Manila Standard - 2019 October 4 - Friday

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VOL. XXXIII • NO. 232 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

FORBIDDING FIRE. Smoke puffs up at the LRT 2 power transformer along Katipunan Avenue, with LRTA management suspending operations before noon. Courtesy of Ronnie Alonte/FB.

‘‘

Is this fight worth it? Why will I gamble the safety of my family? I kept thinking about my daughter and my sons, the youngest being 12.

—PDEA chief Aaron Aquino

Life is a matter of choices. We are here now because you (Albayalde) made a choice.

—Baguio City Mayor and former CIDG head Benjamin Magalong

That (my resignation) is their end game. I will not fall into that trap.

—PNP chief Oscar Albayalde

QUESTION HOUR. Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice, fields questions to Director General Aaron Aquino (right); Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong (left), former CIDG chief; and PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde (center) during the resumption of the hearing on alleged irregularities in anti-drugs operation of the PNP in November 2013 in Pampanga. Lino Santos

PDEA chief gets death threats for his life Drug summit: Duterte-Medvedev meet: More deals in offing Fears and family amid CJ calls for joint By MJ Blancaflor exposé vs. cops tack with nations

By Macon Ramos-Araneta,

By Rey E. Requejo CHIEF Justice Lucas P. Bersamin on Thursday urged the government to collaborate with countries that are the source of illegal drugs and to intensify efforts to arrest traffickers and pushers.

In his keynote speech during the National Summit on Dangerous Drugs Law at the Manila Hotel, Bersamin said government must match the ingenuity and creativity that drug traffickers have used to smuggle in drugs.

“Our alertness and quickness in frustrating such smuggling must be constant and unrelenting. We must collaborate with countries that are the origins of drug traffic in stifling the menace.

We must therefore adapt to such ingenuity and creativity by training our law enforcers regularly and equipping them with sufficient and effective tools for the campaign to completely stop the delivery,” Bersamin said.

The Chief Justice said all concerned government agencies involved in the campaign against illegal drugs need to cooperate more closely.

Next page

Pork-sniffing dog joins fight vs. ASF THE Philippine Coast Guard’s latest line of defense against hog disease is a dog who can smell pork trouble, an official said Thursday.

The PCG Central Visayas will soon deploy its pork-sniffing dog in the ports across Region 7 in a bid to prevent the spread of the African Swine Fever, PCG-7 Spokesman Michael John Encina said.

He said this was the Coast Guard’s response to Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s order banning the entry of pork products from Luzon, where the ASF has infected hogs in several areas.

“The dog will be sent to the different seaports for random inspection, Encina said.

The dog named “Poochi” is an 18-month-old Golden Retriever that was donated to the PCG and then Next page

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s weeklong trip to Russia is part of his independent foreign policy, which aims to establish partnerships with countries that are not Manila’s traditional allies, Malacañang said Thursday, as the Chief Executive met with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow.

These partnerships would be founded

on shared interests, sovereign equality and pragmatism, said Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo.

President Duterte met with Medvedev on Wednesday at the Prime Minister’s Office, dubbed by Russians as their own “White House,” where the Philippine leader expressed optimism for strengthened and deeper ties.

Several bilateral agreements are expected to be signed in health, culture,

education, and trade.

“I am confident we’ll succeed as I see strong commitment and will from both sides to bring our relation to an even greater level,” Duterte said in his opening statement during the meeting.

Duterte also noted that since his first visit to Russia in 2017, there has been “remarkable progress” in the engagement of two countries in strategic areas such as defense and security.

Next page

Rio N. Araja and Maricel V. Cruz

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TEARY-EYED Aaron Aquino, chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, said he received threats against his family after he testified that Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde called him up and asked him not to dismiss 13 of his men who were accused of reselling illegal drugs seized in 2013.

“I was thinking of my family who are now put in much deeper danger,” Aquino told senators investigating corruption in the prison system.

A few days ago, Aquino said he received a phone call from a friend who confirmed that some personalities were plotting against his family. He Next page

COURTESY OIL. Visiting President Rodrigo Duterte greets Wednesday officials of Roseneft Oil Co., led by its CEO Igor Secin, who called on the Filipino chief executive at the Four Seasons Hotel in Moscow. Duterte is in Russia on a week-long official visit. (inset) President Rodrigo Duterte’s ‘unkempt’ appearance—in the view of one Czech newsman—during his meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow on Wednesday immediately put Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo on his toes. Czech journalist Pavel Vondra posted a photo of the two leaders on Twitter and a screenshot of some comments from Russian netizens: “Did he drink all night?”, “Did he just leave the pub?”, “Do Filipinos know what a (state visit) protocol is?” But Malacañang dismissed the criticisms, saying the President loosened his tie because he feels “suffocated.” Panelo said: “PRRD does not look unkempt. What those kibitzers refer to is the way he wore his tie. He loosened it up. He feels suffocated and very uncomfortable if the tie is tightly in place in the collar. The President is very hygienic. His body emits a refreshing scent as observed by people who meet up close to him.”

MJ Blancaflor, Presidential Photo

631 rounded up in Parañaque cops’ simul raids

By Joel E. Zurbano A TOTAL of 631 people were arrested in simultaneous police operations in Parañaque City as part of the police crackdown on suspected drug dealers and other criminal elements in Metro Manila, an official said Thursday.

Southern Police District Chief Nolasco Bathan said among those arrested were

25 people engaged in drug trafficking and using drugs.

He said the suspects were now detained and had been charged before the Parañque City prosecutors’ office.

A total of 325 sealed plastic bags containing methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu; eight sachets of marijuana, 13 assorted firearms, three gun replicas, 34 motorcycles and

11 bladed weapons were also confiscated during the police operations from Oct. 1 to 3 in various villages, including San Isidro Village.

Bathan said most of those arrested ‘‘were caught red handed using illegal drugs while the rest were apprehended in possession of drugs and paraphernalia.

The others arrested had standing Next page

Third Pinoy body found in Taiwan TAIWANESE rescuers on Thursday retrieved the body of the last missing person killed when a bridge collapsed in Taiwan’s east coast two days ago, smashing onto fishing boats moored underneath.

A total of six fishing workers from Indonesia and the Philippines were killed in the incident, which also left 14 people injured according to the National Fire Agency.

The body of the last missing Filipino was recovered from the waters around noon, ending a round-the-clock search operation since the bridge collapsed on Tuesday, the agency said.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the collapse and said the families of the deceased would receive Tw$5 million ($161,000) in compensation.

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News

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Palace, allies gang up on Leahy

By MJ Blancaflor

M

ALACAÑANG on Thursday again slammed American Senator Patrick Leahy and urged him to address the issues in his country instead of interfering in the affairs of other states.

“Mr. Leahy cannot be more popish than the Pope. It may be best for him to address the issues his country is facing rather than looking for other concerns which belong to a separate and independent state,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

He made his statement even as Senator Leila de Lima slammed the Duterte administration for resorting to

PDEA...

name-calling and attacks against US Senators Richard Durbin and Patrick Leahy, who proposed a visa ban to the government officials responsible for her imprisonment.

Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez had pounced on Durbin and called him a “moron” and “stupid” for supposedly interfering with domestic affairs, criticizing him for showing what he deemed as a

“misguided messianic complex” for treating the Philippines as an American colony.

House Minority Leader Benny Abante Jr. said the US lawmakers were bullies pressuring Philippine officials into freeing De Lima.

The word war between Philippine officials and Leahy stemmed from the latter’s travel ban proposal against the Philippine officials behind the imprisonment of De Lima, a vocal critic of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

Panelo criticized the proposal as an attempt to interfere with the country’s domestic affairs, while Leahy questioned the human rights situation in the Philippines.

Leahy’s spokesman David Carle earlier pointed to the alleged human

rights abuses in the country recorded by the US last year.

Panelo said Leahy was “showing more ignorance and uttering amusing nonsense on a subject matter based on bogus narratives” from Duterte’s “vocal and noisy critics and detractors, which constitute a pathetic minority in the country.”

“The Filipino people, we believe, are the most reliable source of information on the human rights situation in the Philippines,” he said.

Panelo also insisted that De Lima was getting a “fair public trial as due process requires.”

De Lima has been held on drug charges since February 2017.

She has denied the allegations, dismissing them as political persecution.

With Macon Ramos-Araneta

Albayalde’s order to Aquino.

Magalong said Aquino himself had told him that Albayalde had asked not him not to implement the dismissal order.

On Thursday, Aquino said he was in a “deep quandary.”

Magalong said he too was worried for the safety of his family.

He said he continued to receive death threats after he testified at the Senate about crooked cops who were reselling drugs seized in police raids.

He said he would beef up his security to address the threats.

On Thursday, Gordon said Baloyo, cited for contempt, would be sent to the New Bilibid Prison for repeatedly providing false testimony at the Senate hearings.

Inpector Ma. Benilda Bansil and CO3 Veronica Buno of the Bureau of Corrections, on the other hand, would be detained at the Senate.

Senator Ronald dela Rosa had asked that the two officials be cited for contempt for lying about their participation in the sale of Good Conduct Time Allowance, uncovered following the aborted release of former Calauan mayor Antonio Sanchez, a convicted rapist and muderer.

Bansil and Buno were tagged by Yolanda Camilon as among those who facilitated the supposed early release of her common-law husband, Gadford Gamboa in exhange

for P50,000.

Gordon and Senators Panfilo Lacson and Franklin From A1 Drilon took turns grilling Baloyo on the circumstances surrounding the drug bust in Mexico, Pampanga remembered the exact words were: ‘Sir, sometime in November 2013. pinaghahandaan nila ang pamilya mo.’ (Sir, they are Baloyo repeatedly gave statements contrary to the preparing to move against your family.)” testimonies of the witnesses presented in the joint “I know the pressure and challenges of my position Senate hearings presided by Gordon. as the main drug enforcer of the country but I literally On several occasions, Gordon gave Baloyo the broke down into small pieces [upon] hearing the opportunity to retract his testimony, but he insisted information, considering that my security escorts had he was the one telling the truth. also been recalled,” Aquino said.

The senators said he lied when he said the raiding He told the panel chaired by Senator Richard team seized only 36 kilos of shabu because subsequent Gordon that he felt helpless and defeated. investigations showed they took about 200 kilos “I was asking myself: Is this fight worth it? Why and P10 million in cash, instead of the P100,000 he will I gamble the safety of my family? I kept thinking declared. about my daughters and my sons, the youngest being Magalong said this was the reason cheap shabu only 12 years old. Is it right for me to gamble this? flooded Central Luzon after the raid.

Against those who are already enemies?” he said.

Baloyo had also repeatedly insisted that they He said while it was true that Albayalde called him arrested Ding WenKun, who turned out to be a Korean up in 2016 to check on the status of his men, he also and not Lee, who was released. asked Aquino, then police director for Central Luzon, Sr. Supt. Manuel Gaerlan, who was Pampanga not to carry out a dismissal order against them.

Provincial Police Office OIC after Albayalde was The men, led by Police Supt. Rodney Raymundo relieved of the same post, testified in the same Louie Baloyo from the Pampanga Provincial Police hearing that the “spot report” detailing the drug bust Office, conducted a raid at the Lakeshore View operation was all lies. in Mexico, Pampanga in November 2013, when Baloyo insisted the spot report was accurate.

Albayalde was still Pampanga police director.

In the House, the leftist Makabayan bloc demanded Baloyo and his raiding team declared 38 kilos of Albayalde’s resignation. shabu during a raid in Mexico, Pampanga, in 2013, House Resolution 416, introduced by Party-list Rep. and arrested a Chinese high-profile drug trafficker, Carlos Zarate, called for the resignation Albayalde Johnson Lee. and other officials implicated in the alleged practice But the Criminal Investigation and Detection of ‘drug recycling’ “to pave the way for a credible Group, then headed by Benjamin Magalong, now investigation” into the issue. mayor of Baguio City, said they actually seized 200 The lawmakers also said that Congress must be kilos of shabu. able to recommend the filing of appropriate charges Returning to the witness stand in the Senate, against the officials involved.

Aquino testified that when he asked why he should “Credible investigation necessitates the not dismiss the cops, Albayalde, by then Metro resignation of those implicated, including Manila police director, said they were his men.

PNP Chief Albayalde, so as to remove Aquino said he told Albayalde that he any suspicion of a whitewash or that would seek a review of the case against the investigation has been influenced, Baloyo and the 12 other Pampanga evidence have been tampered or policemen, and that he would send them suppressed, and witnesses have been to Mindanao. pressured. It should be noted that The dismissal order was issued in Albayalde was among the first to March 2016, but in 2017, Region quickly deny the exposè of drug 3 police chief Amador Corpuz, a recycling,” the group said in the classmate of Albayalde, signed an resolution. order to instead demote them by The Department of the Interior one rank. and Local Government has vowed a In remarks to the press, Aquino “thorough and fair” investigation into backed Albayalde’s statement that he the allegations against Albayalde. merely telephoned to ask about the status of But Undersecretary Jonathan the case.

Malaya said the DILG would But another former PNP officer, IN CONTEMPT. Police Major Rodney Raymund Louie Baloyo IV was cited by “presume regularity” on the part of the Magalong, told the committee about the Senate in contempt for refusing to answer questions during a Blue Ribbon police chief. investigation on a drug raid in Pampanga in 2013. Lino Santos

Duterte-Medvedev...

From A1

“We now have consultative mechanisms where we explore ways to expound our cooperation in various areas including trade and investment, defense and security, energy, science and technology, among others. We are intent to sustain this momentum,” Duterte said.

Medvedev also said the PhilippineRussia relations have been developing at “a good pace.”

“Our goal is to secure this trend. We are interested in more joint projects in various fields of cooperation,” Medvedev wrote in a Twitter post.

The two leaders previously met in ASEAN Summits in 2016 and 2017.

They will also see each other in the upcoming East Asia Summit in Thailand this month.

Duterte also met with Igor Sechin, chief executive officer of the Russian oil giant ROSNEF, in Moscow.

“The President invited Rosneft, the leader in the Russian oil sector, to invest in the Philippines, particularly with regard to oil and gas development,” Panelo said.

“The Chief Executive underscored

631...

that any agreement that will be executed or performed for such purpose shall undergo the proper domestic processes and comply with applicable laws and pertinent rules and regulations so as not to leave any room for corruption or irregularity,” he added.

The President arrived in Sochi, Russia on Thursday to meet with President Vladimir Putin and Jordanian King Abdullah II Bin Al-Hussein.

Dutete and Putin will witness the exchange of several bilateralagreements that cover cooperation in health, science and technology and culture.

The President’s overnight stay in Sochi is the highlight of the presidential visit to Russia, Panelo said.

The President is also slated to speak before the Valdai Forum, a first for a Philippine leader, to discuss world order from his perspective.

The Valdai Forum gathers world leaders, top Russian and international officials, policymakers, academics and journalists to discuss issues on world order.

After his activities, he will depart from Sochi to Moscow to attend a business forum and a cultural gala performance.

In Moscow, he will also lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to honor the memory of fallen soldiers and will also be given a walking tour of the

Kremlin.

Duterte’s six-day trip to Russia is a follow-up to his inaugural visit in May 2017, which was cut short by the conflict in Marawi City.

Philippine Ambassador to Russia Carlos Sorreta said the government is working “aggressively” to improve the Philippines’ market access to Russia, particularly on agricultural products.

“Our primary objective is market access. Russian taste is evolving.

They’re willing to try things that are new. So we have, I believe, a good market here for agricultural products,” Sorreta said at the Philippine Embassy in Moscow on Wednesday.

“There will be agreements that will create demand for our products, which means more workers will be employed by the corporations. Farmers will get higher value for their products.

Manufacturers will be creating more jobs and more importantly, the Philippines will be identified as a major player in the agricultural market here, in the food market here—food and drink,” Sorreta said.

Sorreta said the government would have to overcome challenges such as Russia’s current impression of the Philippines.

“The problem is Russians have a

very little knowledge of the Philippines.

What little knowledge they have is stereotypical of the Philippines,” he said, citing the country’s close association with the United States.

The envoy said that to promote its products, the Philippines should promote the country first.

“We have to sell the whole country, our people, our places, our history,” he added.

To create that better knowledge and understanding of the Philippines, Sorreta said the embassy has organized events such as food tasting and cooking demonstrations featuring Filipino agricultural products.

Sorreta said he is also hoping that the Philippines and Russia would soon strike a bilateral labor agreement to provide Filipino workers with visas.

Sorreta said there are currently about 10,000 Filipino workers in Russia with 90 percent to 95 percent working as nannies and household help.

However, he said that only “very few” Filipinos are legally working in Russia because there are only about a hundred legal visas available for nannies and household service workers.

“The rest do not have this visa to work here. But they work here. They are doing very well,” Sorreta said. With PNA

“This is already the fourth time the SPD has conducted a police operation in just a month. It started in Taguig followed by Pasay, Makati and now Parañque.

From A1 More operations like this will be launched to keep our communities safe.”

Metro Manila Police Chief Guillermo Eleazar commended Bathan and warrants or were violating city ordinances such as smoking, drinking and his men for their successful operations, which he said was in line with the urinating in public and violating curfew hours.

National Capital Region Police Office’s support to the directive of PNP chief The campaign was conducted in coordination with government agencies Oscar Albayalde to go against illegal drugs. based in Parañque.

Eleazar had also ordered his men to enforce the PNP’s anti-crime campaign “This is a one-time big-time operation against criminality and illegal drugs dubbed as SACLEO, or the simultaneous anti-criminality and law enforcement in a specific areas within a specific period of time, Bathan said. operations aimed at ensuring peace and order in the community.

Drug...

From A1

“It is high time for our response to the drug menace to be made stronger through the adoption of a robust system of communication, cooperation and coordination among all concerned agencies and offices, as well as of an operational legal framework to prosecute the traffickers and their minions,” he said.

During the Pre-Summit Conference Workshop on the Dangerous Drugs Law conducted by the Philippine Judicial Academy in Tagaytay City last month, Bersamin called on all participants to review the country’s drug policies and law enforcement capacity, saying “the biggest challenge for us is how to remain relevant and responsive considering the creative ways drug traffickers evade the authorities.”

The Chief Justice said that he expected that the national drug summit would “bring on the same page every agency and office of the government to respond to the need for a common front against the drug menace through the development and adoption of policies and procedures that render the handling of drug cases effective and efficient.”

Pork-sniffing...

From A1

trained as a dog who could detect illegal drugs.

Given the new challenge ASF posed, Encina said, Poochi was then trained to detect pig blood.

His handler Kristofferson Bitoy said the canine wasn’t hard to train since it had been trained to undergo exercises.

It took over a month for Poochi to get used to the smell of pork through random demonstrations.

Encina said the PCG was willing to train more dogs for pig-blood detection as one dog was not enough to search all seaports in the region.

In Quezon City, chief veterinarian Anamarie Cabel ordered the culling of 199 pigs within the one-kilometer radius of an ASF-affected area in Barangay Pasong Tamo.

An official from the Provincial Agriculture Office in Laguna and some hog raisers and backyard piggery owners confirmed on Wednesday that, so far, the province is free from the ASF and that pork and pork products from Laguna are safe to eat.

A ban on pork products from Luzon is in effect in Cebu. Visayas and Mindanao are known to remain free from the disease.

Stringent measures have been set up in various entry points in the region.

More documents are required for porkrelated products from other provinces to be allowed to enter the Visayas and Mindanao.

Garcia is firm on her decision to ban the entry of pork in the province. This despite Agriculture Secretary William Dar’s remarks that the governor was “overreacting.”

But before a rift could escalate, both parties agreed to clarify the issue during their meeting in Cebu, which led to closer coordination between the agency and the local government.

Hog producers in Cebu have expressed worries on the sudden decline in their sales, attributing this to the ASF scare among consumers.

With Rio N. Araja and PNA

Third...

From A1

Dramatic CCTV footage captured the moment the 140-meter (460-foot) long single-arch bridge came crashing down early on Tuesday morning in Nanfangao, on Taiwan’s east coast.

In the video, a vertical cable at the center of the bridge’s steel arch suddenly snaps.

The road then collapses into the water, crashing down on three fishing boats as an oil tanker, which nearly made it across, also plunged into the water and burst into flames.

Taiwan was skirted by a typhoon on Monday night, which brought heavy rains and strong winds to parts of the east coast.

But at the time of the bridge collapse, the weather was fine.

The local landmark was completed in 1998 and spanned a small fishing port.

Taiwan has a huge fishing industry and many of those who work on its boats are low-paid migrant workers from countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The families of the Filipino fatalities, Abregana Serencio, George, Jagmis Impang and Romulo Ilustrisimo Escalicas Jr., will receive close to P1.5 million from various government offices in the Philippines and Taiwan.

Benefits from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration include a P200,000 accidental benefit plus P20,000 burial assistance and $15,000 accidental death benefit or the equivalent to P750,000 from the mandatory insurance paid by the agency or employer.

From the Taiwan government side, they will receive 300,000 NT or about P 510,000 as well as group insurance benefits.

Four other Filipinos survived in the incident and were identified as Julio S. Gimawa, Jason N. Villaruel, Allan H. Alcansano, John Vicente Royo and June B. Flores. AFP and PNA

News

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A3

‘Congestion kills 5,200 inmates every year’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo

PULLING THE PLUG. Hundreds of pigs from the backyard are

culled Thursday by the Quezon City Veterinary Department using lethal injection for the culling of porkers due to African Swine Fever at Barangay Pasong Tamo Pikian 3 in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

Villafuerte urges House: Use P29-b rice subsidy A LEADER of the House of Representatives on Thursday called on Congress to authorize the use of some P29 billion intended as rice subsidies to conditional cash transfer beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development for the procurement of palay from farmers this harvest season.

This, Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte said, is in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive for the government to engage in massive buying of this staple from local growers.

“Rather than give the subsidies as cash grants to target low-income households of the DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program [4Ps], the government can instead purchase unmilled rice from local farmers, and convert them to rice for distribution to the 4Ps beneficiary-families,” Villafuerte, representative of Camarines Sur’s Second District, said.

