Manila Standard - 2019 January 7 - Monday

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VOL. XXXII • NO. 326 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

ROYAL VISITORS.

Impersonators garbed as the gift-bearing Three Kings—Balthazar From Africa, Melchor from Europe and Gaspar from the Middle East—who first visited the child Jesus Christ in a manger, parade along the streets of Manila in celebration of the Feast of Epiphany marking the end of the Advent season.

Ey Acasio

Lakas disowns Daraga mayor Party withdraws nomination of Baldo, solon’s murder suspect

By Rio N. Araja

T

HE Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats has withdrawn its support for Daraga, Albay, Mayor Carlwyn Baldo as its official candidate for the midterm election, after the local chief executive was linked to the murder of his rival, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe.

In a letter dated Jan. 3 to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the party’s executive director, Bautista Corpin Jr. said Lakas-CMD has revoked its certificate of nomination and acceptance for

Baldo.

Copies of the letter were also sent to the provincial election supervisor and municipal election officer of Albay and Next page Daraga, respectively.

‘Usman’ death toll reaches 126, rain-induced landslides top cause RUSSIAN TROIKA. Three Russian Navy’s vessels—large anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleev, guided missile cruiser Varyag, and large sea tanker Boris Botuma—arrive in Manila’s South Harbor for a goodwill visit to the Philippines from January 6 to 11, 2019.

Norman Cruz

THE death toll from tropical storm “Usman,” which struck shortly after Christmas, rose to 126, authorities said Sunday, adding that landslides caused by torrential rain were the top cause.

The storm hit central and eastern Philippine islands on Dec. 29 and caused massive flooding and landslides. More than 100 people died in the mountainous

Public Works official conspired with Diokno in Bicol scam—Andaya

By Rio N. Araja HOUSE Majority Leader and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. on Sunday accused Budget Secretarty Benjamin Diokno and a senior official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) of being behind a multi-billionpeso flood control scam in Bicol.

Andaya, House committee on rules chairperson, said legal and proper pro-

Red Cross workers tapped to ensure safe Traslacion ‘19

cedures for flood control projects were allegedly bypassed by conspirators, and that requests were made through Viber messages to avoid any paper trail.

He said the testimony of district and regional officials of DPWH in Bicol during last Jan. 3 hearing of his committee in Naga City on the alleged shortcut process for flood control projects’ requests indicated a connivance among high-ranking Next page government officials.

Oil firms reverse gear, hike pump prices

By Alena Mae S. Flores and Macon Ramos-Araneta PUMP prices are expected to rise this week, with diesel and gasoline going up by 70 and 80 centavos a liter amid reports that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries has started cutting production early.

“Expect fuel prices to go up again next week,” Unioil Philippines said on its of-

ficial Twitter account Saturday. “Diesel and gasoline should go up by P0.70 P0.80 per liter.”

The impending price hike comes after 11 consecutive weeks of reduction for diesel and kerosene prices, and three successive weeks for gasoline.

Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian suggested the removal of the $80-per-barrel Next page

Bicol region southeast of Manila, regional disaster officials said.

While the Bicol region is often hit by deadly typhoons, many people failed to take necessary precautions because the storm was not strong enough to be rated as a typhoon under the government’s storm alert system, civil defense officials said.

Next page

PAHALIK. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority personnel place signages to be used to direct the traffic with the expected influx of devotees for the annual ‘Pahalik’ of the Black Nazarene at the Quirino Grandstand, Manila starting today Jan. 7, 2019. Catholic faithfuls believe that touching and kissing the image will bring about miracles to them.

Norman Cruz

THE Philippine Red Cross will deploy 1,000 personnel and volunteers for the safe observance of Traslacion 2019, or the procession during the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Manila, the group’s chairman Richard Gordon said Sunday.

He said 600 emergency responders will be at different first-aid stations where the procession will pass.

The other 400 will be on standby in outlying areas, Gordon told Super Radyo dzBB. The Metro Manila Development Authority had announced it would be deploying starting Sunday at least 1,200 personnel in preparation for the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo on Jan. 9.

MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim said the men will provide traffic and emergency assistance during the annual procession that is expected to draw 13 to 15 million devotees.

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Opposition to ML extension old hat, says Panelo

By Nat Mariano THE Palace on Sunday expressed confidence the Supreme Court will uphold the third extension of martial law in Mindanao amid the opposition lawmakers’ objections to its imposition.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo made the remark as he insisted there was nothing new about the grounds raised by the opposition lawmakers to reject the full-year extension of martial in Mindanao. He hoped the Supreme court would side with the Executive department.

Panelo made his statement even as an opposition lawmaker insisted there was no factual basis for the third extension of martial law in Mindanao, citing the administration’s failure to justify it.

Speaking to ANC, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said there was no “actual rebellion” in the south, which was a requirement in the imposition of martial law based on the 1987 Constitution.

Lagman said while there had been reported bombings and other violence in Mindanao, these incidents were not connected and were “not indicative of rebellion.

“We can agree there are continuing acts of terrorism and lawless violence in Mindanao but this is not related. The President in his letter failed to rebate this terrorism to rebellion,” Lagman said.

But Panelo said “The grounds cited by the opposition in opposing the third extension of Martial Law are more or less similar to the grounds cited in the previous petition in opposing the second extension of martial law.

“We are confident that the continuing rebellion in Mindanao, as well as the demands of public safety, requires the continued existence of martial law in that area, and the Supreme Court will uphold its continued imposition.”

Liberal Party President and Senator Francis Pangilinan said Congress “surrendered” its power by granting Duterte’s request.

Opposition lawmakers led by Lagman asked the high court to invalidate the third extension of martial law, saying it was violative of the 1987 Constitution.

They said the safety of the people in Mindanao was not in peril as there was no rebellion in the region.

“President Duterte’s letter dated 06 December 2018 to the Congress initiating the third extension failed to demonstrate the sufficient factual basis for his request, and his allegations of lawless violence and terrorism were not connected to rebellion,” Lagman said in a statement.

“The accumulated 891 days is an enormous increase of 1,485 percent over the original period of 60 days, which defied the constitutional intent of limiting the duration of martial law and any extension thereof.”

He said the martial law declared in May 2017 could not be extended as it had already accomplished its purpose of ending the Marawi siege.

The other petitioners, who echoed Lagman’s concern were Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr., Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, Quezon City Rep. Jose Christopher Belmonte and Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao.

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Palace, Congress team up for BOL In a 118-page comment, the Palace and both Houses of Congress, through the Office of the Solicitor general, asked the high court to dump the petition filed in October by the Sulu provincial government seeking to strike down the BOL or Republic Act 11054 and to stop its implementation.

Solicitor General Jose Calida said the BOL does not violate section 18, Article X of the 1987 Constitution, which authorized only one Organic Act to establish the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

He rejected the argument of the petitioner that the law should have had the approval of Sulu and the other provinces under the ARMM through majority vot-

ing as separate units, saying this was not required by the Constitution.

“The [separate] voting requirement provided in Section 18, Article X of the 1987 Constitution applies only to the creation of an autonomous region, not to the amendment of the law, nor to the expansion of its territorial jurisdiction,” Calida says in his comment.

He says the law signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in July last year, which created a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, was not exactly a creation of a new autonomous region as described in the Constitution, but rather an amendment of the organic act and an expansion of the territorial jurisdiction of the ARMM. “When Congress decides to expand the

territory of the autonomous region, the requirement does not apply to the subsisting provinces, cities of geographical areas of the autonomous region, but only to those provinces, cities or geographical areas proposed by Congress to be added therein,” the Executive and Legislative department said in their comment.

“A majority of the votes in all constituent units put together is sufficient for those provinces, cities or geographical areas already part of the autonomous region.”

Calida says the expansion of the ARMM does not require an amendment of the Constitution since Congress only needs to amend or repeal the Organic Act on ARMM. “Congress retains the plenary power to amend and repeal the Organic Act that created the ARMM. The power to amend and repeal laws is included in the general and express grant of legislative power under Section 1, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution,” Calida said.

“The creation of an autonomous region

Lakas...

Acting Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said he was confident that the case of double murder and multiple counts of frustrated murder against Baldo would stand in court, given the strong testimonial evidence provided by key witnesses.

On Thursday, Henry Yuson, a former communist rebel turned militiaman surrendered and confessed to killing Batocabe on orders of Baldo.

“I was just hired to kill congressman Rodel Batocabe on orders of Mayor Baldo,” Yuson said as he apologized to the lawmaker’s family.

Two other key witnesses, Emmanuel Bonita Judavar, who took part in planning the killing, and Christopher Naval, a trusted aide of Baldo, said the mayor had offered them P5 million to kill Batocabe.

Baldo has denied the accusations and

said he was being used as a scapegoat, but Año played down his denial.

“You know, denial is not a ground for a good defense. The court will take care of that, but the evidence is very strong,” he said.

Aside from criminal charges, Baldo will also face an administrative case for grave abuse, misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a public official and betrayal of public trust, Año said.

Albayalde shared Año’s view, saying he did not expect Baldo to confess.

“No one would admit to the crime, especially with this kind of seriousness,” Albayalde said.

“Remember murder is without bail, double murder at that and six counts of frustrated murder. He will have his time in court, he will be given due process I am sure,” Albayalde added.

On Saturday, the last two remaining

By Rey E. Requejo

M

ALACAÑANG and Congress have asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the petition assailing the constitutionality of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

From A1

The party’s decision came after Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde tagged Baldo as the one who ordered Batocabe killed.

Batocabe and his police escort, SPO1 Orlando Diaz were gunned down on Dec. 22 after a gift-giving event for senior citizens in Barangay Burgos in his hometown of Daraga.

Batocabe had earlier filed his certificate of candidacy for mayor of Daraga, pitting him against Baldo.

“Lakas-CMD strongly condemns the killings of Ako Bicol party-list Representative Rodel Batocabe and his security aide. Violence in any form and for whatever reason has no place in our democratic institutions,” the party said in its letter.

‘Usman’ death toll...

From A1

Officials also said that many residents were reluctant to leave their homes during the Christmas holidays.

“In two days alone, Usman poured more than a month’s worth of rainfall in the Bicol region,” national disaster agency spokesman Edgar Posadas said.

“Our search and retrieval operations are ongoing but the sticky mud and the unstable soil are a challenge.”

The death toll was likely to climb further with 26 people still missing, Posadas added.

More than 152,000 people were displaced

by the storm and 75 were injured, according to the national disaster agency.

President Rodrigo Duterte visited the storm-hit areas on Friday and urged officials to build evacuation centers instead of using schools as shelters for the displaced.

On Sunday, the weather bureau said the tail-end of a cold front affecting eastern Mindanao and the northeast monsoon affecting Luzon and Visayas will continue to bring rain.

Northern Mindanao and Caraga will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms due to the two weather systems affecting these areas, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)

in Muslim Mindanao is through an organic law, categorized as a statute passed

by Congress. As a statute, the organic law may be amended or repealed by Congress pursuant to its general legislative power.”

Calida, in invoking the powers of Congress to amend and repeal statutes, says the high court has no power to review the BOL because the issues raised by the petitioner involves political questions.

“The issues raised in the present petition are purely political questions that this Honorable Court is not permitted by the 1987 Constitution to examine,” Calida said.

He said the BOL complied with the requirement for the governmental setup for an autonomous region under the constitutional provision.

Calida also rejected the petitioner’s assertion that the law erased the identity of the indigenous cultural minorities in Sulu by automatically including it in the BAR without their knowledge and consent and also against their will and in violation of their rights. suspects in Batocabe slay---Rolando Arimado and Danilo Muella--surrendered to the police in Masbate and Bicol, a day after Yuson yielded and owned up to the killing.

PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Benigno Durana said they have accounted for all six6 suspects in the double murder case.

“They gave their testimonies separately and on separate occasions, but one thing that stood out during this investigation, during their interview and revelations is the fact that they are pointing to only one mastermind,” Durana said.

Durana said it would be up to the court to issue a warrant of arrest for the mayor.

“We have a very airtight case so far against all the suspects including the mastermind, but then again it’s now up to the court to appreciate all the pieces of evidence that we have submitted,” Durana said.

said in its latest report.

The northeast monsoon will bring cloudy skies with light to moderate rains over Visayas, and partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains over Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon.

The rest of Mindanao will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains caused by localized thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, strong winds will blow over the eastern part of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Coastal waters along these areas will be rough.

Elsewhere, PAGASA said winds will be moderate to strong with moderate to rough seas. AFP, PNA

FOOT BATH.

Airline passengers walk through the foot bath as they leave Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in Paranaque City, Metro Manila. The Department of Agriculture set up the foot bath to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever and other diseases afflicting livestock and poultry animals.

Norman Cruz

Red Cross...

From A1

Of the 1,200 men, 350 will be deployed for the procession of Black Nazarene replicas on Monday and the traditional “Pahalik” or kissing of the image at the Quirino Grandstand on Tuesday.

“On the main event, 850 personnel will be positioned at the vicinity of the Grandstand, Quiapo Church, and along the route of “Andas” for the safety of the millions of devotees,” Lim said.

Gordon said 18 ambulances will be available along the route of the Traslacion, while 32 others will be put on standby for emergency situations.

A tent will serve as an emergency unit that will cater to patients with special medical needs that cannot be attended in the first-aid stations.

Gordon said emergency units in nearby hospitals will also be available if needed.

For the safety of the Traslacion 2019 participants, the Red Cross stationed three rescue boats and an amphibian vehicle along the route, where there are bodies of water such as the Pasig River.

Gordon advised those who are sick not to join the crowd to avoid health risks, as well as children.

Traslacion is considered one of the biggest annual religious activities in the Philippines.

It will be held on Jan. 9 and the Metro Manila police are expecting over 2.5 million devotees to attend.

Oil firms...

From A1

threshold needed to suspend excise taxes on fuel to give the government more flexibility.

“Let us not wait for $80. If we wait for $80, many will be hurt, Gatchalian said in an interview on radio dzBB. He also said the the government should study good timing in suspending excise taxes on fuels.

“Timing is important in tax reform. And in many countries, they are looking at the forecast, the timing. They are not just imposing [new taxes],” he added.

The second round of increases in fuel excise taxes went into effect Jan. 1, as provided for by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law.

Gatchalian said that they can no longer do anything about that, it is important that the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Energy monitor prices.

For example, he said, petroleum companies cannot impose an increase until after 15 days because it is their mandate to store oil for 15 days.

“It is the mandate of the DOE to ensure that there is enough supply of oil for the

country,” he said.

He said so far, the DOE has monitored gas stations and issued warnings to some of the for increasing their prices.

Gatchalian on Saturday proposed the creation of an anti-profiteering task force to guard against oil price increases.

The DOE said over the weekend it hopes to release a circular on monitoring and unbundling of prices of petroleum products by the first quarter as part of moves toward price transparency.

Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said the circular will still undergo one more public consultation before it is released.

DOE wants to unbundle oil price components including the industry take or profits of the oil companies. The oil industry is deregulated, which means any movement in oil prices does not require prior government or regulatory approval.

“For the cost component, at least we got the eight major components…We agreed on the seven, what we are still discussing now is the industry take,” Rino Abad, director of the Oil Industry Management Bureau said.

Under the circular, which will be known as the Guidelines for the Monitoring of

Prices on the Sale of Petroleum Products by the Downstream Oil Industry in the Philippines, oil companies are required to unbundle and provide an explanation for the oil price adjustment.

“Oil companies shall strictly comply with the submission of the formal notice of price adjustments per liter for liquid fuels and per kilogram of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) as required in Section 2, containing the computation and the corresponding explanation of the unbundled cost items of all products subject for sale,” the draft circular states.

The circular shall apply to all persons or entities engaged in the sale of gasoline, automotive and industrial diesel, kerosene, jet fuel, bunker fuel oil and household and automotive LPG. The oil companies will be required to submit to the DOE the breakdown of its price movement which includes product cost, freight cost, insurance, foreign exchange rate, duties, taxes, biofuel cost and industry take.

It said retail outlets must also submit if required, their computations with corresponding explanation of the price of all petroleum products sold in a specified period including product cost, hauler’s fee, taxes and retailer’s take.

Public Works...

From A1

“The public hearing in Naga has raised more questions than answers. The testimonies given under oath by those subpoenaed indicated a top-level conspiracy in the multibillion-peso flood control scam that may involve ranking officials of government. At the very least, the testimonies and evidence point to DBM Secretary Benjamin Diokno in conspiracy with a senior DPWH official,” he said.

The Budget chief, has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the budget process and the allegations against him.

Andaya cleared DPWH Secretary Mark Villar of any participation.

“I doubt if Secretary Villar is in the loop with this modus operandi. He could be blindsided by some DPWH officials involved in the flood control scam. We hope he can help us get to the bottom of this,” Andaya said.

The lawmaker said his panel would summon several senior DPWH officials, including Ma. Catalina Cabral, undersecretary for planning and publicprivate partnership service; Rafael Yabut, senior undersecretary for Regional Operations in Luzon, and Patrick Gatan, project director of flood control management cluster.

The committee would also issue subpoena decus tecum for official documents and transaction records related to flood control projects implemented between 2017 and 2018.

“The testimonies from the DPWH regional office and district offices in Bicol were very clear. Top DPWH officials were ignoring Department Order No. 23 to bypass strict requirements for flood control projects. Somebody up there could have given the instruction to cut short the process for flood control project,” Andaya said.

“Whoever is downloading these instructions to the DPWH district engineers is possibly the one in cahoots with Secretary Diokno. These flood control projects submitted by the district engineers were then used to come up with a list of projects for approval by Secretary Diokno,” he said.

“We will identify them in the next hearing,” he added.

News

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019

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House all set to work for abolition of Road Board

By Rio Araja HOUSE Majority Leader and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. on Sunday welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement for Congress to work on the genuine abolition of the Road Board.

Andaya said the President in his visit to Bicol region stressed the need to use proceeds of the road user’s tax or the motor vehicle user’s charge (MVUC) in helping calamity victims.

“With the President’s latest instructions, the bill being pushed by the Senate and the previous House leadership on road board abolition is dead in the water.

He wants total road board abolition, not fake abolition. The utilization of MVUC in the bill is complete opposite of what the President wants,” he said.

The version which was approved but was rescinded by the House of Representatives was a fake bill on Road Board abolition.

According to Andaya, the House of Representatives shall “designate the members of our contingent to the bicameral conference committee on our first session day next year, on Jan. 14” to finish the job of abolishing the Road Board.

“This makes the proposed bicameral conference committee on the bill more urgent and indispensable,” said Andaya.

“In the bicam, we have to ensure that all proceeds from the MVUC form part of the general fund. We want to strip MVUC collections of its status as a hidden off-budget item that will be spent by one person in an untransparent way,” he said.

“The proceeds need to be included as a line-item fund in the annual budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways in the General Appropriations Act. This way, the real and full funding level of the DPWH is reflected clearly, unlike today when MVUC spending is segregated and treated as a non-national budget expenditure,” he added.

HSWs prodded to acquire new skills, cash in on labor lack THE Duterte administration will do well to encourage returning Filipino household service workers (HSWs) or domestic help to level up and retool to become highly paid welders, or tradespersons who specialize in fusing materials together, the partylist group ACTS-OFW said Sunday.

“While welding is considered a nontraditional occupation for women, many manufacturing and construction firms here and abroad actually prefer women as welders owing to their calmer hands,” said party-list Rep. Aniceto Bertiz III. “In fact, semiconductor and electronics companies also favor women as workers because of their steadier hands,” Bertiz said.

A portion of this year’s P7-billion budget for the government’s Free Technical and Vocational Education and Training should be invested in the retooling of returning HSWs who are willing to shift jobs as welders, Bertiz said.

“The government could initially target returning HSWs from the Middle East, particularly those who are high school graduates or undergraduates, and who are underpaid,” Bertiz said.

Many foreign employers in the Middle East still pay their Filipino HSWs only $250 to $300 a month, despite a Philippine Overseas Employment Administration order pegging their minimum monthly salary at $400.

“We have a persistent shortage of welders here at home because fewer Filipinos are entering the vocation, and many of our welders have gone to greener pastures abroad,” Bertiz said.

He cited the case of New Zealand, where Filipino welders are getting paid on average the equivalent of P5,176 per 8-hour day, or almost 10 times the P537 daily minimum wage in Metro Manila.

“We expect the lack of welders here at home to worsen in the months ahead, considering President Duterte’s programmed massive infrastructure spending,” Bertiz said.

MANRESA BLAZE Firefighters from the Quezon City Bureau of Fire and Protection together with the residents of Brgy. Manresa in Quezon City on Saturday January 5, 2019 join forces to battle fire which gutted 240 houses, rendering 700 families homeless. Property damage has yet to be established but the cause of fire is illegal connection, BFP says. Inset shows hundreds of residents of displaced by the Manresa fire are temporarily sheltered at the barangay’s covered court. Manny Palmero

‘Mortal violence’ vs drug lords justified—Palace M

ALACAÑANG reminded the public on Sunday that violators of the law, regardless of social and political status, will pay the price for their crimes after a former Maguindanao mayor tagged in the government’s list of narco-politicians was killed under the administration’s crackdown on drugs.

“Regardless of the social and political status of persons involved and /or engaged in the illegal drug industry, the same fate will necessarily befall them if they resist arrest and shoot it out with the arresting officers,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

Panelo said that the law allows law enforcers to use “mortal violence” against people who imperil their lives in the course of a legitimate police operation.

