Manila Standard - 2019 March 23 - Saturday

RODY BANS JUNKETS ABROAD FOR GOV’T WORKERS PAGASA: Brace for prolonged El Niño, severe climate impact

Story on A2

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 41 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Heat is on, it’s dry season

By Rio N. Araja

T

HE heat is on, officially.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration on Friday declared the termination of the northeast monsoon season or “amihan” and warned that a weak but prolonged El Niño warm weather system will stay until at least August or as long as the first quarter of 2020.

The phenomenon is already proving disastrous to the country, as the Department of Agriculture said earlier in the week that damage to crops had grown from P464.27 million on March 11 to P1.33 billion as of Next page Tuesday, March 19.

WEARISOME WEATHER. Looks like a full-fledged El Niño has begun and may last, according to weather forecasters, until August 2020.

No water, no charge eyed

WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE.

Speaker Gloria Arroyo, accompanied by Manila Water officials led by president Ferdie dela Cruz, MWSS administrator Rey Velasco and Mandaluyong LGU officials, inspects Friday the water pipeline and open the static water tanker in case of emergency in Barangay Addition Hills in Mandaluyong City.

Manny Palmero

MANILA Water said Friday it is studying a government proposal that it not charge its customers in Metro Manila and Rizal province who have suffered service interruptions for more than two weeks now.

In an interview with the GMA news network, Manila Water president and chief executive Ferdinand dela Cruz said they would meet with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System on Monday to discuss the proposal.

“I have given instructions to my team to look into this matter seriously. That’s why we are studying it carefully, and we will discuss the results with chief regulator Patrick Ty on Next page

Duterte pooh-poohs ICC case vs China’s leader

By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte says he is optimistic the diplomatic ties between the Philippines and China will not be jeopardized after two former government officials filed a case against Chi-

nese President Xi Jinping before the International Criminal Court.

He made the statement Thursday night after former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales filed the case against Xi due to China’s

activities in the West Philippine Sea. Duterte said he believed the case would not adversely affect the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China as the two former officials no longer represented the Philippine Next page

Reds told: Time Alert on foreign terrorists’ entry up to lay down arms, abandon struggle

By Vito Barcelo, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo THE military on Friday urged communist rebels to abandon the armed struggle and return to the fold of the law, shortly after President Rodrigo Duterte said h e was no longer interested in peace talks with their leaders in exile.

AGUINALDO ANNIVERSARY. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles and local

officials (inset) attend the flag raising ceremony on Friday in observance of the 150th birth anniversary of the first Philippine President Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite. Norman Cruz

Next page

FOREIGN terrorists are attempting to enter the country despite the strict security measures being implemented in the tri-boundary of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said Friday.

Eight out of 10 foreign terrorists who were monitored to have entered the Philippines have been tracked in Central Mindanao, AFP Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Col. Gerry Besana said.

This developed as President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday urged graduates of the Philippine National Police Academy to contribute to the administration’s war against illegal drugs, terrorism, and corruption.

“I enjoin our fresh graduates to support and contribute to the administration’s fight against illegal drugs, terrorism and corruption. Now, more than ever, the Philippines needs optimistic and brave men and women like you who have the qualities to be effective and efficient public servants,” Duterte said in his speech during the PNPA’s 40th Commencement Next page

Voter’s choice: Not corrupt bets THE top quality that Filipino voters look for in a senatorial candidate is “not corrupt”, according to a Social Weather Stations survey commissioned by the private think tank Stratbase ADR Institute.

Stratbase ADR Institute, through its project Democracy Watch, commissioned the survey on the “Qualities that One is Looking for in a Senatorial Candidate of the Philippines”.

Next page

Cassettes again darling of audiophiles NEW YORK—The humble cassette—that tiny little plastic rectangle containing the homemade mixtapes of yesteryear—is back, joining vinyl as a darling of audiophiles who miss side A and side B. Next page

PRESIDENTIAL SALUTE. President Rodrigo Duterte leads in unveiling of the Marawi Heroes Memorial, a monument built in honor of the soldiers and policemen who fought and died in the Marawi siege in 2017, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City on Thursday, then executes a snappy salute (inset) for them. Presidential Photo

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SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019

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No more junkets for gov’t execs

By Vito Barcelo

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has banned the travel junkets and team-building activities of all government officials and employees abroad, according to an executive order signed by him.

tively immediately, are the personnel of national government agencies including state universities and colleges, government-owned- or -controlled corporations, government financial institutions, Congress, the judiciary, the constitutional commissions, the Office of the Ombudsman and local government units.

Duterte says only certain officials are allowed to take business class for air travel and only for long-haul flights.

Those allowed to take business class flights are department secretaries, undersecretaries and assistant secretaries, but these officials still need the approval of the Office of the President.

All government employees taking long-haul flights will have to take the

economy class.

For flights less than four hours, all government employees, including Cabinet secretaries, will have to take the economy class, which “does not include premium economy class.”

In case the officials and employees authorized to travel abroad will not be provided with transportation by the host country or sponsoring organization, they will be allowed to take economy class flights but this does not include premium economy class.

Official or personal travels must not be sponsored by private individuals, including suppliers or contractors, with pending request or application or future dealings with any branch or office of government.

Malacañang said Duterte signed Executive Order 77 on March 15, and that it updates the rules and regulations and rates and allowances for the official local and foreign trips of government personnel.

“All forms of travel junkets shall be strictly prohibited. The conduct of strategic planning workshops or teambuilding activities abroad shall not be allowed,” Section 19 of the EO says.

Malacañang said the President had repeatedly expressed his disappointment

over the unnecessary and expensive foreign trips by some government officials.

“The taking of a personal leave immediately before or after the official activity is highly discouraged,” the EO says.

“If travel circumstances, such as the nature of activity, purpose and itinerary, indicate that the trip is mainly intended for personal purposes,” the EO says, “no part thereof shall be considered official.”

Covered by the order, which is effec-

No water,...

From A1

Speaker: I never micromanaged 2019 budget bill

Monday,” Dela Cruz said in a mix of English and Filipino.

He acknowledged the call for rebates was strong from its customers, particularly those who have suffered the loss of water service for more than 24 hours or a few days, which he said “is quite not normal.”

On Thursday, the MWSS said it would convince Manila Water not to charge its 6.8 million customers until services return to normal.

The MWSS, meanwhile, said it is confident that it can solve the water crisis, after President Rodrigo Duterte told its administrator, Reynaldo Velasco, to “shape up or ship out.”

“We can deliver as far as I know.

But if we fall short, who are we? That is the call of the President,” he told the GMA news network.

On Tuesday night, the President met with MWSS officials and executives from the two private concessionaires and berated them for failing to anticipate the water shortage and doing something about it.

He threatened to fire the MWSS officials and terminate the contracts of the concessionaires, which end in 2037.

Their concession agreement, however, allows the President to terminate their contracts if essential water and sewerage services are jeopardized.

Manila Water on Friday said water supply has been restored to 96 percent of its customers in the east concession zone.

“Water from the tap is now available to 96 percent of Manila Water’s customer base compared to 80 percent last week with water supply available from 8 to 12 hours, at least at the ground floor level of their residences,” the water service provider said.

“Manila Water has significantly improved water services when it began adopting a rotational water supply scheme for all its customer on March 14 allowing the 28 reservoirs to recover and refill,” it added. Maricel V. Cruz, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Joel Zurbano and PNA

Cassettes...

From A1 But as top musicians including Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber release their music on tape and demand continues to climb, the niche revival has faced a global shortage of music-quality magnetic tape needed for production.

Now, two facilities―one in the American Midwest and the other in western France—have stepped in to meet the need.

“It’s a good place to be―there’s plenty of business for both of us,” said Steve Stepp, who founded the National Audio Company in Springfield, Missouri with his father 50 years ago.

He said that around 2000 the “imperial hegemony of the CD” cut his business, which stayed alive as a major manufacturer of books on tape that remained popular.

But despite the astronomical rise of streaming, Stepp said rock bands like Pearl Jam and The Smashing Pumpkins began seeking to manufacture anniversary tapes in the mid-2000s, launching a cassette comeback tour.

“That convinced major record labels that there was still life in the cassette as a music form,” he said.

Several years ago, National Audio bought 300,000 reels of tape from a South Korean company that gave up music-grade tape production.

As that stockpile began to shrink, his facility in November 2016 was faced with a choice: either make reels, or fold.

His business invested several million dollars buying up old equipment from defunct production facilities, and last year National Audio manufactured 18 million audio cassettes, Stepp said, selling to 3,500 record labels globally. AFP

By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Friday reiterated that the proposed 2019 budget, as approved by the House of Representatives, was the work of the chamber’s appropriations committee and that she had no hand in its preparation.

She made the statement after some senators continued obstructing the enactment of the 2019 budget bill, claiming that Arroyo’s allies in the House

Heat...

From A1 Analiza Solis, the state weather bureau’s Climate Information Monitoring and Prediction chief, said the El Niño will continue to be felt in the Philippines past August—not up to June as they earlier reported.

At a news conference at the Science Garden in Quezon City, Solis said the phenomenon will bring about “severe meteorological impact” up to the end of April in many parts of the country.

At least 61 percent of the country, including Metro Manila, is expected to experience drought, while 39 percent of the country is forecast to feel the long dry spell, she added.

In a Facebook post, the Agriculture department’s DRRM Operations Center said drought had claimed 78,348 metric tons of rice and corn, over triple the 22,918 MT of rice and corn posted in the previous week.

Rice took the biggest hit with production losses of P814.4 million or 41,003 MT, while corn suffered P512.3 million in losses or 37,344 MT. Drought-ridden agricultural lands also grew from 13,679 hectares to 70,353 ha, affecting 84,932 farmers and fisherfolk—or five times as many workers hit in the previous week.

Northern Mindanao has been bearing

Alert...

From A1 Exercises for “Sansiklab” Class of 2019 in Silang, Cavite.

Also on Friday, the PNP said it would continue to monitor and gather intelligence about “enemies of the state,” amid accusations from leftist groups that the police were red tagging them and engaging in partisan politics.

Besana said the AFP is closely coordinating with its counterparts abroad over the possible entry of foreign terrorists through Philippine airports and backdoor channels.

“We do not discount the possibility that they might use our airport here.

How will you know that people sitting or standing beside you is a terrorist?

Not unless he is holding a gun, carrying explosives or anything that will also indicate that he is a terrorist,” he said.

Five of the terrorists being tracked have been identified, Besana said, including Iraqi national Abdul Rahman—

Reds...

From A1 “We have troops addressing the armed groups and the local government units are also helping in the promotion and conduct of local peace talks,” said the Public Affairs Office chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Col. Noel Detoyato.

“But now that it is formally declared by the President, the AFP will be relentless in pursuing the armed groups not only with arms but with offers for them to abandon the armed struggle and avail of the benefits offered by Task Force ‘Balik Loob’ and the counterpart benefits from the LGUs,” Detoyato said.

Task Force “Balik Loob” is the government body tasked to implement the En-

were given as much as P95 billion in so-called insertions in the budget.

However, one of Arroyo’s critics in the Senate was alleged to have inserted P50 billion for his favored public works and other projects in the same budget bill.

Arroyo, who was the guest of honor and speaker during the 32nd Biennial Convention of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told reporters she never “micromanaged” the preparation of the budget bill in the house.

“Nonoy [Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. of Camarines Sur, appropriations committee chairman] has been saying that over and over again. The budget is the work of the appropriations committee and the bicameral panel,” Arroyo said.

“I think [Congressmen Fredenil] Castro and Nonoy Andaya and Edcel Lagman have already been setting the record straight that they were the ones who worked on the budget and not me, and they have been setting the record straight.”

the brunt of El Niño, according to the DA report.

This was after PAGASA Administrator Vicente Malano declared the start of the dry season with the termination of the “amihan” monsoon.

“With this development, the day-today weather across the country will gradually become warmer, though isolated thunderstorms are also likely to occur,” he said.

Dr. Flaviana Hilario, the weather bureau’s acting deputy administrator for research and development, said the dry season will be longer due to El Niño, therefore Filipinos should “expect a delay in the onset of the rainy season.”

According to Solis, apart from Metro Manila, areas to experience drought by the end of April are Pangasinan, Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Marinduque, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, Albay, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon in Luzon.

PAGASA said these areas must brace for drought until the end of May. In the Visayas, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Siquijor, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar and Samar (Western Samar) will also experience drought as well as Mindanao’s Misamis Occidental and Dinagat Islands, Solis said.

She added 37 percent of the country

will likely experience drought and 4 percent a dry spell by end of May. Drought will affect only 19 percent of the country—Metro Manila, Pangasinan, Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro and Masbate—in June, she cited.

Drought will also distress Antique, Biliran, Northern Samar and Samar (Western Samar) in June, but will spare Mindanao, the weather bureau added.

Most dams and lakes in April “will possibly experience way below to below normal” rainfall conditions, while generally below to near normal rainfall conditions is likely during the rest of the forecast period, Malano said.

Despite the presence of El Niño, a low pressure area outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility could enter the country and develop into a powerful typhoon with reduced amount of rainfall.

El Niño, the weather bureau said, started to develop during the last quarter of 2018 and is still present in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

“Both oceanic and atmospheric indicators have reached El Niño threshold levels in February. Recent conditions suggest that this phenomenon will likely continue until the April-May-June 2019 season and that varying impacts are now occurring in most areas of the country,” the PAGASA El Niño advisory No. 2 stated.

who allegedly brought an Islamic State flag in the country—along with two Indonesian nationals and a Singaporean named Mauwiya.

Mauwiya is believed to be a protegé of Zulkilfli Binhir alias Marwan, the Indonesian terrorist killed by PNP Special Action Force commandos during the controversial Mamasapano encounter in January 2015.

“We’ve been trying to account all of them, but, of course, as I’ve said, it is so hard. Nobody can tell who the terrorist is if they simply pose as ordinary people, not unless those are high-value targets reported by our foreign counterparts,” Besana said.

Meanwhile, the President told PNPA graduates to uphold integrity, patriotism, and compassion in their work as public servants.

“As you leave the halls of the academy, bring with you the principles of integrity and loyalty as well as the values of patriotism and compassion that your alma mater has instilled in you. These will serve as your guideposts as you perform your duty to our people and na-

tion,” he told the PNPA graduates.

“Never be deceived by power nor by fame. What is important is that you honor, for it is your badge towards genuine success,” he added.

Duterte vowed to support the programs of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

The ceremony had 201 graduates who earned their Bachelor of Science in Public Safety degree from the PNPA. PNP spokesperson Colonel Bernard Banac said the police monitoring was aimed at maintaining peace and order.

“Ironically, these shadowy organizations are taking advantage of our democratic processes and built-in institutions to establish a foothold in the… legislative branch of government,” he said.

“It is the duty of the PNP to keep the public informed on matters of public safety and security against terrorist organization and domestic threat groups, including the support systems that sustain their terrorist activities,” Banac added.

Macon Ramos-Araneta with PNA

hanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), a community-based national program to address the security, economic, social, and psychological rehabilitation needs of former members the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

Surrendering rebels can get P15,000 in immediate assistance, P21,000 to defray the cost of meals, support for relocation, security for the former rebels and his family, P50,000 in livelihood assistance, temporary shelter, PhilHealth enrollment, medical assistance package, housing assistance or housing units, modified conditional cash transfer, legal assistance, and livelihood materials.

Detoyato said Executive Order 70, which institutionalized a whole-of-

nation approach in attaining peace and created a National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, would address the void left by the termination of the peace talks with the communist rebels.

“The local and international sources of funds fueling the armed rebellion and the groups fronting for them are now being addressed. With this, we are confident that this 50-year-old [CPP founder Jose Maria] Sison-induced insurgency is nearing its irreversible downward trend towards irrelevance,” he said.

Duterte on Thursday night officially announced the permanent termination of the peace negotiations with the CPPNPA-NDF during the 122nd Philippine Army founding anniversary in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Japan grants P41m and 22 vehicles to PH

By Rey E. Requejo THE Japanese government on Friday awarded grants to five local organizations totaling more than P41.78 million and added P15.4 million worth of emergency vehicles to 20 local government units in Luzon.

Japanese Ambassador Koji Haneda signed the grant contracts—for a school building project, provision of medical equipment, improvement of rural health center, and provision of post-harvest facilities—with their respective recipients on Friday at the Embassy of Japan in Pasay City.

In a statement, the Japanese Embassy said the projects are part of Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development and funded through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects implemented by the Embassy of Japan.

The event was attended by various national government agencies and other organizations contributing to the peace and development efforts in Mindanao.

Ambassador Haneda will also turn over 22 emergency vehicles to 20 LGUs in Luzon on Monday at the Bureau of Fire Protection National Headquarters in Quezon City.

The approved projects include the construction of classrooms for Bayanga Norte Elementary School in the Municipality of Matanog in Maguindanao.

Mayor Mohammad-Ali S. Guro was the proponent signatory for the project.

GMA Kapuso Foundation Inc. executive vice president Luz Annalee Escudero-Catibog signed the contract as proponent for the construction of a school building of Datu Saber Elementary School in Marawi City.

The Japanese government also allocated funds to repair and upgrade the main health center building and purchase of laboratory equipment in Dingalan, Aurora with Mayor Shierwin H. Taay as proponent signatory.

Wilson V. Maralit signed the grant for the provision of medical equipment for rural health unit of Balete, Batangas.

Voter’s choice:...

From A1 The survey was conducted on Dec. 16 to 19, 2018, using face-to-face interviews of 1,440 adults nationwide, of which 1,363 were registered voters.

The survey showed that 25 percent of the respondents listed “will not be corrupt” as among the qualities they were looking for in a senatorial candidate.

By area, 25 percent of the respondents in the National Capital Region, 26 percent in the rest of Luzon, 27 percent in the Visayas and 22 percent in Mindanao said they were looking for candidates “who will not be corrupt”.

The candidates who have “concern for the poor” emerged as the second top quality (22 percent) that respondents were looking for in the senatorial candidates. The third top quality was “good personal characteristics” that was listed by 21 percent of the candidates, while the fourth top quality was “trustworthy”.

“We deserve leaders who are not corrupt, have good character and are trustworthy,” said Dindo Manhit, Lead Convenor of Democracy Watch and president of Stratbase ADR Institute.

Duterte...

From A1 government and were now considered ordinary citizens.

“No, I’m ure it won’t,” Duterte said when asked if the case would affect the ties between the two countries at the sidelines of the 122nd anniversary celebration of the Philippine Army in Taguig City.

Del Rosario and Carpio-Morales filed the case against Xi and other Chinese officials for implementing Beijing’s “systematic plan to control the South China Sea.” Duterte said he respected the decision of the two former government officials to challenge China’s relentless reclamation activities and military build-up in the disputed waters.

“They are entitled to file the case.

They are Filipino citizens. And I think we’ll just have to defend our position against them,” Duterte said.

Del Rosario was Foreign Affairs secretary when the Philippines filed an arbitration case against China’s expansive claims over the South China Sea before The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration.

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SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Prosecute, don’t shame lawyers in narco-list’

By Rey E. Requejo GOVERNMENT authorities should prosecute the lawyers, prosecutors and judges linked to illegal drugs, instead of shaming them by revealing who they are, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines said on Friday.

“We encourage our law enforcement operatives to prosecute and spare no one, not even lawyers, prosecutors or judges, who are into drug possession and use, as this continues to be an offense penalized under the AntiDrug Act,” IBP national president Abdiel Dan Elijah S. Fajardo said in a statement.

The country’s mandatory lawyers’ organization made the call after the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino revealed there are lawyers, prosecutors and judges in the agency’s drug watchlist.

“The malefactors may also be held administratively liable for misconduct, and must be proceeded against before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the Department of Justice, or the Supreme Court, as the case may be,” the IBP president stressed.

Fajardo said the IBP is strongly objecting to public disclosures of the drugs list “that publicly shame prosecutors who dismiss drug complaints for insufficiency of evidence, and judges who acquit drug suspects on constitutional grounds.”

“Government agents are not licensed to perverse or relax constitutional standards on buy-bust and search and seizure operations, and a defeat in the legal arena on such basis must not be interpreted as drug coddling or protection,” he pointed out.

Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte named 46 alleged narcopoliticians which included 35 mayors, seven vice mayors, one provincial board member and three lawmakers.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has already filed administrative complaints against these alleged narco-politicians before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Aquino recently said the PDEA’s drug watchlist also included judges, prosecutors and even celebrities and members of the media.

