Manila Standard - 2019 September 27 - Friday

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NARCO-COPS IN TWO GROUPS BARED: ‘NINJA LIIT, VOLT IN’

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Thursday said there are many other groups of corrupt policemen involved in illegal activities.

In an interview over radio dzMM, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said while the “ninja liit” cops are involved in small operations of selling illegal drugs amounting to P1 million to P3 million, “volt in” cops operate on much smaller transactions and are usually former classmates.

“A small operation is not being coursed through the ‘ninja cops’ but through the ‘ninja liit.’ The ‘ninja cops’ would not like small operations. They would wait until the operation is around P20 million,” he said.

The “volt in” cops are also into other crimes, he said.

“They meet just to do crimes for the sake of money,” he added.

“Actually, there are many other groups [of scalawag cops] out there,” the PDEA chief said.

Under the previous PDEA administrations, at least two anti-narcotics ere charged and removed from the service for recycling seized drugs, he said.

A PDEA driver was also involved in the recycling of drugs, and was immeNext page diately fired, he added.

SEEN BY SIMON. The building along Simon |Street in crowded Sampaloc district in Manila, where the hall of barangay 484 is located, whose chairwoman (left) Guia Gomez Castro has been tagged by the Philippine National Police as ‘drug queen’—while the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency says there are many other groups of corrupt policemen involved in illegal activities, including the ‘ninja liit’ and ‘volt in.’ Norman Cruz PROPOSED DOH LIST FOR LOWER PRICES OF HIGH-COST MEDICINES Covers 120 drugs addressing leading diseases and catastrophic conditions in the Philippines, such as: · Hypertension · Diabetes · Cardiovascular disease · Chronic lung diseases, · Neonatal diseases, · Major cancers · Chronic renal disease · Psoriasis; and · Rheumatoid arthritis Under the maximum retail price scheme, prices of selected medicines are expected to have a mean price reduction of 56% from the prevailing market prices once an Executive Order is signed

by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

Price cuts eyed on high-cost medicines THE Health department said Thursday it will recommend a price reduction on 120 “high-cost” medicines as part of the maximum drug retail price scheme.

In statement, the department said the proposed list covers drugs for leading diseases and conditions in the Philippines such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chronic lung diseases, neonatal diseases and major cancers.

The list also includes the high-cost treatments for chronic renal disease, psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.

“Drug prices must come down to fair and affordable levels. We have to achieve universal health care, financial risk protection and prevent disaster to the family,” Health Undersecretary Rolando Enrique Domingo said. Turn to A3

PH Robin Hood gets 9.5 yrs. in jail A FILIPINO accountant was sentenced to 9.5 years in prison on Tuesday for embezzling almost 4 million Singapore dollars (about P151 million) from the company he was working for in the city-state— then tried to persuade the judge to lower his sentence because he said he was sending 20 fellow Pinoys through college.

Ariel Biasong Salamanes, 42, pleaded guilty to 15 charges, including criminal breach of trust Turn to A3

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 225 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Outbreaks of diseases under control—Palace ANTIBIOTIC GUIDELINES.

By MJ Blancaflor and Macon Ramos-Araneta

Health Undersecretary Rolando Enrique Domingo (left) explains Thursday guidelines to ensure accessibility of vital health information, during the launch of the National Formulary and Antibiotic Guidelines at the Department of Health in Santa Cruz, Manila. The guidelines provide information on the rational use of essential drugs for priority diseases in the country.

Norman Cruz

T

HE Palace on Thursday said the public health situation is in hand despite the recent outbreaks of polio, dengue and measles and the death of a 10-year-old girl in Manila last week from diphtheria.

“The situation is under control. We have vaccination programs all over, even in villages,” said Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo, who noted that the diseases were all preventable with immunization.

He added that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III was “doing everything he can” to address the recent health concerns.

The Palace statement came as the Health department said the average number of people diagnosed with HIV has risen to 35 per day this year, from 32 per day in 2018.

The HIV/AIDS and Anti-Retroviral Treatment Registry showed that there were 1,006 newly confirmed HIV-positive individuals reported to the Health department. Nineteen percent had Next page

DOH suffers tax anemia—Recto Two more PMA cadets tagged

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATE President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said Thursday the Department of Health had suffered a shortchange of P28.3 billion in tax shares which resulted in budget anemia.

Because of this, Recto said the DOH and PhilHealth should not be begging for funds. They should automatically be getting what is due them from the TRAIN

Law based on Republic Act 11346.

In language that is clear and concise, he said RA 11346 mandated that 50 percent of excise tax collections on sin and soda products shall be earmarked for health.

The 50 percent health share shall, in turn, “be allocated and used exclusively” in the following manner: 80 percent to the PhilHealth for Universal Health Care, and 20 percent to the DOH’s Health Next page

in hazing death, names withheld

POLICE said Thursday two more upperclassmen at the Philippine Military Academy have been identified as suspects in the hazing death of cadet Darwin Dormitorio.

Their identities, however, have not been released pending sworn statements from witnesses, police said.

Dormitorio, 20, died last week after

complaining of stomach pain. Police said he suffered internal injuries consistent with hazing.

They earlier identified 3rd class Shalimar Imperial, 3rd class Felix Lumbag, and 1st class Axl Rey Sanupao as suspects.

Police said one of the new suspects turned in a taser that they allegedly used on Dormitorio’s private parts. Next page

Tycoons’ scions debut in Forbes PH 50 richest people

Teresita Sy Coson

Vivian Que

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE heirs of the Philippine tycoons who have died since last year debuted in Forbes’ list of the Philippines’ 50 Richest people for 2019.

According to Forbes, the Sy siblings, with a combined net worth of $17.2 bil-

Joselito Campos

Isidro Consunji

lion, made the list at No. 1, replacing their father Henry Sy Sr. who held the top spot for 11 consecutive years.

The retail tycoon died in January this year at the age of 94, leaving his fortune to his six children Teresita, Elizabeth, Henry Jr., Hans, Herbert and Harley.

The $17.2 billion net worth is largely

Dennis Uy

Arthur Ty

from the family’s SM group, the country’s largest conglomerate with interests in banking, real estate and retail.

The Ty Siblings of GT Capital also made the list at No. 9 with a combined net worth of $2.6 billion, succeeding their father George Ty, who built GT into Next page

IN SILENCE. House Majority Leader and Lakas-CMD president Martin Romualdez greets party chairman and Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. on Wednesday during a birthday celebration at the Philippine Plaza Hotel. Someone said ‘friends listen to what you say, but best friends listen to what you don’t say.’ Ver Noveno

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

China ‘softens’ sea code bid—Locsin F OREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday reported that the first draft of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea has been completed.

In a speech before the Asia Society Policy Institute, Locsin said China has “softened its insistence on controversial provisions” excluding external military presence in the strategic waters.

“We’ve completed the first draft. That objectionable provisions excluding the Western military presence... they’re not holding on to that anymore,” he said during a dialogue with former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in the US. Locsin said President Rodrigo Duterte asked the state parties to rush the negotiations

and the talks “went smoothly after.”

Earlier reports, citing a draft document between China and the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member-states, said Beijing proposed the creation of a notification mechanism on military activities whenever necessary.

Although the reported text did not specifically mention “Western” military, the said provision sought the exclusion of countries outside the region “unless the parties concerned are notified beforehand and express no objection.”

Locsin did not mention what steps will be taken next following the concluded first draft of the COC. “The first draft is really just the first draft, we won’t know what it’s like. I do know that many countries like Vietnam, even Singapore will take very strong exception to anything that would remove a counterbalancing military presence in the region, they’re very careful about that,” he said.

Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, meanwhile, urged ASEAN states to ensure that the COC will not supplant the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea dispute settlement mechanism.

Carpio is part of the Philippine delegation that led the arbitration case against China.

“The Code of Conduct is only to manage

the disputes so that there would be no shooting wars, there would be no skirmishes, [so that] everybody will behave properly,” he said in the same seminar.

“We should be careful because if we fall into the trap, we have to settle the merits of the dispute in accordance with the Code of Conduct and China has a veto power, it’s not arbitration, we need the consent of China so we must be very careful that the Code of Conduct will not supplant the dispute settlement mechanism because that is the best dispute settlement mechanism in the world, proof is we won against China, a nuclear-armed power,” he said.

Carpio also questioned the three-year timeline of the COC conclusion, timed to conclude before the end of President Duterte’s term. MJ Blancaflor with PNA

Pay hike or House, Senate agree to a ceasefire over pork strike? Teachers set protest day word war wherein we will hamper our business of the day, which is basically right now passing the budget and at the same time passing the tax measures being imposed by the DOF [Department of Finance],” Zubiri said.

But Lacson said nobody could stop him from talking if he saw something wrong.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said he would not waste time on “inane ideas” from the House of Representatives after one of its members asked to cut the proposed Senate budget next year.

Saying the senators had so much work, especially at this time of the year, Drilon said he did not want to waste his time.

Congress was allotted P22.8 billion under the 2020 General Appropriations Bill passed by the House on Sept. 20.

From this, Senate will get P7.4 billion; the Senate Electoral Tribunal, P0.292 billion; the Commission on Appointments, P0.817 billion; the House of Representatives, P14 billion; and the House Electoral Tribunal, P0.16 billion.

Defensor wanted to reduce the Senate’s 2020 budget next year since, he said, the lawmakers from the upper chamber did not have specific constituencies.

Defensor said this after Rep. Fredenil Castro demanded an apology from Senator Panfilo Lacson for his “pork” claims against the members of the House of Representatives.

“Besides demanding an apology from the Honorable Lacson, would you also advocate taking out a budget from the Senate, no initiative coming from them, since they do not have a constituency anyway?” Defensor asked Castro Wednesday during the interpellation of his privilege speech.

Lacson also disclosed Thursday that Rep. Fredenil Castro had earlier attempted to approach him allegedly to “lobby a project.”

He said Castro sought to have an audience with him before this came out.

“I did not come to face him. I saw a visitor’s slip saying Congressman Fred Castro would like to visit. I asked my staff. It seems he wanted to lobby a project,” he said.

According to Lacson, he declined to meet Castro because he had failed to make amends with him on the issue on the pork barrel and federalism in 2018.

“I did not talk to him. What for? Because in 2018 he kept on hitting me not only on the issue of pork but also on the issue on federalism,” he said.

manifestations of advanced HIV infection at the time of the diagnosis. There were 102 reported deaths among people with HIV. As of June 2019, an overwhelming majority or 97 percent of the 38,903 people on anti-retroviral treatment were males, the Health department said.

The median age of those affected was 28 years old. More than half of the cases were 25-34 years old.

More than a third of the new confirmed cases or 346 were from Metro Manila.

The other regions with the most number of newly-diagnosed cases for June were Region 4A with 155 cases; Region 3, 114; Region 7, 78; and Region 6, 56.

Sexual contact remained the predominant mode of transmission at 983.

Among the newly diagnosed, 589 reported transmission through male-to-male sex, 260 through sex with both males and females, and 134 were through male-tofemale sex.

Other modes of transmission were sharing of infected needles, and mother-tochild transmission. Only 1 percent of the cases had no data on mode of transmission.

Among the newly diagnosed females in June, five were pregnant at the time of diagnosis, two cases each were from Metro Manila and Region 7 and one case was from Region 6.

The first case of HIV infection in the Philippines was reported in 1984. Since then, there have been 68,401 confirmed HIV cases reported to the DOH. Ninetyfour percent or 64,114 of those diagnosed were male and 6 percent were female.

At the time of the diagnosis, more than half or 51,925 were 25-34 years old while 19,472 were younger, at 15-25.

In the early years of the epidemic in 1984 to 1990, 133 of the 216 cases were female.

However, since 1991, the proportion of

diagnosed males has been greater than that of the females each year.

From 1991 to present, males comprised 94 percent or 64,031 of the 68,174 diagnosed cases. In addition, from January 2018 to June 2019, 3 percent or 517 of the 16,861 diagnosed people who were male at birth reported their self-identity as female (transgender women).

The number of diagnosed HIV infections among females has also been increasing, with the number of diagnosed cases from January to June 2019 tripling from the diagnosed cases in the same period in 2014 or five years before.

The registry also showed that 61 Filipinos who worked overseas within the past five years, whether on land or at sea, were diagnosed in June 2019. They comprised 6 percent of the total newly diagnosed cases for the month.

On Thursday, the Health department confirmed that a 10-year-old student in Pandacan, Manila, had died of diphtheria, a highly communicable bacterial infection.

DOH Undersecretary Eric Domingo said the confirmation was based on the result of the test conducted at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.

Domingo played down the danger, saying the department gets about 140 to 150 cases a year.

In 2018, they had recorded 207 cases.

“It’s not really significantly higher,” he said.

What is important is to immediately control it, Domingo said. If there’s one case, to make sure it does not spread, antibiotics must be given to all who come in regular contact with the patient.

Vaccination, he said, remains the most effective means to control diphtheria. The vaccine is given at 1.5 months or 10 to 14 weeks. Before a baby reaches four months, the vaccines should be complete.

He said another way to control the disease is early treatment and management of cases of exposure.

The primary symptoms of diphtheria, a serious and infectious bacterial infection, are sore throat and low fever.

If the diphtheria toxin is severe, there may be a buildup of dead tissues in the throat and tonsils, causing difficulties in breathing and swallowing.

Domingo, meanwhile, said no wild polio or naturally occurring polio has been seen in the country.

The strain that has resurfaced after 19 years, he added was the “vaccine-derived” variety.

He said the virus may circulate from human waste of those that have been vaccinated, and get into the water.

“This would be capable again of causing disease in an unvaccinated individual,” he said.

He said the cycle may be broken by vaccinating everybody and improving sanitation.

An intensified anti-polio vaccination kicked off in Manila a few days after Duque declared an outbreak last month.

So far, there have been only two confirmed cases of polio, one in Lanao del Sur and the other in Calamba, Laguna.

In Region 12, the DOH is monitoring the condition of a 3-month-old boy who is suspected to have been infected by the poliovirus.

“We are still waiting for the result of the stool specimen of the child that was sent to our DOH headquarters in Manila,” said Jenny Panizales-Ventura of DOH-12, referring to the child currently quarantined for almost a week at the Cotabato Regional and Medical Center.

Ventura said the child manifested paralysis in his right leg, prompting local health officials to confine him at the CRMC. “Again, this remains a suspected case.

We have to wait for the result anytime this week from the DOH’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine-Surveillance and Response Unit in Manila,” Ventura said.

With PNA

19 executive session with senators.

Magalong accused several Pampanga policemen of recycling drugs in 2007, when Albayalde was still the provincial police chief.

Senator Christopher Go, Duterte’s longtime aide, said the President will soon reveal the names of police officers linked to drug recycling.

President Duterte was furious after learning that corrupt police officers remain, three years after the government launched an anti-narcotics crackdown, Go said.

The President will validate the list of “ninja cops” with his “own resources,” Panelo said.

PNP spokesman Bernard Banac said if the Senate wants to disclose the names of those involved, it is all right with the police.

The Senate unanimously authorized the Blue Ribbon and justice committees to name high-ranking “ninja cops” referred to by Magalong.

On Wednesday night, Duterte warned “ninja cops” that they will “die first” if they continue their illegal activities.

“I’m sorry to tell you, everybody dies in this world but you will go ahead first,” Duterte said in his speech during the corporate event of a Hong Kong-based real estate developer in Parañaque City.

Duterte also slammed them for thinking

that they are the “lords of this country.”

On Thursday, Aquino identified the Manila-based “drug queen” as a barangay chairwoman Guia Gomez Castro of Zone 48 in Sampaloc, and said she enriched herself

by P1 billion from her illegal drug operations since 2001.

Castro gave grease money and even luxury vehicles to corrupt policemen to protect her illicit activity, Aquino said.

Castro had connections with all illegal drug traders and the so-called “ninja cops” who would recycle and sell confiscated drugs without any question, he said.

She was first arrested in 2001 for illegal possession of one kilo of drugs, Aquino said. However, the drug case against her was dropped for no apparent reason.

Castro’s illegal drug operation flourished after her case was dismissed, he said.

Manila officials said Castro has not reported for work in her village since April 25.

First barangay councilor Antonio Calima took over the chairmanship.

The PDEA chief said 17 drug distributors work for Castro, who reportedly could sell and distribute two to three kilos of drugs in Manila alone under the protection of several police officers as well as of high-ranking officials.

Because of her wealth, Castro could easily

hire other drug protectors to replace the “ninja cops” who were arrested or killed, got retired or went on absence without leave, Aquino said.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday said he will issue an immigration lookout bulletin against Castro.

Senator Richard Gordon, however, said he believed the “drug queen” story was floated to divert public attention from the “ninja cops” or to eliminate a possible witness against senior police officials.

“Why did this issue on the drug queen suddenly surface? It seems there is an attempt to focus the camera away from what is happening. That even makes me more curious,” he said.

“It could be a diversionary tactic or a way of eliminating a possible witness against the senior officials.

Senator Leila de Lima, meanhile, said Duterte’s entire war on drugs was set up to protect big-time drug lords.

The illicit drug trade, she said, is being allowed to flourish at the expense of poor drug suspects who do not have the means to defend themselves, much less leave the country.

She questioned why Castro was arrested just recently when policemen had leads about her drug operation for a long time.

With Rey E. Requejo

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

By Rio N. Araja PUBLIC school teachers in the National Capital Region on Thursday threatened to stage a huge protest action in Mendiola, Manila, to demand “decent” wages from the Duterte administration.

At a news conference in Quezon City, Vlademir Quetia, Alliance of Concerned Teachers Now Junior president, said President Rodrigo Duterte must make good on his promise to double the salary of public school teachers under his administration as one of his election promises.

“Do your promise. Substantiate the pay hike now,” he said.

On the eve of World Teachers’ Day on Oct. 4, “thousands” of teachers will hold a unity march in Mendiola and demand a “substantial” salary increase for entry-level teachers 1 from P20,000 to P30,000, he said.

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro slammed the huge budget slash for the Department of Education for 2020.

The department originally proposed a P52-billion budget in 2020 but the Department of Budget and Management allocated only P31.18 billion.

Quetia took a swipe at the government for allegely denying their basic human rights to decent wages and humane working conditions.

“Teachers do extra jobs such as selling underwear and longganiza, and moonlighting,” he said.

“The wage increase for soldiers and policemen has been prioritized. Why can’t the government do that to us?”

Aside from the low wages, teachers continued to suffer from the policies and practices that make them “overworked but underpaid,” the teachers’ organization said.

Two...

From A1

Two congressmen on Thursday called for random and surprise medical and physical check-ups of plebes and trainees of military and police institutions to help end hazing.

At a news forum, House Deputy Majority Leader Bernadette Herrera of Bagong Henerasyon Party-list group and Rep. Michael Edgar Aglipay of DIWA Party-list group, said what happened to Dormitorio could have been prevented.

“A random and surprise medical checkup on plebes at the PMA and PNPA [Philippine National Police Academy] can be an effective means of stopping hazing,” Herrera said.

Herrera, one of the principal authors of the amended Republic Act 8049 or the AntiHazing Law, also asked the Department of National Defense to enumerate the physical, psychological and mental methods of training would-be military officers that should be exempted from the provisions of the Anti-Hazing law.

She said there are “extraordinary” training methods that the law does not define as form of hazing. Maricel V. Cruz

Narco-cops...

From A1 According to the PDEA, there are 854 policemen in the watch list of President Rodrigo Duterte for selling and using illegal drugs, and even protecting drug traffickers.

At least 22 “ninja cops” are still in active service, it said.

But the Palace said “ninja cops” or those tied to organized drug syndicates are “a thing of the past.”

“What we have are police scalawags,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said, quoting the chief of the Philippine National Police, Oscar Albayalde.

The “ninja cops” syndicate, he said, has been dismantled by Albayalde and former police chief Senator Ronald dela Rosa, Panelo said.

He acknowledged, however, that rogue policemen remain a serious problem.

“You know, when even one policeman is involved, it’s serious. Can you imagine, you are a law enforcer but you’re a law violator?

This is really serious,” Panelo said.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, former director of the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, supposedly identified “ninja cops” in a Sept.

SENATE Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Thursday some House members agreed on a “ceasefire” after they demanded an apology from Senator Panfilo Lacson, who claims about P54 billion in pork barrel was initially allotted to congressmen in next year’s P4.1-trillion national budget.

Zubiri said he spoke with House Majority Floor Leader Martin Romualdez during the birthday party of Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. on Wednesday to discuss the matter.

“We agreed on a ceasefire because the individual members of the Senate and the individual members of the House who criticize one another does not represent the institution,” Zubiri said.

“My position here is to be more circumspect. We have to work the budget, and no further comments should be made on this issue.”

Zubiri said he also asked Rep. Mike Defensor to no longer comment on the matter. He said Defensor also agreed with his request.

The senator, who claimed in jest that he was the “peacemaker” in the Senate, also said he would try to speak with Lacson to stop further making comments on the issue.

“We just don’t want to escalate it into a

Outbreaks...

From A1

DOH...

From A1

Facilities Enhancement Program and medical assistance program.

Senate Ways and Means committee chairperson Pia Cayetano delivered her sponsorship speech on the proposal to raise taxes on alcoholic beverages, heated tobacco products, and vapor products.

Senate Bill 1074 proposes to align the tax rates of HTPs and vape with that of traditional cigarettes at P45 beginning next year.

Cayetano noted that raising the tax on HTPs and vape is crucial in discouraging the use of these products, especially among younger users.

“The science of vaping is all very new, and while experts around the world are still studying this, we have already seen and heard an avalanche of news of people who died because of lung failure in the United States. For the sake of our children, we must regulate and tax e-cigarettes at parity with regular tobacco products. Vaping is not cool, especially when it leads our kids to the path of new addictions,” Cayetano said.

For alcoholic beverages, Cayetano’s bill significantly increases the tax on distilled spirits from P23.5 to P90 per proof liter with a 20 percent ad valorem tax starting next year.

The tax will be increased to P100 in 2021, P110 in 2022, and P120 in 2023, followed by 10 percent annual increases from 2024 onwards.

Meanwhile, the tax on fermented liquors and alcopops would be raised from P25.4 to P45 per liter, with a similar increase of P 10 per year until 2023, and 10 percent annual increases from 2024 onwards.

Finally, a specific tax of P600 will be imposed on sparkling wines, and a specific tax of P43 on still and carbonated wines beginning 2020, with an annual increase of 10 percent.

Sin Tax Coalition co-convener Dr. Anthony Leachon urged the other senators to support this measure, and join the fight to ensure better health outcomes for our countrymen.