“The government will pursue to the ends of the earth those who kill without justifying and exempting circumstances as provided by law until they are put behind bars,’ Panelo said.

Panelo made the remark after Talib Abo, former mayor of Parang town,

Maguindanao province and his brother Disomimba, died in a shootout with anti-drug enforcers who were trying to serve separate search warrants against the brothers on Friday evening.

Superintendent Aldrin Gonzales, spokesman of the Police Regional Office-12, said the authorities were forced to shoot back after the two refused to cooperate and provoked gunfights.

Panelo said that the law allows law enforcers to use “mortal violence” against people who imperil their lives in the course of a legitimate police operation or arrest.

“President Rodrigo Duterte’s relentless war against illegal drugs will continue pursuant to his constitutional authority to serve and protect the people.

The state has not initiated and will never initiate drug-related killings outside the ambit of the law,” the Palace official said.

“The President will employ any means, unconventional or not but constitutionally allowed, to enforce the law. And he shall fulfill his constitutional mandate until the end of his term,” he added.

Abo was the sixth local chief executive who died under the government’s war on illegal drugs. His death came after the President stated that he would personally slit the throats of drug lords in front of human rights advocates.

“If you are a big-time player, I will not forgive you. I will slit your throat in front of human rights (activists). I don’t care. I’m telling you not to do that to my country. I will get you. So, I could not be more clear,” the President said in his speech on Thursday.

Abo was also the second senior politician based in Maguindanao to be killed in Duterte’s relentless drug war. Nat Mariano

MWSS now ISO-certified; Maynilad, Manila cited THE Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System has finally reached ISO status last December, following a grant of Certificate for Public Administration, covering the Project Management Process and the Facilitation of the Project Management Approval Process.

MWSS Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco says that the ISO Certification could not come at a better time. “This is all due to the collective efforts of MWSS personnel who were involved with the training, preparations, audits and other required documents needed for ISO certification,” he says.

Issued by AJA Registrars, the thirdparty auditing firm which conducted the certification process and which was selected from among three bidders, the MWSS ISO Certification is one of the MWSS CO’s Performance Scorecard Targets with the GCG for CY 2018.

Audited and certified were not only the Project Management process of the MWSS CO – which is one of the core processes of MWSS CO – but also support processes (Planning, Asset Management, Human Resources Development, Operations Support, Finance, and Legal processes).

Facilitated by Rene Liamzon from TUV Nord, the interactive lectures and workshops were aimed to grasp the principles and values of the ISO 9001:2015. These gave the employees first-hand experience on how to fulfill the ISO 9001:2015 requirements as applied to the organization’s in-depth scope and context, specifically focusing on project management and its supporting functions.

MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco is flanked by Maynilad president Ramoncito Fernandez and Manila Water president Ferdinand dela Cruz during a recent event in Singapore.

Velasco also commended its two concessionaires, Maynilad and Manila Water, for achieving ISO certifications. Maynilad under its President Ramoncito Fernandez recently secured ISO 22301:2012 certification in Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS) from international auditing and certification body TUV Rheinland Philippines for its sustainability, operational resiliency and recovery in the event of a disaster while Manila Water under President Ferdinand De la Cruz obtained its ISO 9001:2015 certification for their Quality Management System and its units also awarded ISO 9001:2015 certifications.

“These certifications reflect how the water industry in the Philippines is stealthily growing and will continue to grow, develop, and improve to suit the needs of our customers,” says Velasco.

“This shows that our services, treatment and products are indeed worldclass, top-notch and of caliber quality.”

ISO, which stands for International Organization for Standardization, is the world’s largest developer of voluntary international standards. For more than twenty years, ISO has been recognized as the ideal way for companies and institutions to prove they take delivering quality service seriously.

Taiwan opens more scholarship slots for Pinoys THE Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines has once again provided various scholarship programs for qualified Filipino students. These scholarships are intended for Filipinos who wish to pursue degree studies in Taiwan (Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral Degrees) or for those who would like to learn the Mandarin language in the Taiwan.

Due to popular demand and the positive response from Filipino students in past years, Taiwan‘s Ministry of Education has decided to offer more slots for the scholarships for Filipinos to pursue their studies in Taiwan.

Through this initiative, the ministry said in a statement, also presents the opportunity to learn the Mandarin language, not only through highly qualified teachers in more than 50 language institutions, but also the chance to experience the rich and vibrant Taiwanese culture, and broaden their international perspectives through their daily lives there.

As from February 1, 2019, TECO will accept applications for the following scholarship programs: Ministry of Education (MOE) Scholarship: Grants a 4-year scholarship for undergraduate studies, a 2-year scholarship for Master’s, and a grant of up to 4 years for Doctoral Degree. The MOE will shoulder 40,000 NTD each semester for the corresponding tuition and miscellaneous expenses. The remaining costs will be shouldered by the scholarship recipient. An additional 15,000 NTD will be given to those undertaking university undergraduate studies, and 20, 000 NTD for those pursuing their Master’s and Ph.D will be given as the scholar’s monthly stipend.

Application is from February 1 to April 30, 2019.

Huayu (Mandarin) Enrichment Scholarship: Allows applicants to choose to pursue either 2 months or 3 months of intensive Mandarin courses, subject to TECO’s approval. The grant provides a monthly stipend of 25,000 NTD to cover all the expenses (tuition, miscellaneous, etc.)

Application is from February 1 to March 31, 2019.

International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF): The grant covers the full tuition fee, living expenses, economy class airfare tickets and textbook costs.

Scholars pursuing Master’s will receive a monthly stipend of 15, 000 NTD and 17, 000 NTD for those pursuing Doctoral degrees.

Application is from January 1 to March 16, 2019.

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Opinion

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019

Free the oil market!

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

will soar again by the summer.

But, despite how news outlets are covering the decision to manipulate the oil market now, this isn’t the first time OPEC and Russia have shaken on a deal to cut their production in an effort to boost prices.

JUST before one of the busiest seasons In late 2016, the oil giants also defor travel in the Philippines, crude oil cided to expand production cuts, lowsaw a sharp price drop, giving Filipino ering oil output by 1.3 million barrels a drivers in most cities and provinces the day. But the results did not meet their gift of a lower gas price of about P50 per expectation, as the barrel was being sold liter. Despite the good news, though, for $50 a pop by mid-2017 despite the some experts suggest the low prices at output cut. the pump would not last.

What happened? Well, US shale oil In early December, OPEC, as well producers reacted to the OPEC supply as oil-producing allies such as Russia, cut by producing more and the supply decided to cut the output of oil by 1.2 was, once again, boosted, prompting the million barrels a price to drop. day. The cartel’s As Olav Dirkbiggest producer, maat, a top-down Saudi Arabia, ancontrarian invesThis is all the energy nounced it would tor and bottom-up cut its production Hayekian econoindustry truly needs. even further, demist, explained, it spite calls from US would take a maPresident Donald jor rise in interest Trump to maintain rates to keep US the current output shale oil produclevels. ers from being able to aptly compete The goal is to bring the price of oil in the global market. And, with the US up after OPEC and Russia ramped up Federal Reserve showing no signs that production in the summer and fall fol- it plans to announce a substantial rate lowing America’s reimposition of sanc- increase any time in the near future, it tions against Iran. wouldn’t be far-fetched to think that the Afraid that the market would react Saudi plan may not work as well as the negatively, Trump pressured OPEC kingdom is hoping for. then to produce more. The result was Unfortunately, Philippine drivers are a drastic cut in prices, as the supply still forced to be at the receiving end increased considerably. But just a few of this global battle for oil dominance, months after this shift, Saudi Arabia in spite of the fact that the market has changed its mind. changed considerably in recent years Using its power within OPEC and and the monopoly that once ruled the the partnership with Russia to crush any industry is no longer invincible. Still, the dreams Trump may have had of keep- fact that we’re even discussing the fact ing gas prices cheap through the end of this monopoly should be brought down his term, the Saudi kingdom brokered is a positive change. a deal with the world’s top oil producAll the energy industry truly needs ers to take 1.2 million barrels per day is a free market for the OPEC to be off the market in the first six months of dismantled and for Saudi Arabia, a 2019. To experts, that means oil prices Turn to A5

No country for old men

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, who has on more than one occasion threatened to slap or kill Jose Maria Sison and described him as a son of a whore and a conceited demon, says he is “keeping the fire burning” on possible peace talks with the communist rebels.

In a speech in Camarines Sur Friday night, Duterte said although he and Sison no longer understand each other, he could not completely shut the door on peace talks to end 50 years of armed insurgency.

“You cannot afford to lose all channels of communication, you will leave [the door] even slightly open," the President said in a mix of English and Filipino.

In response, Sison, who has called Duterte a psychopath, a murder maniac and the country’s no. 1 terrorist, said the rebels remain open to negotiations.

In a statement issued Saturday, Sison said it has been the "consistent policy" of the National Democratic

Front of the Philippines, which represents the communist rebels in peace talks, to remain open to the negotiations.

"I welcome the statement of Duterte that he is still open to peace negotiations even as there is still an exchange of hostile words in the mass media and exchange of bullets in the battlefield," Sison said.

But, with some candor, the communist leader in self-exile also said the “principal work” of the rebels now is to oust Duterte from power.

Some might view this latest exchange a slight sliver of hope, but the record has shown no reason for much optimism.

Duterte started his term with the

best promise for peace with the rebels in six administrations, bringing to the table a personal relationship with Sison, who was his professor at the Lyceum University. But after some promising gains, Duterte broke off negotiations in November 2017, citing repeated rebel attacks on government forces.

Since then, Duterte, 73, and Sison, 79, have been trading insults, casting doubts on the other’s health, and trying to discredit the other’s ability to lead.

In the context of these verbal attacks and the unwillingness on either side to budge, the President’s remarks about keeping the door open—and Sison’s response—seem nothing more than lip service to the now fading prospect of peace in their time.

Peace negotiations have been held hostage for far too long by old men who can't get over their own egos— not even for the sake of the country.

Exit the Dog fortunes descended as the Dog began to wind up.

The results of the mid-term elections came as silent rebuke of the Donald, with the House of Representatives going back to the Democrats, even as he held a slim majority in the Senate.

In the last quarter of the year, Dog AS the Year of the Dog in the Chinese Donald’s personal and political life was cycle ends, calamities still kept dogging wracked with scandal, his Defense secthe country even during its hoarse and retary, the highly respected Jim Mattis, dying barks. calling it quits, unable to make sense of Typhoon Usman hit Bicol and Min- his POTUS’ irascible foreign and secudoro during the last days of the Grego- rity policies and knee-jerk pronouncerian calendar, leaving almost 150 dead ments. in its terrible wake, brought about by As Christmas approached, the US massive flooding and landslides.

Congress failed to pass the federal budOf course, in Northern Luzon, prin- get, and while the government has not cipally Cagayan province along with ground to total standstill, the effects on Benguet in the Cordilleras, disaster both economy and livelihood of hunstruck earlier, in the middle of Sep- dreds of thousands of government emtember with Ompong, internationally ployees have taken punitive toll. known as Mangkhut. The toll in lives Rooster Rodrigo’s budget is also was heaviest in Benguet, where the held hostage, not by the war on drugs “usual” landslides as Donald’s was buried many. held up by his Harvestable crops stubborn desire were inundated in to build a great the Cagayan Valwall of Texas, What’s in store for ley, impoverishbut by quarrels these world leaders ing farmers who over pork – not this year? up to now do not slivers, but slabs. comprehend what (In a prequantitative reChristmas lunch strictions mean. with a congresThe economy sional expert was hit by inflation where the submuch, much higher than the Bangko ject of conversation was legislators’ Sentral and the economic managers pork, he chided me for my longobsolete predicted at the beginning of the year, calculation of the pork barrel, which was brought about by a spike in world oil in the hundred million estimate. “Lito, prices, which was externally driven, and you’re so 1990s”, he exclaimed, “it’s the rise of rice prices, which was due to now a billion each congressman, hidden internal incompetence. more cleverly than before!”)

President Rodrigo Duterte’s approvWhen will Donald get his budget al ratings dipped as rice and other com- done? Will he budge on his dream of a modity prices rose, but mercifully, if not great wall of Texas? When will Duterte miraculously, by just a few points. His (and Diokno) get the GAA passed? As predecessors had been far unlucky, be the Dog exits, enter the Pig. it FVR or GMA, when similar price criElsewhere, Emmanuel Macron the ses dogged their administrations. And Snake saw his political fortune collapse as the Year of the Dog began to exit, amid anger from the yellow vests (that Duterte’s approval ratings inched up- color Mocha and RJ Nieto detest) while ward to an amazing 74 percent. a year back he was the darling of France This particular Dog, apparently, and Europe. So did Angela Merkel. loves the Rooster who leads the country. And Theresa May, whose Brexit till now Bur another Dog, this time Donald is neither here nor there.

Trump, saw his political fortunes rise as Closer to home, Xi Jinping is locked the economy recovered early in 2018. eyeball-to-eyeball with Trump on trade Because of his reckless statements and policies, but will Trump still be around often irascible conduct, however, his Turn to A5

Wall around the White House The “I” word hounds Trump.

PRESIDENT Donald J. Trump wanted to build a wall along the US-Mexico southern border. Ironically, it was the White House that got walled in in Washington.

With the Democrats regaining control of the House of Representatives and Rep. Nancy Pelosi elected anew as Speaker, Trump is finding himself in a diminished role as “The Boss,” a reputation he had acquired in a reality TV show before he became president. Trump still played that role of firing members of his official family in revolving-door fashion – except a whole lot of people were going out with nobody coming in. The latest to resign was Defense Secretary James Mattis. It took some time before someone accepted Trump’s offer to be his new Chief of Staff.

In New York for my annual Christmas holidays sabbatical, I was kept indoors by the cold (minus 2 degrees Celsius) winter weather. With heavy snow falling outside, I was confined to watching morning and evening news on television. Media and the American people were abuzz with the “I” words to refer to Trump: Inept, isolated and likely to be impeached. Not since the resignation of former President Richard Nixon to escape impeachment in the celebrated Watergate break-in case, and the failed impeachment inquiry against Bill Clinton in the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal, has Washington been more awash with talks of

impeaching a president.

Adding to Trump’s legal woes is the current inquiry on Capitol Hill about Russian involvement in his political campaign in the run-up to the 2016 presidential race. Trump’s campaign team that included his son , son-in-law and legal adviser allegedly met with a Russian spy to get dirt on presidential rival Hillary Clinton, the former First Lady, New York senator and Secretary of State. Apparently, Moscow contributed to the defeat of Hillary whom it found a hardliner against Russian transgression in the Ukraine and elsewhere in a bid to regain its standing as the Soviet empire of old.

Those “I” words are heard not only from the political analysts but also at gatherings among common folks who discovered to their dismay that they made a mistake in voting for Trump and his unorthodox way of governance.

Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher can be accessed at: manilastandard.net Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandard.net

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Opinion Will oil prices hold?

JUST before Christmas, the Duterte administration decided to proceed with the programmed increase in the oil excise tax by January in view of the expected drop in oil prices. The administration stood its ground in spite of the strident calls for its deferment, if not outright recall, by Duterte critics and a number of personalities in and out of government who should know better. These peope however insisted that the drop was unsustainable and that sooner rather than later prices would spike again, to our utter consternation. These guys predicted that the inflation rate would increase, prices of basic goods and services would soar, investments would dry up and the country’s growth rate would barely move up, if at all.

Well, the drop continues. Inflation has been tempered with the December rate dropping from a high of 6.2 percent in November to just about 5.1 percent. That huge drop brought the annualized inflation rate for 2018 to a modest 5.2 percent higher than the 4.4 percent forecast of the country’s economic managers but way, way below the critics’ 6.8-to-7-percent prediction.

And what brought this to such a level?

By all indications, it is the dramatic drop in oil prices. So, the question now is: will the oil prices hold? Again, by all indications, it will.

As of this week, all crude benchmarks point to a lowering of prices despite the December 7 deal among OPEC and nonOPEC countries to cut oil supply by 1.2 million barrels per day for the first six months of 2019. The OPEC members pledged to cut 800,000 barrels per day with non-OPEC countries taking up the rest. That arrangement has not bothered the markets with Brent futures holding at

CROSSROADS JONATHAN DE LA CRUZ $53 per barrel and West Texas at a trough of $45 per barrel. Analysts predict that it will take more than that December pledge to move the markets as crude supply remains in surplus and it will take time before the same can be mopped up to such levels as will allow the agreed supply cut to hold.

This prognosos is good for us except for the critics who insist that the heavens will fall.

A number of factors stand in the way of the December agreement being implemented in full. First, OPEC members are not as judicious in their production pledges as they make it appear to the markets. Many of them are in the throes of budgetary constraints (Iran, Nigeria and Venezuela being the most affected) which translates into social chaos if the cash flow from a volatile oil market does not stabilize. It should be noted that both Iran and Venezuela are also the subject of sanctions by the major powers which

constrain their possible courses of action at any time.

Second, OPEC itself is on the verge of dysfunction. Aside from the ones mentioned earlier, the internal problems in a number of their members including Libya and Iraq makes it impossible to even consider the output cuts as implementable. Then, some members are considering withdrawing from the group with Qatar finally bidding goodbye right after the pledging session last December in Vienna.

Finally, with the US becoming the largest oil producer in the world and therefore less vulnerable to movements in the oil markets, there is no saying how it will now play the global market. It can chose to slow down production and go with the OPEC/non-OPEC agreement, thus stabilizing prices with a reduced supply within the quarter. Or, it can chose to bring the “problematic” OPEC members to their knees by flooding the world with additional oil thus lowering prices and dis-empowering and targeting such countries as Iran and Venezuela for possible regime change. After all, with President Trump facing all kinds of problems at home, he may just decide to do some tweaking abroad which he just did with that decision to withdraw US troops from Syria which caused a minicrisis within his own Cabinet.

In the end, if we go by most oil market watchers, the prognosis is for most of 2019 there will remain a small surplus of around 500,000 to 800,000 barrels per day. That is a surplus that will hold prices relatively low which is good news for most of us—except to the critics who continue to insist that the heavens will fall with the implementation of the programmed increase in the excise tax for oil.

Theirs for the taking?

ALL ALONG, it seemed the Clark International Airport had always been there for the taking—by this particular group.

Starting with their unsolicited bid in 2017, the consortium led by Filinvest Development Corporation and JG Summit Holdings, Inc. appeared to be the most serious among the bidders for the operation and management of the CIA, albeit amid allegations it got a “little help” from no less than the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

According to sources within the industry, the other bidders for the operation and management of the airport backed out of the bidding after the BCDA allegedly amended the Instruction to Bidders and postponed the bidding at least five times to give the Filinvestled consortium time to comply with the requirements.

Accordingly, the date for the submission of bids was initially announced to be on July 20, but it was moved to August 20, then September 4, then October 30, and then November 5.

Approaching November 5, the deadline was then pushed to November 9.

These postponements would be made within weeks, sometimes days, of the previously-set deadline, which presented challenges to potential bidders.

Throughout these postponements, the BCDA reportedly revised the Instructions to Bidder (ITB) several times, at times retracting their own amendments.

The initial ITB required the Bidder or a consortium’s Financial Lead to have a net worth of P5 billion. In July 2018, this was revised to P3.5 billion. In August 2018, this was further reduced to P2.8 billion. On October 4, 2018, the original P5 billion net worth requirement was restored.

The minimum equity requirement for the Operation and Management (O&M) Lead, initially set at 20 percent per the ITB, was lowered to 15 percent in August 2018.

The loan capability of the Bidder or Financial Lead was increased from the initial requirement of P10 billion to P11 billion in October 2018.

Exit....

From A4

as the Pig enters?

Xi will definitely be around come Pig or whatever, with the plenum having elevated him to the status of a Mao. And as the Dog exited, his first message for the Gregorian year has been directed at Taiwan, whose political leadership’s yearning has been one of independence, “unthinkable” to Xi and the PROC. Taiwan’s Tsai Ing-wen and the DPP suffered political defeat in the midterm elections of November 24, with rival KMT recovering after just two years. Defiant still, how will Taiwan’s political leadership confront Xi Jinping’s doggedness in 2019?

Taiwan’s economy has been amazingly resilient despite soured cross-strait relations. Even tourism, which suffered greatly with tour groups from the mainland taking a nose-dive in 2017, is now on recovery mode after Taiwan

first ten years of its concession.

In the revised version, the winning concessionaire will now be made to pay P500 million to the BCDA every year throughout the concession.

In a later bulletin, the BCDA further revised the ITB to allow consortium members to nominate Affiliates to satisfy the net worth requirements.

In response to a bidder query in June 2018, the BCDA allowed bidders to submit Interim Financial Statements dated no earlier than June 30, 2018 to allow more bidders to participate in the process.

However, this was revoked on October 18, 2018, when the BCDA suddenly prohibited the submission of Interim Financial Statements, which prevented bidders from increasing authorized capital to comply with net worth

requirements.

This was the deal-breaker as sources say the terms in the ITB are suspiciously restrictive and seem to favor one bidder.

The initial ITB is strangely specific, even saying that the Bidder or O&M Lead has to have operated an international airport included in the Skytrax list of Top 20 Best Airports (later revised to Top 50).

