Manila Standard - 2018 June 13 - Wednesday

A heady mix on their plates SINGAPORE—The main course may be hard-to-swallow denuclearization, but Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un also had a heady mix of Yangzhou fried Next page

VOL. XXXII • NO. 118 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

Hands that shook the world Trump, Kim hail summit breakthrough

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Google Doodle marks PH Day TO MARK the Philippines’ 120th Independence Day on Tuesday, tech giant Google depicted the country’s colorful marine life on its Doodle— the image that appears above the search bar on its home page—underlined by the red, yellow, and blue colors of the national flag. Next page

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INGAPORE—Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un hailed their historic summit Tuesday as a breakthrough in relations between Cold War foes, but the agreement they produced was short on details about the key issue of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons.

GRIP FOR PEACE.

US President Donald Trump (right) shakes hands with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un (left) at the start of their historic Washington-Pyongyang summit at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore on Tuesday. They became the first sitting US and North Korean leaders to meet, shake hands and negotiate to end a decades-old nuclear stand-off. AFP

China to throw CG ‘bad apples’ into sea—envoy

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan, Vito Barcelo and Rey E. Requejo CHINA’S Ambassador Zhao Jianhua admitted Tuesday there were “bad apples” in the Chinese Coast Guard and said he would throw them into

‘Ocean’s 8’ leads US box of fice ENTERTAINMENT C4

Fake freedom: Cardinal slams killings, injustice

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

MANILA Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle in his 120th Independence Day message said the country was enjoying a “fake freedom” due to killings and injustices.

“Freedom is fake if we’re toying around with justice. We repeat: It is against the will of God to destroy life. Killing is not a solution to personal and societal problems,” Tagle said in Filipino.

Lingayen Archbishop Socrates Villegas said the country is now turning into a killing field, and that murderers are now victimizing clergymen.

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the South China Sea to feed the fish, but a foreign ministry spokesman in Beijing said Filipinos could fish in Scarborough Shoal—which is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone—only “out of goodwill.”

Both statements were issued after Filipino fishermen complained

that members of the Chinese Coast Guard were in the habit of boarding their boats and taking their catch.

“Even in the best regulated families, accidents happen. So we always have bad apples but if we have bad apples, you know what I’m going Next page

The extraordinary encounter saw the leader of the world’s most powerful democracy shake hands with the third generation scion of a dynastic dictatorship, standing as equals in front of their nations’ flags.

Kim agreed to the “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” a stock phrase favored by Pyongyang that fell short of long-standing US demands for North Korea to give up its atomic arsenal.

And in a blockbusting press conference after the summit, Trump said the US would halt military exercises with Seoul—a long-term irritant for Pyongyang, which claims they are a rehearsal for invasion.

The exercises were not mentioned in the document that the two men signed.

“We will be stopping the war games which will save us a tremendous amount of money,” Trump told reporters, adding that “at some point” he wanted to withdraw US troops from the South.

“Under the circumstances where we’re negotiating a very comprehensive agreement, I think it’s inappropriate to be having war games.”

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Duterte calls on Pinoys: Join war on social ills

By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said eradicating illegal drugs, corruption, terrorism, criminality, poverty and environmental degradation were among his priorities as he called on Filipinos to join him in fighting these social ills during the 120th celebration of Philippine independence in Kawit, Cavite.

In his speech, the President admitted that he could not do it alone and would need the support of the people to sucNext page ceed.

HOISTING THE TRICOLORS.

President Rodrigo Duterte leads the flag-raising ceremony during the 120th Independence Day celebration at the Museo ni Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite Tuesday.

Malacañang Photo

Top cop bans public display of suspects PHILIPPINE National Police Oscar Albayalde has banned the presentation of arrested suspects before reporters, his spokesman said Tuesday.

Supt. Benigno Durana said Albayalde’s order came after his meeting with Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle last week.

“We enhance our strategy against illegal drugs by upholding, observing, respecting and promoting human rights and the rule of law,” Durana said.

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Filipinos satisfied with how democracy works—SWS

NEARLY four out of five Filipinos remain satisfied with how democracy is working in the country—two years into the Duterte administration—and still prefer it over other forms of government, a Social Weather Stations survey released Tuesday showed.

The results of the First Quarter 2018 Social Weather Survey—conducted over two months ago, from March 23 to 27—show that 78 percent of Pinoys remain satisfied with Philippine democracy, but down 2 percentage points from when the sur-

vey on the same subject was polled last year.

“Satisfaction with the way democracy works has been above 60 percent since June 2010, ranging from 64 percent to 86 percent,” the SWS said.

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018

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CBCP rejects plan to arm priests in wake of attacks T

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

HE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines on Tuesday opposed the idea of arming priests as a protective measure in the wake of the series attacks on clergymen.

CBCP President Romulo Valles said it is part of the clergyman’s life to face danger and be killed as a result of his mission.

“I would strongly oppose arming the priest,” Valles said in a radio interview over Church-owned Radyo Veritas.

“We are men of God, men of the Church and it is part of our ministry to face danger, to face death. We would do it just as Jesus did,” The idea came from several Church members to take advantage of a 2014 law allowing journalists, priests, lawyers, doctors, nurses, accountants and

6 BIFF men IS-inspired aliens—AFP CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao― The military here is verifying reports that six of the 15 people killed in the air strikes against the IS-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters operating in this province were foreigners, an Army official said.

“There were five Indonesians and a Singaporean who are confirmed to be with the terror group and could be among the 15 fatalities,” Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, the Army’s 6th Infantry Division commander, told the Philippine News Agency.

“They were our primary target, and we are still validating their identities,” Sobejana said.

He said the air strikes were launched on Sunday and Monday after an aerial video confirmed the existence of a BIFF weapon and bomb factory in the middle of Maguindanao’s marshland.

Fifteen members of the BIFF faction under Commander Toraife were killed, eight others were injured and two bomb experts were arrested.

A soldier of the 33rd Infantry Battalion, who was part of the ground assault unit, was killed during the clashes Monday with the fleeing BIFF members, the military said.

Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, the head of the 33rd Infantry Battalion, said he and his men had to wade through the chest-deep waters of the Liguasan Marsh to locate concealed BIFF positions. PNA

A heady...

engineers to carry firearms outside their homes.

In other developments: • Representatives Carlos Zarate and Ariel Casilao on Tuesday assailed the Philippine National Police for downplaying the killing of priests.

National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde was earlier quoted as saying that the killing of priests was “isolated” and that it should not be a cause for concern.

“This is really inexcusable, even revolting, coming no less from the PNP chief who, in the same breath, also said that there are around 1,000 rogue cops

Hands...

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That sparked immediate reaction from analysts.

“Two more Trump concessions just in this presser: stopping US-S Korea military exercises and hope to withdraw US troops from SK,” tweeted Robert Kelly, professor of Political Science at Pusan National University.

“And what have we gotten from NK for these? STOP GIVING STUFF AWAY for nothing.”

After a day filled with smiles and compliments in the sumptuous setting of a luxury Singapore hotel that was watched around the world, the US “committed to provide security guarantees” to North Korea.

Ahead of the meeting, critics expressed concerns that it risked being more about media headlines than substantive progress.

Asked about denuclearization—the crux of the summit—Trump said, “we’re starting that process,” adding that it would begin “very, very quickly.”

Speaking to reporters, he said there would be a process of verification involving “a lot of people,” but gave no concrete details.

He also insisted that US sanctions would remain in place until Washington had seen progress.

The text of the two men’s agreement made no mention of previous US demands for “complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization”—jargon for scrapping weapons and committing to inspections.

Melissa Hanham of the US-based Center for Nonproliferation Studies said on Twitter that North Korea had “already promised to do this many times,” adding the two sides “still don’t agree on what ‘denuclearization’ means.”

In neutral Singapore, the leaders, who had previously hurled insults like “men-

who are armed and dangerous,” Zarate said.

• The Philippine National Police on Tuesday denied it was downplaying the recent spate of killings of priests, saying the police force was “working doubly hard to solve it.”

“We are not downplaying the killings of priests, though isolated, but we are in fact working doubly hard to solve it,” PNP spokesman Benigno Durana Jr. said in a statement.

“But this and other crime incidents do not reflect the actual crime situation in the entire country.”

Military Ordinariate Administrator Bishop Oscar Jaime Florencio seconded Valles, saying arming clergymen would only create chaos. ‘‘It will create more chaos, it will not solve anything,’’ Florencio said.

CBCP executive secretary Jerome Secillano said the proposal would not solve anything.

tally deranged” and “little rocket man,” showered compliments on each other.

Trump said he had formed a “special bond” with Kim, whose regime has been accused of multiple human rights abuses and who is suspected of ordering the assassination of his brother at a Malaysian airport last year.

“We’ll meet again,” Trump said after a signing ceremony, standing with Kim on the verandah where they first met. “We will meet many times.”

Trump said he “absolutely” would be willing to invite Kim to the White House.

For his part, Kim said the two Cold War foes had vowed to “leave the past behind,” pledging “the world will see a major change.”

The extraordinary summit—unthinkable only months ago—comes after Washington and Pyongyang appeared on the verge of conflict late last year as the leaders slung personal insults and Kim conducted nuclear and missile tests.

Critics said the mere fact of the meeting meant Trump was legitimizing Kim, who critics say runs a police state where human rights are routinely trampled.

Trump told reporters that he had raised the issue of human rights “strongly.”

“We will be doing something on it. It’s rough. It’s rough in a lot of places, by the way,” he added.

The Singapore summit is a potentially legacy-defining meeting for both men—comparable to Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit to China, or Ronald Reagan’s 1986 summit with Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik.

But many agreements have been made in the past with North Korea that have later fallen apart.

“It’s a huge win for Kim Jong-un, who now—if nothing else—has the prestige and propaganda coup of meeting oneon-one with the president, while armed with a nuclear deterrent,” said Michael Kovrig, Crisis Group Senior Adviser for North East Asia. AFP

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rice and a dark chocolate tartlet ganache on their plates during their historic summit Tuesday.

According to a menu card published from the White House, Kim and Trump had a plethora of western, Korean, Chinese and Malay dishes to choose from at the swanky Capella hotel in Singapore.

To start, there was prawn cocktail with avocado salad, a Malay “green mango kerabu with honey lime dressing and fresh octopus,” and “oiseon”―a Korean stuffed cucumber dish.

The number of options speak to the cultural chasm between the two delegations, but also perhaps the idiosyncrasies of the two leaders.

Trump is a notoriously picky and unadventurous eater, enjoying Big Macs and steak (well done, with ketchup).

For the second course, he would probably opt for the “beef short rib confit, served with potato dauphinoise and steam broccolini, red wine sauce on the side.”

Or, in a nod to China’s substantial influence over the talks, he and Kim could have picked the “combination of sweet and sour crispy pork and Yangzhou Fried Rice with homemade XO chili sauce.” AFP

Fake...

“They are killing our flock. They are killing us the shepherds. They are killing our faith. They are cursing our Church.

They are killing God again as they did in Calvary,” Villegas said.

He said that nowadays killing is the solution of everything.

“Killing is the solution. Killing is the language. Killing is the way. Killing is the answer. Killing is encouraged. Killing is their job. Killers are rewarded.

Killers boast of their murders,” he added.

“They kill in the streets. They kill inside homes. They kill in tricycles and jeeps. They kill in plazas. They kill in the malls. They kill in the chapels. The nation is a killing field. They kill everywhere. They are happy to kill,” he said.

He then asked supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte if they still find killing “funny.”

“Are you still clapping? Are you still laughing? You still find it funny? You still think ‘Dapat lang?… Are you still saying

our people feel safer now? Are you still saying this is the best government we ever had?

Is this the change you want? Are these the changes you dream of? Are you still saying ‘There are some good things happening!

Focus on the good?’ If they curse us again for speaking up, we will not be surprised,” Villegas said.

He then called on fencesitters in the government not to remain silent.

“Are you afraid to talk? You think silence is a virtue? You think we your shepherds should sow unity by being like the monkeys who see and speak and hear no evil? You think we can be the next target if we speak? Do you still care? Where is your faith? You talk in whispers. You are afraid to be heard? Have we become numb and dumb?” Villegas asked.

Villegas said the killing of clergymen— three priests have been killed in the last six months—would not stop the church from criticizing the Duterte administration.

Instead, Villegas said the killing of priests will even embolden them to continue crying for justice. With Rio N. Araja, Vito Barcelo, Macon RamosAraneta and PNA

Filipinos...

the end of the previous Aquino administration. In contrast, it exceeded 50 percent in just two out of 31 surveys from October 1999 to June 2009, the pollster added.

The survey sampled 1,200 adults—300 each from Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao—with error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages and ±6 percent for regional percentages.

Public satisfaction with the way democracy works usually peaks during a presidential election year, such as the record-high 86 percent rate in September 2016, 70 percent in both September 1992 and July 1998, and 68 percent in June 2010, SWS added.

However, this plummeted to just 44

percent in June 2004, after then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo defeated popular actor Fernando Poe Jr, earning her a new six-year term after serving the remaining three years of deposed President Joseph Estrada. Poe died shortly after those polls.

The March 2018 survey also showed that three in five Filipinos, or 60 percent, believe that democracy is “always preferable” to any other kind of government.

Just 19 percent believed that under some circumstances, an authoritarian government can be preferable to a democratic one, while 21 percent thought it wasn’t important if the Philippines remained a democracy or not.

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The House hearings on the impeachment complaint against deposed Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, and President Rodrigo Duterte’s position on having joint exploration of the West Philippine Sea with China were among the major issues in the weeks leading to the survey.

It was conducted ahead of Sereno’s successful ouster from the high court through a quo warranto petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida.

Statistically, the latest survey was like the 79 percent recorded in June 2016, at

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RAINY I-DAY. Vice President Leni Robredo salutes the Philippine flag during the 120th Independence Day commemoration ceremony held at the Rizal Park. Norman Cruz

China...

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to do, I’m going to throw them into the South China Sea and feed the fish,” the Chinese envoy said in an interview.

Zhao, who had a brief talk with President Rodrigo Duterte, discussed the country’s concern over the action of the Chinese coast guards.

“President Duterte shared his concern about the Filipino fishermen,” Zhao said.

The Chinese ambassador also assured the Philippine government that they will conduct a serious investigation into the incidents, but said initial indications seemed to show there was no harassment of the fishermen but “some sort of barter trade” in which the Filipinos received cigarets, noodles and water.

A statement by Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang was less conciliatory, however.

“China has made appropriate arrangements for the Philippine fishermen to fish in relevant waters out of goodwill,” Geng said. “This policy remains unchanged.”

Geng’s statement contradicted Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano’s claim on Sunday that the Philippines and China have forged a provisional fisheries agreement as equal parties in the Scarborough Shoal, which the Philippines calls Panatag.

Geng said the Chinese Coast Guard was merely “safeguarding” peace, order and tranquility in the area and had offered “humanitarian aid” to Filipino fishermen “many times.”

He also said China was acting in “accordance with the law.”

Earlier several fishermen alleged that the Chinese Coast Guard made it a habit of taking their catch in a report on GMA News.

“They don’t ask for permission. They just go through our catch and take what

Duterte...

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“This time, we face the modern challenges of poverty, corruption, environmental degradation, terrorism, criminality and illegal drugs,” Duterte told the crowd.

“I have made it my personal mission to rid our nation of these ills, but I cannot do it alone. At this crucial juncture in our history, we need to draw strength from the lessons of our past to ensure that these ills do not cause any more damage to our future,” the President said.

In honoring the patriots who have given their lives for the Philippines’ liberty, President Duterte urged Filipinos to be worthy of the “great sacrifice.”

Duterte led the flag raising ceremony at the Museo ni Emilio Aguinaldo. It was on June 12, 1898, the Philippine flag was waved, following the proclamation of independence from Spain.

“Our generation, and those who will come after us, will never be able to pay in full the debt that we owe to the heroes that founded this nation,” Duterte said.

“The least that we can do is to see to it

they want,” one fishermen said in Filipino on camera.

Another remarked that the Philippines may have won the arbitration against China, but said the victory was useless because nothing has changed in Scarborough Shoal.

Asked if the media reports were true, Geng said the Chinese government is conducting an investigation “seriously.”

“If the Philippine side claimed is true, I believe relevant Chinese departments will handle that in a serious manner,” he added.

Geng noted that relations between China and the Philippines have taken on a positive turn.

“China has a clear and firm determination to commit itself to consolidating and strengthening China-Philippines relations,” Geng said.

In a Malacañang press conference on Monday, Panatag Shoal fisherman Rommel Sihuela confirmed that China has control over Panatag Shoal, as China “allows” them to fish there.

He also added that there is no Philippine Coast Guard patrolling the area.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque presented Sihuela and two other fishermen on Monday to describe to reporters the real state of Panatag Shoal.

Cayetano, in his 120th Independence Day message, he reiterated the country’s “independent foreign policy” that it is a “friend to all and enemy to none.”

Amidst China’s continuous militarization in the West Philippine Sea, Cayetano said the Philippines must push on and fight for its national interest.

Over the past years, China has claimed some of the features of the South China Sea. particularly the Philippine-ownedreefs-turned-islands in the Kalayaan Group of Islands (Spratlys) where Beijing has installed weapons systems. With Macon Ramos-Araneta and PNA that the sacrifices they made, so that we may enjoy these freedoms, were indeed worth it,” he said.

“Today, we honor and remember the patriots who have given their lives in the name of liberty and freedom. As heirs of this great sacrifice, let us all be worthy of their legacy,” the President added.

The President said Filipinos remember today the past filled with optimism for a future that can be proudly bequeathed to the next generations.

“Indeed, the story of how our forebears fought for our sovereignty and established a Filipino nation shall forever inspire us to cherish the freedoms that we enjoy all of us today,” he said.

But Duterte said the nation still faces challenges from within.

“Sadly, more than a century since our heroes liberated us from foreign subjugation, our nation still has to face enemies that attack from within,” he said.

At the same time, Duterte reiterated his campaign promise to stop graft and corruption.

“I have a few more years. And I will do my best especially in the matter of graft and corruption,” he said.

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“And the way we do that is by upholding the human rights even of crime suspects.”

Albayalde said the PNP’s officials had decided to follow a memorandum written by former PNP Chief Jesus Verzosa on Oct. 7, 2008, that prohibits putting suspects in front of a “firing line” of newsmen.

“Firing line” describes the position cameramen usually take during a press conference or ambush interviews. They form a line or a semi-circle with their cameras pointing to the subject, ready to shoot. Reporters stand at their sides, armed with questions.

“The presentation of the suspects to the media is not only violative of their constitutional rights of presumption of innocence, but also their human rights, subjecting them to unwanted publicity,” Verzosa’s memo says.

It says presenting the accused “besmirches their name and reputation, including that of their family, before guilt is proven.”

In a statement, Google Philippines said the Doodle “captures the underwater depths with an image of the seabed, explored by Moorish idols [the yellow striped fishes], blue spotted stingrays, and a whale shark.”

