Manila Standard - 2019 October 5 - Saturday

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Tirade in Russia: Rody blasts US anew

By MJ Blancaflor PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night lambasted the United States and defended his anti-drug war before leaders and academicians in a Russian forum, saying he wanted to protect the Philippines from those who wish to tear it apart.

“Some of our partners have hurled unfair criticisms against my government about perceived excesses in our fight against drugs,” Duterte said during the Valdai Forum held at the Polyana Hotel in Sochi.

“They see what they want to see to justify their preconceived notions, and [do] not try to understand what truly is happening… in my country. Is this how friends treat each other?” he said.

Countries critical of his domestic policies, such as the United States, were on “misguided and self-serving crusades,” he added.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin, in a meeting with Duterte, praised the President for improving the national security situation in the Philippines and vowed to help in the country’s fight against terrorism.

Recalling that Duterte’s first trip to Russia was cut short in 2017 to deal with a terrorist threat in Next page

DUTERTE SPEAKS. President Rodrigo Duterte

approaches the podium as he prepares to deliver his speech during the plenary session of the 16th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club at the Polyana 1389 Hotel in Sochi, Russia on Thursday.

Presidential Photo

Duterte: Investigate Albayalde

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 233 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

By MJ Blancaflor and Macon Ramos-Araneta

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Department of the Interior and Local Government to investigate Philippine National Police chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde “fairly and thoroughly” over allegations that he protected policemen who resell seized drugs.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Friday the investigation would carry out the President’s orders to validate the findings of a Senate panel that uncovered the existence of so-called ninja cops.

Duterte, in Russia for a five-day state visit, said Año may conduct his own investigation, which will be his basis to “dismiss, discharge, or terminate any or all of them.”

The President has said he will wait for Año’s report before deciding on the fate of Albayalde and other police officers tagged in the controversy, since the PNP is under the DILG. In a separate interview, Albayalde also said he would also leave it up to the President if he should resign before his mandatory retire-

ment on Nov. 8.

“We will go where the evidence will point us.

We will look at the allegations against him. And do a fair and Next page

Gen. Oscar Albayalde

2 ‘generals’ out of 9 tagged in illegal drug trade still at it AT LEAST two generals are involved in the illegal drug trade, President Rodrigo Duterte revealed on Thursday night, but neither named the generals nor identified whether they came from the military or the police.

“And right now, even as I fly here and go back, there are about again two generals who are still playing with drugs,” he said from Sochi, Russia,

Teachers hailed, promised pay hike amid protest ON WORLD Teachers’ Day, senators vowed Friday to prioritize the salary increase and additional grants to public school teachers, with Majority Leader

Over 3k pigs culled in QC due to ASF

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Quezon City government has already culled over 3,000 pigs to prevent the spreadof the African Swine Fever.

Dr. Ana Maria Cabel, chief veterinarian, said pigs were culled in barangays Payatas, Tatalon, Roxas, Pasong Tamo and Bagong Silangan.

She said they have to comply with the Department of Agriculture’s Next page

Juan Miguel Zubiri filing a bill pushing for a P10,000 monthly pay hike for them.

In the House of Representatives, a congressman paid tribute to teachers by filing a similar measure providing them with higher salaries—moving them up

PRICES PLUNGE.

Prices of vegetables, fish and meat products have decreased at Manila’s Paco market, with inflation rate in the country dropping to 0.9 percent in September from 1.7 percent the month before.

Norman Cruz

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300 prison guards at NBP relieved

UNITED WITH TEACHERS. Thousands of teachers in Metro Manila conduct their unity walk from the University of Santo Tomas España campus to Mendiola near San Beda University and Centro Escolar University to celebrate the 53rd World Teachers Day marked worldwide, symbolizing, according to them, the unified struggle of rank and file government employees for decent wages, salaries, humane working conditions and respect for democratic rights. Teachers in Makati City (inset) get free massage and haircut at the Makati gymnasium. Lino Santos, Norman Cruz

By Maricel V. Cruz

where he is on a five-day state visit.

In the same forum in Sochi attended by leaders from Russia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Jordan, President Duterte said at least nine generals were found to be involved in the illegal drug trade when he took over the presidency in 2016.

“We saw mayors, city mayors, and the chairman of the most basic unit of

six salary-grade levels—a`nd better retirement benefits.

Rep. Fidel Nograles of Rizal’s Second District filed House Bill 5076, which aims to promote a more conducive work Next page

NEW Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Bantag on Friday relieved at least 300 prison guards assigned to the New Bilibid Prison’s maximum security compound, in compliance with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to cleanse the corruptionstained penitentiary.

More than 500 policemen will be taking the place of the relieved prison guards, a report by Jun Veneracion on

GMA News noted.

Meanwhile, Police Major Rodney Raymundo Baloyo IV, one of the 13 former Pampanga police officers allegedly involved in drug recycling, was detained at the New Bilibid Prison on Friday.

This came a day after Baloyo was cited in contempt by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for supposedly lying during a hearing.

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Fuel price rollback up, inflation slower

By Alena Mae S. Flores and Maricel V. Cruz THE oil companies will likely implement a price rollback next week due to the softening of world oil prices, industry sources said during the weekend.

Next page

3 LRT 2 stations closed for 9 months LIGHT Rail Transit Authority spokesperson Atty. Hernando Cabrera said on Friday that three stations of LRT 2 will be shut down for nine months.

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News

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PH Navy wants anti-drone tech T • The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States will conduct starting next week the third annual joint military exercises to promote multinational military interoperability, readiness and capability in various training sites in Luzon.

The US Embassy in Manila said the joint military exercises, dubbed “KAMANDAG,” was set for Oct. 9 to 18 in various training sites in Luzon and Palawan.

• The Philippine Navy has formally retired its oldest ship, the BRP Cebu (PS-28), from the service during decommissioning ceremonies at the Captain Salvo Pier, Naval Base Cavite, early this week.

The retirement ceremonies for the World War II-era vessel took place on Oct. 1.

• The launchers of the Spike-ER surface-to-surface missiles of the three multi-purpose attack crafts activated last month will be installed next year, a Philippine Navy official said Friday.

“The launchers for the Spike-ER surface-to-surface missiles will be installed in early 2020 and installation will be done in the Philippines as in the previous multi-purpose attack crafts,” Navy spokesman Henry Quinto told the Philippine News Agency.

Military officials have drafted a proposal for the procurement of counterdrone technology, which could detect and prevent unauthorized drones from entering a restricted military facility.

Rey E. Requejo with PNA

from the Pampanga Provincial Police Office that raided the residence of Johnson Lee at Woodridge, Lakeshore View, Mexico town in Pampanga, in 2013.

Senator grilled Baloyo and pressed him to tell the truth about the raid and how much in drugs was really seized but he stuck to his story.

The senators found him in contempt and ordered his detention for repeatedly lying in his Senate testimony.

After exposing the threats on his life and his family, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency admitted that Albayalde phoned him in 2016 and ordered him not to carry out the dismissal order on the 13 ninja cops.

Baloyo’s team declared they confiscated only 36 kilograms of shabu but investigators said they had held back some 164 kilograms for themselves to resell. They also took P10 million cash during the raid, but turned over only P100,000.

Baloyo’s team then presented another suspect, not Lee, who was arrested in the raid.

Lee was reportedly allowed to escape in exchange for P50 million.

It was former police official Benjamin Magalong, now Baguio City mayor, who divulged the phone conversation between Albayalde and Aquino.

Admitting the phone call, Aquino at first said Albayalde merely wanted an update on the status of the case of the Pampanga policemen who were his men.

Lacson said some 100,000 policemen suffered for the sins of a few rogue cops.

“They’re 100,000 and then the public would see 13 or 20 rogues, so they were also being dragged [into the controversy].

[So[ they also suffer due to the public perception because of the stupidity of a few,” Lacson said.

Lacson, who was also a former PNP chief, said even those who adhere to the regulations, who have been doing their job well, and who have been sacrificing their lives, are also being dragged down by the scandal.

Although Lacson said he doubted Albayalde’s credibility, he said the police chief was innocent until proven guilty.

Albayalde on Friday said efforts to link him to the ninja cops was being carried out by whoever wants to replace him when he retires.

“Probably, it has something to do with the person who wants to be the next PNP chief,” Albayalde told CNN-Philippines.

“They will destroy my reputation, my integrity so that if I endorse somebody to the President, that’s the kiss of death,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. “This is politics probably in our organization.”

hit his predecessor Dionisio Santiago for asking him to resign. ‘‘What have you done for PDEA when you were chief about the problem of ‘ninja cops’?” he said.

Aquino said he conducted surveillance on the alleged shabu queen of Manila and found out the identity of the ninja cops, “something that Santiago failed to do in his four-year stint as PDEA director general.” ‘‘We have identified these ninja cops and we have been conducting surveillance on them. What has he done?” he asked.

He reacted to the statement of Santiago that the former must resign amid the

controversies over the ninja cops. ‘‘I urged Santiago to just enjoy his private life and shut up,” Aquino said.

Aquino on Thursday claimed Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde asked him not to enforce any decision on the policemen’s motion for reconsideration on their dismissal from service.

The PDEA chief earlier said Albayalde only called him to seek updates on the case.

The Pampanga police officers are still on active duty, and the Justice department said it was expediting the review of their criminal cases.

Rio N. Araja and MJ Blancaflor

atmosphere and better living conditions for teachers.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones, in a statement, wished more than 800,000 Filipino teachers a happy and fruitful World Teachers’ Day. Coming from a dynasty of teachers and as an educator myself, I have always been looking forward to this celebration―that special time of the year when citizens from all walks of life take a moment to salute the noblest of all professions, Briones said.

The day saw several schools and local governments suspend classes to give the mentors a chance to celebrate.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines, which counts over 200,000 members, dedicated the 53rd World Teachers Day commemoration of the unified struggle of all rank-and-file government employees for decent wages, humane working conditions, and respect for democratic rights.

Zubiri said his Senate Bill No. 104 is among several already in the chamber,

as lawmakers recognized the critical role teachers play in the lives of children and in nation building.

“The government has promised to institute another round of government pay hikes. We will initiate the push for pay hikes in the Senate,” the senator said.

Aside from the P10,000 monthly additional pay, SB 104 would grant teachers a bigger chalk allowance, a P1,000 annual medical checkup allowance, and give Magna Carta benefits to the teachers.

If President Duterte would push through with his promise during the State of the Nation Address to double public school teachers’ salaries, we will help him find the sources of funds as that would entail additional P343.7 billion,” Zubiri said.

He noted that the proposed 2020 Department of Education budget for salaries is P417.5 billion.

Meanwhile, Nograles said: “Despite the fact that they are heralded as the molders of the next generations future, public school teachers remain among the most underpaid workers in government.

He said his proposed measure would peg the salary of entry-level teachers from salary grade 11 now to salary grade

17.

The Nograles bill would also provide retired teachers a monthly pension for life amounting to not less than 80 percent of their monthly average salaries, allowances and other benefits authorized by law as supported by Republic Act 8291, or the Revised Government Service Insurance System Act of 1997.

Based on the Fourth Tranche of the Salary Standardization Law, Salary Grade 11 amounts to P20,754 while Salary Grade 17 amounts to P36,942.

The minimum salary grade level of public school teachers in the elementary and secondary schools now is barely higher than Metro Manila’s 537-peso minimum wage, Nograles said, and such low salary deprives them of the opportunities to improve their skills and pursue further education and training.

“We must promote an environment where continuous learning from one generation to the next is possible,” Nograles said.

“We can guarantee that our children will acquire better education by empowering our 800,000-strong teachers by providing them with adequate remuneration and incentives in exchange for the value of service they render.”

increase in the price of cooking gas was higher than expected.

“Our actions support our mandate to protect consumer welfare and ensure fair oil industry practices,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

“The SCOs [show cause orders] would provide these companies the opportunity to explain how they arrived at their respective oil price rollback calculations,” he said.

The department declined to name the 13 oil companies but gave them until Oct. 7 to formally respond to the government order.

Energy Assistant Secretary Leonido J. Pulido III said the oil companies implemented a lower price cut than what was computed by the department.

While the oil firms cut the price of gasoline by P1.45 to P1.55 per liter and diesel by P0.50 to P0.60 per liter early this week, Pulido said by their calculations, the oil firms should have cut gas prices by 22 centavos more for gasoline and six centavos more for diesel.

“We want them to explain it; we are not

saying they are wrong,” he said.

Pulido added that for liquefied petroleum gas, the oil companies raised prices higher than the world market.

“We’re also asking LPG suppliers and importers to explain in three days,” he said.

The oil companies raised the price of LPG from P3.98 a kilo to P4.50 a kilo effective 12:01 a.m. Oct. 1.

“We were just surprised. Historically, our computations would match. It prompted us to ask them to explain. This is the first time over the last three years.

We really want to hear [from them] in the next few days,” Pulido said.

In a related development, Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate on Friday said the reported 0.9 percent inflation rate for September “does not mean that the prices of basic goods are now lower.”

“Truth to tell, it only means that there is a minimal increase in the prices of goods last month, but, the prices remain high since the banner 6.7 percent inflation rate last year,” Zarate said.

HE government should consider procuring antidrone technology following the drone attack in one of the oil processing facilities in Saudi Arabia last month, according to the flag officer-in-command of the Philippine Navy.

Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad said the Philippine military badly needed anti-drone technology to protect military facilities, camps, and even water assets against drones.

“This is the future threat: Drones that attack facilities. They can quickly attack our new ships or munitions sites,” Empedrad said during the 23rd anniversary

celebration of the Naval Forces in Western Mindanao in Zamboanga City on Wednesday.

“Even our camps and bases should be protected. Israel, the UK and even Russia have proposed ways to to protect our infrastructure from possible drone attacks.”

In related developments:

Tirade...

Duterte:...

Marawi, Putin said: “And over the last two years you have managed to lower the level of terrorist threat in your country and to strengthen the potential of your security bodies.”

“We are prepared to develop our partnership when it comes to countering terrorism and share our experience,” Putin said to Duterte during their bilateral meeting in Sochi.

The Russian leader said he also wants to increase industrial cooperation and partner with the Philippines in the use of digital technologies.

Duterte, who has pivoted towards Russia and China, chided the United States over a halted arms deal due to alleged human rights violations in the Philippines.

“Yet, you see the same countries supplying high-end weaponry to parties whose actual human rights record leaves so much to be desired,” he said.

In his 20-minute speech, he clarified he was not against the United States and liberal democracy, but urged Washington and other countries to show “fairness, equality and mutual respect.”

He also defended his campaign against his widely criticized anti-drugs campaign in which thousands of drug suspects have been killed.

“We only seek to protect our republic [from] those who wish to tear it apart.

We only seek to curb criminality that corrodes the very structure of government,” he said.

With three years left before the end of his term, Duterte said he will extend the country’s ties with Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.

During the forum, Duterte also said that at least two generals are involved in the illegal drug trade. He did not name them, however, nor did he say if they came from the police or the military.

“And right now, even as I fly here and go back, there are again two generals who are still playing with drugs,” he said.

Duterte reaffirmed his commitment to strengthen relations with the Russian Federation.

He cited the port call made by the BRP Tarlac in Vladivostok in 2018, which he said was an unprecedented goodwill visit done by a Philippine naval vessel.

“This was highly a political issue given that a few years back, this would have been unthinkable,” he said.

“We have opened our respective defense attaches in the offices in our capitals. This is an indication of our long-term commitment to elevate our defense relation and I am indeed very pleased with this development,” he added.

Putin also recognized the Philippines as an important partner of Russia, noting that the Duterte administration has “revitalized” political dialogue between the two countries.

“I would like to highlight your contribution to expanding the multifaceted cooperation between Russia and the Philippines. And in large part due to your personal attention, we have revitalized our political dialogue,” Putin said.

thorough investigation as much as we can because I think this is what the President wants and what the public demands,” DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a television interview.

Albayalde was chief of the Pampanga regional police in 2007 when several of its members were accused of reselling drugs by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, then head of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

With only 33 days before his retirement, Albayalde should file criminal charges and move for the dismissal of the 13 ninja cops to erase doubts he was protecting them, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Friday.

Lacson said Albayalde should order an immediate review and re-investigation of the circumstances surrounding the questionable buy-bust drug operations before he retires in November.

He said appropriate charges should also be filed against the Pampanga ninja cops.

“The biggest proof to show that he was not protecting the group of [Supt. Rodney Raymundo] Baloyo is to resolve it before he retires,” Lacson said.

Baloyo led the anti-drug police team

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Laban Konsyumer Inc. president Victorio Dimagiba said international movement of oil prices indicated a possible downward trend as confirmed by an oil player.

“According to one oil company rollback of diesel indicative ranges P0.85 a liter to P1.10 a liter. Gasoline should rollback by P0.75 to P1 per liter,” Dimagiba said.

An oil industry official, for his part, said there were no final figures as of press time but said initial reports indicate a price rollback.

This will be the second consecutive oil price rollback as oil firms cut the price of gasoline by P1.45 to P1.55 per liter and diesel by P0.50 to P0.60 per liter from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1.

Meanwhile, the Energy department has ordered 13 oil companies to explain why their oil price rollback was lower than government computations and why their

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government, 50,000 into drugs. And when I took over, I found out about nine generals were involved in the trafficking of drugs,” he said. ‘‘I said I’m not only fighting corruption from the inside of government. I was fighting corruption and the trafficking of drugs even in my government. And that is why I had to do something very fast,” the President added.

This developed as Duterte’s antidrug czar, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino,

Teachers...

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one-kilometer radius protocols that all pigs within the area must be culled to contain the disease.

On Thursday, about 300 pigs from Barangay Pasong Tamo were culled, while 160 others set for culling.

Culling operations are still ongoing in Payatas and Bagong Silangan, she said, adding that half of Bagong Silangan’s 5,000 pig population have yet to be culled.

“We are done in Roxas and Tatalon.

Pasong Tamo will almost be through,” she said.

She said swill feeding could further spread the disease to other areas.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, blamed the the government for failing to keep ASF out.

“The problem with the African Swine Fever we have today is a result of government neglect,” said Pangilinan, a

PhilHealth ghost-claim witnesses arrested

By Rey E. Requejo TWO whistleblowers in the “ghostclaim” anomaly at the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. have been arrested after losing the benefit of the government’s Witness Protection Program, their lawyer said Friday.

Former Malacañang spokesman Harry Roque said Edwin Roberto and Leizel de Leon, former employees of WellMed Dialysis Center, lost the benefit of the WPP after the Regional Trial Court dismissed the case against its officials for lack of jurisdiction.

The case was then refiled before the Metropolitan Trial Court.

Roque said the court had set P610,000 bail each for his clients Roberto and De Leon.

“No WPP for MeTc [Metropolitan Trial Court],” Roque said, lamenting that a hearing was set to discharge them as state witnesses.

“It’s really a travesty of justice intended to silence them. We will not allow that.”

Roque also took a swipe at PhilHealth’s legal department over the arrest of Roberto and De Leon, the whistleblowers in the alleged dialysis scam at PhilHealth.

“I just don’t know if this [action of PhilHealth] is just being nonsense or is deliberately done [to weaken the case],” he said. With Rio N. Araja

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The Senate committee also cited Correctional Senior Inspector Maria Belinda Bansil and Corrections Officer 3 Veronica Buño in contempt. In earlier hearings, they had denied they contacted witness Yolanda Camilon, the common law wife of Bilibid inmate “Godfrey” who blew the whistle on the alleged GCTA-for-sale scheme.

Camilon had claimed she transacted with Bansil, Buño, and Staff Sergeant Ramoncito Roque, who heads the BuCor’s documents division, in exchange for the early release of her partner.

National Bureau of Investigation director Dante Gierran said a digital forensics examination on Buño’s cellphone revealed that the BuCor officials had a hand in the alleged transaction.

Also, tracker teams from the Philippine National Police were mobilized Friday to rearrest 19 inmates who were released due to the Good Conduct Time Allowance Law, following the President’s order to go after them as they failed to surrender during the 15-day period given by President Duterte.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Oct. 1 he had forwarded the “initial list of 19” to the Department of the Interior and Local Government, but added that more names will follow.

The guidelines, set by the Department of Justice, stated that the manhunt against these convicts would be limited to search and arrest only.

Bantag was appointed to lead the BuCor after the President fired Nicanor Faeldon over the undue release of hundreds of heinous crimes convicts, on the heels of a Senate inquiry into the issue.

Convicts of high-profile heinous crimes, such as those doing time for the abduction and rape-slay of Cebuano sisters Marijoy and Jacqueline Chiong, were released due to the inappropriate application of the GCTA Law, which reduced their sentences.

Authors of the law and officials said heinous crimes convicts were not eligible for the benefits of the measure, meant to decongest the country’s prisons. The controversy then led to family members of convicts accusing BuCor officials of asking money from them in exchange for good conduct time credits. former food security secretary.

“Government should be able to impart safe, proper, and effective pig-raising techniques to local farmers. It should be able to inspect pigpens for regular cleaning and disinfecting,” he said.

On World Animal Day, celebrated annually on the feast day of Francis of Assissi, the patron of animals, Pangilinan called for proper care and treatment of animals, not just pets.

“We should thank our pigs for the food on our table, but even if this is their role in life, it doesn’t mean that we should not care for them properly,” said Pangilinan, who himself raises hogs for sale.

“This planet is home to us as much as it is to animals. What happens to them affect us. Animals deserve our love and caring,” he added.

Pangilinan called on local governments to consult with veterinarians and specialists on the most humane way of culling infected pigs, and for proper handling of dead hogs, so as not to spread the disease. With PNA

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Give farmers cash aid from rice tariff—Kiko

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

IN BRIEF

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T LEAST P700 million in cash aid from the rice tariff collection in excess of the P10 billion collected this year should be given to the farmers, said the Senate.

During the interpellation on Senate Joint Resolution 8, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan insisted that the country’s rice farmers need cash assistance in the transition to a liberalized regime in the rice industry.

He said funds may be taken from the excess of the P10 billion of the rice tariff collection.

“In fact, ma’am, I am willing to terminate my interpellation this evening if we can get a commitment from the chairperson because the DOF [Department of Finance] has manifested during the budget hearings that they have already collected P10.7 billion as of Sept. 20 this year.

“In other words, there is already P700 million na pupwede na pong i-allocate as cash assistance without need to amend the law” said Pangilinan.

Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture that conducted a hearing on Joint Resolution 8, agreed with Pangilinan’s proposal.

Joint Resolution 8, which was discussed in a hearing and on the Senate floor, similarly wants to ease the impact of the Rice Tariffication Law and the subsequent influx of imported rice on local rice farmers.

Villar said it directs the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the National Food Authority in specified 11 provinces to buy directly from rice farmers for the October to December rice subsidy component of the Conditional Cash Transfer program.

The resolution, Villar said, encourages LGUs to do the same for its various programs which need rice.

The Senate approved on second reading the measure seeking to provide rice instead of rice cash subsidy to the 4.1 milllion beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).

“The program grants the beneficiaries rice subsidy in the form of financial assistance in the amount of P600.00 per month, equivalent to 20 kilos of rice,” said Villar.

