Manila Standard - 2019 September 28 - Saturday by Manila Standard

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DOH: No diphtheria outbreak but mortality ‘unacceptable’ sized the “mortality” from the disease “is unacceptable.” “We do not have a diphtheria outDESPITE the death of a Grade 4 student in Manila last week, an official break,” said Dr. Anthony Calibo, of the Department of Health ruled out OIC-chief of the DOH Children’s Next page an outbreak of diphtheria—but empha-

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 226 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

De Lima’s jailers barred from US

Palace blasts US Senate panel move for intrusion By MJ Blancaflor and Macon Ramos-Araneta

NO END IN SIGHT. Traffic builds up anew on Friday morning on the northbound lane of the South Luzon Expressway, which is caused by the expansion of the Skyway system. See story on A2

Jeepney groups set strike Monday PUBLIC transport groups will push through with a nationwide strike on Monday to demand that the government’s public utility vehicle modernization program be postponed another three years instead of starting next year. However, the government warned that any transport cooperatives joining strikes would have their accreditation

automatically revoked. The announcement from the Office of Transportation Cooperatives on Wednesday came after the Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) and Alliance of Concerned Transport Organizations (ACTO) announced a transport strike

ALACAÑANG on Friday blasted the US Senate panel for approving a measure to ban from entry into the United States all officials involved in Senator Leila de Lima’s detention, calling it an intrusion into the country’s internal affairs and saying it treats the Philippines as an inferior state.

Durbin

The Palace also asked the US to mind its own business, “as each nation has enough problems that its government should focus on.” In a Twitter post, US Senator Dick Durbin praised the Senate appropriations committee for passing an amendment he and Senator Patrick Leahy, both Democrats, introduced to institute the ban. “Good to see the Senate Appropriations Committee pass my amendment

with @SenatorLeahy today to prohibit entry to any Philippine Government Officials involved in the politically motivated imprisonment of Filipina Senator Leila de Lima in 2017. We must #FreeLeilaNow,” Durbin said in his tweet. Durbin was among f ive US senators—two Republicans and three Democrats—who f iled a resolution condemning De Lima’s continued detention.

Defensor

Lacson

De Lima

“The Palace considers such undertaking as a brazen attempt to intrude into our country’s domestic legal processes given that the subject cases against the detained senator are presently being heard by our local courts,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement. He also said the proposed ban is an insult to government officials and “a form of disrespect to the public’s clamor for law and order.”

Castro

Senators accused of ‘rumor-mongering’ over budget By Maricel V. Cruz ANAKALUSUGAN Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor on Friday appealed to senators to stop rumor-mongering on the national budget that the House of Representatives approved on third and

final reading on Sept. 20. He said senators, especially Senator Panfilo Lacson and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon should first scrutinize the proposed 2020 P4.1-trillion national budget before commenting on it.

“Rumor-mongering has no place in legislative work. We must first study the content of the national budget before we actually criticize it,” said Defensor. “Peddling rumors are not the handiwork of esteemed senators,” he added.

Locsin twits China for many unmaterialized commitments FOREIGN Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Friday many of the commitments made by the Chinese government to the Philippines have yet to materialize. “Yes, we have signed up to this and

that agreement but they hardly materialized. They hardly materialized,” Locsin said at an event in New York City as reported by Joseph Morong in Unang Balita on Friday. Turn to A3

First let me take a selfie, El Salvador’s president tells UN EL SALVADOR’S President Nayib Bukele, whose social media savvy helped win him power earlier this year, took a selfie before his maiden speech at the UN General Assembly, which he called “obsolete” and suggested scrapping. In a dark suit and no tie, his hair slicked back in his signature style, the 38-year-old Turn to A3

In this handwritten note released by the Baguio City police, PMA cadet Darwin Dormitorio details how he was mistreated by fellow cadets a month before he died from internal injuries due to suspected hazing.

PMA hazing suspects face murder raps By Maricel V. Cruz

POLICE in Baguio City said Friday they are poised to file murder charges and violations of the Anti-Hazing Law against the suspects in the suspected hazing that killed 4th-class

cadet Darwin Dormitorio at the Philippine Military Academy on Sept. 18. They also said they had identified a sixth cadet allegedly involved in maltreating Dormitorio, who is already buried in his home city of Next page

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019

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Scrapping brgy. polls becoming ‘bad habit’ By Macon Ramos-Araneta HAVING postponed the barangay elections six times since 1988, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Friday called on the government to get rid of the national bad habit of frequently scrapping the barangay elections. He made the statement even as the Commission on Elections reminded the public that only two days remain before the deadline for the voter registration period ends. The Comelec has recorded at least 2.6 million applicant voters since the start of the registration period on Aug. 1, 2019. In a statement, the Comelec said that, as of Sept. 21, the total running number of processed applications was now at 2,645,446. “Tomorrow is the last Saturday of voter registration while the last day is on a Monday, so an influx of registrants is to be expected, Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said. “The Comelec has anticipated this, and we are confident that our employees in the field are prepared to handle the lastday registration scenario.” Recto said the proposed scrapping of the barangay elections scheduled in May 2020 will be the seventh. If it pushes through, Recto said, it will be the third under the Duterte administration and the first three-peat of its kind in history. After seven postponements, he believes it is time for durable cures and not band-aid solutions. Instead of regurgitating the tired old excuses, Recto said, “We should ask ourselves: Ano nga ba ang dahilan bakit parati na lang ito pinagpapaliban? He emphasized that House and Senate debate records would show that every time a bill of postponement was passed, it was premised on the promise that it would be the last. “That was the refrain in 1988, 1989, 2002, 2005, 2016, and 2017. Ang “never again ˆ “let me try again,” said Recto. The result, he said, was an elastic term of office for barangay officials, longer than what they should get. He said elective officials in this land— from the president down to the barangay captain—had the same employment status: they’re casuals elected to fixed terms. Endo in 6 years for the president and 3 years for the rest, which can only be renewed through the ballot box. Through the ages, he said, the arguments for postponement could be grouped into three: peace and order, election fatigue, savings. With Vito Barcelo

Senators... From A1

The Palace’s proposed P4.1 trillion national budget is scheduled for transmittal to the Senate on Oct. 1 following its record time passage last week. Deputy Speaker and Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte, meanwhile, said Lacson’s fabricated allegations against congressional members looked on the surface to be a misunderstanding but is actually a political hatchet job meant to damage the House of Representatives. Villafuerte said Lacson failed to be circumspect in brandishing allegations that turned out to be unsubstantiated because his personal agenda, it appears, is to make the Senate look good at the expense of the current House leadership. Lacson earlier said that he will verify and validate information from his sources and later claimed he stands by them. Lacson has accused House members of setting aside billions of pesos in pork barrel in the P4.1-trillion national budget. Defensor joined Villafuerte in his appeal to senators to study the budget ﬁrst and see for themselves that it is indeed a ‘no-pork’ budget. “We passed the 2020 GAB strictly following the Speaker’s policy of ‘No Pork, No Parking, No Delay.’ We expect our colleagues in the Senate to adhere to the same principles,” Defensor said. He added that senators may raise their objections to speciﬁc provision of the bill when the bicameral conference committee convenes in late November or early December. “That is not only our traditional practice, but our constitutional duty to jointly reconcile differences in the bicameral conference level,” said Defensor. During Thursday’s party-list coalition news forum, Deputy Majority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon partylist Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy and DIWA Party-list Rep. Michael Aglipay also joined calls for Lacson to apologize for his failure to present proof that the approved national budget contains pork barrel.

News

‘PNP chief must be ready for grilling’ I

F PHILIPPINE National Police Director General Oscar Albayalde attends the Senate probe into the illicit drug trade he was invited to on Monday, he should be prepared to answer questions from lawmakers, Senator Panﬁlo Lacson said. He said Albayalde should answer the facts of the issue—not only the identities of the policemen involved in the alleged “recycling” of drugs by so-called “ninja cops” but also the kidnap-for-ransom operations of rogue PNP members who reportedly demand up to P50 million for the release of Chinese drug lords previously arrested by authorities. Lacson said the PNP—which he once headed—should be thankful to the Senate, since it is helping them get rid of the rogues in the police ranks.

This developed as the Department of Justice placed Guia Gomez Castro, the woman Manila police had accused of conspiring with rogue cops to sell illegal drugs, on the immigration watchlist. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Friday issued an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) against Castro, which would direct the Bureau of Immigration to monitor her entry into and departure from the Philippines. The BI has confirmed that Castro is already out of the country.

Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said the department is checking whether or not there are existing hold departure orders against Castro, an elected barangay chairwoman. Unlike an ILBO, an HDO would prevent its subject from leaving the country. Castro is wanted by at least three courts, Metro Manila police chief Major General Guillermo Eleazar announced on Friday. “We have 3 warrants of arrest against her,” Eleazar said in a briefing in Camp Bagong Diwa. Meanwhile, the National Capital Region Police Office, headed by Eleazar, on Friday formed an alliance with various law enforcement agencies to fight the drug menace and go after government officials protecting the drug trade. The presence of so-called “ninja cops” and

SLEX traffic to get worse, Skyway boss admits

other government officials engaged in drug trafficking prompted the NCRPO chief to formally seek an alliance with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, National Bureau of Investigation, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Dubbed as the NCR Quad-Intel Force, the composite team was formed to maximize the various accomplishments of the government’s campaign against illegal drugs initiated by President Rodrigo Duterte. “This is the very first formal alliance of an anti-illegal drug force among the four major government agencies,” said Eleazar. Also, at least 55 barangays in Metr o Manila have been declared “drugcleared,” PDEA said Friday. Macon Ramos-Araneta, Joel Zurbano and Rio N. Araja

De Lima’s... From A1

SOUTHBOUND motorists will soon face heavy traffic on the South Luzon Expressway, where northbound cars have been caught in gridlock due to the ongoing Skyway extension project, its manager said Friday. Skyway O&M Corporation earlier this week started installing posts in the northbound lane for the five-kilometer Skyway extension that will eliminate the need for motorists to pass the Alabang viaduct, a perennial traffic choke point. On Thursday, motorists and passengers suffered the brunt of the traffic congestion along the South Luzon Expressway for the second day, with the line of vehicles extending for almost 24 kilometers from

Alabang to the Eton exit in Santa Rosa, Laguna. Commuters were forced to report for work or school late, and many of them missed appointments or flights. The cause was the indefinite closure of Skyway at-grade’s outermost lane right after the Alabang Viaduct in Muntinlupa City amid the construction of pylons for the six-km extension of the Skyway from Barangay Cupang to Susana Heights. Construction in the southbound lane will start “in the near future”, said SOMCO president Manuel Bonoan. “Once we start putting pieces and posts for the southbound extension, we will also eventually experience a disturbance there.”

Traffic on SLEX remained light on the southbound lane and heavy on the northbound lane from the Alabang viaduct to the Carmona rail road around 10 a.m. Friday, operator Manila Toll Expressway Systems said on Twitter. To ease the northbound traffic jams, a counter-flow scheme is being implemented during certain hours while SOMCO deployed additional ground personnel and ambulant tellers, Bonoan said. SOMCO aims to complete the Skyway extension by December 2020. “We are asking for a bit of patience. We hope we can work together on this, bear it a little. At the end of the day, as they say, no pain, no gain.”

DOH...

vaccination],” she said. “Think of the life of your children. If you give them the vaccination, you prevent the spread of the disease. Vaccination is also love for your neighbor,” she said. She identiﬁed the ﬁnancial constraints as another reason for low vaccination coverage. The DOH earlier blamed the Dengvaxia scare for the low vaccination rates and the resurgence of polio after a 19-year absence. In a separate development, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso led the city in marking World Heart Day to instill awareness on the need to take good care of hearts. The Philippine Heart Association said that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the Philippines. By 2030, the PHA said it is expects that 23 million people will die annually from CVD. At least 80 percent of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided if the main risk factors like tobacco, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity are uncontrolled. Calibo added that the number of reported diphtheria cases fell “within the usual range” that the Health department has established every year. Children are more vulnerable to diphtheria because their immune systems are not as well developed as those of adults. “So if children are not vaccinated and they are exposed to the bacteria, there is a bigger risk that they will acquire the disease. This may lead to death if not treated immediately,” he said. Records showed that from Jan. 1 to Sept. 7 this year, the DOH monitored 167 cases of diphtheria nationwide, 40 of which led to deaths. There were 122 diphtheria cases and 30 deaths due to the disease during the same period last year. For the entire 2018, 183 diphtheria cases

and 38 deaths were reported nationwide— three cases lower than the 186 reported in 2017. Of the reported diphtheria cases in 2018, 38 individuals died, lower than the 44 deaths the previous year. Calibo said that severe diphtheria cases can lead to death, especially among infants, due to “respiratory compromise.” Diphtheria is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheria, which affects the throat and the upper airways. Initial symptoms include sore throat, low fever, and swollen glands in the neck. The bacteria produce a “pseudomembrane” or a membrane of dead-tissue buildup over the throat and tonsils. This can block the throat and air passageway, cause breathing difﬁculties, and if not treated right away can eventually lead to death. An infected person can spread the disease to another person through droplets, by sneezing, coughing, and close personal contact. A 95 percent vaccine coverage nationwide is needed to reduce the threat of an outbreak, Calibo said. DOH data over the last 10 years show that the country has never reached this target. In 2018, only 65 percent of infants were fully immunized against diphtheria or received the required three doses of Pentavalent vaccine—a combination of vaccines against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, and haemophilus inﬂuenza B. The vaccine is administered to infants at 1½ months, 2½ months, and 3½ months as part of DOH’s Expanded Program on Immunization. Gimenez said open defecation is the cause of the polio virus. “Open defecation contaminates our water system. More importantly, one must always wash hands so we could prevent the polio virus from (human) feces from spreading,” she said.

would be, Co said: “We established there was evident premeditation to harm Cadet Dormitorio.” “We will just be referring this to the Prosecutor’s Ofﬁce which will conduct its own evaluation,” he added. Police previously named three of the suspects—3rd class Cadets Shalimar Imperial and Felix Lumbag and a certain Cadet Manalo. Co said they would withhold the identities of the other three suspects until they bring it to the prosecution, adding the number of suspects could still increase. The Baguio police on Friday shared a photo with members of media of the purported handwritten letter written by the plebe in which he recalled recalled what happened on the night of Aug. 21, detailing the abuse he received from his fellow cadets. Dormitorio said Imperial, Lumbag and Manalo deemed spending half of his allowance as a punishable offense. In a related development, Magdalo Party-

list Rep. Manuel Cabochan said that hazing was never a rite of passage for plebes, adding: “I won’t say it’s culture within the academy. Because when we say culture, it’s a way of life. We also cannot say it is a tradition.” Cabochan, in a television interview, said “When we say tradition it is something symbolic that you have to pass on from generations to generations.” Cabochan, PMA graduate in 1995 before joining the Navy, said hazing was practiced in the academy to instill discipline among plebes. “But hazing is never tolerated in the academy. An offense is still a crime and those liable for the offense should be made accountable,” Cabochan said. “Hazing inﬂicts bodily harm that endangers the mental, physical and academic health of the plebe,” he added. But he was quick to say this was not deliberate and must be calculated. “[Surviving] hazing is not a rite of passage that every individual who has to go through the academy must experience,” Cabochan said.

“It treats our country as an inferior state unqualiﬁed to run its own affairs. All sensible Filipinos, regardless of their political or social association, should feel affronted and disrespected by this insulting and offensive act,” Panelo said. He also said the US panel makes it appear that it has the “monopoly” of what is right and just. Panelo, however, said the government will not pursue action against the Senate panel decision. “We shall respect their democratic processes, be these in the form of a congressional measure or an immigration policy,” he said. “We shall leave it to the international community to ascertain which nation values the rule of law in accordance with the principle of state sovereignty,” he added. De Lima has been detained since February 2017 for allegedly pocketing drug payoffs from convicted crime lords when she was still Justice secretary. The senator has repeatedly denied the allegation, calling it “political persecution.” Senator Panﬁlo Lacson said he could not understand the sense in the Senate committee’s move. “Does it mean that all the witnesses who have testified against Senator De Lima, DOJ prosecutors who found probable cause, the RTC judges who issued the warrants, even the nine SC justices who voted with finality to affirm the detention of Senator De Lima will be banned from entering the US?” Lacson asked. Lacson said the Philippine Congress would never consider approving a similar amendment if a legislator were to introduce it. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said his US counterparts were busybodies who knew nothing of the case. While De Lima is innocent until proven guilty, he said, the US senators were not judges in the Philippines. De Lima’s party mate, Senator Francis Pangilinan, said he supported the US Senate move. “De Lima stood up against the mass murder of our people—as we all should. She is being unlawfully detained—for almost 1,000 days now— for speaking out against the killings of poor, powerless Filipino citizens in the administration’s so-called war on drugs,” Pangilinan said. The Liberal Party president also said they do not consider the US Senate’s action as interference in the affairs of a sovereign state. Human beings everywhere, he said, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, class, religion, or gender—must speak out against mass murder. “We welcome this move of the US senators, an act of solidarity not only for Senator Leila de Lima, but for all the murdered victims, and their orphans, widows, and mothers and fathers, who are now doubly burdened by the absence of a loved one and in many, many cases a family breadwinner.” De Lima, meanwhile, thanked United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for raising concern over her continued detention and the worsening human rights situation in the country.

The OTC also reminded the cooperatives of a memo from the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board that states “the PUV operator shall not resort to cessation of service as a sign or demonstration of protest against any government decision or action under pain of suspension or cancellation of the authority to operative granted by the (LTFRB).” It added that PUV operators should not allow any personnel to “join other committing acts prejudicial to the riding public including but not limited to paralyzing transport services by intimidation, coercion or violence.” On Friday, the Department of Transportation warned drivers and operators of public utility vehicles who plan to participate in Monday’s transport strike.

In a statement, DOTr Assistant Secretary for Communications Goddess Hope Libiran said joining the planned transport strike is a “blatant disregard to their duty.” “They have a responsibility to their passengers,” Libiran said. The ofﬁcial reiterated Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade who said a PUV franchise is a privilege and not a right—it can be revoked if they fail to honor their responsibilities. The LTFRB on Thursday said it has canceled 20 Certiﬁcates of Public Convenience of public utility vehicle drivers and operators who participated in a transport strike in 2017. LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra III said joining a transport holiday is in violation of

LTFRB’s Memorandum Circular No. 2011004—which states that joining any forms of protests resulting in the inconvenience of passengers is made in contempt of the franchise awarded by the government to PUV operators. “They disobeyed in the past; they must face the consequences now. We will not hesitate to enforce this policy because those joining transport strikes do not care about their passengers,” Delgra said. A consumer group, meanwhile, said gasoline prices should roll back as world oil prices soften. Laban Konsyumer Inc. president Victorio Dimagiba said the rollback should be P0.75 per liter for diesel and P1.60 per liter for gasoline, providing “relief to all consumers.” Alena Mae Flores, with PNA

From A1

Health Development Division-Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, in an interview with ABS-CBN News. He said the disease is readily preventable through vaccination. The DOH previously said it saw a slight increase in cases of diphtheria this year, recording a total of 167 cases and 40 deaths from January to September 2019, but Undersecretary Eric Domingo said the cases “do not constitute an outbreak, nor has there been any continuous transmission.” The department also said Friday it was seeking the assistance of other agencies for an immunization drive against polio, after the Philippines recently recorded its ﬁrst cases of the crippling disease in two decades. The DOH convened with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council on Friday morning, Domingo told radio dzMM. “We will ask for help because when we start our supplemental immunization against polio, especially in Mindanao, the strategy here is that we need to be fast and the oral vaccine needs to be given to all children. The DOH can’t do it alone,” the undersecretary said. The Philippine Pediatric Society Inc. on Friday said the low immunization turnout for preventable diseases, such as polio, should not be blamed on the Dengvaxia controversy. In an interview on radio dzBB, Dr. Fatima Gimenez, PPSI chairperson of the immunization committee, cited a low coverage of immunization for “so many reasons even before the issue of the Dengvaxia [came out] over the past several years.” “One of the reasons is that the parents are too busy to bring their children [for

PMA... From A1 Cagayan de Oro. Cordillera regional police chief Brig. Gen. Israel Ephraim Dickson said there is another 2nd-class PMA cadet, whom the police did not name, who “was one of the last cadets to touch Dormitorio before he was brought to the hospital. He appeared to have inﬂicted damage on the victim’s body.” This sixth cadet allegedly punished Dormitorio for lying on a bed that was not his own, after he was punished by other upperclassmen for allegedly losing a pair of combat boots, said Baguio City police chief Col. Allen Rae Co. The announcement coincided with reports, also from the Baguio police, that suggested Dormitorio personally detailed the beating he endured from his upperclassmen one month before he died. Asked how strong the murder charges

Jeepney... From A1 for Monday, Sept. 30. The only way to stop their protest, the transport leaders said, would be to enact House Bill 4823 that offered a way of implementing the PUV Modernization Program without adversely affecting the ﬁnances of over 130,000 jeepney and bus drivers in the country. Still, in its advisory, the OTC said the automatic revocation is applicable to transport cooperatives who join “any transport strikes or protests by any transport groups or organizations.”

