Manila Standard - 2018 July 24 - Tuesday

GLORIA OUSTS ALVAREZ IN PRE-SONA COUP

By Maricel V. Cruz FORMER President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was elected Speaker of the House Monday, replacing Davao del Norte Pantaleon Alvarez in a power play that delayed President Rodrigo Duterte’s third State of the Nation

Address Monday.

In a plenary session Monday night after the Sona, Deputy Speaker and Capiz Rep. Fred Castro announced the election of Arroyo by a vote of 184-12.

Arroyo, who is the first female speaker, took her oath before leaders of various political parties. Ang Kabuhayan party-list

Rep. Dennis Laoagan—being the youngest House member—administered the oath.

At the evening session, Nueva Ecija Rep. Magnolia Antonino moved to declare all seats vacant. Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu followed by nominating Arroyo as the new Speaker.

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VOL. XXXII • NO. 159 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

Rody vows ‘chilling’ drug war New law cuts Relentless campaign vs narcs prevails over human rights concerns the red tape, agencies told

By Nathaniel Mariano

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By Nathaniel Mariano PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday ordered all government agencies under his administration to implement anti-red tape measures as part of the Ease of Doing Business Law. In his third State of the Nation Address, the President said that alongside efforts to rid the government of corrupt officials, the administration will also enhance the delivery of frontline services.

“I thank Congress for the swift passage of the Ease of Doing Business [Act], which is a significant fight against corruption and improving service delivery. We need to sustain our momentum,” Duterte told both chambers of Congress.

“I hereby direct all local government units, please listen, and government agencies to faithfully implement this law and simply simplify the process. I ask this to all under my control and supervision in the government. Please do not go wrong,” Duterte said.

“I particularly call the attention of the agencies with the [most] number of red tape-related reports from the public. Make your services truly customer-friendly,” he said.

“Our people deserve efficient, effective, and responsive government services. They deserve nothing less.”

On May 28, Duterte signed into law Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act. The law, which seeks to make the process of putting up and running a business easier and more efficient for Filipinos, addresses the failure of the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.

It will also introduce simplified requirements and streamline procedures that spare the public from long waiting times and long lines in government agencies.

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HE war on drugs will continue and be “relentless and chilling,” President Rodrigo Duterte declared Monday during his third State of the Nation Address, as he swept aside concerns over human rights.

“If you think that I can be dissuaded of his bloody campaign.

“Your concern is human rights, mine is from continuing this fight because of demonstrations… then you got it all human lives.”

Duterte, who rose to power on the wrong,” Duterte said, addressing critics

promise to end the illegal drug trade, said his commitment has not wavered, but has grown stronger.

“The war against illegal drugs is far from over. Where before, the war resulted in the seizure of illegal drugs worth millions of pesos, today, they run [into] billions in peso value,” Duterte said. “I can only shudder at the harm that those drugs could have caused had they reached the streets of every province, city, municipality, barangay, and community throughout the country.”

He said illegal drugs damage people

DELAYED, BUT NOT QUITE. President Rodrigo

Duterte addresses Monday the joint session of Congress, carried live by radio and television, after a delay of nearly one hour where he vowed that the government’s anti-war drive would not be sidelined. Below left, Duterte’s effigy called Dutertrain, is burnt by different militant groups at the same time he was aiming at critics of his policies. Below right is a general view of the third session of the 17th Congress ahead of Duterte’s Sona. Hours after the address, former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo replaced Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez. Ver Noveno, Manny Palmero, AFP

Bangsamoro draft casualty of House row

Du30 orders all-out drive vs economic saboteurs

By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte ordered government agencies to go after economic saboteurs as he warned rice traders to stop driving prices up artificially in his third State of the Nation Address Monday.

“I ask businesses to cooperate with us in charging a fair price. To help stabilize rice prices, we also need to address the issue of artificial rice shortage,” the President said.

Duterte said the government is releasing P149 billion in social aid this year to help the poor cope with the rising prices of basic goods, but said “no amount of subsidy can help the poor if some businesses take advantage of their situation to make more money.”

“I now ask all the rice hoarders, cartels and their protectors: You know that I know who you are. Stop messing with the people,” he said.

“Power sometimes is not good thing. I hope I will not have to use it against you.

Consider yourselves warned, mend your ways now or the full force of the state shall be put to bear upon you,” the President said. “I am directing all intelligence Next page

Two storms destroy P0.5b in C Luzon fisheries

By Maricel V. Cruz THE attempt to oust Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Monday aborted the scheduled ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law in time for the State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte, prompting the House of Representatives to adjourn its session.

In other developments: • President Duterte said he will sign the Bangsamoro Organic Law in 48 hours.

“I will read it before signing it because you might have inserted something in it,” he said.

• Malacañang expressed disappointment after the House failed to ratify the consolidated version of the Bangsamoro Organic Law hours before President Duterte’s third Sona.

Duterte was supposed to sign the bill into law before delivering his speech at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.

• Senate President Vicente Sotto III expressed hope that the House could ratify the Bangsamoro Organic Law today, Tuesday, after it adjourned on Monday without ratifying the proposed measure that aims to bring peace in Mindanao.

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and communities, waste away lives, and ruin families and relationships.

“These drug dealers know fully well that their business is against the law. They know the consequences of their criminal acts, especially when caught in flagrante delicto and they violently resist arrest,” he said.

Data from the Philippine National Police from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018 showed that the number of deaths in Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs stood at 4,450 deaths.

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Solons put their best foot forward at Sona

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

MAKING good her promise to appear “respectful and decent,” Senator Nancy Binay on Monday donned a Randy OrtizFilipiniana terno with butterfly sleeves and elegant draping for the third State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte.

But Binay, who is seeking reelection in the May 2019 midterm elections, poked fun at the color of her gown, saying it matched the carpet inside the Senate Session Hall.

“Nagma-match ako sa carpet. Nahahighlight ako sa carpet,” Binay told reporters as she pointed to the blue carpet

Your concern is human rights, mine is Primer on draft Con-Com Federal Charter Ranhilio Callangan Aquino for at least one year, and in the place human lives. Fr. wherein they propose to vote for at Con-Com 2018 Member — President Rodrigo Duterte

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least six months immediately preceding the elections. How does “do(8th of a series) micile” differ from “residence,” a Q: Suffrage is to be exercised by term more easily understood? those domiciled in the Philippines Next page

By Romeo Dizon

THE damage to marine products in Central Luzon could reach P500 million even with the government rushing to consolidate the report for immediate government financial assistance to the 750 affected fishpond operators.

Charito Coma, senior aquaculturist of the regional office of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Central Luzon, said a partial report said the damage wrought by the moonsoon rain had reached P130 million as of Friday, but might reach P500 million as reports from the local government units continued to arrive.

“The P130 million initial report of damage from the field caused by continuing rain and high tide consists of milkfish, tilapia, shrimps, crabs and other other aquatic animals for the local market and for export to Japan Next page and US,” Coma said.

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tuesday, july 24, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Federal shift still top House agenda

By Maricel V. Cruz and Rey E. Requejo

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PEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez said on Monday the proposed shift to a federal government remained the top priority agenda of the House of Representatives, reiterating his push for the lifting of term limits for elected public officials as a way to stop political dynasties.

In his opening speech during the opening of the Third Regular Session, Alvarez said Charter change toward federalism would be beneficial to the country as “to fully realize its potential for growth and development.”

“The primary reason why many critics claim there is no need for Charter change is because the problems of the Philippines should be blamed at bad people running the government. They posit that people are the center of the problem and charters are inconsequential. Hence, no need to change the Constitution. This position is

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Under the new law, government agencies are required to treat simple transactions within three consecutive days, complex transactions within seven days, and highly technical transactions within 20 days.

The law also restricts to three the number of signatories for applications for licenses, clearance and permits.

The said law was issued months after the World Bank released a report showing the Philippines in 113th place out of 190 countries in terms of ease of doing business in 2017, posting a 14-point drop from 99th in 2016.

In his address, Duterte also defended the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law (TRAIN), which has raised prices for basic commodities and fuel.

“Some suggested to stop the TRAIN implementation.. we cannot and should not. We need this for sustainable growth that leaves no Filipino behind. TRAIN is already helping poor families and senior citizens cope up with the rising prices,” Duterte said.

Duterte said he was committed to a comprehensive tax reform and he asked the Congress to pass package two, which will lower corporate income taxes, especially for smaller businesses.

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that matched her powder-blue gown. But she readily posed for some photo shoots.

The senator has been heckled by bashers on social media due to her choice of clothes during Duterte’s first and second Sona.

In an earlier interview, Binay said she would no longer look like going to do an exercise, but instead would look respectful when the President delivered his third Sona at the House of Representatives in Quezon City.

She promised to look decent since it would be her last attendance at the Sona, being in her last term as senator.

But she is still eligible to seek another term in the next elections.

In one of the Sonas, Binay was criticized for wearing something similar to an attire worn by someone set to do some physical exercises.

During the 2014 Sona of President Benigno Aquino III, Binay was bashed for her gown that looked like the gown of the fictional character Princess Fiona from the animated film Shrek.

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A: A residence is where one happens to reside, and one can have multiple residences, because one can reside in one place at one time, and in another, at another time. A student who spends most of the year in Manila is a resident of Manila for purposes of his studies but is a resident of the city or town from which he comes.

Domicile however means “habitual residence” and in law this requires two things: first, physical presence; second, the intention to remain there for good. So, if one is fed up with Tuguegarao City’s intolerable heat, sells all his property, bids his friends a tearful farewell and announces to all his intentions of forsaking Tuguegarao for good and moves to Bongao Island where he intends to reside until the day of his departure from the world, the two requisites of domicile shall then have been fulfilled: He will be physically present in Bongao with the intent to remain there — what the law describes as “animus manendi.”

Q: Why this requirement?

A: Someone who participates in elections must be serious at doing so and must

untenable,” Alvarez said.

In related developments: * Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Australian nun Patricia Fox, ordered by Immigration authorities to leave the country, could stay in the country unless the deportation order issued against her by the Bureau of Immigration became final and executory.

Guevarra stressed the deportation order against Fox last week was not immediately executory after she filed a motion for reconsideration before the BI on Monday.

“The deportation order cannot be

enforced until it becomes final. With the filing of the appeal, the deportation will not be executed,” Guevarra said.

He added: “If the BI denies Sister Fox’s MR [motion for reconsideration], the deportation order can still be subject to appeal to the DoJ or the Office of the President.”

• Ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said saying yes to Charter change risked putting the country under dictatorial rule.

Sereno joined hundreds of protesters along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City in rallying the Filipino people against the shift to federalism, a key campaign promise of President Rodrigo Duterte.

• Debt watcher Moody’s Investor Services said Monday uncertainty over federalism posed some downside risks to the Philippines.

Issues like revenue and expenditure

sharing are “still up in the air,” said Moody’s vice president and senior credit officer Christian de Guzman.

“I think we have to acknowledge that some local government units are not as prepared to handle the responsibilities that come with these larger spending commitments,” De Guzman told ANC. In the House, Alvarez said “experts from the fields of economics, political science, developmental studies, both here and abroad, have a consensus about what is necessary to cure an ailing nation.” “And they have pinpointed the fundamental issue that must be addressed. If, for businesses, it’s about location, location, and location; if, for banks, it’s about capital, capital, capital; when it comes to development of nations, it boils down to institutions, institutions, and institutions. And what is the mother of all institutions here in the Philippines? It’s the 1987 Constitution.”

PH now in sickbed, bishops negate Palace claim promised when he was campaigning for President.

The bishops said that during their recent conversation with Duterte in Malacañang shortly after he took office, the president promised to address their concerns, such as resuming peace talks between the government and communist rebels, and stopping the culture of impunity in the country.

“Our own experiences as a church are enough testimonies to doubt the sincerity of the President. A number of our members in the North Luzon Area, for example, are being subjected to harassment by state forces. At least 5 church members in North Luzon are now fac-

ing trumped up charges,” the UCCP Council of Bishops said.

“The nation is now in sickbed and our people are in distress. Is there no balm in the Philippines?” they added in a statement signed on July 18.

The UCCP, which described itself as “an indigenous evangelical church formed by the union of Protestant Mission churches and institutions,” was founded in 1948.

The UCCP and the Catholic Church have served as the staunchest critics of Duterte’s policies.

Recently, both groups condemned the President after he called God stupid, as he continues to lambast Catholic bishops and priests for hypocrisy.

ers protest. But he was more concerned with other rights of most Filipinos.

“Human rights to me means giving Filipinos, especially those at the society’s fringes, a decent and dignified future through the social and physical infrastructures necessary to better their lives,” Duterte said. “The lives and freedoms and the hard-earned property of every Filipino whose condition we wish to improve shall be protected from criminals, terrorists, corrupt officials, and traffickers.”

“You worry about the present, I am concerned most about both the present and the future,” Duterte said, saying he was fully aware of what drugs can do to the youth.

“If not stopped, crimes can make human cesspools of succeeding genera-

tions. I will not allow it to happen. Not during my term,” he said.

Duterte’s third Sona was his shortest, lasting almost 48 minutes, with no adlib digressions or profanity.

The President’s vow to continue the war on drugs comes after a recent opinion poll showed most Filipinos—69 percent—recognized the efforts of his administration to eradicate illegal drugs as its “most important achievement.”

In a Pulse Asia survey conducted from June 15-21, 50 percent of respondents also recognized fighting criminality as an achievement.

Other accomplishments that were recognized was the salary increase for police and military personnel (30 percent) and the fight against graft and corruption (28 percent).

his camp, a House source said, reportedly made a phone call to Special Assistant to the President Bong Go and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, informing the Speaker that the President did not give any “marching orders” on the matter.

The President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, was allegedly behind the Alvarez ouster plot, one of the sources claimned. DuterteCarpio tore into Alvarez after he accused her of being part of the political opposition and said he had the power to

impeach her father. But Alvarez denied the allegations.

During the opening of the Monday session, Alvarez presided over the session attended by 271 lawmakers.

Alvarez managed to deliver his opening speech, which mentioned the House leadership’s effort to push for the Duterte administration’s federalism, as well as the adoption of several resolutions, including the one on convening the House and the Senate into a joint session for the Sona of the President.

In other developments: • The agriculture and fisheries sector had incurred P565.19 million in losses due to the onslaught of tropical storms “Henry” and “Inday” and intensified by the monsoon rain this month, the Agriculture Department said Monday.

• The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Central Office reported that, as of early Monday morning, 5,430 families or 23,383 people had taken shelter in 135 evacuation centers in the Ilocos, Cordillera, Central Luzon, the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, Mimaropa and Bicol.

Additionally, 64,594 families or 257,958 individuals in the Ilocos, Central Luzon and the Western Visayas re-

gions had taken shelter with friends and relatives.

All in all, 203,032 families or 914,338 people in the seven Luzon regions were affected by the continuing rain brought by the southwest monsoon.

Coma also said the damage wrought by the continuing rain would surely affect the prices of milkfish, tilapia and shrimps in the public markets in the coming days. With PNA

have a stake in the result of the elections to ensure his conscientious and studied participation in the political exercise.

Requiring that he be a domiciliary of the country and of the place is some form of guarantee of this degree of commitment.

Q: What is meant by requiring Congress to “ensure the right to vote of persons in need of assistance”?

A: This is the draft’s way of diminishing disenfranchisement on grounds that cannot be imputed to the voter, such as physical disability, illiteracy or even temporary deployment in fulfillment of legal and moral duties outside the place where one ought to vote. Since it is not for the Constitution to anticipate every possible form of disability or hindrance to participation in the elections, the draft has this generalized formulation.

Q: Why was there need for a section on political parties?

A: In fact, the draft devotes several sections to political parties, characterized as they are as “mechanisms of citizen representation and democratic governance.” In other words, parties are perceived as indispensable to democracy and to the maturation of the body politic, and while one cannot compel the formation of parties, one

can provide incentives for them to emerge.

Many of these incentives are provided for by the draft. In the end, what is desired is that Filipino voters do not choose on the basis of name recall or popularity (except when the popularity arises from competence, integrity and intelligence). Rather what would be preferable would be for voters to examine programs and platforms of government advanced by contending parties and to vote according to their vision of what the country ought to be.

Q: Can the Communist Party of the Philippines win recognition as a political party?

A: For as long as the Community Party endeavors a change in government through violence, then it will not be allowed registration as a political party. But if it seeks the overthrow of a capitalist, entrepreneurial system through the parliamentary (electoral) route, then it should be eligible for registration as a party, but this will all depend on the policy statements as well as the praxis of the CPP-NPA. Q: What sense is there to the declaration that political parties are to be developed as “democratic public institutions”?

A: In the past, political parties were dismissed as the coming together for conven-

ience of “politicos” for the sole purpose of winning public office at elections. In the draft, they are given constitutional recognition as integral to our democracy and as public institutions. Once registered with the Federal Commission on Elections, a political party enjoys juridical personality, such personality as an institution being conferred by the Constitution itself.

Q: But parties in the Philippines have always be known to be “gangs of the rich and the powerful.” What about the “poor and the helpless”? How can they ever muster the funds and the force to form parties?

A: The Constitution directs the Federal Republic to take affirmative action so that the marginalized may organize themselves into genuine political parties.

Affirmative action refers to an entire gamut of supportive, helpful and favorable measures leading to the formation of political parties composed of the underrepresented. This can include government social workers training fisherfolk, farmer peasants, the urban poor in selforganization and party-formation, and so many other forms of assistance.

By Rio N. Araja WHILE supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte painted a rosy picture of the present state of the nation, a huge Christian group said the Philippines “is now in sickbed.”

The Council of Bishops of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), which boasts of 50,000 members from all over the country, has expressed doubts about Duterte’s sincerity due to his alleged failed promises.

The group cited Duterte’s failure to abolish contractualization, end armed hostilities, and stamp out illegal drugs in six months, which the President

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These were all drug suspects who were supposedly shot dead when they fought back against the police.

PNP statistics also list 149,265 people arrested, and 1.2 million who surrendered.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s #RealNumbersPH tallying initiative updated last June 30 reported a death toll of 4,354. Some P14.66 billion worth of methamphetamine or shabu have been seized in operations, weighing a total of 2,736 kilograms, the agency said.

The President said when the anti-drug campaign draws blood from criminals, human rights advocates and Church lead-

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Sources said the leaders of various influential political parties, the Nacionalista Party, the National Unity Party and the Nationalist People’s Coalition consolidated their forces to unseat Alvarez and install former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the new Speaker.

But the planned ouster fizzled out after

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(To be continued)

Fewer families went hungry in 2nd quarter

By Vito Barcelo MORE families in Metro Manila and Mindanao said they experienced involuntary hunger at least once in the first quarter of 2018, according to the latest Social Weather Stations survey.

SWS said this was the lowest since September 2015.

In its latest 2018 poll, SWS found that 9.4 percent or around 2.2 million families experienced involuntary hunger at least once from April to June.

The survey said this was 0.5 percentage point below the 9.9 percent, or 2.3 million families, quarterly hunger rate in March 2018.

It was also only the third time the hunger rate had been in the singledigit range since March 2004.

The latest figure for hunger in Metro Manila was up by 7.0 percent (from 6.0 percent in March 2018) to 13.0 percent in June 2018, while hunger in Balance Luzon fell by 3.7 percent (from 11.0 percent in March 2018) to 7.3 percent in June.

The SWS classifies experiencing hunger “only once” or “a few times” in the last three months as moderate hunger, and going hungry “often” or “always” in the last three months as severe hunger.

SWS said the 9.4 percent was arrived at by adding the 8.1 percent of those surveyed who said they experienced “moderate hunger” and the 1.3 percent who said they experienced “severe hunger.”

In the Visayas, hunger dropped by 3.7 percent from 13.0 percent in March 2018 to 9.3 percent in June.

In Mindanao, hunger rose 4.0 percent from 7.3 percent in March to 11.3 percent in June.

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agencies to unmask the perpetrators of this economic sabotage and our law enforcement agencies to bring them to justice.”

Duterte also urged Congress to prioritize a proposed law that seeks to impose tariffs on rice in place of import quotas, saying this can bring down the price of the staple by as much as P7 per kilo, slowing inflation significantly.

He also ordered the National Food Authority to speed up the distribution of affordable rice.

Skipping his usual adlibs, the President applauded Congress for the timely passage of the tax reform law, which he said has made funds available to build better roads and bridges, and improve health and education, and strengthen the country’s safety and security.

To address rising oil prices, the government has started releasing fuel vouchers to public utility jeeps and other valid franchises, the President said.

The President also emphasized his commitment to protect the environment and issued a stern warning to the mining industry.

“My policy in the utilization of these resources is non-negotiable: the protection of the environment must be top priority and extracted resources must be used for the benefit of the Filipino people, not just a select few,” he said. “Do not just give me taxes. I can get it from other sources. Give me what needs to be given to my countrymen.”

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A total of 238 lawmakers attended the session, which was intended to formalize Arroyo’s election in a rump session before the SONA. Alvarez and his supporters, including Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, did not attend the session.

The evening session, however, was held without the ceremonial mace, the symbol of the House leadership’s authority to transact business.

Earlier in the day, lawmakers allied with Alvarez adjourned the session to forestall his ouster, but the maneuver also meant the House failed to ratify the Bangsamoro Organic Law in time for the President to sign it ahead of his address.

However, House members returned to the session hall again by early afternoon, and passed around and signed a manifesto calling for Alvarez’s removal as Speaker.

In the afternoon, Deputy Speaker Rolando Andaya started speaking as guests attending the SONA were gathering.