The approval of the measure came after the Senate committees on agriculture and agrarian reform approved Senate Joint Resolution No. 8 which was signed by 14 senators in a move to aid farmers in the country.

Under Section 8 of Republic Act No. 11203, the NFA is tasked to buy palay from local farmers “all-year-round for the maintenance of a rice buffer stock and can be assigned to undertake direct local buying on behalf of the departments,” it said.

The resolution also noted that local government units’ “perennial” need for rice to supply the requirement of their hospitals, jail, and other local institutions, feeding programs and calamity-program interventions.

“And they also have the funds to do such purchasing of rice,” it pointed out.

The resolution noted that a total budget of P33.9 billion are allotted for rice subsidies, a chunk of which is given to 4Ps beneficiaries under the DSWD.

Recto laments cut on CHED budget THOUSANDS of college students face forced vacation due to P11.6billion cut in CHED budget.

“Delikadong ma-endo ang pag-aaral ng daan-daang libong mga estudyante sa kolehiyo kung matutuloy ang balak na tapyasan ng P11.6 bilyon ang budget ng Commission on Higher Education [CHED] para sa taong 2020.”

Instead of diplomas, government will be handing out dismissal slips.

The budget cut for tertiary education is a ticket to a forced vacation for many public and private college students.

There are many kinds of leave a student can avail of, but a governmentimposed “tuition-subsidy holiday” should not be one of them.

Okay lang sana kung hindi pa sila naka-enroll sa kolehiyo; kung papasok pa lang. Pero karamihan nakaenrol na, prodded by a government guarantee that if they study hard and maintain good grades, they can keep the scholarship.

Four OFWS get aid from Senator Villar ASG SUB-LEADER. Quezon City Police District operatives arrested an alleged Abu Sayyaf Group sub-leader Aljimar Ahaja during a follow-up operation in Quezon City. Photo shows P/Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar and QCPD District Director P/Lt. Col. Ronnie Montejo interrogate the suspect during a press-conference held in Camp Karingal. Manny Palmero

Abu Sayyaf sub-leader arrested in Quezon City

By Rio N. Araja AUTHORITIES have arrested a subleader of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Quezon City.

Quezon City Police District director Ronnie Montejo presented to the media the suspect identified as Ibrahim Lambog Mullo, 26, who initially identified himself as Agimar Abi Ahaja to conceal his true identity.

He said the police received a tip from a concerned citizen that the suspect was seen on Ilang-ilang St. corner Commonwealth Avenue in Barangay Batasan Hills on Sept. 27 at around 7 p.m.

Major General Guillermo Eleazar of the National Capital Region Police Office said a combined personnel of the Quezon City Hall police detachment, led by Major Rolando Lorenzo Jr., operatives of the District Mobile Force Battalion, District Special Operations

Unit, Station 6, and the intelligence group operatives of Camp Crame and the Armed Forces of the Philippines were able to confiscate an unlicensed .45-caliber pistol and a fragmentation grenade from the suspect.

Investigation showed that sometime in January 2019, Mullo arrived in Metro Manila with Arnel Flores Cabintoy alias Musab, and Feliciano Mañas Sulayao Jr. alias Abu Muslim and Rowel Adam.

Cabintoy and Sulayao were nabbed on June 15 in Barangay Culiat during the implementation of an order for the apprehension of personalities involved in the rebellion in Mindanao issued by the Department of National Defense secretary, “who is the administrator of martial law in Mindanao.”

Mullo claimed that he had just moved to Quezon City to attend to his wife who recently gave birth, saying he was working in a construction firm

in San Miguel, Bulacan owned by his wife’s uncle in a housing project for the Army Scout Rangers in Kamias and Calumpang, Bulacan.

Mullo was recruited into the ASG sub-group (Ajang-Ajang Group) initially through social media by ASG sub-leader alias Pading in 2017 while he was residing in Zambaonga City.

He was enticed to join the ASG because of the promise of P10,000 monthly allowance and received his first monthly pay from Pading through an unidentified female courier whom he met in Paseo del Mar in Zamboanga City.

He said he finally decided to join the ASG in Patikul, Sulu under the group of Pading, also known as the Ajang-Ajang Group under Dash-inspired ASG leader Hatib Hajan Sawadjaan.

He admitted to having participated in several armed encounters against government troops in Patikul, Sulu.

1-year appointment ban for losing party-lists sought

By Vito Barcelo COMMISSION on Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said she will propose to include losing partylist groups in the one-year appointment ban from holding government office, the same way with losing political candidates.

The outspoken poll commissioner made the announcement in her twitter account following the appointment of former Communications Assistant Secretary Esther Margaux “Mocha” Uson as deputy administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

“I am appearing in the Committee of Senator Imee [Marcos].

[I] will propose ban should cover party-List nominees,” Guanzon said in her @commrguanzon tweet account.

“And party-list to put up bond. If nominee is DQ

[disqualified], forfeit their bond,” she added.

Guanzon also retweeted another social media post which quoted her as saying: “They should not be a favored class because they are not a protected class.”

Earlier, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said Uson is not covered by the election ban, saying “the party-list nominees aren’t candidates per se. So the rule doesn’t apply to them.”

Under the rule, party-list representatives are indirectly elected via a party-list election wherein the voter votes for the party and not for the party’s nominee.

Party-list group AA-Kasosyo, of which Uson was a nominee, failed to secure a seat in the House of Representatives in the May 2019 elections.

The Senate committee on electoral reforms and people’s participation will tackle the issue next week.

Solons back Sotto’s call for budget debates

By Maricel V. Cruz

FOGGING. Members of Barangay San Isidro, Health and Sanitation group conduct fogging operations inside the UPS 5 Subdivision in Sucat, Parañaque City on Friday.

Parañaque City was put under state of calamity due to a large number of dengue cases. Bobby Cabrera

AN ADMINISTRATION lawmaker on Friday supported the call of Senate President Vicente Sotto III for transparent discussions on the 2020 national budget.

“We praise Senator Vicente Sotto III and join him in his call to have an open, public and transparent debates and discussions on the 2020 national budget to ensure greater transparency,” Party-list Rep. Michael Defensor of Anakalusugan, said.

On the part of the House of Representatives, Defensor said Speaker Alan Cayetano already initiated this by outlining to the public the institutional amendments that congressmen introduced in the money measure.

“Our only collective request is that we avoid purveying ‘fake news’and rumors during budget discussions,” Defensor said.

Defensor was alluding to the insinuation of Senator Panfilo Lacson that the congressmen irregularly inserted items in proposed P1.4-trillion national government budget.

As the congressmen and senators

are scheduled to meet in the bicameral conference to discuss the budget, Defensor said “the discipline and parameters of our debates and statements on the budget are not only for the Senate, but as well as for the House of Representatives.”

“This way, intelligent and relevant discussions can be achieved by both chambers “ he added.

Defensor said the House institutional amendments have taken into consideration the various needs of our farmers, educators, health workers, our Metro Manila development workers while also making a priority the country’s electrification program and this is just the start.

“Speaker Cayetano, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and House Appropriations Chairman Isidro Ungab together with the House leadership did a great job for the Executive department in ensuring that this budget passes with no pork, no delay and no parking.

“Before adjourning the session, Speaker Cayetano gave the marching order of ensuring full transparency in the budget deliberations,” Defensor said.

FOUR overseas Filipino workers, including a survivor of the Marawi siege who experienced maltreatment while working abroad received livelihood assistance from Senator Cynthia Villar.

Despite the various forms of maltreatment and abuses abroad, Villar said it is sad that still many of countrymen took the gamble to go to other countries to make a living.

With this assistance, she hopes to help our kababayan to start anew as they recover from the physical and emotional abuses their employers inflicted on them.

Each of the four OFWs each got a start-up kit for a sari-sari store and financial assistance under the senator’s program for repatriated OFWs who were maltreated or victimized by illegal recruitment. Macon Ramos-Araneta

US senator joins call for De Lima’s release ANOTHER United States senator has thrown his support to his colleagues who demanded that President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration release detained Senator Leila de Lima.

Senator Edward Markey joined the four other US senators who earlier demanded for De Lima’s release from prison.

In his tweet, Markey said: “@ SenatorDurbin and @SenatorLeahy are right to push for accountability in the Philippine gov’t. America must continue to stand for human rights and good governance. That’s why I was proud to introduce S.Res.142, which calls for the release of @SenLeiladeLima,”

3FromLRT 2...

A1 “Ang mga station na walang operations na aabutin nga ng nine months, definitely, Santolan, Katipunan, at saka Anonas,” Cabrera said in a radio interview.

But Cabrera said the Anonas station, one of the three stations to be shut down, may be reopened earlier.

“Malaki ‘yung damage and ‘yung nadamage na part are really big parts na imported po sila. Mayroon po tayong mga spare pero hindi po kakayanin ‘yung mga pangangailangan,” Cabrera said.

Cabrera said the LRTA would likely resume partial operations from Recto to Cubao and vice versa by Monday or Tuesday.

The three stations of LRT-2 will be closed after two rectifiers were damaged in a fire that hit the line on Thursday.

“Several technical & safety concerns prevent resumption of operations,” Cabrera said earlier in a Twitter post.

These concerns include the signaling and communications systems of the LRT-2 which monitors and controls the trains to maintain a safe operational speed and distance between trains.

He added that trains between Recto and Anonas stations were unable to return to their depot which prevented them from undergoing daily preparation and maintenance.

Meanwhile, passengers are advised to find alternative modes of transportation, Cabrera said.

In a statement on Thursday, LRTA administrator Reynaldo Berroya said the primary concern of the transit company is to determine the extent of the damage “to ascertain the ntegrity, stability, and safety of LRTA structures and facilities.”

Berroya apologized to the estimated 200,000 daily passengers of the rail line for the inconvenience the incident caused. With PNA

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Opinion

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

OceanaGold’s FTAA should not be renewed ON SEPT, 24 2019, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau endorsed the interim renewal of OceanaGold’s financial and technical assistance agreement.

The FTAA allows OceanaGold, an Australian company, to continue its mining operations in Didipio, Nueva Vizcaya after the original agreement has expired. This decision was made despite the vehement opposition of indigenous peoples, residents, and local government officials. If granted, the renewal will effectively reverse a Feb. 14, 2017 suspension order issued

In fact, the mine should be closed. by then-secretary of Environment and Natural Resources Gina Lopez. It will reward a company that has trampled national laws and local sentiment with impunity. I echo the demands of affected residents and key officials, including the Provincial Government of Nueva Vizcaya: The FTAA renewal application must be denied, and the mine should be closed.

The MGB’s support for an interim renewal of the FTAA flies in the face of reason. A 2018 report authored by the US-based Institute for Policy Studies and MiningWatch Canada documents the harm that the mine has done to the people and environment of Didipio. It analyzes independent studies conducted by international organizations, local NGOs, academic institutions, and government institutions. IPS and

MiningWatch conclude that the mine has had “significant negative impacts on water, forests, land, indigenous peoples, human rights, biodiversity, and human rights.”

I must disclose that one of the authors of the IPS report is related to me. I have also been following this mining operation in the last 25 years as an environmental justice advocate, high level environmental official, and as a law professor. In my view, applying my expertise, the findings of the 2018 report are impeccable. I summarize the key findings below.

Water: “OceanaGold is depleting and contaminating water around the mine, and damaging the watershed downstream leading into the Cagayan river.” The report shows that mining operations has harmed the surrounding environment: “Contamination of waterways near the mine impacting water quality and flora and fauna of these waterways; degradation of agricultural land in surrounding communities; impacts on human health; impacts on downstream waterways leading to the Cagayan Valley.” Many of these findings are backed by a monitoring report conducted by a 2016 Multi-partite Monitoring Team that had input from OceanaGold.

In addition, a 2017 report by the Provincial Government of Nueva Vizcaya states that the Didipio River has “twice the copper concentrate permitted for irrigation use and eight times the maximum level for the survival of organisms.”

This supports a 2017 study by the Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan) which found that the farmers in the area have had lower yields. The farmers believe that lower yields are due to the toxic contamination of the streams and rivers surrounding the mine. The contamination of surrounding bodies of

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

G

A tribute to teachers

OOD as any other time of the year, but particularly after the end of the month-long celebration where we have acclaimed the time and efforts of teachers: Those who nightly prepare lesson plans for the K-12 students and the ones who review their college modules to suit the demands of the times.

We salute the Department of Education, which had coordinated with the National Teachers Day Coordinating Council and the National Teachers Month Coordinating Council which celebrated with appropriate activities National Teachers Month from Sept. 5 to Oct. 5, with the last day as the National Teachers Day and World Teachers Day. The theme—Gurong Pilipino: Handa sa Makabagong Pagbabago—goes right down to the core that shows the challenges that must be addressed by today’s teachers.

The World Teachers Day has been observed the world over since 1994

following the UNESCO Recommendation concerning Teachers—tireless professionals who have staked much of their talent and time to help mold the young minds of future leaders and useful units of society.

They are the standout beacons in the darkness and bearers of hope that give students courage and strength, a sense of direction and purpose that would help the population become relevant members of society.

But we should never forget the educational diamond, where any student, intending to make a good run through the bases of life, begins to be at bat in the home plate.

We see the parents—the mother, alternating with the father—as the first threading machines, the first to give the children, effectively the students in their initial years and even beyond their classroom schedules— who enlighten, excite, and provoke into eventually beneficial terrains of thoughts the children and the students may go into that they may learn enough to make them valuable citizens.

It is from these first teachers where students have learned the core values of humanism, who have sans doubt given enough for an admittedly unblemished contribution to the future of the students—leaders or members of their society.

Today we join a grateful generation in acknowledging the teachers: The parents, the siblings, any relative, the parish priest, and those who have humanity in their systems inside the classrooms.

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Outrageous solutions to real problems WHEN I think of solutions to the country’s pressing problems being put forward by some government officials, I remember a joke about cockroaches.

To arrest cockroach infestation, a househelp was given an insecticide chalk, and told to write on the floor so the roaches would not enter the house.

The “kasambahay” dutifully followed the instructions. Her employer had a good laugh when she realized that her nanny wrote, “Epes, hindi ka pwedeng pumasok dito.”

This is not very different from the absurd, ridiculous, and outrageous solutions proposed by some of the “best and the brightest” in government positions. At least, in the case above, the chalk could really work against cockroaches.

Dengue has made a deadly comeback after the Dengvaxia scandal that resulted in the significant dive in vaccine confidence. At least 1,021 died in August due to the dengue epidemic. Because vaccine is no longer available despite demands from medical doctors to bring Dengvaxia back, most local government units resort to encouraging constituents to keep their surroundings clean to avoid breeding mosquitoes.

A barangay captain in Quezon City, Allan Franza, thought differently. He believed that frogs would help curb dengue by eating the mosquitoes.

He then had at least 1,000 bull frogs released in esteros. How about cleaning the esteros so the insects would not breed?

Traffic is horrible in Metro Manila.

It is a menace that makes life more difficult since ordinary employees spend an average of three to four hours a day in traffic outside of their eight-hour workday six times a week.

It is, thus, understandable why Metro Manilans are angry because of traffic.

Sadly, politicians come up with

“solutions” that make people angrier.

Rep. Edgar Erice wants to ban private vehicles on EDSA. What good will this do? This will just reroute the traffic to secondary roads where people live and more will be adversely affected. Banning private vehicles on EDSA can work IF public transport is efficient. In many countries, people do not need to regularly bring their cars because their public transportation system is efficient.

We know too well that this is not the case here.

The Filipino people deserve much, much, much better.

Not to be outdone, the PNPHighway Patrol Group (HPG) is not only back on EDSA, it has even fielded “girl friend material” female “strike force” to help ease traffic on EDSA. The women were hired significantly because of their good looks in the hope of “easing the stress” felt by drivers caught in traffic. If this is not objectifying women and using them as “entertainment” and distraction for men, I do not know what is.

Another “bright” idea to solve traffic is to make EDSA “walkable.”

This one is from Quezon City Rep. Allan Benedict Reyes who said that commuters, not private cars, will be given priority. He sees wider sidewalks that can also accommodate bikes and scooters. He imagines that people can walk from Cubao to Ortigas, which, according to him is but a short walk.

The good representative, however, did not say where public utility vehicles and cars will be made to pass. At least there was nothing in the reports on this proposal.

The jeepney modernization plan is another proposal. I agree that phasing out old jeepneys and replacing them with modern ones will help Turn to A5

Hostage I FIRST heard of tied-up loans during a congressional hearing concerning government infrastructure projects that end up utilizing the same set of contractors, consultants, etc. When asked by lawmakers how was this possible, representatives from the Department of Public Works and Highways revealed that these were conditions set by the lenders—IMFWB, ADB and other countries, for the government to avail itself of the loan.

But then, this is the first time I heard of a car loan from a bank that imposes a pre-condition obligating the borrower to utilize not just a bank-accredited insurance company but rather a specific insurance firm, leaving the borrower with no choice but to heed to the bank’s condition.

A reader narrated to us how he was made to suffer because of this bank’s pre-condition. We are not sure whether this is the bank’s official policy or just the initiative of the agent. Anyway, here’s how his story goes.

In December 2017, our reader said that Security Bank approved their car loan, on the condition that they get a five-year lock-in contract with FPG Insurance. Of course, they had to agree to the pre-condition so that their loan gets to be approved. Also, according to

him, he doesn’t expect to encounter any problem with that.

And he seemed to be right that time.

For in May 2018, after a having a minor car accident, he was able to process his insurance claim in just ten days, courtesy of a certain Melo Rivarez of FPG Insurance.

On a bank and its anointed insurance firm On the second time he was to use his car insurance, the whole scenery changed as according to him, he was given the run-around.

According to our reader, he submitted all the documentary requirements for his insurance claim last Sept. 9.

While he was able to get a reply from

Rivarez on the same day, acknowledging receipt of the documents. The latter, unfortunately got sick, thus his claim was endorsed to a certain Patrick Tolentino.

After 10 days, our reader made a follow up with Tolentino, who told him he will provide an update the following day. But four days later, he still had not received any message from Tolentino, prompting him to make a call, which Tolentino, our reader claims, deliberately ignored. Tolentino allegedly refused to answer his direct and local number.

On Sept. 27, our reader made a breakthrough, reaching a certain Rochelle Indiana who acknowledged (again) the receipt of his requirement, at the same time assuring him she would personally remind Tolentino to address his query and update him.

But as of this week, our reader claims he still has to received a feedback either from Tolentino or Indiana.

Our reader claims he has been religious in meeting his monthly amortization for his car loan and even that of his insurance policy. So, why, he asks, is he being made to suffer because of the bank’s pre-condition on the choice of car insurance firm?

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Opinion Mail Matters

Who is the real obstructionist here?

PLEASE allow us to set the record straight, to disabuse the minds of your readers and the public regarding the column of Mr. Ernesto Hilario in the Manila Standard’s Oct. 4, 2019 issue.

In his column, Mr. Hilario extensively quotes statements from the House Speaker and his deputies, including the accusation that Senator Panfilo M. Lacson is an obstructionist "out to derail the reform programs of President Duterte."

Nothing could be further from the truth.

On the aborted plan to provide P1.5 billion for each of the 22 deputy speakers and P700 million for each district, Senator Lacson made clear the information came from some of his sources in the House of Representatives, and that the plan did not push through because some House members did not

agree with it.

Also, Senator Lacson warned of a possible violation of the 1987 Constitution if the House approved its version of the budget bill on third and final reading but made amendments afterward. Art. VI, Sec. 26 of the Constitution provides that "upon the last reading of a bill, no amendment thereto shall be allowed."

Who, then, is the real “obstructionist” here? One who points out potential violations of the law, including the highest law of the land, to prevent the passage of an unconstitutional measure? Or one who not only seeks to ignore the warning, but also resorts to drown it out through innuendoes?

But what seems more interesting is that Mr. Hilario seems to have copied parts of his column from J. Albert Gamboa in the Manila Bulletin’s

business section (Oct. 3, 2019), to put it politely. Did he and Gamboa engage in copy-paste column writing, or did they just happen to have a "common source"?

The budget bill is now with the Senate. Rest assured the senator will pore through it with a fine-toothed comb. And as the senator has said, he would be the happiest person if the budget indeed contains no pork.

Senator Lacson shares the commitment to make Congress responsive to the needs of the Filipino people. Part of that commitment is to make sure corruption—including pork—has no place in the national budget, which is the lifeblood of our nation.

Joel Locsin Media Relations Officer Office of Senator Panfilo M. Lacson

Ninja cops: When truth is stranger than fiction MANY of us used to get annoyed with the contrived storylines of local movies or teleplays but some homegrown filmmakers have mustered enough creativity to come up with more meaningful narratives that the viewers actually relate to.

One example is this popular teleserye adaptation of Fernando Poe Jr.’s original “Probinsyano” that tackles Cardo Dalisay’s bloody crusade against corruption of politicians and crooked policemen, as well as activities of crime syndicates. Many have been entertained, no longer disappointed with the actionpacked adventure of the underdog hero.

But the recent events, particularly the revelations in the ongoing Senate inquiry into the activities of so-called ninja cops, have come as a shocking news to the public in the wake of the Bureau of Corrections parole racket scandal.

OceanaGold’s...

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waters has significant consequences not only for the residents of Didipio, but all Filipinos.

The Provincial Government declared that the Cagayan Valley is a “consistent agricultural achiever” that “provides 13 percent of the country’s palay and 22 percent of the national corn supply.” The mine, which is located at the Addalam River that flows into the Cagayan River, endangers the Cagayan Valley’s status as the breadbasket of the Philippines.

Forests: “OceanaGold has failed in its obligations around reforestation.”

Researchers have found that OceanaGold’s reforestation sites fall far short of its obligations under the FTAA. For example, most of the trees are too small to survive or are already dying.

Furthermore, its tendency to replace cut down native hardwoods with plantation species puts into question the company’s commitment to reforestation. In fact, the authors estimate that “estimate that over 100 native hardwood trees have died in the effluent of the OceanaGold’s tailings

Outrageous...

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minimize breakdowns, and maybe, even accidents on the road. However, making poor drivers and operators pay P2.2 million for a unit of jeepney is outrageous. Few middle class families are able to afford cars this expensive, what makes government think that ordinary operators and drivers can?

And there is the “smart” idea from Ariston Gorospe, a former PAGCOR consultant, to implement a coding scheme based on the make of vehicles.

He hopes to reduce traffic by this.

How? It is unclear.

Even President Rodrigo Duterte seems to have given up on the traffic problem which he promised to solve in six months after being elected into office. While the riding public continues to suffer in traffic, there are other major problems that equally need real solutions.

Recently, an American woman was caught in the airport trying to smuggle an infant out of the country. She hid the baby in an oversized belt bag. To

It has implicated ranking police officials including General Oscar Albayalde, Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), based on testimonies of Director General Aaron Aquino of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and retired P/General Benjamin Magalong, now Baguio City mayor.

“Ninja cops” are policemen who “recycle” confiscated illegal drugs, particularly shabu (crystal meth) worth billions of pesos, reselling them to druglords and drug traffickers.

Albayalde was implicated for allegedly protecting and coddling several ninja cops among his men when he was the Provincial Police Office chief in Pampanga.

