Manila Standard - 2019 January 24 - Thursday

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‘Criminal age’ set at 12, not 9 House OKs bill on 2nd reading

By Maricel V. Cruz

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HE House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on second reading a bill lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12.

VOL. XXXII • NO. 343 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Oriental Mindoro Rep. Doy Leachon, chairman of the House committee on justice, said House leaders came up with a consensus to approve the substitute bill lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 12 instead of 9 as contained in the committee-approved version of the bill.

“The consensus is to set the age of criminal responsibility to 12,” Leachon said, acknowledging at a news conference that most of his colleagues felt that 9 “was too young.”

The approved House Bill 8858, which aims to amend the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, provides a maximum six months imprisonment as penalty against parents of the children in conflict with the law who refuse to undergo the mandatory intervention program.

Children in conflict with law will not be detained, but placed in Bahay PagAsa, where they will undergo a “reformation” program supervised by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

“First, we are not putting these children

Cotabato makes history:

Yes to BOL

FIGHTING FISTS. Supporters of the Bangsamoro Organic Law raise their fists while shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’ (God is Great) as election officials announce Wednesday (top) positive results on the BOL plebiscite the other day that will give former Muslim rebels full control of autonomy in their new Bangsamoro homeland. A teacher, meanwhile (below), snoozes while guarding a ballot box used in the Shariff Kabunsuan poll. Mark Navales

By Nat Mariano and Nash Maulana GROUPS that oppose the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law must yield to the decision of the majority, the Palace said Wednesday as the “yes” votes prevailed in Cotabato City.

“Consistent with the position of the President for the ratification of the BOL, we are pleased that the ‘yes’ vote has prevailed in Cotabato City,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said, citing a complete but unofficial Commission on Elections tally.

At the library of the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Center in Cotabato City, the Plebiscite Board of Canvassers of Cotabato City terminated its canvass at 9:55

p.m., with a final tally of 36,682 “yes” votes and 24,994 “no votes” with a total 61,676 votes cast.

The total votes cast constitute a majority of 59.57 percent of the city’s voting population.

Panelo said the people have voted “yes” to join the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and called on those who opposed it to abide by the majority decision.

“All the major players, pro and con, must now come together and work together for the success of the common aspiration of the Bangsamoro people, which is to have a progressive and peaceful Mindanao,” he said.

The Palace official also addressed the

Next page

Poll violence: 3 killed, mayor hurt in Cebu

By Francisco Tuyay THREE people, including a candidate for vice mayor, were killed while a Cebu town mayor and her two security escorts were wounded when unidentified gunmen opened fire on their van in Barangay Linao in Talisay City at 6:10 p.m. Tuesday.

Killed in the attack were Ricardo Reluya Jr., husband of San Fernando town Mayor Lakambini Reluya; the driver of the vehicle, Allan Bayot, and staff member Ricky Monterona.

Mayor Reluya and two of her bodyguards were taken to the Talisay Dis-

trict Hospital where they were in stable condition, said Supt. Ma. Aurora Rayos, spokesperson of the Central Visayas Police.

Mayor Reluya is seeking reelection in May while her husband was running for vice mayor.

Reports said Reluya’s party was traveling to Barangay Banawa when the ambush occurred.

Interviewed at her hospital bed, Mayor Reluya said that attack could have been politically motivated.

Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde has created a special task group to investigate the killings.

He gave Cebu City police officials two weeks to solve the case and warned they would be relieved if they failed to do so.

He also ordered Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, regional director of Western Visayas, to provide 24-hour security to Mayor Reluya and her wounded staff.

“I am confident that in due time, we will achieve a breakthrough in our investigation under the same investigative framework that we applied in similar cases of violence against elective government officials,” Albayalde said.

The Palace condemned the attack, Next page

The color of incense

Next page

A Vietnamese woman collects incense sticks in a courtyard in the village of Quang Phu Cau. In Vietnam’s ‘incense’ village, dozens are hard at work dyeing, drying and whittling down bamboo bark to make fragrant sticks ahead of the lunar new year. AFP

GMA hands over P13-m reward to PNP

By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday led the turnover of P8 million to the Philippine National Police to complete the House of Representatives’ P13-million contribution to the bounty for the killers of Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe and his security aide.

Earlier, the House turned over P5

Top Oscar nominees: Roma, The Favourite LOS ANGELES—Cuaron’s “Roma,” an ode to his childhood in 1970s Mexico City, and offbeat royal romp “The Favourite” on Tuesday topped Next page

million generated from the salaries of lawmakers upon the initiative of Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez.

A total of P50 million in reward money was raised that included P20 million from President Rodrigo Duterte, P15 million from the Ako Bicol party-list group, and P2 million from the provincial government of Albay.

Batocabe, a mayoralty candidate in Next page

Sony’s latest tech pet: ‘Robo-pup’ TOKYO—Sony’s puppy-sized robot dog aibo, equipped with cameras, artificial intelligence and internet capability, can now remotely check up on family members, children or Next page

House scans budget for ‘inserts’

By Maricel V. Cruz THE House of Representatives will review the Senate version of the proposed 2019 national budget to determine if the senators made insertions to the money measure, Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. said Wednesday.

Andaya, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, said the House, led

by Speaker Gloria Macapagal-

Arroyo, would want to ensure transparency in the money measure and so must conduct a thorough review of it.

“There are differences in the Senate and the House versions.

We are preparing the matrix,” Andaya said.

“Before we can proceed we must start with the baseline.

This has been the standard procedure in any budget bicam.

They review our version, we Next page review theirs.”

News

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SC: No to Palawan share in Camago

By Rey E. Requejo

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HE Supreme Court has ruled that the province of Palawan is not entitled to share in the proceeds of the Camago-Malampaya natural gas project.

In a decision written by Associate Justice Noel Tijam, the high court granted the petition of the national government seeking to reverse and set aside the Dec. 16, 2005 decision of the Regional Trial Court of Palawan, Branch 95, in Civil Case 3779 declaring that Palawan “is entitled to the 40 percent share” of the government’s earnings derived from the Camago-Malampaya natural gas project since Oct. 16, 2001.

The high court also denied the petition for review filed by Bishop Arigo Pedro Dulay, which questioned the constitutionality of Executive Order 683 of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo authorizing the release of funds for development projects in Palawan pursuant to the Provisional Implementation Agreement between Palawan and the national government for being violative of the Constitution and the Local Government Code.

Palawan premised its claim on the ground that it had territorial jurisdiction over the Camago-Malampaya reservoir.

The Camago-Malampaya natural gas project is covered by Service Contract 38 between the national government and the contractor, which was subsequently composed of a consortium of Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. and Occidental Philippines Inc.

The tribunal held that there was no debate that the natural resource in the Camago-Malampaya reservoir belonged to the State, noting that Palawan’s claim was anchored not on ownership of the reservoir but on a revenue-sharing scheme that allows local government units to share in the proceeds of the use of national wealth provided they are found within their respective areas.

However, the high court found that the existing laws do not include the CamagoMalampaya reservoir within the area or territorial jurisdiction of the Province of Palawan.

“As defined in its organic law, the province of Palawan comprises merely of islands. The continental shelf, where the Camago-Malampaya reservoir is located, was clearly not included in its territory,” the high court said.

Poll protest: Game over ? Hold your horses—FMJr

‘Criminal age’...

From A1

By Rey E. Requejo and Rio N. Araja A LETTER from the Supreme Court to the parties in the election protest filed by former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. against Vice President Leni Robredo showed that, indeed, it ordered the suspension of the revision of votes until further notice, contrary to its press statement Tuesday that the recount would resume later this month.

Meanwhile, with the suspension of the manual vote recount at the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, the camp of Robredo on Wednesday said the election protest filed by Marcos was “dead.”

“Game is over for the Marcos’ recount,” Robredo’s lawyer Romulo Macalintal said.

He said Robredo’s lead over Marcos remained intact following the conclusion of the recount and the re-appreciation of the ballots from Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental.

Macalintal said they filed an eightpage supplemental manifestation with the PET to inform it that Marcos was not able to make a substantial recovery from the three pilot provinces for his protest to continue.

The Supreme Court’s letter, dated Jan. 22, 2019, informed both camps about the suspension of the recount proceedings starting Jan. 1.

“This is to confirm the announcement made by the PET Ad Hoc Committee yesterday [Jan. 21, 2019] regarding the suspension of the revision proceedings in the above-captioned electoral protest case,” the PET said.

“This is to give way for the Tribunal to prepare for the revision using the decrypted ballots and or election paraphernalia.

The revision proceedings will resume until further notice.”

George Garcia, Marcos’ legal counsel, confirmed the content of the PET letter.

“The letter says until further notice,” Garcia said, adding that their camp would appreciate receiving clarifications as to the date of the resumption and the reason cited.

“Hopefully, they would be able to explain it well,” he said.

However, when asked if Marcos would formally ask the PET for clarification on the matter by filing a plea, he said they would be leaving it the decision of the Tribunal.

“In the final analysis, it’s the PET’s absolute discretion,” Garcia said.

On Tuesday, both parties said they received information from their revisors that the PET had suspended the vote recount.

Revisors are the people in charge of recounting and assessing which ballots should be considered as valid votes for the candidates involved in the poll protest.

The PET started the vote recount in April last year.

House...

From A1

COOP-NATCCO party-list Rep. Anthony Bravo, a member of the House contingent in the bicam, said reporters could freely cover the next bicameral conference committee deliberations on Jan. 28, following the failure of senators and congressmen to agree on several provisions in the budget measure during their first meeting on Jan. 22.

Bravo said the House’s Senate counterparts, including Senator Loren Legarda, head of the finance committee, were open to the idea.

“There was no violent reaction whatsoever,” Bravo said, referring to Legarda and her colleagues.

Bravo also hinted that the bicam meeting might be open for a live media coverage.

“The proceeding will be on live streaming by Monday,” he said.

“I think so because there was no disagreement. I’m in a guessing statement because there was no exact statement. I don’t know if there will be changes.”

Senators and congressmen held their bicam deliberations at the Manila Polo Club last Monday. The Jan. 28 meeting will be held again at the same venue.

The Court also held that Presidential Decree 1596, which constituted Kalayaan as a separate municipality of the Province of Palawan, could not be the basis for holding that the Camago-Malampaya reservoir formed part of Palawan’s territory.

It declared that the delineation of territory in PD 1596 referred to Kalayaan alone and that the inclusion of the seabed, subsoil, and continental margin in Kalayaan’s territory could not by simple analogy be applied to Palawan.

Likewise, the tribunal also ruled that the definition of “Palawan” under Republic Act 7611 should not be taken as a statement of territorial limits for purposes of Section 7, Article X of the 1987 Constitution, but in the context of RA 7611 which is aimed at environmental monitoring, research and education.

VOX PO(PULI). President Rodrigo Roa Duterte mingles with Lucena City residents at the sidelines of the annual assembly of the Provincial Union of Leaders Against Illegality (PULI) at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City, province of Quezon on Jan. 22, 2019. Presidential Photo

Cotabato...

From A1

possible emergence of claims of irregularity over the plebiscite.

“As in all elections and plebiscites, there will be claims of irregularity, fraud, and intimidation,” he said.

“If they do not affect the credibility of the elections and alter the result thereof, while those responsible for the undemocratic methods will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, the result of the plebiscite must be upheld despite discordant voices,” Panelo added.

Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison said President Rodrigo Duterte has allowed “cheaters to produce glaring discrepancies.”

“A total of 39,027 people voted in Cotabato City but the total number of ‘votes cast’ is 61,676 in order to make the ‘yes’ votes win,” Sison said in a Facebook post.

He said the winner should be the 24,994 ‘no’ votes out of 39,027, but the alleged cheaters fabricated 21,622 to add to 15,020 ‘yes’ votes to produce the false winning figure of 36,682 ‘yes’ votes.

“This is Duterte-style electioneering which is applied in the BOL plebiscite and which is likely to be applied in the May 2019 elections if held,” he added.

Based on the Comelec final tally on Tuesday evening, a majority of Cotabato City’s voters opted to be included in the new political entity BARMM. According to the City Board of Canvassers, the “yes” had 36,682 votes (59 percent) favoring the inclusion of the city to the new political entity while

GMA...

From A1

Dagara town in Albay, and his police escort SPO1 Orlando Diaz were killed on Dec. 22 while they were leaving a gift-giving event in Barangay Burgos in Daraga.

The PNP has filed double murder and frustrated murder charges against Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo and his alleged cohorts in Albay.

Police on Wednesday said they found the .45 caliber pistol that jammed on the gunman, Henry Yuson, in a fishpond in the town of Ligao, Albay. When the weapon jammed, Yuson used his .40 caliber firearm to kill Batocabe and Diaz, police said, adding that another suspect, Christopher Naval, later threw the jammed pistol into a fishpond.

Aside from the murder and frustrated murder charges, Baldo is also facing charges for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Baldo was taken to the University of Santo Tomas Hospital in Legazpi City Wednesday for “hyperventilation” hours after his arrest and detention, police said.

Baldo has maintained his innocence and denies ordering Batocabe’s assassination.

“no” recorded 24,994 votes (41 percent).

The figures were based on unofficial results of canvassing at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex, the provisional seat of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Comelec-ARMM director Ray Sumalipao said the poll body will officially announce the plebiscite results in Manila in the coming days before the second plebiscite on Feb. 6.

Voters residing in Lanao del Norte, except in Iligan City and six North Cotabato municipalities, will vote on then on the BOL. Meanwhile, unofficial results showed residents of Sulu were not in favor of the BOL. Based on Sulu’s Certificate of Canvass signed by the Comelec Provincial Plebiscite Board of Canvassers, the “yes” votes totaled 137,630 as against 163,526 “no” votes.

Sulu is composed of 19 cities and municipalities and has 375,137 registered voters.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said the successful holding of a plebiscite marked another milestone on the road to peace.

Pimentel, president of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), noted that the plebiscite is one of the legal challenges that needs to be hurdled to activate the BOL. He said he was confident the second plebiscite on Feb. 6 would be even more successful and peaceful.

A survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations showed that nearly eight in 10 Muslims support the BOL. With Macon Ramos-Araneta

Poll...

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which comes less than three weeks before the official campaign period, and urged politicians to stop the electionrelated violence.

“We deplore the ambush on San Fernando, Cebu Mayor Lakambini Reluya and pray for her speedy recovery. During the election period, the political rivalry is fever pitch, resulting in the upsurge of election-related violence,” said Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo.

Panelo said the culture of violence “cannot continue.”

“We urge and warn the candidates to cease and desist employment of undemocratic and illegal methods to win for the law on accountability shall be applied to them with full force and effect,” he said.

The Palace official said the PNP has been tasked to provide security to areas considered as “hot spots” of election-related violence.

He added that the administration will not allow or tolerate any violence that puts others and the general public at risk.

“The President is committed to shepherding peaceful, honest and orderly elections,” he said.

With Nat Mariano

in jail, but in reformativeinstitutions to correct their ways and bring them back to the community. And second, they are not branded as criminals but children in conflict with law,” Leachon said.

Leachon said the maximum penalty for those exploiting the children to commit criminal offenses are the following: reclusion temporal (12 to 20 years) if the crime is punishable by less than six years, and life imprisonment, if the crime is punishable by more than six years.

He said the parents of the children who are in conflict with the law will be detained for a minimum 30 days and maximum of six months if they do not undergo an intervention program that might include parenting seminars and counseling supervised by local government units.

If children are convicted, Leachon said they will be detained at an agricultural camp under the supervision of the Bureau of Corrections and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Leachon said children convicted will not be detained or mixed with adult inmates.

The Palace on Wednesday slammed the critics for opposing legislation aimed at lowering the age of criminal responsibility.

“They simply have not read the provisions of the bill hence their opposition is based either on blissful ignorance or pretended misinformation,” Panelo said in a statement.

“They are either unaware or ignore the reality that criminals have become smart as to use the present law in exploiting the children to assist them in committing their crimes,” he added.

He said the Palace was confident that Congress would ensure that due consideration would be given to protecting the rights of children.

President Rodrigo has supported lowering the minimum age of criminal responsibility from the 15 that is specified in the current law.

Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo Lacson said the national government must step in to provide funding for facilities to rehabilitate child offenders, since many local government units or LGUs are unable to do so.

While the present Juvenile Justice Act (R.A. 10630) provides for funding for the “Bahay Pag-asa” facilities, many LGUs lack the resources to operate them, Lacson said.

“There are provinces that may not be able to build, much less maintain, such facilities. Funding for this is no joke. It may run to tens if not hundreds of millions of pesos,” he said. “It should be the national government that provides the budget for this, instead of the LGU.” Lacson said such funding could be taken up in the bicameral conference committee working on the passage of the P3.7 trillion national budget for 2019.

With Macon Ramos-Araneta

Sony’s...

From A1

even pets, the Japanese electronics giant said Wednesday.

The 30-centimeter (one-foot) robopup with flapping ears and cutting-edge LED eyes will roam around the home at pre-designated times looking for family members.

However, the latest canine tech does not come cheap, with a single dog costing nearly $3,000 for a three-year package, including software services such as data storage.

The owner will receive progress reports via smartphone in the service offered from next month in conjunction with home security company Secom.

“You will be able to check how remote family members are doing or what children are doing when they get home,” project chief Izumi Kawanishi told reporters at the Sony headquarters in Tokyo.

“We aim to make you feel a bit more secure by living with aibo and having fun,” added Kawanishi.

The gadget will also be able to watch over real pets in the future thanks to image recognition and learning capabilities, he said.

The latest aibo model, which can also display “emotions,” was released in January last year and sales hit 20,000 in the first six months, according to Sony.

In the era of the Internet of Things and facing a rapidly ageing population, Japan has mobilized rice cookers, electric pots and other household devices to keep watch on elderly people living alone.

They transmit data to families living far away on how often they have been used. If they have not been used for a while, this could be an ominous sign. AFP

High court seeks detailed report on Mindanao ML THE Supreme Court has ordered the government to submit the detailed report of the Department of National Defense regarding the implementation of martial law in Mindanao, which involves confidential matters.

The high court gave its order even as teachers, students and supporters of the indigenous group Lumad on Wednesday asked it to reject the implementation of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Proclamation 216 extending martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao until the end of 2019.

The petitioners through the Free legal Assistance Group led by human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno, also asked the high court to direct the police and the military to cease and desist from continuing with their alleged militarization of the areas where lumad schools are located, the forcible closure of lumad schools and the harassment of teachers and students.

They argued that the extension of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus had resulted in the continuing harassment of Lumad schools.

In a notice dated Jan. 22, the high court said the government’s submission must be made in 15 sealed copies and in the manner consistent with the prevailing government security requirements for confidential or classified information.

“Acting on the compliance dated January 21, 2019, submitted by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to the Court and in view of the OSG’s undertaking, the Court hereby directs the OSG to submit no later than 12 noon on Friday, January 25, 2019, the Department of National Defense’s Monthly/Periodic Reports addressed to the Congress on the implementation of Martial Law from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018 which involve highly sensitive and confidential matters affecting the security of the State,” the resolution says.

The Court said the “Members of the Court will make a preliminary assessment whether or not the said reports may only be appropriately discussed and deliberated upon in an executive session.”

The high court is set to hear in oral arguments on Jan. 29 the consolidated petitions filed by opposition lawmakers led by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, the party-list lawmakers led by Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate and the group led by former Comelec chairman Christian Monsod questioning the legality of the third extension of martial law in Mindanao.

On Wednesday, a similar petition was filed before the high court by three lumad teachers and a student from Mindanao.

The previous petitions said the government failed to justify the reason for the reextension, adding that this failure mocked the 1987 Constitution which says martial law can only be proclaimed if an actual rebellion or invasion exists.

But Solicitor General Jose Calida argued that the factual bases to extend the duration of martial law in Mindanao under Proclamation 216 for another year or until December this year still existed, contrary to the allegations of the petitioners.

Calida said rebellion still persisted in Mindanao, and as such public safety required the extension. Rey E. Requejo

Top Oscar...

From A1

the Oscar nominations with 10 each, as streaming giant Netflix earned its firstever best picture nod.

Popular musical romance “A Star Is Born” and Dick Cheney biopic “Vice” scooped eight nominations each, while superhero blockbuster “Black Panther” finished with seven.

The stage is thus set for the 91st Academy Awards in Hollywood on Feb. 24— with a crowded field of nominees, and perhaps some surprises in store.

For longtime Oscar watcher Sasha Stone, who runs Awards Daily, “all bets are mostly off. Truly anything could win at this rate.”

The sweeping success of “Roma” is history-making for Netflix—not only did it earn its first crack at the gala’s top prize, but it also is a major contender in other coveted prizes like best director and best actress.

The black and white film also snatched up nods for best supporting actress and best foreign film.

For Cuaron, it was a personal triumph, as he earned four nominations himself.

“We are living a great moment in cinema where diversity is embraced by audiences,” Cuaron said in a statement released by Netflix.

That diversity is exemplified by “The Favourite,” which scored a bit of a surprise with its stellar haul.

While nominations for its trio of stars— Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz—were seen as a near-lock, its flight to the top of the list was not.