News Intensify efforts vs. child labor, President tells gov’t agencies PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has directed government agencies to intensify efforts in eliminating child labor as he sought for stiffer penalties for those found guilty of child trafficking. Duterte signed Executive Order 92 on Sept. 17 which created the National Council Against Child Labor that is mandated to oversee the implementation of the country’s program against child labor. Led by the Labor secretary, the council is also tasked to formulate a national action plan for the effective enforcement of Republic Act 7610 or the “Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.” President Duterte also wants crimes linked to child trafficking to be elevated to non-bailable offenses, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a statement Friday. “The President wants to increase and tighten the penalties to offenses related to child trafficking. He wants these classes of crimes to be elevated to nonbailable offenses,” Nograles said. Nograles said the Duterte administration seeks amendments to Republic Act 10364 or the “Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act” to make individuals and groups involved in the child trafficking “fully answerable” for their offenses. Under the present law, violators face 15 years of jail time and P500,000 to P1-million fines. “Aside from the deterrent effect of these higher penalties, we need to get the message across that government is dead serious in addressing the human trafficking issue, particularly with respect to children and vulnerable groups,” Nograles said. Meanwhile, the EO on child labor from the Office of the President directs the council to submit semi-annual reports to the Executive Secretary on its operations and accomplishments regarding its prevention and elimination. “There is an urgent need to amplify government efforts for the protection of the rights of vulnerable sectors, especially the children, strengthen related institutional mechanisms and establish further measures that will contribute to the prevention, reduction and elimination of any form of child labor,” the order read. Under the EO, the council must also establish a mechanism so the general public can easily report child labor cases to government authorities. Council members include the secretaries of education, health, interior and local government, justice, agriculture, environment and natural resources, and National Commission on Muslim Filipinos. MJ Blancaflor

Two agencies which deployed minors suspended By Vito Barcelo THE Department of Labor and Employment suspended the license of two recruitment agencies now facing administrative and criminal charges for deploying minors as household service workers in Saudi Arabia. Philippine Overseas Employment Administrator Bernard Olalia identified the agencies as LGH International Services for deploying a 17-year-old in Riyadh, and the Side International Manpower Inc., for deploying a 14-year old in Jeddah. “These two agencies clearly violated the POEA rules and guidelines for engaging in illegal recruitment and human trafficking that put the security and welfare of two minors at risks and under exploitative practices,” Olalia said. Apart from the cancelation of license, the two recruitment agencies will also be slapped with a fine ranging from P500,000 to P1 million. Olalia added that the POEA is now closely coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs and with other concerned agencies for the investigation on the minor’s fake documents, including their fabricated passports. “We are disclosing this information to make the public aware of the illegal practices of these agencies, especially those seeking employment overseas. Illegal recruitment and human trafficking have no place in overseas employment,” Olalia said. Both minors were among the abused and maltreated OFWs who were repatriated earlier this week, and now reunited with their families and provided with necessary reintegration assistance by the government.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Du30, Putin to discuss bilateral relations P By MJ Blancaflor

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is set to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to discuss the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Russia and to speak before a prominent think tank forum, a first for a Philippine president, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday.

The President was invited by the Valdai Discussion Club to address the Oct. 3 forum that will be attended by top Russian and international officials, policymakers, academics, and journalists, officials said. “The Valdai Discussion Club is one of the most prominent think tanks and international discussion club in Russia and they have invited several guests from different countries,” said Amelita Aquino, Foreign Affairs assistant secretary for European affairs. Duterte will be among the five leaders that will talk on any subject related to the theme “The World Order Seen From the East,” she added. Robert Borje, chief of Presidential Protocol, said the President is expected to “give his perspective or vision of the world order” and how this relates to Philippine foreign policy given the theme of the forum. “Since he will be talking to a specific

group, particularly intellectuals, academicians, journalists from Russia, then he’s expected to also provide an overview of how important PhilippinesRussia relations are at this point,” he added. Borje also said that Valdai Discussion Club expressed excitement over the participation of Duterte in the forum that will be held in Sochi. “They’re very excited about the participation of the President. They said that it was the first time that a Philippine president has been invited to address the forum,” he said. In 2016, Duterte had declared he would be the “first to join” a “new order” dominated by Russia and China. Duterte and Putin are set to hold a bilateral meeting which is the “highlight” of the Oct. 1 to 5 visit, Aquino said. “The highlight of the trip will be the President’s bilateral meeting with President Putin, where they will discuss

the state of our bilateral relations and how both sides can further enhance and expand our cooperation in various areas. They will also exchange views on regional and global developments and other issues,” Aquino said. The two leaders previously met at the APEC Summit in Peru in November 2016, during Duterte’s first visit to Russia in May 2017 and at the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Vietnam in November 2017. Some agreements are also expected to be signed during their meeting, including deals on health, culture and basic research. Duterte is also scheduled on Oct. 5 to give a “lecture” at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, a training ground for Russia’s diplomats. This was among the events that had been organized for his first visit to Russia in 2017 but had been cut short due to the Marawi siege. He will also attend a PhilippinesRussia business forum to promote trade and investment opportunities between the two countries. The President will also meet with members of the Filipino community in Russia on Oct. 5, the last day of his trip. There are about 6,900 Filipinos currently working and living in Russia, majority of which are females and working in the household service sector, Aquino said.

DENR BUDGET. Senator Cynthia Villar, chairman, Senate committee on Finance Subcommittee B along with Senator Nancy Binay field questions to DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu during the Senate hearing on 2020 Budget of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and its attached agencies as well as the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission. Lino Santos

Dragon boat races in Boracay ordered stopped By Rio N. Araja ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy Cimatu on Friday ordered the temporary suspension of dragon boat races in Aklan’s Boracay Island in the wake of a fatal accident claiming the lives of seven members of the Boracay Dragon Boat Team. Such activities are “postponed for the time being until emergency protocols are thoroughly scrutinized,” he said. “We are temporarily suspending all dragon boat race activities in Boracay, including practice and training, until we have assessed their practice protocols,” he asserted. Cimatu is the Boracay inter-agency

Selfie.. From A1

thanked the other leaders present and said he especially wanted to greet his wife and baby daughter sitting in the gallery. “If you’ll just bear with me a second,” he then added, pulling out his iPhone 11, lifting it up to his grinning face and snapping a photo he later posted on Twitter to his 1.1-million followers. “Believe me, many more people will see that selfie when I share it than will listen to this speech—I hope I took a good one.” “A couple of images on Instagram can have more impact than any speech delivered in this assembly,” he said, quipping that the annual summit of the world’s leaders could be done by videoconference. The conservative businessman and former mayor of the capital San Salvador was sworn into office in June in the small Central American country of

Locsin... From A1

Meanwhile, as China marked its 70th founding anniversary with a list of milestones it achieved over the last seven decades, Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua said Beijing would continue sharing the benefits of their progress with

task force chairperson. According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources chief, all agencies involved in emergency rescue and response are set to meet on Sept. 30 to conduct a comprehensive assessment of protocols, logistics and resources, and to come up with recommendations to address gaps subject to the approval of the BIATF. The agencies include Malay local government and its disaster risk reduction and management office, Philippine National Police’s Maritime Group, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Tourism, local dragon boat associations and other water sports associations in

the Philippines. Cimatu expressed his sympathy to the victims and their families. He vowed to strengthen emergency response programs in Boracay Island to prevent a repeat of the incident. Last Sept. 25, seven members of the Boracay Dragon Force died, while 14 others were injured when the boat they were rowing capsized off Boracay Island. The group was training for an upcoming international competition in Taiwan. Members of the team were not wearing life vests during that time, while one of the paddlers did not know how to swim, report said.

6.6-million people, tasked with turning around grinding poverty and rampant gang violence that are sending thousands fleeing to the United States. He traded on his telegenic looks and promises of a break with the past, but critics have called him light on policy and substance. On Wednesday, he held his first meeting with US President Donald Trump, a fellow prolific social media user and self-styled iconoclast whom Bukele has aggressively courted—a contrast with his predecessor Salvador Sanchez Ceren, a leftist former guerrilla. The two countries reached an agreement last week to curb illegal migration that opens the door for the United States to send refugees back to the violent Central American country, a move slammed by migrant rights advocates. “For us, the United States is not only a partner and an ally, but also a friend,” Bukele told reporters after that meeting. “We’re hoping that this meeting will

only strengthen our relationship even more, and I think it will because, you know, President Trump is very nice and cool, and I’m nice and cool, too. We both use Twitter a lot, so, you know, we’ll get along.” Talking to journalists on Thursday after his speech, he defended his show of bonhomie with the US leader. “Someone made fun of the fact that I joked with Trump. Did they want me to come fight with him—or for me put on a cranky face or something?” On the controversial migration agreement, he appeared to agree that those Salvadorans fleeing to the US were involved in gangs. “We’ve supported our natural and biggest ally,” he said. “We’ve caught human traffickers, we’ve seized their money, their arms, false documents.” “El Salvador has to propose a positive migration, academic migration, business migration, work migration, not those with false documents or drugs.” AFP

partners, including the Philippines. “China is committed to sharing the benefits of development with the Philippines,” he said in his speech during a reception in Makati City Thursday night. Locsin said the Chinese commitments were “nothing” compared to the assistance received by the Philippines from the Japanese government. “If you were to compare [China’s

commitments] to the Japanese investments and official assistance, nothing,” he said. Locsin was speaking at a forum organized by Asia Society. He was in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly. But according to Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo, the Chinese government should not be blamed if their commitments to the Philippines had yet to materialize. PNA

DOJ summons Trillanes on kidnapping complaint By Macon Ramos-Araneta FORMER Senator Antonio Trillanes IV was summoned by the Department of Justice to appear at the preliminary investigation of a kidnapping complaint filed against him by a businesswoman from Davao City. But Trillanes, who earlier downplayed the accusation, said that the case is clearly another fabricated allegation from the Duterte administration. “In the first place, I haven’t even met this woman in my life,” said Trillanes, referring to the complainant, Guillermina Arcillas. “Based on the information given to me, this person, like the infamous Bikoy, approached the religious community to seek sanctuary because of her supposed damaging information against Duterte,” said Trillanes. In the meantime, Trillanes said the complainant asked different overseas Filipinos for financial support for her plight. But once they noticed that she had only been making up stories to extort money, they stopped sending. He said the complainant then turned to the other side and started claiming that she has been forced by those who gave her sanctuary. In short, Trillanes said the complainant is accusing a priest and a nun, for kidnapping her in a convent. “But then for political impact, she included me in her allegation. That’s as absurd as Duterte saying that I didn’t apply for amnesty. Just the same, my lawyers would be presenting lots of evidence to debunk this fantastic allegation,” explained Trillanes. The former senator said that the allegation against him is another desperate measure of the Duterte administration to persecute and silence the political opposition. Trillanes was sent a subpoena to show up before the DOJ prosecution panel in Manila on Oct.11 at 2 pm. He was also directed to submit his counter-affidavit to the charges filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on behalf of Arcillas. “You are hereby warned that failure on your part to comply with the subpoena shall be considered as waiver of your right for investigation to verify and confirm the allegations of your complaint and the case shall be considered submitted for resolution based on the evidence on record,” said Assistant State Prosecutor Gino Paolo Santiago. Arcillas had claimed that Trillanes conspired with Fr. Albert Alejo, lawyer Jude Sabio, and a nun to detain her in two convents for 14 days in December 2016.

Duterte lauded for signing law on judges-at-large By Maricel V. Cruz A LEADER of the House of Representatives has lauded President Rodrigo Duterte for signing into law the Judges-at-Large Act of 2019. Rep. Lord Allan Velasco of Marinduque, main author of the measure at the House of Representatives, said the law would pave the way for the appointment of judges-at-large in trial courts where the disposition of cases is slow. The Judges-at-Large Act of 2019 that was signed by the President on Aug. 30 provides for the appointment of 100 regional trial judges-at-large, and 50 municipal trial judges-at-large. Under the novel law, the Supreme Court can assign the judges-at-large to any regional and municipal trial court as acting or assisting judges to any regional and municipal trial court as a means to decongest salas of pending cases. “This law was basically aimed at addressing the worsening docket load in the judiciary,” Velasco, lawyer and son of retired Supreme Court Justice Presbiterio Velasco said. Velasco said that as legislator, he was elated to be part of crafting the law that builds trust and confidence in the judicial system. Velasco said that since his father is a former Supreme Court justice, he knew firsthand that Philippine courts should be provided with innovative remedial measures that will speed up the judicial mill. Velasco, at the same time, thanked and congratulated all his fellow legislators both in the upper and lower chamber pushed for the enactment of Judges-AtLarge proposal. Velasco is the chairman of the House Committee on Energy.

Opinion

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Decision time on Marcos electoral protest WITH THE impending release by the Supreme Court sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal of its ruling on vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos’ electoral protest against Vice President Leni Robredo for the 2016 national elections, the nation waits anxiously for the PET to do its constitutional duty.

The people must remain vigilant. Much has happened and been said since Marcos lodged the electoral protest three years ago. Vice President Robredo and political allies have been subject to relentless attacks to discredit the opposition, including the filing of sedition charges against them. On the other hand, the Robredo camp is said to be prematurely claiming victory even as the PET has yet to announce any action on the Caguioa report. As early as July, Robredo’s camp was asking for an early resolution of the election protest on the ground that “the result of the revision, recount and reappreciation of the ballots clearly confirm the victory of protestee Robredo.” At this point of the protest, it is fitting to recall the resolution of the PET on August 27, 2017 which paved the way for the recount. In the said PET resolution, the Supreme Court affirmed the sufficiency of form and substance of Marcos’ protest, dismissing Robredo’s motion for reconsideration (MR), alleging that Marcos

failed to specify the acts or omissions that show electoral fraud, anomalies or irregularities in the precincts subject of his protest. In arriving at this ruling, the PET said that “in determining the sufficiency of the allegations of an election protest, what is merely required is a statement of the ultimate facts forming the basis of the protest.” The PET further stated that there was no reason to weigh in on the arguments stated in Robredo’s MR because “these have all been duly considered and passed upon by the tribunal in the resolution dated January 24, 2017.” In the same resolution, PET also granted Marcos’ plea for the decryption and printing of ballot images in Marcos’ protest’s three pilot provinces: Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Oriental for the physical revision or recount which will take place at the SC compound on Padre Faura. However, Marcos’ plea for the inclusion of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, and Maguindanao was deferred since Rule 65 of the PET allows the revision or recount of ballots “on the designated pilot provinces first." On this issue, the PET said: “In other words, judicial economy likewise commands the tribunal to defer action on these matters until such time that the tribunal as made its initial determination of the grounds for the protest under Rule 65 of the PET Rules,” the resolution read, referring to the bid for the inclusion of Basilan, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao. However, Marcos’ cause of action for the immediate annulment of Robredo’s proclamation as the duly elected vice-president was denied “for judicial economy and for the prompt resolution of this case (Marcos’ protest)." This ruling is anchored on Marcos’ counsel Atty. Garcia’s admission during the preliminary conference that even if

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

‘Genuine and meaningful change’

HIS week Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo appeared pleased before reporters covering Malacañang that a Social Weather Stations survey in the last quarter of 2018 showed the public had “felt genuine and meaningful change.” The survey suggested 86 percent of the population—from 1,440 respondents representing 106 million plus Filipinos—have rated their lives positively in the last quarter of 2018. We have no immediate figures for the comparative period in 2017, which should be in order. And we are slightly curious over the timing of the release, given that there have been other similar surveys, albeit on different issues, in the earlier quarters of 2019. We note the story was picked up by only two Metro Manila broadsheets, this paper included which gave it a page 1 treatment on Thursday, and the other a page 3 one-fourth page

spread—with complaints over lasting traffic gridlocks in the metropolis, not helped any by the new monstrous jams at the south side of the capital. Even before the atrocious vehicular traffic along the South Luzon Expressway, aggravated by the unexpected traffic buildup along a section of the northbound lane near the Alabang offramp which was closed off sans prior information to the public for the Skyway Extension project, wheels movement in the south and in the north had been extremely appalling. And that kind of traffic has been a daily giant that must be grabbed by its horns by authorities a little over three

years going now. We can understand Panelo's upbeat mien in declaring the poll is proof the people “have felt genuine and meaningful change” under President Rodrigo Duterte's leadership. And intrepid he was in saying the results of the survey taken nine months ago show those in government “that almost all Filipinos, whether here or abroad, have universally recognized the bold strides undertaken by the President and his administration to pursue socio-development programs that are not only inclusive but are also sustainable.” He added: “These shall be the bedrock of the Duterte legacy in the remainder of his term and the Filipino people can expect that we will not rest nor will tire until all our taxpayers are convinced that they are getting their money's worth.” The timing makes us quite curious.

Turn to A5

Beautiful Philippines: Not for sale THE PAST months had me getting out of Metro Manila both for work and leisure. This allowed me the opportunity to get reacquainted with how beautiful our country is. While most of my destinations have been key cities, my trips rarely included touristic activities. Yet, my appreciation for the Philippines was rekindled in a significant way. I have grown more resolute in helping protect my country from those who, because of irresponsibility, negligence, or vested interests, are destroying, even selling away the only country we have. Sometimes when things go bad (especially with the current political climate), we have difficulty admiring, or even just seeing the good and beautiful things about our country and our people. It is easier to wallow in our frustrations, and remain angry at how things are not working. Indeed, there are many things that we should be angry about because our country and our people deserve much better. However, it is good to for us to pause, reflect, and regroup from time to time. I am thankful that I again had, and continue to have, the chance to bear witness to how beautiful and worthy of love my country is. Those who have been to Palawan will agree that this place may be paradise on earth. Mother Nature has been very good to the country by giving us Palawan. Its clear blue-green waters abound with marine life that feeds not only our people, but our eyes with incomparable natural beauty. Its green mountains and vibrant, beautiful plants remind us of how fortunate we are for the natural wonders we have. Palawan is inspiring. The place reminds us how rich and beautiful our country’s natural resources are. It is a testament to the beauty and bounty of nature. It is heartwarming that the people of Palawan are taking care of the place. They know what they have and they treasure their resources.

I remember looking at the endless waters of Palawan from my window. While marveling at the beauty around me, I muttered to myself, my country is not for sale. Cebu City is a bustling metropolis. It is highly urbanized and has all the modern amenities, and some, of Metro Manila (including some traffic). I like Cebu because in my experience, outside of the beautiful beaches and delectable Filipino food, efficiency is a virtue. I was particularly impressed by its new airport. Not only is it spacious, it works. Their equipment are modern, they even have automatic conveyors for trays for your hand-carried items that go through their x-ray machines. For someone who is tired of inefficiency in Metro Manila, Cebu makes you feel that the country can be better managed. Yes, the Filipino can if we want to.

Our people will not allow it. Bulacan, Cavite, and Batangas are places I frequent. Specifically, I go to Kawit, Malolos, and Taal, the heritage town. I am an ardent student of Philippine history as well as an advocate of Filipino heritage. These places fill my heart with patriotism because many leading figures of the Philippine revolutions against our Spanish and American colonizers hailed from these places. I go through streets where our heroes walked and fought. Many of them offered their lives in these places. I visit houses of revolutionists. A good number of them are preserved and we can still see things they actually used. They lived in these homes, slept on beds, eat on tables, sit on chairs that now are silent witnesses to the life they lived. Sometimes I wonder what meetings were held there and what they plotted to fight our wars. Kawit is where the country’s independence from our Spanish colonizers Turn to A5

Winemaking in the Nordics By Camille Bas-Wohlert MAKING wine in the Nordic countries is far from the glamour associated with Europe's famed wine chateaux: here the sun is fickle, the season is short and diehard aficionados work up more sweat than wine but climate change is helping boost harvests. Worlds away from the thousandyear-old vineyards of continental Europe, winemaker Murre Sofrakis inspects his vines on this late summer's day, his eyes intently focused on the ripening grapes as he strolls along. The 51-year-old strapping Swede with craggy Mediterranean looks owns a vineyard of two hectares (nearly five acres) in Sweden's southern Skane province, and is one of the country's biggest winemakers. When he started out in 2001, he produced 100 liters (26 gallons) made

from 17 different varieties of grapes. "It takes time in the beginning before you find the right kinds. You have to learn how to grow (them), we don't have those traditions here," he tells AFP. Sofrakis now runs two properties: his own, called Klagshamn which he manages with his wife and two employees, and another one called Fladie, where he is the winegrower. He turns out a total of 20,000 bottles a year, almost a third of Sweden's total wine production. But that's just a drop in the bucket worldwide. In Sweden, only 100 hectares of land are used for vineyards, compared to 750,000 in France. And the money can't compare to that made by winemakers in Bordeaux, Napa Valley or the Andes. According to the Federation of Swedish Farmers, Swedish winemak-

ers' average revenue in 2016 amounted to 600,000 kronor (56,000 euros, $62,000). At Fladie, Sofrakis can count on about a hundred volunteers to help him out in their free time. On this day at the tail end of summer, two pensioners prune the vines to better expose the grapes to the sun before the harvest. Rising mercury, rising returns Nordic winegrowers are self-taught amateurs for the most part, but lately they've begun recruiting experts, often from abroad. Sofrakis has hired 31-year-old Chinese oenologist Jixing Ding as his master winemaker to help him make a better product. Nordic vineyards primarily produce a white wine made from Solaris, a Turn to A5

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Opinion Truth in peril? I HAVE been a journalist for more than three decades. In this length of time, you develop a keen sense of awareness on what is happening around you. This nose for news has always served me well and has allowed me to ask incisive questions that uncover the truth, the unseen and the unsaid. A fine example is this three-year-old election protest filed by former Senator Bongbong Marcos against Leni Robredo. For the past few weeks, I have noticed a sharp uptick in the number of social media posts pre-empting how the Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), would decide on the case. This move is an outdated propaganda strategy used by Nazis during World War II, and rehashed by the Liberals and Leni’s camp for the impressionable millennials. One post that has been making the rounds in social media circles is an “FAQ” (Frequently Asked Questions) on the protest alleged posted by Robredo’s legal counsel, Atty. Emil Marañon III on Facebook. In it, he recycles the arguments made by Robredo in one of her manifestations filed before the PET. You know, the one that was called “speculative” and promptly dismissed by the PET. In journalistic parlance, it’s an SS. Not the Nazi kind of SS but (in Tagalog it connotes something obscene) in English it’s simply a sensationalized report or a make-believe story. This unabashed move strikes me as too presumptuous for comfort. The PET has given orders to both camps to refrain from giving statements on the merits of the case. The subjudice rule has been violated here and the PET should at least look into the matter to defend the integrity of the court.

