Manila Standard - 2019 October 8 - Tuesday

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MASS TRANSPORT CRISIS? 3 RAILWAYS BESET BY WOES STRANDED AGAIN.

Thousands of LRT 2 passengers at the Santolan Station in Marikina City are forced Monday to look for other transportation modes due to the temporary suspension of LRT 2 operation from Santolan to Anonas stations after the fire incident Thursday that gutted two of the rail system’s power transformers. Manny Palmero

By Maricel V. Cruz A “TRANSPORT crisis”

is hanging

over Metro Manila, where nearly 13-million people live, aggravated by the recent dilemma that stalled three of the capital’s rail-

ways, which carry hundreds of thousands of passengers daily.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan Secretary-General Renato Reyes Jr., said “we have a mass transport crisis” and urged the Senate to investigate the issues that confronted three of the railways in the metropolis. “ Te c h -

nical issues” stopped the reopening of the LRT 2 on Monday, three days after management suspended its operations following a fire in one of its stretches, forcing yet again some 220,000 passengers to find alternative transport modes.

Authorities last weekend failed to “tune up” the power supply and telecommunication system struck by Thursday’s fire, said LRT Next page

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 236 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PNP wealth audit backed Russian deal fires up Rody’s nuclear plan

Rody’s popularity dips amid Bilibid mess Palace urges Internal Aff airs

By MJ Blancaflor and Maricel V. Cruz to start probe PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s trust and approval ratings dropped in September, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey, but the Palace said the figures remain high.

Duterte received a trust rating of 74 percent, 11 points lower from last quarter’s 85 percent.

The poll also showed that 78 percent of the respondents approve of Duterte’s performance, down by seven points from the previous quarter’s 85 percent.

The survey involved face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents and has a ± 2.8 percent error margin.

Conducted from Sept. 16 to 22, the survey came amid the Senate investigation into alleged irregularities in the national penitentiary such as corruption in the implementation of the Good Conduct Time Allowance Law, the purported reselling of illegal drugs seized during police operations, and the resurgence of polio in the country.

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By MJ Blancaflor PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said he will consult the Cabinet members on the possibility of constructing nuclear power plants after the government signed an energy deal with Russia.

Shortly after his arrival from his official visit to Russia, Duterte said the agreement signed between the two countries was just a “broad outline” and may not be constitutional after all.

The 1987 Constitution does not ban the use of nuclear energy, but it “adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory.”

An agreement to explore the possible construction of nuclear power plants in the country was among the 10 signed agreements he brought home from Russia. The memorandum of intent comes at a time when gas resources at the Malampaya fields are set to run out by 2024.

President Duterte said he will consult Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Next page the matter.

CHIEF Justice Lucas Bersamin on Monday denounced the call of two US senators to ban Filipino officials responsible for what they called the “wrongful imprisonment” of opposition Senator Leila de Lima as an act of interference.

M

ALACAÑANG on Monday backed the proposal to conduct a lifestyle check among police officers in the wake of a scandal in which some of them have been accused of reselling seized drugs.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the PNP internal affairs Next page

Robredo bullying PET, Marcos claims DONE DEAL. President Rodrigo Duterte, arriving Thursday at the Bangoy International Airport from a five-day visit to Russia, raises his clenched fist while delivering a speech detailing the deals he signed with Russian leaders and investors. Malacañang Photo

Chief Justice hits out at US senators’ interference

By Rey E. Requejo

By MJ Blancaflor, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Rey E. Requejo

Bersamin, who is retiring from the judiciary on Oct. 18, said US lawmakers have the freedom to come up with and adopt resolutions, but they should not interfere with other countries, especially in the function and workings of the court.

“That’s obviously a PR tour de force.

If they do implement that to ban officials whom they believe are responsible for the continuing incarceration of Senator De Lima, it’s their privilege and I think [there’s] nothing we can do about that, but the nature of that kind of action is interference,” Bersamin said, in an interview on CNN Philippines.

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WEATHER Habagat ends, ‘Hagibis’ sets in

By Rio N. Araja

WEEKEND LIGHTNING. A discharge of potential energy, caught by the camera on Saturday in Baler, Aurora fronting the vast Pacific Ocean. AFP

THE Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration on Monday announced the termination of the southwest monsoon or “hanging habagat.”

“Recent observations and analysis showed that the general wind Turn to A6

By Rey E. Requejo THE camp of former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday denounced Vice President Leni Robredo for allegedly “bullying” the Supreme Court justices by asking for a copy of the recount of the ballots and for allegedly distributing leaflets showing she garnered more votes than her rival in the vice presidential election protest.

“Mrs. Robredo and her cabal should refrain from making a mockery of the legal process, accord the Presidential Electoral Tribunal the highest respect, cease bullying the honorable Justices and stop deceiving the Filipino people by requesting from the high court, through a preposterous motion, a copy of something that she already has,” Vic Rodriguez, Marcos’ counsel and spokesman, said in a statement.

Robredo’s camp had asked the Supreme Court, acting Presidential Electoral Tribunal, to release a copy of the summary Next page

UNRESOLVED ISSUES. Former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has denounced the camp of Vice President Leni Robredo, bewailing as well the distribution last month that reportedly had the comparative votes of Marcos and Robredo.

3 Nobel Prize winners named THREE researchers from the US and Britain on Monday shared the Nobel Medicine Prize for research into how human cells sense and adapt to changing oxygen levels, opening up new strategies to fight common diseases such as cancer and anemia.

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News

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Lacson sees way to hasten budget OK

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

S

ENATOR Panfilo Lacson said Monday he might recommend simply adopting the House version of the 2020 budget if the House leadership indeed realigned only P9.8 billion worth of items to certain agencies, and with the permission of his colleagues and Senate President Vicente Sotto III.

Lacson said this would mean there will no longer be a bicameral conference, and no further insertions and realignments.

“Then we enroll the budget bill for the President’s consideration way ahead of schedule,” Lacson said.

“Not being naughty, it is interesting to see how the small group committee in charge of their members’ individual amendments will react.

“If they have a plan to insert it in the bicam, then that will fail.”

Lacson also said any amendment after the budget’s approval on third and final reading would be a clear violation of the Constitution.

Questioned about his initial assessment of the House of Representatives’ approved version of the 2020 budget, Lacson replied: “So far, that one which we found both in the NEP and House version would indicate sloppy work.

“Initially, I look at it as sloppy work since it appears to be ‘cut and paste’ from the original request as submitted by the proponent. Obviously no vetting was done at all.”

Lacson did not identify the propo-

SENIORS’ PERKS.

Rody’s...

From A1

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo played down the decrease in the President’s trust and approval rating, noting that the figures are still higher than 70 percent.

“Surveys fluctuate depending on when they get them. If it is taken at a time when there are controversies..., it may affect the survey results,” he told reporters in a press briefing.

The approval and trust ratings of Vice President Leni Robredo also fell to 50 percent from 55 percent and 46 percent from 52 percent, respectively.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III’s ratings also went down and received a 72 percent approval rating from last quarter’s 77, and a 66 percent trust rating versus 73 percent in the previous quarter.

House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who will only serve for 15 months under a power-sharing agreement with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, received a 64 percent approval rating and a 62 percent trust rating.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, who is set to retire on Oct. 18., enjoyed a minimal increase in his approval rating to 42 percent from 41 percent last quarter. His trust rating went down a notch to 34 percent.

Robredo on Monday vowed to double her efforts to serve the public.

“We take the latest survey results as a challenge to redouble our efforts both in continuing to serve the public and keeping the Filipino people better informed of the work VP Leni is doing,” said Barry Gutierrez, Robredo’s spokesperson.

House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez on Monday welcomed the Pulse Asia survey result indicating 64 percent approval rating of the House of Representatives under the leadership of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.

Romualdez said this is the first time that Speaker Cayetano has been rated by the Filipino people through the Pulse Asia’s Ulat sa Bayan survey, and “we are collectively proud of our leader’s exemplary trust and approval rating.”

Mass transport...

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Authority Spokesman lawyer Hernando Cabrera.

“Until today, there are remaining technical issues with our telecommunications system and our power supply system,” he told radio dzMM, in a broadcast heard nationwide.

