Manila Standard - 2019 February 18 - Monday

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VOL. XXXIII • NO. 8 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

POPE CALLS BISHOPS TO SEX ABUSE SUMMIT VATICAN CITY—Pope Francis gathers bishops from around the world at the Vatican this week for a hotly-awaited summit on tackling the wave of child sex abuse scandals assailing the Catholic Church.

The heads of about 100 bishops’ conferences from every continent will convene from Thursday to Sunday for the meeting, with victims’ groups demanding that a concrete action plan on fighting pedophilia be drawn up.

The pope, who asked the bishops to speak to victims of abuse in their respective countries before the Rome convention, has tried to dial down “inflated expectations” for a cure-all.

The conference aims to be an opportu-

nity to improve awareness of the global phenomenon of sexual abuse of minors within the Church, despite many in Africa, Asia and the Middle East being in denial of what they call “a Western problem.”

In many parts of the world, discussing violence towards children and even sex is taboo, leading the Vatican to organize this week’s “educational” gathering.

Some abuse victims, particularly from countries where their plight is ignored, have also been invited to attend.

“Someone who has met a victim, heard their cries for help, their tears, their psychological and physical wounds, can’t remain the same,” said German Jesuit priest

Hans Zollner, a psychologist who travels the world educating priests and is one of the conference’s organizers.

“The Catholic Church has been faced with this problem for the last 35 years,” he said, hailing rigorous preventative measures taken in Australia, Britain, Canada, Ireland and the United States.

“It works: the number of new accusations of sexual assault in all these countries is now minimal,” he said.

The aim is for the heads of the world’s episcopal conferences to achieve “a feeling of collective responsibility” said Father Federico Lombardi, who will be leading debates during the conference.

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PAPAL MESSAGE. Pope Francis delivers his message from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter’s square during the weekly Angelus prayer on February 10, 2019 at the Vatican. AFP

‘Diokno budget plan messy’ Andaya exposes ills of cash-based spending scheme

By Rio N. Araja

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HE chairman of the House committee on appropriations warned Sunday that the cash-based budgeting system that Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno insists on imposing would institutionalize corruption and result in poor quality national infrastructure projects.

CATRIONA DOLLS. Twenty-five- year-old Alvin Ocampo of Caloocan City shows off his Catriona dolls, named after the reigning Miss Universe who popularized the lava gown and Philippine national costume she wore during the pageant. Gray will be having her homecoming parade on February 21 and 23, 2019. Norman Cruz

Yulo kin, driver shot dead by riding-in-tandem on EDSA

By Joel E. Zurbano A member of the Yulo clan and his driver were shot dead along the busiest thoroughfare in Metro Manila at 3 p.m. Sunday, after two motorcycle-riding gunmen pulled beside their van and opened fire along EDSA in Mandaluyong City.

Reports from the Mandaluyong City police station said the fatalities were Jose Luis Yulo Jr., 62, a resident of Ayala, Alabang; and his driver Allan Nomer Santos, 51, of Las Pinas City.

A woman on board the van, Esmeralda Ignacio, also of Las Pinas City, was

wounded and taken to the VRP Medical Center, where Yulo and Santos were declared dead on arrival.

Police said the victims’ white Toyota Hiace Grandia was headed south on EDSA when the gunmen approached their vehicle and fired upon them.

Reports said the victims had come from Angeles City, Pampanga.

Video footage on social media showed that the van was stalled near the tracks of the MRT at 4 p.m.

The Metro Manila Development Authority reported that the shooting temporarily closed two southbound lanes of EDSA.

OIL distributors PTT Philippines, Petro Gazz Philippines and Pilipinas Shell will raise pump prices by P0.70 per liter of gasoline and diesel effective at 6 am today, Tuesday, to reflect the movement of oil prices in the world market.

“Petro Gazz will implement price a hike on fuel products effective 6 am Tuesday, diesel by P0.70 and gasoline by

P0.70 per liter,” the company said.

The other oil firms were expected to follow suit.

This week’s price increase will be the second consecutive weekly increase as the oil companies implement the latest adjustments in oil prices every Tuesday.

Unioil Philippines forecast over the weekend that diesel should go up by P0.50 to P0.60 per liter and gasoline by Next page P0.40 to P0.50 per liter

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PNP targets P1-b cocaine smuggling recipients

By Francisco Tuyay THE Philippine National Police is training its sights on the recipients of the cocaine smuggled ship-side worth P1 billion that was seized in the Philippines recently, an official said Sunday.

PNP chief Oscar Albayalde said they

were now analyzing who the receiver of the prohibited drug might be. He said the cocaine was either dropped in the high seas or left in shallow waters to be picked up by its recipient.

Last week, anti-narcotics agents seized in three occasions over P1 billion worth of cocaine in brick form off the waters of

Camarines Norte, Sinagat and Siargao Islands in the Caraga region.

“We are investigating as to who the recipients are… whether local or foreign,” Albayalde said while viewing the contraband.

He said it was possible that the drug Next page

Drug war success validated—Palace

By Nat Mariano

Oil players hike prices by 70c/liter

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr., panel chairman, said Diokno must abandon his cash-based budgeting system under the 2019 national budget since that would only limit appropriations, bidding, completion of projects and payments within a single year.

“Instead of fighting corruption, it would only worsen and be widespread under Secretary Diokno’s cash-based budgeting system. This would institutionalize corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways. And who would benefit? Small, ill-equipped suppliers or contractors,” he said.

Andaya, a former Department of Budget and Management secretary,

AMBUSH ON EDSA. The victims’ Toyota Hiace Grandia stalled on EDSA near the MRT tracks after the shooting, according to the MMDA. Andrew Rabulan

THE Palace and the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday welcomed the results of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing that six of 10 Filipinos believe that the number of drug users has decreased, saying this “validates the success” of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

“As we all know, it is a major campaign platform of President Duterte and remains a centerpiece program of his administration, notwithstanding the harshest criticisms, brickbats and pressures the current government is receiving here and abroad,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said of the anti-drug campaign.

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Rody, Honeylet hie off to HK on her birthday

By Nat Mariano PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte spent the weekend in Hong Kong to celebrate the birthday of his common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña, the Palace said Sunday.

“Yup, he [Duterte] is in Hong Kong with Honeylet [and other members of his family]. It’s the latter’s birthday today,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters.

Avanceña turned 49 on Sunday.

According to former top aide Christopher Go, the President’s visit to Hong Kong was requested by his daughter Kitty Duterte.

“It was actually Kitty who requested her father for the trip as a gift,” Go said.

“They have been doing this even before the President was Davao City Mayor. The weekend getaway is for rest and recreation.

“Before the President left the country, he directed Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea as the OIC [of the government] and the everyday operations of the Office of the President.”

The President and his family, who left the country on Friday night, were expected to return on Sunday.

The South China Morning Post reported said the 79-year-old President was seen shopping in a shop at the World Trade Center in Causeway Bay. It was the second time that the President was seen in Hong Kong with his family since he went on an unscheduled trip there in October 2018.

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Poll violators’ list in question

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HE Commission on Elections said Sunday the list of campaign poster violators it had earlier released covered only the Metro Manila area.

“The list was only for Metro Manila and some got angry, saying why the others were not in it,” Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon told Super Radyo dzBB. In other developments: • A law giving candidates additional discounts on political ads will only benefit those with a substantial campaign kitty, the poll watchdog Legal Network for Truthful Elections said Sunday.

President Rodrigo Duterte last week approved the measure amending the Fair

Election Act and raising the discount rates for political ads on television, radio and print. The measure is expected to allow candidates to reach more voters and market their platforms better.

Senator Nancy Binay earlier questioned the list of campaign poster violators for not including the candidates “whose faces are all over the Philippines.”

“Bakit ganun? Kung sino pa ‘yung mga kandidatong nagkalat ang mukha sa buong Pilipinas ay wala sa listahan. I find

the Comelec’s list highly questionable,” Binay said in a statement on Friday.

Guanzon said the candidates suggested to be included in the list were living outside Metro Manila, but added they would be included in the list soon. “‘Yung mga address ng mga ‘yan Roxas City, address sa Davao, address sa Bacolod. Maghintay lang po kayo kasi talagang namang padadalhan sila ng notice,” Guanzon said.

He said the regional election director who would issue the notice was only tasked for the Metro Manila area. “’Yung mag-i-issue ng notice, Metro Manila director. Wala ‘yun sa jurisdiction niya…Inuna namin ‘yung Metro Manila pero nationwide ‘yung election officer ay

nagbabaklas at nagsasagawa ng notice. Huwag kayong mag-aalala,” Guanzon said.

Under Comelec Resolution 10488, which serves as the implementing rules and regulations of the Fair Elections Act, parties and candidates are only allowed to mount their campaign posters in authorized common poster areas.

Posters and tarpaulins of political parties and party-list groups should only measure 12 feet by 16 feet or its equivalent, while the posters of independent candidates should be within four feet by six feet or its equivalent.

Meanwhile, Guanzon encouraged the public to report to the Comelec if campaign violations were being committed by candidates in their areas.

‘Diokno...

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said some DBM and DPWH employees had told him that the total amount of unpaid contracts for 2018 infrastructure projects soared from P44 billion in November 2018 to more than P100 billion at the end of the year.

Under the present obligation-based budgeting, the government could spread out the appropriations across two years to enable the projects to be completed, he said.

He also cited testimony from exDPWH secretary Rogelio Singson that he was against one-year cash budgeting for capital outlays because it would only encourage corruption in government contracts.

Singson also said such a system would limit projects to smaller amounts to ensure payment and completion within the year, jeopardizing the quality of the projects due to the absence of large, qualified contractors.

“During my term, I purposely packaged construction contracts above P150 million so that DPWH could attract qualified contractors who would be required to provide proper equipment considering that their contracts were big enough to warrant investing in good equipment. That’s why we now see many of the contractors with concrete or asphalt pavers and invested in appropriate construction equipment,” Singson told Congress.

“I suggest that the DBM secretary get a copy of the 2017 PIDS discussion paper of Rene Santiago, a fellow at the Foundation for Economic Freedom,” Andaya said.

“Mr. Santiago’s study on planning and programming of capital projects at the agency level cites the bad example UK had with cash-based budgeting.

To meet its one-year time constraint, agencies were forced to cluster expenditures in the last few months of the year,” he added.

HOMECOMING. Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde (3rd from left) and Philippine Military Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Ronnie Evangelista (left), pass through the cadets during the arrival honors at the PMA Alumni Homecoming held at Fort del Pilar, Baguio City on Saturday Feb. 16, 2019). Albayalde is a member of the PMA ‘Sinagtala’ Class of 1986. PNA

Pope...

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“The credibility of the Church is at stake,” he said.

The summit comes after Pope Francis defrocked a former cardinal—American Theodore McCarrick—over accusations he sexually abused a teenager 50 years ago.

McCarrick, 88, who resigned from the Vatican’s College of Cardinals in July, is the first cardinal ever to be defrocked for sex abuse.

Chilean Vatican expert Luis Badilla said the meeting would be a “decisive moment for the pontificate.”

“We want this meeting to result in con-

crete measures,” he said, echoing victims’ hopes for the conference, being held in the wake of pedophile scandals that have shaken the Church particularly in Chile and in the United States.

The summit’s title, concerning “the protection of minors”, avoids using the words “sex” or “pedophilia”, noted Badilla.

That reflects the Church’s centuries-old instinct to protect its image, he said. But added “the only way to emerge from the crisis is to tell the whole truth.”

In France, prosecutors said Friday they were investigating a sexual assault complaint made against the Vatican’s envoy to Paris, 74-year-old Luigi Ventura.

He is accused of molesting an official at

the Paris mayor’s office, a judicial source said.

The pope has already warned those hoping the four-day meet will be a panacea that “the problem of abuse will continue.”

“By resolving the problem within the Church, through becoming aware, we will contribute to resolving it within society, within families, where the shame means everything is hidden,” Francis said.

The meeting will come up with “protocols for moving forward”, because “sometimes bishops don’t know what to do,” he said.

Fr. Zollner is also wary of people hoping for a magic wand of “new norms” that will make the problem simply disappear.

Bishops must “change their attitude,” which can be more difficult than drawing up new rules or guidelines, he said.

The scale of the problem is impossible to measure statistically.

A study in the United States said that between 3 percent and 4 percent of the clergy were involved in abuse before 2002, when stricter guidelines were published, said Zollner.

While the Catholic Church says it is trying to address the problem, other churches are also affected.

In the United States, the Protestant Southern Baptist Convention has been hit by a wide-ranging sex abuse scandal involving almost 400 pastors, volunteers and teachers over two decades. AFP

SEASIDE SPRUCEUP.

Members of the Bureau of Fire and Protection collect garbage along Manila Bay in Pasay City on Sunday as part of tha Manila Bay cleanup and rehabilitation program.

Norman Cruz

PNP...

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syndicate smuggling the cocaine was using the Philippines as a transshipment point. It could be dropping the cocaine into the water with a Global Positioning System in it, to be picked up later by a diver brought there by helicopter.

Albayalde said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency was studying where the cocaine could have come from but declined to hazard a guess.

“We have foreign counterparts investigating the illegal drugs,” Albayalde said.

He said the cocaine seized on Dinagat Island had a dollar marking while a similar package intercepted in Siargao had the “Bugattis” label.

The cocaine being sold abroad costs 255 euros per gram, so that the bricks of cocaine seized here recently would amount to more than P1 billion.

Drug...

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Viewing the results as “good news,” Panelo called on the political opposition and the President’s detractors who are “most vocal” in attacking the anti-drug war to accept the people’s sentiments.

PNP spokesman Sr. Supt. Bernard Banac, meanwhile, said the survey results showed that the anti-drug campaign was an effective deterrent.

“The high rating obtained proves that the continuing anti-illegal drugs campaign of the government is effective in convincing drug dependents to refrain

from further using illegal drugs, and instrumental in reducing the total number of crimes nationwide thereby, creating a secure environment where people feel safe to live, work and do business,” he said in a statement.

In the latest survey, 66 percent of respondents said they believe the number of drug addicts last year was lower than that in 2017, while 14 percent said it had increased, and seven percent said it had remained the same.

According to the pollster, the proportion of those who believe there are now fewer drug addicts last year was highest in Mindanao with 83 percent saying there are few drug addicts, while six percent

said otherwise and four percent said the number did not change.

In the Visayas, 71 percent of those polled said it decreased, 11 percent said it increased and six percent said it remained the same.

In Metro Manila, 67 percent said it decreased, 22 percent said it increased, and eight percent said it remained the same.

In the rest of Luzon, 54 percent said it decreased, 18 percent said it increased, and eight percent said it remained the same.

The survey, conducted from Dec. 16 to 19, 2018, interviewed 1,440 Filipino adults nationwide. It had sampling error margins of ±2.6 percent for national percentages, and ±5 percent each for Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

Oil...

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.

On Feb. 12, the oil firms raised pump prices by P0.90 per liter of gasoline, P0.85 per liter of kerosene and P0.55 per liter of diesel.

On Feb. 4 and 5, the oil companies cut pump prices by P0.60 per liter of gasoline, P0.35 per liter of diesel and P0.20 per liter of kerosene

News

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019

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REPUBLIKA RIDERS.

MALOLOS CITY— At least 1,400 motorcycle riders made a recordbreaking show of brotherhood and camaraderie as they gathered for the second year staging of the “Republika Ride” starting from the Marilao-Petron gas station inside the North Luzon Expressway up to the Malolos Sports & Convention Center.

Senator JV Ejercito, driving a red 1200 Ducati, answered the take-off whistle at 730 a.m. together with City Mayor Christian ‘Agila’ Natividad (aboard a 1000 BMW) and other members of 50 big-bike groups that negotiated the 15-kilometer ride in less than 20 minutes.

Text And photo By Orlan Mauricio

IN BRIEF Binay exhorts builders, designers SENATOR Nancy Binay has emphasized the crucial role of architecture and design in forging the Filipino identity, noting that architects, urban planners and designers have overlooked the social dimension of their roles in society.

Binay at the opening on of the Anthology Architecture and Design Festival in Fort Santiago, lamented the people’s lack of access to housing and public spaces.

Binay, who is running for reelection in May 2019, vowed to craft and promote policies that put primacy on communitybuilding, including the issue of how public spaces are utilized.

Binay lauded architects and designers who continue to push boundaries while at the same time tapping into the Filipino consciousness and using materials that are indigenous to us in the pursuit of building structures that represent Filipino ideals, and aspirations. Macon Ramos Araneta

DOJ pooh-poohs Ressa threat J

By Rey E. Requejo

USTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Sunday disparaged the threat of Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa to file suits against him and the government following her indictment and arrest last week over a cyber libel case filed by a businessman.

Guevarra said Ressa’s threat to hold the government accountable for her ordeal will not hold water, saying it will only be dismissed outright by any competent body.

“We are performing our duties to prosecute anyone who breaks the law. We are confident that her allegations will not prosper because we have not violated any law. So just go ahead and bring it on,” Guevarra said, when asked for comment on Ressa’s threat.

The Justice Secretary debunked the insinuation of Ressa that the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation have engaged in “selective justice” and “weaponization of the law”

in indicting and arresting her upon the order of a Manila City court.

“Harassment and persecution are not in my vocabulary,” Guevarra pointed out.

According to him, the filing of cyber libel case against Ressa and her arrest were not done to harass or target critics of the Duterte administration or to threaten the constitutional freedom of the press, reiterating that it is an ordinary criminal case now up to the trial court to resolve.

“Press freedom is not absolute. The rights of other citizens deserve equal protection,” he said.

The DOJ chief added that Ressa is “old enough to know what’s good for her” and should just face

the case before the court without the “theatrics.”

“What the government has done is to actually forge us in fire. It made me, as the CEO and a journalist, to decide early on that we would live according to our standards and ethics, that we will hold government accountable even if it’s bad for business,” Ressa said last Friday.

Ressa was arrested last Feb.13 by NBI agents upon order issued by Manila regional trial court branch 46 over the cyber libel case filed by the DOJ upon complaint of businessman Wilfredo Keng.

She spent the night at the NBI headquarters in Manila after failure to post bail in the evening.

But she was released the following day, Feb.14, after posting P100,000 bail before the court.

The DOJ found probable cause in the complaint filed by the NBI and Keng for violation of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act in March last year. `Published in May 2012, the article written by Santos cited an “intelligence report,” saying Keng had been under surveillance for his alleged involvement in human trafficking and drug smuggling.

Luntian party list seeks House seat LUNTIANG Pilipinas (Luntian) first nominee Michael Ubac said that it was time to elect a green party to Congress.

“It has been 21 years since marginalized sectors were allowed representation in the House of Representatives via the party-list system, and in that time no green party has ever been elected tomCongress. That, we believe, has to change given the grave threats posed to our environment,” said Ubac.

Ubac, a graduate of the University of the Philippines and Harvard University, said that Luntian has a clear platform founded on its four pillars: regreening (forest parks, backyard gardening, and mangrove growing); solid waste management; coastal and marine resource management; and climate change adaptation. Macon Ramos Araneta

Senior citizens root for Angara AN UMBRELLA organization promoting the interest of senior citizens has endorsed the reelection bid of Senator Sonny Angara, whom it described as a “true champion” of the rights and welfare of the Filipino elderly in the Senate.

The Coalition of Services of the Elderly Inc. said that for many years, Angara “has proven himself to be an ally of the elderly and has assured us that he will continue to work to produce more meaningful measures not just for the benefit of all senior citizens but for every Filipino as well.”

It added: “As we push for a universal social pension in the next Congress, Angara will be instrumental in this endeavor. Therefore, the Coalition of Services of the Elderly Inc. wholeheartedly gives our support to the young legislator.”

COSE is comprised of 450 member-organizations across the country dedicated to advancing the welfare of senior citizens.

Angara expressed gratitude to COSE for endorsing his candidacy, as he vowed to continue forwarding the interest and welfare of millions of Filipino senior citizens if he gets elected for another six-year term. MRA

Senator takes up cudgels for PAO chief

By Macon Araneta

BROTHERS FOR LIFE. Newly elected president of Upsilon Sigman Phi Alumni Association Martin Romualdez (right)

delivers his message to hundreds of fraternity brothers during the Upsilon Sigma Phi Congress XVll at the University of the Philippines in Bonifacio Global City,Taguig. Romualdez stresses that he is honored and privilege to serve his brothers for life and humbly accepts the challenge of making their beloved fraternity even more powerful than it already is. VER NOVENO

SC throws out suit vs Philpost issuance of INC commemorative stamps in 2014 Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has dismissed the petition challenging the legality of the decision of the Philippine Postal Corporation to print and sell more than 1.2 million postage stamps to commemorate the 100th founding anniversary of Iglesia ni Cristo in 2014.

In a 26-page en banc decision authored by Associate Justice Noel Tijam, the SC upheld the July 24, 2015 decision and the resolution dated March 8, 2016 of the Court of Appeals, which declared Philpost’s use of public funds to print the commemorative stamps did not violate Section 29 (2) Article VI of the Constitution which bars the use of public funds to support a religious sect.

“The printing of the INC commemorative stamp is no different. It is simply an acknowledgment of INC’s existence for a hundred years. It does not necessarily equate to the State sponsoring the INC,” the SC ruled.

The high court resolved the case by applying its policy of “benevolent neutrality” in resolving disputes between the State and the Church.

Citing Estrada vs. Escritor case, the Court ruled that

“benevolent neutrality recognizes the religious nature of the Filipino people and the elevating influence of religion in society; at the same time, it acknowledges that government must pursue its secular goals.”

The policy gives room for accommodation of religious exercises as required under the Constitution, it said.

