Manila Standard - 2019 August 26 - Monday

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VOL. XXXIII • NO. 193 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

HEROES’ TOMBS. The Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City becomes the focal point of commemorations for this year’s National Heroes’ Day with President Rodrigo Duterte leading the wreath-laying ceremonies today along with Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr. This year’s National Heroes’ Day theme is “Pagkilala sa Bayaning Pilipino: Matapang, Magiting, at Makabayan.” Ey Acasio

Convicts’ GCTA hangs US, Asean set naval war drills next month BANGKOK, Thailand—The US and 10 Southeast Asian states will hold their first-ever joint maritime exercises in September, aimed at preventing “wrongdoing” as Washington and Beijing jostle for influence in the region.

Washington has traditionally been the dominant naval power in Southeast Asia and its re-engagement with the area comes as a deteriorating trade war with China threatens to engulf the global economy.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attended a regional summit earlier this month with the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in a bid to promote the Trump administration’s so-called “Indo-Pacific” strategy.

Also a source of friction is China’s expansive claims to the South China Sea, as the resource-rich waters contain some of the world’s most vital commercial shipping lanes.

Despite having conflicting interests with four rival claimants in ASEAN, China last year held a joint maritime drill with the regional bloc. Next page

China warships no longer straying into Sibutu—AFP

By Francisco Tuyay BEIJING may have ordered its navy not to stray into Philippine waters after the recent string of sightings of Chinese warships passing unannounced through the Sibutu Strait triggered a series of protests from Manila, a ranking military official said Sunday.

“I think there’s been guidance from the national leadership of China to their navy not to immerse themselves in our territory without our permission or advance information,” said Lt. Col. Cirilito Sobejana.

For the last few months, Chinese vessels have intruded into Philippine waters without seeking permission or even advise.

Nearly a dozen of Chinese warships since February have been sighted. The most recent was in August, when five warships were seen in Sibutu Strait in Tawi-Tawi and in Balabac, Palawan.

Sobejana said there would be no problem if the Chinese followed international rules of the sea, including leaving their automatic identification systems on— something the Chinese vessels have not Next page done.

DOJ chief wants to suspend process pending rules review

By Rey E. Requejo

HE Department of Justice on Sunday said it will inform the Supreme Court that it will suspend the implementation of Republic Act No. 10592, which expanded the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) of convicted felons, until the Bureau of Corrections has carefully reviewed and finalized its implementing rules and regulations.

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Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra avoid confusion in the recomputation of said the Bucor would temporarily stop their accumulated good conduct points. processing the GCTA of inmates to Next page

Ilocos bans pigs, pork, by-products

‘Verbal orders prone to abuse’

By MJ Blancaflor PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s penchant for issuing verbal-only orders is dangerous because government officials may interpret them differently and they do not promote accountability, analysts warned Sunday.

Giving verbal-only orders is “not an indicative of good governance,” said Michael Henry Yusingco, senior research fellow at the Ateneo Policy Center.

“There could be varying recollections of the details and circumstances concerning that directive. Its implementation could even worsen the problem it was intended to resolve,” Yusingco said.

Maria Ela Atienza, chairperson of the political science department at the University of the Philippines, also said that those who will implement Duterte’s policies may abuse their powers as a result of their own interpretation of the orders.

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RETURN FIRE. Protesters return tear gas in Tseun Wan road in Hong Kong on Aug. 25, 2019 in the latest opposition to a planned extradition law that has since morphed into a wider call for democratic rights in the semi-autonomous city. Protesters gathered at a sports stadium as Hong Kong braced for more anti-government rallies, a day after clashes returned to the city’s streets following several days of relative calm. AFP

WEATHER State of calamity: ‘Ineng’ batters Norte WITH Ilocos Norte having been placed under a state of calamity due to Tropical Storm “Ineng,” the Department of Agriculture will be providing emergency

loans to the province’s affected farmers, an official said Sunday.

“We have funds available. We are ready to provide emergency financial assistance under SURE [Survival and Recovery] granting P25,000 at zerointerest and payable up to three years, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said in a statement.

Typhoon “Ineng,” the ninth to hit Next page

First crime in outer space? NASA probing WASHINGTON—US space agency NASA is investigating what may be the first crime committed in outer space, The New York Times reported Saturday.

Astronaut Anne McClain is accused of identity theft and improperly accessing Next page

LAOAG CITY―Ilocos Norte has banned the entry of pigs and pork products as a precautionary measure following the African swine fever scare.

In an executive order issued on Aug. 23, Gov. Matthew Joseph Manotoc said the temporary “pork ban” would be effective Friday.

He said the ban would only be lifted after the Bureau of Animal Industry had made an official declaration that the Philippines was safe from the African swine fever and other related diseases.

“We are doing this to avert the entry of these highly contagious diseases in the province and to safeguard and protect our hog industry, Manotoc said.

He has ordered the police and quarantine officers to closely monitor the province’s ports of entry and access roads.

Since May, the Provincial Veterinary Office led by Loida Valenzuela has warned the public to refrain from buying Maling luncheon meat from China including other processed pork.

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House vows pro-poor budget

By Rio N. Araja

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OUSE Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Sunday vowed to muster enough votes to protect the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020 to improve the lives of the poor Filipinos.

He said next year’s National Expenditure Program contains P108.8 billion for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or the conditional cash transfer, and the P166.5 billion to implement the Universal Health Care law.

“We in Congress support the initiatives of the Duterte administration to empower the poor through increased subsidies and grants aimed at ending the intergenerational cycle of poverty in the country, Romualdez said.

“The House leaders agreed to extend

China...

From A1

He said the act of turning off their AIS suggested the Chinese had intentions other than simply passing through.

Meanwhile, Supreme Court Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza said the Philippine government has actually been doing something to enforce the 2016 arbitral ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the South China Sea dispute through diplomacy.

“For now, the Philippines, with restraint, has chosen to enforce the arbitral award through diplomacy. This, of course, is a classic and recognized mode by which a state, through diplomatic action, could invoke redress, for itself or on behalf of its citizens, for injury caused by a wrongful act on another state,” Jardeleza said in a speech during the Asian Society of International Law 7th Biennial Conference in Novotel, Quezon City on Friday.

As part of its diplomatic tack to enforce the arbitral award, the magistrate added, the Philippines has pushed, through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, for the early conclusion of an agreement on a Code of Conduct among the different ASEAN states and China. Rey E. Requejo

their full support to the 2020 budget allocated for the poor Filipinos, particularly the P108.8 billion for the 4Ps program and the P166.5 billion for Universal Health Care.”

Romualdez is president of the LakasChristian Muslim Democrats and the Philippine Constitution Association.

Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu, along with Ako Bisaya party-list Rep. Sonny Lagon, echoed Romualdez’s stance and underscored the importance of the swift passage of the

the country since January, dumped rain on Ilocos Norte and inundated low-lying areas, leaving two people dead and injuring two and causing damage to agricultural products and livestock before it left for Taiwan.

A state of calamity has been raised in Ilocos Norte due to widespread flooding as the typhoon barreled through Northern Luzon at dawn on Saturday before heading for Batanes. *Cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms will prevail over the archipelago due to the southwest monsoon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said on Sunday.

In its 4 a.m. forecast, PAGASA said the southwest monsoon will continue to affect Luzon and Western Visayas while thunderstorms will affect the rest of the country.

PAGASA warned the public against possible flash floods or landslides due to light to moderate and sometimes heavy rain.

Dar said the DA-Agricultural Credit Policy Council will disburse the loans through the Nueva Segovia Cooperative. PNA

First crime...

From A1

her estranged wife’s private financial records while on a sixth-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Times said.

The astronaut’s spouse Summer Worden filed a complaint earlier this year with the Federal Trade Commission after learning McClain had accessed her bank account without permission, while Worden’s family filed another with NASA’s Office of Inspector General, according to the newspaper.

McClain’s lawyer said the astronaut had done nothing wrong and accessed the bank records while aboard the ISS in order to monitor the couple’s combined finances—something she had done over the course of their relationship, the Times reported.

NASA investigators have contacted both women, according to the newspaper.

McClain, who returned to Earth in June, gained fame for being one of two women picked for a historic all-female spacewalk, but NASA scrapped the planned walk in March due to a lack of well-fitting spacesuits, sparking accusations of sexism. AFP

vide quality life for all Filipinos,” Lagon said.

Last April, the President signed Republic Act 11310 to institutionalize the implementation of the 4Ps. Romualdez said next year’s budget includes P67.4 billion for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and P92.2 billion for the Department of Health to strengthen the implementation of the Universal Health Care law.

At least P9.4 billion has been earmarked for hospitalization and assistance to indigent patients.

“With these initiatives, we are inching closer to the President’s target of lowering the poverty incidence to 20 percent three years from now from 30 percent in 2015, and for the Philippines to become an upper-middle-income country by 2022, Romualdez said.

Carpio slams China claims ‘gigantic fraud’

By Rey E. Requejo SUPREME Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has described China’s massive claims over the South China Sea as “fake news of the century,” adding that this “gigantic fraud on the human race” needed to be rectified.

Carpio, who has been advocating for the assertion of the county’s sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea, said a counter-narrative must be promoted.

All this the fake history of the millen-

State...

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2020 national budget to achieve President Rodrigo Duterte’s target to lower the poverty incidence to 14 percent by 2022.

“We will not allow any budget delay because it will derail President Duterte’s poverty reduction efforts. House leaders under Speaker [Alan Peter] Cayetano will ensure that the government will be able to accelerate the implementation of its infrastructure projects by providing the necessary funding,” Romualdez said.

“The swift implementation of projects, such as the construction and upgrading of hospitals, schools, new roads and other vital programs that will promote the welfare of the marginalized sector, will create more opportunities and jobs for Filipinos.”

“The President is committed to relentlessly implement projects that will pursue sound reforms, social programs and pro-

Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio

Convicts’...

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“We will surely inform the Supreme Court about the need to temporarily suspend the processing of GCTAs until the Bucor guidelines have been carefully reviewed by a DOJ task force to be constituted for the purpose,” Guevarra said, in a statement.

The Bucor, which is under the administrative supervision of the DOJ, is mandated by law to assess and grant the GCTA of inmates or convicted criminals, in compliance with the directive of the Supreme Court to apply RA 10592 retroactively, meaning it will include inmates before the passage of the law in 2013.

Guevarra said the processing of the GCTA of inmates under RA 10592 will be expedited once the guidelines have been reviewed and finalized.

“We expect the processing to pick up greater speed once the guidelines have been reviewed and firmed up,” the DOJ chief said.

Although Guevarra initially announced that convicted murderer and rapist Antonio Sanchez might be released early along with 11,000 other inmates under the expanded GCTA, the Justice secretary later said the high-profile inmate was not entitled to early release under the law after all because he had been convicted of heinous crimes.

‘Verbal...

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Yusingco and Atienza said policies should be accompanied by written documents stating their scope, limitations, time frames and legal bases.

Last week, President Duterte ordered that all foreign ships should secure government clearance before passing through the country’s territorial waters.

Salvador Panelo, presidential spokesman and Duterte’s chief legal counsel, made the announcement before Malacañang reporters.

The spokesman did not explicitly say, however, if the basis of the order was the repeated unannounced passage of Chinese vessels within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, and there was no mention about the implementing agencies concerned.

On July 26, Duterte ordered in a televised message to shut down all PCSO

nium, fake news of the century. I call this the gigantic fraud on the human race,” Carpio said in his speech during a forum on Democracy and Disinformation held at Ateneo de Davao over the weekend.

“This historical narrative is taught to every Chinese citizen from grade school to college...They know this by heart and they really believe it, they sincerely believe it,” he added.

The Philippines and China are locked in a maritime dispute over portions of the South China Sea. On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration rendered an arbitral award favorable to the Philippines, invalidating China’s nine-dash-line claims and clarifying the country’s exclusive economic zone, including the West Philippine Sea. Until now, Beijing has refused to recognize it.

To disprove China’s nine-dash-line territorial claims, Carpio presented old maps from Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties which indicate that Hainan had consistently been the southernmost territory of China, not the Paracels, Spratlys, nor the Scarborough Shoal.

The most senior SC justice said it was only in 1932 that China made a note verbale that the Paracels belonged to the mainland. In 1946, China began to claim the Spratlys and it was only after 1947

that it gave a name to the Scarborough Shoal.

Carpio also refuted Beijing’s claim that one of the 27 observatories put up by Chinese astronomer Guo Shoujing during the Yuan Dynasty was built in the Scarborough Shoal.

“The biggest rock on the Scarborough Shoal is just 2 to 3 meters above water at high tide, and not more than six to 10 people can stand on it,” Carpio said.

“Physically, the massive astronomical observatories that Guo Shoujing erected in other places in China could not possibly fit on the tiny rocks of the Scarborough Shoal,” he added.

According Carpio, one significant measure to debunk “the grandest disinformation that a country has inflicted to the world since World War II” is to educate and convince the Chinese people with the truth that the lone historical narrative they learned was “totally false.”

“I cannot expect the Chinese government to comply with the ruling because if it complies with the ruling today, the Chinese people will overthrow the Chinese government for giving away the sacred territory of China. They have a mantra— we will not give up a square inch of Chinese territory that was bequeathed to us by our ancestors through the centuries,” the magistrate said.

Still, he said, some lawyers argued that all convicted prisoners regardless of the crimes they committed are qualified to receive the benefits of the expanded GCTA law—and said either Congress or the Supreme Court could settle the issue.

“The DOJ will be glad to have this issue resolved with clarity and finality either by a congressional amendment of its own act or by an interpretation rendered by the Supreme Court in a proper case brought before it,” Guevarra said.

The BuCor is currently reviewing the GCTAs of some 11,000 inmates, including Sanchez, to find out who among them could be freed for good behavior.

Sanchez, who is now 73 years old, had been sentenced to seven reclusion perpetua (40 years in prison) terms in 1995 for the rape with homicide of University of the Philippines-Los Baños student Eileen Sarmenta and the homicide of her friend Allan Gomez in year 1993.

While he was in prison, new charges were filed against Sanchez for possession of shabu and marijuana leaes in 2006. Four years later, he was reportedly caught with one kilogram of shabu hidden in a Virgin Mary statue; he allegedly sold the P1.5 million worth of illegal drugs to his fellow inmates. \ Talk of Sanchez’s possible early release drew a firestorm of criticism from several groups, including the families of Sarmenta and Gomez.

Senator Risa Hontiveros on described

as “victory of a vigilant public” the reversal of Sanchez’s early release.

“In a time of flip flop politics, the people’s consistent vigilance and media’s strong sense of history has kept Sanchez, an unrepentant and habitual criminal, behind bars,” Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros said that the government must implement the law according to its true intent and thoroughly review all factors before applying clemency to sentences to avoid perverting the spirit of restorative justice.

“RA 10592 is a good law. It is consistent with the principles of restorative justice. Truly repentant and rehabilitated inmates should be given the chance to reintegrate into society. But only if their actions mirror positive behavioral change, accountability and genuine remorse,” she added.

Meanwhile, Senator Richard Gordon said prison records should be digitalized for prompt and accurate information.

“It is important that their time served and their good conduct time allowance are properly documented,” Gordon said in a mix of English and Filipino. “There shouldn’t be cases where you can go free because you’re well connected to the warden.” “[The] computation must be transparent so that there will be no doubts that may affect the integrity of our penal system and [lead to a] loss of confidence in our court system,” he added. With Macon Ramos-Araneta

games due to alleged massive corruption in the agency.

Despite the absence of any written directive, Duterte’s order was enough for the Philippine National Police to shut down over 30,000 PCSO-operated outlets nationwide, which affected at least 120,000 employees.

The principal fund-raising agency for health programs also lost P250 million in revenues following the order.

In a text message to Manila Standard, Panelo said those orders “don’t have to be backed” by a written document.

Atienza said this is an indication of how “personalistic” Duterte sees his position.

“He does not care so much [about] institutions and legitimization of actions.

He expects that whatever he says, even without a written document to support it, everyone will follow,” Atienza said.

“He can be charged for abuse of power and any other violations, particularly if his verbal commands have resulted in a lot of damage. His subordinates who fol-

lowed his verbal directives can also be liable,” she added.

The analysts said determining accountability in this instance would require reference to secondary sources such as news reports.

In ordinary court proceedings, however, news reports are generally regarded as hearsay evidence.

In addition, a government official cannot be held accountable for any wrongful act or negligence “unless he has actually authorized” the order through a written document, according to Executive Order 292 which implements the Administrative Code of 1987.

To avoid conflict, Yusingco said President Duterte’s public policies should be stated in a written order.

“The directives given by President Duterte may have been initially conveyed verbally only, but this should have been properly documented immediately after, through a memorandum at the very least,” he said.

Oil price cut: P0.10 per liter of diesel, petrol

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE oil distributors will cut the price of diesel and gasoline by P0.10 per liter starting Tuesday to reflect the movement of prices in the world oil market.

Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, PetroGazz, PTT Philippines and Pilipinas Shell issued separate advisories of the rollback on Sunday.

“Phoenix Petroleum Philippines will decrease the prices of gasoline and diesel by P0.10 per liter effective 6am of 27 August 2019,” the oil firm said.

The oil companies adjust pump prices on a weekly basis.

World oil prices reacted to the announcement of China that it would retaliate against the US by imposing tariffs on $75 billion worth imports from the United States.

The oil prices in the world market have been volatile in the past months due to the US-China trade war, which could have a huge impact on global oil demand.

On Aug. 20, the oil companies raised the price of gasoline by P0.35 to P0.50 per liter, diesel by P0.60 to P0.75 per liter and kerosene by P0.45 to P0.50 per liter.

On Aug. 13, the oil companies implemented a price cut of P0.50 per liter of gasoline, P1.10 per liter of diesel and P1.30 per liter of kerosene.

US, Asean...

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The navies of the US and ASEAN will do the same on Sept. 2, the US embassy in Bangkok announced late Friday, with the exercises launching at a Thai naval base in Chonburi province east of Bangkok.

The purpose of the five-day maritime drill is to “maintain maritime security, focus on prevention and pre-empt wrongdoing in the sea,” said a US embassy statement.

The drills will primarily take place off the coast of Vietnam’s southernmost Ca Mau province, where the US Navy will dispatch “suspicious boats” in a mock exercise to help ASEAN’s navies to “search, verify and legally prosecute” the boats.

Tensions between China and Vietnam have been high since July in the disputed sea when a Chinese survey ship entered waters where Hanoi has several oil and gas projects.

The ship left for a brief period this month, and then came back – prompting calls from Hanoi to vacate the area.

But a Thai defense ministry spokesman on Saturday played down the timing of the US-ASEAN drills.

“We held exercises with China, now we are having exercises with the US... it has nothing to do with the current situation,” said Lt. Gen. Kongcheep Tantravanich.

On Friday, a US military ship sailed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct a “freedom of navigation” voyage, the island’s defense ministry said.

The move is likely to further irk China in the wake of Washington’s latest $8 billion arms sales to self-ruling Taiwan, which Beijing views as part of its territory. AFP

Ilocos...

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The PVO is closely monitoring grocery stores in the province while conducting an information campaign among local government units.

The province is known for its bagnet (deep-fried pork meat), which is a highly sought gift for tourists.

Some 81 hogs were killed in Guiguinto, Bulacan, after those showed symptoms of hog cholera and African swine fever, municipal veterinarian Eduardo Jose was quoted as saying in a report on GMA News’ Balitanghali on Saturday.

Blood samples were taken from the hogs―each costing up to P10,000―to check what caused their illness but had already been culled and buried even before the blood sample results were submitted.

The unidentified backyard farm owner received payment for the hogs, with the authorities continuing their inspection of backyard piggery farms.

Meanwhile, a first-term legislator has urged hog raisers to cooperate with agriculture authorities to contain the possible threats to their livestock.

Rep. Juan Fidel Nograles of Rizal particularly appealed to swine raisers in Montalban, Rizal, to cooperate with the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Animal Industry, the local government and other authorities tasked to monitor and prevent the possible spread of the disease. PNA

News Du30 defers visit to Fujian school named after mom

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MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

FISH FUN. The

fishpond near Greenbelt Mall provides cheer even on a rainy Sunday in Makati city. Sonny Espiritu.

By MJ Blancaflor INSTEAD of six days, President Rodrigo Duterte’s trip to China has been cut off to five days due to the postponement of his visit to a Chinese province.

The Chief Executive is supposed to inaugurate a college in Fujian Normal University that was built in honor of his mother, Soledad, about 850 miles away from the country’s capital. His Fujian visit will be moved instead to a “more appropriate time,” officials said.

Soledad Duterte, or Nanay Soling, Nanay Soling led the Yellow Friday Movement which opposed the Marcos administration in the 1970s. She is said to descend from Chinese immigrants from Fujian.

She was a public school teacher who received numerous awards for public service.

President Duterte, the eldest child of Nanay Soling who describes himself as “mama’s boy,” has told the public in his speeches about her mother’s activism and strictness.

Her mother forced him to kneel on mongo seeds as punishment, he said.

She died at the Davao Doctors Hospital on February 4, 2012 at the age of 95.

Five years after her death, real estate tycoon and billionaire Jose Kho (also known by his Chinese name Xu Ming Liang) provided $20 million to build Soledad College, according to FNU’s website.

Kho, an alumnus and vicechairperson of FNU’s board of directors, also provided scholarships for the college.

Soledad College will be used for foreign students, Duterte announced on Aug. 6.

According to a report by ABS CBN News, the school has offered 50 scholarships to Filipino students interested in obtaining masters degrees in selected business and engineering courses.

Last March 26, the first master class of Soledad College was held.

Over 20,000 students are enrolled in FNU’s two campuses, the oldest university in the province.

No flooding of imported rice in PH market, Villar claims

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Cynthia A. Villar on Sunday belied reports that imported rice are flooding the local market which is being blamed for adversely affected the income of Filipino farmers.

“That is a misconception,” said Villar, who chairs the Senate committee on food and agriculture, in a radio interview.

Villar, however, admitted that the price of rice is still high despite a lower inflation rate.

“Bumaba na ang inflation natin, imposibleng di bumaba ang presyo ng bigas,” said Villar as she also attributed the high cost of rice to the cartels.