Winemaking... From A4

German hybrid grape that holds up well in the cold Scandinavian climate, where the grapes have only a short time to ripen. Solaris is "very easy to grow in terms of robustness to diseases. It's relatively vigorous," University of Copenhagen professor and cold climate winegrowing expert Torben Andersen tells AFP. Despite the difficult conditions, winegrowing is expanding in the region. Sveneric Svensson, head of the Swedish Winegrowers' Association, says the trend is "not due to climate change, but to new types of grapes" that don't need high temperatures to ripen. Rising temperatures have however led to better harvests. An increase of "one degree in a century, it's helping... We see changes that make it easier and more fun," says Andersen.

I admire Bongbong for maintaining self-discipline and following the wishes of the court, unlike his opponent. I also wonder why the SC has not reprimanded or called the attention of Leni’s camp. Well, your guess is as good as mine. Even several well-respected columnists from other dailies have chimed in. They seem to trumpet the same angle as Marañon’s. The message is that Bongbong failed to recover substantial votes from the manual recount and that Rule 65 of the PET compels the magistrates to dismiss the case.

Case closed, it seems, for the unun trained eye, but for us who closely folfol low the developments in this case, the claims made by this post is preposterous. I am happy to say, that readers of my column share my bullsh*t free opinion on issues like these. We need to remember several critical moments in this election protest to understand where it is headed. First is the assignment of the case to SC Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa. Caguioa was appointed by PNoy in the SC in 2015. Before this, he was his Presidential Legal Counsel. Talk about conflict of interest.That is why Bongbong’s camp sought his recusal from the case and rightfully so—the PET, however, denied his plea. When Bongbong filed his original protest in 2016, the second cause of action indicated was the annulment of votes from three provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) namely, Basilan, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao. Bongbong al-

leges that massive cheating happened in these areas and the nullification of the votes would secure him the victory. But in the pronouncements that followed, the PET, now headed by Caguioa switched the sequence of the causes of action. The annulment cause of action became the third cause of action. With a slight of his magical hand, he has effectively caused further delay in the resolution of the case. Fast forward to 2018, the Commission on Elections itself conducted a technical examination of election documents from the same provinces identified by Marcos. This was, however, for the election protest filed by former Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan against thenARMM governor Mujiv Hataman. The report found out that up to 80 percent of the votes cast were fakes due to massive substituted voting. Many of the voters were paid or coerced to cede their right to vote. Former Comelec chair Sixto Brillantes, Tan’s lawyer said that 40,000 of the 67,000 thumbprints examined did not match with those found in official Comelec records and should be declared null and void. This is the truth that Robredo, Justice Caguioa and their “alipores” are preventing the people from knowing. If proven true, many others may be implicated. With the LP’s power base dwindling to a handful, it would be a freefor-all and tell-all for those who had a hand in this dastardly act. As I write this column, the PET has yet to issue the results of the findings in the manual recount of the pilot province. True to what SC Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin said, the PET should tread carefully. Should the PET dismisses this election protest, the first casualty here would be the truth. They would be robbing the Filipino people of knowing the shenanigans done in the last elections or whether their will was truly reflected in the results of the elections. Filipinos love underdogs and they definitely hate rats.

The summer of 2018 was unusually hot, yielding an exceptionally large vintage. In Sweden, about 30 winegrowers sell their wines, and just under 100 in their southern neighbour Denmark. Organic wine Only one vineyard in the Nordic region holds the appellation d'origine protegee (AOP)—Europe's badge of quality for a special product rooted in its region: the Dons vineyard in Denmark. While many Nordic winegrowers claim to produce organic wines, few are actually able to stick an official "organic" label on their bottles, as the administrative process is considered too painstaking and pricey. "Everything is done by hand, we use no chemicals, we only use organically approved materials. "In Sweden (and Denmark) it's forbidden to use copper," which is used elsewhere to combat mildew but is increasingly controversial because of the toxicity it releases into the soil, says Sofrakis. Nordic wines are mainly sold lo-

cally. While Danish winemakers are allowed to sell their product at their vineyards, that is not allowed in Sweden and Finland, where state-run monopolies are the only ones allowed to sell alcohol. So how does it taste, this wine hailing from lands more known for beer and aquavit? "Ninety-five percent of people who taste test it (Swedish wine) blindly think it has a good bouquet and that it tastes very good," says sommelier Mattias Safvenberg. Meanwhile, viticulture professor Andrew Reynolds at Canada's Brock University says "the quality is already more than acceptable and will improve with time and with the introduction of other varieties." But Swedish wines aren't ready to take over the world just yet—contrary to the country's sommeliers, who regularly place at the top in international competitions, such as Jon Arvid Rosengren who was named the world's best sommelier in 2016. AFP

The Presidential Electoral Tribunal should tread carefully, indeed.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019

In Colombian village, honey heals wounds of war By Diego Legrand COVERED from head to toe in a protective suit, Yina Ortiz peers through a veil to check in on her beehive. It is one of hundreds that form a lifeline for her remote village, helping to heal the wounds of one of the Colombian conflict's most brutal atrocities. Rightwing paramilitaries stormed the village in the dead of night and used machetes to hack 27 people to death, accusing them of collaborating with leftist guerrillas. The attack 18 years ago was one of the conflict's worst atrocities. Ortiz, a young girl then, survived the attack on her village of Chengue in the northern Montes de Maria region. But she lost several members of her family as well as close friends. Now 33, her memories are still clear, particularly of "the dead lying in the streets the next day." "It wasn't just the streams of blood, it was awful to see so many dead bodies, one of top of the other, there on the ground, and their loved ones picking them up," Ortiz told AFP. More than a hundred families fled in the wake of the atrocity, leaving behind a ghost village. But nearly two decades later, life has slowly returned to the dusty village, in part because of the lure of bees. A program initiated by Ortiz and a group of industrious local women helped bring apiculture to Chengue and it hasn't looked back. "Thanks to beekeeping, people have united, returned, they enjoy taking care of the bees," she said, working the handle on a device called a bee smoker to fumigate and calm the swarming bees. For the past year, the 159 families of Chengue alternate between agricultural work and caring for the 500 hives donated by the government and the United Nations, as part of a collective program for survivors of armed conflict. "We used to be all over the place, some people were in Ovejas, others in Sincelejo, but we need to heal wounds and now, thanks to the beekeeping, people have come back, they like to be with the bees, to study the life of the bees." 'The last widow' For Ortiz, apiculture is a way of "trying to heal the wounds" left over from the war, but it also represents a hope of survival for farmers whose mixed crops of tobacco, yam and cassava are gradually drying up because of global warming. Julia Merino, a 49-year old school teacher who manages the project, expects the first harvest at the end

Beautiful... From A4

Decision... From A4

he successfully proved the first cause of action, a manual recount of votes would still be necessary to determine who obtained the highest votes for the position of vice-president. As a consequence, the PET reasoned: “As admitted by Atty. Garcia (Marcos’ counsel) during the preliminary conference, the first cause of action is merely ‘complementary’ to the second and third causes of action… In other words, both these causes of action (second and third) remain intact independent of the first cause of action. “Thus, the tribunal is left with no option but to already dismiss the first cause of action as indeed, this will not prevent the protest from continuing because [Marcos] can still prove his case through the second and third causes of action,” the resolution read. Protestant Marcos' second cause of action is for the revision and recount of votes; his third cause of action involves the nullification of votes in the vicepresidential race in Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and Maguindanao due to terrorism, harassment, intimidation and pre-shading of ballots. But before any of these can move forward, the PET must rule on whether or not in the three pilot provinces—Cama-

rines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Oriental— the result of the recount is "substantial" recovery of votes in favor of Marcos. If the PET finds no such recovery, the election protest will be deemed terminated and dismissed, and the ballot boxes from the remaining protested provinces will no longer be opened. As election lawyer Emil Marañon III correctly observes: “Following PET's rules, it was Protestant Marcos himself who picked which three provinces to be opened first. The legal assumption is that these provinces “best exemplify” his allegation of electoral fraud. This means that if none is found on these “pilot” provinces, none is expected to be found in the remaining precincts which he did not pick. In other words, his case will rise and fall on his three chosen provinces.” It was also pointed out by Atty. Marañon: “Based on our record of the recount results, PET's manual recount matched the election day count which became the basis of VP Leni Robredo's proclamation. In other words, no discrepancy was found during the PET’s audit of the ballots. We note, however, that initially there was an initial reduction in VP Leni's votes due to the PET's application of the wrong threshold (50 percent instead of the correct 25 percent). The numbers later reconciled when the PET corrected itself and applied the correct 25 percent threshold. We call

these ‘recoveries’ and these will be added to VP Robredo’s total votes. These 19,000 additional votes came from ballots that have been rejected by the vote counting machines on election day and from those shades falling below the 25 percent threshold but now counted following the ‘intent rule.’ These recoveries are expected as Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental are VP Robredo's known bailiwicks. Marcos, however, also recovered 4,000 votes from the three provinces, offsetting VP Robredo’s recoveries but still leaving her with 15,000 gains.” At this juncture we can only hope that the Supreme Court, as always, will decide the case with utmost impartiality, without being affected by positive or negative news reports coming from any one party or be influenced by external pressure. In other words, the final decision should be rendered without fear or favor, irrespective of who will be affected. Judicial independence is what allows the judge to render justice which is the raison d’etre of our judicial system. As always, the people must remain vigilant because the final result of this electoral protest will greatly affect the course of our country in the near future, specifically the 2022 elections. Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

of the year to yield 13 tons of honey. For Merino it will be a sweet victory, a balm to salve the memories of the 2001 attack. Her uncles and cousins were mutilated and killed by the right wing paramilitaries. Two years later, her husband was abducted and murdered by the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia as local families were once again caught in the middle of Colombia's internecine conflict. Merino is known here as "the last widow of Chengue" because she was the only one who returned to the village where she lost her husband. In front of his whitewashed grave, in the abandoned cemetery of nearby Ovejas commune, she recalled the healing process that has taken her to this point. Workshops allowed her to "turn these sources of pain" into "spaces of goodness, to heal wounds and recover the social fabric that had fragmented," she said. Merino says she shared her experience with other women, mounting the honey venture to spark "economic change" in the village. Changing climate Chengue has suffered more than most rural villages from Colombia's brutal conflict, and remains far from the reach of state institutions. Roads here are little more than sandy tracks. There is no running water, no gas, and regular periods of drought are striking with greater intensity. Guillermo Marquez, 62, worries about the future amid his tobacco plants, once the economic engine of the region. Farmers here have seen their earnings plummet since tobacco giant Philip Morris announced in June that it was closing its factories in Colombia, citing tax increases and smuggling. "We are abandoned by both business and nature," said Marquez, adding that he now regrets having burned trees to plant corn as the land dries up. After 50 years of tobacco growing, he is reluctant to venture into apiculture. Pesticides used by some farmers pose a challenge to the nascent industry. But the beekeepers of Chengue are determined to revive the village and brave what nature and climate change throws at them. They have little choice. "I am in the process of returning to the land, to love and to earn my independence," said Merino, convinced that the women and their bees will yet become "the masters of the territory." AFP

historic place. It was home to Marcela and Felipe Agoncillo, the maker of the Philippine flag, and our first diplomat who worked for the recognition of the Philippines as an independent country, respectively; Gen. Ananias Diokno, one of our most valiant revolutionists who led and fought many battles; and Gliceria Marella-Villavicencio, labelled by Gen. Aguinaldo as the godmother of the revolution, among others. Going through the streets of Taal is like going back to the time of Noli and Fili. As a heritage town, it has more than a hundred listed heritage homes many of which had to do with our revolutionists. Batangas gave us a good number of our heroes including Apolinario Mabini, Gen. Miguel Malvar, Galicano Apacible besides those from Taal. Batangas saw many battles during the revolution. Thousands of lives were lost so we may have the independence we seem to take for granted now. Palawan reminds us of how rich the country is in terms of natural resources. Cebu shows us that we can be modern and efficient at the same time. Cavite, Bulacan, and Batangas were among the first to rise against our colonizers. They remind us of our heroes and our glorious past. Make no mistake, my country, the beautiful Philippines, is NOT for sale. Not to China, or any other country. Our people will not allow it.

was declared by our heroes led by General and First President Emilio Aguinaldo. The Kawit shrine, Aguinaldo’s former home and now a museum, was where Philippine independence was born. It is now a proud testament to our valorous, glorious past. This was where the Philippine flag was first officially unfurled, and where our national anthem was first publicly played. The province of Cavite showed us that independence could be achieved. For several months, Cavite was freed from Spain and this prompted thousands of residents from other provinces to flock there. That was how hungry for freedom our people were. Malolos is also very historic as it was the seat of the First Philippine Republic. Homes of the Malolos illustrados who were involved in the revolution are also preserved for the present generation to appreciate. Enter the Barasoain church and feel the spirit of our heroes. Our first Constitution was drafted and adopted there. Malolos was the birthplace of the Philippine Republic. Bulacan was also the home of many Filipino heroes like Gen. Gregorio del Pilar, Gen. Isidro Torres, Marcelo del Pilar, and Trinidad Tecson. Many battles against the Spaniards and Americans took place there. The province gave us martyrs in the name of our freedom. @bethangsioco on Twitter. Elizabeth Taal, the heritage town, is another Angsioco on Facebook

News

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Nationwide birthing centers eyed AS THE government continuously seeks to better the lives of Filipinos— especially those living below poverty line—various programs, projects and legislations are being implemented and passed to ensure the people’s welfare. One focus of the government is health care and with the passage of the Universal Health Care bill, it is slowly, but surely uplifts the people’s wellbeing as medical assistance is now within reach. However, there are some who are still in need of additional care‚pregnant women who live below the poverty line to be exact—that need attention and focus. As such, Leyte Fourth District Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez has already ﬁled a bill which aims for the establishment of a birthing center in every barangay nationwide to better address the medical needs of pregnant women. Under the proposed House Bill No. 718, it seeks to establish birthing centers in every barangay nationwide that will be supervised by the Department of Health and will provide free medical services and assistance to pregnant women. “Local health records show that mortality rate among mothers and infants are much higher among mothers who did not undergo an pre-natal care or did not seek medical assistance at time o delivery,” said Gomez. “Undetected illnesses of mothers during pregnancy pose certain risk o complications that can lead to potentially serious consequences fo the mother and the baby. These incidents usually happen to rural and urban poor families.” The proposed measure also noted that the birthing centers will have one physician who is a bonaﬁde member of the medical profession; and two midwives who have rendered at least two years of excellent performance appraisal for their service in any government hospital or private health institutions. According to Gomez, the funding for the initial implementation of HB 718 will be charged to the appropriations of the DOH and what is necessary for the continued operation and maintenance of the birthing centers will be included in the annual budget of the respective city or municipality where the birthing centers will be located. “It is of vital importance that pregnant women take good care of themselves to ensure their good health and that of their babies. Pregnant women should always seek proper medical services before, during and after delivery,” said Gomez.

Makati has 34 centenarians By Joel E. Zurbano

HE city government of Makati on Friday named the new centenarian awardees, bringing to 34 the total of centenarians during the administration of Mayor Abigail Binay.

On Wednesday, Mayor Binay personally awarded P100,000 cash gift and a plaque of recognition to the city’s new centenarians (one posthumously) at their respective homes in Barangay BelAir, as part of the city’s grateful tribute to its elderly citizens. The city chief executive expressed pleasure at being able to meet the newest centenarian, Mrs. Nellie Delgado. “I am very happy and thankful for the opportunity to meet our new centenarian Mrs. Delgado. Her amazing life story is full of love and compassion. It inspires us all the more to serve others selﬂessly,” Binay said. The mayor also visited the family of another awardee, the late Mrs. Vicencia Yuchengco. “Likewise, I am honored to meet the family of Mrs. Yuchengco. Even though she is no longer with us, we see it ﬁt to

award the gift to her family for having taken care of her so well that she was able to reach her 100th birthday,” Binay said. Records showed that Mrs. Delgado was born on Aug. 23, 1919. She got married to Antonio Delgado (deceased) in 1944 and they had four children. She and her husband set up the Jose Antonio Delgado Memorial Foundation, in honor of their son Jose Antonio, who died in a plane crash with 24 other Philippine boy scouts going to the 11th World Scout Jamboree in Greece on July 23, 1963. The foundation helped disadvantaged Filipinos through scholarships, projects, and institutions they initiated, like the Bishop-Businessmen’s Conference, the Association of Foundations, and the Mangyan Heritage Center.

Mrs. Delgado was also the founding chairperson of the Mother Butler Foundation in 1965, an organization providing scholarships for priests and seminarians. In 1974, she was invested as Dame of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and was awarded the Pro-Ecclesia et Pontifice in 1977, for her services to the church, the less fortunate, and the sick. After her husband’s passing in 1992, she continued her involvements with the Associacion de Damas de Filipinas (President 1993-1995), providing shelter to babies and children in the Settlement House; and the Philippine Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (Treasurer and Council Member) to help the sick. She still attends meetings of the two organizations as often as she can. At present, she lives a happy life with her children, 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, and she still walks along Manila Bay and enjoys the sunsets. She has been a Blu Card member since March 1, 2003. The late Mrs. Yuchengco, on the other

PNP nabs 132 aliens debt-linked kidnap cases

CLEVER REMARKS. Philippine Constitution Association President and House Majority Leader Rep. Martin Romualdez (left)

and his mother Mrs Juliette Gomez-Romualdez exchange pleasantries with Philconsa Guest Speaker Senator Richard Gordon during the 58th Anniversary of the Philconsa Thursday night at Manila Golf and Country Club in Makati City. Ver Noveno

Belmonte: QC 100% done clearing illegal structures, roads By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City is now 100 percent done in clearing operations, Mayor Joy Belmonte on Friday said. She said the city government had completed its clearing operations upon the orders of President Rodrigo Duterte to clear streets and roads of illegal structures and obstructions. “Quezon City is 100 percent done

hand, was born on Jan. 13, 1919. After obtaining a degree at the University of Sto. Tomas, she entered the world of business and worked hard to raise her two daughters. She died last Feb. 17, a month after her 100th birthday. She was a Blu card member since Aug. 30, 2004. City Ordinance 2012-099 entitles Makati senior citizens who are Blu Card holders to a one-time P100,000 cash gift upon reaching 100 years old. It serves as a tribute for their significant contributions and role in the history and development of the city. The latest awardees were able to meet the criteria set by MSWD, the lead implementer of the Blu Card Program, as follows: 1) must be a Filipino citizen; 2) must be a bonafide resident of Makati; 3) must have reached 100 years old between January to December of the current year; and 4) must be a Blu Card and White Card holder for at least five years. To date, 59 Makati centenarians have been awarded the P100,000 cash gift since 2012, 34 of them awarded under Mayor Abby’s term.

in its clearing operations. For the past weeks, the local government through its Task Force 60 Days has been persistent in its efforts to comply with the rules of the Department of the Interior and Local Government in this operations,” Belmonte said. The DILG directive covered national roads and primary and secondar y roads, including the Metro Manila Development

Authority’s Mabuhay lanes and the proposed Quezon City Bayanihan sa Lansangan routes. “Actually, we went over and beyond what was required by also clearing streets that are not on the list,” the city mayor said. A total 152 roads and streets were cleared from obstructions and illegal structures, including national roads and Mabuhay Lanes traversing the

city, such as Quezon Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, Quirino Avenue and Katipunan Avenue, among others. Many side streets and secondary roads were also cleared during the process. Illegal structures, such as police stations, barangay halls and chapels, built on sidewalks and public roads have also been demolished as part of these initiatives.

THE Philippine National Police-Anti Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) has arrested 132 foreigners, mostly Chinese, in connection with gambling-related kidnapping cases in the country. AKG spokesperson, Lt. Col. Elmer Cereno said that since 2017, 61 cases of casino-related kidnappings have been recorded. Arrested were 119 Chinese, two Malaysians, four Koreans and seven Filipinos. Cereno said in the 61 cases they recorded, 57 Chinese nationals were rescued along with four Malaysians, three Koreans, one Vietnamese, Australian, Singaporean and an American. He said there were 17 cases recorded in 2017, 16 in 2018 and 28 as of Sept. 21. Cereno attributed these to the rise in the number of hotel and casino leisure facilities in the Philippines, which eventually attracted many foreigners to the country. “This invites syndicates with criminal mind, to involve in a wicked business of loan sharking inside the casino premises. Thus, incidents of kidnapping related to gambling debt, arises from 2017 to date,” Cereno said. He said casino junket operators, mostly Chinese nationals through their agents, would also look for their compatriots abroad, as part of their efforts to target them for their illegal schemes. Earlier, AKG Director, Col. Jonnel Estomo said they are closely coordinating and liaising with their foreign counterparts, the Department of Justice, National Capital Regional Police Ofﬁce, the Bureau of Immigration, NAIA management and other PNP territorial units regarding the incidents. He said the AKG has partnered with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., for the procurement of mobile communication/investigation van and also set a summit on casino debt-related kidnappings, aimed at forming an action plan to combat these crimes. PNA

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the intestate estate of late ASHLY JILANI who died on 21 August 2018 in DOA - St. Elizabeth Hospital, Inc. General Santos City, left a cash deposit with the Development Bank of the Philippines has been subject of Deed of Extrajudicial Settlement by sole heir of the estate of ASHLY JILANI (with declaration of Identity) executed before Atty. Gervacio B. Ortiz Jr. per Doc. No. 143, page no. 30 Book no. 10 Series of 2018.

