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HK solon takes up ex-envoy’s case By Macon Ramos-Araneta

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 130 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

A HONG KONG lawmaker will raise the deportation of former Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario before the Hong Kong Legislative Council, calling it “unreasonable and barbaric.” Like former Ombudsman Conchita

Carpio-Morales a month earlier, Del Rosario was detained at the Hong Kong International Airport for hours on June 21, with the immigration ofﬁcers questioning him and refusing to allow him entry. “I will formally question the government in the Legislative Council Next page

REGIONAL UNITY. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo and Laos Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith join hands to pose for photos during the opening ceremony of the 34th Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Bangkok on June 23. AFP

ASEAN vows self-restraint

House, economic managers must be in sync—Romualdez

‘Disputes must be settled by peaceful means’ By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte and his counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations vowed to exercise self-restraint to maintain peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. President Duterte and the leaders of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam said in a statement that it was important to work actively towards the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of

Parties in the South China Sea and the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. The ASEAN 10 leaders said it was also important to “exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities and avoid actions that may further complicate the

situation.” They also vowed to maintain the ASEAN region as a peaceful and secure area, even as they pledged to resolve any disputes and difference by peaceful means, such as dialogue. The ASEAN leaders said maritime cooperation has to be enhanced as well, using internationally accepted treaties and principles such as the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Disputes include the overlapping South China Sea claims by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam and also involved third parties China and Next page Taiwan.

Water crisis prompts Arroyo to convene oversight panel By Rio N. Araja and Maricel V. Cruz

WORKING PARTNERS. Speakership candidate and Leyte Representativeelect Martin Romualdez congratulates Finance chief Carlos ‘Sonny’ Dominguez III for establishing the sound economic policies of President Rodrigo ‘Rody”’Duterte. Romualdez is looking forward to working with Dominguez and other members of the economic team in the 18th Congress to achieve further success. He said the surging economy earned the Philippines an upgrade to BBB+, the country’s highest credit rating in history from Standard & Poor’s Global Ratings. By Rio N. Araja REP.-ELECT Martin Romualdez on Sunday called for a “cohesive working relationship” between the House of Representatives and the country’s economic managers toward the early approval of the 2020 national budget. He said as an initial step, he recently sought a meeting with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to ﬁnd ways to tighten the coordination between the lawmakers and the economic managers. “An overwhelming number of con-

gressmen elected in the 18th Congress are supportive of President Rodrigo Duterte and his legislative agenda, Romualdez said. “Number one on the list of priority bills, of course, is the General Appropriations Bill for the year 2020.” Romualdez is president of the Philippine Constitution Association and of the Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats, and is among the leading bets for the speakership race in the House. “In consultation with my colleagues Next page

LGUs to be on lookout for invest scams THE Interior department is set to order barangay ofﬁcials to monitor and report investment schemes in their areas to prevent the public from being duped into investing their hard-earned money in fraudulent investment schemes. “The moment they receive information that somebody is organizing or recruiting people that involves money, barangay ofﬁcials should report it to the higher

THE water elevation at the Angat Dam in Bulacan plunged below its critical level of 160 meters over the weekend, raising the likelihood of more water service interruptions in Metro Manila. The dam’s level fell to 159.43 meters against Saturday’s level of 159.78 meters, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Sunday. On Saturday, the National Water Resources Board reduced the water allocation for the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and its two water concessionaires—the Manila Water Co. Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc.—by four cubic meters per second from 40 CMS to 36 CMS. “The additional four CMS reduction translates to a deﬁciency of 350 million liters per day equivalent to the daily water consumption of almost 700,000 people,” Manila Water said. “Manila Water is therefore constrained to [put into] effect a new scheme or rotational water service interruptions for the entire east zone at an average of 12 to 17 hours per day,” it added. Maynilad said starting June 22, it was “constrained to to implement new rotational water service interruptions” through its concession area in Metro Manila’s west zone. With barely a week before the end of the 17th Congress, House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was set to conduct an oversight committee hearing to look into the country’s water crisis. Next page

Slug stops Japan trains

authorities so that we can check if their operation is legal,” Interior Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said in a radio interview on Friday. He said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año will order barangay ofﬁcials to be more vigilant against various groups involved in investment schemes that offer unusually high interest rates, which are

TOKYO—A slug has been blamed for a power outage that halted dozens of trains and delayed 12,000 passengers in Japan, the railway operator said Sunday. The power failed on a couple of lines

Leyte lass crowned Tourism ambassador By Ronald O. Reyes GABRIELLE Camille Basiano of Tacloban City has been crowned as this year’s first Ambassadress of Tourism Philippines. Next page

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Party-lists defer vote on Speaker bet By Rio N. Araja

HE 54-member Party-list Coalition on Sunday said they have to wait for President Rodrigo Duterte to announce his bet for the House Speaker before they could vote.

“The members are unanimous to wait for the announcement of the President before we decide to choose our Speaker for the 18th Congress,” he added. Deputy Speaker and AAMBAS-OWA Rep. Sharon Garin previously said they would back a Speaker who could give the party-list representatives the assurance of an equal treatment and recognition. “If the party-lists, by law, is 20 percent of the composition of the House [of Representatives], we are looking for 20 percent of the chairmanship,” she recently said, adding they wanted key leadership posts. Garin is the chairman emeritus of the Party-list Coalition.

In an interview over Super Radyo dzBB, Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin said they decided not to choose ﬁrst who they would want to be the next Speaker during last June 19 meeting when they learned from the President, in a meeting with the new lawmakers, that he would disclose his choice on June 28.

“Our voting was then interrupted. Maybe, the President’s announcement would be a major factor for us on who to support for the Speaker in the 18th Congress,” he said, adding “it is not absolute, by the way, we will tow the line.” He said the Party-list Coalition reached a consensus to cancel their plan to vote.

ASEAN...

EEZ [exclusive economic zone] is not part of Philippine territory,” Guevarra said, in a text message. Guevarra explained the distinction between sovereignty and sovereign rights under the United Nations Convention on Laws of the Seas and international laws. He said Recto Bank, being part of the country’s EEZ, is covered by sovereign rights of the Philippines, but not by its sovereignty that only covers its territory. “We only have sovereign rights to exploit the natural resources found therein,” Guevarra said. Under the UNCLOS, sovereignty pertains to the exclusive legal authority of a state over its waters, particularly its internal waters and territorial seas. The state essentially has territorial sovereignty over these waters. On the other hand, “sovereign rights” pertain to “limited” entitlements or privileges of a state to its EEZ. Article 56 of UNCLOS provides that a state has sovereign rights in its EEZ for the purpose of “exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources…of the waters superjacent to the seabed and of the seabed and its subsoil, and with regard to other activities for the economic exploitation and exploration of the zone, such as the production of energy from the water, currents and winds.” However, having sovereign rights over a particular area does not confer sovereignty and is not tantamount to a sovereign territory, Guevarra said. The Justice secretary also said the joint inquiry only intends to answer factual issues that could help resolve the incident and serve justice to the aggrieved party, particularly the 22 Filipino fishermen who were left afloat after their fishing boat sank. “The only issues in the joint inquiry are—which party was at fault for the incident and the amount of restitution due to the offended party, and whether there was any liability on the Chinese side for leaving the scene of the incident without extending help to the Filipino fishermen,” he said. Sereno, however, alleged that the joint investigation was an “act of overt surrender of our sovereignty.” “Henceforth, any injury to any Filipino—whether fisherfolk, tourist, science

researcher, student, soldier—caused by a foreign vessel or national in Philippine waters, can henceforth be decided by foreign countries, with the Philippine government itself but a participant,” Sereno argued. Locsin, who earlier filed a diplomatic protest against Beijing over the incident, shared this belief. He said on Twitter that “a joint investigation trenches on each other’s sovereignty.” Locsin said there would be no joint investigation as the two countries would conduct separate investigations. The Palace, however, rejected his stand and announced that the President has given the go-signal for the joint probe. Guevarra said the Cabinet will further discuss the joint investigation with President Duterte once he returned from the ASEAN summit in Thailand Sunday. Opposition senators on Sunday rejected a joint investigation. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the Philippines should not allow a joint investigation since the law is on its side. “There are clear violations of international treaties and our local laws committed by the Chinese vessel. A joint investigation will only serve their interest, not ours,” Drilon said. Senator Francis Pangilinan, president of the opposition Liberal Party, said a joint probe would violate the country’s fisheries code. “Our fisheries code mandates the government to safeguard the safety of our fishery and aquatic resources and to prosecute local and foreign violators. Part also of the government’s mandate is to address foreign illegal entrants in our waters,” he said. Senator Risa Hontiveros said the joint investigation would favor only China as it continues to evade any accountability for its citizens’ actions in the West Philippine Sea. “If China only intends to whitewash the incident and is unwilling to bring her erring citizens to justice for their acts, then any joint probe will be an exercise in futility,” she said. Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Sherwin Gatchlian, on the other hand, said they support a joint investigation to resolve conflicting accounts of the incident. With PNA

test, described the Ambassador of the World-Philippines beauty pageant as “nerve-racking and exciting.” She said this was her ﬁrst time to join a competition “wherein one’s pageantry experience and modeling skills will be tested.” Basiano, a part-time model and a fourth-year Tourism student at the Asian Development Foundation College in Tacloban, says she has dreamed of representing the Philippines in an international beauty pageant. “My advocacy is beauty and unity in diversity,” said Basiano who also hopes

to become a ﬂight attendant and businesswoman some day. “It is about seeing and appreciating our cultural, physical and other differences, and using them to empower one another.” Basiano was crowned Miss Asian Development Foundation College at the age of 17. She was also the Mutya ng Prisaa (Private Schools Athletic Association) Region 8 and Third Runner-up in the Mutya ng Prisaa Nationals in 2017. The same year, she was selected as Miss Silka Leyte and Robinsons Tacloban Supermodel.

vestment of 20 or 30 percent per month [like what Kapa promised]. That’s clearly a scam,’’ he said. Meanwhile, Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde has also ordered hie people, especially those assigned in Mindanao, not to engage in investment fraud. “On the part of the PNP, we are continuously talking to our personnel to stay away from these kinds of modus either as investors or a recruiter for investors,” Albayalde said during the discussion on discouraging policemen on identifying pyramiding schemes. Albayalde said the PNP had issued a memorandum warning all its personnel on such schemes. The Central Mindanao regional police leadership last month issued warnings and tips on how to avoid investment frauds after some of its personnel fell prey to pyramiding and other ﬁnancial scams. In a statement, the Central Mindanao regional police admitted that some of its personnel had lost millions to Pulis Paluwagan.

At least three middle-ranking police officers were sacked in March this year for their alleged involvement in investment schemes targeting policemen as investors. Albayalde said three police officials, including their alleged cohorts, had already been charged before the Office of the Ombudsman. He said the police officials had even used their respective offices for investment scam transactions and facilitated fast lanes for policemen-investors. Albayalde said educating the public was a “must” to strengthen their campaign against companies involved in pyramid schemes. He said companies and corporations were allegedly luring unsuspecting victims to invest money with a promised return of 15- to 400-percent interest within a month. “No matter who you ask, may it be the SEC, DTI [Department of Trade and Industry] or any businessman, earning 15 to 400 percent interest monthly from your invested money is impossible,” Albayalde said. PNA

From A1

There is also the boundary dispute between Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei over north Borneo, which involved China and Taiwan. Aside from the common dispute with China and Taiwan, ASEAN members also have additional disputes, such as the case of the overlapping claims by Indonesia, China and Taiwan over the waters north of the Natuna Islands; the contesting claims of Malaysia and the Philippines over Sabah and many others. In the partnership for sustainability statement, the ASEAN 10 leaders said they would continue to promote regional peace and stability. These would be attained through “enhancing confidence-building measures such as the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, the Guidelines for Air Military Encounters, Guidelines for Maritime Interaction and the ASEAN Direct Communications Infrastructure, to promote communication, mutual trust and confidence, and reduce miscalculations and mishaps in the air and at sea.” They also vowed to “support and promote the conservation and sustainable use of ASEAN’s coastal and marine environment, including to ensure food security, improve nutrition and promote benefits for the people.” The ASEAN summit came as the Philippines sought to deal with the fallout from the ramming and sinking of a Filipino fishermen by a Chinese vessel near the Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea On Sunday, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the Philippines would not be surrendering its sovereignty by agreeing to a joint investigation of the incident with China. Guevarra said the joint probe approved by Duterte and the Chinese government would not violate each other’s sovereignty, contrary to the opinion offered by ousted chief justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. “There is no issue of sovereignty involved in the investigation of this marine or navigation incident at sea. Our

Leyte lass... From A1

Basiano, 21, competed with 19 other contestants during the ﬁrst Ambassador and Ambassadress of the World-Philippines 2019 competition in Manila on June 22. The 5-foot-nine beauty queen will now represent the Philippines in the Miss Friendship International pageant in China in July. Basiano, the top-15 ﬁnisher in the Ms. Earth Philippines 2018 beauty con-

LGUs... From A1

similar to what Kapa-Community Ministry International Inc. founder and pastor Joel Apolinario had promised his followers. He reminded local government ofﬁcials to ensure that the owners of investment companies had authorization from appropriate state agencies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Trade and Industry before granting them a permit to operate. “If they have permits to operate, they have to be investigated and if proven they are receiving money and are not operating in accordance with their SEC or DTI registration, their operations should be stopped immediately or their licenses would be suspended,” Densing said. He said the operation of Kapa, which had been engaged in the investment sector for 20 years, was illegal and considered an investment scam. “I have never heard of a return-on-in-

“What is properly due to the coalition, that is what we are asking for. Equal treatment among parties, including the partylist coalition,” she said. As this developed, Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco on Sunday claimed majority of his fellow lawmakers in the 18th Congress would reject the proposed term-sharing for Speakership. “After a series of consultations with members of the House of Representatives, majority of them have expressed strong objection to the term-sharing proposal ﬂoated by some quarters,” he said in a statement. “I share the sentiments of my colleagues in Congress and I am inclined to

take their advice,” he added. He said term-sharing could only weaken the speakership, disrupt the ﬂow of legislative work and even derail key measures pending for deliberation and approval. Earlier, Cayetano said he was amenable to term-sharing the speakership post with Velasco, adding President Duterte gave him the consent to do so. Cayetano and Velasco are two of the strong contenders for the House speakership, along with the other bets, Leyte Rep.-elect Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales.

House,...

hearings of the Mother Committee, preplenary, and approval of the Committee report. The Committee Report, according to Romualdez, needs to be ready for plenary deliberation by September so that the House can approve it on second and third reading before Congress breaks in October. “The Senate, I understand, begins its committee deliberation on the NEP even as early as August so they have plenty of time for plenary deliberation between November and early December,” the Leyte solon pointed out. “That schedule will give us plenty of time for bicameral discussion on the budget. If both Houses can ratify the bicameral report before the Christmas break, the President can sign the budget before the year ends,” he added. Romualdez, an incoming four-term congressman, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from the Ivy League school, in Cornell University, and a Certiﬁcate of Special Studies in Administration and Management from Harvard University. He also earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines. One of the laws passed by Romualdez was Republic Act No. 10754, which exempts more than 1.5-million persons with disabilities from the payment of 12-percent value added tax on certain goods and services. It was enacted during the time of former President Aquino.

From A1

in the 18th Congress, all of them have agreed to work double time to ensure that the House of Representatives will approve the [GAB] General Appropriations Bill before November,’’ Romualdez said. “Our mission in the House is to pass the GAB in October and give the Senate until early December to act on it. Then, we can both approve the General Appropriations Act before the Christmas break.” Romualdez said he saw the need for the participation and a more open line with the Duterte administration’s economic managers to be able to have a clear picture of the President’s 2020 budget. “We need to be in sync―Congress and the economic managers. This would avoid any miscommunication that may cause a delay in the deliberations of the proposed national budget,’’ Romualdez said. “That is why I am exerting all efforts to tighten the communication line and coordination between the congressmen and our economic managers. We really need a cohesive working relationship to meet our self-imposed deadlines.” After receipt of the President’s Budget, Romualdez said congressmen may have to spend 30 days or until late August to deliberate on the NEP through committee actions. These include brieﬁng and

HK solon... From A1

about the two Philippine cases,” legislator Ted Hui Chi-fung told CNN Philippines Sunday. Hui said he believed Morales and Del Rosario were denied entry because they filed a complaint against Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Chinese officials over China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea, saying they should be held liable for the near-permanent destruction of the environment that put the livelihood of Filipino fishermen at risk. Under a new bill that would allow Hong Kong to extradite fugitives to China, both Del Rosario and Morales could be accused of committing an offense in China, be arrested in Hong Kong, then sent to China for trial, Hui told CNN. “The Hong Kong immigration has become totally controlled by Beijing, contrary to what is promised in the Hong Kong Basic Law. It appears that Hong Kong is no longer a free and open international city,” he added. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said it was clear Del Rosario was barred from entering Hong Kong because he filed a case against the Chinese president. “The issue was clear. You were barred

Water crisis... From A1

She summoned ofﬁcials of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, National Water Resources Board, Local Water Utility Administration; National Irrigation Authority; National Economic and Development Authority; departments of Agriculture, Budget and Management, Environment and Natural Resources, Public Works and Highways, and the two private water concessionaires to appear before the oversight panel on June 25,

Slug... From A1

serving southern Japan operated by Kyushu Railway Co., known as JR Kyushu, on May 30. The company was forced to cancel 26 train journeys and delay other services, causing chaos in a country known for the efﬁciency of its punctual transport systems. Weeks after the power outage, JR Kyushu said they had found the culprit—a slug, which had made its way into an electrical power device installed near rail tracks.

entry because you fought their President. That’s very, vey clear here. We don’t need to think of other reasons,” Sotto said in an interview over radio dzBB. Traveling on a diplomatic passport, De Rosario was supposed to attend two business meetings on Friday in Hong Kong, but he was held for six hours at the airport before being denied entry. Senator Leila de Lima said harassing and detaining Del Rosario showed how petty the Chinese government could be. After decades of being exploited and subjugated by Europe at the turn of the 20th century and by Japan during World War II, China has finally found the economic and military power to flex its muscles against its less powerful neighbors, she said. But mostly, she said, China has done so at the slightest of what it imagines to be provocations, Sotto, meanwhile, dismissed Del Rosario’s use of a diplomatic passport, saying it should only be used on an official mission. The Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday it was cancelling diplomatic passports for former secretaries and ambassadors. Del Rosario lamented the decision, saying the government should instead call out China’s disrespectful act toward him. Tuesday, at 10 a.m. Apart from the discussion on measures to address water shortage, the speaker would also take up the creation of a Department of Water. In March, the House of Representatives launched an oversight hearing on the water crisis affecting the east zone of Metro Manila. Earlier, LWUA acting administrator Jeci Lapus urged Congress to help find long-term solutions for Angat Dam’s dwindling supply of water. Arroyo said the 17th Congress could pass on to the next Congress the proposal for creating a Department of Water. “We tracked down the device responsible for the power failure... We initially thought what’s in there was a bug but it turned out to be a dead slug,” a company spokesman told AFP. Local media said the slug had been burned to death after short-circuiting the device. The official said he did not know if this set a new precedent but described it as “rare.” “We often have trouble with deer colliding with trains but not a problem with slugs,” he said. JR Kyushu said it had checked similar devices in the area and confirmed there are no other slug intrusions. AFP

News

MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019

Medical marijuana bill not likely to be revived—Atienza THE controversial bill seeking to legalize medical marijuana is “not likely” to be revived in the new Congress in light of President Rodrigo Duterte’s strong position against it, Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza said on Sunday. “Hopefully, the bill will not be renewed because everybody knows it is bound to be vetoed by Malacañang, and with good reason,” Atienza, the House senior deputy minority leader, said. Duterte previously said that he would not legalize medical marijuana in the country, as it could be misused for purposes other than to treat ailments. The President also warned that drug traffickers could exploit medical marijuana to further expand their illegal trade. The principal author of the bill seeking to legalize medical marijuana, Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III, will no longer serve in the incoming Congress, having been elected governor of his home province. In the outgoing Congress, the House passed Albano’s bill on third and final reading, but the measure was stalled in the Senate. “Proponents are using false, misleading and unproven information to advertise medical marijuana to the public,” Atienza, former three-term mayor of Manila, said. Medical marijuana is being falsely advertised here in the same way that opioid pain relievers were being falsely advertised in America in the 1990s, according to Atienza. “In fact, false advertising created the opioid crisis that now kills more than 130 people every day in the United States from overdoses,” Atienza added. “Opioid pain relievers were initially trumpeted as ‘rarely addictive’ in patients, and this encouraged physicians there to prescribe the drug at greater rates,” Atienza said. “But it turns out that opioid pain relievers are in fact highly addictive, thus the fatal overdoses,” Atienza said. Opioid pain reliever overdose has become the leading cause of death among Americans under the age of 50, according to the US Surgeon General.

