Manila Standard - 2019 July 17 - Wednesday

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VOL. XXXIII • NO. 153 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

NO EXIT. While President Rodrigo, arriving at the Jolo Airport in Mindanao Tuesday, mulls cutting diplomatic ties with Iceland (population 340,661)—whose land area is a little bigger than Mindanao (inset)—after it spearheaded a UN resolution to probe the administration’s deadly drug campaign, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. clarified Manila will not withdraw from the UN Human Rights Council or cut diplomatic links with Reykjavik. Malacañang Photo

Duterte brushes off Iceland High court gags SolGen, IBP over kalikasan writ Mulls over cutting diplomatic ties in wake of anti-drug war ‘reso’

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Supreme Court has issued a gag order to stop the involved parties from commenting on the writ of kalikasan petition seeking to compel the government to protect disputed shoals in the West Philippine Sea from Chinese poachers.

In an en banc session on Tuesday, the

Ex-VP Binay wants to void rival’s win, seeks poll recount

Court ordered the counsels of petitioners, including losing senatorial bet and De La Salle University law dean Chel Diokno and Andres Palacios from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and Solicitor General Jose Calida to refrain from publicly commenting on issues involving the pending case.

The order comes on the heels of public statements made by both camps after

fishermen from Palawan and Zambales disowned the petition filed by the IBP, saying it was done without their knowledge and consent.

Calida, during oral arguments on July 9, submitted to the Court the affidavits of 22 fishermen, stating that they were unaware of the IBP’s filing of the kalikasan petition on their behalf. Some of them Next page

OFFICIAL VISIT.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III visits Tuesday dengue patients at the San Lazaro Hospital after the Department of Health called for a nationwide dengue alert. Norman Cruz

Next page

Iloilo nears ‘calamity’ state over dengue

TROPICAL depression “Falcon” has intensified into a tropical storm while moving westward on Tuesday afternoon, the weather bureau said.

The storm’s center was estimated 335 kilometers east-southeast of Tuguegarao City in Cagayan as of 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

Next page

THE Iloilo provincial government on Tuesday said it expects to declare a state of calamity due to the continuing rise in the number of dengue cases.

Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor issued this statement after a meeting of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council at the Iloilo Pro-

CAPE CANAVERAL, United States— Fifty years ago on Tuesday, three American astronauts set off from Florida for the Moon on a mission that would change the way we see humanity’s place in the universe.

Next page

PH, US reaffirm security alliance

By Rey E. Requejo A STRONG United States-Philippines alliance deters aggression and promotes stability in the region, a top US official said on Tuesday.

Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell made the statement even as the Philippines and the US reaffirmed their defense and security alliance against the backdrop of continued Chinese militarization of the South China Sea. “As a treaty ally, our partnership with the Philippines is critical for realizing our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, with thriving sovereign nations. A strong US-Philippines alliance deters aggression and promotes regional stability,” Stillwell said, after a two-day bilateral strategic review in Manila.

Next page

Anti-bastos law: Rody chief enforcer

By Rio N. Araja

Eagle’s landing commemorated

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is “seriously considering” cutting diplomatic ties with Iceland after it spearheaded a UN resolution to probe his deadly drug war, the Palace said late Monday.

The comments from Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo came in response to the UN Human Rights Council last week backing the Icelandproposed resolution to review the killings.

“The adopted Iceland resolution is grotesquely one-sided, outrageously narrow, and maliciously partisan,” Panelo said.

Duterte launched the anti-drug crackdown in 2016, and since then police say they have killed over 5,300 drug suspects. However, human rights groups say the true toll is four times that number.

Next page

FORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday filed a protest against Romulo Peña Jr. in connection with the congressional race in Makati City in the May 13 elections.

In a 70-page electoral protest filed before the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal, Binay’s lawyers sought the nullification of Peña’s proclamation as a member of the House of Representatives by the Makati City Board of Canvassers on May 14.

The lawyers asked HRET to conduct

‘Falcon’ stirs up signal No. 2

By MJ Blancaflor and Rey E. Requejo

vincial Board Room.

He said he expected the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to tackle the declaration in its regular session on Tuesday next week, or in a special session, if needed.

The province is dealing with shortages of medicine and other supplies, Next page

Giant manta ray unhooked A GIANT manta ray with several fishing hooks caught below its eye appeared to ask two nearby divers for help in removing them, and then waited patiently for them to Next page do so.

By MJ Blancaflor SINCE President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a bill penalizing sexist remarks toward women, he will be the first one to obey it, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said President Duterte will follow Republic Act 11313, or the “Safe Spaces Act,” which imposes penalties for unwanted sexual actions or remarks

against any person.

“Since the President signed that law, it means that he recognizes the need for that law. Since he’s the chief enforcer of all the laws in the Philippines, he’ll be the first one to obey it,” Panelo said.

Duterte, whose rape jokes have sparked outrage in the past, drew fresh flak Tuesday after signing R.A. 11313, with the campaigners saying his role as the “misogynist-in-chief” would make implementation challenging. Next page

Kids’ joyride Down Under FOUR children took a stolen four-wheel drive on a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) road trip across the Australian outback before being nabbed by police, officials said Monday.

A 14-year-old boy, two 13-year-old Next page

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Pimentel et al. legit PDP-Laban, SC rules

By Rey E. Requejo

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HE Supreme Court has sustained the decision of the Commission on Elections recognizing Senator Aquilino Pimentel III’s group as the “legitimate” officials of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan.

In a June 18 resolution, copies of which were only released on Tuesday, the high court dismissed the petition filed by Rogelio Garcia, who claimed to be the national president of the political party, for failing to show that

the Comelec erred in its Nov. 28, 2018 resolution.

The Comelec resolution declared that the sworn information update statement and list of authorized signatories filed

by Pimentel was the “legitimate and of-

Duterte...

“These idiots, they don’t understand the social, economic, political problems of the Philippines.”

While the Philippines and Iceland have diplomatic ties, they do not have embassies in each other’s country, said Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. Economic ties include Icelandic investment in geothermal energy in the Philippines and Filipinos working as office and factory workers and nurses in Iceland.

Locsin had said the country could withdraw from the UN rights council over the vote but later said it would not do so.

Following Monday’s announcement, the Palace on Tuesday said cutting ties with Iceland would have a minimal impact on the Philippines.

“We’ve been having trade relations with other countries. So I don’t think cutting our relationship with one country will affect us,” Panelo said.

“As far as we know, there are no trade relations between these two countries except on fish,” he added.

Panelo also dismissed fears that the Filipinos in Iceland will be deported if the

From A1

The UN review comes in addition to a preliminary examination already launched by war crimes prosecutors from the International Criminal Court, which the Philippines left earlier this year.

Panelo attacked the UN resolution saying it “demonstrates how the Western powers are scornful of our sovereign exercise of protecting our people.”

The government frequently paints international criticism as a violation of sovereignty, but watchdogs counter by saying an impartial local review is nearly impossible while Duterte is in power.

Last week, Amnesty International released a report alleging the killing is “systematic” and police face very little, if any, scrutiny over the nightly slayings.

Duterte has already publicly mocked Iceland over UN vote.

“Iceland, what is Iceland’s problem? Just ice. That’s your problem. You have too much ice,” Duterte said Friday.

PH-, US...

From A1

“We welcome enhanced defense cooperation with the Philippines,” the US State Department official said, even as he reassured Filipinos that the US will come to the aid of Manila against external attack in the disputed maritime territories in SCS. In a joint statement, the Philippines and the US “recognized the importance of a strong alliance in enhancing security cooperation and promoting regional stability and prosperity.”

“They recalled Secretary [Michael] Pompeo’s statements on the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty during his March 2019 visit to Manila, particularly the clarification that the South China Sea is in the Pacific, and that any armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the SCS will trigger Article IV of the Mutual Defense Treaty,” the statement stated.

Stilwell and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Randy Schriver for the US and Philippines officials led by Foreign Un-

Anti-bastos law...

From A1

Duterte, who has himself been accused of sexual harassment on multiple occasions, signed the law that prohibits behavior such as catcalling and sexist slurs in April, according to the text released on Monday.

The 74-year-old was “the single most brazen violator of the law’s intent with his staple macho-fascist remarks,” women’s rights political party Gabriela said on Twitter.

Under R.A. 11313, which was authored

by Senator Risa Hontiveros, acts or remarks that will count as gender-based harassment will be criminalized, regardless of the motive.

Those acts include catcalling, wolfwhistling, unwanted invitations, misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic and sexist slurs; comments or gestures on a person’s appearance; relentless requests for personal details; public masturbation and groping.

Duterte has been repeatedly criticized for his sexist remarks and rape jokes.

He recently drew the ire of women’s rights groups for kissing a married Filipino woman in South Korea. Duterte also said the Ombudsman and the Supreme Court’s post of Chief Justice should not be occupied by a woman.

Panelo defended Duterte, saying he was not uttering sexist remarks to insult women but to make people laugh.

“He never was bastos. When he cracks jokes, it was intended to make people laugh, never to offend. If you will just listen to the jokes of the President, you will surely laugh. He’s not insulting. You, women, should know that. There’s a difference between insulting and joking,” Panelo said.

“When the president delivers his speech and when he shares stories, his intention is either to make you laugh or make the situation more pronounced.”

Despite the passage of the law, Panelo was uncertain if the President would refrain from poking fun at women. With AFP

dersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo and Department of National Defense Undersecretary Cesar Yano for the Philippines have agreed to expand areas of defense and maritime cooperation.

Both sides also agreed to improving defense infrastructure, updating personnel and logistics procedures, and increasing mutual communication and coordination on operational elements of regional security.

The two countries also said they will plan a range of activities to improve maritime domain awareness.

The reaffirmation of the security alliance between Manila and Washington comes amid Chinese continued militarization of the SCS, particularly transforming several former reefs into artificial islands with military facilities, runways and surface to air missiles.

While the US is not a party to the maritime disputes, Washington had declared that it is in its national interest to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight in the contested waters where China claimed nearly the entire SCS through its nine-dash-line claim, along with the overlapping claims by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

Ex-VP...

From A1

a manual recount of the ballots cast and other election documents in all of the 235 protested clustered precincts.

“The Congressional contest was marred by various manifestations of fraud, anomalies, irregularities and statistical improbabilities. Approximately 9,050 votes were disenfranchised to be Null/Misread Votes, the election protest says.

The lawyers also slammed the many votes allegedly intended for Binay that were unaccounted for as a result of the failure of several vote-counting machines in many clustered precincts to transmit the actual election results.

Peña garnered a total of 71,035 votes

Eagle’s...

From A1

The crew’s surviving members, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, are set to reunite at the same launchpad on Tuesday, the start of a week-long series of events commemorating Apollo 11.

Their commander and the first man on the Moon, Neil Armstrong, passed away in 2012.

But Aldrin and Collins, 89 and 88 respectively, will meet Tuesday at precisely 9:32 a.m. (1332 GMT) at the Kennedy Space Center’s pad 39A to kick off the festivities.

Their spacecraft took four days to reach

Kids’...

From A1

boys and a 10-year-old girl began their epic journey on Saturday when they took cash and packed fishing rods in a vehicle belonging to one of their families in the coastal Queensland town of Rockhampton, police said.

One of the children left a note for his family telling them of his plans.

ficial” SIUS and LIAS for the May 13, 2019 national and local elections.

The Comelec made the decision to resolve the leadership row over the PDPLaban after it received two sets of SIUS and LIAS filed by Pimentel’s and Garcia’s groups. Pimentel is the president of PDP-Laban, but Garcia claimed he was elected party president in July 2018.

The poll body took judicial notice on the fact that Pimentel’s group had been the same setA of officers authorized to submit the documents since 2016.

It also said the Comelec had not ruled

country will cut its diplomatic ties with the European country.

There are about 2,000 Filipinos in Iceland who are working as nurses and office and factory workers, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

Panelo also said the investments between the two countries will remain safe.

Iceland’s investments in the country include the Biliran Geothermal, Inc., a joint venture between the Filtech Energy Drilling Corp. and the ORKA Energy Philippines.

ORKA Energy of Iceland, a geothermal development company, has equity in the investment.

The possibility of cutting ties with Iceland was raised by the Palace in a statement issued Monday, after the UNHRC approved the Iceland-led resolution calling for a report on alleged human rights violations in the Philippine campaign against illegal drugs.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III also said the country can withdrew from the UNHRC. Locsin, who first raised the possibility of

against the set of officers.

Aggrieved by the Comelec decision, Garcia petitioned the high court and sought the issuance of a temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction against the Comelec resolution, but was denied.

“As correctly found by the Comelec, without a direct challenge questioning the legitimacy of the group of Senator Pimentel as the officers of PDP-Laban, and a consequent adverse ruling by the Comelec against such officers, it must continue to recognize them as the le-

leaving the UN agency, said the Philippines would not leave after all.

“UNHRC vote is a small and harmless matter; we’re staying in UNHRC as a pedagogical duty to teach Europeans moral manners,” Locsin said on Twitter.

“We’re NOT severing diplomatic relations with any country. If we did, where’s the conversation? How do you insult those who insulted us if you cut them off?” he said.

On at least three occasions since 2017, Iceland has led calls for an independent body to probe drug-related killings in the Philippines.

Panelo, in the press briefing, said that if a foreign country has any concern about human rights violations, it should communicate with the Philippine government “as a matter of courtesy and civility.”

Locsin said cutting ties with Iceland would be “a vacuous gesture” because neither country even had an embassy in the other.

During the UNHRC’s 41st session in Geneva last week, a total of 18 countries voted in favor of adopting the Iceland-led resolution, 14 countries voted against and 15 abstained. With AFP

manpower, and hospital space as more patients seek treatment in 12 district hospitals.

The Hospital Management Office said almost half of the patients admitted to the 12 district hospitals have contracted the mosquito-borne disease.

The 12 district hospitals have a combined authorized bed capacity of 615 but HMO data showed that as of Tuesday, there were 2,174 confined in the hospitals. Out of the total number, 1, 051 are dengue cases.

Defensor said the province is preparing for the needs of the patients for the coming weeks as they will be hiring 18 doctors, 51 nurses, 21 medical technologists, 27 nursing attendants, and 34 utility workers.

The governor said the salaries of the hired hospital personnel will be sourced from the savings of the 12 district hospitals.

“We have to prepare for the next source [of funding and] that is why we need to declare the state of calamity,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Patricia Grace Trabado, Provincial Health Office (PHO) head, said rural health units in municipalities should

serve as hydration units.

She said, however, that if dengue patients already experience bleeding and vomiting, among other warning signs, they should be admitted.

She warned that parents and guardians should not be complacent when a child’s fever subsides since the patient can possibly be in the “critical period.”

“The patient might already be experiencing bleeding or his or her body organs might already be swollen,” she said.

PHO’s data from Jan. 1 to July 6 show the province already recorded 5,435 cases of dengue with 20 deaths.

On Monday, the Department of HealthCenter for Health Development in Region 6 (DOH-CHD 6) with the concurrence of Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III declared a dengue outbreak in Western Visayas.

Negros Occidental, on the other hand, was placed on alert status.

In Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, Gov. Wilter Yap Palma ordered all mayors of the 16 local government units to conduct synchronized fogging as the entire province has been placed under a state of calamity due to the rising cases of dengue, which hit 2,908 cases since January. MJ Blancaflor, with PNA

against Binay’s 65,229 votes, or a presumptive margin of 5,806 votes, based on the Certificate of Canvass of Votes.

Considering the ‘‘slim margin’’ between their vote counts, the electoral protest said, the votes in contest were ‘‘crucially determinative’’ of the true Representative of Makati’s first district. ‘‘As it is, the proclamation of [Peña] was based on figures plagued by mysteries, the protest says.

The electoral protest also assailed the alleged failure of the Commission on Elections to provide the complete copies of the certified true copies of Statement of Votes for 85 out of the 235 clustered precincts that functioned during the elections.

The protest contested the election results in each of the 235 clustered precincts, citing several grounds.

Moreover, the protest cited instances

when Peña’s camp allegedly manipulated precinct proceedings and were also spotted while engaging in rampant vote-buying.

During the election campaign period and up to the election day itself, Binay and his party had been receiving reports from various sources that the team of Peña had been engaging in vote-buying practices in order to get more votes or to take away votes from him.

The vote-buying perpetrated by Peña’s group involved the payment of P500 to P2,000 to voters for them to vote for their candidate or anyone else but Binay, the protest said.

All these made it difficult to conclude that the May 13, 2019 elections were clean, credible, honest and democratic, the protest says.

Joel E. Zurbano and Maricel V. Cruz

the Moon, before its lunar module, known as “Eagle,” touched the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. Armstrong emerged a few hours later.

Collins remained in lunar orbit in the command module Columbia, their only means of returning back to Earth.

“They knew, I knew, if they couldn’t get off for some reason there was nothing I could do about it,” he told reporters in New York in May as part of a series of events. “I had no landing gear on Columbia, I could not go down and rescue them.”

Aldrin has remained relatively more elusive but has also taken part in a few events, including a gala dinner last Saturday where the cheapest ticket cost $1,000.

Aging but active on Twitter, and always seen in stars-and-stripes socks, Aldrin has faced health scares and family feuds, culminating in a court case over finances, which was settled in March.

On Tuesday, he will be the undeniable star of the show, as the second man to have stepped foot on the Moon. Only four of the 12 men who have done so remain alive.

Uncertain future Despite the festivities, neither the US nor any other country has managed to return a human to the Moon since 1972, the year of the final Apollo mission.

President George Bush promised to do so in 1989, as did his son president George W Bush in 2004, while pledging to also march forward to Mars. AFP

Queensland police said the car was spotted early on Sunday morning in the outback town of Banana, where the kids allegedly stole petrol, before traveling south.

The car was found on Sunday night near Grafton, in the neighboring state of New South Wales, about 11 hours’ drive from Rockhampton.

New South Wales police said officers had to force their way into the vehicle after the children refused to get out.

“They have locked themselves in the car

and police have had to use a baton to get in to arrest them,” Coffs-Clarence district acting inspector Darren Williams told reporters.

It was not clear which of the children had been behind the wheel, but Williams said it was likely they had shared the driving.

“It is a long way, in excess of 1,000 (km) from Rockhampton down to Grafton,” he said.

“I couldn’t imagine one person driving that way in two days.” AFP

Iloilo...

From A1

gitimate officers authorized to act for and in behalf of PDP-Laban,” the high court ruled.

“Necessarily, the Comelec must recognize the SIUS and the List submitted by such officers.”

But the high court noted that its decision was “without prejudice to the filing of a direct challenge by petitioner questioning the legitimacy of Senator Pimentel’s group before the Comelec,” which means a case may still be filed assailing the legitimacy of Pimentel’s group.

High court...

From A1

even claimed they were made to sign a blank document by the IBP lawyer they sought for help regarding the closure of a school and demolition of their house.

The justices unanimously decided to suspend the oral arguments and ordered the parties to “move in the premises” or inform the court of their next actions on the case.

Calida announced to the media that the counsels of petitioners agreed to the dismissal of the case during a closed-door conference with the justices.

On Monday, the solicitor general also suggested in a TV interview that the counsels of petitioners could face disbarment for filing the petition without the consent of the fishermen.

But Diokno accused the government of having a hand in the withdrawal of the petition by the fishermen and violating legal ethics by talking to their clients.

Diokno also insisted that the fishermen filed the petition “with full knowledge and consent because they want to freely fish in our own sea and have enough income to raise their families.”

The IBP, through its new national president Domingo Cayosa, stood firm on the petition as it sought 10 days or until July 22 to again confer with the fishermen before complying with the Court’s order to “move in the premises.”

On Tuesday, the Court granted the IBP’s plea for extension but gave them only until Friday, July 19, to comply with the order.

‘Falcon’...

From A1

An average of 19 to 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine area of responsibility every year and eight to nine hit landmass.

A study conducted by Gerry Bagtasa of the UP Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology says typhoon tracks have changed in the past five decades due to climate change.

Since 2000, Bagtasa said, tropical cyclones used to hit Mindanao just like tropical storm “Pablo” in 2012 and “Sendong” in 2011.

However, recent observations showed that more cyclones are taking the upward direction toward Taiwan and are bringing more rain into the Philippines than in previous years.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Tuesday launched four applications developed by the Department of Science and Technology in relation to disaster risk reduction and mitigation.

Director Renato Solidum said the apps are GeoMapper-Exposure Data Mapper, GeoMapper-Situation Data Mapper, Geo Analytics and HazardHunter PH. The project is a geographic information system integrating hazard maps and exposure data that could be accessed by various government agencies, he said.

At least P28 million was allotted to develop the system.

“Falcon” was moving west at 30 kilometers per hour and packing maximum sustained winds of 65 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph.

“Falcon” is forecast to make landfall over the Babuyan-Batanes Islands on Wednesday night, and may leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday.

Giant...

From A1

Underwater photographer Jake Wilton was diving off Australia’s west coast when the three-meteR wide animal moved toward him, footage showed.

“I’m often guiding snorkelers in the area and it’s as if she recognized me and was trusting me to help her,” Wilton said in a statement Monday.

“She got closer and closer and then started unfurling to present the eye to me.”

Incredible footage shows Wilton repeatedly diving down toward the animal and removing the hooks, before the manta ray departs after the final impediment is dislodged.

“She never moved. I’m sure that manta knew that Jake was trying to get the hooks out,” said marine biologist and fellow diver Monty Hall. AFP

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Don’t decline application of HIV positives, HMOs told

Monitoring system set up to improve ‘poverty analysis’

By Julito G. Rada

By Nat Mariano

A HEALTH maintenance organization cannot decline an application of a person with human immunodeficiency virus or HIV on the sole basis of his or her status, the Insurance Commission said Tuesday.