Meanwhile. Cayetano said that aside from discouraging the consumption of sin products, it will also serve as a critical source of funding for the Universal Health Care Law. “With around P40-50 billion incremental revenue to be generated from this bill, we are getting closer and closer to implement the UHC, a law that will benefit the future generation. Our higher calling is to improve people’s lives. The choice we make today can lead to happier and healthier households in the future,” Cayetano added.

On the other hand, Recto also related that in 2018, total collections from alcohol was P68.8 billion; from tobacco P136.08 billion; from sugar sweetened beverages, P38 billion, or a total of P242.8 billion.

Thus, the combined DOH-PhilHealth 50 percent should be P110.9 billion, net of other deductions. Following the 8020 sharing, P88.72 billion should go to PhilHealth, and P22.18 billion to DOHHFEP and medical assistance.

But under the proposed 2020 national budget, PhilHealth is getting P67.3 billion, or P21.42 billion below what its share should be.

And as for the DOH, its HFEP is earmarked P5.9 billion, and its Medical Assistance Program P9.4 billion, or P6.9 billion short of what the law guarantees.

Tycoons’...

From A1

a major conglomerate with interests in

autos, banking, insurance, power generation and real estate.

The Campos Siblings landed in 23rd place, replacing their late family matriarch Beatrice Campos, with their combined net worth of $650 million stemming from their pharmaceutical business Unilab.

Meanwhile, Manuel B. Villar came in second with an estimated worth of $6.6 billion, primarily from his real estate business.

The 69-year-old businessman is now listing his retail business All Home Corp. under the Philippine Stock Exchange which will generate as much as P14.8 billion in proceeds.

Business tycoon John Gokongwei came in third with with a net worth of $5.3 billion, and largely from his airline, real estate, food manufacturing and petrochemical businesses.

Ports and casino tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. placed fourth with a net worth of $5.1 billion, followed by Jaime Zobel de Ayala with $3.7 billion.

Rounding up the top 10 list were Lucio Tan ($3.6 billion), Tony Tan Caktiong ($3 billion), Ramon Ang ($2.8 billion) and Andrew Tan (2.55 billion).

Among this year’s newcomers were Antonio Tiu at No. 49, and with a net worth of $135 million, Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy who debuted at No. 22 with $660 million, and Delfin Wenceslao at No. 25 with $500 million.

Despite the lackluster performance of local stocks, Forbes said 21 listees added to their fortunes.

One of the biggest gainers is Mercedes Gotianun whose fortune jumped 91 percent to $2.2 billion, as the shares in her Filinvest Development soared after posting a 31-percent increase in net income for 2018.

On the other hand, Tan Caktiong saw his fortune decline when the shares at his fast-food chain Jollibee dropped after he announced the $350 million acquisition of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Gov’t to hunt down heinous crimes convicts

By Rey E. Requejo

L

IN BRIEF

AW enforcement authorities will resume hunting down on Oct. 1 heinous crimes convicts, released earlier under the Good Conduct Time Allowance Law, who defied the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to surrender, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Thursday.

Guevarra said he expected the Bureau of Corrections to come up on Sept.

30 with a cleaned up list of heinous crimes convicts who were prematurely released on account of good conduct time allowance but failed to surrender as ordered by the President.

“Our target is by the end of September, although we could not ascertain if we would be able to have a complete list by then, but by Sept. 30 for sure we would already release a list that we could give the Department of the Interior and Local Government [DILG] and the PNP [a copy] so they could start hunting them,” Guevarra told reporters.

According to him, Oct. 1 would definitely be a hunting season for law enforcers to effect the arrest of the GCTA-freed persons deprived of liberties who did not turn themselves in to authorities.

The Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior and Local Government have revised the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Good Conduct Time Allowance Law, responding to public outcry over the near-release of high-profile convict Antonio Sanchez.

The new IRR of Republic Act 10592 or the GCTA Law now categorically excludes heinous crime convicts like Sanchez from the benefits of the GCTA Law. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has survived its recent “major institutional crisis” arising from the controversy on good conduct time allowances awarded to prisoners “almost unscathed” because it did the right way, which is to uphold the rule of law.

PH benefited more from Japan than China—Locsin

TRADEMARK FIST. President Rodrigo Duterte strikes his signature pose with members of the Lex Talionis Fraternitas Inc. as they

celebrate their 50th anniversary at The Manila Hotel on Wednesday. Lex Talionis Fraternitas Inc. Sodalitas Ducum Futurorum is an exclusive fraternal organization of Filipino jurists, legal practitioners and law students founded on September 29, 1969 at the San Beda College of Law in Mendiola. Malacañang Photo

We’re doing best to solve Metro traffic—MMDA

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metro Manila Development Authority assured the public the government was doing its best to address the worsening traffic problem in the National Capital Region.

“The MMDA attempts to control street traffic, but it is all a result of the overcrowding of the metro, so much more needs to be done,” said MMDA spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Pircelyn Pialago.

The agency made the statement following a report from the Asian Development Bank, saying Metro Manila was the most congested city in Asia.

“Congestion arises when demand for travel exceeds the maximum capacity of the transportation network,” the ADB’s

PH Robin Hood...

From A1

and falsification of accounts, Channel News Asia and Coconuts Singapore reported.

Most of the money Salamanes stole was remitted back home to the Philippines— supposedly to fund the education of his “scholars”—while some was sent to the United Arab Emirates to pay off existing credit card debts from a period he had spent living there.

Salamanes, who used to work for data analytics firm QlikTech Singapore, was responsible for the company’s bookkeeping, accounts payable, and receivables from 2012 to 2017.

During his stint at QlikTech, he was given the power to sign checks, on his own, on behalf of the company—for payments as high as $10,000, Channel News Asia reported.

Salamanes has not paid back his former employer, but QlikTech has recovered $3.9 million through fraud insurance.

From April 2013 to June 2017, he signed a total of 451 checks and deposited the funds straight into his own bank account, before sending the money overseas. He then covered up his embezzlement by instructing other employees to make fraudulent entries in the company’s accounting system.

Overall, Salamanes made 835 remittances in 241 days to the Philippines and the UAE, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheng Yuxi.

Most of the money sent to the Philippines was deposited into bank accounts belonging to Salamanes, his boyfriend, and various family members, but the

Asian Development Outlook stated.

Meanwhile, TMMDA continues to undertake preemptive anti-flood measure in the National Capital Region, its chairman Danilo Lim said.

Lim said there was no letup in the agency’s dredging and desilting operations of drainage systems and creeks which minimize flooding the metropolis.

The dredging operation aimed at reducing the receding time of floodwater in the flood-prone areas.

“Our intensive dredging and cleanup operations in major thoroughfares are continuous all year-round,” he said.

According to Lim, the improper disposal and illegal dumping of garbage remains a major factor why Metro Manila is vulnerable to flooding.

Across the 278 cities, the average

citywide congestion was 1.24, which means that on average 24 percent more time is needed to travel during peak hours than off-peak hours.

“We can’t deny the study conducted

by ADB considering Metro Manila as the most congested country in Asia.

By fact, figures won’t lie that with the presence of 410,000 vehicles traversing EDSA (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue), 17 malls, 47 bus terminals, 150 perpendicular roads, number of schools and universities in primary roads, lack of road network and the day time population which is more than 10 million, we are totally congested,” said Pialago.

She added “the congestion of Metro Manila is a result of so many factors, such as the influx of people from the provinces looking for higher wages.”

THE Philippines has benefited more from Japan than in China despite warming relations with Beijing, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on Wednesday.

Locsin made the statement after former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd asked him about the Philippines’ relations with China.

“Yes, we sign up to this and that agreement but they hardly materialize.

They hardly materialize and if you would compare to Japanese investments and official assistance, [it’s] nothing,” Locsin replied, referring to the Manila’s bilateral agreements with Beijing.

Locsin was in New York for the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit. He made the statement during a discussion with members of the Asia Society, where Rudd is the policy institute president.

“If there is such a thing as a rising China, there’s apparently a phenomenon ... of a rising Japan and we’re feeling that,” he noted.

“Not only that but military assistance.

We get what…10 [military] ships?” he said. Rey E. Requejo

Optional retirement age of gov’t workers proposed down to 56 House of Representatives would prioritize the passage of a bill lowering optional retirement age of government workers from 60 to 56.

Party-list Rep. France Castro of ACT Teachers welcomed the House Committee on Government Enterprises and Privatization’s approval of the proposed law on Wednesday.

She called for the immediate passage of fhe measure saying that it is long overdue.

“Since the 16th Congress, we have been pushing for a lower optional retirement age of public school teachers. In fact, this bill had already passed on third and final reading last 17th Congress in the House of Representatives, “ Castro said.

“Now, the government must heed the strong clamor of its employees, the civil servants, who dedicated their time and life to serve the nation, for the option to retire at an earlier age in order for them to enjoy their retirement benefits for as long as possible.” Maricel V. Cruz

accountant reportedly kept approximately $408,000 in Singapore for his personal use.

According to Singapore authorities, the money remitted to the Philippines was used to buy condominium units, as well as put into investments under multilevel marketing schemes and stocks.

Salamanes’ white-collar heist ended, Coconuts reported, when he was caught by the Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police in June 2017.

QlikTech also conducted its own internal investigation and reported the Filipino to the police when they discovered his embezzlement scheme.

At his trial, Salamanes asked the judge to give him a lighter sentence, but District Judge Ong Luan Tze was having none of his Robin Hood altruism.

“The point is that the money was not yours to give away, to begin with,” Ong told him during the sentencing, according to Today Online.

Salamanes’ lawyer Christine Sekhon, as part of his defense, also told the court that her client was suffering from depression that was allegedly triggered by a breakup with a long-time partner during the period in which he committed the crimes, The New Paper reported.

“My client felt he performed heroic acts helping people through [a] crisis… and rationalized that the company was profitable… He rationalized that other people needed the money more, and derived self-worth from these acts which he now accepts was misguided,” Sekhon said.

Judge Ong said that while she has “some sympathy” for Salamanes’ personal problems, they’re also not “an excuse to go around committing crimes.”

Price cuts...

From A1

And to guarantee that the public has access to vital health information, the department on Thursday launched an online list of medicines and guidelines on the proper use of antibiotics.

The department said the online Philippine National Formulary provides information on the use of essential drugs for priority diseases in the country.

Under the MDRP scheme, the prices of the selected medicines are expected to have a mean price reduction of 56 percent from the prevailing market prices.

Domingo said Filipinos were still paying higher prices for medicine compared with other countries, and despite the general trend of prices of generic essential medicines having gone down in recent years.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III will submit the list to President Rodrigo Duterte, who is expected to issue an executive order.

The proposed list of drugs and medicines for price regulation was created in August 2018 following a directive from the chief executive to make medicines affordable to Filipinos.

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Opinion

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

The divisive divorce bill

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

divorce law.

“Man is polygamous by nature. A divorce can only make him practice polygamy albeit one at a time,” Atienza said, adding that this is happening in other parts of the world citing the A DIVISIVE issue that is currently merry-go-round of marriages among the talk of the town is the House pro- Hollywood stars. posal to adopt divorce in the PhilBut that also works both ways. ippines. The topic has divided the Women can also look for other men House itself into pros and cons. who can excite them without waiting Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza, a legis- to be widows. lator who espouses pro-life, family Atienza cited studies by sociolovalues and the sanctity of marriage, gists that the children of broken famias expected took the side against di- lies are inclined to have the same sad vorce. fate as that of their parents. This, if “With the not succumb to a erosion of famlife of crime and ily values among corruption. He Studies show that the young, a law pointed out that legalizing di- children of broken families there are many vorce is the last are inclined to have the legal remedies in thing our soci- same sad fate as that place to fix what ety needs,” said some see as irof their parents.

Atienza. He said reconcilable difthat while there is ferences in marno such thing as a riages. perfect marriage, couples should still He also suggested regular family work out their differences to preserve meetings, bonding and counseling a sacrament that is the very founda- from the parish priest. He said it is a tion of families. sight to behold how some couples in Atienza said that there are many their old age display their affection women who now want to have di- by holding hands in church and shopvorce in the Philippines. These are ping malls. probably battered women who are at Pro-divorce disciples point out that the receiving end of abusive husbands Italy, where the Vatican is the centerwho don’t provide financial support piece of Catholicism, allows divorce. for their children. Every child should So why not in the Philippines? be looked at as a blessing and not as To that, I say this. We do not need an extra burden, said Atienza to copy other countries’ laws and le“Women who want divorce prob- gal systems. We had the distinction ably don’t realize that they are at the before of being the only Catholic losing end if divorce is allowed in the country in Asia. Let us perpetuate Philippines.” He added that men who this distinction. want to change partners whenever If that sounds like moralizing they want can easily do so under a Turn to A5

POGOs revisited

T

HE Bureau of Internal Revenue sent a clear message to Philippine offshore gaming operators, or POGOs, when it closed down the operations of a big company the other day for violating the country's tax laws.

Officials of the Department of Finance and the BIR padlocked the offices of Great Empire Gaming and Amusement Corp. in Eastwood City, Quezon City the other day, and were set to shutter its other workplaces in Parañaque and Subic.

Great Empire also has other issues with the Quezon City government. It was one of the POGO operators that received a notice of violation from Quezon City for failing to present an environmental clearance and sanitary and employees’ occupational permits. Great Empire operated from the fourth to the 19th floors of an unfinished building in Quezon City.

The BIR found out that Great Empire did not register its operations for value added tax purposes. The

operator, employing around 8,100 workers and a few hundred more in Parañaque and Subic, is clearly not paying VAT to the government.

The DOF and the BIR also have estimated that the government can collect at least P2 billion in personal income taxes a month from foreign workers. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III earlier this month warned that the government would start closing down offshore gaming operations that were not complying with tax laws in the country.

POGOs have generated controversy in the Philippines because of the huge number of Chinese workers being hired by operators. The Chinese Embassy in August urged Manila to crack down on POGOs, saying several Chinese citizens were illegally recruited and hired

in offshore gaming operations in the Philippines.

State-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. in response stopped accepting new applications for offshore online gaming licenses in August after Beijing expressed its concerns.

PAGCOR said 58 licensed offshore gaming operators were in the country and that three more applications were pending consideration.

The government, meanwhile, is studying the impact of POGOs on the general economy.

But Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said initial results of a study conducted on POGOs showed they would not have an impact on financial stability in case of a pullout from the country.

POGOs have benefited the country's property sector and are contributing to consumer demand. Like any business operations, however, they should toe the line, respect the country's tax laws and operate responsibly.

EvEryman

Duterte’s popularity

By Ernesto G. Banawis NO PRESIDENT of our country has made himself as puzzling, enigmatic, exasperating and controversial as Rodrigo Roa Duterte.

In just a little over three years, Duterte has discarded a number of established protocols, ignored conventional wisdom, turned some fundamental principles into mere shibboleths, and even committed sacrilege by making fun of some of our people’s sacred beliefs.

Some of his decisions have shocked and bewildered even his advisers. His statements on women sound misogynistic. Some leaders of the Church are not amused at his irreverence.

Why President Duterte continues to enjoy a high acceptance and performance rating despite his outrageous decisions and scurrilous statements has puzzled observers of the Philippine scene.

The reasons are obvious but are being glossed over.

President Duterte is admired by and is endearing to many people because he is like them in many respects. Like him, they have their foibles, idiosyncrasies and bad habits. Some are as mischievous, loquacious and irreverent as he is.

Like Digong, they also have fantasies and quirks.

Like the President, most people do not want to be criticized or crossed. They also resent being upbraided or shamed. Like him, they can be harsh and vindictive in dealing with their critics. like Digong, they use cuss words and barbed diatribes for being short of metaphors and adjectives.

Like Digong, they are partial to boyhood friends and classmates.

Like most men, Digong loves women but hates those who think highly of themselves and act as if they are smarter than he is.

Yes, Digong is likable because

he is the same as almost everybody else. He is as simple and as common as any ordinary citizen.

What makes Digong different is that he has the audacity to stand figuratively naked in public. He admits his limitations, shenanigans, fantasies and hallucinations.

Many people will admit that they have the same limitations and quirks but they would never admit or make them public. Most people are hypocrites: They keep secret their demons and skeletons in their closets, so they applaud Digong for revealing his.

They agree and silently support Digong’s uncompromising war against corruption and the drug menace.

Yet, they also are aghast, disgusted, and outraged over the abuses of those implementing the president’s orders. The also cringe every time Digong comes out with unspeakable expletives. But they do not speak out their sentiments.

They simply keep secret their misgivings even as they feel ashamed of their implicit tolerance and cowardice.

The harsh and pointed criticisms heaped on the President have hardly dented his popularity and acceptance rating because most people do not agree with what are said or written about him. Many dismiss the criticisms as sour grapes.

There is no secret formula for the President’s immense popularity.

He simply says what the masses want him to say and does whatever they want him to do. If he made mistakes or failed to deliver, they can’t blame him. They can blame only themselves.

But how far and how effectively has President Duterte captured the imagination and admiration of many of our people? By making himself visible and always heard.

He has become a pure product of Turn to A5

German woman boxer fights to keep headscarf on

By Yannick Pasquet BERLIN boxer Zeina Nassar's fighting spirit has won her plenty of titles, but her battle to wear the hijab in the ring has also made her an equal opportunity champion.

Today, the 21-year-old, who discovered female boxing by watching online videos as a teenager, is a German amateur featherweight champion and dares to dream of Olympic glory.

Her path so far took all the determination she could muster, Nassar told AFP, sipping an iced coffee at a cafe in Berlin's Kreuzberg district, where she grew up.

"It was as if I had to prove twice as much because not only am I a woman who boxes, but I also wear the headscarf," she said, during a break between grueling training sessions.

"In the end it made me stronger,"

she laughed, her made-up face known to countless Instagram fans framed by a pastel-colored floral headscarf, sunglasses perched on top.

Next year's Tokyo Olympics and then the Paris Games in 2024 "are my great dream, my great goal," smiled the young woman.

That dream only came within reach in February, when the International Boxing Association amended its rules to allow Muslim boxers to wear a hijab and fully cover their bodies in the ring.

When it comes to qualifying, "now the prerequisites are the same for all," said Nassar, who in training and in competition wears the head covering as well as a full-length top and leggings.

"Only sporting performance should count. We must not be reduced to our external appearance."

'I'm super fast' Her list of achievements already includes six Berlin titles in the featherweight category, and the 2018 German Championship title.

In 24 official fights, Nassar, who weighs 57 kilos (125 pounds), recorded 18 victories, including one by KO, which is rare in this category.

"My boxing style is very unconventional but I'm super fast. It's my strength," she said, mimicking a few uppercuts and hooks.

"For my opponents it's very unpleasant to box against me," she laughed.

But for many years, the education and sociology student could not compete in international fights because of her attire.

This year, the German Boxing Federation, which had changed its own Turn to A5

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Opinion Largest project thing that the world’s biggest economies do. Ideally, there should be a train service linking these airports, which is also being pursued by the government. This complementation strategy was already part of the air HERE is a refined version of my transport roadmap from Day One. Wednesday’s column on San Miguel Rest assured, that’s what we are going AeroCity. to do,” Tugade pointed out.

It is the largest and greatest enterprise ever in the Philippines to be undertaken by any single company or group of companies in the nation’s The new airport history.

San Miguel Corp., the country’s will have four runways, largest and most diversified conglom- eight taxiways, three erate, was finally given the go-signal passenger terminal on Sept. 18 to proceed with the devel- buildings, including two opment and construction of its P735.6billion New Manila International Air- for low-cost carriers, port in Bulakan, a quaint 444-year-old and 180 gates. fishing and farming town, in historic Bulacan province.

Bulakan used to be the capital of Bulacan and also of nearby Pampanga The project of San Miguel Aerocprovince. So Ramon Ang’s putting up ity Inc., SMC’s wholly-owned airport NMIA in the 444-year-old town (pop. subsidiary, does not just involve land 77,000) will in effect rewrite history, development, and the construction making Bulakan not only the virtual and operation of an airport. capital of Bulacan and Pampanga provThe long-term strategy includes inces but of the entire Central Luzon the construction of no less than 22 region, the nation’s richest region. expressways over a 10-year period Bulakan town is about 22 kms from or longer. The scheme is called Manila, the national capital, with kil- the NMIA Integrated Multi-Modal ometer zero at Rizal Park. From Lu- Transport Network. neta, the drive is about 9 kms away to Aerocity is aimed to attract 30-milNinoy Aquino International Airport. lion tourists yearly beginning 2025 So the distance between Bulakan (from the present 7.1 million), drastitown to NAIA is just 31 kms. cally lower the cost of travel within “NMIA will be the game chang- the archipelago (a return ticket from er,” declared Ramon Ang, SMC Manila to the Visayas costs $500 bevice chairman, president and chief cause of runway congestion and trafoperating officer, upon the signing fic at NAIA), and contribute up to of the 62-page 50-year concession P1.5 trillion to the Gross Domestic agreement midmorning of Wednes- Product (GDP or the total output of day, Sept. 18, at the headquarters of goods and services). the Department of Transportation in To me, the most important impact Clark Freeport Zone. is that the Philippines will recapOn behalf of the national gov- ture its sense and spirit of greaternment, DOTr Secretary Arthur ness, the imagination and capacity Tugade signed the SMC concession to build grand things for the benefit agreement. The contract comes of many, so that Filipinos during the with a notice to proceed or notice next decade will proudly march in to commence which was given the cadence, with the best of people in same day. this world. Indeed, 500 years ago DOTr Secretary Tugade said mul- and until the 20th century, the Philtiple airports like NAIA, Clark and ippines was the center of the world NMIA would benefit the public. “Let and Filipinos were the envy of their it be a battle of commercial com- neighbors in Asia. petitiveness,” he said on Wednesday.

The 22 expressways will cover as “Having multiple airports is some- far north as Laoag (Ilocos Norte) and

as far south as Matnog (Sorsogon).

RSA will build an expressway loop from north to south, west and east of Luzon, easily a distance of more than 1,000 kms. and back, by connecting major airports and ports, from Poro Point in La Union to Bataan, Subic in Zambales to Clark in Pampanga and Tarlac, to Port Area Manila, NAIA in Pasay, Batangas port, and Matnog port which is a jump-off point to Visayas cities.

RSA will be redrawing the road network of Luzon, creating a new government center, new business districts, industrial estates, commercial areas, and residential districts, in the process redistributing population, agriculture, industries, jobs, and economic opportunities.

RSA’s airport is audacious for its size and cost. Total cost is P735.6 billion. Initial cost is P550 billion. The performance bond alone is P10.98 billion. The debt entailed with the project: P94 billion.

