Manila Standard - 2019 July 12 - Friday

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FULL TEXT OF SFA LOCSIN’S STATEMENT IN 1945, the Philippines, along with 50 other states, founded the United Nations. We were not yet independent. But the Filipino people—for having taken in the wretched of the earth—won its place at the Creation of the United Nations. We helped create the UN to honor the universal values of respect for sovereignty and noninterference in the internal affairs of state which were brazenly and brutally violated on a global scale by those who censured us today.

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UN RIGHTS COUNCIL ADOPTS RESO ON PH DRUG WAR How they voted: 18 for, 14 against,15 abstained

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 148 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

By MJ Blancaflor THE United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted an Iceland-proposed resolution to probe deaths related to President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.

At least 18 member-states backed the resolution, while 14 opposed and 15 abstained.

Among those who voted to adopt the resolution were Peru and Uruguay. China and Bahrain voted against the measure while Pakistan and Japan abstained.

The resolution, which requests the UN human rights office to present a comprehensive report on human rights

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‘Speaker race far from over’ Duterte son sees coup plot; House vote needed—Pimentel

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By Maricel V. Cruz, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Nat Mariano

(Alan) has the advantage (with the President’s endorsement), but that is not an assurance...

Theoretically, everything is possible because that is how a collegial body works.

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ESPITE an endorsement from President Rodrigo Duterte, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano is not sure of being elected Speaker of House of Representatives of the 18th Congress, the head of the ruling PDP-Laban and the Chief Executive’s son said Thursday.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, president of the PDP-Laban, said Duterte’s endorsement of a term sharing agreement between Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco was an “advantage but not an assurance” that he would get the votes needed to become Speaker when the House votes on July 22.

“He has to make sure everybody will be convinced,” Pimentel said at Thursday’s Kapihan sa Senado forum.

Davao City Rep. and presidential son Paolo Duterte said Cayetano, who has been meeting with lawmakers and making pro-

—Senator Aquilino Pimentel III

nouncements about his plans, should not celebrate too soon, as there may be surprises when the House convenes to elect its leaders on July 22, a few hours before President Duterte delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address.

“The election will still be held on July 22 and I’m more interested in who will win, because there’s talk that one of the three contenders is planning so stage a coup,” the younger Duterte said in Filipino.

The President on Thursday shrugged off his son’s talk of a coup, calling it “wishful thinking.”

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Romualdez, allies ‘solidly behind’ Rody’s choice

By Maricel V. Cruz LEYTE Rep. Martin Romualdez on Wednesday night said that he and his allies were “firmly, solidly” behind President Rodrigo Duterte’s chosen candidate for Speaker.

At the same time, Romualdez who was endorsed by the President as House majority leader for the 18th Congress, said he would push for the passage of President Duterte’s priority bills.

Addressing Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, Romualdez said: “Mr. Speaker, from the bottom of my heart, on behalf of this group, on behalf of those who are not even here, we are firmly, solidly, unanimously behind your leadership. Please take care of us. We would take good care of you.”

Romualdez made the statement in a meeting called by Cayetano Wednesday night with 30 legislators, including Romualdez.

In the meeting, Cayetano urged the lawmakers present to show the same enthusiasm in supporting Duterte’s priority measures as they did in working for the selection of their candidates for the speakership.

“Our competition for Speaker has resulted in some divisiveness. But believe me, I will not harness any ill-feelings. I am also human...but I look at everyone like a father looks at his child or an older brother to the younger brother,” Cayetano said.

64 Customs men lined up for ouster

By MJ Blancaflor PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he “will be dismissing” 64 Customs employees allegedly involved in corrupt activities.

He said he had asked those employees to report to his office on Monday “in obedience to the rule of the right to be heard.”

“I will be dismissing something like 64 Customs employees. In the meantime that their case are being heard, in obedience of the rule of the right to be heard, I want them to be here in Malacañang,” Duterte said.

“My view is that help me craft new implementing rules of how not to rob a country properly, so I will be asking them to report here.”

President Duterte asked them to resign or he would file charges against them.

“It’s a simple case of―you resign or I file charges. And that goes for all of us.

We are workers of government and we serve the people, period,” Duterte said.

Earlier, Duterte aired his frustration with the agency and warned he would Next page

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There are rumors that one of the three contenders will stage a coup d’ etat on (July 22).

It seems the race is not yet over for the three of them and their backers.

—Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte

Congress told: Ask the people about term-extension proposal

By Nat Mariano THE House of Representatives should conduct a survey on the people to know whether or not they agree on the proposal to extend the term of lawmakers, the Palace said Thursday.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said lawmakers should seek public opinion on the proposal to extend the lawmakers’ terms.

“I think more relevant would be what the people want. I think they should conduct a survey on the sentiments of the people―whether or not they agree on that proposal,” Panelo said.

“And I’m sure since that has been floated, there will be opinions being expressed by many sectors.”

Panelo made the statement after Cayetano, the first choice of President Rodrigo Duterte in the speakership race in the House, floated the possibility of extending the lawmakers’ terms to four years with no term limits or five years with term limits.

“It is not a political thing. It is a practical thing,” Panelo said Wednesday.

“While we will push for federalism, I think there is a way that the Senate will agree that we push either for four years, no term limit or five years, 3-term limit.”

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Terror tactics escalating—Palace

By MJ Blancaflor EXPRESSWAY CRACK-UP. At least three persons were injured in a sevenvehicle smashup Thursday when a speeding northbound container van truck overtook and tried to avoid hitting a cargo truck that slowed down along San Felipe Bridge at the North Luzon Expressway 2 kms from the San Fernando Exit but hit instead the rear portion of a Philippine Rabbit Bus Lines which crashed atop an SUV rolling funder the bridge. A zipper lane was opened hours after noon to allow a counter-flow in the southbound lane to decongest the heavy traffic from the Candaba viaduct to the NLEXPulilan exit. Orlan Mauricio

MALACAÑANG cautioned the public to be more careful after the military confirmed that one of the suicide bombers in the Indanan, Sulu attack last month was Filipino.

“It’s a cause for concern given that this is the first time there is a Filipino suicide bomber,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said. “It goes against the grain of the character of Filipinos [to

commit] suicide for terrorism.”

His warning came after the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police confirmed that one of the suicide bombers, Norman Lasuca, was Filipino.

Lasuca and the another unidentified attacker blew themselves up outside a military camp, killing three soldiers and two civilians.

The attack marked a major escalation Next page

Sugary drinks cancer-causing

Chinese tourists fuel cruise boom

CONSUMPTION of sugary drinks such as soda and fruit juice is linked to a higher risk of developing certain kinds of cancer, researchers reported on Thursday.

The consumption of sugary drinks has exploded worldwide in recent decades

CRUISES are enjoying a boom fuelled in part by hordes of Chinese tourists taking to the high seas, but green groups warn a wave of hulking new liners may cause environmental devastation.

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FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Extra powers no magic bullet’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

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IVING priority to any bill that will improve the quality of public services is good, but the public should not think that an emergency power is a “magic bullet,” Senator Grace Poe said Thursday.

“We have seen that the rehabilitation in Mindanao was not immediate despite the emergency power,” said Poe, referring to the emergency power granted to President Rodrigo Duterte to rebuild Marawi City after it was laid waste by terrorists.

Meanwhile, Malacañang said President Duterte did not influence the filing of the Senate bill seeking to give him emergency powers for two years to solve

the country’s traffic woes.

But Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo commended Senator Francis Tolentino for filing Senate Bill 213, or the Special Emergency Power Act. The measure seeks to ease the traffic congestion in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Davao City, Cagayan de Oro City and other highly urbanized cities.

Poe, who is expected to stay as chairman of the Senate public services com-

mittee, said the bill’s approval would depend on a lot of factors: the cooperation of both Houses of Congress, the clarity of its objectives, the compliance by agencies in providing the data required and, if absolutely necessary, a certification of urgency from the President.

Reacting to the emergency powers filed again, and this time by neophyte Senator Francis Tolentino, Poe said it was best for the Transport department to be reminded about what the other senators were asking for last Congress, particularly the specific list of projects and the traffic management plan to counter the effects of many infra projects in relation to the worsening traffic.

She reiterated her support for any solution to ease the traffic congestion par-

ticularly in Metro Manila.

“We were all for passing the bill last Congress, if not for the failure of the DOTr to submit to us the list of projects that would be covered by the grant of powers,” Poe said.

She said everything must be well-defined. She said the blanket grant of emergency powers under the Constitution was not allowed.

“We will also need the support of the President to rally his troops in both Houses to support the bill. If the administration wants it, they can certify it as urgent,” Poe said.

In filing the measure, Tolentino said the prevailing traffic gridlock could be considered a national emergency due to is adverse effects on the economy.With Nat Mariano

DOF chief seeks Piñol’s tranfer okay with me, says Bangsamoro chief strike team to guard against trash import

By Nat Mariano

By Julito G. Rada FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III ordered the Bureau of Customs to create a special strike team to guard against the entry of waste materials that other countries are attempting to dump in the country.

Dominguez issued the directive during a recent DOF executive committee meeting after Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero reported that he had called on his counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to strengthen the law enforcement capabilities of the organization’s memberstates not only in the war against drug trafficking, but also in preventing the region from being a dumping ground for hazardous materials such as garbage of other countries.

Guerrero said his fellow Customs officials from the ASEAN member-states reacted positively to his proposal.

In response, Dominguez said “it’s time we put up something like an environmental unit in the Customs [bureau] to really act on this garbage issue.”

Dominguez said the strike team that he wants at the BOC would be similar to a special environmental strike force team that will be activated to guard the entry of hazardous materials in the country.

Guerrero also reported to Dominguez that other ASEAN member-states like Malaysia have thanked the Philippines during the 28thmeeting of the ASEAN Directors-General of Customs held at the Lao Republic for setting the example in the region when President Rodrigo Duterte stood pat in his decision to compel Canada to immediately repatriate 69 containers of trash that were dumped in Manila six years ago.

After Canada failed to meet the original May 15 deadline set by President Duterte for the return of the imported wastes, the government recalled its ambassador and consuls to Canada to demonstrate its “diminished diplomatic relations” with the North American country.

This action prompted Canada to move its earlier June 30 commitment in repatriating the waste to the Philippines’ revised May 30 deadline.

Other ASEAN countries like Malaysia and Cambodia are also working to have wastes dumped in their countries returned to Canada.

Guerrero said that as a result of President Duterte’s tough stand on the issue, he has received reports that plans to have other shipments of wastes transported to the country have now been scuttled.

Beating the deadline set by the government, the 69 containers of waste from Canada mislabeled by a private importer as recyclable materials and dumped in the Philippines six years ago were finally shipped out of the country last May 31.

The South Korean government has also committed to help ship back to its country some 5,176 metric tons of waste materials illegally imported here last year and currently stored at the PHIVIDEC Industrial Authority premises in Misamis Oriental.

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Saying he wanted to implement his proposal in the next Congress, Cayetano then appealed to lawmakers to give his idea a try.

“Agree with me on this since I’ll only serve for 15 months. I don’t want to leave as a failure. I want to leave a productive [Congress],” Cayetano said.

“I’m asking all of you: Let us be the most disruptive Congress―in the sense that we disrupted the status quo and we can deliver more.”

Panelo, however, said the decision still depended on the members of Congress.

“The decision would always lie in the members of Congress because they are the ones passing the bill,” Panelo said.

“We will leave it to the judgment of the members of Congress.”

Under the Constitution, congressmen are only allowed to serve a term of three years and no more than three consecutive terms.

BANGSAMORO Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao interim chief minister Al-Hajj Ebrahim Murad has accepted Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol to represent the Duterte administration in the region.

Speaking to Palace reporters, Duterte himself bared Murad and other Bangsamoro officials had approved of Piñol’s transfer.

Asked if Murad and BARMM officials already nodded to Piñol’s transfer, the Chief Executive said: “Yeah.”

This came after the President met with Murad in Malacañang on Wednesday evening.

According to Duterte, they were attempting to “fine-tune” the affairs between the national government and the BARMM. “Well, we are trying to fine-tune. And

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Earlier, President Duterte announced that Cayetano will sit as Speaker for the first 15 months of the 18th Congress, while Velasco will lead the chamber in the next 21 months under a term-sharing agreement.

Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, who was a strong contender for the post, will work with Cayetano and Velasco as their majority leader.

“The fight is not over yet for the three contenders and their backers,” Paolo Duterte said.

Last week, the President’s son announced the establishment of a nine-member “Duterte bloc” in the House of Representatives.

Duterte said he organized the bloc to resist the meddling of Cabinet members in the choice for the next Speaker.

“It has come to our attention that certain presidential Cabinet members have their bet for Speaker. Everyone should note that Cabinet members serve only on the basis of the trust and confidence of the President and should not participate in the selection of the

Terror...

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in terror tactics by local extremists.

The international terror group Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Indanan attack, but the authorities have yet to confirm the claim.

Panelo said the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte is always to enhance the technology in surveillance and intelligence work to avoid the escalation of violence in the country, particularly in Mindanao.

He also advised the public to immediately report threats to authorities.

“Be careful. Report the threats to authorities, especially the unusual situations which might affect them,” Panelo said.

He also said the possibility of extending martial law in Mindanao lies in the hands of the President.

Duterte has asked Congress to support his administration in strengthening the Armed Forces in preparation for “very dangerous times” ahead for the country.

“I’d rather that I leave with a strong military and police… equipped to challenge the enemies of the state, especially terrorism...

So, I must be prepared. And I already bought what we need, but there are still a few things that I must have for my Armed Forces and the police,” the President said on Tuesday.

The AFP said Wedenesday it would make adjustments in security techniques, tactics, and procedures after the Sulu attack.

“Definitely, we will have adjustments in our [security] techniques, tactics, and procedure given this development in Sulu but as you know and I know you would understand we just cannot reveal that to you because those are operational matters that cannot be publicly announced,” said

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in the Philippines to thecouncil, was denounced by the Philippine government as a “divisive motion” and sought to block it.

“The Human Rights Council resolution on the Philippines is a modest but vital measure. It signals the start of accountability for thousands of ‘drug war’-related killings and other abuses, and will provide hope to countless survivors and families of victims,” said Laila Matar, deputy Geneva director of Human Rights Watch.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. acknowledged the resolution is “enforceable” but said it will have “no effect.”

“Such resolutions, especially those passed by a tiny minority, can and will be ignored. No consequences,” Locsin said on his Twitter account.

“On the other hand, the initiative to insult

that is why the truth of the matter is I really transferred Piñol to assist them,” the President said in a chance interview.

“But I don’t have a point man who was born there [and] grew up there. [He is] a farmer [and] he became governor for a long time. I’m sure he can help the BARMM and the government to fast track everything,” he continued.

“I am most interested that the Moro people will see what they are asking for.

To move faster, so that you will realize the dream state that you have been asking for and fighting for,” he added.

The appointment of Piñol, however, came with a lot of worries as some Moro leaders previously raised doubts on the Agriculture chief, recalling the role Piñol played in the junking of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain in 2008.

Meanwhile, the President also said his administration was going to have another

dialogue with Moro National Liberation Front founding chair Nur Misuari next week.

“We have also tentatively scheduled the talks between the MILF and government next week. So, we’re going to discuss what kind of structure do they want,” he told reporters.

President Rodrigo Duterte, for the third time, earlier met with the MNLF chief last Tuesday night.

The Chief Executive bared he was “in a hurry” to make a pact with Misuari.

The 80-year-old Moro revolutionary even dared to go to war against the government should it failed to implement federalism.

The President has previously ordered Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process Carlito Galvez to craft a new deal with the MNLF. The details of which, however, have not been released yet.

Speaker,” the coalition said in a statement.

“President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly said he will not interfere in the race for the next speaker of the House—noting that all candidates are his allies,” the coalition added.

Pimentel admitted that a coup in the House of Representatives is “always a possibility.”

Velasco is the candidate of Duterte’s ruling PDP-Laban party headed by Pimentel.

“Coups are not announced. So theoretically, everything is possible,” Pimentel said.

Earlier, a text message was circulated among House members indicating that they disapproved of the President’s endorsement of Cayetano. The President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, denied allegations that the text came from her camp.

The President’s daughter was said to be behind the ouster of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez by former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo on the day the President delivered his SONA last year.

Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor said he had received the text message from a junior congressman who was “very

close” to Mayor Duterte.

In a statement on Wednesday, she called on Defensor to “stop sowing intrigue” and name his source.

AFP spokesman Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo.

Arevalo also said the AFP will also develop doctrines for fighting in urban terrain based on the combat experience of soldiers during the five-month battle for Marawi City in 2017.

Earlier, the military and police confirmed that one of the two bombers behind the suicide bombing attack at the tactical command post of the 1st Brigade Combat Team in Barangay Kajatian, Indanan, Sulu, was a Filipino as proven by DNA tests.

“This springs from the outcome of the joint investigation by the AFP and the result of the DNA testing by the PNP of the samples taken from Mrs. Vilman Lasuca (mother) and Alhussin Alam Lasuca (brother)—both Tausug Filipinos and that of Norman Lasuca, the suicide bomber,” Arevalo said.

The June 28 bomb attack was the third of its kind in Mindanao with the first in a military checkpoint in Lamitan, Basilan on July 31, 2018, killing 10 people.

The second was in a cathedral in Jolo, Sulu which killed 20 persons, including the alleged suicide bombers, on Jan. 27.

AFP public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato said threat of terrorism made the military modernization program even more relevant today.

“This is the reason the AFP is doubling its efforts in implementing the AFP modernization and it’s counterterrorism operations in the south. The face of global terrorism is ever changing and so we have to keep up with the pace,” Detoyato said.

Detoyato said the AFP is taking advantage of the support of the President to fully transform itself and better perform its mandate. With PNA the Philippines—with the assumption without proof that it commits gross abuses— there will be far-reaching consequences.

For those who voted to insult us, the consequences will be far-reaching,” he added.

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers president Edre Olalia described the adoption of the resolution as “an initial benchmark victory of sorts in the long and arduous search for justice.”

“This brings a ray of hope that sooner or later the rampant extrajuducial killings will stop and that impunity will eventually cease to reign,” Olalia said.

Earlier, the London-based human rights group Amnesty International urged the UN to launch a probe on the thousands of killings under the narcotics crackdown.

“What we believe is most important, in assessing the current situation, is the systematic nature of the violations,” Amnesty’s East Asia director Nicholas Bequelin said.

Defensor apologized to the mayor for dragging her name into the controversy, but refused to name the source of the text message to him.

Also on Thursday, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said the term-sharing agreement between Cayetano and Velasco applies only to the top position in the House and not to committee chairmanships that will be decided after the election of the Speaker.

“The choice for the committee membership, chairmanship and vice chairmanships should be continuous for three years. There is no term sharing in the committees,” Salceda told reporters at a media forum on Thursday.

Salceda said party composition, seniority and continuity in service are the three principal criteria in choosing committee chairmen.

He said there should be continuity even after Velasco takes over as Speaker.

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fire Customs officials amid the widespread corruption in the agency.

“There’s four. In this week, it’s Customs. I’ll fire them all. They said we cannot get rid of corruption. Let’s see,” Duterte said in his speech on Monday during the oathtaking of newly appointed officials.

Duterte said he wanted to cut down the corruption in the bureau by a third or one-half.

In a statement Wednesday night, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte had also ordered the freezing of high-ranking officials and employees in the bureau as they faced charges.

He said the names of those officials and employees would be “disclosed at the appropriate time.”

Asked on what prompted the President to fire several employees, Panelo said: “From what I know, somebody told Guerrero. And he investigated it. There are many anomalies involving certain officials.”

Panelo referred to Customs commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, who still enjoys the trust and confidence of Duterte.

Duterte’s latest action underscored his administration’s zero tolerance on corruption among erring officials, Panelo said in a statement.

“We continue to dismantle corruption in the bureaucracy and rid it of corrupt officials and employees,” Panelo said.

“The anti-corruption campaign is continuing as it is relentless. No one will be spared.”

In October 2018, Duterte said he would order military men to take over Customs to address the corruption there.

It said the targets are largely drawn from “drug watchlists” supplied by local officials who are “under immense pressure” from police to provide a steady stream of suspects.

Malacañang, however, criticized AI for “pursuing and advancing a baseless and false narrative” on the Duterte administration’s anti-narcotics campaign.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said AI’s claim that there were 27, 000 drug-related deaths is “one big lie and part of the false advocacies widely peddled by the President’s critics and detractors.”

Panelo likewise cautioned foreign countries from interfering in the country’s domestic affairs.

“Any attempt by any foreign country to interfere with how this government maintains its peace and order, not only is an affront to their intellect but an interference with the country’s sovereignty as well,” Panelo said.

Kidapawan broadcaster slain; CHR weighs in

By Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Human Rights on Thursday called on the Duterte administration to dig deeper into the killing of a broadcast journalist from Kidapawan City in Cotabato, deal accordingly with the perpetrator of the crime and safeguard the lives of the members of media.

“CHR strongly urges the government to act on this case and bring the perpetrators to account, and to ensure that steps will be taken to ensure the further safety of our country’s journalists and media professionals,” the agency said.

“A media that can operate without fear of violence and suppression is a sign of a healthy, functioning democracy.

The continuous rise of media killings and harassment is alarming and needs to be addressed before more lives are lost.”

In the Senate, Senator Grace Poe demanded swift action from law enforcers to arrest Dizon’s killers.

“Nakikiramay din tayo sa pamilya at mahal sa buhay ni Eduardo, at nananawagan tayo sa kinauukulang mga ahensya ng gobyerno ng karampatang tulong,” Poe said.

She urged the police to make a report to the public on the progress of its investigation on the deaths of journalists.

“We have to know how the cases are moving and what support the families of the victims need in pursuing justice,” she said.

Eduardo Dizon, a commentator of 97.5 Brigada News FM-Kidapawan radio station, was driving his car when two men on a motorbike shot him at 10:35 p.m. on Wednesday.

CHR said Dizon’s murder was “another incident in the growing trend of harassment and violence against the country’s media.

“Freedom of the press―which includes freedom to do their work without fearing for their lives―is essentially in the expression of a people’s human rights,” the commission said.