Andaya objected to the adjournment at noon, and continued to speak even after his microphone was suddenly cut. With Macon Ramos-Araneta

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TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PH embassy in France issues travel advisory for Filipinos THE Philippine Embassy in France has issued an advisory for Filipinos traveling to Paris to be vigilant and careful due to an increase of incidents of break-ins, robberies, and pickpocketing in the city. In addition, the string of terror incidents in the past three years (the latest was on May 12, 2018) require the extra vigilance of Filipinos traveling in Paris.

Filipinos are requested to follow the list of safety guidelines when traveling to France: 1. Always secure your personal belongings such as your bags, wallets, phones and other personal items when visiting tourist spots, walking around, and riding public transportations.

2. Be wary of pickpockets. They are rampant at metro stations, trains, and even in shopping areas.

3. Keep your passport and identity card in separate areas of your bag, so that you lessen the risk of losing both identity documents.

4. Theft may also occur in hotels and apartments. Make sure that your briefcases, bags and other valuables are secure. Be wary of the so-called “hotel rats,” scam artists who pretend to be hotel guests or tourists and who can swipe baggage in hotel lobbies, or book rooms with fake names and break in rooms to steal valuables.

5. Do not carry a lot of cash. Most stores accept cards. Should you use your card, cover your hand discretely when typing the pin.

6. Keep your bags out of sight when inside the vehicles. Robberies may sometimes occur during traffic jams.

7. Be alert and vigilant when visiting different areas in France. Make sure to follow the instructions of police and military personnel in case of any incident.

8. Be updated with the news. Refrain from going to areas that are declared to be unsafe or that have terrorism threat.

If urgent assistance is needed, Filipinos may call the Embassy’s 24/7 emergency hotline at +33 6 20 59 25 15.

Filipinos in need of assistance may also visit, call or send a message to the Embassy through the following details: Embassy of the Philippines in Paris in 45 rue de Ranelagh 4 hameau de Boulainvilliers, 75016 Paris, France with tel. +33 1 44 14 57 00 or e-mail: paris.pe@ dfa.gov.ph and website: www.parispe. dfa.gov.ph; facebook: #PHinFrance and twitter: #PHinFrance.

17th CONGRESS.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III banged the gavel as he opened the third Regular Session of the 17th Congress at the Senate on Monday, July 23, 2018. Ey Acasio

Fox files MR, can stay in PH for 30 more days

By Vito Barcelo and Rey E. Requejo

Fox’s counsels accused the BI of “prejudging” her case and maintained that the 71-year-old nun did not break any rule by joining alleged prohibited “political activities.”

Immigration spokesman Dana Sandoval said that Fox’s counsel Sol Taule filed the motion at the bureau appealing a reiteration of their earlier stand that the Australian nun did not violate the conditions of her missionary visa.

Fox was allowed to stay for 30 more days because of the filing of the new MR, and could stay a little longer as the bureau would evaluate and assess her motion.

“Should the BI maintained the deportation order, Fox will definitely elevate her motion to the Department of Justice. And this would give Fox more time to stay in the Philippines,” the BI said.

In the motion, Fox’s lawyer insisted

that the Australian nun did not do anything wrong, did not commit any crime and did not violate any law and that there is no reason why she should not get a missionary visa.

Lawyer Katherine Panguban, another counsel for the Australian nun, also questioned the part of the decision where the BI Board of Commissioners admitted that it was based on the declaration of President Rodrigo Duterte that Fox is an undesirable alien by joining political rallies.

“With due respect, that is wrong. To sanction that argument would be to state that decisions should be based on the public pronouncement of the President irrespective of the merits of the case and the arguments of the parties,” the MR added.

In the motion, Fox’s counsels said that if the deportation order will not be reversed, it would “curtail” the religious

worker’s acts, but also grant the BI “the right to define what a religious missionary...can do or cannot do,” in violation of the constitutional guarantee to the free exercise of religious profession and worship.

“The call to stop the killings, to free political prisoners, and the like are universal calls not limited by territorial jurisdiction or the place where one is domiciled,” the motion added.

In a related development, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra shared the same view with Fox’s lawyers, saying that the Australian nun can still stay in the country unless the order issued against her by the BI becomes final and executory.

Guevarra said that the deportation order against Fox last week was not immediately executory after her lawyers filed the motion.

“The deportation order cannot be enforced until it becomes final. With the filing of the appeal, the deportation will not be executed,” Guevarra said.

The Justice secretary said Fox’s filing of appeal before the bureau effectively suspended the implementation of the deportation order.

“If the BI denies Sister Fox’s MR, the deportation order can still be subject to appeal to the DoJ or the Office of the President,” he added.

THE Boy Scouts of the Philippines will mark the 55th death anniversary of the 24 scouts who died in a plane crash while en route to the 11th World Jamboree in Marathon, Greece in 1963. The event, to be held on July 28 in various monuments of the Scout heroes, will also honor other scouts, who, according to Secretary General Rogelio S. Villa Jr., “died so that others may live.”

The center of the memorial is the AlaAla mausoleum located at the gate of the North Cemetery, where the tombs of the 24 scouts are located. Parents and relatives of the Scouts, BSP board members, Manila City Mayor Joseph Estrada and other local officials will grace the event together with at least 1,000 scouts and their leaders

from selected schools in Metro Manila.

Simultaneous memorial services will be held at the Quezon Memorial Circle, Letran College, San Sabastian College, San Beda College and other provinces where the scout heroes came from.

Villa said that, “The 55th anniversary of the scouts’ death bares meaning to Scouting, as we shall continue honoring them by doing what these Scouts would have done for their country and fellowmen. We give due respect to them and their families who continue to join us in this noble undertaking.”

Villa said it was on July 28, 1963, when all passengers and crew members of United Arab Airlines Flight 869 died when it crashed into the Arabian Sea. The

flight, which originated in Hong Kong and had a stopover in Bangkok, Thailand, had the 24 Filipino scouts and scout leaders as passengers.

He said the world mourned the tragedy and drew support and sympathy from the global Scouting community. Since then, the BSP, with parents, relatives and friends of the deceased scouts and scouters had religiously commemorated their death in simple and brief ceremonies.

In Proclamation No.293, series of 1988, President Corazon C. Aquino declared July 28 of every year as Boy Scouts of the Philippines Memorial Day which also honors Scout Heroes who lost their lives while in the performance of their scouting duties.

USTRALIAN missionary Sister Patricia Fox may stay a little longer in the Philippines after her lawyers filed a motion for reconsideration contesting the deportation order filed by the Bureau of Immigration for joining political rallies.

A

DoJ to review WPP coverage for Kerwin after new charges BSP to mark 55th Scout Memorial Day on July 28

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Department of Justice will review the coverage of self-confessed drug operator Kerwin Espinosa under the government’s Witness Protection Program after the DoJ indicted him on drug charges last week.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Monday that his office is set to review the WPP grant on Espinosa following the filing of another drug case against him before the Makati City Regional Trial Court.

“We will evaluate his WPP coverage when the panel resolution becomes final,” Guevarra said, following the latest DoJ resolution approving Espinosa’s indictment for violation of Republic Act 9165 or Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, particularly conspiracy to commit illegal drug trade, in the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group that was previously dismissed by an earlier panel of prosecutors.

Guevarra said that Espinosa may be removed from the WPP should the DoJ finds no more reason to provide protection for him.

Should the DoJ decide to end its WPP coverage on Espinosa, he would have to be transferred to the City Jail while standing trial in drug cases before the Manila and Makati RTCs. Espinosa was placed under WPP coverage in December 2016 after implicating now detained Senator Leila de Lima in the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison.

Espinosa claimed that De Lima was one of his protectors and that she received P8 million in drug money from him when she was still Justice secretary.

BRAVE WOMEN.

Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, Taguig City Mayor Lanie Cayetano and Karen Jimeno, undersecretary for Disaster Resiliency, display President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature clenched fist sign during the launch of ‘Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines‘ held at Trinity College in Quezon City on July 23, 2018.

Manny Palmero

Mayors back Duterte on ‘localized’ peace talks DUMAGUETE CITY—Negros Orirental Gov. Roel Degamo and town mayors, headed by League of Municipalities-Negros Oriental chapter president Mayor Edsel Enardecido of Ayungon, are one in supporting President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to localize the conduct of peace initiatives after talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front bogged down.

The expression of support came amid criticisms and claims by militant and causeoriented groups that the localized peace initiative is bound to fail.

Degamo announced over the weekend that he is confident that genuine peace will be achieved in the province because the “government is doing its best to deliver the basic services needed by the people especially in the hinterland barangays.”

The governor is of strong belief that waging war is not a solution to the insurgency problem as evidenced by the fact that it has existed for more than 40 years.

Enardecido also expressed belief that Communist Party of the Philippines leader Jose Maria Sison is not anymore in full control of the rebel movement.

“It is best that local mayors be given the authority to negotiate peace with rebels in their respective areas of jurisdictions,” he said.

Enardecido, however, has apprehensions as to the socalled packages for rebelsurrenderees in the absence of clear-cut guidelines regarding fund sources.

He said until today, what is due the beneficiaries of the closure agreement on the peace talks between the Revolutionary Proletarian ArmyAlex Boncayao Brigade and the government has not been fully released.

For his part, Mayor Ernesto T. Uy of Mabinay wants a template on how to go about the localized peace initiative, including the procedure, saying that the Commission on Audit should be involved in this undertaking.

He said for the last three years, the intelligence fund of the municipality remained unutilized because of strict CoA regulations.

Uy wants CoA to make it clear where the budget for peace and security can be drawn from. PNA

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Opinion

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Doomed from the start broke, why fix it? Sure, the 1987 Constitution is not perfect. It was written in reaction to the Marcos dictatorship more than anything else. I am on record as identifying several provisions SANTA Banana, at the rate House that need to be changed.

But I have read the draft constituleaders are pushing for a no-election scenario, to enable Congress to revise tion submitted by the Consultative the Constitution to shift to a federal Commission and I am convinced now system, President Rodrigo Duterte that federalism is not for us. It might will only have them to blame if feder- work for contiguous countries like the United States, India or Germany, alism does not come to pass at all!

House leaders say they expect but not an archipelago like the PhilipCharter change to be done at least six pines. We have so many different diamonths from now, or at the end of the lects and cultures.

My gulay, how can some poor reyear preparatory to a transition comgions which can hardly support themmission.

Thus they argue that no-el is nec- selves fare in a federal government essary, which in effect justifies the without the help of Imperial Manila? extension of the terms of all elective Eastern Visayas is an example, because it is always struck by typhoons officials.

There are basic questions that must and cannot get by without the help of be addressed, though: Will the peo- others.

There is hostility between some ple expect elections? Polls reveal that even now, Filipinos are ignorant of groups, for example the Ilonggos and what federalism is about. Will this the Cebuanos.

And then, there is the problem of create jobs for them? Will this mean lower prices? Will this lower our pov- federated regions raising money on their own. This would mean higher erty rate? foreign debt, ObFilipinos’ main viously, those concern are gut who drafted the issues—jobs and charter failed to prices, and the consider all these. prevailing culture Federalism is not for These are all of violence and an archipelago like the the reasons why lawlessness.

I think the push I wrote this col- Philippines. for federalism is umn before the bound to fail.

President actu*** ally delivered the To say that Sona. I wonder if he ended up addressing the basic prob- President Duterte has succeeded in his lems of our nation confronting him in bloody war against drugs is an oversimplification. his third year in office.

Yes, the police and other law enWas he honest to the nation when he and his minions promised that he forcement agencies have killed 4,350 (official statistics, at least. Unoffiwould speak from the heart? cially, the count goes up to as many *** Federalism advocates have at least as 12,000).

There have been arrests and police three questions they need to answer.

With the establishment of at least 18 encounters with drug suspects. But federal states, including the Bangsam- you would also see that there are daily oro Autonomous Region which would killings—and the rate is alarming.

All these mean that the campaign replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, will it solve the has not ended. The demand continues problems we now know? Will the new to be high, and this is why the probsystem lower the prices of commodi- lem will not end. In fact, the campaign ties and services? Will it stop violence will not end as long as the President looks at drugs as a peace-and-order and lawlessness?

I do not claim to be an expert on problem.

It’s actually more than that because the kind of government suitable for the Philippines. But if something ain’t Turn to A5

TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Side show

F

ILIPINOS expected President Rodrigo Duterte to ramble and curse again at his third State of the Nation Address, but he surprised everybody by sticking to the script and ending his speech in just 48 minutes.

But a bigger surprise emerged even before the President stepped off the presidential chopper, as allies of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo maneuvered to oust Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez as Speaker, just before the Sona.

Earlier in the day, House members circulated a document that supported Arroyo as the new Speaker, ousting Alvarez.

There was an apparent confusion as Arroyo took her oath at the front of the plenary hall just a few minutes

before Alvarez welcomed Mr. Duterte to the House.

Reports say Alvarez’s ouster had been long brewing, given his colleagues’ dissatisfaction with his leadership, his controversial statements, and his conflict with presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

The leadership change stole some thunder from the President’s speech itself, which was refreshingly direct and relatively brief, highlighting Mr. Duterte’s legislative agenda and other priorities before an audience of millions.

Alvarez’s and Arroyo’s reversals of fortune also emphasized the tenet that in politics, nothing is ever permanent.

Government leaders should not become heady with power and feel as though they can get away with doing anything and saying anything they pleased. Public service is exactly that—not an opportunity to flaunt influence or utter self-aggrandizing statements.

Now that the House leadership issue has been settled, we expect our officials to buckle down to work at the start of the new cycle, using their mandate to advance the interests of the people—not their own.

Here, there should be no distraction.

State of the nation’s anger out in the Senate, Fariñas, Sema, and Lobregat were crucial in the House, with the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and even indigenous peoples from Mindanao advocating their interests. That would have been WE ARE a divided country. This we a good moment for the country but saw yesterday. Outside the Batasan politics stole it from us. building, supporters of President RodWhat is the state of the nation? In an rigo Duterte converged to cheer him as attempt at crowdsourcing, I asked my he delivers his third State of the Nation Facebook and Twitter friends to sugAddress (Sona) during a joint session gest what the “A” could stand for. I said of the House of Representatives and I would like a word that would capture the Senate. Representatives and Sena- the broadest number of the people, one tors, and their guests, came in their that could describe both the pro and Filipiniana best, stood and applauded anti Duterte Filipino. I got interesting politely at the right lines. Standing out suggestions. I had many suggestions, for me were the Makabayan legislators including “State of National Agony”, with their beautiful protest barongs “State of National Anger”, “State of and gowns. I would have emulated National Abomination”, “State of them if I were in National Anathethose halls. ma”, “State of NaOvershadowing tional Absurdity”, the usual pomp of “State of National the Sona, former Apathy”, “State I echo the voices President Gloria of National AniMacapagal Ar- heard in the People’s mosity”, “State of royo and her allies Sona.

National Away”, made a move to “State of National replace Speaker Aba ndon me nt ”, Pantaleon Alva“State of National rez just before the Away”, “State President delivered his speech. I have of National Ambivalence”, “State of no love lost for the Speaker as he has National Atonement”, “State of Nadone many objectionable political de- tional Affliction”, “State of National cisions himself. Some would say he Affront”, and “State of National Adgot what he deserved, with several versity.” saying his ouster was political karma.

Originally, I was attracted to choose But the spectacle yesterday was ugly a more neutral term to describe the and at the expense of an important national mood, thus the original title piece of legislation—the Bangsamoro of this column was “State of national Organic Law which was supposed to anxiety” but upon reflection, applying be dramatically signed before or dur- judgment, I think it is best to call the ing the Sona. situation as accurately as possible: the That bill, while imperfect, is a country is in a state of national anger. product of a united country‚—the Adversity rules the day, we are in a work of four administrations (Ramos, state of “away” to use Ateneo School Arroyo, Aquino, and Duterte) and of Government Dean Ronald Mendoza was shaped by a bipartisan group of suggested word. legislators—Zubiri and Drilon stood Turn to A5

Self-destructive behavior: Burberry not alone

By Katia Dolmadjian BURBERRY, which has been in the crosshairs for burning tens of millions of dollars of its products, is far from the only firm to destroy unsold goods to maintain the exclusivity and luxury mystique of their brands.

In its annual report, the British fashion firm acknowledged that it had burned unsold clothes, accessories and perfume worth £28.6 million (32 million euros, $37 million).

More than a third of the products destroyed were perfumes, which the

company said was due to the rupture of its license with US fragrances manufacturer Coty.

Since Thursday, when that piece of information buried in its 200-page report came to light, Burberry has come under scrutiny on social and news media for the practice.

But industry experts say Burberry is far from alone.

“It is a widespread practice in the fashion industry, it’s commonplace,” said Arnaud Cadart, a portfolio manager at Flornoy and Associates who has previously followed the luxury

industry as an analyst.

He said very few luxury brands hold sales to get rid of stock and instead destroy unsold products. Fashion items with short cycles increases the amount of leftover stock and items destroyed.

“Once you do some private sales to employees and journalists, it’s dumping,” he said.

Burberry said Thursday it had measures in place to minimize its amount of excess stock, that it takes its environmental obligations Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Opinion The adults are back in charge FORMATION GARY OLIVAR I WAS in the middle of a noontime radio interview on DZME yesterday when news started trickling in about an unprecedented adjournment of the House only hours before the President’s annual State of the Nation Address.

Reporting from the Batasan, my good friend and DZME veteran Leo Palo theorized that the adjournment was Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s way of hitting back at the powers-that-be who were apparently poised to replace him with former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Rep. Arroyo was in fact elected that afternoon by a clear majority of 161 out of the nearly 300 congressmen to become their next Speaker. I suspect that the voting stopped as soon as the majority was reached, because earlier stories placed the number of Arroyo’s supporters at as many as 200-plus.

In any case, the adjournment scuttled the planned early signing of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which could have otherwise become a highlight of Duterte’s address. And it shifted the drama away from what the President would say, to the more suspenseful question: Who would bang the gavel to open the joint session on behalf of the Lower House?

As it turned out, Speaker Alvarez got to do those honors, though perhaps for the last time. If Arroyo’s selection to replace him was valid—and so far nobody’s said otherwise—he can at least savor being able to leave his high office with a (gavel) bang, not a whimper.

On Arroyo’s part, there is nothing she can gain from serving out the last year of her last term in Congress as its Speaker. It’s difficult to top being president for nine years, as she was, the longest-ever except for the Marcos years.

State...

From A4

For sure, the Duterte supportersare constantly on edge, have been angry from the start of his presidency as they feel they have to defend the president they voted for from what they consider unrelenting attacks on a leader who is just being authentic and wants nothing but the good of the country. Duterte critics, on the other hand, have become more intensely angry at a president who they believe is killing thousands of poor people, selling our territory to China, intends to be a dictator, and badmouths women and God. It is ironic that the objective of this year’s Sona is the portrayal of the President as the “Father of the nation”.

Immediately, when Joyce Bernal, this year’s Sona director said this, the images that came to my mind right away were that of Althea Barbon (4 years old) from Guhuilngan City, Negros Oriental, Danica May Gracia (5 years old) from Dagupan, Pangasinan, Francis Mañosca (5 years old) from Pasay City, San Niño Batican (7 years old) from Consolacion, Cebu; and Kimberly Sailog (12 years old) from Laguna— all of whom, according to Rappler and Inquirer reports, were killed by stray bullets in anti-drug operations. In my mind also were the high-profile murders of Kian de los Santos (18 years old), Carl Arnaiz (19 years old), and Reynaldo de Guzman (14 years old), all killed in Metro Manila in 2017 allegedly by policemen.

I agree with the assessment of Rowena Legaspi of the Children’s Legal Rights and Development Center (CLRDC), during the War on Drugs: Looking Behind the Numbers forum held last April 5, 2018: Children in Duterte’s war against drugs “are no longer collateral damage, they are seen as targets.”

How can one not be angry at this

Doomed...

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of the continued entry of illegal drugs either through Customs or any other means. Rather, the issue is one of health and poverty.

Unless the administration realizes that the demand will continue, the problem will persists. Addicts and users need to be rehabilitated in community-based centers. Family support is essential.

The campaign against drugs appears trained on the poor. But why do you think the poor get into illegal drugs?

To forget their misery—that’s why.

I can only attribute her decision to serve, to her well-known sense of public obligation. And I suspect that her main agenda will be steering to ratification a charter change process that’s turning out to be more contentious that anyone imagined.

As a a free-market advocate, I hope she’ll be bolder about relaxing the constitutional restrictions on foreign investment than Duterte’s consultative committee turned out to be, since they didn’t touch any of the restrictions except for adding the conditionality: “unless Congress shall otherwise provide by law.” Perhaps a grandmother with a metal plate in her spine will show more gumption than all those lawyers

Things are looking up.

prefers to be called Mayor.

There were no big surprises in the SONA, just the usual reiteration of long-held positions. And that in itself was already significant: Sticking stubbornly to the key planks of his reform agenda, despite mounting criticism on issues like the war on drugs, the West Philippine Sea, tax reform under TRAIN, and of course Charter change.

What’s notable is what Duterte said little or nothing about. One of these was the progress to date of major projects covered by his ambitious Build Build Build infrastructure program.

His relative silence, though, isn’t really surprising, since it was just the other week that he publicly expressed his unhappiness over the pace of construction.

The other, bigger omission was peace talks with the communist Left. It seems that Duterte’s high hopes have finally been dashed once too often by the cynicism of the CPP ideologues. And in any case, his decision to shift the stage for peace talks from national to local level may mean that we’ll be hearing more on this from local officials like, say, the President’s daughter Inday Sara, who’s pioneering localized peace talks in her own turf of Davao City.