Don’t use Go’s event for political interests—solon By Rio N. Araja HOUSE Majority Leader and Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro on Sunday warned any political group against using the mass oathtaking at Malacañang of Senator-elect Bong Go’s supporterendorsers to be led by mayors, councilors, lawmakers and several others for selfish political interest in the speakership race. Castro was reacting to the revelation of Taguig City-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano that the camp of Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco had supposedly launched a text brigade inviting neophyte lawmakers to join the event in a bid to impress President Rodrigo Duterte that he was the favored speakership bet. “To grab, snatch or hijack the limelight of those who are scheduled to take their oath, including lawmakers and the honor of the President administering the oath for self-serving political purpose is highly immoral if not highly indecent,” he said. Castro, National Unity Party president, cited the alleged “political pickpocketing” of Go’s event. Cayetano opposed the supposed campaign style of Velasco and clarified that the event was to give recognition to Go’s supporters, and not because of Velasco’s initiative.

LET THERE BE RAIN. The water supply at the La Mesa Dam remains at a critical level while Metro Manila residents continue to suffer from rotating water interruptions. Manny Palmero

Maritime border pact completed 243 informal T settlers to By Nat Mariano

HE completion of the Philippines’ and Indonesia’s agreement on sea boundaries will serve as a benchmark for future accords on maritime borders, Malacañang said Sunday. In a statement, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Manila and Jakarta had completed their respective domestic requirements to create a “landmark agreement” on the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ Boundary between the two countries. Panelo said this development was the highlight of President Rodrigo Duterte’s bilateral meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo that was held on Saturday night. “Both leaders see this development as a clear demonstration of the strong and tight bond between the Philippines and Indonesia, he said.

President Duterte and Widodo met at the sidelines of the 34th ASEAN Summit to discuss ways to explore possible expansion of the two nations’ relations, especially in trade and investments. They also discussed continuous cooperation in securing peace and order and in jointly fighting terrorism, illegal drugs and corruption, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said. In their joint statement, the Philippines and Indonesia said the agreement will take effect this year upon the formal ratifications of the two countries’ respective foreign ministers. This will set clear boundaries at the

overlapping waters and allow the peaceful navigation and legal operation of both Filipino and Indonesian fishing vessels in their respective waters. The agreement deals with the boundaries in the overlapping EEZ of the Philippines and Indonesia in the Mindanao Sea and the Celebes Sea. “The Palace views this legal instrument as a good precedent on how to address maritime concerns and settle disputes in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Panelo said. As the Philippine government maintains its “friends-to-all, enemiesto-none” independent foreign policy, Panelo expressed hope that the accord would serve as a “benchmark for future agreements with other countries with shared or similar concerns as we continue to deepen cooperation with our strategic allies in the region.” Philippines and Indonesia are currently celebrating the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. With PNA

TEACH THEM YOUNG.

A young Muslim boy reads the Quran during the Post Ramadhan Islamic Forum at the covered court of Salam Compound in Barangay Culiat, Tandang Sora, Quezon City on Sunday, June 23. PNA

caption

DOH-Calabarzon provides training for wheelchair-bound PWDs By Macon Ramos-Araneta TO AVOID accidents involving wheelchair-bound Persons with Disabilities, the DOH-CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) has been providing training on the proper use of wheelchair. Paulina A. Calo, Nurse V and PWD Regional Coordinator, said most users are not familiar with the proper procedures in the effective use of wheelchair. Because of this, she said there were

some who accidentally fell or tipped over while using a wheelchair. “Through this training they will be introduced, educated and trained in the proper use of the wheelchair,” said Calo. Aside from PWDs, ghe DOH also gives training to service providers. At present, CALABARZON now has a total of 75 personnel trained in basic wheelchair service use and applications from the provinces of Laguna, Batangas and Quezon. DOH CALABARZON under Regional

Director Eduardo Janairo had just concluded the third batch of Wheelchair Service Training Package: Basic Level for service providers and Persons with Disabilities for Quezon province. Janairo said the four-day training program includes various application of wheelchair services including proper sitting position, proper lifting and transferring of a disabled person from wheelchair to bed or chair, and avoiding pressure sores which is one of the most commonly experienced by a user due to

improper wheelchair usage. At the same time, Calo said the regional office will also provide wheelchairs to those who really need them the most. “We will distribute wheelchairs that will be custom-fitted to their body-size and tailored to their personal requirements because it is very important that a wheelchair fits the user to ensure safety and effective mobility.” Today, the wheelchair is not only used by PWDs. Senior citizens also use them as form, of mobility.

become lot owners soon

AT LEAST 243 informal settler families whose homes were set to be demolished under a court order will soon became lot owners after the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor gave its assistance to assure their adequate relocation. Alvin Feliciano, PCUP chairperson and chief executive officer, said in a pre-demolition conference of the agency in 2018, the concerned landowner agreed that the demolition would be temporarily postponed to prepare the affected families for their relocation within the disputed area. During the provided period, the commission organized the informal settlers to become a legitimate organization, a requirement under the application for the community mortgage program of the Social Housing Finance Corp., he said. After establishing the organization now called the Sariling Atin Homeowners Association Inc. of Tacuron City, the PCUP sought help from the local government and the SHFC. Feliciano said the objective of the housing program wasto assist the urban poor to buy their own land through government loans. According to Feliciano, the SHFC released a letter of guarantee last June 14, citing that the agency would buy the 47,846-square meter lot in favor of the landless families for P21 million. The homeowners’ relocation was just within the vicinity of the disputed area. “We only desire that PCUP would be able to help our urban poor and find them a decent relocation. President Rodrigo Duterte has always asserted the no-demolition no-relocation policy,” Feliciano said. He assured the public that the process of demolition of underprivileged and homeless citizens would be just and humane. Rio N. Araja

Opinion

MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019

Immunity from ignorance THE news about former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario being denied entry in Hong Kong by Chinese immigration authorities last week was overshadowed by Senate President Tito Sotto questioning why he had a diplomatic passport. Del Rosario (not a relative) enlightened Sotto that the issuance of a diplomatic passport is a privilege granted to former foreign secretaries and ambassadors. Del Rosario, aside from being a former SFA secretary, was also a former Philippine ambassador to Washington. Holders of diplomatic passports are supposed to be accorded a certain degree of courtesy and privileges at a

Sotto could have spared himself the embarrassment. country’s port of entry including im immunity from arrest. We cannot totally blame Sotto who could be working under the notion that a Senate President has immunity from ignorance. Sotto, before opening his mouth, should have instructed his staff to inquire from the DFA why Del Rosario is entitled to a diplomatic passport. He could have spared himself the embarrassment of not knowing and being the laughingstock of the diplomatic community. A diplomatic passport is a privilege given to former ambassadors for their service to the country. It is not given to the retired rank-and-file DFA personnel but only to ambassadors or former chiefs of missions. It is also issued occasionally to members of Congress like Sotto when they are on official trips abroad like attending an Interparliamentary Union invitation to a conference. But in this instance, diplomatic passport for congressional officials is

granted on a one-time basis only and the blue passport must be returned at the end of the official trip. But why was Del Rosasrio denied entry and detained for questioning by HK authorities? His harassment followed the same treatment of former Office of the Ombudsman Chairperson Conchita Carpio Morales in the case of Morales. Hong Kong authorities claimed she was a threat to national security. She and Del Rosario filed a joint case of human rights violation in the International Criminal Court of against Chinese President Xi Jinping. Simply passing through Hong Kong as a transit point in the case of Carpio Morales and for Del Rosario to attend an international business conference is hardly a threat to China’s national security. Perhaps national security threat exists only in the minds of the Mandarin cabal in Beijing. This insecurity must be borne out of the massive one million march of Hong Kong Chinese protesting the extradition bill to try in the mainland those who commit a crime in the former British Crown Colony. We don’t expect the career diplomats at the DFA to twit Soto because they have to go up before him as chairman of the bicameral Commission of Appointments for their promotion and foreign assignments. Filipinos get to have the likes of Sotto in very important positions because of many of our voters elect candidates who are popular movie actors. President Rodrigo Duterte is now in Thailand for the Association of Southeast Asian Summit. Will he bring up the case of the Chinese sinking and abandonment of the Filipino fishing boat and its 22 crewmen in the conference? While Filipinos expect Duterte to do so, it is doubtful whether he will even if he said he’s not afraid of China. As it is, the case has been played down by Filipino officials and even Digong himself as a simple maritime accident and not an attack on the country’s sovereignty. Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo even cast doubt that the bigger boat that rammed the F/B Gem Ver was even Chinese. Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol, on the other hand, presented the Filipino boat captain and the cook but did most of the talking making those who saw the ANC telecast coverage of the event suspect the survivors had

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

If the shoe fits

PALACE spokesman seemed particularly agitated last week when an administration ally in the Senate suggested he was acting like the defense counsel for China.

Senator Panfilo Lacson made his remark after Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo expressed doubts about the account provided by Filipino fishermen whose boat was rammed and sunk by a Chinese vessel on June 9 near the Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea. By all accounts, the Chinese vessel abandoned the 22 Filipino fishermen in open water, where they were rescued hours later by a Vietnamese boat. Some of the fishermen also claimed the incident was intentional. But from the Palace, Panelo said conflicting accounts concerning the sinking would cast doubt on the accounts provided by the Filipino fishermen. At a forum last week, Lacson chided Panelo for so quickly casting doubt on the accounts of the Filipino fishermen even before the investigation into the incident had been completed. If Panelo were in a courtroom, Lacson said, he would have said, "For the defense, representing China, your Honor.” The Palace spokesman fumed. "The perception that my pointing out of certain circumstances surrounding the Reed Bank in-

cident previously unknown to us, creates the impression that I’m acting as China’s counsel, is sheer non sequitur, as well as a shallow analysis of my examination of the incident," he said in a statement. "As a lawyer I have been trained to dissect a situation, to arrive at an intelligent and rational study of the whys and wherefores of a subject of an inquiry," he added. Panelo also attacked administration critics for their “pretended nationalism.” "The Reed Bank incident is being dressed with misplaced emotionalism and pretended nationalism by those who are bent on politicizing an otherwise ordinary navigation incident into an international fracas," Panelo said. "They hope to succeed in getting the approbation of the nation on a misguided theory that the administration is pursuing a foreign policy of subservience to China, a belief that is both wrong and unacceptable," he continued. The presidential spokesman is correct when he speaks of perceptions, but shooting the messenger will do nothing to dispel

the image that the Palace has already created by its own words and deeds. In truth, most thinking Filipinos do not need Senator Lacson to point out the obvious. The same official who criticizes the “shallow analysis” of others not too long ago held up diagrams showing the purportedly links between journalists, lawyers and opposition politicians, claiming these were proof positive of a nefarious plot to overthrow the government. His “intelligent and rational study” at the time boiled down to this: The President presented the diagrams, therefore they must be true. And then again, this administration is hardly in a position to speak of pretended nationalism. In this same spirit, we recall, a candidate who was to become President said he would jet ski to one of the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea and plant a Philippine flag on it. In the past, this presidential spokesman has made much about being a lawyer, often implying that because of their knowledge, lawyers such as the President can do no wrong. This non sequitur argument fools nobody. And even a lawyer for China would know the old saying, if the shoe fits, wear it.

Turn to A5

Blocs

‘TIS a bit funny, how these so-called “parties,” “coalitions” and “blocs” in the House of Representatives claim this and that about the fight for the supreme leadership of the chamber. To paraphrase Macbeth in Shakespeare’s play, ‘tis all sound and fury, signifying nothing. Because in the end, as we keep repeating in this column to the point of nausea, all the posturing and all the media spins impress no one, least of all the only audience who matters: The audience of one. The party-list coalition, a strong bloc of 54 nominal members want to position themselves as one strong and solid “swing vote,” while the so-called administration party, the more numerous 80 strong congressmen, insist that being the “President’s party,” the leader of the HoR must perforce come from their ranks. And yet, the PDP-Laban, after so many Pacman-hosted dinners and attempts at consensus- reaching, could not even among themselves choose who should bear their colors in the speakership fight. In the end, they toss it to the audience of one, hoping that as their proclaimed party chairman, he would choose one among their ranks. There have been attempts as well to project “solidarity” among regional blocs; for instance, the Visayan bloc, but nothing came out of all the noise. Cebuanos following Ilonggo bloc leaders? Perish the thought. Wisely, no Northern Alliance bloc came out of the woodwork to proclaim their “timek ti umili”. They knew no bloc posturing could alter the fact that the speakership is decided by the sixyear tenant of Malacañang, especially one elected by huge numbers three years ago and thence given a standing ovation in the recent mid-terms. Even the recent dinner at Malaca-

ñang, after the brief solo engagement of the Pacman with the Digong, only fortified the supremacy of the voice of one. The dinner was attended by many congressmen, most of them neophytes, who went there not so much to get the president to choose on the spot, as to have a chance for a selfie to show their constituents the morning after. In any case, the audience of one has kept everyone in tenterhooks only until June 28, after which he will, he prom-

The audience of one may even pull a dark rabbit from out of his hat. ised, announce his choice. See what I mean? What I have kept repeating in this space? In the end, it is the audience of one who will prevail, and all the early claims and headcounts will amount to nothing. As for the advance payments, I can only hope the decent ones will return to their senders, if sender is not the “anointed.” Meanwhile, the playful former mayor of Davao is weighing each of the aspirants by his own metric. Is it loyalty, or intellectual capability, or probity, or all these rolled into one? Is it leadership ability, whether demonstrated in the past or a quality he has gleaned in the contestants during the years of his association with them, or even during these frenetic months of posturing? How does the mayor read character? In his mind, and in his mind alone, he is weighing these, and whatever more. He may even be purposely giving hints and half-assurances, testing how the contestants would react. He may be listening to the “murmurings” on the ground, a quality he has mastered, and because of which he has successfully and incontestably ruled Davao for three decades, and became president when nobody but a very few took him seriously. Turn to A5

An unlikely harmony Music is another language altogether. IT’S not really the best time to be making sweet music in China these days. But the Manila Symphony Orchestra just came from there, anyway, as they played alongside their Chinese counterparts for the Hunhe River Symphony Art Festival in Shenyang, Liaoning Province. The festival, part of the Belt and Road Initiative, sought to promote cultural exchange and understanding among Asian countries. Arrangements for the tour had been made since January. The 64-member MSO, which in-

cludes the senior members of the MaMa nila Symphony Junior Orchestra, played an outdoor concert at a forest park on June 19 and another in the Shenjing Grand Hall on June 22. Violinist Sara Maria Gonzales had her doubts whether her fellow Filipinos would be happy about and supportive of the MSO’s China trip given current tensions between the two countries over the sinking of a Filipino fishing boat in the West Philippine Sea. She was pleasantly surprised when she got a lot of good wishes and hap-

py messages from family and friends, nonetheless. MSJO concertmaster Micah Pecson had been seeing social media posts on the spat even before she left the Philippines with her fellow musicians. When it was time to go onstage, she had mixed feelings while playing Chinese pieces before a Chinese audience, especially when she saw the Chinese flag flashing on the giant screen. She dared ask herself if she weren’t betraying something by playing in this foreign land, in a country that many people say barely respects her own. “But we were professionals, and I reminded myself that these were just people who came to see a show,” said Pecson, who just graduated from the Philippine High School for the Arts a few weeks before. “And they seemed to Turn to A5

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

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Opinion

MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019

A one-sided affair PHILIPPINE Airlines’ slogan, “Heart of the Filipino,” is such a misnomer it causes a great injustice to every citizen of this country. While the slogan, which kicked off in other countries in 2017, was intended to celebrate the best of Filipino values on which PAL claims it was built, its treatment of its passengers grossly contradicts its Buong-Pusong Alaga or “The Filipino Touch” principle of service. About three weeks ago, this corner came out with an article questioning airline responsibilities over cancelled, delayed and rescheduled flights. Of course, the airlines, PAL included, could always hide under the cloak of the Passenger Bill of Rights which provides for limited responsibilities for airlines in such cases. The Passenger Bill of Rights effective shields airlines from the responsibilities over missed hotel, tour, activity and other bookings the passenger may have placed in advance, arising from delayed, cancelled or rescheduled flights as the airlines involved could easily invoke the reason for such was beyond their control. But what if something happens to a passenger who has booked a flight, which is also beyond the control of the passenger? Last Sunday, a friend was supposed to fly with his family to San Francisco via PAL, acquiring their tickets in a PAL promo. From there, they were to fly to Honolulu via Hawaiian Air. They also had their hotel bookings arranged. However, on the eve of their flight, my friend’s daughter was rushed to the hospital for acute appendicitis, for which she was operated five hours after admission. Hence, my friend had to rebook everything. The first thing he contacted were the hotels which readily acceded to his request provided he furnish them with the medical certificate of his daughter to which he abided. He then contacted Hawaiian Air which requested the same requirement as that of the hotels but which also granted his request. All of these were made without any additional charges. Lastly, he contacted PAL which assured

him there would be no problem with his request and that all he had to do was to drop by any ticketing office and present his daughter’s medical certificate. The next day, he proceeded to a PAL ticketing office in Ortigas. He was told he could rebook his family’s flight for US$5,000, a price equivalent to the original cost of their tickets. But why rebook if they will be charged the same price as that of their ticket? And they are not even rebooking their return flight. Moreover, the date they are asking for falls

The heart of the Filipino? Seriously? within the travel period stated in the PAL propro mo (For everyone’s understanding, an airline promo usually states the booking period and the travel date). The PAL staff explained that the charges included the price differential of the cost of the original ticket and the rebooked flight. But when my friend asked the fare of their original schedule and the rebooked flight, the PAL staff told them they were just the same. When my friend asked to talk to the manager, he was told the manager was to busy to entertain him. So, my friend went to the PAL ticketing office in Cubao were the staff were more accommodating. The Cubao office was willing to rebook his flight at the cost of US$3,000. He was again given the same explanation as that in the Ortigas office, the price differential of the fare when there was actually none, etc. And as with the Ortigas office, the manager at the PAL office in Cubao also refused to talk to him. Now the question: Why is it when it is that the airline is at fault in rebooking, rescheduling or cancelling our flights, we are simply forced to accept whatever adjustments they impose and the best they could offer us are food vouchers or hotel accommodation at the nearest location at the origin of the flight affected, but never the differential of the price which we incur arising from the said incidents? And they call that brand of service, “the heart of the Filipino?”

What happened to my friend and his family does not reflect the true heart of the Filipino. He was rejected at the PAL Ortigas office with the manager refusing to see him. The Cubao office willingly reduce the price differential by US$2,000 which means it was the call of the office manager to determine the cost if any, of a flight rebooking. But if the hotels in San Francisco and Hawaii and Hawaiian air could rebook their hotel accommodation and flights at no extra cost, why can’t PAL? Just why can’t PAL’s office managers see and talk to one paying clientele who had a valid issue to raise? And why is PAL charging a price differential for their ticket when they are rebooking their flight covered by the same period as stated in the promo? In fact, another friend, who also had the misfortune of cancelling his flight with SingaSinga pore Air at last minute after having been diagdiag nosed with some kidney problem, was reimreim bursed in full. If these airlines can extend those to their passengers, what’s keeping PAL from doing so? PAL claims that their slogan reflects a unique brand of hospitality that’s proactive and selfless, and a disposition and attitude that’s resilient and always cheerful, and that is what sets them apart from its competition. But apparently, that is not what their staff have been extending to their clienteles. The Filipinos are not pusong bato. On the contrary, they are pusong mamon, soft-hearted, even willing to give you the full arm when all you’re asking for is the tip of their finger. Clearly, the slogan is not apt for the service PAL extends to their clienteles. It does not in any way reflect the heart of the Filipino. They are simply heartless. It’s a good thing there are some members of the House of Representatives and Senate who have expressed willingness to tackle the issue of airline responsibilities and revisit the Passenger Bill of Rights as soon as Congress opens session. *** For those who also had the misfortune of experiencing these incidents with PAL or any other local airline, please don’t hesitate to reach me through my email: chrl.manalo@gmail.com. I would be more than willing to raise your concerns in my allotted space here.