QUIET MOMENT. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (center) bows his head in prayer during the opening ceremony of the 32nd Biennial Convention of the Federation of FilipinoChinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on Thursday. On the President’s right are (from left) Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Presidential Photo

Ex-Maguindanao gov gets life sentence for graft

By Maricel V. Cruz

F

ORMER Maguindanao Gov. Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan was sentenced to up to 12 years imprisonment for the anomalous purchase of construction and lumber materials intended for the repair of various school buildings from 2008 to 2009.

The anti-graft court’s Fourth Division declared Ampatuan guilty of graft, 63 counts of falsification of public documents, and malversation of public funds.

The court division sentenced him to eight to 12 years imprisonment for the graft charge, six months to eight years for falsification, and reclusion perpetua for the malversation case.

Ampatuan was also sentenced

with perpetual disqualification from holding public office even as he was also ordered to pay a fine of P37.74 million representing the malversed funds.

Ampatuan and his co-accused were charged for the irregular purchase of construction materials from Abo Lumberyard and Construction Supply for the repair of school buildings in Maguindanao.

The Ombudsman said the purchases were not actually made because the supposed supplier was non-existent.

Ampatuan’s lawyers said they will appeal the guilty verdict.

Associate Justice Alex Quiroz, Sandiganbyan Fourth Division chaiman, allowed Ampatuan’s release on a P1.58billion bail pending the resolution of his appeal.

“Accused is given until Monday to post the additional cash bond, double the amount, to enjoy provisional liberty and avail all remedies allowed under the rules,” Quiroz said.

Associate Justice Bayani Jacinto wrote the decision.

Sajid is currently out on bail because he is one of the accused for his alleged involvement in the Ampatuan Massacre in 2009.

By Rio N. Araja

DA to suspend importation of onion bulbs amid probe

A FORMER chairperson of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. is facing a complaint of malversation and plunder before the Office of the Ombudsman for supposed non-liquidation of P317.67 million in intelligence funds.

Valente Custodio, ex-Pagcor assistant vice president, filed the complaint against ex-Pagcor head Cristino Naguiat Jr., accusing the latter for failure to liquidate the disbursement of 30 checks worth P254.84 million and 18 checks worth P62.82 million from the agency’s confidential and intelligence funds.

“The failure of the respondent to immediately account for the disbursements despite repeated demands of the Commission on Audit created a presumption he appropriated, took, misappropriated or consented, or through abandonment of negligence, permitted another person to take them,” the complaint read.

The funds should go to the Save the House project in 2010 with a P67.12million budget, Custodio said.

He, however, said Naguiat pursued with the fund disbursements until 2012 and 2013.

CoA issued a notice of disallowance for such disbursement, citing Naguiat should be held responsible for his nonliquidation of the fund disbursements.

According to Custodio, the former Pagcor chairperson has not yet responded to CoA’s demands.

“The respondent is ultimately responsible to account for all the disbursements considering that the same are purportedly intelligence funds, which are by their very nature confidential and under the control of only a specific person, in this case the respondent,” the complaint stated.

AMID an ongoing probe of the alleged cartel on the prices of bulb onions, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol has announced that the Agriculture department will suspend the importation of the crop.

The alleged cartel has been accused of causing the prices of the crop to go down due to oversupply.

Piñol said the DA will stop importation of onion “pending the results of the investigation of the Philippine Competition Commission and the National Bureau of Investigation into the reported operations of a cartel manipulating the buying price of locallyproduced onions.”

The Agriculature secretary said this move could stop the cartel from benefiting from their operations “where they forced the drop in the buying price of local onions by leasing and closing cold storage facilities to onion farmers.”

Concerned government agencies said the prices of onion have gone down due to excessive supply glutting the market, on the back of the harvest season and the availability of imported onions, forcing farmers to sell their produce at low prices just to recover their capital.

In Nueva Ecija, for instance, onions are sold at P15 to P16 per kilo.

“The DA on Wednesday asked the PCC and NBI to investigate reports that trading firms have closed down four major cold storage facilities in an apparent attempt to force farmers to sell at low prices,” Piñol said.

“The traders are expected to consolidate the local production as they await the time when they will be allowed to import,” he added.

Piñol said that with the farmers forced to sell their produce at very low prices, traders could control the pricing of onion in the market and generate huge profits.

Ex-Pagcor chief faces plunder, malversation raps

WORLD WATER DAY. A man carries a girl along a canal polluted with plastic and garbage at the Estero de San Lazaro in Manila on Friday. Each year on March 22, World Water Day is observed around the world, focusing on the importance of fresh water and advocating for sustainable management of water resources. AFP

BTA inauguration waiting for Du30 presence THE inauguration of the members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority—and its first Session as a parliament—has been postponed several times to make sure that President Rodrigo Duterte will be able to attend the event.

BTA officials and members had already taken their oaths last month.

According to Interim Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim, they had postponed the inauguration date from March 25 to 29 to accommodate the President.

Sources said that even before the March 25 date, there had been an agreement among BTA members for the inauguration to take place on March 21, but the date was moved to March 25 because Duterte could not make it on the 21st because of his many activities.(that day, he had 3 events in Metro Manila).

Actually, the first tentative date was set March 11 or some 2 weeks after BTA members took their oath on Feb. 22, but the date was eventually moved to March 18, according to sources.

Some Bangsamoro advocates have said, however, that the inauguration and first session should take place with

or without Duterte, as a way to show the BTA’s independence.

They said that delaying the two ceremonies would also delay the BTA from accomplishing its tasks such as passing administrative and local government codes and formulating a transition plan.

Murad acknowledged this sentiment but said it is worth waiting for Duterte to attend the event. “True, but the attendance of the President will also send strong signal for his support to BARMM [Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao],” he said.

Murad is also counting on Duterte’s support to ensure no hiccups in the passage of BARMM’s budget and block grant next year.

The Bangsamoro Parliament resulted from a successful plebiscite held in January this year where Cotabato City and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ratified the Bangsamoro Organic Law. The BARMM will now replace ARMM, one of the key demands of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in its peace agreement with the previous Aquino administration.

Sara says she won’t run as PH president NOT my ambition.

Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said the presidency is far from her mind, even if allies continue to introduce her as the country’s next leader during campaign rallies.

“That [being a President] is not my ambition,” Duterte-Carpio, after she was introduced by Mandaue City Mayor Luigi Quisumbing as the next president during a campaign stop there last Thursday, said.

“I just always pray to God so that I will be guided in my decisions,” she added.

The presidential daughter, who also the founder and campaign manager of Hugpong Ng Pagbabago, a regional political party, has graced the groundbreaking ceremony of Pier 88 Port Development here.

Still, allies and even Senate bets continue to harp on the Davao Mayor’s qualities as a potential presidential candidate, citing her charm, courage, empathy and intelligence.

Du30 expresses gratitude to FFCCCII PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte expressed his appreciation to FilipinoChinese business leaders for supporting his administration’s fight against illegal drugs, criminality, and corruption and for their contribution to the country’s economy.

The President, who graced the 32nd Biennial Convention of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. on Thursday, also extended his appreciation to the group for their disaster relief efforts, medical missions, and other interventions during calamities and the construction of thousands of school buildings and drug rehabilitation facilities.

The FFCCCII was established more than 63 years ago with a vision to achieve economic prosperity to the whole nation and alleviate poverty.

Over the years, the federation has achieved its visions to promote business growth, social development, and collaborative partnerships with the government, business groups, and communities. Vito Barcelo

Solon seeks truth behind OFW’s death A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Friday condemned the death of an overseas Filipino worker in Australia as he vowed to help the bereaved relatives seek justice and the truth to the death of their family member.

Jerwin Royupa, 21 years old, left his hometown of Calasiao, Pangasinan to work at a farm in Australia last February.

The relatives discovered later on that he was having trouble with his employer who allegedly also took his passport.

The news report said that Royupa was supposed to go back to the Philippines this March, only for his family to be told by the employers that he has died after reportedly jumping off from a moving vehicle.

The migrant worker’s employer informed the family that Royupa died from critical bleeding in the head, chest, and abdomen.

“We send our deepest condolences to the family of Jerwin Royupa and we will work closely with concerned agencies and the government of Australia to personally find out what really happened to Jerwin while he was working there,” ACTS-OFW Party-list Rep. John Bertiz III said. Maricel V. Cruz

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Opinion

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019

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Today’s fig tree IN THE third Sunday of Lent, Jesus tells us the parable of the barren fig tree. The parable of the fig tree is traditionally regarded as the story of repentance. Jesus in the parable narrated: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it, and found none. And he said to the dresser of the vineyard: Behold, for these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it done therefore: why cumbereth it the ground? But he said to him: Lord, let it alone this year also, until I dig about it, and dung it. And if happily it bear fruit: but if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

We are all called to bear fruit.

In the story, the vinedresser tells the grower to cut down the fig tree after not being barren for three long years. But the grower asks his lord for another year. Jesus, as the grower, intercedes for the life of the barren fig tree asking the Lord for another year. Here, God wants the barren fig tree condemned because after three years it has remained fruitless but with the intercession of Jesus, he relents. The simple lesson is that God does not want to condemn us and so he gives us every bit of chance to repent, to change the direction of our life.

In telling that they could be cut down, Jesus was warning that indeed they could be like those who could be consigned to perdition if after giving them many chances they choose not to bear fruit, that is, lead a life of transgression.

That’s a sobering thought. We don’t like

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

to think about it, and to be blunt, most of us don’t consider that life is really like this. But it is. There are no guarantees. One day you are up and about, the next day you are lying in bed seriously or mortally sick.

Sin is no laughing matter and must not be taken lightly nor with fanciful levity. It is a serious spiritual issue that must be totally pirged from ourlives with the help of the Holy Spirit. Thus, God does not want us to dilly dally but to take action ASAP—that is to cleanse ourselves with the stain of sin and turn our backs permanently from all iniquities. This is precisely the message of the African nun who addressed the bishops during the four-day clerical sex abuse summit. In her speech, Sister Veronica Openibo, a Nigerian and the first African to serve as the Leader of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, directly challenged the notion that it’s not an African problem or an issue in the developing world on Saturday, emphasizing “how serious the issues were and still are.”

“Probably like many of you, I have heard many Africans and Asians say, that ‘this is not our issue in countries in Africa and Asia, it is the problem in Europe, the Americas, Canada and Australia’,” she said. “The fact that there are huge issues of poverty, illness, war and violence in some countries in the Glob Global South does not mean that the area of sexual abuse should be downplayed or ignored,” she said. “The Church has to be pro-active in facing it.” Openibo, speaking on the third day of Pope Francis’s summit on clerical sexual abuse, gathering the presidents of bishops’ conferences from around the world, said that “Clerical sex abuse is a crisis that has reduced the credibility of the Church when transparency should be the hallmark of mission as followers of Jesus Christ.”

“How could the clerical Church have kept silent, covering these atrocities?”

Openibo asked. “The silence, the carrying of the secrets in the hearts of the perpetrators, the length of the abuses and the constant transfers of perpetrators are unimaginable. We must acknowledge

T

Unworthy idols

HIRTY-YEAROLD Jung Joon-young was arrested this week in Seoul for sharing explicit videos of women filmed without their knowledge or consent.

fines of up to 30 million won or imprisonment for their crime.

Another accused member of that group, Seungri, said he was quitting entertainment.

“I just cannot bear causing any further damage to people around me, while being hated and criticized by the public and being treated as a nation’s enemy during the investigation,” he said.

News of the cases surely comes as a shock and disappointment to millions of Kpop enthusiasts worldwide, including the Philippines. It’s a billion-dollar industry that capitalizes on the “wholesome” images—cultivated and maintained by handlers— of its stars and the adulation of its fans.

Then again, some people have difficulty distinguishing personas from the actual persons behind them. This fail-

Jung, just one of the many personalities of the popular Kpop phenomenon, admitted to the allegations and apologized for his actions. He had also been dropped by his management company.

“I am truly sorry...I bow my head in apology to the women who were victimized by my actions,” he said in a statement outside of court.

Jung is accused of being a member of an online group that shared such explicit photos and videos. If found guilty, he and other members face

ure often results in frustration after the “idols” are revealed to have feet of clay.

It’s a similar theme in the context of Philippine elections. Officials get voted into office on the strength of their popularity or the “package” that they appear to be.

Meanwhile, Filipino voters have such low standards that it is enough that their choices are compassionate toward them—without really knowing whether the compassion is genuine or just for show.

In this election season— one of entertainment and blind idolatry—may the people find themselves at least able to tell that the kind of people the candidates are is not necessarily the same as the kind of people they purport to be. Perhaps expecting them to act intelligently based on this awareness, however, may be too much to ask.

Turn to A5

Rediscovering Lizzie’s heritage MARCH 22, 2019 is the 150th birth anniversary of General and President Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy. This year’s anniversary is marked as Emilio Aguinaldo Day in the whole country, and a special nonworking holiday in the province of Cavite.

Together with other members of Tunay na Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas Inc., a nongovernment organization advocating for “no hate history,” I went to the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite to witness the festivities in honor of Heneral Miong’s 150th.

Going to this place always makes me feel proud as a Filipino. I like seeing the historic house where many important meetings of revolutionaries transpired, and where our country’s independence was proclaimed. I like seeing the Philippine flags that surround the place flying freely and proudly. The monument of Gen. Aguinaldo on top of a horse as if going to battle is a source of inspiration to always move forward no matter the challenges.

Rediscovering Philippine history in the last seven or so years has developed a passion for the past I did not know I have. Rediscovering Gen. Aguinaldo has kindled the desire to know more about our country, our heroes, both known and unknown, and what really transpired during the Philippine revolution from 1896 onwards.

Primary and secondary sources on our valiant past are the resources I choose to use in my pursuit of my own roots because most recent historians I have discovered, possess strong biases for or against major revolutionary personalities. Such tend to obscure their accounting of history and does not facilitate a real understanding of our past. Some of these primary and secondary sources are actual records of the revolution, accounts of those who participated and lived it, and materials written by those who were able to speak with the people who were actually involved in the quest for our independence.

This interest in history made me realize how little I knew about my own roots, and how wrong many of what little I knew

were. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo is a case in point. Like many of my contemporaries, I was rabidly anti-Aguinaldo and pro-Bonifacio. I believed the poison fed to me as a student and carried this until recent years.

However, my own inquiry of our past led me to discover the real Emilio Aguinaldo minus the biases and black propaganda thrown his way. I have learned about his most important role in our wars against two powerful countries, Spain and America, his many important contributions to the country, and the CONTEXT within which the tragic deaths of Andres Bonifacio and General Antonio Luna happened. I felt a deep remorse and had to apologize to Hen. Miong.

All of us should discover our roots.

This is not to say that I have turned to become anti-Bonifacio. The Supremo remains a hero to me. What I learned is that our heroes were humans like you and me.

As humans, they had their share of weaknesses and committed mistakes. I have learned to appreciate each hero for what s/ he gave us, and that certainly, there is no need to pit one against another.

Studying history brought me to meet descendants of our heroes like Dr. Jose Rizal, Felipe and Marcela Agoncillo, Hen. Gregorio del Pilar, Gregoria de Jesus, Gliceria Villavicencio, Gen. Ananias Diokno, Leon and Galicano Apacible, Gen. Aguinaldo and a few others. Some of the Aguinaldo descendants have even become my friends.

When TUKLAS participated in last year’s History Con, fourth to fifth generation Aguinaldos came in revolutionary uniforms. A good number of them were kids and teen-agers. TUKLAS’ booth at that time had memorabilia of the revolution and we had pictures of the General on display. There I met Lizzie Aguinaldo, a beautiful and smart fifth grader belonging to the fifth generation of the clan. Like the Turn to A5

So much to hope for PHILIPPINE Foreign Secretary Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin, Jr. pretty much said it all when he said during his visit to his counterpart in China, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, that “I speak for my country which wants to see much to hope for, and nothing to fear from the rise of a new power...” It’s clear that many more countries in the world is agreeing with our foreign secretary, like Italy which is signing an MOU to

global prosperity and peace.

While the Philippines and China are on the way to establishing joint oil and sea exploration in the areas of the How irresponsible can Spratlys that have overlapping claims of the two countries as well as more our mainstream media in the Philippines, Italy is be on such a vital issue as investments looking forward to boosting its access water? to the Chinese market with the MOU on the BRI. Despite the brickbats and road blocks detractors of China and its far-sighted multi-trillion global infrajoin the multi-Trillion, visionary Belt structure, investment and connectivity and Road Initiative (BRI) connect 65 crusade continue to overcome the shortcountries to date (and more to come) by sighted and often deliberate negativity Turn to A5 land, sea and the digital highway to push Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher

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Opinion The tale of the discount donuts POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE ONCE upon a time in a small and sunny but troubled archipelago nation, there operated two large and upscale doughnut chains.

There were other bakeries that peddled the ring-shaped baked goods, but these two sold the best, tastiest, and most costly.

The donuts of these two bakeries were toothsome and delectable, but alas!

Because they were expensive, only the well-to-do Archipelagians could afford to buy them regularly. A great many of the nation’s people were regular folk on a tight budget, and a quarter of the population lived below the poverty line.

This was sad because the Archipelagians as a people loved their families very much and observed a custom called ‘pasalubong,’ bringing home gifts, usually food, to their loved ones. And among the most favorite foods to give as pasalubong were donuts.

So when the two chains announced a special, grand discount for their wares, the people were elated. At last they would be able to buy the best donuts for their children to try!

Happily they argued with each other on what was the better brand, and where to buy, and what to buy. They counted on their fingers, one two twelve! They vowed to buy a dozen and a dozen more because no one knew when such a big promotion would happen again.

On discount day, they queued up in front of the stores, making long lines that went thisaway and thataway as far as the

eye could see. In their pockets they made a fist around their hard-earned money.

They hopped from one foot to another as they waited as the lines made their slow way to the front.

They hoped there would still be donuts by the time they turn came.

When at last they were face to face with the trays of donuts, they pointed to their choices, handed over their cash, and gleefully made their way home, their arms wrapped around boxes of the precious baked goods.

How do you sweeten the sour?

Said one, “My wife and parents had never tasted this. They were happy when I brought home the box, and I felt good that I was able to give them this treat.”

Said another, “My children were overjoyed and said I was the best dad ever.”

But this is not The End of the story.

The people did not know that while they were waiting patiently in line, someone had taken their picture and posted it to the Internet.

This someone was an entrepreneur and business guru. She wrote, “Who else thinks their time is only worth buy one, take one donuts? (Laughing emoji) Remember, you can always afford donuts.

You can always make more money. But you can’t make more time. Change your mindset, change your life.”

Many Archipelagians were offended by this post that they considered poor-

shaming. One tweeted, “urban poor community: *exists* [entrepreneur]: omg stop being poor.” Another said: “in a scale of 1 to [entrepreneur], how elitista, egocentric, and non-empathetic are you?”

One pointed out that queueing happens all the time: “Let’s not be a hypocrite here & pretend you haven’t been in line before. you haven’t been in line to a public transpo? you haven’t been in line to get your passport? you haven’t been in line to pay your tuition? to one of those new bubble tea kiosks?” “[Entrepreneur] needs to mind her own goddamn business. Paki mo ba what people want to spend their own time and money on,” said someone else.

Entrepreneur shrugged it off, saying her post was not for everyone. Her supporters said they appreciated her point about time and productivity.

But it was too late. Her mean-spirited post, particularly the laughing emoji, had already negatively affected her brand, something that as a self-styled business guru she should have been more careful of.

But the people who waited two hours to buy delicious donuts at half-off couldn’t care less what she thought and they and their loved ones savored each sweet, luscious crumb.

The lesson of this story is: Don’t shame others for being poor. If you have an unkind opinion, keep it to yourself, don’t share it on the Internet unless you are ready for criticism. Above all, as a famous Archipelagian saying goes, walang basagan ng trip.

The End. *** *** The Chinese advise sour people to eat more desserts to sweeten their nature. / FB and Twitter: @DrJennyO

‘Code red’ favors Mindanao IT MUST come as a welcome news to its residents that the Commission on Elections has placed the entire Mindanao under category red until after the May 13 elections.

As a Mindanaoan, I interpret the Comelec’s move as a sign that it places great importance on the conduct of a clean, orderly and peaceful polls in the South that shall

Rediscovering...

From A4

boys, she also donned a rayadillo uniform.