This was contained in the HMO underwriting guidelines issued by the commission on the assessment of risks of persons with actual, perceived, or suspected to be with HIV. “The Insurance Commission issued the guidelines in the interest of the effective implementation of Republic Act No. 11166 or the Philippine HIV and AIDS Policy Act signed

by President Duterte last December 2018,” Insurance Commissioner Dennis Funa said in a statement.

Under R.A. 11166, no person living with HIV shall be denied or deprived of private health insurance under an HMO on the basis of a person’s HIV status.

“The issue on HIV requires a comprehensive approach in prevention, treatment, and impact alleviation.

Despite free anti-retro viral treatment, the lack of HMO coverage for persons with HIV continues to be a source of economic strain to them and their families,” Funa said.

“Thus, there is a need to provide clear guidelines in the underwriting of applicants with actual, perceived, or suspected HIV status to ensure that they are not deprived of HMO coverage,” Funa said.

Under the guidelines, an HMO cannot decline an application of a person living with HIV on the sole basis of his or her HIV status.

An HMO may provide coverage to a person with HIV if the applicant is: 1) undergoing proper medical treatment; 2) the applicant has a favorable risk profile; and 3) the results of the medical examinations required by insurance companies are within normal limits.

In case of newly-discovered HIV positive individuals, HMO companies may temporarily suspend the acceptance of newly-discovered HIV positive individuals for a period of not more than one year from the start of continuous Anti-Retro Viral Treatment. The one-year period is necessary for the purpose of evaluation of compliance with and efficacy of the ART. HMOs may temporarily suspend or decline an application of a PLHIV only if it presented with co-morbidities, medical condition, or other risk factors that would lead to the suspension or denial of the application without taking into account the applicant’s HIV status.

IN A BID to free the people from poverty, President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law that seeks to adopt a community-based monitoring system designed to improve poverty analysis in the country, documents from the Palace revealed on Tuesday.

Under Republic Act No. 11315 or the Community-Based Monitoring System Act, each city and municipality shall have a statistician whose primary function is data collection, preservation, and safekeeping of the data retained at the city or municipal level.

The new law mandates that “regular and synchronized data collection shall be conducted by every city and municipality every three years.”

The new system will target beneficiaries, conduct more comprehensive poverty analysis, design appropriate policies and interventions, and monitor impact while ensuring the fundamental right of privacy and data protection for transparency.

Aside from this, President Duterte also signed a law mandating a recognition-based program for all local government units.

In RA 11292, known as “The Seal of Good Local Governance Act [SGLG] of 2019,” the good performance of LGUs in transparency and accountability in using public funds, preparedness for disaster-related challenges, sensitivity to the needs of vulnerable and marginalized sectors of society, implementation of health programs, investment and employment promotion, protection of constituency from threats to life and damage to property, and safeguarding the integrity of the environment.

The new law describes SGLG as an award, incentive, honor, and recognition-based program for all LGUs to “continually progress and improve their performance.”

The LGUs’ performance will be reviewed in the areas of good fiscal administration, disaster preparedness, social protection and sensitivity programs, health compliance and responsiveness, education programs, business friendliness and competitiveness, public safety, environmental management, tourism and heritage development, and youth development.

COA issues notice of disallowances vs. PhilHealth offices

IMMUNIZATION. Department of Health personnel injects anti-measles and anti-tetanus vaccines to Grade 7 students of Ramon Magsaysay High School in Manila during a school-based immunization program on Monday. Norman Cruz

US envoy Kim next stop is Indonesia after PH posting

By Rey E. Requejo

U

NITED States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim will soon leave the country for his next diplomatic posting to Indonesia.

However, Kim said he remains focused on strengthening the ties between the US and the Philippines since there is no clear time yet for his departure from his post in Manila.

The While House last week announced that US President Donald Trump had expressed his intent to nominate Kim as the next “Ambassador

Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Indonesia.”

“I’m obviously grateful and excited about it,” Kim told reporters during the press conference on the 8th Bilateral Strategic Dialogue between the Philippines and the US. “For now I remain focused on [the] US-Philippine relationship…This is a tremendous opportunity and privilege

Sereno’s remarks on Du30 rule not seditious, Palace says THE remark of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno which seemed to be calling for mobilization to fight for democracy was not something that would incite sedition, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

In a press conference a week before President Rodrigo Duterte’s 4th State of the Nation Address, Sereno reminded the President that “he is not above God, the people, nor the Constitution and that he is no king.”

The former top magistrate then called on the public to unite despite differences in ideologies for the sake of “upholding what is good and true.”

“I call on the people to unite so that we can call for a better, nobler, upright leadership; one that is not led by hatred and violence, but by principle and

example,” she said.

Asked if she is calling for a People Power Revolution against the President, Sereno said: “It’s up to you what characterization do you want to call it...

So, to those who have not participated in this kind of acts, it’s time you show yourselves.”

Sought for comment, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo did not view Sereno’s remark as something that would threaten the administration.

“Not at all,” he told reporters.

“Maybe she just wants to join the rallies. We are okay about staging rallies against this government. In fact, it’s the President who encourages that.”

According to Panelo, the President’s chief legal counsel, under the Constitution, legitimate grievances

By Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Audit has affirmed notices of disallowances issued against two regional offices of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s two regional offices and agency officials to refund illegal bonuses worth P34 million.

In two separate decisions, COA chairman Michael Aguinaldo and Commissioners Jose Fabia and Roland Pondoc denied petitions for review filed by PhilHealth-National Capital Region and PhilHealth Region 12 seeking the lifting of notices of disallowance against their grant of productivity incentive bonuses.

PhilHealth-NCR paid out P22.447 million in P1 billion in 2009 which was disallowed in audit in 2011 for lack of legal basis.

PhilHealth-Region 12 granted the same cash stipend in 2012 and was issued notices of disallowance in 2014.

They filed their own appeal, but the COA-Corporate Government Sector Cluster 6 rejected it in 2017.

According to the Commission Proper, by the time the petitions for review were filed, the PhilHealth regional offices had already exhausted the reglementary period of 180 days for a full appeal, hence the notices of disallowance become final and executory.

“In the interest of equity and justice, this Commission allows a liberal interpretation of the rules, so long as the petitioner is able to prove the existence of cogent reasons. In this case, there exists no justifiable reason to relax the rules on filing an appeal,” the order read.

for me to serve as ambassador to the Philippines,” he said.

“There’s been no decision on my departure time. I remain focused on my work here in Manila, we’ll continue to do so until there’s a clear sense of timing for my next assignment,” the US envoy said.

The White House announcement came after reports that US State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations Mina Chang would be Washington’s next ambassador to the Philippines.

But the US Embassy denied Chang’s supposed appointment.

against the government can be freely expressed.

“If she will join the opposition to exercise her freedom of expression then, by all means, we will egg her to do that,” he said.

The problem, however, is when the public performs acts which are seditious as defined by law, Panelo explained.

“Like for instance, when you invite people to hate a particular public official like the President, that’s seditious; you incite them to not to follow the laws, that’s seditious,” he added.

During the Chief Executive’s SONA, a coalition of opposition personalities and groups are planning to stage protests and show its strongest opposition to Duterte’s programs and stance on several matters. Nat Mariano

DRUG SUSPECTS.

PDEA Special Enforcement Service officials led by PDEA Director Levi S. Ortiz presented to the media suspects Aaron Cruz and Geraldine Vitto who were alleged to be involved in illegal drug activities. The two were caught in possession of shabu with an estimated value of P1 million during the presentation held at the PDEA headquarters in Quezon City.

Manny Palmero

Duterte’s fourth SONA speech will be ‘short’

By MJ Blancaflor PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will have a “short” speech in his fourth State of the Nation Address, the Palace said Tuesday.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Chief Executive’s speech on July 22 might only last for two hours.

“He said, ‘Oh, it will be short,’” Panelo said, referring to President Duterte.

“Usually, if short, that’s two hours.

You count from the two hours, one, two,

three, it will turn to three,” he added.

Panelo said the President’s speech would be short this year because of the pre-SONA forum held by various media organizations.

“Since the pre-SONAs are already doing that, so I don’t think the President will have to repeat,” Panelo said.

During the SONA, Duterte had said that he will “lecture” his critics on the validity of his verbal deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which allowed Chinese fishermen within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Panelo also said that Duterte will discuss the “achievement of his administration on a particular year.”

Duterte’s first SONA lasted for one hour and 32 minutes, while his second address lasted for two hours, as he deviated from his prepared speech.

His third SONA last year lasted for 48 minutes.

The government will spend P4.7 million for the SONA this year, according to House of Representatives Acting Sec. Gen. Dante Roberto Maling.

Group urges BOC’s Guerrero to resign AMID the massive reassignment and reshuffle at the Bureau of Customs, a transparency group is urging embattled BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero to submit his courtesy resignation.

Brent de Jesus, spokesperson of the non-profit group Transparency in Public Service, likewise invoked the principle of “Command Responsibility” in his appeal to the Customs chief.

“From all reports and indications, Commissioner Guerrero is a true officer and a gentleman, especially during his time at the AFP,” De Jesus noted. “Being a lifelong military man, he of all people should understand what command responsibility entails, and present himself as a true example of this doctrine,” he added.

Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte announced that 64 officials from the BOC would be dismissed, and possibly face charges of corruption. The president gave these officials a chance to submit their courtesy resignations in order to avoid humiliation.

This announcement was the culmination of a series of events that ostensibly highlighted the continued corruption and inefficiency present at the agency. Last May 29, Senator Panfilo Lacson delivered a privilege speech seeking to address rampant bribery and fraud within the BOC. Lacson likewise exposed what he described as an obvious coverup story concocted by the BOC and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to conceal the fact that P1 billion worth of illegal drugs had slipped past them.

A little over a month after this privilege speech, former BOC spokesperson and Manila International Container Port District collector lawyer Erastus Sandino Austria finally admitted that both agencies did indeed make a deliberate attempt to cover up the issue through their invented story.

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Opinion

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Balance

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

million tons from various sources, mostly our Asean partners, creating a huge surplus of 1 million tons owing to the opening of floodgates for importation since the end of government-imposed quantitative restrictions.

IT HAS been reported by even As a result, palay farmers are international grains agencies that getting less for their harvests, and the Philippines is well on its way market reports say the farm gate to importing a total of 3.1 million prices are as low as 14 pesos per metric tons (that’s 62 million bags at kilogram of palay, just some P2 50 kgs each) for 2019. This would above estimated cost of production. be some 63 percent higher than our Compare this to last year, when total imports of the staple last year. palay sold for 21 to 23 per kilo, even This probably would be the more. highest country import for rice, We are entering the lean months second only to China’s announced (July until September) with sufficient 3.4 million tons. But hey, we are inventories, some 81 days of normal 105 million compared to China’s consumption as of end-June, even as 1.4-billion consumers. imports have continued to arrive in Prior to this record, the country July. imported some The National 2.25 million Food Authority tons during no longer the last year imports rice of the Arroyo since the rice This is what we need administration, tariffication law to achieve. and about the was passed last same in 1998, March, and has when we had practically used a prolonged up its budget drought as subsidy for domestic rice purchases. well.

As of end-June, it has bought Passage of the rice tariffication 5.4-million bags (270,000 tons) at law and the removal of NFA’s 20.70 a kilo for dried palay. That is import monopoly, it would seem, its highest on record since 2011. has caused a flood of imports from Still, the total volume of NFA the private sector. And while this domestic palay purchases is just has depressed rice prices for our a drop in the bucket compared to consumers, it does have a negative what the farmers sell to the private effect on the income of our palay sector at prices as low as 14 pesos farmers, some three million of them. per kilo. Yet, even if they want to The Department of Agriculture sell higher, at say the NFA’s recently projects a total rice harvest of 12.2 adjusted buying price of 20.70, million tons this year. Consumption, farmers cannot access NFA’s limited on the other hand is some 14 million capacity. tons, at roughly 135 kilos per person Furthermore, at P20.70 per kilo per year. The expected shortfall of palay, NFA has to sell at roughly between domestic production as P40 per kilo of well-milled rice to against consumption would be some break even. However, it is still man1.8 to 2 million tons. dated to sell at the highly subsidized But we are expected to import 3.1 Turn to A5

W

No joking matter

E WERE gratified to learn that President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure penalizing cat-calling and other forms of harassment in public areas.

Under the final version of the Safe Spaces Act (RA 11213), principally authored by Senator Risa Hontiveros, persons arrested for cursing, wolf whistling, catcalling, and saying misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic, and sexist slurs for the first time will be fined ₱1,000 and will serve 12 hours in community service, which includes attendance at a gender sensitivity seminar. Second-time offenders will be jailed for six to 10 days or fined ₱3,000, while thirdtime offenders will be jailed 11 to 30 days and fined ₱10,000.

Penalties for making offensive body gestures and exposing private parts are at ₱10,000 for first-time offenders, and ₱15,000 along with jail time of 11 to 30 days for second-time offenders. Third-time offenders will be fined ₱20,000 and will be detained for a minimum of one month and a day up to six months.

Stiffer sanctions await perpetrators

of sexual harassment in public utility vehicles, as well as on those who are either minors, senior citizens, or persons with disability. The penalties higher in degree will be applied in case the perpetrator is a government employee, or a member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police—and the acts were done while in uniform.

Local government units are expected to pass corresponding anti-catcalling ordinances, and are required to have an anti-sexual harassment hotline.

The passage of the law seems particularly fitting, given that it has been signed by a President that has often been criticized for being sexist and even misogynistic.

Since taking office in June 2016, the President has ordered soldiers to shoot female rebels “in the vagina,” kissed a married woman in the mouth in front of a crowd of overseas Filipino workers, and joked about raping a female

missionary and Miss Universe.

Last year, at a forum with Indian and Filipino businessmen in New Delhi, the President said he wished he could promise investors “42 virgins” if they put up businesses in the Philippines, much like jihadists promise suicide bombers that 72 virgins await them in heaven if they die as martyrs.

Thus far, Palace officials have played down the President’s statements and actions as jokes or “playful gestures”—and insist that his critics are taking him too seriously.

But the new law that the President himself signed now makes no allowance for such “jokes” or “playful gestures.” His apologists may no longer come back to us and say he was just joking.

We do hope the President will now set an example and follow the law.

But of course, he may still fall back on his presidential immunity from suit, which gives him carte blanche for another three years to tell the tasteless and sexist jokes we have come to expect.

Duterte, rock star ON MONDAY, the nation hears President Duterte make a litany of his achievements of the past three years and the challenges he faces in the remainder of his six-year presidency.

Duterte has been a very good President.

At least that is what people, the common people, think about him.

Duterte’s public satisfaction with his performance is at record high—80 percent, almost double the ratings of President Trump who thinks he is one of the greatest presidents of America.

No president before Duterte enjoyed such a stratospheric satisfaction rating at mid-term. Maybe, survey ratings have suffered inflation too.

Or maybe, the Social Weather Stations has been asking the wrong people or the wrong number of people— as respondents. But that is the number: An 80-percent approval rating. If you want to dispute that, you will have to organize your own polling business (not very profitable and credible these days), assemble your own base of respondents (usually to get a base of 1,200 you will need 1,800 people to ask and that cost P2 million per survey), and ask questions innovatively—like degrees of satisfaction —“very satisfied” and “somewhat satisfied.”

It is like asking a wife—Are you very satisfied with your husband? “Very satisfied” means he makes good income or is a good provider, is hardworking, submits to his wife, and does not go astray.

“Somewhat satisfied” means he has a good job which could be better, makes money, which could be higher; works naman, although he should work harder, and comes home every night (even if he had been on a date). If that is the basis, then all husbands will have a very high satisfaction or approval rating—I am sure, of between 70 and 8o percent.

To me, either the respondent is satisfied or not. There are no degrees, no ifs and buts.

In his first three years, President Duterte passed measures that are populist, pro-poor, or both.

They include free college education,

universal health care, free irrigation and the expanded conditional cash transfer program. He also doubled the salaries of policemen and soldiers and promised a similar pay hike for some 830,000 state teachers.

The middle class, meanwhile, will remember Duterte for laws on expanded maternity leave (105 days), greater access to mental health care and HIV/AIDS support.

On universal health care, outgoing Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said, “this means that every Filipino will be enjoying their right to have health assistance by becoming part of the National Health Insurance Program.

Forms of assistance include preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and palliative care for medical, dental, mental, and emergency health services.”

No president before Duterte enjoyed such a stratospheric satisfaction rating at mid-term.

Duterte also ordered free Wi-Fi in public places. To cut red tape, he signed the Ease of Doing Business Act, improving on the Anti-Red Tape Act. “At midpoint, President Rodrigo Duterte enjoys broad and profound support from our people. They appreciate the sincerity, the hard work and the visionary strategy of this administration,” gushes Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, the leader of Duterte’s economic team which designed Dutertenomics.

“The whole idea of Dutertenomics was that a rapid expansion of state capacity both financial and political to thrust the economy on a higher growth trajectory. This should create mass middle class and lift five-million families over the poverty hurdle,” explains economist Joey Salceda, congressman of the second district of Albay.

The Philippines projects a rise in infra spending from P858 billion in 2017 to P1.84 trillion, or from 5.4 percent of GDP Turn to A5

A House held hostage IT AIN’T over ‘till it’s over—so goes the old saying about hotly contested matches either in sports or politics.

It appears that the term-sharing agreement for the House speakership between Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Alan Velasco has been successfully brokered by President Rodrigo Duterte.

But there are still rumblings from some congressmen that the term-sharing deal between the two deprived the House of the right to choose their own leaders.

The situation in the House seems like the similar intrigues and machinations in the US TV series “House of Cards” where actor Kevin Spacey played American President Frank Underwood.

He played his cards in the most cunning

The Palace controls the purse from which lawmakers get money for funding infrastructure projects for their districts and constituents. and duplicitous manner to rise to power and stay on top.

What is going on in the House political jockeying is somewhat similar to the “House of Cards” except that here, unlike the fragile White House plot, it is the House of Representatives that is held hostage by the power brokers at the Palace with President Duterte pulling the strings. The politicians in the lower chamber are left

with no choice because the Palace controls the purse from which congressmen get money for funding infrastructure projects for their districts and constituents.

Velasco, we are told by some congressmen, is not too pleased that Duterte disciple Cayetano got the first part of the House speakership term although his hold at the Speakership term is slightly longer. Then, there is the possibility that Cayetano, once he has had a taste of power, might not want to let go of the speakership when his share of the term is up.

There are also the chairmanships of the various key committees Cayetano would give his supporters. They too, for sure, will not want to give up the chairmanships of these committees. These are the unsettling repercussions of having a term-sharing speakership.

The House, which to some may not seem as important as the Senate, is nonetheless an important part of the Turn to A5

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EVERYMAN

Enough of knee-jerk reactions

By Val Abelgas IN CONDEMNING the resolution initiated by Iceland on behalf of 28 members of the United Nations and approved by the UN Human Rights Council asking UNHCR chief Michelle Bachelet to review the human rights situation in the Philippines and submit a comprehensive written report to the council, both Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo condemned the resolution as an affront to the country’s sovereignty.

Locsin said the Philippines “helped create the UN to honor the universal values of respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of state which were brazenly and brutally violated on a global scale by those who censured us today.”

Panelo, on the other hand, said: “It reeks of nauseating politics completely devoid of respect for the sovereignty of our country, even as it is bereft of the gruesome realities of the drug menace in the country,” he said.

Both Locsin and Panelo should be lauded for coming to the defense of the country’s sovereignty, except for the fact that neither of them is consistent on matters of sovereignty.

While they describe a legitimate mandate of the UNHRC to review the human rights situation of a member nation, the two high ranking government officials seem not at all concerned that their Chinese friends have been violating the Philippines’ sovereignty in the South China Sea by harassing Filipino fishermen inside the country’s exclusive economic zone, and building military installations in islands claimed by the Philippines, among other territorial infractions.

Locsin must be reminded that the United Nations was not established just to prevent the repeat of the two destructive world wars that preceded its founding, but also to promote and protect a humane world order and prevent the repeat of the atrocities committed by the perpetrators of the war, in other words to prevent the rise of another Adolf Hitler.

The UN Charter was very clear in its mission of promoting a peaceful and humane world. Thus, aside from its mission of maintaining international peace and security, the world body’s charter, of which the Philippines was among the 50 original signatories, specifies in Article 1.3: “To achieve international

Balance From A4

retail price of P27 per kilo.

Eventually, NFA’s losses will pile, and its debt increase as well.

How long can the de-fanged rice agency sustain its domestic support operations?

And how will the flood of imports under the free trade regime continue to depress farm gate prices, creating disincentives for domestic production and massive income losses for our palay farmers?

The recently passed law (RA 11203) provides for a Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) to be used to help farmers adjust to the new regime of free market imports. The fund, estimated at P10 billion annually, will be sourced from the tariff revenues expected from the rice imports.

But already the Federation of Free Farmers has raised the specter of misdeclaration of import values by the private imports, based on a simple calculation of the Bureau of Customs collection of P5.9 billion on an import volume of 1.43 million tons since March when the new law took effect.

For indeed, at the prevailing average market price of 400 US dollars per ton, of which the duty is 35 percent of value if imported from Asean countries (which comprise

A House...

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legislative branch. This is where the impeachment process is initiated. The House Speaker, under the constitutional succession to the presidency, is No. 4— after the Vice President and the Senate president. Is it any wonder why congressmen are vying tooth and nail for the post, not to mention the money and perks that go with the job?

co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.”

In other words, the United Nations is mandated to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms among its member nations. Certainly, reviewing, reporting and making recommendations as to how to achieve this mission is not interference in the country’s internal affairs. After all, it was made clear that the action would just be a review and not an “investigation” and would be done to enable the UNHRC commissioner to make recommendations that the Philippine government may or may not follow.

Sen. Francis Tolentino was right in saying the UNHRC action would not be binding, but a negative finding could have many consequences that could make the country a pariah in the family of nations or invite sanctions from the members.

