562 610,060 10,164,116

85,600 -688,500.00 -1,801,645 1,779,521.00 15,536 -7,021,030 -16,650 -154,990,671 -1,984,372 -68,410 4,900 -52,380 1,451,890 10,090 30,400 -19,025,825 740,820 2,754,625 4,691,979 335,080 239,020 -181,550 -24,873 4,530,904

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

0.002 1.66 16 1.35 2.05 0.305 7.27 1.67 0.205 0.109 0.112 0.0065 0.0065 1.3 2.2 1.08 0.95 0.013 0.013 3.27 2.75 15 22.5 0.0055

0.002 1.74 16 1.35 2.05 0.305 7.33 1.68 0.209 0.115 0.113 0.0065 0.0065 1.3 2.2 1.08 0.95 0.013 0.013 3.27 2.83 15.7 23.45 0.0055

0.0019 1.66 15.8 1.35 2.01 0.305 7.07 1.66 0.205 0.106 0.112 0.0065 0.0065 1.2 2.14 1.02 0.92 0.013 0.012 3.27 2.75 15 22.5 0.0055

MINING & OIL 0.002 188,000,000 1.7 4,558,000 15.8 2,300 1.35 1,000 2.05 621,000 0.305 30,000 7.33 2,100 1.67 8,239,000 0.209 110,000 0.115 7,660,000 0.113 1,210,000 0.0065 7,000,000 0.0065 3,000,000 1.2 435,000 2.16 9,363,000 1.08 45,000 0.94 360,000 0.013 400,000 0.012 229,300,000 3.27 1,000 2.8 1,957,000 15.4 1,194,800 23.3 847,600 0.0055 2,000,000

375,800 7,740,940 36,780 1,350 1,257,770 9,150 15,176 13,756,410 22,590 856,840 136,620 45,500 19,500 539,030 20,221,000 46,100 335,580 5,200 2,875,200 3,270 5,490,430 18,419,358 19,537,185 11,000

48,740 -275,700.00 -866,370 113,000 -12,300 -59,690 -2,600 12,000 -17,420 9,364 -3,291,680 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 DD PREF FGEN PREF G FPH PREF C GLO PREF P GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A PNX PREF 3B SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H

18.8 456 98.9 101 465 480 900 95.05 1 99 900 102.2 75 76.15 73.5 74

18.8 456 98.9 101 465 480 900 96 1 99 951 102.2 75 76.15 73.5 74

18.7 456 97.2 101 465 480 900 95 1 98 900 102 75 76.15 73.5 74

PREFERRED 18.7 600 456 70 97.2 2,800 101 100 465 10,000 480 100 900 20 96 4,000 1 620,000 98 9,660 951 150 102 3,190 75 7,000 76.15 520 73.5 280 74 10

11,270 31,920 275,585 10,100 4,650,000 48,000 18,000 381,005 620,000 952,830 140,100 325,690 525,000 39,598 20,580 740

-1,870 28,500 16,660 -

LR WARRANT

2.05

2.05

1.95

2

59,000

117,270

-

ITALPINAS XURPAS

4.55 1.55

4.84 1.56

4.5 1.48

4.6 1.53

630,000 7,143,000

2,914,000 10,816,200

FIRST METRO ETF

111.8

111.8

110.4

MS

HOLDING FIRMS 0.6 7,188,000 55.4 549,710 11.74 4,334,000 0.88 1,000 6.5 25,700 25.85 55,800 1.36 1,514,000 1.38 307,000 911 133,400 6.6 366,400 12.5 1,769,800 12.76 980,900 0.201 300,000 955 54,660 55.2 596,530 4.62 10,000 5.34 15,600 0.57 4,000 4 476,000 16.8 465,500 0.59 4,588,000 4.6 8,011,000 0.036 1,800,000 2.45 474,000 145.9 168,660 911 145,510 1.32 117,000 536 80 249 4,290 0.247 650,000 0.222 110,000 PROPERTY 8.01 0.8 11.2 1.74 0.89 41.25 2.2 4 6.5 0.425 0.85 0.88 0.239 0.375 7.7 17.64 0.49 1.42 1.08 3.81 4.7

100,400 2,598,000 7,000 73,000 5,136,000 4,393,400 5,256,000 236,000 12,000 1,160,000 4,000 120,000 2,640,000 40,000 175,800 564,600 20,000 1,179,000 219,000 8,000 6,226,000

802,814 2,071,930 78,460 127,170 4,474,450 180,150,340 11,591,390 935,460 77,943 484,400 3,400 105,260 637,360 15,150 1,359,956 10,077,360 9,800 1,677,760 232,200 30,750 29,284,780

-265,000 -40,077,695 -10,906,480 -269,890 12,400 -840,465 -1,475,904 -612,410 -9,450 -17,094,150

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

OPEN

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

9,815,118

INDUSTRIAL

96,010,781

HOLDING FIRMS

35,278,033

PROPERTY

82,586,037

SERVICES

72,632,506

MINING & OIL

467,417,022

GRAND TOTAL

771,516,273

WARRANTS SME

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 110.5 1,970

217,854

8,800 -301,920 7,370 -7,484,345 -5,593,115 -27,500 -3,358,741

-93,000 -477,550 -

VALUE 1,755.91 (down) 0.37 591,894,130.10 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,911.74 (down) 98.80 913,979,033.20 HOLDING FIRMS 7,316.86 (down) 52.06 588,735,691.79 PROPERTY 3,629.87 (up) 9.05 SERVICES 1,438.44 (down) 12.11 515,461,892.39 MINING & OIL 8,176.61 (up) 233.06 673,123,869.86 PSEI 7,450.01 (down) 29.70 91,776,978.572 All Shares Index 4,489.92 (down) 11.66 3,388,926,709.51 Gainers: 70; Losers: 115; Unchanged: 41; Total: 226

Manila Water wins deal to run San Jose water supply

By Alena Mae S. Flores The consortium of Manila Water Company Inc., its wholly-owned unit Manila Water Philippine Ventures Inc. and Tubig Pilipinas Group Inc. on Wednesday said it received the notice of award to manage the water supply of the San Jose City Water District– Nueva Ecija.

The award involves the implementation of the joint venture project for the design, construction, improvement, upgrade, rehabilitation, maintenance, operation, financing, expansion and management of the water supply system and the provision of water and sanitation services of the SJCWD in the city of San Jose, Nueva Ecija province.

“Upon completion of the conditions precedent specified in the notice, the consortium and the SJCWD shall enter into a joint venture agreement that will grant the consortium... the sole right to develop, manage, operate, maintain, repair... and improve the facilities in the service area... ,” Manila Water disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange Wednesday.

The project has an estimated capital expenditure program of over P1.399 billion over the 25-year contract period. It is estimated to have a billed volume of about 21 million liters per day by the 25th year.

Manila Water has been actively pursuing projects this year. It received notice of awards for various project around the country in the last quarter.

The company through a joint venture also won a contract for the rehabilitation, expansion and management of the water supply system of Lambunao Water District in Lambunao, Iloilo.

The joint venture activity will be undertaken by Aqua Centro MWPV Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manila Water through Manila Water Philippine Ventures Inc. MWPV is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Manila Water.

Manila Water won the concession from the Calinog Water District, also in Iloilo. Aqua Centro will undertake the water project.

