Manila Standard - 2019 January 3 - Thursday

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VOL. XXXII • NO. 322 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

TRASLACION 2019. Calendars and icons of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo are on sale at Plaza Miranda fronting the Roman Catholic Church as well as mini images (encircled) in the run up to the transfer of the Black Nazarene from the bayside Luneta to Quiapo on Jan. 9 where last year around four million devotees joined the 3-kilometer procession which carried a life-sized image of a dark-skinned, kneeling Jesus Christ carrying the Cross.

Ey Acasio and Norman Cruz

Blast triggers travel warning UK, Australia fear attacks ahead of BOL plebiscite

‘Usman’ deaths mounting; crop losses at P342m

By Rey E. Requejo

THE number of deaths caused by Tropical Depression “Usman” has climbed to 85, the latest update from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Wednesday.

The death toll, which came from Mimaropa, Bicol, and Eastern Visayas, is still being validated, the NDRRMC said.

About 20 people remain missing while 40 were reported hurt.

The storm affected 45,348 families or about 191,597 people residing in 457 barangays in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Eastern Visayas.

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3 ex-actors make it to poll’s top 12

Diokno escapes, Andaya furious

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

By Maricel V. Cruz

FORMER actors fared well in a new senatorial survey by the Social Weather Stations in a race being led by reelectionist Senators Cynthia Villar and Grace Poe. The survey conducted from Dec. 16

HOUSE Majority Leader and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. on Wednesday slammed Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno for purportedly not honoring his mantra on “duty first before leisure.”

Andaya said Diokno had “escaped”

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USTRALIA and the United Kingdom have cautioned their citizens against traveling to Mindanao in the wake of recent terrorist attacks and clashes between government troops and insurgent groups.

“Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in the Philippines, including in Manila,” an advisory from Next page

SECURITY ALERT. Task Force Kutawato and city director Police Senior Supt. Rolly Octavio conduct inspection of a motorcycle and other vehicles plying Sinsuat Avenue along the National Highway in Cotabato City, although it is now back to normal following a home-made bomb blast Monday which killed two and injured 37 civilians. Mark Navales

Batocabe killers hired guns, Suarez says 236 revellers hurt,

By Maricel V. Cru fewer than in 2017 z

HOUSE Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez says he believes the assassins of Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe are “dedicated members of a gun for hire group.”

Batocabe and his police escort, SPO1 Orlando Diaz, were shot dead on Dec. 22 as they were leaving a gift-giving event in Burgos village in Daraga, Albay.

“In any criminal action, there is always an answer. It’s the motive. There must be a motive, a beneficiary in every crime,” Suarez said Wednesday.

He said he believed the killing was “politically motivated.”

Suarez made his statement even as two witnesses in Batocabe’s killing were in the hands of authorities and had given statements, police sources said Tuesday.

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‘Zigzag’ on the list of new typhoon names

By Rio N. Araja THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration on Wednesday announced the names for tropical Next page

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Joel E. Zurbano THE total number of fireworks-related injuries reported from Dec. 21 to Jan. 2 rose to 236 after 98 incidents were reported over the New Year celebration, Next page

Barbie at 60: Going strong, wrinkle-free BARBIE will soon be 60—and is still going strong She is turning 60 this year and still doesn’t have a single wrinkle.

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NCRPO chief posts decline in crimes vs. people THE crimes committed in Metro Manila in 2018 were 21 percent lower than in 2017, National Capital Region Police Chief Guillermo Eleazar said Wednesday.

He made the statement even as Senator Panfilo Lacson said a quick boot would do for the seven policemen caught firing their guns during the holiday season.

Lacson, who went after rogue cops when he headed the Philippine National Police from 1999 to 2001, said the seven were “scumbags” who showed no regard for life.

“What if someone got hit and died or paralyzed? Damn these scumbags! They have no purpose in life, really. Give them the boot ASAP, Chief,” Lacson said in a post on his Twitter account on Tuesday night.

Eleazar said compared to 2017, the crimes committed in 2018 fell by 27 percent for crimes against people, 17 percent for crimes against property and 52 percent for murder.

From the 1,542 murder cases recorded in 2017, only 738 were registered in 2018.

The crimes committed by motorcycleriding suspects also fell by 53 percent.

Some 853 cases were recorded in 2017 but the number decreased to 400 cases in 2018.

Eleazar said within the first 30-month period of the current administration, the reduction of crime was over 54 percent compared to the previous administration’s first 30-month period.

The index crime rate in Metro Manila fell from 12 crimes every month per 100,000 population in 2017 to only an average of nine crimes every month in 2018. Macon Ramos-Araneta and Francisco Tuyay

‘Usman’...

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Of these, 6,637 families or 24,894 people are being served in 170 evacuation centers.

Agricultural damage in the Bicol region alone has been placed at P342.23 million.

The death toll has made Usman one of the deadliest storms since Super Typhoon “Ompong” killed 82 people in September 2018.

NDRRMC spokesman Edgar Posadas said some residents in moutainside villages did not heed the government call to evacuate before the storm hit.

He told an interview on radio dzMM that disaster authorities need to ensure that people no longer hesitate when they are told to evacuate.

In Sagñay, Camarines Sur, rescue workers dug up 30 bodies buried in deadly landslides, and said they were no longer looking for survivors.

In Tiwi, Albay, nine bodies were retrieved.

Albay Gov. Francis Bichara said landslides blocked relief from reaching four barangays.

The Department of Agriculture put agriculture damage and losses brought about by Usman at P431.21 million as of noon Wednesday.

Of these, P366.07 million represented damage to 6,525 metric tons of palay.

The storm affected 21,441 hectares of farmland and 13,127 palay farmers in the provinces of Quezon, Oriental Mindoro, Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Masbate, Sorsogon and Samar.

Damage to corn was estimated at P23 million or a production loss of 286 MT. Some 4,255 hectares of farmland planted to corn and 2,779 farmers in Albay, Camarines Sur, Masbate, and Sorsogon provinces were affected.

About P39.32 million worth of fruit trees, assorted vegetables, and root crops were damaged with 2,585 MT volume production loss. PNA

Batocabe killers...

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Justin Batocabe, son of the slain lawmaker, said Wednesday they were “very close” to solving his father’s murder.

“I have received a briefing from the authorities and the case is proceeding positively, and we are very close to solving the case of my father’s murder,” Justin told ANC. Earlier, Ako Bicol Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. said Batocabe, president of the 46-strong Party List Coalition, had been leading in a survey of the mayoralty race in Daraga, Albay.

“The fact that Batocabe was leading the survey, he could have been a political threat to the career of the mayor, that the mayor could not afford to lose the mayoralty race. That is why there is such a thing as motive. Who will benefit if Batocabe is eliminated,” Suarez said.

“This apart from the fact that his party-list group is very strong in Bicol.”

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Reds for peace gab after ‘failed’ plot T “The National Democratic Front of the Philippines is authorized to be open to the peace negotiations with the current and prospective regime of the reactionary government, but its principal work now is to work for the ouster of the Duterte regime,” CPP founding chairman Jose Maria Sison said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The NDFP will be able to cooperate with all possible allies in the broad united front in order to isolate and oust the Duterte regime from power.”

Malacañang has called the CPP’s decades-old campaign against the govern-

ment as a “failed rebellion,” but Sison said the communist rebels would still perform their leading role “promptly, correctly and clearly.”

“We will base plans and directives on the strength accumulated in 50 years of revolutionary struggle and the current circumstances and demands of the people,” Sison said.

“We will carry out the tasks to further strengthen and advance the Party and the revolutionary movement of the people.”

The peace talks between the government and the communist rebels bogged down in

November 2017 when President Rodrigo Duterte walked away from the negotiating table after repeatedly blaming the rebels for violating the unilateral ceasefire.

Duterte then imposed a number of conditions before the talks could be revived.

But Sison rejected the government’s push for localized peace talks, calling it a “cheap trick” that had failed many times.

He said the termination of the peace talks only showed that the Duterte administration was not serious in pursuing peace.

“Duterte is not interested in serious peace negotiations to address the roots of the armed conflict and to make comprehensive agreements on social, economic and political reforms in order to lay the basis for a just and lasting peace,” Sison said.

He said Duterte’s proclamations and executive orders had rendered the peace negotiations implausible.

“What he wants is the impossible,

Blast...

The United Kingdom also cited the report of American authorities that highlighted “poor aviation security” at the capital’s main airport.

“Additional security measures are in place on flights departing from this airport to the UK. You should cooperate fully with security officials. The UK keeps aviation security measures under constant review, in conjunction with international partners and the aviation industry,” the advisory said.

The United Kingdom said that some 154,000 British nationals visited the Philippines in 2015. “Most visits are troublefree,” it said.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana played down the British advisory, saying it was nothing unusual.

“The British advisory is an automatic and default warning of governments to their nationals like we also do when these things happen in other countries,” Lorenzana said.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Manila condemned the recent bombing in Cotabato. “We offer condolences to the loved ones of the victims and hope for a quick recovery for the injured,” it said in a statement.

A ranking military official said Wednesday intense disagreements over the BOL could be behind the Cotabato blast, but said they have not ruled out possible extortion by communist rebels.

Close to 2.8 million voters are expected to cast their votes during the BOL plebi-

scite on Jan. 21, 2019 in the areas of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Isabela City in Basilan and Cotabato City.

Separate voting will be held on Feb. 6, 2019, for those residing in Lanao del Norte, except Iligan City and six North Cotabato municipalities.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Lt. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal assured the public that security forces are doing everything they can to prevent a repeat of the blast in Cotabato City.

Police have formed a special task group to speed up the investigation of the mall bombing.

Chief Supt. Eliseo Tam Rasco, police director for Region 12, said the task group in coordination with the military and other security agencies, is looking at all possible angles and motives behind the Dec. 31 bombing in front of South Seas Mall.

“I admit the suspects slipped past our tight security,” Rasco told reporters here Tuesday.

The special task group South Seas is headed by Senior Supt. Oliver Enmodias, PRO-12 deputy regional director for operations.

Rasco said while the task group is looking at possible retaliatory attacks by Islamic State-linked group, it is also looking at possible “destabilization” by a third group opposed to the holding of a plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law later this month. With PNA

By Nat Mariano

HE communist rebels claim they are open to resuming the peace talks with the government in 2019, but the Communist Party of the Philippines says overthrowing the Duterte administration remains its top priority.

From A1

the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office said. “Terrorist groups continue to plan attacks and have the capacity and the intent to carry out attacks at any time and anywhere in the country, including in places visited by foreigners, like airports, shopping malls, public transport, including the metro system, and places of worship.”

The advisory cited the blast at a shopping mall in Cotabato City that killed two people and wounded 34 others.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade cautioned its citizens against travel to central and western Mindanao, including Sulu and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

The military said Wednesday that the blast could be linked to the coming plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Organic Law. Although the latest advisory focused on Mindanao, the FCO also advised against non-essential travel to points south of Cebu due to threat of terrorism.

“Terrorist groups continue to plan kidnap operations against western nationals in the Philippines. This threat extends throughout the Philippines, both on land and at sea, but is particularly acute in the southern Philippines [Mindanao, Palawan and central Visayas, including Siquijor and Dumaguete],” the UK advisory said.

3 ex-actors...

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to 19 showed actors and former actors Lito Lapid, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. as possible winners if the elections were held during that period.

Lapid, who once admitted he didn’t make a good senator, is a mainstay in the TV series “Ang Probinsiyano” aired on Channel 2.

Estrada and Revilla, who were implicated in the multi-billion-peso pork barrel scam, also made it into the “winning circle” of 12.

Estrada is out on bail while Revilla was acquitted of plunder charges because of a lack of evidence.

Lapid landed in the sixth spot obtaining 38 percent of voters, followed by Revilla with 35 percent.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III and Estrada were at the eighth and ninth places, both with 34 percent voter preference.

236 revellers...

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the Health department said Wednesday.

The department made the statement even as Metro Manila Police Chief Guillermo Eleazar said the New Year revelry in the National Capital Region was generally peaceful.

“As the year 2019 rang the other night to unfurl a new year ahead, Team NCRPO’s full force made its presence felt and made Metro Manila a safer and more enjoyable place to celebrate the coming year,” Eleazar said.

“I was out checking the presence of our policemen in key areas and I felt good and proud seeing our men and women in their posts.”

Eleazar said he saw families come out to spend New Year’s Eve in and near the

Diokno...

From A1

to the United States despite Thursday’s scheduled congressional hearing on P75 billion of insertions in the national budget.

“He’s left. Secretary Diokno is in the United States. How can we invite him [to the hearing]?” Andaya said in a mix of Filipino and English.

Andaya said Diokno is the main resource person in the congressional probe initiated by House leaders, and yet he has evaded lawmakers by not attending the

Occupying the top slot, Villar obtained a voter preference of 62 percent, getting an estimated 37-million votes.

Poe got 60 percent of the votes or the equivalent of about 36.4-million votes.

Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano and re-electionist Senators Sonny Angara and Nancy Binay shared the third to fifth places, all obtaining 40 percent of the votes.

Former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, who lost to President Rodrigo Duterte in the 2016 presidential elections, landed in 10th place with 28 percent voter preference, followed closely by Ilocos Gov. Imee Marcos with 27 percent.

Also in the “Magic 12” is reelectionist Senator JV Ejercito who placed 12th with a voter preference of 28 percent.

Ejercito described his inclusion in the “winning circle” a slow but steady climb.

“But the trajectory is very encouraging.

Considering I am the only reelectionist that has a brother running and no political ads yet. From 17 now to 12. I hope the next time it will be 8 or 9,” he said.

Barbie...

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entertainment plazas.

“Young men and women were partying on the streets in front of their homes, children ran free and in the parks and couples strolled hand in hand with nary a care in the world,” Eleazar said.

The Health department’s FireworksRelated Injury Surveillance report says the 98 were hurt by firecrackers from Jan. 1 to the early morning of Jan. 2.

The report says the 236 injuries from Dec. 21 to Jan. 2 is 52 percent lower than the 492 recorded in 2018 and 71 percent lower than the five-year average of 814.

Of the total, 35 were from the National Capital Region; 22 from Region I, 13 from Region VI, six from Region VII, five from Region IV-A, four from Region III, three each from the ARMM and Region V, two each from Regions IV-B and XII, and one each from Regions II, IX and XI.

Blonde or brunette, slender or curvy, black or white, princess or president, Barbie is a forever favorite for young girls, even if she has caused controversy over the years.

The iconic doll has evolved to keep up with the times―check out her Twitter feed.

And despite fierce competition in the toy industry, 58-million Barbies are sold each year in more than 150 countries.

“In an industry where success today is three to five years, 60 years is a huge deal!” said Nathan Baynard, director of global brand marketing for Barbie.

Around the world, Barbie is as universally known as Coca-Cola or McDonald’s, Baynard said during a recent visit to Mattel’s design studio in El Segundo, a suburb of Los Angeles.

In all, more than one-billion Barbie dolls have been sold since she made her debut at the American Toy Fair in New York on March 9, 1959.

She was invented by Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, who was inspired by her own children to create the doll.

“Her daughter Barbara was limited in the choices of her toys―the only ones were baby dolls,” Baynard recounted.

“The only role she could imagine through that play was caregiver, mother,” whereas Handler’s son “could imagine being an astronaut, cowboy, pilot, surgeon.”

Barbie is, of course, a shortened version of Barbara.

The doll was supposed to teach girls “that they had choices, that they could be anything. In 1959, it was a radical idea!” Baynard said.

Barbie was an instant success. In the first year, 300,000 dolls were sold, he added. AFP

congressional hearing.

“What happened to his ‘job first before leisure’ statement? His presence is very important to shed light on his questionable practices in the budget process. For the sake of transparency and accountability, he should explain and come clean,” Andaya, chairman of the House committee on rules, said.

Earlier, Diokno told lawmakers to practice “duty first before leisure” to pass the national budget before Dec. 31, 2018 to avoid a reenacted budget.

“They have until the end of the year [2018], December 31st. They can work

holidays, you know. In the US they work on Saturdays and Sundays. So as I’ve said, duty first before leisure,” Diokno was quoted as saying.

Diokno denied any irregularity on the issues raised against him concerning the budget process.

Despite Diokno’s absence, Andaya said his panel will proceed its congressional inquiry on the budget controversies, including the alleged flood control scam and other anomalous transactions involving multibillion-peso infrastructure projects at the expense of people’s money.

which is the surrender of the revolutionary movement of the people,” Sison said.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has said the peace talks will only resume if the rebels will renounce their armed struggle.

He said Sison snubbed the localized peace talks because he wanted to make the decades-old riff reach the international scene.

“It’s part of their strategies. They want to internationalize the issue even if the issue is not an international issue in the first place. It is our problem here in the Philippines,” Lorenzana said last week.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo says Duterte will never allow the resumption of the peace talks as long as the rebels are violating the terms of the truce.

Sison says the New People’s Army will intensify its tactical offensives and strengthen its movements as the rebels anticipate things to get worse under the Duterte leadership.

Use Duterte’s tirades to boost faith—Palace

By Nat Mariano MALACAÑANG said Wednesday the Catholic Church, instead of being offended by President Rodrigo Duterte’s remarks seemingly scoffing at its teachings, should just welcome the scathing statements and use them to “strengthen further their faith” and enlighten the public.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said this while defending the President’s latest tirades against the Catholic Church, expressing skepticism on the Church’s concept of Hell, Holy Trinity, and Jesus Christ.

Panelo said Duterte was just “shaking long-held religious tenets and beliefs that instead of molding them into being righteous individuals make them cling to religion as opium.”

“In so doing, the President puts to a test the validity of the religious rituals bordering to (sic) fanaticism as against the practice of genuine spirituality as taught by the different personifications of one God,” he said in a statement three days after the President’s controversial remarks.

“Rather than the Church and its believers being offended by such unorthodox narratives, they should welcome it as a process to strengthen further their faith or enlighten those who seek the truth of what they have embraced,” he added.

In his speech in Kidapawan City, Cotabato, Duterte, a graduate of the Benedictine-run College of Law in Mendiola, Manila, stepped up his attacks against the Church for the priests and bishops’ alleged interference in the affairs of the State.

“God is only one. There’s only one God, period. You cannot divide God into three. That’s silly,” he said, mentioning that the Church has become a “very lewd thing.”

He also doubted the Catholic’s belief on the scriptures, the saints, and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Panelo, however, viewed things differently, saying that given Duterte’s “unconventional discourses,” the President is “unmindful on any consequential erosion of his public support.”

According to the Palace official, Duterte only intended “to initiate an intellectual discussion for the faithful’s enlightenment and spiritual awakening.

‘Zigzag’...

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cyclones that would enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility for 2019.

The list includes “Amang,” “Betty,” “Chedeng,” “Dodong,” “Egay,” “Falcon,” “Goring,” “Hanna,” “Ineng,” “Jenny,” “Kabayan,” “Liwayway,” “Marilyn,” “Nimfa,” “Onyok,” “Perla,” “Quiel,” “Ramon,” “Sarah,” “Tisoy,” “Ursula,” “Viring,” “Weng,” “Yoyoy” and “Zigzag.”

Aside from the original list, the weather bureau has also prepared an auxiliary list with 10 names in case the number of tropical cyclones would exceed 25.

The names are “Abe,” “Berto,” “Charo,” “Dado,” “Estoy,” “Felion,” “Gening,” “Herman,” “Irma” and “Jaime.”

There are four sets of PAGASA names being recycled every four years.

This year’s code names will also be used in 2023, 2027 and 2031.

A name could be decommissioned if the tropical cyclone has caused 300 deaths and P1 billion worth of damage to agriculture and infrastructure.

It can also be dropped if it is closely associated with a prominent personality.

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CA clears Ifugao solon of admin raps in 2003

By Rey E. Requejo

ECO JUSTICE. Green activists from Buklod Tao and the Ecowaste Coalition laud the impending re-exportation of the garbage illegally imported from South Korea this January, as confirmed by the Bureau of Customs, as a victory for environmental justice. Manny Palmero

Sokor agrees to take back trash

By Rio N. Araja and Vito Barcelo

T

HE Ecowaste Coalition on Wednesday assured the public that the 6,500 metric tons of plastic and waste materials illegally shipped in container vans will be brought back to South Korea as soon as possible.

