Manila Standard - 2019 May 29 - Wednesday

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WAWA DAM PROJECT SEEN TO SOLVE WATER CRISES IN 2 YEARS THE perennial water shortage in Metro Manila and the areas to its eastern borders may yet be resolved in two years, according to the proponents of a new project.

The assurance comes on the heels of the approval by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System of the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project, a joint venture between businessmen Enrique Razon’s Prime Infra and Oscar Violago’s San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders Group.

With the MWSS’ approval, Razon says, the project will make sure at least 80 million liters of water a day will be available in 2021 for the areas served by Manila Water.

“We thank the decisive leadership of the MWSS for the Next page

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 104 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Enrique Razon

WAWA SOLUTION. Proponents of a joint venture water project, which will tap the Wawa Dam, are hopeful the never-changing water shortage in Metro Manila and its eastern outskirts will be properly addressed by 2021, with up to 500 million liters a day expected to be added to the supply by 2025 from 80 million liters two years from now.

Pork meat recall ordered

Amid deadly pig virus spread in 16 countries

Palace certifies ‘urgent’ higher tobacco tax bill

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

By Rey E. Requejo, Rio N. Araja, Macon RamosAraneta and Maricel V. Cruz MALACANANG has certified as urgent the proposed law imposing higher excise taxes for tobacco products.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, who has been designated officer-incharge of the Office of the President until Saturday (June 1) while President Rodrigo Duterte is in Japan for an official visit, confirmed that the certification of urgency for Senate Bill 2233 has been signed.

The Senate is reportedly set to approve the bill by Monday, June 3, Proponents of the tax measure expressed hopes to end the plenary debates on the bill and pass it on third and final reading to be able to immediately transmit their version of the sin tax bill to the House of Representatives for its members to review and vote for its adoption.

They said Congress has no more time for a bicameral conference committee meeting to settle the disagreeing provisions of the Senate and House’s respective proposals.

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HE Food and Drug Administration has ordered a recall of all pork-based products manufactured in countries affected by the African Swine Fever virus.

The recall includes canned goods like luncheon meat and processed pork—such as Ma Ling from China—with a manufacturing date from August 2018 or later.

The FDA has also expanded its list of countries temporarily banned from exporting pork products to the Philippines due ASF among their livestock.

A new FDA advisory now bans the importation of pork from Vietnam, Zambia, South Africa, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Mongolia, Moldova, and Belgium.

The move expands the Department of Agriculture memorandum order in September that banned imported pork products from China, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, and the Ukraine.

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DFA chief says Canada trash set to go May 30 PORK EXPORT BAN. The Food and Drug Administration has expanded its list of nations temporarily

‘Romualdez can boost Duterte’s Japan backs PH security needs in S. China Sea economic plans’ By Nat Mariano

banned from exporting pork products to the Philippines due to reported cases of swine fever. The ban now includes imports from Vietnam, Zambia, South Africa, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Mongolia, Moldova and Belgium.

By Maricel V. Cruz

A PRO-ADMINISTRATION lawmaker on Tuesday welcomed the entry of Leyte Representative-elect Martin Romualdez in the Speakership race for the 18th Congress, saying the House needs a leader who will push for the passage of President Rodrigo Duterte’s priority economic measures.

“Representative Romualdez’s decision to join the Speakership derby is a welcome development as far as the country’s economic managers and business leaders are concerned. Representative Romualdez as Speaker is good for the economy said Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, senior vice chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Salceda said Romualdez’s knowledge and vast experience in the financial Next page

JAPAN has assured the Philippines that it will support its security needs in the South China Sea, Ambassador to Japan Jose Laurel V said Tuesday.

As a major trading power, Japan needs to keep its shipping lanes open, Laurel said. “So, it’s

very simple. Japan will support the Philippines in its needs, particularly in security.”

On Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said President Rodrigo Duterte will raise issues concerning the disputed South China Sea with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his visit to Japan this week.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Meynardo Montealegre said the President, who will meet Abe on May 31, will affirm the country’s commitment to uphold the principles of “freedom of navigation and overflight, freedom of commerce and other lawful activities, the exercise of self-restraint, Next page

By Rey E. Requejo

to get things moving.

Locsin also praised the CaTHE tons of trash from Can- nadian government for “fully ada will be sent back on May cooperating” with the Philip30, Foreign Affairs Secretary pines to repatriate the garbage.

Teodoro Locsin said Tuesday.

“Created under PNoy [re“All containers contain- ferring to former President ing garbage [were] cleaned Benigno Aquino III]; left and ready to go. Waiting for [to] fester 4 years; a couple of documents and solved by routine permission from Duterte,” he China for transshipment tweeted. to Canada,” Locsin said Next page in his Twitter account.

“Departure is May 30,” he said.

Locsin credited President Rodrigo Duterte for “pushing the right button”

‘Burnout’ classified as health condition

Monkey tests hint on language origin

GENEVA—The World Health Organization has for the first time recognized “burnout” in its International Classification of Diseases, which is widely used as a benchmark for diagnosis and health insurers.

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PARIS—Green and vervet monkeys live on either side of Africa and their evolutionary paths diverged 3.5 million years ago, and yet the two species share a hard-wired vocabulary when faced with danger, clever experiments have shown.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PNP shuffles 5 key posts; SPD tops MM police districts FIVE police officials were included in the reshuffling of the top policemen of the Philippine National Police on Tuesday, an official said.

“I have approved the recommendation of the Senior Officers Placement and Promotion Board and Oversight Committee to implement another round of reorganization of senior officers occupying key positions in the Directorial and Special Staff, National Support Units and Police Regional Offices,” PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde told reporters.

In other developments: • The Southern Police District topped the list of police districts in Metro Manila that performed well in the fight against crime and illegal drugs during the first four months of the year.

SPD Chief Eliseo Cruz commended his men after his district topped the Anti-Illegal Drugs performance rating and bested four other police districts of the National Capital Region Police Office in the recent performance evaluation ratings.

“This exemplary performance is attributed to the concerted efforts of the men and women of the Southern Police District in the implementation of the PNP’s Campaign Against Anti Criminality and Illegal Drugs,” Cruz said.

• PNP has downgraded its alert status from a full to a normal alert nationwide except in Mindanao, which is under martial law.

Albayalde said the regional directors of the Police Regional Offices 1 to 8 were given the discretion to raise the alert level if necessary.

“Our police force will continue to be aggressive and intelligence-driven against criminal gangs, terrorists and lawless elements as we intensify our focused police operations to address threats and violence,” Albayalde said.

Those designated to new positions were Brig. Gen. Froilan Flores Quidilla, former deputy director for administration of the Police Regional Office (PRO 4-B) in Mimaropa who was assigned as the acting director of the Zamboanga PRO. Joel E. Zurbano with PNA

Monkey tests...

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The new research, published Monday, sheds light not only on how primates―including humans―respond to threats, but also on the building blocks of language itself.

Vervet monkeys in the savannah of east Africa utter three distinct cries depending on whether they spot a leopard, a snake or an eagle, their three main predators.

Fellow monkeys who hear the cries but cannot see the peril react accordingly: The leopard call sends them scurrying up a tree, a snake call prompts them to stand motionless on two legs, and the eagle cry makes them scan the sky while seeking shelter.

It’s as if a sentinel is shouting, “Freeze, it’s a snake!”, or “Get off the ground, it’s a leopard!”

The discovery 30 years ago of these unique warning cries sparked debate as to whether they were like primitive words, noted Julia Fisher, head of the cognitive ethology laboratory at the German Primate Center in Gottingen, Germany and senior author of a study in Nature Ecology & Evolution.

It also raised the question of where they came from. Did young vervets learn them through imitation, were the cries genetically imprinted?

To deepen their understanding, Fisher and colleagues set up an experiment with a community of green monkeys in Senegal which they have been observing for more than a decade.

Like their distant cousins across the continent, green monkeys also emit specific danger calls for big cats and snakes, and react accordingly. AFP

‘Burnout’...

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The decision, reached during the World Health Assembly in Geneva, which wraps up on Tuesday, could help put to rest decades of debate among experts over how to define burnout, and whether it should be considered a medical condition.

In the latest update of its catalog of diseases and injuries around the world, WHO defines burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

It said the syndrome was characterized by three dimensions: “1) feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; 2) increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and 3) reduced professional efficacy.”

“Burn-out refers specifically to phenomena in the occupational context and should not be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life,” according to the classification. AFP

Battles loom for Senate committees

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

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ENATE Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Tuesday they were bracing for a battle for the committees in the Senate.

He made the statement even as he downplayed the impending battle for the Senate presidency because, he said, there was no need to change Senate President Vicente Sotto III. “There is a battle among the committees, Zubiri said amid the reports that newly elected Senator Francis Tolentino would be fielded by the Hugpong ng Pagbabago bloc to snatch the Senate presidency from Sotto.

Tolentino, who served as a political adviser of President Rodrigo Duterte, ran under the HNP, the regional party founded by presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

The HNP endorsed the senatorial bid of Tolentino and 12 other candidates in May 13 midterm elections.

President Duterte also campaigned for Tolentino and his chosen senatorial aspirants.

Pork meat...

P200-billion hog industry.

Earlier, the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries recommended the declaration of a state of emergency to protect the country’s hog industry.

The ASF is a deadly disease that affects hogs. There is no vaccine or cure for it, and it can wipe out the hog population of a country.

China and Vietnam, two of the countries worst hit by ASF, have already eliminated millions of hogs infected by the disease with China losing about 30 percent of its swine population.

Concerned groups during the meeting requested an emergency meeting with the new director general of the FDA to address the seeming lack of coordination and synchronization of government efforts to address the ASF problem.

They also asked FDA to request the Trade department to implement an immediate recall from the market of all processed and canned pork since these are among the items included in the ban issued by the Agriculture Department in August 2018.

The group also enjoined the Bureau of Animal Industry to monitor and inspect animal feed stores to check the presence of dog and cat food using hog-based meat and bone meal processed from ASF-affected countries.

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The World Organization for Animal Health said African swine fever is “a severe viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs.”

While humans cannot get ASF, it can have serious economic effects if it spreads among livestock. The Philippines is currently free of African swine flu.

The Agricuture Department and local hog raisers have also asked the FDA to stop the issuance of import clearances and order the immediate pullout from the market of processed pork products from these countries.

An incident involving a returning Filipino worker who was intercepted while bringing in cans of “Ma Ling” pork luncheon meat brought to the attention of the DA that while a ban and cut off date for the entry of processed pork products from China was issued last year, the FDA continued issuing permits to allow importers to bring in the banned products.

In an emergency meeting attended by officials of the Bureau of Customs at the Agriculture secretary’s office Tuesday, the hog raisers also asked for the immediate creation of an Inter-Agency Task Force to handle the ASF threat to the country’s

DFA chief...

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The May 30 schedule is one month earlier than the date initially set by the Canadian government.

The almost 70 containers of trash underwent fumigation, with the process observed by Canadian government officials.

The containers from Canada containing trash were labeled “recyclable

Japan...

From A1

and the peaceful resolution of disputes.”

The DFA said the long-standing maritime dispute between the Philippines and China has been a mutual concern for both Duterte and Abe. “And the South China Sea is central in this regard,” he said.

Duterte departed for Tokyo Tuesday afternoon, bringing with him at least 16 Cabinet members.

He has designated Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra as officer-in-charge of the executive department.

Laurel, in a press conference, stirred some controversy by saying the President was taking the Cabinet members as a reward for the recently concluded midterm election.

“You ask me personally? What is this purpose? This is a reward for the previous elections. Why do you bring 20 Cabinet members here? Including the local government or land reform [secretaries?

There’s no land reform here,” Laurel said.

Laurel said the President, elated with the results of the elections, might have opted to reward his Cabinet officials for a job well done over the last three years, stressing that the outcome of the polls was an affirmation of the actions of his administration.

“It’s like an offer saying, ‘Thanks.

You’ve done your jobs’,” he added.

The Palace disagreed with Laurel, however.

‘Romualdez...

From A1

markets and in economics would help expedite the passing of Duterte’s economicreform agenda.

“Romualdez is not only a banker and an economist. He is also a lawyer who knows the legislative measures needed to propel the country’s economy to greater heights, Salceda said.

Wawa dam...

From A1

approval of the project, and assure them of our commitment to help in solving the current water crisis, said Razon, chairman of Prime Infra.

The project will tap water from the Wawa

Tolentino, a lawyer, a former MMDA chairman, has also been reported as eying the Blue Ribbon committee, which is led

by Senator Richard Gordon.

Former Presidential aide Christopher Go has aired his desire to get the health committee, which is led by outgoing Senator JV Ejercito.

Ejercito failed in his reelection bid for a second term.

Another neophyte in the Senate, former police chief and Customs director Ronald dela Rosa, wants the public order and dangerous drugs committee from Senator Panfilo Lacson.

Sotto said the chairmanship of the committees in the Senate was not chosen by the Senate President but elected by the majority.

Asked if he saw Tolentino using the senate presidency race to corner the committees he wanted, Sotto replied, “I don’t know, that is your words. I’d rather not comment about motive or whatever.

“What am saying is that in the Senate, the chairmanships are dictated by the majority, agreed by the majority. It is not the Senate President who can give out the chairmanships.”

Sotto also said the Senate presidency was always at the pleasure of the members of the majority.

Senator Manny Pacquiao confirmed the battle on the committee chairmanships, but believed it to be a minor problem that they could resolve. He also said there was an alternative solution to the rift over the committee chairmanships.

Tulfo back as China special envoy

By Nat Mariano PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has renewed the appointment of broadcaster Ramon Tulfo as special envoy to China —despite demands by local labor groups for termination of his appointment after drawing flaks for his remarks on Filipino workers.

Documents released by the Palace on Tuesday revealed the President gave the go-ahead to Tulfo’s reappointment for another six-month term as his special envoy for public diplomacy to China.

Tulfo was first appointed to the post in October last year.

Local labor groups, however, called for his resignation for stating that international employers preferred the “hardworking”

Palace...

and “efficient” Chinese employees over Filipino workers.

Tulfo even maintained that he would not apologize to Filipino workers “for telling the truth” that they were basically lazy and a slowpoke.

Instead of objecting to his previous statement, Tulfo, who is also a newspaper columnist, should take his remarks as a wakeup call to step up with their work ethic, observers said.

Aside from Tulfo, the President also appointed Dennis Mapa as National Statistician, replacing Lisa Grace Bersales. Bersales’ term expired in April.

Mapa, a former dean of the University of the Philippines School of Statistics, will serve a five-year term as head of the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Lawmakers only have four remaining session days to ratify the final version of the proposed measure and enroll it for the President’s approval as the 17th Congress is scheduled to adjourn on June 7.

SB 2233 proposes a staggered increase in the excise tax per cigarette pack from 2020 to 2023.

The bill recommends a starting rate of P45, or P10 in the first year of implementation, which will be followed by an annual P5 increase until the rate reaches P60.

After this, the tax would automatically increase by 5 percent annually.

The House version, House Bill 8677, on the other hand, pegged the tobacco tax hike at P37.50 to P45 per pack until 2022, which would increase by 4 percent every year thereafter.

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary Tony Lambino said the Finance department is hoping for the passage of the new sin tax before the 17th Congress adjourns on June 7.

“We have a very good chance at passing the measure,” he said at a public forum Tuesday.

“We are being guided by the senators.

We are here to support them. Whatever data and analysis they would be needing, we are just here to provide [these to] them 24/7,” Lambino said.

Senate Majority Leader Miguel Zubiri also expressed hope that the bill would be ratified.

“We hope to transmit it to the House on Monday. We hope the House [will] adopt the Senate version so there would no longer be a bicam,” Zubiri said.

Health advocates, meanwhile, asked Senator Richard Gordon to recuse himself from tobacco tax deliberations due to conflict of interest after admitting that the Philippine Red Cross, which he heads, has been accepting money from the tobacco industry.

“The secretary general of the Red Cross and I had quarrels over how to use the money from the tobacco companies. I said, I’m not going to advertise them, but I’ll get the money. Why can’t we use it to help people out? I’m sure I’m being wrong there, but I’m being practical,” Gordon said during Tuesday’s plenary session.

Action for Economic Reforms researcher Arjay Mercado emphasized that Gordon’s statement was a clear admission of conflict of interest, and that he must no

longer be involved in the deliberations on the measure.

They commended Senator Juan Edgardo Angara for sponsoring the measure to increase tobacco taxes during Monday’s plenary session.

“We are truly grateful to Senator Angara for sponsoring the tobacco tax increase in the Senate. By heeding the call of the health advocates, Senator Angara has proven himself to be a true health champion, and he can be assured that the advocates will support him all the way,” said Anthony Leachon, former independent director of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

Leachon also welcomed the strong support given by the Senators Manny Pacquiao, Sherwin Gatchalian, JV Ejercito, and Risa Hontiveros, all of whom co-sponsored the measure.

In his sponsorship speech, Angara explained that the measure would be key to discouraging Filipinos from smoking, and generating revenue to help bridge the current P62-billion funding gap for the first year of implementation of the Universal Health Care Law. Meanwhile, the DOF refuted one of Gordon’s main concerns, which was that increasing the tax rate would lead to a corresponding increase in the level of cigarette smuggling.

Wynona Galvez from the Youth for Sin Tax Coalition said increasing the tax on cigarettes is a proven measure to significantly decrease smoking prevalence among the youth.

“Data from the National Nutrition Survey show that the total number of smokers among the youth decreased by around 40 percent from 2008 to 2015. This can be attributed to Sin Tax Law of 2012, which made cigarettes significantly less affordable for the youth. Our legislators must therefore ensure that we are able to continue this trend by implementing substantial increases to the tax on cigarettes, and we have a very good opportunity to address this before the end of the 17th Congress.

We are counting on our legislators to safeguard our future by passing the tobacco tax increase,” Galvez said.

A recent Pulse Asia survey revealing that three out of four Filipinos believe that the tax on tobacco products must be increased.

Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte of Camarines Sur on Tuesday appealed to the Senate to approve a new sin tax law, saying this would discourage smoking and help fund the Universal Health Care program.

Romualdez holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from the Ivy League school, in Cornell University, and a Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management from Harvard University.

He also earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines.

“All the candidates for Speaker in the 18th Congress are my friends. They are all worthy of the position, but I am sorry to say this, Martin Romualdez is a cut above the

rest. He is primus inter pares, Salceda said.

“He knows his economics and he knows his politics. Definitely, he can unite the House of Representatives and move us into passing the vital economic measures needed to sustain the country’s economic growth.”

According to the 2018 estimate of the International Monetary Fund, the Philippine economy is the world's 28th largest by gross domestic product. Under the watch of President Duterte, the country recorded a GDP

of P956 billion in 2018.

Salceda said economic managers and fiscal experts shared the opinion that if the Philippines could maintain its projected GDP Growth of 6.5 percent in the next decade, the tiger cub economy might well be part of the trillion-dollar club, which currently included United States, China, India, Japan, Germany, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Italy, Turkey, Korea, Spain, Saudi Arabia and Canada.

Dam in Rizal province to add supply to Manila Water's concession areas. Up to 500 million liters a day are expected to be added to the supply by 2025 to raise Manila Water's supply by 30 percent.

Wawa Dam was the primary water source of Metro Manila before Angat dam was built.

The Razon-led venture is prepared to

invest up to P20 billion for the project to ensure water-supply security over the medium- and long-term.

“Our project is one of the fastest and most sustainable ways to solve this current water crisis. If we don’t act now this will be a recurring problem, Razon said.

SLRB president and chief executive Anthony Jude Violago thanked the MWSS, Manila

Water and Razon for hammering out a "winwin formula" to the much-delayed project.

The project had been in the works for 20 years, including two years of joint development work between Razon and Violago.

“After 20 years, my father’s vision will finally come to fruition. Water will now flow to Metro Manila residents, solving the current water problems, he said.

plastic materials” when these were shipped to Manila by Chronic Inc, a firm based in Ontario, Canada, in 2013 and 2014.

After Canada missed its May 15 deadline to take back the garbage, the Philippines recalled its ambassador and consuls from Canada.

Over the weekend, Malacañang confirmed that the President had also banned all official travel to Canada until the garbage problem had been resolved.

“It’s not like that. Those Cabinet officials were not involved in the campaign,” Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea told reporters in a text message.

“They have their own trade missions.

They are not there to serve as decorations for the summit. That’s work-related,” he added.

The Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez echoed Medialdea’s remarks, saying they are working “day and night” to maximize their working visit abroad.

“I don’t know about that [reward]. But every time we travel with the President, we maximize his presence and have him speak to several investments fora,” Lopez said.

Lopez said Cabinet secretaries witness contract signings, engage in business matching and networking and join roundtable meetings between the President and potential investors.

“We have never seen this as ‘reward’ when we are working day and night just to prepare for all these activities,” he said.

Joining the President are: Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr.; Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III; Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol; Public Works Secretary Mark Villar; Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles; Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez; Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat; Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade; Science Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña; Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi; Information and Communications Technology Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr.; With PNA

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

House wants masterplan to avoid repeat of water shortage

By Maricel V. Cruz CONGRESSMEN are seeking ways to avoid a repeat of the water shortage in Metro Manila two months ago at the urging of Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

This as the joint House committees on government enterprises and privatization and public works and highways on Tuesday approved the creation of a technical working group tasked to study strategies including the creation of a water security masterplan to avert water shortages.

The joint panel approved Arroyo’s House Resolutions 2547 and 2548 that mandate the drafting of a water security masterplan.

Marikina Rep. Bayani Fernando, chairman of the public works committee and member of the other panel, said the working group will look into the issue of water shortage from different perspectives and will seek solution to the problem through a long-term solution.

Fernando said the legislators would continue their efforts in the next Congress since the current Congress will adjourn sine die on June 8.