Because of this, the SC said it has adopted a stance of “benevolent neutrality” in determining the whether there has been a violation of the provision on separation of the Church and the State.

“Rightfully so, for this incorporates the Constitutional principle of separation of the Church and the State while recognizing the people’s right to express their belief or non-belief of a Supreme Being,” the SC held.

The high court did not give weight to the argument of petitioner Renato Peralta that the printing and issuance of the INC commemorative stamp involved disbursement of public funds and tantamount to sponsorship of a religious activities, thus, violating the principle of separation of powers between the State and the Church and the non-establishment of religion clause.

SENATOR Richard Gordon on Sunday defended Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta against calls for her to resign for allegedly undermining trust and confidence in the government’s vaccination program amid the measles outbreak.

Gordon, the Blue Ribbon committee chaiperson, rejected the call for Acosta to resign even as he said that there was no proof that the children who were administered the anti-dengue vaccine died from Dengvaxia.

“What if it was investigated and it will come out that they did not die from Dengvaxia? They already turned hysterical so many refused to have the vaccines,” Gordon said.

He warned that if this would not stop, time will come whn even the vaccination program on polio and tuberculosis would decline.

Gordon said that so far, the Red Cross had reported 98 deaths from measles while the DOH listed 115 deaths.

Since measles patients have been overflowing in the wards of public hospitals, Gordon said they put up airconditioned hospital tents to accommodate the other children patients so they would not be sharing beds.

On Saturday, Gordon said they had administered vaccines to 800 people including adults.

Meanwhile, based on the Quick count of the DOH-Calabarzon, Regional Director Eduardo Janaido said the total number of reported measles cases as of 8 am Sunday reached 2,328 with 54 deaths.

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Opinion

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019

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What’s in a name?

THERE is a current controversy about changing the name of the country from Philippines to Maharlika. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte suggested it in a recent public speech. He said the late President Ferdinand Marcos, who first raised the issue, was right. The President said the word Maharlika was a Malay word meaning royalty.

On this score, some Filipino historians pointed out that the President was wrong to say it was a Malay word. Philologists pointed out that “maharlika” was actually derived from India.

Sadly, thinking has gone out of fashion among our present politicians.

Changing a country’s name is not as simple as it seems. First of all, it is like switching our form of government from the presidential and bicameral Congress to federalism/paliamentary system. The sea change is going to be very costly. Our money from the coins to the peso bills will have to be demonitized, discarded and replaced with new ones bearing the maharlika name. Ditto the Constitution, the fundamental law of the land. All references to the Philippines will have to be amended to Maharlika.

Maybe President Marcos foresaw the myriad problems that could arise from

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

changing the country’s name which was why he abandoned the idea. While Marcos was a man who thought things through, sadly, thinking has gone out of fashion among out present politicians.

Marcos’ first name was apparently taken after the Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan who discovered the Philippines in 1521. To change the name of the Philippines after King Philip II would have required him to change also his first name. Other Filipinos baptized

by Spanish missionary priests would also start a beeline to the courts to have their names changed.

The Spanish friars who probably ran out of Spanish names baptized Filipinos with the same names. Hence there are many Juan de la Cruzes, Jose Santoses and even Del Rosarios.

So, what’s in a name? A lot – once is born and baptized with it. We are stuck with our names.

An ambassador from one of those former Soviet satellites once asked me why Filipinos did not change the name of the Philippines. He said this connoted a slavic subservience to the King of Spain. As with diplomatic events, conversations like these were best ignored.

A smile from me was the best repartee I could give the ambassador to show my disdain for his ignorance of history and culture.

This is diplomacy, where silence does not mean acceptance nor agreement with another diplomat’s mindless view.

However, when I saw this particular envoy again at another gathering, I took the offensive and remarked: “Excellency, why don’t you ask the American ambassador why the US continues to use America after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci who discovered America?”

I noticed a smirk instead of a smile from him.

For all its current state of affairs, the United States of America has shown its resilience and greatness as a people to be

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‘We’ll go after you’

HE Justice department says that will investigate the case of a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent caught on video threatening a Rappler reporter for recording the arrest of her boss, Maria Ressa on Feb. 13.

We recommend that it does so quickly, and act swiftly to correct any the overzealousness and arrogance that the NBI agent in question clearly showed in a video that has been widely circulated on Twitter, not only here, but abroad.

The video feed records the conversation that Rappler reporter Aika Rey had with an unidentified NBI agent who tried to stop her from recording Ressa’s arrest, which was happening inside the Rappler office.

The exchange is not captured on video, because Rey apparently pointed her camera phone away when the agent approached her, but it is clearly captured on the audio track. Here is part of that conversation, after Rey asked him why she should stop recording the arrest.

NBI agent: Oh really? You really do not want to comply with our simple request? Come on, miss.

Rey: Are you getting my phone?

You can’t get my phone.

NBI agent: Come on, be cooperative. Your boss is already talking to us. No need for that. I’m sure you do understand what I’m telling you,

right? Oh great.

Rey: I mean, I’m not the only one doing it.

NBI agent: Yeah, but I’m talking to you right now. I’ll attend to them later, one by one.

Rey: Can you explain to me first...

NBI agent: Because I’m saying so.

Rey: And what will happen...?

NBI agent: It’s up to you. It’s our request. Please. OK, if you’re going to do the same banana...

Rey: I mean, maybe you can explain to me first...

NBI agent: No. Rey: Why not?

The NBI agent then takes his camera phone and records Rey, to make his point.

Rey: Now you’re doing the same thing.

NBI agent: You asked for it.

Rey: Ummm, I don’t mind.

(Laughs) Unfortunately, the two-minute video excerpt that Rey shared on her Twitter account does not include this part of the conversation: NBI agent: “Can you stop doing what you’re doing now? Is it okay?

Oh great and tell the same thing to your colleague. Because definitely if we see our faces on the net, you’ll be sorry. You’ve been warned. We’ll go after you.”

Justice Undersecretary Mark Perete said the department will look into the incident and also talk to the NBI agents involved because they want a clear picture of what transpired to see if any violation took place.

This is all and good, but the video alone clearly records a law enforcer trying to stop a journalist from doing her job, inside her own place of employment. When asked for a reason, he offered no better explanation other than “because I’m saying so.” That does not cut it.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra himself has said that it is not illegal for journalists to record an ongoing arrest as long as they do not not interfere with the operation.

It would be a stretch, indeed, to suggest that one person holding up a camera phone could seriously impede the arrest. In what is certainly a good sound byte, he has also said: “The DOJ will not file charges for the purpose of harassing journalists.

Not under my watch.”

It is time that Secretary Guevarra put his money where his mouth is and took to task the overzealous NBI agent who was clearly overstepping his bounds by suppressing coverage of a legitimate news event.

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THE circus has come to town. Beginning with their opening salvos, their proclamation rallies, the senatorial circus-circus has indeed arrived.

For the next 90 days, the performers will do virtually anything to win the public minds, and sadly, their hearts.

Sadly?

A woman was asked in a random street interview: “Will you vote for Bong Revilla as senator?”

“Oo, siyempre” was the instant reply.

“Bakit?”

“Kasi pogi s’ya!”

And of course there is Jinggoy Estrada who in the latest poll surveys is inside the Magic 12, but outside the winning circle is his brother Joseph Victor or JV. Pundits are almost unanimous in saying that it’s because Jinggoy used to be in the movies, while JV never dabbled in the art that made their father, the former president and now mayor of the country’s capital city, a legend both in cinema and politics.

Elections in this country are no different than show business. Patok sa takilya, panalo!

But of course I am being sarcastic. I still hope for the day when voters will use mind over heart in making choices for important political positions that affect their daily dreadful lives.

Meanwhile, the “tickets” or senatorial slates formed are like a lotto combination.

Mayor Inday Sara Duterte has 13 nominees for 12 seats up for grabs.

Bong Go of course is on top of her list.

And then Bato de la Rosa, Francis Tolentino, Sajid Mangudadatu, plus reelectionists Cynthia Villar, Sonny Angara, Koko Pimentel, JV Ejercito, and returning Pia Cayetano. To which she adds Imee Marcos, Jinggoy, and another Bong (Revilla) plus Jiggy Manicad.

Trece? Si, trece!

Hindi ba malas ang trese? Malas talaga, if the voters make the mistake of shading 13 ovals in the ballot corre-

sponding to the names of the candidates.

It will be a spoiled ballot. Talo lahat!

Which is why the Davao City mayora explains that people should choose only 12 out of her list. Leave one out, whoever you do not like.

Numero uno in most every survey, unless Cynthia Villar upends her in the end, is Grace Poe, whom voters always remember each time they watch Ang Probinsyano of Coco Martin and Susan Roces. FPJ na naman!

But wait, closely trailing Grace and Cynthia is Lito Lapid, who has metamorphosed from Leon Guerrero to Ang Pinuno in the blockbuster telenovela which was conceptualized to coincide with the presidential campaign of 2016, when the owners of ABS-CBN wanted to “create” a president to their own liking. For some reason the Lopezes thought Mar Roxas, P-Noy’s annointee, would not win the hearts of voters (never mind their minds), so they created Grace.

I still hope for the day when voters will use mind over heart in making choices for important political positions that affect their daily dreadful lives.

What they did not expect was that a certain Digong from the boondocks of Mindanao would come out and dash their hopes for empire. He he he!

Lito Lapid “died” in Ang Probinsyano, and that’s supposed to get the voters to cry along with Coco Martin, all the way to May. In his last episode, he was Leon Guerrero once more, astride a horse, chasing, and killing with a pistol a gang of bandits with Armalites on the back of 150 horsepower pick-ups. Mirabile dictu!

So now, there will be two more votes in the Senate when ABS-CBN fights to Turn to A5

A different sauce for the gander?

IN 2011, the Quezon City government made a request to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines to declare the late President Manuel Luis Quezon’s sprawling house in Gilmore St. a heritage site. This follows reports that Quezon’s heirs were planning on selling the 3,678-square-meter property where he lived while recovering from tuberculosis before World War II. Quezon, president during the Com-

after him. Tomas Morato took over the post.

According to a news report published forin August 14, 2011, it was actually for The Quezon City Belmer Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Bel monte who initiated the move to have the government treated Quezon ancestral house declared a herithe Morato ancestral tage site, even commissioning an inspechouse differently from tion of the property as early as 2008 after reports of the planned sale first surfaced. the Quezon house.

“I really think the city government should move not only to declare the Quezon property a heritage site but also to acquire and preserve it,” Belmonte was monwealth era, also briefly served as quoted as saying then.

Quezon City planning and developmayor of Quezon City which was esTurn to A5 tablished in 1939 and which was named Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher

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Opinion

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019

Chicken mess will hit 8.3 million workers ers Association (UBRA) said the lifting also affected government revenues, which instead translated into windfall profits for importers.

IT was not just rice that apparently became a target of government intervention at the height of the inflation crisis last year. The government lifted the special safeguard duty (SSG) on poultry products in August to supposedly help lower retail prices and ease inflation, which hit near-decade highs in 2018.

Months into its implementation, however, the zero-tariff measure has effectively deregulated the poultry industry, and local players are now crying foul over the flooding of imports into the market without the hoped-for effect on retail prices.

The impact includes a 106-percent surge in the importation of grandparent stocks, which more than doubled between 2014 and 2018 while inbound shipment of parent stocks jumped 68 percent and frozen chicken imports rose by 74 percent.

Year-on-year data from the Department of Trade and Industry showed chicken leg quarter imports reaching some 61.43 million kilos as of November 2018, 37 percent higher than the 44.834 million kilos for the entirety of 2017. Separate data from the Bureau of Animal Industry indicates an 18.1 percent jump in chicken meat imports from 244,104 MT in 2017 to 288,202 MT last year.

But while supply did improve, wet market retail prices still ranged between P125 and P160 per kilogram, which only means that the measure failed to bring relief to retail consumers, its original intent.

What the lifting of the SSG did effect was farm gate prices, which had gone down to P38 per kilo. This is way below the cost-to-produce at P80 to P85 per kilo live weight, which had obviously put a serious strain on local farmers, many of whom had begun to quit raising chicken because it simply became financially untenable.

Industry group United Broilers Rais-

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get its franchise renewed next year.

But Poe was alone when she launched her re-election candidacy. Uno para una sa balota.

But Tito Sen, the Senate President wants to campaign for his dabarkads, the re-electionists. That means Grace, Cynthia, Nancy Binay, JV, Sonny and Koko, even Bam Aquino of the opposition.

Plus of course Pinuno, who now belongs to Tito Sen’s Nationalist People’s Coalition.

The Liberals have a different number – Otso, which among the Chinese is a lucky number, because it is a symbol of prosperity. So they coined the monicker, Otso Diretso. But alas, the surveys tell

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ment officer Tomasito Cruz then wrote NHCP chairperson Maria Serena Diokno manifesting the city government’s intention of registering the property as “an important cultural treasure.”

In his letter dated August 8, Cruz wrote: “It was brought to the attention of the city government that the QuezonAvanceña property located along Gilmore Avenue is being offered for sale.

“May we therefore request your good agency [to tell us] the possible options on how to acquire subject property and declare it a heritage site in accordance with the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009,” Cruz further stated in his letter.

The property on which the house once stood was eventually sold, but not before the house was transferred to it present site at the Quezon Memorial Circle. But what this incident clearly tells us is that Belmonte is such an avid disciple of history and admirer of everything that has something to do with it. It is as if with Belmonte, heritage sites will always be preserved and protected.

A few years later, another potential heritage site, the Morato ancestral house was offered for sale. While the house, built in the 1950s, could easily qualify for “protection” under Republic Act 10066 which provides protection for heritage structures 50 years and older, prohibiting their demolition without going to court, the Quezon City Government could have easily showed the same compassion it had exhibited in the case of the Quezon ancestral house. Anyway, it was the tandem of Mayor Herbert Bautista and Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte who headed the

“Clearly, imports have no impact on consumer retail prices, notwithstanding the academic notions by economists about the law of supply and demand. Inelasticities at the segments beyond the farm gate have undermine basic economic theories,” said UBRA President Elias Jose Inciong.

To be fair, better production conditions also contributed to the surge in local supply, but this seems to have been completely diminished, if not nullified, by the lifting of the SSG, which caused imported chicken to flood the local market.

Perhaps sensing the damage, the government through the DTI had reportedly started to reconsider re-imposing the special safeguard duty so local poultry raisers may breathe easier again.

For his part, Department of Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol hascalled on for the reinstatement of the SSG, citing precisely that its lifting did nothing to the retail prices of chicken meat.

“We are double checking now if there is a need to bring back the safeguard measure on chicken imports,” said DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, who had been in talks with Piñol.

It is not immediately clear why the measure was green-lit in the first place without, it would seem, consultations

with the broiler industry. After all, some 8.3 million Filipinos are employed in the sector all over the country, and something that can have such a massive impact on one of the country’s most productive and strategic industries should have been more thoroughly studied.

In the context of its original implementation last year, there appears to be a knee-jerk, almost populist quality to the lifting of the special safeguard duty on poultry products, which must be replaced by astute analysis of the issue.

To help correct the mess, the poultry industry suggests setting up an independent regulating body or council that would put a cap on chicken importation precisely to prevent oversupply and avert overwhelming domestic broiler production, which this year is forecast to outpace consumption, 1.4 billion vs 1 billion.

To further protect the local poultry industry, a 40-percent tariff should be imposed on all livestock and poultry meat and by-products. Government subsidy and incentive on inputs, especially corn and soya, which comprise 70 percent of the feeds for local feed millers and farmers, will also be helpful.

Finally, industry players say there is a need to revisit and review the principle of minimum access volume as well as its recipients. This commitment of a certain quantity to be imported with a lower tariff is something that traders take advantage of, they feel, to the loss of local producers and integrators.

Sadly, even an issue as big as this can be buried in the feverish election noise.

But for the sake of 8.3 million workers who depend on the industry, the government needs to rethink its aggressive pro-meat importer policy and the kind of long-term damage it will do to an otherwise vibrant sector.

Our lawmakers, especially those up for reelection, should do well to remember that inflation and employment are consistently among the top concerns for Filipinos, who will troop to the polls in a few months. In this case, the more than 8 million that are affected by the chicken import mess represents 8 million disgruntled votes, which can easily make or break political dreams.

us only two of the Otso Diretso gang have a chance of making it come May 13. Trese na naman?

RRD of course has his own list, and it leaves out some of daughter Inday Sara’s thirteen.

We begin with the ones who are his first choices: the ever-loyal and eversipag, whose bisyo is serbisyo, Bong Go. And Bato, his first PNP chief, of course. And Francis Tolentino, his younger “tol”. Sajid Mangudadatu, his bradir from Muslim Mindanao, and Freddie Aguilar, the singer who gained international recognition for his melancholic “Anak.” ust five? Ah, not really, because to the initial five he adds Pia Cayetano, the sister of his loyal Alan, who seeks to be congressman once more, and speaker of

the HoR eventually.

And re-electionists Cynthia V, Sonny A, Koko P and JV. Plus Imee Marcos.

That makes for 10. But my title in this article says 11. Well, it was eleven until he decided to drop Jinggoy from the list. The ostensible reason is that he and Bong Revilla were “late” to apply.

Confused?

Ten or eleven, the President always said he was poor in arithmetic anyway.

That’s why he took up law at San Beda instead of economics or engineering.

Why not add Bam Aquino, Mr. President? Oposisyon nga, pero taga-Davao naman ang mommy niya, ‘di ba?

Now if all my numbers don’t add up, sorry, I was never good at arithmetic either. That’s why I am trying hard to be a writer.

city government in 2011 and 2014.

The sale of the ancestral house of the Moratos, tainted with controversies and alleged fraud, is another story. It is the subject of a court case among the siblings as it was alleged that their youngest brother forged documents to lay claim to the property along with his supposed cobuyers of the property.

The question that lingers is why the Quezon City government treated the Morato ancestral house differently from the Quezon house. Isn’t the sauce for the goose also good for the gander?

The answer might lie in the identities of the co-buyers of Jose Morato, the youngest of the Morato siblings.

According the complaint filed by the Moratos before the Office of the Ombudsman, Jose managed to fake documents to effect the sale of the property to his own company, JLM Trading Corporation and his co-buyers - Jaime Miguel, Juan Kevin and Feliciano Isaac – children of former Speaker Sonny Belmonte and brothers of Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte. Jose and the Belmonte brothers, the complainants stated in their document, entered into an agreement with Sta. Lucia Land, Inc. for the construction of a 21-story condominium over the properties in question. The work commenced in April 2018.

The complainants accused the respondents, mainly Jose Morato and the Belmonte brothers, of soliciting the active participation and intervention of their sister, Vice Mayor Joy, in the approval and issuance of the Certificate of Exception denominated as Resolution No. 7176 Series of 2017 as evidenced by the Minutes df the 35th Regular Session held on July

17, 2017. This was approved and signed

by Vice Mayor Joy herself.

The complainants further aver that the respondents conspired with one another in securing the special permit for the construction of the condominium over the contested properties.

So why the different treatment on the case of the Moratos? Maybe Vice Mayor Joy can answer that herself. *** A friend called me up yesterday and shared with me their unfortunate experience at the Trinoma Mall last Saturday.

According to my friend, his granddaughter accidentally slipped inside the mall suffering a busted lip and broken nose. To their surprise, no immediate help was in sight. They had to go to the concierge to seek assistance who then called up a security guard.

After around five minutes, a security guard arrived and it was only then he started radioing for medical assistance.

After another five minutes, according to my friend, a medic arrived carrying with him an empty ice bag. Yup, empty with no ice or even cold water. This medic then called for back-up and after ten minutes another medic arrived, this time carrying with her some tissue.

It was at that point my friend decided to leave and proceed to the nearest hospital.

Is this how a premier mall operates?

Incapacitated to provide medical assistance or even first aid to those who who might suffer accidents while inside their mall?

Maybe what matters most for them is the profit and not even an iota of consideration for the kind of services they can provide for their clientele.

The poultry industry suggests setting up an independent regulating body or council that would put a cap on chicken importation.

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Protection or free trade THE excerpts below are from Henry George—one of the greatest trade economists of all time—and his 1886 book, Protection or Free Trade.

Nobel economist Milton Friedman called it the most rhetorically brilliant book ever written on trade, and it was also the first book to be read entirely into the US Congressional Record. Protection or Free Trade was probably the best book on trade written by anyone. It can be compared to Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations. Economist Tyler Cowen wrote in 2009 that the book “remains perhaps the best-argued tract on free trade to this day.”

Some of George’s quotes below were featured in the Wall Street Journal in 2016, but I’ve expanded some of them, and I’ve also included additional ones from the full text of Protection or Free Trade.

This should be required reading for political leaders and all other protectionists who think trade is winlose and who advocate tariffs and protectionism as a way to make the country better off economically.

1. Maximize Imports, Not Exports: If foreigners will bring us goods cheaper than we can make them ourselves, we shall be the gainers. The more we get in imports as compared with what we have to give in exports, the better the trade for us.

And since foreigners are not liberal enough to give us their productions, but will only let us have them in return for own productions, how can they ruin our industry? The only way they could ruin our industry would be by bringing us for nothing all we want, so as to save us the necessity for work. If this were possible, ought it seem very dreadful?

2. Voluntary Trade is Mutually Beneficial: Trade is not invasion. It does not involve aggression on one side and resistance on the other, but mutual consent and gratification.

There cannot be a trade unless the parties to it agree.

3. Exposing Protectionist Fallacies: In a profitable international trade, the value of imports will always exceed the value of the exports that pay for them, just as in a profitable trading voyage, the return cargo must exceed in value the cargo carried out. This is possible to all the nations that are parties to commerce, for in a normal trade, commodities are carried from places where they are relatively cheap to places where they are relatively dear, and their value is thus increased by the transportation, so that a cargo arrived at its destination has a higher value than on leaving the port of its exportation.

