Manila Standard - 2019 August 16 - Friday

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PAO CHIEF ACCUSED OF SCHEMING TO DEFRAUD GOV’T

By Rey E. Requejo and Rio N. Araja JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday said he will leave it up to the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the allegation of corruption raised against Public Attorneys’ Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta and forensics chief Erwin Erfe.

“On the request of some anonymous lawyers for an investigation, I will leave VOL. XXXIII • NO. 183 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Acosta

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‘China does unfriendly act’

Palace hits Sino ships’ passage without PH OK

PH workers’ deployment continues

By MJ Blancaflor

M

ALACAÑANG on Thursday expressed concern over the military’s report that Chinese ships sailed in country’s waters without informing the government, saying it was not “an act of friendship.

By Vito Barcelo DEPLOYMENT of workers to Hong Kong continues despite the mounting protests and civil disturbance in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory, the Department of Labor and Employment said Thursday.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the Labor department has yet to receive a recommendation from the Department of Foreign Affairs for a temporary deployment ban, even as the Philippine Overseas Labor Office is closely monitoring the situation.

He also directed labor officials in Hong Kong to provide him with periodic reports on the situation.

The Labor chief advised Filipino workers in Hong Kong to stay indoors and avoid going to areas where protests and tensions were concentrated.

“We urge our household service workers in Hong Kong to stay in their workplaces for the time being and avoid the streets where protests are held. We are closely monitoring the situation,” Bello said.

He also discouraged the Filipino migrants in the tourist country from wearing white or black shirts while on the

“We express concern with that kind of incident because, if they keep saying we are friends, I don’t think this is an act of friendship,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

He also said the conduct of Chinese vessels sailing unannounced may be a violation of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea. UNCLOS states that ships may pass through the territorial sea of a coastal state provided the passage will be “continuous and expeditious.”

The military reported that Chinese warships passed through Sibutu Strait in Tawi-Tawi with their automatic identification systems switched off.

Panelo assured the public that the Department of Foreign Affairs “will do something” about the incidents, including the filing of a diplomatic protest.

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‘Sin tax hike ensures fund for healthcare’

By Maricel V. Cruz THE enactment of the bill imposing additional excise taxes on alcohol products, heated tobacco and vapor products will guarantee that the funding gap for the implementation of the Universal Health Law, or affordable and better health care service for Filipinos, is addressed, House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez said on Thursday.

Romualdez, chairman of the House committee on rules, made the statement after the chamber approved on second reading Wednesday night House Bill 1026, which increases the excise tax rates on the Next page so-called sin products.

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RISING FEAR. Thousands of Chinese troops gather at the Shenzhen Bay stadium, including (inset) trucks and armored personnel carriers—bordering Hong Kong in China’s southern Guandong province on Thursday, raising anxieties and fear of military intervention in Hong Kong which has seen weeks of civil unrest. AFP

Chinese military holds parade near Hong Kong border SHENZHEN, China—Thousands of Chinese military personnel waving red flags paraded at a sports stadium in a city across the border from Hong Kong on Thursday, an AFP reporter witnessed.

Armored vehicles were also seen inside the stadium in Shenzhen, with the event taking place as concerns build that China may intervene to end 10 weeks of unrest in Hong Kong.

State-run media reported this week that the elements of the People’s Armed Police, which is under the command of the Central Military Commission, were assembling in Shenzhen.

Some of the personnel inside the stadium on Thursday had armed police in-

signias on their camouflage fatigues, according to the AFP reporter.

The security forces could be seen moving in formation inside the stadium, and occasionally running, while others rode around outside on motorbikes.

Outside the stadium—which is around 7 kilometers (4.5 miles) from Hong Kong—there were also dozens of trucks and armored personnel carriers.

“I don’t know why they’re here, but it could be related to Hong Kong,” a ticket vendor at the stadium told AFP. The People’s Daily and Global Times, two of the most powerful state-run media outlets, published videos on Monday of what it said was the PAP assembling

in Shenzhen.

The Global Times editor-in-chief, Hu Xijin, said the military presence in Shenzhen was a sign that China was prepared to intervene in Hong Kong.

“If they do not pull back from the cliff and continue to push the situation further beyond the critical point, the power of the state may come to Hong Kong at any time,” Hu wrote.

US President Donald Trump also said Tuesday American intelligence had confirmed Chinese troop movements toward the Hong Kong border.

“I hope it works out for everybody including China. I hope it works out peaceNext page fully, nobody gets hurt,

‘Corruption probe done in October’

By MJ Blancaflor

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will not interfere in the investigation of two Cabinet secretaries for their alleged involvement in corrupt activities—and does not even know who they are, the Palace said Thursday.

Greco Belgica, a commissioner of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, said Wednesday that two Cabinet members were being investigated over allegations of corruption.

Belgica declined to name the officials but said the investigation will be over in October since the officials have been cooperating with the probe.

“That agency, the PACC, it’s their duty to investigate. So, until such time they are done with findings, recommendation, the President will not know,” Panelo said in a press briefing.

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Rody takes up cudgels for LGBTQ+ PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte supports the passage of an anti-discrimination bill against the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community, Malacañng said

Gretchen Diez

Thursday.

“I remember the President expressed support for the LGBT one time,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters.

“I think he will support that kind [of measure] because he wants fair treatment to all.”

Panelo’s statement came after a transgender woman was barred from using the women’s restroom in a mall in Quezon City, which sparked calls for the passage of the measure aimed at protecting the LGBTQ+ from discrimination, known as the Equality bill.

The bill, which has been pending in Congress for two decades, prohibits denial of access to establishments, facilities, services and utilities, including a restroom.

Profiling, detention, verbal and physical harassment on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression Next page

FOGGY WEATHER. Benguet, including the pines-dotted city of Baguio, has been experiencing inclement and foggy weather, with public utility vehicles and private car drivers exercising extra precaution along the road as low fog aggravates visibility zero. Dave Leprozo

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News

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Maguindanao solon upbeat on massacre trial's outcome

By Maricel V. Cruz A LAWMAKER expressed optimism Thursday that justice will finally be served at the conclusion of the 10-year Ampatuan massacre trial on Nov. 23, 2009, “to provide peace to the families of the victims of the gruesome crime.”

Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu of Maguindanao, who lost his wife and two of his sisters in the killings, is praying for the conviction of all 197 accused in the case―even if 80 of the respondents are still at large.

“I pray that justice be rightfully served so that complete healing and forgiveness can finally set in,” Mangudadatu said.

“My heart and prayers also go to the families who lost their loved ones in the tragedy. Like them, there was never a day that I didn’t think about those who perished. I share their grief.”

On Nov. 23, 2009, the wife of Mangudadatu, her sister, lawyer and other relatives, and 38 journalists were on their way to Shariff Aguak to file his certificate of candidacy for the gubernatorial race in the 2010 local elections when armed groups attacked the victims, killing and even burying some of them alive on the orders of the Ampatuan patriarch, the late Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and his children.

Mangudadatu made the statement as Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said his department expected judgment to be rendered before the 10th anniversary of the massacre. He also said the prosecution panel had presented more than sufficient evidence to warrant a conviction―at least against the principal accused in the case.

Mangudadatu said all parties involved in the case had Aug. 15 to submit their respective memorandums or final position paper before the verdict was issued.

“While many of the families have gone weary and disenchanted that they will ever see justice, I, for one, believe that deliverance is in the offing,” he said.

“I have faith that God will hear our pleas and that we will receive the justice we have been searching for all these years.

This has been my birthday wish today.”

‘Sin tax...

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He thanked his fellow legislators for the swift passage of the measure.

“This will help additional funding to sustain PhilHealth coverage for all Filipino families, improve accessibility, affordability, and quality of health care, and provide a better outpatient benefit package, Romualdez said.

The House is expected next week to approve on third and final reading Package 2 of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program with the inclusion of heated tobacco and vapor products in its coverage.

Last Wednesday, the House approved House Bill 1026 in a viva voce voting.

The bill originally covered additional taxes on alcohol products.

The House committee on ways and means said the government was expected to generate P32.94 billion in revenues in the first year of implementation of the measure once enacted.

The Finance department estimates that the revenue from fermented liquor, or beer, is estimated to reach P24.7 billion; distilled spirits, P9.2 billion; and wines P40 million.

The revenue from the additional taxes on alcohol will finance the proposed Universal Health Care Act. Romualdez said the government needed P257 billion for the first year of the implementation of the UHC law in 2020.

“An equally important objective of the bill is to discourage the excessive consumption of alcohol products, especially among the youth,” Romualdez said.

“Excessive alcohol drinking leads to diseases like cirrhosis of the liver and pancreatitis, among others. Moreover, alcohol-drinking leads to bad behavior like drunk driving and domestic violence.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Joey Salceda of Albay, chairman of the House ways and means committee, said the passage of HB 1026, or the Package 2 Plus B of the CTRP, would generate P17 billion in revenues, which was lower than the version of the Finance and Health departments.

“I have to stand for the House version.

If they [Finance] want a higher tax they should come back here and justify it,” Salceda said.

“But if the bicameral comes up with a higher rate, then I have to justify it to the members and leadership of the House... it happens many times that the House approves lower and the Senate approves higher, and we ended up something in the middle which is usually higher than the House.

PH-based 8chan told to testify in US W ASHINGTON—The US Congress subpoenaed the owner of 8chan Wednesday, 11 days after a Texas man posted a racist screed on the website just before massacring 22 people in El Paso.

last six months,” the committee said in a statement.

“We have questions on what is being done to counter this trend so we can be sure it is being properly addressed.”

The subpoena was issued after Watkins indicated to the committee that he would not testify voluntarily in person.

“I am always available to talk to you by telephone,” he told the committee in an email posted on 8chan’s Twitter account on Aug. 6.

Watkins defended the website last week, attacking efforts to shut it down by denying it a host online, and insisting it had not broken any laws.

“It is actually sinister behavior. Ours is

one of the last independent companies that offer a place you may write down your thoughts free from having to worry about whether they are offensive to one group or another,” he said in a video uploaded to YouTube.

8chan—the “8” originally from the mathematical symbol for infinity—is popular with right-wing extremists, misogynists and conspiracy theorists.

Patrick Crusius, the 21-year-old who attacked an El Paso Walmart on Aug. 3, posted a long statement on 8chan attacking non-whites and racial mixing.

Both he and the Poway murderer made reference to the Christchurch killer and his 8chan-posted manifesto. AFP

The House Committee on Homeland Security demanded website owner Jim Watkins, a US citizen who lives in the Philippines, to testify before it on Sept. 5 as part of work on how to counter extremist content online.

The site has become known for carrying content and discussions from the far right.

So far this year, the manifestos from three mass shooters have been posted on 8chan:

the white supremacist who slaughtered 51 at mosques in New Zealand, an anti-Semitic man who attacked a California synagogue, killing one, and the El Paso gunman, who targeted Hispanics.

“In recent years, violent extremist content has proliferated on both large and small social media platforms. At least three acts of deadly white supremacist extremist violence have been linked to 8chan in the

‘Corruption...

Belgica said.

The PACC already has possession of documents proving anomalies within the PCSO, Cam said Thursday.

“PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica already has in his possession all the documents to prove corruption in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office [PCSO] since May 2019,” Cam said in a statement.

Cam explained that Duterte asked for the documents himself when they met in Tokyo, Japan last May during the President’s official visit.

She said she handed the documents to Senator Christopher Go, who himself turned them over to Belgica.

“President Duterte and I met in Tokyo.

He asked me for proof. I then gave him the documents that proved that there is corruption in PCSO,” Cam said.

“He then asked me to hand over these documents to Senator Bong Go and the latter gave these documents to Commissioner Belgica who is in charge of the investigation,” she added.

Cam said she is also ready to bare more details about corruption in PCSO in a

Senate or House inquiry.

She earlier said she possessed documents, which could prove that officials, including retired military generals, were involved in corruption at the PCSO. On Wednesday, Belgica said Cam is allowed to submit her evidence to the PACC, noting that she was the first to call out corruption in PCSO. “She will be allowed to submit the evidence to us, to the President, to the Ombudsman and we will welcome that,” Belgica said in a Palace briefing.

“So, we are interested to hear what she has, not to take it as the truth, but to investigate and allow it to go into the process,” he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a halt to all gaming operations under the PCSO on July 26 over alleged “massive corruption” within the agency.

On July 30, Duterte lifted the suspension of PCSO lotto operations but other gaming operations such as small town lottery, Keno, and Peryahan ng Bayan remain suspended pending investigation. With PNA

as well as grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, grave abuse of authority and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of public service.

Garrido also said Acosta and Erfe has no authority to just create the forensic laboratory.

Both Garrido and the unidentified PAO lawyers and employees want Acosta suspended.

The DOJ chief though said Acosta told her the creation of the forensic laboratory was done with the approval of the Department of Budget and Management.

“She mentioned that to me in passing that the creation of the forensic laboratory was with the approval of the DBM. Presumably it was done before it operated, but the thing is, there is a DBM approval for that,” Guevarra said.

The PAO forensic laboratory hogged the limelight last year when it started the forensic investigation on the cause of deaths of children inoculated with the controversial anti-dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia, made

by French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi Pasteur.

Acosta on Thursday slammed accusations of using the probe of cases of Dengvaxia-related deaths for her personal interest.

She said the manifestation for intervention filed by anonymous senders was “fake news,” and part of a demolition job to silence her and stop the filing of criminal charges against former and active Health officials before the Justice department.

Those behind the unsigned complaint could be held liable for falsification of documents “using the name of PAO,” she added.

Relatives of children who died after receiving the Dengvaxia vaccine in a school-based mass immunization program of the Department of Health filed multiple counts of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide against ex-Health secretary and now Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, Philippine Children’s Medical Center director Julius Lecciones, other former and active health officials, and executives of Sanofi Pasteur Inc. and the vaccine distributor, Zuellig Pharma Corp. before the Department of Justice.

He also said he might raise the issue of the warships with Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua who invited him in a dinner.

The DFA recently filed three diplomatic protests over the passage of Chinese survey ships and warships, swarming of Chinese ships around Pag-asa Island, and the ramming by a Chinese vessel of a Filipino fishing boat in Recto Bank.

Panelo agreed with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana who had previously criticized China’s aggressive stance in Panatag Shoal, calling it “bullying.

“With respect to what Secretary Lorenzana said that when you drive away fishermen from our EEZ [exclusive economic zone], I agree with him when he says that’s bullying,” Panelo told Palace reporters President Duterte will go to China later this month, saying he would invoke the 2016 arbitral ruling, which favored the Philippines.

The Palace has yet to release details of the upcoming meeting.

Zhao had previously said China would not change its position over its South China Sea claims.

On Thursday, Panelo said neither would the Philippines.

“But it doesn’t mean that as friends, we cannot discuss that issue. It has to be discussed, that is precisely why there is a mechanism for negotiation,” he said.

Also on Thursday, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno asked the Supreme Court to allow the withdrawal of their petition for a writ of kalikasan that they had filed on behalf of several fishermen, after most of them withdrew their petition.

The writ would have compelled the administration to protect the marine resources in Philippine territorial waters, including the West Philippine Sea. With Rey E. Requejo

handover to China from Britain in 1997.

Hong Kong allows far greater civil liberties than those on the mainland, but the protesters say those freedoms are eroding as mainland Chinese interference grows.

The protests, which have become increasingly violent and led to Hong Kong’s airport being paralyzed for two days this week, have become the biggest threat to China’s rule since the handover.

The Chinese military has not interfered in Hong Kong since the handover but it can should it be called on by the city’s

government to maintain “public order.”

James Char, a military expert at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, said the deployment to Shenzhen was both to project an image of domestic strength as well as “a carefully calculated message to the protesters to think twice about growing or continuing with their recent intensified demonstrations.”

“We can be certain the regime understands that sending in troops to Hong Kong will inflame the protests and

the protesters’ anti-China grievances,” he said.

The PAP are in charge of “handling riots, turmoil, seriously violent, criminal activities, terrorist attacks and other societal security incidents”, the People’s Daily said in text accompanying its video on Monday.

Chinese authorities have on two occasions this week linked violent protests in Hong Kong to “terrorism”. They have consistently described protesters as “rioters.” AFP

PAL said in a statement.

Airport operations in Hong Kong were disrupted on Monday and Tuesday nights after thousands of pro-democracy protesters occupied the facility, grounding flights and leaving passengers stranded.

PAL advised all passengers entering Hong Kong International Airport to present their valid identification, passport and boarding pass.

It also urged the passengers traveling out of Hong Kong to be at the airport three hours before the flight departure time.

PAL is also temporarily suspending selling tickets at the airport.

“In view of tightened security measures and access control into the passenger terminal building, Hong Kong Airport Authority has advised all airlines to cease ticket sales at Hong Kong International Airport,” it said.

The latest advisory from Hong Kong is part of increased security measures being implemented by the airport authority to control access into the airport premises.

All airport access points are manned

by Hong Kong Aviation Security and the local police together with airline staff and ground handling agents to assist the screening process.

Senator Nancy Binay urged the Department of Foreign Affairs and Philippine Overseas Employment Agency to act quickly to ensure the safety of Filipinos working in the city.

She called on the agencies to “prepare for the worst” and activate their contingency plans as soon as possible so that Filipinos do not become casualties if violence breaks out.

Senator Cynthia A. Villar on Wednesday urged the 240,000 Filipino workers in Hong Kong to just stay home to ensure their safety amid the ongoing chaotic situation on the island. With Macon Ramos-Araneta

janitress to a women’s comfort room.

Diez, who appeared to have been held inside the mall, recorded the incident live on Facebook and earned support from netizens.

Panelo said the incident was a clear violation of Quezon City’s Gender Fair Ordinance.

“There is an ordinance to respect them, so what happened to the transgender was a violation, he said.

Malacañang also appealed to the public to respect the rights of those who identify themselves as LGBTQ+.

The Philippine National Police also weighed in on the issue, urging establishments and government offices to put up gender-sensitive comfort rooms as part of the efforts to promote equality in all fields of social activity and to fight

discrimination.

“Do you have a gender-sensitive CR? I encourage everyone, from the private sectors to all government offices, to put up restrooms like this as a sign of respect to the rights of everyone, regardless of gender, PNP Human Rights Affairs Office Chief Dennis Siervo told reporters.

For his part, Senator Christopher Go vouched for the passage of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression Equality Bill.

“I support this, said the neophyte senator who noted that in Davao, they had the Anti-Discrimination ordinance to safeguard the rights of the Davao’s LGBT community.

Meanwhile, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte called for a meeting with

the city’s Pride Council to ensure that the Gender Fair Ordinance is properly implemented.

“This Friday, we will meet with the council to hear the sentiments of the members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning community if they feel the ordinance is being enforced,” she said.

As for same-sex marriage, Duterte has no clear stance on the matter.

He initially declared his opposition to gay marriage, but he expressed support for same-sex unions in 2017.

However, in a meeting with the Filipino community in Japan last May, Duterte joked that he once managed to”cure” his homosexuality. MJ Blancaflor, Macon

From A1

The Palace also distanced itself from the investigation.

“He does not interfere in the function of any department, agency or office,” Panelo told Manila Standard in a text message.

Belgica said one of the complaints was filed by an official from the Cabinet secretary’s department while the other was submitted by a private citizen.

PACC is also conducting a lifestyle check on 200 officials from the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Department of Transportation, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

Former PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan and ex-board member Sandra Cam, who resigned from their posts because of corruption issues, were also included in the PACC lifestyle check,

PAO...

From A1

it to the Office of the Ombudsman,” Guevarra said, in an interview on the sidelines of the Justice Sector Coordinating Councils principal’s meeting at the New World Manila Bay Hotel.

Guevarra made the statement after PAO lawyers and employees accused Acosta and her allies in the financial and management service of systematic scheme to defraud the agency by allegedly doctoring purchase orders to make more funds available to her.

The PAO lawyers and employees did not identify themselves in the statement, saying they fear reprisal from Acosta.

They alleged that Acosta and Erfe created the PAO forensic laboratory without authorization from Congress.

The statement was filed as an intervention in support of a complaint filed im May by lawyer Wilfredo Garrido accusing Acosta and Erfe of graft, falsification of public documents, malversation of public funds, illegal use of public funds or property,

Chinese...

From A1

nobody gets killed,” Trump said.

‘Public order’ Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese city, have staged 10 weeks of relentless protests to demand greater rights and liberties.

The Asian financial hub has been governed under a “one country, two systems” legal framework since its

PH...

From A1

streets to avoid being mistaken as protesters and prevent untoward incidents.

Philippine Airlines, meanwhile, resumed normal commercial operation to Hong Kong on Thursday following a day of flights cancellation due to protest actions at the airport there.

“The resumption by PAL of full operations to and from Hong Kong comes after the Hong Kong International Airport Authority implemented tightened security measures within the airport premises,”

Rody...

From A1

will also be banned if the bill becomes law.

The proposed measure also penalizes denial of health service and government license on the basis of SOGIE. The House of Representatives approved the bill in 2017, but the Senate failed to pass the measure in the 17th Congress.

Asked if President Duterte would certify the bill as urgent, Panelo said: “I will ask him when we talk again.”

The call for the passage of the bill stemmed from an incident in Cubao, Quezon City, where transgender woman Gretchen Diez was denied entry by a

’China...

From A1

Ramos-Araneta, Rio N. Araja and PNA

News Subic raid nets drug group leader, 19 others CAMP OLIVAS, PAMPANGA— Government anti-narcotics agents busted Wednesday a well-entrenched Omar Drug Group following the arrest of its leader and 19 members during raids at Barangay Calapacuan, a bailiwick of illegal drugs trafficker situated in Subic, Zambales, top official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement 3 said yesterday.

PDEA3 regional director Gil Pabilona said operatives also crashed four drug dens being maintained by the ring. He said his men simultaneously raided the houses, on the strength of search warrant issued by different courts, occupied by illegal drugs personalities which led to their arrest.

A total of 60 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) with an estimated street value of not less than P500,000 was seized from different houses specifically situated at Purok 6-B Muslim area.

Baranag Calapacuan had been the target of illegal drugs operations by both the police and military due to reports that the gang is untouchable. A number of policemen have been killed during previous raids, police records showed.

In his report to PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino, Pabilona identified some of the prominent personalities of Omar Drug Group arrested as Sarah L. Salaman, 36; Norissa S. Asandi,24; Ritchie S. Asandi, 34; Randany T. Tiamsing, 40; and Quezon S. Udjali, 24, all residents of said village.

“Prior to the implementation of three search warrants, joint elements of PDEA3, Zambales Provincial Intelligence Branch and SWATRegioanal Mobile Force Branch conducted a drug sting in the said area which signaled the simultaneous raids and arrest of other 15 drug personalities,” Pabilona said.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Five PNP senior officials assigned to new posts F IVE senior officials were included in the latest round of reorganization in the Philippine National Police which takes effect Thursday (Aug. 15).

PNP chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde approved the new designations upon the recommendation of the PNP Senior Officers Placement and Promotion Board.

Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Biay, former director of the Civil Security Group, was named the new head of Directorate for Research and Development.

Biay was replaced by Brig. Gen Roberto Fajardo, former head of the PNP Highway Patrol Group.

Brig. Gen. Eliseo Cruz, Southern Police District director, has been designated as HPG acting director, while Eastern Police District director Brig. Gen Nolasco Bathan replaced Cruz as SPD director.

Brig. Gen. Johnson Almazan will be the district director of EPD. He was formerly assigned as acting executive

officer of Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Visayas.

Meanwhile, Col. Alexander Sampaga was named the new acting executive officer of DIPO-Visayas.

