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MWSS PENALIZES MANILA WATER WITH P1.1B FOR SUPPLY CUTS By Rio Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System on Wednesday slapped the Manila Water Co. Inc. with a P534million ﬁne and another P600 million to fund a new water source in connection with the water crisis in Metro Manila and Rizal. Administrator Reynaldo Velasco said the East Zone water concessionaire must pay a total of P1.134 billion.

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 70 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

But he clariﬁed that Manila Water must not pass on its expenditures for the establishment of a new water source on its customers. He said Manila Water violated its concession agreement with the government under Article 10.4 for failure to provide 24/7 water supply to its consumers. “The water shortage was an eye-opener, and sad to say, the new MWSS Board inherited this lingering problem having assumed ofﬁce only in February 2017. Next page

Davao takes twin hits

PHIVOLCS sees no damage; In Luzon, 600 aftershocks

WO earthquakes hit Davao on Wednesday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported, even as it warned the public to prepare for powerful aftershocks that could follow the quake that rocked Luzon Monday.

At 11:43 a.m. Wednesday, a magnitude 4.7 quake struck 63-kilometer northeast of Baganga, Davao Oriental at a depth of 11 kilometers. Intensity 1 was recorded in Bislig City and Surigao Del Sur. A magnitude 4.5 quake, on the other hand, struck 374 kilometers southeast of Sarangani, Davao Occidental at 11:28 a.m., at a depth of

270 kilometers. Both quakes were of tectonic origin. PHIVOLCS said it does not expect any damage or aftershocks from the two quakes. PHIVOLCS Director Renato Solidum, meanwhile, said aftershocks from Monday’s 6.1 magnitude Next page

Grim scenarios emerge after series of tremors By Joel E. Zurbano FOLLOWING a series of temblors over the last three days, the West Valley Fault that passes through 42 barangays in Makati, Taguig, Marikina, Pasig, Muntinlupa and Quezon City could trigger a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, causing massive destruction in Metro Manila and killing 35,000 people in the first hour alone. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned that “a Big One” would likely cause 500 instantaneous fires as well in Metro Manila and parts of Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna, through which the 100-kilometer West Valley Fault runs. In such a scenario, 170,000 residential houses would collapse, fires would burn about 1,710 hectares of land and properties, and 18,000 more people would be killed by a secondary disaster. The shorter 10-km. East Valley Fault would put Rodriguez and San Mateo towns in Rizal at risk as well. Experts said the government must inspect and assess all old buildings and vital structures. “Old buildings need to be examined more closely and undergo extensive testing to gauge their vulnerability,” said Ernesto de Castro, president of an engineering services company, ESCA Inc. “They must be retrofitted based on the [Building] Code. I know the government is doing it right now.” ESCA was responsible for the structural retrofitting and code upgrade of the old Meralco Building along Ortigas Avenue in Pasig City in 2011. The project covered a floor area of about 41,340 sqm for the main edifice and 16,420 sqm for the annex.

VALLEY FAULT.

The Marikina Valley Fault System, also known as the Valley Fault System, is a dominantly dextral strike-slip fault system in Luzon which extends from Doña Remedios in Bulacan in the north through the provinces of Rizal, Cavite and Laguna and the Metro Manila cities of Quezon, Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Taguig and Muntinlupa. The fault contains two major segments, known as West Valley Fault and East Valley Fault.

Rody: Blood tests ‘every other day’

Meralco users suffer brownouts

By Nat Mariano

By Alena Mae S. Flores and Joel E. Zurbano CUSTOMERS of Manila Electric Co. experienced rotating outages starting at 1 p.m. Wednesday as some power plants remained ofﬂine due to the earthquake that hit Luzon on Monday and maintenance work. The Department of Energy reported a manual load drop of 371 megawatts in the Luzon grid representing about 3.5 percent of the entire demand of 10,684 MW. Meralco said affected areas in its franchise area includes parts of Sto. Tomas, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Taytay, San Pablo City, Las Piñas, Makati City, Wack-Wack Greenhills East, Binondo, Sampaloc, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Parañaque City, Pasig City, Pateros, Quezon City, Taguig City, Quezon Province, Lucena City Domoit, Gulang-Gulang, Ibabang Dupay and Lucena City. The brownouts occurred from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday but grid operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines raised the red alert status for the Luzon grid from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. due to insufﬁcient generating capacity. It raised the yellow alert status, which signaled that power reserves Next page

RACE AGAINST TIME. Rescue workers carry a survivor out of the collapsed Chuzon supermarket in Porac, Pampanga on Tuesday (above), a day after a 6.3 magnitude shock rumbled underneath in much of Pampanga, Zambales and Metro Manila and outlying provinces, with a building in ruins in Porac (left) jabbing the eyes of survivors and others. AFP, Contributed Photo

‘Endgame’ rakes it in at box office

First local hybrid train ready to roll

LOS ANGELES—After nearly two dozen films and billions of dollars in ticket sales around the globe, the Avengers are gearing up for a final time—and their last adventure could shatter all box office records.

STOP. Look. And Listen. The Department of Science and Technology said Wednesday the Philippines’ first locally made hybrid electric train would start commercial operations on May 6.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte says he undergoes blood testing “almost every other day” because of smoking-related health complications. He made the revelation in a speech late Tuesday night before tuberculosis experts during the 7th Union Asia-Paciﬁc Regional Conference in Pasay City. “I’m 74 years old. I do not want to die of TB. I do not want to die of lung cancer. As a matter of fact, I acquired Buerger’s disease from smoking. That is why my doctor is here. She gets my blood almost every other day, Duterte said. “And I said, ‘Doctor, leave me some... to survive and this is just a week.’ It’s about Buerger’s disease. But I have stopped smoking.” Before attending the conference, Duterte visited the earthquake-hit areas in Pampanga, where he was seen having a cotton in his right arm. Next page

News

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Four Sayyaf killed in gov't assaults; BIFF reprisals feared By Francisco Tuyay AIR and ground security forces assaulted Abu Sayyaf bunkers in the mountain slopes of Basilan and Sulu that resulted in the killing of four bandits and wounded several others on Wednesday, officials said. The biggest battle took place on the outskirts of Sitio Gipitan in Bohe Pahu village in Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan, after Army and Air Force contingents launched operations against the Abu Sayyaf under sub-leader Furuji Indama. In other developments: • A heightened alert has been declared by the North Cotabato police for possible retaliatory attacks by the Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters after one of its sub-leaders and two of his men were killed in recent clashes in Midsayap, North Cotabato, a police official said Wednesday. Lt. Col. Bernard Tayong, speaking for the North Cotabato police office, said Col. Maximo Layugan, provincial police director, had ordered all town police stations to maintain a heightened alert and secure all places of convergence like churches following the foiled bombing of a chapel in Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat. • Clashes erupted between government forces and communist rebels in the border of two towns in North Cotabato on Tuesday morning, prompting thousands of civilians to flee. The firefight between elements of the Army’s 19th Infantry Battalion and communist New People’s Army rebels on the boundary of Antipas and Magpet towns slightly wounded two soldiers and a civilian.

Rody... From A1

In December last year, Duterte said he paid a visit to a hospital where he underwent blood testing. The Palace then quickly shot down speculations on his health, with Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo saying it was merely a regular blood test, something that the public should not worry about. Duterte’s state of health has been a favorite topic of speculation from his critics. In his previous speeches, Duterte had admitted suffering from migraine, back pain and Buerger’s disease. He even explained several months ago that he underwent endoscopy and colonoscopy because he suffers from a gastroesophageal reflux disease called Barret’s esophagus. But he said he was cancer-free, dismissing rumors about his supposedly deteriorating health. Since then, Malacañang has maintained that it will not release any medical bulletin about the President’s health, stressing that under the Constitution, such disclosure was only needed once the President suffered from a case of serious illness.

First... From A1

The air-conditioned train, which will run on technology similar to Toyota Prius hybrid cars, can accommodate 880 passengers per trip, and was designed and built by DOST engineers and local fabricators. DOST’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development, which developed the train, said the Philippine National Railways would run it on the Alabang-Biñan route.

’Endgame’... From A1

“Avengers: Endgame” is the final installment of a wildly ambitious 22-film arc featuring the beloved superheroes of the Marvel universe, many of them the creations of late comic book legend Stan Lee. It hits theaters this week—parts of Asia and Europe get the first view of the three-hour epic on Wednesday, and it gets its wide release in the US and Canada on Friday. Pundits are predicting a debut weekend that could break records with the first billion-dollar opening in history. That would easily beat out the previous record holder, “Avengers: Infinity War,” the first part of the “Infinity Saga”—as it was dubbed by Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige, who has produced every single movie in the franchise—which opened in 2018 with $640.5 million. After Monday’s star-studded world premiere in Hollywood, the six original Avengers celebrated the end of the road Tuesday at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre. AFP

Rody’s parting shot: Dismissal letters By Nat Mariano

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he will leave “many letters of dismissal” before ﬂying to attend the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in China. In a speech during the 7th Union AsiaPacific Regional Conference in Pasay City, Duterte again cited the possible termination of several government officials due to alleged corruption. “If you ask me if I’m happy with the job [the presidency], I am not because of so

many corruption and I have to fire,” he said. “I’m leaving for China, and before that I will leave so many letters of dismissal. You have to [do] something more than just [issue] a warning.” It was not the first time Duterte mentioned the termination of supposedly cor-

rupt officials under his watch. Two weeks ago, he announced the looming dismissal of corrupt officials next week. Though he did not specify what government agency was involved, he hinted that those he would sack had the “authority to convert.” As he vowed to keep his promise not to tolerate even a “whiff of corruption” under his administration, Duterte has urged the public to be assertive in reporting corrupt activities in the bureaucracy. He has also called on the public to directly inform him of corruption cases or call the government’s hotline 8888. He said he was only awaiting the confirmation of the allegations of corruption

against the perceived corrupt officials. “I vowed to lessen the corruption, but I will fire more next week. I am just waiting for [the] report, he said in a previous speech. “I told them, ‘‘You give me your report and if I find it justifiable, you can stay. But if there is corruption, I’m sorry.” At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping in November, Duterte left on Wednesday to participate in the three-day forum from April 25 to 27. This will mark the fourth time he will be in Beijing. This year, the latest government official to leave the administration was former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Alexander Balutan.

Let affluent rebuild Marawi—Du30

BEIJING BOUND. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte boards a plane bound for the People's Republic of China at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City on April 24. Duterte was scheduled to take part in the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. Presidential Photo

Davao... From A1

earthquake could persist for several days as he urged the public to prepare. Some 600 aftershocks have been recorded since Monday’s main earthquake but the number is “not unusual,” Solidum told the ANC news channel. “When a fault moves, it will not totally stop moving. The ground around it will still adjust. That’s why we have aftershocks,” Solidum said. “In Zambales, it’s not a major earthquake, so we can still record aftershocks several days after, even weeks, but we think in time, the number will decrease and the spacing in between aftershocks will be far in between,” he said. Earthquakes are unlikely to cause significant damage, unless they come from the West Valley Fault that stretches from Bulacan to Laguna and passes through Metro Manila, he said. “Please don’t panic. Be calm during an event. What is important is understand the scenario,” he said. A magnitude 4.5 aftershock struck Zambales province at 2:02 a.m. Wednesday, PPHIVOLCS said. There were no immediate reports of damage. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported Wednesday that the number of people injured in Monday’s magnitude 6.1 earthquake has climbed to 86. In its 6 a.m. update Wednesday, the agency said the number of dead is still at 16 and the missing at 14. All these figures are from Region III alone and are still subject to validation, the agency added. The number of families affected by the earthquake has now reached 358 or 1,938 persons residing in seven cities and municipalities, also in Region III. Of these, 245 families or 1,271 individu-

Meralco... From A1

have become thin from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. DOE said that as of 11:30 a.m., a total of 1,577 megawatts of installed capacity was down from the following power plants: GN Power Mariveles Coal Power Plant (GMPC) Units 1 and 2 (690 MW) and SMC Consolidated Power Corporation (SCPC) Limay Coal Units 1 and 2 (300 MW), going offline due to the Monday’s quake. The one unit of the Mariveles coal plant was expected to be back online Wednesday while the other unit has yet to be restored. The SCPC coal plants are expected to come online from April 25 to 27. The Pagbilao Unit 3 of Pagbilao Energy Corp. has only declared 133 MW or 32 percent of its 420 MW total installed capacity due to an ongoing assessment of the condition of their boiler. The Sem-Calaca coal plant remains derated to 200 MW from 300 MW due to “half condenser operation” while the Malaya unit 1 was running at 150 MW only from 300 MW. DOE said a total of 248.88 MW of power has been committed by interruptible load participants which will allow the plants to operate their generating sets as support to the limited power supply.

als are now being aided in four evacuation centers while another 108 families are being assisted outside of evacuation centers. The NDRRMC reported that 80 structures and buildings suffered varying degrees of damage in Region III and the National Capital Region. A total of 67 houses were reported damaged in Bataan and Pampanga, 54 of which were wrecked. The remaining 13 were partially damaged. Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said Monday’s quake also did at least P50 million worth of damage to irrigation canals and dams. In a briefing in San Fernando, Pampanga, Piñol told President Rodrigo Duterte that agricultural production would not be affected by the quake. Meanwhile, the number of injured in Eastern Visayas following Tuesday’s magnitude 6.5 earthquake stood at 10, the NDRRMC said. The 6 a.m. update, signed and released by NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad, said that 35 buildings and structures were damaged in San Julian, Eastern Samar. Also, the provinces of Eastern Samar and Northern Samar have experienced power interruptions due to the earthquake. A total of eight schools were damaged by the 6.5 magnitude earthquake, which hit San Julian, Eastern Samar on Tuesday, the Department of Education reported. In a partial situation report released late Tuesday, DepEd said eight schools in Borongan and Tacloban were damaged by the quake. These are Maypangdan National High School in Borongan City, and Antionio Balmes National High School, Bayanihan Elementary School, Cirilio Montejo National High School, Nula-tula Elementary School, Scan National High School, Tigbao Diit Central School, V & G National High School—all in Tacloban City. Most of them had cracked ceilings, floors and walls, broken glass windows, and other minor damage. PNA

NGCP, for its part, announced that the manual load drop may also be implemented in areas outside of Meralco’s franchise area, including parts of Isabela, Pampanga, Batangas and Camarines Sur. Other areas that may be affected are Quezon, Albay, Nueva Ecija, Camarines Norte and Cabanatuan City. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi apologized for the inconvenience caused by the outages in parts of Luzon from April 11 to 12. “Based on the figures, we were supposed to have sufficient power supply that week. Regrettably, what could not have been forecast were the simultaneous unplanned outages of several power plants,” Cusi said. Despite having an excess of 1,131MW over peak demand, the unforeseen shutdowns of several plants at the same time resulted in 1,502MW loss of available capacity, the Energy chief said. “While we are currently investigating the matter, it is highly inappropriate for us to comment, make assumptions or speculate on the causes of what we think is an extraordinary occurrence,” Cusi said. “The entire industry must share collective responsibility over what happened. This includes the Department of Energy (DOE), the NGCP, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), the distribution utilities (DU), and the generating companies,” he said. With Darwin G. Amojelar, PNA

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte says the government will no longer spend money to rebuild Marawi City, and that he will just allow its affluent residents and businessmen to spend for the full restoration of the city that was damaged by five months of an armed conflict. In a situation briefing on Tuesday to assess the damage wrought by Monday’s earthquake in Pampanga, Duterte said the government was “not ready” to rebuild the city back to its state before the 2017 siege. “I don’t think I should be spending for their buildings. I will not waste anything,” Duterte said. “Those people have the money. Every Maranao there is a businessman. Shabu is included. They have money,” Duterte said. “The debate there is whether I would be also building the same kind that they lost. I don’t think I am ready for that.” Senatorial candidate Samira Gutoc slammed Duterte. Mr. President, with due respect, you dishonor Marawi and the memory of those who perished in the Marawi siege, even the soldiers you sent there,” Gutoc said. “This is a lousy excuse for the lousy ef-

fort this administration has been giving to rehabilitate Marawi. “It breaks my heart to hear the President’s words that he has really no intention to fund the much-delayed, much-sought rehabilitation of Marawi, two years after he made the order to rain bombs and pulverize my beloved city without even consulting the people who live in it.” Duterte said the armed conflict in Marawi had always been a “man-made calamity.” “It was bound to happen because of what they were doing there, he said. But he commended the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council for building housing projects for the affected families. “The thing I admired most was the speed that you built the houses in Marawi, Duterte said, admiring the work of HUDCC chairman Eduardo del Rosario. “They say Marawi is not yet ready to The epicenter was really downtown. But the informal settlers, the squatters so to speak, what Del Rosario did was really good. It’s sturdy, it can stand another whatever.”

Grim...

of 6,200 fatalities and 21,000 injured. Based on MMEIRS, the other cities identified as vulnerable sites were Quezon City with an estimated 5,800 deaths and 19,400 injured, while Pasig City would suffer 3,400 deaths and 11,900 injured. The data also showed that Quezon City would have the biggest number of damaged residential buildings with 26,900 damaged houses followed by Manila with 26,200, Pasig with 23,000, Muntinlupa, with 13,500 and Taguig with 11,600. Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay on Wednesday urged city residents whose houses are built on top of the West Valley Fault to relocate and said the city government would provide financial assistance. The city government has inspected and declared 95 buildings in the city safe for occupancy following the recent quake that hit Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon on Monday. Those structures include all public elementary and secondary schools in the city, University of Makati, Ospital ng Makati, three City Hall buildings, and 46 private buildings. Mayor Binay said a total of 113 buildings consisting of 67 government facilities and 46 private buildings have been inspected to date. Of these, 18 health centers require further evaluation by city engineers, apart from the covered court in Barangay Sta. Cruz, which was found with some visible cracks. No casualties were reported in Makati. Binay earlier ordered the Office of the Building Official and the Department of Engineering and Public Works to take the lead in conducting inspections on private buildings and government facilities in the city, respectively. A total of 18 inspection teams from the OBO, DEPW, MDRRMO, General Services Department, Makati Health Department, Bureau of Fire Protection and Department of Education-Makati have been formed and mobilized starting Tuesday. With Maricel V. Cruz, Rey E. Requejo, Rio N. Araja and PNA

From A1

“What we did in Meralco was retrofitting based on the 7.2 magnitude earthquake. The structure can withstand the 7.2 strong quake. It can be damaged but it will not collapse,” De Castro said. The organization was also involved in the retrofitting and rehabilitation of the Ayala Bridge in San Miguel, Manila and the construction of SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City. Experts said heritage sites are the most vulnerable structures that will be destroyed by earthquakes given their age and the number of calamities they have withstood in the past. Nine years ago, the Department of Public Works and Highways conducted a thorough inspection and evaluation of 366 public structures, including school buildings in Metro Manila to ensure they can withstand a major earthquake. Of the 366 buildings, 60 were recommended for urgent detailed evaluation. Being one of the oldest cities in the country, Manila is most vulnerable to the “Big One,” the Metro Manila Development Authority said. In case of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, the MMDA said most parts of Manila will either be destroyed by huge fires or swept away by hundred-meter tall tsunamis, causing a horrific number of deaths and massive destruction. The MMDA is citing the earthquake damage scenario contained in the 2004 Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study conducted by the government with the help of the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The study details the effects of a powerful quake as a result of the sudden movement of the West Valley Fault. MMEIRS showed that Manila was among the cities in Metro Manila identified as vulnerable sites in case a nighttime 7.2 magnitude quake strikes with an estimate

MWSS... From A1

We are on a catch up,” Velasco’s statement read. Manila Water was ordered to deduct P534 million in penalty from the bills of its customers. In related developments: • Manila Water said it would abide by the decision of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System to pay a financial penalty upon the recommendation of the MWSS Regulatory Office declaring that the East Zone concessionaire should be penalized under Section 10.4 of the Concession Agreement for its inability to meet its service obligations to provide 24/7 water supply to its consumers. “We will abide by the MWSS Decision to impose a penalty. While we are not the root cause for the inadequacy of the raw water supply coming from Angat Dam which we are mandated to treat and distribute, Manila Water, as agent and contractor of water services of MWSS, hold ourselves

accountable for our inability to provide our consumers with the usual uninterrupted water service,“ says Manila Water president and CEO Ferdinand dela Cruz. “Our inability to provide our usual 24/7 water supply to some of our consumers is because Manila Water’s allocated water supply from Angat Dam is no longer sufficient for the total demand of the East Zone consumers. This raw water allocation has remained unchanged at 1,600 MLD since the Concession started in 1997 when the East Zone had a population of only 3 million people. Today, Manila Water serves a population of almost 7 million people whose per capita consumption has significantly increased through over two decades of economic progress in Metro Manila. We cannot source any more from our system losses which have already been brought down to 12 percent from a high of 63 percent when we inherited the East Zone concession of Metro Manila in 1997.” • Senators urged the MWSS to ensure that the P1-billion sanction slapped on Manila Water Co. due to the recent water shortage would benefit its customers.

News

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Leni’s rating back to good; Sotto stays at ‘very good’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta FROM moderate last December, Vice President Leni Robredo’s satisfaction rating climbed back to good, even as Senate President Vicente Sotto’s rating stayed at very good, according to the latest Social Weather Stations survey released on Wednesday. The March survey had Robredo’s rating climbing back to a “good” +42, or 15 points up from December’s “moderate” +27 rating. This means that around 63 percent of adult Filipinos were satisfied with Robredo’s performance while 21 percent were dissatisfied, SWS said. The polling agency said the increase in the vice president’s rating were the result of the increases on her satisfaction rating in Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Robredo’s rating in Metro Manila, however, declined by two percent. Last year, it stayed at “moderate” but went down to +14 in March from +16 in December 2018. Sotto, meanwhile, got a satisfaction rating of “very good” +61 between December 2018 and March 2019, roughly the same rating last year. The SWS said Sotto’s satisfaction rating up in Mindanao and Balance Luzon, a 10-point drop in Metro Manila, and a steady score in the Visayas. This means that 71 percent of adult Filipinos were satisfied with Sotto’s performance while 10 percent was dissatisfied. House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s, meanwhile, got another “poor,” rating, despite getting a 4-point increase from December ( -27) and (-17) in March. This means that 29 percent of adult Filipinos were satisfied with her performance as while 46 percent were dissatisfied. The polling agency said the increase in Arroyo’s rating was the result of the increases in her ratings in Balance Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, with a 3-point decline in Metro Manila. Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, on the other hand, had a “moderate” +14, up by 3 points from December’s +11 satisfaction rating. The survey said that 36 percent were satisfied with Bersamin’s performance as head of the Supreme Court, while 20 percent were dissatisfied.