According to the sources, there is no need to impose net worth requirements from the O&M Leads of consortia, because it is the Financial Lead that will be financing the project.

Further, my source says that the muchcontested prohibition of airline-related entities is unreasonable. Ironically, when asked for justification, the source averred the BCDA provided none.

These puzzling acts of the BCDA, the source claims, may conflict with the equalprotection clause of the Constitution, as the terms of this supposedly public bidding seem to deliberately hinder many from participating in it. The constant extensions and amendments might indicate the conduct of the bidding was not done in accordance with procurement laws and regulations.

Also, the final bid submission dates were postponed within mere days of the previously set deadline, which could violate the notice requirements as prescribed by law.

In fact, the source says that the entire process has become so convoluted that the consortium including Metro Pacific Investment Corp. disclosed in October 2018 that it decided to no longer pursue bidding for the contract due to “various challenges.”

As such, the Filinvest-led consortium which now include Changi Airports Philippines Pte. Ltd., a 100 percentowned subsidiary of Changi Airports International Pte. Ltd., operator of Changi Airport in Singapore and Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions, Inc. won the bidding unopposed.

This is the same consortium that submitted an unsolicited bid for the airport in 2017, which was the event that triggered the conduct of this public bidding in the first place as if everything was actually reserved for them.

announced visa-free travel for a 14day period for countries to its south, the Philippines included.

The Philippine economy, on the other hand, is still Asia’s marvel, despite inflation woes in 2018 which have been squelched only through massive importation of staples and the downswing of world oil prices, but clearly demonstrated has been the laggard performance of the agriculture sector.

How will our economy fare in 2019?

Politics even in an election year, will be quite un-exciting, given that there seem to be more “sure” senatorial winners than newcomers entering that political club. The local races are more exciting, although in many parts of the countryside, elections have become no-contests, because of “buying-out” and cutting deals.

Worse, violence as electoral short-cut.

Mercifully, Rodel Batocabe’s hit-men are singing, and the motive has been deemed political. Congratulations to the PNP for quick action.

On a personal note though, I wish

businessman Dominic L. Sytin’s murderer will soon be flushed out. As I write, it has been 40 days since, and solution to this heinous murder seems quite unclear.

During the holidays too, a dear friend departed this world, after a long and full life, Rizal Congressman Guilberto “Bibit” Duavit. My sincere though belated condolences to Manang Vilma, one of my bosses in the Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko Foundation, and the children.

Likewise to the Pimentel-Ty family of Surigao del Sur, with the Christmas Day demise of Governor Vicente Jr. Profound condolences to Congressman Johnny and the entire family. As a political technician, I have worked with the Pimentel and Serra-Ty families closely in the past, and my latest conversation with Governor Vicente was in my sister’s coffee shop at the Robinson Mall in Butuan, during the early days of 2015, when he and I discussed his early support for thenMayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte of Davao City, who with his help soon became president of the country.

In a bulletin circulated on October 4, 2018, the BCDA also added the requirement that consortium members should have a minimum net worth of P5 billion multiplied by their interest in the consortium (P5 billion multiplied by 20 percent is P1 billion).

The BCDA also changed the payment terms for the winning concessionaire.

In the initial ITB, the winning concessionaire was to pay P10 billion to the BCDA in equal installments over the

Sources say procurement rules were bent to accommodate this group.

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019

A5

Pork parking and the reenacted budget 23 and ratify the bicam report on January 29. If things go according to schedule, President Duterte will sign the budget on February 7.

It might seem like a brief delay but the repercussions may be enormous. Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said, for IT HAS been more than five years since starters, that reenacting the national budthe multi-billion-peso pork barrel scam get—the first in nine years and for the involving Janet Lim Napoles resulted Duterte administration—will slow down in a series of protests top-billed by the economic growth as it derails the adminMillion People March in Luneta on Au- istration’s much-vaunted infrastructure gust 26, 2013. With up to P10 billion in agenda.

“Under a reenacted budget, no new inPriority Development Assistance Funds funneled illegally to bogus non-govern- frastructure projects can start because the ment organizations just between 2007 capital outlays component of the previous and 2009, it appeared to be a systematic year’s budget cannot be deemed reenactoperation involving a number of govern- ed,” he said.

And because ment agencies and the Build Build many government Build program is officials. precisely geared The message of to spur developthe march, which Let us not allow ment and conwas held simultatribute toward neously with prothe pigs in power to poverty reduction, test actions in other take our silence for any snag in the major cities, was implementation clear: scrap the acquiescence. can have dire impork barrel system plications. and make people With the exaccountable. ception of “large Then-President projects covered Benigno Aquino III indeed had abolished the PDAF days by Multi-Year Obligational Authority” as before the march, saying that “greater well as the Internal Revenue Allotment change is necessary to fight against those for local government units, things like the who are determined to abuse the system.” salary increases for civilian and military For what it’s worth, the magnitude of personnel set for the year will also face the scandal would forever tarnish the some delays as the budget for personnel pork barrel system but also the sort of services and maintenance and other operfree-for-all lump sum appropriation that ating expenses will be reenacted.

The reenacted budget for the first PDAF allowed. However, five years after the outrage and promise of reform, pork’s quarter of the year will reduce total disspecter is once again rearing its ugly head. bursements by P43.7 billion, according to The new scheme to amass kickbacks estimates by the Department of Managefrom unspecified budget appropriations ment, Diokno said.

“This will be detrimental to the ecohas been called “parked pork” by Sen. Panfilo Lacson, according to reports. The nomic growth and development objecmodus goes like this: large amounts of tives of the Duterte administration. The pork are “parked” in the allotments of so- government intends to ramp up investcalled “well-connected” lawmakers, who ments on public infrastructure, poverty then offer it to districts that are not as well- alleviation, and social services,” he addconnected, on condition that favored con- ed.

To mitigate the impact of the reenacted tractors are chosen for the said projects.

“In an investigator’s mind like mine, the budget on economic growth, DBM has only logical conclusion for retaining the issued some guidelines on fund releases. contractor as a precondition to divert his al- These include the 25-percent cap for govlocation to another district is ‘commission’ ernment agency for the first quarter of the or kickback from the contractor,” Lacson year. DBM also said the budget could be said, adding that the favored lawmakers— used for all types of expenditures: personcongressmen and senators both—would nel services, maintenance and operating exget billions’ worth of pork, enough to spread penses, and capital outlays. A Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) will be issued the wealth around, as it were.

The modus was revealed earlier in for an agency’s special budget request.

“The sooner the 2019 GAA is passed, December, and it became clear that the much-derided pork was all but back. All the better for the economy and the Filiin all, some P272 billion worth of pork pino people. Ramping up our investments had allegedly been divided among mem- on infrastructure and social services will only be sustainable if the budget is authobers of Congress.

Even more worrisome is that the gov- rized by Congress,” Diokno said.

The return of the pork barrel system ernment will be operating under a reenacted budget after Congress failed to pass just five years after a huge scandal that the 2019 General Appropriations Act all but discredited it attests to a kind of (GAA) before it adjourned in December. obscene greed and impunity by some Some senators said the delay was due government officials. The P750 billion to last-minute pork barrel insertions by that lay susceptible to corruption is staggering and unimaginable by any measure. some members of the lower house.

As a result, the calendar points to a re- Thus, from the “parked pork” scheme to enacted budget at least until the first week the reenacted budget, the country’s cofof February. The senate said it expects to fers are once again under threat. As Filiapprove the budget on second and third pinos welcome the Year of the Pig—an reading by January 16. The bicameral election year—it is incumbent for voters conference committee will then reconcile to remain vigilant, lest the pigs in power the two versions of the bill until January take our silence for acquiescence.

Free...

exorbitant prices for critical products like gasoline and life-saving drugs? Aren’t they gouging us to reap excess profits?

From A4 Answer: Profit is a critical indicator direct sponsor of terrorism, to completely of consumer demand and the only way lose its main source of revenue. Only then to ensure that there will be a sufficient would we finally know what really low supply of anything. By the way, profit is among the smallest components of oil prices truly feel like. and drug prices. *** Question: If capitalism isn’t greedy, eric.jurado@gmail.com then why do some companies charge

Wall..

From A4

Does that ring a similar tone in Philippine politics?

In a meeting at the White House with Speaker Pelosi and another official who was trying to help resolve the impasse on the US budget, Trump with Vice President Mike Pence beside him were on live TV coverage. Pence sat silent like the proverbial Sphinx giving the impression that the Veep was merely there as a ploy to show Trump has at least someone on his side.

Indications are that the US government partial lockdown now on its third week will drag on unless the Democrats give in to Trump’s demand for his $5 billion funding to build The Wall to keep illegal Mexicans from coming into the United States. The Democrats are holding their ground at $1.3 billion since it was Trump who originally said he was going to insist Mexico would pay for the wall’s construction.

But why would a country like Mexico pay for such a wall that would keep its own people from finding employment in the US of A? Having poor unemployed people is a recipe for discontent and revolution.

Many Americans agree with Trump to

keep out illegal immigrants to the US as they take up many jobs which they claim are rightfully theirs. But then, these are jobs Americans usually do not like to do themselves. Owners of large tracts of farmlands welcome the illegal Mexicans to do work in the fields while the women take on menial work like household cleaners or babysitters. To meet the rising cost of living, both husband and wife in the US now go to work. So who gets to mind the kids while married couples are at work in offices? Who else but Grandma or some illegals from Latin American countries.

Or sometimes even a visiting Grandpa from the old country. This is why there are few souls like me who prefer living in the Philippines with all the comforts of home.

Don’t misunderstand me; I like kids.

Mine -- not my children’s children. This may seem uncaring, insensitive and even cynical. But someone once said: Your children’s children are the best revenge for the headaches you suffered bringing them up. Lest I be misunderstood, I think my wife and I did a pretty good job. They finished college, married well and are blessed with bright and beautiful kids of their own.

Despite all these, family reunions at Christmas time is the most defining moment of what Christmas is.

A6

News

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Address housing backlog, create new road map—Imee

By Rey E. Requejo

A

LARMED by the projected 6.8 million backlog in housing units by 2022, Ilocos Norte Gov. Marcos said the government must be more aggressive in addressing the problem, otherwise, the number will keep on increasing.

Marcos noted that in Metro Manila alone, shelter agencies must be able to provide at least 300,000 housing units to beneficiaries annually to arrest, if not eliminate, urban congestion in highlypopulated areas.

“My wish is for the poor to have their own homes where they can live modestly starting 2019 onwards,” Marcos said, in a statement on the Feast of Epiphany, which marks end of the long Christmas season. “No Filipino should

dwell in pushcarts, sleep in sidewalks, and have no decent homes.”

She said a concrete first step would be for the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the other key shelter agencies to come up with a new comprehensive housing roadmap.

“The new housing roadmap should provide solutions on how to increase housing production and provide shelter affordability through a comprehensive housing subsidy program for targeted

beneficiaries,” stressed Marcos, who is the only local executive running for senator in the coming midterm elections in May. Marcos said a new Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development together with National Housing Authority, Pag-Ibig, and local government units nationwide can work together to put in place a comprehensive housing program to provide decent shelter for low income and poor Filipino families.

Collaboration with LGUs is crucial, Marcos stressed, to ensure that services and facilities like water system, electricity, roads and other amenities can be included in the planning for the construction of housing projects.

She underscored how Pag-Ibig contributions are religiously being deducted from salaries of government

workers every month, yet there are no comprehensive housing projects being implemented for its members, especially for teachers and other low-salaried government workers.

The governor stressed how available units in most housing projects of private developers remain too expensive for minimum and aboveminimum wage earners to afford.

“The booming real estate industry has not made it easier for many of our kababayans to buy their own houses, or even afford renting habitable dwellings,” she said.

“A state-funded shelter program to provide affordable housing for low-income earners like our teachers and government employees and even overseas contract workers, who have little or no funds at all to buy their dream houses must be put in place immediately,” she added.

Pimentel wants charges filed vs trash importer

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATOR Aquilino Pimentel III on Sunday urged the Bureau of Customs and other related agencies to file the appropriate charges against those responsible for bringing in foreign trash through illegal misdeclaration of cargo.

“Let’s ensure that this brazen act is not tolerated and in fact punished to the fullest extent of the law, particularly our Tariff and Customs Code and possibly the Toxic Substance and Hazardous Wastes and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990,” Pimentel said.

The senator said the repeated dumping of foreign trash was an affront to the country’s dignity.

“If foreign-based entities and even foreign governments see and treat the Philippines as a final destination for their unwanted waste material, that speaks volumes of the way we are seen abroad.

This should not be tolerated,” he said.

He said the country should assert its dignity and co-equal standing as a sovereign state in the community of nations.

“We should not be seen as a recipient, officially or unofficially, of waste material coming from other countries,” the senator added.

The Philippines is set to return to South Korea some 6,500 tons of waste that were dumped in Mindanao.

The South Korean government has committed to take back the trash after an agreement was reached during a bilateral meeting between Filipino and Korean authorities last month.

Solon: First 1,000 Days law to lower healthcare costs

By Rio N. Araja CAMARINES Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte on Sunday said a new law signed recently by President Rodrigo Duterte expanding state health and nutrition programs for women and children would have a lasting positive impact on future generations of Filipinos.

Republic Act No. 11148 or the First 1,000 Days Law aims to ensure that a child gets the right nutrition in the first 1,000 days of development.

“This law, on the surface, appears to be a social protection program meant to shield poor mothers and children from malnutrition, but its impact on the economy and our future as a country is extensive,” Villafuerte said.

“If the law is fully and effectively implemented, we can be assured of future generations of Filipinos who can ably compete in the global economy because they are healthier and smarter.

This would translate into lower healthcare costs and more funds for the government to spend on other priority concerns, such as infrastructure modernization,” he added.

The Camarines Sur lawmaker is one of the principal authors of the “First 1,000 Days” bill in the House of Representatives.

The first 1,000 days refers to the 270 days of a child inside the mother’s womb up to the time of his or her second birthday.

According to Villafuerte, the law would reverse the alarming malnutrition rate that could lead to deaths or stunted growths of Filipino babies.

“With this law, we could significantly lower the incidence of malnutrition and end the cycle of malnourished women giving birth to malnourished daughters, who, in turn, grow up to become malnourished mothers themselves,” Villafuerte said.

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT. An unidentified young girl supports her education by transporting people using a banca from one barangay to another in Riverside, Barangay Singko, Occidental Mindoro. Teddy Pelaez

Poe wants restrictions lifted on common tower policy

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Grace Poe has warned against confusion to exisiting telecommunication companies and the public if the government bodies would not get their acts together on the issue of common towers.

“There should only be one voice on this matter, otherwise, it would send confusion to the telcos and the public,” stressed Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services.

Poe noted the strong opposition and the number of stakeholders against a draft memorandum circular on the issue of common towers.

“We need as much towers as we can have, which are compliant to safety and environmental standards,” she

said.

She said restrictions set by the draft circular could limit the number of towers that may be built during the period, which run counter to the government’s aim of improving telecommunications infrastructure in the country.

Poe said limiting the construction to two tower companies could also infringe on the right of the telcos with congressional franchises to build their own infrastructure.

TowerXchange, an independent community for global tower industry, showed that Asian markets with the highest number of cellular towers in the region implement a common tower policy that allows for more than two tower companies.

This policy, she said, should lead to breaking the existing telco duopoly, promote meaningful competition among players, and provide better internet service at affordable rates to consumers.

Earlier, Poe aired her strong objection to the the proposal of presidential adviser Ramon Jacinto to limit the number of telco tower operators to two.

She branded it as “stupidity,” saying anyone who can build cell towers should be allowed to do so as long as the construction is regulated.

President Rodrigo Duterte said he is determined to break the duopoly in the telecommunications industry by allowing any foreign and local company to become the third player in the market.

LASTING BONDS. Philippine Constitution Association President and Lakas-CMD Party President Martin Romualdez (center seated) join his brothers from Upsilon Sigma Phi Batch ‘85 during a get together in Manila Satuday night. Ver Noveno

Enrile pushes for more investments to create new jobs

By Macon Ramos-Araneta FORMER Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile yesterday underscored the need to forego of laws that dissuade foreigners from making investments in order to create millions of jobs for Filipinos and spur the country’s economic growth.

“We must eliminate laws that serve as roadblocks or impede foreign investments,” said Enrile, who is staging a comeback in the Senate in this year’s midterm elections.

“We must make the country friendly to foreign investments,” he added.

Enrile said the government and the Filipino people must make foreign investors feel that they are welcome to do business in the Philippines.

“We must inculcate this culture to our people,” he said, adding that job creation is a function of investments.

Unless somebody risks capital to establish a business, an industry, or lay out an infrastructure, he warned that no jobs would be created.

“Hence, for us to provide jobs for our people, we must encourage domestic investments, both from the private and government sectors,” he added.

According to the World Bank, the Philippines was ranked 113th among 190 economies in terms of ease of doing business in 2017, down from 99th in 2016.

Enrile said new jobs created as a result of fresh investments would also help address the country’s perennial problem on both unemployment and underemployment, which currently stand at 2.36 million and 9.8 million Filipinos, respectively.

Sports

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MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

NY’s Kanter skips England trip in fears for his life LOS ANGELES—The New York Knicks’ Turkish center Enes Kanter said he won’t make the NBA team’s trip to Britain this month for fear he might be murdered by Turkish spies.

Kanter, an outspoken critic of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said he didn’t doubt that Turkish operatives could target him in Europe.

Kanter said he had spoken to Knicks executives and wouldn’t make the trip “because of that freaking lunatic, the Turkish president.

“There’s a chance that I can get killed out there,” he said. “So that’s why I talked to the front office. I’m not going so I’m just going to stay here, just practice.

“It’s pretty sad because it affects my career, my basketball. Because I want to be out there but just because of that one lunatic guy, that one maniac, I can’t go out there and do my job. It’s pretty sad.”

A Knicks spokesman said only that Kanter would skip the trip because of visa issues.

In December of 2017 Turkish prosecutors demanded Kanter be jailed for more than four years on charges of insulting Erdogan, according to Turkish state media reports.

In May of last year Kanter -- who then played for the Oklahoma City Thunder—was detained at a Romanian airport after being told his Turkish passport was cancelled -- a move that Kanter blamed on his political views.

He was allowed to depart hours later, but said at a subsequent press conference in the United States that he feared he would be deported from Romania to Turkey.

At the time, Kanter was on a world tour for his charitable foundation.

Kanter, who was born in Switzerland and selected third overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, has voiced support for Erdogan opponent Fethullah Gulen, who has been living in exile in the United States since 1999.

The Knicks are scheduled to play the Milwaukee Bucks in London on January 17. AFP

90-year-old US cyclist fails doping test, loses crown CHICAGO—Carl Grove, a 90-year-old American cyclist, has been stripped of his agegroup title and world record from the US Masters Track Championships after failing a doping test.

The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) issued a public warning Friday to Grove for a violation they said likely came from consuming meat contaminated with a banned substance.

Grove had won the 90-94 age group individual pursuit crown in a world record 3mins 6.129secs last July 11 at Breinigsville, Pennsylvania.

He was the lone competitor in his age group.

The resident of the small town of Bristol, Indiana, about 120 miles east of Chicago, tested positive for epitrenbolone, a metabolite of the prohibited substance trenbolone in a urine sample taken after his run.

Grove provided USADA with information the doping watchdogs said led them to find that “the source of his positive test was more likely than not caused by contaminated meat consumed the evening before competing.”

Grove had passed a doping test after competing the day before even though USADA later found a supplement he was using before the competition date had the presence of the banned substance clomiphene, although it was not listed in the ingredients.

In light of the other test, Grove lost only his results from the day of his positive test. AFP

Woodland leads Rory by 3 shots at Champions

Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut displays his trophy after winning the ATP Qatar Open tennis final match against Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych (unseen) in Doha. AFP

Djokovic’s conqueror Agut rules Qatar Open DOHA—Roberto Bautista Agut followed up his shock victory over world number one Novak Djokovic by lifting the Qatar Open title on Saturday.

The Spaniard ground out a hard-fought victory in three sets against the Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the final.

“It’s been a fantastic week for me,” he said immediately after his triumph.

“Today it was not easy to manage all the emotions I had on court.”

It was the 30-year-old’s ninth career title and his first in Doha.

Bautista Agut will rise one place in the world rankings to 23 on the back of the victory in Qatar, and said his aim was to go higher.

“Why can I not be close to the top 10?” he asked afterwards.

He added that his immediate aim was to “be fresh” and then win as many matches “as I can” in Melbourne at the Australian Open.

The victory came 24 hours after he

beat Djokovic in the semi-final, also in three sets.

He also beat three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka in straight sets earlier in the week.

In total, Bautista Agut only lost two sets all week in his five matches.

The Spaniard made the decisive break of serve in the third game of the final set to take a lead he never lost.

Wildcard Berdych threatened to break back but squandered two points on Bautista Agut’s serve in the seventh game.

“Roberto was too good, so well done for the title today, but I am happy for the week,” said Berdych, whose 2018 season was blighted by a back injury.

The defeat was the second time Berdych has lost in the Qatar final, the first occasion was in 2015 to another Spaniard, Da-

vid Ferrer.

Meanwhile in Sydney, world number one Simona Halep Sunday admitted a back injury that ended her 2018 season early was “very scary”, but she has recovered and is feeling fit heading into the new season.