Also on Thursday, the National Capital Region Police Office confirmed a reshuffle of the chiefs of police of the cities of Pasig and Mandaluyong.

NCRPO chief, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said Col. Moises Villaceran will be the acting Pasig City chief of police, replacing Col. Rizalito Gapas who is expected to be assigned as a provincial director.

Replacing Villaceran as the acting chief of police of Mandaluyong City is Col. Remigio Sedanto.

“For the COPs, the one in Pasig is set to be promoted as a provincial

director. The one in Mandaluyong has served for almost two years so we will transfer him to Pasig. He is good. It’s needed for command guidance. Also included are the district directors in SPD and EPD, it’s a normal career move,” Eleazar said.

Villaceran, meanwhile, said he is honored to be COP of Pasig, stressing that he will focus on battling crimes against property in his new post.

“Generally, it’s a career move.

It’s a challenge to you to prove your worth and it’s an honor to be given a big area of responsibility. I’ve been in Mandaluyong for one year and 10 months. The problem in Pasig is primarily crime against property, akyat-bahay, robbery holdup, ridingin-tandem and motorcycle theft. We will focus on that and second, the illegal drugs campaign of the national government,” Villaceran told reporters at the 45th EPD anniversary program on Thursday.

Villaceran is set to make a courtesy call on Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto this week. PNA

‘Dig deeper into Chinese’s death’ SENATOR Joel Villanueva on Thursday asked labor officials to dig deeper into the circumstances surrounding the death of a Chinese national last week in Las Piñas City.

He said the death merits a closer scrutiny by labor inspectors who should also assess if the victim’s employer complies with pertinent labor standards and regulations.

Villanueva, chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resource Development, likewise called on the Department of Labor and Employment to dispatch an inspection team to verify if foreign workers at the victim’s employer obtained proper employment permits and if the employer’s operations are legitimate and compliant with labor laws and other regulations.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

US Embassy warns vs. visa, job scams FILIPINOS seeking for visa at the United Embassy in Manila should be careful in dealing with scammers promising successful visa applications, and even overseas jobs.

In a press conference on the embassy’s anti-fraud campaign, Consular Section, Fraud Prevention Manager Leon Gendin warned that scammers would usually “use a variety of social media platforms to push their message to attract their potential customers.”

“The common typical scam involves a scammer who claims to have some influence over visa processes or visa service that the US Embassy provides,” Gendin noted.

The embassy official also said that scammers would also advertise “too good to be true employment offers.”

Rey E. Requejo

No to more cops in schools—solon A LEADER of the House of Representatives on Thursday urged the Philippine National Police to reconsider proposals to increase police visibility in university and college campuses around the country, saying that such a move is unwarranted and inconsistent with the purpose of higher learning institutions.

Rep. Fidel Nograles of Davao City, vice chairman of the House committee on justice, made the statement after Interior Secretary Eduardo Año issued a statement saying that Executive Order 70, which creates the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict, justifies the PNP’s presence in schools and universities as part of their plan to counter insurgency. Maricel V. Cruz

DIPLOMATIC VISIT. House Majority Leader and Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez (right) receives a token of appreciation from New Zealand Ambassador David Strachan (left) during a courtesy call and short meeting Wednesday at the House of Representatives. Strachan offered to Romualdez their new constructed warehouse in Tacloban City to be used free in case of evacuation and relief operation during strong typhoons. More than 1 percent of the population of New Zealand are Filipinos.

Ver Noveno

Labor groups slam DOLE’s ‘anti-endo’ bill version

By Vito Barcelo LABOR groups on Thursday criticized the Department of Labor and Employment for drafting a new version of the proposed Security of Tenure without consulting the labor sector, and instead called for the passage of a “strong, effective, and pro-worker” SOT Bill in the 18th Congress, after President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed a version of the measure passed by Congress in the 17th Congress.

The Partido Manggagawa, Federation of Free Workers, Sentro ng Progresibong Manggagawang Pilipino, the National Union of Bank Employees and the National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU) claimed DOLE’s new SOT version is a weak measure that would not really address contractualization or “endo”.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that the new version of the proposed SOT bill will be passed by the 18th Congress and eventually signed by the President into law within the year.

Bello said the DOLE technical working group will meet with representatives from the Department of Trade and Industry and other concerned agencies for inputs in the executive department’s version for submission to Congress.

“We will first meet with the concerned agencies to hear out their concerns and recommendations and hopefully, by the end of the month we can submit our improved version to Congress,” the labor chief said during a media forum in Malate, Manila.

At the same time, Bello said he is pushing for broader authority to close down or suspend operation of erring establishments for non-compliance and violation of labor standards, and deprivation of the rights of workers.

He said the measures were necessary to ensure strict compliance of general labor standards by the more than 900,000 business establishments in the country.

“In this new version of the proposed bill, a provision states that the labor department can release an order for the closure or suspension of an establishment should they be proven to continue violating labor standards,” Bello said.

However, Bello assured the public that the powers given to DOLE will not be abused because only the labor chief can sign an order to close or suspend erring enterprises.

“Regional Directors can only recommend such closure or suspension of an establishment upon presenting evidence and only the labor secretary can sign the order. We will not tolerate any abuse of authority in the department,” Bello said.

The proposed bill is expected to be discussed in the upcoming Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council meetings.

He said the measures were necessary to ensure strict compliance of general labor standards by the more than 900,000 business establishments in the country.

Pag-IBIG Fund launches Loyalty Card Plus PAG-IBIG Fund has launched an improved version of the popular PagIBIG Loyalty Card.

Now called the Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card Plus, the Fund’s discount and rewards card comes with the added feature of a cash card, top executives announced recently.

“The new and improved Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card Plus can now be used as a cash card where borrowers can receive the proceeds of their multipurpose loans, MP2 dividends, and other benefits. It’s easier because they don’t have to wait for checks to clear

anymore and the proceeds of the loan can be withdrawn in ATMs. This is a welcome addition to our existing cash cards available to members applying for multi-purpose loans. It’s one of our many ways to simplify our processes and hasten the delivery of service as we continue to heed the call of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for government to use electronic means to achieve faster transactions,” said Secretary Eduardo D. del Rosario, Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees.

Poe seeks probe of banks’ plan to hike ATM fee

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Grace Poe on Thursday vowed to immediately look into the plan to increase the fees for automated teller machine transactions, saying it would further burden the hard-up Filipino workers.

Poe, chairman of the Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies, said the panel is prepared to conduct a public hearing on the matter upon referral of measures to the committee, including Senate Resolution No. 96, which she filed.

“The interest on savings is small and yet, the deductions on balance inquiry up to withdrawal is big,” Poe said.

Meanwhile, Senator Lito Lapid called on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to consider the plight of ordinary workers whose salaries would be affected by higher ATM fees as requested by banks.

He said the Central bank should not further burden the public at large, particularly the workers. He added that the increase could dissuade people from putting their money in banks.

FINALISTS. The entries of IACADEMY students Aldrich Rivera, Betina

Mascenon and Justine Mallari (shown in photo), made it to the finals as Adobe Top Talent 2019 of the Adobe Design Achievement Awards, an annual global digital media competition for students and emerging creators. The ADAA 2019 Top Talent list was released, Aug. 14.

Their entries made it to the finals of the competition out of 10,121 entries from all over the world.

Rivera’s thesis project is called BAHAGI, an activity kit that encourages play therapy to promote a parent and child’s relationship. The activity kit is designed to encourage and practice active parenting, while Mascenon and Mallari’s STRAYS, is a short animated film that aims to mirror current Filipino society and inspire the audience to reflect on the value of human life. iACADEMY is one of the first to offer game changing design programs in the Philippines. The school specializes in programs like Animation, Multimedia Arts, Fashion Design, and recently they added Film and Visual Effects among its roster of programs under the School of Design.

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Opinion

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019

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Swords at 10 paces CHINESE warships are again in our territorial waters. They were sighted on the Pacific side of Davao. The Department of National Defense said they were survey ships possibly plumbing the ocean depth for oil, gas and minerals. This is a serious breach of the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Why are we so deferential to the Chinese?

For As usual, the Department of Fordiplo eign Affairs said it would file a diplomatic protest against China through its embassy in Manila. Expect the Chinese Embassy to ignore the protest or answer it in a most dismissive manner. Why? Because our diplomatic protest lacks the verve. It’s like challenging someone to a duel with swords at 10 paces.

A diplomatic protest is a form of weapon in diplomacy when the host government is not pleased with the actuation if the foreign government or its ambassador committed a brazen act against diplomatic protocol that he is declared persona non grata.

Why are we so deferential to the

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Chinese ambassador? Is it because President Rodrigo Duterte is a close friend of Xi Jinping?

President Duterte is making another trip to China. Will he talk about the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling that is favorable to the Philippines? Other Asean countries with conflicting claims in the South China Sea is closely watching the Philippines-China talk.

So are Filipinos who want to see Digong get out of Xi’s embrace and assert the country’s sovereignty.

Duterte is halfway into his sixyear term. Will he make up for past mistakes to leave a legacy for which the people will remember him well?

I for one would like to see Duterte succeed in the next three years. He is after all the first local official—as Davao City mayor—to make it all the way to the presidency. Usually in this country, presidential timber come from the Senate. Hence, we had the likes of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Joseph Estrada and Noynoy Aquino. *** In the United States, more than 20 candidates from the Democratic party debated nationwide. The US has yet to elect its first woman president. Watching the women debate gave me sense that US will finally have its first woman president, as it did when it elected John F. Kennedy its first Catholic president and Barack Obama first black president.

Giving the Democrats a lift to win is President Donald Trump’s contentious policy on immigration and trade barriers.

Bulakan airport

T

HE government must encourage the construction of a new modern airport to replace the Ninoy Aquino International Airport that has long outlived its usefulness.

Increased domestic and foreign flights have recently overwhelmed NAIA, given its limited space and runways, resulting in air traffic congestion and delays in the arrival and departure of planes. Plans to upgrade NAIA may not suffice to meet the increasing number of both local foreign air passengers. Such upgrade can only be an interim solution and does not offer a viable, long-term answer to airport congestion.

The proposal of conglomerate San Miguel Corp. to construct a new airport in Bulakan, Bulacan province appears to address the physical limitations of NAIA. The Department of Transportation just issued the notice of award to San Miguel, which has pro-

posed to build the P734-billion Bulacan International Airport project just north of Metro Manila.

The department, in giving the gosignal to San Miguel, noted that the new airport would help decongest NAIA, while providing the traveling public a world-class facility and connectivity options. The new airport, as promised by the proponent, will be a modern facility that will hopefully transform the sleepy town of Bulacan into a bustling metropolis and a new gateway to Metro Manila and northern Luzon provinces.

San Miguel has tapped the services of global firms Groupe ADPi, Meinhardt Group and Jacobs Engineering to design and build the New Manila

International Airport. All three companies were involved in building world-class airports, including Changi Airport in Singapore, Atlanta Airport in the US and Charles de Gaulle Airport in France.

The new airport can be a catalyst to the development of more infrastructure projects in Central Luzon. The NMIA, for one, will include the construction of an 8.4-kilometer tollway that will connect it to North Luzon Expressway in Marilao, Bulacan.

Moreover, with a design capacity of 100-million passengers annually and airside facilities with a configuration of four parallel runways, the airport is expected to boost the tourism potential of the coastal town and neighboring municipalities.

The new airport, in sum, will create new economic activities in the Bulacan stretch of Manila Bay, and greatly decongest Metro Manila.

The insurgency revisited

IT SEEMS that the reach of the Manila Standard extends well beyond those readers who read the hard copy daily, as many more get their fill of the news through social media. Last week, I received an e-mail from Lt. Col. Sir Byron de Ocampo (yes, the “Sir” is part of his first name, not a title of respect), commander of the newly established Civilian-Military Operations Group of the Philippine Air Force saying that they had read in social media three of my columns on internal security threats, and asked whether I would be available to talk on the topic before their personnel. I replied that yes, I would be glad to, and last Wednesday, I found myself at Villamor Air Base facing an audience of about 40 men and women working on bringing the PAF closer to the people through civic action.

The main focus of my talk was the communist insurgency. I pointed out from the get-go that the communist rebellion in the country did not start with the founding of the New People’s Army in March 1969—they celebrated their 50th year five months ago— but with the establishment of the Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas way back in the 1930s, during the American colonial period. The PKP and its armed wing known as the Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon or Hukbalahap helped Filipino and American forces in fighting the Japanese occupation. After the Second World War, the PKP and the Huks continued to pursue their goal of overthrowing the government to establish a socialist society, but battlefield losses, internal weaknesses as well as diminished mass support led to their eventual decline in the 1950s and 1960s.

It was amid this decline that Jose Ma. Sison reestablished the Communist Party of the Philippines in 1968 based on Marxist-Leninist ideology and a few months later, the NPA. To this day, the CPP, NPA and their political arm, the National Democratic Front, make no secret of their ultimate goal of seizure of state power mainly through armed struggle, with legal and parliamentary struggle in the cities focusing on issues

such as low workers’ wages, high prices, agrarian reform, and human rights, among others.

The NPA grew in numbers during the period of martial law from 1973 to the EDSA People Power uprising in February 1996 that restored democracy. Some estimates of NPA strength at that time even placed it at more than 20,000 regulars. But I think this was a bloated figure as the NPA was not able to launch attacks on a large scale, meaning those involving battalion-size formations, during the period, only hitand-run raids on isolated government outposts.

The membership and influence of the CPP-NPA-NDF gradually declined with the restoration of democracy in

The communist rebellion in the country did not start with the founding of the New People’s Army in March 1969.

In Canada, one woman takes on stereotypes as a drag king

By Aïcha Belkhodja

1986. Part of the decline may be traced to the split in the movement arising from differences in ideology and strategy and tactics. Another source of disenchantment and disaffection within the underground was the internal cleansing launched by the CPP-NPA in the 1980s and 1990s to ferret out so-called deeppenetration agents within its ranks. It is believed that hundreds and perhaps even a few thousands of suspected DPAs were summarily executed by the NPA in what the CPP leadership later claimed was an aberration that had been “rectified” and those responsible had been meted the appropriate disciplinary action. But many survivors of the purge claimed innocence and left the movement for good.

The NPA observed its 50th anniversary last March 29. Not surprisingly, in the run-up to this milestone, NPA rebels launched so-called “tactical offensives” in various areas throughout the country. In light of this, President Duterte warned that the fight against the NPA would soon turn bloody: “They are just plain bandits and that should be the way to treat them,” referring to his

Turn to A5

MELODIE Rousseau is an actress by day, but at night, the 33-year-old Canadian makes herself up as a man— and takes the stage at Montreal's cabaret halls as a drag king.

Performing in drag is not only a means of artistic expression—it's a political statement by Rousseau and others looking to step out of the formidable shadow of the better-known drag queens.

Rousseau, who performs as Rock Biere, needs two and a half hours for her transformation.

On her slender face, she uses a make-up brush to draw the eyebrows and contours that define her alter ego.

"It's about erasing the woman to create this virile male," she says with a laugh.

Little by little, Rock Biere's more masculine jawline emerges. Rousseau straps down her breasts and creates defined abs. She sticks fake hair on her chest and chin.

While drag queens have entered the mainstream thanks to shows like "RuPaul's Drag Race," drag kings are still under the radar.

In Quebec province, they can be counted on one hand, according to veteran Canadian drag king Charli Deville.

Deville says only four drag kings are featured on a regular basis at Montreal's bars, as opposed to about 80 drag queens.

Rousseau was running a cafe and working as an actress in her own theater company when Rock Biere became part of her life last year.

At first, she was not interested in performing, but her girlfriend "forced" her, she says with a smile.

"There is of course a political side to it all, for a woman to take on a male persona," the actress says. "It's a bit dangerous for a woman to dare to adopt the physique of the dominant sex."

For sociologist David Risse, the director of the Center for Diversity Research and Cultural Activities in Montreal, the act of being a drag king is a "statement—it's empowerment."

The women involved are "reappropriating an entire gender (...) and they are doing it on their own terms."

"I really work on a critique, even parody, of men," says Rousseau.

At one point, her Rock Biere character takes the stage with drag queen Crystal Slippers for a duet.

Rock tries to pick up Crystal in the crassest of ways, and she rejects him repeatedly, eliciting uproarious laughter from the audience.

World of queens Rousseau admits she had to overcome her own fears to enter the world of drag. She worried about how the audience and her loved ones would judge her, and also was concerned about "being a girl in a man's world."

Drag shows—usually held in gay bars—are indeed a place where drag queens, typically men dressed as women, hold court.

Drag kings sometimes feature male characters who are fragile or lacking in self-worth, and that can grate with a primarily gay audience, says Risse.

"I feel like when one plays with the concept of masculinity, it's a delicate balance to strike, even though we see drag queens act out caricatures of women, of femininity with abandon," he said.

That said, attitudes are shifting, if Turn to A5

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019

Teenage climate activist ditches plane for yacht en route to New York

Rethinking agriculture WITH a local and global economic slowdown that has begun in earnest, the government’s greater attention to agriculture has acquired a singular urgency.

The best way to cope with any economic crunch is to ensure that there is food on the table, when you need it, and at a price that is very reasonable.

Unfortunately, that is not the situation today in the country. Manila rice price is double that of Bangkok and Hanoi. Food in Manila is more expensive than, say, in Bangkok or Singapore. There is an understated food shortage. Local rice production is not enough. We need to import two million tons of rice a year. All because we have stagnating agriculture.

It is timely and heaven-sent that we have a new Agriculture secretary in the person of William Dar. No Filipino technocrat understands agriculture than Dar does, with an international experience to boot. He has a BS in Agricultural Education, a masters degree in Agronomy, a doctorate in horticulture, and eight honorary doctorate degrees.

After he assumed office on Aug. 5, Dar sent me a 3,550-word memo on his thinking on agriculture. Excerpts: The country’s farming and fisheries sector is in a “critical” stage, as it has erratically grown in the past five years.

In 2014, the sector grew by 1.83 percent, slid to 0.11 percent in 2015, and inched up by 1.41 percent in 2016.

In 2017, it grew by 3.95 percent, but posted a dismal 0.56 percent growth in 2018—disappointingly below the government’s target of 4 percent.

Of the country’s total labor force of 42.78 million, 25 percent or 10.26 million are employed in the agriculture sector.

They are mostly self-employed, small, marginalized, and belong to the country’s “poorest of the poor,” according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

With the advent of climate change, Filipino farmers, fisherfolk and their household—averaging with more than six members each—are most vulnerable, thus making them less food-secure.

Rural poverty incidence remains high, at 30 percent.

Prosperity is thus non-existent in almost all agriculture households.

A typical Filipino farmer earns an average of only P100,000 per year,

There is an understated food shortage.

percent of the country’s GDP, while 25 percent is accounted for by agroprocessing and related activities.

Also, 25 percent or 10.3 million of the country’s 42.8-million workforce is in the agriculture sector.

Doubling the income of smallholder farmers and fisherfolk in five years is doable. Their sources of income should include off-farm and non-farm activities like agritourism.

It could be done with the use of technolo relevant and innovative technologies, provision of affordable credit, wide adoption of economies of scale through collective action, value-adding, developing markets at the local, national and global level, sustained empowerment and skills development provi of farmers and fisherfolk, and provision of sustained government budget support augmented by private sector investments.

Other imperatives must be undertaken such as mechanization, development of rural infrastructure including market infrastructure, research and development, development-oriented regulatory support, and climate-smart agriculture.

The eight paradigms to level up the country’s agriculture sector: 1. Modernization must continue.

2. Industrialization of agriculture is key.

3. Promotion of exports is a necessity.

4. Consolidation of small- and medium-sized farms.

5. Infrastructure development would be critical.

6. Higher budget and investment for Philippine agriculture.

7. Legislative support is needed.

8. Roadmap development is paramount.

Those paradigms make up the “new thinking” to double the income or earnings of farmers and fisher folk.

The “new thinking” should have for its vision: A food secure Philippines with prosperous farmers and fisherfolk Further, its mission is: To collectively empower farmers and fisherfolk and the private sector to increase agricultural productivity and profitability, taking into account sustainability and resilience.

below the poverty line of P108,000 of 2015.

Hence, increasing the low incomes of small Filipino farmers and fisherfolk could be the key to leveling up the country’s agriculture sector, starting in the remaining three years of the Duterte administration.

There is low farm productivity, lack of value-adding as well as very few alternative sources of income not related to farming and fishing.

To create non-or off-farm jobs, farm productivity should be increased coupled with value-adding, resulting in the creation of agri-related downstream industries.

A myriad of challenges can be blamed for low farmer and fisherfolk income, namely: 1. Low farm productivity 2. Lack of labor 3. Unaffordable and inaccessible credit 4. Limited use of technology 5. Limited farmland diversification 6. Undeveloped agri-manufacturing and export 7. Severe deforestation/land degradation 8. Aging farmers and fisherfolk 9. Climate change However, leveling up the agriculture and fisheries sector presents vast opportunities for creating more jobs and generating more wealth in the countryside—thus contributing more to the country’s gross domestic product.

Agriculture accounts for about 9 biznewsasia@gmail.com

Opera's 'New Callas' Instagrams about food, home life

By Rana Moussaoui

based herself for years.

"It is my life, it is what I am seeing around (me) and my life is wonderful," said the singer, who was discovered by the conductor Valery Gergiev at the Mariinsky, where Netrebko worked as a janitor to make ends meet while she was a student at the conservatory.

She insisted that her feed was "like a documentary for me, not for anyone else. I am not showing what I am thinking, my troubles, my dramas.

"I never show my actual life, what you see on Instagram is just photos," she added.

The woman who is now regarded as arguably the best lyric soprano on the planet, a master of both the Russian and bel canto styles as well as big dramatic roles like Puccini's Tosca, was born into a modest Cossack family in the North Caucasus city of Krasnodar.

SHE is the most famous soprano in the world—the "New Callas" who has spellbound audiences from the New York Met to Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre, where she began her career mopping the stage.

But there is little of the distant, aloof diva about the Russian singer Anna Netrebko, who regularly shares pictures of herself and her family with her near half million Instagram followers.

Having had to pull out of her Bayreuth debut in Wagner's "Lohengrin"—which opened Wednesday—because of exhaustion a month after cancelling a performance in Salzburg, Netrebko posted pictures of herself on holiday in Azerbaijan, herding sheep and hugging village women.

Netrebko's 10-year-old son Tiago also regularly stars in her feed, mugging to the camera in a Steppe warStrong old-school singing rior's helmet or helping make pizzas "I always knew that I was going to in a restaurant.

The star is equally frank about be a performer no matter what—the Tiago's autism and her pride at his voice appeared later," she told AFP. Conductor Gergiev, whose roots progress. are also in the Caucasus region of Nor is her husband, Azerbaijani southern Russia, quickly spotted her tenor Yusif Eyvazov—with whom talent and became her mentor after she is due to return to the stage at the taking over the Mariinsky, which Deutsche Oper in Berlin at the end was known as the Kirov during the of August—ever far as the soprano Soviet era.

Although Netrebko's acting was shows off her impressive wardrobe rather limited to begin with, it has of dresses and hats. deepened over time. What was never in doubt was her stellar voice, which I post without any thoughts There are sneak peeks too behind has got even richer and more powerthe scenes at rehearsals and she also ful over the years.

That power is a rare commodity in shares her passion for food, with recipes for pork and black beans, radish opera that is getting even rarer now, risotto and her new favorite, Piti— she insisted.

"Now it's more 'easy breezy', it is a Azerbaijani slowed-cooked lamb bit about pleasing the public, showwith yellow plums.