Director Yorgos Lanthimos earned a nod— instead of Bradley Cooper, who was widely expected to get a nomination for his debut directorial effort on “A Star Is Born,” the latest take on the classic musical romance.

“Star” nevertheless scored in most big categories, with nominations for three of the four acting prizes—Cooper, Lady Gaga and their co-star Sam Elliott.

In all, there are eight films vying for best picture: “Roma,” “The Favourite,” “A Star Is Born,” Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman,” Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” satirical Dick Cheney biopic “Vice,” civil rights dramedy “Green Book” and “Black Panther.” AFP

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Pay reentry fees in BI offices, aliens told

By Vito Barcelo

RORO REVISITED. House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo led the Oversight Committee on Transportation to look into the status of the RORO Transport System, which she launched during her administration in 2003, and revive some of the projects that had been shelved. The RORO transport system has been hailed as one of her noteworthy projects because it connected Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, cut travel time, promoted tourism and increased trade.

Arroyo revisits RORO system IN BRIEF Bill on welfare attaché for OFWs okayed A PANEL in the House of Representatives has approved a substitute bill which proposes to create the office for social welfare attache for overseas Filipino workers.

The House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, chaired by Rep. Jesulito Manalo of ANGKLA party-list, approved the unnumbered bill which substituted House Bill 8197 and 8414 authored by Deputy Speaker Linabelle Ruth Villarica of Bulacan and Rep. Gary Alejano of Magdalo party-list, respectively.

The bill amends Republic Act 8042, otherwise known as the “Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995,” as amended.

The bill mandates the Department of Social Welfare and Development to deploy social welfare attache in countries with large concentration of overseas Filipino workers, as determined in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Labor and Employment. Maricel V. Cruz

By Maricel V. Cruz

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PEAKER Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Wednesday asked the Department of Transportation to revise its proposed development of the Roll-On, Roll-Off transport system after most of the new routes being pushed had been found to be already existing or are being serviced by shipping lines in nearby ports.

Conducting the Oversight Committee on Transportation hearing, Arroyo found out that the most of the 30 proposed new RORO routes under DOTr’s Maritime Industry Development Plan (MIDP) already have existing ports or are being serviced by other shipping lines.

Having launched the Roro system in 2003, Arroyo went over each of the 30 proposed new routes to determine why 16 years later, the new routes remain unserved by the system. However, going through them one by one, it was established that most of them are already being served by shipping lines in nearby ports or there are already existing port facilities.

For the proposed Jagna, Camiguin to Cagayan de Oro route. Arroyo found out that it was already being serviced by a shipping line.

Arroyo suggested that they correct the proposed plan. “Please correct that because you might be submitting an ambitious but it does not have to cost that much,” Arroyo said.

“If there is already an existing port nearby then maybe you can remove that to lessen the expected expenditures. There are many that you can take out so maybe you have to refine this plan. It will be a much shorter plan, easier to carry out,” she added.

Lawmakers also noted the inability of officials from the DOTr, the Philippine Ports Authority and Maritime Industry Authority to answer some of the questions of Arroyo with respect to basic technical details like to the travel time, their location as well as the question of Marikina Rep. Bayani Fernando on the port charges being collected from container trucks.

An expert in geography, Arroyo was well-versed in the location of the ports listed by the DOTr, their specific characteristics as well as their location from each other.

When asked about the lapses in the information of DOTr officials, Arroyo said she does want to judge them but to move things forward. “Our job is not to judge them but to move things forward,” Arroyo said in an ambush interview after the hearing.

Arroyo also suggested that for the unserved ports because of lack of operators, the DOTr should give missionary routes to shipping lines. A missionary route is an incentive given to a shipping line to service a new route exclusively for five years.

“Giving the missionary routes, I don’t think you need an executive order for that.

You know when I was president, not everything was done by executive order. The departments had a lot of leeway because you don’t want to clog Malacañang with executive orders,” she said.

This was what she did, she pointed out, during her administration when nobody wanted to take the DumagueteDapitan route. Years later, the route has become so lucrative that shipping lines are leaving the said ports every hour.

Medical marijuana bill gets House approval THE House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on second reading the bill legalizing the use of medical marijuana.

The House, in plenary session presided by Palawan Rep. Frederick Abueg, approved House Bill 6517 or the Philippine Compassionate Medical Cannabis Act authored by Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III. Albano welcomed the bill’s approval, saying that legislators have began to realize the medicinal and beneficial use of cannabis by patients suffering from pain and other debilitating medical conditions.

“We advocate the legal use of medical marijuana not to put to risk the lives and well-being of the Filipino people; but to help patients who are terminally ill or afflicted with debilitating medical conditions and suffer from unimaginable pain,” Albano said earlier. Maricel V. Cruz

Koko files bill creating village Magna Carta RECOGNIZING the crucial role that barangay officials play, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III wants to declare barangay officials as regular government employees.

Pimentel filed a proposed measure which seeks to establish a Magna Carta for barangays.

“As the basic political unit, the importance of barangays in our system of government cannot be overemphasized. It is therefore fitting that measures to promote the welfare and prosperity of barangays be enshrined in a Magna Carta to give due recognition to the crucial role they play,” he said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

CLOSED ZOO. Workers from the Department of Engineering and Public Works put up signages informing the public on the temporary closure of the Manila Zoo starting on Wednesday, Jan. 23. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada has ordered the indefinite closure of Manila Zoo after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources tagged it as one of Manila Bay’s major pollutant and to give way to the construction of sewer lines. Norman Cruz

THE Bureau of Immigration has advised Chinese residents in the country who plan to spend Chinese New Year abroad to pay their reentry fees in any of the Bureau’s field and satellite offices instead of the airport to avoid inconvenience and delays.

BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina issued the directive following the expected annual surge in volume of travelers lining up to pay their reentry fees to the immigration cashiers at the departure areas at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

“Many of them are Chinese residents in the Philippines who wish to spend the Chinese New Year in their homeland. It usually results to heavy congestion of passengers at the airport which may be avoided if pre-paid their fees before going to the airport,” he said.

The Philippines is host to tens of thousands of Chinese immigrants and non-immigrants. In 2018 alone, a total of 1,309,289 Chinese citizens were recorded to have left the country.

Under immigration rules, foreign nationals who are registered with the BI for being holders of valid immigrant and non-immigrant visas are required to pay exit and reentry permits every time they leave the country.

Thus, immigration officers in the ports of exit require these foreign nationals to present official receipts of their reentry permit fees before they are cleared for departure, otherwise they are directed to first pay their fees to BI cashiers at the airport.

“Due to the upcoming Chinese New Year, our cashier’s counters are always congested and this hampers our ability to effect faster and efficient immigration processing of departing travelers,” Medina observed.

He said that reentry fees can be paid at the BI main office in Manila and in immigration field, satellite and extension offices nationwide.

Don’t put up posters on trees, candidates urged

By Joel E. Zurbano ENVIRONMENTALIST group Ecowaste Coalition on Wednesday appealed to all candidates in the May 13 elections to refrain from indiscriminately posting their election materials on trees.

The group aired the appeal as posters, streamers or tarpaulins of individuals or groups running in the midterm polls already sprouted on major streets, public parks and plazas, electric posts, bridges and trees all over the country ahead of the official campaign period.

The campaign period for senatorial candidates and party-list groups is scheduled from Feb. 12 to May 11, 2019, while the campaign period for local bets—for governors down to municipal councilors and for district representatives—is set for March 29 to May 11, 2019.

Ecowaste members and officials said they found plastic posters nailed or tacked on trees by candidates’ supporters in the hopes of getting voters’ attention ahead of the official campaign period.

“Trees don’t vote. For the sake of life-sustaining trees, we appeal to all candidates and their backers to voluntarily remove campaign materials on trees,” the group said.

Running priest Fr. Robert Reyes also urged candidates to respect the trees as he likened the nailing of posters on trees to the torture and crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

MWSS vows to support Manila Bay rehab, comply with SC order THE Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System is working double time to ensure full compliance to the Supreme Court’s continuing mandamus among its concessionaires.

This was disclosed by MWSS Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco after meeting separately with Manila Water and Maynilad officials to discuss ways to speed up the two concessionaires’ compliance to the SC order even as he intends to ask the concessionaires to adjust their targets for the years 2022-2037.

“This is welcome move by all parties concerned led by Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu. As I have always emphasized in various fora, cleaning up Manila

Bay is everybody’s concern to include ordinary Filipinos who must embrace self discipline as a way of life,” Velasco said.

“The two concessionaires have agreed to fast track their roadmap to full compliance to the SC mandamus.”

Velasco admitted that only 15 percent of water consumers are connected to sewer lines and as provided in the concession agreement, full sewer and sanitation coverage should be 100 percent by 2037.

“There was much focus on securing delivery of efficient potable water system over the last 22 years from only 53 percent coverage to 97 percent coverage in metro Manila and

adjoining provinces such as Rizal and Cavite,” Velasco said.

“On sewer coverage alone, Manila Water started only with three percent in 1997 when it took over the East Zone. Now it has 20 percent coverage for facilities which is seven times increase. Maynilad is now operating its P1.7 billion sewage treatment plant in San Dionisio, Parañaque as part of its stepped up support for Manila Bay clean up,” Velasco said.

To implement its wastewater management program, East Zone concessionaire Manila Water, has its Used Water Master Plan.

According to Manila Water president and CEO Ferdinand M. dela Cruz, as of

end-November last year, it has already installed 140,245 sewer connections since the start of its concession period with 5,135 accounting for new sewer connections from January-November 2018.

Manila Water currently operates and maintains 38 sewage treatment plants (STP) and 2 septage treatment plants (SpTP). Two of its largest sewage treatment plants to date are the Taguig North and Marikina North Sewage Treatment Plants, the most recent additions to its waste water facilities. Discharge from these treatment plants has consistently passed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources effluent quality standards. With Rio Araja

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Opinion

THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

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P700-per-square-meter property in Quezon City?

WHO would think that in a prime central location along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, one can buy a lot at P700 per square meter?

There is one such location, the National Government Center in Barangay.

Holy Spirit in Quezon City where thousands of urban poor families were able to purchase the land they have been occupying for only P700/sqm.

Thanks to Speaker Arroyo.

This all thanks to the former Presi President and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo whose law when she was president in 2003 enabled almost 20,000 urban poor families to acquire the land they have been occupying for a small fraction of the prevailing market rate of P50,000 per square meter.

Janet Dungo, a long-time resident of NGC, said it was only during the time of then President Arroyo that they were able to attain housing security because of RA 9207 (National Government Center Housing and Land Utilization Act of 2003). Under law, more than 50,000 urban poor families in the 422-hectare NGC were given the chance to acquire the land they have been occupying.

In the West side of the NGC which is composed of 184 hectares, Dungo was one of the more than 10,000 housing beneficiaries that were awarded their titles after they paid P700 per square meter for their lot. More than 8,000 have not received their titles because of court cases due to land-grabbing and failure to re-block.

Dungo, who is one of the housing beneficiaries, said they could not contain their happiness when then President Arroyo not only awarded them their lots but enabled them to acquire them at only a fraction of the cost.

“We did not have security before because we were just squatters. We have sought the help of many officials but it was only GMA who listened to us and did something to enable us to buy the land we were living on – and at very low prices,” she said in Tagalog.

Today, aside from the individual land titles, the government is also building eight medium-rise buildings in the west side of NGC to accommodate more beneficiaries. The area will create a new township complete with commer commercial establishments, recreational center and educational and medical facilities.

Rannie Ludovico, a QC councilor and who was barangay captain of NGC when RA 9207 was passed in 2003, said the residents of NGC are forever grateful to Speaker Arroyo because of the all the help she has done for the community.

Ludovico added, it would appear that Arroyo’s concern for the urban residents did not stop with the enactment of RA 9207 and lowering the purchase price. She also made sure that the remaining qualified beneficiaries got their titles.

Arroyo had for the first time convened an Oversight Committee on

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Sick and tired

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HE mayor of Daraga, Albay was rushed to the hospital soon after his arrest for illegal possession of firearms. He had been “hyperventilating,” reports said.

But Mayor Carlwyn Baldo has bigger problems than the firearms found in his possession when his house was searched. Several witnesses have tagged him as the mastermind behind the Dec. 22 assassination of AKO Bicol Party-List Rep. Rodel Batocabe, who had earlier announced his intention to challenge Baldo for the mayor’s seat.

Batocabe’s bodyguard, SPO1 Orlando Diaz, was also killed.

According to the regional head of the Criminal and Investigation and Detection Group, the mayor was brought to the hospital hours after his arrest for a test to evaluate his heart condition.

Photos of Baldo on a hospital stretcher circulated online, boosting his claim that he had to get out of his detention center to seek medical help.

It’s a sight—and an excuse —painfully familiar to Filipinos.

We have often seen public officials facing one charge or another wanting to gain temporary relief by claiming to be ill. We have seen them in wheelchairs, hospital beds and other contraptions. Perhaps some of their claims were legitimate; perhaps they were really suffering from medical conditions. And everybody, even officials suspected of wrongdoing, has the right to seek treatment for an ailment.

Those who invented or exaggerated their own conditions, perhaps to gain sympathy, obtain relief or deflect negative press, however, have made the situation almost comical—if only the speedy dispensation of justice weren’t being compromised.

Batocabe’s son appeared to believe the claim on face value and wished the mayor a swift recovery so that the case can move forward.

Absent real proof to the contrary, the public has no choice but to do the same and trust that the justice system would make the guilty pay for their crime.

If these prominent suspects believe they can massage the outcome of their cases or sway public sentiment to their favor by malingering—then that is perhaps their greatest affliction. Filipinos are becoming sick and tired of such antics.

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Elitist law targets the poor—again POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE IT’S TOO bad that lawmakers see no other way to address the problem of youth crime than by lowering the minimum age of criminality (MACR), a move that pushes the country back into a darker age.

Have these solons not enough knowledge, imagination, or compassion to come up with a better solution that will help children instead of hurting them even more by not giving them a chance?

The present law, the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 (Republic Act 9344) exempts children 15 years old and younger from criminal liability. RA 10630 amends that law to provide that children aged 12 to 15 involved in serious crimes are to be placed in the Intensive Juvenile Intervention and Support Center.

According to youthpolicy.org, RA 9344 placed “the nation in the vanguard of Asian progress on juvenile justice issues.

“The law, the first of its kind in Asia, was explicitly passed to bring the country closer to its obligations as a signatory of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and, “pursuant to the provisions of the Philippine Constitution and Philippine special laws protecting children.”

The law was a major step ahead for children’s welfare. To repeal it is to push back human rights and children’s development in this country.

The United Nations Children’s Fund has registered its objection to the direction being taken by the Lower House and Senate in this matter, saying the move is an “act of violence against children.”

To lower the MACR is to contend that “children as young as 9 years old are criminally mature and are already capable of discernment,” said UNICEF representative to the Philippines Lotta Sylwander in a statement.

Scientific studies show that a person reaches maturity at about 16.

While noting that “children in conflict with the law are already victims of circumstance, mostly because of poverty and exploitation by adult crime syndicates,” Sylwander said that instead of pursuing efforts to lower the MACR, solons should strengthen laws addressing juvenile delinquency and provide access to social services, a strong support program, and a childsensitive justice system.

“There is a lack of evidence and data that children are responsible for the increase in crime rates committed in the Philippines,” Sylwander said.

She has a point. Show us the data for your decisions, Congress!

As Sylwander said, children turn to crime mainly because of poverty and abuse by adults who force them to commit crimes. But why criminalize children for the faults and shortcom-

This is pushing back human rights and children’s development in this country.

ings of adults? Lawmakers and law enforcers should go up against the erring adults who lead children astray.

Three years ago, amid similar moves back then to lower the MACR, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines suggested a law that could curb the syndicates. Such a law would provide that “the use of children in the commission and perpetration of crime, in whatever manner, shall constitute an aggravating circumstance resulting in an increase in penalty for the adult perpetrator” and to impose “criminal liability on the parents of children who are conscripted by criminal syndicates or individual offenders when it is proved that the parents of such children were Turn to A5

Federalism is dead First things first.

LAST week, before the plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Basic Law, President Duterte said Filipinos were accustomed to directly voting national and local candidates, which would not make federalism work in the Philippines. He said this in a speech in Cotabato City.

Was it an indication that he is realizing federalism is a leap into the unknown?

Does it mean that he will no longer be pushing for federalism?

Santa Banana, whatever it is, federal-

ism is now dead in the water. It will sim simply not happen because four in five Filipinos are not aware of what it is about and what it entails. There has not been a massive education and information campaign conducted for the purpose.

For one thing, it has come to be divisive. The consultative commission that

came up with a draft charter envisioned 19 federated states, the National Capital Region included.

Are local governments ready for it? I don’t believe so. They will still seek the help of the national government.

The cost, too, of shifting to a federalism form of government would be tre tremendous. We do not have the funds for it.

The third argument against federalism is how to make the federated states work.

Many parts of the country have limited resources, even as there are parts that are self-sufficient.

Federalism is something whose time hasn’t yet come. There are many other problems we must face, like poverty and

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Opinion Overpriced, underperforming EARLY this week, the House Committee on Rules held the second hearing on the alleged irregularities in the Proposed 2019 national budget. It was discovered during the hearing that more than P37 billion were bid out for three consultancy contracts with the Department of Transportation.

According to news reports, this P37 billion was part of the P168-billion fund of the DOTr obligated to the Department of Budget Procurement Service for bidding purposes. The consultancy contracts were for the big-ticket railway projects— the Philippine National Railways South Long Haul Projects of the North-South Railway Project, with P14.3 billion for its project management consultancy. The P14.3 billion management consultancy contract was signed with the China Railway Design Corp. and Guangzhou Wanan Construction Supervision Co. Ltd. Consortium of China who won the bidding. The Metro Manila Subway Phase 1 bid out two general consultancy contracts in the amount of P11.7 billion each. It is reported that the Consultancy contracts here were awarded to a Japanese consortium named OCGlobal which is composed of six Japanese firms.

We acknowledge the technical expertise

and experience of foreign consultants, in general. Perhaps in certain areas, they possess capabilities that we still need to learn. That being said, our administration should invest in scholarship and training programs and send our talented pool of local engineers and professionals so that they can apply their knowledge in the Philippines. The practice of engaging foreign consultants has been observed by our government for many years. We are concerned that we might have developed a reliance on foreign consultants to the extent that we simply accept their advice without considering the value of our own inputs.

The scales should always be tilted in favor of the Filipino people.

We would like to think that the DOTr first tapped into our local pool of talents before hiring foreign consultants. We understand that engaging foreign consultants might be part of loan or grants, but perhaps this requirement is onerous for us. For one thing, engaging foreign consultants involves such an excessive

and unreasonable amount of money. Who vets the qualifications of these consultants?

Have they worked on projects located in places where the lay of the land is same, or at least comparable to the Philippines? Are their services worth the money? Reports from the Commission on Audit were said to point to the lack of transparency.

The procurement process is primarily handled by the DBM Procurement Service.

It is possible that the budget of many of our government programs and projects are similarly bloated due to allocations such as those for pricey consultancy contracts.

We must look into this issue further.

While the current administration is pressed on curbing corruption, ensuring fiscal transparency and developing our economy through infrastructure programs, these discoveries are counter-productive to the government’s targets.

The 2019 National Budget is soon to be passed. Nonetheless, we continue our investigation on these irregularities including the possible excessive fees for government consultancy contracts, not only in infrastructure but in other government projects. I call on our fellow government officials to scrutinize contracts in their agencies prior to bidding and implementation. We must bear in mind that every peso the government wastes on foreign services that are of questionable necessity is a peso taken from each one of us. The scales should always be tilted in favor of the Filipino people. To us, that is non-negotiable.

The feud ALTHOUGH Rep. Rolando Andaya has given up his position as Majority Floor Leader, he took the position as Chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and said that the investigation against so-called budget insertions will continue. He has not given up his desire to go after Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno. This is in spite of the remonstration coming from the Palace that the House stop its media campaign against Diokno.

Rep Andaya apparently wants to fight to the finish. If his effort is for the purpose of uncovering anomaly, we can only laud him for it. But could there be another reason?

Since I am not in the inner circle, I cannot categorically say.

This fight is a bit unusual in some ways. Normally, we would not be seeing any public feud of individuals who have occupied the same position. This is because there is that practice that if people happen to have occupied the same position, these people do not normally talk openly about things that goes on in that office—they are considered trade secrets. But Rep. Andaya has gone ahead and done that, therefore giving the public a rare glimpse of how powerful the position of Budget Secretary is. The public for the first time is seeing how public funds can easily be juggled for whatever reason that the Budget office wants. This was shown when Diokno parked P75 billion for infrastructure in the 2019 national budget which the implementing agency, DPWH did not even know initially. There are other insertions.

The immediate casualty of this feud is that government workers will have to wait until the fight is settled if at all or when the 2019 national budget is eventually passed before finally getting the fourth tranche of their salary increases. This includes the increase in pension benefits of uniformed retirees

Elitist...

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remiss in their duties of vigilance and care.” Congress should seriously consider these ideas.