The Romanian hasn’t played since withdrawing from the WTA Finals in Singapore in October with a herniated disc, and said she did nothing for six weeks to get over it.

“It was very scary because it was below the back, so it’s always dangerous.

But I had treatment at home, I rested for about six weeks and I did nothing, just exercises for the back,” she told reporters ahead of the Sydney International this week.

“I didn’t have pain while I was practising this period, off-season. So now I feel confident and it’s okay. But I need to see during the official match.

“I feel relaxed, I feel rested, I feel healthy with the back. But as I said, I didn’t play a match yet so I don’t know for sure how it’s going to be.” AFP

LOS ANGELES—Gary Woodland eagled the 15th hole in a five-under par 68 on Saturday that kept him three strokes in front of Rory McIlroy atop the US PGA Tour Tournament of Champions leaderboard.

Woodland led McIlroy and two other players going into Saturday’s third round on the Plantation Course at Kapalua, Hawaii.

Northern Ireland star McIlroy, a four-time major champion, had pulled level after his fifth birdie of the day at the 14th -- coupled with Woodland’s lone bogey of the day at 12.

But Woodland regained control at the par-five 15th, where he rolled in a 64-foot eagle putt to stretch his lead to two, and he birdied the parfive 18th to finish with a 17-under par total of 202.

“I played great,” said Woodland, “I would have liked to see a couple of putts go in early. It was nice to see that long one go in on the par five there on the back, nice to finish with a birdie here on 18.”

McIlroy, opening his year at Kapalua for the first time, couldn’t take advantage of the two par-fives on the back nine.

He gained ground with three birdies in a row at the fourth, fifth and sixth and picked up another stroke at the ninth.

He got up and down for birdie from the left rough at the 14th, but wouldn’t find another birdie the rest of the way in his second straight 68 for 205.

“Could have been a couple better,” McIlroy said. “But good save at two, a good save at 16, so it could have been a little worse as well.”

Woodland was playing with a heavy heart after learning his grandmother had died on Friday night.”I want to send a little shout out to my family back home,” he said. “We lost my grandma last night. That put things in perspective real quick.

“It was a tough night last night -today was a good day.”

Woodland said he didn’t realize McIlroy had pulled into a tie for the lead on the back nine.

“I was just trying to stay within myself,” he said. “Trying to stay aggressive.” AFP

Go, Nagai claim Philippine Open crowns with thrillers

Lois Go and Gen Nagai hold the perpetual Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championship trophy after ruling their respective sides in close fashions

SILANG, Cavite—Lois Kaye Go survived Bianca Pagdanganan’s blazing backside charge with clutch par putts in the last two holes, claiming the hotly-disputed Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championship women’s crown on a closing 70 for a one-shot victory at Riviera’s Langer course here yesterday.

Just when Go thought she had the championship all but wrapped up after storming to a four-shot lead at the turn, Pagdanganan came charging back with three birdies in the last nine holes, including back-to-back feats from No. 15 to pull within one.

But she failed to cap her fiery rally with flubbed birdie chances from long range in the last two holes and Go, a Boston College junior, kept her poise and matched her Asian Games gold medal teammate’s pars to clinch the country’s premier championship on a 72hole 285 total.

“I got a little bit rattled after she (Pagdanganan) birdied Nos. 15 and 16. But I stayed relaxed and told myself to just take it easy,” said Go, who trailed the fancied Pagdanganan and Thai ace Atthaya Thitikul with a 71 in the first round, closed in on the duo with a gutsy 74 in tough conditions Friday then surged ahead with a brilliant 70 in windy play Saturday.

Pagdanganan, who trailed by three after 54

holes, fell farther back with a par-game (35) in the first nine holes as Go closed out the frontside with a birdie-bogey-birdie stint for a 34.

With a huge lead, Go, a SEA Games bronze medalist who also won the Kuala Lumpur Amateur Open last year, opted to go for regulation pars at the back but Pagdanganan worked her way back with a birdie on the 10th then threatened within one with birdies on Nos. 15 and 16, a run that, however, proved short after failing to set up short birdie opportunities in the last two holes.

The Asiad individual bronze medalist finished with a 68 for a 286 in the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and backed

by Cignal and Metro Pacific and official hotel Summit Ridge.Fiercer was the battle for the men’s diadem with Gen Nagai of Japan edging Thai Vanchai Luangnitikul with a birdie on the second extra hole of a three-man playoff with Singapore’s Lucius Toh in the event held as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Tour.

Nagai and Toh fought back with identical 71s to force a three-way tie at 298 after 72 holes as Luangnitikul stumbled with a 72. But Toh bowed out early with a bogey on the first playoff hole (No. 18), then Nagai struck a solid approach shot to within four feet for birdie on their next return to No. 18 to beat the Thai, who missed the green, for the crown.

Cowboys rally past Seattle, Colts top Texans in NFL playoffs WASHINGTON—Dak Prescott rallied the Dallas Cowboys to an NFL playoff victory over Seattle on Saturday while Andrew Luck powered the Indianapolis Colts into the second round with a victory at Houston.

Prescott threw for 226 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score as the Cowboys edged visiting Seattle 24-22 while Luck had two touchdown passes in the Colts’ 21-7 triumph over the Texans.

Ezekiel Elliott ran for 137 yards and a touchdown for Dallas as the Cowboys advanced to a second-round National

Conference playoff game next weekend against either top seed New Orleans or the second-seeded Los Angeles Rams.

Dallas needed two fourth-quarter touchdowns and the best rushing day against the Seahawks by any club this season to subdue Seattle.

“This team, everything we’ve been though, we had so much confidence coming into this game and the confidence remains,” Prescott said. “It’s about how we compete against adversity and we just take off.”

Prescott praised Elliott’s punishing effort, saying, “He’s a hell of a player

and he always wants the ball. I’m thankful I have him.”

Sunday’s final first-round playoff matchups find defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia at Chicago and the Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore.

A Chicago win sends the Bears to face the Rams and Dallas to New Orleans. If the Eagles advance, they would travel to top seed New Orleans and the Rams would host the Cowboys.

In the American Conference playoff opener, Luck completed 19 of 32 passes for 222 yards while Marlon Mack ran

24 times for 148 yards and a touchdown.

Indy’s defensive unit snuffed out a late rally bid by the Texans and the Colts advanced to a second-round game next Saturday at the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs.

“We get another one next week and that excites me,” Luck said. “It’ll be fun. That’s a great team. It should be a great game.”

The Saints, Rams, Chiefs and New England Patriots—who face the Baltimore-Chargers winner—had firstround byes and will host second-round playoff games next weekend. AFP

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

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Sports

Racasa plows way to age group crown THE country’s youngest Woman Fide Master (WFM) Antonella Berthe “Tonelle” Murillo Racasa dominated the girls 12-and-under category for the Visayas leg of the 2019 National Age Group Chess Championships Saturday in SM Seaside Cebu.

The top seed Racasa defeated Aeralyn Sinining after 30 moves of Yugoslav attack of the Sicilian skirmish in the seventh and final round to finish undefeated with perfect seven wins in as many rounds.

The 11-year-old Mandaluyong City bet Racasa whose stint here is being supported by Past President of Rotary Club of Pasig engineer Rogelio Lim of Boni Tower and Hotel Sogo, overwhelmed her foes on the checkered board, pocketing a cash prize of P3,000, plus a medal, certificate and grand finals slot for dominating the girls 12-and-under category.

Racasa scored victories over 17th seed Jesly Ana Tatoy in the first round, 8th seed Hannah Lynne Jumao-As in the second round, 4th seed Kimberly Colaste in the third round, 2nd seed Ruelle Canino in the fourth round, 7th seed Arleah Cassandra Sapuan in the fifth round and Lyn Getubig in the sixth and penultimate round.

On the other hand, Samantha Babol Umayan of Davao City reigned supreme in the girls 14-and-under category.

A student of Far Eastern University in Manila, Umayan said she has been a consistent participant of the age group qualifying tournament. Umayan finished 5.5 points in seven outings.

James and Phil Younghusband (right), members of the Philippine National Football team Azkals, practice with their teammates at the Al Nasr Club in Dubai for the Asian Cup 2019 in UAE, January 4, 2019. Dennis B. Mallari

Underdog Azkals face South Korea

By Peter Atencio

T

HE Philippine Azkals will give it their best shot when they meet the mighty South Korean Taeguk Warriors in their 3 p.m. (7:30 p.m. Manila time) showdown at the Al-Maktoum Stadium in Dubai.

Scoring just win or at least pulling off a draw will put the underdog Azkals within reach of their goal when action in Group C of the 2019 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup gets going.

“We can make it difficult for South Korea. Well, they’re the

group favorites,” said team skipper Phil Younghusband.

Younghusband believes that while the Koreans are among the favorites, many things can still happen at game time.

“You’ve seen surprises in football before, and as long we work hard

and give our all, we can typify the Filipino fighting spirit,” added Younghusband.

It will be a challenging campaign for the Philippines since the Azkals are ranked at 116 in the world, and 21st in Asia.

And they will be against the fourth ranked squad, which last made it to the finals in 2015.

Younghusband added that the Azkals will achieve their goals in the tournament will at least one win and a draw.

Meanwhile, coach Sven-Goran

Pacio sees even better year in 2019 AFTER stellar achievements in 2018, which included winning a world title, ONE Championship Strawweight World Champion Joshua Pacio promises an even better year in 2019.

Pacio was invincible in 2018. He scored two quick submission victories – including the ONE Championship Submission Of The Year – and then notched the biggest win of his career by defeating Yoshitaka Naito to capture the undisputed ONE Strawweight World Title.

Pacio says he is committed to continuing his success and exceeding what he has done so far to make his country proud and maintain Team Lakay’s success.

“For me, 2018 has been absolutely amazing, especially for our team, but it’s only the beginning. I’m still young, hungry and determined, despite having the belt around my waist,” said Pacio.

Pacio defends his belt against surging Japanese contender Yosuke Saruta at ONE: Eternal Glory to be held January 19 at Istora Senayan, Jakarta Indonesia.

“My main goal, of course, is to defend my title to the best of my ability.

Right now, I’m set to defend my title against another tough Japanese opponent in Yosuke Saruta.

“Getting through that will be the first step. I’m still evolving and developing as an athlete. I don’t think the world has seen the best of Joshua Pacio yet,” said Pacio.

Apart from capturing his belt last September, Pacio is also extremely proud of claiming Submission Of The Year honors for his handiwork against Thailand’s Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit.

Pacio submitted the Thai star in a hammerlock which he dubbed the “Passion Lock.”

Despite Pacio’s success in 2018, he wasn’t without challenges, but “The Passion’s” complete dedication to his craft and the amazing support system that rallied behind him took him to the top.

Eriksson believes that the odds may be against them, with the Korea Republic and China in their bracket, but they will still make an effort to go to the next stage.

“I don’t think we are the favorites to win the group. But we’re going to try to go further,” said Eriksson.

Eriksson won’t be just counting on Younghusband and playmaker Stephan Schrock to make things happen for the Azkals.

Younghusband, who has 52 goals in 105 caps for the Azkals, and playmaker Stephan Schrock, who has

top-level European experience, are among the key players of the team.

Another player, Manny Ott, a center midfielder, is expected to shine on his first international appearance in 2010.

Ott has gone on to establish himself as an important player with his smooth distribution of the ball, his off-the-ball movements, and his tenacious tackles.

This is what 26-year-old Ott showed when Ceres-Negros took the AFC Cup ASEAN Zone championship.

Leonard powers Toronto Raptors past Milwaukee Bucks, 123-116

Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) tries to dribble past a Milwaukee Bucks defender at the Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. AFP

LOS ANGELES, United States – Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam scored 30 points each as the Toronto Raptors used a balanced attack to outduel the Milwaukee Bucks 123-116 in a battle of the top two NBA teams.

Leonard was back to his old self on Saturday night following an emotional return to San Antonio on Thursday to face his former team, who bottled him up and routed the Raptors 125-107.

But he got plenty of help from a strong supporting cast as Toronto seized command in the second and third quarters and then survived a Milwaukee rally in the fourth.

“We thought we didn’t play great defence last game so we wanted to come out aggressive and pass the ball and get some more open shots and it fell in for us tonight,” Leonard said.

Elsewhere, Stephen Curry scored 42 points and finished with 10 three pointers as the Golden State Warriors stormed back to the beat the Sacramento Kings 127-

123.

Golden State, who blew a 20-point lead and lost 135-134 in overtime to Houston on Thursday, had another big lead disappear in the third quarter Saturday but they managed to regroup and rally past the Kings in the fourth.

Kevin Durant added 29 points, nine assists and five rebounds, and Klay Thompson scored 20 points to help the Warriors complete a threegame sweep of the season series.

Curry scored 20 of his 42 in the final quarter and also made a pair of free throws with nine seconds to go.

Buddy Hield scored 32 points on a career-high eight threes for Sacramento, who went on a 15-0 run in the first half. The Kings set a franchise record with 20 baskets from beyond the arc.

In Portland, Jusuf Nurkic had 25 points and 15 rebounds, and the Portland Trail Blazers snapped James Harden’s 40-point streak with a 110-101 win over the Houston Rockets. AFP

Velez rules Andrada Cup Championships LETRAN standout John David Velez came up with five upsets as he snared two titles in the 30th Andrada Cup Age Group Championships.

The 13-year-old Velez held his composure till the end, and pulled off his third reversal in the 18-years old and under boys side, and with a 7-5, 6-4, stopping of sixth seed Rupert Tortal yesterday at the Rizal

Memorial Tennis Center.

This earned the comebacking and unseeded Velez his first 18-under crown Not only did he get one crown, Velez ended up with two after he went on stop Axl Gonzaga, 6-2, 6-2, in the clash for the 16-under boys honors.

And in doing so, he had to beat

two seeded players in the bracket.

“Masaya po. Lahat po sila nagimprove. Kaya kinakabahan ako nung nakalaban ko sila. Kaya ginalingan ko rin,” said Velez, an eighth grader at Letran.

Velez, who had earlier helped the Letran Squires take fourth place in the recent NCAA tournament, prevailed in a series of long exchanges

with Tortal in the fifth game of the second set to take the upper hand following a break at 3-2.

It was his third upset win in the weeklong meet, and after he overpowered second seed Steffan Gurria, 6-2, 6-3, in the semifinals, and eased out fourth ranked Miguel Castillo, 6-2, 6-2, in the second round. Peter Atencio

IN BRIEF

Business

PT&T, 5G Security in partnership deal

PHILIPPINE Telegraph and Telephone Corp. said it entered into a partnership with security solutions provider 5G Security, Inc. The partnership will enable both companies to provide cybersecurity solutions to enterprises in the country.

“PT&T’s partnership with 5GS couldn’t be more timely. Cybersecurity is essential in today’s world where the number of transactions in the web are increasing,” PT&T president and chief executive James Velasquez said.

“We are pleased to partner with PT&T to bring cybersecurity to their clients. The strength and reliability of our services will complement PT&T’s products and services,” 5GS senior vice president and chief operations officer Leuvino Valencia said.

5GS offers cybersecurity solutions, both hardware and software, such as multidimensional security system, ground security–personnel access control, ground security–vehicle access control, ground security–perimeter protection, medium/low airspace protection (anti-drones) and security operations center. Darwin G Amojelar

Bangko Sentral expected to cut interest rates in Q2 C

By Julito G. Rada

APITAL Economics, a London-based research agency, said it expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to start easing its policy stance as early as the second quarter this year, amid the declining inflation rate.

US Congress seeks new rules on IT firms WASHINGTON—The newly installed US Congress is expected to see a fresh effort to develop new regulations for big technology firms, with a focus on tougher enforcement of privacy and data protection.

The wave of data scandals that have hit Facebook and other online platforms has prompted growing calls for action by lawmakers looking to curb abuses of how private information is used and give consumers more clarity.

Significantly, most tech companies are pledging to willingly accept new regulations to set a uniform standard in the United States following a sweeping set of rules that went into effect in the European Union in 2018, although few have offered details.

Federal regulations could pre-empt the enforcement of legislation enacted in California, which was modeled after the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.

“Whether big tech and little tech like it or not, 2019 will be a year of regulation,” said Doug Clinton of the investment firm Loup Ventures, in a recent blog post. AFP

Capital Economics said in a report over the weekend that a further sharp drop in inflation in December supported its view that the central bank would start to loosen monetary policy soon.

Inflation rate fell from 6 percent in November to 5.1 percent in December, a seven-month low. This brought full-year inflation in 2018 to 5.2 percent, albeit higher than the official target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

“A breakdown of the data shows that falling transport and food price inflation were again the main drivers behind the fall. We expect both these factors to push inflation down further over the coming months, and for inflation to drop back to within the BSP’s 2 to 4 percent target by

the middle of the year,” Capital Economics said.

“The BSP raised interest rates by a cumulative 175 bp [basis points] last year to combat high inflation. But with price pressures set to ease further and the economy slowing, we think the central bank will start loosening policy before too long. We currently have two 25 bps cuts pencilled in for 2019, with the first cut likely to come in the second quarter,” it said.

The December figure was the first time that inflation settled below the 6 percent level since it reached 5.7 percent in July 2018.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said the supply-driv-

en inflation process that existed in 2018 would not be persistent and therefore short lived.

“The aggressive monetary tightening the BSP implemented from May to November was therefore aimed only at ensuring that the supply shocks from more than 60 percent increase in oil prices and the significant inflation rates in rice, fish, meat and vegetables did not evolve into sharp gains in wages, transport, and prices of other services,” Guinigundo said.

He said the decisive action of the government to immediately undertake nonmonetary measures against inflation was pivotal in the anti-inflation efforts.

“Our forecast as of today remains at 3.2 percent inflation for 2019 and 3 percent for 2020,” he said.

Nicholas Mapa, senior economist of ING Bank Manila, said risks to the inflation outlook appeared tilted to the downside and expectations were now more anchored especially with more imported grains currently on delivery over the next few weeks, and the Rice Tarrification bill set for signing and energy prices declining.

Logistikus Express offers logistics option LOGISTIKUS Express is the newest logistics provider recently launched in the market.

The company was established initially to explore opportunities in the e-commerce market to ensure safe deliveries of items sold and bought online and reach their ultimate consignees. This made its delivery service an end-to-end support solution for online sellers and shoppers.

Logistikus Express now operates in major cities in the country, such as Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Pampanga, Naga, Cavite, Laguna and Cebu and Manila offering interregional and intra-city logistics support, backed-up by a fleet of company owned and partners-engaged trucks and over 300 motorcycles in fulfillment of commitments down to the last mile.

The company aims to become the Filipinos’ best logistics support option, creating opportunities for mutual business growth— making Logistikus Express the most trusted partner in the market, said assistant vice president for commercial business.

Logistikus Express offers reliable and quick delivery service like shipping parcels, documents and gifts bought online from their point of origin to the final destinations.

COURTESY CALL. Delegates of Rotary Club of Manila led by president Susing Pineda (second from left) pay a courtesy call on Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (center), in connection with their forth coming centennial celebration. Shown with Arroyo are (from left) Atty. Jesus Santos, past director; Jimmie Policarpio, immediate past president; Farid Schoucair, tourism awards co-chair; and Robert Lim Joseph, director/tourism awards chair. The Rotary event ends by June 2019 where some 1,000 guests are expected from Asia Pacific region and as well as local chapters. RCM is the biggest and oldest Rotary Club in Asia.

State-owned companies remitted a record P40b in 2018 to Treasury

By Julito G. Rada GOVERNMENT-OWNED or -controlled corporations declared dividends of P48 billion in 2018, the highest amount ever collected since the law requiring state firms to hand over 50 percent of their annual net earnings to the national government was enacted in 1994, according to the Finance Department.

The DoF said it was also the first time that dividends breached the P40-billion mark.

It said the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. remitted an additional P6 billion on Dec. 14, which combined with the P34.17 billion collected from GOCCs as of November, raised total remittances for 2018 to a record P40.17 billion. Including Land Bank of the Philippines, which should have contributed P7.82 billion, the amount of GOCC dividends totaled P47.99 billion for 2018.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019

B1

Okada insists he controls most shares in Tiger Resort

By Jenniffer B. Austria JAPANESE gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada maintained that the estafa charges filed against him by the Justice Department “are absolutely baseless” and that he owns a majority-stake in the company that runs the Parañaque casino named after him.

“These cases are only intended to destroy my reputation in the business community and discredit all the hard work I have put into the establishment, rise and success of Okada Manila, which is now operated by my accusers,” Okada said in a statement sent through his lawyers.

Okada argued that he could not not defraud the company that he owns.

The Justice Department, in December, reversed an earlier ruling by the Parañaque City Prosecutor’s Office dismissing the complaint against Okada, who allegedly pocketed some $3.1 million in unauthorized compensation from the board of Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment Inc., the operator of Okada Manila.

Okada already filed a motion for reconsideration on the DoJ ruling.

Parañaque City Regional Trial Court Branch 257 Judge Rolando How issued a warrant of arrest dated Jan. 4, 2019 and ordered the police and National Bureau of Investigation to arrest Okada and fellow-accused Takahiro Usui.

“TRLEI is 100-percent controlled

by Universal Entertainment Corp., 67.9-percent shares of which is controlled by Okada Holdings Limited.