"I post what I see without any ing off," the 47-year-old said.

"Television microphones do not thoughts, any opinions," Netrebko told AFP in Vienna, where she has show the size of your voice. Not all of

the young and beautiful singers can sing in big theatres."

Opera may now be "everywhere thanks to streaming", Netrebko told AFP, "and you can do lots of interesting productions, but I think it's missing a little bit the old-school strong singing.

"Very few remain," she said.

"It is a hard job, not everybody can do it... You have to have talent and lots of brains and lots of strength."

And the punishing schedule imposed on the top stars is infernal, Netrebko admitted just before she was forced to take a break herself.

I will work until I can't "I will work until I can't (do it) anymore," she told AFP as she prepared for a gala performance with Eyvazov at the Orange Festival in France last month, which was also cancelled.

Like many Russian stars Netrebko has found herself in hot water politically as the chill between Moscow and the West has become frostier.

In 2014 she controversially gave a separatist leader in Ukraine's breakaway Donetsk region a cheque for a million rubles (then $18,700) to keep the city's opera going after Kiev withdrew funding.

And two years ago she was caught in a blackface row over agreeing to wear dark makeup for Verdi's "Aida" at the Salzburg Festival—a practice that is being questioned more and more in opera.

"Even if I don't want to be political, they try to drag me into politics," Netrebko said.

Whatever the rights and wrongs, there is no doubting her genius, said the head of New York's Metropolitan Opera, Peter Gelb.

"If she were living in the 1960s, she would be as big as Maria Callas, she is that kind of singer. She is a miracle of an artist," he told AFP. AFP

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By Alice Ritchie TEENAGE climate activist Greta Thunberg set sail for New York on Wednesday, heading for a UN summit on a zero-emissions yacht skippered by a member of Monaco's ruling family.

The 16-year-old Swede, whose school strikes have inspired children across the world to protest against global warming, refuses to fly because of the carbon emissions caused by planes.

But she has been offered a lift on the Malizia II racing yacht, along with her father Svante and a fimmaker to document the journey, that will allow her to attend the UN talks in September with a clear conscience.

The voyage will take about a fortnight, a daunting prospect for someone who has never sailed before this week, but Thunberg said she was willing to accept a bit of seasickness and a lack of comfort.

"I am one of the very few people in the world who actually can do this, and I think I should take that chance," Thunberg told reporters in the English port of Plymouth, wearing her black Malizia branded sailing kit.

A few minutes later she taxied out for the Malizia on an electric motorboat and stepped onto the yacht as a group of people on a passing sail boat applauded her.

The 60-foot (18-meter) yacht is skippered by Pierre Casiraghi, vice president of the Monaco Yacht Club and a member of the principality's ruling family, and German roundthe-world sailor Boris Herrmann.

It can travel at speeds of around 35 knots (70 kilometers an hour) but will be heading into the wind for much of the time so will be slower, and the captain wants a smooth ride.

"The objective is to arrive safe and sound in New York," Herrmann told AFP ahead of their departure.

Ahead of the UN summit on Sept.

23, Thunberg will take part in youth demonstrations, before heading to Canada, Mexico and then to Chile for another UN conference in December. It is not clear how she will be travelling.

"I don't know yet how I will get home," she said.

does not act now to cut carbon emissions and curb global warming.

She has received criticism and abuse for her uncompromising attitude, but shows little concern at how she might be received among climate change deniers in the United States.

"I will just ignore them because I'm only acting and communicating the science, and if they don't like that, what have I got to do with that?" she said.

"I'm not concerned about the reactions. What I'm concerned about is whether we will do something or not, whether the people in power will react and act with necessary force."

Thunberg said she had seen some cause for optimism in how many children have joined her school strike to demand action.

"The mindset of many people is changing, even if that is not enough and even if it’s not fast enough it’s at least something," she said.

But she says she has nothing to say to US President Donald Trump.

Few comforts The yacht is made for racing, with foils, or wings, that lift it out of the water for a faster and smoother ride.

Inside it is sparse, fitted with high-tech navigation equipment, an on-board ocean laboratory to monitor CO2 levels in the water, and four bunks—Herrmann and Casiraghi will share one, sleeping in turns.

The toilet is a blue plastic bucket, complete with a biodegradable bag that can be thrown overboard, and meals will be freeze-dried packets of vegan food mixed with water heated on a tiny gas stove.

But state-of-the-art solar panels adorn the yacht's deck and sides while there are two hydro-generators, which together provide all the electricity they need on board.

Thunberg, who has spent hours on trains across Europe to spread her message, was relaxed about the basic conditions.

"You can't really ask for that much if you get to sail across the Atlantic for free," she told AFP ahead of the journey.

She is taking lots of books and Pressure on people in power board games to help pass the time— Thunberg has become a figure- games that do not require pieces that head for climate action with her stark might slide away—as well as a toy warnings of catastrophe if the world rabbit someone gave her. AFP

The insurgency...

From A4

have never been better. But that’s what they’ve been saying year after year since 1968.

The only remaining Maoist rebellion in the world has not been defeated by superior government firepower because they can still draw recruits from the countryside where there is widespread poverty. But the NPA has been unable to go beyond the strategic defensive stage of its revolutionary project, quite possibly because of a flawed strategy derived lock, stock and barrel from the Chinese model.

On the other hand, the government has also failed to crush the communist rebellion after 50 years despite pouring massive resources in the counter-insurgency campaign since the 1970s.

With the collapse of the political negotiations between the Duterte administration and the NDF last year, we now witness the resumption of all-out war between the two sides, and the very grim prospect of more violence and bloodshed in the years ahead.

More on this next week.

order to shoot the rebels. Earlier, he had slammed the door shut to any further peace negotiations with the NDF. The military estimates current NPA strength at only between 3,000 to 4,000 guerrillas spread out in a few regions, notably Bicol, Negros provinces, Panay and Samar in Central Visayas, and several provinces in Mindanao.

Ranged against the ragtag Maoist guerrillas employing mainly hit-andrun tactics are no less than the total manpower complement of the armed forces and their superior firepower, including air support.

But after 50 years of waging armed revolution, the CPP and the NPA appear no closer to achieving their ultimate goal of seizure of political power through the barrel of the gun. Every year, on their anniversary, the CPP issues a statement giving themselves a pat on the back for surviving despite great odds, and claiming the objective conditions for armed revolution ernhil@yahoo.com

In Canada,...

From A4

slowly, says Rita Baga, a drag queen who headlines the show at the famed Cabaret Mado in Montreal's gay neighborhood, the Village.

"It's an environment that is becoming more and more inclusive," she says.

Coming out of the shadows Little by little, drag kings are carving out a bigger space for themselves in the wider LGBT community.

Montreal Pride, which runs

through Sunday, features a drag king show called ManSpread on its official program.

"As far as I know, it is the first and biggest drag king show that Montreal Pride has had," says Deville, who is organizing the performance, which has a monthly spot at a burlesque club in Montreal.

Rock Biere will also take part in ManSpread on Friday.

"You could say that playing this super-masculine, macho man gives me confidence in my daily life as a woman," says Rousseau, adding that it even helps her embrace her femininity. AFP

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Villar dismayed over failure of SRA to implement SIDA

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Cynthia Villar on Thursday issued a warning on the already slashed P500million budget of the Sugar Regulatory Administration in 2019 from the P2-billion budget since it was created in 2016 would be further cut to only P67 million by 2020 if its “underspending” continued.

“The reduction through the years has been the result of underspending, which if left uncorrected will result in a budget of only P67 million by 2020,” noted Villar, chairman of the Senate agriculture and food committee.

Villar expressed dismay over the reported failure of the Sugar Regulatory Administration to fully implement Sugar Cane Industry Development Act (SIDA) four years after it was enacted into law.

The Department of Budget and Management initially allocated to SRA P2billion budget for 2016, but was reduced to P1.5 million in 2017 and P1 billion in 2018.

SIDA, the first law passed by Villar as a senator, aims to ensure that the sugar industry will be able to compete head on

against foreign players.

“I passed the law to boost the sugarcane industry which contributes P70 billion to the country’s economy annually.

Moreover, an estimated 700,000 Filipinos are directly employed in sugar production. The industry really plays a vital role in the country’s economic development,” the Nacionalista Party senator said.

But Villar said she could not understand why the understanding,, which she described as “disastrous,” was happening.

“We want to make them competitive and sell [sugar] to the consumers at lower price,” she said.

She said food processors were complaining about the expensive sugar in the market so processed foods also became very costly.

During Thursday’s hearing on the failure of the SRA to fully implement SIDA, Villar scored SRA officials led by Administrator Herminigildo Serafica for their inability to spend the funds allocated to implement programs and advance the sugar industry She also demanded reasons behind the failure which had prejudiced the sugar industry and stakeholders.

SEIZED FIREARMS. National Capital Region Police Office conducts Thursday a raid resulting in the arrest of three persons and killing of one syndicate suspect in Barangay Muzon, San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. Police confiscated different long and short firearms including hand grenade and police uniform involved in kidnapping of Bureau of Internal Revenue officials. NCRPO Regional Director P/Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar inspects the confiscated firearms. Manny Palmero

Cops kill suspected ring member P

By Joel E. Zurbano

OLICE killed a suspected member of a syndicate engaged in the series of abductions involving Bureau of Internal Revenue officials during simultaneous raids at their safe houses in Caloocan City and Bulacan early Thursday morning.

The raiding team composed of men from the National Capital Region Police Office, PNP-Anti-Kidnapping Group, Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, Highway Patrol Group and Central Luzon Regional Police Office arrested four other suspects during the police operations around 2 a.m.

The authorities also seized a cache of high-caliber firearms and handguns, assorted ammunitions and grenades, bladed weapons and at least thee vehicles, including SUVs, motorcycles, cellular phones and other mobile gadgets, and

police badges, IDs and uniforms used by the group in their criminal activity.

The police operations came in response to the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to PNP police director Oscar Albayalde to look into the reports of kidnap-for-ransom cases involving BIR officials and personnel.

Metro Manila police director Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar identified Leo dela Fuente as the suspect who was killed during a raid along Aster Street, Residencia Regina, Barangay Lola de Gato in Marilao, Bulacan.

Eleazar said the authorities were serving a search warrant at the house when Dela Fuente, who he described as a “key player” in the syndicate, engaged the police in a shootout.

“This is a joint operation we conducted against the kidnap-for-ransom group.

Their modus is to abduct businessmen, as well as BIR officials. After they accosted their victims, they demand money from the victims or from their relatives,” said Eleazar.

“Some of them [suspects] were wearing police uniforms just like what we have recovered. In fact, policemen who went AWOL [absent without official leave], and even police and military officers in the active service are also part of this group,” he added.

The arrested suspects were identified as Rosalinda Garcia, Christine Joyce Garcia, Joseph Nicholas Garcia Jr. and Julieto Arrubio, a 75-year old retired government employee.

Eleazar said they have yet to determine the number of BIR officials who have been abducted and the amount of money involved, adding that there are no official police reports since the affected families are afraid to file formal complaints.

But the NCRPO chief said they have been monitoring the actions of the gang for over a year.

Also raided were houses located along Cuenco Street, Congress Village in Barangay 173 Bagumbong and at No. 47 Sikatuna Avenue Urduja Village, both in Caloocan City; and Block 11, Lot 14, Phase 2, Residencia de Muzon in San Jose Del Monte and Saint Rita Phase, Deca Homes Barangay Loma de Gato, Marilao, both in the province of Bulacan.

The authorities made the police operations based on the three search warrants issued by Quezon City Executive Judge Cecilyn E. Burgos. They conducted the raids in close coordination with barangay officials.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES TARIFF COMMISSION SUMMARY REPORT OF THE FORMAL INVESTIGATION BY THE TARIFF COMMISSION ON THE IMPOSITION OF SAFEGUARD MEASURE AGAINST IMPORTATIONS OF CEMENT FROM VARIOUS COUNTRIES (AHTN 2017 Subheading Nos. 2523.29.90 and 2523.90.00) PURSUANT TO REPUBLIC ACT (RA) NO. 8800 In accordance with Section 14 of RA No. 8800 (Safeguard Measures Act), the Tariff Commission (TC) hereby causes the publication of the summary findings and conclusion, as well as the recommendation on the above-cited investigation, which was concluded on 09 August 2019, the date of receipt by the Office of the Secretary of Trade and Industry of the TC Final Report. The full text of the non-confidential version of said Final Report may be accessed at the Commission’s website www. tariffcommission.gov.ph.

FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION In accordance with RA No. 8800, the Commission hereby concludes the following: 1.

Eight (8) out of ten (10) local cement manufacturers represented the domestic cement industry in the formal investigation. This satisfies the domestic industry requirement under Section 4(f) of RA No. 8800.

2.

Locally produced Type I and Type IP cement are “like” to imported Type I and Type IP cement.

3.

Type I and Type IP cement were imported into the Philippines in increased quantities, both in absolute terms and relative to domestic production, starting in 2016. The increase in volume of imports was recent enough, sudden enough, sharp enough, and significant enough.

4.

While the domestic cement industry suffered injury, as evidenced by deteriorating trends in industry market share, sales, production, profits and capacity utilization during the period of investigation (2013-2018), the overall impairment in its position was not of a degree that may constitute serious injury.

5.

There exists an imminent threat of serious injury and significant overall impairment to the position of the domestic cement industry in the near future, as shown by: (a) the significant rate of increase in cement importations starting 2016 until the first semester of 2019 thus pointing to the high likelihood that substantially increased importations will continue in the near future; (b) the substantial freely disposable production capacities of exporters that can accommodate increasing exports to the Philippines and the importance of the Philippines as an export market by top suppliers Vietnam and China indicating the high likelihood of substantially increased exports of cement to the Philippines in the near future; and (c) the significant deterioration in the overall position of the domestic cement industry during the period of import surge (i.e., declines in sales, market share, production, profits, and capacity utilization, and reduced ability to generate capital and/or investments to further modernize and expand capacities).

6.

There is a direct causal relationship between increased imports of cement and the imminent threat of serious injury and significant overall impairment to the position of the domestic cement industry in the near future. While there were other factors that contributed to the impairment of the domestic cement industry, these were not substantial to cause serious injury to the local cement industry during the period of import surge.

7.

Serious injury to the domestic cement industry would occur imminently if a definitive safeguard measure against importations of cement is not applied.

8.

The circumstances provided in Article XIX of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 need to be demonstrated since the product under consideration (Type I and Type IP cement) is not the subject of any Philippine obligation or tariff concession under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement. Nonetheless, such inquiry is governed by the national legislation (RA No. 8800) and the terms and conditions of the Agreement on Safeguards.

RECOMMENDATION Based on its positive determination that domestic cement (TypeIand TypeIP) is “like” to imported cement (TypeIand TypeIP) and that cement is being imported into the Philippines in increased quantities, and having established the existence of a causal link between the imminent threat of serious injury to the local cement industry in the near future and increased imports of cement, the Commission hereby recommends the application of the appropriate definitive general safeguard measure on importations of cement to prevent the imminent occurrence of serious injury to the Philippine cement industry. The Commission further recommends that the definitive safeguard measure be applied for a period of three (3) years, starting from the date that the provisional measure took effect in accordance with Rule 8.7 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs) of RA No. 8800.

Issued this 15th day of August 2019, Quezon City.

MARILOU P. MENDOZA Chairperson ERNESTO L. ALBANO Commissioner (MS-AUG. 16, 2019)

ANNIVERSARY TOAST. Key officers of BSM and its Crew Service Center (PH) offer a toast to celebrate the 40th aniversary of its Manila operations. (From left) Sebastian von Hardenberg (chief financial officer of BSM), Narcissus Duran (president of BSM CSC PH), Dr. Heinrich Schulte (chairman of the Schulte Group), Ian Beveridge (chief executive officer of the Schulte Group), Johann Schulte (managing director and chief commercial officer of Bernhard Schulte), Christoph Schulte (Schulte Group shareholder representative) and Capt. Helmut Sallaba (chairman of BSM CSC PH).

Bernhard PH crew service turns 40 BERNHARD Schulte Ship management celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Crew Service Center in the Philippines last week at an appreciation dinner held at Sofitel Plaza Manila to thank its seafarers and shore staff for their contributions over the past 40 years, an official prerss statement said Thursday.

Incorporated in 1979, BSM CSC PH is the oldest and largest of BSM’s 24 Crew Service Centers around the world and is led by Narcissus Duran as president, Capt. Helmut Sallaba (Chairman), Capt. Armando Santosidad (Director) and John Pritchett (Director). BSM CSC PH is strategically located at Leon Guinto Street in Malate, Manila, in the 12-story BSM House and operates branch offices in Cebu City and Iloilo City.

Among over 500 sea and shore staff, customers and representatives from local authorities, embassies, Protection and Indemnity (P&I)

clubs and seamen’s unions, the distinguished guests at the event included Dr. Heinrich Schulte (chairman of the Schulte Group), Johann Schulte (managing director and chief commercial officer of Bernhard Schulte), Christoph Schulte (Schulte Group shareholder representative), Ian Beveridge (chief executive officer of the Schulte Group), Felix Leggewie (chief operating officer of Bernhard Schulte) and Sebastian von Hardenberg (chief financial officer of BSM).

Following a welcome speech to all guests by Capt. Sallaba, Dr. Schulte paid tribute to the BSM CSC PH sea and shore personnel in his speech.

The highlights of the event included an entertaining cultural dance performed by the Seafarers’ Wives Club as well as an awards ceremony where the longest-serving sea and shore staff with up to 40 years with the company were awarded for their loyalty and excellent work to BSM.

Malacañang ‘insulted’ by pooping sight

By MJ Blancaflor MALACAÑANG felt “insulted” over the pooping incident in Boracay which was recently rehabilitated by the government, urging tourists to follow the “anti-littering” ordinance in the island.

“We feel insulted with such discourtesy done in the beautiful island this administration recently rehabilitated with intense and collective efforts employed by various departments and agencies of the government,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

Recently, a video circulated online showing a tourist letting her child defecate on the beach while the other was caught burying a diaper in the island’s white sand.

Panelo said the tourists could face charges for their behavior, which he called “offensive to sight.”

“Well, there are rules and regulations in that place. So everyone is expected to—whether foreigner or Filipinos tourists alike. They have to follow rules and that obviously is a violation so they would be subject to suits,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

“Of course, it’s a violation. We are not happy about it because we are supposed to clean it up,” he said.

Boracay was closed for six months as part of the government’s efforts to rehabilitate the island, after President Rodrigo Duterte called it a “cesspool.”

He then directed Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu to rehabilitate the island.

Waters along the beaches of Boracay have experienced algal bloom, an indicator of pollution and deteriorating water conditions.

In response to the pooping incident, a portion of Boracay’s shoreline was closed Wednesday to conduct a 48 to 72-hour cleanup.

“We urge everyone—locals and foreign nationals alike—to help in making and maintaining our surroundings and our communities clean and safe for everyone’s appreciation and pleasure,” Panelo said.

The Palace spokesman also suggested that portable restrooms should be installed along the beachfront of the island which has been attracting thousands of tourists.

“Maybe we should ask also the Boracay, whoever are responsible for that place, to have available restrooms all over,” Panelo said.

The authorities have yet to identify the tourists in the viral video.

‘Membership fees collected by non-profit clubs not subject to VAT’

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has ordered the Bureau of Internal Revenue to exclude from income and value-added taxes the membership fees, assessment dues, and other fees collected by clubs, which are organized and operated exclusively for pleasure, recreation and other nonprofit purposes.

In a decision penned by Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe, the SC granted the petition of the Association of Non-Profit Clubs, Inc. seeking to invalidate BIR’s Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 35-2012 dated Aug. 3, 2012.

RMC No. 35-2012, entitled “Clarifying the Taxability of Clubs Organized and Operated

Exclusively for Pleasure, Recreation, and Other Non-Profit Purposes,” states that “clubs which are organized and operated exclusively for pleasure, recreation, and other non-profit purposes are subject to income tax under the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) of 1997, as amended.”

On the value-added tax component, the circular states that “the gross receipts of recreational clubs including but not limited to membership fees, assessment dues, rental income, and service fees are subject to VAT.” In ruling against the BIR, the SC ruled that such dues and fees “do not constitute as ‘the income of recreational clubs from whatever source’ that are ‘subject to income tax’ and part of the ‘gross receipts of recreational clubs’

that are subject to value added tax (VAT).”

With the ruling, SC directed the BIR to realign its Aug. 3, 2012 Memorandum Circular No. 35-2012 in accordance with its decision that granted the petition of the Association of Non-Profit Clubs Inc. In issuing the circular, the BIR said that the provision in the 1977 Tax Code which granted income tax exemption to such recreational clubs was omitted in the current list of tax-exempt corporations under the 1997 NIRC, as amended.

Because of this, the BIR said “the income of recreational clubs from whatever source, including but not limited to membership fees, assessment dues, rental income, and service fees are subject to income tax.”

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019

TODAY

R E S E R V E

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF FORCE MAJEURE EVENT REGULATED FM PASSTHROUGH FOR FLOOD DUE TO ENHANCED SOUTHWEST MONSOON RAIN CAUSED BY TROPICAL DEPRESSION “JOSIE” IN LUZON, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES FOR SETTING TRANSMISSION WHEELING RATES, WITH PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

A D S P A C E

NGCP is a corporation created and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at NGCP Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City. It is the concessionaire that operates and maintains the nationwide transmission system pursuant to Republic Act No. (RA) 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA).1 Under RA 9511,2 NGCP was granted a franchise to construct, install, finance, manage, improve, expand, operate, maintain, rehabilitate, repair, and refurbish the present nationwide transmission system of the Republic of the Philippines.

From 21 July to 23 July 2018, an enhanced southwest monsoon caused by tropical depression “Josie” was prevailing in Luzon.

5.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) confirmed, among others, that tropical depression “Josie” entered Philippine Area of Responsibility on 21 July 2018 and exited on 23 July 2018. A copy of the PAGASA Summaries of Tropical Cyclones and Daily Rainfall Observed in PAGASA Stations for the month of July 2018 is attached hereto as Annex “A”.

During the onslaught of the enhanced southwest monsoon rain caused by tropical depression “Josie” on 22 July 2018, the City of Olongapo experienced flash floods causing damage to NGCP’s Olongapo Substation located in Brgy. Kalaklan, Olongapo City. Approximately thirtytwo (32) meters of its perimeter wall collapsed, while a portion of the wall foundation eroded at the back portion of the substation, due to flash floods, coming from the mountain ridge and accumulated in the creek beside the collapsed wall. The flood waters also left the substation switchyard covered in mud and debris, and submerged various transformers and equipment spares from the indoor and outdoor warehouses. NGCP was forced to shut down Olongapo substation due to the continuous rising of flood water inside the substation control room and switchyard and to prevent further damage to affected assets and facilities and electrocution of personnel. Power was restored in Olongapo substation on the evening of 23 July 2018 after NGCP implemented temporary measures by laying sandbags along the collapsed wall.

The total cost incurred by NGCP for the repair, restoration and rehabilitation of the transmission assets and facilities damaged by flood due to enhanced southwest monsoon rain caused by tropical depression “Josie”, including the recoverable values of the damaged assets (Net Fixed Asset Value) is Ten Million Six Hundred Forty Six Thousand Eighty Five Pesos and Seventy One Centavos (Php 10,646,085.71), breakdown of which is shown in the table below:

call

1,937,790.40

Net Fixed Asset Value (NFAV)

20,000.00

Total

10,646,085.71

*Capital Expenditures/Operating Expenditures, exclusive of VAT (pursuant to TRAIN law) and Permit Fees 10. Under Section 10.1.1 of the RTWR, NGCP is allowed to recover the cost for such repair, restoration, and rehabilitation. Thus, pursuant to Article X, Sections 10.2.1 and 10.2.2 of the RTWR, NGCP filed with this Honorable Commission an FME Notice dated 11 September 2018, which was filed within the three (3)-month reglementary period, reckoned from the occurrence of the FME flood due to enhanced southwest monsoon rain caused by tropical depression “Josie,” copy is attached hereto as Annex “G”. Receipt of said Notice was acknowledged by the Honorable Commission in its Letter dated 19 September 2018, copy is attached hereto as Annex “H”.