At a news conference in Quezon City, Aileen Lucero, national coordinator of Ecowaste Coalition, said South Korea will take back the first batch of wastes on Jan. 9.

“After a bilateral meeting between the Philippines and South Korea last Dec. 27 in Cagayan de Oro, both agreed to send back the 51 containers of the trash to Korea,” she told the Manila Standard.

She said their group, shipping agencies, the Bureau of Customs and other stakeholders attended the meeting.

“The second batch will be shipped back to Korea after a month. Right now, the repacking of the wastes is ongoing in Barangay Sta. Cruz since the trash is scattered all around the place,” she said.

“It’s definite. The wastes will be reexported,” she added.

The report was also confirmed by the Bureau of Customs.

“The 51 garbage-filled containers stored at MICT is scheduled to depart Mindanao by January 9 provided that all regulatory requirements are readily available,” MICT port collector John Simon said.

The re-exportation would cost both the Philippines and South Korea at least P2,493,869.40.

The Bureau of Customs in Region 10 said that the first shipment of over 5,100 metric tons of wastes from Pyeongtaek City in South Korea arrived at the Philippine Sinter Corp. port in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental on July 21, 2019.

The wastes were stored inside the Verde Soko Philippines facility in Sitio

Bugua, Barangay Sta. Cruz, Tagoloan in Misamis Oriental.

The second batch of trash in 51 container vans arrived at the Mindanao Container Terminal in Tagoloan on Oct. 20 last year.

The Bureau of Customs withheld the wastes within the Phividec Industrial Estate complex.

The BOC said that the first shipment of imported garbage was intercepted by the bureau in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental last July 21 and another shipment at the MICP on Oct. 21.

The South Korean embassy in Manila said the company behind the shipment made a false declaration, saying they Korean government will take appropriate action against the company.

Nullify awarding of 3rd telco slot to Mislatel, SC asked A TAXPAYER has asked the Supreme Court to declare as unconstitutional the selection rules adopted by the National Telecommunications Commission in a bid to stop the government from awarding of the third telecommunications slot to Mindanao Islamic Telephone Co. (Mislatel).

In a 44-page petition-in-intervention filed last Dec.17, Marlon Anthony Tonson backed the petition filed by disqualified bidder Philippine Telegraph & Telephone Corp.

(PT&T) last November that assailed the legality of the decision of NTC to close the bidding process and to officially award the third telco franchise to the consortium of Udenna Corp. of businessman Dennis Uy and China Telecom Corp. Ltd., the laststanding and only qualified bidder.

Through lawyer Arnel Victor Valeña, petitioner asked the SC to annul and set aside the awarding to Mislatel consortium of the third telco slot due to violations of the 1987 Constitution in the bidding procedure implemented by the NTC, particularly the selection rules under Memorandum Circular No. 09-09-18.

“MC No. 09-09-2018 is unconstitutional as it contravenes the constitutional policy and statutory provisions on free competition,” petitioner argued, citing the exorbitant P1-million fee for selection documents and P700-million participation security that he said were “substantial deterrent to a more participative selection process.”

Tonson, who invoked his legal interest on the issue as a telco consumer in filing the petition, also argued that the bidding rules were unconstitutional due to lack of proper screening tests necessary to ensure compliance to the 60-40 rules on foreign ownership in public utilities under Section 11, Article XII of the Constitution. Rey E. Requejo

UPBEAT. Majority of Filipinos, with nine out of 10 adults, are hopeful about 2019, according to the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations.

Lawmakers laud Pinoys’ optimism in SWS survey

By Maricel V. Cruz TWO lawmakers on Wednesday agreed with the latest survey result of the Social Weather Stations that nine out of 10 Filipino adults at 92 percent are optimistic about the new year.

Representatives Rodolfo Albano III of Isabela and Gus Tambunting of Parañaque City, in separate interviews with The Standard, said the positive attitude and resiliency of many Filipinos make them cope up with adversities— both natural and man-made calamities.

“We are always hoping against hope.

That is why Filipinos are resilient and happy,” Albano said.

Albano added that he believes that the new year will be a much better year for the Filipino people because the economic reforms and prograns of the Duterte ad-

ministration have began to take off.

Tambunting also admires the Filpinos’ optimism.

“The Filipino people has always been a hopeful people. It is great to hear our countrymen are so optimistic,” said Tambunting, chairman of the House committee on games and amusements.

Majority of Filipinos are optimistic in welcoming 2019 with hope rather than fear, the SWS survey results released Monday said.

In its latest survey, the Social Weather Stations’ said nine out of 10 Filipino adults at 92 percent are entering the new year full of hope.

“This is four points below the recordhigh 96 percent in 2017, and the same as the 92 percent in 2008, 2012, and 2015,” the SWS said.

“On the other hand, eight percent

will enter the New Year with fear. This is up by four points from the previous four percent in 2017,” the polling firm added, noting that hope for the New Year has always been high, starting at 87 percent when SWS first made the survey in 2000.

According to the SWS, the four-point decline in the overall New Year hope from 2017 to 2018 was due to declines in all areas, especially in the Visayas.

New Year hope fell by 16 points in the Visayas, from 95 percent in 2017 to a record-low 79 percent in 2018, surpassing the previous record-low of 83 percent in 2000 and 2001, the SWS said.

Hope meter for the New Year also fell by two points in Metro Manila from 96 percent in 2017 to 94 percent in 2018.

Both Balance Luzon and Mindanao experienced a 1-point drop.

THE Court of Appeals has ruled with finality clearing Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr. of administrative charges over the questionable purchase of a government vehicle when he was still governor in 2003.

In a three-page resolution, the CA’s Special former 15th Division upheld its decision last June that reversed and set aside the March 2017 ruling of the Office of the Ombudsman that ordered the dismissal of Baguilat from government service for grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty.

The appellate court dismissed the motion for reconsideration filed by the Ombudsman for lack of merit.

The CA held that the arguments raised in the appeal were “mere rehash and reiterations of its allegations.” “(The) Office of the Ombudsman failed to show patent or palpable error to warrant reconsideration of Our decision. As such, We find no valid reason to revise, much less to reverse or set aside what have been carefully set bright,” stated the resolution penned

by Associate Justice Marlene Gonzales-Sison.

The case arose from the purchase of a P900,000 vehicle allegedly without public bidding when he was a governor in 2003.

In its earlier decision, the CA applied the “condonation doctrine” that absolves a reelected public official for administrative offenses committed during a previous term.

The Supreme Court abandoned the said doctrine in November 2015 in its ruling on the case former Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, but applied the ruling prospectively.

The appellate court ruled that the doctrine should still apply to Baguilat’s case because he allegedly committed his offenses in 2003, more than a decade before the SC’s decision.

Besides evading administrative liability, Baguilat’s criminal charges for graft have also been dismissed by the Sandiganbayan last April on the grounds of unreasonable delays in the Ombudsman’s investigation.

DILG taps ConCom to lead federalism information drive THE Department of the Interior and Local Government plans to tap the Consultative Committee (ConCom) that drafted the proposed federal constitution in its information drive to promote federalism, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said.

In an interview in Manila last Dec. 28, Año said while the ConCom’s mandate to draft a Federal Constitution is done, he decided to tap the committee as DILG consultants due to its expertise.

“We need the services still in explaining to the people what the advantages are of having a federal form of government and we will continue to advocate,” he said.

Año said there are plans to “harmonize” the ConCom draft with inputs from different sectors before submitting it to Congress.

“The finished product will be presented to Congress for more public hearings and discussion and come up with a good draft that would be more responsive to the needs and sentiments of the people,” he said.

Año said discussions will likely proceed in the next Congress or after the May 2019 elections as legislators are currently occupied with their reelection bids.

“This is really a change of Constitution kaya mabigat-bigat ito (which is why it is a heavy topic), but for the meantime, magfo-focus kami sa (we will focus on) advocacy and information campaign all over the country,” he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte has already issued an executive order creating an inter-agency task force on federalism, designating Año as chairman of the task force with justice secretary Menardo Guevarra as vice-chairman.

The ConCom submitted its draft “Bayanihan” (working together) federal Constitution to the President last July.

Pushing for a federal form of government was one of Duterte’s major campaign promises when he ran in the 2016 presidential elections. PNA

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Opinion

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

The Cotabato City I knew I AM saddened by reports that a bomb exploded at the entrance of the South Sea Mall in Cotabato City. Two people were killed and over 30 were injured. The blast is being attributed to the Islamic State-inspired terror group called the Daulah Islamiyah, a splinter of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters which is itself a terror group.

Santa Banana, this can only mean that terrorism has infiltrated Cotabato itself, the seat of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao!

It was there I met the love of my life.

First, Cotabato City was plagued with kidnapping to the extent that Muslim bandits and kidnap-for-ransom gangs were telling residents that their family members would be kidnapped unless they paid ransom.

After a while, members of the Armed Forces got stationed at the city proper, making residents sigh with relief. But now with IS-inspired groups operating in the city, this is most certainly not the place to go. I can only commisserate with its residents.

Cotabato City is nearest to my heart. I got my feet wet in journalism here when an Oblate priest named Cuttbert Billman went to Ateneo to ask for volunteers to operate the newspaper The Mindanao Cross.

Fr. Billman said he wanted graduates with some experience in newspaper publication. Rudy Tupas, my good friend, used to be editor-inchief of The Guidon, and it was he who first volunteered. He asked me if I wanted to go—I used to be his as-

EDITORIAL

sociate editor.

I said yes for two reasons. First was my sense of adventure—imagine, faraway and foreign Mindanao!

Second, the Jesuits taught us that Ateneans must have a mission in life.

In fact, at that time I was considering becoming a priest.

But God had other plans. In Cotabato, I met the love of my life. Five years later, I married her.

But that’s getting ahead of the story.

The love of my life walked past me in the aisle as she received the Holy Communion. I thought I had seen an angel!

One morning after Mass I mustered enough courage to catch up with her as she was walking back home. I asked: “May I walk with you?” and she said yes.

I started visiting her at her mother’s drug store, and she told me she was just vacationing from Philippine Women’s University and had plans of transferring to the University of the Philippines.

After a month, she returned to Manila.

A year or two hence, I was also back in Manila to continue my law studies. I got a job as a high school instructor at Ateneo High School.

I heard through the grapevine that there was a certain Miss Trinidad Capistrano, a pharmacy student, who was the talk of the university.

She was living at one of the dormitories in UP. I started taking my lunch at the South Dorm of UP after spending my mornings teaching at Ateneo. I was hoping to see Miss Capistrano again.

One day, a friend, Rudy Olivarez, told me that a certain Flory Aristomenas, who was dorming with Miss Capistrano, had arranged a double date for the four of us.

When the love of my life saw me, she said: “So, it’s you!” The rest is history as they say.

I proposed to her to the tune of Love Letters and Autumn Leaves by the great Serafin Payawal, a 21-man

Trash talk

R

AIN experienced during the New Year holidays helped bring down, and dramatically, the number of injuries as Filipinos ushered in 2019.

According to Health Secretary Francisco Duque, firecrackerrelated injuries dropped 68 percent to 139 cases this year from 428 last year.

Duque added that an order from Malacañang, which limited the use of firecrackers to community displays, also helped keep the number of injuries down.

This was good progress and we look forward to succeeding years when Filipinos completely do away with reckless practices for the sake of misguided superstition or thoughtless habits—even without rain to dampen their zeal.

What the rain was not able to

quell, however, was revelers’ despicable habit of leaving their trash after the celebrations. The truckloads of garbage collected at Rizal Park insulted the hero the place was named after—and betrayed Filipinos’ incorrigible habit of expecting other people to clean up after them.

This was, of course, not the first time. Christmas celebrations also highlighted the same tendencies.

At last 12 trucks of garbage was collected from the area on Dec. 25 and 26, according to officials of Task Force Manila Cleanup.

The National Parks Development Committee tried to put a spin on the exercise, saying the several days of work “is worth all the joy and happiness that our countrymen experienced with their loved ones and friends at the park.”

But nothing stops us from feeling joy and happiness with our loved ones and friends anywhere—certainly not a sense

of responsibility and mindfulness to pick up after ourselves.

It’s not a difficult thing to do—perhaps what is difficult is shifting mindsets from one of dependence on others to one of self-reliance. In this case, Manila officials, and local executives in other places, have failed spectacularly to make people responsible for their garbage as it didn’t come naturally to them.

This failure to take responsibility for our own spheres can be extended and interpreted many ways beginning from the literal. It could be blamed for our inability to progress, or for our sorry tendency to fall back into the same patterns politically.

The New Year brings with it hope and a determination to do better. If we’re looking to start at the small, mundane details before we dare effect changes in big things, then cleaning up our own mess would be a good way to begin.

Turn to A5

Does Duterte need counseling?

FRESH from his “Pagkatapos ng operation, kailangan natin ng babae” statement to soldiers in Compostela Valley last Dec. 22, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte outdid himself by telling an audience that he molested a housemaid when he was a teenager.

In speech last Dec. 29 during the distribution of Certificates of Land Ownership Award to agrarian reform beneficiaries in Kidapawan City, Cotabato, Duterte claimed that he confessed to a priest that he touched a sleeping maid’s private parts when a student at the Ateneo de Davao University. He also said a priest touched him inappropriately while at confession.

Rep. France Castro (Alliance of Concerned Teachers Party-list) said of Duterte that he is “truly a sick man.” She added that instead of taking the opportunity to help people dealing with the calamities that have struck at year end, Duterte still manages to tell such stories. “’Di kailangang mga tao ang ganitong kuwento,” she said. [The people don’t need this kind of story.]

Gabriela: Alliance of Filipino Women took a darker view of the matter, saying in a Dec. 30 statement: “It is deeply disturbing even for Duterte to brag about attempting to rape a maid when he was a minor… The maniac in Malacañang has proven that he had no qualms violating the rights of women [and] people of lower stature and viewed them as his own personal toy.

“This latest confession has brought shame not only on himself but on the

entire nation that trusted him to lead judiciously and righteously. He has proven himself unworthy of his position and should resign.”

Meanwhile, the Palace, which routinely ‘interprets’ Duterte’s controversial statements, claimed his latest remark was only a “made-up”, “laughable anecdote to dramatize the fact of sexual abuse that was inflicted on him and his fellow students when they were in high school.”

‘Made-up’—that’s usually the go-to excuse when explaining away something truly offensive and horrible such as this.

The President’s words and acts are case studies of the destructive turns that our culture’s patriarchal attitudes and practices take.

‘Laughable’—was it a joke? In 2017 the CHR deplored Duterte’s rape ‘jokes’ as contributing to the normalization of rape. Does the President think that getting laughs validates his misogynistic behavior? His so-called ‘jokes’ reinforce a toxic masculine mindset.

Was it a cry for help? Duterte often lambasts the Roman Catholic Church by referring to child abuse committed by priests. Shall we construe his “anecdote” as the tale of an abused teen becoming himself an abuser? As I discussed in my Dec. 31 column, childhood trauma of all kinds—sexual, psychological, Turn to A5

Pleasing Washington IT SEEMS Canada is not the only one out to please Washington. Yesterday, the South China Morning Post published an article about Britain’s plan to build a new military base in East Asia, possibly near the vicinity of Singapore and Brunei. Some analysts warn that it could further complicate the strategic landscape in a region already fraught with maritime disputes and geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States.

The plan, which was bared by no less than British defense secretary Gavin Williamson, is seen to possibly “cast a shadow over China’s relations

This is important to ward off China’s growing market share.

with its Asian neighbors” aside from probably further inflaming tensions between Beijing and London, which started when after a British warship sailed close to the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. Early in December, Canada arrested Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, a top executive with the Chinese tech company Huawei, in response to an extradition request from the United States.

While the US insists that the request for Meng’s extradition is due to the fact she is wanted on charges of fraud, including the use of a Huawei subsidiary to conduct business with Iran (in violation of the sanctions the U.S. had imposed on that country, aside from fears that Huawei would use advanced capabilities to provide intelligence to the Chinese government, making it a threat to national security), sources claim that the real reason behind the arrest and detention of Meng is mainly due to the US losing out in 5G technology, thus the need to resort to foul tactics, but which has failed to stop Huawei from shipping 200 million units catapulting it to number two behind Samsung, and relegating US brand Apple to number three in the world market.

Now, with Britain’s admission of

Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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Opinion

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019

My 2019 wish list 2018 was a historic and eventful year for the House of Representatives. Congress was able to make notable accomplishments in terms of relevant legislative investigations and passage of bills. The 2019 budget appears on a standstill, but I am hopeful that this will be passed by next month.

As we welcome 2019, I am positive that the last six months in Congress will be more fruitful.

1 - Increase in Employment. In 2018, I expressed my concern on the rising poverty and unemployment of many Filipinos. The PCSO has thankfully responded to our call by providing employment through its Small Town Lottery program to those who have difficulty in getting jobs due to age and

lack of education. This 2019, one of my wishes is to expand and increase opportunities for employment that will provide Filipinos with reasonable sources of income. In the long run, it is hoped that there will be less hunger and more joy to the people as they rise

3 - Peace and Order. I pray that we all work together to curb corruption and maintain peace and order in the country. Let us continue praying for peace in the country especially in Mindanao. I call on all concerned government agencies to hasten the rehabilitation of the affected areas in the Marawi siege and help the people recover from the damages in their livelihood.

As Minority Leader, I commit myself to another year of service to the Here’s to being nation for the betterment of our counthe best version of try. I invite my fellow legislators and other public officials to join me in ourselves. welcoming 2019 by fulfilling a wish list that is dedicated to the benefit and welfare of the Filipino people. As individuals, let us commit to becoming the best versions of ourselves. A good way above poverty—that they will be able to to start, as Ellen deGeneres always adsend children to school, afford quality vises in her show, be kind. Let’s be healthcare, and maintain decent living. kinder to ourselves, our families, our 2- Fair, honest and violence-free elec- loved ones, our country and the world tions. I wish for nothing more. we live in.

Cleaning our litter IT IS 2019 and like everyone else, I am hoping that the New Year will be better than the past year.

Fortunately for old fogies like me who wore a uniform, there is reason to be hopeful. We are expecting the implementation of the increase in our pensions which will go a long way in ameliorating the lives of many retirees especially those who are battling various medical conditions associated with people who are advancing in years. I really hope that we will not be disappointed. After all, if the government can easily set aside P8 billion for two small municipalities, there must be funds to make the lives of those who served and fought for the country better in their remaining years.

Sociology is not my field but sometimes the way we do things define us as a people. Take the case of our driving habits. We have one of the worst driving cultures in the world. We demand solutions and blame almost everyone else for our traffic woes except ourselves. If only motorists can be more patient and obey traffic regulations, a lot of our traffic troubles could be avoided. But almost everyone wants to be exempted from following traffic regulations. Where else is the world could you see drivers routinely disregard traffic lights or cities fencing roads because it is the only way to keep drivers on their lanes to prevent undisciplined drivers from swerving all the time?

The funny thing is that we drive like the way we do only when we are in our country. When we go overseas, we become the epitome of how a driver should behave on the road—courteous and always following regulations.

Pleasing...

From A4

its plan to build a military base in the contested areas in south China Sea, Xu Liping, a professor at the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, views this move as a clear muscleflexing gesture targeting China that further shows closer engagement of external powers in the South China Sea disputes.

The article quotes another analyst, Ni Lexiong, a naval expert at the Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, who says “the plan was more evidence of Britain and other key American allies increasingly aligning themselves with US President Donald Trump’s hardline approach on China.”

The Cotabato...

From A4

orchestra at the Skyroom Jai Alai, when I invited her there for her birthday, January 8.

And, Santa Banana, she accepted!

We got married in Cotabato City on May 14, 1955. *** Going back to my experience with the Mindanao Cross, Cotabato was then a whole province before it was divided into Sultan Kudarat, North

Another bad practice that we cannot seem to stop is our inability to clean our litter during All Saints Day or when we attend large gatherings like rallies. This is not the only instance. We also see this in bus passengers throwing their litter on the road. The worst display of this bad practice is when people go to cemeteries and leave tons of trash when they leave the place. Another is Christmas and New Year when people go to the Rizal Park in Manila to celebrate the occasion for the whole day. They leave so much garbage that several trucks are needed to collect the waste.