OHL is a corporation which I essentially own as I technically have control over all of OHL’s shares. OHL holds 100-percent of the shares of Tiger Resort Asia Limited, which in turn, owns 99.99 percent of TRLEI,” Okada said.

Okada said the $3.1 million he received from the company represented his salaries and fees for his efforts, contribution and services in establishing Okada Manila pursuant to contracts entered into by him and Takahiro Usui, who was authorized by the board of directors of TRLEI to enter into such contracts.

DoE assures power stability in Palawan and Iloilo

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Finance Undersecretary Antonette Tionko, who heads the DOF-Corporate Affairs Group, said LandBank was allowed to waive its dividend contributions of P7.82 billion to boost its capital requirements, thus bringing the national amount remitted to the Bureau of the Treasury to P40.17 billion.

He said even without LandBank, P40.17 billion still represented the highest amount ever collected from stateowned and controlled firms since the GOCC Dividends Law was implemented 24 years ago.

“This is unprecedented,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said.

“The record amount demonstrates the effectivity of Undersecretary Tionko and her team in instilling fiscal discipline among the GOCCs since the Duterte administration took over in 2016,” Dominguez said.

THE Department of Energy said it will ensure uninterrupted power supply in Iloilo City and Palawan province as it deals with electric cooperatives that supply electricity to these areas.

Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said Palawan Electric Cooperative, which supplies electricity to Palawan, already submitted plans to the department which are under review.

“Paleco submitted their plans which I signed and referred to the Power Bureau for review,” Fuentebella said.

Mario Marasigan, director of the Electric Power Industry Management Bureau, said the National Electrification Administration, assigned a new general manager for Paleco.

“We required them [to submit a Transmission Development Plan] to see the actual situation in Palawan. Depending on the submission of the TDP, we will decide whether to push through with our instruc-

tion for NPC [National Power Corp.] to provide services for the El Nido area in terms of the generation and wires,” Marasigan said.

Marasigan said that for the rest of Palawan, the department was looking at enhancements of substations.

“We will also review their power supply agreements [PSAs]. We have already initiated discussions with them to include in their TDP their power supply procurement program and the review,” he said.

Marasigan said Paleco’s power situation was due to “line problems” and not lack of generation capacity. Paleco is the lone power distributor in Puerto Princesa City and 18 municipalities, serving 137,277 consumers as of June 2018.

“The common causes of problems in Palawan is apparently the lines and substations, not insufficient supply. In fact, they have oversupply in terms of PSAs. For transmission, there is constraint in the substations,” he said.

Marasigan said El Nido, Taytay, San

Vicente had problems with transmission interconnection, which would be fixed by 2019 as programmed by Napocor-Small Power Utilities Group.

Marasigan said that in the case of Iloilo City, More Electric Power Corp.’s franchise passed third reading in both houses of Congress.

“It has not been signed by the president…Supposedly it was endorsed before the closure of the session. But we do not have a copy and we cannot confirm if it was transmitted,” he said.

He said the Senate version set a twoyear transmission period “that will ensure continuous distribution services within Iloilo City.”

Marasigan said that during the transition period, Panay Electric Cooperative would continue to serve Iloilo City. Peco’s franchise is due to expire this month.

“During the transition, there will be negotiation as far as the use of facilities…It would be hard without the transition. It’s going to be an abrupt change,” he said.

Astoria invests P1.5b in Boracay resort expansion

By Othel V. Campos LOCAL hotel chain operator Astoria Hotels & Resorts said it invested about P1.5 billion for the expansion of its sustainable resort in Boracay Island.

It said the development of the annex building of Astoria Current was done amid efforts to rehabilitate the island resort.

“We at Astoria Hotels & Resorts are proud to welcome guests to the renewed, revived Boracay Island at Astoria Current. We are one with the government in advocating for and implementing a more environment-friendly stay in the island so that Boracay will continue to be enjoyed by the futuregenerations,” said Astoria Hotels president Jef-

frey Ng. The company said with the additional building, the hotel chain was now offering 205 rooms for island visitors and tourists.

This makes Astoria Current the hotel along Station 3 with the biggest number of rooms and with most rooms facing the beach front.

Astoria Current is one of the first resorts the Tourism Department allowed to open after it complied with all the necessary environment and local ordinances.

The company said the impact of the island’s closure posed as a challenge to the hotel chain but was hardly felt in a negative sense by the Astoria Current staff, who were reassigned during the period

for retraining and other purposes in other Astoria properties, including Astoria Palawan and Astoria Plaza in Ortigas Center.

Ng said not one employee lost his or her job over the six-month rehabilitation period.

“Caring for the environment and caring for your employees as family go hand-in-hand. These same staff members will be the one to make our guests have the most awesome holiday experience at Astoria Current,” he said.

Billeted guests can also look forward to new facilities, including a new function room and pool. Astoria commissioned the award-winning Atelier Almario design firm to design all the rooms of Astoria Current.

FINANCIAL EDUCATION EXPO. Key stakeholders, leaders, decision-makers, influencers and representatives from public and private institutions, development partners, international organizations, civic society and the academe convene at the SMX Convention Center Manila in November 2018 for the first ever Financial Education Stakeholders Expo organized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Shown during the opening ceremony are (from left) Dr. Noi Keng Kong, chairperson of the Center for Financial Literacy Singapore, Citi-National Institute of Education Financial Literacy Hub for Teachers; BSP Monetary Board Member Bruce Tolentino; BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier; Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis-Briones; and Kelly Hattel, senior financial sector specialist of Asian Development Bank.

B2

Business

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market to extend rally this week S

By Jenniffer B. Austria

HARE prices are expected to sustain their upward momentum this week on positive developments in the local economy and the return of foreign funds.

“With positive sentiment finally here due to the aforementioned low inflation figure, and with what seems to be a comeback of foreign funds especially with last Friday’s P1-billion print, next resistance for the PSEi is around the area of 7,900— level of previous high,” said Papa Securities trader Gabriel Jose Perez.

“However, do still continue to keep an eye out for how the US markets move as more drastic drops could still dampen the

overall sentiment,” he added.

BDO Unibank chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravelas said investors were buying blue chips that would benefit from a possible reversal of foreign inflows and positioning in stocks that would gain as inflation eases.

Among these sectors are consumerrelated stocks, as well as property and infrastructure-related companies.

Aside from easing inflation rate, consumer-related stocks are also expected to benefit from the upcoming May elections.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week jumped 3.95 percent to close at 7,761.11, while the broader All Shares Index rose 2.98 percent to 4,625.59 All counters ended in green, led by mining and oil which climbed 8.2 percent; property which advanced 6.8 percent; holding firms which gained 3.6 percent;

financials and services which added 2.8 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively.

Foreign investors were net buyers for the week by P1.2 billion, while the average daily value traded stood at P6.5 billion.

Weekly top price gainers were Philex Mining Corp., which rose 23 percent to P3.80; Filinvest Development Corp., which climbed 14.1 percent to P13.26; and Nickel Asia Corp., which climbed 11 percent to P2.44.

Weekly top price losers were Philippine Savings Bank, which declined by 7.7 percent to P57.50; LT Group Inc., which lost 3.5 percent to P16.02; and Manila Water Co Inc., which fell 2.1 percent to P27.65.

Global stocks, meanwhile, shot higher on Friday following a strong US jobs report and dovish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on the prospects for higher interest rates.

Those back-to-back market-friendly developments helped US and European stock bourses surge higher and set aside for now nervousness over trade wars, a US government shutdown and a slowing economy that have pressured stocks for most of the last month.

“A solid set of job numbers and some comfortable words from the chairman of the Federal Reserve have been just the ticket to get markets into bullish mode,” said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG. The Dow finished up 3.3 percent, or nearly 750 points, to end the week at 23,433.16, more than making up for the 2.8 percent slide on Thursday amid worries over slowing growth.

Bourses in Paris, Frankfurt and London all surged at least two percent, also boosted in part by the US momentum.

With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS WEEKLY STOCKS REVIEW STOCKS

JANUARY 2-4, 2019 Close Volume

Value

DECEMBER 26-28, 2018 Close Volume Value

Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources China Bank Citystate Savings COL Financial Eastwest Bank Ferronoux Holding Filipino Fund Inc. First Abacus I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

59.6 132.80 93.50 2.15 1.47 27.55 7.58 16 12.38 4.5 7.36 0.62 1.47 780.00 0.470 84.6 0.88 12.38 20.20 42.75 57.5 114 180 28.75 163.3 1850.00 64.40 1.13

41,840 5,913,620 5,796,040 474,000 391,000 399,800 200 12,300 2,181,300 1,340,000 300 227,000 17,000 40 850,000 7,792,210 1,346,000 7,000 100 252,600 112,270 970 2,310 411,500 2,385,650 45 22,170 4,000

FINANCIAL 2,485,608.50 764,951,353.00 546,863,005.50 1,006,980.00 567,530.00 10,919,245.00 1,516.00 198,472.00 26,746,490.00 6,021,480.00 2,208.00 157,640.00 24,820.00 31,200.00 405,450.00 646,902,459.00 1,193,710.00 86,844.00 2,020.00 10,789,335.00 6,591,309.00 109,230.00 414,522.00 11,748,645.00 382,281,638.00 83,220.00 1,420,786.00 4,520.00

59.3 130.80 94.00 2.19 1.50 27.1

29,930 8,138,180 4,484,590 142,000 1,280,000 165,200

1,767,006.00 1,048,281,405.00 417,523,934.50 304,620.00 1,871,240.00 4,489,815.00

16.24 11.9 4.47 7.32 0.72 1.53 750.00 0.465 80.95 0.91 11.98 20.20 42.75 62.3 145.2 180 28.5 155 1800.00 63.95 1.18

362,900 2,247,600 4,468,100 12,200 740,000 18,000 100 450,000 6,077,300 1,367,000 11,500 900 135,200 24,010 11,280 2,480 508,300 729,770 170 125,970 1,000

5,800,060.00 26,425,340.00 21,086,135.00 89,304.00 508,390.00 25,500.00 75,400.00 213,050.00 488,659,444.00 1,233,220.00 136,688.00 18,053.00 5,775,880.00 1,492,003.50 1,596,971.00 443,535.00 14,404,445.00 113,629,258.00 306,000.00 8,019,918.00 1,180.00

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Basic Energy Corp.

Bogo Medelin C. Azuc De Tarlac Cemex Holdings Century Food Chemphil Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Eagle Cement EEI Emperador Euro-Med Lab First Gen Corp.

First Holdings ‘A’ Ginebra San Miguel Inc. Greenergy Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp.

LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Macay Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide MG Holdings Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petroenergy Res. Corp.

Petron Corporation PH Resorts Group Phinma Corporation Phinma Energy Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Pilipinas Shell Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings SFA Semicon Shakeys Pizza SMC Food and Beverage SPC Power Corp.

Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Universal Robina Vitarich Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

35.7 16.94 1.07 1.29 0.255 92 17.20 1.97 15.72 106.8 31.8 60 39.95 1.78 6.48 6.46 11.200 15.36 8.20 7.16 1.67 21.35 66.05 25.70 2.0900 5.79 11.08 1.900 309.00 4.28 3.28 8.90 27.65 10.84 18.16 0.175 394.00 5.77 1.37 3.67 7.70 5.67 9.10 1.16 10.98 47.3 5.9 4.90 1.97 2.79 1.5 12 81.95 6.09 0.125 0.88 128.5 1.94 1.66

2,178,700 1,824,600 33,190,000 184,000 6,110,000 3,460 4,100 65,771,000 704,500 2,000 598,400 410 4,152,300 297,000 259,900 117,300 6,515,800 829,600 536,200 3,294,000 10,000 10,043,600 127,830 22,200 16,133,000 930,300 3,625,800 2,387,000 3,469,330 29,000 5,000 4,500 988,700 1,084,700 6,097,800 350,000 573,780 24,600 11,908,000 1,828,000 9,080,600 254,500 103,000 78,782,000 190,900 1,578,100 233,700 6,743,000 1,157,000 35,000 681,000 1,415,400 553,190 2,128,900 1,300,000 372,000 4,751,050 27,286,000 14,319,000

INDUSTRIAL 77,544,175.00 30,888,186.00 36,119,470.00 237,170.00 1,544,710.00 319,343.00 71,562.00 129,707,360.00 11,003,968.00 267,600.00 18,638,180.00 24,372.00 155,756,945.00 522,580.00 1,664,497.00 754,063.00 72,109,932.00 12,690,460.00 4,356,448.00 23,390,699.00 16,220.00 206,508,823.00 8,339,163.00 569,785.00 33,511,880.00 5,397,587.00 39,296,092.00 4,465,750.00 1,036,744,730.00 124,340.00 15,940.00 39,477.00 26,738,945.00 11,580,778.00 110,635,180.00 61,350.00 223,265,186.00 142,614.00 16,010,340.00 6,666,270.00 70,092,394.00 1,385,664.00 927,650.00 93,255,510.00 2,063,906.00 74,391,265.00 1,360,030.00 33,043,020.00 2,264,470.00 95,780.00 997,390.00 16,674,370.00 45,235,437.00 12,261,164.00 164,560.00 319,500.00 611,988,172.00 53,429,250.00 22,861,260.00

35.1 17 1.06 1.28 0.240 98.15 16.00 1.9 15.2 169 30.95 64.95 37 1.8 6.5 6.38 10.980 15.46 7.95 7.11 1.7 19.98 64.75 26.75 1.9900 5.80 10.6 1.810 291.80 4.3 3.3 9.68 28.25 10.26 18.5 0.176 380.00 5.85 1.34 3.50 7.71 5.39 9.00 1.15 10.74 47.75 5.8 4.89 1.98 2.67 1.41 11.9 82 5.44 0.125 0.85 127 1.99 1.60

6,214,200 2,772,400 13,423,000 136,000 15,250,000 230 1,200 48,057,000 554,800 150 1,037,500 170 81,000 299,000 958,500 192,400 17,246,800 1,240,900 840,300 10,095,400 6,000 3,674,400 676,730 33,700 26,889,000 566,400 7,204,500 1,057,000 2,098,820 89,000 19,000 23,700 1,629,600 487,300 17,592,800 1,110,000 631,760 8,000 4,343,000 2,965,000 9,154,500 280,700 21,000 26,097,000 264,200 886,000 211,600 361,000 1,453,000 12,000 257,000 706,300 433,290 499,800 340,000 390,000 1,915,230 46,016,000 15,314,000

217,753,090.00 47,480,210.00 14,095,820.00 174,500.00 3,730,940.00 22,014.50 19,092.00 86,380,230.00 8,333,190.00 25,480.00 32,247,165.00 10,105.50 2,998,780.00 530,530.00 6,470,562.00 1,216,957.00 184,820,514.00 19,172,150.00 6,710,243.00 71,296,148.00 10,110.00 72,957,711.00 43,537,622.50 846,850.00 52,190,010.00 3,330,311.00 75,627,708.00 1,916,210.00 614,811,248.00 382,700.00 60,740.00 206,970.00 45,367,130.00 4,975,762.00 320,473,422.00 194,890.00 245,607,744.00 46,493.00 5,865,860.00 10,679,110.00 71,062,508.00 1,481,628.00 189,000.00 30,803,750.00 2,811,286.00 41,779,420.00 1,226,840.00 1,693,550.00 2,908,900.00 32,040.00 359,020.00 8,390,686.00 35,339,604.50 2,723,181.00 42,390.00 326,020.00 245,137,869.00 87,947,560.00 25,003,330.00

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anscor `A’ Asiabest Group ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp `A’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings Filinvest Dev. Corp.

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Jolliville Holdings Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

Lopez Holdings Corp.

LT Group Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Pacifica `A’ Prime Media Hldg Prime Orion San Miguel Corp `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.710 57.00 11.80 6.50 27.5 1.470 1.470 960 7 12.78 13.46 0.230 995 5.75 59.40 5.9 0.57 4.1 16.02 0.600 4.85 0.0380 1.220 2.450 145.30 946.00 1.33 0.74 249.800 0.2600 0.226

149,524,000 3,544,300 12,538,600 82,900 603,500 29,642,000 4,229,000 1,781,170 4,337,900 9,747,900 5,438,300 410,000 259,010 20,500 6,662,130 16,000 263,000 3,527,000 7,587,100 1,568,000 84,526,000 15,300,000 239,000 1,214,000 1,534,340 1,445,770 171,000 31,000 370 50,740,000 290,000

HOLDING FIRMS 101,903,830.00 200,639,766.50 149,482,986.00 529,750.00 16,638,025.00 42,756,820.00 6,120,570.00 1,668,510,400.00 29,802,102.00 124,953,360.00 71,629,502.00 91,030.00 258,430,837.50 118,622.00 388,062,836.50 94,649.00 148,370.00 14,436,010.00 124,449,874.00 902,890.00 403,012,590.00 573,500.00 289,340.00 2,976,570.00 226,090,460.00 1,368,483,835.00 223,560.00 22,940.00 92,382.00 13,441,190.00 65,430.00

0.610 55.00 11.90 6.50 26 1.420 1.420 900 6.71 12.78 11.80 0.219 975 5.83 55.70 6.78 0.56 4 16.6 0.590 4.64 0.0370 1.230 2.370 147.00 917.50 1.32 0.74 249.800 0.2470 0.223

27,740,000 3,027,860 11,716,400 185,800 190,500 28,438,000 6,489,000 789,960 1,284,600 7,346,400 1,676,700 560,000 165,480 25,600 5,556,320 105,200 114,000 2,576,000 3,384,400 5,327,000 33,581,000 5,200,000 355,000 1,382,000 1,114,010 697,600 193,000 40,000 10,210 6,930,000 130,000

16,762,720.00 167,263,035.50 139,309,090.00 1,207,700.00 4,889,215.00 46,020,840.00 9,249,510.00 716,891,005.00 8,620,854.00 92,188,192.00 20,579,812.00 115,420.00 159,186,670.00 149,418.00 307,852,859.50 697,732.00 62,320.00 10,410,960.00 56,576,822.00 3,177,820.00 156,508,590.00 191,600.00 420,160.00 3,323,940.00 163,946,746.00 640,214,215.00 251,950.00 29,600.00 2,548,810.00 1,687,290.00 27,280.00

4,743,300 7,633,000 9,900 188,000 46,277,000 46,171,900 5,712,000 2,421,000 79,800 13,860,000 10,000 68,000 2,680,000 850,000 493,400 3,664,300 100,000 330,000 16,562,000 4,321,000 72,985,000 50,980,000 17,356,000 2,230,000 1,580,000

PROPERTY 39,278,744.00 6,349,570.00 110,000.00 322,280.00 46,371,580.00 1,982,834,635.00 13,624,040.00 10,071,220.00 512,589.00 6,017,450.00 8,600.00 59,870.00 642,210.00 325,750.00 3,827,605.00 70,327,295.00 48,700.00 36,910.00 24,040,800.00 4,872,000.00 352,090,800.00 22,829,450.00 39,334,800.00 1,035,300.00 665,400.00

8.100 0.78 11.46 1.730 0.960 40.600 2.31 4.14 6.37 0.430 0.85 0.870 0.235 0.380 7.800 17.84 0.485 0.121 1.41 1.13 4.75 0.450 2.2500 0.4700 0.425

2,333,700 4,140,000 14,800 117,000 27,266,000 24,207,200 12,446,000 2,347,000 23,900 9,910,000 4,000 181,000 7,300,000 900,000 1,394,800 1,181,700 600,000 190,000 7,726,000 6,743,000 27,090,000 114,610,000 22,260,000 800,000 1,380,000

18,912,304.00 3,290,400.00 164,996.00 203,290.00 24,755,680.00 995,180,620.00 28,128,260.00 9,596,690.00 150,157.00 4,167,650.00 3,400.00 158,360.00 1,744,600.00 342,250.00 10,856,326.00 21,103,106.00 294,150.00 21,690.00 10,970,040.00 7,378,590.00 127,971,100.00 51,302,700.00 49,219,780.00 367,300.00 580,050.00

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Anchor Land Holdings Inc. Araneta Prop `A’ Arthaland Corp.

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ CEB Landmasters Cebu Holdings Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

DM Wenceslao Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Filinvest Land,Inc. Global-Estate Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil Infradev Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Realty `A’

8.400 0.84 11.68 1.750 1.000 43.700 2.41 4.25 6.45 0.440 0.86 0.880 0.248 0.380 7.920 19.54 0.490 0.112 1.45 1.16 4.83 0.460 2.3000 0.4600 0.425

STOCKS

JANUARY 2-4, 2019 Close Volume

DECEMBER 26-28, 2018 Close Volume Value

Value

Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp.

Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

40.00 3.55 21.70 2.02 3.12 38.50 1.36 5.61 0.720 5.600

600 752,000 5,029,000 1,103,000 449,000 31,824,000 17,390,000 981,700 80,000 14,392,100

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Apollo Global Asian Terminals Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Chelsea DFNN Inc. Discovery World Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Golden Haven Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp.

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Metro Retail MetroAlliance A NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp.