The first phase of NMIA will have two independent parallel runways (2.6-km to 3.5-km long) that can handle 80 aircraft movements per hour, two taxiways, and annual capacity of 35 million passengers. It will have three aprons suitable for 180 aircraft gates or stands. The terminal building will have a footprint of 16.5 hectares plus a cargo terminal of 3.5 hectares footprint. First phase will have 3+3-lane access road, expandable to 6+6 or 12 lanes.

With NMIA’s first phase is an 8-km toll road from NLEX to Bulakan, Bulacan. The first phase will cost P544.572 billion.

At a cost of P76.42 billion, the second phase increases capacity to 60 million (at 92 movements per hour) and is triggered once arrivals hit 21 million annually. The final phase is 100-million passenger capacity with runway rating of 105 movements per hour. The third phase will cost P114.636 billion. Total cost of NMIA after all three phases are done: P735.63 billion.

When fully completed after six years, NMIA will have four runways, eight taxiways, three passenger terminal buildings, including two for low-cost carriers, and 180 gates.

pics prohibiting the display of any political, religious or racial symbols.

"Even if the boxing association, like most federations, has given in, the Olympic Charter has not changed," argued Annie Sugier, president of the International Women's Rights League.

Criticizing the participation in the Olympics of countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia whose sportswomen have to be covered "from head to toe," Sugier called hijabs in sports "sexual apartheid."

In France in April, Iranian female boxer Sadaf Khadem won her first official fight dressed in shorts and a vest.

Nassar is a brand ambassador for US sportswear maker Nike, which has been marketing a sports hijab for nearly two years.

The female boxer, who is very active on social media, has become a role model for young Muslim women in particular.

"If you want to get to the top, you have to fight," read a recent message by the boxer.

"Nothing is simply a gift. Accepting challenges and growing beyond them.

And don't forget to smile."

Before leaving the cafe, she posted a new picture of herself on Instagram and told AFP: "I want to show people that anything is possible if you fight for it."

Nassar's picture was also used in a poster campaign to mark the 70th anniversary of the German constitution, the Basic Law. It promoted Article 4, which states that "the undisturbed practice of religion shall be guaranteed." AFP

German...

From A4

rules in 2013, put forward Nassar for the European Under-22 Championships, which however barred her due to her outfit.

Nassar, who also speaks Arabic and regularly travels to Lebanon, her parents' country of origin, said it never occurred to her to take off her hijab for boxing.

"Why should I have done that?" she said. "For me it has always been clear that I would fight with my headscarf."

In Germany, the wearing of the headscarf tends to be widely accepted on the grounds of religious freedom.

Critics The fight isn't won yet, however.

The Berliner's Olympic ambitions, like those of other sportswomen wearing the headscarf, run up against critics who brandish a rule for the Olym-

Duterte’s..

From A4

media hype.

There is no day that he is not in the headlines. His name appears many times in the front and inside pages of all newspapers. His name is mentioned in newscasts on radio stations and his scowling image is seen on television screens throughout the day and far into the wee hours.

But who should get the credit for this outstandingly successful media hype for a sitting president who. after three years, still feels uncomfortable in the presidential chair and who publicly admits failure in his war against corruption and the drug menace?

President Duterte himself. He created his own image of himself. No

Modest fashion Despite the controversy surrounding the hijab in some Western countries, sportswear giants have already begun offering less skin-revealing clothes to cash in on the "modest fashion" market, which is now worth hundreds of millions of euros.

one among his media advisers deserve credit for his unprecedented popularity. He has been changing his media handlers because none was able to blunt the criticisms against him. They didn’t know what to say or do because he did not bother to tell them what to do or say anyway. They often just describe what they thought was what the President was thinking.

President Duterte has been his own media adviser and handler. That’s why he remains misunderstood, exasperating, frustrating, controversial and a puzzlement. Nicolo Machiavelli can learn many tricks from him.

From the time he won the presidency, he has made himself the unchallenged leader of the country. He installed himself high above everyone else. He doesn’t even want anyone to be too close or taller than he is.

Right after winning the presiden-

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019

A5

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Dance star joins flight-shaming movement

By Rana Moussaoui / Fiachra Gibbons THE French choreographer Jerome Bel caused a stir Thursday by saying that he had stopped taking flights and was turning his back on the "artistic jet set."

The enfant terrible of French dance told AFP that he would also be boycotting work by artists who flew or did not make an effort to combat climate change.

He is one of a number of art and theater stars who are now refusing to travel by plane for performances and rehearsals, including the acclaimed British director Katie Mitchell.

Just like Hollywood stars, major performance artists and directors are globetrotters, who can clock up millions of air miles.

Bel said that neither he nor his dance company would be taking a plane again.

"We cannot keep destroying the planet as we are doing," he said.

For his new show, "Isadora Duncan", which is opening both in Paris—where he lives—and in the US, he had to work with his dancer in New York by Skype.

"There will therefore be two versions of the piece: One which will tour in Europe and one in the US, and both will travel by train," Bel added.

He said the experience had pushed him to be even more radical.

"Like Greta Thunberg [the teenage Swedish environmental campaigner], I am going to boycott dance companies who continue to pollute," he told AFP. "How can you trust a choreographer or a company which contributes to global warming?" he added.

I was watching hell The "flight shaming" movement —which is trying to make frequent flying less socially acceptable—began in Sweden, where a concert hall in Helsingborg has become one of the first in the world to only book musicians and orchestras who agree to travel by train.

Bel said while watching a "not very interesting" show in Vienna recently, he "began to calculate the carbon

footprint of what was going on in front of me: all the international trips the dancers had to take, the decor, the technicians etc...

"And I realized I was watching hell—I was watching the ice melting, the homes ravaged by storms, the millions of climate refugees who were going to have miserable lives," he added.

A British government study published Wednesday found that just one percent of people in England were responsible for nearly a fifth of the country's international air travel.

It also discovered that the top 10 percent of frequent flyers took more than half of all overseas flights last year.

Movie stars have come under increasing scrutiny about the gap between their lifestyles and their stance on climate change.

DiCaprio 'carbon neutral' British actress Emma Thompson was pilloried by some commentators in April for flying 8,700 kilometers (5,400 miles) from Los Angeles to take part in an Extinction Rebellion march in London.

Leonardo DiCapro, who has produced the documentary "The 11th Hour" warning of climate change and the new film "Ice on Fire" championing possible solutions, admitted he was responsible for more than 100 tons of greenhouse gases over a decade.

The Oscar winner said he is having trees planted in Mexico to offset that carbon footprint and has been investing in green energy projects.

DiCaprio said he is now lives a carbon-neutral life and tries to fly on commercial airlines if he has no option but to fly.Bel said he had a eureka moment last winter when was adjusting the heating in his Paris apartment to trying to "save as much energy as possible."

Then he realized that at the same time his four assistants were flying to Hong Kong and Lima to help with the staging of his shows.

"That's when I realized I was being a hypocrite, that I was lying to myself, that my life was like a bad play," he said. AFP

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cy, he dispensed with all traditional civility and protocol to assert and establish his political dominance and ascendancy. He was not present in his own proclamation.

He holed himself up in his house and forced his supporters, well-wishers, and favor-seekers to make a pilgrimage to Davao City to pay homage to the new political kingpin.

From then on, he did what he wanted to do and said what he wanted to say and didn’t give a damn—whatever the consequences, whatever others may say.

Disdainful, vindictive, and at times arrogant, Digong denigrated the vice president, ousted the chief justice, jailed a female senator, distanced himself from a Senate president and did not lift a finger to save a House speaker.

How are we now under Duterte?

The Divisive...

From A4

from the pulpit, then I must be in the wrong profession. Thanks for the likes of Atienza who can do this without anyone pointing an accusing finger at him. *** Atienza said there are many other priority measures in the House that Congress should devote more time to instead of the divisive divorce bill. He cited how the House railroaded the trillion-peso national budget without giving time for debate and questions from the few opposition lawmakers that included him.

“As it is, the lower chamber can now be called the Department of Loyal House Members,” said Atienza, one of seven lawmakers who refused to keep silent on Malacañang-certified bills. The new budget includes additional funding for lawmakers who

How President Duterte will steer the ship of state in the next three years will be crucial and critical. His immense popularity is a valuable political capital which will prop up his regime up to the end of his term. It can even be inherited by whomever he chooses to succeed him.

Digong has already paid his debts to those who bankrolled his campaign. We can expect him to be more aggressive and decisive. He will endeavor to leave a lasting legacy in public service, hopefully more outstanding and lasting than those who preceded him.

Most of our former presidents failed to promote the progress of our country because they had no sincere love for our people and nor a deep concern for their welfare.

Digong promised to deliver what his predecessors failed to fulfill.

voted to pass it without scrutiny.

President Rodrigo Duterte and his acolytes in the House insist there are no pork barrel insertions in the new budget. While there is a strong aversion to eating pork these days because of the African Swine Fever affecting the local pig-raising industry, many congressmen welcome pork barrel in their district to ensure their reelection and perpetuate their political dynasties.

Such is the cycle of political life in this country. The entrenched politicians continue their dominance and rule over the masses while stifling the emergence of a new breed of public officials who can really provide meaningful change in society.

Will we see a real leader get elected in 2022, a president who will start a revolution from the top? If that sounds like harking back to the Marcos regime, then President Duterte did so himself when he said that “Marcos imposed martial law to save democracy.” His words, not mine.

They believed him because he sounded more sincere and different.

He identified himself with the people and shared with their frustrations and anger. He made himself a maverick, ready to lead the people in a war against privilege and the establishment.

With the still-strong and continuing support of most of our people, he can make a big difference.

Many people are proud of Digong for being a simple and common man who became president with modest credentials and limited knowledge in running the affairs of the biggest corporation owned by over 100-million citizens.

They believe that if only he will be less irreverent, less vindictive, and a bit more civil and forgiving, Rodrigo Roa Duterte can become a great president.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

Republic of the Philippines

2016 to 2020 to allow the recovery of the CAPEX incurred relative to the FMEs Typhoon Lando in Luzon and sabotage incidents in Mindanao pending the reset process for the Transmission Services for the Fourth Regulatory Period.

TODAY ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

21. Considering that an FM Pass-Through Amounts are not included in NGCP’s Final Determination for any regulatory period, the proposed FM Pass-Through Amounts can be recovered pursuant to Section 10.1.1 of the RTWR where NGCP is allowed to recover the cost incurred for the repair, restoration, and rehabilitation of damage sustained by its transmission assets and other related facilities as a result of an FME. A copy of the FM Pass-Through Amount Computation is attached in the said Application.

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF THE NATIONAL GRID CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES FOR THE APPROVAL OF FORCE MAJEURE EVENT REGUlATED FM PASS-THROUGH FOR TYPHOON LANDO IN LUZON AND SABOTAGE INCIDENTS IN MINDANAO, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RULES FOR SETTING TRANSMISSION WHEELING RATES, WITH PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY ERC CASE NO. 2016-179 RC

22. Further, the FM Pass-Through Amounts in this Application will not breach the Force Majeure Threshold Amount (FMTA) of PhP0.0341/kWh in accordance with the RTWR. A copy of the FMTA Computation is attached in the said Application.

23. Also, NGCP considered the NFAV of the transmission assets and other related facilities damaged by the FMEs Typhoon Lando in Luzon and sabotage incidents in Mindanao given that NGCP would have normally fully recovered the return of capital on said assets for the duration of their economic lives had these assets not been damaged or destroyed by said FMEs.

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

JUSTIFICATION FOR THE ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 07 October 2016, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) filed an Application dated 03 October 2016 seeking the approval of its Force Majeure (FM) event regulated FM pass through for typhoon Lando in Luzon and sabotage incidents in Mindanao in accordance with the Rules for Setting Transmission Wheeling Rates (RSTWR), with prayer for provisional authority.

In its Application, NGCP alleged, among others, the following: 1.

2.

3.

NGCP is a corporation created and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at NGCP Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City.

It is the concessionaire which assumed the power transmission functions of the National Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO ) pursuant to Republic Act No. (RA) 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA).

Under RA 9511, NGCP was granted a franchise to construct, install, finance, manage, improve, expand, operate, maintain, rehabilitate, repair and refurbish the present nationwide transmission system of the Republic of the Philippines.

On 15 January 2009, NGCP assumed the transmission functions of TRANSCO, including the operation, management and maintenance of the nationwide electrical grid.

A. Typhoon Lando in Luzon

5.

From 14 to 21 October 2015, Typhoon Lando was inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) with maximum winds of 185 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of 220 kph. Due to its rains and gusty winds, NGCP’s transmission assets and other related facilities in Luzon were damaged causing widespread power interruption over the area. A copy of the Certification dated 18 January 2016 issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (P AGASA) is attached in the said Application.

In compliance with Article X of the Rules for the Setting of Transmission Wheeling Rates (RTWR) , NGCP filed with this Honorable Commission a Force Majeure Event (FME) Notice dated 12 January 2016, a copy of which is attached in the said Application.

Sabotage Incidents in Mindanao

6.

7.

8.

9.

On 9 October 2015, sabotage incidents occurred in Pikit, Cotabato, causing damage to NGCP’s transmission assets and other related facilities in Mindanao. Copies of the Investigation Report dated 10 October 2015 issued by Pikit Municipal Police Station and After Clearing Report dated 21 October 2015 issued by the 6th Infantry (K) Division of the Philippines Army in Pikit North Cotabato are attached in the said Application.

In compliance with Article X of the RTWR, NGCP filed with this Honorable Commission an FME Notice dated 3 November 2015, a copy of which is attached in the Application. In response thereto, the Honorable Commission issued an Acknowledgment Letter dated 3 December 2015, a copy of which is attached hereto as Annex “F.” Further, on or about 29 October 2015, sabotage incidents occurred in Marinaut, Islamic City of Marawi, causing damage to NGCP’s transmission assets and other related facilities in Mindanao. Copies of the Memorandum Report dated 29 October 2015 issued by Marawi City Police Station and Investigative Report dated 28 January 2016 issued by the NGCP District 2 Security are attached in the said Application.

In compliance with Article X of the RTWR, NGCP filed with this Honorable Commission an FME Notice dated 27 January 2016, a copy of which is attached hereto as Annex “I.” In response thereto, the Honorable Commission issued an Acknowledgment Letter dated 29 February 2016, a copy of which is attached in the said Application.

10. Immediately after the devastation of Typhoon Lando in Luzon and sabotage incidents in Mindanao, NGCP started the repair, restoration and rehabilitation of its damaged transmission assets and other related facilities in order to restore transmission service to its customers and the public. As a result, NGCP incurred additional costs for the repair, restoration and rehabilitation of the said damaged transmission assets.

FORCE MAJEURE EVENT CLAIM 11. Under Section 1.3(a) of the RTWR, an FME is defined as a “typhoon, storm, tropical depression, flood, drought, volcanic eruption, earthquake, tidal wave or landslide; or an act of public enemy, war (declared or undeclared), sabotage, blockade, revolution, riot, insurrection, civil commotion or any violent or threatening actions.”

12. Lando was categorized by PAGASA as a “Typhoon” in its Certification dated 18 January 2016. On the other hand, the bombing incidents in Mindanao are clearly acts of sabotage considering that unknown perpetrators unlawfully destroyed NGCP’s transmission assets using improvised explosive devices.

Therefore, Typhoon Lando and the sabotage incidents in Mindanao fall within the definition of an FME in accordance with Section 1.3 of the RTWR. 13. Pursuant to Section 10.1.1 of the same RTWR, NGCP is allowed to recover the cost it incurred in the repair, restoration, and rehabilitation of its transmission assets and other related facilities damaged by Typhoon Lando in Luzon and sabotage incidents in Mindanao through an FM Pass-Through Amount (FM PTA).

14. Within three (3) months after the occurrence of Typhoon Lando in Luzon and sabotage incidents in Mindanao, NGCP filed before the Honorable Commission FME Notices dated 12 January 2016, 3 November 2015 and 27 January 2016, pursuant to Sections 10.2.1 and 10.2.2 of the RTWR. 15. Thereafter, within twelve (12) months after the occurrence of the FME Typhoon Lando in Luzon and sabotage incidents in Mindanao, NGCP hereby files the instant FME Application, in accordance with Sections 10.2.1 and 10.2.3 of the RTWR. FM PASS-THROUGH AMOUNT COMPUTATION 16. It must be noted that NGCP has not recovered any amount from its Industrial All-Risk (IAR) Insurance Policy procured from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for the year 2015 as compensation for the damage and cost it incurred in the repair, restoration and rehabilitation of the transmission assets and other related facilities damaged by the FMEs Typhoon Lando in Luzon and sabotage incidents in Mindanao. Thus, it is but proper for NGCP to file the instant FME Claim Application to recover the cost it incurred for the repair, restoration and rehabilitation of its transmission assets and other related facilities damaged by the FMEs Typhoon Lando in Luzon and sabotage incidents in Mindanao.

17. The cost NGCP incurred as additional FME Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operating Expenditure (OPEX) for the repair, restoration and rehabilitation of its transmission assets and other related facilities damaged by Typhoon Lando in Luzon and sabotage incidents in Mindanao is Thirteen Million Four Hundred Forty-Eight Thousand, Ten Pesos and Eighty-Seven Centavos (PhP13,448,010.87).

18. Further, the recoverable value or the Net Fixed Asset Value (NFAV) of the assets destroyed by Typhoon Lando in Luzon is Two Million One Hundred Eighty-Four Thousand, Seventy-One Pesos and Thirty Centavos (PhP2,184,071.30). The summary of the expenses is shown in the table below: FME/REGION Typhoon Lando Sabotage Incidents In Mindanao TOTAL

FME OPEX/ NFAV CAPEX (In PhP) 6,850,454.97 2,184,071.30 6,597,555.90

-

13,448,010.87 2,184,071.30

Total 9,034,526.27 6,597,555.90 15,632,082.17

19. NGCP proposes the FM Pass-Through Amounts, in P/kW-month, as additional network charges in Luzon and Mindanao starting the billing period of November 2016 to December 2020, or until such time that the amounts incurred are fully recovered, computed as shown in the tables below: Luzon

25. NGCP needs to immediately recover the actual expenses incurred for the repair, restoration and rehabilitation of the damaged transmission assets and other related facilities. It must be emphasized that the rehabilitation of the assets damaged by the aforementioned FMEs in Luzon and Mindanao required capital infusion, the recovery of which should be allowed immediately in order to avoid any financial strain in the operation of NGCP and to allow the continuous provision of transmission service to the grid customers.

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

27. A copy of the Judicial Affidavit of Agnes F. Dela Cruz, Head, Tariff Design and Billing Management Division, Revenue and Regulatory Affairs, in support of the instant Application, is attached in the said Application.

28. Lastly, in compliance with Rule 6 of this Honorable Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, NGCP’s compliance with prefiling requirements for the instant application is attached in the said Application.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

4.

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

P/kW-mo.

P/kWh

2016 0.23 0.00044

2017 0.01 0.00002

2018 0.01 0.00002

2019 0.01 0.00002

2020 0.01 0.00002

Mindanao P/kW-mo.

P/kWh

2016 0.54 0.0011

2017 0.05 0.0001

2018 0.05 0.0001

2019 0.05 0.0001

2020 0.04 0.0001

20. NGCP proposes the FM Pass-Through Amounts for the years

PRAYER WHEREFORE, it is most respectfully prayed of this Honorable Commission to: 1.

DECLARE Typhoon Lando in Luzon and sabotage incidents in Mindanao as Force Majeure Events (FMEs);

2.

Immediately GRANT Provisional Approval to implement and bill the following FM Pass-Through Amounts to Luzon and Mindanao customers starting November 2016 billing month to December 2020 billing month or until such time that the amount incurred is fully recovered:

Luzon P/kW-mo.

P/kWh Mindanao P/kW-mo.

P/kWh

2016 0.23 0.00044

2017 0.01 0.00002

2018 0.01 0.00002

2019 0.01 0.00002

2020 0.01 0.00002

2016 0.54 0.0011

2017 0.05 0.0001

2018 0.05 0.0001

2019 0.05 0.0001

2020 0.04 0.0001

3.

APPROVE the CAPEX and OPEX amounting to PhP13,448,010.87 incurred by NGCP for the repair, restoration and rehabilitation of the damaged transmission assets and other related facilities due to FMEs Typhoon Lando in Luzon and sabotage incidents in Mindanao;

4.

APPROVE, after due notice and hearing, the proposed FM PassThrough Amounts to be collected from the Luzon and Mindanao customers starting November 2016 billing month to December 2020 billing month or until such time that the amounts incurred are fully recovered, as follows:

Luzon P/kW-mo.

P/kWh Mindanao P/kW-mo.

P/kWh

2016 0.23 0.00044

2017 0.01 0.00002

2018 0.01 0.00002

2019 0.01 0.00002

2020 0.01 0.00002

2016 0.54 0.0011

2017 0.05 0.0001

2018 0.05 0.0001

2019 0.05 0.0001

2020 0.04 0.0001

5.

APPROVE and ALLOW the recovery of the Net Fixed Asset Value of the transmission assets and other related facilities damaged by the FMEs Typhoon Lando in Luzon amounting to PhP2,184,071.30, given that it would have been fully recovered

by NGCP if these transmission assets and other related facilities have not been damaged or destroyed by the said FMEs; and

6.

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

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

On 05 April 2017, the Commission issued an Order and a Notice of Public Hearing, both dated 22 March 2017, setting the Application for the determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, and expository presentation for Luzon on 07 June 2017; expository presentation for Mindanao on 19 June 2017; and Pre-trial Conference and presentation of evidence on 21 June 2017.

However, on 05 May 2017 filed its Motion to Reset of even date stating therein the unavailability of its witnesses on the scheduled hearing dates and the improbability of completing the compilation of its documentary evidence on time for the scheduled hearing due to the voluminous documents involved.

IN VIEW THEREOF, the instant Application is hereby set anew for the determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, Pre-trial Conference and presentation of evidence on the following dates: Date and Time

Venue

Hearing Coverage

08 October 2019 ERC Hearing Room Jurisdictional (Tuesday) at ten o’clock 15th Floor, Pacific and Expository in the morning Center Bldg. San Presentation for Luzon (10:00 A.M.) Miguel Ave. Pasig City 16 October 2019 ERC Mindanao Field Expository (Wednesday) at two Office Mintrade Bldg.

Presentation for o’clock in the afternoon Monteverde Ave. cor.

Mindanao (2:00 P.M.) Sales St. Davao City 23 October 2019 ERC Hearing Room Pre-trial Conference (Wednesday) at two 15th Floor, Pacific and Presentation of o’clock in the afternoon Center Bldg. San Evidence (2:00 P.M.) Miguel Ave. Pasig City All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following: 1) The petitioner’s name and address; 2) The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and 3) A statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file their Opposition or Comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before Applicant rests its case, subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following: 1) The name and address of such person; 2) A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and 3) The grounds relied upon.