Just before Christmas, my daughterin-law suggested a photo shoot for the family. So we went to Camp John Hay to do it. Because of the number of the people around, it was a bit difficult to find a place but we soon settled on one secluded place. We soon found out, however, that the place was full of trash of all kinds. There was paper and discarded plastic bottles. To top it all, the place smelled of urine and we had to be careful not to step on you know what. John Hay has deteriorated so much compared to the old days. The place that we happened to select was located along the old John Hay hiking trails.

I used to bring my young children to hike these Camp John Hay trails called red, white and blue trails during weekends. Those are now gone. In their place are litters everywhere which the management cannot seem to clean.

Boracay was like that until the

President demanded action. Now, people can go back to Boracay and enjoy the place. At least the beach is now clean and healthy, devoid of sewer and trash.

Maybe this is what is needed—force people to clean their trash.

During the Football World Cup in Russsia, the world did not only watch the games on TV but also witnessed how a people should behave. This was about the Japanese who went to Russia to cheer for their team. They occupied one part of the stadium and were boisterous and noisy as everyone else.

The difference is that after every game, the Japanese took out their rubbish bags and cleaned the place before leaving.

They left the stadium exactly the same way as they found it—clean. This elicited a lot of cheers and admiration.

For the Japanese, this has become standard practice. They did this also during the last Olympics games.

It will probably take a small miracle for us to be able to emulate that, if we can at all. We have to remember also that the country has another distinction.

We are the third-worst plastic polluter in the world after China and Indonesia.

We have a long way to go. We have barely scratched the surface with the cleaning of Boracay. If we Filipinos want to be accepted in the community of nations as one of those up-andcoming progressive countries that we have been trying to be, we have to start with the basics and start learning how to clean our trash instead of leaving them behind for others to do the job.

To think that the country has many very aggressive non-government organizations all wanting to clean up the environment which is fast degrading characterized by disappearing forest covers and polluted urban waterways.

Manila Bay, one of the most beautiful in the world because of its spectacular sunsets, is dying together with the Pasig River which is as filthy as ever in spite of attempts to clean it.

This is not encouraging but let us work on it. It can be done.

“It is a complementary step to Washington’s Indo-Pacific strategy and Washington will be pleased,” Ni was quoted as saying, in reference to Trump’s plan to bolster its security and economic engagement with the region at a time when bilateral ties are at a historical low.

Beijing has long viewed Washington’s heightened military activity in the disputed South China Sea as a threat to regional stability. And although Xu says Washington was less interested in playing a global leadership role under Trump’s “America first” policy, it was actually behind London’s plan for a military base in the region.

The relationship between China and Britain has been strained after Beijing accused Britain of engaging in “provocation” after a British warship passed near the Paracel Islands claimed

by China in a “freedom of navigation” operation in late August.

And while the bases are still on the planning stage, the news nonethless could still be good for American allies and partners in the region that have been concerned about Washington’s reluctance to take a leadership role to challenge Beijing’s assertiveness in the South China Sea disputes.

Such allies are Japan, Australia and Vietnam.

For China, however, it could signal severe challenges ahead in dealing with a delicate regional security balance in the region, with the risk of growing tensions and even partial confrontation, an analyst warned.

But Britain and its other allies could care no less. What is important at this point is to please Washington, just as what Canada did, in order to ward off China’s growing market share.

They could not afford to just sit and watch as their share of the market dwindles and evaporates into thin air.

Cotabato, South Cotabato, General Santos and Sarangani.

During the wars, Cotabato was ruled by the Sinsuat family. There was Duma Sinsuat, the governor, Blah Sinsuat, the congressman, Mando Sinsuat, mayor, and Mana Sinsuat, who became a cabinet member of the Marcos administration. Odin Sinsuat was mayor of Dinaig.

Strangely, all the Sinsuats married Christian women.

All of them were my friends from whom I learned a great deal.

I have only gone back twice. First was to speak before a Rotary meeting—but left in a huff because I received a letter warning me that I would be kidnapped.

Another instance was when we visited friends. I had to seek the help of National Security Adviser Joe Almonte.

It’s a sad development, what is happening now in my beloved Cotabato City.

It may be difficult, but it can be done.

www.emiljurado.weebly.com

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

2018’s most significant foreign economic stories fire-the-chairman, though, placed Jerome Powell in the difficult situation of not wanting to be seen as buckling under in the face of a White House threat.

The Brexit Negotiations. With the 2018 having just slipped into his- clock moving relentlessly toward tory, it is now possible to look back the March 19, 2019 deadline for the and select the last 12 month’s sto- conclusion of a deal on the United ries that had the greatest signifi- Kingdom’s exit from EU (Eurocance for the world economy. pean Union), negotiations between US President Donald Trump’s London and Brussels became more Tariff Wars. In line with candidate intense with each passing month.

Donald Trump’s promise to stop the One of the major sticking points US from being disadvantaged by its was the post-Brexit status of the trade partner, the US slapped tariff 150-mile border between Northern on imports of steel and aluminum, Ireland (a component of the UK) and subsequently, imposed tariff on and Ireland (a EU member). Both close to $200 million worth of Chi- Ireland and the 10-vote Northern nese products. Trump’s tariffs—a Irish party that has been supportpart of his vow to “make Amer- ing Prime Minister Teresa May’s ica great government again”—sedon’t want a verely hurt treaty barrithe exports er, along the of the US’s border. Ms. What happened in histor ical May is conallies, infident that the world economic cluding EU she will be stage last year?

(Eu ropean able to come Union), up with a Canada, deal acceptJapan and able to both South KoEU and the rea. Needless to say, the exporters British Parliament, but at year-end of steel and aluminum retaliated by no-deal appeared to be a real posimposing tariffs on a number of US sibility. exports, including goods produced Rise and Fall of the US Stock by states comprising Trump’s politi- Market. After a steady upward run cal base. China responded in com- that saw the Dow Jones Stock Marmensurate fashion, slapping tariffs ket Index touch the 26,000 mark, on over $100 million worth of goods the US stock market fell, at endimportant to the US’s export Trade. 2018, to its lowest level in 31 years.

At a November G-20 meeting in During the trading days immeArgentina, President Trump and diately preceding Christmas, the China’s President Xi Jinping agreed Dow, which is composed of 30 of on a 90-day moratorium intended the most powerful stocks listed on to allow both sides to reassess their the New York Stock Exchange, fell positions. perceptibly to the 21,000 area—in Volatility of the World Oil Mar- one day it lost 1,000 points—and ket. After a comparatively long closed the year at around 23,000. period of weakness, the world oil Foreign matters like the tariff market became active anew, with doubtless contributed to Wall the posted prices moving up to the Street’s volatility, but most knowlvicinity of $80 per barrel—the re- edgeable observers attributed the sult of production-cutting by OPEC decline to the state of dysfunction (Organization of Petroleum Ex- encompassing Mr. Trump’s adminporting Countries) acting in con- istration. cert with the world’s second-largest Facebook’s Travails. 2018 was oil exporter, Russia. The US re- the year that established the fact sponded by increasing its produc- that the world’s No. 1 social media tion output. Toward yearend, the platform could not be relied upon posted prices for Brent and West to totally safeguard the privacy of Texas Oil were moving toward the its users. $60 per-barrel level.

The year saw tens of million of Increase in US Fed’s Basic Rate. Facebook accounts either hacked When the US Fed (Federal Reserve or “harvested” by unauthorized Board) sent out signals that it might entities like Cambridge Analytica raise its basic lending rate, the Fed of the UK, and it saw CEO Mark funds rate, President Trump, fear- Zuckerberg summoned to give ing that an increase in the rate testimony before legislative and would do damage to the strong per- other foreign government bodformance of the US economy, criti- ies. To them, Zuckerberg offered cized the Fed and gave indications apologies and promises to do a of wanting to get rid of Fed chair- better job of privacy protection man Jerome Powell. In fact, the Fed in the future. At year-end there felt that a rate increase was neces- appeared to be a universal imsary in order to allow the continu- pression that Mr. Zuckerberg and ation of the US economy’s strong Facebook were not doing enough performance. Word of Mr. Trump’s toward that end.

Does...

From A4

church, and he is working them out in the public eye. There are some people who think best by hearing themselves speak, and by sharing with others they negotiate their memories, feelings, and beliefs.

However, when one is president, giving speeches to public audiences is not the right way to do this. It is inappropriate. It is not the proper venue.

And in consistently passing off his insensitive and rude remarks as “jokes” or “sarcasm,” we see a pattern that reinforces these “anecdotes”as his truth. If he would only control what he says, it would reduce the country’s aggravation and save his spokesmen from constantly having to clean up after his verbal messes.

It looks like he needs help. The President could consider discussing with a psychologist his problems from the past. In doing so he might gain some measure of relief from whatever priestly and female demons haunt him.

physical, emotional—can lead to the abused person becoming an abuser themselves later, whether as a bully, wife beater, and so on.

For the sake of argument, if Duterte actually committed the lewd act, could it have been not so much an offshoot of abuse but a manifestation of the patriarchal and feudal thinking that he grew up with? The mindset typical of his generation puts male privilege above women’s wellbeing and safety, particularly that of women of lesser social stature.

In terms of his misogyny, Duterte serves as an example of “what not to do.” His words and acts are case studies of the destructive turns that our culture’s patriarchal attitudes and practices take.

And if his claims of having been molested by priests is true, what is sad about it is that he is both perpetrator and victim, both sinner and sinned Dr. Ortuoste is counting on genagainst. erational momentum to help change Whatever the case may be, he obvi- our culture’s patriarchal orientation. ously has issues with women and the FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO

News

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

House OKs bill meant to attract foreign schools THE House of Representatives has approved on second reading House Bill 8682 or the proposed “Transnational Higher Education Act” which aims to attract foreign schools to open campuses in the country.

As defined in the measure, transnational higher education includes all modes of delivery of higher education study programs, including distance education and study-abroad programs, that involve education systems of another country different from the state where the TNHE operates.

The bill makes it state policy “to provide quality education relevant to the changing needs of the people and the society.

Thus, higher education shall serve as an instrument to generate productive knowledge, innovation, and technology necessary to compete in the knowledge economy.”

It also recognizes that rapidly evolving situations brought about by globalization, have created “a trend for borderless teaching and learning.”

Among these advancements are liberalization of trade, as well as the expanding use of information and communication technologies, the bill’s explanatory note said.

HB 8682, principally authored by Rep. Johnny Ty Pimentel of Surigao del Sur, aims to modernize the higher education sector, bring in international quality standards, and make higher education in the country globally competitive.

The bill also aims to reinforce educational, cultural, social, economic, and political bonds between the Philippines and foreign institutions of higher learning.

With this, the bill is aimred at fostering cultural exchanges that will help strengthen the relations among the countries involved.

The bill mandates the Commission on Higher Education to formulate a coherent national strategy to encourage and facilitate the establishment of the most effective TNHE programs and institutions.

Foreign higher education institutions may establish commercial presence or engage in the business of providing educational services in the country through various modes or arrangements with a Philippine HEI, which are consistent with the Constitution.

The measure provides that various types or modes of TNHE programs shall include the following: (a) Academic Franchising, wherein a higher education institution grants another institution from another country to provide the HEI’s programs, (b) Branch Campus, which is an HEI of another country established in the Philippines, (c) Joint Degree, which is a program jointly developed, delivered, and assessed by two or more institutions, (d) Online, Blended, and Distance Learning, which may be delivered online, by post, or mobile phone, (e) Twinning Arrangement, wherein students study for a degree in two countries, and (f) Validation, wherein the main HEI awards a degree to students who completed a program in its partner HEI in another country, among others. Maricel V. Cruz

THE RETURNEES. Mobile stalls are back along the busy stretch of Manila’s Rizal Avenue after the New Year revelry. Ey Acasio

Northern Samar plunges deeper into poverty—solon

By Maricel V. Cruz

N

ORTHERN Samar, seen by some economists as over a barrel, has been plunged deeper into poverty as it was hit by a double whammy—low copra prices and floods brought by Typhoon “Usman,” which killed at least 68 people, a House leader said on Wednesday.

Aangat Tayo Party-list Rep. Harlin Neil Abayon III made the statement as Usman’s heavy rains caused the worst flooding in 30 years in the province.

At the moment, Northern Samar needs potable water and portable water purification equipment, he said.

Abayon, a deputy majority floor leader, said Samar had been suffering from an “economic drought” because of low copra and coconut prices in the Philippines and abroad.

The situation, Abayon said, was exacerbated by the onslought of Typhoon Usman.

“I am asking the Department of Finance and the Department of Budget and Management to tap the $500-million World Bank disaster funds to finance the recovery of Northern Samar and Samar Island from Usman,” Abayon said.

“I also ask the Senate to please expedite passage of the Department of Disaster

Resilience bill. The House approved its version of the bill last October 1 and transmitted that to the Senate on October 2.

Meanwhile, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos has extended her sympathies to the thousands of displaced families in the wake of tropical storm Usman.

Marcos said her province of Ilocos Norte, which was previously battered by Typhoon “Ompong,” stood ready to extend assistance to the Bicol region which bore the brunt of the tropical storm that resulted in landslides and flooding.

“We feel for our brothers and sisters in the Bicol region and Eastern Visayas who have lost loved ones and suffered damages to properties due to tropical storm Usman.

This is a time for bayanihan. We will do what we can to help our kababayans in need. Ilocanos will be sending our donations ASAP,” she said in a statement.

“We in Ilocos Norte know first hand

Solidum wants DRCC of DOST out of DDR

TALL STORIES.

Customers, their faith in fortune tellers still up in predominantly Christian Philippines, have their future looked into Wednesday by soothsayers in Manila’s Quiapo district, not far from the Roman Catholic Church and a Muslim mosque.

Norman Cruz

By Rio N. Araja UNDERSECRETARY for Disaster Reduction and Climate Change Renato Solidum of the Department of Science and Technology on Wednesday said should a Department of Disaster Resilience push through, DOST must not be included.

He said while the creation of the DDR was a welcome move, DOST should maintain its independence.

“We at DOST want it to be a separate agency from DDR, and just be a partner. We want to focus more on giving the warnings just like what we have been doing right now,” he said.

“Aside from being a coordinating [agency], it is also an implementing [agency]. To implement programs, for example, the community-based preparedness...” he noted.

He said there is really a need to create a government agency that shall look into “managing the disaster” before and after it happens to lower the risks of deaths.”

Last October, Congress approved on third and final reading a bill seeking to establish DDR.

what it is like to suffer from natural calamities. Typhoon Ompong left behind at least P14.27 billion in agricultural damage, of which rice production accounted for more than 60 percent of the losses. It is not just our farmers who suffered the brunt of these damages but all of us,” Marcos added.

Although Usman has since moved westward away from the country, many affected areas were still experiencing seasonal rains, hampering rescue and recovery efforts, and with at least 30,000 families or about 130,000 people affected.

Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon have been placed under a state of calamity to ensure that funds can be released easily to assist those in need and prices of basic goods and prime commodities can be controlled.

Estimates of damage done to crops rose to P195.36 million as Sunday, the Department of Agriculture reported.

Some P177.41 million of this was on palay crops alone, with 7,352 metric tons in potential volume production loss—affecting 8,844 hectares farm land in the provinces of Quezon, Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, and Samar.

No Pinoy hurt in Russian apartment blast—PH Embassy THE Philippine Embassy in Moscow said no Filipino was among the fatalities of the explosion in an apartment building in Magnitogorsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast, where eight people were killed and over two dozen others are still missing.

In an advisory posted at the embassy’s official page on Wednesday, Ambassador Carlos Sorreta extended sympathies to the Russian government and to the families of the victims.

“We also hope and pray for the quick recovery of those injured and for the safety of the first responders and recovery teams,” he said.

Sorreta said eight persons had been confirmed dead and more than 30 others have been reported missing due to the suspected gas explosion, which took place 1,700 km. away from the capital.

According to reports, the blast happened before dawn on Dec. 31 when the block’s tenants were asleep.

On Tuesday, Russian emergency services rescued an 11-month-old infant from the rubble, about 35 hours after the 10-storey building’s collapse.

The embassy, meanwhile, continues to “closely monitor” the situation. PNA

20 petitioning NoCot villages allowed to join BOL plebiscite COTABATO CITY—The Commission on Elections has approved the petitions of 20 barangays in North Cotabato wanting to participate in the plebiscite to ratify Bangsamoro Organic Law on Feb. 6.

The Comelec has set the Jan. 21, 2019 plebiscite for voters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao— the cities of Lamitan and Marawi, and provinces of Maguindanao, Sulu, TawiTawi, Lanao del Sur, and Basilan—and the cities of Cotabato and Isabela, while Feb. 6 will be for voters in Lanao del Norte, six towns in North Cotabato and other areas that petitioned for inclusion in the future Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Earlier, 44 other villages in North Cotabato petitioned for inclusion in the Bangsamoro entity but only 20 villages were approved so far by the Comelec to join the plebiscite.

Taher Guiambangan Solaiman, chairperson of North Cotabato Composite Team of Civil Society Organizations said the poll body, in its 50-page Omnibus Resolution promulgated in an en banc session on Dec. 20, found out that 20 petitioner-villages “have complied with all of the requirements under the law and the rules and have sufficiently established that its territory is contiguous to that of the local government units enumerated in Section 2 (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e), Article III of the BOL.” The 20 petitioning North Cotabato villages approved to join the plebiscite are Libungan Torreta, Pangankalan, Datu Mantil, and Simsiman, all in Pigcawayan town; Rajahmuda, Barungis, Gli-Gli, Nalapaan, Panicupan, Bualan, Nabundas, Nunguan, Manaulanan, and Bulol, all in Pikit; Pebpoluan, Kibayao, Kitulaan, Tupig, and Langogan, all in Carmen; and Pagangan in Aleosan.

Solaiman said the petitioners were local government units, which, through village resolutions, had prayed that they be allowed to participate in the plebiscite.

“So far, not a single resolution/petition for voluntary inclusion from the municipalities of Midsayap, Kabacan, and Matalam was granted,” Solaiman added.

He said Pigcawayan villages had six resolutions for inclusion but only four were approved by Comelec while in Pikit, 19 resolutions were forwarded but only 10 were approved.

Carmen town had seven resolutions and five were allowed to participate in the referendum. Aleosan town had only one resolution and was fortunately approved, Solaiman said.

Solaiman recalled that 44 Muslimdominated villages in North Cotabato have passed resolutions for inclusion and forwarded them to the Comelec’s clerk of court on Oct. 31 and Nov. 5, 2018.

Solaiman said the fate of the remaining villages is unknown at this time. PNA

Sports

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Djokovic wins in just 55 minutes D

OHA—Novak Djokovic took just 55 minutes to claim his first win of 2019, brushing aside Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-2 in the Qatar Open first round on Tuesday.

The world number one showed he was intent on taking his form from last season into the new year with a totally dominant display against the Bosnian world number 47.

“It’s fantastic to be back and to start off the tournament like I have done makes me very confident and very happy,” said the Serb.

He added: “Results-wise and timewise it did look quite comfortable (but) I don’t think it’s nice and fair to say it’s easy because I have respect for Dzumhur.”

Djokovic, who has won the last two Grand Slams—at Wimbledon and the

US Open to take his majors total to 14—completed the match in under an hour by predictably converting his first match point.

The 31-year-old, who has made it clear he wants to match or better Roger Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slams, was untroubled throughout.

Djokovic said he hoped that news of his comfortable victory in Doha “travels” to his rivals around the world.

“You do follow, especially what your top rivals are doing, who are they playing, watch highlights,” he said.

Djokovic’s record in Doha is now 13 wins and just one defeat and his path

to a potential third title in four years— playing in Qatar is an established part of his warm-up for the Australian Open —was helped by results elsewhere as the two other highest ranking seeds were defeated at the first hurdle.

Austria’s Dominic Thiem, the number two seed, was surprisingly beaten by the world number 55, France’s Pierre Hugues-Herbert, 6-3, 7-5 in the last match on Tuesday.

And Djokovic’s Doha stroll on centre court followed a high quality match between veteran Stan Wawrinka and rising star Karen Khachanov.

The Swiss three-time Grand Slam winner won 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 to claim a notable scalp against the powerful Russian.