EvEryman

Renewables are booming but coal is still king in PH By Imelda V. Abano (Concluded from yesterday) JESSICA Dator-Bercilla, Climate Change Advisor for Asia and the Middle East for Christian Aid, on the other hand, said that coal-fired power plants directly affect ecosystems on which many vulnerable populations depend on. She added that coal’s demand for water also competes with demand in water-scarce populations, particularly on small islands, while there is a devastating impact of air quality to the community’s health surrounding the coal plants. “The government’s plan on coal expansion is not consistent with the country’s climate plans or sustainable development goal commitments. We need better policy-practice and coherence,” Bercilla said. “The government must remove policy barriers to fast-track investments in renewable energy especially in small island, off-grid areas in the Philippines.” Gerry Arances, Director of the Center for Energy, Ecology and Development, said the impacts of coal both through mining and coal plant burning brings multiple trouble to Filipino people. He said this evolves from the devastating impact of climate crisis caused mainly by burning of fossil fuels like coal plants, to air pollution that cause premature deaths among host communities due to upper respiratory diseases and hearth attacks, and loss of livelihoods amongst fisherfolk and farmers that are impacted by the toxic outputs of coal projects that either kill coral reefs or pollute plants through coal ashes. “Most of the host communities of these coal projects are like ghost towns with high level of incidents of upper respiratory dis-

Blocs From A4

I would venture a guess: he has made a choice, but would rather keep everybody still guessing. “Tenterhooks”, the way he kept everybody guessing as to whether he would run for president or not. Not even the 28th of June is cast in stone. Remember that Comelec deadline he spurned, only to substitute for one Martin Dino, the one reason PDP-Laban got itself resurrected as a political party? Why, the audience of one may even pull a dark rabbit from out of his hat. *** Even the way President Rodrigo Duterte handled the issue of the 22 fishermen from Mindoro shows how the man can be deliberate, even if at times, his colorful language gets the better of his instant reactions. He waited for real information, knowing how victims always tend to magnify the ordeal they suffered. After all, ac-

eases. It leaves a glaring legacy of these coal projects that is now no longer killing slowly their host communities, but bringing to extinction the whole of humanity and other species due to the climate crisis which can only get worse,” Arances said. For Arances, it is mind-boggling to see a government of the most climate vulnerable country in the world to be fueling further its demise by all its coal plant projects in the pipeline. He said that renewable energy in the Philippines is now very competitive to coal and fossil fuels in terms of prices and yet, government still supports corporations that are sticking to coal projects. “We now have all the tools such as renewable energy policy, demand investment booming which now fuels reduction of its prices specially solar and wind, active consumers organization demanding for a shift. All the government needs to do is walk its climate talk. It should start doing what is climate necessary with haste and back its bravado stance,” Arances said. But Climate Change Commission Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman said the government has been vigorously pursuing programs than could make our energy system more efficient and equitable, more secure and sustainable, adding that the comprehensive review of our energy policy is underway to inform policy reform and a just transition to a green energy sector. “Apart from adaptation measures, scaling up renewable energy technology is the best alternative for the country to ensure that we meet our commitments in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change,” Secretary De Guzman said, adding that the Commission is in the process of updating the country’s National Climate Action Plan and the Nationally Determined Contribu-

cidents in the high or near seas always happen among fishing vessels, large or small. Whether collision or allision, accidents happen especially in the dead of the dark night, where our puny vessels are hardly lit. To “jump like chimpanzees,” as Senator Joker Arroyo used to say, is for those who play into emotions for purposes real or political. Mercifully, the 22 survived, with a little help from our Vietnamese “friends,” who like the Chinese were probably in the vicinity also to fish within our EEZ. If they had perished, left to the sharks by fleeing Chinese perhaps less mindful of the value of human lives as we are, emotions would have run as high as Mamasapano 44 for the Mindoro 22. We should use the incident as leverage for pushing China and the region into agreeing to a Code of Conduct over the disputed South China Sea. There is always a silver lining beyond the clouds, or beneath the ocean waves, and an opportunity to explore amid crisis.

tions to align to the 1.5 climate goal. “Indeed, our NDC is all about adaptation, decarbonization, emission avoidance and energy efficiency to reduce coal power generation. Let renewable energy grow exponentially,” De Guzman said. Asian Development Bank President Takehiko Nakao told the participants of the Asia Clean Energy Forum on June 18 that the bank is undergoing a thorough review of its energy policy and to soon stop funding coal projects in Asia. “We are now reviewing our energy policy. There are many changes so we should adjust our policies to address new reality. Lending to coal projects will be one of the very important issues. I don’t know whether we will totally dismiss the possibility of coal projects because in some countries, there’s no access to other options,” Nakao explained, adding that the last coal project supported by ADB was in 2013. Nakao said ADB had started investing in clean renewable energy as part of its strategy 2030, which outlines the bank’s programs in the coming years. “We don’t support coal anymore. We are now moving toward renewables in Asia. Asian leaders are paying attention to growth, development and climate change. We need to integrate more advance technology and better governance,” Nakao said. Maybe in the long run, a holistic approach to the Philippines’ power system and shunning from coal could result in a truly carbon-efficient economy. However, the country’s ambitious renewable energy goals entail a lot of political challenge. Imelda V. Abano is president of the Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists.

An unlikely... From A4

enjoy our music a lot!” Many firsts This was the MSO’s first international performance, and Diomedes Saraza Jr., MSO’s Juilliard-educated concertmaster, said he was excited. “The MSO brought honor to our country by topnotch playing.” The MSO’s repertoire included music by Kasilag, Cayabyab, Sibelius, Rossini, Marquez, Moncado and some Chinese classics, under the baton of MSO Principal Guest Conductor Professor Marlon Chen. For Gonzales, who was tasked to lead the Violin 2 section, the most challenging part of preparing for the concert was to have each section not just know the piece together, but to play as one. “The section must sound like one instrument. We must all breathe together and have a strong connection from the first stand up to the last stand.”

A little outrage won’t hurt another source of confusion. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who was among the first to condemn the incident and who called for diplomatic action over the incident, also softened his stance as the days went on and stressed that the perceived ramming was AT THIS point, much has been said not state-sanctioned. about the incident involving Filipino “We are having some doubts about fishing boat Gem-Vir 1 and a Chinese what really happened,” he said. “The vessel in Recto (Reed) Bank on June 9. first report I got was it was rammed. The early accounts of the Filipino fish- There was really a collision, but ermen—that their anchored boat was whether it was intentional or not, rammed by the Chinese trawler around there’s some doubt now whether it’s midnight and they were abandoned on intentional or not.” the high seas—was corroborated by the For his part, Senator Panfilo LacVietnamese fishermen who ended up son said “unless we can stomach being rescuing them hours later, something pushed around forever,” the country’s that satellite data also confirmed. longstanding defense agreement with This runs contrary to the version the US, the Mutual Defense Treaty, is released by the Chinese camp, who the “only weapon in our arsenal” toclaimed that the collision was uninten- ward “a balance of power” in the West tional, and that the vessel left the 22 Fil- Philippine Sea. US Ambassador Sung ipinos amid the wreckage of their boat Kim had also commented that attacks due to fear of being “besieged” by other against Filipino forces, including public Filipino fishing boats in the area. vessels, “will trigger our obligations” Things are further muddled up by the under the MDT. succession of confusing statements by Defenders of the timid government various government officials in the days stance on the issue point out that the after the incident, in an effort to appease Philippines is not ready for war with an increasingly emotional and indignant China. This simplistic binary between public. visibly cowering in fear and war is misWhile the Philleading, of course. ippines has filed a As Sen. Lacson diplomatic protest pointed out, the against China and Philippines has called the attention trusted allies in the Are we missing of the United Naglobal community tions International something here? that can exert presMaritime Organisure on Beijing zation, President and help tilt the Rodrigo Duterte, balance of power known for his fiery, often expletive-ladexpletive-lad- in the West Philippine Sea. There are en rhetoric, was unusually timid on the a number of ways to deal with a bully, issue. Silent for the first couple of days no matter how dauntingly lopsided the and, when he finally spoke about it, dis- matchup may appear. missed the sinking as a “little maritime Trying to present a balanced view of accident,” and which the navy shouldn’t the sinking of a wooden Philippine fishmeddle with. ing boat by a much larger, steel-hulled He explained: “Maritime incident is Chinese trawler is especially difficult a maritime incident. It is best investigat- as the incident sparks naturally polarized. And I do not now issue statement being biases. An incident like this would cause there is no investigation and there lead one to expect our political leaders is no result. Then the only thing we can to come to the defense of our Filipino do is wait and give the other party the fishermen, who almost lost their lives— right to be heard. This is important.” that all of this occurs amid the backdrop Sending in the Navy will only “make of a protracted territorial row certainly it worse,” President Duterte said. elevates it beyond “a little maritime acEnergy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, who cident.” was one of the first national government As of writing, for instance, former officials to talk to the fishermen, earlier Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rocast doubts on their version of the story, sario was reportedly held and questioned saying the Chinese trawler could not at the Hong Kong International Airport have intentionally hit the Filipino boat. early Friday. Del Rosario in March filed This was a “wild” and “outlandish” re- a case against Chinese President Xi Jinmark, according to Senator Risa Honti- ping at the International Criminal Court veros, who described Cusi’s statements for crimes against humanity. Prior to deas “effectively” favoring China. parture, he called plans for a joint probe The fishermen felt rightly insulted by between the Philippines and China on the Cusi’s comments, according to reports. sinking incident “the worst news yet.” Fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng “We should really feel sorry for our Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas poor fishermen as the ultimate product demanded reparations and moral dam- of a joint probe with Beijing is expected ages for the aggrieved fishermen from to be no more than a bowl of fruit salthe Chinese government. Among what ad,” he had said in a statement. was lost when Gem-Vir 1 sank, they Former Ombudsman Conchita Carsaid, was at least 3 tons of catch from 10 pio Morales, who filed the case with Del days at sea, estimated at more than half Rosario, was also barred from entering a million pesos. Hong Kong last month. Clearly, this is “Aside from the damage to per- a state that is not afraid of meting out sonal belongings and livelihood punitive actions against those whom it equipment, our fishermen have ex- deems its enemies. In other words, an perienced moral distress and trauma, unqualified bully. said Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya The President has been loud on national chairman. “What we need many things that have challenged the is just and assurance that it will not values and sensitivities of Filipinos. A happen again by removing Chinese little outrage against foreign intrudvessels from our seas.” ers and bullies that are already hurtReports on an emergency Cabinet ing Filipinos won’t hurt. But with its meeting and a meeting between the chronic passivity and acquiescence President and the fishing boat’s cap- when dealing with Beijing, it makes tain Junel Insigne also circulated before you think. Are we missing something eventually dismissed by Malacañang, here?

Immunity... From A4

been convinced to change their account of the incident. With Piñol looking at them, the two survivors gave a less definite version the foreign ship and its crew that rammed them were Chinese. The Philippine Coast Guard and the Maritime Industry Authority had just finished their investigation and the findings have yet to be submitted to the President and released. So we must not expect “We were there to bring pride and honor to our country by showcasing what Filipinos can do in an international stage,” she said. Saraza also noted the great hospitality shown them by their host orchestra. Pecson said she hopes Filipino music can be performed more abroad. “We have a lot to offer when it comes to good composers and good music, but since these are not marketed well, our music is not as well known as those from other countries.” Needless to say, she enjoyed performing the Filipino pieces the most. “They gave the Chinese a glimpse of our identity as a nation.”

too much of it knowing the President is close to the Chinese president who has made known loans to the Philippines infrastructure projects like three additional bridges across the Pasig River to ease congestion at Guadalupe. We need those bridges even if President Duterte said road traffic from Cubao to Makati can be done in five minutes. A Metro Manila Development Authority said this is mathematically impossible. We hope the MMDA official does not lose his job for contradicting the President. smiling. We just let the music speak.” Given this experience, and the furor back home over what happened in Recto Bank, Gonzales concluded: “Music can knock down the walls of conflict and connect different cultures and people no matter what the political climate is between countries.” “Indeed, music brings out the best in humanity.” In the same manner, “none of the MSO musicians can understand or speak Chinese,” said Jeffrey Solares, MSO executive director. “I know there is high political tension in the Philippines regarding our relationship with China. But music is about harmony, not about domination or power struggle of who is stronger or bigger or richer. If we use art and music, we have an opportunity to explore human ways to relate to one another as nations, as peoples.” “With our common humanity we can build a harmonious relationship—and make something beautiful together.”

The same language On the first day of the combined rehearsal with the Chinese orchestra, Gonzales found herself with a stand partner who did not understand, much less speak, a word of English. “But we were able to communicate with each other nonetheless—through pointing at the music sheet, nodding, adellechua@gmail.com

News

MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NCRPO chief to continue ‘internal cleansing’

FREAK ACCIDENT. A 14-wheeler truck loaded with sand fell into a sinkhole on Remedios Street cor. Roxas Boulevard in Manila on Sunday, June 23. EY ACASIO

COA lifts notice of disallowance vs. Las Piñas intel expenses By Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Audit has lifted the notice of disallowance issued against the cash advances drawn by the Las Piñas City government for confidential and intelligence expenses worth P20 million in 2011 and P20 million in 2012. COA chairman Michael Aguinaldo and commissioners Jose Fabia and Roland Pondoc granted the motion for reconsideration filed by former Mayor Vergel Aguilar, budget officer Jessie dela Cruz, accountant Nilda Armanda and treasurer Rizal del Rosario. The disallowance issued on Dec. 11, 2013 challenged the lack of a specific allocation for the city’s peace and order program in the annual appropriation program. The officials, however, argued the Department of the Interior and Local Government, through Memorandum Circular No. 99-65, had not required that there should be a specific allocation for the program before fund for confidential/ intelligence purposes could be appropriated. They cited the city government had already submitted all the required documents for the liquidation of its confidential and intelligence expenses to COA’s Intelligence and Confidential Fund Audit Unit on May 2011 for the 2011 spending and on Nov. 7, 2012 for the 2012 expenditures. “After evaluation, this Commission finds the arguments of the movants meritorious,” the decision read.

CA greenlights Moreno’s reelection as CDO mayor Rey E. Requejo

HE Court of Appeals has paved the way for the reelection of Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno after it set aside the ruling of the Office of the Ombudsman ordering his dismissal from service and perpetual disqualification from holding public office following his alleged involvement in an anomalous public bidding in 2009.

In a decision released last week, the CA’s 12th Division resolved to set aside the December 2017 resolution of the Ombudsman over the rental of heavy equipment without public bidding during his term as governor ten years ago. The appellate court granted the petition of the mayor seeking the reversal of the Ombudsman ruling, which found him and six other provincial capitol ofﬁcials guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service in 24 administrative cases involving the project.

It also cleared former provincial bids and awards committee members Elsie Lopoy, Rolando Pacuribot, Elmer Wabe, Leemar Tinagan, Divina Bade and Patrick Gabutina. The appellate court held that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales committed grave abuse of discretion in ordering the dismissal of the petitioners for resorting to a negotiated procurement rather than the usual public bidding. The CA said resorting to a negotiated procurement “cannot be considered

misconduct, grave or simple” because such act was in response to the immediate need of the province at that time. The appellate court sided with Moreno’s defense that weather disturbances at the time caused damage to the province, thus urgent repairs and installation of other infrastructure were needed. The court also pointed out that notices of disallowance and other evidence issued by the Commission on Audit due to the alleged irregularities were “utterly insufﬁcient to substantiate the charges against petitioners.” It also ruled there was no sufﬁcient evidence to prove the supposed conspiracy among the respondents. “The existence of conspiracy cannot be presumed, it must be proven through clear and convincing evidence,” read the decision penned by Associate Justice Victoria Isabel Paredes. Associate Justices Marlene Gonzales Sison and Maria Elisa Sempio Diy concurred in the decision. Moreno run for a third term as mayor in the elections last month and won against Jose Gabriel “Pompee” La Viña.

Ruling on cement dumping out soon—TC THE Tariff Commission is expected to release its ruling anytime soon on a petition for a higher and permanent safeguard against imported cement, an issue that involves national interest according to local cement manufacturers and the Department of Trade and Industry. The TC concluded last month its public hearing on the petition of local cement manufacturers and its chairman, Marilou P. Mendoza, said the agency will come up with its decision by June. Mendoza said the TC will decide as a collegial body based on its investigation and the evidence and positions the petitioner, Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, and cement importers submitted to the agency during the hearing. The TC chairman said their task is to determine whether or not the surge in imported cement caused serious injury to cement manufacturers. “If ever there is serious injury,

you have to link it to the importation, so the serious injury should be caused by the increased imports, but not other factors,” Mendoza said in an interview after the conclusion of the hearing on May 21. In February, the Department of Trade and Industry imposed safeguard measure against imported cement through a 4-percent provisional tariff amounting to P210 per metric ton or P8.40 per bag of the product after finding an inordinate increase in cement imports since 2013 causing manufacturers to lose market share. The DTI move is guided by the Safeguard Measures Act (Republic Act 8800) which protects the domestic industry against import surges. DTI also found that cement manufacturers’ earnings fell sharply by 49 percent in 2017 while aggregate net income started sliding in 2016 by 29 percent and further by 78 percent in 2017. In the past five years, cement imports soared from 3,558 metric tons in 2013 to more than 3 million MT in 2017 and reaching almost 5 million MT in 2018. In the first quarter of 2019, the volume of cement imports rose 64 percent to 1.74 million MT from 1.06 million MT in the first quarter of last year prompting CEMAP to call for a higher permanent safeguard.

FREEDOM WALK. Nomadic fishermen walk along with Filipino soldiers after being freed by the Abu Sayyaf group at a military camp in Jolo, Sulu province on the southern island of Mindanao on June 22. AFP

NATIONAL Capital Region Police Office Director Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar has sent a clear message to the public that rotten eggs in the police force will not be spared with his decision to sack the head of the Eastern Police District. Eleazar last week relieved EPD director Brig. Gen. Christopher Tambungan after the latter was caught berating and hitting a policewoman who failed to help him with a task. “Any unjustified physical assault by any officer of the PNP to anybody, especially to a fellow police officer, is unacceptable and demoralizing,” Eleazar said in an interview. “An investigation is being conducted. But because of the incriminating evidence, the CCTV footage, I had him relieved administratively, pending the result of our initial investigation. The result of the investigation will be the basis of my recommendation to the PNP chief,” he added. The EPD chief’s suspension was only the latest in Eleazar’s efforts to clean-up the NCR police force. He earlier ordered the relief of a Pasig City precinct commander after he discovered that the personnel and people transacting at the precinct were exposed to unsanitary conditions and a dirty workplace. Eleazar gave the precinct commander a chance to clean up the station but in vain. “In our campaign against criminality, in our line of work, cleanliness should be part of it,” he said. “We are all in this together when it comes to internal cleansing—a clean work environment, a clean mind, and a clean and honest service to the public,” he added. Eleazar is known for his strict enforcement of discipline in the police force. In March, he fired EPD director Chief Supt. Bernabe Balba and Pasay City police chief Sr. Supt. Noel Flores while their respective anti-drug units were sacked for their involvement in separate extortion cases. In 2018, Eleazar also relieved 36 members of the Las Piñas police force drug unit for alleged extortion activities. The chief of the station, Sr. Supt. Marlon Balonglong, was also sacked due to command responsibility. “I plan to strengthen our internal cleansing efforts within the NCRPO,” Eleazar said, adding that crime rate in Metro Manila has decreased by 58 percent. “We should earn back the trust of our citizens and ensure that they have peace of mind at all times because the PNP is here for them. If we can be that organization that is truly professional, then everything else will follow,” he said.