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

WITNESS, the Honorable Commissioners ALEXIS M. LUMBATAN, CATHERINE P. MACEDA and PAUL CHRISTIAN M. CERVANTES, Energy Regulatory Commission, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 10th day of September 2019 in Pasig City.

JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT Oversight Commissioner for Legal

(MS-SEPT. 20 & 27, 2019)

News A6

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DOLE cancels HK ‘midnight deal’ of labor exec, firm

By Vito Barcelo

L

ABOR Secretary Silvestre Bello III ordered the cancellation of what he called a "midnight deal" entered into by a recalled labor official in Hong Kong and a supplier of an online system for reporting and processing of overseas Filipino workers in the former British colony.

The decision came following an investigation into the reported irregularities in the procurement of the database system from Polaris Tools Ltd. which was found to be done without public bidding in grave disregard of the procedures of the Philippine procurement law.

Bello also ordered a formal probe of former Hong Kong Labor Attaché Jalilo de la Torre to establish his administrative and criminal liability.

Last month, Bello constituted a fact-finding team to look into issues involving POLO officials and systems providers Employeasy Limited and Polaris Tools, both computer systems providers in Hong Kong.

Undersecretary Claro Arellano, head of the fact-finding team, noted that the previous database system used by POLO Hong Kong from 2009 to 2018, which is provided by Employeasy had no authority from the then DOLE secretary.

Also, there were no documents that would show the conduct of bidding to replace the expired contract of Employeasy Limited with the supposed new service provider Polaris Tools, indicating “manifest haste and lack of transparency attendant to the said bidding,” he added.

FIREFIGHTING. Firefighters put out a fire which gutted rows of apartments along Sylvia St. in San Marcelino, Ermita, Manila on Thursday. Norman Cruz

Grenade-toting Maute ‘terrorist’ convicted

By Rey E. Requejo THE Quezon City Regional Trial Court has sentenced an alleged Maute terrorist for reclusion perpetua or a maximum of 40 years in imprisonment after he was found guilty of illegal possession of a hand grenade.

In a 20-page decision, Presiding Judge Eleuterio Bathan of Quezon City RTC Branch 92 junked the defense of accused Unday Macadato that the case against him should have been dismissed considering that his arrest was illegal due to lack of a valid warrant of arrest issued by a court and that he is not Unday Macadato.

The lower court said that Macadato’s arrest was legal because he was caught “in flagrante” (in the act of doing something wrong) loading his pistol and then inserting the pistol in a body bag in his possession.

“His warrantless arrest was legal, because at the time of the warrantless arrest, accused Unday was executing an overt act indicating that he was actually committing an offense done in the presence and within the view

of the arresting officer, and that is loading his pistol and thereafter inserted said pistol in his body bag,” the decision stated.

The trial court also explained that the discovery and confiscation of the Grenade Hand Frag M26A1 and the black flag/handkerchief with ISIS logo is justified under the concept of warrantless search incidental to a lawful warrantless arrest.

“As regards accused line of defense that his warrantless arrest was illegal and nothing was taken from him during his arrest is of no moment and will not hold water. His claim that nothing was taken from him during the arrest is unbelievable. From his very testimony, he claimed that a driver’s license was taken from him. He is not telling the truth, because according to him, his driver’s license was taken from him by the arresting officers,” the lower court said.

Macadato alias Solaiman Omar was arrested without a warrant in Cubao on May 7, 2018 after locals reported he was boasting about his connection to the Maute terror group, which was responsible for the bloody Marawi siege in 2017.

Dismiss Rappler’s plea on Palace ban, SC asked THE Office of the Solicitor General on Thursday urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the petition filed by online news website Rappler seeking to invalidate the action of Malacañang banning its reporters from covering the events of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The OSG, through Solicitor General Jose Calida, argued that Rappler failed to show that there was curtailment of the press because despite the alleged ban, they were still able to cover the events of the President.

“Rappler attempted to portray this case in their news reports as an alarming threat to press freedom. However, the petition miserably failed to present any genuine issue on the alleged abridgment of free press,” the OSG said in a statement.

The OSG submitted to the SC its consolidated comment to the petition for certiorari and prohibition filed by Rappler reporters Patricia Marie Ranada, Mara Alyssabel Cepeda, Raymon Dullana, Franklin Cimatu, Mauricio Victa, Camille Kristina Elemia, Ralf Martin Rivas, Baltazar Espinosa Lagsa and Rappler Inc. Named as respondents in the petition are the Office of the President, Office of the Executive Secretary, the Presidential Communications Operations Office, Media Accreditation Regulatory Office, and the Presidential Security Group.

The OSG said the undeniable facts that the Securities and Exchange Commission, in a decision dated Jan. 11, 2018, revoked Rappler’s certificate of incorporation for allegedly violating the foreign equity restriction for mass media under the Constitution.

With the SEC’s decision, the International Press Center denied Rappler’s Malacañang reporter Ranada’s application for renewal of her media accreditation when it expired last December 2017.

As a consequence, the MARO denied Ranada physical access in all events attended by the Chief Executive.

OSG argued that under the IPC and MARO accreditation rules, a legitimate media entity must be accredited in order to cover the President. Even the Malacañang Press Corps by-laws require, among others, that to be a member of the MPC, it must be duly-recognized by the PCOO as a bona fide media organization, dulyaccredited by the IPC and duly-registered at the SEC. Rey E. Requejo

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

Red Lions stay unbeaten T

By Peter Atencio

HE trio of Donald Tankoua, Calvin Oftana and James Canlas provided crucial numbers in the fourth period as the San Beda Red Lions fought their way out of a sticky situation yesterday the FilOilFlying V Sports Center in San Juan.

Their efforts in the last 10 minutes allowed the Red Lions to finally gain some distance and stop the University of Perpetual Help Altas, 75-62, and stay unbeaten in the 95th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.

As the Red Lions shifted to a zone defense, Tankoua scored on a putback in the remaining eight minutes and gave San Beda a 53-46 edge.

Oftana then scored on an assist by Tankoua, followed by a triple off Canlas’ pass in the last 6:43 as San Beda saw itself taking a 13-point spread, 59-43, one of their biggest leads since the start of the game. ìMatigas kasi ulo ko. We stuck to our defense. I had pride in my players playing one-on-one with their players,î said Red Lions’ coach Boyet Fernandez.

The Red Lions, who still played within their average of 44 percent field goals, drew 17 points each from Oftana and Tankoua, who also had a game-high 12 rebounds, while Canlas shot 16.

San Beda, which had nothing at stake in the game, marched to their 14th straight win, with the game serving as their preparation for the Final Four now that they have secured the no. 1 seeding.

The Philippine womenís softball team

Blu Girls stun New Zealand, 1-0 THE Philippine womenís softball team engaged the higher-ranked New Zealand squad into a defensive game and prevailed, 1-0, to earn a spot in the Super Round (final four) at the WBSC Softball Asia/Oceania Qualifier on Thursday at the Shanghai Chongming Sports Training Center.

With the score tied at zero-all in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Blu Girls committed back-to-back catching errors and barely missed a double play in the next play to send New Zealandís Mareana Makea in scoring position at third base.

But pitcher Ann Antolihao struck

out Hailey Breakwell to close the inning and save the day for the Cebuana Lhuillier-backed Blu Girls.

Both teams, however, failed to score in the seventh inning and the International Tie Break rule for softball was applied.

In the eighth inning, outfielder Chelsea Suitos hit a single to right field that sent Sierra Lang home, giving the Philippines a 1-0 lead.

The Blu Girls continued to play well defensively in the bottom of the eighth inning and prevented the No. 11 ranked New Zealand from scoring until the final out.

A7

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

UP, Ateneo bets gain semis UNIVERSITY of the Philippines’ Patricia Velez and Nica Alanis forged a ìBattle of Katipunanî with Melanie Dizon and unranked Jana Pages of Ateneo as the neighborhood rivals barged into the semifinals of the PPS-PEPP Actifit National Students Open at the KCDA Actifit Sports Center in Valenzuela City last weekend.

The top seeded Velez routed National Uís Annie Tumanda, 6-1, 6-1, repulsed Danna Abad, also of NU, 7-6(2), 3-6, 10-5, before subduing La Salleís Arianne Nillasca, 6-4, 6-3, to clinch the first Final Four slot in womenís singles of the inaugural all-students tournament presented by MCF Global and backed

by Kap. Eli Demafelis.

The No. 2 Dizon ripped St. Paul Pasigís Jada Custodio, 6-1, 6-0,

blasted teammate Bettina Bautista, 6-2, 6-3, then eased out USTís Ma. Patricia Lim, 6-3, 6-2, to seal a semis duel with the fifth-ranked Alanis in the lower half of the 64-player draw of the event sanctioned the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Tobyís, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg. Alanis survived Ateneoís Nicole Amistad, 2-6, 6-3, 10-8, then toppled No. 4 Mikaela Vicencio of La Salle, 6-3, 7-5, to stay in the hunt while Pages worked her way past UPís Lucy Inalvez, 6-1, 6-1, stunned teammate and No. 5 Carmen So, 6-1, 6-1, then turned back Woodrose Schoolís Nina Sandejas, 3-6, 6-2, 10-8, to storm into the Last 4 against the fancied Velez.

Manila

Standard

TODAY

FIRST INVITATION TO BID for the Supply and Delivery of Line Hardwares and Construction of Line Extension for Three (3) NHA Yolanda Permanent Resettlement projects FOR THE BUSUANGA ISLAND ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BISELCO) Public Bidding No. 19-003 Source of Funding: NHA Yolanda Permanent Resettlement Sites Subsidy BISELCO invites suppliers to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder list of items:

Item/Description

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)

Construction and Delivery Completion Period

Labor and Materials Cost for Line Extension for Three (3) NHA Yolanda Permanent Resettlement projects

₱ 6,978,322.21

40 days from issuance of Notice to Proceed

The schedule of bidding activities are as follows: ACTIVITIES

Heading headin Heading heading heading heading heading heading headin heading headin

SCHEDULE

Pre-Bid Conference

October 8, 2019 9:00 a.m. BISELCO Conference Room

Deadline for Receipt Bids/ Opening of Bids

October 17, 2019, 9:00 a.m. BISELCO Conference Room

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184 otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

The complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased at the BISELCO Office upon payment of non-refundable fee of Five Thousand (5,000.00).

The Pre-Bid Conference shall be open to all interested parties; however, only those who have purchased the Bidding Documents may participate in the discussion at said conference. Non-ttendance to pre-bid conference will result to disqualification.

The Pre-Bid Conference, Submission and Opening of Bids shall be held at BISELCO Office, Conference Room, Mabentangen Rd., Brgy. Poblacion 6, Coron, Palawan.

The bidders shall drop their duly accomplished eligibility requirements, technical and financial proposals in two separate sealed envelopes in the bid box located at the abovementioned address.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from BISELCO BAC Secretariat with CP # 09274483532 during office hours.

BISELCO reserves the right to waive any formality in the responses to the eligibility requirements and to this invitation. BISELCO further reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, or declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract, and makes no assurance that contract shall be entered into as a result of this invitation without thereby incurring any liability in accordance with Republic Act No. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.

(SGD.) ENGR. SELWIN Y. ALILI BBAC Chairman Noted by (SGD.) RUTH L. GALANG General Manager

(MS-SEPT. 27 , 2019)

SECOND INVITATION TO BID for the Construction, Supply and Delivery of Line Extension and Housewiring Twenty-Four (24) Sitios FOR THE BUSUANGA ISLAND ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BISELCO) Public Bidding No. 19-002 Source of Funding: 2019 SEP Subsidy BISELCO invites suppliers to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder list of items: Item/Description

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)

Construction and Delivery Completion Period

Construction of Line Extension and Supply and Delivery line Hardwares for Twenty-Four (24) Sitios

₱ 22,445,979.37

90 days from issuance of Notice to Proceed

Housewiring Installation and Supply and Delivery of Houswiring Materials for Twenty(24) Four Sitios.

₱ 2,361,897.46

60 days from issuance of Notice to Proceed

The schedule of bidding activities are as follows: ACTIVITIES

SCHEDULE

Pre-Bid Conference

October 8, 2019 2:00 p.m.

BISELCO Conference Room

Deadline for Receipt Bids/Opening of Bids

October 17, 2019, 2:00 p.m.

BISELCO Conference Room

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184 otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

The complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased at the BISELCO Office upon payment of non-refundable fee of Twenty Thousand (PhP 20,000.00) for Lot 1 and Five Thousand (5,000.00) for Lot 2 The Pre-Bid Conference shall be open to all interested parties; however, only those who have purchased the Bidding Documents may participate in the discussion at said conference. Except for Bidders interested only on lot 2, non-attendance to pre-bid conference will result to disqualification.

The Pre-Bid Conference, Submission and Opening of Bids shall be held at BISELCO Office, Conference Room, Mabentangen Rd., Brgy. Poblacion 6, Coron, Palawan.

The bidders shall drop their duly accomplished eligibility requirements, technical and financial proposals in two separate sealed envelopes in the bid box located at the abovementioned address.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from BISELCO BAC Secretariat with CP # 09274483532 during office hours.

BISELCO reserves the right to waive any formality in the responses to the eligibility requirements and to this invitation. BISELCO further reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, or declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract, and makes no assurance that contract shall be entered into as a result of this invitation without thereby incurring any liability in accordance with Republic Act No. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.

(SGD.) ENGR. SELWIN Y. ALILI BBAC Chairman Noted by (SGD.) RUTH L. GALANG General Manager

(MS-SEPT. 27 , 2019)

Sports

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

A8

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 , 2019

New Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone announces the members of his 15-man national pool to the SEA Games. He is joined at his press conference by SBP chief Al Panlilio, PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas, PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial and members of the PBA Board of Governors.

Go: Death of 7 paddlers sad loss for sport

By Peter Atencio THE Philippine Canoe Kayak and Dragonboat Federation has expressed its grief over the tragedy that befell seven paddlers after their boat capsized during training in Boracay on Wednesday.

PCKDF President Jonne Go said in a statement that the incident ìis a sad loss for the sport. I extend my condolences to their families.î Go explained that the seven are not members of the national team, but two of them tried out for the national dragonboat squad this year and showed great potential.

Officials of the PCKDBF flew to Boracay yesterday to pay their last respects.

“They were friends of ours and the Boracay team are club members,” added Go. Seven individuals died after a dragon boat capsized in Boracay Island in Malay, Aklan on Wednesday morning.

Reports said there were 21 passengers on board the boat of the Boracay Team Dragon Force, which is training for an international meet in Taiwan.

The accident occurred along the waters off Sitio Lingganay in Barangay Manoc-Manoc.

The local government of Malay identified the fatalities as Mark Vincent Navarrete, Comar Acob, Maricel Tan, Johann Tan, Richel Montuya, Antonette Supranes and John Vincent Natividad, who were all declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

The PCG said the local dragon boat team was holding a practice when sudden strong waves hit them, which later caused the boat to capsize.

The survivors of the sea mishap include Von Navarrosa, Yhen Aytona, Mark Baccay, Kenneth Bandalan, Jao Buenaventura, Julia Kurbaniizova, Robel Licerio, Janice Lumbo, Lani Ordas, Edwin Paradas, Marc Sabado, Kathleen Sabado, Jayrold Violanda and Maggie Xie. The paddlers boarded their boat around 7:15 a.m. and said the waters were calm at that time.

But, upon reaching 300 meters from shore of Lingganay Resort, the board capsized because of strong waves and winds.

Ginebra’s nucleus forms PH 5 pool to SEA Games

By Peter Atencio

N

EW Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone is making sure the national team to the 30th Southeast Asian Games will be a crowd pleaser.

Cone’s crowd darlings ñ the Ginebra San Miguel Gin Kings will form the nucleus of the national basketball team to the biennial meet to be hosted by the Philippines from Nov. 30 to December 10.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas made this decision following a meeting

yesterday with Cone and SBP chief Al Panlilio.

Cone has included Greg Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson, LA Tenorio, Stanley Pringle and Art Dela Cruz to his 15-man national pool, all composed of professional players from the Philippine Basketball Association.

“We’re going with a team that I’m familiar with due to the short window,î said Cone.

“I donít have time to teach everybody. We need a core group to understand what we have to do offensively and defensively.”

The six Ginebra cagers will come aboard and train alongside San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross and Christian Standhardinger.

Also added to the team are the TNT’s Katropa trio of Roger Pogoy, Jayson Castro and Troy Rosario.

Completing the pool are Alaska’s Vic Manuel and Matthew Wright of Phoenix.

On the other hand, a 12-man PBA pool for the national 3x3 squad has also been formed.

CJ Perez and Robert Bolick, who made a good impression in the FIBA World Cup 2019, were listed in the country’s bid for the 3x3 gold medal.

The others are Terrence Romeo, Chris Banchero, Ian Sangalang, Mo Tautuaa, Chris Newsome, Baser Amer, Anthony Semerad, Mac Belo, Raymund Almazan, and Jason Perkins.

Filipino golf aces right in PGTA Taiwan mix TAINAN, Taiwan ñ Jay Bayron overcame an early mishap with a cluster of birdies and came in one of the late flights with a four-under 68 to trail TaiwaneseAmerican Lein Benjamin by three at the start of the $100,000 Nan Pao TPGA (PGA of Taiwan) Open at the Nan Pao Golf Club yesterday.

Tony LascuÒa earlier stumbled at the finish but his 69 likewise proved to be an inspiring start for the two Filipino bets, who stayed in the early mix in a day of torrid scoring where eagles flew and birdies soared despite the tight layoutís unpredictable, undulating surface.

But while LascuÒa expected to churn out a fine round in hot conditions, Bayron said he was lucky to rebound from a faulty start that saw him flub a threefooter for par on the first hole but birdied the next and Nos. 8, 9, 13 and 15 to get back into early contention in the second Philippine Golf Tour Asia event held here this year. ìI didnít expect to shoot this card.

Given a bad start and the tough greens that were so difficult to read, I considered myself just lucky enough to finish with a 68,î said Bayron, who struggled and wound up tied for 27th in the Daan TPGA Open in Taichung last May. That put Bayron, also out to snap a two-year title spell, at joint 10th with

Lascuna

three others, three strokes off the hotstarting Benjamin while LascuÒa, who served notice of his title bid by topping the pro-am Wednesday, stood a shot farther back with eight others at 14th place.

With a four-under card after 17 holes, Lascuna earlier looked at a potential birdie off a solid drive on his closing par5 544-yard hole on No. 9 and went for his driver again from 297 yards out. But

he didnít hit it the way he had wanted, the ball fading then finding it later on a plugged lie just before the large pond fronting the green.

He came up short on his third shot, hit it over the green on the next before drilling a five-footer for bogey, one of two blue marks in an otherwise remarkable 36-33 card that dropped him to joint eighth after holding the joint No. 2 spot on the leaderboard with an eight-foot birdie on the par-3 third hole. ìI was really targeting a five- or six-under start and was on target despite missing some birdie chances. But I failed to hit right on my second shot on the ninth,î said LascuÒa, who sizzled early in hot conditions with tap-in birdies on Nos. 10 and 12 then bounced back from a missed green mishap on No. 14 with birdies on the next two holes, including another ìgimmeî on the par-5 16th.

In calm conditions, the 6639-yard tree-lined course played short to the prosí standards with 14 players gunning down an eagle each, including Benjamin, who scorched the backside with three birdies and an eagle before finishing with flourish of birdies at the front for a sevenunder 65 marred by a double-bogey on the 17th on an errant drive that went out of bounds.

3 teams eye 2nd wins in PBA today

By Jeric Lopez NLEX, Meralco and NorthPort are all looking to notch a second straight win as they all eye a piece of the early lead in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. The Road Warriors and the Bolts, both 1-0, collide in a battle of siblings at 4:30 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum today.

Succeeding that will be the Batang Pier (1-0) against Magnolia (0-1) at 7 p.m.

With the returning Kiefer Ravena back in the fray, NLEX was off to a hot start after taking a 123-116 victory over Phoenix in its opener last weekend.

Ravena announced his return from an 18-month suspension by flirting with a triple-double of 20 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a rousing performance.

NLEX coach Yeng Guiao believes that Ravena’s best form is still ahead of him.

“Kiefer (Ravena) is even going to get better and help us more,” said Guiao of his star guard. “This is still not the best of Kiefer.”

Ravena and the Road Warriors face a daunting task of containing former Best import Allen Durham and the Bolts, who smothered the defending champion Hotshots, 9892, last Saturday for a successful debut as well.

“We got a good start to the conference by taking a satisfying win against the defending champions,” said Meralco coach Norman Black.

“Continuity in our good defensive start is what we need now.”

International cast joins Black Arrow 5150 tilt INSPIRED by the success of its inaugural run, the Black Arrow Express 5150 Triathlon Subic Bay gears up for a bigger, more explosive staging when the second edition is held Oct. 27 in Subic Bay. Set up over the Olympic distance of 1.5k swim-40K bike-10K run race, the upcoming BAE 5150 is expected to draw again not only the top pros bracing for bigger battles but also triathletes who love to do short-distance but challenging races on a world-class race course long considered as the countryís triathlon capital.

Registration is ongoing with deadline set on Oct. 13. For details, contact secretariat at blackarrowexpress@5150ph ilippines.com. For pro athletes, contact preregistration@ironman.com.

Aussie Mitch Robins and Manami Iijima of Guam claimed the bragging rights as the first BAE 5150 champs when they bucked the tough field and the heat to rule their respective divisions last year.

They are expected to defend their crowns in the centerpiece pro division which offers a top purse of $10,000 while P200,000 will be up for grabs in the Asian Elite category of the event organized by Sunrise Events, Inc., now part of the IRONMAN Group.

Also on tap in the event, sponsored by one of the countryís top cargo movers, is the Go for Gold Sunrise Sprint, a short distance triathlon series featuring a 750m open-water swim, 20km bike ride and a 5km run put up by Go for Gold to help Filipino athletes promote excellence.

Originally set Nov. 3, the event was moved to an earlier date to give way to the countryís preparations for the 30th Southeast Asian Games set Nov. 30Dec. 11. Subic Bay will host at least 17 events, including duathlon, triathlon and modern pentathlon.