It’s unbelievable and truly disgusting that once again, we have a PNP chief now under fire for allegations of criminal involvement. But, how can one question the statements of the PDEA chief and Magalong who, ironically are Albayalde's upperclassmen at the Philippine Military Academy.

And while this column was being written, President Rodrigo Duterte

disclosed during his trip in Russia that at least two other police generals are still actively engaged in illegal drugs trafficking.

It will be recalled that former P/ General Alan Purisima was under suspension in connection with a graft case in 2015 prior to commanding Oplan Exodus which resulted in the massacre of 44 Special Action Force commandos in Mamasapano.

These exposé on Ninja Cops might appear like a page ripped from “Probinsyano’s” script but these truly poetic events simply show that truth is stranger than fiction.

It’s funny that in the same blockbuster teleserye, a character named Lily Cortez (portrayed by Lorna Tolentino), a presidential adviser who seduces the president to protect her illegal actitivities. Now a lady Cabinet member is being likened to the voluptuous matrona Lily Cortez after the former engaged President Duterte in a contrived conversation to defend herself from allegations of corruption.

We'll see in the next episode if truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

impoundment...”

Land: “OceanaGold has disregarded the provincial land use plan, has committed illegal land conversion, and has operated in areas beyond its approved project area.” To begin with, the Nueva Vizcaya provincial land use plan disallows mining within its jurisdiction. Additionally, there are hectares of alienable and disposable lands within the area covered by the FTAA. These lands, however, can only be used for non-agricultural purposes if it undergoes a process of land conversion.

No Order of Conversion has been issued by the Department of Agrarian Reform. The Provincial Government also found that OceanaGold has violated its Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC): “Upon examination of the project map as laid out within given coordinates on the Google Earth, it becomes apparent that OGPI has encroached on areas beyond the extent of the approved project area as determined in the existing ECC, albeit within the FTAA tenement.” The expansion of the mining area can only be done requires a new ECC application. There has been no application.

Chemicals: OceanaGold has not disclosed what chemicals have been used or released in the mine. There is reason to believe that toxic chemicals have affected surrounding bodies of water. OceanaGold, however, has not been forthcoming with its hazardous waste management protocol. They have not disclosed the chemicals that have been used. They have not named the “DENR-EMB accredited treaters and transporters” that supposedly handled its hazardous wastes. The IPS-MiningWatch report states: “The damage to trees in the tailings pond and impacts on water quality and biota downstream suggests that chemicals used in, or released through processing, are dangerous to the health of surface waters as well as potentially to groundwater.”

In the next column, on Tuesday, I will cite other findings of the Institute for Policy Studies and MiningWatch Canada report that show conclusively that the OceanGold FTAA must not be renewed.

prevent this from being repeated and also catch those trying to smuggle illegal goods, Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Ed Monreal and the Department of Transportation are studying the possibility of having passengers unload the contents of their baggages at airport security checks.

This idea created an uproar online.

People are outraged that officials do not seem to care about the discomfort, delay, and difficulties doing this will cause travelers and the entire airport operations. As it is, one has to allocate at least four hours (including time in traffic) to be on time for one’s flight.

If passengers are required to unpack all luggages for security checks and then repack everything, chaos in airports will be unimaginable. This will not solve problems. This will create more trouble.

Just as people were protesting this, here comes the Chair of the National Youth Commission with the very smart recommendation to have separate classes for female and male students TO ARREST TEENAGE PREGNANCY. This is outright stupid. Obviously,

the NYC Chair does not understand the seriousness and complexities of the problem. Does he seriously believe that separate classes for girls and boys will prevent them from having unprotected sex and, thus, prevent teenage pregnancy? Instead of this ridiculous recommendation, why does he not demand from the Department of Education the full implementation of sexuality and reproductive health education? Why does he not call for the provision of access to RH services for minors?

Truly, these government officials should be careful with their “solutions” to real problems experienced by our people. If they, themselves are not competent, they surely have the resources to hire capable staff and consultants to do their research for them and guide them in the formulation of effective and responsive solutions to the country’s problems.

The Filipino people pay for their services including all the perks they enjoy. The country and the people deserve better, MUCH BETTER.

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Marcos loss makes Duterte a lameduck president demanded the posting of P36-million protest free, the classmate knew the petitioner would have difficulty withdrawing that amount in so short a time. PET purposely issued that order on a Holy Week so that the banks would be closed. The petitioner was THE dismissal of the election protest only given two days to comply and that filed by Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos was without extension. Another was Jr. against Maria Leonora Robredo the time to post the required protest carries deeper political implications. As free. The time to file given appears one columnist said, the draft decision whimsical and arbitrary. Even if the penned by a shameless classmate of Supreme Court sets its time to file the the former but lackluster president, and required bond, it sees to it that litigants who is now head of the Presidential are equally accorded time to comply Electoral Tribunal, was intentionally and not to break the rule. leaked to put his colleagues in the But that was not in the mind of Supreme Court on the defensive. the classmate who was dead set in According to Rigoberto Tiglao, the wanting to derail the petition. Third, draft decision “dismissed” the petition. the ingratiating classmate ordered In effect, the magistrates will be forced petitioner Marcos to produce 8,000 to accept the shoddy decision without witnesses in the province of Lanao del touching the merits of the cause of Sur, Maguindanao and Basilan within action raised by the petitioner. In that, five days, non-extendable. There was one could surmise that the decision to malice knowing that it is not easy to dismiss is nothing more but glaring a gather 8,000 witnesses to testify on case of “gag*han.” behalf of the petitioner. Paradoxically, With utmost the classmate indulgence, forgot that he is the the decision same magistrate would be some who also gave a Will Robredo succeed go-signal to allow kind of judicial debauchery. The in her grand design? former communist Court is dutyrebels, terrorists, bound to make a detainees and decision. It is its those who claimed formal reply to to have suffered “human rights” the valid cause of action raised by the violations be compensated without petitioner. The court has to decide; to any of them testifying in court and say otherwise would be equivalent to executing affidavit in support of their telling the petitioner that no election claim, except for their signature as took place in November 2016. The huge alleged victims paid by the government amount of protest fee paid to the PET and not by their alleged oppressor. just for it to do its work would now have Objectively, the reason why Robredo the effect of an “extortionary” fee. The is determined to hang on to her position classmate should be reminded that the is the fear that a reversal of the decision issue is beyond the proper counting of could delay her timetable to capture the ballots to determine who actually political power. Invariably, affirming won. It will validate our democracy to her victory could reduce Duterte to which the yellow hypocrites have been being a lameduck president. Both shouting as their political mantra. local and foreign investors will have There is law and logic to this second thoughts in going ahead with argument; when the court demands those projects like the construction from the petitioner a fee for his of new airports to promote tourism, a protest or for a recount of the votes, it rehabilitation of our railway line in Bicol equally promises to litigants to do its and a new one Mindanao to provide easy assignment. Failing to do this, the court access in the delivery of agricultural is morally obligated to reimburse the products, construction of new dams whole amount. This explains why this to improve our water system, the shameless classmate of the one who breaking up of the telecommunications appointed him to that majestic court industry by allowing another party to cannot just dismiss the petition without join the industry, and the building of touching on the merits of the case. more bridges and new one along Pasig To deny that would amount to River, the assurance to import our absolving the respondent of all the fruits and agricultural products to help financial liabilities poured into her our farmers. office while she coyly pretends to Some suspect President Duterte be the elected vice president. Aside is wavering whether or not to throw from the fact that the dismissal meant support in the bid of petitioner she is not guilty of the anomaly that for the vice presidency as a way transpired, the court then becomes an to ensure the continuity of his active party to this blatant swindling of administration.

Admittedly, the litigants protesting the electoral fraud Duterte administration has similarity committed on them by the political to the Marcos administration in many rascals. ways. His independent foreign policy To quote columnist Tiglao of the and populist economic approach to causes of action: “Marcos filed three economic development have made other causes of action, each of which him overwhelmingly popular. But if could invalidate Robredo’s slim margin he deviates from this line, that could of 263,473 votes, which are totally reignite the possibility of another Edsa independent from the examination of to justify by extra-constitutional means votes in a set of precincts in Camarines to scuttle all the programs initiated and Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental. These entered into by the Duterte government. are the following: Surely and expectedly, Robredo will “First, that the certificates of canvas revive the arbitration court decision were not authentic and came from to instantly renew the country’s tampered votes counting machines… antagonism with China, viz. to the Second, that there was massive delight of the US. Our shift to the fraud in Basilan, Lanao del Sur, and old geopolitical order would be Maguindanao such that there was devastating and costly. The viability no valid in those places. And third, and effectiveness of the five US that there as malfunctioning of vote military bases could be revived, seeing counting machine in 22 provinces and them as our best deterrence against five highly urbanized cities. The PET China. Particularly, pro-American which is presided by the classmate lackeys will drumbeat alleged the hasn’t even started an investigation of encroachment by China over some of the cause’s action.” the islands in the South China Sea. According to Tiglao: “How could There is also the possibility that the Robredo claim that the Marcos protest memorandum of understanding the has been dismissed?” country entered into with China could There is no doubt there was be dropped to affect our exploitation of manipulation to purposely delay the natural gas and oil in the Reed Bank. promulgation of the decision. This This means we will back to getting alone is an indelible marking that crumbs as our share in the exploitation something fishy happened in the of our own resources. recounting process to favor the party Should Robredo succeed in who proclaimed herself as the defender her grand-design with the active of freedom of democracy. Respondent sponsorship of the US, all the plans Robredo cannot admit the third cause of President Duterte will all end in a of action—that there has been a junkyard. The grim prospect is not malfunctioning of the ballot counting about the non-viability of the projects machines owned by Smartmatic. but of the startling truth that she is the PET cannot admit this allegation for next leader being groomed by the US to that would fall flat on their face that lead under the renewed auspices of pax allegedly the counting machines are Americana. foolproof.

For instance, when the PET rpkapunan@gmail.com

Hostage From A4

We believe that not only does that constitute unfair trade competition, but it also hold the borrower hostage to whichever insurance firm Security Banks imposes on its borrowers.

“Magtiis kayo” seems to be the motto of Security Bank for its borrowers who want to avail of their insurance claims from the bank’s chosen one—FPG Insurance. It seems Security Bank doesn’t care a bit what kind of service

FPG is according the bank’s clients.

After all, the loan has been made, the bank is earning interest from that loan, and the loan is insured by no less than its chosen one.

Before it starts losing clients due to its chosen insurance firm’s incompetence, Security Bank better address this issue.

If it cannot compel FPG to provide better services to the clients they refer to them, then, there’s no other recourse but to kick them out.

This space is open should the bank or its insurance provider want to make a clarification on the matter.

A6

News

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Agri stakeholders support rice safeguards T

HE five coalition Agri Fisheries Alliance fully supports Agriculture Secretary William Dar’s immediate implementation of safeguard measures that will increase the rice tariff from the current 35- percent level to a level beneficial for both farmers and consumers.

The AFA is composed of five sectors: farmers and fisherfolk, (Alyansa Agrikultura-AA), agribusiness (Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc.PCAFI), science and technology (Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the PhilippinesCAMP), rural women (Pambansang Kilusan ng Kababaihan sa Kanayunan-PKKK), and multisectors (Agrifisheries 2025– AF2025). They support the appropriate level to be determined

ORGANIC ACT. Presiding over the Committee on Agriculture and Food’s hearing on the amendments to the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, Senator Cynthia Villar stressed the need to amend the law to institutionalize Participatory Guarantee System, an alternative third party certification to help small organic farmers compete in the local and global market. Photo also shows Kauswagan Mayor Rommel Arnado (center), one of the resource persons. Lino Santos Manila

Standard

TODAY

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

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE ANCILLARY SERVICES PROCUREMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE NATIONAL GRID CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES AND SPC ISLAND POWER CORPORATION, WITH PRAYER FOR THE ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY. NATIONAL GRID CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES AND SPC ISLAND POWER CORPORATION, Applicants. x-----------------------------------------------------------x

3 are as follows:

Applicants submit that the rates represent a reasonable recovery of its opportunity cost in making available generation capacity to provide the procured AS.

15.

The rates under ASPA was subjected to a simulation by NGCP, the results of which are as follows: Ancillary Service PDPP 1 Dispatchable Reserve PDPP 3 Dispatchable Reserve * Contingency Reserve w/o Pmin * Contingency Reserve w/ Pmin

Applicant SIPC is a corporation duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines with principal place of business at 7th Floor Citibank Center, 8741 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City. It may be served with orders, notices, and other legal processes through its undersigned counsel. It is the owner and operator of the Panay Diesel Power Plants 1 and 3 (“Generation Facility”) located at Dingle, Iloilo City which was certified and accredited by NGCP to be capable of providing Ancillary Services (“AS”) in the forms of, among others, Contingency Reserve (“CR”) and Dispatchable Reserve (“DR”).

ANTECEDENT FACTS Republic Act No. 9136 (“EPIRA”) provides that it is the responsibility of NGCP to ensure and maintain the reliability, adequacy, security, stability and integrity of the nationwide electrical grid in accordance with the performance standards for its operations and maintenance, as set forth in the Philippine Grid Code (“PGC”)2, adopted and promulgated by the Honorable Commission, and to adequately serve generation companies, distribution utilities and suppliers requiring transmission service and/or ancillary services through the transmission system.3

5.

Similarly, the PGC provides that NGCP is responsible for determining, acquiring, and dispatching the capacity needed to supply the required Grid AS and for developing and proposing Wheeling Charges and AS tariffs to the ERC.4

6.

AS as defined in Section 4(b) of the EPIRA “refer to those services that are necessary to support the transmission of capacity and energy from resources to loads while maintaining reliable operation of the transmission system in accordance with good utility practice and the Grid Code to be adopted in accordance with this Act.” These services are essential in ensuring reliability in the operation of the transmission system and consequently, in the reliability of the electricity supply in the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao grids.

An initial evaluation of the instant application discloses that the ASPA entered into by and between NGCP and SIPC will redound to the benefit of the consumers in terms of continuous, reliable, efficient and affordable power supply as mandated by the EPIRA [Section 2. Declaration of Policy - (b) “to ensure the quality, reliability, security and affordability of the supply of electric power].

WHEREFORE, the foregoing premises considered, the Commission hereby PROVISIONALLY APPROVES the application filed by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and SPC Island Power Corporation (SIPC) for the approval of their Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement (ASPA), subject to the following conditions:

Consistent with the AS-CRM, all the related and incidental expenses which NGCP will incur as a result of the procurement and operation of the ancillary services shall be recovered from all the load customers in the Visayas.

17.

The ASPA shall be effective for a period of five (5) years, to commence immediately upon the effectivity of the provisional approval, or in the absence thereof, the final approval of the instant Application. In the event that the provisional or final approval, as the case may be, does not state a particular date of effectivity, the Agreement shall be effective on the date agreed upon by the Parties.

18.

SIPC, as a generation company, falls within the ambit of Sections 6 of the EPIRA. Attached are copies of relevant documents proving SIPC’s due registration as a generation company, relevant permits to operate the Generation Facility and audited financial statements, as follows:

Due to the necessity of extending the services of providing the same ancillary services, the Applicants again entered into a new ASPA. NGCP agreed to procure and SIPC agreed to supply AS in the forms of CR (non-firm contracted capacity) and DR (firm and non-firm contracted capacities). A copy of the Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement between NGCP and SIPC dated 3 July 2019 (with Addendum to the ASPA of SIPC - Clarification on Schedules 1 and 3 dated 25 July 2019) is attached as Annex “A”.

20.

As mentioned above, the Honorable Commission has already declared that there is a necessity for NGCP to procure the contracted ancillary services capacity of SIPC to maintain the reliability of the operation of the transmission system and electricity supply in the Visayas Grid.

21.

SIPC must continue to provide the current contracted ancillary services beyond the 2013 ASPA to maintain the reliability of the power grid. Based on the current levels of available contracted AS in the Visayas Grid, the firm contracted AS have not yet met the required levels of the ASPP. The copies of the relevant actual data and its corresponding graphical presentations showing the required and available levels of AS in the Visayas Grid, entitled: Visayas Contingency Reserve Availability and Visayas Dispatchable Reserve Availability are attached hereto as Annexes “J” and “J-1”, respectively.

22.

NGCP must be guaranteed that there are available AS on a daily basis to assure reliability of the grid. There is no assurance that the non-firm capacities would be available when needed. NGCP cannot gamble on this chance. As the grid operator, the contracted capacity of SIPC, especially its firm capacities, are greatly needed.

23.

Thus, NGCP and SIPC agreed to execute another ASPA for a period of another five years. With this ASPA, the Visayas Grid is assured of AS until 2024.

24.

Also, as the demand for power in the Visayas increases, the requirements of the system to ensure stability, reliability and security likewise increases. Ensuring the integrity of the system is essential to protect the interests of the public. The absence of system reliability and stability will certainly discourage investments and growth.

25.

Applicants respectfully submit that the immediate approval of the ASPA by this Honorable Commission is a necessity to maintain the reliability, adequacy, security, stability and integrity of the Visayas Grid. In support of these allegations, NGCP submits a copy of the Judicial Affidavit of Engr. Riza C. Ereño of the Revenue and Regulatory Affairs Department of NGCP, which is attached as Annex “K”.

PRAYER

WHEREFORE, premises considered, Applicants respectfully pray that the Honorable Commission:

For PDPP 1: Under Accreditation No. 2019-V0016

CR (Manual Mode) Charlie - 7.0MW; Echo - 7.0MW; Golf - 8.0MW; Hotel 8.0MW DR (Manual Mode) Charlie - 12.0MW; Echo - 12.0MW; Golf - 13.0MW; Hotel -13·0MW

A.

Firm Contracted Capacity:

b)

APPROVE, after notice and hearing, the subject ASPA.

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following: 1)

The petitioner’s name and address;

2)

The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and

3)

A statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file their Opposition or Comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before Applicants rest their case, subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following:

Panay Diesel Power Plant (PDPP) 1:

1)

The name and address of such person;

Dispatchable Reserve (Tertiary Reserve) - up to 10MW, 24hrs

2)

A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and

3)

The grounds relied upon.

However, in the meantime that the 230kV Cebu Negros Panay backbone is not yet completed, NGCP may schedule the Service Provider only during hours when the Dispatchable Reserve capacity will not be subject to transmission line constraint. Once the transmission line constraints are addressed by the transmission upgrades, the Service Provider shall be scheduled for 24 hours.

B.

Immediately ISSUE a provisional authority to implement the subject ASPA executed on 3 July 2019 (with Addendum to the ASPA of SIPC - Clarification on Schedules 1 and 3 dated 25 July 2019); and

The Commission has set the Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, Pre-trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on 23 October 2019 (Wednesday) at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00 A.M.), at Seda Atria, Pison Avenue, Atria Park District San Rafael, Mandurriao Iloilo City.

FIRM AND NON-FIRM CONTRACTED CAPACITY RATE AND IMPACT SIMULATION Under Clause 3 of the ASPA, SIPC shall provide NGCP with the following AS as specified in Schedule 1 of the ASPA, follows:

a)

Applicants pray for other just and equitable relief.

The copies of NGCP Accreditation Certificate Nos. 2019-V0016 and 2019-V0017 both dated 5 April 2019 are attached as Annexes “B” and “B-1”, respectively.

c.

Non-Firm Contracted Capacity: PDPP 1:

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

(This space is intentionally left blank.)

Dispatchable Reserve (Tertiary Reserve) - up to 5.0MW If Non-Firm DR is not scheduled, the unscheduled unit may serve as a standby replacement unit in case a scheduled unit for Firm DR becomes unavailable.

“I”

It is a declared policy of the State to ensure the quality, reliability, security and affordability of the supply of electric power (Section 2(b), EPIRA). To this end, there is a need to comply with the system requirements for AS to ensure grid system security and reliability. As mentioned above, NGCP has the mandate to procure the required AS.

During the period of negotiation, NGCP conducted several tests on the Generation Facility, and certified that the generating units have met and complied with the Standard Ancillary Services Technical Requirements of the ASPP as capable of providing:

For PDPP 3: Under Accreditation No. 2019-V0017

Annex “D” “E” “F” “G” “H”

19.

xxx”

b.

0.0665 0.0377 0.1253

ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF THE PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

“The Commission believes that the contracted Ancillary Services capacity is needed to augment the deficiency in the Ancillary Services reserve capacity. This will ensure reliability in the operation of the transmission system and the electricity supply in the Visayas Grid.

DR (Manual Mode) Unit 2 - 5.0MW; Unit 3 - 5.0MW; Unit 5 - 5.0MW

0.0168

32.8594 18.6105 61.8754

16.

On 4 September 2013, the Applicants filed an application for the approval of its ASPA dated 18 April 2013 docketed as ERC Case No. 2013-181RC. Through the Order dated 11 November 2013, the Honorable Commission provisionally approved the application, viz:.

a.

8.2836

731.38 414.23 1,377.21

While SIPC is a co-applicant, it manifests that the instant Application shall neither modify, diminish or constitute a waiver of SIPC’s rights nor expand its obligations and responsibilities as a generation company under EPIRA.

Pursuant to its mandate, NGCP on different dates published in newspapers of general circulation a Notice of Invitation for Prospective Ancillary Services Providers, inviting all grid-connected merchant plants and independent power producers to participate in the provision of ancillary services.

11.

184.37

Document Certificate of Compliance (COC No. 16-11-M-00286hhV Summary of Existing Power Supply “E” Agreement Certificate of Incorporation (SEC Reg. No. “F” A200106300) 2019 General Information Sheet Audited Financial Statement (for the year ended 31 December 2018) Certification issued by Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines, Inc., dated 25 October 2018

In order to implement and regulate the procurement of AS, the Honorable Commission approved the Ancillary Services Procurement Plan (“ASPP”) through its Order dated 9 March 2006 in ERC Case No. 2002-253 and the Ancillary ServicesCost Recovery Mechanism (“AS-CRM”) through its Decision dated 3 October 2007 in ERC Case No. 2006-049RC.

10.

Indicative Rate Impact Php/kWPhp/kWh month equivalent

A copy of the Rate Impact Simulation for SPC Island Power Corporation - Panay Diesel Power Plants 1 & 3 (SIPC - PDPP 1 & 3) is attached as Annex “C”.

Applicant NGCP is a corporation created and existing under the laws of the Philippines, with office address at NGCP Building, Quezon Avenue corner BIR Road, Diliman, Quezon City. It holds a franchise under Republic Act No. 95111 to engage in the business of conveying or transmitting electricity through highvoltage back-bone systems of interconnected transmission lines, substations and related facilities, and for other purposes. The franchise also includes the conduct of activities necessary to support the safe and reliable operation of the transmission system.

4.

Cost, Php Mn

*For comparison only

THE PARTIES

9.

Incidental Energy Cost

14.

This Application is for the approval of the Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement (“ASPA”) between the NGCP and SIPC dated 3 July 2019, pursuant to the Decision dated 3 October 2007 in ERC Case No. 2006-049RC entitled: “In the Matter of the Application for the Approval of Ancillary Services - Cost Recovery Mechanism (AS-CRM) of the Ancillary Services Procurement Plan, with Prayer for Provisional Authority.”

