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13 perish in CamSur truck crash

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 116 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

THIRTEEN people including a brideto-be and two children were killed when the dump truck they were riding after attending a traditional pre-wedding ceremony rolled over on a mountain road, police said Sunday. The dump truck was carrying 53 passengers in eastern Camarines Sur province on Saturday and was going

down the highway when it lost control, injuring dozens of other people, said San Fernando town police investigator Victor Quinao. The group had come from a pamamanhikan, a ceremony where a man and his family visit the home of a woman to formally ask for her hand in Next page

ILL-STARRED TRUCK. This handout photograph taken on June 8 and released on June 9 by the San Fernando Municipal Police shows wounded passengers sprawled on a road in San Fernando, eastern Camarines Sur, after the dump truck transporting some 53 passengers lost control and crashed. Among the 13 fatalities were a bride-to-be and two children who had attended a traditional pre-wedding ceremony. AFP

PH mulls over US arms deal Rody’s plan seen to widen options for weapons buy

Du30 fears war in 2022 polls with use of Smartmatic PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said the continued use of Smartmatic as a technology provider in future elections could trigger a war among politicians. “If you use that in the next election three years from now I don’t know what will happen,” Duterte said in his speech before the Filipino community in Tokyo, Japan recently. The President said he believed that Smartmatic should be replaced because the technical problems that plagued the 2019 midterm polls were the same ones experienced in 2010, 2013 and 2016. President Duterte said Smartmatic “promotes cheating” and that was not acceptable. In a speech during the celebration of Eid’l Fitr at Arcadia Active Lifestyle Center in Davao City, the chief executive expressed his concern that violence would erupt if massive poll fraud continued. Duterte said that there is a possibility that a Maranao politician would call for war if the credibility of the election process was compromised. Meanwhile, several organized groups called for Duterte to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law to all ofﬁcials responsible for the bidding process that gave the contract to Smartmatic. They said COMELEC’s bidding speciﬁcations prohibit bidders from subcontracting major components of a bidder’s offered system. Yet in the US, Smartmatic has to be sued for the alleged usurpation of rights over the technology by Dominion Voting Systems of Canada, the rightful owner of the source code used to operate the vote counting machines. Next page

By Vito Barcelo

RESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte’s said Saturday he would reconsider acquiring weapons from the United States after shunning deals with the Americans in favor of military purchases from China, Russia and other countries.

BUDDIES’ REF. Children bathe in a makeshift tub from a discarded refrigerator to beat the summer heat with El Niño phenomenon likely to get prolonged despite the onset of the rainy season in Manila on June 9. AFP

PhilHealth chief sees ‘syndicate’ disintegrating By Macon Ramos-Araneta PHILHEALTH acting president and CEO Roy Ferrer said Sunday no maﬁa could survive in the state agency under President Rodrigo Duterte’s watch. He also said the “culture of fear” in PhilHealth raised by its former ofﬁcial was “the PhilHealth of the past.” He said “such fear and trembling” no longer existed in PhilHealth under President Duterte’s strong administration.

He scoffed at Minguita Padilla, who served as the head of the executive staff of a former Health secretary during the Aquino administration for her loser’s mind and defeatist attitude. “Ms. Padilla, who served as a former Health secretary, harks back to a weak-kneed and feeble government before the robust Presidency of my boss Rody Duterte, Ferrer said. “So when Ms Padilla spoke about the impotence and helplessness of the earlier PhilHealth leadership, she is referring to a thing of the past.” Next page

Naked riders bare agenda MEXICO CITY—Dozens of naked bikers took to Mexico City’s streets Saturday to raise awareness of cycling as a healthy transportation option. Many people get around by car in this megalopolis of more than 20 million, when a greener option might be in order amid worries about climate change. Next page

PhilHealth CEO Roy Ferrer

“Well, America has been helpful. In the purchase of arms, we have a bad experience but they have a new policy now. We’re going to reconsider,” President Duterte said in a radio interview Saturday night. Duterte was referring to the 2016 decision of the US State Department to halt the sale of 26,000 assault riﬂes to the Philippine National Police over concerns of human rights violations in his war on illegal drugs. That led his government to look for other countries that did not impose any conditions on arms sales. “We’ll buy if we think we need that kind of particular… But I’d like to say to the Americans and to the ofﬁcials— in Washington, when you deprived us of the arms, we started going around scouting for cheaper and better arms. And there were contracts already, memorandum of intent—intent to buy something like that. So we will not impair that obligations,” he said. Next page

Rights experts just making noise—Sotto SAYING they were just making noise, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Sunday the government should simply ignore the calls of human rights experts to the United Nation’s Human Rights Council to investigate the bloody drug war in the Philippines. “Let’s ignore them. They are just making noise,” Sotto told dzBB radio. He described as “confusing” the request of the 11 human rights experts to investigate the drug war in the Philippines.

He made the statement even as the Department of Foreign Affairs on Saturday slammed some United Nations rapporteurs for allegedly being biased over their fresh calls for an independent probe on the human rights situation in Manila. “We reject this call as it is being made in bad faith by parties who want to undermine domestic processes and spread disinformation on the basis of Next page

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Private schools’ turn at class opening

FTER securing the opening of public schools last week, policemen of the National Capital Region Police Office on Sunday were ordered to remain on their posts as the classes in the private schools would this week. “This actually means additional areas of operations for our personnel, but there is no problem with that, NCRPO Chief Guillermo Eleazar said in a text message to the Philippine News Agency. “We have been doing this every year and we are banking on the lessons learned

and the experiences of our commanders and personnel on the ground.” Meanwhile, citing the more than 22,000 cases of bullying in school during school year 2016-2017, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Sunday there was a need to hire more guidance counselors in the

schools. He said the Education department must give priority to the hiring of guidance counselors in elementary and high schools to deter bullying and to support the victims of bullying with the opening of the new school year. Gatchalian’s call came in the wake of the department’s revelation that there had been more than 22,000 cases of bullying in School Year 2016 to 2017. “While the 22,059 cases in 2016 to 2017 is a signiﬁcant decrease from the 32,129 of 2015 to 2016, I was shocked that the number of bullying cases was that

high. Gatchalian said. “Obviously, there is a large room for improvement in terms of support for the mental well-being of our students and teachers. “We need to make our schools safe places for students. One way I can think of doing that is improving the number of guidance counselors in our schools.” Eleazar ordered the ﬁve police districts in Metro Manila to boost their security measures to include the private schools, saying the police presence near the schools had been proven to deter crimes. He said students had to be protected

since some of them might be carrying payment for their tuition and other school expenses. “Our focus will be on beat patrols to protect students from out-of-school youth bullies and criminal elements that also include drug trafﬁckers, Eleazar said. He said police assistance desks would be maintained aside from police foot patrols. Last week, 7,153 policemen were deployed in various schools in Metro Manila, resulting in a peaceful opening of classes in the public schools. PNA with Macon Ramos-Araneta

PH... From A1

The President, who has said many times that the likes US President Donald Trump, said he could not abandon deals signed by the Philippines with Russia and China, the two countries that provided assistance to the Philippines especially during the Marawi siege in May 2017. “When we needed, in the hour of our need, we needed the arms, Russia and China gave it to us practically free,” the President said. The Department of National Defense on Sunday welcomed the President’s statement. “We welcome the President’s pronouncements,” DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong said in an interview with reporters Sunday. “We would like to thank him for making modernization of the AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] one of his priorities and of course having said that, all of our procurement will have to undergo the process as stated in the law, Republic Act 10349 and we will continue [to] purchase [when] equipment we can get them, provided we need them,” he added. He said Duterte’s plan will also widen the DND’s options in where to source its weapons and equipment needed for the ongoing AFP Modernization Program. “[It] will of course widen our options, [with the President again considering US-made weapons], and we will now be able to make our choices even better,” Andolong said. Republic Act 10349 or an act amending RA 7898 which established the revised AFP Modernization Program and For Other Purposes, was signed on Dec. 11, 2012, extending the AFP Modernization Program by another 15 years and provided it with P75 billion worth of funding for the first five years. The Revised AFP Modernization Program is divided into three horizons. The first was implemented from 2013 to 2017, the second is from 2018 to 2022, while the third is from 2023 to 2028. “[This] pronouncement will give us more momentum now to complete the transaction and of course the other items, I think the President of the US stated that he’s now open to offering their unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicles to the countries in Southeast Asia and I think he mentioned us [Philippines] as one of the countries [they are making the offer],” he added. With PNA

Du30... From A1

Moreover, Jarltech in Taiwan was contracted by Smartmatic to manufacture the vote counting machines. “If this information is true, Smartmatic is only a middleman and not qualified to be a service provider,” one of the group’s conveners who requested anonymity said. Since the country first implemented a nationwide automation of the elections in 2010, several election watchdogs have petitioned the poll body to blacklist Smartmatic from further participating in Comelec bids to prevent an election marred by glitches and questionable transmission. There was compelling evidence that the 2010, 2013 and 2016 elections with Smartmatic as the technology provider were full of anomalies. “Whether or not the suspicions against the integrity of Smartmatic are valid, the efficiency of the system is now put under question,” Senator Panfilo Lacson said before the joint congressional oversight committee held at the Senate. Lacson believed that it is about time to look for other suppliers. Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, head of the congressional oversight committee on the automated election system, agreed with Duterte on the need for a new system for the 2022 elections.

KOREAN CONQUEST. Various Igorot dances were brought to the limelight as the Saint Louis University Dance Troupe performed a repertoire of Philippine folk dances infront of different audiences during the 2019 Jinju World Folk Arts Biennale in Jinju, South Korea last May 23 to 26. SLU Dance Troupe was Philippines’ representative to the event. Among the participants were dancers from Russia, Uzbekistan, and China. Courtesy of SLU Dance Troupe

PhilHealth chief... From A1

Ferrer said the current PhilHealth board members appointed by the President would not shrink from the challenge to rid PhilHealth of shenanigans. “Our top management executives who are directly under me are loyal to the higher ground principles and policies of PhilHealth, and no villainous mafia member can survive within their ranks, Ferrer said. Ferrer also said the so-called “mafia members” in the countryside were actually members of a syndicate of cheating, disloyal and disgruntled PhilHealth officers who had colluded with hospitals and other health care facilities.

Rights experts... From A1

one-sided reports coming from questionable sources,” the department said in a statement through Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Emmanuel Fernandez. Sotto, saying there were worse killings being reported in other countries, questioned why the human rights experts were focused on investigating only the Philippines. But Senator Francis Pangilinan said he appreciated the efforts of the UN experts for taking notice and for trying to hold state forces accountable for the killing of tens of thousands of Filipinos. He also commented them for valuing the loss of fathers, mothers, sons,and daughters in a deadly manufactured drug war that had killed only the poor and the powerless, but had also seen the promotion and reappointment of

“This syndicate will soon disintegrate, Ferrer said. “It is correct that these arethe ones who defrauded PhilHealth of funds, but some of them have already been suspended, others are being investigated, and a few others will soon be charged in court for criminal offenses. “Congress first pointed out in July last year that a ‘mafia exists in the state agency, and they meant these cheating and colluding officials. Their sustained but sporadic activities do not qualify them as a ‘mafia’―but they can be called economic saboteurs, Ferrer said. Ferrer’s team has already launched a corporate-wide fraud detection and enforcement activities that “will catch the thieving, deceiving and villainous officials and their band of brothers Customs officials who allowed the smuggling of tons of illegal drugs worth billions of pesos. “We hope that the international community’s attention will help slow if not stop the swaggering impunity among those who have abused their power with these killings, including the restoring death penalty and criminalizing offenders as young as nine or 12 years old, Pangilinan said. Sotto also questioned the authority of the human rights experts to ask for an investigation of law enforcement in the Philippines. On Friday, 11 independent experts urged the UN Human Rights Council, whose 47 member states open a threeweek session on June 24, to launch an independent investigation into what they called a sharp deterioration in human rights across the Philippines due to the “staggering number” of what they called violent and unlawful killings of drug suspects. Macon Ramos-Araneta with PNA

among hospitals and other health care facilities.” A few months into his tenure, Ferrer ordered a reshufﬂe of regional vice presidents who responded with threats, refusals and delaying tactics. Ferrer also refuted Padilla’s claims that there was no review of the rates and over-payments. On the contrary, he said, the assessments and studies had actually been conducted to see if the rates were appropriate, adequate and not excessive. “We even reviewed the relative values scale for surgical procedures and the international classiﬁcation of diseases. In 2014, a World Bank and the German cooperation agency GIZ sponsored a study in 2014 on such case rates, Ferrer said. He said in 2017, PhilHealth came

out with its new costs for pneumonia, while its coverage for hemodialysis sessions was cut by almost half. The studies and reviews did not always translate into adjustments in the rates, but they were useful in crafting policies and systems that contained costs and deterred fraud and abuse at the same time. Those policies included pre-authorization protocols before an eye doctor could proceed with operating cataract patients; the putting of a limit for cataract operations to a maximum of 10 per day per eye doctor to a maximum of 50 operations per month. PhilHealth also instituted a medical prepayment review wherein all claims were assessed ﬁrst for their compliance with the policies and standards on quality care, Ferrer said.

13 perish...

Naked riders...

From A1

marriage, Quinao said, adding that the bride-to-be was among those killed. “The truck lost control and rolled over, throwing off some of the passengers while others were crushed,” Quinao said adding it was unclear why the bride-to-be was on the vehicle. “It was a dump truck used to transport soil and sand and was owned by the local government. It appears it was borrowed for the event. The passengers put improvised benches while others were standing.” The fatalities included children aged four and ﬁve, Quinao added. Police said they were investigating the possible liability of the driver. AFP

Participants in the World Naked Bike Ride turned out with Mexican ﬂair, some in underwear and others just as they came into the world—plus maybe a bike helmet or colorful wrestler’s mask. Biking has gradually become more popular in trafﬁc-choked Mexico City, which has more than four-million cars on its roads daily. Cycling is more common in the city’s central districts, where bike rental services have been popping up. The government has also tried to encourage bike use by building dedicated lanes, an effort to reduce the number of deadly crashes between cars and bikes. In mid-May, Mexico City’s air pollution levels were so high that schools closed and vehicle use was restricted. That reignited discussions on further encouraging bicycling as a commuting option. The event in Mexico City is part of a global movement promoting greater use of bicycles in large cities and more sustainable transportation solutions. AFP

News Protestants, Baptist to hold Interfaith rally

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

REHEARSAL. Members of the Philippine Marines rehears at the Rizal Monument in Luneta Park ahead of the Independence Day celebrations on June 12 on Wednesday. Norman Cruz

By Rio N. Araja PROTESTANT and Baptist leaders will lead a huge interfaith rally to pray for the health and wellness as well as wisdom of President Rodrigo Duterte and even of Vice President Leni Robredo. At a news conference in Quezon City, Pastor Jaime Poliquit of the Generous Life International Ministry said “whether the President is healthy or not, we do pray for him every Sunday despite his imperfections.” “We pray for him that God will allow him to finish his term [until 2022],” he added. He said the President needs the strength and the wisdom. “We do not only pray for him, but also for the vice president, the Cabinet secretaries, and members of the Senate and House of Representatives,” he said. According to Poliquit, they are planning to hold a big prayer rally involving different leaders in faith. “If there are many protest rallies criticizing the government, why can’t we stage prayer rallies,” he told the Manila Standard. “We pray not just to support the President blindly,” he said. Leaders of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, Impact Alliance Ministry and Conservative Baptists joined Poliquit during the conference.

Eco group warns public on use of ‘fake’ wet wipes A NON-PROFIT organization promoting children’s and environmental health has called the attention of regulators and consumers against the sale, use and disposal of wet wipes containing harmful ingredients. In a press statement issued today, the EcoWaste Coalition alerted the government and the general public, especially parents and child carers, about the abundance in the market of cheap pre-moistened wet wipes with banned preservatives and biocides. In letters sent to the Food and Drug Administration, the group reported the widespread sale in Divisoria, Manila of baby wipes containing the combination preservatives methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone, which are chemical compounds that can trigger allergic contact dermatitis. As per FDA Advisory No. 2017-006, which was reiterated through FDA Advisory No. 2018-034, methylisothiazolinone is “prohibited in leave-on products.” As per the European Union, “for leave-on cosmetic products (including ‘wet wipes’), no safe concentrations of MIT for induction of contact allergy or elicitation have been adequately demonstrated.” “We are concerned that wet wipes containing MCI/MIT, including some products that bear Cosmetic Notification No., are still sold in the market. The continued sale of these supposedly hygiene products is disturbing as these preservatives on leave-on products is a common cause of ACD causing skin rash or lesion and other signs and symptoms,” said Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition. Dong Bang, Dong Bang Yao Baby Tender, Family Treasure Baby Tender, Sky Fire Baby Tender, and Giggley Baby Wipes, which are sold for P20P25 per pack, listed MCI/MIT among their ingredients. The group also reported finding “Super Soft Skin Care Wet Towel,” sold for P19/pack, which contains iodopropynyl butylcarbamate or IPBC that is “banned in products intended for children under 3 years of age” in the EU. IPBC belongs to the carbamate family of biocides.

Romualdez seeks creation of cancer hospital for poor L By Rio N. Araja

EYTE Rep.-elect Ferdinand Martin Romualdez is pushing for the creation of a government-owned cancer specialty hospital for cancer patients, especially the poor. Following the passage of the National Integrated Cancer Control Act or Republic Act 11225 toward the creation of cancer specialty hospitals and clinics by the private sector, he said he saw the need to put up a public hospital for cancer patients to ensure a comprehensive high-quality cancer care services at an affordable price. Romualdez, Philippine Constitution Association and Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats president, is a leading contender in the House speakership race. He said the hospital shall be called the Philippine National Cancer Center.

“The creation of the specialty cancer hospital will be included in my legislative agenda as ‘malasakit’ (compassion) to all cancer patients. We need a government-funded hospital for the poor cancer patients,” he noted. The proposal would complement the Cancer Control Act that President Rodrigo Duterte signed last February designed to institutionalize a national integrated program to fight cancer cases and improve cancer survivorship. “We have to complement the newly signed law on battling cancer by building a cancer specialty government hos-

pital to take care of cancer patients. Remember that cancer is the third leading cause of death in the country,” the Leyte lawmaker said. He said an initial P1 billion fund under the national budget to start building the cancer specialty hospital. According to Romualdez, he originally initiated the proposal in the 16th Congress where served as the House independent bloc leader. A similar bill was refiled this 17th Congress by his wife, Incumbent Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez. “Cancer rates are expected to increase with aging of populations and changes in lifestyles associated with economic development,” Romualdez said. “My proposal intends to provide financial support toward the establishment and maintenance of a cancer center for the welfare and benefit of the Filipino people,” he said.

HOLY RELIC. Devotees touch the relic of Saint Rita at the St. Rita de Cascia Church in Baclaran, Parañaque City. The relic reportedly contains the belt and pieces of bones of the saint.

Sotto, 6 others post perfect attendance in 17th Congress By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SENATE President Vicente Sotto III and six other senators scored a perfect attendance during 3rd regular session of the 17th Congress. The six are Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon, Senators Panfilo Lacson, Gregorio Honasan, Joel Villanueva and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. They have attended all of 61 plenary sessions, from July 23, 2018 to June

4, 2019. Sotto and Lacson posted a perfect attendance during the entire 17th Congress, They have never been absent in the first and second regular sessions of 2016 and 2017. Pimentel and Zubiri both scored a perfect attendance during the second regular session which spanned from July 24, 2017 to May 30, 2018. Of the seven, Sotto, Honasan, Lacson and Zubiri achieved a clean attendance record with no record of arriving after

the roll call. They also had no record of calling in sick or being on official missions in the entire 3rd regular session. Except for two instances where he arrived after the roll call was made, Villanueva, who is just on this third year as senator, would have had the same record as that of his more senior colleagues. Data from the Senate Journal Service showed that they were followed by Sen. Nancy Binay who attended 60 session days. She was on an official mission abroad which prompted her to skip one

session day. Senators Win Gatchalian, JV Ejercito and Cynthia Villar completed 58 session days while Senators Risa Hontiveros and Antonio Trillanes IV showed up 57 times. The other senatorswho fared better in attendance were Senators Sonny Angara, Grace Poe and Loren Legarda. They were present for 56 session days. Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph G. Recto and Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero both attended 55 plenary sessions.