PLDT-Smart brings 5G connection to Ateneo University PLDT’s wireless arm, Smart Communications Inc., has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ateneo de Manila University to partner in the development of next-generation applications and services that will run on Smart’s 5G wireless network. Under the memorandum, PLDTSmart, together with their technology partner Nokia, will help set up Ateneo’s Convergent Technologies Center with a 5G lab—enabling students and tech experts to co-develop practical and relevant solutions. Among the applications being eyed for development are Internet of Things solutions, Augmented and Virtual Reality services, robotics, drones, and analytics. To support these research activities, Smart is deploying 5G base stations in the Ateneo campus. “We’re truly grateful for this gift. More than just a tool, we are excited about the applications, especially as it refers to inclusion, resilience and sustainability. Our technology these days can be a wonderful toolbox, and we believe that it can be a portal to greater things,” said Ateneo President Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin SJ. “Technology should be used to improve the welfare and the lives of the people. It is our most profound hope that the provision of 5G will further enable the students of the Ateneo to create, develop, and explore new ways to continuously uplift our nation,” PLDT-Smart chairman and CEO Manny Pangilinan said. The launch of 5G at the Ateneo is the third leg in the PLDT Group’s roadmap of 5G deployment in the Philippines.

Sports

MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Davao Tigers rip Caloocan in Marikina THE DAVAO Occidental Cocolife Tigers proved supreme over Caloocan Supremos posting a convincing 76-69 victory in the 2019-2020 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Lakan Cup Season 3 elimination round recently at Marist Gym in Marikina City. Newly acquired shooting guard Yvan Ludovice, who easily jelled with the Tigers’ system, poured 10 points in the second half to help the reigning Southern MPBL Datu Cup titlist score a second straight triumph in the early stages of this fast growing regional amateur basketball tournament in the country. The Supremos started stepping on the gas in the early goings, building a doubledigit spread. They were still in control at halftime, led by spitfire Almond Vosotros ‘outside sniping and perimeter shooting. The Cocolife Tigers tried to neutralize Caloocan in the third canto, led by veteran frontliners Mark Yee, Bogs Raymundo and Bonbon Custodio but with little success. But the Tigers finally recovered their vaunted defense in the final quarter and applied a fluid offense on the other end to come close and gain command of the game in the crucial stretch. Newly acquired Tiger sniper Richard Albo sank back-to-back triples, and another insurance trey from star holdover Billy Ray Robles put a dagger on the Supremos’ cause handing a second straight victory to the Mindanao team of Congresswoman Claudine Bautista [Dumper Party List] of Davao Occidental and backed by Cocolife President Atty. Jose Martin Loon, FVP Joseph Ronquillo, AVP Rowena Asnan and CHD Franze Joie Araque. “Maagang gumana ang outside shooting ng kalaban. Sabi ni coach tapatan namin at higpitan ang depensa kaya kami nakahabol. Mahusay magdala ang mga veterans namin lalo na sa endgame na humahawa sa aming mga bagito,” said the game’s Best Player Ludovice, who had 13 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists. Tigers’ official Ray Alao said the management is happy and satisfied with the way their new acquisitions and holdovers have jelled fast in the early goings of the elimination round, in preparation for the tougher challenges ahead in the league organized by Senator Manny Pacquiao.

PBA LEGENDS. The Philippine Basketball Association, headed by PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial (seated second from right) and PBA vice chairman Richard Bachmann (seated fourth from right) met recently with former PBA stars to formalize the formation of the PBA Legends Foundation, Inc. The PBA also allowed the PBALFI to use the PBA logo in all its official projects to generate funds for the benefit of former PBA players in need of medical assistance. Others in photo are, from left: Alvin Patrimonio (PBALFI president), Ed Cordero (board secretary), Ronnie Magsanoc, Atoy Co (chairman), Jerry Codinera, PBA legal counsel Atty. Melvin Mendoza and Allan Caidic. PBA Media

Bigger, better Le Tour coming By Peter Atencio

HE 11th Le Tour de Filipinas could head down south, and could go as far as the Southern Leyte area.

Organizers are now making plans to go into the Visayas region following the successful staging of the 10th edition of the five-day bikefest. “The 10th edition of the race went so smoothly. With better technical training, we’ll see if we can stretch it again,” said LTDF organizing committee chairman Donna May Lina. Dutch rider Jeroen Meijers took the overall classification honors on the final day of Le Tour de Filipinas 2019 when it ended in Legazpi City. Singaporean Choon Huat Goh remained 45 seconds behind Meijers after five stages, and after Meijers logged a total time of 20 hours, 38 minutes and seven seconds. Australian Angus Lyons was third, followed in fourth by Team 711’s Daniel

Habtemichael. Team 7-Eleven rider Marcelo Felipe’s 26th place finish on the final day. And this denied him a chance to be in the top 10 of the overall classification, and a chance to get some Olympic qualification points. But Felipe still claimed the overall best Filipino rider awards, beating Celeste Cycles Mark Galedo by 2 minutes and 34 seconds. Team Ukyo claimed the overall classification crown, with Taiyuan and PGN in second and third. Lina said they are looking to a better showing from Filipino riders next year. “This is like the Miss Universe of cycling. Filipino riders should take advantage of their home court advantage,” stated Lina.

Batang PBA’s Jaymalin to train in Canada FRESH from helping the NLEX Road Warriors win the title in the Batang PBA 15-and-under categrory, teen prospect Liam Jaymalin is set to leave for Canada next month to get the necessary training in hopes of improving his skills. The 14-year-old Jaymalin played a huge part during the campaign of NLEX in the Batang PBA, and was a key contributor when the Road Warriors downed TNT KaTropa during the championship game, 102-85. Jaymalin, who played for the La Salle Antipolo basketball team, is set to leave July 3 for Vancouver. He is already enrolled and is expected to join the basketball squad of St. Patrick Regional Secondary School as a Grade 9 student. “He’ll study and train in Canada, hopefully for a better career in basketball,” said his father Rjay Jaymalin, a businessman in Vancouver. “Since all of us are already here, including his three siblings who are all Canadian citizens, we decided to bring Liam to study here and at the same time be able to train.” “Here, as parents, we’ll be able to guide him and see his progress as a basketball player. Our hope is if he returns to our country, he’ll comeback as a better player,” added the elder Jaymalin, who played college ball for Mapua and Jose Rizal University. The young Jaymalin’s love for basketball began at early age at three-years-old when his father would bring him to games. Jaymalin has joined several training camps, including the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC), the Jr. NBA and the Alaska Power Camp where he won two Most Valuable Player Awards. His favorite players are Scottie Thompson of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. “I hope to one day play in the professional league like my idols. I’m looking forward to improving my skills in Cana-

Liam Jaymalin of NLEX Road Warriors tries to dribble past his defender in the Batang PBA. PBA Media

da and when the time comes for me to comeback, it’ll help me compete against the best players in the country. I don’t know what the future holds but I’ll put in the hardwork in training and in every game,” said Jaymalin, who now stands 5-foot-7.

his trophy after ruling the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic for the second straight year last Saturday completing a back-toback title romp on the Philippine Golf Tour.With him are organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. executive director Narlene Soriano (left) and Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club president Jose Marie Limjap.

LE BOURGET, France—Paris aims to give visitors to the 2024 Paris Olympics a flying start by offering airborne taxis to tournament sites straight from the airport. Arrivals in the City of Light currently face an hour-long haul by train or bus into town from Charles de Gaulle airport to the north of Paris. But if Aeroports de Paris (ADP), Airbus and the RATP regional transport have their way passengers, right after their jets have taxied to a halt on the runway, will be able to take to the air once again with a self-flying urban taxi of the future. The firms used this past week’s Paris Air Show to say the Olympics afforded the perfect opportunity to bring into service futuristic Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) machines, and that they would launch a feasibility study. “In 2010, for the first time, more than half of humanity was living in urban

zones and we think we shall surpass 60 percent by 2030,” said Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury. The time had now come to vault up to “the third dimension” of local commutes—air, he said. “If we have the conviction that in the next ﬁve, 10, 15, 20 or 30 years low altitude is a space to be conquered we have to put in place the conditions today,” said ADP Group’s executive director general Edward Arkwright. VTOL converts are already sprouting in number as the world looks to move beyond—or rather, above—today’s saturated motorways and growing environmental concerns. Back on the ground, the view has been muddied by a delay beyond the Games, to 2025, of the express fast train designed to cut congestion and travel time between Charles de Gaulle airport and the city centre. AFP

The rider with the all-around skill would most likely dominate the ﬁve-stage 10th edition of the Le Tour de Filipinas that hits the road from June 14 to 18. National team coaches Reinhardt Gorrantes and Ednalyn Hualda believe this year’s Le Tour de Filipinas would not only favor the sprinters and the climbers but the cyclists who are strong in both terrains. “There are mountain passes in the race but let us not forget the middle stages which are almost all ﬂat with a slightly reclining gradient,” said Gorrantes, head coach of the Philippine National Team composed of the riders from Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance. Hualda agreed saying Stage 1 and Stage 5 offer challenges for the climbers, but with the long Stage 1, 2 and 3, tactical riding is a must in the race organized by Ube Media Inc. and which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. “It would be a race of strategies,” Hualda said. “Like a chess game, you have to ponder your moves to win.” The entire race covers 822.20 kms of paved road down south of Manila.

VetHealth-Delhi 3BL claims 2nd leg of 3x3 Patriot’s Cup KIRAN Shastri scored the winning basket for VetHealth-Delhi 3BL as they claimed the second leg of the 2019 Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 Patriot’s Cup presented by Coca-Cola yesterday at the SM Fairview Events Center, yesterday. Shastri, the no. 62-ranked player in the world, came into the picture in the last four minutes to lift Vethealt to a 2120 triumph over Phenom-Basilan Steel. Behind by two, 19-20, with less than four minutes left in the game, Shastri missed a deuce, which was rebounded by big man and teammate Bikramjit Gill. Bikramjit then assisted a wide-open Shastri, who knocked down the gamewinning deuce in the ﬁnal 3:36. “It was a hard fought tournament. Really excited to be here,” said Shastri. Fil-Am guard Franky Johnson was on ﬁre to start the game, scoring 12 of

Paris to beat Olympic traffic with flying taxis

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL CLASSIC WINNER. Juvic Pagunsan displays

The rider with the all-around skill was expected to dominate the ﬁve-stage 10th edition of the Le Tour de Filipinas. Before the start of the race national team coaches Reinhardt Gorrantes and Ednalyn Hualda said this year’s Le Tour de Filipinas would not only favor the sprinters and the climbers but the cyclists who are strong in both terrains. “There are mountain passes in the race but let us not forget the middle stages which are almost all ﬂat with a slightly reclining gradient,” said Gorrantes, head coach of the Philippine National Team composed of the riders from Philippine Navy-Standard Insurance. Stage 1 and Stage 5 offerred challenges for the climbers, but with the long Stage 1, 2 and 3, tactical riding is a must in the race organized by Ube Media Inc. and which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. As expected it turned out to be a race of strategies as predicted by Hualda. It was like a chess game where competitors had to ponder their moves to win The entire race covered 822.20 kms of paved road down south of Manila.

Phenom-Basilan’s first 16 points to give his side a three-point lead with 5:13 left. After that, Bikramjit Gill and newcomer AJ Gill powered VetHealth-Delhi to a 5-0 run. This gave the Indians a two-point cushion. Besides bringing home P100,000, VetHealth-Delhi closed in on Gold’s Gym-Pasig in the standings. The Pasig Kings, who will miss the third leg as they will join the Poitiers Challenger in France from July 6 to 7, remain on top with 170 points. VetHealth-Delhi and Phenom-Basilan are tied at second with 160 points. Wilkins-Balanga completes the top four with 130 points. This was the first-ever leg in league history that did not feature either Pasig or Balanga in the finals as the former lost to Basilan, 20-18, while the latter fell to Delhi, 22-15 (1:43). Peter Atencio

Hamilton pokes fun at Ferrari LE CASTELLET, France—Lewis Hamilton enjoyed a chance to poke fun at rivals Ferrari on Saturday (Sunday Manila time), suggesting they need to concentrate more on their racing than the complex appeals system of Formula One. After searing to his record 86th pole position on an afternoon of sizzling heat at the Le Castellet circuit, in the process helping secure a 63rd front row lockout for Mercedes at this weekend’s French Grand Prix, the defending ﬁve-time world champion was in a playful mood. He said he had arrived late on Thursday evening, after attending a memorial event for fashion designer Karl Lagerﬁeld in Paris, and was concerned that he was out of kilter with his normal weekend routine. But that worry, he said, was wiped away on Friday once he had learned that Ferrari’s new evidence in their bid to overturn the result of the Canadian Grand Prix depended mainly on an analysis video made for Sky Sports.

“When I arrived in the morning, I heard it was Karun Chandhok’s video that was the new evidence and I was pretty relaxed after that,” he explained with a broad smile. Earlier on Friday morning, he had used social media to express his worries about what lay ahead of him as he lay wide awake and sleepless in the small hours. Ahead of their hearing with the Canada race stewards, Ferrari had said that their new evidence was “overwhelming” proof that Sebastian Vettel had not broken any rules when he rejoined after running offcircuit and across a strip of grass. But the stewards rejected the evidence and thus conﬁrmed that Hamilton was the victor in Montreal. Ferrari said the outcome was a dark day for the sport. Hamilton said: “If it was me, I would want my team concentrating on the race. Ferrari were spending a lot of time focusing on something else. Me, and my team, were focused on trying to improve the car.” AFP

Sports

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

MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019

Romasanta says Phisgoc under POC THE Philippine Olympic Committee will continue to recognize Taguig Congressman-elect Alan Peter Cayetano as chairman of the ad hoc committee for the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games. Joey Romasanta, the newly installed POC president, yesterday said Cayetano remains on top of the organizing body by virtue of his appointment made by former POC chief Jose “Peping” Cojuangco two years ago. The Phisgoc, however, has to function as a mere committee under the Olympic council rule and not as chief of the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) Foundation, Inc., a different body formed by Cayetano, which he claimed should be on top of the organizing chores for the Games even if it does not have the POC Board’s approval. Although Cayetano is not an incorporator of the Phisgoc Foundation, members of his inner circle in Ramon Suzara, Donaldo Caringal, Dexter Estacio and Monica Anne Mitra are all part of it, together with recently-resigned POC president Ricky Vargas, POC secretary general Patrick Gregorio, POC communications director Ed Picson and former POC chairman Tom Carrasco. The Phisgoc Foundation took over the functions of the POC and made some crucial decisions on its own, like the creation of the Games’ official logo, theme, mascot and other marketing collaterals without the approval of the POC board. Romasanta said he is set to sit down with Cayetano in the coming days to map out the SEA Games preparations. “This is a complex problem that needs a simple solution,” said Romasanta, the former POC first vice president who assumes the POC presidency via succession after Vargas filed his irrevocable resignation last Tuesday. “We have to revert to the original plan of having Secretary Cayetano as chairman of the organizing committee under the POC. With that, I am seeking a oneon-one meeting with him before forming a tripartite agreement with him and (Philippine Sports Commission) Chairman Butch Ramirez.” Discussion is still underway, but a POC board member in lawyer Clint Aranas hinted that they might review all contracts that Phisgoc Foundation had entered into. Aranas, the designated spokesperson of the POC, said if they don’t see any problem with the contracts, they would gladly approve them before the general assembly.

Columbian Dyip rookie CJ Perez (7) stretches to the hoop as he attempts a layup against Rain or Shine Elasto Painters import Denzel Bowles (21). PBA Media

Elasto Painters subdue Columbian Dyip in OT By Jeric Lopez

EY Nambatac sank the game-winning lay-up in trafﬁc with 2.6 seconds left to give Rain or Shine a tough 88-86 squeaker in overtime over gritty Columbian in a thrilling bout for a much needed win in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup at the Batangas City Sports Coliseum Sunday night.

Denzel Bowles produced a triple-double with a game-high of 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists and also sealed the win for the Elasto Painters after stealing the ball in the ﬁnal possession, denying the Dyip a chance to send the game to a second overtime. With the game tied at 86-all, Rain or Shine came up with a perfectly executed play off the inbound with Nambatac ﬁnishing strong over Lester Prosper off a nice dish from Gabe Norwood. Columbian wasn’t even able to put up an attempt with Bowles disrupting its set play. The Elasto Painters were back on the

winning track, improving to 3-3 for a sixth place tie. The Dyip suffered another setback, dropping to 1-6 at the bottom of the pack. Rashawn McCarthy sank a difficult right corner triple with 1.1 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 81-apiece and send the nip-and-tuck battle into overtime. Prior to that, the teams exchanged blows in the final minutes of the fourth as neither wanted to give any ground. Nambatac finished with 10 points to provide support for the Elasto Painters, aside from his endgame heroics. Rain or Shine had the upperhand in the

first half, carrying a 44-39 lead at the turn. The Painters even took a double-digit lead briefly, 42-31, in the latter part of the second quarter. Columbian, however, stuck around to make it a tight second half until the finish. The two team ended up tied through three periods, 62-all. Prosper led Columbian with teamhighs of 26 points and 14 rebounds. The scores: Rain or Shine Elasto Painters 88 – Denzel Bowles 29, Jewel Ponferada 10, Rey Nambatac 10, Ed Daquioag 9, Javee Mocon 8, Gabe Norwood 8, Beau Belga 5, Kris Rosales 4, James Yap 3, Norbert Torres 2, Mark Borboran 0. Columbian Dyip 86 – Lester Prosper 26, RaShawn McCarthy 15, CJ Perez 12, Jackson Corpuz 11, Glenn Khobuntin 8, Eric Camson 5, Jerramy King 4, Philip Cahilig 2, JP Calvo 2, Reden Celda 1, Keith Agovida 0, JayR Reyes 0, Russell Escoto 0, Bryan Faundo 0. Quarter scores: 22-27, 44-39, 62-62, 81-81, 88-86.

Veteran Federer starts looking ahead to life after tennis HALLE WESTFALEN, Germany— Roger Federer said Saturday (Sunday Manila time) that he is still unsure of what he will do when his playing days are ﬁnally up. Federer, 37, is aiming for a ninth Wimbledon title and a 21st major next month, but admitted that it will soon be time to call time on his glistening career.

“It’s a shame, because I am at the end of my career now, and it has gone by so quickly,” he said after reaching the ﬁnal of the ATP event in Halle for the 13th time. “That is

Roger Federer from Switzerland returns a ball from Roberto Bautista Agut from Spain at the ATP tennis tournament in Halle, western Germany. AFP

good sign, though, because it shows that it has been enormous fun.” “My career has been a blessing. I wouldn’t have done anything differently, apart from the mistakes I made when I was younger which we all make.” The Swiss veteran said he was still unsure of what he would do when he ﬁnally hung up his rackets. “My future is open. Some players need a very clear plan of what they will do ater tennis, but I don’t,” he said. “I want to have ﬂexibility, for my family. There will be plenty of opportunities.” “I have my foundation, and I have various sponsors who I have been with a long time who will stay with me after my career.” Federer warned that he may not play too many exhibition matches after his

retirement. “Of course I want to keep doing things in tennis, and maybe play some exhibition matches or charity matches,” he said. “On the other hand, I will have to see how fit I can stay and how fit I want to stay.” “I will have to see whether I want to play exhibition matches at a low standard,” he laughed. Federer also said he was planning “six months to a year” ahead for the time being as he looks to continue winning tournaments. The Swiss still faces a fight to defend his record number of majors from his rivals. Rafael Nadal moved to within just two titles of Federer’s mark with his 18th Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Novak Djokovic has 15 majors to his name. “The main thing is not to get injured, because my health comes first,” said Federer. AFP

Unbeaten Pasay trips Muntinlupa PASAY edged title contender and home team Muntinlupa, 76-75, in overtime to stay unbeaten after two games in the MPBL Season 3 at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex Saturday night. Unheralded forward Elvin Chan knocked in seven of his 11 markers in the extra period as the Voyagers kept the Cagers winless after two games in the fastest growing regional amateur basketball league put up by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend and former MVP Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner. Jan Jamon, a holdover from last season’s team, led the way for the Voyagers with 15 points while AA Inigo added 13 markers. Dhon Reverente, one of the key recruits of the Voyagers in the off season, had a welcoming of sorts playing in front of the Muntinlupa crowd. Reverente was part of the Cagers’ squad in the ﬁrst two seasons in the league, but decided to move to Pasay when he learned that long-time coach Keith Martin will be coaching the Voyagers. In his return to the Cagers’ den, he scored 10 points while getting a warm welcome from the appreciative crowd. Earlier, Harold Arboleda came away with another double-double performance while powering the Zamboanga-Family’s Brand Sardines to their ﬁrst win in the tournament following an 82-69 win over the Pasig-Sta. Lucia Realtors. Arboleda ended up with 11 points and 16 rebounds for his 22nd doubledouble performance, the most by any player in the MPBL. But Arboleda isn’t the only one who did much damage against Pasig, now under the management of long-time basketball supporter Sta. Lucia Realty being managed by Buddy Encarnado. Zamboanga’s second unit proved to be too much as it overpowered its counterpart from Pasig, 60-30, on bench production.