“Coral reefs, which serves as habitat to these aquatic species, break the blue waters with its bright colors,” Google added.

With up to 70 percent of the marine area of the so-called Coral Triangle, the Philippines’ waters are recognized as the center of the world’s marine biodiversity, with over 2,500 species of fish in it.

It’s not the first time Google has featured the Philippines in its Doodle.

Previous Doodles—often stylized to include the letters of the company’s name—include a depiction of musical maestro Levi Celerio to mark his 108th birthday on April 30; the elections last May 9, 2016; the jeepney in November 2014; and the bayanihan concept for Independence Day in 2014.

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Cimatu mulls over ban on single-use plastics in Bora

BI officials intercept five minors at Naia

By Vito Barcelo

By Rio N. Araja ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy Cimatu is “seriously considering” a ban on single-use plastic items in Aklan’s Boracay Island to address its growing garbage problem.

The prohibition of the use of singleuse plastic products would not only help solve the island’s solid waste problem but also plastic pollution that threatens its marine environment, he said.

“Plastic, particularly those for singleuse packaging, has greatly contributed to the degradation of the environment,” he said.

“Plastic pollution continues to poison our oceans and injure marine life.

When not properly disposed, they clog waterways and cause flooding,” he added.

Hotels must be encouraged to use dispensers for their liquid soap, shampoo and conditioner, while stores would be asked to sell condiments, such as soy sauce, vinegar and cooking oil, through refilling stations, he pointed out.

“Let us go back to basics. We used to bring a glass bottle to the variety store when we buy cooking oil and vinegar.

Let’s do the same now,” he said.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources chief, the pollution-challenged island generates an estimated 90 to 115 tons of garbage a day, but only 30 to 40 tons are hauled out to mainland Malay, Aklan.

A large portion of Boracay’s trash is composed of single-use plastic products, such as grocery bags, toothbrush, bottled water, sachets of shampoo and condiments, and soap wrappers, among others.

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Opposition solon allays foreign debt trap fears amid PH infra bid

By Maricel V. Cruz AN OPPOSITION leader in the House of Representatives on Tuesday allayed fears that the Philippines might get entangled in a foreign debt trap as the government embarks on an P8-trillion economic infrastructure spending binge to make up for a massive backlog.

“We do not see the [Philippine] government getting into a situation wherein it incurs too much external debt that suddenly becomes difficult or impossible to repay,” Lito Atienza, senior deputy minority leader, said on Independence Day. Vice President Leni Robredo has warned that the Philippines might fall into a debt trap if the government borrows money indiscriminately, especially from China.

“We have no problem with borrowing money, regardless whether it is from Japan, China or South Korea, as long as the government spends the funds on sensible and beneficial projects,” Atienza said.

“If we are talking of infrastructure such as trains, expressways and bridges—these will all help to provide new employment, enable goods and people to move faster at a lower cost, and further stimulate overall economic growth,” Atienza said.

SEA ROW. Fishermen and workers led by the Kilusang Mayo Uno held a protest rally in front of the Chinese consulate in Makati to condemn government’s inaction on the obtrusion of Chinese coast guard in the West Philippine Sea. Norman Cruz

DoJ to use Senate report vs PNoy in vaccine probe

By Rey E. Requejo

HE Senate committee report finding former President Benigno Aquino III criminally liable over the controversial Dengvaxia vaccine will be used as evidence in the resolution of the charges against him before the Department of Justice.

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The complainants—anti-corruption groups Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption and Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution Inc.— manifested to the DoJ’s panel of prosecutors the submission of the Senate report on its inquiry into the Dengvaxia controversy.

The VACC and VPCI said they would submit the Senate blue ribbon committee report, along with their reply to the counter-affidavits of respondents, in the next hearing set for June 22.

The committee report was prepared

by Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, who recommended the criminal prosecution of the former president for “all the tragedy, damage, and possible deaths” resulting from the Dengvaxia mass vaccination program.

Besides Aquino, the committee also

found criminal liabilities of former Health secretary Janette Garin and former Budget secretary Florencio Abad as well as other officials it tagged as “primary conspirators.”

Gordon added that Aquino, Garin, Abad and other government officials should be investigated and prosecuted for graft and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Specifically, the committee report recommended that Aquino be charged with violation of Republic Act 3019 or Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Republic Act 6713, otherwise known as the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees,” citing his two meetings with vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur.

“President Aquino is guilty of

malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance. From the time he inappropriately met with Sanofi in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2014, and once again a year later on Dec. 1, 2015,” the report stated.

“President Aquino is the highest official of the land. By meeting with mere senior vice presidents of Sanofi Pasteur, he was sending a strong message of perception that he was dispensing undue patronage. And each time he met, the bureaucracy started acting with undue haste, losing all forms of objectivity,” it said.

The report said Abad, on the other hand, committed “technical malversation” for releasing funds for a program that was not in the national budget.

The report was already reportedly signed by 14 senators, but has yet to be adopted by the Senate plenary.

Aside from Gordon, others who signed the draft report were Senate President Vicente Sotto III; and Senators Joseph Victor Ejercito, Gregorio Honasan II, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Sherwin Gatchalian, Grace Poe, Francis Escudero, Manny Pacquiao, Ralph Recto, Cynthia Villar and Loren Legarda.

PUVs not giving fare discounts to seniors, students warned

By Joel E. Zurbano AUTHORITIES on Tuesday warned that stricter penalties will be meted against drivers of public utility vehicles who will not grant fare discounts to students, senior citizens and persons with disability.

Members of the Interagency Council for Traffic, in close coordination with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, will conduct simultaneous operations today (June 13) to ensure the strict implementation of the fare discount policy.

I-ACT chief Thomas Orbos said 20 percent fare discount must be given to senior citizens, PWDs, and student passengers, as it is prescribed by the law provided that they present identification cards such as Senior Citizen, PWD, and school ID.

Based on Republic Act 9442 or the Amended Magna Carta for PWD and RA 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act, PWDs and senior citizens are both entitled to 20 percent discount for land, air and sea transportation, among others.

On the other hand, LTFRB Memorandum Circular 2011-004 grants students 20 percent fare discount for land transport such as jeeps, buses, UV Express vans, taxis, and transport network vehicle services (TNVS).

Memorandum Circular 2017-024, meanwhile, allows students to avail of the said discount even during weekdays, holidays, and school breaks.

“I appeal to our drivers to honor the all-year round 20 percent discount for students, PWDs, and senior citizens.”

Orbos said.

“Refusing to grant such discount would cause more trouble because violators

will be subjected to stricter penalties depending on the number of times the offense was committed,” he added.

Drivers refusing to give 20 percent discount will have to pay P5,000 fine for first offense; P10,000 fine with impoundment of unit within 30 days for second offense; and P15,000 with cancellation of franchise for the third offense.

Authorities encouraged senior citizens, PWD, and students to report and file formal complaints against abusive drivers at the LTFRB which handles such offense.

Just recently, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara underscored the need for Congress to pass a legislation that would institutionalize the grant of 20-percent fare discount to students to ensure they will continue to enjoy reduced transportation expenses in the future.

Bill on Filipino Sign Language pushed THE main author of the bill mandating the establishment of a Filipino Sign Language system on Tuesday said he is optimistic the measure will soon get enacted.

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio made the statement following the approval on second House Bill 7503 during last session day of Congress last May 30.

HB 7503 mandates the state to ensure that Filipino deaf can exercise their right to expression and opinion by requiring the use of FSL in schools, broadcast media, and workplaces when communicating with the deaf.

The bill is in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Tinio said.

Under the bill, the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, the Technical Educational Education and Skills Development

Authority, and all other national and local government agencies involved in the education of the deaf are tasked to henceforth use FSL as the medium of instruction in deaf education.

The FSL shall be taught as a separate subject in the curriculum of deaf learners.

The reading and writing of Filipino, as the national language, other Philippine languages, and English shall also be taught to deaf learners.

The University of the Philippines and the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, professional sign linguistics and linguistic researchers, in collaboration with the CHED, DepEd and the Early Childhood Care and Development Council, shall come up with guidelines in the development of training materials for the education of the deaf.

These materials shall be used by all state universities and colleges as well as their teachers and staff.

Maricel V. Cruz

JOB FAIR. Job seekers find jobs fit for their skills during the 120th Independence Day job fair held at the Rizal Park in Manila. Norman Cruz

IMMIGRATION authorities intercepted five teenage girls, believed to be victims of human trafficking syndicate, from leaving the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for Saudi Arabia when they tried to pass themselves off as adults.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the girls, who appeared to be minors, attempted to board a flight to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia when they were intercepted at the Naia Terminal 1.

“This is a clear case of human trafficking involving a syndicate that sends young girls to work abroad by letting them assume the identities of older women through falsification and tampering of travel documents,” Deputy Commissioner and Port Operations Division chief Marc Red Mariñas said.

He said that all five women were in possession of valid overseas employment certificates and employment contracts and working visas.

“They were evasive and gave inconsistent answers when asked about their age and date of birth during secondary inspection,” Mariñas said.

The names of the victims were not divulged for their protection and as it is prohibited under anti-human trafficking laws.

Due to the incident, Morente directed Mariñas to alert all immigration officers at the Naia to be doubly strict and vigilant in screening departing OFWs. “In particular, you should ensure that the person and the documents presented match,” the BI chief told Mariñas.

FFW welcomes move to free 6 CPP cadres for peace talks MILITANT labor group Federation of Free Workers welcomed the decision of two Metro Manila Regional Trial Courts to allow six top Communist Party of the Philippines leaders to participate in the peace talks to end the world’s longest-running communist insurgency.

The court allowed Alan Jazmines, an alleged CPP Central Committee member, CPP chairman Benito Tiamzon, Adelberto Silva, Rafael Baylosis, Vicente Ladlad and Randall Echanis to take part in the talks.

“The peace initiatives to end the more than 50 years of armed conflict is good for the country particularly so if social justice is in the main agenda.

Social justice is giving more to those less in life and it can be achieved with more jobs, less poverty and less inequality,” FFW president lawyer Sonny Matula said.

The labor group said Filipinos are now starting to see the hope for lasting peace with the communist guerillas and the Moro secessionists to end bloodletting.

“On the quest for peace, we commend both the government and the CPP-led NDF for the reopening of formal talks in July 2018. FFW also appreciates Norway’s valuable role in the reopening of the peace process in the Philippines,” Matula said.

Both the rebels and the government cannot walk away from the negotiating table because Norway has consistently been there.

Other than acting as third-party facilitator of peace talks between the government and the NDF, Norway is also a member of the International Monitoring Team overseeing the implementation of the peace process between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front, as well as the Independent Decommissioning Body responsible for the decommissioning of MILF combatants.

In the last International Labor Conference last week, various labor groups lauded and manifested their support to the resumption of peace talks with social justice in all fronts.

The labor groups has also urged Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who heads the government negotiating panel talking with the NDF, to involve trade unions and civil society groups in the peace process. Vito Barcelo

A4

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

The tragedy of our Independence Day TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

prevent worry and anxiety among the people? In our country, for instance, there are reports of graft and corruption, killings, crime, war.

I ask this question in light of a survey that supposedly found that the Philippines is most depressed in Southeast Asia. Santa Banana—we know that depression can lead to suicide!

But since we now live in an age where news is borderless, we have to accept and live with negative news.

I long for my youth when technology was not yet upon us.

THE nation marked 120 years of independence yesterday. But I have observed that we Filipinos do not have the same fervor as the other countries that also fought for their independence.

The United States, for instance, marks July 4 each year with much enthusiasm.

But here, Santa Banana, when you ask anyone on the street what the significance of June 12 is, he or she will tell *** you that it means there is no work and I wrote yesterday that President Duno classes, so traffic is bound to be light. terte’s war on corruption has become a As usual, there were speeches from big joke. Even the officials he supposednational and local officials urging the ly fires still get recycled. On occasion, people to preserve our freedom.

Mr. Duterte not only fires people—he But did we really fight for freedom— also insults them, calling them sons of or was it handed down to us? whores.

On July 4, 1946, The President I witnessed the must know that declaration of our these double standindependence. It ards are affecting coincided with the his credibility. He June 12 was just birth of the United must be reminded States. For many another holiday. There that popularity years we regarded was no work or class, does not last forJuly 4 as our day of ever. independence, un- and traffic was light.

Duterte Diehard til 1963 during the Suppor ters —the DDS—may not term of the late Diagree with me, but osdado Macapagal. this is what I beSo is this just another day, just another holiday? What a lieve. tragedy. *** *** The recent landing of a Chinese miliI would like to pick up from where I tary plane in Davao City, right at the left yesterday about the effects of nega- home base of President Duterte, without tive news reporting on people’s psycho- the Defense Department knowing about logical health. it, is cause for alarm.

Psychologists conducted a study; they It is said that the aircraft was cleared constructed three different news bulle- by the Civil Aeronautics Authority of tins. the Philippines which allows refueling, One was composed entirely of nega- but there must be protocol here. tive news items, another entirely posiIf Defense is not aware of the landing tive, and the other emotionally neutral. of a military plane, we may just be inThey were given to three different vaded by the Chinese at anytime, anygroups of people. where!

As predicted, those who watch the I hope the Senate looks into this innegative news bulletin became signifi- cident. cantly sadder, more anxious, and more It is bad enough that the Duterte adworried than the other two groups. ministration has been adopting the polI thus pose this question to our lead- icy of accommodation when it comes ers: Is there something we can do to Turn to A5

W

No TRAIN, no gain?

E understand why President Duterte’s economic managers are scrambling to keep Congress from suspending the tax reform program they worked so hard to put in place.

The administration’s ambitious Build, Build, Build program— which aims to spur economic development by addressing the woeful, years-long neglect of the country’s infrastructure needs, creating 1.1 million new jobs yearly, and reducing poverty from 22 percent to 14 percent by 2022—comes with a hefty P8-trillion price tag.

The government’s Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN), which raises government revenues while cleverly disguising itself as a measure to lower personal income taxes, is the vehicle that pays this price.

Unfortunately, TRAIN has actually raised the cost of living by removing value-added tax exemptions and increasing excise taxes on fuel, automobiles and sweetened beverages.

While it is arguable that higher taxes on automobiles target only the middle class and the rich, the same cannot be said for the expansion of the VAT base and the tax on fuel, which affects everybody, including the poor.

Even before world oil prices began to spike, the higher cost of fuel as a

result of TRAIN raised the operating costs of a myriad of businesses that were not shy about passing on the cost to consumers. Valid or not, TRAIN became a convenient scapegoat for higher prices everywhere.

In the face of rising criticism, the administration’s defense of TRAIN has not been all that effective.

An attempt by the National Economic and Development Authority to show that a family of five could get by on a budget of P10,000 a month was a public relations disaster that portrayed government officials as being callous and disconnected from reality.

Nor did it help to hear Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno urging Filipinos not to be “such a crybaby” over higher prices because we had suffered more serious bouts of inflation before. More recently, Diokno defended TRAIN by blaming the “incompetence” of the National Food Authority for the recent rise in inflation.

None of this, valid or not, really helps.

The truth is that Filipino consumers are suffering from high prices and the

administration needs to stop denying or sugarcoating the situation. If there are proposals to alleviate the pain without compromising the ultimate goal, the President’s economic team should be open-minded enough to seriously consider them.

Finally, the government must keep the public eye focused on the goal, and remind everyone that the shared suffering will eventually pay off.

Ahead of a meeting of finance ministers and central bank chiefs, the director general for Southeast Asia of the Asian Development Bank gave that goal a ringing endorsement.

“I have been in ADB Manila for the last 20 years and I have not seen a momentum on the government side for infrastructure development as we’ve seen in the last two years,” said Ramesh Subramaniam.

“Given the efforts that the government has put in and the confidence of the nation to the Build, Build, Build program and how the key departments and the economic cluster are working together, we are very confident that the program is on a good foundation,” he said.

The government shouldn’t be focused merely on defending every aspect of TRAIN, but convincing us that the pain will be short term and that the gains at the end will be well worth it.

Our waters, our fish Guard were prevented from boarding the poachers’ boats when armed and bigger Chinese ships came to rescue their countrymen.

Known later as the Scarborough standALEJANDRO off, the incident prompted the Aquino DEL ROSARIO administration in filing the case against China in The Hague tribunal. China, THE most recent incident involving the however, still rules the South China Sea Chinese navy stealing the catch of Fili- despite the favorable ruling for Manila.

No matter how the Duterte adminispino fishermen in Bajo Masinloc near Scarborough Shoal (Panatag) is more tration plays down the Chinese bullying, than alarming. It is a brazen violation of plain folk like Filipino fishermen know our territorial waters and deprivation of better. The Philippines is being taken on a piecemeal basis. our fisherfolk from their livelihood.

The latest breach of national security Have we become a province of China because of the government’s weak was the landing of a Chinese military stand in protecting our sovereignty? As aircraft in Davao, Duterte’s hometown. usual, Defense Secretary Delfin Lor- Defense Secretary Lorenzana said he enzana blamed the previous Aquino did not have prior knowledge of the Rusadministration that made the Chinese sian-made Ilyushin military plane of the Chinese People ‘s navy rule the sea.

But former SoliciLiberation Army. tor General Florin Former National Hilbay pointed out it Security Adviser Roilo Golez, just was the Aquino govThe Philippines before he passed ernment, with him away Monday, as part of the Philip- is being taken on a raised questions on pine panel, that filed piecemeal basis. the Chinese landand won our case ing allegedly to reagainst Beijing in The Hague arbitrafuel. tion tribunal. The The plane could Hague court ruled that the Chinese had have refueled on one of the military basno legal right to claim nearly the entire es the Chinese built in the Spratly Group South China Sea. Hilbay said it was dur- of Islands. But it did not fuel speculation ing the two years of the Duterte adminis- that China was testing our defense capatration that China began and completed bility. First our territorial waters, now our its militarization of the area. This the air space.

Chinese did by building artificial islands ‘The kiss’ lingers from the shoals, reefs and protruding Having written about it once already, I rocks. Through ingenious engineering, China built military bases now used by wanted to leave behind the Seoul smooching incident involving President Rodrigo their warships and planes.

What a reversal of fortune. The whole Duterte and an overseas Filipino worker.

It was just a split-second kiss but the dispute started on April 8, 2012 when Philippine navy patrol vessels apprehend- incident is lingering longer than it should.

Why? Because the president’s apoloed several Chinese fishing boats poaching in waters near Bajo Masinloc off the gists keep defending President Duterte’s Zambales coast. But the Philippine Coast Turn to A5

BACK CHANNEL

Summit a success VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

biggest policeman and the neighborhood’s biggest recalcitrant bully.

As a master of the art of the deal, Trump proved himself equal to the historic epoch-making occasion. Though

THE leader of the world’s biggest economic and political power, President Donald Trump, appeared to have scored a spectacular diplomatic and geopolitical coup by meeting lengthily with the leader of the world’s biggest bully nation, Kim Jong-un of North Korea.