Three stations of the LRT 2 may remain closed for nine months after a fire hit its power transformer Thursday, the same day that LRT 1 halted trips in two stations due to “mechanical issues.”

An MRT train, meanwhile, bogged down on Wednesday, forcing scores of passengers to walk on rail tracks.

Meanwhile, a leader of the House of Representatives appealed to his fellow legislators to support the measure proposing adjustments in the Motor Vehicle User Charge to guarantee enough funds for road repair and other infrastructure projects, following the Department of Finance’s formal support for his version (House Bill or HB 3006) of this proposed tax reform.

nent of the project but said the proposal was intended for a province in Cagayan Valley.

“What we are doing is in compliance with the SP’s [Senate President Vicente Sotto III’s] instruction to scrutinize the 2020 budget with a fine-tooth comb,” Lacson said.

The House of Representatives created a small committee to collate and approve until Sept. 23 the congressmen’s individual and institutional amendments in the budget.

The House approved the proposed 2020 budget on Sept. 20, 2019, but submitted it to the Senate only on Oct. 1.

Medical workers of the Manila Health Department conduct vaccination against flu and pneumonia for free on some 500 senior citizens on Monday, Oct. 7, 2019 at the Dapitan Sports Complex Manila.

The medical mission forms part of the city government’s campaign to promote the health and wellbeing of Manila’s elderly.

Norman Cruz

President’s daughter sickened by dengue

By MJ Blancaflor

PRESIDENTIAL daughter Kitty Duterte has contracted dengue, but the Palace on Monday said the President did not rush back home from Russia because of it.

President Rodrigo Duterte told a Davao-based reporter that his youngest daughter had dengue, although she reportedly had been vaccinated with Dengvaxia, an anti-dengue vaccine.

Duterte’s spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte’s arrival on Sunday was as scheduled.

“We were not rushing back because that was our schedule. We arrived on schedule,” Panelo told reporters.

Duterte arrived at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City

PNP...

From A1

unit could initiate the lifestyle review to determine if police officers are living within their means.

“It is a good idea. There should be lifestyle check internally among the PNP, and for that matter, all heads of department should conduct on [this] their own,” Panelo said.

“If you see there are people who are not supposed to be having this kind of wealth, then you have a problem,” he added.

Senator Richard Gordon, who leads the Senate probe into the reselling of seized illegal drugs, earlier said PNP chief General Oscar Albayalde and the 13 alleged “ninja cops” in Pampanga must undergo a lifestyle check.

Albayalde headed the Pampanga police when his former subordinates conducted a 2013 raid against a certain Johnson Lee, and allegedly seized some 200 kilograms of shabu but only declared 36 kilograms as evidence.

The policemen allegedly then acquired new sports utility vehicles.

Albayalde was also accused of influencing the investigation against the 13 Pampanga policemen.

Panelo also said it is up to President Rodrigo Duterte if he will appoint Albayalde to another government post af-

around 4 p.m. on Sunday from his fiveday trip to Russia.

Meanwhile, his common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña was in Germany for an engagement with the Department of Trade and Industry.

The President’s former top aide and now Senator Christopher Go earlier said that Kitty, along with Duterte’s granddaughter Sabina, had received shots of the controversial vaccine.

Meanwhile, Malacañang said Monday Duterte was “okay” despite his revelation he was suffering from a neuromuscular disease and a “very bad case of cold” during his trip to Russia.

Panelo also allayed concerns there was something to worry about on the health of the President.

“He’s okay. What he complained

about was he was unable to sleep during the flight,” Panelo said.

Duterte was also “up and about” when he met with Filipino reporters in Russia, he said.

Duterte, shortly after his arrival from Russia, said he had a condition called myasthenia gravis that affects the muscles in his eyes.

The 74-year-old leader also said he did not sleep throughout the 13-hour flight from Moscow to Manila.

“It’s really cold and I’m nursing a very bad case of a cold,” he said on Sunday.

In an interview with ANC, Panelo said the President complained about his jampacked schedule.

“I blame the protocol, why are you like this? Even the President complains, ‘Are you trying to kill me?” he said.

ter his retirement on Nov. 8.

“That’s the call of the President,” Panelo said.

Saying they had new evidence, Senator Richard Gordon said Monday his panel will call for another hearing in the November 2013 drug raid in Pampanga.

“We got additional evidence. We will call for another hearing if the senators are still there. We will come out with something new,” said Gordon.

He said he has yet to consult Senate President Vicente Sotto III over when to hold the next hearing.

Gordon is the chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon and Justice committees investigating the widespread corruption in the Bureau of Corrections.

Gordon has been harsh toward Albayalde, saying his actions were “between negligence and possible knowledge of the offense” of his subordinates.

“Albayalde has to answer more questions. He is not off the hook yet. Albayalde has to own up, he has to account for it. He should have been the first one to remove his men for reselling the drugs. Instead, he even called up [then Regional Director and now Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Aaron] Aquino to go easy on his men. That alone speaks volumes,” Gordon said.

Because of these circumstances, he said Albayalde still has a lot to explain.

Informed that President Duterte

wanted clear proof against Albayalde, Gordon said he thinks the Senate hearing has enough information for the President to make a decision.

“But then I still would like General Albayalde to come forward and answer questions that need to be answered so it’s fair. We will not make an immediate conclusion. I still need to know many things. Why didn’t we see the investigation on the missing drugs, missing money, those are questions that need to be addressed,” he said.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, meanwhile, created a three-man panel of prosecutors that will reinvestigate the involvement of 13 cops in an anti-drug operation in Pampanga where over 160 kilograms of shabu went missing and the cops allegedly got brand new SUVs. In a Department Order No. 528, Guevarra designated Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Alexander Suares and Assistant State Prosecutors Josie Christina Dugay and Gino Paulo Santiago to constitute the panel to reinvestigate the controversial case.

The panel has been directed to immediately conduct hearings and resolve the case within 30 days.

“If warranted by the evidence, the Special Panel of Prosecutors is further directed to file the corresponding information before the appropriate court,” Guevarra said.

Robredo...

Russian...

and committee reports on the revision on the initial revision, recount and reappreciation of the ballots from three pilot provinces chosen by Marcos.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin said Monday the decision of the Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, on the electoral protest filed by Marcos against Robredo may not happen before his retirement on Oct. 18.

Bersamin said there were still many issues in the case that had yet to be resolved.

Rodriquez’s statement came after Robredo filed a six-page urgent motion asking they be furnished a copy of the committee report on the revision, recount and reappreciation of the ballots from the three pilot provinces of Camarines Sur, Negros Oriental and Iloilo.

“Solar [energy] is very expensive. It is not a guarantee that it can solve our needs, that our needs can be met by this kind of arrangement.

If only we can, we would have done that a long time ago,” he said.

The Moscow-based Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation reportedly offered to build floating nuclear power plants in the Philippines.

In 2017, the Department of Energy inked a memorandum of understanding with Rosatom.

Director General Alexei Likhachev was quoted as saying the country can also reboot its existing power plant, referring to the

From A1

From A1

mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, the country’s first and only nuclear power station, which was built during the term of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the height of the 1973 oil crisis.

It never became operational due to alleged corruption and safety issues and amid nuclear fears following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo clarified on Monday that there is nothing definite yet in the possibility of constructing nuclear power plants.

Cusi earlier said the administration is studying the revival of the BNPP to address the energy demand and reserve requirement that is expected to double to 30,189 megawatts by 2030.

Greenpeace Philippines, however, rejected

P54-m shabu seized from Indonesian

By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Customs seized eight kilos of shabu worth P54 million from an Indonesian national who arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Monday.

The illegal drugs were found inside the luggage of Agnes Alexandra, who arrived from a flight from Siem Reap, Cambodia, early Monday morning.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency confirmed that the contraband seized from the Indonesian was methamphetamine chloride or shabu.

The foreigner was turned over to the PDEA authorities and will be charged with violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act and the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. Only recently, BOC-NAIA agents intercepted a Filipino passenger, identified as Nazarene Obillo, who came from Vietnam and tried to bring P35 million worth of shabu. The drugs were found inside his luggage.