Its Region XII office has already sent a team to investigate the incident and to coordinate with local authorities to help bring the perpetrators to justice.

“CHR would also like to extend its deepest condolences to Dizon’s family and friends, and hopes that in the end justice will prevail,” the agency said.

With Macon Ramos-Araneta

Sugary drinks...

From A1 the high-calorie beverages have already been associated with an elevated risk of obesity—itself recognized as a leading cancer risk factor.

A team of researchers in France wanted to assess the associations between heightened consumption of sugar drinks and the risks of overall cancer, as well as several cancer types, including breast, prostate and bowel cancers.

They surveyed more than 100,000 adults, with an average of age of 42, 79 percent of whom were women.

The participants, who were followed for a maximum of nine years, completed at least two 24-hour online validated dietary questionnaires, calculating their daily consumption of sugar and artificially sweetened beverages as well as 100 percent fruit juices.Researchers measured the daily intakes of sugary drinks against those of diet beverages and compared them to cancer cases in participants’ medical records during the follow-up period.

They found that just a 100 ml increase per day of sugary drinks was associated with an 18 percent increased risk of cancer, and with a 22 percent increase in breast cancer.

Both sugar-sweetened drinks and fruit juices saw a similar higher risk association.

During a follow-up, researchers found 2,193 cases of cancer were diagnosed, the average age at diagnosis being 59 years.

Authors of the study, which appeared in the BMJ medical journal, stressed their work was based on observation and so could not establish the cause of cancer prognoses. AFP

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Gone are the days when cruising was the preserve of retirees, who would while away the hours lounging in deckchairs, playing bingo or taking part in formal dinner-dances.

Modern liners resemble floating, futuristic cities capable of carrying thousands of passengers, where robot bartenders serve drinks and passengers can enjoy hitech entertainment.

Many of the new, more sophisticated ships aim to appeal to the rapidly growing Chinese cruise market—now the secondbiggest in the world after the US—and are choosing cities in the Asian giant as their home ports.

As tourism booms in increasingly wealthy China, there is a growing “desire and enthusiasm” for cruises, said Wang Mi, spokeswoman for Chinese online travel agency Tuniu.

“Cruise products are very popular with seniors, families and honeymooners in China,” she told AFP. About 30-million people worldwide are expected to go on a cruise this year, up nearly 70 percent from a decade ago, according to the Cruise Lines International Association. AFP

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FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

BI won’t issue working visas to aliens with no TIN

By Vito Barcelo

STEADY AIM. Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde aims the Daniel firearms DDM4 V7 MILSPEC 5.56 MM Semi Auto’ during the 27th AFAD Defense and Sporting Arm Show which opened Thursday at SM Mega Mall in Mandaluyong. Manny Palmero

Sung Kim named as envoy to Indonesia UNITED States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim is eyed as the next American top diplomat to Indonesia, the White House announced Thursday.

President Donald Trump’s plan to nominate Kim as the US Ambassador to Jakarta comes as the envoy nears the end of his tour of duty in the Philippines this year.

“Ambassador Kim’s extensive history of public service at the Department of State, including as Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Special Envoy for the Six-Party Talks, Director of the Office ofKorean Affairs, Special Representative for North Korea Policy, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs,” the White House said.

Kim earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania,doctor of jurisprudence degree from Loyola University Law School, and Masters of Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science. PNA

FVR lauds Du30’s bet for WestMinCom FORMER President Fidel V. Ramos has lauded President Rodrigo R. Duterte for appointing Lt. Gen. Cirilito E. Sobejana as the new commanding general of the Western Mindanao Command, citing the army officer’s credentials as a battle-tested officer whom he awarded the Medal of Valor in 1996.

The Medal of Valor is the highest award of the Armed Forces of the Philippines given to a soldier for gallantry in combat.

President Duterte promoted Sobejana as Westmincom commander last week.

Sobejana was formerly commander of the 6th Division of the Philippine Army based in Central Mindanao.

Sobejana made a courtesy call on Ramos at the latter’s Ramos Peace and Development Foundation Inc. office in Makati City on Tuesday, to thank the former Commander-in-Chief, who pinned the Medal of Valor during the 61st AFP anniversary held in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Dec. 21, 1996. PNA

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There is too the value of dialogue which is violated by the high-handed insistence that it be one sided while the other side keeps quiet, the latter to speak in its defense but only in proceedings dictated by the former to ensure its agreeable result.

In the process leading to the adoption of this resolution, we have witnessed the very opposite of these values that hold the UN together. We have seen its mandate “weaponized” for the sake of interests with the evident means to get it done.

This resolution was not universally adopted. Therefore, its validity is highly questionable. It does not represent the will of the Council, much less that of the developing countries who are always the target of such resolutions. Western countries pushed for this resolution in the confidence that the world has forgotten what they did and what should have been done to them had there been a Human Rights Council. It was pushed with the arrogance that developing countries must not stand up to them even if we can and as we hereby do. There will be consequences.

Six more criminal raps filed vs. Garin, other officials

By Rey E. Requejo and Rio N. Araja

S

IX more criminal complaints have been filed before the Department of Justice against former Health Secretary Janette Garin for the death of six more children who received the anti-dengue vaccine Dengvaxia.

Public Attorney’s Ofice Chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said the latest complaints arose from the deaths of Angela Palubarit, 11; Maricel Manriza, 12; John Marky Ferrer, 11; Charmel Flordeliz, 10; Jonell Dacquel, 13 and Kenchie Ocfemia, 11.

The PAO chief, who accompanied the complaints, also revealed there will be more complaints that will be filed before the DOJ. “We have so far autopsied a total of 142 victims,” she said in an interview.

“We will file 98 more cases,” Acosta added.

She said that there are a total of 44 complaints which have been filed already before the DOJ. Of the 44 complaints, 32 complaints

composed of the first, second and third batches of cases are on the preliminary investigation stage at the DOJ. A panel of prosecutors chaired by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Arnold Magpantay recently concluded the preliminary investigation of the third batch of complaints.

The latest six complaints filed yesterday concerned the deaths of schoolchildren Angela Pulumbarit, Maricel Manriza, John Marky Ferrer, Charmel Flordeliz, Jonell Dacquel, and Kenchie Ocfemia.

Prior to this, the PAO also filed six other complaints which have yet to undergo preliminary investigation and concerns the deaths of Aldred Aberia, Ana Lisa Silverio, Eira Mae Galoso, Leiden Alcabasa, Riceza Salgo, and

Micaella Mainit.

Under the 12 latest complaints, the respondents are accused of reckless imprudence resulting to homicide under Article 365 of the Revised Penal Code; torture resulting in the death of a person and torture committed against children under Republic Act 9745, the Anti-Torture Act of 2009; and for violating RA 7394, the Consumer Act of the Philippines, particularly, the mislabeling of drugs and devices, liability for defective products, and liability for product and service imperfection.

Garin has been impleaded as respondent in all 12 complaints, while Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is a respondent in the complaint filed by the parents of Galoso.

The others who were also named as respondents in all or some of the complaints are current and former Department of Health officials, namely, Dr. Vicente Belizario Jr., Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, Dr. Gerardo Bayugo, Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, Dr. Irma Asuncion, Dr. Julius Lecciones, Dr. Joyce Ducusin, Dr. Herminigildo Valle, Rosalind Vianzon, and Mario Baquilod.

THE Bureau of Immigration on Thursday said it would not issue working visa to foreigners without the Tax Identification Number from the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

“We are adjusting our policy in support of the BIR, to ensure that the government collects the necessary taxes from foreign workers in the country,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said, adding “all applicants for working visas will be required a TIN.” He said the bureau, which is part of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Employment of Foreign Nationals, has been in constant talks with the BIR, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor and Employment, and other government agencies to harmonize rules on foreign workers.

Morente is now requiring applicants for work visa a copy of their TIN card or any proof of TIN to ensure that the BIR will be able to collect taxes from them.

Morente said that the move was a “simple solution that would make a huge impact in tax collection,” and that the action was a “result of government agencies working together.”

Meanwhile, Morente allayed fears of the business community on the restrictions set by the new rules on the Special Work Permit.

“These new rules do not impose added burden to professionals. It was put in place to protect jobs for Filipinos. It ensures that blue collar jobs will not be given to foreign nationals,” the BI chief said.

According to BI’s new rules on SWP, only 14 activities may be issued for the said work permit. “These activities include highly technical activities, and they may stay here for a maximum period of six months only,” Morente added.

Current water allocation stays due to low water level—NWRB

By Rio N. araja

THE Supreme Court has approved an increase in the budget for retirement rites of Court of Appeals justices by six times.

In a five-page en banc resolution released earlier this week, the SC granted the request of CA Presiding Justice Romeo Barza to increase the maximum allowance for retirement celebration of CA magistrates effective last July 1.

From P200,000, the budget will now become P1.2 million per retiring associate justice of the appellate court and P1.5 million for retirement of the presiding justice.

The budget for retirement program of a magistrate covers expenses for activities held during the retirement ceremony,

including luncheon or dinner reception, judicial tokens, food stubs for employees, souvenirs for guests, and miscellaneous expenses for court’s special session.

The high court agreed to the need to increase the retirement budget for the 68-member appellate court, which has been much lower than the corresponding retirement budget in the Sandiganbayan and Court of Appeals of P450,000 and P650,000, respectively.

The CA has 1,660 employees, or four to six times more than the 421 employees of the Sandiganbayan or the 271 employees of the CTA. The SC, in the resolution penned by

Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, held that the CA would “need a higher retirement program budget for its retiring Presiding or Associate Justice compared to the two other courts.”

But the increase is lower than the amounts requested by Barza of P1.8 million for associate justices and P2 million for presiding justice.

The SC also did not grant the CAMs request for an automatic 10-percent budget increase yearly to cushion the effects of inflation. It said it would still have to review subsequent increases subject to the availability of funds and prevailing circumstances. Rey E. Requejo

THE National Water Resources Board on Thursday said the current allocation of 36 cubic meters per second or about 3.1 billion liters per day will stay because of the low level supply of Angat Dam in Bulacan.

In a statement, the board took into account the weather forecasts of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration that there would be no rains in Angat watershed due to a weak southwest monsoon.

“However, it is projected that the monsoon rains will be present next week. It is our hope that the monsoon rains and the forecast tropical cyclones this month will come earlier to help in the early recovery of Angat Dam,” it said.

The agency said the public must still observe water conservation, and rain harvesting and recycling to help ease the dam’s poor water supply.

The water level at Angat Dam dropped below critical level again on Thursday, based on PAGASA’s monitoring.

As of yesterday 6 a.m., Angat Dam’s level went down to 159.93 meters from Wednesday’s 160.30-meter elevation.

The dam provides 97 percent of the water needs of Metro Manila and its nearby provinces.

They sought to bring a people and a country, with an unblemished human rights record, down to the level of the authors of atrocities the world must not forget: of Amritsar, Mau Mau and the Boer War; Ragawede and the murder of Anne Frank and her kind; the trendsetting holocaust of the Congo; the profiling of Romani people; the massacre of aborigines at Forrest River; the culmination of Leopold’s Ghost in Bergen-Belsen to name one of a sprawling network of extermination camps; slave trading in the West Indies and the abduction of Inuit children as part of the eradication of that race’s way of life; Addis Ababa and the invention of death from above (though that distinction is shared with the author of Amritsar); Setif and the drowning of North Africans in the river Seine; the cowardice of European UN peacekeepers who stepped aside to allow the massacre of those they had herded together for their safety; the dissolution and consequent anarchy of North African and Middle Eastern countries, and the revival of the slave trade from there; and the callous expulsion of refugees crossing the Mediterranean to escape the European miscalculation.

But we will not engage in throwing at each other the bodies of each side’s respective

victims. We cannot compete with the West.

The Philippines is affronted that we should be named with the very breath of these authors of these atrocities, the same ones so bold to condemn us—we who opened our arms to save their victims before the War, and well into the savage wars of peace culminating in the Vietnam War to whose victims we gave shelter when everyone else turned them away.

But let us be clear on this: this resolution is not a triumph of human rights but a travesty of them that should honor the character of the author and co-sponsors of the resolution.

It is an example of how these countries— they who are least entitled to make such accusations, incited by false information from sources peddling their untruths for money, or who have allowed themselves to be played by the ill will of a few—have undermined the Human Rights Council to advance their agenda and target a government that’s hostile to the very things they have done and continue to do, and about which there is overwhelming proof.

This resolution flies in the face of everything the Philippines has worked for when it founded the Human Rights Council in 2006, and when it advanced the work

towards realizing a Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the 1940s, insisting on strong commitments for justice, dignity and conscience, and the rights of women—a concept almost unheard of then.

The responsibility to protect starts with protecting the good against the bad, the innocent against the vicious. We invoke the government’s great power—and therefore commensurate responsibility—to protect human rights as multilateral bodies cannot.

Foremost among those rights is the right to be protected from crime by the state.

Do not presume to threaten states with accountability for a tough approach to crushing crime, at which some of your countries are complicit at worst and tolerant at best. You don’t have the wherewithal, so all you can do is insult. The United Nations is a collection of sovereignties and not a sovereign collective.

Thus, the Philippines rejects this resolution. It cannot, in good conscience, abide by it. We will not accept a politically partisan and one-sided resolution, so detached from the truth on the ground. It comes straight from the mouth of the Queen in Alice in Wonderland, “First the judgment, then the proof.”

The temptation is strong to walk away from all this with well-deserved contempt for the minority of countries that have the least moral standing to raise their false issues to the discredit of the Human Rights Council. But the Philippines must remain true to the cause of human rights. We will continue to work in the Council to advance a noble mandate to respect, protect and fulfill human rights, and rescue it from its misuse.

The Philippines renews its solemn responsibility to protect the law-abiding against the lawless by any means efficient to achieve the defining purpose for the existence and expense of a state. To that responsibility, my President has made an iron, unwavering and total commitment; and it will not be weakened by this ill-fated resolution.

Our foreign policy was summed up as being “Friend to all, enemy to none.” In the face of today’s changing realities, I refined this to “Friend to friends, enemy to enemies, and a worse enemy to false friends.” We renew our solidarity with our true friends who have stood by us in this farce. But we will not tolerate any form of disrespect or acts of bad faith. There will be consequences; far-reaching ones.

SC increases retirement budget for CA justices

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Opinion

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

Captive legislature

EDITORIAL

the Malacañang occupant says and wants, then we are likely to see important pieces of legislation requiring consultation with the affected sectors rammed through our throats with increasing regularity.

And what are these key pieces of legislation? Among these is Charter change, which involves the proposal to shift to a federal system of government to replace the current unitary one; lifting of the restrictive economic provisions to allow foreigners to own 100 percent of business enterprises; restoration of the death penalty; reform of the party-list system and the prohibition of political dynasties.

These issues require committee hearings where both advocates and those opposed should be given the chance to amply articulate their positions as part and parcel of open dialogue, consensus-building and participatory democracy.

A House Speaker chosen by Malacañang and not by the majority of its members is a dangerous drift toward dictatorship that does not bode well for the future of our democracy.

Hostage to terror While at this, what should concern us now is the danger posed by the new phenomenon of suicide bombing by Filipinos in southern Philippines.

Before the suicide bombing in Indanan, Sulu last June that left five killed, three of them soldiers, and 11 other government troopers wounded in an attack on a military camp, verified incidents of such incidents pointed to foreigners as the perpetrators.

This week, the military and the police confirmed that a Filipino was one of the two suicide bombers who, according to the Western Mindanao Command, targeted the tactical command post of the First Army Brigade Combat Team in Sitio Tanjung, Barangay Kajatian at around noon.

According to news reports, one of the bombers detonated his explosive as he was being accosted by military.

The other suspect blew himself up near the parking area of the 1BCT commander.

The Sulu police said the command post was also hit by a mortar attack and sniper fire, triggering a firefight that lasted for an hour.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, but this could not be independently verified as the terrorist group is known to do this with every terrorist attack anywhere in the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

The area is known to have a strong presence of Abu Sayyaf bandits.

Thousands of soldiers have been deployed to Sulu to help crush the Abu Sayyaf and other terror groups in Mindanao. ernhil@yahoo.com

IF there’s any doubt that our legislature, particularly the House of Representatives, has thrown out of the window its mandate to maintain its independence and perform its role in upholding the system of checks and balances crucial to democratic governance, its acquiescence to Malacañang’s choice of who should be the next Speaker offers more than

This does not bode well for the future of our democracy. ample proof of its near-total abdication of its constitutional duty.

Here’s what Sec. 16 (1), Article VI of the 1987 Constitution says on the question of who should lead the legislature: “The Senate shall elect its President and the House of Representatives its Speaker, by a majority vote of all its respective Members.”

That’s very clear. The House in plenary should elect among themselves who should lead them. It does not provide for any form of intervention—or perhaps more precisely, interference and dictation—by the Chief Executive. It does not say that a cabal of a few House Members should meet in dark corners and elect among themselves the Speaker.

So what should we make of President Duterte’s anointment of Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano as the next Speaker and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco to take over for the rest of the three-year term under a termsharing basis?

This: The most qualified among the aspirants, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, who has been the president of the Philippine Constitution Association, or Philconsa, which spearheads efforts to uphold and defend the fundamental law, will have to play second fiddle to two of the least qualified for the highest position in Congress.

And this: Congress will be completely under the thumb of the Executive branch. With their numbers, the majority led by the Speaker will be able to railroad key legislation pushed by the Executive, reducing the political opposition to a voice in the wilderness.

If the House of Representatives acquiesces at every opportunity to what

Pogos: New growth driver

P

HILIPPINE offshore gaming operations, or Pogos, are reshaping the economy, just as the business process outsourcing sector sprang some 20 years ago to become a major source of employment and dollar earner.

The Pogos, according to a property consultant, are now set to become the largest consumer of office spaces in Metro Manila before the end of 2019, overtaking the BPOs. They will also soon become a major revenue source of the government.

The state plans to collect at least P24 billion in taxes annually from the foreign workers employed in the offshore gaming operations in the Philippines.

The government plans to collect the taxes starting this month. The initial estimate of P24 billion a year could balloon as data from government agencies showed that about 138,000 foreign workers were now

employed in the Pogos.

The revenues to be collected from the Pogo industry were non-existent some four or five years ago, before state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. took over control of its operations on orders of President Rodrigo Duterte. The employment data on the Pogos are also revealing. The Bureau of Immigration’s estimate of at least 138,000 workers are boosting consumption in the economy. They are driving the sales of restaurants, malls and bars in Metro Manila and other major urban centers in the Philippines.

The demand for office spaces to meet the requirement of Pogos

and the accommodation of foreign workers, meanwhile, is lifting the property sector. Online gaming has been the fastest growing segment in the Philippine office market over the past four years, taking up substantial space in the reclaimed Manila Bay area, Makati and Alabang. The industry has also penetrated Clark, Cavite and Laguna.

The construction sector and major property companies are benefiting from the strong demand for office space from the Pogo sector, which,in turn, is raising the leasing rates of residential condominiums and reservation sales in residential towers.

The economy in general is receiving a boost from Pogos. They are set to increase the government coffers as well, by way of increased income tax collections. The government and private sector, thus, should adapt to the demands of the new growth driver and impose reasonable control over the operations of Pogos.

Dogs of Atmos

EVERYMAN

By Joel Vega IF THERE is one distinct characteristic that the Duterte presidency will be remembered for in the years to come, that will be its relentless use of exploiting public resentment, and the dubious feat of building on that base of misdirected bitterness a political eco-system that is feral and opportunistic.

Take it from former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, as she succinctly described the ethos of the Duterte administration in her recent speech before a group of lawmakers.

It would be a fatal error not to monitor the former president whose statements and moves, although made under the radar of a slumbering local media, merit careful analysis if not thorough interpretation by us lesser mortals.

To quote the reported remarks of the former president—who I sometimes think makes Lady Macbeth look like a hapless Disney princess— “Most of all, I thank you that when you became President, you provided the atmosphere in which the Court had the freedom to acquit me of the trumped up charges of my successor and your predecessor, so that the Court voted 11-4 in my favor, including half of those who were appointed by my successor.”

Those words are gold. It is a state-

ment brimming not only with the ultimate acrimony of a rancorous president, but one that also reflects the sordid environment that allows the Philippine political culture of cynical sycophancy not only to thrive but also undermine respected institutions. GMA’s words confirm that she is, to use social media lingo, the backdoor “influencer,” the Kim Kardashian in an uncouth body politic where a subtle booty move prompts the minions to frenzied action.

Those words triggered the Supreme Court to issue a statement. Not a surprising move, despite the Supreme Court’s penchant for silence, considering La Gloria portrayed the High Tribunal in the harshest light.

Her talons were out as she dished out a saber-sharp word that practically accuses the Supreme Court in the years of the Aquino administration as nothing but a bunch of magistrates held under the ransom of political patronage. The court statement although brief was laden with a hint of defensiveness; no matter, La Gloria’s words, not necessarily factual, were intended as banners or political headlines that can cut two ways.

And that double-edge saber-throwing is fodder for political commentary. Not only are her statements illogical it also mocks the checkered evolution of Philippine jurisprudence. But first, if we set that di-

mension of Philippine jurisprudence aside, and instead focus our sights on the verbal repartee that La Gloria is capable of, we can have a glimpse of the partisan clutter that threatens to drag all of us behind a Smokey Mountain of political retardation.

“Atmosphere” is a key word in La Gloria’s penultimate insult to the high court. Let us dissect her words in literal terms. ‘Atmosphere’ originates from the mid-17th century, from the modern Latin atmosphaera, which in turn was derived from the Greek atmos or ‘vapor’ plus ‘sphaira‘ (which literally translates to ‘ball or globe”).

The word ‘vapor’ is ironically apt when describing the Duterte administration as it is the major force in our country that creates a miasma of fears, anxieties and recriminations.