She added that it was not the government which decided to liberalize the importation of rice, since the country signed an agreement in 1995 with World Trade Organization.

“They will allow us to control the importation of rice for 22 years to prepare our farmers to become competitive to the imported rice and this expired in 2017,” Villar said.

She said the agreement was with the WTO. She added that since the president cannot but conform with the agreement, he sent a Rice Tariff bill to Congress, certifying it as urgent.”

She noted that the President does not want rice importation without tariff so the small farmers will not be hit.

She added that there is a need to help the farmers to become competitive with imported rice.

‘Unfortunately, the senator said, we failed to do, so we have to accept the importation of rice with tarriff.”

Meanwhile, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan seeks to stop the unbridled conversion of agricultural land into residential, commercial, industrial, and other non-agricultural uses to ensure that Filipino farmers are able to produce food for the country,

Two partylist solons to file bill against ‘stealthing’

By Rio N. Araja

SC affirms dismissal of graft case vs. former DBP officers

By Rey E. Requejo

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HE Supreme Court has sustained the resolution issued by the Office of the Ombudsman dismissing the graft complaint filed against former officials of the Development Bank of the Philippines and officers of a local textile firm for allegedly obtaining a total of P634.8 million in behest loans.

In its decision, the SC’s Third Division through Associate Justice Marvic Leonen denied the petition filed by the Presidential Commission on Good Government seeking a reversal of the July 31, 2006 resolution and January 21, 2011 order of the Ombudsman.

“As petitioner was unable to substantially prove its allegations, this Court rules that public respondent Office of the Ombudsman did not gravely abuse its discretion in finding that there was no probable cause to charge private respondents with violation of Section 3(e) and (g) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” the SC held.

“This Court will not overturn its findings when they are supported by

substantial evidence,” it said.

The anti-graft body found no probable cause to indict the officials of the DBP, namely: Cesar Zalamea, Rafael Sison, Alicia Reyes, J.V. De Ocampo, Joseph Edralin and Rodolfo Manalo and ALFA Integrated Textile Mills, Inc. (ALFA Integrated Textile) officers Ramon Lee, Johnny Teng, Antonio DM. Lacdao, and Cesar Marcelo for violation of the provisions of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The Ombudsman held that the six loans obtained by ALFA Integrated Textile from Development Bank from 1979 to 1981 were not behest loans.

It also ruled that the PCGG failed to prove that the loans and accommodations in favor of ALFA

Integrated Textile, the rehabilitation plan, and the fixed assets sale were grossly or manifestly disadvantageous or prejudicial to the government.

The anti-graft body instead ruled that the acts complained of were done in the exercise of the bank officials’ sound business judgment in DBP’s interest.

In seeking the reversal of the Ombudsman’s ruling, the PCGG argued that the loans to ALFA Integrated Textile have the characteristics of being behest loans since these were secured by inadequate collaterals, the loans were extended despite the company’s continuous losses and the use of the loan proceeds to pay off existing obligations rather than investing denied DBP the opportunity to recover from the loans.

However, the high court gave more weight to the findings of the Ombudsman that there were sufficient collaterals securing ALFA Integrated Textile’s loans.

The SC also noted that the Ombudsman was correct in holding that the rehabilitation plan that the DBP recommended would not be disadvantageous to the government since its terms and conditions were not contrary to law and actually benefited the government.

Bello forms team to probe labor execs in HK LABOR Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Sunday ordered the investigation of officials in the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Hongkong following the replacement of an online system for processing, credentialing, welfare protection and data storage for overseas placement.

In an administrative order, Bello created a fact-finding team to look into allegations of improprieties in the selection of a new service provider said to be done without public bidding and consultation.

The new online system will replace one that has been in place for 11 years and which has provided OFWs,

FAMILY FUN RUN.

Hundreds of runners from various sectors with their kids take part in the 2nd Marikina City Family Fun Run organized by the Philippine Business for Social Progress in partnership with City Government of Marikina City and with PLDT, Inc. Organizers said the fun run will support and address the PBSP’s collective impact initiative in the Marikina Watershed, particularly the reforestation efforts at the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape.

Manny Palmero

employers, and accredited employment agencies data and information on POLO programs, projects, and services on realtime.

Reports said that to pave the way for the new system, the POLO in Hong Kong, on December 5, 2018, terminated the Service Agreement with EmployEasy Ltd., now Employeasy Group Ltd., the provider of the current online system, effective 30 December 2018.

In his letter of termination, POLO Hong Kong Labor Attache Jalilo Dela Torre informed Employeasy that the POLO “intends to accept applications for the improvement of the current system”

and “will soon make an announcement as to the minimum system capabilities requirements.”

Reports also said that the copy of the contract for the new system shows it was signed on 7 March 2019 between the POLO represented by Labor Attaché Dela Torre and Polaris Tools Ltd., represented by Jaime Deverall, Chief Executive Officer, and one Lindsay Ernst. Two other officials of the POLO, Marivic Clarin and Joszua Villa also signed the contract.

There were alleged “haste” and “seeming lack of transparency” in the solicitation of the proposal and the awarding of the new contract.

TWO party-list lawmakers want to sanction ‘stealthing’ or the act of removing a condom during sex without the consent of the partner through an imprisonment of 12 years to 40 years.

Ako Bicol party-list Representatives Alfredo Garbin and Elizaldy Co filed House Bill 3857 to consider condom removal during sexual intercourse without the knowledge of one’s partner as a sexual assault.

The bill, if passed into law, shall hold the accused culpable for rape.

Both lawmakers said there was no provision in the Revised Penal Code or the Anti-Rape Law of 1997 or Republic Act 8353 to punish the act of stealthing.

Under the proposed measure, the lawmakers said they used the words “sexual partner” to refer to the victim.

They described stealthing as to when a person causes his or her partner to believe that he or she has used or is currently using a protective device during a sexual act, saying the other incidents of stealthing could be the removal of any protective device without the consent of the partner, tampering or damaging any protective device, or intentionally infecting or impregnating the sexual partner through the said acts.

According to Garbin and Co, such acts would still be considered stealthing even after their discovery by the sexual partner or even if a protective device was subsequently used during the sexual activity.

Garbin said the bill, if passed into law, shall not only include a woman as a victim.

Anyone found to be guilty of stealthing would be sentenced a jail time of 12 years and one day to 14 years and eight months with a fine of not less than P100,000 but not more than P500,000.

Should the victim get infected with a sexually transmitted disease or was impregnated, the perpetrator should be imprisoned for 17 years and 4 months to 20 years with a fine of not less than P200,000 but not more than P700,000.

An imprisonment of 20 years and one day to 40 years with a fine of P1 million to P5 million shall be imposed on a perpetrator who intentionally infects or impregnates their partners through the acts of stealthing.

When a victim withdraws consent after having the knowledge of an act of stealthing was being committed, yet the perpetrator still has continued with such sexual act, he must be held accountable for rape.

Solon to look into piracy in online shopping

By Rio N. Araja PBA party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles is seeking a congressional inquiry into the reported piracy in the online shopping platform in a bid to safeguard consumers from substandard or inferior, defective and fake items.

In a television interview, Nograles said “I think Congress has to investigate in aid of legislation so the people would know who should really be in charge of online retailing.”

He said that there should be a government agency that should look into the complaints of the customers and the manufacturers against online sellers that ship products that would turn out to be fake.

He admitted that he himself was able to buy some products from online sellers.

He, however, said that he was concerned when a manufacturer complained that that their items were being pirated by other online sellers.

He said the victim sought the help of the Department of Trade and Industry which advised him to refer his complaint to the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

DICT, however, told the complainant to seek the DTI’s assistance.

“Basically there is such a thing as piracy of products. These pirates can only be found within the online selling portals. The question is, is there someone from the government effectively policing these pirated products? I do not see anyone,” Nograles said.

“What is the duty of the government?

Isn’t it they should be the one to protect the public? If you talk to one government agency, it would just dribble you to another agency as to whoever should have be responsible to take actions,” he added.

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Opinion

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019

Is it a bust for POGOs?

EDITORIAL

of a ghetto emulating the likes of Hitler.

And then all sorts of sh*t began hitting the fan.

Gambling was illegal in China, if not evil. Yet they have Macau. And aside from the Philippines where POGOs operate, they have Cogos in Cambodia, Mogos in Myanmar, and I am told, there are newbie Logos in Laos.

There are after all 1.4 billion Chinese in the mainland. Even a tenth of this could overwhelm the sum total of the population of the PLMC countries of the Asean. One hundred million Filipinos plus 54 million from Myanmar, 14 million from Cambodia and 7 million from Laos. Just about a tenth of China, and don’t tell me only one in ten Chinese gamble.

FOR A decade or so, it was the Cagayan Export Zone Authority (CEZA) raking it in online gaming. Though located in Santa Ana in the northernmost tip of Luzon, a loophole in the law creating CEZA, cleverly inserted by former Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, was allowed and was conveniently tolerated to operate online gaming sites in Ayala Avenue towers upon Makati. There were also online gaming operations inside Fontana upon Clark in Pampanga.

When Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte became president, he wanted the geographical anomaly stopped, and directed Pagcor to be in charge of licensing and regulating the online gaming industry altogether.

News reports say there are now 60 licensed POGOs, with two of them still non-operational.

But the 58 operations have a combined work force of at least two hundred thousand foreigners, mostly mainland Chinese, and counting. This has raised the hackles of many, including legislators who worry about some kind of a yellow plague invading our shores, and thus raise the flag on the issue. They conveniently gloss over the fact that POGOs, like BPOs, cater to a foreign market, and that while Filipinos can be adept at English, they cannot speak Mandarin. So work displacement is more imagined than real.

But POGOs pump some P8 billion minimum to Pagcor coffers annually.

Moreso, they are the single biggest reason for the real estate boom, not only in the reclamation area where the entertainment capital is located, but all over the metropolis. While lessors are happy, and realtors giddy about increasing profits, many upwardly mobile Filipinos have found housing unaffordable.

An enterprising POGO operator bought a reclaimed island in Kawit, Cavite and with the permission of Pagcor, built a complex with dormitories for the online gaming employees, and when Pagcor announced this, the Chinese ambassador thought it was like a modern Parian, when the kastilas forbade the Chinese to enter Intramuros. Or worse, some kind

Adelle Chua, Editor

They pump hard cash into the economy, no matter how you or I stand on the immorality or criminality of gambling, er, gaming.

Our national security people have raised concerns about POGOs located near army camps. Old timers evoke memories of Japanese residents of the Philippines who turned into “spies” for the Japanese Imperial Army when the Pacific War erupted. The Bureau of Immigration is in some kind of cold war with the Department of Labor on the issuance of “working” visas for transient tourists. And the BIR was able to get the POGO employees to start paying taxes on their incomes, raking in P2 billion initially.

In fine, the POGOs pump hard cash into the economy, no matter how you or I stand on the immorality or criminality of gambling, er, gaming.

And just when our president is about to embark on an eyeball-to-eyeball with Xi Jinping on the WPS/SCS issue among others, the spokesman of the Chinese foreign ministry urged both Cambodia and the Philippines to stop issuing licenses for OGOs. Hun Sen, the Cambodian strongman, immediately

S

Cringeworthy

ENATOR Ronald dela Rosa’s angry outburst at a Senate hearing last week was an embarrassment—to himself and the institution to which he now belongs.

During a discussion on a proposal to revive the mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) for senior high school students, Dela Rosa flew into a rage when the president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP) ‘Raoul Manuel’ made a passing reference to the senator’s support for giving convicted murderer and rapist Antonio Sanchez a second chance, and his own history of leading the government’s bloody anti-drug campaign when he was still chief of the national police.

“What you’re saying is way offtopic, Mister!” Dela Rosa blurted out. “Is that part of this hearing, that comment of yours? That’s an affront to...” he continued, struggling to finish his sentence.

"I take offense at what you said that ROTC is a misrepresentation of nationalism. What do you think of us? You’re judging us as like that, huh?” the senator continued.

"Are you sure you’re...a true representation of the Filipino students? Is that so? Only a few students are leftists. There are many more out there who want to take ROTC, I must tell you frankly!”

Then Dela Rosa, raising his voice, challenged Manuel: "Do you love your country? You answer me! Do

you love your country, ha? Go ahead, you respond!”

Manuel coolly responded: "Of course, students love our country and we have different ways to show how we love our country.”

"Okay! You love your country. If China attacks us, who would you send to fight those Chinese? The NPA? You will call on the NPA?” Dela Rosa retorted, referring to the communist New People’s Army rebels.

Still calm, Manuel answered: “We want to defend our country against foreign invaders but in our very Constitution, the AFP, which is tasked to preserve our integrity and national sovereignty, we don’t see in them any intent to defend our country so we don’t have a role model for that.”

Despite an effort by the panel chairman to shut down the exchange, Dela Rosa was not finished with his harangue.

“Did you know that I myself want to execute that Sanchez, huh?

I am for death penalty. If there was death penalty then, that Sanchez would have already been hanged!

But you guys, you don’t want the death penalty. Now, the person gets a second chance because he’s reformed, according to the computation, he’s eligible for pardon, but you don’t

want it either! Where then would we place ourselves? What kind of thinking is that?"

Then he used Manuel as an example of how students today lack discipline—and said this made the case for reinstating mandatory military training.

On the contrary, we suggest, the senator’s outburst demonstrated exactly the very lack of discipline that he complained about, while the target of his ire, Manuel, showed maturity and composure in the exchange with an older and more powerful adversary.

If it is true, as Dela Rosa claims, that more students want ROTC than not, why do they not opt to take it today, when it is still available as an option? One survey that suggests majority support for the ROTC was commissioned and paid for by another senator, Sherwin Gatchalian, who is behind the bill that was defeated in 2017—hardly a credible basis for policy making.

Finally, Senator Dela Rosa needs to be reminded that our love of country is not best demonstrated by jingoistic professions of patriotism, or the presumption to question the nationalism of those who may hold a view or opinion different from ours.

Somewhere in his tirade, Dela Rosa advised Manuel to listen to him because he was older than the student leader, suggesting that he knew better. Sadly, as this case shows, maturity and wisdom do not always come with age.

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‘Old curmudgeon’ in finance is not afraid of Trump

By John Biers INVESTMENT advice from financial managers generally follows a predictable template: Update clients on the economy and stock market, endorse long-term investing—and avoid hot-button topics.

David Kotok, a veteran financial advisor, takes a different approach, mixing in deep dives on gun control, the First Amendment and other political issues with discussions of stocks and bonds.

An outraged Kotok blasted Donald Trump last month after the US president said four non-white US Congresswomen should "go back home" and led a rally where his supporters chanted "send her back" against Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, who is Muslim.

"Send them back" is "an affront to everything our great nation stands for," Kotok wrote in a July 24 note for his firm, Cumberland Advisors, that bemoaned a culture "inundated by political trash" and excoriated Trump's relentless personal attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

In an interview, Kotok said his disagreements with the president stem originally from economics.

Millions of jobs remain unfilled because of Trump's restrictive immigration policies, Kotok argues, limiting the economy's ability to grow.

And businesses are deferring key investments because of uncertainty aroused by Trump's swerves on trade and use of punitive tariffs, he said.

But Kotok also had harsh words for Trump's overall conduct in office—criticism that is common in entertainment, academic and some

other circles, but rare in the financial world.

"In a civil democratic society of the type we like to have, you have to have diverse views and you have to permit them," Kotok, 76, told AFP. "And you have to be prepared to debate them and you don't have to use personal, negative, racist forms of attack that are directed at ethnic composition."

Kotok said he disagreed with the politics of Omar and the other three Democratic lawmakers, but respects their service to the country and believes Trump's attacks degrade public discourse.

"What troubles me is we are becoming worn down by this recurring type of ugly, nasty, directed rhetoric from the president," Kotok said.

Taking a stand

"He hurts himself doing it. He hurts the country he serves doing it. He encourages others to do it."

Rare voice in 'one percent Friends and business associates of Kotok say he has always been outspoken.

"Most people in this business are afraid of their shadow and they go to great pains to say nothing, but David's not like that," said Jim Bianco, who runs his own economic research firm.

The two men have known each other for more than a decade and Bianco says Kotok was also tough on former president Barack Obama.

A senior employee of a large commercial bank who said his position bars him from speaking on political topics praised Kotok for showing "courage" in speaking out.

"I don't think he's a lone voice, but it's just that this stuff doesn't usually Turn to A5

IT’S BEEN over a week since the Diez restroom incident but yet, there is no slowing down on the social media on the magnitude of outrage it has generated.

While a few lawmakers and their supporters from the LGBT community tried to seize the opportunity to push for the controversial Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression or SOGIE Bill, it has only backfired on them as it had only exposed the real agenda of the measure they are pushing for.

SOGIE Bill which was supposed to be anti-discrimination, was actually discriminatory. It was never for equality as it is actually pushing for entitlement.

There was one good thing that happened as a result of that restroom incident.

According to Anna Cosio, vice presipresi dent for communications of the Alliance for the Family Foundation, Inc., SOGIE Bill is more than just women’s safety and privacy concerns.

“Once the SOGIE Bill becomes a law, we can say goodbye to some of our most basic freedoms, such as our freedoms of speech, conscience, religion, and association. Parents can say goodbye to some of their parental rights, as well,” says Cosio.

Under SOGIE laws, Cosio avers, people will be forced to ignore science

and instead conform to an ideology that is based on feelings rather than fact or logic and that we will be forced to acac cept that “transwomen” are no different from real women.

And because they are supposedly no different from real women, they must be treated as women in every way. They must be allowed to use female-only restrooms and locker rooms, compete in women’s sports, join women’s beauty pageants, be admitted into exclusive girls’ schools, accepted into women’s organizations and even into women’s religious orders. They must also be addressed with female pronouns and female honorifics, and be exempted from gender-specific dress codes of schools and companies. They must be treated as women even though nearly every single cell in their body confirms that they are men,” she adds.

Former Cibac Rep. Chona GonzaTurn to A5

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

MEMBER

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Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager Head—Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor Opinion Editor

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Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Jimbo Gulle City Editor Roberto Cabrera Chief Photographer

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Opinion What a girl needs ANNE-Birgitte “AB|”Albrectsen, the global CEO of Plan International, has a tough job of dealing with age-old beliefs and mindsets about girls and young women.

Whatever aspect of advancing the cause of the girl-child, there seems to be not just a bias, but a double bias, against them because of their age and because of their gender, she said at a lunch meeting during a brief trip to Manila in mid-August.

These mindsets are also prevalent in Philippine communities with which Plan has been working for decades now.

For example, despite the passage of the Reproductive Health Law, the rate of teenage pregnancies remains high in the Philippines—some 196,000 Filipino women between the ages of 15 and 19 get pregnant every year, according to the Commission on Population.

“We think we’re shielding our kids by keeping them in the dark,” Albrectsen says. Many also believe that providing sex education will promote promiscuity. As a result, generally family planning services are not available for anybody under 18 and comprehensive sex education is sorely lacking.

Indeed, young mothers that Plan has been working with tell them the main reason for their pregnancies was that they simply did not know.

Albrectsen says evidence has shown the more information you give, the more you actually delay the time of sexual action. “Then again, even with the best information, young people will have sex. That’s a fact.”

In the end, the issue is not only untimely pregnancy and the health risks posed to both mother and child.

There are also plenty of missed opportunities. Young mothers fall out of school. They are not able to pursue their ambition. They curtail future opportunities. “Teenage pregnancy has dire consequences for the future and society,” she says.

In settings created by emergency situations such as disasters, girls are also up against a lot of odds—and face a lot of risks. “In these situations, infrastructure and law enforcement break down,

Is it...

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ordered a stop to more OGOs, and our Pagcor said it’s 60 licensees and no more thereafter.

It’s been a booming business for POGOs in the last decade or more; a slow growth when CEZA monopolized the trade, an instant tsunami when Pagcor democratized the licensing and broke Cagayan’s clandestine monopoly.

Will boom now turn into bust?

But gambling, whether big-time as in casino high-rollers where millions are won and usually lost by the hour, or small-time as in jueteng’s piso-piso,or low-tech as in tong-its or high-tech as online gaming, will always be upon us, especially Orientals.

If prostitution is the oldest “profession,”

‘Old...

From A4

come from the one percent," the banker said. "He's a very civil person in a world where civility is lacking."

John Silvia, the former chief economist for Wells Fargo and a longtime friend, said Kotok straddles the investment and "big ideas" worlds and that his success as a money manager has afforded him freedom.

"David has his own clients and perhaps his clients appreciate his frankness on a lot of these different issues," Silvia said, adding that even if clients disagree with Kotok on politics, they "keep him around."

Kotok said he has on occasion lost clients who disagree with his views, but also hears from associates who are eager for him to address the issue du jour.

"Because I'm independent and an old curmudgeon, I am not afraid of Donald Trump," he said.

A native of New Jersey, Kotok cofounded Cumberland in 1973 after raising a few million dollars from friends and family, a rocky period that included oil shortages, spiking interest rates and the Watergate political crisis.

and we see massive increases in early marriages, trafficking, sex exploitation and abuse.”

Again, for parents, the instinct may be to keep their daughters in tents and limit their interaction with other people. Some in fact marry them off to ensure their safety.

This is something Plan intends to help work on as well. “There is a notion that humanitarian work simply provides the basics: food, shelter, medicine,” AB says. “But we have seen that you also have to put safeguarding first: Get these young girls out of tents and into safe spaces. Initiate conversations so that they can process and overcome the trauma they have seen and experienced. Get them to participate, even initiate conversations, on how they see themselves moving forward from their tragedy.”

Protecting and empowering girls often mean challenging mindsets.

Part of their program is going around schools disseminating information on how the young can ensure their own safety online. *** Albrectsen concedes that the world has always been patriarchal—even in her home country, Denmark, there is male dominance in political systems, business, the academe. “There is no country in the world that can claim to be gender-equal.”

The good news is that, in her long experience in development work, “even in the most restrictive countries, you are always able to find that there are always change agents, and advocates. You have young people that want to change and government officials, especially those at the local level, who are passionate about their cause.” The key, then, is finding these gems, and working through them to gain contextual knowledge of how the culture and the community oper operate.

