Manila Standard - 2019 July 22 - Monday

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PACQUIAO TURNS BACK HANDS OF TIME, BEATS YOUNGER FOE

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 158 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

LAS VEGAS—Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao rolled back the years to become the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history with a thrilling split decision victory over WBA champion Keith Thurman on Saturday.

The 40-year-old Pacquiao, 10 years older than the previously undefeated Thurman, delivered a vintage performance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to leave the sell-out crowd of 14,356 roaring its approval.

Pacquiao floored Thurman with an electrifying combination in the first round and remained on the front foot throughout a pulsating 12-round duel.

Although the bloodied Thurman rallied in the later rounds to narrow Pacquiao’s lead, the judges scored it in the Filipino’s favor. Two judges scored it 115-112 for Pacquiao with the third scoring it 114-113 for Thurman.

A jubilant Pacquiao punched the air as the arena erupted after the victory was confirmed. Next page

CROWD PLEASER.

LAS VEGAS—Keith Thurman (L) takes a punch from Manny Pacquiao during their WBA welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 20, in Las Vegas. In Manila, residents jubilate as they watch the live telecast of the thrilling bout. AFP/ Ey Acasio

Dark horse up in Speaker race

Duterte: 4th SONA launching pad House in make-or-break meet; term-sharing shaky Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta for new game plan, war on crimes By Rio N.DARK horse may emerge as speaker of the House

By MJ Blancaflor

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will use his fourth State of the Nation Address Monday to discuss his promises to fight corruption, illegal drugs, criminality and rebellion, as well as his views on the West Philippine Sea, the Palace said Sunday.

The SONA will also be a venue to discuss the administration’s achievements and plans for the three remaining years in his term, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

“The past year has been meaningful

and we are all excited [about] what was prepared for tomorrow’s momentous event,” Panelo said in a statement.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar also said that it was likely that President Duterte would mention in his speech the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution seeking a probe of alleged human rights violations in the government’s war on drugs.

A Pulse Asia survey showed that wages, inflation, and jobs are among the top issues Filipinos want to hear from Duterte’s SONA this year.

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of Representatives after the President’s son, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, called an 8 a.m. breakfast meeting with almost 200 lawmakers hours before the first regular session of the 18th Congress opens today.

“We have something to watch out for tomorrow,” said Albay Rep. Joey Salceda Sunday, suggesting that a termsharing agreement brokered by President Rodrigo Duterte between Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano and Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco might not hold.

“I would say Cayetano is still frontrunning. However, tomorrow morning, someone could come out to be a dark horse,” he said.

“The President has already said that he would not mind if we would vote for someone [other than Cayetano],” Sal-

ceda said.

“Definitely, whoever sits as the Speaker needs a direct line to the President. It seems that the clear line would be the son,” he added. zCayetano is expected to attend the meeting, Salceda said.

“You just don’t call for a breakfast [meeting for nothing or] if you’re just getting to know them,” the Albay lawmaker said.

The presidential son earlier hinted at a possible coup for the speakership, but Velasco said he believed Cayetano would prevail.

He said he was confident that the leaders of various political parties in Congress would back Cayetano.

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P1-m reward for capture of cop-killers

UK makes move to ‘de-escalate’ Iran tension

By MJ Blancaflor

LONDON―London wants to de-escalate the tensions with Tehran, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Saturday following a meeting of the UK’s emergencies committee over Iran’s seizure of a British-flagged ship in the Gulf.

The Philippines said 18 Indians, three Russians, a Latvian and a Filipino were aboard the Swedish-owned ship.

The Philippines said Saturday it would ask Iran to free the Filipino crew member of the British-flagged tanker seized by Tehran’s Revolutionary Guards.

The meeting “reaffirmed UK desire to de-escalate,” Hunt said, adding that the Stena Impero oil tanker was seized in Omani waters “in clear contravention of international law” in “utterly unacceptable” circumstances.

The seizure came hours after a court in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar said it would extend by 30 days the detention of Grace 1, an Iranian

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has offered a P1-million reward to anyone who can capture the masterminds and perpetrators of the murder of four policemen in Negros Oriental.

“According to the Chief Executive, a P1-million reward will be given for the capture, whether dead or alive, of the masterminds, perpetrators, and main shooters of the four police intel personnel,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

Panelo also said that a P50,000 reward will be given for the capture of all the conspirators involved in the murder

HEADING. Marine troops rehearse a flag raising in Kawit, Cavite in preparation for the 150th birth anniversary of Emilio Aguinaldo on Friday. Aguinaldo, who died in 1964 aged 94, was a revolutionary, politician, and military leader officially recognized as the first and the youngest president of the Philippines (1899-1901). Norman Cruz

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Two oil players set price rollback

By Alena Mae S. Flores SEAOIL Philippines will roll back the price of its products by P0.40 per liter of kerosene, P0.25 per liter of gasoline and P0.20 per liter of diesel today, Monday, to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

Seaoil cut its pump prices effective at 6 a.m. on July 22, while the other other oil companies are expected to follow suit.

PetroGazz announced it will also cut pump prices by the same level starting 6 a.m. on Tuesday.

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KILLED IN ACTION. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte pays his last respects to one of the slain police officers as he visits the wake at Camp Lt. Col. Francisco C. Fernandez Jr. in Sibulan, Negros Oriental on July 20. During his visit, the President honors the four police officers who were killed in an ambush by suspected communist rebels last July 18. Presidential Photo

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Bumper slate of superheroes

Britain’s central bank marks 325th year

SAN DIEGO—Marvel unveiled its bumper slate of new superhero movies Saturday, wheeling out a who’s who of Hollywood stars and prompting a collective meltdown at Comic-Con as it ended frenzied speculation over the most lucrative franchise in film Next page history.

LONDON—Some of the earliest surviving banknotes and a Cold War nuclear radiation calculator are among 325 historic objects unearthed by the Bank of England to celebrate its 325th anniversary.

Britain’s central bank is the second oldest in the world after that of Sweden, and its trip back through Next page

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DOH report key to anti-dengue plan C

ONGRESS is counting on the Department of Health to come up with a report on the impact of Dengvaxia in the country following the dengue surge nationwide, an official said Sunday.

Congress particularly wants a report on the Filipino children who were hit by the mosquito-borne virus for the first time after receiving shots of the controversial vaccine, Surigao del Sur Rep Johnny Pimentel said.

“Congress gave the [department] ample funds to monitor the health condition of children who received Dengvaxia shots. Surely, the department should be able to provide us a detailed report in a future hearing, Pimentel said.

“In fact, all government-run hospitals are supposed to check if a child being

post-vaccination.”

The Health department on July 15 declared a national dengue alert following the rapidly increasing number of cases observed in 13 of the country’s 17 regions.

A total of 106,630 dengue cases were reported countrywide from January to June this year, up 85 percent from the 57,564 listed in the same semester in 2018.

At least 456 deaths were tallied in the first semester, up 43 percent from the 317 logged in the same period in 2018, the department said.

The United States Food and Drug Administration in May approved Dengvaxia for use in a few dengue-prone areas in America, but categorically disapproved it for use on those with no prior dengue virus infection.

It cited evidence that Dengvaxia could

increase the risk of severe infection in people who never had dengue.

The Philippines’ own Food and Drug Administration permanently revoked the certificate of product registration of Dengvaxia in February.

Several Quezon City regional trial courts recently consolidated the various claims for restitution filed by the parents of children who died allegedly of severe dengue disease complications after receiving Dengvaxia shots.

The plaintiffs are seeking reparation from the respondents Sanofi Pasteur, the French maker of Dengvaxia, and distributor Zuellig Pharma Holdings Pte. Ltd. Pimentel is a former chairman of the House good government and public accountability committee that conducted in 2018 a joint inquiry with the House

health panel into the vaccination program using Dengvaxia.

Some 730,000 children received Dengvaxia shots―regardless of whether or not they were previously infected by dengue―under the inoculation program launched in April 2016.

The program was abandoned in December 2017, when the adverse findings against the world’s first anti-dengue vaccine first became public.

The Health department is spending another P213 million this year to deploy an additional 425 nurses to keep an eye on children who received Dengvaxia shots.

The nurses are expected to watch closely hospital admissions of vaccinees.

They are also supposed to visit public schools to check on the health condition of vaccinees.

Duterte has allowed it,” political science professor Dennis Coronacion told the Manila Standard.

But Coronacion said that the public has a right to know the foreign policy decisions of the President, which should “not be formulated in a secretive and exclusive manner.”

While the Palace said earlier that Duterte’s speech will be “short,” the President has been known to go off-topic.

“You know the President. He is very extemporaneous, spontaneous,” Panelo said during a chance interview on Friday.

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

His third SONA last year lasted 48 minutes, as he refrained from cursing and adlibs.

Invited guests for this year’s SONA include Cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, members of the diplomatic corps, former presidents, and other special guests.

Former president Benigno Aquino III is set to skip the SONA for the fourth

year in a row. But Vice President Leni Robredo, who leads the opposition, said she will attend the event.

Senator Nancy Binay on Sunday said she hopes to hear the President address the gut issues that Filipinos face today— including wages, the price of basic goods and jobs and livelihood creation.

The National Capital Region Police Office is all set to provide security for the fourth SONA. Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, NCRPO director, said they already on full alert with about 14,000 cops ready to ensure peace and order during the SONA. “All of our operatives tasked to secure the 2019 SONA are in their predeployment positions. They will be moving out 5 a.m. Monday,” Eleazar said.

He said cops will be deployed particularly in areas where anti- and pro-Duterte groups are expected to hold rallies, particularly along Commonwealth Avenue and IBP Road near the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.

Eleazar said protest rallies will be allowed “for as long as these are held peacefully.” He added at least 15,000 pro-

testers are expected to hold rallies.

He assured that they have a contingency plan, in coordination with the Presidential Security Group, in case the President decides to face the protesters after delivering his SONA as he did two years ago.

Eleazar said maximum tolerance would be exercised while asking the militant groups to police their ranks. He said no violent dispersal was recorded since Duterte’s first SONA in 2016.

He said 9,162 cops and force multipliers would be sent to secure the vicinity of the Batasang Pambansa.

Police will also secure places of convergence, such as malls and churches, as well as vital installations, terminals, airports, and seaports.

Eleazar also said security will be provided in Mendiola, the US Embassy, and the Edsa Shrine, where rallies are expected during the SONA. The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Sunday urged the public to immediately report to authorities any suspicious looking individuals or activities within their immediate vicinity. With Macon Ramos-Araneta and PNA

said he will now return to the Philippines to resume his work as a senator before deciding on his next move inside the ring.

“I think I will fight next year,” he said.

“I will go back to the Philippines and work and then make a decision.”

Thurman meanwhile had few complaints in defeat, embracing Pacquiao after the final bell in recognition of an epic contest.

“I knew it was too close,” Thurman said. “He got the knockdown so he had momentum in round one.

“This was a beautiful night of boxing.

I wish I had a little bit more output to go toe to toe. I felt like he was getting a little bit tired, but he did have experience in the ring. I would love the rematch.”

Earlier, a pumped-up Pacquiao had danced into the ring to the strains of Rocky movie anthem “Eye of the Tiger” to bring the crowd to its feet.

Deafening chants of “Manny, Manny” rolled around the packed arena as Pacquiao immediately set about building an advantage.

Towards the end of the round, the crowd erupted as Pacquiao sent Thurman crashing to the canvas, uncorking a left to the ribs before detonating a right hand on the American’s jaw.

That set the tone for the early rounds, with Pacquiao urging Thurman on before using his superior hand speed and footwork to bamboozle his rival.

A dazzling combination wobbled Thurman again at the end of the second, and Pacquiao delighted the crowd with an Ali shuffle as the round closed.

Although Thurman improved, Pacquiao was able to control the tempo and had Thurman in trouble again in the fifth round with blood pouring from his mouth.

Thurman though was in no mood to surrender and he came back into the fight, snapping Pacquiao’s head back with a right cross left jab combination in the seventh round.

The younger Thurman appeared to be gaining momentum as the fight drew on, backing up Pacquiao with a clean combination in the eighth. AFP

time means returning to the days when its banknotes were written by hand.

Among the exhibits are a £40 note dating from 1702—a huge sum at the time, worth more than £9,000 ($11,000, 10,000 euros) nowadays.

There is also a forged banknote, which first appeared in 1858 when a customer tried to exchange it for gold.

It was stamped as counterfeit and handed back, but then reappeared in 1898 after being presented again, with someone having painstakingly managed to erase the stamp. This time the bank kept it.

“It’s a very intriguing story on how people always try their luck,” said Jenni Adam, curator of the Bank of England Museum, noting that capital punishment was the penalty for counterfeit money until 1832.

Miranda Garrett, the BoE’s collections and exhibitions manager, added: “The bank is always working very hard to improve security of its banknotes.”

‘The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street’ When it was founded in late July 1694, the Bank of England employed just 19 people and mainly served to support government borrowing.

A century later in 1797, it gained its nickname “The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street”—the London thoroughfare it stands on—when a cartoon depicted the institution as an old dame sat firmly on the money chest, rejecting the seductive advances of the prime minister, William Pitt the Younger.

Although it has expanded considerably since its inception, with 4,000 employees today, its purpose remains much the same.

“The bank’s mission is still... for the good of the people to maintain the financial stability of the UK,” said Adam.

Nationalized in 1946 and made independent from the government in 1997, its objective is to keep inflation at around two percent per year, in order to maintain confidence in the pound sterling currency while encouraging growth.

Fallout calculator

The “325 Years, 325 Objects” exhibition, which runs from Monday until May 15 next year, is not simply a pile of coins, notes and gold bars—of which the bank has around 400,000 in its coffers.

It has artefacts that trace Britain’s course through history.

A set of hand scales for weighing and testing foreign gold and silver coins from 1749 sits alongside a 14th-century water jug found in 1929 during rebuilding work, and Roman relics unearthed during archaeological digs.

There is also a rotating Cold War radiation fallout calculator, from 1959-1960, used to estimate the effects of a nuclear attack.

“We tried to reflect stories not just about governors but also about everyday bank clerks,” said Garrett.

It was not until 1894 that a woman, Miss Janet Hogarth, joined the staff.

Though this may seem late, the BoE was the first City of London institution to let in women, said Adam.

A 1970s embossed label affixed to the box used for the chief cashier’s confidential papers refers to “his.” AFP

Giant screens in Hall H then revealed a timeline of forthcoming films and television shows scheduled for the two years including new outings for popular characters such as Thor, Black Widow, Doctor Strange and Loki.

Feige also confirmed sequels to “Black Panther,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and “Captain Marvel” without providing details.

He finished the show—the most anticipated of the four-day event—by announcing that Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali will front a “Blade” reboot.

The Marvel films have collectively grossed over $22 billion at the global box office.

The studio’s most successful film

“Avengers: Endgame” is set to overtake James Cameron’s “Avatar” as the highest grossing movie of all time “in a matter of days,” said Feige.

Jolie and Hayek will front ensemble film “The Eternals” in November 2020, which will feature the franchise’s first deaf superhero.

It will be followed in February 2021 by “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” the first Marvel superhero film to be led by an Asian actor.

Mega-budget shows to air on Disney+, the new streaming service from Marvel’s parent company, will include “Wandavision” starring Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, and Tom Hiddlestone’s “Loki.”

Marvel’s next round of new films will

kick off with Johansson’s “Black Widow” in May next year. Early footage showed Johansson’s character battling with her sister in a Budapest apartment building.

Later in 2020, Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan will reprise their roles for “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”

Benedict Cumberbatch will also return for “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” in May 2021.

Feige additionally teased the arrival of other popular comic characters, saying there was “no time to talk about” productions of “Fantastic Four” and “Mutants”—seemingly references to franchises acquired by Disney in its purchase of 21st Century Fox including the popular “X-Men” films. AFP

brought in for suspected dengue infection had previously received Dengvaxia shots.”

Congress, in particular, wants to ascertain the estimated number of Filipino children who had no prior dengue infection but who received Dengvaxia shots anyway under a school-based public immunization program, according to Pimentel.

“More important, we want to find out how many of these children―who never had dengue but still received Dengvaxia shots―subsequently suffered severe dengue disease when they actually came down with the virus for the first time

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Duterte:...

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Velasco said he would attend both breakfast meetings.

Meanwhile, Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., president of the ruling PDP-Laban, said there would be no coup in the Senate as he reaffirmed his support for Senate President Vicente Sotto III. He also said their 84 members in the House are throwing their support behind Cayetano.

“I also don’t feel there will be surprises because we were asking the guidance of the President,” he said.

Pimentel said the President had already spoken and they were just following him.

Sotto said the 41 Nationalist People’s Coalition congressmen would support Cayetano.

The survey also showed that Filipinos want Duterte to discuss Beijing-Manila relations against the backdrop of friction in the West Philippine Sea. Duterte had previously said he would “educate” his critics about his decision to allow Chinese fishermen to operate within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, which he said was not unconstitutional.

Maritime law experts like Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and former top diplomat Albert del Rosario had slammed Duterte for his decision since the 1987 Constitution states that resources in Philippine waters should be enjoyed exclusively by Filipinos.

Meanwhile, a political analyst warned that if Duterte will publicly justify his decision, the risk of physical harm against Filipino fishermen will increase.

“The Chinese fishermen would think that there’s nothing wrong with poaching in our EEZ since no less than President

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World oil prices jumped on Friday due to reports of Iran’s capture of UKflagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.

However, the price averages for the entire week last week declined on worries of a slowdown in demand due to the US-China trade dispute and the US-Iran tensions.

On July 16, most of the oil companies implemented a per-liter price increase on petroleum products. Gasoline increased by P1.05 per liter and kerosene and diesel also increased by P0.70 per liter.

According to the Energy department, the year-to-date adjustments stand at a net increase of P6.20 per liter of gasoline, P4 per liter of diesel and P1.75 per liter of kerosene.

The Energy department said last week that its move to unbundle oil prices was not a form of regulation contrary to the claims of the oil companies.

“The unbundling circular was issued in the first place since the secretary is of the belief that the asking of information and not the dissemination of information is expressly authorized under the oil deregulation law. It is in no way a form of regulation,” Energy Assistant Secretary Leonido Pulido said.

The oil companies had filed and were granted a temporary restraining order against the department from issuing a circular that seeks to unbundle the components of petroleum prices.

The oil firms asked the courts to stop the implementation of DC2019-050008, the Revised Guidelines for the Monitoring of Prices in the Sale of Petroleum Products by the Downstream Oil Industry, which aims to promote transparency in oil prices.

Under the circular, oil companies are required to report their “unbundled price adjustments” to include import costs, tax burdens, biofuel costs and other essential cost components that contribute to the changes in retail prices, including industry take or profit.

The oil companies said they would lose their competitive advantage once they complied with the circular.

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Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek and Rachel Weisz were brought on stage in San Diego to join Marvel film stalwarts such as Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman in the upcoming— and sure to be multi-billion-grossing— movies.

“I can spend 90 minutes talking about what we’ve done or I can spend some time talking about what we’re about to do,” said Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, drawing rapturous screams from thousands packed into the world’s largest pop-culture fan convention.

Pacquiao...

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“It was fun,” Pacquiao said afterwards.

“My opponent is a good fighter and boxer. He was strong.”

Thurman had riled Pacquiao in the build-up to the fight by vowing to “crucify” his deeply religious opponent, and later promising to send the Filipino icon into retirement.

Pacquiao, who improved to 62-7-2 with 39 knockouts, was gracious in victory.

“I’m not that kind of boxer who talks a lot; we were just promoting the fight,” he said.

“He’s a good boxer and he’s strong. I was just blessed tonight.”

Pacquiao, who earned an estimated $20 million from Saturday’s fight, is now a major player in the competitive welterweight division once again after capturing Thurman’s WBA welterweight “super” champion belt.

The eight-division world champion

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tanker seized two weeks ago in an operation aided by British Royal Marines on allegations of breaching EU sanctions against Syria.

Hunt said that, having spoken to his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, Tehran saw the situation as a “tit for tat.”

“Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said.

“Grace 1 was detained legally in Gibraltarian waters because it was carrying oil, against EU sanctions, to Syria, and that’s why the Gibraltarian authorities acted totally with respect to due process and totally within the law.

“Stena Impero was seized in Omani waters in clear contravention of international law. It was then forced to sail into Iran.

“This is totally and utterly unacceptable. It raises very serious questions about the security of British shipping, and indeed international shipping, in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Hunt said parliament would be updated on Monday about what further measures the British government would take.

“Our priority continues to be to find a way to de-escalate the situation,” he said. AFP

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of four policemen in Barangay Mabato in Ayungon town, Negros Oriental Thursday afternoon.

They were allegedly ambushed and tortured by suspected members of the communist New People’s Army, according to the Philippine National Police.

The slain intelligence personnel were identified as Cpl. Relebert Beronio, Pat. Raffy Callao, Pat. Ruel Cabellon, and Pat. Marquino de Leon.

President Duterte visited their wake on Saturday and gave them medals of merit at rites in Camp Francisco Fernandez, Sibulan, Negros Oriental.

He also convened a command conference with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP to discuss the developments in the investigation of the incident.

“We will ensure that justice will be served to those behind this condemnable offense against our peace enforcers. The full force of the law will come crushing down on the perpetrators,” Panelo said.

Duterte was accompanied by his former top aide, Senator Christopher Go, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año, PNP chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, and Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino. With PNA

News I’m not stupid to engage in coup—Robredo

By Rio N. Araja VICE President Leni Robredo on Sunday downplayed the sedition case filed against her, saying she is “not that very stupid” to plot the ouster of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Robredo, who said she was preoccupied with work and her advocacy, said she does not have the luxury of time to be plotting any ouster or power grab attempt.

“It is funny since, first of all, I am not that very stupid to imagine to remove the person... the President who’s got a very high trust rating,” she said.