As a journalist of more than 48 years, I had huge reservation about the desirability of a meeting between the world’s

When two fully armed warriors stop threatening to shoot each other, that’s good enough.

details are not clear, the first meeting between a sitting US president and the leader of North Korea proved to be a resounding success for many reasons.

Note that when two fully armed warriors stop threatening to shoot each other, that’s good enough.

Trump described his talk with Chairman Kim as “great, heartfelt” and the meeting “intensive, direct.”

He said he achieved a “tremendous relationship” with the North Korea leader. “We have done a good job,” he declared. Trump stressed “we gave up nothing.” Still, there was no binding agreement on denuclearization, leadTurn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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Opinion

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018

A5

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Trade wars in the making

Galing ng Pinoy

an exports to the US of automobiles and dairy milk, among others, saying he had to protect American farmers, workers and companies from the influx of such goods.

Trudeau, the boyish Canadian leader, was not about to take the same sitting down. He was quoted as having said in that press conference after the summit that “...all of the member nations, including the U.S., had signed a communique pledging to lower tariffs and other trade barriers...” adding “...it was kind of insulting” that the U.S. had imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum under the guise of national security, noting Canadians stood “shoulder to shoulder” with Americans in overseas wars.

That belated Trudeau press conference really got Trump all riled up. Accusing Trudeau of making false statements and even branding him as “meek and mild,” meaning he never contradicted him in their conversations, he virtually upended

fred Ignacio, a small Filipino contingent represented our country under SO the banner of Slingshot Philippines.

I SEE MECO and PTIC Taipei worked closely with QBo, a public-private partnerLITO ship incubator to co-organize the delBANAYO egation and come up with an excellent selection of successful start-ups ready LAST Sunday, Meco and the Philippine for the international market.

Overseas Labor offices cooperated to We had a small booth in the Innovex hold simultaneous Araw ng Kalayaan exhibit at Taipei’s World Trade Cencelebrations in New Taipei City, Tai- tre, but it was a hit, even beside richer chung and Kaohsiung. I attended the countries with huge booths, because main celebration in New Taipei City the start-ups we presented were truly which was likewise graced by its mayor, innovative and captured the spirit of Eric Chu. Also present were our labor enterprises starting small and growing attaché, lawyer Cesar Chavez and Meco bigger through sheer genius and utilizdirectors Gilbert Lauengco and Ed Ta- able ideas. mondong, both also lawyers.

Last October 2017, our trade counSome 3,700 Filipino migrant work- selor Mike Ignacio approached us to ers registered for and participated in the propose sponsoring participation at Infun run which started at around 8 in the novex 2018. Mike was lead organizer morning. This was followed by award- of the first Slingshot event in Manila ing of prizes for the during the Philfun run winners as ippine hosting of well as raffle prizes APEC in 2015. courtesy of various This is also in The start-ups we sponsors both from support of SMSEs the Philippines and presented were truly which is the focus Taiwan companies. innovative and captured of our Secretary After lunch, The of Trade Mon Filipino Channel the spirit of enterprises Lopez. Start-ups mounted a hilari- starting small and are in themselves ous show for our growing bigger through SMSEs and have a OFWs, starring the major role in supbeautiful Bela Pa- sheer genius and porting traditional dilla and Negy, the utilizable ideas.

SMSEs in seeking stand-up comedimarkets faster and an-artist who stars leading the way with Vice Ganda. for innovation-led In Taichung, where Meco directors business mindsets.

Maryknoll missionary Joy Tajonera and Innovex participants from the PhilCesar Drilon presided, TFC sent rapper ippines included OneWatt, which emMichael Pangilinan and singer Garrie ploys intuitive artificial intelligence Concepcion, with radio host Ahwel Paz and detection of soundwaves to come emceeing the program. In Kaohsiung, up with an ingenious diagnostic sotwo other Meco directors were unable to lution for industrial machinery and make it because of illness. But our mi- equipment. The device is as large as grant workers nonetheless had a good the palm of one’s hand, but could pretime celebrating Araw ng Kalayaan. dict breakdowns and effectively have We have almost 150,000 Filipinos re- a preventive maintenance program siding in Taiwan, most of them factory designed to save factories signifiworkers who receive relatively higher cant amounts in repair and replacesalaries than their counterparts in other ment costs. host countries. Our de facto embassy Admov TNVS Advertising employs here is the only representative office the use of AI-enabled facial recogniwhich has three offices in Taiwan, un- tion, which could be used in TNVS like others who only have their office (transportation network vehicular in the capital, Taipei. We have also services) providers such as Grab and launched MECOnnect, an outreach pro- Uber. The device captures facial and gram that seeks closer ties and instant visual data of passengers which can communication with our OFWs, so that accurately identify the passengers age, if they have problems that need inter- gender and preferred clothing brands vention, the representative office would style so as to deliver personalized adbe just an SMS away. vertising content, making advertising campaigns targeted and more cost*** efficient.

Last night, we had the diplomatic reFuturistic Aviation and Maritime Enception to commemorate Araw ng Ka- terprise Systems (FAME) develops genlayaan at a historic former Army Club eral aviation and maritime transponders in downtown Taipei, attended by Taiwan and gateways using smart but affordable officials headed by its deputy minister communications technologies for use for foreign affairs, Francois Chih Chung on small aircraft and maritime vessels.

Wu, and excellencies of the diplomatic This would be very useful in the fishing corps here, as well as leading members industry, among others to have compliof the business community who have in- ant tracking systems for fishing compavestments in the Philippines. nies that export tuna and seafood to the The guests were regaled by Fili- European Union. pino and international songs rendered But to cut a long story short, OneWatt

by MECO staff members and a staff won special prizes amounting to 70,000 member of the Senate who happened US dollars out of some 300,000 total to be visiting Taipei as a tourist, as awards cobbled by Innovex for truly inwell as singing chef Wilson Cariaga of novative start-ups. That’s quite a feat Tagaytay Highlands, a former mem- for the Philippine delegation of very ber of the UST Chorale, who super- young but very smart entrepreneurs in vised the Filipino culinary fare that the country’s very first participation in was served. Wilson also concocted the annual Innovex. his tea-infused desserts which blended Ang galing talaga ng Pinoy!

Taiwan tea with Filipino desserts such as flan and crema de fruta, chocolate *** truffles and cookies, an innovative While having our monthly meeting of fusion that delighted the guests at the the MECO board of directors last Monreception. day in our Taipei office the other day, news filtered in about the sudden and *** unexpected demise of former National But the best news from Taiwan over Security Adviser, former Paranaque the past week was our very success- congressman and former Postmasterful participation in Innovex, the start- General Roilo Golez due to a heart atup component event of Taiwan’s giant tack.

Computex technology trade fair which We would like to send our profound took place from June 4 to 8 last week. condolences to his widow Naty and the Through the efforts of the MECO children, who must have been in shock and the Philippine Trade and Invest- at our friend Roy’s unexpected deparment office headed by Michael Al- ture from mortal earth.

CROSSROADS

JONATHAN A. DE LA CRUZ JUST AS United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are coming out of what some say is a successful first meeting to diminish the prospects not just of a ground war in the Korean Peninsula but a nuclear exchange which may engulf East Asia and other areas, another war is percolating.

While this battle may not involve ground forces and the firing of deadly weapons, it promises to be as destructive and possibly more expansive than we can imagine. We are talking here of an imminent trade war among the members of the G-7, a grouping of the world’s most advanced Western economies led by the US, which will definitely suck in the entire global economy in its wake. Such a scenario has become a real possibility over the weekend after that acrimonious exchange between President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau at the end of the G-7 summit in Quebec.

Unprecedented was how most observers described that exchange which led to the US’ decision not to sign the summit’s communiqué despite last-minute entreaties from the leaders of Germany, France, UK, Italy and Japan, all of whom were shown talking to President Trump as if pleading with him not to abandon the agreements made during that meeting no matter how vaguely worded these maybe.

Even as he was up in the air en route to his historic meeting with North Korean President Kim Jong-un, leaving the weekend summit earlier than the other leaders, President Trump angrily directed the economic team he left behind not to proceed with the signing of the communiqué in his behalf. Apparently, he was incensed by the statement of Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau that “Canada will not be pushed around” as far as trade with its bigger neighbor is concerned. He was going to impose tariffs on a variety of US goods entering the Canadian market after Trump earlier threatened to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum and specifically with Canadi-

There is so much unease with the increasingly isolationist measures which Trump has been pursuing since he took office. what to the other leaders was a cordial though sometimes testy gathering. What made matters worse was the follow-up statements of members of the Trump economic team.

Peter Navarro, the trade adviser and Larry Ludlow, another economic adviser made the rounds skewering Trudeau to high heavens in what the other leaders thought was a very crude, undiplomatic assault on a colleague. It was truly a sad spectacle. “There’s a special place in hell for any foreign leader that engages in bad-faith diplomacy with Donald J. Trump and then tries to stab him in the back on the way out the door,...That’s what bad-faith Justin Trudeau did with that stunt press conference. That’s how weak and dishonest Justin Trudeau is,” Navarro, the trade adviser said.

Saying the Canadian leader should have thanked the president for even showing up before a Singapore summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jongun, Navarro interjected that “..all Justin Trudeau had to do was take the win...as Trump had “bigger things on his plate” and was willing to sign a “socialist communique” at the G-7 summit but had to back out after Mr. Trudeau’s press conference...”

Of course, Trudeau took all of those insults in good stride and proceeded to prepare Canada for the war ahead as what the other leaders apparently are coming up to given the seemingly unrestrained efforts of Trump to disrupt, as it were, the present order of things.

Given the mood of the moment there is no denying that indeed we are in for some rough times, a situation which some observers are now saying may lead to a long and ultimately disastrous global economic downturn. Some are now talking about the infamous Smoot-Hawley Tariff Bill passed by the US Congress in 1930 which “..helped bring on the Great Depression...by accelerating the contraction of global trade..”

No less than senior members of the Council of Economic Advisers reporting directly to the US President have warned that tariffs will indeed cut growth. Respected members of academe have also chimed in echoing the same theme. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has come out with an economic model predicting positive outcomes if nations around the world reduce instead of increasing tariff levels. Said the OECD Secretary-General, Angel Gurria, in an interview “...we regret the proliferation of tariffs announced all over the world..we believe they are a threat to global recovery...”

Indeed at a time when global recovery remains iffy as in the period after World War I and before the Great Depression, there is so much unease with the increasingly isolationist measures which President Trump has been pursuing since he took office. The thinking and even the words coming out of the Trump White House eerily resemble those of the US government before the economic slide in 1929 which prompted the signing of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act.

Summit...

From A4

ing cynics to comment the summit produced nothing positive in America’s favor. One big thing North Korea got: Trump will stop war games in tandem with South Korea. Trump said the issue of human rights in North Korea was discussed, although he admitted “it was rough.” Another thing Kim got: Trump seems to trust him better that he trust the leader of one of America’s closest allies, Justin Trudeau of Canada.

So confident was Trump with his Singapore summit success he held an extended press conference about the summit for more than an hour. The meeting with the media was a virtuoso performance, combining flattery, hyperbole, lying, showmanship and warmth. After the 55-minute press conference, the usually hostile press warmly applauded Trump.

“I will do whatever it takes to make the world a safer place,” the US president said. He claimed he probably saved about 30 million lives, calculating inaccurately that Seoul, the South Korean capital, has 28 million population. Wikipedia reckons Seoul has 10 million people. Trump was probably referring to the population of what they call Seoul Capital Area which Wikipedia estimates at 25 million as of 2017.

“The ultimate objective we seek from diplomacy with North Korea has not changed,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a June 11 press briefing

in Singapore ahead of the summit.

“The complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is the only outcome that the United States will accept,” Pompeo said.

Here is the text of the 358-word joint communiqué: “President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un conducted a comprehensive, in-depth, and sincere exchange of opinions on the issues related to the establishment of new U.S.-DPRK relations and the building of a lasting and robust peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

President Trump committed to provide security guarantees to the DPRK, and Chairman Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his firm and unwavering commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Convinced that the establishment of new U.S.-DPRK relations will contribute to the peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula and of the world, and recognizing that mutual confidence building can promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un state the following: The United States and the DPRK commit to establish new U.S.-DPRK relations in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity.

The United States and the DPRK will join their efforts to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the

Korean Peninsula.

Reaffirming the April 27, 2018 Panmunjom Declaration, the DPRK commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The United States and the DPRK commit to recovering POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.

Having acknowledged that the U.S.-DPRK summit—the first in history—was an epochal event of great significance in overcoming decades of tensions and hostilities between the two countries and for the opening up of a new future, President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un commit to implement the stipulations in this joint statement fully and expeditiously. The United States and the DPRK commit to hold follow-on negotiations, led by the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, and a relevant high-level DPRK official, at the earliest possible date, to implement the outcomes of the U.S.-DPRK summit.

President Donald J. Trump of the United States of America and Chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have committed to cooperate for the development of new U.S.-DPRK relations and for the promotion of peace, prosperity, and security of the Korean Peninsula and of the world.”

posted photos of former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino being kissed on the cheek minutes before he went down the plane and later assassinated by a lone gunman at the Manila international airport tarmac.

May we point out to Ms. Uson that there is a stark difference between the farewell peck on Ninoy’s cheek and the lips-to-lips kiss between Digong and Mrs. Bea Kim. In its editorial the other day, the Manila Standard wrote that Mocha Uson is proving to be more a liability than an asset to President Duterte. Yet, the President insists she will stay in office as long as she has his confidence. The President is already his own worst enemy but now he has a Mocha Uson doing him further harm.

This President has gained a reputation for being a foulmouth for his remarks against women. Recall he said that he should have been first in line in the gang rape of an Australian missionary in Davao. He also told Filipino soldiers to shoot between the legs captured female members of the communist New People’s Army. The list is long and the militant women’s group Gabriela can provide us with more details.

The President and his minions, including some misguided members of media, should stop talking about this kissing incident. They are the ones fanning the flames that make that kiss linger longer than it should.

Having said that, I now seal my lips on that note and just let the President’s devoted defenders out-nonsense each other.

biznewsasia@gmail.com

Our waters...

From A4

act as no more than part of political play.

Kissing the married woman on the lips, albeit only for a split second, does not justify the impropriety. What if she were your wife, daughter or sister? Even if they were willing and see no malice in it, would you still say “It’s okay, there was no malice.”

We doubt that you would still be as detached or nonchalant about it. But this is not about one’s personal feelings. The issue here is clearly the impropriety of the Philippine president asking for a kiss from a married woman and demeaning the dignity of his office. She may have been thrilled about it but Bea Kim’s Korean husband for sure had a different.

Presidential communications official Mocha Uson, taking a cue from the President saying “Inggit lang kayo,”

The tragedy...

From A4

to China. Having a military plane land forests. Either they soon connive with ilright under the nose of the President’s legal loggers, or risk their lives. home base is just too much.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources should look into this. *** There have been a lot of killings of *** forest rangers in Luzon and Mindanao.

I am saddened with the sudden deThey had the job of preventing illegal mise of my good friend, Roy Golez, forlogging and other means of denuding mer National Security Adviser. our forests.

Roy was a graduate of the Annapolis It’s ridiculous that rangers here are School of navy officers. When he joined unarmed. government, he exemplified the traits of There are only about 500 of them, honesty and integrity. tasked to protect millions of hectares of My condolences to the family.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

News

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018 A6 Standard TODAY Manila

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘276 now free from dependence on drugs’

IN BRIEF Filipinos urged to support summit

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE Catholic Church claimed Tuesday 276 people were now free from drug addiction after being admitted at a Churchowned drug-addiction recovery facility.

In a radio interview, Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said this development proved that people who were once addicted under the influence of drugs could still reform and be rehabilitated.

David, in an interview over the Church-owned Radyo Veritas, said their rehabilitation did not stop when they left the facility but the recoveries would undergo an “after-care” through a continued counselling with their respective support groups to prevent them from having a relapse.

David reiterated the Church’s efforts to support the Philippine government in its fight against illegal drugs—but in a different approach.

The bishop believes that eradicating illegal drug use and trades should be done through adhering to the rule of law and due process.

So far, he said, the Carrots Salubong Completion rites was in its third year of helping drug addicts recover from their addictions.

David said these individuals had undergone counselling, spiritual renewal, and even livelihood programs to be able to live and sustain himself after being away from the community.

As soon as he assumed office in July 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte launched his bloody campaign against illegal drugs, killing 4,000 drug users and dealers.

Meanwhile, Commission on Catechesis and Catholic Education bishop Robert Mallari said he wanted a stronger anti-drug education instead of surprise police inspections of student bags and school lockers.

He said providing students with necessary information would better help them avoid or overcome drug problems.

“After seeing the vast problem of drugs in the country, we have to be more proactive in solving this problem,” Mallari said.

“I think that we should even give our students more information about this problem so that they become part in the effort to eradicate this problem,” he added.

National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Guillermo Eleazar earlier said they wanted to conduct random inspections of bags and lockers of elementary to senior high school students.

CALOOCAN RITES. MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim (third from left) joins Caloocan City officials led by Mayor Oscar Malapitan (fourth from left), Northern Police District Director Amando Clifton Empiso, District II Rep. Edgar Erice, District I Rep. Dale Gonzalo Malapitan and Vice Mayor Macario Asistio. Also looking on at the backgrround is City Administrator engineer Oliver Hernandez. Lim is the guest of honor during the 120th anniversary of Philippine Independence at the Bonifacio Monument Circle. Jun David

Villar wants waste water, sewerage system probed

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

H

AVING been tagged by an environmental lawyer as a “toilet bowl being used everyday but never got flushed,” Senator Cynthia Villar wants a Senate probe on the waste water treatment and sewerage system in Manila Bay and other body of waters in Metro Manila.

“We still have a long way to go in reviving Manila Bay back to its pristine condition,” said Villar.

Despite efforts to clean Manila Bay, she noted that water quality in the bay continued to worsen because of poor solid waste management and the lack of facilities for proper waste water disposal.

She identified the poor waste water treatment and sewerage system as factors in the continued deterioration of the quality of water in Manila Bay. Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, filed Senate Resolution 747 directing an inquiry into the condition of waste water treatment in Metro Manila.

During a Senate hearing reviewing the measures and strategies taken by 13 government agencies mandated by the

Supreme Court to lead the cleanup of Manila Bay, environmental lawyer Antonio Oposa has referred to Manila Bay as a toilet bowl used everyday but never gets flushed.

Villar also pointed to the existence of informal settlers in the Port of Manila, which do not have toilet facilities.

This was also the reason why she initiated a project with the Department of Health to provide toilet bowls in Baseco, where 5,000 families have no toilets.

“Despite the mandate given to MWSS way back in 1971 and the responsibilities given to its concessionaires more than 20 years ago, Metro Manila is still far from having adequate sewerage facilities, which is an indication that there is a failure of implementation and enforcement of the laws with respect to the provision

of adequate sanitation, drainage and sewerage facilities even in Metro Manila; and this amounts to a violation of the “right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology” as the people’s health continues to be in peril,” part of the resolution said.