“The issue is already being tackled in accordance with a resolution. This is needed to coordinate all the moves and share the experiences of various government agencies involved in water supply,” Fernando said in an interview after the hearing.

“We have known this problem for 20 years, the problem is why did we fail to resolve it in time?” he added.

Jeric Sevilla, head of the communications group of the Manila Water, told legislators that the Ayala owned company continues exerting efforts “to arrest the effects of the supply deficit.”

Sevilla said the company supports the creation of the TWG and said remediation efforts done by the company has resulted in better supply in its franchise area.

Bill giving full access to service charge for resto, hotel staff OK’d THE congressional bicameral conference committee on Tuesday approved a measure that would grant restaurant and hotel employees 100-percent access to service charges collected from customers.

Senator Joel Villanueva, chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development, said the bicam panel agreed to adopt Senate Bill 1299, which proposes that restaurant and hotel workers, whether regular, contractual, or agency-hired, would be entitled to a 100-percent service charge as long as they would directly deliver the service to their customers.

The House version, meanwhile, proposes a 90-percent share for rankand-file and supervisory employees in the total service charges being collected by hotels, restaurants and similar establishments.

Villanueva, author of SB 1299, said restaurant and hotel workers were given only 85 percent of the total tips collected from customers while management retained the remaining 15 percent.

He said the sharing distribution had not changed since it became law in 1975.

“After more than 40 years, ngayon ‘yung service charge ay 100 percent na mapupunta sa ating workers (finally the charge would 100 percent be given to our workers). We were able to thresh out the difference between the version of the House and the Senate,” Villanueva said.

He said that at present, management gets 15 percent of the service charge proceeds to answer for losses or breakages. However, he said, if there were no losses or breakages the 15 percent is the management’s prerogative for disposition or distribution among managerial employees.

He further noted that service charge is just a small portion of the total income of an establishment and it deserves to be given to the employees who are the ones actually providing service to customers. PNA

LEGION OF HONOR. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte confers the Philippine Legion of Honor on newly promoted Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Benjamin Madrigal Jr. during a ceremony at the Malacañan Palace on May 27. Presidential Photo

MMDA firm on decision to ban prov’l buses on EDSA

By Joel E. Zurbano

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HE Metro Manila Development Authority stood pat on its decision of banning provincial buses and closing 46 bus terminals along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue beginning next month.

This despite petitions from lawmakers with the Supreme Court to nullify the controversial policy, saying the MMDA overstepped the boundary of its power in issuing the regulation and had neither police or legislative power to unilaterally revoke or prohibit the issuance of permits to all bus terminals situated along EDSA. In a 12-page petition filed last Monday, Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda sought the issuance of a temporary restraining order or writ of preliminary injunction to immediately enjoin the MMDA from implementing its Regulation No. 19002.

The former Albay governor also asked the SC to nullify the controversial regulation purportedly intended to ease traffic in Metro Manila’s main thoroughfare.

The same petition was filed by Ako Bicol Party-list before the high court.

But according to MMDA EDSA traffic chief Edison Nebrija Jr., the MMDA will push through with the plan.

“This is part of our democratic process and we respect the filing of the petition of Congressman Salceda. We will wait for our copy being named as respondent in the said petition and we will let our legal team draft and file the rebuttal,” he said.

“In the absence of any resolution to all the petitions filed at the SC, we will continue with our preparation and public information about the policy being questioned,” he added.

The Metro Manila Council, the MMDA’s policy making body and governing board, signed and approved regulation No. 19-002 prohibiting the issuance of business permits to public utility vehicle terminals and operations along EDSA. Once the business permits are revoked, the actual closure of the terminals can be implemented by the concerned local government units which have jurisdiction over the terminals.

But Salceda said the policy

violated the franchises issued by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on affected buses and also the lease agreements between the affected bus operators and terminal owners.

He added that the regulation was “oppressive, unfair” and “will cause economic disruption, inconvenience and added financial burden to ordinary commuters.”

Salceda believes banning provincial buses will not solve traffic on EDSA. “How then will they reduce traffic when they will add an assortment of close to 20,000 new vehicles just so they can evict 6,000 provincial buses from EDSA? Add the Grab vehicles who will be paged by loyal riders to and from both stop off points towards EDSA and what do we have?” he said.

“There are 2.8-million cars in the National Capital Region plying EDSA versus only 6,000 provincial buses, who do you think is actually causing traffic?” the lawmaker added.

Based on the policy, provincial buses coming from South Luzon Expressway, especially those from Batangas and Laguna, are to pass through the terminal in Sta. Rosa City in Laguna, while those coming from the North Luzon Expressway are told to use the terminal in Valenzuela City, instead of entering EDSA.

COA flags NAPC for unspent P49-b fund

By Rio N. Araja

NO TO POINT-TO-POINT. Drivers and operators of UV Express make the thumbs-down sign in protest against LTFRB Memorandum Circular No. 2019-025 ordering UV Express vehicles to implement the point to point scheme, which mandates UV Express drivers to carry passengers from its terminal of origin to the next terminal. The UV Express drivers said they would stage a rally if the LTFRB pushes through with the memorandum.

Manny Palmero

‘Bikoy’no-show at DOJ probe on estafa raps

By Rey E. Requejo PETER Joemel Advincula, the man who confessed that he is the Bikoy in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” video series linking members of the presidential family in the illegal drug trade in the country, was a no-show during the preliminary investigation Tuesday into the estafa complaint filed against him before the Department of Justice.

This prompted the DOJ to set another preliminary investigation hearing on June 4.

Former Bureau of Corrections chief Benjamin delos Santos, the lawyer of the businessman who filed the complaint, said they learned a copy of the complaint had been “validly received” at Advincula’s last known address in Donsol, Sorsogon.

If Advincula fails to submit a counter affidavit, the prosecutor would be “forced to resolve the case,” the lawyer said.

In his complaint, Arven Valmores,

president and CEO of perfume distributor Ardeur World Marketing Corp., accused Advincula of using the company name without authority to promote a beauty pageant he had organized in Polangui, Albay last August.

Valmores, who attended Tuesday’s hearing at the DOJ, said Advincula was merely an independent seller of the company’s products.

When Advincula allegedly disappeared without paying the production staff and the pageant winners, the complainant said he was forced to settle more than P304,000 to 28 people to save his company’s name.

Advincula surfaced earlier this month to introduce himself as “Bikoy,” the hooded figure in a series of online videos implicating the President’s family members and close aide former Special Assistant to the President and Senatorelect Christopher “Bong” Go to the illegal drug trade.

THE Commission on Audit has flagged the National Anti-Poverty Commission for an unspent P49-million fund of the National Anti-Poverty Commission that came from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. for livelihood and agricultural projects.

The 2018 audit report showed the fund was idle since its transfer to NAPC in April 2017.

According to COA, Pagcor turned over P50 million, and that only P969,479.50 was spent.

PAGCOR’s financial assistance was allotted to improve accessibility to free and quality education in Mindanao, sustainable livelihood programs, establishment of an integrated coconut livelihood enterprise development in the Visayas, a “talambayan” open data solution for poverty monitoring system, and other NAPC projects for the marginalized, poor and indigent sectors.

The projects’ implementation had a two-year timetable that lapsed on April 4.

“Funds received from the Pagcor as financial assistance for the socio-civic programs and projects of NAPC remained unutilized as of Dec. 31, 2018, thus, depriving the intended beneficiaries and the public of the benefits that could have been derived from the project,” the report read.

The state auditors called on the NAPC officials to seek an extension of its agreement with PAGCOR to be able to pursue the projects’ implementation.

“We recommended and management agreed to make representations with PAGCOR and request the possible extension of the validity of the [agreement],” the audit team said, adding that if this fails, NAPC has no choice but to return the money to PAGCOR,” COA said.

Cocaine blocks found off Sorsogon LEGAZPI CITY—The Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory has confirmed that the 40 blocks, weighing 39 kilos fished out of the waters in Gubat, Sorsogon on Monday, were indeed cocaine, a top official of the PNP in Bicol said on Tuesday.

Brig. Gen. Arnel Escobal, PNP Bicol chief, said the 40 cocaine blocks kept in 12 boxes were found floating by fishermen at the “Nabat-an” waters in Barangay Bagacay in Gubat town in Sorsogon.

Fishermen Melvin Gregorio, Loubert Ergina, and John Mark Nabong, all residents of said village, immediately turned over the illegal drugs to the town police station, Escobal said.

He added in a news conference that the recovered drugs have a street value of P218 million, making it “the biggest cocaine haul recovered in Bicol.”

Investigation Agent V Rogelito Daculla, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency acting assistant regional director, when asked if the recovered cocaine in Gubat was similar to those found previously in waters off Camarines Norte, Sorsogon and Catanduanes came from one source, said this is still being validated. PNA

Tondo player wins P210-m lotto jackpot AN EXTREMELY fortunate lotto player of PCSO’s 6/55 Grand Lotto game is the sole winner who bagged the jackpot prize amounting to P210,795,849.60 after the six winning numbers were drawn last Monday, May 27.

According to Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Gaming Sector or Gaming, Product Development and Marketing Sector, the winning ticket containing the numbers 02, 04, 06, 08, 24 and 01 was purchased at a lotto outlet in Hermosa Street, Manuguit in Tondo, Manila. Among the lucky ones who took home cash prizes were the 132 players who got five winning numbers with a prize of P12,050 each, the 4,018 who got four winning numbers with a prize of P310 each and the 43,046 players who won P24 each.

The 6/55 Grand Lotto game is played and drawn live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday on PTV-4 every 9 p.m.

‘Stop using schools as evacuation sites’ DEPARTMENT of Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the usual practice of using classrooms as temporary evacuation sites during times of disasters should be stopped.

Briones said the practice often disrupts normal school operations.

“Itinigil na natin ‘yung practice na kung may mga evacuations na gagawin, gamitin ang school buildings tapos ang mga bata ilalagay sa tolda,” Briones said in a television interview.

“Hiningi ko sa Cabinet na ang local governments gagawa sila ng sarili nilang multi-purpose evacuation centers at hindi ‘yung mga eskwelahan nung mga bata,” she added.

Briones, meanwhile, said that classrooms that were affected in recent disasters, including the earthquakes that jolted Luzon and Eastern Visayas, have already undergone repairs.

“Sa Brigada Eskwela tinitingnan ‘yung mga kailangang minor repairs tapos pumapasok din ang DEPED para sa major repairs,” she said.

The recent Brigada Eskwela also focused on the disaster preparedness of schools nationwide.

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Opinion

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Duterte’s unfulfilled vows LAST May 14, the day after the 2019 midterm elections, my wife and I marked our 63rd wedding anniversary. Santa Banana, we belong to the disappearing breed of married couples who take our marriage vows seriously.

Our problem was whom to invite for the occasion. Our contemporaries are either bedridden, incapacitated or suffering from dementia.

My wife thought of her cousins who were still alive. But they are not well, too, being in cancer pain so much that they could not even talk.

Do you still believe corruption will end?

My classmates? Yes there are still for former Vice President Tito Guingona and our summa cum laude, Ting Roxas. But I don’t know their numbers. I am told that Jimmy Lantin is bedridden. My wife’s classmates are also ill.

I guess that is how it is when you reach our age. Thus we just had a simple celebration at our favorite Japanese restaurant—and saved a lot of money as a result.

I wonder: Whom will we invite next year to our 65th?

When somebody asks me how I lasted this long as a husband, I declare that I must always have the last say in the house: “Yes, darling.” That settles everything. *** Speaking about the House, who will be the next Speaker of our Lower Chamber?

There are several factors that will decide this.

First, the endorsement of President Duterte. The President relies heavily on the Speaker for the enactment of priority legislation.

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Another factor is personality. A Speaker of the House should be able to unite warring members of Congress so that they could act on what is needed.

This means he or she must be a consensus builder—certainly not one who is arrogant and cantankerous.

What caused the downfall of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez was his personality.

He created too many enemies with the way he was doing his job. This started a move in the House to have him replaced.

The obvious choice was former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Then there is the need for leaders of the House to support the next Speaker. I think Rep. Martin Romualdez enjoys that support.

Another factor is money. Building consensus is having the ability to spend anywhere between P350,000 and P500,00 for House members who demand money. Actually, this practice is an indictment of Congress. Money should never be an issue. But then, that is how it is here.

The last factor is the possession of some sort of secret weapon—in this case, Martin has his wife Yedda, a former beauty queen. She is charming and likeable. Now she is also a party-list repre representative for Tingog.

These are all the reasons why I believe Romualdez fits the Speakership to a T. All he needs now is the firm endorsement of the President. *** Speaking of the independence of the Senate, something has come to focus with the victory of the President’s favorite candidates—Bong Go, Bato dela Rosa and Francis Tolentino. I still believe the Senate can be independent despite their presence. Why? There is Cynthia Villar, who topped the race. She may be allied with President Duterte, but she also knows that she became number one without the President’s endorsement and support. She has all the money in the world so she can afford to be independent.

Then there is Grace Poe, known to be independent as well. She was never a “yes” person. Note how she did not do the famous Duterte fist-forward salute.

Nancy Binay did the same.

Together with four opposition senators, Poe, Binay and Villar will be good for the country.

W

Justice delayed

E WELCOME the call of retired Supreme Court Justice Arturo Brion to correct the injustice done to the late Chief Justice Renato Corona by lawmakers during the Aquino administration, and urge the incoming legislators to do their share to right an egregious wrong.

Brion this week appealed to members of the incoming 18th Congress to pass a measure that would grant the heirs of Corona the retirement and other benefits deprived him due to his ouster by impeachment in 2012.

Brion, a colleague of the late chief justice, lamented that Corona did not receive any retirement benefit because of his ouster by members of Congress.

“His family continues to be denied the retirement benefits that deceased members of the judiciary can leave to their families. Congress can remedy this situation if it wants to, not by resurrecting the dead and buried impeachment case, but by legislating a financial grant that is within its authority to give...to pay the equivalent of the retirement pay and the benefits the late chief justice would have left behind,” he said.

“The late chief justice mercifully died three years ago, carry-

ing his underserved impeachment taint to the grave. This is the injustice our newly elected national officials shall soon face. Unless they act, the injustice done to the chief justice shall forever serve as a towering monument of how the misdeeds of the Aquino administration triumphed,” Brion added.

Brion recalled that Corona was impeached after the Court under his watch ordered the distribution of land to farmers of the Hacienda Luisita owned by former President Benigno Aquino III and also voided the truth commission that was supposed to investigate corruption charges against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

He also cited the reported admission by former Senator Jinggoy Estrada and returning Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. that they were bribed by the previous administration to vote for Corona’s ouster during impeachment trial in the

Senate by offering millions of Disbursement Acceleration Program funds, which the Supreme Court later on declared unconstitutional.

Brion said Estrada claimed that Aquino “had used pork barrel funds to bribe the senators in 2012 in his campaign to impeach the late chief justice.”

Corona was removed from office in May 2012 after an impeachment trial in the Senate for betrayal of public trust over failure to disclose his assets in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth. He died in April 2016, after being hounded by a vindictive administration that was not satisfied by his ouster, but dogged him to his final days with tax evasion cases.

Mr. Aquino, who squandered government resources and his political capital to persecute Corona, replaced him with a friendlier chief justice, Ma. Lourdes Sereno. That injustice has already been corrected with Sereno’s ouster in 2018 through a quo warranto decision by her own colleagues in the Supreme Court. The least the incoming 18th Congress is to make right the injustice still being suffered by the late chief justice’s family.

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Stupidity and three future presidents AFTER the mid-term elections of 2019 come the presidential elections of 2022 to choose the successor to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. The current betting is that Duterte will succeed himself, thru a proxy.

That proxy is any one of these three people—Sara Duterte, Bong Go, and Cynthia Villar.

Sara is the President’s daughter and the local government incumbent seeking a local office that gained national prominence by campaigning nationwide—for a regional party that was endorsing candidates elected nationwide, the senators.

That makes Sara presidential material. She has a mind of her own, which some people translate into political will, although she may just be what Tagalogs call pasaway (recalcitrant).

However, one’s name recognition does not automatically invest one electability.

Despite the vaunted machinery of Sara’s hastily cobbled regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, the Davao mayor’s bete noir, Pantalaeon Alvarez, still won hands down, as reelected congressman of Davao Norte’s first district, beating two of Davao’s biggest political titans—Davao Norte Gov. Anthony del Rosario and Antonio Floirendo.

Former Speaker Alvarez garnered 70.5 percent of the district votes while Del Rosario settled for disappointing 29.5 percent, a ratio of more

than two-to-one.

In the second district, Alvarez’s PDP-Laban colleague, Alan Dujali outclassed political veteran and banana tycoon Antonio Floirendo, 58 percent vs. 42 percent.

Both Del Rosario and Floirendo ran under HNP and still were beaten convincingly right in Sara’s home turf, by a grizzled politician with tradpol habits. The conventional wisdom

The five Gs will determine who our next president will be. is that if your party cannot win in its own home turf, how can it win nana tionwide? Besides, President Duterte has warned his daughter about the perils (many) and pay (small) of being president.

Another Duterte stalwart is Bong Go, 45. He is a management graduate of La Salle, so he is competent.

His family owns businesses. So he is rich. He is the face of Duterte. So he is powerful. And influential. Powerful is when you get things done. Influential is when you make other people do what you want by just letting them know who you are. In an electoral fight, those qualities make for a formidable arsenal.

Go was No. 3 in the 2019 senatorial race. His votes, 20.657 million—are 4.05 million or 24 percent more than the 16.601 million polled

by Duterte himself in 2016 when he Turn to A5

Public service in my own little way

AMIDST talks about yours truly being considered for a Cabinet post, supposedly for the proposed Office of the Press Secretary, I wish to clarify that there is no such offer yet coming from President Duterte himself.

I am humbled and flattered by the kind words of my compadre Secretary Martin Andanar, of the Presidential Communication Operations Office for vouching for my qualifications and me-

dia experience.

That being said, I am content and happy where I am now, knowing that quite a number of our fellow Filipinos have dramatically shown their support for the advocacy that I supported and endorsed during the recent election campaign period.

Going around the country, especially in far-flung provinces, I came face-toface with the ordinary Filipinos whom I believe truly personify the words “public servants.” They are not the usual jusi barong-clad bureaucrats in the high offices of the government, but rather the farmers, fishermen, traders at the rural marketplaces, jeepney and tricycle drivers and the shy, hardworking staff at the

provincial capitols, city and municipal and barangay halls in the countryside.

They made me realize that it takes the whole village to make things work, each one being a public servant in his own special way.

And, whereas in the past years, we have received and provided assistance any way we can to our aggrieved kababayans at my action center (formerly at a rundown apartment unit on Mother Ignacia St., Quezon City and now at a small office at Timog Ave.), in turn we were welcomed heartily by these folks at their respective hometowns during our sorties.

Nakakataba po ng puso!

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Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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

ONLINE

can be accessed at: manilastandard.net

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Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Opinion EvEryman

By Miya Baltazar Herrera Journalist IN A career spanning over three decades, Robles reported and commented on the news. At the Manila Standard, his home for many years, he began his career as a researcher.

Over the years, Robles would become one of the youngest-ever editors-in-chief of a Philippine nationwide broadsheet. He took leadership of The Manila Standard first in May of 2005, and then again in December of 2014. Robles also held other positions including editor-inchief for Azkals Futbol magazine, news editor for the radio station dzRH, and anchor and co-producer of Karambola at dwIZ. His network of colleagues and friends read like a veritable who’s who of Philippine politics, business, and media. Like many of those who are admired in his field, he was never one to inspire tepid impressions.

He had strong opinions and inspired strong opinions in others. He was never one to follow the pack when it came to either his reporting or his commentating.

Having a formal education in journalism, he took the job of news reporting exceedingly seriously, believing in reporting the news as news, balanced, fair, and transparent. He scoffed at the increasing trend of editorializing and opinionmaking among those who professed to report the news. As important as the post of editor-in-chief of a major newspaper is, it was as a columnist and commentator that Robles truly came into his own.

He spun his old metro desk editor beat and deep understanding of politics into his opinion column, Lowdown, for which he won the 2014 Opinion Writer of the Year award from the Rotary Club of Manila Journalism Awards.

Chief Jojo Robles was an accomplished journalist, an award-winning columnist, an opinion-maker and news anchor with a wide following. Over the course of our long acquaintance, he would be many things, including the editor-in-chief of the paper I wrote for. But for me, first and foremost, his most real title was friend.

For those who were not part of our

Stupidity...

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won as president, 10.62 million (107 percent) more votes than the 9.978 million of presidential runner-up Mar Roxas, and 11.557 million more votes (127 percent) than the 9.1 million of third placer Grace Poe. Does that vote-drawing power give Go the gravitas to make a go of the presidency in 2022?

In 2004, Mar Roxas topped the senatorial election with an awesome 19.372 million, then the largest number of votes ever gained by a senatorial topnotcher, and 3.57 million more than the 15.8 million votes of No. 2, the then immensely popular movie idol Bong Revilla. Seeking reelection, Revilla himself topped the senatorial race in 2010, with 19.5 million, eclipsing the 19-million record of Roxas six years earlier.

For her part, running as an independent Grace Poe bested the 19-millionvote haul of both Roxas and Revilla in the 2013 Senate race with 20.337-million votes.

Senatorial topnotchers both, Roxas and Poe contested the presidency in 2016. They lost dismally to a toughtalking mayor from the south with an outlandish kill-the-druglords campaign, Duterte who ran with supporters so few you can crowd them into a

Public...

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They have been my inspiration in over 30 years rendering public service in conjunction with my profession as a journalist, first in print and then broadcast, and now digital media.