DISPLACED WOMEN. Vice President Leni Robredo delivered a message during the graduation ceremony for displaced women who are part of the Initiative for Marawi

Women Weaving and Empowerment Program during her visit to Marawi City on Tuesday, April 23. The program, which seeks to provide psychosocial, political, and economic empowerment to women and girls displaced by the siege, was initiated by SPARK! Philippines and the Austrian Embassy in Manila, and implemented through a partnership with Sinagtala PH, an NGO that assists displaced residents of Marawi, with particular focus on women and children. VP Leni’s trip to Marawi coincided with her 54th birthday. Arnold Almacen

Comelec 90% ready for elections—Jimenez T By Rey E. Requejo

HE Commission on Elections on Wednesday declared itself ready for the midterm elections in May.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the poll body said it is “90 percent prepared” for the May 13 national and local elections scheduled, despite the recent series of earthquakes that hit the country. Jimenez described Comelec 90 percent ready for the poll exercise, adding that the poll body would have been 95 percent prepared if not for the earthquakes. He added that the remaining 10 percent will be the deployment of about 85,000 machines that will be used for the automated elections. Jimenez said they are now in the process of analyzing the readiness of each facility assigned to hold the elections, especially in places damaged by the earthquakes. But so far, there have been no

recommendations yet for changes of polling centers due to the earthquake, he added. The poll body is set to start the shipping of the ballots to be used on election day, especially to far-ﬂung areas. Some 18,000 positions are up for grabs in the upcoming polls. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has been asked to stop the Comelec from implementing its resolution banning the taking of photos during the conduct of the elections on May 13. In a 26-page petition, several groups led by poll watchdog Automated Election System Watch asked the SC to nullify the rule prohibiting use of digital cameras and cellular phones in polling precincts under the recent General Instructions issued by

Senior solon lauds GMA’s focused leadership; quick action after quake

Help quake victims; stop hitting Du30, Palace tells bishop By Nat Mariano INSTEAD of hurling negative rhetoric against the Duterte administration over the controversial war on drugs, Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David should help the victims of the recent strong earthquakes, Malacañang said on Wednesday. In a statement, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Palace finds David’s remarks “saddening” amid times of tragedy. “How saddening that a man of the cloak like Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, who, instead of focusing his attention to the spiritual needs of his flock as well as helping in the rehabilitation of those affected by the earthquake, has opted to unleash a cynical view if not an outright misrepresentation of the President’s war on drugs saying that ‘the biggest lie is that this drug war is meant to eradicate illegal drugs,’” he said. “While it is true that we live in a free and democratic country where the contradicting even vicious opinion of a minority is given equal, if not more, space to be heard, there is however a time for reflection, introspection, quietude and the extending of hands to help the needy in times of tragedy and crisis. This is one such time,” he added. For Panelo, the Caloocan-based bishop, one of the most vocal critics of the President, should heed the advice of Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle to “just give succor to those affected by the recent earthquake instead of resorting to negative rhetoric against the government.” Even as he acknowledged that David is entitled to his own opinion, the Palace official, however, found the time to justify the government’s relentless crackdown against drugs, stressing that the campaign has curbed drug-related incidents. “While one is entitled to his own opinion, the truth, however, cannot be removed from the facts obtaining nor can they be altered to form a biased opinion,” Panelo said.

the poll body based on its Resolution No. 10088 issued for the 2016 polls. The petitioners argued that the poll body committed grave abuse of discretion in issuing the rule that “has a chilling effect of hanging a Damocles sword on the head of every watcher and voter by imposing a sweeping ban against digital cameras and cellular phones without specifying the start time and end time of the ban.” According to them, the rule is against the Automated Election Law, which allows political parties, candidates or citizen arms to examine and test the polling machines tp make sure that the system is operating properly. They said the Comelec, in its previous General Instructions, has allowed taking of photographs of the proceedings and incidents provided that the secrecy and sanctity of votes are protected. They alleged that the rule “suppresses the right of watchers and members of the public to take photographs of the proceedings and incidents pursuant to the Omnibus Election Code and its amendments.”

By Maricel V. Cruz

SMARTMATIC EXPLAINED. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez explained the

role and functions of Smartmatic machines which will be used for the coming May 13, 2019 midterm elections at the Broadcaster Forum in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

DU30 cites role of health workers for poor PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night cited the crucial role of health workers in ensuring the delivery of services to the poorest people, especially those in far-flung areas. “The health workers have to penetrate the mountains and in areas there I said, where blight and squalor abound. The problem bogs down along the way to the intended beneficiaries. It’s either government people are indolent, not all, or they just really don’t bother just to do their work with a little bit of patriotism,” Duterte said during his speech at the 7th Union Asia Pacific Regional Conference held in Pasay City. Health workers, he said, should heed the call of duty even beyond office hours. “Maybe, after 5 o’clock they go home because that’s it. And I saw it in other countries. At the stroke of 5, they just drop everything and this is a kind of attitude that really is a monkey wrench in the running of government

machinery,” he said. The President particularly cited tuberculosis as a disease that needs to be addressed. He said the poor do not have money to spend to be cured of the disease. “We need to cure TB and other diseases. Men in government should have free access to every place here without being molested, disturbed, unbridled by any worry so that the purpose for which we are here can be realized,” he said. “TB would need a lot of care, antibiotics, periodic injections and all that,” he added. The Union Asia Paciﬁc Regional Conference is a non-government endeavor consisting of 13 heritage countries, two organizational members, and individual members. Its primary goal is to assist in the progressive reduction of ill-health and death, and the adverse social and economic impact of tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases and their eventual elimination in the Asia-Paciﬁc region.

ONE of the longest-staying congressmen on Wednesday said the recent earthquake showed the kind of leadership Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has–focused on helping the victims. To speed up the delivery of assistance to the victims, she cut short her participation in scheduled events to see for herself the rescue and rehabilitation efforts following the earthquake, Rep. Ronaldo Zamora of San Juan, chairman of the House of Representatives’ panel to the Commission on Appointments, said. “The style of Speaker Arroyo has always focused on getting results and work done rather than on the approval ratings. Her approval ratings still rose despite the virulent black propaganda that was hurled against her during the intramurals on the budget,” Zamora said. “The House under Speaker Arroyo crafted a democratic and transparent allocation of government projects and services among all districts regardless of political afﬁliation. I fully agree with Executive Secretary Medialdea who was correct in saying there was nothing unconstitutional about the budget proposed by the House,” Zamora added. Arroyo rushed to Porac, Pampanga, on Monday night to oversee aid and rescue operations following injuries and deaths caused by the 6.1-magnitude earthquake that hit parts of Luzon. She praised the local ofﬁcials for doing a good job but at the same time, she said: “I’m just really very sad about this and I’m grateful that everybody is doing everything to save lives and helping the injured, and as much as possible, to the extent we can, restore normalcy as soon as possible.”

Canada out to resolve trash issue with PH gov’t CANADA is now working with the Philippine government for the timely resolution of the dispute on how to remove tons of Canadian waste shipment to the country, a matter that recently got the ire of President Rodrigo Duterte, “A joint technical working group, consisting of ofﬁcials from both countries, is examining the full spectrum of issues related to the removal of the waste with a view to a timely resolution,” the Canadian Embassy in the Philippines said in a statement. Duterte earlier threatened to “declare war” against Canada if it fails to retake its trash in a week. “I will declare war against them. I will advise Canada that your garbage is on the way. Prepare a grand reception. Eat it if you want to,” the President warned. In 2013, the Bureau of Customs impounded 50 containers of waste from Canada and left to rot in the ports, which have become subject of diplomatic protest from Manila. The Philippine government has already conveyed its objection to the shipment to Canada through diplomatic notes. Ottawa insisted it was not backed by its government and that it was a private transaction. Nonetheless, the Canadian Embassy said Canada is “strongly committed to collaborating with the government of the Philippines to resolve this issue.” According to the statement, it is also aware of a court decision ordering the importer to ship the material back to Canada. In 2016, Canada amended its regulations around hazardous waste shipments to prevent such events from happening again. Rey E. Requejo

Ex-military man files case vs. coddlers of ‘landgrabber’ A 76-YEAR-OLD military officer on Wednesday asked the Ombudsman to speed up the resolution of the complaint he filed against 12 incumbent officials of Cauayan City, Isabela, who are allegedly coddling a company that forcibly entered his property. Retired Army Col. Julio A. Maluyo filed the charges at the Ombudsman against Cauayan City Mayor Bernard Faustino M. Dy, and Vice Mayor Leoncio A. Dalin, Jr., City Councilors Edgar M. De Luna, Danilo B. Asirit, Marco Polo A. Meris, Salcedo T. Foronda, Garry G. Galutera, Reynaldo O. Uy, Edgardo A. Atienza, Jr., Bagnos A. Maximo, Victor H. Dy Jr., and Caesar H. Dy Jr. The cases, docketed as OMB-L-C-18-0290 and OMBL-A-19-0331, were for alleged violation of Section 3 of RA 3019 and for Conduct prejudicial to the best Interest of the Service, Conduct unbecoming of a Public Officer, Dishonesty, Grave Abuse of Authority and Grave Misconduct. Section 13 of RA 3019 mandates the suspension of any incumbent official facing pending criminal cases in court. Maluyo filed a motion for early resolution of the case citing poor health. He told the Ombudsman that he wanted “to ascertain that justice may be served to the utmost.” Maricel V. Cruz

Opinion

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Four years at the old Ateneo I HAD wanted to end my recollections of World War II, which for me began with the Japanese occupation and ended with the liberation. After this, I began my college education at Ateneo de Manila. Those four years were memorable to me. They made me what I am today: A journalist and a lawyer. In the first weeks of schools we endured the heat as we attended our classes in the infernal quonset huts built among the ruins of the old Ateneo on Padre Faura. Our 24-member class was divided into LITB and AB students. I was classified as an AB student.

These made me what I am today.

I loved dialectics, philosophy, ethics, English composition, Shakespearean tragedies, theology and cosmology. But I hated physics and chemistry. I wanted to pursue law studies so I had to take law electives. One of my friends was a certain Juan Ponce Enrile who was taking up his pre-law before transferring to UP Diliman. I had a hectic schedule and barely had time to relax. I had several extra-curricular activities like the social order club and The Guidon. But my four-year course in Ateneo was very challenging, so much so that when I graduated in 1950 I considered becoming a missionary. I guess a Jesuit education really inspires one to be a man for others. I maintained my scholarship for four years and I graduated with honors. As an Ilocano among Negrenses and Tagalogs, I was drawn to the company of

Rudy Tupas and Peps Manalo. They became my best friends even after college. Tupas and I volunteered to go to Cotabato City to help with the weekly publication The Mindanao Cross, upon the invitation of an Oblate missionary. Among the students I cannot forget was Tito Guingona, who became vice president. Santa Banana, Tito and I even thought of joining the communists at that time when the Hukbalahap, antiJapanese organization that had become a Maoist movement. At that time, we had romantic notions that communism would solve poverty and end many other problems of the country. I was close to Ting Roxas, our summa cum laude and valedictorian. We used to go to Ting’s house while reviewing for exams—to study, yes, but also to look at his two beautiful cousins. There too was the late Tito Sison who became Nawasa head during the time of Cory Aquino. Ting Jayme became finance and then later or public works and highways secretary. Toti Albert became a Manila congressman. Badong Gonzales, an uncle of Ting Roxas, joined him when he became economic planning secretary under then-President Diosdado Macapagal. Mike Avanceña was the son of chief justice Ramon Avanceña. Two classmates became Jesuit priests. But the most exciting aspect of my college days was when our class controlled The Guidon. Rudy and I had to stay overnight at the printing press to ensure The Guidon came out the next day. We were named the Best Campus Organ award by Columbia University. Sad to say, however, when Ateneo became a university and transferred to Loyola Heights, many subjects we took up in AB were no longer offered. AB graduates no longer had “revalida”—a two-hour session with no less than two Jesuit priests asking you questions on what you learned. Some of my classmates even fainted from the stress! It’s tragic that many of the graduates of Ateneo de Manila University cannot even speak straight English. Gone were

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Shaky ground

VENTS of this week have challenged our stability in more ways than one.

This week, a series of earthquakes rocked Luzon (Monday), Visayas (Tuesday) and Mindanao (Wednesday). Aftershocks and other minor temblors have ensued. The death toll has been rising, and damage to buildings and other structures, as well as business activity lost due to suspended operations, has yet to be computed. This week, too, began with a report that groups of journalists and lawyers are in an organized effort to “destabilize” the presidency. A so-called witness, “Bikoy,” who has linked the President’s family to the drug trade, is allegedly working with journalist Ellen Tordesillas who is in turn linked to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Rappler, Vera Files and the National Union of People’s Lawyers. Malacañang has confirmed the existence of the “network” as reported by another broadsheet. When pressed for an explanation,

however, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo could not give any credible answer except to refer back to the “well-explained” story that came out Monday. As we wonder how safe we truly are with the ground under our feet, we also ponder how likely, or how credible, such reports of government destabilization are and how relevant they are to our everyday lives. In both instances, fake news appears to be a fixture. In the aftermath of the quakes, dubious messages on SMS and social media are circulating. They talk about stronger earthquakes to come and warn people against sleeping soundly lest they let their guard down. While it is easy for some to dismiss such hoaxes, many Filipinos, paralyzed by fear and too preoccupied with survival issues to think critically, take these messages to heart and, worse, pass them onto their own networks.

And then, while the so-called destabilization matrix appears to be an unverified smattering of lines and names, many take them for the truth. Panelo himself exhorted everyone to believe it because the source came from no less than Malacañang. What, then, are the people to believe? First, we must remember that nobody has ever yet predicted the occurrence of earthquakes at any given time. And while we are aware that there are several active faults in our country, and that it is a matter of when, not if, these faults would move with tremendous energy, preparations should come in the form of knowing what to do and where to go when a similar disaster occurs. We should know better than believe, and worse pass on, useless messages that only fuel fear and confusion. As for the names on the matrix, it is good to remember that no administration can really be stable anyway—especially when it focuses on suppression, sensationalism and polarization instead of plodding tirelessly to bridge the income gap and make life better for all.

Turn to A5

‘Clam-destine’ thievery POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE CHINA’S plunder of the Philippine environment continues as they trawl for giant clams in our waters. ABS-CBN broke the news on April 15 that Chinese vessels were discovered harvesting giant clams from Panatag Shoal. Philippine waters are part of a large marine area in the western Pacific Ocean called The Coral Triangle. Among the creatures living in this biodiverse environment are giant clams of various species of Tridacna. They are hunted for their meat, which is almost entirely pure protein; and shells, which are used as artificial ivory and for decoration. Fishermen in the area also reported China Coast Guard speed boats guarding Chinese trawlers drive away Filipino fishing vessels attempting to enter the shoal. This is not the first time the Chinese have done this, and in the same area. In 2015, during the administration of President Noynoy Aquino, the Department of Foreign Affairs sent a protest note to China after the Philippine Coast Guard reported some 24 Chinese utility boats taking giant clams from Bajo de Masinloc. The DFA at the time said, “The Philippines strongly protested this destructive and illegal activity. The act of harvesting giant clams, which are among the most endangered marine species, entails the crushing and destruction of surrounding corals which result in the permanent destruction of the reef itself.” The DFA added, “China’s toleration of, and active support for, the environmentally harmful fishing practices by its nationals at Bajo de Masinloc constitute breaches of its obligations under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.” How important are giant clams to the environment?

In a January 2015 article for the journal Biological Conservation, researchers Neo, Eckman, et.al. wrote that “Giant clams can contribute to reefs as food, as shelter, and as reef builders and shapers.” Their tissues are eaten by other marine creatures, and their discharges of feces and other substances are consumed by feeders. The surface of shells of giant clams are homes for epibionts like barnacles, while “commensal and ectoparasatic organisms live within

A manufactured crisis?

How important are giant clams to the environment?

their mantle cavities.” The material of the shells—calcium carbonate—are incorporated into the reef framework. Giant clams also filter seawater and keep it clean by countering eutrophication, which allows algae to breed. In short, giant clams “residing in the reefs help to maintain and restore the health of the coral reefs ecosystem by increasing the abundance and species richness at the reefs,” explains Nanyang Technological University on their website blog. Ironically, it was research made in our waters that helped determine the contributions giant clams make to the marine environment. “One study in the Philippines showed the positive impact of having clams—when T. gigas were introduced onto degraded reefs, fish diversity and abundance improved significantly after just three months, compared with control plots with no clams. The coverage of reef organisms such as ascidians, anemones, soft corals, sponges and zoanthids also grew from 2 percent to 14.8 percent,” wrote Tan Cheng Li for Star2. com. The populations of giant clams are declining because of climate change, land reclamation and habitat encroachment, Turn to A5

And all at the expense of Zamboangueños. RECENT developments on the issue of the power crisis in Zamboanga City suggest that Zamboangueños are being used as pawns for business interests in the city. Lately, Zamboangueños have seen a constant stream of power outages. These have been blamed on the supposed inability of the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (Zamcelco) to effectively administer the city’s power resources. But a closer look at the issue indicates that there is far more to the story than meets the eye. With Crown Investment Holdings and Desco Inc. now at the helm, Zamcelco discovered through a financial audit that WMPC had been overbilling the cooperative for the past three years. It was overcharging the cooperative for capital recovery fees and operation and management, pursuant, supposedly, to a power supply agreement that has not taken effect yet to this day. The overcharged balance has reached P441 million, making up a considerable fraction of Zamcelco’s total debts. Demanding that the cooperative pay it back, WMPC gave an ultimatum: Pay them, or they will cut the city’s supply of power. Crown-Desco asked for more time to review the overbillng, but a few days later, WMPC shut off the power supply, claiming “depleted resources” and affecting thousands of households.

Nonetheless, through the insistence of City Mayor Beng Climaco, CrownDesco tried to offer P150 million as partial payment under protest that can constitute a fund that WMPC can use to generate enough electricity to normalize the power situation in Zamboanga. Despite knowing how this will affect Zamboangueños, WMPC did not accept this compromise. This serves to exacerbate the negative public image of Zamcelco, which has already suffered years of power outages prior to Crown-Desco’s management. However, this time, the power “crisis” seems to be entirely engineered to benefit the “aggrieved” party, WMPC, which stands to profit from this urgent issue. Insiders have reported that WMPC, and its parent company Alsons Power, has been trying to agitate the public to mobilize against Zamcelco through protests and rallies—for a problem they themselves may have created. This gives the perfect avenue for Zamboangueños to voice their demand for new power suppliers, after seeing Zamcelco’s supposed incapability to provide the city’s electricity needs. This is no coincidence, considering Alsons Power—the rumor mill attests—

is planning to put its mothballed San Ramon Coal Plant in operation soon. When is a more opportune time than during a power crisis? More than willing to do its part in addressing the shortage, Zamcelco has already provided 24 megawatts of emergency power following WMPC’s cutting of supply, on top of the P150-million fund it offered to jumpstart WMPC’s power generation. Meanwhile, in stark contrast, Alsons Power and WMPC seem to be looking at this public issue as a new stream of income—all at the expense of Zamboangueños. *** Keep sage but be responsible. As the country had been struck by three tremors within 48 hours, almost every netizen in this part of the world has been posting about—what else—the quake, its impact, the damages, call for prayers and support, and of course, their own personal experience. Of course there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, we appreciate those kind of postings to help us get updates as it complements the reporting of the mainstream media. But what is despicable is how some of these keyboard journalists have become overnight experts on earthquakes, warning everyone that quakes which had struck the Philippines the past 48 hours, are prelude to the Big One. This is the height of irresponsibility. No one can predict an earthquake. Had earthquakes been predictable, we would have minimized if not totally avoided the casualties everytime a quake strikes. Be responsible, please.

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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Opinion

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019

Singing a different tune OUR problem as a country as we pursue our claims in the South China Sea is that there is no common consensus on how to deal with China, a country that has practically taken control over the entire body of water by constructing islands in strategic places in the SCS. Nothing demonstrates this better than the way the Aquino government pursued our claims and the way the Duterte government is now pursuing it. The Aquino administration was aggressive and refused bilateral talks as a way of resolving contentious issues. The Duterte administration, on the other hand, agreed to bilateral talks and is now so friendly with the Chinese government that the President is now on his third trip to Beijing. Those who agree with the Aquino government’s approach believe that not protesting what China is doing in the SCS might be construed as giving up our claims by default. The Duterte administration naturally denies this, countering that the way to pursue our claims is to maintain a good and harmonious relationship with China. Provoking a superpower like China might just ignite a war that the country cannot win. In the words of the President himself, he refuses to send his soldiers to war simply to be slaughtered. The administration also believes that not stirring the hornets’ nest will result in less tension in the region, thereby allowing the expansion of trade between the two nations, not to mention the economic aid that the country can derive from China. This is aid that critics question because of lack of transparency and higher interest rates being demanded by the donor. Clearly there is a fundamental difference in both approaches. Over the last few weeks, however, there appears to be a shift in the rhetoric coming from the administration. This is largely because of what China has been

doing around Pagasa Island and the Scarborough Shoal. A flotilla of fishing boats seems to have stationed themselves permanently around Pagasa which is probably a part of a psychological operation to wear us down into leaving the place, not to mention the environmental damage being done in the area. The stronger statement started when the President called on the Chinese to leave Pagasa alone because it is ours. If not, he is willing to respond in kind by sending soldiers on a suicide mission to defend our sovereignty. This was followed by more statements from the Palace and the Department of Foreign Affairs. Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo also

Let us hope that our leaders act correctly and wisely. came out strong but when asked if the government is prepared to seek United States assistance in view of what China is doing, he said that we will have to wait for the President’s decision on that. It would appear therefore that the government is not yet prepared to completely abandon its stance on this issue and take a more confrontational position. The Chinese Foreign Ministry response has always been that the Chinese claim is backed by what it calls “sufficient historical jurisdictional evidence.” This historical evidence is believed to be an obscure written parchment saying that the SCS has been claimed by China for thousands of years. This includes the Scarborough, Panatag and Ayugin Shoals. Only the Chinese have a copy of this so-called document and it has never been scientifically tested for its authenticity. The Chinese also in the past have failed to mention how ancient Chinese mariners spotted some stones pro-

truding above the waters in what is now the Scarborough shoal and claim it for China or why China built its Great Wall to prevent socalled barbarians from entering its territory. From our limited knowledge of Chinese history, Chinese emperors considered the land outside the Great Wall outside its kingdom. But now, China wants everyone to agree that it owns the whole of SCS including the Scarborough Shoal which is within our 200-mile exclusive economic zone. China is the only country on earth that claims to own a whole sea. Not even the United States is claiming the whole of the Gulf of Mexico which is full of oil. The world expect China being a super power to behave responsibly and not intimidate or bully weaker neighbors to get what it wants. President Duterte is right that it will be folly to go to war with China. But there is such a thing as accepted international norms of behavior and why countries form alliances to protect each other. Our President sincerely believes that the United States our only treaty ally will not go to war for us Filipinos and is not prepared to confront the might of China. Our Mutual Defense Treaty with the US, however, mandates that the US will come to our assistance if our internationally accepted territory or any vessel or aircraft is attacked by a hostile country. Whether the US, will come to our assistance is for our prospective foes to figure out. The treaty is there and is binding on both countries. Our country has won an outstanding victory with the Hague Arbitral Ruling and we should take advantage of it. The key to any government approach to the problem is reading correctly Chinese intentions. The SCS issue will continue to be a flash point in the region and needs to be navigated carefully. It is hard to see how it will eventually be resolved. Our country happens to be near a gigantic country that also want to flex its muscle in the world stage and we are standing on the way in that country’s ambition for an unimpeded passage to the Pacific Ocean. Let us hope that our leaders understand this and act correctly and wisely.