From Day 1 of his presidency, Duterte was deeply engrossed in foisting his vision of the country that is veering off-track, and thus in need of a strongman’s hold at any price, including thrashing our newfound and fragile accomplishments in liberal democracy. La Gloria’s description is also spot-on as this an administration that appeals to and disseminates asinine views on the death penalty, drug rehabilitation and political accountability, among other issues that should be examined with more nuance, depth and clarity. Consider the case

of Senator Bato whose “Sh*t happens,” response reflects the depths of dismal tunnel-vision.

This miasma of anxieties could be the consummate act of a leader whose power is commensurate to the paranoia of his subjects. La Gloria’s naked claims is also rife with meanings and we can coin several titles for Duterte based on Gloria’s blunt rhetoric, such as, “atmosphere facilitator,” or “atmosphere provider.” For isn’t this role as “atmosphere facilitator” that Duterte revels in, pulling out the punches to goad mindless applause from the crowd?

Consider the misogynistic jokes, the fingering of housemaids, the slut-shaming of Delima, you name it, Duterte pulls the trigger even when the prey is a figment of his own dark imagination.

But atmosphere facilitators cannot operate on their own. They need the company and active engagement of atmosphere ‘enhancers,’ and here come the handy services of Mocha, Teddy Locsin, Salvador Panelo, Bong Go and Bato and a long queue of Tatay Digong defenders whose ideas can be contained in the bony folds and reach of a fist bump. They are the howling dogs in Duterte’s peninsular Atmos.

If La Gloria talks about that atmosphere that is conducive to her exoneration, she is unwittingly confirm-

ing the atmosphere of the ring-side, the circus arena, where truth is not elucidated but obfuscated and pummeled to a corner by the blunt force of a bruising fist.

In an ironic twist, La Gloria claims Pyrrhic victory as she holds high the 11-4 scorecard, claiming the weight and value of numbers, in the same way that her Camelot from Davao flaunts the survey and poll numbers as justification for his deadly drug campaign.

But what puts the sting on La Gloria’s punch is the suggestion that the High Tribunal is nothing but an adjunct of the atmosphere facilitator that calls the shots from his riverside throne in Malacañang. The Emperor wears no clothes, we all know that.

But so is the Empress, standing butt naked.

That statement is more than a slap on the face of the high tribunal; in La Gloria’s parallel world what she said is an affirmation, a foregone conclusion in the minds of our political handlers. That by itself is a radical move, one that forces even the high court to counter, albeit half-heartedly, her forked tongue of hostility, and break its long-held and cherished vow of courtly omerta.

Joel Vega is a Palanca Award-winning poet. He keenly follows Philippine developments from The Netherlands, where he now lives.

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Opinion

ECONOMIC managers of President Duterte are mightily proud that in the past two years, the Philippines generated average foreign direct investments of $10 billion per year, or $20 billion combined for 2018 and 2017.

Yet, compared to what the Philippines’ ASEAN neighbors got as FDI in recent years, a $10-billion FDI per year seems like a pittance.

In 2017, the latest year for which comparative ASEAN data is available, FDI increased 11.6 percent to a record $137 billion from $122.8 billion in 2016 in the whole of ASEAN. Of the $137 billion, Singapore was the top destination, with $62 billion or a hefty 45.3 percent of the total FDI. Indonesia was No. 2 with $23.1 billion or 16.9 percent; Vietnam No. 3 with $14.1 billion or 10.3 percent, and the Philippines, just No. 4, with $10 billion or 7.3 percent.

In other words, for every $100 FDI in ASEAN in 2017, Manila got a paltry $7.30. This is the share of a country that is supposed to be the fastest growing in Asia, after China, with average economic growth under Duterte of 6.5 percent per year, the highest achieved by a PH president since 1986.

If you reckon FDI among the original five ASEAN members – Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines—PH has been last, or next-to-the-last, choice of foreign investors.

Blame our performance on corruption, red tape and poor infrastructure. sons—corruption, red tape, and poor infrastructure. It takes two hours for your workers to commute, one way, from home to their place of work.

Food near the office or factory is not exactly palatable nor cheap, and it eats up a third of a day’s salary.

Investors have to grease palms to get perfunctory approvals and permits and cut through the bureaucratic labyrinth. It takes two years to five years to get all the permits— more than 150—for a real property project like a condominium.

It takes a least a month to get an ordinary business permit, a process that takes ten minutes to a day in Singapore or Canada.

You have to buy fire extinguishers from the fireman who inspects your proposed business venue. Although that is now prohibited under the

Ease of Doing Business Law, will a businessman complain? The same fireman or engineer certifies anyway the fire extinguisher you buy from an outside source like Ace Hardware or True Value.

The premise of requiring of prospective business to get a fire clearance is ridiculous – it assumes that you are going to burn your place down, after you have invested so much in your business.

Ordinary mortals like job applicants have to secure, say, an NBI clearance repeatedly before they can be hired. To get a birth certificate is a whole-day effort at PSA, you standing in line for hours among the throbbing heaving mass of humanity that smells like they haven’t had a bath for a century.

To be sure, private businesses are equally guilty of vexatious red tape. The biggest advocates of red tape are the banks—your so-called friendly bank.

Under the guise of KYC – know your client (an invention of the Bangko Sentral)—banks have the habit of trying to establish, first, that you are human being, and second, that you are a decent human being.

So for a credit card or a loan application, they dig up your past and your present and try to predict your future (usually, they become pessimistic)—until you show them, you have a house and lot, a car, a stable income or business (outside of drugs), and are well-connected (banks do ask for references).

But then once you have established you have some money, you realize you don’t actually need the bank—for a credit card or a loan. biznewsasia@gmail.com

Social media rescue Morocco’s last woman potters

By Sophie Pons BEAUTIFUL handcrafted pottery made by Mama Aicha rarely sells in Morocco anymore, but thanks to social media her ancient techniques are drawing students from around the world to the foothills of the Rif mountains.

“When I heard about the workshop on Instagram, I signed up immediately because the practice is disappearing,” said Mirna Banieh, a young artist who traveled to Morocco from the West Bank town of Ramallah.

“Mama Aicha is old and her knowledge must be passed down,” she added.

Banieh’s four fellow students sit cross-legged on mats, their hands covered in clay learning from the 82-year-old potter.

They came from London and Nairobi to a remote hamlet at the end of a rocky trail for a week-long initiation.

Their goal is to learn how to shape clay pieces by hand, dry them in the sun, fire them in a large open pit filled with wood and polish them with stone before decorating them with natural pigments.

Like everywhere in the Rif mountains, women potters from the Sless tribe, to which Aicha Tabiz’s family belongs, are vanishing.

The tribe counted around 90 potters at the end of 1990s. Now, only a halfdozen remain.

“The youth here don’t want to dirty their hands with clay. They dream of being officials with fixed salaries,” said the grandmother, everyone affectionately calls Mama Aicha.

The ancestral knowledge that, according to some experts dates back to the Bronze Age, is being lost little by little due to a decline in the market.

Going plastic “When I was young, everyone used

clay pots and bowls for daily life and my mother sold them at market, but today everyone prefers plastic,” said Mohamed Tabiz, 53, Aicha’s eldest son.

Researchers, collectors, enthusiasts are among the many that have warned for decades of the disappearance of this craft once passed down from generation to generation.

“We wanted to establish a museum in the village,” Tabiz said, but “the local authorities weren’t interested.”

The most scholarly of those calling attention to the tradition’s decline, German anthropologist Rudiger Vossen, criss-crossed Morocco in the 1980s and 90s to catalogue the techniques and designs used by each tribe.

Volunteers from the “Terre des Femmes” (Women’s Earth) association have travelled to the Rif for years, collecting pottery from isolated farms and selling it to tourists from a small boutique in the capital Rabat.

But the most famous is undoubtedly the artistic director of Dior, Italian Maria Grazia Chiuri, who recently put the Rif potters in the spotlight at a haute couture fashion show in Marrakesh.

But, it is thanks to Instagram that Mama Aicha’s work has gained a global reputation.

“It’s used a lot by potters, everyone posts photographs of their pieces [and] exchanges tips and advice”, said Kim West, a 33-year-old British workshop participant.

Through this global word-of-mouth promotion, the workshops advertised on the website of a new association, Sumano, have seen staggering success.

“All the spots were filled two days after registration opened, we had a waiting list with applicants from across the globe,” said Martha Valdeon, 42, a co-founder of Sumano from

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‘Inept, insecure’

FDI Among the ten ASEAN members today, PH was No. 6 in FDI received in 2012, No. 6 in 2013, No. 5 in 2014, No. 6 in 2015, and No. 4 in 2016 and 2017 (see accompanying chart).

The ASEAN study of FDI in 2010-2017 does not explain why the Philippines is not exactly top of mind among investors who want to park their money, long term, in the region.

To me, there are three main rea-

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019

Spain.

Set up last year, Sumano promotes Moroccan tribal women’s handicrafts.

New designs With a twinkle in her eye, Mama Aicha patiently guides her students in the studio set up next to the family farm.

Papers tacked to the wall list useful words in the local dialect - terms for pottery and tools, common phrases such as “can you help me?” and “what do you think of this?”

The master potter teaches mainly using gestures. Like the majority of women from remote parts of Morocco, she dedicated her life to her fields, her livestock and her children.

At 27, Houda Oumal, from the neighboring tribe M’tioua, is one of the few to want to “follow in the footsteps of her mother.”

She lives with her parents at the top of a mountain amid the cannabis fields that make up, entirely illegally, the principal source of income of the Rif. She began to mold clay at the age of seven, but she does not read or write. There are five mosques in the community, but not a single school.

“This craft allows us to make a good living, we need to make our expertise known so that it becomes profitable,” she said with a timid smile.

Recently, the young woman began to sign her creations with her initials, adding more graphic designs and new shapes to “diversify her work and stand out.”

“For us, these pieces are works of art, they have real value”, Valdeon said.

The Sumano association places orders with the potters, buys the works, transports them to Spain and sells them at 20 times the local price on its website, promising to redistribute the income locally “when the business becomes profitable.” AFP

THE past week saw a flurry of major international news events led by the backing down of China over the extradition bill that triggered a million protesters on the streets of Hong Kong. This is a seismic setback for the ruling cabal in Beijing. The march of protesters demonstrated that people can stand up to China if they have the political resolve instead of splaying their legs wider to a rapist.

Filipinos. take note. We don’t have to declare war on China. Our government keeps saying we cannot win because the

The ambassador’s words, not mine.

Chinese have a mightier army.

Short of saying China lost, as it would be a loss of face, Hong Kong Chief Administrator Carrie Lam declared the extradition bill that would try Hong Kong suspects in the mainland is “dead.”

With the defeat of the extradition bill, Lam’s own political future is probably dead too. Expect Beijing to appoint a new administrator for Hong Kong to push its one country, two systems model for the former British Crown Colony.

Decades of British colonial rule in Hong Kong have given the Hong Kong people a life of free political and human rights that China cannot simply set aside. London is holding Beijing to respect the turnover treaty wherein both countries will observe Hong Kong’s liberal policy.

Then again, mainland China has shown that it does not abide by international law. It has also ignored ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that its sweeping claim of the entire South China Sea is illegal. *** The next big news on the international scene was the British ambassador to Washington calling US President Donald Trump as “inept and insecure.” Did I hear someone saying the same could describe Philippine President Rodrigo

Duterte? His words, not mine!

President Duterte, after all, was rated “very good” in the latest Social Weather Stations public acceptance survey. What do the other foreign ambassadors posted in Manila say about the Philippine president? So far, there is no leak on foreign embassy cables like what happened in the case of British Ambassador Kim Darroch. Supported by British Prime Minister Theresa May, Darroch nonetheless resigned as he could no longer serve effectively in his capacity after Trump said he would no longer deal with him. That is the proper thing to do

by Darroch before he is declared persona non grata by Washington and before US-UK bilateral relations get even more strained.

The other news of concern is the report that German Chancellor Angla Merkel is suffering from some kind of disease that causes her body and hand to tremble. Merkel, one of the three Big Ms in Europe—the other two being UK’s May and France’s Emmanuel Macron, downplayed her ailment and said it is not going to affect her performance of her duties as Chancellor.

In the Middle East, the Strait of Hormuz is proving to be a flashpoint with Iran imposing its control of the narrow passage for international oil tankers as Tehran’s dispute with the US reaches an escalation tip. Iranian gunboats this week tried to seize a British oil tanker by ordering it to Iranian waters. The British tanker escorted by armed British ships resisted the order and was able to sail past the Straits of Hormuz.

For sure, there will be more incidents with Iran which has increased its uranium level.

On the local scene, overseas Filipino workers are protesting the payment of Social Security fees before their papers are processed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency. The OFWs claim it is unfair that they are made to pay the SSS fees even before they are able to work in foreign lands. This, plus the fact that foreign employers do not pay the counterpart amount their workers pay to the Philippine government.

Clearly, this is a burden on our OFWs who go abroad because there is no work available here.

While the intent of the SSS requirement is good in the long run for the OFWs when they return to the country, P2400 is a big amount to be deducted when this can go instead to their family being supported back home.

Frenchman at heart of legal dispute dies after life support ends

By Frédéric Dumoulin A FRENCHMAN at the center of a bitter right-to-die legal feud that has raged for a decade passed away in hospital on Thursday after doctors removed his life support, his family said.

The legal battle over whether Vincent Lambert, 42, should die has divided the country as well as his own family, with his parents using every legal avenue to keep him alive but his wife and nephew insisting he must be allowed to die.

Doctors removed his hydration and nutrition tubes last week, following a final ruling by France’s top appeals court.

“Vincent died at 8:24 a.m. (0624 GMT) this morning,” his nephew Francois Lambert told AFP, expressing his “relief after years of suffering for everyone.”

“We were ready to let him go,” he added, saying he had been notified about his uncle’s death by the doctor treating him.

“It is not sad. It is rationality gaining the upper hand. This was a human being who was suffering and the various theatrical gestures did not mean much,” he added.

‘Moment of remembrance’ Lambert was involved in a near-fatal car crash in 2008 that left him a quadriplegic with severe brain damage which doctors had long said was irreversible.

Left in a vegetative state, the question of whether to continue keeping him alive artificially triggered a years-long legal battle that raged in the highest courts in France and Europe.

On July 2, Dr. Vincent Sanchez, head of palliative care at the University Hospital in the northern French city of Reims, had begun removing the life support mechanisms in a process which was completed by Wednesday evening.

Although his feeding and hydration tubes were removed, he was kept under “deep and continuous sedation.”

Multiple medical assessments ordered by the courts over the years found that the former psychiatric nurse, who was poised to become a father shortly before his accident, had no chance of recovering.

Jean Paillot, a lawyer for Lambert’s parents, said it was “now time for a moment of remembrance.”

He told AFP that the parents, who had waged a high-profile campaign to keep

their son alive, would respond when they felt ready.

Family divided The case rekindled a charged debate over France’s right-to-die laws, which allow so-called “passive” euthanasia for severely ill or injured patients who are being kept alive artificially with no chance of recovery.

Even Pope Francis got involved, tweeting in May that it was necessary to “always safeguard life, God’s gift, from its beginning until its natural end.”

On Thursday, the Vatican expressed its “sorrow” over Lambert’s death, expressing “solidarity with his loved ones and with all those who helped them until the end, with love and devotion.”

And the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy said his death and what happened in the run-up to it was “a failure of our humanity,” in a posting on Twitter.

France’s Catholic Church also expressed sadness, with the spokesman for its Bishops’ Conference Thierry Magnin telling Le Croix newspaper Lambert was “not at the end of his life.”

Over the years, Lambert’s deeply Catholic parents, backed by two of his eight siblings, managed to successfully challenge five different attempts by doctors to halt his life-support.

The last time they tried to do so was in May, but it was quickly overturned by a Paris appeals court.

That ruling was then taken to France’s top appeals court, the Cour de Cassation, which on June 28 said doctors could legally end his life support in a definitive final judgement.

With their cases rejected by the highest courts in France as well as by the European Court of Human Rights, Lambert’s parents on Friday filed a complaint for “voluntary homicide” with prosecutors in Reims opening a preliminary inquiry.

But his wife Rachel, his doctors, six other brothers and sisters and a nephew have fought for his right to die, arguing it was the more humane option.

In early May, the UN committee on disabled rights also asked France to keep Lambert alive while it conducted its own investigation into his fate, but the government said it was not legally bound to abide by its request. AFP

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News

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Party-list vows probe on punching incident

IN BRIEF MMDA to stage 5th earthquake drill

By Maricel V. Cruz THE Ang Probinsyano Party-list on Thursday vowed to investigate the alleged punching incident involving its first nominee, Alfred delos Santos, at a diner in Legazpi City.

At the same time, the group’s spokesman, lawyer Joco Sabio, said the party-list group would not tolerate any abuse of authority even among its nominees.

According to reports, Delos Santos allegedly punched a service crew identified as Christian Kent Alejo, 20 while he and his friends were dining.

“Definitely we will not tolerate any kind of abuse in our party. Will not hesitate to suspend or even remove Congressman Delos Santos if we establish that this was an unprovoked attack,” Sabio said.

“Just like everyone else, the party is concerned and really disappointed with what happened. We are not taking this sitting down and we are taking all the necessary steps to that this will not happen again in the future,” Sabio added.

Sabio said the party-list group is now conducting its own probe on what really took place at the Biggs Diner in Legazpi City last July 7.

Sabio noted, however, that Delos Santos still deserved to be given the chance to explain himself so that the party could fairly decide on what course of action it would take. “ Despite all the f lak that our party is getting because of this incident, we will still accord Rep. Delos Santos the right to due process,” Sabio said. “ I would like to make it very clear, however, that Rep. Delos Santos is our nominee but he is not the entire representation of the Ang Probinsyano Party-list. His actions and his decisions are his own and should not reflect on Ang Probinsyano as a party and as an organization,” Sabio said.

ALL HANDS. Employees of Manila City Hall, under the Tourism department and the Bureau of Fire Protection, help give a facelift Thursday to the Bonifacio Shrine at the riverside Liwasang Bonifacio. Norman Cruz

IPs can’t invoke IPRA law to evade prosecution—SC

By Rey E. Requejo

I

NDIVIDUALS belonging to indigenous cultural communities charged with criminal offenses cannot invoke Republic Act 8371 or the Indigenous People’s Rights Act of 1997 to evade prosecution and liability under courts law, according to the Supreme Court.

In a 19-page decision penned by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, the SC’s Third Division held that the IPRA did not strip the courts of jurisdiction over criminal cases involving indigenous people.

“Nowhere in the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act does it state that courts of law are to abandon jurisdiction over criminal proceedings in favor of mechanisms applying customary laws,” the SC declared.

The high court made the ruling even as its denied the petition for mandamus filed by Roderick Sumatra also known as Ha Datu

Tawahig, tribal chieftain of Higaonon Tribe seeking to compel respondent Cebu Regional Trial Court Branch 12 Presiding Judge Estela Alma Singco and her co-respondents, all public prosecutors from Cebu City to honor a Jan. 3, 2007 resolution issued by a body known as the Dadantulan Tribal Court.

The Dadantulan Tribal Court absolved Sumatra of liability for charges of rape and discharged him from criminal, civil, and administrative liability.

Sumatra anchored its plea on Section 65 of the IPRA which states : “When disputes

involve ICCs (Indigenous Cultural Communities/IP (Indigenous Peoples), customary laws and practices shall be used to resolve the dispute.”

The tribunal noted that with the passage of the 1987 Constitution, the IPRA was adopted precisely recognizing that indigenous peoples have been “resistant to political, social, and cultural inroads of colonization, non-indigenous religions and cultures, and became historically differentiated from the majority of Filipinos The SC noted that among the IPRA’s provisions on self-governance and empowerment is Section 15 which states that “the ICCs/IPs shall have the right to use their own commonly accepted justice systems, conflict resolution institutions, peace building processes or mechanisms and other customary laws and practices within their respective communities and as may be compatible with the national legal system and with internationally recognized human rights.”

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has announced it is staging its 5th metrowide earthquake drill at dawn on July 27, in line with the government efforts to sustain information campaign on the risks and dangers of a strong quake.

MMDA general manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. said the shake drill would mobilize agency employees, local government units, various agencies, volunteer organizations, and other stakeholders to demonstrate their contingency plans in case strong earthquake hits the metropolis.

“We want to test the response capabilities and preparedness of LGUs and the private sector as earthquake may occur anytime,” said Garcia, in a news briefing held at the MMDA headquarters in Makati City Thursday.

According to Garcia, shake drills in the past years were done during daytime and even during rush hours with last year leveling up to an unannounced, rush hour daytime drill.

“For this year, it will be done on a weekend and at almost the break of dawn when most Metro Manila residents are at home and asleep,” said Garcia.

The shake drill will start as early as 4 a.m., signaled by sounding of an alarm.

Joel E. Zurbano

Dela Rosa wants death penalty anew ADMITTING that convicted drug lords are using the New Bilibid Prison in Muntilupa City as their operations center in the continuing distribution of illegal drugs, neophyte Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa wants a revival of the death penalty.

“We have at least 160 convicted drug lords incarcerated at the national prison and we are not sure that they have stopped their drug operations. Many of them are still finding ways [to continue their operations],” said Dela Rosa, who was Bureau of Corrections director before he joined the congressional race in the last elections.

Prior to his post at the Bucor, Dela Rosa served as director of the Philippine National Police.

He also acknowledged that the convicted drug lords were using the NBP as their operation center.

He likewise said the convicted drug lords who control the operations gave instructions on the importation and distribution of illegal drugs.

But if there is death penalty, Dela Rosa said these drug lords can no longer continue with their criminal activities.

Furthermore, the senator said that death by firing squad could effectively send a firm message to those unscrupulous groups and individuals not to do their illegal acts in the country. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Sports

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FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Mighty Sports faces dangerous Iran M

IGHTY Sports Apparel-Philippines battles perennial rival Iran today with coach Charles Tiu looking to start its title campaign on a high note at the Changhua gym in New Taipei City, Taiwan.

Mesut Ozil

adidas, Arsenal launch new partnership ADIDAS Football and Arsenal launched a progressive new era for the London club.

Revealing a fresh new home strip design that nods to the iconic adidas shirts of the past with a distinctively modern twist, the debut collection sets the tone for an innovative new partnership.