Just like my older brothers Mon, Ben and Raffy, I have found that providing various forms of assistance to people at the edge of disadvantage to be truly rewarding not in material terms but per-

Jojo A. Robles, journalist, columnist, and commentator passed away in the early mornings of 23rd May 2019. I write this on the day of his interment, reflecting on the night before, when his friends and family gathered to pay final respects. obedience to rules, that we truly bonded. He enjoyed getting me to skip classes with his stellar logic. I enjoyed driving him nuts with my sheer ignorance of music and most of pop culture. We spent many hours in college with him playing his guitar while I waded through the university lagoon (ok, it was a pond) collecting plastic trash. We regaled each other with our newest snippets of poetry, alternately envious and admiring of each other’s work.

He had a way with words that would come to define many of our shared memories. Many years after high school, he proposed one of my favorite toasts with him—to having known each other longer than we haven’t.

He was the very first person I created a bucket list with. In our teens, we created a list of things we wanted to do before we were too old to do them. Many, many years later, when we both already had families, he had the occasion to hold me to the one promise that came with that list— that, if asked, we would share the

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Moving forward (2)

So long, Chief! small group in high school, we were probably unlikely friends. He helped run the school paper. I helped run the science club. We didn’t meet until the final year of high school, and even though we were members of the same large “barkada” (peer group), our differing activities meant we did not spend that much time together.

It wasn’t until college when we discovered our common love for the written word, our shared hidden penchant for poetry, and our shared disdain for conformity and blind

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019

experience with each other. Thankfully, he allowed me to experience his scuba diving from the shore.

As our careers progressed, I became his subject matter expert for business and he continued to be my lifeline to politics and pop culture.

He also continued to be my Filipino help line. I doubt I could have helped my children through Filipino, or even Sibika and Araling Panlipunan (Civics and Social Studies) without him.

Jojo was my first editor-in-chief at the Standard. Through the years, whoever occupied that chair, in my heart, he was always my editor-inchief. It is his voice I hear when I decide what to write about and how to write it.

Moments In the moment I realized I was probably talking to him for the last time in this life, many things passed through my head. I knew he had lived a full life. He had accomplished more than many people can even hope for. He found his passion early and was able to devote his life to it, becoming wildly successful at it. He had two beautiful sons who have always brought him joy. He had someone at his side who stayed with him through thick and thin, whom he loved dearly and who loved him and supported him.

But I will probably never have a friend like him. We had the great gift of being able to be crazy together. He was one of the very few friends who could spontaneously invent drinking games that were both a little bit mad and a little bit brilliant. One of the best compliments of my life was a comment he made during one of these games. Our task was to describe each other as a scent and he said this: “Remember when you were a young child. The scent of a freshly opened box of crayons?

That’s you, Maya—the scent of endless possibilities.”

Rest in peace, my dear friend.

Wherever you are, I hope you are finding a fresh batch of endless possibilities.

So long, Chief!

Note to the Reader: I deeply apologize for the almost year long absence. There were transitions in both my personal and professional life but I aim to for a more regular output moving forward.

battered tricycle.

The 2019 senatorial topnotcher and the land’s richest senator, Cynthia Villar, should be considered presidential material in 2022.

Just like husband Manny Villar, a former speaker (1998-2000) and a former Senate president (2006-2009), Cynthia’s formula of success is basic—sipag at tyaga (hard work and diligence).

Her formula of economic development is even simpler—produce food.

Food, after all, is 50 percent of the consumer basket. Produce food and you tame the inflation rate.

Tame inflation and you put purchasing power in the hands of the poor. Put purchasing power in the hands of the poor and you empower them, in your favor, during elections.

Cynthia comes to the fore with a solid party, the Nacionalista Party which after Duterte’s PDP-Laban, won the biggest number of elective positions in the country, including three of 12 senators (PDP-Laban).

PDP-Laban had four winning senators.

Cynthia also has the business network in 157 key bailiwick cities nationwide where the family crown jewels, Vista Land and Golden Bria Holdings, have projects and branches.

Vista Land is valued by the market at P91 billion. The Villar family owns

P54.7 billion of that. Even more astounding, Golden Bria Holdings, has a market cap of P262.8 billion. The Villar couple owns 88.62 percent of that, or P232.89 billion. So P232.89 billion plus P54.7 billion is P287.59 billion.

Divide that by P52 and the Villars are worth $5.53 billion. They are the richest Filipinos.

About 65 percent of 24.3 million families are poor. They make only P250,000 or less a year. One family has 4.5 members, so divide P250,000 by 4.5 to get P5,411 per capita income.

That’s $104 per person. Manny Villar has wealth of $5.5 billion. About 71 million Filipinos get by with just $104 a year. Surely, those 71 million cannot all be lacking in S&T – sipag at tiyaga.

Writing in the Inquirer, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban says Philippine elections have metastasized from three Gs—guns, goons, and gold, into five Gs—guns, goons, gold, (voting machine)-glitches, and “gunggong” (stupidity).

The candidate who can have the five Gs will be the next president in 2022.

My advice to the voter: Don’t be stupid. Take the money. It comes only every three years. And vote with your conscience—or your feet (go abroad).

sonally fulfilling.

I have never received any grant from any private institution nor from any government agency in maintaining the operations of my small office, the Erwin Tulfo Public Assistance & Media Center.

I continue to live up to my panata or devotion especially to the Black Nazarene for several years now to serve Him through the less fortunate Filipinos with a little help from my philanthropist friends and out of my own income.

The same friends who share the

commitment and passion for public service now represent the interests and welfare of a marginalized sector through the Anti-Crime & Terrorism Thru Community Involvement & Support Party-list in the coming 18th Congress. I am, of course, referring to Congressmen-elect Eric Yap, Jocelyn Tulfo and Niña Taduran.

In my own Tulfo brand of public service, I will continue to support the ACTCIS' solid legislative agenda, as well as the thrusts of the Duterte administration against crime and corruption.

biznewsasia@gmail.com

regions are totally un-represented, and have been so for a long long time, such as the Muslim and Cordillera minorities, even the Warays, while Metro Manila is over-represented.

Even as I empathize with the “marginalized sectors,” our party-list system THE period between July 22 up to the has become an aberration given our prescongressional sine die of 2021 will be ent party-list representatives, which has most important for establishing the been allocated 20 percent of congressioDuterte administration’s legacy. Need- nal seats under the 1987 Constitution. I less to say, what the President says in his suggest that we take a serious rethinking State of the Nation Address on July 22 of (1) the definition of marginalized; and should define that legacy.

(2) whether an advocacy, such as that Due to the results of the last elections, being used by groups to accredit themspeculation is rife that the President will selves with COMELEC cannot be better push for shifting to a federalized govern- served by legalizing professional lobby ment. But his most trusted Senator-elect groups.

Bong Go has already primed the public Further I propose something that I mind when he said that the “public may have written about in previous columns not be prepared for” such a radical shift. despite knowing that it would be very Indeed. radical to politicians and budding politiNot only the public mind, but the cians aspiring for “public office.” economy, even the local government Let us reduce drastically the number units are not ready for such a shift. of locally elected officials.

Not yet.

Let us abolish the Sangguniang PanlaStill, this writer proposes that we need lawigan, and make the municipal mayors to revise the 1987 Constitution, and the comprise the provincial board. Where window for such opportunity is a narrow there are too many municipalities, let two years. Whatevus proportionately er good intentions divide their term the framers of the in the Sanggunian present constitution within their sixIt’s a simpler, more may have had, our year term. Just as nation’s experience effective, alternative. a board of directors in the past three dedetermines policy cades clearly points in a corporate setto the need for reviting, the de facto sion, for systemic change in fact. stockholders of a province, as elected by We need to retain the presidential the people, are their mayors. form. The Filipino people will always Similar reasoning goes for the city want to elect their head of state and head and municipal councils. Where there are of government, and denying them that a dozen or so barangays, let the elected will meet rejection. barangay chairmen sit as the local legisAnd let us go back to the two-party lators as well. Where there are more, let system, which is best suited to a presi- them take turns at two or three years out dential form. This multiplicity of flags of of their six-year term. personal or cabal convenience masquerThe local sanggunians are after all ading as political parties has not contrib- mandated to approve ordinances and uted a whit to the political maturity of policies that are basically parochial in the electorate. nature, aside from passing the budget.

With a two-party system, the national Who would know the parochial needs budget should provide for the cost of of constituents more than the barangay party inspectors and watchers, rather chairman? than give the entire responsibility to our This would, however, require a ratiopublic school teachers. nalization of the number of barangays Let us implement a bloc-vote for our per city or town. Take Manila with 897 executives, national and local. That barangays, an aberration where some bameans a vote for the presidential can- rangays (like where I reside) have less didate automatically credits his vice than 300 voters, while Payatas in Quepresidential candidate as well. The same zon City probably has tens of thousands. should go for the city mayor, the provinIn the May 13 elections we just held, cial governor and the municipal mayor. apart from 12 senators (half the Senate They should work as a team from Day composition), we were called upon to One of their term, not be at cross-pur- elect a congressman, a party under the poses. party-list system, a governor and vice Let all elected public officials serve governor, a component city mayor and for a period of six years, with reelec- his vice, or a municipal mayor and his tion. And fix term limits to two for the vice, plus local legislators such as board national and local executives. I propose members and councilors. no term limits for legislators. The lonAll told, that is a total of 1,444 city ger they serve, the more seasoned they councilors, 11,916 municipal councilbecome. Look at our pre-martial law ex- ors, and close to 800 provincial board perience, where good legislators were re members. Think of the cost, in terms elected over and over again, which gave of salaries and allowances that taxpayus the legendary political names that our ers have to subsidize. Think of the people have now forgotten. campaign expenses that are spent for The probability that a bad executive, these positions. whether president or mayor will rule at Would these resources not be betthe sufferance of the public for six years ter spent at hiring more teachers, more or 12 can be negated by impeachment or health workers, more relevant governrecall. ment front-line services?

Let us elect senators by administraWith the abolition of these local tive region, at an equal proportion of two councils and their substitution by baranper region. gay chieftains, we need write only the We now have 17, with 4-B separated names, or tick off the boxes correspondfrom 4-A. That means 34 senators. The ing to 1 presidential team, 2 senators, 1 elected vice president shall automati- congressman, 1 provincial governor or cally be the Senate President, similar to city mayor, 1 town mayor—no more. A the US practice. And since the VP is the total of six, and we do not even have to president’s team-mate in their political use Smartmatic or some such contrapparty, the president should be comfort- tion. Even a manual canvass would be able with such an arrangement. The 34 quick. senators will choose their majority floor Mid-term, we have our barangay leader among themselves. elections, electing a chairman and four Thus, every region will have two or six councilmen. And no more Sangsenators to look after their interest while gunaing Kabataan either. viewing the bigger picture which is the A case of the less elective posts, the whole country. Under our present sys- better. Simpler and more effective. tem of nationally elected senators, some Think about it.

Duterte’s...

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the perception of corruption.

A perfect example is the case of Solicitor General Jose Calida, found to be owning majority shares in a security agency that has contracts with various government agencies. Talk about conflict of interest!

Now the Commission on Audit has found that Calida’s office has been having too many dinners and seminars at expensive hotels. That’s more than a whiff of corruption—and what has Mr. Duterte done about his solicitor general? Nothing!

Remember there too was reported corruption among government lawyers assigned to government corporations. In response, Duterte fired the government corporate counsel, but promoted the erring lawyers.

Do you still believe the President’s war to end corruption?

And then of course, there are two senators that cannot be dictated upon. They are Ralph Recto and Sonny Angara. *** When he became President in 2016, Duterte anchored his administration on his vow to eliminate drugs and corruption. Well, there has been no change.

After three years, Duterte’s bloody war on drugs is ongoing and I believe the problem will remain even beyond his term.

The reason is that the demand for drugs does not end, so the supply will continue as well. The country has become a transshipment point for cartels and syndicates around the world.

Duterte’s vow to end corruption has also not made a dent. This is because he keeps reappointing and even promoting people who have been tainted with even www.emiljurado.weebly.com

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

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News

TODAY WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

No smoking in gov’t premises, says CSC THE Civil Service Commission on Tuesday reminded government employees to refrain from smoking in public and even in designated smoking areas.

In a statement, the commission reiterated the mandates of Memorandum Circular 17 series of 2009 or the Smoking Prohibition Based on 100-percent SmokeFree Policy.

It prohibits smoking in or on the premises, buildings, and grounds of government agencies providing health, education and/or social welfare and development services such as hospitals, health centers, schools, universities and colleges.

It also prohibits smoking in designated smoking areas.

CSC chairperson Alicia dela Rosa-Bala said the memorandum circular was part of the country’s efforts to enforce Article 8 of the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which aims to protect the public from the perils of second-hand tobacco smoke.

The commission’s reminder is in line with the celebration of the World No Tobacco Day on May 31, which is the annual campaign on raising public awareness about the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure. It also discourages the use of tobacco in any form.

Meanwhile, the Metro Manila Development Authority has lined up the promotion of public awareness on the effect of tobacco use as among its activities in connection with this year’s “Back-toSchool” program of the government.

MMDA chairman Danilo Lim said this year’s activity was focused on escalating awareness on tobacco control and promoting a safer and healthier environment.

“Health and sanitation, urban protection and pollution control are among the seven mandates of the MMDA. We are tasked to promote and safeguard the health and sanitation of Metropolitan Manila especially the youth who will become our future leaders,” he said.

Lim enumerated major activities of the agency in preparation for the school opening. The activities include: • Inspection of 100-meter perimeter of public and private schools for selling, advertising and promoting cigarettes and other tobacco products including e-cigarettes.

• Massive information dissemination by distributing leaflets to store owners, students, teachers, and public utility vehicle drivers containing the provisions of the law on access restriction and effects of smoking and cigarette smoke, • Conduct orientation in public secondary schools targeting high school students since smoking is commonly introduced among teens. PNA with Joel E. Zurbano

HOSPITAL FOR OFWS.

House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2nd District, Pampanga) underlines the need for the establishment of a national hospital facility with departmentalized clinical services and select specialty care for Overseas Filipino Workers and their families. ‘Despite improvements in occupational health and safety worldwide, OFWs suffer from a growing list of physical and mental health problems due to risks associated with the nature of their employment,’ she says.

Bill creating OFW hospital okayed

promote the well-being of OFWs as recognition of their importance and contribution on economic development PANEL in the House of Representatives on Tuesday and nation building. approved House Bill 9194 establishing the Overseas “Despite improvements in occuFilipino Workers Hospital which will promote the OFWs’ pational health and safety worldwide, OFWs suffer from a growing list of well-being in recognition of their importance and contribution to physical and mental health problems due economic development and nation-building. to risks associated with the nature of their The House committee on ways and to reword the tax provision for uniformity employments…The country needs to do means, chaired by Estrellita Suansing and better implementation, Deputy Speaker more, especially in paving better access, of Nueva Ecija, on Tuesday approved Evelina Escudero moved for its amendment and in providing higher quality of healththe bill authored by Speaker Gloria to read as follows: care,” said Arroyo.

“All grants, requests, endowments, Macapagal Arroyo.

Through the bill, the hospital shall be THE House of Representatives wants the Arroyo, who attended the hearing, donations and contributions made to the established with at least tertiary level of third Sunday of November every year as explained to the panel that representa- OFW Hospital to be used actually, di- care. It shall be developed consistent with the “National Day of Remembrance for tives from the Department of Budget rectly and exclusively by the Hospital the health care needs of the OFWs and their Road Crash Victims, Survivors, and Their and Management were present during shall be exempt from donor’s tax and the dependents.

Families” and that having law on the matthe approval of the bill in the Commit- same shall be considered as allowable The Department of Health shall then be ter will ensure its meaningful observance. tee on Health and they posed no objection, deduction from the gross income of the directed to undertake the full administrative The bill, authored by Representatives donor, in accordance with the provisions and technical supervision of the Hospital. particularly on its tax provision.

Trisha Nicole Velasco-Catera of Mata parDepartment of Finance Director for of the National Internal Revenue Code of As provided in the measure, the Hospital ty-list, Florida Robes of San Jose del Monte, Research and Information Office Juvy 1997 as amended, and the importation of shall pursue the following main objectives: Rodolfo Fariñas of Ilocos Norte, among Danofrata said the tax provision of the equipment, machineries and spare parts, (a) provide comprehensive health care serothers, was approved on third and final bill embraced the standard exemption which are used solely and exclusively for vices; (b) conduct medical examinations reading by an overwhelming 171 votes. under the Tax Code and the Customs the operations of the Hospital, and are not to ensure the physical and mental capabilIn her letter to President Rodrigo available locally, shall be exempt from ity of would-be overseas contract workModernization and Tariff Act. Duterte, Robes appealed that HB 9069 be “Everything here is already provided in value-added tax and Customs Duty.” ers; (c) serve as primary referral hospital certified as urgent by the Administration.

The measure recognizes that the for repatriated OFWs who need medical the Tax Code and the CMTA,” she said.

“I am hoping for your support as we Deputy Administrator Josefino Torres State is mandated to protect and pro- assistance; (d) set up systems that will efwork for the prompt enactment into law of of the Overseas Workers Welfare Adminis- mote the right to health of the Filipino fectively monitor the condition of patients this measure,” said Robes. tration agreed with its passage because the people and to instill health conscious- and to generate relevant health information Robes also cited the drastic increase tax provision shall “enjoin donors to come ness among them. for policy formulation; and (e) participate of deaths due to road crashes nationwide.

To this end, the Philippine govern- in the health care provider networks and arforward to support the translation of the bill She said a report given by the Philippine ment shall adopt integrated and com- rangements relative to the implementation to real terms.”

Statistics Authority showed there had As Executive Director Donaldo Boo of prehensive approach to health devel- of Republic Act 11223 or the “Universal been a 65-percent increase in deaths from the National Tax Research Center proposed opment, and protect the interest and Health Care Act.” 2006 to 2016YELLOW due to roadBLACK crashes.

CYAN MAGENTA “Moreover, road crash is also the Top Manila REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 1 cause of death for ages 15 to 24 in the Standard REGIONAL TRIAL COURT TODAY last five years. In solidarity with 92,007 NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION BRANCH 217 – QUEZON CITY families who have lost their loved ones, I am appealing to the President to please IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR THE consider this matter,” said Robes.

OPERATIVES of the Criminal Inveslegal Possession of Explosives. of 1995”.

CORRECTION OF ENTRIES Fariñas, who lost his son Rodolfo Jr. to a tigation and Detection Group arrested Martin is at present under the custody He added the suspect would be facing IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH MARK JOSEPH NIEVA motorcycle accident on Nov.15, 2015, also a TV network stuntman for illegal of the CIDG and will be turned over to the charges for violation of RA 10591 or the HUETE wrote the President, urging the Chief Execurecruitment and possession of illegal Comprehensive Firearms and Ammuni- Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch MARK JOSEPH NIEVA HUETE tive to certify as urgent HB 9069. firearms.

146.

PNA tions Regulation Law and RA 9516 or Ilalso known as MARK JOSEPH Meanwhile, Erwin Matias Paala, a In a press briefing at the CIDG NIEVA, Petioner. hit and run victim and President of the headquarters in Camp Crame TuesSP CASE NO. R-QZN-versusFamilies of Road Victims and Survivors, day, Lt. Col. Domingo Soriano, head 19-06787-SP MERCYDITA DUMASIG in a separate letter of appeal to President of the CIDG’s Detective and Special NIEVA, RODERIC ESCUDERO Duterte, stressed that they need all the Operations Unit, identified the suspect HUETE, CITY CIVIL REGISTRY DEPARTMENT OF QUEZON help from the Administration in ensuras Ryan Cabañas, 38, a stuntman for CITY, PHILIPPINE STATISTIC ing the “National Day of Remembrance ABS-CBN, who was arrested via a AUTHORITY, and all other interested parties, for Road Crash Victims” will be institusearch warrant operation served at his Respondent. tionalized in all LGUs as a permanent residence in Pag-ibig Homes Subdivix---------------------------------------x reminder of the unspeakable suffering sion in Cainta, Rizal on Monday.

ORDER caused by road crashes and as an urgent During the operation, Soriano said This is a verified petition for correction of entries in the call for collective action with all stakethe operatives seized different fireCertificate of Live Birth of Mark Joseph Nieva Huete. holders across society. arms without license—including one The petition alleges that petitioner Mark Joseph Nieva “Once the bill is certified urgent by the unit of .22-caliber rifle with scope, Huete also known as Mark Joseph Nieva was born on April 8.

Administration, the law will end our long one sniper rifle with scope, one 9mm 1991 in Quezon City to his parents Mercydita Dumasig Nieva and Roderic Escudero Huete; that the biological parents of wait,” said Paala.

Beretta pistol, one unit of RONIN kit, Mark Joseph are not married to each other that when Mark Paala said with the help of Undersecretary two units of magazine for .45 caliber, Joseph secured a copy of his Certificate of Live Birth from the Philippine Statistical Office, he found out that the last name Lisa Grace Bersales of the PSA, they were able four units of magazine for 9mm, two appearing in Entry No. 1 is “Huete” and not “Nieva”; that he to secure a complete 11-year database of road units of magazine for .22 caliber, 234 also observed the erroneous entry in Entry No. 18; that his parents were married on May 14, 1990 in Saranggani; that accidents from years 2006 to 2016. live ammunition, one firearm silencer, Mark Joseph used the surname of his mother and was known He said the figures showed that road and one bulletproof vest with National as Mark Joseph Dumasig Nieva since his childhood; that the instant petition was filed in order to correct the erroneous crash was the 1) Top 1 Cause of Death Bureau of Investigation marking. entries in his certificate of live birth; and , that petitioner from 2012 to 2016 for youth aged 15 to Soriano said Martin was also wantprays that Entry No. 1 be corrected from “Mark Joseph Nieva Huete” to “Mark Joseph Nieva” and the date and place of 20; 2) Top 1 Cause of Death from 2013 ed for syndicated illegal recruitment marriage of his parents in Entry No. 18 from “May 14, 1990, to 2016 for youth aged 20 to 24; 3) Top based on a warrant of arrest issued by “Sorsogon” to “N/A”.