Obillo boarded his flight in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and arrived via a connecting flight from Hanoi.

Chief Justice...

From A1

De Lima is currently detained at the Philippine National Police headquarters, in connection with the illegal drug charges filed against her for her alleged involvement in the narcotics trade inside the national penitentiary when she was still the Justice secretary.

The senator denied the accusation saying she just earned the ire of President Rodrigo Duterte for her opposition to the bloody anti-drug war and her investigation on the alleged human rights violations committed by the administration.

The US Senate Appropriations Committee on Sept. 27 approved a budget bill with an amendment that denies entry to the United States the Filipino officials behind her detention.

Senators Dick Durbin and Patrick Leahy initiated the amendment.

Bersamin said he would and could not allow outside interference on the case, especially since the courts handling the case are fully functioning.

“If they are trying to dictate what we should do on a matter that is in front of the court, I won’t agree to that,” Bersamin said in Filipino. “Let the courts function… and let the person involved… answer the charges in that forum.”

The chief justice also said he could not be considered as among the Filipino officials involved in De Lima’s detention, adding that his vote upholding the jurisdiction of the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court to hear De Lima’s case and not the Sandiganbayan as she argued is part of his mandate to discharge a judicial function.

Aside from Bersamin, the other justices that voted against De Lima are Presbitero Velasco Jr., Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Mariano del Castillo, Samuel Martires, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes, and Alexander Gesmundo.

Meanwhile, the Palace slammed a religious organization for submitting a supplemental communication before the International Criminal Court urging the tribunal to begin its probe into President Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.

This came as a response to Rise Up for Life and Rights, which submitted a letter to the ICC asking Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to start the investigation.

Bensouda opened an initial investigation into the drug war killings in February 2018.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo dismissed the group as “noisy anti-Duterte critics and detractors” known for “resorting to political theatrics and gimmickry to demonize the President.”

Russia’s floating nuclear power plants.

Khevin Yu, the group’s climate and energy campaigner, said the construction of such facilities could only put the country at high risks since the Philippines is often visited by at least 20 typhoons a year.

“Once a nuclear disaster would occur, many of the Filipino people could get affected because many of us live along the coastlines,” he said.

The threat of a powerful earthquake or tsunami could put the floating nuclear power plants in danger.

“The country must sustain its status of being nuclear-free. Why not adopt solar, wind and hydro power generation? We have an abundance of them here,” he said.

News Bersamin will not endorse successor

By Rey Requejo CHIEF Justice Lucas Bersamin said Monday he would not be endorsing any aspirant for the most coveted post in the judiciary on his retirement on Oct. 18 upon reaching his mandatory retirement age of 70.

Bersamin stressed he preferred to remain neutral in the selection and appointment of his successor.

The candidates aspiring to be the next Chief Justice include senior Supreme Court Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Jose Reyes Jr. Andres Reyes Jr., and Estela Perlas Bernabe.

Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa and Marvic Leonen have declined their automatic nomination by the Judicial and Bar Council for Bersamin’s post.

Carpio is set to retire from the judiciary a week after Bersamin, also after reaching the mandatory retirement age.

“I have no preferences. I am neutral and there is not much influence I can exert,” Bersamin said in an interview over CNN Philippines.

The Judicial and Bar Council has conducted public interviews on the four candidates last week.

President Rodrigo Duterte has 90 days to pick up Bersamin’s successor after his retirement.

If Duterte made good on his promise to respect seniority in judicial appointment, then the post will go to Peralta who has been with the SC since 2009.

Malacañang warns foreigners

By MJ Blancaflor MALACAÑANG on Monday warned foreigners to “avoid places where danger lurks” after a British national was kidnapped in Zamboanga del Sur. “They should always take care of themselves. Avoid places where danger lurks,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters in a press briefing.

His warning came after two resort owners were abducted by unidentified armed men in Tukuran town, Zamboanga del Sur on Friday evening.

Allan Hyrons, 70, and his wife Wilma Hyrons, had just arrived on a van at Hyrons Beach Resort when four armed men approached them and held them at gunpoint.

Authorities believe the victims were brought to the adjacent area of Lanao del Norte.

The Zamboanga Peninsula regional police are coordinating with the military and authorities in Lanao del Norte to track down the suspects and rescue the victims.

An initial investigation revealed that two of the suspects had checked in at the resort a day before the abduction.

Panelo said the Palace is not worried that the incident happened despite the imposition of martial law in Mindanao.

“Sometimes, that happens even if there’s martial law. Those are isolated cases. You cannot avoid it,” he told Palace reporters.

“The PNP there and the Army can take care of that place,” he said.

Firms roll back pump prices

By Alena Mae S. Flores OIL companies such as Petro Gazz, Seaoil Philippines, Total Philippines, Chevron Philippines, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Philippines and PTT Philippines rolled back pump prices

by P1 per liter for diesel and P0.80 per liter for gasoline effective Tuesday to reflect the movement of world oil prices.

“Please see fuel price change. Rollback of Shell effective 6 a.m. Oct. 8, gasoline by P0.80 per liter, kerosene by P1.15 per liter and diesel

by P1 per liter,” Shell said in its advisory.

World oil prices declined amid concerns of a global economic slowdown. Analysts reacted to the report of the World Trade Organization which slashed trade growth forecasts this year and 2020 due to the US-China trade tensions and global economic slowdown.

Prices were also affected by the report of the Energy Information Administration of a higher inventory build-up during the end of September.

Cleanfuel and Phoenix Petroleum Philippines were among the first to announce the price rollback of P1 per liter for diesel and P0.80 per liter for gasoline over the weekend.

Phoenix implemented its price cut starting 6 a.m. Saturday while rolled back prices at 4:01 p.m. Sunday to reflect the movement of world oil prices.

Oil companies usually adjust pump prices every Tuesday but some companies implement the adjustment earlier.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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TUCP slams Finance for tax push

By Vito Barcelo

T

HE labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines slammed the Department of Finance for pushing the Corporate Income Tax Incentives Reform Act without consulting the labor sector, saying more than 700,000 workers would be displaced if the new tax scheme should become a law.

“Our economic managers, led by the Finance department, is (sic) about to push thousands of workers to fall through the cracks by introducing CITIRA tax scheme in the same way they shove workers and their families’ throat with the TRAIN Law inflation with no consultations with grossly affected workers’ sector,” TUCP president Raymond Mendoza said in a statement.

Firms affected by the process may close down and transfer to another location or may be forced to cut jobs and displace around 703,000 workers.

The DOF is seeking Congress’ approval for the second package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, known as the CITIRA bill.

The measure seeks to entice investors by lowering the corporate income tax to 20 percent from the current 30 percent by overhauling the tax incentives enjoyed by firms.

CITIRA is the renamed version of the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-Quality Opportunities bill that the House had passed in the previous 17th Congress.

The TRABAHO bill, however, ran out of time in

the Senate and had to be refiled in the 18th Congress.

The measure would also remove certain tax perks enjoyed by companies in the country.

The CITIRA bill retains the current incentives for two years, for investors to have enough time to adjust to the new tax scheme. Perks would also be targeted, time-bound, and transparent.

Though the measure allotted P500-million annual budget for grants and support programs of the Department of Labor and Employment for displaced workers in companies affected by the corporate income tax adjustments, the TUCP accused the DOF ignoring workers plight when it comes to the implementation of the law.

“Workers got nothing from TRAIN Law despite of the budget provisions it has for affected sector.

Now our white-collared Finance people are again deliberately playing dice on the lives of workers and their families by dangling an annual budget provisions for displaced workers and by sugarcoating CITIRA with a million jobs it supposes to create,” Mendoza said.

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Opinion

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

An unbelievable story THIS story, from the Japanese occupation, is an unbelievable one, but it must be told.

We know only too well that when the Japanese Imperial Forces occupied Manila, after a combined force of Filipino and American soldiers retreated to Bataan to make a last stand, Manila was fully occupied by Japanese soldiers.

During the last two years of the occupation, my family and I had to leave Manila because my two elder brothers, Desi and Willie, had joined the guerilla movement of the USAFIL-NL. This was after a Japanese amnesty was granted to all soldiers who fought in Bataan or were in the underground movement.