Indeed, girls don’t just need protection; they need empowerment, too. A joint study by Plan International and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media found that among more than 10,000 girls interviewed in 19 countries, may young women—76 percent—aspire to lead in their coun country, community or career. Sixty-two percent are confident in their ability to lead.

They are much too aware, though, of the barriers of discrimination, sexism and stereotyping. “What is holding them back is that they are afraid of how they would be received by the rest of us,” Albrectsen says.

But AB’s optimism is rooted in the observation that nothing is ever static. “Cultures change. Behaviors change.” This has also allowed her and her team to push their advocacy of changing mindsets about what girls can and can’t do.

“We mean no disrespect. We do not impose our agenda and challenge traditional beliefs. We believe that parents ultimately just want the best for their children.”

How, then, do they advance the issues they champion amid the practices and beliefs of communities over the years?

“We are here to put facts on the table. And then we step back observe change. It does not happen overnight, but it does happen.”

And then of course there is technol technology, which for most Filipinos means time on social media. “There is a huge part of the population that is on Facebook all the time,” AB says. While it is good to establish and maintain friendships, there is also a need to impress upon the young that just because it is convenient and familiar does not mean it is not dangerous. “We also need to be ina heightened degree of awareness because social media offers new venus for exploitation and abuse,” she says.

“Often, young people do not understand the risks if being on the internet. They form friendships, share their information, share photos,” says Dennis O’Brien, Plan’s Country Director for the Philippines. He recalls the case of a 16-year-old girl who was befriended by a man from India. Eventually she thought she was in love and agreed to send revealing photos of herself to the man.

The man then told that her if she did not send him 100 dollars, her photos would be all over the Internet.

What, indeed, should be done in a situation like this? “We start from a base of people not knowing what the risk is. And then we give them the capability to address this risk,” he says. adellechua@gmail.com

then gambling must be the second oldest. And the “itch” will always be with humans for as long as they remain humans.

Demand creates its own supply.

And the supply is something China holds as an ace, to be conveniently used when it must, even if demand is beyond anyone’s full control. *** Meanwhile, a July Supreme Court doctrine that gives retroactive effect for a law giving “pogi” points for supposed good conduct of prisoners has gotten the country into an uproar because of the celebrated Antonio Sanchez, mayor of Calauan in Laguna, jueteng lord of his town and neighboring Bay and Victoria, and convicted rapist-cumgrisly murderer but alleged devotee of Mama Mary.

He attributes the firm's early success to a decision to buy fully into the stock market as it bottomed, figuring the US would recover.

The firm, based in Sarasota, Florida, now has 45 employees and manages more than $3 billion in assets through fixed income portfolios and exchanged traded equity funds.

Each August, Kotok organizes a retreat for about 50 people in the Maine woods where financial professionals, journalists and executives fish, drink fine wine and debate monetary policy, trade and other issues.

Kotok rues the bland public statements from investment banks and trade associates that are "antiseptic" versions of the angry, frustrated comments he hears in private.

He understands why individuals on Wall Street won't speak out, but said leaders of corporate America in general are "abrogating their responsibility" when they don't.

"Society loses because it doesn't have the benefit of thoughtful debate," he said. "And if society loses, then everybody in it loses and instead gets 30-second soundbites about 'fake news.'" AFP

So devoted that he keeps his shabu treasure inside her image which he placed on a pedestal inside his air-conditioned and flat screen TV-equipped selda.

Sanchez has become the unwanted face of an otherwise well-intentioned law that would decongest our rotten jails in a rotting penal system.

Will memories of the dastardly crime of Sanchez and his bodyguards now goad Congress into passing the death penalty law for heinous crimes?

And will heinous crimes include what President Duterte in his SONA proposed apart from drug-trafficking, which is plunder?

Meanwhile, Sanchez remains in the slammer, as he should, despite being in the company of the graven image of his Mama Mary.

What a country!

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les agrees with Cosio saying that the proposed bill will trample on one’s religious conviction. An events venue manager for example, cannot refuse an event for a same-sex marriage even if that would run contrary to his or her religious belief. An all-girls school or allboys school can be sued for refusing to accept a transgender or whatever gender he feels he or she belongs.

And the penalty is something. A fine of P100,000 to P500,000 or imprisonment from one to six years or both.

But do they really need the SOGIE Bill to ensure equality and fair treatment?

Not according to medical practitioner Ryan Capitulo, himself a member of the LGBT community.

Capitulo insists there are already many existing laws that safeguard the rights of every citizen against discrimination including the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, Presidential Decree No. 442 “Labor Code of the Philippines,” Republic Act No. 386 “Civil Code of the Philippines,” Republic Act No. 3019 “Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” Republic Act No. 6713 “Code of Conduct and Ethical

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019

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Why privatization and PPPs work ment facilities but still collect fees for these. But since the start of concession in 1997 until 2019, Maynilad has spent a total of P46.7 billion on sanitation, wastewater and watershed management, P8.68 billion more than the PERHAPS for those who have experi- P38.07 billion it has collected for the enced it, memories of the 1990s water period. crisis flashed back when households in The advantages of privatization and Metro Manila early this year started ex- PPPs—the transfer from the public to periencing service interruptions. Those the private sector of certain enterprises who were lucky enough only saw their or industries—bears repeating here. taps run dry for several hours every First, state-owned firms are subject to day; for others, it was days or even political prioritization because they rely weeks on end. on the national budget. Not the case While both crises were horrible, they with private firms, which operate with were not equal. The one that plagued ready access to capital to maximize opthe capital two decades ago saw mil- portunities and readily address market lions of consumers burdened by the conditions. inconvenience of very expensive water Second, risks are drastically reduced that had to be delivered by trucks and because the liabilities are properly dispumped by hose into containers in their tributed to parties that could deal with homes. Every member of each house- them best, that is, private firms handle hold had to do their part and share in risk management, while the state adthe burden of the messy but necessary dresses policymaking and regulation of chore. What made it worse was the the sector. bleak overall situation: less than half of Third, privatized enterprises or inhouseholds in Metro Manila then had dustries always adopt the best business good supply, that is, water that ran all practices because these are crucial to day and at the ideal pressure. their viability. Hence, they specialize.

The privatization in 1997 of the Met- They apply new technologies to boost ropolitan Waterworks Sewerage Sys- efficiency and productivity. More imtem (MWSS) fixed the problem. This portant, they adhere to established lesson has to be unstandards to mainderscored especialtain efficiency and ly amid calls from productivity by certain sectors folmaking sure their Decades of this lowing this year’s clients, as well as experience should have crisis to again natheir regulators, tionalize water dis- taught us valuable are satisfied. tribution in Metro lessons.

Privatization Manila. Such calls and PPPs success are totally irratiostories are not limnal, and flies in ited to water distridistri the face of the very real examples that bution. Bonifacio Global City, a former time and again has shown privatization government property used by the army, and public-private partnerships (PPPs) which now is a primary financial and work. lifestyle district in the heart of Metro Following the privatization and re- Manila, housing business headquarters, organization of MWSS, conglomerates residential apartments, and recreational Maynilad and Manila Water have im- centers. Bonifacio Land Development proved access to and now provide 24/7 Corporation won the bid to develop the water supply in their respective zones. area in 1995.

Today, 98 percent of the West Zone has The list goes on: the construction and good water supply where only a third operation of NLEX, SLEX, SCTEX, had before MWSS was privatized; for TPLEX and the PSALM power projthe East Zone, it’s 99 percent, up from a ects. All of these are now providing betdismal 26 percent prior. ter quality public services to millions of One of the more confusing issues Filipinos every day. being thrown around and added to the For some speculative observers, mix, is the Supreme Court decision ear- there may be parties now implementlier this month imposing a P1 billion ing a black playbook to discredit the fine each on Maynilad, Manila Water status quo and create a perception that and MWSS for failure to provide water a third player is needed to meet Mega treatment plants in Metro Manila.

Manila’s growing bulk water demand.

Yet, concessionaires are just follow- This naughty idea simply does not ing business plans approved by their make sense because the real problem is regulators. In a 2011 Supreme Court to build new infrastructure to tap new case, the Court allowed the concession- sources of fresh water, not the distribuaires to complete their sewerage pro- tion which I think is now in very cagram until 2037 because the five-year pable hands. compliance set by the law was unfeaDecades of the country’s experience sible. This makes perfect sense because with privatization has taught very valubuilding a sewerage system in Metro able lessons. Among them, that certain Manila is riddled with complexities. utilities cannot be managed by the govTo mention a few: construction must ernment on its own; it should thus stick be done in phases because of physical with regulation. constraints on the ground (imagine the In the end, what is also clear is that traffic gridlocks if road excavation were concessionaires of public utilities are done simultaneously), lots are not read- already highly regulated. The counily available, permits are delayed with try’s approval process is already notolocal governments, and informal set- riously the most bureaucratic and most tlers further will definitely complicate complex in the world. To be awarded a the situation. project strategically critical to the pubAn argument also goes that both lic is a gargantuan feat that only the firms are allegedly cheating consumers most qualified and experienced should because they do not have water treat- rightly be allowed to operate.

Standards for Public Officials and Employees,” Republic Act No. 3815 “The Revised Penal Code of the Philippines,” Republic Act No. 7877 “Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995,” and even the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Capitulo asks: If we are to enact a law to address discrimination against LGBT, do we also need to enact AntiIlokano or Anti-Kapampangan or AntiBisaya Discrimination laws to address discrimination against them?

Further, Capitulo says we do not need an Anti-Discrimination or SOGIE Equality law because Filipinos are inherently accepting of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders.

“Our society is innately tolerant of LGBTs. Proof of this would be the many Filipino LGBTs who are very successful in their respective fields: business, trade, media, education, fashion, healthcare, law, I.T., science and technology, arts, show business and even politics,” says Capitulo adding that the election of the honorable representative of the first district of Bataan, Rep. Geraldine Roman, is yet another validation of society’s tolerance of the LGBT. So, what really is the agenda for the SOGIE Bill?

In the Senate version as filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros, there is a provision which specifically states that no member

of the LGBT and all those included in their alphabets, shall be denied for their application for all kinds of licenses.

Sound harmless? No, it does not.

Have we heard of any member of the LGBT being denied an application for any kind of license? None as I know of.

Now, is there any law to date, that has barred them from securing any kind of license? Only one—an application for a license for same-sex marriage. Hence, by enacting the SOGIE Bill, we, in effect, will be legalizing same-sex marriage as the court can no longer deny them the issuance of a marriage license.

SOGIE Bill is actually a measure calling for the legalization of same-sex marriage disguised as a gender equality bill. And that’s more reason to oppose it.

If there was one good thing that happened in the Diez restroom incident, it was that it helped open our eyes on the imminent threat a supposedly harmless bill may inflict on us.

And it is quite heartening to see your social media account each day teeming with opposition to this SOGIE Bill, not based on subjective emotion resulting from that toilet incident but founded on scientific, legal and religious facts. People are now making a stand and they want the whole world to be aware of that.

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Marcos: Don’t force ROTC on students NATIONALISM cannot be legislated nor students can forced to become reservistsoldiers, neophyte Senator Imee Marcos said on Sunday.

In a radio interview, Marcos said ROTC should be a college option rather than a mandatory requirement for graduation.

ROTC was made mandatory by her father, the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, through an executive order, but rescinded the same after more than a decade after realizing that mandatory reservist training does not instill nationalism among the youth.

“So ROTC was no longer mandatory —this was made an option because you cannot force someone to be a soldier.

You cannot order one to love his country,” the senator said.

She noted that total absence of community service subjects in the ROTC curriculum and its very name alone make it an “overtly military” program.

Marcos also cited the absence of a follow-up retraining program similar to that in South Korea or Singapore that would upgrade the skills of ROTC cadets after completing their basic education.

Military officials pushing to revive the ROTC program in high school, she said, were merely paying “lip service” to the program’s stated civilian goals of encouraging civic consciousness among the youth and voluntary service to the community.

However, Marcos clarified that she was not against ROTC because she prescribed it as an option for college students in Senate Bill No. 413, which also offered incentives of free health and life insurance to all ROTC student participants plus stipend for ROTC officers.

Senator Francis Tolentino, for his part, wants the inclusion of military and police training in the mandatory ROTC in a bid to “rekindle national pride and patriotism” among students.

“Young Filipinos should understand that they have the duty to defend their country not only from threats to national security but as well as from threats to human life brought about by calamities, disasters, crises and emergencies,” he said in his proposed Senate Bill No. 212.

What sets Tolentino’s version apart from other similar proposed bills pending in the legislative department is the inclusion of police training which will enable young Filipinos to provide assistance as volunteers for traffic management, relief operations, environmental preservation activities, and other civic operations.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

DOUSING THE FIRE.

Bureau of Fire Protection personnel along with members of the Philippine National Police, Presidential Security Group, and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology participate in the first Sampaloc Fire Olympics held at the University of Santo Tomas on Sunday. Norman Cruz

Higher alcohol sin tax pushed

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

H

EALTH advocates have urged senators to support proposals to increase the tax on alcohol products, citing the P200 million annual budget of the government that is spent on treatment of Filipinos suffering from alcohol-related diseases.

Advocates belonging to the Sin Tax Coalition called on the Senate to hasten tne approval of a measure increasing the excise tax on alcoholic beverages, heated tobacco products, and electronic cigarettes, which has already been

approved in the House of Representatives on third and final reading.

The Senate Ways and Means committee chaired by Senator Pia Cayetano has already started the hearing on the alcohol tax increase.

Sin Tax Coalition co-convenor Anthony Leachon said the tax increase on alcohol and tobacco products will generate revenues for the Universal Health Law that was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte earlier this year.

Calculations from the Department of Finance showed the government still needs at least P63 billion for the first year of UHC implementation.

As alcohol and tobacco products are the leading causes of non-communicable diseases in the country, Leachon said the proposed measure will discourage Filipinos from excessively consuming the “sin” product.

In his State of the Nation Address last

month, Duterte said raising the tax on alcohol and tobacco products was one of his priority measures this Congress.

Under the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, higher excise taxes on alcohol products and e-cigarettes will fall under Package 2+, which seeks to bridge the current funding gap of the UHC program.

“Our UHC program is moving forward.

But I really want to see it further funded.

That’s where my passion is coming from to make these [tax reforms] happen. We want to be able to help our people feel the effects [of UHC],” Cayetano said.

“At the end of the day, taxation is not just to raise funds. It’s also to protect the health of Filipinos,” she added.

Batangas solon seeks supply allowance for public teachers

What’s in a name? A lawmaker wants to change the name of the military headquarters from Camp Emilio Aguinaldo to Camp Juan Luna.

‘Rename AFP-HQ to Camp Juan Luna’

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QUEZON QUEZONCITY, CITY,THE THEADMINISTRATOR ADMINISTRATOR Let Let this this Order Order bebe published published atat AND ANDCIVIL CIVILREGISTRAR REGISTRARGENERAL GENERAL the the expense expense ofof the the petitioner petitioner inin aa OF OFTHE THEPHILIPPINE PHILIPPINESTATISTICS STATISTICS newspaper ofof general general circulation circulation inin OFFICE OFFICE(PSA) (PSA)Formerly FormerlyNATIONAL NATIONAL newspaper the thePhilippines Philippinesonce onceaaweek weekforforthree three STATISTICS STATISTICSOFFICE OFFICE(NSO), (NSO),LIZA LIZA (3) (3)consecutive consecutiveweeks, weeks,totobebeselected selected L.L.COSIPAG COSIPAGAND ANDNELSON NELSONA.A. by raffle pursuant to P.D. 1079.

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199 199Calamba CalambaExt., Ext.,Talayan, Talayan,Quezon QuezonCity City On On February February 7,7, 2019, 2019, Nelson Nelson A.A. (MStandard-Aug. (MStandard-Aug.19, 19,2626&&Sep. Sep.2,2,2019) 2019) Republic Republicofofthe thePhilippines Philippines REGIONAL REGIONALTRIAL TRIALCOURT COURT National NationalCapital CapitalJudicial JudicialRegion Region Branch Branch216, 216,Quezon QuezonCity City

By Rio N. Araja AS THE nation celebrates the National Heroes Day today, Deputy Speaker and Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel is seeking to rename the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters in Quezon City from Camp Emilio Aguinaldo to Camp Antonio Luna.

Pimentel said he has filed House Bill No. 4047 seeking to change the name of the AFP camp in honor of Luna.

“Camp Antonio Luna in the municipality of Limay in the province of Bataan, which is home to the Office of the Director of the Government Arsenal under the Department of Defense, shall hereafter be known and referred to as Camp Emilio Aguinaldo,” the measure read.

It seeks to amend Republic Act No. 4434, the 1965 law that changed the headquarter’s name from Camp Frank Murphy to Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo.

“Luna has been described by historians as the most brilliant and capable of the Filipino generals during the Philippine-American War,” Pimentel said.

Luna, who was then only 32 years old, was the chief of staff of the Philippine Revolutionary Army for 134 days during the Philippine-American War until his assassination on June 5, 1899.

“Luna deserves greater recognition for his patriotism and military prowess,” the Surigao del Sur lawmaker said.

“Our bill seeks to honor and accord ‘The Fiery General’ the nobler distinction and prominence that he rightfully deserves,” he added.

DEPUTY Speaker and Batangas Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto wants to give the country’s 840,000 public school teachers supply allowance.

She lamented that teachers resort to using their personal money to buy teaching materials, such as chalks, erasers, forms and other classroom supplies.

“Aside from spending for their personal and family needs, teachers also have to shell out some more money from their own pockets for the materials they use in teaching,” she said in filing House Bill No. 3449 or the proposed “Teaching Supplies Allowance Act.” She said the government must promote and improve the economic status of teachers and assist them in providing quality education to their students.

Under the proposed measure, a public school teacher shall receive a cash allowance of P10,000 per school year.

In the first year of effectivity of the bill, once passed, an allowance of P3,500 per teacher per school year shall be charged against the current appropriation of the Department of Education, while the additional P6,500 shall be charged against any available funds and/or savings of the DepEd. “Thereafter, the amount of P10,000 per teacher per school year shall be included in the DepEd budget for teaching supplies allowance under the General Appropriations Act,” the Batangas lawmaker said.

Despite an increase in the budget allocation for DepEd, Santos-Recto said the cash allowance provided to teachers just translates to a P16 subsidy per day.

“This is relatively insufficient in assisting classroom teachers to deliver informative lectures and stimulating class discussions to the country’s 22.1 million public school students,” she said. Rio N. Araja

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New league wants to produce next volleyball stars

Umpire won’t officiate any Serena, Venus game in US tilt

THE next Alyssa Valdez, Mika Reyes and Jaja Santiago—all volleyball superstars—could come from the Community Volleyball Association.

That’s why CVA founding president Carlo Maceda and tournament director Alvin Tañada are now busy laying the groundwork for the formal launching of the newest community-based volleyball league next month.

“We believe there are a lot of young and talented players from different parts of the country waiting to be discovered.

Through the CVA, we are providing them the platform,” said Maceda and Tañada during the 36th “Usapang Sports” by the Tabloids Orgsnization in Philippine Sports at the National Press Club in Intramuros last Thursday.

Although there are already two major volleyball tournaments in the country, Maceda believes there is room for more.

“The more, the merrier. Madami tayong magagaling na volleyball players,” explained Maceda, who is hoping to replicate the success of his other project, the Community Basketball Association.

Tañada also does not see any conflict with the two other leagues, Premuer Volleyball League and Philippine Super Liga.

“We’re not planning to rival the PVL or the PSL. Gusto lang natin ipakita sa mga players ns hindi lang sa dalawang liga na ito pwede silang maglaro. We will develop our own talent base with the help of local government units,” added Tañada in the same weekly forum sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, National Press Club, PAGCOR, CBA and HG Guyabano Tea Leaf Drinks.

“Ang maganda nito ay madaming mga LGUs which share the same passion in volleyball and believes in what we can do. Magkasama kami dito sa CVA,” added Tañada, who was part of the Philippine volleyball team in the 2017 SEA Games.

“In the CVA, I tapped two commissioners and a strong management team to help me out,”added Tañada.

Asked about the PVL-LVPI controversy, Tañada said he is willing to work with the two groups “but will recognize the decision of the FIVB, the world’s governing body in volleyball.”

Watamslama Macalanggan, who will serve as 18-under commissioner, said they have already talked to several school-based teams and LGUs with strong volleyball program.

“We already talked to 12 school-based teams, although I am not yet at liberty to divulge the list now,” explained Macalanggan.

In the Open division, teams like the Philippine Navy and Air Force, NLEX, Pasay, Makati, Taguig. Caloocan. Bacoor, Imus and Genersl. Trias have already expressed interest. Plus, three cities from Laguna.

NEW YORK—Carlos Ramos will not officiate any US Open matches involving Serena or Venus Williams in the wake of last year’s “bittersweet” women’s final controversy involving Serena and Naomi Osaka.

Osaka defeated Williams 6-2, 6-4, in the 2018 final after the Japanese star was awarded a penalty game by Ramos, handing Osaka a 5-3 lead on her way to victory.

Osaka was booed during the awards ceremony, consoled by a tearful Williams, and told the crowd, “I’m sorry it had to end like this,” later calling the moment “bittersweet.”

US Tennis Association president Stacey Allaster had announced that Ramos would not umpire any Williams family matches.

“This is our collective decision,” she said. “We want to focus on the competition.”

During the second set of last year’s final, Ramos issued a code violation warning against Serena for coaching, seeing her receive hand signals from coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who was seated in the stands.

Ramos later awarded Osaka a point after calling a code violation on Williams for racquet abuse, prompting complaints from Serena over the earlier warning, saying, “You will never do another one of my matches.”

At the next changeover after Osaka broke for a 4-3 lead, Williams called Ramos a “liar” and a “thief” for the lost point. Ramos took those insults as a third code violation and thus handed Osaka a game for a 5-3 lead, Williams arguing to tournament officials to no avail.

US Open tournament referee Soren Friemel noted the event has made selective choices regarding umpires before Ramos.