The government should also step up its anti-poverty efforts and treat the root cause of crime instead of just the symptoms. Reduce the poverty rate and the crime rate will also go down. Many poor children lead desperate lives through

Federalism...

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joblessness. First things first. Federalism can wait. *** The proposed abolition of the Presidential Commission on Good Government and the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel will not push through, after all.

The PCGG, which was created by the Cory Aquino administration, was supposed to go after the alleged hidden wealth of the Marcoses.

As for the OGCC, the plan was to place it under the Office of the Solicitor General for better coordination.

I would like to ask, though: How many of the 300 firms sequestered still have “fiscal agents” working? I have been told that in many of them, there are no longer fiscals and agents, but now holding sequestered shares

told that there is no money available, but they soon find out that the government is awash with cash—and all because of the feud of the two. But even with so much money, our business leaders continue to find ways to increase taxes for the longsuffering small-time taxpayers who have no choice but cough out hard-earned money to the government only for the budget office and the House of Representatives to quarrel over how to allocate the pork.

This is the most important outcome of this feud between Rep. Andaya and Sec. Diokno. The public now has a better idea on where and how government money is spent. This is the scandal. No wonder even with a P3.8-trillion national budget, the number of poor people could not be brought down significantly.

The money does not trickle down to ordinary citizens like you and me. The money stops somewhere in the middle— most probably in the bank accounts of corrupt public officials and enterprising individuals who are able to partner with

unscrupulous public officials to make a lot of money.

It is sad, what we are witnessing. As to the continuing fight between the two gentlemen, we will have to wait and see where and how it will end. If the intention of Andaya is to get rid of Diokno or charge him in court, I doubt whether thiscould happen.

Sooner or later, everything about this mess will come out. In fact, we know quite a bit already. Senator Lacson who has looked very closely at the P75-billion so-called insertion has vouched for the integrity of Diokno. Unlike Rep. Andaya who has a string of cases in the courts, Diokno up to this time has at least kept his nose clean.

Still, with the kind of money circulating, the temptation is always great.

Could Ben Diokno be one of the few government officials who can resist the temptation? Let us hope so. We have to bear in mind, however, that even angels fall from grace. Case in point: Isn’t a fallen angel? *** Both Houses of Congress are in the process of studying the possibility of amending Republic Act 10630 of July 23, 2012 otherwise known as the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act for the purpose of bringing down the age wherein individuals could be charged criminally down to the age of nine.

This is the initial position of the House while the Senate thinks that 12 years is the more appropriate age. The reason for the amendment is probably the increasing number of minors committing crimes. But this is hardly a good enough reason because the current law already provides the government or law enforcement agencies with the tools to determine whether a minor committed the criminal act with discernment and therefore could be charged as an adult.

Every case must be treated separately because every case is unique. Bringing the age down so low will just destroy a lot of young lives. After all, we live in a country that believes everybody deserves a second chance.

no fault nor desire of their own. In view of this, the proposed laws are clearly elitist.

It is the children of the poor who will disproportionately fill the jail cells, just as it is the poor who die in the tokhang drug war.

Instead of criminalizing children, put them in school. Make sure they have food, shelter, clothing, books, and toys, and are watched over by responsible adults who can give them good advice and show them a good example. Give them a happy, peaceful home life. The development of children is the first step

in forming the citizens of a just and orderly society.

To lower the MACR is to admit that the government is impotent against crime syndicates abusing children. It is to admit that government is incompetent to solve the problem save through the use of brute force against children. It is to admit that this government does not care about the poor. *** I believe the children are the future.

Teach them well and let them lead the way. FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO

by PCGG board members. Santa Banana, this means that PCGG commissioners are now getting double compensation. Isn’t this anomalous?

The PGCC is another thing. The lawyers here have been accused of receiving excessive allowances from the government, contrary to law. What of the government drive to end corruption? *** Reports have it that Sulu voted “no” in last Monday’s plebiscite for the BOL. That stands to reason. The government of Sulu, under its governor, has questioned the law before the Supreme Court saying it is unconstitutional.

What is questionable in connection with the plebiscite is the “yes” votes of Cotabato City which means it would not be included in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

With its inclusion in the BARMM, I wonder:What will now happen to Cotabato

City? Will the Christians here have to migrate?

The MILF may now be rejoicing with the results of the plebiscite, but they must remember there is still the Moro National Liberation Front of Nur Misuari.

Will the plebiscite end the conflict in Mindanao? I don’t think so. Peace and development are still a dream.

Opposition to the lowering of the age of criminal responsibility to nine years old is mounting. I cannot blame those who are against it. Why are members of the House so stupid?

The government does not even have facilities for children who would be detained. It is unthinkable to detain them with hardened adult criminals.

Every Filipino should be alarmed by this proposal. It’s a good thing the Senate does not seem to agree with their counterparts at the Lower House.

from the police and military.

Also, with the government apparently overflowing with so much money that the budget office is having difficulty finding ways to spend the funds, this is unconscionable when retirees like the police are still owed 32 months of pay differentials or teachers’ salaries could not get salary increases to allow them to live decently. Given that the life expectancy of Filipinos is about 72 years, many of these police retirees would already be dead before the pay differentials are released.

Government workers are always being

Even angels fall from grace.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

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Return to previous inflation target is unlikely THE inflation rate as measured by the CPI (consumer price index) continuously rose through the first three quarters of 2018, peaking at 6.7 percent in September. Thereafter it headed downward, ending the year at 5.1 percent.

The inflation-rate target of the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) is 2.5 percent to 4.0 percent, and the head of that institution has expressed confidence that the inflation rate will return to that range this year and remain there until 2020. The Duterte administration’s economic managers are si m i la rly confident.

T h e conf idence of I have my these officials s t e m s f r o m t h r e e sources, namely, (1) the measures that the Duterte administration has taken to deal with the shortages of rice and other food items, (2) the recent downward movement of world oil prices and (3) the belief that the impact of the excise taxes imposed by Package 1 of the TRAIN (Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion) law had already been fully absorbed by the Philippine economy. They appear to believe that, with these developments, it will now be smooth sailing for the inflation rate through 2019 and even into 2020.

Are this country’s economic officials correct in thinking that the inflationary surge of 2018 is steadily becoming a thing of the past and that a return to price stability has begun to happen? Is an inflation rate between 2.5 percent and 4 percent within sight?

I have my doubts.

I like to think that a lesson has been learned about the management of this country’s rice supply and that there will be no recurrence of the rice shortage of last year. An inflationary surge is usually easier to deal with when it is of the cost-push rather than of the demand-pull kind; the rice shortage of 2018 was a cost-push price phenomenon. Once rice tariffication is in place, traders operating on the basis of market instinct will see to it that the nation will always have an adequate rice supply.

The world oil market is one

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NGC to make sure that R A 9207 is properly implemented. During the f irst Oversight hearing at the House of Representatives, Ar royo vowed to put P100 million into the Department of Public Works and Highways budget to enable the department to purchase more land for the benef iciaries. Under the law, the DPWH is the one in charge of the land acquisition in the NGC. This, after she was told by the DPWH that no funding was allocated for the 2019 budget for the acquisition of titles and reblocking of individual lots for the NGC. Arroyo, for her part, said she would ask the House members of the bicameral panel to put at least P100 million to NGC to enable them to facilitate and receive their titles.

The Speaker went around the country to visit the urban poor

of the most volatile commodity markets in the world. The extent of the volatility was demonstrated by the abrupt rise of the Dubai posted price, toward the end of 2018, to $80 per barrel, the triggerpoint for the suspension of TRAIN I’s fuel excise tax.

The price has since gone down to around $60, but could quite easily happen again, given the tensions surrounding geopolitical relations between the West, Russia and the Middle East.

The consumption element of higher fuel prices—represented mainly by the prices of gasoline and kerosene—is relatively easy to track and deal with. The 10 or so oil companies can decide to adjust, to be compelled by public clamor to adjust, their retail prices.

F a r more complicated is the production doubts. element of fuel price increases.

The reason for this is that certain kinds of fuel—diesel oil and bunker fuel, for instance—are inputs for production processes and became parts of production costs once they are comingled with other production inputs to make goods and services. If the cost of fuel rises, prices of products are usually adjusted upward even if the prices of the other inputs have not increased. Fiscal policy planners tend to forget that fuel is used to produce factory electricity and to drive the delivery equipment of manufacturing and agricultural establishments.

When inf lationary psychology takes hold—as it clearly did in 2018—producers begin to act in a defensive or anticipatory manner. If a producer believes that the cost of a major production input, as fuel, is going to rise, he will either anticipate the price increase or seek to stay competitive by likewise adjusting his prices upward. Inf lation is essentially a matter of psychology; producers generally act on the basis of instinct.

The inflationary psychology that was brought into play by the negative cost and supply factors of 2018 have, in my view, not completely dissipated. This explains why the economic managers’ and BSP’s leadership’s expectation of a return, in 2019 to an inflation rate between 2.5 percent and 4 percent is unlikely to be realized.

housing beneficiaries during her administration. She signed more than 100 presidential proclamations, executive orders and laws that enabled thousands of urban poor families to acquire the land they have long occupied.

The creation of a new oversight committee is consistent with Speaker Arroyo’s earlier pronouncement that the Lower House will hold its oversight functions in the remaining months of her speakership because they have already passed all the priority bills of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“This is very consistent with what I said when we left for the Christmas Holidays that we already passed many good laws including my own law in 2003 that’s why they are now owners of their property. But what is important now is to make sure that they are well implemented. So this is part of what I have been saying that that’s the task I think the House of Representatives should be doing for the next six months,” she earlier said.

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Amid Du30’s threats, DAR distributes 60,000 ha

By Rio Araja AMID the threats of President Rodrigo Duterte to fire or kill Department of Agrarian Reform officials over delay in the processing of land conversion cases, Secretary John Castriciones on Wednesday thanked officials and employees for being able to accomplish the agency’s targets for 2018.

In a statement, Castriciones said DAR had distributed 60,000 hectares of land through emancipation patents (EPs) and certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs).

“We will be able to achieve more, we will be able to distribute more,” he said.

According to Castriciones, an assessment and planning conference was being conducted from Jan. 22 to Jan. 25 in Iloilo City to analyze the previous year’s sectorial performance on land tenure security program, agrarian justice delivery program and agrarian reform beneficiaries development and sustainability program vis-à-vis its approved targets and fund utilization.

He challenged the DAR officials and employees to assess the status of the lands that had been awarded to farmer-beneficiaries.

In a speech during the annual assembly of the Provincial Union of Leaders Against Illegalities in Lucena City, Duterte said he had fired two DAR officials after it took them two years to process a case of land conversion.

“I keep on giving warnings but you do it again and again,” he said in his speech in Filipino.

Thje President recalled it took the DAR’s office two years to process a request for land conversion after a follow-up from his former Special Assistant.

The President said the Agrarian Reform officials should “better prepare,” or else, they would face either “complaint” or “death” if they do not make any progress.

He added, still in Filipino: “If people from the conversion office of DAR are listening, better prepare because you’re fired. If you can’t do it, I’ll file a case against you. If you’re not afraid with the filing of the case, I’ll just kill you.”

Arroyo lauds Universal Health Care measure

By Maricel V. Cruz

T

HE leadership of the House of Representatives led by Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Wednesday recommended for Senate action the Universal Health bill aimed at ensuring all Filipinos are guaranteed equitable access to quality and affordable health care goods and services and protected against financial risk.

The bill, signed by Arroyo last Monday, had been sent back to the Senate and to be transmitted to Malacañang for the signing of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Senate President Vicente Sotto earlier signed the bill.

Arroyo said she was extremely proud of the bill because it would mean universal and more efficient health coverage for every Filipino.

“This bill will further strengthen the delivery of health care services to every Filipino and I am honored to be a part of it,” Arroyo said.

During her presidency, she expanded coverage of free medical services to Filipinos as she launched a P3-billion

universal health insurance coverage that would provide either free or subsidized hospitalization and other medical assistance to government and private sector employees and indigent families through Executive Order 276.

Towards the end of her presidency, Arroyo was able to increase to 50 million the new beneficiaries of PhilHealth from her initial target of only 5 million.

And from 400,000 indigent families covered by PhilHealth in 2001, 5 million poor families were covered by PhilHealth at the end of her term in 2010.

Under the UHC bill, every Filipino shall be automatically included in the National Health Insurance Program which

IN BRIEF JV opposes fuel excise tax

includes immediate eligibility and access to primary medical, dental, mental and emergency health services, medicines, diagnostics and laboratory as well as preventive, curative and rehabilitative care.

The Department of Health through PhilHealth will implement the program.

Under the bill, PhilHealth members are identified into two groups: the direct contributors or the paying members and indirect contributors who are nonpaying members whose membership is fully subsidized from tax collections.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque estimated that around P257 billion in the first year of its implementation will be needed to fund the program. This will be taken from the Sin Tax Reform Law. He is also pushing for two bills that increase the taxes in tobacco and alcohol to fund the program.

The House of Representatives had passed the two bills increasing taxes on alcohol and tobacco. The Senate has yet to pass its own version of the two bills.

AUTHORITIES apprehended 682,340 Metro Manila residents since it began in June 2018 the implementation of the government’s campaign against bystanders or loiterers violating local ordinances.

Based on the data released by the National Capital Region Police Office on Wednesday, the Quezon City Police District got the highest number of apprehension numbering to 407,468 followed by Eastern Police District (127,590) and Northern Police District (53,507) during the eight-month period of police operations.

JOINING FORCES. Tingog Party-List 1st Nominee and Leyte (1st District) Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez and Ilocos Norte 2nd District Rep. Imelda Marcos join with Tingog Party-List leaders from the National Capital Region after a short briefing at the Perez Hall at the House of Representatives. Ver Noveno

The Manila Police District, on the other hand, apprehended 53,039 individuals while the Southern Police District posted 40,736 apprehensions.

Most of these individuals were caught smoking in public places and conveyances (169,521 total), violating the curfew hours for minors (41,648), loitering the streets half naked (38,493) and drinking on the streets (32,163).

The apprehensions were made during series of police operations in the National Capital Region from June 13, 2018 up to 5 a.m. of Jan. 23.

NCRPO records showed that of these 682,340 violators, 447,097 have

just been warned while 99,402 of them were charged in court and 135,841 were fined.

Metro Manila police director Guillermo Eleazar assured the public that street bystanders would not be picked up by the police as long as they follow local ordinances on loitering.

He said they will continue their police operations to ensure peace and order in the community.

Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde had mentioned that police have yet to receive any complaint of human rights violations since their intensified operations.

“We insist on violation of rights when in fact not a single person has come to our office and complained that their rights were violated,” he said.

But in July 2018, then SPD director Tomas Apolinario Jr. ordered the relief of two police officers assigned in Makati City for alleged mishandling of persons arrested for violating local ordinances.

The two officers were relieved for alleged abuse of discretion of authority when they rounded up night bystanders in their respective area of responsibility and brought them to their police precinct for verification even without valid violation of city ordinances.

Actress Rosanna’s plea denied by CA BATAAN SHIPYARD & ENGINEERING COMPANY INC. (BASECO) 967 A. Maceda St., Sampaloc, Manila INVITATION TO BID BASECO, through the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) invites interested parties/suppliers to apply for eligibility and to bid for the procurement of one (1) motor vehicle with the following minimum specifications: a. b. c. d.

Magna Carta for the poor SENATOR Juan Edgardo Angara is pushing for the immediate passage of the proposed Magna Carta for the Poor that seeks to uplift the lives of indigent Filipinos by strengthening the government’s anti-poverty programs and other socioeconomic development strategies.

“It is high time we come up with a comprehensive framework designed to improve the lives of the impoverished by providing them with sustained opportunities for growth and development,” said Angara, one of the authors of a substitute bill that consolidated all Magna Carta for the Poor proposals in the Senate.

The committee report on the substitute bill—Senate Bill No. 2121—has been approved by three Senate panels, including the Committee on Ways and Means chaired by Angara.

The bill is now up for approval on second reading. According to Angara, the measure guarantees the rights of the poor to adequate food, decent work, free relevant and quality education, adequate housing, and highest attainable standard of health. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Angara tells CPAs: Hike contribution

Police nab 682,340 bystanders and loiterers in Metro Manila

By Joel E. Zurbano

SENATOR JV Ejercito is not yet about to “throw in the towel” in opposing the immediate implementation of the second wave of fuel excise tax increase, although it already took effect this month.

In a statement, Ejercito appealed to President Duterte to order his economic managers to stop temporarily the second tranche of increase.

“We only have to look back at our recent experience where prices of commodities skyrocketed when the first round of increase was imposed in order to realize that this course of action is a disaster to the people’s pockets,” he said.

Ejercito said that while the Philippines’ inflation rate slowed down a bit towards the end of 2018 mainly because the prices of petroleum in the world market dropped significantly, financial experts had predicted an upward trend of prices of commodities, mostly consumer goods, this year due to another increase of fuel excise tax.

“I believe we can afford a six-month suspension. After that, let’s assess the situation,” he said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Gasoline Engine displacement not exceeding 2,755 cc At least seven (7) seat capacity Automatic transmission Overall (4,735 x 1,830 x 1,795)

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) is P1,750,000.00. The BAC is conducting the public bidding in accordance with Republic Act No. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.

The schedule of procurement activities are shown below: Activities Date & Time Place January 28, 2019 1. Issuance of Bidding to 967 A. Documents February 4, 2019 Maceda St., Sampaloc, February 6, 2019 2. Pre-Bid Conference Manila 10:00 a.m.

3. Submission & Opening February 12, 2019 of Bids 10:00 a.m.

BASECO hereby reserves the right to reject any or all bids, declare failure of bidding or not to award the contract without disclosing any reason, to waive any minor defects of infirmities therein, and to accept such bids as may be advantageous to BASECO. For particulars, please contact BASECO thru Ms. Michelle Pobre, telephone no. 5437864.

(MS-JAN. 24, 2019)

By Rey Requejo THE Court of Appeals has denied the appeal of actress Rosanna “Osang” Roces seeking to reverse its earlier decision, which found her liable to pay P3.1 million in damages to one of the country’s top aesthetic clinic for breach of contract.

In a two-page resoNOTICE OF lution, the CA’s ForEXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE mer Eleventh Division Notice is hereby given that through Associate Justhe intestate of the Late Robert Francis Edward E. tice Ramon Bato Jr. Jabson, who died intestate denied Roces’ motion and without any Will or Testament and without any for reconsideration of outstanding debts in favor of any person or entity has its June 6, 2018. been settled by way of Self-adjudication by heirs “A perusal of the Francisco B. Jabson and Judith May B. Jabson, of motion for reconsideralegal age, as per Doc. No. 111, Page No. 24, Book No. tion reveals that there 6, series of 2018, before are no new and subNotary Public at Taguig City.

(Sgd) Atty. Katrina C. Muli. stantial issues raised therein which have not LEGAL NOTICE been judiciously passed upon by this Court.

Notice is hereby given to the public that an Extra-Judicial Thus, we find no coSettlement has been executed by the heirs of the late William C. gent or compelling reaVelhagen, namely: Consuelo A. son to alter, modify or Velhagen, Richard A. Velhagen, Michael A. Velhagen, Robert reverse said decision,” Gabriel A. Velhagen, Ramon Antonio A. Velhagen, Edmond the CA ruled.

Paul A. Velhagen, and William “Accordingly, the A. Velhagen, Jr., all of legal age, over personal and real instant motion for reproperties, per deed executed on 22 January 2019 before consideration is denied Notary Public Felipe I. Iledan for lack of merit,” it Jr., per Doc. No.212; Page No. 44; Book No.XV; Series of 2019. said.

In its June 6, 2018 (MS-JAN. 24,31 & FEB. 7, 2019)

(MS-JAN. 24,31 & FEB. 7, 2019)

decision, the CA upheld the order issued by the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City Branch 220, which found merit to the breach of contract and damages complaint filed by Forever Flawless Face and Body Center against Roces, who is Jennifer Molina in real life.

The case arose from Roces’ malicious statements against the company in 2004.

Roces was previously given shares from Forever Flawless in exchange for her promoting, endorsing, marketing and advertising services.

In compliance with the agreement, Roces endorsed the clinic’s services and products including treatments by well-known celebrity doctor Victoria “Vicki” Belo, a consultant and also the president and chairman of the Belo Medical Group Inc. However, in 2003, Roces decided to sell and Forever Flawless agreed to buy her shares for P1.5 million.

A deed of sale was later signed by both parties with the condition that Roces will not malign or discredit the company, its services, products and its stockholders and officers.

The deed of sale also stipulated that Roces would have to pay P1 million for each infraction of the contract.

But Forever Flawless was forced to file a complaint against Roces after she appeared in various television interviews accusing Belo of conducting flawed liposuction procedure.

Associate Justices Ramon Cruz and Pablito Perez concurred with the ruling.

SENATOR Juan Edgardo Angara has urged accountants and auditors to increase their contribution to economic growth by promoting financial transparency and helping the government collect the right taxes.