In filing the resolution, Villar noted that several statutes mandate national and local government agencies and instrumentalities, as well as private entities to protect the environment, including the management of waste water.

As early as the 1970s, Presidential Decree 1152 or the Philippine Environmental Code, government agencies were already given the task of managing the waste water being discharged to the surrounding environment.

Under PD 856 or the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines in 1975, the Department of Health was given the task to ensure that adequate sewerage systems are installed in private and public establishments.

Further, Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 gave to all municipalities, cities, and provinces the responsibility of providing drainage and sewerage facilities within their respective jurisdictions.

FREEDOM.

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

:

Website

:

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

Tel. No.: Fax No.:

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

InvItatIon to BId No. 24-2018 The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Biliran-Leyte del Norte-Leyte del Sur Irrigation Management Office, Marasbaras, Tacloban City through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) 2018, intends to apply the sum of Twenty-Three Million Six Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Pesos & 61/100 (P 23,625,000.61) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) , to payment under the contract for Bunacan CIP, San Isidro, Leyte.

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) now invites bids for: Contract No. Project Description

: :

Work completion : Approved Budget for Contract (ABC) :

BNLSL-LCB-48-2018 Construction of Diversion Works (Partial) 300 Calendar Days P 23,625,000.61

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

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

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, along with Rep. Monsour Del Rosario, Tagum City Mayor Allan Rellon and other officials of the city, releases white doves to symbolize the freedom Filipinos now enjoyed due to the sacrifices of our heroes for flag and country.

The ceremony is part of the 120th Independence Day celebration which Alvarez led at the new Tagum City Hall.

Interested bidders must submit bid proposals in three (3) copies, one (1) original copy and two (2) duplicate copies.

The schedules of BAC activities are as follows: BAC Activities 1. Issuance of Bid Documents

Schedule Starting June 13, 2018 to June 29, 2018

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

June 20, 2018

10:00 a.m.

2. Pre-Bid Conference 3. Receipt and Opening of Bids

July 2, 2018

10:00 a.m.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by the interested bidders from the address above and upon payment of a non-refundable fee of P 25,000.00 to the Cashier.

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

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

Noted:

Sgd. CATHERINE G. MACANIP BAC Chairman

Sgd. ALEJANDRO C. CULIBAR, D.M. Division Manager A (MS-JUNE 13, 2018)

1st transport terminal operational soon

By Joel E. Zurbano THE first modern intermodal public transport terminal to be built in the country is now in its final phase of construction and is expected to be operational next month.

The government is hastening the construction of the Integrated Terminal Exchange in Parañaque City, which is 88.28-percent complete as of May 28.

The ITX aimed to provide seamless transfers, fixed departure schedules, and centralized ticketing system for provincial buses while reducing the number of buses plying Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.

The facility, in a four-hectare land along Coastal Road, will provide seamless interconnectivity of the different modes of transportation from the neighboring provinces south of Metro Manila.

“Almost done and soon to open next month

River warriors on cleanup drive AMID the torrential rains brought by Tropical Storm “Domeng,” personnel of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission have been continuously cleaning up creeks and rivers in the metropolis.

Despite the bad weather caused by Domeng, the River Warriors and Task Force Flood Control of PRRC were determined to continue with their cleanup operations, the PRRC said in a statement.

Among the creeks cleaned up by PRRC were Estero de Aviles and Estero de San Miguel in the City of Manila.

According to PRRC executive director Jose Antonio Goitia, their staff did not stop cleaning the esteros and rivers to prevent flooding due to unpredictable weather.

“In order to avoid the unpleasant circumstances caused by Typhoon Domeng, our River Warriors have made sure that our esteros and rivers are free of wastes,” Goitia said.

Following Typhoon Domeng, Estero de Aviles and Estero de San Miguel remained clean so flooding was prevented, it said.

Apart from this, River Warriors also temporarily removed the phytoremediation plants, installed by PRRC’s Environmental Management Division in the esteros so as not to break down by the storm.

This is a plant that helps clean air, water and soil contaminated by hazardous chemicals.

Aquino supports reduced VAT

Republika ng Pilipinas

(Pambansang Pangasiwaan ng Patubig)

MALACAÑANG on Monday enjoined Filipinos to participate in the upcoming National information and Communications Technology Summit 2018 which will take place on June 21-22 in Davao City.

With the theme “Empowering the Filipino through Digital Transformation,” the National ICT Summit 2018 is a venue for information sharing, presentation and discussion of programs, initiatives, policies, and innovative solutions.

It will also serve as a venue for the resolution of ICT issues and concerns, with particular emphasis on empowering government ICT executives, managers, and policy makers to fully support and implement the “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program of the President.

Under memorandum circular 45, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea urged all heads of departments, bureaus, and offices including government-owned and -controlled corporations and their subsidiaries, government financial institutions, local government units, and state universities and colleges to lend full support to the National ICT Summit 2018.

Meanwhile, ICT executives, chief information officers, technical staff, academics, and key personnel were also authorized to attend the summit and actively participate in the conduct of all its programs and activities.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology is the lead agency in harnessing information and communications in the Philippines. PNA

—the very first integrated provincial transport terminal in Parañaque. Taking care in a more efficient, convenient and safe manner of more than 100,000 commuters daily and decongesting Metro Manila of more than 1,000 buses, jeepneys and UV vans,” said Thomas Orbos, Transportation Undersecretary for Roads and Infrastructure.

The transport hub will interconnect Line 1 of the Light Railway Transit system, city and provincial buses, as well as UV express and public utility jeeps routes for the convenience of about 200,000 passengers daily and to further ease the flow of traffic on Edsa.

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

The facility will be the first among several terminals that will be built around the peripheries of Metro Manila.

SENATOR Paolo Benigno Aquino expressed support behind the move to reduce value-added tax to 10 percent, saying it would help ease the burden of high prices of goods and services on Filipinos, especially the poor.

“We support VAT reduction and recommendations that would give comfort to families drowning in high prices. It is important that we act on this,” said Aquino, one of four senators who voted against the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law. While he supports the move, Aquino promises to ensure that the exemptions under the VAT will remain, including those given to cooperatives, senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

“We have to save Filipinos who were hit by the TRAIN law. If the Senate would give priority on VAT reduction, we will support this,” he said.

In the Senate, Senator Panfilo Lacson and Risa Hontiveros have been pushing for the lowering of VAT. As part of his efforts to ease the burden of the TRAIN Law on Filipinos, Aquino has filed a measure seeking to suspend the collection of the excise tax under the government’s tax reform program once the average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.

In addition, Aquino is pushing for the full implementation of mitigating measures under the TRAIN Law, such as the unconditional cash transfer program for poor families and the Pantawid Pasada for jeepney operators and drivers.

He also filed a resolution calling for an investigation regarding the implementation of the unconditional cash transfer to ensure if the amount is still sufficient to cover the increase in prices of goods and other services. Macon Ramos-Araneta

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

A7

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Twitter, ABS-CBN team up for video highlights AS EXCITEMENT builds for kick-off at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Twitter and ABS-CBN today announced a new partnership to bring video highlights to the platform.

ABS-CBN is the exclusive home of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the Philippines.

To keep fans in the Philippines on top of everything World Cup, @abscbnsports will provide near real-time video highlights to fans on Twitter for each game, including the best and most important goals, as well as video featuring player and coach interviews, press conference clips, and more. The video clips will include advertising packages on Twitter available for sponsors.

Football and Twitter go hand in hand, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ is sure to light up on Twitter as fans in the Philippines join the global conversation.

“We couldn’t be more excited to team up with ABS-CBN to bring video highlights from every match of the tournament to Twitter alongside the best real time conversation and Tweets,” said Maurizio Barbieri,

THE HOARSE WHISPERER JENNY ORTUOSTE

Wonderland in 2ndleg PH Triple Crown; Justify wins in US THE Philippine Racing Club’s Santa Ana Park in Naic, Cavite, played host to three important 1,800-meter races last Sunday (June 10), resulting in gross sales of P28 million.T The day’s major race was the Philippine Racing Commission’s second leg of the Triple Crown series. Out of seven horses participating, the winner was Wonderland with a time of 1:54.4 (13’-23’-24’-26-27). 2nd: Smart Candy, 3rd: Victorious Colt, 4th: Box Office, 5th: Goldsmith.

The Hopeful Stakes boasted a nine-horse field. Disyembreasais was the winner, clocking 1:55.4 (13-23-25-25’-29). 2nd: The Best Ever, 3rd: Tapster, 4th: Jack Hammer, 5th: Foolish Heart.

Eight runners vied for top honors in the 3YO Local Horses Stakes. Aphrodisiac emerged victorious, with a time of 1:56.4 (13’-23’-25’-25’28’). 2nd: The Barrister, 3rd: Princess Eowyn, 4th: Courageous, 5th: Barrett Browning. *** Justify made racing history by grabbing all three legs of the U.S. Triple Crown following his recent victory in the 150thBelmont Stakes held last Saturday (June 9) at Belmont Park, New York.

The Belmont Stakes is run over a grueling mile-and-a-half (2,400 meters) and is the longest race in the TC. This year’s edition was run over a fast track, with Justify in post position one. He broke well and grabbed the early lead. Vino Rosso tried to stage a rally with Gronkowski and Hofburg fighting to move up from the back of the pack.

Justify, under jockey Mike Smith, drifted slightly out in the stretch, but recovered to win by 1-3/4 lengths with a time of 2:28.18 and become the 13thTriple Crown champion.

2nd: Gronkowski, 3rd: Hofburg, 4th: Vino Rosso.

Justify earned $800,000 of the $1.5 million purse for owners China Horse Club, WinStar Farms, and Starlight Racing. Justify ran with WinStar colors in the KY Derby and with China Horse Club silks in the Belmont.

The partnership has already won $1.24 million from the Kentucky Derby and $900,000 from the Preakness Stakes. Justify’s earnings from all three legs of the Triple Crown amount to $2.94 million.

Smith will receive ten percent from the owners’ purse, and from that amount, will give 30 percent to his agent and valet (what we call helper here).

We have a similar system in the Philippines, where jockeys receive 12 percent and give 1.5 percent to their valet and further amounts to their other helpers. By custom, they also extend a certain sum to the starting gate helpers who assist them during races. There are no agents in our racing industry.

Here’s some trivia: The last Triple Crown winner was American Pharoah in 2015. He ended decades of TC drought from Affirmed in 1978.

American Pharoah’s trainer was Bob Baffert, who is also the trainer of Justify. He and Jim Fitzsimmons are the only two trainers to have two horses win the TC, with Fitzsimmons saddling Gallant Fox in 1930 and Omaha in 1935.

Mike Smith at 52 is the oldest jockey to win the TC. The youngest was Steve Cauthen, who, at 18, steered Affirmed to TC fame in 1978.

The mighty Secretariat still holds the stakes record for each of the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby (1:59 2/5), the Preakness Stakes (1:53), and the Belmont Stakes (2:24).

According to Wikipedia, “Justify is only the second horse to win the Triple Crown with an undefeated record, following Seattle Slew. Justify is descended from Gallant Fox, Omaha, Seattle Slew, Secretariat, Count Fleet, and War Admiral, all of whom also won the Triple Crown. Of the 13 Triple Crown winners, Justify is the first who did not race as a two-year-old.” *** Dr. Ortuoste is a writer and communications consultant. Facebook: Gogirl Racing and @DrJennyO, Twitter: @hoarsewhsprr and @ jennyortuoste

Twitter’s SEA Head of Sports Partnerships.

“Filipinos are massive football fans, and with the players and teams gearing up to put on a show, fans won’t need to look any further than ABS-CBN and Twitter to keep up with everything that’s happening at the World Cup.” Jojo Neri-Estacio, Business Unit Head for FIFA, ABS-CBN Integrated Sport said: “ABS-CBN recognizes the continuous growth of football in the Philippines. With so many enthusiastic football fans in the Philippines, the 2018 @FIFAWorldCup is a great moment for us all to come together to cheer on our favourite players and teams from around the globe.

At ABS-CBN, we’re constantly working to connect our audiences to a range of content on the devices and platforms they use most, and this World Cup our partnership with Twitter will enables all Filipinos to relive and share in the excitement from Russia.”

Fans can Tweet their reactions to all the @FIFAWorldCup action using ABS-CBN’s official hashtags #2018FWConABSCBN and #2018FWConLIGA.

A picture taken on June 7 flags of countries participating in the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup on display among other flags outside a vendor’s stall to be sold for football supporters and viewers, at a market street in the old city of the Syrian capital Damascus. AFP

World Cup big guns limber up

M

OSCOW—The World Cup big guns limbered up on Monday ahead of the tournament opener in Russia while brash underdogs Australia warned Euro 2016 finalists France to brace for an early shock.

As the atmosphere built before Thursday’s curtainraiser between the hosts and Saudi Arabia, Argentina star Lionel Messi and his teammates and France’s talent-studded squad including Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe were put through their paces.

World champions Germany, seeking to equal Brazil’s record of five World Cup wins, will land in Russia on Tuesday, along with Gareth Southgate’s youthful England side.

Brazil and Neymar arrived in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in the early hours in buoyant mood after hammering Austria 3-0 in their final warm-up match on Sunday.

Neymar, who broke a bone in his foot in February, marked his first start in more than three months by scoring in Sunday’s easy victory in Vienna.

Disputed choice Russia was a disputed choice when it was handed the World Cup in a closely watched 2010 vote that has since been

tainted by bribery charges, and the 2018 tournament takes place against a background of international tensions.

Russia and the West have engaged in a major wave of tit-for-tat diplomatic expulsions since London accused Moscow of being behind the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in Britain in March.

But as the clock ticks down to the opener in Moscow’s imposing 80,000-capacity Luzhniki stadium, the tournament is beginning to catch the public mood, with about 3,500 fans attending Australia’s training session in the central city of Kazan.

Russian supporters, enjoying a holiday, shouted “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, go, go, go”.

Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan warned France that a new, improved Aus-

tralia team are plotting an early World Cup shock when the sides meet in Kazan on Saturday.

“Come the France game, we’re going to be ready... and giving ourselves opportunities to win this game,” the stopper who plays for Premier League side Brighton warned. “We can’t wait for Saturday.”

France, who boast “world-class” attacking talent, according to Australia midfielder Massimo Luongo, are among the tournament favourites in Russia alongside Brazil, Germany and Spain.

The atmosphere also went up a notch in Red Square in Moscow, where dozens of Argentinian, Colombian and Mexican fans sang and played drums in support of their teams as darkness fell. AFP

Goma Cup tennis meet under way

Alfred Jacob Sablaya and his teammates are shown prior to their race in the Honda Pilipinas Dream Cup.

Sablaya does it again in Honda Dream Cup ROSARIO, Batangas—It was a showcase of talent, skills and a little bit of luck for Alfred Jakob Sablaya in Round 2 of Honda Pilipinas Dream Cup after winning Race 3 & 4 last June 3.

The riders’ energy was high to begin with as they started their practice last June 2.

The results showed that the riders had improved their time, making them more confident in the Qualifying round in the afternoon.

Sablaya had a record of 2:06.953, a difference of +0.051 sec from his best time during Round 1 of the HPDC, followed by his closest rival, Sean Barcial with a best time of 2:07.549 who was then followed by Kervie Bergania of 2:08.526, taking the 1st Grid. The 2nd Grid was taken by Wyner Blente, Andrei Reyes and Jasper Cruz, followed by Erika and Sean Ondillo for the 3rd Grid.

The spirit of competition was already

Indigenous...

From A8

The first IPG was held in Tagum City, Davao del Norte last April. The Games aim to preserve, promote and propagate the rich cultural heritage of the IPs as embodied in Republic Act (RA) 8371, also known as the IP Right Act of 1997 and at the same time provide equal opportunities for all as mandated by President Rodrigo Duterte to the agency.

high and ready for the race. However, it was unfortunate for Blente as he sprained his left hand during the warm up session, forcing him not to participate in Race 3 & 4. As the riders positioned at the grid, Rider #8 committed a “jumpstart” violation and was given a 10 sec. penalty. It was a consistent battle for the lead group

by Sablaya, Barcial and Bergania, while the 2nd group proved to be exciting as well. This group included Ondillo, Cruz and Reyes.

However at the 5th Lap, Cruz slid off at the last corner.

“I tried to make my way through at the last corner but my decision paid the price. I will do my best in Race 4,” said Cruz.

It was a neck-and-neck battle between Barcial and Sablaya as the former took the lead from Lap 1 to 7.

Sablaya was protecting his position from Barcial who was following him from behind all throughout the race.

However at the Last Lap, Sablaya “I am excited for this second leg as it will reintroduce IP’s traditional sports to the younger generation,” Maxey added.

He also said that Senator Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, who is currently training in General Santos City for his upcoming World Boxing Association welterweight title fight against Lucas Matthysse of Argentina, was invited to grace the opening ceremonies, along with South Cotabato Governor Daisy Avance Fuentes. Other city and municipal

managed to steal the position on the last corner, securing 1st place at the end of the race. Barcial had secured 2nd place and Bergania 3rd place.

At the beginning of Race 4, the young riders were more determined and aggressive to take the lead. As the pack approached the 1st corner, Bergania slid off the pack breaking the group into 2. The 1st group was led by Sablaya, Barcial and Reyes, while the 2nd group consisted of Erika Ondillo, Cruz and Sean Ondillo.

Each group has made the race exciting to watch as they showed what they were made of, which was pure determination to win.

As the checkered flag was raised on the 8th Lap, it was Sablaya who emerged victorious taking the Podium Finish with a total time of 16:56.982 and with a fastest lap time of 2:05.999 followed by Barcial who had a total of 16:57.378 and with a fastest lap time of 2:05.916. were also invited.

The IPs will wear their traditional attire during the opening that will also showcase cultural song and dance presentations from T’boli, Lake Sebu, Koronadal City, and Surallah.

Games to be showcased are hemanak, hanaw or kadang, sedeyol be klifak bliboy, setanggung or lechon race, sudul, meyon kuda law, and defut or sfut.

Some of these games will be demonstrated by the elders.

ORMOC City Mayor Richard Gomez throws his full backing to the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala tennis circuit as he hosts the first PPS-PEPP Hon. Richard Gomez Open Tennis Championship beginning today (Wednesday, June 13) at Ormoc Midtown Tennis Club.

Anthony Alcoseba and Nino John Villa gain the top two seeding in the 32-player field battling it out for the top P20,000 in the four-day men’s singles Open championship put up by Gomez as part of his effort and commitment to boost local sports in general and tennis in particular.

The event is also held as part of Ormoc City’s fiesta celebrations with the noted sportsman, who’s into golf, fencing, basketball and volleyball, among others, hinting at making the tournament, presented

by Dunlop, an annual affair.

Gomez is also the country’s chief of mission to the 18th Asian Games set Aug. 18-Sept. 2 in Indonesia.

“This Goma Cup will surely boost local tennis and we thank Mayor Gomez’s support to the sport and the PPS-PEPP circuit,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro. “Aside from our annual age-grouper, the youth of Ormoc and nearby cities and provinces will now have one more tournament to look forward to year after year.”