Remarks by Charge d’affaires a. i. Tan Qingsheng Boao Forum for Asia Manila Conference Shangri-La at the Fort, 23 April 2019 I HOPE you have all recovered from the shock of the earthquake of yesterday. Our condolences and sympathies go to the victims and affected families. It gives me great honor to attend the first Boao Forum for Asia Manila Conference. First of all, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy, I would like to extend our warm congratulations to the opening of the conference and sincere welcome to all the distinguished guests who are present here today. The Boao Forum for Asia is one of the most renowned high-level dialogue platforms for Asia and the world at large. Since its inception in 2001, the Forum has dedicated itself to meaningful discussions on the most pressing issues in the region and beyond and has put forth valuable “Boao Proposals”. I am very happy to see that for this year, the Forum has selected the Philippines, one of the countries which have pioneered this very idea of the Boao Forum. Today’s conference, with the theme of “Concerted Actions for Common Development in the New Era”, provides us a very good opportunity to share our views on how to achieve the goal of common development in the new era. Asia has been an engine house in ensuring global economic recovery and development in the past several decades. Asia now contributes more than 60 percent of the annual global economic growth. 21 of the world’s 30 largest cities are in Asia. And Asia is widely expected to be home to half of the world’s middle-class population very soon. However, it cannot be ignored that we are also facing a lot of challenges. Most Asian countries are still developing countries, and we have a larger impoverished population than other regions. The infrastructure of our region is still lagging far behind. The surging trends of anti-globalization, protectionism and unilateralism are threatening the region’s integration and development as well. It is high time that we, as Asian countries, must demonstrate our determination and work together to achieve common prosperity for all. This year marks the 70th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. Over the past seven decades, China has made tremendous achievement in economic and social development. Since its reform and opening-up four decades ago, China has maintained an average annual growth rate of 9.5%. Today, China’s GDP stands at $12 trillion, increasing 33.5 times in real terms and accounting for 15% of the world’s total. It is the world’s second largest economy with the biggest foreign exchange reserves. In 40 years, China has lifted more than 700 million people out of poverty, contributing to more than 70% to the world's total poverty reduction. The whole world is asking the same question, why China? There are numerous explanations and theories. However, in my personal opinion, two factors are very important. The first one is that China is committed to peace and stability. A peaceful and stable environment is the precondition for economic and social development. Research has shown that in the past four decades, China has never waged any war against any other country, we have never toppled any government or bombarded any other country. On the contrary, the other big power has engaged in at least 19 military

campaigns and spent hundreds of billions of dollars on warfare. Secondly, China is committed to common development. Development can never be achieved through unilateralism and isolation. It is not and will never be an option for China. In the early stages of China’s development, China has benefited greatly from opening its economy for foreign technology, investment and trade. As our economic strength grows, we are also ready to make our contribution to the integration and development of the region. In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has become one of the most important regional platforms for cooperation. So far, a total of 126 countries and 29 international organizations have signed BRI cooperation documents with China. In the past six years, the total trade volume between China and countries participating in the BRI has exceeded 6 trillion dollars, and China’s investment has grown to over 80 billion dollars and around 300,000 jobs have been created in the countries involved. The latest studies by the World Bank and other international institutions suggest that, the BRI cooperation will cut the costs of global trade by 1.1 to 2.2 percent and contribute at least 0.1 percent of global growth in 2019. It is also worth mentioning that the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will commence in two days in Beijing. Around 40 heads of states and of governments and representative from 150 countries around the world will join the forum. The Forum is bound to inject new impetus to the common development of our region and the world at large. Ladies and Gentlemen, The Philippines is one of the most important developing countries in Asia, and a natural partner in jointly building the BRI. Under the strategic guidance of our two leaders, China-Philippines relations have entered a golden age with political and security coordination, economic cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges, the three major pillars of our bilateral relations have been greatly strengthened. Last November, Chinese President Xi Jinping successfully paid his first state visit to the Philippines and elevated our relationship into one that is of comprehensive strategic cooperation. The two leaders witnessed the exchange of 29 documents covering functional cooperation in various fields, including the MOU on Belt and Road initiative cooperation. In a few days, President Duterte will lead a high-level delegation to attend the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and hold bilateral meetings with Chinese leaders. We have every reason to believe that this visit will not only strengthen the synergies between the Belt and Road initiative and the Build, Build, Build program, but also upgrade our bilateral cooperation to a new high. The development of bilateral relations has brought tangible economic benefits to our peoples. Bilateral trade volume in 2018 reached US$55.7 billion, with an 8.5 percent year-on-year increase. China is now the Philippines’ top trading partner, the largest source of imports and the fourth largest export market. We have imported more than US$ 2 billion tropical fruits from the Philippines over the past two years. Last year, we have imported more than one mil-

lion metric tons of bananas and become the number one market for Philippine bananas, claiming the spot that Japan had held for over 30 years. Funded by China’s grants or soft loans, a number of major infrastructure projects are continuously making headway. Among others, the two drug-rehab centers in Mindanao have been completed and turned over to the Philippine side ahead of schedule, which provided about 800 job opportunities for locals and will cater at least 300 patients. We are also building 13 schools in Davao city. The two bridges over the Pasig River in Manila are under construction and will greatly ease traffic jams in that area. The Chico River Pump Irrigation Project is expected to deliver water to 8700 hectares of rice lands and benefit 4250 farmers of 22 barangays. Once completed, the New Centennial Water Source-Kaliwa Dam could provide at least 600 million liters of water per day for the Metro Manila which could meet its water demand in the next 10 years. The Philippine National Railway’s South Long Haul will largely improve transportation infrastructure which will span more than 10 cities and towns connecting Manila to South Luzon and will greatly reduce travel time between Manila and Legazpi. People-to-people exchanges have been continuously thriving. Last year, there were 1.2 million Chinese tourists visiting the Philippines. With a 29.6 percent yearly increase, China is now the second largest tourist origin of the Philippines. Every week nowadays, more than 300 flights are shuttling between the cities of our two countries. We are expecting more than 1.5 million Chinese tourists to the Philippines this year, which will create more than 32 billion pesos of revenue for the local economy. We are also implementing the MOU for Filipino teachers of the English language to work in China this coming September. One thing I would like to emphasize here is that China has no hidden agenda or strings attached to the cooperation and support for the Philippines. The so-called “China debt trap” accusation is completely groundless. According to the statistics disclosed by the central bank of the Philippines, loans from China only accounts for merely 0.65 percent of the country’s total debt. Even if the planned financing is implemented, the figure will only be around 4.5 percent by 2022. If we compare the interest rates in US dollar terms, the interest rate of Chinese loans is actually very similar or even lower than that of other countries. Aside from that, China-Philippines economic cooperation will definitely create more job opportunities for Filipinos. It’s more cost effective for Chinese companies to hire local workers than Chinese workers. According to latest statistics, about 50 large-scale Chinese companies based in the Philippines have employed more than 16 thousand Filipinos so far, and the number is expected to increase in the coming years. As an ancient Chinese poem goes, “The river is wide at full tide; a strong wind sends the sail surging forward.” China-Philippines relations have embarked on an upward trajectory and are facing major opportunities for growth. Let us join hands and make concerted efforts to forge an ever brighter New Golden Age for our bilateral ties.

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Tañada’s passion: Coco levy’s return OF THE numerous industries that compose the agricultural segment of the Philippine economy, the coconut industry is arguably the most important. Not only does the coconut industry cover more land area—around 46 of the nation’s 81 provinces—but it also accounts for the greatest number of agricultural workers and the largest source of this country’s non-labor export income. Indeed, the Philippines is the world’s No. 1 producer of coconut oil. With these claims to fame, one would have thought that the coconut industry would be at the top of the what-I-will-do-if-elected lists of the 62 men and women vying for Senate seats in the coming election. But that, unfortunately, is not the case. Only one of the 62 candidates has been steadfastly championing the cause of the Philippine coconut industry and the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos who depend on it for their livelihood. That candidate is Lorenzo ‘Erin’ Tañada III. Erin Tañada, who is one of the Otso Diretso candidates, championed the cause of the coconut farmers and their communities throughout his nine-year membership of the House of Representatives, which was capped by his election as Deputy Speaker. He either authored or co-sponsored every legislative proposal providing for assistance to, or support of, the Philippine coconut industry. To give him the nickname “Mr. Coconut” would be entirely appropriate. Hailing from the heartland of the coconut industry—the municipality of Gumaca in No. 1 producer Quezon— the former Deputy Speaker knows the ins and outs of the problem and poverty conditions of Quezon’s coconut farmers and their brothers in the nation’s other coconut-growing provinces. He is familiar with the official statistics that place farmers within the ranks of the poorest Filipinos. The mired-in-poverty living conditions of most farmers is the very reason why he authored the Peoples’ Survival Fund and the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund bills that went on to become laws. The return to the coconut farmers of the coconut levy funds—believed to now total more than P200 billion— has been one of Lorenzo Tañada III’s principal preoccupation in and out of

Four years... From A4

Congress. It was during his days at the Ateneo de Manila that he read about Ferdinand Marcos’s martial-law order requiring all coconut farmers to pay a levy—the Supreme Court later pronounced it a tax—on every 100 kilograms of copra that they sold. The levy collections were later shown to have been used in ways that had little or nothing to do with the stated purpose of the Marcos order—to provide direct support to the coconut farmers and the coconut industry—including the purchase of coconut mills, San Miguel Corporation shares and a commercial bank and the establishment of a life insurance company. The long, sad story of the effort to return the coconut levy funds to the coconut farmers began with the fall of the Marcos regime and the creation by newly-installed President Corazon Aquino of a commission—PCGG (Presidential Commission on Good Government)—to recover all the illgotten wealth of President Marcos and his cronies and business associates. It has been a very long road spanning 43 years, and six administrations, and countless court cases, and at the end of it, in 2019, the coconut farmers still have not seen the return of their funds. The latest turn of events has been the recent veto by President Rodrigo Duterte of an approved bill creating a trust fund and creating a board of trustees to administer the fund and supervise the return—finally—of the levy funds to their rightful owners, the coconut farmers. Mr. Duterte offered a reason for his veto of the bill, but Erin Tañada has strongly criticized the Chief Executive for his action. The grandson of the legendary Senator Lorenzo Tañada realizes that the farmers who paid the levy have grown old and cannot afford to wait for their money very much longer. There are other legislative measures—including universal health care and providing trabaho—that the former Deputy Speaker has been and will continue to be preoccupied with, but there can be no mistaking the fact that the return of the levy funds to the coconut farmers of his beloved Quezon and of other provinces will be his principal passion. The rightful owners of the coconut levy funds will need a steadfast champion in the incoming Senate. That man will be Lorenzo Tañada III. (ERRATUM: The correct title of my April 23 column was “Administration Senators Beaten 1-7 in 1971 Election.”

This means many people still trust President Duterte. With the possibility of having only one or two oppositionists winning, we can predict it will be smooth sailing for the President’s legislative agenda. *** The so-called Matrix has brought up the issue of foreign funding of news organizations. Is this a violation of the law? It has been argued that foreign funding is not foreign ownership. Santa Banana, when a news organization gets funding from American foundations like the Ford or Rockefeller Foundation, I believe that the mandate of 100-percent ownership is violated. If PCIJ, Rappler and Vera Files admit to being funded by US Foundations, they must be stopped from operating.

the days that speaking in any dialect or foreign language on campus was taboo. The worst thing that happened to Ateneo was that it has been politicized. It takes sides in most of the political issues of the day. This happened when ADMU became an all-Filipino Jesuit community and no longer an all-boys’ school. *** The next three weeks are the most crucial days of the election. It’s the time when candidates for both local and national offices have to assess their chances of winning. I said much earlier that the 2019 midterm elections would be a referendum on President Duterte. And from the looks of it, administration candidates will dominate, and the President’s favorite candiwww.emiljurado.weebly.com dates will win.

‘Clam-destine’... From A4

and hunting. According to Tan, “All giant clam species are listed under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), meaning that trade is regulated to avoid threats to their future survival. In the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, four species are listed as “vulnerable” to extinction.” What would the impact on the environment be if giant clams were to disappear from reefs? Tan writes further: “Biomass and carbonate production, water filtering, and surface area for epibionts (organisms that live on the surface of another) are all expected to decrease with reduced giant clam abundance, according to the scientists.” The Chinese have destroyed “over 40,000 acres of reef via clam harvesting,” tweeted Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative director Gregory Poling. “That's more than 10x as much as their

island building killed.” Poling also said, “They destroy the entire reef, which will cost coastal communities their livelihoods and food security.” What action is our government taking on this serious matter? Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said, "We just caught them doing that recently, filed a diplomatic note, and will be taking legal action… [the case is] with our legal department now." According to Palace Spokesman Salvador Panelo, "It is an affront to our territory and our sovereignty… As far as we are concerned, that is ours so we will be objecting to those intrusions." The DFA and the Palace should be transparent on this and show the public the protest note filed as well as report on what other actions they take. China’s plunder of Philippine resources is unconscionable and must be stopped. “How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when clearly it is Ocean.” ~ Arthur C. Clarke / FB and Twitter: @ DrJennyO

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Republic of the Philippines TODAYCIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

a) to make unambiguous reference to any ATS route without the need to resort to the use of geographical coordinates or other means in order to describe it; b) to relate an ATS route to a specific vertical structure of the airspace, as applicable; c) to indicate a required level of navigation performance accuracy, when operating along an ATS route or within a specified area; and

MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO.:15-19

d) to indicate that a route is used primarily or exclusively by certain types of aircraft.

ALL CONCERNED

FROM

THE DIRECTOR GENERAL

SUBJECT

AMENDMENT TO PHILIPPINE CIVIL AVIATION REGULATION - AIR NAVIGATION SERVICES (CAR-ANS) PART 11 INCORPORATING AMENDMENT 51 TO ICAO ANNEX 11 - AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES

REFERENCE: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Philippine Civil Aviation Regulations- Air Navigation Services Part 11 Air Traffic Services ICAO Annex 11 –Air Traffic Services ICAO Annex 11; Amendment 51 Regulations Amendment Procedures Board Resolution No. 2012-054 dated 28 September 2012

Pursuant to the powers vested in me under the Republic Act 9497, otherwise known as the Civil Aviation Authority Act of 2008 and in accordance with the Board Resolution No.: 2012-054 dated 28 September 2012, I hereby approve the incorporation of ICAO Annex 11 Amendment No. 51 to the Philippine Civil Aviation Regulation-Air Navigation Services (CAR-ANS) Part 11. ORIGINAL REGULATIONS SUBJECT FOR REVIEW AND REVISION: CAR-ANS PART 11– AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES ... TABLE OF CONTENTS

Note 1. — Specifications concerning the publication of navigation specifications are given in CAR-ANS Part 4, 4.7and PANS-AIM (Doc 10066), Appendix 2. ... APPENDIX 11.5 AERONAUTICAL DATA QUALITY REQUIREMENTS ... APPENDIX 11.6.5 PRESCRIPTIVE FATIGUE MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS ... APPENDIX 11.7.6 FATIGUE RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (FRMS) REQUIREMENTS ... APPENDIX 11.8.7 STATE RESPONSIBILITIES CONCERNING AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PROCEDURE DESIGN SERVICE ---END--AMENDED REGULATIONS: CAR-ANS PART 11 AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES ... TABLE OF CONTENTS ... APPENDIX 11.5 PRESCRIPTIVE FATIGUE MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS (applicable 5 November 2020) ................................................................... APP 11.5-1 ... APPENDIX 11.6 FATIGUE RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (FRMS) REQUIREMENTS……………………………………………………………APP 11.6-1 11.1 FRMS policy and documentation …………………….……………....APP 11.6-1

APPENDIX11.5 AERONAUTICALDATAQUALITYREQUIREMENTS…................ APP11.5-1 ... APPENDIX11.6.5 PRESCRIPTIVE FATIGUE MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS (applicable 5 November 2020) ...............................................................APP 11.6.5-1 ... APPENDIX 11.7.6 FATIGUE RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (FRMS) REQUIREMENTS………………………………………………………….. APP11.7.6-1 11.1

FRMS policy and documentation ………………………….………

APP11.7.6-1

11.2

Fatigue risk management processes ……………………………… APP 11.7.6-2

11.3

FRMS safety assurance processes……………………………....... APP 11.7.6-3

11.4 FRMS promotion processes……………………….............………. APP 11.7.6-4 ... APPENDIX 11.8.7STATE RESPONSIBILITIES CONCERNING AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PROCEDURE DESIGN SERVICE……………….……………… APP 11.8.7-1 ... CHAPTER 11.1 DEFINITIONS ... Data Aaccuracy. A degree of conformance between the estimated or measured value and the true value. Note. — For measured positional data the accuracy is normally expressed in terms of a distance from a stated position within which there is a defined confidence of the true position falling. … Data Iintegrity (aeronautical data assurance level). A degree of assurance that an aeronautical data and its value has not been lost or altered since the data origination or authorized amendment. … Data quality. A degree or level of confidence that the data provided meet the requirements of the data user in terms of accuracy, resolution, integrity (or equivalent assurance level), traceability, timeliness, completeness and format. ... 11.2 GENERAL ... 11.2.20 Aeronautical data 11.2.20.1 Determination and reporting of air traffic services-related aeronautical data shall be in accordance with the accuracy and integrity classification required to meet the needs of the end-user of aeronautical data requirements set forth in Tables 1 to 5 contained in Appendix 11.5 while taking into account the established quality system procedures. Accuracy requirements for aeronautical data are based upon a 95 per cent confidence level, and in that respect three types of positional data shall be identified: surveyed points (e.g. navigation aids positions), calculated points (mathematical calculations from the known surveyed points of points in space, fixes) and declared points (e.g. flight information region boundary points). Note. — Specifications concerning the accuracy and integrity classification of air traffic services-related aeronautical data are contained in PANS-AIM (Doc 10066), Appendix 1. 11.2.20.2 The CAAP shall ensure that integrity of aeronautical data is maintained throughout the data process from survey/origin to the next intended user. Based on the applicable integrity classification, the validation procedure shall: a) for routine data: avoid corruption throughout the processing of the data; b) for essential data: assure corruption does not occur at any stage of the entire process and may include additional processes as needed to address potential risks in the overall system architecture to further assure data integrity at this level; and c) for critical data: assure corruption does not occur at any stage of the entire process and include additional integrity assurance procedures to fully mitigate the effects of faults identified by thorough analysis of the overall system architecture as potential data integrity risks. 11.2.20.32 Electronic aeronautical data sets, shall be protected by the inclusion in the data sets of a 32-bit cyclic redundancy check (CRC) implemented by the application dealing with the data sets. This shall apply to the protection of all integrity levels of data sets as specified in 11.2.20.2. Digital data error detection techniques shall be used during the transmission and/or storage of aeronautical data and digital data sets. Note. — Detailed specifications concerning digital data error detection techniques are contained in PANS-AIM (Doc 10066). 11.2.20.4 Geographical coordinates indicating latitude and longitude shall be determined and reported to the aeronautical information services authority in terms of the World Geodetic System1984 (WGS-84) geodetic reference datum, identifying those geographical coordinates which have been transformed into WGS-84 coordinates by mathematical means and whose accuracy of original field work does not meet the requirements in Appendix 11.5, Table 1. 11.2.20.5 The order of accuracy of the field work and determinations and calculations derived therefrom shall be such that the resulting operational navigation data for the phases of flight will be within the maximum deviations, with respect to an appropriate reference frame, as indicated in the tables contained in Appendix 11.5. Note 1.- An appropriate reference frame is that which enables WGS-84 to be realized on a given position and with respect to which all coordinate data are related. Note 2.- Specifications governing the publication of aeronautical data are given in CAR-ANS Part 15, 11. 3. Note 3.- For those fixes and points that are serving a dual purpose, e.g. holding point and missed approach point, the higher accuracy applies. 11.2.22 Coordination between aeronautical information services and air traffic services authorities ... 11.2.22.3 Of particular importance are changes to aeronautical information that affect charts and/or computer-based navigation systems which qualify to be notified by the Aeronautical Information Regulation and Control (AIRAC) system, as specified in CARANS Part 15 (15.6). 11.11.6and Appendix 11.4). The predetermined, internationally agreed AIRAC effective dates in addition to 14 days postage time shall be observed by the responsible air traffic services when submitting the raw information/data to aeronautical information services. Note. — Detailed specifications concerning the AIRAC system are contained in PANSAIM (Doc 10066), Chapter 6. 11.2.22.4 The air traffic services responsible for the provision of raw aeronautical information/data to the aeronautical information services shall do so while taking into account accuracy and integrity requirements required to meet the needs of the enduser of aeronautical data.for aeronautical data as specified in Appendix 11.5 to this CAR-ANS Part 11. Note 1.— Specifications concerning the accuracy and integrity classification of air traffic services-related aeronautical data are contained in PANS-AIM (Doc 10066), Appendix 1. Note 12.- Specifications for the issue of a NOTAM and ASHTAM are contained in CARANS Part 15, 11. 5(15.6). Note 2 3.- Reports of volcanic activity comprise the information detailed in CAR-ANS Part 3 (3.4), 11. 4 and LOA among Phivolcs, Pagasa, & CAAP. Note 3 4.- AIRAC information is distributed by the aeronautical information service at least 42 days in advance of the AIRAC effective dates with the objective of reaching recipients at least 28 days in advance of the effective date. Note 4 5 – The schedule of the predetermined, internationally agreed AIRAC common effective dates at intervals of 28 days and guidance for the AIRAC use are contained in the Aeronautical Information Services Manual (Doc 8126, Chapter 2, 2.6). 11.2.23 Minimum flight altitudes Minimum flight altitudes shall be determined and promulgated by CAAP for each ATS route and control area over the territory of the Republic of the Philippines. The minimum flight altitudes determined shall provide a minimum clearance above the controlling obstacle located within the areas concerned. Note. - The requirements for publication by CAAP regarding minimum flight altitudes and criteria used to determine them are contained in CAR-ANS Part 15, Appendix I. PANS-AIM (Doc 10066), Appendix 2. Detailed obstacle clearance criteria are contained in PANS-OPS (Doc 8168), Volume II. ... 11.2.33 Identification and delineation of prohibited, restricted and danger areas 11.2.33.1 Each prohibited area, restricted area, or danger area established by CAAP shall, upon initial establishment, be given identification and full details shall be promulgated. Note. – See CAR-ANS Part 15, Appendix 15A,PANS-AIM (Doc 10066), Appendix 2, and ENR 5.1. ... APPENDIX 11.1 PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE IDENTIFICATION OF NAVIGATION SPECIFICATIONS AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF ATS ROUTES OTHER THAN STANDARD DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL ROUTES (see CAR-ANS 11.2, Sections 11.2.7 and 11.2.11) Note. — See Appendix 11.3 concerning the identification of standard departure and arrival routes and associated procedures. Guidance material on the establishment of these routes and procedures is contained in the Air Traffic ServicesPlanning Manual (Doc 9426). 11.1 Designators for ATS routes and navigation specifications 11.1.1 The purpose of a system of route designators and navigation specifications applicable to specified ATS route segment(s), route(s) or area is to allow both pilots and ATS, taking into account automation requirements:

11.2 Fatigue risk management process ……………………………………APP 11.6-2 11.3 FRMS safety assurance processes ……………………….......……...APP 11.6-3 11.4 FRMS promotion processes…………………………………………….APP 11.6-4 ... APPENDIX 11.7 STATE RESPONSIBILITIES CONCERNING AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PROCEDURE DESIGN SERVICE ………………………………... APP 11.7-1 ... 11.1 DEFINITIONS ... Data accuracy. A degree of conformance between the estimated or measured value and the true value. … Data integrity (assurance level).A degree of assurance that an aeronautical data and its value has not been lost or altered since the origination or authorized amendment. … Data quality. A degree or level of confidence that the data provided meets the requirements of the data user in terms of accuracy, resolution and integrity (or equivalent assurance level), traceability, timeliness, completeness and format. ... CHAPTER 11.2 GENERAL ... 11.2.20 Aeronautical data 11.2.20.1 Determination and reporting of air traffic services-related aeronautical data shall be in accordance with the accuracy and integrity classification required to meet the needs of the end-user of aeronautical data. Note. — Specifications concerning the accuracy and integrity classification of air traffic services-related aeronautical data are contained in PANS-AIM (Doc 10066), Appendix 1. 11.2.20.2 Digital data error detection techniques shall be used during the transmission and/or storage of aeronautical data and digital data sets. Note. — Detailed specifications concerning digital data error detection techniques are contained in PANS-AIM (Doc 10066). ... 11.2.22 Coordination between aeronautical information services and air traffic services authorities ... 11.2.22.3 Of particular importance are changes to aeronautical information that affect charts and/or computer-based navigation systems which qualify to be notified by the Aeronautical Information Regulation and Control (AIRAC) system, as specified in CAR-ANS Part 15 (15.6). The predetermined, internationally agreed AIRAC effective dates shall be observed by the responsible air traffic services when submitting the raw information/data to aeronautical information services. Note. — Detailed specifications concerning the AIRAC system are contained in PANSAIM (Doc 10066), Chapter 6. 11.2.22.4 The air traffic services responsible for the provision of raw aeronautical information/data to the aeronautical information services shall do so while taking into account accuracy and integrity requirements required to meet the needs of the enduser of aeronautical data. Note 1.— Specifications concerning the accuracy and integrity classification of air traffic services-related aeronautical data are contained in PANS-AIM (Doc 10066), Appendix 1. Note 2.- Specifications for the issue of a NOTAM and ASHTAM are contained in CARANS Part 15, (15.6). Note 3.- Reports of volcanic activity comprise the information detailed in CAR-ANS Part 3 (3.4), and LOA among Phivolcs, Pagasa, & CAAP. Note 4.- AIRAC information is distributed by the aeronautical information service at least 42 days in advance of the AIRAC effective dates with the objective of reaching recipients at least 28 days in advance of the effective date. Note 5 – The schedule of the predetermined, internationally agreed AIRAC common effective dates at intervals of 28 days and guidance for the AIRAC use are contained in the Aeronautical Information Services Manual (Doc 8126, Chapter 2, 2.6). 11.2.23 Minimum flight altitudes Minimum flight altitudes shall be determined and promulgated by CAAP for each ATS route and control area over the territory of the Republic of the Philippines. The minimum flight altitudes determined shall provide a minimum clearance above the controlling obstacle located within the areas concerned. Note. - The requirements for publication by CAAP regarding minimum flight altitudes and criteria used to determine them are contained in PANS-AIM (Doc 10066), Appendix 2. Detailed obstacle clearance criteria are contained in PANS-OPS (Doc 8168), Volume II. ... 11.2.33 Identification and delineation of prohibited, restricted and danger areas 11.2.33.1 Each prohibited area, restricted area, or danger area established by CAAP shall, upon initial establishment, be given identification and full details shall be promulgated.