Kamao battle NHA Builders in UNTV Cup on Sunday Games Sunday (Pasig City Sports Center) 2 p.m. ñ Judiciary vs GSIS 3:30 p.m. ñ PITC vs PhilHealth 5 p.m. ñ NHA vs MalacaÒang-PSC

GRASSROOTS SPORTS PROGRAM. Senator Sonny Angara, chairman of the

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and a very strong supporter of Philippine Sports, stressed the need to build and maintain an effective sports grassroots program throughout the country during the recent Professional Sports Summit hosted by the Games and Amusement Board at PICC. Angara is the author and sponsor of RA 10699 or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act; and of RA 11214 or the Philippine Sports Training Center. Angara calls on every portion of our societyófrom the government to the private sector, schools and companies, teachers and businessmen, families and friendsóto be on the look-out for the next Manny Pacquiao or Hidilyn Diaz.

MALACAÑANG-Philippine Sports Commission and National Housing Authority dispute the early lead in Group II elims while two-time champion Judiciary seeks a big rebound in the 8th UNTV Cup on Sunday at the Pasig City Sports Center.

The MalacaÒang-PSC Kamao and the NHA Builders clash at 5 p.m., while the Judiciary Magis take on the GSIS Furies in the 2 p.m. opener of the threegame bill presented by UNTV through its president and CEO Daniel Razon.

Battling in the lone Group I match

at 3:30 are PhilHealth and Philippine International Trading Corporation with both teams determined to notch their first win after dropping their opening game assignments.

The Kamao are coming off a 64-60 come-from-behind win over the Magis that saw former amateur hotshot Eric dela Cuesta scatter 17 points.

Also expected to deliver for the Kamao are Ian Garrido and Martin Antonio while the Bennett Paladmentored Builders will be bannered

by Alvin Vitug, Antonio Lustestica and Marvin Mercado.

Vitug was solid offensively in the teamís 85-81 win over the PNP Responders by exploding for 31 points, Eric dela Cuesta (right) drives against Judiciary’s Don including five pressure-packed chari- Camaso during their game last Sunday at the Pasig ties in the crunch.

City Sports Center.

IN BRIEF Quezon power plant gets nod to operate THE Energy Regulatory Commission issued San Buenaventura Power Ltd. a provisional authority to operate its power plant with 500 megawatts of baseload capacity in the Luzon grid.

Meralco PowerGen Corp. president Rogelio Singson said SBPL received the permit from ERC, resulting in full commercial operations of the Mauban, Quezon power plant starting Thursday.

The output of SBPL, a partnership between Meralco PowerGen, a unit of Manila Electric Co., and New Growth BV, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Electricity Generating Public Co. Ltd. of Thailand, will prove critical in the coming months, especially in light of the scheduled maintenance shutdowns of Luzon’s biggest power generation suppliers.

“This is a welcome development, and one that shows that ERC understands that power demand in Luzon is steadily increasing, and the conditions show that we are in dire need of additional baseload capacity,” said Meralco vice president and head of regulatory management Jose Ronald Valles.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Excelerate of Texas obtains LNG go-signal THE Energy Department issued the notice to proceed to Excelerate Energy L.P., an LNG company based in The Woodlands, Texas, for its liquefied natural gas project in the country.

Energy Undersecretary Leonido Pulido said Excelerate planned to put up a floating storage regasification unit to serve the needs of imported LNG users.

“Yes, their (Excelerate) NTP has been signed by Secretary (Alfonso Cusi),” Pulido said.

Excelerate is part of a privately-held US energy group which is the pioneer and market leader in innovative floating LNG solutions. It offers a full range of floating regasification services from FSRU to infrastructure development to LNG supply.

Excelerate said floating regasification offered a more cost effective solution than traditional land-based facilities in most cases.

FSRU can be implemented in one to three years compared to four to six years for land-based terminal. Excelerate said an offshore regassification facility also required less land use, thus minimizing its impact to the environment. Alena Mae S. Flores

Business

Geely launches small SUV brand in PH car market CHINA’S Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. Ltd. officially joined the local automotive market Thursday with the launch of the small SUV Coolray brand.

Geely Philippines general manager for sales and marketing Froilan Dytianquin said Geely was the only privatelyowned automotive company in China.

“All else are brands that are either partly or fully-owned by the Chinese government. This is why Geely has been aggressively buying automotive brands with the vision to go global,” he said.

The company acquired European luxury car company Volvo as well as London Taxi Company. It also bought Malaysia’s Proton and recently, Daimler Benz, maker of the iconic Mercedez Benz and other vehicles.

Public acceptance of the brand is crucial for Geely to bring in more models to the Philippines as it plans to introduce a model every six months until the brand develops more confidence to bring in the entire Geely brand portfolio.

“This goes to show they are investing towards making more synergies in making cars sharing platforms, technology and research. The Geely brand itself is benefitting from that given these global companies are able to utilize technology to get the team, the research and design experts and engineers, to come to Geely China to develop more products for the Geely brand,” Dytianquin said.

The Chinese company also plans to introduce the Geely hybrids, a self-sustaining vehicle that can run on a self-charging engine and fuel.

Othel V. Campos

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019

B1

Monetary Board trims rates to 4% Big business T groups back

By Julito G. Rada

HE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, on Thursday cut the benchmark interest rates by 25 basis points to 4 percent effective Sept. 27, taking into account the deceleration in consumer prices.

The interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities were likewise cut to 3.5 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively.

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno said price pressures had eased further since the previous meeting. Latest baseline forecasts of the BSP indicate that inflation is likely to settle within the lower half of the target range of 2-4 percent from 2019 to 2021.

“Inflation expectations also remain well anchored within the inflation target range based on BSP’s survey of private sector economists,” Diokno said.

He also said the board noted that the balance of risks to inflation outlook had shifted toward the upside for 2020, while it was seen to tilt to the downside in 2021.

He said upside risks to inflation over the near term emanated mainly from volatility in oil prices due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the potential impact of the African swine fever outbreak on food prices.

Diokno said the prospects for global economic growth were likely to remain weak owing mainly to uncertainty over trade policies.

The board reduced the inflation forecast this year to 2.5 percent from the previous estimate of 2.6 percent made in the Aug. 8 meeting. But the forecasts for 2020 and 2021 were kept steady at 2.9 percent.

Edna Villa, sector in charge of the BSP’s Monetary and Economic Sector, said monetary authorities would con-

tinue to closely monitor domestic and global developments as pertinent factors in deciding whether to further tweak the policy stance.

DBS Bank of Singapore expected the rate cut, saying policy mix was needed to achieve the government’s full year growth target of 6-7 percent. “... We see room for further easing especially if growth fails to pick up...,” DBS said.

The inflation rate in August further slowed to a 35-month low of 1.7 percent from 2.4 percent a month ago, prompting economists to believe that monetary authorities would further reduce the policy interest rates.

The Philippine Statistics Authority said the slowdown was due to slower increases in the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages. The August print was the slowest since the 1.7 percent in September 2016. It was also significantly slower than 6.4 percent in August last year.

The figure brought the average inflation in the first eight months to 3.1 percent, well within the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent earlier set by the government for 2019.

CITIRA set to replace outdated tax scheme FINALLY, the outdated and “dysfunctional” tax regime based on gross income earned is now about to end with the expected enactment into law of the new Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act (CITIRA), which the House recently passed with a vote of 170 versus eight against and six abstentions.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, House Ways and Means Committee chair and one the principal authors of CITIRA, said “the GIE is the mother of abusive transfer pricing, which resulted in P296 billion in taxes lost to abusive firms,” the reason why GIE is a central feature of the proposed CITIRA (HB 4157).

“While the House is willing to give reduced corporate income tax rates as incentive for qualified business enterprises, it firmly rejects the dual tax structure—GIE for those with incentives and CIT for the rest,” Salceda said.

CITIRA is the center piece and second package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program of the adminitration. President Duterte designated it as the country’s principal national response to the US-China trade war.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor

NEW FPG PRODUCT. FPG Insurance, a major player in the general insurance industry, formally launches its newest addition to the roster of its non-life insurance products, a high-end medical insurance called FPG HealthPlus. FPG HealthPlus caters to Philippine-residing expats and the affluent public, ensuring full medical coverage anywhere in the world. At the launching are FPG Insurance president and chief executive Ramon Yap Dimacali and regional managing director Stephen Blasina (fifth and sixth from left), along with (from left) NatRe life and health treaty officer Russell Agustin and head of life operations Victor Tanjuakio, Advanced Medical Access Philippines Inc. president Izanina Magpantay and FPG health and accident assistant vice president Ma. Mercedes dela Cruz.

TRAIN revenues rose 65% to P55.6b in 1st 6 months REVENUES generated through the implementation of the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion Law rose 65 percent in the first semester of 2019 to P55.6 billion year on year, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Thursday.

Dominguez in a statement expressed confidence the growth would be sustained in the coming months through continuing administrative reforms and the completion of the comprehensive tax reform program that would make the taxation system simpler, fairer and more efficient.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs exceeded their TRAIN targets by P1.8 bilion and P1.7 billion, respectively.

“In both revenue agencies, we are automating processes and strengthening control measures against slippages,”

Dominguez said.

TRAIN became a law and took effect January 2018 after President Rodrigo Duterte signed it in December 2017.

TRAIN reduced personal income taxes but raised the excise taxes of fuel, alcohol, tobacco products and automobiles in a bid to raise more revenues to be used for development and infrastructure projects under the ambitious and unprecedented “Build, Build, Build” program of the government.

“BBB” aims to build more roads, bridges, airports, seaports, railways, and water and irrigation projects across the country to further spur economic growth. Included in the program is the construction of a subway in Metro Manila in a bid to decongest the metropolis of heavy traffic that has been causing around P3.5 billion

in economic losses daily, according to a recent study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The remaining four packages of the tax reform program, which are currently being deliberated in the Congress, are Package 2 or the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act (CITIRA), Package 2+ or the “sin” tax reform further increasing excise taxes on alcohol and e-cigarettes, Package 3 or the Real Property Valuation Reform and Package 4 or the Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act. Earlier, past Department of Finance secretaries and known economists expressed strong support for the urgent passage of the remaining packages of the Duterte administration’s Comprehensive Tax Reform Program. Julito G. Rada

BEST CFO. International Container Terminal Services Inc. is leading Philippine publicly-listed companies as the top-of-mind choice of investors for the company’s governance and financial excellence. It clinched six awards, including Southeast Asia’s Best Chief Financial Officer for Rafael Consing Jr., at the recently-concluded 9th Institutional Investor Awards for Corporates

by Alpha Southeast Asia.

Consing (right), senior vice president, chief financial officer and compliance officer of ICTSI, receives the citation as the Philippines’ and Southeast Asia’s Best CFO from Siddiq Bazarwala, CEO and Publisher of Alpha Southeast Asia in Singapore on September 17, 2019.

law liberalizing rice imports

By Othel V. Campos THE Philippine business community supported the efforts of Agriculture Secretary William Dar to effectively implement the Rice Tariffication Law to protect palay farmers and preserve the gains of the legislation.

The law created the Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund to assist rice farmers and enhance their productivity and competitiveness through seed, mechanization, credit, and extension services.

“We urge the proper implementation of the RTL to ensure that the temporary adjustment problems experienced by our rice sector will be mitigated.

And we are sure that out from the birth pains, a new, vibrant and modern Philippine agriculture sector will emerge,” the groups said.

The Philippines business community is comprised of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Bankers Association of the Philippines, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Foundation for Economic Freedom, Makati Business Club and the Management Association of the Philippines.

The groups said the law was starting to achieve most of the original objectives of the law.

“Nothing has changed our mind regarding the desirability of pursuing the RTL to the fullest to assist in modernizing the Philippine agricultural sector.

To reverse it now will be tantamount to consigning our agriculture to underdevelopment and our farm families to continuing child malnutrition,” the groups said in a statement.

The rice tariffication law has initially resulted in the falling price of palay that increased pressure to reverse or repeal it.

“This trend was not surprising and was in fact anticipated by our economic managers. As such, they recommended a number of measures that will mitigate the temporary adverse effects of the RTL,” said the business community.

PLDT, Globe bare shift to 8-digit format

By Darwin G Amojelar THE country’s two largest telecommunications company on Thursday announced the implementation of an 8-digit format to all telephone numbers in the Greater Metro Manila area by October 6.

The migration of PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. into the 8-digit format to all telephone numbers is in compliance with the directive of the National Telecommunications Commission.

The NTC on October 27, 2017 directed all telecommunications companies in the Philippines to migrate all customers within the area code 02 to 8-digit telephone numbers from the existing 7 digits.

The migration ensures a sufficient resource pool to cater to the rapid growth of landline customers in major cities.

Earlier, the commission assigned each telecom operator with a public telecommunications entity identifier as an additional prefix to its phone number.

The assigned PTE identifier for Globe and its subsidiary Innove is “7”. For instance, a Globe customer with existing landline or DUO number of (02) 210-XXXX will have to use (02) 7210XXXX starting October 6.

Meanwhile, Globe unit Bayan Telecommunications has “3” as its PTE identifier. A Bayan customer will have to change his or her number from (02) 220-XXXX to (02) 3220-XXXX. For PLDT, the PTE identifier is 8.

Globe General Counsel Froilan Castelo said the company was all set for October 6.

“We are ready to migrate all customers with landline in Greater Metro Manila to 8-digit telephone numbers. Our teams are continuously working closely with the NTC and other telcos to assist affected customers before, during, and after the migration,” he said.

B2

Business

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market flat again; BDO up S

All Home prices IPO at P11.50 per share

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 0.24 point to 7,896.48 on a value turnover of P5.7 billion. Gainers beat losers, 107 to 80, with 57 issues unchanged.

BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, rose 2.2 percent to P146, while Megaworld Corp., the largest developer and lessor of office spaces, climbed 1.5 percent to P4.79.

Aboitiz Power Corp. fell 1.8 percent to P39.30, while International Container Terminal Services Inc., the largest port operator, declined 1.6 percent to P127.

The rest of the Asian markets were mostly flat Thursday after giving up early gains on upbeat comments from US President Donald Trump that a trade

By Jenniffer B. Austria

TOCKS closed flat again Thursday ahead of the policy meeting of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas later in the day and on lack of catalysts that could get the market out of its consolidation mode.

deal with China could come sooner than expected and steps towards a new agreement with Japan.

Trump, in an appearance at the United Nations, said a deal with China was getting closer, sending Wall Street higher despite concerns over the launch of an impeachment inquiry against the mercurial leader.

The remarks came just a day after Trump railed against Chinese “abuses” at the UN summit, comments that had been seen as among the factors causing stocks to fall Tuesday.

Tokyo closed up 0.1 percent, with steelmakers and auto manufacturers climbing on the brighter outlook for US trade deals.

Nippon Steel gained 2.5 percent while JFE Holdings was up 3.8 percent.

Among automakers Toyota climbed 1.1 percent and Nissan added 0.9 percent.

Hong Kong was flat in afternoon trade and Shanghai ended down 0.9 percent with traders cautious ahead of a weeklong holiday.

Sydney slipped 0.5 percent, Seoul was marginally higher and Singapore also saw some gains.

Trump on Wednesday also said Washington and Tokyo had taken a major step towards sealing a comprehensive new trade deal, which will see Japan cut tariffs on $7 billion of US farm exports while the US would cut tariffs on some Japanese agricultural goods.

“Investors have been ‘trade war’ bearish for so long that any sliver of optimism is cheered,” Stephen Innes, Asia Pacific market strategist at AxiTrader, said in a note.

The Japanese deal also “suggests the president is open to an ‘interim’ trade

deal, possibly signalling he is willing to negotiate one with China,” Innes said.

The Dow and S&P 500 both rose 0.6 percent while the Nasdaq closed 1.1 percent higher.

Asian markets also initially cheered Trump’s positive comments on trade but surrendered most of their early gains.

“Markets have been swayed by the president’s remarks every day... In the latest move, sentiment got a boost from the president’s positive remarks” on trade, said Makoto Sengoku, market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Institute.

“It eased worries for now that the spat would weigh on the global economy,” he told AFP. Elsewhere, crude prices slipped after an unexpected rise in US inventory and a swift recovery in Saudi Arabia’s output following the September 14 attacks on its oil infrastructure. Brent was 0.2 percent lower and WTI was off 0.3 percent. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

57.8 91.3 2.02 143 25.3 18.66 11.98 5.17 1.22 760 0.445 67 0.94 12.8 43.9 179.9 121.5 57.35 27 197.9 1,835 59.95

57.8 92.2 2.06 146.1 25.6 18.66 12.18 5.3 1.26 760 0.445 67.8 0.95 12.8 44.75 179.9 122 57.35 27.4 198 1,835 59.95

57.8 90.55 2.02 142 25.1 18.66 11.98 5.13 1.22 760 0.445 66.65 0.94 12.8 43.9 179.5 121.5 57 26.5 193.1 1,835 59.1

FINANCIALS 57.8 1,000 91.45 1,930,360 2.06 5,000 146 1,457,850 25.2 38,200 18.66 100 12.12 288,500 5.19 504,800 1.26 19,000 760 10 0.445 10,000 67.25 1,744,580 0.95 152,000 12.8 66,000 44.5 61,300 179.5 3,600 122 1,110 57 1,950 26.95 1,400 197 614,590 1,835 315 59.1 15,700

57,800 176,349,504.50 10,260 211,326,212 965,135 1,866 3,481,328 2,627,602 23,540 7,600 4,450 117,368,724 142,910 844,800 2,715,435 646,400 135,170 111,657.50 37,445 120,802,070 578,025 927,909.50

-5,284,655 113,302,622 -58,340 2,117,414 -23,413,622 0 537,310 -13,455 -48,301,290 -

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

39.5 16.16 0.68 1.31 0.248 2.68 14.1 120 9.89 18.02 31.6 74 79.95 2.13 6.05 5.9 9 15.6 10.66 7.12 1.65 24.05 80.05 47 2.53 14.04 8.29 1.51 219 26.4 5.4 3.4 9.79 21.8 13.5 18.5 362 0.189 1.94 4.99 10.34 2.52 10.7 32.95 5.27 5.14 1.84 2.5 1.05 11.52 92 7.49 0.123 1.08 160 1.18 16.06 1.21

40 16.18 0.69 1.31 0.248 2.7 14.18 120 10.1 19.2 31.6 74.4 79.95 2.13 6.05 5.9 9.06 15.78 11 7.12 1.65 24.75 81.9 48 2.54 14.3 8.3 1.59 220.8 26.4 5.44 3.49 9.79 21.8 13.78 18.98 369.4 0.189 1.95 5 10.34 2.52 11 33.45 5.33 5.14 1.89 2.55 1.08 11.6 92.3 7.49 0.123 1.11 161 1.2 16.06 1.25

39.2 15.96 0.67 1.3 0.248 2.65 14 120 9.8 18.02 30 74 79.95 2.12 6.05 5.9 8.97 15.6 10.5 7.01 1.65 24 80.05 46.5 2.47 14 8.2 1.51 217.4 26.4 5.34 3.4 8.23 20.75 13.42 18.32 362 0.189 1.91 4.97 10.2 2.4 10.7 32.85 5.25 5.14 1.82 2.45 1.05 11.42 89.6 7.33 0.123 1.08 158 1.16 16.06 1.21

INDUSTRIAL 39.3 2,139,500 16.16 65,100 0.67 397,000 1.3 174,000 0.248 100,000 2.7 914,000 14.02 595,000 120 10,120 9.94 320,200 19 10,500 30 168,600 74.4 30 79.95 30 2.12 89,000 6.05 4,000 5.9 48,400 8.99 288,100 15.7 596,100 11 2,312,600 7.04 2,254,200 1.65 2,000 24.15 1,740,400 81.6 215,130 46.95 155,100 2.54 9,195,000 14.3 40,800 8.25 107,700 1.58 17,000 219 355,870 26.4 200 5.4 52,500 3.49 5,000 8.89 5,000 20.75 338,300 13.66 36,100 18.46 275,600 369 159,830 0.189 70,000 1.93 3,676,000 4.99 2,350,000 10.34 12,100 2.4 13,350,000 11 177,600 33 792,700 5.25 6,400 5.14 2,500 1.87 998,000 2.45 47,000 1.08 125,000 11.52 852,600 91.25 279,950 7.33 22,500 0.123 480,000 1.1 170,000 158 1,202,470 1.17 2,211,000 16.06 500 1.24 750,000

85,155,685 1,046,634 269,150 226,220 24,800 2,457,810 8,344,094 1,214,400 3,190,429 198,802 5,268,150 2,228 2,398.50 188,910 24,200 285,560 2,589,477 9,356,950 25,346,200 15,928,137 3,300 42,099,180 17,432,357.50 7,329,435 23,063,870 3 580,180 891,551 26,800 78,045,556 5,280 281,911 17,090 44,178 7,127,365 490,530 5,092,664 58,887,428 13,230 7,097,300 11,726,260 124,706 32,812,710 ( 1,930,920 26,148,400 33,897 12,850 1,837,440 116,830 134,400 9,825,352 25,371,144 ( 167,378 59,040 186,620 191,824,140 2,603,880 8,030 923,620

24,451,690 393,858 -193,720 971,890 210,834 -3,641,550 -118,820 -280,250 -1,555,855 8,623,184 24,529,510 -8,927,502 -29,082,240 474,203.50 2,958,470 ,909,200.0003 -296,838 528,235.00 6,338,890 -6,816,535 -168,096 -1,305,566 8,751,452 110,250 -3,597,230 806,039.9999) -1,116,674 -8,068,955 -12,850 315,024 17,916,440.5) 4,920 1,100 -72,703,431 -379,610 -8,680

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

0.94 54.8 11.36 0.78 6.78 13.06 1.18 908.5 3.53 6.66 8.7 13.38 0.229 833 5.89 75.2 5.81 5.41 5.23 0.54 4.4 14.5 0.6 4.91 0.039 1.34 2.85 179.9 1,014 0.88 1.28 229 0.228 0.255

0.98 54.8 11.5 0.78 6.78 13.34 1.19 909 3.6 6.68 8.75 13.5 0.229 848 5.89 75.5 5.81 5.87 5.23 0.54 4.41 14.7 0.6 5 0.039 1.34 2.85 179.9 1,014 0.9 1.28 229.8 0.228 0.26

0.93 53.5 11.12 0.76 6.78 13 1.16 897.5 3.52 6.62 8.61 13.38 0.229 833 5.89 75 5.81 5.34 5.23 0.51 4.39 14.5 0.57 4.89 0.039 1.34 2.85 176 1,002 0.88 1.28 224 0.228 0.24

HOLDING FIRMS 0.97 40,130,000 54.1 477,470 11.3 24,402,900 0.77 324,000 6.78 200 13.04 7,300 1.18 1,348,000 900 416,440 3.6 7,579,000 6.62 221,300 8.65 4,882,300 13.5 300 0.229 40,000 841 85,970 5.89 83,200 75.5 1,231,420 5.81 1,000 5.87 7,400 5.23 200 0.53 1,385,000 4.4 3,991,000 14.7 80,700 0.6 1,197,000 4.94 7,100,000 0.039 1,700,000 1.34 1,000 2.85 3,000 177 392,070 1,007 101,285 0.88 237,000 1.28 50,000 225.6 2,830 0.228 10,000 0.24 1,200,000