No special favors given to new senators—Sotto By Macon Ramos-Araneta DESPITE getting the chairmanship of plum Senate committees in the upcoming 18th Congress, Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Sunday said no special favors were given to Senators-elect Bong Go, Ronald dela Rosa and Francis Tolentino, who are known to be “very close” to President Rodrigo Duterte. Speaking in an interview over radio dzBB, Sotto said that the three senators were just very lucky because the committees they will lead will soon be vacated by outgoing senators. The outgoing senators were about to finish their term or failed in their reelection bid. Go, who served as presidential aide of the Presodent, would get the chairmanship of the committees on health and urban planning, housing and resettlements to be vacated by Senator JV Ejercito, who failed to make it in the mid-term elections last May. Senator Manny Pacquiao offered Go his chairmanship of the committee on sports. Sotto said Dela Rosa, former police chief and direcror of the Bureau of Correcrions, will now chair the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs. Tolentino, a former political adviser of Duterte, will head the Committee on Local Government of reelected Sen. Sonny Angara. Angara, who also heads the ways and means committee, might get the finance committee of elected Antique Gov. Loren Legarda. According to Sotto, the justice committee, headed by Senator Richard Gordon, was not given to him. “‘Di nga napagbigyan si Senator Tol [Tolentino] kasi ang second committee na gusto niya, ‘yung Committee on Justice. Noong binanggit ni [Senator] Manny [Pacquiao] kay Dick ‘yun, lumukot ang noo ni Dick,” he said. Sotto aid most of the committees that the three senators want to chair are committees that no other senator wants to head. The Senate leader is confident he will retain the Senate presidency following the show of support of the majority of his colleagues in the Upper Chamber. However, Sotto said he is prepared to go down from his position if anybody among the senators can present him the number—13 signatures of senators. “We assumed that I have solidified my post as Senate President because nobody said otherwise about my leadership. And when we talked about leadership, this include the pro tempore and majority leader,” explained Sotto. Sotto said he will have no problem if somebody can get the needed 13 votes to assume the post of Senate president.

Opinion

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

‘Daya-lisis’ NEWS reports last week of fraud in the payment of claims for dialysis patients caught my attention. The report by two former employees named the WellMed Dialysis Center and certain PhilHealth officials and claimed connivance by the dialysis provider and the government insurance agency. The corrupt practice, according to the whistleblowers, was to continue collecting payments for dialysis treatment for patients who are already dead and also to pad payments so that they are bigger than their actual cost.

The culprits must be shamed in public if not given a long prison term. The corrupt will always find creative ways to cheat the public and steal government funds. This is cheating of the highest form and we can now call its “daya-lisis.” “Daya” in Filipino means cheat. To be fair, the fraudulent scheme cannot be totally blamed on WellMed and PhilHealth officials alone. It has to have the participation of relatives of the deceased who most probably allowed its continued collection for a small percentage of the money. The rationale for their consent: They spent a lot in medical

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

expenses for the patient before his or her demise and they might as well recover some of it Treatment and medication is expensive for this complicated disease that affects the kidney, bladder, heart and lungs. The World Health Organization has raised diabetes as an endemic affliction affecting millions of people worldwide As a diabetic myself for the last 20 years, I think the report about the dialysis payment fraud is bad news. It means it will be more difficult for me to avail of the treatment once my current Type 2 diabetes worsens. It will be the same for many other diabetics who do not have the funds for the expensive treatment. I had a diabetic brother who after undergoing dialysis for months passed away nonetheless at the age of 76. It was the same for another brother and an aunt so it must run in the family. Former Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, who’s also a former columnist for this newspaper, said the Well Med- PhilHealth case is not an isolated one. Indeed there must be other instances when poor desperate families could not even get sufficient funds for hospitalized loved ones. Yet this is money automatically deducted from employees’ salaries. In response to the grave case of corruption, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the prosecution of the guilty parties and to clean out PhilHealth of its errant officials. The report now coming out of PhilHealth is that there is a “Mafia” behind the racket who divide the money among themselves. Perhaps a lifestyle check is in order to find out who among in

Turn to A5

Aiming higher

AM a Filipino" by Carlos P. Romulo, published in August 1941 in the Philippines Herald, is often seen as a manifesto for the Filipino’s desire for independence. Romulo, a statesman, diplomat, author and journalist who served under eight Philippine presidents and was the country's representative to the United States and the United Nations, wrote passionately about the desire of Filipinos to be free. His essay seems particularly poignant, coming as it did mere months before the Philippines shed one colonial authority—the Americans—for the invading Japanese. This week, as the nation prepares to mark its 121st Independence Day, Romulo’s essay is as relevant today as it was when it was first published. “I am a Filipino–inheritor of a glorious past, hostage to the uncertain future,” Romulo’s essay begins. “As such I must prove equal to a two-fold task–the task of meeting my responsibility to the past, and the task of performing my obligation to the future.” We too, seem to be hostage to an uncertain future in 2019—a world where facts no longer seem to matter, and where demagogues and tyrants dominate, and where civility no longer has a place in our national discourse. Romulo speaks of our heroes, as well. “I am a Filipino. In my blood runs the immortal seed of heroes–

seed that flowered down the centuries in deeds of courage and defiance. In my veins yet pulses the same hot blood that sent LapuLapu to battle against the first invader of this land, that nerved Lakandula in the combat against the alien foe, that drove Diego Silang and Dagohoy into rebellion against the foreign oppressor. That seed is immortal. It is the self-same seed that flowered in the heart of Jose Rizal that morning in Bagumbayan when a volley of shots put an end to all that was mortal of him and made his spirit deathless forever, the same that flowered in the hearts of Bonifacio in Balintawak, of Gergorio del Pilar at Tirad Pass, of Antonio Luna at Calumpit; that bloomed in flowers of frustration in the sad heart of Emilio Aguinaldo at Palanan, and yet burst fourth royally again in the proud heart of Manuel L. Quezon when he stood at last on the threshold of ancient Malacañang Palace...” Romulo also wrote of unity and progress. “Out of the lush green of these seven thousand isles, out of the heartstrings of 16-million people all vibrating to one song, I shall weave the mighty fabric of my pledge. Out of the songs of the farmers at sunrise when they go to labor in the fields,

out of the sweat of the hard-bitten pioneers in Mal-lig and Koronadal, out of the silent endurance of stevedores at the piers and the ominous grumbling of peasants in Pampanga, out of the first cries of babies newly born and the lullabies that mothers sing, out of the crashing of gears and the whine of turbines in the factories, out of the crunch of plough-shares upturning the earth, out of the limitless patience of teachers in the classrooms and doctors in the clinics, out of the tramp of soldiers marching, I shall make the pattern of my pledge: “I am a Filipino born to freedom, and I shall not rest until freedom shall have been added unto my inheritance—for myself and my children and my children’s children—forever.” Deviod of the crass and vulgar language favored these days, Romulo’s manifesto is as relevant— and as powerful—today as it was when it was written with such eloquence, grace and civility almost eight decades ago. When we read about some government official wanting to tear out a critic’s genitals with pliers, or an arrogant broadcaster saying he will shove a public servant’s face into a toilet bowl, we weep for the loss of our common civility—and yearn for a time when language was used, not to shove us down into the muck, but to help us aim higher and to achieve greatness.

Political trivia

IT WOULD seem that all’s well that ends well in the Senate. The 24 “republics” seem to have reached an agreement to maintain the status quo in its leadership, with Senate President Tito Sotto remaining at the helm. No one really aspired for the position anyway, and the muchpublicized “threat” about Senator Cynthia Villar, the latest senatorial topnotcher, seeking to unseat Sotto was just a stick floated by some who wanted certain carrots in the form of committee chairmanships. In the lower house meanwhile, the political waters continue to roil. Accusations followed by denials about vote-buying with fantastic sums thicken the air when in reality everyone just awaits with bated breath he decision of their audience of one—the part-time resident of the Palace beside the Pasig. With Congress leadership seemingly “settled,” speculative whispers by the political cognoscenti (or those who have such pretensions) have now begun on the subject of those who are casting moist eyes on the presidency which will be up for grabs in 2022, three years down the road. With the President’s exceedingly high popularity levels, the betting is on Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte to succeed her father in Malacañang, with the latter’s blessings, of course. If that happens, it would be a first in our political history, where daughter succeeds father to the presidency, mismo. But first, let me recall what political analyst and former investment banker Tony Gatmaitan once called the “regla” or rule of presidents elected by our people. His thesis was that only those whose names had an “el,” or “os,” or “on”

get elected or succeed in becoming president of the land. He began with Manuel Luis Quezon (Emilio Aguinaldo of the First Republic was not elected). Note the “el” in Manuel and the “on” in Quezon. He was succeeded by his vice president, Sergio Osmena, who had an “os” in his surname. Even if we were to factor in Jose P. Laurel, the wartime Second Republic President, there was an “os” and an “el” in the names. Manuel A. Roxas defeated Osmeña to become the first president of the third republic. Notice the “el” in Manuel.

Will this be a historic leap?

Roxas died of a heart attack while inside the Clark Airbase in Pampanga, and was succeeded by Elpidio Quirino, whose first name began with an “el.” He was elected in 1949 over Laurel, but when he ran for reelection in 1953, Ramon Magsaysay with the “on” in his first name won. Ramon died in an airplane accident in Cebu, and Bohol’s Carlos P. Garcia, with an “os” to his name, succeeded. Running for election, he won in 1957. But seeking reelection in 1961, Garcia lost to Diosdado P. Macapagal. Note again the “os” in Diosdado. Macapagal served only one term of four years, because Ferdinand Marcos defeated him in 1965. Marcos ruled for almost 21 years, two-thirds of that under his declared martial rule. And after his political arch-enemy Benigno A. Aquino Jr. died in the tarmac of the international airport, it was his widow Corazon with the “on” who unseated the dictator after a military breakaway upon EDSA. Then in 1992, she anointed her successor, Fidel V. Ramos, with the “el” and the “os,” narrowly defeating Miriam Defensor Santiago with nary an el-os-on. FVR anointed Jose de Turn to A5

Is he up for the job?

A NEWCOMER with connections or a veteran with enough expertise. On the race to Speakership, it is not wrong for aspirants to be confident about themselves. What is not acceptable is an aspirant who wants the Speakership with not even a little qualification except for being an ally of the First Family.

The job of House Speaker is a rigorous one. Former Press Secretary Rigoberto Tiglao has a point when he criticized the 41-year-old Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco who is seeking the post. Besides the fact that Velasco is not well-known, he is only a two-term

congressman who was even defeated by rival Regina Reyes with a 4,000vote advantage. Velasco only got the seat because Reyes was disqualified on the issue of citizenship. Reyes appealed the case to the Supreme Court, the high court ruled that COMELEC no longer had jurisdiction over the case since Velasco was already declared the winner and the proper venue would be the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal. This is not to undermine Velasco’s capability. But is he really up for the rigorous job of a House Speaker? To quote Tiglao’s statement, “why

Turn to A5

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Opinion Water hyacinths: Bane or boon? POP GOES THE WORLD JENNY ORTUOSTE WATER hyacinths first entered the public’s consciousness during the past administration, when then-President Noynoy Aquino declared war on the pesky plants that were choking up to 20 hectares of the Rio Grande de Mindanao in Cotabato City. Photos of the river at the time show a wide expanse of green plants so thick and dense that it blocked boats and other traffic and caused floods. Aquino said the government would study means to control the growth and spread of the water hyacinths, and explore using the plants’ fiber and as biofuel or alternative energy source. The plants, however, are hardy, and appear regularly during the wet season. They are seen blanketing the Pasig River as a huge green biomass, having traveled from Laguna de Bai. Fast-forward to today. According to a recent advisory from the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, water hyacinths aren’t all that bad and in fact have important uses particularly in rehabilitating waterways. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is one of the most known aquatic plants and is present in the waterways of Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America. In its advisory released June 7, PRRC executive director Jose Antonio E. Goitia informed the public “with the start of rainy season comes the bloom of water hyacinth plants, which have now started to spread across the Pasig River all the way from Laguna Lake. “Being a tidal estuary, the coming of water hyacinths to the Pasig River is an indication that

Political... From A4

Venecia in turn, but his “os” was weaker than veritable “tocayo” Joseph Ejercito Estrada. It was in 2001 when the Gatmaitan “regla” was broken, when Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo succeeded Estrada after the EDSA Dos coup. Seeking legitimacy in 2004, GMA won over Fernando Poe, who also did not have the el-os-on to his name. GMA ruled for nine years, when in 2010, her anointed Gilberto Cojuangco Teodoro lost to Benigno Simeon Aquino, son of Ninoy and Cory. Maybe his use of the second Christian name Simeon instead of the mother’s Cojuangco brought him luck, even against Joseph Estrada and Manuel Villar, both with the fabled letters. Then in 2016, an earlier laughedout candidate from left field, Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte, with nary an elos-on in any of his names, triumphed over Manuel Araneta Roxas with

the water level in Laguna Lake is getting higher than Manila Bay’s mean sea level. “We received reports from concerned citizens about sightings of “green slime” at some parts of the river. We would like to clarify that the green “slime” or pigment is actually water hyacinth algal bloom. Indeed, water hyacinths are coming.” Though the plants are known to cause problems in ferry operations, they are used to remove heavy metals from the Pasig River and its tributaries.

Other productive and beneficial uses can be found for these plants.

The plants are also benefiting poor families in BASECO through a handloom weaving livelihood program at PRRC’s White House facility. Artisans there strip the fibers from the plant stalks and weave them into high-quality bags, table runners, fans, slippers, blankets, shawls, and bracelets. Proceeds from the sales of water hyacinth products provide the craftspeople with a livelihood. Among those who have visited the White House to buy the handicrafts are foreigners, journalists, and politicians, among the latter Senators Emmanuel D. Pacquiao and Cynthia A. Villar, who donated more weaving equipment. The PRRC acknowledges “that the quick proliferation of water hyacinths might cause inconvenience to the riding public of Pasig River Ferry Service. “To prevent this problem and to keep the Pasig River navigable, we reactivated the PRRC Task

the “el” and Grace Sonora Poe with the “on,” even the incumbent veep Jejomar Binay. Tony Gatmaitan’s regla has been broken not once but twice. Quien sera, 2022? In the pre-martial law years, presidents came from the Senate, even if they were in the lower house previously, as speaker or senate president even. Ramon Magsaysay broke the tradition that the legislature was breeding ground for presidents. Though Magsaysay was a one-term congressman, it was when President Quirino plucked him into the Cabinet as Defense secretary that the “guy” became legendary. Two congressmen followed Magsaysay, Garcia of Bohol and Macapagal of Pampanga. But Marcos went from congressman to senator to Senate President, restoring the traditional source of presidents being from Congress. Until the grieving widow Cory unseated him, and then bequeathed the leadership to another defense secretary, her FVR. Erap was mayor,

‘Daya-lisis’

Is he...

the government health insurance agency is living beyond their salary scale. The presidential action should give courage to those in the state health agency who are afraid of being removed from the service by the higher-ups if they come out with the incidences of official corruption. There are mounting calls for the suspects in PhilHealth to resign but I doubt if they would have the decency to do so as that would in a way be an admission of guilt. But they must be flushed out from the sanctuary of their positions so a deep and total investigation can be carried out. The culprits must be shamed in public if not given a long prison term, in fairness to those who toil honorably despite low wages like public school teachers and farmers who break their backs planting to feed the nation. Public service as they say, after all, is a public trust. Violation of it deserves the strongest punishment.

on earth this 41-year-old congressman who had troubled route to his congressional seat, have the gall to think he can be Speaker, in the league of such political titans as the late Ramon Mitra, Jose de Venecia, Manuel Villar and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo?” To our congressmen, is being a Speaker now something to be looked down on? Can anyone just be a Speaker? Can Velasco, who has yet to prove something in terms of politics, leadership and mastery on chamber rules, be a leader of 300 lawmakers? While Velasco played a major role in the campaign of the senatorial aspirants under the Hugpong ng Pagbabago, he has yet to be seen or heard immersing in or involving himself with important issues in the country concerning the country. When a shakedown happened in the leadership of former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, who was removed in his position and replaced by Mrs. Arroyo, Velasco’s name surfaced as the one who will replace

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Force Water Hyacinth group.” Presumably this task force will remove the plants from the paths of the ferries, allowing them and other boats clear passage. PRRC is a government agency whose mission is “to transform Pasig River and its environs into a showcase of a new quality of urban life” towards the vision of “a new Pasig River clean and alive reflecting the country's noble history and progress.” Recently, the PRRC, with their “limited resources,” did their best “to control the backflow of garbage from the Manila Bay,” Goitia said in his advisory. “We intercepted more than 300,000 kilos of solid waste that could have killed the aquatic life in the Pasig River. It was not easy, but we did not give up because our Pasig River is worth loving and fighting for,” he added. Water hyacinths might seem a bane for the conduct of human affairs on the waterways, but it turns out they actually serve a purpose in water rehabilitation and livelihood programs. Management of their growth and proliferation is key, as are information dissemination and public awareness about the topic. PRRC should also consider reaching out to the Department of Science and Technology and other related agencies and private bodies to explore using water hyacinths for energy and fuel, as former President Aquino proposed. By bringing other brains to bear on the challenge, other productive and beneficial uses can be found for those plants, and they needn’t be considered pesky after all. Help rehabilitate the Pasig River and assist marginalized communities by visiting the PRRC White House for your souvenirs and gifts. /FB and Twitter: @ DrJennyO

then senator, then vice president before he was elected president by a wide, wide margin, losing his seat via a military coup two years and seven months after, to his vice president, the daughter of a one-term president who started elective office as senator, then vice president. After GMA, it was a senator, an Aquino, who was brought to power by the emotional wave of sympathy over the death of his mother months before elections. But nobody predicted that a city mayor from largely forgotten Mindanao would bring back both the Bisaya (after Boholano Garcia) nation and Mindanao to leadership prominence after a long, parched desert of neglect. Two presidential scions, a Macapagal and an Aquino, but winning after a long interval from the primacy of their father or mother. Will Sara Zimmerman Duterte be the first presidential daughter to immediately succeed the presidency of her father come June 30, 2022? Will the President bless such a historic leap?

former House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas. It never materialized as his colleagues were reportedly wary of his relative inexperience as a House leader. Our challenge to Congressman Velasco is to prove his mettle first. It is not enough that he is an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte and a friend of presidential daughter Sara Duterte. This is not enough credential to claim leadership of the House. If he could prove he really is qualified for the job, then by no means, he can go for it. But only if he is really up for it. *** It’s been almost a month since the elections but an honest-to-goodness assessment of how polling firms fared in their elections surveys and projections has yet to be done. I believe this is necessary. An assessment will solidify the credibility of these polling firms or send them crumbling, depending on how they projected the election results. It will also help determine if these election surveys are really needed for future