“Secondly, in the middle of the campaign? We were just too busy going around, and that our time was even not enough to go to other places. Why should I dwell on the ouster of the President?” Rodredo added.

The Philippine National Police earlier filed sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal and obstruction of justice charges against Robredo; opposition senators Risa Hontiveros and Leila de Lima, and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV before the Department of Justice for allegedly trying to oust the President.

Also charged were Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, former Senator Benigno Aquino IV, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, Moro civic leader Samira Gutoc, former Solicitor-General Florin Hilbay, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal and former House Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada.

The same charges were also filed against vocal critics of the Duterte administration, including Archbishops Socrates Villegas and Pablo Virgilio David, Bishops Honesto Ongtioco and Teodoro Bacani Jr., and priests Albert Alejo and Robert Reyes.

Former Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro and former Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te and several officials of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines were also named corespondents in the complaint.

The complaint was anchored on the testimony of Peter Joemel Advincula, alias Bikoy, who implicated Robredo in the ouster plot.

Senators seek creation of OFW department

By Macon Ramos-Araneta FOLLOWING numerous reports of complaints from overseas Filipino workers over the government’s delayed and inadequate support, Senator Cynthia VIllar over the weekend called for the creation of a separate department that will ensure the welfare of more than 12-million Filipinos abroad.

Senator Christopher Go said the proposed Department of OFW will focus on the needs and concerns of Filipino migrant workers.

Go said functions of government agencies must be streamlined to provide fast, accessible and quality services to OFWs and to aid their families here in the Philippines.

Villar said despite the presence of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and the Department of Foreign Affairs, many OFWs still feel they are neglected by the government.

Villar’s Senate Bill 141 seeks the creation of the Department of Migration and Development to address the problem of redundant and difficult procedures and unnecessary fees government agencies impose on OFWs. “It is appropriate to create a government agency in the executive department which shall have the exclusive function of protecting and enforcing the welfare and rights of Filipinos overseas,” she said.

“We need an empowered agency that will adequately support and give assistance to them,” added Villar, a known advocate of migrant Filipino workers.

The proposed department will also monitor foreign developments to ensure the most reasonable working conditions for OFWs as well as a proactive approach in providing assistance to them, especially in times of war and civil unrest, whether potential or apparent.

Villar’s bill also seeks to create the P1-billion Special Assistance Revolving Fund for Filipino Migrants, including both documented and undocumented.

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019

Special team to probe HR cases T

By Rey E. Requejo

HE government has created a “Special Investigating Team” tasked to probe new and unsolved cases involving grave violations of human rights in the country.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, who chairs the so-called AO 35 Inter-Agency Committee, said the SIT will investigate cases involving human rights violations, including the unsolved killing of Bayan Muna lawyer Gil Gojol and his driver Danilo France.

Gojol and France were killed in Sorsogon City in December 2006 after attending a court hearing.

A human rights lawyer and counsel of communities affected by mining in

Rapu-rapu, Albay, Gojol was a former Sorsogon provincial board member.

The creation of the special investigating team was recommended by the Inter-Agency Committee on extralegal killings, enforced disappearances, torture and other grave violations of the right to life, liberty and security of persons, which was created under Administrative Order No. 35.

“SITs are created for new and unsolved [cold] cases. The case of Gojol

is among the cold cases included in the AO 35 inventory,” the DOJ said.

Unlike the current set-up where prosecutors assume a passive role in case build-up, the AO 35 mechanism places investigating teams under the direction and supervision of prosecutors to expedite investigation and improve conviction rates in human rights cases.

Aside from the Gojol case, the InterAgency Committee is expected to conduct a reinvestigation of a number of cases following the inventory conducted by the interagency committee.

Earlier this month, the United Nations Human Rights Commission voted to authorize the high commissioner to prepare a comprehensive report on the alleged human rights violations in the Philippines’ war on illegal drugs.

President Rodrigo Duterte, however,

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said the UN body must be stupid for thinking he would cooperate with their investigation.

“As I have told you before ladies and gentlemen of the world, including all the governments there, I will only be tried or face a trial in a Philippine court presided by a Filipino judge, prosecuted by a Filipino,” Duterte said.

He insisted there was no need for foreign intervention to probe whether he is liable for the deaths or not.

“Every time they see a cadaver or a dead person there, they will just assume that it is a victim of extrajudicial killing,” he said.

Government figures showed there have been 6,000 drug-related deaths since Duterte took office, while human rights groups pegged the number at 20,000, including those who were killed vigilante-style.

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Opinion

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019

A masterpiece issue THE works of Carlos Modesto “Botong” Francisco continue to make headlines years after the famous Filipino muralist’s death.

Botong Francisco, one of the Angono group of famous artists, died in 1969 but one of his murals depicting the struggle for freedom of the Filipino people, is now the subject of an ownership issue between the City of Manila and the National Museum.

Botong Francisco was not only an artist but a historian as well.

Buhay Party-List Rep. Lito Atien Atienza, a Manileño to the core, is incensed that Botong’s mural masterpiece originally owned by Manila and used to be an imposing presence in Manila City Hall’s Bulwagang Antonio Villegas is being kept by the National Museum without authority or the necessary documents “Botong’s masterpiece heritage rightfully belongs to the City of Manila even if some say it’s better to be in the National Museum for more people to see,” said Atienza. He recalled that the masterpiece mural, which measures 24 x 93 feet, was turned over to the National Museum for retouching and restoration of damage from the elements, but was never returned to Manila City Hall.

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Atienza, a former two-term mayor of Manila, said he would file a resolution in the House of Representatives for an inquiry on who was responsible for the anomalous transfer and whether someone made money on the priceless masterpiece some curators claim is worth at least P440 million if auctioned.

Botong’s work was commissioned

by Villegas and completed in 1968.

Atienza, who worked under then-Mayor Villegas, recalled that the mayor was criticized for raising funds to have Botong’s mural retouched and restored to its original state. This was why it was temporarily turned over to the National Museum—because they have artisans who can do the delicate work. Botong’s work in the mural depicting the strugstrug gle of the Filipino people is described by some art critics as a composition of sequential historical events put together like a symphony. To be able to achieve this, the man was not only an artist but a historian as well.

That the mess up of Botong’s masterpiece’s rightful place happened during the watch of former Mayors Erap Estrada and Fred Lim is not any wonder. The two tough guys can never be considered as having an iota of appreciation for the arts. Atienza, on the other hand, studied architecture before going into politics.

Botong Francisco name is synonymous with other great Filipino painters like Fernando Amorsolo, Edades, Galo Ocampo and Manansala.

Newly elected Manila Mayor Isko Moreno supports Atienza on getting back the Botong mural to grace the Bulwagang Villegas.

Atienza laments that the young people of today are mostly glued to their cellphones and social media accounts and have no sense of history.

Turn to A5

W

Knowing better

HOEVER decided to file inciting to sedition charges against opposition politicians and clergymen on the say-so of a whistleblower that the administration had earlier discredited did no favors for President Rodrigo Duterte.

On Thursday, the Philippine National Police filed charges before the Department of Justice against Vice President Leni Robredo, Senators Leila de Lima and Risa Hontiveros, former Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, and several bishops and priests, accusing them of being behind the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” online video that linked the family of President Duterte to the illegal drug trade.

In the letter-complaint, the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group asked the DOJ to prosecute the respondents for inciting to sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice.

Also named respondents were "Otso Diretso" opposition senatorial candidates Gary C. Alejano, Florin T. Hilbay, Romulo B. Macalintal, Jose Manuel I. Diokno, Samira Gutoc-Tomawis, and Lorenzo R. Tañada III. Peter Joemel Advincula, the selfconfessed "Bikoy," the hooded man in the "Ang Totoong Narco-list" videos, was also named a respondent, though it seemed apparent that the government plans to use him as a state witness against the opposition leaders.

Also impleaded as respondents were former Education secretary and now La Salle president Armin Luistro, Jonnel

Sangalang, a member of Trillanes’ Senate staff, Eduardo Acierto, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Abdiel Dan Fajardo, lawyers Minerva Ambrosio, Serafin Salvador, Philip Sawali and Egon Cayosa, former Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te, and clergy members, Bishops Teodoro Bacani Jr. and Honesto Ongtico, Arcbishops Pablo Virgilio David and Socrates Villegas and Fathers Robert Reyes, Flaviano Villanueva and Albert Alejo.

The PNP-CIDG submitted Advincula’s sworn statement detailing his supposed meetings with the respondents and how they planned a campaign to “spread lies against the President, his family and close associates, making them to appear as illegal drug trade protectors and how they earned staggering amounts of money.”

The objective, the police said, was to oust the President to make way for Robredo to take power.

That the PNP sees fit to base its charges on Advincula’s testimony is truly remarkable, given the fantastic nature of the tail and its opinion of the man in May, when he first surfaced to affirm his accusations against members of the President’s family.

At the time, PNP chief Oscar Albayalde said Advincula had a habit of selling information, not always accurate or true.

"This is how he lies,” the police chief said in a mix of English and Filipino “Before he gives information, he asks for money. He knows how to sell information.... especially false information.”

Albayalde said they discovered that Advincula was convicted over a large-scale illegal recruitment case, for which he served six years in jail.

The police chief also said Advincula had a pending estafa case before the National Bureau of Investigation.

“It seems like he’s good at swindling people and he knows how to talk. Just imagine, you’ll be charged with large-scale recruitment. That means he has fooled a lot of people,” Albayalde said.

From the police chief's own mouth, the PNP' star witness clearly suffers a severe lack of credibility. Its decision to file charges against opposition leaders can only be interpreted, then, as one of two things. The first of these possibilities is that the PNP is completely inept and gullible, and has joined the ranks of the “lot of people” that Advincula has fooled.

A second possibility is that the police, fully aware that their witness is lying, have cynically decided to file charges anyway in the mis-

taken belief that this will somehow help President Duterte. Finally, they could be taking orders from a higher authority as a means to harass the political opposition and the President's critics.

Sadly, none of these possibilities speaks well of the police, who really ought to know better.

Shrooms and shorts

A FEW days ago, we went up to Baguio City to inaugurate a button mushroom demonstration “greenhouse” project that was donated by the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs with technical assistance from the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, a world-recognized center of excellence for agricultural research.

TARI sent experts to assess the climate conditions in Tagaytay, upland Rizal and Benguet, and suggested that Benguet was the best site to grow the high-value button mushrooms.

So after months of construction in the Bokawkan area of Baguio City, the sheds were ready for simple inauguration rites attended by Taiwan’s resident representative, Michael Peiyung Hsu accompanied by his wife and key staff, newly elected Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, and myself as MECO head, together with members of our board of directors.

The facility, located at the Department of Agriculture compound under the supervision of another worldrecognized center of excellence for plant inspection and quarantine, the Bureau of Plant Industry, will now prepare the compost upon which Taiwan-developed spores will later be injected, and about 45 days afterwards, the ‘shrooms should “bloom” and be ready for harvest.

It is a project that could later be replicated in other highland communities in the Cordilleras, or even in other highlands of the Philippines with the requisite low temperatures.

We thank the Taiwan officials and particularly the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office under the dynamic Michael Hsu for its efforts to help Philippine farmers.

Meanwhile, MECO is also pursuing similar projects but with different plant varieties in several medium-rise highland areas for the Dumagats in Rizal, in Antipolo City, and Cebu.

Other projects using Taiwan’s agricultural technology are being programmed for Davao, Samar and even Metro Manila. More on these later.

It was my first time to use the newly

opened stretch of the TPLEX, which now ends in Pozorrubio, just a few kilometers before the Rosario, La Union junction that leads to the summer capital either through Marcos Highway or Kennon Road.

And it was a marvelous experience, driving for just two hours at regulation speed, and with a 15-minute rest stop at that, from the Balintawak entrance all the way to Pozorrubio, some 160 kilometers distant. From there to Baguio, using the Marcos Highway, and despite heavy fog and intermittent rains, we got to Camp John Hay in less than two hours. In all, with clear weather, I estimate one could drive from Balintawak to the heart of Baguio City in three and a half hours.

If the people behind these poorly timed and hare brained charges based on a certified and certifiable liar’s allegations think they are doing the President a favor, they are wrong.

But while we must congratulate Vilthe DPWH under young Mark Vil lar for the good work, the development of TPLEX brings headaches to newly-installed Mayor Benjie Magalong, who worries about the carrying capacity of the once genteel summer capital.

I reminisced with my friend Benjie about those wonderful days from my early childhood, to adolescent teens, all the way to the present, where Baguio has always been a favorite destination to rest and relax.

And both of us rued how the city’s ambience has deteriorated through years of neglect and lack of any urban planning, like many others in the country, the capital no less, Manila, included.

But we see new hope for Baguio with a determined new leader in Benjie Magalong, a decorated SAF general, later CIDG head before his retirement in 2017.

As the few campaign posters his Turn to A5

Unearthed coins in wartime ghettos pose mystery in Hungary

By Peter Murphy A VAST and “unique” trove of antique and Roman-era coins, unearthed in what was one of Hungary’s wartime Jewish ghettos, is proving a conundrum for historians.

Thrilled with the chance discovery of the 2,800 gold and silver coins spanning decades and continents, researchers are in the dark, however, about who collected and then hid them.

That the coins were buried under a house whose one-time owner, the likely collector, is presumed to have been murdered in the Holocaust deepens the mystery.

According to a Hungarian Jewish organization, the hoard also exposes how gaps remain in what is known about Hungary’s Jews during World War II.

The current owners of the house in the town of Keszthely, 190 kilometers (120 miles) southwest of the capital Budapest, stumbled across the coins in February during work on the cellar.

They were likely hidden by a Jewish owner who was later deported to a Nazi German death camp in 1944, said Balint Havasi, director of Keszthely’s Balatoni Museum where the items are currently exhibited.

“It’s a priceless collection that can also help us learn about the Holocaust,” Havasi told AFP.

ter pumping out groundwater when they came across the hoard.

“We slowly dug out five carefully sealed and buried glass jars,” reads the letter seen

by AFP. “When we opened one of them, we were greeted by an amazing sight, just like in a fairy tale: Hundreds of coins, real treasure,” it continued.

“We hope that it can return to its legal owners one day.”

The finders have requested anonymity, according to the museum, which also declined to reveal the exact location of the house.

Sealed and buried Although the coins have not been valIn a letter to the museum, the build- ued, Havasi said that the collection was ing’s current owners explained how they “unique... in terms of geographic spread, had been digging a hole in the cellar afTurn to A5 Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher

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Opinion Kitchen disruption: Better food through artificial intelligence LOOKING for that perfect recipe, or a new flavor combination that delights the senses?

Increasingly, players in the food industry are embracing artificial intelligence to better understand the dynamics of flavor, aroma and other factors that go into making a food product a success.

Earlier this year, IBM became a surprise entrant to the food sector, announcing a partnership with seasonings maker McCormick to "explore flavor territories more quickly and efficiently using AI to learn and predict new flavor combinations" by collected data from millions of data points.

The partnership highlights how technology is being used to disrupt the food industry by helping develop new products and respond to consumer preferences and offer improved nutrition and flavor.

"More and more, food companies are embracing digitization and becoming data-driven," said Bernard Lahousse, co-founder of Foodpairing, a startup with offices in Belgium and New York which develops digital food "maps" and algorithms to recommend food and drink combinations.

Lahousse said his company has "the largest flavor database in the world" that enables better food predictions based on both human preference and data analysis.

"Instead of using an expert panel or consumer panel we develop algorithms that can translate into how consumers view this product," he said.

The platform, which recently raised $4 million in funding, aims to help companies "create better, more targeted and healthy products for consumers," according to founder Jason Cohen.

It's not clear how much funding is going into AI food ventures, although overall food tech investment amounted to $16.9 billion in 2018, according to data from the investment platform AgTech Funder.

Brita Rosenheim, a food tech analyst and investor in Analytical Flavor Systems through the firm Better Food Ventures, said technology can help "digitize existing data" from human taste panels and speed up the process for developing new food products.

"The typical food product development process is long, and there are a lot of holes where there is no clear feedback on how the market is reaction, so this kind of technology can help," Rosenheim said.

Foodpairing, for example, offers its "flavor intelligence" map based on molecular analysis: A Spanish dry-cured ham, for example, has elements described as "cheesy" or acidic while beetroots have a "woody" and "caramellic" flavor profile.

Lahousse said one of its notable pairing recommendations was oysters and kiwi, which became a signature dish at a well-known Belgian restaurant.

"Foodpairing maps out all possible pairings, but food is cultural and personal," he said. "That is why we also use consumer behavior to increase the relevance of the pairings when we work with food companies."

Digitizing flavors New York-based Analytical Flavor Systems uses AI to create a model or "gastrograph" of flavor, aroma, and texture to predict consumer preference of food and beverage products.

Basil from MIT Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology illustrated how AI can be useful in determining optimal growing conditions by growing basil with supercharged fla-

vor, and hope to adapt that for other products.

"Artificial intelligence could give us the ability to utilize vast datasets of detailed agricultural information for the improvement of our food crops, faster than ever before," said John de la Parra, head of MIT's Open Agriculture Initiative.

Better data collection and standards are essential to enabling innovations in food, said Matthew Lange, a lecturer at the University of California at Davis and head of the IC3 Foods research center on food informatics working on data standards for food properties.

"I see a lot of people applying machine learning around flavor and nutrition in recipe development," Lange said.

Lange said this could take off even more with better standards and data sharing to map flavors and aromas, opening up new possibilities for "personalized" foods and recipes that offer better flavor, nutrition and stainability.

"If we have the ability to 'play back' flavor and aroma it will create a veritable explosion in technology and the business models," he said.

"Imagine being able to dial in [the preferred flavors and aromas] to create a sauce just to your liking," he said.

"Maybe you want to create something to have a sense of the beach, so this becomes an experience."

MIT's De la Parra said the notion of AI-personalized food is not likely soon.

"Personalized food on the individual level is a lofty goal," he said.

"To be done well, it would require large amounts of personal data, much of which might be complicated by questions of privacy and security. It is more likely, in the foreseeable future, that AI would be used to predict broad trends in consumer trends and tastes." AFP

“We have to think macro,” she said.

The additional cost is an astounding P150 billion a year, not including the other DECS personnel like guidance counsellors and non-teaching staff.

Further, public school teachers, even with their present salaries, are getting more than private school teachers.

Several tranches of the Salary Standardization Law [the first and original version of which I am proud to have worked at when I was a Senate consultant] have gradually increased the pay of our unsung heroes and stewards of our children’s future.

But the salaries demanded these days will hollow out our private school system, particularly on the elementary and secondary levels, and create a multiplicity of problems for our education sector.

It is so reassuring that we have a level-headed manager in charge of primary and secondary education who can balance compassion with proper financial management, and whose credentials in both, as former Na-

tional Treasurer and budget expert is combined by a lifetime dedication to nationalism nurtured by utmost simplicity in life.

And even as we await the President’s address on the state of the nation, we are disturbed by the filing of sedition and other charges against opposition personalities by the PNP-CIDG. Just as we are amazed by the latest SWS and Pulse Asia findings that reflect the continuing faith and trust our people repose on the president mid-way through his term, and on the eve of his fourth SONA at that, some pandering investigative dolts come up with what no less than Duterte’s friend, Archbishop Romulo Valles who heads the CBCP, decries as “beyond belief.” Indeed!

If the people behind these poorlytimed and hare-brained charges based on a certified and certifiable liar’s allegations think they are doing the President a favor, and that their incredible “sip-sip” will earn points with their commanderin-chief, they are sadly wrong.

tory, rightfully designating June 12, 1898 as the true date of Philippine independence when Filipino revolutionaries drove out the Spaniards from our shores. But then a new invader came in under Admiral George Dewey who imposed on the Filipinos America’s misguided policy of “saving their little brown brothers.”

We hope this does not offend some of those having breakfast while reading the newspapers or listening to the news. Senator Ronald dela Rosa who wants to equal the President’s colorful language, said “sh*t happens” when commenting on the case of a threeyear-old girl who was killed in the line of fire during a police buy-bust opera-

tion against illegal drugs.

Well, sh*t did happen under Mayor Isko Moreno’s shoe while inspecting the area near the Bonifacio monument in Manila. So furious was the mayor he immediately sacked the police precinct commander in the district for allowing homeless people to desecrate the area by dumping human feces right below and around Bonifacio’s monument.

Speaking of poor people, the latest Social Weather Stations survey reported a 42-percent increase of hungry families or 11-million Filipinos who are malnourished for lack of food. But this is something most of us already know without the SWS conducting a survey on the matter.

By Rob Lever

‘Shrooms...

From A4

supporters put up describe: “Magaling, Magalang, Magalong.” And some volunteers added, to which I fully subscribe: “Marangal.”

Godspeed, Mayor Benjie!

Another pleasant thing happened on my way up to Baguio—listening to a long tele-radyo interview of Education Secretary Liling Briones by veteran broadcaster Ted Failon.

My professor being interviewed by my former student—classic!

Liling, who is the most senior member of President Duterte’s cabinet who still thinks like a youthful activist with very clear and forthright directions for the most important agency under her leadership, never fails to amaze.

Secretary Briones never sounds like a mere populist embracing popular causes. On the issue of the demand for increased public school teachers’ salaries, hers was a word of caution.

A masterpiece...

From A4

Botong’s other masterpieces include works on such historical events like the Mass at Limasawa and the execution at the Luneta of national hero Jose Rizal.

The mural masterpiece and subject of ownership dispute is composed of several panels in sequence from the Spanish colonial era to the American occupation up to the US grant of independence to the country on July 4, 1946.

The late former President Diosdado Macapagal corrected this error in his-

from around the world, including pre- and post-revolutionary France, 19th century German territories, and both Tsarist- and From A4 Soviet-era Russia.

Many are from even farther afield, intime period—from antiquity to 20th cencluding South America, Africa, Asia and tury—and the large volume.”