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Ombudsman asked to charge Gov. Espino T By Rey E. Requejo

HE Ofﬁce of the Ombudsman has been asked to charge Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino III with graft and corruption over alleged irregularities involving the construction of overpriced sports oval track and event staging area inside Alaminos City National High School in Barangay Magsaysay, Pangasinan last year.

Espino was not immediately available for comment. In a three-page complaint filed last April 16, Michelle Anne B. Celino accused Espino of graft and corruption, particularly for violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, when the respondent public official allegedly implemented what she called the anomalous P13million sports oval track and event stage projects in 2018, which the complainant claimed were “grossly overpriced.” The complainant made reference to the construction of sports oval track and event staging area in Alaminos City National High School, which was used during the 2018 Region 1 Athletic Association Meet, where the provincial government spent P13 million of its public funds for the construction of the said sports projects. The amount was used supposedly for the backfilling of soil, asphalting of the oval, and the construction of two bleachers and a stage. “The amount claimed by the respondent for the project is very clear

not commensurate to the work that was undertaken, or simply put, it is grossly overpriced,” Celino’s complaint stated. “It is respectfully prayed . . . that the instant criminal case for violation of Section 3 (e) of RA 3019 against respondent Governor Amado Espino, III be filed, as well as the corresponding civil and administrative cases . . .” the complainant said. Section 3(e) states “Causing any injury to any party, including the Government, or giving any private party unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence. “This provision shall apply to officers and employees of offices or government corporations charged with the grant of licenses or permits or other concessions.” The complainant said that of the total amount of the project, P5 million was allegedly used for the construction of the two bleachers and a stage and P8 million allegedly used for backfilling of soil and asphalting of the oval track.

BI alarmed by fake certificates By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Immigration on Wednesday expressed alarm over the rise in number of overseas Filipino workers attempting to leave the country using fake overseas employment certificates. “I am alarmed by the reports from our Port Operations Division about this modus. It appears that these syndicates are using every trick they can think of to spirit their victims out of the country. But they will not succeed,” BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said in a statement. Morente directed BI POD Chief Grifton Medina to alert all personnel manning immigration departure counters on the proliferation of fake OECs used by undocumented OFWs victimized by human trafficking syndicates and illegal recruiters. Medina said that he already instructed members of bureau’s travel control and enforcement unit to assign additional personnel in-charge of prescreening the papers of departing OFWs. “Those victims with questionable documents will be immediately subjected to secondary inspection. If their papers are found to be indeed spurious, they will not be allowed to depart and will be turned over to the IACAT (Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking) for investigation and assistance,” Medina said.

Note. – See PANS-AIM (Doc 10066), Appendix 2 and ENR 5.1. ... APPENDIX 11.1 PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE IDENTIFICATION OF NAVIGATION SPECIFICATIONS AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF ATS ROUTES OTHER THAN STANDARD DEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL ROUTES (see CAR-ANS 11.2, Sections 11.2.7 and 11.2.11) Note. — See Appendix 11.3 concerning the identification of standard departure and arrival routes and associated procedures. Guidance material on the establishment of these routes and procedures is contained in the Air Traffic Services Planning Manual (Doc 9426). 11.1 Designators for ATS routes and navigation specifications 11.1.1 The purpose of a system of route designators and navigation specifications applicable to specified ATS route segment(s), route(s) or area is to allow both pilots and ATS, taking into account automation requirements: a) to make unambiguous reference to any ATS route without the need to resort to the use of geographical coordinates or other means in order to describe it; b) to relate an ATS route to a specific vertical structure of the airspace, as applicable; c) to indicate a required level of navigation performance accuracy, when operating along an ATS route or within a specified area; and

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES TARIFF COMMISSION NOTICE ON THE CONDUCT OF REVIEW OF THE ASEAN HARMONIZED TARIFF NOMENCLATURE (AHTN) 2017 Notice is hereby given that the ASEAN Technical Sub-Working Group on Classification (TSWGC), pursuant to the Protocol Governing the Implementation of the AHTN, as amended, is conducting a review of the AHTN 2017 in line with the review of the Harmonized System (HS) 2017 Nomenclature and in preparation for the AHTN 2022 edition. Interested parties may submit to this Commission their proposals and/or requests on their product/s of interests covered in Chapters 1 to 73 of the AHTN 2017, using the template provided, on or before the dates indicated below: AHTN 2017 Code Chapters 1 to 29

d) to indicate that a route is used primarily or exclusively by certain types of aircraft. Note 1. — Specifications concerning the publication of navigation specifications are given in CAR-ANS Part 4, 4.7and PANS-AIM (Doc 10066), Appendix 2. ... APPENDIX 11.5 PRESCRIPTIVE FATIGUE MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS ... APPENDIX 11.6 FATIGUE RISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (FRMS) REQUIREMENTS ...

Chapters 30 to 73

APPENDIX 11.7 STATE RESPONSIBILITIES CONCERNING AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT PROCEDURE DESIGN SERVICE ... ---END— i.

Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any provision of this Memorandum Circular is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other part or parts thereof which are not affected thereby shall continue to be in full force and effect.

ii.

Repealing Clause. - All orders, rules, regulations and issuances, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Memorandum Circular are hereby repealed, superseded or modified accordingly.

iii. Determination of changes. – To highlight the amendments and/or revisions in the Memorandum Circular, the deleted text shall be shown with strikethrough and the new inserted text shall be highlighted with grey shading, as illustrated below: 1. Text deleted: Text to be deleted is shown with a line through it. 2. New text inserted: New text is highlighted with grey shading. 3. New text replacing existing text: Text to be deleted is shown with a line through it followed by the replacement text which is highlighted with grey shading. iv.

Effectivity Clause. - This Memorandum Circular shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in a requisite single newspaper of general circulation or the Official Gazette and a copy filed with the U.P. Law Center - Office of the National Administrative Register.

So Ordered. Signed this 3rd day of April 2019, at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, MIA Road, Pasay City, Metro Manila, 1301.

Description Live animal; animal products; vegetable products; animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products; prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes; prepared foodstuffs; beverages, spirit and vinegar; tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes; mineral products; inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare-earth metals, of radioactive elements or of isotopes; and organic chemicals Other products of the chemical or allied industries; plastics and articles thereof; rubber and articles thereof; raw hides and skins, leather, furskins and articles thereof; saddlery and harness; travel goods, handbags and similar containers; articles of animal gut (other than silk-worm gut); wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal; cork and articles of cork; manufactures of straw, of esparto or of other plaiting materials; basketware and wickerwork; pulp of wood or of other fibrous cellulosic material recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard; paper and paperboard and articles thereof; textiles and textiles articles; footwear, headgear, umbrellas, sun umbrellas, walking-sticks, seat-sticks, whips, riding-crops and parts thereof; prepared feathers and articles made therewith; artificial flowers; articles of human hair; articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials; ceramic products; glass and glassware; natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones, precious metals, metals clad with precious metal, and articles thereof; imitation jewellery; coin; iron and steel; and articles of iron and steel

Deadline of Submission 07 May 2019

31 May 2019

A briefer on the review and the template for the proposal and/or request are available in the Commission’s website at www.tariffcommission.gov.ph. The Commission will also conduct industry-specific consultation and verification activities. The schedules will be announced later. For inquiries, Ms. Ruth A. Polo, Acting Chief Tariff Specialist, Commodities Studies Division of the Research, Investigation and International Trade Analysis Service, may be reached at Telephone Number 926-8731 or at info@tariffcommission. gov.ph. Issued this 22nd day of April 2019, at Quezon City, Metro Manila.

CAPTAIN JIM C. SYDIONGCO Director General MARILOU P. MENDOZA Chairperson (MS-APR. 25, 2019)

(MS-APR. 25, 2019)

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THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Petron, F2 try to book finals’ duel in Superliga

Davao, San Juan fight for all marbles

Games Today

Game Thursday

(Filoil Flying V Centre) 4:15 p.m. – Cignal vs Petron 7:00 p.m. – PLDT vs F2 Logistics

(Rizal Memorial College Gym) 7 p.m. – Davao Occidental vs San Juan

FOR the last time this season, Davao Occidental and San Juan collide as they dispute the first-ever national championship of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. Game time is 7 p.m. Thursday night in the winner-take-all to be played at the Rizal Memorial College in Davao City. The Cocolife-backed Tigers denied the Go-For-Gold-supported Knights a grand party right at their home court following a 77-66 win in Game 4, sending the series back to the south. With momentum on their side, the Tigers are hoping to win that crowning jewel that would make the entire province of Davao proud. But momentum doesn’t guarantee Davao Occidental a win and head coach Don Dulay knows it too well. “We still need to go out there and play. We just have to take it from them,” added Dulay. “Yes, playing in front of our home crowd would be nice, but the outcome still depends on us. We just have to do our part.” This means Davao Occidental will need another collective effort from Billy Robles, Eman Calo, Leo Najorda, big man Bogs Raymundo and Finals’ MVP-candidate Mark Yee to put themselves in a better position to beat the Knights. The Knights, on the other hand, will have to play it the right way, involving everybody on the groove of things—from gunners John Wilson and Mac Cardona, big men Larry Rodriguez and Larry Muyang, highleaping guard Mike Ayonayon and spitfire guard Orlan Wamar. MPBL founder and chief executive officer Senator Manny Pacquiao is going to award the multi-million golden trophy to the champion squad and ball rings to the key members of the champion squad and he will be joined in the awarding ceremony by league commissioner Kenneth Duremdes. Also to be feted Thursday night are the Finals MVP and the Coach of the Year.

Mindanao, Luzon PPS legs slated JUNIOR netters stay busy this summer as the PPS-PEPP national age group circuit resumes in key cities in Luzon and Mindanao beginning with the Ipil leg which got under way yesterday (Wednesday) at the 102nd Igsoon Brigade Tennis Courts in Zamboanga Sibugay. Close to 120 players are vying in the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop featuring nine age group divisions with Faith Regencia, Glaze Omos and Jalia Elumba leading the bidders in the girls’ 16- and 18-U classes and Lex Estillore, Zarc Denopol, Al Dree Pan, Miggy Omos and Al Ritz Pan gaining top seeding in the top two categories in the boys’ side. Meanwhile, the Luzon swing actually ﬁred off last Monday with the Pulilan, Bulacan leg with San Pablo, Laguna hosting the next stop of the circuit put up by Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala on May 4-12 for the Escudero Cup. The Cainta Open, which will feature the country’s top players, will be held on May 13-21 while the two-weekend PPS-PEPP UP National Student Open will be played onMay 18-19 and on May 25-26. “This annual PPS-PEPP nationwide summer circuit is part of our continuing commitment not only to develop the sport and help produce future stars but also to keep our youth away from vices,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro. The Mindanao tour, on the other hand, will hold its next stop on April 28-May in Liloy, Zamboanga del Norte with Sindangan, Zamboa del Norte hosting the next leg on May 2-5. Action then shifts to ZDN capital Dipolog while Oroquieta, Misamis Occidental takes its turn to stage the circuit on May 8-11. Listup for all tournaments is ongoing. For details, call PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers drives to the basket against Jerami Grant (9) and Paul George (13) of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of Game Five of the Western Conference quarterfinals during the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. The Blazers won, 118-115. AFP

Lillard buzzer-beater seals it for Trail Blazers L

OS ANGELES—Damian Lillard sank a three-pointer on the buzzer to cap a 50-point display as the Portland Trail Blazers completed a late ﬁghtback to send Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder crashing out of the NBA playoffs on Tuesday.

Needing a win to keep the best-of-seven series alive, Oklahoma City appeared to be on their way to forcing a game six after overturning a nine-point deficit at the end of the third period to open up a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter. But a sensational burst of scoring hauled the Blazers back within striking distance as their home fans at the Moda Center roared them on. Lillard leveled the score at 115-115 with a driving layup and when Westbrook subsequently fluffed a chance to restore Oklahoma City’s lead with 18.3 seconds left, Portland ace Lillard was left with a chance to grab the win. The 28-year-old point guard took his time, eating up the final few seconds before sinking a three-pointer from longrange to seal a 118-115 win and a 4-1 series victory.

“Sometimes it’s your turn to go through something, and when you keep fighting, and keep working through it, and stay together, there’s a reward waiting for you,” Lillard said after the win. Earlier, Lillard had kept Portland in contention almost single-handedly, playing all 24 minutes of the first half and knocking down 12 of 18 shot attempts to score 34 points by the break. His first-half exploits appeared to have caught up with him as the Blazers flagged in the third period. But the Portland talisman led a mesmerizing late rally to finish with 50 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Maurice Harkness added 17 points, Enes Kanter added 13 and C.J. McCollum finished with 17. It was a disappointing end to the season for Westbrook, who added a triple

double comprising 29 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists. Paul George led the Thunder scoring with 36 points, adding nine rebounds and three assists in a losing effort. Lillard meanwhile revealed that Portland had been motivated by Oklahoma City’s exuberant celebrations after their win in game three. “They were out there doing all these celebrations,” he said. “After one win, that was what they decided to do. We were like, OK, we want to win four games, and then there won’t be nothing to talk about.” Portland will face either Denver or San Antonio in the next round. The Nuggets took a 3-2 lead in their series after a 108-90 win earlier on Tuesday. In the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers set up a heavyweight playoff battle after completing comfortable series victories. The Sixers sealed a 4-1 series win after routing the Brooklyn Nets 122-100 while the Raptors swept to an emphatic 115-96 dismissal of the Orlando Magic to also win their series 4-1. AFP

PH hosts 14th ASEAN taekwondo tourney TAEKWONDO gets top sports billing on May 4-5 when the Philippine Taekwondo Association stages the 2019 14th ASEAN Championships at the Music Hall of the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City. The Philippines’ well-trained jins are expected to put up a good showing in the two-day event against ﬁghters from seven other countries, namely, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Brunei and Singapore. Participants in the tournament sanctioned by the ASEAN Taekwondo Federation will vie for honors in kyorugi (free sparring) and Poomsae (forms) in three divisions—senior, junior and cadet. The event comes before the Philippine hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games later this year. The Philippines has produced many medalists in previous ASEAN taekwondo competitions. Among the Filipino gold winners were Jenar Torillos, Christian Al Dela Cruz, Kristopher Robert Uy, Laila Delo, Rommel Pablo Jr., Shirly Badol, Lorenz Chavez, Aaron Francis Agojo, Gershon Bautista, Anjelay Pelaez, Kristie Elaine Alora, Enrique Edgardo Mora, Ernesto John Mendoza, Juan Miguel Ramos, Bea Mariel Go and Irene Therese Bermejo. The international event is supported by MVP Sports Foundation, Smart, PLDT, Meralco, Philippine Sports Commission, Jenar Torillos, one of the top Filipino entries, tags her rival with an Philippine Olympic Committee, SM Supermalls and Milo. axe kick in a previous competition.

Maturan, Ramsey rule Tanduay Chairman Kap golf Tanduay president and CEO Lucio ‘Bong’ Tan Jr.

THIS year’s edition of the Tanduay Chairman Kap Year 6 at the West Course of Wack Wack Golf & Country Club in Mandaluyong City was topped by Remy Maturan and actor Derek Ramsey. Cash and merchandise were rafﬂed off to the lucky participants and guests. Overall Lowest Net honors went to Maturan with a score of 74, while Overall Lowest Gross honors went to Tanduay Rum endorser Ramsey with a 71. A total of 208 players inclusive of executives of the Lucio Tan Group of Companies, led by Tanduay president and CEO Lucio “Bong” Tan Jr. and guests participated in the one-day tournament.

BITTER rivals Petron and F2 Logistics seek to book another finals duel while Cignal and PLDT Home Fibr fight for survival in Game 2 of their Philippine Superliga (PSL) Grand Prix best-of-three semifinal series today at the Filoil Flying V Centre. The Blaze Spikers clash with the HD Spikers at 4:15 p.m. while the Cargo Movers tackle the Power Hitters in the 7 p.m. featured encounter of this prestigious women’s club league that is bankrolled by Asics, Mueller, Mikasa, Senoh, Team Rebel Sports, Bizooku, UCPB Gen, Cocolife, Hotel Sogo and Data Project. After blowing hot and cold, F2 Logistics regained its championship form down the stretch to pull off a masterful 25-14, 17-25, 25-16, 25-22 victory over the Power Hitters in Game 1 of this series that has ESPN5 and 5Plus as technical sponsors. Two-time Most Valuable Player awardee Lindsay Stalzer restored order in the third set before unleashing a flurry of clutch hits in the crucial stretch to lift the Cargo Movers out of trouble and into the brink of another finals appearance. “She got frustrated in the second set,” said F2 Logistics coach Ramil de Jesus. “But I told her to remain focussed because we need her maturity and leadership down the stretch. It woke her up and she started to play well in the third set.” But all eyes will be on Petron. After suffering their second set loss of the season, the Blaze Spikers displayed their ability to bounce back as imports Katherine Bell and Stephanie Niemer caught fire in the second set en route to an impressive 20-25, 25-14, 25-13, 25–18 win. Bell and Niemer pumped in 24 points apiece to put Petron one win away from making it to their 13th finals appearance and three straight wins away from sweeping the tournament. Head coach Shaq Delos Santos, however, said they are marching into Game 2 with high morale, especially after seeing his wards bouncing back from a rusty start in Game 1. “I think losing a set is part of the game. The important thing is how you reacted and how you bounced back after that loss,” said Delos Santos, whose wards dropped only one set in their campaign in the classification phase and quarterfinals. “Starting slow was expected since we came out from a very long break, 17 days, I think. But it’s good that we managed to recover. At least I saw how the girls adjusted to this kind of pressurepacked situation.”

Highlanders top WGAP Circuit opener TAGAYTAY Highlands kept the momentum of its WGAP Cup romp as it snatched victories in Classes A and C to kick off its title drive in the 2019 Champion WGAP Circuit at the Villamor Golf Club recently. Marianne Bustos carded 38 Stableford points, while Chesca Imperial, Sandy Romualdez and Virginia Bote backed her up with 35, 34 and 32 points, respectively, as the Highlanders edged the Forest Hills side, 139-137, in a tight battle for top honors in the premier division of the course-hopping circuit organized and conducted by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines. Tagaytay, which dominated last year’s WGAP Cup featuring the top ﬁve teams after the eight-leg WGAP Circuit, also snared the Class C crown with a 144, nipping Villamor in the countback, to seize control in the early going of the eight-stage circuit with six overall points. Rosario Dimson scored 40 points while Marissa Vergara, Maria Luisa Jayme and Connie Mamaril carded 36, 35 and 33 points, respectively, as the Highlanders foiled the hosts, who drew 38, 37, 35 and 34 points from Grace Bañas, Mylene Dolonius, Maria Catherine Yulo and Angela Castro, respectively, in their Class C duel.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@manilastandard.net sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019

Mondilla, Kim forge ahead in shaky finishes STA. ROSA, Laguna—Young Korean Kim Joo Hyung came out better than a slew of local top guns in another battle of survival at The Country Club’s tough finishing holes, saving a one-under 71 and gaining a share of the lead with Clyde Mondilla at the helm halfway through the TCC Invitational here yesterday. In another punishing day, three-time champion Angelo Que actually took charge with a one-over overall card after 15 holes but bogeyed the last three for a 75, opening round leader Jerson Balasabas double bogeyed the 18th for a 76 and Keanu Jahns fumbled with three bogeys at the back to likewise hobble with a three-over card. Juvic Pagunsan, also aiming for a record fourth TCC title like Que, also went one-under after with a birdie on No. 15 but bogeyed the next two holes for a 73 while Aussie Tim Stewart matched Que’s horrible windup for a 76, their wobbly finishes enabling Kim and Mondilla, who salvaged a 73, to seize control at 146 heading to what looms to be a wild, wooly final 36 holes of the P5 million championship kicking off the Philippine Golf Tour’s 10th season. Kim, who became the circuit’s youngest winner at 16 when he edged Jobim Carlos by one at Pueblo de Oro last year, thought he had figured out the Tom Weiskoph-designed layout with three birdies in the first five holes at the back to go two-under in another hot, windy day. But he bogeyed the 16th, barely saving a 71 that proved to be the best in such adverse conditions. “I got lucky I made this score. It was windy and very hot out there,” said Kim, seeking to keep the crown won by compatriot Micah Shin in record fashion last year. Over in San Rafael, Bulacan, Pauline del Rosario put on a blistering start before slowing down at the backside to card a six-under 66 and open a whopping sixshot lead over amateur Eagle Ace Superal at the start of the ICTSI Royal Northwoods Ladies Classic at the Royal Northwoods Golf Club, Inc. yesterday. Del Rosario, out to end a title spell after racking up four victories to win the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit title in 2017, birdied the first four holes then added two more on Nos. 6 and 7 to turn in a career-best start. A bogey on the ninth broke that stirring birdie-binge but the former amateur star birdied the par-3 12th before settling for pars for a 31-35 card.

Korean Kim Joo Hyung moves 36 holes away from matching compatriot’s record victory last year.

Beermen gun for berth in Philippine Cup finals By Jeric Lopez

EFENDING champion San Miguel Beer attempts to take that giant step towards a ﬁfth straight crown as it shoots for a return trip to the ﬁnals in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup.

The Beermen, ahead 3-1, can finish off Phoenix and wrap-up their best-ofseven semifinals series in Game 5 today at 7 p.m. at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City. San Miguel Beer bounced back emphatically in Game 4 last Tuesday night, flexing its championship muscles to take a dominant 114-91 win in yet another physical contest to get closer to another finals’ stint. Terrence Romeo played the lead role,

waxing hot with a team-high 20 points, 17 of which came in succession in an impressive personal outburst in the third period to bring the Beermen to safety for good. Another thing that San Miguel Beer did right in Game 4 was that it was able to have a solid start, something it failed to do when it lost Game 3. SMBeermen coach Leo Austria hopes his team can duplicate that in Game 5 as he Leo Austria feels it is a big key. “I think we need to have a good start again because that sets everything for us,” said Austria. “That way, we can dictate the tempo of the game.” San Miguel Beer will have a fresher June Mar Fajardo, who sat out most of the second half in Game 5 as he did not have to return anymore with his teammates picking up all the needed cudgels.

The Fuel Masters, now facing elimination, need to stay poised if they want to extend the series. Jaypee Mendoza and Alex Mallari both got ejected in Game 5 after incurring multiple technical fouls. In that game, Arwind Santos’ second-quarter salvo helped the Beermen cruise to the 23-point win. After struggling in San Miguel’s 92-90 loss to Phoenix in Game 3 on Sunday, when he shot a horrendous 1-for-12 from the 3-point range, Santos bounced back with a flourish, sinking three triples, including a trey that handed SMB a 59-47 edge. He finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Only Calvin Abueva ended up in double figures for the Fuel Masters, with 19 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Palaro athletes arrive in Davao; Duterte to grace games’ opener By Peter Atencio ATHLETES from many regions in the country have started trickling in and are now in Davao City for Palarong Pambansa 2019, the biggest sporting event for elementary and secondary students in the country. The Palaro, which serves as the Department of Education’s ﬂagship sports program, won’t be managed by the department alone this year as the Philippine Sports Commission has stepped in to help run the many events of the games as well. The PSC has already made its presence felt in the games, with Chairman Butch Ramirez visiting and inspecting the facilities that will be used during the weeklong meet. President Rodrigo Duterte is set to grace the Palarong Pambansa in his hometown in Davao this Sunday—the third straight time that he will be around to inspire and challenge the youth to strive for excellence in the country’s annual talent search. The early arrivals include participants

from Western Visayas region, considered as a big contender. Athletics, along with another premier event in swimming, will be held at the track and ﬁeld oval and swimming pool of the Davao CityUniversity of the Philippines Sports Complex. Powerhouse National Capital Region, which has dominated the meet in terms of medals for many years, is once again expected to face challenges from Western Visayas, as well as the Southern Tagalog Region (Region IV-A). NCR still took last year’s overall honors with 100 golds, 70 silvers and 50 bronze medals. On the other hand, Region IV-A, which placed second with its 55-50-73 gold-silverbronze tally, could be in the running for the no. 2 spot again. Third placer Western Visayas is expected to do better than its 46-45-55 showing the last time around. Around 15,000 participants are expected to compete in various playing games, including indigenous sports which will be re-introduced this year.