DERMASIA CENTER. DermAsia Skin Care Center, one of the steadily growing aesthetic clinics in the country, will hold its branch grand opening tomorrow at DermAsia Elite located at Ushio Plaza 1, Timog Avenue, cor. Scout Torillo, South Triangle, Quezon City. It offers the same quality and personalized care known for all other DermAsia clinics.

(MS-SEPT. 14, 21 & 28, 2019)

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that AXEIA DEVELOPMENT CORP., with office address at 5th & th 6 , Westar Building, 611 Shaw Boulevard, Kapitolyo, Pasig City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as a new developer of economic and low-cost housing project (Tierra Vista General Trias) with a capacity of 679 economic and low-cost housing units on a non-pioneer status with project site at Brgy. Santiago, General Trias, Cavite. Any person with valid objection/s on the above-mentioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication. (SGD) MARY ANN E. RAGANIT Officer-In-Charge Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-SEPT. 28, 2019)

Eleazar commends Makati police for nabbing 248 in midnight ops METRO Manila police director Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar on Friday commended the Makati City police station for its latest accomplishment arresting more than 200 individuals in “one-time big-time” midnight operations in the city. The Makati Police Department under the supervision of its commander Col. Rogelio Simon arrested in simultaneous police operations last Thursday 248 persons engaged in various drug-related activity and other criminal offenses. Of those arrested, 109 were apprehended for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. “Ninety-one of them were drug users and 18 were drug pushers,” said Simon. Police recovered 456 sachets of suspected shabu, two plastic sachets of marijuana, and 60 ﬁrearms. Simon said 34 individuals were also arrested for illegal gambling and 91 others were caught drinking

in public places, a clear violation of local ordinances. He added 14 persons were nabbed after police served warrants of arrest against them. The authorities also impounded 13 vehicles and issued trafﬁc tickets to 359 motorists. A total of 73 persons also received tickets for smoking in public and four for littering. Eleazar praised Simon and his men for the good work. “I commend all the ofﬁcers, men and women for a job well done. You do us proud and you inspire everyone to continue to raise the bar of excellence in the performance of your tasks, our tasks. I congratulate you all,” said Eleazar. Eleazar vowed the National Capital Region Police Office and the five police districts in Metro Manila will continue to conduct police operation against those who are involved in illegal drugs, particularly those men in uniform engaged in drug dealing. Joel E. Zurbano

Sports

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

F2, Petron rekindle PSL rivalry Games Today (Ynares Sports Arena) 12 noon – Opening ceremony 2 p.m. – Sta. Lucia vs PLDT 4 p.m. – F2 Logistics vs Petron 6 p.m. – Cignal vs Foton

The Oct. 6 AKCUPI dog shows which are a tribute to its late VP Ed Cruz (left) for his contribution to the promotion of the club, will have the Siberian Husky (shown here) as one of the entries.

AKCUPI sets international show Oct. 6 THE Asian Kennel Club of the Philippines, Inc. (AKCUPI), the purebred dog registering organization which celebrated its 11th anniversary recently, will mount its 70th &71st International All-Breed Dog Shows on October 6, 1 p.m. at Tiendesitas on Ortigas Ave. cor. E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Pasig City. AKCUPI President Lucianne “Penny” Cham said the shows will be adjudged by two seasoned international dog show judges, Ryu Kyongwon of Korea and Michael “Mike” Buenaflor of the Philippines. Ryu is a member of the Korean Kennel Club and worked as handling instructor, judge and chairperson of many events. He is the chairman of the Siberian Husky Club in Korea. On the other hand, Buenaflor is a licensed ring steward for both German Shepherd Sieger and All-Breed Shows. He has been involved in the canine world for more than two decades. A certified dog rescuer trained by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Buenaflor is currently the shelter manager and disaster rescue officer for the Network for Animals, an animal welfare group based in the United Kingdom. The dog shows will be participated in by entries from seven breed groups, namely sporting, hound, working, terrier, toy, non-sporting and herding. The event is being supported by Vitality, Ortigas & Company, Farmbreed, Friends Logistics, UNAHCO, Famous Breed, Bully Kennel Club Philippines Inc.,Land & Rail K9, Rapid Printing Inc., Achillles Serama, Mars Philippines, Shezter Joy Enterprises Co. and Nelson Uy. Preceding the shows are a Mass at 11 a.m., pet blessing at 12 noon, fashion show at 1 p.m., and dog show tricks with Randy Macalma and Dinky Ang at 2:30 p.m. For more information, call landlines (02) 3766597 and (02) 3766598, mobile nos. 0925-8726665 and 0917-7094193, visit the website www.akcupi.com, or like AKCUPI on Facebook.

PSC to release funds for sports equipment PHILIPPINE Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez said Wednesday that they are ready to release funds for the purchase of competition equipment for the 30th Southeast Asian Games hosting of the country. As provided for in the tripartite agreement signed by PSC, the POC and the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee, the PSC is ready to transfer said funds to the POC after PHISGOC finalized and submitted their master list of competition equipment requirements for the Games. This will come from the P5 Billion earmarked for the SEA Games. However, the sports chief was quick to remind that beyond the funding being poured into the country’s SEAG hosting, it is the success in building a united sports community supporting a more dedicated and motivated Filipino athlete and a renewed interest in sports among Filipinos that he regards as true victories in this sports history in-the-making. “The real victory we gain are the values that we are going to develop among our athletes and country men, through our participation in this Games,” shared Ramirez. In the last SEAG hosting of the country in 2005, with Ramirez also at the helm of the PSC and also Chef de Mission of Team Philippines, the country took top spot in this biennial event. A feat that many hope to replicate in this 2019 hosting.

AXA EMPOWERS YOUNG ATHLETES. AXA Philippines, one of the countryís leading insurance companies, is the insurance provider of the UAAP, providing coverage for the organization for the duration of Season 82 that is currently underway. AXA Philippines continues to empower Filipinos ñ and in this case young Filipino athletes and spectators ñ and instill a sense of self-belief in them through their passion for sports. Photo shows (from left) AXA Philippines chief customer officer Amor Balagtas, AXA Philippines president and CEO Rahul Hora, UAAP†Season 82 president Emmanuel Fernandez, and UAAP executive director Rene Andrei Saguisag Jr.

Vintage Lascuña ties for lead with record 64 T

AINAN, Taiwan—Tony Lascuña shrugged off a bogey start with a run of birdies that continued to drop like rain here yesterday, coming through with a course-record tying eight-under 64 to force a threeway tie for the lead with Liu Yu Jui and Lee Cho-Chuan of Taiwan halfway through the $100,000 Nan Pao TPGA (PGA of Taiwan) Open at the Nan Pao Golf Club.

Lascuña spiked his scorching game with a five-birdie binge from No. 9 and highlighted it with a couple of putts from 25 feet out to complete a sterling 33-31 round he actually launched with a missed green bogey on the opening hole. But that mishap, off a wrong shot selection from 110 yards that bounced and went past the elevated green, only fired

up the amiable Davaoeño shotmaker, who birdied the next two holes, added another on No. 5 before racking up five straight from No. 9. He missed his first crack at matching Taiwanese Tsai Chongyu’s 64 in 2017 with a flubbed putt from 16 feet on the par-15th but holed out with his ninth birdie on the 18th, a curling, uphill putt to cap his stirring performance. “Meron pa rin ibubuga (I still can do it),” said the 48-year-old Lascuña in jest. “But I really knew I can score here.” With his opening 69, Lascuña pooled an 11-under 133 total, catching the two local aces at the helm after Lee eagled his closing hole on No. 9 for a 67 and Li missed grabbing the solo lead with a double-bogey on No. 17 for a 66. Erstwhile leader Taiwanese-American Lein Benjamin dropped to fourth at 134

with a 69 while Thai Sattaya Supupramai and Taiwanese Wang Jen Li assembled identical 135s after a pair of 68s to guarantee a shootout in the last 36 holes of the fifth leg of the third season of Phiilppine Golf Tour Asia and sixth stop of TPGA. “It’s still a long way to go but I feel good about my chances. For as long my putting clicks, I’ll be in the hunt,” said Lascuña, who had posted three runner-up finishes in the last few tournaments on the Philippine Golf Tour and PGT Asia, including a playoff setback to Reymon Jaraula at Pueblo de Oro three weeks ago. Earlier, Jay Bayron failed to sizzle in calm condition off an early start and needed to come up with a strong frontside finish to save a 71 and safely make the cut at 139 for joint 17th with four others.

F2 LOGISTICS and Petron seek to renew their storied rivalry when the Philippine Superliga Invitational Conference goes full blast today at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. Game time is at 4 p.m. with the Cargo Movers looking to come up with another dominant performance after ruling the All-Filipino Conference of this prestigious women’s club league. Prior to that, a simple opening ceremony will usher the start of the new conference at 12 noon before Sta. Lucia shoots for its second win in the 2 p.m. first game. Also gunning for its second win is Cignal when it faces Foton in the nightcap at 6 p.m. With Filipino-American spiker Kalei Mau on board, the Cargo Movers evolved from good to great. Mau, the former Arizona Wildcat, proved to be the missing piece in the championship puzzle when she carried the Cargo Movers to the title of the AllFilipino Conference last month. Her solid hits, strong defense and overall leadership perfectly compliment the prowess of Aby Marano, Dawn Macandili, Kim Fajardo, Ara Galang, Kianna Dy and Majoy Baron, who is marching with high morale after being named Best Middle Blocker In the first leg of the prestigious ASEAN Grand Prix in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand last week. But the Invitationals will be a different story. Petron, for one, is tipped to storm back in this very short tournament following a so-so performance in the AllFilipino Conference. Head coach Shaq Delos Santos said the shocking loss served as a major lesson so they are planning to go all out in the Invitational Conference. “We will do our best to bounce back,” said Delos Santos, who will be marching without the star middle blocker Mika Reyes.

Rivera rules 8th leg of Phoenix National Slalom Series MILO Rivera of Tough Gear Racing Team bagged the 2019 Race Motorsports Club Phoenix Pulse Technology National Slalom Series’ 8th leg at the Robinsons Novaliches last Sept. 8 Rivera won the overall and Front Wheel best time of the day by clocking 52.24, followed by Estefano Rivera with 52.34, Dr. Peewee Mendiola of Team Big Chill with 53.12, Powee Base with 53.62 and Rod Chang with 54.28 Meanwhile, Dr. Mendiola captured the Rear Wheel Production Best time of the day, followed by Joseph Ortega of Pongga Racing Team. Chang of JAF Racing Team Bulacan, for his 8th straight win, brought home the novice best time of 54.28, followed by Dr. JP Polintan with 54.84 and Leonard Cristobal with 56.24. The 2019 RACE Motorsports Club Phoenix Pulse Technology National Slalom Series with enhanced power and acceleration is also supported by Major Sponsors Federal Tyres and 3K Batteries and Robinsons Malls

Milo Rivera of Tough Gear Racing Team makes his winning drive at the Phoenix Pulse Technology National Slalom Series’ 8th leg.

and Robinsons Starmills Pampanga. It is also supported by Starbright Body Kits, Auto Transporter, media partners Stoplight TV, C! Magazine, AUTO CAR Magazine, Power Wheels Maga-

zine and Medical Team AEROMED. The event was participated in by G Spot Racing Team, PMMS Rennsport Racing Pongga Racing Team, JAF Racing Team, Tough Gear Racing Team,

Team Big Chill Racing Team and Mel Autoworks. The 9th leg will be held on Sept. 29 at Robinsons Novaliches. The 3rd Slalom Invitational will be held on Oct. 6, either at Robinsons Place Calasiao Pangasinan or CSI La Union. For details, call Bing Bang Dulce at 09178119337 or like our FB page of racemotorsportsclub. Some of the Official Results: Novice Modified A: 1st Martina Sofia Munoz 60.16 Novice Modified B: 1st Leonard Cristobal 56.47; 2nd Rod Chang 56.59; 3rd JP Polintan 57.93 Novice Modified C: 1st Rod Chang 54.98; 2nd Leonard Cristobal 58.38; 3rd JP Polintan 57.93 Novice 1A: 1st Rod Chang 57.34 Novice 1B: 1st Rod Chang 56.07; 2nd JP Polintan 56.10; 3rd Alfie Bince 59.67 Novice 1C: 1st Rod Chang 54.46; 2nd JP Polintan 54.90 Novice 1D: 1st JP Polintan 57.42

Front-row seat to SEA Games with SKYWORTH THERE’S something about sport that brings people together, and leading global television brand SKYWORTH is gearing up to bring the very best moments of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) straight to the living rooms of Filipinos. A pioneer in big-screen Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT), SKYWORTH was recently named the Official Television Partner of the 30th SEA Games in Manila. Filipinos are naturally passionate about sports, something that the TV brand knows all too well. ìJust like Filipinos, sport has always been embedded in SKYWORTH’s DNA. And we are committed to giving Filipinos the best viewing experiences of the 2019 SEA Games. Through immersive viewing experiences, we want to create opportunities for Filipinos to come together and celebrate their love of sports,” Mr. Benjamin Yuoankee said. Elevating sports entertainment With exciting new breakthroughs in AIoT and cutting edge-technology, SKYWORTH is committed to elevating sports entertainment. From

AI to Infinity Screen Borderless Design, the TV company is redefining the viewing experience. SKYWORTHís AIoT ecosystem allows fans to indulge with a genuine Smart TV viewing experience where they can easily obtain sports and SEA Games-related programs through the voice search function. With Dolby Audio, SKYWORTHís latest proprietary picture technology ñ Chameleon Extremeô and Trochilus Extremeô ñ and Swaiotô, viewers are assured of unparalleled visual and audio quality. And with SKYWORTHís Infinity Screen Borderless Design, sports fans can enjoy a fully immersive viewing experience. All these features can be found on the TV manufacturer’s flagship model, the XA9000. With more than 8 million pixels, the ULTRA HD OLED TV will ensure viewers enjoy every highlight in full detailñas if they were actually there. From virtually there to actually there As the Official Television Partner of the 30th SEA Games in Manila, SKYWORTH is giving Filipinos the opportunity to level up their experience of the biennial multi-sport event.

SKYWORTH officials, endorsers and winners of its recent promo are shown during the press conference announcing the TV brand’s sponsorship of the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Via a lucky draw on October 28, 2019, the company is giving SKYWORTH TV owners the chance to take home an 55XA9000, so they can enjoy a fully immersive SEA Games experience from the comforts of their own homes. But for those that want the realest experience, the TV brand is also giving select winners tickets to the 2019 SEA Games, so they can cheer and support the games live.

Sports

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor

sports@manilastandard.net

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019

Pasaol skips UAAP stint to focus on 3x3 hoops FORMER University of the East standout Alvin Pasaol will continue playing in 3x3 competitions here and abroad with teammate Karl Dehesa to help the Philippines move up in the world rankings, and make it to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Pasaol said he skipped playing for the UE Warriors in the ongoing 82nd University Athletic Association of the Philippines, and believes that his sacrifice should be worth it. “Oo naman. Isang sakripisyo ito. Pero nagbunga naman,” said the 23-year-old Pasaol after meeting with Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas league owner Ronald Mascariñas in the company’s Ortigas offices. Pasaol will continue playing 3x3 basketball under the guidance of coach Eric Altamirano and will give up another dream, which is to join the coming draft of the Philippine Basketball Association. Mascariñas informed the players that the Philippines has gone up to no. 21 in the FIBA 3X3 men’s world rankings. This happened after the Philippines accumulated a total of 8,156,366 points with the staging of the 2019 Chooks to Go Pilipinas 3x3 series, at the end of the season last Sunday. This puts the Philippines inside the top 24. The country is now qualified to play in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. To stay within the top 24, the Philippines will have to play more high ranking tournaments before the Oct. 31, 2020 deadline. Pasaol and Dehesa will now see action in two more tournaments in Jeju, South Korea and in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia this October. On the other hand, the staging of three conferences has helped the Philippines move up in the rankings. In order to help the Philippines keep its position, Mascariñas said they will have to organize more local tournaments and hold them on a twice-aweek basis. “After all the efforts, we were able to move up by around 41 ranks higher,” said Mascarinas. Peter Atencio

PEEKABOO. James Canlas Kwekuteye reaching the loose ball, while team mate Calvin Oftana peek in betwen the legs of Defending Champion San Beda U at the 4th quarter of their match at NCAA Season 95 Men’s Basketball Tournament held at Fil Oil Flying V Centre in San Juan City, last Thursday. SBU won over Perpetual Altas. Dennis Abrina

Salado lifts Arellano Chiefs past Blazers By Peter Atencio

RELLANO University, behind the big games of Kent Salado, upended the College of St. Benilde Blazers, 75-69, yesterday at the FilOil-Flying V Sports Center in San Juan.

Kent Salado unloaded a game-high 18 for the Chiefs in posting their fourth triumph in the 10 games in the 95th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament. Justin Gutang knocked in 15 for the Blazers, who found their Final Four semifinals bid in trouble with their 6-7 win-loss record. Meanwhile, Marvin Taywan and Kriss Gurtiza made 16 points apiece for the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals in stopping the San Sebastian Stags, 79-75. It was the General’s second win in 12 outings. The Stags, with Allyn Bulanadi hitting 28 points, dropped to a share of fifth with the Mapua Cardinals.

And this tightened the race for the three remaining semis slots. The Blazers, who fell behind by as much as 17 points, 71-54, midway in the fourth, are now behind the fifth running Mapua Cardinals (7-6). This revived the Final Four aspirations of the San Sebastian Stags (7-5). Attacks from Arana and Salado enabled the Chiefs to move away from a five-point spread midway in the third and jump to a 55-44 edge in the last two minutes. The Blazers still managed to threaten, 69-72, off Justin Gutang’s driving layup in the last 45.7 seconds. But after Gutang missed in the next play following a turnover, charities from

Dariel Bayla and Salado allowed the Chiefs to stay ahead by six points when the game was over. This could be one of CSB’s worst games, after they were held to a league low four perimeter points since they were 2 of 20 attempts outside the painted area. They are the only team this season so far not to make a single three-point basket in a game In the junior division, the Arellano Braves outplayed the La Salle Green Hills Greenies, 70-67, to move up to solo third with their 8-6 card. Chris Recto shot 15 points and had 12 rebounds while Mark Cuenco knocked in 13 points for the Braves, who took a 25-12 advantage in the first period. The Greenies dropped into a threeteam logjam for the fourth to sixth spots with a 7-6 standing. They share the same record with the San Sebastian Staglets and Jose Rizal University Light Bombers.

Road Warriors smother Meralco By Jeric Lopez ATTACKING systematically, the NLEX Road Warriors slowly but surely picked Meralco apart, 105-99, for its second straight win to get the early lead in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum yesterday. Five Road Warriors scored in twin-digits led by JR Quiñahan’s 19 points while Olu Ashaolu delivered a steady double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Kenneth Ighalo scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half to guide NLEX to a fast start. Kiefer Ravena had the same point production along with eight rebounds and eight assists for a near triple-double. Jericho Cruz added 10 more markers for NLEX. The Road Warriors improved to 2-0 for solo first while Meralco slipped to 1-1. Using a balanced attack, the Road Warriors were able to take control of the game as they neutralized the Bolts’ defense. A rousing third quarter run enabled NLEX to post a big lead. Ravena’s triple at the 2:21 mark of the third gave the Road Warriors a huge 20-point bubble, 83-63. There was no looking back from there as Ralph Cu (right) of DLSU-Green Archers and Noah Webb (9) of the UP Fighting Maroons battle for ball possession during their match last Wednesday at UAAP Season 82 men’s basketball tournament held at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City won by UP 72-71. Dennis Abrina

NLEX sailed through the rest of the way. The Bolts tried their best by attempting a late rally but only managed to get as close as four points at one point in the closing minutes. Allen Durham was his usual self for Meralco, taking game-high honors with 32 points and 19 boards for his own double-double. NLEX already opened up an 11-point lead, the game’s first double-digit edge, in the second, 40-29, at the 9:38 mark. Its lead stood at nine, 55-46, at the turn, thanks to Ighalo’s early offense in the first 24 minutes. The scores: NLEX Road Warriors 105 – JR Quiñahan 19, Olu Ashaolu 17, Kiefer Ravena 15, Kenneth Ighalo 15, Larry Fonacier 11, Jericho Cruz 10, Bong Galanza 9, Philip Paniamogan 5, Michael Miranda 2, Cyrus Baguio 2, Raul Soyud 0, Kyles Lao 0, Papot Paredes 0, Jansen Rios 0. Meralco Bolts 99 – Allen Durham 32, Raymond Almazan 17, Baser Amer 15, Anjo Caram 8, Chris Newsome 7, Nico Salva 6, Bong Quinto 5, Reynel Hugnatan 5, Bryan Faundo 2, John Nard Pinto 2, Mike Tolomia 0, Trevis Jackson 0, Ranidel De Ocampo 0. Quarter scores: 28-25, 55-46, 83-68, 105-99.