British-ruled India.

“It’s sad that someone put together such Tragically, not continued a worldwide collection but tragically could Almost half of the coins are from Pannonia, which was a province of the Roman not continue,” Redo told AFP. Empire that covers modern-day western Engraved clues?

Hungary, according to Ferenc Redo, an arAs well as the owner’s identity, how the chaeologist and coin expert.

The others are mostly antique coins collection was amassed is unknown.

Unearthed...

Engravings on jewellery also found in the jars suggest that the items may have belonged to the Pollak family, who were well-known Jewish traders in Keszthely before World War II. Almost all of the town’s once flourishing Jewish population died in the Holocaust, and no descendants of the possible owners have yet been traced.

In May 1944, the town’s Jews were forced into a ghetto, of which the house where the coins were found was a part, said Gabor Rejto, head of the EMIH Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation in

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019

A5

Lower commodity prices transmission charge for residential customers and lower taxes and other charges. Meralco, which has maintained over the years that it does not earn from these pass-through charges such as the generation and transmission charges, said its distribution, supply, and metering charges have remained unchanged for 48 months now since July 2015. Generation charges go to the power suppliers, while transmission goes to the NGCP. The cost of electricity, as we know, affects the costs of other commodities and inflation in general. Thus, any positive development in terms of stabilizing supply or increasing access is welcome.

THE latest findings of a Pulse Asia nationwide survey specifically on today’s State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte revealed the top problems that majority of Filipinos want the government to address.

Most cited among the issues that the public would like tackled in the SONA are economic in nature, in particular those that have an impact on their everyday lives. For instance, topping the list both at 17.1 percent are those related to increasing wagSmart grids es and reducing the prices of basic A more long-term solution can be goods, followed by creating more in the form of maximizing the pojobs or livelihood opportunities at tential of so-called smart grid tech15.2 percent. nologies. A smart grid is an elecNot surprisingly, this preoccupa- tricity supply network that makes tion resonates most loudly among the use of digital communications techpoorest segments nology to detect of the population, and react to lo lowith 20.8 percent cal changes in These are of those in Class usage. As such, E preferring that non-negotiable the adoption of the president talk requirements of any a smart grid will about lowering improve safety the prices of ba- thriving economy. and efficiency, sic commodities, make better use and a further 16.5 of existing as aspercent saying he sets, enhance re reshould talk about job creation. Mean Mean- liability and power quality, reduce while, 10.3 percent hopes Duterte dependence on imported energy, talks about fighting illegal drugs and and most importantly minimize 9.3 percent wishes for a discussion costly environmental impacts. on increasing wages.

It is also seen to reduce the cost of These numbers represent an inter- power for consumers and reduce the esting insight. With the exception probability and cost of widespread perhaps of illegal drugs, all these blackouts, while creating jobs and are economic concerns, which re- enabling a larger penetration of reveals the challenge of living from newables in the mix and therefore reday to day for most Filipinos. Prob- ducing emissions. Consumer group ably still fresh in people’s minds is Bantay Konsyumer, Kuryente, Kalthe disastrous beginning of last year sada, BK3, has called on the Departwhen the implementation of TRAIN ment of Energy to consider supportcaused inflation to skyrocket to re- ing smart grid technologies because cord highs. The Filipino consumer is of these reasons. thus alert to whatever stresses his or “The smart grid will promote effiher wallet. ciencies in power system operations, thus reducing energy losses,” said Lower electricity rates Louie Montemar, BK3 convenor. “It Some reprieve came in the form will allow for greater integration of of lower electricity rates when the renewable energy sources such as Manila Electric Co. announced a solar energy and energy storage systhird consecutive month of lower tems such as batteries and charging power rates. Overall electricity rates stations for electric vehicles.” for a typical household consuming Pet Climaco, the group’s secretary 200 kilowatt per hour went down general, said while the National Polifrom P10.09 per kWh last month cy Framework on the power industry to P9.98, an adjustment that should mentioned principles and technolotranslate to around P21 in the bill. gies, “there is a need for more conThe three straight months of rate crete and defined policies” that will decrease totaled around P0.57 per push all parties to adopt the smart kWh since May. grid in the foreseeable future.

The lower rates are mostly attribut“We need government to act able to lower charges of Independent now,” Climaco said. “We do not Power Producers and stable charges understand what is taking so long. of Power Supply Agreements, which The more delay there is, the more effectively offset a slight increase in we are depriving customers of the generation charge due to higher pric- benefits of smart grid. The benefit es in the Wholesale Electricity Spot of the system will greatly outweigh Market. its costs, especially in the context The increase of P1.88 per kWh of addressing the risks of climate was mostly due to tight supply con- change.” ditions in the Luzon grid. Demand Even so, the most advanced grid peaked at 11,344 megawatts in June, technologies in the world are usewhich, with limited supply, saw five less in the face of inadequate supply, days on Red Alert as declared by the and long-term solutions still hinge National Grid Corporation of the on building more base load power Philippines, a jump from the two plants as soon as possible. With the recorded in May. Moreover, about increase in demand outstripping the one in every three days in the month addition of capacity, a dire power were under Yellow Alert. supply will stop the economy from Thankfully, the share of WESM in fully taking off.

Meralco’s supply needs went down Stable capacity and affordable to 8.1 percent, while IPPs and PSAs rates are non-negotiable requireprovided 41.4 and 50.5 percent of ments of any thriving economy.

Meralco’s supply needs, respective- There is nothing that can address ly. The cost of power in the latter this except substantial investments decreased due to the appreciation of in power generation. And whatever the peso even as the cost of power benefit this generates will doubtless remained stable. redound on the hapless ordinary FiliOther factors contributed to the pino consumer, who can use any reoverall reduction, including lower prieve he can get.

Keszthely.

Two months later, they were transported from Hungary to the Auschwitz death camp, he added.

A total of 829 Jews—around 15 percent of the town’s population at the time—were deported from Keszthely.

Only 64 of them survived.

Today, the community has around a dozen members, Rejto said.

Unanswered questions “The discovery shows how there are still many unanswered questions about the Holocaust in Hungary,” he told AFP.

An estimated 600,000 Hungarian Jews were killed in the Holocaust, most in Auschwitz.

Many victims were never identified or remains found.

The museum plans to digitalize the collection and enlist archivists and historians to scour the Pollak family tree in search of descendants.

If no owner can be found, the collection will revert to ownership by the state.

“We also hope the exhibition will spread the word about the coins, and that a legal owner will turn up,” Havasi said. AFP

Manila

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019 Standard A6 TODAY Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation

ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION FOR PROVISIONAL RELIEF

TOLL REGULATORY BOARD 14. Petitioners most respectfully re-plead the foregoing allegations as may be relevant to the purpose of this Section.

5th Floor, The Columbia Tower, Barangay Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong City 1550

In Re: Petition for Approval of Initial Toll with Application for Provisional Relief, TRB Case No. 2019-02 Philippine Reclamation Authority and Cavitex Infrastructure Corporation, Petitioners x-------------------------------------------------x

15. Pending TRB’s approval of the proposed initial toll rate of PhP 12.00 per kilometer for the entire C-5 Link Expressway(Segments 2 and 3 of the MCTEP),Petitioners seek the approval of a provisional or interim initial toll fee for Segment 3A-1.

7

NOTICE TO EXPRESSWAY USERS Notice is hereby given that the Philippine Reclamation Authority and Cavitex Infrastructure Corporation filed a Petition for Approval of Initial Toll for C-5 Link Expressway and Provisional or Interim Initial Toll for Segment 3A-1 of the Manila - Cavite Toll Expressway Project.

Any interested expressway user shall have the right to file, within a period thirty (30) days from the date of the publication of this Notice, a petition for review with the TRB at Unit 55, 5th Floor, the Columbia Tower, Brgy. WackWack, Mandaluyong City.

SO ORDERED. Mandaluyong City. July 10, 2019

On 4 April 2019, CIC submitted the updated project cost for Segment 3A-1to the Independent Consultant, DCCD Engineering Corporation, for certification.

16. Segment 3A-1 is one of the roads intended to complete the southern arc of the government-designed Circumferential Road No. 5 and is targeted to be commercially operational by 22 July 2019. Once opened, Segment 3A-1 will immediately alleviate congestion and enable motorists to easily cross from Merville, Paranaque to Taguig and vice versa. Segment 3A-1 will decongest Sales Road, as well as the East and West Service Roads, effectively delivering an immediate relief from traffic congestion.

17. The collection of a provisional or interim initial toll for Segment 3A-1 is necessary upon its opening, to ensure the sustainability and viability of the MCTEP and its Expressways and to ensure the comfort and safety of motorists and other users of the Expressways. It will ensure the continuity of the same standards of safety, performance, and reliability, which have been provided to motorists since MCTEP’s commercial operation as a toll road system.

18. More importantly, the collection of the provisional or interim initial toll fee for Segment 3A-1 will ensure the continued progressive construction of the remaining segments of the C-5 Link Expressway, towards completion of the expansion of the MCTEP toll road system as one integral system interconnecting various destinations within its geographical coverage.

By Authority of the Board:

(SGD.) ENGR. ABRAHAM P. SALES Executive Director II/ Hearing Officer

19. In light of the foregoing, Petitioners respectfully pray that this Honorable Board authorize the collection of the following provisional initial or interim tollfees for the entire stretch of Segment 3A-1,inclusive of Value Added Tax:

Date of First and Second Publication: July 13 & 18, 2019

Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation

Vehicle Class

Provisional or Interim Initial Toll PhP 22.00 PhP 44.00 PhP 66.00

TOLL REGULATORY BOARD Class 1 Class 2 Class 3

5th Floor, The Columbia Tower, Barangay Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong City 1550

IN RE: PETITION FOR APPROVAL OF INITIAL TOLL WITH APPLICATION FOR PROVISIONAL RELIEF,

ELAINE ROSE Z. ESPIRITU Counsel for Petitioner CIC 32nd Floor, Rufino Pacific Tower 6784 Ayala Avenue corner V.A. Rufino Street Legaspi Village, Makati City Roll of Attorneys No. 64615 PTR No. 7347683/1-10-2019/Makati City IBP No. 066749/1-10-2019/Pampanga MCLE Compliance No. VI-0017590/02-11-2019 E-mail address: ezespiritu@mptsouth.com VERIFICATION/CERTIFICATION REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) CITY OF MAKATI ) S.S. I, JANILO E. RUBIATO, of legal age, with office address at 7th and 8th Floors, Legaspi Towers 200, Paseo de Roxas, Legaspi Village, Makati City after being sworn in accordance with law, hereby depose and state that: 1. I am the General Manager and CEO of Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), and pursuant to PRA Board Resolution No’. 3318, Series of 2003, I am duly authorized to sign or verify the foregoing Petition For Approval of Initial Toll for C-5 Link Expressway and Provisional or Interim Initial Toll for Segment 3A-l of the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway Project (“Petition”) .

2. On behalf of PRA, I have caused the preparation and filing of the foregoing Petition.

3. I have read the foregoing Petition and hereby certify that all the allegations contained therein are true and correct of my own personal knowledge and based on authentic records in the possession of PRA. 4. The computation of the provisional or interim initial toll in the Petition conform to the interim toll positively considered for approval by this Honorable Board. The matter is of extreme urgency and PRA will suffer great damage and/ or irreparable injury before a decision on the merits can be rendered by the Honorable Board, and/ or failure to immediately impose and collect provisional or interim initial toll would result in outright delay or stoppage of urgently needed improvements, expansions, or repairs of the toll facilities of the MCTEP and its Expressways.

20. The provisional or interim initial toll fees indicated above adopts the interim toll positively considered for approval by this Honorable Board. The above authority requested is pursuant to Rule 5, Section 1 of the TRB Rules, which authorizes the Honorable Board to motu proprio or upon verified petition or motion grant the application for approval of provisional toll rates, including the date of its implementation.

5. I certify that PRA has complied with all existing laws, rules and regulations being implemented by the Toll Regulatory Board and that PRA has no pending financial or monetary obligation in the form, among others, of supervision fees, concession fees, penalties and other charges with the Board.

21. Petitioners most respectfully submit the attached affidavits issued by the authorized representative of CIC and of PRA, incorporated in the Verification and Certification hereof, showing that the provisional or interim initial toll fees conform to the Honorable Board’s findings on the applicable initial or interim authorized toll rates, that the matter is of extreme urgency, and Petitioners will suffer great damage and/or irreparable injury before a decision on the merits can be rendered by the Honorable Board, and/or failure to immediately implement and collect the provisional initial toll would result in outright delay or stoppage of urgently needed improvements, expansions or repairs of the toll facilities of the MCTEP and its Expressways.

6. In compliance with Rule 7 , Section 5 of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure, and with Rule 2, Section 2 of the 2013 Revise;d Rules of Procedure of the Toll Regulatory Board, I hereby certify that. I have not commenced any action or proceeding involving the same issues in the Supreme Court, the Court of Tax Appeals, the Court of Appeals or any other tribunal or agency.

Out of caution, PRA respectfully discloses that there is a pending arbitration (PCA Case No 2017-13 - Cavitex Infrastructure Corporation (Philippines) and Philippine Reclamation Authority (Philippines) vs. Republic of the Philippines, represented by its Toll Regulatory Board) relating to the Board’s inaction on petitions for toll rate adjustments for the years 2011 and 2014 for R-l Expressway; and year 2014 for R-l Expressway Extension.

1. PRA is a government instrumentality with corporate powers created and existing under and by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1084, with principal office address at 7th Floor, Legaspi Towers 200 Building, 107 Paseo de Roxas Street, Makati City, Philippines, where it may be served with notices and legal processes of the Honorable Board.

22. Pursuant to Rule 5, Section 1 (c) of the TRB Rules, Petitioners are willing to post a surety bond in such amount and under such terms and conditions as the Honorable Board may prescribe, to guarantee the refund of the provisional initial toll to affected toll users in such manner as the Honorable Board may determine, in case it is finally ascertained that Petitioners are not entitled thereto.

7. If I should hereafter learn that a similar action or proceeding has been filed or is pending in the Supreme Court, the C6urt of Tax Appeals, the Court of Appeals, or any other tribunal or agency, I hereby undertake to report that fact within five (5) days from knowledge thereof to the Honorable Board.

2. CIC is a private corporation duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at PEATC Compound, Aguinaldo Boulevard, Barangay San Dionisio, Parañaque City, Philippines, where it may be served with notices and legal processes of the Honorable Board.

23. Based on the foregoing, it is respectfully prayed that the Honorable Board issue a Notice to Start Toll Collection authorizing Petitioners to collect the provisional initial toll fees, in accordance with Section 2, Rule 48 of the TRB Rules, as follows:

PHILIPPINE RECLAMATION AUTHORITY and CAVITEX I N F R A S T R U C T U R E CORPORATION Petitioners. x-------------------------------------------x

TRB Case No. 2019-02

PETITION (For Approval of Initial Toll for C-5 Link Expressway and Provisional or Interim Initial Toll for Segment 3A-1 of the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway Project) Petitioners PHILIPPINE RECLAMATION AUTHORITY (PRA) and CAVITEX INFRASTRUCTURE CORPORATION (CIC), by and through undersigned counsel, to this Honorable Board, most respectfully state:

3. On 26 July 1996, the Republic of the Philippines (Phil), through this Honorable Board, Public Estates Authority,1 and UEM-MARA Philippines Corporation2 executed a Toll Operation Agreement (“TOA”)3 for the ManilaCavite Toll Expressway Project (“MCTEP”). The TOA granted the exclusive right and authority to PRA, as Grantee, to undertake the operation and maintenance, and to CIC to undertake the design and construction of the MCTEP and its specific Expressways, including the C-5 Link Expressway subject of this Petition, for the duration of the Franchise Period, as defined in the TOA. The C-5 Link Expressway consists of Segment 2 (R1 Interchange to Sucat Interchange) and Segment 3 (Sucat Interchange to South Luzon Expressway Interchange).

4. On 22 January 2015, CIC submitted a Project Information Memorandum for the C-5 Link Expressway dated 22 January 2015 (“2015 PIM”) to the Toll Regulatory Board (“TRB”) for the implementation of the C-5 Link Expressway Project (“Project”), which involves the design, construction and operation, of an approximately 7.7 kilometer toll road that will link R-1 Expressway in Parañaque to Circumferential Road No. 5 (or C-5 Road) in Taguig and will pass over the Skyway at-grade and South Luzon Expressway (“SLEX”).

Vehicle Class Class 1 Class 2 Class 3

3 4 5

8

Segment 2

Segment 3B

6

Class 1 Class 2 Class 3

Provisional or Interim Initial Toll PhP 22.00 PhP 44.00 PhP 66.00

*Inclusive of Value Added Tax

b) Upon the filing of this Petition, issue an Order: (i) finding this Petition sufficient in form and substance; and (ii) requiring the publication of the following at least once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation not later than 12 July 2019, or on such date as the Honorable Board may direct: -

Petition; Approved toll; Toll fee matrix; Date of effectivity of the toll; and Notice that any interested tollway user may file a petition for review within a period of thirty (30) days after the date of first publication;

(iii) requiring the posting of a surety bond in such amount and under such terms and conditions as the Honorable Board may prescribe, in accordance with Rule 5, Section 1 (c) of the TRB Rules. (c) Issue an Order approving the final initial toll rate of PhP 12.00 per kilometer for Segments 2 and 3 of the MCTEP, pursuant to, and in accordance with, this Honorable Board’s authority under Presidential Decree No. 11129, and authorizing Petitioners to collect the same.

Other reliefs as may be just and equitable are likewise prayed for.

Makati City for Pasig City, 3 July 2019.

approximately 2.2 kilometers

approximately 1.6 kilometers

approximately 1.9 kilometers

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) CITY OF MAKATI ) S.S. I, ROBERTO V. BONTIA, of legal age, with office address at PEATC Compound, Aguinaldo Boulevard, Barangay San Dionisio, Paranaque City, Philippines, after being sworn in accordance with law, hereby depose and state that: 1. I am the duly authorized representative of Cavitex Infrastructure Corporation (CIC), one of the Petitioners in the aboveentitled Petition For Approval of Initial Toll for C-5 Link Expressway and Provisional or Interim Initial Toll for Segment 3A-1 of the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway Project (“Petition”).

2. On behalf of CIC, I have caused the preparation and filing of the foregoing Petition.

3. I have read the foregoing Petition and hereby certify that all the allegations contained therein are true and correct of my own personal knowledge and based on authentic records in the possession of CIC. 4. The computation of the provisional or interim initial toll in the Petition conform to the interim toll positively considered for approval by this Honorable Board. The matter is of extreme urgency and CIC will suffer great damage and/ or irreparable injury before a decision on the merits can be rendered by the Honorable Board, and/ or failure to immediately impose and collect provisional or interim initial toll would result in outright delay or stoppage of urgently needed improvements, expansions, or repairs of the toll facilities of the MCTEP and its Expressways.

5. I certify that CIC has complied with all existing laws, rules and regulations being implemented by the Toll Regulatory Board and that CIC has no pending financial or monetary obligation in the form, among others, of supervision fees, concession fees, penalties and other charges with the Board.

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNMENT CORPORATE COUNSEL Counsel for Petitioner PRA 3rd Floor, MWSS Building Katipunan Road, Balara Quezon City, Metro Manila

6. In compliance with Rule 7, Section 5 of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure, and with Rule 2, Section 2 of the 2013 Revised Rules of Procedure of the Toll Regulatory Board, I hereby certify that I have not commenced any action or proceeding involving the same issues in the Supreme Court, the Court of Tax Appeals, the Court of Appeals or any other tribunal or agency.

Out of caution, CIC respectfully discloses that there is a pending arbitration (PCA Case No 2017-13 - Cavitex Infrastructure Corporation (Philippines) and Philippine Reclamation Authority (Philippines) vs. Republic of the Philippines, Represented by its Toll Regulatory Board) relating to the Board’s inaction on petitions for toll rate adjustments for the years 2011 and 2014 for R -1 Expressway; and year 2014 for R -1 Expressway Extension.

ELPIDIO J. VEGA Government Corporate Counsel Roll of Attorneys 32618 IBP OR 066193, 01/9/19, Davao City MCLE Exemption VI-000743; 7/4/18

7. If I should hereafter learn that a similar action or proceeding has been filed or is pending in the Supreme Court, the Court of Tax Appeals, the Court of Appeals, or any other tribunal or agency, I hereby undertake to report that fact within five (5) days from knowledge thereof to the Honorable Board.

MA. DOLORES M. RIGONAN Assistant Government Corporate Counsel Roll of Attorneys 36023 IBP Life Member Roll 06385; 11/18/08; Quezon City MCLE Exemption VI-000748, 7/4/18

C-5 Link Expressway is referred to as the C-5 South Link Expressway in the Updated PIM.

signed

my

name

ROBERTO V. BONTIA Affiant

9

“This Honorable Board has the following powers and duties under its charter: Section 3. Powers and Duties of the Board. — The Board shall have in addition to its general powers of administration the following powers and duties: x xx.

4. Issue, modify and promulgate from time to time the rates of toll that will be charged the direct users of toll facilities and upon notice and hearing, to approve or disapprove petitions for the increase thereof.”

12. On 10 June 2019, TRB issued a letter to PRA and CIC stating that the Honorable Board is considering an interim toll rate of PhP 22.00 for the entire stretch of Segment 3A-1, subject to the applicable provisions of the 2013 Revised Rules of Procedure of TRB (“TRB Rules”).

13. With the intervention of immediately opening the tollway facility to serve the motoring public in order to alleviate traffic congestion, Petitioners CIC and PRA are targeting the opening of Segment 3A-1 on 22 July 2019.

Progressive inspections have been conducted by representatives of the Honorable Board and Petitioners CIC and PRA, and Segment 3A-1 is now ninety-two percent (92%)as of date. CIC anticipates the issuance of the Certificate of Substantial Completion on or before 8 July 2019.