Khachanov, the third seed, finished last season ranked at a career-time high

of number 11 and was the man who ended Djokovic’s 22-match winning streak in Paris.

He is many people’s tip to push through and challenge the established stars.

However, Khachanov had no answer to an inspired Wawrinka, currently ranked 66th in the world, as he returns from a serious knee injury.

“Today was a great match, a great level,” said Wawrinka, who has suffered an injury-plagued last two seasons.

Wawrinka and Djokovic could meet at the semi-final stage in Doha.

Another player returning from injury, Belgium’s David Goffin, the sixth seed, was beaten by Lithuanian qualifier Ricardis Berankis, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4). AFP

Leonard’s 45 points power Raptors past Jazz, 122-116 LOS ANGELES—Kawhi Leonard poured in a career-high 45 points to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 122-116 NBA victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.

With the win the Raptors improved to 28-11, keeping the pressure on the Milwaukee Bucks who boosted their league-leading record in terms of winning percentage to 26-10 with a 121-98 victory over Detroit.

The Raptors were again without injured Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Lowry—whose return date remains uncertain after he received anti-inflammatory injections to combat back pain last week.

In their absence, Leonard excelled, making all seven of his field goal attempts in the third quarter as he scored 19 points in the period and the Raptors—who trailed by two at halftime—pulled away.

After making just two three-pointers in the first half, the Raptors connected on their first three from beyond the arc in the third to seize control of the contest.

They took a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter, and while the Jazz managed to cut the deficit to as few as four, they couldn’t get any closer.

“They’re a well-coached team, they’ve got great guys on their team that compete every possession,” Leonard said. “We just tried to stay in it til the end of the game. We had to get some stops on the defensive end and try to come back and execute on the offensive end—it was a good win for us tonight.”

Pascal Siakam contributed a careerbest 28 points with 10 rebounds for the Raptors and Norman Powell added 14 points off the bench as Toronto improved to 28-11.

In Milwaukee, the Bucks won their fourth straight with the help of 25 points from Brook Lopez, 22 from Khris Middleton and 18 from Eric Bledsoe.

“I was feeling good,” Lopez said.

“We were moving the ball really well ... my guys were making great passes to me all night.”

Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had a relatively modest 15 points, but they included a stunning one-handed dunk over Jon Leuer in the final minute of the first quarter. AFP

MASTERFUL WIN. Obra Maestra, with jockey JB Guce in her reins, scores an eight-length win, its third stakes triumph for

the year, on a rainy New Year’s eve in the 2018 Juvenile Championships the Saddle and Clubs Leisure Park in Naic, Cavite. Obra Maestra gifted her owner Sandy Javier Jr. the top purse of P1.5 million from the guaranteed total pot of P2.5 million put up by the Philippine Racing Commission. Javier also took the P75,000 prize as breeder of the winning horse.

PH taekwondo instructors’ assembly set

Photo shows the national and regional instructors and taekwondo officers nationwide who will attend the PTA General Assembly on January 6.

THE Philippine Taekwondo Association, together with SMART/ MVP Sports Foundation, will hold its 2019 National Instructors’ General Assembly on January 6 at the San Andres Sports Complex, San Andres St., Manila.

More than 500 national and regional head instructors and taekwondo officers from all over the country will attend the annual event to discuss PTA’s 2019 plans and

tournament calendar as well as the officers’ (NCR and regional) contribution to the sports’ activities.

Makati Congressman and PTA Secretary General Monsour del Rosario said the general assembly will highlight the association’s accomplishments in 2018 and discuss the national and international competitions such as the World Taekwondo Championships, Asian Cadet and Junior Taekwondo Championships, World Cadet

Championships, Asean Taekwondo Championships (to be hosted by PTA), the Southeast Asian Games to be held in Manila this year, the Philippine Taekwondo League and other important events.

Registration for the general assembly starts at 9 a.m. It will be followed by a refresher course on the new World Taekwondo Federation official rules and the updated techniques for Poomsae (forms) and Kyorugi (free sparring).

Federer gets bragging rights over Serena in Battle of Sexes PERTH—Roger Federer took the honours in the much-anticipated mixed doubles clash with fellow great Serena Williams in what the latter described as the “match of her career” at the Hopman Cup in Perth Tuesday.

In the biggest mixed doubles drawcard in the 31-year history of the tournament, in what is expected to be its final edition, Federer teamed with Belinda Bencic to win the match in straight sets under the Fast4 format and win the Group B tie for Switzerland.

With 43 Grand Slam singles titles (Williams 23, Federer 20) and more than US$200 million in prize money between them, the two 37-year-olds had welcomed the chance to face each other on the court in an official match for the first time.

As it turned out, the tie was decided by the mixed doubles, after both Federer and Williams won their earlier

singles matches.

A capacity crowd of 14,064 turned out for the tie, and they saw Federer and Bencic largely capitalise on the mixed doubles inexperience of Williams’ teammate, Francis Tiafoe, to clinch the deciding rubber under the Fast4 format, 4-2, 4-3 (5/3).

Williams, who seemed to be troubled by her right shoulder during the match but said it wasn’t a concern, was disappointed her doubles experience didn’t give the Americans the edge.

However, even a rare defeat couldn’t take the gloss off the experience of facing Federer for the first, and almost certainly the only, time.

“I was so excited and literally it was the match of my career,” she said.

“Playing someone so great and that you admire so much in a match that actually means something.

“It is really great and special to go

against the greatest of all time.”

Federer said he was thrilled to play against one of the few players with more Grand Slam titles.

“I really enjoyed playing against Serena, what an honour and pleasure,” he said.

“I was nervous returning because people talk about her serve so much.

“It was great fun, she is a great champion, you see how focussed and determined she is and I love that about her.”

The pair posed together for a selfie after the match.

‘Great start to season’ In his singles match, Federer scored successive wins to start the new season with an impressive 6-4, 6-1 victory over Frances Tiafoe.

The world number three was challenged early by the 39th-ranked American, but then secured the first set with a break in the 10th game.

Federer won seven games in succession and eight of the last nine as Tiafoe dropped away.

It was another encouraging performance from Federer as he builds his preparation for the upcoming Australian Open in Melbourne, where he will be looking to win a third successive title and seventh overall.

“It’s been a great start to the season for me, I found a way and I have to be happy right now,” Federer said.

“It’s about staying fit and healthy and managing the game day by day.”

Williams raced to an early 3-0 lead against Bencic, but then lost her way as the Swiss number 54 gained successive breaks of serve to secure the first set.

Although the American was hitting more winners, she was also making more errors and looked in trouble until she broke Bencic in the 10th game to take the set and level the match. AFP

Anti-doping world body: Russia misses Moscow lab deadline MONTREAL—Russia faced up to the possibility of renewed sporting sanctions on Tuesday when the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA) confirmed the country had missed a December 31 deadline to hand over data from its antidoping laboratory in Moscow.

“I am bitterly disappointed that data extraction from the former Moscow Laboratory has not been completed by the date agreed,” said WADA president Craig Reedie.

WADA said the independent Compliance Review Committee (CRC) will now consider the next step in the long-running saga at a January 14-15 meeting.

The end-of-year deadline was set in September, when WADA lifted a ban on the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), paving the way for Russian athletes to return to competition across all sports after a report which uncovered a state-sponsored doping programme in Russia.

WADA’s confirmation of the missed deadline came as US Anti-Doping Agency chief Travis Tygart described Russia’s return to the sports fold “a total joke and an embarrassment”.

However, in his New Year message, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach insisted Russia had been sufficiently punished.

“With its suspension from the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, the Russian Olympic Committee has served its sanction,” wrote Bach.

WADA personnel travelled to Russia in December but were unable to extract all of the promised data.

WADA said at the time its team could not complete its mission “due to an issue raised by the Russian authorities that the team’s equipment to be used for the data extraction was required to be certified under Russian law”.

With WADA waiting and the December 31 deadline looming, RUSADA chief Yury Ganus asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to intervene to stave off another ban that put Russia “on the brink of the abyss”.

However, the Kremlin said RUSADA’s concerns about new sanctions were “without foundation.”

Reedie added on Tuesday: “WADA has been working diligently with the Russian authorities to meet the deadline, which was clearly in the best interest of clean sport. The process agreed by WADA’s ExCo in September will now be initiated.”

That process will now see the independent Compliance Review Committee meet on January 14 and 15 to examine the developments before a recommendation is made to WADA. Meanwhile, Tygart said Russia missing the deadline should come as no surprise.

“In September, WADA secretly moved the goal posts and reinstated Russia against the wishes of athletes, governments and the public,” Tygart said. “In doing this WADA guaranteed Russia would turn over the evidence of its statesupported doping scheme by today. AFP

Wozniacki cruises in Auckland AUCKLAND—Caroline Wozniacki began her warm-up for her Australian Open title defence with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-2 win over Laura Siegemund in the first round of the WTA Auckland Classic Wednesday.

The 28-year-old Dane, runner-up in Auckland last year on her way to winning in Melbourne, gave herself a pass mark against German qualifier Siegemund and said the signs were good.

“I was a bit rusty out there. Playing my first match it definitely wasn’t my prettiest match but I just tried to hang in there, and tried to serve well and hit a lot of balls back and tomorrow’s going to be better,” she said.

“I’m just so happy I’m back here and warming up in the same way and hopefully that will lead me to also having good luck in Australia this year.

After a testing first few games, the world number three broke Siegemund in the fourth game and comfortably controlled the match from there.

Wozniacki will play Canadian qualifier Bianca Andreescu in the second round.

In October, Wozniacki revealed she had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease which causes swelling of the joints and fatigue. AFP

Sports

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

A8 THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019

Palaro athletes to undergo training camps

By Peter Atencio UNDER the new program of the Philippine Sports Commission, outstanding athletes of the Palarong Pambansa will undergo training camps in the future.

PSC chairman William Ramirez said this as the government sports agency gets set to unravel a new program that will expand its role this year.

This means that medallists of the Palarong Pambansa will have a chance to train with selected and certified coaches, who will be provided by the national sports associations.

Ramirez said this is among the activities in store when the PSC launches the National Sports Development Program this January.

The programs under the NSDP will be done in the Department of Education and the local government units. “‘Yun ang path ng grassroots program. Sana lumakas at gumanda ang grassroots sports,” said Ramirez.

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

Ramirez said this will help the PSC implement its mandate even more in the coming years.

For the moment, Ramirez will head the NSDP. But an executive director will be appointed later on.

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

With a third bureau in place, the agency will be able to attend to the needs of the athletes and coaches not only at the grassroots level, but at also at the elite level.

This will be supported activities now being done by the Philippine Sports Institute and with the construction of the Philippine Sports Training Center in Rosales, Pangasinan in the middle of the year.

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

Lady Stags shoot for 3rd straight win, share of 2nd SAN Sebastian College guns for a third straight victory and a piece of second spot as it tackles an unpredictable Jose Rizal University today in the women’s division of the 94th NCAA volleyball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

The Lady Stags entered the Holiday Season break riding the crest of backto-back victories over the Letran Lady Knights, 25-22, 25-16, 25-22, and the Emilio Aguinaldo Lady Generals, 2519. 25-20, 26-24, to jump back into the magic four with a 4-1 (win-loss) card, which was good for joint third with the St. Benilde Lady Blazers.

It made up for a faulty start for SSC, which struggled in a five-set win over Lyceum of the Philippines University and Mapua and was destroyed by unbeaten reigning titlist Arellano University in a 15-25, 16-25, 12-25 defeat.

Now Roger Gorayeb’s charges will have a chance to improve to a share of second with San Beda (5-1) with a win in their 12-noon match with JRU, which is currently at No. 6 with a 3-3 mark and seeking to keep its Final Four bid alive.

Also seeing action are Emilio Aguinaldo (0-5) and Mapua (0-6), which take on each other at 2 p.m. eyeing their very first triumph.

Jostling for Final Four berths in the men’s division were EAC (3-2) and Mapua (2-3), which face off 4 p.m. and SSC (2-3) and JRU (2-3), which collide at 10 a.m.

Blackwater’s young core, led by Mike DiGregorio (above), Mac Belo, Raymar Jose and Allein Maliksi will continue to grow with recent additions Paul Desiderio and Abu Tratter.

Blackwater likes its youthful pieces

By Jeric Lopez

F

OLLOWING a fairly successful season, Blackwater decided to roll the dice in hopes of leveling up further in the coming new season of the Philippine Basketball Association.

With all the moves it made in the off-season, including the shipping of two of its consistent gunners JP Erram and Paul Zamar, the Elite had many raising their eyebrows.

Still, Blackwater is optimistic that its moves and decision to inject some

young blood into its core can help it achieve more.

“We have some nice young pieces that can really help us now,” said Blackwater coach Bong Ramos. “The mixture of talent we have can continue our progress.”

In Erram and Zamar’s place, the Elite got rookies Paul Desiderio and Abu Tratter, who have intriguing and promising potentials.

To show its trust in the neophyte duo, Blackwater signed both to threeyear deals right away.

Blackwater is positive that the addition of those young guns to its improving core of Mac Belo, Mike DiGregorio, Raymar Jose and Allein Maliksi can make a difference.

Also, as it stands now despite some constant trade talks, Blackwater still

has No. 2 pick Bobby Ray Parks in its fray.

Two weeks ago, it seemed that the Elite was ready to also trade the highly-touted Parks to Meralco but as it stands at the moment, owner Dioceldo Sy stated that the team is keen on keeping the spitfire.

In fact, the Elite already offered Parks a lucrative P10.4 million rookie deal for three years several days ago.

In addition, another UP standout in Diego Dario was also signed by Blackwater to a one-year deal.

Last season, the Elite made some serious noise as it had a respectable showing in the Gover nors’ Cup, reaching the quarterf inals before falling to eventual champion Magnolia.

Le Tour reset to June for SEAG preparations THE organizer of the Le Tour de Filipinas has sought for the rescheduling of the race’s 10th edition in its effort to actively join preparations for the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games and to allow adequate time for the rehabilitation of calamity-stricken provinces in the Bicol Region.

UBE Media Inc. President Donna Lina said the LTdF was originally scheduled for February 17 to 21—this time as a five-stage race from the previous four stages to level up in its first decade.

But because of the country’s hosting of the SEA Games from November 30 to December 11 also this year, Lina stressed the LTdF’s role in helping prepare the country’s top riders for the biennial multi-sport regional competitions that the country is hosting only for the fourth time after 1981, 1991 and 2005.

UBE Media has written the International Cycling Union or UCI, the world governing body for cycling, through the Asian Cycling Confederation and PhilCycling under President Rep. Abraham Tolentino and Chairman Bert Lina to move the race to June 14 to 18.

“The Le Tour organization wanted to help harness our cyclists to their best possible condition in time for the SEA Games,” Lina said. “And because of the recent calamity that struck Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon and the rest of the Bicol Region, it has become more imperative that we postpone the race.”

Albay, Camarines Sur and Sorsogon

Defending Le Tour champion El Joshua Carino of Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance

were declared under a state of calamity because of tropical depression Usman, which caused landslides and massive flooding in areas where the LTdF’s 10th editon would specifically pass through, particularly in the town of Sagnay which was badly hit.

“In as much as we are ecstatic to celebrate 10 years of the Le Tour, we are one in prayers that our countrymen in the Bicol Region recover fast and well from the calamity,” Lina said.

Last year, the LTdF was moved from February to late May after Mayon Volcano’s eruption in January.

This year’s LTdF will start in Tagaytay

City, main hub of all cycling disciplines— road, mountain bike and BMX—for the SEA Games—and will pass through Batangas, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon. Legaspi City will host the finish of the fivestage Category 2.2 UCI Asia Tour race.

June will be a busy month for Philippine cycling with the conduct of the PhilCycling National Championships for Road, MTB and BMX and a proposed UCI National Commissaires’ Course for the three disciplines. The LTdF and national championships will principally cap trials for the selection of athletes for the SEA Games.

Filipinos upbeat as PH Amateur Open starts ASIAN Games gold medal team members Bianca Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go hope to hurdle a pair of tough groupings and fuel their respective title drives in the Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championships, which unfolds today (Thursday, Jan. 3) at Riviera’s Langer course in Silang, Cavite.

Aidric Chan, Carl Corpus and Jed Dy, meanwhile, banner the hosts’ bid against a slew of foreign rivals in the men’s side in one of the strongest casts ever assembled in the country’s premier championship in years.

The locals are seeking to end the foreign domination of the event, which drew top players from Korea, Singapore, the US, Ireland, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Guam and Korea, which swept the titles last year through now pro Kim Joo Hyung and Hwang Min-Jeong.

Pagdanganan gears up for an early clash with Thai ace Atthaya Thitikul and Singapore’s Callista Chen at 7:50 a.m. on No. 10 just behind the group of Go, who is paired with The Country Club mainstay Mikha Fortuna and Inez Ng, also of Singapore.

Thitikul, the youngest player to win a pro tournament in the Ladies European Thailand Championship in 2017 at 14, is out to get back at Pagdanganan after missing out a podium finish in the Asiad where she was one of the fancied bets following her victory in the inaugural Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific crown in Singapore.

But the Koreans, led by last year’s ladies runner-up Kim Heeji along with Kim Seo Yun and Lee Yeonseo, are also expected to come out strong on the hazard-laden course they call home, guaranteeing a fiery start in the 72-hole championship sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and serving as the kickoff leg of this year’s PLDT National Amateur Golf Tour.

Keen competition is also seen in the men’s division of the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines with Chan and Corpus leading the hosts’ charge along with Paolo Wong, Weiwei Gao, Josh Jorge, Peter Po, Ryan Monsalve, Kristoffer Arevalo, Miguel Ilas and Dy, who with Pagdanganan are coming off a big win in the National Doubles last weekend.

Yulo’s teammates Capellan, Ablaza shoo-ins for PH Team to SEA Games ASIDE from Carlos Yulo, two other aspirants could make it to the national team in the coming 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimiya said he is also looking at Reyland Capellan, who playing with another teammate in Rafael Ablaza did well with Yulo when they joined the Toyota International meet in Japan last December.

“For the SEA Games, we are preparing for that. The other boys have a chance. And there’s Capelland, who got golds in 2015 and 2017,” said Kugimiya.

Kugimiya is helping the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines develop its training program with the national coaches, with Aldrin Castaneda as the head coach

for the men’s team.

At the Toyota International, the 25-year-old Capellan ended up eighth with 12.275 points, while Ablaza was no. 11 with 11.925 in the floor exercises of the men’s artistic competitions.

In the vault exercises, Yulo pocketed the silver with 13.937 points behind South Korea’s Shin Jea Hwan with 14.2. Capellan took fourth with 13.75.

In the parallel bars, Yulo won another silver with 14.4 points behind Japan’s Kazuma Kaya with 14.55.

Yulo was tied with Japan’s Kakeru Tanigawa for second, but clinched the silver because he had more points in execution, 8.7 to 8.4 although less in difficulty, 5.7 to

6.0. On the other hand, Ablaza came in 11th with 11.575.

The Toyota event featured gymnasts from 10 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Chinese Taipei.

Castaneda said they have started their evaluation process for the aspiring team members.

Yulo is expected to be shoo-in with Capellan and Ablaza.

On the other hand, aspirants Jay Timbang and Matthew Vergara are among those trying to make the cut.

In the women’s division, standouts Christine Onofre and Chloe Gatlabayan are among the top candidates.

Peter Atencio

IN BRIEF

Uber, Lyft, Airbnb prepare IPO bids

NEW YORK—Investors have been priming themselves for a potentially huge influx of companies selling stock to the public for the first time, led by ride-sharing game changers Uber and Lyft, but the outlook is more uncertain with the vicious return of volatility to the market.

For companies trying to raise capital, volatility is the enemy.

“We enter 2019 on uncertain footing,” said Renaissance Capital, a research firm focused on initial public offerings.

The market is coming off an outstanding 2018 for stock offers, with 231 companies going public and raising $61 billion, the best year since 2014 when Alibaba entered Wall Street, according to Dealogic.

Waiting in the wings and expected to launch in 2019 are several prominent “unicorns”–a private company worth more than $1 billion.

This group includes ride-sharing service Lyft, which filed confidential papers to go public, and its archrival Uber, according to US business press.