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

Green energy without subsidy This allows MGreen to pursue a model that takes costly government subsidies out of the equation while delivering competitive electricity for its customers. The broad potential of the shift did not go unnoticed, and Murang KuryECONOMIC development, espe- ente Party-list said Meralco’s procially if it were to be inclusive, file as the biggest distribution utilrequires conscientious planning in ity in the country, not to mention which time is of the essence. its power-generation projects, Coming out of the summer puts it “in a position to change the months, the series of yellow, and energy mix of the Philippines on even some disquieting red alerts its own.” in the Luzon grid over April and Even so, MGEN president RogMay ought to call attention to a elio Singson said the push toward problem that requires immediate renewables is meant to compleattention. Supply issues continue ment so-called baseload power to hound the domestic power in- sources that guarantees rounddustry, an important engine that the-clock supply. can make or break an unfolding “Our argument is we need baseeconomic takeoff. load plant from cheapest source, Expand that situation to the six- which is coal, but using ‘high effiyear period between 2012 and ciency, low emission’ [Hele] to be 2018, for instance, and you get an able to decommission the old and even more dire picture, with the inefficient coal plants, which are Luzon grid seeing demand con- on extended life,” Singson added. sistently outCoal curpace capacity. rently accounts If nothing is for more than This just might be a done to ara third of the rest this wor- game-changer. country’s availrying trend, able capacity. it can have Of the 4,835 ca enormous reMW of new capercussions in the context of the pacity committed by power gengen administration’s much-vaunted eration firms from 2019 to 2023, economic development agenda. some 81 percent, or 3,950 MW, No economy had prospered with- will come from coal plants. Gas out stable, adequate, and afford- lags behind at 650 MW or 13.4 able power. percent, with the rest coming Add the issue of climate change from other renewable sources. into the mix and the situation beElsewhere, the key reform neccomes even more complex. While essary to further reinvigorate the clean renewable energy is inargu- power sector is still cutting the ably the way forward if the fate of bureaucratic red tape, which will the planet were to be considered, it facilitate the building of muchis similarly clear that on the ground needed power plants. Even so, there is a need to balance ecological Department of Energy Assistant awareness with reliability, and cost Secretary Redentor Delola said to consumers, especially with the the combined committed capacity fast growing demand. from various projects “will cover Meralco recently announced our demand for next year until that it is embarking on a signifi- 2021.” cant expansion of its plants to inMeanwhile, the multibillion vest in renewable energy projects Mindanao-Visayas Interconnecover the coming years. The shift tion Project will connect us with to renewables is “inexorable,” the Mindanao grid by 2020. With said its new president and CEO a unified national grid, power lawyer Ray Espinosa, and so the transmission services in the counpower giant has vowed to invest try will be more reliable, and the in 1,000 megawatts (MW) of re- sharing of local energy resources newable energy projects in the will translate to fewer power innext five to seven years. terruptions nationwide, according “Meralco is committed to devel- to the National Grid Corporation oping large-scale renewable energy of the Philippines. projects that can deliver competiThe situation thus appears to tive energy for our customers, with- be under control for now but in out any requirement for subsidy or the very short term. But since support, while keeping environ- the power industry is capitalmental stewardship and sustainabil- and time-intensive, we can never ity as top priorities in our business,” be too prepared. AC Energy Inc. Espinosa added. president Eric Francia said he preMGEN Renewable Energy Inc. dicts “a huge uncertainty” beyond (MGreen), the newly set up sub- 2022 when it comes to gas, LNG, sidiary of Meralco’s generation and the future of new plants, due arm MGEN, will serve as the to persistent issues of openness platform for this strategic push and transparency in the market. to develop primarily solar, wind, In this regard, Meralco’s entry and run-of-river hydro projects. in renewables can be a gameEspinosa said part of the impe- changer, and it is only through tus was “the significant reduc- a strategically balanced mix of tion in the development cost [of power sources and enough plants the projects], particularly for that we can cross that tightrope large-scale solar and wind over between growth and environmenthe past years.” tal stewardship.

election purposes. While many voters look upon the mainstream pollsters—Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations—as the most accurate polling firms out there, I can’t help but raise doubts on how they handled Senator-elect Francis Tolentino’s case. More than a month heading into the elections, Tolentino was safely tucked in ninth to 10th place as per their survey results. However, with no major development, Tolentino drastically slipped into 15th to 17th place in both survey firms’ results. And to think the influential Iglesia ni Cristo had included Tolentino in the list of senatorial candidates it was to endorse for the May 13 polls. Other major religious groups did the same. The result? Tolentino did really bag the ninth place. Something which independent pollster, The Center headed by Ed Malay, accurately projected right from the start. “We’re still going over the 2019 results especially to help us in political mapping and we just realized that the final results are well within our

predictive percentages in our last and final survey,” Malay said. “But in the case of Tolentino, we have been saying from the start that he will end up with 33 to 35 percent for the ninth position and the final COMELEC tally for him was 33 percent which is well within our Pulso margin of error of 2.5 percent. In fact, there was one Pulso survey that he was in eighth place which he could’ve also shared with Imee since only 300K votes separated them,” Malay avers. “As I have repeatedly said, the accuracy of the surveys shouldn’t depend only on the data being extracted but also the employment of what we call ‘listening posts’ that provide The Center with a near-to-exact barometer of the political movements on the ground that are not reflected on the survey responses,” he added. Congratulations again. It only means that the Pulso ng Pilipino of The Center was all along right on the bat and yet people are so enamored by SWS and Pulse Asia. It’s about time we started paying attention to independent pollsters.

News

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

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WHO: Dating apps factor in STD cases rise PVAO: Pension G ENEVA—The World Health Organization has expressed alarm at the lack of progress on curbing sexually transmitted diseases, while one of its experts warned of complacency as dating apps are spurring sexual activity.

The UN health agency said in a fresh report that every day globally there were more than one-million new cases of treatable sexually transmitted diseases or infections. WHO found that there were more than 376-million new cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis and syphilis registered around the world in 2016—the latest year for which data is available. That is basically the same number as WHO reported in its previous study, based on data from 2012.

A WHO expert on sexually transmitted infections, Teodora Wi, separately told journalists there were concerns that condom use may be declining as people have lost their fear of contracting HIV in step with the emergence of available and effective antiviral treatments. People are “more complacent about protection,” she said, adding that this was dangerous at a time when “sex is becoming more accessible [through things like] dating apps.” Peter Salama, WHO’s executive

director of Universal Health Coverage, said in a statement that “we’re seeing a concerning lack of progress in stopping the spread of sexually transmitted infections worldwide.” He called it “a wake-up call” for authorities to ensure that everybody had access to services to prevent and treat STIs. WHO’s new report shows that in 2016, some 127-million people between the ages of 15 and 49 were infected with chlamydia globally, while 87 million contracted gonorrhoea, and 6.3 million contracted syphilis. In addition, some 156 million were infected with trichomoniasis—a parasital disease commonly known as “trich.” ‘Hidden epidemic’ “On average, approximately one in 25 people globally have at least one of these

STIs,” the UN health agency said. But since they seldom display symptoms early on, people often do not know they have been infected and need treatment, allowing the diseases to continue to spread. “We consider this a hidden epidemic, a silent epidemic, a dangerous epidemic,” Melanie Taylor, another WHO expert on sexually transmitted infections and author of the report, told a journalists in a conference call. If left untreated, STIs can lead to serious and chronic conditions, including neurological and cardiovascular disease, infertility, stillbirths and increased risk of contracting HIV. Syphilis alone caused some 200,000 stillbirths and newborn deaths in 2016, making one of the leading cause of baby loss globally, second only to malaria, Taylor said. AFP

SNAPSHOTS. Marawi City Mayor Majul Usman Gandamra (gesturing) shows to SM Supermalls Vice President for Corporate Marketing Grace Magno the heart-tugging photos of the Marawi siege during the launching of ‘Picturing Marawi’ photo exhibit at the Atrium of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City on June 6. PNA

Leyte lawmaker fails to get SC relief over narco-list inclusion By Rey E. Requejo A MEMBER of the House of Representatives included in President Rodrigo Duterte’s list of narcopoliticians failed to get immediate relief from the Supreme Court in his bid to clear his name of alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade. Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso filed a petition for writ of habeas data before the high court on April 25 after the President made public his

so-called narco-list before the May 13 elections. However, the SC has since not acted on the petition, despite holding two en banc sessions already, a special session on May 3 and the resumption of regular session on June 4. The court likewise has not issued the writ sought by the petitioner that would have required respondents led by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to answer the petition. SC insiders disclosed the magistrates

did not see urgency to act on the petition of Veloso, who was reelected as third district representative. It was not clear when the magistrates will tackle the case again in their succeeding en banc sessions. In his petition, Veloso urged the SC to immediately issue the writ of habeas data ordering the Palace to “disclose to petitioner the person or persons who included his name in the President’s March 14, list of narco-politicians and to disclose his

or their factual and legal bases.” The lawmaker also sought an order “enjoining the respondents from further including the name of petitioner in any derogatory list that besmirches his reputation and/or violate his right to life, liberty or security.” Lastly, Veloso asked the SC to also immediately order the Philippine National Police to release to him his two security details previously approved by the Commission on Elections.

of almost 6K dead veterans remain intact By Rio N. Araja THE Philippine Veterans Affairs Office on Sunday maintained the pension for veterans who have already died remained unclaimed. PVAO Administrator and Defense Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina clarified the agency’s pension funds remained intact and that any irregularity in the release of pensions was very remote. Carolina issued the statement after a 2018 Commission on Audit report showed 5,721 deceased pensioners continued to receive their monthly pensions amounting to P70.25 million. “As I have said in my first statement, I can guarantee that no deceased pensioner has received a pension,” he said in a television interview. In instances of inclusion of several dead veterans in the PVAO payroll, he said such could happen because PVAO had not yet been informed of their deaths. “The report [of the Commission on Audit] has questioned PVAO why its payroll last year still included those who have already died. So we explained them that it’s really like that since it was not that instant to know if some of them have already died,” Carolina said. Despite this, he assured the public that while pensions were transferred, these were never withdrawn or claimed. He said PVAO and the Philippine Statistics Authority are closely coordinating with one another to help update the list of pensioners. Carolina said the Philippine Postal Corp. would also visit pensioners and even take pictures of them as a proof of life.

SSS taps 9 domestic fund QC councilor questions Metro Manila subway plan managers for P7-b investments STATE-RUN Social Security System has tapped nine domestic fund managers to manage part of its Investment Reserve Fund worth P7 billion to help improve pension fund’s earnings from investments. SSS president Aurora Ignacio said the pension fund deployed P1 billion each for three Balanced Fund Mandates, three Pure Equity Fund Mandates, and one Pure Fixed Income Fund Mandate. An investment mandate is an instruction to manage the pool of capital or funds, using a specific strategy and within certain risk parameters. Earlier, SSS opened the bidding to hire nine local fund managers to manage the P9 billion investible funds which are divided equally to three types of mandate namely: Balanced Fund Mandate, Pure Equity Fund Mandate, and Pure Fixed Income Mandate. Ignacio said the local fund managers underwent an open and competitive bidding and transparent evaluation process. After the bidding process, only P7 billion was deployed to qualified fund managers. Under the Balanced Fund Mandate, SSS selected the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., BPI Asset Management, and Trust Corp. and ATRAM Trust Corp. who will each manage P1-billion investible fund. For Pure Equity Fund Mandate, BPI Asset Management and Trust Corp., Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., and Philequity Management Inc. will each handle P1 billion investible fund. Manila Meanwhile, BPI Asset Management and Trust Corp. was entrusted Standard to TODAY oversee P1-billion investible fund for the Pure Fixed Income Fund Mandate. “The SSS management believes that it will benefit from the investment value-added services of the fund managers such as training, access to proprietary investment analysis and information and access to business analytics,” Ignacio said.

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC Notice is hereby given that Federation of Ice Hockey league, Inc. (FIHL) also known as “Hockey Philippines” with office address at 2F North Wing Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City is applying for membership at the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC). Any other sports body which claims to represents the FIHL or any objection to the application for membership of the applying Sports Association should be presented before the POC Membership Commission within a period of fifteen (15) days from the date of publication. (MS-JUNE 10, 2019)

QUEZON City District 1 councilor Victor Ferrer Jr. is challenging the construction of the P356.96-billion Metro Manila subway system, calling on the city government to hold in abeyance the issuance of relevant permits for the project He said the Department of Transportation has a lot of explaining to do to convince the 37-member city council and other stakeholders that the underground railway system would actually beneﬁt the city. “The subway project will likewise have an effect on property and land valuation in Quezon City, which has to be looked into

NO CARE IN THE WORLD.

Three kids enjoy playing at a mini-slide at the Quezon City Memorial Park on a sunny Sunday. Manny Palmero

considering its potential impact on the city’s generation of revenue,” Ferrer’s proposed resolution read. Ferrer, a certiﬁed public accountant, cited Section 27 of the Local Government Code that “no project be implemented by government authorities unless the required consultations are complied with and prior approval of the Sanggunian is obtained, provided, that occupants, and other concerned sectors of the community before any project or program is implemented in a local government unit’s jurisdiction.” The ﬁrst phase of the construction shall include the subway stations along North

Avenue and Tandang Sora. The District 1 councilor said these two areas “have numerous business establishments and are densely populated” as he asked DoTr if an infrastructure project of such magnitude would not affect the residents and business establishments. He said the project “will surely have a huge impact on all the residents of Quezon City.” He told DoTR that public consultations are needed before the council could pass a resolution that the 36-kilometer subway project “has no further objection or concerns.” Rio N. Araja

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Huge field vies in PPS Olivarez tilt CLOSE to 250 entries, headed by the top junior players in the National Capital Region and nearby cities, kick off their chase for top honors in various divisions as the PPS-PEPP Dr. Pablo Olivarez national age-group 2019 which got under way over the weekend at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat, Parañaque. Denise Bernardo, Julia Ignacio, Justine Maneja and Alaine Obra brace for a spirited duel in the girls’ 18-and-under class while Loucas Fernandez, Marcus del Rosario, Daniel Estanislao III and Jester Ocio banner the boys’ premier side of the Group I tournament which drew 32-player rosters in six age categories. Maneja and Ignacio are also seeing action in the 16-U play that also features Gaby Zoleta and Melody Dizon while Ocio, JT Bernardo, Rafael Liangco and Lance Fernandez get the top billing in the boys’ 16-U bracket. The organizing Palawan PawnshopPalawan Express Pera Padala set the event, sponsored by Dr. Pablo Olivarez, on two weekends (June 8-9 and June 1516) and on June 12, a holiday, so as not to disrupt the student-athletes’ classes. “We always put on consideration the student-athletes’ commitment to education and we’re inspired by the huge turnout which only underscores these young players’ continued support to the circuit,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro. Keen competition is also expected in the other divisions with Bernardo, Joshua Diva, Jagat Sachdeva and France Dilao gearing up for a fierce battle in the boys’ 14-U class and Dizon, Mica Emana, Jiana Hernandez and Carrilyn Pesengco spearheading the 32-player draw in the girls’ 14-U play of the tournament presented by Dunlop. Felicia Araneta and Alecsa Ilao, on the other hand, lead the cast in the girls’ 12-U category while a sibling rivalry looms in the boys’ 12-U section with John Prince and Kriz Roque Lim up against Frank and France Dilao. Kriz Roque Lim is also the marked player in the 10-unisex side, which also lured the likes of Samuel Davila, Devin Yap and Rafael Llira in the tournament sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg.

Fans react as Toronto Raptors fans gather to watch Game 4 of the NBA Finals series outside Scotiabank Arena at ‘Jurassic Park in Toronto, Canada. AFP

Raptors on cusp of history T

ORONTO—Injured and weary, the Golden State Warriors are one loss from the end of their ﬁve-year NBA dynasty run at the hands of the upstart Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors own a 3-1 lead in the bestof-seven NBA Finals entering Monday’s game five at Toronto and could become the first team from outside the United States to capture the championship. “It’s difficult,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said of the excitement. “Can’t let people take you someplace you aren’t yet. “We know this is a great team and we know how hard we have to play to beat them. We have to just focus in on trying to be the hardest working team on the floor.” The Warriors are in their fifth consecutive NBA Finals, seeking their third title in a row and fourth in five years. Of 34 teams that seized a 3-1 NBA Finals lead, the only one that failed to win was Golden State in 2016, when LeBron James rallied the Cleveland Cavaliers to an historic title.

“We’ve been on the wrong side of 3-1 before, so why not make our own history?” Warriors forward Draymond Green said. “We’ve won three in a row before. You’ve got to have faith you can get it done. Believe what we believe and give it what we got. And if we fail, you live with the results, but just leave it all out there.” Kawhi Leonard, who won an NBA title with San Antonio in 2014, directs a quick-strike attack and smothering defensive system for the Raptors, who have outhustled the injury-hit Warriors. Golden State playoff scoring leader Kevin Durant, the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, has been out for a month with a right calf injury. “His body will tell him if he can get out there,” Green said. “If he can, great. If not, still got to try to find a way to win the next game.”

The Warriors seek a third consecutive title and fourth in five seasons, but the toll of so many deep playoff runs is showing, guard Klay Thompson missing game three with a left hamstring strain and Andre Iguodala slowed by a leg injury. “It’s a long season. You play 100-plus games, you’re going to be banged up,” Thompson said. “You just got to dig deep. No one’s going to feel sorry for you, so you just got to go out there, man up and play the best of your ability.” DeMarcus Cousins returned from a torn quad in six weeks to play in the finals while Kevon Looney was declared done with a chest injury but returned for game four. ‘We can get this done’ Combined with Toronto’s solid play, the injuries might be too much for the Warriors to overcome. “It’s not over,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. “We still have life and have an opportunity to win. It’s just a matter of can we get it done or not, and we’re going to leave it all out there starting on Monday.

“The only way we’re going to get back in this series is give everything we got for 48 minutes, everybody that sets foot on that floor in game five. In our locker room we’re talking about believing. Everybody believes we can get this done.” The Warriors rallied from 3-1 down to beat Oklahoma City in the 2016 Western Conference finals, so they know it can be done. “You just try to win one game,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “We’re not thinking about winning three. Win one game. That’s the task. “I know we’re capable. We got a lot of talent and we got a lot of pride. These guys have been to the finals five straight years for a reason. They’re unbelievably competitive. And they’re going to fight the whole way.” The Raptors expect nothing less. “We didn’t do nothing yet,” Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said. “They’re the defending champs and they’re not going to go out easy. They’re going to come and fight and that’s how we’re preparing ourselves.” AFP

Chase of SEA Games golf berths resumes today PH cagebelles eye 1st-ever gold medal in ‘19 SEA Games

THIRTEEN survivors of the SEA Games men’s team Stage I qualifier make their final charge for the coveted berths as Stage 2 of the grueling elims starts today (Monday, June 10) at the Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac. Reigning national junior champion and recent National pro-am winner Aidric Chan lived up to the hype – at least in the first phase – as he topped the 72-hole tournament last week to tow 12 others into the last final stretch of their spirited battle for the three berths in this year’s SEA Games national squad. Though the Ateneo ace had built a three-stroke cushion with a 286 aggregate, he remained wary of his chances with the expected charge of the other bidders on the tough, hazard-laden course made more challenging by its unpredictable greens. “They’re all great competitors and it made me even more motivated to play my best and work harder,” said Chan, referring to the likes of Carl Corpus, Luis Castro and Sean Ramos, who all pooled 289s after four rounds of play in the elims organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines. Gab Manotoc fought back with a final round 69 to get back into the

thick of things at 290 but the rest will have to dish out low rounds in the next four days to get a shot at one of the three slots in the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation, the PLDT Group, Cignal and Metro Pacific and hosted by Luisita. Edward Dy and Kristoffer Arevalo scored identical 296s, 10 shots off the pace, while Alexander Bisera, Paolo Wong and Ivan Monsalve all had 297s followed by Lanz Uy (299), Ryan Monsalve and Rolando Bregente, who assembled identical 303s. Chan had stressed the importance of taming Luisita’s surface, saying: “Luisita’s greens must be read on a much more detailed aspect because they difficult compared to other courses.” The top three players after Stage 2 will banner the Philippine team in the SEA Games slated Nov. 30-Dec. 10 with the golf competitions also slated at the Robert Trent Jones, Jr.designed layout, making the twoweek qualifier a boost in terms of training and preparations for those who would make the team. The women’s squad is expected to be composed of the very team that won the Asian Games gold medal Reigning national junior champion Aidric Chan lived last year, led by Yuka Saso, Bianca up to the hype as he topped the 72-hole tournament Pagdanganan and Lois Kaye Go. last week.

PNP intensifies drive vs illegal sabong THE Philippine National Police has intensified its drive against all form of illegal gambling, including the proliferation of Off Cock Betting Stations or e-sabong. Acting upon the complaint of Ian O. Dela Cruz of Muntinlupa City, PNP Director for Operation Police Major General Ma.O Aplasca, in his response letter dated May 27, 2019 has directed Regional Director of Police Regional Office 4A, PNP Intelligence Unit and Criminal Investigation and Direction Group ‘to investigate, validate and take appropriate action on the matter.’ On the complaint of Dela Cruz, the e-sabong is clearly in violation of P.D. No. 449 (Cockfighting Law of 1974) which states that cockfighting shall be allowed only in licensed cockpits during Sundays and legal holidays and during

fiestas for not more than three days. It may also be held during provincial, city or municipal, agricultural, commercial or industrial fair, carnival or exposition for a similar period of three days upon resolution of the province, city or municipality. All legal matters pertaining cockfighting was transferred to the Games and Amusement Board from the defunct Philippine Gamefowl Commission as part of streamlining the Office of the President in 2009. An e-sabong bill has already been passed at the House of Representatives, but is still waiting for passage in the Senate. In the absence of the a law pertaining to a new form of electronic gambling like e-sabong, the PNP will ascribe to P.D. No. 449 or the Cockfighting Law of 1974.