VERIFICATION I CERTIFICATION

IN WITNESS THEREOF, I have hereunto this_____________in______________, Philippines.

approximately 2.0 kilometers

11. In the Updated PIM, CIC proposes an initial toll rate of PhP 12.00 per kilometer (Value Added Tax inclusive) for the C-5 Link Expressway, to be collected upon opening of the first sub-segment of the Project, Segment 3A1, in 2019, to allow CIC to recover its investment.7

“x xx.However, no approved toll rate shall be imposed and collected without a Notice to Start Collection being first issued

Vehicle Class

10. As indicated in the Updated PIM, the Project involves the construction of: (i) three (3) interchanges (R1 Interchange, Sucat Interchange, and Merville Interchange); and (ii) two (2) access ramps to SLEX and C-5 Road. It shall be implemented in sub-segments, in light of PRA’s progressive delivery of Right of Way, as follows

Segment 3A-2

Subscribed and sworn to before me this_____________ in________________ Philippines, affiant exhibited to me competent evidence of identity in the form of_________________issued on_______________.

(a) immediately issue a Notice to Start Toll Collection granting Petitioners the authority to collect, on or before 22 July 2019, the provisional initial toll fees for the entire stretch of Segment 3A-1, as follows:

8. On 17 August 2015, TRB issued a Notice to Proceed (“NTP”) for Segment 3A-1 of the Project, subject to compliance with TRB requirements.

Segment 3A-1 is a 2.2 kilometer, portion of the Project with three lanes in each direction that will run westward from C-5 Road to Merville. It includes the flyover crossing SLEX and a connection to the West Service Road. By the authority granted to CIC to commence with the construction of Segment 3A-1 through the issuance of the NTP, CIC proceeded with its design and construction.

2x3 lane toll road that will run from C-5 Flyover westward to Merville. It includes the flyover crossing SLEX and a road connection to the West Service Road.

2x3 lane toll road from Merville to RSG Airport View Subdivision. It includes an interchange to Merville and left turn flyover to SLEX from Parañaque side going north to Makati City.

2x3 lane toll road from Sucat Interchange to R-1 Expressway, crossing Sucat Road and Quirino Avenue 2x3 lane toll road from RSG Airport View Subdivision to Sucat Interchange.

JANILO E. RUBIATO Affiant

by the Board.”

7. On 16 June 2015, CIC submitted a Supplement to the Project Information Memorandum (“Supplemental PIM”) for the C-5 Link Expressway to TRB, to address concerns raised by local government units (“LGUs”), specifically the barangays of Merville and Moonwalk in Parañaque City, where portions of the Project are located.

Segment 3A-1

name

WHEREFORE, the foregoing premises considered, Petitioners most urgently and respectfully pray that the Honorable Board:

The Public Estates Authority or “PEA” is the former name of Petitioner Philippine Reclamation Authority.

UEM-MARA Philippines Corporation is the predecessor-in-interest of CIC. Capitalized words and expressions used in this Petition shall have the meanings set forth in Section 1 of the TOA. Annex A Annex B

9. On 8 June 2018, CIC submitted an Updated Project Information Memorandum for C-5 Link Expressway6 (“Updated PIM”) in order to reflect, among others, the necessary updates to the technical requirements of the Project, project cost estimate, implementation schedule, and proposed investment recovery.

my

PRAYER

6. On 9 January 2015, Department of Public Works and Highways(“DPWH”) separately issued a letter5 stating that it had no objection to TRB’s evaluation of the 2015 PIM. It likewise suggested that a technical working group be constituted immediately to verify the design and the toll rates for the Project.

2

signed

*Inclusive of Value Added Tax

5. On 27 January 2015, PRA issued a letter4 wherein it interposed no objection to TRB’s evaluation of the 2015 PIM since it already contained the complete details on the right of way, engineering design, construction schedule, operations, and tolling policy for the Project. Furthermore, PRA requested that a technical working group be constituted immediately for the issuance of a notice to proceed to commence construction of the Project.

1

Provisional or Interim Initial Toll PhP 22.00 PhP 44.00 PhP 66.00

IN WITNESS THEREOF, I have hereunto this_____________in______________, Philippines.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this_____________ in________________ Philippines, affiant exhibited to me competent evidence of identity in the form of____________issued on_______________.

JONATHAN C. NICOLAS Government Corporate Attorney IBP LifeMember Roll 7567; Bulacan Roll of Attorneys 55410 MCLE Compliance VI-0014206, 10/10/18 (MS-JULY 13,18 & 22, 2019)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

News

D2

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2019 MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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Cleansing of scalawags, misfits to go on, SC assures Du30

By Rey E. Requejo CHIEF Justice Lucas Bersamin has assured President Rodrigo Duterte that the Supreme Court’s campaign against corruption will continue until the judiciary is cleansed of misfits and scalawags.

“The President does not need to remind us but thank you to him. We have been constantly, consistently cleaning the ranks of the judiciary as well as the legal profession and of our ranks of employees for any kind of misfit or scalawag or misbehaving or unworthy members of this components of our judicial system,” Bersamin said, in an interview before the weekend.

I assure the people that the SC has already acted on so many complaints,” he added.

While the SC has acted judiciously on complaints filed against justices, judges and personnel in the judiciary, Bersamin pointed out that they also dismissed cases for wanting of evidence.

“We have been very active in ferreting the ranks of our judges and lawyers [of misfits and scalawags], but we have also been protecting those who were guiltless,” he emphasized.

“We have also dismissed complaints that never had to be filed in the first place because it is not fair for judges to be pilloried or the lawyers to be charged without basis,” he said.

Bersamin also welcomed the 41-percent approval rating he got from the Pulse Asia survey conducted last June.

“We are happy . . . The good ratings are always welcome, but that is not what we aspire for. We always think of the people that we serve, the entire country and if we get good ratings in surveys, that is a clear bonus for us,” said Bersamin, who confirmed his and most of the SC justices’ attendance during the 4th State of the Nation Address of President Duterte today.

“I am sure that the people who might approved of us are really satisfied on how we are working in the judiciary,” he added.

Immediately after his appointment as top magistrate last year, Bersamin ordered a purge against “misfits and scalawags” in the courts, especially in the provinces where there is prevalence of corruption.

Bersamin specifically instructed Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez to start the cleansing with the courts in his home province, Abra.

“I directed [Marquez] to start with [my] home province of Abra. That is a marching order… no matter if they are my relatives or not,” Bersamin said.

RIDERS’ PROTEST. Motorcycle riders converge on a stretch of Osmeña Highway from Makati to Manila on Sunday, July 21, to protest the new MMDA policy banning sub-400cc motorcycles on Osmeña Highway between the Sales Interchange in Pasay City up to the Magallanes Interchange in Makati City starting on Monday, July 22.

Norman Cruz

State auditors flag CDA over P65.74-million aid to Marawi City T

By Rio N. Araja

Republic of the Philippines

HE Commission on Audit has flagged the Cooperative Development Authority over its P65.74-million economic and financial assistance to cooperatives in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur affected by the five-month long war in 2017.

The CDA under the Office of the President reported releasing P65,737,242.30 in 2018 as seed capital for 104 existing cooperatives in Marawi.

Based on a 2018 audit report, only P1.516 million or a 2.3 percent was fully documented.

Disbursement vouchers and supporting documents for fund releases of P64.22 million or 97.7 percent were not submitted for audit.

“The validity and propriety of the total disbursements of P64,220,785.18… could not be ascertained due to the non-submission of the corresponding disbursement vouchers, including the supporting documents,” the report read.

The COA said that not even a registered list of cooperatives in Marawi City or the copies of the memorandum of understanding between the CDA and the beneficiary cooperatives was forwarded.

Under the Marawi City rehabilitation through cooperativism project, CDA suggested the reactivation of existing cooperatives to assist them in putting up business enterprises and provide livelihood training.

The disbursement records showed P16.89 million went to traveling expenses, catering services, office supplies, hotel accommodations, repair and maintenance, fuel expenses, salaries and other operational expenses.

CDA claimed P48.846 million was spent on “business and livelihood assistance” to 130 beneficiary-cooperatives.

Out of 379 disbursement vouchers supposedly covering the P65.737 sum spent, only 69 disbursement vouchers were submitted to COA. The CDA’s accounting and finance units said the disbursement vouchers not submitted were returned to the Marawi City’s satellite office “for completion of supporting documents.”

Pinoy hajj pilgrim dies of heart attack Isko to cops: Respect rights of drug fiends in Mecca

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

ILIGAN CITY — Another Filipino Hajj pilgrim died on Saturday while inside the Masjidil Haraam in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Dimapuno Alonto Datu-Ramos Jr., public relations and information head of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, identified the fatality as Enting Tungao Kamensa, 66, who hails from Datu Piang, Maguindanao.

Citing information from Dr. Abdulnasser Masorong, head of the NCMF Medical Team, Kamensa suddenly lost consciousness while inside the Masjidil Haraam.

“The suspected cause of death is myocardial infarction or heart attack.

The remains are still in King Faisal Hospital awaiting the processing of the documents,” Datu-Ramos said.

The relatives, however, will be informed of the death by the Hajj Medical and Supervisory team in Saudi.

On Friday (July 19), a 57-year-old female pilgrim from Lumbayanague, Lanao del Sur, died of the same cause.

Datu-Ramos said many Filipino pilgrims want to die in Saudi during the Hajj because they believe that they will go to heaven if they die.

“Around 90 percent of the pilgrims yearly are first-timers. It is one of the pillars of Islam and is a once-in-alifetime event for most,” Datu-Ramos said.

Last year, some eight Filipino pilgrims, mostly in their senior years, died while performing the Hajj.

This year, some 7,325 Filipino pilgrims are participating in the Hajj, an obligation that every Muslim must do at least once in their lifetime. PNA

AMID The government’s ongoing drug war, Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso ordered the Manila Police District to chase drug suspects but respect their human rights.

Domagoso said his policy and guidance in implementing the campaign against the illicit drug trade is just simple—go after all those selling drugs..

But the young mayor said the drug suspects’ rights should be respected in the campaign against illegal drugs.

He warned that pushers and dealers have no space in Manila.

“But let us respect their human rights,” he said.

He also said the state should treat and help victims of drug pushers including drug addicts and drug suspects.

“The state should treat and take care of them,” the Manila mayor said.

In responding to the how he can ensure fewer killings linked to the war on drugs in Manila, Moreno replied: “The crimes and killings, I cannot guarantee because it can happen anywhere in this world.”

While maintaining that his administration will not tolerate illegal drugs, Domagoso said he has issued an order to the MPD to hunt down drug lords, drug peddlers and users.

He vowed to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs as long as it is within the bounds of law.

But he also aired his concerns on drug users, saying they should be treated, rehabilitated and afforded the opportunity to go back to society and lead a productive life.

He noted that they will not tolerate police abuses such as incidents of “nang-agaw ng baril.” “Meron dyan, tumalon daw mula sa police car, unang bumagsak ang ulo,” he said.

The mayor believes drug suspects should be arrested, not killed, to face charges in court.

‘Kids, youth main feature of Bangsamoro code’ COTABATO CITY—The welfare of children and youth will be one of principal features of a Bangsamoro local government code to help them grow on firm foundation being both vulnerable to societal vile and potentials to human and community development.

Bangsamoro Chief Minister Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim said, “The only way to realize the aspiration of the decade-struggle of the Bangsamoro people is to be able to achieve the changes we want in the governance.”

The Ministry of the Interior and Local Government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao leads the drafting of the region’s local government code, a priority legislation of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority provided under Republic Act 11054, the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

The other three are: Administrative code, civil service code, and elections law.

In a roundtable forum here Monday, MILG Minister Naguib Sinarimbo said the lens of children and youth welfare is just one of the important issues that drafters of the BARMM local government code will be taking up as they continue working.

Both the UN Development Programme and the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund are helping provide technical and logistics assistance to the BARMM in the writing of its local government code.

Study shows that Moro children in situations of armed conflict are some of the most vulnerable to exploitation being often deprived of their early rights of child and youth development. Nash B. Maulana

PHILIPPINE RECLAMATION AUTHORITY (Public Estate Authority)

7th floor, Legaspi Towers 200 Bldg., 107 Paseo de Roxas St., Legaspi Village, 1226 Makati Tel. Nos.: (02) 817-4711 to 13:(02) 813-1441 to 45 • Facsimile No.: (02) 815-2662 Website:www.pea.gov.ph • info@pea.gov.ph

27 January 2015

HON. EDMUNDO O. REYES, JR. Executive Director Toll Regulatory Board 2nd Floor IBP Building Doña Julia Vargas Avenue Ortigas Center, Pasig City

Re: Project Information Memorandum for the C-5 Link Expressway Dear Director Reyes: This pertains to the Project Information Memorandum for the C-S Link Expressway drafted by Cavitex Infrastructure Corporation (CIC), formerly UEM-MARA Philippines Corporation (UMPC), and our joint venture partner in the Manila Cavite Toll Expressway Project (MCTEP).

As you are aware, the C-5 Link Expressway consists of Segments 2 and 3 of the MCTEP subject of the subsisting Toll Operation Agreement (TOA) dated 26 July 1996 entered into between and among the Republic of’ the Philippines, through the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), the Public Estates Authority (now PRA) and UMPC (now CIC). The C-5 Link is the last outstanding segment or “missing link” of the Circumferential Road No. 5, which was designed to decongest the central parts of Metro Manila and facilitate faster travel to and from the south and southwestern parts of Metro Manila, to and from the central and northern parts thereof.

After a series of meetings and consultations, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has agreed on the modi lied alignment of the C-5 Link Expressway by utilizing the original alignment in the TOA and the portions acquired by the DPWH for the C-5 Access Road.

As the Project Information Memorandum already contains the complete details on the right of way, engineering design. construction schedule, and operations and tolling policy for the C-5 Link Expressway, we hereby interpose no objection to the evaluation by the TRB of the said Memorandum. We shall appreciate the TRB’s immediate action thereon by constituting a technical working group, with a view to the early issuance of a Notice to Proceed, at least with respect to the C-5 flyover from C-5 Road across the South Luzon Expressway and towards Sucat, Paranaque City, which already has complete availability orthe right of way.

Thank you for your favorable action on the matter.

Very truly yours,

PETER ANTHONY A. ABAYA General Manager & CEO Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Manila

HONORABLE EDMUNDO O. REYES, JR. Executive Director Toll Regulatory Board 2/F IBP Building Doña J. Vargas Avenue Ortigas Cencer, Paslg City SUBJECT :

C-5 Link Expressway

Dear Director Reyes: This has reference to the Project Information Memorandum (PIM) for the C-5 Link Expressway drafted by Cavitex Infrastructure Corporation (CIC), the Franchisee for the Manila Cavite Toll Expressway Project (MCTEP).

We are made aware that the C-5 Link Expressway is included as Segment 2 and 3 of the Expressways under the Toll Operation Agreement between the Toll Regulatory Board, CIC, and the Philippine Reclamation Authority. It is reportedly the last remaining portion that will complete the Circumferential Road No.5 around Metro Manila aimed at decongesting traffic at the central portions and thoroughfares thereof.

The modified alignment of the C-5 Link Expressway contained in the draft PIM was discussed between representatives of CIC and the DPWH in a series of technical meetings. During these meetings, the use of the existing rlghts-of-way already acquired by the Government for the C-5 Link and portions of the C-5 Access Road acquired and developed by the DPWH has also been discussed. CIC also clarified with DPWH its technical and legal positions on the NAIA Third Runway being proposed by DOTC, which TRB was also made aware of by DOTC. Based on information provided

by DOTC Secretary Abaya, the Third Runway Is no longer an option. Hence. we are therefore not objecting to TRB evaluating the CIC Proposal and draft PIM. Further, our suggestion is for TRB to Immediately constitute a technical working group that will verilY the desIgns and toll rates for the C-5 Link Expressway. DPWH, through Its PPP Service, Is open to extending Its assistance to the technIcal workIng group should you request it.

Very truly yours,

ROGELIO L. SINGSON Secretary

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Davao Tigers claw Sardines in Lakan Cup

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@thestandard.com.ph; sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

A8

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019

Sports ONE TIME THURMAN NO MATCH FOR ALL TIME PACQUIAO. Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao (center) stands over a fallen Keith Thurman after sending him down to the canvas with a right to the jaw. ‘One time’ Thurman was no match for the all-time great Pacquiao who won by decision to grab the WBA World Welterweight crown. AFP

Azkals start new journey to World Cup

By Peter Atencio THE Philippines is set to start a new journey to reach the World Cup. It begins when the Philippine Azkals join the preliminary joint qualification round 2 competitions of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup China 2023 The qualifier is slated this September.

For starters, the Philippines was drawn to Group A and will join the likes of China PR, Syria, Maldives, and Guam.

Officials of the Philippine Football Federation learned of the groupings following a draw held at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last July 17.

The draw put the 40 participating teams into eight groups, and this is based from the FIFA World Rankings for June 2019.

Previously, the Azkals finished third in Group H, and proceeded to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, and they made their debut as one of the 24 participating teams.

There will be teams which will advance to the next stage.

This includes the top teams from each group, and the four best second placed teams, and that’s the final round of the World Cup qualifiers.

From there, the teams that qualify for the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 will be known.

The remaining 32 teams will battle it out in the final round of the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.

“The road to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 finally begins.

To be one of the 32 teams to qualify for the World Cup will bring a tremendous honor to the country,” said PFF president Mariano V. Araneta Jr.

PH goes wild as ‘old man’ Pacquiao beats Thurman

F

ANS in the Philippines on Sunday roared their approval and rose to their feet imitating the punches of Manny Pacquiao as they declared that their idol was still a boxing force at the age of 40 with his stunning victory over American Keith Thurman.

Filipinos from street vendors to lawmakers went wild, pumping their fists in the air during the first round of the welterweight fight as Pacquiao floored the WBA champion 10 years his junior, and went on to win by split decision.

Despite Thurman’s threat to send Pacquiao into retirement in the Las Vegas showdown, fans of the eight-division world champion were thrilled to see him eat his words as they packed into gyms, military camps and movie theatres all over the country to watch the fight.

“It was wow, wow, wow! He is amazing. He showed himself a true Filipino, a hero,” 51-year-old Raquel Sanders told AFP after watching the bout in a Manila sports complex.

The excitement also lit up the online

world with fans in the social mediaobsessed nation using the hashtag #StillA40rce.

“Senator Pacquiao proved that age is just a number and (he) still can make another legend,” said Twitter user @rinrin_irene.

Pacquiao is considered a national hero by many as his athletic feats have put the Philippines on the boxing map.

His rags-to-riches rise from high school dropout to millionaire champion is a source of inspiration in a nation mired in poverty.

In Pacquiao’s heyday, authorities said his fights stopped traffic and crime.

But Pacquiao, also an elected senator, stirred controversy when he entered politics as he endorsed the death penalty

and issued gay slurs in 2016 for which he apologized for.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman hailed his ally’s victory.

“Our pound-for-pound King did not show any signs of intimidation as he embodied what a Filipino spirit is all about—a fighter,” Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

Some Pacquiao fans said while their idol had proven his mettle, he showed signs of aging.

“He can still fight but not a long bout because he gets tired. A younger fighter would have more endurance than an older fighter,” said Willieboy Ramos, 50.

Pacquiao, who reversed a 2016 decision to retire, repeatedly says boxing is his passion and he still feels young.

Philippine boxing chief Ed Picson said only Pacquiao could decide on his future.

“His place in world boxing as a legend is secure... He has nothing more to prove,” said Picson, secretary general of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines. AFP

Alaska Aces forward Jerong Teng (10) takes it strong to the hoop against three TNT KaTropa defenders, from right: Jayson Castro, Troy Rosario and Anthony Semerad. PBA Media

Alaska Aces upset top-ranked TNT, 108-72, to force sudden-death game

By Jeric Lopez ALASKA will live to fight another day.

The eighth-seeded Aces banked on a terrific start to stun shell-shocked top-ranked TNT KaTropa with a blowout 36-point rout, 108-72, and force a winner-take-all knockout in the quarterfinals of the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last night.

Six Aces scored in twin-digits led by Diamon Simpson’s steady double-double with 15 points and 19 rebounds while Jeron Teng came off the bench to produce the same amount of points with 11 rebounds for his own double-double.

Chris Banchero and Simon Enciso had 14 markers each, Vic Manuel added 13 and Carl Bryan Cruz had 11.

As a result, the Tropang Texters, who came in with a twice-to-beat incentive, and the Aces will see each other again on Wednesday in a playoff to see who moves forward to the semifinals.

Eager to survive and continue its campaign, the Aces came out of the gates firing, showing a lot of urgency.

Alaska started out hot to carve a double-digit lead right away, 21-10, in the first eight minutes of play after Banchero’s pull-up jumper conversion at the 4:34 mark of the opening period.

That enabled Alaska to seize control while frustrating the Tropang Texters from the outset.

The Aces then stretched their advantage to 15, 53-38, in the closing seconds of the second period, continuing their juggernaut.

There was no looking back from there.

FIFTH win and counting.

The Davao Occidental Cocolife Tigers scored another convincing victory, dominating Bacolod Master Sardines, 85-74, in the elimination round of the 2019-2020 Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Lakan Cup Saturday night at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Newcomer James Forrester exploded for the first time since donning the Tigers’ jersey of team owner Dumper Party List Congresswoman Claudine Bautista of Davao Occidental, backed by Cocolife President Atty. Jose Martin Loon, FVP Joseph Ronquillo, AVP Rowena Asnan and SVP Franz Joie Araque.

He topscored with 16 points, 6 rebounds and an assist for the team’s fifth win in six outings.

Tigers’ slotman Mark Yee came through with another sterling performance of 15 points and a rebound away from an MPBL milestone of 500 rebounds.