Others that are expected to go public include the lodging service Airbnb, messaging service Slack, content website Pinterest and data analytics company Palantir. AFP

Clark airport auction a landmark success

THE success of tßhe bidding for the Clark International Airport operations and maintenance contract shows the seriousness of the Duterte administration to the “Build, Build, Buildprogram.

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority, in partnership with the Department of Transportation, recently awarded the O&M contract to the four-member North Luzon Airport Consortium, which includes Changi Airport Group, the operator of the number one airport in the world, Singapore Changi Airport.

The successful selection process proves that government is committed to providing our citizens with world-class, efficient and comfortable infrastructure, as envisioned under the President’s Build BuildBuild program.

The Clark airport expansion project was done in record time, within the first two years of President Duterte’s term—a major accomplishment considering that development plans for the airport were neglected for years.

Business SMC-Meralco consortium investing P99b in coal plant

By Alena Mae S. Flores

T

HE joint venture of SMC Global Power Holding Corp. and Meralco PowerGen Corp. plans to spend P99 billion to put up a 1,200-megawatt coal project in Mariveles, Bataan.

Mariveles Power Generation Corp., the joint venture firm, said in an environmental impact statement submitted to the Environmental Management Bureau it would construct and operate the Mariveles Coal Power Plant project in two phases, each with a 600-MW capacity.

The proposed project will be built on a 150-hectare property within the Mariveles Economic Zone of the Au-

thority of the Freeport Area of Bataan in Barangay Biaan, Mariveles.

The project is expected to use imported coal from Indonesia and locally available coal from Daguma and Semirara coal mining operations.

Daguma Agro Minerals Inc., a unit of San Miguel Corp., the parent firm of SMC Global Power, will supply the Daguma coal.

The coal project will start upon completion of all needed permits and other regulatory requirements. Completion is expected by 2022.

“The MPGC as the proponent commits to provide overall policy and guidance with regards to the implementation of the project. MPGPC shall ensure that all necessary mitigating measures including budgets and agreements with other concerned national and local government agencies are included in all contracts to prevent and/or minimize the negative impacts of the project

and enhance the project impacts,” the company said.

MPGC will supply 528 MW to Manila Electric Co. pending approval of a power supply agreement by the Energy Regulatory Commission. Hearings on the PSA were suspended previously because of the project’s lack of an environmental compliance certificate.

San Miguel has several power projects in the pipeline which also include hydro, solar and battery storage projects.

Meralco PowerGen, the power arm of Meralco, is waiting for approval of its PSA for the 1,200-MW Atimonan ultra supercritical coal project in Atimonan, Quezon.

Meralco PowerGen together with partner New Growth BV, a whollyowned subsidiary of Electricity Generating Public Co. Limited of Thailand, is set to complete the 455-MW San Buenaventura coal-fired power plant in Mauban, Quezon by September.

Disasters rock new Jakarta tourism push

TANJUNG LESUNG, Indonesia—Picturepostcard Tanjung Lesung was a cornerstone of Indonesia’s bid to supercharge its tourism industry, boasting palm-fringed beaches, a towering volcano in the middle of turquoise waters and a rainforest sanctuary for endangered Javan rhinos.

But the beachside town now lies in ruins, pummeled by a deadly tsunami that has raised fresh questions about disaster preparedness and the future of a multi-billiondollar push to replicate Bali’s success across the Southeast Asian archipelago.

The shattered community was hosting a pop concert when the waves crashed ashore last month, at night and without warning.

A clutch of other area hotels was also devastated, with beachside cottages flattened and debris—chairs, tables and the band’s audio equipment—scattered everywhere.

Tourism minister Arief Yahya, who ordered that the town be rebuilt in six months, brushed aside concerns sparked by the tsunami—which was triggered by a sudden eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano.

“Disasters can happen anywhere in Indonesia,” he told AFP during a recent visit there. AFP

ING Bank expects December inflation to decline to 5.5%

By Julito G. Rada THE local unit of ING Bank expects the inflation rate in December to slow down to 5.5 percent from 6 percent in November, on lower oil prices and the normalization of food supply during the fourthquarter harvest season.

“Index heavyweights food items and energy-related sub-indices are seen to pull inflation below the 6 percent handle as supply chains normalize and global energy prices plunged faster in November and December than they rose from September to the 2018 peak in October,” ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa said in a report Wednesday.

“The fourth-quarter harvest season and imports of grains have helped stabilize the supply [and price] for most food items with the latest government bulletin showing second week December rice inflation at 10.03 percent compared to November 2018’s 14.46 percent,” Mapa said.

He said domestic pump prices also tracked the freefall seen in Dubai oil prices with gasoline prices now below pre-2018 tax reform levels and diesel not far behind.

Mapa said the 2018 inflation zoomed well-past BSP’s inflation target range of 2 to 4 percent as a confluence of bad weather, disrupted supply chains, currency depreciation and tax reform fomented cost-push inflation.

“With these supply-side oriented bottlenecks mitigated or removed, we can expect inflation pressures to dissipate quickly and the overall headline print to slide in 2019, barring any return of these supply issues,” he said.

He said with the Rice Tarrification law all-but waiting President Duterte’s signature and oil prices sliding to levels last seen in mid-2017, “risks to the inflation outlook appear now more tilted to the downside although upward pressure looms with possible extreme weather conditions with El Niño forecasted in the first half of 2019 while surprise Opec supply cuts can cause crude oil’s recent plunge to reverse.”

PSE WELCOMES 2019. The Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. welcomes 2019 with first trading day festivities that include a champagne toast, coin and candy shower, and special bell ringing ceremony. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index closed higher by 23.18 points, or 0.3 percent, to 7,489.20 on Jan. 2. Shown are (from left) PSE treasurer Omelita Tiangco; directors Amor Iliscupidez, Vivian Yuchengo and Wilson Sy; chief operating officer Roel Refran; chairman Jose Pardo; president and chief executive Ramon Monzon; and directors Eddie Gobing and Alejandro Yu.

Cavitex Infrastructure sees traffic volume increasing 6%

By Darwin G. Amojelar CAVITEX Infrastructure Corp. said it expects traffic volume along ManilaCavite Expressway to increase 6 percent this year.

“We expect roughly 5 percent to 6 percent traffic growth, but that also assumes rate adjustment. If rate adjustment happens, it will be very difficult to achieve that,” CIC president and general manager Roberto Bontia said.

Bontia said the average vehicle traffic along Cavitex is about 140,000 daily. Cavitex is unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.

MPTC, through MPCala Holdings Inc., earlier secured an original proponent status from the Department of Public Works and Highways for the P22.43-billion Cavite-Batangas

Expressway.

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

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

The CTBex project was targeted to be completed by 2022.

MPCala is also constructing the P35-billon Calax―a four-lane, 47-kilometer closed-system toll expressway connecting Cavitex and South Luzon Expressway.

The expressway will start from Cavitex in Kawit, Cavite and end at SLEx-

Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.

The group is also building the P27.9billion Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway project, an 8.25-km bridge project that will connect Cebu City to Mactan Island via Cordova. The project is expected to be completed by 2020.

Parent Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. is building the NLEx-SLEx Connector Road, an eight-kilometer, four-lane toll road linking the North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway, passing through Metro Manila and using the existing Philippine National Railway alignment as the route.

The MPIC Group operates the North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Tarlac Expressway and Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway.

PAL’S 6TH A321NEO PLANE.

Philippine Airlines’ sixth brand-new Airbus A321neo takes off from the Airbus complex in Finkenwerder, Germany on Dec. 31, 2018 and arrives in Manila on New Year’s Day. The delivery crew pose upon arrival in Manila (below, from left) led by Ian Echavez (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines), John Cumigad (CAAP), Dolly Gabriel (PAL Corp.

Finance), Capt. Rene Atilano, first officer Dan Lat (behind), first officer Justin Isaac (front), Capt.

Barney Charles Ramos Guevarra (A321 deputy chief pilot), Rhodell Agustin (Lufthansa Technik Phils.), Mark Arpon (behind, LTP) and Quin Catabui (aircraft engineering & team head). Top photo shows the flight crew.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019

B1

Cement firms likely to hike prices amid higher tariffs

By Othel V. Campos CEMENT importers said Wednesday the imposition of a safeguard duty on imports may encourage local manufacturers to raise their prices.

A group of cement importers raised this concern, in anticipation of a decision from the Trade Department which launched an investigation into the increasing volume of cement imports.

“Once the safeguard is implemented, the additional tariff will be a big burden to importers whom many will cease operations due to unfair pricing and competition. If this happens, local cement manufacturers will start hiking their prices to be at par with imported cement,” said Philippine Cement Importers Association Inc. president Napoleon Co. Co said some importers might not cope up with higher importation cost as a result of the safeguard measure.

The group said local cement manufacturers continued to rake in huge profits, posting combined industry sales of P109 billion and net earnings of P14.7 billion in 2017.

The group said several cement companies earned billions of pesos from sales ranging from P11.2 billion to P27.3 billion in the first three quarters of 2018.

Importers warned an additional safeguard duty on imported cement would result in price increases and aggravate the supply shortage, as it would require three to four years to commission new cement plants.

The importers group said that while they ran to the rescue of the government to address the shortage, they were now being threatened by additional safeguard duty to discourage importation.

Several importers halted cement importation after the Trade Department launched the safeguard investigation in September.

Co said the imposition of an additional safeguard duty on imported cement was illtimed given the increasing demand for cement to support the government’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ infrastructure program.

CleanTech to boost Bulacan solar plant by 30 megawatts CLEANTECH Global Renewables Inc. is preparing for the expansion of its 15-megawatt Bulacan solar power plant by another 30 MW this year, an official said.

“We are moving forward with the 30-MW project. Start of land development [is expected] towards the end of January,” CleanTech president and chief executive Salvador Antonio Castro said.

He said the engineering, procurement and construction pre-selection was ongoing and the tender process would begin soon.

Castro also said that there was “ongoing negotiation for alternative offtake contracts” for the expansion.

The first phase of the project in San Idelfonso, Bulacan was completed in 2016.

Castro earlier said the company was presently looking for buyers of the output of the expansion.

“Obviously, just like everybody else, we are looking for PSAs [power supply agreements]. We are excited for the RPS [renewable portfolio standards], REM [retail electricity market] but we are seriously looking at the spot market,” he said.

He said a ready market would ensure the project’s bankability.

The expansion will be under the project name San lldefonso Alternative Energy Corp. The first 15-MW phase is under Bulacan Solar Energy Corp.

He said the target cost should be below prices at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, the country’s trading floor of electricity, which averaged P3.75 per kilowatt-hour or less in the last 12 months.

“We follow the trend at WESM. It has come down from the last two to three years…There is some volatility and movement but as long as banks and financial partners are comfortable with that then we will be able to finance that,” Castro said.

Alena Mae S. Flores

B2

Business

THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 3, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks up; Asian markets plunge T HE stock market rose in the first trading day of 2019 in lean trading, ignoring the plunge in the rest of Asia, as local investors realign their portfolios.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 23.18 points Wednesday, or 0.3 percent, to 7,489.20 on a value turnover of P3.4 billion. Gainers beat losers, 96 to 85, with 44 issues unchanged.

SM Prime Holdings Inc., the integrated property unit of retail tycoon Henry Sy Sr., climbed 3.4 percent to P37, while Wilcon Depot Inc., a major retailer of construction supplies, advanced 3.6 percent to P13.06.

Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc. rallied 2.6 percent to P1.95, while major

air-conditioner maker Concepcion Industrial Corp. gained 2 percent to P37.75.

The rest of Asian markets plunged Wednesday, starting the new year by extending a slide that made 2018 the worst in a decade, as fresh data reinforced worries about the stuttering Chinese economy.

With a number of potential banana skins dotting the next 12 months— including the China-US trade row and Brexit—dealers are keeping to the sidelines as they look for signs of stability.

Hong Kong led the losses, tumbling almost three percent, while Shanghai shed more than one percent after two indicators showed Chinese manufacturing activity shrank in December.

The purchasing managers index (PMI) readings, from the government and a private survey, were both

around lows not seen since 2017 and are the latest to highlight problems in the world’s number two economy following a slew of downbeat figures including on trade, factory output and inflation.

“China manufacturing PMI is falling at a pace faster than economists’ forecast, suggesting global economic slowdown and trade war is hurting the country’s manufacturing activities,” Margaret Yang, market analyst at CMC Markets, said in a note.

And Jingyi Pan, a market strategist at IG Asia, told Bloomberg News the the reading was a reminder of the US-China trade tensions and “brings back to the surface worries on growth”.

There were also market losses in Sydney, which dropped 1.6 percent, while Seoul shed 1.5 percent and Singapore slipped 0.9 percent. Taipei plunged 1.8 percent while Mumbai was one percent lower. Tokyo and Wellington

were closed for public holidays.

Investors were also spooked by the ongoing US government shutdown, which is now in its second week.

Donald Trump on Tuesday invited leaders from both parties to talks to end the standoff, but with Democrats refusing to pass any budget that would fund the president’s Mexican border wall there is little optimism a deal can be made.

For their part, Democrats, who take over the House of Representatives on Thursday, have lined up spending bills without addressing the wall.

Trump appeared to strike a more conciliatory tone on Twitter by reaching out to Nancy Pelosi, who is set to become House Speaker again.

“Border Security and the Wall ‘thing’ and Shutdown is not where Nancy Pelosi wanted to start her tenure as Speaker!

Let’s make a deal?” he tweeted.

With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

58.1 94 2.18 130.6 1.5 27.65 16.22 11.88 4.41 0.68 0.455 80.9 0.91 12.48 42.75 177.6 109.1 61.8 28.6 156 63.95

59.35 94.5 2.18 133 1.5 27.65 16.22 12 4.63 0.68 0.5 82 0.91 12.5 42.9 182 109.1 62 28.6 159.7 63.95

58.1 92.55 2.11 127 1.43 27 15.8 11.84 4.37 0.68 0.455 80.2 0.87 12.48 42.5 177.6 108.6 60 28.5 154.6 63.55

FINANCIALS 59.35 5,010 94 921,050 2.11 16,000 127 1,122,580 1.48 215,000 27.45 60,200 16.22 9,200 11.96 161,700 4.6 345,000 0.68 102,000 0.485 150,000 82 1,449,150 0.87 512,000 12.5 1,700 42.75 119,700 182 50 108.6 200 60 17,520 28.5 134,900 154.6 378,880 63.6 1,990

296,957 86,508,922 34,180 144,321,950 310,040 1,658,260 148,352 1,930,038 1,547,760 69,360 72,450 118,006,331 454,620 21,228 5,108,345 9,012 21,765 1,076,311.50 3,847,085 59,277,655 126,673

296,376 6,529,893.50 -21,100 -50,044,956 -46,715 -276,520 53,747,933.50 0 365,460 424,920 13,175,356 -25,436.50

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

35.1 17 1.07 1.28 0.25 1.93 15.48 30.9 37.85 59.1 1.8 6.5 6.38 10.98 15.46 7.95 7.1 19.96 64.3 25.5 1.99 5.8 10.64 1.81 292 4.3 28 10.3 18.5 382 0.176 5.83 1.35 3.55 7.71 5.4 1.16 10.6 47.8 5.8 4.83 2.04 2.73 1.42 11.9 82 5.44 0.125 0.83 128.4 2.33 2 1.59

35.25 17.06 1.12 1.28 0.255 2.02 15.48 31.8 37.85 59.4 1.8 6.89 6.38 11 15.46 8 7.1 20 64.85 26 2.03 5.8 10.98 1.86 295.8 4.3 28 10.4 18.5 389 0.176 5.83 1.38 3.74 7.77 5.45 1.17 10.74 47.8 5.85 4.99 2.04 2.75 1.44 11.98 82 5.48 0.128 0.86 128.5 2.33 2.03 1.59

34.65 16.8 1.05 1.28 0.246 1.93 15 30.65 37.2 59.1 1.79 6.37 6.38 10.8 15.1 7.95 7.08 19.62 64.3 25.5 1.97 5.77 10.5 1.81 291.8 4.3 26.65 10.26 18.06 382 0.175 5.83 1.33 3.52 7.67 5.3 1.14 10.6 46.7 5.8 4.83 1.89 2.73 1.41 11.72 80.5 5.4 0.125 0.83 125.7 2.33 1.91 1.52

INDUSTRIAL 35 205,700 17 408,000 1.11 14,872,000 1.28 14,000 0.255 1,260,000 1.95 32,563,000 15 49,700 31.8 136,100 37.75 4,102,100 59.4 290 1.79 15,000 6.42 130,200 6.38 5,100 10.96 1,315,900 15.2 652,800 7.98 17,900 7.1 77,300 19.8 621,600 64.7 15,270 25.8 8,400 2.03 4,410,000 5.8 64,000 10.8 782,400 1.86 204,000 293 181,410 4.3 11,000 26.65 303,100 10.26 31,800 18.18 88,900 384.6 103,240 0.176 120,000 5.83 9,400 1.34 1,299,000 3.65 540,000 7.69 1,682,700 5.44 95,500 1.15 6,694,000 10.74 300 47 703,800 5.85 150,400 4.9 4,733,000 1.9 181,000 2.75 20,000 1.44 48,000 11.84 93,600 82 45,990 5.48 133,300 0.128 500,000 0.86 72,000 127.5 299,610 2.33 3,000 1.92 17,789,000 1.54 6,135,000

7,198,955 6,931,596 16,219,200 17,920 314,410 64,579,980 745,758 4,253,355 153,829,115 17,172 26,950 839,114 32,538 14,331,950 9,994,160 143,133 548,721 12,333,900 988,273 215,380 8,840,940 371,041 8,356,966 376,220 53,280,590 47,300 8,325,230 327,028 1,616,038 39,761,044 21,100 54,802 1,753,840 1,975,950 12,950,388 513,143 7,733,030 3,208 33,082,745 872,340 23,194,020 348,580 54,940 68,560 1,108,668 3,765,254 728,755 63,850 60,870 37,946,221 6,990 35,087,540 9,515,300

-28,570 -96,912 -17,860 1,280 -17,431,410 -31,620 -1,122,930 0 18,000 2,447,744 5,189,724 -95,147 -29,110 -1,645,332 -468,530 2,444,460 -319,000 1,078,414 3,399,930 -1,503,185 -176,832 -975,408 16,612,370 -1,000,910 11,040 -8,552,994 -2,773,900 -4,481,065 -13,965,110 39,200 54,940 -683,234 313,533.50 13,093 -6,648,225 6,990 -1,549,960 537,210

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

0.61 55 11.92 6.5 26.05 1.43 1.43 904 6.71 12.78 11.8 5 0.202 975 55.7 5.6 0.58 4 16.5 0.57 4.65 0.037 1.22 2.37 147.9 2.25 927.5 1.34 250 0.247 0.22

0.64 56 12.02 6.5 26.5 1.44 1.46 914 6.9 12.8 12.78 5 0.202 989.5 55.8 6 0.58 4.08 17.1 0.59 4.71 0.037 1.23 2.42 147.9 2.25 928 1.34 250 0.265 0.22

0.6 52.3 11.8 6.5 25.7 1.42 1.41 901 6.7 12.56 11.8 5 0.202 956 54.4 5.6 0.56 4 16.42 0.57 4.61 0.037 1.22 2.36 146 2.25 910 1.33 245 0.246 0.22

HOLDING FIRMS 0.64 12,143,000 53.2 648,730 11.9 2,535,100 6.5 15,500 26.2 51,500 1.44 8,557,000 1.41 1,442,000 906 303,350 6.7 1,258,900 12.8 2,259,600 12.7 373,400 5 600 0.202 10,000 989.5 14,250 55.1 555,600 5.9 6,200 0.57 4,000 4.07 202,000 16.58 3,984,700 0.59 568,000 4.61 12,937,000 0.037 2,400,000 1.23 136,000 2.42 122,000 147.3 275,510 2.25 22,000 915.5 165,080 1.33 19,000 249.8 130 0.26 16,190,000 0.22 10,000

7,613,920 34,863,909.50 30,179,494 100,750 1,343,315 12,255,490 2,068,610 274,766,700 8,466,757 28,794,036 4,621,458 3,000 2,020 13,977,485 30,595,544 36,919 2,270 819,880 65,964,050 325,500 60,212,070 88,800 167,270 291,500 40,558,795 49,500 151,101,190 25,280 32,430 4,142,090 2,200