But on the theory that a trade is profitable only when exports exceed imports, the only way for all countries to trade profitably with one another would be to carry commodities from places where they are relatively dear to places where they are relatively cheap. An international trade made up of such transactions as the exportation of manufactured ice from the West Indies to New England, and the exportation of hot-house fruits from New England to the West Indies, would enable all countries to export much larger values than they imported. On the same theory the more ships sunk at sea, the better for the commercial world. To have all the ships that left each country sunk before they could reach any other country would, upon protectionist principles, be the quickest means of enriching the whole world, since all

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a superpower. Being named after a colonizer has nothing to do with the making of a nation.

But more than a name change of the Philippines, what matters more is a change in our attitude and the acceptance of a culture of corruption that had been pervasive since our independence on July 4, 1946. All right, June 12, 1898.

On May 13 this year, Filipinos vote for another set of officials in the midterm elections. Will they elect men and women as senators, representatives, governor and mayors who have proven track records of competence and with the people’s interest at heart? Or will it be the same scalawags whose only qualifications are their popularity and money?

Several names of this ilk come to mind

countries could then enjoy the maximum of exports with the minimum of imports.

4. Exposing Tariff Fallacies: To every trade there must be two parties who mutually desire to trade, and whose actions are reciprocal. No one can buy unless he can find someone willing to sell; and no one can sell unless there is some other one willing to buy. If Americans did not want to buy foreign goods, foreign goods could not be sold here even if there were no tariff. The efficient cause of the trade which our tariff aims to prevent is the desire of Americans to buy foreign goods, not the desire of foreign producers to sell them. Thus protection really prevents what the “protected” themselves want to do. It is not from foreigners that protection preserves and defends us; it is from ourselves.

Henry George’s timeless insights are just as fresh and relevant today as they were in the late 1800s.

5. On the Fallacy of Protecting Infant Industries: What are really infant industries have no more chance in the struggle for governmental encouragement than infant pigs with full-grown swine about a meal-tub.

Not merely is the encouragement likely to go to industries that do not need it, but is likely to go to industries that can be maintained only in this way, and thus to cause absolute loss to the community by diverting labor and capital from remunerative industries.

6. Protectionism Equals Force: Trade does not require force. Free trade consists simply in letting people buy and sell as they want to buy and sell. It is protection that requires force, for it consists in preventing people from doing what they want to do. Protective tariffs are as much applications of force as are blockading squadrons, and their object is the same—to prevent trade. The difference between the two is that blockading squadrons are a means whereby nations seek to prevent their enemies from trading; protective tariffs are a means whereby nations attempt to prevent their own people from trading. What protection teaches us, is to do to ourselves in time of peace what enemies seek to do to us in time of war.

7. On the Fallacy of Trade Retaliation: And in the same way, for any nation to restrict the freedom of its own citizens to trade, because other nations so restrict the freedom of their citizens, is a policy of the “biting off one’s nose to spite one’s face” order. Other nations may injure us by the imposition of taxes which tend to impoverish their own citizens, for as denizens of the world, it is to our real interest that all other denizens of the world should be prosperous. But no other nation can thus injure us so much as we shall injure ourselves if we impose similar taxes upon our own citizens by way of retaliation.

Henry George’s timeless insights about trade, protectionism, and trade retaliation are just as fresh and relevant today as they were in the late 1800s, and maybe even more so than ever before given the recent popularity of protectionism. eric.jurado@gmail.com

but we won’t name them lest we are subjected to a libel suit.

So let the people decide. Whom a voter chooses defines that voter more than it does the candidate. Do they want meaningful change, or are they easily swayed to vote for candidates who can entertain them by the usual song-and-dance repertoire?

This is why those debates and interviews of candidates covered live on television are good—they give voters a window into the candidates’ platform of government. Voters will be able to distinguish candidates who talk nonsene from those who have a vision of how to serve the people.

Unfortunately, this benighted land does not have voters with the prescience and intelligence to elect the right people to lead them.

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News

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Tariffication law should not kill rice farmers’

Marcos: Secure foreign observers

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

LOCOS Norte Gov. Imee Marcos on Sunday called on the Commission on Elections and the security sector to safeguard foreign observers from potential threats from terror groups in the run-up to the May midterm polls.

HOUSE Speaker Gloria Arroyo on Sunday called for the proper implementation of the Rice Tariffication Act that would lift import restrictions on rice to ensure that it would not be disadvantage farmers and the domestic industry.

“We can now focus on its proper implementation so that everyone can and should benefit from the law,” she said.

The measure, which amends the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996, removes the quantitative restriction on rice importation and impose a 35-percent tariff on imports from Southeast Asian countries.

She said the new law would help further cushion inflation.

“I am happy that President Duterte has signed into law the Rice Tariffication Act. It would further help in easing the inflation that has hit the poor the most,” Arroyo said.

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte, a co-author of the law, said the rice competitiveness enhancement fund under the measure shall allocate 10 percent of its P10billion allocation or P1 billion for credit to farmers and cooperatives.

The new law would liberalize imports of rice and expand the availability of cheaper rice, he said.

“This will, in turn, prevent a repeat of the 2018 inflation surge brought in large part by the supply shortfall and the subsequent retail price increase of rice...Rice tariffication will benefit poor households the most, given that rice accounts for 20 percent of their consumption,” he added.

Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, however, warned an “oversupply” of rice could adversely affect local farmers.

“The people will be hurt in the domestic market when you bring too much commodity from the outside and you deprive them of the source of livelihood, so we use ta tariff to protect them,” Enrile said in an interview.

Group bucks veto of expanded maternity law

By Rio N. Araja AKBAYAN party-list Rep. Tom Villarin on Sunday appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte not to give in to the pressure of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines to veto a “very important piece” of legislation for the welfare of the female workers.

“ECOP is lobbying directly to the executive branch for the President not to sign the Expanded Maternity Leave Law,” Villarin said.

“For me, that would be highly irregular. The legislative [branch] went through public hearings and consultations. Any issues of the employees should have been brought up there,” he told the Manila Standard.

He said the bill’s advocates have received information from “insiders in Malacañang” that ECOP was trying to block the bill’s enactment.

By Francisco Tuyay

I

"Comelec must closely coordinate with the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to tighten security for these foreign poll observers," she said.

Marcos said it is Comelec's prime responsibility to ensure the safety of the foreign observers, including giving them proper orientation on the parameters of their duty, especially pertaining to their security.

"If they are properly informed of their duties and responsibilities as foreign poll observers, I'm sure they will be shielded from harm's way," she said.

Marcos expressed concern that terror groups such as the Abu Sayyaf are just waiting for an opportune time during the election season to raise funds by kidnapping foreigners in exchange for ransom.

"These international election watchers need to be extra careful because they are easy targets of terror groups specially now that the elections are nearing. This will be a big blow to President Duterte if one of them is imperiled," Marcos stressed.

AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said the military will conduct security briefings for foreign election observers.

“On the part of the AFP, it is our duty to ensure the safe conduct of the election, and that includes not only the safety of the voters but also the safety of foreign observers,” he said.

“They will be given security briefing.

We also expect them to abide and cooperate with our security forces for the mutual objective of protecting them in order for them to perform their tasks safely,” Arevalo added, The Abu Sayyaf is still holding eight hostages, including Ewold Horn from Groningen, Netherlands who was kidnapped while bird watching in Jolo in 2012.

SIMPLE LUNCH. A father and his daughter enjoy their lunch under the shade of a statue at the Quezon City Memorial Park. Manny

Palmero

Bill seeks to increase PNP recruitment quota for women

By Rio N. Araja TO guarantee the adequacy of policewomen who shall man the woman and children protections desks in every police precincts, Congress has passed on second reading a measure seeking to raise the quota requirement for female officers in the Philippine National Police.

House Bill No. 9059, principally authored by Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel, seeks to amend the PNP Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998, specifi-

cally Section 58 to increase the existing recruitment quota of 10 percent for lady cops.

The amendment provides the PNP shall reserve 15 percent of its annual recruitment, training and education quota for women, and that the recruitment quota for women shall be increased to 20 percent thereafter.

“Twenty years hence, the present circumstances make it ripe for an increase in the recruitment quota for female members of the PNP uniformed personnel. We are made to rethink this administrative

WELL-LOVED. House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her son Mikey Arroyo, who is running for congressman in the second district of Pampanga, get a warm welcome from their fellow Kapampamgans during a campaign sortie. Sonny Espiritu

reform in the wake of abuses of male officers against women and children in their custody. It should be the State policy that only female officers should have direct and immediate custody of women and children brought to the police stations,” Pimentel said.

“In other jurisdictions with strong child protection, whenever a minor is involved in an incident, male officers are prohibited from taking custody of the child without the presence of female officers, thereby preventing some abuses,” he added.

Senior Citizens Commission gets P520m in 2019 budget WITH the imminent enactment into law of the creation of the National Commission of Senior Citizens, a lawmaker has asked the Department of Social Welfare and Development to lay the ground work for its operation at the soonest time.

Senior Citizen party-list Rep. Francisco Datol said the commission has a P520 million allocation in the 2019 national budget under the Office of the President.

"Most probably, by the third or fourth quarter of this year, the seniors' commission would be operational. The search for appointees to the commission can begin now," said Datol, vice chairman of the House Senior Citizens committee.

“Unlike like most agency charters, this law has six commissioners to represent different geographical regions."

Datol said the choice of executive director will be crucial because he or she will be in charge of its operations and implementation.

"This commission is an opportunity to show that seniors still have some of the best years of their lives ahead of them— that they can serve in the commission and urgently take action on their constituents' concerns," Datol said.

Sports Canlubang, Luisita renew PAL rivalry DEFENDING champion Canlubang and Luisita renew their rivalry in the 33rd Philippine Airlines Seniors Interclub golf team championships starting Feb. 27 in Cebu City.

Canlubang and Luisita, which have 26 titles between them, are fielding almost the same teams that fought last year in Davao City.

The Laguna-based squad won by eight points over 16-time champion Luisita.

Canlubang will again rely on brothers Abe and Pem Rosal, Rolly Viray, Mari Hechanova, Abe Avena, Zaldy Villa and Damasus Wong.

Tommy Manotoc, the team’s biggest star, returns after an absence of two years, taking the place of Dave Hernandez.

Luisita, which last won the title two years ago in Bacolod City, is fielding former pro Demy Saclot to replace Jingy Tuason.

Other returning Luisita mainstays are Eddie Bagtas, Benjie Sumulong, Rodel Mangulabnan, Raffy Garcia, Chino Raymundo, Edmund Yee and Chito Laureta.

The four-day tournament will be played at the Alta Vista Golf Club and Club Filipino de Cebu.

The last time Cebu hosted the event was in 2013 when Canlubang edged Luisita by six points.

Much has changed, however, in the roster of both teams, particularly Luisita which has no carryovers from that 2013 squad.

A total of 108 teams have signed up for the four-to-play, three-tocount tournament, including 60 from abroad.

As in the past, the Molave scoring system will be used. Par is worth 3 points. Regulation score is equivalent to 54 points.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Lady Bulldogs get PSA chief’s nod

T

HE National University Lady Bulldogs have set a new standard for excellence last year after winning their 80th straight game on the way to retaining the UAAP women’s basketball crown.

Coached by Pat Aquino and bannered by Finals’ MVP and national team player Jack Animam, the Jhocson-based school rewrote history by extending their long unbeaten streak and claimed a fifth straight championship during Season 81 of the league.

It was the fifth straight year the team went undefeated, while at the same time, broke the longest winning streak of any sport in UAAP history previously held by the Adamson women’s softball team at 73.

Incidentally, Ria Nabalan and Jhianne

Layug were the only members of the team who were part of all the Lady Bulldogs’ five championships.

The remarkable feat is certainly one for the books. As a result, the Lady Bulldogs will be bestowed with the President’s Award in next week’s SMCPSA (Philippine Sportswriters Association) Annual Awards Night at the Manila Hotel.

The event presented by MILO, the Philippine Sports Commission, and Cignal TV, will be held on Feb. 26.

“Theirs is an inspiring story of what individual talent coupled with the right chemistry can do. The National University Lady Bulldogs certainly deserve this accolade, which comes at a time when the PSA also recognizes five young ladies as its co-winners of the Athlete of the Year award,” said PSA president Eduardo ‘Dodo’ Catacutan of SPIN.ph.

The Lady Bulldogs now join the elite ranks of previous President’s Award winners such as Manny V. Pangilinan, Gilas Pilipinas 3.0, the Ateneo Blue Eagles, fellow National University Bulldogs, pool champions Rubilen Amit, Dennis Orcollo, and Lee Van Corteza, among others.

The quartet of Hidilyn Diaz, Margielyn Didal, and golfers Yuka Saso, Bianca

PLDT, Smart launch gaming team ‘Omega’

PLDT and Smart have tapped professional esports management Sterling Global Dragons for the launch of their official pro gaming team, ‘Omega.’ The team will represent PLDT and Smart in the much anticipated The Nationals, the country’s first franchise-based esports league on March 17. Shown in photo are (from left) Miko Cuartero, SGD Team Manager; Glenn Kendrick Lim, SGD Gaming Director; Andrew L. Santos, FVP and Consumer Marketing Head for PLDT and Smart; Thomas Ting, PLDT Product; JC Ramos, Smart Brand Marketing.

Joola blanks PH Army, 3-0, to reach Flexible Cup semis

Philip Uy of Team Joola hits a super loop in his match in the 50-over class in the 9th Flexible Cup Table Tennis International Championships at the Harrison Plaza Activity Center in Malate, Manila.

TEAM Joola pulled off another spectacular game in beating Philippine Army, 3-0, on Saturday to reach the semifinal round of the Men’s Team Open division in the 9th Flexible Cup International Table Tennis Championships at Harrison Plaza Activity Center in Malate, Manila.

World Championships of Pingpong campaigner John Russell Misal bounced back from a sloppy start to beat George Quijano, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9, and anchored Team Joola’s domination en route to another sweep in the tournament organized by the Table Tennis Association for National Development and supported by Flexible Packaging Corporation.

Earlier, Chinese import Chen Lei Xin waylaid Kim Ramos, 11-6, 11-6, 11-6, while Alexis Bolante won via walk over against Homer Tiongson as Team Joola entered the semifinals without losing a match. They were joined by Indonesia, Hua Ching ang University of Taipei.

Indonesia, composed of Zahru Nailufar, Bima Abdi Negara and Luki Purkani, pulled off a 3-0 victory over Malaysia.

National team members Richard Gonzales and Jann Mari Nayre, meanwhile, powered Hua Ch-

ing to a 3-0 win over Jade Dragon, while University of Taipei, composed of Huang Yu-Jen, Chen Chun-Hsiang and Sung Min-Hong, overwhelmed Green Paddle, 3-0.

Joola, whose line-up also included Jong “The Asian Killer” Ortalla, Charlie Lim and Philip Uy, downed Malaysia (3-1), Fleet Marine (3-0) and University of Santo Tomas (3-0) in the first round to gain a quarterfinal slot.

In the men’s Open singles’ event, Malaysian Chin Wen Jei defeated Merwin Edel of La Salle, 3-1, to arrange a second-round showdown with Tiongson of Philippine Army. Tiongson outplayed University of Santo Tomas bet Ramon Gomez, 3-2.

Over 400 players are competing in the sixdivision tournament which gives P50,000 for the team champion and P10,000 each to the men’s singles and women’s singles winners.

The top individual players in their respective class are automatically included in the TATAND delegation, which will send to China for Sports Exchange program as part of the association’s grassroots sports program, according to TATAND honorary president Charlie Lim.

TRI-Factor AsianSeries Run-Bike-Run slated March 31 INTERNATIONAL athletes across Asia and from around the nation will converge and test their mettle at Clark, Pampanga in the inaugural TRI-Factor Asian Series Run-Bike-Run 2019 duathlon event on March 31.

In this qualifying race for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games co-presented

by Clark Development Corporation and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, participants will test their racing skills through courses of Standard Distance (10 Km run – 40 Km bike – 5 Km run), Sprint Distance (5 Km run – 20 Km bike – 2.5 Km run) and Super Sprint Distance (2.5 Km run – 10 Km

bike – 2.5 Km run). The run segments will be held at the Clark parade grounds, while the cycling will take place along Clark Speedway.

“We are happy for the strong reception we got from the local swim bike and run communities of athletes who signed up to participate in our inaugural event.

This partnership with the TRAP will create innovative initiatives in building triathlon sports in the country as we exchange the best practices in triathlon across the region. We thank our partners, TRAP, the media, the trip community and other contributors who helped us establish TRI-Factor’s presence here in the

Philippines,” said One of a Kind Marketing COO and TRI-Factor Philippines Country Director Allan Majadillas.

“We are excited to welcome the alliance with TRI-Factor as we work together to grow and improve our exciting sports of triathlon and duathlon. This partnership will surely widen the base of our participants with the tremendous following of triathlon all over Asia,” said TRAP president Tom Carrasco.

Registration is now open with the rates of $67 USD / 3,495 PHP (Elite and Standard), $63 USD / 3,295 PHP (Junior), $57 USD / 2,995 PHP (Sprint) and $45 USD / 2,295 PHP

(Super Sprint) until March 7. Effective March 8 to March 15, the rates will be $76 USD / 3,995 PHP (Elite and Standard), $72 USD / 3,795 PHP (Junior Elite), $66 USD / 3,495 PHP (Sprint) and $54 USD / 2,795 PHP (Super Sprint).

The fees entitle participants to exclusive event t-shirts, a race kit, an event bag, a finisher’s medal (upon completion), an e-certificate (upon completion) and premium merchandise of sports partners and sponsors such as Oakley, Unilab, On, Tobys, Sanctband, #8 rounds, Vitaboost and Trek.

For more information, visit www.trifactor.ph today and call 09053162845 with FB account TRIFactor Philippines.

Taiwanese seek to steal show in PH Ladies’ Open A 31-PLAYER strong Taiwanese contingent sets out for the Champion Philippine Ladies Amateur Open, all ready and raring to grab the spotlight in the country’s premier championship unfolding tomorrow (Tuesday, Feb. 19) at the posh Manila Golf Club in Forbes Park.

Sung You-Chuan, Chiang Su-Er and Lee Shu Fen spearhead the big crew from Chinese-Taipei out to snap the domination of the locals and the Thais in the annual event which drew an elite international cast, including six each from Singapore and the United States, four from South Korea, three from Australia

Pagdanganan, and Lois Kaye Go will be the recipient of the highest honor given out by the country’s oldest media organization during the gala night also backed by the Philippine Basketball Association, Mighty Sports, ICTSI, SM Prime Holdings, Tapa King, Rain or Shine, NorthPort, and Chooks To Go. A total of 75 awardees are included in the honor roll list made up of Lifetime Achievement Award, National Sports Association of the Year, Executive of the Year, Special Awards (Mighty Sports Mr Basketball, Mr and Ms Volleyball, and Mr Football), Major Awards, Citations, Tony Siddayao Awards, Special Recognition, Posthumous, MILO Junior Athletes of the Year, and Mr. Fan Favorite ‘Manok ng Bayan’ Award.

and two from Japan.

The hosts are fielding in 39 players, headed by defending champion and Asian Games gold medalist Yuka Saso, upbeat of their chances to extend their reign to a fourth straight year but wary of one of the strongest fields ever assembled in the annual event presented by Champion and sponsored by Hana Shampoo, EVA Air, San Miguel Corp. and Diamond Motor Corp.

Tipped to back Sung, Chiang and Lee in their title chase in the 54-hole championship organized and conducted by the Womens’ Golf Association of the Philip-

pines are Huang Jo Chan, Wang Ya Chin, Tang Su Nu, Su Daphne, Wang Hsin Yu, Tsai Hsin Hui and Shih Li Mei. Still, focus will be on Saso and a crack bunch of local aces, including recent W Express RVF Cup winner Junia Gabasa, along with the three young Thais seeking to reclaim the crown last won by compatriot Pimnipa Panthong at Wack Wack in 2015.

Like the rest of the field, 16-yearolds Yosita Khawnuna and Natthakritta Vongtaveelap and Chanettee Wannasaen, who will turn 15 in April, are all primed up for the event, eager to slug it

out it with the best and the brightest in three days of top-notch shotmaking and putting.

Koreans Park Eun Suk and Lim Mi Jin also aim to duplicate compatriot Lee Jeong Hwa’s title feat in 2012 while Japanese Airi Mitsuhashi and Ikuko Kito, a regular campaigner on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, likewise seek to contend in the tournament backed by Cherrylume, Inquirer, Elm’s Kapihan Group, Atty.

Gilberto Duavit, G&W Club Shares, Inc., Pascual Laboratories, Metro Pacific Corp., Ayala Land Premiere, Venice Godio, Taishan Insurance Brokers Phils.

LEADING digital services provider PLDT Inc. and its mobile arm Smart Communications are revving up their esports program as they launch their official professional esports team called ‘Omega.’

Formed in partnership with professional esports management Sterling Global Dragons, ‘Omega’ will represent PLDT and Smart in the much anticipated The Nationals, the country’s first franchise-based esports league.

Kicking off on March 17, The Nationals will pit the official esports teams of the league’s six co-founding members against each other in top competitive games, including the official Southeast Asian (SEA) Games-sanctioned titles Dota 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Tekken 7.

As such, The Nationals serves as a hotbed of world-class athletes who may represent the country in major international esports events. Aside from PLDT and Smart, The Nationals co-founders fielding their teams are BrenPro Inc., Cignal TV Inc., Execration, HappyFeet Esports, and STI Education Systems.