In House Joint Resolution 16, Villafuerte urged the Senate and the House of Representatives “voting separately, to authorize the use of the Rice Subsidy as provided under the 4Ps in the General Appropriations Act for the purchase of palay from farmers, mandating for the purpose the DSWD to buy palay from the local farmers and distribute rice subsidy in the form of actual rice, instead of cash assistance, to the qualified beneficiaries.”

Villafuerte, deputy speaker for finance, said this plan is crucial in raising farmgate prices of palay this main harvest season, especially after the National Food Authority reported that its warehouses are already full.

The NFA reported that it has over 200,000 metric tons of imported rice in its custody, as of August 22, 2019, and was able to procure locally 360,657 bags of palay at 50 kilos per bag or equivalent to 209,525 MT. “The problem of oversupply is expected to exacerbate during the period from September to October which is the peak palay harvest season,” Villafuerte said. Maricel V. Cruz

‘2020 nat’l govt budget means more projects‘

By Maricel V. Cruz

A

LEADER of the House of Representatives on Wednesday night defended the Houseapproved P4.1-trillion national government budget for 2020.

At the same time, Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu, in a privilege speech, said the money measure that was approved by the House and had been transmitted to the Senate would result in a more equitable distribution of projects among district and party-list representatives as they have been consulted in the matter.

“The powers granted to Congress over the national budget cannot be overemphasized. The budget can be an essential tool to stabilize the economy, redistribute wealth, create growth centers in less developed areas, and provide social safety nets to vulnerable sectors of society,” said Abu, representative of Batangas’ Second District.

“With this in mind, we have carefully reviewed the President’s budget proposal

which was the basis for the preparation of the General Appropriations Bill,” he added.

Last Tuesday, the House transmitted to the Senate what the House leadership described as ‘pork-free’ 2020 General Appropriations Bill or several weeks after congressmen deliberated on the budget both at the committee level and in plenary session.

Abu said the House appropriations committee, chaired by Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, scrutinized the economic parameters based on which the executive has set the expenditure level. “With competing demands over limited public resources, we looked at how the appropriations were strategically distributed across sectors, agency

programs and geographic subdivisions.

Having approved a constitutionally compliant budget, Abu said “I assure our countrymen that the GeneralAppropriations Bill that the House of Representatives has transmitted to the Philippine Senate [October 1] is a budget that guarantees a better and more comfortable life for most Filipinos.”

“It is a budget that will support strong, sustainable, and equitable growth, a budget that will make the Philippine society more inclusive than what it was the year before,” Abu said.

He added that as district Representatives, “it is our responsibility to legitimately use the appropriations, lawmaking and legislative oversight powers of Congress to ensure that the well-being of our people are well-taken care of consistent with our constitutional mandate and of existing jurisprudence, it is our legal and moral duty to actively protect, defend and promote the interests of the people through the inclusion in the GAB—be it in the form of ‘institutional or individual amendments’— of local projects that are already vetted for relevance, quality and feasibility.”

Worsening traffic caused by more wheels—Lim

By Joel E. Zurbano THE traffic problem cannot be solved in an instance despite the road clearing operations and other measures being implemented by the Metro Manila Development Authority and local government units.

The worsening situation, according to MMDA chairman Danilo Lim, is caused primarily by the increasing number of vehicles and the lack of discipline among drivers.

During a meeting with members of the Metro Manila Council on Thursday, Lim revealed that the number of registered vehicles in Metro Manila had almost doubled while its road network has only increased by 7 percent.

The MMC, composed of the 17 mayors and local executives in Metro Manila, is the governing board and the

policy-making body of the MMDA. Lim said at least 900 vehicles are added to the average daily volume of vehicular traffic along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and other main thoroughfares in the metropolis.

“This is the problem which Metro Manila is facing. Cars are multiplying but the road capacity has barely changed.

Infrastructure projects under the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program are underway,” said Lim. “While waiting for the completion of the infrastructure projects, let us maintain what we have started. This is the greater challenge of the campaign. There is no overnight solution to address our traffic problems,” he added.

The MMDA chief urged the local chief executives of Metro Manila to ensure the continuity of the road clearing operations “despite the end of the deadline as

directed by President Duterte.”

He lauded the efforts of the Metro Manila mayors in clearing the streets of obstructions but said more has to be done.

“Our work is not yet finished. This is a continuing project. We have to maintain and sustain our clearing operations amid the increasing number of vehicles that worsen traffic in Metro Manila,” said Lim during the 26th MMC meeting at the MMDA headquarters in Makati City.

Lim said the MMDA is always ready to assist the local government units in compliance with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to reclaim public roads.

In line with this, members of the MMC have agreed to institutionalize the road clearing through a resolution that will be adopted by the 17 LGUs.

Fire hits LRT 2 power transformer

ROAD HARD KNOCKS. An SUV, reported by law enforcers as driven by an unidentified woman apparently under the influence of alcohol, lies in its own wreckage in Pablo Ocampo corner Adriatico Street in Manila Wednesday. The accident left three injured, including the driver. Norman Cruz

AFTER the fire Wednesday at the Star City, it’s the LRT this time finding itself in a smoke, forcing management of LRT 2 to suspend its operations after a power transformer caught fire, while the LRT 1 closed 2 of its stations due to mechanical issues.

According to LRT Spokesperson Hernando Cabrera, the LRT 2 power transformer along Katipunan Avenue “tripped” and emitted smoke, according to Light Rail Transit Authority Spokesperson Hernando Cabrera.

A video captured by radio dzMM, seen nationwide, showed firemen dousing the burning device with water.

The LRT 2 suspended its operations nearly half an hour before

noon Thursday.

Katipunan and Santolan stations, are unlikely to immediately resume operations, according to Cabrera.

The 2 stations are located near several schools like the University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and Miriam College.

No one was injured in the fire and the LRTA did not receive any report that the fire was intentional, he said.

On Wednesday morning, the LRT 2 also stopped its operations for around 30 minutes due to a “train fault.”

Meanwhile, the LRT 1 closed Balintawak and Roosevelt stations due to “mechanical issues” that are “being checked by our technicians onsite,” its management said in tweet around 8:35 a.m.

CITING overcrowding that sparked the transmission of diseases, New Bilibid Prison Hospital Director Supt. Ernesto Tamayo revealed that 20 percent or about 5,200 NBP inmates confined at the said hospital die every year.

Questioned by Senator Risa Hontiveros on the cause of deaths, Tamayo cited overcrowding was one of the major reasons why inmates afflicted with various illnesses died.

He admitted the management of the Bureau of Corrections could not contain certain diseases such as pulmonary tuberculosis from spreading among inmates.

He also told the joint Senate hearing on the Good Conduct Time Allowance that the number includes deaths by violence such as stabbing.

Hontiveros called for the cancellation of the medical license of NBP Hospital Medical Officer Urcisio Cenas over what she called unprofessional and unethical conduct when he allowed extended stay for Bilibid inmates particularly drug lords.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has ordered the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to comment on the petition assailing the constitutionality of the revised implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 10592, or the expanded Good Conduct Time Allowance Law. Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin on Thursday revealed the SC gave DOJ and DILG, through the Office of the Solicitor General, 10 days within which to file their comment on the petition filed by the eight inmates at the National Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City seeking to invalidate several provisions of the new IRR of GCTA Law.

IN BRIEF No voting yet on Marcos case CHIEF Justice Lucas Bersamin on Thursday said the Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, had not decided yet on the election protest filed by former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s against Vice President Leni Robredo challenging the proclamation of his rival as the duly elected vice president in 2016 polls.

“There is no definite voting yet or anything that happened in that particular case,” Bersamin said, in an interview at the sidelines of a summit on the dangerous drugs law at the Manila Hotel.

Bersamin debunked a report made by a columnist in Philippine Star who cited sources that Marcos was likely to win in the initial stage of the case through an 8-6 vote by PET members.

The newspaper report came after Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, the justice-in-charge of the Marcos poll protest, submitted his report before the PET two weeks ago.

Rey E. Requejo

Alleged smuggling ‘must be probed’ A RESOLUTION was filed at the House of Representatives directing the House Committee on Trade and Industry to investigate the alleged smuggling and proliferation of substandard steel products in the Philippines due to the “collusion between large steelmakers and officials of DTI and the Bureau of Customs.’’

Rep. Lawrence Lemuel H. Fortun filed House Resolution 379 in light of fears over the past two years year by consumer groups, specifically residents and buyers of high rise condominiums nationwide, over reports of continued selling of substandard steel bars and other big steel manufacturers, that may render thousands of high rise structures unsafe in the event of a high intensity earthquake. Maricel V. Cruz

‘Age reduction should be studied’ JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra urged Congress to pass tougher laws and reevaluate the legal process to combat the illegal drugs problem in the country, such as lowering the age of criminal responsibility to deter drug syndicates from using children in their operations.

In a speech before the National Summit on Dangerous Drugs law at the Manila Hotel, Guevarra stressed the proposal to reduce the age of criminal responsibility “must be carefully considered” as part of the government’s efforts to address the problem of illegal drugs. Rey E. Requejo

A4

Opinion

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

The resurrection of Mocha Uson A NOTE to my readers: Beginning next week, this column will appear on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. *** In 1960, five years into my marriage, I told my wife I would take her on a world tour as I had earlier promised.

This was after I had made some money at the stock exchange. At that time, the foreign exchange rate was at P2 to a dollar. And with $10,000 in my pocket, I thought I was rich enough to buy anything I wanted.

Is there no one else?

So my wife and I visited Tokyo, and stayed at the old Imperial Hotel.

Then we went to New York via Anchorage. That was the first time I saw snow. In New York, we met friends of my mother-in-law; they showered us with gifts. To avoid paying for excess baggage, we decided to send our first suitcase back home through mail.

Later on, as we visited London, Copenhagen, Hamburg, and Madrid, we again sent back our suitcases through the mail. This went on as we visited Rome and Vienna, and then went back to Rome where we boarded to go to Bangkok, and then Hong Kong, and then finally Manila. My wife and I sent home a total of seven suitcases through the mail.

At that time, doing this was safe.

Now, not anymore, Even balikbayan boxes are pilfered—if they do not disappear in the first place.

That tour is a memory my wife and I love reliving. *** If you follow the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings on ninja cops, who recycle illegal drugs that they confiscate during buy-bust operations, you’d think that the Philippines had the worst police force in the world.

Santa Banana, ninja cops exist only here!

They send the drugs to convicted drug lords inside the New Bilibid Prison, in connivance with corrupt security guards. And then the drug lords continue the nefarious activity.

Where else in the world can you find ninja cops protecting a Drug Queen, a mistress of the leader of the ninja cops? She was once a barangay captain, but since she has become a fugitive in the United States with her US visa canceled, she is back here.

The Senate inquiry has turned from bad to worse with no less than the chief of the Philippine National Police Oscar Albayalde now being implicated in the mess. He used to be a provincial police chief. Baguio City Mayor Banjamin Magalong says Albayalde intervened for 13 ninja cops; Albayalde supposedly asked that they not be fired.

Santa Banana, in my 70 years as a journalist, and I have covered the police beat, I have never encountered such police corruption!

This all reminds me of a joke: In New York, when a crime is committed, it takes the cops 10 minutes to get to the scene. In

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

T

Inflation reversal

HE inflation rate picture in the Philippines has drastically changed. From a peak and nine-year high of 6.7 percent in September and October last year, prices have gone down to as low as 1 percent or below in September this year, depending on the figures to be released today by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas predicted before the release of the official figures that the inflation rate in September likely decelerated to as low as 0.6 percent from 1.7 percent in August because of lower rice prices and electricity rates.

Much has happened since inflation reared its ugly head last year. The government ordered the importation of more rice to address what appeared to be a shortage and hoarding on the part of unscrupulous traders.

The Bangko Sentral raised interest rates to force consumers to curtail spending and stop prices from further

rising. The higher cost of funds, in turn, prompted businesses to shelve their expansion plans. The cycle eventually led to a slower economic growth in the succeeding quarters.

The growth-restricting measures, coupled with the enactment of the Rice Tariffication Law that liberalized the imports of the commodity, caused a deceleration in the inflation rate starting in November last year. Prices started to normalize in the succeeding months until they dropped to the 1-percent level lately.

But the high inflation figures toward the last quarter of 2018 did the

damage on the economy. With rice prices surging, consumers developed a sense of uncertainty and spent less. Consumer spending, thus, slowed down and impacted on the economy.

Consumers held back on their expenses on expectations that prices of other basic commodities and services would also increase. Fortunately, consumers regained their confidence when the prices of rice and other commodities started to drop in the early part of 2019.

The Bangko Sentral has also started lowering the cost of money, while monitoring the inflation rate as part of its job to keep prices stable and conducive to long-term economic growth. Authorities should always be on the lookout for inflationary pressures, both in the domestic and external fronts. The inflation rate is one critical economic indicator that can easily influence the spending pattern of consumers.

Turn to A5

House: 2020 budget has no pork HOW DO we assess the performance of the House of Representatives since the start of the 18th Congress?

The number of bills passed—more than 5,000—tells us that with Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano at the helm, the Lower Chamber has been very productive. Many of the tax reform measures and economic reform bills of the Duterte administration have been swiftly passed by various committees and approved on third and final reading.

The most significant accomplishment of the House in its first two months, however, is the approval of House Bill No. 4228 or the 2020 General Appropriations Bill, just minutes after the plenary passed it on second reading. House members approved the GAB after nine straight session days and passed the budget bill in record time in line with Cayetano's commitment to lead a “relevant, responsible and reliable” Congress.

The House has already passed Package 2 Plus of the President’s comprehensive tax reform program— House Bill 1026—which aims to further increase taxes on alcohol products and electronic cigarettes. It also approved two of the Duterte administration’s priority bills: HB 304, the fourth CTRP package or the Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act, seeks to simplify taxes on capital income and financial services, while HB 300 which amends the Foreign Investments Act, seeks to allow foreign investors to own small and medium-sized enterprises.

Apart from these, the House finally approved HB 4157 or the proposed Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act representing Package 2 of the CTRP. Only Pack-

age 3 of the CTRP, which aims to reform the system of property valuation in the country, remains to be passed by the plenary.

Another bill that the President has endorsed to Congress for swift approval, the amendments to the Retail Trade Liberalization Act to allow foreign ownership of certain public utilities, was approved by the House Committee on Trade and Industry last September.

Instead of being lauded for its accomplishments, the House has been pilloried by Senator Panfilo Lacson

Lawmakers say the budget is consistent with the priorities of President Duterte. and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon for the alleged presence of pork in the GAB approved by House.

Lacson, the Senate’s anti-pork crusader, claimed that each of the 22 deputy speakers will get P1.5 billion each in “pork barrel” funds on top of the P700 million that every House member will receive under the 2020 budget.

Several House leaders, including Deputy Speaker Eddie Villanueva of the Jesus is Lord Movement, branded Lacson’s allegations as a “big lie.”

Drilon said he and Lacson would go over the House-approved 2020 GAB because they found it highly irregular for the House to create a “small committee” to introduce individual amendments to the bill after it was already approved on third and final reading.

It turned out that the practice of forming a small committee to tackle amendments to the GAB was an established procedure dating back to the 8th Congress. It was done to enTurn to A5

Scrimping on food but not on profit IT SEEMS there is no end to moneymaking at the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa. After anomalies of drug trafficking and bringing in of prostitutes for overnight sleeping with moneyed detainees, the Senate inquiry discovered that the food allowances of prisoners is less than the prescribed value of daily food provided by the chosen caterer.

The usual daily food of prisoners consists of galunggong fish and kangkong vegetable. No tilapia for them.

But if they have the money, they can have a different kind of “tilapia”— those who can be had by Very Important Prisoners for P30,000 a night.

We are told that these VIP detainees have their own kubol or huts as private quarters for their nocturnal privileges. These and other irregularities at the national penitentiary have been going on and tolerated no matter who the Bucor chief is. Recall how detainee Tony Leviste of the Batangas landed family used to go in and out of prison to spend a few nights at one of his condo towers in Salcedo Village, Makati until he was found out. Le-

viste was convicted of the fatal shooting of his own bodyguard.

Life in the state prison isn’t so bad if you can afford the privileges.

No tilapia for him, only bangus and probably first-class steak at P50,000 a night plus grease money for his jailers. Yes, life in the state prison isn’t so bad if you can afford the privileges.

Perhaps a lifestyle check on the BuCor boss and his minions should be ordered by the Department of Justice, on recommendation of the Senate committee investigating the shady deals going on in Muntinlupa. Big

bucks are being made on a small patch of land. Beats farming under the heat of the sun and typhoons destroying the planted crops, right?

If you want to hear some really grim stories, there are also hardened criminals who are released and used as hired guns. What better alibi than for the killer to claim how he could not be the perpetrator when he’s in prison?

Jail guards will support his story so as not to incriminate themselves. Police reporters know this but do not have proof to substantiate their stories.

A concerned citizen suggested that hardened criminals and recidivists together with their corrupt jailers should be assigned in a prison facility in Sulu where, if they escape, they could fall into the hands of the notorious Abu Sayyaf group. Sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it?

This is a nightmarish situation when the law enforcers do not enforce the law and in fact violate it to make money for themselves.

A Gringo Honasan or a Danny Lim seems like the right person to Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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

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Opinion Police corruption THE Oct. 1 Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing presided by its chairman, Senator Richard Gordon, turned into a remarkable exchange of brickbats between and among ranking police officers, incumbent and retired.

Police corruption, when dealing with illegal drugs, was exposed. The corruption reaches the highest echelon of the 204,000-strong Philippine National Police. Corruption simmers down to the lower levels, down to the regional, provincial, city, district police units, especially the task forces against illegal drugs.

The Senate probe committee resumed its hearing yesterday. The senators tackled the overpricing of prisoner meals. There are 47,354 prisoners in the country’s eight largest prisons nationwide. About 30,246 of them are at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. Imagine if you overprice their meals at P10 per meal, you make 300,000 per meal at NBP. Multiply that by three meals, you make almost P1 million—daily.

The business beats being a congressman (P160-million pork barrel per year per congressman) and being a senator (P200-million pork barrel per year per senator). The budget for prisoner meal is P60. Actual charge of the caterer: P39.

So why did General Bato dela Rosa run for senator rather than stay at NBP as the chief? Love of country, maybe.

When the current PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde was the chief of police of Pampanga, on Nov. 29, 2013, a team of 13 anti-illegal drugs policemen led

by Supt. Rodney Raymundo Baloyo IV conducted a buy-bust operation on a lair operated by a certain Johnson Lee, a Chinese, in a posh village in the province. They seized 200 kilos of shabu worth P800 million but surrendered only 38 kilos. Lee was set free after paying P50 million.

After that raid, several police officers, including Albayalde and Baloyo, acquired luxury vehicles, each costing P1.23 million. The missing 162 kilos of illegal drugs was worth

House:...

From A4

sure that the budget bill gets passed on time and remains aligned with Malacañang’s proposed expenditure program.

Three Deputy Speakers also cried foul over the attacks by Lacson and Drilon against the House and described the two senators as “obstructionists” out to derail the reform programs of President Duterte.

They emphasized that the Houseapproved budget is consistent with the priorities of the President.

Cayetano has assured critics of the House that the 2020 GAB remains free of “pork” and illegal insertions, and does not contain

The resurrection...

From A4

Tokyo, it’s five minutes. In the Philippines, the police are instantly at the scene of the crime—because they are either involved or they committed the crime in the first place!

Albayalde has some serious explaining to do. He says though that he would not resign unless the President tells him to.

With no less than the police chief dragged into the drug mess, how else can we feel safe? *** Some people in Malacañang must be terribly in love with Mocha Uson, that dancer who became a blogger and Duterte supporter. Now she has a new position in the government.

After failing to get herself elected as the first nominee of AA Kasosyo, a group that advocates sustainable development (whatever that means), now she is back as deputy administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

P648 million, according to thenpolice Major Gen. Benjamin Magalong, now 59, then chief of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and now mayor of Baguio City.

In February 2014, Magalong said then PNP chief Alan Purisima asked him to investigate the November 2013 raid. Charges were filed.

Albayalde denied Magalong’s statement. “My car back in 2013 was ‘an old model’ of a pick-up truck,” the now PNP chief said.

Your move, Mr. President.

early September 2019. So far, the Senate probe, under Gordon, has prevented the premature release of convicted rapist Antonio Sanchez, the notorious mayor of Calauan town, Laguna, and resulted in the ouster of former marine Captain Nicanor E. Faeldon as director general of the Bureau of Corrections.

Faeldon feigned ignorance about the impending release this year of Sanchez on the ground of “good conduct,” although he had signed a memorandum for his release. Faeldon also seemed unaware of the illicit drugs trade inside the sprawling prison compound.

The drug recycling scheme “agaw bato” was first exposed by Magalong at the Sept. 19 hearing. It is being perpetrated by what he calls “rogue elements of the PNP” engaged in “enterprise criminal mind.” Personalities involved in “agaw bato” transact with inmates of the NBP, Magalong said. As regards illegal drugs, he also disclosed that all roads led to the National Bilibid Prisons, meaning there are drug lords inside the penitentiary.

“In our investigation, all roads led to NBP. Chinese drug personalities, despite being detained inside the NBP, continue to remotely manage the drug trade in the country,” Magalong told the senators last Sept. 19.

Go said that despite the controversy, the PNP remains committed in reforming itself.

“In fairness to the PNP, it is continuing its internal cleansing program.

Nangyari po ito sa nakaraang termino, hindi pa sa termino ni Pangulong Duterte. At nakita ko naman, napakaseryoso ni Pangulong Duterte sa kanyang ginagawa (This happened in the past administration, not during the term of President Duterte. And I have witnessed that President Duterte is serious in what he is doing),” Go said.

“The President fully trusts the police force. The war against illegal drugs and criminality will not succeed without the help of the policemen,” Go concluded.

Now, will Albayalde resign? “I will not resign,” he declared. Your move, sir, President Duterte.

For his part, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Director General Aaron Aquino said Albayalde tried to intervene on behalf of 13 “ninja” cops in 2016. The then police chief of Central Luzon (Region 3) recommended the dismissal of the 13 police officers.