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Wilcon Depot

14.34 20.35 1.34 0.420 0.039 15 3.34 9.70 78.5 6.92 7.45 2.16 15.26 900 1872 5.59 325.00 11.04 3.30 99 2.02 11.48 8.20 0.125 6.3200 3.39 14.88 3.40 0.83 18.26 16.38 0.370 5.33 2.56 2.01 3.720 9.82 8.90 3.43 120.00 3.45 1160.00 0.325 0.820 47.20 88.00 7.77 2.52 0.810 0.45 5.37 0.770 13.400

1,068,200 213,300 348,000 1,030,000 51,500,000 514,900 42,174,000 16,311,800 637,880 4,916,900 47,900 12,000 198,900 10 49,035 733,900 960 800 6,640,000 2,908,280 31,000 200 2,000 24,690,000 22,695,400 18,000 87,300 3,230,000 1,003,000 3,215,600 1,200 500,000 85,500 6,119,000 439,000 16,869,000 7,200 61,900 229,000 549,170 12,939,000 199,550 870,000 15,579,000 22,625,400 1,580,060 525,000 20,346,000 175,075,000 89,210,000 3,612,900 34,163,000 17,184,800

SERVICES 15,385,948.00 4,304,995.00 473,860.00 426,850.00 2,021,100.00 7,216,288.00 154,543,510.00 160,114,952.00 49,013,738.00 32,999,454.00 342,257.00 25,920.00 3,047,528.00 9,000.00 92,624,570.00 4,101,184.00 310,396.00 8,286.00 21,231,900.00 289,719,622.00 61,490.00 2,296.00 16,400.00 3,080,050.00 139,110,028.00 58,240.00 1,238,464.00 10,528,590.00 812,260.00 57,252,802.00 19,622.00 190,900.00 442,469.00 15,403,620.00 876,440.00 62,336,530.00 72,030.00 522,365.00 800,600.00 67,531,492.00 46,387,860.00 230,560,645.00 282,750.00 12,648,440.00 1,021,492,645.00 136,057,004.50 3,953,730.00 50,811,140.00 137,583,750.00 39,750,800.00 19,251,561.00 25,969,560.00 223,851,756.00

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Benguet Corp `A’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Philex `A’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. `A’ Phinma Petro Semirara Corp.

United Paragon

0.0021 1.69 2.68 16.50 1.3000 2.11 0.295 7.81 1.690 0.209 0.123 0.125 0.007 0.0070 1.3 2.44 1.08 0.6500 1.0000 0.0130 3.80 16.20 0.0120 3.4000 24.70 0.0082

996,000,000 15,058,000 686,000 31,600 30,000 12,034,000 530,000 59,600 2,287,000 490,000 37,780,000 6,680,000 46,000,000 6,000,000 1,641,000 14,807,000 159,000 1,760,000 2,689,000 36,700,000 33,905,000 4,464,600 69,200,000 3,000 3,173,700 579,000,000

MINING & OIL 1,993,100.00 25,382,950.00 1,890,220.00 498,164.00 39,600.00 25,592,400.00 159,600.00 450,086.00 3,848,900.00 101,140.00 4,439,100.00 818,410.00 328,700.00 42,400.00 2,050,800.00 34,927,520.00 169,740.00 1,117,070.00 2,680,800.00 465,000.00 126,271,910.00 71,085,718.00 840,000.00 10,160.00 76,736,340.00 4,442,500.00

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Alco Preferred B Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ DD PREF First Gen G GMA Holdings Inc. GTCAP PREF B House Preferred Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PNX PREF 3A SMC FB PREF 2 SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred I Swift Pref

18.7 96.1 456 489 97.5 102.5 5.4 900 95 1.02 101 979.5 990 100 997 75 77.2 74.45 73 74.9 74.45 73.5 1.8

844,500 2,300 4,850 12,100 9,650 1,030 340,300 2,020 5,140 7,000 1,320 500 155 1,100 420 9,200 220 2,530 10,580 24,310 250 77,580 8,000

LR Warrant

2.040

925,000

Italpinas Xurpas

5.1 1.76

4,181,000 28,309,000

First Metro ETF

115.5

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 53,060 6,050,944.00

10.1 10.2 1.02

DOLLAR DENONIMATED SEC. 190 1,919.00 7,860 79,672.00 29,540 30,130.80

USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

24,000.00 2,670,340.00 108,486,540.00 2,240,370.00 1,396,970.00 1,197,820,140.00 22,654,590.00 5,322,210.00 58,190.00 78,792,199.00

PREFERRED 15,612,890.00 224,578.00 2,211,396.00 5,814,220.00 917,794.00 104,426.00 1,844,225.00 1,679,400.00 488,450.00 7,120.00 130,320.00 486,890.00 154,700.00 109,600.00 414,700.00 682,306.00 16,920.50 181,148.50 763,490.00 1,805,740.00 18,130.00 571,661.00 11,400.00 WARRANTS & BONDS 1,788,100.00 SME 21,368,154.00 48,415,600.00

40.00 3.54 20.15 2.01 3.12 35.80 1.25 5.4 0.740 5.410

1,600 579,000 4,207,000 416,000 133,000 23,310,800 2,155,000 878,500 88,000 33,376,500

63,975.00 2,055,570.00 86,120,110.00 831,520.00 411,630.00 833,141,505.00 2,659,980.00 4,908,907.00 63,710.00 176,461,357.00

13.78 20 1.4 0.405 0.039 13.88 4.5 9.41 73.2 6.46 7.69 2.15 14.92

676,800 197,400 685,000 1,790,000 10,433,200 217,800 24,658,000 9,103,700 199,320 2,990,600 79,000 8,000 176,800

9,076,414.00 3,955,766.00 909,840.00 741,700.00 1,702,600.00 2,987,186.00 103,243,780.00 86,083,648.00 14,644,593.50 19,439,427.00 576,145.00 17,200.00 2,670,122.00

1900 5.44 325.00

66,925 208,400 3,520

127,183,320.00 1,133,548.00 1,141,758.00

2.95 100 1.87 11.2 8.20 0.129 6.0300 3.39 14.1 3.26 0.80 17.00 16.26 0.370 5.45 2.49 2.09 3.440 9.99 8.33 3.25 124.00 3.22 1125.00 0.325 0.800 43.00 80.00 7.50 2.38 0.790 0.44 5.31 0.700 12.600

5,222,000 3,321,630 17,000 15,600 271,200 41,240,000 22,898,200 59,000 8,900 2,665,000 734,000 2,876,000 1,000 1,550,000 2,500 2,568,000 758,000 5,537,000 28,000 2,000 257,000 563,850 3,582,000 271,715 1,360,000 14,422,000 7,782,900 1,687,610 308,500 5,877,000 48,842,000 120,440,000 625,300 4,647,000 13,189,600

15,415,230.00 328,686,746.50 31,840.00 167,338.00 2,190,440.00 5,290,880.00 140,526,226.00 184,960.00 129,854.00 8,982,920.00 568,690.00 48,451,358.00 16,260.00 570,050.00 13,277.00 6,420,290.00 1,504,180.00 19,075,690.00 278,151.00 16,630.00 897,330.00 64,172,664.00 11,533,630.00 172,714,735.00 435,900.00 11,561,990.00 334,798,935.00 134,253,248.50 2,319,525.00 13,936,570.00 38,500,590.00 54,774,400.00 3,316,912.00 3,199,110.00 165,387,958.00

0.0020 1.67 2.56 15.48 1.5000 2.08 0.300 7.27 1.660 0.206 0.112 0.115 0.007 0.0065 1.18 2.2 1.08 0.6000 0.9400 0.0130 3.09 15.20 0.0130 3.3700 23.05 0.0055

993,000,000 7,678,000 336,000 19,800 694,000 4,197,000 1,140,000 66,800 49,203,000 2,750,000 21,130,000 3,320,000 18,000,000 3,000,000 1,877,000 13,414,000 450,000 169,000 621,000 38,900,000 11,456,000 2,607,000 300,700,000 43,000 3,526,800 7,000,000

1,970,200.00 12,972,110.00 852,220.00 294,926.00 1,039,800.00 8,637,300.00 340,700.00 479,271.00 81,857,680.00 554,050.00 2,311,760.00 377,040.00 122,500.00 19,500.00 2,280,680.00 29,171,040.00 455,950.00 101,260.00 584,440.00 484,700.00 34,536,220.00 39,936,120.00 3,739,400.00 136,560.00 82,104,915.00 38,700.00

18.7

600

11,270.00

445

10,070

4,497,750.00

98.8 101.2 5.36 900 96 1.02 98 980 1490 100 997 75 76 74.95 73 75 74.9 73.5 2.15

2,960 420 52,200 20 5,700 629,000 9,660 690 5 3,310 1,000 17,490 17,540 522,450 500 517,810 22,040 517,930 10,000

291,233.50 42,484.00 274,750.00 18,000.00 544,205.00 629,120.00 952,830.00 669,500.00 7,450.00 328,190.00 991,900.00 1,311,750.00 1,333,803.50 38,661,485.00 36,500.00 38,584,894.50 1,625,060.00 38,067,555.00 21,500.00

1.950

483,000

947,510.00

4.85 1.72

3,414,000 55,234,000

16,431,700.00 92,960,990.00

111.5

8,680

965,995.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Abra Mining United Paragon STI Holdings Abacus Cons. `A’ Transpacific Broadcast Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Phinma Energy Megaworld Philodrill Corp. `A’ Cemex Holdings

VOLUME 996,000,000 579,000,000 175,075,000 149,524,000 89,210,000 84,526,000 78,782,000 72,985,000 69,200,000 65,771,000

STOCKS Ayala Land `B’ Ayala Corp `A’ SM Investments Inc. SM Prime Holdings Jollibee Foods Corp.

Puregold Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Metrobank Universal Robina Bank of PI

VALUE 1,982,834,635.00 1,668,510,400.00 1,368,483,835.00 1,197,820,140.00 1,036,744,730.00 1,021,492,645.00 764,951,353.00 646,902,459.00 611,988,172.00 546,863,005.50

Vista Land to build seven new malls in next 2 years VISTA Land & Lifescapes Inc. of the Villar Group plans to complete seven new malls over the next two years that will add 274,000 square meters of gross floor area to its leasing portfolio.

The property company, according to information included in its recentlyconcluded P10 billion bond offering, is scheduled to complete four new malls in 2019 with 174,000 sqm of GFA and another three malls in 2020 with 100,000 sqm of GFA. Vista Land in 2019 will complete the 54,000 sqm Vistamall North Molino phase 1 in Bacoor, Cavite, the 35,000 sqm Vistamall Mintal phase 1 in Davao City, the 40,000 sqm Vistamall Dasmariñas in Cavite and the 45,000 sqm Vistamall Sta. Maria in Bulacan.

Vista Land in 2020 expects to complete the 40,000 sqm Vistamall Santiago, in Isabela province, the 40,000 sqm Vistamall Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija and the 20,000 sqm Vistamall Butuan in Butuan City.

Construction of these new malls will be be funded through the P10 billion worth of fresh capital that Vista Land raised in December from the bond offering.

Vista Land as of end September 2018 ahd 1.16 million sqm of GFA comprising of 26 malls, seven office buildings and 50 commercial centres located across the country.

Vista Land in the first nine months of 2018 opened four malls, namely Vistamall Iloilo, Vistamall Naga, Vistamall Cagayan de Oro and Vistamall General Trias.

The group had planned to end 2018 with 1.4 million sqm of GFA from the leasing business, an upgrade from the initial target of 1.3 million sqm.

By 2020, Vista Land plans to operate 60 malls that are expected to generate a steady stream of leasing revenues for the company.

Vista Land reported that leasing income increased in the first nine months of 2018 increased 19 percent to P5.2 billion from P4.3 billion year-on-year.

Vista Land also plans to roll out several office, hospitals and hotel projects to further boost the leasing business.

Ferry company eyes initial public offering this year

By Darwin G Amojelar ARCHIPELAGO Philippines Ferries Corp., operator of FasCat ferries, said it plans to go public this year to finance acquisition of new vessels.

APFC president Christopher Pastrana said the company tapped Mabuhay Capital Corp. as its financial advisor for the planned initial public offering.

“Right now to be able to achieve our 60 vessels, we need to go public,” said Pastrana.

The company in December signed a P1.8-billion loan agreement with Philippine National Bank for the construction of five new roll-on roll-off vessels.

The five new ferries are part of a modernization drive to complete its goal of operating 30 RoRo vessels by 2020.

The newly designed ferries have incorporated enhanced features for added safety, power efficiency and comfort. Additionally, it uses solar power and has special amenities that are user friendly to the elderly and persons with disabilities.

“Right now we have 12 vessels in the Philippines. We’re servicing the eastern and western part of the central corridor,” Pastrana said.

“We’re looking at doubling up our routes in the Central Visayas and also tap Mindanao area. We want to open up the Tawi-Tawi-Basilan-Zamboanga area. And also there’s going to be a vessel in Davao to shorten land travel,” Pastrana added.

He said the company would invest $240 million in the 30 RoRo vessels funded by Development Bank of the Philippines, BDO Unibank Inc., Land Bank of the Philippines, United Coconut Planters Bank, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., Asia United Bank and PNB. He said the company planned to serve between 10 million and 11 million passengers and about 12 million tons of cargo for the additional 30 vessels starting in 2021.

World/Business

B3

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Maduro’s presidency declared illegitimate C

ARACAS―Venezuela’s opposition-controlled but toothless National Assembly declared Nicolas Maduro’s presidency illegitimate on Saturday, calling on the military to support efforts to “restore democracy.”

NEW YEAR EXERCISE. Firefighters display their skills with a new type of wheelchair-friendly ladder during the annual New Year’s fire brigades exercise in Tokyo on January 6, 2019. About 2,800 firefighters took part in the drill. AFP

Thrilling Danish shows take TV world by storm COPENHAGEN―With original boundary-breaking content, thrilling plots and charismatic actors, Danish television series have captivated audiences worldwide in recent years.

The latest show to hit the small screen is “Ride Upon the Storm”, which is being distributed in almost 80 countries with a debut late January in Britain.

The new drama was created by Adam Price, the BAFTA winner behind the acclaimed drama “Borgen”, which followed the political and personal tribulations of a Danish woman prime minister.

Danish shows, with both exoticism and gritty realism, have quickly soared in popularity beyond their initial local Scandinavian viewership, Pia Jensen, an Aarhus University communications associate professor specializing in television series, told AFP.

Long known for the Nordic noir crime genre, the big international breakthrough for Danish shows came with “The Killing”, a hard-hitting series following a Copenhagen female cop’s investigations.

Then came crime thriller “The Bridge” in 2011.

The Nordic noir genre has proven so popular that its aesthetic and themes are now being replicated beyond Scandinavia’s borders, with shows such as “Shetland” and “Broadchurch” made in Britain, Jensen said.

For foreign audiences, Denmark as it is shown on television is “an exotic society, something to aspire to because of the welfare state and the strong women characters”, she said, referring also to the 2010 hit “Borgen”.

She added, clearly amused, that it’s “as if Denmark is the fantasy land of gender

equality”.

Paradoxically, in this almost Utopian world, the characters are “normal” people with whom audiences can identify, according to Jensen.

But now Danish TV series have moved beyond Nordic noir.

“Ride Upon the Storm” is a characterled drama about faith and a family of Danish priests, dominated by Johannes Krogh, a tempestuous God-like father battling numerous demons.

Actor Lars Mikkelsen, known from “The Killing” and his role as the Russian president in Netflix’s “House of Cards”, plays Johannes, a role for which he won an International Emmy in November.

Mikkelsen “has set new standards for the portrayal of a main character in a TV series”, the show’s creator Adam Price told AFP. AFP

Prague experiences hottest year on record

Serbians resume anti-president protests BELGRADE―Several thousand people marched Saturday in the Serbian capital, the fifth consecutive weekend rally against the rule of President Aleksandar Vucic whom they accuse of authoritarianism.

The protests represent the biggest challenge to Vucic’s rule so far, and were first called by opposition parties after one of their leaders was beaten ahead of a political gathering in central Serbia in November.

The opposition Alliance for Serbia (SZS), an umbrella of parties from across the political spectrum, accused the attackers of being supporters of Vucic’s ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), a claim the authorities denied.

“Serbia is slowly rising, entire towns are rising ... and our numbers will grow,” actor and one of the movement’s leader Branislav Trifunovic told the crowd in Belgrade on Saturday, quoted by N1 television.

Several hundred people also protested in the southern town of Kragujevac and some 50 in Novi Sad in the north, Beta news agency reported. AFP

coup d’etat” on instructions from Washington. Mexico, which is a member of the group, withheld its support for the statement.

Guaido, in a speech attended by lawmakers and members of the diplomatic corps, declared that the military’s chain of command had been “broken or usurped,” but called on the armed forces to support efforts “to restore democracy.”

He committed to “generate conditions for a government of transition and to call free elections.”

The US State Department said it “celebrates” the assembly officials’ swearing-in, a ceremony attended by charge d’affaires James Story.

“The National Assembly should inspire hope in the Venezuelan people for a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic future, even as the corrupt and authoritarian Maduro regime and its allies seek to deny Venezuelans that right,” State Department deputy spokesman Robert Palladino said in a statement.

The National Assembly has been largely sidelined by a separate regime-created Constituent Assembly, which called the elections at a time when most major opposition figures were in jail or banned from running. AFP

Taiwan’s China-skeptic ruling party to elect its new head

IN BRIEF PRAGUE―The Czech capital Prague has experienced its hottest year since records started in 1775, the weather institute said on Saturday.

“In 2018, the average annual temperature in Prague-Clementium was 12.8 degrees Celsius (55.04 Fahrenheit), or 3.2 degrees more compared to the average between 1775-2014,” the Hydrometeorological Institute said in a statement that referred to its historic Clementinum weather station at a former Jesuit college in the Czech capital.

The institute described this year’s temperature as being “extraordinarily above normal”.

The previous record annual average temperature in Prague, 12.5 degrees Celsius, was set in 2014 and 2015.

The institute had already noted record heat this summer, with average daytime temperatures hitting 22.7 degrees Celsius (72.5 Fahrenheit) at its Clementinum weather station.

A summer drought affected 94 percent of the central European country, causing widespread crop damage. AFP

The United States, which has sanctioned Venezuelan officials and entities, hailed the legislature as “the only legitimate and last remaining democratically elected institution” in the country.

“We reaffirm the illegitimacy of Nicolas Maduro,” the assembly’s new president Juan Guaido said after being sworn in at the start of a new legislative session.

“As of January 10, he will be usurping the presidency and consequently this National Assembly is the only legitimate representative of the people.”

Maduro, who has presided over a virtual collapse of the economy in the once-rich OPEC member state, is set to be sworn in on Thursday for a second six-year term after elections widely condemned by the international community.

The ballot, on May 20, was boycotted by most of the opposition.

On Friday, foreign ministers from 12 Latin American countries and Canada announced in Lima that their governments would not recognize Maduro as president if he attempts to remain in office and urged him to turn over power to the National Assembly.

The Maduro government accused the so-called Lima Group of “encouraging a

CELEBRATION. WEST Sarah Shahi attends the Showtime Golden Globe Nominees Celebration at Sunset Tower Hotel on January 5, 2019, in West Hollywood. AFP

BIENVENIDO BALOTRO

GREEN LIGHT IN THE present knowledge economy, the basis of wealth generation has changed from acquiring tangible assets in the form of land, buildings or factories to that of possessing new knowledge. New knowledge translates into new technologies that lead to new kinds of products and services that make life easier and that people want to buy, which brings fortune to business owners.

Colleges and universities, being higher educational institutions are expected to be the source of new knowledge, innovation, and technologies. Recognizing this, many HEIs have added the development of technologies to their teaching and research missions, which eventually led to the rise to entrepreneurial universities. Entrepreneurial universities execute their function when they provide incubator hubs that assist professors and fellows in commercializing the technologies they develop. These incubators provide assistance in applying for and maintaining patents, and in transferring knowledge/technology to industry. It is not surprising that governments, especially in developing countries, have become more dependent on educational institutions in sustaining the knowledge economy.

To be a successful entrepreneurial university, however, an HEI must have the following characteristics, according to the experts: (a) it must possess the capacity to generate intellectual property (IP) (b) it should have a technology transfer office or a unit that facilitates the technology transfer process (c) it should have at least one entrepreneurship expert to offer functional business knowledge (d) it should create an entrepreneurial

TAIPEI―Taiwan’s ruling party began electing a new chairman on Sunday—a post vacated by President Tsai Ing-wen after a recent electoral mauling—in a vote closely watched by China and the United States.

Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party won a 2016 landslide, sweeping away a government that had built much closer ties to China over the previous decade.

The result rattled Beijing because Tsai refuses to acknowledge that the self-ruled island is part of “one China”.

Beijing cut communication with her administration, stepped up military drills, poached several of Taiwan’s dwindling diplomatic allies and started economically pressuring the island.

But in November, Tsai’s DPP suffered a string of defeats in local elections, fueled by a backlash over her domestic reforms and deteriorating ties with China, easily Taiwan’s largest market.

Tsai resigned the party chairmanship

but stayed on as president.

Analysts say the vote for the new party head will set the tone for the run-up to next year’s presidential election.

“It’s important because the international community, and China, will be watching,” J. Michael Cole, a Taipei-based expert with the University of Nottingham’s China Policy Institute, told AFP. “Any major departure from longstanding policy under President Tsai could alarm international partners and give Beijing ammunition to further crack down on Taiwan.”

Voting began Sunday morning with results expected to be announced in the evening.

China still sees Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified, despite the two sides being ruled separately since they split in 1949 after a civil war.