Golovkin... From A8

Rolls. Golovkin sized him up by winning a close first round. In the second, Rolls (10-1) hit him with a left hook and a left jab that snapped Golovkin’s head back. But Golovkin started to see cracks in Rolls’ defence in the third round. He stayed patient -- even holding off and not throwing punches despite getting Rolls in a vulnerable position. Golovkin’s the type of boxer who can put those moments away in his muscle memory bank for use later in the fight. And that’s just what he did to finish off the Canadian in the fourth, first landing a chopping left hand to the top of the head that hurt Rolls. The wobbly-kneed Rolls staggered backwards and then tried unsuccessfully to get Golovkin in a clinch. AFP

By Lito Cinco “THE target is the gold nothing else,” said Philippine women’s basketball team head coach Patrick Aquino. And if he and the team delivers, it will finally end the Philippines’ goldless campaign in the SEA Games in women’s basketball, which Malaysia has dominated 13 times, with Thailand taking the remaining five crowns in the 18 stagings so far of the event. The Philippines came close six times, finishing second in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1995, 2011, and 2013 Aquino has reasons to be optimistic even as he will be fielding a less experienced team from the 17 players currently on the national pool. For one, he cited the fact that the home-court advantage will be a big factor plus the crowd support as the Philippines is hosting the SEAG later this year. “We are also looking at 4 Fil-Am players to join us for the Jones Cup in July. This will practically serve as our final opportunity to finalize our SEA Games’ team. We will have 6’1” Kelli Hayes from UCLA, a returnee; 5’10” Arnecia Hawkins from the Arizona State University; 5’8” Gabe Bade, daughter of former local player Cris Bade, and who played for Sacramento State university; and 5’6” Meilyn Bautista from George Washington Univer-

sity. Definitely, they will be a big help to the team, “ said Aquino. From the local side, he will rely on veterans Afril Bernardino, Jack Animam, Claire Castro, the tallest cager in the pool, spitfire guard Chack Cabinbin, shooter Janine Pontejos, Danica Jose, and Gemma Miranda among others, while hoping to get a slot are former UAAP stars Bea Daez from UP, Hazel Yam and Tin Deacon from Ateneo, Camille Claro, Kate Castillo, and Shaw Penaranda, all from De La Salle University, Eunique Chan from UE, NU’s Ria Nabalan, Andrea Tongco, and Trixie Antiquiera. The team also enjoyed a recent training camp in Taipei, where the team played several games against local squads. “The new players in the training pool may be lacking in international experience but they will more than make up for it with their heart, enthusiasm, and energy. These are the reasons why I believe we have good chances of finally winning that gold even as we accept there will be pressure on us,” added Aquino. He has also beefed up his coaching staff composed of Paul Du and Julie Amos with the addition of UE women’s team head coach Ai Lebornio, and a possible entry of a PBA superstar player who is willing to help with developing individual skills of players.

UST holds fund-raising golf THE University of Santo Tomas Office of Alumni Relations holds the 4th Rector’s Cup Thomasian Alumni Golf Tournament today at The Orchard Golf and Country Club in Dasmarinas City in Cavite. In partnership with the UST Alumni Association, the tourney aims to bring together golf enthusiasts from the Thomasian community for the benefit of UST athletes. Participants will have a chance to snag various prizes, including gadgets, medical treatment pack-

age, gold accessories, state-of-theart appliances, local and international travel packages and many more. Hole-in-one sponsors are Foton and Shinagawa Lasic and Aesthetics. Other sponsors include Divina Law, Boysen, Gemini Printing, Resorts World, Belmont Manila, Wynford Manila, All Points Travel, AIMM Builder and Construction, Ayala Land, Skynet Travel, Jersey King, JD Wood Craft and Radius Telecoms.

Sports

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

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

Alaska edges Meralco, nails 3rd straight win in PBA By Jeric Lopez ALASKA dodged a huge bullet in crunch time to hold off gritty Meralco, 93-89, to earn its third straight win and continue its rise in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City last night. Chris Banchero was exceptional for the Aces, scoring a team-high 23 points with nine rebounds and four assists for a near double-double as he led his squad’s charge all game. “It was a game we had to have. This is three in a row for us now. We’re going in the right direction,” said Banchero of the Aces’ current winning run. Vic Manuel also had his best game of the conference so far, scoring 17 points to provide support for Alaska. The Aces had enough ammo in the end as they kept their poise and held off the Bolts, who put up a gritty threat in the final minutes despite trailing for most of the game. Baser Amer’s triple with 1:45 remaining inched the Bolts to within just a point from the Aces, 88-87. However, Banchero answered with a key lay-up in traffic in the next possession to extend Alaska’s lead to three, 90-87 with 1:36 left. Another lay-up from Simon Enciso, almost identical to Banchero’s, sealed the deal for Alaska as that pushed his team’s lead further to a safe 92-87 edge with just over a minute remaining. The win moved Alaska to solo fourth place with its improved 4-2 slate, while Meralco fell to an even 3-3 mark. A 11-0 charge in the middle of the third gave Alaska a double-digit lead, 68-55, after two free throws from Vic Manuel to seize complete control. Meralco answered with a strong finish in the third canto to trim the team’ gap to only five points, 71-66, entering the fourth, still in favor of the Aces. It was then a dog fight the rest of the way. Still, Alaska had all the answers to Meralco’s every challenge to keep the win in the fridge. Gani Lawal, despite a finger injury, still scored a game-high 25 points and and 23 rebounds in a solid outing despite the defeat for the Bolts. The scores: Alaska 93 - Banchero 23, Manuel 17, Daniels 12, Teng 10, Pascual 7, Thoss 7, Enciso 5, Galliguez 5, Casio 3, Racal 2, Cruz 2. Meralco 89 - Lawal 27, Amer 11, Salva 9, Quinto 9, Newsome 8, Caram 7, Hugnatan 4, Hodge 4, De Ocampo 3, Pinto 3, Canaleta 2, Jackson 2, Almazan 0. Quarterscores: 18-19, 44-42, 71-66, 93-89

Australia’s Ashleigh Barty poses with the trophy Suzanne Lenglen after winning against Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova at the end of the women’s singles final match on day fourteen of The Roland Garros 2019 French Open tennis tournament in Paris. AFP

Barty’s next goal after Paris victory: No. 1 spot P

ARIS—Ashleigh Barty said that she “certainly” did not think the French Open would be her ﬁrst Grand Slam title, but with the Roland Garros crown sealed, she will head into the next few majors as one of the favourites and targeting her “next goal” of becoming the world number one. The Australian, the first player from her country to win in Paris since Margaret Court in 1973, took a break from tennis in 2014 to play professional cricket. But the 23-year-old has rapidly risen up the rankings since returning without a world ranking, and will be the world number two on Monday. Her dominant 6-1, 6-3 final victory on Saturday over Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova will certainly have her earmarked as a player who can consistently compete on the biggest stage. “Certainly not here, that’s for sure. It’s just been an amazing journey that we’ve had over the last few years,” Barty said. “I just tried to tell myself on the court that I may never get this opportunity again, so enjoy it, try and grab it with both hands and go out there and smile. “It’s new territory for me going deep into Slams, that was the goal. One of our goals is to continue to do that.” Now the number-one ranking is well

within her reach, with Naomi Osaka only holding a narrow lead at the summit, and Barty has the Japanese star in her sights. “Obviously, that’s the next point, the next goal, the next situation I can see myself in,” she said. “Being number two in the world is incredible and something I never dreamt of as a child and we’ll keep chipping away and try our best to get to number one.” ‘Body was shot’ after comeback event Barty played for the Brisbane Heat cricket team in the Women’s Big Bash League four years ago, playing nine matches with a top score of 39. “No, not at all,” she said of her hopes of winning a Grand Slam when she started her comeback with a surprising run to the semi-finals at Eastbourne in 2016. “I was very nervous (at Eastbourne) because I didn’t even know if I would get in the draw,” she said. “I only got in the draw because it

wasn’t full in quallies. It was pretty nice to almost flip into tournament mode straight away... “I remember at the end of that week, my body was shot. It wasn’t used to playing matches again. It was incredible. “To know that it was three years ago— it feels like only yesterday that we were there and in the same breath it also feels like it was a lifetime ago.” Barty lost in three Grand Slam doubles finals alongside Casey Dellacqua in 2013, but had only won two singles matches and lost nine at the big four tournaments when she stepped away five years ago. She did not play another Grand Slam singles main-draw tie until 2017, and only reached the second week of a major for the first time at least year’s US Open. Barty does not think she could have seen such an upturn in her fortunes without taking a hiatus. “Absolutely not. I don’t even know if I’d be sitting here talking to you if I was playing tennis (and) if I didn’t step away,” Barty said. “It’s obviously a part of my life that I needed to deal with, and I feel like it was the best decision that I made at the time, and it was an even better one coming back.” AFP

Pasig falls to Riga Ghetto in Tinkoff Moscow tourney

GOLF WINNER. Guido Van der Valk (center) receives his trophy from Club Filipino de Cebu president Edgar Aliño (right) as Philippine Golf Tour executive director Narlene Soriano looks on after the Dutchman scored a wire-to-wire triumph in the ICTSI CFdC Invitational in Danao City, Cebu last Saturday.

PASIG-CHOOKS to Go took on world no. 3 Riga Ghetto for the second time in two months and absorbed a 17-21 setback with 2:06 left in the game. The loss put the Filipino team out of contention in the 2019 Tinkoff Moscow Challenger. Pasig finished its campaign with a 0-2 record in Pool C. Their first setback came when they suffered a 14-21 loss to Belgium’s Antwerp earlier in the day. Taylor Statham and Dylan Ababou led Pasig’s strong start with a 4-0 spurt against Riga. But the highly experienced Latvi-

Multi-titled Turkish new PH karatedo team coach By Peter Atencio

THE national pool in karatedo has a new coach. Turkish karatedo mentor Okay Arpa has taken over the team’s preparations since last week. Karatedo Pilipinas president Richard Lim said Arpa will handle the team’s training for two international meets for the next six months. This includes the Asian Championships this July in Uzbekistan, and the 30th Southeast Asian Games towards the end of the year. Lim said his experience as a renowned

physical education instructor back home and his many medals in the European championships, plus his team’s goldmedal finish for Turkey in the 2008 World Championships in Tokyo speak a lot of his capabilities. “The team has been going through a combination of hard training and the scientific approach at the same time,” said Lim. Arpa, a consistent medal winner in the +84 kg class, will be choosing from a group of 30 athletes, to be trimmed to 17. Regular members, including team skipper Eugene Dagohoy, are in the pool. They also have Juna Tsukii, a former

member of the Japanese national team, and will be part of the four-member national squad to the Asiad. The young Tsukii, a 27-year-old karateka whose mother is a Filipina, will compete in the -50 kilogram division of the kumite, where she ranks among the favorites. She made her debut playing for the national flag in the 29th Southeast Asian Games with a bronze-medal finish. The other members of the national kumite squad are Ram Macaalay(-60 kgs), Mae Soriano (-68 kgs) and Miyuki Taccay (-68 kgs). Arpa will also look into new prospects as well.

ans displayed patience, with the trio of Nauris Miezis, Kārlis Lasmanis, and Agnis Čavars unloading nine unanswered points to put the Doha Masters winners on top. After that, the team had two confrontations, with Statham being called for an unsportsmanlike foul and Joshua Munzon getting a technical foul. Statham and Munzon then led a rally that allowed them to cut Riga’s lead. Munzon had seven points to pace Pasig. A dunk by Čavars sent Riga to just two points away from sealing the game, 19-13. Peter Atencio

US College Golf Camp Asia lures 60 participants THE second Philippine edition of the US College Golf Camp Asia was successfully staged recently, hosting close to 60 junior golfers from beginner to advance skills in a two-day affair held at the Orchard Golf and Country Club. The two-day camp gave the participants a college-training experience in a small group setting directly under the guidance of US NCAA Division 1 coaches Richard Church (golf director at Southern Utah University), Lisa Strom (head coach Texas State) and Katie Miles (former head coach at Georgetown University). The campers and parents were also given an extensive overview of the NCAA recruitment, current rules changes and the transition from junior golf to college level. The camp also included a threeday tournament, one round at the Southlinks Golf Club and two rounds at the Orchard. The kids were divided into different Boys and Girls divisions according to age groups: 15 to 18 years old, 13-14, 11-12, 9-10 and 8-and-under. Tae Won Ha winning in the premier Boys 15-18 years old division, which earned him a slot in the 40th North and South Junior Championship in Pinehurst, North Carolina. More important, all of them were awarded World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points, a Junior Golf Scoreboard (JGS) ranking and a Global Junior Golf Ranking (GJGS). It was likewise the only event in the country in Bluegolf, Atty. Bobbet Bruce, who brought in the inaugural USCC Philippines last year, said that he introduced the camp in the country as part of his advocacy to grow the game and fill in the gaps in the jungolf system. “We want to broaden the horizon of our local junior golf to include the possibility of going to the US on golf scholarships. I always believe that we have the talent and it is just a matter of matching these with more than 1,000 colleges and universities in the US,” he said.

Golovkin calls for 3rd Canelo fight NEW YORK—Former unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin turned back the clock on Saturday night with a sensational fourth-round knockout of Steve Rolls in their super middleweight fight at Madison Square Garden. The 37-year-old Kazakhstan fighter hit Rolls with a short left that sent the Canadian crumbling face first to the canvas with one minute to go in the fourth in front of a crowd of 12,357. “I feel great, I feel like a new baby,” said Golovkin. Golovkin, who was fighting for the

first time in nine months and coming off the first loss of his career, chose to fight the heavy underdog Rolls as he jockeys for a third fight against champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. But in the back of everyone’s mind was last week’s shocking heavyweight upset that saw unheralded and overweight Andy Ruiz steal three titles by dismantling champion Anthony Joshua. Golovkin made sure there was no repeat of that, using the first three rounds of the 164-pound fight to figure out how to break down the undefeated Turn to A7

IN BRIEF SMC vows to keep cement prices low CONGLOMERATE San Miguel Corp. vowed to keep cement prices below the competition in a bid to obtain the anti-trust body’s approval for the acquisition of Holcim Cement Philippines. “We will always be cheaper than everybody else in the market,” SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang told reporters in a recent interview. Ang said SMC would continue to improve and invest in Holcim to enhance its production efficiency. HPI currently operates four integrated cement plants and one grinding plant with a total annual capacity of 10 million MT. It is currently embarking on a $300-million expansion to increase its capacity by 30 percent to 13 million metric tons by 2020. SMC and HPI filed a notification to the Philippine Competition Commission on June 6 regarding the conglomerate’s plan to acquire the cement assets of Switzerland-based cement giant LafargeHolcim in the Philippines. Jenniffer B. Austria

Kia PH taps 5 banks for financing scheme KIA Philippines is keeping its 10,000 unit sales target as it teamed up with five banks to offer a low downpayment scheme to boost sales. Kia Philippines president Manny Aligada said over the weekend the company tapped Bank of Philippines Islands, BDO Unibank Inc., Philippine National Bank, East West Bank and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. to offer the financing solution. “We talked to the banks, gave them assurance that we are here to support the brand in overall functions especially in after sales. And they accepted us. Now, we have the competitive advantage over other brands,” he said. “For a while the financing set up was not available in Kia especially for Picanto. There were issues. For a long time, they could not put a real value to Kia vehicles. They could not provide good experience. Back experiences were not favorable. It was the reason why financing is not equal to other brands. But now with the models we have, we are treated equally as other brands,” Aligada said. He said the downpayment scheme of as low as P13,000 would help buyers acquire a vehicle quickly while managing the monthly amortization for the vehicle. Othel V. Campos

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

SMC to build 1,200-MW Batangas power project By Alena Mae S. Flores

ONGLOMERATE San Miguel Corp. plans to put a new 1,200-megawatt combined cycle gas turbine power project alongside the Ilijan plant in Batangas province to address the country’s growing power demand. San Miguel president Ramon Ang said the new power plant with two units of 600-MW capacity each would be a “carbon copy” of the existing Ilijan power plant which the company administers. Ang said there was a need to put up more capacity as early as three years ago. “We can run it on diesel. We may be able to sell power from that because [supply may be tight again] next summer. We have three to four months of summer, so we can recover the cost from that,” he said. San Miguel through subsidiary South Premiere Power Corp. successfully bid and won as the independent power producer administrator of Ilijan power

plant in 2010. Luzon’s power supply is generally tight during the dry months when demand is high and the hydropower plants are ofﬂine or operating below capacity due to low water level at the dams. “The truth is, power supply is thin, reserves are thin because there were no plants built for the past three years,” Ang said. He said power developers faced numerous challenges such as the delayed issuance of environment compliance certiﬁcate and other permits. “I hope they will realize that the shortage in supply is worsening [and] we might have some problems soon,”

Regulator approves higher toll at SCTEx

Ang said. He also asked the government to fasttrack the competitive selection process or public bidding for distribution utilities and electric cooperatives and for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to act on pending applications for environmental compliance certificates. “We are facing a huge shortage all over the country. In the Visayas, supply and demand is almost equal, same with Mindanao,” Ang said. Ang directed San Miguel officials to scout for engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the new Ilijan plant such as GE Philippines. Another potential EPC contractor is Daelim of Korea which submitted a previous offer to San Miguel. San Miguel officials said the new Ilijan power plant could be used as a peaking plant especially during dry months. Grid operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines placed the Luzon grid on yellow alert Saturday because of the thin power reserves with demand peaking at 10,166 MW while the available capacity was only 10,762 MW.

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Toll Regulatory Board approved the collection of an additional P0.51per-kilometer toll at Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway effective June 14. Under the new toll matrix, motorists with Class 1 vehicles (ordinary cars) traveling from Mabalacat City (Mabiga Interchange) to Tarlac will pay an additional P20. Motorists using Class 2 vehicles (buses and small commercial trucks) using the same corridor will pay an additional P40 while Class 3 vehicles (large trucks/trailers) will pay an additional P60. Meanwhile, motorists traveling between Mabalacat and Tipo in Subic will be charged an additional P32, P66, and P98 for Class 1, 2, and 3 vehicles, respectively. The petition for toll adjustments was filed by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority in 2011. Prior to the adjustment, SCTEx toll remained at 2011 level even as infrastructure improvements along the 94-kilometer tollway continued. Since 2015, BCDA and NLEx Corp. invested in various enhancement projects in the high-standard expressway to maintain motorist safety and convenience. One of the most notable improvements was the NLEx-SCTEx integration project in 2016 which unified the toll collection of the two expressways under one electronic toll collection system. The project reduced the cumbersome toll collection stops and made expressway travel hassle-free. The entire stretch of the SCTEx between Tarlac and Tipo also underwent a massive asphalt pavement upgrade in 2017 which made for smoother and quieter rides. The Tipo Toll Plaza and the new Mabiga Interchange were boosted with additional toll lanes. To improve 24/7 traffic monitoring and provision of roadside services, a modern traffic control room with CCTV cameras and radio communications was built in Mabalacat City. To enhance motorists’ safety, LED highway lights, emergency call boxes, crash cushions and reflective delineator plates were also installed in key areas of the expressway.

DTI lifts suspension on Wan Chiong Steel PAMPANGA-BASED Wan Chiong Steel Corp. assured it is “business as usual” in its steel smelting plant after the Trade Department lifted the suspension order on its license. Joela Cabunillas, a representative of Wan Chiong Steel, said they maintained normal business operations as they continued to comply with DTI requirements. “We would like the public to know that we are operating business as usual with the lifting of our license suspension. We cry foul over news reports that the public is being warned against buying our products. This is due to business competition,” he said. “We have complied with DTI’s requirements. We urge the public to be mindful about the truthfulness, and the veracity of the news reports peddled about our company. We also thank the general public for continuously patronizing our products.” James Empeno, director of the DTIBureau of Product Standards said in a letter dated May 2, 2019 that the “results of the veriﬁcation audit conducted on Feb. 27, 2019, showed compliance with the requirements” by Wan Chiong Steel Corp. “Likewise, results of the third party independent test showed conformance with the requirements of the standards,” Empeno said in the letter.

INLIFE-UA&P PARTNERSHIP. The University of Asia and the Pacific teams up with Insular Life to secure the future of its educators and employees through InLife’s unique and one-of-kind product solution that integrates retirement fund management and life insurance protection in one—the Comprehensive Group Plan. Leading the contract signing ceremony are (seated, from left) UA&P vice president Dr. Rolando Sison, UA&P president Dr. Winston Padojinog, InLife first vice president and corporate sales division head Carlito Lucas and InLife manager and team leader for corporate sales Gary Orcine. With them are (from left) UBP financial advisor Mark Reyes, InLife senior account executive Diane Ligsa, UBP regional manager Chuchay Galang and UA&P officials Tippy Benitez, Lydia Yuson and Danny Reyes.