TURNING JAPANESE. United States’ players bow to the crowd after losing the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup Pool C match against England. Players from all over the world have been getting into the swing of a Rugby World Cup with a distinctly ‘made in Japan’ flavor. AFP

Tsukii snatches bronze in Chile By Reuel Vidal FIL-JAPANESE karateka Junna Tsukii won a bronze medal in the World Karate Federation 2019 Karate 1 Series 1 tournament in Santiago, Chile last weekend which pushed her to the top 15 in the world rankings. Tsukii won the women’s kumite – 50 kg by beating Shiau-Shuang gu of Taiwan. She said she was grateful for the podium finish but hopes to improve in future tournaments. “I’m happy that I got a medal, but I’m still not convinced of this color. I beat the third ranked player in the world in the third round, and I beat the sixth ranked player in the world in the quarterfinals. I almost went to the final, but I lost (in the semifinals) this time,” said Tsukii. The podium finish pushed her closer to her dream of representing the Philippines to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Tsukii overwhelmed Shimada Haruka of Japan in the Round of 64. She subdued Klement Karmen of Hungary in the Round of 32 and beat Shara Hubrich (ranked 3rd in the world) of Germany in the Round of 16. She survived the challenge of Kateryna Kryva (ranked 6th in the world) of Ukraine in the Quarterfinals before bowing to Yorgelis Salazar of Venezuela in the Semifinals. She preserved a podium finish with the victory over her Taiwanese opponent. Tsukii, who recently turned 29, also bagged the bronze in Series A competition in Montreal, Canada and Barcelona, Spain. Her consecutive victories pushed her up the world rankings in karate. “I will be in the top 15 in the world ranking. In the next seven Olympic qualifying tournaments, if I win two medals again, I will be in the top ten. I’ll aim first for top ten in the world,” Tsukii said The WKF Karate 1-Series A is a world-class competition that provides karatekas around the world with more competitive opportunities to shine at the highest level.

UST Growling Tigers battle DLSU Green Archers ENOUGH rest. The University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers have five days to recover from their encounter with the Far Eastern University Tamaraws. The Growling Tigers will be a recharged team when they face the La Salle Green Archers 2 p.m. today in their featured game in the 82nd University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena. “Yung five days na ‘to, samantalahin namin ‘to. Itutulog namin ‘to,” said UST coach Aldin Ayo as UST goes for their fifth win in seven games, and at the end of the first round. Ayo believes the tight schedule of the

first round has exhausted their 61-68 setback to Games Today most of his players, who the Green Archers last (at the MOA Arena) need to be rested before weekend. 2 p.m. La Salle vs UST they tackle La Salle. “As early as now, we’re 4 p.m. FEU vs Adamson He said that that team trying to win the games has been responding well that we can of course and to the challenges that they have been fac- compete. Kasi ayaw namin na pag dating ing. They defeated the Far Eastern Uni- sa second round, naghahabol. I always versity Tamaraws, 82-74, last Sept. 22. tell the players right now hawak pa natin La Salle (2-4) is coming from a 71-72 ang manubela,” said Ayo. setback to the University of the PhilipIn their game against FEU, Sherwin pines Fighting Maroons last Wednesday. Concepcion ignited the Growling TiThe Tamaraws (2-4), who are in fifth with gers’ explosion in the first quarter to La Salle, will try to bounce back in their 4 rally back from a 36-24 hole. Before p.m. clash with the Adamson Falcons. that the Tigers missed their first seven The Falcons will seek to recover from attempts from the field. Peter Atencio

IN BRIEF Shiseido turns bullish, expands PH presence

SHISEIDO Company Ltd. is expanding its presence in the Philippines within the ﬁrst year of partnership agreement with Luxasia Partners Pte. Ltd. The companies merged synergies to create Shiseido Philippines Corp., or Shiseido Philippines, to expand the business and the presence of the brand not only in the A market but to the consumer or mass market as well. “The Philippines has more than 100 million population. The middle income market is expanding dramatically and for them, affording prestige brands like Shiseido is not as aspirational as before. Also, a lot Filipinos love Japan. The demand for Japanese quality products is positive. This is a big advantage for us and its time to establish our company in the market,” said Shiseido Philippines managing director Koji Nakata. The company plans to bring in other products by Shiseido under smaller brand names, especially made for the consumer market. “Our brand portfolio here is almost complete,” Nakata said. Othel V. Campos

Business

Dominguez lauds Senate on sin taxes

FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III lauded the move of Senator Pia Cayetano and the members of the Senate ways and means committee for pushing the swift panel approval of the measure imposing higher taxes on alcohol products and electronic cigarettes. The higher taxes are estimated to raise around P47.9 billion in additional revenues for the Universal Health Care program that will primarily beneﬁt lowincome families. Dominguez said Cayetano’s well-studied proposal, as outlined under Senate Bill No. 1074, would augment the massive funding needed for the full implementation of the UHC while at the same time help curb binge drinking and deter the use of potentially harmful vaping and heated tobacco products, especially among young Filipinos. Julito G. Rada

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019

By Jenniffer B. Austria

POWERED BY GOWIFI. Philippine Normal University and Philippine Women’s University seal a partnership with GoWiFi. GoWiFi, the country’s largest WiFi service, will be available within the campuses of the two universities within the year. Shown at the signing of the agreement with PNU are (from left) Francesca Gonzales, regional marketing of Globe Telecom Inc.; Aprille Manga, customer development manager of Globe; Timmy Ang, business development manager of GoWiFi; Dr. Ma. Antoinette Montealegre, officer-in-charge at PNU; Prof. Jason Orozco, director of admissions at PNU; Zenaida Reyes, PNU vice president for university relations and advancement; Aurora Filigencio, Dean of Student Affairs and Student Services of PNU.

MB cuts banks’ reserve ratio by 100 basis points By Julito G. Rada

HE Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas cut on Friday the reserve requirement ratios of banks by 100 basis points, or one percentage point, effective the ﬁrst week of November. The board in a statement late Friday the reduction was applicable to all types of banks, such as universal and commercial, thrift and rural banks. The reserve requirement of universal banks will now be 15 percent from 16 percent; thrift banks, 5 percent from 6 percent; and rural banks, 3 percent from 4 percent. “The reduction in reserve requirements will apply to the deposits and deposit substitute liabilities in local currency of banks,” the board said. “The cut in reserve requirements is in line with the BSP’s broad ﬁnan-

cial sector reform agenda to promote a more efficient financial system by lowering financial intermediation costs,” it said. At the same time, it said the adjustment in reserve requirement ratios was aimed at increasing domestic liquidity in support of credit activity. The reduction came a day after the board reduced the benchmark policy rates by another 25 bps to 4 percent amid the slowdown in consumer prices. The rates on overnight deposit and overnight lending were likewise reduced. Reserve requirement, also called cash reserve ratio, is a central bank regulation used by most, but not all, of the world’s central banks that sets the minimum fraction of customer deposits and notes that each bank must hold as reserves rather than lend out. The Monetary Board on May 9 trimmed the policy rates by 25 basis points to 4.5 percent, the first time in more than six years, as inflation continued on its downward trajectory. The following week, the board cut

Philip Morris unveils latest IQOS product LAUSANNE, Switzerland—Philip Morris International Inc. announced Thursday the latest addition to its smoke-free portfolio, IQOS 3 DUO. The continued development of technology exemplified by IQOS 3 DUO—driven by consumer insights and supported by scientific substantiation—represents PMI’s latest step in its journey to achieve a smoke-free future and strengthen its position as a leader in the smoke-free products category. IQOS 3 DUO will be available in Japan this month and subsequently rolled out in most of the markets where IQOS is currently available by the end of 2019. “The launch of IQOS 3 DUO affirms our commitment to constantly and continuously investing in the development and commercialization of scientifically-substantiated products that can help the millions of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke to switch,” said Jacek Olczak, chief operating officer of PMI. “These ongoing product updates, innovations and developments are vital in our achievement of a smoke-free future. Today approximately 8 million adults worldwide have switched to IQOS and abandoned cigarettes,” he added. The latest addition, IQOS 3 DUO, is designed with new features to help adult smokers switch from cigarettes more seamlessly. Featuring the fastest and most powerful holder within the IQOS family, IQOS 3 DUO allows two consecutive uses without recharging the holder, while the holder charging time is much faster1 compared to IQOS 3and IQOS 2.4+.

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

PHINMA unit buys Bataan port, land from Seasia Nectar

MB eases registration of payments business THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, has simplified the registration process of operators of payments business in line with the government’s thrust of promoting the ease of doing business. The Monetary Board has approved a new circular providing for the registration of operators of payment systems as defined in Republic Act 11127, or the National Payment Systems Act. The board in a statement Friday said the circular would also create the new Manual of Regulations for Payment Systems, which will consolidate all relevant BSP issuances. “It is a product of extensive consultations among private and public stakeholders in the payments industry, and is part of the phased-in implementation of the NPSA that prioritizes the creation of a baseline inventory of all OPS. Such inventory will be used as inputs in the crafting of rules and criteria for designating payment systems,” the board said. “In keeping with the thrust of the BSP to promote ease of doing business, the circular also provides a simplified registration process through self-assessment, streamlined list of documentary requirements, and descriptive examples-albeit not exhaustive-of activities that are akin to operating a payment system,” it said. Julito G. Rada

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

the reserve requirement of universal and commercial banks by 2 percentage point to 16 percent. It was complemented by a 200-basis point reduction in RRR on May 23 for thrift bank and non-ﬁnancial institutions with quasi-banking functions, as well as 100 bps cut for demand deposits of rural and cooperative banks effective May 31. Economists earlier said the cuts would be “positive for both the Philippine economy and ﬁnancial markets, in terms of greater economic activities/ faster GDP growth.” ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa earlier said the BSP might have learned from the previous RRR reductions in 2018, when “clandestine” non-policy meeting RRR cuts “caught market off guard... ” “Learning from the previous episode of RRR cuts in 2018, the BSP opted to telegraph the series of ‘measured reductions’ bringing the 2019 edition of redux into the third quarter of the year... ,” Mapa said in a report. BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno earlier said he was aiming for a single-digit level of RRR within his term.

F&B TRADE SHOW.

Philippine importers and associations from the food and beverage industry gather to witness the press conference for the Thaifex-Anuga Asia 2020. Natiya Suchinda (front row, seventh from left), Director of Office of Agricultural and Industrial Trade Promotion, Department of International Trade Promotion, Ministry of Commerce in Thailand, answered all the questions of the media during the press conference. Thaifex-Anuga Asia 2020 is considered the largest and most influential food and beverage trade show in Asia. The trade show is scheduled on May 26 to 30, 2020 at Impact Muang Thong Thani Bangkok, Thailand.

BSP likely to slash rates again before end of 2019 ING ING Bank expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to cut one more time the benchmark interest rates before the close of the year as inflation is seen to continue its downward trajectory in the months ahead. The bank’s observation was contained in a report Friday following the BSP’s 25-basis-point cut in policy rates to 4 percent Thursday. “As expected, the BSP delivered a 25bp rate cut at the meeting yesterday as inflation dipped below the central bank’s 2-4 percent medium-term policy target. Governor (Benjamin) Diokno sees continued benign inflation outlook providing room for a further rate reduction to support growth,” ING said.

“We see inflation downtrend nearing its trough, and so is the BSP policy rate. That said, we won’t rule out one more rate cut before the yearend,” the bank said. The Monetary Board, the policymaking body of the BSP, also cut the interest rates on the overnight deposit and lending facilities to 3.5 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively. Diokno said price pressures had eased further since the previous meeting. Latest baseline forecasts of the BSP continue to indicate that inflation is likely to settle within the lower half of the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent from 2019 to 2021. “Inflation expectations also remain well anchored within the inflation tar-

get range based on BSP’s survey of private sector economists,” Diokno said. He said the board noted that the balance of risks to inﬂation outlook had shifted toward the upside for 2020, while it is seen to tilt to the downside for 2021. Diokno said upside risks to inﬂation over the near term stemmed mainly from volatility in oil prices due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and from the potential impact of the African swine fever outbreak on food prices. Diokno further said the prospects for global economic growth were likely to remain weak owing mainly to uncertainty over trade policies. Julito G. Rada

PHINMA Corp. unit Philcement Corp. is acquiring the port facilities and land assets of Seasia Nectar Port Services Inc. in Bataan for P800 million. PHINMA said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the port facilities and land were being leased by Philcement for its Bataan cement processing terminal. The purchase will be in the form of an assumption by Philcement of an SNPSI loan in the same principal amount. “This new agreement and additional investment will be a meaningful part of PHINMA’s strategy to provide costefficient and reliable supply of construction materials to our customers,” said Philcement president and chief executive Eduardo Sahagun. The purchase will result in operational and cost efficiencies in line with Philcement’s commitment to assure Filipino consumers of reliable, highquality supply of cement products under its legacy brand Union Cement. The cement processing terminal and the port facilities are expected to be operational by the last quarter of 2019. Philcement will exclusively use the facilities. With more control over the Bataan facility, PHINMA’s re-entry into the Philippine cement industry is strengthened further. Philcement, which is 60-percent owned by PHINMA, sells and distributes cement to select areas under the brands Union Cement Ultra (Type I Ordinary Portland Cement) and Union Cement Super (Type IP). PHINMA early this month signed an agreement to invest $50 million in preferred shares of Song Lam Cement Joint Stock Corp., a subsidiary of The Vissai Group, the largest, privately owned cement manufacturers in Vietnam, to help ensure supply reliability for the Philippines with both volume and quality assurance. Philcement is PHINMA’s vehicle for its cement industry comeback. It is envisioned to contribute significantly to the growing demand for reliable and quality cement and construction materials in the Philippines. The company exited the cement business in 2004 when it sold its majority interest in Union Cement Holdings Corp., which became a part of Holcim Philippines Inc.

Industry group supports Meralco supply contracts By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Federation of of Philippine Industries lauded the successful agreements to supply Manila Electric Co. with separate 1,200 megawatts and 500 MW effective December 26, 2019. “FPI welcomes the news of this much-needed additional power, to meet the growing demand of our country. We welcome the entry of any and all generation companies interested in contributing to the grid, in order to create a more secure power supply situation for all industries, and ultimately, all consumers,” FPI chairman Jesus Arranza said in a statement. The group, a prime mover of Philippine industries, expressed support for the Energy Department circular requiring distribution utilities to procure power through the competitive selection process, or bidding. Meralco’s CSP was administered by the Third-Party Bids and Awards Committee that was constituted pursuant to the department circular. Energy officials were also present as observers during the CSP. “The organization believes the correct and proper process was indeed prescribed by the DOE, and we thank the government for its hands-on approach with the CSP. As the entire process was personally witnessed by representatives of the DOE, industries can rest assured that the results are fair, transparent, and most especially beneficial to customers and consumers of power,” Arranza said. After the successful conduct of the CSP, Meralco signed PSAs with three companies for the supply of a 500 MW megawatt of mid-merit capacity effective December 26, 2019 for a term of five years.

Business

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks decline, ignore rate cut T HE stock market slumped Friday following declines on Wall Street overnight as the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump weighed on sentiment.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index lost 77.26 points, or 1 percent, to 7,819.22 on a value turnover of P5.9 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 133 to 57, with 43 issues unchanged. Megaworld Corp., the biggest developer and lessor of ofﬁce spaces, dropped 6.9 percent to P4.46, while parent Alliance Global Group Inc. fell 3.5 percent to P10.90. International Container Terminal Services Inc., the largest port operator, declined 3.5 percent to P122.50, while

JG Summit Holdings Inc. of industrialist John Gokongwei lost 2.6 percent to P73.50. The rest of Asian market fell. Political turmoil in Washington following the release of a whistleblower’s complaint overshadowed positive comments from Trump on US-China trade talks and steps towards a new agreement with Japan. The incendiary complaint alleges Trump sought to enlist Ukraine to help his 2020 campaign and then conspired with staff to cover it up. “The market isn’t clear on what to make of the latest impeachment developments in the US, and this continues to increase uncertainly and could be weighing on investor sentiment,” Stephen Innes, Asia Paciﬁc market strategist at AxiTrader, said in a note. “Compounding this uncertainty is the stark reality that most of the global economy is moving in reverse

while omnipresent geopolitical unease ensures the market remains in a constant wobble on a forever shifting trade war axis.” In Asia, Tokyo closed down 0.8 percent as many shares went ex-dividend and Seoul dropped 1.2 percent. Hong Kong was down 0.3 percent in afternoon trade while Shanghai ended 0.1 percent higher with trade cautious ahead of a weeklong holiday to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan retreated while Sydney rose 0.6 percent, one of the few Asian markets to see any gains. On forex markets, the pound fell to $1.2281 as a policy maker said the Bank of England may need to cut rates. “The pound slipped back to two week lows against the US dollar in early trading on comments from Bank of England MPC member Michael

Saunders who said that rate cuts might be needed even if the UK were to get a Brexit deal,” said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK. “This is signiﬁcant as Saunders has traditionally been a hawkish voice on the monetary policy committee.” Elsewhere, crude prices slipped following the swift recovery in Saudi production following attacks on its oil infrastructure two weeks ago. Both main contracts were lower, with WTI down 0.5 percent and Brent off 0.8 percent. “The market has been trading lower as oil bulls have been discouraged by quicker than expected return of Saudi oil output,” said AxiTrader’s Innes. Investors were also awaiting US inﬂation, durable goods and personal income data due later Friday for a take on the world’s biggest economy. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2019

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO LEASING BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE 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

54.05 91.5 2.06 146 1.13 25.2 18.6 12.12 5.19 1.25 755 0.435 67.4 0.95 12.8 44.4 179.6 136 57.3 26.95 197 1,835 59.05

56.65 92.3 2.06 146 1.17 25.25 18.6 12.16 5.2 1.26 755 0.435 69.2 0.95 13 44.85 180 136 58.5 26.95 198.9 1,835 59.1

54 91 2 141.1 1.12 25.05 18.6 12.04 5.14 1.2 755 0.435 66.85 0.95 12.8 44.4 179 129 57.3 26.95 197 1,835 59.05

FINANCIALS 55 1,400 91.8 475,630 2 18,000 145 1,316,360 1.12 89,000 25.05 75,600 18.6 600 12.1 438,100 5.19 165,700 1.26 77,000 755 500 0.435 50,000 66.9 2,822,310 0.95 1,000 13 24,500 44.4 104,300 179 2,810 129 90 58.5 5,000 26.95 500 198 121,280 1,835 15 59.05 35,960

75,821.50 43,636,835 36,160 188,688,835 100,790 1,895,720 11,160 5,297,036 857,870 93,110 377,500 21,750 190,613,339.50 950 318,294 4,651,000 504,451 11,680 290,608 13,475 24,007,299 27,525 2,123,439

9,634,497.50 -26,498,255 4,300,160 25,521,076.50 -913,360 5,064,558 -1,809,882.50

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

39.2 16 0.67 1.31 0.243 2.7 14.02 120 9.98 19.1 30.5 72 79.95 2.09 5.9 8.99 15.76 11.04 7.04 24.2 81.6 47 2.53 14.3 8.33 1.59 221 5.42 3.54 8.28 20.8 13.6 18.46 368.6 0.19 5.48 1.93 4.25 4.99 10.38 2.41 10.9 33.35 5.22 5.14 1.87 1.05 11.52 91.5 7.38 1.1 158.1 2.42 1.16 16.94 1.24

39.3 16.16 0.69 1.31 0.247 2.7 14.1 120 10 19.1 31.8 72 79.95 2.11 5.9 9.06 15.78 11.12 7.08 24.8 81.6 47.95 2.57 14.3 8.33 1.59 221.4 5.42 3.54 8.88 20.9 13.6 19.32 368.6 0.206 5.5 1.95 4.25 5 10.8 2.42 11 33.35 5.34 5.14 1.92 1.08 11.62 91.5 7.38 1.11 158.3 2.42 1.17 16.94 1.24

38.75 15.7 0.67 1.29 0.24 2.61 14.02 120 9.11 19.1 30.5 71.85 77.1 2.09 5.9 8.92 15.7 10.86 7 24.2 80.2 45.6 2.48 14.12 8.16 1.52 219 5.35 3.54 8.28 20.1 13.24 18.32 363 0.19 5.2 1.71 4.24 4.98 10.3 2.28 10.9 32 5.2 5.05 1.83 0.99 11.46 89.8 7.32 1.06 154 2.42 1.08 16.94 1.19

INDUSTRIAL 38.75 634,400 16.1 766,900 0.69 306,000 1.3 144,000 0.246 1,110,000 2.63 1,413,000 14.1 5,311,300 120 180 9.2 1,108,300 19.1 1,100 31.5 34,200 71.9 850 77.1 2,220 2.09 181,000 5.9 3,500 8.95 635,300 15.72 4,836,000 10.9 267,200 7.08 4,905,700 24.6 1,901,200 80.5 54,170 47.8 66,700 2.55 9,585,000 14.3 108,300 8.16 11,100 1.56 23,000 220.2 1,260,580 5.4 35,700 3.54 1,000 8.38 11,500 20.1 3,595,700 13.38 358,700 18.48 913,100 363 110,350 0.206 110,000 5.2 10,600 1.72 31,090,000 4.24 5,000 5 2,788,000 10.5 40,600 2.31 11,968,000 11 157,100 32 497,900 5.34 20,400 5.1 255,000 1.85 862,000 1 2,888,000 11.62 42,900 90.2 70,280 7.32 12,000 1.09 230,000 157.5 1,103,880 2.42 26,000 1.1 10,005,000 16.94 500 1.21 1,683,000