Lcosin even threatened to withdraw the Philippines from membership in the UNHRC just like when President Duterte withdrew the country from the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court, on March 17, 2019 after the ICC started an investigation into the administration’s deadly drug war.

It seems that the only response of the Duterte administration to probing actions by international agencies is to withdraw from that body and hopefully escape from its jurisdiction. It suggests flight and resistance, the same excuses the police use to justify the thousands of murders perpetrated in the name of the war on drugs.

Locsin condemns what he calls bias by Western nations: “The Philippines is affronted that it should be named with the very breath of these authors of atrocities, noting that they are the same ones so bold to condemn the Philippines.” He was referring to some countries that voted in favor of the resolution that in the past were accused of human rights violations.

And yet, a look at those who voted with the Philippines to reject the Iceland resolution shows that most of them are currently under fire for various human rights violations, such as Angola, Bahrain, Cameroon, Cuba,

Egypt, Eritrea, Hungary, India, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Somalia.

Many of these countries are under strongman rule.

It would also seem that the Duterte administration has chosen to align itself with nations that have been under fire for questionable human rights practices. Just last week, the Philippines joined 36 other nations in defending China’s treatment of Uighur and other minorities in the country’s Xinjiang region, where one-million people, mostly ethnic Uighurs, are reportedly being held in internment camps.

Rights groups and former inmates describe the internment sites in Xinjiang as “concentration camps” where mainly Muslim Uighurs and other minorities are being forcefully assimilated into China’s majority ethnic Han society.

But the Philippines and the other signatories of the letter, which was released last Friday at the close of the UNHRC’s 41 session, echoed China’s claim that the camps were “vocational education and training centers” and not concentration camps. The signatories included Russia, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Algeria and North Korea— countries not known for respecting human rights.

But China, instead of threatening to pull out of the UNHRC or calling the Western nations “fools,” opened Xinjiang’s doors to the international community and even invited diplomats and media outlets to tour the camps. When UNHRC chief Michelle Bachelet requested a fact-finding mission to Xinjiang, Beijing said the group is welcome although the UNHRC stressed that a visit will be only possible on certain conditions—including unfettered access to key sites.

The President and his key officials could learn a thing or two from the response of their newfound friends to the global outcry. Duterte, Panelo and other officials said those who condemn the drug war do not know the realities on the ground. If indeed, the government believes that it is doing the right thing in its drug war, why not let the UNHRC people come in and conduct its “fact-finding” mission?

Enough of their knee-jerk reactions. valabelgas@aol.com Mr. Abelgas is a former managing editor of Manila Standard. He now lives in the United States.

the bulk of our sourcing), the BOC should have generated revenues of some P10 billion already. This assumes that all imports are of the 25 percent brokens variety.

The farmer’s group thus claims that importers must have underdeclared the value of the rice they imported, and the BOC may have been taken for a ride.

Rice is a fungible commodity, and different grades of rice command different prices.

The BOC understandably may not have the expertise to know the difference between 5 percent brokens and 25 percent brokens, even less. Or fancy varieties versus common varieties.

Only the NFA has such expertise.

There must be some cogent explanation coming from the BOC on the complaint of the FFF. In any case, the implications on our rice farmers and domestic production forebode grimly, unless a proper systemic balance can be made.

While lifting the long-imposed QR on rice is salutary to stabilizing the price of rice for our consumers, balance must be made vis-à-vis domestic production. We cannot permanently rely on importation to achieve food security.

With climate change a given, the world’s limited supply of grains cannot always be properly assumed. For example, what if China decides to build more dams that would impede

the sources of water that flows from its highlands down to the Mekong River, which supplies the water feeding Southeast Asian paddy fields?

Farfetched one might say, but still a possibility in an uncertain world, where conflicts remain, even exacerbated by the great economic powers.

There are challenges in trying to achieve balance.

There are models and templates done by our less than rice selfsufficient neighbors, such as Malaysia and Indonesia to assure food security.

And we are soon to have new leadership in the Department of Agriculture, while the President has just appointed a new National Food Authority administrator from the career service with experience dating back to the Marcos years.

Apart from ensuring that tariffs which would go into the RCEF are properly collected, a responsibility of the BOC, it matters more that said funds are properly utilized to help our palay farmers cope with the competition from imports.

There are creative ways of achieving the proper balance between the economic imperative of controlling food inflation vis-à-vis the need to continue growing enough for our staple needs from domestic production.

This is what our rice overseers in DA and NFA need to achieve— balance.

Meanwhile the United Nations resolution filed by Iceland in the UN Human Rights Council continues to draw controversy with several politicians calling for the severance of diplomatic relations with that country, This, for sponsoring the resolution in the UNHRC that called for an inquiry into the alleged extrajudicial killings of suspects in President Duterte’s bloody campaign against illegal drug trafficking.

So, what is the Philippines going to do now? Aside from breaking diplo-

matic ties with Iceland, are we going to also cut ties with the countries that voted for the resolution? Signs of this isolation from the international community were evident last July 14 Bastille Day of France wherein the Department of Foreign Affairs appeared not to send a single DFA official on purpose to the national day celebration of France at the French ambassador’s residence in Forbes Park. The absence of a single DFA official at the event was so conspicuous that many of the ambassadors

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

By Lynne Schoeman AS UNCANNILY realistic “deep fake” videos proliferate online, including one recently retweeted by Donald Trump, journalism schools are scrambling to adapt to an era of misinformation—or fake news.

Experts discussed how to train tomorrow’s reporters for these new challenges at the World Journalism Education Congress in Paris last week.

The three-day event—“Teaching Journalism During a Disruptive Age” —was attended by 600 educators and researchers from 70 countries.

“We have journalism educators from places as different as Bangladesh and Uganda, but essentially we all face the same challenges,” congress organiser Pascal Guenee, head of IPJ Dauphine journalism school in Paris, told AFP. In China, the government makes no secret of its tight grip on the media.

But fake news is seeping into traditional media via Weibo, WeChat and other Chinese-language social media platforms, said journalism professor Peiqin Chen of the Shanghai International Studies University.

“When someone posts false information on Weibo, it can be reposted by a mainstream newspaper’s Weibo account,” she said. “Other mainstream media pick up on it from there.”

“Mainstream media play the biggest role in confirming and spreading fake news in China,” she added.

For politics or profit It was US President Donald Trump who first popularised the phrase “fake news” in attacks on the news media.

But in May, Trump tweeted a video of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi which appeared to have been edited to focus on sections of a speech in which she stuttered and mispronounced certain words.

“Pelosi stammers through news conference,” he wrote.

Another doctored Pelosi video, which went viral online, slowed down her speech to give the impression she was drunk.

The motivation behind fake news is not always political, said Gifty AppiahAdjei from the University of Education in Ghana.

“Often it is for financial gain by creating internet traffic, or it’s entertainment,” she told AFP. “And some people write fake stories just for fun.”

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to 7.3 percent of GDP. The Dutertenomics model would have simulated impact of 9 percent-10 percent, much higher than the current official forecasts, figures Salceda.

“Indeed there is a single-mindedness in the economic team to execute the Build Build Build strategy with projects under construction rising from P1 billion in 2017 to P40 billion in 2019, and projects with financial close rising from P126 billion to P992 billion and projects under procurement from P115 billion to P531 billion,” says Salceda.

Salceda says, “the President has a strong grip on his Cabinet which has consistently spoken in a unified voice on issues and no open public acrimonious debate among departments of policy differences have surfaced.”

One unique feature of Duterte’s management style, has been to appoint retired generals to key positions possibly because they are trained to strictly follow, notes the Albay solon, command and no second-guessing of the superior’s preference.

And even the Congress has provided robust legislative support with the House approving all 25 items in the presidential plate although Senate delivered only six.

Indeed, “no other President has enjoyed sustained mass popularity since EDSA, and at par with Ramon Magsaysay’s,” recalls Salceda.

Dominguez says “the economic managers have formulated a bold catchup program to achieve a GDP growth rate of over 6 percent this year.”

“We will accelerate infrastructure disbursements and hasten implementation of projects so that public works spending hits the targeted 5.2 percent of GDP by the end of the year. We will fasttrack the implementation of priority socioeconomic programs. We aim to bring up the growth of our agriculture sector to at least 2 percent per annum.

We look forward to working closely with

present were asking why. But the answer to that diplomatic snub was quite obvious.

France, one of Europe’s leading countries which espouses freedom and human rights, was one of the nations that voted for the Icelandic resolution. We can expect the DFA to do the same—give the cold shoulder to Iceland on its national day.

There were at least 14 countries that voted for the Icelandic UN resolution.

Are we going to cut diplomatic rela-

Journalism education “is the most effective means by which fake news can be addressed,” she argued.

Until recently however, how to detect and counter fake news has rarely been taught as a stand-alone course at journalism schools, she said.

Checking sources has “always been part of the curriculum,” said Kamilla Nigmatullina, senior lecturer at Russia’s Saint Petersburg State University.

But today’s ever-more sophisticated misinformation—including doctored videos and photos—requires a fresh approach.

“Journalism schools in China give some courses in fact-checking, but the academic material we study is based on research in other countries,” said Chen.

“China still has a long way to go.”

But for Nigmatullina, we do not need to develop a whole new discipline.

Technology not the answer “What we do need is joint research with scholars from different disciplines,” she told AFP. “We could work with neuroscience students, for example, to determine why people decide to share certain information.”

In one project organised by the European Journalism Training Association, students from almost 20 journalism schools in 13 countries participated in the fact-checking of articles in the run-up to the European Union elections.

One of the aims, said project manager Nadia Vissers from the Artesis Plantijn University in Belgium, was to learn the difference between “misinformation” and “disinformation.”

“Misinformation is false information spread without the intention to cause harm,” she explained. “Disinformation has the intention of spreading lies and influencing people.”

Misleading information in the media, for example, about migration, climate change and Brexit was classified as “mostly true,” “mostly false,” “false” or “uncheckable.”

The project runs on a shoe-string budget, said Vissers, because “we don’t want any funding from Facebook or Google.”

“The goal is to train journalists,” said Eric Nahon, deputy head of IPJ Dauphine and chairman of the panel discussion.

“Technological solutions are not the answer—we need educated journalists.”

AFP Congress to continue improving the ease of doing business.”

The Rice Tariffication Act has made quality rice more affordable and accessible to Filipino consumers, thereby bringing down inflation. In fact, rice retail prices are now cheaper by P5 to P10 per kilo compared to last year, reports Dominguez.

DOF Chief Dominguez says “the passage of the TRABAHO bill will encourage even more competitive investments to enter our economy. The reduction of corporate income tax rates will bring our tax regime closer to the regional average and the rationalization of fiscal incentives will create a level playing field for our enterprises and attract new players to compete.”

Dominguez reports: “We will now have a One Central Business Portal that will be available online and through mobile phone, transforming the business registration experience into a convenient facility that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including Sundays and holidays.

These reforms will greatly enhance the ease of doing business,” says Dominguez.

“Our people are beginning to reap the rewards from a well-managed economy.

Unemployment is at its lowest in 40 years.

From an average of 6.9 percent in 2010 to 2015, the unemployment rate has averaged 5.5 percent from 2016 to 2018. The latest data for April 2019 showed unemployment has dipped further to 5.2 percent.”

“The drop in the unemployment rate reflects in the reduction of poverty incidence. From 27.6 percent in the first half of 2015, poverty incidence has significantly declined to 21 percent in the first half of 2018.”

“The decline in poverty incidence indicated by official figures is confirmed by opinion surveys that measure selfrated poverty. A recent SWS poll showed that the number of Filipinos who consider themselves poor fell to 38 percent, the lowest number ever.” biznewsasia@gmail.com.

tions with them, too? This is isolating the Philippines from the community of nations that would leave us with ties only to China. That would go against the President’s policy to diversify our diplomatic relations.

North Korea, with its aggressive and abrasive approach, has isolated itself with strong ties only to China and Russia and probably Iran in what is shaping up as an alignment of forces between the West and rogue states in the East.

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News

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DOLE stops work at Momentum Construction

SHARING LIFE.

Volunteers from various agencies, students, and the private sector donate blood in a bloodletting activity during the celebration of National Blood Donors Month at the Cultural Center of Laguna, Capitol Compound in Sta Cruz, Laguna on Friday. The 'National Blood Donors Month,' conducted yearly in July per Proclamation 1021 signed on June 9, 1997, encourages every Filipino to voluntarily donate blood for humane cause and to acknowledge blood donors for their noble act of saving lives. PNA

By Vito Barcelo THE Department of Labor and Employment issued a work stoppage order to Momentum Construction and Development Corp. in Sampaloc, Manila when a tower crane’s cable hoisting a cement-filled bucket snapped and crushed a construction worker to death.

The department issued the WSO to the company and its sub-contractors based on the results of an investigation on the accident that happened at the construction site last weekend.

The victim was identified as Jhon Erick Marcoso, a steel man from a subcontractor engaged to the operations of Momentum Construction.

The DOLE said the incident “showed existence of the grave and imminent danger to the health and safety of the workers” with the company’s multiple occupational safety and health violations.

Among the violations noted in the investigation included the non-registration of the establishment under Rule 1020, lack of OSH program, inadequate number of safety officers, lack of eight-hour mandatory OSH orientation to all workers, lack of occupational health physicians, and inadequate safety signages.

Also, non-provision of safety measures when operating machines and lack of defined procedure in performing hazardous workers were noted in the stoppage order.

The DOLE investigating team also found out that the company’s subcontractors are not registered with the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board, as well as failed to submit all OSH reports on Safety and Health Organization and Annual Medical Reports of all of its workers.

Cimatu urges ISF: Share in Manila Bay rehab

By Rio N. Araja ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy Cimatu on Tuesday urged informal settler families living along waterways to do their share in the Manila Bay rehabilitation through the availment of the government’s relocation program.

He cited the importance of the relocation of the informal settlers, saying such would hasten ongoing efforts to rehabilitate polluted creeks and other waterways draining into the historic bay.

He said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is committed to make Manila Bay “swimmable”

by December this year.

He made the appeal when he and Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso inspected last weekend an area along Estero de San Antonio Abad in Malate that used to be occupied by 50 informal settler families.

The area was cleared of illegal structures after the families agreed to transfer to a relocation site of the National Housing Authority in Caloocan City’s Tala district.

At least 20 other informal settler families have been left behind 20 along the waterways, which is one of Manila’s filthiest esteros.

“We would like to appeal to the remaining 20 families to comply with the requirements of the NHA, so that we can already move them to their new location, to a better place. Not atop the water canals,” Cimatu said.

CEB pilots beat birds, save passengers’ lives

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

HE pilots of a Cebu Pacific Air flight bound for Cagayan de Oro saved the lives of their passengers and crew when they decided to return to Manila after birds stuck the plane during takeoff early Tuesday morning.

Airport officials said bird strike occurs when birds, bats and all flying animals collide with an aircraft, hitting the nose, windshield, leading edges such as wings and tails, or ingested by the engines.

One of the affected CEB passengers was former presidential spokesman Harry Roque who narrated the incident via his Facebook account.

Roque stated in his post: “On board (flight) 5J 381 from NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) bound for Cagayan de Oro. There was a de-

lay in take-off, then an explosion of sorts, smell of smoke and flight now returning to Manila. Cebu Pac needs to take better care of its aircrafts (sic) and its passengers. Paging Sec. Art Tugade and CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines)! Riding public need your help!”

He also said “PS: We’ve landed at NAIA and we were informed that there was a “bird strike”. Challenge is how Cebu Pac will deal with us now.

Final PS: Cebu Pac transferred us to a new plane. Flight was scheduled to

THE PRIME MOVER. Environmental lawyer and activist Antonio Oposa Jr. (right) looks at paintings depicting Manila Bay during the Art for Manila Bay Rehabilitation Exhibit organized by the Dynamic Art Group and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources at The Gallery of the Solaire Resort and Casino in Parañaque City. In 1999, Oposa acted as counsel for concerned residents of Manila Bay joined by other respondents who sued the government for its failure to protect Manila Bay for the future generations of Filipinos. The suit led the Supreme Court to issue in 2008 the Writ of Continuing Mandamus to 12 government agencies, including the DENR, for the rehabilitation of Manila Bay and the restoration of its water quality to make it fit for swimming and other contact recreation. Joining Oposa is DENR Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units Concerns Benny D. Antiporda. The exhibit runs until July 27, 2019.

Immigration agents intercept 4 foreigners at NAIA FOUR foreigners were intercepted by immigration officers who tried to leave the country with spurious documents.

Bureau of Immigration Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina said the foreigners—a Chinese fugitive, a Nigerian, and two Sri Lankans—were intercepted in three separate occasions at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Medina said the Chinese man, identified as Wang Wen, 33, was intercepted at NAIA 2 who attempted to flee the country via a Philippine Airlines flight to Xiamen.

“He was found in possession of a Philippine visa with fake immigration arrival and departure stamps. Upon verification with our records, it was discovered that he is the subject of a summary deportation order in 2018 for

depart at 3 and arrive at 5 am. Its 540 am and were still waiting for buses to arrive.”

According to CEB Corporate Communications director Charo Logarta Lagamon, all the passengers were safe, but the damaged Airbus 320 had to be replaced.

Logarta said in an ABS-CBN News report that the replacement plane left Manila around 7:20 a.m. and landed in its destination at 8:30 a.m.

The Manila International Airport Authority had formed a team to get rid of all birds at the grassy portion of the major runway of NAIA that pose dangers to aircraft.

The move came followed complaints from airline operators and pilots about the presence of birds, especially egrets and pigeons, looking for food on NAIA runway 06/24.

being a fugitive from justice, as he is wanted in China for being involved in economic crimes,” Medina said.

The BI-Traffic Control and Enforcement Unit also held Nigerian Adekunle Michael Ogunade, who attempted to leave using a fake Solomon Islands passport.

BI-TCEU chief Timotea Barizo said Ogunade admitted during investigation his true nationality, upon confirmation that his Solomon Island passport, driver’s license, and identity card were all found to be counterfeit by BI’s forensic document laboratory.

“He was spotted and accosted by our men who noticed his unusual behavior.

He seemed like he was trying to evade immigration checks by taking advantage of the passenger congestion,” she said.

At the NAIA 2, the BI intercepted two Sri Lankans at the transfer desk area identified as Dorosamy Asah and Talayan Hilamaran, who likewise attempted to transit from Malaysia to Brisbane, Australia using fake Malaysian passports.

Their passports have shown irregularities which led the officer to submit the documents for forensic inspection.

It was later confirmed that the two presented fake passports, which they allegedly acquired in Malaysia.

Wang and Ogunade are now detained at the BI detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending their deportation, while the two Sri Lankans have been denied transit and returned to their port of origin. Vito Barcelo

MMDA now preparing earthquake scenarios

THE Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is now preparing scenarios in connection with the scheduled metrowide earthquake drill this month.

Among the scenarios to be simulated during the July 27 drill include disruption of water, power and communication, building evacuation, administering first aid to injured victims, fire manipulation and saving trapped victims, among others.

“Injected scenarios will serve as evaluation tools. We will make them as close to reality as possible,” said Michael Salalima, chief-of-staff of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

Salalima urged MMDRRMC officers to convince the private sector and nongovernmental organizations in their areas of jurisdiction to test their nighttime capabilities when disasters strike during the drill.

“Following MMDA Chairman Danilo Lim’s directive, this is going to be multi-sectoral, multi-level and a regional-wide activity. For the first time, we will be counting on the increased participation of the private sector,” said Salalima during the MMDRRMC meeting held at the MMDA headquarters Tuesday.

To prepare Metro Manila for any eventuality, pre-agreed scenarios and rehearsal plans to simulate a powerful earthquake with partner government agencies will be enacted.

Quadrant commanders of the four sectors—North, East, West and South— would start from scratch in setting up staging areas in their respective places of assignments as personnel and equipment will no longer be pre-positioned.

This will test the MMDA, concerned government agencies and local government units’ execution of their contingency plans. For private groups, this will allow them to test their business continuity capabilities in times of disasters.

The MMDA official said they had asked the participation of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and National Resilience Council to urge their member businesses to participate in the drill.

SEAOIL Lifetime Free Gas promo returns for its third year SEAOIL, the leading independent fuel provider in the Philippines, will be giving away a lifetime supply of free gas to four lucky motorists starting this July, the company said in a press statement.

The “Lifetime Free Gas, Oh My Gas!” promo, which continues to be the only one of its kind in the world, makes a comeback on its third year.

“Following our success from the past two years of the lifetime free gas promo, we want to continue this giveaway to thank our loyal customers for their continued patronage of SEAOIL. The response has been overwhelming, and we are more than happy to return with it once again,” said SEAOIL chief executive officer Glenn Yu.

SEAOIL customers can also expect to win over 100,000 instant prizes through peel-off cards. A total of half a million worth of SEAOIL gift cards will be raffled off in monthly draws.

The winners of the promo from the past two years came from different walks of life. Last year’s winners include Michael Sulit of Caloocan City, a SEAOIL user since buying his own car, is the youngest winner at 24 years old and the “bunso” in the family.

He uses his free fuel for field work and trips with family and friends and shares it with his siblings who have families of their own.

Ernie Linarez is a TNVS operator and driver from Rizal. His monthly fuel savings help pay for his car loan.

Sports Makati jins to join 3 world meets SEVENTEEN of the country’s brightest young taekwondo stars from the Kasilawan Taekwondo Club are now ready to put Makati— and the Philippines—in the international taekwondo map again.

Led by team manager Carlo Batalla and head coach Gani Domingo and supported by Makati Cong. Kid Pena, a 17-member Kasilawan Taekwondo Club is set to compete in three major competitions in Amman, Jordan and Bangkok, Thailand next week and Tashkent, Uzbekistan next month.

The Filipinos are widely expected to dominate all three competitions and add to their vast collection of medals numbering to more than a thousand since the establishment of the Makatibased club in 2011.