The all-new kit design for the 2019/20 season features a classic allover red body, complimented by popping white sleeves and contrasting collar. The white high collar design is emblazoned with a central red stripe and black trimming. This design is repeated on both sleeves and the distinctive three stripes run across the shoulder in a bright white.

The 2019/20 home kit kicks off the brand-new partnership between adidas and Arsenal, which aims to push the club forward both on and off the pitch.

“Arsenal has always had a unique culture that has seen them at the forefront of innovation, redefining the game, whilst staying true to their core values. We’re excited to be a part of that and, of course, delivering iconic kits that Arsenal fans love” adidas Football General Manager Nick Craggs commented.

Managing Director of Arsenal, Vinai Venkatesham, said: “adidas’ core values mirror ours, they’re progressive and innovative and their bold ambitions for the club and the partnership are aligned with our own.

We’re excited to have adidas by our side as we continue to develop and push boundaries together both on and off the field, the Arsenal way”.

“The release is accompanied by a film ‘This is home’, which explores a timely and powerful message of inclusion; showing how first team players from around the world feel so at home in London and at Arsenal, they’ve become part of the fabric of the club and the community, adopting accents of North London and real Arsenal fans.

The spot features players past and present alongside fans including Idris Elba, Ian Wright, Tony Adams, Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil, Vivianne Miedema and Mattéo Guendouzi.”

San Juan, Naga 5 fight for title, P1M THE inaugural season of the Community Basketball Association Pilipinas Cup will come to a fitting conclusion with National Capital Region champion San Juan and Bicol titlist Naga battling for the coveted Founder’s Cup and the whopping P1-million cash prize on Monday.

CBA founding president Carlo Maceda said the winner-take-all encounter between the Knights Exile and the Water Borne will provide a fitting finish to the three-month long, community-based tournament held in different parts of the country.

“We expect a good fight between San Juan and Naga for the bragging rights to become the first-ever CBA national champion and the P1-million prize,” said Maceda during the 30th “Usapang Sports” by the Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports at the National Press Club in Intramuros, Manila.

“This is the product of all the hard work of the CBA and the men and women behind it, as well as the team owners, coaches and players and their respective LGUS and sponsors,” added Maceda during the weekly sports forum sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, National Press Club, PAGCOR, CBA and HG Guyabano Tea Leaf Drinks.

San Juan first assistant coach Yong Garcia said the Knights are confident of winning the title with the championship game to be played starting at 5 p.m. on Monday at the San Juan gym.

While the roster of the five-time champion remains a mystery for both Tiu and Serbian consultant Rajko Toroman, the Go For Gold-backed Mighty Sports is not taking any chances in their 3 p.m. showdown “We still don’t know which team Iran will be fielding, but I’m sure it’s not their elite team,” said Tiu, who also served as one of the deputies of Gilas Pilipinas Youth that competed in the just-concluded FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Greece.

“Still, we have to play to the best that we can since we want to have a winning start,” said Tiu. Even the godfathers of the team— Alex Wongchuking of Mighty Sports and Willy Ocier of Go For Gold—are both looking for a great start in their bid to regain the title the team won in

Game Today (Changhua gym) 3 p.m. – Mighty Sports vs Iran

its initial foray team three years ago.

“We are representing our country so I told our players, to give their level best each game. That’s one way of entertaining our kababayans our there,” said Wonghuking.

Out to lead Mighty Sports are former San Miguel import Renaldo Balkman, Zach Graham, McKinzie Moore, Eugene Phelps and Fil-Am Jason Brickman.

Also expected to deliver the goods for the team are Jason Gray and Roosevelt Adams, who helped Mighty Sports finish third in the tough Dubai Invita-

Members of Go For Gold-backed Mighty Sports Philippines leave for Taiwan to compete in the Jones Cup—the event it won via an 8-game sweep three years ago.

tional tournament last February.

Other members of the team are former PBA star Joseph Yeo, MPBL MVP Gab Banal, former Ateneo player Aaron Black and Mikey Williams.

Enjoying the advantage of having seven imports, Mighty Sports posted a whopping average winning margin of 17.4 points three years ago in completing an eight-game sweep of

the championship that mirrored the 1981 feat of the Ron Jacobs-mentored Northern Consolidated After Iran, Mighty Sports faces powerhouse Jordan on Saturday, Japan on Sunday, Canada on Monday and Korea on Tuesday before taking a two-day break.

“It’s a tight first five days sked for us that’s why we need to have a good start,” said Tiu.

Liyab’s Enderr 2 wins shy of historic spot in world tourney

Awesome with his long game, Angelo Que also flourishes with his irons to seize control of the stellar international field. Meanwhile, a late charge puts American Christopher Hickman back in title chase.

Que storms ahead with 65, leads by 2 CARMONA, Cavite—Angelo Que went on an attack mode and got what he wanted—a bogey-free 65 that put the Japan PGA Tour campaigner on top, two strokes ahead of American Christopher Hickman and Justin Quiban in the third round in the ICTSI Manila Southwoods Championship at the Legends course here yesterday.

Que beat Hickman and Aussie Tim Stewart in a duel of power and went aggressively for the pins with his irons, including the two par-3s at the front which he birdied, finishing with four more at the back capped by back-to-back feats to complete a solid 33-32 card he preserved with five scrambling pars.

After 54 holes, the former Philippine Open champ finally took charge after lurking behind the leaders in the first two days, pooling a 16-under 197 that included a 65 and 67 – low rounds he dished out without the benefit of a practice round following a stint in the Japan PGA championship last week.

“I really had a good round but it

could been bigger (lead) had I holed in a couple more birdie tries. But it’s a good thing that I made great pars on Nos. 2, 8, 11, 13 and 15,” said Que, adding another 65 would be enough to secure his first win on PGT Asia.

But sneaking into the title picture is young Quiban, a former PGT Asia leg winner at Luisita in 2017 but didn’t really earn a second look when the $100,000 event took off Tuesday given the depth of the competing international field.

But the former amateur hotshot, who also won a PGT leg in Bacolod last year, proved he’s up to the task, birdying the first two holes and bucking two bogeys with four more birdies and an eagle on the par-5 14th to fire a 65 and earn another crack at the top $17,500 purse.

And he did it after missing grabbing a share of the second round lead with two bogeys in the last three holes at the front Wednesday, dropping him instead to joint fourth, three strokes off Hickman.

But with his second six-under card,

Quiban tied Hickman at second at 199 with the erstwhile leader bouncing back with late birdies, three in the last five, to shoot a 68 and stay in the title hunt in his first foray on the region’s emerging circuit put up by ICTSI and organized

by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. “I have five guys at my back who are more than capable of catching up. All of them are playing good so I have to watch out,” said Que, adding another 65 to firm up his title drive.

“I think my chances are good despite going 2-down,” said Hickman. “I just have to stay patient and try to have many looks at birdies. I played my last six holes at 3-under and that’s a positive sign.”

Quiban also brims with confidence despite going up against two power hitters.

“I’m driving it really well and I’m confident with my wedges. My putting has been steady and I don’t think I will be intimidated by Angel (Que), who I will be playing with in the championship flight for the first time,” said Quiban.

CAVIAR Napoleon “Enderr” Acampado moved closer to an elusive stint in the Starcraft ll Fall World Championship Series of 2019 in Montreal, Canada.

Enderr, a standout of Team Liyab, the professional esports team of Globe in partnership with Mineski, progressed through the group stage after racking impressive wins in the Oceania-Southeast Asia Qualifiers of the biggest StarCraft ll event in the world.

“Being able to get in the group stage of the Oceania-SEA qualifier is a great confidence booster for me heading to the 2019 World Electronic Sports Games (WESG) and the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, especially if I can make it to the WCS main event in Montreal, Canada,” Enderr says.

Enderr, who is seeded 5th in the event, drew a bye in the first round before facing Lobo in their best-of-three encounter. The Filipino Zerg standout blanked Lobo, 2-0, to move into the third round. In the next round, Enderr proved steadier in nipping Pezzapery, 2-1, to book a last 4 showdown against Demi12. A win in the qualifier will give Enderr an automatic slot in the Montreal WCS Finals in September.

“We are continuously supporting Enderr as he takes another step towards the international stages of StarCraft ll. With consistent training, focus and determination, Enderr has shown that the Philippines can once again shine in global tournaments of professional esports,” Brian “Neme” Victa, assistant General Manager of Liyab Esports, adds.

The StarCraft ll World Championship Series is a StarCraft ll professional tournament series organized and sanctioned by Blizzard Entertainment. It combines the highest levels of professional StarCraft ll competition. Moreover, it offers an-all expense paid trip to all qualifiers and a total of $100,000 in cash prizes to winners For more about Globe Telecom, visit www.globe.com.ph

Kenyans rule Manila Bay Clean-Up Run KENYANS Matthew Kipkorir Sigei, Leonard Kimboi, and Jackson Circhir—running mere seconds apart—were the top three finishers in the 21K race at last Sunday’s Manila Bay CleanUp Run, while Christine Hallasgo, April Diaz, and Maricar Camacho headed the women’s division in the same fashion.

In the 10K race, James Kevin Cruz, Gilbert Laido, and Anthony Nerza ruled the men’s division, while marathon veteran Luisa Raterta, Jocelyn Elijeran, and Rica Moreno took the top three spots in the women’s division.

Among the 5K racers, Immuel Camino, Evelon Abutas, and Rowel Galvero emerged winners in the men’s division, with Joida Gagnao, Joneza Sus-

tituedo, and Emmalyn Taypin taking the medals in the women’s category.

And in the 3K run, Erwin Mancao, Michael Gomez, and Norbert Cailao, together with their female counterparts Lina and Liza Abutas, plus Angel Mendoza, clocked in fastest.

The 2019 Manila Bay CleanUp Run was a project of Manila Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with the cities of Manila and Pasay, with support from Symdex-D, Pride detergent, Unique toothpaste, Shield bath soap, Asian Institute of Computer Studies, White Flower Embrocation, Star Wax, Smart dishwashing paste, White Rose Kojic Whitening Soap, Pocari Sweat, and Olympic Village.

Participants answer the starting gun in the Manila Bay Clean-Up Run.

Meralco Bolts battle Batang Pier

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

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FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019

By Jeric Lopez

Sports Spain’s Rafael Nadal sprints to make a return against US player Sam Querrey during their men’s singles quarter-final match on day nine of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London. AFP

Nadal, Federer square off again

L

ONDON, United Kingdom—Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal set up a Wimbledon semifinal blockbuster on Wednesday (Thursday Manila time), 11 years after their epic 2008 title duel which is widely regarded as the greatest Grand Slam final ever played.

Eight-time champion Federer racked up his 100th match win at Wimbledon and reached his 13th semifinal with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Japan’s Kei Nishikori.

The 37-year-old will be playing in the semifinals of a major for the 45th time.

Nadal, the two-time champion, made the last-four for the seventh time and 32nd at the Slams, by beating Sam Querrey 7-5, 6-2, 6-2.

Friday’s semifinal (Saturday Manila time) will be the pair’s 40th meeting and third at Wimbledon after Federer won

the 2006 and 2007 finals before Nadal swept to his famous 2008 triumph.

The other semifinal will see four-time champion and top seed Novak Djokovic tackle Roberto Bautista Agut, the 23rdseeded Spaniard who has made the lastfour at a major for the first time.

Federer is also the oldest man to make the semis of a major since Jimmy Connors at the 1991 US Open.

“We have a lot of information on Rafa and so does he about us. I know people always hype it up in a big way,” said 20time major winner Federer.

“They did that again in Paris this year (when Nadal won their semifinal in straight sets). I’d love to play against him here at Wimbledon.

“But I go about it like every other match.”

Nadal, who was also champion in 2010, broke Querrey six times, sent down 10 aces and 44 winners in a convincing display which will give him great hope of beating Federer for the 25th time.

“It’s great (to be facing Federer at Wimbledon again),” said 33-year-old Nadal whose recent 12th Roland Garros victory took him to 18 Slam titles.

“It’s difficult to imagine to be again in that situation and here we are. I’m excited to play against Roger here at Wimbledon again after such a long time.”

Federer said he was unaware that he had become the first man to claim 100 wins at the same Slam.

“I didn’t think of it while I was playing today. Actually not at all, not once.

Then as I’m signing, a guy in the crowd says, Congratulations for your 100. Oh, yeah, I didn’t know. I forgot.”

Djokovic reached the semifinals for the ninth time, racking up his 70th career win at the All England Club in the process.

The defending champion hit back from a break down in the first set to carve out a commanding 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 win over 21st seed David Goffin of Belgium.

In a ruthless display, Djokovic reeled off 15 of the last 17 games to secure a place in the semifinals of the majors for the 36th time. AFP

MERALCO Bolts battle for survival against NorthPort which is already assured of a top two finish in the quarterfinals in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup. The second-running Batang Pier (8-2) is looking to close out the eliminations with a bang as it goes up against ailing Meralco (3-6) at 7 p.m. at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City tonight.

In the opener, Phoenix (4-6) fights for its life when it takes on eliminated cellar-dweller NLEX (2-8) at 4:30 p.m.

Currently enjoying a splendid run, NorthPort looks to gear up well for the playoffs ahead.

Actually, the Batang Pier can still take the top seed provided it wins against the Bolts and TNt KaTropa loses its final assignment.

However, NorthPort coach Pido Jarencio, whose team will have a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarters, could care less as he wants his team to be in good shape heading to the next round.

“Ito pa, mayroon pang isang game against Meralco and gusto namin to enter the playoffs with a win and momentum,” said Jarencio.

As to who he prefers to face in the next phase, Jarencio will just await how it all plays out.

“Let’s see ano mangyayari sa ibang teams and kung sino babagsak sa amin.”

On the other hand, the Bolts, losers of four in a row, need to sweep their remaining two assignments to keep their dimming hopes of making the quarters alive.

Same goes for Phoenix when it tackles NLEX. It needs to get a win in order to keep its bid alive.

Wilson lifts SJ Knights past Bacolod

Defending champion Red Lions take on JRU Heavy Bombers

REIGNING champion San Juan Knights displayed their vicious form late Wednesday night and ran roughshod over expansion team Bacolod-Master Sardines, 95-71, in the MPBL Lakan Season at the Olivarez College Gym. John Wilson poured in 22 points and Jhonard Clarito, the hero of last season’s finals, contributed 16 as the Knights remained unbeaten in four games to move up to solo lead in this tournament put up

by Senator Manny Pacquiao with PBA legend and former MVP Kenneth Duremdes serving as commissioner.

“I just told the players, kailangan business as usual pa rin kami. Yung mga teams naglakasan ngayon. Whether we are facing an A-grade team or a marginal team, dapat parehas lang ang level ng intensity of play namin,” said San Juan coach Randy Alcantara.

Iloilo and Parañaque got back on the winning track after they hurdled their respective rivals.

The United Royals of Iloilo squandered a 19-point lead, but held on to escapes with a 92-90 victory over fellow newcomer Nueva Ecija-MiGuards.

It was the third win in four games for the United Royals, but their latest win is not something head coach Eric Gonzales will be proud of.

“Yes, a win is a win, but I’m not satisfied,” added Gonzales. “Feeling ko kanina yung mga players ko parang nagta-tryout kais nagpapasiklab.”

Parañaque, on the other hand, turned to old reliables Jemal Vizcarra and Popoy Banzali in putting away Navotas, 82-71.

Vizcarra combined for the Patriots’ last nine points as they fended off a late uprising by the Clutch, who lost their second game in three starts. Parañaque improved its win-loss record to 2-3.

Senator Pacquiao launched the MPBL on August 29, 2017. The league is not intended to be a competitor to the Philippine Basketball Association, the country’s top professional basketball league according to the senator.

The MPBL combines a local team with a corporate sponsor. This results in the best of both worlds. A grassroots teams of a community is funded by a company by serving as its advertising vehicle.

GOOD team defense will be emphasized again when the defending champion San Beda Red Lions seek their second straight win in the 95th National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament today at the Arena in San Juan.

And this is what the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers will be up against when they clash with the Red Lions at 12 noon today, and seek to bounce back from their 51-82 setback to the San Sebastian Stags last Tuesday.

Later, the Lyceum Pirates will also go for win no. 2 in their 4 p.m. clash with the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals. Later, the Arellano Chiefs will face the Letran Knights at 4 p.m.

In the junior side, the Lyceum Junior Pirates meets the EAC Brigadiers at 6 p.m. to seek win no. 2, along with the San Beda Red Cubs, who take on the JRU Light Bombersat at 8 a.m.

Red Lions coach Boyet Fernandez commended members of the team for their great effort in bringing down the Arellano Chiefs,

By Peter Atencio

BEST OF THE BEST. Giannis Antetokounmpo speaks onstage after receiving the ESPY Award for Best Male Athlete during The 2019 ESPYs at Microsoft Theater on July 10, 2019 (July 11 Manila time) in Los Angeles, California. AFP

59-46, last Sunday.

“James (Canlas)had foul trouble in the first half, but he came back and stepped up while Evan (Nelle) took care of the point guard position. Primce Etrata also came in and played good defense on (Kent) Salado,” said Fernandez.

For the Red Lions, the win was memorable once, now that they won around their 14th straight opening matches.

Donald Tankoua, who had a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double performance, is expected to lead the way again for the Red Lions.

On the other hand, Heavy Bombers new coach Louie Gonzales will expect his crew to put in a big effort against the Red Lions.

He will count on junior recruits, Marwin Dionisio and Stefan Steinl, to help the team get back on its feet.

The Pirates come into the fight in high spirits after their 84-80 win over the Knights.

The Marcelino twins, Jayvee and Jaycee, will again lead the Pirates’ offense, along with Cameroonian big Mike Nzeusseu, who is expected to return from an injury.

Roach still pining for Pacquiao-Mayweather rematch LOS ANGELES, United States—Trainer Freddie Roach said Wednesday (Thursday Manila time) he hopes Manny Pacquiao can set up a rematch with Floyd Mayweather after the Filipino legend takes care of business against Keith Thurman in Las Vegas this month.

Roach told reporters he was still bothered

by Pacquiao’s defeat to Mayweather in their 2015 clash, which was hyped as the “Fight of the Century” but ultimately left boxing fans disappointed.

Pacquiao later said a shoulder injury had hampered his performance during the 12-round defeat, while Mayweather headed into retirement later that year with an unblemished record.

Pacquiao, who retired briefly in 2016 only to return later that year, has continued to fight on, however.

The 40-year-old Filipino will attempt to capture the World Boxing Association welterweight crown on July 20 (July 21 Manila time) when he faces unbeaten American champion

Keith Thurman at the MGM Grand.

Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer for the bulk of his two-decade career, hopes that a victory over Thurman could pave the way for a rematch with Mayweather if he can be persuaded to step into the ring once more.

“Hopefully we can get Mayweather to come to the table,” Roach told reporters at his Wild Card gym on Wednesday. “I would like us to have one more crack at him.”

“We didn’t fight a great fight that night.

Manny’s shoulder didn’t help at all. He’s had surgery since then, he’s 100 percent now.

“I would like us to fight Mayweather again because I didn’t like the way we performed.

I was disappointed in myself.”

Pacquiao, meanwhile, has been more circumspect about the prospect of a rematch, insisting he is not thinking of Mayweather as long as he remains retired.

“Floyd is retired. I am only looking at active fighters. Floyd is not active anymore,” Pacquiao said. “Right now I’m only thinking

Eight-division world champion boxer Manny Pacquiao (left) works the mitts with Freddy Roach in Hollywood, California. Pacquiao is training for his July 21 bout against Welterweight World Champion Keith Thurman. AFP

about Thurman.” hitting Thurman (29-0, 22 KOs) Speaking at his training camp in confidently predicted a quick Florida on Wednesday, the hard- knockout over Pacquiao.

IN BRIEF

Diokno sees growth reaching at least 6%

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno told foreign and domestic investors that the government’s growth target of 6 percent to 7 percent this year remains attainable despite the sluggish 5.6-percent expansion in the first quarter.

Diokno said in a live webcast at the BSP with Swiss bank UBS that the prospects for the Philippine economy remained favorable. “Despite the lowerthan-expected growth in the first quarter of 2019, we remain optimistic about meeting the GDP growth target of 6 to 7 percent for this year,” Diokno said.

“We expect that the government’s commitment to accelerate public spending will take the driver’s seat on the supply side, while household spending, supported mainly by cooling inflation and remittance inflows, will spur growth on the demand side,” he said.

He said price pressures also eased since peaking at 6.7 percent in October 2018. Inflation stabilized within the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent, with the June reading falling to 2.7 percent from 3.2 percent in May. He said given its downtrend and with better-anchored inflation expectations from the public, inflation would average 2.7 percent this year and 3 percent next year. Julito G. Rada

Meat processors plan to raise prices

THE Philippine Association of Meat Processors Inc. said it fully supports the decision of the Agriculture Department to temporarily ban the importation of meat from Germany but warned that it may increase the prices of processed meat amid the steadily increasing global price of pork.

The group said the price pressures were mainly due to the shortage in supply brought about by the African Swine Fever scare that swept parts of Europe, Africa and Asia.

It said the recent ban on German pork products supplier to the Philippines would further aggravate the lessening supply that may force local processors to jack up prices even more.

The supply pressure from China is another factor that will justify the increase in pork product prices due to the magnitude of pork requirement by the Chinese after almost half of its farms got hit by ASF in late May, it said.

“This has raised our buying prices from the world market and has almost doubled pork fat prices and pork shoulder/pork ham and belly prices have risen by 20 to 40 percent,” Pampi said.

Among the products that are likely to see higher prices are bacon, jams, tocino and to some extent, hotdogs and sausages. Othel V. Campos

Puregold launches barcode payment

PUREGOLD Price Club Inc., the country’s second-largest retailer owned by billionaire Lucio Co, and GCash on Thursday launched a barcode scanning payment system to help boost the supermarket chain’s sales this year.

Called GCash Scan to Pay via Barcode, the new bar code scanning payment scheme is integrated into Puregold’s point of sales to streamline payment system and facilitate faster transactions.