86,300 1,850,110.50 -15,563,932 97,500 1,780,900 -129,833,115 -1,478,917 3,946,254 585,368 199,865 1,798,307.50 22,800 -157,850 3,219,330 -14,706,420 4,740 -3,333,653 -79,291,500 -2,450 28,600 -

5,185,357 669,510 47,756 40,940 22,549,320 200,160,850 4,624,990 6,822,460 8,514 287,700 31,890 143,660 103,150 2,928,790 7,782,516 1,022,880 1,350,840 17,577,910 5,605,400 330,000 11,728,440

689,967 -4,950 1,329,745 -2,094,500 4,352,700 30,100 14,100 -2,150,723 213,608 -527,100 57,720 4,284,420 88,500 296,050.00

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV

8.1 0.78 11.98 1.75 0.96 40.6 2.34 4.05 6.37 0.435 0.88 0.242 0.365 7.8 18 1.42 1.13 4.77 0.45 0.46 2.24

8.25 0.81 11.98 1.75 1.03 41.95 2.4 4.14 6.4 0.435 0.89 0.242 0.39 7.84 18.2 1.43 1.14 4.8 0.45 0.46 2.26

8.1 0.78 11 1.7 0.93 40.6 2.32 4.05 5.9 0.425 0.88 0.234 0.365 7.7 17.74 1.42 1.09 4.72 0.435 0.45 2.18

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

NAME

NAME

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

0.43 3.55 20.55 2.01 35.85 1.25 5.4 0.73 5.41

0.43 3.59 21.15 2.01 37 1.25 5.6 0.73 5.47

0.42 3.55 20.55 2.01 35.85 1.24 5.25 0.73 5.38

0.42 3.55 21.1 2.01 37 1.24 5.36 0.73 5.41

850,000 184,000 831,600 8,000 7,795,100 23,000 625,900 59,000 3,507,800

359,000 653,240 17,472,840 16,080 285,162,400 28,610 3,344,813 43,070 19,014,269

80,550 11,325,030 134,899,285 -534 -5,276,306

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

14.2 20 1.4 0.405 0.041 14 4.49 9.5 73.2 6.5 7.5 14.42 1,920 5.45 325 2.97 1.95 99 0.127 6 3.13 14.12 3.25 0.8 17 0.375 2.49 2.09 16.36 3.5 10 8.33 3.25 9.47 125 3.28 1,169 0.82 0.325 43 80.95 7.47 2.35 0.8 0.44 5.32 0.7 12.66

14.24 20.1 1.4 0.405 0.041 14.68 4.49 9.84 74 6.5 7.74 15.36 1,920 5.49 325 3.01 2.05 99.95 0.131 6.03 3.4 14.12 3.33 0.81 17 0.415 2.51 2.09 16.36 3.72 10.38 8.33 3.53 9.47 125 3.87 1,169 0.82 0.325 43.2 81.9 7.47 2.42 0.84 0.445 5.32 0.78 13.1

13.4 20 1.4 0.405 0.04 14 3.36 9.5 73 6.41 7.3 14.4 1,890 5.41 325 2.95 1.95 98.95 0.125 5.84 3.08 14.12 3.2 0.76 16.64 0.37 2.48 2 16.32 3.46 10 8.33 3.25 9.47 123 3.28 1,128 0.8 0.325 42.95 80.95 7.47 2.34 0.78 0.43 5.26 0.69 12.66

SERVICES 13.58 20.05 1.4 0.405 0.04 14.68 3.43 9.64 73.5 6.43 7.49 14.98 1,900 5.49 325 3 2.04 99.5 0.129 5.93 3.4 14.12 3.2 0.81 16.88 0.37 2.5 2.06 16.32 3.62 10.18 8.33 3.5 9.47 123 3.82 1,130 0.8 0.325 43 81.75 7.47 2.42 0.78 0.445 5.27 0.77 13.06

122,800 44,300 21,000 60,000 4,300,000 505,200 23,885,000 2,388,600 53,020 705,600 12,000 44,100 6,610 57,100 20 530,000 23,000 651,950 7,220,000 5,399,100 13,000 100 1,321,000 238,000 155,400 470,000 596,000 30,000 1,000 6,342,000 3,100 1,100 3,000 200 4,920 5,577,000 28,825 4,907,000 20,000 3,846,300 149,250 100,000 1,467,000 117,674,000 16,110,000 15,000 19,269,000 4,417,400

1,687,608 888,695 29,400 24,300 176,000 7,074,432 91,539,410 23,124,546 3,884,612.50 4,540,467 88,745 658,808 12,541,800 311,275 6,500 1,580,490 45,430 64,741,076 914,360 31,999,256 41,290 1,412 4,287,420 185,040 2,613,934 179,800 1,488,400 61,340 16,346 22,914,560 31,398 9,163 10,280 1,894 606,552 20,059,230 32,717,665 3,957,500 6,500 165,416,805 12,204,542 747,000 3,494,420 92,404,810 7,065,950 79,004 14,471,290 57,164,084

-24,120 37,800 32,220 1,001,909 156,491.50 -9,409,885 -3,000 9,713,348 20,190 -130,458 3,250 -295,398 4,980 -170,310 515,370 79,090 -10,638,475 32,000 -24,891,025 -1,486,781.50 396,460 -3,999,930 -312,400 -531 40,102,208

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

0.002 1.66 2.6 15.44 1.45 2.08 0.3 7.21 1.68 0.206 0.111 1.17 2.24 0.94 0.013 0.012 3.37 3.16 15.2 23.05 0.0058

0.0021 1.68 2.65 15.44 1.45 2.2 0.3 7.21 1.68 0.206 0.114 1.24 2.25 0.94 0.013 0.013 3.39 3.4 15.7 23.3 0.0061

0.002 1.62 2.6 15.44 1.45 2.08 0.3 7.2 1.66 0.202 0.107 1.16 2.17 0.92 0.013 0.012 3.37 3.15 15 23.05 0.0058

MINING & OIL 0.002 120,000,000 1.68 2,626,000 2.65 8,000 15.44 4,900 1.45 3,000 2.17 6,806,000 0.3 50,000 7.2 1,600 1.67 403,000 0.202 120,000 0.114 3,290,000 1.19 462,000 2.22 800,000 0.93 238,000 0.013 7,700,000 0.012 59,000,000 3.39 2,000 3.32 5,433,000 15.6 946,900 23.2 418,900 0.0059 10,000,000

240,800 4,318,030 20,950 75,656 4,350 14,632,740 15,000 11,525 673,820 24,280 368,690 553,810 1,763,760 221,680 100,100 716,000 6,760 17,891,790 14,634,920 9,719,705 59,700

217,500 1,544 552,860 -77,280 258,500 3,214,190 -1,574,908 -2,723,295 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF PCOR PREF 2A PNX PREF 3A SFI PREF SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G

18.6 455.8 495 101.2 480 5.35 900 96 1 980 100 1.2 75.9 71.65 73 74.5 71.25

18.6 455.8 495 101.2 480 5.35 900 96 1 980 100 1.2 75.9 71.65 73 75 71.25

18.02 455 475 101.2 480 5.35 900 95 1 980 100 1.2 74 71.5 72.5 74.5 71.2

PREFERRED 18.26 213,700 455 120 490 7,590 101.2 460 480 10 5.35 500 900 120 95 1,200 1 1,000 980 160 100 20 1.2 5,000 74 7,230 71.5 2,500 72.5 1,210 75 20,000 71.2 150

3,909,278 54,616 3,610,230 46,552 4,800 2,675 108,000 114,100 1,000 156,800 2,000 6,000 535,472 178,915 87,830 1,493,000 10,685

-2,961,770 5,960 -1,043,000 -

LR WARRANT

1.94

1.94

1.9

WARRANTS 1.9 497,000

951,610

-

ITALPINAS XURPAS

4.9 1.72

5.29 1.78

4.9 1.63

5.22 1.67

FIRST METRO ETF

111.5

112

111.5

MS

PROPERTY 8.23 0.8 11.78 1.72 0.98 41.3 2.35 4.14 6.4 0.425 0.89 0.242 0.39 7.7 17.88 1.42 1.11 4.8 0.445 0.46 2.25

634,300 853,000 4,200 24,000 22,677,000 4,850,600 1,969,000 1,651,000 1,400 670,000 36,000 610,000 270,000 378,700 433,500 720,000 1,214,000 3,694,000 12,710,000 730,000 5,282,000

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

OPEN

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

SHARES 5,727,968

105,812,066 67,449,292

PROPERTY

73,342,546

SERVICES

229,610,731

MINING & OIL

218,625,895

GRAND TOTAL

717,577,659

SME

2,163,000 14,825,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 112 7,190

11,138,370 25,243,110 803,717

-488,650 27,560 -

VALUE 1,768.25 (DOWN) 11.60 424,925,534.55 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,941.96 (DOWN) 9.40 638,950,291.22 HOLDING FIRMS 7,317.89 (DOWN) 23.92 880,319,629.83 PROPERTY 3,714.06 (UP) 86.08 SERVICES 1,450.46 (UP) 7.75 615,354,835.20 MINING & OIL 8,346.43 (UP) 145.93 693,109,100.92 PSEI 7,489.20 (UP) 23.18 66,073,258.008 All Shares Index 4,520.67 (UP) 2.82 3,355,990,082.50 Gainers: 96; Losers: 85; Unchanged: 44; Total: 225

BDO’s rural bank upbeat, set to launch new branches

By Julito G. Rada ONE Network Bank Inc., the rural bank subsidiary of BDO Unibank Inc., the largest lender controlled by tycoon Henry Sy, plans to further widen its coverage nationwide as it pursues an aggressive expansion program through the opening of more branches in different parts of the country.

Latest data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed that ONB had the most number of applications for new banking offices approved by the regulator in the third quarter of 2018.

ONB had 83 applications for new branches approved by the Bangko Sentral in the third quarter 2018.

They comprised the bulk of the 137 total applications filed by rural and cooperative banks during the period.

Of ONB’s 83 approved applications, 74 are located in Luzon while nine applications are intended for Visayas.

ONB opened 10 branches during the July-to-September period last year. The new branches are in Laoag City, Antipolo City, Kalibo in Aklan, Mabalacat City, San Jose del Monte City, Apalit in Pampanga, Cainta in Rizal, Iriga City, San Mateo in Rizal, and San Miguel, Bulacan.

BDO acquired the Davao-based One Network Bank in July 2015 in a bid to seize opportunities in Mindanao.

Universal/commercial, thrift and rural and cooperative banks opened a total of 126 new branches in the third quarter.

Among big banks, BDO and China Banking Corp. opened the most number of branches with 10, followed

by Bank of the Philippine Islands and Robinsons Bank Corp. with four each.

Other universal and commercial banks that opened new branches are Land Bank of the Philippines, three; Philippine National Bank, three; Asia United Bank, two; Security Bank Corp., two; and one each for Bank of Commerce, Development Bank of the Philippines, Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., and Chang Hwa Commercial Bank Ltd. Thrift banks opened 41 branches while rural and cooperative banks unveiled 43 new banking offices during the period.

IP E-Game leaves internet cafe business

By Jenniffer B. Austria IP E-Game Ventures Inc. is divesting from its internet cafe business.

IP E-Game said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it signed an agreement to transfer its 48.36-percent stake in Digital Paradise Inc. (DPI), which operates the Netopia internet cafe, to Y-FI Business Solutions Inc. for P62.93 million.

Y-FI Business is also owned by IPE-Game president and chairman Jaime Enrique Gonzalez.

The divestment is part of the company’s move to sell or divest from non-core assets.

IP E-Game said the internet cafe business in the last few years had been in a state of steady decline due to the increase in locations that offer free WiFi, proliferation of portable gaming devices and the shift in the consumer use of mobile devices as a result of an improving economy.

The company said these factors allowed more people to acquire mobile devices and technological innovations that increased consumer dependence on mobile devices.

“All this has caused a significant reduction in the demand for internet cafes, and a downward trend in DPI’s sales, transactions per store and number of stores—all of which justify the issuer’s exit from this industry,” the company said.

DPI at its peak in 2006 operated almost 180 internet cafes across the Philippines.

By the fourth quarter of 2018, DPI was operating just 14 internet cafes.

As a result, DPI posted a consolidated net loss of P43 million in 2017 from P4 million in 2016.

“If the issuer passed up the opportunity to divest its shares of DPI, there would have been a stronger possibility that there would have been no willing buyer of those shares considering the negative trends in DPI’s revenues and income,” IP E-Game said.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

TODAY

extrastory2000@gmail.com

World

B3

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Japan’s emperor delivers his last New Year address

TICKETED PERFORMANCE. Girls dressed as angels react at the conclusion of the Golden Crowd Fancy Bridgade Mummers performance of ‘Fall From Grace’ during a ticketed performance at the Philadelphia Convention Center on January 1, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Mummers parade is held annually on New Year’s Day in Philadelphia. AFP

TOKYO―Japan’s Emperor Akihito delivered his final New Year’s address Wednesday before his abdication later this year, telling tens of thousands of well-wishers that he was praying for peace.

The Imperial Palace said more than 114,600 people had flocked to the royal residence by early Wednesday afternoon, with more still arriving for a final chance to see the 85-year-old royal deliver his traditional annual greeting.

The emperor will become the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in around two centuries when he steps down from the throne on April 30, ending his threedecade reign.

“Happy New Year. I’m sincerely glad to celebrate the new year together with you under the clear sky,” he told the crowd, many waving Japanese flags and shouting “Banzai”, meaning “long live”.

“I hope this year will be a good year for as many people as possible,” the soft-spoken Akihito said in a dark suit, flanked by Empress Michiko and other

family members.

“I pray for the peace and happiness of the people of our country and the world,” he added.

The emperor delivers a brief New Year’s greeting every year, and was expected to appear five times on Wednesday to address as many well-wishers as possible.

Some in the morning crowd yelled “Thank you very much” as the emperor waved, while others sang the national anthem. One woman in the front row shed tears as she looked up at the balcony.

“I came here with my mother to imprint his last appearance as emperor in our memories,” said Yume Nishimura, a university student, as she waited in a long queue to enter the palace.

“I want to tell him we appreciate his hard work for the country,” she told AFP. Kazuo Iwasaki, a 68-year-old pensioner, said: “I hope he will be able to spend his post-retirement years in a healthy and relaxing manner with Empress Michiko.” AFP

‘Reunification with China inevitable’

B

EIJING―Taiwan’s unification with the mainland is “inevitable”, President Xi Jinping said Wednesday, warning against any efforts to promote the island’s independence and saying China would not renounce the option of using military force to bring it into the fold.

China still sees democratic Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides being ruled separately since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949.

“China must and will be united... which is an inevitable requirement for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people in the new era,” Xi said in a speech commemorating the 40th anniversary of a message sent to Taiwan in 1979, in which Beijing called for unification and an end to military confrontation.

“We make no promise to give up the use of military force and reserve the option of taking all necessary means” against Taiwanese separatist activities and “outside forces” that interfere with re-

Cambodia’s farmers fight debt bondage PHNOM PENH―Bopha should be in school but instead toils seven days a week in a searing brick kiln on the outskirts of Phnom Penh—a 14-year-old trapped in debt bondage in a boom industry preying on the poverty of Cambodia’s farmers.

Unpredictable weather linked to climate change is laying waste to Cambodian fields.

Saddled with debt from failed harvests, tens of thousands of farmers are turning to brick factories, where owners pay off their bills in exchange for labour.

The factories feed a surging construction sector, with high-rises cropping up around the capital Phnom Penh and beyond as money—much of it from China —pours in.

But for the farmers who shape and bake the clay bricks, Cambodia’s newfound urban prosperity has passed them by.

“I’m not going to school, I’m trying to help pay back the $4,000 that we owe, even if it will take years,” Bopha told AFP, as she loaded clay blocks on to a cart.

“For 10,000 bricks transported, we receive $7.50.”

Cambodian labor law prohibits those aged 12-15 from working if the job is hazardous or interferes with their education.

Yet Bopha works all week with her family.

They were driven into the industry two years ago after drought ruined their rice harvest, leaving them with no way of paying back money they borrowed to plant crops.

A factory owner took over the debt and they went to work in the kilns about an hour’s drive from the capital.

There, a dirt road leading to the sprawling facility is lined with hundreds of kilns resembling small pyramids.

Bopha and her family are likely to be trapped for years as they try to clear their debts, in what campaigners warn amounts to modern-day slavery. AFP

unification, he said.

In his speech, Xi described unification under a “one country, two systems” approach that would “safeguard the interests and well-being of Taiwanese compatriots”.

Taiwan considers itself a sovereign state, with its own currency, political and judicial systems, but has never declared formal independence from the mainland.

Relations have been strained for the past two years since the election of President Tsai Ing-wen, who has refused to acknowledge Beijing’s stance that the island is part of “one China”.

On Tuesday, Tsai warned Beijing that Taiwan’s people would never give up the kind of freedoms unseen on the authoritarian mainland.

Beijing “must respect the insistence of 23 million people for freedom and democracy” and “must use peaceful and equal terms to handle our differences”, she said.

Though Xi’s speech takes a strong stance against Taiwanese separatists and pushes for reunification, it is aimed mostly at domestic audiences, analysts say.

“It’s rather empty and doesn’t have any new points except that cross-strait unification would not affect the interests of other countries,” said Fan Shih-ping, political analyst at National Taiwan

Normal University, adding that Xi’s words may also be intended for the US, which views Taiwan as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy.

In 2018, the US sent multiple ships through the Taiwan Strait—which China considers its territory but the US and others see as international waters open to all—infuriating Beijing.

Washington also remains Taipei’s most powerful unofficial ally and its main arms supplier despite switching diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1979.

Xi’s speech is likely to be “very poorly received,” by the US, said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, who studies Chinese foreign policy.

To accommodate differences in Taiwan’s political system and civil society, China has proposed adopting the “one country, two systems” policy, which was implemented in Hong Kong after the British handed the city back to China in 1997.

But some say the erosion of civil liberties in Hong Kong sets a negative precedent for Taiwan.

“They [China] are gobbling up Hong Kong, not just politically but culturally and economically too”, Claudia Mo, a pro-democracy Hong Kong lawmaker, told AFP. “It’s so obvious that they’re trying to assimilate

Hong Kong into wider mainland China in every way. How would any Taiwanese think that’s going to work for them?”

Others believed Taiwanese could slowly come on board.

“People’s heart won’t change in one day, but I think one country, two systems is a way to do it.

The unification might take one, two, or even three more generations to achieve,” said a 55-year old construction worker in Hong Kong who gave his surname as Lam. Last October, tens of thousands of Taiwan independence campaigners took to the streets in the first large-scale protest calling for an outright independence vote since the island first became a democracy ERRATUM more than 20 years ago. refers to the But some in Taiwan say This Notice of Correction worsening relations with of Birth Certificate JOSE PEDRO Beijing have harmed busi- of FELIX NICANDRO ness, as cuts to pensions the following should been included in and a reduction in public had the publication last holidays compound frustra- December 28, 2018. tions over a stagnant econAs per Doc No. 62; omy where salaries have Page No.13; Book No.4, not kept up with the rise in Series of 2018 before Notary Public Atty. Gino cost of living. AFP Angelo R. Yanga.

IN BRIEF Somalia orders top UN envoy to leave MOGADISHU―Somalia’s government has ordered the UN top envoy to the troubled country to leave, accusing him of “deliberately interfering with the country’s sovereignty.”

The order comes days after the official, Nicholas Haysom, raised concerns at the action of Somalia’s UN-backed security services in recent violence that left several people dead.

“The Special Representative of the UN SecretaryGeneral for Somalia, Nicholas Haysom, is no longer welcome in Somalia and cannot operate in the country,” the foreign ministry said in a statement late Tuesday.

There was no immediate reaction from the UN mission in Somalia.

Somalia’s security forces used force to put down three days of demonstrations in the southwestern town of Baidoa on 13-15 December, with at least 15 people killed and 300 people arrested, according to the UN. Protesters were angry at the arrest of Muktar Robow, a former Islamist leader who was vying for post of regional presidency.