BanKo-Perlas rallies past Motolite DOWN two sets and behind 12-14 in the fifth, BanKo-Perlas kept its composure and kept its semifinal bid alive as it hacked out a stirring 19-25, 23-25, 2518, 25-22, 17-15 victory over a shocked Motolite side in the Premier Volleyball League Season 3 Reinforced Conference at Alonte Sports Arena in Biñan, Laguna yesterday. Playmaker Jem Ferrer kept going to Nicole Tiamzon in the nerve-wracking finish and the latter responded in style, firing three straight hits to lift the Perlas Spikers to the victory that pushed them past the Power Builders in their spirited battle for the fourth and last semis berth. The win snapped BanKo-Perlas’ alarming three-game skid as it improved to 3-5 with two games left in the double round elims of the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision. Motolite, which came into the match brimming with confidence after carving a five-set escape over also-ran BaliPure Saturday to move to solo fourth, took its sixth loss against three wins and slipped to fifth with one game left. Tiamzon pounded a through-theblock shot that tied the count at 15 in the decider then fired a power hit after Sue Roces kept the ball alive off an equally strong spike from Motolite’s Channon Thompson and the former UP stalwart capped his endgame brilliance with another blast that sealed the victory and kept the Power Builders stunned for a couple of seconds. “We just needed to reset after going two sets down. Then in the fifth, patibayan na lang ng loob,” said Tiamzon, who finished with a top-scoring 19 points, including 18 attacks.

Anderson: Imus chemistry still a work in progress THE Imus Bandera-Khaleb Shawarma/GLC squad failed to lock their second consecutive win in the 2019-2020 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Lakan Cup after suffering a 57-79 defeat at the hands of neighbor Bacoor Strikers recently at the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium. Combo guard Gerald Anderson said the team lacked experience and chemistry which can only be achieved if they play together long enough. “Tinalo namin sarili namin. Not to take anything from Bacoor na malakas na team, but I really felt na kinalaban namin ang sarili namin. We came out sa second half na medyo kampante. Wala yung intensity. It is a learning experience. Sana may matutunan kami sa game na ito. It is a good test to see kung ano pa ang mga kulang namin and ano pa ang mga dapat nagawa,” said Anderson.

Anderson led the Bandera with 14 points (6/11 FGs), 4 rebounds, and 5 steals. Imus was leading at one point, 33-19 after back to back triples by Jayjay Helterbrand, but the group failed to sustain their hot start and ended up yielding a big lead to their Cavite counterparts. The Bandera dropped to 1-1 in the South Division after the loss. Head coach Buds Reyes agreed with Anderson adding that the Bandera may need more time together to turn themselves into a more cohesive unit moving forward. “Parang na-mental block eh. They were following the game plan and then suddenly, hindi na nasundan. Gumulo yung offense, walang ball movement suddenly. Umabot nang hanggang third quarter bago umiskor. Di bale, it is a learning experience. Hopefully, we can learn from this. We need to sustain our

play in the first two quarters,” said Reyes. Helterbrand, the team’s veteran, also shared his thoughts and mentioned it is encouraging to have experienced such loss this early, for the team to be able to build from it in the succeeding games to come. “I think our inexperience came in. We celebrated too early and then we went from moving the ball and playing together to going oneon-one. Doon nasira. Even our defense got affected. We got away from what got us a big lead. We have to remember what got us a win and not play selfish basketball. If we do that, we will be fine,” said Helterbrand. “I am actually glad it happened so our heads don’t get big and we keep on getting better. We got exposed. I hope the guys remember that going into practice and we go out there and show a different Imus basketball.”

Gerald Anderson stands at center court while waiting during a break in a game. He said Imus lacked experience and chemistry which can only be achieved by playing together longer.

IN BRIEF Amusement Expo opens July 11 to 13 AMUSEMENT, theme, entertainment parks and even arcades have always sought to provide engaging and immersive attractions to attract customers. However, the advancement in technology has allowed the sector to create a more exceptional customer experience, said David Chow, director of HQ Bizlink International PTE Ltd., organizer of this year’s Philippine Attractions & Amusement Expo (PAExpo2019) 2019. The Expo, to be held on July 11 to 13, at the World Trade Center, is the biggest gathering of suppliers of the latest innovations and technology in the amusement and entertainment parks and arcade games industries. “The amusement and arcade game segments have a rich history of utilizing the latest technology to attract the interest of visitors. Indeed, the industries are a haven for technological landscapes as the industries look to the future to create magical worlds by showcasing the latest digital advances,” Chow said.

Offshore gaming operators warned STATE-RUN Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. sternly warned errant offshore gaming operators to strictly comply with regulations and pay proper taxes to the government, saying concerned tax agencies are closely monitoring how they conduct business in the country. “Let this serve as a ﬁnal warning for everyone to strictly comply with all the rules, regulations and directives of all other government agencies which may have jurisdiction over the other aspects of your operations... ,” said Jose Tria Jr., Pagcor Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators vice president and concurrent special assistant to the Pagcor chairman. Julito G. Rada

Erratum

Business SMC seen to bag P5.5-b Boracay bridge project By Darwin G. Amojelar

HE Public Works Department expects to grant “soon” the original proponent status to San Miguel Corp. for its proposal to build a 1.2-kilometer bridge from Caticlan to Boracay Island for P5.5 billion. “We’re still finalizing the OPS. We are still processing it. We can expect the OPS definitely soon,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said over the weekend. Villar said that once the OPS was issued, the agency would submit the proposal to the National Economic and Development Authority for final approval. The project is a 1.2-kilometer limited-access bridge infrastructure between Boracay Island and Caticlan in Malay, Aklan in the main island of Panay. The bridge is not envisioned to cater to vehicular through-traffic, so as not to congest the island. It will be provided with loading/unloading areas on both ends to process the movement of commuters, solid waste, goods and supplies.

San Miguel currently operates the Boracay Airport in Caticlan and is upgrading the airstrip into a world-class airport. San Miguel president Ramon Ang said building the Caticlan-Boracay bridge would be a novel approach to resolve Boracay’s environmental woes and bring about growth to other areas in Aklan. The bridge, he said, would reduce the need for tourists and tourism workers to stay on the island. “Tourists and visitors will have the option to go to Boracay during the day and in the afternoon or at night for accommodations outside the island,” Ang said. The accessibility of Boracay, through the proposed bridge, would enable developers to build hotels and resorts out-

side the island. These can be premiere destinations in their own right, as these areas also boast of beautiful beaches and coastlines, he said. New establishments can be positioned as alternative or more affordable accommodations for tourists, Ang said. He said accommodations for workers could also be built. Ang said with the new bridge, thousands of tourism workers from neighboring provinces would no longer need to reside in Boracay and contribute to the island’s population growth and, as a result, its waste. “The development of neighboring areas would boost Aklan’s economy as a whole while keeping the island of Boracay sustainable for generations to come,” Ang said. Ang said the construction of a bridge could also resolve the garbage and sewage problem on the island and could be used as a safe way to deliver sewage via pipes which would be built into the bridge design out of Boracay. Maintenance and repair will also be easier to manage, he said.

Panganiban TeaM director THIS is to correct the caption that appeared on the June 21 issue of this paper identifying retired Supreme Court Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban as TeaM Energy Corp. chairman John Alcordo. Panganiban is an independent director of TeaM Energy Corp. The board recently elected Oscar Reyes to ﬁll up the vacant seat in the company’s board effective June 1, 2019. Other board directors are nominees from the company’s owners, leading Japanese ﬁrms JERA and Marubeni.

Rosy prospects. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno (standing) says the Philippines is now experiencing a favorable mix of high economic growth and stable prices during the Wallace Business Forum held in Makati City. Diokno said there is optimism the Philippine economy is poised to sustain its growth momentum amid lingering global headwinds.

Filipino companies bring new products to Taipei food exhibit By Othel V. Campos TAIPEI, Taiwan―Filipino companies brought new products to the Taipei Food Exhibition 2019 to surpass sales in 2018. Philippine trade attache to Taiwan Michael Alfred Ignacio said the list of participants in this year’s trade show was curated in observance of the mandate of the Trade Department to mainstream all products that could be exported, particularly those in the niche category that have the potential for mass and institutional following. “We need for our products to be exportready. That’s why we brought in a combination of established brands and niche brands that could support the department’s mantra of bringing these products out in the open,” he said at the sidelines of the Taipei trade event. The department aims to surpass 2018’s

$25 million in booked sales despite a decrease in the number of Filipino exhibitors who joined the trade show this year. There were 11 Filipino companies that joined Taipei Food 2019, compared to 17 companies in 2018. This year’s participants include Century Paciﬁc Food Inc., Destileria Limtuaco & Co. Inc., Team Asia Corp., Tropicana Food Products Inc., Grand Asia Integrated Natural Coco Products Corp., JND Manufacturing Industries Inc., Leonie Agri Corp., Mira’s Turmeric Products, Pasciolco Agri Ventures, Yearluck Food and Industrial Corp. and Yanyan International Philippines Inc. Ignacio said several companies that joined in 2018 were not yet ready to go global while others were not ﬁt to join the show because of some food preferences of the Taiwanese market.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019

Aboitiz Equity investing P550m in Tarlac meat processing plant By Jenniffer B. Austria ABOITIZ Equity Ventures Inc. is spending P550 million to build a meat processing plant in Tarlac province, a move that will enable unit Pilmico Foods Corp. to become a fully-integrated agribusiness and food manufacturing firm. AEV chief finance officer Manuel Lozano said in a recent interview the new meat processing plant would handle 25 percent of the group’s farm output in Tarlac once it became operational before the end of the year. “In the Philippines, we now have our own farms and we are now building our meat processing plant. We have to explore to see if that is our next line of business,” Lozano said. “If that works for us, then we will definitely be looking to expand,” he said. Lozano said that in other countries, AEV through newly-acquired Gold Coin Management Holdings Ltd. was also looking at acquiring farms. “We are eyeing the same potential outside the country. Before we were just in flour business and then feeds and farms. Now we are doing some meat processing,” Lozano said. “In other countries like Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia, there is also a real possibility for expansion because we don’t have farms yet there. So we should consider those,” he said. Lozano said the company was looking at either acquisitions or expansion of existing facilities. “In some countries, integrated facilities make more sense. We are now in the process of identifying which ones of those are, and we are looking for the right opportunity. Ideally, we can start it from scratch but we feel that takes a long time to build a big farm. So we are seeing if there are opportunities to acquire some other existing facilities,” Lozano said. AEV’s food unit took full control of Gold Coin, one of Asia’s largest privately-owned agribusiness corporations, with the acquisition of an additional 25-percent stake in the company for $120 million. Established in 1953, the Singaporebased Gold Coin is a major producer of animal feeds and operates 20 production facilities. It employs over 3,000 people across 11 countries in Asia.

DICT proposes alternative automated voting systems THE Department of Information and Communications Technology proposed alternative voting methods for possible use in future elections. “We are only recommending improvements or alternatives to the current AES [automated election system]. Comelec [Commission on Elections) has the ﬁnal say as DICT is only recommendatory,” acting DICT Secretary Eliseo Rio Jr. said. “Comelec may adopt, disregard or modify what DICT has proposed,” he said. Rio on Friday presented new systems that intended to combine the speed of electronic counting and the transparency of manual counting. The DICT presented three ways where voters could cast their ballot such as freehand, barcode stickers and “exam-style”. Comelec executive director Jose To-

TPB WOOS CHINESE TOURISTS.

The Tourism Promotions Board Philippines, the marketing arm of the Tourism Department, joins ITB China in Shanghai as a part of its initiative to capture a bigger chunk of 129 million Chinese tourists traveling abroad in the past two years. In 2018, more than 1.2 million Chinese tourists visited the Philippines and TPB hopes to increase Chinese tourist arrivals through its active and consistent participation in ITB China, the largest and fastest growing source market in the travel industry.

lentino Jr., however, expressed reservations over the proposed methods because of conﬂict with the right to voter conﬁdentiality. Rio was open to the criticism and said that the DICT would come up with other methods to present during the DICT Automated Election System Technology Fair on July 15, 2019. Under the freehand method, handwriting-recognition software will be used to recognize the names that the voter jotted down in their respective ballots. The barcode stickers method will feature a sticker sheet that contains a barcode for each candidate per electoral position. Voters then peel off the respective stickers of the candidates they wish to elect and stick those in the corresponding areas of their ballots. The “exam-style” is a format like the current ballot with circles that the vot-

er has to shade on. Instead of names, however, each electoral post will have numbers corresponding to a candidate that must be shaded. Another proposed change is that the ballots should no longer be fed by the voters themselves. All ballots will be kept in a box and will be fed into the vote counting machines at the end of the voting period. Rio said this would allow election inspectors to see each ballot as it is fed into the machine and view the counts real-time. The inspectors will then review if the ballot is counted correctly, at which point they will push a button to conﬁrm it. He said that in all three methods, each ballot will have a unique QR code so it can only be counted once no matter how many times it is fed into the machine. Darwin G. Amojelar

Power sector reforms stagnated—Gatchalian By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Philippines’ power sector stagnated 18 years after the passage of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, which instituted reforms in the power sector, according to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. “We stagnated. We did not move forward. We did not move backward. I say we stagnated because WESM [Wholesale Electricity Spot Market] prices are healthy and WESM prices are low,” Gatchalian, the chairman of the Senate energy committee, said. WESM, a product of EPIRA, is the country’s trading ﬂoor for electricity. “But even if WESM prices are low, if you ask ordinary Filipino consumer, he does not feel [it], meaning there is still something lacking. One of the biggest [reforms] that is still needed is

the implementation of retail access― retail competition and open access,” Gatchalian said. Retail competition and open access mandates electricity users with monthly consumption of one megawatt to choose their own suppliers. The threshold goes down to 750-kilowatt users to 500-kw users until it reaches the household level. A Supreme Court ruling stopped the full implementation of RCOA. “One of the remedies we are thinking is to legislate some of the concepts in EPIRA. RCOA is one of them... The concept of RCOA is in EPIRA. We can legislate that to resolve many things especially the local RES [retail electricity supplier] which is the biggest issue. We can now legislate if we will allow local RES or we will not allow local RES,” Gatchalian said.

Business

MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market likely to move sideways S By Jenniffer B. Austria

HARE prices are expected to move sideways this week with an upward bias as the season’s semester-end portfolio window dressing could push the market higher.

Online brokerage firm 2TradeAsia. com said the second phase of the reserve requirement cut by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas from 17.5 percent to 16.5 percent, or 50 basis points, would pump in additional liquidity into the financial markets. “Go for stocks with promising prospects as major infra backbone are deployed,” 2TradeAsia.com said. Investors will also monitor the June 2829 G20 meeting, which could possibly discuss the US-China trade war. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index last week rose 0.8 percent to close at 8,055.47, while the broader All Shares Index gained 0.9 percent to 4,927.81.

Except for the property index which declined 0.2 percent, all other sub-indices ended in the greed, led by mining and oil which rose 2.1 percent; holding firms which climbed 2 percent; industrial which advanced 1 percent; financial which added 0.8 percent; and services, which inched up 0.5 percent. “The market actually started the week on a downward trajectory because of renewed foreign selling, although it reversed course and went on a four day winning streak as locals were encouraged by positive developments on US-China trade on Wednesday as well as the dovish tones set by both the Fed and the BSP, hinting towards possible rate cuts down

the road,” said RCBC Securities analyst Fiorenzo De Jesus. Foreign investors were net sellers during the week by P1.17 billion, while the average daily value traded stood at P7.2 billion, down from the previous week’s average of P7.9 billion. Weekly top price gainers were GT Capital Holdings Inc., which climbed 9.9 percent to P961; Manila Water Co Inc., which rose 5.9 percent to P25; and San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc., which gained 51 percent to P113.50. Weekly top price losers were LBC Express Holdings Inc., which fell 9.4 percent to P14.02; Philippine National Bank, which declined 7.1 percent to P49; and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., which dropped 5.8 percent to P38. Gold prices, meanwhile, struck near six-year highs on Friday as a weaker dollar and escalating US-Iran tensions fueled a flight to safer investments, while

oil futures built on strong gains. The week has been an eventful one for stock markets, crude prices and the dollar—and investors still have a key G20 summit to look forward to amid hopes for progress on the US-China trade war. “Gold has been one of the week’s biggest stories, with the precious metal hitting $1,400 (an ounce) for the first time in almost six years overnight,” said Joshua Mahony, senior market analyst at IG trading group. The gold spike has been caused by the change in sentiment and dollar weakness amid “overnight talk of a canceled US strike on Iranian targets highlighting how close we are from a huge ramp-up in conflict between the two nations,” he said. US President Donald Trump said he approved the attack then at the last minute scrapped strikes against Iranian targets. With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS Weekly StockS revieW JUNE 17-21, 2019 Close Volume

Value

FINANCIAL 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

59 141.30 80.50 2.31 1.24 28.7 18.68 11.66 5.03 7.71 0.52 1.36 785.00 0.520 74.6 0.99 13.2 21.15 49.00 57.65 112 188 28.3 170 1755.00 64.05 1.12

30,150 10,972,820 8,508,560 373,000 158,000 1,445,500 224,500 1,677,100 3,598,000 10,300 53,000 213,000 40 2,089,000 25,109,280 1,317,000 166,600 100 3,944,630 5,760 450 3,360 710,300 3,845,610 15 287,960 78,000

1,775,843.50 1,529,232,253.00 685,258,034.00 860,040.00 197,300.00 39,722,725.00 4,187,456.00 19,574,232.00 17,684,330.00 79,413.00 27,560.00 290,590.00 31,165.00 1,063,150.00 1,843,411,293.50 1,281,930.00 2,199,738.00 2,115.00 203,795,728.50 331,737.00 50,400.00 622,591.00 20,011,870.00 638,446,346.00 26,775.00 17,089,715.00 87,360.00

INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp. Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cement Corp. Alsons Cons. Basic Energy Corp. Bogo Medelin C. Azuc De Tarlac Cemex Holdings Century Food Chemphil Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ Conc. Aggr. ‘B’ Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Eagle Cement EEI Emperador Euro-Med Lab First Gen Corp. First Holdings ‘A’ Ginebra San Miguel Inc. Greenergy Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp. 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. Vivant Corp. Vulcan Ind’l.