Until today, the key police officers in that questionable raid have yet to be dismissed from the service. They are still masquerading as crusading anti-drugs policemen, thanks to Albayalde.

Albayalde denied trying to "influence" the investigation. He also accused Magalong of being personal, meaning the latter has an ax to grind.

Magalong graduated magna cum laude from PMA in 1982. As a bemedaled police officer, he led the investigation into the botched 2015 Mamasapano massacre of 44 police special forces. In his report, Magalong found his commander-in-chief President Benigno Aquino III, his boss PNP chief Gen. Alan Purisima and and SAF Chief Getulio Napeñas indictable. The report marked him and he missed being the PNP chief for it.

At the end of the hearing on Oct. 1, Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go, a close confidante of Rodrigo Duterte, hinted the President would take action as he was monitoring the hearings.

The Blue Ribbon hearings began biznewsasia@gmail.com

“parked” funds. “If there is pork in the budget, tell us and we will remove it,” he said.

In fact, the amendments introduced by the House in the 2020 budget propose a realignment of P9.52 billion in funds where the biggest beneficiary would be the country’s beleaguered rice farmers. Of this amount, P3.5 billion will go to the Department of Agriculture to enable it to buy more palay from farmers amid declining farmgate prices.

The other beneficiaries include the Department of Education, which will get P800 million to operate more schools from Kinder to Grade 12 and establish model day care centers; Department of Health, P200 million to strengthen the National Center for Mental Health and set up a quick-re-

sponse fund; UP-Philippine General Hospital, P500 million; Department of Environment and Natural Resources, P500 million for its National Resource Conservation and Development-Protected Areas and Development Management Program; Metro Manila Development Authority, P500 million to reinforce its traffic enforcement capabilities; and Philippine Sports Commission, P500 million, for the training of athletes for the 2020 Olympic Games.

Cayetano has given assurances that the House-approved budget bill is pork-free. In fact, he said, anyone can scrutinize it with a fine-tooth comb and would find nothing irregular or anomalous in it.

She is back with a salary of P155,030 a month. I wonder how she can help OFWs, though—entertain them by performing lewd dance routines?

Another thing to consider is the ban on losing candidates; they are not supposed to be appointed to any office less than a year after elections.

The Comelec claims, though, that this does not apply to party-list nominees.

People should bring this matter to the Supreme Court.

I would like to ask Malacañang: Is there nobody else? *** It’s a crucial position at OWWA that Uson has assumed. This is an agency mandated to advance the welfare of OFWs. However, Uson’s past actions have been detrimental rather than helpful to the migrants. Remember that “rescue mission” she did in Kuwait? The Philippine government was forced to apologize to the Kuwaiti government after this incident. That daring act was described as inappropriate behavior” and “an infringement into a country’s sovereignty.”

Is this the character that Duterte

wants in promoting the welfare of our migrants? The Palace has to be more judicious in its appointments. *** It appears that media failed to realize the implications of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddyboy Locsin’s statement that the MOUs and MOAs signed between China and the Philippines were minimal compared to agreements with Japan.

This means that the billions of dollars Duterte was supposed to have brought home from state visits did not materialize as expected.

I notice that every time Duterte visits China, the Palace says it is “successful” because of billions of pesos in investments. But how much of all these investment pledges actually materialized? I have gone with presidents in their visits to other countries.

I know for a fact that before any such visits, embassies and trade officials have already set up these MOUs and MOAs. When a head of state arrives in any country, all her has to, really, is to observe cabinet people sign these agreements with their counterparts.

ernhil@yahoo.com

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Brazil breeds bacteria-infected mosquitoes to fight dengue failed.

"There are too many [mosquiDENGUE-RESISTANT mosquitoes toes]," he says. breed in a Rio de Janeiro laboratory, producing offspring infected with Fresh blood is best bacteria packing a punch in the fight Thousands of bacteria-carrying against the deadly virus, which is ex- mosquitoes at Fiocruz institute are ploding across Brazil this year. the descendants of insects originalScientists are using Wolbachia, ly infected with Wolbachia at Ausa bacteria common among insects tralia's Monash University. except the dengue-transmitting Researchers there took the bacAedes aegypti mosquito, to dent teria from fruit flies and injected it the spread of the debilitating virus into mosquito eggs using a very fine and other illnesses including Zika needle. and chikungunya.

The Brazilian insects are kept in Since 2015, the Fiocruz institute small boxes in a temperature- and in Rio has been producing mosqui- humidity-controlled room. toes infected with Wolbachia and During their brief lives, which releasing their dengue-hardened can be as long as 100 days in the offspring into the densely populated lab, females have sex with their city and neighboring Niteroi. male counterparts multiple times.

The hope is they will spread the After mating, the females dine on bacteria by reproducing with wild human blood supplied by a blood mosquitoes. bank, and then deposit their eggs on Wolbachia works in two ways: It the surface of water held in plastic boosts a mosquito's immune sys- containers. tem, making it less likely to conThe eggs, which inherit Woltract dengue. bachia from the female, are harBut if the mosquito does get den- vested and transferred to large test gue, Wolbachia makes it harder for tubes. the virus to grow inside the insect Only female mosquitoes consume and be transmitted to humans. blood, which they need to produce So far, results are promising. eggs, Catia Cabral, supervisor of Scientists involved in the trial the insectary, tells AFP during a rereport a "significant reduction" in cent visit. cases of dengue and chikungunya Any blood type is ok, but fresh is in targeted neighborhoods. always best.

Tests show more than 90 percent "She is going to prefer 1,000 times of mosquitoes in areas where the more the blood from my arm, but first infected insects were released she can't choose here so she has to more than three years ago have the eat this blood," says Cabral, showbacteria. ing AFP a bag of blood from a bank.

But Wolbachia is not the silver Within two weeks, the infected bullet for eliminating dengue, Lu- offspring have grown into adults ciano Moreira, head of the project and are ready for release. in Brazil, tells AFP in a lab as workBrazil's health ministry plans to ers walk around waving electrified expand the program to municipalimosquito racquets to zap insects ties in other parts of the country that have escaped from test tubes. to see if similar results can be pro"Where there are people, there duced in different environments. are mosquitoes," Moreira explains, But state and federal government surrounded by hundreds of tubes budget cuts mean no more Wolholding thousands of Wolbachia- bachia-carrying mosquitoes will be infected mosquitoes. released in Rio or Niteroi after De"We always say we are not the cember, Moreira says. solution, it has to be an integrated He is lobbying authorities to keep process done together. the program going.

"People still have to destroy "Rio [state] has had quite large breeding sites at home. You want to financial problems in recent years have less mosquitos, but mosquitoes and for that reason cannot invest in with Wolbachia. this project," Moreira explains.

"If there is a vaccine you can use The decision comes as Brazil it in conjunction with that ... it has sees a spike in the number of casto be a combination." es of dengue, which causes fever, Brazil is one of several coun- rash, nausea and —in some castries holding trials of the so-called es—death.

Wolbachia method, which began in More than 1.4 million cases were Australia in 2011, to tackle the virus registered in the first eight months that infects tens of millions around of this year, health ministry figures the world every year. show, up 600 percent on the same The self-sustaining process does period in 2018. not involve genetic modification Nearly 600 people have died so far.

(GM), which has been tested in BraMoreira blames this year's surge zil and elsewhere. on the return of type two dengue, In one GM trial, thousands of which has not been seen in Brazil male mosquitoes carrying a "self- for years, meaning many people limiting gene" designed by British have no resistance. biotech company Oxitec were reUnseasonal rain and high temperleased in the eastern Brazilian state atures are also fueling the outbreak, of Bahia between 2013 and 2015. the health ministry says.

The number of viable offspring A vaccination for the four types fell dramatically, suppressing the of dengue was in the "final stage of wild mosquito population by an av- tests," Health Minister Luiz Henerage of 70 percent compared with rique Mandetta announced last before the release, Oxitec found. month.

But mosquito numbers rebounded Mandetta hopes it will be ready after the project ended. next year. In the meantime, he said, Moreira says previous attempts to Brazilians should brace for a very wipe out mosquito populations have tough summer. AFP

By Allison Jackson

Scrimping...

From A4

straighten things out at the Bureau of Correction.

Senator Richard Gordon, with his probing questions of Bucor officials, should be commended for his relentless pursuit of justice and for helping efforts to weed out the corrupt at the Bureau of Corrections. Is he grandstanding for his pursuit of the presidency in 2022? No matter what his end game is as long as he is performing his duties as senator, the people should be thankful. *** It will, however, be a crowded field

of presidential wannabes in 2022 with Senators Cynthis Villar, Manny Pacquiao et al. also as possible runners. What’s this we hear that Senator Christopher “Bong” Go is the preferred presidential candidate of China? Just asking. Sometimes a rumor can assume a life of its own.

Pacquiao? Don’t underestimate him. He’s smarter than you think and Filipinos elect candidates more for their popularity than anything else.

Hence we had presidents like Noynoy Aquino and Erap Estrada.

At least, Pacquiao is an honest man who made his fortune with his fists—by rearranging the face of his opponents.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

News

Standard

A6

TODAYOCTOBER 4, 2019 FRIDAY,

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SBMA padlocks cigarette firm for tax evasion THE Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority closed down a cigarette manufacturer in this Freeport for tax evasion amidst a crackdown on companies here that fail to pay appropriate taxes and follow government regulations.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma identified the company as Qiu Tobacco Industrial Co. Ltd. Corp., which is engaged in the transshipment, packaging and repacking of tobacco products.

Eisma and Bureau of Internal Revenue Region 3 Director Ed Tolentino led a joint SBMA-BIR team on Friday in inspecting the facilities of six cigarette manufacturers at the Gateway Park here to flush out those involved in the circulation of untaxed and fake cigarette products in the country.

During the inspection, it was found out that Qiu Tobacco, which produces cigarette brands like Belmont, Navy and D&B, did not have excise tax stamps on their soft packs.

A Chinese national who was a caretaker at the facility said the cigarette brands were sold outside the country. But the joint SBMA-BIR team noted that the cigarettes had markings indicating they were intended for Philippine market.

Tolentino said this was a violation of Sec. 263 of the National Internal Revenue Code, which prohibits the possession or removal of articles subject to excise tax without payment of tax.

Excise tax is a duty on manufactured goods which is levied at the moment of manufacture, rather than at sale.

The BIR official added that the lack of stamps meant the firm was not paying the proper tax for each pack that was manufactured and sold. Bucth Gunio At the same time, the Qiu representative at the facility was not able to present a copy of the firm’s Certificate of Registration and Tax Exemption. Eisma said this was a violation of an SBMA requirement to display the CRTE in company facilities.

A check with the SBMA Business and Investment Group showed that Qiu Tobacco was issued a CRTE on Dec. 5 last year. The permit was good until May 31, 2021.

Eisma said, however, that because of its failure to pay excise taxes, the company will be closed until further notice from the BIR. Butch Gunio

‘NCR needs eco-friendly, efficient sanitary landfill’ T

By Rio N. Araja

HE National Capital Region needs an “efficient and eco-friendly” engineered sanitary landfill outside it to be able to fix its garbage woes.

At a media briefing in Quezon City, Rufo Colayco, Metro Clark Waste Management Corp. president, said they have put up waste-to-energy waste to a “higher” level to accommodate the huge volume of solid wastes to be generated by Central Luzon and Northern Luzon. He said they have developed an advanced centralized recycling facility at their waste management center in Tarlac within the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone to segregate waste materials for recycling and processing into secondary fuel.

With such technology, Colayco told

reporters that the residual wastes to be disposed at the landfill could be reduced by 70 percent, extending the lifespan of the solid waste management for at least 50 years.

“Ten years is very short. The basic problem in the Philippines is the growing population, especially in Metro Manila,” MCWMC founder Holger Holst said.

Despite the increased effort to segregate wastes, he said, “what we need in the Philippines is a bullet-proof energy that is [already] tried and tested. You can sort out [garbage] manually but machines can do it better.”

“[Some] 100 metric tons of wastes would need [at least] 600 hectares of land for a facility. But we don’t have that. Besides, properties are expensive [here]in Metro Manila. The only solution to garbage is to burn it. But it does not sound so good in the first place,” he said.

“Metro Manila needs such solution because we do not have enough space,” he added.

He, however, said that MCWMC's technology to transform waste to usable energy “for generations to come” could guarantee “secured and sustainable” waste management solution for Luzon, including the “highly urbanized” metro.

According to Colayco, MCWMC is still waiting for a green light from the Bases Conversion and Development Corp. so that they could be able to proceed with the implementation of their $210-million waste-to-energy project.

BOMB SCARE. Members of the Manila Police District Special Weapons and Tactics team enter the Mapua University in Intramuros, Manila after receiving a bomb threat on Wednesday. Police later declared that the campus is safe and negative from a bomb. Norman Cruz

By Macon Ramos-Araneta Chairman Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner

RESOLUTION NO.________ WHEREAS, in Resolution No. 10600 dated September 6, 2019, the Commission on Elections (Commission) scheduled the posting of the Computerized Voters List (PCVL) on October 8,2019 (Tuesday) in Resolution No. 10600 promulgated on September 11, 20191. The Commission set the date of posting of the PCVL.

CITING the P47.9 billion in incremental revenue projection of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominquez, Senator Pia Cayetano is pushing for the passage of Senate Bill 1074, which seeks to increase the excise tax on alcoholic beverages, heated tobacco products, and vapor products.

Cayetano said Senate Bill 1074 would bridge the funding gap for the first year of Universal Health Care implementation. She said the sin tax is both a health measure and a revenue measure.

In terms of health, Cayetano said the bill seeks to reduce consumption of these products, and in terms of revenue, it wants to generate revenues for UHC. “As a health advocate, I will push for other regulatory measures to support the tax. Taxation is a tool. It’s not the end-all be-all so we must help the DOH to come up with measures to provide a health approach to the problem of smoking and drinking,” Cayetano said.

Under Cayetano’s proposal, HTPs and vapor products would be taxed equivalently with traditional cigarettes at P45 beginning next year, P50 in 2021, P55 in 2022, and P60 in 2023, with 5 percent annual increases from 2024 onwards.

Sin Tax Coalition co-convenor Anthony Leachon said that taxing these products at parity with regular cigarettes will be effective in regulating the use of these products, particularly among the younger population.

He said that date from the 2018 National Nutrition Survey showed that one out of every five vape users in the country is aged 10 to 19 years old.

“This is especially alarming, as the serious health risks associated with vaping are now beginning to surface in the United States,” said Leachon.

He said that raising the taxes on HTPs and vape is a necessary measure in order to protect Filipino youth from these health risks, and prevent a similar epidemic from happening in the country.

WHEREAS, to afford more time for the verification of the original PCVL before its actual posting. There is need to reset the schedule of posting.

Let this Resolution be published in two (2) daily newspapers of general circulation in the PhiIippines.

The Regional Election Director of Region Xl, the Provincial Election Supervisor of the Province of Compostela Valley and the Election Officers of the municipalities composing the Province of Compostela Valley shall give this Resolution the widest dissemination.

This Resolution shall take effect on the seventh (7th) day after its publication in two (2) daily newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

SO ORDERED.

SHERIFF M. ABAS Chairman

PNP to hold summit on debt-linked KFRs NOTICE OF ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING Notice is hereby given that the ANNUAL STOCKHOLDERS’ MEETING OF FONTANA RESORT & COUNTRY CLUB, INC., will be held on the 28th day of October 2019, 10:30 am, at the Lily Function Room of the Fontana Convention Center, C.M. Recto Highway, Clark Freeport Zone, Clark Field, Pampanga, with the following agenda: 1.

2.

3.

Call to order.

Certification of service of notice and existence of quorum.

Approval of the Minutes of the Last Stockholders Meeting dated September 26, 2016.

4. Annual Report of the General Manager including presentation of the Highlights of the Club’s Financial Condition for Fiscal Year 2017 & 2018.

5. Approval of Chairman’s Annual Report and ratification of all other acts and resolutions of the Board of Directors and Management from the previous Stockholders’ Meeting on September 26, 2016.

6. Election of Five (5) directors, inclusive of two (2) independent directors.

7. Appointment of External Auditor.

8. New Business.

9. Other Matters.

10. Adjournment.

Stockholders of record as of the close of business on 15 October 2019 are entitled to notice of and to vote at such meeting. The stock and transfer book of the Company will be closed from 15 to 27 October 2019.

LUIE TITO F. GUIA Commissioner

SOCORRO B. INTING Commissioner

ANTONIO T. KHO, JR. Commissioner

IF YOU DO NOT EXPECT TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING, YOU MAY EXECUTE AND RETURN THE SAMPLE PROXY FORM WHICH CAN BE VIEWED AND DOWNLOADED FROM THE Company’s WEBSITE at http://www.fontana.com. ph TO THE OFFICE OF CORPORATE SECRETARY AND GENERAL COUNSEL AT: THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, FONTANA CLUBHOUSE, FONTANA LEISURE PARKS, C.M. RECTO HIGHWAY, CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, PHILIPPINES, 2009.

THE DEADLINE FOR THE SUBMISSION OF PROXIES IS ON 14 October 2019 because Proxies shall be validated on or before 21 October 2019 at the office of the undersigned at Fontana.

On the day of the meeting you, or your duly designated proxy, are hereby required to bring this Notice and any form of identification such as driver’s license, passport, company I.D., voter’s I.D., TIN Card or any other government issued I.D., to facilitate registration. Registration shall start exactly at 9:00 a.m. and will close at 10:25 a.m. Once registration is closed and the meeting has started, no stockholder shall be allowed to enter the meeting hall.

Manila, Philippines.

1

Setting the Date of the Plebiscite to Ratify the Renaming of the Province of Compostela Valley as the Province of Davao de Oro pursuant to Republic Act No. 11297, dated April 17, 2019, and Prescribing the Calendar of Activities and Periods of Certain Prohibited Acts in Connection with the Plebiscite.

(MS-OCT. 4, 2019)

THE Manila International Airport Authority, in partnership with the private sector, is fielding Point-to-Point (P2P) premium service buses to two new routes going to and from Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange and Lawton in Manila.

The new UBE Express Premium P2P route now include transfers to Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 4 Loop Service and PITX to Lawton via Roxas Boulevard for P30.

“We are happy to open two more. It is really our objective to provide an alternative to getting to the airports, and lessen the traffic congestion,” said Garrie David, president of the UBE Express.

“We believe that this loop service in general can help alleviate the traffic problem, and we hope that it can become not just an alternative, but as a major mode of transportation,” he added.

In November last year, P2P bus routes going to Sta. Rosa City in the Province of Laguna and Alabang in Muntinlupa City were launched while in February 2016, MIAA fielded 42 premium bus units to carry passengers going to and from Roxas Boulevard and the Makati Central Business District.

All P2P buses are Euro-5 compliant, fully air-conditioned and equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) technology, Wi-Fi connection, Closed-Circuit Television cameras, and with adequate luggage racks and compartments.

IN BRIEF

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the powers vested in it by the Constitution or the Republic of the Philippines, the Omnibus Election Code (BP Blg. 881), Republic Act No. 11297 and other election laws, the Commission has RESOLVED, as it hereby RESOLVES to reset the scheduled posting of the Computerized Voters List from October 8, 2019 to October 18, 2019.

MARLON S. CASQUEJO Commissioner

FILIPINO workers aspiring to work in Israel or Canada are warned not to fall prey against illegal recruiters as aspiring overseas Filipino workers can only be hired through government accredited recruitment agencies and no direct hiring will be allowed to avoid being victimized by illegal recruiters, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration.

POEA Administrator Bernard Olalia said that prospective OFWs should avoid offers of employment from illegal recruiters who may take advantage of the reported 1,000 hotel housekeeping jobs for Filipino workers in Israel and another 2,000 skilled workers in Yukon, Canada.

He said applicants who meet the following qualifications and other preconditions set by the Israeli government can only register online through services provided by the POEA. Applicants to Israel must passed TESDA assessment and certification and has acquired National Certificate Level 2 (NCII) on housekeeping and should be at least 25 years of age.

The POEA said applicants must be a first time worker to Israel, or does not have parents, a spouse or children currently working or residing in Israel.

Meanwhile, Olalia said that a memorandum of agreement was signed in August this year between DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Deputy Minister Rani Pillai of Yukon’s Department of Economic Development for the hiring of Filipino workers.

By Joel E. Zurbano

Republic of the Philippines COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS Manila IN THE MATTER OF ABAS, Sheriff M. PARREÑO, AL A., RESETTING OF THE POSTED GUIA, Luie Tito F., COMPUTERIZED VOTERS GUANZON, Ma. Rowena Amelia V., (PCVL) LIST IN CONNECTION INTING, Socorro B., Marlon S., WITH THE DECEMBER 7, CASQUEJO, KHO, Antonio, Jr. T., 2019 PLEBISCITE TO RATIFY THE RENAMING OF THE PROVINCE OF COMPOSTELA VALLEY AS THE PROVINCE OF DAVAO DE ORO PURSUANT TO REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11297 DATED APRIL 17,2019. x---------------------------------------x

MA. ROWENA AMELIA V. GUANZON Commissioner

By Vito Barcelo

MIAA fields two more P2P units

Increase taxes on vape, alcohol—Cayetano

AL A. PARRENO Commissioner

OFWs aspiring for Canadian jobs warned vs. illegal recruiters

(MS-OCT. 4, 2019)

(SGD) JUAN MIGUEL VICTOR C. DE LA FUENTE Corporate Secretary

TO ADDRESS the spike of gambling-related kidnapping cases in the countr y, the Philippine National Police-Anti-Kidnapping Group is set to conduct a summit on casino-related kidnapping incidents in Quezon City on Friday.

In a statement Thursday, AKG director Col. Jonnel Estomo said the summit, themed “Strategic Partnership and Collaboration Towards a Kidnap-Free Philippines,” will gather officials of various government agencies such as the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Bureau of Immigration, Airport Police, Department of Justice, Department of Labor and Employment, Anti-Money Laundering Council, local government units, Philippine National Police and the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Also participating in the summit are private sector groups including the Federation of Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., security heads of casino establishments and foreign embassies and consulates and their police attachés.

PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde will serve as guest of honor and speaker of the event to be held at the Novotel Hotel and Resorts in Cubao from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The summit proper will be focusing on workshops and discussions on the issues and concerns on the rise of casino and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators-related kidnapping incidents. PNA

BI deploys 67 new immigration officers THE Bureau of Immigration deployed 67 newly-hired immigration officers to the country's international airports as part of the agency's continuous efforts to improve its services to the traveling public.

“The newly hired officers is timed prior to the projected influx of passenger in the airport in the next few months for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games, and at the same time as the holiday rush begins,” Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said.

Morente said that the new recruits underwent the Border Control Officers Module, a six-month long training designed to teach immigration laws, rules, and procedures.

“The 67 graduates, which consist of 38 females and 29 males, were divided into two classes. They began training at the Philippine Immigration Academy in Clark, Pampanga last April. After three months, they were assigned at the airports and the BI's main office for another three months as on-the-job trainees,” Morente said. Vito Barcelo

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports Uy fights back with 70, but still trails by 9 MIAOLI County, Taiwan—Daniella Uy stumbled at the finish and settled for a two-under 70, moving five rungs to joint 15th but falling nine strokes behind local ace Hsieh Yu Ling in the second round of the Party Ladies Golfers Open at the National Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

The former Junior World champion fought back from an Daniella Uy opening 74 with birdies in the first three holes but just couldn’t keep her momentum, losing her rhythm a bit and dropping strokes on tough Nos. 6 and 9.

But she recovered her touch and gunned down back-to-back birdies from No. 11 but missed completing a three-under card with another bogey on the 16th for that pair of 35s that gave her a 36-hole total of 144.

Though she lay too far behind new leader Hsieh, who fired a bogey-free 66 to wrest a huge five-stroke lead over compatriot Ching Ling Chang at 135, Uy vowed to put up a stronger finish for at least a crack in the top 10 in this $100,000 event co-sanctioned

by Ladies Philippine Golf Tour and sponsored by ICTSI. Hsieh, who hit four birdies against a bogey in the first round, strung up a pair of 33s at the rolling layout and stormed past a slew of others with Chang moving to solo second at 140 after a 71 and Lee Tai Ling matching par 72 for a 141 in a tie with Chiu Ling Ti and Thai Aripchaya Yubol, winner of the Manila Ladies Masters at Manila Golf last April, who both shot 70s.

Amateur Chia Ju Yeh made the biggest jump from joint 35th to a share of third as she sizzled with a 67.

Pauline del Rosario, who gunned down two late birdies to save a 72 and emerge the best Filipina placer after 18 holes of the three-day event, limped with four bogeys against two birdies for a 74 as she slipped from joint 15th to a share of 33rd and dropped out of the title race at 146, 11 shots off the pace.

Chanelle Avaricio bounced back from a 76 with a 72 for a 148 and made the 50-plus ties cut at 150 while while Cyna Rodriguez bowed out with a 79 for a 155 and Marvi Monsalve made a 78 for a 158.

A7

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

PH receives SEA Games’ flame K

UALA LUMPUR—After the acclaimed success of the 2017 South East Asian Games, Malaysia formally handed over the SEAG flame to the Philippines on Wednesday in a ceremony held at the Bukit Jalil Stadium, the same venue where the 29th edition’s cauldron was also lighted.

Olympic Council of Malaysia President Norza Zakaria presented the flame in a ceremonial lighting of the lantern to the Philippine Olympic Committee, which was represented by one of its board members, Cynthia Carrion, the chairman of the POC women in sports committee.

There to witness the important ceremony were Nikko Huelgas, Presi-

dent of the Philippine Athletes Commission, Philippine South East Asian Games Organizing Committee Chief Operating Officer Ramon Suzara, Philippine Sports Commission’s Commissioner Dr. Celia Kiram and Malaysian Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

“As we receive the flame from Malaysia, we also receive the responsibilities

that comes with hosting the flame in our country,” said Kiram.

From Kuala Lumpur, the lantern carrying the flame will be brought to the Philippines, kicking off the torch run activities to be held in various parts of the country, namely in Davao City, Cebu City and Clark.

It will also be presented to the House of Representatives, the Senate and Malacanan Palace.

“Malaysia hosted one of the best SEAG editions, and we will do our best and try to be at par with them in hosting these Games,” said Kiram.

“This flame symbolizes the spirit of the SEA Games and this handover signifies an exchange of ideas, goodwill and genuine friendship,” said Suzara.

Malaysian hosting mascot Rimau will likewise meet Pami, the official mascot of the 30th South East Asian Games, during the ceremony.

Filipino boxer Ian Clark Bautista and taekwondo jin Pauline Lopez also joined the Philippine delegation which arrived from Manila, including Capas, Tarlac Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan. New Clark City, the hub of the Games, is located in Capas, Tarlac.

Eleven nations namely: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam, will see action on Nov. 30-Dec. 11 in the Games’ 56 sports spread out over four main venue clusters in Clark, Subic, Manila and Tagaytay.

Triathletes seek 3-peat in SEA Games

SPORTS EDUCATION PACT. Philippines Sports Commission continues its efforts to improve sports education in the country

by deepening its partnership with the United States Sports Academy. USSA President Dr. Thomas Rosendich discussed with PSC Chairman William Ramirez last Friday, a future collaboration on what would be a “catalyst” for the development of sports in the country. Known as “America’s Sports Academy,” the USSA seeks to aid in uplifting sports excellence in the Philippines. USSA is the only accredited sports educational institution offering bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees in sports science in the United States.

The optimization of the Philippine Sports Library became the highlight of the meeting. USSA gave their support in the sourcing of instructional materials and other learning resources to the Philippines, and also donating several reading materials. Shown here are (from left) PSI Grassroots Program Head Abby Rivera, PSC Legal Researcher II Diomarie Pedrozo, PSI National Director Marc Velasco, PSI Consultant and Adviser Dr. Sergio Opeña, USSA President Dr.Thomas Rosendich, PSC Chairman William Ramirez, PSC DED-BCSSS Atty.

Guillermo Iroy Jr., and PSC Executive Director Merlita Ibay during the meeting held at the RMSC building in Manila.

Gotuaco bags US archery bronze medal MAX Gotuaco assembled a four-round total of 1271 points to bag the bronze in the US National Target Championships at the WRAL Center in Raleigh, North Carolina recently.

The 14-year-old Gotuaco shot 317 and 320 in the first two rounds then fired

another pair of 317s to finish behind gold medalist Jacob Kim (1320) and silver medal winner Jarrett Pilgram (1310) in 50m Recurve Club men’s division.

Gotuaco, younger brother of former Palaro and Batang Pinoy champion champion and Youth Olympics vet-

eran Bianca, who also won the gold in the 2017 US National Indoor Collegiate Archery Championship, also nailed the bronze in Bowman (10-12 years-old) division of the US National Target Championship in Indiana two years ago.

THE Philippine Triathlon Team is confident to retain the Southeast Asian Games crown for the third straight edition.

The SEA Games-bound Philippine National Triathletes is on track in their SEAG preparations with their impressive results at the 2019 ASTC Acaba Triathlon Asian Cup in Acaba, Jordan last Friday.

2017 SEA Games gold medalist Kim Mangrobang finished 5th with a record of of 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 25 seconds, Filipino-American Kim Kilgroe placed 7th with 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 20 seconds while 2015 SEA Games champion Ma. Clare Adorna ranked 10th, clocking 2 hours, 24 minutes, and 48 seconds, all in the elite women’s category.

John Chicano and Edward Macalala finished in 27th and 29th positions in the men’s category.

Mark Hosana and Andrew Kim Remolino got eliminated failing to finish the race.

Coach Melvin Fausto believes that the Philippines will dominate all six events in the upcoming 30th SEA Games as they did in the 2015 and 2017 SEA Games courtesy of Nikko Huelgas.

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez is also confident that the Filipino triathletes will provide stiff competition to the other participating countries.

“Our athletes, through the proper management of their coaches and the national sports associations, have remained deep in focus as they aim for medal victories in the Sea Games, They are also aware that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are just around. The SEA Games will be a takeoff point for some of them. Let us support their bids and pray for their victory,” Ramirez said.

Siargao hosts International Fil-Chinese Veterans seek to regain 65-above cage dominance Surfing Cup ONE of Conde Nast Traveler’s world’s best islands, Siargao, will host starting on Friday the 25th Siargao International Surfing Cup. The tournament is sanctioned QS1,500 by the World Surf League (WSL) Asia, which has been championing the world’s most competitive surfing events since 1976.

The Siargao surfing competition is the first and longest running international tournament in the Philippines.

It placed Siargao in the map as one of the top ten best surf sites in the world and the surfing capital of the country.

Siargao Congressman Bingo Matugas, the lead organizer for this year’s event, said the 25th edition of the surfing tournament is being held to pay tribute to the former mayor of General Luna, Surigao del Norte, Atty. Jaime Rusillon.

Rusillon, with the support of Surigao Del Norte Gov. Francisco “Lalo” Matugas, started the decades-long series of surfing tournaments in 1993 with the Siargao Surfing Classics.

Rusillon passed away earlier this year.

Biggest annual tournament “This is a milestone for Siargao and the entire surfing industry since we are commemorating our 25th year. But most importantly, we are staging this event to honor the father of surfing in Siargao, Mayor Jaime Rusillon,” said Congressman Matugas.

“He had the vision of putting Cloud 9 in the global tourism map and, with the support of his good friend, Gov. Francisco ‘Lalo’ Matugas, made possible the staging of the event year after year, without let-up, despite the challenges they faced,” said the congressman.

THE FILIPINO-CHINESE Veterans Basketball Association hopes to regain its dominance in the 65-yearsand-above division when the ASEAN Veterans Basketball Tournament stages its 28th edition from Oct. 28 to Nov. 2 in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

FCVBA’s reign in the annual event came to an ugly end last year when it lost its 60-andabove and 65-and-above titles, prompting the association’s “godfathers” Terry Que of Rain or Shine and Jimi Lim of Ironcon Builders to beef up their ros-

ter with PBA veterans this time.

Last year’s edition marked the first time that FCVBA failed to win a title in any of the three age categories.

Aside from Lim and Que, other members of the team are former Crispa enforcer Bong dela Cruz, Ching Ka Lee, Antonio Go, Zotico Tan, William Lao, Alfonso Kaw, Andrew Ongteco, Joel Gomez and Roberto Poblete.

Lee skippered the Adamson Falcons during 1970 UAAP, Gomez saw action for Crispa while Poblete played for ITM

Tony Lascuña tips his cap after holing out with a birdie and stretching his lead to seven.

in the MICAA days.

The association, however, will not field in the 60s.

FCVBA has a rich winning tradition in the league, stamping its class not only in the 65 and 60 but also in the 50-and-above.

When it hosted the event three years ago, it won all four age categories as Kenneth Duremdes led the 40-and-above squad to the championship.

PBA four-time MVP Alvin Patrimonio, Allan Caidic and Jerry Codinera suited up for the 50s that easily topped their division.

Terry Que

Jimi Lim

Hot finish puts Lascuña comfortably ahead DAVAO—Tony Lascuña slowed down with a 68 but hiked his lead to seven over fellow homegrown talent Ferdie Aunzo, threatening to turn the P3 million ICTSI Apo Golf Invitational into a one-man show at the Apo Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Lascuña practically pulled away in the last six holes after failing to duplicate his hot backside start Wednesday and settled for a two-birdie, two-bogey game at the front. But just when the rest poised themselves to pounce on his mediocre start, the veteran shotmaker birdied No. 13 for the second straight day then racked up three more in the last four holes, the last from three feet, for a closing 32.

With an 11-under 133 aggregate and with no one able to match his blistering windup, Lascuña posted one of the biggest leads after 36 holes in any PGT or PGT Asia championship and threatened to better Juvic Pagunsan’s eight-shot romp over him in the ICTSI Riviera Classic last August.

“I just played my usual game and didn’t mind if there’s somebody making a charge. But my putting has been clicking the past two weeks,” said Lascuña, his confidence boosted by a triumphant campaign in the Philippine Golf Tour Asia leg in Taiwan last week that snapped a two-year slump.

“Actually, I’m a bit tired playing seven straight

tournaments. I need to rest and re-charge,” added the 48-year-old veteran shotmaker, who nevertheless opted to downplay his chances for another victory.

“There are still two rounds left and so many players are capable of shooting low rounds here,” said Lascuña, who birdied Nos. 1 and 8 but failed to go up-and-down on Nos. 4 and 6 to make the turn at 36.

Aunzo birdied two of the last four for a 69 as he took the challenger’s role at 140 while Ira Alido rebounded from a wobbly 74 Wednesday with the day’s best five-under 67, spiked by an eagle on the par-5 18th and capped by three birdies in his closing frontside stint.

The young shotmaker, a consistent Top 5 finisher in the PGT and PGTA this year, pooled a 141 for joint third at 141 with Davaoeño Ramil Bisera and Dutch Guido Van der Valk, winner of the kickoff leg of the 10th season of PGT in Cebu last June, who shot identical 70s and Albin Engino, who fumbled with a 73.

Gerald Rosales, who turned in impressive 68 in the first round, failed to recover from a frontside 39, hitting just one birdie at the back for a 74 to drop to a share of seventh at 142 with Rufino Bayron, another local top gun who turned in a second 71.

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

A8

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019

Sports Hidilyn Diaz

San Miguel Beer center June Mar Fajardo (left) tries to dribble past NLEX Road Warriors counterpart Poy Erram. The two will reprise their hardcourt duel when their teams clash in Dubai today.

Road Warriors face SMB in Dubai

By Jeric Lopez

S

IX teams plunge into action as the league holds three games locally and internationally at the resumption of the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup.

The PBA takes its act overseas in Dubai as co-league-leader NLEX Road Warriors (3-0) and Grand Slam-seeking San Miguel Beer (2-0) figure in an anticipated clash of unbeaten teams at 8 p.m., local time, at the Coca-Cola Arena.

In Manila, a double-header is also set to take place as Meralco (1-1) and Alaska (0-3) go at it at 4:30 p.m. while Magnolia (1-1) and Rain or Shine (1-2) collide at 7:30 p.m., both at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The Road Warriors look to regain solo

leadership while the Beermen likewise aim for a piece of the top spot.

Despite his team’s sizzling start, NLEX coach Yeng Guiao knows that the Road Warriors’ biggest test will no doubt come tonight against San Miguel.

“We’re shooting the ball really well so

far this conference but it will take more than that to have a chance against San Miguel,” said Guiao. “We need to be at our very best on both ends to have a good shot.”

Behind prolific import Dez Wells’ complete game, the Beermen are starting their Grand Slam bid on fire and coach Leo Austria wants to see nothing less than their best effort against NLEX. “NLEX is unbeaten and with the return of Kiefer (Ravena), it is playing really well. We have to be prepared,” said Austria.

Ravena has been spectacular and showing that he did not miss a beat

during his suspension, clearly being NLEX’s best local thus far.

Locally, the four teams playing in Pasay are teams in the middle of the pack who are in dire need of wins to improve their current standing.

Tomorrow, the second of two Dubai games take place as the Road Warriors play the back-end of a back-to-back schedule against Barangay Ginebra (1-1) at 6 p.m., also at the Coca-Cola Arena.

There will also be a local game as NorthPort Batang Pier (1-2) dukes it out with the Blackwater Elite (0-2) at 4:30 p.m. at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Red Lions eye Adamson shocks defending champion NU NCAA hoop records in next three games THE San Beda Red Lions could break league records in their next three games in the 95th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.

But, coach Boyet Fernandez is not thinking about it when the Red Lions face the Mapua University Cardinals at 2 p.m. today at the FilOil-Flying V Sports Center in San Juan. the Red Lions will claim their best showing three season if they post their 16th straight win with a victory over the Cardinals.

“We’re just thinking of getting one more win out of their last three games,” said Fernandez, after the Red Lion demolished the Letran Knights, 75-63, last Tuesday for their 15th consecutive victory, and three games nearer a sweep and an automatic finals berth.

Last season, the Red Lions won 14 straight matches before taking their 22nd cage crown after besting the Lyceum Pirates, via a two-game sweep of the best-of-three finals last season.

In season 93, the Red Lions came up with a 15-game winning streak during the elimination round.

After the Cardinals, the Red Lions will have the Lyceum Pirates and the College of St. Benilde Blazers as their remaining rivals.

The Cardinals are smarting from a 94-99 loss to the Lyceum Pirates, who will clash with the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals at 4 p.m.

The Blazers, who are in sixth at 6-7, meet the University of Perpetual Help Altas at 12 noon.

In yesterday’s action, the Letran Knights drew 18 points from Bonbon Batiller in stopping the Arellano Chiefs, 97-84, for their 10th win in 16 matches, and this kept them in contention for the no. 3 seed in the Final Four.

The San Sebastian Stags, led by Alvin Capobres with 21 points, won over the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers, 62-59, to improve at fourth with their 8-6 slate. Peter Atencio

ADAMSON UNIVERSITY played like a well-oiled machine and beat defending champion National UniversityNazareth School, 25-19, 21-25, 25-22, 31-29, in an early second round reversal of the UAAP Season 82 boys’ volleyball tournament at Paco Arena.

With the match tied at 29 in the fourth set, Evander Novillo made a drop shot and the Bullpups committed a net touch violation to give the Baby Falcons third win in seven matches to boost their Final Four bid.

“Masaya ako na sumunod sila sa instructions na gusto kong mangyari sa loob ng court, basta sumunod sila, mananalo talaga kami,” Adamson coach Marvin Ramoso said.

In the other matches, University of the East and University of Santo Tomas posted easy wins against separate opponents to stay in second and third place, respectively.

The Junior Warriors pounded De La Salle-Zobel, 25-15, 25-12, 26-24, for their sixth win in seven matches, while the Tiger Cubs dominated Ateneo, 2514, 25-13, 25-19, for a 5-2 card.

Jefferson Marapoc, John Gay and Novillo each had 17 points while Na-

Adamson University’s Hanz Fragata makes a dig pass against NU. Adamson shocked the defending champions with a hardearned four-set victory.

thaniel Del Pilar added 12 points for the Baby Falcons.

Josh Cruz had 14 points for NU, which fell into a tie with Adamson for fourth place with a 3-4 slate.

Team captain Francis Babon led UE anew with 11 points, Angelo Reyes punched in seven, while Reyden Balean had six markers.

“Binigyan ko ng exposure yung second six ko, sabi ko sa kanila kahit anong mangyari di ko kayo papalitan (sa third set), gusto kong magkabreak kayo,” said Junior Warriors coach Raffy Mosuela.

The victory also kept UE within distance of Far Eastern UniversityDiliman, which went undefeated in the first round.

Diaz may lead five PH flag bearers during SEA Games

By Peter Atencio OLYMPIAN weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz may not be alone in carrying the flag for the host Philippines during the opening ceremonies of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

There may be a total of five flagbearers when the Games are formally opened during festivities which will be held at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan on Nov. 30.

Philippine Olympic Committee chairman Steve Hontiveros formally received a proposal on this from Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez during a chef de mission meeting yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

“This will be the first time that we will have five flag bearers. And this is because it’s not only one venue that we will have the Games,” said Hontiveros.

Ramirez, as the chef de mission of the national delegation, also named skateboarder Margielyn Didal, boxer Eumir Marcial, gymnast Carlos and pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena as the flagbearers of the country.

Hontiveros said a meeting to discuss will be held and they will most likely approve having all five as flag bearers.

The 28-year-old Diaz distinguished herself for having won a silver medal in the women’s 53kg weight division in the 2016 Rio Olympics, ending the Philippines’ 20-year Olympic medal drought.

The Cebu-based Didal is a gold medalist in the 2018 Asian Games in street skateboarding.

The 19-year-old Yulo is a Filipino artistic gymnast who participated and won a bronze medal in the 2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

Marcial won gold medals for the Philippines at the 2015 Southeast Asian Games, 2017 Southeast Asian Games and 2011 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Obiena broke the pole vault record during the Asian Athletics Championships record with 5.71 meters last April 21, in Doha, Qatar which earned him the coveted gold medal finish, and an Olympic qualifying slot.

Choco Mucho Flying Titans foil Motolite CHOCO MUCHO lost control late in the fourth frame it dominated but saved two set points and pulled through with a tough 19-25, 25-21, 2515, 28-26 victory over Motolite to keep its hot charge going in the Premier Volleyball League Open Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.

Kat Tolentino scored back-to-back hits that made it 22-21 for Choco Mucho in the fourth then after scrambling and surviving two set points, she soared from the side for a power hit that the Motolite defenders had failed to keep in play, securing the victory for the Flying Titans.

Though the league’s newcomers hardly improved to sixth place at 6-6, they moved just within striking distance of joint third running Motolite, which dropped to 7-5 with BanKo-Perlas, with Pacific Town Army at fifth with a 6-5 and Air Force just right behind Choco Mucho at 5-6 heading to what looms to be wild, wooly chase for the last three semifinal berths in the season-ending conference of the league organized by Sports Vision.

In the second game PetroGazz picked up its seventh straight win with a 25-21, 25-14, 25-12 romp over winless Chef’s Classics, firming up its

hold of second spot and its semifinal bid at 8-2.

Cherry Nunag fired away 10 hits, including four kill blocks and two aces, to power the soaring Angels to a fourth straight shutout victory.

The luckless Red Spikers fell to 0-14.

Defending champion Creamline is a cinch to clinch the first Final Four berth with an 11-0 slate.

After fighting back from an opening set setback and wresting control with an imposing performance in the fourth, the Flying Titans seized the initiative early in the fourth, 9-4. But Motolite refused to give up and fought back behind Isa Molde and Tots Carlos, grabbing the upperhand at 23-22 on a Jessma Ramos’ off speed hit that slipped through the arms of a Choco Mucho defender.

The jump-serving Carlos, however, slammed her shot into the net and Choco Mucho lived through a couple of set points on a kill block off Molde and the latter’s attack error before regaining the lead on a Carlos’ long serve and the victory on that Tolentino hit.