THE Philippines has a fighting chance to reach the 3x3 basketball event in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The good showing of Pasig Grindhouse Kings and Balanga-1Bataan Risers in the 2019 FIBA 3X3 World Tour Masters in Doha has made this possible. Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 league owner Ronald Mascariñas said this during a gathering that welcomed back the members of the team last Tuesday at the Holiday Inn-Galleria in Ortigas. “So far, the last four months have been productive for us. We proved that we can sustain this effort with their performance. We have a fighting chance to be in the top 24 in the world, and make it in the final qualifier for the 2020 Olympics,” said Mascarinas. Since the start of the year, the Philippines has jumped up in the FIBA 3x3 world rankings from no. 51 to no. 27 after the Chooks-to-Go 3x3 Asia Pacific Super Quest. The Philippines jumped further to number 31 (1,806,820 points) in the Federation rankings after Pasig and Bataan ended up in fifth and sixth places, respectively, when the Doha event was over. Bunched in a tough grouping during pool play, Pasig won over home team Katara, 21-14, before scoring a massive upset win over now-world no. 2 Liman, 19-16. Pasig was then overwhelmed by eventual-champion Riga Ghetto, which remained as world no. 3, in the semifinals, 21-15. Next month, Pasig will be in the Kunshan Challenger from May 18 to 19, a qualifier to the Chengdu Masters.

Lago places 5th in Asian cycling MPBL MVP. Bacoor, Cavite Rep. Strike Revilla (right) accepts the MPBL Datu Cup 2018-2019 Most Valuable Player (Regular Season) and All-MPBL First Team for Bacoor City Striker Gab Banal. Joining in accepting the award from MPBL commissioner Kenneth Duremdes (middle) was Joel Banal, Gab’s dad and a multi-titled basketball player and coach himself. Lino Santos

Go For Gold launches talent search for outstanding triathletes GO For Gold Philippines has opened the door of opportunity for those who wish to join its growing stable of accomplished athletes from a variety of sports. Go For Gold godfather Jeremy Go announced on Tuesday that they have come up with a series of races where the top male and female competitors would be offered a contract to become a part of Team Go For Gold. Go said these aspirants should compete in the six races that will be organized starting with the Go For Gold Sunrise Sprint-Cebu on April 28, a short distance triathlon featuring a 750-meter open-water swim and a 20km bike ride before ﬁnishing off with a 5km run. ``There is no shortcut toward success.

PH 3x3 team eyes Tokyo Olympics

But if your dream is to be part of Go For Gold Philippines, then this might be your time to shine,’’ said Go, vice president for marketing of Powerball Marketing and Logistics Corp., the spearhead behind the Go For Gold program. After the race in Naga, Cebu, the next stop will be the Go For Gold SBR PH Aquaman at Vermosa Sports Hub on May 19 followed by the Go For Gold SBR PH Duaman in Nuvali on June 16. Another Go For Gold Sunrise Sprint in Davao City on July 7 has been scheduled before winding it up with the Go For Gold SBR PH Triman-Clark on July 28 and the Go For Gold Sunrise SprintSubic on Nov. 4. Go explained that the 10 fastest clock-

ings in both men and women during the SBR races and the Go For Gold Sunrise Sprint open category would be rewarded with corresponding points according to their order of ﬁnish. ``This program aims to encourage more young individuals to pursue excellence through sports,’’ said Go during the press conference held at the Rudy Project at Uptown BGC in Taguig City. He added the winners, which will be announced after the Nov. 4 race, will receive a professional contract worth up to P100,000 plus a Storck bike and a specially crafted Go For Gold trophy. Aside from the men’s triathlon team, Go For Gold is backing the national athletes from cycling, sepak takraw, chess, wrestling, dragonboat and skateboarding.

GAZALKENT, Uzbekistan—Marc Ryan Lago poured everything he got against the biting Uzbek cold made worse by the rain and a field more adept to freezing weather and wound up fifth in the Men Junior individual time trial of the Asian Cycling Championships for Road on Wednesday. Lago raced for the first time in 11-degree (Centigrade) cold but overachieved. The 18-year-old from Taguig City, the reigning Philippine juniors champion, pedaled no slower than 40 kph in the first half of the 30-km ITT and hiked his speed to 55 kph going back, in the process passing five riders sent off ahead of him at one-minute interval. He crossed the finish situated in the middle of a long expressway in the outskirts of this quaint and laid back Uzbek city in 41 minutes and 37.45 seconds. Kazakhstan’s Maxim Popugayev clocked 39:49.40 to win gold in the out-andback ITT raced on a flat course, followed by Thailand’s Tullatorn Sosalam (40:16.66) and Uzbekistan’s Behzodbek Rakhimbaev (40:18.25) finished 1-2-3 in the race. “It was so cold, but I tried to ignore it,” said Lago, who was dazed after crossing the finish and had to be carried by his head coach, Ednalyn Hualda, to the team car. Thirteen riders competed in the Men Junior ITT, which was followed by the Under-23 ITT where 2018 Le Tour de Filipinas Best Young Rider Daniel Ven Carino is entered.

IN BRIEF

DTI monitors building materials

THE Trade Department said it is intensifying monitoring and enforcement to ensure product quality and consumer safety of construction materials such as cement, steel bars, angle bars, uPVC pipe and sanitary wares. The agency ordered an investigation on the structures and buildings that collapsed after the earthquakes this week. “We will investigate these incidents, although in the constructed structure, many things go into it already. The structural design, the cement mixture, right specs of steel bars and the right number of bars per diameter of posts, etc. I have asked our BPS [Bureau of Product Standards] to investigate,” said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez. Data showed that from January to April this year, the Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau confiscated and sealed 35,112 pieces of steel bars, equal-leg angle bars, uPVC pipes, G.I. wires and electrical cords. The bureau monitored 1,173 firms and served 138 notices of violation where 118 were filed with administrative cases. Othel V. Campos

Business

BSP readies circular on payment system

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Wednesday it released a draft circular containing the first tranche of guidelines of Republic Act 11127, or the National Payment Systems Act, which aims to have a safe, efficient and reliable payment system in the country. The Bangko Sentral said the law could well support the twin objectives of maintaining a payment system that is necessary to control systemic risk and providing an environment conducive to the sustainable growth of the economy. “Through a safe, efficient, and reliable payment system through which funds are transferred among banks and other institutions to discharge payment obligations arising from economic and financial transactions across the entire economy, the cost of exchanging goods and services is reduced,” it said in a statement. “It is likewise an essential tool for the effective implementation of monetary policy, and the smooth functioning of money and capital markets,” it said. It said considering that the usage of payment systems was not necessarily limited to banks and non- bank financial institutions, the scope of the regulatory powers of the Bangko Sentral were also expanded under NPSA to cover non-financial institutions such as operators and service providers. Julito G. Rada

Chinese textile firm commits to invest in Cagayan ecozone A CHINESE textile manufacturing company is set to sign an investment deal in Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport. Cagayan Economic Zone Authority president and chief executive Raul Lambino said the Chinese company relayed the plan during the second Belt and Road Initiative Forum held in Beijing. Lambino said the textile producer was among the major Chinese companies interested in investing in CSEZP in Sta. Ana, Cagayan. Ceza is the administrator of the 54,000-hectare ecozone. “Ceza would be signing a series of MOUs [memorandum of understanding] with major Chinese companies for various investments in the zone, among them a mega textile manufacturing venture,” he said Tuesday during the Boao Forum for Asia-Manila Conference hosted by the FilipinoChinese Chamber of Commerce. Ceza currently hosts 26 ﬁnancial technology companies which are mostly Chinese. The second Silk and Belt Initiative forum is the second of a series of fora and investment matching sessions for countries in Asia. The Trade Department announced earlier that the Philippines would sign about $10 billion worth of investments and trade deals including the textile deal of Ceza Once signed, the agreements are expected to yield 20,000 new jobs for the Filipino workforce. More than 15 agreements, which cover trade and investment deals on food, energy, power, infrastructure, technology and services, were expected to be signed by Chinese and Philippine companies during the forum. Othel V. Campos

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019

Ayala Land to put Makati assets under investment trust By Jenniffer B. Austria

Zamcelco asked to pay P467-m debt

POWER supplier Western Mindanao Power Corp., a unit of Alsons Power Group, asked Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative Inc. to honor and pay its P467-million debt. WMPC reacted to the claims of Crowninvestment Holdings Inc. and Desco Inc. that it overbilled its customers amounting to P441 million. WMPC vice president for business development Joseph Nocos said Zamboanga City’s power supply problem was caused by the refusal of Crown Investment and Desco Inc., the new management of Zamcelco, to honor their contractual obligations. Nocos said Zamcelco’s unpaid accounts to WMPC ballooned to P467 million covering the period October 2018 to February 2019. “As of this time, no payment had been made to WMPC and plant operations are still on hold. This has led to serious power outages in Zamboanga City,” he said. He said the non-payment prevented WMPC from procuring the fuel needed to run its power plant which provided the voltage support needed by Zamboanga City. Alena Mae S. Flores

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

MAYNILAD TREATMENT PLANT. West zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. inaugurates its second water treatment plant in Barangay Putatan, Muntinlupa City which obtains raw water from Laguna Lake. Leading the ribbon-cutting ceremony are (from left) Laguna Lake Development Authority assistant general manager Generoso Dungo, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, Muntinlupa City Rep. Rufino Biazon, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority deputy chief of staff Michael Salalima, Maynilad chairman Manuel Pangilinan, Maynilad president and chief executive Ramoncito Fernandez, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System administrator Reynaldo Velasco, Metro Pacific Investment Corp. president and Maynilad director Jose Ma. Lim, Environment Undersecretary Jonas Leones (partly hidden), Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Jorge Moragas Sánchez, National Security Council deputy director-general Vicente Agdamag, Muntinlupa mayor Jaime Fresnedi and Marikina City Rep. Bayani Fernando.

World Bank expects PH to outperform neighbors By Julito G. Rada

HE Philippines economy is seen to outperform most developing nations in the East Asia and Paciﬁc region this year despite the negative impact of the delayed passage of the national budget, according to World Bank data.

World Bank acting chief economist for East Asia and Paciﬁc region Andrew Mason said in a report titled Managing Headwinds the Philippines would likely grow 6.4 percent in 2019 and 6.5 percent in 2020, down from the October 2018 estimates of 6.7 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively. The economy ex-

panded 6.2 percent in 2018. “Growth in the large Asean countries is projected to remain broadly stable, supported by resilient domestic demand. Growth in Indonesia and Malaysia is projected to remain unchanged in 2019, while growth rates in Thailand and Vietnam are expected to be slightly lower in 2019,” the bank said. “In the Philippines, while the economy is expected to accelerate this year compared to 2018, the delayed passage of the national government budget is expected to weigh on growth in 2019 before an anticipated pick up in 2020,” it said. The 6.4-percent GDP growth projection for the Philippines this year is higher than Indonesia’s 5.2 percent, Malaysia’s 4.7 percent and Thailand’s 3.8 percent. Only Vietnam is seen to grow faster at 6.6 percent among Asean 5 economies.

The World Bank said it reduced its growth forecast for developing East Asia and the Pacific amid the global headwinds and a continued gradual policy-guided slowdown in China. It said growth in developing East Asia and the Pacific was projected to soften to 6 percent in 2019 and 2020 from 6.3 percent in 2018. The bank said in the April 2019 edition of East Asia and Pacific Economic Update that while trade policy uncertainty abated somewhat, global trade growth was likely to moderate further. Domestic demand remained strong in much of the region, partly offsetting the impact of slowing exports. “The region’s resilient growth should bring about further poverty reduction, already at historic lows. By 2021, in fact, we expect extreme poverty to dip below 3 percent,” said World Bank vice president for East Asia and Pacific Victoria Kwakwa.

PROPERTY developer Ayala Land Inc. plans to raise $500 million from the country’s first real estate investment trust listing. Ayala Land president and chief executive Bernard Vincent Dy said in an interview following the annual stockholders’ meeting the company would file with the Securities and Exchange Commission its REIT application to offer office assets in the Makati central business district. Dy said the REIT application, the first in 10 years after the REIT law was passed, would be filed under the current rules which require public ownership of 67 percent. “We feel that it is a very good vehicle for us to be able to recycle capital and we are also looking at it as a new business model to be able to grow this REIT as another leg for growth,” Dy said. Ayala Land head of commercial business and senior vice president Jose Emmanuel Jalandoni said the company was working with BPI Capital as the underwriter for the offering. “We are testing the framework so we will start with few assets only primarily in Makati CBD assets,” Jalanadoni said. Dy said there was a strong demand from investors in REIT. The Aquino administration approved the REIT law in 2009 to boost liquidity in the stock market and enhance the quality of the domestic financial market, giving local investors more funding options. REIT gives investors the option to invest directly in the finished products that are already earning money―such as residential and office units, hotels or shopping malls or even infrastructure ventures like toll roads and power plants―and not just the property developer. This was meant to attract investors because the law requires the distribution of 90 percent of income yearly. However, tax issues and the imposition of 67-percent public ownership requirement discouraged real estate companies from taking advantage of it.

PH asks Japan to open market for specialty rice SMIC MEETING.

By Othel V. Campos

SM Investments Corp. chairman Jose Sio (left) presides over the conglomerate’s annual stockholders’ meeting at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. With Sio is vice chairperson Teresita Sy. Bobby Cabrera

Cabinet looking at the impact of earthquakes on domestic economy THE government’s economic managers are awaiting the assessment on the damage from the successive earthquakes this week to see if they could impact on economic growth that was earlier predicted at 6 percent to 7 percent this year. “We will know after the damage assessments are in,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, the head of the Cabinet’s economic team, said when asked for comment. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo echoed Dominguez’s statement, saying it was too early to tell if the earthquakes would have any signiﬁcant impact on the economy. “It would depend on the damage brought about by the earthquake,” Guinigundo said in a text message. A 6.1-intensity quake hit Castillejos

town in Zambales province on Monday but more damage was reported in several Pampanga towns. The following day, a 6.5-magnitude tremor struck the province of Eastern Samar. Science and Technology Undersecretary Renato Solidum said in a television interview that the Eastern Samar quake on Tuesday afternoon was expected to cause less damage compared to the Zambales quake. President Rodrigo Duterte expressed conﬁdence that the Luzon quake would not disrupt the local economy. Initial reports said Pampanga was the worst hit by the earthquake that killed at least 15 people and damaged public infrastructure and private properties. The quake also damaged the Clark International Airport, resulting in the airport’s

closure since Monday night. The province’s second district―composed of the municipalities of Floridablanca, Guagua, Lubao, Porac, Santa Rita and Sasmuan―were placed under a state of calamity to allow the provincial government to tap funds intended for rehabilitation and disaster response. The International Monetary Fund slightly cut its growth forecast for the Philippines this year to 6.5 percent from the 6.6-percent estimate made in October 2018, saying a number of economic uncertainties, trade tensions and policy normalization in advanced economies would affect most economies this year. Such lower GDP forecast was, however, stronger compared to the actual growth of 6.2 percent in 2018. Julito G. Rada

THE Philippines is asking Japan to open its market for specialty rice as a part of the discussions for an upgraded bilateral trade agreement. Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo, a member of the Philippine panel to the Philippine-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, said Manila would try to convince Japan to open its market to Philippine specialty rice exports. Japan has one of the most restrictive rice markets to protect its own farmers, while the Philippines recently lifted the quantitative restriction on rice imports. “We know that rice is a sensitive commodity for the Japanese, as it was with us. We’re just asking for a small quota―enough for our specialty rice to have access into their market at a lower tariff,” Rodolfo said. He said the Philippines had no plans to flood Japan with rice. “And we do not even have that capacity to flood any market with rice since we are also a net-importer [of rice],” Rodolfo said. Japan maintains a 778-percent tariff on rice imported outside the minimum access scheme. Rice is one of Japan’s five “sacred” agricultural products, along with wheat, beef and pork, dairy products and sugar. National Economic and Development Authority director-general Ernesto Pernia said Filipino farmers should increase their production of special varieties of rice to respond to the increasing demand in the international market.

Business

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks gain; JG Summit advances T HE stock market rose Wednesday following a record-breaking close on Wall Street overnight.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 28.06 points, or 0.4 percent, to 7,846.99 on a value turnover of P8.1 billion. Losers, however, beat gainers, 105 to 87, with 51 issues unchanged. Conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc. of industrialist John Gokongwei climbed 2.9 percent to P65.65, while SM Investments Corp. of the Sy Group gained 2.2 percent to P950. Conglomerate Ayala Corp. gained 2.2 percent to P884, while property unit Ayala Land Inc. rose 2.1 percent to P48. The rest of Asian markets mostly rose

Wednesday after Wall Street’s rally that was fueled by strong earnings from US big-hitters, but investors held back from ﬁring a full-on rally. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq scaled all-time highs while the Dow came close after a string of better-thanforecast results from the likes of Coca-Cola, Twitter and Lockheed Martin added to a raft of other recent reports that suggest the economy is in rude health. Markets welcomed “a really great string of earnings reports, most of them outpacing expectations, as well as some pretty good commentary on future estimates from CEOs”, Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Leuthold Weeden, told Bloomberg News. “There’s quite a bit of positivity carrying this to new highs.” However, while Asian dealers were generally upbeat they were

Japanese yen, which is considered the go-to asset in times of uncertainty. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin travel to Beijing next week for another round of high-level talks aimed at resolving their painful tariffs war. The White House issued a statement saying the latest negotiations “will cover trade issues including intellectual property, forced technology transfer, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, services, purchases and enforcement,” adding that Chinese ofﬁcials will visit Washington on May 8. Expectations the talks will eventually end with an agreement between the economic superpowers has helped ﬁre a rally across world markets this year, with the initial row having been the catalyst for a sharp sell-off at the end of 2018. With AFP

unable to capitalize on the Wall Street performance, with major indexes shifting in and out of positive territory through the day. Shanghai finished up 0.1 percent, while Singapore put on 0.2 percent and Sydney jumped one percent as a drop in Australian inflation raised the chances of an interest rate cut by the country’s central bank. The reading sent the Australian dollar plunging more than one percent. There were also positive performances in Wellington, Taipei, Mumbai and Bangkok. However, Hong Kong fell 0.5 percent, while Tokyo finished 0.3 percent off with Seoul 0.9 percent lower. While most equity markets were up, forex dealers were less risky, with the dollar up against most of its peers and higher-yielding units, though the greenback was weaker versus the

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2019

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 58.6 1,000 82 1,773,370 2.17 17,000 133.6 2,426,270 26.2 274,800 18.94 8,900 11.62 60,400 4.51 21,000 0.59 2,000 1.42 12,000 795 150 0.5 3,070,000 75.7 2,655,190 1.01 419,000 13.48 5,000 52.5 283,640 182.9 910 58.95 2,710 26 1,400 178.8 173,270 60.75 2,680

58,600 145,343,346 37,110 324,135,993 7,189,785 168,414 697,864 95,720 1,180 17,040 119,850 1,535,440 201,188,377.50 415,910 67,400 14,974,838.50 163,963 159,802 36,290 30,961,581 163,470

58,600 -7,861,477.50 -13,814,588 -4,422,335 56,758 -35,898 -119,850 -115,337,912 -2,836,497.50 2,163,015 -63,192.50

36.45 16.2 0.84 1.4 0.238 1.89 15.68 110 27.25 45 68.35 1.95 5.31 5.53 11 15.74 9.26 7.36 1.68 22 80 29.5 2.69 11.3 12.44 1.78 300 50 3.6 10.02 22.4 14.3 21.75 377.6 0.193 6.2 1.21 4.58 6.37 9.1 1.43 11.78 44.45 5 1.64 2.18 1.25 12.8 113.1 6.98 0.129 0.97 145.5 2.5 1.37 1.16

INDUSTRIAL 36.9 747,100 16.34 333,100 0.85 3,605,000 1.4 165,000 0.243 220,000 1.96 13,910,000 15.68 7,000 110 650 27.8 138,800 45 71,400 68.35 270 1.95 209,000 5.81 47,200 5.6 24,500 11 7,401,000 15.96 104,000 9.3 1,516,700 7.39 3,904,800 1.68 1,000 22.15 1,535,900 80.05 18,800 29.9 3,100 2.74 11,492,000 11.34 1,739,200 12.54 177,400 1.78 163,000 300.4 1,141,800 50 10 3.61 9,000 10.2 18,500 22.7 2,865,400 14.5 1,112,500 22.1 2,543,400 382.8 122,360 0.209 250,000 6.2 2,000 1.24 1,882,000 4.6 16,000 6.38 2,480,300 9.1 1,000 1.45 11,905,000 12 39,300 45.2 202,000 5.05 256,800 1.65 51,000 2.22 14,000 1.27 227,000 12.98 373,300 114.6 395,660 6.98 40,200 0.129 100,000 0.98 1,126,000 145.5 755,270 2.5 528,000 1.39 5,838,000 1.17 489,000

27,455,635 5,444,712 3,069,290 232,650 53,160 27,122,270 110,078 71,500 3,854,590 3,213,305 18,467.50 407,680 274,206 137,064 81,990,702 1,654,954 14,113,677 28,895,350 1,680 34,235,195 1,508,997 91,490 31,568,540 19,742,652 2,222,540 293,910 343,598,008 500 32,550 186,768 65,088,580 16,071,638 56,029,135 46,725,710 48,610 12,400 2,304,700 73,600 15,845,352 9,100 17,277,790 468,648 9,165,140 1,302,365 84,120 31,640 285,850 4,847,072 45,297,195 281,540 12,900 1,108,070 110,627,828 1,320,000 8,354,080 572,000

8,502,525 711,500 -14,450 -7,000 -13,966,500 -88,046 -2,330,535 -135,175 -126,678 15,558,462 1,171,888 -4,161,457 -991,392 1,680 7,726,090 -939,606 -529,100 3,071,856 424,986 32,093,156 -6,970,900 -5,804,426 47,749,495 9,673,426 309,720 -3,300,597 581,080 5,520,845 -994,199 2,540 -833,740 -25,590,634 -41,350,242 1,320,000 -2,102,760 2,340

0.64 56.35 14.78 0.8 6.5 19.28 1.39 1.41 885 7.6 11.86 14.96 0.255 865.5 6.6 65.65 5.98 4.91 0.52 5.15 15.88 0.56 4.47 0.04 2.95 179.1 950 1 1.33 430 0.236 0.35

0.6 55.05 14.4 0.76 6.5 18.78 1.37 1.39 867 7.45 11.56 14.72 0.24 848 6.6 61.75 5.1 4.91 0.5 5.03 15.5 0.56 4.33 0.039 2.91 177.3 930.5 0.96 1.33 430 0.236 0.325

HOLDING FIRMS 0.61 12,851,000 55.85 1,483,230 14.5 8,170,900 0.78 81,000 6.5 15,700 18.82 10,600 1.38 1,981,000 1.4 671,000 884 499,250 7.6 281,300 11.72 6,491,800 14.92 108,000 0.25 340,000 851 52,130 6.6 100 65.65 1,636,560 5.55 13,600 4.91 1,000 0.51 7,000 5.06 2,405,100 15.8 992,700 0.56 26,000 4.4 55,146,000 0.04 4,400,000 2.93 219,000 177.3 270,550 950 141,690 0.98 862,000 1.33 71,000 430 70 0.236 220,000 0.33 11,190,000

7,879,420 82,904,534 118,992,614 61,840 102,050 200,738 2,741,310 938,780 438,127,415 2,129,405 76,101,176 1,606,470 84,740 44,478,890 660 106,049,667 76,388 4,910 3,530 12,205,324 15,680,144 14,560 242,320,400 172,200 641,160 48,257,976 134,161,715 845,700 94,430 30,100 51,920 3,735,950

-258,630 -36,398,106 -35,115,030 102,050 508,800 -73,009,550 239,321 -44,321,530 593,498 -16,007,975 34,845,865.50 -4,816,624 -4,905,282 -92,579,110 18,116,653 80,902,665 74,800