“These boys and girls are now the best and the brightest in taekwondo. I can see a bright future for all of them starting in the coming three major international competitions,” said Batalla during the formal team presentation at the Carlos Gym in Barangay Olympia in Makati.

“With the right motivation and proper training under the best coaches, these boys and girls can surely achieve their dreams of becoming future taekwondo champions,” added Batalla, also a well-known public servant in Camarines.Sur. No less than Cong. Pena and top barangay officials of the city’s first district attended the presentation.

“My advise to these young taewondo stars is to always do their best and go for gold,” said Pena, a staunch supporter of sports, recently elected as congressman of the country’s financial district.

“There is nothing we cannot do and we cannot achieve if we keep our focus on the task at hand. Always word hard,” said Pena, who made history by winning the congressional seat over former Vice President Jejomar Binay in last May’s mid-term election.

Cong. Pena underscored the importance of sports and vowed to work closely with the Makati City government to promote sports, especially taekwondo.

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

PH sports got P4B from Pagcor

P

HILIPPINE sports remain one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

The gaming agency on Tuesday reiterated its all-out support to local sports as shown by the increase in the monthly contribution it is remitting to the Philippine Sports Commission.

PAGCOR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Andrea Domingo bared in the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Amelie Hotel-Manila that her office has been averaging P140 to P145 million monthly contribution to the PSC coffers, including a total of P159 million just last month.

By her estimate, Domingo said more than P4 billion had already been contributed by the agency to Philippine sports since the time she was appointed to the post three years ago.

“Since the administration of President Duterte, which started in July 1, 2016 up until the present time, PAGCOR has remitted P4.4 billion to the PSC,” Domingo announced during the weekly session presented

by San Miguel Corp., Braska Restaurant, Ameli Hotel, and PAGCOR. Part of the PAGCOR contribution, according to Domingo, goes to the incentives given to athletes who won in international tournaments, as well as for training and

PAGCOR Chief Andrea Domingo

pension of athletes and coaches.

In some cases, the agency also extends support to several National Sports Associations such as wrestling, bowling, chess, dancesport, and taekwondo.

Just recently, the gaming firm also donated P852 million for the renovation and rehabilitation of the country’s three major sports complexes, namely the Rizal Memorial Complex, Philsports, and the Ninoy Aquino Stadium

to be used for the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games later this year.

“I heard they’ve already started doing it at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex at this time,” Domingo added.

Also in line with the SEA Games’ staging here, the PACGOR chief disclosed having released a P200 million check to the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) as a sponsorship package. The money, according to her, had already been given just two weeks ago.

“We have granted Phisgoc (financial assistance) based on the memorandum from the President exhorting everybody to help with the hosting of the SEA Games,” said the former Pampanga congresswoman and Bureau of Immigration chief.

That’s why it saddened her learning about the ongoing major leadership dispute among the country’s top sports officials especially with the SEA Games just a good five months away.

“Kasi malaking kahihiyan sa bansa natin kapag hindi natuloy (ang SEA Games) at magkaroon ng kaguluhan na ganyan,” added Domingo, who was also joined in the forum by Atty. Joey Tria, considered as the father of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operation or more popularly known as POGO. “I’m just hoping and praying that everything will be alright just in time for us to host the SEA Games.”

Simmons to ink $170m Sixers’ deal

Ben Simmons participates in a challenge onstage during Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Sports 2019 at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. AFP

Tiauson rules Balinas Calabarzon rapid chess tourney CABUYAO CITY—Recarte Tiauson bested some of the country’s top chess players in topping the 8th leg of the National Executive Chess Championship, dubbed as 2019 Grandmaster Rosendo Balinas Sr. Chess Cup held here at the Activity Area, Centro Mall, Cabuyao City in Laguna on Sunday.

The 32-year-old Tiauson edged International Master Petronio Roca in the fourth, then downed National Master Carlo Lorena in the fifth before halving the point

with United States Master Arjoe Loanzon in the sixth and final round to finish with 5.5 points and capture the rapid crown plus the top purse of P12,000 and an elegant trophy.

Victor Anas finished solo second with five points to take home P8,000 and a trophy.

Loanzon, National Master Robert Arellano, Roca, Juman Marcelo and Fide Master Randy Segarra wound up with 4.5 points each to emerge tied for 2nd to 7th place.

Rounding up to the top 10 finishers were 8th place Angel Tambong Jr. (4 pts.), 9th place Roberto Manguiob (4 pts.) and 10th place Dandel Fernandez (4 pts.).

Adjudged category winners were Marcelo (Top 1999); Manguiob (Top Senior); Leonard Raymond Reyes (Top Newcomer); Engr. Bren Sasot (Top 1899), Gregorio Artieda (Top Unrated); Edwin Sison (Top 1799) and Susan Grace Neri (Top Lady).

Philippine Executive Chess Asso-

ciation president Dr. Jenny Mayor and tournament director Dr. Alfred Paez led the closing rites in the one-day event supported by the City Government of Cabuyao, headed by Mayor Atty. Rommel “Mel” A. Gecolea, Engr. Antonio “Tony” Carreon Balinas, JAMlink Travel and Tours, Jolly Smile Dental Clinic and Bread and Bachoy.

Chief arbiter is FNA Alexander “Alex” Dinoy of the Chess Arbiter Union of the Philippines.

GenSan, Cebu, Batangas win in MPBL Lakan

Jaramillo to follow in Didal’s footsteps, says sport’s chief THE Philippines won’t have to look far for the next Margielyn Arda Didal, the 2018 Asian Games street skateboard gold medalist and latest Pinay sports icon, according to Skateboarding and Roller Sports Association of the Philippines, Inc. president Monty Mendigoria.

“Princess Jaramillo could be our next Margie. She definitely has that potential,” said Mendigoria, who came with the athlete in tow, Tuesday during the Philippine Sports Association Forum at the Amelie Hotel-Manila.

A native of Dasmarinas, Cavite, Jaramillo, 23, took runner-up honors behind the illustrious Didal, scoring 24.57 points behind the latter’s 28.73 points in the women’s street finals of the National Skateboarding Championships held over the weekend in Barangay Tapo, Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

“Gusto ko po talaga maging miyembro ng national team. ‘Yun po ang pangarap ko,” said Jaramillo, who took up street

skateboarding at the age of 16 after being drawn to the sport by the male streetboarders in her Paranaque neighborhood.

“I have witnessed Cess (Jaramillo’s nickname) for quite some time. What I admire about her just like Margie is her consistency,” noted Mendigoria, adding Jaramillo still has to go through the screening process to make it to the national team in the 30th Southeast Asian Games where skateboard will make its debut as a medal sport.

Only two entries are allowed in each of the eight events – four in the men’s and four in the women’s divisions--that are included in skateboarding in the 30th SEA Games, and Didal and Fil-Am Christiana Means are already seeded in the street skateboard competitions, he explained.

“If Cess doesn’t make the cut, she will definitely be a part of our national pool because, as we said, we would like to groom a new generation of Margie Didals,” added Mendigoria in the session

Monty Mendigoria and Princess Jaramillo

presented by San Miguel Corp., Braska Restaurant, Amelie Hotel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

Currently a dental technician who makes protective mouthguards, Jaramillo said she practices after work at a makeshift street skateboard park with other

enthusiasts near the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City.

“Ang favorite ko pong trick is the 50-50 explosive grind,” bared the petite skateboarder of the routine where she skates over a rail or ledge then suddenly leaps in mid-air then lands back on the rail again.

Patrombon seeks PPS Fr. Suarez tennis title repeat MULTI-TITLED national team mainstay Jeson Patrombon sets out for a title-retention drive in the centerpiece Open class while the country’s leading and rising junior campaigners slug it out for top honors in their side of the duel in the PPS-PEPP Fr. Fernando Suarez Open Championships which gets under way Friday (July 19) at the Brent Tennis Center in Biñan, Laguna.

The two-weekend tournament kicking off the second half of the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala tennis season also features the Legends division featuring the men’s doubles in the 40s and 50s age categories with the other playdates on July 20, 21, 26, 27 and 28.

Patrombon smothered fellow Davis Cupper Johnny Arcilla to rule the inaugural staging of the event held in honor of healing priest Fr. Suarez, who is also a tennis

LOS ANGELES—The NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and Australian star Ben Simmons have agreed to a five-year, $170 million maximum contract extension, US media reported Monday.

ESPN said Simmons’ agent Rich Paul had confirmed the deal, although the parties had until mid-October to finalize the extension of Simmons’ rookie contract.

Simmons, 22, was the number one overall draft pick in 2016 and after injury saw him miss the 2016-17 season he was named Rookie of the Year in 2017-18.

He averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists for the 76ers last season, when he was named an All-Star for the first time. In the past two seasons he has had 22 triple-doubles and 80 double-doubles, emerging as a dominant finisher at the rim.

He joined Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson as the only NBA players with at least 10 triple-doubles—posting double figures in three key statistical categories —in each of their first two seasons.

The deal confirms a 76ers core that also includes Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Al Horford—all under contract for at least the next four years as the team seek their first NBA title since 1983.

Last season the Sixers were knocked out of the Eastern Conference semi-finals for the second straight season.

The extension will come into effect in the 2020-21 season after the final year of his rookie deal. AFP

buff, in Bulacan last year. Fr. Suarez will also see action in the pro-am competition with Leander Lazaro.

Though Arcilla won’t be around to honor a previous commitment, the depth of the competing field remains as talent-laden as ever with the likes of Vicente Anasta, Fritz Verdad, Mark Alcoseba, Noel Damian Jr., Rodolfo Barquin, Eric Jed Olivarez and Lazaro ready and eager to stop Patrombon.

Meanwhile, to accommodate the big number of entries wishing to play in the Open, a qualifying will be held also on Friday for the four remaining berths in the main 32-player draw of the event sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg. Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro also praised Fr. Suarez’s all-out support to the sport,

adding it further inspires them to put up more and more tournaments for the youth as well as members of the national pool and team to help prepare them for various international competitions.

From Laguna, the country’s biggest, longest-running circuit moves to Leyte for the PPS-PEPP Mayor Nikko Mercado/MCF Global leg on Aug. 1-5 at the Maasin City Tennis Club before Baybay Tennis Club stages the next leg on Aug. 8-11, according to PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director Bobby Mangunay. Listup is going. For details, call 0915-4046464.

Fierce action is also seen in junior play, which offers titles in nine age categories, including the premier 18-and-under division headed by Gaby Zoleta, Mica Emana, Julia Ignacio and Margaud Rosales (girls) and Leyton Portin, Angelo Mates, Allen Rombawa and Jester Ocio (boys).

GENERAL Santos, Batangas and Cebu fashioned out contrasting victories Monday night in the MPBL Lakan Season.

The Warriors, putting a collective effort to make up for the absence of ace player Mike Williams, snapped the fourgame winning streak of the Valenzuela Classic following a 93-87 triumph Monday night at the Valenzuela Astrodome.

Rob Celiz led four players finishing in double figures as he knocked in 25 points to lead the steady shooting of the Warriors, who hit 12-of-23 shots from the three-point area.

Pamboy Raymundo came away with a double-double performance of 14 points and 12 assists, while John Orbeta chipped in 12 and Meylan Landicho had 10 for the Warriors, who improved their win-loss record to 4-2.

It was the second straight win for new head coach Rich Alvarez, who heaped praise on his wards for stepping up.

Earlier, Batangas City bounced back from its previous forgettable setback and pulled off a hard-earned 101-89 overtime triumph over the formidable Basilan Steel.

The Tanduay-backed Athletics shackled the Jumbo Plastic-supported Steel in the extra period, holding down their rivals to just four points before picking up their second win in three starts. Basilan absorbed its second loss in five matches.

Cebu banked on Will McAloney, who delivered the crucial baskets in the last three seconds as the Casino Ethyl Alcohol-backed Sharks escaped past the Iloilo United Royals, 69-68.

McAloney hit a jumper and drew a foul from Eric Rodriguez. He completed the three-point play for the final tally. Iloilo sued for time and went to Alfrancis Tamsi, who let loose a desperation trey that failed to hit the mark.

Sports

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

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019

Foton bucks sluggish start to frustrate Sta. Lucia Games Tomorrow (FilOil Flying V Centre) 2:00 p.m. -- F2 Logistics vs Sta. Lucia 4:15 p.m. -- Petron vs Cignal 7:00 p.m. -- PLDT vs Foton

BACOOR CITY—Foton recovered from a sluggish start before eking out a comefrom-behind 18-25, 21-25, 25-18, 25-15, 15-4 win over Sta. Lucia Realty in the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference yesterday at the Strike Gym here.

Jaja Santiago, substitute spiker Marian Buitre and Dindin Santiago-Manabat powered the Tornadoes to kick off their second-round campaign on a high note in this prestigious women’s club tourney bankrolled by Team Rebel Sports, SOGO, Eurotel, PCSO, Cocolife, UCPB Gen, Mueller, Senoh, Asics, Bizooku and One Sport.

Santiago delivered 22 points built on 14 kills, six blocks and two service aces while Buitre, who was fielded in the third set, showed her worth with 15 points off eight attacks, five aces and two blocks.

Manabat, for her part, added 13 markers.

Foton tightened its hold on the solo fourth place with its fourth straight victory to improve to 5-3 win-loss record.

“We were looking for the right combination in the first part of the game that’s why we struggled a bit,” Foton head coach Aaron Velez said. “I’m thankful that Marian stepped up and everybody was really committed to comeback and win this game.”

With Santiago at the helm, the Tornadoes waxed hot in the deciding frame with an 11-2 start to complete the huge comeback win that sent the Lady Realtors to their seventh consecutive loss.

Ecostrong edges Perry’s Group for Orchard crown TEAM Ecostrong scored a 5.5-4.5 victory over Perry’s Group to clinch its first Orchard Intra Club Golf League title after a string of runner-up finishes in the last five years.

Ecostrong opened with a 3-2 lead with triumphs in Pinehurst Foursomes, Four Ball B and Aggregate formats at the Player course of the Orchard Golf and Country Club.

At the Palmer course, it won in the High Low and Aggregate formats, then halved point in Four Ball B for a 5.5 total, to capture the trophy.

The triumph also completed a big comeback for Ecostrong, from being outside the top 10 to serious title contender at the end of the elimination round.

“This come-from-behind championship was built on hard work and trust.

We were counted out already but we proved doubters wrong,” manager Gino Olivares said.

Perry’s Group was humble in defeat, saying: “We tried our best but we ran out of holes. The Ecostrong guys played well, they deserved to win,” said skipper Louie Garcia.

M.A.E.L.S. triumphed in the battle for third place with a 4-1 decision over SAGO Rover in the 10th edition of the Intra Club, where 13 “barkadahan” teams competed.

“This year, we had 344 Orchard members. Next year, it will increase as more have signified their intention to participate,” said Orchard golf director Francis Montallana.

Foton’s Jaja Santiago towers over Sta. Lucia Realty’s Pam Lastimosa and Joy Dacoron as she scores a point in the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference.

Defensive-minded Knights defuse JRU Heavy Bombers

By Peter Atencio

A

Games Thursday (EAC gym)

2 p.m. San Beda vs EAC (jrs) DEFENSIVE-MINDED Letran took control from start to 4 p.m. San Beda vs EAC (srs) finish as frontliners Larry Muyang, Fran Yu, Ato Ular and Edson Batiller manned the boards efficiently and propelled coming matches, now that they have the Knights to a 55-43 win over Jose Rizal University on Tuesday— their stayed in the lead. their second triumph in three games in the 95th National Collegiate In junior action, the San Sebastian College Staglets posted their first triumph in two Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.

Batiller, one of Letran’s senior players, showed the way with 14 points as the Knights won the low-scoring encounter at the FilOil-Flying V Sports Center in San Juan.

“Depensa lang. We had a bad game. We struggled with our errors. Hindi namin nakuha laro namin. So we had to regroup and correct our mistakes,” said Knights’ coach Bonnie Tan. The Knights struggled after taking a 3017 halftime spread. And they got a scare when ex-San Beda standout Ry de la Rosa unloaded two triples during an 8-0 rally midway in the third, putting the Heavy Bombers to within, 32-38.

A triple from Yu and a jumper from Jerrick Balanza with 4:22 to go allowed the Knights to move away by 15, 52-37.

Meanwhile, the San Sebastian Stags scored another blowout win, this time a 92-68 crushing of the Mapua University Cardinals.

With veteran cager Allyn Bulanadi helping out on both ends of the floor, the Stags drew double-digit outputs from six key players in earning their second straight triumph.

Bulanadi drilled in 13 of his 26 points for the Stags in the first half as they took charge, 46-23.

RK Ilagan showed the way for SSC with 16 points, while Alex Desoyo, Ken Villapando, JM Calma and Alvin Capobres, who had 14, 13, 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Stags’ coach Egay Macaraya said it was a statement game for them and that they will have to take a cautious stand in

outings, scoring a 64-62 upset of the defending champion Malayan Red Robins.

Dylan Darbin shot 14 points for the Staglets, who weathered the Red Robins’ late rally from 14 points down.

Randolph Perez tallied 13 points and nine boards for the Staglets.

Megan Galang shot 21 points for the Red Robins, who fought their way out of a 41-55 deficit at the end of the third.

“Hindi pa sila sanay sa pressure kasi most of our players, mga bago,” said Staglets’ coach Melo Banua after they dealt the Red Robins their second consecutive setback.

The Jose Rizal University Light Bombers, starring Gholam Garcia and Conrad Famaranco with 23 and 22 points, respectively, downed the Letran Squires, 85-69, to improve to 1-1.

3-way battle looms at ICTSI Pradera golf THE ICTSI Pradera Ladies Classic gets going today (Wednesday) with the Taiwanese, the Thais and the local top guns all set for three days of battle of shotmaking and wits at the Pradera Verde Golf and Country Club in Lubao, Pampanga.

But a host of aces from Korea, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia are also coming into the &80,000 event upbeat of their respective chances, all geared up for the title chase at the flat, hazard-laden par-72 layout which put emphasis on power and putting for its length and sleek surface.

The event being part of the LPGA of Taiwan (TLPGA), the Taiwanese hope to stamp their class with three of the top 10 players in its current Order of Merit ranking—No. 3 Chen Hsuan, No. 6 Tzu Chi Liu and No. 8 Ching Huang—spearheading their charge.

Others tipped to contend in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and sanctioned by TLPGA are Tai Ling Lee, Hanna Chen, Chia Wen Tai, Hsiao Ling Wu, Hsuan Ping Chang, Lynn Chiu, and amateur Yu Chiang Hou, 18, who bested the cream of the pro crop to snare the TLPGA Ladies Open crown last year, and sister Yu Sang Hou. But the Thais, the country’s perennial regional rivals who have scored a number of

victories on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, are also coming in full force, led by defending champion and multi- titled Yupaporn Kawinpakorn, Thanutra Boonraksasat and Arpichaya Yubol, who nailed back-to-back victories at LPGT Southwoods and Manila Golf legs last April, and former leg winners Ploychompoo Wilairungrueng, Onkanok Soisuwan, Supakchaya Pattaranakrueang and Wannasiri Sirisampant, The Pinays, however, are also ready for the showdown with former LPGT OOM winners Pauline del Rosario and Princess Superal heading the hosts’ title drive along with Chihiro Ikeda, winner of the last LPGT leg at Midlands last May, guaranteeing a shootout right from the first shot.

Daniella Uy, Marvin Monsalve, Alex Etter, Pamela Mariano and Gretchen Villecencio are also joining the title hunt with six local amateurs also hoping to upstage the pros, including Nicole Abelar, Sam Martirez, Chanelle Avaricio, Diana Araneta, Tomi Arejola and Sam Bruce.

Other foreign bets expected to crowd the fancied bets are Sock Hwee Koh of Singapore, Mayumi Chinzei, Yuri Onishi and

Taiwanese Tzu Chi Liu seeks LPGT breakthrough at Pradera

Kotona Tateura of Japan, Dea Mahendra of Indonesia, Thai Chatprapa Siriprakob, and Korean Ye Nah Hwang, a two-time leg winner in the country’s premier circuit backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT, Empire Golf and Sports and M.Y. Shokai Technology Inc.

4 PBA teams looking for best placings in next phase Games Today

(Smart Araneta Coliseum) 4:30 p.m. San Miguel Beer vs Meralco 7:00 p.m. TNT Katropa bs Magnolia

By Jeric Lopez A COUPLE more fates are still to be settled in the final playdate of the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup elimination round.

San Miguel Beer (5-5) battles Meralco (3-7) at 4:30 p.m., while TNT KaTropa (9-1) and Magnolia go at it in the closer at 7 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today.

The peaking Beermen, winners of three straight, are already in the quarterfinals, looking for the best placing they can get.

On the other hand, the Bolts are hardpressed to win against San Miguel Beer to stave off elimination and keep themselves alive for a possible entry in the quarters.

If Meralco wins, it will create a threeway tie for eighth place as it will tie Alaska and Phoenix at 4-7.

In such case, the Bolts and the Aces will play in a playoff for the last quarterfinal berth, while the Fuel Masters will be eliminated due to an inferior quotient.

Otherwise, if the Bolts lose, it will be Alaska and Phoenix battling for the remaining playoffs berth.

In the second game, the Tropang Texters, winners of seven in a row, are looking to clinch the top seed with a win.

Should they lose to the Hotshots, NorthPort will be No. 1 and it will occupy the No. 2 ranking.

Magnolia, like San Miguel Beer, is looking to also enhance its seedings as it goes up against TNT. The Hotshots and the Beermen can either end up at No. 5 or No. 6, depending on the results of these final games.

Either way, both are safely through to the quarters and will play in a best-ofthree series against either No. 3 Blackwater or No. 2 Barangay Ginebra.

Rain or Shine, which is locked at No. 7, is the other team in the quarters.