Others vying in the event, backed by Asiatraders Corp. and sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg, are Ricardo Lagac, Norman Enriquez, Marc Enriquez, Amiel Aya-ay, Andrei Lago, Henry Aniana, Ronald Gemida, Wilson Ramos, Venz Alforque, Kevin Pantillo, Cedric Bravo, Rhee Young Ju, Onyot Mabini, Tyrone Ybañez and Ralph Alcordo.

LOTTO RESULTS

6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M+ 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

Sports

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

A8

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018

Filipino youngsters join Football for Friendship THE final events of the Sixth Season of the Gazprom International Children’s social program Football for Friendship have started in Moscow.

Some 1500 children and adults arrived in the capital of Russia to participate in the global project.

This year Football for Friendship united 211 countries and regions of the world.

The program is supported by FIFA, UEFA, the UN, heads of the national football federations, as well as by the representatives of the government institutions.

Over 300 journalists of the leading international media will arrive in Moscow for covering the final events of the program.

AJ Boy Victoriano (Young Footballer) and Matteo De Venecia (Young Journalist), the selected 12 year old ambassadors from Philippines arrived in Moscow to participate.

On the first day, the kids participated in the “International Friendship Camp,” where they underwent a training program to practice with their team and get used to the playing conditions. They were also a part of the opening ceremony of the International Friendship Camp.

The young journalists will also start their work in the International Children’s Press Center.

The kids will also be attending “The School of 9 Values” which teaches the kids about the 9 values that F4F stands for.

Since 2013, PJSC Gazprom has been organizing the International Children’s social program Football for Friendship. The key values promoted by the programme participants include friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, tradition and honour.

The participants are Young Players (girls and boys, including those physically challenged), as well as Young Journalists covering the F4F events within the framework of the Football for Friendship International Children’s Press Center.

AJ Boy Victoriano (Young Footballer) and Matteo De Venecia (Young Journalist), the selected 12-year old-ambassadors from Philippines, fix their wrist tags. They arrived in Moscow to participate in the Football for Friendship Program.

TNT KaTropa shoots for quarterfinal slot

By Jeric Lopez

T

NT KaTropa looks to formally become the second team to enter the quarterfinals as it goes for another win today in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup.

The consistent Tropang Texters (6-1) can clinch a berth in the postseason with another win, but desperate Magnolia (3-4) stands in their way as the two meet at 7 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Preceding that is a battle between peaking San Miguel Beer (3-3) and inconsistent GlobalPort (3-4) at 4:30 p.m.

After a disappointing run in the Philippine Cup,

TNT KaTropa has been motivated to get back in contention and it is showing exactly just that.

The Tropang Texters, who are eyeing a fourth straight win, are constantly in the top two and can once again regain a share of the tournament lead against Rain or Shine should they keep winning.

Heading in, TNT KaTropa has racked up three in a row and its mentor Nash Racela does not want any letdown.

“What we need to keep doing if keep our focus and what works for us. It’s now about continuing what we built,” said Racela.

On the contrary, the Hotshots have suddenly lost their touch, losing three in a row after winning three straight previously.

They now face a must-win to keep their place inside the top eight.

After a sluggish 0-3 start, the Beermen, not surprisingly to many, are now picking up their business.

Led by reigning four-time Most

Pocari seeks solo lead

Indigenous Games set in Lake Sebu LAKE SEBU, South Cotabato—It’s all systems go for the three-day Philippine Sports Commission— backed Indigenous Peoples Games set Thursday to Saturday at the Lake Sebu Municipal Gym here.

Philippine Sports Commission Commissioner Charles Raymond A. Maxey, who oversees the IP Games program, said some 300 participants from 10 local government units are expected to join the Games being held for the first time in this part of Mindanao.

Organized in cooperation with National Commission on Indigenous People and the Municipality of Lake Sebu, Maxey said in the vernacular: “We’re all set for the second leg of our IP Games.

We’ve already conducted a series of meetings and inspected the venues, bilTurn to A7 leting areas in Lake Sebu.”

Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo and Renaldo Balkman, San Miguel is suddenly back in the thick of things after three straight victories.

On the other hand, the Batang Pier is heading the opposite direction, having lost three straight.

Meanwhile, Alaska forward Vic Manuel earned his second PBA HondaPBA Press Corps Player of the Week award following his career effort against Magnolia last Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Nicknamed “Muscle Man”, the 6-4 Manuel fired 17 of his new PBA careerhigh 35 points in the final period to lead Alaska to a pulsating 103-99 win en route to sealing a playoff spot in the Commissioner’s Cup. Manuel, who averages close to 25 points per contest, has stepped up the plate in the absence of Calvin Abueva (suspended by the team) and Jeron Teng (recovering from stabbed wounds).

Alaska forward Vic Manuel earned his second PBA Honda-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week award following his career effort against Magnolia last Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

POCARI-AIR Force hopes to ride the momentum of its four-set victory Games today (Wednesday) over PetroGazz 1 p.m. – Air Force vs Army (men’s) last weekend 4 p.m. – PetroGazz vs Tacloban (women’s) as it shoots for 6 p.m. – Iriga-Navy vs Pocari-Air Force (women’s) the solo lead against Iriga-Navy in the quarterfinal round of the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Reinforced Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan today.

The Lady Warriors actually needed to check an early struggle to turn back the Angels, 18-25, 25-20, 26-24, 25-21, and match the BaliPure Water Defenders and the BanKo Perlas Spikers’ victories at the start of the single round quarters where the top two teams will join the Creamline and PayMaya sides in the Final Four.

Imports Arielle Love and Madeline Palmer and former MVP Myla Pablo are again expected to lead the defending champions’ bid for the early lead in the tight phase of the season-opening conference of the league organized by Sports Vision after the troika pooled 56 points against the Angels.

But though they beat the Lady Oragons in four sets in the elims, the Lady Warriors remain wary of their rivals who will be going all out to get the win and stay in the hunt for the last two semis seats in the tournament backed by Mikasa and Asics.

They tangle in the 6 p.m. main game after the 4 p.m. encounter between the Angels and the Tacloban Fighting Warays in the other crucial match where the winner will stay in the semis hunt and the loser falling to a deep hole.

Perpetual Help ready for NCAA Season 94 NATIONAL Collegiate Athletic Association and University of Perpetual Help System Dalta president Anthony Tamayo of University shows optimism to the school’s campaign not just in basketball, but also in other sports when Season 94 of the NCAA officially unfolds on July 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

“I have faith that we will do good this season in many fronts, we have high expectations,” said Tamayo, who was also tasked the Season 94 hosting this year.

Tamayo is hoping they could replicate the Las Pinas-based school’s performance in the 1996 and 1997 seasons when they last reigned as general champions.

Interestingly, it was the same year Perpetual Help hosted the league.

Tamayo’s confidence can be attributed to the recent strong performances of their track and field team in national meets, the continuous excellence of its volleyball program as well as the acquisitions of new coaches in football and basketball.

Francis Medina and Ernie Calipay made the school proud by taking home a gold medal apiece in last week’s Ayala Philippine Athletics Championships in Ilagan City, Isabela with the former reigning supreme in the men’s 400m hurdles and the latter in the junior high jump.

The Altas also made their presence felt in volleyball where they ruled the men’s and juniors’ divisions while pocketing most of the individual awards while remaining a title contender in the women’s section, thanks to the arrival of multi-titled coach Macky Carino.

Tamayo also tapped Frankie Lim, who steered the San Beda Lions to several NCAA titles a decade back, to handle the men’s basketball team and former Azkals star Chieffy Caligdong to take the reins in their football program.

“We want coaches who have a culture of winning and coaches Frankie Lim and Chieffy Caligdong both embody them and we want it to translate to championships if not now, in the near future,” said Tamayo.

Standhardinger rues PH’s lack of 3x3 experience

By Peter Atencio FIL-GERMAN cager Christian Standhardinger did not make any excuses.

Not for his injury nor for the two losses that Team Pilipinas suffered in the 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Cup at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

But the 6’8 Standhardinger said he felt bitter about losing two won games which led to their disqualification from the quarterfinal round.

“I think it’s bitter. For me it’s bitter. I’m happy that we won two games. But we should have won against Canada. And we should have won against Mongolia for sure,” said Standhardinger, who had a knee injury before the tournament.

Team Pilipinas came close to qualifying

after their 15-7 win over over Brazil.

But their qualification was derailed first by 11th seed Mongolia, which relied on late baskets from Tserenbaatar Enkhtaivan to frustrate Team Pilipinas in the last two minutes, 21-17.

In that game, Standhardinger tried to keep the 19th seed host team close with a two-point bomb and a drive, 17-19, in the next play.

Against Canada, Michael Linklater drove to the right past Standhardinger in the last 10.1 seconds to power the 14th seed Canada to a 20-19 win over host Philippines in their early afternoon encounter.

The 5’10” Linklater, considered as Canada’s highest-ranked individual player at 50th with 431,400 points, led

with nine points and his heroics silenced a hometown crowd and put the Canadians in the quarterfinals.

Mongolia joined Canada in the quarterfinals after their 19-16 win over winless Brazil, with Delgernyam Davaasambuu showing the way with nine points.

Standhardinger said having a lot of experience in playing 3x3 as a team and for a long time is needed.

“Honestly, I feel that we are better and it’s just the lack of experience that happened and that’s why we didn’t win those games,” added Standhardinger.

In the quarterfinal round, top seeded Serbia knocked out Mongolia, 21-8, with Dejan Majstorovic and Marko Savic shooting seven points apiece.

Fil-German Christian Standhardinger enters the court for Team PH’s game against Russia in the FIBA 3x3 World Cup. Fiba.Basketball

IN BRIEF 8990 sees sales of P4b from 13 Tondo towers MASS housing developer 8990 Holdings Inc. expects to generate P4 billion in sales this year from 13 building residential complexes within an 8.4-hectare project in Tondo, Manila.

8990 Holdings said the demand for Urban Deca Homes Manila project had been strong after the whole development neared completion.

The Tondo project, the company’s largest to date, will deliver 13,000 units with a total estimated value of P20 billion.

Sales reservations to date are nearing 2,000 units with a total of 3,200 units expected to be delivered before the end of the year.

Revenues from Tondo project in the first quarter of 2018 reached P1 billion.

“Once our buyers saw that buildings are already nearing completion, we noticed a significant jump in our sales. We are certain we will see this trend continue as we roll out more units to meet the strong demand for housing in the Tondo area,” said 8990 Holdings president and chief executive Willie Uy. Jenniffer B. Austria

Okada wins 2 cases against Tiger Resort JAPANESE gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada recently scored twin legal victories against his former gaming firm, Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc., the company behind Okada Manila, one of three integrated casino resorts in Entertainment City, Parañaque.

In separate resolutions, the City Prosecutor’s office of Paranaque dismissed “for lack of probable cause” two estafa complaints against Okada. The first complaint alleged that Okada released $3.15 million in company funds to himself and several associates as salaries and consultancy fees, while the second case involved the payment of $7.09 million to Aruze Philippines Manufacturing Inc., an Okada company that allegedly supplied defective LED strip lights to the casino.

In dismissing both complaints, government lawyers said the legal controversy took the nature of intra-corporate disputes between the company and its officers which are civil in nature. Julito G. Rada

Business Metro Pacific borrowing P18b to fund Calax road

By Darwin G Amojelar

M

PCala Holdings Inc., a unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., said it expects to raise P18 billion through loans from banks to party finance the construction of the Cavite Laguna Expressway Project.

“We’re hoping June or July to close P18 billion loans from local banks,” MPTC president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said over the weekend.

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

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

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

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

MPCala also submitted an unsolicited proposal to the Department of Public Works and Highways to build the P22.43billion Cavite-Batangas Expressway.

MPCala said in May it expected to obtain the original proponent status for the Cavite-Batangas Expressway this month.

“As far as we are concerned, we already completed the required documents that they needed. It’s really up to the DPWH [Department of Public Works and Highways] to review and issue the original proponent status. Our expectation is by this month,’ MPCala Holdings president and chief executive Luigi Bautista told reporters earlier.

“After OPS, we have to submit it to Neda [National Economic and Development Authority] for review. If Neda approves it, there will be negotiations.

After negotiations, only time they will offer to Swiss Challenge,” he said.

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.

The CTBex project is expected to start construction by the first quarter of 2019 and targeted to be completed by the first half of 2022.

Once completed, the project would cut travel time from Sta. Rosa, Laguna to Nasugbu, Batangas from 2.5 hours to just an hour.

The project will start at Silang East Interchange of Cavite-Laguna Expressway. The alignment will traverse the towns of Silang, Amadeo, Mendez and Alfonso in Cavite, Tagaytay City and Nasugbu in Batangas.

MPTC is constructing the P27.9billion Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway project. The 8.25-km bridge project, set to be completed by 2020, will connect Cebu City to Mactan Island via Cordova.

Leviste’s solar firm invests in Indonesia SOLAR Philippines is investing in a 1.5-megawatt solar power project in an off-grid area in Indonesia, an official said over the weekend.

“Indonesia actually has no viable RE (renewable energy) subsidy right now but we’re actually constructing our first overseas project in Indonesia this quarter,” Solar Philippines president Leandro Leviste told reporters.

“It’s going to be 1.5 MW in an offgrid area which will be one of the biggest projects in Indonesia because the market there is very early compared to the Philippines,” he said.

Solar Philippines is putting up the solar project in the island of Borneo with a local partner.

Leviste said the Philippines had the best solar power market in Southeast Asia due to its “relatively open and free market environment.”

“Whereas in other countries, it’s pretty much government-controlled,” he said.

Leviste said overseas expansion was part of a long term growth plan of Solar Philippines. Alena Mae S. Flores

8TH CUSTOMER LOUNGE. BDO Private Bank opens the doors to its eighth lounge, another warm and welcoming venue for

valued clients to explore opportunities for enhancing and preserving their wealth. Located at the 47th floor of the BDO Corporate Center Ortigas, the new lounge is the bank’s sixth lounge in Metro Manila. The other two are in Cebu and Davao. Directors Johnip Cua and Violeta LuYm (second and third from left) grace the ribbon-cutting ceremony, joining Juan Sabino Lizares (head of the Wealth Advisory and Trust Group, leftmost), and (from right) Stella Cabalatungan (head of the Relationship Management Group), Cheryll Gavino (head of the Ortigas Lounge) and Albert Yeo (president of BDO Private Bank).

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018

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BSP poised to liberalize forex rules on investments

By Julito G. Rada THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas plans to liberalize further the foreign exchange rules on investments in a bid to attract more foreign investor and help spur economic growth. “... It is about further liberalization of investment rules. So let us just wait a little bit until that becomes a mature policy... We also want the industry to comment on this,” Bangko Sentral Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said in an interview over the weekend.

“Basically it is similar to what we did for external debt. We want to make it easy for investments to come in... So this one is [regarding] investments,” he said.

The regulator in May further liberalized the foreign exchange regulations in which certain transactions will no longer require prior approval from the Bangko Sentral.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said it included the conversion of foreign currency loans granted by banks to peso loans, transfer of such loans, as well as real and other properties acquired from banks’ foreign currency deposit unit books to the regular banking unit books.

“These transactions no longer require prior BSP approval under certain conditions which seek to ensure that banks fully understand the nature and extent of the risks involved...,” Guinigundo said in an earlier statement.

He said banks must have put appropriate business policies and risk management systems in place to manage these transactions.

“The new policy is in line with the BSP’s thrust to further liberalize foreign exchange rules while maintaining a safe and sound financial system, a stable FX market, and an appropriate monetary policy,” Guinigundo said.

The Bangko Sentral in December announced new foreign exchange rules in line with the thrust of opening up the economy through a more liberal policy environment.

Under the new rules, the prior Bangko Sentral approval requirement for purely private sector loans [that is, those without guarantee from/exposure of any public sector entity] was lifted, such that these loans now only need to be registered with the regulator to allow use of banking system resources for loan payments.

DTI expects PH exports to bounce back in Q2 DBS sees peso dropping further

By Othel V. Campos THE Department of Trade and Industry is optimistic Philippine exports will recover in the second quarter of 2017 after a notable decline in the previous months.

Trade and marketing and promotions bureau chief Senen Perlada said exporters of non-electronics products had put in extra efforts to rebound from the decline in the months of February, March and April.

“We forecast electronics would continue its growth trend, while non-electronics will start to recover from its double-digit decline,” he said.

The optimism, he said, was based on the business expectations survey of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, which in-

cluded forecast for the second quarter by exporters, importers and companies.

Exports dropped 8.5 percent to $5.11 billion in April from $5.59 billion a year ago, the fourth consecutive month of decline, dragged by the decrease in nonelectronic manufactured products (wood manufactures, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, processed food and beverages, and furniture and fixtures) and agro-based products.

Non-electronic exports like wood products, machinery, processed food, furnitures, beverages and transport equipment dragged down the outbound shipments.

The decline would have been worse if not for the 5.5-percent growth in electronics exports that accounted for 69.1 percent of total shipments for the month.

The trade deficit as a result widened to $3.62 billion in April from $1.55 billion in the same month in 2017, the largest trade gap since December 2017.

The trade deficit in the first four months of 2018 increased to $12.20 billion from $7.66 billion in the same period of 2017, as imports rose 10.5 percent to $33.16 billion while exports dropped 6.2 percent to $20.96 billion.

Despite the disappointing figures, Perlada is optimistic of a turnaround in the remaining quarters of 2018 as both services and electronics exports remain strong.

“We can still project a high, single digit growth for services. There are still contracts being signed and the BPO companies continue to believe in the Philippine economy,” he said.

to 54:$1 due to large trade deficit THE peso may depreciate further to 54 per US dollar by the end of the year due to the widening trade deficit, DBS Bank of Singapore said in a report Tuesday.

The local currency on Monday posted a fresh 12-year low against the greenback at 52.95, P0.25 lower than 52.7 at the close last Friday. It was its weakest level in almost 12 years since the 52.98 on July 3, 2006.

DBS said the currency had depreciated 5.8 percent year-to-date, more than the full-year depreciation of 5.4 percent and 4.7 percent in 2016 and 2015 respectively, to become the weakest currency in Asia, excluding Japan.

“The latest weakness was triggered by the trade deficit which widened to a cumulative $12.2 billion in the first four months, 1.6 times wider than the same period a year ago. The trade shortfall is pressured from both sides, that is, a

6.2-percent YoY decline in exports versus a 10.5-percent increase in imports in January-April,” it said.

The country’s trade-in-goods deficit in April widened to $3.62 billion from the $1.55-billion gap a year ago as imports surged 22.2 percent while exports fell 8.5 percent.

Total exports dropped 8.5 percent to $5.11 billion in April from $5.59 billion a year ago, the fourth consecutive month of decline, dragged by the decrease in nonelectronic manufactured products (wood manufactures, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, processed food and beverages, and furniture and fixtures) and agro-based products.