Towards the end of his speech, Duterte reminded us of the importance of political will in a leader, “otherwise he’s just a hopeless dreamer.” And he closed with the well-known quotation from Abraham Lincoln that “a leader can only hope to do his best.”

“If he turns out to be right, all his critics won’t matter. But if he turns out to be wrong, all of God’s angels singing his praise won’t make a difference.”

It’s a quotation that pretty much also summarizes the leadership philosophy of Duterte’s predecessor in office two administrations earlier, and now his potential partner in leadership as the new Speaker of the House. With the adults now back in charge of the ship of state, things are looking up.

in Con-com.

And as an observant Catholic, I’m encouraged that a Speaker Arroyo, together with another observant Catholic like Senate President Sotto, will hold to the lines drawn in the sand by the Church on hot-button issues like the death penalty, divorce, same-sex marriage, and— unthinkable until only recently—especially abortion. *** Perhaps the other highlight of yesterday’s SONA was the President’s decision—for the first time ever—to stay with the written speech, refrain from improvising, end it more or less on time, and utter not a single curse word all throughout.

That may have robbed the sensationalizers in media of fresh complaints to sling at the administration. But it should have gladdened the hearts of Duterte supporters who’ve been waiting for him to finally settle down into his job and Readers can write me at gbolibehave more presidentially even if he var1952@yahoo.com. killing of children, at the massacre of the poor? Crimes against humanity are being perpetuated in our neighborhoods egged on by speeches of Joyce Bernal’s father of the nation. And he made it clear yesterday: his war on the poor will continue without mercy, wrongly opposing human rights and human life.

How can not one be angry at the continuing poverty of our people? The latest SWS survey on self-rated poverty shows again an uptick, and this is likely because of increasing inflation.

The promise to end contractualization has remained just that; in fact, companies who have been ordered to stop contractualization have been having a heyday in firing many of its socalled contractuals, defying the orders of the Department of Labor and Employment. Duterte’s executive order, which he proudly talked about yesterday, has been more of a bane than a boon for workers. How can one not be angry with such social injustice?

How can one not be angry at the failure of the President to acknowledge the grave mistakes of his administration’s foreign policy with respect to defending our national territory from Chinese incursions? Generations of Filipinos will pay the cost for such a mistake.

How can one not be angry at the vulgar statements and actions against women, the Catholic Church, and against God Himself? I think that the words of the President are from his heart and we should take them seriously. And make it clear to him that his language and actions are unacceptable.

Finally, how can not one be angry at the politics that this administration has fostered as we saw also yesterday in the way the politics of the House of Representatives played out? How can we trust these politicians to change our constitution?

Yesterday, as expected, the President called for constitutional change

and asked Congress to convene as a constituent assembly.

My advice to the Senate: Absolutely, absolutely do not consider convening into a constituent assembly even if the House agreed on separate voting.

On principle, for changing a constitution, a constitutional convention is the only good way forward. For targeted amendments, ConAss can work but not for a wholesale revision or adoption of a new constitution. An agreement on separate voting is not going to work as well because it can be questioned in the Supreme Court and the numbers are not there to uphold the interpretation that voting must be separate.

The Senate agreeing to convene as a constituent assembly is a sure path to charter change and it will not be the Puno draft but a very bad version, without anti-dynasty provisions for example, that will be approved.

When the nation is in a state of anger, anxiety, and adversity, it is not time to change our Constitution. We need to be united for such a whole of country project. Let’s work on that unity first.

At the same time as the Sona yesterday, less than a kilometer away in Commonwealth Avenue, activist and citizen groups converged to hear the Unified People’s Sona. The Sona protest this year is historic as for the first time, groups of different (even opposing) political tendencies came together as one to stand united against the Duterte government. More than 40,000 participated the biggest Sona protest ever.

I echo the voices heard in the People’s Sona: No to charter change through constituent assembly! No to dictatorship! No to giving up territory to China! No to EJKs! No to endo! No to misogyny! No to blasphemy No to an angry and divided nation! Yes to human rights! Yes to democracy! Yes to social justice! Yes to a united Philippines!

And they get into the drug trade for the money with which to support their habit.

This is not to say that the rich are not into illegal drugs. They are, just look at how popular party drugs are. They do it not to commit crimes but for fun and curiosity.

This is why it is false to say that the crime rate is lower than before. It is the PNP that claims the crime rate is down. But we only have to look at media to know what is really happening. *** I still cannot understand why the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council remains an ad hoc government entity under the De-

partment of National Defense when we are plagued with two to three typhoons every week.

The NDRRMC may have been devolved with local governments but I cannot understand why it’s still an ad hoc government agency, activated only when there is disaster of any kind.

Why can’t the council be an authority or better still a department, combined perhaps with the Department of the Environment?

How can you preserve the environment while preserving natural resources? You cannot have both in one department.

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TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2018

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Interest hikes won’t cure rising prices, trade deficit turn around anytime soon and the Philippines is likely to remain near the bottom of the ladder as a highpriority FDI destination.

RUDY Clearly, BSP has its plate full both ROMERO domestically and externally.

And what has been the response of THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is under increasing pressure the BSP—more accurately, the Monto fulfill its statue primary etary Board—to these disturbances responsibility under the New Central of the nation’s domestic and external Bank of 1995 (and its predecessor, monetary stability? Two upward adthe Central Bank Act as amended by justments in its overnight borrowing Presidential Decree No. 71), which rate, in May and then in June, which is the maintenance of domestic and have brought that rate up ti 3.5 percent, its highest level in four years. external monetary stability.

Domestic monetary coalitions are “The monetary authorities are treatanything but stable, namely as a result ing the inflation outlook as a concern, of the slew of excise taxes imposed by given the elevated inflation expectathe Duterte administration’s TRAIN tions and the increasing risks of the (Tax Reform and Inclusion) program second-round effects of ongoing price and the resurgence of the world oil pressures,” BSP Gov. Nestor A. Esmarket, the inflation as measured by penilla Jr. said after the second rate consumers prices rose in June to 5.2 increase.

What does the BSP expect to accompercent, its highest level in five years.

Inevitably, price increase and higher plish with the interest rate increases wage demands ensued, with higher that it has put into effect? Which of wages prices and higher wages chas- the two basic objectives of interesting one another upward. The upward rate raising—discourage lending and movement of costs and prices (includ- spending and encourage and nonc o n s u m p t io n — ing the price of does it want to labor) is ongoing. see achieved?

Nor is the exRaising interternal monetary est rates has the environment I say this with effect of increascharacterized all due respect to ing production by stability. The costs and conPhilippines’ mer- Governor Espenilla and sumer prices, chandise trade his Monetary Board and where basic suffered yet an- colleagues. goods—or what other, monthly economists call deficit, bringing goods in inelasits January-totic demand—are May deficit to a whopping $15.76 billion. That is al- concerned, higher interest rates can most one-fifth of this country’s gross only add further fuel for the inflainternational reserve. The five-month tionary file. With all due respect to BOT (balance of trade) brought the Governor Espenilla and his Monetary to-date BOP (balance of payments) Board colleagues, I really cannot deficit past the $1.5 billion mark. see any logic in raising interest rates Sensing this country’s deteriorating under the present economic circumBOP position, the international finan- stances. The interest rates tool is the cial markets steadily marked down wrong monetary tool to deploy.

Turning now to the BOT/BOP picthe peso. Today the peso has depreciture, the merchandise trade imbalated down to 53 to the US dollar.

Government—and even, distress- ance can only get worse, given (1) ingly, private—economists like to the weakness of this country’s export downplay the negative implications sector and (2) the Build, Build, Build of a depreciating peso by saying that program’s voracious need for importa lowest-value peso is good for Phil- ed equipment and supplies. Higher inippine exports, OFW (overseas Fili- terest rates will deal a double whampino workers) remittances and inward my to the BOT: They make imports tourism. But the far more serious neg- more costly while having little impact ative effects of a falling peso is the on exports in the near term.

The BSP will have to do a thorough inflationary impact of rising prices of imported consumer goods and the rethink of its approach to the monetaryhigher service on debts denominated instability problems that it is forcing— in foreign currencies. True, OFW surging consumer prices, a worrisome families will receive more pesos for BOP deficit, a steady depreciation of the remittance they receive—thereby the peso and, lately, a decrease in the making possible an increase in con- gross international reserve. Raising insumption spending, which accounts terest rate is not the answer. Gov. Esfor around two-thirds of this coun- penilla and his colleagues should select try’s gross domestic product—but another weapon(s) from the BSP’s awePhilippine exports are not about to some armory.

BUSINESS CLASS

Self-destructive...

From A4

seriously and harnesses the energy from burning the items.

“On the occasions when disposal of products is necessary, we do so in a responsible manner and we continue to seek ways to reduce and revalue our waste,” the firm said.

The destruction of goods is reflected in financial accounts, but in a manner “difficult to comprehend, often under an entry ‘impairment of inventories,” said Cadart.

French luxury giant LVMH said in its latest annual report that “provisions for impairment of inventories are ... generally required because of product obsolescence [end of season or collection, expiration date approaching, etc.] or lack of sales prospects.”

Hermes’ annual report also spoke of product “obsolescence [notably finished seasons or collections]”.

Clear indications of the amount of products destroyed were not provided.

‘Not socially responsible’ “It’s clear this isn’t going well” in terms of public opinion “because this isn’t a ‘green’ practice and perhaps not socially responsible as there are people who don’t have clothes to put on their backs,” said Cadart.

“Yes, there is a moral, ethical ques-

tion as well as protecting the environment,” said Boriana Guimberteau, a specialist on intellectual property law at the FTPA law firm.

“But from a legal point of view, the brands are destroying genuine products which they own, products that are at the end of their life or the season, and they can do what what they want” with them, she said.

Guimberteau said a tenet of maintaining brand image is that exclusive products should be sold in exclusive distribution networks and that markets shouldn’t be flooded with end of season products.

The manufacturers association Unifab, which defends intellectual property rights and combats counterfeiting, said there are different reasons firms destroy their unsold goods.

These can include a desire to ensure they don’t enter other sales channels, while products such as perfumes and cosmetics have sell-by dates after which firms destroy them to ensure consumer safety.

Firms also destroy unsold goods “to protect its intellectual property, which is an asset,” said Delphine Sarfati-Sobreira, Unifab’s general director.

She deplored the witch hunt against Burberry, saying that a “firm which destroys its products will certainly produce others, thus giving work to some of its staff.” AFP

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News

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2018 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

108 officials at Naia, other ports shuffled

By Vito Barcelo

M

ORE than 100 Immigration officials holding top posts at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and other international airports and seaports nationwide were reshuffled in line with the bureau’s drive to improve services of the agency and avoid corruption.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra issued a Department Order directing the reshuffle of the 59 BI airport officials, 49 of whom are assigned at the three terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport while the rest are stationed at the Clark and Davao airports.

At the same time, Guevarra also reshuffled the Alien Control Officers incharge of more than 40 BI offices nationwide.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said that in compliance with Guevarra’s directive, he issued personnel orders instructing the concerned officials to report to their new assignments and assume their duties immediately.

“This revamp is long overdue. Many of the airport officials and have been in their posts for more than a year already while many ACOs have been in their jobs for more than five years,” said Morente.

“It’s time to give them new tasks so they can face new challenges and responsibilities. This is also to avoid familiarity and lax performance of duties,” the BI chief said.

BI OIC Deputy Commissioner Marc Red Mariñas welcomed the revamp, saying the reshuffle was primarily aimed to develop the career of the affected employees and enhance their performance and efficiency.

“It also prevents fraterni-

zation which breeds corruption and avert boredom that dampens morale and stifles growth in the organization,” said Mariñas, who heads the BI port operations.

BI Deputy Commissioner Tobias Javier said the BI was not only focused on beefing up its manpower at the international ports but also on developing the professional advancement of its workers all over the Philippines.

He disclosed the reshuffle

affected all BI head supervisors and deputy head supervisors in-charge of the bureau’s operations at the Naia and Clark and Davao airports.

Heads and supervisors of the travel control and enforcement unit which conducts secondary inspection on travelers, and of the border control and intelligence unit, which performs intelligence and counter-intelligence activities at the airports, were likewise reshuffled.

Ex-gov Ampatuan faces graft charges

By Rio N. Araja

BAYANIHAN FEDERALISM. A symposium and turnover of Federal Constitution Draft last weekend by Con-Com head former Chief Justice Reynato Puno to Partido Federal ng Pilipinas president Jayvee Hinlo, chairman Abby Mangelen, secretary general Tom Lantion, PFP-NCR president Joy Belmonte, Region 4a president ER Ejercito, and 4B president Baham Mitra—supported by other officials—at Club Filipino in San Juan City. Roy Tomandao

Ombudsman indicts Samar mayor for 16 counts of graft THE Office of the Ombudsman has indicted a Samar mayor for 16 counts of graft over the anomalous procurement of catering services in 2012.

It ordered the filing of charges against Mayor Jocelyn Uy-de Jesus of Jiabong town, along with budget officer Arnaldo Morabor, treasurer Erna Morabor, accountant Rolando Jabeguero and private respondent Helen Labrague, proprietor of Helen’s Catering Services.

The resolution read: “It is undisputed that the value of the 16 catering transactions exceeded the threshold set by law, yet public respondent Arnaldo proceed-

ed with the procurement thereof without public bidding.

“Despite the patent irregularities in the supporting documents, public respondents De Jesus, Erna and Jabeguero still caused payment to private respondent [Labrague].

“Public respondents’ flagrant disregard of Republic Act No. 9184 is evidenced by the fact that they committed the infractions 16 times in 2012.”

In the related administrative case, Arnaldo, Erna and Jabeguero were found guilty of grave misconduct and were ordered dismissed from the service.

Arnaldo was also found guilty of serious dishonesty.

In an annual audit report, the Commission on Audit uncovered the municipality disbursed a P2,617,912.50 for the procurement of 32 catering service contracts, 16 of which were awarded to Helen’s Catering Services.

CoA found the respondents illegally resorted to the alternative method of procurement even if the approved budget for the contract for the individual transactions exceeded the thresholds set

by Republic Act 9184 or Government Procurement Reform Act.

Moreover, investigation also uncovered that supporting documents did not contain details, such as the dates of activity; purchase requests, purchase orders and disbursement vouchers are undated and without any control or reference numbers; lack of quotations from suppliers who allegedly submitted their canvass; non-submission of eligibility documents of supplier and lack of accomplished requests for quotation.

CoA noted a low turnout of participants in the activities wherein the municipality failed to submit any attendance sheets. Rio N. Araja

JB Council to discuss CJ post Aug. 3

THE Judicial Bar and Council has set its first deliberation for the Chief Justice post on Aug. 3, a week after the deadline for the submission of applications and nominations for the post on July 26.

This was confirmed by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, an ex officio member of the JBC, in a text message sent to Philippine News Agency Monday.

The SC formally opened last June 26 the search for the post of Chief Justice after it affirmed last June 19 its ruling which granted the quo warranto petition against Maria Lourdes Sereno.

Under the rules, while the five most senior justices are automatically nominated for the chief justice post, they still have to formally accept the nomination to be officially considered as nominee or applicant.

These five justices are Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio and Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr., Teresita Leonardo de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, and Lucas Bersamin.

They all have yet to formally accept or decline their automatic nomination.

The 1987 Constitution requires that the Chief Justice position must be filled up within 90 days from vacancy, which means that President Rodrigo Duterte needs to appoint ousted top magistrate Sereno’s replacement by Sept. 16. PNA

A FORMER governor of Maguindanao is facing charges of graft, malversation of public funds and failure of accountable officer to render account before the Sandiganbayan for the questionable P500-million construction of farm-to-market roads in 2009.

The Office of the Ombudsman indicted ex-governor Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan, along with provincial treasurer Osmeña Bandila, accountant John Estelito Dollosa and state auditor Danny Calib of the Commission on Audit.

In June 2009, the provincial government entered into several memoranda of agreement with the Department of Agrarian Reform for the construction and rehabilitation of the province’s farm-to-market roads with a project cost of P500 million.

Despite repeated demands from DAR to account for the funds, Ampatuan and the other accused failed to submit supporting documents, such as liquidation reports, list of beneficiaries and certificates of acceptance to support the disbursement of funds and implementation of the project.

“The roads were in bad condition and far shorter than the reported lengths, and the reported accomplishments were no longer visible, are sufficient proof to engender a well-founded belief that public funds were misappropriated for respondents Ampatuan, Bandila, Dollosa and Calib’s own private use or benefit,” the CoA report read.

The Ombudsman’s resolution read: “As the head and representative of the province, respondent Ampatuan was primarily tasked by the MoAs to receive the funds and to oversee the implementation of the projects.”

12 UP Glory awardees identified

FIGHT CONTINUES. Australian missionary nun Sister Patricia Fox (right) at the Bureau of Immigration Monday where she filed a motion for reconsideration regarding her deportation ordered by Immigration authorities. Norman Cruz

TWELVE alumni from the University of the Philippines-College of Mass Communication will receive the 2018 Glory Award in honor of the excellence and impact of their work in broadcasting, film, journalism, research and allied disciplines such as social advocacy.

Launched just last year, the “Glory” is UP Masscom’s annual alumni recognition inspired by the legacy of its first dean, Gloria Feliciano.

“Our beloved ‘GF’ championed meritocracy and thought leadership. She would have wanted to recognize the outstanding and exemplary communicators produced by our college,” UPCMC Alumni Association president Malou Choa-Fagar said in a statement.

The 12 Glory awardees will be presented with sculpted trophies during the UPCMC annual homecoming on Oct. 6.

This year’s seven-member board of jurors included film and television director Joel Lamangan, former CNN Philippines and ANC news director Jing Magsaysay, Public Relations Society of the Philippines president Ritzi Ronquillo, Manila Standard associate editor and journalism professor Chin Wong, Oxfam director for Asia and 2017 Glory awardee Lan Mercado, UPCMC dean Dr. Elena Pernia, and UP assistant vice president of public affairs and alumni office director Dr. Wendell Capili.

Sports

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2018

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sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Lyceum seeks 4th straight NCAA victory; AU eyes 5th LYCEUM of the Philippines University guns for a fourth straight victory, while Arellano University a fifth as the two collide today in the 94th NCAA senior basketball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The Pirates have been rolling to start their campaign and picked up three straight victories, including a merciless 88-56 devastation of the Jose Rizal University Bombers Friday, while the Chiefs open up their season with a 75-69 overtime win over the Emilio Aguinaldo Generals Thursday.

Only one will remain unscathed though after their 12-noon encounter.

“We’ll try to treat our next games the same way we did in our first three, which is always to go hard for a win,” said LPU coach Topex Robinson, who swept the elimination round in 18 games last year before getting swept by San Beda in the finals in two games.

Mike Nzeusseu, Jaycee Marcelino and CJ Perez have been leading the way for the Pirates as they have averaged 17, 16.3 and 15.7 points, respectively, and the troika has no plans of slowing down.

For AU, it has shown that it is ready to move on minus its leader Kent Salado, who

was sidelined the whole season because of an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury he sustained early in the year, as Adrian Alban and Levi dela Cruz have come out to fill the void.

Alban fired 13 points, including big shots in regulation to help his team force OT, while Dela Cruz chipped in 12 including seven in extra time to power the Chiefs to victory.

Interestingly, this will be Alban’s first game against LPU, his former team before he transferred to AU two years ago.

San Beda, the reigning back-to-back champion, will likewise try to stay unbeaten as it tackles a dangerous St. Benilde at 4 p.m.

The Lions barely escaped past the Perpetual Help Altas, 67-65, on opening day last July 7 and never played since then as their scheduled games in the last two Tuesday playdates were both called off due to inclement weather.

Lady Tams repulse Benilde bets

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FAR Eastern University blew a twoset lead but pounced on St. Benilde’s series of miscues in the decider to pound out a 26-24, 15-4 victory and gain an early share of the lead with Adamson in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Collegiate Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan yesterday.

Dragged into a fifth set battle by the resurgent Lady Blazers, the Lady Tams took seven of the first eight points in the decider, the last four off their rivals’ errors, including four touches, a net violation, a setting miscue and an attack error.

They were never threatened from there as the last year’s runners-up racked up six straight points after the Lady Blazers made it a 4-9 game, clinching the victory on another St. Benilde miscue after a foiled attack by the Moraytabased squad.

The Lady Tams blew a 23-21 lead and a match point in the fourth frame but recovered their bearing and rhythm in the fifth aided by the Lady Blazers’ erratic stand.

Celine Domingo blasted in 12 kills and finished with 14 points while Jerrili Malabanan, rookie Lycha Ebon, Jeanette Villareal and Kyle Negrito combined in their strong finish and combined for 32 points.

Negrito also produced 20 excellent sets.

Marites Pablo posted a game-high 20 points, Jan Daguil knocked in the set-clinching kill in the fourth that forced the decider and finished with 18 markers while Klarisa Abriam piled up 15 for the Lady Blazers, now mentored by Jerry Yee, who ended up with 47 errors.

Games today

8 a.m.- LPU vs AU (jrs) 10 a.m.- SSC-R vs JRU (jrs) 12 nn.- LPU vs AU (srs) 2 p.m.- SSC-R vs JRU (srs) 4 p.m.- SBU vs CSB (srs) 6 p.m. -- SBU vs CSB (jrs)

Italy’s Francesco Molinari poses for pictures with the Claret Jug, the trophy for the champion golfer of the year after winning the 147th British Open golf Championship at Carnoustie, Scotland. AFP

Molinari ends US dominance ARNOUSTIE—It was expected that recent American dominance of the majors would continue at the British Open, but instead Carnoustie delivered Italy’s first ever winner of the Claret Jug in the shape of Francesco Molinari.