While Beijing has reacted frostily to Tsai, she is from a much more moderate wing within her party that favors talks. AFP

Academic entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial universities culture (EC) and (e) its academic entrepreneurs should have access to financial capital.

It is easy to see the important role of the academic entrepreneur in entrepreneurial universities. The academic entrepreneur is the faculty or research scientist who, as a result of his research, generates the intellectual property with promising market potential.

However, the university must encourage academic entrepreneurship by providing the necessary supporting infrastructure (i.e. technology transfer office, incubator hubs).

More importantly, it should foster an entrepreneurial research culture in the university.

In the Philippines, there are 1,460 HEIs but about 89 percent of them are private universities and colleges which are dependent on tuition for their support. Only a few have the capacity to conduct research and development (R&D). Philippine universities that are usually in the World University Rankings are the University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University and the University of Santo Tomas. They are the most equipped of the HEIs in terms of faculty profile, laboratory facilities and library resources. But given our top universities, we rank lower than the best in our region in terms of research publications and intellectual property applications. The status of R&D in our universities reflects our ranking of 56 (5th among the members of the Asean in the 2017-2018 Global Competitiveness Index) behind Singapore (3), Malaysia (25), Thailand (34) and Indonesia (36) in a field of 137 countries of the world.

The index considers technological readiness, innovation, and the quality and quantity of higher education and training in the rank-

ing. For the Philippines to improve its global competitiveness, we must also engender innovativeness, technological readiness and entrepreneurship in our universities.

But this is not a job that can be independently done by the academe, government and the private sector. It is a job for the three of them working together. As it has been said, “the transition of a university to an entrepreneurial university is part of a broader shift to a knowledge-based economy, which requires an institutional framework of university–industry–government (triple-helix model), each ‘taking the role of the other’ while fulfilling traditional missions.”

Cognizant of the status of our universities, the government, through the Philippine Intellectual Property Office is addressing this issue by implementing programs that promote intellectual property consciousness and an entrepreneurial mindset in the academe. The IPOPHL, with the assistance of the WIPO, is in the forefront of formulating the National Innovation Strategy, which recognizes the importance of a strong publicprivate partnership for innovation to take root, thrive and flourish.

IPOPHL’s efforts to nurture intellectual property consciousness and, as consequence, to encourage entrepreneurship in the university is paying off with a number of colleges and universities are putting up their Innovation Technology Support Office (ITSO), filling patents and transferring technology to industry.

On the other hand, two private sector initiatives can be cited as being supportive of this framework: The Ayala TBI Network, a partnership of Ayala Corp., the University of the

Philippines and the Asian Institute of Management; and the IBM Innovation Center.

The Ayala TBI Network creates an ecosystem that enables entrepreneurs to build successful science and technology businesses with global potentials. Among the services provided by the network are a business center, technology boot camps, technology forums, networking sessions where science, technology and business meet (Ayala-TBI, 2008).

The IBM Innovation Center, launched in 2009, helps local business and academic communities build skills and develop new technologies that support demand for digital infrastructure projects in building, energy, telecommunications, transportation, retail and government industries. The center provides entrepreneurs, business partners, venture capitalists and academics with access to training workshops, consulting services, broad technical infrastructure and hands-on assistance that help to bring new technologies to the market.

We have a lot to do to improve our global competitiveness and to make it at par with our neighbors in the region. One way for us to catch up is to promote entrepreneurship in our universities, support our academic entrepreneurs and implement the national innovation strategy.

Bienvenido Balotro is a Doctor of Business Administration student at the Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University, and is a faculty member of the University of the Philippines in Manila. He welcomes comments at bien. sbalotro2288@gmail.com. The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

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

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MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019

MYC backs DENR tack to clean bay “THE current state of Manila Bay is disgusting and polluted and we would like to revive an asset in our history and culture.”

Robert Lim Joseph, the new Commodore of the Manila Yacht Club, said this Sunday as he lauded the Department of Env i r on me nt and Natural Resources for Cimatu “using all its resources to clean up the bay once and for all.”

“We admire [Environment] Secretary Roy Cimatu for taking the cudgels in prioritizing ‘Save Manila Bay’ project that has never been done,” said Joseph.

“Aside from coordinating with all government agencies to turn this into a success story within one year, Sec. Cimatu is tasking all stakeholders to be part of the solution.”

The DENR has scheduled a meeting with officials in Metro Manila to map out the plans of the cleanup.

Some of these projects are: Private sector and government Joseph agencies should implement the Sewerage Treatment Plant immediately; Need a review with Manila Water and Maynilad on the construction of Sewerage Treatment Plants to prevent further pollution of the bay.

A survey will be undertaken on buildings/commercial establishments and factories for the immediate compliance of Sewerage Treatment Plant.

Educational program in collaboration with the private sector, academe, Department of Education to help train barangay chairmen in Metro Manila for waste segregation.

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Tingog Sinirangan party-list delivers at least 50 sacks of rice to Lope de Vega and another 50 sacks of rice to Catarman in Northern Samar on Thursday. The delivery is in response to the call for help of the residents and officials after Tropical Depression ‘Usman’ brought heavy rains and floods to the area, causing massive disruption to their food supply.

Local officials thanked Tingog party list, Leyte First District Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez and her husband, Lakas-CMD party president Atty. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for their humanitarian response. Ronald O. Reyes

OFW Party-list brings rice, Former shoots wife, aid to Usman-hit town then kills self

By Ronald O. Reyes

T

ACLOBAN CITY—Tingog Sinirangan party-list recently delivered at least 100 sacks of rice to Northern Samar in the wake of Tropical Depression “Usman.”

The group, led by its nominees Jaime “Boy” Go and Alexis Yu, travelled from Tacloban to deliver 50 sacks of rice to Catarman and another 50 sacks of rice to Lope de Vega town.

“Rice and water supply are scarce in the town. We hope that Lope de Vega will get the necessary help the soonest possible time,” said Mavette Manicani, the spokesperson of Tingog.

According to Manicani, the delivery of food supply is urgent in Lope de Vega after making a phone call to Mayor Ana Palloc.

The two areas were battered by heavy rains and floods last week.

Palloc said they are expecting help

as interior and upland villages in their town remained inaccessible and without electricity.

Affected residents are in need of housing materials, food, water, hygiene kits, and used clothing, the mayor added.

In Lope de Vega, more than 14,700 people were affected by the flood.

At least five people died while two others were missing due to flood, said the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

The officials said that 389 houses were totally destroyed while 729 were partially damaged in the town.

Local officials thanked Tingog party

list, Leyte First District Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez and her husband, former Leyte congressman and LakasCMD party president Atty. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for their humanitarian response.

Tingog’s current leadership is composed of former Mayor Mark Gimenez as party chairperson, former Kabataan Barangay stalwart Glenn Capucion as party president and Rachel RodelesSantiago, as party secretary-general.

Aside from Rep. Romualdez and Acidre, the other nominees of Tingog are Jaime Go, an entrepreneur and community volunteer from Javier, Leyte, as third nominee; Alexis V. Yu, a pharmacist and community leader from Basey, Samar, as fourth nominee; and Jennifer C. Padual, a community leader and human resource management professional from Guiuan, Eastern Samar, as fifth nominee.

QC lauded as PH’s best anti-drug body

By Rio N. Araja

THE Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council (QCADAAC) has been hailed as the most effective anti-drug abuse advisory group in the country by the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Cited for having a “high functionality rate” on its anti-drug abuse program, the city government earned its latest national prize during the 1st National Anti-Drug Abuse Council Performance Awards.

The city led 240 other awardees in the DILG’s first list of local government units that have “best practices and programs in the anti-illegal drug campaign.”

Mayor Herbert Bautista welcomed the recognition.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año commended the Quezon City government and other local governments for their support and effort in their drive against illegal drugs.

“The war on drugs is fought in the LGU level and we are satisfied with the phase of LGUs in the drug war,” he said.

EARLY TAXPAYERS.

Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi recognizes the Top 10 Early Taxpayers in the opening of 2019 Business Permits Renewal and Thanksgiving Banquet on Jan. 3 at Muntinlupa Sports Complex, Brgy. Tunasan.

The business renewal event will run until Jan. 20. Joining Fresnedi in the program were Rep. Ruffy Biazon, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and IndustryMuntinlupa president Elvie Sanchez-Quiazon, City Administrator Engr.

Allan Cachuela, and Local Economic and Investment Promotion Officer Gary Llamas.

Sacred Heart Seminary’s Syzygos-Amadeus Batch 1999 holds a reunion through a gift-giving activity at the Pope Francis Complex Center for the Poor and the Elderly in Palo, Leyte.

MAMBAJAO, CAMIGUIN—Police investigators in Catarman town, Camiguin province cite jealousy as the primary motive when a former overseas Filipino worker shot his wife before committing suicide outside the San Roque Parish in Barangay Poblacion, Catarman town, on Sunday morning.

Catarman police identified the victim as Ivy Linao, 35, a municipal employee in Catarman.

She was shot to death by Celmar Linao, 37, her estranged husband.

Police Officer 2 Ritchie Babia said the couple separated a few months ago after Linao allegedly discovered that her husband is into another relationship.

Based on investigation, the husband pointed a .45-caliber pistol at his wife while the holy mass was ongoing beside the altar.

Witnesses said Celmar tried to shoot the victim inside the church but the firearm failed to discharge.

They added that the wife ran towards the side entrance of the church to flee but her movement was hampered as she was tagging along one of her kids.

The couple had seven children.

Police said Ivy was hit by a lone bullet that went through her left arm as she tried to shield her face but it penetrated her skull causing her death.

After shooting her wife, Celmar then pointed the gun at his head and fired a single shot.

SPO1 Rosemarie Bana, Catarman police Women and Children’s Protection Desk officer, said the wife went to her office sometime last December to ask for advice on their marital situation.

Bana said the husband allegedly threatened the wife after he felt jealous but she did not file any complaint at the police station, instead she was advised to file a legal action before the Lupong Tagapamayapa.

Fr. Rolly Aniscal, a visiting priest who officiated the mass when the shooting happened, said he saw the husband pointing the gun at the wife beside the altar. PNA

Ex-seminarians bring joy to elderly via gift-giving reunion at Palo center TACLOBAN CITY—A group of former seminarians has initiated a reunion through a gift-giving activity at the Pope Francis Complex Center for the Poor and the Elderly in Palo, Leyte.

Florencio Diloy Jr, president of the Sacred Heart Seminary’s Syzygos-Amadeus Batch 1999, said the activity is their one way of sharing their blessings.

Joining the event were Ryan Rey Lim Pasagui, board chairman; Patrick Enage, vice president; Fr. Paulino Cabahit, treasurer; and class members Jude Acidre, Art Nuevo, Rafael Soro, Jayvee Paul Tuazon, and Gerald Stephen Tuazon.

Cabahit celebrated the mass together

with classmate Fr. Ivo Velasquez and Fr. Philip Park, the director of the Center.

In his homily, Cabahit thanked Park and the Kottongnae community of religious brothers and sisters “for the generous service of giving their time and skills at the service of the less fortunate of the archdiocese.”

Cabahit said that while their group can only do it once a year, the people behind the Pope Francis Center do it every day out of love.

After fellowship lunch with the former seminarians, the abandoned elderlies and orphans received a free haircut, pedicure, and manicure, courtesy

of Cristina Learn and Earn Program (CLEP) of Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez.

Other generous donors also contributed to the success of the event by providing diapers, slippers and hygiene kits.

“In sharing our blessings, we are even more blessed by the time spent with the residents of the center,” said Acidre of his experience during their recent giftgiving program.

According to Acidre, “Syzygos” is a Greek word which means yokemate, emphasizing how as a class they are able to “’carry one another’s burden’ in imitation of Jesus our brother and Lord.”

“Amadeus is a compound of two Latin words, ‘Amare’ which means to love and ‘Deus’ which means God. To love God is what inspired this class of ‘yokemates’ to carry out this project and make this yearly class gathering a lot more meaningful,” added Acidre, who is now the second nominee of Tingog Sinirangan party list.

The gift-giving event was also supported by Tingog, Leyte First District Representative Yedda Romualdez and her husband-former Leyte First District representative now LAKAS-CMD President Ferdinand Martin “FM” Romualdez. Ronald O. Reyes

Rice cakes shine in ‘Linapet’ festival BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Villagers in barangay La Torre North here recently conducted a food festival showcasing the favorite native delicacy in the community.

Wilma Baliton, Director – General of the 4th ‘Linapet’ (Glutinous Rice Cake) Festival said more than 500 rice cakes were produced sometime in December last year for sharing among the villagers.

“This festival is part of culture among the villagers in our barangay which is mostly composed of Ilocanos and other tribes. By sharing the food, we strengthen our unity and camaraderie as Filipinos,” she said.

Baliton added that last year’s ‘Lina-

pet’ Festival featured the food delicacy inside open native huts where visitors and villagers can eat for free.

The festival, she further said also offered fun and excitement with the conduct of parlor games and ‘Linapet’ eating contests among children and adults.

Baliton also expressed optimism and gratitude for the strong support of the community and sponsors for helping them in reviving the forgotten cultural festival.

According to Baliton, the previous ‘Linapet’ Festivals also showcased the native rice cake as decorations on street sidewalks, a Christmas Tree and simply shared to the villagers. Ben Moses Ebreo

Life

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

FOOD

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019

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Miso Ramen

Executive chef Keita Kamimoto brings his extensive culinary experience to Kitsho as he whips up ramen and other dishes with his f&b team.

Starting the year right with a bowl of ramen I

N ASIAN culture, noodles in whatever form and however prepared are an integral part of any celebration as they imbibe good luck and long life.

Welcoming the New Year with noodles is a good way of beckoning good karma into one’s life.

Traditions aside, noodles are a great treat to enjoy any day of the year, any time of the day.

Kitsho Japanese Restaurant offers noodles in the form of six savory bowls of ramen. Not only do they chase the chill and blues out of cold weather but also satiate cravings with their delicious broth, tasty noodles, and meat morsels.

Concocted with different stock bases, each flavorful bowl offers a distinct epicurean ex-

“WE LOVE having pasta and ribs on romantic evenings,” shares Cheska Garcia Kramer, who loves surprising her husband with homemade dinners.

According to this mom of three, Conagra Brands has helped her discover what cooking is all about. “I wouldn’t call myself a whiz in the kitchen, but with brands like Hunt’s, preparing great-tasting meals is practically effortless,” she says.

Conagra Brands’ roster of quality products includes Hunt’s tomato products, Libby’s Vienna sausage and corned beef, PAM cooking spray, Peter Pan peanut butter, Act II popcorn, Snack Pack pudding and gels, Reddi Wip whipped cream and Blue Bonnet margarine.

“Conagra Brands carries many familiar and favorite products—some of which you probably already have in your pantry,” says Floribel Loreto-Lao, Conagra Brands Philippines country manager.

Kramer reveals she uses Hunt’s Pasta and BBQ sauce to make meals without breaking a sweat, so much so, “I can keep myself fresh and flawless for our date.”

She continues, “Hunt’s is my go-to for quick and easy solutions in the kitchen, because it lets me cook restaurant-style dishes like I’m a real chef!”

Kramer also loves serving Act II popcorn during movie nights at home. “It’s part of our family tradition to snack on Act II during movie time at home. It’s an instant, easy way to make your living room feel like a cinema,” she says. “My kids always light up when I prepare Act

perience. Those who prefer a more soup-based ramen could opt for the Miso Ramen bowl with its lingering green onion aftertaste. Others who prefer some zing should opt for either the Tantanmen or Negi varieties.

Diners who want their noodle dishes with some meat slices could go for the filling goodness of Tonkotsu or Shoyu bowls. The tender meat morsels make every bowl a complete meal in itself.

Executive chef Keita Kamimoto, whose extensive culinary experience has brought him to many places across the world, brings this experience as he whips up the tastiest ramen bowls in Kitsho’s kitchen.

Kitsho Japanese Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily from 11:30 in the morning ‘till 11:00 in the evening. In the coming months, Kitsho will start serving breakfast with unlimited cups of coffee.

Kitsho is managed and operated by MCK Millennium Food, Inc. and is located on the ground level of Hotel Jen Manila, right across the sprawling CCP Complex along Roxas Boulevard. Call (02) 994-3623 for inquiries and reservations.

Spicy Shoyu Ramen

Tantanmen Ramen

Tonkotsu Ramen

Celebrity moms share their go-to dishes Celebrity moms Danica Sotto-Pingris, Xandra Rocha-Araneta, Chesca Garcia-Kramer, Kelly Misa, and Bianca Santiago-Reinoso with Conagra Brands officials sales manager Melanie Ocnilla, business development manager Patti De Guzman, country manager Flo Loreto-Lao, and marketing manager Cathy Castro.

II, so it always makes me feel like supermom. I also love how light it is—I can mindlessly munch without any guilt, enjoying a nice snack with my family.”

Danica Sotto Pingris, actress, host, and rising YouTube chef, finds that Conagra products are a worthy addition

to her kitchen arsenal. As a mother of two school-age children, she is familiar with the task for preparing baon for them every day.

“Since my kids love Libby’s Vienna Sausages, I cook it for their baon all the time. Libby’s Corned Beef makes a

great and tasty breakfast too, it’s such a staple in our household.”

She also finds herself reaching for convenient and delicious Snack Packs to make lunchboxes both fun and healthy.

“I love how Snack Pack gives me a way to feed my kids fruits. Since you can

Conagra Brands roster of products includes Blue Bonnet margarine, Reddi Wip whipped cream, Libby’s Corned Beef, Hunt’s Original BBQ sauce, and Snack Pack Chocolate Pudding.

easily mix in fresh fruits to give the pudding some extra flavor, it’s a perfect baon treat that will give kids the nutrition they need!” enthuses Pingris When it comes to preparing snacks and desserts for the family, Peter Pan peanut butter is another one of her favorites. “I love how versatile it is,” she gushes. “It’s always a hit when I spread it on pancakes, make it a dip for my homemade granola bars, or simply put it on bananas.”

As a model, food enthusiast, and host, Xandra Rocha Araneta’s busy schedule and energetic family keep her on her toes, too, which is why she enjoys leisurely weekend brunch at home.

“My go-to meal is always Libby’s Corned Beef,” she says. “I add in tons of onions and tomatoes. My husband likes it a little crunchy, so I let the corned beef crisp up in the pan before serving.

We enjoy it with fluffy scrambled eggs and garlic fried rice.”

When she’s baking, Araneta loves how convenient it is to have products like PAM Cooking Spray handy. “Just a couple sprays of PAM on the pan, and my baking sessions are hassle-free!” she says.

“I’ve found that using Blue Bonnet margarine makes for a great alternative to butter that’s still delicious!” she adds.

“To complete my baked goodies, I also like to top it all off with a generous dollop of low-calorie Reddi Wip. Who says that delicious desserts can’t be guilt-free?”

Conagra Brands’ products are available at supermarkets nationwide.

Life

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MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

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FamilyMart opens 2 stores in Pampanga

APANESE convenience store FamilyMart continues its expansion in the country with the opening of its two outlets in Pampanga.

FamilyMart brings its bestselling products such as Famichicky, Designer Dawgs, and filling rice meals to Starshop Baliti in San Fernando and North Mall in Dau. The Pampanga branches also carry daily essentials, from quick bites to toiletries. In addition, they also boast the latest store design. These Generation 2 stores sport a streamlined look and updated staff uniforms.

In the Philippines, FamilyMart has branches in Makati, Fort Bonifacio, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Pasay, Alabang, Laguna, and Pampanga. Go to www.familymart.com.ph for more information.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of FamilyMart store at North Mall in Dau, Pampanga.

Starshop Corporation officials join franchisee Jennifer Galang-Lao (rightmost) in opening FamilyMart at Starshop Baliti in San Fernando, Pampanga.

The Japanese convenience store brings its bestselling food products to its North Mall branch. A FamilyMart customer brings home a free loot bag.

Bakery supplier celebrates 30 years CELEBRATING its 30 years of commitment to innovation in the country’s baking industry, Puratos Philippines recently held a celebratory event at SMX Convention Center, SM Aura Premier.

Present in the event were Bernard Poplimont, Puratos Southeast Asia regional director; Joe Sowers, regional vice president—Philippines for US Wheat Associates; Bien Enrico Ah, president of Liberty Food Corporation; Chito Medina-Cue Jr., general manager of Puratos Philippines; Jigger Avanceña, general manager of Trifoods; and Chi Bacobo, Office of Taguig City Mayor representative.

The event featured new products such as a mobile innovation center called Move N’ Bake, Puratos My Bakery Mobile App, Tegral Soft’r Bread (a 100 percent bread premix for easy preparation of premium soft breads), Vivafil (ready to use fruit filling), and Chocolanté (a real chocolate made of the highest quality beans and sustainable cacao beans in the country).

There was also the Marketplace composed of booths which featured different baked goods produced using Puratos’ innovative ingredients. Creative breads, cakes, and chocolates were on display as a source of inspiration for bakers.

“For the past 30 years, we work closely with Filipino bakers to grow their business.

I think what we are the proudest of is that we work with all kind of bakeries from the smallest panaderia to quick service restaurants and chain bakeries. We don’t discriminate,” said Poplimont.

Puratos also started the Cacao Trace Program, a sustainable program that builds upon the Filipino farmers’ local knowledge and expertise by helping them increase the value of their cocoa.