Total imports, meanwhile, jumped 22.2 percent to $8.73 billion in April 2018 from $7.14 billion in April 2017, an acceleration from a tepid increase of 0.3 percent in March 2018. Julito G. Rada

Alsons pegs rates for P1.5-b debt note

By Jenniffer B. Austria

FREE INTERNET IN SIGHT. The Department of Communication and Telecommunications, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and National Transmission Corp. sign on June 8 an agreement that will make internet speed faster at no charge in selected public places nationwide. Signing the agreement are (from left) DICT Undersecretary Denis Villorente, TransCo president Melvin Matibag, DICT Acting Secretary Eliseo Rio, NGCP president Anthony Almeda, TransCo general counsel Noel de Leon and NGCP chief administration officer Bryan Co.

ALSONS Consolidated Resources Inc. of the Alcantara Group has set the indicative rates for its planned P1.5-billion commercial paper, the first tranche under a P2.5billion shelf registration program.

ACR said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission it would issue the P1.5-billion commercial paper in three tenors—90 days which will carry a discounted rate of between 4.4979 percent and 5.4979 percent, 180 days with interest rate of between 4.8314 percent and 5.8314 percent and 360 days with interest rate of between 4.9174 percent and 5.9174 percent.

ACR said it would use the net proceeds from the offering to initially fund the development of a 15.1-megawatt

hydropower plant in Siguil in Sarangani province worth P1.01 billion. The power plant project, the company’s first renewable energy venture, is expected to start commercial operations by the second half of 2020.

ACR will also use a portion of the proceeds to pay short term obligations maturing this year worth P374.3 million.

The company will offer the commercial paper to the public at a discount to face value and in tranches through Multinational Investment Bancorporation, the sole issue manager, lead manager and underwriter.

The commercial paper will be listed with Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. ACR has been assigned a credit rating of PRS A plus by the Philippine Ratings Services Corp.

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Business WTO: Escalating tensions to damage global economy

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (center) reacts beside Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Christine Lagarde (center left) during a press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin on June 11, 2018. AFP

BERLIN, Germany―World Trade Organization chief Roberto Azevedo warned Monday against a damaging “escalation” of trade tensions between the United States and other major economies, following a divisive G7 summit.

Trans-Atlantic and other trade wars would have “a long-term impact on the global economy,” he said at a Berlin meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and leaders of the IMF, World Bank and other international institutions.

“We must stop this escalation of tensions, the tit-for-tat process is not going to be helpful... new sectors will be brought into the picture, which is something that will harm everyone,” he said.

The EU has vowed to retaliate against US metal tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, and tensions worsened at a Group of Seven summit in Canada after Trump rejected an attempt to write a consensus statement and bit-

terly insulted the Canadian host.

The joint communique which Trump rejected had vowed that G7 members would reform multilateral oversight of commerce through the WTO and seek to cut tariffs.

Azevedo warned that “the rising trade tensions risk a major economic impact, undermining the strongest sustainable period of trade growth since the end of the financial crisis.

“But, more than that, the systemic effects could be very damaging, risking a long-term impact on the global economy.”

The US president came under fire at the contentious G7 summit of leading economic powers for his “America First” protectionist drive.

Trump lashed out again at US allies Monday in Twitter messages focusing on “massive trade surpluses” that he said the United States has endured “for decades” with its closest allies. AFP

US Fed opens meeting amid trade row W

By Douglas Gillison

ASHINGTON—The US central bank was due to open a two-day policy meeting Tuesday that markets overwhelmingly expect will produce the second interest rate hike of the year.

But as policymakers seek to hold off inflation in the world’s largest economy, global trade tensions are swirling around the meeting, inflamed by the messy end to last weekend’s contentious Group of Seven summit in Canada.

The potential to disrupt trade and raise prices for key inputs and consumer products will make the already delicate balancing act for Federal Reserve even more difficult.

The vigorous health of American jobs markets

has driven unemployment down to levels not seen for 50 years, a time when inflation began an upward course that caused years of pain and took even longer to correct.

Fed policymakers have been gradually raising the benchmark lending rate since December 2015 to keep prices in check without roiling financial markets, and have signaled they will not overreact to a pickup in inflation as long as it is short-lived and only slightly above the two percent goal.

Futures markets on Monday put the odds of a June rate hike at more than 96 percent, bringing the target range for the key rate up a notch to 1.75-2.0 percent.

But the potential for a global trade war adds a major dose of uncertainty to the economic outlook.

US President Donald Trump imposed punishing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from key suppliers, including G7 partners Canada and Germany, and has threatened even steeper penalties on auto imports.

Higher prices caused by the tariffs also could slow growth of the US economy.

And US trading partners like Canada, Mexico and the European Union have vowed to retaliate against Trump’s aggressive trade actions, and a similar reaction could come from China.

In an unprecedented move, Trump backed out of a joint G7 statement with traditional allies, whom he accused of “robbing” the United States through unfair trade practices, and he lashed out in uncommonly personal terms at Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

At their most recent meeting in early May, Fed officials noted the “particularly wide” range of possible outcomes from the trade dispute depending on how Washington and other economies behaved.

But in the meanwhile “the uncertainty surrounding trade issues could damp business sentiment and spending,” according to the Fed meeting minutes.

Joseph Gagnon, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said a major

trade war involving big-ticket import items like autos could reduce economic potential and lead to job losses.

“That will be like a supply shock where you get more inflation and less growth and the Fed probably won’t know what to do,” he said.

And this would come at a time when inflation risks are rising, including higher oil prices, sweeping tax cuts, and a weaker US dollar.

As a result, economists say a fourth rate hike in December is increasingly likely.

And while the relationship between low unemployment and rising inflation is less direct than 50 years ago—wages have shown only sluggish growth in recent years—the painful memory of the 1970s is hard to ignore.

“That slippery slope may or may not be there but nobody knows,” said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics. “So it’s only natural that the Fed continues to take out insurance” in the form of rate hikes, he added. AFP

Global warming will make veggies harder to find Asian stock markets rise after Trump-Kim summit

TAMPA, Florida―Global warming is expected to make “Urgent action needs to be taken, including working to vegetables significantly scarcer around the world, unless support the agriculture sector to increase its resilience to new growing practices and resilient crop varieties are ad- environmental changes and this must be a priority for govopted, researchers warned on Monday. ernments across the world.”

By the end of this century, less water and hotter air will A second study in PNAS found that rising temperatures combine to cut average yields of vegetables―which are will increase the volatility of corn, the most widely grown crucial to a healthy diet―by nearly one-third, said the re- crop on the planet. port in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A 7.2 Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) increase in temperature, which scientists expect by 2100 if global warming continues on its current trajectory, reduces average yields by 31.5 percent, said the report.

“Our study shows that environmental changes such as increased temperature and water scarcity may pose a real threat to global agricultural production, with likely further impacts on food security and population health,” said lead author Pauline this file photo taken on March 16, 2018, an Indian vendor sells vegetables at a roadside stall in Amritsar. Global Scheelbeek of the In warming is expected to make vegetables significantly scarcer around the world, unless new growing practices and London School of resilient crop varieties are adopted, researchers warned on June 11, 2018. AFP Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Researchers confirmed prior studies that showed global Southern Europe, large parts of Africa and South Asia warming would likely cut back on corn growth. may be particularly affected.

They also showed that heat waves may boost inconsistenThe findings are based on a systematic review of 174 cy and volatility across various regions from year to year, studies examining the impact of environmental exposures leading to price hikes and global shortages. on yield and nutritional content of vegetables and legumes “Previous studies have often focused on just climate and since 1975. plants, but here we look at climate, food and international marSome previous research has pointed to a likely increase in kets,” said lead author Michelle Tigchelaar, a University of crop yields as carbon dioxide rises, but the current review Washington postdoctoral researcher in atmospheric sciences. found that any such boost would be cancelled out by higher “We find that as the planet warms, it becomes more likely greenhouse gases, reduced water availability for irrigation for different countries to simultaneously experience major and rising temperatures. crop losses, which has big implications for food prices and “We have brought together all the available evidence on food security.” the impact of environmental change on yields and quality The vast majority of the global corn exports come from of vegetables and legumes for the first time,” said senior the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Ukraine. author Alan Dangour, also of LSHTM. “Under 4 degrees Celsius warming, which the world is ‘Urgent action’ needed on track to reach by the end of the century if current green“Our analysis suggests that if we take a ‘business as usual’ house gas emissions rates continue, there’s an 86 percent approach, environmental changes will substantially reduce chance that all four maize-exporting countries would simulthe global availability of these important foods,” he added. taneously suffer a bad year,” said the report. AFP

HONG KONG―Major markets in Asia and Europe rose on Tuesday after Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un held a historic summit, while investors look ahead to key policy meetings at the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank this week.

Trump said he had formed a “special bond” with the North Korean leader, who reaffirmed his commitment to “complete denuclearization of Korean Peninsula” in a joint agreement signed by the two.

While the meeting was not expected to see any immediate results, it has provided hope for peace on the Korean peninsula.

However, investors remain concerned about a possible global trade war after the weekend’s Group of Seven summit in Canada ended with Trump withdrawing support for a joint communique and accusing host Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of being dishonest.

That came just after he had hit Canada, Mexico and the European Union with steel and aluminum tariffs, sparking threats of retaliation that some fear could escalate.

For most of the day eyes were on Singapore, where Trump and Kim became the first sitting leaders of their countries to meet.

The pair signed what Trump called a “pretty comprehensive” and “very important” document, which spoke of “new US-DPRK relations” and committed Washington to “security guarantees.”

Kim said the two Cold War foes had vowed to “leave the past behind” and promised “the world will see a major change”.

Stocks fluctuated through the day but by the end of trade Tokyo was up 0.3 percent and Shanghai closed 0.9 percent higher. Hong Kong was 0.4 percent higher. AFP

Iraq hits back at other oil producers BAGHDAD―Iraq on Monday accused other oil-producing countries of extracting more barrels of crude than agreed by Opec and its partners, ahead of a meeting of the cartel next week.

“Producers who are or are not members of Opec have not respected the set target... and the price of petrol has not reached the desired level,” said Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaibi.

In order to “reach a fair and consistent price, we need more support, stability and engagement from the producing countries for the agreement” reached in early 2017, he said in a statement.

At the time, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and other countries pledged to limit oil output and measures to boost crude prices.

But according to the Russian news agency Interfax, in the first part of June Russia exceeded its daily production target of 10.95 million barrels per day.

Opec member Iraq is currently producing 4.325 million bar-

rels a day, according to the oil minister Luaibi.

It has often called for measures to be taken to boost oil prices to support its budget, hit largely by the price slump and its three-year war on jihadists.

Iraq supports “the stabilization of market prices even if our country has experienced wars for 30 years and needs to rebuild itself urgently,” Luaibi told reporters on Monday evening.

“We respect Opec’s decisions,” he added.

Opec and its partners are scheduled to discuss the agreement at a meeting in Vienna on June 22.

“The main issue to be decided (in the Austrian capital) is the stabilization of the market,” said Luaibi.

Asked about the possible impact on the talks of the crisis between arch-foes Saudi Arabia and Iran, the minister said the Iraqis would “meet the Iranians and the Saudis to discuss and try to make sure the market is stabilized.”AFP

World IN BRIEF US opens new de facto embassy in Taiwan TAIPEI—The United States on Tuesday unveiled a new $255-million de facto embassy in Taiwan in what was hailed as a “milestone” in relations, as the self-ruled island comes under increasing pressure from China.

Donald Trump’s administration is moving to strengthen ties with Taiwan in the face of China’s diplomatic moves and military threats.

In March, after Trump approved new rules allowing top US officials to travel to the island, Beijing called on Washington to “correct its mistake”.

But the US sent an assistant secretary of state for the unveiling, a visit less likely to unnerve China which was concerned that higher-level officials may attend.

The US switched diplomatic recognition to China in 1979 but maintains close economic, political and security ties with Taiwan. It manages its relations through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT).

Marie Royce, assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs, attended the dedication ceremony with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen.

“AIT’s new home is both a tangible symbol that reflects the strength of our ties and a state-of-the-art facility that will make possible even greater cooperation for years to come,” said Royce, the wife of pro-Taiwan congressman and House foreign affairs committee chairman Ed Royce. AFP

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Violence in Nicaragua continues M

ANAGUA―Riot police and pro-government paramilitaries on Monday attacked the barricades manned by anti-government activists in the Nicaraguan capital, plunging neighborhoods into violence and chaos in an attempt to stamp out a twomonth-old uprising against President Daniel Ortega.

Landslides kill 11 Rohingya refugees DHAKA—Landslides triggered by monsoon rain killed at least 11 people Tuesday in Bangladesh near the camps housing one million Rohingya refugees, officials said.

Aid agencies have been warning of the potential for a humanitarian catastrophe over the coming months as heavy rains lash an area home to the world’s largest refugee camp.

Most of Tuesday’s victims were buried under mud when surrounding hills gave way after a deluge.

“Ten people... died in Naniarchar” including a family of four, while several people remained missing, district administrator Mamunur Rashid told AFP. Another person was killed in neighboring Cox’s Bazar district, police said.

Landslides have so far killed at least 12 people this week, after a Rohingya boy was crushed to death by a collapsing mud wall at the Kutupalong refugee camp on Monday.

Some 200,000 Rohingya who live on hills around the refugee camps are at risk of death or injury from monsoon rains, officials and relief agencies have said.

Many of the hills around the settlements have been cleared of trees to build shelters, making the land highly unstable.

Nearly 29,000 people have been moved to new locations ahead of the monsoon but the risk of a tragedy remains high. AFP

Four children killed in US hostage drama WASHINGTON—A hostage drama in Florida ended Monday with the death of four children at the hands of a gunman, who also took his own life, police said.

The ordeal began Sunday in Orlando when police responded to a report of domestic violence at an apartment and one of the officers was shot. That officer remains in critical condition.

The gunman remained holed up in the apartment overnight and all day Monday with the children, who were aged one, six, 10 and 11.

“A short time ago we made entry into the apartment and found that all four children have been killed by the suspect by apparent gunshot wounds,” Orlando police chief John Mina told a news conference just before midnight.

“It appears the suspect took his own life as well,” Mina added.

Police stayed in contact with the gunman throughout the day.

The gunman’s phone had sporadic service, and police tried to offer him one of their phones.

In doing so, officers saw the body of one child and decided to try to rescue the others. A big boom was heard at the complex at about 9:00 pm, the Orlando Sentinel newspaper reported.

It said the gunman has been identified as Gary Lindsey, 35, and that he was a felon on probation for arson and other offenses. AFP

LIFTOFF. Japan’s H2A rocket carrying an Information Gathering Satellite lifts off from its launching pad at the Tanegashima Space Center on Tanegashima island in Kagoshima prefecture on June 12, 2018. AFP

Brexit law faces tricky votes in UK parliament LONDON―British Prime Minister Theresa May faces knife-edge votes in parliament on her centerpiece Brexit legislation from Tuesday, despite her last-minute warning that defeat risked undermining her negotiations with Brussels.

After a bumpy week of Brexit spats within her administration and with the EU, May wants to fend off another setback in a long-awaited showdown with restive lawmakers.

MPs in the lower House of Commons will vote on a raft of amendments produced by the upper House of Lords, which May claims would weaken the government’s hand in exit talks with the EU. “We must think about the message parliament will send to the European Union this week,” May told MPs in her centerright Conservative Party late Monday.

Her minority Conservative government relies on the support of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party for a slender working majority in the 650-member Commons.

“I am trying to negotiate the best deal for Britain. I am confident I can get a deal that allows us to strike our own trade deals while having a border with the EU which is as frictionless as possible,” she said.

“But if the Lords amendments are allowed to stand, that negotiating position will be undermined.”

The EU (Withdrawal) Bill, coming back down to the Commons from the unelected Lords, is the draft law that would set the legal framework for Brexit.

The government wants the Commons to reject 14 out of 15 amendments introduced by the Lords which are intended to keep Britain close to the European Union after Brexit.

However, May is worried about the prospect of a rebellion by pro-EU Conservative MPs who are determined to retain as many of the changes as possible.

The flash points include proposals to increase the power of parliament to decide on the final Brexit deal, and others seeking to keep Britain tightly aligned with the EU’s economy after it leaves the bloc.

Some europhile Conservatives were reported to be backing away, worried that if May was fatally damaged by defeat, it could open the way for a hard line Brexiteer to take over the party and the premiership. AFP

The government offensive launched overnight into the early morning comes as Ortega enters his fifth day of silence regarding the Roman Catholic Church’s proposal to resume talks aimed at calming the political crisis.

Bursts of gunfire resounded through the streets of Managua as television footage showed turbulent scenes of armed security forces on foot and in trucks chasing young men away from street barricades.

Activists attempted to push them back by throwing rocks and setting off homemade mortars.

The violence appeared to have cooled by mid-afternoon, a few hours after Silvio Jose Baez, an auxiliary bishop of Managua, had urged residents to stay inside their homes.

“It is very dangerous because of the presence of violent gangs,” he wrote on Twitter. “Don’t risk life in vain.”

The protests that began April 18 over controversial pension reforms have exploded into a mass effort to pressure the president’s exit.

At least 145 people have died in clashes with security forces and armed gangs loyal to Ortega, according to the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH), which also said more than 1,000 had been injured.

Government security forces early Monday swept into seven neighborhoods, forcefully clearing barricades on the main Juan Pablo II avenue that connects the capital’s north and south, activists said.

Hooded pro-Ortega armed civilians meanwhile broke down the barricades that residents had built in adjacent streets to “protect” themselves from roving gangs.

The blockades―which are guarded by mostly young men wielding slingshots and mortars―are found on nearly 70 percent of roads, crippling transportation and commerce in more than half of the country’s departments.

Similar attacks in the city of Sebaco, 90 kilometers north of Managua, left one dead on Sunday, according to the CENIDH. Police meanwhile said that 15 hooded individuals attacked a police post in Mulukuku municipality in the Caribbean north of the country, killing two officers and one gang member. One police officer was also kidnapped. AFP

France challenges Beijing in the South China Sea PARIS―France is increasing its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, sending warships through the South China Sea and planning air exercises to help counter China’s military build-up in the disputed waters.

In late May, the French assault ship Dixmude and a frigate sailed through the disputed Spratly Islands and around a group of reefs that China has turned into islets to push back against Beijing’s claim to own most of the resource-rich South China Sea. “Our patrol involved passing close to these islets to obtain intelligence with all

the sensors it is possible to use in international waters,” the Dixmude’s commanding officer, Jean Porcher, told reporters in a video interview.

Writing in The Wall Street Journal, a researcher from the Hudson Institute think-tank who was on board, said that “several Chinese frigates and corvettes” tailed the French vessels.

Porcher said the ship maintained “cordial” radio contact with Chinese military vessels, “which were present in the area until we left”.

So far the United States has taken the lead in confronting China over its territo-

rial claims in the South China Sea, which are contested by several neighbors, particularly Vietnam.

But France, which along with Britain is the only European nation to regularly send its navy into the region, has also waded into the dispute, sending its ships into the South China Sea three to five times a year.