“This is the first time such barcode scanning payment system will be used in the Philippines and we are proud to be GCash partner merchant for this,” said Puregold president Ferdinand Vincent Co. Puregold vice president for operation Antonio delos Santos said the new payment scheme was expected to attract more shoppers and hopefully meet its high-end sales target of 10 percent this year.

Puregold expects sales to grow between 8 percent and 10 percent this year. “So far, we are on track,” Delos Santos said. Darwin G. Amojelar

Business Govt, ADB sign $1.3-b loan for Clark Railway F INANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Asian Development Bank vice president Ahmed Saeed on Thursday signed a $1.3-billion loan, the first tranche of a total $2.75-billion facility, for the Malolos–Clark Railway Project in a ceremony witnessed by President Rodrigo Duterte at Malacañan Palace.

“Our work in the Philippines has always held a special place in the history of ADB. Now, under President Duterte’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ infrastructure program, ADB is considerably scaling up its own support to the government,”

Saeed said.

“The Malolos–Clark Railway Project is ADB’s single largest infrastructure project financing ever at $2.75 billion.

We are pleased to be supporting this important flagship project in our host country,” he said.

The Malolos–Clark railway is part of the Philippine government’s NorthSouth Commuter Railway project which aims to link New Clark City to Calamba City in Laguna by 2025.

The project will use cutting-edge technology to build an elevated railway line, with a maximum train speed of 160 kilometers per hour, to help ease chronic road congestion in and around Metro Manila, reduce air pollution, cut the costs of transport and logistics and encourage economic growth and a population shift outside the capital.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency is co-financing the project with additional financing of up to $2 billion for the rolling stock and the railway

systems.

The Malolos-Clark project is a result of close collaboration between ADB, Jica and the Department of Transportation.

A joint technical team from the department and the two institutions conducted regular “Build, Build, Build” meetings with reporting to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade. ADB’s safeguard and resettlement policies were adopted and are being implemented for the project.

Civil works contracts under the project are being bid out, with the first contract awards expected in the fourth quarter of 2019.

Other ADB projects under preparation this year include the Edsa Greenways Project which will construct elevated walkways along busy intersections in Metro Manila and additional financing for the metropolis’ main water supply system under the Angat Water Transmission Improvement Project.

PCC clears GSK and Pfizer deal

THE Philippine Competition Commission said it approved the acquisition by GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Holdings Ltd. of Pfizer Inc.’s Consumer Healthcare Business involving over-the-counter medicine portfolio.

PCC said in a decision dated June 27 that it upheld the transaction upon learning that it would not likely lead to the substantial lessening of competition in the relevant markets of pediatric and adult cough medicines; pediatric painkillers; and vitamins.

The merger between GSK and Pfizer’s overthe-counter portfolio reveals overlaps between GSK and Pfizer brands.

PCC said it approved the transaction despite the combined market power of both firms which would have limited incentive to increase prices in the local market. This is due to the finding that customers’ brand loyalty to medicines they trust spelled limited diversion between GSK and Pfizer drugs.

It said the merged firm would have limited incentive to reduce innovation of new products because there are other market players that exert competitive pressure on the merged firm.

Othel V. Campos

Pag-IBIG members saved record P23.4b in first six months PAG-IBIG Fund members collectively saved more than P23.40 billion in the first half of the year, an increase of P4.94 billion or 27 percent from P18.46 billion it collected in the same period last year.

This set a record for the highest amount saved by members with the agency for any January-June period.

“The members’ savings collections continue to grow at an unprecedented rate due to our members’ trust and confidence in our programs. We welcome this development because the increased savings collections allow Pag-IBIG Fund to sustain the rapid growth of home loan and short-term loan releases, allowing us to serve more members, in keeping with President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s directive to uplift the lives of our Filipino workers,” said Secretary Eduardo del Rosario, chairperson of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and the Pag-IBIG Fund board of trustees.

Driving the double-digit growth is the growing popularity of the agency’s Modified Pag-IBIG 2 Savings program. MP2 Savings amounted to P4.66 billion in January to June, growing 198 percent from P1.57 billion collected in the same period last year.

MP2 Savings is Pag-IBIG Fund’s voluntary savings program that yields higher dividends compared to the regular Pag-IBIG Fund Savings program.

The program has a five-year maturity period and a minimum savings requirement of only P500. Starting last year, the fund opened the program to retirees and pensioners who are former Pag-IBIG Fund members.

BEST COMPANY. Globe Telecom Inc. is again named as one of the Best Companies to Work For in Asia by regional publisher HR Asia. The award-giving body recognized Globe for possessing remarkable levels of employee engagement, company culture and employer branding. A total of 190 companies across 10 countries competed for the coveted title. Receiving the award are members of Globe human resource team headed by chief human resource officer Renato Jiao (fourth from right).

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019

B1

Now Telecom exploring tie-up with Mislatel

By Darwin G. Amojelar NOW Telecom Inc., a company controlled by the Velarde family, said it is open to a partnership with Dito Telecommunity (formerly Mislatel) owned by Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy to provide faster broadband connectivity in the country.

“Now remains confident and steadfast in its proven strategy of providing guaranteed broadband to enterprises. It is determined to expand its service offerings to new geographical markets. Part of this strategy is our willingness to entertain possible partnerships with other telecommunications companies,” Now Telecom president Rodolfo Pantoja said.

“We are always open to explore opportunities of partnership and collaboration with other players in the industry, to both local and foreign players. The same can be said to Dito Telecommunity,” he said.

Pantoja said the decentralized gigabit era would inevitably force disruptive innovations in the industry.

“Specializing in a specific market niche and partnering with the right entities are both essential in delivering profitability,” he said.

Pantoja said the entry of Dito would be net positive for the industry. “It provides a market signal that the government is in the liberalization phase of the telecommunications industry. This will ultimately benefit the consumers as the increased competition will stimulate improvements in quality of service, increase in service coverage and availability,” he said.

Dito, the consortium of led by Uy, was recently awarded a certificate of public convenience and necessity.

Now Telecom which was able to renew its congressional franchise under Republic Act No. 10972 last year is currently offering broadband internet access in Metro Manila through a fixed wireless microwave transmissions network. This enables Now to provide guaranteed internet speeds of up to 2.40 gigabits per second to enterprise customers.

Automobile sales rebounded 8.7% to 31,950 units in June—Campi

By Othel V. Campos THE local automotive market showed signs of recovery and stability as sales rebounded 8.7 percent in June to 31,950 units from 29,395 vehicles sold a year ago, two industry groups said Thursday.

The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and the Truck Manufacturers Association said sales also picked up from 30,998 deliveries in May this year.

“We remain very optimistic that the local auto industry is already on a path of

steady growth after we conclude the first half of the year on a positive note,” said Campi president Rommel Gutierrez.

Data from the two groups showed that automobile sales in the first half increased 1.46 percent to 174,135 units from 171,635 units in the same period last year. The numbers excluded the sales of other industry groups.

Sales of passenger cars jumped 22 percent in June to 9,532 units from 7,811 units a year earlier while demand for commercial vehicles rose 3.9 percent to 22,418 units from 21,584 units.

Total sales of passenger cars in the first half declined 5.4 percent to 52,418 units from 56,029 units in the same period in 2018 while sales of commercial vehicles grew 5.3 percent to 121,717 units from 115,706 units.

Car manufacturers said Filipinos car purchase decision-making in the first half was heavily influenced by economic factors such as rising oil prices, unstable inflation rate and the application of excise tax on vehicles.

“The automotive brands’ collective efforts, highlighted by fleet sales, good

financing deals and model updates and upgrades show that we have learned to adjust and adapt to market conditions thus helping consumers acquire new vehicles with fewer hurdles,” Gutierrez said.

Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nissan were the top sellers in June. Brands such as Kia, Suzuki, Nissan and Toyota posted positive growth in sales during the month.

Most Campi members expressed optimism they would sustain the growth in sales in July.

CoA affirms SEC fight against corruption THE Securities and Exchange Commission received an “unqualified opinion” from the Commission on Audit as it upholds transparency, accountability and efficiency in the use of valuable taxpayers’ money.

“In our opinion, the accompanying financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Securities and Exchange Commission as at Dec. 31, 2018, and its financial performance, cash flows, changes in net assets/equity, comparison of budget and actual amounts for the year then ended, and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant policies in accordance with the Philippine Public Sector Accounting Standards,” state auditor Concepcion Reyes noted in an independent auditor’s report dated April 25.

CoA audited the commission’s finances in accordance with the International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions developed by the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions for public sector auditing.

This is the latest unqualified opinion

issued by CoA to the commission since 2013 after a series of modified or qualified opinion from 2014 to 2017.

Under the ISSAIs, auditors issue an unqualified or unmodified opinion when they conclude that financial statements, as a whole, are free from material misstatements, which could arise from either fraud or error.

“The commission takes pride in the unqualified opinion rendered by CoA,” SEC chairperson Emilio Aquino who is a CPA-lawyer said.

“We take the results of the independent audit as a testament to our transparent, sound and prudent financial management as well as to our commitment to curtail graft and corruption,” Aquino said.

The SEC has consistently ranked among the sincerest institutions in fighting corruption, per surveys conducted by the Social Weather Stations with support from the Integrity for Investments Initiative, funding from the United States Agency for International Development and in partnership with the National Competitiveness Council and The Asia Foundation.

SM GROUP’S AWARDS. SM Investments Corp., BDO Unibank Inc. and SM Prime Holdings Inc. receive 11 awards in the 9th Asia Excellence Awards of Hong Kongbased Corporate Governance Asia magazine. Recognized as Asia’s Best CEO are BDO chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson; SMIC president and chief executive Frederic DyBuncio; BDO president and chief executive Nestor Tan and SM Prime president Jeffrey Lim. Cited as Best Investor Relations Company are SMIC and BDO for the ninth straight year and SM Prime for the sixth year in a row. SMIC vice president for investor relations Tristan Choa (left) receives the award on behalf of SM from CG Asia founder, managing director and publisher Aldrin Monsod.

B2

Business

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks rally; Ayala Land, BPI up T HE stock market rallied Thursday and the dollar suffered further across-the-board losses after the head of the Federal Reserve all but guaranteed an interest rate cut this month.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index rose 76.28 points, or 0.9 percent, to 8,154.49 on a value turnover of P6.1 billion. Gainers overwhelmed losers, 124 to 74, with 49 issues unchanged.

Major property developer Ayala Land Inc. gained 3.4 percent to P53, while sister unit Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-biggest lender in terms of assets, added 2.2 percent to P80.20.

Security Bank Corp., the sixth-largest bank, advanced 3.9 percent to P179.80,

while GT Capital Holdings Inc. of the Ty Group rose 3.6 percent to P875.

Meanwhile, US equities surged, with the Nasdaq ending at a record high and the greenback going into retreat, and the trend continued into Asia.

Hong Kong jumped 0.8 percent and Shanghai added 0.1 percent, while Tokyo ended 0.5 percent higher.

Seoul was up 1.1 percent, Sydney rose 0.4 percent, Singapore climbed 0.7 percent and Taipei put on 0.4 percent.

Mumbai, Wellington and Jakarta also shifted into positive territory.

In the first day of closely watched congressional testimony, Jerome Powell said the case for lower borrowing costs “had strengthened” owing to headwinds caused by global trade uncertainty.

The comments sparked much-needed relief on trading floors around the world, which had suffered steep losses at the

start of the week in reaction to a blockbuster US jobs report that dented hopes for a steep cut at the Fed’s next policy meeting.

“One of the principal drivers of soaring stock market valuation is the thought that easy monetary policy will bolster the US economy, which isn’t struggling, and spur on an even more scintillating stock market rally for the remainder of 2019,” said Stephen Innes at Vanguard Markets.

While the direction of rates is expected to be downward this year, there are conflicting opinions on how deep July’s cut will be and how many more there will be this year.

OANDA senior market analyst Alfonso Esparza said: “A July rate cut is fully priced in but a stronger-than-forecast (jobs) report in June put a question mark on how many more cuts the Fed needs to make.

“The trade war with China is a major factor and if there is an agreement in the short term the central bank could leave it at one and done for the year.”

Traders are now looking forward to Powell’s second day on Capitol Hill as well as the release of inflation data, with observers saying a weak reading could revive hopes for a big July reduction.

The dollar continued to struggle, with the pound, euro and yen all building on Wednesday’s gains, while highyielding, riskier units were also well up. South Korea’s won was 0.8 percent higher, South Africa’s rand 1.6 percent up and the Australian dollar jumped 0.7 percent.

Oil prices extended the previous day’s surge that came on the back of data showing a bigger-than-expected plunge in US oil inventories as well as a brewing storm in the Gulf of Mexico that could hit production. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2019

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 58.9 6,080 80.2 5,480,950 2.32 11,000 145 2,522,360 1.24 258,000 27.15 25,200 7.98 700 18.7 3,800 12.14 320,800 4.85 298,000 1.31 10,000 750 630 0.475 330,000 72 1,972,090 0.99 49,000 13.2 91,800 20.5 4,400 54.15 59,090 189 500 115 960 58.4 2,820 26.5 72,900 179.8 1,567,440 1,751 180 62.1 5,720

358,080.50 436,193,119.50 26,230 362,308,031 308,220 684,100 5,217 71,034 3,889,560 1,452,710 13,140 472,780 156,950 141,999,947.50 48,030 1,211,760 90,200 3,194,886 94,353 110,400 164,410.50 1,930,145 279,089,732 315,220 350,236

352,823.50 -23,915,960 53,642,835 -423,520 88,592 -76,515,878 869,128.50 45,288 -1,737 -15 127,470,247 -174,466.50

36.7 14.26 0.78 1.34 0.26 88 2.72 14.5 16.54 16 40.3 89 100.1 1.97 6.01 10.22 15.18 10.8 7.51 1.64 26.1 89.05 55 2.56 13.72 10 1.66 280.4 4.23 8.9 25 13.2 18.9 383.4 0.182 5.51 1.66 4.7 5.62 2.37 11.9 38.85 4.9 1.3 1.96 1.08 13.88 101.4 6.49 1.16 173 2.5 1.18 1.38

INDUSTRIAL 36.75 2,627,800 14.48 395,500 0.8 1,186,000 1.34 182,000 0.26 1,490,000 99.9 360 2.83 5,632,000 14.8 9,994,300 17.1 794,000 17.3 39,500 40.3 4,300 89.1 25,310 105 8,310 1.99 45,000 6.05 39,700 10.26 872,300 15.5 116,200 10.94 107,000 7.54 202,700 1.64 3,000 26.65 3,716,500 89.2 348,620 57.5 91,580 2.6 4,454,000 14.5 2,030,800 10 234,900 1.7 676,000 281 1,022,180 4.23 4,000 8.9 19,700 25.6 322,300 13.78 1,963,400 18.94 546,800 385 47,600 0.182 220,000 5.51 400 1.8 7,593,000 4.75 5,000 5.69 3,406,000 2.41 9,969,000 12.06 213,400 38.9 2,957,600 4.9 121,000 1.35 101,000 1.96 1,000 1.08 232,000 14.06 48,100 104 654,940 6.49 42,000 1.16 346,000 173 843,410 2.5 4,000 1.21 1,028,000 1.38 4,782,000

96,574,625 5,693,598 938,850 244,330 387,600 31,804 15,680,150 147,304,698 13,723,432 637,158 173,290 2,276,146.50 865,787 89,200 239,257 8,955,960 1,774,938 1,164,294 1,523,693 4,920 98,998,570 31,270,469.50 5,227,629.50 11,609,620 29,032,186 2,357,746 1,129,560 287,244,890 16,920 177,201 8,205,290 26,446,278 10,381,014 18,325,228 40,190 2,223 13,524,150 23,710 19,467,421 24,168,630 2,547,978 115,250,295 593,900 133,670 1,960 251,860 674,068 67,402,202 273,963 403,330 146,702,395 10,000 1,230,960 6,650,920

-84,012,295 649,172 -79,000 -8,350 -249,526 171,866.00 165,230 89,167 -29,130 -2,561,616 399,974 440,358 -341,409 4,920 -15,944,070 -9,156,931 978,134.50 -60,260 -11,154,106 -959,076 -96,572,292 -905 1,783,375 14,362,868 -1,726,362 2,940,296 -1,034,160 -2,076,981 -477,820 -1,480,305 -53,000 450,096 -52,740,154 -1,298 -107,408,736 -76,780 -486,220.00

0.95 55.25 15.36 0.72 6.94 12.6 1.27 1.28 908 3.75 6.97 10.02 13.68 0.24 850 6.38 68.4 6.02 0.48 4.41 15.46 0.6 4.79 2.61 0.039 1.74 174.9 2.41 980 0.82 1.35 460 260.8 0.238 0.29

HOLDING FIRMS 0.97 17,610,000 56.2 761,730 15.74 2,055,400 0.74 231,000 7 65,000 12.72 20,600 1.29 810,000 1.32 99,000 912 284,570 3.81 1,874,000 7 4,073,100 10.1 2,095,400 14 47,200 0.24 130,000 875 152,630 6.38 161,200 68.6 697,080 6.36 1,300 0.495 40,000 4.46 3,222,000 15.7 534,700 0.64 1,526,000 4.8 16,183,000 2.61 1,000 0.039 3,000,000 1.74 13,610,000 177 132,200 2.48 9,000 980 148,490 0.84 246,000 1.39 19,000 460 30 261 1,980 0.244 12,530,000 0.305 6,020,000

17,091,560 42,928,563 32,009,210 168,690 454,994 263,582 1,040,370 129,280 259,140,675 7,123,450 28,508,779 21,133,508 658,024 31,200 131,583,845 1,031,372 47,853,555.50 7,860 19,350 14,340,340 8,357,940 947,220 77,798,600 2,610 117,000 24,985,910 23,360,752 21,800 145,928,285 204,300 25,700 13,870 520,256 3,053,300 1,794,300

2,446,580 8,873,422.50 4,191,406 280,000 -17,930 -48,891,180 -117,290 21,201 -8,751,036 -528,160 -19,213,975 -313,752 -7,991,967.50 -3,128,270 2,005,690 24,213,120 70,360 10,966,805 -20,400,600 -218,102 -23,900 -64,600

12,031,726 1,155,610 12,100 152,510 81,076,290 541,604,424.50 659,040 4,885,798 19,948,490 575,320 137,280 292,220 1,497,550 3,447,518 4,126,860 229,750 28,060 72,750,240 663,690 140,382,371 3,518,300 1,409,150 6,368,150 222,550

-1,156,580 -50,090 156,384,158.50 -80,270 10,608 756,640 7,140 112,500 38,222 677,280 -49,482,820 578,741 -103,500.00 -130,720 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

57.5 78.4 2.4 142.1 1.26 27.15 6.75 18.68 12.06 4.84 1.35 765 0.48 72.2 0.97 13.2 20.5 54 189 115 58.15 26.6 173 1,755 61.8

58.9 80.4 2.4 145 1.27 27.15 7.98 18.7 12.2 4.99 1.35 765 0.48 72.3 0.99 13.2 20.5 54.5 189 115 58.5 26.6 180.1 1,755 62.1

57.5 78.4 2.32 141.1 1.17 27.05 6.75 18.68 12.06 4.8 1.31 750 0.475 71.85 0.97 13.2 20.5 53 188.1 115 57.9 26.2 172 1,750 60.5

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

36.75 14.28 0.78 1.34 0.26 88.05 2.72 14.5 18.72 17.34 40.3 91 108 2.04 6.02 10.32 15.38 10.86 7.68 1.64 26.95 90.05 55.5 2.6 13.88 10.1 1.69 282 4.23 9.1 25.5 13.52 19 385.8 0.183 5.7 1.7 4.75 5.8 2.47 12 39 4.99 1.3 1.96 1.1 13.88 105 6.49 1.17 175 2.5 1.18 1.4

36.9 14.5 0.8 1.35 0.265 99.9 2.84 14.8 18.72 17.44 40.3 95 116.8 2.04 6.28 10.32 15.5 10.98 7.68 1.64 26.95 91.1 57.7 2.63 14.54 10.1 1.7 282 4.23 9.41 25.6 13.86 19.06 385.8 0.183 5.7 1.83 4.76 5.84 2.47 12.06 39.2 4.99 1.35 1.96 1.1 14.1 105 6.55 1.2 175 2.5 1.21 1.41

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

0.99 56.2 15.4 0.73 7 12.86 1.28 1.28 910 3.83 7 10.16 13.96 0.24 850 6.42 69.4 6.02 0.48 4.41 15.58 0.6 4.8 2.61 0.039 1.78 175 2.45 981 0.84 1.35 464 263 0.239 0.295

1 57 15.74 0.74 7 12.88 1.29 1.32 912 3.83 7.04 10.16 14 0.24 877 6.42 69.4 6.36 0.495 4.47 15.72 0.64 4.83 2.61 0.039 1.91 177.5 2.48 992.5 0.84 1.39 464 266.8 0.248 0.305

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

15.48 0.84 11 2.03 1.15 51.8 2.29 5.12 0.61 0.8 0.92 0.239 0.46 9.9 24.45 0.465 0.122 1.8 1.36 6.1 0.35 0.52 1.74 0.4

15.5 0.85 11 2.06 1.21 53 2.33 5.19 0.63 0.81 0.93 0.244 0.46 10 24.85 0.475 0.122 1.83 1.39 6.18 0.355 0.52 1.78 0.4

15.46 0.83 11 2 1.02 51.55 2.28 5.08 0.61 0.8 0.91 0.238 0.445 9.75 24.45 0.465 0.122 1.79 1.36 6.04 0.34 0.47 1.69 0.395

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

2.14 26.25 2.28 3.17 38.6 1.96 6.14 0.74 7.19

2.18 27.2 2.3 3.18 39.3 1.96 6.28 0.81 7.24

2.13 26.25 2.27 3.17 38.5 1.96 6.11 0.74 7.18

2.13 27 2.29 3.18 39.2 1.96 6.22 0.8 7.24

1,124,000 1,297,100 298,000 113,000 7,399,800 210,000 172,500 425,000 4,854,600

2,414,500 35,019,475 680,940 358,220 288,201,760 411,600 1,057,805 335,520 35,041,368