Robow, who defected from the jihadist Al-Shabaab movement in 2017, was detained by the government accused of seeking to “undermine stability”, and flown to the capital Mogadishu.

Robow’s run for office exposed the tensions between Somalia’s federal states, which want greater autonomy from a national administration keen to safeguard its central powers. AFP

Bangladesh arrests journalist over election reporting \DHAKA―A Bangladeshi journalist was arrested and another was on the run Wednesday for publishing “false information” about voting irregularities in an election won by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, police said.

Hedayet Hossain Mollah, who works for the Dhaka Tribune newspaper, was detained late Tuesday under a controversial digital security law which rights groups say gives authorities broad powers to stifle dissent.

Mollah was arrested in the southern Khulna region after he reported that in one constituency 22,419 more ballots than the number of registered voters were cast, local police chief Mahbubur Rahman said.

“The actual votes cast were only 80 percent of the total votes,” Rahman told AFP, adding that Mollah was accused of “providing false information in an effort to make the election look questionable”.

If convicted Mollah could face up to 14 years in jail under a draconian anti-press law that was toughed by Hasina last year.

The police chief said another journalist was wanted for questioning after a local government administrator filed a case against the two under the the controversial law.

Hasina, 71, is accused of creeping authoritarianism, including muzzling the media and jailing prominent journalists such as Shahidul Alam, an award winning photographer, who spent four months in prison recently. AFP

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LGUs

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

B4

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019

MGB official: LGUs should have their own rain gauges A MINES and Geosciences Bureau official on Wednesday encouraged local government units to have their own rain monitoring gauges for them to apply the necessary measures to protect their constituents from landslides and flooding.

Guillermo Molina Jr., chief science research specialist of MGB Region V, told GMA News the areas where landslides happened in the aftermath of Tropical Depression “Usman” have already been identified as landslideprone, and most of them have ongoing road construction.

“LGUs should have separate rain monitoring per watershed. They should know how to use these rain gauges and create measures for appropriate evacuation procedures in case warnings like this are raised,” he added.

At present, the Bicol region only has five rainfall collecting stations, which may give different results compare to what is happening in other areas, Molina told GMA News TV program “Balitanghali.”

“It’s hard to predict rainfall with too few gauges. For example, here in Legazpi City, we recorded 462 millimeters [rainfall] for two days, but the record is different in Daet, in Sorsogon, in Pili, or at the Sangay area. Conditions are different there,” he said.

The MGB official said the rainfall monitoring system would complement the data given to LGUs. Areas the bureau identified as technically hazardous saw their risks magnified with the changing weather conditions, “but these information were already given to the LGUs,” Molina said. “[The roads] had ratings of moderately [prone to landslides] to high.

If you will observe, most landslides happened near road openings, like in Sorsogon City where a road was being built near the sea,” Molina said.

“The same thing [happens here in] Tiwi, Albay. We cut a road through a mountain. Beneath that is the sea, and that road network leads to Sangay [town], to barangay Patutian in Sangay, where several landslides happened,” he added.

The soil condition in the region was worsened by the high amount of rainfall, Molina said.

“Legazpi City, in a matter of two days, had record rainfall for December ng Legazpi, and it rained on 88 percent of the city, a total of 462 millimeters rainfall in a matter of two days, December 28 and 29,” he said.

Local officials did not order forced evacuation because the state weather bureau had downgraded the typhoon warning signal, Molina noted, adding this should prompt LGUs to have their own rain monitoring system.

“People know what to do for typhoon signals 1 to 4, but [weather bureau] Pagasa only issued a yellow rainfall warning,” the MGB official said. “The typhoon warning dropped on Dec. 29, but the rains still fell hard, when most of the landslides happened.”

MGB teams are now going to areas affected by landslides such as in Sorsogon City; Bulan, Sorsogon; San Francisco, Legazpi; and Tiwi, Albay.

Latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council showed 85 people have been reported dead due to the onslaught of “Usman.”

MORNING BLAZE. Firefighters battle the blaze that erupted at the commercial establishment in Barangay 6 in Catbalogan City on Wednesday. (See story below) Rigie Malinao

Manila Bay worse, P3-b rehab eyed M

ANILA Bay is worse off a decade after a Supreme Court decision ordering local government units and government agencies to rehabilitate it, and officials of LGUs surrounding the bay may face administrative charges soon.

In an interview with the ABS-CBN News Channel, Environment Undersecretary Sherwin Rigor said authorities began checking sewage pipes that drain into the “very polluted” bay with an average 330 million most probable number (mpn) of fecal coliform for every liter.

That figure is 3.3 million times above the standard 100 mpn that is ideal for swimming, Rigor told ANC. The most polluted part is near the Manila Yacht Club—one of the 12 outfalls in the Manila Bay—where the coliform level is at 1.3 billion mpn, he added.

Rigor said the Department of the Interior and Local Government is “checking on the records of all levels of local government units” to see if there was a “fail-

ure” to implement environmental laws.

“That includes some government officials who allowed the proliferation of informal settlers [because] these are major contributors to the waste discharged in waterways, esteros that end up in the Manila Bay,” he told ANC. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources plans to spend some P3 billion to decrease the coliform level in the Manila Bay over the next five years. Silt curtains, temporary toilets and sewage lines will be put up to reduce the average coliform level to 250-270 million by the end of 2019, Rigor said.

“We need to manage expectations...

We may reduce it but for this year, SB [swimming] quality, is not possible,” he

said.

In 2014, the Manila Bay Coordinating Office had said bay’s water quality remained problematic owing to the continued dumping of garbage and untreated wastewater from 86 percent of the 14 million households served by water concessionaires that is still directly flushed out into the water body.

Six years before that or on Dec. 18, 2008, the Supreme Court issued a writ of continuing mandamus directing 13 government agencies to clean up, rehabilitate and eventually preserve Manila Bay. More than 34 million people live within the Manila Bay basin area but its problems affect the rest of the country, the MBCO noted.

Some institutions connected to the drainage near the Manila Yatch Club are the Ospital ng Maynila, Manila Zoo, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, hotels near Roxas Boulevard and the De La Salle University in Taft Avenue, Rigor said.

Three other outfalls discharge water with over a billion coliform per liter, he added.

Calbayog under calamity state after ‘Usman’ CALBAYOG CITY, Samar—The city council here has placed the entire Calbayog under state of calamity due to the massive flooding spawned by heavy rains dumped by Tropical Depression ‘‘Usman’’ killing at least three people and displacing thousands of families.

At least 5,000 families have been affected by massive flooding in this city, prompting the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to recommend the state of calamity declaration.

The city council approved the recommendation in a special session on Monday.

Rolando Saplad, assistant city DRRM officer, said three persons have been confirmed dead while five are still missing as of Wednesday.

The resolution likewise pointed out more than P10.8 million worth of infrastructure were destroyed while agriculture suffered P8-million losses.

At least 87 houses in Cag-anahaw, a remote village in the city, were washed away.

Saplad said Oquendo district is among the three districts in Calbayog City heavily affected by the flash floods.

The city government and non-government organizations have been distributing relief goods to affected families.

The CDRRM office said that all roads including those areas previously reported with landslide are now passable. PNA

P20-m fund for QC data collection set QUEZON City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte on Wednesday said she would commence the collection of comprehensive records on health, livelihood, education and other concerns of the constituents to determine the areas requiring further attention from the city government.

She said the city lacks data regarding the current status of the residents on various aspects, making it hard for them to formulate ordinances that would address the problems.

“I have mentioned several times that we need more data on different areas for us to find out the issues that require more attention; I observe that it is what we lack as of the moment that’s why we can’t pinpoint which aspects should we prioritize,” she said.

“Without accurate data, it is hard to create projects we are supposed to give to the public. For example, in health, we do not know the usual causes of death in our city; we do not know the most common illnesses among our people and because of that, we can’t provide programs that can better promote the prevention of those illnesses,” she added.

Last month, Belmonte noted that she had allocated P20 million for the city’s data collection that would commence in the first quarter of the year.

“I have already allocated P20 million for us to have a data gathering component so there will be some person who will ask the people about their health conditions and any other concern,” she said. Rio N. Araja

Catbalogan fire guts 61 homes; P8m in damages TACLOBAN CITY—At least 61 houses were gutted by fire in Catbalogan City, Samar early Wednesday, causing P8 million in estimated damages.

The fire first broke out at the mercantile stall of Joey Sy in Brgy. 6, Pier 1 at 12:30 a.m., affecting 84 families.

The fire reached the third alarm level but was declared out at 2:50 a.m., the Bureau of Fire Protection reported.

No one was hurt or killed by the blaze, the BFP added.

Barangay Captain Nimfa Rosal said some residents described how the houses at the back of the business area smelled strongly of gasoline.

Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire. Ronald O. Reyes

ROAD CLEARING. Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Joselito D. Bautista (in red vest) leads the landslide site inspection in Barangay Patiktian, Sagnay Camarines Sur with Buhi, Sorsogon Mayor Margie Aguinillo (wearing blue cap) as road crews work to clear boulders, rocks and soil along the road going to Tiwi, Albay in the aftermath of Tropical Depression ‘Usman’ on Wednesday.

Mangudadatu: BOL ratification to address regional issues

REHAB CENTER. Unveiling the marker of the Dangerous Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Alabel, Sarangani at its inauguration are Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Chinese Consul General Li Lin (fourth and fifth from left). Witnessing are DOH regional director Aristides Concepcion Tan, DOH assistant secretary Abdullah Dumama Jr, Sarangani Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon, DILG undersecretary Epimaco Densing III, China State (Philippines) Construction Engineering Corp. general manager Liu Wei, and Chinese Embassy economic and commercial counselor Jin Yuan

THE ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law will address issues that hound Mindanao, Maguindanao Gov. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu said.

In an interview with the Philippine News Agency during the 2018 National Anti-Drug Abuse Council Performance Award on Dec. 28, Mangudadatu said he has been campaigning hard for the BOL’s ratification.

“The BOL is one of the best roads towards prosperity in southern Philippines. If this gets ratified and people accept it, I think 60 percent of the

country’s problems will be addressed because the problems of the Republic of the Philippines are usually in southern Mindanao,” Mangudadatu said.

The governor said the BOL may provide long-term peace and solutions to problems in southern Mindanao.

The law has yet to be approved through a plebiscite in Muslim-populated regions in Mindanao. The Commission on Elections has scheduled the plebiscites for the ratification of the BOL from Jan. 21 to Feb. 6, 2019.

For his part, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said in a press briefing that the extension of martial law in Mindanao will greatly help the police and the military ensure the peaceful conduct of the plebiscite.

Considered as one of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s biggest legislative achievements, the BOL, previously known as the Bangsamoro Basic Law, seeks to give the Moro people basic legal tools to chart their own destiny within the country’s constitutional framework.

PNA

Life HOUSEHOLD

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019

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A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY COLORFUL PROGRESS. GlaxoSmithKline Philippines returns to the Gawad Kalinga community in Sagay, Negros Occidental, where it donated 50 homes to Typhoon Yolanda survivors, to ensure the residents have access to a

sustainable health program.

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HREE years after donating 50 houses to residents of Sagay, Negros Occidental who were left homeless by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), GlaxoSmithKline Philippines in November returned to the community to ensure a sustainable health approach would be in place.

As part of its Orange Day, GSK visited the community in Sagay. Volunteerism is the spirit behind the pharma firm’s Orange Day, wherein employees get one paid day off to volunteer at a non-profit organization of their choice.

GSK believes in Gawad Kalinga’s model of shared contribution and accountability. The company also believes that a durable shelter is a basic human need as well as better health. Thus in 2016, GSK followed through with a donation of a fully equipped community Orange Health Center.

“We remain humbled and inspired by the resilience, courage, and ‘bayanihan’ spirit amongst the families here in Gawad Kalinga community in Sagay,” enthused Rommel Abuda, head of public affairs and communications for GSK Philippines.

He continued, “Today, as in every year, we return to Sagay for our annual Orange Day, and we

GSK Philippines general manager Sriram Jambunathan engages with some of the children in Gawad Kalinga Sagay, Negros Occidental.

The fully equipped GSK Orange Health Center in GK Sagay

Expert cookware with character A FRENCH cookware brand offers expertly made pots and pans whose excellent character gives their users much pleasure whipping up dishes—and this can only be said to a few, if none, cooking tools.

Tefal Titanium Cookware’s three most durable ranges, namely Tefal Pleasure, Tefal Character, and Tefal Expertise, are made for daily cooking and for preparing a huge feast—they definitely rise to the occasion, so to speak.

Pleasure

vored meals that are perfect in texture and color.

D e lighting the hardcore cooks, the hard base is made more durable with titanium particles, which lend a deep 3D holographic effect and creates an extra thick finish for improved non-stick performance.

Cooking even under this pressure becomes a pleasure with Tefal’s Pleasure range. The line boasts a patented Titanium Force coating, which makes it last up to two times longer than the Tefal Powerglide coating.

Crafted with Tefal Thermo-Spot technology—an Character indicator at the base of the pan that turns solid red The Tefal Character range is made for those when it reaches the ideal cooking temperature— who always host parties. Crafted with the same this range of cookware ensures delicious, full fla- Thermo-Spot technology and coated with Tita-

Tefal Cookware ranges are made of durable materials that can withstand everyday cooking.

are very pleased to see the community further flourishing, the families sustaining their livelihoods, and the children healthier. We also heard stories of lives saved by the nebulizing machine and oxygen tank available at the health clinic.”

To further ensure that its partnership with Gawad Kalinga would not only be about handing over the 50 houses for some of the residents of Sagay, and that there’s a health program in place, GSK commits to return to the community next year for its Orange Day. “As a business that deals with saving lives, our goal is to meet our responsibilities and the evolving expectations of the society and the communities where we operate, while working to achieve our aspiration to become one of the most innovative, best performing, and trusted healthcare companies,” said Sriram Jambunathan, general manager of GSK Philippines Pharmaceuticals.

nium Pro that lasts up to two times longer than Titanium Force coating, this range ensures excellent cooking performance and easycleaning for many years to come.

With its high quality aluminum base, reinforced with mineral and titanium particles, Tefal Character is one of the toughest and most durable cookware yet, making it great for light to heavy cooking. Pieces under this line are compatible with all hobs, including induction cooktops.

Expertise

For intense cooking requirements, there’s the Tefal Expertise range. Using a patented fusion technology, Tefal’s Titanium Excellence coating uses an exclusive and extra thick titanium hard base that will last up to three times longer. This unique technology was developed to resist 12 years of intensive usage for successful cooking day after day, giving professional chefs and home cooks the best cooking results.

Tefal Cookware is exclusively distributed by Rustan’s Marketing Corporation and is available in leading department stores nationwide.

Tefal Titanium Cookware’s Character and Pleasure ranges are both made with Tefal Thermo-Spot technology, which turns solid red when it reaches the ideal cooking temperature.

Life

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

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SM North launches new lifestyle space UEZON City-based SM City North Edsa has launched its newest wing located at the podium of the newly opened North Towers.

“This new wing will delight shoppers with two levels of lifestyle spaces that will innovate and showcase food, beauty and wellness, and entertainment experiences, specially designed for fun-seekers and mall-goers alike,” said SM Supermalls chief operating officer Steven Tan. SM’s new retail space will house over 60 tenants and lifestyle concepts, providing customers with a lot more to explore and discover.

Further, the lifestyle hub features an Art Walk showcasing creative panels and murals painted by today’s most sought-after young artists. Until Jan. 31, the wing will be home to the “We Bare Bears” for a “Beary Merry Christmas” as Grizz, Panpan, and Ice Bear celebrate Christmas at SM Supermalls.

North Towers will carry large-scale dining concepts—buffets and hotpots—fun activations, art ex- The new lifestyle hub at SM North Edsa’s North Towers will house over 60 tenants and lifestyle concepts, as well hibits, food events, and a chapel. as an Art Walk showcasing creations by visual artists. (Inset) Leading the opening of the retail wing are (from left) SM Prime Holdings chairman for executive committee Hans Sy, Quezon City 1st District Congressman Vincent

Go to www.sm-northedsa.com for more information. Crisologo, and SM Supermalls chief operating officer Steven Tan.

A heartwarming tribute to OFWs

Muji opens 5th store in PH JAPANESE home and consumer goods retailer Muji has opened its fifth store in the country at SM Mall of Asia.

The 532-square-meter store features everyday essentials such as health and beauty, stationery, travel, kitchenware, houseware, furniture, and electronics products as well as men’s and women’s apparel, inner-

wear, bags, shoes, and accessories.

In addition, the Mall of Asia branch is the second Philippine location to ref lect Muji’s most current store concept.

Muji is located at Greenbelt 3, C1 Bonifacio High Street Central, Power Plant Mall, Shangri-La Plaza East Wing, and SM Mall of Asia.

Piolo Pascual takes a ‘groufie’ with balikbayans during the recent Pamaskong Handog event of BDO and SM.

OVERSEAS Filipino workers who went home for Christmas last year were treated to plenty of surprises, giveaways, and raffle prizes.

SM and BDO continued their commitment to pay tribute to balikbayans through their “Pamaskong Handog” event held at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

The event, especially dedicated for the overseas Filipinos and their families, is now on its seventh year and is said to be SM and BDO’s biggest, most heartwarming Christmas celebration ever since 2012.

The event brought to the stage Piolo Pascual, Sam Milby, Moira Dela Torre, Tawag ng Tanghalan finalists TNT Boys, Anton Antenor Cruz and Jenny Gabriel, comedian Donita Nose, and hosts MC and Lassie.

Pamaskong Handog also featured BDO’s social media personality dubbed as Boss Teteng whose Facebook videos garnered millions of views for his funny and entertaining tips for Filipinos overseas as well as SM’s cheerful elevator girl Cheridel.

Amid the challenges of working abroad, some balikbayans shared that providing for their children’s education is their primary reason in choosing to

work abroad, and will continue to do so for their families’ future.

For Evangeline Buno, who works in Macau for almost 30 years, “Motivation ko ang apo at mga anak ko. With BDO, parang katabi mo lang ang pamilya mo, Hangga’t kaya ko magpadala, gagawin ko (My children and grandchildren are my motivation. With BDO, it feels like your family is always beside you. As long as I can provide for them, I will).”

Violeta Suyong, who recently retired after working for 31 years in France, was able to send her three children to good universities. “More than 20 years na ako sa BDO. Yung retirement ko natatanggap ko ngayon sa aking (I receive my retirement through my) BDO account.”

Susana Batalla, who’s based in Italy, was also proud to share about BDO Remit’s quality service and her family’s fondness of SM saying, “Lahat sa pamilya ko, pinag-open ko ng Kabayan Savings. Ang aking pamilya ay napagsisilbihan ninyo. Maganda ang asikaso ng BDO sa akin sa Italy, lalo na ang service ng mga staff. Lahat rin kami ay suki ng SM. Walking distance lang sa amin (I asked all my family members to open Kabayan Savings.

BDO serves my family well. It has

great service in Italy, the staff is especially helpful. We all patronize SM, especially since it’s just walking distance from our home).”

“Christmas is the time when overseas Filipinos are excited to spend Christmas with their families. This is why Pamaskong Handog has become our annual tribute to our kababayans as we would like them to feel welcome and honored while they are here,” said BDO Remittance senior vice president and head Genie Gloria.

Gloria added, “We also make sure that our products and services as well as the other efforts of the bank such as special events are anchored on their needs, not to mention our international offices’ active participation in Filipino community events overseas. This year’s Pamaskong Handog event was also held in time for the International Migrants Day.” On behalf of SM, senior vice president for SM Supermalls Joaquin San Agustin said, “SM shares the same mission of giving honor, gratitude, and joy to the overseas Filipinos in return for their hard work and sacrifice. The goal is to make them feel special and let them experience once again how Filipinos celebrate Christmas.”

Muji My Bag

Skin care line

Outreach brings Christmas cheer to children

Aboitize employees spend a fun-filled day with children in Taguig City during the company’s annual Christmas Outreach.

ABOITIZ team member volunteers trooped to Cayetano Sports Complex in Taguig City a few days before Christmas to bring cheer to nearly 300 kids in the area.

Armed with gift bags and Noche Buena packages and some wicked dance moves, the ates and kuyas of Aboitiz spent a fun-filled day with the children as part of the annual Aboitiz Christmas Outreach.