In August, the air force will stage its biggest-ever exercises in southeast Asia as part of a strategy to mark France’s presence in a region that is home to 1.5 million French citizens in the country’s overseas territories. AFP

HOT DAY IN PHNOM PENH. Cambodian Buddhist monks walk along a street in Phnom Penh on June 12, 2018. AFP

Saudi women rev up motorbikes as end to driving ban nears RIYADH―Even a year ago, it would have been hard to imagine―Saudi women clad in skinny jeans and Harley-Davidson T-shirts, revving motorbikes at a Riyadh sports circuit.

But ahead of the historic lifting of a decades-long ban on female drivers on June 24, women gather weekly at the privately owned Bikers Skills Institute, to learn how to ride bikes.

“Biking has been a passion ever since I was a kid,” said 31-year-old Noura,

who declined to give her real name as she weighs public reactions in the ultraconservative Islamic kingdom.

Overturning the world’s only ban on female drivers, long a symbol of repression against women, is the most striking reform yet launched by powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

But it has been overshadowed by a wave of arrests of female activists―including veteran campaigners who long resisted the ban.

None of the women at the floodlit mo-

toring circuit wanted to talk about the crackdown, a deeply sensitive issue, focusing instead on securing a basic freedom long denied them.

“I grew up watching my family riding bikes,” Noura told AFP as she mounted a Yamaha Virago.

“Now I hope... to have enough skills to ride on the street.”

Next to her, revving a Suzuki, sat Leen Tinawi, a 19-year-old Saudi-born Jordanian. AFP

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

B4

wednesday, june 13, 2018

LGUs

Mining-aided livelihood orgs show gains

By Ben Moses Ebreo

LocaL government units

Better swine production developed for farmers

By Butch Gunio SAN SIMON, Pampanga—A project on swine production using better health and disease control was recently showcased in a Farmers’ Field Day in two villages in this town.

The project, titled “Improving the production and competitiveness of Australian and Philippines pig production through better health and disease control,” is supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development.

Dr. Gomathy Palaniappan of the University of Queensland in Australia spearheaded the field day.

“The event aims to help pig farmers by showcasing the benefits of different interventions under the project. These include the creep box, nipple drinker, biogas, and rainwater harvester,” said project team leader Dr. Eduardo L. Lapuz Jr. from Department of Agriculture Region 3.

“The event also educates participants on other interventions in pig raising methods and management, which were identified after a series of surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions with the farmers and other concerned stakeholders following the EcoHealth approach,” he added.

Agricultural extension workers, local government unit officials and staff, farmers, and barangay pig coordinators attended the field day.

Project team members demonstrated the use of the different technologies under the project and answered the queries from pig raisers.

Owners of the demo farms and farmers shared their experiences in adopting the technology.

“The project aims to help small pig farmers of San Simon to reduce their losses and increase productivity,” Lapuz said.

49TH CENTENARIAN. Makati Mayor Abby Binay and daughter Martina Campos award a P100,000 check, bouquet of flowers, and a plaque of recognition to the city’s 49th centenarian, Mrs. Felisa R. Mendoza, at her residence in Barangay Poblacion. Born on Jan. 16, 1918.

Mrs. Mendoza became a widow in 1965 and, as a single mother of six, raised her children by working as a sewer in a factory in Sta. Mesa, Manila. Mrs. Mendoza and her family have been residing in Makati since 2005. City Ordinance No. 2012-099 entitles Makati senior citizens who are also Blu Card holders to a one-time P100,000 cash gift upon reaching 100 years old.

Makati aces CoA audit; revenue haul up 12%

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

HE Makati City government for the first time earned an unqualified opinion from the Commission on Audit in its 2017 Audit Report citing the fairness of presentation of the city’s financial statements.

In auditing parlance, an unqualified opinion means that financial statements conform to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, and that they fairly represent the entity’s financial accounts.

In a letter to Mayor Abigail Binay, Adelina Concepcion Ancajas, COA director for Local Government Sector—National Capital Region stated that the commission had “rendered an unqualified opinion on the fairness of presentation of the financial statements of the City.”

Based on a summary published in the official website of CoA dating

back to 2007, Makati had received its ‘qualified opinion’ in 2007, and from 2010 up to 2016.

Binay said that an unqualified audit opinion is the best opinion an auditor can issue.

“It means that our financial report for 2017 has fully satisfied the requirements of the auditor. This is the first time that Makati has earned the highest audit rating from CoA,” she pointed out.

Binay attributed the latest achievement of the city to the full support of all city government departments and offices to the reforms and innovations

implemented by her administration.

“I would like to acknowledge the efforts of all the departments and offices of the city government to achieve the highest level of compliance with laws governing the appropriation, management and utilization of government funds. This unprecedented achievement for our city proves that we can achieve anything through unity and collaboration,” she said.

Following the implementation of reforms aimed to enhance efficiency and transparency in the systems and operations at city hall, the city’s revenue collections increased by 12 percent in 2017.

It was the first time in 12 years that the city posted a two-digit increase in its annual revenue collections. From January to April this year, total revenue collections of the city reached P11.1 billion, or a nine percent increase over the same period last year.

LAS PIÑAS E-TRIKES. Mayor Imelda T. Aguilar signs the Memorandum of Agreement on behalf of Las Piñas City, accepting the donation of 100 units of E-trikes from the Department of Energy.

The E-trikes will be distributed in different barangays of Las Piñas, especially the areas that transport students from the city-funded schools.

This is a move to use more environment-friendly mode of transport in the city, a priority project of Mayor Aguilar’s Tuloy-tuloy na Serbisyo program.

Ombudsman orders village chief dismissed over misfiled SALNs SABANGAN, Mountain Province— The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of a barangay captain here for gross neglect of duty for failing to submit his required Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net Worth from 2010 to 2016.

In a five-page decision penned by Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer II Joyrich M. Golangco, Barangay

Napua Chairman Willie B. Bacoong will also be meted the accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirements benefits, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, and being barred from taking civil service examinations.

On Aug. 3, 2017, Richard Budod and Juniper C. Dominguez filed a complaint of neglect of duty against

Bacoong for his alleged failure to file his SALNs for seven years and for not declaring his mini-dump truck as an asset in the same documents.

Bacoong denied the charges, explained that he filed his SALNs with the Secretary of the Liga ng mga Barangay, Sabangan chapter, and attached the copies of his assailed SALNs in his counter-affidavit.

SM Foundation holds medical mission for workers DASMARIÑAS, Cavite—Hundreds benefitted from the second medicaldental and diagnostic mission of the SM Foundation Inc. held Saturday here, which began before the mall opening hours and lasted until late afternoon.

Not only were the SM employees and their families coming to avail of the free diagnostic services and facilities of SMFI, but also those within communities near the SM Mall in Dasmariñas.

Located right beside the food court, the mission saw long lines of people—young and old and from all walks of life—even before the mall opened and the set-up was finished. Clerks, sales ladies, security guards, and even employees of locators

availed of the services near closing time, or just when the crowds thinned.

All key officers of the SM Group of Companies were on hand to ensure the success of the endeavor, which is being undertaken every quarter for the employees, most of whom could not afford comprehensive check-ups using their HMO cards. Neither could they provide such checkups to their family members.

Two huge mobile clinics containing digital X-rays, ultrasound and ECGs augmented the consultations with the partner- doctors of SMFI. Watson’s also provided free medicines for the patients who were given prescriptions by the participating physicians.

Medical practitioner partners of SMFI

and medical schools pitched in doctors for the occasion. Partner organizations of SMFI are the International Academy of Medical Specialists, the International College of Surgeons, ophthalmologists and the medical acupuncture practitioners.

In time for the celebration of the 117th Araw ng Lalawigan ng Rizal, the Rizal ‘Byahe Tayo’ shows a colorful rendition of traditional jeepneys, intricately hand-painted to represent the entire province, its 13 towns and one city, also in celebration of the 120th Philippine Independence Day. Shown in photo are mall workers at the exhibit at the mall atrium of SM City Masinag in Antipolo City. Manny Palmero

But records showed that Bacoong failed to submit his SALNs for 2010 to 2016 to the Deputy Ombudsman, as required by existing rules and regulations. The submission of his SALNS to the Liga ng mga Barangay was not deemed substantial compliance with the requirement of the law since they were not submitted to the proper office.

QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya—Twelve livelihood organizations supported by the FCF Minerals Corp. in this town have shown improvement on their loan collection system among their members.

These organizations are the Atan Vegetable Growers Association Bitang Women’s and Farmers Association Inc., Busat Upland Farmers Association Cabinuangan Highlander Association Inc., Baddang Kiphodan Association Sitio Compound Women’s and Farmers Association Inc., Dipilipig Development Association Inc., Sitio Dumaliguia Women’s Association Inc., Kinalabasa Rural Workers Association Inc., Malilibeg Livelihood Association Marangad Rural Workers Association Inc. and the Tayab Community Association.

Peter Storey, FCF Minerals general manager for operations, said the livelihood organizations were given capital assistance under their Community Development Program.

“We continue to help them control delinquency and loan productivity to ensure that loans are used according to the proposed businesses,” he said.

From Sept. 30, 2016, the associations’ total loan balance of P943,000 was down to just P551,000 as of Dec. 31, 2017.

The total repaid amount is P392,000 or 41.58 percent of the original balance.

Storey also said various capacity building activities were also given to the organization members and officials to strengthen them and inculcate their responsibility and obligation.

He added that the Pondong Pangkabuhayan Lending Program, a revitalized loan program sourced from the accumulated repaid livelihood funds from 2007 to 2015 and the existing funds of the organizations also showed improvement.

Storey said for the last quarter of 2017, the total loan disbursed is more than P467,000. Of the outstanding balance of more than P793,000, the amount overdue is more than P24,000 or 3.11 percent as to the due date.

1,000 berths open for cops in Cordillera

By Dexter A. See

BAUKO, Mountain Province—The Philippine National Police has earmarked 1,000 slots for qualified applicants in the Cordillera who want to serve in the Police Regional Office here, new regional director Chief Superintendent Rolando Nana said.

Nana announced this during his visit to the wounded law enforcers confined at the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital after an ambush by the New People’s Army in Mount Sipitan, Aguid, Sagada.

Priority will be given to the qualified police applicants from the neglected areas in the region to help strengthen the government’s counterinsurgency campaign and to strengthen the presence of law enforcers in the countryside, he said.

Nana was joined by Mountain Province Police Provincial Director Senior Superintendent Allen S. Ocden, other ranking regional and provincial police officials, and Mayor Abraham B. Akilit in distributing financial assistance from the government to five of the nine wounded policemen who are still confined in the hospital.

At the same time, Nana directed all police units regionwide to strengthen their intelligence gathering to thwart threats the insurgents pose to the prevailing peace and order in the region.

Earlier, a policeman died while nine of his colleagues were injured after members of the Mountain Province Provincial Police Mobile Force Company were ambushed Tuesday by communist rebels under the NPA’s Leonardo Pacsi command near Mount Sipitan and the famous Buasao waterfalls at Aguid, Sagada town.

Life

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE

fashion and beauty

wEdnESday, junE 13, 2018

C1

SSI celebrates 30th year

with enhanced digital presence and promos

By Bernadette Lunas

I

N 1988, the Stores Specialist, Inc. Group brought in Marks & Spencer, Lacoste, and Salvatore Ferragamo to the Philippines, allowing shoppers access to these global luxury brands. Thirty years later, SSI will be launching a website and a mobile app to make it easier to shop from its now over a hundred global brands.

“Celebrating our 30th year this 2018, we are poised to enhance the life of every Filipino as we continue to deliver our well-curated range of specialty and lifestyle concepts,” said SSI Group president Anton Huang during the SSI 30th anniversary media launch.

He added, “We celebrate this milestone with The Curated Life, a campaign that seeks to inspire, enable, indulge, and rally our customers to live a life well lived.”

As the retail arm of the Rustan’s Group of Companies, the SSI Group specializes in high-end specialty stores and is the exclusive franchise distributor of leading international brands. It currently has a retail network of over 600 stores covering 129,000 square meters of retail space for its brands, including Aeropostale, Burberry, Gap, Hermes, Tod’s, and Zara, to name a few.

“Maintaining our thrust to bring the best to the Philippines, the SSI Group continues to refine the art of Philippine lifestyle as the number one specialty retailer in the country,” said Huang.

Ack nowledging the importance of e-commerce as well as the growing number of millennial, digital-savvy consumers, the retail group is gearing towards further strengthening its online presence.

In October, SSI will be relaunching its website, ssilife.com.ph.

The multibrand site will serve as a shopping channel and will feature lifestyle articles that deliver informative and inspiring content to help shoppers decide better.

Consumers may navigate through three categories—Fashion, Beauty, and Home—and discover the latest collections from brands, behind-the-scenes highlights from exclusive shows, skincare and makeup how-to videos featuring local influencers, and guides on home and lifestyle.

SSI will also launch the My SSI Life app in August.

This mobile application al-

lows users to earn points every time they shop as well as get access to latest trends, promos, and perks.

To further reward its customers, the SSI Group partners with CitiCiti bank to bring the Spend AnyAny where camcam

paign. Citibank cardholders get P500 shopping credits valid at all SSI Group stores with every P10,000 spend using their credit card from July to September this year. Instant shopping credits of up to P30,000 will also be given away to Citibank cardholders.

The partnership continues with the Big Fashion Sale happening on Aug 15-30 at Greenbelt and on Sept. 3-10 at Glorietta. exclusive shopping events are also slated from July to december.

Citibank cardholders also get deferred payment schemes of up to 24 months at select SSI Group brands with the Love to Shop installment program ongoing until May 2019.

Leading the ceremonial toast for SSI Group’s 30th anniversary are (from left) Citibank consumer business manager for the Philippines Manoj Varma, SSI Group chairman Zenaida Tantoco, SSI Group, Inc. president Anton Huang, and SSI Group, Inc. executive vice president Elizabeth Quiambao.

Beautiful from tips to toes SPeCIALIZed nail salon Tips N Toes marks its 20 years with upgraded services that aim to pamper every customer—male or female— who steps in any of its well-appointed branches.

In the salon, founded by Jennifer Tipton Angeles, men can sit back and avail of the hand, foot, and nail spa services, while women can enjoy the latest in state-of-the-art nail care and chic nail creations and extensions.

Classic Elegance suitable for brides

offers embellishments, from stones to stickers and glitter tips to colored acrylic powder.

Crafted sculptured nails service adds character to natural nails with powder that is molded and sculptured on to the nails and extended to the customer’s desired length and thickness.

Bejeweled Nail Extensions

Pampering services

Lacoste readyto-wear and bag (left) and Marks & Spencer ready-towear (right)

These treatments promise to leave customers refreshed and relaxed.

The Signature Spa Manicure is a calming session of exfoliation and massage. Using essential oils, as well as vitamin e and antioxidants, the formulation will smoothen the skin, leaving hands and arms rejuvenated.

Reverse French Tips Style

The Foot Spa Therapy, on the other hand, polishes the skin. The aromatherapy mud complements the warm honey that embraces legs and feet.

The smoothening treatment will keep feet cool and soft.

To make the skin soft to the touch, opt for the Paratherapy Treatments.

To help soothe tired arms and legs, they are wrapped in paraffin wax that leaves the skin with an intensely moisturized feeling that renders it soft to touch.

Nail services

One Accent Nail Design

French sculptured adds a nice touch using acrylic attached to nails to lengthen them. It is also available in gel, wherein a sculpting gel is molded on to natural nails, making them stronger.

Overlays, meanwhile, strengthen and add thickness to the nails using a thin layer of acrylic powder.

The salon also has services for young ones: the Tiny Tot Manicure, Pedicure, and Nail Art allow little girls to learn how to take care of their nails.

Centered Glitter Design

Tips N Toes offers various services that enhance one’s set of nails.

Visit www.tipsntoes.com.ph For chic designed nails, the salon more information.

The Stores Specialists, Inc. Group kicks off its 30th anniversary celebration with ‘The Curated Life’ campaign.

for

Life

C2

wednesday, june 13, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Glaiza de Castro’s fun side The Disney x Coach: A Dark Fairy Tale collection features motifs from ‘Snow White’ and ‘Sleeping Beauty’ on Coach’s leather goods.

A dark take on classic fairy tales Two American visionaries and global originals join forces for a “dark fairy tale” collection.

The Disney x Coach: A Dark Fairy Tale is a special edition collection that subverts classic Disney Princess tales with a dark and romantic twist on Coach’s ready-towear and leather goods.

Found and styled within the brand’s pre-fall 2018 collection, the pieces play with spooky undertones and the tension of nostalgic Disney animations to create a halo collection inspired by an American gothic fairy tale of New York.

This collaboration recontextualizes unexpected motifs from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Sleeping Beauty—think dark and dreamy castles, poisoned apples, and wide-eyed woodland creatures—for a play to the edgier, darker side.

Retro t-shirts with rock-and-roll fonts and a nostalgic color palette are styled with tough moto jackets, while Coach’s recognizable signature print is enhanced with darker graphics and bold leather detailing for an unexpected juxtaposition.

The collection also showcases authentic Coach American sportswear—jersey hoodies, sneakers, and fanny packs with Disney-inspired patches and embellishments. In a nod to the storytellers of Disney and the craftsmanship synonymous with Coach, a special story patch was made to commemorate the collection.

The special edition collection marks Coach and Disney’s third collaboration, an ongoing relationship which is both personal and a continuing inspiration to Coach creative director Stuart Vevers.

“I have always loved Disney—both the movies and the fantasy worlds created that have captured my imagination for many decades. It was fun to explore the darker side of these stories and mix Disney’s nostalgic charm with Coach’s creativity to bring my memories from these fairy tales to life within our world of accessories and ready-to-wear,” said Vevers. “The Disney spirit truly reinforces the new youthful perspective we are bringing to luxury at Coach.”

The Disney x Coach: A Dark Fairy Tale is now available at Coach’s stores and coach.com.

Glaiza de Castro shows her fun side as the local ambassador of UK foldable footwear for women brand, Butterfly Twists.

M

ULTI-hYPhENATE Glaiza de Castro is currently one of the busiest personalities in the Philippine entertainment scene. But even with her tapings, gigs, promo tours, and meetings, she still never forgets to make time to play.

“we all get tired at some point, especially if we’ve been working really hard. So, we must feed our soul, replenish, or restart to keep us going. we should have reasons why we keep doing what we’re doing, and finding a balance helps us remind why,” shares De Castro.

De Castro’s version of playtime involves traveling, from international trips to weekend out-of-town getaways, and watching concerts. her versatile personality and on-the-go lifestyle made her the perfect local ambassador of footwear brand Butterfly Twists. The UK brand is known for compact, foldable shoes that are fashionable and comfortable to wear; “designed for ladies on-the-go, who love to have fun and who are not afraid to live life with a free heart.”

Coinciding with the launch of De Castro as the Philippine brand ambassador, Butterfly Twists has also introduced its spring/summer 2018 collection and campaign #PlayTimeNeverStopped. The latest collection consists of new ballerina flats, espadrilles, trainers, and sandals, each boasting the latest outsoles and insoles, and cute branded trims.