The Japanese, not as conquerors, but friends Desi was imprisoned at Fort Santiago for eight months because he was with the underground movement while Willie was in Bataan. He participated in the Death March from Bataan to Capas, Tarlac.

When my family and I were in Abra we had to go from town to town for fear that somebody would inform the Japanese that we were a family of guerillas.

I was then 16 or 17, and all I could remember were the atrocities committed by both the Japanese and the guerilleros. In fact, I witnessed how cruel the guerilleros were to perceived collaborators.

When I recall all these experiences to my wife, she only smiles. As a young girl, she had fond memories of the occupation.

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

My wife recounted stories of how the Japanese soldiers that occupied Cotabato at that time well so well-liked by the residents because they were helpful and kind. My father-in-law was a doctor, and so was Captain Koizumi, the head of the company that was in Cotabato proper. The occupying forces in Cotabato proper were under Col. Takumi.

My wife recounted how the Japanese soldiers took care of her. Their house was just beside a big white house that the Japanese used as headquarters. I can understand that because I know how the Japanese love children, having a weeklong festival for children.

In fact, my wife’s experience with the Japanese, who were all her friends, had to do with having the opportunity to learn Niponggo. Until now she can still speak the language.

According to her, the Japanese made a lasting impression on the residents of Cotabato so much so that when my father-in-law visited Japan in the sixties, he was welcomed by Dr. Koizumi and Col. Takumi and their former soldiers.

That meeting was in fact published in the biggest Japanese newspaper—I saw photos of it.

That friendship was carried over to my wife so much so that when we visited Japan in the 1970s, we were met by her friends in Tokyo and got invited to spend a weekend at a resort city.

My wife’s Japanese friends were so enthusiastic in taking us around.

We took the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto, and from Kyoto, the special train to Fukui.

I cannot forget that night. I awoke to find my shoes missing. When I asked around, I was told that all shoes had to be taken off before entering a Japanese home.

When my wife and I left Fukui, we were showered with gifts.

The relationship continues up to this day, with our children getting together with the Koizumi grandchildren when we go to Japan.

U

Abuse of power

NITED States President Donald Trump has been employing various schemes to respond to his looming impeachment.

Last week, a whistleblower came forward and revealed that Mr. Trump called the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, asking him to look into the activities of former Vice President Joe Biden while hinting at withholding precious aid. Biden is one of the frontrunners or the Democratic Party to go against Trump’s reelection bid next year.

The whistleblower, a CIA official detailed to the National Security Coun-

cil, said he was told by several members of the White House staff that they were disturbed about what had transpired in the July 25 phone call.

Worse, there were efforts to expunge records of this call from the White House server, likely after a realization of what had been said.

Trump—through his Twitter account, of course—lashed out at this whistleblower and demanded to know his identity.

In a ploy many call “normalization,” the US president now seems to relish talking about his alleged offense with regard to Ukraine, and even added he was calling on China to do the same about Biden, trying to make it look like there was nothing wrong with what he was doing. Otherwise, how can he so openly talk about it?

And now a second whistleblower, an intelligence official with a far greater knowledge of having a supposedly more direct knowledge of what the President did, has emerged.

Expect attacks on this second whistleblower soon—if they have not started already.

Mr. Trump and his allies can use any other tactic to mar the credibility of the charges against him. In the end, it all boils down to one thing— whether or not he abused the awesome powers of his office to ensure personal gain.

This is also a fair and simple gauge in determining who exactly an official is serving, whatever theatrics they employ of however they try to muddle the issue through their convoluted speech.

Turn to A5

More arguments vs. OceanaGold IN LAST Saturday’s column, I argued against the interim renewal of OceanaGold’s financial and technical assistance agreement (FTAA). I cited a study conducted by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) and MiningWatch Canada. I continue to that in this column where I provide more arguments againt the continued operations of this Australian mining company in Nueva Vizcaya.

Below are additional excerpts from that report: Human Rights: “There have been numerous violations of human rights since the beginning of construction of the mine.” A 2011 Commission on Human Rights (CHR) report on the Didipio mine makes at least three important findings. First, it declared that OceanaGold “violated the Right to Residence, the Right to Adequate Housing and Property Rights of several Didipio residents.” In June 2008, OceanaGold demolished around 187 houses in Didipio without securing writs and in a manner “attended by unnecessary, violence and destruction.” The displaced residents received no just compensation and were given no alternative options for relocation and settlements. Second, OceanaGold supposedly “violated the Right to Freedom of Movement and the Right not to be Subjected to Arbitrary Interference with the Home[s] of the people of Didipio.” This occurred when the company fenced off the mining area and blocked off roads that had long been used by the residents to enter and exit the town. Finally, the CHR concluded that OceanaGold “violated the Right to Security of Person of the people of Didipio.” People have been beaten and shot during the unlawful demolitions of houses. For example, Emilio Pumihic was shot and wounded by OceanaGold’s security personnel when he tried to stop the demolition of his neighbor’s house.

Indigenous Rights: “The company violated local indigenous peoples’ right to manifest their culture and identity.”

A 2007 Oxfam Australia report on the Didipio mine found that: “The company has failed to obtain the community’s free, prior, and informed consent in accordance to both indigenous practices and local decision-making processes.”

It said that indigenous people have accused OceanaGold of, among other things, “forcing the community members by intimidation and harassment to provide the mining company access to or sell their land at prices dictated by the company. The company has also tried to bypass “established regulatory informed consent requirements that prioritize the need for the consent of barangay Didipio.” In addition, the 2011 CHR report found that many of the displaced families were Ifugao. The demolition of their homes meant “the destruction of life and a way of life intimately connected with the land they nurtured, with a view to leaving a legacy for their children and their kin that will come after.”

Such sentiments must be respected and not disregarded by the national government.

Biodiversity: “There is evidence that the mine is threatening the rich biodiversity of the area.” The IPS-MiningWatch report quotes a study conducted

by The Philippine Biodiversity Conversation Priorities Final Report, which was prepared by the DENR, the Conservation International and the Biodiversity Conservation Program-UP Center for Integrative Development Studies. It found that Didipio, which is part of the Caraballo-Palali Mountain range, can be classified as “Very High Biological Importance for Terrestrial and Inland Water Areas,” “Very High as Conservation Priority Areas for Terrestrial and Inland Water Area,” and “Extremely High Conservation Priority Areas for Amphibians and Reptiles,” among other things. A 2014 study conducted by Kalikasan and AGHAM determined that there was less biodiversity in water Turn to A5

Water firms seeking reversal of SC ruling IN THE wake of the recent Supreme Court decision ordering Maynilad Water Services Inc. and Manila Water Company (MWC) to pay a fine of P921 million for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the two water concessionaires are now asking the court to reconsider its stand.

The high court said the two firms failed to connect the sewer lines of homes and commercial establishments to the existing sewage line in the metropolis as mandated under the law.

Both Maynilad and MWC insist that the Supreme Court had earlier given the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and its two concessionaires until 2037 to complete the connection of all private and government sewerage systems lines to the existing sewer lines, along with the setting up of other wastewater management facilities. The deadline is explicitly stated in the case of "MMDA et al. vs. Concerned Residents of Manila Bay," or the Manila Bay case.

The high court pointed out that the cleanup of Manila Bay is a joint effort. Thus, neither MWC nor Maynilad, or even the MWSS, can do the job alone of fully complying with the CWA and the Manila Bay cleanup without the other agencies involved doing their part.

Hence, the two water concessionaires cannot understand why they are being singled out when government agencies and local government units have apparently failed to do their job under the CWA.

Maynilad and Manila Water cannot understand why they are being singled out.

The government agencies involved are the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources. These agencies and the LGUs were all assigned tasks under the CWA to carry out the law’s provisions.

Under Republic Act 9275 or the CWA, the DILG is mandated to order all mayors of Metro Manila and the governors of affected provinces to

inspect and determine if wastewater treatment facilities are in place in their respective communities. The agency was also required to submit a five-year plan of action that will ensure compliance by factories, commercial establishments and private homes with the CWA. For its part, the DPWH, in coordination with LGUs, was also tasked under the CWA to prepare a national program on sewage and septage management.