2 cause of Death 2007 to 2012 for youth the Makati City Regional Trial Court Wherefore, the petition is hereby set for hearing on July aged 20 to 24; 4) Top 2 Cause of Death Branch 146 for violation of Sec. 6 of ABERRANT ACCIDENT. Twenty people are left injured Tuesday when a 26, 2019 at 8:30 in the morning before this Court located at Room 228, Second Floor, Hall of Justice, Diliman, Quezon in 2006 t0 2012 for youth aged 20 to 24.

Republic Act 8042, or the “Migrant container truck crashed into a passenger jeepney Tuesday on Padre Burgos Avenue City at which and on which date and time, all interested Maricel V. Cruz corner Gen. Luna Road in Intramuros, Manila. Norman Cruz Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act persons must appear and file their opposition/s to the petition

By Maricel V. Cruz

House pushes measure for Road Crash Victims Day

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TV stuntman nabbed for loose guns, illegal recruit

Let a copy of this Order be published once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation throughout the Philippines.

Further, let a copy of the petition, and of this Order be served upon the Office of the Solicitor General, Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City and the Philippine Statistics Authority who may file their opposition thereto within fifteen (15) days from notice of this petition.

SO ORDERED. Quezon City, Philippines, May 15, 2019.

SANTIAGO M. ARENAS Judge

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC BE IT KNOWN THAT S.A. PLEYTO CONSTRUCTION owned by SALVADOR A. PLEYTO with address at MGP Building Jose Corazon De Jesus St., Poblacion, Sta. Maria, Bulacan has changed its ownership from single proprietorship to corporation on February 14, 2019and is now S.A. PLEYTO CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION. (MS-MAY 29, 2019)

Woman stabbed dead in MRT Boni station, suspect missing AN UNIDENTIFIED woman has died after suffering from a single stab wound inside an MRT-3 station in Mandaluyong City Monday, according to the Department of Transportation MRT-3 Facebook page.

Identity of the woman has not been clear, but her body was discovered by a roving MRT guard in the south wing of the MRT Boni station at 2:25 p.m. Monday.

The MRT said in a statement train personnel immediately called for medical assistance but the woman no longer had a heartbeat when the ambulance arrived.

Police, quoting witnesses, said the woman was a beggar, was standing while drinking juice when the suspect, still at large, arrived and suddenly whipped out a weapon that looked like an ice pick or screwdriver.

Police said the woman was in possession of a wallet with several P100 bills.

The suspect has not been identified because, according to the police, the CCTV footage was not clear and only his back was seen.

The police found out that both the victim and the suspect often roamed around the MRT station.

Police are continuing their investigation.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports Fierce duel expected in Luzvimin golf tourney THE top golfing ladies from the country’s leading clubs take center stage beginning today (May 29, Wednesday) as they slug it out for top honors in various divisions in the 2019 Champion Luzvimin Invitational golf tournament at Cebu Country Club in Cebu City.

Del Monte parades an intact roster for its title-retention drive but Manila Southwoods is brimming with confidence with a souped-up crew and rest of the cast are all coming into the event ready to take on the best and emerge on top after 54 holes of the annual championship held under the Molave scoring format.

The Del Monte ladies dominated their Carmona-based rivals in the final round to reign at Taal Splendido last year, reclaiming the crown they won at Rancho Palos Verdes in 2016 with Class B individual winner Sofia Abarcas spearheading their repeat bid in the premier Diamond division along with Martina Miñoza, Leslie Icoy, Kiara Montebon, Saraiah Rheaume and Maura Quijano.

But Southwoods is out for a payback, enlisting top amateur Laia Barro to anchor a talent-laden squad composed of Loralie Roberto, Claire Ong, Christine Naidoo, Claudine Garcia and Deanna Samaniego.

But the rest of the 10-team field in the centerpiece category, including five new squads, are also upbeat of their respective chances, particularly the hosts, made up of Riko Nagai, Crystal Neri, Mary Kim Hong, Catrina Martinez, Jyra Wong and Jeanette Chiu, who are raring to use their local knowledge of the tree-lined, tight layout in an attempt to pull off a stunner.

Rancho Palos Verdes, meanwhile, will be led by Charilyn Kayama, Victoria Tan, Myung Seon Park, Stella Patruno, Lilibet Crisologo and Mereane Siason while former Del Monte ace Pamela Mariano will now anchor Pueblo de Oro’s bid in the event sponsored by Champion and organized by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines along with Juliane Borlongan, Alethea Gaccion, Marife Carmichael, Gladys Opitz and Jennifer Chua.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Tough Jones Cup task for Mighty Sports

M

IGHTY Sports could be in for a tough competition this time when it represents the country anew in this year’s Jones Cup.

The club team will be facing national teams of different countries in the July 12 to 21 cagefest annually being held in Taipei.

National teams of Iran, Japan, South Korea, Jordan, and Tunisia are confirmed of seeing action in the meet which they are using as part of their preparation for the coming FIBA World Cup in China this August.

Their presence will have Mighty Sports hardpressed to duplicate the same feat the team had in the 2017 edition of the Jones Cup when it won the championship being an impressive eight-game sweep.

“The participating teams right now are all strong, national teams lahat. So it’s much more competitive and stronger,” said Mighty Sports assistant team manager Jessie Angchonghoo at the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Amelie Hotel-Manila on Tuesday. “But we’re ready. We have

all the tools to compete with them.”

Charles Tiu will call the shots again for Mighty Sports, which will be reinforced by former PBA imports Renaldo Balkman, Zachary Graham, and Eugene Phelps while the local sides are led by Fil-Ams Jason Brickman, Jason Gray, Roosevelt Adams, Mikey Williams, Aaron Black, Gab Banal, and Joseph Yeo. For the 35-year-old Yeo, the stint will be the second time he’ll be playing in the Jones Cup after previously suiting up for the national team under then coach Chot Reyes.

“Very excited to be back and represent the country again. At ang daming nanonood lagi (na mga Pilipino), so parang everybody is cheering for you. Masaya, masarap,” said Yeo, who was also at the session presented by San Miguel Beer, Braska Restaurant, Amelie Hotel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

Mighty Sports is also not taking chances as it tapped former Gilas Pilipinas mentor Rajko Toroman as part of the coaching staff.

It was Tiu who invited the Serbian coach to come over and help him handle the team. Tiu served as

one of Toroman’s deputies during his stint with the original Gilas Pilipinas national squad.

“He’s a very experienced coach,” said Angchonghoo of Toroman, who Mighty Sports plans to bring in here around June 25 when the team begins to practice together.

Joseph Yeo and Mighty Sports assistant team manager Jessie Angchonghoo.

4 local teams clash with elite foreign bets in Le Tour de Filipinas FOUR local teams lead the country’s campaign in the 10th edition of the International Cycling Union (UCI)-sanctioned Le Tour de Filipinas that will bring the riders from the cool hills of Tagaytay City, the majestic Mayon Volcano and the scenic mountains of Sorsogon next month.

The Category 2.2 race, organized by Ube Media Inc., will be a five-day bikefest from June 14 to 18.

Seventy-five riders from 15 teams are competing—with four local squads holding the fort against the strong crew of international cyclists.

Making the race more valuable for the

Filipino riders is the opportunity to snare qualifying points for Olympic hopefuls.

Le Tour Chair Donna Lina said they prepared tough stages to exploit the strength of each participant.

“It’s the 10th year and like in the previous editions, the riders will face challenges the elements offer, thus squeezing out the best of the best in the sports spectacle on two wheels,” Lina told the press conference on Tuesday at a Pasay City hotel.

Stage One kicks off in Tagaytay City with a 129.5-km out-and-back course.

Participants will then travel to Lucena City where they will spend the night be-

fore negotiating the 194.9-km Pagbilao to Daet, Camarines Norte, Stage Two. Stage Three will offer a 183.7-km course from Daet to Legazpi City, while Stage Four covers a 176-km race from Legazpi via Sorsogon and Gubat and back to the Albay capital.

The last stage will again see the riders racing on an out-and-back course in Legazpi City via Donsol, Sorsogon, covering 145.8 kms.

The total distance covered is 822.20 kms.

El Joshua Cariño of the Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance—which will race under the national team colors—will

Ateneo courts host BEST cage, volley classes

Lady Troopers, Angels gun for 2nd win in PVL Games today

3 p.m. – Creamline vs Pacifictown Army 5 p.m. – Banko-Perlas vs PetroGazz

PACIFICTOWN Army hopes to ride on the momentum of its impressive debut and pounce on Creamline’s shaky start to its title-retention campaign as the Lady Troopers shoot for a second straight win in Season 3 of the Premier Volleyball League Reinforced Conference at the Flying V Center in San Juan today (Wednesday, May 29).

With imports Janelle Jordan and Olena Lymareva-Flink firing 15 hits apieces and locals Honey Tubino, comebacking Jovelyn Gonzaga and veteran Mary Jean Balse-Pabayo combining for 24 points, the Army Troopers launched their title drive with a 25-20, 25-16, 24-26, 25-23 victory over the BaliPure Water Defenders last Sunday.

In contrast, the reigning champions suffered a stinging 22-25, 24-26, 22-25 defeat to the PetroGazz Angels in a setback marred by the sidelining of Creamline’s main player Alyssa Valdez due to injury in the second seat.

After dropping the opening frame, the Cool Smashers tried to fight back in the second but lost their momentum after Valdez sustained a left ankle injury after slipping while trying to keep the ball in play off the block with the score tied at 16.

She was carried off the court and didn’t return, finishing with five points and the team never recovered from there, enabling the Angels to pull off a tight two-point escape before holding off their rivals to complete a surprise straight-set romp in a big reversal marking the start of the third season of the country’s premier league organized by Sports Vision.

“I just hope nothing serious happened,” said the power-hitting former Ateneo ace who is expected to suit up against the Army Troopers in their 3 p.m. clash.

The Angels, led by imports Wilma Salas and Janisa Johnson, are also going all out to nail another win as they face the Banko-Perlas Spikers in the 5 p.m. main dish.

defend his title against a strong field composed of seasoned veterans.

7-Eleven Cliqq Air21 Roadbike Philippines, Go for Gold and Bike X Philippines are the other Philippine teams.

Among those who joined Lina in the press conference were National Team coach Ronald Gorrantes, Go For Gold team owner Jeremy Go and coach Ednalyn Hualda and 7-Eleven team manager Rick Rodriguez as well as PhiCycling Chairman Bert Lina, Secretary General Atty. Billy Sumagui and commissaries Jun Lomibao and Carlos Gredonia and Cignal TV’s One Sports Marketing Head Rafi Silerio.

TRIPLE CROWN WINNER. Real Gold scoots home to a masterful eight-length win in the 1st leg of the Philippine Racing Commission’s Triple Crown series Sunday at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite. The C&H Enterprise C&N conglomerate of Real Gold owners Butch Mamon, Robert Ramirez, Jing Javier and Joseph Dyhengco as they pocketed the whopping top purse of P1.8 million, plus an additional P100,000 to breeder Dyhengco.

THE Ateneo covered courts will once again be the site of volleyball and basketball classes offered by the multi-awarded Best Center (Basketball Efficiency and Scientific Training Center).

The clinics will run from June 4 to 15 and will be held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 8 to 11:30 a.m.

The basketball clinics will be for students in the Preparatory Level and Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Levels 1, 2 and 3 are offered in volleyball.

The event is sponsored by Milo and is supported by Rain or Shine, Chris Sports and SKLZ. For details, call numbers 3723065and 411-6260 or Email bestcenter.inquiry@gmail.com.

Toronto, Golden State NBA wars air on ABS-CBN, Sports+Action THE 2019 NBA Finals featuring Eastern Conference champion Toronto Raptors and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors opens in Toronto, Canada on Friday and will air live on both ABS-CBN and S+A at 9 a.m.

Days after booting out the Milwaukee Bucks and MVP frontrunner Giannis Antetokounmpo in clinical fashion, Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors face their biggest test to date in their fantastic playoffs run: unseating the Warriors from their throne.

Having one of the best two-way players in the man they call the “Klaw,” the Raptors battled through six tightly-contested games in each of their series against Philadelphia 76ers and the Bucks in the Eastern Confer-

ence. Many have doubted a deep postseason run for the Raptors owing to their head coach, Nick Nurse, is only on his first year. It wasn’t helped by the Raptors dropping Game 1s against both the Sixers and Bucks.

However, many Raptors fans believe their team has what it takes to challenge the star-studded and three-peat seeking Warriors thanks to Leonard’s supporting cast of veterans Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Kyle Lowry, and the vastly-improved Pascal Siakam.

On the other hand, the Warriors do not have the homecourt advantage for the first time since they started making the annual trip to the Finals. They also have missed the services of two former Finals MVPs in Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala. However, these do not mean their

opponents will have an easier time as they have shown in the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trailblazers. The Warriors still have enough firepower behind the original troika of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and ultra-versatile forward Draymond Green, and their multi-titled coach Steve Kerr.

ABS-CBN Sports, which has been delivering the worldclass basketball action of the NBA to Filipinos on free TV for years, will be airing the entire championship series LIVE on both ABS-CBN and S+A. Game 2 will be airing live on June 3 at 8 a.m. from the Scotiabank Arena. Action in Game 3 will beam live from the Oracle Arena on June 6 starting at 9 a.m. with Game 4 set for June 8 at 9 a.m., also live on both S+A and ABS-CBN ch.2.

This is the time to be a good sport in sports LOCKER ROOM RANDY CALUAG A POLITICAL war in the Philippine Olympic Committee has erupted once again.

Saying he was fed up by the group wanting to discredit him, POC president Ricky Vargas ousted several personalities from key positions, including former president Peping Cojuangco.

The group loyal to Cojuangco, claiming it is acting as conscience of the sports governing body, had several issues it wanted to settle, among them the respective roles of the POC and the Phisgoc Foundation in the running and hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, as well as the alleged overpricing of outfits for

the national athletes.

Time and again, the athletes could only watch and observe from afar and in silence, while doing they works they were tasked to do—train hard and make the country proud.

From the sideline, the Philippine Sports Commission, which plays an all-important role in the athletes’ preparation, especially the funding aspect, and the country’s grassroots sports program as a whole, could only hope for peace and unity.

Time and again, we ask: What ails Philippine sports? I found it the right timing to reprint in part the editorial I wrote for this paper a couple of years ago on the heels of country’s worst performance in the 2016 Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian Games. Read on.

“What ails Philippine sports? This has been asked a countless times, but what makes it disturbing is that everybody seems to know the answer but no one is bold

enough to lead the revolution for change.

The reality is that PH sports has been in the doldrums for quite some time now because sports officials keep on doing the same thing, while expecting different results. Some have the temerity to hang on for years―some even decades―to their posts, even if their leadership or the lack of it has only produced heartache and gloom for the Filipino sports fans.

Who would not want a lofty position in the POC? Limousine services, five-star hotel accommodations and other lofty perks dangled by the National Olympic Committee heads of different countries among themselves, are just some of the privileges accorded high-ranking NSA officials when they go abroad.

This is the closest you can get to being a government dignitary, or perhaps a president of a republic.

This has been the same decayed system

prevailing in Philippine sports for ages.

As they say, if it’s broke, then it needs fixing. Sadly, those who are doing the fixing need some fixing themselves.”

PSC chairman Butch Ramirez, shortly after declining the chef de mission post, called on the POC officials to sit down and thresh out their differences, especially now that we are six months away from the SEA Games hosting.

“As the Chairman of the PSC, I call upon all our sports leaders to step back and take a moment to consider peaceful interactions. I still believe that we can all sit down and civilly thresh out what needs to be straightened out. The PSC is open to host a dialogue between parties and provide neutral ground for everyone to air their side and ultimately to either sacrifice or step-up in the interest of a unified sporting community.”

A class act, indeed.

Sports

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

A8

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019

Explosive Jones to lead TNT against Batang Pier

By Jeric Lopez EVERYONE’S eyes are on Terrence Jones for a good reason.

The TNT KaTropa import is once again in the spotlight as his squad faces fellow unbeaten team NorthPort Batang Pier when both teams seek a third straight win and a share of the early lead in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup. Led by Jones, the Tropang Texters (2 wins, 0 loss), face an acid test in the Batang Pier (2-0) as both of their twogame winning streaks are on the line in their 4:30 p.m. clash at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

In the nightcap, struggling teams Alaska Aces (1-2) and NLEX Road Warriors (0-2) face off at 7 p.m.

The victor between TNT and NorthPort will gain a share of the early tournament lead with Blackwater Elite, who currently sits at 3-0.

With all the hype surrounding his play in the league, Jones, a legitimate NBA veteran, is more than justifying all the fuss, dominating thus far in his first two games to lead his team to two victories.

In TNT’s initial wins, Jones was unstoppable, averaging 42 points per game in his team’s successive wins over NLEX and Alaska, respectively, to start its campaign.

He scored a game-high 43 points in the Texters’ 99-85 drubbing of the Aces last Saturday before getting ejected late due to technical fouls.

“I’m just here trying to win games and that’s what I’m doing, “ said the 27-year-old Jones, who was a constant in the Houston Rockets’ rotation just two seasons ago in the NBA. “I’m just sticking to playing my game and focusing on what my team needs to win.”

Jones believes that he and his team is bound to get better.

“It’s a great start. I think we’re going to still get better. We’re going to keep learning and building our chemistry until we get to the playoffs,” he said.

The Batang Pier is ready to likewise prove that its hot start is legit.

Despite missing superstar Stanley Pringle, who is recovering from an injury, for its first two games, NorthPort managed to take down Alaska and NLEX, respectively, to be in a good position.

TNT KaTropa import Terrence Jones (1) drives strong to the hoop inspire of the defense of two Alaska Aces in Jake Pascual (11) and import Chis Daniels. PBA Media

Ramirez calls for dialogue

By Peter Atencio

P

HILIPPINES Sports Commission chairman William “Butch” Ramirez called for a dialogue among warring officials in the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Ramirez made the call after he turned down an appointment to become the chef de mission of the national delegation to the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

“As the Chairman of the PSC, I call upon all our sports leaders to step back and take a moment to consider peaceful interactions. I still believe that we can all sit down and civilly thresh out what needs to be straightened out. The PSC is open to host a dialogue between parties and provide neutral ground for everyone to air their side and ultimately to either sacrifice or step-up in the interest of a unified sporting community,” said Ramirez in a statement.

The PSC head declined to accept his appointment from POC president Ricky Vargas, and after getting a call from POC chairman and Tagaytay Congressman Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino the other day.

Vargas, during a meeting of the POC General Assembly last Monday, named Ramirez as the replacement of taekwondo secretary-general and Makati Congress-

man Monsour del Rosario as the CDM. New appointments were made after officials of the POC were removed from key positions.

The shakeup happened after questions on the status of the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee were raised and answered by the POC legal counsel in previous days.

“After the tumultuous event in the yard of our POC partners, we all find ourselves at a crossroads in our journey. I believe that unity is vital in any endeavor. More so in this ideal, that we all undertake in our own capacities - to push Philippine sports to its highest possibilities,” added Ramirez.

Vargas said loss of trust and confidence were the main reasons why former POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr., Joey Romasanta, Robert Bachmann, del Rosario and lawyer Charlie Ho were removed from their posts.

Bachmann’s position as chairman of the membership committee was given to Lucas

IRONKIDS race kicks off Subic weekend of triathlon

By Reuel Vidal THE Alaska Fortified IRONKIDS Aquathlon kicks off a weekend of triathlon at Subic Bay when it’s held at the WOW Recreation and Activity Center in Subic Bay Freeport Zone 6 a.m., June 1 a day ahead of the 2019 Century Tuna IRONMAN 70.3 Subic Bay Pilipinas Presented by Big Boss Cement.

The race is more than just competition according to Alaska Milk Corporation Associate Brand Manager Diane Guerta.

It is meant to teach children the value of exercise and proper nutrition.

“Its main goal is to really encourage young children to have an active lifestyle. Alaska is already there for nutrition but IRONKIDS and the Power Camps are there to teach kids that being active is important. These programs do not just teach the kids fundamental skills of the sport but it teaches good values as well. Alaska Sports aim to

have a holistic approach in kids’ development,” said Guerta.

The Alaska IRONKIDS, formerly a swim-bike-run event, is one of the highlights of each IRONMAN competition.

Sunrise Events dropped the bike leg from the usual 400m swim, 9km bike and 3km run to make the race more accessible.

“We are expecting more than 300 kids this year. We’re really excited to see that more kids are really getting into triathlon.

We are looking forward to younger kids getting into aquathlon or even triathlon.

We wanted the parents or kids to not get intimidated with the sport since triathlon can sometimes be too intense for other parents,” said Guerta.

The Alaska IRONKIDS held before the Alveo IRONMAN 70.3 in Davao City and the Alaska IRONKIDS at Vermosa, Cavite were also aquathlons. The Alaska IRONKIDS to be held before the Regent Aguila IRONMAN 70.3 Philippines in Cebu will be a triathlon.

Managuelod, while Vargas will fill in the spot of chairman of the constitutional amendments committee, in place of Cojuangco. Tolentino takes over from Romasanta as Tokyo Olympics chef de mission. Ho was also removed as assistant SEA Games CDM. The revamp in positions in the POC took place after seven board members, led by Cojuangco, Romasanta, Antonio Tamayo Jr., Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, Julian Camacho and Clint Aranas convened a special meeting last April 30 to raise questions on the incorporation and role of the Phisgoc in the coming SEA Games.

POC spokesman Ed Picson said they will now have to find a suitable person to become the SEA Games CDM after Ramirez declined his appointment.