Perhaps it was not the outcome that the huge crowds thronging the fairways on Sunday were hoping for, especially as Molinari’s playing partner Tiger Woods looked in line at one point to claim his first major in a decade.

But while Woods faded after dropping three strokes in two holes at the 11th and 12th, Molinari kept his cool to shoot a second consecutive bogeyfree round.

His 69 left him eight un-

der par, two shots clear of his nearest challengers including Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy, three ahead of Woods and four shots ahead of last year’s winner Jordan Spieth.

Molinari is a rare golfer from continental Europe to lift the Claret Jug -Sweden’s Henrik Stenson triumphed at Royal Troon in 2016 but before him you have to go back to Seve Ballesteros in 1988.

The 35-year-old also finally delivered a major win for his country, going one step further than Costantino Rocca, who famously lost in a play-off to John

Daly at St Andrews in 1995.

And he hopes his victory will have an impact back home in Italy, where Formula One is usually just about the only sport that competes with football for the headlines.

“The last round already was big news in Italy. Obviously, to achieve something like this is on another level,” said Molinari, who started the day six under par, three shots off the lead.

“Hopefully, there were a lot of young kids watching on TV today, like I was watching Constantino in ‘95 coming so close. Hopefully, they will get as inspired as I was at the time, watching him vie for the Claret Jug.” Molinari, who lives in London and supports West Ham United, was not the favourite coming into the week but perhaps he should have been given his recent form.

He won the PGA Championship

at Wentworth in May and recently claimed his first victory on the PGA Tour at the Quicken Loans National.

He was also the runner-up at last year’s US PGA Championship.

Molinari has long since emerged from the shadow of his elder brother Edoardo, who played at the 2010 Ryder Cup and finished in the top 10 at the 2014 British Open but has dropped to 397th in the world rankings.

“I would love for him to get back to where he was a few years ago. Golf is a tough beast,” said Francesco.

“He’s experienced some bad injuries and two hand surgeries, but he’s come back from this one again already.

“I wish him all the best, and I’m sure this will motivate him even more to achieve some great things in the game of golf in the future, and hopefully we’ll be competing more together again very soon.” AFP

Amateurs out to steal Midlands’ show LK Go seeks to better her runner-up effort at Summit

WITH Taiwanese sisters Hou YuChiang and Hou Yu-Sang tipped to re-display the form they showed at Southwoods, a slew of local amateurs are also joining the fray in the ICTSI Champion Tour at Tagaytay Midlands, all seeking to steal the thunder from the big guns when the $75,000 event is fired off tomorrow (Wednesday).

Asian Games-bound Lois Kaye Go primes up for the quadrennial meet in Indonesia as she spearheads the young locals’ charge in the blue-ribbon event featuring the leading pros from the Taiwan LPGA Tour and the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

Go, who with Yuka Saso and Bianca Pagdanganan will banner the country’s campaign in next month’s Asiad, placed second to Thai veteran Yupaporn Kawinpakorn in the LPGT Women’s Championship at Summit Point last month and is looking for-

ward to contending in this week’s event serving as the last of the twoleg ICTSI Champion Tour sanctioned by the Taiwan LPGA. The top players of Team The Country Club are also in the fold, including Sofia Chabon, Mikha Fortuna, Mafy Singson, Samantha Dizon and Laia Barro, while former TCC mainstay and now California Baptist University sophomore Sam Martirez is also joining the hunt along with Annika Cedo and Koreans Kim Hui Won and Jang Yunji.

But focus will still be on the Hou sisters with Chiang and Sang setting out to duplicate, if not better their strong showing in the rain-shortened Champion Tour event at Southwoods topped by Thai Ploychompoo Wirairungreung.

Chiang tied for second with Princess Superal and another Thai Su-

pamas Sangchan with a six-under total after 36 holes while Sang placed solo fifth with a five-under aggregate.

No amateur has won an ICTSI Champion Tour leg since it was included in the LPGT in 2016 with Korean ace Lee Jeong Hwa sweeping the inaugurals’ first two tournaments and Thai Kanphanitnan Muangkhumsakul and Korean Hwang Ye-Nah splitting the honors last year.

Meanwhile, the leading pros test the Midlands layout one last time today (Tuesday) as they team up with officials and guests of the event’s chief backers, including ICTSI, Custom Clubmakers, BDO, Meralco, Sharp, KZGm PLDT, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and K&G Golf, in the traditional pro-am tournament.

Young guns Filipina thrower rips School Games’ record, PH bags 4th gold rule beach volley meet THE young guns ruled the Beach Volleyball Republic King And Queen Of The Sands tournament Sunday.

Babylove Barbon and Jaron Requinton of University of Santo Tomas bested Klymince Orillaneda and James Buytrago of National University in a championship showdown of budding beach volleyball talents to rule the two-day tournament at the Sands SM By The Bay. Undefeated in seven matches, the tandem of Barbon and Requinton were impressive in the sand court despite the heavy rain and wind.

Another youthful UST tandem, Genesa Jane Eslapor and Efraem Dimaculangan, won third place over Far Eastern University’s Kyla Atienza and Joshua Barrica.

A total of 13 pairs competed in the two-day event, where everyone got to play at least 12 sets in the single-round eliminations.

BVR will resume its provincial tour next month.

KUALA LUMPUR—A Bacolod City native bagged the country’s fourth gold medal in record-setting fashion on Monday in the 2018 ASEAN Schools Games.

The 17-year-old Ann Katherine Quitoy recorded 49.18 meters to set a new mark in javelin and secure the country’s most productive campaign so far in the biennial meet at Mini-Stadium of the National Sports Complex in Bukit Jalil.

Quitoy shattered Malaysia’s Devi Jayaindran Pavithraa’s 46.04m record set last year in Singapore.

Winning the silver medal was Klinla-Or Supisara of Thailand with a throw of 47.89m, while

Firliana Yuni Fira of Indonesia took the bronze with a throw of 43.35m.

Quitoy achieved the remarkable feat three months after she shattered the secondary girls’ record of the same event during the 2018 Palarong Pambansa in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Iloilo thrower James Lozanes also broke the boys’ javelin record in topping last year’s edition of ASG in Singapore.

Quitoy’s mark came after Jessel Lumapas, 2018 Palarong Pambansa most outstanding athlete in athletics, ruled the girls’ 400m run after clocking in 57.46 sec-

onds for the country’s third gold medal hauled in athletics.

Pratike Rawiwan of Thailand settled for silver after she timed 57.10 seconds, while Maulidah of Indonesia took the bronze with a time of 57.54 seconds.

On Sunday, the Philippines, composed of medalists in the last Palarong Pambansa, got its second gold medal courtesy of long jumper Trexie dela Torre.

Dela Torre, the pride of Bacolod City, bagged the girls’ event with a new personal-best of 5.84 meters Pinay javelin thrower Katherine Quitoy is shown with her coach against Malaysia’s Mahira Hanis Adriana Arca beside the LED scoring board after topping the girls’ Binti Ishak (5.83) and Vietnam’s javelin event in record-setting fashion in the 2018 ASEAN Schools Hoang Thanh Giang (5.83).

Games on Monday.

DanceSport midyear ranking tilt lures 200 participants LOTTO RESULTS MORE than 200 participants are set to compete all over the country in the DanceSport Council of the Philippines 2018 Midyear Ranking and Competition at the Ballroom Hall of Valle Verde Country Club, Pasig City on Saturday.

First-quarter champions Sean Mischa Aranar and Ana Leonila Nualla (Grade A Standard), Michael Angelo Marquez and Stephanie Sabalo (Grade A Latin) will be defending their respective titles in the quarterly dance competition organized

by DSCPI President Becky Garcia.

Other participants are the pair of Mark Jayson Gayon and Mary Joy Renigen, Michel Flores and Ariane Rose Madrid and the tandem of Darren De Guzman and Danica De Guzman.

The competition is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Flawless, Like-FM 105.9, Studio AK and The Greenery Bulacan.

World DanceSport Federation licensed adjudicators Katarina Baluchova of Slo-

vakia, Peter Chen of Chinese-Taipei, Simon Mok Chi Keung of Hong Kong, Hyun Ok Oh of Korea, Chu Tan Duc of Vietnam, Glen Tierney of Australia, Liwei Xu of China and George Tan of Malaysia will judge the competition.

Tickets for the 2018 DSCPI Midyear Ranking are available at the DanceSport Training Center, Philsports Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City and at the entrance of the Ballroom of Valle Verde Country Club on July 28. For other inquiries, call Anna or Lorien at 637-2314.

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

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TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2018

San Miguel Beer player June Mar Fajardo (center) holds on to the basketball after grabbing a rebound. Will he be holding another PBA championship trophy soon?

POC accredits cricket, sambo

By Peter Atencio

THE national sports associations of cricket and sambo have been accepted as members of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

The General Assembly of the POC has approved the inclusion of the Pilipinas Sambo Federation and the Philippine Cricket Association during its meeting last month.

The PSFI, headed by Davao City First District Representative Karlo Alexei Nograles made their representations before the POC. Sambo is a Russian martial art and combat sport created in the 1920s by the Soviet Red Army initially integrating the techniques of judo, jui-jitsu and catch wrestling.

The PSFI was founded two years ago in Davao City, and it is the national governing body of Sambo in the Philippines.

The local body is already recognized by the Federation International de Sambo (FIAS).

On the other hand, the PCA is represented by Faisal Khan, who is their chairman.

The PCA currently runs a 24-team men’s league out of the EAC field in Dasmarinas, Cavite.

They also have a four-team women’s league and an under-19 competition as well.

SMB books familiar place in PBA Finals

By Jeric Lopez

G

ETTING to the Philippine Basketball Association Finals never gets old.

Certainly not for San Miguel Beer.

For the fourth time in the last six conferences, the defending champion earned a berth in the finals, this time in the 2018 PBA Commissioner’s Cup. Continuing to dominate, the Beermen now have yet another chance to win a championship, possibly their second

straight this season and fourth in the last five conferences.

After taking Game 4 of their bestof-five semifinals clash against Alaska, 104-99, last Sunday night, San Miguel finished off the Aces, 3-1, to move four games away from retaining the crown.

Despite starting out the conference with a 0-3 record, the Beermen, in typical fashion, clawed their way to put themselves in a good position for more glory.

“The players are really focused. They all want to win another championship and now, we have a chance again,” said San Miguel coach Leo Austria, who will now be seeking his seventh championship. This current core of players had already taken home six

titles over the last four seasons. “It feels good to be back in the finals again.”

“Masaya na naka-balik kami sa finals kahit hindi naging madali. Target namin ulit maka-kuha ng championship,” said Beermen superstar June Mar Fajardo.

The Beermen will now await who their opponent is in the best-of-seven finale.

That can either be Barangay Ginebra or Rain or Shine, who continue to gut it out over in the other semis pairing.

As of this report, the Gin Kings, ahead 2-1, are looking to close out the Elasto Painters in Game 4 to set a date with the Beermen.

Overall, San Miguel earned its 40th finals appearance in its rich franchise history.

Hamilton powers Mercedes to victory HOCKENHEIM, Germany—Lewis Hamilton said he’d “never been in a race like this” after his stunning victory in a spectacular rain-hit German Grand Prix which saw title rival Sebastian Vettel crash out of contention.

Three days after confirmation of his blockbuster two-year contract extension, the defending four-time world champion delivered a near-miracle for Mercedes as he and team-mate Valtteri Bottas notched the team’s first one-two finish on German soil.

The Briton was subject to a lengthy steward’s investigation for swerving out of the pit entry lane when his team suddenly aborted a tire change while the safety car was out. In a statement stewards said there was clearly an infringement, but decided only to issue a reprimand.

Hamilton started 14th on the grid after a catastrophic qualifying on Saturday, but a combination of his skill, speed and tactical acumen enabled him to profit from what seemed to be divine intervention when the heavens opened.

HAMILTON

“It’s obviously very difficult from that position and highly unlikely but you’ve got to believe,” said Hamilton. “I did a long prayer before the race. I wanted to stay collected, stay calm and the team did such a great job today.

“When it rained, I knew I would have a good position,” he said. “You never knew what was going to happen after the safety car.”

“For those who didn’t know me before, now you do.”

“It’s great to be here on Mercedes home ground and to get the one-two.

It’s just a tremendous day for us – I’ve never had a race like this.

“After racing for so many years, you never know where you’re going to have a race as good as your best. This was up there with them.”

It was Hamilton’s fourth win this year, his 44th for Mercedes and the 66th of his career, leap-frogging him from eight points behind German Vettel of Ferrari to 17 points ahead.

Mercedes also regained the initiative in the constructors’ championship, much to the delight of company chairman Dieter Zetsche who embraced the Englishman in the unbridled euphoria in the rain that followed the race.

PFF wants new home in Cavite Denmark’s Magnus Nielsen celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 15th stage of the 105th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, between Millau and Carcassonne. AFP

By Peter Atencio

Pacio eyes ONE world title shot

Filipino MMA standout Joshua Pacio acknowledges the cheers of fans on his way to the MMA cage before a match.

ONE Championship

JOSHUA “The Passion” Pacio returns to action at ONE: Reign of Kings, set for July 27 at the Mall of Asia Arena with an eye out for another title shot.

He takes on unbeaten Thai warrior Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit in what should be an epic clash of rising stars.

Although “The Passion” fell just short of victory in his first world title opportunity, the next generation Team Lakay proponent soldiered on and to this day continues to improve with every bout.

At 22 years of age, Pacio of Baguio City, Philippines has already accomplished much inside the ONE Championship cage in a short span of time.

Since making his promotional debut in 2016, Pacio has been on an incred-

ible run. In just his third appearance in the ONE cage, Pacio already earned himself a shot at the ONE Strawweight World Championship, held by reigning titleholder Yoshitaka Naito.

Surrounded by world champions, the martial arts prodigy is fueled by inspiration emanating from his Team Lakay teammates who have reached the pinnacle of the sport.

“I am inspired and amazed with the things going on around me,” said Pacio.

“Kuya Geje just won the flyweight world title, and now kuya Kevin is going to be fighting for the bantamweight title. This has lit a spark inside of me and now I am more energized in training. I want to be where they are now,” Pacio said.

A PARCEL of land within the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite could someday serve as the new home of the Philippine Football Federation’s headquarters and national training center.

PFF president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said they have plans of purchase a 3,000 sqm parcel of land within the area and build a complex with dormitories, classrooms for coaching and referee courses, and a gym.

“The funds are ready, initially we will be getting US$1.5 Million from FIFA,” said Araneta in a statement. He said they have plans of selling their present building in Pasig to help fund the move.

Another option is available, and that is to buy a different 2,000 sqm plot of land beside the artificial pitch that is separate from the 3,000 sqm parcel of land.

From there, a grandstand could be constructed, and the pitch can be turned into a stadium.

The headquarters could then be situated under the seating while the other site houses the dorms, classrooms, and gym.

There are more fields that may be acquired for the training center.

Araneta says that two artificial turf mini-pitches measuring 40 by 20 meters will be made right beside the main pitch.

IN BRIEF

Metrobank gets nod for P25-b LTNCDs METROPOLITAN Bank & Trust Co., the second-largest lender in terms of assets, received the nod of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to issue up to P25 billion worth of long-term negotiable certificates of time deposits to support its business expansion plans.

The bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday it obtained the central bank approval on July 23.

“On July 23, the bank received BSP’s approval to issue up to P25 Billion LTNCD in one or more tranches of at least P2 billion per tranche, and tenors of 5.5 years up to 10 years. The purpose of the issuance is to diversify the maturity profile of funding sources and support business expansion plans,” the bank said.

It said the timing of the first tranche of LTNCDs would be subject to market conditions. Metrobank said it would list the notes eventually with Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp.

LTNCDs are bank products with long tenors which are offered to investors looking for a higher interest rate compared to regular savings accounts or shorter-term deposits. Julito G. Rada

Business

PNOC Exploration set to pick Euro-4 supplier STATE-RUN PNOC Exploration Corp. will choose an oil supplier and start its importation of an initial 50,000 metric tons of Philippine standard Euro -4 gas oil or diesel fuel by next month.

PNOC EC has issued the notice for the purchase of the trial shipment of 50,000 MT, and subsequent four shipments per month for one year to the Subic Bay Freeport.

“We will select the most advantageous offer. That will be next week. Hopefully, we can submit it to the EC board for approval on August 6,” PNOC EC president Pedro Aquino said.

He said even local suppliers could participate as long as they complied with the requirements.

Energy Undersecretary Donato Marcos said the chosen supplier should be able to supply cheaper fuel to PNOC EC. “Whoever will be selected under the PNS (Philippine National Standard) whether Opec or non-Opec country, (should) have the same standards but cheaper to mitigate oil prices increase,” Marcos said. Alena Mae S. Flores

FOREIGN investments approved by the Board of Investments jumped 165 percent in the first semester to P14.5 billion from P5.5 billion in the same period in 2017.

The figure contributed to the 27-percent growth in overall approved investments in the six-month period.

“The impressive investment registrations with the BoI is a concrete proof of the continued confidence of both foreign and local investors in the country,” said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.

Data showed total investment approvals in the six-month period reached P238.9 billion, up by 27 percent from P188 billion a year ago.

Indonesia emerged as the top source of foreign investments in the first half with P6.4 billion, followed by Japan with P2.6 billion and China with P880

HALL OF FAME AWARDEE. The Bangko Sentral

ng Pilipinas confers BDO Unibank with a Hall of Fame award under the Outstanding PhilPaSS Participant Servicing Customer ePaymentsCommercial Bank category during the 2018 BSP Stakeholders Awards. Receiving the prestigious citation are BDO president and chief executive Nestor Tan (third from left) and BDO executive vice president and head of transaction banking group Edwin Romualdo Reyes (second from left). With them are BSP Monetary Board member and chairman of the board of judges Antonio Abacan Jr. (left) and BSP Deputy Governor Maria Almasara Cyd Tuaño-Amador (right).

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2018

B1

By Jenniffer B. Austria

TRADE FACILITATION. The Department of Trade and Industry through the Philippine Accreditation Bureau signs an agreement with the United Arab Emirates–Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology to ease the technical barriers on trade and enable bilateral trade between the Philippines and the UAE, especially on Halal products. A the signing ceremony are (from left) DTI - Industry Development & Trade Policy Group Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo, Export Marketing Bureau assistant director Anthony Rivera, EMB director Senen Perlada, PAB assistant director Ernani Dionisio, ESMA director general Abdulla Abdelqader Al Maeeni, UAE Ambassador to the Philippines Hamad Saeed Al Zaabi and DTI-Foreign Trade Service Corps commercial attaché Eric Elnar.

Budget deficit widened to P193b in first semester

By Julito G. Rada

T

HE government’s budget deficit widened by 25 percent in the first half to P193 billion from P154.5 billion a year ago, as both expenditures and revenue collection grew 20 percent, data from the Treasury show.

The six-month fiscal deficit was 27 percent lower than the programmed P264.3 billion, as spending growth slowed down to a single digit in June.

Data showed the government in June incurred a budget shortfall of P54.3 billion, or 40 percent lower than the P90billion deficit registered in the same month last year.

Revenue collections in January to June climbed 20 percent to P1.41 trillion from a year earlier and exceeded the target by 8 percent. Revenues in June surged 25 percent to P224.2 billion.

Foreign investment pledges increase 165%

By Othel V. Campos

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

Aboitiz secures $338-m loan from 4 banks to buy Gold Coin

GMR-Megawide to hit passenger traffic goal GMR-MEGAWIDE Cebu Airport Corp., the private operator and manager of Mactan-Cebu International Airport, said it expects to meet the 11.2 million passenger traffic target this year after opening Terminal 2, the country’s first resort airport.

GMCAC said in a statement the Mactan-Cebu International Airport handled 5.76 million passengers in the first half of the year, a 12.5-percent increase from 5.12 million year-on-year.

Air traffic movement also grew 12.9 percent to 49,843 flights this year from 44,165 flights on year.

From January to June, The MCIA recorded 3.76 million domestic passengers in the first six months of 2018, up 10 percent, while international traffic grew 17.5 percent to 1.89 million passengers.

Peak domestic passenger traffic was recorded in May with 760,000 passengers. Peak international traffic, meanwhile was registered recorded during the months of January, February, May and June with a monthly average of 320,000 passengers. Darwin G. Amojelar

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

million. The United States contributed P582 million while Italy added P486 million.

Lopez said he was optimistic the Philippine economy would continue to grow and create investment opportunities in infrastructure, manufacturing and services.

“With this growth, we intend to have more inclusive businesses and ensure that economic gains are spread throughout the country,” Lopez said.

Trade Undersecretary and BoI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo said the investment figure was a significant lead indicator for the overall growth of foreign direct investments.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported that actual FDI net inflows increased 40 percent in the first quarter.

Rodolfo said the BoI was on track to achieving its target of P680 billion for 2018, a 10 percent improvement from last year’s P617 billion.

Tax collections by the Bureau of Internal Revenue jumped 14 percent in the first half to P964.5 billion and exceeded the goal by 3 percent.

“The bureau credits improved tax administration and the impact of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law for the strong performance during the first half of the year. However, the BIR managed just 4 percent year-onyear growth in collections in June, its lowest for 2018, bringing in P136.8 billion for the month,” the Treasury said.