While Choco Mucho kept its surge from a 2-6 card, Motolite suffered its third straight setback since nipping the Flying Titans in a thriller of a five-setter last Sept. 15.

Choco Mucho’s Maddie Madayag (7) and Motolite’s Jessma Ramos (9) joust at the net during their PVL clash won by Choco Mucho.

IN BRIEF

3.9m Filipinos use cashless transactions

FILIPINOS utilizing cashless transactions reached 9.3 million out of 49 million who do money transfers, according to a 2019 study by The Nielsen Company.

The Nielsen report also said GCash was the top mobile wallet used by Filipinos for cashless transactions, comprising 4.9 million out of the overall 6.4 million mobile wallet remitters in the country.

Cashless transfers are defined as the use of any device or tool to send and receive money online, including bank transfers “There are 39.7 million who are still into exclusive cash-to-cash transfer and who have not tried a cashless solution.

There are 2.9 million non-mobile wallet cashless remitters as well,” Mynt president and chief executive Anthony Thomas said.

“These present a lot of potential for mobile wallets to expand and capture large, untapped segments,” he said.

Sending allowance for children and family members is the top reason for money transfers, and e-wallets are seen to become increasingly relevant and attractive as it provides more functions and benefits. Darwin G. Amojelar

Business

GBPC preparing for peak demand

POWER producer Global Business Power Corp. is gearing up to support the anticipated increase in energy demand in the Visayas as the busy holiday season rolls in.

GBPC president Jaime Azurin said the company recently completed the preventive maintenance of its Panay and Cebu plants in anticipation of increased economic activity leading to the Christmas holiday.

“We strive to keep our plants in optimum efficiency to help meet Visayas’ demand for reliable, adequate, and costefficient power supply,” he said.

Visayas has a system capacity of 2,235 megawatts versus a system peak demand of 2,092 MW, according to data from grid operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

Azurin said that since January, GBPC was routinely conducting preventive maintenance on all of its circulating fluidized bed plants, with the last plant completing the procedure in August.

According to GBPC’s energy economics and planning, power demand in the Visayas for the fourth quarter is expected to grow 5.7 percent amid the increased economic activity around the holiday season. Alena Mae S. Flores

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019

B1

By Darwin G. Amojelar

METROBANK SERIES. Metrobank holds another successful edition of the Leadership Series in Cebu City to make banking meaningful for the next generation. Leading the series are (from left) Metrobank commercial banking group-countryside head Leopoldo Ubaldo; speaker Dr. Jacinto Gavino Jr., Metrobank institutional banking sector head Mary Mylene Caparas, Metrobank commercial banking center -Visayas head Jay Ajos and Metrobank commercial banking division-Makati III officer-in-charge head Ruigi Dumlao.

CA upholds indictment of 8 Calata shareholders T

By Jenniffer B. Austria

HE Court of Appeals upheld the indictment of eight shareholders of delisted agribusiness firm Calata Corp. for allegedly engaging in stock price manipulation in 2012.

The Special Sixth Division of the appellate court, in a decision promulgated on Sept. 10, granted the petition for certiorari by the Securities and Exchange Commission to nullify the resolutions of the Justice Department that dismissed the complaint and directed the withdrawal of the criminal case filed against the shareholders.

The SEC, in November 2012, filed the complaint against Michael Ilustre Angeles, Carmelo Dela Cruz Bunag, Arnold Ryan Daquis Dellosa, Richie Ramille Isip, Arnold Daquiz Martin, Dennis Philippe Valencia Vistan, Zandro Jose Sigfrido Laki Zulueta and

Gary Lincoln Calixtro Taboso with the DOJ-Task Force on Securities and Business Scam on Nov. 26, 2012.

Based on the investigation, the SEC said it found Angeles, Bunag, Dellosa, Isip, Martin, Vistan, Zulueta, Taboso and their representatives to have engaged in high-frequency, high-volume buying and selling transactions and several EQ trades, or the transfer of shares from one broker to another, to artificially raise the price of Calata’s shares and make profits in the process.

This is a violation of Section 24 of the Securities Regulation Code, accord-

ing to the corporate regulator It said the eight errant shareholders employed manipulative devices such as “painting the tape” and “hype and dump” immediately after Calata went public on May 23, 2012.

Calata’s share price surged by almost 226 percent from P7.35 to P23.95 on June 4, 2012. Then Calata shares would begin their downtrend to P12.40 on June 8, 2012.

Angeles, Bunag, Dellosa, Isip, Martin, Vistan, Zulueta and Taboso accounted for 32.95 percent of the shares bought and 38.47 percent of the shares sold during the trading period in question, according to the SEC. It said the errant shareholders traded their respective shares by opening accounts with several brokers.

Investigations conducted by the SEC further revealed that Isip, Taboso, Vistan and Zulueta had already been shareholders of Calata prior to the initial public offering.

BIR shuts down POGO restaurants for evading taxes THE Bureau of Internal Revenue said Tuesday it padlocked seven establishments including restaurants that were reportedly catering mainly to Chinese employees of Philippine offshore gaming operators.

BIR South NCR director Glen Geraldino and Las Piñas revenue district officer Rebe Detablan closed down “POGO restaurants” operated by Frame Rose Ranes Salisi (under tradename Young Restaurant) and Shinedeligo Corp. for their alleged failure to pay the correct value-added tax pursuant to Revenue Memorandum Order No. 3-2009.

The five other establishments whose business operations were temporarily suspended were not registered at all, it said.

The seven closed establishments stemmed from the tax compliance verification drive implemented by BIR Las Piñas under BIR South NCR through the issuance of Mission Order No. MSO2001 0‎ 0101198 dated Aug. 14, 2019 targeting the nighttime business establishments on Aug. 22 to 23, 2019.

"The required 48-hour notice and five-day VAT compliance notice were duly served but remained unheeded.

As such, closure orders were recommended for the approval of the deputy commissioner for operations," the BIR said in a statement.

Aside from Regional Director Geraldino and RDO Detablan, the closure operations were also witnessed

by Atty. Wilmer Dekit, chief of the legal division, representatives from regional investigation division and the majority of the assessment group of BIR Las Piñas. Julito G. Rada

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

DITO Telecom signs deal to use Sky Cable fiber assets

MinGrains offers palay drying facility MINDANAO Grains Processing Co. Inc., the owner and operator of a modern post-harvest facility in Isabela, offered to provide drying and storage facilities for palay that will be bought from Isabela farmers by the National Food Authority and Isabela provincial government.

MinGrains said it could accept up to one million bags of palay to be dried and stored at its facility in Reina Mercedes, Isabela.

The facility―considered as Southeast Asia’s biggest corn processing complex―has a drying capacity of 1,200 metric tons per day and storage space of 60,000 MT in its 12 silos, which can also store palay.

It currently dries and stores corn harvests of local farmers working on more than 20,000 hectares of farm.

“We are grateful for this offer as we intensify our efforts to help small rice farmers and encourage LGUs to actively and directly participate in the rice industry value chain―from palay-buying, drying, milling to rice marketing,” said Agriculture secretary William Dar. Othel V. Campos

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

DITO Telecommunity Corp., the joint venture of Udenna Corp. and China Telecom, said Thursday it signed agreements with Sky Cable Corp. and LCS Holdings Inc. of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur Mayor Chavit Singson in preparation for the rollout of its telecom services.

It said the deal with Sky Cable would involve the utilization of the unused fiber-optic cables of the cable TV provider within Metro Manila while the agreement with LCS Group would be for the lease of common towers that the latter would put up in key areas.

“These two deals allow DITO to tap reliable local partners and their existing telecommunication infrastructure assets to support our network rollout, without having to build everything from scratch; done to ensure that we soon deliver on our promise of faster, more affordable, and most importantly secure internet connectivity for our countrymen,” DITO chief administrative officer Adel Tamano said.

“We are serious in our commitment and will be breaking ground within the next few days for the first of many cellular sites for DITO Telecommunications in cooperation with the LCS Group,” he said.

Aaron Tan, chief executive for information communication and technology of LCS Group, said the signing of the agreement signified the beginning of many other partnerships to service the country.

“We also look forward to working with the other mobile network operators and corporations who may be interested to co-locate at our strategic sites,” Tan said.

DITO Telecommunity plans to start its commercial operations by the end of the year or first quarter of 2020 after it received a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the National Telecommunications Commission in July to operate as the third major telco.

DOE probing mudslide in Semirara coal mine project

By Alena Mae S. Flores

DATA PRIVACY SUMMIT. In line with strengthening compliance with privacy laws and upholding the highest information security standards and best practices for customers, digital services provider PLDT holds the company’s 1st Data Privacy and Cyber Security Summit. Leading the summit are (from left) ePLDT chief information security officer Angel Redoble, PLDT chief financial officer Annabelle Chua, Smart joint strategic operations group head Atty. Eric Tuano, NPC commissioner Raymund Liboro, Smart legal and regulatory head Atty. Eric Español, Smart legal and regulatory division chief Atty. Roy Ibay, PLDT chief procurement officer Mary Rose Dela Paz, PLDT chief data privacy officer Leah Besa-Jimenez and PLDT chief revenue officer and Smart president Al Panlilio.

Diokno expects foreign direct investments to hit $9b this year

By Julito G. Rada BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno is optimistic the net inflow of foreign direct investments will hit the target of $9 billion this year, despite the 39-percent year-on-year drop in the first half.

Diokno said in an interview at the sidelines of the recent Euromoney's Philippine Investment Forum that while the BSP was open to the idea of revising downward the $9-billion target for 2019 because of the sluggish first-half performance, he was expecting a recovery in the second half.

"I think FDIs slowed down because of the second package [of the comprehensive tax reform program]... the uncertainty how the second package would look like and, secondly, because of the

[mid-term] elections [when] usually investors were in a wait-and-see mode," he said.

"But there will be a pickup in the second half. We are optimistic that net FDI will hit maybe $8 billion or $9 billion for the year. Usually $10 billion net annually, but $8 billion to $9 billion net FDI this year is good enough," Diokno said.

The proposed Package 2 of the CTRP called Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Reform Act or CITIRA aims to improve and modernize the country’s corporate tax system by gradually reducing the corporate income tax rate from 30 percent to 20 percent and overhauling the tax incentives given to companies.

It was approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives on Sept. 13 while a counterpart bill was

being deliberated in the Senate.

The Philippines currently imposes the highest corporate income tax rate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Latest data from the BSP showed that net inflow of foreign direct investments dipped 39 percent in the first six months to $3.6 billion from $5.8 billion a year ago.

Equity placements in the six-month period came mostly from Japan, the United States, Singapore, China and South Korea. These went to financial and insurance, real estate, manufacturing, transportation and storage, administrative and support services.

Last year, net inflows of foreign direct investments fell 4.4 percent to $9.802 billion from the record $10.256 billion in 2017. The full-year number missed the official target of $10.4 billion set by the Bangko Sentral.

THE Energy Department said it launched an investigation on the mudslide incident at Semirara Mining and Power Corp.'s coal mining facility in Antique province which resulted in one missing employee.

"The DOE is sending its heartfelt prayers to all who were affected by the incident. We are also continuing to pray for the safety of the personnel involved in the search and rescue operations,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said in a statement.

According to Semirara, a mudslide occurred in Southwest Tungao, Semirara Island at 1:05 a.m. on Oct. 2. An operator of a power shovel that was swept by the mudslide was still missing, it said.

“We have notified his next of kin and have assured them of our full support to them during this difficult time. We are fully cooperating with the Department of Energy in its investigation of this incident,” Semirara said in a separate statement.

The department, through its Energy Resource Development Bureau, immediately deployed a team of geologists and mining engineers to conduct an on-site assessment.

Based on the aerial and ground inspections of the department's technical team, the presence of mud flow was confirmed at the location of the incident.

Initial reports revealed that regular mining operations were ongoing with heavy machinery, PS27, working on the drainage canal at the Molave Pit of the site's south wall, when an irregularity was supposedly detected at 1 a.m. of Oct 2. The mudslide occurred five minutes thereafter, hitting the PS27 equipment and its operator.

B2

Business

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks extend fall; ICTSI rallies T he stock market extended its drop Thursday, after a below-par US jobs report compounded worries about the world’s top economy, while the World Trade Organization fanned fresh trade war fears by allowing Washington to impose tariffs on the European Union.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 65.13 points, or 0.9 percent, to 7,545.55 on a value turnover of P8.3 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 141 to 42, with 58 issues unchanged.

Major property developer Ayala land Inc. slumped 4.3 percent to P45, while

Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which is into toll roads, water and electricity distribution, hospitals and infrastructure, declined 2.3 percent to P4.72.

Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker, however, advanced 5.4 percent to P152.90, while International Container Terminal Services Inc., the largest port operator, climbed 4.4 percent to P120.60.

The rest of Asian markets tanked Thursday.

Investors tracked yet another plunge in Europe and on Wall Street—where all three main indexes fell more than one percent for a second day—and shifted into safer assets such as gold which rose more than one percent.

Asian equity markets were all deep in the red. Tokyo ended two percent lower while Sydney shed more than two percent, Wellington lost 1.2 percent and Hong Kong was down 0.4 percent.

Singapore shed 0.8 percent, Taipei

eased 0.7 percent, and Mumbai and Jakarta were also lower. Shanghai and Seoul were closed for holidays.

On Wednesday data from payrolls firm ADP showed US companies added far fewer jobs than expected last month, while August’s reading was also revised sharply lower. That followed news of the weakest US manufacturing conditions since 2009 at the height of the financial crisis.

The figures also come before the release of non-farm payrolls data Friday that are closely watched for a gauge on the health of the economy, with observers now fretting that a slowdown across the world could now be biting in the United States.

New York traders rushed for the exit, as did their European counterparts who were also hammered by fears Britain will leave the EU without a divorce deal as well as increasingly bleak economic data in the region.

“The market was still digesting the weaker (factory) data and the implication for global growth then got whacked with the slide on the ADP data compounded by a catastrophic decline in US auto sales, which now raises more questions than answers about the resilience of the US consumer,” said Stephen Innes, Asia-Pacific market strategist at AxiTrader.

Hopes for a China-US trade breakthrough “could keep the risk-on light flickering, but the dreary economic data does perhaps suggest that traders could be better sellers in this risk-toxic environment”, he added.

Just as Washington and Beijing prepare for high-level trade talks this month, the World Trade Organization provided markets with a fresh headache by ruling that the EU had given illegal support to plane-maker Airbus, allowing the US to impose billions in tariffs on the bloc. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2019

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

55 90 2 137.5 1.16 25 18.3 12.08 5.19 1.25 0.42 67 0.93 12.8 43.5 178.9 58 26.85 192 1,880 59

56 90.7 2 139.4 1.16 25 18.3 12.08 5.19 1.25 0.42 67.5 0.93 12.8 43.5 178.9 58.5 26.85 196 1,880 59.95

55 89 1.9 137.2 1.11 24.9 18.3 11.7 4.8 1.21 0.405 65.95 0.89 12.8 43.3 178.9 58 26.3 189.5 1,880 59

FINANCIALS 56 1,860 90.7 1,302,070 2 53,000 138 1,440,050 1.11 51,000 24.9 2,156,200 18.3 7,300 11.86 147,700 4.8 2,187,900 1.21 12,000 0.405 670,000 65.95 2,283,410 0.89 1,803,000 12.8 12,600 43.35 49,400 178.9 100 58.5 330 26.75 3,800 190.2 548,070 1,880 15 59 20,990

102,400 117,050,652.50 103,350 198,667,137 56,660 53,690,060 133,590 1,750,624 10,815,552 14,960 271,500 151,694,056.50 1,619,320 161,280 2,143,240 17,890 19,145 101,555 104,235,933 28,200 1,239,026.50

-550 7,736,640.50 9,800 698,689 -4,977,500 -26,360 -243,000 -87,563,390.50 -680,300 -1,227,585 -7,890 -25,397,998 -623,211

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS BASIC ENERGY CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CONCRETE B CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR 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 PETRON PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP RFM CORP ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH VULCAN INDL

37.25 15.8 0.68 1.31 0.241 2.39 14.78 9.15 18.04 32 67.3 72 2.01 6.14 5.95 8.73 15.22 10.7 7.02 24.8 80.15 46 2.48 14.5 7.8 1.49 221 5.48 3.4 8.25 20 12.84 18.28 365 0.189 5.4 1.7 5.05 10 2.1 11 32.4 5.3 5 1.91 2.35 1.03 11.38 91.65 7.3 0.125 1.03 144 1.2 1.03

38.1 15.9 0.68 1.31 0.247 2.4 14.78 9.28 18.78 32.35 67.3 72 2.02 6.14 5.95 8.73 15.28 10.7 7.1 24.8 80.15 47 2.48 14.5 7.98 1.55 221 5.53 3.53 8.25 20 12.84 18.28 365 0.189 5.45 1.7 5.1 10 2.21 11 32.5 5.32 5.1 2 2.35 1.03 11.38 91.65 7.4 0.125 1.07 152.9 1.21 1.06

36.3 15.7 0.66 1.29 0.24 2.33 14 8.4 18.02 32 67.3 72 2.01 6 5.9 8.64 15.2 10.24 7.02 23.65 78.25 45.5 2.4 14.22 7.7 1.48 217.8 5.35 3.31 8.25 19.68 12.7 18.04 357.2 0.189 5.02 1.59 5 9.88 2.05 11 32.3 5.3 4.84 1.88 2.34 0.99 11.26 88 7.22 0.123 1.03 143.2 1.19 1

INDUSTRIAL 37 840,000 15.9 34,200 0.68 94,000 1.3 62,000 0.247 1,860,000 2.33 2,773,000 14.5 464,000 8.7 582,600 18.78 1,700 32.35 900 67.3 1,500 72 1,400 2.02 14,000 6 174,200 5.9 35,300 8.65 552,700 15.28 15,100 10.32 280,100 7.04 7,866,700 24.1 1,856,600 78.5 149,780 46.5 221,400 2.43 2,976,000 14.48 1,091,000 7.72 208,300 1.55 41,000 218.6 1,103,310 5.4 74,800 3.53 9,000 8.25 3,500 19.68 1,241,900 12.8 96,800 18.04 1,085,700 360 101,010 0.189 180,000 5.45 6,200 1.6 10,402,000 5.1 2,350,900 10 27,100 2.15 18,305,000 11 200 32.45 330,100 5.32 27,900 5.1 106,600 1.88 1,297,000 2.34 6,000 1 420,000 11.28 82,800 91.5 122,190 7.4 49,800 0.123 510,000 1.07 249,000 152.9 1,656,780 1.2 2,036,000 1.02 9,350,000

31,041,480 541,994 63,280 80,510 447,610 6,515,210 6,676,880 5,082,387 30,862 28,940 100,950 100,800 28,230 1,063,288 208,991 4,789,304 229,954 2,899,026 55,452,333 44,411,550 11,769,754.50 10,267,575 7,278,150 15,734,676 1,610,432 61,260 241,280,954 403,037 30,370 28,875 24,567,358 1,239,858 19,625,962 36,219,438 34,020 32,407 16,904,930 11,868,567 270,988 39,288,680 2,200 10,708,090 147,928 519,310 2,522,670 14,070 423,110 934,938 11,049,928 362,847 62,750 263,740 247,880,781 2,435,310 9,552,210

-17,996,600 442,260 573,150 2,014,526 14,776 -19,340 -33,671 -876,993 220,832 -2,147,454 -37,671,996 -784,465 -737,821 9,177,265 271,830 -14,206,046 -548,884 18,493,906 -16,707,136 393,032 -7,877,904 -16,726,274 -194,320 -3,494 5,461,550 -1,578,805 -1,020.00 5,970 -906,662 -1,072,293 -10,965 12,954,053 371,400 81,690

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

0.88 52.4 10.78 0.69 13.64 1.16 1.18 856 3.45 6.7 8.34 13.2 0.219 830 5.65 70 0.51 4.38 14.1 0.58 4.84 0.039 1.29 2.85 167 2.45 983 0.89 1.27 223.2 0.222 0.231

0.89 52.4 10.78 0.72 13.64 1.18 1.26 856 3.45 6.7 8.49 13.4 0.219 830 5.66 70 0.51 4.38 14.1 0.6 4.87 0.039 1.31 2.85 168 2.45 983 0.9 1.27 223.2 0.222 0.232

0.86 50.9 10.34 0.69 13.12 1.13 1.15 847 3.36 6.49 8.26 12.94 0.216 826.5 5.64 68.65 0.495 4.34 13.8 0.58 4.68 0.038 1.28 2.85 163 2.45 971 0.85 1.27 223 0.222 0.231

HOLDING FIRMS 0.87 16,238,000 52 615,740 10.46 7,819,800 0.7 166,000 13.36 10,800 1.14 916,000 1.15 348,000 848 459,110 3.37 3,440,000 6.49 259,100 8.41 4,645,900 13.4 13,500 0.217 330,000 828 46,620 5.65 112,500 69 1,908,860 0.51 58,000 4.34 163,000 13.88 1,572,000 0.59 167,000 4.72 18,229,000 0.038 22,300,000 1.31 173,000 2.85 14,000 163 220,370 2.45 1,000 973 756,050 0.85 280,000 1.27 68,000 223 150 0.222 200,000 0.231 100,000

14,128,260 31,795,481 82,332,910 115,100 144,320 1,049,830 412,320 389,544,325 11,696,130 1,686,348 38,984,281 178,606 71,460 38,609,215 635,675 131,732,848 28,785 709,020 21,837,512 97,980 86,893,670 849,200 222,580 39,900 36,171,259 2,450 734,888,435 243,730 86,360 33,460 44,400 23,170

-1,854,200 -21,095,710.50 -40,154,364 102,450 -126,112,875 -2,954,280 -798,941 -17,918,134 -5,176 -24,222,540 -423,950 -102,427,433 -112,730 -3,325,870 -29,806,000 -22,444,462 341,335,815 12,700 -6,696 -

8990 HLDG A BROWN ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND

15.02 0.85 0.89 46.55 2.05 4.7 6.05 0.55 0.83 0.212 0.395 9.7 19.9 0.44 1.49 1.19 4.48 0.3 0.41 1.36 0.385 2 24.05 2.24 3.29 36.3 2.6