MWPV earlier signed and executed a joint venture agreement with Tubig Pilipinas.

Trump attacks US Fed again over rate hikes WASHINGTON—US President Donald Trump on Tuesday renewed his attack on the US Federal Reserve’s monetary policy, blaming the central bank’s interest rate hikes for a tanking market.

With stocks on track for their worst December since the Great Depression, Trump has regularly berated the Fed for its stewardship of the economy.

“They’re raising rates too fast because they think the economy is so good,” Trump told reporters in a Q&A following his annual Christmas teleconference with US troops.

“But I think they will get it pretty soon,” added the president, who has dubbed the supposedly independent central bank “crazy” and “out of control.”

Trump’s comments came after Asian markets suffered a holiday rout on fears about the US economy and a government shutdown in Washington, now in its fourth day.

Closed on Monday for a national holiday, Tokyo plummeted at the open on Tuesday, suffering its worst finish since April 2017 after a brutal holiday-shortened session on Wall Street that saw US stocks sink for a fourth straight session.

Markets have been roiled by ongoing uncertainty in the United States, with Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin berated for holding a call with the six biggest US banks and then reporting on Twitter that the six CEOs have “ample liquidity” available.

Investors were also unnerved by weekend news reports that Trump had asked about the possibility of firing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, accounts that Mnuchin said Trump has denied.

Trump last week called the Fed a greater economic threat to the United States than China, and on Monday compared the central bank to a sloppy golfer. AFP

extrastory2000@gmail.com

Business/World

B3

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Indonesian rescuers scramble to reach tsunami-struck towns

EVACUATION. Residents disembark from a ferry at the port after being evacuated from Sebesi Island, in Bakauheni in Lampung province on December 26, 2018, after the December 22 tsunami caused by activity at a volcano known as the ‘child’ of Krakatoa hit the west coast of Indonesia’s Java island. Indonesian search-and-rescue teams on December 26 plucked stranded residents from remote islands and pushed into isolated communities desperate for aid in the aftermath of a tsunami that killed over 400. AFP

Monopolies in PH economy are passé IT IS inexplicable how some individuals are still insisting on a monopoly to dominate certain sectors of the economy. The Philippines had a bad experience in this kind of market situation before.

The government controlled power generation during the 80’s and 90’s until it had to get out of the business when it could no longer prevent outages. PLDT for a long time was the sole provider of bad telephone services until the government liberalized the telecommunications industry to make it more efficient and give customers a choice.

The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System controlled the distribution of water in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, but the agency, too, had to it give up when it could no longer supply water efficiently due to lack of capital.

As a result, two private water companies now own two separate concessions that took over water distribution in the capital region.

Manila Water Co. Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc. are now spending billions of pesos to reduce water leakages, increase the supply and improve the sewerage system.

Encouraging monopolies did not work in the Philippines. They ultimately ended up in the government providing subsidies and emptying the national budget. They also deprived customers and users of efficient services and the right to choose their preferred products and services.

Plans, meanwhile, are afoot to improve further the telecom services in the Philippines through the construction of more common towers.

The Philippines has lagged behind its Asian neighbors in providing reliable and fast telecom services and the best way to address the problem is to build thousands of towers.

But Presidential Adviser on Economic Affairs and Information and Communications Technology Ramon Jacinto appears to have his own idea in the construction of the common towers. If he will have his way, Jacinto wants to accredit just two two independent cell tower companies for the entire country. Mr. Jacinto might as well concede that monopoly, which the government has shunned, is not yet passé.

Telecom stakeholders, both in the government and the private sector, have already rejected the idea of accrediting just two independent cell tower companies in several public hearings. Department of Information and Communications Technology Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio in fact confirmed in a Senate hearing that the DICT would not pursue Jacinto’s proposed policy.

Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero both criticized Jacinto’s proposal, which is seen to create a duopoly in the sector instead of opening up the market.

“I don’t think that is good policy,” said Escudero, adding Jacinto’s plan was not in the best interests of the telecoms industry. “That is not opening it up, that will make it even more of an oligopoly or monopoly. I don’t even understand why DICT or NTC is considering it.”

Rio also confirmed that incoming DICT chief Senator Gregorio Honasan was in favor of more than two players building common telecommunications infrastructure in the country to avoid legal issues.

Honasan believes this is in the best interests of the industry and the country.

Opening up the construction of common cellular towers to everybody is promoting fair competition. Limiting the number to just two will result in inefficiency and is prone to corruption.

What was originally meant to benefit the general public may end up favoring only a select few after all.

Advocacy group Better Broadband Alliance lead convenor Grace Mirandilla-Santos earlier questioned Jacinto on the rationale for limiting the participating tower companies.

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

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

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

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

CARITA, Indonesia―Indonesian search and rescue teams Wednesday plucked stranded residents from remote islands and pushed into isolated communities desperate for aid in the aftermath of a volcano-triggered tsunami that killed over 400.

But torrential rains hampered their efforts and heaped more misery on the region as stunned residents waded through waist-deep water in parts of hard-hit Carita.

“Heavy rains caused a river to overflow and several places are flooded,” national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Twitter.

“It’s hampering efforts to evacuate people and help other survivors.”

The disaster agency cautioned residents to stay clear of the coast as activity was still high at the rumbling Anak Krakatoa volcano, which sits in the middle of the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands.

A section of the crater collapsed after an eruption and slid into the ocean, triggering Saturday night’s killer tsunami, officials have said.

The powerful waves struck without warning, washing over popular beaches and inundating tourist hotels and coast-

al communities on both sides of the strait -- and leaving a trail of death and destruction in its wake.

The latest death toll stood at 429, with 1,485 people injured and another 154 still missing.

Medical workers have warned that clean water and medicine supplies were running low -- stoking fears of a public health crisis -- as thousands of displaced survivors cram shelters and hospitals. Many were left homeless by the killer wave.

The disaster agency has dispatched helicopters to drop supplies into a handful of hard-to-reach communities along the shattered coastlines.

Hundreds of residents still stranded on tiny islands in Sunda Strait are being airlifted or taken by boat to shelters.

Sniffer dogs are being used to find those still missing as grief-stricken relatives lined up at identification centers.

But hopes of finding any survivors beneath the rubble have dwindled.

“We’re starting to access the most isolated places hit by the tsunami,” said senior disaster agency official Dody Ruswandi.

“The devastation there is pretty massive.” AFP

2 activists held as trial of rights lawyer begins T IANJIN―Two activists were taken away Wednesday after protesting outside the tightly guarded courthouse in northern China where the trial of a prominent human rights lawyer is set to take place, witnesses saw.

Wang Quanzhang, 42, who defended political activists and victims of land seizures, disappeared in a 2015 sweep -known as the “709” crackdown -- aimed at courtroom critics of Communist authorities.

Charged in January 2016 with alleged “subversion of state power”, Wang had

Koreas pledge to restore rail and road links SEOUL―The two Koreas on Wednesday held a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony for reconnecting and repairing roads and railways across the divided peninsula, with the North calling on the South to push through joint projects despite sanctions on Pyongyang.

The connection of railways and roads is among a series of measures aimed at improving bilateral ties agreed upon in September by liberal South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the North’s leader Kim Jong Un. Seoul stressed that the ceremony would not herald the start of actual work on reconnecting and modernizing links between the two Koreas -which remain technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended without a peace treaty.