Speaking at the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants Metro Manila Region Tax Conference 2019 held in Mandaluyong City, Angara said that certified public accountants (CPAs) had an important role to play in sustaining the economic momentum the Philippines had achieved in the last 10 years.

“For financial transparency isn’t just about being truthful. It’s about being smart.

It’s about making well-informed, data-driven decisions and who are better equipped to help in this effort than the number-crunchers among us?” Angara said.

Angara noted that the Philippines was able to sustain close to a decade’s worth of continuous economic growth and during the period, he said, the country generated “momentum and fiscal space to finally break free from decades of chronic poverty.” Macon Ramos-Araneta

BoC seizes 8 machines worth P200m

By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Customs seized eight cigarette-making machines worth P200 million inside two warehouses in San Simon, Pampanga, which can produce four million sticks of cigarettes a day.

Customs and police operatives discovered the cigarette-making machines in two warehouses located at the Global Aseana Business Park and San Simon Industrial Park, San Simon, Pampanga.

Customs Enforcement and Security Service director Felimon Yogi Ruiz, armed with Letters of Authority, said they found eight imported cigarettemaking machines which can produce 400 master cases of cigarettes or 4,000,000 sticks per day.

“The value of the machines is estimated to be worth P200 million as certified by the legitimate cigarette makers,” Ruiz said.

“The operation stemmed from the information gathered by the ESS that there are warehouses within the area that produce fake branded cigarettes using imported raw materials,” Ruiz said.

“Before the operation, customs agents conducted surveillance operation following a tip that there were factories producing cigarettes in Pampanga,” he said.

The Customs padlocked the warehouses while waiting for the Warrant of Seizure and Detention to be issued by the district collector of the Port of Clark.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

A7

THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Serena: Pliskova ‘went crazy’ M

ELBOURNE—Serena Williams denied choking after falling victim to one of the greatest ever comebacks Wednesday, saying she was powerless as Czech foe Karolina Pliskova “just went crazy” to storm into the Australian Open semi-finals.

Williams had Pliskova on the rack serving at 5-1 in the third set but the seventh seed fended off four match points to bounce back and end the American’s latest bid for a recordequalling 24th Grand Slam.

“She just played lights out on match point, literally hitting lines,” Williams said.

“Just went for it, just went crazy on match point. she just played unbelievable.”

The 37-year-old made a slow start and conceded the first set but had recovered and looked set for a hardfought win before a desperate Pliskova went on the rampage.

“She was killing me... I was almost in the locker room, now I’m standing here as the winner. It’s a great feeling,” an exhausted Pliskova, seeded seven, said after

the two hour 10 minute epic.

“My mind was in the locker room. I wasn’t playing very well in the third set but I thought let’s try, this game (will make it) 5-2. She got a little bit shaky in the end so I took my chances and I won.”

Pliskova, who will play Japan’s Naomi Osaka in the semis, was on the brink until Williams double faulted with the end in sight.

The 37-year-old, a seven-time Australian champion, then failed to win a point on serve for the rest of the match.

The elated Czech rated it the best comeback of her life and said she always believed she could beat the American legend.

“I know she’s the greatest ever, but I don’t want to put her somewhere where

Williams

I would not have a chance to beat her,” she said in explaining how she approached the match.

“I beat her before. She was No.1 at that time. I knew I’m going to have my chances.

But I had to play well.”

Williams said there was nothing she could do against an opponent in such form.

“I can’t say that I choked on those

match points, said the American, who made a comeback last year after having a baby. “She literally played her best tennis ever on those shots.”

‘Go bananas’ Williams, seeded 16, had blazed through the early stages of the tournament, seeing off world number one Simona Halep in the fourth round.

But against Pliskova she lacked the intensity she had previously displayed and was soon trailing for the first time during her campaign after a slew of uncharacteristic errors.

The American said it was a lesson to not take anything for granted on match point.

“This is when you go psycho, when you have match point... just go bananas on it,” she said.

Pliskova, who entered this year’s tournament on a high after winning the Brisbane International warm-up, came out firing and bested Williams on serve to take the first set.

Williams rebounded in the second before imploding in the decider. AFP

Velez, Milliam sustain form, top Actifit Open tennis JOHN David Velez and Alexa Milliam opened the new PPS-PEPP tennis season the way they ended it last year—in winning fashion, as they scored a pair of contrasting victories each in the Actifit Open national age-grouper at the Actifit Sports Center in Valenzuela City recently.

Velez held off a tough Abraham Lawyer, 6-3, 6-4 to claim the boys’ 16-and-under crown then survived Loucas Fernandez, 3-6, 6-1, 10-5, to pocket the 18-U diadem in the Group I tournament which served as the kickoff leg of this year’s circuit sponsored by Palawan PawnshopPalawan Express Pera Padala.

Milliam, on the other hand, dominated her side of the event presented by Dunlop, blasting top seed Marielle Jarata, 6-1, 6-1, in the girls’ 14-U finals and thumping Renee Esteban, 6-1, 6-0, for the 16-U plum in the event coorganized by John Mari Altiche.

“Velez and Milliam continue to serve as inspiration to their fellow players, particularly to the younger ones with their work ethics and determination coming off the holiday break,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro, who has lined up a record 70-leg circuit this year.

Meanwhile, top seed Jason Patrombon and No. 2 Johnny Arcilla trounced their respective rivals to lead the march of the fancied bets in the Open men’s singles, including Rodolfo Barquin, Fritz Verdad, Rolando Ruel Jr. and Deo Talatayod.

Milliam and Velez’s romps came on the heels of their impressive feats last year with the former from Pontevedra, Negros Occidental and the Davaoeño ace dominating the last quarter of last year’s edition of the country’s biggest talent-search.

Other winners in the event backed by Liquid Gold Wine & Spirits, Ayala Amity Centennial Lions Club, Skin Rejuve and Calle Café, were Xavier School’s Agustin Bartolome, Sta. Rosa, Laguna’s Frank Dilao, San Favian, Pangasinan’s Jeowny Pascua, La Union’s Marielle Jarata and San Carlos City’s Bliss Bayking.

Bartolome toppled Christella Lamera, 4-1, 4-1, in 10-unisex; Dilao edged Zandre Mina, 6-4, 7-6(6), in boys’ 12-U; Pascua crushed Carlo Solo, 6-0, 6-2, in boys’ 14-U; Jarata whipped Sophia Moreno, 6-0, 6-1, in girls’ 12-U; and Bayking ripped Denise Bernardo, 6-1, 6-0, in girls’ 18-U.

FORMER LAKERS’ STAR HERE. Former LA

Lakers star Lamar Odom (right) and Mighty Sports team manager Wowie Evangelista pose in the lobby of a Makati hotel. Odom will play for Mighty Sports in the 30th Dubai International Basketball Championship on Feb. 1 to 9 in Dubai.

Eustaquio, Moraes to break 1-1 tie

By Ram Christian Agustin and Paul Gelario REIGNING ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, with a professional record of 11-6-0, will be defending his title against Jiu jitsu black belter Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes (17-3-0) in a highly anticipated rubber

match and first-ever trilogy for ONE: Hero’s Ascent on Friday at the Mall of Asia.

The 5’8’’ Brazilian forced a submission from Eustaquio by guillotine in the firstever ONE FC 125-pound championship in Cambodia back in 2014, but “Gravity” won their second locking of horns in January last year in a split-decision victory for the One interim flyweight world title.

ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje Eustaquio (left) and former ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes face off during the ONE: Hero’s Ascent official kick-off Press Conference. In the middle is Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship. Lorraine Alberto

Team Lakay’s Wushu artist Eustaquio, 5’5”, said that after the results in his first match against Moraes, he trained even harder the following four years before ultimately avenging his initial defeat, establishing himself as the world champion in the flyweight division.

“I have proven to the world that ‘impossible’ is not really a word. On Jan. 25, it doesn’t matter who wins, Adriano or me. Adriano can knock me out, he can submit me or win by decision, I can also do the same. But the thing is, all of these athletes going to that cage or ring, are already winners. Come and witness one of the first trilogy in ONE Championship history,” said Eustaquio.

“We have 110 world champions in our roster. It is the most number of world champions of any organization in the world, 110 world champions across MMA, BJJ, submission grappling, boxing, muay thai, kickboxing, and the list goes on,” said ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong during the press conference held at the City of Dreams, Tuesday.

“As the world’s largest stage in martial arts, all ONE Championship wants to do is showcase the very best of martial arts not just in the cage, but outside of the cage,” Sityodtong added.

Asian Games champ banners PH Ladies’ Open cast

Yuka Saso

ASIAN Games gold medalist Yuka Saso expects to draw much attention as she sets out for her title-retention drive in the Champion Philippine Ladies Amateur Open slated Feb. 19-21 at the Manila Golf and Country Club.

The talented 17-year-old shotmaker, who anchored the Philippines incredible comeback in the final round to sweep the individual and team golds in the quadrennial games in Jakarta last year, has confirmed her participation in the 57th staging of the annual championship which drew an early roster of 94 players, including 54 foreign bets.

They include the top and rising

shotmakers from Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Korea, Thailand and the US, all eager to slug it out with the country’s cream of the crop, including the likes of Samantha Dizon, Mafy Singson, Eagle Ace Superal, Arnie Taguines, Laia Barro, Angela Legaspi, Monica Mandario, Junia Gabasa, Kyla Nocum and top jungolfer Nicole Abelar.

But no one packs a credential as imposing as Saso, who also powered the Phl to the team and individual gold in the World Junior Girls Championship in Canada in 2016. She also boasts of two victories in the local pro circuit, the last at Ayala Greenfield last year where she

bested the likes of LPGA Tourbound Dottie Ardina and a host of strong Thai players before beating Mikha Fortuna by two to rule the 56th Philippine Ladies Open at the Orchard.

That makes the Fil-Japanese ace the player to beat in the event, organized and conducted by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines and sponsored

by EVA Air, San Miguel Corp., Cherrylume, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Pascual Laboratories, Group Management & Development, Inc., G&W Clubshares, Inc. and the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

The upcoming championship, backed by the ladies chapters of

Alabang, Forest hills, Tagaytay Highlands, Sta. Elena, Canlubang and Manila Golf clubs with Vermogen, Sports + Action and Sports U channels of ABS-CBN, also marks its return to its old home at the posh Forbes Park layout, which is expected to provide a tough test for the competing field with its tight fairways and sleek putting surface.

Meanwhile, registration is ongoing with entry fee pegged at P10,000 for local players and $300 for foreign participants.

For reservations and details, email kathy_uy@yahoo.com (WGAP chairperson) or secretariat@wgap-golf.com (WGAP president Anna Haurie).

Superal

Thailand bets dominate, but Filipinas lurk in ladies’ tour MEXICO, Pampanga—Chonlada Chayanun birdied two of the last four holes to card a 69 and lead the crack Thai charge but Princess Superal and Chihiro Ikeda stayed in the mix with 70s in opener the ICTSI Beverly Place Ladies Classic here yesterday.

Mookharin Ladgratok and Ornnicha Konsunthea also hit late birdies to match Chayanun’s two-under par effort at the short, flat but tricky Beverly Place’s par71 layout with tough pin placements, giving the Thais early control of the P750,000 event serving as the third leg of the new Ladies Philippine Golf Tour season.

Ladgratok checked a bogey-bogey skid from No. 15 with a birdie on the 17th while Konsunthea, who tied for sixth with Chayanun in the last LPGT stop at Pradera Verde, birdied the par-5 closing hole as the Thais set in motion their bid to extend their domination after winning five of the 12 tournaments in the previous edition of the circuit put up by ICTSI. “The pin placements are difficult, placed near the edge of the greens,” said Chayanun, who also bucked the wind that blew from various directions that bedeviled the games of the other fancied players in the fold.

But the local aces didn’t stray too far behind the Thais although Ikeda needed to birdie the last hole to save a 71 after blowing a sterling three-birdie splurge after five holes. The many-time LPGT winner bogeyed Nos. 7 and 9, birdied Nos. 12 and 16 to atone for a doublebogey blunder on No. 15 then recovered from a bogey on the 17th with that closing birdie for a 33-37 card.

Superal, who scored back-to-back title romps at Highlands and Riviera on her way to claiming the Order of Merit title, failed to really get going, settled for an up-and-down pair of 35s made up four birdies against three bogeys.

“You have to be precise with your approach shots to get a chance for birdies,” said Superal.

Another Thai, Punpaka Phuntumabamrung, also squandered an eaglespiked three-under card after nine holes with three bogeys in the first four holes at the back and needed to birdie the 17th in the last flight to join Ikeda and Superal at fourth.

Narisara Kerdrit, also from Thailand, also holed out with a birdie to salvage an even-par round for solo seventh while fancied Dottie Ardina and Pauline del Rosario rebounded late to wheel back into contention after a shaky start in the early going of the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

Natividad Cup: ASDL too strong for St. Adela 5 ACADEMIA De San Lorenzo DemaAla sent a strong message in the league by dominating its opening game, blasting College of St. Adela, 64-22, in the women’s division of the Christian “Agila” Natividad Inter-School Basketball Friendship Cup held over the weekend at Colinas Verde Gym in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan.

The Lioness’ 1-2-3 punch of coach Diorem Samonte combined for 47 points even as Kaye Dulay controlled the game with her defense from start to finish in dominant fashion for their first victory in the event organized by Ei Dulay and supported by Bulacan sports patron Malolos City Mayor Christian “Agila” Natividad.

“It’s a strong message for our determination to win this prestigious grassroots basketball program in SJDM City and we are looking forward to it,” ASDL coach Samonte said, acknowledging the full support of team owner and institution head Edna Dema-Ala. In the men’s division, Colegio de San Gabriel beat Sapang Palay National High School ,70-50 for its initial victory.

Sports

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

A8 THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

Sumayao asks football fans to be patient

By Peter Atencio ORGANIZERS are taking on the challenge of forming a new clubleague football tournament.

Introducing changes can’t be done overnight following the launch of the Philippine Premier League.

That is why PPL commissioner Bernie Sumayao is asking fans for some patience and time to make things happen.

“This is not done overnight. There are a lot of challenges,” said Sumayao during yesterday’s launch at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati.

The PPL, which replaced the Philippines Football League, is seeking an increase of participants from six to eight teams when action kicks off in late March.

Sumayao believes that with an increase in participation, they hope to have not just a first division level of competition, but the inclusion of a second division as well.

“We believe this is a new dawn for Pinoy club football,” added Sumayao, who talked about the changes in the presence of Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta.

Sumayao believes that many factors will make things happen for the PPL. This includes the involvement of sponsors, and the introduction and inclusion of local government units which have football in their sports programs.

As of the moment, there are 11 clubs which have signified an interest in joining, which has exceed the target is to have eight clubs participating for this year.

These included PFL League champion Ceres Negros, Copa Paulino Alcantara holders Kaya-Iloilo, Stallion Laguna, and Green Archers United Globe.

While Philippine Air Force is also likely to join, the lineup of clubs is still being finalized.

The changes in club-level football competition took place following the withdrawal of the Davao FC Aguilas late last year.

Among these changes includes efforts to do away with a franchise scheme.

Here, teams will instead pay an annual registration fee that will be a fraction of the cost from the last two years.

Then, there’s the triple round-robin format.

Games will not be purely homeand-away, and there will be matches played in 3-4 grounds in and around Metro Manila.

New generation of Azkals ready to take over A YOUNGER generation of players will soon see action for the Philippine Azkals national men’s football team.

Philippine Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta said this following the end of the Azkals’ campaign in the recent Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 2019 in the United Arab Emirates.

“We have interests from new players who want to play,” said Araneta.

The Asian section of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification will act as qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and it will be held in Qatar.

And this is for national teams which are members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

The qualification process will involve four rounds, where the first two will double as the qualification for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. A series of qualifying matches will begin on Sept. 3.

Araneta said the PFF puts importance in the experience gained by the Philippine Azkals when they fought against strong teams in AFC Asian Cup 2019.

He noted that the Azkals played against powerhouse squads China, Korea and Kyrgyzstan, and they did not lose by a big margin.

“It was a very encouraging performance for the national team because we have shown that we can compete against the best in Asia,” said Araneta. Peter Atencio

Phoenix Pulse Fuelmasters guard Matthew Wright (35) soars to attempt a layup against the Columbian Dyip while teammate LA Revilla looks on. PBA Media

Fuelmasters stop Dyip to grab solo leadership

By Jeric Lopez

F

IRE continued to burn for Phoenix.

The Fuelmasters sustained their hot start as they methodically cut down Columbian Dyip, 108-98, to gain solo leadership as they stayed unbeaten in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

Matthew Wright assumed his role as the Phoenix’s top gun, scoring a game-high 22 points while getting a lot of support from Jason Perkins and Calvin Abueva.

Perkins listed a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds while Abueva nearly had the same output, tallying 16 markers and nine boards.

The Fuel Masters notched their third straight win in as many starts to hold the sole leadership with their 3-0 mark while the Dyip experiened its first taste of defeat

this conference, falling to 1-1.

Phoenix’s urge to send the Dyip back to earth was evident right from the get-go.

After gaining some leverage at the end of one, the Fuel Masters carried on and built a sizeable double-digit lead, 46-31, with over three minutes left in the first half after a Doug Kramer lay-up.

While Columbian trimmed the gap to 5347 for Phoenix at the turn, the Fuel Masters refueled for a stronger second half.

Phoenix grinded and won an early ex-

change in the third, restoring its twin-digit advantage, 76-60, after converted free throws from Dave Marcelo at the 4:53 mark.

There was no looking back from there for the Fuel Masters as they closed out the game and outdueled Dyip the rest of the way.

It was practically a cruise for Phoenix, more or less, as Columbian failed to complete a significant run to keep itself in the game.

Rookie JP Calvo led Columbian with a team-high 18 points.

The scores: Phoenix 108—Wright 22, Abueva 16, Perkins 14, Intal 13, Revilla 12, Kramer 8, Marcelo 7, Jazul 6, Chua 4, Mendoza 2, Napoles 2, Dennison 2, Mallari 0.

Columbian 98—Calvo 18, Camson 13, Corpuz 13, McCarthy 10, Perez 10, Reyes 9, Celda 9, Escoto 8, Khobuntin 6, Agovida 2, Cahilig 0, Cabrera 0, Tabi 0.

Quarter scores: 24-14, 53-47, 82-72, 108-98.

Westbrook powers Thunder past Trail Blazers LOS ANGELES, United States—Russell Westbrook bagged his 14th triple double of the season as the Oklahoma City Thunder overpowered Western Conference rivals the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.

Westbrook finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists—to reach double digits in three key statistical categories±while teammate Paul George led the scoring with 36 points in a 123114 victory at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The win saw the Thunder improve to 29-18, tightening their grip on third place in the West ahead of fourth-placed Portland, who slipped to 29-20 with the defeat.

While Westbrook and George led the Thunder’s scoring, they received support throughout the lineup, with every starter posting double-digits.

New Zealand’s Steven Adams and shooting guard Terrance Ferguson had 14 points apiece while Jerami Grant had 11 points. Dennis Schroder added 13 off the bench in his 22 minutes on court.

“It’s very important to get everyone involved,” Westbrook said. “We’ve got so many guys in this team that are talented. We try to get everyone involved and into the game.”

The burden of Portland’s scoring was once again shouldered by Damian Lillard, who had 34 points. C.J. McCollum added 31 points while Bosnian international Jusuf Nurkic added 22 points.

In the Eastern Conference on Tues-

day, Toronto bagged their 36th win of the season with a 120-105 defeat of the Sacramento Kings at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena despite resting star Kawhi Leonard.

The Kings, who fell to 24-24 after the loss, jolted the home crowd after taking a 34-29 first-quarter lead.

But the Raptors clicked into gear in the second quarter to build a four-point lead at half-time which held onto after the interval.

Point guard Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet had 19 points each, while teammate Pascal Siakam

once again impressed with 18 points.

Center Serge Ibaka again had a monster night, snagging 10 rebounds while chipping in with 15 points.

Toronto ace Leonard, meanwhile, is expected to be rested once again when the Raptors face the Pacers in Indianapolis before coming back to the starting lineup for Friday’s test against Houston.

“It was just a chance to get him some extended rest. We’re sitting him out this backto-back and he’s definitely gonna play Friday in Houston,” Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said of Leonard.

AFP

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) attacks the basket against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. AFP

Baby Falcons survive late rally by UST Tiger Cubs THE Adamson Baby Falcons weathered a late rally to put away the University of Santo Tomas Tiger Cubs, 69-67, yesterday at the FilOilFlying V Sports Center in San Juan.

Jose Sabandal topscored for 23 points for the Baby Falcons as they registered their seventh win 11 games in the 81st University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) junior basketball tournament.

Adam Doria added 10 with Lorenz Capulong to help keep the Baby Falcons in the hunt for a Final Four semifinals seat.

Doria’s triple in the last 3:44 may have handed the Baby Falcons a comfortable 11-point edge down the stretch, 69-58.

But foul trouble, and the big plays of Mark Nonoy, Philip Benzonan and John Bismarck Lina allowed the Tiger Cubs to come up with a big rally.