8.

C.

IEDR = {[G* (AR + Fuel + VOM)] - REVWESM-G}

The pertinent provisions of the said Application are hereunder quoted as follows:

7.

Non-Firm Contracted Capacity Applicable Rate: 1. Contingency Reserve (CR): PhP2.25/kW/hr (max) 2. Dispatchable Reserve (DR): PhP1.25/kW/hr (max) xxx

IECR = {[G* (AR + Fuel + VOM)] - REVWESM-G} + {[PminCR * (Fuel + VOM)] - REVWESM-PminCR}

Notice is hereby given that on 16 August 2019, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and SPC Island Power Corporation (SIPC) filed an Application, seeking the Commission’s approval of their Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement, with prayer for the issuance of provisional authority.

3.

B.

Cost of Incidental Energy (“IE”) shall be computed using the formula below:

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

2.

Firm Contracted Capacity Applicable Rate: 1. Dispatchable Reserve (DR): PhP0.85/kW/hr

ERC CASE NO. 2019-061 RC

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

1.

A.

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson and CEO AGNES VST DEVANADERA and the Honorable Commissioners CATHERINE P. MACEDA, and PAUL CHRISTIAN M. CERVANTES, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 24th day of September 2019 in Pasig City.

2 3

13.

The Applicable Rates for the capacity covered by the ASPA as provided in Schedule

4

MMDA gives green light to DPWH for road repairs

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metro Manila Development Authority on Friday gave the Department of Public Works and Highways the go-ahead to resume weekend road repairs.

The DPWH National Capital Region chief Ador Canlas said his office secured clearance from the MMDA to conduct the repairs on various roads in National Capital Region beginning Friday night until this Monday.

Road repairs will be undertaken at five road sections of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue which include the southbound direction from Magallanes-Baclaran Bus Stop to Magallanes-Alabang Bus Stop, outer lane; from Camp Crame Gate 1 to MRT Annapolis Station, 2nd lane from sidewalk; and from Roosevelt Avenue to Bulacan Street, 3rd lane from sidewalk; and at the northbound direction from Gate 4 to Gate 3, 2nd lane from center island; and after Aurora Boulevard to New York Street,

3rd lane from sidewalk.

Reblocking and repair works will also be done at the northbound direction of C-5 Road/Katipunan Avenue after C. P. Garcia Street, truck lane; and A. Bonifacio Avenue from Marvex Drive to Balingasa, 1st lane from sidewalk; at the westbound direction of General Luis Street from Samote Street to SB Diversion Road; at the eastbound direction of Quirino Highway from Salvia Street to before Belfast Road, inner lane; and Elliptical Road after Maharlika Street, 7th lane from outer sidewalk; and at the southbound direction of Gregorio Araneta Avenue (G. Araneta) from Baloy Street to Landragon Street, 2nd lane from sidewalk.

Motorists are advised to take possible alternate routes due to expected traffic slowdowns in areas with road repair activities.

At the same time, the MMDA reactivated its Children’s Road Safety Park in Adriatico, Manila, a special project for children to learn and understand road safety and traffic discipline.

SSS taps coops, microfinance Manila

DEED OF Standard EXTRAJUDICIAL

TODAY SETTLEMENT OF

ESTATE WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS Notice is hereby given to the public that an Extra-Judicial Settlement has been executed by the heirs of the late MARIANO CARMONA RAMIREZ, namely: Emelina B. Ramirez, widow, Jonathan B. Ramirez, married, Rammel B. Ramirez married, Criselda R. Carmona, married, Elmar B. Ramirez, married, and Sheryl B. Ramirez-Maderazo, married all of legal age, over personal and real properties, per deed executed on 22 November 2018 before Notary Public Atty. Ben John A. Maralit Doc. No. 190; Page No. 38; Book No.11; Series of 2018

(MS-OCT. 5/12/19, 2019)

DEED OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH WAIVER OF RIGHTS

(MS-OCT 5 & 12, 2019)

(MS-OCT. 5, 2019)

JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT Oversight Commissioner for the Legal Service

1

MANILA Water has asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling imposing fines and order to comply with its undertaking under the Republic Act 9275 or the Clean Water Act. In a 55-page motion for reconsideration dated Oct. 2, Manila Water, through lawyer Alejandro Alfonso Navarro, urged the court to consider remanding the controversy to the Court of Appeals or the Office of the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources or any appropriate government agency to determine unresolved factual issues, including their liabilities and correct fines.

The company argued that contrary to the findings of the Court, the petitioner complied with the provisions of Section 8 of the Clean Water Act .

The concessionaires have claimed that the delay was not entirely their fault citing the law’s requirement for local government units to provide support water treatment facilities that can be connected to the concessionaires’ systems.

Last August, the SC affirmed the Court of Appeals’ ruling, which found Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, Maynilad and Manila Water liable for violation of Section 8 of the Philippine Clean Water Act particularly its provision requiring MWSS and the two concessionaires to provide waste water treatment facilities and to connect sewage lines in all establishments, including households, to an available sewerage system within five years upon the effectivity of R.A. 9275 on March 6, 2004.

In the ruling, the SC directed Maynilad and MWSS to pay P900 million, and Manila Water and MWSS another P900 million for noncompliance with the law. PNA

An Act Granting the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines a Franchise To Engage in the Business of Conveying or Transmitting Electricity Through High Voltage Back-Bone System of Interconnected Transmission Lines, Substations and Related Facilities, and for other Purposes; Section 9 (c); Section 9 (d); Section 6.3.1.2;

Contingency Reserve (Primary Reserve) - up to 30MW Dispatchable Reserve (Tertiary Reserve) - up to 50MW

Note that the capacities listed above are in the maximum ancillary service capacities that can be provided from each generating unit. However, nomination and scheduling of capacities shall be based on the latest AS Certificates.

Manila Water asks SC to reconsider ruling

Notice is hereby given to the public that an Extra-Judicial Settlement has been executed by the heirs of the late MARIANO CARMONA RAMIREZ, namely: Emelina B. Ramirez, widow, Jonathan B. Ramirez, married, Rammel B. Ramirez married, Criselda R. Carmona, married, Elmar B. Ramirez, married, and Sheryl B. Ramirez, married all of legal age, over personal and real properties, per deed executed on 27 August 2019 before Notary Public Atty. Ben John A. Maralit Doc. No. 320; Page No. 66; Book No.13; Series of 2019

PDPP 3:

xxx If scheduled as CR, it can no longer be scheduled for DR.

guard Measures Act.’” AA chairman Ernesto Ordoñez added: “We do not want a repeat of the mistake during the 1990’s when we agreed to the too rapid tariff reduction without giving the farmers the necessary support services and the WTO- approved by the Department of Agricul- safeguard measures.”

He cited the Department of ture following World Trade Organization and Philippine law Agriculture Sept. 9 national survey where imported rice with the (RA 8800).

PCAFI president Danilo 35-percent tariff caused farmgate Fausto said in a statement: “The wet palay prices in Regions 2, 3, rice farmers are suffering too 11 averaged P12.10 a kilo, barely much from the 35-percent tariff, above the P12 production cost.

CAMP chairman Emil Javier which is too low and results in their earning significantly below favored measures like cash transfers and assistance in credit, techthe poverty level.

“We therefore ask for the nology, and marketing.

But he emphasised the safeguard implementation of Section 10 of the Rice Tariffication Law, measure of increased tariff, which CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK which states: ‘In order to pro- must be temporary and decreased tect the Philippine rice industry at a fast pace when the missing supfrom sudden or extreme fluc- port mechanisms are in place.

The AA stated it rejected calls for tuations, a special safeguard duty on rice shall be imposed a return to government rice import in accordance with RA 8800, monopoly, and supports food secuotherwise known as the Safe- rity instead of food self-sufficiency.

MORE than 50 cooperatives and associations nationwide joined the state-run Social Security System on its fourth Multi-Sectoral Forum which aims to promote SSS programs for self-employed workers in the informal sector.

SSS president and Chief Executive Officer Aurora Ignacio said the multi-sectoral event was an opportunity to look for potential partners in bringing social security protection to informal sector workers from far-flung areas.

“SSS conducts this kind of forum to further reach out to one of the most vulnerable sectors of our economy.

We at SSS, believe that the informal sector, like any other private working Filipino, should be protected from the hazards of the sudden loss of income due to sickness, disability, death or retirement,” Ignacio said in a statement.

Aside from the organized groups, national government agencies namely Securities and Exchange Commission-Microfinance Institutions and attached agencies under the Department of Agriculture like Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources were also represented.

“It is unfortunate that our farmers and fisherfolks, who feed 104.9-million Filipinos, are the most vulnerable workers in the economy due to the rapidly changing climate and various pests and diseases which greatly affect their productivity and income. That is why we also invited our colleagues from the government sector to let them know that SSS is here to help them in times of financial contingencies through SSS membership,” SSS Executive Vice President for Branch Operations Sector Judy Frances See said during the event on behalf of PCEO Ignacio last Sept. 30.

Sports

A7

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Voyagers back in orbit; Iloilo, Navotas win

‘Play with the Masters’ seniors’ golf at Villamor A SENIORS’ golf tournament, aptly dubbed “Play with the Masters” and put up by the many-time Philippine Masters champion no less, will be held on Oct. 23 in what has long been considered been considered as the home of The Masters —Villamor Golf Club.

Senior Professional Golfers Association of the Philippines (SPGA) president Robert Pactolerin, who dominated PH golf during his prime with multiple Phl Masters crowns stacked in his trophy cabinet, is spearheading the staging of the 18hole tournament open to all senior pros 50-years-old-and-above which will also feature the rising and leading amateur players in the men’s and ladies ranks.

Cash prizes plus gift items will be up for grabs in the centerpiece seniors pro division while trophies and prizes will be staked in the amateur side of the event backed by Ellesse, RMN Media and Marketing Ventures, Seven Echo, Serve Well and GCAP Ventures Philippines.

Entry fee is P3,500 for the amateurs, inclusive of green fee, caddie and meal. For tickets and reservations, call Robert at 0977-139-8071 or Ben at 0956-812-0099.

Proceeds of the tournament will be used to fund the training and upgrading of the senior pros’ teaching skills.

Aside from Pactolerin, who last won on the Philippine Golf Tour in Bacolod in 2011, others seeing action in the event aimed at helping the country’s senior pros are Mario Siodina, Caloy Nival and Mario Manubay, who like Pactolerin is a former Philippine Open champion.

Meanwhile, the amateur category will have two categories—the regular 54-years-old-and-below and the seniors 55-years-old-and-above to be classified under Classes A, B and C to be played under the System 36 scoring format.

The top three finishers, along with those in women’s play, will receive trophies and merchandise items.

Tee-off is at 6 a.m. with one pro and three amateurs making up each flight.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic serves during the men’s singles quarterfinal match against France’s Lucas Pouille at the Japan Open tennis tournament in Tokyo. AFP

Novak stuns Japan Open with machine-like tennis T OKYO—World number one Novak Djokovic on Friday put on a stunning show of supremacy at the Japan Open with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Lucas Pouille of France.

The Serb more than overwhelmed his opponent in the quarterfinal match, showering Pouille with a barrage of powerful, precision shots to deep, wide corners mixed with delicate drop shots.

“I am not a machine. But I did play like one today,” he said after their 50-minute contest.

“This was one of the best matches I played this year. Very, very pleased with the way I feel and played on the court,” said Djokovic, who will face either David Goffin of Belgium or Chung Hyeon of South Korea in the semifinals.

“I am looking forward to another battle tomorrow, hopefully I will be able to keep up with this quality of tennis.”

Uy falls short, ties for 4th at Taiwan golf tournament MIAOLI County, Taiwan—Daniella Uy put on one big surge midway through the final round to pull within two but hobbled when it mattered most, finishing with a four-under 68 for joint fourth in the Party Ladies Golfers Open won by Hsieh Yu Ling at the National Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Nine shots behind Hsieh after 36 holes, Uy broke a run of pars with a six-under feat in a seven-hole stretch from No. 5, spiking her stirring rally with an eagle on the par-5 No. 7 and sparking hopes for the Filipina shotmaker to pull off one of the most incredible comebacks in both the TLPGA (LPGA of Taiwan) and Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

But after moving within two off the local ace five flights behind the championship group with back-to-back birdies from No. 10, Uy bogeyed the 12th then dropped another stroke on the par-5 13th, falling behind by four again and settling for pars the rest of the way.

The former Junior World titlist actually closed within three after her last bogey as Hsieh, who struggled with a frontside 37, bogeyed the 10th but the TLPGA’s No. 7 ranked player toughened and closed out with a birdie-bogey game in the last eight holes, her closing 74 proving enough to hold off compatriot Ching Ling Chang for a one-stroke victory in the $100,000 event backed by ICTSI and co-sanctioned by the LPGT, the TLPGA and Party

Blue Eagles...

From A8

Perasol was sanctioned for his outburst in Sunday’s game against the Ateneo Blue Eagles and his rant against the referees.

Commissioner Jensen Ilagan upheld the decision to punish Perasol.

The decision, however, was not received well by lawyers of the Maroons’ side.

Lawyer Patricia Galang, in a statement, said the decision was “terribly misguided and based on a poor understanding of the tournament rules.”

The Blue Eagles have swept their seven-game assignment in the first round after they downed the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 89-63, last Sunday.

The Growling Tigers are coming off a 77-92 loss to the La Salle Green Archers and have a 4-3 slate at third spot.

Earlier at 2 p.m., the University of the East Warriors clash with the Adamson Falcons.

The Falcons are in a three-way tie for fourth place at 3-4 with Far Eastern University and La Salle.

The Warriors (2-6) are seeking their third win after turning back National University, 78-72.

A battle under the boards is expected to happen with UST slotman Soulemane Chabi Yo leading the race with 82.71 Statistical Points (Sps).

Yo got into the lead with his averages of 19.9 points, 15.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.

Blue Eagle cager Angelo Kouame trails Yo with 81.43 SPs off his norms of 14.0 points, 13.1 rebounds, 4.9 blocks, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 assists.

In third is the University of the Philippines’ pair of Bright Akhuetie and Kobe Paras with 69.0 and 65.2 SPs, respectively.

Then, there’s University of the East bruiser Alex Diakhite with 64.83 Sps at fourth. Peter Atencio

The latest victory provided further evidence of his swift recovery from a left shoulder injury that caused him to pull out of the US Open.

The Japan Open is the first competition for Djokovic since the incident.

He nailed eight aces and never committed double fault while collecting points on 82 percent of his successful first serves.

After cruising through the first set, Djokovic stepped up his tennis and began the second set by taking four games straight.

Pouille fought back to keep the fifth game and in the sixth game, he collected his only break of the match.

But Djokovic denied any other attempt by the French challenger, who was able to survive only one of seven break points.

It was the third meeting between the two men this year. Djokovic won all of them.

In the rest of the Tokyo tournament, John Millman of Australia defeated Japanese wild card Taro Daniel 6-4, 6-0.

American player Reilly Opelka beat Japanese qualifier Yasutaka Uchiyama 6-3, 6-3.

In Beijing, World number one Ashleigh Barty battled into the China Open semi-finals on Friday with a gutsy three-set victory over familiar foe Petra Kvitova.

The Australian came from a set down to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 and plays Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina or Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands in the last four in Beijing.

AXEL Inigo and Jaypee Belencion shared scoring honors while Dhon Reverente controlled the boards as the Pasay Voyagers tripped the Quezon City Capitals, 92-89, on Thursday in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Lakan Season at Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

The wily Inigo and Belencion fired 22 points each even as Reverente came through with 18 points and 20 rebounds as they powered the Voyagers back into orbit with an 11-6 record in the North division of the 31-team league.

It was Inigo, however, who delivered the killer blow by sinking two free throws in the last six seconds for the final count.

Aaron Black tried to force overtime but missed his 3-point corner jumper two seconds later, sealing the Capitals fate of a third straight defeat and a 6-10 slate.

Other Voyagers who delivered were Elmar Moradas with 13 points and Raymund Ilagan with 10 points plus 12 rebounds.

Earlier, the Iloilo United Royals and Navotas Uni-Pak Sardines upstaged better-placed opponents.

Leaning on former pro Al Francis Tamsi and homegrown find Aaron Jeruta, the Royals stunned the Pampanga Giant Lanterns, 76-70, while Navotas struck from afar to trample the Mindoro Tamaraws, 72-57.

Tamsi and Jeruta fired 8 points each in the fourth quarter, where Iloilo erected a 61-53 lead and warded off the Lanterns’ final challenge to climb to a 9-6 record in the South division.

Despite the loss, however, the Giant Lanterns remained ahead of the Royals with a 10-6 card.

Posting a total of 18 points and 5 rebounds, Tamsi earned best player honors, edging Jeruta with 13 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds.

The Giant Lanterns got 17 points from John Dexter Maiquez, 13 from Michael Juico and 12 from Reil Cervantes.

Navotas, which buried 16 triples for 48 points as against only 4 triples and 12 points for Mindoro, was led

by Osama Abdurasad with 14 points and Almel Orquina and Elmer Mykiel Cabahug with 12 each.

Daniella Uy

Golfers for the second straight year.

Hsieh assembled a 54-hole total of 209, anchoring her title drive with a bogey-free 66 in the second round and took the top $17,500 purse.

Chang closed out with a 70 for second at 210 while Chiu Ling Ti completed the locals’ podium sweep with a 211 after a similar 70.

Hovering at joint 15th in the early going of the final round, Uy made her move with a birdie on the par-3 No. 5 from, eagled No. 7 and added another birdie on the next, another par-3 hole.

After a two-putt par on the ninth, Uy resumed her birdie hunt and netted her another couple of feats on the first two holes at the back. But as she got closer to the leader, the pressure mounted, missing the green on No. 12 which she birdied in the second round.

She failed to check her skid, bogeying the next hole before closing out with pars to close out her campaign in the fourth LPGT tournament featured on the TLPGA calendar this year after The Country Club Invitational, the Manila Golf Ladies Masters and the ICTSI Pradera Ladies Classic.

Despite her late meltdown, Uy proved her worth as a future title contender, her 32-36 card netting her a spot at No. 4 at 212 with Thai Chayanun Chonlada, who rallied with a 66, Ching Huang, who also fought back with a 68 and fellow Taiwanese Kuo Ai Chen, who carded a 70 and amateur Chia Ju Yeh, who shot a 71.

Manila Cockers Club offers P70 million in prizes

CARMONA—The Manila Cockers Club Inc., the country’s cockfighting industry game changer, will be hosting its biggest circuit derby in a four-month stretch that began September and will end until December, with a whopping total prize of P70 million.

For October, the derbies will be held from October 2 to 10; October 12 to 20; and October 22 to 30. Entries are limited to all local banded stags from local associations with a weight limit of 1,700kgs. to 2,200kgs, applying the same derby format of 3-Stag eliminations and 4-Stag pre-finals and finals. All derbies will have no entry fees and no minimum/maximum bets as well.

The Participating Breeders’ Assistance Fund will increase to P5 million

pesos per derby broken down as follows: P2 million for the champion, handler P100,000, gaffer P75,000, finals qualifying bonus P220,000, runner up P270,000, any 6 points P600,000, any 5 points P725,000, pre-finals day 1 P325,000, pre-finals day 2 P325,000 and eliminations P60,000 per day for six days. Additional Breeders Assistance Fund for regular members will also increase to P1 million. A total of P18 million earnings will be awarded for the month.

November derbies will be held on November 2 to 10; November 11 to 19, and November 21 to 29. MCC will only accept national banded stags.

Same weight limit and derby format will be followed. MCC will once again increase the PBAF to P5.5 million in preparation for the mega der-

by in December.

On December 1 to 9, a final 7-Stag Derby will be held for national banded stags. Weight limit, derby format and PBAF will remain the same. However, the ABAF that will be awarded to regular members who will finish the course of the derby will now be increased to P1.5 million.

The final MCC derby for 2019 will be a Mega 10-Stag Breeders Festival with total earnings of P10.5 million (P9M PBAF + Php1.5M ABAF). The event will have six elimination days from December 11 to 16, two semifinals on December 17 and 18, two prefinal days on December 19 and 20 and one finals’ day on December 21.

Derby rules include 3-stag eliminations, 3-stag semis, 4-stag pre-finals and finals; national banded stags; red

flag matching; MCC not allowing “no fight rule” unless same owner; and a maximum of two entries per participant. MCC will only accept a maximum of 40 entries per elimination day.

The MCC Mega Derby is open to MCC regular and probationary members only. Participants must join a minimum of six 7-stag derbies from September to December, 2019 to qualify.

For more information about the Manila Cockers Club and its derbies, call the MCC hotline at (02)696 1120 or (63)917 582 2615. Enthusiasts can also search website www.manilacockers.com or visit the Cockers Arena located at the G/F Turf Building of the San Lazaro Leisure Park, Barangay Lantic, Governor’s Drive, Carmona, Cavite.

Sports

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

sports@manilastandard.net

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

A8

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019

Meralco keeps Alaska winless in 4 games

By Jeric Lopez MERALCO slowly but surely picked Alaska apart on its way to a comfortable 101-75 triumph in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City last night.

Baser Amer was back in his scoring element, dropping a game-high 27 points with five rebounds and four assists to lead the Bolts.

The ever workhorse that he is, Allen Durham likewise shone, almost having a triple-double with 25 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists to his credit.

Meralco improved to 2-1 to move up the ladder.

On the other hand, the hapless Aces still couldn’t catch a break, dropping to 0-4 to remain at the cellar.

The Bolts started gaining some headway in the second period where they headed halftime carrying a 43-37 lead.

Amer’s triple at the 9:05 mark of the third gave Meralco its first doubledigit lead, 54-44.

Already in the zone, the Bolts doubled in on their efforts and followed up with a 16-8 run to hike up their lead to 18 points, 70-52, with 2:35 remaining in the third after a completed threepoint play by Durham.

There was no looking back from there.

Meralco cruised the rest of the way to get the much-needed feel good victory.

Raymund Almazan continued to improve his game as a Bolt, adding 15 points and nine boards.

Even new Alaska import Franko House wasn’t able to help the team turn its fortunes around.

House only managed eight points with 11 rebounds and six assists in a sup-par debut.

Chris Banchero and Simon Encisa had 12 points each to lead Alaska, who was never in the game the entire second half of play.

The scores: MERALCO 101—Amer 27, Durham 25, Almazan 15, Newsome 9, Hugnatan 5, Quinto 4, Jamito 4, Salva 4, Quinto 4, Faundo 2, Pinto 2, Canaleta 0, Jackson 0, Tolomia 0.

ALASKA 75—Banchero 12, Enciso 12, Tratter 9, Thoss 9, Casio 9, Ayaay 8, Manuel 8, House 8, Galliguez 0.

Quarters: 20-22, 43-37, 72-61, 101-75.

Carlo Young (left) of CSB Blazers fouls a soaring of Kim Aurin (center) of Perpetual Help Altas during their teams’ NCAA Season 95 Men’s Basketball Tournament game at the Fil Oil Flying V Centre in San Juan. The Altas won, 85 83. Dennis Abrina

Lions overpower Cards, stretch win streak to 16

By Peter Atencio

F

OUR Red Lions, led by James Canlas, scored in double digits as defending champion San Beda University outworked Mapua, 83-55, and had a date with history in the 95th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament yesterday at the FilOil-Flying V Sports Center.