A South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman described it as a mere “expression of a commitment”, adding that construction would depend on “progress on the North’s denuclearization and circumstances concerning sanctions”.

But the North’s top railway official Kim Yun Hyok reiterated Pyongyang’s stance that the South stop toeing the US line on maintaining sanctions on the North until it gives up its nuclear weapons.

“If (the South) keeps looking around to check someone’s mood and continues wavering, reunification would never be achieved,” Kim said at the ceremony at the Panmun railway station in the North’s border city of Kaesong.

Moments later, some 10 delegates from both the South and the North lined up along the railroad and pulled yellow levers to link up the railway tracks in a symbolic gesture.

There were concerns that the train and other materials brought into the North for the ceremony could breach various sanctions imposed on the isolated regime over its nuclear weapons, but the UN Security Council reportedly granted a waiver for the event. AFP

been in legal limbo -- detained without a trial date -- until Monday, when his government-appointed lawyer finally contacted his wife with the court date.

Just before 10:00 am (0200 GMT), AFP journalists witnessed a man getting arrested after he protested outside the court in Tianjin, where Wang’s trial is believed to be underway.

“A refined scholar has been detained by you lot this way that even members of the public can’t see him,” shouted Yang Chunlin, a rights activist from Heilongjiang.

“This is fascist rule, it’s absurd. The Chinese people need to stop living in fear, we need to stand up to oppression and be brave.”

Shortly after, several plainclothes officers set on Yang and bundled him into a waiting black SUV.

Another man holding up a sign that said “release (the) innocent Wang Quanzhang” was taken away by local authorities about 8:15 am, a witness told AFP. Amnesty International researcher Patrick Poon identified the man as Zhang Zhecheng, a rights activist from Jiangxi in central China.

Wang is charged with being influenced by “infiltrating anti-China forces”, of being trained by a foreign group and accepting their funding, and of having subversive thoughts as a result.

The documents seen by AFP say he worked with Peter Dahlin, a Swedish human rights activist whose group offered training to lawyers who have tried to use the tightly controlled Chinese judiciary to redress apparent government abuses.

Dahlin was deported in 2016 after a 23-day detention. AFP

CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE.

Norway’s Queen Sonja and Prince Sverre Magnus leave Holmenkollen chapel after the Christmas Day service on December 25, 2018, in Oslo. AFP

Another migrant child dies in US WASHINGTON―US Customs and Border protection announced Tuesday it would conduct medical checks on all children in its custody following the death of an eight-year-old Guatemalan migrant—the second child fatality in American detention this month.

The boy, who was with his apprehended father, had been transferred to a New Mexico medical center showing signs of sickness on Monday, the agency said Tuesday.

Staff diagnosed him with a cold but later discovered a fever. He was released at midday, with prescriptions for ibuprofen and the antibiotic amoxicillin.

The child was later transferred back to the hospital after showing signs of nausea and vomiting, and died on Monday just before midnight.

CBP said it had not established the

cause of death but would “ensure an independent and thorough review of the circumstances.”

Later, commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan announced the agency was “conducting secondary medical checks upon all children in CBP care and custody,” and “reviewing its policies with particular focus upon care and custody of children under 10.”

He added CBP was considering seeking medical support from other agencies, among them the US Coast Guard and the Department of Defense.

“CBP is coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control on the numbers of children in custody as well,” he said.

Guatemala called on US authorities to conduct a “clear” investigation of the death, adding that “medical reports have been requested... to clarify the cause of death of the child.”AFP

LGUs

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

B4

Observe QC ban on firecrackers, Belmonte warns

By Rio N. Araja

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

PAMITINAN FESTIVAL. Street

dancers from the various barangays of Rodriguez town in Rizal interpret the legend of mythical hero Bernardo Carpio as part of the Pamitinan Festival to mark its 109th municipal founding anniversary. According to legend, Carpio is a man with supernatural strength trapped between two great rocks in the mountains of Montalban, preventing them from crashing into each other. The weeklong festivity is named after Pamitinan Mountain, used as a stronghold of the Katipunan revolutionary movement led by Andres Bonifacio, which first declared the country’s independence from Spain in 1895.

China-funded Sarangani rehab center unwrapped T

HE P350-million Chinese-funded Dangerous Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Alabel, Sarangani was recently inaugurated and turned over to the Philippine government after its construction was completed in less than a year.

Sarangani Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon lauded the project, which broke ground in January this year, and said it will help the Provincial Anti-Illegal Drug Abuse Program in its CommunityBased Rehabilitation Program (CBRP) as a holistic approach in rehabilitating surrendered drug personalities.

Solon noted the abrupt drop of crime rate in the region to 70 percent at the

height of the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, and the center will be a big help in this effort.

The 150-bed rehabilitation center occupies a three-hectare lot provided by the provincial government. It will operate in January 2019 to cater to Region 12 or Soccsksargen, which covers the provinces of South Cotabato, (North) Cotabato, Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat, Saran-

gani and Gen. Santos City.

With a floor area of 6,707 square meters, the center includes an admission, administration building and clinic, male and female dormitory, transition villa, visitors’ pavilion, staff house, motor pool, a multipurpose covered court, and other buildings.

An inter-agency task force composed of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Department of Health, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Dangerous Drugs Board, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Office of the President will facilitate the operation of the center.

The project design adopted a modernist architecture for its main functions that include treatment, training, sports and

office. The central administration building is shaped like a “window of hope,” facing the future and symbolizing the opening of each patient’s heart to help them step into a new and bright future, officials said.

Unveiling the marker of the Center at the inauguration were Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Chinese Consul General Li Lin. It was witnessed by DOH regional director Aristides Concepcion Tan, DOH Assistant Secretary Abdullah Dumama Jr, DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III, China State (Philippines) Construction Engineering Corp. general manager Liu Wei, and Chinese Embassy economic and commercial counselor Jin Yuan.

Refill Revolution draws 500 in San Fernando CITY of San Fernando, Pampanga---A Refill Revolution joined by 500 state workers, stakeholders and concerned citizens was held here to combat plastic pollution in the country yesterday.

The revolution was held at the 30 hectares Diosdado Macapagal Government Centre in Barangay Maimpis in this city as part of the annual Manila Bay clean up against the use of plastic which is very harmful in the environment that causes natural disaster and a detterent to the good health of people.

Paquito T. Moreno Jr., regional director of the Department Environment and Natural Resouces (DENR) in Central Luzon said that refill revolution is the one of the many msolutions of the office in fighting the global problem of plastic.

“This is our advocacy to cut back and limit plastic production, consumption and packaging”, Moreno said.

Researches suggest that plastic bottle containing Bisphenol A(BPA), an organic synthetic

compound widely served as a starting materials in the production of plastic container, have chemicals seeping out of the bottle into the water and causes health issues like diabetes obesity, high blood pressure and cancers among many others.

Aside from this, plastic which is non-biodegradable is also harmful to environment.

The revolution is spearheaded by the Environmental Management Bureau of the regional office DENR in Central Luzon.

Navotas grants new homes to 60 at-risk families

By Jun David DANGAL AWARDEE. Zambales Vice Governor Angel Magsaysay recently received the “Dangal Ng Bayang Filipino Award” at the Tanghalang Pasigueno in Pasig City for being the best vice governor for 2018. Magsaysay was recognized because she not only restricted herself to legislative functions but also reached out to her constituents through her popular feeding programs, even in the remotest part of the barangays in the province, to ease their plight and verify their conditions.