-107,640 16,172,350 8,334,475 -740 1,440,388

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

10.8 17.58 1.42 0.53 0.044 21.5 2.58 11.42 0.057 92.9 7 7.35 2.06 10.08 890 2,172 5.4 420 2.13 2 143.8 9.7 5.8 0.118 5.52 3.14 14.4 3.73 0.9 19.46 0.51 3.15 2.54 14.26 2.43 3 9.08 5.3 143 3.92 1,209 0.73 0.87 45.5 78.2 9.38 3.5 0.8 0.345 5.47 0.83 16.88

11.1 17.7 1.44 0.57 0.047 21.5 2.74 11.54 0.064 93.55 7 7.93 2.06 10.08 890 2,220 5.4 429 2.19 2 143.8 9.7 5.9 0.118 5.95 3.14 14.4 3.73 0.91 19.5 0.54 3.29 2.59 14.4 2.6 3.01 9.4 5.5 143 4.11 1,222 0.73 0.89 45.8 78.75 9.38 3.56 0.81 0.36 5.52 0.87 16.9

10.72 17.48 1.42 0.53 0.044 21.15 2.57 11.36 0.055 92.2 7 7.2 2.06 9.58 890 2,152 5.38 411.4 2.13 1.99 138.1 9.7 5.75 0.116 5.5 3.14 14.3 3.64 0.86 19.34 0.51 3.11 2.54 14.26 2.43 2.85 9.08 5.16 141 3.92 1,190 0.69 0.85 45.2 78 9.35 3.49 0.79 0.34 5.47 0.78 16.82

SERVICES 11.1 17.56 1.44 0.55 0.047 21.15 2.72 11.44 0.063 92.55 7 7.93 2.06 9.58 890 2,200 5.4 428.4 2.15 1.99 142.9 9.7 5.9 0.116 5.95 3.14 14.3 3.7 0.88 19.42 0.52 3.29 2.59 14.4 2.56 3 9.4 5.48 141 4.09 1,210 0.7 0.88 45.8 78.75 9.35 3.54 0.8 0.345 5.49 0.79 16.86

17,500 42,700 100,000 16,445,000 27,600,000 2,600 1,828,000 2,134,000 249,810,000 430,770 400 9,946,300 1,000 14,100 460 83,625 48,000 1,160 941,000 11,000 1,567,140 2,000 19,000 1,520,000 18,645,700 5,000 6,100 350,000 326,000 198,500 429,000 919,000 614,000 2,400 3,492,000 448,000 13,000 124,100 3,540 3,574,000 119,575 20,250,000 22,809,000 1,293,000 316,700 10,800 5,643,000 5,135,000 6,630,000 740,800 37,147,000 1,485,000

188,928 750,350 143,900 9,044,410 1,275,600 55,150 4,866,060 24,377,142 15,161,020 39,971,676.50 2,800 76,306,673 2,060 137,641 409,400 182,934,720 258,900 491,678 2,029,400 21,900 219,976,692 19,400 109,912 176,820 108,021,731 15,700 87,240 1,289,690 288,230 3,852,102 225,060 2,957,170 1,579,870 34,504 8,840,460 1,318,210 121,764 650,861 505,660 14,420,410 144,530,165 14,374,300 19,926,700 59,045,360 24,841,373.50 101,025 19,936,100 4,106,000 2,309,500 4,076,636 30,972,640 25,041,596

-22,260 -123,840 -23,500 76,160 -13,934,110 242,530 7,033,720 1,782,108 -373,800 6,934,940 21,600 -22,422,904 -9,316,334.00 -85,800 611,080 -24,920 1,247,720 32,400 -38,380 1,470,920 -17,380 -14,560 168,190 930,030.00 11,617,145 -6,412,380 -3,411,240 -32,323,135 19,858,716.50 4,501,650 2,437,770 -2,718,707 194,700 -7,736,898

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

0.0018 1.14 12.3 1.18 2.81 0.28 7.82 1.46 0.222 0.11 0.125 0.0075 1.25 2.17 1.04 0.56 0.85 0.012 0.012 0.011 4.69 3.43 7.71 23.15 0.0062

0.0018 1.16 12.3 1.22 2.84 0.28 7.9 1.46 0.222 0.111 0.125 0.0075 1.25 2.24 1.04 0.56 0.86 0.012 0.012 0.011 4.8 3.67 7.75 23.15 0.0062

0.0016 1.08 11.32 1.18 2.81 0.28 7.78 1.44 0.217 0.109 0.115 0.0075 1.16 2.17 1.03 0.56 0.84 0.012 0.012 0.01 4.69 3.43 7.6 22.3 0.0062

MINING & OIL 0.0018 356,000,000 1.1 3,992,000 12.1 5,100 1.22 12,000 2.84 80,000 0.28 210,000 7.8 2,200 1.46 438,000 0.219 240,000 0.11 250,000 0.122 190,000 0.0075 15,000,000 1.2 587,000 2.22 2,036,000 1.04 7,000 0.56 420,000 0.85 498,000 0.012 23,000,000 0.012 1,000,000 0.011 12,400,000 4.69 137,000 3.62 526,000 7.68 529,800 22.3 2,051,300 0.0062 2,000,000

608,600 4,425,120 60,146 14,440 226,540 58,800 17,221 635,600 52,240 27,450 22,540 112,500 708,130 4,501,360 7,260 235,200 421,650 276,000 12,000 133,100 644,460 1,863,290 4,060,930 46,108,425 12,400

68,000 -2,770,350.00 18,980 32,520 -2,500 -32,500 -2,572,790 0 -3,640 -165,952 -10,960 -

AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A PCOR PREF 2A PCOR PREF 3A PCOR PREF 3B PNX PREF 3B SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

490 490 5.46 960 939.5 96.85 993 1,010 1,012 107.5 980 75.15 76.5 74.85 74.5 73.5 72.5 73

490 490 5.46 990 945 96.9 993 1,010 1,012 107.5 990 75.2 76.85 74.95 74.9 73.5 73.85 74

490 490 5.46 960 939.5 96.85 990 1,000 1,010 107.5 975 75.15 76.1 74.85 74.5 73.5 71.1 73

PREFERRED 490 20 490 110 5.46 200 990 1,300 945 470 96.9 210 990 490 1,000 200 1,010 1,045 107.5 80 990 3,550 75.2 380 76.75 11,680 74.95 36,850 74.85 21,580 73.5 110 73.85 44,280 74 83,560

9,800 53,900 1,092 1,257,000 441,835 20,347 485,250 201,800 1,055,690 8,600 3,510,355 28,568.50 894,753 2,761,457.50 1,613,245 8,085 3,176,177 6,128,203

-333,000

LR WARRANT

1.86

1.86

1.83

WARRANTS 1.84 37,000

68,080

-

ITALPINAS XURPAS

4.9 1.05

5.1 1.1

4.9 1.05

5.03 1.09

1,992,330 4,798,060

-100,800 87,900

FIRST METRO ETF

120.8

122

120.2

1,001,252

-84,017

99,640

-

MS

PROPERTY 15.46 0.85 11 2.06 1.03 53 2.29 5.16 0.62 0.8 0.93 0.242 0.45 9.8 24.7 0.475 0.122 1.8 1.38 6.07 0.345 0.51 1.73 0.395

778,200 1,371,000 1,100 76,000 71,745,000 10,327,970 287,000 953,800 32,354,000 719,000 148,000 1,210,000 3,320,000 352,300 167,100 490,000 230,000 40,328,000 481,000 23,114,000 10,180,000 2,840,000 3,708,000 560,000

USD DMPL A1

10.36

TRADING SUMMARY

10.4

SHARES

FINANCIAL

13,095,504

INDUSTRIAL

72,183,265

HOLDING FIRMS

95,548,522

PROPERTY

222,389,399

SERVICES

443,401,057

MINING & OIL

421,635,982

GRAND TOTAL

1,273,106,883

10.36

SME

398,000 4,446,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 122 8,240 10.4

DDS

9,600

VALUE 1,766.18 (up) 30.53 1,234,566,669.52 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,853.80 (down) 40.91 1,299,739,556.09 HOLDING FIRMS 7,812.97 (up) 17.29 1,117,670,335.45 PROPERTY 4,438.50 (up) 95.32 SERVICES 1,687.90 (up) 13.93 1,296,480,557.22 MINING & OIL 7,397.69 (down) 19.15 1,072,326,182.38 PSEI 8,154.49 (up) 76.28 65,258,748.92 All Shares Index 4,957.97 (up) 35.80 6,093,839,024.58 Gainers: 124; Losers: 74; Unchanged: 49; Total: 247

Holcim says Davao plant expansion completed

By Jenniffer B. Austria HOLCIM Philippines Inc., one the leading cement producers in the country, said it completed the P2.7-billion the expansion of its Davao facility that will boost the plant’s annual production to 2.2 million MT. HPI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Thursday the expansion involved the activation of a finish mill and installation of a new pipe for loading cement to the silos from the pier ecohoppers to improve dust emissions, and an overhead crane.

Cold commissioning started in April while full production began on June 20.

The improvements will add 700,000 metric tons to the annual cement production of the plant.

The expansion forms part of the company’s overall plan to raise the group’s total output to 12 million MT by 2020 and improve operations to better support the positive growth of Mindanao.

The company in March launched in Davao City its new blended cement product Solido, which is designed to outperform Ordinary Portland Cement in terms of strength and durability for infrastructure applications.

To improve technical services to partners taking on infrastructure projects, Holcim opened last year in Davao its first construction laboratory outside Metro Manila.

“Our company is determined to continue supporting the development of Davao and the rest of Mindanao.

These initiatives strengthen our ability to contribute to the progress of the region at this time of robust growth,” said HPI president and chief executive John Stull.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed the Davao Region was among the country’s top performing economies, with an average growth of 9.6 percent from 2016 to 2018 compared with the national expansion rate of 6.6 percent during the same period.

“The strong economic expansion of the region and the entire Mindanao is seen to continue as the government steps up investments in infrastructure to spur development,” HPI said.

PSBank’s bond issue raises P6.3b on strong demand

By Julito G. Rada PHILIPPINE Savings Bank, the thrift banking unit of the Metrobank Group, said Thursday it raised P6.3 billion in an oversubscribed fixed-rate bond offering due to strong demand from investors.

PSBank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it decided to cut short the offer period for the maiden peso fixed-rate bond issuance to July 5, 2019 from July 17.

The bank raised P6.3 billion from the offering compared with the planned initial target issue size of P3 billion. The two-year peso fixed rate bonds were priced at 5.6 percent per annum with quarterly interest payments.

The bonds will be listed in Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. on July 24, 2019.

“We were overwhelmed by the market reception to our bond offering with strong interest from both institutional accounts and retail investors. In just five days, the total order book was four times oversubscribed allowing us to significantly upsize the transaction to P6.3 billion,” said PSBank president Jose Vicente Alde in a statement.

“This is solid proof of the trust placed in PSBank as an institution as well as the confidence of the market in the various business initiatives we have been undertaking to further the growth of the Bank,” he said.

The first tranche of the issuance was part of PSBank’s P40-billion funding program. The issue will give the bank an opportunity to gain access to longterm funding as it expands its consumer banking business. It also seeks to diversify its funding base.

Parties to the bond offering were Standard Chartered Bank as sole arranger and selling agent; Metrobank and First Metro Investment Corp. as other selling agents; Philippine Dealing and Trust Corp. as registry and paying agent of the issuance; Picazo Buyco Tan Fider and Santos as transaction counsel; and Development Bank of the Philippines as trustee.

World

B3

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Japan-South Korea trade spat threatens global tech market

EXHIBITION. Japanese neo-pop artist Mr. poses during a photo session as part of his exhibition ‘A Call to Action’ at the Musee Guimet in Paris on July 10, 2019. The exhibition ‘A Call to Action’ will take place from July 11 until September 23, 2019. AFP

SEOUL―A simmering diplomatic row with Japan is threatening South Korea’s output of components that drive smartphones and computer displays, which analysts say could batter the global tech market and hike prices for consumers.

Tokyo last week said it would restrict the exports of three chemicals vital to South Korea’s world-leading chip and smartphone industry in an escalation of a decades-long dispute over Japanese forced labor during World War II. And with the issue showing no sign of ending any time soon, there are worries it could also delay the roll-out of 5G technology and futuristic folding screens.

“If this situation persists, there may be reductions in production, which will drive up memory [chip] prices and certainly drive up end-product prices in turn,” said Avril Wu, senior research director at Taipei-based market intelligence firm TrendForce.

While South Korea holds stockpiles, shortages could set in after three months, she told AFP.

Mainlanders joining HK protest H ONG KONG― As Hong Kong is rocked by political chaos, Chinese mainlander Briony Lin has found herself joining the mass protests, an act that would be unthinkable under the authoritarian regime back home.

The huge rallies and clashes coursing through the international finance hub are the latest outburst of anger by Hong Kongers who believe Beijing is stamping down on the city’s unique freedoms and culture.

But for the hundreds of thousands of Chinese mainlanders who make the city their home, the movement sparks mixed emotions.

Some strongly disagree with the protests, which were set off by a now-suspended plan to allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland.

Many have sympathies with the movement, but keep it to themselves―fearful of retribution by Chinese authorities, or being made to feel unwelcome by local protesters.

A small number of people, like Lin, have taken to the streets.

“This is the first social movement that I’ve experienced,” said the 27-year-old, who moved to Hong Kong four years ago from a city in northern China.

“Hong Kong is the only place in Chi- punishment on their return to the mainna where freedom of speech can be ex- land should authorities deem them to be ercised... I want to be there for my own Manilacritical of Beijing.

Standard rights and be there to see for myself Lin said she was indifferent to politics TODAY what the protests are like,” she told AFP. before she moved to the city.

Lin said she was happy to give her But the disappearance of five Hong name and, unlike many, eschewed wear- Kong booksellers into Chinese maining a mask at the rallies―although she land custody―and discovering more has stayed clear of the more violent con- about the Cultural Revolution on its frontations.

50th anniversary―changed that.

Some one million mainlanders have “If the [extradition] bill is passed, migrated to Hong Kong since its 1997 the disappearance of booksellers would handover to China, a diaspora that is it- happen again within the law,” she said. self a source of friction in a city of 7.3 Not all share Lin’s bravado. million beset by sky-high property pricIn China the protests have been pores and a huge housing shortage. trayed as a violent, foreign-funded plot, Inside Hong Kong they are afforded not a mass movement against Beijing’s the same free speech protections as any increased influence over the semi-auother inhabitant, but they risk censure or tonomous hub. AFP

IN BRIEF 56 fighters killed in Syria

BEIRUT―Regime and jihadist-led forces were locked in clashes Thursday on the edge of an opposition bastion in northwest Syria after a jihadist-led advance that killed 56 fighters overnight, a war monitor said.

Russian and regime aircraft have ramped up their deadly bombardment of the Idlib region-administered by Syria’s former Al-Qaeda affiliate Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, and home to some three million people―since late April, despite a months-old international truce deal.

Clashes have also raged on the edges of the region, including in the north of Hama province.

Late Wednesday, HTS and allied rebels took control of Hamameyat village and hilltop, in clashes that killed 32 regime fighters and 24 fighters within the insurgents’ own ranks, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

“The fighting is ongoing as regime planes and artillery pound the area,” the head of the Britain-based monitor Rami Abdel Rahman said on Thursday morning.

HTS spokesman Abu Khaled alShami said the jihadist and rebel fighters attacked after dark, taking control of the “heavily fortified” hill from fighters loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

Naji Mustafa, a spokesman for the allied National Liberation Front rebel grouping, said: “The hill is very strategic because it overlooks... supply routes to enemy forces.”AFP

ONSTAGE.

Sandra Bullock speaks onstage during The 2019 ESPYs at Microsoft Theater on July 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Six tourists killed in storms in Greece

THESSALONIKI―Fierce storms have killed six tourists and injured dozens of people in northern Greece, authorities said on Thursday.

Strong winds and hail hit the popular tourist Halkidiki region, near the city of Thessaloniki, late on Wednesday.

Television footage showed overturned cars, fallen trees, torn roofs and mudslides.

The freak storm only lasted about 20 minutes, according to witnesses interviewed by state television ERT. “It was an unprecedented phenomenon,” said Charalambos Steriadis, head of civil protection in northern Greece.

“Six tourists were killed and at least 30 people were injured during this cyclone,” Steriadis said.

Officials have declared a state of emergency.

The storm overturned and ripped open a caravan occupied by a Czech family on a local beach, killing an elderly couple and injuring their son and grandson.

Elsewhere in the region, a Russian man and his son were killed by a falling tree.

A woman from Romania and her child died when the roof of a tavern caved in, police said, while dozens of people were dining.

“I want to express my sorrow on behalf of all... We mourn for the loss of these souls,” said Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrisochoidis, who is overseeing operations in the area. AFP

US to probe alleged abuse of migrant children by agents LOS ANGELES―US authorities said Wednesday they are investigating allegations of abuse of migrant children by border agents, including the groping of a Honduran teenage girl, at a facility near the southern border with Mexico.

The allegations were reported by NBC News, which cited official reports of the incidents―including the children’s accounts―at a Customs and Border Protection facility in Yuma, Arizona, where the migrants were held.

One incident involved a 15-year-old girl from Honduras, who alleged that a border agent put his hand inside her bra, then pulled down her underwear and groped her in front of other migrants and officials during what NBC News said should have been a routine pat-down.

The girl said in her account that “she felt embarrassed as the officer was speaking in English to other officers and laughing,” NBC reported.

The US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP), which has faced severe criticism over its treatment of detained migrants, said it takes “all allegations seriously and investigate all formal complaints.”

CBP “treats those in our custody with dignity and respect and provides multiple avenues to report any allegations of misconduct,” a spokesman for the agency said in a statement.

“The allegations do not align with common practice at our

South Korean President Moon Jaein has called the situation an “unprecedented emergency” and told business leaders to prepare for a drawn-out crisis.

On Thursday, the country’s ruling party called for an extra budget of 300 billion won ($250 million) to help local firms survive the upheaval, more than double what the prime minister had asked for a day earlier.

With Japan so far refusing to negotiate, the news is bleak for top market players Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

The two firms supply tech titans Apple, Huawei and Amazon, and together account for almost two-thirds of the world chip market, according to the Hana Institute of Finance in Seoul.

“South Korea is the world leader when it comes to chip-making, and Japan is the world leader in the manufacturing of the key materials for chipmaking,” said Ahn Ki-hyun, vicepresident of the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association. AFP

Tycoon helps thousands of desperate Venezuelans SAO PAULO―Brazilian tycoon Carlos Wizard Martins has never set foot in Venezuela. But the Mormon businessman is on a mission from God to help thousands of desperate migrants crossing the border to restart their lives.

At 62 and nearing retirement from businesses including Taco Bell and Mundo Verde that have turned him into a self-described billionaire, Martins is living on the Brazil-Venezuela border where he runs a volunteer network assisting migrants settle in other parts of Brazil.

“I often feel like an employee in a call center,” Martins tells AFP during a recent business trip to Sao Paulo, smiling as he shows the WhatsApp chat group he uses to coordinate with other volunteers.

Martins and his wife arrived in Boa Vista, the capital of Roraima state, in August 2018 on a mission from the Mormon Church to help Venezuelan migrants start over in Brazil.

So far, Martins and his team have helped relocate 3,000 migrants from Roraima to other states offering more job opportunities.

“We did it without spending a cent,” he says.

A similar government-run program has helped more than 8,700 migrants since February 2018.

Like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, Martins studies the profile of new arrivals to match them with the most suitable location in Brazil.

Migrants receive assistance such as food, clothing and a place to stay until they find work. In 90 percent of cases this happens within two months, he says.

The eldest of seven children of a driver and a seamstress, Martins knows what it is like to arrive in another country with nothing -- at 17 he went to live in the United States for two years.

He says he is often criticized for helping Venezuelan migrants instead of impoverished Brazilians.

To critics he says: “You can’t lose perspective. The poor have always existed and will always exist, but a refugee arriving here with only the clothes on their back, it’s a situation of high vulnerability.”

More than 120,000 Venezuelan migrants are estimated to be living in Brazil. Many more have crossed the border and moved to other countries since 2016 when Venezuela’s economic crisis deepened.

The influx has transformed Pacaraima and Boa Vista, AFFIDAVIT OF SELFwhich are the ADJUDICATION BY nearest cities to THE SOLE HEIR TO THE ESTATE OF PATRICIO the border and L. DE DIOS have a combined popula- Notice is hereby given the estate of the late tion of nearly that PATRICIO L. DE DIOS was 300,000. Some self-adjudicated by his sole as per Doc. No. 245; 7,000 migrants heir Page 9; Book III; Series are staying in 13 of 2018 of the Notarial shelters, while Register of Atty. Edgar V. Osting, Notary Public for thousands more and in Teresa, Morong, sleep on the Baras, Tanay and Pililla, Prov. of Rizal. street. AFP

facilities and will be fully investigated.”

The spokesman added that the sexual assault allegation is already being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security.

The reports obtained by NBC News also included an account by a 16-year-old boy from Guatemala who said that after he and other detainees complained about the taste of the water and food, agents took away sleeping mats and forced them to sleep on the hard floor in retaliation.

Another teenager’s account involved border agents scolding detainees whenever they came close to a window.

There has been a public outNOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF EWP PHILIPPINES CORPORATION cry in recent months over the conditions at detention facilities Notice is hereby given that the Amended Articles of Incorporation of EWP Philippines Corporation (the “Corporation”), shortening the term of its existence where migrants are held, and and thereby dissolving the Corporation as of 15 October 2016 and a Balance there is fierce debate in ConSheet showing that no creditors thereof will be affected by such dissolution, will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All persons having gress on how to address the criclaims against the Corporation are requested to present the same at its sis. principal office at V&A Law Center, 11th Avenue corner 39th Street, Bonifacio Triangle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila, Metro Manila, for Border officials, who have immediate settlement. been defended by President DonThis announcement will serve as a notice to all parties concerned of the ald Trump, say they are overlegal dissolution of the Corporation. whelmed by the surging numbers Taguig City, Philippines. 27th June 2019. of refugees crossing the southern US border. AFP (MS-JULY 5, 12 & 19, 2019)

(MS-JUNE 28, JULY 5 & 12, 2019)

LGUs

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

B4

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Aid coming, Joy vows to QC fire victims’ families

By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Thursday met with 141 families from four barangays affected by fire incidents that occurred from January to March.