Gross international reserves rose to a 31-month high of $85b—BSP

PH, Japan to sign $202-m loan for Mindanao roads

THE country’s gross international reserves which serve as a buffer against external risks climbed to a 31-month high of $85.02 billion in May 2019, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show. The reserves increased by more than $1 billion from $83.9 billion in April and by $6 billion from $79.2 billion from a year ago. It was the highest since October 2016 when it reached $85.2 billion. “At this level, GIR serves as an ample external liquidity buffer and is equivalent to 7.5 months’ worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income. It is also equivalent to 5.1 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 3.6 times based on residual maturity,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said

THE Philippines and Japan are expected to sign this month a $202.04-million loan agreement for the road network development project in conﬂict-affected areas in Mindanao, the Finance Department said over the weekend. High-level Filipino and Japanese ofﬁcials will resume the discussions on the progress of Japan-funded infrastructure projects under the “Build, Build, Build” program and other areas of economic cooperation between Manila and Tokyo when they meet this month at New Clark City in Tarlac province. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Economic Secretary Ernesto Pernia will chair the Philippine side while Dr. Hiroto Izumi is expected to

Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc., unveils plans to boost recycling in the country through a P1-billion investment in a food-grade recycling facility as a part of its commitment to a ‘World Without Waste’. Shown are CCBPI president and chief executive Gareth McGeown (right) director for corporate and regulatory affairs Juan Lorenzo Tañada (left) presenting to Surigao del Norte First District Rep. Francisco Jose Matugas II a publication on CocaCola’s journey in the Philippines. CCBPI will be deploying beach-cleaning equipment in Siargao.

in a statement. “The month-on-month increase in the GIR level was due mainly to inﬂows arising from the National Government’s net foreign currency deposits, BSP’s foreign exchange operations and income from its investments abroad, and revaluation gains from the BSP’s gold holdings, resulting from the increase in the price of gold in the international market,” he said. However, the increase in reserves was tempered partially by payments made by the national government for servicing its foreign exchange obligations. Net international reserves, which refer to the difference between the GIR and total short-term liabilities, also increased by $1.14 billion to $85 billion as of endMay 2019 from the April 2019 level of $83.86 billion. Julito G. Rada

By Julito G. Rada

lead the Japanese delegation on June 18. The meeting will be the eighth session of the high-level joint committee since it was ﬁrst convened in March 2017 as a part of the Duterte administration’s efforts to fast-track the rollout of 75 big-ticket projects. Dominguez said nine other loan agreements with Japan were signed between October 2016 and January 2019 with a combined amount of 398.82 billion yen ($3.63 billion or P189.92 billion). These projects include the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project for the Philippine Coast Guard (Phase II); Harnessing Agribusiness Opportunities through Robust and Vibrant Entrepreneurship Supportive of Peaceful Transformation; Cavite Industrial Area Flood Risk Management Project; Arte-

rial Road Bypass Project (Phase III) in Bulacan; and New Bohol Airport Construction and Sustainable Environment Protection Project (II). Other projects are Metro Rail Transit Line 3 Rehabilitation Project; PasigMarikina River Channel Improvement Project (Phase IV); North-South Commuter Railway Extension Project (1st tranche of the loan); and Metro Manila Subway Project (Phase I) which is the single biggest venture under the “Build, Build, Build” program. Japan remains the leading provider of ofﬁcial development assistance loans to the Philippines, totaling $6.13 billion (47.51 percent share of the total ODA loan) and the ﬁfth largest provider of ODA grants amounting to $106.76 M (4.45 percent share of the total ODA grants) as of December 2018.

Coca-Cola invests P1b in recycling facility By Othel V. Campos COCA-COLA Beverages Philippines Inc., the bottling arm of Coca-Cola in the country, announced plans to build a P1billion pioneering food-grade recycling facility. This represents Coca-Cola’s ﬁrst major investment in a recycling facility in Southeast Asia as a part of the company’s commitment to a “World Without Waste”. “Coca-Cola has called the Philippines its home for 107 years and counting, and we want to do our part in ensuring sustainability within its

shores,” said CBPI president and chief executive Gareth McGeown. The company said that to ensure that the positive impact of the facility would be total and far-reaching, it started talks with a reputable local company which is recognized globally as a green technology partner in recycling. Anchored on the circular economy concept, the recycling facility will collect, sort, clean and wash post-consumer PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles and turn them into new bottles using advanced technology.

“Our Coca-Cola bottles and cans are 100-percent recyclable and have value as a recycled material. Our aspiration with this facility is to close the loop on our packaging by helping turn old bottles into new ones. This facility is a testament to our resolve in making our World Without Waste vision a reality across the country, with a real positive impact not just across our value chain, but also in the communities where we belong,” McGeown said. The company also intends to use an average of 50-percent recycled content in its packaging including PET bottles.

Business

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

US-China tension to affect market S By Jenniffer B. Austria

TOCKS are expected to continue to trade within a narrow range during this shortened trading week amid fears of a global slowdown amid the lingering US-China trade war. Analysts said investors were evaluating the possible outcome of the G20 Leaders Summit to be attended by both countries and other major economies on June 28 to 29. “The political pivot is whether both countries would be willing to yield, to arrive at the best option that facilitated ‘freer’ trade and help support growth. Tariffs, after all, are perceived as ‘bottlenecks’ since the tax bur-

den shifts to consumers,” online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia.com said. Hopes for US rate cut could boost flows of funds in the equities market as fund managers seek for higher alternative yields, analysts said. Papa Securities trader Gabriel Jose Perez said the local shares could continue the quiet sideways movement this week given the lack of immediate catalysts

and another upcoming holiday on Wednesday. June 12 is celebrated as the Independence Day in the Philippines. The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, last week inched up 0.2 percent to close at 7,983.98 on mixed trading as investors waited for new catalysts that could boost the stock market. The broader all-share index was flat at 4,890.79. Sectoral indices were equally split with financial, holding firms and property ending in positive territory while mining and oil, services and industrial indices posting week-on-week declines. Foreign investors were net

sellers last week by P308.3 million, while average daily turnover declined to P8 billion from the previous week’s average of P8.9 billion. Top gainers last week were Phinma Energy Corp. which climbed 7.7 percent to P2.52; First Gen Corp. which advanced 4.1 percent to P24.05; and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. which went up 3.9 percent to P27.50. Among the heavy losers were PLDT Inc. which declined 8.9 percent to P1,230; Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc. which dropped 5.6 percent to P2.36; and Jollibee Foods Corp. which dipped 4.4 percent to P275.20.

Manila Standard BuSineSS Weekly StockS revieW STOCKS

JUNE 3-7, 2019 Close Volume

Value

Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources China Bank COL Financial Eastwest Bank Ferronoux Holding Filipino Fund Inc. First Abacus I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp. MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp. PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

59 139.80 81.80 2.25 1.22 26.9 18.76 11.5 4.49 7.80 0.52 1.37 785.00 0.500 70.95 1 13.98 20.05 57.20 57.3 110 184.9 27.5 171.9 1755.00 60.25 1.12

44,620 7,977,730 10,047,910 301,000 116,000 468,200 34,600 1,286,500 197,000 86,300 26,000 196,000 600 2,210,000 11,081,280 673,000 53,000 11,500 866,180 6,290 330 1,850 181,700 3,084,140 400 24,630 4,000

FINANCIAL 2,604,250.50 1,102,328,926.00 820,963,754.50 676,780.00 65,100.00 12,540,205.00 649,000.00 14,943,794.00 870,670.00 675,113.00 13,520.00 267,350.00 461,740.00 1,101,000.00 792,653,217.50 656,600.00 709,540.00 253,900.00 49,826,084.50 361,400.00 36,300.00 339,386.00 4,917,030.00 524,764,830.00 701,100.00 1,479,573.00 4,510.00

Aboitiz Power Corp. Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons. Basic Energy Corp. C. Azuc De Tarlac Cemex Holdings Century Food Chemphil Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Eagle Cement EEI Emperador Euro-Med Lab First Gen Corp. First Holdings ‘A’ Ginebra San Miguel Inc. Greenergy Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp. Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Macay Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide MG Holdings Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. Petroenergy Res. Corp. Petron Corporation Phinma Corporation Phinma Energy Phoenix Petroleum Phils. Pilipinas Shell Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings SFA Semicon Shakeys Pizza SMC Food and Beverage SPC Power Corp. Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp. Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp. Vulcan Ind’l.

35.1 14.54 0.74 1.4 0.280 16.94 2.36 14.56 109 24.9 65.5 44.75 2 5.45 5.5 10.200 16 10.30 7.59 1.6 24.05 76.9 42.45 2.6100 13.54 10.2 1.680 275.20 50.00 4.19 3.5 9.78 23.35 12.44 19.8 0.186 388.80 5.71 1.23 4.57 6.08 9.10 2.52 12.24 41.25 4.94 5.00 1.52 1.95 1.18 14.08 106.2 6.52 0.126 1.31 169 2.5 1.29 1.33

4,377,000 3,650,300 7,121,000 628,000 26,410,000 8,100 56,768,000 2,097,600 10,420 543,200 170 700 690,000 75,000 77,600 14,863,900 1,074,900 3,131,400 2,100,600 26,000 13,978,400 215,470 784,200 51,225,000 1,689,700 1,160,500 849,000 3,300,270 10 504,000 32,000 54,100 18,688,800 3,195,200 6,956,900 740,000 715,790 18,400 10,238,000 1,059,000 3,980,400 325,700 137,737,000 144,700 882,300 58,000 417,300 3,062,000 175,000 756,000 4,061,700 770,310 491,200 1,860,000 30,040,000 4,236,940 3,064,000 16,059,000 37,383,000

INDUSTRIAL 157,223,060.00 52,584,464.00 5,204,750.00 870,520.00 7,654,100.00 132,696.00 138,923,190.00 30,521,336.00 1,159,558.00 13,712,630.00 11,135.00 31,015.00 1,393,300.00 403,750.00 442,094.00 151,077,874.00 17,209,178.00 32,305,540.00 16,059,308.00 41,680.00 330,953,570.00 16,673,170.50 33,356,495.00 128,275,130.00 22,984,490.00 12,053,646.00 1,426,020.00 926,061,302.00 500.00 2,126,780.00 112,000.00 517,985.00 435,153,520.00 40,129,612.00 140,377,645.00 138,240.00 278,033,158.00 99,578.00 12,615,270.00 5,003,110.00 24,226,468.00 3,052,754.00 342,404,270.00 1,761,580.00 36,888,950.00 285,590.00 2,086,523.00 4,693,460.00 336,200.00 895,690.00 56,965,890.00 82,156,369.00 3,210,665.00 234,530.00 42,355,400.00 718,834,907.00 7,666,980.00 20,460,510.00 49,056,910.00

Abacus Cons. À’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor À’ Asiabest Group ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp À’ Ayala Land Log Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings Filinvest Dev. Corp. Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Jolliville Holdings Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. Lopez Holdings Corp. LT Group Mabuhay Holdings À’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. MJCI Investments Inc. Pacifica À’ Prime Media Hldg San Miguel Corp À’ Seafront À’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Transgrid Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.650 55.35 15.52 0.78 6.70 13.86 1.280 1.320 923 3.620 6.82 10.44 13.98 0.270 879 6.20 63.40 6.23 0.5 4.67 15.38 0.590 4.45 2.76 0.0380 1.080 183.00 2.38 963.00 1.37 0.93 270.000 434.00 0.2350 0.300

119,937,000 3,510,120 18,924,700 3,306,000 65,100 845,300 8,378,000 982,000 1,705,670 28,480,000 3,241,200 10,357,100 742,400 100,000 268,880 181,500 6,558,820 21,400 271,000 19,852,000 9,964,100 1,080,000 114,093,000 1,000 51,700,000 31,000 1,566,270 2,000 915,670 175,000 11,412,000 18,480 130 1,580,000 61,820,000

HOLDING FIRMS 75,392,330.00 194,335,986.50 298,687,754.00 2,573,140.00 437,024.00 11,674,984.00 10,642,530.00 1,257,050.00 1,579,514,020.00 104,864,940.00 22,349,392.00 108,459,914.00 10,338,084.00 25,400.00 231,982,665.00 1,126,737.00 412,276,985.00 132,851.00 130,050.00 92,041,100.00 151,064,202.00 611,410.00 510,978,770.00 2,760.00 812,100.00 33,480.00 289,043,648.00 4,760.00 876,805,165.00 240,290.00 10,959,130.00 4,935,354.00 55,638.00 367,110.00 18,434,800.00

3,035,000 2,398,000 15,600 1,316,000 1,467,000 71,047,170 1,762,000 7,551,000 92,900 188,198,000 912,000 1,994,000 2,670,000 620,000 872,700 2,597,000 5,520,000 600,000 205,784,000 12,329,000 95,146,700 35,000,000 36,612,000 610,000 630,000 8,669,000 12,509,800 1,314,000 799,000

PROPERTY 48,521,338.00 1,903,200.00 167,680.00 2,739,470.00 1,145,570.00 3,620,565,446.00 4,097,810.00 13,773,540.00 572,904.00 113,398,550.00 758,820.00 1,943,980.00 607,890.00 236,150.00 8,707,968.00 67,199,185.00 2,628,650.00 75,700.00 363,325,010.00 17,684,270.00 579,655,651.00 10,946,550.00 71,924,710.00 288,950.00 258,850.00 20,023,010.00 333,630,140.00 2,746,910.00 2,383,360.00

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Anchor Land Holdings Inc. Araneta Prop À’ Arthaland Corp. Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. À’ CEB Landmasters Cebu Holdings Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. À’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp. DM Wenceslao Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Filinvest Land,Inc. Global-Estate Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil Infradev Phil. Estates Corp. Phil. Realty À’ Primex Corp. Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc.

15.980 0.80 11.06 2.100 0.780 49.800 2.31 4.79 6.35 0.580 0.87 0.970 0.227 0.375 9.950 25.8 0.475 0.125 1.80 1.40 6.07 0.320 1.9900 0.4800 0.410 2.2 26.30 2.13 2.99

MAY 27-31, 2019 Close Volume

Value

59.5 138.00 80.80 2.25 1.17 26.7 18.8 11.46 4.56

65,290 19,153,340 17,456,310 47,000 43,000 368,400 26,500 2,438,100 145,000

3,850,263.50 2,575,380,525.00 1,386,036,478.50 104,380.00 50,660.00 9,801,300.00 497,406.00 28,159,094.00 655,820.00

0.53 1.34 780.00 0.490 71.75 1 13.7 22.05 57.60 57.75

85,000 87,000 50 3,010,000 17,725,780 1,680,000 26,500 600 2,893,840 8,960

45,050.00 117,950.00 39,200.00 1,435,100.00 1,279,628,929.00 1,672,330.00 350,532.00 13,335.00 169,489,776.00 513,181.50

185 26.45 175 1750.00 59.80 1.12

1,600 62,400 3,604,370 1,895 70,710 1,000

294,995.00 1,655,195.00 623,486,747.00 580,755.00 4,249,677.00 1,120.00

36.5 14.1 0.72 1.38 0.290 16.00 2.5 14.6 110 25.6 65.5 44 2.05 5.25 5.75 10.140 15.96 10.08 7.67 1.69 23.1 78 43.00 2.3400 13.74 10.22 1.710 288.00 50.00 4.2 3.49 9.50 22.6 12.76 20.2 0.189 385.00 5.69 1.23 4.79 6.12 9.07 2.34 12.18 41.85 4.95 4.99 1.55 1.91 1.2 13.5 107.4 6.55 0.128 1.47 167 2.5 1.28 1.20

15,632,000 3,191,600 5,874,000 2,314,000 55,540,000 8,300 55,614,000 17,047,700 100 1,335,200 730 947,500 3,175,000 4,706,600 24,800 15,776,200 4,845,100 9,439,600 7,666,200 142,000 18,332,700 456,810 369,900 30,647,000 2,822,600 7,868,800 867,000 6,188,580 1,000 592,000 40,000 626,000 9,701,800 4,906,200 16,325,200 1,040,000 1,566,250 9,700 10,590,000 310,000 17,566,500 4,000 253,564,000 175,500 2,134,000 370,000 1,017,500 1,450,000 202,000 963,000 3,518,500 1,511,460 268,000 320,000 74,008,000 8,425,950 2,080,000 47,278,000 141,710,000

557,966,200.00 46,485,114.00 4,106,110.00 3,261,370.00 16,249,250.00 131,142.00 143,250,790.00 244,787,550.00 11,000.00 34,224,970.00 48,755.50 42,682,445.00 6,419,320.00 24,709,650.00 142,943.00 160,278,240.00 78,821,324.00 94,647,352.00 58,180,997.00 239,280.00 412,032,670.00 35,416,188.00 16,050,410.00 71,528,030.00 38,591,360.00 81,740,358.00 1,456,140.00 1,705,318,868.00 49,980.00 2,525,560.00 135,220.00 6,263,527.00 217,457,575.00 62,845,542.00 342,942,910.00 198,650.00 587,703,830.00 55,251.00 13,124,450.00 1,469,470.00 108,993,011.00 36,344.00 571,382,030.00 2,119,304.00 88,999,275.00 1,777,770.00 5,098,271.00 2,241,580.00 396,910.00 1,142,950.00 46,586,834.00 159,491,726.00 1,736,130.00 41,000.00 107,080,680.00 1,342,014,080.00 5,201,180.00 57,712,090.00 184,854,150.00

0.580 55.90 15.60 0.74 6.79 12.9 1.240 1.240 919 3.590 6.82 10.58 14.16 0.270 863 6.16 62.60 6.21 0.5 4.65 14.94 0.520 4.5

73,643,000 22,148,790 39,695,400 8,498,000 18,200 344,500 9,425,000 977,000 3,218,110 22,972,000 2,987,000 31,169,100 257,700 720,000 665,630 207,500 14,957,410 58,400 904,000 12,891,000 27,364,500 459,000 161,454,000

44,597,370.00 1,111,579,787.50 600,150,580.00 6,477,770.00 121,869.00 4,360,680.00 11,546,040.00 1,214,400.00 2,895,202,040.00 80,359,980.00 20,298,409.00 324,974,906.00 3,655,638.00 181,620.00 581,494,540.00 1,277,131.00 908,061,811.00 357,714.00 425,425.00 60,247,950.00 407,988,392.00 236,260.00 704,722,290.00

0.0390 1.100 187.50 2.38 942.00 1.36 0.92 270.000 434.00 0.2380 0.295

43,800,000 210,000 1,072,600 8,000 2,608,380 319,000 25,301,000 6,390 40 1,120,000 40,130,000

1,710,000.00 224,520.00 194,849,842.00 19,060.00 2,418,707,645.00 429,010.00 23,774,430.00 1,702,236.00 17,360.00 262,800.00 11,743,000.00

15.960 0.81 11.88 2.030 0.770 49.500 2.28 4.98 6.4 0.600 0.81 0.940 0.231 0.375 9.900 25.4 0.480 0.132 1.71 1.41 5.9 0.315 1.7800 0.4700 0.410 2.23 26.00 2.06 2.99

2,824,500 6,263,000 18,900 687,000 8,857,000 87,077,600 5,161,000 4,691,900 24,100 155,196,000 351,000 996,000 8,530,000 1,530,000 7,493,700 3,538,600 4,070,000 140,000 150,252,000 15,929,000 188,027,000 65,930,000 21,640,000 680,000 5,720,000 7,898,000 22,463,300 660,000 1,722,000

44,707,464.00 4,957,670.00 204,382.00 1,431,250.00 6,984,020.00 4,246,176,760.00 11,569,900.00 23,533,054.00 152,315.00 92,224,070.00 279,740.00 907,310.00 1,928,940.00 577,250.00 71,261,119.00 88,201,970.00 1,946,850.00 17,760.00 249,056,000.00 22,555,930.00 1,078,464,347.00 20,567,150.00 39,765,300.00 318,300.00 2,288,350.00 16,576,270.00 563,317,625.00 1,363,370.00 5,133,710.00

STOCKS

JUNE 3-7, 2019 Close Volume

MAY 27-31, 2019 Close Volume

Value

SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

39.35 1.95 6.31 0.730 7.150

29,496,700 3,704,000 265,800 335,000 18,477,700

1,168,510,945.00 7,106,080.00 1,690,002.00 247,000.00 86,818,690.00

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Apollo Global Asian Terminals Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ. Chelsea DFNN Inc. Discovery World Easy Call “Common” Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Golden Haven Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp. Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Metro Retail MetroAlliance A MetroAlliance B NOW Corp. Pacific Online Sys. Corp. PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. PH Resorts Group Phil. Racing Club Phil. Seven Corp. Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp. SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils. Wilcon Depot