This allowed her to make better decisions in implementing ‘people-driven legislation.’

THE Navotas City Government has gifted new homes to Navoteño families who previously lived by the sea or river.

Sixty Navoteño families will now celebrate Christmas in their new homes following the inauguration and blessing of NavoHomes Dagat-dagatan at Brgy.

North Bay Boulevard South-Dagat-dagatan.

“A safe shelter where a family can dream and nurture their aspirations together―that is what we want for each Navoteño family. This is why we hope to move families away from danger areas and provide them with decent and safe homes,” Mayor John Rey Tiangco said.

Rep. Toby Tiangco encouraged housing beneficiaries to avail the programs that the city government offers.

“Our local government provides scholarships, medical assistance, livelihood opportunities, among others. Take advantage of these as they are meant to help you and your family create a better tomorrow,” he said.

QUEZON City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte on Wednesday reminded city residents to observe the total ban on the use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices during festivities, and called on them to celebrate New Year’s Eve safely.

No one should be harmed in the celebration of the New Year’s Day, she said, adding safety against any types of firecracker is possible.

“Let’s totally cease using these kinds of harmful devices. The drop of firecracker-related injuries since last year was commendable, but there are still some who still make use of them,” the vice mayor said.

“Let us aim for zero casualties this year. I think it is possible if everyone will be responsible to adhere to our existing ordinance and report those who will sell and use firecrackers,” she added.

Belmonte cited City Ordinance No. SP 2618 imposing a total ban on the use or play of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices in all public places of Quezon City during festivity or for any occasion.

The measure has been implemented since October 2017.

“I know firecrackers has been a part of our tradition in celebrating the New Year’s Eve, but let us not compromise our own safety. Let’s get rid of it totally,” she said.

Globe, SPS back biodiversity gab for Boracay seas BORACAY may have opened again for international and local tourists to enjoy, but local leaders and authorities are still keeping an eye on businesses to ensure that all enterprises remain compliant to environmental policies, and that new measures to preserve this highly-popular destination are strictly followed.

In support of the government’s efforts, Globe Telecom, together with Save Philippine Seas (SPS), facilitated a one-day marine biodiversity workshop for some 30 business stakeholders, including hotel and owners of various establishments in the island.

In response, participants pledged their commitment to implement immediately the sustainable practices they learned at the workshop.

Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications, said: “We work with the community to promote environment-friendly practices so that collectively we can contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”

“Boracay Island is a Philippine pride.

All stakeholders in Boracay have a responsibility to preserve its pristine beauty. One truly impactful way of achieving this is by actively participating in its conservation,” Crisanto added.

“Our awareness campaign and workshops resonate with our mission to responsibly manage our environmental impacts by implementing sustainable practices― with the intention of improving the lives of the local communities,” she said.

The event was graced by top marine experts like Boracay Marine Biologist Haron Deo Vargas, who continues to lead efforts in saving turtles found within the island’s waters.

Essential points of the workshop included sharing the current Philippine environmental situation, and how business establishments can integrate sustainable best practices into their day-today operations.

The workshop also discussed simple but conscious efforts that go a long way in helping save one of the world’s most beautiful beaches from further damage.

These include offering refillable containers for personal care products for guests to use in hotels and resorts; encouraging guests to bring reusable shopping bags and utensils; refraining from using sand, seashells, corals, and sea stars as decorations; avoiding balloon or lantern releases; and avoiding the use of all singleuse plastics like straws, to name a few.

Bacolod, Bago to hold common New Year fireworks parties BACOLOD CITY—Local government units in Negros Occidental, particularly the cities of Bacolod and Bago, will hold community fireworks displays to welcome the New Year.

Bago, the city next to Bacolod to the south, announced on Wednesday the staging of the annual Lights of Bago at 7 p.m. on January 1 at the Manuel Y. Torres Memorial Sports Complex.

Mayor Nicholas Yulo invited Negrenses to witness the event that will have a musical theme of the 80’s new wave hits.

“Be mesmerized as the skies of Bago will sparkle again with multi-colored lights cascaded down in sparkling flames,” he said.

The fireworks display will feature a medley of eight of the best 80’s hits such as Jump by Van Halen, Every Breath You Take by The Police, and Karma Chameleon by Culture Club.

Yulo said the city’s annual communal fireworks display is being held in support of the “Oplan Iwas Paputok” campaign of the Department of Health.

In the past year, firecracker injuries in Bago have significantly decreased by 70 percent, according to figures from the City Health Office.

Councilor Andrew Martin Torres, chairman of the 11th Lights of Bago, said the city’s annual activity has become a must-see event in the province and continues to draw thousands of

spectators every year.

In Bacolod, the city government will also hold a community fireworks’ display on the night of December 31 at the Government Center grounds.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he is inviting Bacolodnons to join the New Year’s countdown event.

“We promise our people a grand fireworks’ display like the one during the MassKara Festival,” the mayor said, adding that call center firm PanAsiatic Solutions has committed to sponsor the fireworks show.

He also said that witnessing a community fireworks display will be safer and will also mean lesser expenses for everyone. PNA

LASTING MEMORY. 1-Pacman Party-list Rep. Mikee Romero (right) has donated a rescue boat built from high-quality fiberglass for the disaster management and local tourism efforts of the municipality of Guagua, Pampanga. The boat was named after his son, Miguel Lorenzo (inset). ‘This is in remembrance of Miguel’s 1st death anniversary,’ said Romero during the quality inspection of the boat with Guagua Mayor Dante Torres (left). Lino Santos

Life household

bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @mstandardLIFe thursday, december 27, 2018

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LIVING A LIFE OF LEISURE. DMCI Homes’ Bicutan, Parañaque property Siena Park Residences provides residents a nurturing environment conducive for relaxation and physical activities.

Home is where there’s inner peace W

ITH all the hustle and bustle of a fast-paced lifestyle in the metro, finding a sanctuary from the chaos of everyday living can be a challenge for many urban dwellers.

accomplished a 200-hour AshtangaVinyasa teacher training, Gutierrez has been teaching the Hindu discipline of muscle control and meditation Vinyasa Yoga practitioner Thea Gutierrez teaches her neighbors at Siena Park the Hindu to her neighbors in the Bicutan, Par- discipline of muscle control and meditation.

For DMCI Homes Siena Park Resi- ducive for relaxation is important for añaque condo community every week “I wanted to make yoga unintimidat- shared. “We are neighbors now so super to help them cope with the stresses of dences unit owner Thea Gutierrez, hav- people in the metro. ing to my neighbors; it is a very acces- saya that we get to have dinners togething a kind of environment that is conA Vinyasa Yoga practitioner who urban living. sible form of exercise even if you are er, do activities together. Other friends a beginner or not flexible. Yoga is for bought in different DMCI Homes communities and we’d exchange notes and everyone,” she said.

Gutierrez said she is thankful to have stories as well.”

A “South Girl” through and found a home in a community that supports her quest for inner peace amid her through, Gutierrez knows that Siena Park Residences is the right property busy life as a marketing professional.

“Everything that you need is here— for her lifestyle.