“It’s not the first time that we made decisions where it’s good for the tournament, good for the players, good for the umpires as well, to not be on those matches,” Friemel said.

“In the end, our goal is to assign the best chair umpire for the right match.

So in taking all those factors into consideration, the decision was made that he would not do any of the Williams sisters’ matches.”

Ramos, however, has not been banished from other high-profile matches at the US Open. AFP

PH to hold 2 international soft net meets THE Philippine Soft Tennis Association is organizing two international tournaments, including a test event for the upcoming 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Around 300 athletes from 12 countries will see action in the 1st Asian Junior Soft Tennis Championships (Aug. 26 to 30) to be followed by the 1st Asian University Soft Tennis Championships (Sept. 1 to 3) at the Colegio San Agustin Tennis Center in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

The 1st Asian University Soft Tennis Championships, which will serve as SEA Games test event, will give the country’s top netters the opportunity to test their own strengths and equally pit their respective skills against the best players from China, Japan, Mongolia, Nepal, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Laos.

The last time soft tennis was played in the SEA Games was in Indonesia (2011) when the Philippines bagged one silver and five bronze medals PSTA president Antonio Jeff Tamayo Jr. has expressed his gratitude to the Asian Soft Tennis Federation for the awarding to the Philippines the organization of the two major international events, which he said is “truly a fitting accolade which reflects our managerial expertise and hard work”.

“For this achievement, I am humbled and thankful for the cooperation of our friends at the Department of Education, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission, NCAA Mancom and the PSTA officers specially our president emeritus and former ASTF/ ISTF vice president BGEN Dr. Antonio L. Tamayo,” he added.

Cignal players try to regroup during their game against F2 Logistics in Game 1 of the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference best-ofthree finals.

Cignal unbowed even after Game 1 setback C

IGNAL may have bowed to F2 Logistics in Game 1, but it didn’t dampen its spirit, vowing to go all out to claim the equalizer in Game 2 and wrap up their Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference best-of-three finals showdown in an impressive fashion.

HD Spikers’ head coach Edgar Barroga said their confidence remains sky-high despite suffering a sorry 22-25, 24-26, 25-18, 25-17, 8-15 setback to the Cargo Movers in Game 1 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum over the weekend.

Barroga said Game 2 on Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena would be an all-out war as they are very determined to pull off a shocking upset of the Cargo Movers that is very similar to what they did to reigning champion Petron in the semifinals.

“We’re definitely more confident now.

We’re more eager to take Game 2,” said Barroga following their setback in the

opener of the finals of this prestigious women’s club league bankrolled by Team Rebel Sports, SOGO, Eurotel, PCSO, Cocolife, UCPB Gen, Mueller, Senoh, Asics, Bizooku and One Sport.

After the match, we realized that we can compete with them at a higher level, which definitely boosted our confidence.”

In Game 1, Cignal played with fire in its eyes.

Despite losing the first two sets by razor-thin margins, the HD Spikers stormed back in the third and fourth to force a decider, putting a mammoth crowd at the Big Dome and thousands more watching

at home at the edge of their seats.

But the F2 Logistics refused to become Cignal’s latest victim.

Filipino-American spiker Kalei Mau carried the Cargo Movers to an early 9-4 spread before Ara Galang and Desiree Cheng scored to make it 13-6.

Then, Cheng delivered set point before Majoy Baron scored on a block to put the Cargo Movers a win away from reclaiming the title after losing to Petron for the past two years.

It’s still a good motivation for us that we were able to extend the game to five sets.

It shows that we can compete with them at a higher level,” skipper Rachel Anne Daquis said.

“We may have lost the match, but we still gained a lot of important lessons that we can use in our next game.”

Daquis said they went through a lot just to get into the finals.

And they will surely fight tooth and nail to become the last team standing.

PBA, MPBL join hands to fight game-fixing CONTRARY to belief, the PBA and the MPBL are not rival leagues and the two basketball entities proved it when their key officials met for a common goal.

PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas, TNT’s representative to the PBA board, and league commissioner Willie Marcial met with MPBL CEO and founder Manny Pacquiao and league commissioner Kenneth Duremdes in their allout war against illegal gambling.

Also on hand to witness the meeting was Chaye Cabal-Revilla, wife of Congressman Strike Revilla, and team owner of the Bacoor Strikers of the MPBL. The two leagues talked about plans of eliminating game-fixing while closely monitoring the players, the coaches, team officials and the referees.

Senator Pacquiao had warned players, teams and referees about game-fixing in the MPBL and he is now working closely with the PBA in using a platform to do real time analytics to correlate calls, scores, performance and bets.

According to Duremdes, there will be more constant communication between him and fellow Commissioner Marcial, while stressing that the two leagues are no rivals, just what many fans of both leagues are claiming.

“Ang usapan namin talaga focused more on illegal gambling,” wrote Duremdes in an online interview shortly after the meeting. “But this is a good step towards a fruitful partnership between the two leagues.”

Cabal-Revilla is excited on the joint initiative of the two leagues in their fight against illegal gambling happening during games.

“It’s a collaboration between MPBL and PBA that they are not competing leagues. Both leagues have the same objective of promoting basketball as a sport to develop athletes, provide livelihood to the players, coaches, staff and their families. But we’re also coordinating and sharing info to help fight the issue of game-fixing,” wrote CabalRevilla.

The PBA and the MPBL are now joining forces to eliminate game-fixing. Senator Manny Pacquiao, CEO and founder of the MPBL, met with officials of the PBA, headed by Chairman Ricky Vargas of TNT and Commissioner Willie Marcial. Also present during the meeting at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati are MPBL commissioner Kenneth Duremdes (right) and Chaye Cabal-Revilla, team owner of the Bacoor Strikers in the MPBL.

Confident Federer ready for US Open NEW YORK, United States—Roger Federer feels as strong as he has “in years” entering the US Open, having put behind him an epic loss to Novak Djokovic in last month’s Wimbledon final.

“This is probably the best I’ve felt in years coming into the US Open again, which is encouraging,” Federer said.

“I’m ready for the US Open. It’s going to be a tough tournament to win, no doubt about it. I feel like I’m part of that group who can do it.”

The 38-year-old Swiss star owns a record 20 Grand Slam singles titles but squandered two championship points in the fifth set and fell 7-6 (7/5), 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 13-12 (7/3) after four hours and 57 minutes – the longest singles final in Wimbledon history.

There’s still a sting for Federer to be the first player since 1948 to lose the Wimbledon men’s final after being one point from

victory. But he is hoping to channel the emotions positively at the US Open.

“I’ve been there before, had some tough losses along the way. So many great wins, as well,” Federer said.

“I was just more upset rather than being sad. I think being upset made me get over that finals much easier than being sad, dwelling over it too much. I was not going to be too down on myself.

“I hope it’s obviously going to help me for here.”

Third-seeded Federer opens on Monday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium against 190th-ranked qualifier Sumit Nagal of India.

Federer admitted struggling for a couple of days after the Wimbledon final loss but a caravan vacation with his wife and four children left little time for regrets.

“I didn’t have that much time thinking about all the missed opportunities,” he

said.

“Sometimes you have flashbacks – I could have done that, should have done that. Next day you’re having a glass of wine with your wife thinking, ‘The semis was pretty good. Even the finals was pretty good’.”

Federer arrived in New York off his fastest loss in 16 years, falling to Andrey Rublev in the Cincinnati third round in only 62 minutes.

“Cincinnati might be a good thing that I lost early. Who knows?” said Federer. “It’s maybe one of those things that sometimes needs to happen, like when I won at the Australian Open, went to Dubai, lost first round in ‘17, then went on to win Indian Wells and Miami.

“Played a great Wimbledon. Needed to get knocked down in Cincy, get my act together, train hard. That’s what I did.”

Since losing to Juan Martin del Potro in

Roger Federer of Switzerland fields questions during a press conference at media day prior to the US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. AFP

the US Open final a decade ago to snap his run of five consecutive titles, Federer has reached the Flushing Meadows final only once, falling to Novak Djokovic in 2015.

Federer lost in last year’s fourth round to Australia’s John Millman. AFP

Sports

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

A8

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019

Team USA forward Jason Tatum (with ball) elevates to attempt a slam dunk against the Australian Boomers during their exhibition game at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. AFP

Mojdeh, Tom to share Batang Pinoy spotlight Ravena returns to action KIEFER Ravena can count his blessings.

That’s because the 25-year-old finally saw action when Gilas Pilipinas battled the Australian club Adelaide 36ers in their second tuneup game that was being played as we went to press yesterday evening.

Ravena’s FIBA suspension ended on Saturday, 18 months after he was punished for taking a pre workout drink which contained banned substances.

Because of this, Ravena can join in all FIBA-sanctioned basketball activities, as he finally played his first official game.

“I’m in good terms with everyone (with Gilas teammates). I’m blessed to be part of a program na nagbibigay pa rin sa iyo ng chance despite being suspended for a year and a half.

That matchup comes with Ravena celebrating his birthday, and with coach Yeng Guiao set to make a final decision on the team’s final composition.

In their first tuneup game, the 36ers rallied from and claimed a 92-83 triumph over Gilas last Friday at the Meralco gym.

The games serve as Gilas Pilipinas’ preparation for the coming FIBA World Cup, The 15-man Gilas Pilipinas pool is on its final phase of preparation, with less than two weeks to go before the start of the 2019 Fiba World Cup in China.

And Team Pilipinas will be meet 32 of the best teams in the world.

The national pool welcomed the addition of Robert Bolick Jr. and CJ Perez in their tuneup game in Spain recently. Peter Atencio

By Peter Atencio

P

UERTO PRINCESA CITY—Outstanding swimmers Michaela Jasmine Mojdeh and Aubrey Tom will share the spotlight when the 2019 Philippine National Youth Games-Batang Pinoy reels off today.

With 14 gold medals at stake in swimming, Mojdeh and Tom will seek the top honors in 10 events that will be held on opening day at the Speaker Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex.

During the Luzon qualifiers, the 12-year-old Mojdeh, swept all her five events, and held her ground again older rivals in the 13-15 years old level at the Isabela Sports Complex back in March.

Mojdeh, a seventh-grader from Immaculate Heart of Mary College capped her amazing effort by topping the 200-meter butterfly, and she added this to earlier triumphs in the 100m and 50m fly and 200m and 400m individual medley.

Choco Mucho spiker Kat Tolentino bangs in a power hit against Chef’s Classic’s Trisha Paras in PVL Open Conference action at The Arena in San Juan.

Gilas Pilipinas Girls place third in 3X3 U-18 Asia Cup THE Gilas Pilipinas Girls team ranked eighth in the world at the end of their 2019 FIBA 3x3 Under-18 Asia Cup campaign last Saturday in Cyberjaya, Malaysia.

This was after the Filipinas toppled China, 14-11 in the bronze medal match.

And, this will be best finish ever for a Filipina team in the continental tournament, and after finishing with four wins and a loss.

Japan and Australia later claimed the men’s and women’s crown.

This was after Japan won easily over Kazakhstan, 21-13, in the men’s side.

In the women’s side, Australia swept its five-game assignment, and dominated Japan, 21-10.

Australia’s Shyla Heal, who is the

Despite cloudy and rainy weather prevailing in the region, Mojdeh’s effort will serve as her bid to make the final cut the national swimming team, which hold its final tryouts at the Philippine National Open swimming meet this Saturday at the New Clark City in Tarlac.

And Mojdeh’s bid is expected to benefit Paranaque’s efforts in the 3-day aquatics competition.

On the other hand, the 12-year old Tom is set to carry Cainta, Rizal’s campaign, and after she rule the girls 50-meter backstroke, 50m butterfly, the 200m IM, 100m freestyle and the 50m backstroke the last time around.

Around 10,000 athletes from 243 local

government units are battling it out for top honors and sporting excellence.

Davao City has brought in the biggest delegation of 320 athletes and seek out the honors of being best performing LGU that will receive a sports program package worth P5 million.

For the runners-up, the second to fifth placing LGUs will get incentives worth P4M, P3M, P2M and P1M, respectively.

There are a total of 820 gold, 820 silver and 1,395 bronze medals that are at stake in 31 various disciplines in this weeklong meet.

Spots will be available to the national team which will see action in next year’s Children of Asia Games in Russia and in this event backed by MILO. Action on Day One will be in arnis, badminton, baseball, basketball, billiards, boxing, chess, dancesports, futsal, judo, karatedo, lawn tennis, muaythai, pencak silat, rugby football, sepak takraw, table tennis, indoor and beach volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling and wushu.

daughter of Australian basketball legend Shane Heal, claimed the MVP honors after leading her team with 8 points in the finals.

Japan’s Saori Yasue took the MVP honors in the women’s division after totaling 42 points, Gilas Girls’ Kristine Cayabyab.

The game was tied at 11-all when Kristine Cayabyab put the Philippines after following up on Ella Fajardo miss with 55 ticks to go.

In the next play, Camille Clarin forced a held ball, or a turnover against China’s Xianglin Wu. Angelica Surada then stripped Yingjie Chen before being fouled, China’s seventh. Peter Atencio

US better off after shock loss —Popovich MELBOURNE, Australia—Veteran United States basketball coach Gregg Popovich insists his team are better for their shock loss to Australia, which has thrown the upcoming World Cup in China wide open.

The Boomers’ 98-94 upset in Melbourne on Saturday was their first ever victory against the USA and snapped a run of 78 consecutive American wins in major competitions and exhibition games.

The defeat came barely a week before the World Cup tips off, where the five-time champions will be defending their title.

And they suffered another setback with Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma ruled out of the tournament with a left ankle injury.

San Antonio Spurs mastermind Popovich, who has a young squad after a host of high-profile NBA stars opted out, said it was all part of the learning curve.

“The loss means that we need to play better, and it’s a measure of who you are. Nobody wins forever,” he said.

“This is a group of guys that has worked very hard to get to know each other and to get to know a system. And whatever comes, we can handle.

“Our job is to try to get better every day, and we learned some things (against Australia),” he added.

“We are actually a better team now than at the start of the game, because of the knowledge that we gained. So, you move on.” AFP

Hernandez lifts UST to PVL leadership ROOKIE middle blocker Imee Hernandez unloaded 20 points to lift University of Sto. Tomas past College of St. Benilde, 21-25, 25-22, 2519, 24-26, 15-12, yesterday, Sunday in the PVL Collegiate Conference at the Arena in San Juan.

The Tigresses had to survive a maze of 46 errors as they leaned on the 16 attacks, three blocks and an by Hernandez to carve out the victory and stay unbeaten in two matches.

They thus grabbed a share of Pool B lead with idle Arellano University.

Hernandez scored three in a 4-1 run that pushed UST at match point, 14-12. Rachelle Roldan then nailed the final nail on cross court kill.

In the PVL Open Conference, Creamline got back at PetroGazz with its power, teamwork and poise, carving out a 25-19, 28-26, 25-20 victory to extend its win run to five and firm up its hold of the lead in PVL Season 3.

Celine Domingo stepped up for injured starter Pau Soriano and more than filled up the slack, unleashing a nine-attack game and coming through with two kill blocks as she complemented well with the likes of Alyssa Valdez, Michele Gumabao, Jema Galanza and Risa Sato, playmaker Jia Morado and libero Kyla Atienza.

The Cool Smashers actually bucked three set points in the second as they kept their composure while pouncing on the Angels’ faulty receptions to steal the frame then pulled away late in the third behind Sato and Valdez to complete the straight romp.

The Angels, who beat the Cool Smashers to snare the Reinforced Conference crown recently, slipped to 1-2.

Unbeaten Marinerong Pilipino Skippers battle iWalk Chargers Games Monday

(Filoil Flying V Centre, San Juan) 1:30 p.m. — BRT Sumisip Basilan-St. Clare vs McDavid-La Salle Araneta 3:30 p.m. — iWalk vs Marinerong Pilipino 5:30 p.m. — Hazchem vs Asia’s Lashes

MARINERONG Pilipino targets a top two spot in Group A when it meets iWalk today, Monday in the 2019 PBA D-League Foundation Cup at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

The unbeaten Skippers can annex their winning run to five and claim twice-to-beat advantages in the quarterfinals if they hurdle the Chargers in this 3:30 p.m. clash.

And coach Yong Garcia knows it.

“Ang sabi ko nga, mate-test ang team namin. Sa next round, talagang malalakas na yung team namin kaya magandang chance ito sa amin na makaharap ng mga beteranong team,” he said.

Eloy Poligrates has been the shining light for Marinerong Pilipino in this 4-0 run, as seen in its 73-51 victory over Asia’s Lashes last week.

He’ll also have JR Alabanza and Jhonard Clarito by his side in this quest to assure the Skippers of an edge come playoff time.

It won’t be a walk in the park, though, with the Chargers also looking to boost their playoff hopes as they currently sit with a 2-2 card.

BRT Sumisip Basilan-St. Clare also shoots for a playoff spot when it returns to action against winless McDavid-La

Salle Araneta at 1:30 p.m.

The Saints are coming off a 20-day break, with their last game being an 8570 whipping of TIP back in August 5.

And for coach Stevenson Tiu, with all due respect to his foes, he doesn’t feel like BRT Sumisip-St. Clare has been really tested yet through his side’s first three games.

“Hindi kami ma-push to the limit, kung hanggang saan ang team namin,” he said, with the Saints’ average winning margin being 35.0 points. “Gusto din sana namin makakuha ng close games habang nasa eliminations para makuha din namin jelling.”

Asia’s Lashes Tomas Morato (2-2) caps off the busy game day at 5:30 p.m. as it eyes to boost its playoff hopes when it collides with Hazchem (1-2).

IN BRIEF Meralco eyes 200 MW of peaking capacity MANILA Electric Co., the biggest retailer of electricity, may conduct a new competitive selection process, or public bidding, on the supply of 200-megawatt peaking capacity with an invitation to bid set to be published in the fourth quarter.

Meralco listed the planned 200-MW peaking plant requirement under its procurement plan covering a contract period from February 26, 2020 to July 25, 2020.

Meralco also listed three more CSPs it planned to conduct, although the dates are still indicative and capacity and type of contract subject to change, “depending on the forecasted demand of captive customers... ” The company plans to bid out 1,000 MW base load supply to be delivered from August 26, 2025 to August 25, 2045.

Meralco also indicated another auction for 500 MW of baseload capacity from October 26, 2027 to October 25, 2047.

It plans to auction another 600 MW of mid-merit capacity covering December 26, 2023 to December 25, 2044.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Now Telecom rolls out broadband services NOW Telecom Inc. of the Velarde family is accelerating the rollout of broadband services nationwide following a partnership with Singapore-based HyalRoute Group and Philippine Fiber Optic Cable Network Ltd..

Now Telecom president Rodolfo Pantoja said the partnership with HyalRoute and PFOCN would speed up the company’s nationwide deployment through the availability of a transmission backbone.

The company earlier signed a memorandum of understanding with PFOCN over the co-use of its fiber infrastructure assets nationwide.

The agreement will enable the parties to collaborate on the commercial use of shared fiber infrastructure assets, including access to fiber-optic cores and other related facilities.

Pantoja said when coupled with NOW’s fixed wireless capability for the last mile and using spectrum exclusive to it, the company can reach consumers faster than a pure fiber-based broadband provider at a fraction of their capital expenditure. Darwin G. Amojelar

Business POGOs pullout to affect real estate sector—PEZA

By Othel V. Campos

T

HE Philippine Economic Zone Authority warned over the weekend about a possible real estate vacuum in Metro Manila once Philippine offshore gaming operators mainly led by Chinese nationals pull out of the country.

PEZA director-general Charito Plaza said the closure of the online gaming establishments would directly hit the office and residential buildings that house POGOs and their employees. The Finance Department earlier estimated that 138,000 individuals, mostly Chinese nationals, were working in the POGO industry.

“Should China close POGO [establish-

ments], this will create vacancies of buildings. That’s why the Office of the President and the Finance Department should consider lifting the moratorium inhibiting BPOs from locating in Metro Manila, so these buildings can be occupied back soon,” Plaza said.

PEZA earlier asked the government to reconsider the moratorium on opening new ecozones in Metro Manila.

President Rodrigo Duterte issued Administrative Order No. 18 in May to halt the processing of applications for ecozones in Metro Manila as a way to decongest the metropolis and allow for the development of alternative provincial sites as hubs for business process outsourcing.

Data showed that 61 POGOs were operating in 18 PEZA-accredited buildings.

The rise of POGOs made it difficult for new BPOs to get space in IT parks and buildings as building owners developed a preference for POGOs that were willing to pay higher rents, said Plaza.

Meanwhile, PEZA welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte’s announcement of support for the retention of gross income

earnings of business or companies as the tax base.

The president said the GIE was more advantageous for tax collection than gross revenues as the tax base because data processing via GIE made it difficult to cheat or engage in corruption.

PEZA pushes or the retention of GIE as tax incentives to export-based industries in the Philippines.

Under the proposed second package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, the 5-percent tax on GIE paid by ecozone developers, operators, and enterprises or locators in lieu of all local and national taxes would be removed.

The Finance Department wants to replace GIE with a reduced corporate tax rate.

The House ways and means committee already approved the proposed Comprehensive Income Tax and Incentive Rationalization Act to overhaul the tax incentive system.

Plaza said the removal of the 5-percent tax on GIE under the CITIRA bill would discourage ecozone developers and locators.

Aboitiz Power issuing P10b of bonds more ABOITIZ Power Corp. on Friday filed an application with the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue the third tranche of its P30-billion debt securities program amounting to P10 billion.

The third tranche bonds will consist of the primary offer of an aggregate principal amount of up to P10 billion with an oversubscription option of up to P2 billion. The company plans to offer the bonds to the general public in the fourth quarter.

Aboitiz Power plans to use the proceeds of the third tranche bonds to repay shortterm loan obligations and fund general corporate activities.

It appointed BDO Capital & Investment Corp. and First Metro Investments Corp. as joint issue managers of the offering, BDO Capital & Investment Corp., First Metro Investment Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., SB Capital Investment Corp. and PNB Capital & Investment Corporation as joint lead underwriters, and BDO Unibank Inc. -Trust and Investments Group as the trustee. Alena Mae S. Flores

CLSU SOLAR FACILITY. First Gen Corp. and sister company PI Energy Inc. vow to construct a solar power system and a smart microgrid system for Central Luzon State University in support of the school’s thrust to promote energy efficiency and sustainability.