It will face either NorthPort or TNT, depending on the Tropang Texters’ final seeding.

Ramirez calls for more women coaches

PSC Chairman William Ramirez, PSC Commissioner Celia Kiram and Australia-based coach Patricia Puzon pose with the delegates of the Women In Sports Leadership and Coaching Seminar at the Century Park Hotel, Manila

TEAM Philippines’ Chef de Mission and Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez graced the opening of the Women In Sports Leadership and Coaching Seminar yesterday at the Century Park Hotel, Manila and mentioned the need for more women coaches in the country in his speech.

“Women have the special ability to read the heart and mind of an athlete,” the agency chief said in his message to over 150 sports women leaders, coaches, and local government representatives all over the country, with PSC Commissioner Celia Kiram and Australia-based coach Patricia Puzon as resource speakers.

“Coaching is not always perfect, but it is leadership. I want to honor our Filipino women who truly exemplifies the self-awareness, ingenuity, love and

heroism in honing the best in our athletes,” added Ramirez.

Puzon is the author of the book, ‘Becoming a Great Coach’ and the director, founder and head coach of MAC’s CrankIt Tennis Academy (MCTA) in New South Wales, Australia.

“I share the call of Chairman Ramirez to develop our Filipino women coaches,” added Puzon.

The four-day seminar was the agency’s successor event to last year’s Women’s Congress, with Ilocos Norte Governor Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos attending the event.

The PSC continues to promote activities on women in sports, as mandated by law through Republic Act 9710, also called the “Magna Carta of Women.”

IN BRIEF DoE suspends order vs Semirara Mining THE Energy Department temporarily suspended the cease-and-desist order against the coal trading operations of Semirara Mining and Power Corp. for 30 days to prevent a disruption of the company’s operations.

SMPC disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday it earlier asked the department to hold in abeyance the implementation of a June 4, 2019 order pending resolution of an alleged violation and “in order not to interrupt SMPC’s ongoing coal trading activities and operations” and renege on its contractual commitments.

The department ordered SMPC to clarify claims of illegal coal trading operations in Pulupandan Port, Pulupandan, Negros Occidental and cease and desist operations there until further notice by the regulator.

SMPC said it received on Monday a letter from the DoE dated July 12, 2019 granting its request to hold in abeyance the implementation of the June 4 order.

The DoE said SMPC could continue coal trading activities only on existing coal supply contracts and should not enter into new supply deals. Alena Mae S. Flores

Spain’s Mr. Jeff opens laundry outlet in PH SPAIN’ largest laundry service company is launching its service to the Philippines and plans to open more shops as part of an expansion outside Europe and Latin America.

“Mr. Jeff is about to revolutionize the country’s laundry and dry cleaning sector by offering home services through on-demand and monthly subscription options,” said Luis Eduardo Quintero, Mr. Jeff marketing expansion executive in the Philippines.

He said Mr. Jeff aimed to open more than 75 franchises in the country until the end of 2019 to replicate its success in other countries where franchise holders had swelled to 370.

Mr. Jeff has its own laundry service app where customers can download and enjoy the services right on their finger tips. The Spanish laundry company already operates in over 10 countries, offering its users convenient solutions through its app, online website and stores.

By using the app, customers can choose the exact location, time and day of laundry pickup. A driver visits the user’s house and collects the garments and delivers them back, cleaned and ironed. Jess Malabanan

Business Air body lifts moratorium on Caticlan charter flights

By Darwin G. Amojelar

T

HE Civil Aeronautics Board said it is lifting the moratorium on charter flights to Kalibo and Caticlan airports subject to certain guidelines to preserve the environmental gains in the resort island of Boracay.

Under a new CAB resolution, carriers with scheduled flights will be allowed to maintain theirs without reduction for the rest of the International Air Transport Association summer season.

The airlines, however, are restricted from mounting additional flights.

Meanwhile, charter flights will again be allowed at Kalibo and Caticlan airports subject to conditions, including the filing of applications at least 30 days before the intended date of operation and the scheduling of operations on less congested days of the week as determined by the CAB. The regulator said all air operators to Kalibo and Caticlan airports would not be allowed to use aircraft with more than a 200-seat capacity.

It said it would still monitor the extent of commercial air operations into Kalibo and Caticlan relative to the carrying capacity of Boracay Island for the purpose of reviewing and adjusting its guidelines.

The Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau of the Environment Department and the University of the Philippine-Los Baños determined in September 2018 that Boracay has a tourist-carrying capacity of 19,215 at any given time, or 6,405 arrivals a day based on an average three-day stay.

The CAB on June 10, 2019 ordered scheduled carriers to review their flight numbers for a possible scale-back and held charter applications in abeyance, after seeing more than an average of

7,000 daily passengers in April and May. It said that in view of June arrivals data and trends in the past years, it determined that there was no reason to maintain the current flight restrictions.

Citing statistics from the Malay Tourism Office, the regulator saw a total of 189,444 tourists that entered Boracay in June, down from 222,330 in April and 221,138 in May. This translated into an average of 6,314 daily arrivals.

The annual trend in 2015 to 2017 suggests that this number may still go down, bottoming out in September, consistently the month with least visitor numbers representing an average decline of 44 percent from April peaks.

It could mean only around 4,200 tourists per day in September this year, irrespective of the mode of transportation taken.

Visitor arrivals are expected to recover until December, but only top off at 76 percent of the April average.

PSALM ready to sue delinquent companies POWER Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., whose board of directors is chaired by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, said companies with arrears with the agency will be charged in court if they fail to settle their long-overdue obligations amounting to P1.931 billion.

PSALM said in a statement Tuesday it sent out final letters of demand for payment to 14 companies.

The letters sent by PSALM president and chief executive Irene Besido Garcia and vice president for finance Lourdes Alzona gave the firms 10 days from to pay their arrears.

Garcia said PSALM would be constrained to take legal steps against any of the companies that failed to heed the final demand and pay their overdue obligations.

The NPC Alliance Corp., a polyethylene plant located at the PAFC Industrial Park in Mariveles, Bataan, has the largest sum of arrears amounting to P611.36 million covering over 10-year period.

Julito G. Rada

Alsons CP. Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc., the publicly-listed company of the Alcantara Group and Mindanao’s first and most experienced independent power producer, lists an additional P1.1 billion from the first P1.5-billion tranche of the company’s commercial paper issuance. Attending the ceremonial ringing of the bell to signal the listing are (from left) ACR assistant vice president for treasury and corporate finance Philip Edward Sagun, PDS Group officer-in-charge and Philippine Depository & Trust Corp. president and chief operating officer Ma. Theresa Ravalo, ACR chief finance officer Robert Yenko, ACR executive vice president Tirso Santillan Jr., Multinational Investment Bancorporation president Marilou Cristobal and Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. president and COO Antonino Nakpil.

MJC, Ayala Land to redevelop 60-hectare Carmona race track

By Jenniffer B. Austria RACETRACK operator Manila Jockey Club said Tuesday it teamed up with AKL Properties Inc., an affiliate of Ayala Land Inc., to redevelop a 60-hectare property in Carmona, Cavite into a business hub.

MJC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange both parties were appointed as the development managers of the property during the signing of the agreement. No other details were disclosed.

This is the second partnership between MJC and ALI. In 2007, MJC also tapped ALI to redevelop a portion of its former San Lazaro Hippodrome into a residential, commercial and business district in Manila.

MJC moved its racing operations from Manila to a sprawling 77-hectare property in Carmona, Cavite.

Under the new partnership with ALI, MJC will have to again relocate its horsing operations elsewhere to unlock the value of its Cavite property after land prices south of Metro Manila had increased significantly because of massive infrastructure development in the area.

MJC conducts its races two days every week on an alternating schedule with the other racing clubs. The company also has off-track betting stations.

MJC widened its net loss to P133.7 million in 2018 from P119.8 million in 2017 due to equity share in the net loss from unit MJC Investments Corp. amounting to P166 million.

Gross sales from operations including revenues from racing, cockfighting, rentals, real estate sales and other ancillary services rose 26 percent to P953.4 million from P756.1 million in 2017.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019

B1

Peso climbs to 18-month high of 50.90 per US dollar

By Julito G. Rada

THE peso climbed to an 18-month high to return within the 50-a-dollar level, drawing strength from foreign inflows as investors bet on the stock market’s rally.

The peso gained P0.10 to close at 50.90 from 51 per US dollar Monday. It was the local currency’s strongest finish since it settled at 50.84 per greenback on Jan. 26, 2018. Total volume turnover hit $1.045 billion Tuesday, up from $744.96 million Monday.

Nicholas Antonio Mapa, a senior economist at ING Bank Manila, said expectations on a rate cut by the US Federal Reserve in July coupled with market’s anticipation of a possible cut or two from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in the third quarter had boosted investors’ hopes for strong growth after the speed bump in the first quarter.

“With BSP dialing back its 175 bps rate hike to some extent, growth is seen to recover as the economy finally fires on all cylinders again especially with government spending on catch-up mode,” Mapa said.

The gross domestic product growth slowed to 5.6 percent in the first quarter from 6.5 percent a year ago and 6.3 percent in the first quarter on the lingering impact of delayed budget approval and what Mapa described as “BSP’s ultraaggressive rate hike in 2018.”

“Trend can continue but the fate of this rally depends on the direction and pace of foreign investor flows,” Mapa said.

He said a strong economic performance could get investors believing in the economic prospects of the Philippines again, but any deviation in global market sentiment such as the resumption of concerns on global growth or disappointment from the Fed “could stall this rally or even cause the market to move the opposite direction.”

Bangko Sentral Governor Benjamin Diokno said last week there were two options on the part of the Fed: a 25-bps cut or a 50-bps cut. “But definitely it will cut,” Diokno said in an interview.

He said that “even before the decision of the Fed, we are already committed to cutting [the policy rates],” reiterating his previous statement that the board might reduce the interest rate first before it would touch the reserve requirement.

Govt signs P12-b deal to buy Japanese trains for Malolos rail THE Department of Transportation said Tuesday it signed a P12.1-billion contract with the joint venture of Japan Transport Engineering Co. and Sumitomo Corp. to purchase trains for a rail system between Tutuban, Manila and Malolos, Bulacan.

The Tutuban-Malolos rail system represents Phase 1 of Philippine National Railways’ Clark Railway Project. Phase 2 will extend it from Malolos to Clark Freeport in Pampanga province.

Under the Phase 1 contract, JTrec-Sumitomo will manufacture and deliver 13 train sets for a total of 104 cars with a capacity of 2,242 passengers per train. “The prototype trains will be delivered by the third quarter of 2021,” Transporta-

tion Secretary Arthur Tugade said.

Tugade said the partial operations from Valenzuela to Malolos were expected to start by the end of 2021.

PNR Clark Phase 1 is a 37.6-kilometer elevated mass railway from Tutuban to Malolos. It will have 10 stations in Tutuban, Solis, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Guiginto and Malolos. Taisei Corp. and D.M. Consunji Inc. will build the project.

Once operational by the fourth quarter of 2021, travel time from Manila to Malolos would be reduced from one hour and 30 minutes to just 35 minutes. The rail line is also expected to serve 300,000 passengers daily.

PNR Clark Phase 1 is funded by official development assistance from Japan through Japan International Cooperation Agency under a 241.991-billion-yen or P93.457billion loan agreement signed in November 2015.

PNR Clark Phase 1 forms part of the North-South Commuter Railway Project―a mega rail network that aims to seamlessly integrate the National Capital Region, Central Luzon and Calabarzon through PNR Clark Phases 1 and 2 (Tutuban-Malolos and Malolos-Clark) and PNR Calamba (Manila-Laguna).

The entire NSCR line aims to serve 700,000 passengers daily once fully operational by 2023.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Smartmatic keeping operations in PH Smarter entrepreneurs.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (second row, center) champions smarter entrepreneurship at the AFFI Franchising Bootcamp in Calamba, Laguna. The boot camp is a collaboration between Department of Trade and Industry Region 4A and the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. In the three-day boot camp, entrepreneurs learned how to turn their business into a viable franchise.

SMARTMATIC said Tuesday it will continue providing a secure voting technology and transparent election system to the Philippines, even as the government is in the process of selecting a new concept for an alternative automated election system.

“Smartmatic has been a leader in providing an efficient, secure and transparent automated election system in many counties and in the Philippines. We want to continue this and strengthen our partnership with the government in providing a secure, faster and credible election system,” Smartmatic Asia-Pacific president Ramaakanth Sake said.

Smartmatic joined the AES Technology Fair of the Department of Information and Communications Technology on July 15 which allowed various local and interna-

tional providers to present their concept or prototype of an alternative AES which may be used for the 2022 national and local elections.

Smartmatic presented its new direct recording electronic voting machines which utilize a touchscreen to eliminate the need for paper ballots and reduce the likelihood of read errors. The touchscreen would need a voter’s fingerprint before it can be used, according to Smartmatic.

The system gives real-time feedback in case of over-voting, so the voters may change their ballot before casting the vote.

It said to comply with the requirements of the Commission on Elections, the machine will print out a receipt which can then be used as a reference in case a manual recount is needed.

Darwin G. Amojelar

B2

Business

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market retreats; BPI gains

S

HARE prices slumped Tuesday on profit taking, a day after stocks entered the bull market territory.

The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 101.72 points, or 1.2 percent, to 8,263.57 on a value turnover of P10.7 billion. The bullish sentiment, however, prevailed on other investors, with gainers beating losers, 121 to 85, and 48 issues unchanged BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, dropped 5.1 percent to P146.20, while Globe Telecom Inc., the second-largest telecommunications firm, declined 4.1 percent to P2,140.

Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-largest bank, advanced 7.3 percent to P90, while Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc. of the Villar Group, rose 5

percent to P7.79.

Meanwhile, most Asian markets were mixed Tuesday as investors take a breather after a recent rally and as they await the start of the corporate earnings season.

Wall Street provided another recordbreaking lead as an expected Federal Reserve interest rate cut continues to fuel optimism, while top Chinese and US negotiators plan to hold fresh trade talks over the phone this week.

Tokyo led losses as it reopened after a long weekend, with the Nikkei ending down 0.7 percent, hit by a stronger yen. Shanghai, Sydney, Wellington and Jakarta also fell but Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul and Taipei squeezed out gains.

Most markets swung through the day.

With few catalysts to drive buying,

attention is now on the release of company earnings, which kicks off in the US this week with JPMorgan Chase, Netflix and Johnson & Johnson among the star names reporting.

However, profits are expected to be down from last year dragged by a global slowdown, weak demand in China, the trade war and a relatively strong US dollar.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday that top American and Chinese trade negotiators are due to speak by telephone in the coming days, but no face-to-face talks have been scheduled yet.

“With no meaningful progress since trade talks were restarted at the G20 sideline meeting at the end of last month, markets will slowly begin to fear that the nightmare scenario of another tranche of US tariffs could be

coming to China,” said Edward Moya, senior markets analyst at OANDA. “The effects of the US-China trade war will continue to especially weigh on Asia.”

Dealers are also keeping an eye on Beijing to see if it unveils any economic stimulus as data on Monday showed second-quarter growth at its weakest pace for almost three decades.

But Bob Doll, at Nuveen Asset Management, warned markets remained volatile.

“We are concerned about complacency as investors seem to believe the Fed will save the day, the US-China trade dispute will be resolved relatively soon and massive China stimulus will boost global growth,” he said.

“We think this combination is a tall order. As a result, market risks lean more to the downside.” With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2019

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

706,800 1,821,285,842.50 580,386,442 24,940 5,243,115 4,437 3,139,682 82,321,248 2,896,480 28,960 717,700 508,048,490 350,150 1,155,400 58,525 29,005,510.50 277,485 321,863.50 2,859,140 172,436,817 52,800 3,078,317 3,360

294,500 1,205,111,562 -29,692,753 -23,700 -1,217,110 -2,812,072 -13,503,762 30,517,428 13,508,228 -19,000 -122,781.50 -1,325,335 40,893,662 -2,420,654.50 -

INDUSTRIALS 37.5 2,628,700 14.4 545,900 0.83 2,168,000 1.35 41,000 0.265 1,490,000 99.8 110 2.88 5,157,000 14.5 992,400 16.84 523,500 16.2 3,100 41 177,600 80.7 31,710 96 10,720 2.02 138,000 5 41,000 6.28 21,800 10.38 821,000 15.2 1,807,800 11.24 1,230,400 7.59 1,128,200 1.7 10,000 26.3 2,094,900 90.2 288,840 61.9 236,050 2.35 4,667,000 14.16 366,200 9.81 663,000 1.7 345,000 284.6 882,710 4.22 20,000 3.42 1,000 9 15,400 24.95 774,600 14.3 466,300 18.74 2,312,700 380.4 118,450 0.188 40,000 5.67 16,100 1.85 10,722,000 4.8 94,000 5.85 3,922,400 9.3 2,200 2.6 17,311,000 12.1 209,800 39.6 246,000 4.9 36,000 5.1 24,100 1.48 779,000 2.1 1,000 1.15 543,000 14.78 749,800 104 912,300 6.52 78,100 0.13 70,000 1.17 363,000 171 1,067,120 2.48 142,000 1.26 2,509,000 1.42 6,472,000

99,007,980 7,898,426 1,829,110 55,150 387,750 9,803 15,132,560 14,445,466 8,866,342 49,498 7,281,510 2,600,267 1,011,573 279,060 205,000 136,694 8,556,958 27,555,038 13,854,816 8,506,334 16,560 55,776,965 26,201,120 14,560,706.50 10,865,310 5,145,860 6,526,207 580,160 250,866,544 84,400 3,420 138,095 19,292,390 6,648,998 43,873,660 45,282,872 7,520 90,520 19,706,640 451,120 23,031,599 20,460 45,130,420 2,502,342 9,717,120 174,470 122,121 1,149,680 2,100 613,530 11,067,388 94,850,483 513,957 9,040 422,830 184,569,053 355,420 3,155,470 9,144,230

42,465,630 410,150 -10,320 -2,138,780 -2,056,824 241,608.00 -475,660 51,500 -385,754 1,293,812 4,177,450 -1,953,390 13,360 3,100,845 -6,000,152.00 7,538,028.50 903,010 -439,214 -1,119,933 16,700 -65,721,880 -4,893,795 2,914,632 -23,912,968 -10,627,138 -515,260 1,232,353 -1,527,300 -367,060 -1,972,765.00 -32,640.00 4,962,576 90,724,292 -81,260,767 149,450 -169,200

0.99 57.2 15.74 0.72 6.9 13.62 1.28 1.3 930 3.93 7.05 10.3 13.74 0.222 900.5 6.48 69.95 6.36 0.48 4.58 15.96 0.62 4.67 2.61 0.039 1.81 174 2.48 990 0.83 1.37 260.2 0.237 0.295

HOLDING FIRMS 1 25,364,000 57.2 823,360 15.82 16,138,500 0.73 126,000 7.01 15,800 13.8 82,100 1.31 1,572,000 1.32 222,000 942 1,108,270 3.99 12,979,000 7.07 3,396,200 10.5 11,381,900 14 179,200 0.238 50,000 923 191,200 6.48 35,500 69.95 1,327,070 6.36 1,200 0.49 190,000 4.6 4,387,000 15.96 5,459,700 0.63 450,000 4.67 40,657,000 2.61 2,000 0.04 7,400,000 1.81 3,882,000 175 355,390 2.5 63,000 990 277,195 0.83 59,000 1.37 67,000 266.6 460 0.243 5,350,000 0.305 2,850,000

25,663,840 47,686,071 257,761,122 91,910 110,319 1,128,012 2,037,770 289,090 1,042,951,385 51,761,620 24,064,913 119,975,002 2,510,910 11,260 176,247,120 230,040 93,238,532.50 7,632 92,050 20,193,660 88,000,326 284,330 192,225,770 5,500 295,500 7,215,800 62,180,124 157,070 279,453,475 48,980 93,090 119,962 1,284,480 856,300

228,360 -379,941.50 -82,893,214 -6,694 83,204 254,800 191,223,790 -3,955,660 -1,525,654 -26,826,456 -2,262,702 -8,976,490 -209,304 21,375,180 124,460 -63,304,726.00 -32,535,540 977,400 -16,946,252 103,314,865 13,700 -296,700

15.62 0.85 10.9 2.03 1.06 51.8 2.32 5.13 0.64 0.8 0.91 0.242 0.46 9.9 25.15 0.475 1.95 1.4 6.29 0.34 0.49 1.68 0.405 2.1 27 2.2

PROPERTY 15.62 286,400 0.87 1,642,000 11.54 77,800 2.1 227,000 1.07 14,819,000 51.8 15,736,830 2.32 349,000 5.18 1,029,200 0.65 73,818,000 0.81 35,000 0.93 76,000 0.243 620,000 0.47 3,860,000 9.98 590,000 25.3 326,100 0.475 3,610,000 2.01 137,747,000 1.41 3,153,000 6.29 20,410,900 0.35 10,140,000 0.49 244,000 1.71 1,551,000 0.42 5,420,000 2.12 3,892,000 27 3,757,800 2.26 703,000

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

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

58.9 84.4 154 1.19 27.4 4.52 18.68 12.28 4.69 1.38 0.47 76.8 1.03 13.24 21.3 54 191 58.1 27.05 183 1,760 59.5 1.12

58.9 90.2 154 1.24 27.75 7.97 18.76 12.74 4.84 1.38 0.48 79.15 1.04 13.24 22.5 55.8 191 58.45 27.5 187.1 1,760 60.2 1.12

58.9 84.3 146 1.18 27.25 4.52 18.6 12.24 4.63 1.31 0.46 75.9 1.01 13.2 21.3 53.85 190 58.05 27 183 1,760 59.45 1.12