11. Within twelve (12) months after the occurrence of the flood due to enhanced southwest monsoon rain caused by tropical depression “Josie” in Luzon, NGCP hereby files the instant FME Application, in accordance with Article X, Sections 10.2.1 and 10.2.3 of the RTWR. FM PASS-THROUGH AMOUNT COMPUTATION

us at 832-5547

12. NGCP has not recovered from its Industrial All-Risk (IAR) Insurance Policy procured from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the cost NGCP incurred in the repair, restoration and rehabilitation of the transmission assets and facilities in NLOM District 5 damaged by the flood due to enhanced southwest monsoon rain caused by tropical depression “Josie” because the total cost to repair the affected transmission assets and facilities is within the policy’s deductible amount of One (1) Million US Dollars ($1,000,000.00). Attached is a copy of the Certification of the NGCP Trade and Insurance Manager dated 16 April 2019, stating that the cost to repair the damaged transmission assets and facilities is not covered by the pertinent IAR Policy with the GSIS, as Annex “I”.

20. In addition, the timely implementation of the FM Pass-Through Amounts will allow the equal or even spread of the increases or decreases in tariffs from the initial implementation of the recovery of the cost.

Any person with valid objection/s on the above-mentioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

1.

DECLARE the flood due to enhanced southwest monsoon rain caused by tropical depression “Josie” in Luzon, as Force Majeure Event (FME);

2.

Immediately GRANT Provisional Authority to implement and bill the following FM Pass-Through Amounts to Luzon customers starting the billing month of October 2019 to December 2020, or until such time that the amounts incurred are fully recovered: Luzon

2019

2020

P/kW-mo.

0.13

0.01

P/kWh

0.00026

0.00002

3.

APPROVE the FME CAPEX and OPEX amounting to Ten Million Six Hundred Twenty-Six Thousand Eighty-Five Pesos and SeventyOne Centavos (Php 10,626,085.71) incurred by NGCP for the repair, restoration and rehabilitation of the damaged transmission assets and facilities due to FME flood due to enhanced southwest monsoon rain caused by tropical depression “Josie”;

4.

APPROVE and ALLOW the recovery of the Net Fixed Asset Value of the transmission assets and facilities damaged by the FME southwest monsoon rains and tropical depression “Josie” amounting to Twenty Thousand Pesos (Php20,000.00), given that it would have been fully recovered by NGCP if these Transmission Assets and Other Related Facilities have not been damaged or destroyed by the said FME; APPROVE, after due notice and hearing, the proposed FM Pass-Through Amounts to be collected from the Luzon customers starting October 2019 billing month to December 2020 or until such time that the amounts incurred are fully recovered, as follows:

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Officer-In-Charge Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-AUG. 16, 2019)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT FOURTH JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 4 PALLOCAN WEST, BATANGAS CITY Land Reg. Case No. 18-1950

LRA Record No. E-ORD-2018000088

NOTICE OF INITIAL HEARING To the Hon. Solicitor General, Office of the Solicitor General, 134 Amorsolo St., Legaspi Village, Makati City; the Director, Land Management Bureau, Escolta, Manila; the Regional Director, Region IV-DENR, CALABARZON, Mayapa - Canlubang Cadre Road, Barangay Mayapa, Calamba City, Laguna; the Hon. Secretary, Department of Public Works and Highways, Bonifacio Drive, Port Area, Manila; the Hon. Secretary, Department of Agrarian Reform, PTA Bldg., Elliptical Road, Diliman; the Director, Forest Management Bureau, Visayas Ave., Diliman, both in Quezon City, Metro Manila; the Provincial Governor, the Provincial Prosecutor, the General Services Officer, the Provincial Engineer, the Public Works and Highways District Engineer, the CENR Officer, CENRO, Land Management Sector; Batangas Provincial Sports Complex, Bolbok, Batangas; the City Mayor, the City Council the City Treasurer, the City Prosecutor, the City Engineer, all in Batangas City; First Gas Holdings Corporation, 4th Floor, Benpres Bldg., Exchange Road corner Meralco Ave., Pasig City, FG Land Corporation, 3rd Floor Benpres Bldg., Exchange Road corner Meralco Ave., Pasig City; AND TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: An application having been filed in the above entitled case

by FGEN LNG CORPORATION, represented by Atty. Reagan F. de Guzman, 4th and 6th Floors, Filipino Bldg., 135 Dela Rosa St., corner Legaspi St., Legaspi Village, Makati City, thru Atty.

Hanna Maria Nica M. Almirez, 4th and 6th Floors, Filipino Bldg., 135 Dela Rosa St., corner Bolanos Streets, Legaspi Village, Makati City, praying for the registration and confirmation of the title to the following described land with improvements thereon.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION

6.

Luzon

2019

2020

P/kW-mo.

0.13

0.01

P/kWh

0.00026

0.00002

EXCLUDE the proposed Pass-Through Amounts from the side constraint calculation.

NGCP prays for other relief deemed just and equitable under the premises.

The Commission has set the Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, Pre-Trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on 27 August 2019 (Tuesday) at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00 A.M.), at the ERC Hearing Room, 15th Floor, Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City.

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following: 1) The petitioner’s name and address; 2) The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and 3) A statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file their Opposition or Comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before Applicant rests its case, subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure.

No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following:

Survey Plan No. Lot No. Location

: : : : : :

Ap-04-016610 1245, Cad. 264 Batangas Cadastre.

Brgy. of Sta. Rita Karsada City of Batangas Province of Batangas Island of Luzon

Boundaries: LINE

DIRECTION

1 to 7 7-8 8-9 9-10 10 to 12 12 to 14 to 1

NW.,SW., NE., NE., SE., SE., SW., SE.,

Tie Line : BBM No. 16, Cad 264 Batangas Cadastre Lot Description : LINE

BEARING N.

16

deg.

10’

E.,

72.17

1-2

N.

12

deg.

27’

E.,

36.87

m.

2-3

N.

25

deg.

17’

E.,

7.44

m.

3-4

N.

47

deg.

31’

E.,

11.30

m.

4-5

N.

53

deg.

18’

W.,

13.48

m.

5-6

N.

13

deg.

12’

E.,

15.50

m.

6-7

N.

16

deg.

03’

E.,

26.60

m.

7-8

S.

79

deg.

00’

E.,

1.10

m.

8-9

S.

77

deg.

39’

E.,

60.92

m.

S.

55

deg.

30’

W.,

12.80

m.

10-11

S.

56

deg.

46’

W.,

24.82

m.

11-12

S.

11

deg.

47’

W.,

63.24

m.

12-13

N.

76

deg.

32’

W.,,

18.12

m.

13-14

S.

14

deg.

52’

W.,

10.28

m.

14-1

N.

80

deg.

25’

W.,

15.87

m.

Description of Corners :

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson and CEO AGNES VST DEVANADERA and the Honorable Commissioners ALEXIS M. LUMBATAN, CATHERINE P. MACEDA, and PAUL CHRISTIAN M CERVANTES, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 30th day of July 2019 in Pasig City.

m.

9-10

2) A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and

All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from Applicant that they be furnished with the same prior to the date of the initial hearing. Applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours.

DISTANCE

Tie Point - 1

Area :

3) The grounds relied upon.

ADJOINING LOTS/FEATURES Lot 1249, Cad 264, Batangas Cadastre Lot 1247, Cad 264, Batangas Cadastre Lot 1246, Cad 264, Batangas Cadastre Lot 1232, Cad 264, Batangas Cadastre Lot 1233, Cad 264, Batangas Cadastre Lot 1244, Cad 264, Batangas Cadastre

1) The name and address of such person;

THREE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED SIXTY SEVEN (3,667) SQUARE METERS, more or less.

Bearings Date of Survey Date Approved Geodetic Engineer

: : : :

All corners, by PS cyl. conc. mons.

15x60 cms.

True October 25, 2016 May 17, 2017 Christian B. Clemeno

You are hereby served this notice to appear before this Court at its session to be held at the Regional Trial Court, Branch 4, Pallocan West, Batangas City, Philippines, on the 29th day of August, 2019 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning, then and there to present such claim as you may have to said land or any portion thereof and to submit evidence in support of such claim and unless you appear in at said court at the time and place aforesaid, your default will be recorded and the title to the land will be adjudicated and determined in accordance with law and the evidence before the court and thereafter you will forever be barred from contesting said application (or petition) or any decree entered thereon.

Witness, the HON. ALBERT A. KALALO, Presiding Judge of said Court, on the 21st day of March, 1019.

Issued at Quezon City, Philippines, this 17th day of May, 2019.

JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT Oversight Commissioner for Legal

13. Thus, it is but proper for NGCP to file the instant FME Application to recover the cost it incurred for the repair, restoration and rehabilitation of the transmission assets and facilities in NLOM District 5 which were damaged by the FME above-described, pursuant to the RTWR.

ATTEST. RENATO D. BERMEJO Administrator Land Registration Authority By: JOEL MARI MARTIN M. BIGORNIA Chief, Docket Division

1

14. NGCP proposes the FM Pass-Through Amounts, in P/kW-month, as additional network charges for Luzon starting the billing month of October

(MS-AUG. 16, 2019)

Notice is hereby given that SURIGAO DOCTOR’S HOSPITAL, INC., with office address at Brgy. Rizal, Surigao City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as a New Operator of General Hospital Level 2 project (Surigao Doctor’s Hospital) with a capacity of 130 beds on a non-pioneer status with project site at Sitio Kinabutan, Brgy. Rizal, Surigao City.

5.

8,688,295.31

Operating Expenditure (OPEX)

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Officer-In-Charge Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

19. NGCP seeks to immediately recover the actual expenses incurred for the repair, restoration and rehabilitation of the damaged transmission assets and facilities. It must be emphasized that the rehabilitation of the assets damaged by the FME required capital infusion, the recovery of which should be allowed immediately in order to avoid any financial strain in the operation of NGCP and to allow the continuous provision of transmission services to the grid customers.

FME CLAIM After the flood brought about by the enhanced monsoon rain caused by tropical depression “Josie”, subsided, NGCP immediately started the repair, restoration, and rehabilitation of its damaged transmission assets and facilities in order to fully restore transmission service to its customers. Attached hereto is the Consolidated Details of Expenditures for North Luzon Operation and Maintenance (NLOM) District 5 of NGCP, as Annex “E”, and the Before and After Rehabilitation Pictures of Affected Assets in NLOM District 5 is hereto attached as Annex “F”.

Any person with valid objection/s on the above-mentioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication.

N OTICE

WHEREFORE, it is most respectfully prayed of this Honorable Commission to:

AMOUNT

N O W !

0.00002

PRAYER

This fact was echoed in a Barangay Certification signed by the Punong Barangay of Brgy. Kalaklan, Olongapo City dated 25 June 2019 (attached hereto as Annex “B”); a Certification from the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office of Olongapo City (attached as Annex “C”); and Olongapo City Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution No. 108, s. 2018 on 23 July 2018, the latter further declaring Olongapo City under a “State of Calamity” on 23 June 2018 (attached hereto as Annex “D”).

Capital Expenditure (CAPEX)

0.00026

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that FILINVEST LAND, INC., with office address at No. 79 EDSA, Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an expanding developer of economic and low-cost housing project (Marina Spatial-Marina Town Building B) with a capacity of 216 economic and low-cost housing units on a non-pioneer status with project site at Brgy. Piapi, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

21. A copy of the Judicial Affidavit of Agnes F. Dela Cruz, Manager, Tariff Design and Billing Management Division, Revenue and Regulatory Affairs, in support of the instant Application, is hereto attached as Annex “L”.

Pursuant to Section 10.1.1 of the Rules for Setting Transmission Wheeling Rates (RTWR), NGCP is allowed to recover the cost incurred for the repair, restoration, and rehabilitation of its transmission assets and other related facilities damaged as a result of a force majeure event (FME), as defined in Article I, Section 1.3 of the RTWR.

4.

9.

0.01

TODAY

18. NGCP respectfully moves for the issuance of a provisional approval for the immediate recovery of the FM Pass-Through Amounts pursuant to Section 3, Rule 14 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

8.

0.13

Manila

Standard

JUSTIFICATION FOR THE ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

In the said Application, NGCP alleged the following, among others:

7.

P/kWmo.

17. Also, NGCP considered the NFAV of the transmission assets and facilities damaged by the FME in Luzon in the FME claim, given that NGCP would have normally fully recovered the return of capital on said assets for the duration of their economic lives had these assets not been damaged or destroyed by said FME. A copy of the Details of the NFAV in relation to the assets affected by FME flood due to southwest monsoon rain caused by tropical depression “Josie”, is attached hereto as Annex “K”.

Notice is hereby given that on 19 July 2019, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) filed an Application dated 12 July 2019, seeking the approval of Force Majeure Event Regulated FM pass-through for flood due to enhanced southwest monsoon rain caused by tropical depression “Josie” in Luzon, in accordance with the Rules for Setting Transmission Wheeling Rates, with a prayer for provisional authority.

6.

2020

16. Further, the FM Pass-Through Amounts in this Application do not breach the Force Majeure Threshold Amount (FMTA) of PhP0.0366/kWh, as computed in accordance with the relevant formula prescribed by the RTWR. A copy of the FMTA Computation is hereto attached as Annex “J”.

ERC CASE NO. 2019-055 RC

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

3.

2019

15. NGCP proposes the FM Pass-Through Amounts for the years 2019 to 2020 to allow the recovery of the expenditures incurred by NGCP relative to the FME flood due to enhanced southwest monsoon caused by tropical depression “Josie”, pending the reset process for the next Regulatory Period.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

2.

Luzon

P/kWh

NATIONAL GRID CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (NGCP), Applicant. x - -- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - x

1.

Y O U R

2019 until December 2020, or until such time that the amounts incurred are fully recovered, computed in the table below:

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

A7

2

Republic Act No. 9136 entitled, “An Act Ordaining Reforms in the Electric Power Industry, Amending for the Purpose Certain Laws and for Other Purposes” Republic Act No. 9511 entitled “An Act Granting the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines a Franchise to Engage in the Business of Conveying or Transmitting Electricity Through High Voltage Back-bone System or Interconnected Transmission Lines, Substations and Related Facilities, and for Other Purposes” (MS-AUG.9 & 16, 2019) (MS-AUG. 16, 2019)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

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

A8

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019

Santos fined P200k for racial gesture SAN Miguel Beer forward Arwind Santos was fined P200,000 by the PBA for his monkey gesture directed at TNT import Terrence Jones in the second quarter of Game 5 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals last Wednesday.

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, who summoned Santos on Thursday, said the San Miguel player will also render 100 hours of community service and undergo seminar and counseling on equality and racial discrimination.

“Walang lugar ang racial discrimination sa basketball at sports in general at sa PBA in particular. Hindi pinahihintulutan ng liga ‘yung mga ganu’ng aksyon, at kung maulit pa, mas mabigat na sanction ang ipapataw natin,” said Marcial.

“Bilang Commissioner, humihingi ako ng pasensya at pang-unawa kay Mr. Terrence Jones at sa kanyang pamilya. Ang PBA at tahanan para sa lahat, bukas para sa lahat at walang kinikilalang kulay, lahi o paniniwala,” Marcial added.

Marcial said Santos was apologetic during the meeting.

“Humihingi siya ng apology sa lahat ng PBA fans, kay Terrence Jones at sa koponan ng TNT,” said Marcial.

Marcial said Santos will also issue a public apology.

The SMB star came under fire after he was seen dancing like a monkey at the sidelines after Jones was called for a foul late in the second quarter of Game 5 eventually won by the Beermen, 99-94, for a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven titular series.

Asian Hoops Summit-Manila Showcase set A FOREIGN-LACED, local basketball marathon league for young cagers will take centerstage from Aug, 16 to 18 in Metro Manila.

Organized by Davao Cocolife coach Don Dulay and conditioning coach Mat Makalintal, the tournament, named Asian Hoops Summit-Manila Showcase, is a three-day experimental marathon cage league to be bannered by local teams such as San Beda University, Letran, Mapua, Jose Rizal University, Passion Sports, FBA, Hotshots Basketball and Rise Up Hoops from Canada, led by Kelvin dela Pena.

“We believe in giving equal opportunities to our young basketball players, who aren’t seeing action in our leading collegiate leagues, even those who are playing in Team Bs or from club teams,” said Dulay, an ex-professional cager.

Dulay is currently Rain or Shine coaching staff member in the Philippine Basketball Association and is the Cocolife Tigers’ head coach in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.

“Given the proper break, these potential young players are expected to excel in this new league with a high level of competition in their games. We believe that this will surely attract basketball aficionados here in Manila,” added Dulay.

Gemida seeks PPS net repeat in Calbayog MIA Gemida brims with confidence as she sets out for a reprise of her two-title feat in Leyte last week, headlining the field in the PPS-PEPP Mayor R. Aquino national age-group tennis tournament, which gets going today (Friday) in Calbayog, Samar.

But the rising star from Ormoc City is in for a stiff challenge from the very same players she humbled in Baybay, including young Corazon Lambonao, whom she upended twice to reign in the 16- and 18-and-under classes of the Group 2 tournament presented by Dunlop at Calbayog Lawn Tennis Society courts.

Ashley McKenzie, meanwhile, firms up the cast in the girls’ top two age categories with sibling Kimberly McKenzie also going all out to foil Lambonao’s back-to-back title bid in the 14-U play of the event serving as part of Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala circuit.

TNT’s Jayson Castro is hounded by an SMB triple-team put up by JuneMar Fajardo, Chris Ross and controversial Arwind Santos, whose racial gesture against Texters’ import Terrence Jones has placed him in hot water. The Beermen shoot for the clincher today, while the Texters eye the equalizer.

Beermen shoot for clincher

By Jeric Lopez

A

LREADY smelling blood, San Miguel Beer goes for the kill as it aims to win the crown and finish off TNT KaTropa in their best-of-seven finals of the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup.

A game away from the title with their 3-2 lead, the Beermen eye their second straight championship this season, while the Tropang Texters hope to extend the series in their Game 6 tilt at 7 p.m. today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Staring at a second straight champion-

ship, San Miguel wants to continue its dynasty and doesn’t plan on playing a Game 7 anymore as it goes all out in its hopes of hoisting up the jewel.

“I’m happy we got the lead now and we can win the championship,” said San Miguel coach Leo Austria. “It’s better for us to end it in Game 6 because any-

thing can happen if it goes to a Game 7.”

“We’re looking forward to playing good basketball and win the championship,” added Chris McCullough, who was the main reason why San Miguel is on the verge of another title.

Led by McCullough’s gutsy plays, San Miguel turned in one of the most memorable comebacks in history as it took Game 5 in dramatic fashion.

After trailing by 16 points early in the fourth, McCullough scored 19 of his 35 points in the game’s last 10 minutes to lead San Miguel to a tremendous 99-94 come from behind win over TNT last Wednesday night in yet an-

other thriller.

McCullough’s production included the go-ahead bucket with 25 seconds left that basically enabled the Beermen to take the game.

Down but not yet out, the Tropang Texters, who have lost two in a row after taking a 2-1 series lead, look to extend the series to a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday.

They hope to shake off the bitter taste of their previous setback in order to live for another day.

Terrence Jones also had 35 points in Game 5 but committed costly turnovers and missed shots down the stretch.

Ramirez eyes another ‘miracle’ in SEA Games TEAM Philippines Chef de Mission William Ramirez believes that it is possible to reclaim the ‘Miracle of SEAG 2005’ with just 106 days to go before the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games slated from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, this year.

“Para sa akin, hindi imposible na mag-champion tayo kasi host tayo.

At malaki itong budget na inasikaso natin.” said Ramirez on Wednesday during the tripartite agreement signing between Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine SEA Games Organizational Committee Inc. at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Manila.

With the P6-billion budget for the SEA Games’ hosting this year, Ramirez said that there is no reason not to also wish for an overall championship.

“Hindi totoo ‘yan na pupunta ng Southeast Asian Games na okay lang ang 3rd or 4th. Bakit pa tayo gagastos ng 6-billion kung hindi tayo magchachampion?” he added.

When it comes to the medal projection, Ramirez said that it is the call of each NSA President and Secretary General to set medal targets, not the

CDM, POC or PHISGOC. This is also one of the the reasons why Ramirez is meeting them as much as he could.

“Every week, Monday and Tuesday we have been meeting Presidents and Secretaries General of the NSAs. We try to set up the possible medal goals of each NSA,” Ramirez said.

This year’s SEA Games’ hosting is not new to Ramirez for he was also the Chairman of the PSC during the 2005 edition when the country claimed its first overall championship with a total medal collection of 113-gold, 84-silver and 94-bronze medals.

With this in mind, the CDM explained that “we have to remove that idea na hindi tayo mag-cha-champion. There must be an ROI (Return of Investment), malaki ‘yung ginastos ng gobyerno.” he said.

Furthermore, Ramirez also stressed the full support of the PSC to the foreign training of the national athletes in preparation for the SEAG. “The PSC has already appropriated P600 million for the foreign training of our athletes and we are appropriating P400 to P600 million more,” added Ramirez, who explained that

CHAMP AGAIN. Noel Kampton and Dominique Gabito of Perpetual Help Junior Altas Beach Volleyball Duo won their 2nd straight VNS Beach Volley Crown by defeating perennial contender Team Pemmie’s Philip Bagalay and AJ Pareja, 30-22, at the Winner Beach Club in Nuvali, Santa Rosa City, Laguna. Dennis Abrina the additions would cover those for sports which were added by PHISGOC recently.

Aside from the foreign training and exposure, the PSC has also allotted additional budget for the sporting equipment of the national athletes in order to level up their training less than 4 months to go before the biennial meet.

This year will mark the fourth time that the country will host the biennial meet as it previously hosted the 1981, 1991 and 2005 Games.

A total of 9840 athletes from 11 Southeast Asian countries are expected to participate in the 30th SEA Games which will feature 530 events in 56 sports.

Manila Jockey Club hosts Bagatsing racing festival THE country’s premier horse racing club, the Manila Jockey Club, Inc., will be hosting the 11th edition of the Mayor Ramon D. Bagatsing Memorial Cup Racing Festival on Aug. 17 & 18 at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.

The festival is held in honor of former Manila Mayor, Ramon D. Bagatsing Sr. who established an organization whose primary mission to care for the sick, help the poor and the less privileged in the city. Proceeds of the racing event will help fund the KABAKA Foundation Inc. The Bagatsing family continues the legacy of selfless service to Manilenyos started by their patriarch having helped over 50,000 residents of the capital. The late mayor’s sons established the event in 2009.

As longtime horse owners and breeders themselves, former Manila Congressmen Amado S. Bagatsing and Ramon S. Bagatsing Jr., ensure the annual racing spectacle lives on.

Of the 16 stakes race, two races will be celebrated as major headliners. The first of the high stakes race, the Resorts World Manila Challenge of Champions will feature 4 year old and above local and imported horses at a distance of 1,750 meters in what is now shaping up to be a Repeat-Revenge-Redemption Race.