15.1 0.87 0.89 46.55 2.05 4.7 6.3 0.55 0.86 0.216 0.4 9.91 20.3 0.445 1.52 1.19 4.49 0.305 0.41 1.37 0.385 2.04 24.35 2.27 3.29 36.3 2.62

15.02 0.83 0.85 45 2.04 4.65 6.05 0.53 0.82 0.208 0.385 9.7 19.78 0.435 1.49 1.15 4.36 0.3 0.41 1.31 0.37 2 23.8 2.24 3.29 35.5 2.57

PROPERTY 15.02 130,400 0.84 6,864,000 0.87 1,539,000 45 15,387,000 2.04 394,000 4.65 344,000 6.3 119,100 0.54 2,244,000 0.82 99,000 0.208 400,000 0.385 170,000 9.88 397,300 20.2 386,300 0.445 1,420,000 1.51 14,290,000 1.15 712,000 4.37 35,035,000 0.305 2,820,000 0.41 10,000 1.35 1,140,000 0.37 910,000 2.03 156,000 23.8 2,530,800 2.27 105,000 3.29 1,000 36.3 6,324,500 2.57 1,743,000

1,959,906 5,831,950 1,325,600 696,310,100 806,110 1,602,230 744,060 1,191,560 81,640 84,030 66,050 3,902,139 7,756,071 624,800 21,567,390 833,360 153,654,560 846,350 4,100 1,523,130 336,850 314,480 60,664,050 236,800 3,290 226,836,385 4,504,570

-270,778 -536,630 -487,018,180 -520,870 592,810 -6,360 -54,160 3,627,907.00 6,580,355 -11,853,190 -44,271,690 -84,940 -15,743,065 -44,800 -48,023,205.00 -

NAME

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND VISTAMALLS

0.88 7.69 5.71

0.89 7.69 5.86

0.87 7.61 5.7

0.89 7.65 5.79

665,000 9,296,700 12,900

580,020 71,151,601 74,224

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA EASYCALL FAR EASTERN U GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA GRAND PLAZA HARBOR STAR INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA JOCKEY METRO RETAIL METROALLIANCE A MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PAXYS 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 18.28 1.72 0.61 0.044 18.5 2.3 10.7 0.052 89.5 7 6.73 9.32 890.5 1,800 5.17 429 9.86 1.58 115.5 9.01 3.05 0.108 5 2.85 14 3 0.9 18.4 3.49 2.36 1.14 11.56 2.68 2.89 8.1 2.77 4.79 135.6 3 1,110 0.7 0.53 38.2 77.95 9.08 2.7 0.67 0.33 0.66 16.6

10 18.36 1.72 0.61 0.045 18.5 2.3 10.9 0.053 91 7 6.8 9.5 890.5 1,800 5.2 435 11.78 1.58 121.1 9.01 3.05 0.11 5 2.85 14 3.04 0.9 18.58 3.49 2.39 1.15 13.3 2.88 2.89 8.1 2.77 4.79 135.6 3.02 1,110 0.71 0.53 38.8 77.95 9.36 2.74 0.68 0.33 0.67 16.72

9.85 17.5 1.72 0.56 0.044 18.5 2.28 10.38 0.052 89.5 7 6.63 9.3 890 1,756 5.17 429 9.86 1.5 115 7 3.05 0.108 4.95 2.85 14 2.98 0.9 18.38 3.49 2.33 1.14 11.56 2.61 2.89 7.85 2.77 4.79 135.6 2.95 1,090 0.69 0.51 37.95 74.7 8.59 2.58 0.67 0.315 0.66 16.5

SERVICES 10 18.1 1.72 0.56 0.045 18.5 2.3 10.9 0.053 90 7 6.65 9.5 890 1,770 5.18 435 11.78 1.55 120.6 7.8 3.05 0.109 5 2.85 14 3 0.9 18.58 3.49 2.33 1.15 13.28 2.77 2.89 8 2.77 4.79 135.6 3.02 1,100 0.69 0.53 38 76.5 8.99 2.6 0.68 0.315 0.67 16.72

3,000 195,700 21,000 30,780,000 4,900,000 100 81,000 1,486,800 9,750,000 42,930 4,000 709,600 15,100 300 19,515 33,600 320 900 549,000 3,017,150 140,500 1,000 340,000 1,501,800 7,000 1,000 190,000 13,000 28,800 8,000 479,000 11,000 1,700 5,187,000 2,000 3,600 5,000 1,000 100 809,000 111,240 3,514,000 12,149,000 4,255,600 776,010 12,290,300 2,296,000 3,897,000 9,860,000 996,000 1,381,700

29,865 3,511,898 36,120 17,558,170 215,700 1,850 185,020 15,873,346 508,080 3,866,414.50 28,000 4,737,884 141,065 267,065 34,619,550 174,041 137,808 9,180 838,370 362,537,150 1,041,078 3,050 36,830 7,470,513 19,950 14,000 567,490 11,700 532,638 27,920 1,120,440 12,580 21,206 14,188,650 5,780 28,775 13,850 4,790 13,560 2,410,170 122,008,300 2,441,270 6,317,150 161,943,055 59,026,629 107,996,301 6,023,030 2,641,470 3,135,750 661,110 22,939,330

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

1.15 11.9 2.59 0.275 7.78 1.57 0.238 0.11 0.11 0.0091 1.11 3.78 1.13 0.51 0.88 0.011 0.011 0.011 7.8 3.55 11.78 21.75 0.0063

1.16 11.9 2.62 0.275 7.98 1.61 0.238 0.11 0.11 0.0091 1.11 3.8 1.13 0.54 0.9 0.012 0.011 0.012 8.38 3.6 11.78 22.35 0.0063

1.14 11.6 2.58 0.275 7.7 1.56 0.222 0.108 0.11 0.0091 1.1 3.71 1.05 0.51 0.86 0.011 0.011 0.011 7.7 3.51 11.4 21.7 0.0063

MINING & OIL 1.14 651,000 11.8 4,200 2.58 491,000 0.275 10,000 7.92 6,000 1.56 1,852,000 0.233 720,000 0.108 20,000 0.11 740,000 0.0091 89,000,000 1.1 754,000 3.75 2,772,000 1.12 274,000 0.52 60,000 0.89 91,000 0.012 19,400,000 0.011 20,000,000 0.011 8,600,000 8.12 732,400 3.52 506,000 11.4 663,500 22.35 426,200 0.0063 9,000,000

744,760 49,430 1,276,480 2,750 46,727 2,912,090 162,220 2,180 81,400 809,900 836,010 10,417,230 295,300 31,060 79,250 218,900 220,000 94,800 5,937,019 1,789,870 7,626,294 9,363,140 56,700

-490,720 50,600 1,262,140 -108,413 -8,106 597,015 -

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

17.3 501 503.5 101 108.2 490 970 995 96.8 1 100.3 1,035 1,045 102 995.5 77.8 75 75.1 77 75.35 75.5 76

17.3 501 503.5 101 109.7 490 970 995 98.5 1 100.3 1,035 1,045 102 995.5 77.9 75 75.1 77 75.35 75.5 76

17.3 501 503.5 101 108 490 970 995 96.5 1 100.3 1,028 1,010 102 995 77.7 75 75 75.85 75.3 75.5 75.6

PREFERRED 17.3 1,400 501 60 503.5 2,000 101 110 108 8,003,830 490 150 970 1,000 995 10 98.5 10,010 1 20,000 100.3 30 1,028 1,005 1,013 4,980 102 100 995 2,430 77.9 50,710 75 730 75 24,100 76.6 22,250 75.3 6,310 75.5 5,000 75.6 146,500

24,220 30,060 1,007,000 11,110 866,413,657 73,500 970,000 9,950 966,021 20,000 3,009 1,033,500 5,080,350 10,200 2,418,350 3,944,798 54,750 1,807,580 1,689,610 475,293 377,500 11,079,560

-6,920 -46,740 -

LR WARRANT

1.52

1.52

1.52

WARRANTS 1.52 20,000

30,400

MS ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

6.21 9.7 0.91

6.3 9.7 0.91

6.1 9.51 0.89

FIRST METRO ETF

114.1

114.5

113.5

USD DMPL A1 USD TECH B2

10.36 0.98

10.36 0.98

10.36 0.96

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

24,341,506

INDUSTRIAL

83,016,165

HOLDING FIRMS

82,422,564

PROPERTY

107,963,003

SERVICES

112,903,632

MINING & OIL

157,031,251

GRAND TOTAL

570,156,322

6.25 9.58 0.9

SME

431,100 172,000 1,853,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 113.5 21,800 DDS 10.36 0.98

9,700 526,800

-13,730,742 -2,762,200 -1,850 6,122,760 1,960,229.50 -333,053 97,955 -11,590,085 8,600 -102,300 -122,028,935 14,900 -73,824 -137,670 -112,430 8,100 -13,850 -83,360 -74,782,450 122,710 459,310 -14,720,555.00 -5,068,151.50 -107,501,534 717,440 -2,054,280 346,500 7,937,618

-

2,662,140 1,645,899 1,664,120

26,128 6,706 8,100

2,483,270

-

100,492 513,364

-

VALUE 1,752.46 (DOWN) 9.71 2,231,802,159.95 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,3838.64 (UP) 83.87 1,943,186,205.388 HOLDING FIRMS 7,434.48 (DOWN) 95.65 1,713,661,076.244 PROPERTY 3,897.50 (DOWN) 87.12 SERVICES 1,502.66 (UP) 9.77 1,355,157,139.43 MINING & OIL 8,665.42 (DOWN) 7.90 1,002,229,527.00 PSEI 7,545.55 (DOWN) 65.13 43,066,588.16 All Shares Index 4,604.01 (DOWN) 31.67 8,297,558,282.53 Gainers: 42; Losers: 141; Unchanged: 58; Total: 241

Mitsubishi, Filinvest unit teaming up on Alabang tower

By Jenniffer B. Austria FILINVEST Alabang Inc. of the Gotianun Group is teaming up with Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. to build a P15-billion, multi-tower mixed-use project within Filivest City in Alabang.

Parent Filinvest Development Corp. said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Mitsubishi would acquire a 40-percent interest in the 17,000-square meter development featuring Grade A office spaces with retail component.

The closing of the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including obtaining approval from the Philippine Competition Commission, the government’s anti-trust body.

FDC said the project was estimated to cost P15 billion and would add approximately 183,000 sq. m. of mixeduse gross leasable area to the booming central business district in Alabang.

FDC said FAI and Mitsubishi were set to bring in their expertise and experience in the fields of construction, operations and management and urban development to create their first shared innovative landmark.

“We are very pleased to enter into an agreement with Mitsubishi Corporation and we are looking forward to this partnership. We are optimistic that our synergy will bring forth another first-of-itskind development that will complement the growth and vision of Filinvest City,” said FAI president Catherine Ilagan.

FAI is a subsidiary of FDC that is focused on mixed-use urban developments in Metro Manila using modern and ecological urban planning and design. It is currently developing the 244-hectare Filinvest City.

FAI is 80 percent owned by FDC and 20 percent held by Filinvest Land Inc. The project is the third joint venture partnership of Mitsubishi with a local property developer.

Mitsubishi earlier teamed up with Century Properties Group Inc. to develop affordable housing projects.

Arthaland Corp. in August formed a joint venture partnership with Japan’s Mitsubishi Estate Company Ltd. to develop a two-tower office project within MEC Arca South in Taguig City under the agreement is acquiring a 40-percent interest in Arthaland’s Savya Land Development Corp., which is developing Savya Financial Center, a premium mid-rise office project that will cater to the business process outsourcing market and other locators.

A Brown buys out Vires Energy, may join LNG industry

By Alena Mae S. Flores LISTED A Brown Company Inc. may join the growing liquefied natural gas bandwagon with the planned acquisition of nearly 100 percent of Vires Energy Corp. owned by Argo Group Pte. Ltd. Vires Energy is the proponent of an integrated floating LNG storage and regasification terminal and a 506-megawatt floating natural gas-fired power plant in Barangay Simlong, Batangas City.

Vires Energy has registered the project with the Board of Investment to avail of fiscal incentives.

“The MOA (memorandum of agreement) entered into is a preliminary agreement and the prospective acquisition will be concluded after the completion of the customary due diligence period of a maximum period of 180 days,” A Brown said.

A Brown serves as the holding company of the Brown Group of Companies. It is primarily engaged in the business of real estate development in Cagayan de Oro City and Initao in Misamis Oriental; Cainta, Rizal; Valencia City, Bukidnon; and Butuan City, Agusan del Norte.

A Brown through its subsidiaries also ventured into oil palm nursery and seedlings distribution, palm oil milling, operation of hotels, real estate brokerage, power generation and investment in gold mining assets.

In 2014, a new unit, Peakpower Bukidnon Inc., was incorporated to take car of a 15-year build-operatemaintain and transfer agreement with the Bukidnon II Electric Cooperative Inc. (Buseco). PBI and Buseco signed a power purchase and transfer agreement on a 10.40-MW diesel/bunkerfired power plant to be constructed in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

World

B3

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Pepe the Frog now a symbol of protesters’ resistance in HK

PROTEST. Anti-government protesters shout slogans

at a rally calling for president Moon Jae-in to step down in central Seoul on October 3, 2019. Moon’s approval rating recently hit a record low after he appointed a scandal-tainted ally as justice minister. AFP

IN BRIEF Typhoon kills six in South Korea

BUSAN―At least six people were killed and several others missing after Typhoon Mitag lashed South Korea with heavy rain and strong winds, authorities said Thursday.

The storm hit southern parts of the country on Wednesday night, prompting flood warnings and triggering landslides in affected areas.

A woman in her 70s died after she was swept away by strong winds in the southeastern city of Pohang while another woman was killed after heavy rain caused her house to collapse as she slept, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said.

A total of six people were killed across the country but the toll was expected to rise with several people missing.

In the southern port city of Busan― one of the hardest hit areas―around 600 rescue workers were trying to locate four people believed to be trapped beneath a landslide.

“An enormous amount of sand and earth slid down several hundred meters and instantly buried a house and a restaurant,” said a witness quoted by Yonhap news agency. AFP

Aussie cop probed over wombat stoning

SYDNEY―An Australian police officer is being investigated after an online video appeared to show him stoning a wombat to death, police said Thursday.

The video shows a shirtless man pursuing a slow-moving wombat down a dirt road, throwing rocks at it as another man films the night-time encounter from a car and calls out encouragement.

After giving a thumbs-up to the camera, the first man strikes the marsupial at least three times before it falls to the ground and stops moving.

The man raises his arms in victory to the driver, who responds with a laugh: “Oh no, you killed him, bro.”

Squat and furry, wombats are small burrow-dwelling marsupials that are largely nocturnal and walk on all fours.

They are a protected species across Australia.

National broadcaster ABC reported South Australia police commissioner Grant Stevens had confirmed the man was a police officer and that the matter would be dealt with internally, with potential criminal offenses also to be investigated.

South Australia state police said they were “aware” of a video circulating on social media that depicted a man “inflicting injuries upon a wombat”. AFP

HONG KONG―He may have become a far-right internet meme in the West, but Pepe the Frog’s image is being rehabilitated in Hong Kong where democracy protesters have embraced him as an irreverent symbol of their resistance.

Throughout the more than 100 days of protests rocking the international finance hub, banners featuring the cartoon frog and stuffed toys of the amphibian have become ubiquitous, providing much-needed moments of levity as the violence escalates.

Pepe fervor reached new heights on Monday night when hundreds of demonstrators―many festooned with stickers or holding cuddly toys―formed a human chain along the city’s harborfront, chanting slogans and singing protest songs.

Some of the Pepe toys brought by the largely young participants were decked in the yellow hard hats and gas masks worn by protesters in their clashes with

Nobel buzz for Greta, laureates Portugal set S TOCKHOLM―Experts are cautious, but bookies are tipping teenage climate campaigner Greta Thunberg for the Nobel Peace Prize next week, while two literature laureates will be crowned after last year’s award was postponed over a sex harassment scandal.

Odds from bookmakers such as Ladbrokes indicate the 16-year-old activist is the one to beat for the Nobel Peace Prize after she launched a school strike that inspired millions to join her “Fridays for Future” movement.

However any prediction carries a great deal of uncertainty, since the list of candidates considered by the Nobel Committee isn’t made public, and experts are still divided over whether there is a direct link between climate and violent conflicts.

A day before the Peace Prize announcement on October 11 in Oslo, the Swedish Academy, which awards the Literature Prize, will reveal its choices in Stockholm.

The literary body is at pains to restore its honor after a scandal exposed members’ scheming, conflicts of interest, and a culture of silence and harassment.

Long held up as Sweden’s bearers

of culture, Academy members traded barbs in the media and seven of the 18 members resigned. For the first time in 70 years, the 2018 prize was postponed, as the institution found itself without a quorum to make key decisions.

This year, there will be one Literature Prize announced for 2018 and one for 2019, each accompanied by a gold medal and nine million kronor (830,000 euros, $908,000).

Unless “the winner or winners refuse it” because they think the prize has been tarnished, warned Madelaine Levy, literary critic for Swedish daily Svenska Dagbladet.

Each year since the prizes were first awarded in 1901, literary circles are abuzz with speculation -- often more a reflection of their own wishes than any real insight into the Academy’s leanings.

Among those mentioned are Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk, Kenyan author

Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, Albania’s Ismail Kadare, US novelist Joyce Carol Oates and Haruki Murakami of Japan.

The Academy is widely expected to try to steer clear of controversy this year, and is therefore seen making conservative picks. The laureates are expected to include at least one woman.

The unorthodox decision to honor US singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in 2016 outraged traditionalists.

The subsequent 2017 nod to “Remains of the Day” author Kazuo Ishiguro, a British novelist of Japanese origin, was seen as a consensual choice aimed at making amends.

The Academy’s turmoil began in November 2017, when 18 women spoke out in the media and accused a cultural figure with close ties to the Academy of sexual assault, rape and harassment.

That was shortly after the start of the global #MeToo anti-sexism movement sparked by allegations against US movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

In the Swedish affair, the cultural figure was revealed to be Jean-Claude Arnault, a Frenchman married to Academy member Katarina Frostenson.

The allegations caused a rift in the venerable institution over how to handle their ties to him, unleashing a vicious power struggle. AFP

10 years for killing her black neighbor

WASHINGTON―A former Texas police officer was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday for murdering her neighbor in 2018 when she shot him after entering the wrong apartment while off duty.

The Dallas jury could have handed down a sentence between five and 99 years to Amber Guyger, 31, for killing 26-year-old Botham Jean, who worked for an accounting firm.

Guyger, who is white, had claimed she thought Jean, who was black, was an intruder in her own apartment.

In fact, she had entered Jean’s unlocked apartment, located in the same building but one floor above hers.

“The jury has convicted Amber Guyger of ten years. Of course that’s inadequate,” the lawyer for Jean’s family Lee Merritt said on Twitter. “The entire justice system is inadequate and the work must continue.”

The shooting and its aftermath sparked demonstrations and appeals for justice in a nation where white police officers who shoot people of color often go free.

On the night of the shooting, Guyger was still wearing her police uniform after a nearly 14-hour shift.

Jean, who was unarmed, was sitting on the couch in his apartment, number 1478. Guyger lived in 1378.

Guyger’s lawyer had told the court his client had made a “tragic mistake,” but that she was not “evil.” AFP

police.

“In the United States it’s a hate symbol, but now it is reborn in Hong Kong as a symbol of love and freedom,” a 21 year-old animation student, who gave her name as Phoenix, told AFP. “Even in a really tough situation, we still want to feel hope and be happy. If we can maintain our minds in a positive way, then maybe we can keep protesting and find a way to win,” she added.

Pepe’s embrace by Hong Kongers is the latest bizarre twist in the fate of a cartoon character who went from relative internet obscurity to international notoriety.

But it also shows how popular digital trends can mean very different things depending on where you live in the world.

Created in 2005 by American artist Matt Furie as a “chill frog-dude”, Pepe became an internet meme within online forums. AFP

VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL. A devotee of a Chinese shrine with skewers pierced through her cheeks takes part in a procession during the annual Vegetarian Festival in Phuket on October 3, 2019. The festival begins on the first evening of the ninth lunar month and lasts for nine days, with many religious devotees slashing themselves with swords, piercing their cheeks with sharp objects and committing other painful acts to purify themselves, taking on the sins of the community. AFP

to keep the faith with the Socialists

LISBON―Portugal goes to the polls on Sunday with voter satisfaction with Prime Minister Antonio Costa’s record of economic growth set to propel his Socialists back into office for a second term.

Bucking a trend of declining centerleft fortunes elsewhere in Europe, the Socialists lead opinion polls with 37 percent support, compared to 30 percent for nearest rivals the center-right Social Democrats (PSD) although the difference between the two parties has halved over the past three months.

If that is confirmed on election night the Socialists will fall short of a parliamentary majority, meaning Costa, a former Lisbon mayor of Indian origin, would once again need the support of at least one other party to govern.

“Unless there is a debacle on the part of the right, an absolute majority for the Socialist party seems unlikely,” Antonio Costa Pinto, a politics professor and the University of Lisbon, told AFP. After the last general election in 2015 in which the incumbent alliance made up of the PSD and the smaller conservative CDS-PP won the most seats but fell short of a majority, Costa convinced two smaller hard-left parties―the Communists and the Left Bloc―to support a minority Socialist government.

Portugal, hit hard by the eurozone debt crisis, had emerged the previous year from a three-year, 78-billion-euro ($85 billion) bailout with the European Union and IMF that required it to make deeply unpopular spending cuts, economic reforms and privatizations.

Costa’s government moved quickly to undo some of the austerity measures imposed by his predecessors such as reversing cuts to public sector wages and pensions even as it took advantage of an economic recovery under way across Europe to continue to clean up the country’s finances.

Portugal posted economic growth of 3.5 percent in 2017 and of 2.4 percent in 2018, its highest levels since 2000, while the jobless rate was more than halved to 6.4 percent in July, the level before the crisis. AFP

Trump lashes out at rising impeachment storm WASHINGTON-A bellicose Donald Trump unleashed furious attacks Wednesday on the impeachment inquiry launched against him by Democrats, amid an intensifying standoff between the president and Congress.