FINANCIAL 58.9 12,000 90 20,561,310 146.2 3,892,430 1.24 21,000 27.6 190,400 7.97 600 18.6 168,200 12.56 6,554,600 4.78 622,000 1.31 22,000 0.48 1,540,000 77.9 6,524,570 1.02 344,000 13.2 87,500 22.5 2,700 55 526,970 191 1,460 58.1 5,530 27.4 104,100 185 931,750 1,760 30 59.85 51,380 1.12 3,000

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 DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR EUROMED FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA GREENERGY HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MACAY HLDG MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP RFM CORP ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VULCAN INDL

37.95 14.58 0.85 1.35 0.265 88.05 2.93 14.5 17.56 15.7 41 89 99 2.02 5 6.1 10.46 15.4 11.26 7.63 1.64 27.2 91.4 61.5 2.38 13.98 9.92 1.7 285.6 4.22 3.42 8.96 24.4 14.2 18.92 385 0.188 5.5 1.78 4.81 5.8 9.3 2.61 12.04 39.3 4.84 5 1.48 2.1 1.12 14.8 104 6.55 0.127 1.17 175 2.54 1.24 1.38

38 14.58 0.86 1.35 0.265 99.8 2.97 14.66 17.7 16.98 41 89 103 2.05 5 6.38 10.48 15.5 11.3 7.63 1.7 27.2 91.4 62.35 2.38 14.16 9.93 1.7 285.6 4.22 3.42 9.3 25 14.38 19.16 388.8 0.188 5.68 1.87 4.81 5.92 9.3 2.66 12.1 39.9 4.9 5.1 1.49 2.1 1.16 14.84 104.7 6.6 0.13 1.19 175.1 2.59 1.28 1.43

37.4 14.2 0.83 1.34 0.26 88.05 2.87 14.5 16.64 15.62 40.95 78 90.1 2.02 5 6.1 10.38 15.2 11.18 7.5 1.6 26.3 90.2 60.05 2.28 13.9 9.79 1.67 283.6 4.22 3.42 8.95 24.4 14.14 18.74 380.4 0.188 5.5 1.78 4.77 5.79 9.3 2.52 11.78 39 4.82 5 1.43 2.1 1.1 14.52 103 6.5 0.127 1.15 171 2.48 1.23 1.38

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 TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

1.02 59.5 15.74 0.73 6.94 13.64 1.29 1.3 930 3.98 7.05 10.44 14 0.222 907.5 6.48 70.75 6.36 0.5 4.58 16.06 0.62 4.81 2.89 0.04 1.82 174 2.48 996 0.83 1.4 264 0.243 0.3

1.03 59.5 16.2 0.74 7.1 13.9 1.31 1.33 948.5 4.02 7.1 10.74 14.06 0.238 932 6.48 70.75 6.36 0.5 4.64 16.4 0.65 4.82 2.89 0.04 1.9 176 2.5 1,027 0.84 1.41 266.6 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 FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL

15.62 0.87 10.9 2.03 1.09 53.5 2.37 5.2 0.65 0.8 0.91 0.243 0.465 10.08 25.3 0.475 1.98 1.41 6.5 0.345 0.49 1.7 0.405 2.11 27.5 2.28

15.64 0.89 11.66 2.1 1.14 53.85 2.37 5.2 0.67 0.81 0.93 0.243 0.49 10.12 25.5 0.48 2.05 1.43 6.5 0.355 0.495 1.73 0.43 2.15 28.1 2.3

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

3.11 39.5 2.02 6.19 0.83 7.43

3.17 39.7 2.07 6.42 0.86 7.79

3.05 39.2 2.02 6.19 0.83 7.42

3.17 39.25 2.07 6.35 0.83 7.79

249,000 11,258,500 2,102,000 158,300 685,000 25,748,500

768,540 443,913,055 4,308,250 1,004,518 576,750 196,904,633

-118,406,020 -31,100 21,213,536

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC 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 METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B 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

11 17.4 1.43 0.53 0.051 21.5 2.59 11.8 0.064 95.2 7 7.98 6.24 9.96 890 2,240 5.39 430 2.14 1.91 147.4 9.89 5.8 0.115 5.62 2.97 14.1 3.84 0.89 19.2 0.55 3.29 2.8 1.51 1.56 2.5 2.96 9.39 5.19 141 4.45 1,222 0.71 0.84 46.1 77.9 9.13 3.5 0.81 0.355 5.48 0.85 16.86

11.3 17.48 1.43 0.55 0.051 21.5 2.65 12 0.064 96.3 7.05 8.08 6.25 9.99 890 2,246 5.4 430 2.17 1.91 147.4 9.89 5.8 0.119 5.7 2.97 14.88 3.89 0.9 19.48 0.57 4.2 2.82 1.51 1.56 2.61 2.98 9.39 5.3 142 4.48 1,238 0.73 0.87 47 78.4 9.47 3.51 0.83 0.365 5.55 0.89 16.9

11 17.3 1.42 0.53 0.047 21.5 2.56 11.76 0.062 95.2 6.99 7.89 6 9.7 890 2,140 5.38 418.4 2.11 1.91 143 9.89 5.8 0.115 5.62 2.97 14.1 3.75 0.88 19.2 0.54 3.29 2.75 1.51 1.56 2.5 2.93 9.3 5.14 135 4.25 1,200 0.71 0.82 44.7 74.8 9.13 3.42 0.81 0.35 5.48 0.81 16.72

SERVICES 11.2 17.3 1.42 0.54 0.049 21.5 2.62 11.9 0.063 96 7.05 7.99 6 9.92 890 2,140 5.4 428 2.12 1.91 143 9.89 5.8 0.118 5.67 2.97 14.88 3.88 0.9 19.24 0.56 3.79 2.8 1.51 1.56 2.58 2.94 9.35 5.21 142 4.38 1,200 0.72 0.87 44.7 74.8 9.47 3.49 0.82 0.36 5.53 0.83 16.72

12,800 154,800 14,000 4,411,000 34,530,000 2,900 189,000 10,024,600 20,640,000 288,160 4,900 2,639,400 22,300 33,600 50 54,560 87,400 470 1,606,000 1,000 652,590 500 6,700 860,000 4,323,900 5,000 600 2,025,000 71,000 676,300 2,615,000 3,046,000 4,746,000 31,000 10,000 2,944,000 76,000 5,000 35,500 6,250 6,914,000 126,840 3,861,000 23,916,000 1,290,300 1,489,980 206,600 4,011,000 17,754,000 4,620,000 1,097,900 23,384,000 6,730,200

143,370 2,691,138 19,910 2,364,300 1,710,650 62,350 494,020 119,357,336 1,302,750 27,640,963 34,337 21,073,046 134,265 329,430 44,500 119,604,920 471,406 200,754 3,419,100 1,910 94,573,269 4,945 38,860 101,030 24,518,639 14,850 8,538 7,678,890 62,800 13,031,266 1,469,170 11,453,750 13,240,610 46,810 15,600 7,468,480 223,910 46,811 184,763 882,420 30,255,150 154,233,015 2,789,500 20,270,140 59,450,215 114,515,933 1,947,862 13,980,780 14,478,810 1,645,450 6,053,770 19,937,580 113,503,272

115,360 -201,400 -17,936,878 -188,250 11,514,878 18,887 1,450,952 -120,000 18,290,040 8,620 26,829,038 -3,511,871 -775,160 2,722,134 -3,610 -1,760,090 1,471,950.00 9,300 10,380 864,080 -3,403,710 2,319,590 405,040 161,920 8,807,625 61,059,458 -1,891,732 7,883,860 999,110 -130,600 -2,174,358 -121,480 -31,673,096

489,600 5,118,400 2,834,900 6,723,150 56,520 791,780 89,800 13,921 480,460 177,300 128,350 123,510 152,000 808,520 9,454,760 443,740 168,560 496,090 253,800 1,200 424,600 1,369,820 6,941,160 14,743,776 96,543,955

5,100 -449,700.00 -2,680 -517,412 -21,750 -8,400 -4,860,250.00 274,050 -156,790 -176,392 3,907,230

NAME

MS 4,473,912 1,433,170 888,094 472,640 16,235,720 829,767,861 815,200 5,326,739 48,179,310 28,340 69,880 150,450 1,853,900 5,891,717 8,258,775 1,721,050 277,103,020 4,444,180 130,885,031 3,541,500 119,690 2,654,800 2,287,700 8,235,460 104,307,930 1,578,880

-624,870 103,550 -52,189,547 -79,130 -744,751 411,010 50,820 -495,638 -181,605 -1,299,250 105,198,270 618,720 20,112,823 96,100.00 592,450 21,094,290 116,890

MINING AND OIL 0.002 288,000,000 1.16 4,424,000 2.7 1,055,000 14.98 434,100 1.22 50,000 2.79 284,000 0.29 320,000 7.71 1,800 1.45 332,000 0.22 800,000 0.11 1,180,000 0.12 1,080,000 0.008 20,000,000 1.15 700,000 2.32 4,084,000 1.06 422,000 0.56 301,000 0.87 582,000 0.013 21,100,000 0.012 100,000 0.011 38,600,000 4.8 286,000 3.79 1,835,000 8.06 1,819,500 23.95 4,117,200

ABRA MINING APEX MINING ATLAS 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

0.002 1.13 2.68 12.08 1.14 2.79 0.28 7.84 1.44 0.217 0.11 0.117 0.008 1.18 2.27 1.05 0.56 0.87 0.013 0.012 0.011 4.7 3.62 7.86 22.8

0.002 1.18 2.71 17 1.25 2.79 0.29 7.85 1.46 0.224 0.11 0.12 0.008 1.18 2.35 1.09 0.56 0.87 0.013 0.012 0.011 4.8 3.85 8.28 23.95

0.002 1.12 2.68 12.08 1.1 2.78 0.28 7.7 1.44 0.217 0.107 0.113 0.008 1.14 2.26 1.03 0.56 0.84 0.012 0.012 0.011 4.7 3.61 7.86 22.8

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

16.82 490 100 99.45 107 5.36 940 96.8 1 102 992 1,000 1,010 1,010 107.5 975 76.75 73 74.55 73.3 74 74

16.82 497 100 99.5 107 5.37 940 97.15 1 102 995 1,000 1,011 1,012 107.5 985 76.85 73 74.55 74.4 74.3 74.5

16.78 490 100 99.45 107 5.36 940 96.4 0.96 100 992 1,000 1,010 1,010 107.5 975 76.2 73 74.5 73.3 73.5 74

PREFERRED 16.78 84,500 497 9,510 100 500 99.5 7,450 107 10 5.37 16,900 940 50 97.15 23,670 0.97 371,000 102 2,670 995 550 1,000 1,000 1,010 1,750 1,012 9,335 107.5 310 985 100 76.85 4,490 73 3,500 74.5 10,000 74.4 5,300 73.5 23,110 74.5 20

1,419,578 4,659,970 50,000 741,247.50 1,070 90,729 47,000 2,294,392 359,850 271,020 545,750 1,000,000 1,769,000 9,439,880 33,325 98,000 343,430 255,500 745,075 389,920 1,709,122 1,485

-1,419,578 -77,865 24,250 102,000 20,220 -409,825 -

LR WARRANT

1.89

1.9

1.89

WARRANTS 1.89 77,000

146,000

-

8,090,757 10,680 3,217,560

-157,411 -369,460

ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE XURPAS

5.41 2.67 1.08

5.52 2.67 1.09

5.4 2.67 1.06

FIRST METRO ETF

124.2

125

123.5

USD DMPL A1

10.3

TRADING SUMMARY

10.3

SHARES

FINANCIAL

44,178,715

INDUSTRIAL

78,943,278

HOLDING FIRMS

146,547,063

PROPERTY

349,354,872

SERVICES

194,841,325

MINING & OIL

391,991,516

GRAND TOTAL

1,210,398,076

10.3

5.5 2.67 1.08

SME

1,482,200 4,000 3,002,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 124 53,080 10.3

DDS

4,820

6,604,864 49,646

-82,692 -

VALUE 1,8.54.05 (up) 4.38 3,377,016,077.83 FINANCIAL 11,861.92 (down) 145.92 INDUSTRIAL 1,192,615,616.69 7,947.78 (down) 68.97 HOLDING FIRMS 2,506,570,479.78 PROPERTY 4,432.91 (down) 74.38 1,680.33 (down) 32.69 2,193,279,410.96 SERVICES 7,794.27 (up) 277.9 MINING & OIL 1,055,090,194.595 8,263.57 (down) 101.72 PSEI 148,849,689.86 All Shares Index 5,012.99 (down) 32.21 10,491,348,653.02 Gainers: 121; Losers: 85; Unchanged: 48; Total: 245

SEC drafts rules covering digital asset trading floor

By Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Securities and Exchange Commission drafted the rules governing the establishment of a digital asset exchange to facilitate the trade of cryptocurrencies or digital tokens for other assets.

The SEC said the issuance of draft rules on DAE was in line with its policy to encourage investments and active public participation in the capital markets.

The SEC said having a DAE would work toward the development of the Philippine financial market by allowing access to safe, transparent, reliable and cost-effective manner, while ensuring reduced and managed counterpart settlement risk and market price discovery.

A DAE is an organized marketplace or facility that brings buyers and sellers together and executes trades of securities in an online exchange platform accessible in or from the Philippines.

It can be viewed as an online marketplace for the entire digital asset network.

Under the draft rules, a DAE should maintain an unimpaired paid-up capital of P100 million at all times. It should establish systems and controls to ensure affairs are managed effectively and responsibly.

A DAE, which will act as a self regulatory organization, has the power to implement its own rules and regulations, including but not limited to defining its structure, trading in its platform, price discovery, clearing and settlement procedures.

It must have its privacy policies, security protocols, qualifications and disqualifications of issuer-members, users and other market participants, listing requirements and procedures, ethical conduct of its participants, supervision, control and disciplinary procedures and sanctions, fees and appeal procedures.

The move of the SEC to allow the establishment of an exchange for trading of digital assets is also in line with its move to allow initial coin offerings (ICO) in the country.

The SEC is currently finalizing the rules on ICO offerings, which are to be released in the second half of the year.

It said it would solicit comments from broker-dealers, investment houses, investing public, and other interested parties on the draft rules of DAE.

Uy’s Udenna acquires 100m shares of Atok SHARE price of Atok Big Wedge Inc., a listed company owned by businessman Roberto Ongpin, surged 23.8 percent on Tuesday after the company reported that businessman Dennis Uy acquired P200 million worth of shares in the company.

Stock price of Atok hit a high of P17, before closing at P14.98 from the previous day’s close of P12.10. The company reported that North Kitanglad Agricultural Company Inc. sold 100 million Atok common shares to Dennis Uy-led Udenna Corp. at a negotiated price of P2 per share for a total of P200 million.

The deal was done through a special block sale executed on July 12. Uy is currently a director and vice chairman of Atok.

Atok in 2010 reverted to its original purpose of engaging in exploration and development of mining, oil, gas and other natural resources.

The company currently has two wholly-owned subsidiaries namely, AB Stock Transfers Corp. with the purpose of establishing, operating and acting as a transfer agent or registrar of corporations; and Tidemark Holdings Limited, a Hong Kong-based company that holds 27.14 percent of gas and oil exploration and production company Forum Energy plc.

This is not the first time that Uy acquired shares in Ongpin-owned listed company.

Uy currently is in the process of acquiring ISM Communications Corp. for the planned backdoor listing of Udenna.

ISM shareholders during a recent stockholders’ meeting approved a change in the corporate name to Udenna Holdings Corp. and an increase in the authorised capital stock to P75 billion from P2.8 billion.

ISM plans to issue 24.05 billion shares to stockholders of Udenna at price of P3 per share. In exchange, ISM will obtain 2 billion Udenna shares, representing 100 percent of the outstanding capital stock of the Udenna.

Udenna is holding company of Uy that has investments in the distribution and retail of petroleum products and lubricants under the Phoenix brand. It is also engaged in shipping and logistics.

Jenniffer B. Austria

B3

World

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Trump comes under fire for attacks on lawmakers

FESTIVAL. Lebanese singer

Ghassan Saliba performs in ‘Mulouk al-Tawaif’, by the late Mansur Rahbani, during the 55th session of the International Carthage Festival at the Roman theater of Carthage late on July 15, 2019. AFP

IN BRIEF Benin ready for treasures’ return ABOMEY-CALAVI, Benin—The display cases at the royal palaces in Benin’s sleepy southern town of Abomey are coated in dust and the exhibition halls plunged in darkness.

But local tourism chief Gabin Djimasse hopes all this will change with the return of 26 artifacts from former colonial master France and the construction of a new museum to hold them.

“These objects are a chance for the survival of the site,” Djimasse told AFP as he toured the vast courtyards lined with bas-relief dating back to the 18thcentury Dahomey Kingdom.

“They will allow us to build a new museum and make the royal palaces more economically sustainable.”

In November President Emmanuel Macron took the landmark decision to return the artworks―including a royal throne-taken by French troops over a century ago and housed at the Quai Branly museum in Paris.

The move has piled pressure on other former colonial powers to hand back looted artefacts to their countries of origin―and fired up dreams of a lifeline in Abomey.

The Kingdom of Dahomey reached its peak in the 18th and 19th centuries and became a major source of slaves for European traders before conquest by Paris in the 1890s ended its rule. AFP

Monsoon rain wreaking havoc NEW DELHI―Torrential monsoon rain swept away homes and triggered landslides across South Asia, affecting millions of people and claiming at least 180 lives, officials said Tuesday.

The monsoon is crucial for irrigation and groundwater supplies in the impoverished region―home to a fifth of the world’s population―and brings relief after the unforgiving summers.

But the downpours―which stretch from June to September―can turn deadly and have wreaked havoc again this year across India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, with people, dwellings and boats in remote low-lying areas washed away.

At least five children drowned in Bangladesh Monday, taking the toll in the country to 34, including 18 hit by lightning and seven who drowned after their boat capsized in choppy waters in the Bay of Bengal.

Hundreds of thousands have been marooned by floodwater in the country’s north, with one of the major Himalayan rivers, the Brahmaputra, over 40 inches above the “danger level”, officials said.

In Nepal, at least 67 people have died although flood waters have started receding. Images showed rescuers using inflatable dinghies to evacuate families trapped in flooded houses.

Health experts have warned of possible outbreaks of waterborne diseases and called for international help. AFP

UN: Worsening world hunger affects 821m

U

NITED NATIONS―More than 821 million people suffered from hunger worldwide last year, the United Nations reported Monday―the third year in a row that the number has risen.

After decades of decline, malnutrition began to increase in 2015, mainly because of climate change and war.

Reversing the trend is one of the 2030 targets of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals which aim to improve the planet and its people.

But getting to a world where no one is suffering from hunger by then remains an “immense challenge,” the report said, noting the number of people without enough to eat had risen from 811 million in 2017.

“We will not achieve zero hunger by 2030,” said David Beasley, head of the World Food Program, one of the UN agencies contributing to the report.

“That’s a bad trend. Without food security we will never have peace and stability,” said Beasley, deploring that the media carry more talk about Brexit and Donald Trump than children dying of hunger.

He warned that extremist groups were using hunger and control over food supplies as a weapon to divide communities or recruit new members.

“The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World” report was produced by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other United Nations agencies including the World Health Organization.

“To safeguard food security and nutrition, it is critical to already have in place economic and social policies to counteract the effects of adverse economic cycles when they arrive, while avoiding cuts in essential services, such as health care and education, at all costs,” it said.

A “structural transformation” was needed to include the poorest people in the world, the authors said.

This would require “integrating food security and nutrition concerns into poverty reduction efforts” while

tackling gender inequality and the exclusion of certain social groups, they said.

Malnutrition remains widespread in Africa, where around 20 percent of the population is affected, and in Asia where more than 12 percent of people experience it. In Latin America and the Caribbean, fewer than seven percent of people are affected.

Adding those hit by food insecurity gives a total of more than two billion people, eight percent of whom are in North America and Europe, who don’t regularly have access to enough nutritious, safe food, the report said.

The FAO said current efforts were insufficient to meet the goal of halving the number of children whose growth is stunted by malnutrition by 2030.

Robin Willoughby, the head of food and climate policy at Oxfam GB, said women were hit hardest by the rise in hunger.

“A toxic brew of climate shocks, inequality and conflict is unraveling years of progress,” he said. AFP Manila

Standard

TODAY

WASHINGTON―US President Donald Trump came under fire from Democrats and even some members of his own Republican Party on Monday after launching an extraordinary xenophobic attack on four progressive Democratic congresswomen.

“All they do is complain,” Trump told reporters at a White House event featuring products “Made in America.”

“These are people that hate our country,” he said of the four lawmakers. “If you’re not happy here, you can leave.”

Trump also accused the four firstterm congresswomen―who are of Hispanic, Arab, Somali and African American origin―of having “love” for US “enemies like Al-Qaeda.”

Asked by a reporter whether he was concerned that many people saw his comments as racist, Trump said: “It doesn’t concern me because many people agree with me.”

Several hours after his remarks, the four―Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts―hit back at a news conference.

Pressley condemned Trump’s “xenophobic and bigoted” comments and said “we will not be silenced.”

Omar said Trump made a “blatantly racist attack” on four lawmakers “of color.” “This is the agenda of white nationalists,” she said.

Omar and Tlaib repeated calls for Trump to be impeached.

Democratic congressman Al Green, of Texas, separately said he would bring an impeachment vote to the House floor this month “for bigotry in policy, harmful to our society.”

The president first attacked the lawmakers―all but one of whom were born in America―with a series of tweets on Sunday, saying they should “go back” to their countries of origin.

His comments prompted critical reactions from foreign leaders, and outrage at home from Democrats―while Republicans were initially silent.

On Monday, several of his party faithful began to speak up.

“My view is that what was said and what was tweeted was destructive, was demeaning, was disunifying, and frankly it was very wrong,” said Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah.