35 14.38 0.76 1.38 1.38 0.275 96 14.94 2.92 15.5 110.5 22.3 74.9 63.1 41.5 2.1 5.25 5.64 10.400 16 10.56 7.57 1.71 25 78.6 56.00 2.4200 13.76 10.22 1.670 288.00 4.25 3.49 9.20 25 14.3 19.76 0.186 380.00 5.95 1.4 4.54 5.92 9.05 2.58 12.20 38 5.1 4.85 1.43 1.97 1.19 14.22 113.5 6.5 0.123 1.29 176 2.6 1.26 17.00 1.34

6,089,900 3,379,800 7,629,000 71,000 1,220,000 19,170,000 150 2,400 110,640,000 2,534,900 710 523,900 2,720 10 12,900 1,701,000 113,000 297,300 19,243,700 1,361,600 3,753,000 8,224,000 55,000 14,964,700 371,920 1,377,410 25,664,000 2,902,100 1,565,200 819,000 3,426,350 772,000 70,000 41,200 5,224,800 6,609,300 6,951,900 1,590,000 1,522,210 40,500 33,148,000 317,000 7,865,300 46,000 144,293,000 7,214,400 3,978,800 153,200 9,000 3,428,000 446,000 1,131,000 2,494,300 1,193,600 457,700 1,060,000 7,034,000 5,502,670 379,000 30,015,000 4,100 34,170,000

213,142,455.00 48,548,394.00 5,691,550.00 99,000.00 1,695,690.00 5,389,650.00 13,578.00 35,860.00 306,607,510.00 38,018,554.00 79,550.00 12,373,775.00 195,174.00 631.00 557,240.00 3,514,750.00 601,450.00 1,667,297.00 199,952,032.00 21,778,108.00 38,940,192.00 62,102,575.00 92,620.00 372,347,815.00 28,760,808.00 72,929,886.00 61,681,530.00 40,030,410.00 15,729,820.00 1,366,150.00 970,331,406.00 3,273,220.00 243,440.00 383,995.00 126,350,515.00 90,178,070.00 136,944,008.00 296,220.00 580,897,530.00 232,150.00 44,986,490.00 1,409,200.00 46,699,264.00 416,211.00 371,191,590.00 86,589,080.00 153,570,285.00 757,350.00 44,260.00 4,985,110.00 843,740.00 1,305,050.00 34,686,340.00 126,987,324.00 2,975,110.00 132,480.00 9,146,910.00 953,653,145.00 1,054,950.00 38,530,140.00 69,700.00 45,336,850.00

HOLDING FIRMS 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 F&J Prince ‘A’ 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. Pacifica À’ Prime Media Hldg Republic Glass ‘A’ San Miguel Corp À’ Seafront À’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Transgrid Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.800 54.85 15.12 0.75 6.70 12.38 1.350 1.380 898 3.670 6.77 10.54 4.1 14.02 0.250 961 6.22 66.60 6.37 0.495 4.31 15.12 0.660 4.77 0.0380 1.280 2.81 176.00 2.38 966.00 1.39 0.87 274.000 427.20 0.2400 0.310

308,450,000 5,631,930 21,872,100 3,481,000 204,700 452,300 22,185,000 2,260,000 3,021,490 42,786,000 4,089,700 23,610,900 65,000 568,200 920,000 808,500 19,000 7,480,760 84,400 1,284,000 1,857,000 9,667,900 99,448,000 163,178,000 23,200,000 17,174,000 82,000 2,218,370 9,000 1,266,810 199,000 2,252,000 102,360 320 4,570,000 26,320,000

PROPERTY 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 Keppel Properties Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil Infradev Phil. Estates Corp. Phil. Realty À’ Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp. Robinson’s Land `B’

16.020 0.80 11.00 2.010 0.880 50.750 2.32 4.85 6.12 0.590 0.82 0.970 0.240 0.445 9.940 26.45 0.475 0.125 1.72 1.33 4.68 6.07 0.315 1.8500 0.4650 0.420 46.00 2.12 26.80

2,598,500 5,761,000 24,900 637,000 25,642,000 46,884,620 2,021,000 3,766,000 90,500 97,351,000 4,212,000 5,240,000 10,840,000 35,150,000 855,300 3,095,100 5,750,000 390,000 155,293,000 15,652,000 9,000 85,029,500 59,920,000 20,085,000 410,000 1,910,000 600 14,369,000 9,901,200

STOCKS

JUNE 10-14, 2019 Close Volume

Value

58.7 140.00 82.00 2.25 1.20 26.9 18.78 11.4 4.63 7.71 0.53 1.37

31,610 13,436,970 11,290,510 184,000 57,000 448,700 60,500 1,158,500 105,000 5,100 34,000 6,000

1,858,148.50 1,879,534,789.00 923,115,509.50 407,620.00 68,540.00 12,038,250.00 1,135,400.00 13,299,068.00 474,750.00 39,615.00 18,460.00 8,260.00

0.520 72.3 0.99 13.68 21.30 54.70 57.75 112 185 27.8 171.5 1820.00 59.75

4,623,000 8,677,060 857,000 8,800 200 1,451,060 2,990 100 12,250 603,800 2,287,910 10 31,660

2,373,985.00 623,242,893.00 838,160.00 120,460.00 4,280.00 80,461,410.00 172,192.00 11,140.00 2,264,312.00 17,074,960.00 390,577,129.00 18,200.00 1,893,345.00

35 14.44 0.78

5,514,600 4,888,500 9,697,000

194,153,200.00 70,721,226.00 7,490,670.00

1.38 0.275 96.55 16.80 2.73 14.86 116 24.5 64.05

2,029,000 23,340,000 140 1,900 58,113,000 1,961,800 370 877,900 1,070

2,828,120.00 6,494,450.00 12,581.00 30,318.00 148,533,820.00 29,062,766.00 42,819.00 21,461,750.00 69,268.50

44.75 2.02 5.45 5.5 10.200 16.1 10.50 7.55 1.6 24.5 76.85 51.00 2.4400 14.00 10.08 1.680 286.00 4.16 3.41 9.40 23.6 13.06 19.1 0.187 382.20 5.71 1.32 4.36 6.04 9.02 2.58 12.20 40.35 4.9 4.85 1.43 1.87 1.18 13.7 108 6.52 0.123 1.29 174 2.75 1.32 17.00 1.28

1,500 210,000 30,200 92,800 42,418,100 1,277,900 2,739,900 8,004,600 2,000 13,901,300 305,290 2,237,180 29,722,000 3,404,100 1,948,400 723,000 2,300,900 2,000 43,000 49,600 8,518,300 6,553,700 11,528,200 550,000 1,075,420 5,100 47,916,000 515,000 4,897,200 22,400 177,407,000 138,700 777,300 321,000 278,300 2,299,000 832,000 914,000 11,550,700 1,030,460 750,500 3,960,000 10,517,000 5,849,150 1,329,000 16,370,000 3,700 21,090,000

67,000.00 419,800.00 163,162.00 518,519.00 432,926,274.00 20,447,992.00 28,977,828.00 60,515,189.00 3,200.00 337,155,820.00 23,530,192.00 107,498,076.00 73,627,610.00 47,525,318.00 19,683,246.00 1,199,700.00 651,667,288.00 8,320.00 146,830.00 470,640.00 200,464,230.00 84,190,238.00 217,781,950.00 105,920.00 416,150,224.00 29,109.00 61,608,710.00 2,291,270.00 29,886,572.00 202,336.00 475,975,540.00 1,686,490.00 31,695,085.00 1,575,380.00 1,288,948.00 3,364,520.00 1,531,160.00 1,074,340.00 162,884,130.00 109,548,375.00 4,867,612.00 494,510.00 13,618,850.00 1,015,859,915.00 3,350,610.00 21,481,390.00 62,882.00 28,694,500.00

237,361,650.00 306,043,469.50 334,073,224.00 2,616,700.00 1,372,116.00 5,586,736.00 29,530,200.00 3,020,740.00 2,716,645,340.00 156,104,720.00 27,996,743.00 244,620,820.00 268,120.00 7,943,864.00 234,310.00 735,698,590.00 118,163.00 481,573,508.00 530,756.00 616,110.00 8,055,130.00 147,269,170.00 73,388,280.00 772,242,980.00 891,400.00 21,825,210.00 229,730.00 393,151,183.00 21,420.00 1,213,900,650.00 268,540.00 1,924,040.00 27,639,928.00 137,694.00 1,079,210.00 8,037,900.00

0.750 55.00 15.50 0.77 6.70 13.06 1.300 1.320 900 3.550 6.78 10.22 4.14 14.08 0.255 875 6.21 63.95 6.24 0.5 4.2 15.3 0.600 4.58 0.0390 1.040

193,647,000 4,993,990 19,243,000 932,000 48,500 619,300 16,015,000 1,752,000 1,670,090 23,266,000 5,153,400 21,843,000 8,000 743,700 550,000 263,130 20,800 7,511,500 8,500 532,000 8,950,000 6,812,000 4,130,000 89,501,000 33,700,000 296,000

134,451,040.00 276,605,243.00 301,579,408.00 708,380.00 324,950.00 8,110,596.00 20,348,440.00 2,273,970.00 1,517,544,995.00 81,461,890.00 35,094,988.00 221,167,147.00 33,190.00 10,386,424.00 136,310.00 230,300,425.00 129,195.00 479,583,259.50 52,962.00 251,470.00 39,420,170.00 105,010,430.00 2,541,100.00 411,299,060.00 1,290,300.00 359,510.00

181.00

1,893,740

344,800,138.00

940.00 1.38 0.88 267.000 434.00 0.2300 0.315

878,780 123,000 2,901,000 13,100 180 6,960,000 21,510,000

842,041,195.00 165,750.00 2,606,730.00 3,513,308.00 78,120.00 1,630,400.00 6,658,750.00

40,979,728.00 4,565,440.00 273,900.00 1,301,570.00 21,978,750.00 2,372,471,306.50 4,709,960.00 18,466,930.00 557,771.00 56,773,340.00 3,667,010.00 4,729,070.00 2,562,460.00 16,140,450.00 8,485,681.00 79,825,655.00 2,724,800.00 48,750.00 265,920,800.00 20,523,440.00 41,480.00 509,695,482.00 19,185,700.00 27,152,280.00 188,650.00 800,550.00 27,180.00 30,742,260.00 256,511,865.00

15.720 0.80 11.00 2.060 0.790 50.500 2.35 4.79 6.35 0.590 0.88 0.900 0.225 0.490 10.040 26.1 0.490 0.125 1.71 1.32

2,063,100 1,407,000 9,200 470,000 6,436,000 53,008,220 5,386,000 2,105,000 21,000 66,998,000 1,019,000 1,044,000 8,080,000 163,662,000 605,600 4,901,400 2,580,000 10,000 148,172,000 18,348,000

32,176,228.00 1,112,990.00 98,460.00 979,100.00 5,068,330.00 2,679,085,716.00 12,886,470.00 10,031,580.00 129,603.00 39,152,760.00 913,110.00 1,013,420.00 1,822,860.00 81,460,865.00 6,058,002.00 129,136,495.00 1,225,850.00 1,250.00 261,529,360.00 25,241,630.00

5.98 0.330 1.8800 0.4700 0.420

79,077,700 53,330,000 23,554,000 1,870,000 1,600,000

475,378,962.00 17,408,450.00 45,570,990.00 876,800.00 667,950.00

2.1 26.20

9,415,000 12,878,800

19,592,080.00 342,609,665.00

STOCKS

JUNE 17-21, 2019 Close Volume

JUNE 10-14, 2019 Close Volume

Value

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

2.16 2.98 38.30 1.88 6.29 0.740 7.020

1,045,000 4,492,000 60,489,200 3,384,000 666,100 428,000 30,308,100

2,246,910.00 13,391,440.00 2,320,075,750.00 6,589,390.00 4,097,131.00 322,740.00 542,849,664.00

2.16 3 39.00 2.01 6.26 0.780 7.140

1,772,000 513,000 29,419,800 7,431,000 363,900 176,000 14,361,900

3,790,340.00 1,536,600.00 1,154,919,145.00 14,739,360.00 2,297,893.00 129,660.00 102,042,553.00

SERVICES 2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Apollo Global Asian Terminals Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ. Chelsea DFNN Inc. Discovery World Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Golden Haven Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp. Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Metro Retail MetroAlliance A MetroAlliance B NOW Corp. Pacific Online Sys. Corp. PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. 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

11.22 17.26 1.41 0.485 0.044 20.65 2.76 11.30 0.0560 90.2 7.2 8.08 5.80 2.17 10.22 890 2230 5.39 412.20 9.88 2.30 144.3 1.79 10.1 6.00 0.117 6.9900 3.07 14.02 4.18 0.83 19.44 15.50 0.530 3.15 2.56 1.72 1.63 2.520 3.08 9.35 2.94 4.87 9.49 136.50 3.47 1280.00 0.820 0.800 44.55 75.80 9.40 3.47 0.740 0.385 5.2 0.760 17.400

116,000 583,200 265,000 45,315,000 63,400,000 8,700 4,565,000 12,558,300 208,590,000 887,960 32,600 34,932,000 69,900 18,000 249,800 430 216,350 454,900 5,380 200 7,976,000 10,479,210 204,000 10,900 12,500 13,040,000 112,924,100 96,000 13,100 3,937,000 1,152,000 5,553,000 600 4,057,000 365,000 24,947,000 345,000 217,000 8,884,000 622,000 159,000 6,000 85,500 40,400 34,150 15,410,000 1,204,295 70,382,000 22,658,000 5,544,400 5,138,350 2,395,800 31,870,000 26,343,000 66,360,000 12,682,400 18,546,000 10,368,600

1,267,540.00 10,021,552.00 370,190.00 21,725,065.00 2,734,700.00 181,435.00 12,465,090.00 144,150,218.00 11,958,960.00 78,328,988.50 229,405.00 272,631,438.00 429,628.00 38,910.00 2,542,920.00 382,700.00 478,762,730.00 2,437,184.00 2,195,580.00 1,976.00 18,331,400.00 1,519,036,586.00 359,830.00 110,014.00 73,175.00 1,540,810.00 776,166,414.00 287,380.00 193,226.00 16,468,430.00 938,480.00 106,577,710.00 9,150.00 2,182,130.00 1,167,430.00 62,369,720.00 567,970.00 346,680.00 21,709,480.00 1,913,690.00 1,452,492.00 17,820.00 423,162.00 331,698.00 4,484,785.00 56,037,400.00 1,480,309,045.00 57,238,220.00 18,470,240.00 248,906,260.00 392,647,566.00 21,827,777.00 110,431,200.00 19,403,350.00 26,004,600.00 64,879,227.00 14,010,220.00 174,974,132.00

10.92 16.9 1.35 0.455 0.044 20.5 2.89 11.50 0.0560 88 7 7 6.20 2.15 10.40

308,800 961,100 343,000 5,110,000 6,500,000 18,400 2,154,000 5,333,600 169,200,000 1,092,560 45,900 11,549,400 619,800 21,000 286,400

3,545,024.00 16,975,114.00 460,300.00 2,253,650.00 286,100.00 382,420.00 6,190,900.00 62,300,942.00 9,549,990.00 96,753,912.00 539,656.00 79,715,252.00 3,601,588.00 45,420.00 3,009,492.00

2220 5.41 406.00

203,335 694,100 3,270

451,749,640.00 3,727,917.00 1,335,750.00

2.22 148 1.86 10.2 6.00 0.119 6.5100 2.95 15.48 4.19 0.84 19.24 15.00 0.530 3.42 2.58 1.42 1.65 2.380 3.19 9.25 3.01 5.00 8.99 132.00 3.60 1230.00 0.820 0.830 45.10 75.85 9.44 3.43 0.720 0.395 5.12 0.740 16.580

13,328,000 12,571,570 332,000 26,300 7,700 6,650,000 61,366,800 107,000 1,700 4,191,000 2,667,000 2,607,000 200 1,943,000 16,369,000 10,754,000 122,000 36,000 13,036,000 569,000 99,200 37,000 166,300 4,500 606,730 12,267,000 755,520 66,767,000 30,843,000 2,005,100 1,958,610 151,500 48,439,000 10,414,000 136,210,000 6,156,400 12,377,000 7,604,900

30,535,160.00 1,809,835,446.00 594,320.00 266,046.00 46,200.00 793,510.00 403,243,115.00 328,340.00 25,470.00 17,946,300.00 2,171,900.00 50,976,400.00 2,950.00 1,050,240.00 52,165,440.00 27,779,360.00 181,820.00 56,570.00 32,334,900.00 1,776,760.00 926,540.00 110,030.00 824,843.00 40,365.00 78,856,094.00 43,722,750.00 931,763,820.00 55,674,830.00 25,089,520.00 90,523,955.00 147,899,346.00 1,399,184.00 169,357,440.00 7,468,320.00 55,335,300.00 32,021,788.00 9,042,290.00 128,364,344.00

MINING & OIL 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

0.0018 1.30 2.80 12.38 1.1800 1.1400 2.85 0.280 7.50 1.480 0.229 0.115 0.125 0.008 0.0076 1.04 2.1 1 0.5600 0.8700 0.0110 0.0110 3.43 8.18 0.0110 4.2800 21.80 0.0068

2,655,000,000 23,129,000 869,000 13,200 258,000 30,000 8,349,000 1,990,000 96,100 48,808,000 2,480,000 18,280,000 580,000 30,000,000 124,000,000 1,756,000 27,619,000 160,000 609,000 989,000 17,900,000 26,800,000 8,391,000 10,874,000 107,200,000 1,502,000 7,532,200 14,000,000

4,831,700.00 29,227,090.00 2,348,730.00 161,530.00 307,580.00 34,350.00 23,136,090.00 563,500.00 721,567.00 71,936,120.00 550,210.00 2,040,070.00 69,480.00 228,100.00 929,100.00 1,845,670.00 58,755,970.00 154,870.00 334,050.00 850,530.00 196,900.00 294,800.00 27,674,380.00 86,486,581.00 1,109,700.00 6,344,470.00 164,821,445.00 90,700.00

0.0019 1.21 2.68 12.34 1.1000 1.1200 2.82 0.285 7.64 1.440 0.230 0.111 0.120 0.007 0.0073 1.03 2.16 1.01 0.5500 0.8800 0.0110 0.0110 3.10 7.37 0.0110 4.2900 21.75 0.0065

467,000,000 5,616,000 194,000 45,100 41,000 37,000 1,411,000 1,010,000 3,000 7,976,000 2,270,000 3,240,000 400,000 10,000,000 6,000,000 254,000 7,266,000 41,000 185,000 3,023,000 52,800,000 13,600,000 3,774,000 14,869,400 99,400,000 4,135,000 2,431,600 31,000,000

884,200.00 6,659,320.00 532,030.00 485,942.00 45,370.00 41,950.00 4,034,890.00 287,950.00 22,954.00 11,658,950.00 514,450.00 366,040.00 45,110.00 74,800.00 44,100.00 261,980.00 15,779,700.00 40,920.00 101,590.00 2,586,830.00 629,400.00 159,700.00 11,658,550.00 110,129,211.00 1,073,700.00 17,661,500.00 52,919,335.00 205,200.00

PREFERRED 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

17 99 480 499 100 109.9 439.6 478 5.49 900 902 96.85 1 100.5 998 1000 99.8 103.2 963 75 75.85 73.85 72 74 72.8 73 74

2,359,800 31,170 27,010 4,630 68,420 115,390 7,260 22,150 18,200 1,060 590 1,670 360,000 6,200 540 220 3,000 400 5,460 2,290 147,210 29,520 7,500 18,900 65,100 33,870 36,740

40,129,472.00 3,085,905.00 12,586,896.00 2,250,630.00 6,689,648.50 12,500,908.00 3,134,480.00 10,678,820.00 98,749.00 954,420.00 536,550.00 159,641.00 357,600.00 623,132.00 536,335.00 220,720.00 302,695.00 41,280.00 5,204,675.00 172,942.00 11,195,287.00 2,171,602.50 551,700.00 1,396,582.00 4,762,360.00 2,466,403.00 2,708,007.50

16.44 99 485 495 97.15 106.5 459.8 490 5.3 920 959 96.5 1

1,065,600 17,500 10,920 2,000 17,140 6,070 40 110 150,400 480 40 2,540 65,000

18,254,776.00 1,717,000.00 5,293,496.00 978,180.00 1,666,139.50 643,530.00 18,392.00 53,870.00 773,045.00 440,200.00 38,360.00 245,988.50 65,600.00

995 1010

4,300 100

4,260,710.00 100,930.00

105.5 962 75.5 77.55 73.85 72.15 73.95 74 73 73.7

2,280 3,040 45,070 7,000 73,920 53,240 20,300 17,850 54,040 1,410

239,471.00 2,928,995.00 3,401,423.00 541,958.00 5,395,273.00 3,841,604.00 1,501,995.00 1,309,265.00 3,949,209.00 103,927.00

WARRANTS & BONDS LR Warrant

1.970

779,000

1,536,010.00

2.020

484,000

959,590.00

SME Makati Fin. Corp. Italpinas Xurpas

2.4 4.96 1.09

12,000 2,021,000 63,857,000

28,610.00 10,005,192.00 69,110,510.00

5.03 1.04

1,747,800 28,648,000

8,853,755.00 30,064,110.00

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS First Metro ETF 120.5

21,160

2,526,645.00

119.5

47,340

5,665,749.00

DOLLAR DENONIMATED SEC. USD DMPL A1 10.2 USD DMPL A2 10.2 USD TECH B2 1

61,030 18,810 200

622,496.00 191,662.00 200.00

10.12 10.1 0.97

43,730 24,550 18,800

445,793.00 249,385.00 18,252.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Abra Mining Abacus Cons. `A’ Boulevard Holdings Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. Filinvest Land,Inc. Phinma Energy Manila Mining `B’ ISM Communications Cemex Holdings Philodrill Corp. `A’

VOLUME 2,655,000,000 308,450,000 208,590,000 163,178,000 155,293,000 144,293,000 124,000,000 112,924,100 110,640,000 107,200,000

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

VALUE 2,716,645,340.00 2,372,471,306.50 2,320,075,750.00 1,843,411,293.50 1,529,232,253.00 1,519,036,586.00 1,480,309,045.00 1,213,900,650.00 970,331,406.00 953,653,145.00

Double Dragon plans to raise at least P5b from REIT offering DOUBLEDRAGON Properties Corp. plans to raise at least P5 billion from a planned Real Estate Investment Trust offering. DoubleDragong chief investment officer Hannah Yulo said in an interview over the weekend at the sidelines of a recent REIT forum the company was just waiting for the government to revise the minimum public ownership requirement on REIT companies. Yulo said the group had several assets that could be placed under a REIT company, including its malls, hotels, as well as office buildings and industrial hubs. “There are only a handful of companies in the Philippines that have accumulated a substantial portfolio of completed revenue-generating leasable properties and DoubleDragon is one of them. So we are just waiting for REIT laws to be further refined,” Yulo said. “We look forward to the opening of the REIT market in the Philippines as it will enable DoubleDragon to unlock the value of its string of prime properties as well as generate new capital that will further boost the company’s balance sheet and enable it to grow its portfolio of leasable space,” she said. Yulo said DoubleDragon might initially select more mature assets, especially community malls and office developments, for the planned REIT offering. “It could be the malls or office or a combination of both. We could have basket of malls and office buildings and will just continue to infuse the assets as the buildings become more mature,” Yulo said. She said DoubleDragons’ completed community malls were 93 percent leased out while completed office buildings were 100 percent leased out. Yulo also said the company was in preliminary discussions with foreign and local underwriters for the company’s planned REIT offering. DoubleDragon plans to use proceeds from the planned REIT offering to further expand the company’s leasing business. “While we are fully funded for our projects until 2020, we have not revealed our plans beyond 2020 and we have significant growth plans which we see coming from hospitality and industrial sectors,” Yulo said.