The DENR, as lead agency responsible for implementing the CWA, is supposed to draw up a Water Quality Management Area Action Plan, which includes setting the goals and targets for a sewerage or septage program.

It appears now that the three agencies have been remiss in doing their part in implementing the Clean Water Act. The two water concessionaires assert that they cannot speed up the construction of sewage treatment plants or STPs and complete them in a short span of five years because simultaneous construction will cause heavy inconvenience to the public resulting from the ensuing road excavations.

Thus, building STPs has to be done in phases to avoid traffic congestion in Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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Opinion

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Drugs: Have we become like Mexico?

WHO can blame the President for focusing so much on the drug problem, now that we discover the pervasiveness of this crime network?

I strongly believe President Duterte’s leadership will surmount yet another big challenge confronting its war against illegal drugs, the possibility of rampant activities of so-called “ninja cops” throughout the Philippine National Police, the subject of an ongoing Senate Blue Ribbon Committee inquiry.

Manong Digong clarified though that the two “ninja generals” he mistakably mentioned during his Russia trip are actually lower-ranking officials, like police colonels. In that case it is very unsettling just the same.

Also, he has yet to decide on the fate of PNP Chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde, who was implicated in the 2013 case of 13 ninja cops under his command in Pampanga.

The President demanded proof of the allegations of coddling ninja cops against Albayalde, who is set to retire in a month.

It’s unfortunate that the revelations against Albayalde had to come from

retired police general and now Baguio City Mayor Ben Magalong and Director General Aaron Aquino of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. They are both the PNP chief’s upperclassmen at the Philippine Military Academy.

Albayalde has denied the allegations, saying it’s all “a thing of the past.”

Well, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior and Local Government have announced they will conduct independent, parallel investigation on the issue of ninja cops.

Ninja cops are those who "recycle" drugs contraband mostly shabu (crystal meth) seized from drug dealers, and sold back to drug lords.

Apparently, these unwelcome developments have inevitably maligned the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, and the President soon must choose a creditably able successor to the besieged PNP Chief to lead the war on drugs in the remaining half of his term.

So, who can blame the President for focusing so much on the drug problem, now that we discover the pervasiveness of this crime network, penetrating even the PNP, other government agencies, and even the judiciary?

In a sense, our illegal drug problem is becoming more like that of Mexico and other Latin American countries gripped by the drug menace and ruthless drug cartels.

Definitely, the drug network is con-

nected to the illegal drugs’ proliferation inside the national prisons, and the continued operations of detained drug lords in the past years.

Little did we know that thousands of hardened criminals, mostly drug lords and drug dealers, have been granted parole by the crooks at BuCor in exchange for millions of pesos under the anomalous Good Conduct Time Allowance parole program pursuant to RA 10592.

The Senate, in aid of legislation, has done a great job ferreting out the truth in the law enforcement operations against illegal drugs.

As I said in my previous column, these recent events have dramatized that truth is stranger than fiction, in reference to a popular teleserye based on Fernando Poe Jr.’s classic, Probinsyano.

It’s intriguing to note that the PNP has even complained about the said teleserye’s storyline about underdog cop Cardo Dalisay’s bloody crusade against crooked policemen, as well as corrupt politicians, merciless warlords and ruthless drug mafias.

But, all is not lost in Manong Digong's crusade against mind-twisting drugs that victimize millions of Filipinos.

I’m very confident the Duterte leadership will prevail in its war on drugs with a new PNP Chief, who has the heart of Dalisay of the Ang Probinsyano teleserye.

A meal a day in drought-hit Zimbabwe

By Ish Mafundkiwa IN EASTERN Zimbabwe's parched Buhera district, Omega Kufakunesu's family has been forced to scale down daily meals to just a portion of vegetables and sadza, a thick maize-meal porridge.

In the morning only the children get the porridge, and everyone skips lunch.

"During the day we have wild fruit collected by the children, and at night we have smaller portions of sadza with vegetables," harvested from the communal village garden, said Kufakunesu, sitting outside her thatched round hut.

A palmful of shumha, a drought-resistant wild fruit, is all she will eat during the day until dinner time.

"We have reduced our food portions so that its enough for everyone," she said.

But there are days when "my husband and I don't eat at all" to make sure the children have some food, she said.

Zimbabwe is experiencing one of the worst droughts in history, blamed on the effects of the El Nino weather cycle.

In addition, the former regional breadbasket is in the throes of its worst economic crisis in a decade with inflation estimated to be over 900 percent.

An unbelievable...

From A4

In the 1970s, my father-in-law invited Col. Takumi and Dr. Koizumi and their former soldiers, My wife and my father-in-law, who was then staying with us, hosted the group in our old house in Philam Homes along EDSA. When the group went to Cotabato City, the whole town welcomed them and made them “adopted sons of Cotabato.”

On one occasion, when we were invited by a Japanese ambassador to lunch at the ambassador’s residence at Forbes Park, my wife recounted our family’s friendship with the Japanese.

A reporter visited my wife at Ecology Village to interview her for the paper.

What was unbelievable was that there were kind and good members of the Japanese Imperial Forces who came to the Philippines not as conquerors, but as friends.

More...

From A4

bodies that were impacted by the mine than in water bodies that were outside of the impact area. This indicates that the mine could endanger the rich biodiversity of Didipio.

Labor Rights: “The Didipio mine has failed to significantly improve the welfare of its employees.” The 2014 Kalikasan and AGHAM report conducted interviews and group discussions with communities affected by the mine. Res-

Bartering wire mesh for food According to the UN, most of Zimbabwe’s 60 districts will have ex-

hausted their staple maize stocks by October.

The Kufakunesu family and neighbouring villagers have been lucky to have boreholes to draw water for drinking, washing and watering the garden—but the water is drying up due to the heat and scanty rain.

The UN's World Food Programme has been handing out food parcels— cooking oil and porridge for children under fives—and US$8 in cash per month for every family member. But the payouts are only restricted to the so-called lean months.

At Joni, a neighbouring village, 49-year-old Fungai Mugombe, one of three wives and a mother of seven, used the money set up a simple wire mesh making project.

"People buy the mesh wire for fencing, and we make a small profit. I sometimes exchange the fences with food," Mugombe said outside a cluster of huts where a red bougainvillea adds color to a bleak dusty landscape.

Freeman Mavhiza, the district administrator, said the government was providing villagers with irrigation facilities and seed for drought resistant crops such as millet and sorghum.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said the government had budgeted $120 million for the production of "strategic crops, such as maize, soya beans and cotton." AFP

To make this unbelievable story more interesting, Japanese men Takeda san, who was a company doctor and a master sergeant, and Iishi san, fell in love with daughters of well-known families.

They courted them like ordinary suitors would. One of the girls was an adopted daughter of the provincial governor.

During that time, he was a colonel of the Mindanao guerilla movement.

When the wife of Iishi san died in japan, he wanted to come back to the Philippines to marry the love of his life.

Alas, she was already sick of cancer.

She said she was old. (She never married.)

The letter, which Iishi san sent to my wife to be delivered to his love, was never delivered—much to my wife’s regret.

The other love affair involved a pretty daughter of a well-known Cotabato family, who later on married a Filipino and settled in the United States. ***

Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde, who has been linked to the illegal activities of so-called ninja cops when he was still head of the Pampanga police force, has no choice but to opt for early retirement. He is scheduled to retire Nov. 9 when he turns 56.

With his alleged involvement in the drug recycling controversy, Albayalde is damaged goods, his credibility gone.

In other words, he has become an ineffective chief of police.

Given his early retirement, the investigation by the Department of the Interior and Local Government must continue.

Meanwhile, the Palace must stop saying that President Duterte still has confidence in Albayalde. *** I had a good laugh when the President backtracked on his statement from Russia that two generals were also involved in illegal drugs. Santa Banana, this is our top cop speaking!

idents who worked at the mine said that “there was no significant improvement in their lives despite the wages the earn from it.” They also claimed that “basic social services such as health care and education did not improve.” In fact, since mining operations began, the company has only built an elementary school for the community. This is despite the company’s promise to build other infrastructure.