“I have been living in the south since a space for jogging, gym, clubhouse, swimming pool, basketball/volley- I was a kid, and living in Parañaque is ball/tennis court, everything that you very close to Makati where I work. It’s need for exercise. The security team also close to the south if you want to go and the Property Management Office to the beach and it’s also convenient to are top-notch. You have that sense go to the north through the Skyway and of security, orderliness, and peace of expressway,” she disclosed.

She continued, “When I saw this, it mind every time you’re at home,” enwas perfect because it’s near the malls, thused Gutierrez.

Having lived in the mid-rise condo near the public transportation, near community since 2013, she considers Makati, near everything. So that’s the her purchase of her two-bedroom unit reason why, without batting an eyelash, as one of the best decisions she has I got this property!”

But more than the development’s made in her young professional career.

“Actually I was telling my friends excellent location, it’s the community that this has been the best decision I’ve fellowship that has endeared Gutierrez made and I’ve been so happy of get- to her fellow residents of the three-hecting a DMCI Homes property that I was tare property.

“Tama yung sinasabi nila (They are even able to encourage one of my MBA Turn to C2 classmates to buy a property here,” she The mid-rise condominium features a spacious atrium filled with greens.

Sophisticated shopping further expands in Iloilo FOllOWInG the opening of The Marketplace at Festive Walk in Iloilo in October, the premium grocery continues to offer Ilonggo shoppers access to all the freshest and finest products as it opens its second branch in the city at Plazuela Dos in Mandurriao.

The opening of the second The Marketplace in Iloilo marks the chain’s latest effort in bringing sophisticated shopping to more Filipino families, bringing more variety as well as great convenience and comfort to its surroundings.

“We are delighted to bring a second The Marketplace store to Iloilo so more Ilonggos can enjoy a different, upscale grocery experience,” says The Marketplace vice president for non-food merchandising Kerwin legarde.

He adds, “Our wide array of fresh picks and quality items from all over the world, along with impeccable customer service in a thoughtfully designed space make sure your shopping enjoyment is taken to a whole new level.”

The Marketplace has transformed the ordinary grocery experience into a premium grocery and lifestyle shopping with unique and extensive selection of local and international products that include exclusive brands like Waitrose from the UK and Casino from France, as well as the best deals and in-store promotions.

The Marketplace brings to Plazuela Dos in Mandurriao, Iloilo an extensive selection of local and international products, including pastries, meats, wines, fresh produce, and Visit www.rustansfresh.com for more information. exclusive brands like Waitrose and Casino, among others.

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thursday, december 27, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

How to better spend long weekends

Amaia completes 300-plus units in North Luzon Economic housing developer Amaia Land Corp. reports the completion of more than 300 units in its North Luzon projects.

R

eSIDenTIal property developer amaia land Corp. gives the gift of new homes as it reported the completion of more than 300 units in its projects located in north luzon provinces.

Completed units are located at amaia Scapes Bulacan, amaia Scapes Pampanga, amaia Scapes Capas, amaia Scapes Urdaneta, amaia Scapes San Fernando, and amaia Scapes Cabanatuan.

“This season of goodwill, we can’t think of a more rewarding way to give back to the community than the timely completion and delivery of superior quality abodes to our future residents,” says Makati Development Corporation.

“This also reinforces our commitment to making quality home living more accessible to even more Filipinos.” amaia land, ayala land’s economic housing arm, offers spacious, well-designed homes that suit the varied tastes and requirements of its clients. The developments also feature fully functional amenities, such as swimming pools and village pavilions, among others.

THe holiday season affords many individuals several days to rest and do leisurely activities such as strolling around the mall, catching movies, and going on trips, among others.

Those who have always wanted to get started on their health regimen or improve it, the long weekend’s a great time to try it.

BPI Philam suggests choosing a science-backed, rewards-based wellness program, such as Philam Vitality, that helps individuals understand their body better by knowing their health through a series of assessments to determine their Vitality age, or how close their body’s age is to their actual age.

Philam Vitality members can improve their health by reaching each of its recommended goals as they make wiser, healthier choices on their lifestyle.

Those who successfully reach their goals get points that help them elevate their Philam Vitality Status.

This means, the more points one has,

the more they’ll be rewarded with discounts on products and services they can enjoy whenever they want.

For example, they can receive discounts on gym membership at Gold’s Gym as well as training equipment and clothing at Toby’s and Garmin. also included in the perks and sweet deals are airfare via Philippine airlines, tickets to SM Cinemas, and discounted passes to enchanted Kingdom. Those who yearn for a little more rest and relaxation will enjoy saving on hotel room bookings in hotels like Marriott or Seda. as the Philam Vitality wellness program is now integrated into BPIPhilam’s Wellness Series, it also allows members to get an upfront additional 20 percent coverage from their insurance, which may increase up to 50 percent when they consistently keep their Platinum Philam Vitality Status year after year.

Go to www.bpi-philam.com for more information.

Amaia Land offers spacious, well-designed homes that suit the varied tastes and requirements of its clients.

This year, amaia has already completed its amenities such as village pavilion, basketball court, children’s playground, and swimming pool in most of its north luzon projects, giving its much-valued homeowners venues for celebrating family milestones and for fostering friendly ties with their friends

and neighbors.

Furthermore, the leading property developer has announced that it is set to start construction of more than 100 units in its developments located in northern provinces.

Go to www.amaialand.com for more information.

Spend long weekends with the family while staying healthy and having fun.

Getting rid of ‘unwanted guests’ this holiday season

OLX Philippines head of real estate Tina Bautista (right) with Shine Resurreccion and Rainier Dominic Villanueva

From left: Kristynne Tan, Jennica Ann Butiong, and Paulene Asuncion

2 websites strengthen PH real estate industry THe country’s top real estate portal Property24 and buy and sell community OlX recently celebrated a night of camaraderie and partnership.

The partnership of the two online sites, dubbed “The Power of Two,” means that posting on Property24 entitles the real estate seller to cross-sell with the massive audience of OlX. a ceremonial toast led by OlX Phil-

Pauline Estabillo and Janna Ulit

Home...

From C1

right when they say) that DMCI Homes builds communities, livable communities. So it’s really different when you see a DMCI Homes property compared to other developers. You will really see the distinct difference and it’s really a

ippines head of real estate Tina Bautista showed their appreciation for the hard work and dedication their partners have contributed to the real estate industry.

“The real ‘Power of Two’ is not just the combination of these two websites. It’s really the partnership between us, your real estate portal, and you, our clients, the real estate sellers. It is because of our partnership that we’re able to help property buy-

ers across the country,” said Bautista.

Some of the top partner companies that took part in the momentous occasion were PSBank, Robinsons Communities, Vista land, laguna Technopark, and Regus Philippines.

Property24 is an effective online platform that allows property sellers to showcase their listings to a wider audience of qualified prospective buyers.

From left: Carolyne Joy Zapata-Toriño, Ginnuarda Carodan, and Julie Daval-Santos

cut above the rest,” she enthused.

This is evident in the numerous community development activities initiated by the PMO, she said.

“It’s very apparent and it’s very obvious in all the activities that we have.

I’ve joined some bazaars and the Mass every Sunday. We have Santacruzan, Halloween, and even Christmas gettogethers,” shared Gutierrez.

“I really love the sense of community that has been established. I’ve always been happy with how the community turned out, the property management, my neighbors, and how we really cared for the community and for the development of the community,” she beamed.

Call (02) 324-8888 or visit www. dmcihomes.com to know more about DMCI Homes projects.