24,677,970 12,162,034 205,720 187,790 266,990 3,719,160 74,464,760 21,600 10,597,895 21,010 1,074,420 61,166.50 171,240 380,740 20,650 5,697,654 75,939,136 2,924,100 34,550,939 46,645,975 4,361,437 3,165,410 24,370,340 1,547,382 91,205 35,370 277,455,338 192,335 3,540 98,006 73,715,995 4,805,602 17,192,686 40,261,120 21,060 57,757 55,815,140 21,220 13,924,990 428,510 27,935,270 1,717,390 16,132,430 106,284 1,300,354 1,622,590 2,932,360 494,222 6,354,580.50 88,295 249,100 172,540,629 62,920 11,100,410 8,470 2,030,260

-11,938,805 -371,180 -82,500 -313,080 59,072 515,742 -942,000 -155,995 75,500,684 -1,096,516.00 -10,589,011 -11,507,460 68,241 2,566,910 2,018,190 -383,226 79,293,564 -32,024,635 -542,532 -4,984,204.00 -14,233,972 235,320 -6,773,090 67,560 -10,583,605.00 -1,275,004 40,870 38,202 -2,005,345 -79,000,875 62,920 -4,538,530.00 -

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

0.97 54 11.3 0.77 6.78 13.36 1.19 1.16 905 3.57 6.66 8.69 13.4 841 75.5 5.79 0.53 4.4 14.7 0.6 4.95 0.038 1.31 177 1,007 0.88 1.27 223.8 0.228 0.244

0.97 54.35 11.36 0.78 7 13.8 1.19 1.2 905 3.66 6.66 8.69 13.68 860 75.55 5.79 0.53 4.4 14.7 0.6 5 0.04 1.31 177.1 1,007 0.89 1.27 225.6 0.228 0.255

0.88 53.5 10.74 0.75 6.78 13.22 1.15 1.15 888 3.57 6.62 8.41 13.4 836 73.5 5.79 0.5 4.39 14.48 0.58 4.82 0.038 1.28 173.4 995 0.86 1.27 216.2 0.228 0.24

HOLDING FIRMS 0.89 106,257,000 53.5 505,330 10.9 15,782,500 0.78 844,000 7 21,900 13.22 24,600 1.17 1,054,000 1.2 87,000 893 345,210 3.59 6,295,000 6.62 377,900 8.5 9,568,200 13.6 4,300 836 16,850 73.5 1,034,370 5.79 300 0.53 130,000 4.39 106,000 14.5 473,300 0.59 507,000 4.89 12,158,000 0.039 2,200,000 1.3 130,000 175 110,760 1,000 180,785 0.86 132,000 1.27 83,000 216.2 7,470 0.228 50,000 0.24 540,000

95,640,120 27,163,257.50 172,444,296 638,970 148,504 328,796 1,222,420 101,290 308,258,610 22,765,090 2,510,149 81,358,829 57,978 14,136,005 76,324,175 1,737 66,390 465,800 6,917,212 298,880 59,583,290 85,600 167,830 19,415,277 180,572,390 115,440 105,410 1,635,070 11,400 130,770

-4,717,960 -8,383,588 -25,089,992 -13,360 51,750.00 -10,817,765 3,346,180 -1,740,151 -60,386,120 -6,105,130 -16,789,209.50 -338,250 5,075,408 9,201,520 -14,447,507 -65,290,220 -17,056 -20,000

15.04 0.85 1.91 0.86 49.2 2.08 4.74 6.2 0.52 0.71 0.86 0.385 9.72 20.1 0.445 1.59 1.2 4.46 0.3 0.41 1.38 0.375

PROPERTY 15.04 220,900 0.85 18,724,000 1.91 22,000 0.9 4,798,000 49.3 12,529,100 2.09 681,000 4.75 1,048,000 6.2 25,900 0.53 4,084,000 0.75 68,000 0.86 3,000 0.39 570,000 9.72 26,300 20.25 54,000 0.45 1,140,000 1.59 10,587,000 1.2 272,000 4.46 92,220,000 0.305 8,550,000 0.42 180,000 1.39 777,000 0.375 200,000

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

15.1 0.94 1.96 0.88 49.6 2.1 4.82 6.25 0.54 0.72 0.86 0.385 9.83 20.45 0.445 1.62 1.2 4.79 0.31 0.43 1.4 0.375

15.1 0.95 1.96 0.9 49.65 2.12 4.83 6.3 0.54 0.75 0.86 0.39 9.9 20.5 0.455 1.62 1.21 4.81 0.31 0.43 1.4 0.375

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

NAME

HIGH

LOW

VOLUME

VALUE

PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND VISTAMALLS

2.04 24.5 2.37 3.06 37.2 2.43 0.9 7.7 5.7

2.05 24.5 2.37 3.29 37.2 2.57 1.03 7.75 5.86

2 24.05 2.37 3.05 36.25 2.4 0.87 7.67 5.7

2.05 24.05 2.37 3.29 36.5 2.57 0.93 7.73 5.82

186,000 1,771,900 1,000 31,000 4,168,500 2,982,000 130,824,000 3,775,800 55,500

377,790 42,876,390 2,370 96,680 152,458,620 7,433,000 115,574,680 29,146,772 321,226

-18,895,010 19,740 -1,917,745 -89,640 372,610 -2,373,797 -

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL 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 ISLAND INFO ISM COMM LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A METROALLIANCE B NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PH RESORTS GRP PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRANSPACIFIC BR WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

10.28 18.36 1.69 0.69 0.047 2.3 11.5 0.055 92.45 7.23 6.99 5.77 9.9 919 1,868 5.24 425.2 1.63 127 0.111 5.1 14.2 3.04 0.9 19 0.45 3.45 2.4 1.2 1.2 2.95 2.79 8.36 5 142 3.02 1,130 0.73 0.56 41.6 78.95 9.08 2.79 0.71 0.335 0.68 16.26

10.28 18.8 1.7 0.69 0.047 2.39 11.72 0.056 93.6 7.23 7.11 5.81 9.9 919 1,869 5.25 435 1.64 127.1 0.115 5.13 14.2 3.08 0.9 19.04 0.45 3.45 2.42 1.2 1.2 2.95 2.84 8.36 5 142 3.05 1,149 0.74 0.58 42.65 79 9.08 2.81 0.71 0.34 0.7 16.66

10.1 18.24 1.67 0.62 0.046 2.29 11.22 0.055 92.25 6.9 6.96 5.77 9.74 919 1,833 5.2 423 1.6 122.1 0.111 4.96 14.18 3.02 0.9 18.9 0.445 3.25 2.36 1.15 1.2 2.85 2.66 8 4.8 140 3 1,127 0.71 0.55 40.25 78 9.08 2.74 0.68 0.325 0.67 16.26

SERVICES 10.1 18.32 1.7 0.63 0.047 2.37 11.3 0.055 93 6.9 7 5.8 9.8 919 1,835 5.24 434.8 1.6 122.5 0.113 4.97 14.18 3.05 0.9 19 0.445 3.45 2.36 1.15 1.2 2.87 2.8 8 5 140 3.03 1,127 0.71 0.55 40.4 79 9.08 2.77 0.69 0.325 0.69 16.58

8,800 267,300 101,000 43,569,000 5,800,000 72,000 2,837,300 3,650,000 152,500 9,800 320,100 50,100 70,800 1,050 63,215 159,100 410 251,000 3,137,290 960,000 1,977,800 300 408,000 740,000 156,200 130,000 166,000 410,000 100,000 2,000 3,553,000 70,000 48,300 22,500 12,000 285,000 83,115 2,306,000 30,445,000 148,800 15,770 200 1,024,000 585,000 2,260,000 219,000 809,500

89,084 4,898,140 169,210 28,253,720 272,400 165,430 32,326,168 202,750 14,195,168 67,653 2,235,298 290,581 692,233 964,950 116,877,750 831,400 175,880 405,250 388,337,368 106,640 9,903,244 4,258 1,243,700 666,000 2,966,426 58,450 564,880 978,220 117,350 2,400 10,230,500 196,200 386,720 108,658 1,681,249 862,030 94,301,065 1,662,610 17,171,980 6,047,420 1,244,833.50 1,816 2,834,580 405,620 747,550 147,990 13,381,010

-3,398,900 1,392,204 -4,812,887.50 -320,620 -964,950 39,789,840 -156,925,668 359,811 802,060 1,330,148 -38,240 242,930 -52,910 144,000 1,674,149 -21,220 26,254,390 225,970.00 -1,460,020 -322,320 1,497,890 29,700 -34,000 7,106,960

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

0.0017 1.19 2.63 1.75 0.243 0.108 0.106 1.12 4.16 1.13 0.5 0.88 0.011 0.011 0.011 9.03 3.83 12.04 22.4

0.0017 1.2 2.65 1.77 0.243 0.108 0.11 1.16 4.18 1.17 0.5 0.91 0.012 0.012 0.012 9.03 3.9 12.3 22.5

0.0017 1.17 2.63 1.66 0.232 0.107 0.106 1.11 4.02 1.08 0.5 0.87 0.011 0.011 0.01 8.8 3.78 11.82 22.05

MINING & OIL 0.0017 201,000,000 1.19 692,000 2.63 588,000 1.67 5,988,000 0.239 490,000 0.107 2,820,000 0.11 470,000 1.11 213,000 4.05 7,150,000 1.12 469,000 0.5 220,000 0.9 195,000 0.012 21,700,000 0.011 266,800,000 0.012 59,700,000 8.83 392,700 3.78 527,000 11.86 803,300 22.05 431,400

341,700 815,110 1,554,420 10,152,850 115,380 303,050 51,000 238,500 29,239,540 519,160 110,000 171,240 243,900 2,935,300 606,800 3,470,726 2,002,750 9,653,658 9,572,255

-41,620 -158,360 772,710 4,132,220 -2,814,300 -65,470 95,140 -2,945,036.00 -6,442,350

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

17.9 505 101.7 107.5 500 5.16 994 995 0.99 100.3 1,000 1,030 1,058 1,081 109 997 77.95 75.05 76.5 75.95 75.6

17.9 505 102 107.5 500.5 5.16 994 995 0.99 100.3 1,025 1,030 1,060 1,081 109 997 78 75.05 76.5 75.95 75.6

17.8 505 101.7 107.5 500 5.08 994 995 0.99 100.3 1,000 1,028 1,058 1,081 109 995 77.95 75.05 76.5 75.3 75.6

PREFERRED 17.86 113,000 505 60 102 25,400 107.5 4,000 500 53,000 5.15 2,300 994 1,270 995 10 0.99 972,000 100.3 40 1,025 220 1,030 420 1,058 2,590 1,081 1,600 109 2,880 995 3,000 78 45,020 75.05 1,200 76.5 315,310 75.95 501,300 75.6 50,000

2,018,150 30,300 2,585,828 430,000 26,502,490 11,856 1,262,380 9,950 962,280 4,012 220,500 432,540 2,741,240 1,729,600 313,920 2,987,000 3,510,793 90,060 24,121,215 37,748,735 3,780,000

-1,620,022 2,584 -

LR WARRANT

1.56

1.5

WARRANTS 1.52 124,000

190,520

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

6.95 10.78 0.94

7 10.78 0.94

6.85 10.1 0.93

SME 6.9 10.14 0.93

1,613,718 3,416,054 1,391,120

FIRST METRO ETF

118.3

117.2

USD DMPL A1

10.38

10.4

10.38

MS 3,322,396 16,775,700 42,170 4,192,620 618,886,150 1,431,910 4,975,850 161,871 2,160,880 48,810 2,580 222,200 257,658 1,093,155 513,600 16,899,620 326,690 421,145,650 2,607,250 75,900 1,080,100 75,000

-374,556 116,240 36,290 -16,910 61,476,840 -799,330 -3,384,840 13,796 14,300 -158,268 569,845 -163,800 1,651,550 -163,414,060 25,200 14,000 -

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

OPEN

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL

SHARES 7,378,686

INDUSTRIAL

103,626,824

HOLDING FIRMS

375,092,392

PROPERTY

308,202,107

SERVICES

108,726,764

MINING & OIL

570,722,146

GRAND TOTAL

1,475,810,159

233,800 328,300 1,493,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 117.2 5,640 10.4

DDS

36,900

662,620 383,223.80

-307,470 -3,720 11,750 -

VALUE 1,803.55 (DOWN) 3.99 590,520,942.015 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,556.72 (DOWN) 65.73 1,084,916,204.908 HOLDING FIRMS 7,723.44 (DOWN) 89.25 1,820,457,629.83 PROPERTY 4,068.62 (DOWN) 47.21 SERVICES 1,544.02 (DOWN) 15.49 1,561,046,413.10 MINING & OIL 8,968.40 (DOWN) 241.74 789,200,412.80 PSEI 7,819.22 (DOWN) 77.26 72,112,029.059 All Shares Index 4,728.81 (DOWN) 40.53 5,925,337,596.71 Gainers: 57; Losers: 133; Unchanged: 43; Total: 233

Phoenix opens 4 new stations, increases total network to 650 By Alena Mae S. Flores PHOENIX Petroleum Philippines Inc. opened four new fuel stations in Muntinlupa and Las Piñas cities to expand its network to 650 outlets and signal its expansion efforts to the south of the capital region. Phoenix said Friday it recently opened the newest Phoenix stations in Filinvest-Northgate, Madrigal Ave. and West Service Road in Muntinlupa, and in Alabang West in Las Piñas. The stations offer a line of fuels all powered with Phoenix PULSE Technology—a fuel additive with advanced cleaning and protection properties for enhanced power and acceleration. “For the past years, we have been relentless in our pursuit to grow our business and achieve our goal to become an indispensable partner in the journey of everyone whose life we touch. We are grateful that as we pursue this vision, we emerge as a leader among the independent players, and became a credible alternative to the majors,” said Phoenix Petroleum chief operating officer Henry Albert Fadullon. Equipped with a total of 30 pumps and locators such as convenience stores, restaurants and car care services that provide for the other needs of Phoenix customers, the new stations fulfill the company’s long-time goal of penetrating the upscale market in the south. “This year, we want to continue our momentum and do even better. Our aim is to continue strengthening our brickand-mortar and establishing our presence nationwide by opening more retail stations. We intend to continue improving and expanding so we may be able to reach and serve as many Filipinos as we can, with products and services that are at par with world-class standards, but are offered at the best value,” Fadullon said. Phoenix treated customers of the four newly-opened stations to a discount promo Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Phoenix Discount and Phoenix Tsuper Card Grab cardholders were given P10 off per liter on gasoline and P5 off per liter on diesel when they gas up at the new stations. Phoenix Petroleum ion 2018 reported a network of 600 fuel stations nationwide. It added 30 new stations within the first half of 2019.

Cebu Pacific Air renews contract with QuantumID By Darwin G. Amojelar CEBU Pacific Air renewed its contract with QuantumID Technologies in a move to expand cargo operations. Under the partnership, Cebu Pacific will continue its cloud-based real-time management for the air cargo business using the advanced SmartKargo operating system. The airline has utilized the innovative Software as a Service (SaaS) solution to empower customers with real-time shipment information and advanced tools such as mobile apps that streamline customer experience via kiosks at the warehouse. The mobile app has also allowed Cebu Pacific Cargo to enable clients to manage their shipments end-to-end, from booking to destination. In addition, SmartKargo has helped the airline manage and integrate new dedicated cargo capacity into its fleet. “The SmartKargo Cloud solution has equipped CEB Cargo with the advanced digital tools to run our business,” said Cebu Pacific vice president for commercial Alex Reyes. “We are very pleased to continue the partnership, and look forward to sustained growth that SmartKargo has enabled,” he added. Enhanced capabilities of SmartKargo allowed CEB Cargo to provide paperless Airway Bills (e-AWBs), and ease of booking for CEB Cargo agents and customers by allowing single-screen data entries. In addition, the solution provides simplified pricing and rate-making capabilities; real-time capacity management; user-configurable business intelligence and reporting; and integrated cargo revenue accounting. The platform supports streamlined participation with partners doing e-commerce—facilitating B2B or B2C door-todoor operations via mobile applications as well as third party integration.

World BRACING FOR PROTESTS.

Egyptian security forces block the road leading to Cairo’s Tahrir square on September 27, 2019. Egypt braced for a second weekend of protests as anger stemming from economic hardship and alleged toplevel corruption threatens to eclipse a long-standing ban on street rallies despite an intensifying crackdown. AFP

IN BRIEF Seized oil tanker sets sail

TEHRAN―The British-ﬂagged oil tanker Stena Impero, which had been held off the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas for more than two months, set sail Friday, an Iranian shipping organisation said. The ship’s seizure was widely seen as a tit-for-tat move after authorities in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar detained an Iranian tanker on suspicion it was shipping oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions. Tehran repeatedly denied the cases were related but a Gibraltar last month ordered the Iranian tanker’s release despite an 11th-hour US legal bid to keep it in detention. “The Stena Impero started sailing from the mooring towards the Persian Gulf’s international waters as of 9:00 am (0530 GMT) today,” Hormozgan province’s maritime organisation said on its website. “Despite the vessel’s clearance, its legal case is still open in Iran’s courts,” it added. The tanker’s captain and crew have also “given a written, ofﬁcial statement that they have no claims.” AFP

Nearly 2,000 held in Egypt crackdown

CAIRO―Egypt has arrested nearly 2,000 people in what may be its biggest crackdown since the aftermath of the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, Human Rights Watch said Friday. The authorities have also blocked or interrupted various internet services and websites, in a bid to stamp out any repetition of the open deﬁance of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi shown by protesters last weekend, the watchdog said. “Lawyers for detainees have posted on their social media pages several accounts of security forces arbitrarily arresting many people merely for being in the ‘wrong place at the wrong time’ or possessing critical content on their phones,” HRW said in a statement. “The government also has deployed uniformed and plainclothes security ofﬁcers in Cairo, Alexandria and other cities in and around main streets and squares, randomly stopping passersby, searching and questioning people, and forcing them to show the contents of their mobile phones and social media accounts.” Last weekend’s rare protests against what is widely seen as one of the most authoritarian governments in the Middle East were triggered by viral videos from exiled businessman Mohamed Aly. AFP

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Five years on, HK’s ‘Umbrella’ generation has a sharp edge

HONG KONG―From doing homework by torchlight to hurling flaming molotov cocktails at riot police: the character of Hong Kong’s protests has changed dramatically in five years, with young demonstrators hardened by the failure of their peaceful Umbrella Movement. Then-student Bunny was one of thousands of Hong Kongers who camped out on the streets in a 79-day occupation that had a festival edge of good humor and patience. Now she describes herself as a front liner in the territory’s current summer of rage. “I shifted my position from being rational to become more hard line over these five years,” she told AFP, asking to use a pseudonym. “If being rational is a way out for Hong Kong, why couldn’t our demands have been met in 2014?” On Saturday, protesters behind this summer’s huge and often violent prodemocracy rallies will mark the fifth an-

White House accused of cover-up Kenyans rush W ASHINGTON― The White House scrambled to “lock down” the records of President Donald Trump’s phone call pressing for Ukraine’s interference in next year’s US election, according to an incendiary whistle blower complaint released Thursday, in the latest episode of an intensifying impeachment drama.