Ramirez said he is now focused on helping get the country’s hosting of the Games on the right track.

“We are hosting what we are working very hard to be the biggest SEAG edition. We are making every possible effort to make 2020 a memorable year with the country’s first Olympic gold and we are running on the fuel of our dreams to finally have infrastructure and facilities that will show the levelled-up fervor of our country in strengthening the foothold of sports,” added Ramirez.

EYES ON THE BALL. Spain’s Rafael Nadal stares intently at the ball before playing a forehand return against Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann during their men’s singles first round match on day two of The Roland Garros 2019 French Open tennis tournament in Paris. AFP

Volcanoes join 2019 Division 1 Asia Rugby THE Philippine Volcanoes are getting ready to compete in the 2019 Division 1 Asia Rugby Men’s Championships in Taipei today May 29 and on June 1.

Jake Letts, the General Manager for Philippine Rugby Football Union, said this after the Volcanoes completed a 9-day intensive training camp.

Their Head Coach Stu Woodhouse has selected the touring team for the Volcanoes, who left for Taiwan yesterday.

The tournament starts today at the Taipei Municipal Stadium.

According to Letts, the coaching staff have had the tough task of selecting the Top 26 to travel.

The present batch has a mix of experience, youth.

There will be a total of 10 players who will have the opportunity to wear the national colors for the first time in this program.

One of them is debutante Tim Alonso Berry, who is a new addition to the 7s program and after also playing with the 15s team.

The Volcanoes are expecting a physical match up first against an experienced Sri Lankan team.

The seeding will be a testament to see how far the Volcanoes can rise in 2019.

Sri Lanka is 44 on the world rankings while the Philippines is currently at 53. Peter Atencio

Bruins rally past St Louis Blues to win Stanley Cup opener

Sean Kuraly (52) of the Boston Bruins scores a third period goal past Jordan Binnington (50) of the St. Louis Blues in Game One of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. AFP

LOS ANGELES, United States—Sean Kuraly scored the game winner early in the third as the Boston Bruins rallied with four unanswered goals to beat the St Louis Blues 4-2 in the opening game of the Stanley Cup finals.

After a slow start Monday (Tuesday Manila time), the Bruins picked up where they left off, shaking off the rust of a 10-day break to win their eighth consecutive game in the postseason.

Kuraly’s third tally of the playoffs came 5:21 into the final period to break the deadlock and cap a four-goal scoring burst by the Bruins, who fell behind 2-0 early in the second.

Boston forward Noel Acciari made a spinning pass across the crease that Kuraly managed to kick from his skate to his stick before slamming it home.

“I am just trying to play hard. I am happy

it went in,” said Kuraly. “We are going to have to keep getting better. This team is not going anywhere.”

Game two is Wednesday in Boston.

The Blues are seeking to claim their firstever championship, while the Bruins are gunning for their first title since 2011.

Defenseman Connor Clifton, Charlie McAvoy on the powerplay and Brad Marchand, with an empty netter, also scored for the Bruins, who are playing in the finals for the third time this decade.

The Bruins got scoring from unlikely places with their fourth line leading the offensive charge and the defense chipping in with two helpers. Kuraly, who plays on the fourth line, also had goal and an assist in game seven of the first round of the playoffs.

“This is what they do. They can skate and they play simple hockey,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy of Kuraly and

the fourth line.

“For us, being off as long as we were we can’t get drawn into fancy plays. They are always going to play same way—a straight line game—and they got rewarded.”

Finnish veteran Tuukka Rask easily won the goaltending battle with Blues rookie netminder Jordan Binnington by making 18 saves in front of a crowd of 17,500 at the Boston Garden.

“We’ve been real disciplined all playoffs. We weren’t tonight with five penalties. We got to be much better,” said Blues coach Craig Berube.

Kuraly also assisted on the first Bruins goal of the game by Clifton to cut the Blues lead to 2-1.

Brayden Schenn led the Blues with a goal and an assist, while Vladimir Tarasenko scored once and Binnington stopped 34 shots in the first game of the best-of-seven series. AFP

IN BRIEF

San Miguel mulls over new Vietnam brewery

SAN Miguel Brewery Inc., the beer unit on San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc., is studying plans to spend $70 million in building a two-million hectoliter beer plant in Vietnam.

SMB chairman Ramon Ang said in an interview Tuesday following the annual stockholders’ meeting the company would start building the plant once the market study showed a good opportunity to build it.

Ang said the company has a 200-hectare property in Ho Chi Minh that could accommodate the planned new facility.

The company as an existing brewery in Vietnam with annual capacity of 200,000 hectoliters.

SMB is also validating plans to build a brewery in California.

SMB president Robert Huang said the company recently sent two officials to the US to determine if the community there would allow a brewery plant, study the market demand and finalize the capacity.

SMB in 2017 announced plans to set up a beer brewery in Los Angeles, California to cater to the growing demand for its beer products in North America.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Indigenous group blocks Pulangi hydro

PROPONENTS of the South Pulangi Hydroelectric power project sought the assistance of the Anti-Red Tape Authority to help resolve the year-long negotiations with the indigenous people residing in the ancestral lands of Damulog and adjoining areas in Bukidnon.

Sen. Miguel Zubiri said indigenous people residing within the proposed site were lukewarm to the set of compensation offered to the indigenous group.

“They are actually asking for demands that are really hard for the proponent to fulfill. This group demanded for 13,000 heads of cows, 13,000 horses, 13,000 goats and 13,000 pigs. The entire country does not even have 13,000 horses to start with, and the cows they are asking may amount to the entire cow industry here. All these demands may cost more than P250 million,” he said Tuesday at the sidelines of the first year anniversary of the Ease of Doing Business law held at the Philippine International Convention Center.

He added that the indigenous group may have been infiltrated by the ultra-left faction in coming up with a preposterous list of demands. Othel V. Campos

Business First Gen breaks ground on $1-b Batangas gas hub B

By Alena Mae S. Flores

ATANGAS CITY― FGen LNG Corp., a joint venture of First Gen Corp. and Tokyo Gas of Japan, on Tuesday broke ground on the $1-billion liquefied natural gas terminal project and announced plans to build another 1,200-megawatt natural gas projects in this city.

Once completed, the LNG terminal will allow the Philippines to import and store LNG and ensure a stable supply of clean energy after the Malampaya natural gas field in northwest Palawan is depleted by 2024.

“First Gen’s calculations show that there is a need for new capacity to be added in the Philippines by 2024 in order to avoid future power shortages as a result of load growth,” said First Gen executive vice president and chief com-

mercial officer Jon Russell.

“Fortunately, First Gen has sites within its Clean Energy Complex to allow up to 1.2 gigawatts [1,200 MW] to be added quickly, given the much shorter construction time for CCGT [combined cycle gas turbine] versus coal, and we stand ready to add such capacity,” said Russell.

FGen LNG held the traditional “kagami biraki” groundbreaking ceremony for the LNG terminal with a projected capacity of 3 million to 5 million tons per annum at the First Gen Clean Energy Complex here.

The company hopes to start the actual construction of the LNG terminal next year as the final investment decision is being eyed late this year or early next year.

Russel said that in parallel with the LNG hub, the company was planning to build two more power generation units with a combined capacity of 1,200 MW next year with completion eyed by 2023.

“We need to build them by 2023, so we can start [the construction] in 2020,” Russel said.

He warned that if 3,200 MW of

natural gas-fired capacity became unavailable with the depletion of Malampaya natural gas, future power shortages would become acute in the coming years.

“And we have certainly all seen how precarious the grid has been this summer even with those gas plants running.

Using LNG will not only ensure a reliable gas supply that will enable the existing gas plants to continue to run, but will pave the way for new flexible gasfired plants to be added to the grid,” he said.

Russell said FGen LNG was also eyeing the creation of an inter-island liquefied natural gas distribution network to serve the island grids as a part of the new markets for the $1-billion LNG terminal project.

“First Gen anticipates the creation of an inter-island LNG distribution network that will enable LNG to be brought to other islands of this archipelagic nation, so that others may enjoy the benefits of clean, flexible and reliable natural gas as an alternative to expensive and environmentally detrimental power generation,” Russell said.

HMOs posted profit of P1.65b last year

THE health maintenance organization industry posted a combined net income of P1.65 billion in 2018, up 63 percent from P1.01 billion in 2017, Insurance Commissioner Dennis Funa said Tuesday.

Funa said in a statement 96 percent or P43.57 billion of the revenue of the HMO industry were generated from fees paid by members in exchange for the assumption of the risk funding members’ health care services and related administrative costs.

The HMO industry also recorded an increase in the total membership fees paid in 2018.

“The total membership fees paid in 2018 is 14 percent higher than the P38.16 billion membership fees collected in 2017,” Funa said.

Reported assets of the HMO industry grew 18 percent to P38.96 billion from P32.91 billion in 2017.

The total revenue of the industry, meanwhile, increased 15 percent to P45.30 billion from P39.32 billion in 2017.

Medicard Philippines Inc. reported the highest net income of P706.31 million.

Julito G. Rada

\\

Top government officials, led by Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi (fourth from right), join counterparts from First Gen LNG Corp. led by chairman Federico Lopez (third from right) in opening two casks of sake wine during a traditional Japanese Kagami Biraki groundbreaking ceremony for FGen LNG’s liquefied natural gas terminal project in Batangas City. With them are (from left) First Gen executive vice president and chief commercial officer Jonathan Russell, Batangas City Mayor Beverley Rose Dimacuha, Senate energy committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian, First Gen president and chief operating officer Francis Giles Puno, House energy committee chairman Lord Allan Velasco, Batangas Fifth District Rep. Mario Vittorio Marino, Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas, Makoto Iyori, minister for economic affairs of the Embassy of Japan, and Tokyo Gas senior managing executive officer Kunio Nohata.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019

B1

Max’s Group sells entire holdings in hotel venture

By Jenniffer B. Austria MAX’S Group Inc., the country’s largest casual dining restaurant group, said Tuesday it sold its entire stake in hotel unit Room Ventures Corp. to focus on the core restaurant business.

RVC owns and operates the Meranti Hotel, a 59-room accommodation facility in Quezon City.

MGI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the asset sale would still be subject to a number of conditions. MGI did not identify the buyer and the value of the transaction.

“Our decision to divest from Room Ventures Corp. represents another step in our efforts to make MGI more streamlined, cost-effective and focused on its core business,” MGI president and chief executive Robert Trota said.

Opened in 2015, Meranti is a 12-story development and represented MGI’s sole venture into the hotel business.

“As the company bolsters its authority in the casual dining market, it is dedicated to enhancing the efficiencies and systems of its restaurant operations,” MGI said.

MGI earlier disclosed a P1-billion investment in a food manufacturing and distribution center in Cavite to future-proof the company’s continuous store expansion.

The facility will service the needs of MGI’s brands including Max’s Restaurant, Pancake House, Yellow Cab Pizza, Krispy Kreme, Jamba Juice, Max’s Corner Bakery, Teriyaki Boy, Dencio’s and Sizzlin’ Steak.

MGI has a network of 706 branches, with 59 across various territories in North America, the Middle East and Asia.

MGI plans to open 80 stores this year, only 20 of which will be company-owned to support its plan to have more franchised outlets.

The group plans to have six of its brands in Dubai by 2020.

Security Bank taps former executive Cusi urges Meralco to comply with SC order on bidding of Citibank as new president and CEO

By Julito G. Rada SECURITY Bank Corp., the sixthlargest lender in terms of assets, on Tuesday named a former top Citibank official as the new president and chief executive in place of Alfonso Salcedo Jr., who will retire by the end of June.

The board of Security Bank board in a meeting on May 28 named Sanjiv Vohra, an Indian national, as president and chief executive effective July 1, 2019, subject to regulatory approvals. He will be the only expatriate to head a local bank.

Salcedo will remain as a director and will chair the executive committee of the bank. Rafael Simpao Jr., a former president of the bank, will retire as director effective June 30, 2019 and will become a senior adviser to the board.

Security Bank chairman Alberto Vil-

larosa said the organizational changes reflected the bank’s focus on ensuring the continuity of the overall business strategy formulation and execution.

“With the appointment of Sanjiv Vohra, the bank is manifesting the institution’s commitment to professionalism and to bringing in leaders who not only understand the Philippine market but the global markets as well. The banking business is truly becoming globalized and cross-border transactions, partnerships and alliances are now becoming the new normal,” Villarosa said.

Vohra has a deep banking experience and served as country head of Citibank in the Philippines for eight years.

He held a number of senior leadership positions in Citibank, ABN AMRO Bank, the Royal Bank of Scotland, Deutsche Bank and MUFG Bank.

ENERGY Secretary Alfonso Cusi urged power retailer Manila Electric Co. to soon comply with the ruling of the Supreme Court ordering energy companies to undergo a competitive selection process for power supply agreements.

“For Meralco, they have to do it fast.

Don’t waste time… Do it now,” Cusi said at the sidelines of the groundbreaking of the FGen LNG Corp.’s liquefied natural gas terminal project in Batangas City.

Meralco signed power supply agreements with seven generators in April 2016 to secure 3,551 megawatts of capacity needed in its franchise area, which became the subject of the Supreme Court case.

The SC ruled that all PSA submitted by distribution utilities to the Energy Regulatory Commission on or after June 30, 2015 should undergo a competitive selection process, a form of competitive public bidding for the purchase of elec-

tricity by DUs. The decision was in connection with the case filed by the Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas.

“For CSP, of course the decision of the Supreme Court is very clear. We just have to follow it to the letter,” Cusi said.

Cusi said that if the power players would not comply with the ruling, the Energy Department would step in.

“When I said that, it could be that the government will [be] the single buyer that we are going to auction it and then distribute it,” he said.

Meralco expressed willingness to comply with the Supreme Court ruling.

“We have to follow the decision of the Supreme Court. I think ERC…they provide us the generators the terms of reference of the CSP,” Meralco chairman Manuel Pangilinan said earlier.

He said Meralco would no longer appeal the decision as the case had dragged on for a long time.

“We wasted a number of years… It’s time to decide. We’ll just accept it,” Pangilinan said.

Cusi earlier said the Energy Department could now move on to the extremely urgent tasks at hand, “particularly putting new power projects back on track to help augment the country’s power supply for 2020 to 2022.”

“The DoE will continue to push for the conduct of the CSP. This would ensure the transparency in the signing of power supply contracts, and more importantly, ensure that they will be at least cost for the benefit of our consumers,” Cusi said.

The energy chief said he was hopeful that the SC ruling would usher in a new era in power procurement, “an era of true competition, where all deserving power suppliers with efficient technologies, low rates and fair contract terms are welcomed into the market.”

Alena Mae S. Flores

Financial council watching risks to economy, says Diokno BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Tuesday the Financial Stability Coordination Council is watching the brewing systemic risks that can negatively impact on the real economy.

Diokno said in a statement the council remained on its toes despite the current solid footing of the financial market.

FSCC is an inter-agency council with the BSP, the Department of Finance, the Insurance Commission, Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Securities and Exchange Commission as member institutions. Diokno sits as the council chairman.

The council recently held its secondquarter meeting and assessed the impact on the Philippines of a possible global growth slowdown.

“The FSCC’s mandate is to introduce timely and appropriate macroprudential policies which are meant to look after the safety and soundness of the financial system and its payments mechanism,” Diokno said in a statement released Tuesday.

“Keeping the financial system healthy allows consumers to maximize the benefits of finance while avoiding any costs from possible disruptions,” Diokno said.

The FSCC, in its assessment of the local financial market for the second quarter of 2019, specifically focused on credit, liquidity and investment risks as well as the availability of long-term funds in support of the government’s “Build, Build, Build” economic growth agenda.

“We worked against the backdrop of an anticipated global growth mod-

eration. We agreed on a number of possible interventions, from shorter-term initiatives to our longer-term goals.

This leaves us with a roadmap geared towards sustaining market resiliency,” Diokno said.

He said with the policy direction clearly set by the “Build, Build, Build” program, a healthy financial system became all the more important to provide diversified sources of funding and to be resilient relative to possible shocks.

He said the objective ultimately was to align the needs of a growing economy with a sound and responsive financial system.

The council serves as the venue for financial market authorities to identify, monitor, manage and mitigate the buildup of systemic risk in the Philippine financial system. Julito G. Rada

PLDT GLOBAL TIEUP. PLDT Global Corp. expands its partnership with CommuniGate Technologies Ltd. and DT One to provide overseas Filipinos more convenience and connectivity while they travel and work in other countries. Leading the contract signing are (from left) CTL general manager Renato Padilla, CTL managing director Alfredo Villa-Real, DT One chief executive Peter De Caluwe, DT One chief customer officer Thierry Siminger, PLDT Global vice president and head of carrier business and global accounts management Edith Gomez and PLDT Global assistant vice president for international retail business Artemio Quiamas Jr.

B2

Business

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks climb; ICTSI, SM Prime rise T HE stock market rose Tuesday on bargainhunting to check a three-day skid, on prospects of a much robust economic growth for the remainder of 2019.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index gained 36.28 points, or 0.5 percent, to 7,761.29 on a value turnover of P18 billion. Gainers beat losers, 100 to 80, with 53 issues unchanged.

The Economic Development Cluster has agreed on a “catch-up” strategy to achieve the 6-7 percent growth target this year after expansion slowed to a four-year low of 5.6 percent in the first quarter resulting from the four-month delay in the passage of the 2019 national budget.

International Container Terminal Services Inc., the biggest port operator,

added 1 percent to P137.30, while SM Prime Holdings Inc., the largest integrated property developer, climbed 2.2 percent to P39.25.

Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan advanced 3.2 percent to P15, while Manila Electric Co., the biggest retailer of electricity, rose 1.5 percent to P372.40.

The rest of Asian markets largely pushed higher Tuesday, following up on a positive performance by European shares overnight as investors breathed a sigh of relief over populists’ failure to take over the European parliament after weekend elections.

Tokyo closed 0.4 percent higher, while Hong Kong edged up 0.3 percent, and Shanghai gained 0.6 percent. Seoul also inched up 0.2 percent but Singapore lost 0.1 percent.

Although voters shifted allegiances in the EU elections on Sunday, the aboveaverage turnout did not translate into a

populist surge, as mainstream parties managed to keep control of the parliament.

The gains in Europe prompted a solid opening for Tokyo, with US President Donald Trump taking a softer approach in Washington’s trade dispute with Japan as he wraps up his visit to the Asian ally.

“Today’s Tokyo market is expected to remain well supported,” Okasan Online Securities said in a commentary.

“His visit to Japan is seen as boosting Prime Minister (Shinzo) Abe’s support, which is positive for the market.”

Markets also enjoyed a boost on the back of a Bloomberg News report that Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba was looking to raise $20 billion through a second listing in Hong Kong later this year after its record-breaking debut in New York in 2014.

The report comes as a trade row between Washington and Beijing escalates—with no date set for tariff ne-

gotiations to resume—and could be a harbinger of a new chapter for Chinese business.

“Exciting news for Hong Kong and perhaps a sign of things to come as Chinese companies look locally to raise funds instead of an unwelcoming and suspicious US,” said OANDA senior market analyst Jeffrey Halley.

Trading in oil saw modest rises after prices plunged last week following a surprise increase in US crude and gasoline inventories.

Analysts said prices would likely extend a comeback despite jitters over the US-China trade war discouraging future demand.