‘TIS the season to open our doors to beloved kin and friends, and also the season to keep “unwanted guests” such as cockroaches, mosquitoes, and ants at bay.

Jardine Distribution, Inc. offers an array of high quality Home Pest Solutions that deter, control, and eliminate such unwanted visitors safely and effectively to prevent diseases and other inconveniences they may bring.

The ZaP all Knockdown multi-insect killer is a highly effective insecticide specially formulated to kill dengue-carrying mosquitoes and pesky flies without the irritating smell. Its active ingredient and advanced formulation offer a faster knockdown power and better performance than other brands in the market, safeguarding families against the threats of dengue and Zika virus.

To exterminate cockroaches, JDI offers Optigard Roach Bait, which boasts an advanced technology. It kills the entire colony making home roach-free for almost three months. It is also safer to use than spray as in comes in odorless gel formula. It is also non-staining.

Optigard ant Bait, meanwhile, eliminates ants with its dual-killing action that can exterminate an entire colony.

Once ants ingest the active ingredient, they return to their nest and transfer the bait to other ants, including queens.

Homeowners can protect their wellloved wooden furniture from natural and man-made damages with Woodshine, a tried and tested furniture pol-

Keep mosquitoes and other ‘unwanted guests’ at bay with ZAP All Knockdown multi-insect killer.

ish from timber expert Solignum. This special liquid emulsion and wax-based formula has anti-static property, which creates a natural barrier that repels dust particles and grime, prevents smudges and light scratches, and even removes coffee and water stains. It can also be applied on vinyl and leather surfaces.

The aforementioned products are available at leading supermarkets and DIY stores nationwide.

From left: Optigard Ant Bait, Optigard Roach Bait, and Woodshine

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

A Christmas treat from Ballet Manila Sarah and Anne for special Jollibee Studios Holiday episode

Ballet Manila stages 'Ang Prinsipe ng Mga Ibon'

M

GA Kuwento ni Lola Basyang, as presented by Ballet Manila, is Star City’s Christmas offering this season.

Three beloved tales from Severino Reyes take to the Aliw theater stage until Jan. 2 at 7:00 p.m., with 4:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. shows on New Year’s Day. Ang Prinsipe ng Mga Ibon, choreographed by Osias Barroso to music arranged by Mon Faustino, features the search for true love, where the princess chooses to transform into a

bird to be with her beloved avian prince.

Labindalawang Masasayang Prinsesa, in turn, was choreographed by Ballet Manila’s artistic director Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, and set to music by Arnold Buena. It features the story of 12 princesses secretly leaving their palace at night and returning with muddy shoes, leaving the king and their governess puzzled.

Meanwhile, Ang Mahiwagang Bituin, using music by National Artist Ryan Cayabyab, with choreography by Tony Fabella, revolves around the tale of a local Pied Piper named Rodrigo, who uses an enchanted violin, and shows how good ultimately triumphs over evil.

Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang is offered free to Star City patrons.

Southeast Asia’s first IMAX with Laser cinema OUTDATING existing cinema experience currently available in the country, Vista Cinemas introduces an incredibly groundbreaking movie technology as it houses Southeast Asia’s first IMAX with Laser theater in Evia Lifestyle Center Mall in Alabang.

Launched in Novemeber, Vista Cinemas’ IMAX with Laser cinema now brings the audience a notch higher with its next-generation technology that delivers stunning images and heart-pounding audio for an unparalleled immersive cinematic experience.

Capturing true reality projected on one of the world’s largest screens, the experience is set apart by its next-generation 4K laser projection system which features a new optical engine and a suite of propriety IMAX technologies that deliver increased resolution, sharper and brighter images, deeper contrast as well as the most distinct, exotic colors ever available on-screen.

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From C4

STP’s album is a comprehensive archive of the band’s history.

“There are songs that our fans will know, and there are some new ones we’ve been working on they certainly haven’t heard before. The album opens with Invocation, an opening to our Mass, a celebration to our beliefs, and commemoration to the beloved prophetic artists that have in-

Defying the standards in immersive entertainment, Vista Cinemas’ IMAX with Laser theatre is consistent with its thrust to bring only the best experiences to its customers aimed to transport audiences into today’s most anticipated blockbusters with heightened realism that draws the audience into the movie and out from his own world.

The IMAX with Laser technology has been designed from the ground-up exclusively for IMAX screens that delivers breathtaking images and makes us of IMAX’s 12-channel sound technology for an even greater dynamic range giving the ultimate in audio immersion.

Because the audiences deserve more than just a movie, get ready to experience a world of difference at Vista Cinemas’ Evia Lifestyle Mall IMAX with Laser at Evia Lifestyle Center. Visit Vista social media pages at www.facebook.com/vistacinemas, www.facebook.com/evialifestylecenter, and www.vistacinemas.com.ph.

spired us. Throughout the album, there are many different musical styles Rock, Grunge, Blues, Samba, Hymns, even Metal to a degree! We have hidden a few easter-eggs in our album for our fans to find. Some easy, others hard to find. I’m excited for our fans to find them,” said Salvador.

What sets STP apart from other bands is that they consider each member as a family.

“The hardest thing for a band to overcome is actually staying together. What appears to set us apart, at least so far, is a brotherly camaraderie between members.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Thursday, December 27, 2018

ACROSS 1 Lofty 5 Silky sound 10 Batter’s ploy 14 World’s fair 15 Eat some of 16 17th state 17 Housing expense 18 Knight’s suit 19 Tree trunk 20 Delegates 22 Prepared eggs 24 Heating fuel 25 Snake River loc.

26 Antique washer part 30 Spot remover 34 Gives it the gas 35 Mongol tents 37 Tinned meat 38 Have — — at 39 Big snake 40 Wale 41 Remove the rind 43 Skins 45 Keep for later 46 Cunning 48 Percolated 50 Bashful 51 “Evita” role 52 Scales 56 Where ghosts are invoked 60 Wishes one

hadn’t 61 Overpublicized 63 — Lincoln, first Tarzan 64 Press for 65 Papas or Cara 66 Basketball hoops 67 McCloud’s hometown 68 Pennies 69 Seesaw (hyph.)

DOWN 1 Prefix for “trillion” 2 Hatchets 3 Medical assistants 4 Cosmetic buys 5 Director — Kubrick 6 Major conflicts 7 Dogma 8 Come to a standstill 9 Brave deed 10 Lynxes 11 Klutz’s cry (hyph.)

12 Giza’s river 13 Three- — sloth 21 Brief engagement 23 Stock ending 26 Decorates a gift

27 Queenlike 28 Off-white 29 Yokels 30 In the least (2 wds.)

31 Talk show name 32 Wet behind the ears 33 Fix firmly 36 Fish-to-be 42 Closes in 43 Mind reader 44 Withdraws 45 Stage backdrop 47 Many millennia

49 Detective’s cry 52 Very dry 53 Faint glow 54 Construction toy 55 Bronte heroine Jane — 56 Posted a parcel 57 Ad award 58 Television award 59 Not too hot (hyph.)

62 Farm enclosure

We all have input. No one is cut out of a musical decision. We enjoy hanging out together outside of the band, too,” said Gutierrez.

Arribay added: “What we can suggest to other aspiring bands is to support the community that supports you. It saddens us to see bands show up, play and leave.