38,581,990 25,894,746 ( 274,897,352 249,550 1,356 95,676 1,574,650 375,032,630 26,863,230 1,471,225 42,217,991 4,036 9,160 72,190,170 490,048 92,806,957 5,810 39,637 1,046 706,520 17,575,160 1,180,336 689,700 35,114,140 66,300 1,340 8,550 69,823,764 102,054,400 210,100 64,000 640,224 2,280 291,610

-661,510 14,008,031.5) -135,181,752 -23,942,025 4,619,290 -476,988 -27,810,927 -44,855,205 -339,853 47,171,530 -10,078,950 -583,334 5,900 -9,747,240 -1,522,061 -24,505,770 210,310 19,200

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

15.1 0.86 10.08 1.97 0.9 49.2 2.1 4.77 6.1 0.54 0.75 0.86 0.227 0.38 9.6 20 0.445 1.61 1.2 4.71 4.74 0.315

15.1 0.93 10.08 1.97 0.91 49.65 2.1 4.77 6.35 0.54 0.75 0.86 0.227 0.38 9.83 20.45 0.45 1.62 1.2 4.71 4.87 0.315

15.1 0.84 10.08 1.91 0.89 49.05 2.09 4.7 6.1 0.53 0.75 0.83 0.227 0.38 9.55 20 0.445 1.59 1.2 4.71 4.7 0.305

2,414,490 160,117,050 5,040 170,150 1,067,460 539,507,735 297,520 972,890 1,441,155 3,573,420 750 91,420 2,270 41,800 1,667,462 1,674,080 253,950 17,261,740 494,400 98,910 84,157,380 739,300

-36,240 -217,470 154,710 275,340 -35,506,900 -8,380 -109,020 497,219 47,040 1,184,231 256,985.00 1,826,400 4,710 -48,679,440 -

NAME

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP PTFC REDEV CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND VISTAMALLS

0.42 1.39 0.37 2.01 53 24.6 2.39 37.1 2.48 0.87 7.7 5.65

0.42 1.41 0.385 2.05 53 24.8 2.39 37.35 2.48 0.87 7.75 5.89

0.42 1.38 0.37 2 53 24.15 2.37 36.65 2.43 0.87 7.63 5.65

0.42 1.4 0.385 2.04 53 24.5 2.37 37.1 2.43 0.87 7.75 5.68

50,000 835,000 250,000 183,000 120 2,080,100 2,000 4,757,000 418,000 115,028,000 5,020,600 28,500

21,000 1,163,460 95,450 369,360 6,360 50,956,800 4,760 176,152,195 1,023,460 100,074,360 38,781,835 162,729

419,180.00 -20,991,060 46,174,685 -100,050,000 -9,000,404 -

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

9.9 18.2 1.7 0.72 0.047 18.26 2.3 11.32 0.058 92.35 6.88 6.98 6.1 10.18 920 1,845 5.24 435 1.58 128 9.2 0.111 5.05 3.06 0.9 19 0.45 3.4 2.4 1.17 2.92 2.8 8.01 4.8 138.8 3.03 1,120 0.73 0.54 40.95 77 9.09 2.69 0.69 0.33 5.42 0.7 16

10.3 18.56 1.71 0.73 0.047 18.26 2.35 11.58 0.058 94.6 6.98 7.1 6.1 10.18 920 1,869 5.25 435 1.62 128.1 9.48 0.112 5.14 3.1 0.9 19.1 0.45 3.4 2.42 1.21 3.07 2.8 8.39 5 138.8 3.05 1,130 0.74 0.56 41.55 79 9.09 2.8 0.71 0.335 5.42 0.7 16.28

9.9 18.2 1.7 0.68 0.047 18.24 2.28 11.3 0.055 92.35 6.88 6.96 6.1 9.8 920 1,827 5.22 435 1.58 126.5 9.2 0.111 4.95 3.05 0.9 18.96 0.45 3.4 2.39 1.17 2.92 2.76 8 4.79 135.2 3 1,116 0.72 0.51 40.6 77 9.09 2.69 0.69 0.325 5.42 0.67 16

SERVICES 10.3 18.56 1.71 0.69 0.047 18.24 2.33 11.5 0.057 92.45 6.98 6.98 6.1 9.9 920 1,857 5.22 435 1.61 127 9.48 0.112 5.08 3.08 0.9 19 0.45 3.4 2.4 1.21 2.97 2.79 8.36 5 135.2 3.04 1,127 0.73 0.56 40.95 79 9.09 2.79 0.7 0.335 5.42 0.69 16.28

4,000 36,100 92,000 14,997,000 1,000,000 1,900 462,000 2,611,000 9,470,000 150,350 4,500 518,300 27,336,600 148,100 70 63,940 97,300 30 191,000 1,298,630 1,200 270,000 1,125,500 181,000 301,000 61,900 60,000 55,000 224,000 8,000 2,459,000 29,000 2,400 19,100 780 629,000 48,545 1,294,000 22,539,000 380,300 692,640 5,200 1,841,000 226,000 6,280,000 200 353,000 245,000

41,084 665,480 157,090 10,563,140 47,000 34,690 1,061,760 29,894,356 527,010 14,147,963 31,123 3,627,309 166,753,260 1,463,841 64,400 118,180,020 510,002 13,050 306,620 165,047,055 11,068 30,180 5,701,890 554,500 270,900 1,175,602 27,000 187,000 538,820 9,480 7,358,520 81,020 19,646 91,652 107,056 1,898,790 54,552,225 933,720 12,202,940 15,551,230 53,796,334 47,268 5,110,720 158,090 2,087,600 1,084 241,360 3,963,362

14,817,986 6,854,057.50 -1,486,336 0 -36,560,045 -57,672,616 72,058 -19,000 -10 -6,060 -28,000 800 104,316.00 -27,400 612,760 -16,580 160,600 -3,659,480 -3,888,091.50 -527,240 105,000 2,236,416

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

0.002 1.14 12.04 2.65 0.28 7.9 1.73 0.23 0.107 0.106 1.13 4.15 1.18 0.53 0.89 0.011 0.011 8.75 3.82 11.34 22.75

0.002 1.19 12.04 2.65 0.28 7.9 1.76 0.243 0.108 0.106 1.18 4.25 1.19 0.53 0.9 0.011 0.012 9.26 3.83 12.18 22.75

0.002 1.14 12.04 2.63 0.28 7.81 1.71 0.23 0.105 0.106 1.12 4.11 1.1 0.5 0.89 0.011 0.011 8.61 3.79 11.34 22.2

MINING & OIL 0.002 70,000,000 1.19 979,000 12.04 500 2.63 369,000 0.28 10,000 7.81 900 1.75 22,467,000 0.236 2,200,000 0.108 3,800,000 0.106 5,930,000 1.18 91,000 4.2 3,169,000 1.13 606,000 0.5 7,000 0.9 130,000 0.011 1,900,000 0.012 12,900,000 9 490,800 3.8 1,584,000 12.04 595,400 22.7 1,486,300

119,000 1,146,610 6,020 974,970 2,800 7,092 39,323,380 511,730 403,120 628,580 103,320 13,362,610 676,230 3,530 116,540 20,900 142,000 4,439,810 6,018,620 7,054,614 33,431,420

-85,000 -72,080.00 10,636,170 -628,580 4,991,780 23,400 91,207.00 170,850 632,638 -4,841,475

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

17.9 505 503.5 105 500 500 5.15 970 990 99.5 0.99 101.5 1,060 1,080 108.5 998 78 75.05 77 75.4 75.5

17.9 511 505 105.1 500 500 5.17 994 995 99.55 1 101.5 1,060 1,082 108.5 998 78.5 75.1 77 75.4 76

17.86 505 503.5 105 500 500 5.08 970 990 99.5 0.99 101.5 1,058 1,080 108.5 998 77.9 75.05 76.5 75.2 75.5

PREFERRED 17.9 21,300 511 4,490 505 13,000 105.1 2,320 500 10 500 2,800 5.08 50,500 994 3,910 990 310 99.55 510 1 514,000 101.5 600 1,058 600 1,082 4,525 108.5 300 998 10 78.5 63,010 75.1 13,840 76.5 32,500 75.2 36,000 75.5 103,000

381,218 2,272,560 6,559,000 243,696 5,000 1,400,000 259,704 3,797,740 306,950 50,745.50 509,000 60,900 635,000 4,887,900 32,550 9,980 4,915,334 1,038,717 2,486,500 2,709,200 7,778,475

-372,288 248,020 -1,080,000 32,550 -

LR WARRANT

1.58

1.58

1.56

WARRANTS 1.56 28,000

44,000

MS

PROPERTY 15.1 159,900 0.93 189,560,000 10.08 500 1.96 89,000 0.89 1,194,000 49.35 10,941,400 2.09 142,000 4.75 205,000 6.28 229,000 0.54 6,704,000 0.75 1,000 0.86 108,000 0.227 10,000 0.38 110,000 9.83 173,600 20.45 82,500 0.445 570,000 1.61 10,726,000 1.2 412,000 4.71 21,000 4.79 17,581,000 0.31 2,410,000

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

OPEN

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

6.73 10 0.94

6.97 10.8 0.94

6.73 10 0.92

FIRST METRO ETF

118.3

118.4

118.2

USD DMPL A1

10.38

TRADING SUMMARY

10.38

SHARES

FINANCIAL

9,428,023

INDUSTRIAL

50,999,996

HOLDING FIRMS

104,725,210

PROPERTY

178,530,722

SERVICES

98,480,820

MINING & OIL

128,728,413

GRAND TOTAL

773,242,646

10.38

6.95 10.6 0.94

SME

264,900 1,075,200 1,007,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 118.4 2,280 DDS 10.38

1,930

1,823,213 11,273,652 944,130

-112,971 -31,660

269,722

-

20,033.40

-

VALUE 1807.54 (up) 15.34 863,354,731.44 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,622.45 (down) 32.98 779,242,710.1974 HOLDING FIRMS 7,812.69 (down) 32.99 1,951,455,062.53 PROPERTY 4,115.83 (up) 7.01 SERVICES 1,559.51 (up) 4.62 1,291,196,350.605 MINING & OIL 9,210.14 (up) 65.56 682,496,225.95 PSEI 7,896.48 (up) 0.24 108,498,891.66 All Shares Index 4,769.34 (down) 0.75 5,690,555,222.38 Gainers: 107; Losers: 80; Unchanged: 57; Total: 244

ALL Home Corp., the home improvement retailing company of billionaire Manuel Villar, priced its initial public offering at P11.50 per share, the low end of the indicative price range of P11.50 to P14 apiece.

All Home at P11.50 per share will raise as much as P14.83 billion in proceeds from the sale of up to 1.12 billion of primary and secondary shares with an overallotment of up to 168.750 million shares. The offering period will start from Sept. 30 to to Oct 4, with the listing date tentatively set on Oct. 10 under the trading symbol “HOME.” The offered shares represent 30 percent of the company’s total outstanding capital stock.

All Home plans to use net proceeds from the offering to fund the company’s capital expenditures and initial working capital, store expansion and debt repayment.

The company has committed to a policy of declaring an annual dividend payment ratio of 15 percent to 30 percent of the net income after tax of the preceding fiscal year.

Since its incorporation in 2013, All Home has opened 25 stores as of June 30, 2019, with an aggregate net selling space of approximately 196,327 square meters across 20 cities and municipalities. It plans to open up to 20 more stores for the remainder of 2019.

Its product offering spans seven key categories from over 800 local and international brands, including 18 inhouse brands. The product categories are furniture, hardware, appliances, tiles and sanitary wares, homewares, linens and construction materials.

All Home increased its net income in the first half of the year by 293 percent to P434.3 million from P110.4 million year-on-year First-half revenues jumped 67 percent to P5.05 billion from P3 billion in 2018.

The company tapped UBS, CLSA and Credit Suisse as joint book runners and PNB Capital and Investments Corp. and China Bank Capital Corp. as local underwriters of the offering.

All Home will be the fourth listed company of Villar group, which also owns Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., Golden Bria Holdings Inc and Star Malls Inc.

Travellers’ public float drops to 2% after tender offer TRAVELLERS International Hotels Group Inc. said its public float will drop to less than two percent after the completion of a tender offer, making it eligible for delisting from the local bourse.

TIHGI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange a total of 1.321 billion shares out of the 1.582 billion held by the public were tendered at the end of the offering period on Sept. 23.

The tendered shares will be crossed on the Philippine Stock Exchange on Sept.

30. This will cause the company’s public to drop to less than two percent, trigger trading suspension and the eventual delisting of TIHGI. The listing rules of the PSE require all companies to maintain a public float of at least 10 percent.

At a tender offer price of P5.50 per share, TIHGI will spend P7.26 billion to repuchase 1.32 billion worth of stocks.

The board of directors in August approved the delisting of the company’s shares to enable it to “timely address evolving market demands and rapidly changing customer needs without compromising its business strategies to competition.”

TIHGI operates Resorts World Manila, an integrated resort and casino that opened in 2009 in Pasay City. It is the first integrated resort and casino to open in country.

It faced growing competition in recent years with the opening of other integrated resorts, such as Solaire, City of Dreams Manila and Okada Manila, which are situated within the Pagcor Entertainment City in Parañaque.

TIHGI is the second casino company in Manila to delist this year. Melco Resorts and Entertainment Philippines, which operates City of Dreams Manila of Macau casino tycoon Lawrence Ho, delisted in June.

TIHGI registered a 50-percent decline in net income to P844.7 million in the first six months of the year from P1.67 billion year-on-year, due to higher finance charges and increased depreciation expense. n. Jenniffer B. Austria

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

World

TODAY

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

B3

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC Please be informed that Karen Fanuncio, Melrose Matutina and Janelyn Salazar are no longer connected with our office, Next Wave Maritime Mgn’t Inc., Malate, Manila. Any transaction made by the above mentioned individuals will not be honored by our office.

(MS-SEPT. 27, 2019)

DINNER. Ella Balinska, Kristen Naomi Scott, Kristen Stewart and Elizabeth Banks attend the Will Rogers 78th Annual Pioneer Dinner Honoring Elizabeth Banks at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on September 25, 2019, in Beverly Hills, California. AFP

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that INTEGRATED OFFICE SOLUTIONS, INC. with office address at Unit 7C, Unioil Center Building, Acacia Street corner Commerce Avenue, Madrigal Business Park, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as New Services Export Provider under Export Activites - Services Exports [BPO-Remote Staffing Services (Parkway Corporate Center Site)] on a Non-Pioneer status, with project site located at Units 2509-2512 Parkway Corporate Center, Corporate Avenue corner Parkway Place, Filinvest City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

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

(SGD) MARY ANN E. RAGANIT Officer-In-Charge Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-SEPT. 27, 2019)

Trump calls Democratic impeach inquiry a ‘joke’ IN BRIEF Australia PM slams climate critics UNITED NATIONS―Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison used his UN speech on Wednesday to slam critics of his country’s climate record and to suggest Swedish teen Greta Thunberg was being exploited by others for ulterior motives.

Morrison, who snubbed a major UN climate summit two days earlier, also said the Great Barrier Reef was “vibrant and resilient,” weeks after his own government downgraded the world heritage site’s long-term outlook to “very poor” for the first time.

“Australia is doing our bit on climate change, and we reject any suggestion to the contrary,” said Morrison, who as his country’s treasurer famously brought a lump of coal to Australia’s parliament to taunt the opposition over its commitment to renewable energy.

“We are successfully balancing our global responsibilities with sensible and practical policies to secure our environmental and our economic future,” he added.

Morrison charged that critics on climate change “willingly overlook or perhaps ignore our achievements as the facts simply don’t fit the narrative they wish to project about our contribution.”

He noted that Australia is responsible for only 1.3 percent of global emissions, and that he had passed an Aus$3.5 billion climate solutions plan. AFP

N

EW YORK―A downbeat Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed as a “joke” the grounds laid out for the impeachment inquiry into him, as Democrats stood firm in accusing the US president of a “mafia-style shakedown” of his Ukrainian counterpart.

Trump denied claims he abused his office by repeatedly urging President Volodymyr Zelensky to probe his rival Joe Biden―as confirmed in a call transcript released by the White House.

The next explosive episode in the rapidly unfolding impeachment drama is set for Thursday, when acting director of national intelligence Joseph McGuire testifies on Capitol Hill.

“They are getting hit hard on this witch hunt because when they look at the information, it’s a joke,” said the president, who struck an uncharacteristically subdued tone at his first news conference since the Democrats launched an official impeachment inquiry.

“Impeachment for that? When you have a wonderful meeting or you have a wonderful phone conversation?”

A more defiant Trump had earlier insisted he exerted “no pressure” on Kiev―a claim echoed by Zelensky, who appeared side-byside with the US leader at a long-planned meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

But the publication of the transcript sent

new shock waves through Washington, including within the ranks of Trump’s Republican Party, with Senator Mitt Romney calling it “deeply troubling.”

Two competing narratives immediately took hold.

Trump and his allies claimed the July 25 call contained no evidence of a quid pro quo pressuring Zelensky to probe the president’s top Democratic rival for the White House.

Democrats meanwhile held it up as a smoking gun.

“This is how a mafia boss talks,” charged senior lawmaker Adam Schiff. “’What have you done for us? We’ve done so much for you but there’s not much reciprocity. I have a favor to ask you.’”

“And what is that favor? Of course, the favor is to investigate his political rival, to investigate the Bidens.”

The call summary―which is not a verbatim transcript―shows Trump saying US Attorney General Bill Barr and the president’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani would be in touch about probing the Ukraine-related activities of Biden and his son. AFP

Name of Project

:

FINANCING, DEVELOPMENT, REHABILITATION, EXPANSION, IMPROVEMENT, OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM OF CADIZ CITY WATER DISTRICT Location of Project : Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, Philippines Project Description : The project involves a joint venture undertaking between CCWD and the Winning Private Sector Participant for the Financing, Development, Rehabilitation, Expansion, Improvement, Operation and Maintenance of the Water Supply System of Cadiz City Water District Applications for eligibility shall be evaluated based on a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion.

An IPP shall be considered eligible upon compliance with the following minimum qualification requirements: 1.1. The IPP must be either of the following: a. A duly licensed sole proprietorship owned by a Filipino citizen; or b. A partnership or corporation created pursuant to the Corporation Code of the Philippines and registered with the SEC. c. A Consortium of two or more entities with at least sixty percent (60%) of both voting and non-voting interest in the said Consortium being owned and held, by citizens of the Philippines and/or by Philippine registered corporations at least sixty percent (60%) of both the total number of outstanding shares of stock, whether or not entitled to vote in the election of directors are owned by Philippine nationals.

1.2. The nationality of the IPP shall be determined via the Grandfather Rule.

1.3. If the IPP is a Consortium, each member of the Consortium must be disclosed during the pre-qualification stage and the Lead Member thereof must be specifically identified. For this purpose, the Lead member must have at least fifty one percent (51%) equity interest in the Consortium, andthe totalpercentage interestof all Consortium Membersmustbeone hundredpercent(100%).

1.4. The IPP or each Consortium member must execute Omnibus Sworn Statement.

2.

Technical Eligibility 2.1. The IPP must have completed a similar or related project costing at least 50% of the cost of the JV Activity/Project within the last ten (10) years. For the avoidance of doubt, cost of the JV Activity/Project pertains to the amount of contribution of CCWD and the Original Proponent present value capital expenditures. For this project, the cost of the JV Activity/Project is equal to Three Hundred Three Million Two Hundred Eighteen Thousand Five Hundred Seventy Pesos and 5/100 (PhP303,218,570.05).

3. Financial Eligibility 3.1. The IPP should have the capability to finance the completion of the entire project evidenced by financial documents to be submitted and will form as an integral part of the Financial Proposal.

3.2 A letter from a domestic universal/commercial bank, or an international bank with a subsidiary/branch in the Philippines, or any international bank recognized by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), attesting that the IPP is one of its current clients, and is in good financial standing.

4.

Additional eligibility criteria are specified in the instructions to IPPs. Only those lPSP’s that are deemed eligible shall be entitled to submit Comparative Proposals, which must be in accordance with instructions contained in the Request for Proposal Documents (RFP Documents).

The JVSC shall evaluate the proposals using the Quality Based Evaluation/ Selection (QBE/QBS) procedure. The criteria and rating system for the evaluation of the proposals shall be provided in the Instructions to Interested Private Proponent/s (IIPPs).

The following procedures, schedules and instructions shall be strictly observed:

More then 2 million animals die in wildfires LA PAZ―More than two million wild animals, including jaguars, pumas and llamas, have perished in weeks of wildfires that devastated huge swaths of Bolivian forest and grassland, environmental experts said Wednesday.

The fires devastated the Chiquitania tropical savanna in the east of the country.

“We have consulted the biologists of Chiquitania and we have exceeded the estimate of more than 2.3 million missing animals in many protected areas,” Professor Sandra Quiroga of Santa Cruz University told AFP. Latin American ocelots, and other wild cats like pumas and jaguars, as well as deer, llamas—and smaller forest animals like anteaters, badgers, lizards, tapirs and rodents—were victims of the fires, according to biologists investigating the scale of the damage.

Local media showed images of charred animal carcasses in the smoldering forests and birds fleeing to zones spared by the flames.

The fires, which have devastated more than four million hectares (10 million acres) since August, has completely destroyed the “primary forest” extending over 100 hectares in the Tucavaca reserve in the eastern Santa Cruz department. AFP

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO SUBMIT COMPARATIVE PROPOSALS (IAESP) The Cadiz City Water District (CCWD), created pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 198, as amended, otherwise known as the Provincial Water Utilities Act of 1973, received an unsolicited proposal from the Original Proponent for the Financing, Development, Improvement, Rehabilitation, Expansion, Operation and Maintenance of the Water Supply System of Cadiz City Water District.

Pursuant to the 2013 Guidelines issued by the National Economic Development Authority under Section 8 of Executive Order No. 423 dated 30 April 2005, negotiations ensued between CCWD and Original Proponent on the JV Proposal. Subsequently, an agreement was reached between CCWD and Original Proponent to form an unincorporated joint venture to undertake the JV Project.