Elevating esports in PH “Launching ‘Omega’ as our official professional esports team reinforces the long-standing commitment of PLDT and Smart to elevate esports in the Philippines, as well as provide the ultimate gaming experience for Filipino gamers, fans, and enthusiasts,” said Andrew L. Santos, FVP and Consumer Marketing Head for PLDT and Smart.

“Experienced ‘Omega’ athletes show what Filipinos are capable of achieving with their passion and dedication to esports. Hence, more than being a formidable team, ‘Omega’ serves as an inspiration to fellow gamers, who, with the right support, can be at par with the best in the world,” adds Santos.

“We share PLDT and Smart’s vision to legitimize and professionalize esports in the Philippines, and our strategic partnership to establish and manage ‘Omega’ is a huge step toward this goal. Collaborations like this serve as a platform for the gaming community to empower home-grown esports athletes in a holistic way, and enable them to reach their full potential, and set high standards for the community,” said Gerry Lim, Sterling Global Dragons President.

Multi-awarded esports athletes ‘Omega’ consists of high-ranking players Julius Cesar Sto Domingo (ingame name: Julz); Jonas Samonte (Nasjo); Jaysie Garan (Yaj); Jinn Marrey Lamatao (Palos); and Pedro de Paula (Efking), with team coach Josef Brazal (JL`). They represent the organization that bagged the Dota 2 championship at the recent ‘Road to the Nationals’ nationwide tournament, and made it to prestigious international tournaments such as The Kuala Lumpur Major SEA Qualifier and The International 2018 SEA Regional Qualifier, among others.

‘Omega’ is also fielding a multiawarded team for Mobile Legends consisting of players Jules Carmann Marcelo (Lex); Rico J. Esto (Levi); Karl Nepomuceno (Karl); Steve Dale Vitug (Dale); and EJ Esperanza (Boo). Together, they clinched the MLMEMES championship title, as well as placed in various tournaments including Mobile Legends Professional League Season 2 (1st runner-up) and Mobile Esports Arena (1st runner-up), among others.

Meanwhile, 23-year old Juliano Lozano (Jules) will represent ‘Omega’ for the console game Tekken 7. Lozano is regarded as the Philippines’ best player for Tekken 7’s characters Jin and Bob, and recently ranked third among Tekken 7 players in the country. He will be coached by his brother Dannel Lozano (Pica).

Sports

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

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019

Risers beat Pasig to win Chooks 3x3 tournament

By Peter Atencio

Former two-time Most Valuable Player with the San Miguel Beermen Danny Ildefonso, with ball, tries to pivot past three Alaska Legends defenders, from right: Bong Hawkins, Poch Juinio and Johnny Abarrientos. PBA Media

Diallo jumps over Shaq to rule NBA dunk contest LOS ANGELES, United States —Oklahoma City Thunder guard Hamidou Diallo used NBA great Shaquille O’Neal as a prop to record a perfect score and capture the NBA Slam Dunk title on Saturday.

The high-flying rookie put out a call over the loudspeaker for the “biggest person in the building” and out strolled the 7-foot-1 O’Neal who is considered one of the greatest players in league history.

Diallo positioned O’Neal four feet from the basket, and sailed over the former Los Angeles Laker to finish with his right arm stuffed inside the rim. He brought the crowd at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina to its feet and the judges responded by giving him a perfect 50 score.

Brooklyn Nets’ Joe Harris earned the title of best shooter by upsetting Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry in the Three Point contest.

Harris drained a dozen straight shots in the final round to finish with a score of 26 points.

Curry was second with 24 and the Sacramento Kings’ Buddy Hield rounded out the top three with 19 points.

Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum won the Skills Challenge over Atlanta Hawks Trae Young by banking in a running three pointer from mid-court. Young tried a pull-up three pointer with his final shot but missed.

“The previous two rounds, the guy was ahead of me,” Tatum said. “Figured I’d let him get a shot attempt so I could get closer to the three-point line. I didn’t want to give Trae a chance.

“I honestly didn’t know I was going to hit the shot, but I had to give myself a chance, throw it up there, and it worked out for the best.”

The Slam Dunk event was one of several skills contests featured on Saturday night as part of the build-up to Sunday’s 2019 NBA All-Star game.

“The atmosphere was great,” Diallo said. “I just came out and gave the crowd what they were looking for.” AFP

SMB Legends scramble past Alaska in Return of the Rivals

By Reuel Vidal

S

AN MIGUEL BEER Legends from yesteryears turned back the hands of time to shine the spotlight on a storied rivalry with Alaska Milk for the benefit of less fortunate former Philippine Basketball Association players.

SMB hero Allan Caidic displayed vintage form to power the Beermen to a 9683 victory in the exhibition game billed as Return of the Rivals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, Sunday, February 27, 2019.

Caidic drilled back-to-back three pointers to cap a 13-0 San Miguel Beer explosion which broke a 78-all deadlock and push the Beermen to an insurmountable 91-78 advantage with just two minutes left to play.

Before that explosion, Alaska’s Willie

Miller in turn showed his former MVP form as he converted four consecutive field goals, which included a pair of threepointers, to tie the count at 78-all with 6:05 to go in the game.

But Caidic then waxed hot to seal the game for the Beermen.

Alaska started strong but the Beermen – fueled by newly-retired Dondon Hontiveros and Denok Miranda, whose contemporary includes Arwind Santos who is still playing in the league – finished stronger.

Tony Dela Cruz converted three consecutive field goals on three attempts to turn a 15-18 Alaska deficit into a threepoint, 21-18, advantage for Alaska late in the first period.

SMB’s Bong Alvarez then converted a layup with seconds to play to cut the Alaska lead to a point, 21-20, after the first period.

Johnny “The Flying A” Abarrientos opened the second period with a threepointer. This was followed by jumpshots

by Eddie Laure and Rhoel Gomez as the Alaska posted a four-point, 28-24, advantage early in the second period.

Abarrientos added another basket, followed by back-to-back baskets by Poch Juinio and Alaska roared off to a 10-point, 34-24, lead with 4:59 to go in the second period.

Ateneo Blue Eaglets face NU Bullpups in hoop final

Hamidou Diallo (6) of the Oklahoma City Thunder dunks the ball over Shaquille O’Neal during the 2019 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest as part of the State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on February 16, 2019 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. AFP

Collegiate stars to headline PH U-23 football squad EIGHTEEN players coming from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines and National Collegiate Athletic Association will make up the national under-23 squad that the Philippine Football Federation recently assembled.

The 23-man roster is part of the Philippine Under-22 team that is currently seeing action in the ASEAN Football Federation U-22 Championship 2019 that is being held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from Feb. 17 to 26.

FORMER La Salle Green Archer Leonardo Santillan Jr. provided the big baskets at in the final minute to lift the Bataan Risers to a 19-18 win over the Pasig Grindhouse Kings last Saturday at the SM Megamall Events Center.

Santillan drove past Arvin Tolentino with 29.8 seconds left, handing the Risers the first leg crown of the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 President’s Cup. “It was a hard fought game.

Maganda talaga ang 3x3. Sobrang intense,” said Risers coach Jonas Villanueva.

The Risers never allowed the Kings to score again in the remaining time with Dylan Ababou and Taylor Statham bungling their attempts before game ended.

“Intense ang finals. Natapilok pa nga ako. Buti naman at naka-recover din,” said Santillan, now playing for the Marineros in the PBA DLeague.

Alvin Pasaol and Santillan powered the Risers with seven points apiece as they completed a fourgame sweep of the eliminations.

The Risers first beat the Zark’sQuezon City Jawbreakers, 21-14, in the Pool D eliminations, before prevailing over the Bacoor Strikers, 21-12.

In the semifinals, the Risers earned a finals berth following their 21-17 triumph over the Valenzuela Classics.

A pair of outside shots from Pasaol and Santillan in the last 4:11 allowed the Risers to move away, 13-9.

They then took a 16-11 advantage off a pair of freebies from Pasaol.

But Statham kept the Grindhouse from folding with his attacks, before before Joshua Munzon gave the Kings the lead, 18-17, with a booming long shot in the final 55 second.

Santillan, however, had his way inside against Troy Rike for freebie, 18-all, with 37.4 seconds left.

Sean Manganti chipped in five points, for the Risers, who bagged the P100,000 cash prize courtesy of MLV Accounting RPS Zamboanga.

The Philippines is in Group A together with Vietnam, Thailand, and Timor Leste.

The squad will also have some players from overseas based teams.

Salvador Salvacion is the head coach, with Andres Gonzales, Randolfo Clarino, Christopher Pedimonte, and Ralph Datoy coming in as his assistants.

The team has had training sessions and played against local clubs as buildup for the tournament.

The national under-22 team will be also form part of the Philippines team for the AFC U23 Championship 2020 Qualifiers this March in Malaysia and hopefully the squad for the 30th Southeast Asian Games which will be held this November in Manila “We wish the Philippines Men’s Under-22 team the best of luck as they compete in the AFF U22 Championship 2019 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia,” said PFF general secretary Atty. Edwin Gastanes.

Goalie Alexander Jae Arcilla, who plays for Ateneo, will be the goalie, along Michael Asong, who is from San Beda, along with Kenny Balobo.

College of St. Benilde’s Lawrence Baguio is playing defender with Lyceum’s Winces Balbino, along with Kaya FC-Iloilo’s Major Dean Ebarle, aling with Jose Miguel Clarino of the University of the Philippines.

The Philippines is set to meet Vietnam in their first game at the Phnom Penh National Stadium.

FOR the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eaglets, beating the Nazareth School National University Bulldogs will be difficult.

For one, the Bullpups have been in the finals for the last eight years and this will make them a formidable foe going into Game 1 of the 81st University Athletic Association of the Philippines junior basketball tournament.

Blue Eaglets coach Regie Varilla said this as the Blue Eaglets brace for a 3 p.m. encounter with the Bullpups at the start of their best-of-three finals series today at the Filoil Flying V Centre.

“NU has been in the finals for the last eight years. And they have been winning titles every other year. But not in the last two years. We know that they will come into the fight very, very hungry. So, we will have to put in the work,” remarked Varilla.

The Bullpups lost to the Blue Eaglets in the championship series last year, with 7’1” Kai Sotto, Ateneo’s tower of power playing a dominant role.

This time around Sotto will be backed up Geoff Chiu, and the twin towers will be the Eaglets’ main weapon to match up against the Bullpups duo of Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao.

The Bullpups hope to regain the crown they last won in the 2015-16 season behind the efforts of Terrence Fortea, Gerry Abadiano, Cyril Gonzales, “We do our best every day. Regardless kung ano mangyayari, we give our best lang,” said NU coach Goldwin Monteverde.

The Eaglets were swept by the Bullpups in their elimination round head-to-head this season.

Ateneo hopes to have a healthy ace guard Forthsky Padrigao, who went out late in their game against Far Eastern University-Diliman due to cramps.

Game 2 will be on Friday, while the deciding game, if necessary will be played next Monday, Feb. 25. Peter Atencio

Business

Philip Morris set to introduce heated tobacco products in PH

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019

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By Othel V. Campos HONG KONG—Philip Morris International is preparing to introduce in the Philippines a cutting-edge technology for smokers using heated tobacco products that have fewer health risks, pending the creation of regulatory measures for these products.

PMI Asia Ltd. director for regulatory strategy and engagement James Arnold said that while some markets had no regulation yet on these new tobacco products, consumers in these countries were ready to embrace the new technology.

“What we are doing is for those people who cannot and won’t quit smoking. Based on a study, there are millions of Filipinos who are still smoking and there more than a billion smokers across the world. Twenty years after, there will still be a billion smokers globally. What do we want to do with them? At least provide them with better alternatives,” he said.

Iqos, PMI’s first advanced heated tobacco product, is available in limited quantity in the Philippines. Despite the absence of laws for these products, a few people were using the product acquired from other countries or from the black market in Manila.

Iqos has a growing following in the Philippines despite the lack of regulatory measures that should be in place.

“What is the most important here is the minimum age law. We don’t want children dipping their hands into something that should be regulated,” Arnold said.

Quality and safety standards and health warning labels, though not as graphic as those seen on conventional or combustion cigarette packs, are also critical.

PMI said the governments of different markets, including the Philippines, should open communication focused on adult smokers.

Another measure that will help improve the regulatory scheme is the scientific substantiation of the product and regular monitoring and surveillance.

ENERGY ACCOUNTING. The Department of Energy holds an information, education and communication campaign on energy accounting at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, San Juan Branch. The campaign aims to share the importance of energy in economic growth to students. Energy Secretary AlfonsoCusi said energy is a keystone of sustained economic growth, especially in support of the administration’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ program. Energy Policy and Planning Bureau asistant director Melita Obillo (center) poses with the students of PUP San Juan Branch.

Duterte signs law bolstering BSP’s capitalization to P200b

By Julito G. Rada

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act No. 11211 which increases the capitalization of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas from P50 billion to P200 billion and expands its regulatory powers.

The ‘New Central Bank Act’ amended Republic Act No. 7653 or the BSP Charter to strengthen the capacity of the regulator to foster price and financial stability.

BSP Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr., in a statement over the weekend, acknowledged the support of the Office of the President, the Senate and the House of Representatives in passing the law that bolsters the BSP’s capability to promote the stability of prices and the financial system.

“The amendments to the BSP Charter are both timely and attuned to a fast-evolving market landscape,” Espenilla said.

“We also recognize the efforts of central bankers who began spade work on this legislative initiative some 20 years ago. Under our new Charter, we will continue to build on the central bank’s rich institutional experience under BSP’s Continuity Plus-Plus program,” he said.

The new BSP Charter embodies a package of reforms to align its operations with global best practices, improve the BSP’s corporate viability and enhance its capacity for crafting proactive policies amid rising interlinkages in the financial markets and the broader economy.

The law removes money supply and credit levels as among the bases for determining monetary policy. The focus on these indicators has declined among central

banks over the years, as fostering price stability now Systems Act’ which fosters the efficiency of domestic ficonsiders a broader set of indicators. nancial transactions, the new BSP charter provides the cenRA 11211 also restored the central bank’s authority tral bank with an enhanced legal and regulatory framework to issue debt papers as part of its regular operation. This in providing a steadying hand to the financial system. gives the BSP greater flexibility in determining the tim“With this law, the BSP shall pursue its mandate with ing and size of its monetary operations. renewed vigor and a clear view that price and financial Under the inflation targeting framework, the BSP stability ultimately supports the economic well-being of focuses mainly on achieving price stability, instead of all Filipinos,” Espenilla said. targeting monetary aggregates, as the ultimate objective of monetary Manila Standard policy.

TODAY The law widens the coverage of institutions under BSP supervision HEAD OFFICE: PBCOM Tower, 6795 Ayala Avenue corner V.A. Rufino Street, 1226 Makati City to include money service businesses, Customer Care: (02) 777-2266 or 1-800-10-777-2266 (Domestic Toll Free)*Email: customercare@pbcom.com.ph*Website: www.pbcom.com.ph credit granting businesses and payBALANCE SHEET BALANCE SHEET ment system operators.

(Head Office and Branches) (Bank and Financial Subsidiaries) This put the BSP in a strategic poAs of December 31, 2018 AsofSeptember30,2018 As of December 31, 2018 AsofSeptember30,2018 sition to address potential risks arisASSETS ASSETS ing from the linkages of banks and P 1,373,620,790.49 P 1,162,479,000.54 Cash and Cash Items P 1,341,507,679.00 P 1,129,024,064.23 Cash and Cash Items these financial entities.

15,224,381,614.03 14,081,499,187.06 Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas 15,168,301,706.00 14,016,955,385.96 Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Due from Other Banks 571,082,895.76 399,158,399.07 Due from Other Banks 399,405,041.93 286,718,136.82 The law authorizes the increase in 885,871,047.81 Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit or Loss 885,871,047.81 - Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Available-for-Sale Financial Assets Net 6,763,410,651.50 5,033,688,541.21 Available-for-Sale Financial Assets Net 6,763,410,651.50 5,033,688,541.21 BSP’s capitalization from P50 billion 15,503,653,959.54 15,721,991,071.39 Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets - Net 15,503,653,959.54 15,721,991,071.39 Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets - Net 56,954,618,758.99 57,442,049,233.69 to P200 billion, which will be sourced Loans and Receivables - Net 55,184,414,345.29 55,490,166,521.72 Loans and Receivables - Net Interbank Loans Receivable 13,145,000.00 372,619,716.19 Interbank Loans Receivable 13,145,000.00 372,619,716.19 from dividends declared by the BSP Loans and Receivables Others 57,481,138,852.35 57,627,985,865.02 Loans and Receivables - Others 55,666,216,702.95 55,657,939,858.85 General Loan Loss Provision 539,665,093.36 558,556,347.52 General Loan Loss Provision 494,947,357.66 540,393,053.32 in favor of the national government.

661,241,206.61 526,277,706.28 Other Financial Assets 599,841,569.74 456,620,808.58 Other Financial Assets Equity Investment in Subsidiaries, Associates and Joint Ventures - Net 25,472,224.45 25,876,451.68 Equity Investment in Subsidiaries, Associates and Joint Ventures Net 1,025,412,554.10 1,031,497,139.07 Under the new BSP Charter, the Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture & Equipment Net 1,666,205,471.14 1,688,361,048.78 Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture & Equipment - Net 1,566,562,184.69 1,587,243,185.27 636,885,936.27 708,261,613.03 Real and Other Properties Acquired - Net 568,515,486.81 639,731,568.23 Real and Other Properties Acquired - Net BSP is also exempt from taxes on in6,223,716,065.48 6,407,133,301.41 Other Assets - Net 5,618,382,752.37 5,800,795,990.29 Other Assets - Net come derived from its governmental P 106,490,160,622.07 P 103,196,775,554.14 TOTAL ASSETS P 104,625,278,978.78 P 101,194,432,412.77 TOTAL ASSETS functions. These reforms placed the BSP in a stronger position to pursue LIABILITIES LIABILITIES its price and financial stability manFinancial Liabilities at Fair Value through Profit or Loss P 726,350.64 P - Financial Liabilities at Fair Value through Profit or Loss P 726,350.64 P Deposit Liabilities 72,335,327,057.51 68,255,772,123.17 Deposit Liabilities 74,059,570,423.44 70,057,949,116.28 date amidst a growing economy and Bills Payable: 17,591,284,307.36 15,654,640,739.20 Bills Payable: 17,659,083,080.03 15,785,152,162.64 the increasing sophistication of the BSP (Rediscounting and Other Advances) 5,070,000,000.00 3,250,000,000.00 BSP (Rediscounting and Other Advances) 5,070,000,000.00 3,250,000,000.00 Interbank Loans Payable 774,593,000.00 1,499,356,500.00 Interbank Loans Payable 842,391,772.67 1,629,867,923.44 financial system.

Other Deposit Substitutes 11,746,691,307.36 10,905,284,239.20 Other Deposit Substitutes 11,746,691,307.36 10,905,284,239.20 Other Financial Liabilities 548,881,294.50 544,183,186.42 Other Financial Liabilities 563,903,595.34 564,573,931.17 Together with Republic Act No. Other Liabilities 2,000,763,301.37 4,480,979,837.99 Other Liabilities 2,127,653,619.41 4,600,042,949.43 11127 or the ‘The National Payment TOTAL LIABILITIES P 92,476,982,311.38 P 88,935,575,886.78 TOTAL LIABILITIES P 94,410,937,068.86 P 91,007,718,159.53 STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

IN BRIEF Naia Consortium asked to clarify bid

SSS contributions rise 14% to P182b

THE Department of Transportation is set to meet with the Naia Consortium this week to resolve some issues on its proposal to rehabilitate, operate and maintain the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

“We will have a meeting because there’s a certain condition that they need to comply with. There are provisions appearing to be government guarantee,” Transportation Undersecretary for planning Reuben Reinoso said.

“They are arguing that it’s not a government guarantee and it’s important for the bankability of the project.

So we are negotiating with them,” he said.

The Naia Consortium secured an original proponent status from the DOTr in September 2018 for the rehabilitation and development of the main gateway.

It proposed to expand and interconnect the existing terminals of Naia, upgrade airside facilities and develop commercial facilities to increase airline and airport efficiencies, enhance passenger comfort and experience and improve public perception of Naia as the country’s premier international gateway. Darwin G. Amojelar

STATE-RUN pension fund Social Security System said members’ contributions jumped 14 percent or P22.2 billion in 2018 to P181.92 billion from P159.72 billion in 2017, driven by aggressive collection efforts.

SSS president and chief executive Emmanuel Dooc said in a statement over the weekend the agency planned to continue this positive growth performance this year.

“We are hopeful, especially with the anticipation of the passing of the SS [Social Security] Act of 2018 to continue to post positive growth performance and further serve our members and pensioners quality programs and privileges,” Dooc said.

“We are very pleased that we have ended the year 2018 on a positive note.

Contribution collection comprised more than 86 percent of our total revenue last year,” Dooc said.

Based on the unaudited financial records of the pension fund, total revenues of SSS reached P212.57 billion in 2018, up 6.02 percent from P200.50 billion in 2017.