Bands complaining about a timeslot, or band members who lack commitment to even arrive at their show within 3 hours of the time they agreed to show up.

Bands who don’t support the venue that is gracious enough to let you play. How

‘TIS the season for Christmas parties— and impressive production numbers to liven up the festivities.

In the latest episode of 14/29 Petsa de Peligro JolliSerye JolliSerye—Jollibee’s pioneering digital web series—the Happy Calendar House barkada is faced with another challenge that’s seemingly impossible to conquer during Petsa de Peligro.

With VIP guests coming to the company’s Christmas party, and with all the party’s budget spent on decorations and lights and sounds, it got the barkada scrambling to find the best performers for the night’s entertainment.

Good thing that Nina, the “kikay-diva ng Accounting” and the person in charge of planning the party, knows two singers who fit the bill: Christina Aguilar and Britney Fierce, friends from her college singing group.

Played by Sarah Geronimo and Anne Curtis Curtis, respectively, these two characters bring next-level star power through memorable comedic and musical performances to Jollibee’s first-of-its-kind branded digital series.

“Sobrang nakakaaliw ang characters namin ni Anne dito sa JolliSerye,” shared Sarah. “First time ‘to na we got to work together, and I’m so thankful na sa ganitong project na very light, positive, and masaya.”

“Ang tagal ko nang gusto ma-invite as a guest star in JolliSerye. After seeing so many icons like Janno Gibbs, Jolina Magdangal Magdangal, Gary Valenciano, Eugene Domingo Domingo, Cherie Gil, and James Reid play such hilarious characters that’s super well-written talaga, at the back of my mind I was wishing na sana ako naman,” Anne, who had a couple of hit online videos with Jollibee for her Linamnam Burger Steak endorsement, said. “And super swerte ko pa that I got to share an episode with the one and only Sarah Geronimo.”

The 14/29 Petsa de Peligro JolliSerye is the first branded content series that the fast-food giant introduced online. With a sitcom structure, this series features various storylines that get resolved with the help of special guest stars and Jollibee’s delicious and value-for-money offering, JolliSavers.

From iconic TV ads featuring some of the nation’s brightest celebrities, Jollibee has embraced the digital revolution with longer-form content that tells compelling, heartwarming stories. Its newest digital content arm, Jollibee Studios, was recently launched officially with the promise of innovative storytelling delivered online.

“Masayang maging bahagi ng Jollibee family,” Sarah said. “Through the years, masarap sa puso na marami akong napapasaya kasama si Jollibee. At ngayon naman na may Jollibee Studios na, kasali pa rin ang mga endorsers tulad namin ni Anne.”

“It’s such a wonderful experience to film a music-related episode with Sarah, who’s really my idol pagdating sa kantahan. But not only that, the whole crew and the cast made it super fun.” Anne said.

“We’re so happy that both Sarah and Anne have been very enthusiastic about our last episode for Season 2 and gave their 100 percent best,” said Cathleen Capati, Jollibee’s AVP for Flagship Category. “Guest stars like these two icons and beloved Jollibee family members truly empower us to create and bring entertaining, relatable digital content to Pinoy netizens.”

At the heart of every 14/29 Petsa de Peligro JolliSerye episode is the strong friendship of the Happy Calendar House barkada and the undeniable value delivered by their favorite JolliSavers.

With JolliSavers, enjoying the satisfyingly delicious meals you love is possible every day even when it’s Petsa de Peligro. For only P50.00 or less, indulge in your favorite Jollibee best-sellers such as the Cheesiest, Meatiest, Sweet-Sarap Jolly Spaghetti (P50.00), the beefy-saucy Linamnam Ulam Burger Steak (P50.00), the extra beefy and extra cheesy Jolly Hotdog (P50.00) and Langhap-Sarap Yumburger (P35.00).

Catch the latest episode of 14/29 Petsa de Peligro JolliSerye by subscribing to Jollibee Studios (youtube.com/JollibeeStudios), liking Jollibee Philippines on Facebook, and following @Jollibee on Twitter and Instagram.

The newest episode of Jollibee’s 14/29 Petsa de Peligro JolliSerye Series brings Sarah G and Anne Curtis for a special holiday episode

can you expect to survive if you actively take part in the destruction of the very industry that supports you? Sure, being in a band has its moments of ecstasy, but there are aspects that aren’t so glamorous.”

In terms of recording a Demo, EP or Album, STP always thinks that recording an album would be an extremely expensive and difficult process.

“With the emergence of cheaper and cheaper musical technology, this is not really the case anymore. You can get great results at home with a basic setup.

We recorded this album at our rehearsal studio, “Mudhoney Studios” in Las Piñas. We used an 8 track USB audio interface and one of our laptops to record at Mudhonet Studio” in Las Piñas. We used an 8 track USB audio interface and one of our laptops to record. Mixing is a very subjective process. However, this can also be done yourself with a little know-how. These days, YouTube is a wealth of knowledge. Everything you need to know about mixing your recording is on YouTube for free,” Gonzales ended.

Entertainment

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

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

Bands on the run

ORIGINAL Pinoy Next on stage was Music (OPM) goes BennyBunnyBand where the local bands which hails Grin are.

Department as their That simple yet main influence. The YUGEL powerful declaration electrifying three-piece LOSORATA is one I personally band of Benny Giron attribute to the late (ukulele and vocals), Jeff Valisno, a close Ess Bobadilla (bass), friend in the media and Jhenico Dela circuit who offered his two cents’ worth Cruz (drums) justified calling their genre while we were conversing about the local Kuneho Rock as Giron’s energy couldn’t music scene a few years back, or shortly be denied. He went down the rabbit hole, before he suddenly died at the young age but with some good music and vocal of 36. harmonies to guide him back up.

As I recall it, we were kind of The third act, Feel Day may not be frustrated that bands have not returned as upfront as the first two but made up to a flourishing state for quite a while. for good chemistry as a chill collective.

This decade has no clear flagship bands “Salamin” reflects that in a good mix. to boast like Eraserheads in the ‘90s or Songwriting is a strength, too, and this Bamboo a decade after. group bagged the PhilPop 2018 2nd Things have changed so to speak and Runner-Up award for interpreting “Ako it dawned on me that strength in numbers Ako”, written by the band’s frontman Jek over individual pursuits has become the Buenafe. name of the game. Thus, last Dec.10 at Then there’s This Band which already The Music Hall (in Metrowalk, Ortigas) hit the number one spot on Philippine when Viva Records presented to music Viral 50 charts and even broke into the media four of their signed band acts in Global Viral Charts on Spotify. Their one occasion, that made sense. breakthrough piece “Kahit Ayaw Mo Na” Of the four, it was basic instinct I would is now theme song of a film bearing the find the synth-flavored music of Brisom same title. most interesting as I am into new wave, The band went through various too. Band leader Brian Sombero looked male singers before finding lady singer back to inadvertently hearing a lot from Andrea Manzano whose voice can pass that decade of decadence. “I listened to the up as a clone for KZ Tandingan’s. It’s best groups of the ‘80s: New Order, The a compliment and it may be the main Cure, The Police, and all those bands. I reason why they transformed from that was opened up to these great artists and band to This Band. Andrea’s male backers that’s what’s playing in the background are Euwie Loria (rhythm guitar), John while I was growing up.”