The kids attracted a lot of attention during the event, even the media’s. They were interviewed on cam and featured in several shows. This did not escape Lizzie’s attention. At one point, she asked in all innocence, “Is my Lolo famous?” We were a bit taken aback by her question. And we decided to talk to her a bit about her Lolo Miong. Before ending that conversation, I told her that it will be good for her to learn more about her Lolo’s life because he had a very fascinating and important story.

During Hen. Miong’s 150th birthday, Lizzie sat beside me. I remembered our last talk and I asked her if she know more about her Lolo now. She gave a big smile and said yes. She said that her lolo helped many people and the country a lot, and that he fought Spain and America, and that her lolo was a brave man. I explained a bit more about Hen. Miong’s legacy and she

So much...

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to the BRI unfolding such as false accusations of debt traps and land grabs.

The proof of the world’s acceptance of China’s best intentions is the latest global Gallup polls showing China's global leadership image rating rising to its highest in almost a decade, climbing higher at 34 percent than the U.S. at 31 percent. The approval ratings of China's leadership rose dramatically—by at least 10 percentage points or more—in over a dozen countries, while losing in relatively only a few. This improvement is despite the countless campaigns to denigrate China’s global “soft power” by detractors from the West. This development casts doubt on local Philippine surveys putting a negative spin on Filipinos’ views of China.

Evidence of the deliberate distortions of China’s intentions by media is clear in the reportage of the mainstream media outfits of controversies in our recent water supply crisis. It is a historical fact that the Kaliwa Dam plans to supply additional water to Metro Manila were drawn up way back in the 70s but it is being made to appear now that it

reflect the true will of the people—in other words, credible elections.

We must not lose the momentum of change in the wake of the triumphant ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law in our quest for lasting peace and progress for the Promised Land.

We’re aware that hot spots in Mindanao have been the scene of massive cheating in the past, resulting in fraudulent election of undeserving national and local officials.

In fact, the engineered votes in those areas have played a vital role in catapulting to office the idiots in Malacañang in the past two administrations.

Under the category red, the Comelec en

Banc essentially excercises a “hands on” supervision of the areas and can immediately address any poll-related eventuality, including deploying police personnel or Armed Forces troops.

Armed groups poising threat include the New People’s Army, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Moro National Liberation Front, Abu Sayyaf, and Maute groups, followers of the terrorist Islamic State movement.

Just as the imposition of martial law serves as a deterrent in keeping peace, placing Mindanao under Comelec category red will enhance the conduct of the upcoming political exercise.

was all ears, her eyes glittering with wonderment.

I asked how she now feels about her Lolo. She said that she was proud of him.

She also said that when some of her classmates learned who her Lolo is, they said, “wow!” I could tell that this girl is now beginning to realize how important her heritage is.

Lizzie said she watched Miong, the Musical with her family and that she liked it because she learned many things about her Lolo. She asked, “Did my Lolo go to office every day?” I told her that after the wars that he fought, he went to his office daily in Manila because he was still doing many things. I said that her Lolo Miong helped the other revolutionaries who fought with him even after the wars were already finished.

She looked away a bit and said, “When I grow up, I would also like to help people.” She even said that she is planning to run as an officer of her class when she enters Grade 6 because she wants to be a

LEADER like her Lolo Miong. I wanted to hug her.

Later, I was told by an older cousin that Lizzie wants to be a lawyer in the future.

This girl has the blood of a great General, the first President of the Republic, and a real hero running through her veins. As early as now, I can see that she will grow up to be a strong woman. Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo must be smiling down on her.

Like Lizzie, all of us, young and old, should rediscover our roots, our heritage.

We have a past that is full of valor and heroism that we can be truly proud of. Being Filipino now means that our revolutionaries sacrificed their lives for us. The least we can do is to learn about, appreciate, and respect those who came before us.

It is in gaining our collective identity that we can hold our heads up and move forward as a people.

is a project set up for the convenience of China by the Duterte administration.

That’s a total lie. The project has also been submitted to many financial institutions like the World Bank but protests from the usual Church and activist groups delayed it without end.

Then there’s the weir-d Japanese proposal that popped up the last minute as the Duterte government pushed to fast track the Chinese funding for the Kaliwa Dam recently. The Japanese private company Global Utility Development Corporation (GUDC) claiming its “weir” dam proposal is cheaper at $410 million and would supply Metro Manila with 550 MLD versus the Chinese plan its claims cost $800 million for only 600 MLD, and newspaper like the Inquirer in its editorial even cited the $800-million figure in questioning the China proposal. The truth is, as MWSS pointed out, the China proposal is actually only $248 million.

Consider the design, China’s proposal which was vetted by our own Filipino engineers and experts, specify a 73-meter concrete dam with a water impounding capacity of 600 MLD while the Japanese GUDC “weir” is not mainly for impounding water but, as the Wikipedia explains for simplicity, “specifically designed to alter the

river flow characteristics” for “control of invasive species, watermills, flood control and altering river conditions”. A weir is filled only while rain and other sources of water feeds it but it does not store water for lean water months. How irresponsible can our mainstream media be on such a vital issue as water?

Going back to Italy’s pact with China’s BRI dream, as milestone has been achieved here as Italy’s the first G7 country to join and over the vocal objections of the United States and some EU countries: “US Official suggests Italy avoid China's “Belt and Road plan’” quoting U.S. national security adviser spokesman Garrett Marquis last March 10: “Italy is a major global economy and great investment destination. No need for the Italian government to lend legitimacy to China's infrastructure vanity project ..." But Italy for its own national interest went ahead with cooperation with China and the BRI. If China’s standing in the global leadership echelons is rising it is because Locsin, though an American Boy all his life, has learned the new reality of the 21st century, the more and more in the world “see much to hope for, and nothing to fear from the rise of a new power.”

@bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019

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The privatization of the MWSS to say they did not truly put up a huge amount of investment because areas with no water facilities were made to pay for the piping and installation of valves and water meter that will be charged from them once water starts to flow into their area.

In an article, it says the two concesPart II sionaires accomplished what MWSS TO ENSURE that the government accomplished in so short a time. Less would be locked in to their onerous than 70 percent of the areas covered demands to increase the price of water by their franchise have access to waper cubic meter, to charge customers ter. In just a few years, the two manfor the foreign currency differential aged to extend their water service to adjustment and for environmental and more than 90 percent of the combined service maintenance charges, the two service areas, encompassing a populawater concessionaires sought to sub- tion of more than 14 million people. mit issues pertaining to the concession However, many contend that service contact to the International Arbitration of potable water came at a very high Centre IAC. Any decision by the IAC price. will be binding.

It was double whammy, for aside That decision to submit the dis- from the charge collected from every pute to the IAC automatically gave household seeking the rehabilitation the two concessionaires a 50-percent of their water system in subdivisions edge, notwithstanding that the Phil- that seek to have connection with ippines lost an important element of Manila Water, they are charged an its sovereign average ranging right to decide from P10.00 to matters affect16.00, inclusive ing the welfare deof guaranty de The oligarchs and health of our posit. The huge simply used their people.

Sonny amount collected Africa of IBON

by Manila Wasaliva and their International hit ter is according influence to drown the nail on the to them will be us by charging us for head when he used to pay the asked what then contractor, not every drop of water. would be the role MWSS, whom of the National they hired to Water Resources work for the Board when all matters pertaining to pipe-laying and installation of valves the utilization and disposition of our in the area. water resources would be decided by The people in the covered areas the IAC. Can the right preclude the have no choice. It was in a situation Supreme Court from deciding a case? of choosing between the devil and President Rodrigo Duterte said, the deep blue sea that allowed them rather harshly, they should either they to generate funds to fast-track everyshape up or ship out, the two conces- thing. The people were forced to bear sionaires would dare not defy him. the cost of what really should be burManila Water and Maynilad Water, den of the concessionaires. The drawtogether with the consenting agency, back is that they expanded fast but the MWSS, are guilty of making the little allowance to sustain their supply, country a party to a self-serving in- creating a serious problem of acute ternational organization without the water shortage. approval of Congress, considering Given that explanation, the expanthat the Philippines would be denied sion in the areas covered by the conof its inherent and sovereign right to cessionaires increased their monthly decide issues like taxation without its water collection, not by virtue of their consent. investment, but from their own cusWith shameless arrogance, the tomers who have no choice but to buy two concessionaires argued that they water from them. In that, one could are not public utilities, without even say that public service as a duty is thinking that almost 90 percent of the completely absent in them. actual functions and duties of MWSS On their monthly collection, the were just shifted to them as a result of concessionaires enjoy, every now and the decision of the Ramos administra- then, increase in water rates with little tion to privatize MWSS. or no oppositor. Because of that, they The mere use of the word “conces- were able to recoup much of their insionaires” or “concession” does not vestment in the soonest possible time. change the nature of the industry as a Whatever improvements made in their public utility engaged in the distribu- franchise areas are charged from custion of water. As a public utility, the tomers particularly in the case of Maconsuming public have no choice but nila Water. to cater to them regardless of whether Aside from forcing their customers they could afford it or not. That is the to share what they were mandated to essence why it is called a public utility. do, they applied many tricks to cirThe two concessionaires demanded cumvent that. First, they demanded that they be allowed to pass on to their price increase as often as they can customers the payment of income tax which means they could easily toss despite the fact that water rate had al- the burden to their customers. Gone most increased by 1000 percent begin- are the days when people would have ning at P2.50 per cubic meter in 1997. access to free water as what former The two water companies argued as President Magsaysay promoted by his though the people were inside philos- building of artesian wells in the city. ophy class 101, saying that the ReguSecond, the loans used to augment latory Office, referring to the NWRB, their investment were guaranteed in shall consider and treat the conces- the form of foreign currency differensionaires as mere agents and the con- tial adjustment. This means every time tractors and MWSS still and remains the peso devalues against the dollar, to be the public utility. the difference will be charged from They forgot that the two water con- the captive customers, of which their cessionaires got their concession us- consent was not asked. Even their role ing whatever investment that poured as concessionaires was passed on, like in to improve and widen their distribu- fees for environmental and service tion system the soonest possible time maintenance charges. using the very payment made by their Third, they abolished the socialcaptive customers as rolling capital. ized pricing scheme which is to offer In carrying out this assignment to im- at lower rate water in depressed areas. prove and widen the water distribution They even prohibited the use of artesystem as mandated by R.A. No. 8041 sian wells built inside private properor “The Water Crisis Act,” they pur- ties and at a cost to the property owner. posely defanged the MWSS to merely The oligarchs simply used their overseeing the operations and rate in- saliva and their influence to drown creases the two water utilities wish to us by charging us for every drop of implement. water. This explains why the two conIf only the two water concession- cessionaires were jittery because the aires would publicly disclose the cost President knows what he is talking of the acquisition of the franchise, and about; that he can revoke the concesdeclare the yearly income they earned, sion for their failure to comply their one need not even be an accountant to part of the contract. know how fast they recovered their investment. Some would even venture rpkapunan@gmail.com

Today’s...

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as though they are more special than everyone else, thus encouraging them to assume, from the beginning of their training, exalted ideas about their status,” she said.

We, much like the fig tree, are all called to bear fruit. But God may want all of us to be rewarded for our fruitfulness and so he is so patient always awaiting for us to beat fruit, but let us always bear in mind that the wait is not forever. This is the essential message of this season of Lent.

that our mediocrity, hypocrisy and complacency have brought us to this disgraceful and scandalous place we find ourselves as a Church,” she said.

She called for strong “zero tolerance” policy: “By taking the necessary steps and maintaining zero tolerance with regard to sexual abuse we will release the oppressed,” she said. On the special treatment of seminarians, “It worries me when I see in Rome, and elsewhere, Facebook Page: Professor Tony La the youngest seminarians being treated Viña Twitter: tonylavs

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SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019

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Pag-IBIG Fund posts record net income of P33.17b in 2018 PAG-IBIG Fund achieved another banner year in 2018 as robust loan payment collections and enhanced operational efficiencies pushed profits to a record high, it said in a press statement Friday.

Members will directly benefit from the Fund’s strong financial standing as dividends are derived from the Fund’s net income, its top executives said.

Secretary Eduardo del Rosario, chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees, said: “We previously said that 2017 was our best year ever.

But the year 2018 was even better.

“Pag-IBIG Fund earned P33.17 billion in net income which is the highest net income in the history of the Fund.

Pag-IBIG continues to heed the call of President Rodrigo Duterte for government to provide social benefits to more Filipinos which is why 86 percent of the net income, amounting to P28.23 billion, will be given back to members in the form of dividends and will be credited to their respective accounts.

“This is the highest dividend amount we have ever declared.”

The Fund declared dividend rates at

6.91 percent for regular Pag-IBIG savings and 7.41 percent for the Modified Pag-IBIG 2 Savings program, which means members’ savings grow faster in Pag-IBIG Fund, he added.

Pag-IBIG Fund’s net income grew 10 percent from 2017, sustaining its doubledigit growth in the last five years.

The Fund’s exemplary financial performance is further illustrated by the doubling of its net income over a short four-year period.

Total assets, meanwhile, have grown 9 percent to P533.72 billion by end of 2018—also the highest ever.

Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Acmad Rizaldy Moti said that high collections of loan amortizations and operational efficiencies pushed income to record-breaking levels.

In 2018, home loan payments reached P55.73 billion, growing 9 percent from 2017 and breaking the record for the highest home loan collected in a year.

This feat can be attributed to the Fund’s high performing loans ratio of 90.26 percent, which means nine out of 10 borrowers are paying their housing loan obligations with Pag-IBIG Fund religiously.

BELLO TOLD: BE BOLD. Rallyists at the Department of Labor and Employment Friday has a message to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello: Best serve the interest of the Philippine government rather than be a tool of the CPP/NDF/Communist Terrorist Group and let the NPA lay down their arms, stop their terroristic acts, and don’t act like a stooge of foreign-based CPP founder Joma Sison. Lino Santos

Ex-VP Binay offers P1-m reward

By Joel E. Zurbano

F

ORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay announced Friday he would give a P1-million reward for information that would lead to assailants behind the shooting of a long-time family friend.

At the same time, his daughter Mayor Abigail Binay ordered the Makati City police department to conduct a thorough investigation on the case of the executive secretary of her brother, former mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr., who was slain by motorcycle riding-in-tandem gunmen in front of her house Thursday night.

The city chief executive tapped Makati police chief Senior Supt. Rogelio Simon to conduct the probe, identify and find

Enrile favors negotiation on disputed West PH Sea WITH former Philippines government officials lodging a complaint in the International Criminal Court against Chinese President Xi Jinping for activities in the disputed South China Sea, former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said he recognized the Philippines’ right to the area.

But he said he favored negotiation with China, citing the Philippines lacked the capacity to exploit the West Philippine Sea or enter into a war with the latter.

“We have a right that is given, not only given by a convention [and] agreed upon by the international community through the [United Nations], but also pronounced by an international arbitral body,” said the four-term Senator, who is vying for a fifth term in the Senate in the upcoming midterm elections.

“But having that right, does that vest in you the capacity to exploit your right because somebody is claiming it too?” Enrile said in a statement.

Under present circumstances, the former senator believes the Philippines might either enter into negotiation or conflict with China.

“In the game of nations, there are only two options that are available to us. Either we raise an army to match our competitor over that claim or we approach it through discussion, talking, negotiation,” he explained.

He added: “If we opt to fight China, we must have the money to raise an army, if at all. And even if we can raise that money, are we willing to sacrifice the blood and lives of our young people to fight a war that we may not be able to win? And even if we win, could it cause us ruin?”

However, Enrile pointed out that China acknowledged the Philippines’ privilege over the disputed area.

“On the other hand, if China wants to talk to us, and I think they’re willing to talk to us, which to me is an evidence of the fact that they recognize our right over the area, why don’t we talk to them and negotiate the problem?” he said.

those responsible in the shooting of 44year old Monaliza Bernardo, a resident of 1021 Makiling Street, Barangay Olympia, Makati City.

Bernardo was rushed to the Makati Medical Center but was pronounced ‘brain dead” hours later. She was shot on the right hand and the bullet went through her stomach.

“She was pronounced as brain dead.

Doctors were just waiting for the ar-

rival of her husband at the hospital,” said Southern Police District spokesperson Jenny Tecson.

In a statement, Binay sought prayers for Monaliza “Monette” Bernardo, longtime executive assistant of his son, former Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, who remains in hospital after sustaining gunshot wounds in an attack past 8 p.m. Thursday.

The former vice president, in a statement, said: I am hopeful that truth and justice will prevail, and that we will be able to identify who are behind this heinous act. I am ready to give a P1-million reward for any information that would lead to those behind this crime.

Medical reports said Bernardo sustained gunshots that pierced through her right hand, hitting her abdomen and was

rushed to the Makati Medical Center and underwent surgery.

Police recovered an empty shell of a .45 pistol at the crime scene. Witnesses said they saw the assailants monitoring the area before the incident.

Binay called on Makati residents to remain calm amid speculation that the shooting of Bernardo, “a close and loyal family friend for over three decades,” had to do with politics.

SPD reports showed that Bernardo has just arrived home from work around 8:50 p.m. when two men onboard a Honda motorcycle appeared.

One of the riders fired at Bernardo after she alighted from her Toyota Fortuner.

The gunman and his companion fled toward South Avenue after the incident.

PRESIDENTIAL BLESSING. Former

Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson has received during a visit at Malacañang the support of President Rodrigo Duterte in his bid for the mayor’s seat in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur in the midterm election in May. Singson will run under his political party, Bileg, with human rights lawyer Pablito Sanidad, who will run for vice mayor.

US church to face civil case over ‘pedophile’ priest

By Ronald O. Reyes TACLOBAN CITY—An American lawyer will be filing civil case against a Catholic Church in the United States over the alleged sexual abuses committed by 78-year-old US “pedophile” priest Kenneth Hendricks who was arrested in Naval, Biliran on Dec. 5, 2018.

McDonald Worley, a civil case lawyer in Texas, said they were gathering more witnesses and evidence for their charges against the priest who had been in the country for over 40 years.

“This is sad and embarrassing.

These victims will live on this with the rest of their lives,” said Worley, who visited the barangay in Naval where Hendricks was assigned.

The lawyer added their case was sepa-

rate from the criminal case filed by the Philippine government against the priest.

“I am on a civil case, not on criminal. So when someone gets hurt, I work on the compensation,” Worley said as he called on other victims to report the alleged sexual molestations.

While he said he was “positive” of having an airtight case against Hendricks, he also urged the concerned church to step forward and have a fund ready should they decide to pay.

He said the Church could be held liable for the actions of Henricks.

“That’s part of the investigation.

There is a system failure. They need to have policies and procedures in place so this will not happen. They know something is going on and they do nothing about it. They did not stop

it,” said the lawyer.

According to him, anyone within the organization had the power to stop the alleged sexual abuses.

The lawyer said clients were 7 to 25 years old and that most of the sexual abuses happened to them when they were 16.

Reports said the priest might have molested over 50 teenagers during his stay in Naval.

“I think we have a lot of witnesses.

We’ve talked to the parents as well. Basically, we’ll be getting more testimonies, evidence,” Worley said.

He said he could not still determine the amount to be paid for his clients because it was up to the US jury to decide on it in case both parties could not agree on the compensation.

Hontiveros to DOH: Give incentives to recipients of vaccines

By Macon Ramos-Araneta AMID reports that over 21,000 measles cases have been recorded across the country with 315 fatalities, Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros called on the Department of Health to study the possibility of incentivizing its vaccination programs to motivate more Filipinos to get their recommended vaccines.

Hontiveros, vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, said that on top of the government’s information drive, incentive rewards might be given in exchange for receiving a vaccination and returning for subsequent vaccination shots.

She said this could be in the form of food vouchers, medicine discounts and even tax credits.

She cited Australia as an example.

She explained that the Australian government provided financial incentives for parents to get kids vaccinated in the form of tax credits.

Doctors, too, are incentivized when children get vaccinations on schedule.

As a result, in January 2016, more than 210,000 families had taken action to ensure that they comply with Australia’s immunization programs.

Hontiveros said telecommunication companies could also help in providing incentives as part of their corporate social responsibility.

“Aside from text message reminders, maybe the telcos can provide incentives in the form of ‘libreng load’ for families whose children have completed their vaccinations. Libreng pasa load para sa bakuna,” Hontiveros said.

Gordon says pedestrians now safer

By Macon Ramos-Araneta WITH the enactment of the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, Senator Richard Gordon has assured that pedestrians will be safer now that the government has taken action against crimes perpetrated by riding-in-tandem criminals .