Attending the signing of the memorandum of agreement are (from left) Department of Science and Technology Region III regional director Julius Caesar Sicat, CLSU president Tereso Abella, First Gen senior vice president Victor Emmanuel Santos, PI energy vice president Denardo Cuayo and First Gen vice president Carlo Vega.

Importers ask DTI to recompute P12 safeguard duty on cement

By Othel V. Campos CEMENT importers plan to submit a petition to the Trade Department to reduce the P12-per-bag safeguard duty on cement as recommended by the Tariff Commission, an official of the group said over the weekend.

Philippine Cement Importers Association president Napoleon Co said the group was drafting a letter that would be submitted to the Office of the Trade Secretary within the next two weeks.

“We plan to appeal to Secretary [Ramon Lopez] to recompute the ex-plant price of cement manufacturers and our ex-vessel price for them to realize that our wholesale price is higher than local cement, with port charges and the safeguard measures already embedded,” said Co. He also appealed to the Trade Department to allow importers a decent mea-

INLIFE JOINS FINTECH ALLIANCE.

Insular Life, the largest Filipino life insurance company, announces its membership to Fintech Alliance. ph as it reiterates its support for financial inclusion.

Leading the announcement of the InLife-Fintechalliance.ph partnership are (from left) Insular Health Care president and CEO Noemi Azura, InLife president and CEO Mona Lisa de la Cruz, InLife executive chairman Nina Aguas, Fintech Alliance.Ph chairman Lito Villanueva and InLife chief strategic and financial officer Claro Bonilla.

sure of profit so they could also survive the competition as importation is their livelihood.

He said that if the safeguard duty of P12 per bag was imposed, the price of imported cement would reach P195 per 40-kilogram bag, higher than the local cement price of P180 to P185 a bag.

Vending operations of importers are limited to areas where there are no cement plants such as Davao, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Batangas, Bataan and Tuguegarao.

The importers bring the shipments directly to these areas to avoid the high cost of trucking.

Importers said that once they were eased out of the game, local manufacturers would start to increase the price of local cement.

“The government should keep import windows open so that local cement price will not be abused,” Co said.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019

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Moody’s sees PH expanding 5.8% this year

By Julito G. Rada MOODY’S Investors Service said it expects the Philippine economy to grow 5.8 percent this year, one of the fastest in Southeast Asia.

Moody’s said in a regional growth update report for the month of August that the Philippines would most likely grow faster than 0.5 percent of Singapore, 4.4 percent of Malaysia, 2.7 percent of Thailand and 4.9 percent of Indonesia. Vietnam is seen to grow the fastest in Southeast Asia at 6.7 percent.

The global debt watcher said the Philippine economy would grow faster at 6.2 percent in 2020, outpacing 4.3 percent of Malaysia, 3.1 percent of Thailand, 1.2 percent of Singapore and 4.7 percent of Indonesia.

The Philippines is also seen to grow faster than China’s 5.8 percent next year.

Moody’s earlier announced the reduction of GDP forecast for the Philippines this year to 5.8 percent from the previous estimate of 6 percent.

Moody’s said the weak output in the first half and the deteriorating outlook for trade dragged lower the growth forecasts across Asia.

“Externally-oriented economies have experienced a sharper slowing in the first half of 2019. Domestic factors have had a greater influence in India, Japan [consumption tax hike] and the Philippines [budget delay],” it said.

Moody’s expects the slowest rates of growth since the global financial crises for Hong Kong, Singapore and Korea.

It said that for the Philippines, “the delay in the passing of the government budget has disrupted its infrastructure building plans.”

Moody’s said the stable consumption and policy accommodation would mitigate further weakening of economies in the region.

“Stable outlook for oil prices contribute to benign inflation, which has supported rate cuts... Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has started to unwind the tightening precipitated by a spike in food inflation in 2018, while employing reserve requirements to more actively manage systemic liquidity,” it said.

The policy-making Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas cut the benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.25 percent on Aug. 8.

Majority seeks more options to stop smoking—study EIGHT out of 10 people around the world want governments to adopt a different approach to cut down smoking apart from regulation and taxation, a new research released by Philip Morris International shows.

The vast majority—83 percent of the respondents—agree that people who would otherwise continue smoking cigarettes should have the right to accurate information about smoke-free alternatives, according to the PMI research called “Unsmoke: Clearing the Way for Change.”

“There is currently a tremendous amount of misinformation circulating about smoke-free products, and this is causing confusion. It is one of the biggest hurdles the world faces in becoming smoke-free,” said PMI chief operating officer Jacek Olczak.

“The reality is there are better options available to adult smokers who don’t quit. There urgently needs to be a new global conversation—based on scientific research and facts—about

these alternatives,” Olczak said.

The research was based on a major international study conducted for the company by independent research firm Povaddo.

The study says that while the best choice is to quit cigarettes and nicotine altogether, the reality is that many people don’t.

The survey—conducted in 13 countries among adults aged 21 to 74— forms the basis of the paper’s exploration around two core themes: the impact of smoking on personal relationships and the lack of information available about smoke-free products. It reveals some of the barriers that might be preventing smokers from considering smoke-free alternatives over continued smoking.

In the Philippines, PMI’s affiliate PMFTC conducted its own public opinion research in 2018 and found that roughly two-thirds of the respondents believe that a country becoming smoke-free is both de-

sirable (68 percent) and a realistic goal (64 percent).

PMFTC also found out that 60 percent of tobacco users who do not use smoke-free products would consider switching to products like e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn products with 15 percent being very interested.

On the PMI research, the study looked at the public appetite for a better conversation around how to make cigarettes a thing of the past—it’s a desire that’s not being fulfilled.

While four in five respondents agreed that change is needed, just over half of the adult smokers surveyed (55 percent) said they have the information they need to make an informed choice about smoke-free products.

In Israel, only one in four (25 percent) said they have all the information they need; in Australia, it was also below half (43 percent). Compare that with HongKong (66 percent), Italy (64 percent) and Brazil (62 percent)—the difference is pronounced.

SSS to end condonation program on Sept. 6

By Julito G. Rada STATE-RUN pension fund Social Security System asked over 100,000 delinquent employers to avail of the contribution penalty condonation program ahead of the Sept. 6 deadline.

The transitory clause of the Republic Act No. 11199, or the Social Security Act of 2018, provides that a contribution penalty condonation program should be implemented for six months from its effectivity in March.

“Instead of waiting for the last day, we strongly urge all delinquent employers to immediately apply for the condonation program to settle the unpaid premiums of their employees and have the incurred penalties waived,” SSS president and chief executive Aurora Ignacio said in a statement.

Ignacio said delinquent employers have until Sept. 6 to avail of the program and bring back their records to good standing.

SSS said that since the CPCP’s implementation in March, the fund collected P795.97 million in unpaid premiums from 31,774 employers benefiting 307,578 employees as of July. The pension fund condoned P1.67 billion in penalties.

“Only a few weeks left before the deadline, yet there is still more than 70 percent of delinquent employers who have not yet availed of the CPCP. They should take advantage of this big opportunity to avoid having a criminal liability and be able to help their employees claim the benefits due them without delay,” Ignacio said.

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Business

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Investors worry over US-China tiff

By Jenniffer B. Austria

S

HARE prices are expected to continue with their sideways trading on thin volume during this shortened trading week as investors remain cautious amid the worsening trade spat between the United States and China.

China over the weekend announced new retaliatory tariffs ranging from 5 percent to 10 percent that will affect $75 billion worth of US products US President Donald Trump later tweeted that he “will be responding to China’s tariffs”.

Luis Limlingan, head of sales of Regina Capital Development Corp., said investors would also be monitoring the results of the upcoming meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and China president Xi Jinping in Beijing on August 29.

The two leaders are expected to discuss possible joint exploration in the

South China Sea. Both leaders will witness the signing of a number of cooperative bilateral documents and memorandums of understanding covering several projects.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index after several weeks of decline rose 1.2 percent last week to close 7,889.41 points, while the broader All Shares Index gained 0.6 percent to 4,770.28.

Except for the property index which dipped 0.50 percent, other subs-indices registered week-on-week gains, led by financials (+2.69 percent), industrial (+1.41 percent), services (+1.34 percent), holding firms (+0.59 percent) and

mining and oil (+0.28 percent).

Property stocks are expected to retreat after a planned crackdown on Philippine offshore gaming operators, which have been fueling the growth of the real estate industry.

Foreign investors were still on selling mode, as weekly net foreign selling stood at P1.5 billion. The average daily value traded stood at P7.6 billion, down from the previous week’s average of P8.9 billion.

Newly-listed Kepwealth Property Philippines Inc. was last weeks’ top gainer, surging 84 percent to P15. Other top gainers were Phinma Petroleum Geothermal Inc., which climbed 46.3 percent to P7.84; and JG Summit Holdings Inc. which advanced 8.4 percent to P68.80 apiece.

Weekly top price losers were Cirtek Holdings Philippines Inc., which fell 13.3 percent to P10.40; Megaworld Corp., which lost 9.3 percent to P4.80; and Filinvest Land Inc., which dropped

7 percent to P1.59.

Wall Street stocks, meanwhile, finished a bruising session sharply lower Friday, as fresh volleys between Washington and Beijing escalated a grinding trade war and exacerbated recession fears.

The Dow sank more than 600 points, or 2.4 percent, to 25,628.90, pushing the blue-chip index into the red for the fourth straight week.

European stocks also had a rocky day, turning sharply downward after US President Donald Trump vowed a forceful response to a Chinese announcement raising tariffs on $75 billion in US goods.

Trump followed through on the threat after the US market closed Friday, raising the existing and planned tariffs by five percent. Tariffs on $250 billion Chinese goods will go to 30 percent and those planned on $300 billion in Chinese goods go to 15 percent from October 1. With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS Weekly StockS revieW STOCKS

AUGUST 19-23, 2019 Close Volume

Value

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

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

54.8 148.20 89.90 2.06 1.21 25.9 18.2 11.7 4.85 0.53 1.29 750.00 0.435 72 0.94 13.1 20.70 44.85 57.95 120 189.4 28 189.8 59.05 1.11

13,790 7,626,130 6,995,740 40,000 283,000 552,600 131,800 1,840,000 3,997,000 5,000 40,000 30 180,000 9,433,550 1,955,000 126,500 14,000 1,928,300 24,440 170 7,220 153,600 1,995,370 253,660 325,000

FINANCIAL 786,414.00 1,112,053,515.00 622,003,075.50 83,690.00 317,210.00 14,454,050.00 2,439,038.00 21,372,948.00 20,266,180.00 2,650.00 49,950.00 22,500.00 80,650.00 669,673,851.00 1,854,020.00 1,657,292.00 291,290.00 87,803,185.00 1,417,665.00 20,102.00 1,351,247.00 4,218,740.00 376,960,785.00 14,972,415.50 365,310.00

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Basic Energy Corp.

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

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

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

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petroenergy Res. Corp.

Petron Corporation Phinma Corporation Phinma Energy Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

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

Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

37 15 0.68 1.31 0.239 109 15.98 3.06 14.04 110 10.4 75.4 85.5 35.85 2.02 5.7 5.9 8.900 15.1 9.51 7.25 1.63 26.55 83.25 50.85 1.9000 14.74 8.01 1.480 230.00 43.50 4.75 3.39 8.21 22.45 13.56 18.66 0.184 362.00 5.30 1.81 4.20 5.11 9.23 2.81 11.28 35.5 5.1 5.09 1.7 2.2 1.08 12.4 97.5 7.15 0.125 0.97 171 2.45 1.07 16.10 1.13

5,654,800 5,095,400 2,953,000 1,091,000 3,980,000 180 4,700 38,367,000 4,652,800 60 1,350,100 49,230 126,170 3,500 510,000 58,900 192,900 3,344,600 388,200 3,011,200 5,930,800 39,000 6,354,600 603,890 664,260 27,667,000 5,841,300 353,900 350,000 3,399,690 300 714,000 77,000 45,800 7,336,200 1,230,400 11,283,200 1,480,000 690,530 9,700 92,259,000 191,000 7,063,600 976,000 103,602,000 232,400 1,400,400 16,437,600 1,419,100 24,360,000 428,000 1,029,000 1,190,300 605,760 306,700 1,150,000 1,772,000 4,173,880 72,000 38,685,000 3,500 14,227,000

INDUSTRIAL 204,309,880.00 74,776,348.00 2,002,370.00 1,428,600.00 941,420.00 19,310.00 73,226.00 116,772,430.00 65,436,114.00 6,600.00 15,276,786.00 3,792,835.50 11,367,186.00 125,910.00 1,041,220.00 333,269.00 1,149,591.00 30,118,702.00 5,825,244.00 27,965,768.00 41,253,957.00 67,310.00 167,564,660.00 50,615,760.50 35,019,061.00 54,035,080.00 85,328,776.00 2,857,001.00 524,960.00 773,407,730.00 13,050.00 3,319,980.00 261,030.00 401,718.00 162,465,290.00 17,202,140.00 208,488,328.00 281,000.00 250,690,274.00 26,029.00 169,433,620.00 847,660.00 37,225,389.00 8,829,731.00 295,557,400.00 2,577,044.00 50,088,105.00 104,848,865.00 7,218,978.00 43,937,730.00 986,300.00 1,126,340.00 14,837,456.00 59,177,877.50 2,165,741.00 143,280.00 1,802,790.00 705,539,772.00 178,630.00 41,804,730.00 56,350.00 16,783,030.00

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

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

Lopez Holdings Corp.

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

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

0.770 51.30 12.26 0.68 7.01 13.26 1.300 1.310 955.5 3.540 6.83 9.22 4.67 13.60 0.233 864 6.28 68.80 6.2 5.5 0.49 4.61 13.62 0.610 4.98 0.0380 1.360 2.87 175.00 1004.00 1.41 0.79 251.400 0.2360 0.230

134,024,000 4,618,790 61,032,700 1,070,000 201,700 221,300 14,877,000 2,018,000 1,506,170 9,689,000 4,907,600 18,977,200 1,000 2,964,600 180,000 561,310 1,800 7,170,080 3,100 84,900 1,042,000 9,377,000 6,347,200 10,978,000 222,771,300 18,500,000 2,529,000 97,000 631,620 1,586,380 188,000 4,089,000 25,270 4,110,000 14,150,000

HOLDING FIRMS 109,326,840.00 234,787,715.50 780,217,936.00 718,020.00 1,412,958.00 3,091,408.00 18,913,620.00 2,552,000.00 1,418,184,245.00 35,233,610.00 33,324,476.00 174,743,195.00 4,670.00 40,367,276.00 40,860.00 484,917,405.00 10,968.00 480,321,674.00 18,483.00 502,542.00 503,015.00 43,398,820.00 85,898,228.00 6,433,490.00 1,116,744,768.00 708,300.00 3,363,390.00 280,700.00 111,176,806.00 1,587,691,590.00 262,380.00 3,210,890.00 6,359,552.00 941,310.00 3,280,460.00

1,753,100 2,160,000 8,600 1,029,000 31,972,000 48,570,800 1,987,000 1,585,000 101,200 61,876,000 218,000 101,000 3,520,000 5,100,000 4,669,500 1,986,900 7,330,000 40,000 209,672,000 3,818,000 240,731,200 52,040,000 8,945,000 6,040,000 1,160,000 17,280 2,030,000 16,910,900 1,388,000 1,984,000 50,134,000

PROPERTY 27,164,608.00 1,723,690.00 89,310.00 1,968,890.00 30,173,460.00 2,369,884,695.00 4,307,850.00 7,510,250.00 591,163.00 35,254,590.00 164,150.00 86,590.00 803,550.00 2,059,050.00 43,961,586.00 46,691,705.00 3,363,000.00 5,000.00 347,929,120.00 4,890,400.00 1,190,677,930.00 15,674,800.00 12,486,990.00 2,749,600.00 443,000.00 900,873.50 4,083,220.00 411,776,215.00 3,302,320.00 6,550,290.00 1,750,696,635.00

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

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

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

Phil. Realty `A’ Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp.

Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings

15.460 0.79 10.40 1.910 0.920 48.900 2.19 4.71 6.16 0.580 0.76 0.880 0.226 0.400 9.000 24 0.465 0.125 1.59 1.27 4.8 0.295 1.3300 0.4650 0.380 53.90 2.03 24.60 2.35 3.3 34.80

AUGUST 13-16, 2019 Close Volume Value 58 142.00 89.00 2.09 1.18 26.2 18.58 11.7 4.9 0.52 1.26 710.00 0.430 69.7 0.99 13.1

10,550 7,471,410 9,639,100 188,000 15,000 615,000 4,300 2,455,000 1,780,000 147,000 1,000 560 3,070,000 13,012,570 2,836,000 686,400

603,355.00 1,074,011,617.00 872,892,943.50 383,850.00 17,700.00 16,163,130.00 79,298.00 28,334,934.00 8,709,040.00 77,070.00 1,260.00 417,060.00 1,341,400.00 914,596,537.00 2,757,460.00 31,937,130.00

46.30 58 111.3 189.8 28 182.4 59.80 1.17

2,523,500 18,990 20 108,180 279,000 1,934,700 217,420 43,000

118,799,420.00 1,098,869.50 2,226.00 20,552,883.00 7,860,530.00 362,399,144.00 12,837,094.00 47,990.00

35.5 14.2 0.69 1.32 0.245 100 16.40 3.2 14.3 110 12 79.05 97.2 36 2.02 5.6 6.05 9.140 14.8 9.18 7.39 1.74 24.95 82.3 54.30 1.9400 14.00 8.22 1.470 237.00

5,286,500 3,086,200 3,899,000 1,407,000 3,770,000 610 10,500 57,684,000 3,262,900 7,530 1,274,400 195,090 236,000 59,600 480,000 63,500 187,700 11,947,900 2,346,700 2,705,900 5,569,600 13,000 9,575,100 953,170 1,128,820 26,801,000 6,334,100 2,117,400 1,400,000 4,871,070

183,378,830.00 43,453,614.00 2,717,500.00 1,834,910.00 910,610.00 60,063.00 167,076.00 179,970,580.00 46,000,946.00 828,159.00 15,454,816.00 16,712,690.50 25,252,791.50 2,149,205.00 977,140.00 344,143.00 1,137,894.00 107,364,905.00 34,694,526.00 25,007,830.00 41,292,321.00 22,620.00 243,121,000.00 77,797,322.50 62,536,029.00 52,083,860.00 88,472,366.00 16,945,312.00 2,153,370.00 1,106,942,494.00

4.16 3.3 8.35 23 14 18.48 0.183 353.00 5.49 1.92 4.70 5.14 9.10 2.86 10.70 36.05 5 5.10 1.78 2.29 1.1 12.54 99 6.99 0.125 1.03 162 2.45 1.16 16.10 1.13

28,000 22,000 19,200 2,185,300 1,748,100 3,275,600 350,000 727,620 28,600 84,554,000 310,000 5,768,400 2,511,600 179,018,000 200,700 1,005,400 248,000 16,100 6,480,000 8,000 2,273,000 2,778,000 329,850 294,600 310,000 2,538,000 5,914,450 176,000 35,608,000 3,900 7,830,000

116,860.00 74,200.00 162,139.00 49,375,510.00 23,793,860.00 59,839,180.00 64,390.00 261,161,964.00 153,718.00 154,160,940.00 1,400,620.00 29,523,191.00 22,729,545.00 508,610,990.00 2,162,594.00 36,689,405.00 1,244,177.00 81,133.00 11,354,230.00 17,940.00 2,511,320.00 34,877,698.00 32,861,116.50 2,039,897.00 38,990.00 2,697,770.00 978,733,679.00 431,770.00 41,748,050.00 62,810.00 8,630,740.00

0.860 49.50 13.02 0.70 7.00 14.34 1.190 1.230 935 3.730 6.89 9.25 4.67 13.80 0.239 870 6.28 63.50 5.5

107,224,000 7,213,600 49,641,000 863,000 101,700 308,000 15,123,000 476,000 1,625,620 13,393,000 4,162,200 27,068,100 2,000 2,167,100 510,000 611,210 377,100 7,245,130 42,600

95,099,010.00 355,216,675.00 650,034,514.00 597,500.00 711,900.00 4,513,302.00 17,612,330.00 569,310.00 1,516,670,130.00 48,526,720.00 28,102,348.00 246,323,414.00 9,460.00 29,789,458.00 120,070.00 526,148,605.00 2,368,438.00 464,489,104.50 241,061.00

0.49 4.65 13.5 0.630 4.8 0.0380 1.260 2.87 183.70 1027.00 1.39 0.83 256.400 0.2370 0.250

718,000 4,797,000 5,964,000 3,909,000 94,490,000 13,000,000 2,014,000 14,000 1,414,400 2,672,365 171,000 1,826,000 3,580 3,220,000 14,110,000

359,865.00 21,999,950.00 83,387,312.00 2,425,380.00 438,452,080.00 495,200.00 2,577,110.00 40,020.00 252,073,056.00 2,710,696,295.00 233,020.00 1,483,980.00 915,560.00 736,730.00 3,667,550.00

15.500 0.81 10.00 1.970 0.960 49.250 2.19 4.68 6 0.560 0.79 0.830 0.227 0.405 10.000 23.3 0.460 0.125 1.71 1.29 5.29 0.310 1.4000 0.4500 0.385 49.40 2.02 24.90 2.24 3.25 34.10

3,278,500 3,902,000 140,100 723,000 41,049,000 79,093,900 4,143,000 6,288,000 357,200 71,863,000 493,000 632,000 11,320,000 6,670,000 4,725,000 2,315,700 1,760,000 50,000 290,969,000 5,810,000 275,046,700 25,290,000 15,356,000 1,750,000 1,270,000 100 2,985,000 12,323,000 1,166,000 4,385,000 83,921,900