A 7-0 run touched off by Benzonan’s jumper off Nonoy’s defensive rebound allowed the Tigers Cubs to move within five points, 64-69.

It got scarier when Baby Falcons cager Lorenz Capulong missed two charities in the last five seconds.

But the Baby Falcons managed to win back the ball and waste the time away after Benzonan unloaded a trey that allowed UST to threaten by two in the remaining four seconds.

Nonoy had 27 points for UST, which fell behind at 5-6.

Earlier, Xyrus Torres banged in 24 points for the Far Eastern University-Diliman Baby Tamaraws in their 99-82 smothering of the University of the East Junior Warriors.

Brian Sajonia chipped in 22 points for the Baby Tams, who stayed in second spot at 8-3. Peter Atencio The scores: First Game FEU 99—Torres 24, Sajonia 22, Abarrientos 15, Barasi 10, Bautista J. 9, Balaga 8, Tolentino 5, Ona 2, Alforque 2, Bradley 2, Anonuevo 0, Armendez 0, Bautista S. 0, Bagunu 0, Libago 0, Sicat 0.

UE 82—Dichoso 31, Sullano 19, Flores 14, Alinsoring 5, Agbas 5, Almacen 4, Tan 2, Tajonera 2, Gatdula 0, Lima 0, Santos 0, Villarta 0.

Quarter scores: 28-13, 52-31, 7157, 99-82.

Navotas Clutch outlasts Batangas in double overtime game NAVOTAS needed two overtime periods and 50 minutes of gruelling time before preserving a tough 101-98 victory over inaugural staging champion Batangas City and keeping itself right on target for a playoff hunt in the MPBL Datu Cup at the San Andes Gym in Manila Tuesday night.

Jai Reyes and Marlon Gomez each tallied 22 points apiece, powering the Clutch to their ninth win in 20 games and keeping a hold of the No. 7 spot in the tough northern division of this tournament put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend and former MVP Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner.

Reyes, a former pro, finished in double-double as he

also dished out 13 assists. More than making everybody look good, the cerebral guard as also stepped up big in offense when needed as he unleashed five crucial points in the second overtime.

Up against two of the best guards in the tournament, Reyes, a veteran sentinel, made sure he brought out his A-game.

He finished with 22 points, including five in the second overtime period. His triple in the 1:26 mark of the second overtime period gave the Clutch a 99-94 lead.

Reyes was able to get the better end of his match up with his counterparts from Batangas City – Jeff Viernes and Lester Alvarez.

“I’ve been playing against Lester ever since during

our days in the UAAP. Si Jeff Viernes naman, we were rivals last conference sa D-League. When you’re going up against two of the best guards in the league, the mentality is always bring your best game,” added Reyes.

Gomez, picked up by Navotas in a trade with Levy Hernandez this season, finished a rebound away from posting a double-double showing.

Manila weathered a late uprising from Pasig before pulling off a 111-98 triumph in the other game.

Marcy Arellano played his best game ever in a Manila uniform as he finished with 17 points and 15 assists, towing the Stars to their 17th win in 21 games and temporarily gained solo second spot in the northern division.

IN BRIEF

European chamber bullish on economy EUROPEAN businessmen said Wednesday they are optimistic about the Philippine economy this year.

“In 2019, the ingredients to a better economy are all there, but we must still observe cautious optimism. This should prevail. The Philippines needs to cultivate good relationship with the EU [European Union] and maintain their strong trading relationship,” newly elected European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines president Nabil Francis said in a news briefing Wednesday.

Francis said 2018 was a year of challenges for the Philippines with a number of headwinds that affected the trade and investments climate.

“We remain very optimistic about the Philippines. It still has this huge potential to grow. Demography is a main potential which is a big strength for the Philippines.

This is very encouraging news,” Francis, who is also the president and chief executive of Republic Cement, said.

He said local cement stakeholders were supporting the Trade Department’s decision to impose safeguard measures on imported cement. “Today, importers are capturing 15 percent of the market. This is putting in jeopardy a lot of job positions in the Philippines. Quite frankly, we have here abundant reserves in limestones. We need to manufacture our own cement here in the Philippines,” he said. Othel V. Campos

Bangsamoro region to spur growth—Neda THE National Economic and Development Authority said the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region will spur growth in the region and contribute to the expansion of the national economy.

The first part of the plebiscite in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Cotabato City and Isabela City took place on Jan. 21. It will be followed by another plebiscite on Feb. 6 in Lanao del Norte, except Iligan City, and North Cotabato, as well as local government units that petitioned for inclusion.

Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said Wednesday the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law through a plebiscite and the creation of BAR would increase investments in the region.

“Given that the BOL provides a lot of opportunities to increase the budget for BAR, we expect to see more programs and infrastructure projects in the region,” Pernia said.

An estimated P70 billion for the fiscal year of 2019 alone will be provided by the national government as an assistance to the region.

Pernia said the planned major infrastructure projects in the region would cost P22.15 billion in 2019. Julito G. Rada

Business

PAL says no final agreement with strategic investor

By Darwin G. Amojelar PHILIPPINE Airlines said Wednesday it has yet to finalize a definite agreement with a new strategic investor.

“PAL has always been open to the possibility of a strategic investor. As of date, there is no definite agreement between PAL and any investor,” PAL Holdings Inc. told the stock exchange.

A report from Nikkei stated that ANA Holdings of Japan was set to acquire a 10-percent stake in PAL for $90 million. PAL has code share agreements with ANA over flights between the Philippines and Japan.

“PAL plans to establish itself as a world-class airline, but said goal does not necessarily involve the entry of any investor,” the Philippine flag carrier said.

PAL improved its rating internationally last year, even without the support of an investor.

PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista said earlier the company was expecting to close a deal with a strategic investor in the first half of the year.

PAL tapped Morgan Stanley as financial advisor for the transaction.

PAL Holdings earlier reported a net loss of P3.29 billion in January to September of 2018, wider than the P2.31 billion in losses in the same period in 2017.

Total revenues in January to September amounted to P112.07 billion, or 16 percent higher than P96.58 billion in the same period in 2017.

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

B1

Agriculture production grew just 0.56% in 2018

By Othel V. Campos

A

GRICULTURE and fishery production, which accounts for less than a fifth of the gross domestic product, grew by 0.56 percent in 2018, slower than the 4-percent expansion in 2017, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show.

The PSA said the sector expanded 1.8 percent in the fourth quarter, following a 0.8-percent contraction in the third quarter. The latest figure is expected to lift the gross domestic product growth in the fourth quarter.

The PSA revised downward the thirdquarter gross domestic product growth to

6 percent from an earlier estimate of 6.1 percent. It will release the fourth-quarter and full-year GDP data Thursday.

“Agriculture grew by 1.80 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018. Crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries contributed to the higher production during the quarter,” the PSA said.

Data showed that poultry posted the fastest growth of 5.75 percent among the four sub-sectors in 2018. Livestock grew 1.89 percent. Crop production fell 1 percent, while fisheries sank 1.13 percent.

The PSA said that at current prices, the gross value of agricultural production reached P1.82 trillion in 2019, up by 6.2 percent from P1.71 trillion in 2017.

Figures in the fourth quarter of 2018 showed that all sub-sectors including crops, livestock, poultry and fisheries contributed to the higher production during the period.

Crops production slightly increased 0.25 percent, accounting for 50.4 percent of the total agricultural output, despite a slight decrease in palay produc-

tion by 2.20 percent. Corn production increased 10.82 percent.

Increases in production were registered by coconut, banana, pineapple, coffee, mango, tobacco, abaca, mongo, tomato, onion, cabbage and rubber.

Livestock registered a 1.64-percent increase in October to December. It contributed 17.74 percent to the total agricultural production in the final three months of 2018.

Meanwhile, poultry production expanded 7 percent in the fourth quarter, accounting for 16.18 percent to the total agricultural output.

Fisheries production went up 1.93 percent in the fourth quarter, but was not enough to cover for the full-year decline of 1.13 percent.

The PSA said the average farm gate prices improved 2.22 percent in the fourth quarter. Price increments were noted for crops at 1.94 percent, livestock at 5.69 percent and fisheries at 7.80 percent. Poultry recorded an average price drop of 4.91 percent.

Nuclear power policy set to be issued soon

THE Energy Department is hoping that President Rodrigo Duterte will soon sign the executive order for a national policy on nuclear power development.

“It’s near. We were talking about the national position, because the other agencies are now interacting. We are looking at an expanded NEPIO [Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organization],” Energy Undersecretary Donato Marcos said.

The DOE-NEPIO was created by virtue of Department Order DO-2016-10-0013 and was tasked to produce a comprehensive study and prepare national infrastructure for the first nuclear power plant.

The EO will expand the NEPIO to include other government agencies such as Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

“The draft EO is being farmed out by Malacañang to other agencies, so the EO is moving along,” Marcos said.

Marcos said the Energy Department would take the lead under the expanded NEPIO. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi also said the Philippines would need a legal framework to proceed with the nuclear power program. Alena Mae S. Flores

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

ROXACO-ANYA DEAL. Roxaco-Asia Hospitality Corp., a subsidiary of Roxaco Land Corp., engages Anya Hospitality Group to operate and manage its five properties with a total of 967 rooms under the Go Hotels franchise in Metro Manila. The five branches are located in North Edsa, Timog and Cubao, Quezon City; Ermita in Manila and Quirino Ave. in Parañaque City. Shown are (from left) Roxas and Co. Inc. assistant vice president for business development, strategic planning and communications JJ Montinola, Roxaco Land president and chief executive Santiago Elizalde, Anya Hospitality Group managing director and chief operating officer Alfredo Roca and Roxaco-Asia Hospitality area operations manager Don Manaloto.

DoE asks Tanglawan to bankroll LNG project in 6 months

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Department on Wednesday asked Tanglawan Philippine LNG Inc. to comply with the conditions of the notice to proceed with its $2-billion liquefied natural gas project within six months.

“There is a provision [in the NTP] that there are still papers still to be submitted. One of the big milestones there is their seriousness to put up a 1,100-megawatt power plant of gas,” Energy Undersecretary Donato Marcos said.

Tanglawan, a joint venture of Phoenix Petroleum and China National Offshore Oil Corp., secured the NTP to build an LNG terminal in Batangas costing $686 million for the regasification terminal and a power plant worth

$1.3 billion.

Tanglawan plans to break ground this year for the LNG regasification and receiving terminal with a capacity of 2.2 metric tons per annum. Commercial operations are expected to start by 2023.

“They have to do all submissions already. They have six months. The ball is in their hands,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

Requirements for the next six months include permits from other government agencies, environmental compliance certificate, LGU endorsement, financial closing and others.

Marcos said Tanglawan would also need to look for an offtaker of its power plant.

“They have to coordinate [with Manila Electric Co.]. Otherwise, the

market or the commercial viability of the project will not push through,” he said.

Marcos said Tanglawan would have the option to sell LNG to commercial and industrial establishments and later to household and transport sectors.

“We always issue third party access permit…If some party will need it, you should sell to them also,” he said.

Meanwhile, Marcos said the applications of Excelerate Energy L.P., a USbased LNG company and FGen LNG Corp. (FGEN LNG), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lopez-led First Gen Corp., were still pending with DoE for evaluation.

He said the two applicants might be given an NTP “if the market that they will declare is not an overlap to the market of the other one.”

Avid president Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo

Importers group reports 17% decline in auto sales

THE Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors said Wednesday its members sold 88,700 vehicles in 2018, down 17 percent from 106,285 units sold in 2017, after high inflation rate, rising borrowing costs, soaring oil prices and tax hikes impacted demand.

“Full year 2018 Avid sales recorded 88,700 units sold amidst unfavorable economic conditions. With new product launches and economic pressures seen abating moving forward, Avid expects that the industry will recover from the sales slump in 2019,” said Avid president Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo.

Two other industry groups―the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association― earlier said combined sales slumped 16 percent in 2018 to 357,410 units from a record 425,673 vehicles sold in 2017.

Avid said the passenger cars segment, accounting for 35 percent of the total, declined 22 percent in 2018 to 30,960 units. Hyundai’s led the segment with full-year 2018 sales of 19,905 units.

The light commercial vehicles segment reported a sales drop of 14 percent, bringing the full-year sales tally to 57,027 units, down from 66,564 units in 2017.

Ford, which sold 22,946 units, ended the year as the best-selling brand in the segment.

Represented by JAC Automobile Int’l Philippines Inc., Avid’s commercial vehicle segment sold 713 units in 2018.

The Philippine economy grew 6.3 percent in the first three quarters of 2018, slower than 6.8 percent in 2017.

Avid said the 6.3-percent growth was still among the fastest in the East Asia and Pacific region.

Avid said it remained optimistic the local automotive would continue to rebound from a dismal performance in 2018.

“For this year, inflation may ease back to the two to four percent target based on the Central Bank’s assessment. In fact, inflation slowed to seven-month low at 5.1 percent in December 2018 as the liberalized importation of key commodities and aggressive monetary tightening took effect,” the group said.

Avid said it was expecting the industry to grow 10 percent in 2019.

Othel V. Campos

Medical City directors face estafa charges SEVERAL directors of Professional Services Inc., the management firm of The Medical City, including board chairman Jose Xavier Gonzales, Australian national Martin Eric Robinson and Singaporean Parvesh Ashok Fabiani, face criminal indictments for estafa related to alleged fraudulent acquisitions of the company’s stock going back to 2013.

The indictments were filed by the Office of the City Prosecutor of Pasig City against the individual directors of New Regency Corp., Fountel Corp. and Felicitas Antoinette Inc., companies owned by Gonzales, as well representatives of Singapore firm Viva Holdings, an affiliate of the Clermont Group.

Gonzales, together with five of his co-defendants, was arraigned recently at the Pasig City Regional Trial Court and was released on bail. Arraignment of the remaining two Philippine defendants is scheduled for March as one is in poor health and the other is currently

out of the country.

Robinson and Fabiani are based in Singapore.

Criminal charge documents state that “it is apparent that all the elements of the crime of estafa by means of deceit are present.” The defendants, “conspiring and federating with each other and all of them mutually helping and aiding one another, under a common design of scheme, did then and there willfully, unlawfully and feloniously defrauded” the complainants, the complaints stated.

The criminal indictment for estafa alleged that Gonzales and the others charged “acting together and in concert, devised a fraudulent and nefarious scheme to gain control of Professional Services Inc.” Having examined the evidence on record, the Pasig City OCP concluded that “there is reasonable ground to believe that the crime has been committed and that the accused are probably guilty thereof.”

SOOSAN BAGS MALAYA DEAL. The board of Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. awards a one-year service contract for the operation and maintenance of the 650-megawatt Malaya Thermal Power Plant to Korean company Soosan ENS Co. Ltd. At the contract signing ceremony are Soosan ENS vice president Park Byung Ju (seated left) and PSALM president and chief executive Irene Joy BesidoGarcia.

B2

Business

THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks fall slightly; Jollibee slips T HE stock market declined Wednesday on fears of a global economic slowdown and the lingering US-China trade spat.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slipped 19.02 points, or 0.2 percent, to 7,989.65 on a value turnover of P6.7 billion. Losers beat gainers, 120 to 77, with 57 issues unchanged.

Jollibee Foods Corp., the biggest fastfood chain, fell 2.5 percent to P317, while Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., which is into power generation and distribution, banking, consumer goods and infrastructure, dropped 1.5 percent to P65.

Bank of the Philippine Islands, the

third-largest lender in terms of assets, lost 2 percent to P90.90, but Premiere Horizon Alliance Corp., which is into property development and mining, jumped 50 percent to P0.90 The rest of Asian markets fluctuated Wednesday following a negative lead from Wall Street as investors grow nervous about the chances of success in China-US trade talks ahead of a crunch meeting next week.

Hong Kong was up 0.1 percent in the afternoon having swung back and forth through the day, while Shanghai closed 0.1 percent higher and Tokyo ended slightly down.

Sydney was down 0.3 percent while Singapore shed 0.5 percent and Seoul added 0.5 percent. Wellington and Taipei were lower while Mumbai Bangkok and Jakarta inched up.

The mood remains cautious, with the rally that has characterized the

start of the year stuttering owing to a slowing Chinese economy, a softer global outlook and other issues including Brexit and the US government shutdown, which shows no sign of ending soon.

US investors turned sellers on Tuesday after the Financial Times and CNBC said Washington had rejected Beijing’s offer of preparatory discussions ahead of the next round of high-level negotiations.

And while the White House denied the reports, observers said they highlighted the fragility of the talks.

They also came a day after Bloomberg News said the two sides were struggling to reach agreement on the crucial matter of intellectual property, a key source of US anger.

Hopes that China and the US were on the right track have helped rally global markets in January, having suffered a torrid 2018.

But data showing China’s economy grew at its weakest pace in three decades added to fears it is heading for a hard landing, while Xi Jinping also showed signs of worrying about the effects of a slowdown in a speech to top provincial leaders this week.

“Investors obviously are still a little bit edgy and therefore we would expect periods of volatility to continue,” Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide Funds Group, said.

“As the headlines continue to get more nerve-wracking with regards to a global slowdown and trade wars and government shutdowns, it’s easy to spook investors, but we think those are temporary versus permanent.”

Oil prices were slightly higher after taking a hit Tuesday on lingering worries about the effect of a slowdown in the global economy, and particularly China, on demand. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2019

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

58.5 90.95 2.28 131.2 1.48 28 5.8 16.2 12.56 4.6 7.55 1.45 0.465 82.2 1 12.04 19 45.5 179.5 59.7 27.2 174.1 1,795 64.55 1.14

58.5 92.5 2.28 132.9 1.65 28.05 7.59 16.2 12.56 4.67 7.55 1.45 0.465 82.65 1.01 12.08 19.1 45.5 180 59.85 27.2 175.2 1,795 65 1.14

58.5 90.7 2.25 129.9 1.45 27.75 5.8 16.2 12.36 4.59 7.55 1.42 0.44 81.2 0.95 12.04 19 44.8 179.4 59.7 26.9 174.1 1,790 64.5 1.14

FINANCIALS 58.5 220 90.9 1,376,230 2.25 90,000 132.9 976,220 1.63 1,800,000 28.05 435,800 7.59 200 16.2 1,100 12.4 170,400 4.67 84,000 7.55 1,000 1.42 21,000 0.44 930,000 82.65 1,423,190 0.95 1,786,000 12.06 2,800 19.1 488,300 45 112,500 179.4 440 59.75 8,710 27 48,700 175 400,850 1,790 20 64.55 10,290 1.14 62,000

12,870 125,120,842.50 203,450 128,954,795 2,819,790 12,202,890 1,339 17,820 2,119,234 387,290 7,550 29,850 409,900 116,730,829 1,719,100 33,772 9,326,380 5,066,485 78,983 520,747 1,313,785 69,900,898 35,875 664,026 70,680

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

36.5 16.3 1.11 1.37 0.239 91 2.39 15.58 31.3 16.3 41.4 1.8 6.36 6.4 11.76 15.6 8.6 7.43 1.55 19.6 75.9 28.8 2.2 6.2 11.8 1.8 324.4 49.95 4.31 3.15 10.56 27.45 12.3 17.66 371.8 0.179 5.85 1.43 3.73 7.76 6.87 9.08 1.23 10.84 47 5.85 4.7 1.87 1.48 12.2 93 6.3 0.125 0.9 143.8 2.39 2.05 1.61

37 16.46 1.11 1.4 0.248 91 2.39 15.66 31.3 16.3 41.45 1.8 6.36 6.69 11.76 15.76 8.68 7.55 1.55 20.35 76.35 28.8 2.2 6.24 12.42 1.8 324.4 50 4.31 3.15 10.56 27.45 12.4 18 375.2 0.179 5.85 1.44 3.76 7.82 6.93 9.08 1.31 10.96 47.25 5.85 4.73 1.87 1.49 12.2 93.1 6.39 0.125 0.91 144.5 2.4 2.06 1.62

36.05 16.22 1.07 1.35 0.239 91 2.29 15.08 30.85 16.3 41 1.75 6.29 6.35 11.58 15.48 8.49 7.3 1.55 19.5 74 27.05 2.09 6.18 11.62 1.76 316.2 49.95 4.3 3.15 10.02 26.9 12.02 17.5 368 0.179 5.85 1.35 3.72 7.76 6.66 9.08 1.23 10.8 46.25 5.8 4.7 1.83 1.48 11.9 90 6.2 0.125 0.88 140 2.32 1.99 1.55

INDUSTRIAL 37 903,100 16.3 363,000 1.08 1,802,000 1.4 893,000 0.244 330,000 91 10 2.38 15,913,000 15.66 46,800 31.3 101,600 16.3 200 41.4 181,700 1.75 56,000 6.3 82,600 6.4 24,300 11.58 1,416,000 15.7 326,000 8.55 996,900 7.3 1,463,100 1.55 78,000 20.3 2,321,800 75.5 148,920 27.05 18,100 2.15 8,333,000 6.18 489,700 12.34 680,500 1.77 190,000 317 422,300 50 620 4.3 9,000 3.15 12,000 10.56 4,500 27.05 522,300 12.16 692,000 18 8,801,500 375 176,420 0.179 10,000 5.85 300 1.4 9,046,000 3.76 10,000 7.8 1,216,500 6.69 577,300 9.08 100 1.29 38,768,000 10.94 69,300 46.4 1,014,000 5.8 19,500 4.73 88,000 1.85 147,000 1.48 24,000 12 1,469,000 93.1 390,620 6.38 352,300 0.125 20,000 0.88 63,000 144.5 736,000 2.33 229,000 2.03 4,193,000 1.57 3,391,000