PSALM invites firms to supply Malaya diesel By Alena Mae S. Flores STATE-RUN Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. is inviting bidders to supply diesel oil to the 650-megawatt Malaya thermal power plant in Rizal even as government prepares for its privatization. PSALM, which manages the assets and liabilities of National Power Corp., is seeking suppliers of 600,000 liters of diesel oil to the Malaya plant for 2019 with an approved budget of P23.665 million. “Bids in excess of the approved budget for the contract shall be automatically rejected at bid opening,” PSALM said. It said bidders must have completed, within three years from date of submission and receipt of bids, a single contract with a value equivalent to at least 25 percent of the approved budget for the Malaya fuel delivery. “Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedure using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9184 otherwise known as the Government Procurement Act,” it said. PSALM set the bid submission on July 5, 2019 for the Malaya fuel delivery. It said it reserved the right to accept or reject any bids, declare a failure of bidding or not award the contract. PSALM is pushing for the privatization of the Malaya plant. It engaged a consultancy firm to do a valuation of the plant and its underlying land in Rizal province. PSALM engaged PwC Philippines, which scored the highest points among three competing consultancy companies in an evaluation it conducted in March. “As the winning principal consultant, PwC Philippines shall be responsible for the crafting of financial models and analyses to optimize value for the land and structures of Malaya TPP,” PSALM said earlier.

Business/World ON THE BEACH. An Indonesian street vendor waits for customers at Lhoknga beach, Aceh province, on June 23, 2019. AFP

MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Reports say US launched cyber attacks on Iran

ASHINGTON—The United States launched cyber attacks against Iranian missile control systems and a spy network after Tehran downed an American surveillance drone, according to US media reports.

Istanbul votes in test for Erdogan, democracy ISTANBUL―Istanbul went back to the polls on Sunday in a re-run of the mayoral election that has become a test of Turkish democracy as well as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s continued popularity at a time of economic trouble. Election authorities annulled the first vote in March after Erdogan’s party alleged corruption in a count that showed the ruling AKP’s candidate had narrowly lost. Critics say Erdogan simply did not like the March 31 result, after a littleknown former district mayor, 49-yearold Ekrem Imamoglu, snatched victory for the opposition by just 13,000 votes. The city of 15 million is Turkey’s economic powerhouse and has been a crucial source of patronage for Islamic conservatives since Erdogan himself won the mayorship a quarter-century ago. But Imamoglu, of the secular Re-

publican People’s Party, has become a household name since being stripped of his victory. He has vowed a “battle for democracy” and used an upbeat message under the slogan “Everything will be fine”, in stark contrast to the usual aggressive name-calling of Turkish politi≠cs. At a voting station in the trendy Beyoglu neighborhood, 31-year-old architect Begum said: “I voted against injustice and those who seek to polarise this nation.” Imamoglu faces Binali Yildirim, a mild-mannered Erdogan loyalist who oversaw several huge transport projects and served as prime minister. Yildirim’s well-funded campaign has included ads on YouTube to attract younger voters and support from a pliant mainstream media. Fearing fraud, the opposition has mo-

bilised an army of lawyers from across Turkey to monitor Sunday’s election, with the Istanbul Bar Association unfurling a huge banner at their headquarters that reads: “Stand guard for democracy”. The March election showed Erdogan’s party remains the most popular in Turkey, adored by millions for overseeing dramatic growth, fiercely defending the country’s interests abroad and allowing religious conservatives a seat at the table. But double-digit inflation and rising unemployment have dented Erdogan’s reputation for economic stewardship. Analysts warn he faces a “lose-lose” situation: a second defeat would undermine his image of invincibility and embolden rivals within his party, while a victory would forever be seen as stolen by the opposition. AFP

US president Donald Trump secretly authorized US Cyber Command to carry out a retaliatory attack on Iran, The Washington Post reported Saturday, shortly after the US president pledged to hit the Islamic republic with major new sanctions. The attack crippled computers used to control rocket and missile launches, according to the Post, while Yahoo News said a spying group responsible for tracking ships in the Gulf was also targeted. Tehran is yet to react to the reports, Iran’s Fars news agency said Sunday. It added that it was “still not clear whether the attacks were effective or not,” and suggested the US media reports were a “bluff meant to affect public opinion and regain lost reputation for the White House” following the downing of its drone. Trump called off a planned retaliatory military strike Friday, saying the response wouldn’t be “proportionate”, with Tehran warning Washington that any attack would see its interests across the Middle East go up in flames. The downing of the US drone came after a series of attacks on tankers in the congested shipping lanes of the Gulf, that Washington has blamed on Iran, exacerbated already-tense relations between the two countries. Iran has denied responsibility for those attacks. Trump, who spent Saturday huddling with his advisors at Camp David, initially told reporters that he was keen to be Iran’s “best friend”—if the country agreed to renounce nuclear weapons.

KCNA: N. Korea’s Kim received an ‘excellent’ letter from Trump SEOUL-North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received a personal letter of “excellent content” from US President Donald Trump, the country’s state media said Sunday, amid a nuclear deadlock between Pyongyang and Washington. Talks have been stalled since the collapse of a second summit between the two leaders in February after they failed to agree on what the North would be willing to give up in exchange for sanctions relief. The two sides have blamed each other for the breakdown but both have expressed a willingness to meet again, with Trump saying earlier this month that he had received a “beautiful letter” from Kim. On Sunday, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Trump had written to Kim, who “said with satisfaction that the letter is of excellent content”. “Appreciating the political judging

IN BRIEF Cambodia building collapse toll up to 17

faculty and extraordinary courage of President Trump, Kim Jong Un said that he would seriously contemplate the interesting content,” KCNA said. The report gave no further detail about the content of the letter or when it was sent and received. The front page of North Korea’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper carried a photo of Kim holding Trump’s letter as he read it in his office. The White House declined to confirm whether Trump had sent a letter to the North Korean leader. But South Korea’s presidential Blue House said it was aware of the correspondence through its communication with Washington, and described the exchange as “positive”. The KCNA report came just two days after Kim hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping, who wrapped up a highly symbolic visit to nuclear-armed North Korea on Friday. AFP

ONSTAGE.

Cardi B performs at the 7th Annual BET Experience at L.A. Live Presented by Coca-Cola at Staples Center on June 22, 2019, in Los Angeles, California. AFP

I’ll do it later REAL CARPIO SO

Green LiGht I STARTED writing this article a week ago. It was Saturday. I was home before 6:00 p.m. I switched on my notebook. Wait! I thought. I needed to set the mood. So I adjusted the room temperature. Ah! I sprayed the den with my favorite room scent. I browsed through my music files and created a playlist. Then I took a shower. Estimating that the writing will take about two hours, I prepared a fresh batch of coffee. Hmm... this is just right. I went back to my notebook. I opened the word document. The white space was staring at me. So I checked what’s new on Netflix. I spent the next four hours watching a TV series. The article can wait. Procrastination is a human condition. I know that this article needs to be written, but I delayed writing it. I feel a strong sense of anxiety and guilt, yet there seems to be no way for me to really start doing it. Piers Steel, author of The Procrastination Equation, claimed that 95 percent of people admit to putting off work at a later time. It is “a purely visceral, emotional reaction to something we don’t want to do.”

Evolution has programmed our brains to procrastinate. In primitive societies, when man hunts and catches his prey, he immediately enjoys the reward of his effort. There exists no distance or delay between the effort and the reward. In modern society, however, man often does not enjoy the rewards of his effort immediately. Thus, he delays effort on tasks that do not give immediate rewards. Binging on the latest TV series gave me immediate pleasure. The rewards for writing this article are abstract and only come in increments. This is the same reason why spending the money now is more attractive than saving for the future. Now is a sure thing. The future is not certain. Moreover, a lot of tasks set by modern society are not natural to man. Research papers, business proposals, yearend reports, etc. These are forms that were forced upon us by society. We are assumed to accept without question. These involve tasks that we will not choose to do if they are not required. Thus, the natural tendency to delay. In his essay “How to Procrastinate and Still Get Things Done,” emeritus philosophy professor John Perry of Stanford University narrated that instead of checking papers and preparing for lectures, he would regularly leave the tasks and “go over to the lounge and play Ping-Pong

“When they agree to that, they’re going to have a wealthy country. They’re going to be so happy, and I’m going to be their best friend,” he told reporters. Iran has denied seeking a nuclear weapon, and says its program is for civilian purposes. A multinational accord reached by Tehran and world powers in 2015 sought to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief. But Trump left that agreement more than a year ago and has imposed a robust slate of punitive economic sanctions designed to choke off Iranian oil sales and cripple its economy -- one he now plans to expand. “We are putting major additional Sanctions on Iran on Monday,” tweeted Trump, who has also deployed additional troops to the Middle East. “I look forward to the day that Sanctions come off Iran, and they become a productive and prosperous nation again - The sooner the better!” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added: “When the Iranian regime decides to forgo violence and meet our diplomacy with diplomacy, it knows how to reach us. Until then, our diplomatic isolation and economic pressure campaign against the regime will intensify.” But lest anyone think he was entirely ruling out military action, Trump tweeted Saturday evening that “I never called the strike against Iran ‘BACK,’ as people are incorrectly reporting, I just stopped it from going forward at this time!” A top Iranian military official warned Washington against any strikes. AFP

with residents or talk things over with them in the rooms.” As a result, he got a reputation for being one of the “rare profs on campus who spent time with undergraduates and got to know them.” According to Perry, while procrastinators put off things they have to do, they seldom do absolutely nothing. Fact is, they do marginally useful things. This is their way of delaying the tasks that are “more important.” In his Theory of Structured Procrastination, he said the trick is to trick oneself. He suggests establishing “a hierarchy of tasks, in order of importance from the most urgent to the least important.” While the most important task will be avoided, the worthwhile tasks lower on the list will be performed. In the end, a lot of things get done. For the entire time that I was supposed to have written this article, I scoured the net for materials to be used for my proposal. I also finished reading two Sherlock Holmes pastiches that I bought a long time ago. And I had translated manuscripts for an offshore publisher. While I delayed writing this article, I read random articles and papers that piqued my interest. Although I do not know what I’m going to write not until 2-3 days before deadline, the ideas from the readings have long been swirling and percolating inside my head. And when time runs out, like to-

day, I will be able to churn out an article at the fastest time possible. Left to his own devices, one will most probably procrastinate. Interestingly, with group pressure, this will disappear or a large part of it will. Research shows that “it matters to us whether we’re respected by others—even by strangers.” We are compelled not to delay the tasks because “we don’t want to look foolish or lazy to other people.” In my case, a commitment made to my editor, an announcement made to my students, and even an off the cuff remark to a client or to a reader, all bind me to write this article now. Now that this article is done, the next task is to go write my proposal. But before that, let me reward myself with a book. And when I get home... Ah! That proposal can wait. Real Carpio So lectures at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University. He is an entrepreneur and a management consultant. Comments are welcomed at realwalksonwater@ gmail.com. Archives can be accessed at realwalksonwater.wordpress.com. The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

PHNOM PENH―Rescue workers on Sunday picked through the rubble of a collapsed Chinese-owned building in a Cambodian beach town in a desperate search for survivors, after the construction site accident killed at least 17 people. One person was pulled alive from the flattened seven-story building late Saturday, more than 12 hours after it collapsed in the beach resort of Sihanoukville. By Sunday morning rescuers had scoured barely half of the debris of twisted metal, glass and large concrete slabs. The once sleepy fishing village has seen a Chinese construction boom buoyed by tourists to its dozens of casinos in recent years, with questions raised on the speed of development in a nation notorious for lax safety standards. Three Chinese nationals and a Cambodian landowner have been held for questioning over the building collapse, which Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen blamed on “carelessness” by the construction company. At least 1,000 rescue workers, soldiers, police, medics and Chinese construction experts have been deployed to the site. Some wore hard hats and oxygen tanks as they searched alongside several construction diggers, while the relatives of the injured waited at nearby hospitals for news. Rescuers pulled several bodies from the rubble late Saturday, shooting the death toll up to 17, with 24 injured. A provincial official said “teams have searched about 40 percent of the debris”, prompting concerns the toll will rise. “We fear more bodies are trapped in the debris because the search has not reached the bottom of the building yet,” the official told AFP, requesting anonymity. AFP

11 killed in Hawaii plane crash WASHINGTON―A light aircraft crashed in northern Hawaii, killing all 11 people aboard, authorities said on Saturday. The twin engine King Air plane went down Friday evening near an airfield on Oahu island’s North Shore, according to Hawaii’s Department of Transportation. “Authorities have confirmed there were 11 people on board the plane that went down soon after takeoff from Dillingham Airfield with no survivors,” the department said on Twitter, after initially reporting nine deaths. Federal inspectors were investigating, the department added. Honolulu Fire Department Chief Manuel P. Neves said the aircraft was a skydiving plane that crashed at 6:30 pm (0430 GMT) on takeoff, according to local news channel Hawaii Now. TV footage showed flames billowing into the air from the wreckage. According to its website, the single-runway Dillingham Airport primarily serves commercial glider and sky diving operations. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said in a tweet he was “closely following” developments, and that “our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the victims.” AFP

LGUs

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

MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019

‘A good seed can change the lives of millions’

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Better investments seen after Lanao visit of President By Nash Maulana COTABATO CITY—Better business climate has heralded from President Rodrigo Duterte’s the surprise visit to Lanao Sur last week that investment prospects there have improved, ViceGovernor Mamintal Bombit Adiong Jr. said Friday. Adiong emerged from a three-day meeting here that ended Friday local officials and Chief Minister Hadji Murad Ebrahim of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) vowed to deliver Moro areas from the bottom of the country’s poverty index. He said Lanao Sur, despite the recent Marawi crisis, has much to contribute from its own resources to aim for greater economic performance to take the province off the list of the country’s poorest provinces. Adiong said the President’s visit to celebrate Independence Day in Malabang Lanao Sur signaled the end of the Marawi conflict and the province’s rise to new heights of economic prosperity. Lanao Sur, followed by Basilan and Sulu and Maguindanao, form the BARMM’s poorest areas in terms of poverty index reckoned from the general public responses to queries in Family Income and Expenditure Survey by enumerators of the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2018. Speaking at the forum here for his mother Governor Bejoria AlontoAdiong, the vice-governor expressed “utmost appreciation and sheer optimism” from President Duterte’s gesture in joining Lanao del Sur in celebrating the Philippines Independence Day last June 12. “I believe that Mindanao is now the most important focus of human freedom in the country: Freedom from fear, freedom from want, freedom from injustice. We shall continue the fight against terrorism and poverty until peace, security and prosperity take root in this part of the country,” Adiong said. Jennie Alonto Tamano, head of the Provincial Information Office, recalled seeing in the President a sense of endearment and fondness for the Maranaos, particularly the governor’s family, among them, young women professionals, who accompanied the Chief Executive in ceremonies he attended in Malabang. THE City of Manila has recognized major trade enabler Asian Terminals Inc. as the Philippine capital’s top taxpayer and development partner. In ceremonies commemorating the city’s 448th founding anniversary, former president and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada lauded ATI and other corporations for serving as Manila’s staunch partners in progress through taxes they dutifully contribute to the city coffers. ATI was named the city’s top real property taxpayer and sixth highest business tax contributor for fiscal year 2018. ATI operates the Manila South Harbor, one of two international port gateways into Manila, which keeps vital economic goods flowing in the Philippine supply chain.

QUEEN CROWNED.

Micah Beatrice Santos, a resident of Barangay West Rembo and a student of the University of Makati, beams as she is crowned Miss Makati 2019 on Saturday night. She was also named Miss Photogenic 2019. Her advocacy against bullying, particularly in schools, and an apt answer during the Q and A portion gained her the nods of the judges and audience at the Makati Coliseum. Diana Noche

Miner’s new permit up to Du30—MGB

By Ben Moses Ebreo and Brenda Jocson

AYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—The regional executive of the Department of Environment and Natural ResourcesMines and Geosciences Bureaus said the approval of OceanaGold Philippines, Inc. application for its Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement renewal is now in the hands of President Rodrigo Duterte. Mario Ancheta, MGB regional director, said OGPI has already filed its FTAA renewal even before its first mining permit has expired in June 20 and is now waiting the President’s decision. “It now up to President Rodrigo Duterte regarding the application for the FTAA renewal of OGPI after this was already endorsed by our Department through Secretary Roy Cimatu,” Ancheta said during a recent mining forum in Santiago City. However, Governor Carlos Padilla announced that Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu had decided to halt OceanaGold’s gold mine operation temporar-

ily while waiting for Duterte to decide over permit of the large-scale mining company whose operation is in Brgy. Didipio, Kasibu, this province. After the 2nd Quarterly Meeting of the joint Provincial Peace and Order Council and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council, Padilla told Manila Standard that the DENR boss had ordered a cease and desist on OceanaGold’s operation after its FTAA expired on June 20, 2019. “Let’s wait for the President’s decision. But until such time that he (the President) had not renewed Oceana’s FTAA, then all their operations are illegal,” Padilla quot-

ed Cimatu as saying, after reading the unanimously signed Provincial Board resolution protesting the mining firm’s application for renewal. Padilla personally handed the provincial board resolution to Cimatu at the start of the meeting. OGPI’s application for a new FTAA was met by a protest rally by anti-mining advocates in Nueva Vizcaya and supporters from northern Luzon over the weekend. The protest rally was organized by the Alyansa ng mga Nagkakaisang Vizcayano para sa Kalikasan (ANVIK), attended mostly from barangay Didipio where OGPI operates the gold and copper project. Ancheta also said OGPI has a pending request to continue their operations while waiting for their new FTAA from the Office of the President. “As of now, we are still waiting for the decision whether to allow them to continue their operation in the mine site while their FTAA renewal is still pending,” he added.

ATI, PH’s trade enabler, named Manila’s top taxpayer

ATI assistant vice president Steve Realuyo, corporate communications manager Doan Bustamante, and government affairs consultant Jun Balita accept the CIty of Manila’s recognition from Mayor Joseph Estrada.