Irresponsible Global Actor: “OceanaGold has acted irresponsibly elsewhere throughout the world.” The IPS-MiningWatch report argues that Oceana-

Gold has a poor track record in other countries. The case of El Salvador is particularly striking: “OceanaGold purchased a “junior” mining firm, Pacific Rim, in El Salvador in 2013. Pacific Rim had sued the Salvadoran government in 2009 in the biased “investor-state” tribunal at the World Bank Group and sought over $300 million from the government for not issuing the company a mining concession—even though the company had not met the legal requirements to get one.” In 2016, the tribunal unanimously ruled against the company and ordered it to pay the

More hungry people than ever Because of the combined effect of drought and an ailing economy, more than five million rural Zimbabweans, nearly a third of the population, are going to face food shortages before the next harvest in 2020.

A disturbing feature of this year's food shortages is the increase in the number urban poor who are vulnerable.

The government estimates that up to 2.2 million people in towns and cities are struggling to feed themselves.

WFP country representative Eddie Rowe said there are "more hungry people than ever before in Zimbabwe."

In August, the United Nations extended its appeal for aid—from $234 million in February to $331 million to feed the combined total of over seven million Zimbabweans, roughly half the country's population.

Buhera is home to around 300,000 people and experiences dry spells even during good rainy seasons. It is one of the areas hardest hit by the drought.

To make matters worse, it was in the path of Cyclone Idai which devastated Mozambique and parts of eastern Zimbabwe earlier this year.

A5

When investment banks get greedy criminal charges, namely, conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit money laundering, arising from a Goldman Sachs underwriting of close to US$6.5 billion worth of 1MDB bonds. The DOJ INVESTMENT banking (or mer- also filed criminal charges against chant banking, as it is called in the another Malaysian official for alUnited Kingdom) is one of the most legedly masterminding and acting fascinating parts of the world of fi- as an intermediary to the fund. No nance. It is also one of the most im- charge has been filed against Goldportant: Investment bankers create man Sachs. financial mechanisms that allow The US DOJ said that the two those who have pools of unused former Goldman Sachs officers “ funds to connect with those who repeatedly circumvented Goldman have need of those funds, especial- Sachs’ overnight tools for counterly business enterprises. Because of ing fraud.” The business culture at their bridge-building activities, in- (Goldman Sachs), particularly in vestment bankers may well be called Southeast Asia, was “highly focused the engineers of the finance industry. on consummating deals,” DOJ notInvestment bankers compose a ed. The charges against the indictees very creative group of people. They stated that Goldman Sachs earned have to be creative because the needs $600 million in fees for arranging of people with three 1MDB unused funds ofbond issues. ten do not match 1MDB is the needs of busia sovereign Investment bankers nesses and other wealth fund escompose a very needers of funds. tablished by the To bring the two creative group UMNO (United sides togeth- of people.

Malay National er, investment Organization) banks often have administrato underwrite— tion headed committing to buy, as opposed to by former Minister Rajib Razak. merely marketing a public issue of The fund is intended for the “betdebt or equity securities. The more terment of the Malaysian people.” difficult is the job of bringing togeth- Razak is currently undergoing trial er the sources and users of funds, the for conspiring to violate the Foreign fatter the fees of the arrangers, i.e., Corrupt Practices Act by allegedthe investment banks. ly bribing government officials in From time to time, one comes Malaysia and Abu Dhabi. The DOJ across cases in which investment indictments state that bribes and bankers try to be so creative that kickbacks totaling US$2.7 billion they run afoul of the regulatory au- were paid to Razak and other govthorities. The most recent case—one ernment-official clients. that hit the newspaper headlines Things look bad for former Prime around the world—is the case in- Minister Razak and his co-indictees, volving 1MDB (1 Malaysia Devel- against whom the evidence appears opment Berhad). to be strong. They also look bad for The American investment bank 1MDB, which very likely will not involved in the case is the revered be able to recover all the embezzled Wall Street institution Goldman funds. Above all, things look bad Sachs. The US Department of Jus- for the entire investment banking tice (DOJ) has arrested two former industry, which has been seen to be Goldman Sachs officers—a Ma- “focused on consummating deals” laysian and an American—on two and earning fees.

Water...

From A4

affected areas.

They also say that the wastewater treatment facilities they have built so far would be rendered ineffective in realizing the goals of the CWA if informal settlers continue to directly dump their wastes into rivers, lakes and esteros.

Moreover, fast-tracking the completion of STPs would require such a huge amount of money, which means consumers will end up paying much higher monthly water bills as Maynilad and Manila Water would have to adjust their rates so they could recoup their investments before the end of their concessions.

Maynilad claims it has 20 ISO-certified operational wastewater facilities with a combined capacity to treat 542,000 cubic meters per day, and has already invested P23.3 billion in wastewater treatment projects to service its customers in Metro Manila’s West Zone.

To comply with the SC deadline on 100 percent completion by 2037, Maynilad will implement four sewerage projects over the 2018-2022 period. At present, it is on track to complete its target of 100-percent sewerage coverage for the West Zone

Salvadorean government $8 million.

The victory of the Salvadorean government is illuminating since these tribunal tend to favor transnational companies like OceanaGold. It indicates that the company’s actions in El Salvador were, even by the most pro-business of standards, out of line. In large part due to the country’s ordeal with OceanaGold, in March 2017, El Salvador became the first country in the world to place a blanket ban on metals mining.

It must also be pointed out that there is no legal basis for any interim renewal of an FTAA. This is one of the most im-

by the end of its 25-year concession in 2037. It has so far completed 20 percent, a significant improvement from 6 percent in 2006 before Maynilad’s re-privatization.

According to Maynilad it will invest P26.4 billion in the next five years to build new STPs and lay sewer lines in the cities of Caloocan, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa, and in Kawit, Cavite. This year alone, Maynilad will shell out about P11.4 billion for wastewater treatment projects.

Maynilad announced just last week that it is setting aside P200 billion to build 26 new STPs and install 425 kilometers of new sewer lines from 2019 to 2037. Meanwhile, Manila Water is spending P115 billion on its wastewater programs until 2037.

Moreover, both concessionaires have spent hundreds of billions to solve the water crisis in Metro Manila since 2007 but have yet to recoup their investments.

Given that the implementation of the CWA is a multi-agency and multi-sectoral effort, Maynilad and MWC contend that they shouldn't be unfairly singled out and penalized for something that they actually have up to 2037, or 18 years more, to accomplish. ernhil@yahoo.com

portant contracts that the national government can enter into. Allowing interim renewal of such contracts undermines its character and severely weakens the hand of the government in negotiating with the private sector.

Finally, the OceanaGold FTAA is opposed by all levels of local government.

Under the Local Government Code, such sentiments must be respected and not disregarded by the national government.

Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

A6

News

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DOH registers 169 cases of ‘meningo,’ this year

IN BRIEF BI agents arrest Japanese fugitive

By Macon Ramos-Araneta A TOTAL of 169 cases of meningococcemia was registered by the Department of Health for this year, according to DOH Epidemiology Bureau Chief Dr. Chito Avelino.

Avelino said the current figure is 4-percent higher than the 162 cases recorded in the same period in 2018.

He added that studies showed that five out of 10 meningococcemia cases end in death if not treated immediately.

He also warned that the number of deaths can fall to around 8 to 13 percent if patients are treated.

He said that patients do die from meningococcemia so it was really important to seek immediate medical treatment and to observe preventive measures.

He also cited the importance of “early diagnosis and immediate treatment with antibiotics” in preventing more deaths, and urged those experiencing symptoms of the disease to seek immediate medical attention.

The symptoms of the disease include coughing, headache, and sore throat, followed by upper respiratory symptoms; fever, chills, malaise, nausea, vomiting, and skin rashes.

In worse cases, the disease will cause lethargy, difficulty of breathing, neck stiffness, sensitivity to light, seizures, hemorrhagic eruptions, purpuric and petechial skin lesion, and hypotension.

Avelino said that health personnel should locate people with the disease; conduct contact tracing and give preventive or antibiotic prophylaxis to arrest the spread of the virus.