For the first time, he said the government was taking action to stop riding-in-tandem from committing crimes.

He said the law would lessen by half, if not totally stop, the riding-intandem killings, which stands at an average of four people per day.

“They could no longer kill and get away with it easily. This goes for other crimes committed by riding-intandem too,” said Gordon, principal author and sponsor of the law.

Records from the Philippine National Police showed that an average of four people is killed each day by riding-in-tandem shooters.

The same PNP records showed that of the total 28,409 motorcycle riding crimes or incidents reported from 2010 to 2017, 13,062 or 46 percent of which were shooting incidents.

Out of over 4,000 motorcycle riding crimes or incidents in 2016, only eight cases (0.18 percent) were solved.

Gordon also assured that the new number plates would not pose a danger to motorcycle riders since the plate in front of the motorcycle could be a sticker or decal and not a big metal plate as various rider groups fear.

Help K-12 grads find jobs—Sulong SULONG Dignidad Party-list is urging the Department of Labor and Employment to help K-12 graduates find jobs.

“One of the promises of the K-12 program is to help graduates enter the workforce even if they do not wish to pursue higher studies,” said Sulong Dignidad Party-list president and first nominee Rico Paolo Quicho.

“However, it is alarming because several surveys show that companies are not really sold on hiring K-12 graduates,” Quicho said in a press statement.

Last year, job recruitment website Jobstreet released a poll showing only 24 percent of employers were willing to hire K-12 graduates.

Meanwhile, another survey released by the Philippine Business for Education in March last year, showed three out of every five companies are open to hiring K-12 graduates, but only one in five are ready to do so.

“Both DoLE and DepEd need to make sure that the business community is made aware of the competencies of our K-12 graduates. We also need to make sure that these competencies are what companies look for in hiring employees,” he said.

Quicho said Sulong Dignidad will push for legislation that will review the implementation of the K-12 curriculum and suggest ammendments to better match school training with the skills in demand from industries.

Sports

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SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Warriors win; Nuggets grind out triumph over Wizards

Enriquez, Tangub eye PPS crowns in Ozamiz MULTI-TITLED Sydney Enriquez and Eric Tangub resume their hunt for more PPS-PEPP honors as they banner the cast in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Ozamiz National age group tennis tournament, which got under way yesterday (Friday, March 22) at the Ozamiz Tennis Club.

Enriquez has been a dominant force in the girls’ 16- and 18-andunder divisions in past stops of the year-long, nationwide circuit although the Salug, Zambo del Norte expects a tougher challenge this time against the likes of Jalia Elumba, Kristine Bandolis, Marie dela Cerna and Marie Anghag.

Tangub, from Tucuran, Zambo del Sur, also braces for a stiff encounter with Nash Agustines, Ashton Villanueva, Sebastian Lagamon, Steve Sonsona and Divo Pepito with a host of others raring to pull off a surprise or two in the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop.

Close to 200 players are vying for titles and ranking points in the five-day tournament put up by Palawan Pawnshop and sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg with UTPOIC Ian Villanueva as sponsor.

Keen competition is also seen in five other categories with Aslan Carbonilla, Christopher Sonsona, Zarc Denopol and Agustines, and Judyann Padilla, Elumba and Bandolis headlining the 14-U field, and AJ Bering, Andrei Esick, Cyd Villamar and Pete Bandala, and Angel Denopol and Gwen Bandolis looming as the players to watch in the 12-U side.

“As in past PPS-PEPP legs, we expect new faces to emerge and whose surge only underscores the vast talents waiting to be tapped, especially in the countryside,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Titles are also to be disputed in five doubles events.

Next up is the Tangub leg on March 28-April 1. For details and listup, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

Season MVP Jerick ‘Toto’ Arzaga is carried by his teammates after the Perpetual Junior Altas Tracksters captured their first-ever crown in NCAA athletics at the Vermosa Sports Hub in Pasong Buaya, Imus City. Dennis Abrina Alveo IRONMAN 70,3 contender Tim Reed and Filipino elite triathlete August Benedicto join the Alaska Family Run at People’s Park, one of the side events for tomorrow’s main event.

IRONMAN embodies peace in Mindanao

By Reuel Vidal

A

ZUELA COVE, Davao City—There is peace in Mindanao.

For the duration the 2019 Alveo IRONMAN 70.3 Davao this weekend at the scenic locale here will once again embody peace in Mindanao.

The unprecedented success of the inaugural race last year showed the world there is harmony and order in every corner of the Philippines.

Two thousand two hundred participants from 38 countries join the biggest sports event of the year in the island region and all sectors of society are working hand-inhand to ensure its success.

The triathlon weekend started with the Herbalife IronGirls yesterday which was more fun run than anything else.

Meanwhile, the Alaska Fortified IRONKIDS Philippines is a race for boys and girls who are six to 14 years old which reels off today March 23 also at the Azuela Cove.

Organized by Sunrise Events, this weekend event ensures adults and every member of the family joins in a shared activity.

In the main race Mexican Mauricio Mendez and Czech Radka Kahlefeldt return to Davao to defend their crowns as they lead 16 pro triathletes who will compete in the IRONMAN 70.3 race.

Matteo Guidicelli, Piolo Pascual, Dingdong Dantes, Kim Atienza and Bubbles Paraiso lead the cast of celebrities who will take time out from their hectic schedules to showcase their prowess in the second Alveo IRONMAN 70.3.

Alveo IRONMAN 70.3 Davao starts with a 1.9 kilometer swim at Azuela cove followed by a 90-kilometer bicycle race from Azuela Cove, Lanang to Tagum City then back to Davao City. The 21-kilometer run from Azuela Cove to corner Torres St., J.P Laurel Avenue and back will then follow.

The Davao Police Regional Office

(PRO 11) coordinated all efforts to ensure the safe and successful staging of the activity. Some 3,200 security personnel composed of police, Task Force Davao (TFD), and other force multipliers will be deployed on main race day.

Like last year, a three-layer security blanket will ensure the safe conduct of the event.

Security will be internal, external and covert. There will be a strategic deployment of road security and safety marshals in major thoroughfares and public safety forces. Sixty tourist cops secured the eight hotels where the participants are staying.

Security forces from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB), augmented the internal security. Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF) from the region are deployed in the city.

But government safety and security forces will not be alone ensuring that no untoward incidents happen. Residents, visitors and everyone will again work together during the event which serves as an occasion to put aside differences and plant the seeds of harmony.

Lyceum edges NU for Milcu 25-under title LYCEUM held off National University, 79-73, to win the 25-under division crown of the Milcu Sports Basketball presented by Got Skills Hard to Guard at the Trinity University of Asia Gym in Quezon City.

Yancy Remulla produced 22 points while Ralph Tansingco added 11 points and five rebounds to power the Pirates to the title of the tournament backed by Milcu and Basketball TV. The Pirates made it to the finals after holding off the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 76-73, in the semifinals behind 16 points from JV Marcelino and 15 from Remulla.

Mike Malonzo had 17 points and 14 rebounds while Joshua Flores added 14 points but NU settled for runner-up honors.

FEU Street Alliance eyes 2nd straight UAAP streetdance title

SKI JUMPING WORLD CUP. Stefan Kraft of Austria competes during the second

training round of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Men’s Flying Hill Individual competition in Planica, Slovenia. AFP

Imus, Zambo refuse to be swept IMUS and Zamboanga refused to follow the trend of teams being swept in the MPBL Playoffs as they carved out contrasting victories late Thursday night to live for another day in the MPBL Datu Cup at the Muntinlipa Sports Complex.

The GLC Truck and Equipmentbacked Bandera outlasted the Batangas City Athletics-Taduay, 75-69, as James Castro hit 5-of-6 free throws in the last 22 seconds and denied the inaugural staging champions of a sweep in the tournament put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend and former MVP Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner.

Imus will try to do the herculean task of completing an upset win right at the enemy’s

LOS ANGELES—Two-time defending champion Golden State had all five starters in double figure scoring and the Warriors maintained the best record in the Western Conference by clobbering the Indiana Pacers 112-89 on Thursday.

DeMarcus Cousins returned from a two-game injury absence to help lead a third quarter demolition as the Warriors held on to their half game lead over the Denver Nuggets for top spot in the conference.

The Warriors improved to 49-22 on the NBA season and snapped a fourgame losing skid at home.

“We got the shots we wanted. The ball was just popping,” said Golden State forward Andre Iguodala. “We haven’t played as well at home this year so we want to finish it right.”

Indiana dropped to 44-29 and saw their lead over Boston (43-29) trimmed to a half-game in their fight for the fourth seed in the East.

The Pacers loss also means the Milwaukee Brewers claimed the division title for the first time since 2001.

Golden State led 53-43 at halftime thanks to a 18-10 surge in the second quarter. They then busted the game open in the third quarter taking a 70-48 six minutes in and breezed from there.

“Tonight I thought our spirit and our energy were fantastic,” coach Steve Kerr said.

Cousins, who finished with 19 points, missed the final two games of Golden State’s just completed four-game trip with a sore ankle.

Klay Thompson (18 points), Kevin Durant (15), Stephen Curry (15), Iguodala (11) and Draymond Green (10) also scored in double figures for the Warriors.

Curry backed up his 15 points with a game-high seven assists and drained five of his 12 three-point shots.

Golden State outshot the Pacers 49 percent to 39 percent from the field.

Tyreke Evans had a game-high 20 points off the bench, and Thaddeus Young 18 for the Pacers, who went 0-4 on a Western swing to Denver, Portland and Los Angeles Aaron Holiday added 13 points and Doug McDermott 11 in the loss.

Elsewhere, Nikola Jokic tallied 15 points and 11 assists as Denver used a balanced attack to win their fifth straight game with a 113-108 victory over the Washington Wizards.

Paul Millsap, Gary Harris, Jamal Murray and Torrey Craig added 15 points for the Nuggets, who were playing for the first time since punching their ticket to the playoffs on Monday in a win over the Boston Celtics. AFP

territory on Monday, 9 p.m., right after the game between Muntinlupa and Zamboanga, which also denied its rival an outright entry into the Final Four of the southern division of the tournament also supported by LGR. The Family’s Brand Sardines-supported Zamboanga side survived a grueling battle with host Muntinlupa before preserving an 84-73 triumph in the other game.

In the first meeting in the playoffs, it was Allan Mangahas, who showed he could dominate the game even without scoring that much.

On Thursday, it was Harold Arboleda’s turn to do such as the 6’3” forward grabbed 17 rebounds and dished out 13 assists, while contributing five markers.

FAR Eastern University’s e hopes to make it two in a row as the UAAP Season 81 streetdance competition goes rocking today (Saturday) at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The dance-off will start at 2 p.m., as FEU seeks to become the third squad to win two championships.

Formed only in January last year, FEU’s gangsta-themed performance still won the nod of the judges with 85.75 points to earn a breakthrough.

La Salle Dance Company hopes to make it up this season after FEU ended its reign last season, while UP Street tries to improve its third-place run.

LSDC and UP Street are the winningest schools in streetdance with three championships apiece.

Adamson Cast will be the first

performer, followed by NU Underdawgz, FEU’s Street Alliance, Company of Ateneo Dancers, LSDC, UST Prime, UP Street and UE Street Warriors.

In the juniors’ division, UST Galvanize hopes to do a repeat of its impressive winning performance last year.

In the second year of the high school competition, the order of performance will be Adamson Cauldron Dance Company, NU Underdawgz, FEU-Diliman’s Baby Tamaraws Dance Company, La Salle Zobel’s Dance Crew, UST Galvanize, UPIS BLK and UE Street Varsity Team.

The league will also introduce its first-ever freestyle showdown, where participants from each UAAP school will battle it out on the dance f loor.

Pacquiao teams up with Ringstar Asia THE search for the next Manny Pacquiao will begin here.

And not surprisingly, Pacquiao himself is taking the lead.

Pacquiao, through MP Promotions, is teaming up with Singapore-based Ringstar Asia to promote the “Rising Stars” IBF world bantamweight title eliminator between IBO world champion Michael Dasmariñas and Kenny Demecillo on Saturday, March 23 at the Resorts World Manila.

The fight was initially scheduled in Singapore, but was moved to Manila to showcase Pacquiao’s first co-promo-

tion event with Ringstar Asia.

“We’re all excited. It is a great opportunity to work with boxing legend Pacquiao in this promotion and build the next world champion in boxing,” said Ringstar Asia founder Scott Patrick Farrell during his appearance in the 15th “Usapang Sports” by the Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports at the National Press Club in Intramuros yesterday.

“The focus of MP Promotions and Ringstar Asia together is to unite Asia through boxing onto one super fight platform,” added Farrell.

Farrell said the 26-year-old Dasmariñas, nicknamed “Gloves on Fire”, is expected to fight it out to the finish against compatriot Demecillo and get the chance to vie for the bigger IBF world title.

“As a fighter, Michael (Dasmariñas) does have a lot of power and a good chin. He has yet to become a household name, but that is about to change now that he is under Ringstar,” said Farrell in the weekly sports forum supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and National Press Club and shown on Facebook live by Glitter Livestream.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor

sports@manilastandard.net

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

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SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019

KaTropa stays in hunt for no. 2 seed

By Jeric Lopez

Columbian Dyip’s Rashawn McCarthy challenges three TNT defenders Yousef Taha, Brian Heruela and Troy Rosario in a PBA game won by the KaTropa, 101-98.

Gan, Barro win in 30th Bill Shaw Golf Classic OLIVER Gan and Paqo Barro pulled off a thrilling victory in the 30th Bill Shaw Golf Classic, scoring a low gross 152 at the East and 145 at the West for a two-day aggregate 297 for the low gross title to beat the pair of Marvin Caparros and King Stehmeier by five at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.

Up by only three after a Caparros birdie on No. 15, Barro and Gan birdied on the next hole, with the former on a pitch in from 20 yards and the latter on a long, down hill putt from 20 feet to increase their lead to four.

Sharing the premiere podium finish were Ronnie Emata and Robert Figueroa, who were awarded the overall net crown after amassing a combined 128 points. Wilbert Tan and Antonio Arce topped Group I with 128 points, three clear from the 125 of Lance Chan and Jerwin Lim. Manuel Ong Jr. and Eddie Tan Jr. (Group II), Karl Tan and Dexter Lee (Group III), Robert Go and Gene Sison (Seniors) and Mikaela and Monique Arroyo (Sponsors) were the other winners in the event presented

by CATS Motors, Shell, Yakult and Delta supported by San Miguel, D&L Laurin, and Emirates. Jummy Panganiban made a hole in one and won a Mercedes Benz car.

VMJ, SMDC, Stradcom, DDT Konstract, Boysie Soriano Jr., Mikey Arroyo, Edwin Gardiola, GP Padiernos, Meralco, PGT Inc., Hydranation Nation, GSN+P Architecture, Transcycle/Unistar, MC88, Shang Wack Wack Properties, Steel Asia, Oxford Distributions, Katinko, Transview/ JLindeberg, J-Ten, Mizuno Master Sports, Movenpick Boracay, Unioil, GG&A Clubshares, Peerless Products Manufacturing Corp., PAL, Northern Island and Bizu Patisserie were sponsors.

Wangkay sisters steal show in Batang Pinoy

By Peter Atencio

I

LAGAN City, Isabela—It was another day of celebration for the Wangkay family.

Laurize Jeante Wangkay made her mother proud when she retained the girls’ 15-under 2,000-meter walk title on Day 5 of the athletics’ meet of the Luzon Leg of the 2019 Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy qualifying competitions here.

Former Palarong Pambansa triple gold medallists and collegiate standout Jona Genilza-Wangkay watched and cheered her 14-year-old daughter Laurize when she crossed the finish line in 11 minutes and 34.8 seconds at the new Ilagan Sports Complex oval The day before, Laurize’s sister Qaantreulle completed her stint in swimming with one gold and four silvers in the 12-under action.

Quaantreulle, who represents Laguna Province, even settled for a silver in the 100-meter freestyle behind Cainta bet Aubrey

Tom, one of the three most bemedalled swimmers, who earned five golds.

“Masaya ito. Iyun ang hobby ng buong family namin. Mag-sprint, magswimming at magpa-conditioning,” said Genilza-Wangkay, now a 38-year-old high school coach at the La Salle-Zobel in Ayala-Alabang.

Laurize’s clocking of 11 minutes and 34.8 seconds was nearly a minute slower than her time in last year’s Palarong Pambansa where she won the gold.

“Hindi kasi ako masyadong nag-training dahil sa paggawa ng schoolwork,” said Laurize, a ninth grader at St. Michael’s College, after she gave Binan,

Laguna its only gold so far.

Jona, a many-time athlete of the year in the UAAP when she was still a student-athlete at De La Salle University, said her three kids are keen on following her footsteps and this makes her and her husband Jun proud.

The Wangkay sisters’ feat was matched by Rufo Raguine, an eighth grader at the Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation after winning a third gold medal with teammates in the 4x100-meter relays.

Raguine, coming back from an ankle injury, earlier snatched golds in the long jump and triple jump, before leading yeammates Redz Banaag, Irish Cabanayan and Justine Munoz outpace San FernandoPampanga and Pasig City for the gold.

Laguna Province, behind Quaantreulle and her teammates, overtook Baguio City in the overall medal race with 28 golds, 30 silvers and 27 bronzes.

Baguio City (27-31-38) and Quezon City (24-17-48) are close in second and third, respectively.

Rufo Raguine (left) and Laurize Jeante

Petron fights rival F2 Logistics, seeks 11th straight win PETRON’S bid to sweep the preliminaries faces a massive roadblock as it battles its bitter rival—F2 Logistics— in the Philippine Superliga Grand Prix today at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Game time is at 6 p.m. with the defending champion Blaze Spikers hunting their 11th straight conquest in this prestigious women’s club tourney bankrolled by Asics, Mueller, Mikasa, Senoh, Team Rebel Sports, Bizooku, UCPB Gen, Cocolife, Hotel Sogo and Data Project.

Meanwhile, Generika-Ayala looks to add Sta. Lucia to its growing list of victims when they collide in the 4 p.m. appetizer of this league that also has ESPN5 and 5Plus as broadcast partners.

Toting a 3-7 win-loss card, the Lifesavers are fresh from a grueling five-set victory over Foton late Thursday and a win over the Lady Realtors will improve their chances at claiming one of the four twice-to-beat incentives in the quarterfinals.

But the attention would be trained on Petron and F2 Logistics—two of the best club teams in the country who clashed in the past five finals showdowns.

With Katherine Bell and Stephanie Niemer at the helm and national team members Mika Reyes, Aiza MaizoPontillas, Frances Molina, Denden Lazaro and Rhea Dimaculangan providing support, the Blaze Spikers were practically in cruise control as they won all but one set in their past 10 matches.

Games Tomorrow

(FilOil Flying V Centre) 4:00 p.m. -- Generika-Ayala vs Sta. Lucia 6:00 p.m. -- F2 Logistics vs Petron

The only set they lost came from the hands of the Cargo Movers in their first meeting this season last March 7.

Still, head coach Shaq Delos Santos is exercising extreme caution.

“We still have to go back to the drawing board because the second round will not be a walk in the park,” said Delos Santos, knowing that the wards of head coach Ramil de Jesus is the best in the business when it comes to mounting a fightback.

“We can’t be complacent against them (F2 Logistics). They will surely prepare so we have to be ready as well.

This is going to be an interesting game.”

De Jesus, however, is treating what looms to be another dramatic encounter as just an ordinary game despite the hype surrounding his import in Lindsay Stalzer and her former teammates whom she led to the Grand Prix title last year.

“We’ll treat it as just another ordinary game,” said the 11-time University Athletic Association of the Philippines champion mentor.

“It’s inevitable that we will face each other again. So what we can do is just to play our game and be positive.”

De Jesus said they have carefully studied their miscues in the first round, giving them a good chance to turn the tables and shock the Blaze Spikers in their next encounter.

RAMPAGING TNT KaTropa stayed in the hunt for the No. 2 seed as it shook off stubborn Columbian Dyip, 101-98, for its fifth straight win in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City last night.

Ace guard Jayson Castro led the Texters with his team-high 20 points and seven assists, while skipper Ryan Reyes and Troy Rosario each added 19 points for their team’s cause.

The league’s hottest team improved to 7-3, still in third, but it can find its way to a possible No. 2 finish if it prevails its last assignment.

At the moment, Rain or Shine holds the No. 2 ranking at 8-3, but the Tropang Texters, along with Barangay Ginebra, can still have a lastminute chase depending on their remaining assignments.