32,968,415 5,925,152 1,952,200 1,213,690 79,440 910 37,328,970 722,422 3,171,705 3,260 7,524,705 98,930 521,236 157,236 16,480,582 5,066,306 8,545,327 10,917,084 120,900 46,727,926 11,257,304 502,885 17,804,250 3,032,385 8,195,154 336,620 134,524,508 30,999 38,730 37,800 46,720 14,152,225 8,407,144 156,569,050 65,541,780 1,790 1,755 12,671,190 37,330 9,479,060 3,889,890 908 49,713,550 753,586 47,071,685 113,105 415,670 269,950 35,550 17,647,596 35,932,235 2,195,776 2,500 56,340 105,868,187 536,320 8,470,120 5,372,190

-5,379,485 614,698.00 -56,050 260,940 429,526 -956,865 446,970 14,600 -70,540 -8,125,056 -469,650 -300,433 -8,022,776 25,184,528 1,583,952 196,620 1,570,080 -106,572 -22,717,836 10,400 -1,244,150 158,200 42,863,456 -3,562,860 -545,975 -20,310 -30,490,490 -21,300,845 302,750 -7,169,624 7,434,186.50 638 19,440,403 -134,370 17,060

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANGLO PHIL HLDG ANSCOR ASIABEST GROUP ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B AYALA CORP COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FJ PRINCE A GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV MJC INVESTMENTS PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA PRIME ORION SAN MIGUEL CORP SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.65 64.7 14.14 0.79 6.55 27.5 1.56 1.56 904 7.48 11.92 12.72 4.9 1,035 5.92 66.2 5.5 0.6 5.75 14.76 0.61 4.9 2.57 0.036 1.15 2.48 168 966.5 0.84 1.42 470 269.8 0.26 0.227

0.69 65 14.3 0.79 6.55 27.9 1.56 1.56 909 7.49 12.18 12.94 4.9 1,039 6.15 66.8 5.5 0.64 5.75 15.1 0.62 4.92 2.57 0.039 1.25 2.5 168.9 976 0.84 1.43 470 270 0.26 0.227

0.64 64 14 0.77 6.55 26.2 1.43 1.47 903 7.4 11.84 12.48 4.9 1,005 5.92 64.65 5.5 0.57 5.43 14.76 0.6 4.83 2.57 0.036 1.15 2.45 165.5 954 0.75 1.4 465 269 0.249 0.227

HOLDING FIRMS 0.69 30,359,000 65 1,174,140 14.2 11,284,300 0.79 31,000 6.55 100 26.85 47,300 1.43 34,512,000 1.47 5,880,000 906 582,740 7.42 936,200 12.18 3,132,900 12.6 910,100 4.9 1,000 1,039 61,890 5.93 8,400 66.8 1,312,020 5.5 1,100 0.62 1,164,000 5.46 3,663,200 15 1,931,100 0.61 2,911,000 4.86 18,387,000 2.57 5,000 0.039 28,700,000 1.24 668,000 2.46 443,000 168.9 666,730 976 161,350 0.79 282,000 1.42 25,000 465 190 270 2,250 0.249 2,620,000 0.227 50,000

20,270,830 75,648,919.50 159,894,900 24,190 655 1,270,740 51,010,460 8,805,210 527,962,970 6,967,362 37,591,544 11,528,140 4,900 63,608,135 49,779 86,677,200.50 6,050 681,470 20,180,090 28,945,642 1,750,630 89,291,670 12,850 1,094,800 818,660 1,091,730 111,318,448 155,842,285 216,960 35,210 89,000 606,956 654,070 11,350

91,140 -3,474,961 79,796,228 2,645 4,840,430 -279,130,830 384,245 -1,489,924 -5,987,662 22,881,180 615 22,668,606 200,916 -5,969,750 -122,000 -18,562,710 -11,700 -35,562,036 -20,078,815 -54,036 -

3,866,316 624,440 142,550 3,364,230 489,911,525 11,091,020 1,791,090 1,020,911 2,419,450 67,200 54,500 6,406,000 127,300 3,331,142 16,563,180 79,400 4,640 40,156,130 535,470 4,800 192,453,579 5,633,000 78,300 16,442,900

-28,799 20,500 58,167,315 -152,800 906,656 4,450 321,034 3,395,845 -5,946,250 152,991,412 -20,400 -112,480

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

8.78 0.82 1.7 0.89 44.05 2.66 4.19 6.3 0.45 0.8 0.9 0.243 0.385 8.76 20.7 0.495 0.116 1.56 1.19 4.8 5.25 0.435 0.46 2.23

8.78 0.83 1.7 0.92 44.5 2.74 4.25 6.4 0.45 0.8 0.9 0.243 0.39 8.76 20.95 0.5 0.116 1.58 1.21 4.8 5.27 0.435 0.465 2.25

8.7 0.81 1.66 0.89 43.85 2.5 4.18 6.2 0.44 0.8 0.87 0.232 0.385 8.38 20.2 0.495 0.116 1.53 1.18 4.8 5.22 0.42 0.46 2.18

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

NAME

-20,852,045.50 5,733,673 -9,579,315 -336,258 -4,530 23,652,997 -3,371,435 1,800 -2,387.50 555,920 27,935,586 -366,373.50 -

NAME

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP PTFC REDEV CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS VISTA LAND

0.41 3.26 39 22.8 1.99 3.13 39.05 1.38 6.41 5.97

0.42 3.26 39.05 23.05 2.02 3.13 39.7 1.38 6.41 5.97

0.405 3.19 39 22.7 1.99 3.12 38.65 1.33 6.05 5.84

0.42 3.22 39.05 23.05 1.99 3.13 39.7 1.38 6.08 5.86

670,000 332,000 1,700 1,668,800 67,000 14,000 8,835,400 319,000 585,800 2,655,800

275,800 1,067,390 66,330 38,034,235 134,820 43,800 347,145,880 433,040 3,602,863 15,615,659

-173,400 4,430,640 -24,000 34,430 166,400,960 2,497 -6,014,781

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

13.92 24.35 1.35 0.455 0.041 15 3.25 10.34 0.053 82.4 6.63 7.3 2.1 16 2,088 5.88 340 3.03 1.87 105.5 11.16 7.25 0.13 6.15 3.15 14.9 3.25 0.81 17.46 0.35 4.95 2.7 2.07 2.03 3.66 9.6 9.75 3.5 121 3.13 1,241 0.93 0.9 44.9 84 7.8 2.4 0.76 0.44 5.47 0.73 13.22

13.92 24.35 1.35 0.465 0.041 15 3.25 10.34 0.056 83 6.64 7.3 2.1 16 2,110 5.9 340 3.07 1.87 107.4 11.16 7.25 0.13 6.15 3.2 15 3.3 0.81 17.7 0.38 5.09 2.7 2.12 2.03 3.66 9.6 13 3.69 121 3.13 1,253 0.93 0.9 44.9 84.85 8.93 2.44 0.77 0.445 5.52 0.73 13.3

13.84 23.65 1.35 0.45 0.04 15 3.1 10.14 0.053 81.8 6.6 7.1 2.1 15.2 2,060 5.72 331 2.97 1.85 105.5 11.16 7.25 0.125 6.01 3.15 14.9 3.22 0.8 17.46 0.35 4.94 2.66 2.03 2.03 3.53 9.55 9.75 3.47 117 3.06 1,230 0.9 0.75 44 82.05 7.8 2.34 0.75 0.435 5.47 0.71 13

SERVICES 13.9 23.7 1.35 0.46 0.041 15 3.13 10.2 0.055 82.8 6.61 7.11 2.1 15.42 2,100 5.8 338 3.03 1.85 107 11.16 7.25 0.125 6.03 3.15 14.98 3.24 0.8 17.7 0.38 5.09 2.7 2.1 2.03 3.57 9.55 12.74 3.69 117 3.1 1,253 0.9 0.9 44.5 84 8.62 2.34 0.76 0.445 5.51 0.73 13

49,300 133,700 23,000 4,150,000 14,500,000 100 1,265,000 5,656,000 27,450,000 826,150 1,215,000 14,700 7,000 254,700 55,630 212,400 1,800 1,986,000 6,000 685,100 600 1,000 6,180,000 2,486,400 58,000 6,300 515,000 110,000 320,700 250,000 38,200 1,094,000 198,000 20,000 3,446,000 14,800 1,502,700 3,000 2,940 1,308,000 92,170 6,390,000 512,481,000 2,717,200 97,200 4,872,600 3,566,000 2,270,000 6,480,000 722,200 3,291,000 2,493,400

684,882 3,200,255 31,050 1,907,350 583,400 1,500 3,994,300 57,756,228 1,504,170 68,380,105 8,030,350 104,911 14,700 3,937,812 116,695,010 1,237,516 607,780 6,011,100 11,120 73,186,956 6,696 7,250 776,340 15,037,988 183,200 94,280 1,672,240 88,200 5,641,644 88,600 188,788 2,937,810 409,290 40,600 12,318,860 141,590 17,989,663 10,660 346,721 4,050,490 114,673,545 5,780,250 431,415,460 120,649,960 8,102,123.50 40,643,925 8,469,630 1,718,600 2,852,900 3,973,246 2,356,130 32,639,060

-23,672 91,750 -1,861,872 -54,003,444 -26,520 2,187 12,560 54,685,660 -124,330 -15,569,897 -210,975 -3,150 45,460 1,198,472 1,079,140 -410,930 -223,904 -209,495 -1,751,940 57,475,805 482,050 2,183,240 -30,789,100 1,123,875.50 -700,000 603,760 203,650 -162,800 -226,707 1,566,606

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

0.0021 1.6 2.89 14.1 1.26 2.02 7.8 1.52 0.22 0.122 0.125 0.0071 1.18 2.53 1.02 0.64 1.01 0.013 0.013 0.012 3.8 4.21 15 24.5 0.0067

0.0021 1.61 3.19 14.86 1.26 2.02 7.83 1.52 0.221 0.122 0.125 0.0071 1.24 2.53 1.21 0.71 1.03 0.013 0.013 0.012 3.8 4.26 15.18 24.7 0.0072

0.0021 1.59 2.84 14 1.26 2.01 7.71 1.46 0.218 0.12 0.122 0.007 1.18 2.45 1.02 0.64 0.99 0.012 0.012 0.012 3.79 4.07 14.9 24.25 0.0065

MINING & OIL 0.0021 24,000,000 1.6 917,000 3.05 1,289,000 14.86 2,400 1.26 8,000 2.01 483,000 7.82 6,100 1.49 6,001,000 0.218 30,000 0.122 7,400,000 0.122 300,000 0.007 5,000,000 1.24 246,000 2.5 1,352,000 1.13 21,503,000 0.66 673,000 1 622,000 0.013 30,100,000 0.012 300,000 0.012 7,500,000 3.79 8,000 4.07 2,767,000 14.92 933,800 24.4 253,100 0.0072 15,000,000

50,400 1,464,250 3,810,750 33,696 10,080 973,660 47,516 8,913,900 6,590 890,380 36,810 35,400 299,670 3,362,070 22,702,800 471,570 623,120 383,000 3,700 90,000 30,380 11,460,070 13,999,868 6,176,580 99,600

2,100 -3,200 -7,560 905,390 1,149,220 21,000,000 -5,280 -2,400 795,390 -2,626,802 927,950 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2B PNX PREF 3B SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

20 470 497.4 100 97.2 102.5 489.4 5.76 900 96 1.02 100.8 1,020 105 971 75.25 76.75 74.2 74 73.35

20.3 472 497.6 100 98 102.5 489.4 5.77 900 96 1.02 100.8 1,020 105 971 75.25 76.75 74.8 74 73.35

19.4 470 497.4 100 97.1 102.5 489.4 5.73 900 96 1 100.5 1,020 105 971 75.25 76.75 74.05 74 73.35

PREFERRED 20 131,600 472 670 497.6 10,000 100 100 97.1 15,330 102.5 300 489.4 1,590 5.74 49,900 900 20 96 34,350 1 94,000 100.5 980 1,020 15 105 240 971 200 75.25 760 76.75 1,120 74.8 9,440 74 80 73.35 6,200

2,620,326 316,130 4,975,992 10,000 1,488,584 30,750 778,146 286,638 18,000 3,297,600 94,950 98,559 15,300 25,200 194,200 57,190 85,960 699,092 5,920 454,770

-1,643,246 286,638 9,600 10,100 50,250 -5,920 -

LR WARRANT

1.94

2

1.91

WARRANTS 1.91 270,000

518,280

-

MS

PROPERTY 8.75 0.82 1.7 0.92 44.1 2.5 4.25 6.39 0.44 0.8 0.9 0.233 0.385 8.48 20.4 0.495 0.116 1.53 1.18 4.8 5.25 0.425 0.465 2.24

442,600 762,000 84,000 3,697,000 11,115,000 4,272,000 423,000 159,900 5,440,000 84,000 61,000 27,220,000 330,000 385,500 810,100 160,000 40,000 26,032,000 452,000 1,000 36,665,700 13,230,000 170,000 7,433,000

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

OPEN

ITALPINAS XURPAS

5.05 1.48

5.1 1.5

4.96 1.38

FIRST METRO ETF

118.3

118.5

116.8

USD DMPL A1 USD TECH B2

10 1.01

10.38 1.01

10 1.01

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

10,230,120

INDUSTRIAL

109,647,104

HOLDING FIRMS

153,771,110

PROPERTY

174,362,771

SERVICES

623,424,290

MINING & OIL

128,380,043

GRAND TOTAL

1,216,460,356

4.96 1.38

SME

191,600 16,441,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 118.5 11,390 DDS 10.38 1.01

3,440 480

962,258 23,274,180

-715,040

1,336,223

-

35,494.40 484.8

-5,600 -

VALUE 1,805.43 (down) 3.81 477,758,776.65 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,618.43 (down) 41.75 902,847,848.518 HOLDING FIRMS 7,932.22 (down) 24.13 1,495,911,782.71 PROPERTY 3,985.28 (down) 15.94 SERVICES 1,546.41 (down) 4.30 1,310,745,848.54 MINING & OIL 8,698.33 (down) 78.13 2,372,276,941.43 PSEI 7,989.65 (down) 19.02 75,994,794.2321 All Shares Index 4,814.01 (up) 4.04 6,661,111,021.48 Gainers: 77; Losers: 120; Unchanged: 57; Total: 254

Puregold set to open 25 stores this year

By Jenniffer B. Austria

PUREGOLD Price Club Inc., the country’s second largest retailer owned by billionaire Lucio Co, will open 25 outlets this year as it pursues an aggressive expansion plan.

Puregold vice president for investor relations John Marson Hao said the company was also scheduled to open four S&R Membership warehouse stores this year.

Hao said the company would use proceeds from the recently-concluded P4.69-billion offering to fund the construction of new Puregold and S&R stores.

The company in the past several years has been opening 25 Puregold stores annually and successfully put up outlets in areas outside Metro Manila in a bid to sustain gross and net profit margins.

The Puregold group as of end September 2018 had a total of 397 stores nationwide. These include 345 Puregold stores, 16 S&R membership shopping warehouses and 36 S&R New York Style outlets.

Hao did not disclose the locations of the new Puregold stores. He said, though, that on S&R store will open this year each in Metro Manila and Southern Luzon and two outside Metro Manila.

The company also lined up two new S&R stores for opening by 2020.

Puregold last week successfully raised P4.69 billion through an overnight placement from 104 million shareholders at P45 per share. The company said it would use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, capital expenditure and potential acquisitions.

The sale share represents 3.8 percent of Puregold’s total issued and outstanding capital stock.

Puregold has also been aggressively acquiring grocery chains across the country.

Among the recently-acquired grocery chains were the nine-store NE Bodega supermarket in Nueva Ecija, the eight-store supermarket chain Budgetlane and five-store retailer B&W in Roxas City, Capiz.

The company’s expansion is geared toward new geographic locations and is aimed at the board mass market.

NLEX completes over 20 projects in 2 expressways

By Darwin G. Amojelar NLEX Corp. completed over 20 projects in both North Luzon Expressway and Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway aimed at decongesting traffic and enhancing services to motorists.

“2018 was a productive year for us as we were able to build more roads that helped us provide travel convenience and establish stronger relationships with our stakeholders,” said Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco.

MPTC is the holding company of NLEX and SCTEX. Franco said among the notable NLEXSCTEX projects accomplished in 2018 were the new Mabiga Interchange, Sta. Ines-Magalang Exit and the additional lane in San Fernando Northbound Exit.

NLEX Corp. has made Mabiga into a full diamond interchange by building new access ramps with entry and exit toll plazas, and constructed the Sta. Ines-Magalang Exit to provide direct access to local roads in Magalang, Pampanga. It also added one lane at the San Fernando Northbound Exit, which has since prevented traffic bottlenecks especially during rush hours.

A new pedestrian and tricycle overpass in Mapulang Lupa was built to ease mounting traffic issues at the Valenzuela Interchange and improve mobility of commuters coming to and from barangays Paso de Blas and Mapulang Lupa.

To mitigate flooding along the roadway, drainage enhancements were undertaken in Balintawak and Meycauayan. Overpasses, interchange bridges in Sta. Rita and San Simon, including the Candaba Viaduct, were repaired to boost motorists’ safety.

The tollway company augmented SCTEx with more features such as LED lights, variable message signs, emergency call boxes, impact attenuators or crash cushions and reflective delineator plates for motorists’ protection and guidance.

extrastory2000@gmail.com

Business/World IN BRIEF

Tonga cut off from Facebook, YouTube

READY FOR TET. A Vietnamese woman checks out colorful pig figurines at a shop in Hanoi on January 23, 2019,

ahead of the Lunar New Year or Tet. Vietnamese are preparing to celebrate the coming Lunar New Year, which is the Year of the Pig. AFP

More foreign tower firms needed in PH THE Philippines will need more tower companies to assure faster internet speed and put it at par with neighboring Asian countries.

The search for such companies is as critical as the government’s decision to select a third telecommunications company.

The time is ripe to engage more key foreign tower companies in building a network infrastructure to serve the telecom players and the nation as a whole. The Philippines needs more partners like Nigeria’s HIS Towers, Malaysia’s Edotco Towers and China Energy, as well as ISOC Infrasturctures and Singapore-based ISON ECP Tower Pte. Ltd., which recently signed separate agreements with the Department of Information and Technology.

The prospects of improving internet services in the country are now promising with the keen interests expressed by over five foreign companies in supporting the necessary build-up of cell towers. As the telecom industry is being expanded to three operators, the much-needed network infrastructure should be set up sooner to accommodate the third player.

The more than 60 million users of mobile telecommunication services in the Philippines are expecting a game-changing scenario with the promise of having three telecom players now.

The required number of cell towers in the Philippines is staggering. Over 50,000 cell towers must be put up in the fastest time possible, prompting Grameenphone Deputy Director Shanshil Ahmed Shibly to say that “... for the industry to grow, the government should not limit the tower companies to two... our suggestion? It should not be limited to two, it can be more.”

Grameenphone knows where it’s coming from. It is a tower construction company and a leading provider of mobile telecommunications services in Bangladesh with more than 60 million subscriptions at a mobile penetration rate of 76 percent of the 171 million population.

Another interested bidder is American Tower Corp. with a global portfolio of over 170,000 cell sites composed of towers in advanced, evolving and developing wireless markets, in various stages of wireless network deployment.

ATC chief business officer for Asia Manish Kasliwal said in a recent government hearing here he was confident the final rules “will allow more than two tower providers... we need more companies (more than restricting it to two) if you want a reliable industry.”

The Philippine Competition Commission declared it with authority. Limiting the number of telco tower players, it said, “may raise competition concerns and be in direct contravention to the open access regime that the government is advocating for.”

The DICT agrees and is pushing in Congress for the passage of the Open Access and Spectrum Management Bill and of a common tower policy conducive to fair competition.

Flawed findings Motorcycle taxis, popularly known in the Philippines as Angkas, are receiving absurd criticisms. The motorcycle ride-hailing application just recently received a cheap shot from ImagineLaw, a non-government organization.

ImagineLaw’s executive director Sophia Monica San Luis and communications officer Rochel Bartolay in a Rappler article inferred that motorcycles were dangerous given their design and environmental risks, and that no amount of driver training could protect their passengers from road crashes.

ImagineLaw invoked a major study that claimed to have covered several smaller studies that were incomplete and flawed in the first place. This led one Angkas supporter to wonder if ImagineLaw has a personal beef with motorcycle taxis or with motorcycle riders in general. What is clear, says the Angkas supporter, is that ImagineLaw is “against the regulation of motorcycle taxis in the guise of being concerned about the public’s safety.”