He said that although there is a vaccine for meningococcemia, it was not currently being offered by the government in its routine vaccinations.

DOH Assistant Secretary of the Public Health Services Team Maria Rosario Vergeire said that meningococcemia is a deadly but highly preventable disease.

“I urge the public to practice good personal hygiene such as regular handwashing, and covering of mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing to prevent the spread of this disease.”

STATE OF THE CITY. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and QC Vice Mayor Gian Sotto delivered their State of the City Address during their first 100 days as QC mayor and vice mayor, respectively, in a ceremony held at the Albert Hall in Quezon City Hall.

Vitangcol cleared of graft cases at Sandiganbayan

By Maricel V. Cruz

F

ORMER Metro Light Rail Transit 3 General Manager Al Vitangcol has been cleared by the Sandiganbayan of the two graft cases filed against him in connection with the MRT 3 maintenance contract granted to a company connected to his in-laws during his tenure in the rail line.

Vitangcol was cleared after the Sandiganbaya’s Sixth Division granted Vitangcol’s demurrer to evidence.

A demurrer to evidence is a petition asking the court to decide the case solely on the basis of the evidence presented by the prosecution while challenging such evidence to prove that it is not enough to merit conviction.

Vitangcol welcomed the dismissal of his graft charges.

“It [acquittal] is long overdue. From the beginning, this has been a harassment case,” he said.

“The Sandiganbayan gave the prosecution so much leeway but in the end, the truth prevailed,” he added.

The Sandiganbayan said Vitancol was cleared “for insufficiency of evidence.”

The court also ordered the lifting of the hold departure order against Vitangcol, and at the same time, ordered the release of the cash bond he posted.

In 2015, the Ombudsman filed the cases against Vitangcol following public a outcry over the service breakdown of MRT 3 that operates on Epifanio delos Santos Avenue.

During his watch at the MRT 3, the rail

system entered into a one-year maintenance with the PH Trams-CB&T Builders, a joint venture that mandated the system to pay the contractor US$1.5 million a month for the upkeep of MRT 3.

At the time the contract was granted to PH Trams-CB&T, the joint venture only had P19.9 million in capital and one of its incorporators, Arturo Soriano, was Vitangcol’s uncle-in-law, prosecutors said.

The Ombudsman added that Vitangcol did not disclose his relationship to Soriano to the MRT 3 Bids and Awards Committee.

On May 17, the Sixth Division of the antigraft graft court granted Vitangcol’s petition of leave of court to file demurrer to evidence and gave Vitangcol 10 days to supplement or amend the demurrer attached in the motion.

Vitangcol faces a separate case at the Sandiganbayan owing to his alleged attempt to extort $30 million from representatives of the Inekon Group, a Czech rail maintenance company.

Require POGO workers to wear IDs, party-list solon urges PAGCOR A PARTY-LIST congressman has urged the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. to issue a Gaming Employment License identification cards to all foreigners working for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators so that they can be properly documented and protected at all times from extortionists.

Party-list Rep. Ronnie Ong of Ang Probinsyano, vice chairperson of the House of Representatives' Committee on Games and Amusements, said that at present, PAGCOR issues GEL to gaming industry employees except for those working in POGOs who are mostly Chinese nationals.

Ong added that the GEL that are being issued at a cost of P4,000 per individual are mere certificates and not physical IDs which can help immigration and law enforcement personnel distinguish those who are licensed and those who are not.

Ong said that PAGCOR should extend giving GEL to POGO personnel and also issue wearable and machine-readable IDs for them for proper identification

especially now that “they are practically everywhere.”

Ong suggested that GEL IDs for POGO personnel should contain their BID number, Tin Number, picture, birthday, employment name and address of their office and their temporary residence.

“These POGO personnel can be seen practically everywhere that there are even instances where you would think that you are in China. I think that through PAGCOR, these POGO employees should be fully documented and identified not only for the good of the country but also for their own protection. Anyway, I understand that they already charge at least P4,000 for the GEL,” Ong said.

Prior to securing the GEL ID, Ong said that POGO employees need to pass an online exam which will also include proper behavior in the Philippines, as he noted a rising occurrence of Chinese nationals behaving very badly especially when drunk. Maricel V. Cruz

3 Nobel...

Radcliffe and Semenza then applied this knowledge to show that the oxygen sensing mechanism was present in virtually all human tissues.

Kaelin identified another gene, present in patients with a genetic disorder that puts them at far greater risk of certain cancers. The gene rewires the body’s ability to prevent the onset of cancer, and it plays a key role in how cancer cells respond to low oxygen levels.

Their work has shed new light on the specific, cell-level processes the body undergoes when low on oxygen―from helping our muscles function during exercise to adapting to life at high altitude.

Cells’ oxygen-sensing ability is also essential during fetal development and in creating new blood vessels.

Drugs being developed A large number of diseases are linked

to EPO, including renal failure and severe anemia.

Cancerous tumors use the body’s oxygenregulating tools to hijack blood vessel formation and allow the cancer cells to spread. The Nobel committee said Monday that several trials were underway developing drugs to interrupt this process, potentially short-circuiting tumor growth.

“Intense ongoing efforts in academic laboratories and pharmaceutical companies are now focused on developing drugs that can interfere with different disease states by either activating, or blocking, the oxygensensing machinery,” the jury said.

Kaelin, 61, works at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in the US, while Semenza, 63, is director of the Vascular Research Program at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Cell Engineering. AFP

of season,” PAGASA administrator Vicente Malano said.

“With these developments, the climate of the Philippines is on transition to the northeast monsoon “amihan” season in the coming days,” he added.

In another development, Typhoon “Hagibis” which was spotted outside the Philippine Area of Responsibilty is threatening to enter the country by Friday.

Once it enters the PAR, it would be named “Perla,” the weather bureau said.

It is forecast not to hit land.

“Hagibis” was located outside PAR at 2,630 kilometers east of Southern Luzon.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour and gustiness of 215 kph, it was moving west-northwest at the speed of 25 kph.

From A1

William Kaelin and Gregg Semenza of the US and Britain’s Peter Ratcliffe split the nine million Swedish kronor ($914,000) award.

While the fact that humans need oxygen to survive has been understood for centuries, how the body registers and responds to oxygen was little known prior to the trio’s pioneering work.

“They established the basis for our understanding of how oxygen levels affect cellular metabolism and physiological function,” the jury said.

Semenza studied a gene known as EPO which causes the body to create more red blood cells and isolated the specific DNA segments that help it to adapt to low oxygen levels.

Habagat...

From A1

pattern has shifted from southwesterly to easterly. This signifies that the southwest monsoon season has officially ended.

Moreover, the strengthening of the high pressure system over the Asian continent has led to the gradual changing

SOFT OPENING. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and Senator Cynthia Villar led the soft opening of the Las Piñas Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center and later visited a number of illegal drug dependents and surrenderees in Barangay Ilaya in Las Piñas city on Monday, Oct. 7. The facility has a two-storey building for female occupants with an 86-patient capacity and a threestorey building for male occupants with a 158-patient capacity. The two formerly idle buildings which was assigned to the Vice Mayors League and Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines was renovated by the senator's family and transformed it into a rehab center and in return, the Villar family built two-three storey buildings for both the Vice Mayors and Board Members League. Ey Acasio

IMMIGRATION agents arrested a Japanese fugitive who is an alleged former member of the Japanese Yakuza syndicate after hiding in the Philippines for almost nine years.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente identified the arrested alien as 71-year-old Katsumi Ohno who is wanted in Japan for fraud and other crimes.

Ohno’s arrest was sought by the Japanese Embassy last February when it informed the BI about a standing arrest warrant for fraud that a Japanese court issued against him.

“We also learned that his passport already expired in November last year, making him an undocumented alien,” Morente said.

He added that Ohno has been included in the immigration blacklist to prevent him from returning to the Philippines. Vito Barcelo

5 UP Masscom alumni honored FIVE highly accomplished communicators will receive the 2019 Glory Award given to outstanding University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication alumni. To be recognized at the college’s alumni homecoming are Carolyn Arguillas for journalism; Nona Andaya-Castillo and Samira Gutoc for social advocacy; Jeffrey Jeturian for film and visual communication; and Florencio “Floy” Quintos for performing arts.