Canlas unloaded 16 points, while Calvin Oftana drilled in 15 for the Red Lions, who made their 16th straight triumph very meaningful as it surpassed their 15game winning streak in Season 93.

Evan Nelle knocked in 14 points in helping the Red Lions move closer to another record, 18-game winning run, which they achieved when they claimed the crown in season 86.

“I’m giving the boys an extra bonus of two days’ rest. That’s what I promised them. The boys have rested and this was a killer week for them,” said Red Lions’ coach Boyet Fernandez, whose wards had successive matches against the San Sebastian Stags, the University of Perpetual Help Altas,

the Letran Knights and the Mapua Cardinals in a week’s time.

AC Soberano provided 12 for the Red Lions, who got 16 points from Oftana’s 9 and Soberano’s 7 in the second period as they grabbed a 38-28 halftime spread.

Kim Aurin, hardly minding a cut he suffered in the right side of his forehead in the third period, scored a career-high 26 points and led the University of Perpetual Help Altas as they squeaked past the College of St. Benilde Blazers, 85-83.

Aurin’s jumper and two charities in the last 19.6 seconds gave the Altas enough cushion to survive a late charge by the Blazers, 85-80.

From there, the Altas went on to post

their fourth win in 14 games to keep their Final Four chances alive.

Carlo Young knocked in 20 points for the Blazers, who dropped to sixth spot with their 6-8 win-loss record.

Despite being winless for six games, the Blazers are still in contention for a Final Four seat.

“Maganda ang nilaro ni Kim. Malaking bagay sa amin ito,” said Altas’ coach Frankie Lim after the Altas snapped a five-game losing skid.

In the junior division, Rhayyan Amsali scattered 30 points and 12 rebounds for the San Beda Red Cubs, who put the defending champion Malayan Red Robins out of contention, 91-82.

Justine Sanchez and Tony Ynot drilled in 15 and 12 points, respectively, to lead the Red Cubs to their 11th win in a row with their 15-1 record, assuring them of the no. 1 seeding in the Final Four.

Even though San Beda improved to 15-1, its remaining assignments in the elimination round no longer have any bearing as it is already locked into the top seed since its last outing.

Blue Eagles put premium on defense

AXA SERVES UP NBA ENTERTAINMENT. Passionate

Filipino basketball lovers took charge and enjoyed heartpumping basketball action during the NBA 3X Philippines 2019 presented by AXA. Participants of the NBA 3X, held at the Philippine International Convention Center Forum Tent, had a chance to win exclusive prizes at the AXA booth and during the blindfolded freethrow shootout challenge, which saw a brand new Nintendo Switch being awarded to Thirdy Ravena, UAAP Season 81 Finals MVP and the contestant who won the challenge. As the official insurance partner of NBA Philippines, AXA continues to support Pinoy’s passion for the game and inspire them to have a gameplan on and off the court as it launched its newest global brand campaign, “Know You Can.” The campaign seeks to empower Filipinos to live better lives through self-belief.

Photo shows AXA Philippines chief customer officer Amor Balagtas with Ravena.

AT THE start of the second round, the defending champion Ateneo Blue Eagles will be a more defensive-minded team.

Coach Tab Baldwin said the squad is making more adjustments in this area now that they are halfway through their campaign in the 82nd University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament.

The Blue Eagles plan to showcase this when they take on the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers at 4 pm today at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“You can’t be successful if you can’t contain the ball on the perimeter. And fortunately, we have different defensive schemes. We prefer to be a man-to-man defensive team,” said Baldwin.

Meanwhile, an appeal made to decrease the three-game ban slapped on University of the Philippines head coach Bo Perasol Turn to A7 was denied by the UAAP.

Sports equipment for SEAG right on time THE Philippine Sports Commission is working hard to make sure that all sports equipment needed for the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games would be delivered on time.

PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez yesterday said the task force composed of representatives from the Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee and the PSC are deep in consultation with various national sports associations to fast track the procurement process.

In fact, the committee sat down with NSA officials from billiards, ice skating, dancesport, shooting and windsurfing last Wednesday to discuss the procurement of their sport equipment, including the suppliers, specification and compliance with their respective international federations.

So far, only 11 out of the 57 participating NSAs have their respective equipment delivered.

The rest are still in the process of consultation with barely two months before the opening of the Games.

Still, Ramirez assured that everything would be delivered on time.

“We’re looking at having everything delivered in our warehouse by November 15,” said Ramirez, who is also the chief of mission of Team Philippines.

“The cooperation among the PSC, POC and PHISGOC is very solid and they are doing a good job screening all the equipment requirements and other requests of the NSAs. The SEA Games task force had gone full blast.

We expect everything to be done by next week.”

Among the equipment that need to be purchased, that of shooting, rowing, athletics, weightlifting, wrestling and gymnastics are the most expensive.

Composed mainly of guns and ammunition and construction of competition and practice ranges in Subic and at the Philippine Marines headquarters in Taguig, shooting’s equipment cost P73.9 million while rowing’s equipment are pegged at P58.5 million, athletics at P43.1 million, weightlifting at P35 million, wrestling at P33.3 million, and gymnastics at P33.1 million.

Lascuña stays ahead by 5 at ICTSI Apo Golf Invitational DAVAO—Tony Lascuña moved 18 holes away from completing a rare back-to-back feat here and abroad, holding on to a big five-stroke margin over a charging Nilo Salahog despite a 73 as the rest failed to mount a charge that would merit a shot at the lead in the third round of the ICTSI Apo Golf Invitational here yesterday.

Ferdie Aunzo, who took second spot halfway through the P3 million event, and Ira Alido, whose eagle-spiked 67 Thursday put him back in contention, both staggered while trying to put the pressure on the veteran shotmaker

early on in the pivotal round, making early bogeys instead and enabling Lascuña to preserve his huge lead built around a 65-68 start.

But three flights ahead, Salahog sneaked into contention with three birdies at the front and two more in the last five that negated his second straight bogey on the par-3 seventh, his 68 slashing Lascuña overnight 10-shot lead to a half with a 54-hole total of 211.

It, however, stood too far behind Lascuna’s 206 aggregate but still gave the obscure pro a slim chance for a breakthrough victory in the event

sponsored by ICTSI and serving as the eighth leg of the 10th season of the Philippine Golf Tour organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. “There’s no need to attack. I just played it safe and avoided getting into trouble,” said Lascuña, who came into this event exuding confidence following a thrilling triumph in the PGT Asia leg in Taiwan last Sunday where he upstaged a couple of Thai aces and one of Taiwan’s rising stars to end a two-year title spell.

He admitted later that he’s tired but the 48-year-old shotmaker said

an even par card would be enough to frustrate his challengers and net him the crown worth another P550,000.

“I’m not getting any young and playing seven straight tournaments is no joke,” said Lascuña. “But I think I only need to score an even-par to win.”

Alido bucked a bogey-bogey mishap from No. 3 with back-to-back birdies from No. 8 but flubbed a couple of birdie tries at the back and ended up with a 72, staying at joint third at 213 with Clyde Mondilla and Keanu Jahns, who both fired 68s, and Dutch Guido Van der Despite a birdie-less, one-over card, Tony Valk, who also matched 72.

Lascuña sets himself up for another title feat

IN BRIEF Anflo expects more investments in Davao

ANFLO Industrial Estate Corp., the premier agro-industrial hub of Damosa Land Inc., expects more investments as large international locators flock to Davao City.

Well-known foreign manufacturers have chosen to expand their Philippine operations in AIEC’s 63-hectare Philippine Economic Zone Authority-approved ecozone, said Anflo chief Ricardo Floirendo Lagdameo.

“After seeing what industrial parks in the country comprises of, we saw an opportunity to leverage our mother company Anflocor’s strength in agriculture and endeavor take on the role as the industry’s innovator,” he said.

The line-up of companies in AIEC right now is led by global brand Del Monte, one of the world’s largest agricultural companies.

Packwell, a Japan-based global leader in the design, manufacture and sale of quality paper packaging containers to famous brands such as Godiva Chocolates and electronic-tobacco maker IQOS, is also putting up its manufacturing plant in the ecozone. Othel V. Campos

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019

B1

DOT, Petron team up in cleanliness project

THE Department of Tourism has teamed up with industry leader Petron Corp. for the BEST (Barrier-Free and Environmentally Sustainable Toilet) Project, an initiative that aims to ensure the quality of restrooms in establishments near tourist destinations in line with the ASEAN Public Toilet Standard.

Under the partnership, some 200 Petron stations will undergo an accreditation process where each one will be assessed based on the following: design and environmental management system, amenities and facilities, cleanliness and safety.

Accredited stations will be marked with the DOT Seal of Approval, similar to a “Good Housekeeping” seal.

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and San Miguel Corp. president Ramon Ang led the signing of the memorandum of understanding held at the San Miguel Corp.Head Office in Mandaluyong on Friday.

“Traveling by land, especially hitting the road for the long-drive, literally epitomizes the very essence of tourism.

And, it is in this travel experience where local and international tourists must readily find the convenience and comfort of using facilities on the road– that iconic movie scene of stopping at the filling station and going for a bathroom run,” Puyat said. Alena Mae S. Flores

Govt, TeaM Energy in renewable tie-up

THE Energy Department, in partnership with TeaM Energy Philippines, the European Union-Access to Sustainable Energy Program and other partners held switch on ceremonies for the Productive Use of Renewable Energy project Friday.

The PURE Project is being done through TeaM Energy’s corporate social responsibility arm TeaM Energy Foundation Inc., the local government unit of Sual, Pangasinan and the Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative.

“While the Department is pushing forward in providing electricity throughout the entire archipelago by 2020, Productive Use of RE or PURE project does not only bring us closer to our common goal of total electrification, but also in further upholding the welfare of our countrymen in the rural areas,” Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said.

PURE Project will provide rice farmers in Barangay Sioasio East in Sual, Pangasinan, a rice milling center, which will include a palay dehusker, a winnower and a de-stoner. Alena Mae S. Flores

Manufacturing sector fell again in August—PSA THE manufacturing sector posted a ninth-consecutive decline both in volume and value in August, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Friday.

The Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries for the month of August showed the Volume of Production Index fell 9.3 percent from the 3.1-percent expansion a year ago, the ninth successive month of decline since 9.3 percent in December.

“Seven major industry groups registered annual decreases with petroleum products posting the highest annual decline of 59.0 percent,followed by furniture and fixtures [-43.4 percent], transport equipment [-19.0 percent], miscellaneous manufactures [-17.7 percent], and electrical machinery [-11.1 percent],” PSA said.

Likewise, the Value of Production Index decreased for the ninth consecutive month to an annual rate of 7.9 percent in August 2019 from the 4.1-percent growth a year ago.

“The decrease of VaPI in August 2019 was due to the annual decreases in the indices of nine major industry groups led by petroleum products [-61.8 percent], transport equipment [-18.5 percent], electrical machinery [-14.3 percent], and miscellaneous manufactures [-14.0 percent],” PSA said.

The Volume of Net Sales Index also posted a decrease of 4.4 percent in August 2019 from a two-digit annual growth of 11.4 percent in August 2018.

The decline was brought about by the 10 major industry groups with two-digit decreases, such as furniture and fixtures (-42.6 percent), miscellaneous manufactures (-15.1 percent), textiles (-11.3 percent) and electrical machinery (-10.5 percent). Julito G. Rada

ABOITIZLAND PARTNER. AboitizLand, the real estate arm of the Aboitiz Group, signs a 50-50 partnership agreement with Point Blue, a pioneer in the integrated micro-studio market. The partnership will drive rapid growth in an innovative new category in the real estate sector—micro-studio rental apartments within walking distance of Metro Manila’s central business districts. Signing the partnership deal are (from left) AboitizLand first vice president of operations Rafael de Mesa, AboitizLand president and chief executive officer David Rafael, Triple Crown Properties owner Benedicto Yujuico and Point Blue president and CEO Jaime Rafael Yujuico.

Inflation rate decreased below 1% in September T

By Julito G. Rada

HE inflation rate in September further slowed to a 40-month low of 0.9 percent from 1.7 percent in August, pulled down mainly by the decline in the index of heavily-weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Friday.

Data showed the rate was the first time that inflation settled below 1 percent since 0.9 percent in May 2016. The September 2019 inflation was also significantly slower than the peak of 6.7 percent in September 2018.

The Spetember figure brought inflation in the first nine months to an aver-

age of 2.8 percent, below the mid-point of the target range of 2 to 4 percent this year.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said the September inflation of 0.9 percent was within the BSP’s forecast range of 0.6 percent to 1.4 percent for the month and driven by the continued decline in rice prices and electricity rates, which offset higher prices of petroleum and selected food products.

“The latest inflation outturn is likewise consistent with the BSP’s prevailing assessment that inflation will continue to decelerate in the third quarter of 2019 and pick up slightly in the remaining months of 2019,” Diokno said.

He said the BSP continued to expect the average inflation to firmly settle within the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent for 2019 to 2021.

“The recent volatility in global crude oil prices due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East could generate upward

price pressures over the near term. On the other hand, deepening trade tensions between China and the US along with other countries in the region have raised global economic uncertainty, which poses a downside risk to the inflation outlook,” Diokno said.

He said the BSP would continue to keep a close watch over latest economic developments here and abroad to ensure that the monetary policy stance remained consistent with the BSP’s price stability objective while being supportive of economic growth.

ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa said inflation continued to head south as base effects hit home. He said the September 2019 print dropped to 0.9 percent with the index heavy food basket weighing mightily on headline inflation.

“Last year’s inflation spike was supply slide oriented and and with bottlenecks addressed, inflation has decelerated quickly all the more after BSP’s 175-bps rate hike barrage,” Mapa said.

Sugar millers still opposing laxer imports THE Philippine Sugar Millers Association on Wednesday reiterated its position against sugar import liberalization after 24 lawmakers opposed the measure.

The congressmen signed House Resolution 412 to express their strong opposition to the planned liberalization of sugar imports.

“We are grateful for the support given to the sugar industry. They have defended us from the time we were fighting for the passage of the Sugar Industry Development Act and for the increase in excise taxes on sweetened beverages using imported high-fructose corn syrup,” said PSMA executive director Cocoy Barrera, The resolution cited the economic bulletin issued by the Finance Department that called for the removal of quantitative restrictions on sugar imports.

Barrera said “sugar producing countries worldwide, not just the Philippines, have measures that effectively protect their sugar industries against subsidized sugar in the world market.”

Major sugar exporting countries can afford to dump their excess sugar production in the world market because they provide subsidies and other forms of protection, such as domestic and export support prices to their sugar farmers and industries, he said.

The US also has an existing policy to regulate sugar importation to effectively protect its farmers from the rise and fall of prices in the world market.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III earlier said domestic sugar costs twice the world market price, affecting the competitiveness of the food processing industry.

“It is unfair and incorrect to say that locally produced sugar renders Philippine food exporters uncompetitive in the world market. Food processors import sugar duty-free and tax-free through their custom bonded warehouses,” Barrera said.

Othel V. Campos

EDC’S QUILL AWARDS. Energy Development Corp. wins Quill awards for its environmental advocacies. Three of EDC’s projects that promote environmental conservation received Philippine Quill awards from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)–Philippines. Receiving the awards are Allan Barcena, corporate social responsibility and public relations head; Norreen Bautista, corporate social responsibility team head for Negros and Mount Apo geothermal facilities; public relations specialist Frances Ariola; and Marie Christine Jamiana, Negros external relations head.

SEC issues draft revisions to regulations of REIT Law

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Securities and Exchange Commission issued the draft amendments to the implementing rules and regulations of the Real Estate Investment Trust law, a move that could finally see the new asset class take off 10 years after the law has been passed.

One of the salient amendments to the IRR of the REIT law is the reduction in the minimum public ownership to 33 percent from the current requirement of 40 percent in the first year of listing and an increase to 67 percent on the second year.

The SEC will also require REIT companies to reinvest in the Philippines the proceeds to be realized from the sale of REIT shares or other securities.

“The proposed amendments align with our mandate to promote the development of the capital market toward the democratization of wealth and broadening of participation in the ownership of enterprises,” said SEC chairperson Emilio Aquino.

“With the proposed amendments, we hope to develop a viable REIT market that will unlock a deep source of funding for more infrastructure projects in the country along with a lucrative investment opportunity for Filipinos,” he said.

Property and infrastructure developers have shunned REIT for the past 10 years because of taxation issues, especially on the transfer of real estate assets to a REIT vehicle and the high minimum public ownership requirement.

While the taxation issues have been resolved with the passage of package 1 of Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act, it is now only that the SEC agreed to ease the public ownership requirement.

The SEC gave concerned parties were until Oct. 18 to give their comments on the draft rules before issuing the final amendments to the IRR of the REIT Law. Ayala Land Inc. has expressed interest in conducting REIT offering even under the current rules, while some property firms are awaiting the reduction in minimum public ownership requirement before finalizing their plans.

Among the firms waiting for the amendments on the public ownership requirement are Double Dragon Properties Inc., SM Prime Holdings Inc. and Megaworld Corp.

The REIT law allows real estate companies to sell through an initial public offering shares of real-estate trusts that hold assets like shopping malls and office buildings. Since these assets generate a steady stream of income, they will pay regular dividends to shareholders.

NPC: 65 more online lenders violating Data Privacy Act

By Othel V. Campos THE National Privacy Commission called the attention of 65 more online lenders following several complaints from borrowers and alleged violations to the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

The NPC identified them as Akulaku, Batis Loan, Cash Bus, Cash Flyer, Cash Loan, Cash Moto, Cash to Go, Cash The arm, Cashafin, Cashaku, Cashako, Cashaso, Cash Money Loan, Cashope, Cashale, Crazy Loan, Credit Coin and Credit Peso.

Also included are Cnechpil, First Lending, Flash Cash, Happy Cash, Hello Papaya, JK Quick Cash Lending, Kwago, Lala Peso, Lending Cash, Light Credit, Loan Charm,

Loan Moto, Loan Wallet, Mabilis Cash, Mango Cash, Mango Loan, Mcampre and Megaloan.

The others are MF Cash, Online Loans Pilipinas, Pautang Peso, Pera Advance, Pera Express, Pera Lending, Pera Pocket, Pera 4 U, Peso Legend, Peso Lending, Peso Now, Peso Online, Peso Q, Peso to Go, Peso Tree, Peso Wallet, Peso Ph, Peso, Peso Mine, Pesos Ph, Pinoy Cash, Pinoy Peso, Pondo Pocket, Q Cash, Sel Loan, Super Cash, Super Peso and Utang Pesos.

The NPC said the complainants found out that the lenders gained access and used their contacts in their lists as third parties and possible candidates for loans without their consent.

Personal information of the data subjects were leaked to third partiesillegally collected from the contact lists of their phones-which were mostly untrue. Some were even asked to settle the loans in behalf of the borrowers, since they were declared as coborrowers or guarantors.

The same information were also used to harass the borrowers to compel them to settle their debts.

Borrowers also complained the lenders used social media as a way to publicly shame as well as threaten and harass them.

Earlier, the NPC filed cases against three major online lending companies found guilty of alleged public shaming of borrowers.

B2

Business

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market rallies; Alliance Global up T HE stock market surged Friday on bargain hunting and a government report showing the inflation rate in September slowed to a 40-month low of 0.9 percent from 1.7 percent in August.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index jumped 159.05 points, or 2.1 percent, to 7,704.60 on a value turnover of P5.1 billion. Gainers overwhelmed losers, 112 to 60, with 46 issues unchanged.

The Philippine Statistics Authority said the September figure brought inflation in the first nine months to an average of 2.8 percent, below the government’s mid-point of the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent this year.

Alliance Global Group Inc. of ty-

coon Andrew Tan rallied 7.8 percent to P11.28, while Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which is into toll roads, water and electricity distribution, hospitals and infrastructure, advanced 4 percent to P4.91.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. of the Sy Group climbed 4 percent to P37.75, while sister unit BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, also gained 4 percent to P143.50.

The rest of Asian markets were mixed Friday as investors tentatively await the release of key US jobs data later in the day, following a number of disappointing figures this week that fanned concerns about the world’s top economy.

Hong Kong tumbled, with property firms among the worst hit, as demonstrators took to the streets again to protest the imposition of a law banning face masks following months of sometimes violent protests.

Tokyo rose 0.3 percent, Sydney was

up 0.4 percent, Seoul fell 0.6 percent, Taipei added 0.2 percent and Wellington gained 0.7 percent.

There were also gains in Jakarta and Bangkok.

Mumbai fell 0.7 percent after the Indian central bank announced a rate cut as expected but also slashed its economic growth outlook. Shanghai was closed for a holiday.

Hong Kong sank 1.1 percent as the city’s government announced the face mask ban as it looks to quell demonstrations that have rocked the economy. But there are worries that the rarely-used colonial-era emergency power could lead to further confrontations or more, stricter laws later.

Henderson Land, Sino Land, Swire Properties and New World Development all lost more than one percent.

“It’s the response from protesters to whatever is going to be decided that matters,” Jessie Guo, equity research

strategist at China Merchants Securities, told Bloomberg News. “The market is concerned that protesters are going to carry on.”

Having avoided for the past few years the growth slowdowns suffered in most other countries, a big miss on factory activity and private jobs creation indicated the United States is now feeling the effects of its long-running trade war with China.

On Thursday a measure of the crucial services sector came in at its lowest for three years, ramping up expectations the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates for a third time this year at its October meeting.

The latest data, while missing expectations, provided a lift to Wall Street— which had plunged more than one percent on Tuesday and Wednesday—as dealers bet on another reduction.