11.36 18.46 1.31 0.440 0.044 21.5 2.91 11.98 0.0580 93.3 7 6.54 5.88 2.18 10.50 2240 5.30 412.00 10.02 2.20 137.5 1.92 10.3 5.70 0.123 6.1000 15.5 4.28 0.88 20.30 14.50 0.550 3.65 2.63 1.53 1.67 2.340 3.19 9.50 3.05 4.95 9 125.80 3.40 1230.00 0.860 0.780 46.35 73.00 9.46 3.51 0.710 0.385 5.19 0.720 17.000

149,900 367,000 234,000 6,430,000 5,800,000 13,600 4,477,000 11,426,300 115,420,000 1,321,450 49,300 3,446,500 137,700 11,000 132,400 251,470 489,800 39,990 800 4,316,000 8,544,040 60,000 6,800 30,000 4,640,000 12,126,400 26,700 14,564,000 3,920,000 2,708,500 600 3,839,000 80,000 11,830,000 180,000 4,000 35,892,000 269,000 121,100 24,000 201,000 16,700 464,080 11,199,000 1,417,380 72,641,000 23,887,000 3,447,100 1,291,690 143,400 61,079,000 29,964,000 36,240,000 3,632,400 10,579,000 8,763,000

SERVICES 1,719,284.00 6,745,904.00 308,620.00 2,807,100.00 256,700.00 289,300.00 12,666,400.00 135,500,330.00 6,694,310.00 122,252,575.50 345,644.00 22,493,022.00 809,957.00 24,000.00 1,383,700.00 569,282,380.00 2,624,453.00 16,095,418.00 8,022.00 9,687,300.00 1,157,715,698.00 111,200.00 69,506.00 171,000.00 568,100.00 73,449,353.00 402,532.00 61,820,770.00 3,469,600.00 56,146,120.00 8,600.00 2,121,060.00 294,400.00 31,673,080.00 277,790.00 6,340.00 94,430,440.00 852,650.00 1,159,923.00 73,200.00 982,010.00 142,492.00 57,545,263.00 38,059,300.00 1,790,199,035.00 61,088,860.00 18,792,850.00 156,038,110.00 93,954,941.00 1,343,639.00 203,435,840.00 21,100,610.00 13,376,100.00 19,046,816.00 7,481,780.00 149,568,536.00

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

0.0019 1.15 2.70 12.38 1.1800 1.1200 2.86 0.280 7.65 1.500 0.233 0.110 0.124 0.008 0.0077 1.03 2.23 1 0.5800 0.8700 0.0120 0.0110 3.23 7.89 0.0110 3.9800 21.90 0.0068

536,000,000 8,697,000 66,000 4,000 6,000 100,000 2,011,000 1,070,000 47,400 37,532,000 1,030,000 11,260,000 3,110,000 10,000,000 19,000,000 289,000 3,841,000 62,000 442,000 220,000 7,200,000 3,000,000 7,039,000 12,847,400 23,400,000 1,291,000 4,457,500 12,000,000

MINING & OIL 794,600.00 10,361,810.00 176,050.00 49,330.00 7,090.00 11,200.00 5,708,080.00 304,100.00 366,435.00 56,577,180.00 239,480.00 1,242,760.00 369,810.00 73,800.00 142,200.00 303,060.00 8,711,990.00 60,700.00 245,400.00 193,390.00 83,000.00 33,100.00 22,820,900.00 106,078,031.00 246,100.00 4,866,060.00 97,260,040.00 80,400.00

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

17.96 98 484.8 496 98.5 104.8 456 487 5.2 917 959 96.9 1 100.4 995 911 99 107 975 75.4 77.8 72 72.1 74.75 74.35 73 73.6 1.36

20,200 7,400 20 7,840 72,290 22,950 300 330 111,900 60 20 230 1,723,000 1,220 220 245 5,940 1,080 4,280 17,580 7,340 65,900 86,470 58,410 5,000 37,440 93,000 4,000

LR Warrant

2.070

WARRANTS & BONDS 1,703,000 3,453,100.00

PREFERRED 363,266.00 725,200.00 9,696.00 3,855,410.00 7,116,827.00 2,391,335.00 136,800.00 161,010.00 592,204.00 54,880.00 18,790.00 22,304.00 1,719,820.00 123,360.00 217,810.00 244,425.00 588,930.00 114,050.00 4,137,125.00 1,325,270.50 566,339.00 4,773,483.00 6,277,977.50 4,339,875.00 371,750.00 2,738,090.00 6,811,375.00 5,440.00

SME 6,866,030.00 14,913,290.00

Value

39.80 1.87 6.29 0.780 7.180

59,743,200 12,424,000 544,100 25,000 26,902,600

2,340,682,225.00 23,627,710.00 3,441,417.00 19,030.00 190,835,569.00

11.52 18.26 1.42 0.425 0.046 21 2.91 11.84 0.0590 90 7.4 6.6 5.90 2.03 10.44 2170 5.37 413.00

68,800 315,200 606,000 2,580,000 47,000,000 1,778,700 8,527,000 18,173,000 76,950,000 2,269,490 45,400 7,168,200 425,100 17,000 745,500 455,545 420,500 27,960

787,464.00 5,760,978.00 865,430.00 1,072,450.00 2,097,200.00 37,352,350.00 25,211,040.00 210,341,008.00 4,619,560.00 200,250,209.00 321,200.00 47,581,365.00 2,544,843.00 34,660.00 8,073,698.00 983,480,070.00 2,260,756.00 11,145,206.00

2.22 136 1.75 10.16

14,056,000 19,379,270 41,000 69,700

31,809,430.00 2,649,083,226.00 71,760.00 719,460.00

0.122 6.0600 15 4.49 0.86 21.00 15.90 0.550 3.7 2.69 1.54

3,560,000 25,082,500 15,900 16,656,000 5,755,000 5,555,600 1,700 3,145,000 251,000 11,533,000 207,000

436,140.00 151,835,436.00 223,330.00 77,571,310.00 5,047,750.00 113,691,342.00 27,012.00 1,748,540.00 921,830.00 30,775,250.00 321,490.00

2.400 3.2 9.88 2.92 4.99 9 124.00 3.35 1350.00 0.810 0.790 44.60 73.00 9.60 3.16 0.670 0.365 5.3 0.710 16.980

22,237,000 1,034,000 84,900 2,000 839,700 2,200 1,527,800 24,262,000 1,174,965 91,260,000 25,401,000 3,821,500 2,797,960 144,100 18,161,000 10,002,000 114,890,000 2,701,800 11,409,000 8,757,900

50,539,320.00 3,349,670.00 826,854.00 5,840.00 4,148,801.00 19,800.00 184,064,369.00 81,237,770.00 1,521,341,330.00 73,870,170.00 19,613,690.00 173,176,965.00 199,306,434.50 1,378,261.00 57,133,200.00 6,682,460.00 40,625,550.00 14,328,387.00 7,867,690.00 147,959,550.00

0.0018 1.19 2.66 12.38 1.1900

535,000,000 15,812,000 44,000 18,800 51,000

1,002,300.00 17,656,760.00 117,400.00 224,826.00 58,850.00

2.79 0.285 7.85 1.510 0.239 0.102 0.104 0.007 0.0078 1.05 2.26 1.02 0.5900 0.9100 0.0120 0.0120 2.99 9.25 0.0110 3.6400 22.00 0.0069

2,529,000 280,000 20,400 16,010,000 4,950,000 3,470,000 3,780,000 7,000,000 3,000,000 425,000 10,628,000 214,000 192,000 595,000 53,500,000 1,500,000 1,707,000 11,856,400 413,700,000 1,495,000 35,525,200 16,000,000

7,016,410.00 80,000.00 158,956.00 24,105,630.00 1,178,340.00 360,870.00 408,290.00 52,200.00 23,400.00 434,670.00 23,249,660.00 212,470.00 109,410.00 525,040.00 597,700.00 17,600.00 5,026,090.00 102,827,518.00 4,449,300.00 5,583,430.00 792,105,565.00 108,600.00

17.96 98 475 490 98 104

147,900 5,270 6,000 1,330 107,890 1,990

2,675,048.00 519,074.00 2,850,000.00 646,498.00 10,563,105.00 207,347.00

486 5.34 899 959 97 0.99 100.1 996 1015 102 106 970 75.35 77 72.45 71.65 73.85 72.8 73.5 73.7

2,000 190,100 1,110 50 910 470,000 3,020 60 1,500 20 1,560 610 36,100 56,980 84,450 51,170 57,790 126,410 22,900 23,490

972,100.00 1,013,575.00 997,885.00 47,950.00 86,470.00 462,200.00 302,350.00 59,810.00 1,522,500.00 2,040.00 165,360.00 592,900.00 2,713,279.50 4,342,214.00 6,055,990.00 3,713,708.00 4,282,421.00 9,286,700.00 1,674,700.00 1,711,934.00

2.100

6,111,000

13,421,240.00

4.81 1.02

1,492,000 15,364,000

7,071,640.00 15,514,470.00

Italpinas Xurpas

4.97 1.03

1,418,000 14,635,000

First Metro ETF

119.6

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 81,420 9,745,869.00

119.5

22,760

2,663,901.00

USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

10.18 10.2 1

DOLLAR DENONIMATED SEC. 165,890 1,688,898.00 8,000 81,600.00 40,000 40,000.00

10.2 10.1 1

6,450 21,500 30,000

65,790.00 215,850.00 30,000.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Abra Mining Filinvest Land,Inc. Century Property Phinma Energy Abacus Cons. `A’ Boulevard Holdings Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. Megaworld PremiereHorizon Ayala Land `B’

VOLUME 536,000,000 205,784,000 188,198,000 137,737,000 119,937,000 115,420,000 114,093,000 95,146,700 72,641,000 71,047,170

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

VALUE 3,620,565,446.00 1,790,199,035.00 1,579,514,020.00 1,168,510,945.00 1,157,715,698.00 1,102,328,926.00 926,061,302.00 876,805,165.00 820,963,754.50 792,653,217.50

Jollibee plans to add five Guam stores FASTFOOD chain operator Jollibee Foods Corp. plans to have five stores in Guam over the next five years, its top executive said over the weekend. “As a growing business center and an island of incredible diversity and taste, Guam will make a great home for Jollibee,” JFC chief executive Ernesto Tanmantiong said in a statement. “The customers that keep coming back are truly heartwarming. We are very excited to be here, and are looking forward to what lies in store as we grow to five stores over the next five years,” he said. JFC on Saturday inaugurated its first Jollibee store in Guam which had a soft opening in April. More than a thousand customers waited to get a taste of their Jollibee favorites during the soft opening. The long queue of customers continued even weeks after the opening. The Guam store is the 38th Jollibee branch in the United States. Most of the Jollibee stores are located in New York, Florida, Texas, California and Hawaii. “As we grow our business in Guam, we are excited to contribute to the local economy through employment. In fact, 100 percent of our staff at our store in Guam are locals and permanent residents of Guam,” said Dennis Flores, JFC president and head of international business for Europe, Middle East, Asia and Australia. “Beyond employment, we look forward to serving more delicious food, and in our own way, spreading the joy of eating to everyone with our warm and friendly service,” he said. The food company also announced a year-long partnership with non-profit organization Mañe’lu in line with its commitment to strengthen ties locally. JFC today operates in 21 countries, with 14 brands and 4,500 stores including 1,300 under the Jollibee brand. Jollibee group is already one of the largest fast food restaurant chains in Brunei and has overtaken its competitors in Vietnam as the fastest growing quick service restaurant chain with over 100 stores. JFC committed to grow to 150 stores in the United States and 100 stores in Canada in five years. It also announced plans to open 50 stores in Europe over the next five years, with 25 in the United Kingdom. Jeniffer B. Austria

EDC to supply clean energy to Lipa hospital By Alena Mae S. Flores ENERGY Development Corp., a subsidiary of First Gen Corp., signed a deal to supply clean and reliable energy to Mary Mediatrix Medical Center in Lipa City, Batangas. The hospital signed up for a twoyear contract for 1 megawatt of geothermal power from EDC’s BacMan Geothermal Inc. which owns the 150MW Bacon-Manito geothermal project in the Bicol region. “This contract symbolizes our commitment not only to our partnership but also to our environment. It is a good opportunity that First Gen-EDC offered us this alternative energy solution. Not only will we be able to generate substantial savings through this initiative, but we will still be able to deliver high-quality healthcare services to our patients without compromise,” said MMMC president and chief executive Robert Magsino during the contract signing. “Geothermal power provides clean, renewable and reliable energy source that allows us to reduce our operation’s negative impact to the environment by reducing our carbon footprint. With this in mind, we look forward to a mutually-beneficial and strong partnership with First Gen-EDC,” Magsino said. MMMC has been providing healthcare to the people of Southern Luzon since 1994. It received its ISO 9001:2008 certification in 2013, a proof of the hospital’s international quality standards. EDC said it received continuing strong interest for the supply of clean energy to local companies. Hamlin Industrial Corp., a subsidiary of the NST Group, earlier tapped EDC to supply power for its garment manufacturing and exporting business at Golden Mile Business Park in Barangay Maduya, Carmona, Cavite. EDC also supplies clean energy to Mondelez Philippines, the local unit of global snack giant Mondelēz International Inc. for its manufacturing plant in Sucat, Parañaque City. EDC is one of the world’s largest geothermal producers and the leading renewable energy company with a total installed capacity of 1,471.8 MW.

Business/World

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Protesters slam proposed law on extradition

ONG KONG―Huge protest crowds thronged Hong Kong on Sunday as anger swells over plans to allow extradition to China, a proposal that has sparked the biggest public backlash against the city’s pro-Beijing leadership in years.

UNREST IN HONG KONG. Protesters march during a rally against a controversial extradition law proposal in Hong Kong on June 9, 2019. Huge protest crowds thronged Hong Kong on June 9 as anger swells over plans to allow extraditions to China, a proposal that has sparked the biggest public backlash against the city's pro-Beijing leadership in years. AFP

Anger as guards tighten net in southern Mexico TAPACHULA, Mexico―Sitting inside a truck at a checkpoint near Mexico’s southern border, a soldier is scrolling through images on a screen, looking for human forms hidden in cargo vehicles. The scanning equipment delivering the images to his computer is part of Mexico’s new bid to stop undocumented migrants and human traffickers. It is a crackdown that is about to get stronger, under the deal the Mexican government struck Friday with the United States to avoid President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs. At another checkpoint nearby, officers inspect minibuses and taxis heading north from the Suchiate River, the frontier between Mexico and Guatemala. It does not take them long to find an undocumented family traveling in a minibus. They make them get off―a father, mother and three children, including a baby―and put them in a van with

bars on the windows. It is likely the first step toward deportation. “We’re here 24/7,” one border officer tells AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. And the Central American migrants fleeing in droves from desolate poverty and brutal street-gang violence have begun to feel the impact. Migrant detentions have tripled in Mexico since January, to 23,679 in May. Deportations are also up, to 16,507 last month. As part of its deal to avert Trump’s threat of five-percent tariffs on all Mexican goods―which would have risen incrementally to 25 percent by October―President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s government has agreed to deploy 6,000 officers from Mexico’s new National Guard to the southern border starting Monday.

That will make it that much harder for Central Americans to slip through what has traditionally been a highly porous border. Though some migrants and activists remain defiant. The new deployment “might make the big caravans disappear, but not migration in general. It will continue one way or another,” said Ernesto Castanedo, an activist at the Buen Pastor migrant shelter in the southern city of Tapachula. The shelter houses 600 migrants, mostly Hondurans taking a break on their northward trek. The migrants watch TV, play football and wash their clothes as Unicef workers give their children impromptu classes. “It doesn’t matter what Donald Trump does, he can never stop us,” said another migrant, 57-year-old Josue Arenal, from Honduras. AFP

US Jewish community looks to defend itself as attacks rise LOS ANGELES―Armed guards, safety assessments and now even a “Tactical Rabbi” to train volunteers on the use of weapons―such is the reality today at synagogues in the United States facing mounting anti-Semitic attacks. It is at a shooting range in the hills overlooking Los Angeles that a team of AFP reporters met recently with Raziel Cohen, dubbed the “Tactical Rabbi,” who was sporting a 9mm pistol on his hip and carrying a semi-automatic rifle over his shoulder. Cohen was trying to determine how well books can stop bullets. The idea is to transform a library at a synagogue or Jewish school into a shelter in the event of an active shooter situation. “We’re trying to bridge the gap between the time that the shooting begins and law enforcement arrives,” he told AFP. “The expression that goes on is that we carry guns because we can’t carry police officers, which is not just a joke,”

Tens of thousands of people marched in blazing summer heat through the cramped streets of the financial hub’s main island in a noisy, colorful demonstration calling on the government to scrap its planned extradition law. The city’s pro-Beijing leaders are pushing a bill through the legislature that would allow extraditions to any jurisdiction with which it does not already have a treaty―including mainland China for the first time. Coffee shop owner Marco Ng said he was closing his store to join the march. “Our city matters more than our business,” the 26-year-old told AFP. “If we don’t speak out, then there’s no way that the government will listen to our concerns.” “The people’s voices are not being heard,” added 18-year-old student Ivan Wong. “This bill will not just affect Hong Kong’s reputation as an international finance center, but also our judicial system. That has an impact on my future.” The proposed law has sparked an opposition that unites a wide demographic, setting off the largest demonstrations since 2014 pro-democracy protests brought parts of the city to a standstill for two months. In recent weeks lawyers have held sombre marches dressed in black, anonymous senior judges have given critical media interviews and the city’s two main legal groups―the Law So-

ONSTAGE. Ah-Mer-Ah-Su

performs at the LA Pride 2019 on June 08, 2019, in West Hollywood, California. AFP

Green LiGht “IF you want to be on the top, take care of the people because they will take you there.” This was shared to me by my first employer as I struggled on how to make a name for myself. It didn’t make sense when I was a rank and file employee who did the nitty gritty of everyday deliverables. But when I accepted leadership role, my experience validated it as true. I started working as a manager for a retail company in 2016. Leading a small group of individuals, I thought it was easier for me to influence the bunch. So, from time to time, I told them stories on how I took risks and transformed disadvantages into opportunities and how I equipped myself of the needed knowledge to be on the top of my game. Limited resources? I told them I learned Excel from scratch without formal training until I was good

enough to work around things using the tool. Difficult interactions? I told them that connections won’t happen unless it is actually done. I have giv given them tips on how to be successful as if the ABCs of success is at the back of my hand. It was great when we started, but at some point, a lot of flak were thrown at my direction. As a leader, I made myself aware of the goal, and that was to make the rest of my team as successful or even more successful than what I have become. I have seen that they were recognized by the organization for what they did and how they did it. But, whenever failure comes into the picture, I started questioning what went wrong. That’s when I insisted on how things should be done instead. I started justifying success by comparing it on how I did it in the past. I asked them to put themselves in my shoes, assuming my success story would be theirs too if only they did it exactly how I had. Then it retaliated. One of my staff told me that I have to let her do the things her way. She told me that as much as she listened to me as her leader, mis-

IN BRIEF Clash over Sri Lanka probe on attacks COLOMBO―Sri Lanka’s parliament warned President Maithripala Sirisena not to scuttle a controversial investigation into security lapses before the Easter suicide bombings, the Speaker’s office said Sunday. The warning came after Sirisena said he would not cooperate with the parliamentary probe and would not allow defense or police officials to testify before the select committee (PSC). The president called an emergency cabinet meeting on Friday night to oppose the legislature’s investigation into the April 21 attacks that killed 258 people, including 45 foreigners, and wounded nearly 500. “Any public servant summoned by the PSC is obliged to give evidence,” Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said in a hardhitting two-page response to Sirisena. “Officials are fully aware of the serious consequences if they fail to respond.” Officials at the Speaker’s office said Jayasuriya made it clear to Sirisena that he will not call off the PSC and it will continue its public hearings. AFP

added Cohen. “The reality is that there can’t be police everywhere all the time.” Cohen, who has been passionate about guns since his youth, is a security expert and certified shooting instructor who has taken part in counter-terrorism courses given by retired and elite active-duty military personnel. Born into a religious family, Cohen is also a rabbi for the ChabadLubavitch community in Los Angeles. Chabad is a sect of Hasidic Judaism, and Los Angeles is second only to Brooklyn, New York in its number of Chabad congregations. Cohen said his expertise in security took on more meaning after the April 27 shooting at the Chabad Poway Synagogue near San Diego that left one dead and three wounded. It came six months after a shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue left 11 people dead―the worst attack against Jewish people in the modern history of the United States. AFP

A leader’s epiphany MASANORI TAKAMOTO

ciety and the Bar Association―have urged a rethink. Business figures are also rattled with multiple chambers of commerce and commercial groups expressing alarm, adding to criticism from the United States, Canada, former colonial power Britain and many European governments. Online petitions have been gathered by groups as diverse as stay-at-home mums, students, nurses and horse racing fans. Hong Kong’s leaders, who are not popularly elected, say the law is needed to plug loopholes and stop the city being a bolt hole for mainland fugitives. They say dissidents and critics will not be extradited and have urged quick passage of the bill in order to extradite a Hong Kong man who is wanted in Taiwan for murdering his girlfriend. But critics fear the law would entangle people in China’s opaque and politicized court system and say the government is using the Taiwan case as a Trojan Horse. The proposed law has been fasttracked through the city’s legislature which is dominated by pro-Beijing members and on Wednesday it will receive its second reading. The government says it plans to have the law on the statute book by late July. Previous sessions in parliament have descended into chaos with rival lawmakers scuffling. AFP

takes were inevitable and if she had to get a taste of failure herself, then I should let her. Truth be told, I did not agree with her the first time. I argued that I was just trying to look after them and if I could prevent things from happening under my watch, then I would. But I started to evaluate my actions to understand where the feedback was coming from in the first place. I let out all the cards on the table and saw for myself how I made things happen. I was 100-percent certain that my intentions were pure—I wanted them to be successful. But while I’m at it, I was projecting myself as the benchmark. I wanted to offer them the security of achieving their goals by going through the road I took. But doing so snatched them of the opportunity to make their own. It reminded me that I took the advice of my first employer differently. Taking care of the people is more than giving them what they need. Taking care of them is also trusting them that they may do a thing or two that will break them into pieces, but they will know

Aging weighed as global risk how to bounce right back again. As a leader, the job at hand is to prepare them for the worst and let them know that you have their back even during the fall. Leadership is more than merely giving the people you manage a template on success based on your own as it could their movement and paralyze their growth. Let them experience failure. Let them take a fall once in a while, but be there to give that little push when they need it the most. Masanori Takamoto is a Master in Business Administration graduate at De La Salle University. He is a parttime lecturer at Industrial Engineering Department of Gokongwei College of Engineering of De La Salle University and works as an after-sales and information systems manager at a retail and distribution firm in Cubao, Quezon City. He welcomes comments at masanori_takamoto@dlsu.edu.ph. The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty and its administrators.