Trump―accused of leaning on Ukraine’s president to dig up dirt on one of his main 2020 election rivals―resorted to coarse language in his broadsides against the investigation and his adversaries conducting it.

Democrats should be “focused on building up our Country, not wasting everyone’s time and energy on BULLSHIT, which is what they have been doing ever

since I got overwhelmingly elected in 2016,” Trump tweeted.

Adam Schiff, the impeachment probe’s Democratic point man in the House of Representatives, told reporters there is a “real sense of urgency” to press forward.

Trump has fought back in terms once inconceivable for a president, including his claim late Tuesday that this is “not an impeachment, it is a COUP.” He amplified the message Wednesday standing alongside Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in the White House, branding the impeachment process―announced by House Speaker Nancy Pe-

losi last week―as a “hoax.”

Trump assailed Schiff, declaring the House Intelligence Committee chairman “a low life” who should be arrested for “treason.”

But at the same time Trump acknowledged he may yet cooperate with the latest move by Democrats, who threatened to subpoena the White House for documents related to the president’s efforts to get Ukraine to probe a political rival.

“We’ll work together with ‘shifty’ Schiff and Pelosi and all of them and we’ll see what happens,” he said.

Trump insists he did nothing wrong in

a July phone call with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and on Wednesday got support from Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, who said he saw “nothing compromising” in the conversation.

Given Trump’s controversial history with Putin, it was unlikely that the Kremlin leader’s backing would do much to calm waters in Washington.

A White House summary of the call showed Trump pressed Zelensky several times to open a corruption investigation against leading Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and son Hunter, who did business in Ukraine when his father was vice president. AFP

LGUs

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

B4

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

PETS’ DAY. Participants and their pets dress up in their creative rendition of national costumes of different countries for the Pet Nation fashion show, as SM Masinag in Antipolo,

Rizal celebrates Sunday ahead of World Animal Day on Oct. 4. A priest also sprinkles holy water (right photo) to bless pet and owner alike in commemoration of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saints of animals. Manny Palmero

Navotas gives scholarships to PWD pupils

By Jun David PERSONS with disabilities in Navotas are now eligible to receive scholarships from the city government following the passage of City Ordinance 2019-04.

Mayor Toby Tiangco has signed a memorandum of agreement with the beneficiaries of the Persons with Disabilities Students Educational Assistance/Scholarship, together with their parents, guardians and family members.

An initial batch of 467 qualified Navoteño PWD students may now receive monthly educational assistance from the city government.

About 324 belong to special education (SPED) classes, while the remaining 143 are enrolled in regular public schools in the city. Beneficiaries are composed of one college, 19 high school, and 447 elementary students.

“Parents and guardians of children and youth who are differently abled need to work harder to care and provide for their families. We want to lift at least a little of their burden and, at the same time, encourage them to keep their children in school and provide them with proper education,” Tiangco said.

Councilor Ethel Joy Arriola-Mejia sponsored the city ordinance.

Under the MOA, Navotas will provide the beneficiaries with P500 monthly educational assistance or P5,000 per academic year.

The scholars are expected to attend at least 90 percent of the allotted school days per school year and actively participate in their respective classes.

“Our main objective is to ensure that Navoteño children and youth are given the opportunity to learn and develop their individual skills and potentials for them to have a better future,” Tiangco added.

Applicants to the program need to be Navoteños or at least one of their parents/guardians are bonafide residents and registered voters in Navotas.

They should be enrolled in a public school or public SPED school within the city.

In addition, they must have a PWD identification card issued or validated by the Persons with Disability Affairs Office and their family should not be a beneficiary of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

Du30 vows to explore IRA options for LGUs

D

AVAO CITY—City mayors have expressed their gratitude to President Rodrigo Duterte following his announcement that he is exploring options for local governments to immediately avail of their share of the national revenue, as ruled by the Supreme Court in the petition filed by Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas.

Duterte’s statement was met with resounding applause by city mayors who invited the President as their guest of honor at the 69th National Executive Board Meeting of the League of Cities of the Philippines, held at the Dusit Hotel here.

Speaking before local chief executives from across the country, the President stressed that while the timing of the SC decision is not perfect due to major programs already being financed by the national government, his adminPresident Rodrigo Duterte (center) joins the main table at the League of Cities of the Philippines meeting featuring (from left) LCP VP for Mindanao Mayor Sammy Ko, Senator Christopher ‘Bong’ Go, LCP national president Evelio ‘Bing’ Leonardia, LCP national chairman Mayor Edgardo Labella, and LCP national vice chairman Rommel Rivera.

Meanwhile, Go gathers with victims of a fire in a village at Macabling, Santa Rosa, Laguna with City Mayor Arlene Arcillas to give financial assistance from the Office of the President and distribute relief goods to the victims.

Roy Tomandao

TUPAD Program benefits 900 Nueva Vizcaya folks

By Ben Moses Ebreo

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—The government’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa mga Displaced/Disadvantaged (TUPAD) Workers Program will benefit 900 villagers here, Gov. Carlos Padilla said.

TUPAD, a partnership between the

Albano named RDC2 chairperson

By Jessica M. Bacud

CAUAYAN CITY, Isabela—Gov. Rodolfo T. Albano III was unanimously endorsed to lead the Regional Development Council for Cagayan Valley as it held its 115th Regional Business Meeting at the Marco Paulo Hotel here.

Albano, a first-term governor, will lead RDC-2 for three years until 2022.

“I’d like to thank the Council for your trust and confidence, and I will try my best to become a real chairman. Let us continually promote and sustain the socio-economic growth in the region,” he said.

Former Tourism Regional Director Blessida Diwa from the private sector was endorsed by the Council as its co-chairman.

istration will find a way to implement it.

The SC decision will expand the internal revenue allotment (IRA) of LGUs as early as possible, Duterte noted.

One of the options proposed by city mayors that the President is considering is a monetization scheme where LGUs can acquire a loan from the bank according to their expanded IRAs, which the national government can then pay on a later date.

For Bacolod City Mayor and LCP President Bing Leonardia, the president’s statement offers a glimmer of hope for LGUs.

“President Duterte’s remarks only show that he understands and hears the requests of local governments especially us city mayors since he is a former mayor himself. We can finally look forward to receiving what is owed to our cities and, ultimately, to our constituents not in 2022, but as soon as possible,” said Leonardia.

During the closed-door meeting, Duterte also discussed other pressing issues of concern to local governments including peace and order, counterinsurgency, and anti-corruption.

The President also extended an invitation to Leonardia to attend a high-level exploratory meeting in Malacañang this October that will discuss a win-win solution for both the national government and LGUs. PNA

Department of Labor and Employment and the provincial government through its Provincial Employment Service Office, will provide sources of income for the beneficiaries.

“The beneficiaries will be given opportunity to work for 10 days, wherein he or she will be given a wage of P360 per day. This will provide them support

The names of Sy and Diwa will be submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte, who will confirm their appointment.

The council also confirmed 14 new private sector representatives who will all serve three-year terms.

They are Protacio D. Laguinday and Rev. Ferdinand Valdez for Agriculture and Fisheries; Cloyd C. Velasco for Trade, Industry and Services; engineer Gilbert E. Acdal for Environment and Natural Resources; engineer Bonifacio B. Carag for Social Welfare and Marginalized Sector; Christian R. Guzman for Health, Education and Manpower Development; Diwa for Tourism; lawyer Melchor A. Battung for Labor; and Napoleon P. Baltazar for Indigenous People and Cultural Communities.

to their families,” the governor said.

Padilla said there are 900 TUPAD beneficiaries in the province this year who are now being facilitated by their respective local government units.

TUPAD is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers.

11k volunteers lead big cleanup at SM by the Bay AN ESTIMATED 11,000 volunteers—students, professionals and members of the community—collected 31,564 kilograms of non-biodegradable waste from the recent International Coastal Cleanup event at the Central Park of SM by the Bay at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.

The initiative is in collaboration with the International Coastal Cleanup Philippines, Department of Environment and Natural Resources-National Capital Region, the local government of Pasay City and the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, Philippine Coast Guard, and SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, Inc. It aims to raise awareness and foster action in keeping coastlines clean for future generations.

The ICC is one of the biggest events of SM by the Bay, as part of its advocacy in caring for the environment and keeping our bays free of trash.

SM by the Bay and SM Mall of Asia conducts quarterly cleanup drives, and has been supporting this international initiative since 2015. To date, more than 700,000 kilograms of trash has been collected. SM’s regular bay cleanup activities support the Manila Bay rehabilitation program.

“When we see people gathering from all walks of life, from all age groups, doing something with a common goal, it just warms the heart to see that people actually care about the environment and they’re doing it with their loved ones as well, here at SM by the Bay. We at SM remain committed to supporting our communities, by doing our part in caring for the environment,” said Perkin So, senior assistant vice president of SM Mall of Asia.

Despite the rains, thousands of the paired volunteers were assigned to different stations, as one served as the collector and other the tabulator. Data collected was then forwarded to Ocean Conservancy for final tabulation.

Harvest Festival poised as next Ecija attraction CABANATUAN―Five cities and 27 municipalities have successfully gathered in one big Festival of All Festivals celebration at SM Megacenter and SM City here.

Carolyn Licup, assistant mall manager, said the Harvest Festival 2019 was a weekend full of colors and festivities.

On Saturday, Licup said the town of Zaragoza won 1st place in the Festival Costume Competition, beating 10 others who joined. A woman wore a gown made of abaca with bundled palay and rice grains representing the local government unit of Zaragoza, created by local designer Enoc Aliga.

Licup said it featured works of the best designers from the cities and municipalities in the province, as the event was designed to uplift tourism and the “One Town, One Product” (OTOP) program of each LGU. “The ladies modeled gowns made of local and indigenous materials that popular and can be found in their presented towns,” she said.

On Sunday, the town of Pantabangan bagged the championship on Street Dance Competition, beating five other groups.

Wearing vibrant colorful constumes and props, the dancers from barangay Malbang gave their best and brought happy faces during the competition.

JayAr Padilla, assistant mall manager, said SM is really working hard for this project so it will be a tourism attraction in the province in future years.

“Nueva Ecija is a huge province, and the cities and municipalities have their own unique culture, talent and creativity that we think is world class, that can be properly gathered in one big celebration and promoted as a destination for local and international tourist every September,” Padilla said. Brenda Jocson

CELEBS’ CHOICE.

DermAsia Elite kicks off its beautiful journey as it opens its doors to prospective celebrities and beauty enthusiasts at Ushio Plaza 1, Timog Avenue, Corner Scout Torillo, South Triangle, Quezon City last Sunday.

At the ribbon-cutting ceremony are DermAsia Elite franchisee Clarice B. Salon (third from right) and (from left) 1Pacman Party-list Rep. Eric Pineda with wife Macy, former Agri Party-list Rep. Delph Lee, Quezon City Rep. Bong Suntay, Manila Rep. Yul Servo, and former Agri Party-list Rep. Otis Salon (right).

Life

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

YOUNG LIFE

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019

C1

‘WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME?’

Why ‘ghosting’ exists in dating apps G

HOSTING has, unfortunately, become rampant in today’s dating culture. For the uninitiated, “ghosting” happens when a person cuts off all communication without an explanation, without an acceptable reason.

In mobile dating, this can be classified in the context of digital departure.

Not receiving texts, calls, chats, email, or any other form of communication from someone they are deeply attached can be utterly upsetting.

A person who ghosted someone admitted to not understanding “exactly how I felt at the time,” so instead of trying to talk it out with the other person, “I ghosted.”

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences identifies that social rejection activates the same pain pathways in the brain as physical pain. In fact, a person can reduce the emotional pain of rejection with a pain medication.

Navigating relationships online is a gamble enough as it is. But what are the reasons why this sigh-inducing practice prevails in digital world?

Dating app OkCupid matches users with the help of nontraditional questions that help determine compatibility.

Or sometimes, when they find out that the other person is not compatible, the safest way to exit the relationship is to cut ties and say nothing at all.

The person doesn’t know what they want

HIGH AND DRY AND 'SEEN'.

There is a chance that “ghosters” are still head over heels with their ex or simply can’t make up their mind.

The idea is they are

Ghosting, one of the toxic practices in modern dating, happens when a person cuts off all communication without an explanation.

Unpredictable rewards

According to a study, the element of unpredictable rewards is associated with the use of some dating apps. Users do not know when, while swiping, they will match with an individual they find attractive. And users do not know when, after engaging in a conversation, a match will respond.

The thrill of the unknown is hardwired in humans. We are deemed attracted to unknown, and lose excitement over too much familiarity.

Neurobiological models have suggested that the algorithm of reward learning is associated with dopamine.

They sense the other person is terrifying to deal with

This doesn’t happen often, says Not knowing what they really want is one of the ugly reasons people cut off all communication with someone they're dating.

Susan Kolod, a psychologist in New York who specializes in relationships just testing the waters and you sim- of finding what I wanted,” said another matching strategies based on nonperson who ghosted someone. traditional questions and it pushes for and sexuality. But it can be a reason- ply didn’t make the cut.

To reduce the likelihood of getting meaningful and lasting connections. able response to fear—when a person “I used to disappear when it was all I With multiple questionnaires and is worried, they’ll be always bugged. thought it was [a fling], or I got scared ghosted, dating app OkCupid offers

preferences, the app’s algorithm is programmed to match people based on their similarities which translates into a compatibility rating. They accomplish this by diving into both the shallow and deep aspects of a relationship without forcing people to self-evaluate.

With this range of questions, users get a chance to share different stories about themselves as well as help the system in identifying the right matches.

“It’s true that meeting someone online is tricky since it’s so easy to put up a front. But with OkCupid we encourage people to be their authentic selves with our mix of questionnaires and preferences so that we can match those with similar interests and personalities,” said Melissa Hobley, OkCupid’s spokesperson and chief marketing officer.

“Let us help you find common topics and interests to help make that first impression really count,” she enthused.

vengers, assemble (at Miniso)!

BRING home Thor, Captain America, Ironman, and Spiderman—their plush version, at least, as the wildly anticipated Marvel collection is now available at Miniso’s flagship store at SM Mall of Asia.

These beloved Marvel superheroes come to life in adorable plush toys, tumblers, slippers, pillows, sling bags, and more.

The variety store is taking advantage of Marvel’s wide range of influence and appeal, which Miniso International co-founder and chief executive Ye Guofu transforms into quality products for the masses.

“Miniso will continue to follow the principle of high quality and affordable price, and bring the authentic peripheral products with first-class quality and af-

Marvel superheroes come to life in adorable plush toys, key chains, mugs, slippers, and bags, among others.

Drink up using these Ironman mugs.

fordable price to all Miniso and Marvel fans,” said Guofu.

Miniso Philippines president Michael Hong seconded, as he identified three major benefits of the collaboration for both companies: the retail terminal covering the whole area of the Philippines, the principle of high quality and affordable price, and the high standard design and quality control.

The collection is composed of creative home necessities, plush toys, key chains, stationery gifts, and other seasonal items.

Following its launch at Miniso SM Mall of Asia, selected Marvel products will also be available at Miniso stores located in most SM Supermalls

Captain America couldn't get any cuter than this.

C2

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019 nickie.standard@gmail.com

Entertainment

OPM: Alive and digital

T

ODAY, altpop star No Rome releases new single and visual “Talk Nice”—the follow up to his critically acclaimed Crying In The Prettiest Places EP, which saw the 24-year-old artist amass a staggering 100 million streams globally.

The first track to be revealed from an upcoming EP, the immaculately self-produced “Talk Nice’ is a firm statement of intent from the young Filipino artist.

No Rome confidently manages to distill a hugely eclectic range of influences, from production genius J Dilla, to shoegaze bands such as My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive, through to irresistible pop melodies - cleverly juxtaposing high end, contemporary pop production with a rawer, guitar sound. The video forms the perfect visual companion for the track and showcases No Rome’s charismatic performance ability.

With a headline show to several thousand people in his hometown of Manila on Oct. 6, a new EP due later this year and support flooding in from High Snobiety, NME, The Guardian, The Fader, and Paper, to name a few, No Rome is firmly establishing himself as one of the most exciting, talented new breed of pop stars around.

Born and raised in Manila, No Rome, or Rome Gomez in real life, is a London-based Filipino musician.

The rising music artist debuted with the single “Narcissist,” which features vocals and production from Dirty Hit Records labelmates Matty Healy andGeorge Daniel of The 1975. The song is a single off No Rome’s EP RIP Indo Hisashi, which was released in August 2018.

In 2019, No Rome released his second and self-produced EP, Crying in the Prettiest Places with the acclaimed returning track, “Cashmoney.” Across the six tracks of Crying in the Prettiest Places, No Rome showcases as much sonic playfulness as he does raw lyrical

Rome Gomez, 24, better known as No Rome, is a Londonbased Filipino musician who fronted The 1975’s Manila concert at the Mall of Asia Arena in September.

Rising millennial artist

NO ROME

releases new single

Showtime’s talentsearch “Tawag Ng Tanghalan.” The superb lineup includes Rey YUGEL Valera, Zsa Zsa LOSORATA Padilla, Randy Santiago, among others. The one-night show boasts Nikko Rivera as musical director and Paolo Bustamante as concert director.

Speaking of classic, digital financial services leader PayMaya-the financial technology arm of lead tech company Voyager Innovations-unveiled its new jingle last Thursday to the tune of Eraserheads’ “Ligaya.” Its lyrics promoting the best perks of going cashless, the new brand campaign song “encourages all Filipinos to get more joy and value out of daily transactions by opting to use PayMaya instead of cash for all their payment needs.”

It couldn’t be more catchy, with Ligaya being the track that introduced the iconic band to mainstream listeners.

Paolo Azzola, chief operating officer and managing director of PayMaya, related, “Our formula is simple. Make digital payments accessible, more convenient, secure, rewarding, and more fun with newer app experience and the biggest discounts and cashback promos plus an ever-growing network of merchant and add money partners.”

Paymaya’s Don’t Pay Cash.

PayMaya! campaign is said to accelerate digital payments adoption in the country in support of the National Financial Inclusion goals and the under-NRPS (National Retail Payment System) aim to increase digital transactions to 20 percent by 2020.

Sounds like good music in digital format.

honesty with unique, affecting results.

that he continues to explore. His early Soundcloud demos picked up attention Born in a tough Manila neighborhood, from the likes of Ryan Hemsworth, Rome grew up keeping one eye over his members of Brockhampton, and shoulder.

– eventually-- collaborator and “I grew up in such a dark, dark street,” friend Matt Healy. he says. He stresses that this isn’t the “We both (Healy) make a genreexperience of all Filipinos. “That’s bending type of pop music,” Rome the street I was in,” he says. “I’m not says, “We get inspired from places that generalizing the Philippines.” you wouldn’t expect.” It follows, then, But Rome refused to live in fear of that Crying In The Prettiest Places is bullies. As an emo kid who’d wear vividly strewn with sonic curveballs. skinny jeans and tight T-shirts, he started Take opening screamo-pop anthem learning self-defense to protect himself. “5 Ways To Bleach Your Hair,” or EP For a while he’d get into fights, but then highlight “Stoned In The Valley” — a his dad started teaching Rome the basics breezy skatepark anthem that hybridizes of music production software at 12 years millennium-era pop-punk sounds with a old. modern emo-rap.

“Making music made me get so “That’s the shit I grew up on,” says Rome obsessed with it,” he says. “I was super of pop punk. “That’s my Nirvana: Box into hip-hop and obsessed with J Dilla Car Racer, Blink-182 and New Found and Nujabes.”

Glory. I wanted to reference nostalgia, His genre-blind early taste but [to be] more modern lyrically and a spanned Slipknot to 2Pac, and the New bit darker.”

Order and David Bowie records that found in his dad’s stacks of vinyl.

No Rome recently made his Coachella By his mid-teens, Rome had moved debut alongside the 1975 and even on to shoegaze bands like My Bloody touted as the first Filipino artist to ever Valentine and Slowdive, eventually perform in the biggest annual music and finding a niche in “shoegaze R&B” arts festival.

GMA programs, personalities recognized by various award-giving bodies GMA Network added more awards to its growing list of honors as it recently received accolades from Gawad Midya 2019, Yaehademic Awards, and Best Choice Achievement Awards 2019.

At this year’s Gawad Midya, GMA News pillar Mel Tiangco was conferred the “Outstanding Lasallian Media Practitioner for Public Service” by the De La Salle University’s Student Media Office. Tiangco co-anchors the network’s flagship newscast 24 Oras and hosts the award-winning drama anthology Magpakailanman. She is also the founder and ambassador of GMA Kapuso Foundation.

Atom Araullo, meanwhile, won as “Outstanding Media Personality.”

Araullo anchors GMA Network’s digital newscast Stand for Truthand hosts the award-winning documentary program The Atom Araullo Specials. He is also one of the hosts of the longestrunning docu program I-Witness. Gawad Midya recognizes outstanding media practitioners who serve as role models to DLSU student media practitioners and align with the University’s VisionMission.

At the Yaehademic Awards of the The Lovelife Project for Health and Environment, Inc. held last Aug. 23, Araullo was also named as the “Exemplar Innovative Digital Influencer / Digital Show” awardee for his commendable performance and courage as a news anchor who presents various scams and ploys on digital media to educate and protect the viewers.

Senior News reporter Marisol Abdurahman, meanwhile, was hailed as the “Exemplar Digital Content Reporter/Host” for her stories on

WE ONCE heard or read people declaring OPM (Original Pilipino Music) is dead. Well, those who believe it isn’t have obviously gone digital.

The current period may have led to the near-complete demise of CD releases and to an extent, radio airplay as it was known to be.

But that opened the floodgates for new OPM tracks, as most artists with proper recordings and considerable fan bases get out without the need for traditional record label support. In fact, some labels now look at hit digital releases and YouTube sensations in assessing who to sign up.

OPM authority Ogie Alcasid recalled dealing with the dilemma of how to push OPM back to strong contention at the start of this closing decade.