Yee had help coming from Billy Robles, Joseph Terso and Richard Albo as the Tigers built a doubledigit lead of 54-37 –their biggest—in the middle of the third canto, where coach Don Dulay again applied his vaunted full court pressure.

Bacolod’s Jopher Custodio caught fire beyond the arc with Jaypee Cawilan and Loie Medalla as they tried to close the gap but to no avail as Davao Cocolife Tigers preserved their second straight lopsided victory after burying the Rizal Crusaders, 86-55, last week.

The Tigers now share the lead in the overall standings with Bacoor Strikers (5-1) in the South Division.

“As a newcomer, it’s time to prove my worth. I’ve got to be aggressive and I started at a right footing to be consistent,” said Forester, a former Arellano University standout in the NCAA and a Ginebra Gin King in PBA. Dulay praised his wards for their performance every game in preparation for the bigger challenges ahead in the league organized by Senator Manny Pacquiao

Mighty Sports wins Jones Cup MIGHTY Sports-Go For Gold Philippines overpowered Taiwan-A, 97-74, and captured the William Jones Cup championship with still one playing date left Saturday at the Xinzhuang Gym in New Taipei City, Taiwan.

Behind the inside forays of former PBA import Renaldo Balkman and Eugene Phelps and the sniping of McKenzie Moore and Roosevelt Adams, Mighty-GFG started strong, taking an early 24-14 advantage which they gallantly protected to win convincingly for the sixth time in seven games.

With a 7-0 record, the country’s representative to the annual club tournament is already certain of winning its second title in four years.

The Mighty-GFG players were battling the second team of the host country but no matter what happens, they are already assured of the championship.

Even if they drop their last game, the Mighty-GFG players can still bring home the championship by virtue of the winner over the other rule.

South Korea, which is fine-tuning for the World Cup in September in China, is the only the only team which can tie Mighty-GFG having a 6-1 mark.

But the Charles Tiu-mentored squad had beaten the Koreans, 89-82, on Tuesday.

Mighty is hoping to duplicate its 8-0 feat three years ago.

All 12 players fielded by Tiu scored two points with Balkman leading the team with 21 while Phelps once again dominated the paint to add 17 points.

Adams chipped in 13, Moore had 10 while Jeremiah Gray, Mikey Williams and Joseph Yeo combined for 22 points in another well-balanced attack.

Mighty-GFG’s title win was the sixth for the country, tying the famed NCCPH squad of coach Ron Jacobs.

Miranda finally steps up for the JRU Heavy Bombers FOR sophomore wingman Agem Miranda, being given the responsibility of taking the last shots of the game, and winning it for the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers gave him a chance to make up for his bad showing in the team’s last three games.

“Sabi ko kay coach, babawi ako sa game na ito. Bad game kasi ako sa huling tatlong laro namin,” said Miranda after the Heavy Bombers turned back the Arellano University Chiefs, 8077, last Friday.

Miranda went on to finish with a career-high 26 points and five rebounds for the Heavy Bombers, who finally won their first game

in the 95th National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament at Filoil Flying V Sports Center.

Miranda scored a triple on an assist by teammate John de los Santos at the buzzer, and the Heavy Bombers finally won a game after four outings with Louie Gonzalez now calling the shots.

“Iyung last play. It was really a surprise for Agem na nilagay ko siya sa kanto, at iyung second play na ma-rebound niya iyung bola. Suerte lang talaga ang nangyari,” said Gonzales.

The Heavy Bombers, with Stefan Steinl hitting 14 points, will

now have a chance to seek their second straight win when they meet the University of Perpetual Help Altas on Tuesday.

The Altas, who took an 80-82 loss in overtime to the Letran Knights, are in fourth with their 3-2 win-loss slate.

Miranda was overcoming cramps when he went for his triple.

And it was really bothering him when his putback with 25.3 second to go tied the count, 77-all.

“We really struggled in the first three games, pero it’s a process nga na dapat naming pagdaanan,” head coach Louie Gonzalez said.

Peter Atencio

IN BRIEF Major PH business groups back reforms OVER thirteen of the Philippines’ most prominent business groups and joint foreign chambers expressed strong support for key measures in the Duterte administration’s legislative agenda for the 18th Congress ahead of the midterm State-ofthe-Nation Address today.

These include the passage of the remaining packages of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, which focuses on reforms in the corporate income tax and fiscal incentive system, property valuation and assessment and capital income and financial taxation; and new excise taxes on alcohol, e-cigarettes and vapor (vaping) products.

Other priority measures identified by the groups are the amendments to the Public Service Act, Foreign Investment Act and Retail Trade Act—all aimed to open the domestic economy to more foreign direct investments.

The Department of Finance and the rest of the Economic Development Cluster had earlier identified these bills as among their priorities during their Pre-State of the Nation (Pre-SONA) Forum held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on July 1. Julito G. Rada

SMC unit to buy LNG from US firm A UNIT of San Miguel Corp. has expressed interest to purchase liquefied natural gas from Excelerate Energy L.P., a US-based LNG company in The Woodlands, Texas, which plans to build a facility in the Philippines, a government official said over the weekend.

Energy Undersecretary Leonido Pulido said Excelerate attached the letter of intent of South Premiere Power Corp., the independent power producer administrator of the 1,200-megawatt Ilijan natural gas project in Batangas, in an application for a notice to proceed for its planned LNG facility in the country.

“It’s a letter of intent from SPPC to Excelerate to purchase LNG if and when the latter is able to finalize their project,” Pulido said.

Pulido said Excelerate’s application was pending with the Department of Energy.

Alena Mae S. Flores

BSP poll: Economists predict lower inflation ECONOMISTS from the private sector expect the inflation rate to continue on its downward trajectory in the months ahead mainly due to easing global oil prices and lower prices of rice, results of a survey conducted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in June 2019 showed over the weekend.

The mean inflation forecast for 2019 decreased to 2.9 percent from 3.3 percent in the March survey. Similarly, the mean inflation forecasts for 2020 and 2021 declined to 3.2 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively, from 3.4 percent during the same review period.

“Analysts expect inflation to remain manageable and within the government’s target range, with risks to the inflation outlooks likely to be broadly balanced,” the BSP said.

The key upside risks to inflation are seen to emanate from the adverse effect of weather conditions, brought about by weak El Niño condition on domestic food supply; volatile global crude oil prices; and higher domestic demand, particularly in the fourth quarter due to the Christmas season. Julito G. Rada

Business Garments makers warn of shutdown, mass layoff G

By Othel V. Campos

ARMENTS and leather goods manufacturers warned of factory shutdown and mass layoff once the government enacts a version of the proposed Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-quality Opportunities, or Trabaho bill, that will raise the tax rate on gross income earned to 8 percent from 5 percent.

The Confederation of Wearable Exporters of the Philippines said about 110,600 workers in small and medium-scale enterprises engaged in the garments and the leather goods industries might lose their jobs as this sub-sector had not yet attained a decent profit. The garments and leather goods sub-sector employs about 250,000 workers in the country.

“Competitive as they are, my members’ margins are only so much. The recent proposal to increase [GIE] to 8 percent in exchange for other incentives will be disastrous for us. Frankly, the 7 percent proposed by other economic zone locators is way too much of a stretch for us already,”

INLIFE’S AWARD.

Largest Filipino life insurer Insular Life receives the Three-Arrow Recognition as a top performing insurance company in the Philippines under the 2018 Asean Corporate Governance Scorecard, given by the Institute of Corporate Directors.

The award is given to companies which garnered a total score of 100 to 109. InLife earned 104.53 in the ACG Scorecard. Receiving the award on behalf of InLife is executive chair Nina Aguas (center) from ICD chief executive Alfredo Pascual (left) and Insurance Commission Deputy Commissioner George Ongkeko Jr.

Infra delay seen to drag GDP growth below 6% for the first time in 8 years

By Julito G. Rada ECONOMIC growth in 2019 may fall below 6 percent for the first time since 2011 if the government fails to ramp up spending and investments in the second half, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. said over the weekend.

HSBC said in a report the continued delay in government spending implied that GDP growth in 2019 was likely to be subdued compared to previous years.

“We expect full-year growth of 6.0 percent, factoring in a considerable pick-up in investment in the second half. Recent data thus far [as of May], however, indicate that infrastructure spending is down 19 percent year-onyear and overall government expenditure is down 5 percent year-on-year,” the bank said.

said CONWEP executive director Maritess Jocson-Agoncillo.

Majority of the companies are located in economic zones. About 10 percent of the members are registered with the Board of Investments.

A study commissioned by the group found out that a company with 1,500 workers were prone to immediate shutdown within six months to one year due to small margins.

“To those producing mid-size products like jeans, the displacement of workers would be 50 percent in 12 to 18 months.

These are medium-sized firms employing 3,000 to 5,000 per factory,” Agoncillo said.

She said for companies producing higher-end products like suits, the displacement threshold would be 30 percent to 32 percent in 12 to 18 months.

The apparel section represented about 68 percent of the sector’s exports amounting to $1.08 billion in 2017. The figure dropped to $928 million in 2018. Leather goods exports accounted for 31 percent of the total.

Meanwhile, other industry groups led by the Philippine Ecozones Association said the Philippines would continue to lose opportunities to its neighbors that offer better incentive packages.

“If these investments were not here to begin with, there will be no investors. Many companies have mothballed their expansion plans because of these developments,” said Philea president Chito Zaldarriaga.

Industry groups such as CONWEP, the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc., the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines and different foreign chambers supported the call of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority to maintain the status quo on all the incentives.

It said this was in sharp contrast with the previous quarters and implied that public construction in the second quarter might have remained in contraction similar to the first quarter.

“Thus we expect second-quarter GDP growth to remain at sub-6 percent, prompting further policy loosening from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas,” it said.

“Needless to say, a failure by the government to significantly boost spending and investment in the second half poses downside risks to our 2019 GDP forecast. This implies that full-year growth could drop below 6 percent for the first time since 2011,” it said.

The bank said the government was actually well behind its 2019 spending plans due to the budget’s delayed passage in Congress and the midterm elections in May.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019

B1

MacroAsia eyes plan to spin off, list water unit

By Darwin G. Amojelar MACROASIA Corp. said it plans to spin off its water business in preparation for an initial public offering within three years.

“There is no specific date yet, but the general plan is to list it [at the Philippine Stock Exchange] within three years. We are currently transferring the holding of our water companies from MacroAsia Properties Development Corp. to a new water holding company,” MAC chief financial officer Amador Sendin said.

“The intention of MacroAsia is to focus on its core segments which are related to aviation services. The capital allocation policy for the water segment is entirely different from the aviation services, so we have to separate this. That’s the reason for the separation or the spinoff,” he said.

Sendin said the MacroAsia was building up the revenue and profit base of its water business in preparation for the IPO. Revenues from water operations contributed 8 percent to the total revenue of MAC. Water revenues rose 90 percent to P271.04 million in 2018 from P142.65 million in 2017.

The growth was attributed to MAC’s acquisition of Summa Water Resources Inc., a company engaged in water treatment and equipment lease, in October 2018.

Naic Water Supply Corp., an operating water utility company in Naic, Cavite which MAC acquired in August 2017 contributed P26.14 million in revenues. The customer growth of SNV Resources Development Corp. also supported the water business.

Revenue contribution from Boracay Tubi System Inc. grew despite the temporary closure of Boracay Island last year.

MAC president and chief operating officer Joseph Chua said these water businesses would provide the diversification needed to boost the company’s growth beyond the aviation sector.

“Together with the aviation businesses, we foresee a strong base to generate shareholder value,” he said.

MAC is also involved in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, catering, ground handling and mining.

MAC posted a net income of P1.08 billion in 2018, up 2 percent from P1.06 billion in 2017. Consolidated revenues grew 23 percent to P3.6 billion from P2.9 billion in the same period.

Cavitex set to open C5 Link Flyover on Thursday CAVITEX Infrastructure Corp. said it is set to open on Thursday the first 2.2-kilometer section of the 7.7-km Cavitex C5 Link Expressway.

The 2.2-km section (C5 Link Flyover) will connect C5 to Merville, Pasay City and Sucat, Parañaque.

Upon completion of the C5 South Link, the urban expressway will provide motorists new routes when traversing the traffic-choked corridors between Parañaque City, Las Piñas City, Pasay City and Taguig City.

“Vehicular traffic spends about 1.5 hours just to cross from Villamor area in Pasay City to Taguig via Fort Bonifacio. On opening, this section will have three lanes in each direction and will enable about 8,000 vehicles to easily cross in half that time,” Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said.

TOYOTA INVESTMENT.

Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo (left) inspects newlystamped Vios side member panels during the inauguration of the new P1-billion high-technology press line of Toyota Motor Philippines Corp., which includes a 1,600-ton servo-type press machine with automated sheet feeder and unloader robot. The event marks the start of local production for side member panels and is TMP’s single largest localization project under the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy program.

“We are committed to pursuing the completion of the remaining sections of the Cavitex C5 Link expressway under the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program of the president,” Villar said.

The C5 Link Flyover project costing about P1.6 billion will be an alternate route for commuters traveling between Fort Bonifacio, C.P. Garcia (C5), Taguig City, Parañaque City, Las Piñas City and Pasay City.

It will directly cross over from C5, Metro Manila Skyway (at-grade) and the South Luzon Expressway to Merville and Sucat.

Upon opening, it is expected to divert vehicular traffic from the often-gridlocked Sales Interchange near Villamor Airbase and ease congestion at SLEx East, West Service Roads and Edsa.

CIC president Roberto Bontia said the company was handling the final touches for the segment. “Ultimately, we foresee that the CavitexC5 Link Expressway will benefit about 50,000 vehicles daily and will afford commuters the expressway experience south of Metro Manila from our Parañaque Toll Plaza to C5 in Taguig City,” Bontia said.

“We intend to start construction of the next 2.1-km section from Merville to Sucat, Las Piñas City by the fourth quarter of this year,” he said.

The Cavitex C5 Link Flyover is the second PPP toll road delivered

by CIC’s parent company Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. this year following the successful completion of the NLEx Harbor Link Segment 10 in February 2019.

Darwin G. Amojelar

PAL board to discuss selection of president THE board and management of Philippine Airlines will meet on July 29 to discuss the selection process for the flag carrier’s new president, a source said over the weekend.

“There would be a meeting on July 29 to discuss the process in selecting the new president [for PAL],” the source said.

“We already [ranked] number 30 and there’s changing of the guard after Mr. Bautista got it. That is why we want continuity,” the source added. PAL’s longtime president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista retired in June this year.

Skytrax in June listed PAL as the top 30 airline in the world, rising 19 spots from top 49 in 2018, and a full 60 spots from top 90 in 2013.

Skytrax also re-certified PAL as a 4-Star Global Airline based on comprehensive quality audits performed in December 2018 and January 2019.

PAL announced last week that chairman Lucio Tan would take over as the interim

president of the airline effective immediately.

Tan decided to assume the company’s top post pending the approval by the board of directors of the candidates for president.

PAL executive vice president, treasurer and chief administrative officer Vivienne Tan will assist his father in the airline’s day-to-day operations.

The board of PAL approved on June 24 Vivienne Tan’s appointment as the airline’s officer-in-charge following the retirement of Bautista on June 30. Vivienne Tan would remain the company’s EVP/ treasurer and chief administrative officer as his father assumes the post of president.

Darwin G. Amojelar PAL management also appointed two key executives who will lead the airline’s commercial and human resources groups, signaling the start of the flag carrier’s transition to new leadership.

Darwin G. Amojelar

B2

Business

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market consolidating above 8,200

By Jenniffer B. Austria

S

HARE prices are expected to continue consolidating above the 8,200-point level, as investors focus on the prospects of easing monetary policy and President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address today.

President Duterte is scheduled to deliver his 3rd SONA, where he is expected to outline his programs for the last three years of his term.

Strong inflow of foreign funds into the equities market as well as expectations that listed firms will report better second-quarter results are also boosting the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index.

“Foreign funds will continue to flow into our market as investors anticipate earnings disclosures from the rest of the blue chip stocks,” said Jervin de Celis, an equity trader from Timson Securities.

“Market participants are expecting

better second quarter earnings due to slower inflation data. So far the revenue estimates look good and this may keep the PSEi above 8,000 level” he added.

“The week’s close at 8,270.07 signals the market still has some room to try the 8,500 levels in the near-term,” said BDO Unibank Inc. chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravelas Three sectoral indices ended in positive territory, led by mining and oil which jumped 9.27 percent and financials which climbed 4.95 percent.

Three sectoral indices also registered week-on-week declines, led by industrial which dropped 0.7 percent, services

which lost 0.7 percent and property slipped by 0.01 percent.

Foreign investors were net buyers for the week by P3.9 billion, while the average daily valued traded improved to P7.3 billion from the previous week’s P5.9 billion.

Weekly top price gainers were Nickel Asia Corp., which jumped 20 percent to P2.70; Bank of the Philippines Islands, which rose 14.7 percent to P93; and Semirara Mining and Power Corp., which advanced 6.6 percent to P24.

Weekly top price losers were Wilcon Depot Inc., which fell 10 percent to P15.14; Universal Robina Corp., which declined 3.3 percent to P166; and PLDT Inc., which dipped 2.2 percent to P1,187.

Wall Street stocks, meanwhile, finished a down week on a tepid note, falling after news of a tanker attack in the Middle East even as Boeing and oillinked shares rallied.

Stocks had been in positive territory through early Friday afternoon, but fell decisively as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced they had confiscated a British tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz—a move that prompted swift criticism from the United States and Britain.

The fall also roughly coincided with a Wall Street Journal report that the Federal Reserve is targeting a 25-basis point interest rate cut, rather than the larger 50-basis point cut that investors have thought might also be enacted.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished 0.3 percent lower at 27,154.20.

The broad-based S&P 500 shed 0.6 percent to 2,976.61, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 0.7 percent to 8,146.49.

The losses closed out a down week following the first group of major earnings reports with two more big weeks yet to come. With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS Weekly StockS revieW STOCKS

JULY 15-19, 2019 Close Volume

Value

Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources China Bank Citystate Savings COL Financial Eastwest Bank Ferronoux Holding Filipino Fund Inc. I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

58.95 148.00 93.00 2.36 1.20 27.6 7.98 18.7 12.44 4.79 7.71 1.37 789.50 0.475 78 1.09 13.2 22.50 52.05 58.65 115 190 27.4 187 1810.00 60.00 1.12

90,300 10,674,460 52,719,700 1,957,000 415,000 696,500 1,800 185,500 11,188,900 1,224,000 100 36,000 70 4,500,000 21,315,250 6,422,000 122,600 15,100 2,866,400 34,510 300 20,760 280,700 2,433,860 290 255,830 23,000

FINANCIAL 5,311,401.50 1,639,166,077.00 4,642,851,770.00 4,665,040.00 502,070.00 19,203,520.00 14,013.00 3,461,882.00 139,691,658.00 5,732,050.00 771.00 47,560.00 54,505.00 2,099,400.00 1,632,297,635.50 6,754,970.00 1,618,720.00 320,035.00 128,670,713.00 2,009,343.00 34,500.00 3,973,599.00 7,708,090.00 450,252,190.00 512,500.00 15,210,442.00 25,560.00

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Basic Energy Corp.

Bogo Medelin C. Azuc De Tarlac Cemex Holdings Century Food Chemphil Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ Conc. Aggr. ‘B’ Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Eagle Cement EEI Emperador Euro-Med Lab First Gen Corp.

First Holdings ‘A’ Ginebra San Miguel Inc. Greenergy Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp.

LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Macay Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide MG Holdings Mla. Elect. Co `A’ Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petroenergy Res. Corp.

Petron Corporation Phinma Corporation Phinma Energy Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Pilipinas Shell Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings SFA Semicon Shakeys Pizza SMC Food and Beverage SPC Power Corp.

Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

37 14.24 0.83 1.31 0.270 99.8 16.90 2.74 15.04 115.6 17.56 78.1 93.5 41 2.05 5.22 6.2 10.360 15 11.20 7.55 1.71 26.35 89.35 60.50 2.3800 14.22 9.59 1.700 279.00 4.22 3.42 9.00 24.6 14.04 18.5 0.189 383.00 5.76 1.78 4.85 5.68 9.10 2.57 11.78 39.6 5.04 5.00 1.48 2.17 1.13 14.68 104.9 6.6 0.128 1.16 166 2.55 1.27 16.10 1.38

10,037,400 3,931,900 8,770,000 524,000 10,880,000 110 17,200 21,431,000 7,853,100 11,770 2,804,900 92,710 25,660 295,600 494,000 745,200 259,000 5,820,600 5,560,100 3,589,900 3,270,200 11,000 12,487,500 1,859,330 948,990 67,874,000 1,714,400 2,199,200 1,379,000 3,550,540 25,000 7,000 36,900 9,810,600 1,821,300 6,129,100 1,730,000 681,030 228,800 31,907,000 453,000 12,060,200 5,049,500 73,883,000 390,100 880,200 348,000 1,956,800 4,141,000 461,000 1,816,000 2,086,500 3,136,680 784,400 2,490,000 1,709,000 4,309,070 258,000 18,192,000 400 17,406,000

INDUSTRIAL 375,232,065.00 56,648,580.00 7,286,200.00 688,830.00 2,916,900.00 9,803.00 280,256.00 60,941,860.00 114,335,988.00 1,344,141.00 49,647,594.00 7,779,758.00 2,454,208.00 12,119,510.00 1,001,940.00 4,134,731.00 1,617,655.00 60,047,688.00 84,356,724.00 40,053,774.00 24,644,635.00 18,270.00 330,922,880.00 168,242,937.50 57,476,087.00 155,675,030.00 24,159,286.00 21,352,117.00 2,335,690.00 1,002,771,546.00 105,500.00 23,880.00 334,445.00 242,830,110.00 25,834,000.00 115,404,420.00 231,730.00 260,233,696.00 1,293,242.00 57,387,080.00 2,172,410.00 69,930,524.00 46,358,140.00 190,448,160.00 4,658,486.00 30,831,460.00 1,700,690.00 9,777,164.00 5,086,040.00 995,480.00 2,033,880.00 30,664,396.00 324,495,224.00 5,120,463.00 321,260.00 1,988,440.00 738,551,596.00 647,770.00 23,364,950.00 6,440.00 24,324,550.00

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor `A’ Asiabest Group ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp `A’ Ayala Land Log Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings F&J Prince ‘A’ Filinvest Dev. Corp.