In compliance with CCWD Board Resolution No. 09-24-0023 Series of 2019, CCWD, through its Joint Venture Selection Committee (JVSC), invites Interested Private Sector Participant/s (IPP’s) to challenge the JV Proposal by submitting comparative proposals for the following:

SCHEDULE (using Philippine Standard Time)

ACTIVITY 1. Publication

September 27, 2019

2. Posting

September 27 October 4, 2019

3. Purchase of Eligibility Documents for a nonrefundable fee of Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos (PhP 350,000.00) in cash or Managers Check made payable to Cadiz City Water District

September 27 to October 7, 2019 (from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM)

4. Submission Documents

Eligibility

November 6, 2019 (until 10:00 am only)

Eligibility

November 6, 2019 (1:00 pm onwards)

of

5. Opening of Documents

6. Determination of Eligibility

7.

FILM FESTIVAL. Egyptian actress Sarah Abdelrahman poses on the red carpet during the third edition of the Gouna Film Festival in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of el-Gouna on September 25, 2019. AFP

It’s flee or die in jihad-hit Burkina Faso YAGMA, Burkina Faso―“We have nothing,” says Belen Boureima, a 74-year-old farmer, as his weathered face contemplates the scrap of land in the remote village he and his family must now call home.

“But it’s better to be alive here than to stay in Djibo and die.”

Djibo, a dusty town in northern Burkina Faso, has become a byword for suffering in this impoverished country’s seven-year-old struggle with jihadism.

More than 580 people have been killed since the insurgency spilled over from neighboring Mali, according to an AFP tally.

Attacks on emblems of the state, hit-and-

run raids on remote villages and brutal interpretation of Islamic law have forced an estimated 300,000 people to flee their homes.

Among them is Boureima, head of a family of 43 people―seven men, 13 women and 23 children.

They abandoned their village of Gassalpalik, 70 kilometers from Djibo, eventually washing up in Yagma, a village about 30 km north of the capital Ouagadougou.

Belen said he had spent his entire life in Djibo and had never even left the area until now―but “when you are lost, you have to end up somewhere.”

In this alien landscape, the family have no

friends or contacts. The head of the village has appointed a “tutor” to help the family, who are members of the Mossi ethnic group, get their bearings.

“The attackers took everything from us― cows, sheep, goats... They were armed and came on motorbikes,” the patriarch recalled.

“They went into people’s homes and took animals and killed the men. I saw people getting killed. Many of them,” he said, adding he was unable to give any accurate figure.

“They also took three men from the village, and we have no news of their whereabouts.”

The attack happened despite patrols by the security forces, he said. AFP

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS

to

On or before November 21, 2019 November 21 to 28, 2019

Notify IPP

8. Purchase of Tender Documents by IPPs declared “eligible” for nonrefundable fee of Four Hundred Thousand Pesos (PhP400,000.00), in cash or Managers Check made payable to Cadiz City Water District

November 28 to December 5, 2019

9. Pre-selection conference will thereafter be held.

March 4, 2020 (10:00 am)

10. Submission and Opening of Comparative Proposal

April 3, 2020 (until 10:00 am only)

The Eligibility Documents may be purchased ONLY from CCWD thru JVSC Chairperson: ARAM T. MAGNO at the Cadiz City Water District Office,Burgos St., Zone 5, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental Deadline of Submission of Eligibility Documents to CCWD thru JVSC Chairperson: ARAM T. MAGNO at the Cadiz City Water District Office,Burgos St., Zone 5, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental JVSC will determine the completeness of the eligibility documents based on a pass or fail criteria. For those IPPs with incomplete, irregular or patently insufficient submission shall be considered failed.

For those IPPs whose eligibility documents appear to be complete shall be further evaluated to determine its eligibility.

JVSC will evaluate the eligibility documents of the IPPs to determine if they are eligible or ineligible.

JVSC will notify Eligible and Non-Eligible IPPs of the result of the eligibility evaluation.

Tender Documents may be purchased ONLY from CCWD thru JVSC Chairperson: ARAM T. MAGNO at the Cadiz City Water District Office,Burgos St., Zone 5, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental All Eligible IPPs are encouraged to attend the conference to be held at the Cadiz City Water District Office, Burgos St., Zone 5, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental Comparative Proposals shall be addressed to: ARAM T. MAGNO at the Cadiz City Water District Office,Burgos St., Zone 5, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental

For any queries and/or clarifications, please address your communication in writing to the Chairperson of CCWD-JVSC at the address indicated above or email the same to ccwdcadiz@ymail.com.

CCWD reserves the right to reject any or all submissions, waive any minor deviations, and award the contract for the JV Project to the IPP whose financial proposal is the best among the qualified interested private proponent/s whose technical proposals are complying.

All proposals must be accompanied by a Proposal Security in the form as required by the government entity which may be cash, certified check, manager’s check, letter of credit, or bank draft/guarantee issued by a reputable local/foreign bank, or surety bond callable on demand issued by GSIS or an entity duly registered and recognized by the office of the Insurance Commissioner, or a combination thereof payable to the Government Agency concerned equivalent to 2% of the estimated participation of the Original Proponent, amounting to Five Million Four Hundred Eighty One Thousand Six Hundred Forty One Pesos and 60/100 (PhP5,481,641.60).

CCWD assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify any IPP for expenses incurred in the preparation of the comparative proposals.

(SGD) ARAM T. MAGNO Chairperson - JVSC CADIZ CITY WATER DISTRICT (MS-SEPT. 27, 2019)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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

B4

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Gov. Cua vows to lead, beef up Quirino tourism FOLLOWING the successful Panagdadapun Festival 2019 in Quirino province, Gov. Dakila “Dax” Cua recently announced that he is eyeing to boost the province’s tourism to spur its economic growth.

Cua, a former three-term House representative of the Lone District of Quirino, stressed that economic growth will be clinched by the province if they beef up their tourism sector, which the residents of the province welcomed.

“It will help provide high potential support to our job creation,” said Cua. The Quirino governor ran unopposed in the May 2019 elections after introducing the multisectoral organization “Trabaho at Oportunidad Quirino Gov. Dakila ‘Dax’ Cua receives a garland from a grateful supporter, then speaks at the opening of the Panagdadapun Festival 2019 (inset) as he promised to boost the province’s tourism (TAO)” program to the province, industry to spur its economic growth. which aims to uplift the standards of living of Filipinos by providing training, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Cua added that it will tie-up with various groups for the successful implementation of the tourism program.

“TAO aims to bring people to the business sector. Those looking for jobs, schools looking to train people, we’ll bring them to one venue to hasBy Rio N. Araja ten their dealings and help our provincemates to gain opportunities,” said A GROUP of Pasig City residents has Cua, who had chaired the House Comfiled a graft and administrative committee in Ways and Means in his prejectives: Reduce disaster-related morBy Joel E. Zurbano plaint against former mayor Roberto vious Congressional stint. tality and injuries; Minimize the numEusebio for a P25-million financial ber of affected people; Reduce direct aid to a town in Camarines Sur, where HE adverse effects of natural weather disturbances on disaster economic loss; and Minimize his wife was supposed to run as a confamilies, communities, and the local economy triggered damage to infrastructure and disrupgressional bet in the May 13 elections. the city government of Makati to invest heavily in tion of basic services.

The Tambuli ng Mamamayan ng building resilience.

The Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan Pasig Inc. said Eusebio and other recontains the city’s policies and activispondents must be held liable for vioMayor Abigail Binay revealed this and technological hazards. We are com- ties from pre-disaster to post-disaster lation of the Code of Conduct and Ethduring an international forum in Seoul, mitted to investing in resilience – be it phases, including vital mechanisms ical Standards for Public Officials and South Korea. in terms of knowledge, human resourc- and systems to be pre-positioned for Employees, grave misconduct, and Binay, the only Filipino presenter at the es, and physical assets, to mitigate the smoother and faster recovery. conduct prejudicial to the best interest International Urban Resilience Forum in damage to lives and properties as well Mayor Binay also presented the of the service and abuse of authority.

Seoul held last Monday, emphasized that as the local economy,” she said.

Makati Earthquake Contingency Plan The group urged the Office of the Makati was the third in the world and the The mayor’s presentation, titled and the Contingency Plan for Hydro-MeOmbudsman to place those who are BOLSTERING the drive to uplift the first in the Philippines to have formulated “Makati City: Building Resilience at teorological Hazards aimed to address still occupying positions under prelives of its senior citizens, the local govits Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan. the Local Level,” laid out the city’s dis- the needs of residents who live near the ventive suspension. The Standard ernment of Angeles City in Pampanga is “Our city is susceptible to disasters aster management plans and strategies, Pasig River and in some barangays that tried but could not contact Eusebio for supporting flu prevention through free caused by geological, meteorological, which are focused on the following ob- sit on top of the West Valley Fault. comment at presstime. vaccinations for the benefit of thousands The complainants questioned the of its elderly residents. grant of a financial assistance to PamHeld at the covered court EPZA plona, Camarines Sur, a sister city of Pulung Cacutud, Angeles City, the Pasig. They alleged the financial assisactivity was part of the ongoing citytance was designed to advance the politwide program dubbed Serbisyong ical ambition of Eusebio’s wife, Maribel, Pangkalusugan Para Kay Lolo at Lola, who was also a former Pasig City mayor. which provides education on health Apart from the Eusebios, then-vice and wellness of the senior citizens. mayor Iyo Christian Bernardo and forIncluded in this campaign was an mer councilors Rodrigo Asilo, Gregoawareness activity to increase the rio Rupisan Jr., Rhichie Gerard Brown, immunization uptake of influenza or Orlando Benito, Regino Balderama, “trangkaso” in Filipino.

Rosalio Martires, Ferdinand Avis, ReySupporting the activities were officnaldo San Buenaventura and Wilfredo ers and medical team from the PhilipSityar were included in the complaint. pine Foundation for Vaccination and Former Pamplona Mayor Augustus the Philippine College of Geriatric Caesar Cruz III was not spared for his Medicine (PCGM). failure to act on the letters of the comThe city is part of Region 3, which plainants for copies of the memoranda has the second highest number of senior of agreement between the two cities. citizens according to a 2015 population “On the part of the Municipality of census. This fact highlights the need Pamplona, there is no appropriate ordifor more intensified health campaigns nance issued to enter into a sisterhood in cooperation with various sectors, acOfficials of DV Boer Farm explain ‘Oplan Pamamalakaya,’ which aims to help small fishermen in the coastal areas of Batangas, during a press conference in Quezon City. agreement with the City of Pasig as recording to Pampanga 1st District Rep. quired by Section 33 of the Local GovCarmelo “Jon” Lazatin II. ernment Code,” the complainant stated.

“Improving the wellbeing of our elderly The Pasig City council passed the residents is one of the priority thrusts for sisterhood city resolution in May 2018. us in Angeles City,” Rep. Lazatin said.

“Customarily, the check should “Free flu vaccination is one of our SINCE its establishment in Octo- engaged in the rapid development of the pality of Calatagan, and United States have been awarded by the mayor, any regular undertakings as we want to ber 2014, the DV Boer Farm, popu- agriculture sector. military, the DV Boer Farm led the inelected official of Pasig city, the city raise the awareness on the importance larly known as the “People’s Farm”, As part of the corporation’s cam- stallation of 30 artificial habitat reefs in treasurer or any legitimate official of of preventing pneumonia and other has served as one of the founders paign aside from providing livelihood the shores of Calatagan.

Pasig City,” the complaint read. complications caused by the influenza of modern farming success in the programs, DV Boer Farm also helps to This was part of the project dubbed “However, in order to advance her povirus, especially among our valued Philippines. conserve the environment particularly as “Oplan Pamamalakaya,” which litical designs, it was respondent MarAngeleño elderlies. We are proud to Located in Balibago, Lian, Batangas, in the province of Batangas. aims to help the small fishermen in ibel Andaya-Eusebio, the wife of Mayor partner with different institutions to DV Boer Farm has always advocated to Last August 16, in partnership with the coastal areas of the province as Robert ‘Bobby’ Eusebio, who turned maintain the success of our health prohelp and educate small farmers in goat Philippine Air Force, Bureau of Fish- well as to preserve marine resources over the P25-million check,” it cited. grams,” he added. raising, as well as getting communities eries and Aquatic Resources, Munici- for the next generations.

Makati ready for any disaster—Mayor Abby

PCGM, Angeles in sr. citizen anti-flu drive

Pasig group hits ex-mayor Eusebio with graft raps

T

DV Boer Farm aids farmers, fisherfolk in Batangas

HEALTH WORKERS TRAINING.

Global Business Power Corp., through its subsidiaries Panay Energy Development Corp. and Panay Power Corp., recently hosted a learning session for Barangay Health Workers in its partner communities at the GBP Institute for Energy.

The training, conducted in collaboration with the Department of Family and Community Medicine of West Visayas State UniversityCollege of Medicine, focused on common respiratory diseases in the community as well as preparedness in responding to the dengue outbreak under GBP’s Adopta-Health Center program.

Miner helps 166 Vizcayano kids finish day care schooling

By Ben Moses Ebreo

QUEZON, Nueva Vizcaya—Another batch of day-care schoolchildren in this town recently completed their schooling with the support of a mining company.

Ian Moller, FCF Minerals Corp.’s General Manager for Sustainability, said the 166 day-care graduates came from nine Day Care Centers from various barangays of this town.

The graduates were confirmed by Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer Olivia Salvador and witnessed by the firm’s Community Relations Office Education Section, literacy facilitators, parents, municipal and barangay officials of CDCs. Moller said FCF assists the operations of the CDCs and salaries of its facilitators as part of its commitment in empowering the children by giving them educational opportunities.

FCF Minerals operates the gold-molybdenum project in barangay Runruno in this town.

Life

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

YOUNG LIFE

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019

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Climbing new heights, finding new meaning E-LEARNING IN THE MOUNTAINS. Students of Ayangan Elementary School in Mayoyao, Ifugao receive a special delivery from Smart

Y

Communications' employee volunteers. The School-in-a-Bag utilizes mobile technology to facilitate learning.

EARS of experience climbing numerous mountains, crossing rivers, and navigating through rugged terrain have prepared Remedios Torrevillas and Arvin Arcilla for the physical demands of the three-hour hike in the mountainous area of Ifugao Province.

As professional mountaineers, Torrevilas and Arcilla have conquered greater challenges and reached higher summits prior to this trip.

However, there was more to this particular climb that made it extraordinary.

They, together with other employees of wireless services provider Smart Communications, were on a mission to bring technology-aided educational tools to a school in the mountains.

Due to its location, Ayangan Elementary School in Mayoyao does not have access to resources that would help improve the quality of education for its students.

To help them keep up with other schools, the Smart Mountaineering Club and employee volunteers brought to them the School-in-a-Bag portable digital classroom.

Designed for schools in far-flung areas, School-in-a-Bag utilizes mobile technology coupled with an innovative, 21st-century teaching pedagogy and educational content to facilitate learning.

Each weather-proof backpack contains a solar panel set, LED television, 2-in-1 teacher’s laptop and tablet for multimedia and interactive educational content provided by Smart’s partners, student tablets preloaded with E-learning materials and apps, pocket Wi-Fi, a smartphone, and a memory drive for storage of learning modules and other school files.

Teachers are also trained on the Central Visayan Institute Foundation - Dynamic Learning Program, a teaching pedagogy that promotes independent learning among students to encourage them to

In full bloom: 5 affordable florists in Metro Manila ROSES are red, violets are blue. Flowers are nice on Valentine’s Day, but they make a great gift for any occasion, too.

Those planning to make someone feel truly special with a bouquet or a few stems of blooms, here's a list of top five trustworthy and budget-friendly florists in Metro Manila.

Flower Chimp

Employee volunteers are all smiles upon reaching Ayangan Elementary School.

pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines.

In addition, gadgets carried in every School-in-a-Bag are pre-installed with LearnSmart Mother Tongue-Based Literacy Apps mobile applications.

Recognized by local and international award-giving bodies, the suite of apps was developed by Smart in partnership with local stakeholders.

“Ms. Edith, the school head teacher, said that our hike was a blessing and an answered prayer,” shared Torrevillas.

In order to turn over the School-ina-Bag unit to the beneficiary school, the group from Smart’s head office in Ayala traveled for 10 hours to Benquet, before going on the three-hour trek.

Arcilla said he was glad for the opportunity to put his skills as a mountaineer to good use. He shared, “Since their main problem is accessibility, I will help in bringing educational technologies to them. We are all excited about what School-in-a-Bag can contribute to the education of the pupils.”

One School-in-a-Bag package is valued at P150,000. Over 190 bags have been distributed as of September 2019 through individual and corporate donors.

For the bag donated to Ayangan ES, Smart employees raised funds through its Smart Saturdays activity.

“I hadn’t fully realized the effect of my P250 Smart Saturdays donation until I saw firsthand what School-in-a-Bag can do,” enthused Torrevillas.

She continued, “Seeing the children all excited and happy to try the apps and games installed in the donated tablets made me realize that education is a gateway to many great things. In today’s fast-paced world, it is very easy to access information and acquire knowledge. With a reliable mobile or Wi-Fi network, all things we need to know can be done in just one click.”

“School-in-a-Bag helps uplift the quality of education in underserved communities around the country by giving kids equal opportunity to use learning tools that are normally only available in more developed, urban schools,” said Arcilla.

“My wish is for children in these mountain communities to enjoy their childhood, part of which is for them to fully utilize the educational tools and materials in the School-in-a-Bag we delivered to them,” he added.

Flower Chimp is an online florist present in countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Hong Kong. The company has the perfect arrangement for different budget. It also offers add-ons such as cakes, chocolates, balloons, and teddy bears.

One of its signature collections, The Trinity Collection, will make anyone’s heart melt. This florist also offers free same day delivery to almost anywhere in the Philippines, with delivery slots from morning to evening.

Flower Chimp is giving a 15 percent discount on all arrangements to Manila Standard readers who want to try its service. Use the code MANILA15 (Valid until December 31, 2019) when ordering. www.flowerchimp.com.ph / info.ph@flowerchimp.com

Island Rose

Island Rose has been a household name in the Philippines known for its famous rose bouquets. Not only is it a retailer but it is also one of the largest wholesaler of roses in the country. It specializes in assorted colored roses. In addition, this florist also delivers to anywhere within Metro Manila on the same day. www.islandrose.net / helpdesk@islandrose.net

Tecson Flower Shop

From selling orchids, Tecson Flowers has expanded to offering a variety of flower arrangements. It is also known for its style of wrapping.

Those looking to impress someone, this florist also offers Ecuadorian roses, known to be the best due to their large size.

Order may be done online or through any of its five branches in Metro Manila. www.tecsonflowers.com / customercare@tecsonflowers.com

Flowers by Yumi

Flowers by Yumi mainly focuses on custom designs perfect for either corporate or personal gifting. Upholding “omotenashi,” a Japanese service philosophy, the company believes in the art of selfless hospitality ensuring exceptional quality of flowers and service. Aside from custom designs, it also has a line of rose bouquets available. www.flowersbyyumi.com / sales@flowersbyyumi.com

Bloomiere

The Smart Mountaineering Club delivers one School-in-a-Bag package, valued at P150,000, that comes with solar panel set, pocket Wi-Fi, LED television, and other gadgets.

For blooms that last, Bloomiere specializes in preserved flowers imported from Japan. Its products include flowers in elegant glass boxes and glass domes, inspired by Beauty and the Beast, which can be sent to anywhere in the Philippines. www.bloomiere.com / bloom@bloomiere.com.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019 nickie.standard@gmail.com

Entertainment

‘Fleabag,’ a joint production between Amazon and the BBC, won six Emmys including best comedy series, as well as best actress and comedy writing for Phoebe Waller-Bridge herself.

Emmys winner Waller-Bridge inks Amazon deal NEWLY crowned multiple-Emmy-winner Phoebe WallerBridge has signed a major new deal with Amazon after her creation Fleabag dominated the comedy awards at television’s answer to the Oscars.

British actress and writer Waller-Bridge, who also co-wrote spy thriller Killing Eve and upcoming James Bond film No Time To Die, confirmed her status as one of comedy’s hottest properties at Sunday’s awards.

Fleabag, a joint production between Amazon and the BBC,

won six Emmys including best comedy series, as well as best actress and comedy writing for Waller-Bridge herself.

Waller-Bridge said in a statement Tuesday she was “insanely excited” to pen the new deal with Amazon, which Hollywood media reported was worth around $20 million per year over three years.

“Working with the team on Fleabag was the creative partnership dreams are made of. It really feels like home. I can’t wait to get going!” she said. AFP

It’s the little girls’ turn

The coronation finals of Munting Mutya ng Pilipinas 2019 will be held on Nov. 17 at the AFP Theatre, Quezon City.

NEARLY 50 pretty Quezon), Precious and talented girls, age Jewell Lara (8, Tiaong, seven to twelve, from Quezon), Kaella all over the country, Reehana Vivar (11, were named as official Trece Martirez, ETON candidates of the Ayumi CONCEPCION Cavite), inaugural Munting Yzzabel Chavez (11, Mutya ng Pilipinas Abuyog, Leyte),Maria 2019.

Alexia Olila (11, San Pedro, The pageant, which aims among Laguna), Rebecca Fesalbon (9, others, to empower the young Calamba, Laguna), Sheinne Audrey generation to value education, fight Cator (9, Guinayangan, Quezon), lin against bullying and discrimination, Kunita (8, Marilao, Bulacan), Alicia is being presented and produced Mae Bodoy (11, Quirino

by Star Builder Production and Talent Prov.), Janelle Silva (7, San Antonio, Management. The pageant aims to Quezon). Kate Cayaga (10, Gen. raise funds and support to the “Isang Trias, Cavite), Jherlyn Demesa (8, Lapis at Papel, Isang Pangarap” Project Naga City), Zhyra Mallari (9, Foundation which helps less fortunate Marikina), Julianna Margaret kids towards building their dreams to Despi (11, Tagum City), Jenelle reality and create common goals to the Suba-an (9, Davao City), Margaret young generation.

Cubacub (9, San Fernando, The candidates are Alexandra Pampanga), Reeqah Garcia (10, Pasay Naomi Insigne (10, Valenzuela City), and Queen Ashley Lavapie (11, City), Sofia Arellano (10, Pililla, Rosario, Batangas).

Rizal), Samantha Niebres (8, The coronation finals of Munting Zambales), Precious dela Torre (8, Mutya ng Pilipinas 2019 will be Malolos, Bulacan),Prancheska held on Nov. 17 at the AFP Theatre, Samaniego (11, Balagtas, Quezon City.

Bulacan), Trisha Mai de Guzman (11, *** Cavite), Marianne Bermundo (11, Sta. Single mom vies for Mrs. Ana, Manila), Margareth Lagman (11, Philippines-World title in France Novaliches), Rizlin Poringuez(11, It’s the season of pageants for Masambong, Q. C.), Aicey Ariola (11, married women and Mrs. Philippines Rizal, Makati City), Chrissey World 2019 is one of them. Filipina Oanes (8, Gapan, Nueva Ecija), Ellora housewives from around the globe are Benicta (10, San Pablo City, set to compete in the national search to Laguna), Leira Sebastian (8, Pandi, choose the Philippine representative at Bulacan), Julia Garcia (9, Bacolor, the Mrs. World 2019 pageant.