“If they are so concerned with the dangers that motorcycles bring to the riding public, then why not move to ban all motorcycles altogether? Their selective targeting of motorcycle taxis make their claimed objective somewhat unbelievable,” the supporter adds.

ImagineLaw’s website declares that “the law is a valuable tool in achieving meaningful social change.” But if social change, for them, is depriving commuters of an important transport option and motorcycle taxi riders of livelihood which can help their families, then they must be seriously re-trained in terms of social priorities and empathy.

Security Bank’s ‘Oscar Award’ Fresh from its award from the New York-based Global Finance magazine, Security Bank received another feather in its cap after it received its fourth Bank of the Year Award from The Banker, known as the “Oscars of the banking industry.”

This now puts Security Bank in an elite circle, along with major banks in the Philippines, after bagging the recognition four times, an impressive achievement for a medium-sized universal and commercial bank.

The Banker’s Bank of the Year awards recognize banks that deliver strong financial performance and demonstrate product innovation and services and employ new technology.

Security Bank’s strategic partner, MUFG Bank, was also recognized by the same institution as Japan’s Bank of the Year for the fourth consecutive time in 2018..

The awards strengthened the credentials of Security Bank and MUFG’s strategic partnership as a conduit to better Philippine-Japanese business relations. The two banks last year arranged 229 business collaboration meetings, providing their clients a venue to expand their networks and customer base in their 2nd Business Matching Fair.

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

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga―Tonga has been plunged into virtual cyber darkness after an undersea cable broke, cutting off the Pacific island kingdom from almost all cell phone and Internet services.

While life without the Internet may be considered a paradise for many, Tonga relies heavily on links with the outside world for daily supplies and vital tourist earnings, and faced “an absolute disaster” as officials struggled to fix the problem.

“We are all heavily tied to the Internet for doing business and for the government,” Mary Fonua, editor of the online news service Matangi Tonga, told AFP on Wednesday.

“There’s no Facebook, which is how the Tongan diaspora communicate with each other, businesses can’t get orders out, airlines can’t take bookings for passengers or freight.”

While the authorities look into the cause and struggle to find a solution, they have turned to a small, locally operated satellite connection as back-up.

In the meantime non-essential social media sites like Facebook have been blocked to preserve much-needed bandwidth.

The restricted access also meant serious problems getting money transfers through for families who rely on income from relatives working overseas.

“It’s an absolute disaster for Tonga, a national crisis,” Fonua said. AFP

B3

THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Putin and Erdogan to hold Syria talks MOSCOW―Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold Syria talks in Moscow on Wednesday, with Turkey saying they will focus on Ankara’s so-called “security zone” in northern Syria.

The two leaders are on opposite sides of the conflict: Russia provides critical support to the Syrian government, while Turkey has backed rebel groups fighting President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

Despite this, they have worked closely to find a political solution to the seven-year conflict. Russia and Turkey have agreed to coordinate ground operations in Syria following US President Donald Trump’s shock announcement on pulling 2,000 American troops out of Syria last month.

In a speech on Monday, Erdogan said he would discuss with Putin the creation of a Turkish-controlled “security zone” in northern Syria, suggested by Trump.

The US-allied Kurds, who control much of northern Syria, have rejected the idea, fearing a Turkish offensive against territory under their control.

Moscow, a long time supporter of Assad, is likely to oppose the plan, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week saying Damascus must take control of the country’s north.

Nearly eight years into Syria’s deadly conflict, the US pullout has led to another key step in Assad’s Russian-backed drive to reassert control over the country. AFP

Stress up in Venezuela ahead of rival protests C ARACAS― Opposition supporters and regime loyalists in Venezuela are set to hold competing mass street rallies on Wednesday, two days after a failed mutiny by soldiers hoping to spark a movement that would overthrow President Nicolas Maduro.

“We have a historic appointment with our country, with the future of our children,” said National Assembly president Juan Guaido, the driving force behind the opposition protest.

“Venezuelan military, tomorrow we have a historic appointment with the people,” he said Tuesday during a ses-

sion of the legislature, which the regime has stripped of power.

Guaido, 35, called for the demonstration earlier this month after Maduro was sworn in for a second term of office over objections from both the opposition and large sections of the international community.

Maduro earned his second term by winning snap elections in May that were boycotted by the opposition and dismissed as a fraud by the European Union, the United States and many Latin American countries.

The opposition protest aims to support Guaido’s bid to set up a transitional government ahead of new elections.

He received support on Tuesday from US Vice-President Mike Pence, whose country has sanctioned top regime figures.

Pence wrote on Twitter: “As the good people of Venezuela make your voices heard tomorrow, on behalf of the American people, we say: estamos con ustedes. We are with you.”

Maduro responded by accusing the

US, through Pence, of trying to engineer a coup.

Venezuela’s government ominously predicted there would be violence against opposition protesters, although claiming it would be self-inflicted in a bid to portray the regime as brutal.

Venezuela’s Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez even said Monday’s mutiny, in which soldiers took over a command post in the north of Caracas and called on the public to head to the streets in repudiation of Maduro, was merely a ruse to steal weapons.

US Senator Marco Rubio warned of manipulation by Venezuela’s intelligence service, urging them to “reconsider the plan they have for tomorrow before it’s too late.”

Monday’s mutiny was quickly put down. Twenty-seven soldiers were arrested and Rodriguez claimed they confessed to handing out weapons to opposition activists “so they can carry out acts of violence, (cause) injuries and deaths during the protest.” AFP

US federal workers turn to food banks

AFTER PARTY. A general view during the after party for ‘I Am The Night’ on January 22, 2019, in New York. AFP

Mexico celebrates as ‘Roma’ grabs 10 Oscar nominations MEXICO CITY―Mexicans celebrated Tuesday as “Roma” grabbed 10 Oscar nominations―none more exuberantly than the film’s breakout star, Yalitza Aparicio, who melted hearts and went viral with her ecstatic reaction to her best actress nomination.

Aparicio, an indigenous schoolteacher with no acting experience who landed the part when she accompanied her sister to the audition, posted a video on Twitter of the moment she got the news.

Watching the announcements on a laptop in what appeared to be her hotel room in Tijuana—where she had traveled for a photo shoot at the US-Mexican border fence—Aparicio let out a scream when her name popped up, then pressed her hands to her face, choking back tears, in a gesture of pure joy no actress could feign.

The video went viral, garnering tens

of thousands of likes and countless replays on Mexican TV. “I’m so happy. I was not expecting this news when I woke up so early today,” Aparicio wrote.

Filmed in Spanish and the indigenous Mixtec language, set in Mexico City in the 1970s and filmed in black and white, “Roma” is not supposed to be the kind of movie that finds huge success in the United States―especially not in the Mexico-bashing era of President Donald Trump.

But Alfonso Cuaron’s intimate portrait of his childhood and the two women who raised him―his nanny, played

by Aparicio, and his mother, played by best supporting actress nominee Marina de Tavira―garnered the most Oscar nominations of any film this year, together with Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos’s “The Favorite.” AFP

NEW YORK―Most never needed help from a food pantry. But a month since the US government shutdown began, dozens of federal employees have been lining up in Brooklyn for basics.

Customs, tax and emergency management officials are all among the crowd, having gone unemployed since December 22.

Others deemed “essential” like transportation workers or prison guards are forced to continue working without pay, taking advantage of their lunch breaks to stock up.

Volunteers are manning distribution tables in the lobby of the New York borough’s Barclays Center, which usually hosts concerts or sporting events rather than charity drives.

Those in need first register and then fill plastic bags with canned goods, potatoes, chicken, grapes and basic toiletries.

“I came here to grab some goods, to be honest,” said Antoinette Peek-Williams, an employee of the Homeland Security Department, who came an hour by subway from Harlem.

“Any way I can save money and put towards something else—that’s what I am trying to do.”

Since the budget impasse began, the 62-year-old lives “day to day—watching what I eat, watching what I spend, not spending.”

“Praying that they make a decision sooner than later.”

She hopes to return to work on February 1—an optimism of which she’s no longer so certain.

“I am a person where the glass is always half-full,” said the mother of a college student.

“I have to stay hopeful,” she said. “If you don’t have hope, you don’t have anything.” AFP

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

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

Bambanti Festival marks growing Isabela economy

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Higher inflation, taxes via federal system—Enrile

By Ayunan G. Gunting HIGHER taxes and higher inflation rates would be among the repercussions of a federal form of government if it becomes a reality in the country, senatorial candidate Juan Ponce Enrile warned.

Hosting a Facebook chat with several netizens representing rural groups, including organizations in Mindanao that would be affected by a shift to a federal system, Enrile said the transition from the current unitary form of government would require a huge budget to set up.

“In turn, this huge budget would be raised through taxation. This means the people will have to shoulder an additional tax burden,” said the former Senate President, who is looking to return to the upper chamber via the May 13 elections.

Noting how the first Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion Act or TRAIN 1 “has already encumbered the Filipino consumer,” especially in depressed rural areas, Enrile stressed that the situation will be “further aggravated” if TRAIN 2 reaches the Senate, and if the power to tax is granted to the federated regions in the proposed federal Constitution.

“It will likely heighten the already high inflationary rate hitting the country. Inflation is an economic scourge to the people. It erodes their purchasing power,” he said.

“This is especially true to the low income sector of society. The heightened inflation lessens their capability to secure the essentials they need to support their families,” Enrile added.

The 94-year-old politician made these assertions when a netizen asked him why he was throwing his hat into this year’s senatorial race at this late stage of his life and career.

By Jessica M. Bacud

I

LAGAN CITY, Isabela―The Bambanti Festival, awarded as Best of All Festivals for three consecutive years by the Aliw Festival and celebrated annually in this province, officially kicked off Tuesday with a Thanksgiving Mass at the St. Michael Parish Church in Gamu, Isabela.

The festivity has showcased the province’s natural charm and culture and its increasingly expanding economy, Governor Faustino G. Dy III said.

Lawyer Noel Manuel Lopez, the provincial administrator, said the event seeks to keep Isabela’s status as an investment haven in Luzon.

Bannered by the “Victory of Isabela Spirit” (Tagumpay ng Pusong Isabela), the festival highlights all the victories the province has achieved through creative concepts and images.

This year’s feast capitalizes on the province’s gains in agriculture, tourism, and other drivers of the economy, Lopez said.

Bambanti, the local word for scarecrow, is the Isabelinos’ thanksgiving for their consistently abundant agricultural harvest.

The festival also celebrates the resilience and diligence of the Isabela farmer, Isabela Gov. Faustino G. Dy III and Rep Rodito T. Albano III (in red polo shirt) taste Cauayan City’s delicacies inside its agri-tourism booth during who dreams to see the province as the the opening of the Agri-Village and Trade Fair at the Capitol grounds in the City of Ilagan. Dy and Albano also led the ceremonial ribbon cutting country’s biggest corn and rice sur(below). Jessica M. Bacud plus producer, Vice Governor Antonio ‘Tonypet” Albano said.

Rep. Rodito T. Albano III said: “The festivity is equally a celebration of the victory and triumph of the province in various competitions awarded by the government and the private sectors on good governance.”

Isabela has “reached its vision” in several national prestigious awards, Albano added.

Meanwhile, Board Member Rolly Tugade stressed that this year’s festivity is a grander celebration of Isabela alongside the provincial government and organizers who have successfully raised the bar in promoting Bambanti for tourism and investment.

Marawi mayor QC law moves biz tax payment deadline to Feb. 3 pleads for BOL ‘fighting chance’

By Rio N. Araja

MARAWI City Mayor Majul Gandamra on Wednesday said the Bangsamoro Organic Law “must be given a fighting chance by all of us” in Mindanao even as the early returns indicate a victory for the “Yes” side in the referendum.

This developed as the city government announced that the conduct of the plebiscite in Marawi last Monday to ratify the BOL was “a peaceful and successful one.”

“Marawi City is one with the rest of the Bangsamoro in the ratification of the RA [Republic Act] 11054, and fervently hopes that the BOL and the BARRM [Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao] will effect a lasting peace and healing in Mindanao after decades of conflict and inequity, and this has been demonstrated by the overwhelming ‘Yes’ response of the city’s constituents,” Gandamra said.

“As someone who has lived all his life in this area, I have unfortunately seen how history damaged the Bangsamoro. I have seen how its ramifications have resulted in many tragedies here on this land, one of which just happened only close to two years ago, in Marawi,” the mayor noted.

Ayunan G. Gunting

ACTION FOR PENSION. Senior Citizens Party-List Rep. Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay

(center) joins elderly civic groups from the provinces in calling for the swift passage of the Expanded Social Pension Act (House Bill 5038), first filed by the late AKO Bicol Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe. The bill proposes to amend Republic Act 9994 to include all senior citizens not receiving any form of monthly pension, as well as those receiving a minimum monthly pension of P3,500 and below to receive a government stipend of P1,000 per month.

THE 37-member Quezon City council has passed on third and a final reading an ordinance extending the deadline for the payment of business taxes from Jan. 20 to Feb. 3.

The yearly extension for the payment of business taxes was unavoidable since the number of tax-paying businesses continued to increase, thus the extension was made to further accommodate the interest of the tax-paying public, according to Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte.

“I hope, through this extension, all business owners can already pay their taxes on time. The city has provided the adjustments for them, so now they can have enough time to process it,” she said.

Under Section 167 of the Local Government Code of 1991, all local taxes and fees shall be paid within the first 20 days of January, or of each subsequent quarter.

However, the city or municipal council concerned may extend the deadline for a justifiable reason but only for a period not exceeding six months.

Since 1997, the city government has already been enacting measures extending the payment of business taxes as the first quarter period from Jan. 1 to Jan. 20 has been proven to be insufficient.

Meanwhile, Mayor Herbert Bautista on Tuesday said at least 92 more homes would be built in a 1,000-square meter property in Barangay San Agustin.

Bautista signed City Ordinance 2777 ordering that a new housing complex be

constructed on two lots in Clemente Subdivision.

Members of the Samahang Magkakapit-bahay na Nagkakaisa Homeowners Association Inc. are the beneficiaries of the 92-unit, four-story housing project, the mayor said.

Bautista said the beneficiaries shall acquire the lot through the community mortgage program of the Social Housing Finance Corp.

“It is now necessary for the Quezon City government to declare the said parcels of land for a socialized housing project through the CMP to solve the urban dwelling program of the City in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991 and Batas Pambansa Bilang 220,” the ordinance read.

Bigger building for Las Piñas city college THE city-run Dr. Filemon C. Aguilar College of Las Piñas (DFCAMCLP) will soon have a new and bigger campus with more course offerings, Mayor Imelda Aguilar announced Tuesday.

Aguilar said the proposed main campus to be constructed in Barangay Pamplona shall house the new College of Engineering, particularly the agricultural and industrial engineering departments, to give the growing number of city scholars the opportunity to enroll in courses other than Accountancy.

She said the city will soon start works on the future site of DFCAMCLP main campus within the 4,833-square-meter property owned by the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (Philfida) in Las Piñas.

“We are fortunate to be allowed the use of the area where we can construct a bigger campus to accommodate more city scholars and offer more courses to those who want to explore other discipline,” Aguilar said.

The mayor earlier submitted a proposal to the Department of Agriculture to use part of Philfida’s property for the city college’s campus.

EAGLES CITED. Senator Cynthia Villar speaks during the Philippine Eagles’ Joint Induction Ceremony of Governors and Club Officers for the National Capital Region and Calabarzon held in Taguig City. She cited the Eagles for its many service-oriented advocacies that reach even the remotest areas of the country. Lino Santos

Life

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

HOUSEHOLD

THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

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Megaworld to host

Dinagyang Festival 2019 events

STREET PARTY. Megaworld Iloilo Business Park is hosting some of the biggest events in this year’s Dinagyang Festival. (Photo from dinagyangsailoilo.com)

D

INAGYANG revelers only have one place to be during the weekend as Megaworld’s Iloilo township will be hosting the biggest events of this year’s festival.

A total of 19 events are happening in different areas all over Iloilo Business Park.

The merrymaking starts today at Megaworld Boulevard as it sets the stage for the Philippine Airlines Dinagyang Party at 5:00 p.m.

The same venue will also host the Viva Music Festival, an all-night dance and music party, from Jan. 25 to 27.

Headlining the list of performers during the three-day event are iconic rock group Kamikazee, international DJ Jetfire, and celebrity love team Nadine Lustre and James Reid.

Come the 26th, the much-anticipated Dinagyang Lights Parade, which will feature more than 20 colorful floats, kicks off at 6:00 p.m. at Festive Walk Parade. This will be followed by the grand Dinagyang Fireworks Display at 9:00 p.m.

Festive Walk Parade is the all-out party venue the entire Dinagyang week beginning today.

Local rock group Urbandub is bringing their epic performance on Jan. 24, while local indie band Ransom Collective takes the stage on Jan. 25. Both performances will begin by 11:00 p.m.

Also taking part in this year’s festivities are some of the biggest Kapuso stars who will be bannering the GMA Kapuso Mall Show on Jan. 25 at 6:00 p.m.

On Jan. 26, Ilonggo bikers are set to gather together for the Honda Riders Meet Up with Orange and Lemons at 10 a.m. The Apartel—headlined by leg-

endary Filipino music icon Ely Buendia—is another highly anticipated act happening on Jan. 26, while Up Dharma Down adds more to the revelry with a live performance on Jan. 27.

For the first time, the grand coronation night of the Miss Iloilo Dinagyang beauty pageant—one of the biggest highlights of the annual festival—will be held at the township, in front of Casa de Emperador along Megaworld Boulevard on Jan. 25 at 6:00 p.m.

“We welcome the ladies of Miss Iloilo Dinagyang here for the first time at Megaworld Iloilo Business Park and we are very excited to see who will be crowned as this year’s winner,” said Jennifer Palmares-Fong, vice president for sales and marketing of Iloilo Business Park.

She continued, “We are proud to have the pageant here because it has always been among the biggest highlights of the Dinagyang Festival, and we look forward to hosting the Miss Iloilo Dinagyang here in our township for more years to come.”

Tourists and locals can shop for pasalubongs and enjoy great food during the festival weekend.

A variety of goods and everything Ilonggo are on sale at the Pasalubong Center at Festive walk, which is open since Jan. 21 until 27. Score discounted items at the Dinagyang Festival Sale happening at Festive Walk Mall/Parade/ Annex. Operating hours of the mall will be extended from 10 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.

Miss Iloilo Dinagyang 2019 will be held in front of Casa de Emperador.

Dinagyang performers bring the festivities to Megaworld Iloilo township.

Grilled meats are currently on sale at Festive Walk Parade. (Photo from Wikimedia)

Iloilo Business Park expects the crowd to get bigger this year as more events are happening in the township. (Photos from dinagyangsailoilo.com)

from Jan. 25 to 27.

Tourists and locals alike can sample the best Ilonggo street delicacies at the strEAT Party Food Festival by the Iloilo Hotel Restaurants Association happening from today to 27, at 4:00 p.m. onwards at Festive Walk Parade.

Those visiting Festive Walk Mall from Jan. 25 to 27 can also catch the Dinagyang Warriors Parade featuring

Tribu Bola-Bola at 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., respectively.

There will also be the Warriors Overload, a costume exhibit, sale, and performance show happening at Festive Walk Mall/Parade/Annex from Jan. 25 to 27. Interactive Dinagyang Booths will also be hosted at the mall throughout these dates.

Last year, Megaworld Iloilo Business

Park also hosted the Dinagyang Lights Parade, which gathered around 10,000 spectators, as well as the Grand Fireworks Display that was witnessed by more than 15,000 people. The Viva Music Festival, meanwhile, saw between 5,000 to 8,000 people joining the party every night.

Iloilo Business Park expects the crowd to get bigger this year as more events will be hosted in the township.

Music and friendship

at a senior center

The Sunshine Place Choir singing a medley of ‘Himig Pasko’ by Apo Hiking Society and ‘Joy to the World.’

Antonio Pastor playing ‘Turkish March’ by Mozart.

MUSIC, merriment, and friendship highlighted the Christmas party at Sunshine Place senior recreation center.

Music and piano teachers, as well as voice students sang their hearts out to celebrate the joys of the season; while performances by Tap, Yeba, and Social Ballroom classes brought a lot of cheer.

The Adeodatus Children’s Choir from Baseco Tondo sang a medley of Jose Mari Chan’s Christmas songs while the 90-year-old voice student Juanita Palma wowed the audience with her rendition of Gloria in Excelsis Deo in English, French, and Spanish.

Felicidad Sy and Tessie-Sy Coson at the Sunshine Place’s Christmas Party with porcelain painting instructor Mee Lee Casey and Sunshine Place members Tess Castañeda, Nancy L. Ty, and Gloria Pe.

Classical piano performances by virtuoso Antonio Pastor, plus a duet with his brother Rafael also delighted guests.

The program was capped with members exchanging gifts, and a raff le where prizes were raff led off to those who were able to pick Christmas icons during the program registration.

Sunshine Place, a senior recreation center under the Felicidad Tan Sy Foundation, is a venue for adults to live actively, through engaging in recreational classes and age-appropriate physical training programs.