FUKUOKA―Ballooning health care costs, labor shortages and financial services for the elderly: for the first time Sunday, the world’s top policymakers are tackling economic issues relating to ageing and shrinking birthrates. G20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs meeting in Japan―where a rapidly aging population is a major domestic problem―have been warned to address the issue before it is too late. “What we are saying is, ‘If the issue of aging starts to show its impact before you become wealthy, you really won’t be able to take effective measures against it’,” Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso, the meeting’s host, told reporters late Saturday. The G20 is a mixed bag of countries at various stages of development and population profiles, ranging from rapidly-aging Japan to Saudi Arabia, next year’s G20 chair, which has a very young society. And host Japan is eager to share its experience, with Aso sounding the alarm that nations must be ready to act before population aging rears its head and piles pressure on the economy. AFP

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

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Villar unveils Pigalo Isabela ‘Mega’ Bridge By Jessica M. Bacud ANGADANAN, Isabela—Public Works Secretary Mark A. Villar led the formal inauguration of the Pigalo Bridge project here, which crosses the Cagayan River and will serve as a vital link to the municipalities of Angadanan and San Guillermo to other towns in the province of Isabela. The bridge, costing P459 million, replaces the old and dilapidated structure devastated by Typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel,” Villar said. “The best advantage of this new mega bridge is that it will provide direct access for residents in outlying barangays, while at the same time, ensuring safe and convenient travel for both locals and tourists,” the secretary stressed. Isabela Governor Faustino G. Dy III expressed his gratitude to President Rodrigo Duterte, Villar and the Department of Public Works and Highways for constructing the bridge. “Despite being on a provincial road, the present administration has considered it as an alternative route. This project will promote socioeconomic development and will alleviate the living conditions of the people,” Dy stressed. The bridge connects rural communities in Isabela to the rest of the region, will hasten the delivery of agricultural products, and boost economic productivity of the farmers here, DPWH-Cagayan Valley Regional Director Melanio C. Briosos said. The project, which started in 2017, spans 450 meters with a 500-meter road network for the approaches. It has a carriageway width of 7.32 meters and has drainage structures and embankment protections.

Coco Congress sees coconut oil prices rebound THE downward trend for coconut oil prices, which started in 2018, is expected to end sooner than expected. Most trade analysts and industry experts agree that a big rebound in sales—both in local and in exports—is inevitable. Thus, the outlook for the currently bearish coconut industry is getting rosier. The Philippine Coconut Authority, the Department of Agriculture, and various industry groups from the private sector have actively been finding ways to bolster domestic demand for coconut oil. Proposed solutions at hand are feasible and could be readily implemented. This is among the interesting topics that will be further discussed by IP Specialties President and former Procter & Gamble USA Head Norman Ellard in the upcoming 2nd World Coconut Congress. The Coco Congress Conference and Exhibition will be held from Aug. 27 to 29 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. It will gather experts and major players from various industries, which are involved in the production and use of coconut products, like coconut oil. The United Coconut Association of the Philippines has constantly pushed for government approval of a proposal to increase coconut oil content in biodiesel (from 2 percent at present to as much as 5 percent) sold in the local market—a measure that would not only help improve the environmentfriendliness of diesel but also uplift demand for coconut oil. At the turnover ceremony are (from left) Ruby Laigo, Human Resources Head, Mundipharma; Ian M. Santos, Country Manager, Mundipharma; Undersecretary Nicanor ‘Nick’ Faeldon, Director General of the Bureau of Corrections; Stella Osorio, Public Affairs and Market Access Manager, Mundipharma; Mavel Banocnoc, Consumer Operations Director, Mundipharma; Dr. Ernesto Tamayo, Medical Department Chief, Bureau of Corrections; and Edelyn Agapito, Senior Brand Manager, Mundipharma.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar (second from left) leads the unveiling and inaugural drive-through of the P459-million Pigalo ‘Mega’ Bridge at Angadanan, Isabela with (from left) Gov. Faustino G. Dy III , DPWH Regional Director-02 Director Melanio Briosos, and AnakIP Party-list Rep. Jose Panganiban. Also on the truck are Rep Napoleon ‘Pol’ Dy, Angadanan Mayor Lourdes Panganiban, San Guillermo Mayor Marilou Sanchez, and incoming 3rd District Rep. Paul Ian Dy. Jessica Bacud

Isko eyes Japanese investors for Manila

ANILA City Mayor-elect Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso hopes to attract major investments from Japanese ﬁrms after joining President Rodrigo Duterte’s delegation for four days in Tokyo, Japan. Domagoso said these investments could greatly boost his 10-year infrastructure development plan for the City of Manila, which includes projects intended to improve traffic, tourism, healthcare and jobs. “I am looking at this working visit in Tokyo, Japan as an opportunity for the benefit of my fellow Manilans. This is an opportunity for the City of Manila to engage with prospective investors,” the Mayor-elect said.

While he has not yet officially assumed his post, Domagoso saw the opportunity to get a head start for the city by joining the President’s 200-member delegation. “The new administration will start in July. However, we want to be productive as much as possible, especially during the transition period,” Domagoso said. “We are grateful to the President that he invited us to participate in this state visit not only for myself but also for the City of Manila,” he added.

Under his 10-year infrastructure plan, Domagoso hopes to build a new Ospital ng Maynila, create a new Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Medicine building, and improve the city’s health centers. Likewise, Domagoso also proposes to build a new “Mercado de Divisoria” for Manila’s street vendors, a Manila Sky Deck along Roxas Boulevard, a new business district in Pandacan, a new City Walk or huge concrete overpass from Ermita to Binondo, and a new Manila City Hall building. The Mayor-elect also plans introduce an in-city vertical housing program to provide more homes for Manileños and reduce traffic congestion in the city.

FOR FIRE VICTIMS. Senator-elect Christoper ‘Bong’ Go visits the victims of a fire at Olivarez Homes, Sto. Tomas Biñan City together with reelected Rep. Len Alonte-Naguiat, Biñan City Vice Mayor Gel Alonte, and Board Member Abigail Alonte. They gave out free ‘GOto ni Bong Go’ and distributed relief goods to the victims. Roy Tomandao

Navotas public schools get CCTV cameras, recorder THE 24 public schools in Navotas will soon have closed-circuit televisions to ensure the security of students and faculty. The city government received 330 CCTV cameras and 49 sets of CCTV recorders from Faire Technologies, Inc. following the signing of a deed

of donation. Mayor John Rey Tiangco and Faire Tech Vice President for Operations Norvin Duke Co served as signatories to the agreement. OIC Schools Division Superintendent Meliton Zurbano and Faire Tech representatives Aris Abella and Bryan Adam

Sy stood as witnesses. Tiangco expressed his gratitude towards Faire Tech’s donation, noting that the CCTVs will help the city provide a safe learning environment to the Navoteño youth. Also present in the signing were public school principals and other SDO officials. Jun David

SM Marilao wins 2 Asia Pacific Stevie Awards By Jun David SM CITY Marilao has bagged two Silver Stevies in the prestigious 2019 AsiaPacific Stevie Awards for the E-llumiArt, under the category of Innovation in Energy and Sustainability and Innovation in Living, Learning, and Working Environments, respectively. These wins were among the 45 Stevie Awards bagged by SM Supermalls that garnered the company the most coveted Grand Stevie for Most Honored Organization. “We are thankful and truly elated by these validations of our hard work, dedication and passion to offer family fun experiences for our valued customers,” said Steven Tan, SM Supermalls COO. “We strive to do this through constant innovation and offering nothing but the best for SM shoppers, from their online engagement experience – including the website, apps and social media pages ̶ to the exciting and entertaining events in SM malls nationwide,” he added. SM City Marilao’s 2018 e-LluminArt, as remembered, was an ecofriendly light installation at the mall that uses innovative approaches focusing on the theme of recycling, reducing energy consumption and sustainability. The installation was created with energy-saving lighting and recycled materials recovered from various mall initiated cleanup drives. E-LluminArt’s core concept was to engage the audience with the ecofriendly light art installation while stressing the importance of recycling and conservation. The campaign also shed light to islands of Binuangan in Obando, Bulacan where art pieces and all solar-powered LED bulbs were donated to help with the community’s lighting needs. SM’s Bulacan Art Fest in Marilao, Baliwag and Pulilan also received bronze award for Innovation in the Use of Events. These unique events were rolled out last year; highlighting the province’s innovative culinary talents through the unveiling of SM City Marilao’s Giant Inipit and SM City Baliwag’s biggest serving ensaymada. SM Center Pulilan likewise launched several culinary workshops for young Bulacan chefs.

Mundipharma, BuCor aid inmates MUNDIPHARMA Philippines recently provided Povidone-Iodine products to the Bureau of Corrections as they partnered with the agency to promote oral and body hygiene among the inmates of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. As part of their corporate social responsibility program, the company gave Povidone-Iodine (Betadine) products in support of the Department of Health’s Knock-Out Tigdas drive. This partnership with the BuCor, which was cemented through a turnover ceremony, will help more than 30,000 inmates attain better hygiene and physical health using Povidone-Iodine (Betadine) products. Measles is regarded as a highly contagious

and infectious condition. It can be transmitted by coughing or sneezing or through direct contact with anyone infected with it. Symptoms include high fever that lasts four to seven days, runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes, and white spots that develop inside the cheeks. After a few days, rashes appear and then it spreads all over the body. Povidone-Iodine (Betadine) is clinically proven to effectively kill viruses, bacteria and fungi. The products from Mundipharma will help prevent the spread of contagious diseases such as flu and measles, as well as more common ailments like sore throat and mouth ulcers, and skin infections like boils, which may impact the well-being of the prisoners held in the facility.

Life

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

FOOD

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

Dine out with dad I

T’S your turn to pick up the check and treat dad to a memorable meal on his special day. Here are some of the places where he and the whole family can dine together on Father’s Day.

Feasts fit for a king

New World Manila Bay Hotel’s in-house restaurants offer a variety of options for Father’s Day lunch or dinner. At Li Li, dad gets to choose from two special Father’s Day set menus filled with authentic Cantonese dishes starting at P2,288 per person, available for both lunch and dinner. Dad dines for free when accompanied by three paying adults. Market Café has a specially curated lunch and dinner buffet spread featuring farm-to-table salads, fresh seafood on ice, Asian specialties, European classics, and desserts priced at P2,800 per person. The special Father’s Day dinner set menu at The Fireplace, priced at P3,000 per person, features steakhouse salad; chorizo and roasted corn soup; Argentinean Angus tenderloin, foie gras butter, pumpkin mash, arugula, red wine sauce for the main course; and a plate of dark chocolate fondant and peanut butter ice cream for dessert. It comes with a complimentary glass of wine. Call (02) 252-6888.

Xiao long baos from Li Li

Barbecue for the best guy

The grilling station at Pacific Lounge in Pan Pacific Manila heats up on June 15 as the restaurant offers a special Grill and Barbecue dinner buffet. Starting at 6:00 p.m., diners enjoy unlimited serving of aromatic succulent meat, ribs, steak, chicken, and predinner cocktails best complemented with choice of local beer, house wine, and standard drinks. Dinner buffet is at P1,200 net per person. Call (02) 318-0788. Grilled meats at Pacific Lounge

Surf and turf

Samira Grill’s Chilled Beetroot Soup

Getaway and gourmet

Samira Grill at Anya hotel in Tagaytay is serving Father’s Day dinner with a side of welcoming ambiance. Executive Chef Jonathan Bouthiaux prepares a special degustacion menu that starts off with an amuse-bouche, starter, main course, and dessert. For the amuse-bouche, indulge in Chilled Beetroot Soup with feta cheese foam and rosemary, Fine Avocado Tart with passionfruit and sautéed prawn with paprika, or Classic Bulalo stuffed in poached choux. Follow it up with either Ricotta Ravioli topped with roasted almonds and herb pesto or Wild Mushroom Soup. Main course options are a stack of Short Ribs, a tasty spiced Salmon, and Italian Pumpkin Gnocchi. Cap off the meal with Peach Melba, a sweet and divine dessert of poached peaches with vanilla ice cream, raspberry sorbet, and toasted almonds. The special Father’s Day degustación menu is available until June 30 for P1,850 nett per person. Call (02) 657-1640.

Eastwood Richmonde Hotel’s all-day dining restaurant, Eastwood Café+Bar, is serving up a delectable spree of unlimited steaks and crabs on June 16. For only P995 nett, dads can devour the mouthwatering offerings at the lunch and dinner spread that include Brazilian Short Rib Barbecue, Hanging Tender En Croute, US Rib Eye, Crab and Shrimp Gumbo, Louisiana-style Crab, Mac and Cheese with Scallops and Truffles, and Baked Oysters and Mussels. The live cooking of Camaron, a Mixed Salad station, Cream of Broccoli soup, and Beer Cake and Teppanyaki Ice Cream for dessert, complete this indulgent banquet. Everyone also gets a free glass of lychee iced tea while dad gets an extra Heineken beer. As a special treat, dads dining with four paying guests get to eat for free. Lunch starts at 11:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., while dinner is at 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Call (02) 570-7777.

Nobu Manila’s brunch spread

Sunday brunch

Set menu at Kitsho

Japanese meal treat

Fathers who love Japanese food will delight in Kitsho’s Father’s Day set menu good for four dining guests. The special set menu on June 16 is composed of soup, appetizer, main dish, and dessert. Dads also get to enjoy a complimentary glass of beer or, if he wishes to enjoy more than a glass, he can simply opt for unlimited draft beer at P380. The set menu is priced at P2,488 (inclusive of VAT and service charge). Call (02) 877-6379.

Crabs and steaks and more at Eastwood Cafe+Bar

Only a few things beat a Sunday brunch with dad’s favorite bunch. Take him and family to Nobu Manila which is serving a lavish brunch buffet on June 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Father’s Day Nobu Sunday brunch highlights the restaurant’s famed Japanese-Peruvian flavors with Wagyu or Kobe beef sliders and fresh-off-the-grill assorted beef cuts and seafood rice at the Teppan table; grilled items such as pork ribs and umami chicken at the cabana area; and an assortment of kushiyaki with chicken, vegetable, and seafood choices, served with wasabi pepper, teriyaki, or anticucho sauce. The hot buffet line features a selection of salmon with honey soy glaze, vegetable tempura, okonomiyaki, chicken katsu, miso soup, and other specialties. Mussel garlic wasabi and crispy oyster mushroom are served pass around-style. Complementing these are a variety of greens at the salad station, and an array of sashimi and rolls. The dessert table includes breakfast pastries: croissants, pain au chocolat, blueberry muffins, madeleine, Danish pastries, and cookies; and decadent sweets such as warm homemade green tea brownie cake with black sesame ice cream, hazelnut streusel with yuzu cream and mango jelly in glass, amaretto tiramisu cake, and ube crème brûlée with almond biscotti; and milk chocolate fountain with fresh strawberry, choux, and yellow meringue. The brunch buffet with regular beverage package is offered at P2,950 nett. Call (02) 800-8080. Turn to C2

Life

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Clever ways to prevent food waste

VERY year, roughly one-third of the food produced for human consumption—around 1.3 billion tons—gets wasted, says a report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Food wastage is also becoming a public concern in the Philippines, with the country losing more than 900,000 kilos of rice according to the latest PSA data.

BITES

Following its goal to prioritize healthy living, Beko listed some clever habits to manage leftovers, while ensuring that the family gets all the nutrients from the food they eat.

Monitor food consumption

Monitoring food consumption during meals can prevent having any leftovers. By doing so, home cooks also promote a well-balanced diet by giving their family just the right portions of each food item that has essential nutrients needed by the body. To make it easier, check out the “Pinggang Pinoy,” an easyto-understand tool released by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology. This visual food guide contains the recommended food portions, aiming to lead Filipinos in consuming the right amount of food for a healthy and balanced diet daily.

Transform leftovers into gourmet dishes

Despite trying to prepare just the right amount of food for the family, circumstances happen that leaves food on the table. Leftovers need not immediately end up in the garbage, they can be used to whip up a better version of a recipe by mixing the right kind of remaining ingredients. Salads and soups are a popular way to manage leftovers. Mix favorite pieces of leftover meats, fish, and choice of crops. Like the creation of new dishes, transforming leftovers makes for great appetizers. Kids often leave vegetables untouched because of its blandness. Present them in a way that makes them appealing.

Fluffy Bibingka Cheesecake

Bibingka and cheesecake in one He may be tough inside, but deep down his heart is as soft as Andrew Café’s Fluffy Bibingka Cheesecake. The café’s latest creation is a delightful fusion of two all-time favorite desserts. It is made of decadent serving of cream cheese, crisp graham crust, and torched milky butter spread made extra exhilarating with shreds of young coconut and generous slices of salted eggs on top—a nod to the Filipino favorite bibingka. Andrew Café is at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Taft Campus in Malate Manila. Call (02) 230-5100 local 1888 for orders.

Follow a visual food guide to monitor food consumption.

Create new dishes using leftovers.

Store fresh produce properly

Improper storage of produce leads to early spoilage. Certain organic compounds, like ethylene gas, contribute to the early maturity of fruits. This type of emission is common in fruits, such as bananas, strawberries, avocados, and mangoes. Cover the tips of bananas and keep strawberries in the fridge to slow down their ripening. It is also recommended to separate these types of fruits from the other ethylene-sensitive produce like potatoes and vegetables to avoid spoilage and food waste.

Separate fruits and vegetables that emit ethylene gas to slow down ripening.