“We noticed all over the place that farmers have a hard The winning chocolate centerpiece of Ma. Deca Erestain of Marriott Hotel.

Tokyo Tokyo’s Nori Tempura

Classic tempura with a twist

Chef Benny Vervaeck, international technical advisor for bakery of Puratos Belgium, presents effective and efficient ways of baking.

JAPANESE fast food chain Tokyo Tokyo offers a new prawn tempura dish featuring the distinct flavor of nori (seaweed).

The new Nori Tempura is a refreshing and savory twist on the wellloved and iconic Classic Tempura.

Tokyo Tokyo’s bestselling prawns are cooked to perfection in nori-fla-

vored tempura batter and sprinkled with nori seasoning.

This new tempura dish is available in Bento Meal, which comes with vegetable misono, unlimited rice (for dine-in only), and tempura sauce.

Nori Tempura is now available at Tokyo Tokyo branches nationwide.

SIP

From left: Joe Sowers, regional vice president US Wheat Associates; Jigger Avanceña, general manager of Trifoods; Bernard Poplimont, Puratos Southeast Asia regional director; Chi Bocobo, Office of Taguig City Mayor representative; André Vanmiddelem of Algist Bruggeman; Bien Enrico Ah of Liberty Food Mart; and. Chito Medina-Cue, Jr., general manager of Puratos Philippines led the ribbon-cutting ceremony signalling the start of Puratos 30th anniversary event.

time and if we want them to grow bigger, to earn more revenue, we need to help them. We have now Chocolanté couverture chocolate under Cacao Trace and very soon Belcolade, which is real Belgian chocolate, will have a single origin from the Philippines and will be launched next year,” added Poplimont.

As a fitting culmination to an already exciting day, a Chocolate Night was held for

customers from the food service and industry sectors.

Guest chocolatier Chef Adang Hendra of Puratos Indonesia presented a triad of desserts using Chocolante Philippines couverture chocolate with 62 percent cacao mass.

As part of the program, six participating chefs from different hotels in Metro Manila were acknowledged for their outstanding entries to the 2nd Carat Chocolate Showpiece Competition.

Ma. Deca Erestain of Marriott Hotel was named Grand Champion while Yaunnie Casiano of Shangri-La The Fort was awarded 1st runner-up. Both received cash prizes from Puratos and gift packs from Sweetlink. In addition, the Grand Champion also received a Kenwood Chef XL mixer from Colombo Merchant Philippines.

Sparkling Cranberry Punch

Berry-licious mocktail LOOKING for a refreshing yet healthy drink to serve at your next party?

Old Orchard shares its three-ingredient mocktail recipe, the Sparkling Cranberry Punch Mocktail. It has the right balance of sweet and tart—a wholesome drink that goes well with a variety of dishes.

This concoction also packs a healthy punch. Several studies mention that cranberry juice helps reduce the risk of UTIs as the prop-

erties present in cranberry help prevent bacteria in the urinary tract. It is also rich in vitamin C and dietary fiber that are known to prevent cancer and heart diseases.

Here’s how to create Old Orchard Sparkling Cranberry Punch Mocktail: 1. Combine two cups of Old Orchard Cranberry Juice with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice 2. Stir in one cup of sparkling water.

3. Chill and serve.

Entertainment Broadway hits Iran with unique take on ‘Les Miserables’ IRANIAN theater director Hossein Parsaee calls Victor Hugo’s classic a “masterpiece without borders” but his groundbreaking production of Les Miserables that has hit the stage in Tehran has a few unique twists.

For a start, none of the actresses are allowed to reveal their own hair, and in case their wigs look too natural, the poster advertising the show carries a bright red notice underscoring that their locks are fake.

Nor do the actors and actresses touch hands, or have any other physical contact throughout the musical.

This is, after all, the capital of the Islamic republic, even if the blockbuster show in the luxurious Espinas Hotel feels a world away from the usual stereotypes about Iran.

The concessions to the government’s view of Islamic rules are often subtle.

There is, for instance, always at least one other voice accompanying an actress when she sings—since female solos are taboo— although spotting the second voice can be tricky.

All the other staples of a big-budget musical are here: a live orchestra, billowing dry ice and dazzling light displays.

With a cast, crew and orchestra of over 450, the production has played to sold-out 2,500-strong crowds for six nights a week since it debuted in November.

It was a mainly young, well-heeled crowd when AFP visited recently, and they could barely control their excitement at a rare chance to attend a musical in their home city.

“It was so much more than I expected,” gushed Maryam Taheri, a 45-year-old housewife, after the show.

“The acting, the music, the lighting—it was all perfect.”

Foreign-made TV, film and cartoon versions of Les Miserables—a French

19th-century epic on sociopolitical tumult, crime and punishment—have been frequently shown in Iran, where the book has also been translated.

The classic work even has the stamp of approval from supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has described Victor Hugo’s book as “a miracle among novels... a book of kindness, affection and love.”

The new production is being hailed as the most spectacular play yet staged in Iran, and arrives at a topical moment with the ongoing “yellow vest” protests in France.

“After 200 years you see it happening again in France,” contends businessman Mehdi Hooshyar.

“This is good, it shows whenever their society stagnates, something like this happens to move it forward,” he said.

“The revolution is still alive.”

No Miserables allowed in The lavishness of the production has brought its share of criticism, however.

The play has come at a volatile moment in Iran, when anger at economic inequality and corruption dominates political debate.

Tickets, priced between 500,000 and 1.85 million rials (roughly $5 to $20, 4.4 euros to 17.5 euros), are beyond the means of most Iranians.

“No Miserables allowed in,” said a conservative daily, Javan.

Director Parsaee said connecting with Tehran’s elite was part of the point.

“This story is relevant to all times, and all places, and that includes today’s Tehran. It’s about the class divide, the social breakdown and the poverty that exists today,” he told AFP. “It’s a reminder to the audience that other classes exist and we need to see them and know about them. It’s a serious warning.”

AFP

INTERNATIONAL

A scene from the musical production ‘Les Miserables,‘ performed by Iranian artists at the Espinas Hotel in the capital Tehran

Simply...

From C4

MMFF’s Aurora continues to haunt audience If there’s one movie that continues to draw audiences to cinemas, it’s Viva Films and ALIUD Entertainment’s Aurora.

The audience is curious why those who had seen it during its run during the festival last year had been talking how scary the story is.

Actually, the film is about a ship called “Aurora” that collides with a rock causing it to sink.

Thousands of its passengers drown to death and many of the dead bodies turn up along the shore of the tiny island near the shipwreck, but many are still missing, and their distressed families are in need of a place to stay in as the search continues. This is the situation the Anne Curtis’ character finds herself in. She (Leana) is the owner of a

rundown inn on the island and with an eight-year-old sister (Rita), played by Phoebe Villamor. She is asked to help look for the cadavers in exchange for a large amount of money. Though at the beginning Leana is hesitant,sher fear is overcome by her sympathy for the families and her sister’s encouragement.

Helping her in the search are her ex-boyfriend Ricky, played by Marco Gumabao, and a boatman named Eddie, played by Alan Paule.

This mystery thriller is directed by Yam Laranas, who also did Sigaw (2004) that was turned into a Hollywood film entitled The Echo (2008), The Road, and Abomination. He also wrote the screenplay ofAurora” with Gin de Mesa (All Souls’ Night) *** Life’s Big Events Expo opens Themes & Motifs, the Philippines premier wedding fair and special occasions’ expo organizer, opens its 2019 season with a brand new event to celebrate life’s biggest moments.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Monday, January 7, 2019

ACROSS 1 Bridge support 5 Disguise 10 Guru’s practice 14 Earring site 15 Falcon’s home 16 Gem 17 Bit of the universe 18 “The Treasure of the Sierra —” 19 Showroom model 20 Pretty songbird 22 Round objects 24 Hair curlers 26 Tossed greens 27 Debutantes 30 Fluff, as hair 32 Get up 33 Rangy 34 Gridiron play 38 “Garfield” guy 39 Even smaller 42 — you sure?

43 Tries to find out 45 Coat with gold 46 Seat formally 48 Not wordy 50 Teem 51 Very conservative 54 Mideast nation 56 Pirate’s sword 58 Swap-meet deals 62 Have status

63 Bound by oath 65 Nero’s outfit 66 Hawaiian guitars, for short 67 Soothed 68 Seaweed derivative 69 A Bobbsey twin 70 Potatoes 71 Ginger ale DOWN 1 Survey chart 2 Tad 3 Poet’s black 4 Sends again 5 Antique brooches 6 Ascertain 7 Law (abbr.)

8 Makes public 9 Memento 10 Called from the Tyrol 11 Met production 12 Played poker 13 At — — for words 21 Welcome 23 Bought 25 Dr. Livingstone’s finder 27 Lower California 28 Psyche’s beloved 29 Webpage fea-

ture 31 Phillips University town 33 Flower wreaths 35 Island near Kauai 36 Small bird 37 Uncool one 40 Ways out 41 Bumpkins 44 Least fresh 47 Musical compositions 49 Big Band — 50 Improves upon

51 Scour 52 Shudder 53 Say 55 Made a wrong move 57 Barter 59 Company emblem 60 Mild rejoinder 61 — Gilbert from “The Talk” 64 Big Ten sch.

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019

C3

nickie.standard@gmail.com

From Syanel to Chanel

By Robbie Pangilinan

I

T STARTED as a inspiration and ended up as a song.

“The similarity with me and Marija is how we started, our background.

We were joking that if we wanted to buy branded things, kaya na namin, dahil sa hardwork we can afford these products, and not as gifts from a man, with our hard earned money,” says Brazilian actress, TV host, performer, endorser Daiana Menezes, who recorded the song titled “Syanel.”

Marija Debelic is a Croatian model and singer, TOP 12 Most Beautiful Women of Croatia 2014.

Composed by Georges Lim, “Syanel” is the story of women who empower each other and build each other up because they made it on their own without the help of anyone to back them up.

Daiana and Marija have been performing “Syanel” and other hits in music festivals and well-known clubs in the Philippines such as Futureland Music Fest in SM Mall of Asia, Cove, Okada, and other venues.

“In the very near future I plan to launch an album. For now, I got a new single, and we enjoy performing in gigs.Tuloy-tuloy na ito,” adds the the “Brazilipina,” who is also a graduate of the New York Film Academy.

Daiana has always loved singing. Her 10 years experience as a tv and events host, as well as being a mainstay at GMA’s SOP have taught her a lot of lessons in performing. Back then, Daiana even had a girl group and she

Aptly called Life’s Big Events Expo 2019 (LBEE2019), the two-day fiesta of wedding and party products and services is billed as the country’s biggest one-stopshop for once-in-a-lifetime celebrations.

Register for free admission and giveaways for brides, grooms, debutantes, graduates, anniversary celebrators, through www.themesnmotifs.com and enjoy the most comprehensive array of wedding and party ideas under one roof on Jan. 12 and 13at the SM MegaTrade Hall.

The Birthday & Party Zone highlights some of the Philippine’s finest party suppliers showcasing the trendiest ideas in debuts, gender reveal parties, proms, grad balls, and other once-in-a-lifetime events.

Moms and dads can accompany their kids to join the free kiddie party activities such as magic shows, face painting sessions, storytelling time, food carts, etc. to get inspiration for their next birthday celebrations.

Kiddie-party.com, the country’s fore-

With Croatian model and singer Marija Debelic (left)

recorded the theme song of All About Eve, a Korean drama aired in the Philippines starring Iza Calzado and Sunshine Dizon.

“I was trained to just get out there and sing my heart out. And of course I took lessons and I’ve been doing it for the past 11 years. I enjoy performing. I’m not a birit queen, I have a naturally husky Bossa Nova chill voice, and I like pop songs and feel-good music. No pressure, just fun,” adds Daiana, the self-confessed “Karaoke” master.

Daiana’s music idols include American rapper, songwriter and television personality Cardi B, Brazilian singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman Anitta, and American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and dancer Bruno Mars.

Daiana, who is also an international endorser, painter, pianist, performer, and designer, wants to make more music and produce her own shows this coming 2019. With her hard work and talent, she can definitely afford Chanel and a whole lot more.

Brazilian singer and actress Daiana Menezes

most supplier of dream birthday party packages is an event partner and chief party designer of LBEE2019.

On the other hand, debutantes, grad ball attendees, and prom goers can consult with couturiers, make up artists, stylists, etc. for the newest and trendiest party scene ideas.

The Concept Room Studio, a pioneering all occasion glamour photo styling studio, will give visitors a chance to have their very own portraiture sample at the event.

The Wedding & Anniversary Zone features the local wedding industry’s crème de la crème of wedding professionals, certified legitimate supplier aside from being acknowledged as some of the most creative in their respective fields.

As the only wedding fair organizer that puts a premium on selecting only wedding suppliers with legitimate businesses, Themes & Motifs combines both talented newbies and well-loved veteran professionals.

Led by major sponsors Goldenhills Jewelry, Henry Pascual Event Styling, Hizon’s Catering, and Nice Print Photography, brides, grooms, and anniversary celebrants can expect an extra boost in their wedding and celebrations planning through fine ideas and great discounts that will be offered by the best of the best in the local wedding industry.

Wedding Caterers, Photographers, Bride & Groom’s Wear, Cakes, Florists & Event Stylists, Wedding & Engagement Ring Manufacturers, hair and make-up artists, and other wedding related products and services professionals will compete with each other in offering nothing but the best deals and offers to LBEE2019 visitors.

For more details, visit www.themesnmotifs.com or call (632) 413.7892 or 0917.52207078. ** * More stories of these kinds at www. isah.red. Follow me on Facebook (@ isahvr), Twitter (@isahvred) and Instagram (@isahvred). ΙŘ

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2019

Filmfest winners behind Baby F. Go’s new film, ‘Burak’ THIS year sees BG Produtions International of Baby F. Go, indiefilmmeister, pushing to increase its film portfolio with the rolling out of several projects, one of which is titled Burak.

At the height of the Metro Manila Film Festival last year, Go called for a story/press conference of the new project that will banner her company’s film production for the first quarter of the year.

At Salu, the restaurant in Quezon City that serves updated Filipino dishes, Go gathered the stars, writer, and director that will shape the film that her company plans to release via international film festivals within the year. She said, “We will also see if we could screen the film in the country.”

Joel Lamangan, MMFF Best Director for Rainbow’s Sunset, and Eric Ramos who also won a trophy for Best Screenplay for the same film are again teaming up for Burak.

Burak is the Filipino word for mire, which is found in most parts of Manila where informal settlers have established their colonies.

The film, Ramos explained, is situated in a little island off Manila Bay called Sitio Onse. It is a haven and sanctuary for various criminals of all shapes, sizes and ages. They all answer to a corrupt and ruthless cop named Julius (Jay Manalo), whose only soft spot is his kindness and generosity towards his 11-year-old son by his former lover Marya (Cherry Pie Picache).

Still considered the First Lady of Sitio Onse despite being estranged from Julius, Marya is a petty thief and con artist ISAH V. RED whose family includes her father figure and partner in crime Lolo Gemo (Tony Mabesa). Their latest con (in the story) is the birth of a supposedly miraculous Baby Nazarene. The tale captivates this island village of seasoned swindlers, if only for a spell.

The murder of a mysterious former resident reminds Marya that Julius is rotten to the core. A chance encounter in Luneta with a missing 12-year-old girl with Down Syndrome triggers a series of events that rouses her maternal instincts and awakens her common decencyputting her on a collision course with the criminal mastermind behind Sitio Onse.

Lamangan said he has been nurturing the idea since many years ago and he is very grateful that Baby Go has taken interest in putting the idea with Ramos’s script to film.

Cherry Pie Picache and Jay Manalo said they are happy to work with Lamangan again whom they consider more than a filmmaker but a mentor in all aspects of film making. Picache said she couldn’t forget the first time she worked with the director because the experience made her start looking at movies at a different perspective.

Manalo, meanwhile, credited Lamangan for everything he knows now about acting. “He guided me to what I have become now. Thanks, direk,” he said. Continued on C3

"Burak" stars Jay Manalo and Cherry Pie Picache

Jose Manalo (fourth from right) with Tony Reyes (third from right) with the cast of the comedy-drama, "Boy Tokwa"

VERY WANG NICKIE WANG

By Nickie Wang

C

OMEDIAN and Eat Bulaga dabarkads Jose Manalo is starring in his first leading role in the Tony Reyesdirected comedy-drama Boy Tokwa: Lodi ng Gapo, which is inspired by the life of the late Olangapobased Chinese con artist.

The film, which is based on the accounts of Rodrigo Morelos’ (a.k.a.

Boy Tokwa) friends, the movie sees Boy’s grandson, Andy Morelos Woods, head back to the Philippines to search the truth about his grandfather.

Andy soon learns that his grandfather’s greatest dream is to go to USA. Boy’s dream led him to Olongapo where his wit, ability and skills in card games became his tools for survival in the town. Boy becomes a con artist that only targets foreigners and is wellloved by the community because of his loving nature, generosity and loyalty to friends.

During his stay in Olongapo, Boy met and courted Naval officer Anne McArthur, granddaughter of Gen. Douglas McArthur but was turned down. His journey eventually led him to meet Patricia Woods who is also a Naval officer whom he married and was blessed with a child. But Boy soon finds himself in the midst of conflict

‘BOY TOKWA’ is local cinema’s opening salvo within the community he considers his family.

“Boy Tokwa has a very interesting story, when Tito Sen heard about it, he was really laughing hard and instantly he wanted to turn his story into a film and offered me the leading role. I immediately said yes because I thought he was just kidding, but it turned out that he was very serious about producing it.

I even called him again on the phone just to ask if he was really serious about producing the film and having me as the lead star,” Jose Manalo said in vernacular.

In the same interview, the comedian shared that the film is not just about comedy. In fact, there are few scenes that showcase his dramatic side.

“It’s a different brand of comedy.

Apart from the old-school comedy, which wouldn’t work well if not properly executed, the film is also a drama story. The latter part of the film will have a few emotional scenes,” the 52-year-old comedian shared.

“Boy Tokwa will die in the movie.

And how he died was really dramatic.

That’s what people should look forward to. I do not do drama on a normal day but his story is something that everybody will easily relate to,” he

added.

Talking more about his character, Jose described Boy Tokwa as someone who acts like Chiquito, the late comedian who became popular after a string of comedy films back in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

“The real Boy Tokwa acts like Chiquito, so it wasn’t hard for me to portray the character since I have a person to base it from,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tony Reyes had nothing but good words for the seasoned comedian. He said that he already knows what kind of actor Jose is after working with him a few times.

“I have already worked with him in the past. I know how he feels when he’s thinking if he can do this or not. But seeing the people who have seen the screening, they were crying at the end of the film. I think that already speaks about how good Jose is in essaying such character,” the director asserted.

Apart from Jose Manalo, Boy Tokwa also stars Joey Marquez, Karel Marquez, Allan Paule, Buboy Villar and Gian Sotto.

Distributed by Axinite Digicinema.

Boy Tokwa, which unspools tomorrow, Jan. 8, is the first feature film offering of the Vicente “Tito” Sotto-owned outfit VST Productions.

Stars with eye-catching smiles THE galaxy of big celebrity endorsers that comprise the growing Gan Advanced Osseointegration Center (GAOC) family graced the opening of the latest, state-ofthe-art clinic of GAOC at the Ayala Malls Vertis North.

As everyone flashed their beautiful smiles with ardent fans jostling for photographs, the event showed how Dr. Steve Mark Gan is very much loved and appreciated by his celebrity clients.

What’s more, with the inauguration of his newest clinic, Dr. Gan made known that he’s the undisputed leader in oral health and dentistry in the country, harnessing GAOC’s superior brand of dentistry, utilizing advanced digital dental technology, in serving people from the North, the Camanava area, and Pampanga.

As with every GAOC clinic, patients visiting the Ayala Malls Vertis North branch can expect nothing less than superb yet caring dental services from GAOC’s family of highly skilled and experienced dental practitioners, all of whom undergo continuous training abroad.

The celebrities included Jennylyn

Mercado, Carla Abellana, Katrina Halili, Maymay Entrata, Edward Barber, Empoy Marquez, Matteo Guidicelli, Albert Martinez, Billy who came with Coleen Garcia Crawford, LJ Reyes, Patrick Garcia and Nikka Martinez, Sharlene San Pedro, Gabby Eigenmann, Allan K, Ruby Rodriguez and daughter Toni Aquino, Amy Perez, Vina Morales, Aaron Villaflor and Heaven Peralejo.

“The year 2018 is truly an exceptional year for GAOC,” says Dr. Gan, GAOC President and Chief Executive Officer.

“Not only are we expanding across unserved areas, but we are growing our roster of satisfied clients and highly regarded endorsers.”

GAOC Ayala Malls Vertis North is at Level 3, Ayala Malls Vertis North, Mindanao Avenue, Quezon City, with tel. nos. 292-4262, 368-1838, 0917-1574262, e-mail vertis@gaocdental.com.

For more details and information, like and follow GAOC on Facebook, Instagram andTwitter, @gaocdental or visit www.gaocdental.com.

Maymay Entrata and Edward Barber grace the opening of the latest GAOC clinic at the Ayala Malls Vertis North.

Comedian and TV host Jose Manalo stars in his first solo movie, the first feature film offering of the Vicente “Tito” Sotto-owned outfit VST Productions.