Macaranas (drums), Michael Galvan Interestingly, Brisom’s new single (bass), as well as new recruits Melvin “Hagkan” is a synth-drenched, mid- Carson (keyboards) and Raymart tempo ballad that can’t be confused for a Gubat (lead guitars) who debuted on the classic British act cover. single “Hindi Na Nga.”

Members of Brisom, an indie synthwave pop band

Save the Prophet to launch album ‘Diwata‘ SAVE The Prophet, an independent rock band hailing from south of Manila, Las Piñas, is launching its album “Diwata” at the Handlebar Bar And Grill in Solaris, Bel-Air, Makati City tomorrow, Dec. 28.

Save The Prophet was formed in February 2015 when singer Brian Salvador (from popular 1990s group, Anointed Cherubs) teamed up with guitarist Ivan Gutierrez, drummer Ryan Protacio and original bassist Djason Garcia, who has since left to focus on starting his family.

STP now has Sam Maribbay on bass, while adding another guitarist, Sherwin Gonzales. STP also has Australian, Andrew Jarick (guitar/backing vocals) perform with the band when he is in the country. Andrew is also producer, recording engineer and mixing engineer for STP’s album “Diwata” “We are kids of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Our inspiration largely comes from ‘90s rock and grunge like Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden—the superbands of the

‘90s. We also have some psychedelic influences like Pink Floyd,The Doors, Tea Party and Frank Zappa,” said frontman Salvador.

“We all listen to a hugely diverse array of music…from Rap & RnB, to extreme screaming metal and everything inbetween. Our song titles come to us logically. They’re based my lyrics which in essence, are stories that I imagine.

For example, ‘Story In The City,’ our first single from this album I imagined while traveling into the city while on the bus,” added Salvador, humming a part of the song “Crowded people, Bumper to bumper. Pollution is in the air...”

According to global Spotify statistics, STP is most popular with Males aged 18 to 44, and females 22 to 34.

“We really don’t mind who listens to our music. If you can listen and enjoy our music, we’ve got through to you, that’s what matters to us. Having said that, given our influences, we probably appeal most to kids of the ‘80s and ‘90s,” said Protacio.

Continued on C3

Save the Prophet during their Wish Bus guesting recently

The cast of Regal Entertainment's MMFF 2018 entry, 'One Great Love.'

A daring Kim Chiu in

‘ONE GREAT LOVE’ T

V AND movie star Kim Chiu, who is best known for her girlnext-door roles in drama and romcom, is out of her comfort zone as she ditched her demure image in Regal Entertainment’s Metro Manila Film Festival entry, One Great Love.

which at least one of them we could relate to.

The film also stars Eric Quizon (who is also the director of the film) portraying Dante Paez, Zyra’s loving father, who never got over his one NICKIE great love, discovers that he deserves a second WANG chance at love. Nina Dolino plays Annie Paez, Dante’s second wife, who is a firm believer that one great love does exist. Miles Ocampo is Jemi Paez, sister of Zyra, who is mature for her age. She is a practical thinker, who challenges Zyra’s view about love. Marlo Mortel is Bryan Gomez, a loving free-spirited guy who falls in love with Jemi.

The Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB) gave the film an impressive Grade B, the second highest rating given to a film by the board. The CEB evaluates and grades films mainly based on its quality.

One Great Love opened on Christmas Day as an entry to the 2018 Metro Manila Film Festival.

VERY WANG

In the Rated PG movie, Kim is seen in three love scenes: with JC de Vera in the bed room and on a yacht while in the bath tub; and one before the fireplace with Dennis Trillo.

Talking about her steamy scenes, the actress said, “I’m leaving it to the audience, I hope they will like it. But I’m feeling a little shy about it but I only did what the script was asking for.”

“In the future, if there will be offers, which would require me to do scenes like that, as long as it’s in the script and the story is really good, I would still do it,” she told some showbiz press during the press premiere of the film, and added that she is all for content driven stories On winning an award at the MMFF, Kim said that she likes the film to do well in the box office rather than being recognized for her role.

“It sounds selfish if I’d wish to just win an award for this film, what I am really hoping for is for the film to earn during the festival. It will benefit all the people who worked hard for this movie,” she said.

In the movie, the 28-year-old actress plays the role of Zyra Paez who has had a failed relationship with Carl Mauricio (JC).

In the movie, the viewers will see Kim’s character getting torn Kim Chiu and Dennis Trillo between two men, faced with a difficult decision that needs to be made: will she go for the one who’s been with her from ups and downs or will she follow what her heart tells her to do?

“The movie aims to shed led on this question: how will you know when the person you are with is your one great love. It intends to help the viewers understand what one is willing to do and the sacrifices that he is willing to take to be with someone whom he considers as his one great love,” she shared in Tagalog.

JC is Carl Mauricio, who is Zyra’s one great love. However, because of Carl’s turbulent past, he unintentionally keeps hurting the woman he loves.

Dennis is lan Arcano, Zyra’s dependable friend, who eventually falls in love with her.

These three lives are intertwined in a story that reveals to us that like all human beings, we all seek for love, no matter how differently everyone sees it.

One Great Love introduces us a number of characters, to Kim Chiu and JC de Vera

Celebrity Moms ‘Glad’ to get together CHRISTMAS is all about get-togethers, preparing food for the people we love and appreciate the most.

This season, Glad takes part in every kind of get-together -from setting warm, cozy holiday celebrations with the exquisite home collection of Pottery Barn to the lively festive nights’ scene at MercatoCentrale—Glad is at the forefront of every celebration because Glad knows that this time of the year, a feast is always the star. In every gettogether, Glad has the food preparation and storage solutions to let the warmth of the gathering live on.

Glad teams up with celebrity and hands-on moms, restaurateur Happy Ongpauco-Tiu at the Pottery Barn Thanksgiving event and actress Dimples Romana at the MercatoCentrale BGC Food market as both prepared their favorite dishes to make a get-together extra special.

Happy Ongpauco-Tiu prepared her healthy and savory salmon belly with olives using Glad Cook n Bake Paper. Glad Cook n’ Bake Paper is the perfect partner because it is made from a high-quality baking and cooking paper with a specially designed non-stick coating, and is heat resistant up to 230 degrees Celsius. Glad Cook n’ Bake Paper eliminates the need for fats and oils when cooking, enabling you and your family to eat healthier with less mess.

Dimples Romana prepared her flavorful Shrimp and Sausage Boil

using Glad Aluminum Foil which is ideal for cooking, baking, barbequing and minimizing mess when cooking, leaving more time to spend with family and friends.

Meals are best prepared with the finest ingredients wrapped in seal-tight Glad Cling-Wrap- using the latest technology available, Glad Cling Wrap now has 1.5x tighter seal for long-lasting freshness and is even easier and safer to dispense.

Filipino celebrations always leave some room for leftovers and we only want the best storage solutions to extend the freshness of the food. Glad has an array of Storage Bags, Freezer Bags and GladWare reusable containers which are BPA-free and safe to use for microwave. GladWare containers are recyclable.

This holiday season, let the happy memories of your get-togethers live on with Glad.

Glad is a brand of The Clorox Company, one of the leading multinational manufacturers and marketers of consumer and professional products that markets some of the most trusted and recognized brands in the country including Pine-sol, Clorox and Burt’s Bees, among others.

For more information, visit glad.com.ph.

Celebrity mom Dimples Romana during a demo for Glad x Mercato get-together event