As for the Dyip, the loss was a huge blow to their quarterfinals bid as they finished the eliminations at 4-7. It will now play the waiting game to see if it can possibly have a playoff for a ticket in the post-season.

Leading for most of the way, mostly by double-digits, TNT KaTropa looked poise for a breezing finish but Columbian put up a gritty stand to threaten in the final minutes.

Still, the Tropang Texters kept their composure to eventually pull through with the victory.

Rashawn McCarthy’s triple with 48 seconds left capped off multiple runs from the Dyip, cutting TNT’s lead to only three, 101-98.

Still with a chance to send the game to overtime, McCarthy, however, was forced by the Texters’ defense to misfire on his potential-tying trey at the buzzer.

RR Pogoy added 14 more markers for TNT KaTropa.

The Tropang Texters unloaded a vital 19-6 surge midway the second to suddenly turn the initially close game in their favor.

Castro’s two free throws with 3:25 left in the first half capped that run and gave TNT KaTropa a comfortable 42-28 cushion.

SEA Games to continue tapping private sponsors THE Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee will continue tapping private sponsors in its effort to stage a successful hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

PHISGOC Chairman Allan Peter Cayetano said this as organizers continued to prepare for the biennial meet, which will be held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.

“PHISGOC has been successful in tapping private companies to sponsor the Games and augment its budget. The overwhelming support of the private partners boosts our efforts to facilitate event preparations,” said Cayetano.

Cayetano said budget is clearly a challenge in their ability to host the Games.

“We continue to work with legislative and administrative branches of government. There is no stopping the Philippines from hosting the 30th SEA games. It may be apparent that there are personalities who are eyeing to sabotage the preparations for the Philippines’ hosting of the SEA games,” added Cayetano.

The Senate and House of Representatives have yet to approve the P3.757 trillion national budget for 2019.

From the national budget, an allocation of of P5 billion was set aside for the country’s hosting of the SEA Games.

This is below the P7.5 billion originally set to be given to the Philippine Sports Commission for the games.

“For now, we appeal to the sports officials and stakeholders that we need to continue to prepare as one, work as one so we can win as one,” added Cayetano.

Earlier, Philippine Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas, gave the assurances that the Philippine hosting of the Games will proceed as planned.

Vargas is part of the groundwork for the Games, with PSC chair Butch Ramirez and PHISGOC chair and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Cayetano. Peter Atencio

IN BRIEF ING Bank sees BSP policy reversal in May

ING Bank Manila expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to consider reversing its policy tightening cycle in May amid the possible slowdown in economic growth due to the delay in budget approval and a tamer inflation.

ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa issued the statement following the latest move of the Monetary Board to keep the benchmark interest rates on Thursday due to the slowdown in inflation rate. “... Given the supply-side nature of 2018’s inflation spike, we can expect price pressures to dissipate further now that rice tarrification bill is in effect. On the other hand, BSP will also likely be monitoring oil price movements and the possible inflationary impact of El Niño as risks to the inflation outlook,” Mapa said.

On the external front, Mapa said the US Federal Reserve’s abrupt turnaround on rate guidance would also give the BSP added leeway to finally consider reversing its tightening cycle, “all the more with first-half growth seen to be challenged given the protracted budget delay and the ill effect of the present dry spell.” Julito G. Rada

PXP Energy books net loss of P96.4m

PXP Energy Corp. posted a higher net loss of P96.4 million in 2018 from P57.1 million in 2017 due to lower oil production, higher depletion cost and decommissioning cost.

PXP Energy disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange consolidated net loss attributable to equity holders of the parent company rose to P78.9 million last year from P39.1 million in 2017 on higher costs and expenses.

Consolidated petroleum revenues, however, registered a 3.3-percent increase to P107.9 million from P104.4 million resulting from the 35-percent improvement in crude oil prices that offset the 24-percent decline in volume.

Consolidated cost and expenses were 40 percent higher at P221.4 million from P158.2 million in 2017 brought about by higher depletion cost in the Galoc oil field and the decommissioning of Tara and Libro wells in service contract 14.

Meanwhile, PXP Energy said it would take guidance from the government on any future activity in SC 72 (Recto Bank) and SC 75 (northwest Palawan) amid a territorial dispute with China.

Alena Mae S. Flores

PH car sales slowest in Asean, says AAF

THE Philippines ranked last among the eight countries under the Asean Automotive Federation in terms of annual growth in car sales after a lackluster performance in 2018.

The AAF noted that automotive sales in the Philippines dropped 20 percent to 357,410 units in 2018 from 425,673 units in 2017.

Next was Singapore which posted slower sales of 95,243 units, down 18 percent from 116,148 units a year ago.

Total sales in Southeast Asia rose 6.7 percent to 3.56 million from 3.33 million in 2017.

Myanmar posted the most improved sales with a growth of 113 percent to 17,524 units from 8,225.

Brunei sales added 0.2 percent to 11,226 units from 11,209, while Indonesia and Malaysia reported sales growth of 6.6 and 3.8 percent, respectively to 1.15 million units and 598,714 units.

Thailand and Vietnam both posted double-digit growths of 19.5 and 15.2 percent, respectively, to 1.04 million units and 288,683 units.

Othel V. Campos

Business Ten of Philippine Airlines’ 73 lady pilots who take to the skies as their daily job can do other great stunts like grinding to the beat in a display of feminine grace, during PAL’s recent tribute to its treasured corps of lady pilots in celebration of International Women’s Month.

T

ICTSI proposed to acquire an additional 4.55 million shares in North Harbour for P910 million that would make the former the larger shareholder.

Following the proposed transaction, ICTSI would hold 50-percent shares in

MNHPI, up from the current 34.83 percent. San Miguel Holdings Corp. would have 43.33 percent; IZ Investment Holdings Inc., 6.5 percent; and Petron Corp., 0.17 percent.

“The transaction approval was hinged on the concession agreements with the PPA [Philippine Ports Authority] and the current regulatory regime. The commission approved the transaction but noted that it may exercise the powers of the anti-trust law if there were changes in the circumstances relevant to the transaction,” said PCC chairman Arsenio Balisacan.

ICTSI is a Filipino company with stakes in port operations and related services for containerized and non-containerized cargoes worldwide.

The company’s subsidiaries currently operate nine ports and one inland container terminal. Its flagship project is the Manila International Container Terminal.

MNHPI, meanwhile, is another local company that operates North Harbour.

Its largest shareholders are San Miguel

Holdings and ICTSI. PCC reviewed the transaction to check whether ICTSI’s acquisition would eliminate the potential entry of a provider of port operations services for foreign containerized cargoes in the Port of Manila.

PCC, in a decision on March 14, cleared the transaction after acknowledging the differences in the markets that MICT and North Harbour cater to.

It said that if not for the existing regulatory barriers to entry, the proposed transaction would likely result in a substantial lessening of competition in the relevant market for the provision of port operations services for foreign containerized cargoes in the Port of Manila.

“Were it not for the presence of these existing regulatory barriers to entry, the commission would have had a different conclusion on the proposed transaction,” the agency said.

PCC said that during the review, it found that containerized, bulk and break-bulk cargo handling were distinct markets.

Exchange clears P3-bond offering of Century Properties THE Securities and Exchange Commission approved the issuance of up to P3 billion in unsecured fixed-rate retail bonds by Century Properties Group Inc. CPG said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the SEC favorably considered the issuance of up to P2 billion worth of three-year bonds with an oversubscription of P1 billion.

CPG investor relations head Ponciano Carreon Jr. said the pricing of the bond offering would be finalized next week.

The property firm has tapped Chinabank Capital as the lead issue manager and underwriter of the offering.

CPG plans to use the net proceeds from the bond offering to finance the company’s development of affordable housing projects.

CPG plans to spend P4.15 billion to develop five house and lot projects that will offer more than 7,000 units.

These residential projects are located in San Pablo, Laguna Pandi, Bulacan Calamba, Laguna General Trias, Cavite and San Fernando, Pampanga.

CPG earlier formed a joint venture partnership with Mitsubishi Corp. of Japan to aggressively roll out affordable residential developments under the PHirst Park Homes brand.

CPG announced plans to spend between P8 billion and P9 billion in capital expenditures this year to fund residential and office development projects as well as land acquisition.

CPG in 2018 reported a 72-percent increase in net income to P1.1 billion from P650 million in 2017.

Jenniffer B. Austria

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019

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By Jenniffer B. Austria

Anti-trust body approves ICTSI-North Harbour deal HE Philippine Competition Commission, the government’s antitrust body, said Friday it approved the acquisition by port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. of an additional 15.17-percent stake in Manila North Harbour Port Inc. from Harbour Centre Port Terminal Inc.

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

Puyat-Reyes group expects sales of P8b from 3 projects

LADY PILOTS.

By Othel V. Campos

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

SOCRESOURCES Inc. of the PuyatReyes Group said it expects to generate P8 billion in sales from three upcoming residential projects that it plans to launch.

SOCResources chairman Edgardo Reyes said in an interview Friday at the sidelines of the company’s 25th listing anniversary with the Philippine Stock Exchange the company would soon launch new residential projects in Quezon City, Baguio and Taft Ave. SOCResources, formerly South China Resources Inc., was originally incorporated on September 25, 1992 to engage in oil and gas exploration, development and production.

“Our new projects in Quezon City, Baguio and Taft Avenue will generate P8 billion worth of inventory. These projects are all in the planning stage and we all have secured the properties for these projects,” Reyes said.

The Quezon City and Baguio projects are mid-rise developments while Taft Avenue is a high-rise tower.

Reyes said the company would launch additional real estate projects after a successful venture into the property development in 2011.

SOCResources through real estate unit SOC Land Development Corp. launched a P4.5 billion, four-tower project called Anuva along South Luzon Expressway in Muntinlupa with total inventory of 2,000 units.

It then ventured in horizontal development in Biñan, Laguna which offered 350 units of medium-priced single detached homes.

“These ongoing projects will produce about P7 billion in revenues for the company,” said Reyes.

SOCResources is also venturing into large-scale agro-industrial development.

SOCResources, in partnership with Palawan Indigenous Peoples group, will develop a 3,200 hectare agro-forestry project that will result in the large scale production of coffee, coconut, abaca and other fruit trees.

Reyes said the group will initially invest P500 million to develop the project.

Shell’s profit dipped 50% to P5.1b in 2018

By Alena Mae S. Flores

MEGA PRIME-MASFLEX TIEUP. Canned food manufacturer Mega Prime teams up with kitchenware distributor Masflex Cookware to provide affordable and quality kitchen products to Filipino families. Signing the deal are (from left) Masflex president Haresh Mirchandani, Masflex vice president for sales Ram Mirchandani, Mega Global vice president for sales and marketing Marvin Tiu Lim and Mega Global vice president for finance, export and support group Michelle Tiu Lim.

DICT officials face complaint over P512-m IT project

By Darwin G. Amojelar A COMPLAINT was filed with the Office of the Ombudsman against the officials of the Department Information and Communications over alleged irregularity in the bidding of the P512-million cybersecurity management project.

A certain Peter Wakkin Ogues said in a complaint before the Ombudsman dated March 18, 2019 that there was enough evidence to investigate DICT Assistant Secretary Allan Cabanlong and other officials of the department for alleged violations of Section 3 of Republic Act No. 3019, or the AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act. Ogues said under Section 24 of the Ombudsman Act, Cabanlong and his

accomplices could be suspended by the Ombudsman as the charge against them pertained to dishonesty, oppression, grave misconduct or neglect in the performance of duty.

Sought for comment, Cabanlong said he had not yet received the formal complaint from the Ombudsman.

“This is pure harassment and we are ready to face any investigation. I don’t know this person and I believe that he has no personal knowledge on the said process of bidding. He might have been used by people behind him who would like to see the project fail who is probably one of the losing bidders,” he said.

Acting DICT Secretary Eliseo Rio said the selection process for the cybersecurity project was “above board.”

“We are waiting for the formal letter from the Ombudsman to give our side.

We can answer all the allegations but at the proper forum,” he said.

The DICT in January 2019 launched CMSP, the country’s national platform for intelligence sharing to comprehensively monitor threats and defend the country’s cyber infrastructure from cyber attacks.

The project is set to be completed in 10 and a half months starting from the issuance of the notice to proceed on Jan. 15.

“This kick-off for the CMS project is a great cue for us to keep taking bold action in this gargantuan task of safeguarding our citizens in the cyber realm,” Rio earlier said in a statement.

OIL refiner Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. said Friday net income dipped 50 percent in 2018 to P5.1 billion from P10.37 billion in 2017, following the drop in oil prices in the fourth quarter.

The company said it remained bullish on its expansion plan with investments targetted at P6 billion this year.

“We acknowledge the achievements of our people in delivering on our priorities, despite the challenging year,” Pilipinas Shell president Cesar Romero said in a statement.

Romero said the company remained committed as a Philippine partner in nation-building for more decades after celebrating 105 years in the country.

“Strong corporate governance, consistent strategy and commitment to our core values give us the confidence to compete in a challenging business environment,” Romero said.

Pilipinas Shell said its marketing business delivered robust earnings despite the aggressive competition and higher pump prices in the most part of 2018.

It said the manufacturing segment recorded its highest reliability in five years, but the contribution to the integrated business was impacted by the sudden drop in crude prices in the fourth quarter and depressed regional refining margins.

Strong corporate governance, cash generation and capital discipline remained as Pilipinas Shell’s key strengths.

The company delivered P14.1 billion in cash from operations in 2018, sufficient to cover its capital expenditure and dividend payments for the year. Capital expenditure for 2018 reached P4.1 billion.

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Business

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

PSEi tops 8,000 level; AGI rises

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TOCKS rose for a third day, sending the benchmark index above the 8,000-point level following overnight gains on Wall Street that helped improve investor sentiment in Asian markets.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, gained 58 points, or 0.7 percent, to close at 8,013.42 Friday, the first time it reached the level in six weeks. The bellwether was also up 7.3 percent since the start of the year.

The broader all-share index rose 24 points, or 0.5 percent, to settle at 4,913.31 on a value turnover of P7.6

billion. Gainers outnumbered losers, 116 to 77, while 50 issues were unchanged.

Fifteen of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by Alliance Global Group Inc. of billionaire Andrew Tan which climbed 3.3 percent to P16.30 and Phinma Energy Corp. which advanced 3 percent to P1.38.

Food manufacturer Universal Robina Corp. gained 2.9 percent to P149.20, while port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. rose 2.3 percent to P124.20. Power retailer Manila Electric Co. gained 2 percent to P387.

Meanwhile, Tokyo stocks closed slightly higher on Friday. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 0.09 percent, or 18.42 points, to end at 21,627.34 while the broader Topix

index was up 0.17 percent, or 2.72 points, at 1,617.11.

“Trade lacked a sense of direction with positive factor from rallies in US shares offset by negative impact from a higher yen against the dollar,” said Mutsumi Kanamori, a strategist at Daiwa Securities.

The dollar fetched 110.80 yen in Asian trade, little changed from 110.82 yen in New York on Thursday but lower than 111.55 yen in Tokyo on Wednesday.

The Tokyo market was closed on Thursday for a national holiday.

Japanese consumer prices for February rose a sluggish 0.7 percent in February from a year earlier, according to government data released 30 minutes before the opening bell, as the world’s third-largest economy continues its

years-long battle to stoke inflation.

The market shrugged off the latest reading, which was slightly higher than expectations of 0.4 percent inflation.

Hong Kong stocks also finished the week on a positive note Friday, taking their cue from a Wall Street rally, with investors now looking ahead to fresh high-level China-US trade talks next week.

The Hang Seng Index rose 0.14 percent, or 41.80 points, to close at 29,113.36.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index gained 0.09 percent, or 2.69 points, to 3,104.15, while the Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China’s second exchange, added 0.20 percent, or 3.45 points, to 1,700.94. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2019

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 58.85 28,100 88 1,288,330 2.25 24,000 133.9 2,726,510 1.36 96,000 27.45 83,500 19.1 21,100 12.6 473,600 4.3 45,000 7.83 600 0.6 58,000 1.38 288,000 800 750 0.465 30,000 81 1,554,140 0.98 136,000 13.86 49,300 22 60,600 60.1 471,670 185.5 130 112.1 490 58.3 3,820 26.5 24,600 171.2 828,640 1,805 70 61 310,950

1,653,395 113,913,188 54,000 364,444,914 130,480 2,297,440 402,288 5,917,612 187,710 4,698 34,830 399,530 600,050 13,950 125,222,179 134,460 683,046 1,284,050 28,355,966 24,095 54,549 223,460.50 651,190 143,501,121 126,350 18,924,456.50

1,360,145 -11,011,944.50 95,372,123 -277,200 -831,864 -69,280 88,000 4,247,293.50 -3,920 -42,000 750,418 -532,205 -25,672,119 -243,016

35.6 14.3 1.02 1.48 0.24 2.8 16.08 116 29.75 15.68 71.9 1.85 5.68 6.26 11.6 16.06 9.5 7.32 21.7 79.4 27.7 2.32 10.4 13.2 1.63 312.4 53 3.56 10.88 24.65 12.78 21.35 387 0.193 5.89 1.41 4 6.65 8.92 1.38 12.26 50 5.85 4.8 1.81 2.66 1.35 12 103 6.64 0.99 149.2 2.52 1.69 1.28

29,773,840 5,892,766 986,050 5,969,120 21,260 41,250,030 7,288,800 7,850 3,485,340 188,720 31,636 1,445,170 744,602 48,460 11,162,030 20,377,932 7,696,792 1,882,931 96,109,750 32,273,318.50 762,920 14,392,330 75,986,979 16,745,002 236,070 253,693,268 37,110 57,370 67,890 36,467,410 7,658,186 85,133,385 119,688,220 50,420 7,068 4,483,360 1,002,150 31,051,771 17,460 102,818,810 648,972 59,354,265 664,125 292,670 47,030 202,010 129,520 110,118 11,240,941 1,426,011 111,790 210,987,187 25,200 4,742,790 892,640

11,601,845 375,790 -5,966,600 1,917,286 -1,090 -1,324,535 45,420 -4,944 -613,760 11,741,876 -94,400 -1,535,706 -25,527,360 824,052 261,250 421,890.00 -22,923,382 -1,592,010 -84,760,538 -16,243,040 12,800 30,202,295 48,143,496 2,881,790 -12,000 -8,346,886 -29,653,230 -23,286 23,449,020 -113,955 -115,190 -4,900 -2,521,589 647 96,066,694 25,200 19,860 -330,240

13,620,810 61,058,994 299,505,890 122,690 42,235 1,748,615 4,450,490 2,242,100 431,527,185 33,347,869 112,248,264 26,571,636 214,270 101,850,960 621,213 280,301,738.50 1,102 370,980 5,810,545 108,573,438 48,760 174,088,960 223,300 15,930 6,494,970 5,340 51,272,231 230,507,520 156,730 128,470 74,540 10,391,300

640,630 24,794,125.50 94,010,078 42,235 -10,610 1,808,640 -16,174,450 -4,600,785 19,160,760 935,968 36,340,330 130,600 104,837,536 -322,968 -10,286,978.00 -19,510,350 806,860 -10,673,318 84,653,505 2,660 453,800

62,316,738 1,475,070 75,340 1,301,010 848,130,145 1,132,320 2,224,450 306,179 27,932,050 43,660 83,630 2,133,910 70,800 13,689,484 13,700,240 3,748,810 27,014,280 308,830 233,835,141 3,719,550 371,200 1,949,080

4,827,446 11,550 -67,200 121,589,020 -31,440 431,720 -3,190 429,980 47,000 48,600 4,673,118 3,171,860 -2,545,170 193,050 1,260 18,034,706 53,700 -44,000 -

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

58.95 88.2 2.25 133 1.34 27.5 19.1 12.4 4.17 7.83 0.6 1.42 800.5 0.465 79.95 0.99 13.86 21.4 59.95 185 110.2 58.8 26.35 172.9 1,805 61

58.95 89.05 2.25 134 1.36 27.65 19.1 12.62 4.3 7.83 0.61 1.42 800.5 0.465 81 1 13.86 22 60.55 185.5 112.1 58.9 26.5 174.8 1,805 61.75

58.65 88 2.25 132.5 1.34 27.45 18.9 12.4 4.14 7.83 0.6 1.38 800 0.465 79.95 0.97 13.84 21 59.9 185 110.2 58.3 26.3 170.8 1,805 60.8