51,231,824.00 3,126,880.00 1,415,648.00 1,435,170.00 39,975,040.00 3,798,546,100.00 8,945,720.00 29,329,650.00 2,119,367.00 39,579,530.00 369,480.00 534,560.00 2,625,340.00 2,781,050.00 47,396,044.00 52,823,370.00 805,500.00 6,250.00 494,564,330.00 7,577,930.00 1,461,982,254.00 7,802,650.00 22,088,380.00 786,950.00 487,600.00 4,940.00 6,047,440.00 301,505,820.00 2,524,890.00 14,047,760.00 2,919,977,190.00

STOCKS

AUGUST 19-23, 2019 Close Volume

AUGUST 13-16, 2019 Close Volume Value

Value

Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

2.38 5.81 0.910 7.420

10,079,000 278,100 60,594,000 25,144,200

25,226,590.00 1,601,391.00 59,312,160.00 188,726,540.00

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

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

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

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Wilcon Depot

10.2 18.56 1.53 0.590 0.047 18.5 2.35 10.12 0.0580 96.25 6.99 7.15 6.00 2.27 8.22 890 1899 5.34 426.00 1.59 132.3 1.83 9.65 5.20 0.107 5.0400 3.07 14.6 3.18 0.85 19.00 15.16 0.450 3.03 2.40 1.42 1.27 2.130 2.7 8.00 2.84 4.62 9.2 144.50 3.05 1149.00 0.490 0.680 44.00 80.50 9.03 2.79 0.660 0.35 5.46 0.680 16.660

142,000 1,778,400 144,000 56,005,000 18,700,000 642,300 1,341,000 21,283,300 40,690,000 1,098,340 5,000 9,005,600 138,900 5,000 161,000 480 263,990 703,800 32,260 3,889,000 5,480,050 127,000 9,800 2,800 2,660,000 21,211,300 52,000 3,400 1,082,000 1,449,000 1,152,000 1,900 770,000 188,000 3,947,000 98,000 9,000 4,583,000 403,000 154,300 265,000 32,000 100 1,640 11,614,000 661,330 62,458,000 3,969,000 3,810,600 3,268,990 43,800 26,038,000 6,772,000 24,130,000 17,755,900 7,001,000 7,034,800

SERVICES 1,449,803.00 33,975,118.00 215,970.00 32,490,510.00 870,400.00 12,186,214.00 3,084,710.00 222,612,870.00 2,355,570.00 105,159,759.50 34,950.00 60,692,271.00 816,081.00 10,460.00 1,389,023.00 427,200.00 501,967,960.00 3,744,449.00 13,968,666.00 6,308,870.00 713,718,610.00 235,670.00 90,496.00 14,395.00 289,190.00 103,540,392.00 157,010.00 48,110.00 3,453,920.00 1,267,190.00 21,880,428.00 26,832.00 347,000.00 572,060.00 9,686,600.00 126,180.00 11,430.00 9,803,180.00 1,074,090.00 1,251,414.00 757,280.00 149,830.00 920.00 234,292.00 36,767,350.00 744,182,620.00 32,442,805.00 2,709,610.00 169,293,670.00 253,266,622.00 399,055.00 72,165,040.00 4,573,630.00 8,170,300.00 96,839,534.00 4,715,640.00 116,252,500.00

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

United Paragon

0.0017 1.25 2.53 12.58 1.1500 1.1100 2.76 0.270 7.85 1.430 0.204 0.112 0.114 0.0110 0.0110 1.05 2.5 1.03 0.4550 0.8200 0.0110 0.0130 3.70 12.74 0.0110 7.8400 22.65 0.0062

MINING & OIL 1,524,000,000 2,589,600.00 29,540,000 38,104,170.00 561,000 1,731,690.00 29,000 351,424.00 20,000 22,800.00 31,000 34,410.00 691,000 1,879,650.00 180,000 48,600.00 14,200 110,947.00 6,082,000 8,668,400.00 1,970,000 399,440.00 5,830,000 659,490.00 3,630,000 413,270.00 121,900,000 1,161,600.00 113,600,000 1,164,600.00 1,590,000 1,686,550.00 11,732,000 29,933,490.00 311,000 310,730.00 340,000 161,200.00 1,138,000 929,340.00 54,800,000 651,500.00 8,600,000 106,400.00 4,651,000 17,653,260.00 11,992,600 157,921,448.00 281,500,000 2,977,100.00 66,495,900 665,959,950.00 2,332,700 53,103,435.00 3,000,000 18,600.00

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

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

17.4 101 500 500 101 105.5 499 509.5 5.29 1000 1000 100 1 101.1 1000 1020 1030 1030 109.5 1008 76 78.5 75.5 75.95 76.95 75.7 75.05 76.4 1.4

2,489,400 1,500 12,680 440 42,700 66,630 210 10,640 371,300 4,380 11,300 18,310 260,000 4,340 335 5,450 10,295 11,085 10 3,040 12,950 195,550 532,890 15,400 211,800 12,910 12,600 18,450 10,000

LR Warrant

1.550

182,000

Italpinas Kepwealth Xurpas First Metro ETF USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

PREFERRED 44,204,900.00 151,700.00 6,308,360.00 219,360.00 4,325,372.00 7,046,345.00 104,740.00 5,371,505.00 1,925,021.00 4,248,315.00 10,997,220.00 1,831,000.00 258,000.00 438,412.00 333,930.00 5,560,000.00 10,701,000.00 11,525,100.00 1,095.00 3,010,360.00 985,017.00 15,350,357.00 2,317,270.00 1,169,760.00 16,263,895.50 977,372.50 945,570.00 1,395,684.00 14,100.00

WARRANTS & BONDS 285,170.00 SME 137,219,913.00 2,133,240,878.00 9,611,920.00

2.49 5.87 0.800 7.710

12,132,000 413,300 484,000 28,768,800

28,640,160.00 2,364,775.00 387,550.00 213,422,356.00

10.3 18.34 1.6 0.520 0.048 18.5 2.27 10.30 0.0590 93.5 6.99 6.79 6.00 2.06 9.28 890 1915 5.35 425.00 1.61 128.5 1.86 9.22 5.25 0.113 5.1300 2.95 14.6 3.25 0.89 18.94 14.00 0.450 3.2 2.51 1.20 1.28 2.170 2.66 8.15 3.04 4.68 8.2 144.50 3.42 1131.00 0.560 0.690 44.45 76.80 9.38 2.87 0.710 0.315 5.46 0.700 15.840

78,800 684,100 351,000 7,007,000 26,400,000 258,200 586,000 23,969,000 52,050,000 1,426,830 1,527,100 2,911,800 280,700 5,000 97,200 300 226,840 334,700 8,160 8,563,000 7,461,800 89,000 148,100 19,500 6,310,000 8,259,400 4,000 100 1,429,000 337,000 1,592,900 400 990,000 155,000 3,264,000 112,000 17,000 5,391,000 513,000 41,400 11,000 143,600 8,500 53,430 9,293,000 811,975 259,783,000 5,599,000 4,878,300 2,228,950 1,407,700 24,324,000 9,688,000 26,300,000 10,808,000 14,365,000 4,943,600

782,750.00 12,756,630.00 539,180.00 3,558,050.00 1,252,100.00 5,018,182.00 1,325,130.00 259,717,958.00 3,020,850.00 130,955,038.00 10,592,781.00 19,496,831.00 1,772,826.00 10,300.00 900,879.00 267,060.00 441,344,700.00 1,784,756.00 3,431,726.00 14,221,880.00 676,701,987.00 172,720.00 1,392,834.00 103,965.00 696,040.00 42,763,871.00 11,800.00 1,460.00 4,670,230.00 298,750.00 30,483,796.00 5,600.00 431,450.00 479,440.00 8,183,040.00 123,610.00 21,640.00 11,760,870.00 1,360,150.00 343,925.00 32,140.00 684,100.00 69,880.00 7,487,169.00 31,734,090.00 945,366,290.00 135,742,545.00 3,841,200.00 215,963,715.00 173,389,759.50 12,710,967.00 73,377,300.00 6,941,820.00 8,325,850.00 58,910,045.00 9,905,450.00 77,578,444.00

0.0018 1.35 2.57 12.86 1.1500 1.1100 2.73 0.275 7.84 1.450 0.207 0.114 0.118 0.0091 0.0110 1.06 2.5 1 0.4900 0.8300 0.0110 0.0120 3.70 12.70 0.0110 5.3600 22.30 0.0063

535,000,000 59,724,000 4,602,000 93,700 30,000 337,000 3,229,000 770,000 41,800 4,805,000 830,000 5,050,000 200,000 143,000,000 81,100,000 737,000 13,953,000 230,000 300,000 868,000 35,300,000 766,700,000 13,297,000 21,336,700 89,600,000 3,402,300 4,177,900 2,000,000

903,800.00 80,025,170.00 11,968,670.00 1,183,736.00 34,200.00 381,940.00 8,731,900.00 208,300.00 328,182.00 6,887,190.00 167,690.00 582,720.00 22,920.00 1,334,900.00 858,800.00 768,710.00 34,535,300.00 227,840.00 141,000.00 711,390.00 408,300.00 9,200,400.00 52,389,080.00 266,978,064.00 976,600.00 18,989,888.00 93,436,760.00 12,500.00

17.5 104.9 495 505 101.6 104.8 498 505 5.33 967 950 100 1 102 1010 1019 1035 1021 108 995 76 78.5 75.6 76 77 76.5 73.1 76

388,400 770 14,740 15,210 48,070 66,050 50 18,380 231,600 1,610 6,420 530,500 2,990,000 50,740 20 400 8,920 1,600 4,620 1,350 62,840 56,580 10,670 37,400 167,490 10,000 37,000 23,970

6,708,236.00 7,066,818.00 7,266,864.00 7,591,008.00 4,861,776.00 6,975,057.00 24,900.00 9,217,314.00 1,207,841.00 1,529,670.00 6,163,170.00 866,300.00 2,959,920.00 5,133,407.00 20,050.00 407,600.00 9,227,950.00 1,654,200.00 497,510.00 1,348,640.00 4,775,723.00 4,416,737.50 804,542.00 2,843,874.00 12,790,678.00 764,700.00 2,778,762.00 1,821,737.50

1.690

502,000

806,730.00

6.8

4,583,000

30,712,369.00

0.98

11,117,000

10,885,170.00

7.9 15 0.94

18,461,400 150,682,200 10,074,000

118.2

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 33,570 3,959,951.00

117.5

86,340

10,074,870.00

10.34 10.2 1.03

DOLLAR DENONIMATED SEC. 75,340 776,628.20 4,810 49,062.00 266,180 271,520.00

10.3 10.5 1

32,100 2,840 30,000

330,630.00 29,820.00 30,000.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Abra Mining Philodrill Corp. `A’ Megaworld Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Filinvest Land,Inc. Kepwealth Abacus Cons. `A’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Phinma Energy

VOLUME 1,524,000,000 281,500,000 240,731,200 222,771,300 209,672,000 150,682,200 134,024,000 121,900,000 113,600,000 103,602,000

STOCKS Ayala Land `B’ Kepwealth SM Prime Holdings SM Investments Inc. Ayala Corp `A’ Megaworld Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Alliance Global Inc. Jollibee Foods Corp.

VALUE 2,369,884,695.00 2,133,240,878.00 1,750,696,635.00 1,587,691,590.00 1,418,184,245.00 1,190,677,930.00 1,116,744,768.00 1,112,053,515.00 780,217,936.00 773,407,730.00

NLEX keeps deadline on expressway link project

By Darwin G. Amojelar NLEX Corp. said it is keeping its target to complete the P23.3-billion expressway that will link North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway by December 2021 despite the delays in the turnover of rightof-way by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“We need a sufficient length of the road to be turned over to us so that we can start construction,” said NLEX president and general manager Luigi Bautista said over the weekend.

“The ideal is 70 percent, but right now only half was delivered,” he added.

Bautista said the company had expected to start construction of the NLEX-SLEX Connector Road by September this year.

Despite the delays, the NLEX executive said, “we would like to keep the original completion target of December 2021.”

The NLEx-SLEx Connector Road is an eight-kilometer elevated four-lane expressway extending NLEx southward from the end of Segment 10 on C3 Road Caloocan City to PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila, and connecting to Skyway Stage 3 by mostly traversing the PNR rail track.

The project includes two interchanges at C3 Road/5th Avenue in Caloocan and España in Manila.

Once completed by 2021, the project will reduce travel time from SLEx to NLEx from two hours to just 20 minutes. Some 35,000 motorists are expected to use the project.

It will also reduce the travel time from Clark in Pampaga to Calamba, Laguna from about three hours to one hour and 40 minutes.

NLEX earlier reported a 6-percent increase in net income to P3.03 billion in the first six months of 2019 from P2.85 billion year-on-year.

Consolidated net revenues increased 11 percent in the six-month period to P7.44 billion from P6.68 billion on year.

NLEX attributed the growth in net income to the higher traffic volume in NLEX and SCTEX and incremental toll revenues arising from the toll adjustments that took effect on March 21 for NLEX and June 14 for SCTEX. Average daily traffic at NLEX reached 268,222 vehicle entries, up 5.3 percent from a year ago, while average daily traffic in SCTEX reached 70,809, up 12.2 percent.

SEC protects borrowers vs lending firms THE Securities and Exchange Commission is taking action to protect borrowers from the harassment and unethical practices of financing and lending companies in collecting debts.

The SEC issued a new directive on the debt collection practices of financing companies and lending companies in response to numerous complaints against them and their third-party service providers for using allegedly abusive, unethical and unfair means to collect debts.

The SEC listed a number of unfair collection practices that financing and lending companies are prohibited to employ in a bid to collect debts.

Among these are the use of threat or violence and other criminal means to harm the borrower, his reputation, or property, threats to take any action that cannot legally be taken and obscenities, and insults, or profane language.

The unfair practices include the disclosure or publication of the borrower’s name and other personal information, except in certain cases.

The SEC also prohibits lending firms from threatening to communicate to any person the loan information and making contact at unreasonable or inconvenient hours.

The SEC plans to require financing and lending companies to disclose the full name or true identity of their their personnel handling the collection of accounts.

The circular also requires financing and lending companies to keep a borrower’s data strictly confidential, except when the borrower gives a written consent for the disclosure of such information, or upon the order of a court or any authorized government agency.

While lending firms can outsource the collection of debts, they will maintain the responsibility of complying with the circular.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Business/World

B3

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

New fires rage as outrage over Amazon grows P

THE PROTEST CONTINUES.

Protesters gather in Kwai Fong in Hong Kong on August 24, 2019. The city has been gripped by three months of street protests that started against a proposed extradition bill to China but have spun out into a wider pro-democracy movement. AFP

ORTO VELHO, Brazil―Hundreds of new fires are raging in the Amazon rain forest in Brazil, official data showed Saturday, as thousands of troops were made available to help fight the worst blazes in years following a global outcry.

HK braces for fresh rally after night of clashes HONG KONG―Protesters gathered at a sports stadium Sunday as Hong Kong braced for more anti-government rallies, a day after clashes returned to the city’s streets following several days of relative calm.

Hong Kong has been gripped by three months of street demonstrations that started against a proposed extradition bill to China, but have spun out into a wider pro-democracy movement.

Beijing has used a mix of intimidation, propaganda and economic muscle to constrict the protests in a strategy dubbed “white terror” by the movement.

The MTR―the city’s metro―is the latest Hong Kong business to be rebuked by the public, after appearing to bend to Chinese state-media attacks accusing the transport system of being an “exclusive” service to ferry protesters to rallies.

On Sunday the MTR shut stations near the main demonstration area in

Tsuen Wan, the second day of station closures in a row.

Despite this, protesters continued to gather at Kwai Chung sports stadium in the pouring rain before beginning the march to Tsuen Wan. A second rally of a few hundred, some of them family members of police, was also held on Sunday afternoon.

One relative, who said she was the wife of an officer, said they had received enough criticism. “I believe within these two months, police have got enough opprobrium.”

“I really want you to know even if the whole world spits on you, we as family members will not,” she said, giving her surname only as Si. “Remember, your job is to serve Hong Kong residents, not be the enemies of Hong Kong.”

The city’s officers are often the focus of protesters’ anger because of their perceived heavy-handling of the rallies.

Ten people were left in hospital after Saturday’s clashes―two in a serious condition―staff said, without detailing if they were police or protesters.

Saturday’s clashes saw police batoncharge protesters and fire tear gas, while demonstrators threw rocks and bottles later into the night in a working-class neighborhood.

The city had appeared to have pulled back from a sharp nosedive into violence, with the last serious confrontation taking place more than a week ago, shortly after protests paralyzed the financial hub’s airport.

Demonstrations started against a bill that would have allowed extradition to China, but have bled into wider calls for democracy and police accountability in the semi-autonomous city.

Protesters say Hong Kong’s unique freedoms are in jeopardy as Beijing tightens its political choke-hold on the city. AFP

Multiple fires billowing huge plumes of smoke into the air were seen across a vast area of the northwestern state of Rondonia on Friday when AFP journalists flew over the area.

Several residents in the capital, Porto Velho, told AFP on Saturday that what appeared to be light clouds hanging over the city of half a million people, was actually smoke from the blazes that had scorched swaths of land and left tree trunks smoldering on the ground.

“I’m very worried because of the environment and health,” Delmara Conceicao Silva told AFP. “I have a daughter with respiratory problems and she suffers more because of the fires.”

The fires in the world’s largest rain forest have triggered a global uproar, and are a major topic of concern at the G7 meeting in Biarritz in southern France.

Official figures show 78,383 forest fires have been recorded in Brazil this year, the highest number of any year since 2013. Experts say the clearing of land during the months-long dry season to make way for crops or grazing, has aggravated the problem.

More than half of the fires are in the massive Amazon basin, where

IN BRIEF

200,000 Rohingya rally to mark ‘Genocide Day’ in Bangladesh KUTUPALONG, Bangladesh―Some 200,000 Rohingya rallied in a Bangladesh refugee camp to mark two years since they fled a violent crackdown by Myanmar forces, just days after a second failed attempt to repatriate the refugees.

Around 740,000 Rohingya from Myanmar’s Rakhine state escaped in August 2017 during the brutal offensive, joining another 200,000 who fled earlier persecution in vast camps in southeast Bangladesh.

Children, hijab-wearing women, and men in long-skirt lungis shouted “God is Great, Long Live Rohingya” as they marched at the heart of the world’s largest refugee camp to commemorate what they described as “Genocide Day”.

Under the scorching sun, thousands joined in a popular song with the lyrics “the world does not listen to the woes of Rohingya.”

“I have come here to seek justice for

the murder of my two sons. I will continue to seek justice till my last breath,” 50-year-old Tayaba Khatun said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Myanmar had said they were conducting counter-insurgency operations against Rohingya extremists after they attacked police posts, but the UN last year called for Myanmar’s top generals to be prosecuted for genocide over the crisis.

Rohingya leader Mohib Ullah said the stateless minority wanted to return home, but only after they were granted citizenship, their security was ensured and they were allowed to settle back in their villages.

“We have asked the Burmese government for dialogue. But we haven’t got any response from them yet,” Ullah told the rally.

“We were beaten, killed and raped in Rakhine. But still that is our home. And we want to go back.” AFP

South Korea begins annual war games SEOUL―South Korea Sunday began two days of war games to practice defending disputed islands off its east coast against an unlikely attack from Japan, further stoking tensions between the Asian neighbors.

The annual drills come just days after Seoul terminated a military intelligencesharing pact with Tokyo, with the countries at loggerheads over Japan’s use of forced labor during World War II. The two-day exercise will involve warships and aircraft, the South Korean navy said in a text message without providing more detail.

The drill-re-named “East Sea territory defense training”―will solidify the military’s resolve to defend the Dokdo islands and the area surrounding the Sea of Japan, the navy said.

Japan criticized the “absolutely unacceptable” drill and “strongly” demanded its suspension.

Tokyo’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the exercise was “extremely regrettable,” adding it had lodged a protest at Seoul via diplomatic channels.

While a Japanese attack is deemed highly unlikely, South Korea first staged the drills in 1986 and has conducted them twice a year―usually in June and December. AFP

RITUAL.

Hindu women take part in a ritual known as ‘Sakha’ puja as they offer prayers to the deity Mahakali at the Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Temple in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad, on August 25, 2019. AFP

Returning the favor Pokémon Go was a test case, apparently.

REAL CARPIO SO

Green LiGht USING location tracking and mapping technology, players catch Pokémon characters in real locations. The objective, as well as the fun, is in physically going to the area to capture them. As players walk around the real world, pocket monsters (Pokémon) appear on the game map. And players catch the monsters by throwing Poke balls at them.

Introduced in 2016, the globally popular game app was seen as harmless and fun. To a certain extent, it was somewhat commended for nudging people to move around, for increasing physical activity, and for encouraging people to explore their neighborhood and community.

While everybody was having fun, hardly anybody noticed that it had been an effective way to influence and change human behavior, and to collect vast amounts of data from millions of people.

Harvard Business School Emerita Shoshana Zuboff wrote that while the use of the app is free, technology firms have found a way of turning our behavior into “raw ma-

terial that can be used to make predictions about our future behavior.”

In her 2019 book, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, she cites Pokémon Go as one example of a new form of capitalism. This new form “trades predictions about our seemingly innocuous behavior, such as where we’ll go, what we’ll see on our way and what we’ll do, for profit.”

Surveillance capitalism exists in a market where “the commodity for sale is our personal data, and the capture and production of this data relies on mass surveillance of the internet.” This is performed by companies that provide us with free online services.

Google captures and analyzes the trend of our searches; Amazon and Apple track our browsing and purchase history, while Facebook remembers which photo we liked or disliked, even that feed or meme that we spend a second longer looking at. These data are collected and controlled, and are used to produce “behavior prediction products” that can be used for commercial purposes. This is done without our knowledge that they were doing it and without our understanding of the extent of what they were doing with it.

It is not anymore sending us a recommendation or targeting us with online advertising. Rather, the “real-time flow” of our daily lives is being sold to third-

more than 20 million people live.

Some 1,663 new fires were ignited between Thursday and Friday, according to Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research.

The new data came a day after Bolsonaro authorized deployment of the military to fight the fires and crack down on criminal activity.