Total expenditures of the pension fund rose 5.33 percent to P189.84 billion in 2018 from P180.23 billion a year ago. Julito G. Rada

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

Capital Stock Other Capital Accounts Retained Earnings

P 14,278,374,781.56 1,884,346,203.51 -4,014,424,317.67

TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

P 12,148,296,667.40

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

P 104,625,278,978.78

14,278,374,781.56 Capital Stock 1,782,688,251.52 Other Capital Accounts -3,802,206,507.09 Retained Earnings Minority Interest in Subsidiaries P 12,258,856,525.99 TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY P 101,194,432,412.77 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY P

CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS P

517,012,296.10 749,806,119.28 534,542,353.57 63,337,246.55 1,038,834,850.96 5,425,824,048.49 1,099,076,676.93 4,326,747,371.56 319,490,027.01

P

TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

P 8,648,846,941.96

P

1,041,509,337.30 562,563,062.05 630,760,366.67 38,387,512.90 2,739,941,547.99 4,996,470,201.87 1,088,071,728.31 3,908,398,473.56 94,900,532.25

Financial Standby Letters of Credit Commercial Letters of Credit Trade Related Guarantees Commitment Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts Trust Department Accounts Trust and Other Fiduciary Accounts Agency Accounts Others

P

12,189,057,394.61

517,012,296.10 749,806,119.28 534,542,353.57 63,337,246.55 1,038,834,850.96 5,425,824,048.49 1,099,076,676.93 4,326,747,371.56 319,499,031.01

P

1,041,509,337.30 562,563,062.05 630,760,366.67 38,387,512.90 2,739,941,547.99 4,996,470,201.87 1,088,071,728.31 3,908,398,473.56 94,909,127.25

P 8,648,855,945.96

P

10,104,541,156.03

2,204,146,296.88 3.84% 590,461,782.46

57,561,799,182.67 1. List of Financial Allied Subsidiaries (excluding Subsidiary Insurance Companies) 1. PBCom Rural Bank, Inc. 1,531,239,607.63 2. List of Subsidiary Insurance Companies 2,227,830,089.40 1. PBCom Insurance Services Agency, Inc. 3.87% 3. Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Consolidated Basis, as prescribed under existing regulations 713,487,676.41 a. Total CAR (%) 14.56% 1.24% b. Tier 1 Ratio (%) 11.85% 92.99% 11.85% c. Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio (%) 1/

68.73% 1/ Common Equity Tier 1 is only applicable to all Universal and Commercial Banks and their subsidiary banks.

14.49% 11.81% 11.81%

5,119,659,514.62 REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) 18,402,962.19

0.79%

10.48% b. 2% for Medium Enterprises Return on Equity (ROE) (%) 2.81% Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Solo Basis, as prescribed under existing regulations a. Total CAR (%) 14.50% 11.77% b. Tier 1 Ratio (%) c. Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio (%) 1/ 11.77%

Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio (%) is only applicable to all Universal and Commercial Banks and their subsidiary banks.

City of Makati

)S.S.

0.03% We, Arlene M. Datu and Patricia May T. Siy, of the above-mentioned bank do solemnly swear that all 10,874.41 0.00% matters set forth in the above balance sheet are true and correct to the best of our knowledge and belief.

0.91%

10.95% 2.93% 14.54% 11.78% 11.78%

(SGD.) ARLENE M. DATU Controller, SVP

(SGD.) PATRICIA MAY T. SIY President & CEO

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 8th day of February 2019 at City of Makati, affiants exhibiting their SSS nos. 0356633451 and 0373099955, respectively.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) City of Makati )S.S. We, Arlene M. Datu and Patricia May T. Siy, of the above-mentioned bank do solemnly swear that all matters set forth in the above balance sheet are true and correct to the best of our knowledge and belief.

(SGD.) ARLENE M. DATU Controller, SVP

P 12,079,223,553.21

P 106,490,160,622.07 P 103,196,775,554.14

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

57,351,921,098.85 1,672,559,395.90

1.03% e. Ratio of total allowance for credit losses to gross NPLs (%) 98.34% f. Ratio of specific allowance for credit losses on the gross TLP to gross NPLs (%) 75.88% Classified Loans & Other Risk Assets, gross of allowance for credit losses 9,760,026,451.75 DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross allowance of credit losses 17,530,905.49 Ratio of DOSRI loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses, to gross TLP (%) 0.03% Gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables 10,874.41 Ratio of gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables to TLP (%) 0.00% Percent Compliance with Magna Carta (%)

1/

14,278,125,906.49 1,796,621,659.52 -3,885,758,474.44 68,303.04

P

10,104,532,561.03 TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

a. 8% for Micro and Small Enterprises

P

CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

Financial Standby Letters of Credit Commercial Letters of Credit Trade Related Guarantees Commitments Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts Trust Department Accounts Trust and Other Fiduciary Accounts Agency Accounts Others

Gross total loan portfolio (TLP) Specific allowance for credit losses on the TLP Non-Performing Loans (NPLs) a. Gross NPLs b. Ratio of gross NPLs to gross TLP (%) c. Net NPLs d. Ratio of Net NPLs to gross TLP (%)

P 14,278,125,906.49 1,898,279,611.51 -4,097,249,505.66 67,540.86

(SGD.) PATRICIA MAY T. SIY President & CEO

Doc. No. 357 SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 8th day of February 2019 at City of Makati, affiants Page No. 73 Book No. III exhibiting their SSS nos. 0356633451 and 0373099955, respectively.

Series of 2019.

(SGD.) ATTY. GERVACIO B. ORTIZ JR. NOTARY PUBLIC City of Makati until December 31, 2019 Appointment no. M-183 -(2019-2020) PTR no. 7333104 Jan. 3, 2019/Makati Doc. No. 358 IBP Lifetime Member no. 656155 Roll no. 40091 Page No. 73 MCLE Compliance No. V-0006934 Book No. III 101 Urban Ave., Campos Rueda Bldg.

Series of 2019.

Brgy. Pio del Pilar, Makati City Member: Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation Maximum Deposit Insurance for each Deposit P500,000.00

(SGD.) ATTY. GERVACIO B. ORTIZ JR. NOTARY PUBLIC City of Makati until December 31, 2019 Appointment no. M-183 -(2019-2020) PTR no. 7333104 Jan. 3, 2019/Makati IBP Lifetime Member no. 656155 Roll no. 40091 MCLE Compliance No. V-0006934 101 Urban Ave., Campos Rueda Bldg.

Brgy. Pio del Pilar, Makati City

B2

Business

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market investors cautious S

By Jenniffer B. Austria

HARE prices are expected to move sideways this week as investors turned pessimistic on renewed concerns on a possible global economic slowdown.

Online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia. com said cautious trading would seep in for now as the market looked for firmer direction pending economic policies.

“Fund managers are seen to assess variables that would support the global macro outlook this year, and how locally listed companies will position relative to their capex and operations-related strategies,” 2TradeAsia.com said.

“This would likely keep gauges at bay for now, as investors retool their respective trading calls and review these on a quarterly perspective,” it added.

BDO Unibank Inc chief investment

strategist Jonathan Ravelas noted that the market was struggling to stay above the 8,000-point level because of negative developments overseas, including the USChina trade row.

“With the week’s close below the 8,000 levels, expect a possible test towards the 7,800/7,850 levels,” Ravelas said.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week fell 2 percent to 7,908.89 points, while the broader All Shares Index dipped 1.5 percent to 4,823.32.

Except for property firms which rose 1 percent, all major sub-indices posted week-on-week decline led by financials

(-3.3 percent), services (-3.14 percent), mining and oil (-2.8 percent), industrial (-1.9 percent) and holding firms (-1.6 percent).

Foreign investors were net sellers during the week by P141.6 million, while the average daily value traded amounted to P8.4 billion from the previous week’s average of P7.4 billion.

Weekly top price gainers were Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., which jumped 23 percent to P8, 8990 Holdings which climbed 16.3 percent to P11.96 and Bloomberry Resorts Corp., which rose 7.8 percent to P13.

Weekly top price losers were Roxas Holdings Inc., which declined 13.4 percent to P14, PH Resorts Group Holdings Inc., which dropped 12.9 percent to P5.40 and PLDT Inc., which fell 10.3 percent to P1,112.

European and US stock markets, meanwhile, leapt on Friday as positive signs

emerged from US-China trade talks aimed at averting an escalation of a tariff war between the world’s top two economies.

US President Donald Trump said the negotiations in Beijing were going “extremely well” and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping announced the talks would continue in Washington next week.

Trump also said there was a “possibility” he would extend a March 1 deadline for a sharp rise in tariffs on $200 billion Chinese goods to go into effect.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average index finished the day up 1.7 percent to 25,883.25 to close its eighth straight week of gains.

“There is a lot of optimism that a deal will be done,” said Bill Lynch on Hinsdale Associates. “I’ll believe it when I see it but it seems that a deal is fairly close.”

Investors also greeted Trump’s decision to sign a spending bill that averts another government shutdown. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS WEEKLY STOCKS REVIEW STOCKS

FEBRUARY 11-15, 2019 Close Volume

Value

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

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

59 133.60 89.20 2.24 1.42 27.95 28 7.58 17.36 13.1 4.6 7.74 0.7 1.48 760.00 0.475 80 1.25 13.8 48.30 59 114.2 185 26.5 172.2 1780.00 62.00 1.19

62,430 19,466,810 16,211,810 856,000 1,039,000 239,300 37,200 800 7,726,300 4,364,600 1,484,000 900 724,000 452,000 210 19,120,000 10,161,920 19,411,000 107,900 1,873,900 17,130 110 4,670 633,100 2,130,640 495 129,040 1,624,000

FINANCIAL 3,660,463.50 2,659,104,481.00 1,466,988,325.50 1,942,330.00 1,515,590.00 6,683,745.00 1,037,085.00 6,070.00 131,539,748.00 57,039,432.00 6,832,710.00 6,945.00 493,510.00 681,830.00 158,750.00 9,973,425.00 831,494,224.00 24,875,550.00 1,516,274.00 91,411,245.00 1,010,392.00 13,145.00 866,419.00 16,645,345.00 372,722,267.00 884,450.00 8,111,387.50 1,938,080.00

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Basic Energy Corp.

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

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

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

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petroenergy Res. Corp.

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

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

Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

34 16.2 1.02 1.56 0.250 98.3 16.52 2.24 15.84 125 29.5 63.95 71 43.5 1.85 6.45 6.7 11.660 15.94 8.28 7.62 1.66 20.6 72.8 27.30 3.1800 9.38 12.5 1.750 316.60 53.00 4.36 3.6 14.00 27.45 13.1 18.1 0.201 355.00 6.00 1.36 3.79 6.60 5.40 8.90 1.31 11.56 46.9 6 4.70 1.9 3.02 1.36 12.54 91.95 6.36 0.139 1.23 146 2.84 1.72 16.98 1.38

5,593,400 3,027,500 43,319,000 35,651,000 17,810,000 2,260 94,500 83,903,000 3,673,000 5,980 738,100 7,150 3,980 242,500 9,747,000 63,600 89,800 7,560,900 1,874,300 4,262,600 7,370,200 132,000 12,704,600 760,380 333,400 64,905,000 7,466,900 4,959,000 4,114,000 3,184,180 4,500 55,000 863,000 3,672,800 3,472,100 8,682,000 15,451,400 75,840,000 1,388,010 26,200 59,229,000 343,000 150,358,200 5,448,200 63,400 60,668,000 1,876,400 2,902,900 479,000 631,000 3,118,000 245,000 1,360,000 1,644,000 1,173,890 235,000 6,390,000 106,022,000 3,839,470 865,000 16,346,000 32,700 11,216,000

INDUSTRIAL 203,678,440.00 50,174,432.00 46,619,350.00 54,598,290.00 4,442,540.00 215,809.50 1,644,946.00 202,256,440.00 59,398,244.00 756,018.00 21,986,530.00 474,588.00 292,772.50 10,109,760.00 18,800,300.00 399,297.00 606,045.00 88,345,540.00 29,878,634.00 35,934,273.00 56,124,979.00 233,170.00 266,824,435.00 55,491,869.00 8,954,960.00 205,539,180.00 70,027,595.00 62,940,832.00 7,503,480.00 1,009,886,046.00 225,495.00 238,570.00 3,046,460.00 63,966,402.00 94,508,505.00 111,838,498.00 284,563,722.00 17,729,410.00 501,012,084.00 156,879.00 85,543,300.00 1,274,850.00 1,012,408,386.00 30,067,771.00 580,411.00 79,178,210.00 21,121,490.00 136,034,740.00 2,874,720.00 2,965,800.00 6,519,040.00 740,350.00 1,919,340.00 20,861,114.00 108,225,216.00 1,487,890.00 870,990.00 155,704,580.00 555,447,964.00 2,323,460.00 28,217,210.00 558,686.00 15,667,620.00

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

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

Lopez Holdings Corp.

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

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

0.850 66.00 13.86 0.90 6.50 21.5 1.440 1.450 961 7.34 12.50 4.99 14.06 0.235 990 6.15 62.25 5.51 5.57 0.63 5.26 15.3 0.570 4.79 0.0420 1.180 2.630 2.58 163.00 2.38 970.00 1.42 0.83 278.400 459.00 0.2250 0.380

253,483,000 5,129,210 36,666,400 23,757,000 47,400 33,953,300 38,990,000 7,505,000 1,695,460 2,824,200 18,551,500 7,000 10,325,000 6,890,000 668,375 98,900 6,228,130 4,800 17,700 4,976,000 3,378,500 10,811,200 1,226,000 84,024,000 3,556,080,000 3,711,000 3,471,000 1,000 1,613,070 28,000 1,202,265 487,000 8,883,000 25,630 540 45,980,000 287,170,000

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

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

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

Phil. Realty `A’ Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry

11.960 0.80 10.96 1.930 0.900 44.500 2.5 4.02 6.48 0.485 0.85 0.900 0.255 0.415 10.400 22.45 0.570 0.134 1.52 1.25 5.13 0.440 2.2100 0.4700 0.480 48.45

13,028,100 13,835,000 35,900 8,058,000 25,910,000 38,322,700 4,427,000 6,534,000 137,200 183,539,000 6,490,000 3,860,000 157,780,000 18,160,000 6,019,500 4,151,200 30,917,000 35,210,000 67,812,000 5,483,000 56,250,600 102,300,000 24,009,000 46,520,000 17,300,000 400

FEBRUARY 4-8, 2019 Close Volume Value 59.45 139.20 91.70 2.28 1.53 28

49,470 8,475,470 9,780,190 206,000 2,429,000 741,700

2,929,216.00 1,186,563,971.00 906,532,628.50 454,880.00 3,751,970.00 20,888,695.00

7.58 17.18 13.54 4.85

600 380,200 13,428,400 3,047,000

4,441.00 6,479,158.00 177,782,450.00 15,022,400.00

0.66 1.48 800.00 0.475 83.4 1.21 14.36 48.90 59.5 122 186.3 26.1 179 1795.00 64.00 1.18

36,000 65,000 510 9,750,000 7,866,910 14,009,000 409,500 4,719,300 24,100 430 12,730 563,600 1,108,250 570 706,250 162,000

23,760.00 95,440.00 401,650.00 4,774,850.00 656,317,882.00 16,519,730.00 5,773,566.00 226,059,825.00 1,427,308.00 47,800.00 2,362,213.00 14,835,140.00 197,621,285.00 1,027,850.00 45,747,865.00 189,580.00

37.75 16.5 1.05 1.39 0.255 97.7 16.50 2.47 16.44 126.1 30.3 71.1 88 41.5 1.83 6.39 6.74 11.780 16.1 8.35 7.73 1.57 20.75 73 27.90 3.2100 9.51 12.88 1.780 316.20 49.20 4.33 3.23 16.32 27.35 12.68 18.44 0.220 367.20 6.00 1.51 3.70 7.20 6.20 8.99 1.32 11.18 47.85 6 4.80 2.19 3.02 1.4 13 95.55 6.4 0.130 1.01 146.2 2.59 1.75 16.00 1.40

2,992,500 2,518,500 19,761,000 1,714,000 29,180,000 710 76,600 102,054,000 6,525,400 3,930 261,100 21,420 11,510 6,900 1,246,000 114,600 523,000 12,909,400 3,172,300 4,750,800 1,433,100 8,000 4,953,600 649,250 7,500 123,068,000 16,199,600 5,990,000 1,561,000 2,335,100 2,010 135,000 86,000 19,907,000 3,311,200 2,058,300 24,580,600 92,610,000 577,350 28,300 51,834,000 235,000 28,680,800 2,229,400 22,500 101,620,000 2,181,400 2,492,300 280,100 6,117,000 8,165,000 78,000 1,235,000 1,035,800 1,422,810 221,300 24,380,000 3,361,000 4,209,680 224,000 13,933,000 600 10,360,000

113,802,080.00 41,457,038.00 20,898,670.00 2,359,060.00 7,464,320.00 66,731.00 1,329,356.00 261,961,840.00 103,998,706.00 512,663.00 7,860,900.00 1,686,134.00 926,413.00 285,460.00 2,232,880.00 699,917.00 3,556,184.00 151,808,160.00 51,417,550.00 39,559,116.00 11,017,320.00 12,560.00 102,045,945.00 47,588,345.50 204,830.00 378,661,980.00 159,170,728.00 79,431,614.00 2,726,670.00 746,372,082.00 103,963.00 593,290.00 280,800.00 198,025,454.00 90,561,195.00 26,492,788.00 455,427,818.00 20,051,390.00 213,318,818.00 167,512.00 75,458,800.00 871,210.00 213,166,274.00 14,093,392.00 199,143.00 137,017,100.00 24,298,480.00 120,317,050.00 1,670,080.00 29,364,800.00 16,898,490.00 222,920.00 1,720,570.00 13,474,444.00 138,270,384.00 1,401,676.00 3,334,480.00 3,344,040.00 630,025,987.00 563,250.00 24,608,450.00 9,600.00 14,983,510.00

HOLDING FIRMS 214,302,610.00 326,833,787.50 512,928,926.00 25,400,980.00 307,153.00 847,581,395.00 56,843,670.00 10,905,780.00 1,590,721,220.00 20,971,611.00 227,992,090.00 34,920.00 141,466,680.00 1,793,440.00 683,942,080.00 605,774.00 398,293,102.00 26,628.00 94,429.00 3,070,930.00 17,805,129.00 165,721,204.00 719,340.00 409,907,050.00 179,283,620.00 4,673,050.00 9,521,870.00 2,580.00 262,401,387.00 70,850.00 1,179,494,562.50 676,750.00 7,850,970.00 7,161,916.00 262,928.00 12,287,850.00 105,707,400.00

0.850 62.50 13.78 0.85 6.55 25.9 1.440 1.450 927 7.5 12.42 4.8 12.86 0.241 1095 6.19 65.40 5.51 5.95 0.66 5.36 15.52 0.580 4.91 0.0400 1.180 2.790 2.64 165.40 2.27 1010.00 1.39 0.77 278.200 441.20 0.2650 0.340

493,902,000 3,353,850 17,743,400 769,000 41,100 2,558,300 22,052,000 6,632,000 1,131,030 3,206,800 10,783,000 9,700 3,003,200 32,630,000 315,570 187,900 5,405,940 300 6,000 11,555,000 14,082,400 11,381,900 4,161,000 47,395,000 53,600,000 615,000 10,189,000 25,000 1,648,300 13,000 907,600 476,000 20,000 23,530 710 97,060,000 382,053,400

411,240,400.00 210,638,766.50 245,348,730.00 629,000.00 269,055.00 75,831,020.00 31,366,940.00 9,519,180.00 1,058,377,150.00 23,810,512.00 136,701,634.00 48,298.00 38,713,398.00 9,174,980.00 351,907,080.00 1,169,104.00 354,459,943.50 1,653.00 32,750.00 7,831,280.00 74,756,874.00 176,318,200.00 2,358,620.00 233,743,730.00 2,094,300.00 712,580.00 28,154,270.00 64,350.00 272,538,316.00 29,580.00 906,652,842.50 654,670.00 15,400.00 6,547,382.00 320,338.00 26,366,200.00 255,631,300.00

PROPERTY 146,963,518.00 11,030,290.00 384,264.00 16,406,820.00 24,703,360.00 1,710,685,020.00 11,147,370.00 26,185,330.00 880,381.00 94,228,150.00 6,229,080.00 3,674,880.00 40,979,250.00 7,798,900.00 61,603,192.00 94,021,480.00 17,233,940.00 5,347,450.00 105,143,980.00 6,928,720.00 290,777,490.00 44,142,450.00 53,942,000.00 23,091,050.00 8,464,050.00 19,575.00

10.280 0.81 11.08 1.840 0.890 45.000 2.54 4.1 6.4 0.480 0.82 0.910 0.248 0.410 10.100 23.9 0.510 0.131 1.56 1.24 5.29 0.435 2.2400 0.4650 0.465 48.00

5,879,400 5,738,000 54,900 1,904,000 6,307,000 35,559,100 12,377,000 10,037,000 480,700 43,650,000 178,000 486,000 79,980,000 32,370,000 7,156,900 7,076,700 2,607,000 8,200,000 79,135,000 6,187,000 72,324,100 81,990,000 18,802,000 8,150,000 11,080,000 1,920

60,662,570.00 4,714,350.00 587,644.00 3,410,030.00 5,575,210.00 1,601,465,230.00 31,967,150.00 40,306,330.00 3,044,236.00 21,073,700.00 147,360.00 431,110.00 20,304,740.00 14,005,900.00 71,223,505.00 162,328,570.00 1,320,030.00 1,152,900.00 125,576,580.00 7,618,040.00 381,648,719.00 36,348,450.00 42,225,030.00 3,862,800.00 5,083,850.00 93,998.50

STOCKS

FEBRUARY 11-15, 2019 Close Volume

FEBRUARY 4-8, 2019 Close Volume Value

Value

Primex Corp.