Follow the FIFO Method

Keep the fridge well-stocked but don’t go overboard. Try the “First in, First Out” (FIFO) method to avoid food spoilage. In addition, the features of the refrigerator helps in storing leftovers properly. For instance, manage them through the Everfresh+ feature of Beko’s inverter refrigerator. This refrigerator provides a decent space in its special crisper compartment for storing leftovers that can be used in the next meal plan. Beko’s EverFresh+ technology regulates and controls humidity inside the crisper compartment that aids in prolonging the shelf life of produce, thus preserving their fresh and crisp qualities for up to 30 days. Meanwhile, its IonGuard technology removes odors in the fridge by circulating negative ions that remove bacteria and other odor-causing particles, while its NeoFrost dual cooling technology maintains high humidity in the fridge while keeping the freezer dry, frozen, and frost free.

Food startup offers quality breads LEOGANO Food Corporation combines expertise and conscious production in creating healthy and quality breads. “We define what a delicious bread is by our customized process. Our flour is made in France, our ovens are handbuilt and designed from Germany, our bakers are trained by a Taiwan-based master baker,” said company chief executive officer Nelson Ong. “That’s how we ensure quality control on our dough and baked goods.” Leogano bakers are trained by Japanese chef Tomohiro Nogami, who has also served breads fresh off the ovens of culinary haven of France in his 34 years of baking. With only a few customers on the list for now, the startup company strives to offer world-class quality in its three product lines: French flour, bread, and equipment. Staying true to the company’s conscious production, cardiologist and Leogano president Susana Ong certifies its flour as organic or chemical-free, which is used for all its breads, including loaf, dinner rolls, Kaiser rolls, croissant, baguette, ciabatta, and ensaymada. “As a doctor, I’ve seen many patients getting ill from cancer, stroke, and diabetes because of lifestyle habits like eating pesticide-laden foods. With my visit to France and the popularity of bread in Taiwan, I realized Filipinos can also eat handy, palatable and healthy breads. We are now consuming more Western foods, but that shouldn’t mean we must stop being healthy,” shared Dr. Susana. Leogano makes this easier for their customers in households, hotels, and restaurants with their frozen dough and par-baked bread which are 90 percent cooked.

Classic Cheese Burger

A cheeseburger returns Fans of Pancake House would remember its very first branch in Magallanes, where all-time favorites like the Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and the 2-pc. Pan Chicken were born. Another crowd-pleaser from over 40 years ago is the Classic Cheese Burger which is making a comeback at Pancake House Paseo de Magallanes for a limited time only. The Classic Cheese Burger is made with two high-grade ground beef patties made fresh in limited batches every day—the reason why it is available in just one branch. Lightly seasoned then grilled to a slightly charred perfection, they are tucked in between soft but yielding buns, alternating with two good ol’ American cheese slices. It can be enjoyed with a side of homemade potato chips, Pancake House’s special coleslaw, pickle relish, tomato ketchup, and mustard. Grab it at Pancake House Paseo de Magallanes until September.

Dine... From C1

His cup of tea

Indulge dad’s love of gourmet dishes and premium tea with TWG Tea’s Father’s Day set menu. After starting off with soup, dads can choose from the Rib Eye Steak with walnut butter, roasted garlic and tomato, green beans, and shimeji mushrooms, served with a Magic Charm Tea-infused brown sauce; or the Slow-Roasted Beef Short Ribs with Magic Charm Tea-infused guava barbecue sauce, served with warm potato salad for main course. Accompany this hearty meal with a warm cup of Earl Grey Gentleman Tea, a rich and robust Ceylon balanced with intense and fragrant TWG Tea bergamot; or the Napoleon Tea, a high quality black tea with a sophisticated TWG Tea blend of sweet French spices with a hint of vanilla. End the meal on a sweet note with a Brother’s Club Tea-infused hazelnut mousse layered with raspberry jelly covered with a raspberry and star anise chocolate ganache. TWG Tea’s Father’s Day set menu is priced at P2,100. This set menu is available at TWG Tea branches until June 30. Leogano ensures its breads are of high quality by using chemical-free flour and right tools, among others.

“We created these products because we want to make quality breads available to all Filipinos. This is the reason why we also focus on delivering goods instead of putting up shops where only people nearby will be reached,” said Ong. To promote Leogano breads, the company is also distributing freezers and ovens that its electrical engineer CEO helped build. Unlike commercial ovens, Chef Nogami says Leogano modern stone ovens keep their temperature even when opened. Despite proven tools and recipes for delectable breads, Leogano, under the guidance of Chef Nogami, finds more ways to stand out. The company believes the Filipino market, as in Taiwan, may soon crave bread in place of rice.

“We continue to innovate according to the taste of the Filipino market. In Europe, they prefer tougher bread, but Filipinos like it soft. We are investing in research with France and Taiwan to develop affordable but more palatable and less chemicals breads—from ingredients to processes,” said Dr. Susana. Leogano plans to share these discoveries through e-commerce so they can have their products delivered directly to Filipino homes. The company says it is eyeing delivery services from mobilebased applications. The company is also keen on partnering with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to train more students in baking as a foundation to whip up breads out of the ordinary.

TWG Tea’s set menu with Slow-Roasted Beef Short Ribs

Entertainment

Epic finale of the

‘X-MEN SAGA’

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

nickie.standard@gmail.com

In praise of the powerful females TWO of the Philippines’ finest actresses, Iza Calzado and Meryl Soriano are all set to be part of the Ricky Lee scripted and Alvin Yapan directed film, Culion. Calzado gives life to the character of Ditas, supposedly the “hopeful one.” She dreams and wishes that in her lifetime, a cure for Hansen’s disease (leprosy) will come to fruition. Aside from being the lead femme, Calzado adds another feather to her cap by being one of the executive producers of this highly anticipated motion picture. “I actually first got wind of the story because of Shandii (Bacolod, one of the producers) and I think it happened during the birthday of sir Ricky Lee,” Calzado comes clean. “I learned about the story from him and during our conversation, sir Ricky told me that he is writing a role for me, with me in mind. Hearing that from him, oh my, may himala,” she punctuates her reveal with a giddy guffaw. She carries on: “When I learned about the character I will portray as Ana, the hopeful one who wants to get out of Culion, and believes that there will be a cure for leprosy, there were all sorts of emotions that I felt. Excited, very much. Kilig and that kind of nervousness that produces butterfly in your stomach and you know that it is a good thing. I am grateful that I will breathe life to a character written by Ricky Lee.” The executive producer part, Maria Izadora explains, “When we did Mystified and even before that, I wanted to come on board as a producer. I was just not given the opportunity. So I figured, as the lead for the film, I could probably swing that deal. So I did. All you have to do is ask.”

Relates Soriano who portrays Ditas: “I am given a chance to give life to one of Sir Ricky Lee’s characters in a gripping story inspired from true events. As an actor and a human being, it gives me a powerful voice, It is also a dream that is being realized.” “I am honored to be surrounded by an amazing team who makes films with their whole heart and soul. To be directed by an educator, Alvin Yapan and produced by my dear friend Shandii Bacolod, an inspiration to me. This film is truly a gift. I am excited to work with Iza, this fact I cannot deny,” she carries on. What is about Ditas that she finds challenging as an actress? Soriano’s quick reply: “Ditas is a woman who has lost all hope in her life. She has a lot of angst, anger even because of the heartbreaking situations she faces. She is so desperate in wanting to leave the colony. In her desperation, she has become suicidal. She feels that killing herself is the easy way out. What is funny is, ilang beses niya tinatangka na magpakamatay. Pero, lagi siyang naliligtas.” “Pardon me from using this line from Britney Spears song. But the loneliness and memories are killing her. Deep inside, she is really devastated. If people get to watch her, I know they will understand her. Her very life offers so many lessons on survival and how each woman addresses her given situation,” she adds. In conclusion, Soriano declares, “Culion, the film and the lives of the characters that will be highlighted in it are great conversation topics. This is a story that must be told and people must know about the lives of Ana, Ditas and many more. Culion is intended for submission in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival.

Director Simon Kinber and Sophie Turner on the set of 'X-Men: Dark Phoenix.'

ITNESS the epic culmination of nearly two decades of action, drama, and suspense as X-Men Saga presents the conclusion to one of the most enduring superhero film franchises.

The spectacular new blockbuster is part science-fiction thriller, part character-driven drama, posing intriguing questions about identity and destiny. The emotional story of a divided hero, a divided family, and a divided world, X-Men: Dark Phoenix stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, and Jessica Chastain. The film was written and directed by Simon Kinberg and produced by Hutch Parker, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Todd Hallowell. It’s the question at the heart of one of the most enduring storylines in the decades-long history of the X-Men comic books, the Dark Phoenix saga. Written by industry

legend Chris Claremont and illustrated by artist Johan Byrne in 1980, the story in many ways represents the ultimate X-Men tale: Jean Grey (Turner)a is transformed into a force that not even her mutant family can comprehend. She becomes an outsider among outsiders, a being beyond the reach of even those closest to her. “The Dark Phoenix saga is one of the most beloved of the X-Men series in its long lineage, primarily because it’s not a story where you have heroes and villains, black and white,” says Simon Kinberg. At its core, this is a tale of a woman struggling with her personal demons, and only the love of her family—the X-Men—can save her soul, and the world. “This movie’s very different from the previous X-Men movies,” Kinberg says.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Monday, June 10, 2019

ACROSS 1 Elapse 5 Fine violin, briefly 10 Geologic divisions 14 Marie’s friend 15 Outback cutie 16 Polite bloke 17 Past the deadline 18 Enter data 19 Stage award 20 Loom device 22 Like Bogart’s falcon 24 Embraces 26 Used a parachute 27 Inches along 30 Directors 32 Swiss heroine 33 Panhandles 34 Earned 38 Mr. McKellen 39 Used credit cards 42 Seed vessel 43 Without — — to stand on 45 Wanes 46 Mitigated 48 Moderator 50 Diluted 51 Type of bear 54 Folklore dwarf 56 Early missionary

58 Lack 62 Mellow-toned 63 Commuter’s home 65 Runs a fever 66 “Puppy Love” singer 67 Drive back 68 Break 69 D’Urberville girl 70 Cause goose bumps 71 Small city DOWN 1 Comrades 2 Calcutta nanny 3 In — (as found) 4 Did a slow burn 5 Abilities 6 Not flabby 7 Music genre 8 Pickling ingredient 9 Online info 10 Pride 11 Refuse to conform 12 Plant with aromatic seeds 13 Warrior’s horse 21 Subject 23 Aberdeen kid 25 Frozen dessert 27 “Wool” on clay sheep 28 Genuine 29 “— kleine

Nachtmusik” 31 Hen output 33 Slugger — Ruth 35 Basilica area 36 Active one 37 Vortex 40 Disgruntled fans 41 Transactions 44 Teahouse hostesses 47 Minimally (2 wds.) 49 Floor pad 50 Teeter 51 Jeweler’s mea-

sure 52 Conjecture 53 Quays 55 More uncommon 57 Business VIP 59 Pedro’s son 60 Talon 61 “X Games” airer 64 Work — — sweat

“The source material is different from the other X-Men comics that we’ve drawn upon in the past. It’s more psychologically complex and emotionally volatile. The emotions it gets into are rawer than a lot of the other X-Men comics.” It’s a fitting conclusion to the X-Men franchise’s remarkable 18-year run. With X-Men: Dark Phoenix serving as the culmination of the saga after an impressive 12 films, producer Hutch Parker, who was there at the inception of 2000’s X-Men, says the experience of bringing the franchise full circle feels bittersweet. “What we were able to do with the first film was introduce a tone that would have seemed, I think to most eyes, impossible in association with what we knew comic book movies to be at that time,” Parker says. From 20th Century Fox, X-Men: Dark Phoenix the film screens at SM Cinema’s 64 branches, or at IMAX and Director’s Club Cinemas nationwide. Book your tickets through the website,www. smcinema.com or download the SM Cinema mobile app.

Actresses Meryl Soriano (left) and Iza Calzado team up in a drama written by Ricky Lee and directed by Alvin Yapan.

Snapshot... From C4

Since its inception in 1953, the program boasts over 14,000 graduates and currently supports 5,000 beneficiaries nationwide. Representing Caritas Manila was Acquisitions Specialist Zita Morales to officially receive the YSLEP donation from WMRC through its Director for Corporate Communications Jami Ledesma. “Winford Manila shares Caritas’ belief that education is the best means for the underprivileged to overcome poverty,” said Ledesma. “Through the Youth Servant

Leadership and Education Program, we found the perfect avenue to make college a reality, provide an opportunity to earn a degree, and ultimately breed an empowered graduate with the capacity to create a brighter future.” In the interest of promoting employee engagement, WMRC also supports Segunda Mana, the donations in-kind program of Caritas Manila. It is a social enterprise that collects secondhand donations, which are converted to cash at Segunda Mana charity outlets in order to sustain its bottomline development programs. WMRC executives and employees donated their pre-loved clothing and unwanted personal belongings accordingly.

Toni... From C4

The mother and son tandem was also on hand to honor the four Empowered Moms who were chosen for the latest Nature’s Spring Distilled Water campaign: Maggie Villasencio, Cevil Singlao Bue, Rina Siongco, and Eloise Teng. These four mothers are said to embody what it means to be modern Filipina moms in a time of information and choices as to what is best for the family. Empowered moms are those who seek information about best parenting practices and apply those tips and techniques on raising their kids. They also work hard to ensure that their children have a bright future and balance it with quality time and bonding moments that will be their child’s favorite growing up memories. Nature’s Spring Distilled Water honored these mothers with a special day out, where they got to spend time bonding with their kids through fun activities and listen in on informative talks from parenting experts.

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

Entertainment

MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2019

ABS-CBN still undisputed leader in May

Angel Locsin rappels down a building during a scene from the top-rating action drama, 'The General's Daughter.'

MEDIA giant ABS-CBN is still the most watched TV network nationwide that delivered top news stories and compelling, values-laden programs last May, registering an average audience share of 44 percent versus GMA’s 31 percent, according to data from Kantar Media. The Kapamilya network’s leadership in ratings is evident in its programs that have consistently topped the list of most watched shows nationwide, with FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano (37 percent) keeping its claim as the number one program that Filipinos watch. Angel Locsin’s action-packed The General’s Daughter (31.2 percent) followed closely on the second spot. Search for the Idol Philippines (28.8 percent) kept its throne as the top-ofmind weekend show nationwide, followed by ABS-CBN’s ﬂagship newscast TV Patrol that brought relevant news last month for its Halalan 2019 coverage. Completing the top 10 are Maalaala Mo Kaya (25.6 percent), Kadenang Ginto (25.3 percent), Hiwaga ng Kambat (23.1 percent), and Home Sweetie Home: Extra Sweet (22.7 percent). Meanwhile, ABS-CBN also conquered all time blocks in May, particularly in primetime where it

recorded an average audience share of 47 percent, compared to GMA’s 33 percent. The primetime block is the most important time of the day when most Filipinos watch TV and advertisers put a larger chunk of their investments in to reach more consumers effectively. The Kapamilya network also successfully ruled the morning block (6:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon) with an average audience share of 34 percent, versus GMA’s 30 percent; the noontime block (12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m.) with 43 percent, beating GMA’s 31 percent; and the afternoon block (3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.)with a whopping 50 percent or 20 points higher than GMA’s 30 percent. Likewise, ABS-CBN also reigned supreme in urban and rural areas, as it earned 42 percent versus GMA’s 24 percent in Metro Manila; 36 percent versus GMA’s 31 percent in Mega Manila; 39 percent over GMA’s 34 percent in Total Luzon; 53 percent versus GMA’s 25 percent in Total Visayas; and 51 percent versus GMA’s 28 percent in Total Mindanao. Multinational audience measurement provider Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,610 urban and rural homes that represent 100 percent of the total Philippine TV viewing population.

Toni Gonzaga celebrates with empowered moms AT ITS recent Mother’s Day celebration, Nature’s Spring Distilled Water launched its campaign in support of today’s empowered moms who personify modern parenting with the best interests of their families as the top priority. During the event, TV host and actress Toni Gonzaga was the special guest. She rendered a live musical performance and talked about her handson parenting experiences. She was accompanied by her son, Seve. Topics that were discussed at the openair venue of the SM By The Bay Central Park included Mother’s Rights, Raising Successful Kids Without Over-parenting, Career Conﬁdence to Mindfulness, and Time Management, Planning, and Organization. The moms were also able to bring home goodies from the different booths and the rafﬂes that were held during the course of the program. Continued on C3

TV host Toni Gonzaga joined onstage by Seve during the Empowered Moms event held at the SM By The Bay Central Park.

SNAPSHOT Helping hands from Caritas and Winford Manila Caritas Manila Acquisition Specialist Zita Morales receives a donation from Winford Manila Resort & Casino represented by Director for Corporate Communications Jami Ledesma

CARITAS Manila and Winford Manila Resort and Casino (WMRC) recently formalized a partnership via a donation made by WMRC to Caritas Manila’s Youth Servant Leadership and Education Program (YSLEP).

YSLEP is the ﬂagship program of CARITAS MANILA that aims to break the chains of poverty in the Philippines by providing opportunities for a college education for poor, underprivileged but deserving youth. Continued on C3

Iya Villania cuddles her eldest son, Primo, in a photo the TV host shared on Instagram.

VERY WANG

NICKIE WANG

HERE’S no doubt moms and sons have a special bond and it’s interesting to know that the kind of relationship Iya Villania and son Primo have can easily inspire people who say that they don’t have much time with their kids because of their busy schedule. The 32-year-old mother of two spends her morning with husband Drew Arellano in the gym. After their routine, they would go home to see their kids. “It’s so easy to bond with Primo because he’s the one who asks me to take him to the kitchen especially if there’s something he wants to eat. Like one time, he wanted us to bake brownies. I told him, ‘ubusin ubusin mo muna yung brownies that we baked yesterday,’” Iya shared during the press conference for Home Foodie’s 5th season. Drew immediately butted in and said that it’s the process of making or cooking food that intrigues the tyke who’s turning three in August. “We come home at around 9 o’clock in the morning. And it’s automatic that Primo wants to help the Mama make her protein shake. It’s the process of doing activities with the Mama and the Papa that he really enjoys,” Drew enthusiastically shared. Iya and Drew, like most millennial couples, are part of a dual-income household which is why they don’t deny their schedule wouldn’t allow them to bond with their kids as much as they wanted to. In a way, they feel fortunate that their eldest son wants to be around the kitchen where the couple usually bond when they’re at home. “If that’s what Primo would love to do, then it’s easy for us to move around the kitchen but then again as much as we’d like to put that time and effort to cook on a regular basis, our schedule wouldn’t allow us to do so. So, it’s really a bonus that Primo wants to be around the kitchen,” he said. “So, we just make most of the time that we have together,” Iya added. Both Iya and Drew work as hosts of Home Foodie,, which 5th season starts airing today. Apart from turning ordinary dishes into resto-inspired viands and adding twists to classic dishes, the couple said that they also prepare “Primo-approved food” like the burger patty, which has boiled and grated banana in it, served during the press event. According to the couple, on the latest season, the San Miguel Pure Foods Home Foodie Chefs -- Llena Tan-Arcenas, Martin Narisma, and John

How mother IYA and son PRIMO bond

Valley -- will help them continue to teach and entertain Home Foodies viewers with various ”Madalicious” and ”Affordalicious” meals. “But with new and level up ideas, easyto-prepare as well as budget-friendly recipes,” Iya stated. Among the new elements for this season is that Home Foodie went out of the kitchen for fresh ambiance. Some of the cooking demos are done on location with a refreshing view of the Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges as the kitchen backdrop. Home Foodie also engages more with its Ka-Home Foodie community on recipe ideas, questions and needs that can be addressed by the show. Drew will

roam around the city to personally talk to the viewers and netizens. And so, the recipes are ka-Home Foodie approved, can be easily replicated by more households and are suited for every member of the family. Lucky Home Foodies are also invited to the remote kitchen to watch the cooking demos and try the featured dishes. Home Foodie season 5 airs Monday to Friday, after Unang Hirit. Episodes can also be enjoyed online through www. homefoodie.com, YouTube (Home Foodie), Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts (Home Foodie ph). *** ‘Inside StarStruck,’ airs also today For the ﬁrst time, reality artista search StarStruck will be shown on YouTube. Called Inside StartStruck, the digital show features online auditions, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage of StartStruck hopefuls. Beginning today, viewers can watch the hopeful’s journey in the original reality-based search with host Kyline Alcantara. The show will be the ﬁrst to reveal the Top 22 hopefuls who will continue to next rounds of competition.

Couple Iya and Drew return as host of the daily show 'Home Foodie,' which new season premieres today.