Among the notable horses running for the Challenge of Champions will be Hitting Spree, who is the defending Challenge of Champions winner; and an upstart imported entry called Viva Morena, who recently defeated Hitting Spree. Rounding up the list of entries are Certain to

Win, Und Kantar, and Pangalusian Island.

The Mayor Ramon D. Bagatsing Sr. 3 YO Open Classics remains the primary racing event, pitting local and imported 3 year olds in this 1,50-meter high stakes race. Boss Emong, the winner of the 2nd Leg of this year’s Triple Crown Series and The Accountant, which won the 3rd leg of the Hopeful Stakes Race, will be joined by My Dad Bogart, Early Bird, and Phenomenal, with only one imported entry Will to Win in the starting gate.

The Resorts World Manila Challenge of Champions and the Mayor Ramon D. Bagatsing Sr. 3 YO Open Classics will give out a total of P1.9 million in cash prizes. P1 million (distributed) and P900,000 will be awarded respectively.

The Bagatsing Cup and the Mayor Ramon Bagatsing Racing Festival remain the highest grossing racing festival for the past six years including the record breaking sales of P43,281,228.00, garnered from the 2014 edition.

Major sponsors are Resorts World Manila, Philippine Racing Commission (PHILRACOM), the Manila Jockey Club, Inc.(MJCI), Manila Cockers Club Inc., Solaire Resort & Casino and Fundador.

Racing event partners comprise of the following: City of Dreams, Winford Hotel and Casino, Mr. Eddie Gonzales’s EEG Development Corporation, and F.R. Sevilla Industrial and Development Corporation, San Jose Builders Inc. are among the early confirmed partners and sponsors of the annual event.

IN BRIEF Megawide posts 60% profit drop

DIVERSIFIED engineering and infrastructure company Megawide Construction Corp. said first-half net income fell 59.8 percent to P730.9 million from P1.22 billion in the same period last year on lower revenues from the construction business.

Megawide said in a financial report to the stock exchange that construction business accounted for 52 percent of the total net income while airport operations contributed the remaining 48 percent.

First-half consolidated revenues declined 9.3 percent to P8.2 billion from P9 billion as construction revenues went down 16 percent to P6.18 billion from P7.36 billion.

Megawide said it was expecting the construction business to pick up in the succeeding quarters as it continues to ramp up activities to accelerate the completion of existing projects.

The company secured P9.8 billion in new contracts in the first half including Megaworld’s One Fintech Tower, The Corner House and Suntrust Finance Center and Double Dragon’s Meridian Tower. Jenniffer B. Austria

Foreign workers assured of protection

STATE-RUN Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. said foreign nationals working in IT parks that host call centers and other service providers of offshore gaming operators will be fully protected under the hub concept.

Pagcor chairman Andrea Domingo said Thursday that law enforcers would be stationed at the Philippine offshore gaming operators hubs to provide protection against any threats to foreign nationals working within these complexes.

“The POGO concept was put into implementation because we wanted to protect the foreign workers from being harassed,” Domingo said in a televised interview on ANC’s Headstart.

“If they are in a hub together with us 24/7, they can alway lodge complaints,” she said.

Domingo said that aside from offices of Pagcor, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Immigration and Department of Labor and Employment, the POGO hubs would have hospitals and clinics to provide health services.

Julito G. Rada

BPI still bullish on second half

BANK of the Philippine Islands, the thirdlargest lender in terms of assets, is bullish on the growth outlook in the second half on the strength of its core businesses, a top executive said Thursday.

BPI chief finance officer Tere Javier said in a news briefing in Makati City that the outlook for the second half remained promising and the growth momentum could be sustained.

BPI posted a P7.01-billion net income in the second quarter, up by 46.8 percent from a year ago. This brought the first-half net income to P13.74 billion, up 25 percent from P11.03 billion in the same period last year.

“We can definitely sustain [the growth momentum] from the very strong first half. The environment is very favorable and we see a quite strong recovery in consumer lending business,” Javier said. Julito G. Rada

Business Remittances declined 2.9% to $2.3b in June M

By Julito G. Rada

ONEY sent home

by Filipinos working overseas dropped 2.9 percent to a nine-month low of $2.29 billion in June from $2.357 billion a year ago amid lower inflows from Saudi Arabia, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Thursday.

It was the first time that remittances decreased in 10 months. Despite the decline, cash remittances in the first half reached $14.638 billion, up 3.2 percent from $14.179 billion a year ago.

Diokno said the decline in June remittances could be attributed to the

5.4-percent year-on-year drop in cash remittances from land-based workers which was mitigated by the 6.3-percent increase in transfers from sea-based workers. The countries that contributed to the decline in June were Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The US registered the highest share of overall remittances from January to June at 36.4 percent. It was followed

by Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Germany and Qatar.

The combined remittances from these countries accounted for 78 percent of total cash remittances for the first half.

Personal remittances, which include non-cash items, also declined to a ninemonth low of $2.545 billion in June, down by 2.7 percent from $2.615 billion in the same month last year.

This brought total personal remittances in the first half to $16.252 billion, up by 2.9 percent from $15.787 billion a year ago.

Personal remittances from land-based workers with work contracts of one year

or more grew by 1.8 percent to $12.4 billion in the first half from $12.2 billion in the same period last year.

Personal remittances from sea-based workers and land-based workers with short-term contracts increased 8.8 percent to $3.5 billion in the six-month period from $3.2 billion a year ago.

Remittances reached a record $28.9 billion in 2018, up 3.1 percent from $28.06 billion a year ago. It slightly surpassed the 3-percent growth target for the entire year.

The BSP said remittances in 2018 remained strong amid political uncertainties across the globe. This was evident in Asia, the Americas and Europe which grew annually by 12.3 percent, 9.7 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively.

The bulk of cash remittances last year came from the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, Japan, the UK, Qatar, Canada, Germany and Hong Kong. Cash remittances from these countries accounted for almost 79 percent of the total.

The BSP expects remittances to post a conservative 3-percent growth in 2019.

PLDT-KMALL TIEUP. PLDT Global

Corp. reinforces its e-commerce foothold by forging a partnership with South Korea’s Powercall Co. Ltd., the developer of the KMall e-commerce app.

Through Powercall’s KMall e-commerce app, subscribers will now be able to purchase Smart, TNT and Sun electronic load products with just a couple of taps on their smartphones.

Attending the signing of the agreement are (from left) PLDT Global marketing operations head for Korea Marx Mella, PLDT Global vice president and head of global marketing operations Joel Lumanlan, Powercall director Nam Su Kim and Powercall deputy manager Jin Cheol Hong.

Cebgo now serves Cebu-Busuanga

CEBU Pacific strengthens its Cebu hub network with the launch of direct flights to Busuanga (Coron).

The airline said starting Oct. 27, 2019, wholly-owned subsidiary Cebgo would fly twice daily between Cebu and Busuanga. The first flight departs Mactan Cebu International Airport at 7:25 a.m. and arrives at Francisco B. Reyes Airport at 9 a.m. The return flight leaves Busuanga at 9:20 a.m. and arrives in Cebu at 11 a.m. The second flight leaves Cebu at 10:25 a.m. and lands in Busuanga at 12:05 p.m. while its turnaround flight departs at 12:25 p.m. and arrives at 2:10 p.m.

“We believe that these twice-daily flights will enable residents from Cebu and other parts of Visayas and Mindanao to explore Palawan, without having to make the trip to Metro Manila to catch their flights,” said Cebgo president and chief executive Alexander Lao. CEB is offering seats for as low as P299 as base fare until Aug.17. Travel period is from Oct. 27, 2019 to March 28, 2020.

Corp. investing P7.7b to ease Luzon congestion First Gen’s income NLEx

By Darwin G. Amojelar increased by 36% to $156m in 6 months

By Alena Mae S. Flores FIRST Gen Corp. said Thursday recurring attributable net income of the parent company grew 36 percent in the first half to $156 million (P8.2 billion) from $115 million (P5.9 billion) a year ago, driven by the strong performance of its clean energy platforms.

First Gen is a subsidiary of First Philippine Holdings Corp., a conglomerate controlled by the Lopez family.

“First Gen’s focus on clean, low-carbon and renewable energy continues to pay off as our first-semester results overtake last year’s. For the remainder of the year, we expect all the platforms to continue to deliver stable earnings,” First Gen president and chief operating officer Francis Giles Puno said in a statement.

Energy Development Corp. delivered $49 million (P2.6 billion) in recurring earnings from its geothermal, wind and solar platform in the sixmonth period, better by $16 million (P900 million) than $33 million (P1.7 billion) in the same period last year as the Unified Leyte and Tongonan geothermal plant operations continued to normalize and deliver higher earnings after recovering from the damage caused by Typhoon Urduja in December 2017.

The company said all four of First Gen’s natural gas-fired power plants delivered increased recurring earnings during the period.

It said that while the two older plants―the 1,000-megawatt Santa Rita and the 500-MW San Lorenzo―benefitted from lower operating expenses, the two newer gas plants― the 420-MW San Gabriel and the 97-MW Avion―generated higher electricity sales from their respective customers.

NLEx Corp. said Thursday it is investing P7.7 billion to help alleviate the traffic congestion in Metro Manila and key areas of North Luzon Expressway and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.

“A number of projects are simultaneously being implemented in our expressway network in order to ease traffic and prioritize the safety and convenience of our motorists,” said NLEx president and general manager Luigi Bautista.

The projects under construction include new interchanges, bridges and expressway lanes.

The construction of the 2.6-kilometer NLEx Harbor Link Segment 10 C3-R10

Section, which stretches from C3 Road, Caloocan City to Radial Road 10, Navotas City, is gaining headway as overall progress reached 33 percent.

Targeted for completion by December this year, the C3-R10 Section will connect to the recently opened 5.65-kilometer NLEx Harbor Link Segment 10 that passes through Karuhatan in Valenzuela City, Governor Pascual Ave. in Malabon City and the new Caloocan Interchange in 5th Avenue/C3 Road, Caloocan City.

It is designed to provide direct access between the Port Area and the northern and central provinces of Luzon via NLEx. Once completed, the project will alleviate vehicular traffic

in Manila, Caloocan, Valenzuela and other congested parts of northern Metro Manila.

The tollway company is also undertaking the capacity expansion of Subic Freeport Expressway as it builds two additional expressway lanes, two new bridges at Jadjad and Argonaut and a tunnel to serve the growing number of vehicles traveling to and from Subic Bay Freeport.

Expressway-standard LED lights will be installed on the 8-kilometer road to guide motorists driving at night. Current construction activities in the area involve road raising and flood control works along the Maritan Highway-Rizal Highway-Tipo junction.

MOTORCYCLE FINANCING. Leading on-demand delivery app Lalamove seals a partnership with UnionBank’s thrift arm CitySavings to provide motorcycle financing for units purchased at accredited dealer-partners nationwide. Under the partnership, Lalamove partner drivers can enjoy flexible payment options plus rebates when buying Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha motorcycle models. Attending the signing ceremony are (from left) Lalamove strategic partnerships lead Cherianne Mangrobang, Lalamove strategic partnerships manager Akiko Sumulong, CitySavings managing director for motorcycle loans business group Feliciano Angue, Lalamove managing director Dannah Majarocon, CitySavings vice-president Ruel Aquino and CitySavings assistant vice president Eric Valdez.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019

B1

GT Capital and Filinvest post higher net profits

By Jenniffer B. Austria

CONGLOMERATES Filinvest Development Corp. of the Gotianun family and GT Capital Holdings Inc. of the Ty family posted higher net income in the first six months on the continued expansion of their core businesses.

FDC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange net income grew 19 percent in the first half to P6.1 billion from a year ago, helped by strong earnings contribution from property, banking, power and sugar businesses.

Property business, composed of the real estate and hospitality segments, accounted for more than half of FDC’s first-half earnings.

The group’s banking and financial services subsidiary delivered net income of P2.7 billion in the first half, up by 33 percent from the same period last year while its power subsidiary posted a net income growth of 87 percent to P1.4 billion.

“We are pleased with the results of our various business lines, with notable improvements resulting from the ramp-up of our leasing, hotel and power businesses,” said FDC president and chief executive Lourdes Josephine Yap. “We are positive that the trajectory is sustainable in the second half of the year as demand for our products and services across the different business lines continue to be strong,” said Yap. FDC said with inflation easing and interest rates tapering off, the second half of the year would be more positive for the company.

Meanwhile, GT Capital said net income grew 4 percent in the first half to P7.4 billion from P7.1 billion in the previous year as consolidated revenues increased 3 percent to P104.3 billion from P101.2 billion.

GT Capital said stronger real estate sales from Federal Land Inc. and higher contributions from Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and Sumisho Motor Finance Corp. contributed to group’s positive performance.

“Easing inflation, coupled with declining interest rates, and improved consumer confidence created conditions for growth in GT Capital and its component companies. Strength in income from financial services, recovering auto unit sales growth and stable demand in the property sector resulted in the group’s positive financial results,” GT Capital president Carmelo Maria Luza Bautista said.

Lipad Consortium takes over Clark airport operations

By Jess Malabanan CLARK Freeport―Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corp. is taking over today the maintenance and day-to-day operations of Clark International Airport, sending almost 15 percent of the workforce jobless.

“Lipad will absorb more than 80 percent of CIAC [Clark International Airport Corp.] employees while those who opted to retire or resign were given due benefits,” Lipad chief executive Bi Yong Chungunco said at the sidelines of Cebu Pacific’s Clark-Narita flight launching.

Lipad is a private entity composed of JG Summit, Filinvest Development Corp., Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc. and Changi Airports Philippine Pte. Ltd. Chungunco said Lipad is taking over Clark’s new passenger terminal building while the old terminal is undergoing repair, rehabilitation and refurbishing.

“CIAC took care of the 15 percent [of employees] after they decided not to join us,” Chungunco said.

She said Lipad would decommission the old terminal. “The new one will be used for our operations and maintenance and once we hit the capacity, we plan to go back and use the old terminal,” she said.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Bases Conversion Development Authority president and chief executive Vince Dizon will lead the inspection and turnover of the newly completed terminal building which has a capacity of 8 million passengers per year.

B2

Business

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market declines; AGI, ICTSI drop S TOCKS fell Thursday on recession fears after the Dow suffered its worst day of the year as fears of a global recession mounted with investors fleeing equities.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index declined 29.79 points, or 0.4 percent, to 7,828.86 on a value turnover of P11.8 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 149 to 54, with 42 issues unchanged.

Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan lost 4.7 percent to P12.68, while SM Prime Holdings Inc., one of the biggest integrated property developers in Southeast Asia, dropped 2.8 percent to P34.50.

International Container Terminal Services Inc., the largest port operator, fell 2.8 percent to P124, while BDO Uni-

bank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, shed 2.4 percent to P145.

The rest of the Asian market declined, with Tokyo’s key Nikkei index nosediving nearly two percent at the open before recovering slightly to finish 1.2 percent down.

The losses followed a dark day on European bourses and on Wall Street, with all three US benchmarks tumbling around three percent and US bond yields plunging as investors deserted stocks for safer Treasury assets.

“The Japanese stock market is sliding against the backdrop of sharp falls in US shares,” Okasan Online Securities said in a note.

“Worries over the US economic recession grew, while negative economic data for China and Germany also prompted investors to downgrade their views on the global economy,” Mizuho Securities added.

The yield on the 10-year US Treasury

note briefly slid below the yield on the two-year bond, a so-called “inversion” that has been a reliable harbinger of recession for decades.

Coming on the back of an intensifying US-China trade war that shows no signs of resolution, the flight to bonds signaled the growing fears of a global recession.

“US-China trade tensions have metastasized into something more sinister by affecting global growth to such a large degree that bond markets are pricing-in a high probability of a worldwide recession”, warned Stephen Innes, managing partner at VM Markets.

The trade war has hammered global demand, with Chinese industrial output hitting a 17-year low while investment and retail sales have also slowed in the world’s number two economy.

Weeks of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong have added to the climate of uncertainty, with Beijing referring to the

increasingly violent demonstrations as “terrorism”, stoking fears of a Chinese crackdown.

Sydney plummeted nearly three percent while Singapore shed 1.2 percent.

But Hong Kong recovered from early losses, adding 0.8 percent after opening 1.5 percent down. Shanghai closed 0.3 percent higher after shedding 1.7 percent at the open.

Economists have warned for months that the trade tensions were threatening investment and dampening global sentiment, which is already suffering due to China’s slowdown and fears over Brexit’s impact on Britain and Europe.

“The now drawn out US-China trade war has sapped investor confidence. It is now threatening to turn what would have been an orderly and gentle slowdown, after ten years of uninterrupted growth, into something potentially much more aggressive,” said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2019

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 57.1 1,130 90 2,244,250 1.97 85,000 145 2,149,890 26.15 204,600 18.68 2,600 11.4 502,500 4.9 275,000 0.53 57,000 0.43 1,180,000 70 2,757,830 0.98 657,000 13.1 20,300 46.8 679,000 189 290 111.3 20 57.5 980 28.15 61,400 189.3 879,310 59.05 29,370 1.11 1,000

64,523 200,599,330 170,340 308,235,332 5,369,530 47,896 5,715,846 1,317,020 30,210 505,450 192,949,723 646,610 265,930 31,839,950 54,083 2,226 56,374 1,716,440 163,413,796 1,733,447 1,110

-1,713 -38,813,874 -130,890.00 -45,046,114 -3,129,895 -1,930,534 -109,291,869 0 -16,308,720 82,655 14,585,372 -255,355 -

34 13.9 0.65 1.32 0.24 98 3 13.52 11.4 15.5 36 76 95 2.02 5.25 6.03 8.75 14.2 9.1 7.29 1.74 24.75 80.6 50.2 1.87 13.88 7.7 1.42 224 4.16 3.3 8.35 22.35 13.3 17.6 353.6 0.184 5.3 1.71 4.4 5.01 8.7 2.74 11.1 35.35 4.92 5 1.68 2.29 1.04 12.32 97 6.9 0.125 1.02 161.3 2.45 1.13 16.1 1.06

INDUSTRIAL 34.6 1,007,300 14.2 891,000 0.69 1,830,000 1.33 36,000 0.245 1,410,000 99.15 420 3.1 9,019,000 13.62 552,500 11.4 382,000 16.4 5,600 36 33,600 91 71,450 147 54,490 2.05 18,000 5.7 27,800 6.05 112,300 8.79 1,454,500 14.66 380,700 9.2 734,300 7.4 3,378,100 1.74 9,000 25.7 2,830,000 80.6 324,170 53 294,320 1.89 10,783,000 14 1,145,500 8 534,000 1.48 528,000 235.2 1,056,160 4.16 28,000 3.3 7,000 8.35 700 22.5 1,107,400 13.56 334,300 18.28 1,341,300 360.6 178,510 0.184 40,000 5.5 23,400 1.8 15,663,000 4.69 181,000 5.03 1,393,200 9.05 2,505,300 2.94 59,175,000 11.1 900 35.95 263,100 4.97 78,400 5.1 11,700 1.77 1,593,000 2.29 5,000 1.12 1,584,000 12.42 483,900 101 102,110 6.99 63,400 0.125 280,000 1.02 774,000 166 1,626,690 2.45 150,000 1.14 3,506,000 16.1 3,900 1.1 1,652,000

34,621,590 12,660,032 1,256,260 47,600 340,130 41,204.50 27,859,840 7,517,398 4,452,208 89,786 1,209,630 6,401,563.50 6,760,085.50 36,590 147,010 679,386 12,796,331 5,558,186 6,770,507 24,888,172 15,660 71,365,445 26,269,810.50 15,475,343.50 20,484,260 15,980,216 4,241,155 788,910 244,148,972 116,860 23,380 5,845 24,935,005 4,500,742 24,189,208 63,779,692 7,360 124,870 27,990,290 808,330 7,024,123 22,672,347 171,524,250 9,990 9,462,585 390,354 58,795 2,750,670 11,450 1,756,560 6,005,740 10,197,477.50 441,230 35,180 803,130 269,088,630 367,500 4,005,970 62,810 1,795,450

-20,309,295 491,976 34,000 6,089,880 -5,721,596 -118,354 111,600 19,628.50 -7,931,806 -158,082 2,101,169 -10,623,258 7,580,735 8,722,915 1,450,305.50 -6,436,490 -5,793,534 4,735 6,931,456 -1,977,740 3,273,104 -5,585,378 -7,741,556 -6,051,140 13,380 -2,628,047 -22,644,220 -7,023,930 -7,797,475 500 -340,770 -21,800 1,752,466 -2,390,479.50 690 -108,903,076 357,700 -118,510 137,620

0.85 47.9 12.4 0.67 7 14.3 1.15 1.18 915.5 3.51 6.6 8.75 13.76 0.223 830 6 62.45 5.55 0.49 4.3 13.6 0.6 4.37 0.038 1.25 170.9 979 0.79 1.35 255 0.227 0.24

HOLDING FIRMS 0.89 19,609,000 49.25 2,007,700 12.68 18,355,000 0.71 84,000 7 6,800 14.86 88,400 1.17 8,894,000 1.18 214,000 934 291,010 3.61 3,163,000 6.7 883,800 8.8 6,294,800 13.8 1,580,800 0.225 110,000 864.5 117,910 6.28 10,100 66.5 1,798,350 6.4 38,300 0.51 332,000 4.4 227,000 14 1,632,100 0.63 423,000 4.63 22,889,000 0.038 5,500,000 1.25 253,000 176 163,580 1,020 507,205 0.81 544,000 1.39 110,000 256.8 330 0.227 1,000,000 0.26 2,920,000

17,027,880 97,656,635 232,963,322 57,980 47,600 1,302,538 10,301,960 253,680 268,702,390 11,341,150 5,902,414 55,458,773 21,812,474 24,710 100,900,865 60,628 116,280,514 214,754 165,515 988,640 22,846,406 256,970 104,091,580 209,100 320,920 28,447,991 512,381,640 435,410 148,970 84,350 227,100 731,750

-85,000 -43,975,150 -142,043,486 -23,800 -73,086,545 1,134,190 -2,277,101 -30,724,368.00 -16,573,760 -43,156,300 -60,628 -28,214,457.50 1,756 -60,920 1,340,386 14,714,080 7,600 1,754,004 -43,755,712.50 13,500 -79,214 -

7,848,080 1,136,290 152,800 9,446,650 866,237,205 2,695,810 4,749,200 775,221 3,825,370 124,740 39,440 1,197,600 662,100 5,854,298 17,269,590 538,200 77,631,430 3,264,110 385,129,206 2,821,200 13,500 6,412,290 47,550 1,826,520

-613,218 417,610 -193,161,020 -254,210 -208,110 -772,301 49,580 228,000 202,981 7,467,150 -24,131,130 -40,693,531 -177,350 -666,220

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO LEASING BDO UNIBANK CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FERRONOUX HLDG FIRST ABACUS MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PHILTRUST PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK VANTAGE

57.1 89.2 2.2 143.1 26.3 18.3 11.52 4.8 0.53 0.435 70 1.01 13.1 47.5 187.1 111.3 57.55 28 187 59.2 1.11

57.1 90 2.2 146 26.4 18.7 11.52 4.9 0.53 0.435 71.3 1.01 13.1 47.5 189 111.3 57.55 28.35 189.8 59.2 1.11

57.1 86.25 1.93 140.5 26.15 18.3 11.28 4.73 0.53 0.42 69.1 0.96 13.1 46.4 186.1 111.3 57.5 27.6 183.6 59 1.11