14 0.78 2 0.78 48.1 2.5 4.3 6.32 0.52 0.82 0.92 0.242 0.39 11.08 25.8 0.5 1.54 1.33 5.75 0.35 0.485 1.81 0.43 2.42 24.35 2 3.05

13.66 0.76 1.9 0.76 47.1 2.45 4.26 6.32 0.5 0.82 0.91 0.24 0.39 10.8 25.05 0.49 1.51 1.29 5.51 0.335 0.48 1.76 0.42 2.39 23.85 1.98 3

8,054,994 43,360 258,820 1,021,900 915,979,600 617,790 7,217,150 182,016 4,548,740 53,300 11,840 1,061,570 23,400 4,512,524 38,771,110 423,350 50,404,170 3,590,200 253,795,471 2,699,450 445,800 5,831,100 114,100 1,663,110 59,969,810 51,730 967,550

-769,902 1,560 -57,600 245,981,455 41,410 -126,100.00 184,990 -738,424 13,225,645 -1,075,910 -12,900 -39,792,721 -42,000 150,800 -77,120 5,188,340 49,730 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

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

58.6 82 2.18 133.6 26.2 18.7 11.58 4.69 0.59 1.42 800 0.52 76 1.02 13.48 54.9 179.5 58.95 25.75 178 60.7

58.6 82.5 2.19 133.8 26.3 18.98 11.62 4.69 0.59 1.42 800 0.53 76.15 1.02 13.48 54.9 182.9 59 26 179 61.4

58.6 81.5 2.17 133.4 26.1 18.7 11.5 4.51 0.59 1.42 795 0.495 75.35 0.97 13.48 51.8 179.5 58.9 25.7 177.9 60.7

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS BASIC ENERGY CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL CIRTEK HLDG CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR EUROMED FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA GREENERGY HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LIBERTY FLOUR 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 ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VULCAN INDL

36.65 16.4 0.87 1.4 0.245 1.91 15.76 110 28 45.05 69 1.96 5.75 5.99 11.14 15.9 9.4 7.36 1.68 22.5 80.2 29.5 2.84 11.4 12.44 1.83 301.8 50 3.65 10.02 23.1 14.56 21.95 382.6 0.194 6.2 1.22 4.61 6.4 9.1 1.45 11.78 45 5.12 1.65 2.18 1.29 12.9 115.5 6.98 0.129 1 147.6 2.5 1.46 1.18

36.9 16.4 0.88 1.43 0.245 1.98 15.76 110 28.25 45.25 69 1.96 5.87 5.99 11.4 15.96 9.4 7.45 1.68 22.5 80.6 29.9 2.85 11.4 12.56 1.83 302.8 50 3.65 10.54 23.1 14.56 22.1 383 0.209 6.2 1.24 4.61 6.42 9.1 1.47 12 46.4 5.12 1.65 2.38 1.29 13.02 116.3 7.06 0.129 1.03 147.8 2.5 1.48 1.18

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 FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG KEPPEL HLDG B LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME ORION SAN MIGUEL CORP SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.64 55.05 14.5 0.8 6.5 19.28 1.38 1.41 867 7.6 11.76 14.96 0.247 850 6.6 63.85 5.98 4.91 0.52 5.15 15.88 0.56 4.44 0.04 2.92 177.8 930.5 0.98 1.33 430 0.236 0.35

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 PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP

13.94 0.76 1.9 0.76 47.4 2.5 4.26 6.32 0.5 0.82 0.91 0.242 0.39 10.9 25.05 0.495 1.54 1.33 5.53 0.35 0.485 1.81 0.42 2.42 24.35 1.98 3

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

39.85 1.67 7.02 0.74 7.29

40 1.68 7.04 0.74 7.32

39.2 1.66 6.9 0.74 7.26

40 1.67 6.99 0.74 7.29

5,467,900 2,220,000 139,000 5,000 4,635,200

217,966,340 3,686,820 965,403 3,700 33,809,432

89,103,290 21,596,554

2GO GROUP ABS CBN APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CHELSEA EASYCALL GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA GRAND PLAZA HARBOR STAR INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PAXYS 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

13.08 19.02 0.415 0.039 14.92 2.32 12.66 0.072 83.2 5.08 10.28 1,831 5.22 420 10.22 2.83 120 11.02 7.05 0.13 4.96 2.97 15.6 3.74 0.87 21.3 0.61 4.75 3.42 1.78 2.37 4.21 10 3.3 4.07 120 3 1,230 0.75 0.98 44.2 78.7 8.73 2.6 0.67 0.375 5.61 0.68 17.1

13.08 19.32 0.42 0.039 16.46 2.34 12.7 0.072 83.2 5.14 12.48 1,874 5.22 425 10.22 2.9 121.9 11.04 7.05 0.13 4.96 2.97 15.6 3.9 0.88 21.55 0.62 4.75 3.5 1.78 2.39 4.31 10.6 3.3 4.18 120 3.08 1,238 0.76 0.99 44.2 78.7 9.05 2.72 0.68 0.385 5.63 0.68 17.3

12.5 18.9 0.415 0.039 14.92 2.27 12.4 0.07 82 5.08 10.1 1,790 5.18 408 10.22 2.82 119.3 11.02 7.05 0.125 4.82 2.97 15.6 3.74 0.84 21 0.6 4.75 3.41 1.76 2.3 4.21 10 3.3 3.9 119.5 2.93 1,227 0.75 0.96 42.4 77.7 8.73 2.6 0.66 0.37 5.61 0.66 17

SERVICES 13.02 19.2 0.415 0.039 15.54 2.28 12.6 0.071 82.2 5.1 11.98 1,790 5.18 408 10.22 2.87 121.4 11.02 7.05 0.126 4.9 2.97 15.6 3.82 0.87 21.55 0.61 4.75 3.48 1.78 2.32 4.26 10.26 3.3 3.9 120 3 1,232 0.75 0.96 43.15 78.3 9.04 2.7 0.67 0.37 5.62 0.66 17.06

26,900 324,800 90,000 5,000,000 9,700 193,000 5,235,200 18,480,000 18,580 383,100 424,600 71,455 166,800 9,820 200 323,000 3,486,780 17,700 13,000 5,800,000 643,000 18,000 100 1,026,000 155,000 2,000,500 1,282,000 10,000 8,040,000 12,000 4,363,000 25,000 15,400 2,000 268,000 156,270 1,375,000 54,865 1,828,000 21,014,000 3,401,200 248,260 391,100 16,316,000 3,236,000 2,470,000 113,300 5,880,000 9,266,300

345,948 6,238,104 37,400 195,000 149,312 441,180 66,018,922 1,306,110 1,536,921 1,954,546 4,869,292 129,106,045 867,082 4,070,020 2,044 922,690 422,837,418 195,078 91,650 727,690 3,139,180 53,460 1,560 3,922,870 134,030 42,814,890 781,390 47,500 27,828,600 21,320 10,106,120 106,240 158,726 6,600 1,062,810 18,720,265 4,093,400 67,565,720 1,377,100 20,345,050 146,211,650 19,433,400.50 3,512,126 43,730,900 2,159,550 925,800 636,708 3,918,630 158,284,354

47,500 1,531,952 413,768.50 -34,612 21,668,645 79,406,800 -44,140 -630,160 6,087,175 -11,195,450 -16,670 4,040 -12,000 -785,030 38,791,475 -37,590 -926,350 -66,609,865 17,770.50 5,054,290 -641,550 -174,225 -11,013,944

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

0.002 1.31 2.83 11.88 2.68 0.29 8 1.49 0.25 0.118 0.0084 0.0081 1.07 2.4 1.03 0.6 0.9 0.012 0.012 0.012 3.1 3.08 7.67 23.65 0.007

0.002 1.42 2.9 12.6 2.72 0.29 8.16 1.51 0.255 0.118 0.009 0.0095 1.07 2.48 1.03 0.62 0.92 0.013 0.013 0.012 3.2 3.25 9.3 24 0.007

0.0019 1.31 2.82 11.12 2.68 0.29 7.99 1.49 0.248 0.114 0.0082 0.0081 1.06 2.39 0.99 0.6 0.9 0.012 0.012 0.012 3.1 3.07 7.63 23.45 0.007

MINING & OIL 0.002 21,000,000 1.39 6,448,000 2.9 22,000 12.34 18,500 2.71 108,000 0.29 30,000 7.99 6,700 1.5 2,445,000 0.255 490,000 0.114 290,000 0.0082 29,000,000 0.0084 23,000,000 1.06 85,000 2.46 448,000 1.01 432,000 0.62 11,000 0.92 36,000 0.013 1,600,000 0.013 200,000 0.012 100,000 3.2 14,000 3.19 797,000 9.24 15,137,700 23.7 804,700 0.007 15,000,000

41,900 8,891,750 62,430 222,650 290,760 8,700 53,587 3,666,000 122,500 33,100 252,800 197,900 90,370 1,089,250 428,500 6,620 32,650 19,400 2,500 1,200 43,650 2,510,610 129,630,182 19,133,130 105,000

40,000 -1,815,030 -2,820 64,550 -46,400 313,150 9,300 -60,120 10,244,262 4,143,785 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 DD PREF FGEN PREF G FPH PREF C GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A PCOR PREF 2B 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

18.5 475 497 98 103 474.8 5.13 959 95.9 1.01 100.1 990 1,030 106 975 75 76.85 71.85 72.5 74 72.75 73.45

18.5 475 497 98 103 474.8 5.13 959 95.95 1.01 100.1 990 1,030 106 975 75.1 76.95 71.85 72.5 74.2 74.4 73.45

18.1 475 497 96.1 103 474.8 5.13 959 95.9 1 100.1 990 1,030 106 975 75 76.85 71.85 72.5 74 72.75 73.4

PREFERRED 18.1 99,700 475 50 497 70 96.1 580 103 340 474.8 60 5.13 1,500 959 40 95.95 350 1 46,000 100.1 10 990 110 1,030 40 106 420 975 50 75.1 2,410 76.95 1,010 71.85 500 72.5 1,250 74.2 4,380 74.4 3,080 73.4 300

1,819,414 23,750 34,790 56,612 35,020 28,488 7,695 38,360 33,577.50 46,340 1,001 108,900 41,200 44,520 48,750 180,790 77,619.50 35,925 90,625 324,496 224,202 22,030

-271,114 -

LR WARRANT

1.94

2.01

1.94

WARRANTS 1.94 295,000

584,050

ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE XURPAS

5.05 2.6 1.19

5.12 2.6 1.2

5.02 2.6 1.13

5.05 2.6 1.13

806,153 13,000 16,527,010

185,830 -9,074,330

FIRST METRO ETF

117.2

117.4

117.2

746,147

4,696

USD DMPL A1

10.1

10.02

463,922

-234,623

PROPERTY 13.94 0.78 1.98 0.78 48 2.45 4.28 6.32 0.51 0.82 0.92 0.241 0.39 10.82 25.8 0.49 1.53 1.3 5.6 0.34 0.48 1.76 0.43 2.41 23.85 2 3.05

581,100 57,000 133,000 1,338,000 19,145,700 251,000 1,686,000 28,800 8,946,000 65,000 13,000 4,410,000 60,000 413,700 1,515,400 860,000 33,152,000 2,751,000 45,193,800 7,970,000 920,000 3,283,000 270,000 692,000 2,486,300 26,000 322,000

TRADING SUMMARY

FINANCIAL

11,561,417

INDUSTRIAL

85,069,750

HOLDING FIRMS

110,660,469

PROPERTY

186,953,156

SERVICES

125,844,484

MINING & OIL

117,528,408

GRAND TOTAL

652,127,417

SME

159,600 5,000 14,338,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 117.4 6,360 10.1

DDS

46,100

VALUE 1,731.59 (down) 1.79 754,166,339.90 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,458.58 (down) 71.46 1,100,768,441.97 HOLDING FIRMS 7,586.10 (up) 89.97 1,341,822,433.99 PROPERTY 4,229.56 (up) 38.87 SERVICES 1,577.43 (down) 26.96 3,398,501,270.865 MINING & OIL 7,870.96 (up) 230.03 1,321,689,270.93 PSEI 7,846.99 (up) 28.06 166,951,102.22 All Shares Index 4,846.05 (up) 7.01 8,101,993,697.76 Gainers: 87; Losers: 105; Unchanged: 51; Total: 243

NLEX posted net income of P5.7b in 2018 By Darwin G. Amojelar NLEX Corp. posted a net income of P5.7 billion in 2018, up 24 percent from P4.6 billion in 2017, due to higher vehicle traffic in North Luzon Expressway and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway. The company’s toll revenues reached P13 billion last year from P11.5 billion in 2017 also on higher traffic volume. Vehicle traffic rose 7 percent in NLEx and surged 15 percent in the SCTEx following the integration of the two roads and the opening of additional lanes in 2017. Non-toll revenues reached P208.3 million last year from P174.3 million in 2017. North Luzon Expressway spans approximately 95 kilometers, or 527-lane kilometers, and serves an average of 237,046 vehicles a day. It is the main infrastructure backbone that connects Metro Manila to Central and Northern Luzon. SCTEx, meanwhile, is a 94-km, 2x2 expressway stretching from Subic-Tipo to La Paz, Tarlac, connecting the special economic zones in Subic and Clark and Olongapo City, to Tarlac City. NLEx earlier secured approval from the Toll Regulatory Board to collect P10 in additional toll in the open system and P0.18 per kilometer in the closed system, respectively. Included in the adjustments are the new add-on toll of P6 applicable to the open system with the completion of the Harbor Link Segment 10 and the first tranche of the approved periodic adjustments due 2013 and 2015 amounting to an additional P4 in the open system and P0.18 per kilometer in the closed system. The elevated 5.65-kilometer NLEx Harbor Link Segment 10 traversing Valenzuela, Malabon and Caloocan City recently opened for motorists. Under the new toll matrix released by the Toll Regulatory Board, Class 1 vehicles (ordinary cars) traversing Quezon City, Caloocan City, Valenzuela City, Malabon, Meycauayan and Marilao sections will pay an additional P10. Class 2 vehicles (buses and small trucks) on the same corridor will pay an additional P23 and Class 3 vehicles (large trucks/trailers) will pay an additional P29.

SMC Global lists bonds worth P30b By Alena Mae S. Flores SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. on Wednesday successfully listed P30 billion of fixed-rate bonds with Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. out of its total shelf registration of P60 billion PDS Group president Ma. Theresa Ravalo welcomed again SMC Global Power, a unit of conglomerate San Miguel Corp., for the listing of the fixed-rate bonds. “We are delighted to note that since its debut three years ago, San Miguel Global Power has issued and listed their securities every year. And this year, with an oversubscribed issuance, it is a testament to the SMCGP corporate name that it is able to tap the market in a sizeable amount amid competition from large issues of financial institutions,” Ravalo said. SMC Global general manager Elenita Go expressed appreciation of the successful bond offering, the first tranche of a ₱60-billion shelf-registered retail bonds, and the fourth local bond issuance overall. “The funds provided by these bonds come at an opportune time as our country faces the daunting challenge of ensuring that adequate and affordable supply of power is available to meet our constantly growing demand,” said Go. “SMC Global Power stands ready to take on these challenges, and pursue a business model and an expansion strategy, all within a culture of excellence and innovation, that not only supports the government’s national and regional energy policies and needs, but also unequivocally show that there are better ways of conducting day-to-day business operations in a socially and environmentally responsible manner,” she said. Go said SMC Global Power supported an inclusive growth and did not focus merely on its own bottom line. “While we make things work to pursue our corporate goals, SMC Global Power does not compromise things that are important to us and our children, such as preserving, if not improving, the conditions in the communities where we do business,” she said.

World

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Democracy leaders jailed over protests H

ONG KONG―Four prominent leaders of Hong Kong’s democracy movement were jailed on Wednesday for their role in organizing mass protests in 2014 that paralyzed the city for months and infuriated Beijing.

The prison terms are the latest hammer blow to the city’s beleaguered democracy movement, which has seen key ﬁgures jailed or banned from running for the legislature since their demonstrations shook the city but failed to win any concessions. Nine activists were all convicted earlier in April of at least one charge in a prosecution that deployed rarely used colonial-era public nuisance laws over their participation in the Umbrella Movement protests, which called for free elections to appoint the city’s leader. Their trial renewed the alarm over the shrinking freedoms under an assertive China, which has re-

jected the demands by Hong Kongers for a greater say in how the ﬁnancial hub is run. Two key leaders of the mass protests―sociology professor Chan Kin-man, 60, and law professor Benny Tai, 54―received the longest sentences of 16 months in jail, sparking tears in court and angry chants from hundreds of supporters gathered outside. Two others―activist Raphael Wong and lawmaker Shiu Ka-chun―received eight months while the rest had their jail terms suspended or were given a community service order. One defendant, lawmaker Tanya Chan, had her sentencing adjourned because she needs surgery for a brain tumor. The jail terms are the steepest yet for anyone involved in the 79-day protest which vividly illustrated the huge anger―particularly among Hong Kong’s youth―over the city’s leadership and direction. As Wong was led away by guards he proclaimed:

Power impassé wreaks havoc on Zamboanga Manila

Standard

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

TODAY

ZAMBOANGA City, the Sardines Capital of the Philippines, is groping in the dark. A standoff between the city’s main power generator and distributor is disrupting Zamboanga City’s economy and trying the patience of the population. Brownouts lasting up to six hours daily are too much for the nine major sardines companies operating in the city. Big seaweed production plants in Zamboanga City that make most of the world’s supply of carrageenan have also become a casualty in the tug of war between Western Mindanao Power Corp. (WMPC) and Zamboanga City Electrical Cooperative Inc. (Zamcelco). WMPC of the Alcantara Group, which operates a 100-megawatt diesel power facility in Sangali, Zamboanga City, was forced to stop operation on Feb. 4, 2019 due to lack of fuel supply. WPMC can no longer continue advancing payments for diesel supply because of Zamcelco’s inability to pay its bills to the power generator. City ofﬁcials and businessmen were naturally outraged at the power disruption and pleaded with the Energy Regulatory Commission to intervene and resolve the problem. “We are requesting the ERC to act decisively and justly on the pending dispute resolution to restore reliable and stable power to Zamboanga City,” said WMPC vice president for business development Joseph Nocos. “The continued power outages are wreaking havoc on Zamboanga City, threatening livelihood, security, access to basic services and the conduct of peaceful elections. Canneries are reportedly spending up to 30 percent more in power costs as they have to run their generators to ensure uninterrupted production,” he said. Zamcelco, according to WMPC, had consistently failed to make timely payments for the power dispatched to the coop. By the middle of January 2019, Zamcelco had over P300 million in unpaid bills to WMPC, representing payment for power delivered in October, November and December 2018. As diesel fuel constitutes between 85 percent and 90 percent of WMPC’s costs, it soon became untenable for the power generator to continue buying fuel from its suppliers without Zamcelco and its management ﬁrm, Crown Investment Holdings Inc., settling the obligations. The Zamboanga City Council, meanwhile, has tried to mediate to resolve the deadlock. Crown Investment president Jomar Castillo in a meeting in early March with the council promised to solve the power problem in two to three weeks. Councilor Rudy Lim blamed Crown Investment for failing to deliver on its promise to provide solutions. He said the act of unilaterally refusing to pay its obligations to WMPC that has caused the rotating blackouts was an act “tantamount to economic sabotage.” Castillo’s promise to solve the power problem has not been realized as of April 22, 2019. Crown Investment, in a meeting with Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, proposed an interim arrangement to pay WMPC the amount of P220 million to cover fuel and variable costs, but not under the terms of the power supply agreement which it is contesting. But WMPC said it could not operate its plant without the PSA because it would violate ERC rules that require an approved agreement before a plant can supply power. One solution offered was for Crown Investment to pay WMPC under protest, while contesting the PSA with ERC. Crown Investment did not accept the proposal. Almost a month after Castillo promised to solve the power problem in three weeks, the City of Zamboanga still experiences power outages that last up to six hours. The generator sets that Crown Investment and Zamcelco have been installing were ineffective in restoring power. “Without the reactive power support provided by WMPC, there will always be blackouts in the city despite the abundance of power supply in the Mindanao grid,” said Nocos. “The immediate solution to the power problem in the city is to allow WMPC to operate its power plant because it is designed to provide not only capacity but stability to the grid as well—unlike Crown’s generator sets which are ineffective and expensive,” he added. Crown Investment has been justifying its refusal to pay by claiming that the WMPC-Zamcelco PSA is not effective and that WMPC overcharged the electric cooperative. “WMPC never over-billed Zamcelco. The amounts billed and paid for were calculated in accordance with the payment formula provided for in the power sales agreement between Zamcelco and WMPC,” said Nocos. E-mail: rayenano@yahoo.com or business@ manilastandard.net or extrastory2000@gmail.com

“Our determination to ﬁght for democracy will not change.” Tai and Chan founded a civil disobedience campaign known as “Occupy Central” in 2013 alongside 75-year-old Baptist minister Chu Yiu-ming, one of the defendants to have his jail term suspended. Their original idea of taking to the streets to demand a fairer system was a precursor to the student-led Umbrella Movement a year later that brought parts of the city to a standstill. Authorities in Hong Kong and the mainland have defended the prosecutions as a necessary measure to punish the leaders of a direct action movement that took over key intersections of the city for many weeks. But activists and rights groups have argued that the use of the vaguely worded public nuisance laws―combined with a steeper common law punishment―is an insidious blow to free speech and a new tactic from prosecutors.

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE ANCILLARY SERVICES PROCUREMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL GRID CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES AND SN ABOITIZ POWER-BENGUET, INC. (FOR AMBUKLAO), WITH PRAYER FOR THE ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

Incidental kVAR Rate: Php 4.00/ kVARh Compensable kVARh = Actual kVARh - Base kVARh Where: Actual kVARh = actual reactive power provided within each interval Base kVARh = corresponding kVARh at 0.85 power factor lagging or 0.9 power factor leading, for the unit’s MW loading. For clarity, the MW loading is the unit’s Pmin, or RTD schedule, whichever is greater.

ERC CASE NO. 2019-014 RC

14. Applicants submit that the rates represent a reasonable recovery of its opportunity cost in making available generation capacity to provide the procured AS.

NATIONAL GRID CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (NGCP) AND SN ABOITIZ POWERBENGUET, INC. (SNAP-BI), Applicants. x--------------------------------------------x

15. The rates under ASPA was subjected to a simulation by NGCP, the results of which are as follows:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 22 February 2019, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and SN Aboitiz Power-Benguet, Inc. (SNAP-BI) filed an Application dated 11 February 2019, seeking the Commission’s approval of the Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement (ASPA) between the NGCP and SNAP-BI, with prayer for provisional authority.

NATURE OF THE CASE

Applicant SNAP-BI is a corporation duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines with principal place of business at Binga Hydroelectric Power Plant, Brgy. Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet. It may be served with orders, notices, and other legal processes through its undersigned counsel. It is the owner and operator of the Ambuklao Hydro-Electric Power Plant (“Generation Facility”) located at Bokod, Benguet, which was certified and accredited by NGCP to be capable of providing Ancillary Services (“AS”) in the forms Regulating Reserve (“RR”), Contingency Reserve (“CR”), Dispatchable Reserve (“DR”) Black Start Service (“BSS”) and Reactive Power Support (“RPS”).

Cost, PhP Mn

SNAP-Benguet (Ambuklao)

84.01

7.20

0.1734

0.0004

Indicative Rate Impact PhP/kWPhP/kWh equivalent month 1.3047

0.0027

18. SNAP-BI, as a generation company, falls within the ambit of Section 6 of the EPlRA. Attached are copies of relevant documents proving SNAP-BI’s due registration as a generation company, relevant permits to operate the Generation Facility and audited financial statements, as follows: Annex Document “D” Certificate of Compliance “E” Summary of Existing Power Supply Agreement “F” Articles of Incorporation “G” Latest Security Exchange Commission - General Information Sheet “H” Latest Audited Financial Statement “I” WESM Registration While SNAP-BI is a co-applicant, it manifests that the instant Application shall neither modify, diminish or constitute a waiver of SNAP-BI’s rights nor expand its obligations and responsibilities as a generation company under EPlRA. ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY 19. It is a declared policy of the State to ensure the quality, reliability, security and affordability of the supply of electric power (Section 2(b), EPlRA). To this end, there is a need to comply with the system requirements for AS to ensure grid system security and reliability. As mentioned above, NGCP has the mandate to procure the required AS.