For the campaign, De Castro, dressed in colorful preppy outfits, shows her fun side, ready for any kind of surprises coming her way—may it be impromptu road trip or concert.

Go to www.butterfly-twists.ph to know more about Butterfly Twists’ latest collection.

Leather goods with Disney-inspired patches and embellishments.

Jersey hoodies, crossbody bags, and fanny packs from the collection.

Ankle pants for functional dressing FoR spring/summer 2018, Uniqlo introduces a collection of ankle pants for men and women that offers a stylish but versatile approach to casual or work dressing.

A tailored classic that leaves a lot of room to build various looks on, the trousers boast a beautiful cropped silhouette, fit to flatter for any occasion.

Paired with the right pieces, Uniqlo’s ankle pants can be the perfect canvas for a variety of looks of different personalities and styles.

To better suit the lifestyles of every customer, the pants are available in various styles including Relaxed Ankle Pants for men and Smart Style and Satin Ankle Length Pants for women.

Smart Style Ankle Length Pants

Comfortable and wrinkle-resistant, the Smart Style Ankle Length pants are the ideal dress pants for women on-the-go. Updated for spring/summer

with a tapered cut for a sleeker silhouette and a higher rise, this pair works as well in the boardroom as it does on a casual weekend.

Styling tip: To keep the Smart Style Ankle Length Pants office appropriate, pair it with a Rayon blouse and heels. For a more casual look, a simple Supima shirt and sneakers are ideal accompaniments.

Satin Style Ankle Length Pants

The Satin Style Ankle Length pants feature a light, neat ankle-length cropped design. Stretch satin material gives it an elegant glossy sheen, and a simple solid color with an accent stripe at the waist lends a playful twist. A center crease adds a stylish touch that goes well with dressy or casual outfits.

Styling tip: Dressier than the usual ankle length trousers, pair the Satin Style Ankle Length Pants with an offthe-shoulder short sleeve blouse and top

off the look with strappy heels for date night. For a fuss-free everyday look, opt for a Cotton Embroidery blouse paired with feminine flats or brogues.

Relaxed Ankle Length Pants

The updated Relaxed Ankle Length Pants are designed with a new cotton material with anti-microbial and anti-odor properties, perfect for warm weather. Made from stretch material for comfort and ease of movement, the trousers easily transition from work wear to sports and casual wear.

Styling tip: Change the style by combining the Relaxed Ankle Length Pants with different tops. Depending on the occasion: pair the pants with a jacket on nights out, a Broadcloth Long Sleeve for business meetings, or with a Dry Pique Polo or Supima T-shirt on weekends.

These pants are available at Uniqlo branches nationwide.

Relaxed Ankle Length Pants for men (left) and Smart Style Ankle Length Pants for women (right)

Entertainment

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Virgin

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at

'Pilipinas kong Mahal with all the Overcoat' by Eljay Castro Deldoc and directed by Roobak Valle and Tuxqs Rutaquio is one of the featured plays in this year's edition of Virgin Labfest.

Art tilt promoting Filipino talents IN SUPPORT of the admirable Pinoy talent in the arts, Robinsons Land Corporation partnered with Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) to launch the Robinsons Land National Art Competition 2018, hosted by Summit Hotels and Resorts.

Titled “Kulayan ang Ganda ng Pilipinas,” the competition aims to foster awareness and appreciation for the everevolving Filipino art scene while also showcasing the environmental beauty of the Philippines as depicted through the eyes of an artist. It was launched last May 12 at the Momento Function Room of Summit Hotel Magnolia and submission of entries will be on June 16.

The competition was specifically created to tap members of the AAP, comprised of artists and creators — those who have long been in the field and those who are only beginning to realize their potential.

Interested participants must create an original piece that falls into either of the two categories: representational, or nonrepresentational. Only those who choose

to submit a piece that is representational — that is, art that contains clearly recognizable objects — must follow the main theme of the competition, “Kulayan ang Ganda ng Pilipinas.” Those who choose to submit non-representational pieces may follow any theme.

Art pieces must only be done through oil on canvas, acrylic on canvas, or watercolor only. Any other forms of media including mixed media, collages, and digitally-enhanced pieces are prohibited.

Winners will be announced on

June 19 during the Awarding Event at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria. Winning entries will also be displayed in all Summit Hotels and Resorts properties nationwide.

Complete guidelines and mechanics for the competition can be viewed at the Summit Hotels and Resorts website and official Facebook page. Submissions will be accepted until June 16, 2018 at the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation Technical Training Center in Rosario, Pasig City.

From left: Monette R. Alvarez , Elizabeth D. Gregorio, Lisette A. Arena, Veronica L. Olan, Margarita Lim, Fidel M. Sarmiento, and Cshanelle Cruz.

Star Wars fan fest lands in SM Cinema IN line with the release of the highly anticipated film Solo: A Star Wars Story and in celebration of SM’s 60th year, SM Cinema recently welcomed over 60 Star Wars costumed fans at SM North EDSA, The Block Atrium for the Star Wars Fan Fest.

Everyone was thrilled with the Star Wars-inspired hyper-space walkway tunnel and photo booth from SM Cinema while, Toy Kingdom indulged the fans and collectors as it featured Star Wars’ special merchandise and Globe 0917 opened their Star Wars themed apparel booth. Aside from these, the Star Wars geeks participated with the “Han Solo Pop Quiz Night”.

Privileged winners got exclusive Star Wars items and SM Cinema movie cards.

SM Cinema, as it continues to promote the Reel-to-Real experience to

its movie goers, also brought the force of Star Wars Fan Fest the day after its premiere at SM Aura where it held a much participated “market day” where interactive booths were unveiled, matched with an exciting mini-program serving as the front act for the night. Fans were also treated with a live art session and a

To promote the Reel-to-Real experience to its movie goers, SM Cinema brought the force of Star Wars Fan Fest to SM Aura participated by fans and cosplayers.

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

57 Most flavorful 62 Wildebeest chaser 63 Small amount 65 Farm structure 66 Monumental 67 More frosty 68 It has rings 69 Cowboy — Autry 70 Poker deck 71 Makes a blouse DOWN 1 Bedrock’s — Flintstone 2 Mantra chanter 3 Monogram ltr.

4 Rain-on-theroof sound 5 “Kubla Khan” locale 6 Hertz rival 7 Retina cells 8 Pewter component 9 Long journeys 10 More spooky 11 Eat hastily 12 Pinnacle 13 Incite 21 Reddish-brown color 23 TV band 26 Sophisticated 27 Sturdy material 28 Dodge 29 Creeping plants

The three-week festival promises to be a spectacular one, offering twelve new plays and four staged readings, and three revisited plays from last year’s festival all performed by outstanding thespians and directed by upcoming and established directors.

Taking Silip as its catchphrase, the festival offers a chance for writers to see their creative skills taken from page to stage. Now on its 14th year, the annual theater festival picked 12 new featured one-act works, out of more than 150 manuscripts submitted. Each expresses the complexity of human experience and create dialogues on social issues.

The new plays are divided into four sets. Set A includes: Mga Eksena sa Buhay ng Kontrabida, written by Dustin Celestino and directed

by Roobak Valle; Mga Bata sa Selda 43, written

by Rolin Migyuel Cadallo Obina and directed

by Ian Segarra; and Ang Inyong mga Anak: Si Harold at Napoleon, written by Anthony Kim Vergara and directed by Ricardo Magno.

For Set B, audience can look forward to Bagyolanda, written by John Lapus and directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio, Ang Mga Propesyunal, penned by Sari Saysay and directed by Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, Rosas by playwright J. Dennis Teodosio, directed by Charles Yee, and Edgar

Allan Hemingway by Carlo Vergara and directed by George de Jesus III. Meanwhile, Set C is comprised of Labor Room by Ma. Cecilia “Maki” dela Rosa, directed by Jose Estrella and Issa Manalo Lopez, Ensayo by Juan Ekis and directed by Eric Villanueva dela Cruz, and Tulad ng Dati

by JV Ibesate and directed by Olive Nieto.

Set D includes Amoy Pulbos ang mga Alabok sa Ilalim ng Riles ng Tren by playwright Lino Balmes and director Tess Jamias, Marawi Musicale by playwright Tyron Casumpang and director Ariel Yonzon, and River Lethe by playwright Allan Lopez and director Chris Martinez complete the list.

Three plays in the previous edition of the VLF will be remounted. These are: Birdcage written

by Rick Patriarca and directed by Ian Segarra; Sincerity Biker’s Club by Adrian Ho and directed by Jenny Jamora; and Pilipinas kong Mahal with all the Overcoat by Eljay Castro Deldoc and directed by Roobak Valle and Tuxqs Rutaquio.

The Staged Readings feature Without the Drama by playwright Jay Crisostomo, directed

by Renate Bustamante; and Dolorosa by playwright Peter Zaragoza Mayshle, directed by Chic San Agustin.

The main play features will be staged at Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (CCP Little Theater), while the VLF Revisited will be performed at Tanghalang Huseng Batute (CCP Studio Theater), and the Staged Readings will be at Tanghalang Amado V. Hernandez.

The Virgin Labfest Writing Fellowship Program, a two-week mentorship program on the study and practice of dramatic writing for the stage, will also be held as part of the festival. The fellowship program aims to train young aspiring playwrights through a series of lectures, script critiquing, writing sessions and interactions with known playwrights, directors and selected actors.

Tickets are for sale at the CCP and all TicketWorld outlets. For ticketing information, please call the CCP Marketing Department at 832-3706 or 832-3704 or email the Sales and Promotions Division at ccpsalesandpromo@gmail.com.

'Marawi Musicale' by playwright Tyron Casumpang and director Ariel Yonzon

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Acrobat’s feat 5 Craft knife (hyph.)

10 Pirate’s plunder 14 Jaipur princess 15 Eschew 16 “Murder by Death” actor 17 Shed, as light 18 Dingbat 19 Mme. Gluck of opera 20 Organized info 22 Rode the waves 24 Insect egg case 25 Raw fish dish 27 Lower the exchange rate 31 Umpire 35 Select few 36 July birthstone 38 Haunches 39 Sister 40 Half the parents 41 Sinbad’s transport 42 Brainstorm 44 Mighty — — oak 45 Greek philosopher 47 Moral 49 Military trim 51 Varieties 53 Fall mo.

54 Pinball palace

light-saber handling tutorial to complete their Jedi experience!

Solo: A Star Wars Story is digitally re-mastered for IMAX to give a boundless experience of Hans Solo’s adventure. Audiences can watch it in IMAX for crystal-clear images, customized theatre geometry and a powerful sound audio.

T

HE Cultural Center of the Philippines, in partnership with its resident theater company Tanghalang Pilipino and the Writer’s Bloc Inc., hosts the Virgin Labfest, an annual theater festival dedicated to the staging of untried, untested and unstaged works, from June 27 to July 15 at various venues of the CCP.

30 Eliminated completely 32 Not urban 33 Act like a ham 34 Orlando attraction 37 Ms. Thurman 40 Irresistible 43 With suspicion 45 Treaty between two or more countries 46 Musicians of old 48 Lend a hand 50 Hard questions

52 Flight of steps 54 Give — — up (help) 55 Ready to eat 56 Invent, as a phrase 58 More than passed 59 Gael republic 60 Lots and lots 61 Sock tips 64 TV pioneer

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

Entertainment

Piolo Pascual

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018

is timeless

Philippine's The Stripboys dazzle the judges and the crowd in last year's edition of 'Asia's Got Talent.'

Get your act together

AGT opens Manila auditions

AXN has announced that the Philippines open auditions for the new season of top-rated series Asia’s Got Talent will be held at Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City Experience Museum (QCX) on June 30.

The one-day event is part of AXN’s regional Asia’s Got Talent audition tour which also includes stops in Bangkok, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

Doors will open from 10:00 a.m. with hundreds of aspiring performers expected to attend for their shot at international fame and a life-changing grand prize of $100,000.

“The Philippines has constantly delivered extraordinary acts on Asia’s Got Talent that have gone on to the final stages of the competition. Last season we had three Filipino acts in the grand finals with DMX Comvalenoz and Neil Rey Gracia Llanes making it to top three. In season one, El Gamma Penumbra won the series with their captivating shadow-play performance,” said Derek Wong, Vice President, Production, Sony Pictures Television, Networks, Asia.

“We’re looking forward to discovering a whole new generation of Filipino stars in the next season of Asia’s Got Talent,” Wong added Due to the expected turn-out and exceptionally high demand on audition day, performers are encouraged to pre-apply online to expedite the registration process on the day (www.AXNAsia.com/AsiasGotTalent).

The Got Talent franchise was created by Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment and is coproduced and owned by Syco Entertainment and FremantleMedia. It is entered in the Guinness World Records as the Most Successful Reality Television Format in history with 70 local versions produced across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle-East, Africa and the Americas. Around the world, the Got Talent format airs in a total of 186 countries.

Launched first in Asia in 1997, AXN is a global channel brand with a presence in Latin America, Africa and Europe. In Asia, the channel is enjoyed in 126 million households across 20 territories and is available in both SD and HD. AXN Asia is wholly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and managed by Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia, which also operates leading channels including Animax, Sony Channel, ONE and GEM. @AsiasGotTalent / #AXNAsia / #AsiasGotTalent / #AsiasGotTalentAudition www.AXN-Asia.com/ AsiasGotTalent

By Clay Moreno

H

E is the country’s ultimate heartthrob for many reasons. His skills are equally stellar as his looks and charm.

Apart from being one of the industry’s most sought actors, Piolo Pascual also has a number of other ventures that have made him quite one of the busiest personalities on the local scene.

Piolo Pascual joined by Global Wellness Enterprise executives during the press launch of My Daily Collagen.

HOLLYWOOD

‘Ocean’s 8’ leads

Joshua Camacho Bulot, Bryan Doronila del Rosario and Kim Lawrenz Ordonio of JBK Band grace the #BUMxPepsi fashion show held at Trinoma.

US summer box office

Stars at #BUMxPepsi fashion show ICONIC global consumer brand Pepsi partnered with local street wear brand BUM to stage a fashion show of their latest limited edition of merchandise.

Dubbed as ‘#BUMxPepsi Capsule Collection,’ the event was held on June 8 at TriNoma Activity Center.

The fashion show was the first tie up between the global brand and the retail clothing line. The collaboration, which would run for six months, showcases designs that are inspired from the vintage and Retro look of Pepsi.

During the event, fashion and entertainment personalities came to grace the momentous event; the likes of BUM youth endorsers Bianca Umali, Miguel Tanfelix, Jazz Ocampo, Joshua Camacho Bulot, Bryan Doronila del Rosario, Kim Lawrenz Ordonio of JBK Band, Janeena Chan, a TV presenter and lifestyle blogger, DJ Jhaiho of MOR

Anne Hathaway's stunning look during the filming of 'Ocean's 8.'

The women of Ocean’s 8 proved this weekend that they know how to steal the show -- and much more -- as the new heist flick took in an estimated $41.5 million in North American theaters.

With an all-star cast led by ever-popular Sandra Bullock and supported by Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Mindy Kaling and Rihanna, the Warner Bros. film was Hollywood’s latest experiment -- after Ghostbusters -- in replacing an all-male cast with female stars.

The result: one of the top 10 openings of the year so far, which also best three earlier Ocean’s editions.

The film stars Bullock as Debbie Ocean, sister of Danny Ocean (originally played by George Clooney), as she assembles a gang of talented women to plan a seemingly impossible diamond heist from a glamorous gala in New York.

In second place in the three-day weekend was last weekend’s leader, Solo: A Star Wars Story, starring Alden Ehrenreich as a young version of the swashbuckling space pilot. The Disney film took in $15.2 million, roughly half its previous weekend’s total.

Third spot went to Deadpool 2 from 20th Century Fox, at $13.7 million. This latest in Marvel’s X-men series stars Ryan Reynolds in the title role. Its worldwide ticket sales have surpassed $650 million.

In fourth was a new film, Hereditary, at $13 million the best opening ever for the A24 production company. The horror film, about a family haunted after its matriarch dies, stars Toni Collette and Gabriel Byrne.

In fifth was Disney/Marvel blockbuster Avengers: Infinity War, at $6.8 million. With a cast including Robert Downey Jr., Benedict Cumberbatch and Scarlett Johansson, the superstarrich extravaganza has now taken in $1.998 billion worldwide. AFP

Every movie of Piolo Pascual, whether he produced or starred in it, has been proven timeless and remarkable. And if there’s one thing his more than two decades of career in showbiz can prove, it is that those who only get better with age can be irreplaceable.

The man really ages with grace, and magic might we add. Just when you think he couldn’t look any better, here he is actually looking more handsome and more fit than ever, and even younger-looking, to the point of, it’s already mind-boggling.

“These days, I do my stretching longer than usual whenever I work out. I try not to exert too much effort, too, when I exercise, so as to not injure my tendons, joints or muscles, especially at my age,” reminding MS Entertainment that he is not as young as we thought during an interview when he was launched as the celebrity endorser of My Daily Collagen.

“Lately though, I have been taking a super protein supplement that helps me lessen my pain in my joints, muscles and bones especially since I love working out. It is amazing, because it helps relax my muscles after exercise, plus it has improved the quality of my sleep,” the actor shared The 41-year-old A-lister shared that he has always been into working out even as a teen majorly because he has always seen himself as a product in his chosen field.

“I’ve always been into fitness and good nutrition. In showbiz, you are your own representative. You are your own product, so for me, I have to present myself at my best. So how do I do that? By having good, healthy lifestyle and the right state of mind. I take care of my health and present myself the best way possible,” he said.

The acclaimed actor revealed that he always tries to inject fitness into his daily routine, highlighting that he exercises every single day.

“The important thing is, you sweat out the toxins,” he explained.

He maintained that these days he loves biking, running, swimming and training, plus playing badminton, even doing it on the side at his work, playing during breaks at his tapings.

“I always prioritize to do training so I do not feel sluggish because you get to sweat out all the toxins in your body,” he shared. “Taking My Daily Collagen makes me feel lighter too, so that really helps me a lot.”

Apart from consistent exercise and better sleep, he noted that nutrition can never be overlooked.

“I am very particular when it comes to what food I intake. We only have one body, so we have to be conscious of what food we eat or supplements we take. I eat healthy food in portions, and I try not to over-binge, and I stay away from fatty food. Alcohol is okay from time to time, but drink it in moderation,” he said.

With balanced nutrition, fitness and overall healthy habits, it is no longer a surprise that his looks remain topnotch, that it is easy for him to still be one of the most handsome leading men on local entertainment scene. These days, he plays the role of a dashing boss in hit teleserye Since I Found You, and makes his fans giggle in his charming presence in the weekend sitcom Home Sweet Home. He hosts and performs in ASAP every Sunday, and makes global Pinoys giddy with his onstage performances in ASAP worldwide tours every now and then. Oh, and he produces award-winning films, too, no biggie.

Piolo is definitely a gorgeous man who shows no signs of slowing down.