Shriners: Helping hands for crippled, burnt kids BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—The grateful parents first showed the smiles as their children came out from a surgical operation at the Region 2 Trauma and Medical Center formerly known as the Veterans Regional Hospital in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya. The 25 patients were recently given a free cleft lip and palate surgery, the first batch of poor patients in the province who were given the free services through the “Project Smiles” by the team of doctors from the Philippine Band of Mercy in partnership with the Lumabang Shriners Club of Mabuhay Shriners International , Department of Health-R2TMC and Smile Train. “These children will soon flash smiles and overcome their feeling of discrimination because of the surgical operations. They will soon mingle with their fellow children without fear of being bullied

and discriminated,” Dr, Napoleon Obaña, R2TMC chief. He said cleft lip and palate deformations occur due to genetic history, poor nutrition and care among parents. “These natural deformations continue to occur unless we do surgical prevention to make the children’s lives normal in their respective communities,” Obaña added. He said the free surgical services was a big help for the poor parents of the patients considering the expensive cost of the procedures from P30,000.00 to P50,000.00 excluding the required medicines. Before the operation, the patients passed the processes such as pre-screening, laboratory work, final clearance and admission, actual operation and their discharge from the R2TMC. Ben Moses Ebreo

STUDIES showed that hunger is a daily reality for 2.4-million families in the Philippines and around 800 million people globally. To help solve hunger, Simon Groot, East-West Seed Founder and World Food Prize Laureate 2019, has pushed for a “vegetable revolution” as a sustainable solution to help address these global food challenges. “When I first visited Southeast Asia many years ago, it pained me to see so many small farmers struggling to make a living,” Groot recalled in a recent press briefing. He believed that commercial vegetable breeding was still unknown in the tropics, and many farm- World Food Prize winner ers were still Simon Groot. having a hard time growing a good crop with the low-quality, poorly adapted seeds which they often save from season to season. Groot sympathized with the farmers’ plight and saw a way to break the vicious cycle of poverty and help farmers prosper through diversification into high-value vegetable crops. Groot will formally receive the World Food Prize on October 17, 2019 at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines. He is also here in the Philippines to receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines (UP) at the 47th Commencement Exercises of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños. With the mission to improve the lives of the poor, especially smallholder farmers, throughout Southeast Asia, Groot founded East-West Seed in the Philippines in 1982 with Filipino seed trader Benito Domingo. EastWest Seed is a nod to the fact that their partnership is between an Asian and a European.

Bicol Int’l Airport completed in June 2020, says Tugade DARAGA, Albay—Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade has assured Bicolanos the Bicol International Airport, now under construction in Bgy. Alobo here, would be “completed in June 2020” and would be operational shortly after then. Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda said Tugade made the promise during a recent meeting with at the Department of Transportation headquarters in Clark, Pampanga where a briefing was held on the status of the P4.8 billion BIA and other projects of the agency in the regions. The BIA’s completion is seen to provide a strategic and huge boost to the country’s economy, particularly the tourism industry, as it is projected to unlock the vast potential of Southern Luzon specially the Bicol Region, with its wealth in tourism assets and attractions. “You restored my faith in our future,” Salceda told Tugade, following the latter’s assurance of the 2020 BIA completion. BIA is hailed as the country’s “Most Scenic Gateway.” During the Clark meeting Salceda updated Tugade that Albay is No. 4 in domestic tourism arrivals, and the figure would even further rise if its number taken in total with the combined AlbayMasbate-Sorsogon traffic. The accelerated completion of the BIA would further boost tourists’ flow to the region. The BIA project is fully funded and work on it is in full blast to meet the June 27, 2020 deadline for the terminal, and November 2, for the land-side facilities. As of May 30, this year, the project was 57 percent completed.

NEW ENDORSER.

Mars Balajadia (right), CEO of Mecca Aesthetic Clinic and Spa, introduces their clinic’s newest endorser, actress Jasmin CurtisSmith with their newest ‘Ultherapy Authentic Machine’ during their first year anniversary at their main branch in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

448

Araw ng Maynila

Manila marks th 448 year By MJ Blancaflor

HE city of Manila commemorates today, June 24, the 448th anniversary of its proclamation as the country’s capital.

Following the celebration, the Palace has declared this day a special non-working holiday. “It is but ﬁtting that the people of the City of Manila be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies,” the proclamation issued by Malacañang read. Manila was proclaimed as the capital of the Philippines in 1571.

Moreno creates transition team

MANILA City Mayor-elect Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has created a transition team a month before he takes office to ensure a smooth transfer of leadership. In a one-page letter to outgoing Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada dated May 24, Domagoso advised his camp to coordinate with his team to ensure a “smooth local governance transition” upon assumption of newly-elected officials on June 30. The letter was formally transmitted to Estrada’s office on Monday morning, May 27. The mayor-elect’s transition team is composed of City Councilor Bernardito C. Ang (incoming secretary to the mayor), Felixberto D. Espiritu (incoming city administrator), lawyer Emeterio “Jun” S. Moreno Jr. (incoming city legal officer), and former Transportation Undersecretary Cesar B. Chavez (incoming chief of staff). Ang is serving his third term as Councilor for Manila’s third district, while Espiritu formerly served as Councilor for the city’s fifth district. Moreno was formerly a professor of Mayor-elect Domagoso and had previously served as Assistant Secretary under former Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, while Chavez previously served as Transportation Undersecretary for Railways. “Please advise the members of your local governance transition team to now accomplish the task and responsibilities to be performed by them and coordinate with my own transition team for the proper Continued on C3

It became a chartered city by virtue of the Philippine Commission Act 183 on July 31, 1901. The city gained autonomy on June 18, 1949 with the passage of Republic Act No. 409 or the Revised Charter of the City of Manila. Today’s celebration marks the last Araw ng Maynila under the leadership of Mayor and former President Joseph Estrada.

Mayor Joseph Estrada

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A ‘Revelation’ on concert stage

Actress Mikee Quintos and 'The Clash' alumnus Anthony Rosaldo share the concert stage at Music Museum in a onenight show entitled "Revelation.'

APUSO actress Mikee Quintos and The Clash alumnus Anthony Rosaldo are collaborating in a concert dubbed Revelation. It’s their first time to share the stage for a show, something that makes both stars really excited. “Expect a lot of surprises from Anthony and I. We want to push our boundaries. We’re still exploring our option on how to execute the whole show, but we hope that the audience will enjoy the production numbers that we have prepared for them,” Mikee assures. “As for the revelation, people will see something new from us. They need to see the show to find out,” she carried on. Meanwhile, Anthony anticipates his team up with Mikee with overflowing enthusiasm. He guarantees the concertgoers are in for a one-of-a-kind music experience. “Working with Mikee is such a breeze. She’s very dedicated to her craft that she kind of affects the people around her. You can really see her passion for music and her love for performing,” he says. “We have a lot in store for the audience – things that we haven’t done yet. We’ll sing and dance for sure. I personally love this concert since I am just starting out in showbiz. This concert will give me a bigger avenue to reach more people and introduce my music,” he adds. Mikee considers the concert a big challenge for her and Anthony. She admits that although she loves music as much as acting, people have not seen so much of her musical side. “That’s where Anthony comes in. He assists me in terms of performing since he’s the one more comfortable doing live shows. He’s really the pro. I was really insecure with my singing but the people around me helped out to boost my confidence. And that’s the beauty of this team up, we help each other out. I get tips from him and I share some things with him,” Mikee says. The two GMA Artist Center stars hope that their team up wouldn’t end on the concert stage. If given a chance, they

would be more than willing to work together for different projects in the future. “That’s something that we are looking forward to. We hope that this is just the beginning of many more collaborations between the two of us,” Anthony shares. The concert promises stellar entertainment as special guests Solenn Heussaff and Aicelle Santos join Mikee and Anthony on stage. A night ﬁlled with ‘90s medley, today’s chart-topping songs, OPM dance hits, and a glimpse of Broadway awaits the audience. Presented by JPI Entertainment, Revelation is under the direction of Paulo Infante. Don’t miss Mikee and Anthony live on the concert stage on June 28 at the Music Museum. Ticket prices are available at P 2,700 for VVIP, P 2,000 for VIP, P 1,300 for Orchestra and P 800 for Balcony via www.ticketworld.com.ph. For ticket inquiries, you may contact TicketWorld at 891-9999.

Mikee and Anthony in a photo op during the press conference for 'Revelation' concert happening on June 28.

Former Binibini Alma Concepcion back on pageant scene By Eton Concepcion

From left to right: Peugeot Philippines President Glen Dasig, French Director Nils Tavernier, French Ambassador Nicolas Galey, FDCP Chairperson and CEO Mary Liza Diño, and Stores Specialists Inc. (SSI) Group, Inc. Marketing and Communications Head Mitch Suarez

A showcase of French, Philippine cinema NOW on its 24th year, the French Film Festival in the country started last June 12, as organized by the Embassy of France in the Philippines and supported by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). The Festival offers an alternative form of cinema with a lineup of 15 contemporary French films that explore the depths of human relationships and the importance of family. It also paid tribute to Philippine cinema on Philippine Independence Day last June 12 and will feature Filipino films that have been either coproduced by France or those that have been screened in French film festivals. These are Above the Clouds by Pepe Diokno, which was co-produced with funding from the Aide aux Cinémas du Monde program of Institut Français; Waiting for Sunset by Carlo Catu, which received the Audience Award at the 2019 Vesoul Festival of Asian Cinema; and Jodilerks de la Cruz, Employee of the Month by Carlo Manatad, which was featured in last year’s Semaine de la Critique at the Cannes Film Festival. To give honor to National Artist for Film and Mass Communications Kidlat Tahimik, there will be a screening of his film Mababangong Bangungot (“Perfumed Nightmare”), which was partly filmed in Paris. “As we work hand-in-hand with the French Embassy, we are optimistic

that the French Film Festival would help our filmmakers learn more about world cinema and hopefully adopt the best practices that French filmmakers have, and this would also help foster a more meaningful relationship between our country and France,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Mary Liza Diño. French director Nils Tavernier graced the red carpet in Manila and formally opened the French Film Festival. His latest film L’Incroyable histoire du Facteur Cheval (“The Ideal Palace”) was also screened during the festival. A special screening of Girlhood by Celine Sciamma was organized by the French Embassy and Spark! Philippines last June 14. This was followed by a forum to encourage dialogue on issues faced by young women in the country and in France. This year’s French Film Festival had screenings in Metro Manila (Bonifacio High Street cinemas and Greenbelt 3 cinemas) from June 12 to 18, and Cebu City (Ayala Center Cebu) from June 20 to 22. It will travel to Davao City (Abreeza Mall Davao) from June 28 to 30, and, for the first time ever, in Bacolod City (Ayala Capitol Central Mall) from July 10 to 12. Tickets for each screening are priced at P150. For more information, visit www. ph.ambafrance.org or the Embassy of France’s social media accounts.

WITH a pair of beauty titles and a degree in Interior Design at the University of the Philippines, single parent to an only son Cobie, who is pursuing college at Fordham University, Alma Concepcion exemplifies women empowerment. From winning Miss Hawaiian Tropic Philippines in 1992 at 15 and Bb. PilipinasInternational in 1994 at 17, Concepcion, now 43, has her eyes on the Ms. & Mrs. Grand Universe title, which pageant is happening in Manila from Sept. 20 to 27. Concepcion, who made several movies after her Top 15 and Miss Friendship finish at Miss International 1994 in Japan, is the granddaughter of Monang Carvajal, dubbed the Queen of Horror movies in the pre-war era. She married lawyer Rodolfo Punobut, after having a son, later got separated. Working as an interior designer and actress, Concepcion raised her son and recently was so proud of him having entered the prestigious Fordham University in New York, USA. Concepcion, who loves to read books and a physical fitness enthusiast, continues to pursue her anti-drug advocacies, which she said in support of the government’s war on drugs campaign to have an environment

that is free of drugs for the next generation. She said this issue is very close to her as she she can talk about it and use her personal experience as reference. She had a past involving drug use. She had pleaded guilty to possessing illegal substance after getting arrested in Guam in 1998. Meanwhile, the Ms. & Mrs. Grand Universe pageant, is organized by Guinto entertainment Production, headed by Mrs. Universe Philippines 2016 Jenny Guinto and World Supermodel Philippines 2017 Angela Janine Torres. The mother-anddaughter team came up with the Ms. and Mrs. Grand Universe out of their desire to provide a platform for women (whose ages are beyond the standard age for beauty contests) to share stories of inspiration for other women who may also be raising their children on their own, or faced with life’s crises such as loss of a spouse or aging. The pageant also aims to raise funds for the beneﬁt of charitable institutions in the Philippines, specially, those that provides home to the abused and abandoned women and children.

Actress and former Binibini Alma Concepcion is set to compete in the Ms. & Mrs. Grand Universe pageant happening in Manila in September.

Moira drops single collab with I Belong To The Zoo SINGER-SONGWRITER Moira dela Torre has ﬁnally released her latest single, “Patawad, Paalam,” a collaboration with I Belong To The Zoo, which will be part of her soon-to-be-launched Paalam album under Star Music and

I Belong to the Zoo and Moira dela Torre release a collab single called 'Paalam, Patawad' under Star Music.

Cornerstone Music. Fans eagerly awaited the launch of the tearjerker song, with the single leading Spotify Philippines’ New Music Friday immediately after its release and the #PatawadPaalam trending on Twitter last week Thursday. “Patawad, Paalam” is written by Moira, Argee Guerrero (I Belong To The Zoo), and Jason Marvin Hernandez, and is produced by Star Music’s audio content head, Jonathan Manalo. Recognized as 2018’s biggest Pinoy artist with musical accolades including Spotify’s Most Streamed Local Artist and Most Streamed Female Artist, Moira will soon launch her full-length sophomore album and is also working on her international album. The Idol Philippines judge is only one of the Kapamilya artists who is slowly breaking into the international music scene as ABS-CBN continues to champion Filipino talent on the world stage. I Belong To The Zoo, on the other hand, won the coveted New Artist and Bandarito Performance of the Year recognitions in the recently concluded MYX Music Awards.

448

raw ng

aynila

5 MUST-TRY food spots in Manila By MJ Blancaflor

ITH its old churches and ancestral houses, Manila is home to our country’s rich culture and heritage. But apart from history, the nation’s capital is also a dwelling of some of the culinary powerhouses that will surely pamper our taste buds.

As we celebrate the 448th Araw ng Maynila, Manila Standard has listed some of the must-try restaurants, cafés, and eateries in the city where you can treat your loved ones this weekend.

Angkong Dimsum House

1241 Asturias St., Sampaloc At ﬁrst glance, nothing seems special about steamed siomai and fried dumplings. But Angkong Dimsum House will shame naysayers and turn them instead into regular customers. For only P55, you can enjoy their meaty siomai or dumplings—with a cup of rice—that is at par with other costlier food establishments. So don’t be surprised if this eatery is frequented by students in the nearby university.

Cafe Mezzanine

650 Ongpin St., Binondo In what seems like a cozy nightclub, you can enjoy Chinese flavors while helping others. The all-time favorite in this café is Gokong or pork nilaga which has five sets of meat: pork litid, chicken, spare ribs, gizzard, and “tito.” Other well-seasoned treats are kikiam, kiampong, xiao long bao, and asado. But there’s more to this cafe than satisfying taste buds since all of its proceeds go to a volunteer fire brigade. While delighting your appetite at the Cafe Mezzanine, you are also supporting some local firemen.

La Taza

1282 Vincom Bldg., Laon Laan cor. Dos Castillas You can easily mistake La Taza for a ﬂower shop because it is hidden by plants hanging in the windows. Don’t be fooled; it is a café which purchases coffee from a supplier that employs indigenous farmers. This cozy place gives a relaxing dining experience as it serves coffee, frappes, pasta, sandwiches, and rice meals. The café is a perfect spot for those who want to take a break from the hustle of the city.

Patio De Conchita

680 Beaterio St., Intramuros Located near the Manila Cathedral, this 27-year-old turo-turo style restaurant serves affordable and traditional Pinoy dishes. Included in their menu are favorite Filipino viands such as sinigang na ulo sa miso, lechon paksiw, lechon kawali, and sisig. Aside from its savory dishes, Patio De Conchita has become a favorite go-to place of locals because of its homey ambiance. It is open from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. Tri-State Pizza Shack 2421 Leon Guinto St., Malate Pizza lovers will surely be delighted in this one-stop pizza parlor inspired by the various lifestyles, or more appropriately—tastes—of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. That’s where it got its name “Tri-State.” Aside from pizza, it offers calzones, pasta, chicken wings, and even rice sets with drink. What should not be missed: Your Awesomeness (barbecue pizza), Wedge Potato Overload (with potatoes and cheese), and Cheesy Fettucine (with lots of cheese, of course.) So what are you waiting for? Treat your loved ones, take them to any of these restos, and experience Manila like never before. Happy anniversary, Manila!

Moreno creates... From C1

turn-over of all records, documents and information as mandated in (DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2019-39) and Executive Order (No. 07, series of 2019),” Domagoso said. Domagoso, together with Vice Mayor

Honey Lacuna and newly-elected Manila City Hall officials, are set to take their oath of office on June 30. The mayor-elect ran a platform-based campaign that was centered on improving the city’s social services and creating a 10year infrastructure plan to boost the city’s traffic, tourism and healthcare sectors, among others.

MONDAY, JUNE 24, 2019 advertise@manilastandard.net

448th

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Moreno eyes Japanese investors

for 10-year Manila infrastructure plan

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10 Fun Facts you should know about Manila By Dexter Tilo EVERY June 24, we celebrate the foundation of Manila as a city of the Philippines. And 448 years since its establishment, the city has been a part of pivotal moments in our country’s history. The question is, how much do we know about this city and the history that goes with it?

6. Roxas Boulevard in Manila, popular for its sunsets, was once called Cavite Boulevard. It was renamed Dewey Boulevard after the American Admiral George Dewey. During the Japanese occupation, it was again renamed, this time to Heiwa Boulevard. In the 1960s, it was changed to its current name after the former president of the Philippines, Manuel Roxas.

7. A popular urban legend in the Philippines is the Manila City Hall, which was said to have the shape of a coffin from the top view. However, the city hall was said to be shaped like a shield of the Knights Templar 2. The colorful and decorative to represent the influence of religion Philippine jeepney found in Ma- in the Philippines. nila—and in the Philippines—were 8. Escolta Street was the home of originally made from US military jeeps that were left over from the the first ice cream parlor (Clarke’s Ice Second World War. Currently, they Cream Parlor), the first movie house are a means of public transportation (Salon de Pertrierra), and the first in the country and has become an elevator (in Burke Building). It was also the birthplace of the country’s icon in Philippine culture. first electric cable car (Tranvia) and 3. The Manila Kilometer Zero is the first American-style department found in the flagpole near the Rizal store (Beck’s). monument in Luneta. It is the refer9. The oldest existing university ence point from which distances of in Asia is found in Manila. It is the various parts of the country are meaUniversity of Santo Tomas that is sured. currently in Sampaloc, Manila. The 4. There are underground tunnels university was founded in 1611 and found in Fort Bonifacio, which is also the largest Catholic university served as “underground highway” in the region in terms of student and temporary shelter during the war. population. 1. “Araw ng Maynila” is actually the commemoration of the foundation of Spanish Manila, which back then, was within the walls of Intramuros.

Photo by James Ambag/Asenso Manileño

ANILA City Mayor-elect Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso hoped to attract major investments from Japanese ﬁrms when he joined 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 the post of Mayor, Domagoso saw the opportunity to get a head start

by joining the President’s 200-member delegation. “I haven’t assumed the position yet. 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 pushes to introduce an in-city vertical housing program in order to provide more homes for Manileños and reduce trafﬁc congestion in the city.

5. Binondo district, which is found in Manila, is the oldest Chinatown in the world. It was established by the Spaniards in the 1590s as a settlement for Catholic Chinese. Today, Chinatown is kept alive by different restaurants and businesses that continue to bring in crowds.

10. The largest and the most famous “University Belt” in the area is found in the districts of Quiapo, San Miguel, Sta. Cruz, and Sampaloc. There are also other clusters of universities and colleges in along Taft Avenue from Ermita to Malate, and another inside Intramuros. Although some consider these three clusters as one huge university belt.