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

34.2 14.2 0.72 1.32 0.241 98 3.05 13.86 12.1 15.52 36.1 83 102 2.02 5.25 6.07 8.99 15.06 9.15 7.5 1.74 25 81.15 54.9 1.97 14 8 1.56 229.6 4.2 3.37 8.35 22.75 13.48 18.22 356.6 0.184 5.4 1.77 4.7 5.08 9.1 2.79 11.1 36.7 5.01 5 1.75 2.29 1.04 12.5 100 6.9 0.126 1.07 166 2.45 1.16 16.12 1.12

34.9 14.24 0.72 1.34 0.245 99.15 3.18 13.86 12.1 16.4 36.1 96.95 150 2.05 5.75 6.07 8.99 15.1 9.6 7.5 1.74 25.9 82.35 54.9 1.97 14 8.28 1.59 235.2 4.2 3.37 8.35 23.5 13.56 18.28 364.6 0.184 5.5 1.83 4.7 5.09 9.27 2.98 11.1 36.7 5.05 5.1 1.81 2.29 1.15 12.62 101 6.99 0.126 1.1 168.9 2.45 1.16 16.12 1.12

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

0.86 48 13.06 0.71 7 15.3 1.16 1.19 920 3.58 6.88 9.03 13.76 0.225 849.5 6 63.5 6.06 0.5 4.4 14.06 0.62 4.47 0.038 1.27 174.3 990 0.81 1.36 255 0.237 0.265

0.89 49.25 13.06 0.71 7 15.38 1.18 1.2 934 3.65 6.88 9.03 13.98 0.225 875 6.28 66.5 6.47 0.52 4.4 14.16 0.63 4.65 0.039 1.3 176 1,020 0.81 1.39 256.8 0.237 0.265

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

15.34 0.78 1.91 0.94 47.4 2.17 4.65 5.94 0.55 0.77 0.82 0.232 0.41 9.98 23 0.46 1.66 1.31 5.2 0.31 0.455 1.42 0.395 2.03

15.7 0.81 1.91 0.98 49 2.2 4.7 5.99 0.56 0.77 0.86 0.232 0.415 9.98 23 0.46 1.68 1.31 5.39 0.31 0.46 1.42 0.4 2.03

15.3 0.78 1.91 0.93 47 2.13 4.55 5.81 0.54 0.74 0.82 0.228 0.41 9.74 22.25 0.455 1.6 1.27 5 0.305 0.435 1.35 0.395 1.99

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

24 2.15 3.1 35 2.29 5.63 0.8 7.4

24.6 2.25 3.25 35.05 2.4 5.63 0.8 7.4

23.75 2.14 3.1 34 2.23 5.57 0.8 7.25

24.15 2.24 3.2 34.5 2.4 5.58 0.8 7.4

3,183,400 175,000 3,212,000 21,786,000 4,977,000 37,100 363,000 6,143,000

76,747,265 384,520 10,264,370 749,746,780 11,409,500 207,497 290,400 45,137,537

-41,429,785 445,000 -467,952,165 14,040 -21,248,527

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CHELSEA EASYCALL GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA GRAND PLAZA HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PH RESORTS GRP PHIL RACING PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRANSPACIFIC BR WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

10 18.44 1.54 0.51 0.047 2.25 10.98 0.058 91 6.75 9.35 1,960 5.35 419.8 9.78 1.64 2.06 124 9.65 5.25 0.113 5.12 3.28 0.88 19.2 0.41 2.5 1.07 1.28 2.2 2.6 8.25 4.97 8.23 143 3.45 1,163 0.68 0.51 44.5 78.55 9.36 3.03 0.73 0.32 0.7 15.76

10.1 18.44 1.58 0.52 0.049 2.25 10.98 0.058 93 6.75 9.35 1,980 5.35 419.8 9.78 1.64 2.06 125.9 9.73 5.25 0.113 5.21 3.28 0.93 19.2 0.43 2.55 1.2 1.28 2.2 2.66 8.5 4.97 8.23 143 3.45 1,165 0.69 0.53 45.7 78.55 9.36 3.05 0.73 0.32 0.7 15.78

9.95 17.78 1.5 0.5 0.047 2.24 10.56 0.056 89 6.5 8.72 1,910 5.31 419.8 9.78 1.56 2.05 121 9.65 5.25 0.113 5.04 3.2 0.87 18.92 0.41 2.46 1.02 1.28 2.06 2.54 8.1 4.97 8.2 143 3.3 1,126 0.68 0.495 43.4 76.9 9.36 2.95 0.68 0.3 0.67 15.38

SERVICES 9.95 18.38 1.58 0.51 0.049 2.25 10.74 0.058 93 6.65 8.72 1,960 5.31 419.8 9.78 1.58 2.05 124 9.73 5.25 0.113 5.05 3.24 0.92 19 0.43 2.55 1.2 1.28 2.1 2.66 8.25 4.97 8.2 143 3.39 1,152 0.69 0.52 45.7 77.6 9.36 2.98 0.7 0.31 0.68 15.7

12,700 127,800 48,000 1,543,000 2,800,000 146,000 7,562,400 15,990,000 357,090 1,193,700 20,900 46,675 107,700 1,070 16,300 1,867,000 14,000 2,291,130 58,200 5,000 20,000 2,927,800 477,000 135,000 350,700 360,000 1,240,000 93,000 5,000 2,275,000 100,000 3,200 5,400 8,500 590 2,009,000 116,125 1,606,000 32,607,000 1,303,000 504,820 500 7,498,000 5,030,000 14,560,000 7,136,000 1,152,300

126,635 2,315,828 72,920 781,700 131,900 327,950 81,060,572 913,230 32,620,528 7,865,020 187,844 91,241,465 573,268 449,186 159,414 2,983,290 28,710 283,348,857 564,228 26,250 2,260 14,874,105 1,539,120 117,960 6,673,604 152,400 3,099,320 99,380 6,400 4,825,020 260,060 26,275 26,838 69,880 84,370 6,798,820 132,692,095 1,101,210 16,729,955 57,737,620 39,166,419 4,680 22,438,330 3,544,320 4,486,850 4,857,760 18,000,040

-1,000 -20,260 -35,182,084 -1,061,062.50 -164,804 -16,906,515 -72,450 13,845,728 454,876 200,888 -254,700 -27,580 77,220 16,800 -48,606,630 87,560 1,614,070 -19,357,345 -10,356,311 -3,161,780 14,000 -268,650 3,896,330

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

1.35 2.66 12.7 2.71 0.27 7.88 1.43 0.207 0.114 0.115 0.0095 1.05 2.45 0.99 0.83 0.011 0.01 5.56 4 12.68 22.1

1.36 2.66 12.7 2.73 0.27 7.9 1.44 0.208 0.117 0.116 0.0095 1.06 2.5 1 0.83 0.012 0.012 5.65 4 13.4 22.7

1.3 2.59 12.5 2.71 0.265 7.66 1.41 0.204 0.11 0.112 0.0095 1.03 2.4 0.99 0.81 0.011 0.01 5.38 3.78 11.9 21.9

MINING & OIL 1.31 11,779,000 2.59 3,699,000 12.5 2,000 2.71 762,000 0.265 560,000 7.85 30,600 1.42 474,000 0.206 150,000 0.114 1,380,000 0.116 140,000 0.0095 3,000,000 1.03 330,000 2.46 1,971,000 1 92,000 0.83 519,000 0.012 20,700,000 0.011 6,200,000 5.39 900,800 3.87 2,456,000 12.3 7,560,900 22.7 789,300

15,626,630 9,627,810 25,020 2,071,020 150,050 241,348 675,260 30,910 156,190 16,020 28,500 343,180 4,844,800 91,090 424,840 240,100 70,500 4,900,110 9,501,180 96,073,272 17,468,285

41,760 -9,547,010 -40,650 -27,000 220,920 -36,940 -10,250 1,120 -759,220 -5,500 108,000 943,330 2,846,230 -5,986,715

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A PCOR PREF 2B PCOR PREF 3A PCOR PREF 3B PNX PREF 3B SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

17.36 494 497 104.9 101.1 106 491.6 5.21 967 969 99.45 0.99 102 995 1,019 1,030 1,030 108 995 75.55 78.85 75.6 76 76 76 76

17.36 495 500 104.9 101.5 106 491.6 5.21 967 969 100 0.99 102 995 1,019 1,035 1,040 108 1,010 76 78.85 75.6 76.2 76.5 76 76

16.9 490 497 104.9 101 106 491.6 5.12 967 960 99.45 0.98 102 995 1,019 1,030 1,030 108 995 75.55 77.5 75.5 76 76 73.1 76

PREFERRED 16.9 188,900 490 10,010 500 170 104.9 300 101 20,000 106 12,970 491.6 40 5.12 118,500 967 10 960 5,660 100 2,500 0.99 36,000 102 100 995 10 1,019 200 1,035 780 1,035 990 108 1,760 1,008 420 76 1,340 78 48,560 75.5 1,930 76 29,370 76.5 45,700 73.1 15,550 76 1,330

3,235,764 4,910,524 84,880 31,470 2,022,375 1,374,820 19,664 609,730 9,670 5,433,690 249,520 35,580 10,200 9,950 203,800 807,050 1,028,400 190,080 423,250 101,723 3,789,639 145,738 2,233,694 3,480,991 1,157,307 101,080

-2,881,814 4,916 -241,178 -5,424,000 9,950 -

LR WARRANT

1.6

1.6

1.5

WARRANTS 1.55 176,000

274,410

-

ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE XURPAS

6.39 2.71 0.98

6.9 2.71 0.99

6.39 2.71 0.95

6.9 2.71 0.96

8,442,822 94,850 4,525,860

-71,410 -34,440

FIRST METRO ETF

117.5

117.5

114.9

2,548,013

-28,205

USD TECH B2

1

1

1

20,000

-

NAME

MS

PROPERTY 15.44 0.78 1.91 0.97 48.85 2.18 4.63 5.81 0.56 0.76 0.84 0.228 0.41 9.86 22.8 0.46 1.65 1.27 5.39 0.31 0.46 1.37 0.395 2.02

511,000 1,435,000 80,000 9,880,000 17,971,500 1,255,000 1,029,000 132,700 6,969,000 168,000 47,000 5,200,000 1,610,000 597,900 759,600 1,180,000 46,947,000 2,546,000 73,685,700 9,240,000 30,000 4,654,000 120,000 911,000

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

131,479,880

INDUSTRIAL

134,298,018

HOLDING FIRMS

106,886,406

PROPERTY

228,486,501

SERVICES

117,846,683

MINING & OIL

63,993,256

GRAND TOTAL

788,997,704

SME

1,257,000 35,000 4,691,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 117.5 21,970 1

DDS

20,000

VALUE 1,805.71 (down) 20.57 4,245,928,128.30 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,858.12 (down) 70.18 1,478,399,581.547 HOLDING FIRMS 7,707.24 (up) 48.42 2,565,797,080.21 PROPERTY 4,027.94 (down) 45.06 1,572.36 (down) 19.60 2,364,332,077.99 SERVICES MINING & OIL 8,072.33 (down) 157.70 980,237,552.06 PSEI 7,828.86 (down) 29.79 162,625,837.9384 All Shares Index 4,746.35 (down) 22.57 11,812,934,580.93 Gainers: 54; Losers: 149; Unchanged: 42; Total: 245

8990’s profit increased 18% to P2.82b in 1st six months

By Jenniffer B. Austria MASS housing developer 8990 Holdings Inc. said Thursday first-half net income rose 18 percent to P2.82 billion from P2.39 billion year-on-year on sustained strong demand for its affordable housing units.

8990 Holdings said in a disclosure to the stock exchange six-month consolidated revenues also climbed 17 percent to P7 billion on increased sales from the capital region, Iloilo and Bulacan.

The property firm said total housing units delivered reached 4,934 units during the first half of the year, up 19 percent year-on-year.

Sales from high-rise buildings contributed 42 percent to the total revenues, followed by horizontal projects, which accounted for 35 percent.

On a regional basis, 67 percent came from Luzon, 23 percent from Visayas and 10 percent from Mindanao.

“Rising demand for affordable housing in the country has allowed us to sustain our revenue growth in the first half of 2019. We are very confident of meeting our P13.5-billion target for the year,” 8990 Holdings president and chief executive Willibaldo Uy said.

Sales reservations increased 28 percent on year to 5,785 units from 4,535 units in the first half of 2018.

Unrealized sales during the period amounted to P1.32 billion, which the company expects to recognize toward the end of 2019.

The company in July launched its largest Metro Manila project to-date, Urban Deca Homes Ortigas, located along Ortigas Avenue Extension. It has sold more than P1.2 billion worth of residential condominium units so far. It will offer 19,046 condo units once completed.

The company’s land bank as of end June stands at 712 hectares.

“Our landbank will ensure the growth of our company in the next 8 to 10 years and would potentially bring in P154 billion. This is still a conservative estimate of our future sales as it does not factor in the future sales of our opportunistic purchase of Monterrazas in Cebu,” Uy said.

Megaworld sees sales of P12b from new condo project

MEGAWORLD Corp., the biggest lessor of office spaces, expects to generate P12 billion in sales from a newlylaunched residential condominium development within the 12.3-hectare Arcovia City in Pasig.

Megaworld said in a statement Arcovia Palazzo, the second residential development it launched in Arcovia, would be composed of three residential towers—the 40-story Altea Tower, 45-story Benissa Tower and the 49-story Cantabria Tower. The whole development will offer a total of 1,472 units.

The project will have a wide variety of residential units ranging from studio with or without balcony at size of up to 32 square meters; one-bedroom with or without balcony (up to 46.5 sq. m.); two-bedroom with balcony (up to 77 sq. m.); and three-bedroom with balcony (up to 193.5 sq. m).

Select bi-level units for one-bedroom and two-bedroom are also available— up to 107 sq. m. for one-bedroom, and 139 sq. m. for two-bedroom.

Scheduled for completion in 2025, Arcovia Palazzo’s amenities will include an infinity pool with pool deck, pavilion, Jacuzzi, game room, fitness center, daycare center, outdoor seating lounge, children’s playground, function rooms and a multi-purpose lawn.

At the towers’ ground level will be retail spaces that will have direct views of the iconic Arco de Emperador, the township’s own landmark.

Arcovia Palazzo is designed by UKbased world-renowned architectural firm, Broadway Malyan.

Megaworld last year launched the first residential development in Arcovia City—the 37-story 18 Avenue de Triomphe, which offers 576 units worth P4 billion.

The tower, due for completion in 2023, is almost sold out after construction began.

Megaworld earlier allotted P35 billion over the next 10 years to develop Arcovia into a mixed-use township development.

Arcovia is envisioned as an environmentally friendly master planned community with residential towers, office towers, commercial developments and parks. Jenniffer B. Austria

World IN BRIEF Airbus lands in corn field MOSCOW―A Russian Airbus with more than 230 people on board was forced to make an emergency landing in a corn field outside Moscow on Thursday after hitting a flock of seagulls, officials said.

There were no immediate reports of serious injuries.

The Ural Airlines A321 was carrying 226 passengers and seven crew from Moscow’s Zhukovsky airport to Simferopol in Russia-annexed Crimea, the Rosaviatsia air transport agency said in a statement.

The bird strike occurred shortly after take-off, causing engine trouble, and the crew decided to immediately land.

The plane landed in the corn field about a kilometer from the runway, with its engines off and landing gear retracted, Rosaviatsia said.

Passengers were evacuated on inflatable ramps, with some taken to hospital and others back to the airport.

The health ministry said 23 people were hospitalized, including nine children, but that none suffered serious injuries. AFP

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Trump links HK crisis to trade H ONG KONG― Donald Trump has urged China to “humanely” resolve the violent stand-off with prodemocracy protesters in Hong Kong, on the back of growing concerns that Beijing is considering direct intervention in the crisis.

Images taken by AFP on Thursday showed thousands of Chinese military personnel waving red flags and parading at a sports stadium in the city of Shenzhen,

just across the border from Hong Kong.

Dozens of armored personnel carriers and supply trucks were also parked nearby.

Chinese state-run media reported this week that the elements of the People’s Armed Police [PAP], which is under the command of the Central Military Commission, were assembling in Shenzhen.

The parade comes as the US president linked a possible trade deal with Beijing to a peaceful resolution to the political unrest that has roiled the semi-autonomous Chinese city for 10 weeks.

Washington has become increasingly alarmed by Chinese security forces gathering near the border with Hong Kong as the protests show no signs of abating and Beijing intensifies its drumbeat of intimidation against a movement

pushing for democratic reforms.

“Millions of jobs are being lost in China to other non-Tariffed countries.

Thousands of companies are leaving. Of course China wants to make a deal. Let them work humanely with Hong Kong first!” Trump wrote on Twitter, in the first clear indication that the trade deal could be threatened by how Beijing reacts to the protests.

“I have ZERO doubt that if President Xi wants to quickly and humanely solve the Hong Kong problem, he can do it,” Trump said in a subsequent tweet, suggesting a “personal meeting” with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

The Hong Kong protests were sparked by opposition to a plan to allow extraditions to the mainland, but have since

Moon offers olive branch to Japan

500 firemen to battle blaze CARCASSONNE, France―More than 500 firefighters have been deployed to battle a blaze that has already destroyed 900 hectares of pine forest in southern France, the fire service said on Thursday.

The fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon in Aude, southeast of the city of Carcassonne, in forests that were classified as having a “severe” risk of fire because of a recent drought.

“About 900 hectares (2,200 acres) burned,” commander Philippe Fabre from the Aude fire service told AFP. The fire was fanned by overnight winds blowing gusts of 40 kmh (25 mph) but homes were not under threat, he said.

No buildings have been destroyed or people injured, he added, but warned that the wind strength was forecast to strengthen during the day.

Firefighters were working to stop the blaze reaching nearby villages.

“The fire if complicated because it is in an area difficult to access,” an Aude official said.

The fire service said it planned to drop water bombs over the burning area, after dampening down the edges of the forest overnight. AFP

ATMOSPHERE. This is a general view of the atmosphere at Nordstrom on August 14, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. AFP

Tropical storm Japan’s new emperor speaks of ‘deep remorse’ Krosa slams into Hiroshima TOKYO―A powerful tropical storm lashed Japan on Thursday, bringing strong winds and torrential rain that claimed at least one life, prompted warnings of landslides and flooding, and sparked evacuation advisories and travel chaos at a peak holiday period.

Severe Tropical Storm Krosa―one notch below a typhoon―slammed into the southern Hiroshima region, packing wind gusts of up to 126 kilometers per hour.

Dramatic television footage showed violent winds uprooting trees, snapping lampposts and spinning pods on a ferris wheel.

Meanwhile, high waves smashed into a breakwater, engulfing a 10-meter lighthouse, while swollen rivers broke their banks and swamped nearby roads.

Authorities issued a voluntary evacuation advisory to around 430,000 people in the storm’s path although few appeared to have heeded the warning.

A 82-year-old man was confirmed dead after he fell in the sea in Hiroshima trying to moor his boat, a local government spokesman said.

Public broadcaster NHK and local authorities said at least 21 people sustained injuries, including a man in his 50s, who broke his leg.

“We still have intermittent downpours,” said Takayoshi Sugimoto, a disaster management official in the southwestern province of Tokushima.

“We will remain vigilant as more rain is expected in the afternoon,” he told AFP. The national disaster management agency said a party of 18 people including children got stranded during a barbeque in a valley when the river rose rapidly on Wednesday. They were rescued Thursday morning.

Krosa also sparked travel chaos as people battled to return to major cities following the Obon holiday.

At least 761 domestic flights were cancelled to and from cities in western Japan and bullet train services were either scrapped or sharply reduced. AFP

morphed into a wider -- sometimes violent -- call for democratic rights.

The movement represents the greatest challenge to Beijing’s authority since the city was handed back by the British in 1997 under a deal that allowed it to keep freedoms that many Hong Kongers feel are being eroded.

Activists are planning another series of mass rallies this weekend in a bid to show their cause still maintains broad public support despite violent scenes during a disruptive occupation of the airport.

On Tuesday, chaos erupted at one of the world’s busiest transport hubs as protesters physically stopped travellers from boarding flights, battled riot police and assaulted two men they accused of being Chinese infiltrators. AFP

TOKYO―Japan’s new emperor spoke Thursday of “deep remorse” over the country’s wartime past in his first speech to commemorate the end of World War II since his enthronement in May. Emperor Naruhito’s comments were being monitored in Tokyo and throughout Asia for any change in tone, but he closely echoed the language employed by his father Akihito.

“Looking back on the long peaceful years after the war, reflecting on our past, and bearing in mind the feeling of deep remorse, I earnestly hope that the devastation of war will never be repeated,” said the 59-year-old Naruhito.

“During the 74 years since the end of the war, the peace and prosperity of our country today has been built through the tireless efforts of the people.

“Yet when I think of their past full of suffering, I am truly overcome with deep emotion,” Naruhito told the solemn ceremony in central Tokyo which also featured a minute’s silence for the

war dead.

Meanwhile, conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shied away from visiting a controversial shrine that commemorates the war dead, including convicted war criminals, that has become a flash point with Japan’s neighbors, especially China and South Korea.

This year’s ceremonies came as Tokyo and South Korea―one of the countries that suffered most from Japan’s wartime military atrocities―are embroiled in a war of words over trade and history.

During a speech to mark the anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan’s 1910-45 rule, President Moon Jae-in, however, struck a conciliatory tone towards Japan, offering to “join hands” if Tokyo chooses dialogue.

But the foreign ministry in Seoul voiced “deep concern” at the offerings to Yasukuni, which it said “glorifies Japan’s past colonial plunder and war of invasion and enshrines war criminals.”

“The government urges Japan’s po-

litical leaders to show humble reflection over historical issues,” said the ministry.

Meanwhile, Abe sent an aide and a cash offering to Yasukuni Shrine but continued his policy, that has been in place for several years, of not visiting.

The nationalist premier last visited the shrine in December 2013 to mark his first year in power, sparking fury in Beijing and Seoul and earning a rare diplomatic rebuke from close ally the United States.

He has since stayed away as the leaders of both China and Japan attempt to maintain their improving but delicate relations, with Chinese President Xi Jinping expected to visit Japan next year during spring cherry blossom season.

Yasukuni honors 2.5 million war dead, mostly Japanese, who perished in the country’s wars since the late 19th century.

It also enshrines senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes by an international tribunal after World War II. AFP

Folk mainstay Arlo Guthrie reflects on his Woodstock experience in ‘69 GREAT BARRINGTON―Performer Arlo Guthrie doesn’t remember sleeping or eating during 1969’s Woodstock festival, nor does he remember whether he took any drugs.

He does remember walking onstage in upstate New York, seeing hundreds of thousands of hyped-up youth gathered before him, and thinking, “We can’t hear ourselves. I wonder if anybody else can?”

“But it didn’t seem to matter,” said the mainstay of America’s folk scene.

“You just keep playing.”

The now 72-year-old singer―son of folk music revolutionary Woody Guthrie, who inspired legions of socially conscious stars after him including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Bruce Springsteen―played on the first day of the legendary festival, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend.

“Most people couldn’t hear the concert, most people couldn’t even see it,” he told AFP outside his center for cultural and spiritual exchange in rural western Massachusetts. “They were just there because everybody else was there.”

“We were drawn in, like moths to a flame.”

Riding the success of his classic 1967

album “Alice’s Restaurant” -- which contains the more than 18-minute long satirical talking blues hit “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree,” a deadpan protest against the Vietnam War draft that inspired a 1969 film version -- Guthrie, then 22 and baby-faced with a shock of dark curls, recalls being most aware that he was a part of something monumental.

“History is generally thought of from hindsight,” said the Brooklyn-raised folk singer, who now sports shoulderlength white tendrils, a horseshoe mustache and rimmed aviator eyeglasses.