The complaint caps a stunning week of revelations that have put Trump’s presidency in jeopardy, with his administration, the Justice Department and State Department all engulfed in the mushrooming scandal. It alleges that White House ofﬁcials said they had likely “witnessed the president abuse his ofﬁce for personal gain” in the July call with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. The alleged misconduct centers on Trump urging Zelensky to investigate the US leader’s political rival Joe Biden―

prompting the complaint and triggering a congressional impeachment probe. The whistle blower, who says he spoke to at least six US government officials, concluded that Trump was “using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 US election.” “I learned from multiple US officials that senior White House officials had intervened to ‘lock down’ all records of the phone call, especially the official word-for-word transcript of the call that was produced,” he wrote. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led Democratic condemnation of Trump and those alleged to have hidden the call’s full transcript on a limited-access electronics record system. “This is a cover up,” she told reporters. Trump has “betrayed his oath of office, our national security, and the integrity of our elections,” Pelosi added. The speaker launched an official impeachment inquiry on Tuesday. As of Thursday, a majority of the 435-seat House of Representatives, 218 Democrats and one independent, said they supported the probe. In private remarks to staff at the US mission to the United Nations, Trump attacked the intelligence officer as “almost a spy” and likened the whistle-

blower complaint to treason. Democrats suggested such attacks broke the law. “The president’s comments today constitute reprehensible witness intimidation and an attempt to obstruct Congress’ impeachment inquiry,” the chairmen of three House committees investigating the whistleblower complaint said in a joint statement. The whistleblower presented the nine-page complaint on August 12 to the inspector general of the intelligence community. That official, a Trump appointee, found it credible and of “urgent concern” and forwarded it to Joseph Maguire, the acting Director of National Intelligence. Maguire initially refused to deliver the complaint to Congress, but it was ultimately declassified, and Congress released it Thursday. Trump acknowledges he urged Ukraine to launch an anti-corruption probe against Biden—a frontrunner in the race to take on the president in the 2020 election—and Biden’s son. On the call, Trump said he was enlisting US Attorney General Bill Barr and personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani—a private citizen—to coordinate with Ukrainian officials on the investigation. AFP

Indonesia quake death toll rises to 23

JAKARTA―The death toll from a powerful earthquake that rocked Indonesia’s remote Maluku islands has risen to 23, the disaster agency said Friday, as more than 15,000 people were evacuated to shelters. Terrified residents ran into the streets as buildings fell in around them with the 6.5-magnitude tremor sparking landslides that buried at least one victim on Thursday. Among the confirmed dead was an infant, with many killed by falling debris in and around quake-struck Ambon city. “The total number of people who died is 23,” national disaster mitigation agency spokesman Agus Wibowo said in a statement. More than 100 people were also injured and at least 15,000 people had to evacuate because their houses were damaged by the strong jolt, Wibowo said. Hundreds of houses, offices, schools and public facilities have also been damaged in the disaster. Authorities have set up emergency tents and public kitchen for the evacuees in several districts. The US Geological Survey said the quake struck about 37 kilometers northeast of Ambon in Maluku province at a depth of 29 kilometers. The Southeast Asian archipelago is one of the most disaster-prone nations on Earth. AFP

niversary of the Umbrella Movement. It took off when huge crowds came out after police fired tear gas at a smaller student-led rally, and was named after the umbrellas people used to defend themselves. Compared to the current strife― where street battles have erupted for 16 consecutive weeks―2014’s protests were softer, with students completing classwork in the camps, recycling their waste, and the police largely avoiding direct conflict after the intial clashes. Many of those taking part this time around say the failure to win concessions from Beijing then has led to the more violent maelstrom now engulfing the city. Jackool, a 30-year-old theater technician, manned the barricades back in 2014, expecting a police assault that never came. “Umbrella Movement means a total failure to me,” he told AFP, asking to use his nickname. AFP

PREMIERE. Jessica Lange and David Corenswet attend ‘The Politician’ New York Premiere after a party at The Pool on Sept. 26. AFP

to exchange banknotes as cash ban nears NAIROBI―Last week a man walked into a Nairobi car yard and paid for a luxury Mercedes with a mountain of 1,000 shilling ($10/9 euros) banknotes, desperate to offload cash that within days would be worthless. With a deadline looming before the Central Bank of Kenya bans all old edition 1,000 shilling notes, big fish with their fortunes stashed in cash are under pressure to find ways to jettison their money. A new print of the 1,000 shilling banknote, the largest denomination, was rolled out in June, with Kenyans given until September 30 to exchange their old bills at the bank or be stuck with bundles of useless cash. The operation is aimed at flushing out dirty money being hoarded by tax evaders, crooked businessmen and criminal groups. Large deposits of the old notes, embossed with the image of Kenya’s founding father Jomo Kenyatta, raise alarm bells at banks and require paperwork to prove their origin. The central bank in June said there were roughly 218 million 1,000 shilling notes in circulation, but declined to say what proportion was being stashed as black money. Kenyan economist Aly-Khan Satchu said devaluing these bills works by “taking its owners by surprise”. “Four months is a short period of time when you want to launder big sums of money,” he said. “People who have that money will definitely try to save what they can”. So people are getting creative, devising schemes to quickly unload small amounts of their cash while avoiding detection by the authorities. John, a car dealer in Nairobi, recalled his customer last week counting out thousands upon thousands of banknotes to purchase a luxury car worth $74,000 (67,000 euros). “People want to get rid of their old notes, but they know very well that questions will be asked if they go put the money themselves in the bank,” said John, who declined to offer his real name due to the nature of his business. AFP

Germany’s climate-stressed trees face another threat: Bugs WELZOW, Germany―Germany’s forests have long been treasured by its people, so the country has reacted with alarm and dismay as a beetle infestation has turned climate-stressed woodlands into brown ecological graveyards. After two unusually hot summers in a row, vast patches of the forests mythologized by medieval fairy tales, Goethe’s writings and Romantic painters have turned into tinder-dry dead zones. Given the scale of the threat to the one third of German territory covered by trees, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government convened a “national forest summit” on Wednesday.

There Agriculture Minister Julia Kloeckner pledged 800 million euros (about $880 million) in federal and state funds over four years to restore the 180,000 hectares of forest destroyed by drought and pests as well as storms and ﬁres―the equivalent of 250,000 football pitches. The chief culprit has been the tiny bark beetle, which has gone on a rampage as trees in water-starved habitats have lost their natural defenses. In vast parts of Germany, like Welzow forest 100 kilometers south of Berlin, once healthy trees have become defoliated skeletons, their trunks marked by

tell-tale networks of tiny tunnels. “The insect eats the bark and lays eggs inside,” said forest ranger Arne Barkhausen. “The larvae then start to eat the trunk and block the nutrient pathways of the tree, which dies in about four weeks.” The die-off has been front-page news in Germany, where millions enjoy regular walks in the woods and forester Peter Wohlleben’s book “The Hidden Life of Trees” became a runaway best-seller. The worst forest crisis since the acid rain of the 1980s has come as climate change has shot to the top of the political agenda, highlighting the value of

forests not just as water ﬁlters and biodiversity ho tspots but also as natural carbon sinks. Hectares of spruce and pine, beech and oak forest have fallen victim to the pest in Bavaria, Thuringia and other states. In Saxony, the German army was even called in this month to help overwhelmed foresters clear dead trees in what state authorities labeled an “unparalleled disaster”. Germany boasts 90 billion trees, according to the latest survey from 2012. About 1.1 million people work in forestry and related sectors, more than in the automotive industry. AFP

METRO MANILA’S SOON-TO-BE GREENEST URBAN HAVEN B4

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

PREMIUM LIFESTYLE ON TAP. The Ayala Land Premier team for Parklinks

north tower at the newly opened showroom in One Bonifacio High Street mall. Seated are managing director Mike Jugo and Parklinks project development head Leya Moya. Standing (from left) are marketing manager Tomas Cadiz; head of sales and marketing Paolo Viray; and Parklinks project development manager Greg Choa.

onsidering living in a luxury condo?

Wondering if it will be the best choice for you? If you’ve never lived the condo life before you may not immediately understand what it’s all about. However, there are a lot of perks to living in a luxury home that will improve your life in some big ways. For one, when you start living in a condo you’ll have the elegance that you crave including all of the best amenities, convenience, and comfort immediately. Luxury condos are also usually centrally located and often have great views. You’ll also have plenty of other amenities at your disposal as well. Condos come with extra amenities that can improve your quality of life such as pools, ﬁtness centers, and other community spaces. Many even have theater rooms, pet spas, and other great amenities that you’ll be able to make use of either on your own or when a friend comes to visit. Most luxury condos are gated, and even have staff on duty 24/7 to make sure nobody unwanted gets in. BRISK-SELLER In Parklinks you can experience the quiet of the suburbs and the infectious energy of the metropolis. A joint venture of Eton Properties Philippines, Inc. (EPPI)

and Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI), Parklinks is a 35-hectare mixed-use development that is envisioned to be the developers’ greenest urban estate in Metro Manila. Ayala Land Premier (ALP) is selling the P26.7-billion, two-tower project, jointly developed by the two groups at the border of Quezon City and Pasig. Last week, it was announced that the Parklinks North Tower has sold close to 70 percent of its available inventory. It was launched in November last year with a total value of about P12.7 billion. The South Tower, on the other hand, will have a total value of P14 billion, and will have a total of 313 units. “We still have to get our license for the South Tower but it will come out in the next few weeks,” Mike Jugo, ALP managing director said. The North Tower will be completed in 2025 and the South Tower in 2027. Jugo said that at some point the company will sell units of the two towers at the same time. From a starting average price of about P280,000 per square meter, units within the North Tower are now valued at more than P320,000 per square meter, marking a 15-percent increase in value. SPACE GALORE Parklinks North Tower will rise 55 floors over Parklinks, a 35-hectare, master-planned, mixed-use and sustainable estate envisioned to be the greenest urban community in Metro Manila. With half of the total area dedicated to parks and open spaces, it will feature an interconnected network of four sprawling parks that will maximize access to green open spaces amid an animated urban landscape. The joint venture will invest P53 billion on the estate’s development over the next 10 years. Parklinks Towers will be the only residence in Parklinks with a direct retail connection to Parklinks Mall and the River Esplanade de. Set to open in 2023 along C5, the five-story premium lifestyle Parklinks Mall will provide 51,000 square meters of leasable space. It will have a sports center, an entertainment zone with six cinemas, office spaces, and a diverse mix of retail and dining options. On the other hand, the River Esplanade will be an open civic park with riverside dining establishments.

Living the life at Parklinks

SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY Parklinks North Tower offers a total of 280 units with one- to four-bedroom configurations. Ranging from 70 to 306 square meters, units are priced from P22 million to 120 milli Apart from its standard units, the tower offers a limited selection of special residences. The four-bedroom sky villa, with only nine available units of this type, offers a rare residence on the highest floors with an expanded living and dining experience, as well as a master suite almost as large as a one-bedroom unit. The three-bedroom horizon villa, with only two units of this type, is an expansive bi-level unit with a sizable veranda located on the 45th and 46th floors. Parklinks North Tower is expected to start unit turnovers by the third quarter of 2025.

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE IN DESIGN AND SAFE LIVING. Federal HOME AT LAST.

Suntrust recently welcomed its newest homeowners, Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) Otso Ultim8 big winner Yamyam Gucong, second big placer Kiara Takahashi, and teen housemate Yen Quirante (Inset). Suntrust president Atty. Harry M. Paltongan and Suntrust EVP-COO Deanna Jean A. Claveria personally met the PBB winners at the Suntrust Asmara, located at E. Rodriguez, Quezon City. Suntrust Properties, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Megaworld Corp has been building quality and affordably priced homes in strategic locations for the Filipino family. It is the official home of Pinoy Big Brother Otso. In a touching scene, Takahashi hugs her grandmother during the blessing of her own Asmara unit (Seen here).

Land is collaborating with Japanese developer, Nomura real estate, to build the Seasons Residences, together with retail giant, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, a four-tower Japanese-inspired residential development at Federal Land’s Grand Central Park in Bonifacio Global City (BGC). The project, which will be home to the first Mitsukoshi Mall in the country, promises an innovative and technologyled home that elevates the lifestyles of a growing population of discerning buyers. The Seasons Residences benefits from Nomura’s expertise on design efficiency. Among other features, this translates to maximized storage spaces within the units, clean technology (where each unit will have tiles that minimize excess humidity, unpleasant odors and harmful substances in the air), and safety (the use of viscoelastic coupling dampers to reduce wind and earthquake vibrations). “In Japan, we experience a lot of natural disasters such as earthquakes, and there is a great need for safety among consumers,” explained Eiji Kutsukake, Nomura chairman. “The Philippines also faces the threat of earthquakes, so we would like to spread the importance of safety to the market by using a Japanese earthquake vibration technology that can protect the buildings from, not just earthquakes, but typhoons as well.”

PARADISE FOUND.

8990 Holdings Inc., recently announced its entry into the luxury resort business through its newest subsidiary, 8990 Leisure and Resorts. The project is a resort development in Siquijor, an island in the Central Visayas region, whose relatively untapped tourism potential rivals some of the most popular tourism destinations in the country. Adama Resort Siquijor is set to open in 2020 and will feature 250 well-appointed rooms built within a 20-hectare property. 8990 Leisure and Resorts president Lowell Yu explained that Adama Resort Siquijor will highlight the tourism potential of Siquijor – from its pristine reefs, and virgin white sand beaches to its unique reputation as a mystical island. Among the main features of the resort is a central foyer that highlights the island’s natural scenery, rooms that are expertly designed to take advantage of natural light enhanced by the use of relaxing earth tone colors (Shown here), and luxury cabanas. These amenities will be complemented by an exclusive butler service.

MAKING HOME OWNERSHIP A REALITY. BPI Family Savings Bank (BFSB) recently tied up with the Philippine Association of Real Estate Boards Inc. (PAREB) to promote each other’s activities. PAREB is the largest national association of licensed real estate brokers.“ Through this partnership, we hope to provide more Filipinos convenient access to financial services that makes home ownership a reality,” said Ma. Cristina “Ginbee” Go, president of BFSB. Under the memorandum of agreement (MOA), PAREB will promote BFSB’s services in exchange for BFSB’s sponsorship of PAREB’s activities for one year. BFSB is working on shortening the turnaround time (TAT) from client submission of loan application to notice of approval. PAREB will be giving BFSB access to its 5,000 members, allowing BFSB clients to benefit from the advice and expertise of these real estate brokers in selecting their desired home and in the proper documentation of real estate deals, dealing with government agencies, and seeking financing. At the MOA signing were (from left) Mary Dafne Bericiarte, secretary general of PAREB; Cesar Arnaldo Jr., National Board Advisor and past PAREB president; Agnes Fides Mercado, PAREB National Board president; Ma. Cristina “Ginbee” Go, BFSB president; Dennis Fronda, BFSB retail lending group head; and Herbert Tuazon, BFSB housing loans sales division head.

Life

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

ARTS AND CULTURE

Stella Abrera,

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019

STELLAR.

American Ballet

Filipino-American prima ballerina Stella Abrera headlines a series of classical ballet performances for the benefit of Ayala Foundation’s flagship program, Center of Excellence in Public Elementary Education. Photo by Rosalie O’Connor

dance for a cause I

NTERNATIONALLY acclaimed prima ballerina Stella Abrera is headlining a series of classical ballet performances for the benefit of young Filipino students.

Abrera will be performing alongside fellow American Ballet Theatre principal dancer James Whiteside and the ABT Studio Company, under the direction of Sascha Radetsky on Nov. 7 and 8 at the Maybank Performance Arts Theater in Bonifacio Global City. The show, dubbed “Stella Abrera and Rising Stars of American Ballet Theatre

Featuring James Whiteside,” is organized by Ayala Foundation, STEPS Scholarship Foundation, and Abrera to raise funds for the Center of Excellence in Public Elementary Education (CENTEX), Ayala Foundation’s flagship education program. CENTEX, founded in 1998, offers free quality education to bright students from marginalized communities.

American Ballet Theatre principal dancer James Whiteside

Since Radetsky, Abrera’s husband, became artistic director of the ABT Studio Company, the latter has grown more aware and proud of the important work the company does. “I see a parallel in the missions of CENTEX and ABT: both organizations offer a sanctuary where young people can be nurtured by passionate mentors to go on to bright futures,” notes Abrera. Joining Abrera and Whiteside are six newly appointed ABT apprentices Leah Baylin, Kanon Kimura, Melvin Lawovi, Joseph Markey, Duncan Mcllwaine, and Chloe Misseldine who have just graduated from ABT. Also performing are ABT Studio

Company dancers Tristan Brosnan, Teresa D’Otorne, Cy Doherty, Glatz Tillie, Seon Mee Park, Gabriel Rajah, Andrew Robare, Yoon Jung Seo, Shino Tsurutani, Aleisha Walker, and gifted Filipino dancer and former CENTEX Tondo Scholar Elwince Magbitang. “These lucky dancers spend one or two years, not only honing their technical skills, they also have a safe place for artistic exploration—reaching for the ultimate goal of finding employment with either ABT or other notable ballet companies,” says Abrera. Tickets for the show are available on TicketWorld. Go to ayalafoundation.org or ticketworld.com.ph for more details.

Newly appointed ABT apprentices and ABT Studio Company dancers to perform with Abrera and Whiteside on Nov. 7-8 at Maybank Performance Arts Theater.

The skin as canvass By Diana B. Noche THE first recorded tattoo was during the 17th century. Scottish author and world traveler William Lithgow and his crew went on a holy pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1612 and got themselves tattooed to document the experience. In 1614 Lithgow published his manuscript detailing the Jerusalem tattoo event. During the 18th century, Capt. James Cook observed the indigenous people of Polynesia with their body tattoos and wrote about it. He and his men left Polynesia wearing tattoos. A tattoo was once a distinctive mark in the community of soldiers, sailors, and the undesirables. There was a special meaning, particularly to men in the maritime service, who, for centuries, would have themselves tattooed in the Pacific islands they have voyaged to as lasting souvenirs, a source of bragging rights upon their return home. Case in point: Popeye the Sailorman had the iconic anchor tattoo on his arm. Aside from the anchor design, sailor tattoos, also called “traditional tattoos” and “old school tattoos,” were familiar designs. And like all things that originated from old folk traditions, sailor tattoos have their symbolisms and superstitions said to ward off challenges and dangers while at sea. A nautical star will protect a sailor from being lost overboard, while a harpoon protected them against dangerous sea creatures. A swallow tattoo represents 5,000 nautical miles a sailor has travelled, while an anchor represents a sailor who has travelled across the Atlantic Ocean. “Hold fast” tattoo is usually done on a sailor’s knuckles for good luck during stormy weather. Compass rose symbolizes a safe return to home. A dragon

means a sailor has been stationed in the Far East and spent some time in a Chinese port. A palm tree means a sailor has sailed the Mediterranean and fought during World War II. In 1909, the Navy refused to enlist applicants who sported obscene tattoos unless they modified them to be considered for the job. This led to a proliferation of tattoo artists offering to cover the obscenities. Some men wear tattoos because it is a cool way to manifest their personality, belief, or life motto by displaying great artwork for visual pleasure. No longer objects of much eyebrow raising, tattoos on women are accepted as trendy and fashionable. The tattoos accentuate their natural assets and body curves. Most common designs for women tattoos include flowers, swirls, stars, angel and fairy wings, and butterflies. First-timers usually opt for simple tattoos, like a name, rather than go for the more elaborate ones. Small tattoos are easily hidden when it becomes necessary to do so. Because they are small and inconspicuous, small tattoos do not distract one’s style and personality. Some workplaces during job interviews do not take kindly upon applicants with visible tattoos so that future job prospects look dim—neck tattoos are easily apparent. Face tattoos in the workplace are definitely no-nos. It’s an extreme design that makes a not-sopositive first impression so that careful thought on the pros and cons of having one must be seriously considered. Aside from the “old school tattoos,” other designs have become fashionable as the art became widely accepted. Tribal tattoos celebrate ancient roots and are symbols of strength and power. Turn to C2

Ramon Ramos had himself tattooed on all available body space—from legs to face.

Life

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Congressional spouses

mount a fundraising exhibit

ARKING its first project for the 18th Congress, the Congressional Spouses Foundation, Inc. collaborates with Pintô Art Gallery to hold a fundraising art exhibition at the South Wing Lobby of the House of Representatives. The “Pintô sa Kongreso: An Art Appreciation Exhibit,” which opened on Sept. 23 and runs until Oct. 3, features the works of over 75 artists, including some of the most well-known names in Philippine visual arts. CSFI president Taguig Congresswoman Lani Cayetano and Dr. Joven Cuanang of Pintô envisioned the exhibition to present contemporary art, putting a spotlight on the remarkable Filipino talent, creativity, and imagination. Some of the works on display include “Cantata for Lourdes” by National Artist for Visual Arts HR (Hernando Ruiz) Ocampo, which features his unique brand of abstraction of interlocking, tonally varied shapes; an untitled work by Malang that highlights the bonding between a mother and her children through a colorful palette. An untitled acrylic on paper work by Juvenal Sanso that depicts his signature blooms juxtaposed with a suggestion of a moon; “Along the Mangroves” by Er-

win Leaño that reveals an impressionistic snapshot of a landscape; and “Living Here 2” by Raffy T. Napay that presents a human figure emerging from the woods through the medium of tapestry. Proceeds from the exhibit will go to the livelihood programs and projects of the CSFI. CSFI is a non-stock, non-profit organization composed of the spouses of the members of the House of Representatives. It aims to support the legislative initiatives of the congressmen through the implementation of meaningful socio-civic projects that meet the short-term and long-term needs of their respective constituents.

The Congressional Spouses Foundation, Inc., headed by Congresswoman Lani Cayetano, stages ‘Pinto sa Kongreso: An Art Appreciation Exhibit’ at the South Wing Lobby of the House of Representatives. Photo by Revoli Cortez

Casa de Memoria’s Auction 17 posts strong sales Flowers on focus FLOWERS take center stage in Sogetsu Ikebana Manila’s 30th annual exhibit. Ongoing until Sept. 29 at the Atrium of Uptown Bonifacio in Taguig City, the show, dubbed “Flower Focus,” features eight different kinds of flowers. Each exhibitor’s flower of choice is featured in their flower arrangement. Sogetsu Ikebana teachers will conduct an Ikebana demonstration on Sept. 28, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The exhibit is open to the public during mall hours.

AUCTION house Casa de Memoria announced a successful sale of fine arts and objet d’art during its latest sale dubbed “Age of Exploration, East meets West II.” With over 236 lots, and a sell-through of 75 percent, CDM has shown that there is a constant demand for objet d’art and home accent pieces. The Lhuillier-managed house remains an alternative to other houses that focus on Filipino art and sculpture. “The collectors over the past three years, and this being our 17th auction, have appreciated the presence of the Casa as a source for well-chosen pieces. The curatorial team has been very diligent in putting together lots that will appeal to a wider demographic, and in our last auction we saw younger buyers,” notes Camille Lhuillier, general manager. Auction 17 led with strong hammer prices from select lots. The untitled, yet signed Juan Luna portrait of an “Indio Igorrot” (Lot 125) fetched a hammer price of P2.9 million. Another of note is Rafael Enriquez’s “Gitana tocando una guitara” (Lot 205), which was sold at P920,000. It depicts

19th-century Italian Renaissance Revival chiffonier with ebonized wood

a lady gypsy playing guitar outdoors, sitting next to a table with wine and platter, and surrounded by roses and other flowers. Enriquez was one of the organizers of the Sociedad Internacional de Artistas, and the first director of the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts. An oil painting on mother-of-pearl, or capiz, ascribed to Filipino master Miguel Zaragoza y Aranquizna (Lot 124) fetched P150,000. This distinctive work shows a rural scene with two locals wearing native hats, busy harvesting crops. A 19th-century Italian Renaissance Revival chiffonier with ebonized wood (Lot 12) was sold at P380,000. One of the most interesting objects offered was Pablo Picasso’s “Portraits Imaginaires” (Lot 235), numbered “5.3.69.I” and followed by a soft signature on plate, “Picasso.” This unique work done on his later years was sold at P280,000.