She reassured the victims from barangays Sauyo, Pag-asa, North Fairview and Payatas the city government would extend cash assistance “that was not given to them by the previous administration.”

“To all the fire victims, we will be releasing our financial assistance this week,” Belmonte said.

Following a fire incident, the city government would now release its assistance within three to five days, she said.

“I have been getting the sentiments of the fire victims that with the long overdue of help form the city government, they were forced to borrow money. The released cash aid just goes to the payment of their loans but usually, the assistance is not enough to cover their loans. This is what we would want to avoid,” Belmonte said.

On July 1, a fire gutted an area in Barangay Bahay Toro, leaving 57 families homeless. But as promised, Belmonte personally distributed the assistance to the victims just after four days.

Meanwhile, Councilor Winston “Winnie” Castelo told QC residents to “be prepared for bold and sweeping reforms in the days to come.”

While other mayors in the metropolis have been grabbing the headlines, Castelo said in a statement Mayor Belmonte chooses to be “just a silent worker as she’s not engrossed in fanfare.”

Unknown to many, Belmonte wants to organize and clean her house first before making changes, the former QC congressman said.

Police to probe blast at Korean resto on Timog

THE Quezon City Police has ordered a probe of an explosion near a Korean restaurant shortly after midnight Thursday.

QC Police Chief Supt. Joselito Esquivel Jr. said investigators are now gathering information into the motive behind the explosion.

He encouraged the public to report any information regarding the incident by using the Philippine National Police hotlines -- Isumbong Mo Kay Oca (09178475757); Isend Mo Sa Team NCRPO (09158888181 or 09999018181) and QCPD DD’S Tipline (09178611870).

Operatives of Police Station 10 in Kamuning received a telephone call from a concerned citizen on an alleged hand grenade explosion at about 12:40 a.m.

Thursday in front of the Korean restaurant along Scout Tuazon Street corner Timog Avenue in Barangay South Triangle.

Police immediately responded and relayed the information to Explosive Ordnance Disposal and K-9 teams. Investigators recovered one safety lever, one striker spring, and fragments from the body of a MK-2 fragmentation hand grenade. No one was reported hurt.

According to Esquivel, a witness said he heard a loud explosion, and when he came out to verify it, he saw an unidentified male wearing a black T-shirt and ball cap casually walking along Scout Tuazon toward Scout Madriñan. Rio N. Araja

ENVIRONMENT CHALLENGE.

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. recently joined the Global Toyota Environment Month through a series of activities aligned with the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, which focuses on achieving zero carbon footprint from new vehicles, life cycle and manufacturing operations, and creating a net positive impact to society. Pictured are TMP team members and representatives from the Toyota Suppliers Club planting 200 trees inside the 11-hectare Toyota Forest at the Toyota Special Economic Zone in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

CROWD DRAWER. Travel Madness, an annual four-day travel and trade fair event held at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, recently drew thousands of visitors looking for the lowest bargains and limited offers to both local and international destinations. Organized by Travel Innovators Inc., it features airlines, hotels, resorts, national tourism associations, and its allied enterprises. In photo at the opening ceremony are TII officials Raymond Tee (second from left) and Vice President Maria Paz Alberto joining the event’s major sponsors, Philippine National Bank president and CEO Wick Veloso (left) and Jaime Bautista, former Philippines Airlines president and CEO.

Isko: P1-m reward up for Binondo bank heist

By Vito Barcelo

M

ANILA Mayor Francisco Domagoso has offered a P1million reward for the capture of seven suspects that robbed a Metrobank branch in the Binondo district Thursday morning.

According to a report from the Manila Police District, the Metrobank branch along Sto. Cristo Street corner C.M. Recto Avenue was robbed at around 8:40 a.m. or shortly before its opening hours.

Apart from offering the reward, Moreno urged the public to come forward if they can identify any of the suspects.

“I am now offering P1 million for the arrest of at least seven suspects who also

took away the CCTV of the bank. But as per information, the Manila Police District have already secured a copy of the CCTV from the barangay,” the mayor said.

“To those individuals who are watching, whoever knows and who will know and who can give us information to capture the criminals, I will give you a P1 million reward,” he said.

Police investigators said the suspects tied down the bank’s security guards,

tellers and other employees.

The report said two of the suspects were wearing security guard uniforms, while another was in a Grab uniform.

The suspects herded the bank workers inside a room. No one was hurt, police said.

Domagoso said police were still determining how much money was stolen.

Manila Police District chief Police Col. Vicente Danao said the police were only able to enter the bank two hours after they arrived at the scene because the bank’s branch head stopped them.

Because police were not allowed to enter the bank right away, Moreno suspected the robbery was an inside job.

The mayor warned the branch head and the bank’s chief of security they will be held liable if it is found that there was abuse on their part.

NEW OFFICES. Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez, Anchor Land Holdings Inc. chairman Stephen Lee and vice chairman and CEO Steve Li lead the ceremonial groundbreaking Wednesday of the P2.7-billion three-tower commercial mixedused buildings. One of them will serve as the Parañaque City government’s satellite office, located at the Pagcor Entertainment City along Coastal Road. ALHI which will finance and construct the complex as no cost to the city.

About 2,434 square meters of land will be devoted to the nine-story satellite office, which will have four floors with 4,884 square meters of space for the city government and five floors with 6,785 square meters of space for lease.

Tiangco pushes for LRT extension to Navotas

By Jun David

NAVOTAS lone district Rep. John Reynald Tiangco has filed a bill seeking the extension of the Manila Light Railway Transit System Line 1 from Monumento, Caloocan to Navotas.

In House Bill 876, Tiangco noted that the measure would bring Navoteños more

employment opportunities to other parts of Metro Manila or draw residents from other cities to find work in Navotas.

“Thousands of buyers visit the port daily. Thousands more come and go for work at the port and its surrounding establishments and facilities, or for other business activities,” he said.

“It is important that we have a mass

transport system that would make it easier for residents and non-residents alike to travel to and from Navotas, especially the fish port complex,” Tiangco added.

Navotas is home to the premier fish center of the Philippines and the largest fish port complex in Southeast Asia, where the largest commercial fishing vessels call port and unload a total volume of at least 300 tons.

IN BRIEF NV mine firm FCF sponsors 9 scholars QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya—Mine firm FCF Minerals Corp. based here will be sending another batch of nine college students to various universities through a scholarship program.

Ian Moller, FCF Minerals’ general manager for Sustainability, said the new batch of scholars will be pursuing their courses under the firm’s Social Development and Management Program.

“This will be made through consultations with and endorsements from the provincial government and town mayors concerned. The scholars will be taking up courses required under the SDMP scholarship program,” he said in a press conference.

According to Moller, the new batch of scholars will come from Aritao, Quezon, Bayombong, Kasibu and Solano and will be sent to Adamson University in Metro Manila and St. Louis University in Baguio City. Ben Moses Ebreo

JCI Olongapo inks twin pact with JCI Tikapur OLONGAPO CITY—The Junior Chamber International (JCI) Olongapo has signed a sisterhood pact with JCI Tikapur, a local chapter in Nepal.

“With the agreement, the two local chapters commit to building strong ties and international collaboration by fostering understanding beyond national, cultural and linguistic barriers,” said JCI Olongapo president Jason Gavina.

The twinning ceremony was held during the recent JCI Asia Pacific Conference in Jeju, South Korea.

Butch Gunio

Cavite holds Hemophilia Awareness Symposium MEDICAL practitioners in Cavite convened at the Cavite Collaboration Center for Public Health Auditorium in Trece Martires City on Tuesday for the first Hemophilia Awareness Symposium in the province.

Attending were city and municipal health officers, doctors and dentists from public hospitals, nurses from the rural health units, members of the PWD federation, employees of the provincial government mainly from the Provincial Health Office, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, Provincial Information and Community Affairs Department, and some members of the Hemophilia Advocates Philippines. Benjamin Chavez

SM Foundation holds Youth Camp 2019

NASUGBU, Batangas—The annual Youth Camp sponsored by SM Foundation was a twoday event of fun and learning held at the Bulihan Elementary School in this city.

In attendance were 111 youth campers with 29 participants from Barangay Bulihan; 14 from Barangay Calayo, 37 from Barangay Papaya, and 31 from Barangay Looc.

The participants were divided into six groups with five facilitators per group. The facilitators included one senior facilitator from the SM Group, Costa Del Hamilo, Inc., MSDC and Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club; two junior facilitators from 2018’s youth camp; and two Bulihan Elementary School teachers.

Serving as room marshals and peace and

order committee members were six volunteer teachers of Bulihan.

Looc National High School teachers Sarah Derain and Alex Cloma, and Messrs. Ron Cloma and Bryan Hernandez were among the resource persons.

Also present during the youth camp to extend their support were Mary Grace Farmorcan, MSDC Community Relation Coordinator; Nasugbu East Public School District Supervisor Gregorio Meneses; Bulihan Elementary School Principal Marrie Vic Ularte; GT Exconde and Jovic Sabido of Costal Del Hamilo, Inc., HR Director of Pico De Loro Beach and Country Club Jon Padilla; and Bulihan Barangay Captain Edwin Botobara.

Life

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

CULTURE AND MEDIA

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019

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UNIVERSITY BELT'S BEST-KEPT SECRET. Around the area of the Nicanor Reyes building exists manicured gardens and shady decades-old trees, and, more notably, green spaces where a large ensemble of free-ranging sculptures by National Artist for Visual Arts Vicente Manansala.

By Diana B. Noche

T

HE Manila Metropolitan Theater in Manila has been a symbol of craftsmanship that has stood the progression of time and has remained ageless despite the nicks and scurf around it.

There is an airiness to the contours of the building, a freshness of its appearance despite the patina of time and the many failed efforts at conservation. The style is one that is highly recognizable, a bit flamboyant, perhaps, when viewed today, but the extraordinary details inside the theater and its precise workmanship are what give the Met its irresistible lure and historical importance.

Art Deco, alternately referred to as Deco or Moderne, is a style of visual art, architecture, and design that flourished initially in France in the 1920s, before World War I, and has since developed into a prominent art style in Western Europe and the USA in the 1930s.

Art Deco, whose name derived from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris in 1925, was born from an aesthetic which aimed to induce a sense of sleekness and nonchalant elegance evocative of a charmed life and era, its wealth and sophistication—an art style that defied the Baroque, Classical, and Impressionistic genres.

Its designs—a mix of everyday elements carried out to glamorous details and subtle refinements—live on, intriguing the eyes and pleasuring the psyche. Its style is described as planar, unpretentious, simple and clean-shaped, symmetrical, and “streamlined” configurations (almost geometrical) with stylized flowers, foliage, animals, and distinctive sunrays like that on the steel spire of the Chrysler Building in the USA. To trace the course of Art Deco movements is to journey to an era that extends back over a century of art history and the remarkable evidence of its flourish where the artists’ whims and fantasies have turned into enduring oeuvre despite the influence of related art movements such as Art Nouveau, Mid-century Modern Modernism, Bauhaus, Abstracts, and Cubism.

The anti-traditional elegance of Art Deco Buildings like the Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building in the US, furniture pieces by Jacques Ruhlmann and Maurice Dufrêne, jewelry by René Lalique, fashion by Erté, architectural designs by Eliel Saarinen, cars, movie theaters, locomotives, ocean liners, radios, vacuum cleaners, and miscellaneous machines continue to generate affectional attention and nostalgia.

Art Deco artists Tamara de Lempicka, Gustave Miklos, Bruno Zach, Eugene Savage, Louis Icart, and Ernesto Tamaris have been great inspirations to succeeding craftsmen.

In the Philippines, the Art Deco style had an enormous influence especially in the structural designs during the American colonization period.

A well-marked dissimilarity in the European-inspired Bahay Kastila vis-

à-vis the more modern and depictive approach to rendering architectural design and form brought over by the Americans can be seen in the building structures. The new style, an innovation on the old architecture, quickly gained acceptance from the conservatives who saw a new kind of freshness in the simple, uncluttered building facades.

Avenida Rizal and Quezon Boulevard were the early notable thoroughfares where a line of Art Deco structures were built and where commerce and entertainment centralized. Movie houses were the only few places where people converged—Gaiety Theater and Capitol Theater by Juan Nakpil, and the Bellevue Theater (architect unknown).

Other buildings were the Manila Jai Alai building by Welton Becket, the First United building in Binondo by

Andres Luna de San Pedro, the Quiapo Church, the University of Santo Tomas seminary building by Fernando Ocampo, the Rizal Memorial Coliseum and the Manila Metropolitan Theater by Juan Arellano, the Iglesia ni Cristo in San Juan City by Juan Nakpil, and the Far Eastern University building by Pablo S. Antonio.

Unfortunately, the years have not been kind to some of these works of art. Avenida Rizal and Quezon Boulevard lost their luster, and the movie theaters became the venues for mass-produced schlock and fast food outlets. Where Art Deco buildings once stood, (e.g. the Torre de Manila structure’s wrecking ball flattening the Manila Jai Alai building) modern highrises now towered.

Mercifully, unlike the Met’s uncertain fate of finally, finally dressing up to its

old Grand Lady glory (it is currently undergoing another refurbishing and might see the day when the political wind stops being fanciful), there still survives beautifully the FEU building, known also as the “best-kept secret” around the University Belt, and one of the five Art Deco buildings designed by National Artist for Architecture Pablo S. Ocampo.

And happily, too, especially around the area of the Nicanor Reyes building, the oldest in the campus, there also exists a context designed for future growth: manicured gardens and shady decades-old trees, green spaces where a large ensemble of free-ranging sculptures by National Artist for Visual Arts Vicente Manansala is prominently installed, and buildings that would later be esteemed as prudential legacies of a notable time—places that still look, feel, and smell like a classic memory, thick with the souls of past generations of alumni who passed through their halls.

A tour of the FEU building—organized by WalkwithChan (with tour leader Lawrence Chan) the FEU President’s Committee for Arts and Culture, the Heritage Advocates, and the Royal Postage Heritage Tour—would include an informative trip inside the administration building, built in 1928 and designed

by Antonio, which houses a great stack of things from the past such as four murals by National Artist for Visual Arts Carlos “Botong” Francisco, the largest Art Deco mural in the Philippines by Antonio Dumlao, a triptych of a Sarimanok in stained glass by Dumlao, four bas-relief works by Francesco Monti, some Amorsolos, and elsewhere, works on the international styles of architecture and other works by Filipino National Artists.

So much of the modern art is fixated on social outrage and misaligned senses.

Art Deco’s ability to declutter the renderings of the previous art movements resulted in works that are particularly elegant and celebratory, a calm clarity of ideas.

It is the fate of art to circulate, reconstruct, and re-invent itself because the vitalities of cultural periods are ephemeral and do not last forever. Art Deco is an old aesthetic that has survived because the world continuously needs a happy relaxation from a simpler appreciation of man’s differences.

The Metropolitan Theater in Manila, an enduring Art Deco building in the country, is noted for its fresh appearance despite the patina of time and the many failed efforts at its conservation.

Photos by Diana B. Noche

Gavel&Block holds benefit auction

Ramon Orlina's untitled glass sculpture with plastic base.

SALCEDO Auctions’ subsidiary brand Gavel&Block, in partnership with IWantToShare Foundation, will mount a special benefit auction on July 20 to raise funds for children suffering from cancer.

The benefit auction is a special annual event established by Salcedo Auctions in 2017 to raise funds and bring awareness to chosen organizations that make a strong civic impact on Philippine society.

Since 2016, the IWantToShare Foundation has worked with the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Department of Philippine General Hospital to fund the medical needs of children with cancer.

“This auction hopes to provide the means to raise both funds and awareness for a most worthy cause, and also to remind collectors of the transformative and life-changing powers of the arts,” enthuses Salcedo Auctions director Richie Lerma.

A special preview event for the auction pieces will be held on July 13 at the auction house’s new flagship headquarters at NEX Tower, 6786 Ayala Avenue.

Guests will get to see the pieces on offer as well as interact with the child beneficiaries of PGH through a special art therapy session and program.

Starting July 14 until the auction on July 20 at 2:00 p.m., works from both contemporary and Philippine masters, as well as fine jewelry and

watches will be on display.

Auction highlights include an untitled watercolor

by Vicente Manansala, a Ramon Orlina glass sculpture with plastic base, “Search Search Mindscape: Redoing Climate Change” by Justin Nuyda, “Close to Shore” by Juvenal Sansó, an untitled and undated oil on canvas painting by Fernan-do Zóbel, and two BenCab artworks, to name a few.

Gavel&Block features both established artists and emerging talent in a wider spectrum of mediums.

'Crucifix,' a brass sculpture by Eduardo Castrillo.

A BenCab painting, one of the highlights in Gavel&Block's benefit auction.

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Entertainment

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019

nickie.standard@gmail.com

P

CCP holds 1st Manila Int’l Performing Arts Summit

HILIPPINE alternative rock legend and songwriting ace Rico Blanco recently assigned some his bestknown songs to Viva Music Publishing. His hit songs including “Liwanag sa Dilim,” “Your Universe,” “Wag Mong Aminin,” and “Antukin,” to name a few are now under the music publishing company’s care.

Rico Blanco is acknowledged in the record industry as one of the biggest songwriters of his generation. His songs have been some of the most played and most-covered during his active days with Rivermaya.

Until today the tunes that he wrote in the mid to late ‘90s and early aughts are still being re-discovered by a new generation.

For instance, “241” – a song he wrote when he was still with Rivermaya – was one of the major driving songs for the hit movie 100 Tula Para Kay Stella when it was re-recorded by Janine Tenoso and was used in the film’s official soundtrack.

Blanco’s “Ulan” and “Balisong,” on the other hand, have found its way into recently released films as accompanying theme songs.

Viva Music Publishing, Inc. will, in effect, be the music manager of Blanco’s catalog for the next several years. Alex Camurungan, Publishing and Digital Music Manager for VMPi said: “We are excited at the many possibilities that having Rico Blanco’s songs give us.

We’ll make sure that each song is taken care of and used in creative ways.”

As one of Vic Del Rosario’s companies, Viva Music Publishing, Inc. gets first dibs in suggesting songs to every movie that Viva Films produces and distributes. VMPi assured that Rico Blanco’s considerable song catalog will definitely find its way into the movies.

More likely re-recorded by Boss Vic’s roster of talented singers and bands.

FACP Chairperson Masami Shigeta Artist Rico Blanco with Viva head honcho Vic del Rosario (left)

RICO BLANCO

assigns hits to Viva Music Publishing Jon Lucas

leaves Star Magic, joins Artist Center

Ex-Hashtags member and Star Magic talent Jon Lucas is now a certified Kapuso

ACTOR and performer Jon Lucas received a warm Kapuso welcome as he officially inked a contract with GMA Artist Center on July 2.

Jon is grateful and excited to be finally part of the GMA family, “Napakahalaga sa’kin ng chance na ito, ang dami kong hinintay at hiniling, kaya ibibigay ko talaga ‘yung best ko rito.”

For Jon’s first project as a Kapuso, he will be joining the stellar cast of the upcoming Filipino adaptation of the Korean series Descendants of the Sun headlined by Dingdong Dantestogether with Jasmine Curtis-Smith, and Rocco Nacino, to name a few.

He is already preparing for his character as Staff Sergeant Benjo Tamayo a.k.a. Harry Potter, “We are doing some training right now.

It’s not an easy training so I’m giving all my best especially that I’m working with big stars in this new project.”

Meanwhile, GMA Senior Assistant Vice President for Alternative Productions Gigi Santiago-Lara is happy to welcome Jon into GMA’s roster of stars, “We are always on the lookout for talented artists that’s why we are pleased to welcome Jon to the GMA family.

We look forward to showcasing his versatility and to honing more of what he has to offer.”

Apart from Santiago-Lara, present in the contract signing were Senior Talent Manager Daryl Zamora, and Jon’s comanager Katrina Aguila.

DIGITAL MEDIA

Go cashless with GoSAKTO90 CASHLESS shopping just got extra fun with free P50 from GCash, which is endorsed by Alex Gonzaga, when you load GoSAKTO90.

Subscribe to GoSAKTO90 and get P50 QR voucher that you can use in more than 50,000 GCash partner merchants for all your needs, whether it’s grocery, medicines or personal shopping.

Is the weather making you want to take refuge in a quiet café and enjoy a cup of hot choco or barako brew? Then take a corner seat at Figaro, where you can use your QR voucher, and relish some metime.

Care for some pampering? Flawless has a menu of services to make you feel brand new. Use your P50 voucher for a discount on facial treatments and come out looking picture-ready. Great Image can capture that perfect glow, and the good thing is, you can use your GCash voucher here, too.

To get your free P50 QR voucher, just purchase

GoSAKTO90 from GCash or any loading channels, and you will receive a prompt from 8080. Reply “GOSAKTO90 GCASH” to choose the GCash freebie and claim your voucher on the voucher pocket of the GCash App. Use your P50 QR voucher within 14 days, and keep loading GoSAKTO90 to stock up on freebies. You can also get 5 percent rebate every time you buy load using your GCash app. You can do this every week.

For non-GCash subscriber, download the GCash app, register, and find the voucher on the voucher pocket. GoSAKTO90 + Free P50 Voucher can also be accessed by dialing *143# and selecting GoSAKT090 or by texting GOSAKTO90 to 8080.

This is open to all Globe Prepaid and TM subscribers. The P50 freebie is also available when you subscribe to GoSAKTO120 and up or GoSURF/EasySURF299 and up. For more updates and promos, go https://www.gcash.com/promos/.

Alex Gonzaga with GCash officers

THE Cultural Center of the Philippines will host the first Manila International Performing Arts Summit (MIPAS) on Sept. 19 to 22.