ANTECEDENT FACTS 4.

SNAP-Benguet (Ambuklao) Undervoltage Condition

Indicative Rate Impact PhP/kwPhP/kWh equivalent month

17. The ASPA shall be effective for a period of five (5) years, to commence immediately upon the effectivity of the provisional approval, or in the absence thereof, the final approval of the instant Application. In the event that the provisional or final approval, as the case may be, does not state a particular date of effectivity, the Agreement shall be effective on the date agreed upon by the Parties.

THE PARTIES Applicant NGCP is a corporation created and existing under the laws of the Philippines, with office address at NGCP Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City. It holds a franchise under Republic Act No. 95111 to engage in the business of conveying or transmitting electricity through high-voltage back-bone systems of interconnected transmission lines, substations and related facilities, and for other purposes. The franchise also includes the conduct of activities necessary to support the safe and reliable operation of the transmission system.

Cost,PhP Mn

16. Consistent with the AS-CRM, all the related and incidental expenses which NGCP will incur as a result of the procurement and operation of the ancillary services shall be recovered from all the load customers in the Luzon.

This Application is for the approval of the Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement (“ASPA”) between the NGCP and SNAP-BI dated 14 January 2019, pursuant to the Decision dated 3 October 2007 in ERC Case No. 2006-049RC entitled: “In the Matter of the Application for the Approval of Ancillary Services - Cost Recovery Mechanism (AS-CRM) of the Ancillary Services Procurement Plan, with Prayer for Provisional Authority.”

Overvoltage Condition

A copy of the Rate Impact Simulation is attached hereto as Annex “C”.

The pertinent portions of the said Application are hereunder quoted as follows:

“The long sentences sends a chilling warning to all that there will be serious consequences for advocating for democracy,” said Maya Wang, Human Rights Watch’s senior researcher on China. Amnesty said the four jailed men were “prisoners of conscience” and that the record breaking sentences set a “dangerous precedent”. There were emotional scenes outside the courthouse as the four leaders were driven away in a prison van as supporters shouted “Add Oil!”, a popular Cantonese phrase to signal encouragement. Speaking after the sentencing, Tanya Chan told the crowds: “I hope Hong Kongers will not lose hope, will not be afraid, will not have regrets or back down now”. Many supporters were holding umbrellas, an emblem of the 2014 protests after they were used by young demonstrators to defend themselves against police batons, tear gas canisters and pepper CYAN spray. AFP MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Republic Act No. 9136 (“EPIRA”) provides that it is the responsibility of NGCP to ensure and maintain the reliability, adequacy, security, stability and integrity of the nationwide electrical grid in accordance with the performance standards for its operations and maintenance, as set forth in the Philippine Grid Code (“PGC”)2, adopted and promulgated by the Honorable Commission, and to adequately serve generation companies, distribution utilities and suppliers requiring transmission service and/or ancillary services through the transmission system.3

20. RPS is one of the ancillary services provided in the PGC that is essential in maintaining power quality and the reliability of the grid. 5SNAP-BI having offered to provide its RPS, will significantly help maintain the required power quality and voltage level in North Luzon. The Generation Facility is strategically located in North Luzon, thus, its provision for RPS will definitely enable NGCP to comply with its mandate.6

Similarly, the PGC provides that NGCP is responsible for determining, acquiring, and dispatching the capacity needed to supply the required Grid AS and for developing and proposing Wheeling Charges and AS tariffs to the ERC.4

21. Thus, NGCP and SNAP-BI agreed to execute another ASPA for a period of five years to provide RPS.

AS as defined in Section 4(b) of the EPIRA “refer to those services that are necessary to support the transmission of capacity and energy from resources to loads while maintaining reliable operation of the transmission system in accordance with good utility practice and the Grid Code to be adopted in accordance with this Act.” These services are essential in ensuring reliability in the operation of the transmission system and consequently, in the reliability of the electricity supply in the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao grids.

22. In support of these allegations, NGCP submits a copy of the Judicial Affidavit of Engr. Lisaflor Bacani-Kater of the Revenue and Regulatory Affairs Department of NGCP, which is attached hereto as Annex “K”.

In order to implement and regulate the procurement of AS, the Honorable Commission approved the Ancillary Services Procurement Plan (“ASPP”) through its Order dated 9 March 2006 in ERC Case No. 2002-253 and the Ancillary Services-Cost Recovery Mechanism (“AS-CRM”) through its Decision dated 3 October 2007 in ERC Case No. 2006-049RC.

a) Immediately ISSUE a provisional authority to implement the subject ASPA executed on 14 January 2019; and

Pursuant to its mandate, NGCP on different dates published in newspapers of general circulation a Notice of Invitation for Prospective Ancillary Services Providers, inviting all grid-connected merchant plants and independent power producers to participate in the provision of ancillary services.

It may be recalled that on 08 August 2016, the Applicants entered into an ASPA (2016 ASPA) for a period of 5 years for the procurement of RR, CR, DR and BSC. On 24 August 2016, the Applicants filed an application docketed as ERC Case No. 2016-165RC before the Honorable Commission for the approval of the 2016 ASPA, which was provisionally approved through an Order dated 20 February 2018.

PRAYER WHEREFORE, premises considered, Applicants respectfully pray that the Honorable Commission:

b) APPROVE, after notice and hearing, the subject ASPA. Applicants pray for other just and equitable relief. The Commission has set the Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, pre-trial conference, and presentation of evidence on 29 May 2019 (Wednesday), at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00 A.M.), at Azalea Residences 7 Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City. All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following:

10. To further support NGCP in maintaining power quality and the reliability of the Luzon Grid, SNAP-BI offered to provide RPS. Thus, on 14 January 2019, the Applicants entered into a new ASPA for RPS on a non-firm contracted capacity basis. A copy of the Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement between NGCP and SNAP-BI dated 14 January 2019 is attached hereto as Annex “A”. 11. During the period of negotiation, NGCP has certified that the units of the Generation Facility to have met and complied with the Standard Ancillary Services Technical Requirements of the ASPP as capable of providing RPS. A copy of NGCP Accreditation Certificate No. 2018-L017 dated 1 September 2018 is attached hereto as Annex “B”.

Non-Firm Contracted Capacity Reactive Power Support (RPS) Available capacity of Reactive Power outside the range of 85% lagging and 90% leading power factor, as provided in Schedule 6. Note: This is in addition to the other Ancillary Service types provided under the Schedule 1 of ASPA entered into by SNAP-B and NGCP on 8 August 2016 with ERC Case No. 2016-165 RC.

The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and

A statement of the relief desired.

1) The name and address of such person; 2) A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and 3) The grounds relied upon. All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from Applicants that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing. NGCP and SNAP-BI are hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours. WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson and CEO, AGNES VST DEVANADERA, and the Honorable Commissioners CATHERINE P. MACEDA, and PAUL CHRISTIAN M. CERVANTES Energy Regulatory Commission, this 12th day of March 2019 in Pasig City.

JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT Oversight Commissioner for Legal Service

13. The Applicable Rates for the incidental kVARh covered by the ASPA as provided in Schedule 3 are as follows: Real Time Incidental kVARh Utilization while Providing Contingency or Dispatchable Reserves. This shall be paid based on the total recorded kVARh delivered/absorbed beyond 0.85 power factor lagging or 0.9 power factor leading from the time when the dispatch of RPS was instructed. The compensable kVARh shall be paid at:

The petitioner’s name and address;

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file their Opposition or Comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before Applicant rests its case, subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following:

NON-FIRM CONTRACTED CAPACITY RATE AND IMPACT SIMULATION 12. Under Clause 3 of the ASPA, SNAP-BI shall provide NGCP with the following AS as specified in Schedule 1 of the ASPA, as follows:

An Act Granting the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines a Franchise To Engage in the Business of Conveying or Transmitting Electricity Through High Voltage Back-Bone System of Interconnected Transmission Lines, Substations and Related Facilities, and for other Purposes; Section 9 (c); 3 Section 9 (d); 4 Section 6.3.1.2; 5 Section 1.6, PGC; 6 A copy of the List of Ancillary Services Providers in Luzon Certified with Reactive Power Support is attached as Annex “J”. 1

(MS-APR. 11 & 18, 2019)

LGUs

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

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

PROUDLY PINOY.

Metal Industry Research and Development Center Executive Director Robert Dizon, Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Peña, Philippine National Railways Officer-in-Charge for Train Control Division Ricarte Galope, PNR Officer-inCharge for Operations Francis Vegas, Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary for Research and Development Rowena Guevara, and Undersecretary Leah Buendia (Inset, left to right), lead the ceremonial ribbon-cutting during the inauguration of the Hybrid Electric Train at the station in Biñan, Laguna. The Hybrid Train, which will ply the Alabang-Biñan PNR route, would ease the mass transport problem in the area. PNA / Avito C. Dalan

‘Take bribes but vote based on your conscience’ KIDAPAWAN CITY—Aspirants for local posts in North Cotabato have advised the electorate to take bribe money but vote according to their conscience. Siblings Bernardo Piñol, currently Kidapawan City vice mayor and running for the city’s top post, and Efren Piñol, running for a seat in the House of Representatives, have openly asked voters to take money but vote rightly. On Tuesday, the two Piñols had a pocket rally in Barangay Amas here. They said vote buying has been rampant since the campaign period started. “Take bribes but vote for candidates according to your choice,” Bernardo said. Both are brothers of former North Cotabato governor now Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol. Both Efren and Bernardo said that vote-buying has already started in their respected areas, and lamented that it has become the norm where only moneyed candidates can win elections in the province. Later in the day, the Piñol siblings met with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, founding chairperson of Hugpong ng Pagbabago in an undisclosed place here. Mayor Sara was in Kidapawan to campaign for the regional bloc’s senatorial aspirants, especially former Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa who is a native of neighboring Davao del Sur. Mayor Sara endorsed the Piñol siblings, including incumbent Board Member Socrates Piñol, who is running for vice governor. She also told local party aspirants that corrupt politicians have no place in a government under President Rodrigo Duterte. “Once elected, they will surely recover the funds used in vote buying,” she said of corrupt politicians. PNA

Belmonte warns QC to prepare homes for more quakes By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte on Wednesday urged city residents to prepare their own households for eventuality of an earthquake after two strong quakes hit Luzon and Eastern Visayas on consecutive days. “Earthquakes could possibly occur anytime and unfortunately, there is no technology yet that could predict when it will strike. It’s better that we start educating ourselves now so that we could prepare ourselves and our communities for disasters like this,” Belmonte said. The Quezon City government through Mayor Herbert Bautista is doing its best in terms of disaster preparedness, while the 37-member city council presided over by Belmonte has been consistent to pass ordinances concerning disaster risk reduction and management, such as mandatory earthquake drills for all establishments. “Under our ordinance, establishments should conduct earthquake drills twice a year. That’s mandatory and no establishment is exempted. Schools, business establishments, residential areas, markets, places of worship, health care facilities and local government offices are all required to do the drill,” the vice mayor said. “Quezon City also has a contingency plan for worst-case-scenarios during an earthquake and, since last year, we have already adopted the disaster risk reduction plan in preparation for earthquakes and other disasters,” she added.

Abby: Makati buildings safe M

AKATI Mayor Abby Binay on Wednesday said 95 buildings in the city have been declared safe for occupancy after a magnitude 6.1 quake hit Zambales and was felt at Intensity V in Makati last Monday. These include all public elementary and secondary schools in the city, University of Makati, Ospital ng Makati, three City Hall buildings, and 46 private buildings, Binay said. A total of 113 buildings consisting of 67 public facilities and 46 private buildings had been inspected to date, according to reports from inspection teams deployed Tuesday from City Hall to inspect and assess the structural integrity of public and private structures in the city, the mayor said. Of these, 18 health centers require further evaluation by city engineers, apart from the covered court in Brgy.

Sta. Cruz, which was found with some visible cracks. Mayor Abby also said there were no casualties and injured persons from Monday’s tremor, based on the latest reports from the Makati Commercial Estate Association, the Makati Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the different barangays. Earlier, the mayor ordered the Office of the Building Official and the Department of Engineering and Public Works to take the lead in conducting inspections on private buildings and public facilities in the city, respectively. A total of 18 inspection teams from

the OBO, DEPW, MDRRMO, General Services Department, Makati Health Department, Bureau of Fire Protection and Department of Education-Makati have been formed and mobilized starting Tuesday. The mayor also called on building administrators to coordinate with the OBO to schedule an inspection of their buildings, which she said could be done jointly with their own team of experts. Last Tuesday, Mayor Abby held a command conference with key officials of the Makati DRRM Council to discuss measures being taken to determine the impact of the quake. At the meeting, personnel from the Makati DRRMO presented progress reports on the ongoing inspections being conducted on private buildings and government facilities by the inspection teams.

FOR THE INDIGENT. Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi (with shovel, third from left) leads the groundbreaking ceremony for the three-storey columbarium the city government will construct, worth P39.7 million, last April 17 together with other local officials. Built for the city’s indigent residents, the columbarium will also have a public crematorium and viewing chapel and have at least 7,200 slots.

NEDA, Gen. Santos create body to craft development master plan GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The National Economic and Development Authority office in Region 12 and the city government have created a special committee to assist the development of the city’s Sustainable Urban Infrastructure Development master plan. Teresita Socorro Ramos, NEDA-12 director, said Wednesday the project

implementation committee is tasked to ensure the smooth and effective formulation of the master plan that will guide the city’s infrastructure development programs and projects. Ramos said the creation of the committee was an offshoot of an agreement with the local government in connection with the P63-million SUID project.

Murillo family named Most Outstanding of Rotary 3790 MARIVELES, Bataan—The Murillo family of this town was adjudged Most Outstanding Rotary Family of Rotary International District 3790. “We received two medallions, trophy, token, and cash prize for the award,” said Municipal Councilor and Rotary member Susan Madla Murillo. “A search was conducted and our family emerged winner out of 102 clubs,” she said. The families were scored on their performance for the past six Rotary years or from 2013 to 2019. Attendance in Rotary events in the year 2018-2019 was also given points. Butch Gunio

“It will serve as the project’s senior level local counterpart for policy and direction setting and to facilitate inter-organization coordination,” she said in a statement. The committee consists of officials and representatives from the departments of Public Works and Highways, Environment and Natural

Resources, Transportation, Information and Communication Technology, Energy, Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Tourism, Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, General Santos City Water District, South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative, and the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce.

FREEDOM MARCH.

Boy Scouts of the Philippines Senior Vice President Obet Pagdanganan (center) leads the delegations at the Capas Freedom March, an annual memorial event to immortalize the uncommon valor of Filipino and American troops who underwent the infamous Death March during World War 2. As the event’s guest of honor and keynote speaker, Pagdanganan led the 10-km pre-dawn walk of some 1,000 participants from the People’s Park to the Capas National Shrine, dominated by Scouts from various chapters in Luzon.

Zero Extreme Poverty group aids PH youth RAISING young Filipinos to be well-rounded, active, and contributing members of the society indeed takes a village. Zero Extreme Poverty 2030 and a number of partners have worked together, dedicating time, expertise, and resources to empower out-of-school and highrisk children in making a positive impact in their lives and the society. ZEP2030 is a collective movement of non-government entities that are working together on poverty alleviation programs across the country. Formed in 2015, ZEP2030 is on a mission to uplift one million Filipino families from extreme poverty to self-sufficiency by 2030. The Association of Foundations, lead organization of the Education Cluster, and its members work with ZEP2030 towards this goal. AY Foundation, BDO Foundation, J. Amado Araneta Foundation, and WS Family Foundation are among the AF members that support and raise public awareness and engagement for ZEP2030, along with their own programs bringing quality education to disadvantaged children and youth nationwide. AY Foundation, WS Family Foundation, and JAAF have been actively providing scholarships and grants to provide children and youth with the competitive advantage of advanced education that they do not otherwise have access to. WS Family Foundation partners with CARD Bank, Inc. under the program CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions where they have given out scholarships to 869,010 children of poor families since 2011. For its part, BDO Foundation focuses its work on financial literacy as a clear path to becoming self-sufficient. It has partnered with various institutions to bring its financial inclusion advocacy to underserved sectors, including farmers. Among those expected to benefit from these programs are 24 million students in more than 47,000 public schools nationwide. Other AF members who support ZEP2030 include the Aboitiz Foundation, International Care Ministries Foundation, Jollibee Group Foundation, Megaworld Foundation, and San Miguel Foundation. ZEP2030 believes that poverty is a multidimensional issue that requires collective action from different stakeholders. To organize their expansive network and expertise, ZEP2030 is formed by seven clusters: Education, Health, Livelihood, Environment, Agriculture and Fisheries, Housing and Shelter, and Partnerships for Indigenous Peoples. As of end-2018, ZEP2030 members and partners have initiated interventions and programs in 109 cities and municipalities from 33 provinces in 15 regions across the country.

Life

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

HOUSEHOLD

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019

STAY SAFE:

Preparing the household for an EARTHQUAKE

THE BEST TIME TO PREPARE IS YESTERDAY. The recent temblors that rocked the country serve as a reminder for every household to be prepared for when the ‘Big One’ strikes. In photo is a church worker walking past the rubble of the 18th century St. Catherine of Alexandria whose bell tower was destroyed due to the 6.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Luzon on April 22. AFP

P UNTIL this day, there is no available technology in the world that can predict when exactly an earthquake’s going to happen. And the recent temblor that rattled the country serves a reminder for every household to be prepared for when the 7.2-magnitude earthquake, or the “Big One” strikes.

The Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology says the 100-kilometer West Valley Fault, which cuts through various areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, is ripe for movement. If it does happen, experts say Metro Manila could run out of food and water for a week, and communication lines could be cut off. The best time to prepare is yesterday, and if you haven’t prepared the family yet, the next best time is today.

Familiarize the family of the evacuation plan in your area.

Secure home

California Academy of Sciences recommend checking for any signs of structural defects or hazards at home: fasten shelves and other furniture and appliances securely to wall, place large or heavy objects on lower shelves, store breakable items and flammable products in closed cabinets with latches, hang heavy items away from anywhere where people sit, brace overhead light fixtures, repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections, and repair any deep cracks in ceilings or foundations. Homeowners can also assess their house’s structural integrity using the DOST-PHIVOLCS 12-point checklist “How Safe is My House.”

Prepare ‘go bags’

Make a plan

Create a family emergency situation plan. First, determine a meeting place in the event that members of the household get separated. Familiarize the family of the evacuation plan in your area. Then, develop an emergency communication plan that does not solely rely on cellular phone. Download mobile apps that can be used even when cellular networks are down, such as Firechat, which uses an ad hoc network by combining the signal of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Leaving notes on the wall of the house also helps the family determine where the other members are headed. Keep emergency hotlines of vital government agencies during disasters. National Emergency Hotline: 911 NDRRMC: 911-5061 to 65 Red Cross: 143 DPWH: 165-02 PNP: 117 BFP: 426-0219 MMDA: 136 PAGASA: 434-2698

Each member of the household should have their own “go bag” or emergency kit. The Department of Interior and Local Government – National Capital Region recommends a go bag must contain at least 15 liters of water per person, non-perishable and ready-to-eat meals enough for at least 72 hours up to preferably two weeks, emergency first aid kit (bandage, adhesive tape, cotton balls and cotton swabs, antiseptic solution, petroleum jelly, scissors and tweezers, medicines, etc.), important documents (birth certificate, identification cards, etc.), portable battery-powered radio, flashlight and whistle, fully charged power bank and extra batteries, and a few clothes.

Learn lifesaving skills

Every household should have at least one member who is trained on Basic Life Support – First Aid, use of fire extinguisher, and other lifesaving skills. Educate family members on basic first aid.

Practice ‘drop, cover, and hold’

Practice “drop, cover, and hold” with family members. Drop to the ground, find cover under a sturdy table or other piece of furniture, and hold until the shaking stops. If a table is not available, move to a corner or inside part of the building—away from

Inside a first aid kit for the family as prescribed by the Philippine Red Cross.

glass—and stay on the floor with arms covering the head. Educate members of the household to stay inside until the shaking has stopped. When outside, move away from building and head to an open space.

Tranquil living in Tagaytay ZEN living is an ideal that more and more people are embracing in their search for a life tucked in simplicity and with a deep sense of closeness to nature. It comes to life in the form of Japaneseinspired architecture and lifestyle that promotes peace and state of calm. Premier resort destination Tagaytay Highlands offers a tranquil way of life in its Japanese-themed master-planned community Katsura. On the said community’s highest point lies Yume, a residential development which sprawls on more than three hectares of gently rolling terrain. Tak-

ing its name from the Japanese word “dream,” Yume offers an unmatched serene escape tucked in nature. Expansive lot cuts range from 500 to 751 square meters, with premium fairway lots looking out over the fine fairways of the Midlands Golf Course. Future residents can envision their Japanese minimalist-inspired homes that open up to picture-perfect vistas of the Midlands Golf Course, Taal Lake, and Volcano. Yume residents will savor clean, crisp air and year-round cool breeze while laidback family members may spend quiet moments at KOENs or Japanese

pocket gardens that inspire quiet conversations, reading, and meditating. An active lifestyle is also in store for its homeowners, with each property purchase bundled with membership rights at The Country Club, and access to facilities for swimming, tennis, bowling, and badminton, and outdoor activities like the Aerial Walk, Trail Buggy, and Sporting Arrow. Tagaytay Highlands’ specialty outlets and restaurants Highlander Steakhouse, Highlands China Place, and Gourmet Avenue are available for Yume residents who want to dine out in style.

Yume, located on the highest point of Japanese-themed community Katsura, is a residential development that offers a serene escape.

Residents can spend quiet moments at the community’s Japanese pocket gardens.

Life

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Smart robot at your service S

M SUPERMALLS recently launched the country’s ﬁrst-ever in-mall smart robot designed to help with directions and provide mall information. First available at SM Megamall, SAM is an artificial intelligent humanoid robot which is part of SM’s series of innovations designed to improve customer malling experience. It offers information about the latest deals, promos, and events. Equipped with an advanced face recognition technology, it can also make personalized greetings to customers once they enter the mall. Customers can also chat with SAM through the SM Supermalls Facebook page. It serves as a 24/7 online concierge that can provide information like branch locations, mall schedules, and promos, to name a few. “We are very thrilled to finally share with you another milestone as we bring in the country’s first ever smart customer service robot. This breakthrough innovation is a reflection of our commitment to continuously give enhanced malling experiences to our customers,” said SM chief operating officer Steven Tan during the launch. Also present during the launch were SM senior vice president for marketing Jon-Jon San Agustin and SM Megamall assistant vice president for operations Christian Mathay. Ligo Lim, senior sales manager of Cal-comp Technology (Philippines), SAM’s creator and the country’s leading provider of electronic and original design manufacturing services, also graced the event. SAM is currently deployed at SM Megamall and will also soon roll out in other SM malls.

SAM, the first-ever in-mall customer service robot is ready to serve SM Supermalls customers.

11 moms on getting things done IT IS said that motherhood is 24/7 job with no vacation. It can be messy and exhausting that even the most organized mom can make mistakes. Despite having it tough, many moms still succeed in caring for their families in the best possible ways. Tang champions these “real” moms who share brilliant pieces of advice for those who still feel the pressure to fit into the mold of perfection. In a series of images, they show the expectations and realities of being a mom.

Via Austria

Vlogger mom Via knows how to look at life and motherhood in a realistic way. She also appreciates the beauty in its imperfection. “Being a mom is less rainbows and unicorns, but more crayons on the wall. Nonetheless, it is the most challenging yet rewarding job at the same time because it brings color to my life.”

Bianca Santiago-Reinoso

For the fashion stylist and writer, being a real mom is about letting go and not taking things too seriously. “Life is all about messy beautiful situations, and if there’s anything I’ve learned so far in being a mom, it’s to not take things too seriously. So I’ve literally let go, let God, and mom-ed hard.”

Isha Borromeo

Vlogger mommy Isha points out that motherhood isn’t glamorous and pictureperfect. “People see YouTuber moms like me always glammed up at events and expect that everything is effortless to me. In reality, juggling all my responsibilities, as well as making time for my son takes hard work, and I cherish the little things, because they are mundane yet special.”

Nicole Hernandez-De Los Angeles

The TV host and model shares that as a mom, she prioritizes balance in order to keep her household running smoothly. “Every single day, I try my best to balance everything. I’ve learned not to sweat the small stuff, and as long as my family is happy and healthy, we’re good!”