“With the summer driving season beginning in the US, demand is expected to pick up and with Hurricane season expected to be near-normal, oil prices should see some support shortly,” said OANDA senior market analyst Edward Moya. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW TUESDAY, MAY 28, 2019

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

FINANCIALS ASIA UNITED 58 BANK PH ISLANDS 81 BDO LEASING 2.2 BDO UNIBANK 131.6 CHINABANK 26.5 COL FINANCIAL 18.76 EAST WEST BANK 11.7 FERRONOUX HLDG 4.56 IREMIT 1.33 MANULIFE 800 MEDCO HLDG 0.45 METROBANK 72 NTL REINSURANCE 1 PB BANK 13.2 PHIL NATL BANK 58.4 PHIL STOCK EXCH 185 PSBANK 57.4 RCBC 26.75 SECURITY BANK 173.8 SUN LIFE 1,765 UNION BANK 60.35

59 81 2.2 135 26.6 18.8 11.76 4.58 1.44 800 0.45 72.65 1.02 13.2 58.95 185 57.75 26.75 174.6 1,765 60.4

58 79.8 2.2 131.1 26.5 18.76 11.5 4.49 1.33 780 0.45 71.5 0.98 13.2 58.35 185 57.05 26.75 170 1,750 59.3

59 79.8 2.2 132 26.6 18.76 11.5 4.58 1.34 780 0.45 72.5 0.99 13.2 58.5 185 57.75 26.75 171.1 1,750 60

4,010 4,714,420 3,000 7,919,630 39,200 13,400 710,400 65,000 21,000 20 70,000 6,570,570 542,000 20,500 389,340 100 1,910 1,500 1,166,850 85 1,460

235,080 376,870,879 6,600 1,047,347,485 1,040,490 251,404 8,262,552 296,740 28,670 15,800 31,500 475,497,421.50 537,150 270,600 22,751,098.50 18,500 109,159.50 40,125 199,623,177 149,250 87,863

-78,606,746 -72,861,101 -432,250 -93,800 -5,783,508 -33,206,389.50 745,483 24,698,527 -8,516.50

INDUSTRIAL ABOITIZ POWER 35.35 AGRINURTURE 14.86 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.69 ALSONS CONS 1.4 BASIC ENERGY 0.275 CEMEX HLDG 2.56 CENTURY FOOD 14.5 CIRTEK HLDG 26.4 CNTRL AZUCARERA16.24 CONCEPCION 45 CONCRETE A 65.7 CROWN ASIA 1.97 DAVINCI CAPITAL 5.25 DEL MONTE 5.86 DNL INDUS 10.18 EAGLE CEMENT 16.24 EEI CORP 10.04 EMPERADOR 7.5 FIRST GEN 21.7 FIRST PHIL HLDG 76.4 GINEBRA 44.2 GREENERGY 2.28 HOLCIM 13.8 INTEGRATED MICR 10.46 IONICS 1.7 JOLLIBEE 273.8 MABUHAY VINYL 3.54 MACAY HLDG 9.72 MANILA WATER 22.7 MAXS GROUP 12.52 MEGAWIDE 20.8 MERALCO 370 MG HLDG 0.19 PANASONIC 5.72 PEPSI COLA 1.25 PETROENERGY 4.71 PETRON 6.1 PHINMA 9.08 PHINMA ENERGY 2.26 PHX PETROLEUM 12.06 PILIPINAS SHELL 40.85 PRYCE CORP 4.78 RFM CORP 5.1 ROXAS AND CO 1.57 ROXAS HLDG 1.99 SFA SEMICON 1.18 SHAKEYS PIZZA 13.1 SMC FOODANDBEV 105.6 SPC POWER 6.5 SWIFT FOODS 0.128 TKC METALS 1.34 UNIV ROBINA 153 VICTORIAS 2.5 VITARICH 1.15 VULCAN INDL 1.15

36.2 14.96 0.71 1.44 0.29 2.66 14.9 26.4 16.24 45.5 68 2.04 5.25 5.86 10.22 16.26 10.2 7.5 21.8 77 44.5 2.3 13.82 10.78 1.7 274 3.54 9.72 22.7 12.7 21.4 375 0.19 5.72 1.26 4.78 6.27 9.08 2.32 12.1 42.25 4.81 5.1 1.57 1.99 1.19 13.2 107 6.5 0.128 1.36 158 2.5 1.25 1.44

34.95 14.8 0.68 1.4 0.275 2.55 14.28 25.2 16.24 45 65.6 1.97 5.25 5.5 10 16.08 9.7 7.49 21.2 76.4 43.75 2.24 13.64 9.92 1.65 270 3.54 9.1 22 12.52 20.3 368 0.19 5.7 1.23 4.7 5.97 9.08 2.17 11.84 40.5 4.78 4.98 1.54 1.99 1.18 13 105.5 6.43 0.128 1.21 153 2.5 1.15 1.15

35.7 14.88 0.71 1.43 0.28 2.62 14.3 25.6 16.24 45.5 68 2.03 5.25 5.5 10 16.14 9.9 7.49 21.2 76.45 44.2 2.27 13.64 10.68 1.67 270 3.54 9.12 22 12.54 20.55 372.4 0.19 5.7 1.24 4.78 6.27 9.08 2.22 12.1 42.25 4.8 4.98 1.55 1.99 1.19 13 107 6.43 0.128 1.23 155 2.5 1.24 1.35

6,176,700 836,200 842,000 437,000 5,080,000 15,684,000 13,553,700 250,600 100 104,600 160 1,403,000 4,670,400 1,600 3,632,000 146,800 1,332,900 336,000 3,260,800 155,070 33,400 3,880,000 725,100 4,518,200 225,000 2,630,790 3,000 102,100 2,698,300 775,800 5,149,600 805,540 50,000 1,700 1,312,000 24,000 10,687,900 200 49,897,000 69,200 1,314,300 175,000 902,000 279,000 18,000 232,000 8,700 267,400 9,700 120,000 12,148,000 3,235,860 801,000 17,225,000 69,866,000

219,504,445 12,441,520 583,960 623,700 1,434,450 41,140,140 193,851,236 6,441,100 1,624 4,709,185 10,620 2,819,380 24,519,600 9,176 36,470,970 2,372,624 13,428,393 2,516,650 69,933,385 11,863,756 1,471,185 8,809,240 9,998,160 47,167,356 374,380 711,735,252 10,620 933,682 60,287,540 9,742,106 106,473,115 299,873,230 9,500 9,716 1,628,930 113,240 66,569,706 1,816 112,866,130 831,672 54,977,345 839,690 4,520,988 433,830 35,820 274,590 113,340 28,404,871 62,456 15,360 15,471,700 502,219,196 2,002,500 20,439,380 93,155,720

-17,069,585 203,822 2,198,210 -12,040,086 -258,450 127,260 -3,952 -14,792,000 802,868.00 -2,225,748 -1,649,298 -22,538,495 -3,131,782.50 -221,240 3,554,022 19,731,158 -205,685,188 -30,229,695 -59,238 -47,377,955 -140,026 -260,500 33,564,810 606,560.00 -337,200 8,065,185 -796,400.00 -4,465,960 -880,426 58,860 -67,707,679 2,000,000 -893,230 67,040

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

0.63 55.85 15 0.79 13.12 1.26 1.26 904.5 3.5 7.1 10.46 14.68 4.49 0.265 900 6.15 61.4 5.95 0.5 4.75 15.3 0.55 4.41 0.04 1.06 182 927.5 0.93 1.35 434 270 0.235 0.3

0.56 53.35 14.5 0.74 12.48 1.2 1.23 891 3.38 6.75 10.14 13.5 4.49 0.249 863.5 6.15 60 5.95 0.46 4.6 15.02 0.51 4.27 0.039 1.06 178.2 904.5 0.86 1.33 434 265 0.233 0.28

0.62 54.15 15 0.76 12.48 1.25 1.26 892.5 3.49 6.75 10.46 14.38 4.49 0.265 863.5 6.15 60 5.95 0.495 4.65 15.02 0.55 4.32 0.04 1.06 178.2 925.5 0.9 1.35 434 265 0.235 0.29

38,401,000 17,478,790 15,426,100 1,986,000 32,600 3,566,000 305,000 1,859,680 5,102,000 1,227,300 16,745,300 10,200 3,000 210,000 314,110 5,000 8,717,120 100 718,000 388,000 3,777,100 28,000 96,675,000 3,700,000 32,000 370,170 996,960 6,202,000 192,000 10 3,800 70,000 14,450,000

23,493,390 947,140,422.50 230,066,602 1,518,090 416,084 4,375,640 377,800 1,662,583,700 17,671,920 8,290,399 174,455,684 144,772 13,470 53,480 272,149,455 30,750 524,066,467 595 335,475 1,811,410 56,830,632 14,320 418,361,960 144,500 33,920 66,416,167 921,817,235 5,503,800 256,380 4,340 1,009,834 16,350 4,207,550

-507,360.00 -29,541,078 45,764,080 -7,500 -12,900 -27,655,440 -863,960 -6,537,583 -4,435,076 -1,598 41,068,910 -65,071,165 -994,650 -22,332,040 -197,049,550 -14,764,962 53,608,630 -760,618 328,850

15.94 0.8 2.14 0.77 48.65 2.29 5.05

15.48 0.78 2.06 0.74 47.4 2.23 5.09

15.88 0.79 2.14 0.76 48.65 2.27 4.95

461,500 2,324,000 101,000 248,000 27,116,700 118,000 4.96

7,256,324 1,831,270 213,060 187,100 1,316,781,630 266,860 1,450,900

678,880 -4,560 56,775,100 7,315,499

0.6 0.82 0.88 0.227 0.375 9.82 25.4 0.485 1.6 1.45 5.56 0.315 0.475 1.79 0.42

0.57 0.78 0.85 0.225 0.375 9.34 23.95 0.475 1.58 1.39 5.47 0.3 0.46 1.7 0.36

0.59 0.82 0.88 0.226 0.375 9.34 25.4 0.48 1.6 1.39 5.52 0.31 0.475 1.78 0.42

23,758,000 50,000 6,000 590,000 40,000 841,900 1,437,600 1,150,000 20,875,000 4,125,000 54,170,100 7,220,000 40,000 1,549,000 4,230,000

13,938,460 39,430 5,140 132,880 15,000 7,935,120 35,803,035 550,350 33,393,660 5,816,540 299,213,509 2,234,350 18,650 2,700,350 1,678,500

843,870 7,800 -24,860 -5,383,989 23,144,400 -264,100 18,697,270 139,000 -28,688,498 -98,770 -37,350

NAME

OPEN

0.57 54.35 14.54 0.75 12.9 1.22 1.23 904 3.4 7.08 10.14 14.68 4.49 0.249 900 6.15 60 5.95 0.5 4.7 15.3 0.51 4.3 0.039 1.06 182 915 0.9 1.33 434 267 0.234 0.28

PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 15.88 A BROWN 0.78 ARANETA PROP 2.09 ARTHALAND CORP 0.77 AYALA LAND 48.1 BELLE CORP 2.23 CEB LANDMASTERS -1,325,369 CENTURY PROP 0.58 CITY AND LAND 0.81 CITYLAND DEVT 0.86 CROWN EQUITIES 0.225 CYBER BAY 0.375 DM WENCESLAO 9.5 DOUBLEDRAGON 23.95 EMPIRE EAST 0.48 FILINVEST LAND 1.58 GLOBAL ESTATE 1.45 MEGAWORLD 5.52 MRC ALLIED 0.31 PHIL ESTATES 0.46 PHIL INFRADEV 1.71 PHIL REALTY 0.41

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

2.05 24.3 2.03 38.4 1.89 6.37 7.17

2.08 24.75 2.04 39.3 1.97 6.49 7.18

1.99 23.9 2.02 38.15 1.86 6.3 7.06

2 24.75 2.03 39.25 1.91 6.43 7.06

2,324,000 8,557,500 48,000 22,065,800 764,000 87,700 15,521,000

4,701,380 211,253,900 97,490 864,453,625 1,468,010 556,112 109,645,652

41,771,495 -81,200.00 -145,409,625 47,000 -57,000,105

SERVICES 2GO GROUP 11.4 ABS CBN 18.18 ACESITE HOTEL 1.38 APC GROUP 0.415 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.045 ASIAN TERMINALS 21 BERJAYA 2.83 BLOOMBERRY 11.12 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.062 CEBU AIR 90.15 CHELSEA 6.39 DFNN INC 5.5 EASYCALL 10.6 GLOBE TELECOM 2,064 GMA NETWORK 5.4 GOLDEN BRIA 400.2 HARBOR STAR 2.44 IMPERIAL 1.75 INTL CONTAINER 136 IPEOPLE 10.66 ISLAND INFO 0.122 ISM COMM 6.13 LBC EXPRESS 14.42 LEISURE AND RES 4.68 LORENZO SHIPPNG 0.87 MACROASIA 20.5 MANILA BULLETIN 0.54 MANILA JOCKEY 3.71 METRO RETAIL 2.63 METROALLIANCE A 1.59 NOW CORP 2.12 PACIFIC ONLINE 3.34 PAL HLDG 9.89 PAXYS 2.92 PH RESORTS GRP 4.32 PHIL RACING 9 PHIL SEVEN CORP 119 PHILWEB 3.43 PLDT 1,283 PREMIUM LEISURE 0.75 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.8 PUREGOLD 45.1 ROBINSONS RTL 71.05 SBS PHIL CORP 9.66 SSI GROUP 3.2 STI HLDG 0.66 TRANSPACIFIC BR 0.335 TRAVELLERS 5.28 WATERFRONT 0.71 WILCON DEPOT 16.34

11.58 18.2 1.44 0.42 0.046 21 2.94 11.7 0.062 90.15 6.55 6.95 11.7 2,168 5.4 416 2.44 1.75 138 11.22 0.124 6.18 14.42 4.86 0.87 20.8 0.56 3.71 2.67 1.6 2.3 3.35 9.99 2.92 4.53 9 120 3.46 1,316 0.75 0.85 46.4 71.4 9.66 3.2 0.69 0.37 5.3 0.71 17.16

11.3 18.1 1.38 0.405 0.044 21 2.77 11 0.059 86 6.24 5.5 10.4 2,064 5.37 400.2 2.3 1.75 135 10.5 0.122 5.95 14.4 4.68 0.8 19.88 0.54 3.68 2.61 1.59 2.08 3.15 9.89 2.92 4.32 9 114 3.25 1,273 0.73 0.79 44.95 70.65 9.66 3.11 0.64 0.33 5.26 0.67 16.34

11.56 18.16 1.43 0.42 0.046 21 2.93 11.7 0.06 86 6.43 6.5 10.6 2,112 5.37 416 2.3 1.75 137.3 11.22 0.124 6.02 14.4 4.77 0.85 20.8 0.56 3.68 2.66 1.59 2.3 3.34 9.99 2.92 4.53 9 120 3.3 1,277 0.74 0.82 46 71 9.66 3.13 0.67 0.355 5.3 0.7 17.16

26,800 77,200 363,000 1,010,000 6,600,000 567,200 2,619,000 8,400,200 13,180,000 533,330 702,800 164,000 480,700 199,340 57,200 1,560 3,536,000 13,000 13,123,760 17,100 260,000 3,151,400 1,300 5,970,000 1,006,000 1,697,900 370,000 58,000 2,916,000 23,000 9,219,000 466,000 14,200 1,000 32,000 1,200 86,970 4,446,000 593,715 1,061,000 34,929,000 1,192,900 1,304,440 1,800 2,586,000 2,991,000 47,560,000 313,800 4,006,000 5,105,500

306,020 1,402,056 517,670 418,450 295,600 11,911,200 7,541,200 96,571,606 790,730 46,363,228.50 4,505,884 1,046,470 5,288,408 423,960,160 307,751 647,548 8,232,700 22,750 1,799,593,287 180,230 32,070 19,039,658 18,726 28,738,470 829,750 35,172,978 203,360 214,100 7,698,100 36,700 20,527,550 1,519,150 140,517 2,920 143,710 10,800 10,436,040 14,767,850 759,988,115 785,510 28,807,500 54,962,770 92,604,825.50 17,388 8,116,840 1,999,490 16,690,850 1,658,174 2,742,750 86,381,586

10,372 -8,460 81,000 277,200 7,704,982.00 -33,787,333.50 -684,120 1,060 41,363,320 138,600 -35,116,562 1,474,232 -7,073,580.00 195,300 31,534,831.00 93,100 -543,610.00 -5,940 31,430 6,028,530 -2,033,000 -35,114,730 -22,200 -791,070 35,080,740 47,105,893 859,780 646,100 -6,950.00 6,300 26,906,150

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

0.0018 1.12 11.6 1.08 2.77 0.285 7.85 1.53 0.243 0.105 0.0075 1.03 2.19 1.01 0.57 0.88 0.011 0.011 3.92 2.89 8.35 22.65 0.0066

0.0019 1.14 11.9 1.17 2.77 0.285 7.86 1.53 0.246 0.105 0.0075 1.03 2.19 1.01 0.6 0.9 0.011 0.011 3.92 2.9 8.48 22.75 0.0066

0.0018 1.08 11.6 1.08 2.75 0.285 7.68 1.46 0.23 0.104 0.0075 1 2.14 0.98 0.57 0.88 0.011 0.01 3.8 2.88 8.09 21.65 0.0066

0.0019 1.13 11.9 1.1 2.75 0.285 7.68 1.49 0.23 0.104 0.0075 1.03 2.14 1.01 0.6 0.88 0.011 0.011 3.88 2.89 8.13 22.5 0.0066

452,000,000 2,139,000 1,400 29,000 1,141,000 10,000 800 7,120,000 1,280,000 100,000 3,000,000 191,000 2,265,000 107,000 16,000 165,000 15,100,000 82,500,000 226,000 109,000 663,000 26,260,300 2,000,000

848,100 2,375,810 16,438 32,770 3,150,370 2,850 6,207 10,598,860 301,650 10,450 22,500 192,230 4,892,300 105,050 9,150 145,220 166,100 904,500 868,300 315,260 5,453,852 588,508,830 13,200

-431,680.00 96,850 -811,470 -3,860 -23,110 174,695 158,753,260 -

PREFERRED ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B2 DD PREF GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2B PNX PREF 3A SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

18.44 483.2 98 5.36 899 0.98 102.5 1,015 102 970 75.5 76.25 72.5 74 73.9 73 73.8

18.44 499 98 5.36 899 0.99 102.5 1,015 102 970 75.5 76.25 72.5 74.6 74.5 73 73.8

17.9 483.2 98 5.3 899 0.98 102.5 1,015 102 970 75.5 76 72.5 74 73.9 72.95 73.7

17.9 483.2 98 5.34 899 0.99 102.5 1,015 102 970 75.5 76 72.5 74.6 74.5 73 73.7

33,200 70 52,200 86,300 1,000 150,000 10 60 10 480 10,140 46,710 18,440 47,790 42,740 16,800 20

610,780 33,982 5,115,600 460,205 899,000 147,500 1,025 60,900 1,020 465,600 765,570 3,551,680 1,336,900 3,543,851 3,180,915 1,226,350 1,475

-57,580 380,000 -131,400 -

WARRANTS LR WARRANT

2.25

2.29

2.18

2.27

415,000

931,420

-

SME ITALPINAS XURPAS

4.65 0.98

4.7 1.03

4.63 0.98

4.64 1.02

265,000 2,180,000

1,233,250 2,203,900

20,790

FIRST METRO ETF 116

116

115.8

116

5,140

596,024

-

DDS USD TECH B2

1

1

1

20,000

20,000

-

NAME PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS VISTA LAND

MS EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS

1

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL

SHARES

23,254,642

INDUSTRIAL

268,750,519

HOLDING FIRMS

239,584,964

PROPERTY

203,287,708

SERVICES

183,752,063

MINING & OIL

596,829,719

GRAND TOTAL

1,517,912,859

VALUE 1,696.55 (down) 5.84 2,192,491,514.45 FINANCIAL 11,140.25 (up) 25.95 INDUSTRIAL 2,856,923,102.38 7,386.99 (down) 0.55 HOLDING FIRMS 5,716,593,691.49 PROPERTY 4,236.28 (up) 63.67 1,656.17 (up) 15.38 SERVICES 3,026,878,772.70 7,247.59 (up) 9.39 MINING & OIL 3,606,456,545.70 7,761.29 (up) 36.28 PSEI 618,982,635.134 All Shares Index 4,790.05 (up) 24.62 Gainers: 100; Losers: 80; Unchanged: 535; Total: 233 18,022,369,402.85

Sta. Lucia set to spend P20b in next 3 years for expansion

By Jenniffer B. Austria HOUSE and lot developer Sta. Lucia Land Inc. said it will spend P20 billion in over the next three years to expand its presence across the Philippines.

Sta. Lucia said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it would allot more than P16 billion of the capital expenditures budget to develop a robust pipeline of projects in key locations within and outside Metro Manila, including Bulacan, Rizal, Batangas, Iloilo, Pangasinan, Palawan, Cebu and Davao.

The company this year is set to launch 28 new residential and commercial projects and five condominium/hotel projects. These projects are expected generate an estimated P20 billion in reservation sales over the next three years.

Among the residential projects set for launching are Sotogrande Fairview, Acropolis Loyola in Quezon City Orchard Towers in Pasig City, Ponte Verde de Sto. Tomas and Yanarra Seaside Residences in Batangas, Colinas Verdes Expansion in Bulacan, Woodside Garden Village in Pangasinan, Metropolis in Iloilo and Valle Verde in Cebu.

Sta. Lucia is earmarking P4 billion for land bandking activities as it aims to expand its presence nationwide.

It is also set to expand the leasing segment as it nears the completion of the Sta. Lucia Business Center, a sixstory office and commercial building with more than 14,000 square meters of gross leasable area. Located at the Sta. Lucia Mall Complex, the new space will raise the SLI’s GLA to more than 150,000 square meters.

Sta. Lucia is one of the leading real estate developers in the Philippines. It is part of the Sta. Lucia Group, which has a real estate development record of over 45 years and completed over 250 projects, developed more than 10,000 hectares of land, and created some of the best known communities, subdivisions and estates across the country.

Its portfolio consists of residential, commercial, leisure and retail assets in key cities and municipalities in the Philippines.

Share price of Sta. Lucia on Tuesday closed at P1.91, up 0.5 percent.

Avida Land eyes P2.8-b sales from Imus subdivision AVIDA Land Corp., a unit of property giant Ayala Land Inc., said it will raise as much as P2.8 billion from its first subdivision development project in Imus, Cavite.

Avida Land’s South Luzon project strategic management group head Anne Jara said Avida Verra Settings Vermosa would offer lots and house and lot developments within the 10-hectare property in the 700-hectare Vermosa mixeduse estate.

The project will offer a total of 370 units at P38,000 per square meter.

“Avida Verra Settings Vermosa is our first and only Cavite subdivision within an Ayala Land estate. This allows home buyers access to all the developments in the estate while enjoying a healthy, sustainable environment,” Jara said.

The company started pre-selling the project in November. To date, 57 percent percent of the house and lot units have been pre-sold while the lot only units were been sold out.

“Aside from lots only and house and lots, we are also offering the option of a house and lot and the adjacent lot combination. This allows buyers to expand and customize their living or outdoor spaces as they see fit,” Jara said.

For a house and lot, the price starts at P7.6 million while a lot only option will cost buyers P5.7 million.

Avida Land aims to attract families seeking upgraded homes ready for future expansion. These are buyers with established professions and a monthly household income of P150,000 and above.

“The project will attract some residents from Metro Manila as well as those who want to relocate to a suburban environment that encourages an active lifestyle,” Jara said.

Avida Verra Settings will have a central amenity area that includes adult and kiddie pools, basketball court, children’s park and playground and clubhouse.

Open spaces and landscaped areas will also be part of this fenced community.