The Bureau of Customs collected P279.4 billion in the six-month period, up by 33 percent from P210.3 billion a year ago. The Treasury said proper valuation and tariff classification of goods and a strengthened campaign against illegal trade contributed to the sustained good performance of the bureau.

The Customs collected P50 billion in June, or 41 percent better than its collections a year earlier. This continued the double-digit year-on-year growth since the beginning of the year and 12th straight since July 2017.

The Treasury said its income hit P66.1 billion in the first semester, which was more than double the P31.5 billion pro-

gram and 25 percent higher year-on-year.

Meanwhile, total expenditures accelerated 20 percent in the first half to P1.603 trillion from P1.330 trillion a year ago.

“This is mainly due to a 22-percent boost in primary expenditures [total disbursements net of interest payments],” the Treasury said. It also exceeded the target by 2 percent or P34.4 billion.

Government spending growth slowed down to just 3 percent in June to total P278.5 billion from P270.7 billion a year ago.

Data showed that of the total expenditures, interest payments amounted to P165.5 billion in the first half. Aggregate interest payments is still 4 percent within program and generated savings of P7.5 billion despite a 9-percent yearon-year growth.

“Total interest payments also accounted for just 10.3 percent of total disbursements, down from 11.4 percent a year ago. Interest payments amounted to P24.1 billion in June and was up by 25 percent from a year ago mostly due to domestic interest payments of P19.5 billion including those for 5-year retail treasury bonds issued in December 2017,” the Treasury said.

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

Slower BPO growth hits office market, —property consultant

Monday, July 23, 2018

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

53.5150

Japan

Yen

0.008979

0.4805

UK

Pound

1.312700

70.2491

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127403

6.8180

Switzerland

Franc

1.008471

53.9683

Canada

Dollar

0.761557

40.7547

Singapore

Dollar

0.734322

39.2972

Australia

Dollar

0.741900

39.7028

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652872

141.9684

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266645

14.2695

Brunei

Dollar

0.731636

39.1535

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000069

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.029931

1.6018

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

14.5706

Euro

Euro

1.172800

62.7624

Korea

Won

0.000887

0.0475

China

Yuan

0.147354

7.8856

India

Rupee

0.014550

0.7786

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.246305

13.1810

New Zealand

Dollar

0.679600

36.3688

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032711

1.7505

By Julianne Edon Gabis THE local office market slowed down in the second quarter, after several business process outsourcing companies halted expansion plans, according to Pronove Tai International Property Consultants.

The slowdown was traced to uncertainties in securing accreditation from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.

“It’s push and pull, and it is creating a sense of uncertainty, which the business sector does not want to see.

If we can have something that’s very straightforward, and we know at least we can make our five-year plan, and nothing’s going to change, that’s a lot better for business,” Pronove Tai chief executive Monique Cornelio-Pronove said.

Data provided by Pronove Tai showed that office take-up in Metro Manila dropped by 22 percent to 214,000 square meters in the second quarter from 262,000 sq. m. in the first quarter.

Mandaluyong City and Quezon City had the highest recorded vacancy at 12 percent and 10 percent respectively.

Pronove said the information technology-business process management sector dropped from being the top driver of demand for office space in the first quarter to being second to traditional offices. The sector recorded a 50-percent decrease in demand from 135,000 sqm in the first quarter to 69,000 sqm in the second quarter.

CONGLOMERATE Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. said Monday it signed a $338-million loan agreement with four foreign banks to finance the acquisition of a controlling stake in Gold Coin Management Holdings Ltd., Asia’s largest privately-owned agribusiness company.

Aboitiz Equity said in a disclosure to the stock exchange wholly-owned subsidiary AEV International Pte. Ltd. signed a $338-million facility agreement with DBS Bank Ltd., Mizuho Bank Ltd., MUFG Bank Ltd. and Standard Chartered Bank.

“The proceeds of the loan will be used to finance the acquisition of 75-percent equity interest in Gold Coin Management Holdings Limited

by Pilmico International Pte. Ltd., which is also a wholly-owned subsidiary of AEV,” the company said.

No other details were provided, including the terms of the loan facility.

Aboitiz Equity announced Friday unit Pilmico International signed an agreement with British Virgin Islandsbased Golden Springs Group Ltd. to acquire a 75-percent equity interest in Gold Coin for $334 million.

The acquisition will enable Aboitiz Equity to significantly expand its animal feeds business in the Asia-Pacific region. It will also add 3 million tons of volume to the group’s total feeds production capacity.

Singapore-based Gold Coin is a major producer of animal feeds and operates 20 production facilities, employing over 3,000 people across 11 countries in Asia.

The Gold Coin acquisition is Pilmico International’s largest investment in the Asia-Pacific region.

Gold Coin offers a wide range of products for both the livestock and the aqua industries, including young animals and hatchery feed, premixes, concentrates and compound feed.

Economists ask Congress to pass corporate tax reform measure

By Julito G. Rada EIGHT well-known economists urged Congress to pass the corporate tax reform bill to help fulfill the government’s goal of making the country’s taxation system simpler, fairer and more efficient.

The economists said in a statement the “deficiencies” of the current corporate income tax system had hampered the country’s growth and competitiveness―and that maintaining them could make the government miss its long-term vision of transforming the Philippines into a prosperous, high-income economy by 2040.

The statement was signed by former Finance Undersecretary Romeo Bernardo; Prof. Dante Canlas of the UP School of Economics; Gerardo Sicat, the first directorgeneral of National Economic and Development Authority; Gilberto Llanto, former president of the Philippine Institute of Development Studies; Renato Reside Jr., assistant professor of the UP School of Economics; Monetary Board member Prof. Felipe Medalla; Monetary Board member Bruce Tolentino; and Arsenio Balisacan, chairperson of the Philippine Competition Commission and former Neda director-general.

The economists lauded the efforts of the Finance and Trade Departments to modernize the corporate income tax system as part of the Duterte administration’s objective of making tax policy reform “a key pillar of socioeconomic policy and tool for fair and inclusive growth.”

The proposals of the DoF and DTI to overhaul the corporate tax system are contained in Package 2 of the Duterte administration’s comprehensive tax reform program.

B2

Business

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market declines in mixed trading

T

HE stock market fell slightly in mixed trading Monday in another cautious trading ahead of the State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slipped 22.81 points, or 0.3 percent, to 7,376.80 on a value turnover of P5.1 billion. Gainers, however, edged losers, 92 to 88, with 51 issues unchanged.

Investors were awaiting the SONA speech of President Duterte late in the afternoon before the joint session of Congress for clues. The chief executive is expected to report on the administration’s accomplishments and spell out his economic policies.

PLDT Inc., the biggest telecommunications firm dropped 2 percent to P1,344, while Puregold Price Club Inc. of retail tycoon Lucio Co. declined 2.5

percent to P45.25.

San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc. jumped 12.9 percent to P70 after parent San Miguel Corp. moved closer to consolidating its food and beverage businesses under San Miguel Food.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue ruled that the share swap transaction was tax-free.

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the largest lender in terms of assets, rallied 4.1 percent to P72.90.

The rest of Asian markets largely lost ground Monday as jitters grew over a potential trade and currency war, with the dollar sliding against most major currencies and extending Friday’s declines.

The fall in the dollar came as US President Donald Trump attacked Washington’s main trading partners for their currency policies on Friday.

“China, the European Union and oth-

ers have been manipulating their currencies and interest rates lower, while the US is raising rates while the dollars gets stronger and stronger with each passing day—taking away our big competitive edge. As usual, not a level playing field,” Trump tweeted.

Trump’s combative stance has compounded fears of an all-out trade and currency war, with the US slapping tariffs on steel and aluminum from the EU, Canada and Mexico, in addition to levies on goods from China worth tens of billions of dollars.

In an interview with US channel CNBC broadcast Friday, Trump threatened to impose taxes on all Chinese imports, saying the US has been “ripped off by China for a long time”.

Tokyo plunged 1.3 percent—falling for a third straight trading day—as a stronger yen hurt exporters, making their products less competitive abroad

and eroding repatriated profits.

Hong Kong was flat while Seoul and Sydney slid 0.9 percent. But Shanghai jumped one percent and Jakarta advanced 0.8 percent.

Oil suffered mixed fortunes, with analysts saying concerns about the trade dispute were to blame for the flux in prices.

“The impact of the trade war and the recognition that President Trump and his administration are serious about going to the mat on this issue is finally starting to register in the consciousness of traders and investors in oil and other financial markets,” said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader.

“That means we are seeing downgrades, in some cases material, to the outlook for global growth and as a consequence the demand for oil,” he added.

With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW MONDAY, JULY 23, 2018

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 59.85 8,250 95.3 2,915,630 130.9 1,231,800 1.52 29,000 33.1 32,600 16.5 3,000 14.56 131,700 3.64 114,000 9.42 400 1.54 126,000 0.53 96,000 72.9 6,762,270 1.01 152,000 11.9 502,000 47.2 9,000 188 3,360 106.1 310 28.25 199,900 204 163,600 84.1 201,930

493,391 277,962,916 161,672,708 44,080 1,081,910 49,508 1,921,668 407,910 3,525 197,870 49,610 489,178,426.50 153,950 5,973,764 425,460 631,904 32,910 5,652,400 33,618,618 16,965,491

477,889 20,838,383.50 2,931,085 -318,340 -733,076 193,712,409 -311,885 18,800 -3,878,460 -11,802,764 -2,749,160

36.35 15.6 0.72 1.16 0.26 3.19 15.82 36.9 21.35 67.25 1.81 5.1 7.7 10.2 15.74 10.74 7.28 5.16 15.38 61.5 23.7 7.3 12.82 2.39 250 5 3.28 13.8 26.9 11.72 18 356 2.21 4.1 8.73 5.5 7.8 1.17 11.68 54.2 5.98 4.65 2.31 3.39 1.76 13.2 63.2 5.28 1.23 131.5 2.42 1.42

INDUSTRIAL 36.35 728,600 15.6 480,500 0.79 22,701,000 1.18 6,000 0.265 6,260,000 3.28 8,100,000 15.82 118,400 40 571,800 22.2 6,900 67.25 80 1.81 193,000 5.1 2,400 7.8 8,700 10.28 1,794,900 15.9 70,300 10.74 6,300 7.28 59,800 5.16 176,300 15.54 177,300 61.95 15,770 23.7 84,300 7.3 93,400 12.86 1,164,300 2.41 591,000 250 257,100 5.05 53,100 3.32 7,000 13.8 400 27 47,200 11.8 313,200 18.7 8,725,400 358 112,950 2.21 7,000 4.1 4,000 8.73 259,700 5.58 229,400 7.8 1,900 1.19 574,000 12 172,400 55.5 242,660 6 44,500 4.65 11,000 2.43 444,000 3.5 122,000 1.77 226,000 13.48 91,200 70 1,650,350 5.28 62,200 1.3 1,096,000 132 647,720 2.48 1,786,000 1.52 8,902,000

26,975,535 7,580,110 17,594,150 7,020 1,667,050 26,562,940 1,873,808 22,101,465 152,725 5,380 352,670 12,240 67,647 18,482,508 1,117,686 67,830 436,894 912,523 2,747,826 976,998.50 2,032,635 686,362 14,973,594 1,422,910 64,354,384 266,027 23,000 5,520 1,274,245 3,695,478 161,149,218 40,419,564 15,470 16,450 2,270,278 1,264,887 14,820 677,080 2,053,058 13,469,797.50 266,870 51,150 1,076,630 426,150 398,310 1,226,040 114,054,520 329,249 1,394,250 85,506,101 4,428,570 13,221,270

-985,630 523,206 -105,310 -148,500 3,076,530 -1,732,366 44,775 7,410 -41,867 1,721,886 -37,225 -114,087 932,618 706,928 -584,254 1,206,214 -8,889,790 -19,680 -10,535 -81,174 2,752,628 21,725,626 377,120 -62,266 1,099,619 31,096 4,650 -24,360 770,960 78,837,842.50 8,497,199 -12,500 -63,210

0.244 52 11.88 6.1 32.95 0.82 0.82 960 6.25 11.2 7.28 974 6 54 0.63 3.65 17 0.73 4.46 0.038 1.35 2.79 137.5 2.55 894 1.6 261 0.355 0.226

0.243 50.8 11.64 6 31.65 0.78 0.79 930 6.02 10.98 7.28 935 6 53 0.6 3.57 16.7 0.69 4.32 0.037 1.31 2.75 135 2.55 879.5 1.57 259 0.335 0.225

HOLDING FIRMS 0.243 670,000 51.7 589,640 11.66 1,373,100 6.1 2,660,800 31.8 151,700 0.8 47,891,000 0.81 11,908,000 951 96,360 6.02 400,300 11.02 841,900 7.28 100 960 81,850 6 1,500 53 180,180 0.62 205,000 3.61 308,000 16.92 7,033,500 0.69 10,560,000 4.43 19,820,000 0.038 8,600,000 1.31 1,766,000 2.75 421,000 137.5 201,280 2.55 18,000 885 210,820 1.6 84,000 261 1,410 0.355 15,710,000 0.226 500,000

163,250 30,496,547 16,125,950 15,965,643 4,840,445 38,133,580 9,516,030 91,560,370 2,442,435 9,334,880 728 78,704,110 9,000 9,638,725.50 124,360 1,110,690 118,214,172(33 7,398,600(1, 87,307,150 319,100 2,361,950 1,159,050 27,403,703 45,900 186,756,765 132,260 366,398 5,491,650 112,610

-2,769,423.50 -8,389,888 0 -376,685 3,059,030 -38,764,420 252,467 1,950,270 19,782,455 -678,664 -550,800 ,928,543.9999) 530,420.0001) -27,341,360 -50,140 275,000 -11,242,399 -22,511,630 0 -35,500 -

7.8 0.97 15 1.94 0.72 38.9 3.2 4.65 5.38 5.82 0.43 0.93 0.91 0.218 0.405 8.99 25.5 0.61 0.116 1.46 1.22 1.54 4.77 0.6 0.45 0.51 3.72 19.7

7.56 0.95 14.4 1.94 0.71 38.3 3.16 4.58 5.38 5.82 0.425 0.93 0.89 0.216 0.395 8.8 25.1 0.59 0.116 1.43 1.2 1.47 4.6 0.58 0.435 0.495 3.5 19.4

2,577,679 1,267,040 4,420 69,840 41,210 323,113,010 133,460 346,800 197,984 2,910 276,550 37,200 1,169,670 506,560 431,550 2,672,265 4,416,990 173,770 13,920 11,860,210 2,563,890 25,655,710 108,309,730 8,758,890 704,000 134,440 9,840,810 29,079,868

-675,892 -1,500 66,943,430 41,380 786,460 197,500 625,740 -6,600 -7,881,130 1,986,670 37,701,300 23,010 542,900 -464,066

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

59.8 95.5 131.5 1.52 33.2 16.5 14.68 3.65 8.61 1.53 0.53 70.05 1.03 11.88 47.65 188 108 28.4 206.6 84.1

59.85 95.5 131.7 1.52 33.3 16.58 14.68 3.72 9.42 1.64 0.53 73.05 1.03 11.9 47.65 189 108 28.4 206.6 84.1

59 95 130.2 1.52 33.1 16.5 14.56 3.55 8.61 1.53 0.51 70.05 1.01 11.88 47.15 188 106.1 28.2 204 84

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

37 15.9 0.73 1.16 0.27 3.2 15.9 39.15 21.35 67.25 1.86 5.1 8 10.3 15.88 10.74 7.33 5.18 15.46 62 23.8 7.34 12.9 2.4 250 5.07 3.28 13.8 27.75 11.86 18.02 356.4 2.21 4.15 8.79 5.65 7.8 1.18 11.82 54.3 5.98 4.65 2.34 3.52 1.76 13.3 64 5.31 1.29 132.4 2.51 1.43

37.4 15.9 0.81 1.18 0.27 3.33 15.9 41.65 22.6 67.25 1.87 5.1 8 10.36 15.9 10.82 7.36 5.18 15.56 62 24.45 7.4 12.96 2.44 251 5.07 3.32 13.8 27.75 11.88 18.84 359 2.21 4.15 8.79 5.65 7.8 1.19 12 56 6 4.65 2.44 3.52 1.78 13.48 70 5.31 1.3 132.4 2.52 1.52

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

0.244 50.8 11.84 6 31.65 0.78 0.79 940 6.1 11 7.28 950 6 53.95 0.63 3.6 17 0.73 4.35 0.037 1.34 2.79 136.8 2.55 890 1.57 260 0.34 0.225

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

7.56 0.96 14.4 1.94 0.72 38.8 3.2 4.59 5.38 5.82 0.425 0.93 0.89 0.217 0.395 8.8 25.1 0.59 0.116 1.45 1.21 1.5 4.6 0.59 0.445 0.5 3.69 19.7

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

2.01 3.3 37 1.13 7.32 0.77 5.99

2.06 3.3 37.1 1.15 7.64 0.77 5.99

2.01 3.28 36.4 1.13 7.31 0.76 5.9

2.05 3.28 36.5 1.14 7.52 0.76 5.95

280,000 47,000 2,794,700 2,449,000 911,600 26,000 3,506,300

571,670 154,830 102,518,940 2,792,000 6,838,299 20,010 20,777,943

46,530.00 3,869,410 613,825 -16,194,621

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

13.4 22 1.35 0.465 0.044 13.02 5.08 9.43 0.053 69.9 6.97 7.35 2.15 27.5 1,730 5.37 279 11.06 3.8 2.09 81 7.89 0.136 2.9 3.45 4.26 1.03 24.6 4.39 6 2.62 1.98 1.83 17.96 9.57 11.1 8.75 3.45 122 5.5 1,374 0.9 46.4 83 8.14 1.95 1.14 0.57 4.99 0.76 11.42

14 22.8 1.35 0.47 0.044 13.5 5.1 9.6 0.054 70.5 7 7.35 2.15 29.15 1,750 5.41 279.8 11.5 3.8 2.09 81 7.89 0.136 3.07 3.54 4.26 1.03 24.7 4.4 6.17 2.63 2 1.99 17.96 9.57 11.3 8.75 3.45 122 5.51 1,374 0.9 46.4 83 8.3 1.96 1.15 0.58 5 0.76 11.5

13.4 22 1.35 0.46 0.043 13.02 5.02 9.43 0.053 69.75 6.92 7.35 2.15 27.5 1,706 5.37 279 11.06 3.65 2.09 79.65 7.89 0.134 2.82 3.45 4.16 1.02 24.2 4.22 6 2.6 1.92 1.83 17.96 9.29 11.1 7.92 3.35 118 5.41 1,342 0.88 45.1 82.95 8.14 1.86 1.13 0.54 4.95 0.73 11.3

SERVICES 14 22.5 1.35 0.47 0.043 13.5 5.02 9.51 0.053 70 6.97 7.35 2.15 28.65 1,740 5.39 279.8 11.08 3.7 2.09 80.5 7.89 0.136 2.9 3.54 4.17 1.03 24.2 4.38 6.1 2.61 1.94 1.91 17.96 9.34 11.3 8.4 3.35 118 5.47 1,344 0.88 45.25 83 8.3 1.86 1.13 0.57 4.98 0.75 11.34

12,800 14,700 205,000 1,280,000 6,800,000 500 69,100 3,702,000 6,280,000 239,490 462,600 100 10,000 189,200 10,395 11,500 6,110 2,400 450,000 1,000 4,419,380 16,500 2,500,000 11,751,000 22,000 484,000 95,000 779,600 91,000 1,821,900 565,000 431,000 45,000 100 2,530,100 10,300 200,200 103,000 160 528,800 49,885 1,805,000 1,433,500 1,064,840 14,100 6,906,000 374,000 38,674,000 1,210,800 783,000 1,737,800

174,280 329,585 276,750 593,900 292,500 6,606 351,440 35,203,803 332,920 16,728,112.50 3,222,252 735 21,500 5,340,020 18,046,795 62,016 1,704,882 26,740 1,651,980 2,090 354,299,501 ( 130,185 337,280 34,923,230 77,010 2,030,730 97,810 18,955,510 392,140 11,074,648 1,476,760 841,320 85,380 1,796 23,842,098 115,818 1,641,115 355,250 19,230 2,889,113 67,308,210 1,605,450 65,159,730 88,381,713.50 116,358 13,150,510 423,610 21,637,010 6,030,215 581,980 19,700,032

22,780 -21,858,582 -3,498,139 -7,000 5,358,190 1,520,670 -32,940 13,606,368.5) 5,400 20,570 -67,030 -11,330 -1,092,035 2,348,729 -18,250 -4,595 21,437 -341,550 -3,540 -476,045 -445,520 -16,624,095 -449,036.50 1,821,310 -90,810 197,500.00 -69,966 -14,885,992

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

0.0025 1.42 3.91 20.1 1.46 1.91 0.305 7.39 2.16 0.22 0.122 0.128 0.008 1.53 4.49 1.21 0.56 1.13 0.012 0.011 2.84 4.3 10.26 31.5

0.0026 1.46 3.91 22.9 1.46 1.97 0.315 7.67 2.18 0.24 0.122 0.128 0.008 1.54 4.49 1.22 0.56 1.13 0.013 0.012 2.91 4.3 10.94 31.65

0.0025 1.42 3.91 20 1.46 1.9 0.305 7.28 2.13 0.218 0.121 0.128 0.008 1.51 4.33 1.17 0.53 1.06 0.012 0.011 2.8 4.28 10.2 31.45