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Jolliville Holdings Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

Lopez Holdings Corp.

LT Group Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

MJCI Investments Inc. Pacifica `A’ Prime Media Hldg Republic Glass ‘A’ San Miguel Corp `A’ Seafront `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Transgrid Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.990 57.65 15.90 0.74 7.00 16.28 1.290 1.310 950 4.010 7.16 10.56 3.91 14.08 0.238 920 6.50 68.45 6.39 0.52 4.61 15.26 0.650 4.79 2.61 0.0390 1.640 2.93 175.00 2.5 990.00 1.39 0.85 260.000 459.40 0.2440 0.295

103,134,000 4,455,370 43,974,300 1,195,000 621,700 2,500,400 8,054,000 1,095,000 3,075,230 31,255,000 12,959,900 28,202,600 1,000 373,200 1,120,000 563,740 838,400 5,233,920 8,800 1,897,000 17,211,000 15,011,200 3,496,000 104,067,000 19,000 75,500,000 43,313,000 96,000 1,873,220 63,000 1,196,045 536,000 902,000 8,080 20 13,960,000 37,090,000

HOLDING FIRMS 103,357,550.00 256,445,838.00 695,698,980.00 879,850.00 4,351,797.00 40,403,694.00 10,393,570.00 1,429,640.00 2,893,727,190.00 124,371,850.00 92,340,357.00 296,850,498.00 3,910.00 5,234,038.00 250,910.00 518,206,840.00 5,423,625.00 364,992,532.00 55,809.00 986,530.00 75,261,850.00 238,534,766.00 2,221,460.00 494,749,710.00 49,870.00 2,971,100.00 76,659,660.00 276,420.00 328,121,068.00 157,070.00 1,192,532,685.00 733,940.00 749,660.00 2,105,622.00 9,188.00 3,351,710.00 11,040,350.00

1,528,100 12,394,000 115,500 530,000 66,596,000 55,279,590 1,089,000 8,804,100 28,600 236,185,000 487,000 660,000 8,820,000 28,630,000 2,162,600 1,658,900 22,720,000 50,350,000 353,228,000 8,920,000 668,000 100,330,900 163,560,000 11,137,000 35,687,000 7,080,000 6,008,000 12,032,600

PROPERTY 23,813,946.00 10,924,200.00 1,287,794.00 1,109,530.00 70,981,630.00 2,409,183,226.00 2,537,310.00 46,078,347.00 174,744.00 181,591,150.00 394,430.00 602,560.00 2,137,670.00 13,838,550.00 21,377,610.00 41,772,215.00 10,838,900.00 6,194,050.00 701,840,050.00 12,574,000.00 2,686,060.00 641,625,267.00 59,641,600.00 19,099,580.00 18,461,630.00 2,987,900.00 12,727,120.00 328,095,625.00

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Anchor Land Holdings Inc. Araneta Prop `A’ Arthaland Corp.

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ CEB Landmasters Cebu Holdings Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

DM Wenceslao Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Filinvest Land,Inc. Global-Estate Keppel Properties Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil Infradev Phil. Estates Corp.

Phil. Realty `A’ Primex Corp.

Robinson’s Land `B’

15.800 0.88 10.88 2.150 1.050 52.000 2.33 5.17 6.2 0.630 0.82 0.920 0.240 0.475 9.960 25.05 0.475 0.123 1.96 1.40 4.75 6.44 0.370 1.7200 0.5100 0.415 2.11 27.20

JULY 8-12, 2019 Close Volume

Value

58.9 148.20 81.05 2.35 1.24 27.45 7.98 18.7 12.16 4.8 7.71 1.35 750.00 0.475 72.9 0.99 13.2 20.50 53.85 58 115 190 27 179 1752.00 61.00 1.12

46,550 7,770,580 16,822,770 860,000 1,347,000 356,800 700 31,900 2,913,100 444,000 5,500 63,000 790 1,878,000 15,488,030 436,000 514,400 17,900 912,990 7,960 960 2,500 200,900 3,317,460 765 34,210 61,000

2,726,112.00 1,119,132,026.00 1,340,053,153.00 2,065,780.00 1,594,860.00 9,672,710.00 5,217.00 596,554.00 35,391,396.00 2,151,500.00 42,405.00 83,350.00 595,675.00 899,175.00 1,112,380,192.50 425,180.00 6,790,120.00 367,005.00 49,570,639.50 462,214.00 110,400.00 474,503.00 5,354,195.00 586,379,509.00 1,367,245.00 2,091,924.50 68,320.00

36.5 14.48 0.82 1.35 0.265 99.9 17.00 2.8 14.62

7,275,100 4,807,000 13,763,000 2,045,000 8,700,000 1,500 76,000 42,859,000 11,362,200

267,044,095.00 69,208,476.00 10,996,330.00 2,772,340.00 2,279,000.00 136,851.00 654,490.00 124,016,230.00 167,081,784.00

17.42 93.4 108.9 40.3 1.98 5.01 6.1 10.100 15.3 11.18 7.55 1.64 26.8 89.95 57.70 2.5800 14.48 10 1.690 280.40 4.23 3.42 9.39 25 13.86 18.9 0.182 381.40 5.87 1.77 4.77 5.61 9.25 2.44 12.06 39.05 4.84 5.00 1.35 2 1.1 14.36 102.3 6.49 0.127 1.19 171.7 2.58 1.23 16.10 1.36

4,280,800 198,300 54,080 5,600 1,122,000 78,800 353,900 8,685,300 3,056,900 1,787,000 2,992,000 83,000 21,233,000 2,172,430 1,386,610 31,422,000 5,467,200 1,022,400 3,534,000 3,236,040 10,000 29,000 71,900 7,363,900 7,472,900 10,453,900 5,000,000 500,530 166,100 56,686,000 145,000 15,463,600 81,100 68,912,000 409,700 4,253,100 358,000 4,505,000 1,313,000 237,000 3,659,000 2,708,900 3,825,780 716,200 20,000 2,279,000 4,896,250 29,000 15,796,000 3,400 37,884,000

74,750,146.00 19,020,332.50 5,980,426.00 226,040.00 2,257,790.00 394,788.00 2,226,150.00 88,687,052.00 47,197,368.00 19,617,382.00 22,523,377.00 135,450.00 571,579,910.00 197,441,339.50 77,784,873.00 80,552,540.00 77,479,556.00 10,290,744.00 5,988,280.00 910,987,562.00 42,300.00 96,160.00 653,942.00 185,933,605.00 103,262,406.00 193,427,998.00 904,140.00 192,033,258.00 973,779.00 101,746,490.00 684,460.00 88,956,628.00 730,328.00 125,359,820.00 4,925,836.00 165,640,720.00 1,745,310.00 22,097,230.00 1,768,260.00 485,720.00 4,015,960.00 38,248,352.00 1,093,671,562.00 4,658,319.00 2,540.00 2,707,280.00 860,552,282.00 73,380.00 19,176,090.00 54,530.00 51,668,070.00

0.990 56.00 15.50 0.74 7.00 13.24 1.310 1.310 917 3.890 7.08 10.10

211,324,000 3,718,430 22,360,100 2,821,000 879,300 262,400 10,168,000 1,657,000 1,106,390 24,408,000 20,774,500 13,675,200

204,327,620.00 207,315,379.50 344,331,468.00 2,075,750.00 6,144,687.00 3,365,954.00 13,101,490.00 2,147,910.00 1,012,137,695.00 91,702,500.00 145,451,238.00 138,646,960.00

13.98 0.240 900 6.41 67.85 6.36 0.485 4.4 15.76 0.640 4.78 2.61 0.0400 1.760 2.81 176.00 2.48 960.00 1.37 0.84 262.000 460.00 0.2440 0.300

477,200 600,000 723,390 740,400 4,169,620 1,300 340,000 9,885,000 9,924,200 12,366,000 125,747,000 1,000 117,800,000 36,740,000 5,000 1,103,590 12,000 1,439,310 1,508,000 1,528,000 6,730 70 25,100,000 50,030,000

6,604,938.00 140,630.00 630,340,145.00 4,738,950.00 285,602,911.00 7,860.00 164,350.00 43,480,690.00 155,165,266.00 7,863,070.00 602,359,810.00 2,610.00 4,720,000.00 63,332,530.00 14,050.00 193,847,909.00 29,240.00 1,383,091,030.00 2,076,710.00 1,254,510.00 1,761,312.00 31,492.00 6,007,050.00 15,105,200.00

15.500 0.87 11.00 2.030 1.070 53.000 2.31 5.18 6.35 0.620 0.81 0.940 0.246 0.445 9.760 24.7 0.475 0.122 1.91 1.41

3,315,600 26,245,000 5,400 986,000 188,797,000 55,129,190 1,577,000 5,300,900 267,700 173,468,000 1,866,000 452,000 5,290,000 15,910,000 1,684,900 1,290,800 9,730,000 450,000 280,303,000 7,453,000

51,063,294.00 22,727,300.00 59,400.00 1,995,390.00 206,534,790.00 2,877,312,991.00 3,660,180.00 27,379,589.00 1,631,109.00 105,592,690.00 1,489,180.00 416,280.00 1,280,660.00 7,425,250.00 16,736,133.00 31,697,170.00 4,552,350.00 54,910.00 518,912,970.00 10,296,280.00

6.3 0.345 1.7200 0.5100 0.405 2.15 27.50

100,323,100 64,540,000 25,052,000 23,138,000 3,050,000 6,971,000 11,931,200

610,631,585.00 21,958,750.00 43,451,040.00 11,464,635.00 1,221,350.00 15,028,250.00 321,823,575.00

STOCKS

JULY 15-19, 2019 Close Volume

JULY 8-12, 2019 Close Volume

Value

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

2.31 3.19 38.70 2.02 6.28 0.820 7.750

1,826,000 484,000 39,989,000 5,669,000 1,137,500 7,191,000 61,768,900

4,144,470.00 1,513,180.00 1,559,721,940.00 11,560,360.00 7,283,871.00 5,800,690.00 475,020,899.00

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Apollo Global Asian Terminals Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ.

Chelsea DFNN Inc. Discovery World Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Golden Haven Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp.

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Metro Retail MetroAlliance A MetroAlliance B NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. PH Resorts Group Phil. Racing Club Phil. Seven Corp.

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp.

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Wilcon Depot

11.2 17.84 1.5 0.560 0.051 21 2.67 11.52 0.0660 96.45 7 7.93 6.40 2.12 10.14 890 2244 5.41 421.20 2.17 141.6 1.85 9.56 5.64 0.117 5.7600 2.96 14.86 3.84 0.94 19.50 14.40 0.550 3.7 2.81 1.50 1.54 2.710 2.97 9.23 5.25 9.49 144.00 4.24 1187.00 0.860 0.740 45.90 78.00 9.45 3.41 0.800 0.365 5.53 0.860 15.140

47,000 1,260,600 746,000 24,992,000 167,180,000 17,100 2,452,000 42,165,400 218,030,000 1,431,500 41,400 10,697,900 111,200 8,000 242,300 80 295,225 406,900 40,510 9,064,000 4,800,480 1,045,000 88,000 73,500 10,790,000 19,842,600 148,000 5,300 6,174,000 1,670,000 2,306,500 600 5,453,000 5,894,000 21,326,000 174,000 35,000 23,559,000 445,000 125,400 193,100 100 333,510 27,423,000 610,305 390,789,000 14,844,000 5,669,100 4,229,240 1,882,300 35,229,000 40,114,000 19,840,000 4,548,100 57,476,000 46,427,100

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

South China Pet. United Paragon

0.0017 1.20 2.69 13.40 1.2200 2.8 0.280 7.78 1.550 0.223 0.110 0.120 0.008 0.0076 1.22 2.7 1.1 0.5600 0.9100 0.0120 0.0120 3.75 8.66 0.0110 6.0900 24.00 0.0063 0.0065

MINING & OIL 1,428,339,000 2,986,200.00 34,556,000 41,626,700.00 1,321,000 3,553,840.00 843,400 12,691,420.00 50,000 56,520.00 1,144,000 3,199,830.00 1,970,000 553,300.00 78,400 606,158.00 53,499,000 79,716,090.00 4,660,000 1,023,780.00 10,100,000 1,100,640.00 1,320,000 152,270.00 53,000,000 402,900.00 1,000,000 7,600.00 3,416,000 4,082,860.00 61,808,000 157,947,970.00 1,707,000 1,833,810.00 314,000 175,510.00 7,631,000 6,838,420.00 168,200,000 2,031,700.00 24,300,000 311,700.00 5,158,000 19,434,350.00 24,327,400 214,743,238.00 200,100,000 2,186,500.00 10,268,100 58,658,749.00 11,137,600 262,930,295.00 2,000,000 12,600.00 7,000,000 45,800.00

SERVICES 523,408.00 22,033,736.00 1,114,810.00 13,557,670.00 8,369,230.00 361,390.00 6,381,780.00 499,485,746.00 14,166,780.00 136,914,271.50 290,506.00 84,417,230.00 678,655.00 16,840.00 2,420,844.00 71,350.00 655,852,710.00 2,193,967.00 17,767,528.00 19,537,480.00 688,964,437.00 1,919,390.00 847,725.00 420,301.00 1,252,880.00 113,099,040.00 438,820.00 75,530.00 23,415,760.00 1,524,860.00 44,644,742.00 8,640.00 3,007,910.00 22,419,060.00 59,269,890.00 261,860.00 54,100.00 61,584,040.00 1,303,490.00 1,176,378.00 1,008,895.00 949.00 46,719,075.00 117,128,440.00 731,059,955.00 325,343,440.00 10,847,510.00 259,297,110.00 326,055,263.00 17,527,876.00 123,387,100.00 32,300,010.00 7,105,600.00 25,056,134.00 48,805,410.00 737,620,654.00

PREFERRED 16,530,388.00 5,396,020.00 100,000.00 3,867,360.00 28,543,980.00 3,700,888.00 3,336,755.00 36,596.00 2,977,940.00 961,036.00 752,210.00 2,911,783.00 1,347,490.00 287,380.00 1,091,920.00 2,140,800.00 26,332,225.00 27,530,245.00 2,264,495.00 96,924.00 978,400.00 316,138.00 1,393,551.00 5,568,160.50 6,847,370.00 6,063,219.00 1,819,021.00 5,641,107.50 8,809,121.50 5,440.00

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Alco Preferred B Alco Preferred C Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ DD PREF First Gen G FPH Pref C GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. GTCAP PREF B House Preferred Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred 2A PCOR-Preferred 2B PCOR-Preferred 3A PCOR-Preferred 3B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A SMC Preferred 1 SMC Preferred A SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMPFC Preferred

17.1 101 100 488 495 99.5 105.5 450 490 5.48 944 97.5 0.99 102 994 1010 1010 1014 100 107.5 990 75.85 76.85 73.1 75 75 74.85 72.05 74.6 1.36

979,900 53,950 1,000 7,930 58,110 37,210 32,460 80 6,060 179,300 800 29,940 1,373,000 2,830 1,100 2,130 26,055 27,200 22,640 920 990 4,200 18,210 75,960 92,060 81,010 24,410 76,130 117,980 4,000

LR Warrant

1.810

WARRANTS & BONDS 1,176,000 2,174,080.00 SME 103,840.00 35,485,529.00 21,960,070.00

Value

2.3 3.19 38.30 2 6.2 0.830 7.270

3,179,000 2,683,000 26,336,800 3,633,000 555,200 6,689,000 21,204,000

7,266,880.00 8,450,850.00 1,015,410,660.00 7,153,160.00 3,433,975.00 5,527,160.00 153,114,911.00

11 17.5 1.45 0.530 0.052 21.6 2.63 11.50 0.0630 93.5 7 7.87 6.20 2.06 9.62 894.5 2200 5.33 420.00 2.12 143.6 1.95 9.9 5.75 0.119 5.8000 3.14 14.3 3.70 0.89 19.48 14.40 0.530 3.3 2.63 1.53 1.56 2.590 2.9 9.20 5.19

107,200 680,900 393,000 40,761,000 279,300,000 4,400 5,842,000 26,436,100 457,210,000 1,173,620 4,200 83,337,600 10,500 5,000 311,200 1,170 282,940 363,700 27,490 9,092,000 6,472,480 823,000 25,600 47,300 5,450,000 122,722,800 91,000 6,300 2,586,000 3,567,000 1,297,900 15,800 3,004,000 2,167,000 8,607,000 101,000 19,000 17,745,000 1,083,000 81,500 467,300

1,164,628.00 11,979,300.00 563,690.00 22,039,080.00 13,753,300.00 93,780.00 15,145,230.00 303,092,036.00 27,783,350.00 105,889,714.00 29,698.00 687,191,579.00 62,073.00 11,340.00 3,047,608.00 1,041,390.00 614,600,350.00 1,956,753.00 11,578,478.00 19,656,750.00 918,349,694.00 1,564,990.00 252,787.00 274,682.00 636,470.00 752,503,784.00 272,990.00 90,120.00 9,534,950.00 3,123,580.00 25,168,166.00 229,152.00 1,563,080.00 7,021,630.00 22,318,140.00 155,290.00 29,890.00 44,345,170.00 3,214,450.00 751,584.00 2,534,966.00

140.00 4.24 1214.00 0.850 0.710 45.90 80.00 9.49 3.44 0.800 0.35 5.5 0.800 16.820

272,290 33,884,000 545,165 157,826,000 52,257,000 5,551,700 1,595,730 143,700 25,642,000 43,262,000 53,480,000 6,019,600 84,950,000 4,281,700

38,138,128.00 138,714,720.00 658,595,870.00 135,696,150.00 37,599,410.00 251,233,280.00 124,873,760.50 1,321,515.00 89,115,150.00 34,200,040.00 19,264,800.00 33,034,946.00 69,080,760.00 72,279,938.00

0.0018 1.14 2.70 12.08 1.2500 2.81 0.280 7.78 1.440 0.218 0.109 0.123 0.008 0.0076 1.18 2.25 1.03 0.5600 0.8500 0.0130 0.0120 3.54 7.75 0.0100 4.8000 22.50

4,866,000,000 19,752,000 100,000 23,500 89,000 2,366,000 3,610,000 3,700 4,246,000 1,370,000 14,260,000 430,000 36,000,000 1,000,000 72,828,000 9,258,000 172,000 545,000 2,827,000 251,800,000 3,000,000 1,643,000 5,954,000 186,500,000 779,000 6,589,800

8,423,400.00 22,425,640.00 279,490.00 278,032.00 108,660.00 6,882,540.00 1,010,800.00 28,960.00 6,155,080.00 298,830.00 1,507,660.00 51,520.00 270,200.00 7,600.00 82,597,910.00 20,361,990.00 174,550.00 300,690.00 2,400,670.00 3,225,700.00 36,000.00 5,740,410.00 46,676,881.00 1,968,100.00 3,702,650.00 149,774,910.00

0.0062

12,000,000

75,200.00

16.82 100

263,800 10,000

4,465,814.00 1,000,000.00

490 490 99 104

4,060 4,780 69,660 5,730

1,979,538.00 2,326,102.00 6,896,840.00 596,080.00

499 5.37 945 96.95 1 102.4 990

2,550 17,538,300 1,100 15,340 42,000 30 2,130

1,242,000.00 94,179,844.00 1,034,585.00 1,487,739.50 41,780.00 3,045.00 2,125,250.00

1011 1012 100 106 990 75.2 76.75 73 74.95 74.5 74.5 73.8 74 1.36

21,720 24,455 13,790 4,580 33,040 45,910 66,070 3,080 87,990 66,250 13,520 56,800 93,830 6,000

21,949,165.00 24,733,925.00 1,379,000.00 485,600.00 32,183,305.00 3,437,965.00 5,038,620.50 224,845.50 6,548,735.50 4,942,411.00 990,480.00 4,097,153.50 6,885,111.00 8,160.00

1.840

719,000

1,330,910.00

2.48 5.05 1.09

35,000 1,542,200 47,629,000

86,800.00 7,704,574.00 52,613,400.00

Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

2.7 5.53 1.1

39,000 6,601,100 20,059,000

First Metro ETF

123.7

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 143,550 17,785,853.00

122.2

30,860

3,739,287.00

USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

10.28 10.3 0.99

DOLLAR DENONIMATED SEC. 28,950 296,066.40 3,140 32,081.00 195,360 195,356.00

10.2 10.2

58,740 2,690

602,756.00 27,139.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Abra Mining PremiereHorizon Filinvest Land,Inc. Century Property Boulevard Holdings Philodrill Corp. `A’ Oriental Pet. `A’ Apollo Global MRC Allied Ind. Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

VOLUME 1,428,339,000 390,789,000 353,228,000 236,185,000 218,030,000 200,100,000 168,200,000 167,180,000 163,560,000 104,067,000

STOCKS Bank of PI Ayala Corp `A’ Ayala Land `B’ Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Metrobank SM Prime Holdings SM Investments Inc. Jollibee Foods Corp.

Universal Robina Wilcon Depot

VALUE 4,642,851,770.00 2,893,727,190.00 2,409,183,226.00 1,639,166,077.00 1,632,297,635.50 1,559,721,940.00 1,192,532,685.00 1,002,771,546.00 738,551,596.00 737,620,654.00

Villar Group’s All Home set to roll out six new outlets ALL HOME Corp., the home improvement retail chain owned by the Villar Group that is set to conduct an initial public offering this year, will launch its fourth retail format focusing on the needs of contractors and builders.