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

35.55 14 1.04 1.44 0.241 2.76 15.7 109 29.65 15.12 71.9 1.91 5.73 6.18 11.58 15.92 9.38 7.4 22 79.3 27.5 2.32 9.9 13.7 1.68 313.4 53.05 3.35 10.4 25.5 12.9 21.3 379 0.194 5.89 1.4 4.14 6.72 8.72 1.34 12.3 50 5.85 4.8 1.8 2.65 1.31 11.9 101.5 6.47 0.99 145.1 2.52 1.65 1.29

35.65 14.34 1.04 1.49 0.241 2.87 16.08 116 29.75 15.68 71.9 1.91 5.78 6.26 11.74 16.06 9.58 7.4 22.15 79.9 27.9 2.35 10.6 14 1.68 317.2 53.05 3.56 10.98 25.5 13.02 21.35 387 0.194 5.89 1.41 4.24 6.74 8.92 1.4 12.3 51.25 6.09 4.8 1.81 2.66 1.37 12.1 103 6.66 0.99 150.7 2.52 1.69 1.31

35.1 13.92 1.02 1.43 0.233 2.73 15.7 109 29.4 15 71.9 1.85 5.68 6.15 11.5 15.92 9.35 7.32 21.5 79 27.5 2.29 9.87 13.2 1.62 312.2 53 3.35 10.4 24.5 12.78 20.95 375 0.193 5.89 1.38 3.92 6.65 8.72 1.33 12.16 49.8 5.85 4.78 1.8 2.65 1.31 11.88 101.5 6.42 0.97 145.1 2.52 1.64 1.27

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

0.67 59.35 15.74 0.73 6.49 21.6 1.45 1.44 935 7.66 12.34 16.16 4.79 1,029 6.52 64.35 5.51 0.52 5.45 17.3 0.55 4.87 0.038 1.14 3.12 2.67 175.3 963 1.33 443 0.241 0.405

0.67 60.5 16.3 0.74 6.5 21.65 1.45 1.46 945.5 7.75 12.54 16.2 4.79 1,040 6.54 64.75 5.51 0.55 5.54 17.6 0.57 4.96 0.039 1.2 3.15 2.67 176.4 980 1.37 443 0.244 0.405

0.63 58.5 15.74 0.73 6.49 20.2 1.43 1.44 931 7.66 12.2 15.98 4.14 1,026 6.5 63.95 5.51 0.52 5.42 17.1 0.55 4.86 0.038 1.13 3.09 2.67 173.9 961.5 1.33 443 0.24 0.39

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

12.52 0.78 1.98 0.87 44.7 2.39 4.27 6.36 0.56 0.84 0.94 0.24 0.385 11.72 22.75 0.5 1.55 1.26 5.74 0.38 0.445 1.93

13.04 0.78 2 0.87 45.75 2.43 4.29 6.6 0.56 0.84 0.94 0.245 0.4 11.92 22.9 0.51 1.57 1.28 5.89 0.395 0.445 1.93

12.5 0.76 1.98 0.83 44.7 2.38 4.19 6.32 0.53 0.83 0.93 0.24 0.385 11.5 22.25 0.5 1.55 1.25 5.7 0.375 0.44 1.88

VOLUME

837,700 422,200 963,000 4,063,000 90,000 14,687,000 456,200 70 117,700 12,500 440 777,000 130,400 7,800 962,900 1,273,100 814,100 256,800 4,415,500 406,160 27,600 6,216,000 7,416,500 1,234,500 144,000 809,450 700 17,000 6,400 1,478,100 594,300 4,014,400 311,360 260,000 1,200 3,212,000 247,000 4,639,200 2,000 74,970,000 52,900 1,183,300 113,500 61,000 26,000 76,000 97,000 9,200 109,570 218,500 115,000 1,414,550 10,000 2,833,000 694,000

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VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

0.445 2.77 50 24.2 2.07 3.14 39.3 1.65 6.8 0.76 7.32

0.445 2.78 50 24.8 2.07 3.14 39.8 1.65 6.9 0.76 7.4

0.41 2.74 43.05 23.55 2.04 3.1 39.25 1.59 6.75 0.76 7.32

0.43 2.75 43.05 24.65 2.05 3.1 39.5 1.6 6.86 0.76 7.32

5,700,000 50,000 150 3,620,500 90,000 161,000 10,501,500 434,000 126,000 310,000 8,270,500

2,423,000 137,520 7,361 89,033,755 184,370 500,020 414,814,595 696,110 858,081 235,600 60,697,328

47,188,190 2,050 3,140 302,843,155.00 159,000 -123,760 -760 -25,145,358

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

12.76 20.9 1.34 0.425 0.044 15.78 2.82 12.2 0.073 83.2 8.17 5.76 7 12.88 1,972 5.75 378.8 2.98 121.2 10.74 7.1 0.131 5.47 3.15 15.38 3.4 0.89 20.35 0.59 3.25 1.73 1.8 16 2.63 10.28 10.68 4.9 123 2.65 1,181 0.9 1.2 48.7 81.15 8.41 2.39 0.7 0.42 5.63 0.68 15.6

12.8 21.45 1.34 0.425 0.044 15.78 2.82 12.34 0.075 84.85 8.17 5.86 7 13.86 1,996 5.75 384 3.02 124.9 10.74 7.1 0.134 5.62 3.15 15.38 3.59 0.89 20.8 0.59 3.26 1.83 1.81 16 2.8 10.48 11 4.9 124.5 2.65 1,188 0.9 1.2 48.7 82.5 8.79 2.4 0.7 0.425 5.63 0.7 15.82

12.5 20.9 1.24 0.42 0.042 15.76 2.78 12.14 0.073 83.2 8.17 5.75 6.9 12.88 1,951 5.7 375 2.88 121.2 10.74 7.1 0.127 5.46 3.15 15.36 3.39 0.89 20.3 0.55 3.22 1.73 1.8 16 2.63 10.2 10.24 4.63 122.5 2.6 1,180 0.88 1.14 48 81.15 8.41 2.34 0.69 0.42 5.6 0.67 15.32

SERVICES 12.6 21.45 1.24 0.425 0.044 15.76 2.8 12.2 0.074 84.15 8.17 5.84 6.9 13.74 1,996 5.73 380 2.99 124.2 10.74 7.1 0.127 5.51 3.15 15.36 3.51 0.89 20.4 0.57 3.25 1.83 1.81 16 2.71 10.3 10.56 4.9 122.5 2.64 1,185 0.89 1.16 48.3 82 8.79 2.37 0.69 0.425 5.63 0.7 15.62

42,500 91,400 18,000 330,000 12,100,000 511,200 111,000 2,349,700 91,010,000 143,060 200 398,600 28,000 503,100 23,970 346,300 1,980 2,316,000 3,041,990 5,000 7,500 3,450,000 2,577,700 3,000 12,200 1,698,000 40,000 364,700 1,238,000 1,457,000 99,000 4,000 200 3,283,000 236,500 42,400 115,000 18,160 336,000 76,585 2,683,000 28,876,000 265,500 824,880 17,600 3,741,000 834,000 2,830,000 733,000 1,226,000 1,052,500

537,866 1,948,750 23,030 138,800 512,400 8,058,038 311,070 28,720,558 6,700,250 12,046,582 1,634 2,321,223 195,150 6,787,876 47,741,105 1,983,619 750,348 6,889,780 376,977,486 53,700 53,250 445,050 14,321,134 9,450 187,584 5,947,170 35,600 7,462,820 694,970 4,725,490 177,390 7,220 3,200 8,953,040 2,442,088 447,444 541,980 2,247,765 883,020 90,736,260 2,388,740 33,518,800 12,865,720 67,593,887.50 153,864 8,873,140 576,210 1,191,900 4,121,675 840,220 16,521,524

-264,178 -2,810 6,774,800 -3,754,704 35,000 121,930 23,901,510 -763,980 219,199,457 -225,280 219,166 871,590 -713,570 -615,100 82,950 5,150 -39,200 -261,781 -131,090 2,741,390 -148,630 94,380 -1,170,415 -48,279,165 1,658,600 145,610.00 -2,758,900 1,360 8,817,976

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

0.0022 1.44 2.86 13 2.44 7.81 1.55 0.249 0.12 0.0083 1.11 2.63 1.07 0.94 0.012 0.013 0.011 3.14 3.79 14.2 23 0.0076

0.0022 1.48 3 13.16 2.48 7.95 1.56 0.255 0.12 0.0086 1.11 2.65 1.09 0.94 0.013 0.013 0.012 3.14 3.89 14.48 23.4 0.0076

0.0021 1.44 2.86 13 2.41 7.81 1.54 0.247 0.12 0.0081 1.1 2.56 1.07 0.93 0.012 0.013 0.011 3.09 3.71 13.86 22.95 0.007

MINING OIL 0.0021 179,000,000 1.45 954,000 2.9 359,000 13.16 2,000 2.47 847,000 7.82 1,700 1.55 6,518,000 0.255 690,000 0.12 20,000 0.0081 3,000,000 1.11 134,000 2.57 4,993,000 1.08 25,000 0.93 61,000 0.012 8,400,000 0.013 447,300,000 0.012 10,200,000 3.09 113,000 3.77 1,242,000 13.9 1,955,100 23 1,745,900 0.0076 3,000,000

377,000 1,387,480 1,056,840 26,032 2,081,320 13,442 10,128,500 171,510 2,400 25,000 148,010 12,915,360 26,810 56,890 101,000 5,814,900 113,700 351,320 4,734,670 27,402,650 40,350,125 22,200

-277,180 620,920 10,400 7,380 -77,000 954,540 1,080 -230,100 1,967,690 -1,265,628 10,843,935 -

ABS HLDG PDR ALCO PREF B DD PREF GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2I

20.2 100 98.3 5.55 930 918 96 0.98 101.9 998 99.5 106.4 980 75 76 71.9 75 74.8 73 72.05

21 100 98.3 5.55 930 918 96 0.99 101.9 998 99.5 106.4 980 75 76.4 71.9 75 74.8 73 72.05

20.2 100 97.15 5.55 930 918 96 0.97 101.9 998 99.5 106.4 980 75 75 71.9 75 74 73 72.05

PREFERRED 21 204,200 100 3,280 98.3 2,160 5.55 45,000 930 10 918 20 96 870 0.97 313,000 101.9 130 998 10 99.5 15,860 106.4 140 980 510 75 2,700 76.4 104,570 71.9 550,000 75 100 74 47,690 73 80 72.05 500,000

4,233,670 328,000 210,559 249,750 9,300 18,360 83,520 306,120 13,247 9,980 1,578,070 14,896 499,800 202,500 7,899,812 39,545,000 7,500 3,562,334 5,840 36,025,000

-8,250 97,000 37,750 -

LR WARRANT

1.87

1.99

1.82

WARRANTS 1.91 325,000

626,980

-

4,296,179 3,072,070

46,383 136,000

1,762,215

2,369

NAME

MS

HOLDING FIRMS 0.63 21,373,000 59.55 1,019,050 16.3 18,730,700 0.73 168,000 6.5 6,500 20.85 82,700 1.44 3,103,000 1.44 1,557,000 940 458,580 7.7 4,329,000 12.4 9,043,100 15.98 1,645,600 4.14 51,000 1,040 98,330 6.5 95,400 64.4 4,364,820 5.51 200 0.55 697,000 5.44 1,060,900 17.28 6,262,200 0.56 88,000 4.92 35,504,000 0.039 5,800,000 1.2 14,000 3.12 2,078,000 2.67 2,000 173.9 292,730 970.5 237,150 1.36 117,000 443 290 0.244 310,000 0.39 26,290,000 PROPERTY 13.04 0.76 2 0.84 45 2.4 4.2 6.6 0.55 0.83 0.94 0.243 0.4 11.72 22.5 0.5 1.56 1.26 5.81 0.395 0.44 1.91

4,843,700 1,922,000 38,000 1,550,000 18,796,300 472,000 529,000 48,300 51,326,000 52,000 89,000 8,880,000 180,000 1,170,500 608,700 7,496,000 17,335,000 245,000 40,200,100 9,580,000 840,000 1,027,000

ITALPINAS XURPAS

5.2 1.37

5.29 1.38

4.98 1.35

FIRST METRO ETF

118.4

119.2

118.4

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

10,451,196

INDUSTRIAL

143,337,659

HOLDING FIRMS

151,235,357

PROPERTY

204,453,116

SERVICES

172,483,879

MINING & OIL

671,849,076

GRAND TOTAL

1,356,925,034

5.04 1.38

SME

849,300 2,249,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 119.2 14,800

VALUE 1,789.47 (up) 7.18 972,107,025.80 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,737.38 (up) 82.37 1,310,088,583.65 HOLDING FIRMS 7,944.05 (up) 49.29 2,208,404,829.51 PROPERTY 4,111.50 (up) 23.59 1,608.71 (up) 17.10 2,162,440,740.95 SERVICES MINING & OIL 8,339.61 (down) 24.59 836,150,373.78 PSEI 8,013.42 (up) 58.70 107,340,012.606 All Shares Index 4,913.31 (up) 24.52 7,605,665,487.70 Gainers: 116; Losers: 77; Unchanged: 50; Total: 243

ICTSI unit gets $300-m loan from Metrobank

By Darwin G. Amojelar A UNIT of International Container Terminal Services Inc. secured a $300-million loan facility from Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. The port operator led by businessman Enrique Razon Jr. said it would guarantee the loan of ICTSI Global Finance B.V., which has a tenor of seven years.

ICTSI programmed $380-million capital expenditures for 2019 which will be utilized mainly for expansion projects in Manila, Mexico and Iraq; equipment acquisitions and upgrades; and maintenance requirements.

The company spent $261.3 million in 2018 mainly for the capacity expansion of its terminal operations in Manila, Mexico and Iraq and continuing rehabilitation and development of the container terminal in Honduras.

Last year’s capex was also used for the procurement of additional equipment and minor infrastructure works in the newlyacquired terminal operations in Papua New Guinea and the completion of a barge terminal project in Cavite City.

ICTSI posted a net income of $221.5 million in 2018, up 22 percent from $182.2 million in 2017.

Gross revenues from port operations increased 11 percent in 2018 to $1.4 billion from $1.2 billion in 2017.

ICTSI said the increase in revenues was due to volume growth; new contracts with shipping lines and services; increase in revenues from non-containerized cargoes, storage and ancillary services; tariff adjustments; and the contribution of the new terminals in Lae and Motukea in Papua New Guinea and Melbourne, Australia.

Excluding the new terminals, consolidated gross revenues would have increased 7 percent.

ICTSI handled a consolidated volume of 9,736,621 twenty-foot equivalent units in 2018 or 6 percent more than 9,153,458 TEUs it handled in 2017.

ICTSI said that excluding new terminals, the consolidated volume would have increased 3 percent in 2018.

Alsons’ income surged four times to P563m in 2018

By Alena Mae S. Flores ALSONS Consolidated Resources Inc., the listed company of the Alcantara Group, said consolidated net income jumped more than four times to P562.95 million in 2018 from P103 million in 2017.

Alsons said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the baseload coal-fired power plant in Maasim, Sarangani province of unit Sarangani Energy Corp. continued to be the key driver of the company’s net income and revenue growth.

Sarangani Energy plant’s first section with a capacity of up to 105 megawatts began operating in April 2016 and currently delivers power to more than 3 million people in the General SantosSarangani area and other parts of Mindanao.

The plant’s second section is in the commissioning stage with commercial operations expected to start by the middle of the year. This is seen to further boost the company’s income and revenues.

The second section is set to contribute another 105 MW of baseload power to benefit an additional 3 million people in various parts of Mindanao.

Alsons said consolidated revenues rose 2 percent in 2018 to P6.66 billion from P6.51 billion in 2018, on increased energy dispatched by the SEC plant.

Alsons operating profit also went up 9 percent to P1.49 billion from P1.37 billion reported in the previous year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization improved to P2.66 billion from P2.32 billion in 2017.

Income attributable to the parent improved significantly to P93.5 million in 2018 from a net loss of P21 million in 2017.

Alsons lined up several power projects in the including the P4.25-billion 14.5-MW run-of-river hydroelectric power project at the Siguil River basin in Maasim, Sarangani and the 105-MW San Ramon Power Inc. baseload coalfired power plant in Zamboanga City.

World

B3

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Death toll in China plant blast rises to 47

IN BRIEF Kiwis turn in weapons after ban

CHRISTCHURCH―Hundreds of New Zealanders contacted authorities to hand in their guns within hours of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announcing a ban on military-style weapons following the Christchurch mosque massacres, police said Friday.

But police also said that some people were trolling their website with “fake” applications to hand in weapons covered by the ban, which took effect at 3:00 pm Thursday (0200 GMT).

Responding to the slaughter of 50 Muslim worshipers a week ago by a selfavowed white supremacist, Ardern’s government outlawed semi-automatic weapons, assault rifles, high-capacity magazines and parts that can modify weapons to make them deadlier.

The gunman, an Australian citizen living in the southern New Zealand city of Dunedin, had legally purchased the weapons, including two modified semi-automatic rifles, used to carry out the massacre.

The crackdown applies to new gun purchases but also effectively rendered illegal the targeted weapons already in the hands of New Zealanders.

Ardern said these would be subject to an amnesty and buyback program, but that people should immediately begin the process of surrendering the arms to police.

In the first 20 hours after the ban took effect, nearly 500 people had called a special hot line set up by police for people to arrange the gun hand-ins, Assistant Police Commissioner Tusha Penny said.

More than 1,000 people also notified police online that they wanted to give up their guns.

But while the gun reform had wide support among both the governing and opposition political parties, some critics expressed their disgruntlement by filing “vexatious” forms online, Penny said. AFP

Six dead as car plows into crowd

BEIJING―A man rammed a car into a crowd in central China Friday, killing six people and injuring eight others before he was fatally shot by police, said local officials.

The suspect, a 44-year-old named Cui Lidong, wounded his wife and daughter at home before plowing a car into pedestrians, said the Zaoyang City government in Hubei province in an online statement.

The case is under investigation and the injured are being treated, it added.

A video, published by Shanghai-based news outlet The Paper, shows a body covered in a blanket left on the roadside and a group trying to lift someone onto a stretcher.

China has suffered a spate of similar incidents in recent months.

Last September, 11 people died and dozens were injured when a car struck a crowd in a public square in the central Hunan province city of Hengdong.

Police detained the driver, a man in his 40s, and described him as a “vengeful repeat offender” who had daggers in his car and intended to “cause serious damage”.

In late November, a car ploughed into a group of children crossing a street in front of an elementary school in the northeastern Liaoning province, killing five people and injuring at least 19.

The driver said he “chose his victims at random” and had reportedly been contemplating suicide due to domestic troubles before the tragedy occurred. AFP

Syria condemns Trump over Golan Heights DAMASCUS-The Syrian government on Friday condemned US President Donald Trump’s pledge to recognize Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, saying it flies in the face of international law.

Trump on Thursday called the Golan―a strategic area seized from Syria in 1967 and annexed in a move never recognized by the international community―”of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!”

The Syrian government denounced his comments, saying they flagrantly disregarded international law.

“The American position towards Syria’s occupied Golan Heights clearly reflects the United States’ contempt for international legitimacy and its flagrant violation of international law,” a foreign ministry source told the official SANA news agency.

The source said Trump’s comments showed the extent of his administration’s bias towards Israel.

They “once again confirmed the United State’s blind bias in favor of the Zionist occupation forces and its unlimited support for their aggressive actions.”

The source accused the US of stoking tensions and threatening international stability, and urged members of the international community to stand against such positions and act in accordance with international law.

“The statements of the US president and his administration on the occupied Syrian Golan will never change the fact that the Golan was and will remain Arab and Syrian,” the source said.

The Arab League echoed the Syrian government’s position. AFP

ON THE HARBOR. ‘Companion’, an inflatable sculpture by US artist and designer Brian Donnelly, known professionally as Kaws, is displayed on Victoria Harbor during the opening ceremony for its exhibition in Hong Kong on March 22, 2019. Made in collaboration with locally based creative studio AllRightsReserved, the 37-meter-long KAWS:HOLIDAY sculpture will be docked on the harbor. AFP

Defiance, tears and joy as Christchurch unites C HRISTCHURCH― When the prayer memorial ended in Christchurch, Ahmad Khan stood shoulder-to-shoulder with three Maori men in traditional dress as they all stuck out their tongues.

“It’s unbelievable looking at the crowd here, thousands of people gathering behind us during prayers,” said Khan, a 36-year-old businessman who flew down from Auckland to attend the service.