“It’s very rare to be in a historic moment and know that it’s historic.”

Though the enormous party took on airs of a disaster zone and endured a lack of food, clothes and shelter from the pounding rain that August 15-18, Guthrie says “we were amazed. And we felt good about being regular human beings.”

“It’s just one of those moments that you think of as being transformative, like being born or getting married, or your dog dying, or whatever it is,” he continued. “Something emotional, something that’s bigger than you can put into words.” AFP

PROCESSION.

An Orthodox Christian Ethiopian carries a banner bearing the image of Mary during the Marian procession in the shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes during the annual Catholic pilgrimage to Lourdes on August 14, 2019. AFP

SEOUL―South Korean President Moon Jae-in struck a conciliatory tone towards Japan on Thursday, offering to “join hands” if Tokyo chooses dialogue as relations between the two countries dip to fresh lows.

Seoul and Tokyo―both of them democracies and market economies―are mired in long-running disputes over Japan’s use of forced labor in the first half of the 20th century.

The two neighbors have been embroiled in a tit-for-tat trade war that saw them remove each other from their lists of trusted trading partners this month, raising concerns over global supply chains.

That came after Tokyo imposed restrictions on exports crucial to tech giants such as Samsung last month, following a series of South Korean court rulings ordering Japanese firms to pay for wartime labor.

But Moon sought to dial down the temperature on Thursday, saying Seoul was willing to work with Tokyo to secure “fair trade and cooperation” in the region.

“If Japan chooses the path of dialogue and cooperation, we will gladly join hands,” Moon said in a speech to mark the anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan’s 1910-45 rule.

Dressed in a pale grey-blue hanbok, the traditional Korean attire, Moon― who earlier this month vowed South Korea will “never be defeated again by Japan”―insisted that Seoul has “not dwelt on the past”.

“Reflecting on the past does not mean clinging to the past but overcoming what happened and moving toward the future,” said Moon.

“We hope that Japan will play a leading role together in facilitating peace and prosperity in East Asia while it contemplates a past that brought misfortune to its neighboring countries.”

Tokyo maintains that all issues of wartime compensation were settled under the 1965 treaty that re-established diplomatic ties, including a package of about $800 million in grants and cheap loans for the former colony.

The dispute has raised concerns over the potential implications on the security cooperation between the two US allies in the face of a series of North Korean missile tests in recent weeks. AFP

PHIVOLCS, Belgium link up for disaster resiliency project

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

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By Rex Arcadio R. San Diego II

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019

Taguig maps out action plan vs. dengue epidemic

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Taguig City government has intensified its drive to fight dengue in the city in the wake of more than 140,000 cases recorded nationwide since January.

The Department of Health recorded at least 600 deaths and declared a National Dengue Epidemic last week.

Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano convened the Local Health Board of Taguig and adopted an action plan based on the output of the city's Dengue Summit held last month as an aggressive approach to fight the disease.

The three-day Dengue Summit aimed to increase awareness about the disease and prevent it from spreading in the community.

The Local Health Board also adopted the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council's Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2019 on Aug. 6, enjoining all member agencies to support the nationwide dengue epidemic response.

In line with this, the local government continues with the interventions against dengue including simultaneous cleanup drives, and reproduction and distribution of Information, Education and Communication materials.

Taguig is also set to have its Dengue Cleanup Day today in all public schools, health centers, Super Health Centers, Taguig-Pateros District Hospital, barangay halls, City Hall and all government facilities.

The city encourages residents and communities to participate in the cleanup.

Cayetano reiterated his call to residents to maintain cleanliness in their surroundings and implement the "Enhanced 4S" which stands for (1) Search and destroy breeding sites; (2) Seek early consultation; (3) selfprotect; (4) Say YES to fogging only in hotspot areas where case increase is registered for two consecutive weeks.

He earlier challenged all barangay officials and community leaders to aim for lowest dengue attack rate in their respective areas amid reports of dengue surge in the country.

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

JOY ON THE MOVE. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte (left) meets with informal settler families whose houses are erected on the

sidewalk at the Balintawak Market. Belmonte has promised to help relocate the families in a safe environment. The mayor also checks on a vacant lot in Barangay Sta. Monica in Novaliches (inset), which can be potentially developed into a public market and multi-level parking facility, as the city government is on the lookout for properties that can be developed to address road congestion in the area.

Jesse Robredo foundation launches awards for mayors V

ICE President Leni Robredo on Thursday led the launch of public service the Gawad Jesse M. Robredo award for local chief executives • Ability to deliver clear outcomes who embody the late Naga City mayor’s style of leadership. and impact in programs, projects, and

The award recognizes local chief executives who exemplify excellence, integrity, and sincerity in public service and would be given to three to five mayors yearly, said the Vice President, Robredo’s widow.

Her family started the foundation named after the late Interior secretary, who died in a plane crash off Masbate in 2012.

“We want to show that politics in itself is not bad. Politics can be used for good, and Jesse's example showed it can happen. It can be done,” the Vice President said.

“We hope that we all live out what it means to be ‘matino, mahusay at may puso’ (sensible, excellent and have a heart),” added the Vice President's

eldest daughter Aika, who chairs the Jesse M. Robredo Foundation.

Sunday, Aug. 18, will mark seven years since the plane crash that killed Robredo, the mayor who was known for wearing slippers, which his supporters interpreted as a sign of humility and accessibility to the people.

In a statement, the foundation said all incumbent mayors in the country who have completed at least one term will be qualified for the award. Nominees will be assessed based on their demonstration of the following criteria: • Presence of effective measures and/or policies for transparency and accountability in the local government unit • Track record of integrity and ethical

activities • Ability to overcome adversity in performing his/her functions as local chief executive • Innovation in governance • Collaboration with different stakeholders of society • Engagement and empowerment of constituents The recipients of the Gawad Jesse M. Robredo will be named in January 2020. They will receive a trophy and a non-monetary grant from a partner organization to support a community development program in their respective local government units.

The award was launched in collaboration with Galing Pook Foundation, the de la Salle University and Kaya Natin Movement.

Bataan’s Mallari now DPWH 4B Mimaropa chief

GSIS allots P40m for El Niño victims in Aborlan STATE pension fund Government Service Insurance System is allocating P40 million for its active members and old-age pensioners in Aborlan, Palawan who have been affected by El Niño. The deadline of application is Sept. 4, 2019.

Under the program, members with no existing emergency loan may borrow P20,000 while those who still have outstanding balance in their previous emergency loan account may be granted a P40,000 loan. Old-age pensioners in the area may apply for a P20,000 loan.

At present, a total of 1,232 active members and 110 old-age pensioners in the area are qualified to apply for the loan.

To qualify, active members must be working or residing in the calamitydeclared area, not be on leave of absence without pay, have no arrears in paying monthly mandatory life insurance or social insurance premium contributions, and have no unpaid loans for more than six months.

They should also have a minimum net take-home pay of P5,000 after the monthly premium contributions and loan amortizations have been deducted.

Pensioners who are also active members may apply for the loan only once.

Active members may apply through the GSIS Wireless Automated Processing System (GWAPS) kiosk located in all GSIS branch and

PFP OFFICERS. South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo S. Tamayo Jr (fourth from left) is officially elected as national president of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas during the party's assembly on Aug. 11 at the resto bar of Freddie Aguilar (fifth from right), executive vice president of PFP, in Quezon City.

The assembly was attended by all regional chairmen, area presidents and PFP secretary general Tom C. Lantion (fourth from right), former Laguna governor ER Ejercito, president of PFP Region-4A (third from left), and former Albay Vice Gov. James Calisin (second from left).

The seven-month-old national political party won 237 seats across the country during the May 13 elections.

Roy Tomandao

extension offices; provincial capitols; city halls; selected municipal offices; large government agencies such as the Department of Education; Robinsons Malls; and selected SM City branches in North EDSA, Manila, Pampanga, Cebu, SM Aura in Taguig, SM Southmall in Las Piñas, and Mall of Asia in Pasay City (subject to approval of their agency authorized officer [AAO]). Oldage pensioners must personally apply for the loan.

The GSIS emergency loan is payable in 36 equal monthly instalments at six percent interest rate per annum. It is covered by a loan redemption insurance, which deems the loan fully paid in case of the borrower’s demise, provided loan repayment is up to date.

Loan proceeds are electronically credited to the borrower’s GSIS electronic card (eCard) or unified multipurpose identification (UMID) card.

Interested parties who have inquiries may visit the GSIS website, www.gsis. gov.ph, or Facebook account, @gsis.ph; email gsiscares@gsis.gov.ph; or call the GSIS Contact Center at 847-4747 if in Metro Manila or 1-800-8-847-4747 (for Globe [free with minimum P8.00 load] and TM subscribers) or 1-800-10847-4747 [for Smart, Sun, and Talk ’N Text subscribers; P8.00/call]).

LEARNING from the past and community engagement are crucial in disaster preparedness. But the technology developed by the joint efforts of a Belgian professor and his Filipino partners might prove crucial in saving thousands of people around the Taal Volcano in the future.

The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOSTPHIVOLCS), in collaboration with the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) funded by the Government of Belgium, concluded Wednesday its five-year Taal Volcano Project at the Summit Ridge Hotel in Tagaytay City.

Titled “Reducing the Impact of Volcanic Disaster in the Philippines: Towards Improved Capacities of Human Communities to Cope with Volcanic Hazards,” the project, initially launched in 2015, covered various research themes, including improvement of the physicochemical monitoring of the Main Crater Lake.

“A very important accomplishment was the development of a continuous Carbon Dioxide monitoring system at the acidic lake of the Main Crater, with real time data transmission via SMS to Taal Volcano Observatory,” said DOST Undersecretary Renato Solidum Jr. “This would enable the Institute to detect early signs of Taal's activity as increase in Carbon Dioxide typically precedes other precursors of volcanic activity such as increase in volcanic earthquake occurrences,” Solidum added.

Belgium has invested half a million euros (about P29.3 million) in the project. “We believe that scientific cooperation between our two countries can lead to better lives and reducing poverty,” said the official statement from the Belgian embassy.

Under the leadership of University of Brussels Professor Alain Bernard, the group worked together on Taal, one of the five most dangerous volcanos in the world, to improve scientific capacity to predict an explosion.

Considered one of the world’s top scientists, Bernard developed a way to better predict an explosion by measuring CO2 bubbles in the water “like looking at a glass of champagne.”

Such technology might hold the key to evacuating thousands of people around active volcanic sites when the time arrives.

Solidum praised Bernard’s work, noting that "the continuous CO2 monitoring in an acidic lake is sent in real time to TVO. " According to Mylene MartinezVillegas, Chief Science Research Science Specialist of PhiVolcs, the involvement of community members in disaster preparedness matters.

By Butch Gunio

Engineer Wilfredo Mallari (right) takes his oath before Public Works Secretary Mark Villar as regional director of DPWH 4-B (Mimaropa). Butch Gunio

BALANGA CITY—Engineer Wilfredo Mallari, a native of this city, is now full-fledged regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Region 4-B or Mimaropa.

He took his oath last week before Public Works Secretary Mark Villar at the department’s headquarters in Manila.

Mallari was appointed officer-incharge regional director of DPWH Mimaropa early last year. He was also assistant regional director of the department for a year before being promoted to OIC. He has the distinction of being the first Bataan native to become regional director of DPWH 4B. Mallari was district engineer of Bataan’s first district for 14 years and of the Las Piñas-Muntinlupa district in Metro Manila for three years.

He rose from the department’s ranks, starting as a part-time civil engineering aide in 1975 while studying at the Adamson University in Manila. He became a regular employee of DPWH, then the Ministry of Public Works and Highways, in December 1977 after graduating and passing the Board of Civil Engineers in April of the same year.

Aussies back Arroceros Park dev’t THE Australian government has committed to support Manila's expansion of the Arroceros Forest Park, the city’s last lung, and the capital’s education programs.

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven Robinson asked Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagaso on Thursday to give him a tour of the 2.2-hectare forested area, which the city government intends to develop.

Robinson was the 11th ambassador who paid a courtesy call on Moreno.

Envoys from the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Panama, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Russia, New

Zealand and the European Union have also committed to strengthen ties with the capital by funding some of Manila’s infrastructure, educational, tourism and cultural programs.

"We are interested in where we can potentially help the mayor in terms of his endeavor here because we think this is a wonderful opportunity to the people if this can be expanded or improved,” Robinson told reporters.

Australia is also looking for new ways to support public schools in Manila, the envoy said, after it has donated some P5.2 million to Manila’s education sector since 2008.

Life

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

YOUNG LIFE

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019

Aquaria

SPILL THE TEA.

Drag queen Aquaria is coming to the Philippines in September to serve some sass and stunning 'lewks.'

to serve some

‘lewks’

in the Philippines H

Aquaria wears the shoes and accessories he personally selected for the campaign's photo shoot.

EADS up, queens! Aquaria is coming to the Philippines to serve some stunning “lewks.”

The RuPaul Drag Race season 10 winner will grace the “biggest fashion eleganza extravaganza” at SM Megamall Mega Fashion Hall on Sept. 2 and at The Block Atrium SM North Edsa on Sept. 3 as part of the SM Store’s latest campaign featuring the New York drag queen.

In a statement, the SM Store said the campaign “is all about self-expression through fashion, regardless of who you are, whatever style you go for.”

Aside from being the youngest queen to snatch the crown at RuPaul’s popular drag race competition, the 23-year-old has made waves in the fashion industry.

Aquaria has appeared in global campaigns for Moschino and MAC Viva Glam, collaborated with designer Jeremy Scott and makeup brand Nyx. She has also graced the cover of Vogue Italia, Gay Times, and Paper Magazine.

He also made headlines this year as the first drag queen to walk the red carpet of the MET Gala.

For the campaign with SM, Aquaria, who’s known for his catchphrase “ t u r n i ng looks, stunting pretty,” serves head-turning, stunning lewks as, aside from wearing the items, SM said he was hands-on in the styling process, even personally selecting the merchandise for the shoot.

Aquaria makes a statement as he piles on items from SM Shoes and Bags as well as SM Accessories while in full fashion drag.

Twitterserye brings out Filipinos’ love of good stories TWITTER has always been the go-to platform to know #WhatsHappening real time. But aside from discussing trending topics and joining various conversations online, creative storytelling has become popular in the Twitterverse.

Dubbed Twitterserye, the stories are mostly fan fictions and are built up through threads and replies to

make the narrative “snackable” and interactive. The thread feature also makes reading more convenient, especially for readers who want to retweet their favorite lines from the story.

Here’s how Twitter helped in making good stories and fandoms come alive:

An avenue to showcase talents

More than just expressing opinions, Twitter allows Filipinos to showcase their writing prowess and share their work. A Twitterserye titled By Mistake became the talk of the town just recently as it captured classic Filipino romantic comedy themes.

By Mistake is a KathNiel fan fiction that tells the love and hate relationship of Ivor and Lily. It all started when Lily had a fight with Ivor over a wrong Grab message. Interestingly, it is also penned

by Gwy Saludes (@4reuminct), the same author behind the other smashing Twitterserye hit, Along España.

Saludes proves that 280 characters can make compelling stories that thousands of people can revel in and relate to. In fact, the use of Twitter thread and replies to mimic an actual conversation gives it a fresh and authentic appeal.

ONLINE SHOPPING

Rustans.com hosts shopping party UPSCALE department store Rustan’s launches its online platform, Rustans.com on August 17 with a big shopping party.

Happening from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., the shopping revelry will feature over 140 must-have brands that are now available at the online shop.

The one-night-only shopping event will also include simultaneous parties led by Nicole Andersson, Tessa Prieto-Valdes, Rica de Jesus of Heart2Heart, and well known Cebuana Jaja Chiongbian-Rama.

Adding more fun into the mix, the live shopping party will also feature discounts and drops throughout the night which shoppers can follow @r ustansph on Facebook and Instagram accounts

Brings fans and the stars closer

Nurtures fan communities

What makes Twitterserye unique is that it gives fans a super dose of kilig and entertainment. Fans are buckled up for a feels trip as the story progresses, and they simply can’t help but share their reactions online.

Fandoms unite and get enthusiastic whenever a new Twitterserye shows up.

They find the stories relatable as if it is based on real characters or experiences. In the process, it has enriched the interactions among the community and encouraged people even outside the fandom to jump into the conversation.

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Through Twitter, fans and their idols get closer just by enjoying the same thing: reading Twitterseryes. By Mistake and Along España became such a hit that even celebrities like Kathryn Bernardo (@bernardokath) and Sofia Andres (@iamsofiaandres), who were both reimagined as characters in the story, noticed the thread and reacted to the series.

What’s more interesting is that besides getting close with the artists, fans who have authored their own series also gained avid readers of their own. Saludes, for example, got plenty of opportunities to present and hone her craft especially after Along España took Twitterverse by storm.

Rustan's online platform will be live on August 17 with a one-night-only shopping party, complete with new drops and discounts.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019

nickie.standard@gmail.com

Entertainment

Raging against the dying light FOR several weeks now, a ragtag group of musicians has been converging at the Minokaua in Malate to share in the holy communion that is rock and roll.

Bound together in the common belief that music could still save souls if done right, the acts, including singer-songwriters and Tempo

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INEMALAYA Independent Film Festival’s closing film, Mina Anud, a masterpiece of Cebuano filmmaker Kerwin Go, is receiving rave reviews from the audience of the annual indie fest and from the people who got to watch it in Cebu.

The film, which is a collaboration of Regal Entertainment, Inc., Hooq Original Movie and Epicmedia, is a onehour and 44-minute feature that follows two surfers, Ding and Carlo, who must decide whether the lure of riches is worth risking family and freedom, after three tons of cocaine land on the shores of a peaceful seaside community.

According to director Go, the film was inspired by true events. In 2009 in the province of Eastern Samar, the cocaine washed up on the shores of the province, and things turned downright surreal.

Mina-Anud is being credited for its being socially relevant and an eyeopener. One of the praises that the movie received was that it succeeds in being funny while tackling a serious topic.

Though told in a humorous manner, the film still succeeds in sending the message across to viewers.

“The film is fantastic. It’s a fun ride. I would definitely recommend it for those who wants to see a wild story, unusual story, great scenery, great performances, no question I would recommend it,” said a viewer from Cebu.

Entertainment editor Troy Ciar of Sun Star Super Balita shared, “It is amazing and brave movie, I hope everybody will watch it. Nice, very nice, two thumbs up. I’m recommending it.”

Direk Erik Matti commented after watching the film in CCP, “Maganda, maganda yungbanter ng barkada, masaya yung movie.”

“The film is very organic, it will affect you because it doesn’t have any pretentious,” says director Dondon Santos.

Atty. Salvador Panelo, Presidential Spokesperson has seen the film in CCP, “It’s a beautiful movie. The actors are good. And it’s a true story, there are lessons to be learned.”

“Mixture of adventure. It’s a different kind of story-telling, this is a film to watch.” says FDCP Chairperson Liza Diño.

The film’s lead stars are Dennis Trillo, Jerald Napoles, and Matteo Guidicelli. Joining them are Alvin Anson, Mara Lopez, Anthony Falcon, Marc Felix, Lou Veloso, Richard Manabat, Dionne Monsanto, Elia Ilano, Lui Manansala, and Luke Landrigan.

Showing only in cinemas nationwide on Aug. 21.

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Litmus test for JoshNella

The team up of Joshua Gar-

From left: Liwanag, Oliver Croissant, Beat Per Machine, and JB Briseno.

entertainment editor Neil Ramos, Oliver hardworking rock band Liwanag, pop- electronic-art duo BPM, give their all in Croissant, and JB Briseno as with rock connoisseurs The Pub Forties and every performance raging it seems against

‘MINA-ANUD’ impresses moviegoers after Cinemalaya debut

Actress Ara Mina looking chic and sexy in France by Ara Colours Matte Lipstick

ARA MINA’s effortless beauty

Dennis Trillo with co-star Jerald Napoles in a scene from the film, ‘MIna-Anud.’

cia and Janella Salvador has been a long time coming, but it will finally happen in the new series, The Killer Bride.

It is a dream come true for the fans of Joshua and Janella, who, just like their avid supporters, are very excited to finally star in a project together as a love team.

“I got excited when I learned I will be working with Joshua because we were supposed to work in other projects but didn’t push through. I think this the perfect time and project for us,” said Janella.

In preparation for their roles, the two underwent a series of workshops to effectively portray their roles.

“It is our first time to work together so there was awkwardness. But we were given workshops, so we eventually became comfortable with each other.

We were dedicated to learn,” Joshua shared.

Janella is set to play Emma, a woman who claims to have been possessed by the soul of the killer bride Camila Dela Torre (Maja Salvador). She will meet Elias (Joshua), the right hand man of Vito Dela Cruz, the man who was supposed to marry Camila before she died.

Many believe that Emma came to Las Espadas to fulfill Camila’s plan of revenge. But Elias will go to great lengths

to protect the Dela Cuestas, especially Vito, even if it would cost him his life.

Where will Elias and Emma’s encounter lead them to?

The cast also includes Dominic Ochoa, Loren Burgos, Alexa Ilacad,

Eric Nicolas, Keanna Reeves, Eddie Gutierrez, Aurora Sevilla, Cris Villanueva, James Blanco, Lara Quigaman, Ariella Arida, and Sam Concepcion. The series is directed

by Dado Lumibao.

Joshua Garcia and Janella Salvador team up for the first time in the new ABS-CBN primetime drama, ‘The Killer Bride.’

Rocco Nacino renews exclusive contract with GMA

Rocco Nacino prepares for the upcoming series, the local adaptation of the hit K-Drama, ‘Descendants of the Sun.’

the dying of the light.

Spearheading each gig is impresario Reg Parungao, who has vowed to deliver more of the same wherever possible under her very own Rage Productions.

“I am committed to making Original Pilipino Music more accessible to the common people. It is about time we take it away from the hands of the bourgeoisie who simply use it as a tool to brainwash the rest of the country into believing everything is okay. No, things are not okay and we are not going to just sit idly, silently and let things be. We are going to be heard,” she said.

Catch more of these enlightened gatherings. Visit Rage Productions on Facebook for updates.

ACTOR Rocco Nacino remains a loyal Kapuso after renewing his exclusive contract with GMA Network on Aug. 8.

Rocco, one of GMA’s homegrown stars, was discovered in the fifth season of StarStruck. After many years of being a Kapuso, he attributes his success to the talent show that discovered and honed his craft, “I’m very grateful that through StarStruck, people started recognizing me. It was a season of training us to be the perfect actor and person na kayang isabak sa harap ng camera, sa maraming tao para makapag-perform to be a total artista, sila talaga ang humasa

sa akin.”

Present during the signing were GMA Senior Vice President for Entertainment Group Lilybeth G. Rasonable, Vice President for Drama Productions Redgie A. Magno, Senior Assistant Vice President for Alternative Productions Gigi Santiago-Lara;, Assistant Vice President for Drama Cheryl ChingSy, Senior Program Managers Ali Nokom Dedicatoria, Cathy Ochoa Perez, and Rocco’s father and comanager Raphael Nacino, together with mom, Linda Nacino.

He is part of the powerhouse cast of the Pinoy adaptation of the hit Korean series Descendants of the Sun as Sergeant Diego Ramos. Rocco couldn’t be any more grateful for this project which is a dream come true for him.

“Even though it meant waiting longer, it was worth it because I’m very happy where I am at righ tnow. I just cannot wait. I’m so excited to work every day, kaya napakaganda ng taon na ‘to. People would give everything para makatrabaho si Dingdong (Dantes) and now, I’m living that dream so it’s a huge honor for me,” he said.