Pampanga), Samisen Montero (9, Pasig Visayas will be represented by Aida City), Rhianne delos Reyes (8, Baguio Patana, a 45-year-old single motherCity), Cassey Thomas (7, Cabuyao, grandmother and owner of a talent Laguna), Jasleen Villamor (10, Calamba agency based in Cebu. Patana, who was City, Laguna), Dhelsie Reyes (11, first runner up in Queen of Mandaue Sto. Tomas, Batangas), Rholeel 2010, accepted the challenge to Angela Mamorno (9, Bauan, compete after she was handpicked by Batangas), Alexa Vien Parsaligan (10, the pageant’s national director Butz Pansol, Laguna), Alliyah Joyce Alcancia as she would like to see Paris Condino(11, Marikina City), Nadia where the finals will be held on Oct. 26.

Patana’s life journey and struggle Camille Baysan (11, Cavite), Ashley Gonzales (10, Sta. Maria, is one inspiring tale of success that is Bulacan), Rhyella Ludeen Bioc (8, worth emulating by separated womRosario, Cavite), Ashanti Medrazo (11, en. After marriage, Patana, who is Montalban, Rizal),Jaden Mendoza (8, originally from Osamiz City, moved Molino, Bacoor City), Reign Ashley to the USA with her husband and put Chulvo (8, Binagonan, Rizal), Chrisa up a business. It was making good but Ianna Sebastian (11, Pandi, Bulacan), suffered with the infamous bombing Maria Angelika dela Cruz (10, of the World Trade Center in 2001.

Minalin, Pampanga),Jhyrene Silva (9, As the twin towers went down, so is San Antonio, Patana’s marriage. Her life shattered, Aida rose to the challenge through hard work, perseverance and believe in herself, raising her children all by herself.

“My whole platform is empowering women to overcome stereotypes and break barriers. How can I tell other women to be fearless and to be true to themselves if I cannot do the same? I’m a single parent and I want to show them that we can do it, we too can,” said Patana who also do charity works in Cebu.

Patana is preparing for the Mrs. Philippines World with pasarela (catwalk) and communication training under the Kagandang Flores (KF) camp and will have wear gowns for the competition designed

by Cary Santiago.

PAGEANT CONCEPT

Fil-Am stand-up comedian Jo Koy is returning to the Philippines for a series of shows.

Fil-Am comedian JO KOY brings the ‘Just Kidding World Tour’ to PH

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AMOUS Filipino-American standup comedian Jo Koy returns to the country as he brings the Just Kidding World Tour to Cebu and Manila on Jan. 14 and 15, respectively. Tickets go onsale to the public today in all SM Tickets outlets or via smtickets.com.

Fresh off the release of his highly anticipated Netflix special, Comin’ In Hot streaming worldwide on Netflix, the comedian is currently on the first leg of his Just Kidding World Tour, and has also announced shows in Australia, New Zealand and North America.

The Just Kidding World Tour will feature all-new material.

Koy has come a long way from his modest beginnings performing at a Las Vegas coffee house. As one of today’s premiere stand-up comedians, Koy sells out theaters and

arenas around the world, and has been breaking ticket sale records with his infectious and explosive energy on-stage.

He pulls inspiration from his family, specifically his son, with material that has universal appeal.

The comedian has had four highly-rated and successful stand-up specials on Comedy Central and Netflix. He can also be heard on his weekly podcast, The Koy Pond with Jo Koy by Starburns Audio.

In 2018, Koy was given the prestigious “Stand-Up Comedian Of The Year” award at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal. In 2019, the comedian reached #1 on the Billboard Charts for his stand-up comedy album, Live From Seattle.

Koy has appeared on over 140 episodes of Chelsea Lately as a season regular roundtable guest. Other appearances include: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Late Show with James Corden, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Last Call with Carson Daly, Lights Out with David Spade, Midnight with Chris Hardwick, Larry King Now, Beat Bobby Flay, The Breakfast Club,Celebrity Page TV, World’s Funniest Fails, and Sean In The Wild.

For show tickets and information, visit mmilive.com.

Ticket prices range from P1, 700 to P7, 500.

Exciting film selection for QCinema seventh installment is the launching pad for INTERNATIONAL and local the world premieres, not films that are must-sees, that thrill, only for the three Filipino raise awareness, or spur the imfeatures in the Asian Next agination are to be screened in Wave competition, but the 2019 version of the QCinema also for new local shorts & International Film Festival (QCindocumentaries, who all reema) ceived grants from QCineConsidered as a flag-carrying ma, where filmmakers own international film festival in the the rights to their films. country, QCinema will feature cinQCinema recently reematic treasures from Oct. 13 to 22 launched its main compeat the Gateway Mall, Ayala Trinotition, AsianNext Wave, to ma, Robinsons Galleria, UPFI include three Filipino tiCine Adarna, Cinema 76 Anonas, tles which each received a and Cinema Centenario.

P1,500,000 seed grant: ArLeading the roster are two nel Barbarona’s Kaaway much-awaited Asian titles. Sigrid sa Sulod, Babae at Baril by Bernardo’s Untrue is QCinema’s Rae Red, and The Cleanopening film while Wet Season, ers by Glenn Barit, which

by Singaporean director Anthony is his debut feature.

Chen, will officially close the fesThe QCShorts lineup tival. features Judy Free by Jean Christine Reyes and Xian Cheryl Tagyamon; TokLim top-bill the festival opener by wifi by Carla Pulido OcamBernardo who is the director of the Cristine Reyes and Xian Lim, stars of QCinema’s opening film, po; Here, Here by Joanne indie hit, Kita Kita. The Hooq-pro- ‘Untrue’ by Sigrid Bernardo.

Cesario; SPID by Alejo duced Wet Season is Chen’s folBarbaza and Mervine low-up to his critically-acclaimed Aquino; Excuse Me, Miss, Miss, Miss by Sonny Calvento; film, Iloilo.

QCinema 2019 focuses on the strides Asian filmmakers have and Isang Daa’t Isang Mariposa by Norvin De los Santos. The been making in world cinema, with Asian filmmakers bagging six filmmakers each received P200,000 production grants in the the Palm d’ Or award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for shorts competition.

Three new Filipino documentary features, recipients of posttwo consecutive years.

Furthermore, the theme recognizes the growing number of production grants of P500,000 each, will premiere in the secwomen filmmakers participating in competitions for documen- tion, DocQC. They are For My Alien Friend (by Jet Leyco), A taries and short films. To add, this year’s QCinema sections have is for Agustin (Grace Pimentel Simbulan) and Spring by the Sea (Aleia Garcia). female-centric themes.

For more information and updates, visit qcinema.com.ph.

As one of the leading festivals in Southeast Asia, QCinema

Aida Patana is a single mother rights’ advocate

Motoring

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019

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LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2020: WINNING ENTRIES MILAN-BOUND • Lexus continues its commitment to nurturing upand-coming designers by sponsoring the eighth Lexus Design Award • The program offers a unique opportunity for six finalists, handpicked and mentored by some of the most respected names in the design industry, to showcase their prototypes to a global audience at the world-renown Milan Design Week Lexus International is still accepting entries to its annual design competition.

In its eighth year, Lexus Design Awardprovides a unique platform for young creators to demonstrate and further develop their talents. Founded in 2013 to

support and foster up-and-coming creators, the program continues to evolve and inspire innovations in design that lead to a better tomorrow, and each year has seen a steady increase in number of entries from across the world.

Last year, creators from 65 countries submitted 1,548 design proposals, many of which leveraged the power of technology. Among the 6 finalists last year, who have entered the prototype creation stage, was a Filipino contestant, Jeffrey Dela Cruz, with his entry Baluto—a modular housing system designed to withstand earthquakes and high floods.

Jeffrey Dela Cruz is an Architecture Graduate from Saint Louis University, Baguio City, Philippines. He interprets Filipino architectural designs and is often inspired by indigenous forms, materials and constructions. He hopes his work will eventually have an impact in the research field.

This year, Lexus once again opens the competition for creators all around

the globe to share their take on visionary, inspiring, and life-changing design possibilities, and give them a chance to bring these innovative ideas to life. Entrants will need to demonstrate how their creative ideas express three key principles of the Lexus brand: Anticipate, Innovate, and Captivate, with an emphasis on how their design anticipates the needs individuals and society.

In early 2020, Lexus will announce the six finalists who will go on to participate in an extraordinary and exclusive mentorship program in New York City, under the guidance of prominent design leaders from a variety of design fields. Each finalist can use up to 3,000,000 yen (over $25,000 US) to create a prototype of their design

concept, which will be exhibited at the Lexus design installation at Milan Design Week* 2020.

The Lexus Design Award culminates in the announcement of the Grand Prix winner following prototype presentations by each of the six finalists. Prototype presentations and announcement of the Grand Prix winner will happen on a world stage during Press Day at Milan Design Week. The complete list of Lexus Design Award 2020 judges and mentors will be announced in fall of 2019.

Entries to the Lexus Design Award 2020 competition will be accepted until October 14, 2019. Please visit https:// lexusdesignaward.awardsplatform.com/ to submit your ideas.

Suzuki breaks ground for new dealership

From left: SPH Director and General Manager of Automobile Division Keiichi Suzuki; Executive Assistant of City of Tagum Mayor Pastor William Cuyacot; Grand Canyon Multi-holdings, Inc. Chairman Peter Po; Grand Canyon Multiholdings, Inc. Comptroller Carol Po; Grand Canyon Multi-holdings, Inc. VP for Operations Lorenzo Aguilar; SPH Auto Sales Manager Jude Racadio; lead the groundbreaking rites of new Suzuki Auto Tagum.

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UZUKI Philippines, Inc., the country’s pioneer subcompact car distributor, continues to bolster its presence in Mindanao with a new dealership in Tagum City in Davao. After setting a new record of more than 2,000 vehicles sold nationwide in four consecutive months this year, SPH is gearing up to open new showrooms in different areas across the country with fastpaced business growth.

Suzuki Auto Tagum located in District 1, Purok 5A, Canocotan, Tagum City will soon rise SPH’s 3s dealership in the city, making Suzuki cars and services more accessible to existing and other potential customers in the area and neighboring cities. The new dealership is owned and managed by Grand Canyon Multi Holdings Inc., which manages Suzuki’s 12 other dealerships nationwide.

Tagum City was hailed as Davao Region’s Overall Most Competitive Component City in 2018, its second win from the initiative led by the Department of Interior and Local Government and Department of Trade and Industry. The awards were given to municipalities in Davao that exemplified excellence in Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure Development and Disaster Resiliency.

“As we break ground for what would be the new Suzuki Auto Tagum, we reaffirm our promise to make our best-valued and award-winning products and services more accessible to more Filipinos and let them experience the Suzuki Way of Life,” said Keiichi Suzuki, director and general manager for automobile division of Suzuki Philippines.

This year, SPH achieved 14 percent year-on-year growth and landed on the fifth rank in the local automobile industry ranking. These back-to-back milestones continue to motivate the brand to look for more opportunities to strengthen its market in the country by providing best-in-class vehicles and service to Filipinos and bring to them the Suzuki Way of Life.

Leading the groundbreaking rites were Suzuki Philippines Director and General Manager Keiichi Suzuki and executives from Grand Canyon Multi Holdings Inc. The Suzuki Auto Tagum will be completed by March 2020 and will be fully operational by May 2020.

FASTLANE

SEAOIL names promo winner SEAOIL, the largest independent fuel provider in the Philippines, has announced the first winner of its lifetime free gas promo this year. Ron James Ditcing, a 37 year-old sales manager from Rizal has proved that the third time’s the charm. As a SEAOIL user, Ron has been joining the Lifetime Free Gas promo since its first run three years ago.

When he was not yet driving, Ron got to visit SEAOIL stations because his father gassed up there. It became their habit to fuel up at SEAOIL, followed by buying a popular flavored drink that was renting space at the station. Ron works for a bank and goes around Metro Manila to meet prospective clients. He said his fuel winnings will help both his work trips and travels with his family.

SEAOIL’s “Lifetime Free Gas, Oh My Gas!” promo will award three more motorists with a lifetime’s supply of free gas this year.

To qualify for the Lifetime Free Gas promo, a customer must gas up at least P500 worth of Extreme 97, Extreme 95, Extreme U, Extreme Diesel fuels and/or SEAOIL Lu-

bricants at any SEAOIL station nationwide.

Customers can double their chances of winning if they register at www.lifetimefreegas. com.

The “Oh My Gas!” promo runs until Oc-

tober 18, 2019. The remaining winners of this year’s promo will be determined via electronic monthly draws in September, and November, and a dropbox raffle draw in November.

TWIN LAUNCH FOR HONDA PH.

Honda Philippines, the motorcycle division of the Japan-based vehicle maker, has unveiled two new motorcyles at the Robinson’s Metroeast with a star attraction to boot in the person of its brand ambassador, movie-TV celebrity Yassi Pressman.

At the launching of the new Genio and the all new ADV150 Honda are (from left) Jomel Jerezo General Manager of the Motorcycle Business Planning Department of HPI; Susumu Mitsubishi president of HPI; Beth Alejandro, AVP for finance; Yassi Pressman, brand ambassador, and a Honda officer. Sonny Espiritu

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019

Motoring

Goodyear PH turns 100, rolls out new Wrangler tire

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S IT celebrates its 100th year in the country, Goodyear Philippines rolled out the latest tire to carry the legacy of the award-winning Wrangler family, the Wrangler AT SilentTrac.

Goodyear Philippine geared up to take on the next 100 years at its centenary celebration with innovative and performance driven tire technologies designed to keep drivers safe on the road.

Goodyear entered the Philippines just after the end of World War I in 1919 and established its Southeast Asia distribution center and warehouse. At this time, tires were shipped from the United States to Manila and sold both locally and to other countries such as China, Japan, the then Dutch Indies and other adjacent countries.

Through the years, Goodyear has pioneered products to give drivers confidence both on- and off-road such as the launch of its EfficientGrip Performance SUV in 2017, which was dubbed as the quietest SUV tire with QuietTred Technology that minimizes road noise and vibrations to give drivers superior comfort and grip experience. 2017 also marked the launch of the first and most comprehensive warranty coverage of Goodyear Philippines, the Worry Free Assurance program which features free 24/7 emergency roadside assistance service for any vehicular inconvenience, personal accident insurance and road hazard warranty.

Just last year, Goodyear Philippines also launched Assurance TripleMax 2, which is equipped with the new HydroTred Technology that is optimized for excellent grip performance with short braking distance under wet road conditions. This allows drivers to stop faster and drive safer, especially on wet roads.

Last June, Goodyear Philippines released the Assurance DuraPlus 2 designed for small- to mid-sized passenger vehicles. The Assurance DuraPlus 2 is known to strike a balance between safety and mileage with a strengthened TredLife Technology. It can even go up to 110,000km1 giving drivers the freedom to go further.

With 100 years of driving tire innovation and safety in the Philippines, Goodyear has had a positive impact on the Filipino driving experience, both on- and offroad, and is celebrating its 100th year with its next tire innovation—the Wrangler AT SilentTrac, a new all-terrain tire with en-

Petron launches ‘Fuel Wise’ advocacy for Filipino motorists AS THE only Filipino-owned oil major, Petron Corp—with its commitment to sustain the country’s fuel requirements spanning more than 85 years—has always placed the needs of the Filipino motorists at the forefront of its endeavors.

Taking this promise a step further, Petron is launching its “Fuel Wise” advocacy, a comprehensive campaign that aims to help Filipino motorists choose wise options to ensure that they are safe on the road, that their vehicles are properly maintained, that they get good fuel mileage, and that they use high-quality fuel. Here are some examples of Petron Fuel Wise tips: ROAD SAFETY: “Going for a long drive? Aside from checking your engine and gears, remember to take note of emergency hotlines and

CELEBRATION. Officers and guest do the ceremonial wine toast (from left) to celebrate Good year’s 100th anniversary: Ronald Cortel ,HR Head ,Michelle Mailig ,Supply Chain Business Partner,Jenner Powell -Product Director of Goodyear Asia Pacific,Andy Cooper -Managing Director of Goodyear ASEAN,Alex Ng- Market Director of Goodyear Philippines,Patra Azwar Goodyear Philippines Finance Philippines director,Jerome Ludovico - Goodyear Philippines Commercial Head,Saul Aurelius Isidore Babas -Goodyear Philippines Marketing Head, Romel Dela Cruz, National Sales Manger ,Jong Sumpaico,Branded retail Development Manager, Danny Cervas, Channel Development Manager,Danny Cervas Channel Development Manager,Loyal Dealer Tyrequest Marketing ,85 years. Sonny Espiritu

hanced DuraWall Technology for an exceptional on- and off-road performance.

The new product offering is tailored for confident drivers with a strong desire for adventure and the freedom to explore with full control over the wheels. Packed with the latest features of DuraWall Technology, drivers will be able to experience an all-terrain drive with an extended mileage and quietness on the road.

Following the success of the Wrangler AT/SA, the Wrangler AT SilentTrac is designed to enhance driver’s experience by providing rugged toughness while delivering a smooth drive, plus an impressive on- and off-road handling performance

Wrangler AT Silent Trac boasts increased traction.

emergency stops on major highways.

Fuel Wise.”

CAR CARE: “Replacing clogged air filters regularly can improve engine performance and increase acceleration time and gas mileage. Fuel Wise.”

FUEL EFFICIENCY: “Did you know that having the right tire pressure provides less road friction and less road friction means less fuel consumption?

Fuel Wise.”

FUEL QUALITY: “Cheaper price does not guarantee quality. The few pesos you save today may end up costing you more tomorrow. Fuel Wise.”

CONSUMER PROTECTION: “Always ask for your receipt. Fuel Wise.”

Petron’s advocacy puts premium on road safety.

without the noise. The latest innovation introduces an upgraded DuraWall Technology that withstands rugged off-road use by resisting cuts and tears, allowing versatility for drivers to go off-road at a moment’s notice. The improved rigid shoulder blocks and optimized tread pattern design deliver outstanding strength and reduced road noise for a quieter ride, while also resulting in excellent mileage and on- and off-road performance.

Alex Ng, Goodyear Market Director for the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Distributor Markets stated, “We are confident that the Wrangler AT SilentTrac will fulfill the needs of the 4x4 market, having the best of both worlds with its off-road performance and durability complemented with a comfortable on-road experience. SUV and pick-up truck drivers can leisurely drive on rough roads with Wrangler AT SilentTrac’s increased traction and toughness, and drive home on paved roads with comfort.”

The new Wrangler AT SilentTrac is Goodyear’s perfect offering to SUV and pick-up truck drivers who demand offroad durability, long lasting tread life and quiet performance.

The newly-launched Wrangler AT Si-

With the roll-out of the Petron “Fuel Wise” advocacy, commuters will see road safety reminders, car-care advice, fuel efficient driving tips, and fuel recommendations in electronic billboards as well as banners and streamers in strategic locations. Stickering activities are also being conducted nationwide to enjoin more motorists in supporting the advocacy.

Through a dedicated R&D team constantly creating fuels that will deliver optimum performance and efficiency for every type of vehicle, Petron has been acknowledged as a fuel innovator and a trusted source of quality fuel. It invested USD2 billion in upgrading its Bataan refinery to ensure that its products, while processed locally, meet and even surpass global standards. And, with the widest network of more than 2,400 stations nationwide, even the more remote countryside areas are sure to have access to the products and services offered

by Petron.

With its deep understanding of Philippine driving conditions and utmost concern for the welfare of motorists, the new advocacy further strengthens Petron’s commitment to provide Filipino consumers with the best experience at every touch point, with a guarantee that they are indeed being ‘Fuel Wise’ with Petron.

lentTrac exhibits improved engineering and design benefits and features in three key areas: All-Terrain Performance: The advanced DuraWall Technology and optimized sidewall and tread provide superior off-road durability.

Robust Traction Blocks: The new design features solid centerline blocks with abundant traction edges to deliver reliable all-terrain traction and robust for off-road toughness.

DuraWall Technology: Wrangler AT SilentTrac’s innovated DuraWall Technology highlights a tough sidewall with thicker gauge and robust compound that provides greater resistance to cuts and punctures with high abrasion and tear resistance for a supportive off-road driving experience.

Robust Tread Compound: The advanced tread compound with silica blend is developed to resist cutting and chipping during off-road without compromising wet traction on road.

Quiet Performance: Wrangler AT SilentTrac’s refined tread design and revamped centerline and shoulder block design deliver a comfortable and quieter experience.

Angled Centerline Blocks Design: The aggressive traction blocks are angled for a progressive impact to lower pattern noise.

Solid Shoulders: The remodeled shoulders feature a combination of pronounced traction notches and solid ribs that result in a smoother impact on the road.

Thicker Rubber Layer Under Tread to Absorb Vibration: The thicker rubber layer under tread softens contact with the road and reduces noise for a more pleasant ride.

Mileage Performance: Goodyear engineers optimized the tread area for an even pressure distribution across the footprint, resulting in excellent mileage and great balance for on and off-road performance.

Larger Wearable Rubber Volume: The new tread pattern includes an 8% increase in rubber volume for extended tread life.2 Robust Tread Compound: The advanced tread compound with silica blend presents a better resistance to road abrasion, resulting in superior tread wear.

Optimized Cavity Shape: Wrangler AT SilentTrac’s updated cavity shape provides an enhanced contact patch allowing the load to be evenly distributed for extended mileage.

Land Cruiser marks 10-M global sales TOYOTA Motor Philippines joins the rest of the Toyota global family in celebration of the 10 million cumulative sales of its iconic nameplate, the Land Cruiser.

In the worldwide sales report as of August 31, the Land Cruiser surpassed 10 million units sold across 170 countries. Aside from the Middle East, notable regions of high Land Cruiser sales volume include Europe, Oceania, and Asia.

Locally, the Toyota Land Cruiser already sold a total of 14,005 units since its introduction in 1995. Its best-selling year so far was in 2017, where it sold a record-

breaking 2,454 units of the LC200 and Prado variants combined.

“In the Philippines, the Toyota Land Cruiser is known for being a status vehicle,” said TMP First Vice President for Vehicle Sales Operations Mr. Sherwin Chua Lim. “The LC has come a long way since it was introduced here more than two decades ago, and its proven durability makes the model an enduring icon among Filipinos.”

All Land Cruiser units sold in the Philippines are imported from Japan.