Seven states, including Rondonia, have requested the army’s help in the Amazon, where more than 43,000 troops are based and available to combat fires, officials said. Firefighters and planes are also being deployed.

Six aircraft, including two Hercules C-130s equipped to carry 12,000 liters (3,170 gallons) of water each, have been sent to Rondonia to fight the fires.

They are expected to be joined by 30 firefighters on Sunday.

US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, both attending the G7 summit, have offered their countries’ assistance in fighting the fires.

“Any help is welcome in respect to the fires,” Brazil’s Defense Minister Fernando Azevedo e Silva told reporters on Saturday.

The blazes have stirred outrage globally, with thousands of people protesting in Brazil and Europe on Friday.

More demonstrations are planned in Brazil on Sunday. AFP

party corporations for profit. The jeans we bought, the coffee we drank, where we go after work and on holidays, the people we know and those we interact with. These are all turned into something that can be monetized, primarily for directly influence and modify our behavior.

In the case of Pokémon Go, “in choosing where to place the Pokestops where the creatures gather, the company was able to ‘herd game players to specific places: establishments, bars, restaurants, pizza joints, service establishments, places where they might fix your car, or retail shops.’”

In Facebook, subliminal cues are fed into News Feed and on Facebook pages. Results show that one, they can modify real-world behavior. And two, it can be done “while bypassing user’s awareness.”

Just recently, The Wall Street Journal published an investigation of a “whole range of apps that people use to which they’re feeding very intimate data.” These include health and fitness apps that are built in sensor-based wearables. Smart watches, fitness trackers, microphones, cameras, temperature and motion sensors, and others are data sources that are increasing the quantity and variety of available data.

In 2015, Zuboff’s paper “Big Other: Surveillance Capitalism and the Prospects of an Information Civilization” quotes an anony-

mous data scientist, “The goal of everything we do is to change people’s actual behavior at scale. When people use our app, we can capture their behaviors, identify good and bad behaviors, and develop ways to reward the good and punish the bad. We can test how actionable our cues are for them and how profitable for us.”

We were using free services. In turn, we were being used as raw materials for free.

As one scientist put it, “we are learning how to write the music, and then we let the music make them dance.”

Hal Varian, chief economist of Google, Inc. and University of California Emeritus Professor of Economics is quoted, “... everyone will expect to be tracked and monitored, since the advantages, in terms of convenience, safety, and services, will be so great... ” Apparenty, we’re returning the favor.

Real Carpio So lectures at the Ramon del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University. He is an entrepreneur and a management consultant. Comments are welcomed at realwalksonwater@gmail.com.

Archives can be accessed at realwalksonwater.wordpress.com. The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

Nauru president loses seat in election WELLINGTON―Nauru’s president, a strong supporter of Australia’s hard-line policy of detaining refugees on the tiny Pacific island nation, has lost his seat in a general election, official results showed Sunday.

Voters went to the polls on Saturday and selected two rival candidates over Baron Waqa in his electorate of Boe, ending the 59-year-old’s six years in office.

His successor will not be known until the 19-member parliament meets to choose a new president, with finance minister David Adeang considered a favorite after being re-elected.

Waqa proved a controversial leader at times and Australia’s Lowy Institute think tank last year said the country of 11,000 “lurched towards authoritarianism” under his leadership.

His government has made it difficult for international media visiting Nauru to report on conditions facing asylum seekers.

It also introduced laws carrying heavy jail terms for political protesters and at times curbed access to sites such as Facebook, which critics said was aimed at curbing dissent.

Australia’s policy of processing asylum seekers on Nauru―and the equally remote Manus island in Papua New Guinea―has proved an economic lifeline for a country which exhausted its previous source of wealth: phosphate deposits used as fertilizer. AFP

MMT says OGPI complying with mine regulations

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

B4

By Ben Moses Ebreo

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

A tearful Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra urges residents to keep rebuilding their war-torn city. Earlier in the day, the mayor visited the housing site (inset 1) where temporary shelters are being built for residents like this father and son (inset 2), who stand in the shadow of a bullet-riddled home while watching what used to be their business building about to be demolished.

Marawi rising from the rubble Caloocan goes on cleanup drive in 5 barangays

By Edith Caduaya (First of two parts)

M

By Jun David

ARAWI CITY—Mayor Majul Gandamra said economic activity in the war-torn city is coming back, as more sectors have been cleared by the military, which allowed Marawi to celebrate its 79th charter anniversary for four days last week.

THE Caloocan City government, through the Environment and Management Department, recently spearheaded the cleanup drive in five barangays of the city.

About 360 residents volunteered for the program dubbed “3rd Quarter Clean-Up Drive” in Barangays 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22.

Members of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources also joined the program.

The Clean-up Drive was led by the city government on orders of City Mayor Oscar Malapitan, who was delighted by the people’s participation in making the city’s environment clean.

The mayor hoped more citizens will join the clean-up drive in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the city distributed “biocarts” (kariton) to be used by the barangays in maintaining cleanliness in their respective surroundings.

“This is a testament that we are slowly recovering from the scars of a fierce battle,” Gandamra said.

Addressing his people during the anniversary celebration, an emotional Gandamra said: ”I would like to thank each and every Marawi citizen and everyone who believes in Marawi, every man, woman and child in Marawi, for caring, for striving, for doing what is good for the city. For being strong and resilient, for their courage and determination that someday, life will get better.

“For coming back, for showing what Marawi means to you and your families.

Kayo po ang tunay na lakas at pag-asa sa ating Marawi, kayo ang inspirasyon namin dito sa Marawi LGU, ang dahilan kung bakit gumigising po kami arawaraw upang pumunta sa city hall para paglingkuran namin kayo, mahal naming mga kababayan dito sa Marawi.”

“Marawi is not a ghost city, people should look around. The Most Affected Area (MAA) is just 25 hectares of the whole city. Look around, we are there, people are alive, people have returned to their normal routine, we are people -- we are not ghosts,” the mayor said.

Gandamra said the ongoing rehabilitation projects inside and outside the MAA or “ground zero” are proof that the city “will rise again.”

“Twenty-four months to move in from the rubble is not enough. Losing loved ones, devastated loves and shattered dreams cannot be undone in two years.

What is paramount is the love to live a new life with a hope of a strengthened

community, which is based on everyone’s support and cooperation,” Gandamra said.

The mayor said the ongoing recovery of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and the demolition of properties have contributed to the delay in the rehabilitation time frame.

Gandamra stressed that safety and security is the utmost consideration in the clearing operations.

But even while rehabilitation is ongoing, some projects, which were just a dream before, are now realities. These are the flood control project right before the Mapandi bridge at the center of Marawi and the diversion road from Saguiaran town to the Poblacion (town center) of Marawi, the mayor said.

The diversion road earned a moniker “dream road” because no one would believe that the promised road by the late Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Alonto Adiong Sr. would be realized.

Saguiaran, which used to be a sleepy town, is now gaining economic activity since the temporary shelter of the displaced families is in Sagonsongan village, at the boundary of Marawi and Saguiaran.

A report made by Project Rise dated August 8, 2019 showed that a total of 330 explosive remnants of war (ERWs) were recovered and were already neutralized and disposed.

Project Rise is a government body tasked with the rehabilitation of Marawi.

A total of 70 UXOs were also recovered, mostly by the members of debris

management in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Six were exploded and detonated, while 42 others are for detection and recovery.

Sectors 1, 2 and 3 of the MAA are 99 percent cleared of UXOs, while Sector 5 is already 80 percent cleared, the city government said.

The mayor said the refusal of some property owners to allow the demolition of their properties also contributed to the delays in the rehabilitation.

“Getting their consent took so long, because most of them are not residing here, while others have yet to decide what to do with their spaces,” he said.

Gandamra said residents could visit their properties to assess them for repair or demolition, with the help of government agencies.

As of August 7, Project Rise reported that a total of 2,804 property owners have already issued consent for demolition.

Government has already demolished a total of 1,875 structures, 1,720 of which have already been cleared of debris.

Project Rise recorded a total of 5,403 actual structures in the nine affected sectors of the city. It also reported a 52.48-percent accomplishment as of July 31, 2019, based on the timeline of Marawi’s rehabilitation.

As scheduled, the dates of reentry for residents are: Section 1 - end of July; Sections 2 and 3 - end of August; Sections 4 and 5 - end of September; Sections 6 and 7- end of October; and Sections 8 and 9 - end of November this year.

Eric Ybañez, the Marawi rehab project engineer from the National Housing Authority, said they are working as scheduled. “We are doing as planned and with caution, because we cannot compromise the security of the people,” he said.

[To be continued]

TOURISM ACHIEVERS.

Skal International Makati presents the winners of its 29th Tourism Personality Awards, held recently at the New World Hotel Makati. Skal chair Bobby Lim Joseph (6th from right) is shown together with awardees (from left) Atty. Rafael Cornejos (representing Emmanuel Gonzales of Plantation Bay), Susie Moya Benitez, Rafael Dionisio, Peggy Angeles (for Ms. Elizabeth Sy), Arnel “AA” Patawaran, Patrick Tan, Cynthia Carrion, Jaime Bautista, Miguel Bautista, Pia Guanio-Mago, Dina May Flores, Michelle Tiotangco, Warren Andrada, Skal VP Angel Bognot, and Skal Sec. Gen. Deedee Ledonio.

Quezon City joins global fight against HPV SCHOOL-BASED Immunization Program helps protect girls from the risk of cervical cancer In its efforts to protect children and adolescents from vaccine-preventable diseases, the Quezon City government, the Department of Health and the Department of Education introduced the inclusion of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the School-Based Immunization (SBI) Program for all public elementary schools in QC, the largest city in the Philippines by population.

According to the World Health Organization, a person infected with HPV may be prone to cervical cancer, other HPV-related diseases include vaginal and vulvar cancer in women, and penile cancer in men. HPV infection may also cause genital warts and anal cancer.

In a report, the DOH said there are more than 7,000 new cases of cervical cancer every year, with close to 4,000 deaths occurring.

Quezon City is among active local government units that promote women’s rights and welfare. Last March, QC Mayor Joy Belmonte rolled out a free breast and cervical cancer screening caravan as part of the International Women’s Month celebration.

Quezon City’s initiative to introduce the HPV vaccination in its health care services in schools is an important step in building a more resilient system that can fortify the community’s protection against vaccine-preventable diseases.

This is in line with the DOH’s thrust to promote the importance of “Kalasag ng Kalusugan” (Health Shield) by providing health care services for all communities and making vaccines readily available.

Through educational forums, the program urges parents and students to look beyond the concern of HPV as a stigma of sexual activity, and instead join in the fight to protect every Filipino woman from the burden of cervical cancer.

Demonstrating their multi-stakeholder commitment to promote the “Kalasag ng Kalusugan” are (from left) Quezon City district health officer Marizel Wong, DepEd Quezon City Schools Division superintendent Dr. Natividad Bayubay; Dr. Corazon Flores, DOH Regional Director and Metro Manila Health Department; and Dr. Sally Gatchalian, president of the Philippine Pediatric Society.

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya— Members of the Multipartite Monitoring Team (MMT) here said OceanaGold Philippines, Inc. (OGPI), which operates the Didipio gold-copper mine, is complying with mining laws and regulations in its area of operations.

Forester Constante Espiritu, Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) of Dupax town and team member, said the MMT conducted the assessment and evaluation of OGPI’s compliance with mining law and regulations in June this year and noted no serious and critical violations.

“In general, the MMT did not find any violation of OGPI within their area of operations,” Espiritu said, but lamented the refusal of barangay officials to allow them to conduct a water sampling activity in the Camgat-Surong river.

The water sampling is necessary to know the current quality of the river, as it is murky due to the small-scale mining activities near it, Espiritu added.

He said the MMT, in a request letter dated June 6, 2019, sought the permission of Didipio Barangay Captain Erenio Bobola and Barangay Kagawad Celia Bahag to accompany the team in the water sampling for laboratory analysis, but they were not allowed.

“They refused and told us that either we might be stoned by the anti-mining advocates there (or the) small scale miners living near the murky river,” Espiritu said.

Mines and Geosciences Bureau officials said the Camgat-Surong river is said to be the wastewater dumping area for small-scale miners near the goldcopper project of OceanaGold.

“Our small-scale miners blame OGPI for polluting the Camgat-Surong river, but the company is not involved in causing the water to be murky, instead it comes from the small-scale operations.

Water sampling for laboratory test is the only way to check if the river is really polluted or not,” Espiritu said.

The MMT was created under the Mine Rehabilitation Fund Committee to monitor and oversee the compliance of OGPI on mining law regulations, among others.

Apart from Espiritu, MMT members who requested the water sampling activity were MGB representatives Emely Delmendo and Jose Delos Santos Jr., Charles Tomas of DENR-Quirino, religious sector representative Fr. Enrique Tiongson, Ben Guillermo of NGO Quirino, Giovaanie Taguinod of PENRO Nueva Vizcaya, Tito Tanguilig of PLGU Nueva Vizcaya, Joemel Sugue of LGU Quirino, Cristina Milton of LGU Kasibu, and OGPI representatives Manuel Ordonez Jr. and Mark Saclao.

Didipio Barangay Captain Ereneo Bobola is also a member of the MMT.

Aug. 31 deadline for SEARCA scholarship set

By Brenda Jocson LOS BAÑOS, Laguna—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture has set August 31 as the deadline of applications for research scholarships to doctorate students whose dissertation topics are relevant to its priority thrusts.

Leah Lyn Domingo, Searca Public Relations Specialist, said the scholarship is open to Filipinos and other Southeast Asians from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.

Headquartered at the campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Searca provides research funds not to exceed US$4,500 and optional internship at the center for up to two months.

“Those who will avail of the internship may be given additional scholarship funds to cover travel expenses to and from Searca, travel and accident insurance, and stipend during the internship period,” Domingo said.

Moreover, the scholars may use the resources and facilities available at Searca and its network of universities in Southeast Asia for their research. They will be able to work with Searca’s research and development staff on common areas of interests in agriculture and rural development.

Domingo said the scholarship will also support them in producing quality research papers for publication.

For Fiscal Year 2019-2020, priority will be given to research scholarship applications that are anchored in any of the topics defined by the project “Agricultural Transformation and Market Integration in the ASEAN Region: Responding to Food Security and Inclusiveness Concerns.”

Life

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

FOOD

@MStandardLIFE MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019

C1

Hong Kong’s

bestselling mooncake

now in Manila R

FROM HONG KONG TO MANILA. Hong Kong’s bestselling mooncake, MX Mooncake opens pop-up stores in Manila, offering its classic and fan-favorite variants, for a limited time only.

IGHT in time for this year’s MidAutumn Festival, scheduled on September 13, Hong Kong’s MX Mooncake is now available in select locations in the Philippines, for a limited time.

Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake with 2 Egg Yolks

MX Mooncakes, officially Hong Kong’s bestselling brand of mooncakes for 21 years, offers a variety of this richly dense and sweet delicacy. The classic Lotus Seed Paste

Mooncake with two yolks has remained the brand’s bestseller since it was launched in 1987. It was recognized as a Hong Kong Top Brand in 2003, it also received the Hong

White Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake with 2 Egg Yolks

Kong Brand Top Ten Year Achievement Award in 2012.

Special variations are also available, such as reduced sugar series, mixed nuts series, yolk series, and the fan-fa-

vorite and first of its kind lava and custard mooncake series.

MX Mooncake said each mooncake is meticulously created to match the traditional palate of its consumers, while

MX Mooncake variants include Lotus Seed Paste, White Lotus Seed Paste, Classic Mixed Nuts, Lotus Seed Paste with Egg Yolk, White Lotus Seed Paste with Pine Nut, Lava, and Custard.

Award-winning Lava and Custard mooncakes

revolutionizing the industry with new whimsical flavors.

As deeply woven into the culture as the mooncake fest is, the brand, also known as “mooncake royalty,” upholds this authenticity by preserving its seal of excellence through a stringent security check and authentication.

The first pop-up store opened on August 20 at SM Mall of Asia. A second pop-up at Unimart Capitol Commons will begin selling boxes of mooncakes on September 1. Both stores will be opened until September 22.

Each customer at the Mall of Asia pop-up will get a chance to play a dice game with each purchase at the booth.

They can also win a mini mooncake with a single receipt purchase worth P5,000.

To meet the market’s demands beyond their physical stores, Hong Kong MX has partnered with Lazada to serve two select flavors for delivery until September 22. The first 100 customers will be able to get free shipping and every order with a single receipt worth P5,000 will garner them an additional mini mooncake.

Prices for a box of four of the Lotus Seed Paste, White Lotus Seed Paste, and Classic Mixed Nuts variants range from P1,800 to P1,850.

Reduced sugar variants of the Lotus Seed Paste with Egg Yolk and White Lotus Seed Paste with Pine Nut are priced at P2,000 per box of six.

Meanwhile, the Lava and Custard series are retailed at P2,000 per box of eight. Both products have won gold medals in this year’s Monde Selection International Quality Awards.

Lava mooncake comes with a molten salted egg, best served freshly heated.

The Custard variant is sweet and creamy.

It’s raining loyalty rewards

LOYALTY programs have evolved with the changing times, with multichannel platforms and various redemption options.

For most restaurants, though, rewards are still earned through the traditional spend-and-get model.

And for the picky eater who has a wide array of

choices, loyalty is as fickly as the next gastronomic hit.

Tenya, which has been serving delicious tempura over rice (tendon) dishes at very affordable prices across Japan for over three decades now, has brought its Tenya TEN loyalty card to the Philippines for only P249.

Japan’s number one tempura tendon brand, which started as a humble franchise by Yoshio Iwashita in 1989, offers classic dishes such as sashimi, sushi, ramen, and of course, tempura, eaten as a main dish or on the side.

With nine branches nana tionwide since it came to the Philippines in 2014,

Tenya’s signature deep-fried battered seafood, meat, and vegetables laid over a bed of steaming Japanese rice and drizzled with special dontare sauce have given Filipinos o n e Chikuwa Cheese

Classic Tendon

Quarter Classic Pork Ribs

more reason to indulge.

With the Tenya TEN Card, customers will get the following benefits any time of the week: Buy 1

Take 1, 15 percent discount, Earn Points, birthday voucher, and free Chikuwa Cheese as welcome gift.

Buy one classic tendon in any size with your choice of additwo appetizers, and get an addi tional classic tendon in the same size for free. For every P100 spent on your dine-in purchases, you can also earn one Tenya point.

Tenya has branches at SM Megamall, Market! Market!, BGC Stopover, Paseo Asede Magallanes, SM Mall of Asia, Ase ana City, Festival Mall, SM Southmall, and Tiendesitas.

The country’s most beloved rib house, RACKS, is also offering its own Club Card that promises more tender and tasty memories for its loyal patrons.

RACKS is leveling up its game with its loyalty program that gives meat lovers

more reason to enjoy its tender, flavorful, fall-offthe-bone ribs, hickorysmoked and flame-grilled to perfection.

With RACKS Club Card, customers can enjoy Buy 1 Take 1 promo for its quarter classic pork ribs with soup and 20 percent off on platters and salads.

Points can also be earned for every P100 spend. A birthday voucher and free Onion Brick await loyal patrons who sign up for the program.

RACKS has branches at Paseo de Magallanes, Festival Supermall, Greenhills Shopping Center, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, Robinsons Place Manila, Paseo Santa Rosa, SM Pampanga, SM Southmall, The Fort Strip, Trinoma, Evia Lifestyle Center, Timog Ave., UP Town Center, ASEANA City, SM Seaside Cebu, and its soon-to-open Tiendesitas branch.

I’m at joyce.panares@gmail.com.

Life

C2

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

The best ‘foodscription’ for the rainy season

By Teddy S. Manansala

A

S WE embrace the rainy season in the midst of global climate change, I would like to share with you the secret to best “foodscription” that may help strengthen your immune system, while becoming a steward of the environment.

During the rainy season, our immune system is generally compromised by disease-causing viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Hence, we must strengthen our immune system. It is our defense system against both ex-

ternal and internal threats, and likewise plays a role in overseeing the repair of tissues injured by wounds or certain disease.

Here are the best food for you this rainy season:

Garlic

Fresh fruit and juices, decaffeinated drink, and lots of water

Pinggang Pinoy, developed by the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute, recommends taking five to 12 glasses of water, depending on age, plus one glass of milk daily. Other fluid source must be decaffeinated because caffeine is dehydrating. Always keep yourself hydrated by bringing reusable tumbler with you.

Citrus fruits and juices are naturally rich in vitamin C, which functions as an antihistamine and anti-inflammatory to help dry up a runny nose. Choose organically farmed and in-season fruits because generally, these are the most sustainable food choices. Local farmoutsourced produce has lesser carbon footprint than imported ones.

During the episode of sore throat, you may sip your water infused with lemon and honey. Honey will coat your throat and lemon may help shrink swollen tissue and kill off viruses. Relieve sore throat by gargling warm saltwater solution to clear away dead white blood cells and improve blood flow. Meanwhile, squirting saltwater solution through the nose may help clear out the nasal mucus.

Garlic, which is a basic ingredient in cooking, contains compounds that act as powerful natural antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agents. Outsource your garlic from local farm or market and create delightful dishes with minimal cooking to preserve its natural antibiotic allicin substance. You may also support our local farmers by purchasing from them during your domestic travel or even online.

Chicken soup

Chicken soup is actually a centuries-old home remedy and hailed as grandma’s secret weapon. This is not just an old tale. Experts believe that a bowl of chicken soup may reduce inflammation of the lungs as it slows down the activity of white blood cells causing the inflammation.

Probiotics

To stimulate good digestion and absorption of nutrients from the food and drink, you must consider also the beneficial bacteria called probiotics. They may be obtained from the consumption of fermented foods such as yogurt with live cultures of strains of lactobacillus or bifidobacteria.

Ginger

Spices and spicy condiments

Studies showed that its beta ionone compound has anticancer properties. It was also found out that ginger is an effective antidote to nausea and vomiting due to motion sickness. Sipping flat ginger ale may help alleviate food poisoning and gastroenteritis. Meanwhile, a comforting way to relieve congestion of cold and chills is by creating your own ginger tea.