Avida Verra Settings Vermosa, which is scheduled for turnover by 2021, is Avida Land’s seventh development in Cavite. Jenniffer B. Austria

B3

World

Japanese schoolgirl, 12, killed in Tokyo rampage

CRIME SCENE. Japanese police

officers remove blood from a crime scene where a man stabbed 19 people, including children, in Kawasaki on May 28, 2019. The knife-wielding attacker killed a 12-year-old schoolgirl and a man before stabbing himself to death in a rampage outside Tokyo that also injured more than a dozen, including several children. AFP

IN BRIEF Brazil prison clashes leave 40 inmates dead RIO DE JANEIRO―At least 40 inmates were killed in four jails in northern Brazil on Monday over an apparent gang dispute, authorities said, in the latest wave of violence to rock the country’s severely overpopulated and deadly prison system.

The victims appeared to have been killed by “asphyxiation,” the Amazonas state government said in a statement, a day after 15 people were killed in one of the prisons.

Officials had initially put the number of dead at 42, but later revised the number to 40.

At least 25 of the victims were found in the Antonio Trindade Penal Institute near Manaus, the capital of Amazonas, where all four prisons are located.

No guns or knives were used in the killings, which prison officials said appeared to have been sparked by a “rift between prisoners who belonged to the same criminal group and were involved in drug trafficking in the state.”

The federal government has dispatched reinforcements to boost security in the jails.

“I just spoke with (Justice) Minister Sergio Moro, who is sending a prison intervention team to Amazonas so that he can help us in this moment of crisis,” state Governor Wilson Lima said.

An investigation launched into Sunday’s mass killing at the Anisio Jobim Penal Complex, in which some of the prisoners were stabbed with sharpened toothbrushes during visiting hours, has been widened to include Monday’s deaths.

Four of those killed in the latest violence were found at the Anisio Jobim jail, which was also the scene of a prison rebellion that lasted almost 20 hours and left 56 people dead in January 2017.

Another five were killed at the Provisional Detention Center for Men and six died at the Puraquequara Prison Unit. AFP

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

KAWASAKI—A knife-wielding attacker killed a 12-year-old schoolgirl and a man before stabbing himself to death in a rampage outside Tokyo Tuesday that also injured more than a dozen, including several children.

The mass stabbing in the town of Kawasaki, south of the Japanese capital, was a rare attack in a country with one of the lowest rates of violent crime in the developed world, and there was no immediate detail on the suspect’s motive.

Kiyoshi Matsuda, deputy director of the Nippon Medical School Musashi Kosugi Hospital, told reporters that the 12-year-old schoolgirl and a 39-year-old man had succumbed to their injuries.

Local media reported that the suspected attacker, a man in his 50s, had also died of his wounds after turning the knife on himself.

Emergency services said at least 16 others had been injured in the attack.

“It is a very harrowing case. I feel strong anger,” Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in televised remarks.

“I offer my heartfelt condolences to the victims and hope the injured recover quickly.”

According to local media, eyewitnesses saw a middle-aged man clasping a knife near the bus stop where the children were waiting, shouting “I will kill you”.

A local man living nearby, who identified himself as Matsumoto, 25, said he went outside after hearing screams.

“It’s hard to describe what it was like, how it sounded. It wasn’t girls having fun, it was a sound that was absolutely not normal,” he told AFP. “I saw a man lying on the street. I also saw a girl hunched over on the ground. There were also five or six girls, maybe they were the ones who screamed... There was blood all over them.” AFP

Dissident revisits Beijing crackdown

G

ERMANTOWN-In May 1989, Wang Dan was 20 years old. With a megaphone held up to his thin face, which was in part masked by his large glasses, he rallied the pro-democracy crowds in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

Little more than a month later, after a deadly crackdown by Chinese troops, he found himself on the top of the country’s most wanted list.

Now, 30 years on, the US-based dis-

sident still remembers every minute of those pivotal days, when the student-led pro-democracy activists demonstrated for weeks―a huge embarrassment for the ruling Communist Party.

Ultimately, early on June 4, 1989, Chinese tanks and soldiers crushed the movement, killing hundreds, and by some estimates more than 1,000.

“We never expected that,” he told AFP in an interview near his home in the Washington suburbs. “To open fire on people, that was beyond our expectations.”

He recalls that he was “very surprised” once the bloodshed had ended to find himself atop China’s list of student protest leaders wanted by the police.

“I was not the most famous student

leader at that time. I was one of them,” he said. “After so many years, I realized there must be some reason, and that reason is that I was different from other student leaders in only one thing.

“I had a very close relationship with intellectuals, and the government wanted to label these protests as provoked by intellectuals.”

When the People’s Liberation Army sent tanks and machine-gun-toting troops onto Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing, Wang was not on the sprawling plaza facing the Forbidden City and the Great Hall of the People.

“I was in a dorm on my campus. But I got a lot of phone calls from my friends along Tiananmen Square... so gradually I learned that more and more people

North Korea must legalize markets—UN

Everest survivor calls for tougher rules KATHMANDU―Ameesha Chauhan, a survivor of the Everest “traffic jam” who is in hospital recovering from frostbite, said climbers without basic skills should be barred to prevent a recurrence of this year’s deadly season on the world’s highest peak.

Ten people have died in little more than two weeks after poor weather cut the climbing window, leaving mountaineers waiting in long queues to the summit, risking exhaustion and running out of oxygen.

Nepal issued a record 381 Everest permits this season, and several hundred of the summiteers are not properly trained, take poor decisions and “put their own life in risk and also the Sherpa guides”, Chauhan said.

The 29-year-old Indian had to wait 20 minutes to come down from the 8,848-meter (29,029-foot) peak, but others were held up for hours.

“I saw some climbers without basic skills fully relying on their Sherpa guides.

The government should fix the qualification criteria,” she told AFP in Kathmandu’s general hospital, all the toes on her left foot black and blue and her face weather-worn.

“Only trained climbers should be granted the permit to climb Everest.”

As well as the Everest deaths, nine climbers have died on other 8,000-meter Himalayan peaks, while one is missing.

At least four deaths on the world’s highest mountain have been blamed on over-crowding with teams waiting sometimes for hours in the “death zone” where the cold is bitter, the air dangerously thin and the terrain treacherous.

This year’s Everest toll is the highest since 2014-15 when huge earthquakes triggered devastating avalanches.

The crowding was laid bare in a photo taken last week by Nirmal Purja, a former Gurkha soldier, of a long queue of climbers snaking up to the summit. AFP

died,” he said.

He tried to make it back to the square with other students on bicycles, but “every street was blocked by the police and the soldiers,” he recounted.

“We didn’t make it.”

The scale of the bloodshed―the real toll is still a mystery―left Wang devastated.

“I remember feeling totally numb.

I couldn’t think about anything. That situation lasted for at least two days,” he said.

But he eventually realized he needed to think about going into hiding. His face was plastered all over state television. He fled to northeastern China, in Heilongjiang province. He also spent some time in Shanghai. AFP

FAREWELL CALL. This handout photo taken and released by Japan’s Imperial Household Agency on May 28, 2019, shows US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump meet with Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako during a farewell call by Japan’s royal couple at a hotel in Tokyo on May 28, 2019. AFP

Falling prices rock coffee growers in Colombia SANTUARIO, Colombia―High in the lush green mountains of western Colombia where they grow the soft beans from which the world’s finest coffee is cultivated, growers are up in arms over the giveaway prices being fixed a world away on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Producers here say they are selling at a loss, blaming the crash devastating their industry on stock market speculators who have forced prices down to an all-time low.

“We are paid a pittance,” says Gustavo Echeverry, 50, expressing the frustration of many of the 15,000 or so inhabitants of this coffee-growing center nestled in the mountains.

It’s a far cry, they say, from the “Fair Trade” coffee globally certified to ensure it is grown under equitable conditions, so that farmers aren’t exploited.

Some growers around the village of Santuario have been forced to rip up their crops to grow something-anything-else.

The coffee growers’ lot worsened with the last harvest, which produced beans pitted by a plague of beetles.

Quality suffered, adding to an international price slump that has forced growers to sell below cost.

Producing a 12.5-kilogram bag of coffee costs the equivalent of $22. But wholesalers pay Echeverry an average $21 a bag.

“It’s an unfair trade,” he quips bitterly.

Ramon Jimenez has spent his life growing coffee on his San Antonio plantation nearby, but says the industry is on its last legs here.

“We never stop thinking that soon we may no longer exist as coffee growers,” says Jimenez.

The Jimenez family has been growing coffee here for three generations. Ramon’s 19-year-old grandson Javier says he grew up among the coffee trees on the plantation.

“I dream of taking over the farm, of succeeding my father and my grandfather, but if the crisis continues like this...

I will have to look elsewhere, maybe even leave for the United States.”

Colombia is the third largest coffee producer in the world, after Brazil and Vietnam, and the number one producer of high-quality soft beans.

In Colombia, 540,000 families owe their livelihoods to the coffee sector. It’s the country’s top export, ahead of oil and minerals.

But in Santuario, “Coffee plantation

for sale” signs posted up at the local offices of the National Federation of Coffee Growers have sent a chill through the local industry.

Others, like Echeverry, have opened their farms up to tourism as a way to keep afloat.

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced from these mountains over the tumultuous half century of Colombia’s armed conflict. Santuario’s mayor, Everardo Ochoa, says the exodus starts again every time coffee hits a crisis.

The international reference price for coffee has dropped from a high of $1.50 per pound in 2016 to less than a dollar— a historic low.

According to the International Coffee Organization, production—measured in 60-kilogram bags—in 2018/19 will hit 167 million bags, higher than global consumption of 165 million.

The only reason coffee production still exists to any extent in Santuario is because many producers have “coffee in their veins,” and can’t do anything else, says Echeverry.

Back in 1993, Diego Henao was forced into a life-changing decision in a bid to save his two plantations, totaling 400,000 trees. AFP

SEOUL―North Korea must create a legal framework for traders buying and selling basic necessities such as food and clothing to tackle rights violations in the country, the UN’s human rights body said Tuesday.

Campaign groups estimate around three-quarters of North Korea’s population depends on private market activity to survive since the collapse of the public distribution system -- a state rations network -- in the mid-1990s.

But despite being widespread, market activity remains a “legal gray area” in the North and a “source of further human rights violations”, said the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

“In the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, people face both a failed public distribution system and an insecure informal sector where they are exposed to prosecution and corruption,” it said in a report, using the country’s official name.

The OHCHR document―based on interviews with 214 North Koreans― said Pyongyang had failed to legalize people’s efforts to find food and clothing outside the public distribution system, even though it was their only way to secure daily necessities.

“If you just follow instructions coming from the State you starve to death,” a female defector from Ryanggang province was quoted as saying in the report.

But the lack of legal clarity for commercial activity meant North Koreans who engaged in it faced the risk of arrest and detention by authorities, the report said.

“They are denied due process and fair trial rights and subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment in detention,” it added.

And the threat of arrest gave officials “a powerful means to extort money and other favors”, it said.

“Only those willing and able to pay off corrupt State officials and brokers’ fees are able to strive towards an adequate standard of living”, it went on, urging the North “to undertake profound legal and institutional reforms”.

Pyongyang says it protects human rights and is improving people’s standards of living.

The isolated North, which is under several sets of sanctions over its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs, has long struggled to feed itself and last year recorded its worst harvest in more than a decade. AFP

LGUs

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

B4

PH rice scientist Gregorio is new SEARCA director

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019

By Brenda Jocson

GSIS chair visits hometown, adds GWAPS kiosks GOVERNMENT Service Insurance System Chairman Rolando Macasaet, a Zamboangueño, recently met with stakeholders and unveiled an additional kiosk in Zamboanga City to bring the pension fund’s services closer to its members and pensioners.

The stakeholders’ dialogue was held in the city’s Garden Orchid Hotel and the installation of the GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System kiosk, at the Integrated Bus Terminal in Barangay Divisoria.

Around 100 members and pensioners, which included representatives of government agencies such as the Home Development Mutual Fund, Philippine Health Insurance Corp., and Department of Labor and Employment, attended the dialogue.

GSIS has been holding dialogues to elicit concerns of its members and pensioners. In turn, these are used by management as inputs in improving the pension fund’s services and programs.

During the event, chairman Macasaet also shared his dream of putting up a day care center in GSIS, where members can leave their children ages three to eight years old; allowing teachers to avail of loans immediately upon entering government service; including barangay officials as GSIS members; offering the GSIS Financial Assistance Loan to all members; and increasing the number of GSIS scholars.

Zamboanga City Administrator Marie Angelique Go and nearly 60 stakeholders, meanwhile, graced the installation of the GWAPS kiosk in the morning.

“Around 2,000 pensioners who must renew their active status and members who need to apply for loans as well as check their membership and loan records will benefit from the GWAPS. This means saving them time, money, and effort,” explained Macasaet.

He added that the kiosk location offers greater accessibility and security for those residing within the area and plying the Zamboanga-Pagadian-Dipolog route.

The GWAPS kiosk in Brgy. Divisoria is the second to be installed in Zamboanga in a span of less than two months. The first kiosk was installed in Sangali Community Health Center in Barangay Sangali, 70 kilometers away from the GSIS Zamboanga Branch Office, last March 25.

NO TO NEW ‘MACR’. Parents and group representatives led by Usec. Mary Mitzi ‘Mitch’ Cajayon-Uy of Council for the Welfare of Children protest the lowering of the minimum age of criminal responsibility under the existing uvenile Justice Welfare Act, which is being pushed by lawmakers, on Tuesday. Cayajon-Uy and her group believe that the full and intensive implementation of the law is the best move instead of lowering the age of criminal responsibility.

‘Blue carbon’ map app made for coastal LGUs H

ARNESSING the power of the satellite images, researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman have created an online community-based assessment tool to assess the presence of blue carbon in coastal areas.

The program is called the Integrated Assessment and Modelling of Blue Carbon Ecosystems for Conservation and Adaptive Management. The team was led

by Dr. Ariel C. Blanco and with funding support from the Department of Science and Technology—Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development.

It produced an accurate and detailed inventory of mangrove forests and seagrass habitats in selected pilot sites using remotely-sensed data and ground-based measurements as one of its major outputs.

In addition to extent, blue carbon ecosystem zonation, species composition, and above-ground biomass were mapped using methodologies developed by the program.

The maps and other outputs, once used by local government units, can provide local officials information on the mangrove extent and species present in the area that they can use for its conservation and effective management.

Study sites are Coron, Busuanga and Puerto Princesa in Palawan, Ibajay,

Batan, and Kalibo in Aklan, and Banate Bay in Iloilo.

Blue carbon refers to the carbon captured and stored by the coastal ecosystems, specifically mangroves and seagrasses (also called carbon sinks), for millions of years.

When these ecosystems are degraded, they release the captured carbon back to the atmosphere, greatly contributing to climate change. It is thus beneficial to everyone that mangroves and seagrasses are conserved and protected, PCIEERD said in a statement.

“Local governments need to recognize the importance of these blue carbon ecosystems. Its non-use was valued at over P35 million per hectare in Puerto Princesa, Palawan―20 times higher than the use of its wood for fuel,” said Dr. Enrico Paringit, DOSTPCIEERD executive director.

“We hope that this number alone can encourage our local communities and tourists to conserve these ecosystems given their value,” he added.

The valuation of the non-use of the blue carbon ecosystems refer to the ben-

efits received by the local community just through the presence of these ecosystems.

Aside from serving as blue carbon sinks, mangroves serve as habitat for marine species and protect the communities from the damaging effects brought about by strong winds, hurricanes, and big waves, while the seagrass beds serve as nurseries for fishes and stabilize the sea bottom against intense waves.

Dr. Blanco called on collective action to alleviate deterioration of these ecosystems.

“These blue carbon ecosystems are heavily impacted by human activities, including coastal developments.

The citizens can serve as monitors, sentinels, and scientists for the environment by gathering data, reporting their observations, and contributing knowledge towards crafting measures to arrest ecosystem degradation,” he said.

Researchers have also developed a web tool that allows the public to contribute data on mangroves and seagrasses in the country.

For now, interested communities can contact the UP Training Center for Applied Geodesy and Photogrammetry (UP-TCAGP) for collaboration or inquiries through 981-8500 local 3124.

Smart ups LTE in Palawan tourist spots TOURISTS travelling to Palawan will enjoy improved connectivity as PLDT wireless arm Smart Communications Inc. continues to roll-out Long Term Evolution technology across the island group, particularly in the capital Puerto Princesa and in the popular areas of El Nido, San Vicente and Coron.

Smart is putting up more cell sites and is expanding LTE coverage and capacity in the province, particularly in El Nido.

This year, Smart is also increasing the number of sites serving customers in Busuanga and Coron.

Palawan is among the country’s top destinations, with 1.8-million tourists visiting in 2018 alone, flying in from countries like South Korea, US, China, and France, to name a few.

Travelers troop to major tourist towns Puerto Princesa, Coron, El Nido and San

Vicente to experience the islands’ limestone cliffs, lagoons and secluded whitesand beaches.

Since Smart began connecting the islands with LTE last year, and as more customers shift to mobile data and upgrade their devices to LTE, the telco recorded an increase in the number of LTE users in the province.

“The network upgrade and expansion efforts in Palawan are part of our nationwide thrust to bring the best internet service to people across the country,” said Mario G. Tamayo, PLDT-Smart senior vice president for Network Planning and Engineering.

“By investing in our network in Palawan, we are working hand-in-hand with partners in connecting the islands, not just by roads, bridges and ports, but by modern communications infrastructure as well,” Tamayo added.

PLDT wireless arm Smart is putting up more cell sites and is expanding LTE coverage and capacity in Palawan, particularly in El Nido. This year, Smart is also increasing the number of sites serving customers in Busuanga and Coron.

Workers first in Shell’s ‘Project Tuklas’

COASTAL CLEANUP. Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. has conducted mangrove-

planting and coastal cleanup work along the coasts of Lian, Batangas, as part of the All Toyota Green Wave Program. Volunteers composed of TMP team members, TMP Foundation scholars and TMP School of Technology faculty and staff planted 1,000 mangroves and were able to collect 54 kilograms of garbage after the coastal cleanup. The activity is part of Toyota and Conservation International Philippines’ partnership with the goal to preserve the Verde Island Passage, which serves as a source of livelihood for two-million locals engaged in coastal tourism and fisheries.

MAKING an impact involves big gestures―the first step of man on the moon, the jet writing in the sky, and frontpage headlines with dramatic images.

Meaningful impact, however, can come in different shapes and sizes. Usually, it starts with small and sincere steps aimed at bettering people and helping the environment in concrete ways.

Within Shell, these little efforts matter as they provide employees the opportunity to make a difference outside the workplace. Leading the charge in these social causes are Shell Business Operations Global Learning Advisor Jennifer Olivar and Philippines Country HR Operations Manager Lorenz de

Castro, who each have their own accounts of being highly involved in social programs at Shell.

In the office, Lorenz is preoccupied with managerial tasks. These are human resources responsibilities of end-to-end employee support and hiring to overseeing all operational people movement activities for Shell’s businesses.

Apart from his responsibility of finding talent for Pilipinas Shell, Lorenz also had a chance to go the extra mile.

One of his main advocacies in life is to provide opportunities to innovative Filipino students. Thus, heading Project Tuklas became second nature and a first initiative.

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna―A rice scientist has been appointed as new director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture.

Glenn B. Gregorio, PhD, who assumed office this month is the eleventh to hold the top SEARCA post for a three-year term since its establishment in November 1966 by the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization.

SEARCA is an inter-government treaty organization hosted by the Philippine government on the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

Gregorio is also an Academician at the National Academy of Science and Technology of the Philippines and is currently a professor at the Institute of Crop Science of the UPLB College of Agriculture and Food Science.

A distinguished rice scientist, Gregorio served the International Rice Research Institute for almost 30 years, including a five-year stint as International Rice Research Institute’s rice breeder in Africa, based at Africa Rice Centre station at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria from 2004 to 2009.

Throughout his career, Gregorio has bred more than 15 rice varieties, most of which are salt-tolerant varieties that have greatly helped farmers in Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, and the Philippines.

He also led efforts to develop micronutrient-dense rice varieties to address anemia and malnutrition in Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

But rice breeding is not Gregorio’s only forte. Prior to his appointment as Searca Director, he also served as Crop Breeding Manager for Corn at the EastWest Seed Company, Inc. from 2015 to 2018, where he was the global lead of the sweet corn and waxy corn breeding programs for South and Southeast Asia, the Latin Americas, and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Gregorio has been the recipient of numerous awards, including Outstanding Young Scientist Award (OYS 2004) and Outstanding Publication Award given

by NAST; The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM 2004) in the field of Agriculture-Plant Breeding and Genetics; The Ho Chi Minh Medal Award for great contribution to the cause of agriculture and rural development in Vietnam; Ten Outstanding Youth Scientists (TOYS 1981) of the Philippines given by the Department of Science and Technology of the Philippines; Honorary Scientist, Rural Development Administration, Korea; and other awards for his outstanding research and research management achievements.

Gregorio has authored and co-authored at least 90 articles published in various scientific journals, chapters on rice breeding in 14 books, and five scientific manuals and bulletins.

He also mentored and supervised 20 PhD and 27 MS graduate students and more than 40 BS students in plant breeding and genetics at UPLB and other universities in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America; and he continues to hone scientists and future scientists as a mentor and teacher.

Caloocan hailed as best in DOLE livelihood tack

By Jun David THE City Government of Caloocan was hailed as the Best Performing Local Government Unit in the Implementation of the Department of Labor and Employment Integrated Livelihood Program in the National Capital Region.

The awarding of local government units is one of the categories under the Kabuhayan Awards: Awarding of Best DOLE-Assisted Livelihood Projects that aims to recognize the exemplary performance of the beneficiaries of the DILP, as well as the DOLE partners.

In behalf of Mayor Oca Malapitan, Caloocan Public Employment Service Office head Ms. Violeta Gonzales received the award at the Manila Prince Hotel.

Beneficiary Michael dela Cruz’s Silya Upholstery was also named as the Best DOLE Livelihood Assisted Project.

“We are glad that our constituents are giving importance to our programs.