Expectations are high for such a move. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2019

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

55 89.5 1.88 138 24.9 18.66 11.9 4.76 1.22 0.405 66 0.92 12.8 43.45 178.8 140 58.45 27 190.3 59.15

57.9 93.05 2 143.5 25.05 18.66 11.9 4.83 1.22 0.405 68.05 0.92 12.8 43.8 178.9 140 58.45 27 198 59.15

55 89.5 1.88 138 24.9 18.6 11.8 4.6 1.22 0.4 65.95 0.92 12.8 43.25 178 140 57.5 26.2 190.3 59

FINANCIALS 57.9 1,600 93 2,426,180 2 2,000 143.5 1,086,710 24.9 561,500 18.6 600 11.82 351,300 4.65 634,000 1.22 2,000 0.405 310,000 68 3,430,640 0.92 26,000 12.8 1,300 43.5 122,800 178.9 370 140 3,400 57.95 740 26.5 5,300 197.9 190,100 59.05 15,120

91,000 225,096,038.50 3,880 154,266,871 13,988,125 11,166 4,156,926 2,960,290 2,440 125,200 228,240,688.50 23,920 16,640 5,334,905 66,168 476,000 43,019.50 140,520 37,458,341 892,723

-3,616,084 38,422,780 -492,565 -1,907,682 -144,736,197 -19,320 787,270.00 10,725 624,649 -751,706.50

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 DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA GREENERGY HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LMG CHEMICALS MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO 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 15.9 0.66 1.29 0.245 2.34 14.5 8.7 18.78 30.75 64.5 72 2.06 6 8.64 15.22 10.32 7.04 24 78.5 45.65 2.43 14.48 7.72 1.5 220 5.4 19.7 12.8 18.1 360 1.64 5.05 10 2.18 10.84 32.55 5.32 5.1 1.87 2.3 1 11.26 89.9 7.32 0.122 1.07 154.8 1.2 1.05

37.6 15.9 0.68 1.3 0.246 2.45 14.64 8.74 19.1 31.75 75 77 2.06 6 8.66 15.5 10.32 7.3 24.6 78.75 48.5 2.44 14.48 7.8 1.53 222 5.48 20 13.36 18.68 367 1.7 5.1 10.1 2.25 11 32.85 5.33 5.1 1.87 2.3 1.01 11.58 90.95 7.4 0.122 1.07 157.7 1.22 1.07

36.5 15.48 0.66 1.29 0.241 2.34 14.22 8.45 18.04 30.5 64.5 72 2.06 6 8.63 15.12 10.24 7 24 78.3 45.65 2.35 14.24 7.72 1.49 219 5.36 19.66 12.8 18.1 359 1.61 5 9.6 2.15 10.84 32.35 5.3 5.1 1.81 2.28 1 11.2 89.45 7.3 0.122 1.03 153.9 1.2 1.02

INDUSTRIAL 36.65 1,729,000 15.8 161,000 0.68 210,000 1.3 60,000 0.246 530,000 2.4 792,000 14.64 62,200 8.59 191,500 18.66 70,900 31.75 8,800 69 5,640 72.1 2,730 2.06 10,000 6 30,000 8.64 520,900 15.28 17,400 10.3 431,100 7.04 8,402,300 24.4 912,100 78.5 64,990 47.95 22,100 2.43 6,976,000 14.4 411,100 7.79 62,600 1.49 98,000 220.2 600,610 5.47 53,000 19.8 2,594,000 13.02 29,700 18.36 954,400 367 46,500 1.68 6,569,000 5.02 404,100 9.9 36,900 2.16 13,251,000 11 16,900 32.7 282,800 5.3 48,300 5.1 1,000 1.83 1,119,000 2.28 10,000 1 59,000 11.4 147,000 90 81,270 7.33 25,700 0.122 10,000 1.04 221,000 157.7 1,328,140 1.21 3,890,000 1.03 3,894,000

63,719,705 2,536,000 140,190 77,980 128,590 1,903,280 904,396 1,635,400 1,311,420 270,425 404,559.50 201,379 20,600 180,000 4,502,458 266,684 4,439,742 60,252,379 22,127,730 5,100,844.50 1,047,390 16,710,230 5,930,162 487,410 146,380 132,201,654 286,432 51,336,864 384,740 17,685,330 16,975,262 10,921,670 2,033,540 362,970 29,089,660 185,284 9,246,050 256,398 5,100 2,038,460 22,960 59,300 1,664,888 7,315,573.50 188,707 1,220 230,100 208,007,788 4,712,800 4,077,340

-36,648,485 215,064 17,420 -295,310 725,334 -22,679 -222,800 -2,026,753 114,126 -4,053,830 -16,038,813 -9,729,825 -4,721,722.50 713,030 6,359,950 -5,057,780 -195,631 56,170,100 -28,011,648 -5,224 -6,974,348 1,008,730 592,370 -673,542.00 -22,870 -2,133,365.00 -229,002 -3,877,853.50 44,886,557 257,660 1,040

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 SAN MIGUEL CORP SEAFRONT RES SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.87 51.05 10.64 0.72 13.34 1.14 1.16 853 3.36 6.5 8.4 13.4 0.217 830 5.64 69 0.51 4.35 13.88 0.58 4.72 0.038 1.29 163 2.45 973 0.87 1.27 408 222.8 0.23 0.231

0.88 54.5 11.4 0.72 13.6 1.17 1.16 866 3.45 6.5 8.45 13.4 0.229 840.5 5.66 70.9 0.51 4.36 13.98 0.6 4.91 0.039 1.29 167 2.45 990 0.87 1.27 440 223 0.23 0.231

0.84 51.05 10.46 0.7 12.98 1.12 1.15 839.5 3.36 6.43 8.32 13.4 0.217 826 5.64 69 0.49 4.34 13.7 0.58 4.7 0.038 1.28 163 2.44 973 0.85 1.26 408 222.8 0.221 0.231

HOLDING FIRMS 0.84 30,347,000 54.5 693,730 11.28 23,908,100 0.72 345,000 13.22 11,100 1.15 1,081,000 1.15 2,000 840 499,180 3.43 930,000 6.5 254,000 8.44 5,487,700 13.4 500 0.229 50,000 840 19,090 5.66 143,700 70 855,930 0.51 501,000 4.35 50,000 13.7 1,293,600 0.6 592,000 4.91 15,116,000 0.038 3,200,000 1.29 99,000 164 382,480 2.44 5,000 990 203,420 0.86 7,000 1.27 24,000 440 110 223 130 0.222 390,000 0.231 340,000

25,783,560 37,420,125.50 262,957,892 244,460 145,654 1,226,530 2,310 421,516,560 3,170,170 1,647,725 46,194,162 6,700 10,970 15,885,585 812,290 59,943,276 247,890 217,480 17,864,348 348,100 72,799,220 121,700 127,540 62,804,011 12,240 200,393,075 6,000 30,340 45,200 28,974 86,720 78,540

-2,695,320 4,081,710 -130,717,188 -239,060,520 123,500 -946,729 -23,172,800 -10,780,350 -780,080 -22,396,638 -139,180 8,240,152 217,700 -14,548,340 -52,396,869 -109,673,280 0 4,600 -

15.04 0.82 1.85 0.83 45.3 2.03 4.64 6.3 0.53 0.73 0.81 0.21 0.38 9.74 19.8 0.121 1.49 1.14 4.4 0.3

PROPERTY 15.04 37,500 0.82 1,774,000 1.85 23,000 0.84 2,248,000 46.2 4,536,400 2.06 386,000 4.7 171,000 6.3 84,200 0.54 15,479,000 0.73 53,000 0.87 3,000 0.216 30,000 0.4 410,000 9.9 836,100 20.5 205,900 0.121 50,000 1.5 32,211,000 1.18 783,000 4.5 55,122,000 0.3 6,250,000

564,308 1,464,890 42,550 1,904,060 208,922,565 793,270 802,560 530,460 8,330,150 38,690 2,550 6,420 159,600 8,276,564 4,193,707 6,050 48,437,390 900,890 247,151,280 1,875,900

-37,620 82,000 -110,880 -69,365,910 -302,200 -525,880 530,460 -880,800 8,081,599 3,243,949.00 -35,126,880 -152,520,080 72,000

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

15.08 0.84 1.85 0.85 45.65 2.08 4.7 6.3 0.54 0.73 0.81 0.21 0.38 9.74 19.8 0.121 1.53 1.16 4.4 0.3

15.08 0.85 1.85 0.87 46.35 2.08 4.7 6.3 0.54 0.73 0.87 0.216 0.4 9.91 20.5 0.121 1.54 1.18 4.52 0.305

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

NAME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

1.35 0.37 2.04 23.95 2.27 3.22 37 2.57 0.89 7.7 5.79

1.37 0.375 2.04 24.6 2.28 3.28 37.75 2.59 0.91 7.7 5.82

1.34 0.365 2.01 23.95 2.23 3.22 36.35 2.55 0.88 7.64 5.7

1.35 0.375 2.03 24.4 2.25 3.28 37.75 2.58 0.88 7.69 5.8

1,075,000 520,000 51,000 2,665,400 61,000 2,000 6,688,400 1,310,000 368,000 2,445,300 13,800

1,460,060 190,550 102,810 64,761,115 138,350 6,500 250,071,700 3,365,060 324,590 18,798,605 79,047

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

10.02 18.1 1.7 0.56 0.043 2.3 10.8 0.053 92.3 7.2 6.94 9.21 1,770 5.2 429 1.57 121.3 8.2 3.5 0.109 5.01 13.52 3.04 18.8 0.44 3.4 2.34 1.14 14.26 2.8 2.9 8 4.79 140 3 1,098 0.7 0.52 38 76.5 8.25 2.59 0.67 0.32 0.67 16.74

10.1 18.36 1.7 0.59 0.046 2.35 11 0.054 92.3 7.2 6.99 9.24 1,783 5.2 435 1.58 121.8 8.29 3.89 0.109 5.1 13.54 3.04 18.86 0.44 3.4 2.39 1.14 14.26 2.86 2.9 8.25 4.79 141 3.05 1,107 0.71 0.54 38.5 76.5 9.29 2.68 0.68 0.34 0.67 16.94

10.02 18 1.6 0.56 0.043 2.28 10.72 0.052 91.1 7.2 6.67 9.12 1,765 5.16 428 1.52 118.1 8.12 3.5 0.107 4.94 13.52 3.01 18.54 0.43 3.4 2.33 1.12 13.02 2.65 2.83 7.9 4.79 140 2.95 1,092 0.68 0.51 38 75.95 8.25 2.58 0.66 0.315 0.66 16.74

SERVICES 10.1 18 1.64 0.57 0.046 2.35 10.92 0.054 91.1 7.2 6.77 9.19 1,783 5.16 435 1.55 121 8.12 3.89 0.109 5 13.54 3.01 18.84 0.43 3.4 2.38 1.13 14.26 2.79 2.9 8.25 4.79 140 2.95 1,098 0.7 0.51 38.4 76 9.29 2.62 0.68 0.325 0.67 16.94

4,500 84,100 288,000 8,821,000 3,600,000 18,000 2,665,800 4,270,000 24,310 1,200 530,400 13,200 31,875 171,500 960 290,000 2,630,380 13,200 3,000 150,000 2,824,800 3,200 78,000 86,200 250,000 2,000 385,000 61,000 700 2,958,000 13,000 4,600 9,000 50,490 414,000 53,790 1,954,000 4,704,000 871,700 1,191,020 12,100 721,000 682,000 6,390,000 708,000 1,710,800

45,202 1,526,278 465,370 5,073,650 156,500 41,660 29,104,776 226,200 2,226,578.50 8,640 3,633,767 121,101 56,554,155 885,362 415,430 449,280 317,845,834 107,672 11,280 16,270 14,156,284 43,318 235,020 1,619,806 109,000 6,800 903,270 68,800 9,362 8,242,990 37,630 36,820 43,110 7,068,640 1,242,130 59,042,780 1,350,020 2,431,130 33,374,345 90,517,129.50 105,664 1,901,550 455,060 2,104,550 471,470 28,885,278

APEX MINING ATOK BENGUET B CENTURY PEAK DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE LEPANTO A MARCVENTURES NICKEL ASIA NIHAO ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL A PHINMA PETRO PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING UNITED PARAGON

1.13 11.76 1.15 2.6 7.61 1.57 0.224 0.108 1.1 3.76 1.1 0.88 0.012 8.14 3.53 11.3 22.3 0.0061

1.17 11.9 1.15 2.62 7.9 1.67 0.233 0.108 1.15 4.16 1.14 0.9 0.012 8.59 3.53 11.64 22.3 0.0061

1.13 11.76 1.15 2.6 7.55 1.57 0.217 0.107 1.1 3.76 1.08 0.88 0.012 8.12 3.5 11.28 21.7 0.0061

MINING & OIL 1.14 419,000 11.9 2,000 1.15 18,000 2.62 776,000 7.9 3,700 1.66 13,741,000 0.226 2,170,000 0.107 1,600,000 1.15 75,000 4.07 12,940,000 1.13 157,000 0.9 50,000 0.012 400,000 8.42 833,400 3.51 1,688,000 11.52 330,400 21.85 389,300 0.0061 1,000,000

477,350 23,648 20,700 2,026,200 28,207 22,659,120 479,920 172,730 82,800 52,094,680 173,210 44,220 4,800 7,016,011 5,918,180 3,798,866 8,507,765 6,100

11,450 20,700.00 59,400 1,383,080 -417,652 -98,840 -73,882 -817,115 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 FGEN PREF G GMA HLDG PDR LR PREF PCOR PREF 3A PCOR PREF 3B PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

17.5 511 108 5.08 1 1,020 1,062 101 108 995 77.9 75.3 75 75.35 75.9 76.6

17.88 511 110 5.13 1 1,020 1,062 101 108 995 77.95 75.3 75 75.35 75.9 76.6

17.4 511 108 5.08 1 1,013 1,062 101 108 995 77.8 75.3 75 75.35 75.5 76.5

PREFERRED 17.88 2,300 511 10 110 10,600 5.13 600 1 35,000 1,013 350 1,062 50 101 10 108 90 995 40 77.8 43,480 75.3 100 75 26,900 75.35 40,600 75.5 5,000 76.5 10,100

40,268 5,110 1,161,533 3,053 35,000 355,610 53,100 1,010 9,720 39,800 3,385,781.50 7,530 2,017,500 3,059,210 377,540 773,555

3,528 -521,930 -320,188

LR WARRANT

1.53

1.53

1.53

WARRANTS 1.53 10,000

15,300

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

6.25 9.7 0.9

6.45 9.8 0.91

6.2 9.52 0.9

6.41 9.55 0.9

FIRST METRO ETF

114.2

115.7

114

MS TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

10,260,867

INDUSTRIAL

57,860,575

HOLDING FIRMS

87,117,065

PROPERTY

135,914,368

SERVICES

90,695,832

MINING & OIL

37,002,958

GRAND TOTAL

420,380,778

SME

276,700 130,900 1,111,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 115.7 10,060

-57,120 -11,223,160 3,220 67,854,510 -1,499,560 0 -90,300 2,614,048 -106,000 845,417 -319,205 -25,363,680 -104,400 -37,200 -257,660,254 1,704,558 9,030 -159,136 -53,990 145,450 161,000 -15,690 -43,654,230 -130,350 -5,076,050 -24,473,030.50 -449,010 -17,000 22,495,930.00

-

1,746,576 1,261,213 1,001,520

64,861 -50,540 -

1,158,417

38,966

VALUE 1,805.59 (up) 53.13 770,166,813.08 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,477.26 (up) 138.62 754,086,177.54 HOLDING FIRMS 7,551.58 (up) 117.10 1,384,776,040.92 PROPERTY 4,010.90 (up) 113.40 SERVICES 1,510.64 (up) 7.98 873,764,942.64 MINING & OIL 8,843.07 (up) 177.65 1,184,670,762.23 PSEI 7,704.60 (up) 159.05 103,573,794.84 All Shares Index 4,675.60 (up) 71.59 5,076,207,370.27 Gainers: 112; Losers: 60; Unchanged: 46; Total: 218

Century eyes P3b from sale of shares

By Jenniffer B. Austria CENTURY Property Group Inc., the property unit of Ambassador Jose Antonio, plans to raise up to P3 billion from the issuance of preferred shares.

Century said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board approved an increase in the size of the planned preferred shares offering to P3 billion from the initial plan of P2 billion.

Century will sell 20 million preferred A shares with an oversubscription of up to 10 million preferred A shares at a price of P100 apiece.

The company will issue the preferred shares from the reclassification of 3 billion common shares with a par value of P0.53 each to three billion preferred shares with a par value of P0.53 apiece.

The preferred shares will be listed and traded under the main hoard of the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Century said it would file the necessary registration statement and prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission for approval.

No other details, including the timetable and use of proceeds from the offering, were available Century in March also raised P3 billion from the issuance of three-year unsecured fixed rate retail bonds due in 2022 with coupon rate of 7.8203 percent per annum.

The company earlier reported plans to spend P30 billion in capital expenditures over the next three years amid the expansion of its residential portfolio with the development of mid-rise condominiums.

It identified properties in Quezon City, Mandaluyong and Pampanga as future sites for the planned venture.

The property firm has been diversifying its portfolio from being concentrated in high-rise condominium projects to other segments, such as affordable horizontal housing, leisure and tourism developments and for-lease properties.

The diversification plan started five years ago with the goal of serving unmet market demands and increasing revenue streams while exercising business prudence and maintaining a robust and healthy balance sheet.

Century by 2020 is set to triple its leasable space to 300,000 square meters from 133,000 sq. m. as of 2017, once all its office, retail and hotel developments are completed.

Globe Telecom activates 3 cell sites in Surigao

By Darwin G. Amojelar GLOBE Telecom Inc. fired up three cell sites in the municipalities of General Luna, Pilar, and Dapa in Siargao, Surigao del Norte.

“We know that a lot of people in Siargao are looking for better connectivity. The topography of Siargao is quite challenging—a large area, quite hilly, and the population is spread out so it’s very expensive to put up a cell site in Siargao.

However we also know its potential given the beauty of the place and its commitment to sustainable tourism,” said Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu. With these three new cell sites, Cu said Globe brought data services to the island so tourists could share their Siargao experience to the rest of the world.

“We are laying down fiber so that businesses can have better internet connection to aid them in the digitalization of their operations. Since Siargao lacks banks, we enable financial transactions through the mobile phone using GCash.

This is just the start, there are more coming up,” he added.

Globe spends about 45 percent of its annual income on telco infrastructure.

Cu asked local government officials in Siargao to help expedite the release of permits for site acquisition and establishment of cell sites if Siargao wanted to become an important player in the Philippine tourism industry.

“The local government units are a major component of our efforts to bring connectivity to the communities. Let us make Siargao an example so that all of these impediments to building infrastructure in this country will go away.

We will bring our services to the people because we believe Globe can change people’s lives. We are already doing that through connectivity and financial inclusion, among others,” he said.

World

B3

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

IN BRIEF Mahathir: HK leader should quit

THE PROTEST CONTINUES. A woman wearing a Guy Fawkes mask joins people taking part in a protest against a potential government ban on protesters wearing face masks in Hong Kong on October 4, 2019. AFP

March against face mask ban in HK Trump calls on Ukraine and China to probe Biden WASHINGTON―US President Donald Trump openly called on China as well as Ukraine to investigate his potential 2020 election rival Joe Biden, taunting Democrats seeking his impeachment for inviting foreign election interference.

Speaking in Florida Thursday, Trump blasted his accusers as “maniacs” pursuing “impeachment crap” as he sought to turn the tables on a probe that threatens to make him only the third US president ever impeached in the House of Representatives, and face a trial in the Senate.

As a former State Department diplomat testified behind closed doors in Congress on his role in the Ukraine scandal, Trump doubled down by calling for Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to go after Biden, who leads the race for the Democratic presidential nomination next year.

“I would say that President Zelensky, if it were me, I would recommend that they start an investigation into the Bidens,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.

“Likewise, China should start an investigation into the Bidens, because what happened in China is just about as bad as what happened with Ukraine.”

Asked if he would request Xi do the same, Trump replied, “It’s certainly something we can start thinking about.”

Adam Schiff, the Democrat leading the impeachment probe in the House of Representatives, said Trump was acting “with impunity” in the face of the law.

“Once again we have a president of the United States suggesting, urging a foreign country to interfere in our presidential elections,” Schiff said.

Trump alleges that Biden, as vice president in 2014, tried to block a Ukraine corruption probe into his son Hunter’s business partner, a Ukraine gas tycoon, using US aid as leverage.

He also alleged Hunter used his stature to raise $1.5 billion in 2013 from China for a new investment vehicle in Beijing.

He made “millions” off these investments, Trump alleges. AFP

H

ONG KONG― Thousands of masked protesters marched through Hong Kong on Friday as the government readied to use emergency powers to ban face coverings in a bid to put an end to months of violent protests.

Large crowds of mostly office workers hit the streets during the workday lunch break over the pro-Beijing regime’s expected use of colonial-era laws that opponents said would tip the city towards authoritarianism.

Hong Kong’s leader later on announced a ban on protesters wearing face masks, invoking colonial-era emergency powers, in a bid to end months of violent protests.

“We believe that the new law will create a deterrent effect against masked violent protesters and rioters, and will assist the police in its law enforcement,” chief executive Carrie Lam said.

Seething public anger against Chinese rule of the semi-autonomous city

has exploded into huge demonstrations and increasingly violent confrontations, with no sign of an end to nearly four months of unrest, and activists vowing an 18th consecutive weekend of protests.

Protesters have used face masks to avoid identification―along with yellow helmets, goggles and respirators to protect themselves from tear gas and police projectiles.

Multiple local media outlets reported embattled leader Carrie Lam had decided to turn to the Emergency Ordinance Regulations to outlaw face coverings and had met her cabinet on Friday morning.

The government said Lam and senior cabinet ministers would hold a press conference at 3pm (0700 GMT) But protesters have already vowed to defy the law.

“Youngsters are risking their lives, they don’t mind being jailed for ten years, so wearing masks is not a problem,” a 34-year-old office worker wearing a surgical mask, who gave her first name as Mary, told AFP at a protest on Friday afternoon.

The expected ban comes after Hong Kong was rocked by the worst violence on the year on Tuesday, the

same day China celebrated 70 years of Communist Party rule.

Street battles raged for hours between riot police and hardcore protesters while a teenager who was part of a group that attacked police with umbrellas and poles was shot in the chest with a live round—the first such shooting since the demonstrations began.

Protesters have increasingly resorted to hurling bricks and Molotov cocktails while police are firing tear gas and rubber bullets with unprecedented frequency.

On Friday the city’s subway system said 83 of its 91 underground stations had been vandalized in recent months after protesters turned on the operator because it began shutting down parts of the network ahead of large protests.

Pro-establishment lawmakers and a prominent police officer association have ramped up their calls for the government to invoke the emergency laws, which were last used 52 years ago by the British during deadly leftist riots.

The law allows the city’s leader to make “any regulations whatsoever” in the event of an emergency or public danger without the need to go via the city’s parliament. AFP

Rare monkey born in Australia SYDNEY―One of the world’s rarest monkeys has been born at an Australian zoo.

The male Francois’ Langur with its distinctive orange fur was born at Sydney’s Taronga zoo last week and has not yet been named.

Critically-endangered, the animal is only found in China and Vietnam where it is threatened by poachers and loss of habitat from encroaching development.

“Seeing Francois’ Langurs in the wild is incredibly rare, but seeing a baby is even more so,” said Senior Zoo Keeper Jane Marshall.

The baby’s bright orange hair lasts just a few weeks before it begins to darken to the color of its mother Noel’s fur.

The zoo estimates there are only about 3,000 of the species left in the wild.

“Not a lot of people know about Francois’ Langurs as a species, but these beautiful animals are very vibrant animals, who are incredibly agile and intelligent,” Marshall added. AFP

Black year for European beekeepers

FESTIVAL. Nepali Hindu devotees carry a chariot representing deities as they walk to the Shikali temple during celebrations for

the Shikali Jatra festival near Khokana village on the outskirts of Kathmandu on October 4, 2019. The Hindu villagers in Khokana celebrate the five-day Shikali Jatra festival instead of Nepal’s largest festival of Dashain, which is marked nationwide. The local festival is dedicated instead to the goddess Shikali, and colorful dancers dress up as the numerous deities in the Hindu tradition. AFP

In northwest Spain, conservation efforts pay off as bears thrive POLA DE SOMIEDO, Spain―Daylight is only just breaking over Spain’s Cantabrian Mountains and already a dozen enthusiasts are up and about in the hope of spotting a brown bear.