All Home, according to the IPO prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, plans to introduce and roll out six AllBuilders stores in the second half of the year.

The retail format will enable All Home to capitalise on the the strong growth in the construction and housing market by offering a more extensive selection of hardware, tiles and sanitary wares, and construction materials.

“AllBuilders stores will primarily be located outside of Mega Manila, where we believe there is significant growth in construction activities and therefore demand for one-stop shop solution for a full range of construction related products in the coming years,” All Home said.

“We believe that contractors and builders’ bulk orders and higher transaction values will support our company’s growth,” it added.

All Home plans to spend between P42 million and P72 million to establish one AllBuilders store, which has net selling space of over 4,000 square meters.

All Home currently have three formats. The first is the large mall-based store, ranging from 2,902 sq. m. to 12,267 sq. m in net selling space with an average net selling space of over 9,000 sq. m. The second is the large free-standing store, ranging from 4,903 sq. m. to 9,369 sq. m. in net selling space with an average net selling space of over 7,500 sq. m.

The third is a small specialty store, ranging from 171 sq. m. to 696 sq. m in net selling space with an average net selling space of over 380 sq. m.

All Home last week filed an application with the SEC to raise as much as P20.7 billion through the IPO scheduled in September.

The company will offer up to 1.12 billion of primary and secondary shares with an over allotment of up to 168.750 million shares at an price of up to P16 per share.

All Home in the past three years registered a compounded annual growth rate in revenues of 44.8 percent to P7.19 billion in 2018 from P3.43 billion in 2016.

Net profit increased at a CAGR of 231.3 percent to P511.4 million in 2018 from ₱46.6 million in 2016.

The company during the period significantly improved its net income margins from 1.4 percent in 2016 to 7.1 percent in 2018. Jenniffer B. Austria

PSE eyes other options to lower brokers’ control THE Philippine Stock Exchange may ask stockbrokers owning five percent in the local bourse to sell their shares to the bourse.

PSE chairman Jose Pardo said in a chance interview over the weekend the move was one of the options that the local bourse was considering to comply with the 20-percent single industry ownership limit.

The Securities Regulation Code states that “no person may beneficially own or control, directly or indirectly, more than five percent of the voting rights of the Exchange and no industry or business group may beneficially own or control, directly or indirectly, more than twenty percent of the voting rights of the Exchange.”

Pardo said the exchange had identified the brokers whose ownership of the exchange exceeded the five-percent limit.

“Maybe we can compel them to sell their shares because it is a violation. We have already identified those brokers that have gone beyond the five percent,” Pardo said, Pardo said the PSE board of directors would meet this week to submit with the Securities and Exchange Commission the options on how the exchange could comply with the ownership limit.

“We are really committed to address that problem that has long been an issue with the regulators,” Pardo said.

“We hope that by the end of the month, we will be able to finalize and submit the options with the SEC because it has to be approved by our regulator,” he added.

The PSE earlier reported that broker ownership as of end February 2019 was at 26.44 percent.

PSE president and chief executive Ramon S. Monzon in April said the local bourse must issue about P5 billion worth of shares to bring down brokers’ ownership. Jenniffer B. Austria

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

Business/World

TODAY

B3

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Hong Kong bracing for fresh march

THE PROTEST GOES ON. Protesters gather at Victoria Park to participate in an antigovernment march in Hong Kong on July 21, 2019. Hong Kong is bracing for another huge anti-government march in the afternoon of July 21 with seemingly no end in sight to the turmoil engulfing the financial hub, sparked by years of rising anger over Beijing's rule. AFP

H

ONG KONG―Hong Kong is bracing for another huge anti-government march on Sunday afternoon with seemingly no end in sight to the turmoil engulfing the finance hub, sparked by years of rising anger over Beijing’s rule.

Confessions of a local tourist (or why Isko is my hero) not a pedestrian-friendly city. We rarely have streets with wide sidewalks lined trees, the canopies of reen iGht with which make for long, pleasant walks. Imagine taking a NOW that Mayor Isko Moreno walk along Orchard Road in Sinhas cleaned up Divisoria, Quia- gapore, the promenade around po, Lawton and other major areas Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, Avin Manila, I am excited to explore enue des Champs-Élysées in Parthese places more closely and is, or Unter den Linden (literally walk along now spacious streets under the linden trees) in Berlin. and side streets that had been It is also unfortunate that Manila virtually unpassable due to the Zoo is in such a sad state, and was proliferation of once-tolerated even closed down for being one of (or is it ‘once-protected’?) street the major polluters of Manila Bay. vendors. It had never occurred to I visited it a couple of years ago, me―prior to this massive clean- and could only hope that it can be up effort―to visit these places transformed into something like because I hate being in crowded the beautifully landscaped and areas, having lived most of my manicured Singapore Botanical life in the relatively spacious Garden, or Cologne’s Flora/Botanical Garden, which, in my opinion, suburban Parañaque.

Even during the past dozen or so is superior, given its natural, rustic years that I have lived in Manila, charm.

Now that Mayor Isko has shown I had limited my movement a few kilometers away from De La Salle political will in cleaning up and University where I work, quite of- developing the city, I am excited ten in Robinson’s Place in Ermita to see more of my home city. If where I go to the gym, and occa- his vision for a Manila City Walk sionally in one of the restaurants and the New Riverside Commerce in Adriatico, Malvar or Nakpil. sees light, then we will have someSometimes, I find myself in Chi- thing to rival New York’s Highline natown, along with colleagues or or Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon River Linear Park. friends, to go on a food trip.

Let me end by recounting how, It’s ironic that I had gone around Chatuchak Market of Bangkok when I lived for about six months thrice, but had been in Divisoria in Bangkok back in 2007, I enjust once way back in my college joyed taking the hop-on hop-off days; and that I had explored a boat trips along the Chao Phraya good portion of Central Park when River and even served as an unofI flew to New York City a few ficial tour guide for Filipinos who years ago, but had not even been visited the city when I was based to Arroceros Forest Park, which is there. We can easily get off several just a few meters away from the stops along the river to visit tourLRT Central Station. During my ist spots such as Wat Arun, Wat first trip to Singapore in 2009, I Pho, the Grand Palace and Khao took photos of the colorful facades San Road, among others. I look of the colonial buildings in the forward to the day―hopefully Civic District, but I haven’t even soon―when I can take my foreign walked along Escolta, the historic friends on a hop-on hop-off trip buildings of which, I am sure, de- on a Pasig River ferry, accompany them on a walk along a revitalized serve some attention.

Now that I am on a roll, I might Escolta, visit the renowned Black as well confess that while I have vis- Nazarene in Quiapo Church withited many museums during my trips out worrying about getting held up, abroad―among my favorites are the take a breather in Arroceros Forest Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Park, and proudly show them the and the Brooklyn Museum in New best that my birthplace and home York, the Seoul Museum of Art, the city has to offer.

German Sports and Olympics Museum in Cologne―the only Philip- Raymund B. Habaradas is a Full pine museum I have visited recently Professor at the Management and is the Ayala Museum, which is not Organization Department of the even in Manila. In 2012, I saw up Ramon V. del Rosario College of close the playful works of Andy Business of De La Salle University Warhol and the Louis Vuitton collec- (DLSU), and is the holder of the tion in the Hong Kong Musuem of Ambassador Ramon V. del RosaArt; in 2015, I marveled at the works rio Chair of Entrepreneurship. He of Pablo Picasso at the MoMA; but does research on corporate social I haven’t even found time to see initiatives, social enterpreneurJuan Luna’s Spoliarium in the new ship, and SME development. He National Museum, which was fea- is also a Fellow of the Social Entured in the LizQuen starrer Alone/ terprise Research Network (SERN) of DLSU. He welcomes comments Together.

Of course, I can always blame at rbhabaradas@yahoo.com. The my ‘sins’ to the fact that Manila views expressed above are the auis not a tourist-friendly city, given thor’s and do not necessarily reits terrible traffic and inefficient flect the official position of DLSU, public transport system. It is also its faculty, and its administrators.

RAYMUND B. HABARADAS

G

L

Iceland tops Europe as the most expensive

The city has been plunged into its once more for universal suffrage.

Yet there is little sign that either worst crisis in recent history by weeks of marches and sporadic violent con- Lam or Beijing is willing to budge.

Beyond agreeing to suspend the exfrontations between police and pocktradition bill there has been few other ets of hardcore protesters.

The initial protests were lit by a concessions and fears are rising that now-suspended bill that would have Beijing’s patience is running out.

Earlier this week the South China allowed extraditions to mainland Morning Post reported that Beijing China.

But they have since evolved into was drawing up a plan to deal with a wider movement calling for demo- Hong Kong, citing sources on the cratic reforms, universal suffrage and mainland.

But the details that were published a halt to sliding freedoms in the semisuggested little appetite to defuse autonomous territory.

In a city unaccustomed to such up- public anger over sliding freedoms heaval, police have fired tear gas and and instead focused on shoring up rubber bullets while the parliament support for Lam and the police.

A group of prominent activists from has been trashed by protesters―as Beijing’s authority faces its most seri- the leaderless movement read out a ous challenge since Hong Kong was video manifesto ahead of the march detailing protesters’ frustrations -- the handed back to China in 1997.

Sunday’s rally―which will follow same words that were read out during a now well-trodden route through the the July 1 storming of the legislature.

“For too long our government has main island’s streets―will be the seventh weekend in a row that protesters lied and deceived and refused to respond to the demands of the people have come out en masse.

Generally, the marches have passed despite numerous mass demonstraoff peacefully but are followed by vi- tions of the past month,” the activolence between riot police and small ists said.

“To compel the government to lisgroups of more hardcore protesters.

Security was tightened in the city ten to its people, we as citizens have center, with metal street fencing often no choice but to carry out occupations used by protesters to build barricades (and) non-cooperative campaigns.”

On Saturday, the establishment removed ahead of the march, and large water-filled barriers thrown up mustered its own supporters in their tens of thousands for a rally, a gatharound the police headquarters.

The huge crowds have had little ering that was covered in detail by luck persuading the city’s unelected Chinese state media and pro-Beijing leaders―or Beijing―to change tack newspapers in Hong Kong.

Few see a political solution to the on the hub’s future.

Under the 1997 handover deal with crisis on the horizon.

Steve Vickers, a former head of the Britain, China promised to allow Hong Kong to keep key liberties such police’s Criminal Investigation Buas its independent judiciary and free- reau before the handover who now runs a risk consultancy, said the pubdom of speech.

But many say those provisions are lic order situation would likely “worsalready being curtailed, citing the en” in the coming weeks.

“Polarization within Hong Kong disappearance into mainland custody of dissident booksellers, the society and intense acrimony between disqualification of prominent politi- protesters and police are deepening,” cians and the jailing of pro-democ- he wrote in a note to clients.

“The protests are settling into a patracy protest leaders.

Authorities have also resisted calls tern of peaceful demonstration culfor the city’s leader to be directly minating in deliberately orchestrated violence, before a lull in preparation elected by the people.

Protesters have vowed to keep their for the next ‘battle’.” AFP movement going until their core demands are met, such as the resUnified Multi-purpose ID, and Government Regional Trial Court Capital Judicial Region Employee ID, that she learned, however, ignation of city leader Carrie National that her date of birth has been erroneously Quezon City, Metro Manila stated in her Certificate of Live Birth Lam, an independent inquiry into Branch 223 as “16 February 1964” instead of “27 CORRECTION OF ENTRY IN September 1962”, as evidenced by her police tactics, amnesty and a per- INTHERE:CERTIFICATE Certificate of Live Birth; that to her surprise, OF LIVE BIRTH the Certificate of Live Birth issued to her OF LOLITA LUCIO REQUINALA manent withdrawal of the bill. indicated a different birth date; that the petitioner was unaware of such discrepancy; They have also begun calling LOLITA LUCIO REQUINALA, that she could no longer ask her parents of

REYKJAVIK―The hot springs of Iceland are not the only thing making tourists sweat, as a look at the hotel or lunch bill will tell you that most things cost more, sometimes much more, than anywhere else in Europe.

On the subarctic island, consumer prices were on average 56 percent higher than the rest of Europe in 2018, making Iceland the single most expensive country, ahead of Switzerland (52 percent), Norway (48 percent) and Denmark (38 percent), according to Eurostat data.

In order to avoid unpleasant surprises, Quint Johnson, had done “some research,” before traveling to Iceland from the United States for a week’s vacation with his family.

“But it’s been a little bit of a shock,” the 22-year-old student told AFP, having discovered the chilling rates for familiar items like a simple hamburger with fries and a beer.

A glance at the menu at an Icelandic restaurant will tell you that a plain cheese pizza will cost you around 2,400 kronor―almost 17 euros ($19).

A glass of wine will be at least 10 euros and a pint of beer costs about 7 euros.

“That’s a big price jump compared to what I’m used to,” Johnson said.

According to the consumer price comparison site Numbeo, a dinner for two in an average restaurant ends with a bill of about 85 euros, a bottle of wine in a shop is priced at around 17 euros, and a dozen eggs cost up to five euros.

A small population of 355,000 coupled with a high dependence on imported goods and high taxes on alcohol all help explain Iceland’s steep prices.

“Iceland is so small. So it’s very difficult to get the same NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC economies of scale as you have with companies in countries that This is to inform the are 100 times larger,” said Konpublic that Mr. Alexander rad Gudjonsson, chief economist at the Iceland Chamber of M. Madrona has been Commerce. appointed as a new Regulation also plays a part Corporate Secretary and imported products based on of Cirrus Global, Inc. things like raw eggs or unpasteurized milk face significant effective June 28, 2019. customs barriers.

Large fluctuations in the Manila Icelandic krona in 2016-2017 Standard NOTICE FOR THE SPECIAL MEETING FOR TODAY THE DISSOLUTION OF THE have also led to a general price PLX BAGS INCORPORATED increase.

Gudjonsson points out BOARD OF DIRECTORS: that there is also a “strong link Sunny Tan Jorg Reiner Kornblum between how expensive counSusan Cheung Jenette Simpao tries are and the standard of livMarites Diesta ing,” and Icelanders on average CORPORATE SECRETARY: do well for themselves.

In 2018, the median monthly Joanne C. Dabuit wage for someone working fulltime was 632,000 kronor before The Board of Directors and the Shareholders tax (about 4,450 euros), accord- of the PLX Bags Inc. is hereby notified that a special meeting will be held on August 15, 2019 ing to Statistics Iceland. at 9:00 am for the plan to dissolve the corporate So while the cost of living entity of PLX Bags Inc. can come as a shock to tour- The meeting will be held at: SFB No. 6, Lot 2, ists, the locals have the sala- Block 8, 2nd Street, Phase I, Freeport Area of Bataan, Mariveles, Bataan 2106 ries to match it.

“We have to take into account the level of wages in Iceland. This notice is in accordance with the Sec.118 of Here, we have one of the highest the Corporation Code. wages on average in Europe,” ______________________ said Breki Karlsson, chairman Corporate Secretary of the Consumers’ Association of Iceland. AFP (MS-JULY 22, 2019)

MS-JULY 15, 22 & 29, 2019)

Petitioner,

-versus-

SPEC. PRO. CASE NO. R-QZN-19-08417-SP

THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF QUEZON CITY, THE NATIONAL STATISTICIAN AND CIVILREGISTRAR GENERAL OF THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY, and all other persons who have or Claim to have an interest that would be affected, Respondents. x--------------------------------------------x

ORDER

the possible cause as they are already both deceased; that to avoid confusion and to put proper order the Certificate of Live Birth of the petitioner, it is necessary that the said error be corrected, as follows: Erroneously Entry Correct Entry Date of Birth: Date of Birth: 16 February 1964 27 September 1962 that the correction sought by the petitioner will not unduly prejudice the State or any third persons because the same would only reflect the true facts and circumstances concerning her status.

Petitioner prays that upon due notice, publication, and hearing, judgment be rendered directing the Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City and Civil Registrar General and National Statistician of the Philippine Statistics Authority to correct the entry of date of birth on the petitioner’s Certificate of Live Birth from 16 February 1964 to 27 September 1962.

WHEREFORE, finding the Petition sufficient in form and in substance, the same is given due course. Set the hearing of this case on October 18, 2019 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning at the Session Hall of this Branch of Court, on which date and time, any interested person may appear and show cause, if any, why the petition should not be granted.

Let this Order be published once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks, in a newspaper of daily circulation in the Philippines before the hearing to be selected by raffle pursuant to PD 1079, at the expense of the petitioner. Let also copies of this Order be posted at the lobby of (1) Quezon City Justice Hall, (2) Quezon City Hall and (3) Barangay Hall of the barangay where the petitioner reside, at least thirty (30) days prior to the scheduled hearing.

Let copies of this Order be furnished to the petitioner Lolita Lucio Requinala; the Office of the Solicitor General; the Office of the City Prosecutor; the Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City; and the National Statistician and Civil Registrar General of the Philippine Statistics Authority. The petitioner is directed to furnish the said government offices with a copy of the petition and its annexes within five (5) days from receipt of this Order and manifest to this Court his compliance therewith.

SO ORDERED. Quezon City, Philippines, June 14, 2019.

This is a verified petition for the correction of entry in the Certificate of Live Birth of Lolita Lucio Requinala dated June 6, 2019, filed by Lolita Lucio Requinala, through counsel.

Petitioner alleges that she is a Filipino, of legal age, married to Rogelio S. Requinala, and with residence at 4182 Diam St., General T. De Leon Street, Valenzuela City where she may be served with summons, notices, orders, and other court processes from this Court; that the respondent Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City is a government agency mandated by law to record and register data pertaining to the civil personality of persons such as birth, marriage, and other matters relative thereto and it may be served with summons, notices, orders and other court processes of this Court at Quezon City Hall, Diliman, Quezon City; that the respondent National Statistician and Civil Registrar General of the Philippine Statistics Authority is likewise impleaded as the central custodian of all records of births in the country and they may be served with notices, orders and other court processes of this Court at PSA Complex, East Avenue, Quezon City; that the petitioner was born on 27 September 1962 in San Francisco Del Monte, Quezon City; that her maiden name is Lolita Gulinao Lucio, as evidenced by her Baptismal Certificate; that the petitioner was born to parents Eusebio Lucio and Eugenia Gulinao; that her parents were married on 07 January 1962, as evidenced by their Marriage Certificate; that the petitioner’s parents are both deceased, as evidenced by the Certificates of Death; that throughout her life, petitioner knew that her date of birth is September 27, 1962, hence, in all her documents, transactions, and other dealings, she has been indicating September 27, 1962 (Sgd.) HON. CARIDAD M. WALSE-LUTERO as her date of birth, as evidenced by Copy Furnished: Presiding Judge her old Service Records, Personal Data THE OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL Sheets, Equivalent Record Form, Report 134 Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, on the First Day of Service of a Teacher, Makati City OF THE CITY PROSECUTOR and National Board Exam Rating; that OFFICE DOJ Building, Quezon City Hall Complex, in her government issued Identification Diliman, Quezon City CIVIL REGISTRAR Cards, she also indicated September 27, LOCAL Quezon City 1962 as her date of birth, as evidenced NATIONAL STATISTICIAN AND CIVIL by her Home Development Mutual Fund REGISTRAR GENERAL Statistics Authority Transaction Card, Professional Regulation Philippine PSA Complex, East Avenue, Commission (PRC) ID, Philhealth ID, Quezon City (MStandard-July 22, 29 & Aug. 5, 2019)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Life

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

FOOD

@MStandardLIFE

B4

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019

Light gets lighter LIGHTER. The new Emperador Double Light, which can be enjoyed neat or on the rocks, is made using imported brandies from Spain that spent time in Sherry casks and bottled at 23.5 percent ABV.

C

ITING the global trend in lifestyle drinking which finds young drinkers preferring beverages with lower alcohol by volume, Emperador introduces a lighter brandy for the global market.

The Emperador Double Light is a premium brandy described as having a “rich, smooth, and fruity” character. It is made using imported brandies from Spain that spent time in Sherry casks and bottled at 23.5 percent ABV (alcohol by volume).

According to the brandy giant, a significant portion of consumers around the world, mostly the younger generation of drinkers, is gradually preferring lower alcohol drinks as they grow a lot more mindful about certain health and wellness trends.

“With Emperador Double Light, we’re using our expertise to deliver a product that meets the growing number of consumers who wants a better drink and are keeping an eye on their alcohol intake.

The ‘lighter’ brandy is crafted to appeal to young consumers who enjoy the experience of bonding with friends over drinks with lower alcohol.

The global trend indicates consumers with a healthier lifestyle prefer lower alcohol, at the same time, drinking better quality products,” said Kendrick Tan, head of innovation at Emperador, which also owns Fundador brandy.

Emperador Double Light can be enjoyed neat, over ice, or as a long drink on a tall glass filled with ice.

“The Double Light is lighter than Emperador Light in alcohol and calories. It may be the lowest calorie spirit available in the market,” added Tan. He continued, “The product is very smooth yet delivers a full flavored brandy experience that is very enjoyable. It tastes fantastic—either straight, over ice, or served with lots of ice for a re-

SIP

freshing long drink. No need for sweet mixers and unnecessary sugar-intake.”

CJ Perea, head of brand, clarified that the new product is not for “heavy drinking outing.”

“Emperador Double Light is a product crafted to appeal to the growing trend of ‘younger, lighter’ consumers. It is for consumers who enjoy the experi-

Emperador Double Light is now available in leading supermarkets, convenience stores, grocery stores, and sari-sari stores nationwide in 750mL and 1L bottles.

Isla Sugbu Seafood City extends special paluto promo rates KUYA J Group-operated Isla Sugbu Seafood City is extending its special Paluto-All-You-Can rates at its McKinley Hill and Cebu branches.