Bringing together the arts and business sectors from Asia Pacific and other parts of the world, the multi-platform summit aims to leverage excellent performing arts productions and talents in the Philippines and the Asia Pacific Region, as well as raise awareness and broaden the market internationally.

Under the summit, there will be three flagship events–the Federation of Asian Cultural Promotions (FACP) Conference; the Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Centre (AAPPAC) Conference and the Manila International Performing Arts Market (MIPAM) + CREATE Philippines.

From Sept. 19 to 20, the FACP Conference gathers content providers and art stakeholders from the Asian region. Established in 1981, FACP aims to promote intra-Asian cultural exchanges and facilitate international touring of artists.

This conference provides a platform for the members of FACP to exchange ideas and discuss issues concerning the entertainment and arts industries in the Asia-Pacific region. It is also a way to forge greater cooperation among members.

Meanwhile, the MIPAM + CREATE Philippines, a global platform for performances and business-to-business exchanges, will take place on on Sept. 19 to 21.

In partnership with DTI-CITEM, the platform invites international performing groups and festival organizers, as well as local and international promoters, producers and agents from FACP, AAPPAC and CREATE Philippines.

On Sept. 20 to 22, the AAPPAC Conference gathers management executives and presenters from leading performing arts venues in the Asia Pacific region to chart out strategies fostering greater public appreciation and demand for the performing arts.

Resource speakers and panelists, who are experts in their fields, will discuss topics such as cultural diplomacy, arts philanthropy, smart technology, partnerships between the academe and the performing arts centers, the rise of small, independent performing arts spaces and the rise of arts and culture districts and how it enlivens city economies during the three-day conference.

The MIPAS is made possible through the partnerships with the Department of Trade and Industry–Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (DTI-CITEM), Department of Tourism (DOT), Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and CNN Philippines.

Motoring

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019

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Petron-powered Mazda wins 12-hour endurance race

A

T THE 2019 Petron Kalayaan Cup 12-hour endurance run held at the Clark International Speedway last June 12, Team Race Form Garage 2233, driving a Mazda Miata Global Cup Car, emerged as the overall champion. Powered

by Petron Blaze 100 Euro 6—recognized as the best gasoline in the country—the Miata was able to complete 274 laps of the 4.2-km track during the 12-hour run.

Team Race Form Garage 2233 is managed by Francis Godinez with Antonio Brias, Don Pastor, Enrique Hormillo, and Jason Choachuy as drivers.

Petron-sponsored teams also performed well in other Independence Day race categories. Driving a Honda Civic, Mon Dimapilis, Danby Yaptinchay, Ditrie Villacorta, and Allen Escoto of the Petron Blaze Racing Team won the Class 2 championship with 220 laps. At the same time, Carlo Consumido’s Petron Tora Tora team with Chad Parian, Walter Rillorta, Francis de los Reyes, and Paolo Yaptinchay on a Honda Civic hatchback finished 1st runner-up in the Class 1 category.

The Petron Kalayaan Cup is an endurance race traditionally held during the Philippine Independence Day. A car is driven by a team of alternating drivers attempting to complete as many laps as possible in the race circuit. The official fuel for all competing cars is Petron Blaze 100 Euro 6 with its Triaction performance advantages, (1) better engine protection for longer engine life; (2) better mileage for longer drives; and (3) better power.

As the industry leader, Petron is also a major force in Philippine motorsports, providing support for such events as the Toyota Vios Cup, Formula 4 Southeast Asia, Asian Karting Series, IAME Karting, Kalayaan Cup, Rainforest Challenge (Diesel), to name a few.

FASTLANE

Hino showcases PUVs

Caravan rolls with Hyundai taking the spear

PUV caravan are scheduled to be held nationwide until February 2020. Phase one of the caravan, which will run for the entire month of July until the first week of August, includes stopovers in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan; San Fernando City, La Union; Laoag City, Ilocos Norte; Tuguegarao City, Cagayan; Santiago, Isabela; Baguio City; Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija; and Marilao City, Bulacan.

HMP will be showcasing its PNS-compliant modern PUVs, Jeepney Class II (AC) and Jeepney Class III (AC), during the different legs of the caravan. These Euro 4-powered Hino jeepneys provide comfortable seating and are equipped with safety features such as a speed limiter, CCTV, GPS and a dashboard camera, which all ensure a better, safer commuting experience for both Filipino drivers and passengers.

As the country’s only one-stop shop for sales, service and the customization of trucks and buses for many years now, Hino has a reputation for delivering premium quality, which commuters can also expect from its modern PUVs. Since last year, From left: LTO Chief Edgar Galvante, LTFRB Chairman HMP has turned over Martin Delgra III, ABMAP Technical Committee Head more than 100 modern Bong Cruz, HMP Business Planning Manager Jek PUVs to several transport Sangel, HMP OIC for Bus and PUV sales Patrick Roxas, cooperatives in Taguig, LTFRB Region III Director Ahmed Cuizon, DOTr Usec.

Pateros, Makati, Quezon Mark Richmond de Leon and HMP Consultant for City and Iloilo.

Government Affairs Donato Baysa inside the Hino Eco

HYUNDAI Asia Resources, Inc. expressed support for the government’s PUV Modernization Program by taking the Class 1 Hyundai Modern Jeepney on the first Modern PUV Caravan Motorcade from Quezon Memorial Circle to Clark, Pampanga last July 4.

The Caravan, which will run until February 2020, will travel the Philippines in four phases. Phase 1 commenced in SM City Clark in Pampanga and will move on to hit key cities and municipalities in North Luzon until August.

Phase 2 will begin in September and traverse Southern Luzon; Phase 3, in November, will travel through the Visayas; finally, Phase 4 will hit Mindanao between January and February 2020.

HARI President and CEO Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo said, “We laud the government for organizing this ambitious and important multi-sectoral Caravan. HARI is proud to participate in this program that will reach Filipinos across the country and communicate to them the benefits of modernizing our public transport system.”

The Modern PUV Caravan, with the theme Arangkada ng Pagbabago Tungo sa Kaunlaran, is a joint undertaking of the public and private sectors. Its main objective is to introduce the vehicles participating in the PUV Modernization Program to potential participants and transport groups outside Metro Manila.

Government partners also aim to use the caravan to address the transport and

Shell launches BiyaHero road safety campaign

ISUZU Philippines Corporation, the country’s leading assembler and distributor of brand-new Isuzu trucks, joined the LTFRB Modern PUV Caravan 2019, a multisectoral program aimed to promote the nationwide adoption of modernized public utility vehicles towards a cleaner, safer, more convenient, more efficient, and more organized mass transport system, and thus realizing the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP).

The LTFRB Modern PUV Caravan 2019 started on July 4 with a 5 a.m. motorcade beginning at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City, with the convoy arriving at the main office of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) at the Clark Economic Zone in Pampanga province at 9 a.m. for the launch program.

The motorcade, composed of modernized PUVs from Isuzu and other manufacturers, had on board representatives from the participating sectors of government and various industries: The DOTr; the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Bureau (LTFRB); the Land Transportation Office (LTO); Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP); Landbank; the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc; the Truck Manufacturers Association; the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors ; the Automo-

HINO Motors Philippines, one of the pioneer participants of the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program, joined the first Modern PUV Caravan held at the Clark Economic Zone in Pampanga earlier today with the theme “Arangkada ng Pagbabago Tungo sa Kaunlaran.”

The Modern PUV Caravan is a joint undertaking of the Department of Transportation, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Land Transportation Office and the Office of Transportation Cooperatives in cooperationa with the Development Bank of the Philippines, Landbank of the Philippines, various industry associations and vehicle manufacturers, including HMP. Around thirty legs of the modern

PUV Class II jeepney during the modern PUV caravan kick-off in Pampanga.

EVERY year, an estimated 1.25 million people worldwide are involved in road traffic accidents according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Here in the Philippines, government data shows that traffic incidents have been increasing and have never dipped below 8,000 accidents annually.

With this in mind, Shell just launched a new campaign that aims to help make roads safer for all Filipinos.

Dubbed ‘‘BiyaHero,’’ the campaign is part of Shell’s commitment to keep drivers safe, secure, and in good health on the road.

The campaign also aims to be a reminder that safety on the road is everybody’s responsibility. ‘‘We at Shell believe that road safety starts with all of us, and that always being aware, alert, and prepared can help save lives,’’ said Anthony Yam Pilipinas Shell Vice President for the Retail Business. ‘‘This is part of Shell’s continuing effort to implement road safety programs for motorists, which I am proud to say the company has been doing for the longest time,’’ he added.

As part of the BiyaHero campaign, which started during the long Holy Week break, participating Shell stations have prepared delightful offers to make their customers enjoy their long drives.

Shell provides safe driving tips to remind the drivers to be safe while on the

road and become their family’s very own ‘‘BiyaHero.’’

With every P1,000 worth of V-Power fuel, customers are given P3.00 off per liter on their next fuel purchase. Motorists are also entitled to discounts on their favorite snacks, drinks, and road needs at Shell Select and Shell Deli2go outlets. To further ease the public’s journeys on long weekends, Shell has provided clean and sanitized comfort rooms at their gas stations.

Shell Helix Oil Change+, on the other hand, offers hassle-free oil change and maintenance services. Customers can also avail of Shell’s year-long special offers, such as a free 14-point safety check by expert mechanics as well as free engine insurance and roadside assistance if they avail of a Shell Helix Ultra oil change package.

They can also get 40% off on oil change labor when they present their SM Advantage Card. ‘‘Shell believes that through ‘‘BiyaHero,’’ drivers will do their part to be responsible not just for themselves but for the whole community and together, our roads will be safer,’’Yam declares.

mobility concerns of Filipinos across the country.

First stop: Clark. The Hyundai Modern Jeepney, HARI’s Class 1 entry to the government’s PUV Modernization program, during the July 4 motorcade from Quezon Memorial Circle to Clark. The Modern Jeepney seats the driver and 12 passengers and is fully compliant with PUV Modernization Program specifications Hyundai’s Class 1 Modern Jeepney features a modified H-100 body running on

a 2.5L CRDi Euro 4-compliant engine.

The vehicle seats the driver and up to 12 passengers and features 6-speed manual transmission. The Modern Jeepney is fully

compliant with PUV Modernization Program specifications, sporting an automated fee collection system (AFCS), CCTV, GPS tracker, LED signage, WiFi capability, and a speed limiter/buzzer. It is assembled in partnership with Centro Manufacturing Corporation.

Government partners participating in the PUV Caravan include the Department of Transportation, the Land Transportation and Franchise Regulatory Board, Land Transportation Office, Office of Transport Cooperatives, Development Bank of the Philippines, and Landbank of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, private organizations taking part in the Caravan are the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors, Inc., the Truck Manufacturers Association, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc., the Automotive Body Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines, the Philippines Part Maker Association, and companies supplying technology such as Wi-Fi modules and AFCS.

Modernizing the PUV, the Isuzu way tive Body Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (ABMAP); the Electric Vehicles Association of the Philippines (EVAP); and the Philippine Parts Maker Association (PPMA).

The program launch in Clark was highlighted by various presentations by the different participating groups on their roles in the ongoing PUVMP, as well as the unveiling of a Modern PUV Showcase that displays the various new PUVs designed, developed, and built by truck manufacturers and local vehicle body

builders.

The LTFRB also announced the new nationwide routes of modern PUVs during the launch program.

IPC, for its part, brought in and showcased the brand-new Isuzu QKR77 and NLR77 light-duty trucks configured as

modernized PUVs (BPS PNS compliant) with body developed by one of the country’s leading body builders, Almazora Motors Corporation, Centro Manufacturing Corporation, and Santa Rosa Motor Works Inc. Modernized PUVs from Isuzu can now be seen plying various routes in Metro Manila and across the Philippines and have met local and international vehicle manufacturing standards. They have also satisfied PUVMP requirements, such as the automatic fare collection system (AFCS), a GPS tracking system, CCTV cameras and dashcams, and Wi-Fi router.

Apart from the Isuzu modern PUVs offering more legroom, headroom, and seat space for its passengers, the QKR and NLR platform assembled in the Philippines is equipped with the Euro IV-compliant 3.0-liter 4JH1-TC CRDI diesel engine that delivers better fuel economy and cleaner emissions.

IPC was also instrumental in helping the government kick off the PUVMP program in June 2018, when the Japanese truck manufacturer supplied the modern PUVs for the program’s pilot operator the Senate Employees Transport Service Cooperative (SETSCO).

According to IPC President Hajime Koso, the Modern PUV Caravan 2019 provides a great opportunity for more Filipino commuters to be made more aware of the numerous benefits of riding in modern PUVs in their localities, and for transport cooperatives to gain easier access to acquiring such vehicles.

Motoring

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

C4 FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019

2020 Toyota Supra zooms in Text and photos

by Lester Dizon

T

he Internet and the local motoring industry are abuzz with the recent Philippine launch of the 2020 Toyota Supra.

Held on July 9, 2019 at the Manila Polo Club in Dasmariñas Village, Makati, the launch of the Japanese sports and grand touring (GT) machine was organized by Toyota Motor Philippines like a glitzy fashion show but with an eye toward the Supra’s heritage. TMP officials headed by Chairman Alfred Ty, Vice Chairman Dr. David Go, President Satoru Suzuki and Executive Vice President Kei Mizuguchi led the attendees in ushering in the new Toyota super car into TMP’s model lineup.

TMP officials led by Chairman Alfred Ty, Vice Chairman Dr. David Go, President Satoru Suzuki, and Executive Vice President Kei Mizuguchi proudly pose with the 2020 Toyota Supra.

The launch prominently displayed the previous Supra generations from the A40 to the A80. The first generation Supra was derived from the Toyota Celica in 1978.

The Celica Supra (A40) was powered by the 4M-E 2.5-liter inline 6-cylinder engine with single overhead camshaft (SOHC) and the engine displacement was increased to 2,759 cc with the introduction of the 5M-E engine in the 1981 Celica Supra (A50). The second generation Celica Supra (A60) was introduced in 1982 powered by a 2,759 cc 5M-GE inline-6 with double overhead camshaft (DOHC) or Twin Cam cylinder heads. The Celica Supra A60 became a success in the US where it was awarded the Import Car of the Yeaar

by Motor Trend magazine and was one of Car and Driver magazine’s Ten Best cars for 1983 and 1984.

Starting in the middle of 1986, the Supra became a separate model from the Celica with the introduction of the thirdgeneration model.

The A70 Supra had its own platform and was powered by a 3.0-liter DOHC 7M-GE inline-6. In 1987, Toyota added a turbocharger to generate 231 horsepower and 332 Newton-meters of torque from

TMP officials led by Chairman Alfred Ty, Vice Chairman Dr. David Go, President Satoru Suzuki, and Executive Vice President Kei Mizuguchi proudly pose with the 2020 Toyota Supra.

the 7M-GTE engine while a redesign in 1989 further increased engine output to 232 hp and 339 Nm. In 1993, Toyota launched the A80 Supra with two engine options – a 3.0-liter Turbo (2JZ-GTE) or naturally aspirated (2JZ-GE) DOHC engine and won Popular Mechanics Design & Engineering Awards in 1994. The Supra Turbo came equipped with automatic transmission and targa roof as standard while a 5-speed manual transmission only became available in 1997. All 1997 Toyota Supra models were labeled as 15th Anniversary editions while intelligent variable valve timing (VVT-i) increased power of non-turbo models in 1998. The A80 Supra bowed out in 2002.

Additionally, the Supra traces much of its roots back to the Toyota 2000GT, the first Japanese super car. The first three

Supra generations came with inline-6 engines that were direct descendants of the 2000GT’s M-series engine, which was derived from the Toyota Crown. Both the 2000GT and Supra had similar interior aspects and A-code chassis. The first, second, and third generations of the Supra were assembled at the Tahara plant in Aichi while the fourth generation was assembled at the Motomachi plant in Toyota City.

A collaboration between Toyota and BMW, the Supra is assembled alongside the BMW Z4 in Graz, Austria by Magna Steyr. The new Toyota Supra is powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine that churns out 335 horsepower from 5,000 to 6,500 rpm and 500 Newton-meters of torque from 1,600 to 4,500 rpm.

Power is sent to the rear wheels through a ZF 8HP 8-speed automatic transmission.

Toyota claims that the Supra can accelerate from 0–100 km/h in 4.1 seconds and has an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h.

The aerodynamically-shaped nose section of the 2020 Toyota Supra features 6-LED headlamps with integrated daytime running lights (DRLs). It rides on an Adaptive Variable Suspension system while the rear axle is fitted with a limited slip differential (LSD).

Ventilated disc brakes are found in all four corners with 4-piston fixed calipers in front clamping the 13.7-inch rotors and singlepiston floating calipers in the rear. The Supra’s side profile exudes a sexy silhouette reminiscent of the Toyota 2000GT while its staggered 10-spoke 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels are shod with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires measuring 255/35ZR19 in front and 275/35ZR19 at the back.

Inside the Supra are bolstered sports seats generously covered in Alcantara with 8-way power adjustment, memory settings and lumbar support. Carbon interior trim adds sportiness while the dual-zone climate control system provides cooling comfort.

An infotainment system with 8.8-inch LCD with remote touch and touch pad features USB and Bluetooth connectivity is complemented by a JBL 12-speaker high fidelity (HiFi) surround sound system. The driver faces an 6.5-inch LCD meter gauge behind a 3-spoke leather steering wheel with paddle shifters and remote control buttons while a heads-up display helps keep the driver’s eyes on the road. Seven airbags ensure the safety of the occupants in case of a collision while traction and stability controls plus anti-lock braking system (ABS) minimize the possibility of a collision.

GAME CHANGER

By Othel Campos TOYOTA Motor Philippines, Inc. has launched its newest entry to the fast and dynamic market of sports car category.

Company president Satoru Suzuki said the all new Supra is an iconic vehicle that has had its last make-over in about 2 decades.

“From the last make-over, we noticed that the preference of customer has changed. It has been 2 decades. Supra then was known as a practical model and there was no strong demand for this kind of model. Now, we’re trying to change the ball game by approaching the customer,” he said during the launch

last Tuesday.

With the help of Toyota Gazoo Racing and Toyota’s new global direction for the company, a fifth generation model was developed.

The Supra launched marked the very first time that the model will be retailed in the Philippines.

With the entry of Supra, Toyota now has 2 sports car line-up including the AT6.

Since Toyota sales will not be impacted by the premium sports car segmen, Toyota is bringing the Supra to create the demand bearing a most favored nation tariff rate of 30 percent.

For the first six months of June 2019, Toyota sales reached 73,454 units, al-

most the same level of sales as that in 2018.

The company is targetting a limited sales volume as it waits for the industry to mature and accommodate pricey cars like the Supra.

Premium Supra units cost a little more than P5 million per unit for intentional market of those earning P450,000 monthly salary at an age bracket of between 25 to 39 years.

Among Toyota’s network of 70 dealers, only 16 certified GR Performance Dealerships were authorized to sell Supra and were given the technical capability to provide parts management and services to Supra owners.

Sleek front end features 6-LED headlamps with integrated DRLs.

THEY appeared in June last year as Paris was waking up from its annual all-night Festival of Music: hundreds of green-andblack electric scooters dotting the pavements of the capital.

The timing was perfect, with the city struggling with a botched revamp of its main bike-sharing service that left countless frustrated users looking for a new form of transport.

Cheap, widely available and easily unlocked with a smartphone app, e-scooters checked all the boxes, becoming wildly popular overnight.

“It’s happened very quickly and a bit of an anarchic way,” admitted French Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne in May. “It’s effectively been the law of the jungle.”

Over the course of a year, a total of 13 operators piled into the Paris market, putting 20,000 scooters on the streets in a chaotic free-for-all that left legislators at a loss in a country normally known for its rigorous rules and regulations.

Transport tsunami: E-scooters The backlash wasn’t long coming—pedestrians terrorised by silent riders speeding down pavements, randomly-parked scooters cluttering curbs and the city’s historic squares, and a growing number of accidents.

This practical and fun form of transport, seen from Boston to Bangkok, has posed major regulatory problems, with city officials worldwide taking different approaches, from laissez-faire in Paris to a virtual blanket ban in London.

Transportation tsunami Electric scooters were first launched in California in September 2017 by a startup called Bird, followed eight months later by competitor Lime.

By half-way through 2018, they had both hit Europe, moving swiftly on into the Middle East, Asia and Latin America.

Today, Bird and Lime are the largest shared-scooter operators in the world.

“Any city in the world that has been working on its transportation policy, even 18 months ago, wasn’t anticipating this tsunami,” said Joel Hazan, a partner at the Boston Consulting Group.

“It has been the fastest rollout in the history of mobility services and the quickest wave to spread across the world. It’s basically gone global over the past two years.”

For cities, the main headache is safety, but experts say that can only be addressed with a rethink of urban planning.

Elderly people knocked flying, pedestrians with broken bones, riders killed in a crash -- though the horror stories exist, there is “no reliable data on collisions”, a European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) says.

Nippy and speedy, scooters zip along at up to 25 kilometres an hour (15 miles an hour), making them too fast for the pavement but problematic on roads.

Most cities would like to allow e-scooters on bike lanes, but that space often doesn’t exist.

“Cities are designed for car usage and the new question we face is how do we split the space that we’ve been dedicating to cars to create more space for pedestrians, for bikes and e-scooters,” says BCG’s Hazan.

“Security will only work if we can segregate the space,” he said.

‘Geofenced’ parking Space is also a problem with issues like parking, said Philippe Crist, an advisor to the International Transport Forum at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation

and Development (OECD).

“A tremendous amount of the city is devoted to on-street parking, and if there is clutter on the pavement, it’s because there is very little space elsewhere,” he said.

Cities are now re-allocating on-street parking space to bikes and scooters, he said.

“It doesn’t actually require much— some have just started painting lines on pavements” as designated parking bays, he said, while others are experimenting with GPS technology to keep parking to a designated area.

Known as “geofencing”, it can stop a user logging off and finishing a ride if left in the wrong place.

“If not left in the right place, the operator can charge an extra fee or not allow the trip to finish, so it will keep (charging the user) until it’s in that area,” he said.

Another innovation automatically throttles down the speed within a designated zone, he said. AFP