“There is no excuse for the president’s spiteful comments―they were absolutely unacceptable and this needs to stop,” said Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska. “We must demand a higher standard of decorum and decency.” AFP

Republic of the Phillippines Department of Health National Capital Regional Office VALENZUELA MEDICAL CENTER Padrigal St., Karuhatan, ValenzuelaCity Tel. No. 294-6711 to 16, Telefax 291-4259 Email address: valgen_hosp@yahoo.com

InvItatIon to BId Procurement of varIous medIcal equIPment cY 2019 PuBlIc BIddInG no. vmc-2019-020

CANDIDATE. Former German Defense Minister and newly-appointed EU commission Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during her statement for her candidacy for President of the Commission at the European Parliament on July 16, 2019, in Strasbourg, eastern France. AFP

Some reef islands resilient to climate change WELLINGTON―The Pacific’s low-lying reef islands are likely to change shape in response to climate change, rather than simply sinking beneath rising seas and becoming uninhabitable as previously assumed, new research has found.

Atoll nations such as Tuvalu, Tokelau and Kiribati lie only a few meters above sea level and are considered the world’s most vulnerable to global warming, with fears their populations will become climate refugees as waters rise.

But a study published this week found that such islands “morphodynamically respond” to the environment because they are com-

posed of the skeletal remains of tiny reefdwelling organisms, rather than solid rock.

The researchers said evidence that such islands slowly change like shifting sands had profound implications for climate change planning in affected nations.

Co-author Murray Ford of Auckland University said low-lying reef islands appeared more resilient than previously thought.

“The effects on individual islands will vary so that while some areas may become uninhabitable, [other] areas will keep pace with rising seas,” he said.

“It will be up to governments and communities to decide how to respond over time,

but we think this study highlights the fact that nature provides a template for adaptation and island communities may need to adapt too.”

The study, conducted by researchers from New Zealand, Britain and Canada, was published by the Geological Society of America this week.

The researchers created a 1:50 scale model of Tuvalu’s Fatato Island in a 66-foot flume tank to test the impact of rising seas and increasing storm surges caused by climate change.

They found the crest of the island became higher and the entire landmass shifted across the underlying reef. AFP

1.

The Valenzuela Medical Center (VMC), through the General Appropriations Act/Income CY 2019, intends to apply the sum of Philippine Currency: FIFTY MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY TWO THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTY NINE AND 96/100 PESOS ONLY (Php50,722,889.96) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments for the Procurement of Various Medical Equipment CY 2019 under PB No. VMC-2019-020. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The VMC now invites sealed Bids from eligible Bidders for the procurement of the above-captioned package. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II, entitled “Instructions to Bidders”.

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act” and is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or corporations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to Republic Act No. 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

4.

Only Bids from Bidders who passed the eligibility check will be opened. The process for the eligibility check is described in Section II of the Bidding Documents entitled, “ITB”. The Bidder with the Lowest Calculated Bid (LCB) shall advance to the post-qualification stage in order to finally determine the responsiveness of the bid submission to the technical and financial requirements of the project. The contract shall then be awarded to the Lowest Calculated and Responsive Bidder (LCRB) who was determined as such during the post-qualification procedure.

5.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the VMC and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00am-11:00am and 2:00pm-4:00pm starting July 16, 2019.

6.

The VMC will hold a Pre-Bid Conference for this bidding activity on July 23, 2019, 10:00 am at the Valenzuela Medical Center, Padrigal St., Karuhatan, Valenzuela City. Only those who have purchased the bidding documents shall be allowed to participate in the Pre-Bid Conference.

Those who have not purchased the bidding documents may act as observers and submit written queries, subject to the guidelines as stated in the IRR of RA 9184.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders from July 16, 2019 – August 6, 2019 from the address below and upon payment of theapplicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB as follows:

APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT

MAXIMUM COST OF BIDDING DOCUMENTS

APPROVED BUDGET FOR THE CONTRACT

MAXIMUM COST OF BIDDING DOCUMENTS

500.00

More than 10 Million up to 50 Million

More than 500,000 up to 1 Million

1,000.00

More than 50 Million up to 500 Million

50,000.00

More than 1 Million up to 5 Million

5,000.00

More than 50 Million

75,000.00

500,000 and below

25,000.00

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and an electronic copy from BAC Secretariat’s Office provided that the bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the bidding documents not later than the submission of their bids 7.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before August 6, 2019 @10:00am. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the ITB Clause 18.

8.

Bids and eligibility requirements must be delivered to the address below on or before August 6, 2019, 10:00am, at the VMC BAC Secretariats’ Office.

9.

Bid Opening and Eligibility Check will be on August 6, 2019, 10:00am. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late submission of bids will not be entertained. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Security in the prescribed form, amount and validity period.

10. The Valenzuela Medical Center reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all Bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariats’ Office Valenzuela Medical Center, Annex Building, 2nd Floor, Padrigal St., Valenzuela City Telefax No. 294-4625 (SGD) JOSEPH T. NOCOM, MD, FPOA Chairperson Bids and Awards Committee (MS-JULY 17, 2019)

LGUs

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

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Officers of the Parañaque Business Permits and Licensing Office padlock the Tommy Hilfiger store at Okada Manila.

Salceda bats for housewives’ compensation STAY-AT-HOME wives or mothers who are unable to work outside since they are compelled to care for their husbands and children full time may soon receive regular token compensations.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda on Tuesday said he will strongly push for the approval of the Housewives Compensation Act he earlier filed in Congress, which seeks to provide compensation for stay-at-home housewives and mothers for their full-time services rendered to their children and families.

A study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies showed that the monetary value of the time women spend doing housework – caring for children and the elderly, cleaning, cooking, and washing – accounts for about P3.3 trillion or 20% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), Salceda said in a statement.

House Bill 80 is seen as an important social reform scheme for the country, where unemployed mothers are referred to as “mere housewives” and considered “unproductive,” or “doing nothing,” despite their valuable services to society.

It will break the conventional principle in economics that “work that is not paid for does not count as productive labor.”

This includes the work of “stay-athome housewives who take care of their children, walk them to school and help them in their school homework, manage meager family budgets, do grocery shopping” and other domestic chores, Salceda noted.

He stressed it is high time to recognize the work of homemakers as valuable economic activity, highlight their worth in nation-building, and “pay for the work they perform at home.”

The PIDS study showed that as of January 2018, some 12 million individuals were out of work. Of the total, 11.2 million were women. They were deemed not in the labor force since they performed unpaid homecare work, tending to their families, 4.168 million of whom have at least one child under 12 years old, with some 1.790 million of them living below the poverty line.

Salceda’s proposal initially focuses on women with at least one child under 12 years old, living under poverty line and seeks to provide them with a monthly P2,000 compensation until they either graduate from poverty or no longer have children under 12.

Free high-speed Wi-Fi in QC? Dad hopes so

By Rio N. Araja

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UEZON City Councilor Winston Castelo wants free Wi-Fi access with a broadband speed of 65 mbps in “high-profile” public places to play “a major role” for students and teachers, increase workers’ productivity, and allow better business and investment opportunities.

At a media gathering, Castelo said local network providers “could only offer a speed of 30 mbps. We deserve no less.

(We will) Put this Wi-Fi connection as soon as possible.”

“We are embracing the necessity of information technology through a fast, efficient and reliable Wi-Fi access,” added the councilor, who has already filed a proposal to provide a free Internet access in the city by 2020.

“Hopefully, it would be approved with the support of our Mayor (Joy Belmonte),” Castelo, who had just served three terms in Congress, told reporters.

In other QC news: * The city government has denied any involvement in the recent demolition of shanties in Barangay Tatalon.

Ricardo Belmonte Jr., Secretary to the Mayor, clarified the city government was not behind the demolition in

a slum area along Victory Avenue last July 13 that left 30 families homeless.

He said the disputed property is privately-owned, therefore city officials could not intervene with the court’s decision on its ownership.

The city government called the lot claimant, a certain Rebecca Genato, along with barangay chairperson Rodel Lobo, police officers, the affected families, and representatives from the city’s Housing, Community Development and Resettlement Department for a dialogue. * Police have arrested a former Pampanga councilor in Quezon City for car theft.

QC Police Chief Supt. Joselito Esquivel Jr. identified the suspect as Glendy Nacu, 39, a former councilor of Sasmuan town residing at QC’s Sitio Sta. Cruz in Barangay Sto. Tomas.

Parañaque shuts high-end stores at Okada Manila TWO high-end apparel stores and an international perfume shop located at the luxury resort hotel Okada Manila in Entertainment City were padlocked by the Parañaque City government over the weekend.

For non-payment of business fees and permits for the past years, ordered closed were Tommy Hilfiger, an American premium clothing company; and Joe Fresh, a fashion brand and retail chain. Their products also include footwear, beauty and cosmetics.

Also shut down was Jo Malone London, a British perfume and scented candle brand, located at the ground floor of Okada Manila.

Lawyer Melanie Soriano-Malaya, chief of the city Business Permits and Licensing Office, said the three retail stores have failed to settle their annual business permit obligations despite receiving demand letters earlier this year.

Two weeks ago, upon orders of Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez, the BPLO simultaneously closed 33 erring Chinese-run restaurants and businesses found operating without business permits and violating several city ordinances.

Most of them are located along Quirino Avenue and the boundaries of Barangays Baclaran and Tambo, where restaurants catering to Chinese workers of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators are located.

Soriano-Malaya clarified that the three Okada tenants did not violate any city ordinances. However, the shops failed to renew their respective business permits, mayor’s permits, and pay their tax arears for the past two years.

“This is to show that the Olivarez administration is serious in cracking down on erring establishments and delinquent taxpayers, either local or (owned by) foreign investor-businessman in the city,” she pointed out.

“Walang palakasan o favoritism dito,” said Soriano-Malaya. “As long as they neglect paying their annual business dues, ipapasara namin ang negosyo nila sa lungsod kahit sila ay negosyanteng nagmula sa China, America, Canada o Iceland.”

Olivarez warned seven more Chinese-run restaurants located in Multinational Village in Barangay Moonwalk to voluntarily close their respective establishments after they found out during surveillance that they violated several city ordinances.

Navoteño fisherman gets boat insurance

By Jun David

SM Prime is the first private organization to take part in the Adopt-A-City campaign, investing in the reduction of three cities’ disaster risks.

Photo shows (from left) SM Supermalls COO Steven Tan, SM Prime chairman of the executive committee Hans Sy, Cagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno, and National Resilience Council president Antonia Yulo Loyzaga.

SM takes lead in Adopt-A-City LGU campaign AN INNOVATIVE partnership model that will link the resources of private companies with local government units to establish disaster-resilient LGU systems has been launched by the National Resilience Council, with SM Prime Holdings Inc., taking the lead in the Adopt-A-City campaign.

During the launch, NRC president Antonio Yulo Loyzaga, together with

Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno and SM Prime Holdings Inc. executive committee chairman Hans Sy signed a memorandum of understanding to seal the partnership.

“We are very glad to launch the AdoptA-City Campaign, which is a great way to encourage the private sector to become more involved in disaster resilience as it

Cauayan City goes cashless with Smart City RESIDENTS of Cauayan City, Isabela will be able to go cashless with their city hall tax payments and permit transactions as MultiSys rolls out the Cauayan Smart City app.

Other plans include enabling cashless transactions in city hall, empowering small enterprise owners a better financial and bookkeeping method and providing RFID cards for locals.

With MultiSys tapping Cauayan City as the first ‘Smart City’ to utilize their services, the firm aims to make government payment transactions a breeze with kiosks machines strategically placed in city halls, government offices and cooperatives, and private establishments with high foot traffic.

The Smart City project supports forward-thinking entrepreneurs who own micro and macro business.

MultiSys aims to empower these business owners

including micro-enterprises with their Mobile Point of Sale Devices or the MPOS machines.

This device allows for a more efficient way of calculating costs, and issue receipts for its transactions all in just a handheld device. The one stop shop device has been created and built for sari-sari stores and convenience stores that’s cost-efficient and serves as an investment.

“The Smart City project is an ambitious yet feasible plan that we would like to pursue and materialize. Not only will it make people’s lives easier but will also help promote user friendly government payment transactions. At the same time, it empowers micro-business owners by taking an easier yet efficient way of running their businesses,” says MultiSys Chief Executive Officer David Almirol Jr.

can in fact be made part of each business’ core business value cycle,” said Loyzaga.

“Disaster resiliency is not the job of the government alone. It is a job that can be successful on collaboration with the government. The government sector alone can succeed only if both the private sector and the government will work together,” said Sy.

A NAVOTEÑO fisherman collected an insurance benefit from government after losing a boat to a fire at Brgy. North Bay Boulevard North early this year.

Benjamin Driguerro received a check worth P13,000 on Monday from Mayor Toby Tiangco and Aida Cristina Castro, Business Development and Marketing Specialist of Philippine Crop Insurance Corp.

He was the first registered fisherman in Navotas to receive such insurance claim from PCIC. “This is one of the reasons our fisherfolk need to register under the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture. As registered members, they may claim for insurance if their boats or fishing gears get damaged by calamities,” Tiangco said.

“Registered Navoteño fisherfolk may also avail of the NavoBangka and fish nets program of the city government,” he added.

PCIC insurance is free and covers rice crops, corn crops, high-value crops, livestock, fisheries and noncrop agricultural assets.

Fisherfolk who wish to apply for the insurance may coordinate with the City Agriculture Office at 281-8531 local 112.

The Smart City project supports forward-thinking entrepreneurs who own micro and macro business.

MultiSys aims to empower these business owners in Cauayan, Isabela, including microenterprises, with their Mobile Point of Sale Devices.

Life FASION AND BEAUTY

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife @MStandardLIFE WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019

Sassa Jimenez: 10 years of

Fashion designer Sassa Jimenez celebrates her decade-long career with a collection that showcases her style and passion.

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NOWN for her fun, unique, and romantic style, fashion designer Sassa Jimenez recently marked her 10 years in the industry in a fitting way—showcasing her signature whimsical work.

Her anniversary collection, aptly dubbed Ten, speaks of movement. Each piece is crafted to evoke movement through the use of signature elements present in Jimenez’s collection through the years.

From the drop of each ruffle and fold on every piece to Jimenez’s own journey in the industry, the collection is the apex of all the passion and hard work she has put into her career.

“There are some techniques that I’ve used throughout the years.

One is the jellyfish-like ruffles that we used in earlier collections and revived in the anniversary collection,” she shared. “The most challenging part was making classic looks without sacrificing uniqueness and creativity.”

According to Jimenez, the collection’s highlight was a teal ball gown with a sweeping layered train.

She said, “This particular collection stands out because it’s a culmination of everything we’ve perfected throughout the years. It really shows the playfulness I have when it comes to designing womenswear.”

“It also showcases how I always want to pay homage to a woman’s figure but still incorporating interesting or exaggerated shapes,” she added.

In honor of 10 whimsical years of style stories, Jimenez gathered family and friends for an exhibit launch that featured key pieces from Ten. She also screened an equally whimsical collection film directed by Adrian Calumpang and scored by CRWN. Jimenez expressed gratitude to her community of family and friends for keeping her motivated.

“It’s really a celebration of the brand and how grateful we are for the people that brought us here,” she said. “It is also a reintroduction of myself as a designer and how much I’ve grown in the last 10 years.”

“I’ve learned that there is strength in knowing what you are good at and developing that. Always play to your strengths and collaborate with those who supplement your weaknesses.”

Jimenez’s studio is at Unit 2C-2D, 60 Jupiter Street, Makati City. Email sassa_ jimenez@ yahoo.com or go to sassajimenez.com for inquiries and more details.

whimsical creations

WHIMSICAL. Ten, Sassa Jimenez’s anniversary

collection, features pieces emphasizing signature elements present in her collections through the years.

The Marian Rivera T-shirt collection by Kultura consists of pieces that feature prints inspired by things the actress loves, such as floral and tropical prints, with a touch of Philippine icons like jeepneys.

Marian Rivera launches ‘uniquely Filipino’T-shirt line TELEVISION and movie actress Marian Rivera didn’t look like she just gave birth a couple of weeks ago when she graced the renewal of her contract with a local retailer and the launch of her T-shirt collection.

Rivera was glowing as ever in an immaculate white wrap dress when she talked about her partnership with Kultura, a local retailer of uniquely Filipino-made products. She said she was happy that through the brand, she could help promote Philippine products and culture.

“Maraming produkto ang Kultura na nakakaproud (Kultura has many products that make me proud),” Rivera said at the contract renewal at SM Megamall.

Aside from pride, the 34-year-old mother of two expressed her delight at the contract renewal as, she said, she truly believes and patronizes the brand. “[When it comes to my endorsements], sinisigurado kong ginagamit at pinupuntahan at naniniwala ako sa produkto (I make sure I use, go to, and believe in the products),” revealed Rivera, adding, “Every month I’m shopping at Kultura.”

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She added, “I share the same values as Kultura, that’s why renewing my contract with them was a very easy decision.”

The local retailer likewise welcomed the opportunity to tap Marian Rivera again as its endorser.

According to assistant vice president for operations Shiela Tan, the actress has helped widen the reach of Kultura, both in local market and abroad.

“Her reach expanded Kultura’s reach,” said Tan. To mark the renewal of their partnership, the two local icons launched a T-shirt collection. Kultura designed the collection based on the things Rivera loves—hence, designs include floral and tropical prints with a touch of local culture.

The Marian Rivera T-Shirt Collection is available at Kultura in SM Makati, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Aura Premier, The Podium, SM City Cebu, SM Seaside, SM Lanang Premier, SM City Puerto Princesa, and at most SM Stores. Its boutiques are located at Taal Vista Hotel, Pico de Loro, Marian Rivera marks the renewal of her contract with local retailer Kultura with the launch of her T-shirt line.

Molo Mansion Iloilo. Bernadette Lunas

C2

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Life

Game, set, match

VANITY CORNER COSRx Light Fit Real Water Toner to Cream

MINIMALIST.

Lacoste’s new Courtline sneaker pays homage to the brand’s tennis heritage with design reminiscent of a tennis court and a tennis racket’s handle.

Toner and moisturizer in one

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AITHFUL to its tennis heritage, Lacoste’s Courtline is a sneaker that catches the eye with its sleek design and timeless elegance.

Made with a classic L.12.12 sole and an upper which combines white leather and pale grey suede insets, its design makes it a classic model to have in any season.

Its visual codes are reminiscent of the lines of a tennis court and contrast with the white upper of the perforated sneaker, echoing the handle of a racket.

Reflecting a perfect blend of style and comfort, the Courtline is a pure expression of Lacoste’s DNA combined with the latest trends. This sneaker is ideal for purists seeking minimalist style with a sporty look to meet ever more dynamic everyday needs.

The Courtline is available at Lacoste stores and at lacoste.com.ph starting today.

Strut your stuff in denim, win special prizes IT’S a denim appreciation month this July at SM Supermalls.

SM Supermalls and SM Shopmag inject fun into fashion with #DenimWalkAtSM, where shoppers can turn participating SM malls into a fashion runway for a chance to win prizes.

“Whether you’re young or young at heart, there is no fashion dilemma that denim can’t fix. This year’s denim month celebration is one to watch out for as we continue to bring innovation in our malls through fun, interactive on-ground efforts,” said SM Supermalls senior vice president for marketing Jonjon San Agustin.

To join the promotion, ongoing until July 28, interested participants simply need to locate the #DenimWalkAtSM booths, register, find the treadmill and flaunt their best walk in denim pieces, strike a pose, upload their video on Facebook with the hashtags #DenimWalkAtSM #ShopMagDenimReady and #DenimversityAtSM, and make sure the post is in public setting.

The booths will be at SM Bicutan (July 20), SM San Mateo and Megamall (July 21), SM North Edsa and Marikina (July 27), SM Dasmariñas and BF Parañaque (July 28). Go to www.smsupermalls.com for SM Supermalls and SM Shopmag celebrate denim with its #DenimWalkAtSM promotion. more information.

CULT-FAVORITE Korean beauty brand COSRx introduces a versatile new product that fulfills two steps in the basic skincare routine.

The COSRx Light Fit Real Water Toner to Cream can be used as a cream or a toner—it can be used as an extra moisturizing toner for dry skin, while oily skin can use it as a lightweight moisturizer.

Made with sea water instead of regular water, it is loaded with vitamins and minerals that help skin retain moisture and help ease skin issues like acne and dry skin.

Other key ingredients include Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract or Sea Buckthorn Extract, which is a wonderful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory packed with vitamin C that helps reduce the appearance of acne marks, soothe redness, and boost collagen production. Niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3, also helps with collagen production.

It is available online at www.theskincarecurator.com, www.beautymnl.com, www.lazada.com.ph, and www.shopee.ph. It’s also available at select Watsons and Beauty Bar Branches.

Caring lip balm

Apollo Lip Balm in Original

POPULAR petroleum jelly brand Apollo encourages Filipinos to #RediscoverBeauty as it introduces the new Apollo Lip Balm.

The US-made lip balm, which comes in Original and Pretty Pink variants, helps relieve dryness, soothe dry and and chapped lips, and ensure lips are soft and healthy all day, thanks to its vitamin E. Coinciding with the launch, Apollo also reintroduces its other skin caring products: the Apollo Petroleum Jelly, which moisturizes dry skin and soothes minor burns and scrapes, and also works as a foot spa supplement, hand softener, and eye makeup remover.

The Apollo Sebo de Macho, on the other hand, is a potent skin moisturizer that helps minimize the appearance of fresh scars. Its made from mutton’s tallow, which is essentially sheep’s fat.

The aforementioned products are available at leading drugstores and supermarkets nationwide.

49-peso lipsticks LOCAL cosmetics label Careline treats beauty junkies to a jaw-dropping discount, as price of all shades of its Matte Liquid Lipstick and Melted Metallic Lipstick drop from P210 to P49 the whole month of July.