Shy creatures which feature on the list of Spain’s endangered species, Cantabrian brown bears have been growing in number in this mountainous northwestern region after almost disappearing.

Fernando Garitagoita has rented a house in La Peral, a hamlet in the Somiedo nature reserve in the Asturias region, to be first in line in the morning to film them with his telephoto lens.

On holiday with his family, the house

KUALA LUMPUR―Malaysia’s prime minister said Friday Hong Kong’s embattled leader should resign over the city’s increasingly violent pro-democracy protests and warned China would take “harsh action” to end the demonstrations.

Hong Kong has been rocked by unprecedented protests for nearly four months, with millions taking to the streets angered by what they see as Beijing’s authoritarian rule of the semiautonomous city.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad―who at 94 is the world’s oldest leader―said Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam “is in a dilemma.”

“She has to obey the masters, at the same time she has to ask her conscience,” he told a press conference.

“Her conscience says that the people of Hong Kong are right in rejecting the [extradition] law.

“But on the other hand, she knows the consequence of rejecting the law.”

The protests were sparked by opposition to a now-scrapped law that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China but have morphed into a wider movement calling for democratic freedoms.

“For the administrator [Lam], I think [the] best thing is to resign,” Mahathir added.

Referring to the bloody 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing, Mahathir said eventually China sent the military in and “took action, harsh action to put an end to the demonstration.

“I think in the end, that is what China will do [in Hong Kong].”

On Friday, thousands of masked protesters took to the streets of Hong Kong again as the government readied to use emergency powers to ban face coverings in a bid to end the demonstrations. AFP

is just metres from a hill where dozens of passionate bear watchers set up camp every day, equipped with powerful telescopes and expensive photography equipment.

Silently they wait for a bear to emerge from the forest and clamber up rocky scree slopes to eat buckthorn berries which grow on a shrub that fruits in late August, says Garitagoita.

A stir of excitement runs through the group when a bear is spotted pawing at a bush to get hold of the glossy black berries.

“It’s emotional, you feel joy, happiness. You get an adrenaline rush,” ad-

mits the 53-year-old professor.

“For me, it’s a unique moment.”

In the 1980s, it was very rare to see a bear in the Cantabrian Mountains, a range stretching more than 400 kilometers along Spain’s northern coast, from the Pyrenees in the east to Portugal’s northernmost tip in the west.

Not only was their habitat under threat from the construction of roads and other infrastructure but the bears were still seen as dangerous pests, with their numbers reduced by both illegal hunting and people leaving out poisoned bait.

Down to just 60 or 70 in number, they became critically endangered,

says Guillermo Palomero, president of the Fundacion Oso Pardo (Brown Bear Foundation), an NGO founded in 1992 to promote the peaceful co-existence of humans and bears.

But following a dedicated campaign by conservationists, the population has grown steadily and the area now counts between 330 and 350 brown bears, among them more than 40 females who produce cubs every year.

Unlike in the Pyrenees, where the creatures had to be reintroduced after being hunted to extinction, the brown bears of Cantabria are gradually repopulating their own native territory. AFP

MILAN―This year has been a black one for many European beekeepers, particularly in France and Italy, where unpredictable weather has produced what are being termed the worst honey harvests ever.

Italy’s main agricultural union Coldiretti said 2019 has been a “black year”, with “a harvest almost halved” from the 23,300 tonnes of honey collected in 2018.

In France, it’s expected to be “the worst on record”, according to the National Union of French Beekeeping (UNAF), with “fewer than 9,000 tons”― almost a quarter of the crop harvested in the 1990s.

Romania was European honey “champion” in 2018, with some 30,000 tonnes.

But this year the country’s production will drop below its recent yearly average of 25,000 tons, the ROMAPIS association told AFP. And in Spain, the leading country in terms of number of hives, the harvest has been poor since 2015, with a drop of 5.2 percent in 2017 and a 2018 season which was “not up to expectations”, according to the country’s agriculture ministry.

January to early September saw over 1,000 extreme weather events in Italy―up over 50 percent on 2018― including hail, storms and heat waves, Coldiretti said.

In France, spring was curtailed by a sudden cold snap, followed by a heat wave at the end of June. In some areas of southern France, the heat melted the wax in the hives, trapping the bees, UNAF said.

In Romania, “the lack of rainfall last autumn and winter hit rapeseed crops hard,” resulting in “very low honey production,” according to beekeeper Marian Patrascu. AFP

B4

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

WIDENING A PROJECT’S SCOPE. Real estate developers believe that incorporating a sustainable and reliable source of power into projects aids the market in better appreciating the surrounding regions of Metro Manila.

SUSTAINABLE, AFFORDABLE POWER BOON TO PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT MAKING HARD CHOICES. Climate change is a global issue, and it is up to Filipinos themselves “to make the hard choices for us to be resilient.” Ferdz dela Cruz, former chief executive officer of Manila Water Company, Inc. (Inset), emphasized the urgency of the water security issue for Metro Manila and other major urban areas in the country, and batted for “constructive dialog without the misinformation” at a media roundtable held last week by Lamudi. De la Cruz led speakers who talked about building resilient and sustainable cities, but reserved his best comments for the lack of long term solutions to water shortage and climate change. At the round table were (from left) Bhavna Suresh, chief executive officer, Lamudi; Angela Ibay, head, climate and energy program of the World Wide Fund for Nature; James Buskowitz, chief executive officer of Buskowitz Group; Amado de Jesus, vice chairman of the Philippine Green Building Initiative; JJ Fernandez, strategic management consultant of Menarco development corporation; Justine Santos-Sugay, director for resource development and communications of Habitat for Humanity; and Aina Cruz, marketing manager, Lamudi.

UNCOMMON TOUCH. Century Properties Group Inc. recently completed Roxas West, the fifth residential tower of the Residences at Commonwealth in Quezon City.

Two more buildings, Quirino East and Quirino West, are set to be completed this year.

“We have envisioned this project as a covetable vertical village in Quezon City that is safe, well-designed and packed with amenities for different pursuits in life, ” said Marco R. Antonio, Century Properties’ president and chief executive officer. Commonwealth

by Century is an eight-tower mid-rise community along Don Antonio Drive near Commonwealth Avenue, a stone’s throw away from the future MRT 7 Don Antonio Station. The project was named as the best mid-end condominium development in Metro Manila at the 2018 Philippine Property Awards. The “uncommon” amenities and features of the development include a multipurpose room, show kitchen, rock and roll studio, arts and crafts studio, a gym and dance studio, movie room, and Salon, all located in the clubhouse (Seen in photo). Outside the clubhouse is an open space with a yoga deck, basketball court, and children’s playground. Pools and other water features will soon be available.

GROWTH OPPORTUNITY IN THE SOUTH. Property developer Cathay Land

T

HE real estate sector, one of the Philippine economy’s consistent growth drivers for the past decade, looks forward to the impact of more stable and reasonably-priced power for their property developments, with the recently successful conduct of the Competitive Selection Process (CSP).

“Reliable sources of power keeps prices of real estate developments stable for consumers, and adds value to the concerned project,” Jeffrey Ng, president of Cathay Land, told the Manila Standard.

“This serves as an inspiration, or benchmark, to future projects from developers of all scales.”

Added Antonio Jaime Jose V. Fernandez, strategic management consultant, of Menarco Development Corp.: “power is important for developers…this is what our customers want. If the government and private sector can deliver on this, this would be an ideal scenario” Terrie Fucanan-Yu, Century Properties Group, Inc. vice-president for corporate communications, agreed, noting that stable-priced power and the availability of renewable energy sources in real estate operations will positively impact the business of real estate developers in terms of cost savings for construction and operations / property management.

“As for sales efforts on whether this could be a selling point, it may not yet be the predominant selling point for residential properties for now,” Yu said. “But if given the option with proper information on customer benefits and cost savings, the market may start converting into greener projects sooner rather than later.”

TRANSPARENT, MARKET-DRIVEN The CSP, borne out of a Supreme Court ruling that all power supply agreements (PSAs) are now obliged to undergo the CSP, allows all potential suppliers to bid for the contract, and get the best power deal for consumers.

The PSA is a requirement from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and Department of Energy (DOE) to encourage generation companies to build power plants in order to meet the country’s demand aimed at making the cost of electricity product more transparent and market-driven.

Fernandez pointed to the Menarco Tower, a 32-storey office building along the 32nd tower in BGC, by the Menarco Development Corporation. The project, which recently garnered a Well gold certification from the International Well Building Institute (IWBI) Asia, is an example, of a development which measures and monitors the health and wellbeing of buildings and its occupants.

A chief executive officer of a leading real estate development company emailed the Manila Standard, noting that most of their customers “expect that sta-

ble and reliable power is a given.”

The CEO, who declined to be identified, explained that power supply is critical, for example for BPO-type projects that run for 24 hours.

“You’d be surprised how much power a fully-staffed BPO office consumes,” the executive, whose company recently tied up with a Japanese real estate giant to build a major condominium/mall project in one of Metro Manila’s central business districts, said.

“Its not just the masses of computers, but also the large servers and other equipment, plus the A/C needed to keep everything and everyone cool,” he explained.

Power is one of the biggest expenses of this type of company so, a predictable power cost is an advantage because BPO companies will need to commit to their clients a stable processing fee for the work that they do.”

REAL MARKET FORCES The first CSP conducted by power distributor Meralco, and administered by a Third-Party Bids and Awards Committee (TBAC), recently resulted in three successfully-bidded PSAs with three companies for the supply of a 500 MW megawatt of mid-merit capacity effective this December for a term of five years.

Meralco signed the PSAs with First Gen Hydro Power Corp., Phinma Energy Corp. of the Ayala Group and South Premiere Power Corp. of San Miguel Corp. after their respective offers were declared to be the best bids by the third party bids and awards committee during a bidding last September 11.

Various industries lauded the PSAs, which reportedly paves the way for market forces to determine the electricity rates small, medium and large-scale businesses would pay. The policy to subject power supplies to a competitive selection process, or bidding, makes the cost of electricity product more transparent and market-driven, businessmen pointed out.

“FPI welcomes the news of this muchneeded additional power, to meet the growing demand of our country,” said FPI chairman Jesus Arranza in a statement.

“We welcome the entry of any and all generation companies interested in contributing to the grid, in order to create a more secure power supply situation for all industries, and ultimately, all consumers.”

The group, a prime mover of Philippine industries, expressed support for the Energy Department circular requiring distribution utilities to procure power through the competitive selection process, or bidding.

The results of the bidding will reportedly benefit electricity consumers. They can save around P0.28 per kwh or P9.46 billion annually for 10 years starting in 2020 from the new 1,200-MW PSA. On the 500-MW contract, consumers are expected to save another P4.4 billion annually over the next five years. This is equivalent to an additional rate reduction of around P0.13 per kWh for consumers by the end of the year.

The CSP imposes penalties on the winning bidder if it fails to honor its contract.

The terms of the supply deal stipulate that the generator that fails to follow through

expects investors to have strong interest in the residential units of Ananda Square, since the project will be Alabang’s newest commercial and residential landmark. Located along AlabangZapote Road in Las Piñas City, Ananda Square will host a supermarket, coffee shops, restaurants, banks and more retail choices in its three-floor mall. Cathay Land president Jeffrey Ng said the promise of a new shopping mecca, and the prevailing real estate boom in the South – with prices of similar condominium projects hovering north of P200,000 per square meter -- will give Ananda Square an edge among buyers and investors. The first of Ananda Square’s four towers is a 20-storey mixed-use building that will feature about 700 units and will be comprised mainly of studio units and 1-bedroom suites. “With our attractive pricing, we are confident that we can tap a good mix of young professionals working in the Alabang CBD and beyond, those who are growing their families, and those who are looking to make investments in the South as it grows its commercial and industrial hubs even further,” Ng said. Ananda Square units start at around P98,000 per square meter. A 24-sq.m. studio unit starts at P2.8 Million, whereas a 32.63-sq.m. 1-bedroom unit goes for up to P3.2 Million. Bigger spaces are available at the two penthouse floors, where buyers have option to combine adjacent units.

LEVELLING UP

with the contracted capacity will pay a fine of P908 multiplied by each megawatt-hour per day. The fine will be used to reduce the generation charge to consumers.

Constructing new power plants is an urgent measure to solve the country’s energy security requirements. The ostensible objective is to avoid the serious power shortages in the early 90s that crippled the Philippine economy.

AID IN EXPANSION PLANS OUTSIDE MM “We are confident that the prices resulting from this bidding are the least cost to consumers,” said the real estate CEO who requested anonymity. “For us developers, we are encouraged by the promise to reduce plant outages which can affect our projects and operations, as well as penalties that will be slapped on generator companies who are unable to deliver as they promised.”

Cathay land’s Ng said the government and private sector push for more reliable electricity will help developers as they push for expansion outside the country’s capital, expanding into other urban centers as they search for strategic places to expand their businesses, and diversify their portfolio.

“We’re looking at key growth areas or cities,” he explained. “As we study the current needs of these areas based on their key industries and market profile, power will play a key role in servicing population, density, proximity to industrial centers or places of work, city competitiveness, and demographic factors such as income, age, and livelihood sources, factors which we look at before deciding on the type of product to develop.”

REDUCING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT All the developers interviewed by Manila Standard agreed that more sustainable, and affordable power supply would benefit at least five cities, aside from Metro Manila, amid steady growth in their economy, tourism and property demand. These are the cities of Clark, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod and Davao.

“Due to a lack of exposure to regions outside of MM, there are times these regions have a false negative connotation in terms of reliability, liveability and accessibility,” Ng said. “By incorporating a sustainable and reliable source of power into projects, it not only aids the market in better appreciating the surrounding regions of MM, but also potentially helps reduce carbon footprint.”

“Reliable and affordable power supply is so important especially for projects outside of Metro Manila, where key infrastructure is crucial,” Yu averred. “Developers are actually in a better timing now more than ever as new technologies are more available at a lower price.”

Added Fernandez, by incorporating sustainable features, power-driven amenities, LEEDS and similar certifications, developers like Menarco can show that a development is ready to accommodate not only industries of today, but also of the future. “A sustainable power supply can help widen our market scope,” he said.

The Chamber of Real Estate & Builders’ Associations Inc. (CREBA) and De La Salle College of Saint Benilde School of Professional and Continuing Education (DLS-CSB SPACE) will kick off today a certificate course, “real estate planning, development and environmental concerns,” at the CSB School of Design and Arts at P. Ocampo Street. The course, the third of six modules under the executive diploma program in real estate management (EDPREM), will be held from 1:00 to 8:30 PM. It will run for four consecutive Saturdays until October 26. CREBA, headed by National president Noel Toti M. Cariño, is the Philippine umbrella organization of the real estate and housing industry composed of property developers, builders, contractors, suppliers and manufacturers of construction materials, real estate service practitioners and other professionals and entities engaged in over 70 allied fields. For inquiries, please write to creba_national@yahoo.com, or space@benilde.edu.ph.

Life

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

ARTS AND CULTURE

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019

C1

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EARLY 300 young artists showcased their creations that showed their appreciation of their lives at the recently concluded art competition of Global Art Philippines.

Participants are current students of Global Art Philippines in Ortigas, San Juan, Del Monte-Quezon City, Makati, Serendra, Alabang, Binondo, Ycaza-Manila, Fun Ranch-Pasig, New Manila, Pampanga, Cebu, Davao, and General Santos City.

Of the hundreds of participants, seven were adjudged grand champions, which automatically earned them a spot in the Global Art International Level Competition in Singapore on Dec. 1.

“This year’s theme was ‘My Appreciation’ because we wanted our young artists to translate into visual art their appreciation of God, their family, friends, nature, technology, and the quality of their lives in general,” said Global Art Philippines country manager Yenny Saw. The competition was divided into two major categories: Creative Drawing and Acrylic Painting.

The grand champions in Creative Drawing are Daphne Elizabeth Dira (Category A: 4-6 years old), Judy Kwag (Category B: 7-9 years old), Ervin Cedric Uy (Category C: 10-12 years old), and Priya Nelly Atheena Tan (Category D: 13-18 years old).

Meanwhile, the following were declared winners in the Acrylic Painting Category: Keana Nicolle Jiang (Category 1: 7-9 years old), Julia Gabrielle San Juan (Category 2: 10-12 years old), and Roland Jude Gellang (Category 3: 13-18 years old).

Fourteen-year-old Gellang, who won in Acrylic Painting Category 3, traveled all the way from Global Art General Santos City for the event. For him, art was fun and the competition was challenging and rewarding.

San Juan, 10, couldn’t more. She said, “There was a lot of pressure but the rewarding experience was winning!”

For Dira, 6 years old, practicing everyday helped her win and she said the victory was going to be extra special since Dec. 1 (the date of the international competition) is her birthday.

Jiang, 9, meanwhile, attributed her victory to her family and teachers. She also added that her

Acrylic Painting Category 1 winner by Keana Jiang

Acrylic Painting Category 2 winner by Julia San Juan

Acrylic Painting Category 3 winner by Roland Gellang

Young artists showcase

‘art-ppreciation’ art studies at Global Art Pampanga helped build confidence and discipline.

Tan, 16, seconded, saying she is more confident now and will continue with her art program.

Global Art Philippines is a unique art school where toddlers, kids, and teenagers are encour-

The grand winners in Creative Drawing and Acrylic Painting categories will advance to the Global Art International Level Competition in Singapore on Dec. 1.

aged to unleash their creative potential through world-class art enrichment programs. These activities and programs give kids the opportunity to develop their appreciation for art and hone their intrinsic gifts of exploration, self-expression, logical thinking, self-esteem, imagination,

and creativity.

“Most values our students learn in class have positively impacted their personal lives. They are taught that the world is a big canvas and it’s up to them to leave it blank, or start living their lives in full optimistic colors,” said Saw.

A total of 278 young student artists join this year’s Global Art Philippines competition whose theme is ‘My Appreciation.’

Contemporary performances on stage

Maskara Ensemble’s ‘Sailormoon’ tackles bullying

‘Unearthing’ by Ea Torrado’s Daloy Dance Company

EXPERIMENTAL music, improv, and other performances hit the stage at Create Philippines 2019, the government’s trade platform for the creative industries focused on performing arts.

An exciting lineup of free admission performances by different showcases— local and Asian—were enjoyed by performing arts enthusiasts, artists, and attendees of the event which was staged in partnership with the Manila International Performing Arts Market.

Among those who performed were the Asian Gems in the Arts’ Wang Juanjuan from China, Mendbayar Jargalsaikhan from Mongolia, Ea Torrado’s Daloy Dance Company from the Philippines, and Yushuyachi Ensemble from

Taiwan.

AJ Villanueva’s Ripieno Ensemble also caught the attention of the attendees through their sound art or experimental music. This special chamber music produced by Create Philippines’ creative director Erwin Romulo was performed with instruments made from scratch, mixing wood, plastic, and metal to create a unique and haunting sound.

Theater showcases were from the Silly People’s Improv Theater, Dulaang UP, MASKARA Ensemble, Twin Bill, Harlequin Theater Guild, Artist Playground, Tanghalang Ateneo, and the Artist Theater Company.

“Sailormoon” by Maskara Ensemble,

for instance, tackled bullying.

Musical performances by Leandro Martin Ong, Blood Drum Spirit, UP Manila Chorale, Joshua Ethan Dakanay, Kabataang Gitarista, Kawayan 7, Rizalinno Band, and the FEU Bamboo Band were also enjoyed by the audience.

Dancers from Sickledsam Linear Fluidity, Teatro Ambahanon, Daloy Dance Company, Dance Pull, CCP Choreographer Series, West Australian Ballet, Hip Hop International, and Dance Sport Team Ormoc likewise presented their expertise.

Highlights on the third day were Wild Card showcases by Sasa Cabalquinto, Mendbayar Jargalsaikhan, Black Canvas, and Teatrong Mulat.

Young musicians from the CCP’s Kabataang Gitarista program

Life

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

EXO fanfic-turned-novel

now available in PH L

OS Angeles-based Chinese author Priscilla Wu brings her dystopian romance inspired by the K-pop group EXO to the Philippines.

ABS-CBN Books has published the wellloved fan fiction-turned-novel, True Beauty, in its efforts to spotlight great stories not just from local but international authors as well.

Set in a modern time with an age-old premise, True Beauty is about 18-yearold Hana Acacia who comes from a noble family and is about to receive a Noye—a slave—as a coming of age present.

Her life faces an unforeseeable twist when she meets Aden, a Noye with rough hair, harsh eyes, and faded scars and is the most beautiful thing she has ever laid her eyes on.

“Something that I want to encapsulate in True Beauty is how humans really are very multi-faceted. That really surfaced as the main inspiration behind the protagonist Hana’s mindset and how she lives her life in the world,” the

22-year-old author said during her MYX Philippines’ MYXclusive interview.

The novelist, who began writing at age 7, started creating True Beauty when she was just 16 years old and finished it over a year later. She first published it online at asianfanfics.com, where the story got a million reads. Its success led to the eventual transformation of the fanfic into a full novel.

“When you read something online, it’s very easy to just skip over paragraphs or not really absorb anything... having something physical in your hand really allows you to immerse yourself in the words rather than looking at it through the blue screen,” shared Wu on her excitement to have her story published in print.

True Beauty is available online and in leading bookstores and newsstands nationwide for P295.

Priscilla Wu’s ‘True Beauty,’ a fanficturned-novel inspired by K-pop group EXO, follows the story of 18-year-old Hana Acacia who meets Aden.

Fundraising dinner for Tanjay Church Museum

By Penn Larena THE St. James the Greater Parish Tanjay City had recently organized a fundraising dinner to support the ongoing construction of Museo Eclesiastico de Tanjay inside the Tanjay Parish Church Compound.

The current exhibition in the church museum showcases many important religious sculptures, paintings, old photos, and priceless artifacts.

Architect Joshua Tabasa, who de-

signed the parish museum, said the construction will be finished this October, in time for the Apostolic Nuncio’s visit to Negros Oriental.

The fundraising activity kicked off with a short program led by V. Rev. Msgr. Glenn M. Corsiga, PC, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Dumaguete, who gave an inspirational message followed by the fellowship dinner at the Mere Maria Hall of St. Paul University Dumaguete.

The Heavenly Rhythm Choir of St. James the Greater Parish entertains guests.

It was a night of fun, good food, and pleasant music. The Heavenly Rhythm Choir of St. James the Greater Parish sang the audience’s favorite songs from the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘90s.

The event was attended by Tanjayanons, Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals, individuals from the business community, members of the academe, and parishioners from San Jose, Amlan, Bais, Sibulan. Other key personalities from the Diocese of Dumaguete wer also present, like Rev. Msgr. Gamaliel D. Tulabing, PC and V. Rev. Msgr.

Mariño P. Ybo, PC. The Museo Ecclesiastico de Tanjay, the first Ecclesiastical Museum in the province, will soon open to local and foreign tourists.

Last call for Metro Manila applicants for NSAC Young artists from Metro Manila have one more day (Oct. 5) to submit their entries to the 52nd National Students Art Competition whose theme centers on “Imagine Nation.”