“It’s a feeling of rejoicing.”

Joy might seem like an odd word for someone who hails from a community that just had an unimaginable atrocity committed against them.

The killings began only a short distance away at the bloodstained Al Noor mosque, which is still shuttered to the public.

But Khan said he was buzzing. No longer was his community isolated, shunned or viewed with suspicion.

The memory of those lost was, of course, painful. But for now, he wanted to bask in that newfound community spirit.

Khan was not alone.

A queue of worshipers waited for pictures with the three Maoris -- men in prayer caps and long tunics, veiled women and young children squealing with delight as the trio put on their

most frightening war faces.

The crowd reflected the sheer diversity of those affected by last week’s devastating attacks.

At the front, divided into male and female sections, where those hit the hardest—thousands of Muslim worshipers facing the mosque for prayers, including survivors and relatives of those killed.

It looked much like any outdoor Friday prayer session.

But what made the gathering so extraordinary were the thousands of non-Muslims behind them.

There were families from across New Zealand, biker gang members standing guard, Maoris in traditional attire, and priests in clerical collars.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also attended, as did a selfdeclared wizard clad in flowing robes and a pointed hat.

Some brought guitars and sang songs. Others held placards.

One banner held by two people next to where Muslim men were washing ahead of prayers simply read: “We support our Muslim neighbors.”

Instead of mourning in black, most women wore bright head scarves, creating a kaleidoscope of colour.

Many of those attending said New Zealand had been forever changed by the murders -- but in a way that would only bond people together.

“The country is united in this and nothing is ever going to break it,” Christchurch local John Dale, 59, said, accompanied by his partner Shir-

ley, who had decided to wear a white headscarf.

“We’ll stand behind each other— anyone. Muslims, Christian, any religion.”

Mohamed Nadir lost his brother Mohammed Daoud Nabi, the 71-year-old gunned down reportedly greeting his killer with the words “hello brother”.

As he knelt down during the two minutes of silence, Nadir started to weep. The woman kneeling next to him, Alaska Wood, rested her hand and forehead on his shoulder.

“They’re hurting, they need us, so the least we can do is to stand beside them,” Wood, a Christchurch local, told AFP. “There’s only so much we can do.

But if it’s little acts of kindness, they will snowball into big acts. It’s the only way things will change.”

Hasma Adeeb, 23, had tears streaming down her face as she was hugged by a series of well-wishers.

Her father Adeeb Ahmed Sama was shot twice in the massacre, diving on top of her twin brother Ali. She described the huge number of non-Muslim women wearing headscarves for the day as a “beautiful” gesture.

“Today we really did feel the support from everyone. New Zealand has been amazing. Just having everyone by our side -- it truly means a lot to all of us. It’s beautiful, so thank you.”

Soon after, she was embraced by another person. AFP

YANCHENG, China―The death toll from a huge explosion at a chemical plant in eastern China surged to 47 on Friday, making it one of the country’s worst industrial accidents in recent years.

More than 600 people are receiving medical treatment following Thursday afternoon’s blast at the industrial park in Yancheng, said the city government on its official Twitter-like Weibo account.

Among them, at least 90 are seriously injured. City officials had previously said that at least 12 people were killed and 30 injured in the explosion in Jiangsu province.

The explosion was so powerful that it apparently triggered a small earthquake, knocked down several factory buildings and shattered the windows of homes a few kilometres away.

“We knew we’d be blown up one day,” said one 60-year-old woman surnamed Xiang.

She said she had harboured concerns about safety and pollution at the site for a long time.

Hundreds of rescuers have been dispatched to the scene, local authorities said, and more than 3,000 people have been evacuated from the blast site.

The blaze from the explosion has been extinguished, said local officials Friday, after firefighters battled raging flames through the night. Three chemical tanks and five other areas had been on fire.

Authorities, who are investigating the cause of the accident, said an unspecified number of people were taken into police custody.

The chemical facility involved in the explosion belonged to Tianjiayi Chemical, a firm with 195 employees established in 2007.

–The force of the explosion blew out windows and dented metal garage doors of buildings as far as four kilometres (2.5 miles) from the site, said AFP reporters at the scene.

Nearby residents -- many of them elderly -- have started sweeping up glass, and in some cases, seemed to have abandoned their homes entirely. Black smoke could still be seen rising from the chemical plant on Friday morning before dissipating.

On the road where Xiang lived, consisting of basic two-storey homes, almost all the windows and some window frames were blown in.

The woman was sitting at home when the explosion occurred and said the force rocked her house and badly damaged her front door.

There was no immediate government help, she said, and residents were clearing the street themselves.

Images broadcast on local media showed how the blast toppled factory buildings, trapping workers inside. State broadcaster CCTV showed rescuers pulling a survivor from the wreckage.

Workers covered in blood were seen running out of the factory, said official news agency Xinhua on Thursday, citing witnesses. AFP

Garuda says it will cancel jet deal after two fatal Boeing 737 crashes JAKARTA―Indonesia’s national carrier Garuda has told Boeing it will cancel a multi-billion-dollar order for 49 Boeing 737 Max 8 jets after the model was involved in two fatal crashes.

The move could spark more cancellations from other major carriers, an aviation analyst said, as Boeing and US federal regulators get set to face their first public grilling by Congress since the deadly incidents.

“We have sent a letter to Boeing requesting that the order be canceled,” Garuda spokesman Ikhsan Rosan said.

“The reason is that Garuda passengers in Indonesia have lost trust and no longer have the confidence” in the plane, he said, adding that the airline was awaiting a response from Boeing.

Boeing officials will visit Indonesia next week to discuss Garuda’s plans to call off the order, he told AFP. Garuda had already received one of the planes, Rosan said, part of a 50-aircraft order worth $4.9 billion at list prices when it was announced in 2014.

Garuda is also talking to Boeing about whether or not to return the plane it has in its fleet, the spokesman said.

The Indonesian carrier had so far paid Boeing about $26 million, while the company’s head told local media outlet

Detik that it would consider switching to a new version of the single-aisle jet.

“In principle, it’s not that we want to replace Boeing, but maybe we will replace [these planes] with another model,” Garuda Indonesia director I Gusti Ngurah Askhara Danadiputra told Detik.

A Boeing spokeswoman in Singapore told AFP on Friday: “We do not comment on customer discussions.”

Shukor Yusof, head of Malaysiabased aviation consultancy Endau Analytics, said Garuda’s announcement appeared to mark the first formal plans by a carrier to cancel an order for the 737 MAX 8.

It “will probably not be the last.

There is a risk that Garuda’s rival Lion Air, which also has many 737 MAX 8 orders, might make the same decision,” he said.

“That is a risk. This has been made public by the Lion Air CEO. He stated publicly that he is considering” a cancellation.

But he added that it was difficult to predict whether more major carriers would follow suit.

“There are many unanswered questions and each airline has specific needs,” Yusof said. AFP

LONGEST BRIDGE. This is Bogibeel Bridge, India’s longest railroad bridge in Dibrughar, some 440km from Guwahati in India’s northeastern state of Assam. AFP

B4

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

MAKING SMALL KITCHENS WORK

S

OMETIMES “too many cooks in the kitchen” can literally mean the kitchen is too small for the cooks.

But, a compact space doesn’t mean culinary dreams should be discarded.

Here’s how to make a small kitchen space as big as possible: KITCHEN WORKFLOW When designing a small kitchen, layout is important. The secret is understanding the dynamics of a kitchen’s workflow.

Interior designers call it “activity zoning.” Where will each task be done and what does each part needs in terms of storage, shelving, drawers and lights? But also when might it be used by people at different times of the day? These are all questions to ask to ensure a small kitchen is as functional as possible.

The best layout for a small kitchen is a galley style, which normally features two parallel walls with the kitchen benches, cabinets and storage on either side.

Keep clutter off the bench, a knife rack on the wall or in a drawer is a good idea. This means you don’t have any awkward corners to work with and gives you full access to all part of the kitchen.

A one-wall kitchen is compact and space-saving but it can lack in bench space. Install a kitchen island trolley on wheels, it will provide the extra bench space needed for food prep and can be rolled away and stored when it’s not being used.

STORAGE AND SHELVING Ideally, every centimeter of a small

kitchen must be utilised to it’s full extent.

Try taking overhead and full height cupboards all the way to the ceiling.

Use the toe-kick space under the cupboards as storage for platters or trays and full extension internal drawers within cupboards maximise quantity of storage.

Shelving could be your key to keeping clutter off the bench. Even if it’s just a simple shelf or ledge on the wall, it’s the perfect spot for all those frequently used items that tend to hang around on the bench; oil, salt and pepper, tea canisters, herbs and spices.

RIDING THE BENCH “Most would think to fill a small kitchen design with as much bench space as possible. This can be used for food prep and plating. Aso a good idea would be using a sink that has accessories such as a chopping board that can fit over top, or simply a sink cover to increase bench space.

An induction stove is also a better option than a gas stove as it provides more flat surface that can be used as bench.

Keeping bench space clear is vital when you don’t have much space to begin with. Build the microwave into the wall instead of having it sit on the bench. Incorporate a knife block into a cutlery drawer so there isn’t need for a knife block on the bench either.

And while we’re tucking things away, it’s best to create an ‘appliance garage;’

THE SINKS HAVE IT

a cupboard that houses the toaster, kettle, coffee machine and blender on the bench, but has doors to hide it away if need be.

LIGHTING RAZZMATAZZ Lighter colors in a smaller kitchen will make the space feel bigger, but add some other texture and colour for personality and to prevent it from being

CENTURY PARK HOTEL TREATS GRADUATES

AS GRADUATION season fast approaches, Century Park Hotel (CPH) is giving a special treat of 3 + 1 to all students who are finishing the academic year with a flourish.

From March 1 to May 31, 2019, there will be a free buffet (lunch or dinner) for every three paying guests at Café in the Park. Simply present any proof of graduation such as: diploma, school ID or registration form to avail of the offer.

Century Park features a daily themed buffet: French-Italian indulgence (Mondays), modern Filipino (Tuesdays), Mediterranean taste (Wednesdays), essence of Asia (Thursdays), western delights (Fridays), chef’s cpecial (Saturdays) and classic Filipino (Sundays). Buffet prices start at P795 net (kids 6-10 years old) and P1,495 net (adults).

“We recognize the value of hard work,” said Anthony Tan, CPH’s general manager. “Graduating is no mean feat and we want to congratulate this year’s graduates by giving them this special reward.”

too sterile.

Light colours will make a space feel bigger and making your cabinetry and walls the same colour will create a visually larger space.

Choose a lighting layout that will make the ceiling feel taller and the corners of the room softer, this will create the illusion of more space.

LAUNCH WITH GRAVITAS.

With PPHI show homes as a backdrop, Century Properties Group and Mitsubishi executives pose for posterity. CCPG chairman and CEO Jose E.B. Antonio and COO Marco R. Antonio (5th and 6th from left, respectively) together with (from left) CPGI group head/ vice president, Ritchelle T. Cordero; PHirst Park Homes Inc. (PPHI) deputy chief finance officer Humil Nicavera; PPHI EVP for corporate planning and technical innovation Kiyoto Asari; PPHI president Ricky M. Celis; PPHI VP for customer management Loren Sales; PPHI head of legal services Atty. Joy Manaog; Mitsubishi corporation division head Kenichi Kumemoto; PPHI vp for technical operations Kim Amar; and Megawide AVP pre cast division Einstein Chiu.

PHirst Park Homes launches P2.7B project in San Pablo, Laguna MASS housing developer PHirst Park Homes Inc. (PPHI) recently launched an affordable housing development in San Pablo, Laguna with 1,640 units totalling P2.7 billion.

PPHI is a joint venture between the family of former ambassador Jose E.B. Antonio and Japan’s biggest trading house Mitsubishi.

Boon to affordable housing market “PPHI is proud to launch a PHirst Park Homes community in San Pablo, Laguna,” said Loren B. Sales, PPHI vice-president for customer management group. “True to our brand mission of delivering first homes that are beautiful, well-designed, and of good quality at attainable prices, we continue to raise the bar in the affordable housing market.”

Units range from 40 square meters

(sq.m.) to 121 sq.m. The Calista Mid has a lot area of 44 sq.m., while Calista End has a lot area of 60.5 sq.m. A combined unit is at 80 sq.m., while the Calista Duo has a lot area of 121 sq.m.

A single-detached unit called Unna is at 54 sq.m. Selling prices start at P2.7 million to P3.3 million each unit.

PPHI said all the units have the option of having a second floor.

The 18.5 hectare San Pablo community will have health and fitness amenities like monkey bars, cross trainers, domical bars, foot reflexology area, and pull up bars. There will also be a clubhouse, swimming pool, water play area, playground for kids, outdoor cinema, and a basketball court.

Meeting demand This is the company’s second affordable housing community after the

one in Lipa, Batangas. PHirst Park Homes Lipa is a 20-hectare horizontal development in Brgy. San Lucas that was launched in 2018. It is currently undergoing land development, while construction of the first batch of houses will start in September.

The project is is accessible via South Luzon Expressway through the Santo Tomas Exit and is 15 minutes away from SM City San Pablo.

After Lipa and San Pablo, PPHI is set to build more communities in north and south Luzon areas which the company has identified as growth areas with a high concentration of OFW families and unmet demand for housing.

Within the next four to five years, PPHI will launch 15 masterplanned communities in Calabarzon and Central Luzon with about 33,000 homes.

THE sink is an essential and muchused kitchen item, but it doesn’t attract much attention. Not with gleaming bench tops , pretty tiles and clever appliances taking all the glory.

But the tide could be turning for the overlooked sink, with plenty of options now available to pique people’s interest.

Ceramic, porcelain for the traditional look White ceramic or porcelain sinks are a still a beloved option for people wanting a traditional look however.

But While they are solid and non-porous, they can chip or scratch, which means repairs may be required.

Making it seamless, with acrylic for a seamless look Acrylic is another option for sinks and it can be molded into any shape or formed in one piece as part of the benchtop. This gives a seamless finish.

People like them for their clean look and because they have no gaps or joins where dirt can hide.

Stainless steel, impossible to hurt Stainless steel is the least expensive material, it remains by far the most popular for plenty of other reasons too.

Stainless steel doesn’t suffer from corrosion or extreme temperature changes, it’s durable and affordable.

It’s almost impossible to hurt.

And it’s available in a myriad of shapes, mounts and configurations.

Top mounted sinks are standard, but under mounted styles give a clean modern line and a much easier surface to wipe.

Life

ALL THAT VIBES.

Grammy award winner J Balvin spreads ‘nice energy, nice vibes’ in the 42-piece capsule collection he designed with Guess.

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

YOUNG LIFE

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019

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Campaign features kids with special needs ALL kids are beautiful, as proven by a campaign which features adorable models, some of whom have a disability.

SM Kids launches #AllKidsBeautiful campaign in partnership with Miss Possibilities Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps kids with special needs show their true beauty and promote self-confidence.

The campaign captures the young models with special conditions like Down syndrome and cerebral palsy enjoying their clothes and confidently celebrating who they are.

The pieces worn by kids are available at the children’s wear section of The SM Store nationwide.

G

RAMMY award winner J Balvin injects his colorful and eclectic style in a 42-piece capsule collection he designed with American fashion label Guess Hailing from Medellín, Colombia, J Balvin, or José Álvaro Osorio Balvín, leads the second-generation reggaetón revolution propelling Latin Urban music to unprecedented global success.

Since his breakthrough in 2014, he has quickly notched 12 no. 1 Latin singles, more than 50 million social media followers, and over 11 billion total YouTube views.

J Balvin is seen often wearing bright colors and dyeing his hair.

Each piece in the collection, dubbed Vibras, named after his chart-topping album, showcases his colorful, risk-taking aesthetic.

“Everything in this capsule is very ‘90s Miami inspired,” said J Balvin.

“The collection is about ‘Vibras,’ nice energy, nice vibes; just smile and that’s what we need, all love.

He added, “Partnering with Guess and designing my first collaboration with a global brand has been a dream, and this really is just the beginning.”

Vibras consists of a selection of ready-to-wear and accessories for men and women.

The women’s collection offers a series of oversized cut-off cropped tees, bodysuits, bandeaus, tank tops, and track pants in red, yellow, white, hot pink, and green hues. Matching colorblocked cut-off denim shorts and vest in royal blue, golden yellow, deep red, and green are the stand out pieces of the capsule collection.

The men’s collection also offers color-blocked denim and vibrant track suits that lend a relaxed feel. Oversized men’s tees dipped in red, yellow, and green tie-dye are seen alongside multi-striped shirts stamped with the “VIBRAS” album artwork; they pair well with the kickboxing shorts.

In addition, the collection offers a variety of swimwear for both men and women in a bright and bold color palette that can be accessorized with 12 eyewear styles, socks, and a multicolor color-blocked fanny pack with a checkerboard guitar strap.

“J Balvin is full of life and good energy. The entire collection is about vibes and what he represents to the culture and the music. Watching him

express that through the Guess lens in the campaign and his influence on the clothing and colors was transformational,” enthused Nicolai Marciano, director of brand partnerships for Guess, Inc. and Guess Jeans USA. The Philippine launch of the Guess Vibras collection was attended by Guess girls Jessica Yang, Bea Marin, Sirene Sutton, Kim Cruz, Kim Ross, Roxanne Barcelo, Issa Pressman, and Guess guys Will Devaughn, DJ Ron Poe, Kerwin King, Louie Sison, and Sky Yang.

The collection is now available at Guess outlets in Glorietta, SM Megamall, TriNoma, Robinson’s Ermita, Ayala Alabang Town Center, and Ayala Cebu.

Guess boys and girls—including Will Devaughn, Kerwin King, Jessica Yang, and Roxanne Barcelo, among others—grace the launch of Vibras, a collection of bold and bright ready-towear apparel and accessories for men and women.

Andie, Johanna, and Marcus star in SM Kids’ #AllKidsBeautiful campaign.

Life

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SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

‘Little ponies’ run in Manila A

BUNCH of “little ponies” recently participated in a friendship run at SM By the Bay.

Toy Kingdom, in partnership with Global Procurement Inc., recently staged the second My Little Pony Friendship Run Manila, inspired by the famous My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic television series.

Kids had the chance to run together with their loved ones and meet new friends along the way as they finished the 5K, 3K, and 1K runs.

The beloved ponies from the Ponyville world—Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity also took part in the event.

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, launched in 2010, follows the lives of six ponies in the Ponyville world. Each pony represents a different facet of friendship as they travel together, seek new adventures, and resolve problems that arise in their friendship.

Kids can get their hands on My Little Pony toys available at Toy Kingdom stores and Toy Kingdom Express outlets.

My Little Pony’s beloved characters—Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity—join the kids and their loved ones in an exciting and colorful friendship run.

Best in My Little Pony Costume winners with Toy Kingdom’s Pearl Datiles, Global Procurement, Inc.’s Marites Fragante, and Media Link’s Anna Ringler.

My Little Pony Friendship Run 3K winners Cavin Bidal, Jartsen Saldua, and Gabriel Servantes.

My Little Pony Friendship Run 1K winners Jehan Saldua, Angelo Cacho, and John Paul Mondejar.

Student entrepreneurs bag award for their eco-friendly bags

THE Philippine representatives to the 2019 JA Asia Pacific Competition bagged FedEx Access Award for their eco-friendly multi-purpose bags made of waste wood fibers and recycled textiles.

Team Terra bested 19 student companies from 13 markets including Aus-

tralia, Brunei, Mainland China, Guam, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand.

Sponsored by FedEx Express, the signature FedEx Access Award celebrates the power of global connectivity and

Team Terra proudly shows their eco-friendly multi-purpose bags made of wood fibers and recycled textiles, which won the FedEx Access Award in the 2019 JA Asia Pacific Competition.

the next generation of innovators who deliver commercial and social possibilities through innovative business ideas.

“In today’s globalized world, entrepreneurial young minds need the opportunities and guidance to realize their full potential,” said FedEx Express Asia Pacific president Karen Reddington.

Reddington continued, “The FedEx Access Award aims to support and equip them with the right mindset, business skills, and passion to one day connect with the rest of the world. FedEx is committed to revitalizing and supporting the growth of future entrepreneurs and is delighted to be part of valuable programs such as the JA Company Program in Asia Pacific.”

JA Asia Pacific is a member of JA Worldwide, one of the world’s largest youth-serving NGOs dedicated to preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship. It aims to empower the youth to benefit from the region’s economic development and to create a positive impact in their lives and communities.