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

2.76 21.95 2.04 3.13 39.40 1.44 6.1 0.820 8.000

9,485,000 10,817,400 1,961,000 1,324,000 26,130,100 12,989,000 6,479,100 17,130,000 50,005,700

27,778,090.00 244,368,285.00 4,047,000.00 4,160,630.00 1,017,077,995.00 17,831,830.00 41,389,124.00 14,603,180.00 340,307,614.00

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Apollo Global Asian Terminals Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ.

Chelsea DFNN Inc. Discovery World Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Golden Haven Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp.

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

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Wilcon Depot

13.7 23 1.32 0.460 0.045 15.76 2.85 13.00 0.0680 86.5 7.76 6.2 7.20 2.3 15.16 920 1890 5.78 360.00 11.06 2.90 115 2.10 11.22 7.20 0.130 6.2000 3.15 15.52 3.31 0.93 19.62 17.88 0.790 4.84 3.00 2.06 2.30 3.070 9.26 12.20 3.41 133.80 3.18 1112.00 1.330 0.970 47.10 85.00 8.98 2.13 0.740 0.445 5.6 0.720 14.040

225,800 889,100 431,000 21,380,000 766,200,000 9,700 6,503,000 208,797,600 354,420,000 450,860 10,700 7,472,100 83,700 171,000 1,361,900 6,450 171,880 481,700 12,360 2,000 8,907,000 18,568,530 540,000 36,900 50,400 218,980,000 35,278,600 317,000 395,200 3,053,000 10,608,000 8,191,500 9,000 398,558,000 5,000 18,739,000 3,350,000 106,000 9,691,000 74,800 1,075,200 165,000 542,460 18,885,000 601,615 460,790,000 68,840,000 3,862,800 1,829,990 2,634,800 56,085,000 47,655,000 59,640,000 4,890,800 22,786,000 22,907,800

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

United Paragon

0.0022 1.49 3.00 13.90 1.3400 1.2300 2.16 0.305 8.14 1.660 0.305 0.131 0.135 0.009 0.0093 1.13 2.65 1.12 0.7600 1.0000 0.0130 0.0130 4.07 14.16 0.0120 3.5300 23.05 0.0080

MINING & OIL 4,385,000,000 9,659,800.00 12,789,000 19,479,390.00 627,000 1,859,890.00 45,500 626,560.00 123,000 166,980.00 115,000 155,680.00 5,262,000 11,399,390.00 37,280,000 12,747,300.00 161,900 1,267,529.00 39,145,000 62,719,790.00 26,290,000 8,259,950.00 18,250,000 2,363,820.00 3,490,000 465,300.00 639,600,000 6,634,550.00 437,900,000 4,668,240.00 3,430,000 3,860,130.00 23,676,000 63,614,110.00 1,495,000 1,655,520.00 105,667,000 91,347,460.00 11,922,000 12,642,960.00 13,500,000 169,300.00 1,158,000,000 14,349,100.00 20,042,000 84,531,340.00 4,282,600 61,440,766.00 70,500,000 863,400.00 554,000 1,903,470.00 4,165,800 97,053,530.00 632,000,000 5,790,900.00

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

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

20.7 101 460 461 498.4 98 103 450 496 5.75 900 96 1.01 100 971 1040 100 106.5 991 75.1 76.5 73.5 73.45 75.3 73.2 74 73.5

415,300 1,500 2,000 580 4,310 52,800 2,980 2,120 580 95,000 8,470 16,290 2,513,000 760 70 170 6,900 80 26,590 1,790 100,440 7,940 81,230 20,950 350,520 34,570 76,350

LR Warrant

1.920

616,000

SERVICES 2,986,470.00 20,592,570.00 570,950.00 9,967,050.00 28,174,600.00 148,624.00 19,517,570.00 2,585,812,850.00 23,812,820.00 39,304,751.50 84,243.00 47,846,482.00 630,155.00 380,070.00 20,808,896.00 5,832,110.00 336,581,605.00 2,784,865.00 4,376,878.00 22,846.00 24,971,290.00 2,172,762,971.00 1,091,710.00 409,672.00 360,769.00 31,631,130.00 220,490,854.00 1,045,710.00 6,223,666.00 10,202,790.00 10,040,350.00 157,839,048.00 148,954.00 355,556,010.00 24,120.00 53,901,170.00 7,302,970.00 232,350.00 30,623,510.00 668,586.00 13,606,678.00 560,220.00 72,225,856.00 62,723,050.00 705,663,420.00 652,737,150.00 68,059,700.00 182,247,780.00 157,205,090.00 22,818,748.00 129,151,170.00 36,487,470.00 26,737,550.00 27,337,741.00 17,080,870.00 336,390,716.00

PREFERRED 8,671,680.00 151,500.00 920,000.00 274,794.00 2,079,246.00 5,123,925.00 308,575.00 942,562.00 287,920.00 543,840.00 3,797,990.00 1,564,305.00 2,491,400.00 75,818.00 67,970.00 176,000.00 702,590.00 8,520.00 26,349,300.00 135,001.50 7,673,542.00 582,453.50 5,936,610.00 1,573,777.00 25,599,410.50 2,524,603.00 5,611,117.00

WARRANTS & BONDS 1,194,560.00 SME 14,615,830.00 761,284,830.00

3.09 21.60 2.02 3.13 38.65 1.39 6.17 0.760 6.500

5,846,000 8,100,300 672,000 313,000 22,646,500 7,693,000 1,539,900 1,041,000 263,616,600

19,268,340.00 180,460,245.00 1,327,160.00 974,980.00 878,835,285.00 10,982,260.00 9,267,977.00 757,060.00 1,669,320,208.00

13.4 24.1 1.34 0.465 0.043 14.2 3.22 12.06 0.0660 90.95 7.69 6.66 7.60 2.02 15.60 896 2030 5.81 352.00 11.00 2.85 114 1.94 11.3 7.19 0.134 6.5000 3.11 15.76 3.35 0.80 19.50 16.00 0.360 4.86 2.75 2.11 2.10 3.300 9.33 12.70 3.6 132.10 3.14 1240.00 1.260 1.000 48.25 87.80 8.18 2.39 0.790 0.445 5.56 0.760 14.620

382,700 1,409,400 862,000 29,450,000 66,900,000 4,900 11,064,000 64,046,800 528,300,000 691,630 57,400 7,762,500 343,000 65,000 1,986,500 130 138,290 1,379,700 6,170 5,700 4,346,000 10,714,520 93,000 137,200 36,700 108,540,000 113,511,600 77,000 1,161,100 3,102,000 109,000 9,341,400 2,300 540,000 382,000 8,971,000 1,254,000 128,000 19,088,000 50,100 1,125,400 29,000 24,620 15,268,000 378,690 708,283,000 71,719,000 9,190,300 2,942,940 144,600 36,932,000 39,897,000 108,580,000 1,269,000 21,593,000 26,565,200

5,217,318.00 33,410,555.00 1,141,130.00 13,838,500.00 2,807,500.00 69,818.00 36,163,270.00 759,976,466.00 34,870,830.00 62,303,849.00 458,199.00 53,165,788.00 2,513,369.00 135,460.00 32,226,420.00 116,500.00 280,614,020.00 7,991,925.00 2,219,692.00 65,936.00 12,499,340.00 1,195,486,644.00 178,320.00 1,592,840.00 263,368.00 14,686,260.00 773,819,235.00 244,760.00 17,875,590.00 10,557,010.00 88,620.00 190,060,669.00 35,838.00 191,250.00 1,819,840.00 23,998,810.00 2,625,850.00 269,260.00 61,106,270.00 475,172.00 14,594,220.00 102,730.00 3,187,496.00 47,741,880.00 485,784,515.00 964,898,290.00 71,915,250.00 441,725,325.00 262,238,466.50 1,191,883.00 89,972,530.00 32,058,400.00 48,861,300.00 7,023,779.00 16,030,020.00 382,244,264.00

0.0023 1.52 3.00 13.46 1.4800 1.2400 2.12 0.300 8.50 1.530 0.320 0.127 0.136 0.009 0.0079 1.15 2.88 1.12 0.7600 1.0100 0.0130 0.0130 4.39 14.06 0.0130 3.6500 23.70 0.0078

2,681,390,000 10,230,000 2,274,000 5,500 1,000 1,000 2,070,000 3,620,000 591,800 10,623,000 162,880,000 28,730,000 6,360,000 139,000,000 3,000,000 5,699,000 34,099,000 17,013,000 4,814,000 6,606,000 371,500,000 2,186,100,000 14,064,000 7,285,800 422,600,000 1,103,000 4,759,700 572,000,000

8,829,300.00 15,906,770.00 6,787,640.00 73,628.00 1,480.00 1,240.00 4,340,860.00 1,137,950.00 4,966,802.00 16,063,170.00 54,132,040.00 3,700,610.00 826,620.00 1,155,700.00 24,200.00 6,354,270.00 95,023,050.00 21,018,180.00 3,499,010.00 6,756,280.00 2,303,700.00 19,515,700.00 60,300,940.00 103,205,532.00 5,071,600.00 4,072,920.00 113,572,285.00 4,832,600.00

20.6 101.5

2,379,800 2,020

45,959,835.00 205,045.00

452 490 98.4 103.8

10,640 17,700 46,740 7,370

4,951,724.00 8,690,460.00 4,597,554.50 764,404.00

490 5.83 900 95.6 1 101.3 990 1000 101 106.5 990 75.05 76.1 73.85 73.5 75 73 73.5 73

2,220 607,600 890 14,990 474,000 2,340 90 1,100 5,560 500 280 77,360 145,060 1,890 16,720 59,300 100,800 14,030 82,650

1,069,948.00 3,511,226.00 802,500.00 1,434,898.50 472,080.00 237,571.00 87,025.00 1,100,000.00 558,704.00 53,250.00 277,320.00 5,811,720.50 11,046,653.00 139,569.50 1,230,369.00 4,442,960.00 7,358,400.00 1,029,825.00 6,063,103.00

1.960

762,000

1,523,700.00

4.55 1.78

3,344,000 109,813,000

16,096,360.00 190,908,610.00

Italpinas Xurpas

4.71 1.6

3,135,000 390,100,000

First Metro ETF

118

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 51,450 6,129,711.00

119.8

36,620

4,408,629.00

10.1 10.18 1

DOLLAR DENONIMATED SEC. 12,380 125,233.00 18,500 188,500.00 22,300 22,300.00

10.2 0.91

5,680 24,360

57,936.00 12,304.00

USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Abra Mining Pacifica `A’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Apollo Global Manila Mining `A’ United Paragon PremiereHorizon Manila Mining `B’ Manila Bulletin Xurpas

VOLUME 4,385,000,000 3,556,080,000 1,158,000,000 766,200,000 639,600,000 632,000,000 460,790,000 437,900,000 398,558,000 390,100,000

STOCKS Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bloomberry I.C.T.S.I. Ayala Land `B’ Ayala Corp `A’ Bank of PI SM Investments Inc. SM Prime Holdings Petron Corporation Jollibee Foods Corp.

VALUE 2,659,104,481.00 2,585,812,850.00 2,172,762,971.00 1,710,685,020.00 1,590,721,220.00 1,466,988,325.50 1,179,494,562.50 1,017,077,995.00 1,012,408,386.00 1,009,886,046.00

Ayala Land readies P50-b bonds to fund its expansion

By Jenniffer B. Austria MAJOR property developer Ayala Land Inc. plans to issue up to P50 billion worth of fixed rate bonds to finance its capital spending plan.

Ayala Land chief finance officer Augusto Bengzon said in an interview over the weekend the company would seek board approval to file a P50-billion bond shelf registration program with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It may issue the fixed rate bonds within a three-year period.

Bengzon said the company plans to raise between P15 billion and P20 billion this year through bank borrowings and bond offerings.

Ayala Land said on Friday it would allot a record P130 billion this year for capital expenditures from the actual spending of P110 billion in 2017 to fund expansion plans.

Bengzon said the firm would use at least 40 percent of the budget for the residential segment, 25 percent for the leasing business and the balance for land acquisitions and estate development.

The property firm plans to launch P130 billion worth of residential and office-for-sale projects this year. Bengzon said the figure was slightly lower compared with P139.4 billion in 2018 and that the launches would depend on the market’s appetite.

The group plans to open three malls that will add up to 200,000 square meters in gross leasable area to its portfolio. The new malls are located in Cebu, Makati and the Manila Bay area in Pasay City.

Ayala Land is scheduled to deliver 190,000 sqm of office space for 2019 and open an additional 900 hotels rooms.

The property company also plans to launch two new estate developments this year, one in Batangas and another one in Tarlac.

Ayala Land currently has 26 largescale, integrated mixed-use estates with the opening of two new ones in 2018— Parklinks in Quezon City and Habini Bay in Mindanao.

Ayala Land also plans to add 3,545 beds to the dormitory business from 2,228 units.

The company has 3,968 sqm of coworking space under its Clock-In brand.

Smart overtakes telco rival in terms of network quality SMART Communications Inc. overtook rival telecommunication companies in terms of network ‘consistent quality’ in the Philippines, according to Canadian crowd-sourced mobile data company Tutela.

In a report entitled “Southeast Asia State of Mobile Networks February 2019,” Tutela said Smart scored 91 percent in terms of ‘basic’ consistent quality, slightly ahead of the competition’s 89.3 percent.

This means that 91 percent of the time, Smart users were able to gain access to a ‘basic’ connection, which supports simple web browsing, emails and simple applications like Facebook and WhatsApp. The big difference was in the “excellent” category.

According to the report, Smart had a consistent quality score of 48.8 percent in the ‘excellent’ category, more than double that of the competition’s 23.8 percent.

This means Smart users in the country were twice as likely to experience the ‘excellent’ standard, which is needed for the more demanding mobile use cases, like HD video calling or 1080p video streaming.

Smart in this category ranked sixth out of the total 15 operators included in the study, which covered Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand 85 billion mobile network measurements collected between Dec. 1, 2018 and Jan. 9, 2019.

“Smart has a small lead over Globe (Telecom Inc.) when it comes to basic quality, but excellent quality is where it really differentiates its network,” Tutela said in the report.

“Our continuing network upgrades across the country are aimed to address our customers’ ever-growing need for high quality mobile internet services,” said Mario G. Tamayo, PLDT-Smart senior vice president for network planning and engineering.

“Today, our customers are increasingly using high-bandwidth services such as video streaming aside from social media, online shopping and mobile banking,” he added. Darwin G. Amojelar

World

B3

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Guaido says thousands of supporters set to bring in aid C ONSTAGE. John Osborne of Brothers Osborne performs at Ryman Auditorium on February 16, 2019, in Nashville, Tennessee. AFP

Take back jihadists, Trump tells European nations WASHINGTON―European nations must take back hundreds of Islamic State group fighters captured in Syria, President Donald Trump said late Saturday, after a delay in announcing what he said would be the end of the “caliphate.”

Trump shocked allies in December by declaring the pullout of roughly 2,000 US troops who had been assisting local forces in Syria against IS, whose sole remaining territory is half a square kilometer (one-fifth of a square mile) in eastern Syria.

The pending US pullout set off a countdown for governments whose citizens, having joined IS, were captured by the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

“The United States is asking Britain, France, Germany and other European allies to take back over 800 ISIS fighters that we captured in Syria and put them on trial,” Trump said in a tweet, using another acronym for IS. “The Caliphate is ready to fall. The al-

IN BRIEF Macron slams ‘yellow vest’ protesters PARIS―French President Emmanuel Macron condemned anti-Semitic abuse of a leading intellectual by “yellow vest” protestors and said it would not be tolerated.

Police intervened to protect philosopher and writer Alain Finkielkraut after he was targeted by a group of protestors on the fringe of a demonstration in central Paris on Saturday, according to videos posted on social networks.

“The anti-Semitic insults he has been subjected to are the absolute negation of what we are and what makes us a great nation. We will not tolerate it,” Macron tweeted.

“The son of Polish immigrants who became a French academician, Alain Finkielkraut is not only a prominent man of letters but the symbol of what the Republic allows everyone,” the president added in another tweet.

Several protestors shouted “Dirty Zionist,” “We are the people” and “France is ours”, according to a video broadcast

by Yahoo! News.

“I felt absolute hatred and, unfortunately, this is not the first time,” Finkielkraut, 69, told Journal du Dimanche.

“I would have been afraid if there had not been the police, fortunately they were there,” he told the newspaper, while adding that not all the demonstrators were hostile towards him and one even suggested he put on a vest and join the demonstration while another hailed his work. AFP

EU flags come down in Brexit Britain KNARESBOROUGH―At a flag-making workshop in northern England, orders for Union Jacks are flying off the production line while the EU’s blueand-yellow standard is proving less and less popular.

Flying Colours, which makes flags for Britain’s royal palaces, has seen EU flag orders drop by 90 percent since the country voted to leave the bloc in 2016.

“We’ve certainly seen a fall,” Andy Ormrod, director of the factory in North Knaresborough in Yorkshire, told AFP. “Times have changed, our attitudes have changed.... The demand isn’t there,” he said.

Britain’s union flag is proving more popular than ever, with orders up roughly 75 percent since last summer.

“People are getting a little bit more passionate, I personally think, in being British,” said Ormrod, who voted for Brexit because he is “sick and tired” of Brussels. AFP

ternative is not a good one in that we will be forced to release them. The U.S. does not want to watch as these ISIS fighters permeate Europe, which is where they are expected to go.”

Once the US-led coalition declares it has taken all IS territories, the White House is expected to withdraw American troops.

When that happens, the risk is high that “foreign terrorist fighters” will escape SDF control, posing a new threat.

For about two weeks, the Trump administration has been pushing its allies to take their citizens home, and the US said it was ready to help in the repatriation, but time has been running out.

Several countries, including France, that have chosen to leave the jihadists in SDF detention now confront a diplomatic, legal, political and logistical puzzle.

“We do so much, and spend so much Time for others to step up and do the job that they are so capable of doing. We are pulling back after 100% Caliphate vic-

tory!” Trump said in his late-Saturday tweets.

On Friday he said announcements on the fall of the caliphate would be made “over the next 24 hours,” but that deadline came and went.

An SDF commander said his USbacked forces slowed their advance to protect civilians.

The jihadists declared a “caliphate” in large parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq in 2014, but have since lost all but a tiny patch of territory near the Iraqi border.

Trump’s Syria pullout has highlighted the deep trans-Atlantic rift that emerged under his presidency, and the differing views of the two sides were on display Saturday at a security conference in Munich.

A French government source criticized the Trump administration’s approach as “we’re leaving, you’re staying” and added: “They’re trying to manage the consequences of a hasty decision and making us carry the responsibility.” AFP

ARACAS― Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on Saturday said he was mobilizing thousands of volunteers to help bring American aid into the country next week as President Nicolas Maduro vowed to strengthen border security and block what he called a US invasion.

Guaido’s announcement came as tons of US food aid was piling up along the border with Colombia, in the latest flash point in the country’s building political crisis.

Guaido, whose claim to be interim president now has the support of more than 50 countries, told his rally that 600,000 people had registered to help bring desperately needed aid in through different border points.

“Not only will this be happening at the border where the volunteer movement will be, but in cities up and down the country where there will be demonstrations on February 23 for the aid to come in,” the National Assembly leader told thousands of supporters, many in white T-shirts and hats in the colors of the Venezuelan flag.

In addition to the aid arriving in Colombia, Guaido said, more would be coming through Brazil and the Caribbean island of Curacao.

Several tons of US aid have already arrived in the Colombian border town

Embedding mission in business models of social enterprises PATRICK ADRIEL AURE

GREEN LIGHT THE rising popularity of social enterprises is inspiring. The promise of using business solutions to solve problems offers viable alternatives for lasting social value creation.

However, the rise of social enterprises begs the question: how can we say that an organization is indeed a social enterprise, and not just branding itself as one?

In the committee of the Lasallian Social Enterprise for Economic Development (LSEED), we define social enterprises as “organizations that primarily endeavor to create sustainable solutions to community social problems, utilizing concrete business models and cocreated with community members as its key stakeholders.” Simply put, an organization can be considered an authentic social enterprise if its mission, through the key stakeholder it targets, is embedded in its business model. In other words, the cost of doing mission should be embedded to the cost of doing business.

In the studies of the Center for Business Research and Development-Social Enterprise Research Network (CBRD-SERN), we find three general frameworks on how mission can be embedded in the business model.

These three perspectives can help advocates to ascertain an organization’s identity as a social enterprise and also assist aspiring social entrepreneurs to ideate authentic social business models.

(1) Target stakeholder as key partners. The first perspective treats the target stakeholders as key partners of a social enterprise. In our case studies, what happens is that there are certain marginalized stakeholders that do not have market access or business acumen, but have skills or at least the potential to produce quality products. Social enterprises can partner with these marginalized stakeholders by providing them fair trade prices (e.g., paying farmers prices well above the going market rate) and training on product development. Community members can then become dignified rural entrepreneurs who are able to make decent living.

(2) Target stakeholders as key human resources. The second perspective treats the target stakeholders as key human resources.

Simply put, the stakeholders become employees of the social enterprise. In our case studies, social enterprises that follow this framework put the stakeholders in positions

where they directly affect the value proposition—crafting the products or rendering services. In this scenario, the end goal for the stakeholders can vary. Some social enterprises aim for the stakeholders to grow within and be a fixture in the organization, while other social enterprises function as a stepping stone for the stakeholders to gain footing then eventually achieve their preferred goals and careers.

(3) Target stakeholders as customers. The third perspective treats the target stakeholders as the customers or the actual receivers of the commercial product. Compared to the other two frameworks where the stakeholders are embedded in the operations and supply chain, this scenario frames the role of the enterprise as a producer of extremely low-cost and lowpriced products that the marginalized sector can afford. In this framework, the stakeholders are seen not as mere beneficiaries of dole-outs, but rather, they are dignified customers with limited but real purchasing power.