Since the establishment of the students’ art tilt by energy company Pilipinas Shell, it has brought forth a number of Filipino art masters such as BenCab, Jose Joya, and Ang Kiukok.

Pilipinas Shell’s NSAC is open to all college students currently enrolled in Philippine schools for the year 2018-2019. Participants can submit a maximum of two entries using oil/acrylic, watercolor, sculpture, or digital fine arts (print).

Grand prize winners across all catego categories will each be awarded P60,000 cash prize, while the second and third prize winners will receive P40,000 and P30,000, respectively.

Donation for the museum construction is welcome. Visit St. James the Greater Parish Office in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental or call (035) 415-8605 and look for Rev. Msgr. Glenn M. Corsiga for more information.

Filipino WAF delegates’ send-off party SOME of the country’s finest architects and interior designers gathered together at the World Architecture Festival Filipino finalists’ send-off held at Grohe showroom in Wilcon IT Hub. The send-off party was highlighted by the presentation of four Filipino designers who will be joining the prestigious World Architecture Festival 2019, the world’s largest, live, inclusive, and interactive global architecture awards program happening in Amsterdam on Dec. 4-6.

Bringing pride to the Philippines in this year’s WAF are Kenneth Cobonpue and Buck Sia of Zubu Design Associates, Carlo Calma of Carlo Calma Consultancy, John Ryan Santos and Pauline-Cueva Bato of John Ryan Santos + Partners, and Jesy Cruz and Jaemi Cruz of Alero Design Studios.

Among those who graced the celebration were Lixil Philippines assistant country manager Joralyn Ong, marketing manager Emily Besavilla,

BULLETIN BOARD

Go to www. shell.com.ph to know more.

Learn how to write fantasy Storytellers are invited to further explore the depths of the fantasy in “Worldmaking through Speculative Writing,” a half-day lecture to be facilitated by multi-awarded Filipino playwright and novelist Dean Francis Alfar.

Alfar is the editor of the esteemed Philippine Speculative Fiction series.

The class aims to encourage writers to build their own futuristic or supernatural landscapes shaped from their careful imagination.

Filipino delegates to this year’s World Architecture Festival in Amsterdam (from left) Jaemi Cruz, Jesy Cruz, Buck Sia, John Ryan Santos, and Pauline Cueva-Bato

Grohe/Inax project key accounts Carlo Malantic, Grohe brand manager Arian Zaragoza, BluPrint editor in chief Judith Torres, Budji Layug of BUDJI + ROYAL Architecture +

Design, Jason and Nikki Buensalido of Buensalido Architects, Jorge Yulo of Jorge Yulo Architects and Associates, and Empire Design founder Vianca Favila.

The workshop is scheduled on Nov. 16, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the Museum of Contemporary Arts and Design of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. Call (02) 230-5100 local 3897 for inquiries.

Dean Francis Alfar leads a writing workshop

Entertainment

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Jang Ki Yong in Manila for the first time

SNAPSHOT

Tom Cruise meets president in Kiev UKRAINIAN leader Volodymyr Zelensky (left) welcomed Tom Cruise to Kiev to discuss locations for one of the Hollywood superstar’s new film projects, the presidency said Tuesday.

Zelensky, who was a popular comedian until his shock presidential election win this spring, told the 57-year-old actor about his own experiences in cinema, the press service said.

Last month, the 41-year-old leader met Hollywood actors Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, and Robin Wright at an event in Kiev. AFP

Stories of hope and perseverance

KOREAN actor and international model Jang Ki Yong is coming to Manila for the first time this Nov. 17 at the Samsung Hall (SM Aura) as part of his 2019 Filmography Tour.

Exciting on-site activities and upclose interactions await Jang Ki Yong’s fans in Manila as announced by concert and live events promoter Wilbros Live.

Jang Ki Yong won the hearts of Filipino viewers with his supporting role in Go Back Couple, a hit Korean drama series that aired on ABS-CBN last year. Having started his modeling career with Seoul Fashion Week in 2012, he made his acting debut two years later through the SBS drama It’s OK, It’s Love.

Jang Ki Yong won the Best Male Actor Award in the 37th MBC Acting Award Drama series for his MBC drama Come and Hold Me. Early this year, in May, Jang Ki Yong received the Best New Actor for TV at the prestigious 55th Baeksang Arts Awards. In addition to this, he was loved in tvN’s WWW search word and made his screen debut with the movie Bad Guys: The Movie.

Tickets to 2019 Jang Ki Yong 1st Fan Meeting [Filmography] in Manila go on-sale on today via SMTickets. com and all SM Tickets outlets nationwide. Call SM Tickets at 4702222 for more information.

Hans Sy celebrated his 64th birthday at Childhaus Manila with Tates Gana (Childhaus QC Director), Ricky Reyes, Caroline Sy (wife of Hans), Isabelita Mercado, Edna Calexto, Maribel Eusebio and Jeanette Cu (ChildHaus QC Asst. Director)

A

T THE recent 16th year celebration of ChildHaus, Hans Sy excitedly announced that he would be building a center in Cebu for the children of Visayas and Mindanao area. Under the help of Ricky Reyes, the facility will have a livelihood-training program for the parents of those children being assisted by ChildHaus.

Sy envisions having an outlet where mothers can sell commodities from their livelihood projects. Reyes, on the other hand, is so glad to say that as of date, ChildHaus has reached out to more than 17,000 children and adult beneficiaries for the last 16 years, with the center boasting of very little mortality.

Over at ChildHaus, the children gets good medical attention, proper nutrition, good living condition, spiritual and moral guidance, and the support of volunteers from the private sectors.

Here are someof the most inspiring stories of children ChildHaus has assisted: Sython Rinos was only six months old then when he was rushed to Tacloban Public Hospital. He was vomiting and his face, hands, and legs had shown blue discoloration. Two months later, baby Sython suffered a seizure and found needing a heart surgery.

Baby Sython was born in Javier, Leyte to a 25-year-old farmer, Elton John and housewife Syrin. With no resources, the couple sought the help of their town mayor, Sandy Javier, who in turn mediate his case to ChildHaus. But due to his weak condition, Baby Sython’s surgery has to wait until he’s strong enough for a heart bypass operation. Sleeping with an oxygen machine by his side, Baby Sython was given proper medical care and nutrition at ChildHaus with both his parents looking after him. Now, after 11 months of nurture at ChildHaus, Baby Sython, who is now in

a stable condition, is ready for his chance at the Philippine Heart Center. *** Aliya Sayler was only 13 year old when she was diagnosed with Leukemia. She was bed-ridden and very weak when she was brought to the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). She needed to undergo eight cycles of chemotherapy and two sessions of bone marrow aspiration (BMA).

Coming from a humble family in Indang, Cavite, traveling between Manila and Cavite for the treatment proved to be too difficult for the Sayler family. They were then sent to seek help at ChildHaus. There she received free medical care, board and lodging.

After completing the treatment, she was again committed to undergo a second eight cycles of chemotherapy and another two sessions of BMA. The series of treatments made her feel better and Aliya is now cheerful and had shown a positive attitude.

She now actively participates in most activities in the center.

ChildHaus became Aliya’s home for three years while her parents take turns to see her through. Aliya is turning 17 years old and is now ready to leave the center that treated her like a family. Aliya was given leg braces, a gift from ChildHaus for her easy mobility.

She is now required only a few more visits to PGH for continuous health monitoring. *** The crowd applauded cheerfully for the 1st runner up of Miss Teen Matacon in Bicol.

She was Ronalyn Bataller from Polangui,

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, October 5, 2019

ACROSS 1 Love, in Madrid 5 “This Is Just to Say” fruit 10 Austen classic 14 Knight’s wife 15 “Great blue” bird 16 Went for the gold 17 Insult wittily 18 A Beatle 19 — St. Vincent Millay 20 Conundrum 22 Radioactive element 24 Classified items 25 Obi-Wan player 26 Deep well 30 Long-eared animals 35 Chit 36 Voice vote 37 Raise spirits 38 Sir Walter — 41 Dregs 43 City in Germany 44 Install tile 45 7 and 11 46 Make a claim 47 Windflowers 50 Felt boots 53 Relay-race part 54 Flower box

58 Time wasters 62 Appraise 63 Beauty shop 66 Corp. biggie 67 With, to Henri 68 Form of oxygen 69 Coolidge or Hayworth 70 Tug sharply 71 Actor — Falk 72 Flower holder DOWN 1 Woodworking tool (var.)

2 Water pipe 3 All, in combos 4 Jamaican music 5 Writer’s style 6 Aloha token 7 Subject for Keats 8 Ski slope bump 9 Sleeper’s sound 10 Not 45-Across 11 Skirt length 12 PC list 13 Sandler or West 21 Rx writers 23 Joint problems 25 “Have you — wool?”

26 Buenos — 27 Sunday dinner 28 Oklahoma city

29 Murmur of content 31 Ms. MacGraw 32 Toxic gas 33 Piano exercise 34 Nursery buy 39 Rodent reaction 40 Clumsy 41 Made tracks 42 Mascara kin 44 Refrain syllables 48 Avg. size 49 Gawkers 51 Fable writer

52 Fad 54 Request earnestly 55 Pumice source 56 Nefertiti’s god 57 Tie’s place 59 Freeway ramp 60 Nerve network 61 Crooked scheme 64 Parcel of land 65 Half a pair

Ronalyn Bataller (1st runner-up Miss Teen Matacon)

Elton John and Syrin teaching baby boy Sython at Play and Learn area at Childhaus Quezon City.

Albay, a family breadwinner, fighting stage 4 cancer.

Three years ago, she was diagnosed with lymphoma, underwent an ovarian surgery and given by doctors four months to live.

That heartbreaking news however did not dampen her spirit and instead resolved to fight to survive for the sake of her two siblings.

Ronalyn was only 5 years old when her mother died. Her father, a farmer, remarried after a year and left them to live with his new wife in another town. Ronalyn, together with her two younger siblings were left under the care of their grandparents. Her father occasionally send them money but oftentimes not enough.

As if to compound Ronalyn’s Anguish, an unfortunate incident hit Ronalyn harder when a strong typhoon smashed their town and destroyed their house. It led to the eventual demise of her grandparents. Ronalyn knew then that she needed to remain strong and do something for the siblings to survive. On their own. She would then take odd jobs in the neighborhood, babysitting and offering to cook for her neighbors.

Ronalyn blossomed into a pretty girl at age 15. She would often get invited to join local pageants and would gladly compete just to earn money. One day she fell ill and was brought to Bicol Provincial Hospital where she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer with only four months to live. Her well-meaning friends brought her to PGH in Manila but only to confirm the findings of

the doctors at the Bicol Provincial Hospital.

Facing a grim future, Ronalyn sought the help of ChildHaus.

She is now 19. Strong, with character and determination to survive she becomes an inspiration inside ChildHaus, acting as big sister to the afflicted children at the center.

Her story did not go unnoticed that some good Samaritans from GMA Entertainment Group gifted Ronalyn with a sari-sari store for the sibling to operate in the province. *** ChildHaus, now on its 16th year churns out a lot of inspiring stories; stories of survival, stories of sacrifice, the joy of giving and loving, and of perseverance that will surely test the human spirit as evidenced by the life stories of Ronalyn, Sython, Aliya and many more children at ChildHaus. Thanks to the determination of Ricky Reyes and SM’s Hans Sy, the two selfless frontrunners of ChildHaus, that children like Ronalyn, Sython, and Aliya are given another chance in life. With the help of volunteers coming from the different sectors of the society, ChildHaus continuously lend a helping hand to help the afflicted and in need.

The center is just too grateful to find another angel in the person of the young tycoon, Hans Sy, who would stop at nothing for the welfare of the sick children of ChildHaus. From out of his own pocket Hans Sy built the first center in Diliman, Quezon City to provide the temporary shelter for children with cancer and subsequently built a seven-story building on Agoncillo Street in Paco, near the Philippine General Hospital. Beneficiaries of ChildHaus are just as grateful for the enormous help and assistance that they are receiving from Hans Sy.

Jang Ki Yong is a South Korean actor and model best known for his roles in the television series 'Confession Couple' (2017), 'My Mister' (2018), 'Come and Hug Me' (2018), 'Kill It '(2019) and 'Search: WWW' (2019).

Very WANG...

From C4

Here’s how to subscribe with your PLDT Home account: 1. Go to pldthome.com/netflix.

2. Click register and log in using your myHome ID. 3. Read and accept the terms and conditions.

4. Create or log in your Netflix account.

5. Start streaming your favorite shows.

That’s it! Netflix will automatically link its monthly charges to your PLDT Home bill, so you can easily pay both dues off in one transaction. How convenient is that?

Not only does PLDT Home Fibr make it easy to subscribe to Netflix, but it also lets you enjoy your favorite movies and TV shows on the service nonstop through the power and speed of the country’s undisputed fastest and most reliable fixed network, as affirmed by globally renowned internet testing analysts like Ookla and OpenSignal.

Watch your favorite Netflix movies and series on TV screens with PLDT Home TVolution Lite, a streaming device that lets you watch Netflix, Cignal, iflix, YouTube and over a hundred of free streaming channels.

For more updates and information, like PLDT Home’s official Facebook (facebook.com/PLDTHome) and follow PLDT Home on Twitter and Instagram at @PLDTHome.

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

C4

Entertainment

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2019

Kapuso stars in Thailand to promote GMA dramas Skin Magical's Ghie and Jerry Pangilinan flanked TV network executive Charo Santos-Concio during the Summer Palace Mid-Autumn Ball 2019.

Skin Magical couple at celebrity ball

POWER couple Ghie and Jerry Pangilinan make it a point to give back for their entrepreneurial success with a bang. Recently they graced the formal-dinner Summer Palace MidAutumn Ball 2019 which celebrated the 30th anniversary of the ABS-CBN Foundation.

The occasion gathered the brightest personalities under the network’s care led by its chief content officer, actress Charo Santos-Concio.Proceeds from the event will be used for the benefit of Bantay Bata 163, Bantay Kalikasan, and Sagip Kapamilya.

Ghie shared, “We are deeply honored to be part of the mid-autumn ball. That is why we didn’t have any second thoughts when we were invited to join the event.

We support ABS-CBN Foundation in its various advocacies.”

Skin Magical’s inspiring story reflected its owners’ sheer tenacity, hard work, courage, and sacrifices, with Jerry initially working as seaman and Ghie mastering online marketing to make ends meet. Their venture to papaya soap business made them

a triumphant tale that merited their presence at the star-studded ball.

Jerry noted, “We experienced hardships and we know kung ano ang nararamdaman ng mga tao na gusto ring umasenso. We want to help them improve their lives and livelihood.”

On Sept. 28, Ghie was recognized by the American Association of the Philippines (AAP) as among those helping its beneficiaries. She had been nominated in various categories in this year’s Asia Leaders Awards, including Influencer of the Year.

Ghie reiterated, “We always want to contribute in a relevant cause.”

Skin Magical has interwoven beauty and magic since its inception in 2013. Jerry assured, “Helping people is our way of expressing gratitude for all the blessings we receive. Kaya naman bukas kaming tumulong sa aming kapwa na gusto ring guminhawa sa buhay.”

For more information, check www. iloveskinmagical.com or follow on Facebook /skinmagical, Instagram/ skinmagicalmain, and Twitter/ skinmagicalph.

Celebrating the lives of overseas Filipinos via digital series

'Hinahanap-hanap Kita' cast members Geoff Eigennman, Maja Salvador, Pamu Pamorada, and Hannah Ledesma

THIS October, millions of viewers of ABS-CBN’s global content platform TFC and Philippine streaming service iWant will catch an original series that allows them a realistic, inside look into the lives of Filipinos living in Dubai, UAE. Enter ABS-CBN through TFC Studios’ maiden digital original series, Hinahanap-hanap Kita (Searching For You), which will be made available globally on TFC, TFC Online, TFC IPTV and in the Philippines on iWant—simultaneously in real-time—once the entire series is offered today.

The series stars Maja Salvador, Geoff Eigenmann, Pepe Herrera, Pamu Pamorada, Hannah Ledesma, and Prince Stefan.

Hinahanap-hanap Kita is an eightepisode series that celebrates the highs and lows in the lives of the overseas Filipinos (OF), and how friends turn into a family as they pursue life in a foreign land.

“The group met some overseas Filipinos in Dubai and was really moved by their stories that we felt the need to share their story, which we did in this series, Hinahanap-hanap Kita,” said ABS-CBN Global Content Head Ned Legaspi.

The Middle East is among the regions where there are a lot of overseas Filipinos from different walks of life—from those who are now successful in their respective careers and family life, the hopeful ones who are just starting a new life abroad, down to those who are longing to be back home—and their stories inspired every character in the series to the extent that some of them became part of the cast.

The series centers on Helen (Maja) whose husband suddenly stops com-

municating with her but continues to send support to his family. Helen then decides to go to Dubai to look for her husband, finding support and help from her friends Joy (Hannah), Lawrence (Geoff), Margot (Pamu), Homer (Pepe), and Reggie (Prince) who are working in Dubai. The group’s journey in searching for Helen’s missing husband also serves as a journey to self-discovery, acceptance, and freedom from the personal burdens that they carry in their hearts.

For 25 years, TFC has been the bridge of leading Filipino media and entertainment network ABS-CBN Corporation to reach out to millions of Filipinos across the globe. It has primarily done so by bringing to overseas Filipinos primarily TV, film and music content from the homeland, many of which were translated into live experiences through events.

But in the case of Hinahanap-hanap Kita, ABS-CBN, through TFC Studios, pays tribute to every overseas Filipino by producing a series that tells their stories in an authentic and relatable way to their fellow overseas Filipinos around the world, to their families back home, and even to non-Filipinos who resonate with their story.

Hinahanap-hanap Kita is written

by Benson Logronio, Ned Le-gaspi, Josel Garlitos, Kim Lorraine Cruz, and April Jalandra, under the production supervision of Roda dela Cerna and the direction of Dado Lumibao.

For more updates and schedules, visit mytfc.com or visit and like TFC’s Facebook page applicable for your area. Connect with fellow global Kapamilyas and follow @KapamilyaTFC and KapamilyaGlobalPR on Twitter and Instagram.

KAPUSO actors Dennis Trillo, Ken Chan, and Alden Richards were in Thailand on Sept. 19 to grace a mega showcase event by GMA Worldwide, Inc. (GWI)’s Thai content partner, JKN Global Media.

The event, dubbed Diamond Pink: The Love of Content, featured the latest GMA dramas acquired by JKN— My Faithful Husband, Destined To Be Yours, Destiny Rose, and Meant To Be. Dennis was the lead actor in the 2015 series My Faithful Husband, where he co-starred his real-life partner Jennylyn Mercado.

Ken, on the other hand, promoted Destiny Rose, where he had his breakthrough performance

VERY WANG

I

NICKIE WANG

T’S the actor’s job to bring a scripted character to life. No matter what kind of role is assigned, it’s the actor’s responsibility to portray it based on the script’s requirements.

And that’s the reason why Judy Ann Santos accepted a role that is quite different from the characters she has essayed in the past.

For her much-awaited television comeback, Judy Ann brings another heart-tugging story about hope, love for family, forgiveness, and granting the heart’s deepest wishes in the primetime television series Starla, which premieres Monday, Oct. 7.

The series follows a father-daughter relationship and a mission to grant people’s wishes – a perfect and timely present for viewers of all ages this Christmas season from Dreamscape Entertainment, which created hit series filled with values and inspiration such as May Bukas Pa, 100 Days to Heaven, Honesto, and My Dear Heart.

“I’m pretty sure may ibang maninibago, kasi iba talaga siya. And I’m pretty sure that there are people who would get excited to see me play a character that I haven’t done before,” Judy Ann told reporters during the series’ media conference last Saturday.

“But it’s nice to do this role. It is as if my skills have been reset. Parang kailangan mong bigyan ng konting kabog ang sarili mo, and ask myself what else can I do as an actor. I think this character is the answer to that,” she explained.

Joining Juday in Starla are Joel Torre, Enzo Pelojero, Jana Agoncillo, Meryl Soriano, Joem Bascon, and Raymart Santiago, with the special participation of Tirso Cruz III and Charo Santos.

In Starla, Judy Ann is the ruthless Teresa, a successful lawyer who is dedicated to seeking revenge on her despised hometown Baryo Maulap, which she claims is a symbol of her defeat.

Her plans are hindered by her estranged father Greggy (Joel) and his adopted son Buboy (Enzo), after one fateful night, Buboy witnesses a dance of fireflies that is said to bring luck wherever they land. Buboy manages to catch what he thinks is a firefly, named Starla (Jana), who happens to be one of the millions of playful wishing stars from the sky.

Together, Buboy and Starla slowly heal the town by granting wishes, but are fixated on Mang Greggy, whose deepest wish is to reconcile with her now-hostile daughter Teresa.

In truth, Teresa blames her father for abandoning her and the townspeople for not helping her when she and her mother were in dire need—resulting in her mother’s painful demise.

Will Teresa finally get the vengeance that she wants, or does her heart desire something else? Will Buboy and Starla help Greggy and Teresa feel the warmth of home again?

Starla is written by Dindo Perez, and directed by Onat Diaz, Darnel Villaflor, and Jerome Pobocan. Its cast members also include Grae Fernandez, Chantal Videla, Janus del Prado, Kathleen Hermosa, Anna Luna, Jordan Herrera, Simon Ibarra, Raikko

Kapuso stars Alden Richards, Ken Chan, and Dennis Trillo at the JKN Diamond Pink event in Thailand.

playing a transgender, and the romantic comedy series Meant To Be with lead actress Barbie Forteza. As a special treat to the Thai fans during the event, Ken learned the theme song of Destiny Rose in Thai that he performed together with JKN Global Media CEO Anne Jakrajutatip.

Meanwhile, Alden represented his romantic drama Destined To Be Yours, which he bannered alongside on-screen partner Maine Mendoza in 2017.

The Kapuso stars, during their stay in Bangkok, bonded with their Thai fans and

were warmly welcomed as soon as they arrived in the country. They also guested in The Anne Show, a TV program hosted

by JKN’s Jakrajutatip, where the Thai viewers got to know more of Dennis, Ken, and Alden.

My Faithful Husband, Destined To Be Yours, and Destiny Rose are currently being aired via JKN’s partner Line TV Thailand, while Meant To Be will start airing in November. The dramas, dubbed in Thai, will also air on JKN’s drama channel “Dramax.”

JUDY ANN plays gray character; doesn’t mind being hated by viewers

Directors Onat Diaz and Jerome Pobocan with stars Joem Bascon, Enzo Pelojero, Jana Agoncillo, Raymart Santiago, and Judy Ann Santos

Matteo, Chunsa Jeung, Myel de Leon, and Heaven Peralejo, among others. *** Entertainment made easy PLDT Home subscribers can now charge their Netflix subscription through their PLDT Home bill - allowing Filipinos families to watch high caliber shows

and movies from one of the world’s leading digital content providers and providing an easy and secure way to process the payment. That’s right you don’t need a debit or credit card to subscribe to Netflix. It’s fast, easy and secure. You may simply charge your Netflix account to your monthly PLDT Home bill. Continued on C3