Sogetsu Ikebana Manila stages Flower Focus exhibition.

Rafael Enriquez’s ‘Gitana tocando una guitara’

The skin... From C1

These are bold, interlocking patterns and are extremely eye-catching. Animal tattoos signify power, freedom, strength, and loyalty. Most commonly used images are those of birds, tiger, elephant, wolf, lion, dragon, and phoenix. Portrait tattoos are very difficult to master to achieve near-to-realistic result. These tattoos are worn to celebrate or immortalize important persons in one’s life. Money tattoos are reminders to the wearer to always exert oneself toward wealth and success. Family tattoos express love and attachment to the family. They may have names, family escutcheon, and family trees. Crown tattoos make one feel like a king. Car tattoos signify fondness for motor vehicles. Name tattoos show love for spouse, child, friend, family members, and lovers. Be very careful when having tattoos of a lover’s name. Relationships end. Love disintegrates faster than the dyes in the ink. When wedded bliss turns to hiss, the same caution goes for matching wedding bands inked on the ring fingers. Sleeve tattoos cover the arms and are quite descriptive, have three or more colors, of tribal designs or abstracts or any preferred set of styles. Knuckle tattoos are very visible, mostly of small images or words. Chest

tattoos are the most popular with men, ogleworthy when at the beach or pool. This also goes for back and stomach tattoos. Forearm tattoos look good on shortsleeved shirts. Ankle tattoos on cropped pants, and leg tattoos on shorts. Tattoos can also be done on the nails. It is absolutely painless since it is applied on tough keratin. Nail tattoos are temporary and slowly erases themselves as nails grow. The ribs are painful areas to have tattoos on, but they are favorite spots because large, elaborate, and more colorful designs can be inked on them. The torso is also quite sensitive. The least painful spots are: the lower back, preferred by women because it has a high amount of fatty tissues; the gluteus or the buttocks because of their cushiony nature and far distance from any bone; the calves, ear cartilages, forearm, bicep, outer thigh, and inner wrist. Alcohol and aspirin do not lessen the pain. They thin the blood and can cause more bleeding during the tattooing process. When a relationship turned sour, or your previous belief and motto no longer defines your personality, erasing a tattoo is the positive thing to do. Ask your artist to fix it; avoid going to dubious tattooists or “scratchers.” Think of your budget for the rework or modification. Laser is used to remove unwanted tattoos and the chance of infection is nil. Food for thought. It is believed that a tat-

tooed man makes the best husband. A real man can take a lot of pain—the most elaborate design takes 20 to 40 hours. And men with such tattoos have this masculine appeal, not easily scared, and can take rugged street brawls any time to protect their lady love. They have this bad boy image which women haphazardly fall for despite their parents’ plain objection. Dutdutan 2019 is the event for all tattoo enthusiasts, tattoo artists, designers, tattooinspired merchandise, and T-shirts. Its president, Ricky Sta. Ana, has, for years, considerably promoted consciousness and social acceptance of tattoos, and at the same time, Dutdutan is serving the public through various outreach programs nationwide. The first beneficiary of Dutdutan’s outreach program was Ramon Ramos, 63. He had diabetes and was in danger of having a leg amputated. Dutdutan took care of all hospital bills. Ramos had himself tattooed on all available body space and now acts as model and promo man for Dutdutan events. He says he now gets attention, especially with his face tattoo. If you missed the recent Dutdutan 2019 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, calendar next year’s date. It’s an art event worth anyone’s interest in things awesome and extraordinary. Photos by Diana B. Noche

Preparations are ongoing for the holiday Auction 18, themed “Living for the Present.” Email hello@casadememoria. com or call 253-3994 for inquiries.

Hannah Jane Natividad and Czarina Billones sport their tattooed arms and legs.

Entertainment

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019

nickie.standard@gmail.com

Filmfest challenges acts of erasures on victims of Martial Law, drug war

PREMIERING on the eve of the 47th anniversary of the Martial Law declaration, the 7th edition of Active Vista International Human Rights Film Festival presented last Sept. 20 to around 1,000 invited audiences at the Cine Adarna of the University of the Philippines Film Center the muchawaited screening of the first-ever fulllength documentary film highlighting the current administration’s campaign against illegal drugs in the Philippines. On the President’s Orders, a documentary film by Emmy Award winning filmmakers James Jones and Olivier Sarbil, is the searing story of President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody campaign against drug dealers and addicts in the Philippines, told with unprecedented and intimate access to both sides of the war. Malacañang recently issued a statement criticizing the foreign documentary as another attempt at black propaganda and disinformation. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo called out the film as “overly dramatized” and “falsely portrays a dangerous Philippines and a murderous government.” The film is set to for a wide broadcast through PBS in the United States next month. It has made rounds in various international film festivals. The screening in UP was the first time the film was screened to Filipino audiences. In her statement at the festival opening, Active Vista Executive Director Leni Velasco said, “Active Vista believes it is important to screen this film to Filipino audiences to help our nation process the social ruptures that has fragmented and traumatized our country and make sense of how we have arrived to this point that a range of 7,000 to 27,000 of our countrymen have been killed by the state’s war against drugs. This film festival provokes this essential discourse to mend the tears in the fabric of our understanding and forge solidarity amongst our people to find meaningful ways and strategic actions that shall enable us to rise as a nation against our deplorable human rights situation.” The Philippine premiere of the film coincides with the on-going session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. In its last session, the UNHRC passed a resolution that asked UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet to write a comprehensive report on the drug war killings and urged the Philippine government to cooperate with UN offices and mechanisms by facilitating country visits and refraining from ‘all acts of intimidation or retaliation.’ The 7th edition of the Active Vista

International Human Rights Festival is organized by DAKILA, a group building a movement of heroism through its Active Vista Center for human rights education. I-DEFEND and PhilRights together with the UP Film Institute, Cinema Centenario, Amnesty International, the Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking (CYAN), and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) are co-presenting the festival. With this year’s theme of the film festival, “Rupture,” audiences were challenged to think beyond what they see and to finally step out of their comfort zones towards collective resistance against repression and tyranny. The festival shall screen a menu of films tackling various human rights issues such as the new Lav Diaz masterpiece, Ang Hupa (The Halt), a futuristic look at the Philippines in 15 years but audaciously a statement on the present-day state of the nation. The festival also premieres Last Exit to Kai Tak, a documentary on the defenders of human rights and democracy of the Hong Kong Umbrella Revolution. On the President’s Orders premiered to a full-packed cinema of around a thousand audiences last Sept. 20. The criticism from Malacanang drew attention to the film. During the program, the organizers set several guidelines to ensure that the screening is a safe space for everyone considering the risks of screening the film. A talkback was held after with Atty. Chel Diokno, Chairperson of the Free Legal Assistance Group; Carlos Conde of Human Rights Watch; Dr. Nymia Pimentel-Simbulan of PhilRights; and Ma. Inez Feria of NoBox Transitions Foundation. Active Vista Executive Director Leni Velasco called on audiences to continue talking about the issues presented by the film. “Let us not allow the injustice of erasing our historical memory as a nation that this government has done to the thousands of victims of Martial Rule to be done as well to thousands of victims of the drug war. Let us resist the acts of erasures of their stories being written out of our history and memory.” Active Vista screenings continue at the Cinema Centenario until tomorrow. Cinema Centenario screenings marries the Active Vista Human Rights Festival with the Never Forget Film Festival which focuses on films about the Martial Law. Schedules are posted at the Active Vista’s official Facebook page, UP Film Institute-Cine Adarna, and Cinema Centenario. Interested audiences may reserve their tickets through bit.ly/AVTix2019 or activevista@dakila.org.ph.

Jollibee executives with Liza during her launch as a new member of the fast food chain's family of celebrity endorsers.

A daring LIZA SOBERANO

By Clay Moreno

APAMILYA star Liza Soberano and her perennial onscreen partner Enrique Gil are in Croatia to shoot for their upcoming television comeback, Make It With You.

In an interview with Manila Standard during the media launch for her new Jollibee commercial, the 21-year-old actress couldn’t explain the character she’s going to portray but we have to ask her a few questions to verify what our reliable source said of her new role. Our source said Liza is playing a daring role—a prostitute. “It’s something new to me. I can’t give out any details yet but it’s going to be a mature role,” she said. Asked if her character somehow resembles one of the Spice Girls, the theme for her new TVC, the beautiful actress smiled and answered with a big “Yes!” Liza recently joined Jollibee’s starstudded roster of endorsers to promote the brand’s newest snack, the Crispy Spice Fries. “I’m really happy to be part of the Jollibee family, specifically because my family really loves Jollibee, and of course, I love the food,” said Liza. “Being welcomed by them the other day was such a wonderful experience. Everyone just showered me with warmth.” The young actress’s fun demeanor and sense of spontaneity and adventure makes her the perfect match for the delicious Crispy Spice Fries. “I believe that I’m really spontaneous, especially when I’m with my friends.

Extra International... A talkback was held at the film fest with Atty. Chel Diokno, Chairperson of the Free Legal Assistance Group; Carlos Conde of Human Rights Watch; Dr. Nymia PimentelSimbulan of PhilRights; and Ma. Inez Feria of NoBox Transitions Foundation.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, September 28, 2019

ACROSS 1 Feeding time cry 5 Gimli, for one 10 Nautical marker 14 Singer — Guthrie 15 Vaudeville show 16 “Hawkeye” Pierce 17 Wharf 18 Give in 19 Winter weather 20 Trade 22 Celebs 23 Challenging 24 Beluga delicacy 25 Laundry problem 27 Lawbreakers 33 Gauzy fabrics 35 “Laugh-In” name 36 Chit 37 Chills and fever 38 Sidekick 40 Sandler or West 41 Long-tailed rodent 42 All mammals have it 43 Chief’s advisers 45 Leisurely walk 48 Yours and mine 49 Toward the rear of a ship 50 Raise one’s

voice 52 Baker’s buy 55 Trounces 59 Refs 60 “— Street Blues” 61 Southwest art colony 63 Small hill 64 Like some chests 65 Lohengrin’s bride 66 — bien, monsieur! 67 “Ninotchka” name 68 Work doggedly DOWN 1 Drawing 2 Clapton of “Layla” 3 Mock butter 4 Space-time tunnel 5 Major appliance 6 Goofball 7 With, to Henri 8 Axiom 9 Took food 10 Like juicy turkeys 11 Wrist-to-elbow bone 12 Bouquet 13 Wobbles, as a rocket 21 Jane, to Tarzan

22 Walkman brand 24 Change colors 25 Candy base 26 Far-out planetoid 28 Norway bay 29 Good times 30 Northern duck 31 Stadium noises 32 Grand totals 33 Waterproof canvas 34 Barely enough 39 Estuary 40 Hero-worships 42 Weight

44 Bask 46 Lots and lots 47 Shoelace hole 51 Ms. Verdugo 52 Nomad dwelling 53 Mideast VIP 54 Basilica part 55 Scorch 56 Ocean fish 57 — it a day 58 Two-star (hyph.) 60 Peat source 62 Hang loosely

Fans of Liza Soberano have something to be excited about again soon.

One day I’ll wake up and want to be somewhere and do something new, and I do it!’” Liza shared. “That’s why I relate to the Crispy Spice Fries. When you eat it, you feel a certain rush because of the spices and the flavor. When I’m with friends and people I love, I always want to do something that gives me a certain rush, that spice!” “We’re really happy to have Liza

drawn her with large eyes, a big smile, but also “little braids.” But he said that when he presented From C4 his first sketches, a specialist on the “The goal was to have a little girl 1880 novel by Johanna Spyri pointed who was ‘kawaii’, as cute as possible,” out that “Heidi is a five year-old girl he told AFP, describing how he had first who lives in the mountains with her

in our Jollibee family,” said Kay Segismundo, Jollibee Senior Marketing Manager for Complementary Products. “We can’t think of anyone more adventurous and likeable to represent our new Jollibee Crispy Spice Fries. It’s a very exciting product and campaign, and we look forward to having such a coveted personality carry that excitement with her.” grandfather, who is not very friendly.” “He is not going to do her braids every morning.” Kotabe was prompted to rethink her image and gave Heidi the ruffled, short, dark locks that fans of the series saw from the first episode in 1974. Although many adaptations of Heidi have been made for film and TV over the decades, Kotabe’s version has thoroughly seeped into the public perception of the character. And yet, the animated version of Heidi who would go on to be dubbed into 20 languages almost never came about. Sketching the Swiss Alps Takahata had initially wanted to adapt the story of Pippi Longstocking to the screen. But Swedish author Astrid Lindgren turned down the offer, saying she feared the Japanese director was interested “only in money,” Kotabe said. So the director turned his attention to another classic of children’s literature, and the team of Japanese animation artists headed to Switzerland to study Alpine cabins and pastures around the small eastern village of Maienfeld. “This was entirely new for us,” Kotabe said, pointing out that he had never been outside of Japan before. “The time was very short, so we were aware that we had to gather as much material as possible,” he said, describing how the team had spent a month furiously sketching their surroundings. Takahata, who died last year at the age of 82, was known for the realism of his animations and attention to detail in depicting ordinary life and nature. AFP

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2019

The sounds of hearts breaking WITH first love comes the first heartbreak, that first brush with pain when nothing seems to bring comfort or relief. Nothing, except for music. This is familiar territory for the rock band St. Wolf. Known for their solid beats and gut-wrenching lyrics are KL de la Cruz (vocals), Vince Lucero (guitars), Karlo Magsalang (bass) andBob Sadural (drums). These guys are not afraid to explore the deepest emotions and the ugliest truths that can come out in relationships; their most popular songs, “Jealousy,” “Taguan,” and “Papara” all attest to that. KL says, “With songs, you have to let them feel your sincerity, that is the most important thing. As long as you write, perform and sing with sincerity, the audience will know.” When St. Wolf first sat down to

brainstorm with Morissette for their Coke Studio Season 3 collaboration, the band was happy to find out that she considers rock music part of her DNA. Morissette is known for her power ballads, but she calls rock, “her comfort zone.” She reveals, “I actually grew up listening to old-school rock bands when I was a child in Cebu. My dad was in a band and I would go around with him, so I do love rock.” This common foundation made their Coke Studio Season 3 collaboration a match made in musical heaven. Vince puts it this way, “I think our collab works because it’s really all about the feels—we bring the feels with our lyrics and she brings the feels with her performance.” Focusing on writing a break-up song is a particular process, Bob says, “What

we have lived through, we just put it into the song. That’s when the song becomes powerful.” KL, who got his start in Christian music, adds, “I believe that of faith, hope and love, the greatest of these is love. So to explore the loss of love, can really make for a great song.” Morissette was quick to add, “What’s good with a break-up song is that it can help explain what the feeling is. It can help you understand exactly what you’re going through! Young people will really be able to relate to it…and that’s all we want, a song that is relatable.” Watch Morissette and St. Wolf as they collaborate on Coke Studio Season 3. Catch them today at 10:00 a.m. on ABS-CBN or subscribe to Coke Studio’s Youtube page atwww.youtube.com/CokeStudioPH for the latest episodes.

Young diva Morissette collabs with rising band St. Wolf for today's episode of Coke Studio Season 3

EXTRA INTERNATIONAL

How ‘Heidi’ conquered Japan, sparking an anime revolution HEIDI and Super Mario may not seem to have much in common but anime and video game aficionados will detect the signature style of Japanese character designer Yoichi Kotabe in both. Far from the Swiss Alps, the cherished 19th-century storybook character Heidi has played an unlikely role in the creation of Japan’s now booming anime industry. The story of the little orphan girl who goes to live with her gruff grandfather in the mountains took Japan by storm in the 1970s with the animation series Alps no Shojo Heidi (Heidi: A Girl of the Alps). The 52-part TV show, which became a worldwide hit, marked a turning point in the careers of its creators, including

Kotabe. He was subsequently recruited by video game pioneer Nintendo to redesign a host of characters in Mario. Heidi also boosted the standing of director Isao Takahata, best known for the animated war film Grave of the Fireflies, and Hayao Miyazaki, creator of films Spirited Away, and My Neighbor Totoro. The two joined forces to set up the celebrated anime Studio Ghibli. Heidi’s Japanese adventure is explored in an exhibition at the Swiss National Museum in Zurich, running until Oct. 13. Kotabe has been invited to take part in the event to explain the genesis of the character he first began sketching nearly four decades ago. Continued on C3

A riveting SIBLING DRAMA

Aljur Abrenica, Jessy Mendiola, Elisse Joson, and Ejay Falcon are gathered by Dreamscape to star in a family action drama entitled 'Sandugo.'

VERY WANG NICKIE WANG

U An exhibition in Zurich explores the role played by the character Heidi in Japan's now booming anime industry.

SNAPSHOT

‘Kiko en Lala’ holds successful red carpet premiere THE comedy film ‘Kiko en Lala’ starring Super Tekla held its star-studded premiere night on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at SM Megamall. Produced by Backyard Productions, Super Tekla plays a challenging dual role as the conjoined twins Kiko and Lala. Kiko is the tough and masculine twin, while Lala is the outspoken and witty gay twin. In spite of their differences, Kiko and Lala contentedly live their lives in each other’s close-knit company. Problem ensues when the twins wish to be separated from one another but there’s a catch - only one body can exist and the adrift two souls must fight over it. Directed by Adolfo Alix Jr., the film is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

Super Tekla (center) with 'Kiko en Lala' costars Kim Domingo and Derrick Monasterio.

NBREAKABLE blood bonds and competition among siblings and family members make for high drama, but Sandugo, the latest Kapamilya series airing on Monday on Kapamilya Gold, is not just about those things.

ABS-CBN presents a new, powerful story about two families who are linked by both love and the law, and a disconcerting past marked by poverty and desperation. The series features Ejay Falcon and Aljur Abrenica in their starring roles as fraternal twins who will become mortal enemies, with a powerhouse cast composed of Vina Morales, Ariel Rivera, Gardo Versoza, Elisse Joson, Jessy Mendiola, and Cherry Pie Picache. The new Dreamscape offering revolves around fraternal twins Julius Caesar and Aristotle, fondly called JC and Aris, who have been partners through thick and thin as children. A regrettable and heartbreaking decision leads to the brothers’ separation. While JC (Ejay) becomes an NBI agent, Aris lives a life of crime and turns into a syndicate leader. Brought together again by fate, the two unknowing twins’ new relationship is charged with extreme hostility – going head-to-head from opposing sides of the law without knowledge of each other’s true identities. Sandugo is directed by Darnel Joy R. Villaflor and Ram Tolentino and produced by Dreamscape Entertainment. It also stars Arlene Muhlach, Cogie Domingo, Dido Dela Paz, Jeric Raval, Maika Rivera, Mark Lapid, Nanding Josef, Ali Abinal, Reign Parani, Karina Bautista, Aljon Mendoza, and Ogie Diaz. ***

What gives Cristina that radiant skin?

If anyone can be said to embody

The entire cast of 'Sandugo' during the series’ media conference held at ABS-CBN's executive dining restaurant 9501.

a time-stopping glow, it’s Cristina Romualdez. She’s a mayor and a fulltime mother, and amidst the stress she handles daily, you’d be surprised to see her looking younger. When asked what her secret to her stress-free youthful look is, she said “I always believe that managing stress comes with self-discipline. Discipline to work hard and maintain a positive mindset, a strong body, and a fit soul. Holistic wellness, as I’d like to call it.” “Spending some ‘me’ time is a must so I don’t burn out. I usually go to the spa, read a book, and for my beauty secret, it’s four capsules of Dfyage a day. This heaven-sent supplement protects my body against free radicals and DNA damage that’s why even if you look closely, you can’t see any wrinkles on my face now. I carry it wherever I go because it’s a very effective oral sunblock. I don’t need sticky sunscreens to protect myself from harmful UV rays,” she added. Her timeless beauty doesn’t come from drinking water out of a fountain but rather taking proven and tested supplements like Dfyage along with a healthy lifestyle. Dfyage is first in the local and global market with the premium formulation of Astaxanthin, L-Glutathione, and Tremella Fuciformis, created by Olai Espiritu, the same woman who popularized and pioneered the use of Glutathione in the

Mayor Cristina Romualdez is the face of Dfyage, a potent oral sunblock that keeps the skin hydrated and moisturized.

Philippines. “I wanted to develop a product that will solve all my skincare problems aging, dry skin, uneven skin tone and the use of sticky sunscreen. Dfyage was a formulation downloaded from heaven and we want to glorify God because He is the one behind it all,” Espiritu shared. Dfyage is a powerful oral sunblock that keeps your skin hydrated, moisturized, bright and protected from the harmful rays of the sun and DNA damage.