Apart from these three general frameworks, there could be more complex business models that truly integrate mission. However, these three simple articulations of mission-driven business models provide advocates, aspirants, and scholars an intuitive grasp of how to conceptualize social enterprises, social value creation and problem solving.

As a final note, when we think about solving social problems through business principles, let us ask the key question: what is the critical role of the target social stakeholders in an organization’s business model and reason for being? If the target stakeholder is so critical to an organization, such that if it is removed, the organization ceases to function or make sense, then we can validate its identity as a real social enterprise. This is the hallmark of how embedded is the mission in an organization—the sign of a fully authentic social enterprise.

Patrick Adriel H. Aure is currently the Vice Chair of the Management and Organization Department, Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business. He advocates social entrepreneurship as head of the Social Enterprise Research Network of the Center for Business Research and Development (CBRD-SERN) and as co-chair of the Lasallian Social Enterprise for Economic Development (LSEED) at De La Salle University.

He welcomes comments at patrick.aure@ dlsu.edu.ph. The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty and its administrators.

of Cucuta. The US Army plans to deliver an additional 200 tons in coming days, a Pentagon official said Friday, speaking on grounds of anonymity.

Guaido repeated his call on Venezuela’s military -- whose support for Maduro has been crucial in the growing crisis -- to stand aside and let the aid pass.

“You have, in your hands, the possibility of fighting alongside the people who are suffering the same shortages you are,” Guaido said in a tweet addressed to soldiers.

But Maduro, who asserts that aid could be used as a cover for a US invasion, called for reinforced border security. He dismissed the arriving aid as “crumbs” and “rotten and contaminated food.”

On Friday he instructed his army to prepare a “special deployment plan” for the 2,200-kilometer (1,370-mile) border with Colombia. He said he would examine “what new forces” might be needed to keep the frontier “inviolable.”

Maduro claimed that US President Donald Trump and Colombian counterpart Ivan Duque had worked out “war plans against Venezuela” when they met Wednesday in Washington.

Duque on Friday told Guaido he would help ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Venezuela.

Venezuela and its neighbors have been shaken by the power struggle between socialist leader Maduro and Guaido, who proclaimed himself interim president last month.

A grave economic crisis has left millions in the once-wealthy country living in poverty, facing shortages of basic necessities such as food and medicine.

Some 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2015 as a result, according to the United Nations. AFP

Manila

Standard

TODAY 16th to 19th Floors, Fort Legend Towers 31st Street corner 3rd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City 1634 Statement of Condition (Head Office and Branches) As of December 31, 2018 AMOUNTS

ASSETS

CURRENT QUARTER

PREVIOUS QUARTER

Cash and Cash Items PhP Due from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Due from Other Banks Financial Assets at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Available-for-Sale Financial Assets-Net Held-to-Maturity (HTM) Financial Assets-Net Loans and Receivables - Net Interbank Loans Receivable Loans and Receivables - Others Loans and Receivables Arising from RA/CA/PR/SLB General Loan Loss Provision Other Financial Assets Bank Premises, Furniture, Fixture and Equipment-Net Real and Other Properties Acquired-Net Other Assets-Net

504,999,872.75 5,001,859,954.65 1,266,759,792.32 127,362,442.35 2,399,898,231.03 2,802,460,224.42 40,631,490,576.98 6,807,066,840.87 32,607,467,401.58 1,650,000,000.00 433,043,665.47 242,467,735.44 336,645,148.22 106,583,605.89 854,003,091.94

374,726,567.98 3,989,081,810.76 512,296,884.15 265,757,598.88 3,274,194,179.87 2,477,624,742.55 37,567,835,562.02 788,153,852.76 35,000,054,336.82 2,200,000,000.00 420,372,627.56 191,233,329.07 152,136,174.71 82,908,596.84 890,236,506.31

TOTAL ASSETS

PhP

54,274,530,675.99

49,778,031,953.14

Financial Liabilities at Fair Value through Profit or Loss Deposit Liabilities Bills Payable a) Interbank Loans Payable Other Financial Liabilities Other Liabilities

PhP

25,452,851.21 36,361,391,249.65 7,910,300,862.75 7,910,300,862.75 440,995,084.24 2,362,592,874.58

70,162,025.20 35,943,970,100.19 4,714,319,998.00 4,714,319,998.00 315,223,634.11 1,627,025,800.94

TOTAL LIABILITIES

PhP

47,100,732,922.43

42,670,701,558.44

PhP

2,533,200,985.17 96,486,583.35 4,544,110,185.04

2,533,200,985.17 30,019,224.49 4,544,110,185.04

LIABILITIES

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Capital Stock Other Capital Accounts Retained Earnings TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

PhP

7,173,797,753.56

7,107,330,394.70

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

PhP

54,274,530,675.99

49,778,031,953.14

Financial Standby Letters of Credit Performance Standby Letters of Credit Commercial Letters of Credit Trade Related Guarantees Commitments Spot Foreign Exchange Contracts Trust Department Accounts a) Trust and Other Fiduciary Accounts b) Agency Accounts Derivatives Others

PhP

1,942,809,051.29 41,691,840.52 1,311,865,444.51 0.00 421,538,461.54 1,569,254,132.86 1,499,267,291.15 543,842,820.98 955,424,470.17 9,122,340,215.77 1,165,174,154.53

2,045,631,818.31 51,911,985.74 472,410,666.37 127,871,893.71 108,040,000.00 3,125,933,587.08 1,577,351,812.95 616,633,333.45 960,718,479.50 11,749,880,874.47 728,847,732.12

TOTAL CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

PhP

17,073,940,592.17

19,987,880,370.75

Gross Total Loan Portfolio (TLP) PhP 41,446,648,244.53 Specific Allowance for credit losses on the TLP PhP 382,114,002.08 Non-performing Loans (NPLs) a. Gross NPLs PhP 632,988,633.22 b. Ratio of gross NPLs to gross TLP (%) 1.53% c. Net NPLs PhP 299,929,932.51 d. Ratio of Net NPLs to gross TLP (%) 0.72% e. Ratio of total allowance for credit losses to gross NPL (%) 128.78% f. Ratio of specific allowance for credit losses on the gross TLP to gross NPL (%) 60.37% Classified Loans & Other Risk Assets, gross of allowance for credit losses PhP 778,935,746.96 DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses PhP 20,065,055.77 Ratio of DOSRI Loans and receivables, gross of allowance for credit losses, to TLP (%) 0.05% Gross Non-performing DOSRI loans and receivables PhP 17,254.70 Ratio of gross non-performing DOSRI loans and receivable to TLP (%) 0.00% Percent Compliance with Magna Carta (%) a. 8% for Micro and Small Enterprises 2.31% b. 2% for Medium Enterprises 1.21% Return on Equity (ROE) (%) 2.98% Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) on Solo Basis a. Total CAR (%) 16.33% b. TIER 1 Ratio (%) 15.43% c. CET 1 (%) 15.43%

38,328,216,948.88 340,008,759.30

CONTINGENT ACCOUNTS

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

486,534,090.10 1.27% 203,744,090.09 0.53% 156.29 69.88 640,754,548.92 19,799,265.72 0.05% 0.00 0.00% 2.21% 1.34% 3.58% 16.55% 15.66% 15.66%

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) TAGUIG CITY ) S.S. I/ We hereby certify that all matters set forth in this Published Balance Sheet are true and correct, to the best of my knowledge and belief.

(Sgd.) ANDREW A. FALCON Chief Finance Officer (Signature Over Printed Name)

(Sgd.) WEI, ERH - CHANG (a.k.a. PETER WEI) President and CEO (Signature Over Printed Name)

LGUs

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

B4

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019

Caloocan’s Oca weds 1.7k pairs on Valentine’s LOVE was really in the air at the Caloocan City Sports Complex on Thursday as more than 1,700 couples tied the knot in a mass wedding ceremony on Valentine’s Day. Mayor Oca Malapitan officiated the mass wedding, which was considered a dream wedding for couples who could not afford an expensive ceremony.

The city government transformed the place into a beautiful wedding venue with balloons and flowers.

The couples also received gifts and other souvenirs from Mayor Oca. “We are gladly witnessing a sacred ceremony for thousands of couples,” Malapitan said.

Also present were Rep. Along Malapitan, Liga ng mga Barangay Vice President Enteng Malapitan, other members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, and city department heads. Jun David

Navoteño couples exchange ‘I Dos’ in Kasalang Bayan SOME 50 couples in Navotas celebrate Valentine’s Day in a more special way this year as they gathered to exchange vows in a ‘Kasalang Bayan’ as their families and friends bore witness to their love.

Mayor John Rey Tiangco, together with Rep. Toby Tiangco and Vice Mayor Clint Geronimo, led the ceremony.

Also present in the event were Councilors Neil Cruz, Arnel Lupisan, Alfredo Vicencio, Jack Santiago and Alvin Nazal; former councilor Eddie Maño; Junior Chamber International-Navotas Chapter President Migi Naval; Navotas Clutch player RV Vicencio; and youth representative CJ Santos.

Of the couples who were joined in matrimony, a pair stood out as their relationship was already fortified by 17 years of living together. Jose Rodrigo Burgos, 56, and Araceli Hidalgo, 54, exchanged ‘I dos’ as their five children looked on contentedly.

Tiangco, in his speech, said he was more than happy to once again lend a helping hand to couples of different ages and stories, and from different walks of life.

“Some of these couples have been living together for more than 10 years.

Tatay Jose and Nanay Araceli almost made it to 20. They had been through many highs and lows, but they were able to withstand and endure it all. It is my honor to finally solemnize and legalize their union,” he said.

The mayor encouraged the newlyweds to devotedly believe in their love for each other as they continue on their journey as a married couple and as responsible parents for their children.

“The love that brought the two of you together, the love that made you marry each other, the love that gave you beautiful children, use that love to stay faithful and true. Use that love to give your children a complete and happy family for as long as you can,” Tiangco said.

The mass wedding is a bi-annual event of the Navotas City Government, which is held in line with Valentine’s Day and the cityhood anniversary of Navotas.

Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan gives a gift to a newlywed couple during the city’s Valentine’s Day mass wedding event on Thursday. Jun David

ARMM farmers gain P35m DAF machines

By Nash B. Maulana

S

ULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao—The province’s farmers queued here for the distribution of P35 million worth of mechanized farming equipment by the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao through its Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF-ARMM).

This was the last time the region’s agriculture agency extended aid to farmers in a forum at the DAF-ARMM Information and Area Resource Center (IARC).

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol said aiding the farmers through upgrading the country’s agriculture was the government’s way of rewarding the tillers for literally feeding the country.

Regional Agriculture Secretary Alexander Alonto Jr. and Assistant Regional Secretary Eugene Strong met the

farmers and led the distribution together with Sittie Anida Tomawis Limbona, DAF director for administration.

Limbona said Piñol had earlier approved the release of rice farming machinery units worth P22 million and mechanized equipment for corn crop agriculture worth P13 million.

The agriculture assistance package consisted of 80 units of rice and corn farm machinery units given to 18 farmer and fishers cooperatives in different

parts of the province.

Reina Regente Producers Cooperative, Nanungen Mauyag Agriculture Cooperative, Sitio Tumagantang Farmers’ Marketing Cooperative, Sitio Makaw Farmers and Fisher Folks’ Association, and Sitio Pidtulusan Agri-Farmers’ Marketing Cooperative received hand tractors with floating tiller.

Apo Luminog Farmers’ Association and Sunggilingan Marketing Cooperative gained Portable Rice Mills, and Montod Farmers’ Marketing Cooperative received an Electrical Corn Mill.

Reina Regente and Nanungen Mauyag also received mechanical corn shellers; Majadiah Farmers’ Association, Salindab Farmers’ Association, and Satan Taliawid Farmers’ Marketing Cooperative all received Potable Irrigator Open Source machines.

LIGHT THE WAY.

Reelectionist Senator JV Ejercito walks with residents of Tondo, Manila in a torch parade from Zaragoza Street to Plaza Morga in Moriones, Tondo during a campaign rally.

Lino Santos

Bicolanos now have own Heart Center—solon DARAGA, Albay—Bicolanos need not travel to Manila anymore for heart treatment with the opening of their own Heart Center at the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH) in Legazpi City.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, who worked hard to source funds for the P300million Bicol Regional Heart Center, said the facility is a joint project of BRTTH and the Philippine Heart Center.

It is the government’s fourth facility of its kind in the country, with state-of-the-art equipment and highlytrained medical staff.

With the new BRTTH Heart Center, Salceda said Bicolano heart patients will save a lot from the costs of travel and the tiresome trips to Manila for treatment. Travel by land from Legazpi to Manila normally takes 10 hours or more. The facility could also help serve patients from Eastern Visayas.

Salceda said The BRTTH Heart Center expects about 4,000 patients a year from all over Bicol and neighboring provinces, to avail of its services, from 2D echo-cardiogram to coronary angiogram, angioplasty, pacemaker insertions, bypass-graft, and open surgery.

It has 15 private and 20 semi-private wards, five executive suites, nine coronary care units, three operating rooms, and six emergency rooms—three for adults and three for children. It also has seven recovery rooms aside from seven others reserved at the nearby kidney center.

“Over the past 21 years I have been an ardent believer and supporter of the BRTTH development, being the apex healthcare facility of Albay and Bicol,” Salceda stressed.

He earlier served as Albay congressman for nine years, then governor for another nine years until 2016, when he returned to Congress. He now runs unopposed in his re-election bid for Albay’s second congressional district.

Inspired by Bangsamoro, Cordillerans push for full autonomy anew

By Brenda Jocson

TABUK CITY, Kalinga—The people of Cordillera are pushing again for full autonomy, including fiscal budgetary management, as the nation has witnessed the plebiscite in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

In the recent Regional Development

Council meeting in Baguio City, governors, private sectors, non-government agencies as well as department regional directors agreed to push for full autonomy of the Cordillera region.

Kalinga Governor Jocel Baac said there is a need for another house measure after House Bill 5443 was axed in the House Committee on Local Government.

HB 5443 was introduced by Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat with Baac as then Regional Development Council chair, hoping to attain total autonomy for the Cordillera region.

Then President Corazon Aquino and the Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army signed the SIPAT Agreement where the 26 points demand by the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army was studied,

but only three was not approved.

“Sipat” is a local Mountain Province term for peace.

The Sipat Agreement paved the way for the cessation of hostilities between government forces and the Cordillera rebels. It was signed on September 13, 1986 by then-President Aquino in Mt. Data Hotel in barangay Data, Bauco, Mountain Province.

P10.8m for NV bypass road OKd

By Ben Moses Ebreo

LEAD THE PARTY. Elders of the Laguna for Jesus Movement, headed by Bishop Hermie Malabanan, pledge their support and pray over of the party-list Citizens Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) led by Kuya Domeng Rivera, Bro. Eddie Villanueva, and Atty. Lyndon Caña on Wednesday at Calamba City, Laguna. Roy Tomandao

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya— The Department of Public Works and Highways has approved the funding of the proposed Bayombong-Quezon-Bagabag bypass road project in this province.

Vice Governor Lambert Galima Jr. said Public Works Secretary Mark Villar already allocated P10.8 million Pesos in the 2019 national budget for the feasibility study for the bypass road.

“We highly appreciate the immediate action of Secretary Villar as the SP [Sangguniang Panlalawigan] recently received his letter in response to our

request to consider the proposed multiyear project of the DPWH Office in Bayombong,” he said.

Galima said the initial move from the national government opened the possibility that the bypass road project will push through. The project involves the construction of 31.127 kilometers of road.

He added that the road will also expose commuters, local and foreign tourists to the various eco-tourism potentials of the province.

“This bypass road project will cushion the heavy toll of traffic among commuters usually plying the Maharlika Highway,” Galima said.

Life

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

FOOD

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019

C1

Bench Cafe opens its second branch on the ground floor of Greenbelt 3.

Bench Café opens

second branch at Greenbelt 3 Chef Luke Nguyen embarks on a culinary journey to France for Asian Food Channel’s show ‘Luke Nguyen’s France.’

Chef Luke Nguyen’s culinary journey to France V

IETNAMESE-AUSTRALIAN chef and TV host Luke Nguyen recently embarked on a culinary journey to France, which influenced the flavors in his home country, to try its food specialties.

The show, which premiered on the Asian Food Channel on Feb. 17, offered a glimpse into the France’s food delights that went above and beyond croissants, crepes, macarons, and pains au chocolat.

Chef Luke’s first stop was Paris, France’s capital and a global center for art, fashion, culture, and food. The 40-year-old chef discovered Parisians’ passion for food, decadence, and tradition.

He also learned how to make pot-au-feu, the original version of the French dish, now Vietnam’s iconic staple, pho.

He then headed on to Strasbourg to develop a taste for all things Alsatian. Chef Luke created his own roast pigeon masterpiece with a specialty spice mix; audience can also learn the art of making pain d’epices.

Time is of the essence as Chef Luke visited Franche-Comté, a region once known as France’s clock-making capital.

During his jaunt in this region, he created a Vietnamese dish made of prized Bresse chicken served with a warm fondue dish of cheese on the side.

Chef Luke did not forget to make a trip to Lyon, the gastronomy capital not only of France, but of the rest of the world.

A trip to this city would not be complete without getting a taste of classic salad Lyonnaise and a traditional chicken liver cake, topped off with a dessert inspired by fruits of spring.

The celebrity chef created his own fusion of a AfricanFrench fish soup, which uses only fresh ingredients off the boat, imbued in the flavors of the Mediterranean—which aims to urge viewers to travel to Marseille.

Chef Luke’s trip also encourages foodies to visit Nice and enjoy a warming dish of onion tart topped with zucchini together Chef Luke creates French dishes popular in various places in the country. with a salad Nicoise while marvelling at the beauty of the scenSail along the Loire River and create a rustic roast duck ery around. Or have some of French Basque country’s delicacies in Biarritz and go fresh with a basket full of oysters from the dish by an open fireplace, then head on to St. Malo, a town island of D’Oleron seasoned with Espelette pepper and artisan of pirates and seafood delights. Not to be missed is trying a tamarind crab dish and a delicious buttery scallop dish. jambon, then learn how to cook a local langoustine.

GIANT local retail brand Bench further cements its position in the food industry with the opening of the second branch of its concept restaurant Bench Café.

Established a year ago, Bench Café is a full-fledged restaurant founded through the partnership of FOODEE Global Concepts, one of Manila’s largest multi-brand food groups run by father and son tandem Rikki and Eric Dee, and Suyen Corporation, headed by Ben Chan, Virgilio Lim, and Bryan Lim. “Bench Café brings traditions from all over the islands to create flavors that are distinctively Filipino, in a style that is uniquely Bench, and that is casual but sophisticated, simple but substantial, local but global—all at good price points,” said FOODEE Global Concepts chief operating officer Eric Dee. The restaurant first opened at Bonifacio High Street in Taguig.

“We are proud and happy to continue to partner with Suyen Corporation in Bench Café’s expansion and bring its unique flavors to more Filipinos as we open our second restaurant at Greenbelt 3,” added Dee. Imbibing Bench’s social media hashtag and overall thrust, #LiveLifeWithFlavor, Bench Café celebrates classic Filipino dishes by giving them a global, sophisticated twist. The restaurant’s growing popularity is owed to a unique dining concept that delivers a sensory exper ience through its

well-designed and inviting interiors, and a mouthwatering selection of interesting and satisfying dishes.

On the menu are Filipino favorites with elements of traditional and modern Pinoy cooking, and fusion meals that adopt culinary traditions from different cultures.

Must-tries include Sisig Lettuce Cups with Calamansi Foam, Crispy Lumpia Cones with Tinapa Mousse and Salsa, Tsoknut Ice Cream Sandwich (toasted ensaymada filled with tsoknut ice cream), and Flan B (leche flan with macapuno).

The menu also features Bench/ To, which is inspired by bento meals of Japan but reimagined to cater to the Filipino tradition of family dining. Combos include B6 (Dancing Fish, kaldereta, crispy dilis, Bench Salsa, plain rice), B8 (lechon kawali, laing, atsara, Bench Salsa, plain rice), and B12 (pork barbecue, gisinggising, green mango salad, Bench Salsa, plain rice). The café also features other Pinoy dining table staples such as street food, rice, silog, merienda, halohalo, and kapeng barako.

Bench Café is located on the second floor of Bench flagship store at 9th Ave. cor. Lane O, Bonifacio High Street, BGC, and on the second floor of Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati.

Chef Carlo Miguel

Maxene and Robby Mananquil enjoying Bench Cafe’s dishes.

FRENCH DELIGHTS. Chef Luke Nguyen’s whips up France’s popular dishes as he travels across the country which influenced the flavors in Vietnam.

Bench Cafe delivers a sensory experience through its well-designed and inviting interiors.

Life

C2

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY. Ting Tong, available as salad or wrap, is made of romaine lettuce, Cajun shrimp, vermicelli, ripe mango, pomelo, cherry tomatoes, snow peas, shredded coconut, roasted peanuts, and Thai Peanut Turmeric dressing.

SaladStop opens Ortigas branch,

brings back best-selling salad

H

EADS up, Ortigas folk! SaladStop opens its 14 th location in the Philippines, right on the ground floor of Robinsons Cyberscape in Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

The newest branch will serve all mouthwatering options available at SaladStop, Asia’s first and largest healthy food chain.

In addition to salad bowls and wraps on the regular menu, the Ortigas branch, along with all SaladStop branches will be once again offering Ting Tong salad. The vegetarian-friendly favorite is a meatless mix of romaine lettuce, Cajun shrimp, vermicelli, ripe mango, pomelo, cherry tomatoes, snow peas, shredded coconut, and roasted peanuts, mixed with a savory dressing with a kick, Thai Peanut Turmeric dressing.