Diners in Metro Manila can avail of promo rates for as low as P848 per head from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Mondays to Thursdays, and P888 per head from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m on Fridays, weekends, and holidays.

For dinner on Mondays to Sundays, diners can avail the discounted P888 per head from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

These rates are VAT inclusive but are still subject to 3 percent service charge. The promo is available until Aug. 31.

Regular rate at the McKinley branch is priced at P1,300 per head.

Meanwhile, diners in Cebu can avail

Creamy coffee, fruity tea

The new Colored Reusable Cold Cup comes in four fun colors each with a Starbucks green straw.

GIANT coffeehouse chain Starbucks makes a case for indulgent drinks as it launches four new items for a limited time starting July 23.

A coffee-forward beverage, the Double Ristretto Blended Cream is made with two ristretto (restricted in Italian) espresso shots poured over a rich and creamy ice blend which results in a smooth, strong Coffee Frappuccino.

Matcha lovers, meanwhile, are treated to White Chocolate Matcha Cream, crafted with the same smooth and creamy ice blend but with an aromatic dusting of pure matcha powder.

For those looking for a bold taste yet sweet beverage, Starbucks introduces the White Mocha Coffee Sphere Frappuccino blended with sweet and creamy white chocolate sauce. In between its layers are spheres bursting with intense and bold flavors of Starbucks Brazilian Coffee, and on top, the drink is finished with a dollop of its signature whipped cream.

Its new zesty and fruity tea drink, on the other hand, captures the flavors of summer. The Frozen Mango Hibiscus Tea with Pomegranate Pearls combines refreshing mango puree, citrus mint green tea, and a splash of hibiscus tea creating a beautiful marble-like cascade. With each sip, customers enjoy an extra zing with its jewel-like pearls that burst with pomegranate juice.

Matching the brightly-hued Frozen Mango Hibiscus Tea are the new Colored Reusable Cold Cups. The Philippine-exclusive cups are available in pastel pink, purple, blue, and orange with its own Starbucks green straw for only P100.

Further, Starbucks also launches the Frui-Tea Cold Cup Card with colorful illustrations of different fruits in the form of a Starbucks cup. It will be available for an initial activation amount of P1,000 per card.

ence and the moment of bonding with friends—the lower alcohol satisfies this social occasion,” explained Perea.

White Mocha Coffee Sphere Frappuccino

Double Ristretto Blended Cream

White Chocolate Matcha Cream

Frozen Mango Hibiscus Tea with Pomegranate Pearls

Isla Sugbu Seafood City’s special promo rates for its Paluto-AllYou-Can is available for fresh and live seafood, fresh meats, vegetables, and rice.

of the P797 rate from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. from Mondays to Sundays until July 26 only.

These rates are likewise VAT inclusive but are still subject to 3 percent service charge. Regular rate is priced at P1,200 per head.

Isla Sugbu Seafood City’s offer is available for fresh and live fish and catch of the day, fresh meats, vegetables, and rice.

The restaurant takes pride in its unique Paluto All-You-Can offering, in which diners can choose from its wide array of fresh and live seafood (excluding premium selection), and have it cooked to their liking, Go to www.seafoodcity.ph for more information.

State of the Nation Address 2019

Duterte to fflaunt launt achievements, discuss PH path th in 4 SONA

By Nat Mariano

A

LL eyes and ears will once again be on President Rodrigo Duterte as he "updates" the Filipinos about the country's situation in his fourth State of the Nation Address on July 22.

Just like in his previous SONAs, the President, who will speak in front of the lawmakers at the Plenary Hall of the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City, is expected to brag about his administration's achievements for the past three years.

As preparations are already underway, from the arrangements inside the session hall to management of traffic situations, the anticipation on what the President will say or refuse to talk about builds every minute.

WHAT TO EXPECT In the previous years, over 3,000 guests, donning business attires and Filipiniana, flocked to the Batasang Pambansa to personally hear Duterte's pronouncements.

House acting secretary-general Roberto Maling said the invited guests include lawmakers, Cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, members of the diplomatic corps, former presidents, and other special guests.

Former President Benigno Aquino III has already announced he will skip the SONA for the 4th year in a row. Vice President Leni Robredo, on the other hand, said she will attend the event.

Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and Davao City Vice Mayor Baste Duterte, who were present last year, confirmed they will not attend their father's special day. Sara said she remains on a medical leave, while Baste bared he was occupied with a regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Davao.

Continued on C3

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MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019 advertise@manilastandard.net

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MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor lgu@manilastandard.net

Our Lady of Fatima U opens 6th campus in Laguna city STA. ROSA, Laguna—June marked the inauguration of Our Lady of Fatima University’s sixth campus in Barangay Macabling here, and classes began on July 1, letting aspiring Fatimanians enroll in the “Home of Topnotchers.”

From its humble beginnings of a hospital with 25 beds turned into a training center for nurses and midwives, Our Lady of Fatima College transitioned into a university in 2002 and has continued soaring since.

Rising like a phoenix reborn in the Lion City of the South, OLFU Laguna offers the following programs: Bachelor of Science degrees in Medical Laboratory Science, Pharmacy, Psychology, Computer Science, and International Tourism Management.

OLFU has been an advocate of quality education for a reasonable price. With its vision of “Improving Man as Man,” the system now grants Laguna accessible quality education. Just like how OLFU’s Valenzuela Campus is now one of the top universities in the Philippines, Executive Vice President Don Augustus O. Santos envisions that OLFU Laguna “will become autonomous as well.”

University President Dr. Caroline Marian S. Enriquez said the number of campuses that will be built for OLFU

Cutting the ceremonial ribbon at the inauguration of Our Lady of Fatima University’s sixth campus in Sta. Rosa, Laguna are (from left) Dr. Vicente O. Santos Jr., president of Fatima University Medical Center; Enrico O. Santos, OLFU Board Member; Dr. Caroline Marian S. Enriquez, University President; Don August O. Santos, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; and Robert Bjorn O. Santos, Director of Alumni Affairs. OLFU Administrators later join the campus administrators, college deans, and department heads outside the main building of the new campus (inset).

Joy forms QC finance body

By Rio N. Araja

T

OWARD a better management of Quezon City’s fiscal affairs, Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered the creation of a finance committee.

“As stated in my inaugural address, the fiscal affairs of Quezon City must be guided by the principles of transparency, prudence and accountability,” Belmonte said.

She issued Executive Order No. 5 pursuant to Section 316 of Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991.

The finance committee members include City Administrator Michael Alimurung, Secretary to the Mayor Ricardo “RJ” Belmonte, City Treasurer Edgar Villanueva,

the city budget officer, and City Planning and Development Officer Pedro Rodriguez.

Belmonte tasked the finance committee to determine the city income as “reasonably projected as collectible for the ensuing fiscal year,” assist the 37-member city council in the review and evaluation of the city’s 142 barangays’ budgets and analyze the annual regular and supplemental budgets.

The committee shall also recommend the appropriate tax and other revenue

measures or borrowings which may be appropriate to support the budget; advise the mayor on the level of annual expenditures and the ceilings of spending for economic, social and general services based on the approved local development plans; and recommend to Belmonte the proper allocation of expenditures for each development activity between operating expenditures and capital outlays.

Belmonte also issued Executive Order No. 6 to pave the way for the creation of an education affairs department to strengthen the city’s education programs from early childhood to adult education.

“It is the declared policy of the city to give priority to education with the vision wherein citizens are prepared to pursue their dreams, positively par-

ticipate in society and compete in the global economy,” the order read.

Meanwhile, the Quezon City government is eyeing an increase of human milk donations in the third quarter of 2019 to benefit more babies.

Dr. Shahani Duque, the city’s human milk bank head, said her agency would implement measures to raise awareness and increase the number of qualified milk donors.

Over 550 lactating mothers have donated milk from April to June, she said.

Only 80 percent or 49,680 milliliters of the total 63,485 milliliters (ml) of milk donated passed the pasteurization test, however.

At least 13,800 ml have been found to be infected and were discarded.

Busy June for Carmen Copper A TREE growing activity, an eco-oriented art contest, a river cleanup, and a recycling challenge highlighted Carmen Copper Corp.’s celebration of Environment Month last June.

Some 1,200 seedlings were planted in 5,000 sq m of land as part of the company’s progressive rehabilitation program and in celebration of Arbor Day last June 25.

It was a clear demonstration of shared responsibility in protecting the environment after more than 100 volunteer employees, people’s organizations, local government unit and government agency took part in the activity.

Volunteers planted seedlings of acacia auricoliformis, a suitable species that can survive acidic soil and has more than 80 percent survival rate.

The Arbor Day tree growing activity formed part of the series of tree growing activities or progressive rehabilitation initiatives to be conducted to achieve the “race to one million” planted seedlings by 2024.

Carmen Copper targets to rehabilitate 15 hectares of land per year to achieve one million seedlings planted since 2007. The company has planted a total of 876,115 seedlings and shall plant 124,085 more within five years or by 2024. The company’s total reforested area since 2007 is 634 hectares.

On June 17, Carmen Copper successfully organized an eco-oriented art contest that aimed to raise awareness on the importance of tree growing among elementary pupils in Toledo City.

CHOPSTICK CREATIONS. Santa Rosa City Mayor Arlene Arcillas attends the

inauguration of the ‘Go Green Competition—Recycling Chopsticks to Handicraft as Livelihood’ and observes the work of a differently abled student under the joint program of the Persons With Disability Affairs Office and City Social Welfare and Development Office last July 15 at the City Hall Building B Lobby in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Roy Tomandao

will match the number of the Santos siblings, which own the school system.

The Santa Rosa campus is the sixth out of seven envisioned OLFU ampuses in the Philippines, she added.

Endless opportunities await students at the four-hectare Laguna campus. OLFU Santa Rosa’s first five-story building is filled with over 20 classrooms, the university library, and numerous laboratories (a mock hotel room, mock travel agency office, and science laboratories, among others) designed to give students firsthand experience of the future careers they would like to pursue.

With the remaining land surrounding the campus, five to six buildings are set to rise giving it endless opportunities.

Since OLFU is known to establish a hospital alongside their campuses, university president Enriquez said: “Manufacturing (plant) or hospital...or both? Who knows?”

Its recent ingauration ended with EVP Santos’ message to all parents and students who will make OLFU Santa Rosa their school of choice: “We’re very happy and we’re looking forward to provide education and service that we’ve been giving to our students [in other campuses] for the past 50 years. We look forward to serving more of them (students) in Laguna. We promise to give our best.”

Taguig cleaning drains, creeks to fight dengue

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Taguig City government is taking preemptive measures to protect and guard city residents from the threat of dengue.

Personnel from the city’s Solid Waste Management Office are clearing drainages and creeks to maintain the cleanliness of waterways in various barangays.

They are using heavy equipment for debris clearing operations and for the desilting and dredging of waterways so floodwaters may pass through them freely, the office said in a statement.

On Friday, the city’s Sanitation Office also conducted misting and larvicide operation in Barangay Lower Bicutan.

Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano said the program aims to eliminate dengue-carrying mosquitos and other insects that pose a danger not only to children but also to adults.

“The priority areas are schools and high population areas in the city,” the mayor said.

The Department of Health earlier declared a national dengue alert due to the rapidly rising cases of dengue in several regions of the country.

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said among the regions that have exceeded the epidemic threshold are Mimaropa (Region IV-B), Western Visayas (Region VI), Central Visayas (Region VII), and Northern Mindanao (Region X).

Several dengue cases were also reported in the province of Cavite.

IN BRIEF

Chinese officials visit Marcventures Las Piñas HS bldg. almost complete LAS Piñas City Mayor Imelda T. Aguilar and Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Nery recently inspected the school building at Gatchalian North, Barangay Manuyo Dos, which is nearing completion.

The four-storey building has 25 classrooms and will accommodate junior and senior public high school students. It is part of the Las Piñas City Government’s project of providing free and accessible education to its constituents.

The school will be operational by early next year. The project is a collaboration between the city government and the North Gatchalian Homeowners Association (HOA) Phase II-A. In photo with Mayor Aguilar (center-right) and Vice Mayor Aguilar-Nery (center-left) are City Councilors Rex Riguera, Boni Riguera, Boboy Dela Cruz, Rey Balanag, Peewee Aguilar, Gerry Sangga, Lord Aguilar and Ruben Ramos, Barangay Captain Mark Nery, and the officers of North Gatchalian HOA.

Smart employees clean-up LP coast EMPLOYEES from the Integrated Revenue Management–Mainstream Fraud, Compliance, Innovations and Solutions group of PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications recently organized a coastal cleanup activity at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area.

Composed of Freedom Island and Long Island, the critical habitat stretches more than 175 hectares. It is covered with mangroves, mixed beach forests, mudflats, ponds, lagoons, and salt marshes, and is said to be Metro Manila’s last coastal frontier.

It also hosts more than 80 species of resident and migratory birds, which come from as far as China, Japan, and Siberia.

KEY environment officials from China’s Lianyungang province recently visited the Marcventures Mining and Development Corp. headquarters in Makati City to observe how local businesses operate, particularly the key players in the mining industry.

Marcventures Holdings Chairman Isidro C. Alcantara Jr. highlighted to the visitors the contribution of mining to host communities and to the national economy, and how it advocates sustainable development. The LYG delegation was led by Yu Hong Yan, Vice Chairman of Central Committee of the Communist Party-Lianyun District.

In photo (from left) are Reuben Alcantara, VP for Marketing and Business Development, MMDC; Zhang Jie, Executive of Philua Shipping Inc.; Li Da Qiang, Head of Bureau of Ecology and Environment, Lianyun District, LYG; Rolly Santos, SVP for Finance, MMDC; Isidro Alcantara Jr., President, Marcventures Holdings Inc.; Yu Hong Yan; Zhou Chun Tai, Head of Environmental Assessment Office, Lianyun District, LYG; Cheng Yong, Director, LianDao Island, Lianyun District, LYG; and Gerry Lam, President, EZM Mining Enterprises.

State of the Nation Address 2019

MONDAY, JULY 22, 2019

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Rody unlikely to fulfill federalism, Chacha promise—analysts

By MJ Blancaflor

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will unlikely fulfill his promises that there will be an overhaul in our current political system and changes in the Constitution, analysts said.

In his three remaining years in Malacañang, a shift into a federal form of government is impossible and the proposed changes in the constitution will be a "hard sell," since the lawmakers will set their sights on the 2022 elections, the analysts added.

Federalism did not appeal to the public because even the administration was "never on the same page regarding federalism," Michael Yusingco told Manila Standard.

Yusingco, a senior research fellow of Ateneo School of Government, noted that the country's economic managers publicly opposed some provisions in the Federal Charter drafted by the consultative committee formed by the President.

Last year, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said the ambiguous and unclear provisions in the proposed draft Charter "could result in dire, irreversible economic consequences.”

"If the administration cannot offer unified and coherent messaging, then Filipinos will never fully comprehend their federalism initiative. Hence, Filipinos will be understandably unwilling to express full support for it," Yusingco said.

President Duterte himself was indecisive on pushing federalism, he added.

Duterte, the first chief executive from Mindanao, has made federalism

Duterte...

one of his major campaign promises in the 2016 elections, but it was only in 2018 when efforts to push for this new system of government went in full-swing.

It was only on July 9 last year that a Federal Constitution was drafted and handed to the President, with four years left on his clock until his term expires in 2022.

Ela Atienza, chairperson of the UP Department of Political Science, also said that the momentum of the federal shift was lost after the passage of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

BARMM, the autonomous entity which abolished the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, installed more power and resources, and a larger territory in that region.

The Bangsamoro region was made during the peace deal between the government and some Moro leaders, which pacified some of them, consequently weakened the call for federalism.

UP Political Science Professor Dennis Blanco also said that federalism will no longer push through because there was no public clamor and participation.

In a survey conducted last year

"planning a coup d’état on July 22." The President then quickly shot down his From C1 own son's claim, viewing it as a "wishful thinking."

Aside from the attendees, the The Chief Executive, however, bared Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra will that he would not take offense if his also perform at the event, reportedly allies in the supermajority will refuse to playing the national anthem "Lupang heed his "formula" on speakership.

Hinirang," as well as “Ikaw” by Freddie Presidential Spokesman Salvador Aguilar, one of Duterte’s favorite songs. Panelo then said the decision on who Moreover, award-winning television will be the next leader of the lower and movie director Joyce Bernal will chamber still depends on the members direct anew the President's 4th SONA of the House of Representatives. for the second time, bringing some Meanwhile, asked about the duration "creative surprises" this time around. of the SONA, Andanar told the public For his part, Presidential that they can expect Duterte's SONA to Communications Operations Office be at least 45 minutes long to one hour.

Secretary Martin Andanar said Duterte's Panelo also said Duterte will deliver 4th SONA would highlight the legacy of a "short" SONA as his alter egos in the the current administration and its path Cabinet have already reported some of for the next three years. the gains of his administration to the Andanar said the President will public through the Pre-SONA. likely discuss the government's efforts "The President will be discussing to reduce poverty, implement mega the achievements of his administration infrastructure projects, and bring peace on a particular year, and since the preand order programs.

SONAs are already doing that, I don’t "Number one, poverty alleviation, think he will have to repeat that,” Panelo bringing poverty rate down from 21 noted. to 14 and making the economy upper middle class by the end of his term.

Second would be the infrastructure projects," he said.

"And thirdly, there’s the peace and order highlighting the national task force to end local communist armed conflict, because you can never have progress without peace and order. And I think those three topics would be the focus of the President [in his speech]," he added.

Beyond the flaunting of the so-called "Duterte Legacy" and introducing the legislative agenda of the administration the next three years, the President will also "educate" the public on the constitutionality of the verbal fishing agreement he entered into with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October 2016.

Also, one of the most anticipated turn of events on Monday is the decision on who will be the next House Speaker of the incoming 18th Congress.

Duterte already gave his endorsement, saying that Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano will share the term with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco.

Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez, also a top contender for the post, was recommended by Duterte to become House majority leader.

Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte floated rumors that one of his father's three bets for speakership is

by the Social Weather Stations, only 37 percent of Filipinos support the shift to a federal system of government while only one out of four Filipinos are aware of what it is.

PRE-SONA FORUM The Palace had earlier announced that the fora, dubbed as "Tatak ng Pagbabago 2019," was a pre-SONA campaign allowing the six Cabinet clusters to inform the Filipinos on the long-run effects of the administration’s implementation of its respective packages of policies and programs, as well as triumphs in pursuing genuine and lasting change.

The three-part fora were a collaborative effort from six Cabinet clusters namely the Economic Development Cluster, the Infrastructure Cluster, the Participatory Governance Cluster, the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster, the Climate Change, Adaptation, Mitigation Disaster Reduction Cluster, and the Security, Justice, and Peace Cluster.

Over the past weeks, the six Cabinet clusters, which were divided into three groups, toured the country's major cities to speak about the Duterte administration's achievements.

The first forum, called “Patuloy na Pag-unlad” by the Economic

Last month, President Duterte scrapped federalism, saying it was unlikely to happen. He has since then pushed for charter change.

I n t e r i o r Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya of the InterAgency Task Force on Federalism and Constitutional Reform said in an interview that,

Development and Infrastructure Cluster was held last July 1 in Manila.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said the Philippines remains on track to hit its 7 percent economic target in three years with the acceleration of the infrastructure program 'Build, Build, Build,' the reform of the tax system, and other economic reforms.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia also said that the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has been fasttracking the "flawless" implementation of the national ID system.

On July 10, the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster, with the Participatory Governance Cluster, held their “Patuloy na Malasakit at Pagkakaisa” forum in Cebu City.

Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista reported the significant drop of poverty incidence in the first half of 2018 by 6.1 percent as compared to the same period in 2015.

According to the DSWD chief, more Filipino families were able to meet their basic food needs as subsistence

taking a cue from the President, the administration will instead push for reforms in the 1987 Constitution.

Among the proposed changes are banning political dynasties, reforming the party-list system, and strengthening political parties.

But analysts are also pessimistic that a Charter change will take into effect before the President steps down from the Palace.

Atienza, however, said that Duterte's allies in Congress may push for "smaller and incremental changes" in the Charter, especially that the President is still enjoying high trust and approval ratings.

incidence decreased also to 6.2 percent in the first half of 2018.

The 2nd leg of the fora also focused on the administration's policies in providing every Filipino people broader access to education, employment, healthcare and government services.

Meanwhile, the last forum, tagged as "Patuloy na Katatagan," was organized by the Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction Cluster and Security, Justice and Peace Cluster last July 17 at Davao City.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said that P10 billion will be invested to certain provinces which are vulnerable to climate change, hoping to provide investments for the development of agricultural and fisheries, environmental protection and management, and social welfare and livelihood, among others.

On the other hand, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana stressed the importance of pursuing modernization and enhancement programs to increase the capabilities of the country's police and military forces.

As Duterte's alter egos presented the gains of the Cabinet clusters to the people, Cabinet Secretary Karl Nograles hoped the fora will provide Filipinos with a clear picture of the Duterte administration's efforts.

“Collectively, these Pre-SONA briefings represent an extended version of the President’s SONA, a means by which our people can take a closer look at the details of the programs being implemented by a government that recognizes its duty to inform the public about everyting the President and his administration are doing for and on their behalf to improve their lives,” Nograles said.

He then vowed that they will make a "greater impact" during the remaining three years of the Duterte presidency.

"We all work together in our respective departments and we will come up with something that would have a great impact on the people,” he added.

Duterte’s 4th SONA came on the heels of the controversial Recto Bank incident and the passage of the Iceland-backed resolution before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

Despite the criticisms hurled at his administration, the President still continues to enjoy high approval and trust ratings from majority of Filipinos.

He even acquired his highest satisfaction rating so far in June.