“What I look forward to the most at each year’s Company of the Year competition is to experience the students’ enthusiasm and excitement. I am always thrilled to meet these bright young people and hear the inspiring business ideas they bring,” said JA Asia Pacific president Vivian Lau.

The clay that binds two nations THE Embassy of Israel and the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts stage Common Ground: A Ceramic Art Collaboration of Israel and the Philippines on March 23-29.

Happening at UP Diliman CFA, Common Ground features the medium of clay to bind relationships and establish cultural ties between Israel and the Philippines.

This unique collaboration brings Is-

raeli ceramic and interdisciplinary artist Roy Maayan to the Philippines.

Maayan is bringing to his Master Class lecture-demonstration a mold of a popular Israeli symbol, Matka (a racquet for their national beach sport Matkot). It will be used as a base for combining Israeli and Philippine popular symbols or texts such as iconic product brands, national newspaper banners, and works of National

Artist Larry Alcala, Pupung characters created by Filipino cartoonist Tonton Young, and other popular objects such as bakya, palayok, pamaypay, and more.

The artist talk, open studios, and exhibition events are open to the public for free. Go to UPCFA Ceramic Studio’s Facebook page or call (02) 981-8500 local 3977 for more information.

The Embassy of Israel and the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts stage ‘Common Ground,’ which features clay as a medium that binds relationships.

Freya Yu and Anya Del Callar in their colorful My Little Pony costume.

How to become an empowered

woman

THE word “empowerment” surely gets mentioned a lot this month as the world celebrates National Women’s Month.

Empowerment is defined as the process of becoming stronger and more confident, giving one the capability to take control of their life.

The world is filled with empowered woman—woman with different stories, from all walks of life. And while being empowered is easier said than done, there are five ways to achieve it, as shown by some of today’s notable women.

begins with yourself: The more you respect yourself, the more others will respect you.

Set powerful goals

Setting goals gives you purpose and makes life more meaningful. Whether it is saving up for your dream vacation or further studies, having goals and achieving them will make you feel more empowered. Insurer Axa helps fulfill women’s dreams with AxaAsset Master, a single-pay, investment-linked insurance plan that lets you build a diSpeak up versified investment portfolio of local Most women are afraid to share and global investments. their thoughts and opinions because they think they might be judged or Be independent ridiculed. But not TV host Oprah One of the bravest things you can do Winfrey, who stood up for other as a woman is to be comfortable doing women by condemning sexual har- things on your own. Without people to assment acts in Hollywood during depend on all the time, it is important the Golden Globe Awards in 2018. If to always feel secure. However, acyou know you are doing and saying cidents and disasters cannot be comthe right thing, speak up because it pletely avoided, so it helps to prepare might change or save someone’s life. for these types of emergencies. Axa Empowered women stand by their Property Security offers protection convictions and are never ashamed to for your residence against fire, flood, share their thoughts and feelings. earthquake, and other natural disasters.

Embrace your imperfections

Women often find it easier to point out their f laws rather than their strengths. It is time to stop this unhealthy habit and start encouraging yourself; just like top American model Ashley Graham who has learned to love herself and embrace her curves despite being bodyshamed many times before. Slowly work on self-improvement by listing down your weaknesses, strengths, and unique characteristics to see what you need to work on. Respect

Empower other women

There’s nothing more powerful than women banding together and lifting each other up. See actress Emma Watson as an example—a passionate feminist who once said, “We want to empower other women to do exactly what they want, to be true to themselves, to have opportunities to develop.” Like her, you can help others celebrate their life and embrace their individuality by setting a good example—show them that they, too, can be strong and independent.

Entertainment

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Itchyworms

This Band

Chart-topping artists headline

Festival of Possibilities

I Belong to the Zoo

F

ILINVEST City is once again treating its residents, workers, and guests to an extraordinary day of music top-billed by some of today’s hottest acts as it brings back its community fair, Festival of Possibilities, on April 26 at the sprawling Filinvest City Event Grounds.

Set to perform at the biggest stage in Metro South are Brisom, Chiquerella, Lunar Lights, Wicked Adobo, Written by the Stars, I Belong to the Zoo, This Band, Itchyworms, Rivermaya, and Spongecola.

Now on its second year, Festival of Possibilities 2019 will be bigger and more exciting than the first. Apart from the awesome music, Filinvest City, the premier, green-oriented live-work-play community in Metro South and venue of some of the most remarkable, crowd-drawing events in the country, also have fun and interactive outdoor plays waiting for its guests, such as arcade games and inflatables. They can bond over delightful and mouth-watering

People...

From C4

eats and treats at the food bazaar. Everyone can look forward to an unforgettable experience.

Admission to the Festival of Possibilities is free. Festivalgoers must only present proof of residence or employment in Filinvest City at the venue gates to get in.

With its sprawling events grounds, easy accessibility, notable estate and security management, as well as pedestrian-friendly road networks, Filinvest City is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after events venues in Metro South. For more information on Festival of Possibilities 2019 and other upcoming events in Metro South, visit www.facebook.com/ FilivestCityOFFICIAL.

Spongecola

Why Chuckie Antonio bid showbiz goodbye IN BOTH instances, Albert Alvin Lopez Antonio III denies that his nickname came from a chocolate beverage and nor was it derived from Chuckie Dreyfus. Chuckie Antonio clarifies, “My siblings and I, all our nicknames start with a Ch. Yes, I do love the chocolate beverage, I think I have guzzled so many of them, growing up, and I also know the actor we are talking about.”

Handsome, no doubt a leading man material, an impeccable dresser, with a cosmopolitan demeanor. Rich and educated, this former Circle of 10 finalist, could have been in the exclusive top one percent category of John Lloyd Cruz, Gerald Anderson, James Reid, and Daniel Padilla, had he pursued the entertainment industry full time.

Thus I cannot help but wonder why he bid his showbiz dreams goodbye.

Antonio replies with a sheepish smile, “I really want to be of service sa mga kababayan ko. It has always been

my calling.”

He comes clean, “I did some modeling in the past especially during my Circle of 10 days. But, it was more like of a side thing ko lang dati. Hindi rin naman ako marunong umarte,” Antonio chuckles and carries on, “It’s important for me to help people.”

“Maraming nagtatanong kung artista ako at saka sinasabi sa akin na dapat mag-artista ako, kasi ginugulo ko raw buy ko ,” adds Antonio. “I have regards for actors, they inspire and make many people happy with their movies and television shows. I appreciate the fact that they use the cinematic arts to bring their messages of hope and learning to the audience.

You know,hindi ko lang talaga siya cup of tea.”

Prior to being in politics, he credits his love for sports— basketball,

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, March 23, 2019

ACROSS 1 Unexpected complication 6 Jettison 10 Dirty air 14 Creamy color 15 Disoriented 16 Corduroy rib 17 “Walk Away —” 18 Actual 19 “Hawkeye” Pierce 20 Perfumes 22 Move unsteadily 24 Forked over 25 Dogies 26 Certain woodwind player 29 Dunaway of films 30 Get along 31 Nights before 33 Hindu statesman 38 Sparkle 40 Fill with wonder 41 Animal’s track 42 Like river bottoms 43 “— we forget” 45 Transport by truck 46 Boat berth 48 Highest points 50 Large snakes 54 — scratch

55 Go back over 56 Made a typo 60 ISU location 61 Where Hong Kong is 63 Crumble away 64 Oriole abode 65 Cheery tune 66 Storms about 67 Vulnerable joint for many athletes 68 Former spouses 69 Pussyfoot DOWN 1 Employ 2 Noted lithographer 3 Long ones weigh 2,240 pounds 4 Weirdest 5 Scavenging animals 6 Pressed one’s luck 7 Puts to work 8 Drop — — line 9 Measly 10 Cut a wide — 11 Where Valletta is 12 Of yore 13 Transmission parts 21 Name 23 Starts business

25 Mirage sights 26 Switch positions 27 Exotic island 28 Pertaining to the mouth 29 Not as many 32 Hollows 34 Fleeting 35 Deception 36 Bounder 37 WWW addresses 39 Flu shots 44 Sailors 47 Get some air

49 Fire irons 50 Practical joke 51 Red Sea republic 52 The ones here 53 Waste maker 54 Decrees 56 Runner’s unit 57 Hindu mystic 58 First orchard?

59 Escritoire 62 Half a dozen

swimming and s o c c e r — a s instrumental to his emotional and intellectual growth as a man.

Chuckie explains, “Sport teaches you discipline, that you have to work hard to be able to reach your goals. You get bruised, hurt, pero laban pa rin.

You get all sorts of criticisms, minsan sacourt, trash talk pa nga pero you don’t mind it. Yung focus mo is to win. Being an athlete, it made a wellrounded and grounded individual, and a better man, I guess.”

He is currently in his last term as barangay councilor and now runs as councilor for the third district of Quezon City as an independent candidate.

“I really want to help the community. I have a vision po kasi na I want to pursue and I want to be part of this generation. I want

to show the people or youth that we can be active especially when it comes to government na kaya nating gumawa. We can make a difference.

We can be a part of the development.

Similar to our Southeast Asian neighbors.”

He enthuses, “When I had my masters degree in Singapore, Masters in Management with Specialization in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, I was able to experience hands on how the youth were so involved in business, government, different industries, technology. I think that model, I can make use of it para sa development of the youth sector.”

Asked him if being good-looking helps him in his campaign, Antonio blurts out a hearty chuckle, “I think it does help because in a way, charm is a great ice breaker and you immediately get warm and kind reactions from the people but, I don’t know if being guapo is enough to translate warm reception to real votes.”

“You have to invest time and effort para ma-affirm ang husay mo experience-wise. It’s not enough na madiskarte ka lang. Kailangan mo din ng formal training at alam mo dapat ang jargons of the field you are in,” shared the authoritative figure who now gets paid well even by just doing talks and inspiring wannabes around, may they be in business or other sectors.

Once there was a time when he couldn’t even handle straight English talk. “Namamatay ako kapag English na ang usapan,” he joked, “Kaya I practiced public speaking by reading aloud.”

As soon as Joey realized he needed to beef up his credentials, he attended business-related seminars and courses left and right, initially at the expense of his highly respected dad.

He finished his masters at AIM and Ateneo and practically transformed from being “Titser’s Enemi Number 1” to a dedicated student fueled to finish courses that would help fortify his knowledge in doing business the schooled way.

Of course, he believes that the best teacher is experience. But having the certificates gave him the legitimacy natural gift can’t afford. In basketball one can be born a pure shooter, yet the right shooting form must eventually come into play.

While his dad is a chef of immense skills, Joey has perfected his touch in conceptualizing business ideas that assisted in giving birth to restaurants like Tokyo Joe, Ramen Metro, and Oishi Batchoi, not to mention his finesse in refining the Rai Rai Ken brand that he anchored into a multioutlet way beyond imagination. In a remarkable one year spurt, he guided the establishment of 15 Rai Rai Ken branches. Even more amazing is the fact that in between those build-ups were, you guess, failed attempts.

“You learn from failures and it shouldn’t stop you from forging ahead,” he implied.

That’s another way of saying that one swims through by moving forward until he reaches the shore.

Joey’s way of cooking has gone the distance. He quipped, “Ako ang tagaluto na ang specialty, pag-isip ng konsepto.”

One of these concepts propelled TITANS Business Ventures Corporation to reality, offering a business model canvass to help brands flourish. It’s a company put up by established entrepreneurs wanting to take their titanic triumphs to another level. Joey and his partners, namely, Edmar Batac, Christian Leynes, Pocholo Gonzales, Ed Paras, and Dave Varona, have already partnered with select brands, or those that caught their interest in the name of expansion.

In just so short a time, or a mere couple of months’ quick, TITANS is fast-emerging as a go-to for brands aiming to grow.

The company’s focus is “finding areas where business could be more productive and successful.” Areas like business planning, back office support, and game-changing executive decisions are all covered by expertlyformulated programs and services that brands need to make a stir in the business community.

Perhaps part of Joey’s trick is his eye for seeing the “artistic side of doing things,” which is being innovative, creative, and out of the box.

He related, “Business is never a science. It is an art made possible by maximizing the use of things you learn.”

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

Entertainment

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019

‘KADENANG GINTO’

hits new all-time TV rating VIEWERS nationwide cannot get enough of the feisty catfights and fierce confrontations in Kadenang Ginto as it recorded a new all-time high national TV rating on Monday, March 18.

The trending Kapamilya series hit a national TV rating of 23.5 percent, or almost double of its rival show Inagaw ang Bituin that only got 12 percent, according to data from Kantar Media.

It was an emotional and gripping Monday for viewers as the episode showed Daniela (Dimples Romana) slapping her young stepsister Cassie (Francine Diaz) after a heated encounter.

But with the bruises inflicted on her after their bout, Cassie finally had the courage to fight for her right to stay in

their mansion by reporting her sister to the police.

While Cassie is struggling in the hands of her sister and niece Marga (Andrea Brillantes), her mother Romina (Beauty Gonzales) is also hopeful that she could get out of jail because of the possibility that the court might grant her the petition to post bail. But Daniela will do everything in her will to prevent Romina from living the life she once had and make sure she rots in jail.

Until when will Cassie and Romina take all the beating from their nemesis Daniela and Marga?

Kadenang Ginto airs on Kapamilya Gold on ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable ch 167).

The whole cast of 'The Last Interview' led by John Estrada (leftmost) and director Caesar Soriano (second from left) during the film's special screening attended by Angeline “Sweet" Halili (seated, third from right), daughter of the slain mayor.

JOHN ESTRADA

in his ‘most’ controversial role

T

HERE is a good reason to watch John Estrada playing the NICKIE WANG late Antonio Halili, who served as mayor of Tanuauan City in Batangas from 2013 until his controversial death in July last year. If we are to take Caesar Soriano’s word for it, the film is full of drama and well-acted.

Less than 24 hours before Mayor Halili was assassinated while having the flag ceremony at the newly constructed municipal town hall of Tanauan City, journalist and film director Caesar Soriano was able to interview the feisty mayor.

The interview was supposedly geared towards Soriano’s plan of making a biopic about the life of the controversial mayor.

In the interview, the politician poured out his strong staunch about fighting illegal drugs, the controversies surrounding his walk of shame “parade” campaign, his private life, and all his dreams and aspirations for his dear town.

But by a strange twist of faith, Mayor Halili was gunned down by unknown assailant on that dreadful morning of July 1, 2018. But being a good friend that he is, Soriano still stands firmly to push through with the plan of making the movie.

Entitled The Last Interview: The Mayor Antonio Halili Story, the movie depicts about the colorful life of of the departed mayor told in the point of view of Soriano who managed to have an in-depth interview with the slain politician.

“When I was a reporter, I was very fascinated and obsessed in understanding the harsh and not normal parading of drug pushers and drug users. I came to know that this mayor was accused of human rights violations.That started by vision of creating a film about Mayor Halili,” Soriano told members of the entertainment media during a press preview of the movie held at SM Lipa Cinema recently.

“I wanted to know why was he doing that, what motivated him, what was the reason, what was his driving force why he had to parade these drug pushers and users,” he added.

For actor John Estrada, playing Mayor Halili is one of the best movie roles he portrayed, and even the director of the film agreed saying that the actor’s portrayal of the role is so affecting and natural he might even win an award.

“It’s so humbling, I accepted

the role because of the colorful and intriguing personality of Mayor Halili.

Although I’m not into politics, and I don’t consider myself running for public office or doing government works, I would have loved talking to the late mayor if he were alive. His story is both interesting and inspirational,” John said during the special screening.

The actor recalled how the director wanted to make him look like the mayor by asking him to wear some of his clothes, his shoes, including his favorite necklace.

“Good thing they didn’t fit,” he said.

“But I made it a point to watch a few footage of the mayor to study his gestures, how he moves or the way he stands.”

The Last Interview: The Mayor Antonio Halili Story, which will screen commercially after the elections, also stars Ara Mina, Michael Flores, Phoebe Walker, JM Soriano, Martin Escudero, and Kate Alejandrino. ***

The plot thickens in the top-rating afternoon soap, 'Kadenang Ginto.'

Gerard Salonga wields the baton for Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra

Joey Garcia is the President and CEO of Titans Business Ventures Corp. which helps brands grow and sail smooth.

The unsinkable ‘Titan’ SUCCESS has been kind to businessman and visionary Joey Garcia in almost the same force as the cruelty of failure bugged him along the way.

But those setbacks, unnecessary as not to be even mentioned, proved crucial in correcting mistakes that helped turn losses into victories.

“Marami akong failures sa buhay.

Iskul bukol nga ako nung nasa eskwela pa ako. I learned how to play billiards during those days,” informed the highlyachieving family man in casual tone that sounded quite funny yet honest to the core.

But while weaker men would wallow in the dark and cry over spilt milk, Joey corrected his questionable ways early on. By age 18, he was already professionally involved in their family business.

It did help for a smoother path after his father Benjie-san (as he is fondly called in the food business community) catapulted to household-name their family restaurant Rai Rai Ken. But that only raised the standard he was up against.

Determined to prove he is a man on a mission, he rose to the challenge, kept himself afloat while learning the trade, and selfwilled towards a sail long and lasting. Continued on C3

Actor John Estrada plays Antonio Halili, the slain mayor of Tanauan City, Batangas, in an upcoming film helmed by journalist and director Caesar Soriano.

ORCHESTRAL conductor and musical arranger Gerard Salonga will now have to shuttle between Kuala Lumpur and Manila for the whole of 2019, as he takes on a new job as resident conductor of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO).

After working as assistant conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 2016 and still currently for the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra, Gerard now wields the baton for the MPO. He learned about his new job in May 2018, while he was in Kuala Lumpur to conduct one of the concerts of the MPO. “At that time, the general manager sat down with me and let me know of their intention to invite me to be their next resident conductor,” Gerard shares.

“Naturally, I felt great about it. I’ve known about that orchestra since they were founded in 2008.”

The MPO is a music group that Gerard has always respected and admired. “Their sound is so beautiful,” he remarks. “The predominantly European string section really brings with them a tradition of beautiful sound and the music is loaded with emotional content when they play.”

Gerard is thankful for his stint as assistant conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, with Maestro Jaap van Zweden as music director. It was towards the end of Gerard’s term with the Hong Kong Philharmonic when the MPO invited him to join them as resident conductor.

He is truly excited that he is given a new opportunity to work with a diverse group of musicians at the MPO. “I had already worked with the MPO as a guest conductor on many concerts, so I felt very comfortable joining them, and had established a good personal rapport with many of the musicians. I already have a lot of good friends there, who share a love of music and, of course, good food!”

Upon learning about the good news, Gerard immediately shared it with his wife, DJ Francisco Salonga, a NAMCYA awardee and an equally accomplished musician on her own.

She plays the violin for the ABSCBN Philharmonic Orchestra. The couple has been married for 14 years.

“DJ is the person I talk about music with the most. She keeps me humble and always lets me know where I can get better,” Gerard shares.

Gerard’s sister, Lea and his mom Ligaya were also told about the news. His mom’s usual Gerard Salonga will have to go through a busy 2019, as he recently took on a new job to wield the baton for the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.

advice to him was “to get enough rest, eat well and don’t let anyone push me around,” Gerard grants.

The only thing Gerard had to deal with while in Kuala Lumpur, is being away from his two kids – Antonio, 11, and Carmen, 8, a lot. “It’s very hard, really – while I’m away from them,” he attests.

“I’m only okay while I’m working, meaning rehearsing, studying or on stage performing. Every other minute is spent missing my family, especially while I’m eating alone. It doesn’t matter how good the food is if you’re alone and without the people you love.”

Yet, he is looking forward to DJ and the kids spending the summer vacation with him in Malaysia and Hong Kong.

“For future seasons, I will need to intelligently fix my schedule between ABS-CBN, MPO and other conducting engagements,” he says.

“I’ve been invited back to the Singapore Symphony after debuting there last November and the HK Philharmonic usually calls me for several weeks in the season to conduct or assist.”

Aside from conducting the MPO this year, Gerard also has schedules to lead the Hong Kong Philharmonic this March, Kunming Nie-Er Symphony Orchestra in May, South Denmark Philharmonic Orchestra in August and Sydney Symphony Orchestra in November.

Gerard will also work with an orchestra for theater productions like Sweeney To d d for Atlantis Theatrical i n Manila (October) and Singapore Repertory T h e a t e r (NovemberDecember).