Careline Matte Liquid Lipstick comes in Craving, Wall flower, Upper hand, Dark Matter, Pop, Brick’d, In Bloom, Tutu, Gotta Go, Semi Sweet, Normcore, and Glaze. Meanwhile the Melted Metallic Lipstick line comes in Bling, Prince, Luster, and Livewire.

These lipsticks are available at leading supermarkets and drugstores nationwide.

Careline Matte Liquid Lipstick

Fashion show turns spotlight on Filipino craftsmanship

The Heritage Fashion Show promotes local textiles made into trendy pieces.

THE Heritage Fashion Show, part of Shangri-La Plaza’s month-long celebration of “LIKHA,” featured pieces that highlighted Filipino culture and craftsmanship as seen in the textiles used.

Initiated by GREAT Women, the elegant anthology promoted local textile traditions by adapting them into stylish pieces in tune with current trends.

The showcase included GREAT Women’s GW Collection, along with works from collaborators including fashion designer Rhett Eala, accessories brand Adante Leyesa, bag makers Fino Leatherware and LARA, shoe artisan Ai-She, and clothing label Tygie.

The show also highlighted eco-conscious fashion—in contrast to mass produced fast fashion— which encourages slower production schedules, lower carbon footprints, and most importantly, fair wages for the producers.

Shoppers at the Shang can update their wardrobe and accessories with contemporary Filipiniana looks from merchants like Beth Agarao, and support indigenous artisan labels like Angie’s Yakan Cloth, Cowhed, and K’Datu Souvenirs.

Brands like Bidibidi is also a must for those who want to carry bags that combine traditional crafting techniques and upcycled materials.

Entertainment

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Janella teams up with Joshua

Cinemalaya turns 15 ON THE SET. Xian Lim in a behind-the-scenes still from his directorial debut, 'Tabon.'

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RESH from winning the Nikkei Prize for Culture and Community, the Cinemalaya Foundation, in partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, celebrates 15 years of introducing best independent cinematic works to the Filipino and international film communities on Aug. 2 to 11, at various venues of the CCP.

The 15th edition of the country’s biggest independent film festival goes nationwide as it will be simultaneously screened on Aug. 7 to 13, at selected Ayala Cinemas and Vista Malls in Manila, Pampanga, Naga and Legaspi in Bicol, Bacolod, Iloilo, and Davao.

Ten full-length films and ten short feature films take the spotlight. The 10 full-length films in competition are: ANi (The Harvest), directed by Kim Zuniga and Sandro Del Rosario; Belle Douleur (Beautiful Pain), directed

by Joji V. Alonzo; Children of the River, directed by Maricel Cabrera– Cariaga; Edward, directed by Thop Nazareno; Fuccbois, directed byEduardo Roy Jr; Iska, directed

by Theodore Boborol; John Denver Trending, directed by Arden Rod Condez; Malamaya (The Color of Ash), directed by Danica Sta. Lucia andLeilani Chavez; Pandanggo Sa Hukay, directed by Sheryl Rose M. Andes; and Tabon, directed by Xian Lim. For the short feature main competition, the finalists are: Disconnection Notice, directed by Glenn Lowell Forneste Averia; Gatilyo (Trigger), directed

by Harold Lance Pialdal; Heist School, directed by Julius Renomeron Jr; Hele ng Maharlika (Lullaby of the Free), directed by Norvin De Los Santos; Kontrolado Ni Girly Ang Buhay N’ya (Girly Is In Control of His Life) directed by Gilb Baldoza; Sa Among Agwat (In Between Spaces), directed by Don Senoc; Sa Gabing Tanging Liwanag Ay Paniniwala (Belief As The Light In Darkness), directed by Francis Guillermo; Tembong (Connecting), directed by Shaira Advincula; The Shoemaker, directed

by Sheron Dayoc; and Wag Mo ‘Kong Kausapin (Please Stop Talking), directed by Josef Gacutan.

Film enthusiasts can look forward to the exhibition films in the festival’s mainstays: Dokyu, the documentary section; Best of the Festivals, which showcases the best films from local festivals; Indie Nation, a special section featuring independent films; Visions of Asia, featuring award-winning Asian and Netpac films.

This year, Cinemalaya brings back the Premiere section, where newly-made films will make their screen debut. The Retrospective section will feature not only the 2018 Cinemalaya Best Film, Audience Choice and Special Jury Prize winners, but also the best films of Cinemalaya from its inception in 2005.

Cinemalaya will pay tribute to actor Eddie Garcia, actress Armida Siguion-Reyna, and production designer Cesar Hernando – all of them have made significant contributions to the Philippine film industry.

This year, Cinemalaya partners with microcinemas in Metro Manila and in the regions for “Kinse sa Sandaan: Cinemalaya Wave at the Microcinemas.”

On its 31st edition, the Gawad CCP Para sa Alternatibong Pelikula at Video, considered the longest-running independent film competition of its kind in the ASEAN region, will once again harvest the best films which will compete in various categories such as Short Feature/Narrative, Experimental, Documentary and Animation. Finalists from the different categories, as well as a specially-curated section exhibiting selected participating entries, will be screened on Aug. 3 to 5 at the CCP

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Wednesday, July 17, 2019

ACROSS 1 Circumvent 6 Hombre’s abode 10 Stretch across 14 Edge past 15 Cousteau’s middle name 16 Port near Mauna Loa 17 Llama habitat 18 Jewelry box items 20 Gloomy one 22 Delete a file 23 Fabled bird 24 Tai language 25 Brimming over 29 Sullenness 34 Graceful horses 35 Midwest crop 36 Scottish river 37 Nail containers 38 Street urchins 39 Rub dry 40 Chemical suffix 41 Makes less wild 42 Dyeing method 43 Having sawlike teeth 45 Corn Belt state 46 Harvest moon mo.

47 Attack word 48 Weariness 51 Unappreciated

57 Popular entree (2 wds.)

59 Ivan’s dollar 60 Drift here and yon 61 Ivy League member 62 German sub (hyph.)

63 The — the limit!

64 Refs 65 Inclinations DOWN 1 Now! 2 Wall climber 3 Betting factor 4 Seine moorages 5 Wants badly 6 Skeptical one 7 Forum hellos 8 Cult 9 Show curiosity 10 Actress — Stone 11 Elite alternative 12 Pub pints 13 Nuzzle 19 Memorize 21 In vogue 24 San — Obispo 25 Charlatans 26 Dunne or Castle 27 Light-colored beer

28 FedEx units 29 Made beef jerky 30 Clumsy sorts 31 Revises 32 Brown-tinted photo 33 Looks for 35 Golf or tennis 38 Electrical unit 39 Unnaturally pale 41 Not spelled out 42 Massage 44 Wakes up

45 Relatives 47 Bank features 48 Botches up 49 Cubbyhole 50 Sea power body 51 Players 52 Chip in 53 Oil job 54 Poet’s black 55 Trellis part 56 Groups 58 Provo inst.

Tanghalang Manuel Conde (Dream Theater). Awarding rites for the Gawad will be on Aug. 5, 7:00 p.m., at the CCP Dream Theater.

The Cinemalaya Campus, a major component of Cinemalaya, expands its reach to the regions. The Regional Cinemalaya Campus kicks off a one-minute filmmaking competition for students. Dubbed Short Shorts Competition, it aims to discover, encourage and honor cinematic works of young Filipino talents from Bicol, Western Visayas and Davao City. The top 10 Shorts Shorts finalists will be screened in Legazpi, Naga, Bacolod, Iloilo and Davao City.

Cinemalaya introduces the MiniVersity, a new component of the festival which is envisioned to spur interest on filmmaking among the youth. From Aug. 2 to 11, at the Silangan Hall, those who are interested can have engaging conversations on various aspects of filmmaking with industry practitioners.

The Cinemalaya Awards Night will be held on Aug. 11, at 7:00 p.m., at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

Since 2005, Cinemalaya has continued to discover, encourage and support the cinematic works of upcoming and veteran Filipino filmmakers who boldly articulate and freely interpret the Philippine experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity.

To date, Cinemalaya has supported and promoted the production of Filipino full feature independent films and short films. Many of these films have won awards in local and international competitions and festivals. Through the annual festival, Cinemalaya has showcased over 1,000 works by independent filmmakers including full feature films, shorts, documentaries, Filipino film classics, and art films.

For more information about Cinemalaya, visit www.cinemalaya. org, www.culturalcenter.gov.ph and the Cinemalaya Facebook page. You can call the CCP Film and Media Arts Division at 832-1125 local 1704 & 1712. Tickets and festival passes are available at CCP Box Office, call at 832-3704.

YOUNG star Janella Salvador reveals that she is set to do a TV project with fellow Kapamilya Joshua Garcia soon.

She said she’s doing the upcoming ABS-CBN soap The Killer Bride, which also stars Maja Salvador.

“He will be my partner in the story.

It’s nice that finally, we’re in one project together. Actually, we were supposed to do one in the past only, it didn’t push through. It will be my first time to share the frame with him and it’s simply exciting,” she shares.

With this development, many got curious if she already told her close friend Julia Barretto about it. As everyone knows, the latter is Joshua’s official love team and rumoured exgirlfriend.

“You know, Julia and I are very close.

We hang out together, sometimes, with Joshua so it’s no big deal. When she learned about it, it was very much okay with her.”

Interestingly, Janella says that her role in The Killer Bride is something new as compared to her previous screen portrayals.

“Let’s just say that it’s more mature,” she states. “My director, Mr. Dado Lumibao wants me to be more sensual in breathing life to my character. It goes with the story because it has a deep and mature theme.”

So, does this means she’s already prepared to gradually leave her teenybopper image?

“Yes! There’s thrill in this new phase in my acting career. Like my part in The Killer Bride is very challenging. I will just pop in the scene and claim that I’m being possessed by the character of Maja. Of course, I feel the pressure as early as now.

I have numerous preparations for the role, including speaking fluent Tagalog.”

Speaking of friends, Janella shares that although they’re not together that often at this point, her friendship with Liza Soberano remains intact.

“Lately, I don’t see her that much because she’s in the hospital. It’s just sad that her finger had to be severely affected

like that.”

Because of the injury, Liza could no longer do the latest silver screen installment of Darna.

Curiously, has she auditioned for the iconic

part?

“I don’t know,” she bursts with a big laugh.

Many think that she did because of her recent posts in her social media account in which she was shown doing physical workout. Is this a preparation for something?

“Not actually. It’s just for health purposes. Ever since, I didn’t engage in rigorous workout. I’m kind of lazy doing that. But now, I realized, why not give it a try? I might feel better if I engage into it. And I did! I felt good about myself. I feel more confident now. The workout sessions really helped in preparing me for future acting projects,” says Janella. *** It’s Kris Bernal’s second time to work with Rayver Cruz in the latest GMA offering Hanggang sa Dulo ng Buhay Ko after the highly successful Asawa Ko, Karibal Ko. Does this mean they are now being groomed as the network’s next love team? “ I don’t think so. In my personal assessment, we didn’t really gain that huge following after our first soap together. I don’t know why we got paired again in Hanggang sa Dulo ng Buhay Ko. But I’m glad that we have a new show together,” she states.

The charming actress has only good words for Rayver.

“It’s really nice because ever since, he’s my childhood crush. Now, we became friends. He’s like a brother to me. I’m so comfortable with him already. In fact, I can say that at this point, he’s my favorite leading man!”

Why does she consider him her favorite screen partner now?

“With Rayver, our friendship is really there. Perhaps, with my other leading men, I still feel shy towards them. For one, I can open up some of my problems with Rayver and he’s good at giving advice,” ends Kris.

Janella Salvador and Joshua Garcia

Celebrating...

From C4

2. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey Learning about the intricate matters of our universe and reality can be extremely overwhelming, but Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey turns it into an incredible journey that anyone can take.

A follow-up to the beloved show hosted by Carl Sagan in the 1980s, this extraordinary documentary television miniseries is now presented by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.

It has 13 episodes, each with a specific topic relating to space and time. These include the Big Bang, black holes and stars, and how the Earth was formed.

The show has earned critical praise and has won several awards, including the Critic’s Choice Television Award for Best Reality Series, four Emmys, and the 2014 Peabody Award in the Education category.

3. Space Dogs: Adventure To The Moon For those with young children who probably don’t know what the moon landing is all about, this is a perfect movie to introduce them to the wonders of space.

When Pushok stows away in a US rocket to the moon, he only had one thing on his mind: to search for his missing astronaut father. Pushok finds out that he’s not alone on the desolate space rock when he gets reunited with his mother, encounters a baby alien, and becomes friends with a macho monkey.

According to the trailer, it’s a “barking mad adventure that is out of this world!”

4. Apollo: Missions To The Moon People often think that Neil Armstrong’s crew were the first people sent to do research on the moon. What they don’t know is that there were four other missions before them.

Apollo: Missions To The Moon is a documentary about the Apollo Program, which was NASA’s attempt to explore what used to be one of space’s biggest enigmas: the moon.

National Geographic takes audiences on a journey of Apollo and its formation.

From the first unmanned attempt during Apollo 7, the first men on the moon on Apollo 11, and even the controversial Apollo 13 mission. Apollo: Missions To The Moon is one of the quintessential documentaries to watch in order to understand the work that led up to, and was caused by, the historic moon landing.

Be the first to stream a selection of show titles to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing on FOX+.

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

C4

Entertainment

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019

Dingdong heats up Pinoy festivities in Canada KAPUSO abroad in Canada had the time of their lives when they got the chance to bond with no less than actor Dingdong Dantes as he joined the celebrations for the Philippine Independence Day as well as the Filipino Heritage Month there.

Dingdong’s first stop was in Toronto last June 22 for the “Pinoy Fiesta and Trade Show Toronto” organized by the Philippine Canadian Charitable Foundation (PCCF).

During the event, which was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre Hall, Dingdong crowned the newest Miss Teen Philippines Canada 2019 and Miss Philippines Canada 2019. He also performed OPM songs for the Kapuso abroad who gladly sang along with him. The crowd got even more excited when the A-list actor serenaded a lucky audience on stage.

“We would like to thank everyone for coming to the ‘Pinoy Fiesta and Trade Show Toronto’. Their support helped us complete a 30-house village in Tala, Caloocan and donate to different beneficiaries in the Philippines. This event would not be possible without GMA Pinoy TV, our community partners, and the hard-working volunteers,” PCCF Public Relations Officer Fred Tomas shared.

After the Toronto festivities, Dingdong went to Vancouver on June 29 to perform at the “Pista ng Bayan 2019” organized by the United Filipino-Canadian Associations in British Columbia (UFCABC).

After his performance at the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Kapuso Primetime King personally thanked his fans through a special meet and greet event. Under the heat of the sun, the Kapuso abroad were all smiles while taking selfies and singing with him. The StarStruck host was even game to take more photos with other Pinoys he met at the airport in Canada before heading back home.

“Kapuso artist Dingdong Dantes did not disappoint his myriad of British

Columbian fans, with some who even traveled for hours just to see him. He was very welcoming and down to earth. Salamat sa Kapuso Network and we are looking forward to more collaborations in future Pista ng Bayan events,” said UFCABC Advisor Board Member and Pista ng Bayan Vancouver 2019 Program Director Cliff Belgica.

“The long flight to Canada was worth it because when we got there, we really felt the warmth and excitement of our Kapuso abroad. It’s just right for me to return that much love and energy to them. Nagkantahan kami and we really had fun. Thank you so much GMA Pinoy TV for giving me the opportunity to meet and talk with our Kapuso in Toronto and Vancouver. I really hope I get to see them again soon,” Dingdong shared how much he enjoyed his Canada trip.

Meanwhile, Kapuso abroad can catch Dingdongasthehostofthedramaanthology series Tadhana and StarStruck and in the upcoming Philippine adaptation of the hit Korean drama Descendants of the Sun via GMA Pinoy TV, which is now available in Toronto via Bell, Cogeco, and Rogers and in West Canada via Shaw and Telus.

To subscribe to GMA’s international channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV International, visit bell.ca/fibetv (Bell),rogers.com/ multicultural (Rogers), cogeco.ca/en/ tv (Cogeco), shaw.ca (Shaw), or telus. com/optiktv (Telus).

GMA Pinoy TV is the exclusive media sponsor for both events as it continues to provide world-class entertainment for our Kapuso abroad and help them reconnect with their kababayans and feel closer to home.

For more updates on Kapuso events abroad, follow GMA Pinoy TV on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@ gmapinoytv) and visit the GMA Pinoy TV official website at www.gmapinoytv.com.

Dingdong Dantes meets the Kapuso abroad in Canada after the Pista ng Bayan 2019.

Celebrating moon landing’s 50th anniversary ALMOST 50 years ago, the first crewed mission landed on the moon, forever changing history. Now, half a decade later, we look back and celebrate the landmark moment with our favorite titles about space, the universe, and the extraordinary mission itself.

FOX+ presents a collection of films, documentaries, and TV series celebrating the 50th anniversary of the moon landing.

Arguably one of the most recognized and celebrated events of our era, the first moon landing was more than just an achievement for one country, but rather a milestone for the entire human race.

There is no shortage of love and celebration for this event. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world can echo back Neil Armstrong’s famous words, the Apollo 11 will forever be revered, and Buzz Aldrin even inspired the spaceman Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story.

Undeniably one of the most notable moments of recent history, it has paved the way for several more crewed and uncrewed moon landings

since and has exponentially advanced mankind’s knowledge about the known universe.

For the 50th anniversary of that first historic trip, FOX+ has put together a collection of titles that will be perfect to watch in celebration. Here’s a list of our five favorites: 1. The Armstrong Tapes For those who love to geek about Apollo 11’s moon landing, then don’t miss The Armstrong Tapes. Featuring the never-before-heard tapes of Neil Armstrong himself that was recorded during the final years of his life, The Armstrong Tapes shows you the life of the man on the moon: Neil Armstrong.

National Geographic takes viewers into the mind of this seemingly private man illustrated through archival footage, audio clips, and personal photos that remained unseen until now.

What better way to start the 50thanniversary celebration than this opportunity to really get to know Armstrong himself. Continued on C3

'Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 3' creator and screenwriter Chris Martinez, Eugene Domingo, and Quantum Films producer Atty. Joji Alonso.

Eugene as oriental Josephine Bracken, Tony as hunky Jose Rizal S OUNDS VERY odd? Better WANG watch the NICKIE third installment WANG of Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, which Quantum Films and Dreamscape Digital turned into a web series, streaming beginning today on iWant.

According to its writer, Chris Martinez, the digital series is a laugh-out-loud sequel that lampoons the making of a historical biopic, with Eugene Domingo reprising her lead role—a megalomaniacal and egotistical version of herself.

In this movie within a series, Eugene’s character pushes the boundaries of her talents and dares to direct, take on the lead role, and produce her own film about Bracken, a mestiza, and Jose Rizal’s well-known paramour. Hence the title Ang Babae sa Septic Tank: The Real Untold Story of Josephine Bracken.

The seven-episode mockumentary series documents the stepby-step process in making a biopic. As a first-time director, Direk Uge goes overboard with every aspect of the film, interfering with the costume design, screenplay, musical score, editing, and almost everything else, causing turmoil on set.

In the series, Eugene is joined by other artists who gamely act as “versions” of their actual selves, including Tony Labrusca, who plays as himself and as the hunkiest Jose Rizal ever.

Mylene Dizon and Joanna Ampil also play as themselves and Jose Rizal’s sisters Narcisa and Saturnina, providing tension and sass as they compete for their lady director’s attention and approval.

Award-winning director and writer Jose Javier Reyes, meanwhile, portrays himself and as Direk Uge’s screenwriter who becomes her unwilling partner-in-crime.

“Great franchises usually come in threes.

So, I thought there should be a third entry, it shouldn’t stop at one and two,” Martinez said of the Septic Tank’s latest installment.

“Part three came with the dawning of streaming services. There was a time when I was binge-watching several series and I thought, why couldn’t we do Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 3into a series? I think the format of Septic Tank 3 really suits a series because it’s a process of how to make a film: from the script to pre-production to shooting to post-production and the final episode is the premiere night,” he carried on.

To provide the anchor on historical facts, renowned Filipino historian Ambeth Ocampo goes onboard to ground viewers on the true stories and shocking trivia surrounding the historical characters.

“In this era of fakery, fake news, and faking history, Ang Babae Sa Septic

Yoo Seung Ho and Kim So Hyun in a scene from ‘Emperor: Ruler of the Mask’

Tank 3: The Real Untold Story of Josephine Bracken is easily the funniest, most relevant, and most entertaining series you can find on iWant and elsewhere,” ended Martinez. *** Period love story in ‘Emperor: Ruler of the Mask’ On Monday, GMA Heart of Asia brought forth a historical Korean drama that tackles political turbulence, corruption and romance via Emperor: Ruler of the Mask.

Set in the Joseon era, it follows the story of Crown Prince Lee Sun (Yoo Seung Ho) who was forced to wear a mask his whole life and has been sheltered away from the outside world. He begins to question why he must wear the mask. In search for answers, he escapes the palace.

He meets Han Ga Eun (Kim So Hyun), a kind and caring woman who does what she can to help her fellow people.

He also crosses paths with his namesake Commoner Lee Sun (Kim Myung Soo / “L”). He’s intelligent but is held back by his lowly status. Commoner Lee Sun is then willing to step up and wear the mask in place of the Crown Prince to go against a powerful and wealthy organization called Pyunsoo.

Meanwhile, Kim Hwa Gun (Yoon So Hee), the granddaughter of the leader of the shadow organization, falls for the Crown Prince. This ends up dividing her loyalties between him and her grandfather.

Will Crown Prince Lee Sun defeat the Pyunsoo or will fear, greed, and distrust get in the way?

Follow his compelling journey in Emperor: Ruler of the Mask after Love You Two on GMA Telebabad.

HUNKY PEPE. Tony Labrusca plays himself and Jose Rizal in the digital series acted and directed by Direk Uge, a character portrayed

by Eugene Domingo.