MINING & OIL 0.0026 55,000,000 1.45 972,000 3.91 2,000 21.7 28,800 1.46 3,000 1.93 2,456,000 0.305 180,000 7.66 11,900 2.14 2,740,000 0.226 1,430,000 0.121 1,660,000 0.128 80,000 0.008 13,000,000 1.51 282,000 4.44 68,000 1.22 400,000 0.56 56,000 1.1 5,542,000 0.012 5,600,000 0.012 28,700,000 2.83 243,000 4.3 190,000 10.94 1,744,500 31.5 1,058,200

137,600 1,397,720 7,820 606,270 4,380 4,754,160 56,500 87,052 5,895,840 327,700 201,700 10,240 104,000 433,460 301,860 472,600 29,890 5,996,830 70,400 317,700 685,960 814,350 18,782,150 33,363,410

-55,610 -4,380 -868,000 26,900 8,640 42,800 -352,304 -13,507,140

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B2 DD PREF GLO PREF P GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A PNX PREF 3A SFI PREF SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

20.8 508 101.2 501 970 100.2 101.8 1.98 985 76.15 75.1 76.9 75.3 75.5 75.3

21.35 508 101.2 501.5 970 100.2 101.8 1.98 985 76.15 75.1 76.9 75.3 75.5 75.3

20.8 505 101.2 501 970 100 101.8 1.98 985 76 75.1 76.9 75.3 75.5 75.3

PREFERRED 21.05 9,200 505 200 101.2 131,000 501.5 250 970 50 100 240 101.8 1,980 1.98 5,000 985 200 76 1,520 75.1 26,560 76.9 150 75.3 12,000 75.5 20,400 75.3 26,000

195,910 101,570 13,257,200 125,275 48,500 24,042 201,564 9,900 197,000 115,560.50 1,994,656 11,535 903,600 1,540,200 1,957,800

-21,180 61,080 9,900 -

LR WARRANT

2.46

2.58

2.46

WARRANTS 2.58 4,000

9,960

-

ITALPINAS XURPAS

5.35 3.17

5.35 3.21

5.23 3.17

5.33 3.17

3,542,702 1,711,310

-108,815 136,310

FIRST METRO ETF

110.3

110.5

110.1

218,512

-

USD DMPL A2

10

10

10

57,800

-

MS

PROPERTY 7.6 0.97 14.8 1.94 0.71 38.8 3.16 4.59 5.38 5.82 0.425 0.93 0.9 0.218 0.405 8.84 25.25 0.61 0.116 1.44 1.22 1.53 4.7 0.6 0.44 0.5 3.5 19.4

336,400 1,321,000 300 36,000 58,000 8,337,000 42,000 75,000 36,800 500 650,000 40,000 1,302,000 2,340,000 1,090,000 301,800 174,500 294,000 120,000 8,188,000 2,119,000 16,994,000 23,014,000 14,865,000 1,600,000 268,000 2,765,000 1,481,500

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

12,683,045

INDUSTRIAL

69,538,516

HOLDING FIRMS

147,378,294

PROPERTY

192,738,578

SERVICES

110,751,937

MINING & OIL

122,720,444

GRAND TOTAL

657,019,474

SME

668,500 538,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 110.5 1,980 10

DDS

5,780

VALUE 1,836.31 (up) 4.08 996,531,740.29 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,638.66 (up) 104.82 665,715,609.055 HOLDING FIRMS 7,151.92 (down) 19.49 845,354,092.68 PROPERTY 3,631.88 (down) 25.14 1,441.57 (down) 6.62 808,308,620.40 SERVICES MINING & OIL 9,742.74 (up) 45.99 1,685,227,653.88 PSEI 7,376.80 (down) 22.81 74,895,292.271 All Shares Index 4,473.32 (up) 6.62 5,081,506,274.58 Gainers: 92; Losers: 88; Unchanged: 51; Total: 231

Ayala hikes public float after P8.1-b share sale

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE Ayala Corp. raised P8.07 billion from the sale of shares to an institutional investor, boosting its public float to 52.3 percent from 51.6 percent.

Ayala chief finance officer Jose Teodoro Limcaoco said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the company sold 8.81 common shares representing 1.4 percent of the conglomerate’s increased authorized capital stock at a price of P916 apiece.

The price represents a discount of 1.08 percent to the 30-day volume weighted average closing price of Ayala shares.

“We completed the placement upon its approval by our executive committee. The sale was executed through a subscription agreement for 8,810,000 shares with a single long-term institutional investor who had made a reverse inquiry,” Limcaoco said.

He said Ayala would use proceeds from the fund raising activity to acquire properties or assets or pay the debt contracted prior to the issuance of the shares.

The fund raising activity also also expected to further boost the conglomerate’s balance sheet. Ayala’s cash level stood at ₱16.9 billion as of the first quarter of 2018, with net debt at ₱72 billion.

The conglomerate earlier earmarked P249 billion in capital expenditures for 2018 to support the growth initiative of core units, Ayala Land Inc., Globe Telecom Inc. and Manila Water Co. Inc. This year’s capital expenditure spending is 44 percent higher from the 2017 level.

Ayala at the parent level allotted P51.8 billion in capital spending this year primarily to fund its subscription to Bank of the Philippine Island’s stock rights offering and investments in AC Energy, AC Industrials, AC Education and AC Health.

Lopez Holdings approves P400-m share buyback LOPEZ Holdings Corp., the listed holding company of the Lopez family, said its board approved a share buyback program of up to P400 million.

Lopez Holdings said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the share buyback program aimed to enhance the company’s shareholder value.

“The board of directors approved this afternoon the Lopez Holdings Corporation common shares buy-back program from July 2018 to July 2019 for up to P400 million, from internally generated sources,” Lopez Holdings said.

From a 52-week high of P7.49, the share price of Lopez Holdings recently dropped to a 52-week low of P3.54.

Share price of Lopez Holdings on Monday gained 1.4 percent to P3.61.

Lopez Holdings reported a net income of P1.145 billion in the first quarter of the year, up 10 percent from a year ago, while revenues rose eight percent to P27.56 billion.

Lopez Holdings was incorporated in 1993 by the Lopez family to serve as the holding company for investments in major development sectors, such as broadcasting and cable, telecommunications, power generation and distribution, and banking.

It added to the portfolio investments in other basic service sectors and has since sold its direct interest in banking, toll roads, information technology, property development, cable and health care delivery.

Other units of Lopez Holdings are also conducting their own repurchase programs.

First Gen Corp., a unit of Lopez Holdings, approved in June a two-year share buyback program that will cover up to P10 billion of the company’s preferred shares.

First Gen also implemented a twoyear share buyback program covering up to 300 million common shares.

Unit First Philippine Holdings Corp. early this month extended its P6 billion share repurchase program by two more years, or until July 2020.

FPH already purchased P3.63 billion worth of shares from the open market.

Jenniffer B. Austria

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

World

Manila

Standard

TODAY

B3

Zimbabwe returns to tourist map after almost 2 decades

DIVING COMPETITION. People look at a man as he jumps from the 22-meter-high “Ura e Shenjte” bridge during the annual traditional High Diving competition near the town of Gjakova on July 22, 2018. AFP

IN BRIEF Thais hunt crocodile in resort town PHUKET―Thailand is in hot pursuit of a cagey crocodile that has made unwelcome appearances off the beaches of resort island Phuket only to slip through the clutches of local authorities.

The evasive reptile was first seen near Rawai beach about a week ago but has resurfaced in multiple locations near the beaches on the Andaman Sea. A group of hunters has joined an expanding team trying to track it down.

Thawee Thongcha, the mayor of Karon town on the west coast of Phuket, told AFP Monday they had come very close to success.

“We almost caught it when it was seen near the beach in Karon, (we were) meters away but it moved quickly back to the sea,” Thawee said.

“We do not yet know where it comes from.”

Thailand’s pristine beaches draw millions of tourists a year and Phuket in the southwest is one of the most popular destinations.

Thawee said choppy monsoon seas had prevented fishing boats from using nets to capture the creature, which is almost two meters in length.

The Siamese crocodile was once ubiquitous across Southeast Asia but is currently listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list.

Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine biologist and lecturer at Kasetsart University, said the presence of a crocodile in Phuket meant it was likely a hybrid saltwater version of the species bred on a farm, and it was not the first such sighting.

“Normally, the open sea is not a place where a crocodile would live,” he said.

Crocodile numbers in Thailand and Southeast Asia generally have been decimated by habitat loss, commercial hunting for the skin trade and the capture of live reptiles to stock crocodile farms, according to the IUCN. AFP

MP embroiled in bribery kills self SEOUL―A prominent South Korean lawmaker who was being probed over a bribery scandal has committed suicide, police said Monday.

Roh Hoe-chan, a three-term lawmaker of the left-leaning Justice Party had been under investigation for allegedly receiving 50 million won ($44,300) from a powerful political blogger linked to many top politicians.

The blogger, widely known by his online nickname “Druking”, is currently on trial for using illegal hacking programmes to sway public opinion on Naver, the South’s top online portal.

“Druking” is accused of artificially increasing the number of positive responses-the equivalent of Facebook’s “Like” function―to tens of thousands of online comments on Naver that attacked or supported politicians or political parties in a bid to win personal favors.

In a suicide note left in a Seoul apartment, Roh admitted he had received money from the blogger, but denied he had offered any favor in return, the Yonhap news agency said.

He had been expected to be summoned soon by prosecutors for questioning.

Police said Roh was found dead at the gate of the same apartment building and that it appeared he had jumped to his death.

Roh was a prominent labor rights activist before becoming a lawmaker in 2004. The South’s presidential Blue House offered condolences over the “heartbreaking event.”

“I express my deepest condolences over his death from the depths of my heart,” Huh Ik-bum, a senior prosecutor leading the probe over the scandal, told reporters. AFP

VICTORIA FALLS, Zimbabwe―After nearly two decades in the doldrums, Zimbabwe’s tourism sector is enjoying a rebound, with visitors returning in droves to see the majestic Victoria Falls and explore unspoiled safari reserves.

The number of foreign visitors to Victoria Falls, the southern African country’s flagship destination, jumped nearly 50 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2017, the tourism minister says.

Countrywide, arrivals rose by 15 percent to 554,417, according to treasury statistics.

Political and economic turmoil under longtime autocratic ruler Robert Mugabe had wrecked the sector, but authorities and tourism operators now believe the industry has a new lease of life.

Mugabe was ousted in November after a 37-year repressive rule during which tourists shunned the country, fearful of police demanding bribes, crumbling infrastructure and scarce fuel.

Cash was also in short supply from 2009, when hyperinflation forced Zimbabwe to abandon its own currency in favor of the US dollar.

“We were in a closed period for a long time,” admitted Tourism Minister Priscah Mupfumira, speaking ahead of key elections on July 30. “We closed ourselves in, doors were locked.”

Since Emmerson Mnangagwa took over as president from Mugabe in a de facto coup last year, “we are poised for growth,” the minister told AFP. “There are good vibes from the industry and from the international world― everybody is so positive,” she said.

With Zimbabwe’s economy still in tatters, an influx of tourists is expected to help bring in desperately needed revenue, with the sector already contributing around 10 percent to GDP. “It’s a key pillar to our economy and a low-hanging fruit―we just have to get our act together,” Mupfumira said.

But visiting Zimbabwe is generally more expensive compared with neighboring countries.

“It is not a cheap holiday,” said Ilan Wiesenbacher, a restaurateur in Victoria Falls, where the Zambezi River plunges over a gorge and raises a mist that can be seen more than 20 kilometers away.

“We have seen a steady rise in numbers,” said Wiesenbacher, manager at the Three Monkeys restaurant. “There is a general good feeling around Zimbabwe and tourism.”

Even in the traditional low season from January to March, craft beer brewer Jake Le Breton had more glasses to fill at his River Brewing Company bar in Victoria Falls. AFP

Deadly heatwave blankets Japan

T

OKYO―Japanese officials issued new warnings Monday as a deadly heatwave blankets the country, producing record high temperatures in Tokyo just two years before the city hosts the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Officials said last week that the heatwave had killed at least 15 people and forced the hospitalization of over 12,000 others in the first two weeks of July.

But the death toll may be more than double that, with Kyodo News agency reporting 11 people died on Saturday alone across Japan.

An updated official toll is expected later this week.

The heatwave has toppled temperature records across the country, with Kumagaya in Saitama outside Tokyo setting a new nationwide record on Monday with temperatures hitting 41.1 Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit).

And in western Tokyo’s Ome, temperatures hit 40.3 degrees Celsius, the first time temperatures over 40 have been recorded in Tokyo’s metro area.

Records fell at 13 other observation stations across the country, with more than a dozen cities and towns seeing temperatures around 40 degrees, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

“People in areas where temperatures

Indonesian jailers busted over fancy cells, private rooms BANDUNG, Indonesia―Inmates at an Indonesian prison paid for luxury cells equipped with air conditioning, flat-screen TVs and private washrooms, anti-graft officials said, in the graftriddled country’s latest corruption scandal.

Jail staff allegedly took bribes of 200-500 million rupiah ($14,000-$35,000) from inmates to renovate cells and supply banned mobile phones or even let them temporarily leave prison, Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said.

Anti-graft agents arrested five people connected to the scandal at Sukamiskin prison, including inmates and the warden who got cash and a pair of vehicles to look the other way, it added.

A raid on Sunday turned up several cells that featured modern bathrooms with hot showers, full-sized refrigerators, coffee makers, microwave ovens and stereo loudspeakers, the KPK said.

“We apologize to the Indonesian people,” Sri Puguh Budi Utami, the director general of Indonesia’s prisons, told reporters late Sunday.

“We’re very sorry that we still have not been able to maximize our monitoring systems.”

A former tax official now serving time at Sukamiskin was once photographed watching a tennis tournament in Bali and had even traveled overseas on a fake passport when he was supposed to be in another jail.

The prison’s other inmates include a former chief justice and ex-house speaker Setya Novanto, who was convicted in April of taking millions of dollars in kickbacks and bribes linked to the national roll-out of government ID cards.

They were not among the inmates or prison staff arrested Sunday.

Indonesian prisons are more commonly known for their poor conditions and outbreaks of violence.

But it is an open secret that the rich and powerful can buy luxury on the inside, prompting the government to warn last year that it would jail guards or other staff caught taking bribes from inmates in exchange for special treatment.

In one of the highest-profile cases, a businesswoman imprisoned for bribery had a cell with a spring mattress, couch, refrigerator, television and air conditioning―and adjoining karaoke room. AFP

are as high as 35 degrees or higher should be extremely careful” to avoid heatstroke, meteorological agency official Minako Sakurai told AFP. “And even at lower temperatures, the heat can be dangerous for small children and elderly people, and depending on the environment and activities you are doing,” she warned.

“People should be all the more careful as many people must be exhausted after days of cruelly hot weather,” she added.

Yoshihide Suga, the top government spokesman, warned that extremely hot days “are expected to continue until early August.”

Japan’s disaster management agency has urged people to use air conditioning, drink sufficient water and rest often

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF QUEZON CITY BDO UNIBANK, INC., Mortgagee/s, -versusFRE NO. 12300 SPOUSES ARNOLD B. HERNANDEZ AND MAILI A. HERNANDEZ Mortgagor/s. x------------------------------------------x NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE OF REAL PROPERTY UNDER ACT 3135 (AS AMENDED) Upon extra-judicial petition under ACT 3135, as amended by ACT 4118, and pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Deed of Real Estate Mortgage executed on January 08, 2016 by Spouses ARNOLD B. HERNANDEZ and MAILI A. HERNANDEZ – (1) Lot 5, Block 1 Goldridge Estate, Sta. Cruz, Guiguinto, Bulacan, and (2) Unit No. 2712, 27th Floor, Berkeley Residences, Katipunan Avenue cor. J. Escaler St, Quezon City: Mortgagor/s in favor of BDO UNIBANK, INC., Mortgagee/s to satisfy the mortgage debt in the amount of P1,413,525.04 as of May 21, 2018 inclusive of interest, penalties and other charges, the Ex-Officio Sheriff of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City and/or his duly authorized Deputy Sheriff, hereby announces that on AUGUST 8, 2018, between the hours of 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., at the Office of the Clerk of Court and Ex-Officio Sheriff, Regional Trial Court, Hall of Justice Bldg., Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, will SELL at public auction to the highest bidder and for cash, in Philippine currency, the following described real property with all the improvements existing thereon to wit: CONDOMINIUM CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 004-2015008673 Registry of Deeds-Quezon City “27th Floor (Residential Unit), Unit No. 2712, BERKELEY RESIDENCES, consisting of Studio Unit, with a total area of 19.65 SQ.M. MORE OR LESS. In the diagrammatic floor plan appended to the enabling or master deed of condominium project annotated on TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE N-313511; N-313513; N-313323 which embraces and describes the land located at KATIPUNAN AVENUE CORNER ESCALER STREET, LOYOLA HEIGHTS, QUEZON CITY – with an area of THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-TWO and NINETY (3,152.90) Square Meter and is registered in the name of: Sps. Arnold B. Hernandez and Maili A. Hernandez, both of legal age.”

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned at the aforesaid Office on the above stated time and date.

Interested parties are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title to the said property and the encumbrances thereon if any there be.

In the event that public auction should not take place on said date due to fortuitous event or if the same be declared a non-working holiday, if shall be held on AUGUST 15, 2018, at the same time and place without further notice.

Quezon City, Metro Manila, JULY 5, 2018.

(Sgd.) ARNULFO O. LIM Sheriff IV (Sgd.) GREGORIO C. TALLUD Clerk of Court VII & Ex-Officio Sheriff WARNING: It is absolutely prohibited to remove, deface, or destroy this Notice of ExtraJudicial Sale of Real Property on or before the date of auction sale under penalty of the law.

Copy Furnished: ARNOLD B. HERNANDEZ and MAILI A. HERNANDEZ Lot 5, Block 1 Goldridge Estate, Sta. Cruz, Guiguinto Bulacan Unit No. 27212, 27th Floor.

Berkeley Residences, Katipunan Avenue, cor. J. Escaler St., Quezon City

BDO UNIBANK, INC. (formerly BANDO DE ORO UNIBANK, INC.) 11th Floor, South Tower, BDO Corporate Center, 7899 Makati Avenue, Makati City (MStandard-July 10, 17 & 24, 2018)

while at work.

The heatwave follows record rainfall that devastated parts of western and central Japan with floods and landslides that killed over 220 people.

Japan’s summers are notoriously hot and humid, and hundreds of people die each year from heatstroke, particularly the elderly in the country’s aging society.

But this year’s record temperatures have surprised residents and officials alike, and revived concerns about the 2020 Summer Olympics, which will be held in July and August in Tokyo.

Olympic officials and Tokyo’s local government are touting measures from solar-blocking paint on roads to mobile misting stations to tackle the heat. AFP

Provincial Government of Bataan PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AND INVESTMENT CENTER Invitation to submit Comparative Proposals Public notice is hereby given that the Public-Private Partnership and Investment Center (PPPIC)of the Provincial Government of Bataan and Agrilever (HK) Ltd., the Original Proponent (OP), for theestablishment, operation and maintenance of the Agriculture Innovation and Technology Center and Incubator Farmunder a Joint Venture Agreement, have completed successful negotiations on July 3, 2018 under Stage 2 of the Unsolicited Proposal PPP process pursuant to the Provincial Ordinance No. 02, S. of 2013. Under the negotiated terms of the Joint Venture Agreement, the Project shall involve the incorporation of a separate Joint Venture (JV) corporation which will own, manage and operate the Project.

This project shall include the establishment and operation of the Agriculture Innovation and Technology Center (AITC), proof of concept Incubator Farm and Incubator Agribusiness in the Province of Bataan.

The AITC will provide farmers with a complete set of services to fully manage the agronomy and related financial aspects of their farms and increase their productivity and returns by enabling a large number of farmers to “leapfrog” into modern, innovative agriculture. This will be achieved by providing farmers with agronomy and business outsourcing, on farm working commercial demonstration sites to assist farmers in adopting technologies and investing in inputs, irrigation, facilitating financing and crop insurance, financing for buying seed and other expenditures necessary to grow their crops. The Incubator Farm will provide commercial proof of concept greenhouse, assist in provision of agricultural input as well as marketing and branding produce, selling services and licensing know-how to investors in agriculture projects that wish to establish greenhouses and other intensive farming projects.

Final notice is hereby given to eligible Private Sector Participants (PSPs) to submit their comparative proposals. Interested PSPs must submit their notarized Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to submit comparative proposals to the PPP and Investment Center, Provincial Governor’s Office, Bulwagan, Capitol Compound, Balanga City on or before 5:00 in the afternoon of 7 August 2018. EOIs must and can only be submitted by the PSP that will apply for eligibility and submit comparative proposals.

The EOI must also contain a statement that the PSP has undertaken and completed a similar development project under a similar arrangement.

Further, the EOI must contain an undertaking by the PSP that it will adhere to the Ordinance, policies, pronouncements of, and qualification criteria set by, the PPPIC, and that it will not seek and obtain a writ of injunction or prohibition or restraining order against the PPPIC, the Province and its officials to prevent or restrain the Competitive Challenge process, the award of the Project and carrying out the Project, and that it will not institute any criminal, civil and/or administrative cases against the officials of the PPPIC and the Province.

PSPs that will participate must acknowledge the right of the original proponent to match the best qualified proposal submitted in this Competitive Challenge, upon which the PPP Project shall still be awarded to the original proponent under the terms and conditions of the said best qualified proposal.