“OPM had the reputation of being for older people. A lot of indies then didn’t want to call their work OPM,” informed Ogie at the presscon for his next week’s show to be held at Resorts World Manila’s Newport Performing Arts Theater.

He quickly made note of the turnaround. “But in the advent of technology, music became readily available and younger people found new music created by people their age.”

He added, “I’m happy for them that they have that connection and I could not imagine it would happen.”

Ogie name-dropped acts like Ben & Ben, Moira Dela Torre, and December Avenue as belonging to that pool of new OPM torch-bearers.

On Oct. 10 though, Ogie and the Hurados will likely turn back time to perform classic OPM with a judgesroster coming from ABS-CBN It’s

crimes captured by digital cameras, highlighting the importance of using technology in avoiding, as well as reporting crimes and catching perpetrators.

Biyahe ni Drew host Drew Arellano was also recognized as the “Exemplar Digital Influencer/Content Sports (Sports and Adventure Blog)” for his stories and presentations about Filipino culture and tourism spots, enabling others to appreciate and take interest in the country’s natural resources through digital content.

The LoveLife Project for Health and Environment Inc., is a non-profit independent media organization composed of multi-media professionals and whose members and leaders are persons with lived experiences, LGBTQAI+, former children in conflict with the law, persons living with HIV, persons with disability and out of school youth. Their mission is to use their expertise to help schools and communities in their information, communication, and technology education of their students and constituents to be mindful of their use of technology.

Meanwhile, Kapuso actors were also recognized at the Best Choice Achievement Awards 2019 last Sept.

14. Bubble Gang mainstay and The Gift actor Betong Sumaya received his first-ever award as the “Best Performer in the Field of Comedy and Arts”.

His The Gift co-star, Mikee Quintos,

was named as this year’s “Best New Female Concert Performer” while The Clash alumnus Anthony Rosaldo won as the “Best New Male Concert Performer.”

OPM's Ogie Alcasid stages a show with It's Showtime's 'Hurados' on Oct. 10 at Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila.

SNAPSHOT

Asia’s top film festival opens in shadow of ‘Parasite’ ORGANIZERS of Asia’s top film festival, which opens in Busan this week, warn that a surge of global interest in the critically acclaimed South Korean movie Parasite masks a damaging underinvestment in local independent cinema.

Bong Joon-ho’s darkly comic tale of class war in the Seoul suburbs won the Palme D’or for best film at Cannes and is firming as an Oscar favorite next year, in what would be the first ever win for a Korean film.

It has been sold to 192 international markets—a record for a local production—and has already grossed just over $90 million ahead of its highly anticipated Oct. 11 release in the United States. AFP

This year's Busan International Film Festival opens with Kazakh director Yerlan Nurmukhambetov's 'The Horse Thieves. Roads of Time.'

Motoring

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019

Nissan unveils concept commuter

Y

Chic design meets Nissan Intelligent Mobility in a zero-emission car fit for the city

OKOHAMA— Nissan has unveiled the IMk, a concept car that combines chic design, cuttingedge technologies and powerful EV acceleration in a compact body to create the “ultimate urban commuter.”

The 100% electric car hints at the new direction of Nissan’s design language and how it helps bring to life Nissan Intelligent Mobility – the brand’s vision for changing how vehicles are powered, driven and connected to society.

Immersed in this vision, Nissan designers and engineers looked at a vehicle segment that’s prevalent in their native Japan and becoming more so the world over – the city car. To meet customer demands for nimble driving characteristics and connectivity that fits a wide range of needs and lifestyles, Nissan set out to create a city runner that would stand apart from any other car in the segment.

The result is the IMk concept. More than a strictly functional city car, it’s a chic vehicle that reduces driver stress while offering excitement and confidence on an all-new EV platform.

Equipped with the latest ProPILOT advanced driver assistance technologies and seamless connectivity features, the IMk provides a glimpse of how urban-oriented cars may look and feel in the near future.

“As a small EV for a new era, the Nissan IMk is designed to be at home in sophisticated cityscapes as much as in traditional Japanese towns,” said Satoru Tai, executive design director at Nissan. “The IMk fuses a modern, clean look, driven by its Japanese heritage, with cutting-edge EV technology. Unconstrained by conventional concepts of the kei car segment, its design is interwoven with Japanese culture. It’s a luxury small EV that I hope a lot of customers are going to drive.”

Exterior design: powerful presence derived from Timeless Japanese Futurism The IMk’s looks and proportions reflect a minimal aesthetic, drawing on Nissan’s new design philosophy, called Timeless

The IMk fully-electric car provides the driver with a high level of interactivity.

Japanese Futurism. Adopting the simplistic nature of traditional Japanese design, the exterior is characterized by flowing lines. Carefully applied Japanese motifs add refinement and intrigue. Dipped in an Akagane paint scheme – reflecting a reddish copper color – the concept pays homage to artisans who formed copper into functional works of art.

A close look reveals additional elements of “Japanese DNA” throughout the IMk. The V-motion signature “shield” and combination taillights feature a trellised, woodwork-type impression.

“We incorporated `Japanese DNA’ into the design of the IMk,” said Tai. “For example, the bumper, wheels, tires, windows, tail lamps, roof and high mount spoiler treatment borrow from the flowing patterns of mizuhiki, a thin twine made of Japanese rice paper. Just as mizuhiki flows naturally by design, on the IMk this flowing pattern blends the front, sides, and rear of the concept together for a completely new presence, outside and inside. The shield, which replaces the grille in gasoline-powered vehicles, represents a new signature element in our redefined design

language. It follows function with style, giving the vehicle visual strength and inspiration while also providing protection and advanced technology underneath, including sensors and electronics.”

Interior design: an inviting cabin with high-tech functionality The Nissan IMk concept’s cabin is a new type of “room” that exudes the nature of a cafe or lounge. The bench-style seat, with a dimpled texture, promotes a relaxing, welcome space that gives the impression of sitting on a floating cloud.

The dashboard and sections of the doors are upholstered with light tonal materials, adding to the cozy atmosphere. Akaganecolored accents along the instrument panel, doors and steering wheel add brightness to the interior and a premium feel to the vehicle as a whole.

Interlocking with the lower door section are wood slats that are a nod to the Japanese wood joinery technique of kigumi, which create a sense of inner calm. This feature is highlighted by special hidden lighting. Dark coffee-colored floor carpeting with woven strands of metallic fiber enhance the cozy, relaxing setting.

New Suzuki workhorse unleashed THE newest breed of workhorse vehicle has just been unleashed in style.

The all-new Suzuki Carry, designed to meet the needs of commercial businesses, is packed with upgraded features and a lightweight yet fuel-efficient engine, making it a tough and reliable partner to drive every Filipino business owners to success.

“Filipinos are a hard-working people.

The all-new Suzuki Carry is engineered to match the level of dedication Filipinos put into their businesses. We designed this new workhorse vehicle to deliver any business requirements with efficiency and power to do more. With the all-new Suzuki Carry, we extend the Suzuki Way of Life! to small and medium enterprises and be a part of their journey to success,” Suzuki Philippines Director and Automobile Division General Manager Keiichi Suzuki shares.

A reliable workhorse to carry more Succeeding the Suzuki Super Carry, which bagged the 2016 Best Commercial Utility Vehicle by Car Awards Group, Inc., the all-new Carry amps performance with a stronger and fuel-efficient K15B 1.5-liter engine, providing more power to carry out every task in any road conditions with ease. This upgrade delivers more output power at 96hp/5,600rpm and torque at

135N.m/4,400rpm over the entire range, giving business owners the confidence to deliver on their business commitments.

The all-new Carry stays true to its nature as a reliable and functional workhorse with its exterior design exuding simplicity, durability and a good sense of balance. It has a wider and longer body with access to side gates opening from all sides, making loading and unloading cargo of any size and shape easier. The new truck is also packed with 22-rope hooks to secure any cargo during transit.

Supported with a bed 365mm longer and 75mm wider than its predecessor, the all-new Carry boasts a greater loading capacity of 940kg with better weight distribution when fully loaded. Its cabin space now features a more spacious design to ensure a more comfortable seating position with ample distance between the hip point and the center of the accelerator pedal. Aside from the added storage in the dashboard and the cabin, the shift lever is now situated on the dashboard to provide extra legroom for an optimum driving experience.

The all-new Suzuki Carry can be converted and modified to suit any business needs. It can be used as a utility van, cargo

Thumbs up for the newest workhorse in Suzuki PH stable.

truck, or pick-up truck with the same reliability and functionality expected of a trusted workhorse.

The All-New Carry price starts at: 509,000 - Carry truck 576,000 - Carry Cargo Van 614,000 - Carry Utility Van Business and transport partner Alongside the all-new Carry and to support Filipinos’ diverse business and transport requirements, SPH also introduces the latest variant of its signature compact sedan – the new Suzuki Dzire GA. SPH hopes to provide Filipino commuters with additional ride-sharing options with the all-new Suzuki Dzire GA. Suzuki’s signature sedan gets a fresher look with easy-to-handle compact dimensions and expanded storage capacity, making it an ideal addition to a taxi fleet business.

The all-new Dzire GA features a more compact K12M engine under its hood with increased fuel efficiency. Its interior and engine performance are guaranteed to give complete comfort for all the passengers traversing the busy streets of the metro.

Added in their Dzire vehicle list Suzuki Dzire GA price starts at: 549, 900 – Dzire GA 1.2L – Manual Transmission

Other than the start button and shifter, the IMk’s thin dashboard is void of physical controls. Powering up the IMk reveals cabin comfort controls and settings with soft glowing icons within the Akagane trim.

Important driving information, such as vehicle speed and navigation directions, appear in “midair” by way of a bezel-less prism display. Customized information is communicated to the driver via holographic displays. Interior accent lighting mimics the prism display’s color scheme, depending on displayed content. When using the touch-sensitive surface – for example, when swiping while viewing a map – a touch of whimsy is displayed in the form of a flock of birds flying across it. A careful eye will even notice a faint bird pattern across the prism, hinting at how this display can come to life. This is just one way the IMk provides a level of interactivity and personalization, adding excitement to the driving experience.

According to Tai, the concept’s interior design focuses on creating a high-tech yet relaxing experience.

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“We could have kept all the surfaces inside the IMk’s cabin flat, which would have equated to more physical space,” he said. “But if we did that, we would have lost some of its beauty, and we didn’t want to go that route. The IMk was never about being roomier than a traditional small car. It was about being an upscale, stylish partner that gives occupants a chic, elegant space to enjoy.”

Nissan Intelligent Driving: autonomous functions that enhance driver confidence The Nissan IMk concept represents another step toward fully autonomous driving. It comes with the latest technologies to assist drivers in a wide range of environments, from expressways to city streets and parking lots.

The smartphone-enabled ProPILOT Remote Park with valet parking feature can search for a parking space automatically after you and your passengers step out of the car. When you’re ready to hit the road again, a simple tap of a button brings the car to you.

Among the other notable functions is the latest driver assistance technology, built off an advanced version of ProPILOT 2.0, which helps make driving safer, more pleasant and enjoyable for drivers by combining navigated highway driving with hands-off single-lane driving capabilities.

Nissan Intelligent Power: smooth, powerful performance in a small body Nissan has been a pioneer in EV technology for more than 10 years. The Nissan LEAF was the first electric car introduced into the mainstream market and remains the world’s best-selling mass-market EV to date.

The Nissan IMk concept builds on this experience by offering a pure electric for alternative for customers who desire a compact vehicle suited for a sprawling metropolis.

The concept car’s extremely quiet operation and low center of gravity gives urban commuters a smooth and powerful driving experience. The electric motor delivers excellent acceleration and a high level of responsiveness that’s effective in stop-and-go traffic and even on steep slopes.

Nissan Intelligent Integration: connecting drivers to the world Just as popular cafes and lounges offer free Wi-Fi to keep customers connected, the IMk keeps occupants constantly and seamlessly plugged in with the latest connectivity technology.

A driver can link to the car with a smartphone to authenticate their identity, automatically apply personal settings – such as seat position, interior lighting and climate controls – and plan their commute.

Before leaving on a trip, the IMk informs the driver of the best departure time via smartphone, taking into consideration variables such as traffic congestion. After arriving and valet parking itself, the vehicle can seamlessly integrate with a home energy system and use spare battery capacity to balance home energy needs, using Nissan Energy Share (Vehicle-toHome).

The Filipino’s modern workhorse for smart mobility HYUNDAI Asia Resources Inc. the Philippines’ official distributor of Hyundai passenger and commercial vehicles, featured the Hyundai Modern Jeepney Class 1 to this year’s Roads & Traffic Expo Philippines from October 1 to 2, 2019 at the SMX Convention Center.

Inspired by the President Rodrigo Duterte Administration’s “Build Build Build” modernization program which aims to improve the infrastructure and transportation sectors in the country, the Hyundai Modern Jeepney Class 1 is the product of the collaboration of the world’s 5th biggest automaker, the Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) and HARI. It goes beyond serving as a fusion of the Filipino’s legendary ingenuity and Korea’s renowned technology, since it also ushers in a fresh new take for the “King of the Philippine Road.”

Indeed, the Hyundai Modern Jeepney Class 1 is made people-centric, fuel efficient and innovative.

People-centric The Hyundai Modern Jeepney Class 1 is engineered to have ample seating capacity that can accommodate 12 passengers (plus 1 driver) comfortably.

What’s more is that it possesses a long wheelbase, which means two things: more passengers and cargo can be carried without putting too much stress on the vehicle (which can affect fuel economy), and it lowers the center of gravity of the vehicle, thus keeping it steady and firmly planted on the road.

Fuel efficient Powered by a 2.5L CRDi diesel engine, the Hyundai Modern Jeepney Class 1 is packed with enough power (maximum output of 130ps) and torque (26 kg-m at 1,500 rpm), making sure that it can deliver good fuel economy and sufficient power output to get you through the day.

Plus, it’s also mated to a 6-speed manual

Hyundai ‘s modern jeepney Class I.

transmission that fits the strict Euro 4 regulation, proving that its topnotch engine performance, supported by the driver’s efficient driving and eco-friendly engine operation can let its driver save up on fuel and enjoy more savings, while helping minimize adverse impact on the environment, as the engine emits less particulate matter in the air.

Innovative Staying true to its promise of smart mobility, the Hyundai Modern Jeepney Class 1 is also engineered to have a load-sensing proportional valve (LSPV) control, which provides optimal braking stability as fluid pressure is controlled according to the loading ratio, and semi-elliptical leaf springs for rear suspension, which allow exceptional durability and resistance against lateral rolling for optimal suspension, regardless of cargo carried. Aside from those, the Hyundai Modern Jeepney Class 1 can also be fitted with optional features such as a modern digital signboard that provides better visibility for potential passengers, CCTV monitor, surveillance cameras and reverse cameras that enhance both the passengers’ and driver’s safety and security when out on the road, optional Wifi router for better connectivity, and two (2) AFCS systems for easy payment and collection of the passengers’ fare.

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019

By Lester Dizon

A

N ICON reimagined for the 21st century, the Land Rover Defender is built for adventurous hearts and curious minds, for those who know the value of community and strive to make a difference. The unmistakable silhouette looks tough but is designed with purpose and engineered to excite.

Across seven decades of pioneering innovation, Land Rovers have earned a unique place in the hearts of explorers, humanitarian agencies and adventurous families across the world.

Proven in the harshest environments on earth, the new Defender maintains this bloodline. Beside the peerless luxury and refinement of the Range Rover family and the highly capable and versatile Discovery SUVs, new Defender completes the Land Rover dynasty. The 110 is just the start for this family of the most capable and durable 4x4s in the world. It will be swiftly followed by a compact, short wheelbase 90, before a pair of practical commercial models join the line-up in 2020. Driven by a passion and respect for the original, the new Defender delivers transformational breadth of capability. Advanced all-terrain technologies redefine adventure for the 21st century, remaining true to the pioneering spirit that has been a Land Rover hallmark for 71 years.

Emotionally-Charged Design A distinctive silhouette makes the new Defender instantly recognizable, with minimal front and rear overhangs providing excellent approach and departure angles.

Land Rover’s designers re-envisioned familiar Defender trademarks for the 21st century, giving the new 4×4 a purposeful upright stance and Alpine light windows in the roof, while retaining the side-hinged rear tailgate and externally-mounted spare wheel that make the original so identifiable. Chief Design Officer of Land Rover Gerry McGovern said,“The new Defender is respectful of its past but is not harnessed by it. This is a new Defender for a New Age. Its unique personality is accentuated by its distinctive silhouette and optimum proportions, which make it both highly desirable and seriously capable – a visually compelling 4×4 that wears its design and engineering integrity with uncompromised commitment.”

The stripped-back personality of the original Defender has been embraced inside, where structural elements and fixings usually hidden from view have been exposed, with the emphasis on simplicity and practicality. Innovative features include a dash-mounted gear shifter to accommodate an optional central front ‘jump’ seat, which provides three-abreast seating across the front like early Land Rovers. As a result, the Defender 110 offers five, six or 5+2 seating configurations, with a load space behind the second-row seats of up to 1,075 liters, and as much as 2,380 liters when the second row

Motoring DURABILITY DEFINED Land Rover lets loose the new Defender

Rock solid? A diamond is needed to cut into granite and other rocks strewn along the way of the New Defender.

is folded. The Defender 90 will be able to accommodate six occupants in a vehicle the length of a compact family hatchback.

Durable rubberized flooring shrugs off the spills of daily adventures and once-in-alifetime expeditions, providing a brush or wipe clean interior. An optional fulllength Folding Fabric Roof provides an open-top feel. It also allows passengers in the second-row seats of the Defender 110 to stand up when parked to provide the full safari experience.

Durability defined Land Rover’s new purpose-engineered D7x (for extreme) architecture is based on a lightweight aluminium monocoque construction to create the stiffest body structure Land Rover has ever produced. It is three times stiffer than traditional body-on-frame designs, providing perfect foundations for the fully independent air or coil sprung suspension and supports the latest electrified powertrains. The new Defender has been through more than 62,000 tests for engineering sign-off, while the chassis and body architecture have been engineered to withstand Land Rover’s Extreme Event Test procedure – repeated and sustained impacts, above and beyond the normal standard for SUV and passenger cars. During development testing, prototype models have covered millions of kilometers across some of the harshest environments on earth, ranging from the 50-degree heat of the desert and sub 40-degree cold of the Arctic to altitudes of 10,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

A transformational breadth of capability sets new Defender apart. Permanent allwheel drive and a twin-speed automatic

gearbox, center differential and optional Active Locking Rear Differential ensure it has all the hardware required to excel in the soft sand of the desert, the freezing tundra of the arctic and everywhere in between. Configurable Terrain Response debuts on new Defender, allowing experienced off-roaders to fine-tune individual vehicle settings to perfectly suit the conditions, while inexperienced drivers can let the system detect the most appropriate vehicle settings for the terrain, using the intelligent Auto function. The new body architecture provides ground clearance of 291 mm and world-class off-road geometry, giving the 110 approach, breakover and departure angles of 38, 28 and 40 degrees (Off Road height) respectively.

Power, Efficiency and 21st Century Technology The new Defender offers a choice of advanced petrol and cleaner diesel engines while a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) powertrain will join the range next year. During the launch, the petrol lineup comprises a four-cylinder P300 and a six-cylinder P400, featuring Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle technology. Alternatively, customers can choose from a pair of fourcylinder diesels – the D200 and powerful D240 – both of which deliver fuel economy of around 13.16 kilometers per liter and CO2 emissions of 199g/km (NEDC equivalent). Innovative engineering solutions support the efficiency drive, including a flat underbody which both optimizes aerodynamic performance (as low as 0.38Cd) and protecting the vehicle’s underbody.

The new body architecture provides ground clearance of 291 mm and world-

class off-road geometry, giving the 110 approach, breakover and departure angles of 38, 28 and 40 degrees (Off Road height) respectively. Its maximum wading depth of 900 mm is supported by a new Wade program in the Terrain Response 2 system, which ensures drivers can ford deep water with complete confidence.

On dry land, Land Rover’s advanced ClearSight Ground View technology helps drivers take full advantage of Defender’s all-conquering capability by showing the area usually hidden by the bonnet,directly ahead of the front wheels, on the central touchscreen.

The New Defender introduces Land Rover’s new PiviPro infotainment system. The next generation touchscreen is intuitive and user-friendly, requiring few inputs to perform frequently used tasks, while its always-on design guarantees almost instant responses. In addition, the new Defender takes Software-Over-TheAir (SOTA) technology to a new level, with 14 individual modules capable of receiving remote updates. By downloading data while customers are asleep at home or in far-flung locations, the new Defender will get better with age: as electronic updates cascade down to the vehicle immediately, without delay and with no need to visit a Land Rover retailer.

Personalized Just For You New Defender will be available in 90 and 110 body designs, with up to six seats in the 90 and the option of five, six or 5+2 seating in the 110. The model range comprises Defender, First Edition and top-of-the-range Defender X models, as well as standard, S, SE, HSE

specification packs. Customers will be able to personalize their vehicle in more ways than any previous Land Rover with four AccessoryPacks. The Explorer, Adventure, Country and Urban Packs each give Defender a distinct character with a specially selected range of enhancements. The exclusive First Edition model features a unique specification and will be available throughout the first year of production.

In addition to the Accessory Packs, new Defender is available with the widest choice of individual accessories ever assembled for a new Land Rover, with everything from a Remote Control Electric Winch, Rooftop Tent and Inflatable Waterproof Awnings to more conventional tow bar systems and roof racks.

The potential to accessorize the Defender extends beyond the vehicle itself as customers can also shop from the new Above and Beyond Collection – a 24-piece capsule collection designed and developed in collaboration with Musto®.

The range of outdoor performance apparel, technical equipment and accessories delivers the same toughness as the famous off-roader and features everything from a hybrid jacket, which effortlessly transforms into a gilet using Quickburst zip technology, to a belt with a tensile strength of 6,000 kg. A selection of lifestyle packs is also available mirroring those available for new Defender, grouping specially chosen kit that suit country life, city living, outdoor adventure and exploration respectively.

Image result for 2020 land rover defender above and beyond collection.