Saab Magalona-Bacarro

Actress, musician, and entrepreneur Saab encourages moms to tap into their creative side while appreciating moments with her kids and hubby. “Creatives like myself are often seen as mere hobbyists but the beautiful chaos of being a mom helps me write better music and makes me appreciate every moment with my family.”

SM Supermalls chief operating officer Steven Tan

Divine Lee-Go

Being a host, blogger, and entrepreDelamar Arias neur doesn’t stop Divine from getting Being a radio DJ and host, Delamar the most out of her time. For her, time management is key. “As a working wants real moms to know that it’s okay mom, you’ll eventually learn how to and normal to be messy. “Motherhood is often depicted as glamorous and put maximize your 24 hours by tenfold.” together, but this usually isn’t the case. Whether I look good or not, one thing is for sure—I always get things done for my family because of my love for them.”

MVP Rewards members earn cash back when they fuel up at Caltex

Caltex partners with MVP Rewards MEMBERS of MVP Rewards now earn cash back every time they fuel up at Caltex. MVP Rewards is exclusive to customers of PLDT, Smart, Sun, TNT, Cignal, and Bayad Center. Members enjoy exclusive deals, discounts, and privileges. “We have taken what’s best across industries and put it in one powerful program leveraging on the PLDT group that has the unique ability to provide this level of convergence owing to the breadth of our combined services,” shared Juan Victor Hernandez, director of MVP Rewards and Loyalty Solutions Inc. and senior vice president and head of enterprise business for PLDT and Smart. Since April 15, MVP Rewards members have been earning P1 cash back equivalent for every five-liter fuel purchase of Platinum with Techron, Silver with Techron, or Diesel with TechronD. “Caltex is always aiming to be the best value fuel in the market and coming up with different and exciting ways to give back to our loyal customers is one of the many ways we achieve this goal,” said Louie Zhang, Chevron Philippines, Inc. country chairman.

Bettinna Carlos

Life as an actress, model, and entrepreneur doesn’t hinder Bettinna from accepting that motherhood is always messy and never perfect. She encourages other moms to find the beauty in it. “The pursuit of perfection is pointless, and we need to embrace the sobering reality that family life is messy and it’s okay.”

Rosebud Benitez

Working as a chef, host, and entrepreneur often puts Rosebud on the spotlight. However, she knows that reality is far different from what is expected. “Being a mom is far from how we see it being portrayed on media. In reality, we have to deal with a lot of mess, especially in the kitchen where I usually bond with my kid.”

Anne Clutz

Janice Villanueva

PLDT and Smart chairman and chief executive Manuel V. Pangilinan and CPI country chairman Louie Zhang

Entrepreneur and Mommy Mundo CEO Janice tells moms to embrace the chaos of motherhood while striving to have a good outlook regardless of the pressure. “Like most things in life, perspective is important, and if we keep in mind our purpose, getting things done becomes natural, effortless, and even a pleasure!”

Vlogger and entrepreneur mom Anne says that motherhood shouldn’t be a hindrance to pursuing your own passions. In fact, it could be something moms can share with their kids. “They say that when you’re a mom, you can no longer do things you truly love, or probably not as often as before, but I disagree. Up to this day, I bond with my daughter through our fondness for makeup, and that is the true beauty of motherhood.”

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2019 2016 THURSDAY, ARPIL 25,

nickie.standard@gmail.com

What boosts Jodi’s self confidence

Actress Jodi Sta. Maria is the newest face of Ever Bilena

OP actress and mother Jodi Sta. Maria was recently welcomed by a leading color cosmetics retail company to its ever-growing family. Described as simple, beautiful, and an optimist, 36-year-old star was introduced as the ideal Ever Bilena woman at an event held in Quezon City. For this new and enviable role, Jodi will embody the classic Ever Bilena woman whose beauty cuts across generations, seasonal trends, and styles. Aside from appearing in the brand’s latest digital campaign, Jodi’s role as brand ambassador is to enjoin Filipinas to embrace their innate beauty and go back to the timeless basics as far as makeup is concerned. “We are very pleased to have Jodi with us as she represents a strong and empowered woman who takes on different roles with poise and grace,” shares Ever Bilena CEO Dioceldo Sy. “She is truly an inspiration for today’s modern woman and a perfect ﬁt to Ever Bilena which is proudly a local brand that caters to the different lifestyles of every Filipina,” she added. Jodi started her showbiz career doing supporting roles in popular youth-oriented TV shows Gimik and FLAMES. Her breakout role, however, was the tomboyish Georgina in the very successful teen drama series Tabing Ilog, which ran for four years. After playing teen roles, she transitioned to star in daytime show Please Be Careful with My Heart and other numerous critically acclaimed projects like Chassis and Aparisyon, which earned her Best Actress nominations in

Jamming with Earth warriors

'Earth Day Jam' exponent Lou Bonnevie

AN ANNUAL rock event that has been around for that long should serve as model for other festivals eyeing for longevity. The Earth Day Jam, now on its 19th year, stood the test of time because of its clear, relevant advocacy pushed by self-styled, empowered ﬁgure head Lou Bonnevie. “Earth Day Jam 2019 is putting more emphasis on the protection of Earth’s depleting wildlife species. It’s a signiﬁcant summer theme to inspire the youth to be more proactive in environmental advocacies that protect the planet’s endangered species,” said the lady founder and chairman of Earth Day Jam Foundation. I was with a pool of press at My Bro’s Mustache folk bar in Hive Hotel (along Scout Tuazon, Quezon City) when we were shown an Earth Day Jam AVP showing glimpses of past editions. Seeing the clips, it dawned on me that this annual gathering of rock artists has witnessed the changing faces in the music landscape at least in the past two decades. Some of the acts in the initial stagings are no longer that active. Thus, seeing them in their heydays makes it quite poignant. It’s like being reunited with old pals in college, with those popular back in school and now settled, and perhaps quietly happy. That’s what happens when your event is a stage for the stars of the day to appear on, carrying a strong, positive message and playing in front of a good-sized crowd. This year’s edition is happening tomorrow, 6:00 p.m. in Tomas Morato where this “environmental music event”

kicked off almost 20 years ago. The list of performers to include Abra, G r a c e n o t e , YUGEL Moonstar88, Kjwan, LOSORATA Mayonnaise, Tanya Markova, Autotelic, Itchyworms, and other bands of good recall. Solo acts Nyoy Volante, Noel Cabangon, and Bonnevie herself are on board, too. In a way it is a mix of new and not-so-old acts, mirroring the Jam’s steady existence amidst the ever-changing trends in music in this young 21st century. According to Earth Day Jam’s social media administrator, it has already generated 100,000 followers which means to say the netizens are embracing its theme with a tight, collective hug. “This one’s a prelude to the 20th anniversary next year. But it will sure be festive,” Bonnevie added, echoing her Foundation’s nature of envisioning the future with hope and care. The event, with crucial support from Earthday Network Philippines and QC local government, will also feature interactive booths to learn from such as art sessions, environmental ﬁlms, and recyclable training. The backdrop of beloved artists performing should make way for a more insightful involvement as these are designed “to provide youth the relevant information about the state of the country’s natural environment.” Ever since the folksy Asin came up with “Masdan Mo Ang Kapaligiran,” Filipino artists have always been vocal in expressing support towards taking care or protecting the environment and animals. It’s the backbone why Earth Day Jam is bound to last for another decade.

FROM Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, GMA Network’s regional arm GMA Regional TV brought the Kapuso Campus Tour: The Regional Masterclass Series to various schools all over the Philippines, gathering some of the biggest names in the fields of media, academe, and community relations who gave students and professors an opportunity to become part of relevant discussions on local and national issues. GMA News Pillar Howie Severino led the team of Kapuso award-winning broadcast journalists and public affairs personalities who went from one school to another in the span of four months. Joining him were Ivan Mayrina, Raffy Tima, Sandra Aguinaldo, Mariz Umali, Jun Veneracion, Nielsen Donato, and Atom Araullo. They shared insights on news reporting, documentarymaking, spotting fake news, and mobile journalism. Discussing about YouScoop were GMA News’ Audrey Domasian and Yvan Limson. Representing the GMA Network Excellence Award (GNEA), on the other hand, was Kapuso actor and GNEA Ambassador Benjamin Alves. Aside from Alves, discussing excelling in one’s chosen field were Eleazar Del Rosario and Mark Roland Romas. Meanwhile, GMA Regional TV news anchors and personalities Cecille Quibod-Castro of Balitang Bisdak, Real Sorroche of One Mindanao, Adrian Prietos of One Western Visayas,Joanne Ponsoy of Balitang Amianan, and Sheillah Vergara-Rubio of One Mindanao, emphasized the importance of local news. Giving insights on how to build global communities were AFS Intercultural Programs Philippines representatives Rahiema Guerra, Hector Dimacali, and Johnson Badawi. A collaboration with GMA News Online, GMA News and Public Affairs, GMA Network Excellence Award, and AFS Intercultural Programs Philippines, GMA Regional TV’s Kapuso Campus Tour: The Regional Masterclass Series, kicked off on Dec. 10, 2018 at the Claire Isabel McGill Luce Auditorium of Silliman University in Dumaguete City. Araullo, who is regularly seen as one of the hosts of I-Witness and in the monthly program The Atom Araullo Specials, discussed documentary film-making; while Domasian, GMA News’ Senior Social Media Producer, talked about YouScoop and how to be a YouScooper. As a former GMA Network scholar and GMA Network Excellence Award (GNEA) finalist, Del Rosario, shared his thoughts on excellence and on joining GNEA. Raising the flag of local newscasts was one of the anchors of Balitang Bisdak, Quibod-Castro, who reminded students why local news matters. Lastly, Guerra underscored the importance of building global communities and how to join AFS. In Davao City, the second leg of the Regional Masterclass was held last Jan. 31 at the Sedes Sapientiae Auditorium of Holy Cross of Davao College. Joining Domasian were Guerra, Sorroche, Alves, and Aguinaldo. Domasian shared her insights on being a YouScooper to Dabawenyos this time

Gawad Urian, and an International Emmy nomination for her role as Amor Powers in Pangako Sa’yo. But her list of achievements does not end there. In 2017, the actress pursued a Psychology course at Southville International School. She finished with top honors with a 3.8 GPA in her previous semester. While she is passionate about acting and pursuing medical school, she notes that her most fulfilling role was becoming a mother to Thirdy Lacson. In her recent Instagram post, she said: “Ultimately, it’s the role of being a mother and being active in our children’s lives to shape, mentor, and inspire them that matters most.” From being a doting mother to a critically acclaimed actress, and a top Psychology student, Jodi not only gives her best in every role given to her, she also makes sure to always look good. “Makeup is a great way to boost one’s confidence,” shares Jodi. “But for me, it should only highlight your natural beauty and not overpower it.” As such, she opts for products that are classic and understated like Ever Bilena’s Matte Lipstick in Glam Red, EB Lip and Cheek Stain in Toast of New York, EB Dip Liner, and the All Day Liquid Foundation. A woman of beauty and grace, Jodi is grateful to have another blessing come her way. “I’m very happy and thankful to be the newest face of Ever Bilena. I hope through this endorsement, I’m able to inspire others to be the best version of themselves,” she ends.

GMA Regional TV holds ‘Masterclass Series’ campus tour

Atom Araullo takes a selfie with the students during the 'Kapuso Campus Tour: The Regional Masterclass Series' at Silliman University in Dumaguete City.

around. Guerra, who is currently the Board of Trustees President of AFS Intercultural Programs Philippines discussed global communities, while Sorroche expounded on the role of local news today. Alves gave an informative talk about the GNEA and imparted tips on how to excel in one’s chosen path. Meanwhile, Aguinaldo, an award-winning broadcast journalist and I-Witness host, shared her experience in making documentaries for TV. After Davao, the Kapuso Campus Tour: The Regional Masterclass Series, immediately went to Cebu last Feb. 1. The Michael Richartz Tourism Center of University of San Carlos was ﬁlled with eager students. Discussing YouScoop this time was Limson, GMA News and YouScoop senior social media producer. Dimacali, an AFS Alumnus and is the current Vice President of the Board of Trustees President of AFS Intercultural Programs Philippines, represented AFS; while Alves and Quibod-Castro shared insights on GNEA and local news, respectively. Veneracion, Reporter’s Notebook host and QRT anchor, shared insights on documentary making while Balitanghali anchor Tima engaged the audience with 360-degree journalism. For the fourth leg of the series, the The Regional Masterclass Series went to West Visayas State University in Iloilo last Feb. 12. Domasian, Dimacali, and Alves were joined by Prietos and Severino at the New Academic Building Conference Hall. Prietos, who co-anchors the Hiligaynon newscast One Western Visayas, talked about the relevance of reporting local news. One of GMA News Pillars and News To Go anchors, Severino discussed fake news and how to identify it. Up north, GMA Regional TV brought the Masterclass to Phinma University of Pangasinan last Feb. 22. Joining Domasian

and Tima were Mayrina, Romas, Badawi, and Ponsoy. An award-winning broadcast journalist and 24 Oras Weekend anchor, Mayrina indulged the audience about news reporting. Ponsoy, on the other hand, shared her experience as co-anchor of the top-rating North Central Luzon newscast Balitang Amianan, emphasizing the importance of local news. As a GNEA recipient and Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho researcher, Romas inspired students to excel in life. Representing AFS was Badawi who now works as a research assistant promoting mental health in peace and conﬂict. Heading south, the contingency composed of Domasian, Guerra, Umali, Vergara-Rubuo, Alves, and Severino went to Capitol University in Cagayan de Oro City last Feb. 28. Here, Umali and Vergara-Rubio shared their experiences in news reporting both for national and local audience. Umali co-anchors Balitanghali Weekend while Vergara-Rubio is a senior correspondent for RTV’s One Mindanao. Finally, The Regional Masterclass Series held its seventh leg at Central Mindanao University in Bukidnon last March 1. Born to be Wild host Doc Nielsen Donato tackled wildlife documentarymaking. He was joined by previous speakers Domasian, Guerra, Umali, Vergara-Rubio, Alves, and Severino. “For the past four months, we traveled all over the Philippines to hold the Kapuso Campus Tour: The Regional Masterclass in seven different areas,” shares GMA Regional TV Vice President and Head Oliver Amoroso. “This series is a major component of the Network’s election advocacy, ‘Pusuan ang Totoo’, which is a call to stand for what is true; to ﬁght against corruption and disinformation, and to choose leaders who will truly serve the country,” he ends.

Special Feature

Earth Day

THURSDAY, ARPIL 25, 2019 advertise@manilastandard.net

Earth Day wants us to Protect our Species I By Peter Paul Duran

N nature, nothing exists alone, Rachel Carson, a celebrated American marine biologist, author, and conservationist once said in 1962.

SNAP-Benguet plants 145k trees in Ambuklao, Binga watersheds AFTER planting 2,200 seedlings in 2018, Benguet-based renewable energy company SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP-Benguet) has brought its total number of seedlings planted to 145,000 since 2009.

This is true as our existence, along with the millions of other more plant and animal species, with countless still yet to be discovered, depends on our reliance on nature and all of its blessings. Unfortunately, human beings have irrevocably upset the balance of nature and, as a result, the world is “facing the greatest rate of extinction since we lost the dinosaurs more than 60 million years ago.” But not all is lost, there is still hope. On days like these, we are reminded of the fight to Protect our Species--the theme for this year’s Earth Day 2019. And it is most important for all of us not to forget to do our fair share in the battle for wildlife conservation. But it’s still a long way to go. Scientists estimate that the world is losing plants and animals species at 1,000 to 10,000 times the normal rate. In the Philippines, a total of 802 species are currently on the race against the clock. The number, broken down, reflects 108 critically endangered animals, 165 endangered, and a total of 529 species vulnerable to extinction. The number is based on the report of the Biodiversity Conservation Society of the Philippines. Critically endangered species, they explained, are those considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. Endangered species, on the other hand, face a very high risk of extinction, while vulnerable species are considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. All living things have an intrinsic value, and each plays a unique role in the com-

processes of global mass extinction in the history of the planet happened because of a catastrophic natural event. However, none of them were the result of human intervention, as is the case in the current period of mass extinction. We are seeing irreversible biodiversity loss as a result of species extinction, the devastation of genetically unique populations, and the loss of their genetic variation. The evidence all points to the unfolding of a global tragedy with permanent consequences. In their #protectourspecies primer and action tool kit, the Earth Day Network shared how we can help. “It is clear that we cannot protect anyone species in an ecosystem without protecting the ecosystem itself. That is the key message behind the Protect our Species campaign. We cannot just protect the species we like or that we can visit during a trip to a national park,” the network said. “We cannot just protect the species that provide us with services. We must protect all species because, in the end, that is the one and only way to prevent more extinctions,” it added.

Better lifestyle, better future for Earth By Angelica Villanueva

This is part of the company’s sustainability program, and in support of AboitizPower’s Aboitiz Passion to Agroforestry and Reforestation to Keep (Apark) Program. Since 2009, SNAP-Benguet has continuously partnered with its host communities, peoples organizations and indigenous peoples organizations for the preservation, conservation, and protection of the Ambuklao and Binga Watersheds, including its natural resources. The tree-planting activities engage volunteers from within and outside SNAP-Benguet to plant endemic seedlings such as bamboo, Benguet pine, cypress, Arabica and Robusta coffee, among others, in protected areas. SNAP-Benguet also provides support funds for the seedling production program of the Baguio Regreening Movement. Meanwhile, through a Technical Cooperation Agreement, SNAPBenguet and the National Power Corporation also established a community-based forest fire protection team and implemented protection activities within the 2.5-kilometer radius from the high-water mark of the Ambuklao and Binga reservoirs. In partnership with the Ambuclao Coffee Growers Association, Tinongdan IPO, and Shakila ni Ikulos IPO, SNAP-Benguet cares, maintains and protects adjacent areas of the reservoir and various watershed areas through the establishment of fire lines and greenbelt areas. “SNAP’s reforestation, tree planting, and forest protection activities aim to maintain the integrity of the watersheds to supply our water needs, and help us in providing clean, reliable energy to the Luzon Grid. This year, SNAP-Benguet aims to plant at least 15,000 seedlings in Ambuklao and Binga areas,” said SNAP Group’s Vice President for Corporate Services Atty. Mike Hosillos. SNAP-Benguet is a joint venture between SN Power of Norway and AboitizPower. It operates the 105MW Ambuklao hydro; and the 140MW Binga hydro both in the Benguet Province.

plex web of life, according to the Earth Day Network. They urge all peoples to work together to protect endangered and threatened species. These include Bees, Coral Reefs, Elephants, Giraffes, Insects, Whales, Trees, Plants, Birds, Fish, Sharks, Crustaceans, Sea Turtles, and Great Apes. The good news is that the rate of extinctions can still be slowed, and many of our declining, threatened and endangered species can still recover if we work together now to build a united global movement of consumers, voters, educators, faith leaders, and scientists to demand immediate action, says the Earth Day Network. The goals for now are: 1. Educate and raise awareness about the accelerating rate of extinction of millions of species and the causes and consequences of this phenomenon. 2. Achieve major policy victories that protect broad groups of species as well as individual species and their habitats. 3. Build and activate a global movement that embraces nature and its values. 4. Encourage individual actions such as adopting plant based diet and stopping pesticide and herbicide use. It is important to join the call to protect our species and is important that private and public offices echo this call to urge people around the world, especially in the Philippines, to make a conscious effort to live a more environment-friendly lifestyle. This can be done by eliminating the need for plastic bags and other single-use plastic products that end up in landfills or pollute our rivers and oceans, says members of the Philippine Senate as Philippine

legislature has also rallied in addressing this issue on waning species count and other issues such as global warming, pollution, and overpopulation, among others. The Earth Day Network also warned that normally, between one and five species will go extinct annually, that’s why stronger biodiversity protection efforts must be put in place to prevent loss of species, especially since thousands of species are becoming extinct every year. Around the world, populations of species of plants and animals are shrinking and going extinct at a faster pace than ever before. As human populations expand into existing habitats, they displace the plants and animals living there. Additionally, our contributions to global warming and our proclivity for ever increased hunting and fishing have also caused a tremendous burden on the other organisms with which we share the planet. Academics and others debate if we are already facing a new process of mass extinction, such as those the world has experienced over the millennia. But even if that is not the case, we know that thousands of species are endangered, and most flora and fauna, from land and sea, have seen their numbers severely reduced. Some argue that species have disappeared before and that the current decline is just part of a natural cycle. But this conclusion is inaccurate. All other

EVERY 30th day of March, at exactly 8:30 p.m., individuals, communities, and businesses are encouraged to participate in a onehour, lights-off event to become one with the campaign to save the only proven living planet we have—Earth. Dubbed as “Earth Hour,” led by the World Wide Fund for Nature, the event continues to promote the theme #Connect2Earth that aims to remind the importance of nature. Started in 2007 in Sydney, the annual event has grown into a worldwide campaign. Environmental organizations and groups bat for campaigns that may help save Earth, its natural resources, waters, lands, all of it. We listed some steps you can do to contribute in saving the planet. START WITH YOURSELF Don’t be a hypocrite. When you want change for something, you should start the change with yourself. We are taught in our early age to be disciplined in throwing our trash, whether how small or big it is. We should also know the difference between biodegradable and nonbiodegradable, recyclable and non-recyclable. This is something what we should practice every now and then. It might be a simple and small way, yet it leaves us a big impact to have a better world. BE ONE WITH EARTH Participate. Committing yourself to volunteer in an environmental campaign is one way to protect the planet. Get involved in activities and campaigns which are usually conducted by small and big organizations. Most of the time, environmental campaigns are held quarterly and annually. Activities come in many forms such as river cleanup, lights-off, and fun run events. Pasig River Clean-up, Earth Hour, and KapaligiRUN 2018 are just a few examples. PRACTICE THE PRINCIPLE OF 3Rs Learn and practice the reduce, reuse, and recycle initiative. This principle aims to promote an eco-friendly society that will contribute in preserving and conserving the only planet that we have. This initiative also aims for an effective usage of the resources that we have. When we say reduce, it means lessening the usage of plastic wastes. Instead of buying plastic products, you will instead find other alternative products. If possible, reduce the usage of plastic cups, eating utensils, drinking bottles, bags, or hygiene products with plastic packaging. There are lots of alternative products today that are eco-friendly, such as shampoo bars, metal straws, organic oil, and ecobags. These products might be pricy, but each product is equal to a help you give to our environment. If you find reducing hard, you might opt for reusing, which means finding alternative uses for a material. Instead of using plastic bags in shopping your groceries, why don’t you bring an ecofriendly and reusable bag? But if we still find reusing a difficult one, opt for the third “R”—recycling. To recycle means to transform plastic and other wastes into a raw material that can be used to create a new item. For example, tetra packs are now being transformed into a stronger and reusable shopping bags, while pet bottles are used to create plastic chairs, much like the “Plastic Ni Juan Project” of Eat Bulaga. PLANT A TREE Remember the days when you, as a young boy scout or girl scout, participated in a treeplanting activity? See, even a young kid is taught how to become a tree planter. Tree planting is an activity that let’s you plant seedlings in an area. These trees help us protect our waterways

and provide us cleaner air and water. In every tree that we plant is a help in combating climate change and soil erosion. PREACH Share the word. Educate people the importance of protecting Earth’s natural resources. Encourage every individual to support and get involved in environmental campaigns. Tell the people the reality that we are currently facing right now, so they will become aware of what they should and must do to contribute and take part in saving the planet. Teach the young minds on how to be-

come an Earth warrior and the discipline of preserving our natural resources. Share and help them practice the principle of 3Rs. CONSERVE WATER Water is a very essential part of every living thing. It is the building block to sustain and maintain the balance of the ecosystem. For plants, water is one of the main elements to carry out the process of photosynthesis. For wildlife and mankind, water is one of the main resources to sustain their lives. If we conserve water, we can prevent the chances of experiencing water shortage in

the future. More living things will have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of water. More than that, we can prevent wastewater ending up in the ocean, which is the main habitat of seawater creatures. These are just some basic steps that we can start to save the Earth. All we need is to bring a little change in our daily lifestyle. But these simple ways have a bigger and better impact to the world. Some might find it hard to practice, but if, if we only try harder to follow them, it will lead us to something better.