If no notarized EOI from a proper entity is received within the aboveprescribed period, the Project will be awarded to the OP and Stage 3 or the Competitive Challenge process shall be deemed terminated.

PSPs which have filed their EOIs may obtain the forms for pre-qualifications and eligibility, and submit eligibility requirements on or before 5:00 PM, August 21, 2018. Tender documents shall be issued only to eligible private proponents upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Philippine Pesos: Fifty Thousand Pesos (PhP50,000.00), and must submit their comparative proposals on or before 5:00 PM, October 4, 2018. If no PSP qualifies as eligible and/or procures the tender documents and/or submits compliant comparative proposals, the Project will be awarded to the OP and Stage 3 or the Competitive Challenge process shall be deemed terminated.

The PPPIC reserves the right to reject any and all application for qualification and eligibility found not in conformity with the aforesaid Ordinance, relevant issuances, and this Notice.

Prepared by:

Approved by:

(SGD) Atty. AURELIO C. ANGELES, JR (SGD) Engr. ENRICO T. YUZON PPPIC Chief PPP-SC Chairman

(MS-JULY 24, 2018)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

LGUs

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

B4

tuesday, july 24, 2018

LocaL government units

Over 4k Manila youth leaders gain training The Manila City government conducted a mandatory training for newly elected Sangguniang Kabataan officials under the SK Reformed Act before assuming their respective posts.

Manila Mayor Joseph estrada said the training of SK officials is to provide these young new leaders of their responsibilities, understand the importance of their functions, and their role in community development.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government office in Manila provided technical assistance by leading the City Management Team, in coordination with the Office of the Mayor and Office of the City Administrator. All Local Government Operations Officers acted as resource persons, facilitators, documenters and admin support staff at the same time.

The training covered topics, such as SK history, decentralization and local governance, parliamentary rules applied on meetings and crafting of resolutions, planning of programs, and ethical standards for public officials and employees.

Manila City DILG Director lawyer Rolynne A Javier said the training will help provide the necessary skills as government workers before assuming their posts as SK officials.

Republic Act 10742 or the SK Reform Act is required and those who would not be able to attend the training cannot assume their position, Javier warned.

Taguig lakefront transformed from dumpsite The Taguig City government has transformed dumpsites in Barangay Lower Bicutan into an amusement park and an urban farming place for residents.

“We’ve always wanted to stay true to our ‘probinsyudad’ principle, striking a balance between modernization and tradition, advancement and the environment, urban and rural,” said Mayor Laarni Cayetano, referring to the Taguig Lakefront Community Park and Taguig Integrated Urban Farm.

“It comes naturally that we convert unused, vacant or abandoned lots so that they work to the benefit of our people and our understanding of the kind of city we are,” she said.

A makeover turned a dumpsite into the TLC Park, a 600-square-meter lot.

The park was inaugurated in 2014.

“We are creating a place where every visitor—regardless of their social status—can enjoy themselves, with the company of their families or friends,” said city’s Manpower Training Center officer-in-charge Maria Anabelle Santos.

TLC Park offers activities for various purposes, all free of charge. It has traditional Filipino games for youngsters, a train ride for toddlers, biking for families, film showings for barkada. hoopers can use the basketball court.

Students can study or practice there, with so much room to go about.

Park personnel have conducted daily afternoon classes for kids who’ve become regular visitors, where they teach some lessons in basic literacy, good manners and, of course, song and dance.

GROUNDBREAKING.

Cavite Gov. Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla (2nd from left) and Cavite 6th District Rep. Luis Emmanuel ‘Jon Jon’ Ferrer IV (4th from right) join Japan International Cooperation Agency Chief Representative Yoshio Wada (3rd from left) and Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda (4th from left) in the groundbreaking ceremony and laying of time capsule to mark the official construction of the P78-million Department of Health Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center at Brgy. Osorio in Trece Martires City.

The event was also attended by DOH-Calabarzon Regional Director Dr. Eduardo C. Janairo, Health Undersecretary Roger Tong-An, Local Government Undersecretary Epimaco V. Densing, and Trece Martires local officials.

E-BOOKS FOR SCHOOL. Biñan City Mayor Wilfredo Arman Dumaguila (center, striped shirt) leads the distribution of 1,200 new Mobile Computer Laboratories (inset) at the Biñan National High School, Dela Paz NHS, Nereo Joaquin NHS, Biñan City Senior High School-San Antonio Campus and Jacobo ZGMNHS. They were the first batch of recipients for this academic year, as more schools are set to receive the MCLs as part of ‘Serbisyong Arman.’ Also in photo are Vice Mayor Gel Alonte (third from right) and city councilors. Roy Tomandao

Makati collects P15.6b in revenue in 6 months

By Joel E. Zurbano

M

AKATI City Mayor Abigail Binay on Monday expressed confidence that the city government will hit and surpass its P15.6-billion revenue goal this year after collecting P12.09 billion, or 77 percent of the target, in just six months.

“We are optimistic that we will surpass our revenue target for the year and collect more than the 23 percent balance for the remainder of the year. We thank our dutiful taxpayers for fulfilling their part in city-building by promptly paying the correct taxes,” Binay said.

The city chief executive also welcomed some 2,321 new businesses that have been issued permits by the Business Permit and Licensing Office from January to June of this year.

“We thank you for choosing Makati to invest in and set up your business ventures.

You can rest assured that the city govern-

ment is doing everything in its power to sustain a conducive environment for your businesses to prosper,” she stated.

Based on the latest report submitted

by Acting City Treasurer Jesusa Cuneta to the Office of the Mayor, there was a nine percent increase in total revenues compared to the same period last year.

The highest collection came from Business Tax with P6.17 billion, which topped last year’s figure by 12 percent followed

by Real Property Tax with P4.4 billion, or a 5.5 percent increase over last year. Other local revenue sources for the said period included Fees and Charges with P541.87

million and economic enterprises with P121.34 million.

Revenue collected from other sources included Interest Income (P134.82 million), Internal Revenue Allotment or IRA (P569.04 million), Share from economic Zone or Peza (P138.35 million), and share from Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (P3.48 million).

Moreover, the City Treasurer’s report also showed that as of end-June, the city has attained 71 percent of its target for Business Tax, and 96 percent of its target for Real Property Tax. The attainment rates for the other revenue sources are as follows: Fees and Charges, 85 percent; economic enterprise, 52 percent; Interest Income, 81 percent; IRA, 50 percent.

Makati remains one of a few local government units in the country that are not dependent on the IRA.

MUNTI HOUSING.

Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi (6th from left) leads the inauguration and turnover of 18 housing units at GK Laguerta Centennial Village in Barangay Tunasan on Wednesday.

Fresnedi, Gawad Kalinga executive director Luis Oquiñena, and Empire East Land Holdings Inc., president and CEO lawyer Charlemagne Yu led the awarding ceremony of the houses constructed through Empire East, Gawad Kalinga, and Muntinlupa LGU Urban Poor Affairs Office.

French govt gives P25m for metro cable car study

By Darwin G. Amojelar The Department of Transportation said it secured P25 million in funding from the French government for a feasibility study on the installation of cable cars in Metro Manila.

“There’s a grant from French embassy, we are just waiting the approval from the Office of the President. They will be conducting a feasibility study to install cable cars in Metro Manila,” Garry V. de Guzman, DoTr undersecretary for administration and Finance said Monday.

“If successful, we will also conduct a feasibility study in Baguio or Boracay,” he added.

The installation of cable cars aims to decongest traffic in Metro Manila.

According to the Japan International for Cooperation Agency, the updated daily cost of traffic in Metro Manila was P3.5 billion in 2017, higher than the estimated P2.4 billion based on its previous transport roadmap.

JICA said with the estimated 12.8 million population of Metro Manila as of 2015, the cost would amount to P273 for each resident a day, up from P187.5 for each resident in the previous roadmap.

Without intervention, the daily cost traffic would increase to P5.4 billion in the coming years, the agency said.

JICA said Metro Manila’s traffic situation was getting worse, as traffic demand reached 13.4 million trips a day.

By 2035, the daily cost of traffic is seen doing down to P3 billion with the government’s “Build Build Build program,” the agency said. It said with additional projects, the impact would be further reduced to P2.4 billion.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the BBB program would mean more roads, bridges, railways, airports and ports being constructed, and more jobs being generated.

Quezon City, Davao renew sister-city pact ‘to improve public service’

By Rio N. Araja

QUeZON City Mayor herbert Bautista, along with Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, on Monday formally renewed a sister-city agreement between the city and Davao City.

After the signing, Bautista invited Davao Mayor Sara Duterte to his office to hand over a copy of his biography.

Belmonte also thanked the presidential

daughter for coming over to Quezon City.

On June 27, Duterte sent Davao City Vice Mayor Bernard Al-ag to attend the sister city cooperation ceremony.

“With grateful hearts, we joyfully and warmly welcome Mayor Sara to our city and extend our deepest thanks to her for the time she has spared despite her extremely busy schedule that includes the State of the Nation Address

of her father [President Rodrigo Duterte] this afternoon,” Belmonte said. held at the Quezon City hall, the signing was witnessed by city councilors, department heads, barangay officials and other guests from both Davao and Quezon City.

“We are truly happy for Quezon City’s renewal of the sister-city hood agreement.

We look up to Quezon City. We in Davao

City are looking at the best practices of the other cities so that we can improve our public service there,” Duterte said.

“In our pursuit of progress and development, this partnership opens a lot of opportunities to learn from each other and to collaborate on initiatives that can help uplift the lives of our constituents and bring peace and prosperity to our cities and to our nation,” she added.

LGUs ‘happy’ with fair IRA share—Garcia The country’s local government units are “happy” after the Supreme Court decided with finality their rights to shares in all government revenue collections, Bataan 2nd District Rep. Jose enrique Garcia III said Monday.

In a landmark decision, the high court voted 10-3 in an en banc session last July 3 to grant the consolidated petitions filed by the late Bataan governor and 2nd District Rep. enrique “Tet” Garcia Jr.—Garcia III’s father—and hermilando Mandanas, also a former governor of the province.

The original petition filed by Garcia back in August 2013 argued that LGUs have a right in just shares not only in national internal revenue taxes, but in all national taxes as enshrined in Section 6, Article X of the Philippine Constitution.

Garcia said the grave mistake happened

when Congress enacted a provision (Section 284) in the Local Government Code of 1991, which states that “local government units shall have a share in the national internal revenue taxes based on the collection of the third fiscal year preceding the current fiscal year.”

“Congress clearly committed an unconstitutional act when it changed the basis in determining the share of the LGUs from “national taxes” to “national internal revenue taxes” in the LGC,” Garcia III said.

The LGC is the implementing rules and regulations for LGUs and is the mandate of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The elder Garcia, a three-term Bataan governor, said he had studied thoroughly and diligently the errors committed in implementing the LGC and decided to do something about it.

Life

Bernadette lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife

health and environment

@MstandardlIFe tuesday, july 24, 2018

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A pArt of you can save a life THe GReaTesT GifT. Are you willing to save someone’s life? Deceased organ donation is a way to help individuals suffering from organ failure as it gives the brain dead donor’s healthy organs and tissues to be transplanted to another person.

S

Selena Gomez (left) received a kidney donation from her best friend francia raisa. (@selenagomez/instagram)

eLeNA GOMez turned 26 on Sunday. But she had already received perhaps the greatest gift anyone could ever receive—a part of someone.

In September 2017, Gomez announced through her Instagram account that she had a kidney transplant to treat her kidney failure due to lupus nephritis, an incurable disease. Her kidney donor was none other than her best friend, Francia Raisa.

After the news of her transplant broke, the subject of organ donation was again put on the spotlight; more people have become aware of its role in saving lives.

Organ transplantation is the best treatment option for patients with organ failure. In the Philippines, the most commonly transplanted organ is the kidney.

According to data from the Philippine Renal Disease Registry, lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension remain the top causes of kidney failure, particularly among the middle-aged population.

Theoretically speaking, the rising incidence rate of kidney failure at 120 per million population creates a wide gap between demand and supply. Since diabetes and hypertension tend to run among family members, this fact discourages family members to donate their kidneys. To increase awareness, enhancing a deceased organ donor program is the way to go in addressing the scarcity of organ donors.

Makati Medical Center breaks down what we should know about deceased organ donation and why it’s something that we should consider.

“In essence, deceased organ donation is a legacy of voluntarily giving your healthy organs and tissues to be transplanted to another person with organ failure at the time of your death,” explains Dr. Arlene Lamban of MakatiMed’s section of Nephrology.

She adds, “It could be any of the organs such as kidneys, heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, and lungs; portions of the skin; bone and bone marrow; or even the cornea.”

A deceased donor, for instance, can save two patients from a lifetime of dialysis. However, deceased organ donation is often misunderstood. Correct information dissemination is vital.

According to MakatiMed’s medical professionals, the donated organs are vi- For more information on organ donation, able organs from a brain dead (declared call MakatiMed On-Call at (02) 8888-999 clinically and legally dead) donor. This or email mmc@makatimed.net.ph.

4 easy ways to be eco-friendly while shopping SAVING the environment while you’re out shopping somehow sounds contradictory, if not pointless. In fact, according to a 2007 study by the Australian Conservation Foundation, shopping habits represent a large part of greenhouse emissions.

But aside from greenhouse emissions and water consumptions to produce and transport the goods we buy, other fac-

SM’s trashto-Cash recycling Market lets everyone join a recycling program while earning money.

tors such as packaging, contribute to serious damage to our planet.

When you’re out at the mall or supermarket, remember these four small steps you can take to be eco-friendly.

before they break down into small pieces. Sadly, however, majority of goods sold in the market have plastic packaging, from water bottles to processed foods. To help reduce plastic, bring reusable, durable ecobags whenever you Reduce plastic go shopping. SM Supermalls’ recyclable Most plastics are non-biodegradable Green Bag is ideal for shopping as it is and may take a thousand years or more made from 100 percent polypropylene,

a non-toxic material that is safe for all skin types. The bag is made to last for at least two years, making it quite costefficient. You may also bring whatever reusable ecobag you have at home.

You may also join eco-friendly initiatives such as replacing plastic straws with metal, glass, or bamboo straws, and going for package-less products such as shampoo bars.

Don’t be a litter bug

Dispose properly your garbage at all times. Better still, join cleanup activities like the annual coastal cleanup organized by SM by the Bay in support of the International Cleanup Day on Sept. 15.

Recycle

Support businesses that help create a greener world. SM Seaside City Cebu, for instance, harnesses the power of solar energy.

means that there is no longer any brain activity and cannot be resuscitated from loss of function in the heart and lungs.

Health providers now see it as their responsibility to educate people, correct the myths, and dispel urban legend about organ donation.

“We want to dispel the superstitions and misconceptions that make it hard for people to say ‘yes’ to organ donation and for families to allow their deceased family member to be donors,” says Dr. Jose Dante Dator, director of professional services. “In fact, it is allowed by most religious groups and is not costly.”

Information dissemination through advocacy programs is the first step, while encouragement should be the “snowball factor” to initiate and maintain the Deceased Organ Donation Program.

Anyone—apart from those with cancer, HIV, and other infectious conditions—can be a donor. A donor card or a simple instruction in your driver’s license and other government issued IDs should serve as proof of your willingness to be an organ donor.

Don’t forget to let your family know of your wishes to share a vital part of yourself after your death so that others may live. Remember that when that unfortunate time comes, a fortunate call happens for a patient who is on the waiting list for organ transplantation.

If you do not have time to recycle at home, bring your trash to establishments that do. SM has a program called “Trash-to-Cash Recycling Market” where individuals can join and learn

proper disposal and waste management while earning extra cash. Check out details of this program, which happens every first weekend of the month, at your nearest SM mall.

support green businesses

Supporting sustainable businesses helps create a greener world. SM, for instance, has adopted sustainable programs, such as the integration of transport terminals at malls to ease traffic and reduce air pollution. It also builds disaster-resilient malls with water catchment basins in floodprone areas.

In addition, some of its establishments harness the power of solar energy. SM City North edsa is the first mall in the Philippines to promote solar power energy. Alongside SM Mall of Asia and SM Seaside City Cebu, other SM malls that house solar panels are in Cauayan, Cabanatuan, lloilo, Trece Martires, and Tuguegarao.

Life

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tuesday, ju juLy 24, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

La Union locals walk barefoot in protest against fossil fuels L

OCAL groups in La Union came together July 13 to join the growing number of communities around the world calling the #breakfree from fossil fuels.

Physisue 57 trainers in Manila

Led by the Koalisyon Isalbar Ti Pintas Ti La Union (Coalition to Save the Beauty of La Union) and the Coal-Free La Union, and joined by Greenpeace Philippines, the groups that marched barefoot along the main highway from UCCP Walkway to San Fernando Town Plaza were composed of seaside communities, surfing instructors and enthusiasts, divers, government employees, tourism agents, resort owners, educators, church officials, and NGO workers.

The groups are opposing a proposal to put up a 670-megawatt coal-fired power plant in the town of Luna. The proposal threatens not only the environmental stability of the province

Break Free is a global movement made up of NGOs, grassroots groups, and ordinary people working together to promote the use of safer, cleaner, and renewable energy.

Workout geared toward women The workout program that is said to have sparked the ballet barré exercise studio craze worldwide is now in the Philippines.

Physique 57 is a barré-based workout program with intervals that blend the most effective elements of cardio, strength training, and stretching.

Designed to burn fat and build long, lean muscle, Physique 57 uses a groundbreaking process called Interval Overload which uses a person’s own body weight as resistance to target and overload muscles to the point of fatigue, then stretches them for relief. each intense 57-minute workout involves muscle-defining arm exercises, waist-chiseling abs moves, intense thigh and seat sequences, and fluid stretches. each class starts with a warm-up and a series of upper body exercises that include push-ups, planks, free weights, and targeted moves for the biceps, triceps, shoulder, chest, and back. Then on to the barré to tone and lift the thighs, seat, and abdominals. exercise sequences merge small, isometric moves with large, full body movements which are guaranteed to sculpt the physique. even though the classes are rigorous, Physique 57 “barré babes” push through each session through the help of the program’s innovative choreography, energizing music, personalized coaching, motivating class community, and, more importantly, its physical, mental, and emotional results.

Physique 57 instructors are upfront that the classes aren’t easy but that’s precisely why they work. Lyndsey Makovsky, one of the top Physique 57

trainers from New York encourages new clients, saying, “Come in with no expectations and keep an open mind.

Our teachers will always have your back and they will always support you.

Just try it. It’s going to leave you feeling better and you’re going to walk out of the class in a better mood and hopefully, feel encouraged.”

Though challenging, each class is low impact and focuses on proper body mechanics, alignment, and form. In fact, most of its exercises are akin to movements done in physical therapy so they’re equally strengthening and therapeutic. The workouts also help resolve muscle imbalance and helps correct lifestyle-acquired postural deviations.

Jennifer harper developed Physique 57 after The Lotte Berck Method, an exercise studio that taught a rigorous, dance-based exercise method, shut its doors in 2005. She experienced firsthand the quick weight loss and boost in her self-confidence and perseverance with the Lotte Berck Method and wanted to keep its mission alive. She then teamed up with star Lotte Berck trainer Tanya Becker to create Physique 57.

To date, Physique 57 is empowering women in 10 studios worldwide: in New York City, the hamptons, Beverly hills, Dubai, Bangkok, Mumbai, and now Manila. It has a cult following and a growing list of celebrity clientele, including Demi Moore, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Chrissy Teigen, among others.

Physique 57 classes in Manila are held on the 2nd floor of W 5th Building, 5th Ave. corner 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City. Visit www.physique57manila.com for more information.

The effects of cigarette smoking to your body A number of harmful things can happen to the body of a smoker.

By Elvira P. Buccat There are several harmful things that happen to our bodies due to cigarette smoking. It is a fact that cigarette smoke contains thousands of different substances, most of which addictive and cause cancer.

According to an elementary science textbook, entitled Exploring Science and Health, nicotine is one of these harmful chemicals. Nicotine is a poisonous colorless gas. The book said, a pin-sized drop of pure nicotine, if taken into the body, can kill a person instantly.

Nicotine in cigarette smoke narrows the blood vessel, thus affecting the flow of blood and oxygen in the body. As a result, the heart must work harder. Further, this substance is addictive, which means once a person has started to smoke, he develops the habit and finds it hard to stop.

Another harmful substance in cigarette is tar. This brown, sticky sub-

stance in cigarette smoke harms the air passages and lungs. When a person smokes continuously, tar builds up on the walls of the air passages and lungs, which may lead to difficulty in breathing. Tar is also known to cause cancer.

Carbon monoxide, an odorless and colorless gas, is another substance in cigarette. When a person smokes, he inhales carbon monoxide instead of oxygen. As a result, oxygen supply in the body is lessened. The heart has to pump harder so that every cell has the needed oxygen. heartbeats increase and breathing becomes deep and frequent. This may result in heart and lung problems.

In addition, smoking affects the sense of smell and taste because it destroys the nerve endings in nose and tongue. Vision becomes blurred and muscle movements become slow due to the effect of carbon monoxide.

About the author: Elvira P. Buccat is a science teacher at Canaolan Elementary School in Binmaley, Pangasinan.

Locals and tourists in La Union march in protest against the proposed coal-fire power plant in the town of Luna.

but also the health and livelihoods of the communities that rely on the province’s burgeoning tourism industry.

“We need to preserve the natural beauty and health of La Union.

Our beaches, way of life, and our environment drive our livelihoods and our identity,” said Cris Palabay, chairperson of Koalisyon Isalbar Ti Pintas Ti La Union. he added, “The proposed coal plant will not enhance our lives but it will instead make it more difficult. We don’t want a coal plant constructed in our home.”