Refreshing and nutritious to boot, this recipe serves up the distinct zing and zest that comes hand in hand with Southeast Asian flavor. Ting Tong, available as salad or wrap, is available for a limited period.

Aside from the Robinsons Cyberscape branch, SaladStop is located at Central Square, Power Plant Mall, One Palanca in Legaspi Village, Greenhills, Glorietta 2, Ayala Tower One, Burgos Circle, Alabang Town Center, Salcedo Village, Ayala Center Cebu, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, and UP Town Center.

SaladStop opens its 14th branch at Robinsons Cyberscape Gamma in Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

The Ortigas branch serves all healthy and mouthwatering options available at SaladStop.

Valentine’s Day continues with cakes, meal for 2 FEBRUARY 14 has passed but those who want to express their love with a decadent treat can still do it with heartshaped cakes.

Available until the end of February, Max’s Corner Bakery’s cake of the month Choco Toffee Cake is a perfect treat. It is a luscious creation of a chocolate chiffon cake filled and frosted with choco-toffee buttercream, chocolate fudge, and cashew nuts, offering a unique spin to usual chocolate cakes.

Those who want to express their feelings can say their heart’s desires with Max’s Corner Bakery’s Valentine’s Day Mes-

BITES

Max’s Corner Bakery’s Choco Toffee Cake and Message Cake

Super Delights Brownie Bites

Dencio’s Valentine Boodle Fight for two

sage Cakes. This scrumptious chiffon cake is slathered in buttercream. Its top has ample space for a personalized message.

Meanwhile, couples who love sharing meals are invited to fill up on Dencio’s bestselling dishes. Available all throughout the month of love, the Valentine Boodle Fight for two consists of a full serving of lumpiang shanghai, calamares, and boneless chicken barbecue served alongside three cups of rice and two glasses of sago’t gulaman. laman

Delightful brownies SUPER Delights Brownie Bites promises to make days sweeter and extra special. This fudgy and chewy brownie is made more decadent with chocolate chips.

It comes individually wrapped hence easier to share with friends and loved ones. Brownie Bites is great as a sweet treat to accompany coffee. It can be enjoyed warm, cold, or with a side of vanilla ice cream.

Entertainment

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019

C3

nickie.standard@gmail.com

Pinoy talents shine in ‘ASIA’S GOT TALENT’ Season 3 premiere

A

FTER giving us some of the most memorable contestants in the past seasons of Asia’s Got Talent, Philippines continue to deliver even stronger acts in the premiere episode of Asia’s Got Talent Season 3.

Standout acts from the episode include HK Sisters, a singing pair who received a standing ovation from the audience with their touching performance; Zeexhie a fatherand-daughter dancing duo who impressed Anggun; Junior Good Vibes, a dance crew of 15 members from Sampaloc who has been practicing everyday for the past four years to perform on Asia’s Got Talent and ZooDiva, a singer with an extraordinary gift that you just have to watch.

In the same episode, Jay Park made Asia’s Got Talent’s history as he rewarded his Golden Buzzer for TK Jiang, a digital magician who scored the first Golden Buzzer for Singapore.

“I was very impressed,” said Jay Park, “You know I’ve never seen digital magic before and that was very, very entertaining. I really like it.”

“That was unique. But then, it was so short. I feel like I wanted to see more,” Anggun chimed in.

TK Jiang, who started his magic journey in Singapore, was overwhelmed with emotions as the audience went crazy for his unorthodox magic tricks. Currently a full-time student, TK Jiang wanted to put a modern spin into magic by going digital.

The Golden Buzzer ensures that we will be seeing more of TK Jiang in the

ARIAS

Semi-Finals in March where he will have his shot at the $100,000 grand prize and the winning title.

New episode of Asia’s Got Talent airs every Thursday at 8.30 p.m. on AXN. To follow the journey of this season’s acts, check out #AXNAsia and #AsiasGotTalent.

To watch extended highlights of Asia’s Got Talent and exclusive behind-thescenes footage, fans can subscribe to the official AXN Asia YouTube Channel at www.YouTube.com/AXNAsia and www.

AXN-Asia.com/AsiasGotTalent AXN has also teamed up with Google to add a Google Assistant Action of the show experience, where fans can playfully interact with the hosts and learn more about the show, the judges and the acts on their mobile devices. Fans can activate the Google Assistant and simply say “Talk to Asia’s Got Talent” to get the conversation started.

Asia’s Got Talent is the 67th adaptation of the Guinness-World-Record-breaking hit Got Talent format, which was created

by Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment and is co-produced by FremantleMedia.

The Got Talent format is officially the most successful reality TV format in history and currently airs in 186 countries.

The never ending relevance of ‘Noli Me Tangere’

ALWIN IGNACIO IF OUR National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal, were reincarnated today, I cannot help but wonder, would he be more inspired to make and write new novels knowing the fact that corruption, greed and lust for power, the societal ills depicted during his time in the two novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, are now of gargantuan proportions?

The crushed dreams of Crisostomo Ibarra, the tragedies of Elias, Sisa and Maria Clara, the folly of Dona Victorina, the misfortunes of Basilio and Crispin, the dramatic demise of Padre Damaso, all these characters, in this season of the millennials, we intermingle and interact with, read and watch about them, on a daily basis.

That is, the showing of Noli Me Tangere, The Opera comes at the most opportune time and yes, we don’t have to state the obvious.

Based on Rizal’s novel of the same name, this Stellar opera was written

by National Artist for Music Felipe de Leon (music) and National Artist for Sculpture Guillermo Tolentino (book).

Previous incarnations of the opera have been staged at the Far Eastern University (1957), the CCP (1987), and Resorts World Manila (2014), the CCP (2017) and now is back for a limited engagement from March 8 to 10 at the CCP’s Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo once more.

CCP and J&S Productions Inc., and directed by Jerry Sibal (who also serves as set and costume designer), are bringing the opera with changes in the sets, lighting, and some of the costumes.

During the press conference held

recently at the Ilustrado in Intramuros, Manila, arias of Maria Clara: Kay Tamis ng Buhay (Nerissa De Juan), Ibarra : Isangguni (Ivan Nicolo Nery), Elias : Iwi kong Buhay (Joseleo Logdat). Sisa: Awit Ng Gabi Ni Sisa (Alison Cervantes), Padre Damaso: Ngayon Kailan Pa Man (Nils Flores), and a duet of Ibarra at Maria Clara: Lupang Pangako (Nomher Nival and Bianca Camille Lopez) were performed and received enthusiastically by media members in attendance.

Some observations, as one listens attentively to the lyrics of the arias and duet, something inside you will be stirred.

Every word and line pulls the heart strings. What were showcase are not the easiest to perform since each arias was so structured like an aria from an Italian opera. When you hear and experience Ta g a l o g words sung a s

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Monday, February 18, 2019

ACROSS 1 Puffs along 6 Steals from 10 Angus Young’s band 14 Suit coat feature 15 DEA operative 16 Kind of collar 17 Ultraviolet ray blocker 18 Supernova 19 Burnishes 20 In need of body work 22 Fragrant flower 24 Travel word 26 Fishing vessels 27 Plush fabrics 31 Win — — nose 32 Locales 33 Spinnakers, e.g.

36 Caesar’s 16 39 No future — — 40 Intelligence 41 Necklace part 42 Brown of renown 43 Quilt stuffing 44 Stressed out 45 Snack 46 Beats the incumbent 48 Horror-movie role 51 Water, in Paris 52 Peppers 54 Make possible

59 Chocolate cookie 60 Mr. Sikorsky 62 Going on 63 Coffee brewers 64 Zilch 65 Stately home 66 Easy pitch 67 Jeannie portrayer 68 Very upset DOWN 1 Lump of clay 2 Thin fog 3 Savvy about (2 wds.)

4 Polite chap 5 Vest’s lack 6 Hosp. workers 7 Solemn vow 8 Makes like a mule 9 Fix eggs 10 A continent 11 Thud 12 Financial obligations 13 Legal tender 21 Morse signal 23 Coral islets 25 Portfolio item 27 Skiing mecca 28 Ocean bird 29 Hula attire 30 Cistern 34 Crawling insect 35 Newsstand buy

Junior Good Vibes, a dance crew of 15 members from Sampaloc, Manila

36 Lucy Lawless role 37 Enormous 38 Bad day for Caesar 40 Use irony or sarcasm 41 Busy insect 43 Rum-drenched yeast cake 44 Tidal wave 45 Decorate, as leather 47 Dundee refusal 48 Masked swordsman

49 Signs 50 Sidled past 52 Ring match 53 Painful 55 In the distance 56 — fide 57 Collection of purchases 58 To be, in Paris 61 Director — Howard

an opera, it can no longer be denied that it is at par with the other romantic languages like French, Italian and Spanish, Aside from those who performed during the press conference, cast members include Nicola Peralejo, and Bernadette Mamauag as Sisa, Nazer Salcedo, Greg De Leon, and Joseleo Lodgat as Elias, Nils Flores and Ronnie Abarquez (who also alternates as Kapitan Tiyago) as Padre Damaso, and Lawrence Roxas as Kapitan Tiyago. Noel Comia Jr. and Mari Yapjoco also reprise their role as Basilio, while Santino Juan Santiago reprises his role as Crispin.

Completing the cast are Nenen Espina (Doña Victorina), Oliver Pineda (Tenyente Guevarra), Anna Migallos (Sinang), Micah Galang (Andeng), Ma. Krissan Tan (Tiya Isabel), Timothy Racho (Alferez), Ruzzel Clemeno (Don Filipo), Tomas Virtucio Jr. (Albino), and Rare Columna (Victoria).

An opera in three acts, the production follows the story of Juan Crisostomo

Ibarra, who returns to the Philippines after pursuing scholarly studies in Europe. He plans to open up a school and marry Maria Clara, his betrothed.

However, parish priest Padre Damaso, the archenemy of the Ibarras, is out to hinder Crisostomo’s plans, which creates a dramatic storyline of forbidden love, betrayal, and revenge.

J&S Productions Inc. was founded on May 15, 2014 by New York-based art enthusiasts and philanthropists Jerry Sibal and Edwin Josue. Jose Jeffrey Camanag acts as assistant director.

Whether as a musical, drama or opera, the novel of Dr. Jose Rizal continues to be relevant. Who would have thought that after so many years, the societal cancer continues and we really need to get our acts together, to finally defeat and put a stop to this reign of greed.

For tickets, call J&S Productions at 0947-1681714/ (02) 998-2356, or the CCP Box Office at 832-3704/06.

A scene from 'Noli Me Tangere The Opera' (photo from the Broadway World)

Simply...

From C4

AXN’s regional partnership with GoDaddy

AXN has a new regional partner. It is with GoDaddy, the world’s largest cloud platform. The partnership is dedicated to small, independent ventures, to strengthen its presence in Asia.

This partnership will see Maggie Wilson-Consunji, one-half of the winning team of AXN’s The Amazing Race Asia Season 5, named as GoDaddy Brand Ambassador. As a dedicated entrepreneur, Maggie has leveraged GoDaddy’s online tools to launch an online presence and website for her business unique café and store concept, Casa Consunji (http://www.

CasaConsunji.com/) in the Philippines.

Wilson-Consunji will be featured in two GoDaddy TVCs—“The Start Up” and “Power Your Passion”—which were filmed on location at Casa Consunji.

The TVCs mark the launch phase of the partnership and will air from January to April.

“AXN is the no.1 general entertainment channel across Asia. Our audience is constantly craving for premium content and we couldn’t be happier to work with a partner like GoDaddy to help take their vision of entrepreneurship mainstream. We are confident of amplifying GoDaddy’s brand awareness and help drive their next phase of growth in 2019 across Asia,” said Avani Bhanchawat, vice president, Media & Sponsorship Sales, Sony Pictures Entertainment Networks, Asia.

GoDaddy offers an integrated suite of products for small business owners and entrepreneurs, ranging from domain names, hosting, website building, to email marketing, security protections and an online store. GoDaddy offers 24/7 customer support locally, to help guide customers in the growth of their venture, and to find the tools that best meet their needs.

“Partnering with AXN Asia gives us the opportunity to reach a broader audience across Asia. We are pleased to be working with them, including sponsoring Asia’s Got Talent and in working more closely together on promoting the GoDaddy brand with targeted audiences in a variety of formats,” said Roger Chen, senior vice president of GoDaddy Asia Region.

A cornerstone of the partnership is the sponsorship of Asia’s Got Talent that brings together passionate people pursuing their dreams. “GoDaddy supports people who want to create and manage an online presence for their idea,” adds Chen.

This announcement coincides with the premiere of the top-rated series, Asia’s Got Talent Season 3 on Feb. 7 at 8.30 p. m..

Expect hundreds of talented contestants from 17 countries to judges include 16time Grammy winner and producer David Foster, internationally acclaimed singing sensation, Anggun and multi-platinum recording artist Jay Park. *** Visit www.isah.red for more stories.

Follow me on Facebook (@isahvr), Twitter (@isahvred) and Instagram (@ isahvred). ΙR

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2019

BONG REVILLA wants to revive audience’s interest in action movies ISAH V. RED Bong Revilla

IF GIVEN the chance, former senator Bong Revilla (now gunning for another six-year term in the Senate), he’d like to revive Filipino audience’s interest in action movies, which have dominated the local screens for decades.

At a get together with members of the press, he declared casually at the same time taking notice of the waning interest of the Filipino audience in the genre that catapulted him to stardom. “When was the last time na sikat ang action films, during the time of FPJ? That was a long time ago.”

Already, he, through, Imus Productions has kick-started the big move by producing Tres, a trilogy starring his sons Jolo, Bryan and Luigi. He’d like the film company his father put up to produce more films of the action genre. “The TF (Talent Fee) is immaterial,” Bong said.

“My prime consideration would be the project.”

An entertainment journalist reminded Bong of the time he co-starred with current TV favorite Coco Martin. That was a good 17 years ago, when FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano’s Cardo Dalisay appeared in a supporting role in Ang Agimat: Anting-Aniting ni Lolo that was directed

by Augusto Salvardor for the family’s production company. Son Jolo was also in the picture.

“Oo nga pala!” said Bong. Coco was in a fight scene with Jolo. The original

actor was not okay and it was my brother Marlon (Bautista) who saw Coco on the set. ‘Umarte ka nga,’ Coco was told.

Mahusay siya so he got the role. When I see him now in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, hanga ako sa kanya. Sabi ko, siya pala ‘yung Coco na nakasama ko sa pelikula noon. Hindi mo talaga masabi ang swerte.”

Somebody suggested to Bong to co-star with Coco in an action movie, maybe the one that Bong has been conceptualizing during his five-year stay at the Camp Crame Detention Center that he’s intending to enter in the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) as his comeback starrer.

Incidentally, Bong looked “fit and fabulous” when he met with the entertainment press at Annabel, thanks to his regular workout even while he was “inside” his detention cell in Camp Crame. It was his second time to meet with the entertainment press, the first was at Gloria Maris last month when Regal Matriarch Lily Monteverde hosted a welcome lunch for him.

The meet with the entertainment press at Annabel’s was the idea of his sister Andeng Ynares who along with the other siblings were there as well. They are very happy that their favorite brother is back with his family and ready to go on a nationwide sortie for the coming midterm elections. Continued on C3

Edutainment channel ZooMoo seeks to raise kids AQ

Environmental advocate Gregg Yan (center) and lifestyle television host Kelly MisaFernandez (right) during the launch of ZooMoo.

HAVE you ever worried that there’s so much stuff that’s unfit for kids to watch on tv these days? Parents and guardians need not to fret because ZooMoo provides a safe space for your little ones.

Made especially for kids with developing minds, the channel aims to help parents provide a more kid-friendly entertainment for their preschoolers and make kids learn more about animals and nature.

ZooMoo believes that fun and learning go well together. This English-language based media channel nourishes children’s Animal Quotient (AQ) through its library of shows that capture their attention and awaken their imagination. ZooMoo provides deeper information about animals, their habitats, behaviour, and characteristics in a simplified yet visual way that are highly appealing to kids.

The channel comprises 1,500 selfcontained shows combining spectacular wildlife footage with a range of puppetry, animations, and narrative techniques to create a unique viewing and learning experience for little viewers. ZooMoo’s programming lineup follow five themes: explore time, create time, play time, puzzle time and quiet time. The channel also carries a strong message of conservation to help kids become more compassionate towards the creatures we share the planet with.

With ZooMoo, parents are encouraged to share their child’s viewing experience which can be more interactive through the revolutionary ZooMoo App. Available to download on Google Play and AppStore, this innovative technology serves as a second screen where parents can allow their children to participate in the immersive world of ZooMoo shows on a tablet or smartphones even away from

the home television. Children and parents engage in a world of games, music, puzzles and activities.

The ZooMoo app’s Parent Page offers personalized support for things parents can do with their children to help their learning.

With the advent of this new form of programming, ZooMoo helps kids to grow up with a better grasp of the animal world, making them good stewards of this planet.

One of the defining characteristics of ZooMoo programming is that it aims to improve a child’s AQ providing a deeper, more meaningful understanding of different animals and species including their natural habitat, diet, unique traits, and other interesting trivia.

ZooMoo recently hosted a panel discussion for parents and guardians on the importance of teaching their kids about animals and nature at an early age.

The session discussed how parents can help children develop better AQ through different activities they can do at home, and how ZooMoo provides assistance as their kids learn.

Led by journalist and environmental advocate Gregg Yan and lifestyle television host Kelly Misa-Fernandez, the panel session was held at the Zoo Coffee of Ayala Vertis North. The event was a fun morning filled with kids activities, interesting animal facts, and discussions focused on how children can become good caretakers of the planet.

ZooMoo’s program line up is packaged in an easy to understand format that is fun for both parents and kids. SKYcable subscribers can choose to add ZooMoo (channel 120) to their channel line-up for only P20 per month via SKYcable Select.

Barbie with leading man Jak Roberto

VERY WANG NICKIE WANG

W

E HAVE seen the trailer where two different faces with two different minds and natures are trapped in one body. And we’re witnesses to the avalanche of memes that has become the hottest thing on Internet right now.

That’s the charm of Kara Mia for you.

But have you ever wondered how the team behind the series, which premieres tonight, shoots the difficult scenes that involve two faces but just one body?

“It’s difficult, I’m telling you,” Mika deal Cruz told Manila Standard in an interview. “Before we tried using chroma key but the effects didn’t look natural so our director decided to use multi-cameras and put me and Barbie Forteza in one place whenever we shoot our scenes. Even if it’s just my voice I have to be in the same exact spot where Barbie is, and our director just uses camera angle to make it look believable and natural.”

“And there are times that I have to carry Mika on my back. From our gestures to wardrobe, we have to be very technical about it. There are times that we can’t move when shooting our scenes. It takes a lot of patience, effort and teamwork from the cast, director, director of photography.

It’s really challenging” Barbie added immediately.

A dramatic tale of two sisters facing literally and figuratively good and evil.

The fantasy drama series is based on a true story from India and an English urban legend in Great Britain.

Kara (Barbie) and Mia (Mika) were born with Disprosopus or craniofacial duplication, a congenital defect where they have two faces but share only one body. Until today, the origin of this condition, which is one of the rarest malformations in humans, is still unexplained, whether it is mythical or medical.

Kara’s face is in front, while Mia’s face is at the back of their head. Little do they know, they are probably the children of a mystical being, an engkanto, who watches over them as they grow up.

But even if they are “one” person, the two sisters cannot be more different. Kara is kind, jolly, smart, and aspired to become a doctor to continue what their mother wasn’t able to achieve. She believes that this “defect” is what makes her unique and special, and she loves her sister Mia with all her heart. Mia, on the other hand, is the mischievous one. She is lazy, pessimistic, and dreams of being an actress. She is envious of Kara and wants nothing more than to be her own person.

Featured in vital roles in Kara and Mia’s lives are highly-respected and award-winning actors and actresses in the industry: Carmina Villarroel as Aya, the doting mother of the sisters; and John Estrada as Arthur, Aya’s husband and the father of Kara and Mia. Adding a dose of enchantment to the series is Mike Tan

Mika dela Cruz with Paul Salas

The two faces of

KARA MIA

BEHIND THE SCENES. There were times that Barbie had to carry Mika on her back just to do a scene.

as Iswal, the mischievous engkanto who lives in the forest and is enthralled by Aya’s beauty. He will do everything in his

power to be close to her.

Also starring in this endearing masterpiece are sought-after leading men Jak Roberto as Boni, the lola’s boy and a loving gentleman who likes Kara but captures Mia’s heart; and Paul Salas as Chino, Boni’s handsome and well-off cousin who steals Kara’s heart.

Completing the stellar cast are Liezel Lopez, Althea Ablan, Arthur Solinap, Karenina Haniel, April Gustilo, Alicia Alonzo and Gina Pareño.

An all original creation of the GMA Entertainment Group, Kara Mia is a powerful and dramatic representation of how good and evil are every individual’s two natures, of how we make the good triumph over the other, and how love will time and again conquer all.

Under the helm of esteemed director Dominic Zapata, the series also showcases the scenic beauty of the City of Bacolod, where the story takes place and some of the important scenes were shot.

Catch the much awaited premiere of Kara Mia beginning tonight on GMA Telebabad.

Kapuso viewers from across the globe can also catch their favorite Kapuso shows via GMA’s international channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV International.

For the program guide, visit www.gmapinoytv. com.

Barbie Forteza and Mika dela Cruz playing the title roles in 'Kara Mia,' a dramatic tale of two sisters trapped in one body.