“We wish that these fun experiences will be part of your happy Christmas memories, on which you can look back fondly someday,” said Aboitiz Foundation first vice president and chief operating officer Maribeth Marasigan.

The foundation’s Christmas Outreach is an annual tradition that highlights the value of responsibility and giving back. Aboitiz team members initiate activities such as Trivia Night, Music Night for a Cause, and Market Day, among others to raise funds for this activity.

Entertainment

Bong Go expresses support to local movie industry Former SAP Bong Go with seasoned actor Eddie Garcia pose for a photo op during the MMFF 2018 Gabi ng Parangal

LAST week Thursday, former Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go expressed his support for the Philippine movie industry and announced his intention of encouraging more film festivals to be staged to promote quality Filipino films.

At the 2018 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) Gabi ng Parangal (Awards Night) held at Solaire Resort and Casino’s The Theatre in Parañaque City, Bong Go mentioned that holding similar film festivals multiple times a year can encourage movie makers to create more quality films to cater to different audiences.

“Una sa lahat, gusto kong magkaroon ng ganitong mga festival para bigyan pa ng opportunities ‘yung pelikulang Pilipino na bumangon muli. Ang dami ko pong kaibigan na artista at marami silang hinaing po na sana bumalik na (ang sigla) ng industriya ng pelikulang Pilipino,” Go stated to interviewers.

The former SAP and 2019 senatorial candidate Bong Go mentioned in the past that he wants to craft measures to help ensure the continued viability of the local television and movie industry.

Go stated that for decades, the Philippine television and movie industry has been providing not only entertainment to people but also employment and business opportunities to numerous sectors as well.

Currently, Go said that he has been discussing with various luminaries in the industry, some of whom he considers his friends, to share ideas and craft ways to strengthen the industry, which is currently facing stiff competition not only from foreign movies screened locally but also from legal and illegal online streaming platforms.

“Kaya naman natin. We can be at par with the foreign films if we would support the producers and, of course, ng mga manunuod po,” Go told interviewers.

Go also said in a previous interview

that pirates and unscrupulous businesses have preyed on the “fruits of sweat, love, and labor,” of local film industry.

Go added that if elected: “I will push for strategies to crack down on these illegal businesses and strengthen the campaign against piracy.”

Recalling the heyday of the Philippine cinema that inspired and entertained entire generations of Filipino fans, Go said there is no doubt in the capability of the local film industry to create stories with depth and value and at par with foreign production, given proper support and protection.

“We need to amplify the quality of Philippine cinema, especially to our youth. If we are to uniquely identify ourselves as Filipinos, we need more Filipino-made films,” Go said.

Bong Go was in attendance at the 2018 MMFF Gabi ng Parangal as a member juror. Go, along with other members of the MMFF jury, chose which entries would be receiving awards that night.

As a candidate in the 2019 midterm elections, Go’s legislative agenda covers programs for health, agriculture, housing, education, long-term sports development, localized peace talks, fire protection and prevention, creation of a Department of OFWs, barangay welfare, as well as improved benefits for senior citizens.

In his interview, Bong Go assured the public that in addressing the needs of various sectors such as the Philippine movie industry as well as other national issues, he can be counted on to serve the people through his experience and dedication in public service.

Aside from discussing the Philippine movie industry, Go also reiterated that President Rodrigo Duterte’s health is in good condition. “He is in tip-top condition and I assure you po na kaya niyang tapusin ang kanyang termino sa 2022 and can live beyond,” Go clarified.

Official ‘The Kid who would be King’ trailer revealed THE official The Kid who would be King has been unveiled recently to delight moviegoers who anticipate the movie. From 20th Century Fox, the film opens in Philippine cinemas on Jan. 23.

A retelling of the Arthurian legend for the iPhone generation, The Kid Who Would Be King is a thrilling adventure for the young and the young at heart.

The film follows the adventures of an average school kid Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis) draw Excalibur, the magical sword of King Arthur, from a building site and go on a magical quest—with pals old and new—to save Britain from the forces of darkness.

Standing in the gang’s way is malevolent enchantress Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson), King Arthur’s half-sister, whose belief that the sword is rightfully hers has twisted her to evil. Buried in a tree in the bowels of the Earth by Arthur and his magician

Merlin (Sir Patrick Stewart/Angus Imrie), Morgana looks to take back the sword using an army of undead knights and her terrifying ability to shapeshift, buoyed by a deep conviction that she is the true heir to the throne.

"The Kid who would be King" cast member Patrick Stewart with lead child actor Louis Serkis

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Thursday, January 3, 2019

ACROSS 1 Lover in a play 6 Yokums’ creator 10 Make a tunnel 14 Kitchen enticer 15 Woody’s son 16 River in Asia 17 Hightail it 18 Bikini tops 19 Deficiency 20 Waste maker 21 Wisely 23 Time period 25 Nursery buy 26 Some aircraft 29 Movie workplaces 31 Desert plant 36 Cato’s hello 37 Stir-fry pans 38 High-pH solution 39 Minor clergy 41 Said to be 42 Guarantee 43 Not that 44 Before, to Blake 45 Foundry output 46 Mounted 47 Irritates 48 Go-getter 50 Gesture 52 Be foxier 56 Scottish Highlanders

60 “Mack the Knife” singer 61 Cruising 62 View from Giza 63 What willows do 64 Goose’s call 65 Unqualified 66 Feathered scarves 67 Kitty starter 68 Shortstop Pee Wee — DOWN 1 Too quick to act 2 Fierce whale 3 Lows 4 Chews the scenery 5 Gene Autry movie 6 Semi parts 7 Retards 8 Carpentry tools 9 Search party 10 Tulip-to-be 11 Grad-school exam 12 Slightly improper 13 Caribou kin 22 Shipboard romances 24 Unaccompa-

nied 26 Green gems 27 Happening 28 Make fun of 30 Approves 32 Mini-guitar 33 Hoopster 34 Work in a store 35 Hospital workers 37 — apart 38 Unfamiliar 40 Prompter’s hint 41 Happy sighs 43 Deluge

46 Think logically 47 Form a thought 49 Insurance center 51 Come to pass 52 Margarine 53 Humerus neighbor 54 Tiny amounts 55 Seize 57 Lo-cal 58 Very, for Pierre 59 Like some losers 60 Recede

THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

GMA Network hauls awards from international, local award-giving bodies

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EADING broadcast company GMA Network continues to be highly-commended, with its programs and personalities winning honors from various award-giving bodies both here and abroad.

After being hailed as national winners, several GMA programs and personalities represented the country in the first Asian Academy Creative Awards held at the Capitol Theater in Singapore on Dec. 7 and 8.

GMA News pillar Jessica Soho was honored as the Philippines’ Best News or Current Affairs Presenter for GMA News TV’s flagship newscast State of the Nation with Jessica Soho: Marawi Liberation War is Over. The coverage represented the country for the Best News Programme category.

At the same time, top-rating magazine program Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho was recognized as the country’s Best Infotainment Programme.

Broadcast journalist Sandra Aguinaldo received the national award for Best Current Affairs Programme or Series for her I-Witness’ “War Zone ER” documentary.

News reporter Jun Veneracion, in turn, took home the national award for Best Single News Story/Report Exclusive Report on his “Rescue of Hostages in Marawi” report for 24 Oras.

Atom Araullo’s Philippine Seas Seas, meanwhile, was named as the country’s Best Documentary Programme (One-off/Special).

Also representing the Philippines was Raffy Tima Tima’s Inside Marawi: A Report on 360 Video for the Best Immersive (360, VR) category.

Meabwhile, Kapuso entertainment programs and artists won various national awards in different categories as well.

Comedy genius Michael V. and his award-winning weekend comedy sitcom Pepito Manaloto took home the national citation for Best Comedy Performance and Best Comedy Programme, respectively.

Actor Miguel Tanfelix bagged the Best Actor in a Leading Role award singer-actress Kyline Alcantara was cited as Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Both national awards were won by the two young stars for their exemplary performance in the GMA primetime series Kambal, Karibal.

Winning the Best Actor in a Supporting Role for the Philippines is esteemed actor Gabby Eigenmann for his portrayal in the Afternoon Prime series Contessa.

The Best Children’s Animated Programme or Series in the Philippines is GMA weekend children show Daig Kayo Ng Lola Ko. The Kapuso network’s well-loved and top-rating singing competition The Clash was the country’s winner for Best Music or Dance Programme category.

Winning the national award for Best Promo or Trailer is the Launch Promo of hit romantic comedy series Inday Will Always Love You produced by the network’s Program Support Department (PSD). Representing the Network during

Tadhana host and Kapuso Primetime Queen Marian Rivera with Tadhana Executive Producer Eleazar Del Rosario (left). The drama anthology took home the Best OFW Trueto-Life Stories prize while Marian won the Best Actress award for the episode “MilyaMilyang Agwat ng Mag-ina.”

Kyline Alcantara (left) represented the Philippines for the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category while Gabby Eigenmann represented the country for the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category.

the awarding ceremonies in Singapore was PSD Associate Creative Director Blesilda Gonzales.

Kapuso celebrities Michael V., Miguel Tanfelix, Kyline Alcantara and Gabby Eigenmann also took the spotlight as copresenters of major honors during the awarding ceremonies.

Meanwhile at the 8th OFW Gawad Parangal held last Dec. 9, GMA News pillar Arnold Clavio was hailed as Best Male Newscaster. Clavio also won as Best TV Host for the country’s longestrunning morning show Unang Hirit.

At the same time, Kapuso reporters Tricia Zafra and Marisol Abdurahman were conferred as Outstanding Field Reporters.

Award-winning drama anthology Tadhana took home the Best OFW Trueto-Life Stories prize; while its host, Kapuso Primetime Queen Marian RiveraDantes, won the Best Actress award for

Miguel Tanfelix represented the Philippines for the Best Actor in a Leading Role category.

the episode Milya-Milyang Agwat ng Mag-ina.

Actress Jennylyn Mercado was named as Best Actress for the GMA primetime series The Cure, while seasoned actor Marvin Agustin was given the Best Actor award for the top-rating soap Kambal, Karibal.

The Best Comedian awards were accorded to Mike “Pekto” Nacua and Super Tekla. Gladys Guevarra, in turn, was chosen as Best Comedienne.

Earning Best Variety Show citation is the country’s number one noontime habit Sunday PinaSaya.

Organized by the Kapisanan ng mga Kamag-anak at Migranteng Manggagawang Pilipino, Inc. (KAKAMMPI), the award pays tribute to individuals, groups and organizations who in one way or another unselfishly share their time, skills and resources for the welfare of OFWs.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 3, 2019

Miss Intercontinental to welcome 90 candidates in Manila PRODUCERS and franchise owners of the 47th edition of Miss Intercontinental formally signed up Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila as the official residence of about 90 candidates of the pageant, which will be held on Jan. 8 to 26.

The producers and franchise owners also signed up Landco Pacific Corporation for its Playa Calatagan Village which will host some of the pre-pageant activities.

Signing the Memorandum of Agreement for Miss Intercontinental-Japan were Executive Director Bill Calubaquib, Chief Executive Officer Joanna Miyamae, and Chief Operating Officer Kumi Miyamae.

Signatories for Sofitel Philippine Plaza were Asst. Director of Sales Leslie Soriano, Director of Sales Asia Daourova and Resident Manager Christophe Bataille. Signing for Landco Playa Calatagan Village were Landco Pacific Corp. Vice President Gerald Marcelo.

Witnessing the MOA signing was Philippine representative to the 47th Miss Intercontinental- Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental 2018, Karen Galman.

The MOA signing happened on Nov. 27 at the Davao Function Room of Sofitel, Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex.

Meanwhile, a day after the signing of the MOA, the creme de la creme of Philippine couture featuring 174 participating fashion designers were presented to the media at Okada Hotel.

The same fashion designers will doll up the 87 candidates come pageant proper.

The first set of 87 designers will design the evening gowns while the second set of 87 designers will do the Filipiniana dresses.

Winning design/designer will get $1,000.

With over four decades of celebrated history, Miss Intercontinental has adapted to the changing times and has grown to become an ultimate show and an icon of female beauty and success.

Women who have worn the Miss Intercontinental crown have risen to prominence, establishing careers in government, business, finance film and fashion.

The pageant’s advocacy is diversity of beauty and women empowerment.

Originally, the pageant should be held in Japan but due to unavailability of venue because of the Olympic Games, they shifted to Manila.

Miss Intercontinental Philippines Karen Galman

Sofia Ignacio, 22, manages her own clinic, Creative Hair Systems, which specializes on custom toupees and semipermanent makeup

PEOPLE

By Nickie Wang

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OFIA Ignacio, daughter of Arnell Ignacio, is making a name for herself. Just like her father, she constantly aims for excellence by working diligently to improve her craft.

In high school, she wanted to be a makeup artist, now at 22, she is a OSHA-certified microblading artist who manages her own clinic, Creative Hair Systems.

The clinic, which has been in the family since 2005 and started by her father, offers custom toupees and semi-permanent makeup (SPMU) services for brows, lips, eyes, face and lash perming.

“I saw how it made so many women (and even men) genuinely confident and happy. I realized then that it was the perfect blend of three things I love: beauty, business and smiles,” Sofia told Manila Standard.

She was in college taking up Business Administration at the University of Asia and the Pacific when she started learning more about Semi-Permanent Makeup (SPMU) and took trainings for both Basic and Masteral SPMU at the Andy Pasion Asia Training Institute.

“She received her SPMU training certificates before she even walked down to PICC to receive her diploma!” the proud father said.

Sofia is also OSHA-certified which means she practices the U.S. standard of work safety and health protection and this ensures the neither her staff nor her clients will get an injury, infection or disease in her clinic.

Looking back, Sofia narrated her first ever customer, “a male gym buff who had kalat brows.”

“The goal was to give him a more macho shape. Since he was my first paying client, I really took my time on him and made him feel really special even if we went past clinic hours. He was in awe of my work but I was really exhausted.

The great thing is that he loved the experience so much he referred me to his friends and family,” Sofia recalled.

Sofia is undoubtedly very talented in her craft-- she has won an Excellence Award in Eyebrow Embroidery (Manual Stranding) at the Beauty Professional Philippines Semi-Permanent Makeup (SPMU) Competition among a host of other awards early on in her career— but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t get to have ornery clients.

Luckily, she had her father, the clinic staff and her close friends to help her move past the situation.

Following in her father’s footsteps

Sofia with her dad, former TV host Arnell Ignacio

“When I had that one mean client, I cried for three days, like I was laying in my bed in the dark. I didn’t know how to handle it but thankfully, my papa, my staff and close friends knocked some sense into me,” she narrated.

“I told her that she shouldn’t measure her worth on what other people say, and remember that she is loved and that she has the pleasure of calling her job her passion,” Arnell recalled.

Her father is also behind her all the way frequently linking and/or tagging her to trainings and always makes it a point to give her feedback, both negative and positive about her work.

Arnell also taught her about “excellence, commitment and creativity,” three values that go hand-in-hand.

“When you’re committed to something, you think about constantly improving not just your product or service but you and the people you work with. It’s going to

take a lot of guts and ideas,” Arnell recalled telling Sofia.

Creative Hair Systems currently has only one branch at the Swire Elan Suites in San Juan City but not for long as Arnell revealed that they will be opening more branches soon.

“Creative Hair Systems has only 1 branch, located in Greenhills San Juan City. It’s been with the family since 2005 and having only one branch has helped us with quality control. Now that Sofia working for the family business, we have plans of opening more branches,” Arnel said.

Within five years, the goal for the clinic is to be known as a multi-awarded SPMU service provider as well as help those who will stand to benefit from their wigs and SPMU services: those with alopecia and cancer.

“So within five-years, I’ll need to win awards from local and international SPMU competitions,” Sofia said.

Spectacular ‘Magic on Ice’ extended THE thrill of a one-of-a-kind Christmas show spills on until after New Year’s Day as Magic On Ice is extended at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Originally slated until Jan. 1 only, the spectacular show, which combines the excitement of magic and acrobatic tricks with the flair of ice skating, has added several play dates until Jan. 6.

The Magic On Ice schedule, including the added dates, is as follows: Jan. 4 (7:00 p.m.), Jan. 5 (2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. ), and Jan. 6 (2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.).

The word -of-mouth from those that have already Magic On Ice has been tremendous. The new dates will give more audiences a chance to catch the mind-boggling acts that have already enamored Pinoy audiences, as well as viewers from the United States, Europe

and other parts of Asia.

With Magic On Ice, the Big Dome, considered as the Philippines’ mecca of sports and entertainment, is transformed into a giant skating rink complete with lights and effects produced by teams that have worked with international superstars Madonna, Sting and Prince.

Tickets to Magic On Ice are now available at popular prices in Ticketnet outlets nationwide. The public may also buy their tickets through www.ticketnet. com.ph or may call 911-5555.

The show’s creator and main protagonist Steve Wheeler has described Magic On Ice as “a unique combination of ice skating and magic. It combines the speed and the elegance, the power and beauty of ice skating with big, theatrical magic illusions.”

The spectacular "Magic on Ice" combines magic and acrobatic tricks with the flair of ice skating, has added several play dates until Jan. 6.

Furthermore he notes, “The audience will see lightning fast appearances, vanishes and transformations, beautiful levitations, death-defying escapes, and some real fun, interactive comedy numbers that involve members of the

audience.”

For more updates, visit www. smartaranetacoliseum.com and follow our social media pages: @TheAranetaColiseum on Facebook and Instagram and @ TheBigDome on Twitter.

YUGEL LOSORATA

Even after holidays WHILE purely seasonal, Christmas songs are bound to never get outdated as long as they possess universal appeal. Or in the case of tunes with Filipino words, relatable at least to those who understand our poetry.

To name a collection Kahit Indie Pasko Ay Magbigayan is quick Pinoy wit with a little dig on that seasonal nature of the holidays. Even a grader can agree that the spirit of giving should be exercised all-year round.

But music being a powerful medium to set moods, Christmas ditties, by popular acceptance, come back to life when -Ber months, or “the cool breeze of December” come around.

Described as a recompilation of previously released original Christmas songs made by select independent Filipino artists, the 15-track package is comprised of songs gathered from several indie albums released over the past decade and produced by Indiepinoy, a company championing Filipino indies that record originals and happily go around the clubs and music festivals, arguably whether paid or not.

“It is an effort to bring music from the indie scene and into the limelight,” says Indiepinoy head Nolit Abanilla.

This compilation is now digitally available in 240 territories and music webstores including iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon Music.

According to Abanilla, Kahit Indie Pasko Ay Magbigayan boasts the mobile download-favorite “December Parade” by indiepop group Date with Fate and The Boxers’ quite-familiar piece “Sana ay Laging Pasko”. Thanks in part for the latter’s amusingly cool music video.

The album artwork for Indiepinoy’s wittily titled compilation that includes the author’s composition ‘Regalo’ recorded by a band he cofounded, Syato.

“A lot of songs tackle the topic of hope in times of turmoil, with Dream Kitchen’s ‘Disintunado’ and Syato’s ‘Regalo’ being perfect examples of this,” he noted.

I happened to have written “Regalo” myself and I couldn’t less agree.

There is so much to look forward to and hope about when opening a gift.

Arranging the track, we felt a simple acoustic setup could properly push its message, with Nolit, the pro that he is, appropriately putting keyboard embellishments.

To achieve a kind of balance, Nolit’s wife DJ Angela added her female voice to our recording that was originally a lone singing guy.

Also in the album are (apart from DJ Angela) singer-songwriters Leo Fantone and AnthonyO, as well as progressive folk-rock NuKLuS Band, The Play Fountains, Squeezers, Sensitivo, Sigwada Experiment, Muffin, Pitchfork, and Kinetic Daze.

Abanilla added, “Proceeds of this album will go to charitable institutions for projects helping less-fortunate children in their educational needs.”

If only to keep that spirit of sharing sonically alive all year, it’s fine to listen to a Christmas song every once in a while. Besides, music is more accessible than ever and a real good song remains one regardless if it is played timely, already a hit, or yet unheard. There’s more to having a right reason to play a song than just merely joining the bandwagon.

For more information about the album and other projects by Indiepinoy, check www.indiepinoy.com and http://www.indiepinoymusic.com/ christmas2018/.