In Ayurveda, a traditional Indian medicine, the combination of cinnamon, coriander, and ginger promote sweating and generally help in alleviating fever. Other spices and condiments that may help you unclog your stuffy nose include chilli, cayenne pepper, horseradish, or wasabi. They contain natural substance that help shrink the blood vessels in your nose and throat and temporarily relieve congestion and drain your nose.

Local restaurant offers Filipino ‘merienda’ specialties IN THE Philippines, afternoon snack or merienda is an important part of daily meals.

Casual dining restaurant Kuya J offers three Filipino-favorite merienda treats for its Merienda Espesyals.

Made of the classic tablea and sticky rice with powdered milk on top, Kuya J Choco Champorado is great for the rainy season. Kuya J Bilo-Bilo is loaded with chewy ube bilo-bilo, sweetened saba, kamote, sago, langka, and topped with crunchy pinipig, Two favorite treats in one, Kuya J Ube Champorado is made of ube halaya with a touch of ube drizzle and topped with powdered milk.

Always bear in mind that the right diet and food choice is critical to a strong immune system. In today’s era of instant and processed food, we must go back to basics and live to the dictum of Hippocrates who once said, “Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food.”

Teddy S. Manansala is a full-time faculty member of De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management, a registered nutritionist-dietitian, culinary food scientist-artist, and a PCHRD-DOST scholar.

SIP

New ‘lite’ flavors

Kuya J’s Bilo-Bilo, Ube Champorado, and Choco Champorado

iPhoto Solaire renews partnership with German Club Manila for Oktoberfest AFTER an overwhelming participation in last year’s Oktoberfest, German Club Manila and Solaire have renewed their partnership to bring in Manila the 81st German Club Manila Oktoberfest on October 17-19 at The Tent at Solaire.

Signing the renewal agreement were (seated) German Club Manila president Tobias Rast and Solaire vice president for food and beverage Knut Becker. They were joined by Oktoberfest emcee Michael Scheile and Solaire vice president for culinary Michael Dinges.

No sugar carbonated drink Rite ‘n Lite

FOLLOWING the reintroduction of Rite ‘n Lite last year, ARC Refreshments Corporation is soon launching two new flavors of its healthy carbonated drink.

In addition to Orange, Root Beer, Lemon, and Lemon-Lime, the no sugar, no carbs, no calories beverage brand offers Cucumber and Peach—

concocted to satisfy the tastes of those familiar with the widely-popular cucumber slush and peach iced tea.

“The refreshing new flavors increase options for those who see the value of small, healthy changes in keeping the type of lifestyle that they want,” said James Loverio, marketing manager of ARC Refreshments Corporation.

Entertainment

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019

C3

nickie.standard@gmail.com

New Frontier Theater:

A classic reborn

THROWBACK. An old photo of New Frontier, then known as the largest in Asia with a seating capacity of 3,000 (courtesy of Araneta Center Inc Archives).

F

ROM this year’s triumphant Eddys Awards to world-class shows like Russian ballet’s Swan Lake, Japan’s Drum Tao, and numerous concerts, and K-Pop shows and fan meets, this cultural gem in Araneta Center shines anew for a new generation of audiences.

The staging of the 3rd Eddys Awards just last month at the landmark New Frontier Theater seemed like a true ‘coming home’ of sorts. To those that still remember, the heydays of Philippine cinema were highlighted by glamorous movie premieres with glitzy celebrity appearances, and this standalone theater provided a perfect venue, with its canopied drop-off, an expansive lobby, and a mezzanine area for a more private audience with VIP guests.

The New Frontier Cinema and Theater opened in 1967, then the largest in Asia with a seating capacity of 3,000. This was seven years after its big brother, the Araneta Coliseum, first opened its doors to the public with a massive boxing bout between the legendary Flash Elorde who defeated Harold Gomes before a sell-out crowd

of over 36,000 people.

It was a great decade of exciting developments and great possibilities, with Quezon City competing with Manila as the center of entertainment and lifestyle. While the Big Dome would later host landmark events in the country like the first-ever Binibining Pilipinas pageant in 1964, and the globally historic Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier Thrilla In Manila bout in 1975, the New Frontier quietly added luster to the entertainment offerings within the Araneta Center.

The same year New Frontier Cinema debuted, the 900-capacity New Frontier Skating Rink also opened to become a go-to hangout for adventure seekers.

Back in the days, movies were promoted via giant hand-painted billboards along highways, from the

intersection of EDSA and Aurora Boulevard to the streets of Manila, among others. The 1970s were touted as the Second Golden Age of Philippine cinema right until about the early ’80s. Films were the biggest form of out-of-home entertainment for a long time, until progress brought us home entertainment systems and, later, cable TV. The boom of shopping malls later brought the cinemas into the confines of one-stop-shops, and spelled the decline of the stand-alone movie houses. But with every end comes a new beginning.

After a P500M renovation and a brief naming rights deal, the New Frontier Theater (NFT) returns to its former glory and now offers so much more. Now a multi-purpose 2,385-capacity venue, it comes equipped with the latest in audio, visual, and lighting technologies. Added to that is the line of restaurants along its perimeter to cater to patrons before and after shows.

Opened in August 2016 under a different name, it hosted the Quezon City government-commissioned restaging of “MLQ,” a musical about the life and times of President Manuel L. Quezon on his 137th birth anniversary, and in

line with the city’s 75th anniversary.

It has since everything from concerts, awards shows, and K-pop fan meets, to corporate events and international performances.

The EDDYs, in fact, held its first awards night at The New Frontier in 2017. It has hosted other awards shows like the 30th Awit Awards, MYX Music Awards (2016-2017), Gawad Urian (2016), the 41st MMFF, the 29th Star Awards for TV, and many others.

Two of the most recent internationally acclaimed series of shows were also held here: The Bolshoi Ballet La Classique performances of Swan Lake just last June; and Japanese TroupeDrum Tao in 2018. Foreign bands and artists have also played the NFT, including Mayday Parade, Phoenix, Little Mix, Charlie Puth, David Archuleta, A1 (Here We ComeBack), as well as rock band Mr. Big, metalheads Slayer, and progressive metal band Dream Theater. The super sold-out shows of Canadian singer/songwriter Daniel Caesar, and rapper Russ were also held here.

Top local artists have also held shows here, including Sarah Geronimo (“The Great Unknown”), Gary Valenciano (Gary V Presents), Martin Nievera (Kahapon... Ngayon), to name a few. The original local production

The 3rd EDDYs Awards held last month at the New Frontier Theater (courtesy of New Frontier Theater)

CineSpectra opens with 2017 Cannes Film Fest winner A FREE screening of Robin Campillo’s awardwinning French drama film BPM (Beats per Minute) will kick off the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and EON Foundation’s CineSpectra 2019 Short Film Festival today in Trinoma.

The Festival aims to raise HIV and AIDS awareness among audiences and is conducted in partnership with LoveYourself Inc. BPM (Beats per Minute) is a historical drama that follows the AIDS-activism group ACT UP in the early 1990s in Paris and stars Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, Arnaud Valois, and Adèle Haenel. It had its world premiere at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and won Grand Prix, the second most prestigious honor at Cannes.

This year’s CineSpectra is held with the theme

'BPM (Beats per Minute)' is a historical drama that follows the AIDS-activism group ACT UP in the early 1990s in Paris.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Monday, August 26, 2019

ACROSS 1 Give assistance 5 Opera solo 9 Elec. measure 12 Alice’s chronicler 13 Singer — LaBelle 15 None 16 Work a cure 17 “Jaws” milieu 18 Unlocked 19 High point 20 Topaz or emerald 21 Kind of fork 23 Meddle 25 Mesa dweller 26 Notre Dame sight 27 Gold strike 30 Do a jig 33 Cowgirl — Evans 34 Hardens 36 — you with it?

37 Never outdated 40 Herbal soother 41 Difficult 43 Festive nights 44 Submarine 46 Lady’s room 48 Rights movement word 49 Chicago basketball player 50 Small domestic fowl

53 Mistake (hyph.)

56 Part of mph 57 Oodles (2 wds.)

59 Staffer 60 Brightness 62 Inventor — Sikorsky 63 Lost traction 64 Veered 65 Apollo acronym 66 Center of a hurricane 67 Not fooled 68 Give the impression DOWN 1 Merry sound (hyph.)

2 On both feet 3 Andes ruminant 4 Political tract 5 Orbit extreme 6 Fast-moving snake 7 Gossip tidbit 8 — — loss 9 Flat-topped military cap 10 Little chirper 11 Chinese warehouse 14 Chants 15 City-planner’s concern 22 Put — — fight 24 Petition

25 Bagel centers 27 Harvest machine 28 Epsilon follower 29 Not — — to stand on 30 Dit opposite 31 Graceful horse 32 Fiddling despot 33 Fix eggs 35 Voice an opinion 38 Earth science 39 Leg part 42 Raised to knighthood

45 Secures 47 Twosome 48 Rio Grande town 50 Flat cap 51 Seaweeds 52 Big deer 53 Headquarters 54 Too smooth 55 Comics dog 56 Cat’s-paw 58 Trolley 61 Thai neighbor

of Maynila Sa Mga Kuko Ng Liwanag – Musical premiered in NFT. Pageantwise, the theater has also been the venue for the Binibining Pilipinas National Costume Competitions; and for the first time played host to Miss Teen Philippines pageant this year.

K-Pop fans have also found a home at the New Frontier Theater, with a host of idol fan meets/shows happening at the venue throughout the year. Past gatherings were the EXO Happy Fiesta (2017); this year’s MNL 48 in April, Korean actor Seo Kang Joon’s first Philippine fan meet, and Bae Jin-Young’s first Asia Fan Meet all in May; the BoyzAsia Fan-Con in June;Nam Joo Hyuk’s Private Stage (Close-Up), and JBJ Come True first Manila fan meet both in 2017; and many others.

Indeed, there is something for everyone at the New Frontier Theater.

Upcoming shows include: South Korean rap/rock band NFlying “Up All Night” (Sept. 1); Mike Shinoda “Post Traumatic Tour” (Sept. 6); The Maine Tour “You Are OK” (Sept 14); Jay Park “Sexy 4Eva in Asia” World Tour (Sept. 22); MayWard’s concert (Sept.

27); and Jung Hae “In One Summer Night” fan meet (Sept. 28). Tickets to these shows are available on Ticketnet. com.ph.

“Your Judgment, Their Life” which aims to shed light on HIV and AIDS in the Philippines and to give the different voices in the community a chance to be heard.

Aside from the critically-acclaimed film BPM (Beats per Minute), audiences can also catch the free screenings of 10 CineSpectra competing short films and iWant advocacy film Mga Batang Poz by Chris Martinez, all of which help enlighten the viewers about HIV and AIDS in the country and their impact on society.

A panel discussion on the film’s role in the advocacy will also be conducted with key organizations and individuals.

Film screenings for BPM (Beats per Minute) are free and open to the public during the first and second days of CineSpectra 2019 at TriNoma Mall’s Cinema 6 in Quezon City.

Daniela...

From C4

1. Achieve Cassie’s unblemished look with Set 0 Perfect for delicate and sensitive skin, this kit brags of its no peeling effect, while still guaranteeing a whitened and glass-like skin.

Undoubtedly fit for the wholesome look donned by the ever-calm and collected Cassie.

2. Amp up your confidence like Marga with Set 1 Competitive like Marga, this set aims to take your confidence up a notch through a mild peeling effect just enough to remove skin blemishes like pimple marks, acne scars, and melasma.

3. Rise up and be your best version of yourself like Romina with Set 2 Suitable for those who have risen from the ashes of a painful and unpleasant past like Romina, set 3 is meant for those who continuously strive to be the best version of themselves through dutiful skincare maintenance.

4. Be the fiercest of ‘em all like Daniela with Set 3 Fiercest and most intense of them all, this final kit is appropriate for those who bear some of the deepest and darkest scars like Daniela.

Extreme peeling is a huge part of the meticulous process that promises to reveal satisfactory results in the end.

These must-have products were formally launched at the Terrace Manila two Fridays ago, with actress Dimples Romana or ‘Daniela’ of Kadenang Ginto.

The newest beauty venture is in line with ABS-CBN’s unceasing expansion of its consumer business, making the Kapamilya experience within the reach of viewers through licensed merchandise featuring wellloved television characters.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2019

VERY WANG

I

NICKIE WANG

S THE young generation of songwriters and composers really into sappy music—ditties which the millennials and the Gen Zs call hugot songs? Are the media consumers really excessively sentimental?

Perhaps, Himig Handog 2019 Top 12 entries, which tackle young Filipinos’ struggle and hope when it comes to love, can give us a clear answer.

“Filipinos, in general, are very sentimental people,” says Star Music’s Jonathan Manalo. “Heartbreak and painful stories are things that we can easily relate to. In Himig Handog, we have a lot of those songs but we also have happy songs that the public can remember.”

“But audiences really like hugot songs. We can’t take that away from them because they love listening to this kind of music. With the current generation, the sentiments are still the same.

They give it a new flavor, sound, and interpretation,” he adds.

From almost 4,000 entries, the song finalists are down to 12, now produced and brought to life by this year’s carefully selected interpreters.

Daniel Padilla and Moira Dela Torre come back in this year’s competition and collaborate in Dan Martel Simon Tañedo’s “Mabagal.”

The Killer Bride star Janella Salvador also returns to join the roster of interpreters and sings “Nung Tayo Pa”

Daniela (Dimples Romana) surprises everyone by gracing the event

SONGS of the young generation Himig Handog 2019 top 12 finalists together with some of the song interpreters

Janella Salvador with composers of the song 'Nung Tayo Pa', Rex Torremoro and Elmar Jann Bolaño

of Rex Torremoro and Elmar Jann Bolaño.

Former Idol Philippines contestant Alekzandra Nicolle Quitalig competes with her own composition, “Alaala,” while Davao-based singer-songwriter Eamarie Gilayo likewise interprets her own song, “Ikaw at Linggo.”

Another former Idol Philippines contender, Vanya Castor, tries her luck in a different contest by interpreting “Paano Ba,” penned by composer Richanne Charms Jacinto. Meanwhile, “Isa Pang Ikaw,” composed by Joseph Ponce is performed by former X Factor Australia contestant Justin Vasquez.

This year, acoustic balladeer TJ Monterde interprets “Panandalian,” composed by Jerome Arcangel and Cee Jay Del Rosario, while Alex Gonzaga sings the composition of Michael Angelo “Aikee” Aplacador titled “Please Lang.”

Former X Factor Philippines contender Joan Da interprets her song with LJ Manzano entitled “Sasabihin Ko,” while singer-songwriter Davey Langit comes back in the competition—this time as an interpreter of the song “Simula ng Dulo,” which he co-wrote with Therese Marie Villarante.

I Belong To The Zoo, sings Ferdinand Aragon’s song “Ingat,” while “Tawag ng Tanghalan” champion Janine Berdin gives her rendition to “Sa’yong Mundo,” composed by Noah Zuniga.

Janine Berdin with 'Sa'yong Mundo' composer Noah Zuniga

Over the years, the songs produced in Himig Handog have won hearts of Filipino listeners here and abroad. True to its mission, ABS-CBN’s songwriting competition has also continuously brought about the best of OPM by searching for outstanding musical compositions from all over the world.

The grand winner will take home P1 million, while the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th placers get P500,000, P200,000, P150,000, and P100,000 cash prizes, respectively. Watch out for the grand finals of Himig Handog 2019 live on ASAP Natin ‘To on Oct. 13.

Aside from being hailed as this year’s Best Song, the entries also go head-tohead for the other sought-after awards, including MOR’s Choice, MYX Choice for Best Music Video, TFC’s Global Choice Award, Star Music’s Choice Award, and Best Produced track.

The #HimigHandog2019 songs can be streamed on all digital music stores worldwide and are also available on Star Music’s YouTube channel. For details, like @HimigHandog2019 on Facebook.

You may also visit starmusic.ph, like Star Music onfacebook.com/starmusicph, and follow it on Twitter and Instagram @ StarMusicPH. ***

star serving food to young children.

According to the netizen who sent us the photos, they were taken at Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma High School during a feeding program sponsored by Corazon Foundation and Willing Hearts. The school is located on Molave Street in Payatas B, Quezon City.

The details were incomplete so we reached out to Ria via a colleague close to the actress.

“I don’t really want to make that a public thing,” was Ria’s quick reply.

Many people didn't know, Ria spends a lot of time doing well-meaning activities whenever she’s not on TV or taping for a series. For instance, when tropical storm Ondoy hit the metro, Ria and her celebrity friends helped out those affected by the calamity. It only reached the press when a netizen shared a candid photo of them.

We were able to get in touch with Cora-

Ria Atayde off-cam

TJ Monterde with composers of the song 'Panandalian' Jerome Arcangel and Cee Jay Del Rosario

zon Foundation as well. A representative from the organization confirmed that they have a project in partnership with a Singaporean organization called Willing Hearts.

They feed 300 to 1000 student every day.

The representative also shared how Ria became part of the program.

“Ria was there during our launching on Aug. 9. Nagtayo ng kusina para lang sa project na ‘yan. The plan is to feed at least 20,000 students all over Manila and also do medical assistance to sick children. It was our Singaporean partners who tapped Ria. They know that Ria spends her birthday feeding young children,” the representative shared.

We also learned that Ria was supposed to be accompanied by her brother Arjo but the actor failed to make it because he was in Auckland, New Zealand for DZMM Global Pinoy Idol.

Well, Ria, hats off to you!

Ria Atayde prepares the food to be served to the children and school kids in Payatas.

We recently received a set of photos of actress Ria Atayde via Facebook Messenger. The snaps show the Kapamilya

‘Born to be Wild’ hosts continue environmental advocacy; renew contract with GMA DOC Ferds Recio and Doc Nielsen Donato of Born to be Wild recently renewed their commitment to GMA Network and to the environment in a contract signing held last Aug. 14.

The hosts and expert veterinarians greatly appreciated having no less than Atty. Felipe Gozon gracing their contract signing with the network.

“Born to Be Wild is a specialized show and there’s a niche for this type of show. There’s a need also for a program like this and that’s our advocacy. We are thankful because we’re given this kind of platform to focus on the environment,” Doc Nielsen shared.

“We’re very honored and very thankful,” said Doc Ferds. “12 years na ang Born to Be Wild. We want to keep on doing what we love to do. We are very happy that we are the ones chosen to represent GMA’s advocacy related to the environment and wildlife, and to share our learnings with the people. The thrust of the program is to make it more palatable,” he added.

The country’s pioneer environmental program, Born to be Wild premiered on the Kapuso Network in 2007 to provide environmental awareness to viewers of all ages. It tackles various topics on nature, wildlife, and

'Born to be Wild' hosts and expert veterinarians Doc Ferds Recio (right) and Doc Nielsen Donato (left) recently renewed their commitment to GMA Network and to the environment.

the critical issues facing the environment in line with the network’s “Kapuso ng Kalikasan” advocacy. The GMA Public Affairs-produced show is also contributing to thousands of life-saving animal treatments and wildlife rescues over the years.

“When we started 12 years ago, ang mga hayop na nare-rescue namin at nako-cover namin [ay ‘yung mga] hinampas, pinalo or pinatay kasi they [people] don’t know what to do. They didn’t know what to do when they encounter a wild life in their house. Nowadays, people come to us and say, they don’t hurt those animals anymore because Born to Be Wild thought them what to do. It gives us so much pleasure when we’re able to inform and educate the public,” Doc Ferds shared.

Born to be Wild has been a consistent choice of the viewers that resulted to various local and international awards. It was named ASEAN Champion of Biodiversity and New York Festivals Finalist, among other accolades.

Doc Ferds and Doc Nielsen were also awarded with the Gandingan ng Kalikasan citation by the University of the Philippines—Los Baños.

As it begins another year on air, Born to be Wild is committed to feature more stories about the environment and wildlife.

Watch more stories on the environment and continued public service from the country’s leading nature and wildlife show Born to be Wild every Sunday, 9:00 a.m. on GMA -7.

‘Daniela’ turns up at the launch of new beauty line LADIES, get your game face on with the help of the newly launched Kadenang Ginto beauty regimen sets by Skin Magical intended to empower Filipinas to embrace their inner fierceness.

The Gandang Palaban beauty line comes after the immense popularity of the hit Kapamilya teleserye, which spawned abundant memes of “Daniela the Explorer” and introduced nineyear-old Marjorry “You Do Note Girl” Lingat—whose amusing reenactments of some of the most mind-blowing scenes in the series took social media by storm.

As such, prepare to be glamorized à la Cassie, Marga, Romina or Daniela depending on your skin type or preference with these four Kadenang Ginto beauty regimen sets: Continued on C3

Taylor Swift plans to regain control of music catalog AHEAD of the release of her album Lover, pop star Taylor Swift is floating plans to re-record her early albums to have the last word in a rights dispute over her music.

The news reignites Swift’s battle with industry mogul Scooter Braun— who recently purchased Big Machine Label Group through his company Ithaca Holdings in a reported $300 million deal—thereby obtaining majority ownership of Swift’s master recordings.

The owner of coveted masters— one-of-a-kind source material used to create vinyls, CDs and digital copies —is able to dictate how songs are reproduced and sold.

When news of the deal broke in June Swift, 29, said it “stripped me of my life’s work.”

Now the chart-topper says she’s going to regain control: asked about the possibility of recording her first six multi-platinum albums in an interview with CBS to air Sunday morning (Monday in Manila), Swift said the option was likely.

Asked “might you do that?,” she replied, “Oh, yeah,” in a teaser of the interview.

“That’s a plan?” the interview follows up, to which Swift says, “Yeah, absolutely.”

The dramatic move could be complicated by time restrictions in her early contracts—she first signed with Big Machine Label Group in 2005, when she was still a teenager—but not impossible.

Swift is credited as a lead writer for essentially all of her back catalog, meaning she could record covers of sorts without needing access to the masters.

Last year, the superstar signed a new deal with Republic Records and Universal Music Group. AFP

Pop star Taylor Swift is losing the rights to her first six albums due to a recording deal.