I assure them that we will continue to provide sustainable livelihood programs for the Caloocan residents,” Mayor Oca said.

Life

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

FASHION AND BEAUTY

@MStandardLIFE WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019

BOHEMIAN SUMMER T

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ORY Burch drew inspiration from her parents’ wanderlust for her label’s spring/summer 2019 collection.

INSPIRED BY ADVENTURE.

Tory Burch spring/ summer 2019 collection consists of pieces inspired by the travels of the designer’s parents.

“My parents, Buddy and Reva Robinson, were adventurers. Every summer, they boarded a steamer ship and spent six weeks sailing from Italy and Greece to Morocco and Spain,” Burch related.

The American fashion designer brings that influence to the runway through unique details that recall her parents’ trips: silhouettes with a bohemian ease, balancing volume and tailoring; needlepoint and camera bags; well-worn hats and woven shoes.

Pieces from Tory Burch summer 2019 are marked with easy, billowy shapes that balance tailored pieces and crisp shirting, based on Buddy’s penchant for custom, made-to-measure shirts. Unexpected layering adds to the sense of casual, traveled glamour.

The palette is grounded in understated neutrals— crisp white, classic khaki, and the brand’s signature Tory navy—and punctuated by joyful pops of bright orange, cobalt blue, and Kelly green that give way to soft pastel yellow and pale pink.

Reva’s collection of vintage scarves provided the inspiration for an exotic bird print. Preppy, nautical striping pays homage to the pair’s time at sea, while the graphic Gemini Link pattern celebrates their duality.

Meanwhile, a textural mix—from delicate lace and crisp poplin to raffia and flocked organza—speaks to the brand’s eclecticism and bohemian spirit.

Handwoven leather pieces nod to the collection’s craftsmanship, while Moroccan-inspired fabrics underscore the brand’s global influences.

Embroidered scalloped edging adds an artisanal element to ladylike dresses, and shiny gold coins on easy tunics reference Reva’s collection of vintage coin jewelry.

The playful take on fabrics and patterns are complemented with pared back accessories with distinctly laid-back appeal.

Old school, retro canvas sneakers ground the collection in a sporty nonchalance while clean brass jewelry gives an understated edge.

The camera bag Buddy toted around the Mediter-

Eyelet Embroidered Dress in cotton stripe, Buddy Sneakers in off white English khaki, and Robinson Canvas Triple Compartment Tote in natural croissant.

ranean documenting the couple’s adventures inspired a key handbag silhouette, while a new take on the Lee handbag has a slouchier silhouette.

Tory Burch is located at Greenbelt 5, Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La, and Power Plant Mall.

The collection’s color palette is grounded in understated neutrals punctuated by joyful pops of bright orange, cobalt blue, and Kelly green. While the textural mix of fabrics speaks to the brand’s eclecticism and bohemian spirit.

Esprit launches latest timepiece collection APPAREL and accessories label Esprit recently launched its spring/summer collection of watches made for every woman.

At the event in SM Makati, the brand showcased a collection full of diversity. It consists of classic and trendy watches.

Inspired by nature, the pieces feature the colors of summer in combination with soft leathers and a variety of structures celebrating quality and “joie de vivre.”

There are Modern Classic watches in the range of Tact featuring subtle graphics on the dial combined with a simple watch case with stone accents.

Esprit’s Magnolia Mini Stones, on the other hand, is perfect for summer parties. The 28mm watch comes with a touch of retro with a rose gold case and soft black mesh strap.

The latest collection of Esprit watches are available at selected Branded Accessories Department of SM Stores nationwide.

Denise Barbacena and DJ Katsy Lee choose their preferred timepieces at the launch of Esprit spring/summer 2019 collection.

Life

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Summer of blues and whites B

REEZY dresses and casual separates in crisp white and ocean blues reign supreme in Michael Kors summer 2019 collection.

Coral reef and mosaic tile prints evoke a Mediterranean sensibility, while Grecian-inspired beaded embroidery and crocheted details lend an artisanal touch to the pieces.

With the definition of chic nonchalance, midi silhouettes are paired with straw market totes and strappy sandals for a south-of-France moment.

Gilded hardware punctuates leather extras, rounding out effortless looks with luxe polish.

In addition to resortwear pieces in cool, neutral shades, Michael Kors celebrates the 50th anniversary of Gay Pride with casual separates filtered through a spectrum of colors.

Cheerful hues ranging from red and poppy to clover and ultra-violet stand out against clean black and white. Rainbow stripes renew Kors’ favorite silhouettes and signature logo print with novelty appeal.

A sequined T-shirt dress is styled with hightop sneakers and a baseball hat for a modern pairing, while the retro-inspired tank suit is juxtaposed by a sporty paper anorak. Star-shaped cutouts punctuate the label’s most coveted accessories with playful charm.

Michael Kors is located at Central Square in Bonifacio High Street Central, Greenbelt 5, Newport Mall, Power Plant Mall, Rustan’s Makati, and Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

Breezy dresses and casual separates in crisp white and ocean blues are heavily featured in Michael Kors summer 2019 collection

Summer in Michael Kors comes in the form of breezy, casual cool pieces in blues and white with a touch of cheerful hues in celebration of Gay Pride.

How to style your EZY Ankle Pants JAPANESE global apparel retailer Uniqlo introduces its updated lineup of EZY Ankle Pants that can easily transition from day to night.

Key design highlights include new colorways and patterns for a versatile collection, be it business as usual, a casual day

off, or after hours.

Rooted in the brand’s commitment to provide quality and innovative clothing, this wardrobe must-have keeps customers in style for any occasion. Uniqlo shares these tips on how to pull off these ankle pants.

Surplus carries swimwear and other summer getaway essentials for men and women.

Fun under the sun essentials

WE’RE on the home stretch of the summer season, but there’s still enough time and a lot of sun to enjoy summertime in style.

Surplus carries a variety of style for different kinds of #SummerVacay—be it a beach getaway, camping in the great outdoors, a lakeside adventure, or a trip around the city.

The retailer’s ambassadors Paulo Angeles, Charlie Dizon, Kyle Echarri, and AC

For business

A work-essential, Uniqlo’s EZY Ankle Pants are a great piece to pair with Super Non-Iron Shirt for men and Rayon Blouse for women—both from the brand—to achieve a clean and polished look. Available in a variety of styles, this easy care pants is wrinkle-resistant perfect for everyday hustle.

For casual day-off

A versatile trusty bottoms, these ankle pants can easily be mixed and matched for any occasion. Paired with U Relaxed Fit Crew Neck T-Shirt or Supima Cotton Crew Neck Short Sleeve T-Shirt, this light pair of pants offers sleek style for a laid-back feel ideal for casual weekends or when running errands.

For after hours

This pair, with its flattering silhouette and no-fuss fit makes its ideal to wear for whether a night out with friends or a catch-up dinner with family after a hectic day. EZY Ankle Pants go well with Waffle Sleeveless T-Shirt that features a soft and distinctive texture for a stylish yet relaxed look.

The EZY Ankle Pants are available in all Uniqlo stores nationwide at P1,490.

Bonifacio showcase colorful pieces and other accessories—from cute slippers and shoes, pretty scarves, statement making hats to colorful towels, water tumblers, portable fans, functional f lashlight, and solar lights.

These pieces are available at Surplus stores in SM Supermalls.

Entertainment

Spotify’s most streamed local artist is on a roll S

INGERSONGWRITER Moira dela Torre has revealed two big projects coming her way this year—her first-ever concert at the Big Dome and an exciting new album slated for international release.

“I know that God allowed me to reach this stage in my musical career to give inspiration to all of you, that nothing is impossible, that there is so much hope. I am just so grateful,” Moira enthused, thrilled about her upcoming album to be released under ABS-CBN Music International.

The Idol Philippines judge is only one of the

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Multiawarded singersongwriter Moira dela Torre

Kapamilya artists who is slowly breaking into the international music scene as ABS-CBN continues to champion Filipino talent on the world stage.

Touted as 2018’s biggest Pinoy artist with several nods under her belt, Moira won Mellow Video of the Year for “Tagpuan” directed by John Prats and Collaboration of the Year together with OPM band December Avenue for the song “Kung ‘Di Rin Lang Ikaw” in the recently concluded MYX Music Awards.

During the ceremony, she also walked away with the Most Streamed Local Artist recognition with 400 million streams from the popular music streaming subscription service, Spotify.

The singer-songwriter’s Braver 2019 concert will happen at the Araneta Coliseum on Aug. 17. For more details, like Star Music onfacebook.com/starmusicph, and follow it on Twitter and Instagram @ StarMusicPH.

GMA Network execs return as jurors in Promax Global Excellence Awards TWO GMANetwork executives return as judges in the prestigious Promax Global Excellence Awards 2019 happening in Los Angeles this June.

GMA Network Chief Risk Officer and First Vice President for Corporate Strategic Planning and Program Support Regie C. Bautista and Assistant Vice President for Creative ServicesEduardo B. Garcia once again join an exclusive group composed of the industry’s most accomplished executives, creatives, and production professionals tasked to decide and recognize the finest work in television and promotion marketing.

Bautista supervises GMA’s corporate strategic planning including multiplatform marketing promotions, creative services, media and on-air continuity, and digital media divisions.

Through her vision and leadership, the Network’s Program Support Department has received numerous recognitions and accolades from both local and

How Kim Domingo stays confident Kapuso star Kim Domingo

GMA Chief Risk Officer and First Vice President for Corporate Strategic Planning and Program Support Regie C. Bautista

international award-giving bodies.

Meanwhile, Garcia oversees the Network’s division in charge of developing and executing branded and integrated promotional campaigns

for GMA and its platforms, channels, and programs. He oversees a dynamic team composed of creative managers, writers, designers, and production personnel, as well as develops and implements compelling marketing strategies and ensures their adaptability to current and emerging media.

Bautista and Garcia were responsible for GMA’s gold and silver medal wins, as well as some finalist citations in the previous Promax Awards.

The Promax Awards are the world’s top prize for outstanding achievement in entertainment marketing and design.

It celebrates brand-defining campaigns that convert viewers into fans, build audiences on every screen, and drive bottom line results for biggest media companies in the world. BBC Studios Creative, CNN Worldwide, Fox Networks Group, HBO, National Geographic, and NBCUniversal International are among this year’s finalists.

How Kim Domingo stays confident KAPUSO star Kim Domingo has certainly made a name for herself as an actress, model, Internet personality, and television presenter which is why the Oxina Nutricosmetics team selected a dependable and relatable face to represent their brand.

Managing Director Maureen Estrada explains that NuWhite is all about nourishing inner beauty, fostering a love for self-care and self-improvement.

With Kim as the face of the brand, the executive hopes the actress can become an inspiration to Filipinas all over the country together with NuWhite.

The brand ambassadress joined GMA back in 2015. She has been a cover girl for various magazines and has garnered roles in both TV and movies.

Her first roles included parts in Juan Happy Love Story, Tsuperhero, Super Ma’am, and Bubble Gang where she is currently a mainstay. Kim will also be starring in “Kiko en Lala”, an upcoming comedy film in May. She is one of the sexiest actresses in the

industry today and hailed by TC Candler together with The Independent Critics as one of the 100 most beautiful faces in the world in 2017.

Staying true to the brand’s tagline “For a better you,” Kim shares that practicing self-care and being confident in what one does are important.

NuWhite presents this new and improved beauty supplement with its new form of glutathione, the NuWhite S-Acetyl Glutathione. The new product is more beneficial than any other available glutathione oral supplements that contain Reduced Glutathione because of its use of Emothion S-Acetyl Glutathione (SAG), the oral active form of Glutathione or the effective in-body-form of glutathione.

Oxina Cosmetics has created a compact beauty supplement which helps in whitening, anti-aging, liver protection, detoxification, skin nourishing and healthy immunity as it smoothens wrinkles, reduces fine lines, firms skin leading to radiance, better metabolism, and skin health.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Wednesday, May 29, 2019

ACROSS 1 Backpack contents 5 Languished 10 Senor’s dwelling 14 West Coast sch.

15 Feel passion for 16 River in Russia 17 Not open 18 Wall covering 19 Watch over 20 Grits 22 Estuary 23 Epic 24 Mine and thine 26 Pale brown 28 Cowboy’s work 32 Take place 36 Hair treatment 37 Bowler’s hangout 39 Mendes or Gabor 40 Spooky, maybe 41 Avarice 42 Computer memory 43 The — of Aquarius 44 Of the Arctic 45 Feed the fire 47 Sandy expanse 49 Gestured 51 Unhearing 53 Linear unit 54 Berra of baseball

57 Garden implement 59 Blush 63 Fast horse 64 Scoreboard posting 66 Exist 67 Mr. Diamond 68 Lithe 69 Makes do with 70 Missing 71 Faked out the goalie 72 Lease DOWN 1 Spurt 2 Repeat 3 Baking-powder ingredient 4 Metes out 5 Ancient scrolls 6 Mont. neighbor 7 Roulette color 8 Els or Kovacs 9 Separated and removed 10 Misbehaves (2 wds.)

11 Land measure 12 Trolled 13 Swit co-star 21 Art-class model 25 Show teeth 27 Starfish arm 28 Far-reaching 29 Narrow crest 30 High moun-

tains 31 Perform brilliantly 33 Madonna role 34 Call forth 35 Labeled 38 Composer — Anderson 41 Was successful (2 wds.)

44 Opposite of post45 Racehorse parent 46 Youngster learning to walk

48 Safe to eat 50 Did road work 52 Hammer out 54 Yin complement 55 Layered cookie 56 Win 58 Estrada or Satie 60 Netherlands sight 61 Two to two 62 Wildlife shelter 65 Bullring yell

SNAPSHOT Some of the candidates are awarded by Marketing Director Pepsi Alacar, Senior Brand Manager Ayne Rili, Poten-Cee Adult Brand Manager Anj Allado, and DermaCee Brand Manager Irish Solis their complimentary Poten-Cee gift pack.

Bb. Pilipinas hopefuls vie for Bb. Poten-Cee Gandang Palaban award PASCUAL Laboratories, Inc. (PascualLab), recently announced its search for the Bb. Poten-Cee Gandang Palaban through its subsidiary, Pascual Consumer Healthcare Corp (PCHC).

The lucky winner will be chosen from among this year’s Bb. Pilipinas candidates and will be awarded during the coronation night on June 9.

PCHC Marketing Head Beth Sheba “Pepsi” Alacar announced this during the ladies’ visit to PascualLab manufacturing plant, where she expounded on what makes one a Gandang Palaban.

“This award is for the young lady who truly exemplifies how the Filipino woman of today can face her responsibilities and challenges with grit and grace, be trusted to deliver what is expected of her, and feels empowered to rise above any occasion,” Alacar said.

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

Entertainment

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 2019

D

ANCING has always been with us. This natural form of self-expression, a powerful tool for creativity, will never get old as it continuously evolves into something to suit the taste of every generation. This gives us a better reason why we should train the spotlight on people who express their inner feelings through body movements.

December Avenue is one of the performers at Malaya Music Festival, an extravaganza that celebrates the country's Independence Day.

International fest trains spotlight on dancing talents VERY WANG

Jam freely at the

NICKIE WANG

Malaya Music Festival

ON JUNE 15, celebrate Philippine independence in the most awesome way— rock out with local music’s hottest acts at the Malaya Music Festival at the Garden in Okada Manila.

Jam in the name of freedom with OPM icons Ebe Dancel, Urbandub, and Mayonnaise, as well as modern sensations Johnoy Danao, Bullet Dumas, Gracenote, and December Avenuein this very special Independence Day celebration To be staged at the Garden, Okada Manila’s 30,000-square-meter lush oasis with stunning views of Manila bay and its picturesque sunsets, the Malaya Music

Festival is the perfect place to celebrate Filipino pride amid the music that defined a generation.

Doors to the Malaya Music Festival open at 4:00 p.m., and the music doesn’t stop until midnight. Food stalls and mobile bars are available at the event. Tickets are at P1,000 each and includes a free San Miguel Beer drink and access to Cove Manila, Southeast Asia’s state-of-the-art and largest indoor beach club and nightclub. You can get yours at okdmnl.ph/Malaya2019.

For more information on tickets and upcoming events, visit okadamanila.com, like Okada Manila on Facebook, and follow @okadamanila on Instagram.

‘Aladdin’ casts a box-office spell DISNEY’S live-action Aladdin apparently still has the old magic, as the new Disney film took in an estimated $86.1 million in the Fridayto-Sunday period in North America to lead all box-office offerings, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported.

The film, released on the US’s four-day Memorial Day weekend, is expected to earn $105 million when Monday’s ticket sales are included, well beyond earlier estimates of around $80 million, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The movie, directed by Guy Ritchie, stars Will Smith as the genie and the Egyptian-born Canadian actor Mena Massoud as the wily charmer who pretends to be a prince to catch the attention of the lovely Jasmine (Naomi Scott).

The new version is an adaptation of Disney’s 1992 Aladdin, which featured the unforgettable voice of Robin Williams as the fasttalking genie (and the less wellknown actor Scott Weinger as Aladdin).

Meanwhile, last week’s boxoffice leader, Lionsgate’s John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, slipped to second, taking in $24.4 million for three days ($30.5 million for four).

Canadian Keanu Reeves again stars as retired hitman John Wick, this time being chased by an army

of killers after a contract is put on his head. Also starring are Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Ian McShane, and Anjelica Huston.

In third was Disney blockbuster Avengers: Endgame, taking in an estimated $16.8 million for three days ($21.9 million for four).

Avengers,, with an all-star cast including Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, and Josh Brolin,, has broken domestic records but, with a worldwide take of $2.68 billion, is still shy of the $2.79 billion earned by all-time leader Avatar in 2009.

Fourth place went to Warner Bros.’ Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, at $13.3 million ($17 million). Its animated title character (voiced

by Ryan Reynolds)) teams up with a ustice Smith, in a liveyoung boy (Justice action role) to seek the boy’s missing father.

And in fifth was new Sony horror thriller Brightburn, at $7.5 million ($9 million). Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, and Jackson A. Dunn star in the story of an alien tot who arrives on Earth and realizes, as he grows up on a Kansas farm, that he has superpowers. AFP

Mena Massoud, who plays Aladdin in the new Disney movie of the same name, and Naomi Scott, who plays Jasmine, pose at the film's Los Angeles premiere

Mr. Pure Energy Gary V headlines Circuit Makati EVOLT International Dance Festival 2019 along with Gab Valenciano, Billy Crawford, Lady Pipay, and Darren Espanto

Paraphrasing what Gary V said during the press conference for Circuit Makati EVOLT International Dance Festival 2, he said that dancers are sometimes considered as “forgotten entertainers” but their role in the entertainment industry, in concerts and live performance, is as crucial as the role of the main act.

“Some people think that it’s an easy task, but there is so much that goes into it. Although I consider myself a singer more than a dancer, I have high respect for dancing talents. They deserve a stage of their own,” he said.

Produced by Istudyo Ni Pipay Co., EVOLT is a weeklong event which consists of free dance workshops that are open to the public; a prestigious dance competition as participated by universitybased and community-based dance groups from all over the country; a night-bazaar curated by The Common Good Market; and a concert extravaganza that assembles a mammoth sampling of the biggest names in the entertainment industry.

The festival officially kicks off on June 2 with a series of special performances by online sensation and TV personality Lady Pipay and the different competitors of the event’s dance championship.

With a distinguished panel of judges that includes Julie Borromeo, Regine Tolentino, Maribeth Bichara, Nancy Crowe, John Supan, and Frank Rivera the competitors of the festival’s dance competition are all vying for cash prizes of over a million pesos in total.

Award-winning concert director Paolo Valenciano will direct the festival’s main and culminating event which happens on June 8 at the Events Open Ground of Circuit Makati.

The concert is headlined by Mr. Pure Energy himself, who is considered as one of the most successful and most enduring mainstream artists who has made an indelible mark not only in pop and inspirational music, television, and films but in the art of dance as well, who currently served as one of judges of the recently concluded World Of Dance and is also one of the regular hosts of ASAP Natin ‘To. ‘To R&B star Billy Crawford, dance champion Gab Valenciano, and Darren Espanto, Espanto along with Regine Tolentino, Lady Pipay, AC Bonifacio, and Nhizky Calma as well as K-pop artistsChic Angel and Rion Five complete the lineup of performers.

The concert will also showcase an eclectic range of dance genres as performed live by artists like Alab Poi Dancers, A-Team, G-Force, Hotlegs, It’s Showtime Dancers, Tribu Ilonganon of Dinagyang Festival, Julie Borromeo’s Performing Arts Foundation, Manoeuvres, Manoeuvres Ignite, Mauban Nilala Folk Dancers, MNL Crew, Douglas Nierras’ Powerdance, Power Impact Dancers, Rockwell, Sexbomb Dancers, SB New Gen, UPeepz, Vicor Dancers, and XB Gensan.

Gensan The celebration will be capped with a party powered by DJ Ace Ramos.

Istudyo Ni Pipay is a one-stop-shop production services company, events management, and a training facility with world-class teachers from Let’s Perform!

School of Performing Arts. In just two years, the company has produced and managed the 1st major concert of Lady Pipay; KFC Delivery Fans Concert featuring Up Dharma Down, Ben and Ben and Ebe Dancel; Dancel;The Dance Machine Concert featuring Zeus Collins; an original adaptation of Ibong Adarna – Musical; and Rakrakan Sa Baliwag Arena Arena.

For tickets to the festival’s main event visit smtickets.com and ticket2me. net. For more information and exciting updates, visit Facebook@evoltdancefest and teeradio.net.

Circuit Makati EVOLT International Dance Festival 2019 is supported by Holy Angels College of Pulilan, Liz Steel Barricades Rentals, Let’s Perform School Of Performing Arts, The Common Ground Market, and Tee Radio.