The Adeodatus Children’s Choir from Baseco singing Jose Mari Chan’s Christmas Medley.

Life

C2

TH THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

How to (finally) meet your financial goals

S

TICKING to new year’s resolutions can be difficult when there’s no game plan; solutions are vague, goals so huge they appear unattainable.

Being responsible with one’s finances is one of the most popular resolutions. To help soon-to-be financially responsible individuals maintain their resolutions and not lose their way mid year, a leading insurance company shares these tips:

List them down

Before creating a financial plan, the first step is to know the person’s goals. From the most practical and urgent to the seemingly unattainable, it’s important to list them all down to help an individual visualize them and study them later.

Prioritize

Once goals have been noted, the next step is to reflect on the specific thing one wants to have.

Is it a house or car, further studies, traveling, or save up for retirement or investment? It’s important to know the short-term and long-term goals as this helps in getting a headstart and preparing the game plan to achieve those aspirations.

Establishing a budget helps determine the amount of money to allocate for savings and expenses.

Establish a budget

To determine the amount of money to allocate for savings and expenses, a simple formula to follow is “income minus expenses equals savings.” Subtract a portion of salary for monthly payments (utility bills, car, house, etc.) and a portion for lifestyle spending (shopping, travel, a night out, etc.) and what’s left should be set aside for savings on a monthly basis.

Build a fund

Having a financial game plan helps ensure new year’s resolutions stick.

Investing should be part of everyone’s financial agenda,

but it’s vital to be discriminating about what tools to use. When the savings have reached an amount that can be invested, Axa’s Asset Master can help in building a solid foundation for a person’s financial legacy.

Designed as a single-pay, investment-linked insurance plan, Asset Master allows an individual to build a diversified investment portfolio of local and global investments. Go to www.axa. com.ph for more information.

Keep track of your progress

Monitoring progress regularly helps in staying on track.

New office for BPO firms opens in Eton Centris

Green sanctuary in the city

ETON Properties Inc.’s newest development in Eton Centris, the Centris Cyberpod Five targets multinational and local BPO (business process outsourcing) companies.

The 25-story, fully provisioned building is designed with spaces flexible for configurations to ensure smooth work flow and overall employee well-being.

A complete range of amenities and other modern conveniences will be

available to enable business responsiveness and uninterrupted operations.

As it is located at the corner of Edsa and Quezon Avenue, Centris Cyberpod Five provides easy access to transportation hubs, a range of restaurants and lifestyle establishments, and Quezon City’s many destinations and offices.

Call (02) 548-4069 for leasing inquiries.

Tivoli Royale Subdivision offers residential developments overlooking the hills of Antipolo and Marikina Valley.

NESTLED on a verdant terrain in a private neighborhood in Quezon City, Tivoli Royale Subdivision offers residential developments located in a green sanctuary—no pollution and cramped spaces.

According to its property developer and manager New Creation 101 Realty and Development Corp., Tivoli Roy-

ale is one of the very few areas clearly overlooking the hills of Antipolo and Marikina Valley, in both flood- and West Valley earthquake fault line-free residential subdivisions.

The subdivision is accessible to key establishments such as government offices, top universities, shopping malls, and medical institutions, among others.

It also boasts 24/7 security services.

The Tivoli Royale Country Club, located inside the 22-hectare subdivision, offers various amenities for sports, recreation, and events to homeowners and private members.

Visit www.tivoliroyale.com or call (02) 814-3933 for more information.

The subdivision is strategically located in Quezon City, accessible to key establishments such as government offices, shopping malls, top universities, and medical institutions, among others.

iPhoto FWD Life opens Imus City business hub

Pan-Asian insurer FWD Life Insurance recently opened its new business hub in Imus City, Cavite. Formally unveiling the company’s newest office are executives of FWD Life Philippines (from left) head of marketing Roche Vandenberghe, chief distribution officer John Johnson, president and chief executive Peter Grimes, and chief financial officer Jasper Cheng.

The new business hub is located at G/F VMI Building, Emilio Aguinaldo Highway, Palico 1, Imus City, Cavite. Call (02) 888-8388 (FWD Customer Connect Hotline) or (046) 416-1090 (FWD Imus Business Hub) to schedule an appointment with an FWD advisor.

Centris Cyberpod Five is now open for business—the 25-story building features facilities suitable for BPO companies.

Entertainment

THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Derek, Piolo and Dingdong as yummy ambassadors THREE of the biggest Filipino stars in the country have special connection with the all-time favorite Dunkin’ Donuts.

Primetime King Dingdong Dantes has joined Derek Ramsay and Piolo Pascual as today’s yummiest endorsers of Dunkin’ Donuts, which kicked off the new year with the launching of its brand new DD Bar offerings in five delightful flavors, giving us Filipinos more reasons to love the brand.

Derek is on his seventh year as an endorser, while for Piolo, who preferred Tiramisu as his favorite among the five DD Bars, recalls the brand’s TVC as one of his first few commercial stints on television. The popular heartthrobs said

Edward Barber receives the Push Male Movie Performance of the Year award for ’Loving in Tandem.’

being together for the first time was so much fun while making the new TVC. “When I was in the States studying college on a tight budget, it was like my savior. I found out that if I go down at the Dunkin’ Donuts store, at around 11:30 going to midnight, they get rid of the whatever stuff with the donuts. So being with the other Filipinos, we go down there, be friend with the manager and ask for the donuts. Every night we go there to study, we buy coffee and then we get the free donuts,” Derek recalls.

Derek adds that the new DD Bars make a perfect match with brewed coffee, whether it’s the Éclair, Tiramisu, Lady Finger, Matcha, or Split Royale.

Eton Concepcion

Maymay Entrata is named the Push Celebrity Style Inspo of the Year.

MayWard tops new batch of Push Awards winners Dunkin Donuts endorsers Derek Ramsay, Dingdong Dantes and Piolo Pascual

Patient's...

From C4

Kim Chiu receives her three awards, namely the Push Female Celebrity of the Year, Push Celebrity Fitspiration of the Year, and Push Celebrity Squad of the Year.

M

Push Awards hosts Donny Pangilinan, Sue Ramirez, and Robi Domingo

AYMAY Entrata and Edward Barber took home two awards for their love team MayWard and bagged one performance awards each at the Push Awards 2018, making them the biggest winners at the event, which aimed to recognize the most influential digital stars in the country and engage fans through active digital participation.

MayWard was once again named the Push Group/Tandem of the Year after their breakout win in the said category last year.

Their fandom, meanwhile, remained the most passionate on Twitter as it bagged the Push Ultimate Fan Award for the second year in a row for posting the highest number of tweets using their own hashtag.

Maymay and Edward also received the Female and Male Movie Performance of the Year awards for their hit movie Loving in Tandem. Maymay, who has become a staple in magazine covers and debuted her international modeling career in Dubai last year, won Push Celebrity Style Inspo of the Year #StyleGoals.

Push Awards 2018 anchored on its #Pushitivity campaign, which aimed to boost positivity in the digital world and honor the stars and fans who use their digital power to create a

positive impact on society. It was held on Sunday (Jan. 20) on iWant ASAP, which streams live every Sunday on ABS-CBN’s streaming service iWant.

Kim Chiu, meanwhile, won three out of her five nominations, including Push Female Celebrity of the Year, Push Celebrity Fitspiration of the Year #FitnessGoals, and Push Celebrity Squad of the Year, which she shared with Angelica Panganiban and Bela Padilla.

Winning the Push Male Celebrity of the Year was James Reid, while Nadine Lustre bagged the Push Celebrity Traveler of the Year #TravelGoals award. The real-life couple was also voted by fans as the Push Celebrity Couple of the Year #CoupleGoals.

The General’s Daughter star Angel Locsin was also chosen

by ABS-CBN management and Push to take home the Push Inspiration Award for actively using her digital influence to create awareness for relevant causes and effectively promoting her advocacies to her social media followers and fans.

The winners in the Push Personality and Push Goals categories received the highest number of online votes on the Push Awards website from Sept. 9 to Nov. 25 in 2018, while the final scores in the Push Performance sub-categories were combined from the 70 percent of the judges’ scores and 30 percent of the online votes.

The Push Awards, organized by ABS-CBN’s entertainment website PUSH.com.ph, recognizes the country’s top Kapamilya digital stars, online personalities, and fandoms. It is one of the digital initiatives of ABS-CBN, the Philippines’ leading media and entertainment company, which is rapidly transitioning into an agile digital company with the biggest online presence among all media companies, and a growing list of digital properties.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Thursday, January 24, 2019

ACROSS 1 Telemarketing danger 5 Shade providers 10 Pencil remnant 14 Fix potatoes 15 Far back in time 16 Came to 17 Egyptian goddess 18 Chatty pets 19 Watched carefully 20 Disheartened 23 Bastille Day season 24 Artist — Magritte 25 Corrects a text 29 Bitterness 31 Muser’s mumbling 32 Furniture wood 33 In full view 36 Delicious 38 Immense 41 Ocean waters 43 Harper of “Tender Mercies” 44 Pile up, as wealth 46 Addison’s partner 48 Mix of oaters 49 Interest amt.

51 Glare protectors 55 Barbecue spit

57 Lagers 59 Estuary 60 Addition of inferior ingredients 63 Bamboozles 66 Ointment 67 From memory 68 Sit down quickly 69 Hiker’s need 70 Seine vistas 71 Autumn colors 72 Disrespectful 73 Full of zip DOWN 1 Web maker 2 Bungalow 3 Up and about 4 Geologic formation 5 Moderated 6 Polyester partner 7 Bushmiller or Els 8 Vitality 9 Computer network 10 Garbo or Bergman 11 Monkey with 12 Hula accompaniment 13 Rose patch 21 Gun, on stage 22 TV statuette 26 Icy burg

27 Blocks, as a stream 28 The — the limit!

30 Small houses 31 Hoopla 34 Snug retreat 35 — on (pretend) 37 Navajo foes 38 Cisterns 39 In a frenzy 40 Likewise 42 In a harsh manner 45 Stepped on the gas

47 Actress — Bonet 50 Pie shells 52 Baltimore hitter 53 Rampaging one 54 Most rational 56 Yellow jackets 57 Library tome 58 Casual wear 61 Zhivago’s beloved 62 Excursion 63 EMT technique 64 Corrida cry 65 Go-ahead

According to DOST’s representative Dr. Jaime Montoya, Executive Director of Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, promoting research that addresses unmet necessities of people with special needs will help develop government policies that aid this special population of rare disease.

“We must help each other to find solutions to help people with rare disease and their families, even if it’s just to reach one objective: understand better the regional and global situation to enhance policies and uplift the lives of our patients,” said Dr. Montoya.

On the other hand, Sheena Manuel, Senior Education Program Specialist of DepEd mentioned certain programs and projects to strengthen special education: the establishment of learning resource centers, training of teachers, administrators and supervisors of SPED, provision of technical assistance, health and allied medical personnel, a transition program, monitoring and evaluation, and distance education.

Massive job generation is also a possible solution to shield rare disease families. DOLE’s primary program, Dole Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP) was cited to provide workers with additional income and alternative employment.

According to Eloisa Santos of DOLE, this is DOLE’s contribution to the government agenda of inclusive growth.

Moreover, PhilHealth has been working behind the scenes for rare diseases. Dr. Adelina Mesina, Medical Specialist from PSOD shared that PSOD and PhilHealth have been working on health benefit proposals for rare disorder patients.

The agency presentation was followed by a video presentation on how mothers are coping with raising children with special needs and the problems they hope can be addressed.

The parents also had the chance to ask the agencies questions to provide better understanding of this health condition and how to provide better support for their loved ones afflicted with such disease.

To conclude the forum, PSOD President Cynthia Magdaraog gave a heart- warming closing remarks thanking everyone in attendance.

Participants joined patients and their families in singing “Family is Love” to officially close the event.

The PSOD Patient Forum was successful in giving hope to families to raise their concerns and get access to innovative ideas, alternative learning programs, and medical assistance for rare disease patients. PSOD will continue to focus on patient care, family support, awareness and advocacy. As Dr. Montoya of DOST stressed, “We must all work together in easing the burden of rare disease. It is not rare to care.”

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

Entertainment

THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2019

Finding her voice...again W

ITH an upcoming major solo concert, online sensation and rising singer Katrina Velarde, who is known for her moniker Suklay Diva, tells us how relieved she was to be able to sing again, after an attack of Bell’s palsy that left her right face paralyzed.

She revealed that she had suffered from the disorder three years ago when she was seven months pregnant. One could only imagine her dilemma being her family’s bread winner while also thinking of the life she’s carrying in her womb.

“I was so afraid, I was worried that the baby would be affected. I was relieved when the doctor told me that the baby was fine. It seemed that my child took all the nutrients in my body during pregnancy that’s why it happened,” Katrina shared.

“But I’m okay now. Most people wouldn’t really notice that I have suffered from the disorder unless I tell them about it,” she added.

Katrina said that drinking water was so difficult for her when the muscles on the right side of her face was temporarily paralyzed, let alone speak and sing. She had to undergo numerous therapy sessions before she could properly speak and sing normally.

“The treatment worked and after my recovery I was able to sing again. I was able to find my voice again. I really had to be patient and optimistic about my recovery because I’m the bread winner, and as a single mom, I have so many dreams.

And singing is the only way I know to achieve those dreams,” she said.

Katrina is all set for her first solo, major concert titled SiKat Ako, which is happening on Feb. 1 at New Frontier Theater (formerly Kia Theater) in Quezon City.

With Mon Faustino as musical director and Paolo Valenciano as stage director, SiKat Ako features Katrina at her very best as one of the most talented and hottest young divas in the industry today.

“I thank Viva for believing in me. I’ve always dreamed of singing in big venues, but I didn’t expect that it would happen sooner than I expected,” the 24-year-old singer mused.

Katrina is a wellknown fixture in the country’s singing contest scene in the 2000s as she was one of the amateur singers to beat alongside contemporaries Angeline Quinto and Charice Pempengco.

Her first taste of the mainstream spotlight happened when she became a monthly finalist of ABS-CBN’s singing competition Little Big Star. She then made it to the grand finals of the second season of Talentadong Pinoy in 2010 where she competed as part of the singing group New Born Divas with Alyssa Quijano and Jennifer Maravilla. Katrina was further catapulted to the mainstream when she competed under the “groups division” of the very first season of The X-Factor Philippines with the all-girl vocal group AKA JAM under the mentorship of Gary Valenciano. She also starred on TV-5’s hit musical-serye Trenderas opposite Lara Maigue and Isabel de Leon in 2014.

Katrina gained international acclaim as a solo artist when a video of her performing Beyonce’s “Dangerously In Love” while using a purple comb as a makeshift microphone. The video went viral online when Beyonce’s bass player shared it on her Facebook page leading

Kuh Ledesma and Basil Valdez

YUGEL LOSORATA

Legends in tandem

OPM rock icon Ely Buendia (center) with the members of The Itchyworms

TWO separate spectacles of iconic proportions are set to put the local concert scene on fire come February, with pioneering mainstream balladeers Kuh Ledesma and Basil Valdez teaming up at a premier Makati hotel and Pinoy pop rock gods Ely Buendia and The Itchyworms performing together in a major concert venue.

Kuh, a household name with classic hits to her name, gets it on with the highly respected Basil in My Unforgettable Valentine at the ballroom of Dusit Thani Makati. The intimate dinner, scheduled on the evening of Valentine’s Day, promises to be a much-awaited return bout for the two as they have not been seen collaborating on stage for quite a while. This show is among Kuh’s upcoming events, with the complete list accessible via www. kuhledesma.net.

Years back, Kuh and Basil made waves in well-lauded concerts, including Socorro, Bakit Mo Inaawitan si Basilio, Devoted, and the tribute concert to George Canseco dubbed Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan, which toured the United States.

“Kuh will be singing her signature love songs, charttopping singles, and other surprise elegant numbers while her special guest Basil will dish out some of his classics. They will also perform romantic duets,” shares singersongwriter Marq Dollentes who is a close friend of Kuh and has inside knowledge of the beloved collaboration.

The other pairing features Ely and the Itchyworms foursome of Jugs Jugueta, Jazz Nicolas, Kelvin Yu, and Chino Singson. Simply billed Greatest Hits, the evening of familiar rock hits set at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila will showcase the seamless synergy of a creative collaboration dating back to the late 90s. Tickets to this concert are available on www.ticketworld.com.ph.

To refresh public memory, Ely helped produced Itchyworms’ debut package Revenge of the Unsigned while Jazz played keyboards during the open-air Eraserheads reunion concerts a decade ago. He was the guy who posed on stage with the Pinoy Fab Four at the end of their Final Set. The main man of ‘90s alternative music movement and the vocally harmonizing group that peaked the following decade collaborated a few years’ back on songs “Pariwara” and “Lutang.”

“Parang may magic when we play songs with Ely in small gigs. So this is a big opportunity for more people to see that magic,” Jazz noted.

Katrina Velarde, otherwise known as Suklay Diva, is an online sensation who rose to stardom after several videos, showing her singing famous songs of international artists, while using a comb as her pretend microphone, went online worldwide.

netizens to call her the “Suklay Diva.”

Her most recent viral hit is a collaboration with balladeers Bugoy Drillon, Darryl Ong, and Michael Pangilinan— collectively known as BuDaKhel—in their cover version of Mariah Carey’s and Boyz2Men’s seminal hit “One Sweet Day,” which garnered over 10 million views on YouTube and an outpouring of massive fan reactions not only in the Philippines but the world over as well.

In between successful local and international concert tours, Katrina continued to upload unique, innovative, and unforgettable musical performances online that garnered millions of views and countless positive and overwhelming reactions from vocal coaches and fans from all over the world. Her hilarious webisodes on YouTube where she gives make-up tutorials and product reviews has also gained massive and steady traction from YouTubers around the world.

Katrina was also one of the featured artists on ASAP’s top-rating segment “Versus,” where she did a historic singing battle with talented PDA champion Laarni Lozada. The backstory of this TV appearance further endeared Katrina to her fans as she dedicated her now historic performance to her sister who passed away due to breast cancer a few days before the guesting on ASAP. Meanwhile, Katrina was also one of the Top 10 interpreters of the 2018 PhilPop Songwriting Competition via the song “Tama Na,” written by Michael S. Rodriguez and Jeanne Maulit Rodriguez and she is also part the advocacy album Awit At Laro, produced by Gary V for the benefit of UNICEF, Tukod Foundation, and Shining Light Foundation.

Like her SRO gigs in Music Hall in Ortigas, fans and music aficionado alike can expect an unforgettable evening of superb music in SiKat Ako with Katrina’s amazing vocals, electrifying stage presence, and bubbly personality as the concert’s piece de resistance.

In line with the on-going promotional campaign of the concert, Viva Records released a 3-track mini album of the same title that features “Tama Na,” along with “Ikaw Pa Rin” and “Kung Naging Tayong Dalawa” by songwriting duo Thyro & Yumi. “Kung Naging Tayong Dalawa” is centered on the theme of the whatifs and maybes of an unrealized relationship. The SiKat Ako mini album can now be streamed on Spotify and downloaded on iTunes.

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity, but of course it makes me feel so nervous,” said Katrina. “We are working we hard to make this concert a memorable one and we will make sure to give the audience a fantastic show.”

Joining Katrina as her special guests are Gary Valenciano, BuDaKhel, and the Adlib Dancers.

SiKat Ako is a joint project of Manila Genesis Entertainment and Management Inc. and Viva Live. For tickets contact Manila Genesis (706-2171; 535-0786; and 535-0088), Viva Live (687-7236), and Ticketnet (911-555).

For updates on Katrina, follow her on Twitter (@ katvelarde24), Instagram (@katrinavelarde24), follow Katrina Velarde on Facebook, and follow Katrina Velarde on YouTube.

Patient’s forum gathers health and advocacy leaders to care for rare THE Philippine Society for Orphan Disorders (PSOD) gathered key agency leaders and advocates in a patientcentric event held last month in Manila to discuss ways on how to address, support and protect people with rare diseases.

Leading the discussion were agency representatives from the Department of Science and Technology (DSOT), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and PhilHealth joined by patients and their families.

With the theme “Easing the Burden of Rare Disease,” the PSOD Patient’s Forum was organized last Dec. 12 at

Best Western Hotel La Corona, Manila to discuss the plight of the patients and their needs for medical assistance and how local agencies can contribute to the patients. The forum was not just to help patients with rare diseases, but to also enable a new understanding of the principles behind rare disorders and the development of new treatments.

PSOD is a non-profit organization whose mission is to uphold the primary concerns and welfare of individuals with rare disorders in the Philippines.

The organization directly addresses, supports and protects the health and general well-being of people with rare disease. Continued on C3

Dr. Carmencita Padilla (2nd from right), Founding Chairman of PSOD, Dr. Jaime Montoya (3rd from right), Executive Director of Philippine Council for Health Research and Development and Cynthia Magdaraog (rightmost), President of PSOD, together with Rare Disease patients during the Easing the Burden of Rare Disease Forum