IT IS no secret to many that Ara Mina is one busy woman as she juggles her time as a mom, a baker, an entrepreneur, and an actress (and she has time to hike, too!). An avid fan of Korean and Japanese cosmetics brands, it has been a long-time dream for Ara Mina to expand her beauty business venture by having her own make-up line.

Understanding the way of life of modern Filipinas, it is her goal to develop a cosmetics line that will help today’s women to stay beautiful despite their busy schedules. Thus, Ara Colours was born.

As she launches her newest makeup line, Ara is proud to share with everyone two must-have make-up products in every Pinay’s makeup kit. The Ara Colours Matte Lipstick and Ara Colours Lip and Cheek Tint. All these products are sized in such a way that they can conveniently fit in every woman’s beauty pouch. The products are also great for multitasking, which means each of her products offer multiple benefits in just one package. It’s definitely a steal if you wish to achieve effortless beauty, anytime, anywhere.

Ara Colours Matte Lipstick is a creamy matte lipstick that is handy and travelfriendly. It’s a 2-in-1 product which can be used as a lipstick and a lip pen to line your lips. It comes in seven varying shades, that matches any skin tone.

Ara, being a working mom and an entrepreneur, is practical and is also on the lookout for value for money when it comes to her purchases. As such, Ara Colours Matte Lipstick is made to be very affordable, and retails for only P195.

For women who want to live by the slogan, “wake up and make-up,” Ara created her own Lip & Cheek Tint that comes in five shades. It has different shades to match your mood—whether you feel like looking a little peachy or a bit fiercer—Ara has the perfect shade for you. This is a non-drying, water-gel tint that can be used on the lips, cheeks, and even on the eyes. Thus, if you’re planning to complete your daily makeup look with only one product, this is your perfect match! AraColours Lip & Cheek Tint retails for only P175. Quick tip: Ara uses her Ara Colours Lip & Cheek Tint as a base for her lipstick to make sure it lasts all day long.

Being a traveler at heart, Ara made all her products travel-friendly. Not only that, she made sure that you can go into places with these products, as she named them after places she’d been to and places she’d want to visit. Are you ready to start your journey with Ara Colours? Dig in, and try out her newest makeup line to see for yourself. Ara Colours is now available thru Lazada, Shopee, and all Ever Bilena Direct Sales outlets nationwide Ara Colours products are parabenfree and cruelty-free.

For more information, visit Ara Colours Facebook page, www. facebook.com/AraColoursPH and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ AraColoursPH.

Motoring

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019

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2020 CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY

American icon redesigned

General Motors President Mark Reuss drove the 2020 Corvette C8 onto the center stage and presented the mid-engine sports car to the world.

By Lester Dizon

A

FTER years of speculation and months of spy photos, General Motors unveiled the 8th generation Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (on July 18, 2019 in Tustin, California, USA. GM proudly claimed that the all-new mid-engine sports car is much more than just the “Next Generation”—it took the Corvette to the Next Level. Precise and powerful, the all-new Corvette Stingray has been completely redesigned from the ground up to deliver a thrill on every drive. GM re-imagined the American icon into a sculpted mid-engine sports car that is as functional as it is ground-breaking that it can be driven every day.

Designed in the wind tunnel, aerodynamic components are integrated throughout the Corvette Stingray. Each part of its gorgeous form is decidedly functional such as heat exchangers behind each opening to cool the engine; a hybrid rear spoiler that keeps the car planted at high speed; and hidden hatch and hood releases and door handles for a clean and aerodynamic appearance. Taking a cue from the Ferrari 488 GTB, the all-new V8 engine is visible through a rear hatch window while optional carbon-fiber components and LED lights are available to illuminate the engine.

Racing legacy

With the racing legacy of small block Chevy V8 engines behind them, GM engineers came out with the all-new 6.2-liter LT2 V8. It’s a no-compromise powerhouse that’s mounted low to improve handling and equipped with a standard dry-sump system for improved lubrication especially during cornering when the g-forces are high. It’s still a push rod V8 but it features Continuously Variable Valve Timing that further improves performance to deliver 495 horsepower and 638 Newton-meters of torque to make it the most powerful production Corvette ever.

495-hp 6.2-liter LT2 push rod V8 is mounted low mid-ship using a dry sump

Enthusiasts and tourists gather in front of the Piaggio Museum.

Piaggio Museum: TripAdvisor’s hall of famer THE Piaggio Museum in Pontedera, the largest motorcycle museum in Italy and one of the biggest in Europe, enters the TripAdvisor’s Hall of Fame, obtaining the Certificate of Excellence for the fifth consecutive year, thanks to the high scores and very positive reviews provided by visitors.

The museum has been consistently recognized by TripAdvisor every year since

2015, thanks to its ability to win the hearts of the many guests, 700,000 of whom have visited Pontedera, which is in the province of Pisa, from all over the world since the museum opened. TripAdvisor is the world’s biggest travel platform, present on 49 markets and boasting approximately 490 million unique visitors per month with its network of sites.

Valuable pieces inside the museum tell of the history of mobility , according to Italians.

system.

The standard dual-clutch 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters combines the smoothness of an automatic with the precise action of a manual to provide lightning-quick shifts. Chevrolet claims improved acceleration and lap times with the new transaxle since there’s no deceleration between shifts. Lap times are also improved because of the inherent balance and improved roadholding characteristics of the Corvette’s new mid-engine layout.

8-speed dual clutch automatic transaxle is an exotic piece of engineering.

Improved Driving Experience The mid-engine configuration improves the driving experience by providing improved visibility, responsiveness, and driving feel. The mid-engine placement provides rear weight bias, directing more power to the rear wheels where it is most needed. The body structure is more than ten percent (10%) stiffer than the previous generation that contributes to a better ride and confidence-inspiring handling. Ultralight 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels shod with meaty tires not only provide improved traction but provide a better ride and reduced noise, as well.

With the engine behind the driver instead of in front, GM engineers were able to lower the cowl, hood, instrument panel and steering wheel for improved forward vision. And with the windshield now over the front wheels, there’s improved downforce without the need for a front air dam.

The new mid-engine layout allowed a thoughtful engineering of storage. An allnew front cargo area is large enough to The large exhibition spaces within the Piaggio Museum, inaugurated in 2000 and significantly refurbished in 2018, extend across 5,000 square meters and are located in former industrial warehouses that were elegantly restored and now house more than 250 historic vehicles.

Vehicles that represent more than one hundred years of emotions, dreams and projects, all of which have accompanied the economic and social development of Italy.

The Vespa collection, one of the bestknown and loved Italian brands, attracts fans from all over the world and is flanked by collections dedicated to the Piaggio and Ape brands and to the motorcycle and racing history of the Aprilia, Gilera and Moto Guzzi brands.

Names that have written key chapters in the history of the motorcycle and that, together, boast an extraordinary 104 world titles across the various motorcycle racing specialisms. From the heroic machines of 1909, the year Gilera was founded, or of 1921, the birth of Moto Guzzi, all the way to the extraordinary Aprilia bikes belonging to Valentino Rossi, Max Biaggi, Loris Capirossi, Manuel Poggiali, who are all World Championship winners.

Alongside these valuable pieces, some unique and unrepeatable, is the entire history of mobility—from trains to planes, from cable ways to marine motors—covered by a company that is part of Italian history. For more information, visit the official website: www.museopiaggio.it/en/.

carry an airline-size overhead bag while the trunk can hold two golf bags or the removable roof panel.

A Driver’s Car Every detail of the Corvette’s cockpit is designed to provide a natural and immersive driving experience where each button is exactly where it needs to be for comfortable and intuitive use. The 12-inch diagonal reconfigurable digital instrument display panel incorporates all driver information and features three distinct themes while a color head-up display (HUD) helps keep the driver’s eyes on the road. The Driver Mode Selector electronically calibrates up to 12 performance variables to adjust the car’s performance for any road while the all-new My Mode and Z-Mode personalizes performance to save settings between drives.

The available Front Lift system raises the front of the Corvette almost 2 inches in less than 3 seconds at low speeds to clear low obstacles like speed bumps or steep driveways. It also remembers up to 1,000 GPS locations to work seamlessly during the drive. The Performance Data Recorder (PDR) digital driving coach with 1080p recording captures acceleration speed, braking, gear choice, sound and more to help analyze and improve the driver’s performance. It also functions as a dash cam with auto-record and equipped with Valet Mode that monitors the use of the Corvette when others are behind the wheel, recording video and vehicle data.

Image result for 2020 Corvette C8 front lift Front Lift system lifts the nose by 2 inches within 3 seconds to clear speed

bumps and ramps.

Technology and More The all-new mid-engine Corvette comes with the Chevrolet Infotainment 3 system with 8-inch diagonal color touch-screen with simplified Bluetooth pairing, where a compatible phone is placed above the volume button to automatically pair with the system. Other options include enhanced Navigation with 3-D View, Bose Performance Series 14-speaker audio system, and 4G LTE Wi-Fi connection.

If the craving for even more agility and performance is insatiable, then the Z51 Performance Package is a must. The package includes performance tires, massive brakes, electronic limited slip differential (eLSD), front splitter, and performance exhaust.

Also included is the Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 next-generation damping system that reads the road every millisecond and adapts in as little as 10-15 milliseconds. An innovative suspension fluid contains metal particles that align and become rigid in an instant altering the handling and providing the driver with the confidence and control to push harder while staying planted.

Prices of the all-new 2020 Corvette Stingray start at $62,000, which is equivalent to P3.124 Million with the current exchange rates. Add shipping costs, applicable Custom duties, taxes and dealer markup, we figured that it could cost between P7.7 and P9.0 Million to drive one on Philippine roads. Compared to the V8-powered mid-engine European sports cars that are available locally, the new midengine Corvette C8 might prove to be a bargain. The only question now is “When will it come here?”

Maxxis choice: Isuzu D-Max IN A FORMAL ceremony held last August 2, Isuzu Philippines Corporation turned over to Solid Trend Trade Sales Inc. of the Excel Trend Group of Companies seven Isuzu D-MAX pickups and one QKR truck at the Maxxis Tyre office along Multinational Avenue in Sucat, Paranaque City.

Excel Trend Group of Companies is the exclusive distributor of the renowned Maxxis, CST and Michelin Tires in the Philippines.

During the turnover, IPC Vice President Yasuhiko Oyama remarked, “We are very honored to be providing the Excel Trend Group of Companies their latest Isuzu D-MAX and QKR. We believe that this is going to be the first step toward an upgraded logistic system of Solid Trend Trade Sales Inc.” He added: “We thank the Excel Trend Group of Companies for trusting IPC in providing them their first fleet of Isuzu vehicles. We are confident that aside from providing a more durable and reliable transport and logistics solution, we also guarantee that we will be providing the best service assistance they need.”

Jaybee Atanacio, Sales Director for the Excel Trend Group of Companies, said

that the Isuzu vehicles would, indeed, play key roles in the company’s efficient operations. “We chose Isuzu because we believe in the product that provides durability and at the same time fuel efficiency.

This, in turn, makes our company perform better and cuts cost in our operations.”

Atanacio disclosed that the Isuzu DMAX would be used by the fleet sales and regional managers in Luzon and Mindanao for their fieldwork and customer visits.

The Isuzu D-MAX comes from a long line of Isuzu’s tough and reliable trucks spanning nearly a century. With its Blue Power-developed engines, the pickup also provides truck-levels of strength, durability and rigidity with its high-tensile steel frame chassis and cabin. The D-MAX also meets ASEAN safety standards.

On the other hand, the Isuzu QKR truck is the tough, compact, and reliable business partner. Powerful, practical, and price competitive, the compact cab carries a robust 4JH1-TC Euro4-compliant Blue Power engine that generates a maximum power output of 106 PS and 230 Nm of torque. Its reinforced chassis frame is capable of carrying up to a gross vehicle weight of four tons to drive businesses forward.

From left: Niño Luna (Sales Manager-Isuzu Cavite); Valance Mauricio (Brach Manager-Isuzu Cavite); Jaybee Atanacio (Sales Director – Excel Trend Group of Companies, Luzon); Rose Garin (Marketing Manager); Yasuhiko Oyama (Vice President-Sales); Anna Jane Dalida (Assistant Department Head—Dealer Sales B).

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

C4 FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2019

Motoring TOYOTA RAV4

Text and photo

by Lester Dizon

I

T’S HARD to believe that the Toyota RAV4 has been around for a quarter of a century already. It debuted in 1994 as the first compact crossover sport utility vehicle (SUV) and its name was an amalgamation meaning “Recreational Activity Vehicle 4WD.” Toyota Motor Corporation created the RAV4 in response to their customers’ demands for a vehicle that had the benefits of an SUV such as increased cargo room, higher visibility, and the option of four-wheel drive (4WD), along with the benefits of a compact car, such as maneuverability, ease of parking, and fuel economy. It is rather ironic that the latest iteration of the RAV4 currently does not offer the 4WD option.

1994-1999 XA10 Series Launched in Japan in May 1994, the first generation RAV4, known as the XA10 series, shared a unique platform derived from the Toyota Carina and Corolla. Design and development started in 1989 under code name 153T, with design approval and start of production development in the second half of 1991 on the 3-door version and in 1993 for the 5-door version. Powered by a 119-horsepower 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder, the RAV4 was available in 3-door or 5-door versions, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. It was named the 1997 Automobile of the Year by Automobile Magazine. It received a slight front and rear restyling in 1998.

2000-2005 XA20 Series The second generation XA20 series RAV4 went on sale in July 2000. Like the previous model, it was available in 3-door and 5-door versions and was constructed on a platform that was shared with the Toyota Carina and Corolla. Development began in 1995 and approved in the first half of 1998. Styling was done at Calty Design Research Incorporated

by Yasuhide Hosoda and Kevin Hunter from 1996 to 1997. Powerplant choices include a 150-hp 2.0-liter inline-four gas engine, a 158-hp 2.4-liter, or a D-4D inline-four diesel engine. The RAV4 underwent a minor styling update and improved equipment in 2004 while 2.4-liter engine made 160 horses and the 2.0-liter got intelligent variable valve timing (VVT-i).

2006-2011 XA30 Series Redesigned for 2006 using an all-new platform and Electric Power Steering System (EPS), the third generation RAV4 was unveiled at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show. Offered in two versions, the shortwheelbase or standard RAV4 was sold in Japan, Europe and New Zealand while

25 years of recreational driving

the long-wheelbase or extended RAV4, which was 21% longer, was sold in Australia, New Zealand and North America.

The 3-door version was dropped in 2007 and the XA30 series RAV4 was given a mid-cycle styling update in 2009.

2012-2017 XA40 Series With a complete redesign, the fourth generation RAV4 was revealed at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. Engine choices included a 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter Dual VVT-i four-cylinder gasoline engines or 2.0-liter and 2.2-liter turbo diesels while transmission choices included a 6-speed manual, a 6-speed automatic or a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). Unlike the dual wheelbase availability of the previous XA30 model, the XA40 was only sold in a single wheelbase configuration. It also featured a more traditional tailgate that opens upward instead of the side-opening tailgate of the previous generations. In 2016, it received

AROUSE YOUR SENSES • Mazda3 zooms toward premium class

By Lester Dizon BERMAZ Auto Philippines, the official distributor of Mazda vehicles in the country, showcased five variants of the much-anticipated Mazda3 to an excited community of Mazda enthusiasts and members of the motoring press. The Mazda3 Elite 4-door Sedan and 5-door Sportback variants come with the highly fuel-efficient 1.5-liter Skyactiv-G engine while the Mazda3 Premium variants feature the more powerful 2.0-liter engine along with additional safety and comfort features.

The all-new Mazda3 pioneers the new era of Mazda Premium by elevating the nameplate’s already exceptional driving experience together with even higher levels of design, craftsmanship, engineering and safety.

The all-new Mazda3’s mission is to amaze and delight customers all over the world. To achieve this, Mazda has applied its human-centric philosophy for dramatic improvements in every area: design, driving performance, NVH, environmental performance, and quality feel. “We are proud to finally introduce the all-new Mazda3 to the

Philippine market”, shared BAP president and CEO, Steven Tan. “Mazda has raised the standards of quality, craftsmanship and safety to neverbefore experienced levels in this class. Through exquisite design, superior finish, refined quietness and engaging vehicle dynamics, owners of the all-new Mazda3 will surely experience class-above driving pleasure.”

Tan added, “This is a bold new step for Mazda as we deliver on our promise to give our loyal customers the true premium driving experience they deserve.”

More than 19,000 Mazda3s have been sold in the since its 2004 introduction into the country. This makes the Mazda3 the most successful Mazda model on record in the country.

Since its initial worldwide launch in 2003, the Mazda3 has sold more than 6 million units globally, delivering driving joy to customers around the world.

The theme of development for the allnew Mazda3 was to make it “an object of universal desire”. Mazda designers and engineers sought to make a car that would evoke longing in any person. To achieve this end, a new definition of beauty that showcased the “less

a facelift that debuted with the RAV4 Hybrid, which combines a 2.5-liter Atkinson cycle gasoline engine with an electric motor and nickel-metal hydride battery cell.

2018-present XA50 Series Unveiled in March 2018 at the New York International Auto Show, the fifth generation RAV4 was designed by Tatsuya Sonoda and is based on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA-K) platform, which is shared with the eighth generation Camry, fifth generation Avalon and seventh generation Lexus ES. Both 4-cylinder gasoline-powered and gasoline-electric hybrid (Hybrid Synergy Drive) RAV4 variants are available but because it’s based on the front-wheeldrive TNGA-K platform, there is currently no available 4WD option. Off-road enthusiasts felt that this deletion deviates from the original concept of “4WD recreational activity vehicle” but we can only wager a guess that most RAV4 owners

drive around urban areas more often that they venture off-road.

Driving a 2019 Toyota RAV4 2.5 LE 4×2 A/T Our narrative on the 25-year history of the Toyota RAV4 was brought about by our recent test drive of the latest XA50, a 2.5-liter LE 4×2 A/T base model variant. Even though our subject car is a base model, this new Toyota crossover SUV looks upmarket, albeit tough and mean, with the headlights mounted high at the edges of the front portion of the fenders and the large grille, which looks like an inverted smile or a thick mustache, dominating the RAV4’s face. Add a pair of large angry cartoon eyes on the windshield, and our test drive unit will look like an unsmiling silver SUV with a goatee, worthy of a cameo in the next “Cars” Pixar movie franchise.

A Family Affair A funny thing happened on our way to

is more” Japanese minimalist aesthetic was adopted in the Mazda3’s design.

This newfound philosophy was further echoed by the Mazda Vision Coupe, the Japanese car company’s award-winning concept car unveiled in the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. Without the usual character lines that defined traditional car

ventional wisdom and rules while radiating beauty even at first glance while the Sportback is a realization of the “Beauty in Subtraction” in design.

The all-new Mazda3 will feature two engine options—the 152-horsepower 2.0-liter and the 110-hp

designs, a cleaner more sophisticated presence was achieved. With the all-new Mazda3, these design cues take the shape of two distinct forms that personify works of art.

Achieving a clean exterior finish is part of the design direction for the Mazda3. By hiding the windshield wipers, embedding the washer nozzles within the wiper assemblies, as well as hiding the traditional driver’s side key hole and adopting locking and unlocking sensors behind the main door handles and underneath the tailgate logo, Mazda designers achieved a cleaner and more mature air of premium quality that doesn’t rely on flamboyant and pretentious displays. The Mazda3 Sedan was made to appeal even more to those who respect tradition, con-

an event. We had the RAV4 valet-parked and the car jockey immediately listed it as “Toyota Innova” on the valet parking ticket. He went around the vehicle for the routine inspection before parking it and then ran after us to correct the writing on the ticket when he saw the “RAV4” emblem at the back. We guess that he assumed it was the Toyota MPV because of the RAV4’s longer body and because it really does look like the Innova with the square back and high tail lamp cluster.

Like their upmarket Lexus brand, Toyota has been designing their vehicles to have a familial look to enhance brand recall.

Thus, you can immediately tell it’s a Toyota but it’ll take a while to figure out what model if you’re not well-versed with their line-up.

Opening the rear tailgate shows the “activity” portion of the RAV4’s name.

In the past, only bulky station wagons and large SUVs have enough space at the back to haul mountain bikes, long boards, climbing equipment, or other fun activity gear but the RAV4’s introduction in 1994 changed all that. It was designed to be a fun recreational vehicle that you can drive to your activity, or at least close to it. The fifth generation RAV4 may not have the all-wheel drive capability of the previous iterations to allow it off the beaten path, but it can still haul fun gear with the rear seat back engaged, and more stuff with the seat back folded down. With a 60:40 split, the cargo hold can be configured to haul long stuff, bulky stuff or carry stuff with space for a rear passenger.

Sitting for hours in heavy traffic while driving around the metropolis is not something one can call a “recreational activity” by any means, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be comfortable. The interior of the RAV4 is a nice place to while way the time when you’re stuck in traffic with comfortable seats, breathable fabric upholstery, cold air-conditioning system, and infotainment system. As a “base” model, our silver RAV4 2.5 LE is not equipped with luxury amenities such as leather seats, sunroof or reverse camera, but we do not miss them. In heavy traffic during a hot summer day, the interior of our RAV4 is very cool and comfortable while the six speakers provide rich sound quality throughout the drive, or rather, the crawl through the main roads.

The infotainment system can connect with an iOS or Android device through Bluetooth as well as USB to have hours and hours of music. It can also connect with two mobile phones simultaneously via Bluetooth so you won’t get cited for “Distracted Driving” when you make or take calls while you’re crawling safely through traffic.

The RAV4’s TNGA-K platform features a wheelbase that’s 30mm longer than the previous model (4,690 versus 4,660 mm), which helps minimize the transmission of the road undulations to the chassis. Combined with the 10 mm wider track (1,855 versus 1,845 mm), rear double wishbone suspension, and meatier 225/65R17 tires, the RAV4 provide a more stable, comfortable and composed ride with a new level of smoothness. Added safety features such as seven airbags, front and rear disc brakes with anti-lock braking system (ABS), stability control and hill start assist further accentuates our “cocoon” analogy. maintaining everyday practicality and high fuel efficiency due to its use of high 13:1 compression ratios and direct fuel injection technology.

The product presentation given by Mikko David, BAP’s Senior Manager for Marketing and Press Relations, made the jaws of everybody in the audience drop and made the all-new Mazda3 even more desirable.

The prices of the all-new Mazda3 are jaw-

Awardwinning Mazda Vision Coupe

1.5-liter Skyactiv-G inline fourcylinder Double Overhead Camshaft (DOHC) gasoline engines. Both engineered to provide smooth and efficient power delivery, these engines remain to be the most technologically advanced naturally aspirated motors available in its class. Optimized intake ports and piston shape, split fuel injection and a coolant control valve all contribute to deliver high levels of dynamic performance, intuitive control, fuel economy and environmental friendliness. Designed to run even on 91-RON unleaded fuel, the Skyactiv-G engines provide more than ample power while

dropping awesome, as well with the 1.5-liter Elite Sedan at P1,295,000; the 1.5-liter Elite Sportback at P1,320,000; the 2.0-liter Premium Sedan at P1,495,000; the 2.0-liter Premium Sportback at P1,510,000; and the 2.0-liter Mazda3Speed Sportback at P1,590,000. And as a fitting finale, a representative of J.D. Powers presented the No. 1 in Customer Satisfaction Award for Mazda Philippines to BAP President and CEO Steven Tan, who shared it with the officers and staff of Bermaz Auto Philippines and their dealerships.