The proposed plant of the Global Luzon energy Development Corporation is scheduled to be operational by 2020. But locals are urging provincial officials to sack the proposal and look to more sustainable, cost-effective options instead.

“There is little to no benefit from coal and everyone in La Union will be

affected by it. The proposed coal plant will only threaten the environment, the people’s health, and even their local economy,” declared Khevin Yu, climate and energy campaigner of Greenpeace Philippines.

Yu continued, “La Union should consider the least cost option for energy generation and focus on harnessing cleaner and renewable energy.”

Greenpeace points out cost implications of new coal proposals as opposed to renewables. Last year, a solar project between Solar Philippines and Meralco cost only P2.99 per kw/ hr, considered as one of the cheapest rates in the Philippines. health research also indicates costs to lives. According to a study by the harvard University Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling Group, about 2,400 Filipinos will die from coalrelated pollution every year.

Protesters march barefoot to dramatize the need for people to connect and feel what is happening to La Union.

What makes up a healthy breakfast PrePArING and eating a healthy meal in the morning can be challenging especially when you’re always in a rush to head out the door.

Picking the closest thing we can get to a breakfast becomes the norm, which usually ends up to developing bad eating habits. A global manufacturer and distributor of premier organic health and wellness products and services shares the following pointers to help even the busiest person get healthy sustenance before they start their day.

Balanced meal. According to the World health Organization, a healthy diet emphasizes regular intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, root crops, fat-free or low-fat milk, lean meats, poultry, fish, egg, beans, and nuts. It should also be low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, and added sugars. By maintaining a healthy diet, you can get the essential nutrients needed for proper body functions, daily activities, and maintenance of health, so you can be at your best throughout the day.

Water and other hydrating fluids.

Accounting to 70 percent of our body weight, water helps transport nutrients to keep you healthy and feeling energized. If you are not hydrated, your body can’t perform at its highest level.

Dehydration can also cause problems like headaches, exhaustion, lack of concentration, nausea, and vomiting.

Food items that don’t cause fatigue.

Going out to eat is inevitable, not to men-

Healthy drinks made with organic ingredients are a good alternative to other unhealthy breakfast food items.

tion much more practical, especially if you lead a busy work life. however, this does not mean that you have to settle for fast food options. Foods such as pizza, burgers, and fries have high fat content, which our bodies have a hard time breaking down which means more energy is needed for the digestion process, leaving us tired throughout the day. eating too many processed foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates can also result in lack of energy and weight gain. Often, tiredness or fatigue can be reversed by a change of lifestyle.

By switching to healthier alternatives, you can improve your health and overall energy level.

You may also consider a healthy drink made with organic ingredients like barley grass. One great example of this is Fibrenergy. This nutritious combination of certified organic Santé Barley, chia seeds, and oats can help boost energy, combat hunger pangs, and keep your heart healthy. It is perfect for active individuals, young professionals, working parents, and people who are always on the go.

Entertainment What’s up with Andi?

“Actually, there was a IF EVER Andi Eigentime when all the Eigenmann decides to be acmanns were here in GMA tive again on the showbiz and she’s the only one left scene, her elder brother in the rival station. Now, Gabby prefers that she some are with ABS-CBN becomes part of GMAalready. I was thinking, if 7 where he is a contract all of us were in the Kapuso lot, maybe, star.

“It’s not actually to guard or look after the management can come up with an her,” he says. “Andi’s already of age. I just idea of letting all of us top-bill one drama want to see her working again in a field series in the mold of ‘Cebu’ way back in the early ‘90s. Who knows, right? That which she loves dearly.” will be fun!”

It is public knowlStill, the Contessa edge that the actress mainstay knows that decided to lie low the final say will from the ‘biz and come from Andi. opted to lead a quiet “Yes, at the end of life in Baler where the day, it’s still her she spends most of call. I’m just here to the time surfing. help her get her mojo “I understand, back, so to speak. that’s her thing. It’s I believe that when her new passion. But she’s finally ready, hey, at the end of the things will just hapday, she still has to pen naturally,” ends work. How would Gabby. she feed herself and *** her daughter? That’s According to why it would be a joy to see her acting Andi Eigenmann in a recent snap taken Sunshine Cruz, she in Zambales and current steady again.

Macky Mathay “Of course, I canare not in a hurry to not claim that the public misses her. Some might even agree jump into marriage at this point.

“We just want to take things one step with her decision to make a temporary hiatus. But personally, I miss seeing her at a time. What’s important is we underworking and shining in showbiz which is stand each other’s priorities. You see, there are still a number of things we have her first love, anyway.”

Gabby reveals that Andi plans to make to fix before we can think of a nuptial,” she states. money out of her latest hobby.

The Kapag Nahati ang Puso female “She loves the waters. She bought a property in Baler fronting the beach. But lead insists that there’s no cause for alarm.

“Macky knows that I’m busy both with based on our last talk, she would transform it into business, like Airbnb. Well, at my work and role as mother to my kids. least, it’ll earn. But it’s still different see- He’s very supportive of me, one thing ing her act before the cameras. Anyway, which I really like in him. I’m grateful she told me she also misses acting so, let’s that there’s someone like him who looks after my welfare as well as my children. see,” he avers.

As of now, Andi is a freelancer but is As I’ve pointed out earlier, we’re happy where we are now so we would just like still under contract with Viva.

“Actually, GMA has guesting offers for to enjoy every moment of it.”

Interestingly, how would she describe her but didn’t materialize because they coincided with her surfing schedules. Macky as a boyfriend?

“He’s not the jealous type. He’s a very It’s good she was able to appear in one recent episode of ‘Celebrity Bluff.’ That’s confident guy. We mutually agreed not to fight on petty things. For one, it’s tiring, a good start.”

Where does his desire for his sister to right? And I think we’re too old for that already,” says Sunshine. become a Kapuso come from?

Celebrating 30 awesome years of ‘SHARK WEEK’ THE longest running cable TV event in history, Shark Week is coming back to satisfy our obsession with everything shark-related. People all over the world tune in to Shark Week to witness mind blowing stunts that are unparalleled elsewhere.

This year, watch out as MMA champion Ronda Rousey and legendary Bear Grylls battle it out with the world’s deadliest predators.

In Uncaged: Shark vs Ronda Rousey, Olympian, MMA champion and current WWE Superstar Ronda Rousey is trained by shark conservationist and shark attack survivor, Paul de Gelder, to face her fiercest opponent yet: the fastest, bitiest shark in the world, and the ultimate fighter of the sea, the Mako shark. First, Rousey, in a cage, dives into the ring with several lightweight shark species in the waters off Fiji and then moves onto the main event in New Zealand where she’ll “free dive uncaged” with the heavyweight Mako shark. Ronda is out to prove that harnessing the fighting spirit can let anyone confront their greatest fears and be victorious in the face of those doubts.

Back on Discovery for the 30th anniversary of Shark Week, Bear Grylls has survived the most extreme environments, from the frozen peaks of Everest to blaz-

ing sands of the Sahara Desert, but what will happen when he goes head to head with sharks when they have the home field advantage? It will be his greatest test of wits and skill as the ultimate survivor faces off with the ocean’s apex predator: Bear versus Shark.

Don’t forget to tune in to Discovery Channel’s 30th Shark Week anniversary every 8:10 p.m. until July 29. Get ready to feel the adrenaline pumping as we focus the spotlight on these immensely fascinating sea creatures.

The longest running cable TV event in history, Shark Week is coming back to satisfy our obsession with everything shark-related.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Tuesday, July 24, 2018

ACROSS 1 Jekyll’s alter ego 5 Rotters 9 Rip-off 13 Domestic help 15 Protest that gets out of hand 16 Trademark 17 Kukla’s pal 18 I had no —!

19 J in JFK 20 Chooses 22 It lets off steam 24 Hip-hop music 25 Cousteau’s domain 26 Conger 27 Snacked 31 Oslo sights (var.)

33 WWII sea menace (hyph.)

34 In — (as found) 35 Nefertiti’s god 38 Pine for 39 Peep 40 Take on cargo 41 Han Solo’s love 42 Skiff movers 43 Pounds on 44 Grouchy 46 Hotel offerings 47 Toss 49 Legal matter 50 Six-shooter,

for one 51 Potential oaks 53 Heavenly 58 Word to a pest 59 Language of Pakistan 62 “In” crowd 63 Back-fence yowlers 64 Cleave 65 Soothed 66 Window frame 67 Online auction 68 Identify DOWN 1 RN employers 2 Harvard rival 3 Kind of pickle 4 Jean Stein bestseller 5 Brisk 6 Help out 7 Mother rabbit 8 Police work 9 Paper cut 10 Game-show guest 11 Loose-limbed 12 Traveler’s stop 14 Mysterious 21 A little bit 23 Foul up 25 Wee bits 27 Declare invalid 28 Woodwind 29 Fighter plane sounds (2 wds.)

30 Comic-strip Viking 31 Tempestuous 32 Tibet’s — Lama 34 Shipboard mops 36 Border 37 Capone foe 39 Without doubt (3 wds.)

43 Jumping craze 45 Prince Valiant’s son 46 Energy source 47 Survives

48 Golfer Lorena — 50 Loud 52 — Hashanah 54 Zest for life 55 “Mona —” 56 News article 57 Yield, as territory 60 Yank’s foe 61 Spiral molecule

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2018

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Chronicling the drama of extraordinary rescue of THAI SOCCER TEAM

Thai navy soldiers holding cable in lit cave

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ROM the moment the heartbreaking news broke that 12 young Thai soccer players and their 25-year-old coach were stuck in a cave complex near the Myanmar border, the world has been glued to the rescue and recovery details.

For over two weeks, the facts of how the group ended up in the cave and the subsequent mobilization of rescue workers around the globe has been a testament of just how powerful human spirit can be—while the sudden and tragic death of one of the rescue divers underscored the seriousness of the situation.

But as each boy has been pulled out, there remains many questions. Why were these boys there? How did they survive for nearly two weeks without food and without knowing how to swim? What will their physical and mental state be moving forward? What would it take to get this group out of this treacherous cave, and why did the unique geology of this cave present so many challenges?

Produced in association with ITN Productions, Discovery’s Operation Thai Cave Rescue unpacks the human and scientific drama behind one of the most difficult and heart-palpitating rescues attempted in human history.

DIGITAL MEDIA

By Dence Benedito THE World Health Organization (WHO) has invited the HIV Gaming, Engaging and Testing (HIV GET) project team to present and launch the advocacy gaming application at the 22nd International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The conference will run until July 27.

The team is set to have several series of activities such as panel discussions and a game challenge using BitB as a tool for raising awareness, prevention, education and advocacy at the Global Village.

In terms of promoting the game and raising awareness about the HIV/AIDS, it will be the team’s first time to represent the country in an international conference said by scientist and principal investigator of ‘Battle in the Blood’ (BitB), Dr. Emmanuel S. Baja.

With the epidemic trend showing a high rate of cases among the youth, young conference participants will be recruited as contents to play the game.

Dr. Godofreda Dalmacion shared in an interview that she has a 23-year-old pa-

With exclusive early access to men and women—including family members - who have been living and breathing the events, Operation Thai Cave Rescue focuses on the triumph of the human spirit and the extraordinary scientific and technological innovations used to complete this miracle rescue.

As the clock continues to tick, and predicted Monson rains loom above, rescuers in the cave and above ground, plot their next move. Featuring interviews with medical and mental health experts, renowned cave diving instructors and the world’s leading cave diving rescue experts, the film paints a full picture of what the boys and their rescuers were experiencing and how these heroic divers could recover what was thought initially to be an impossible feat.

As the last boys and their coach were rescued on July 10, the world finally exhaled that breathe that has been held for 18 days.

Now we collectively search for answers to understand the mystery of what happened and how, with one slight difference, the outcome might have been different.

Operation Thai Cave Rescue is the first documentary to explore and unpack every angle of this remarkable rescue operation. The 1-hour special aired last night (July 23) at 9:00 p.m. on Discovery Channel with a replay on July 29 at 9:50 p.m..

Operation Thai Cave Rescue is produced for Discovery Channel by ITN Productions. Jon Bardin and Andrew O’Connell serve as executive producers for Discovery. Ian Russell serves as Executive Producer for ITN Productions

#BitB: PH’s first HIV/AIDS game app launched tient, who suffers from a full-blown AIDS and is sexually active at such young age.

The advocacy game, in which according to Baja took two years of pilot study and development, targets mainly adolescent (aged 10–19) and young adults (aged 20–24).

By BitB, Dalmacion stressed that while playing the game, they [users] will feel empowered and educated in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. With the team’s intent to increase the uptake of HIV testing and treatment in the country, a list of treatment and testing centers are also provided in the game and about 3,000 people worldwide mainly from the Middle East, Canada, Singapore, Brunei, China and United States have downloaded BitB according to Baja.

The HIV GET Project team, ensured that the segment of the population at risk of acquiring for the deadly virus, particularly men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender (TG) women, enjoyed and felt comfortable playing the game.

Battle in the Blood was officially launched in Davao City last Dec. 1, 2017

in celebration of World AIDS Day and is funded through the Newton-Agham Grant of the United Kingdom’s Medical Research Council and the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.

It's also the first game to address the barriers to HIV testing and counselling (HTC) in the Philippines.

BitB is available for free at Google Play for Android users and Apple store for iOS users.

BitB's scientist and principal investigator Dr. Emmanuel S. Baja

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

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Entertainment

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2018

Presented by Smart and PLDT, the setlist in 'Celine Dion Live' concert was a solid mix of classic hits, various covers, and medleys.

CELINE DION moved to tears after Pinoys show her

POWERHOUSE VOCALS. Celine Dion showcased her perfect pitching as she deftly belted out the lyrics.

‘POWER OF LOVE’ VERY WANG

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NICKIE WANG

T WAS Celine Dion’s final number. She emerged from the backstage wearing a twotone chiffon gown of white and pink. She looked every inch of a concert goddess especially when she waved her gown’s full length drape while the intro flute for “My Heart Will Go On” was playing somewhere on the stage.

Then she started singing. I closed my eyes. I saw Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as Jack and Rose in the iconic scene, which is now synonymous to the song. She sang it so well and so emotional that I had to convince myself that I wasn’t listening to a pre-recorded music. But no, she was singing it live. In fact, she sang every song live during the 90-minute show, which concluded with the outro “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” an a capella tribute to Elvis Presley’s anthemic hit --another one for the books performance on her second night in Manila.

Speechless for more than two minutes, amid the roaring crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena, she responded, “Thank you so much. Sometimes it’s so hard to travel when you are a mother with three children. It’s so hard for some people to organize a vacation or a trip because it involves so many things. It’s something very hard to organize. Similarly, it’s so hard to travel around the world…we experience jetlag, and time differences.”

“But I’m not here to tell you that’s it’s hard and complain. It’s exactly what I want because I do want to travel and to sing to many people as possible. The show is already over actually. You are not making it easy for me to go,” she

The 20 semi-finalists who undergo in an intensive immersion program in Banaue for about two weeks to experience the local culture, music, and tradition prior to the semi-final competition.

Healing Banaue Rice Terraces with world-class music The competition called for Banaueinspired symphonic compositions and SOIL erosion and degradation, land received an overwhelming response abandonment, and lack of interest in from composers all over the world, genfarming. These are just some of the erating 84 entries.

Following screenings and deliberamany issues that affect the Banaue Rice tions, 20 composers were chosen to go Terraces.

According to the local government on an immersion program in Banaue, of Banaue, around 600 hectares of the where the top 10 finalists will be chosite is abandoned, contributing to its de- sen at the semi-finals to be held at the Banaue Hotel. The chosen pieces will terioration. This places then be performed the Banaue Rice Terby an orchestra at the races at risk of being Grand Finals Night at removed from the the Tanghalang Nicanor UNESCO World HeriAbelardo at the Cultural tage Sites. In response Center of the Philipto this, the Banaue pines on July 25.

Rice Terraces Res“Through music, we toration Project was are sending a strong formed. message to the public The project targets and the world about to restore and conthe beauty and culture serve the biodiversity of the Banaue Rice and cultural practices Terraces. We hope to at the site. One compo- Dr. Milagros O. How, the nent of the project is to president and CEO of Universal draw out attention from Filipinos to help restore generate widespread Harvester, Inc., delivers her our famous World Heripublic awareness and welcoming speech during the tage site and the ecoparticipation to the 2018 Banaue International system that thrives in cause, and one of the Music Composition and around it,” shared initiatives to support Competition (BIMCC) at The BIMCC Artistic Directhis is the Banaue Peninsula Manila. tor Professor Chino International Music Toledo.

Composition CompeHelping out Filipino farmers and the tition (BIMCC).

After months of preparation, 20 com- agriculture sector has been a longtime posers from all over the world are head- advocacy of Universal Harvester, Incoring to Banaue to see the world-famous porated (UHI). UHI President and CEO Banaue Rice Terraces for the first-ever Dr. Milagros O. How. “Our work on the Banaue Rice TerBIMCC. The 10-day immersion trip is meant to showcase the Ifugao culture races Restoration Project also calls atand bring their issues closer to the com- tention to the need for greater support to posers for their deeper appreciation and the agricultural sector. UHI formed our advocacy arm under TOFARM to push understanding.

“The Banaue Rice Terraces is more for the advancement of the Philippine than just a breathtaking view. It is agriculture and to recognize farmers home for a community fueled by their as the country’s heroes. Through these culture,” stated General Jaime de los activities, not only are we unlocking Santos, Project Manager of the Banaue potentials and boosting productivity, but also preserving our heritage as FilipiRice Terraces Restoration Project.

“The area has faced a host of chal- nos,” explained How. The first BIMCC Grand Prize winner lenges in recent years, and we aim to bring it back to its full glory through will receive $12,000 and two runnersthe Banaue Rice Terraces Restoration up will each receive $6,000.

The public can further support the cause Project. We recognize that there is much work to be done and what we’re doing is by getting donor seats at the Grand Finals. just a start. Through BIMCC, we want Prices range from Php1,000 to Php5,000. to call attention to the scale of the chal- Proceeds from the event will be used for lenge and how the public can show sup- the benefit of the projects to rehabilitate port through a celebration of music and and restore the rice terraces starting at the Barangay View Point, Banaue, Ifugao. culture,” he added.

Images by Lisa Marie David Along her greatest hits, she also sang other songs from films including 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'My Heart Will Go On,' and 'Ashes.'

said while almost in tears.

It was definitely a failed attempt to say goodbye and the crowd didn’t let the moment pass and chanted in unison, “We love you, we love you.”

“I love you, too,” Celine replied, “I want to tell you thank you once again. You and I, although it’s the first time we meet, we have something in common. We have love and I’m pretty sure that you dream about a world without any barriers that we could see each other whether you come to me or we come to you. Let me tell you how much I love you in my own way.”

Celine Dion is back on the road, dazzling her way across Asia with incredible live performances and timeless hits.

The Canadian chanteuse is bringing her A-game with hot tracks and even hotter style choices by hitting up some countries for the first time ever, like Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The 50-year-old was first scheduled to visit Manila back in November 2014 but she had to cancel her entire Asian tour including her shows in Vegas due to her husband’s condition. Her husband, Rene Angelil, died in January 2016. This episode had a special number during her concert when she performed “Recovering,” a song written for her by Pink.

This year, when it was announced that her concert was pushing through, the tickets were sold out on the first day prompting concert presenters including Smart and PLDT to open a second night to satisfy the great demand.

Prior to her Manila concert, Celine took to Instagram to share a not-so-serious photo with caption: “I Drove All Night, To Get

At the lobby of the MOA Arena, concertgoers were given the chance to take snaps aboard this Smart Music Live installation, which is a reminiscent of 'Titanic.'

To You’......my new wheels...low maintenance, really good on gas! (security optional ). Now let’s get this little buggy on the road again...next stop, Manila!”

Indeed, Celine prepared an entertaining show that was never short of some comic relief in between numbers.

She opened the Manila show with a bang -- welcoming thousands of fans at the Mall of Asia Arena in her effulgent sequined tuxedo when she belted “Power of Love,” a Jennifer Rush original that became Celine’s no. 1 hit in 1994.

She sang her greatest hits in succession. With just a few spiels in between she performed “That’s the Way It Is,” “I’m Alive,” and “Because You Loved Me.” Returning onstage after a brief break and costume change (she had six), she sang “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” immediately followed by “Beauty and the Beast.”

“This is the first movie theme song I sang,” referring to the last song she performed with one of her backup singers.

She then proceeded in telling a story of how she received an invitation letter from fellow Canadian Ryan Reynolds. She said she thought it was to ask her to play a part in a film. But she’s honored that the invitation was for her to sing the song “Ashes,” the original soundtrack for the movie, Deadpool 2.

The celebrated chanteuse also honored Tom Jones and the late Prince in her concert. She had an upbeat number for “Kiss” and emotion-filled production of “Purple Rain.”

Throughout the show, Celine kept the energy high with some monologues punctuated by her animated face. She had no other surprises apart from the massive video wall, which themes kept changing to match the song she was singing.

They were not too distracting that made the people at the Arena focus on Celine’s voice that was never anything other than note-perfect.

It’s true that Celine Dion’s career reached its commercial peak 20 years ago. It’s also true that the audiences that attended her concert were mostly old millennials and those who enjoyed her CDs back in the late ‘90s. And that’s the whole point, for sure that’s what most younger audiences wouldn’t understand – the beauty of music without auto-tune.