The award is named after Gloria D. Feliciano, the first dean of the UP mass communication program who served from 1965 to 1985. The “Glory” honors alumni who not only achieved excellence in their communication disciplines but also made a significant impact on society through their body of work.

The Glory Awards will be held on Nov. 9 at the Film Studio of the UP Film Institute (beside Plaridel Hall) in UP Diliman.

Villar opens rehab center in Las Piñas SAYING that there is a huge gap between drug dependents and treatment facilities, Senator Cynthia Villar and Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque led yesterday’s soft opening of the Las Piñas Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Las Piñas City.

Records from the Dangerous Drug Board indicated there are only 3,216 beds in government and private drug rehabilitation centers although 600,000 have surrendered to authorities. It also showed there are about 1.3-million drug dependents in the country.

The additional drug rehab center is also in response to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s call to prioritize and synergize efforts to stop drug addiction.

The rehabilitatiin center, with an area of 2,735 square meters and target bed capacity of 300, will address the high influx of surrenderers and help in the process of rehabilitation and reintegration through the effective alignment of services and programs at the community level.

Villar said the rehab center is part of their contribution to the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Fleeing BIFF rebel killed at checkpoint A SUSPECTED member of Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters believed to be involved in a recent clash with members of the government partner Moro Islamic Liberation Front was killed during a law enforcement operation in Pandag, Maguindanao on Sunday.

Soldiers belonging to the Army’s 40th Infantry Battalion (40IB) were conducting a checkpoint in Barangay Malangit, Pandag, when Kalinga Kamsa, an alleged BIFF member, passed by and was flagged down around 6:15 a.m.

“He refused and tried to escape,” according to Maj. Gen. Diosdado Carreon, the Army’s 6th Infantry Division commander, in a report to Western Mindanao Command chief, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana.

Hours earlier, Kamsa managed to elude 40IB troopers who were about to arrest him following a tip from civilians that he was keeping guns and explosives in his home.

Kamsa fled on a motorbike and upon approaching the checkpoint, Carreon

said Kamsa ignored the order of authorities to stop and instead opened fire on government forces.

The soldiers returned fire, killing Kamsa on the spot.

Seized from the suspect were a .45-caliber pistol and twofragmentation grenades kept inside the sling bag.

Carreon said Kamsa had been placed under surveillance for a month after reports indicated he belonged to the BIFF. “While we are continuously conducting focused military operations, we are encouraging the remaining BIFF combatants to surrender and avail of the government’s livelihood programs prepared for them,” Sobejano said in a statement.

A weekend gunbattle that transpired in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town in this province has left seven MILF members and four BIFF rebels killed due to longstanding land conflict.

Government forces have secured the peripheries of Shariff Saydona Mustapha to prevent a spillover of the skirmishes.

Nash B. Maulana with PNA

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

TODAY

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

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

A8

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

Naomi Osaka of Japan poses with the trophy after winning her women’s singles final match against Ashleigh Barty of Australia at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing. AFP

Fernandez: Cone can get job done

P

HILIPPINE Sports Commission Commissioner Ramon Fernandez is confident that newly appointed national coach Tim Cone will get the job done and steer the Gilas Pilipinas basketball team to the basketball title in the 30th Southeast Asian Games which the country is hosting.

players—Japeth Aguilar, Greg Slaughter, Scottie Thompson, LA Tenorio, Art Dela Cruz and Stanley Pringle.

Other players selected were June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross, Christian Standhardinger, Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario, Jayson Castro, Vic Manuel and Matthew Wright.

“We don’t want to lose this one.

This is our home court. This is not the best talent, but we are trying to be the best team that we can,” said Cone, the winningest Philippine Basketball Association coach with 21 titles highlighted by grand slam

crowns in 1996 and 2013.

“We decided to go with a veteran group, again because generally veterans are easier to coach short-term. They pick up things faster than the young guys. This is all about speed and efficiency that we’re trying to do.”

In the last 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia, Gilas Pilipinas was led by a mixture of professional and amateur players to win the gold.

Cone is back with the national team for the second time after coaching the Philippine Centennial squad in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games. That team settled for a bronze medal.

Fernandez, a member of the silverwinning Asian Games team in 1990 Beijing, believes the Philippines could win an 18th overall men’s SEA Games basketball title since 1977.

The men’s basketball competition will be held on Dec. 1 to 10 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

“He (Cone) knows what it takes to

win in the Southeast Asian Games.

It can be done with an all-pro lineup and even with a mix of collegiate stars,” said Fernandez, a four-time Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player.

Cone formed recently the Gilas Pilipinas 15-man SEA Games pool headed by six Barangay Ginebra San Miguel

PH starts water polo campaign

Tokong is last Filipino surfer standing

SINGAPORE—After three exhibition matches, the water polo national team now gets to play in actual game as the Filipinos face Ireland at the start of the 2019 FINA Water Polo Challengers’ Cup today at the OCBC Aquatic Centre here.

The national team defeated Zimbabwe, 16-2, Monday morning, and hammered an 8-5 victory versus Malaysia —bronze medalist in the last Southeast Asian Games in KL— in the afternoon session.

Another friendly game is set against India a day before the start of the 10-nation tournament.

Philippine water polo coach Rey Galang said the players are ready considering the execution on offense and solid defense the national team displayed in the first two exhibition games.

The national team takes on Ireland at 4:30 p.m., right after the 2 p.m. game between India and Indonesia, while Austria and Chinese Taipei clash at 6 p.m. before Zimbabwe faces host Singapore at 7:30 p.m.

The team’s participation in this event, made possible by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Swimming Inc. (PSI), is part of training for the Filipinos as they prepare for the 30th SEA Games the country is hosting on Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.

SIARGAO ISLAND—Local bet John Mark Tokong emerged as the lone Filipino bet still in the running for the title as he entered the Round of 16 with a gutsy performance Monday in the 25th Siargao International Surfing Cup at the worldfamous Cloud 9 here.

The 23-year-old Tokong, son of a fisherman from the town of General Luna, thrilled the hometown crowd as he placed second to Indonesian rival Oney Anwar in Heat 7 to advance. ``I just enjoyed it,’’ said the jolly Tokong, who posted 13.10 points against the 13.30 of Anwar.

Earlier, Jay-r Esquivel of Urbiztondo, Pangasinan and Tokong’s teammate in the Philippine team for this year’s Southeast Asian Games, failed to recover from a shaky start to finish third in his heat won

by South African’s Koby Oberholzer with 15.25 points. Jose Gundesen of Argentina finished second with 13.10 points, better

than the 11.75 of Esquivel.

The top two performers in each heat earned tickets to the next round in this tournament presented by Globe Telecom and Sprite and fully supported by Representative Bingo Matugas, General Luna Mayor Yayang Rusillon and the provincial government headed by Surigao del Norte Governor Francisco ``Lalo’’ Matugas.

The event is sanctioned by the World Surf League and backed up by the Philippine Sports Commission headed by Butch Ramirez and the Department of Tourism.

Top favorite Skip McCullough of the United States continued his impressive show as he advanced from Heat 5 with Tomas King. Local bet Christian Araquil finished fourth in this heat.

From Heat 8, Australians Cooper DaLocal bet John Mark Tokong (left) vies and Thomas Cervi advanced.

Argentina’s Santiago Muniz, Japan’s Jin Suzuki, Australians Callum Robson Elliot Paerate-Reed and Hawaii’s Noah and Samson Coulter, New Zealand’s Beschen also advanced.

ASEAN strengthens sports bond thru cooperation

Busy PSA Forum schedule today THE coming Unigames-Collegiate Grand Slam Volleyball, finals of the National Basketball League, and the country’s first athlete to qualify in the Tokyo Olympics in pole vaulter EJ Obiena make up Tuesday’s wide-ranging discussion in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Amelie Hotel-Manila.

Philippine Super Liga President Ian Laurel and Rommel Sytin are coming over to talk about the Oct. 19-27 Unigames in Iloilo City which will be held in honor of Dominic Sytin, the late CEO of United Auctioneers Inc. and benefactor of the University of the Philippines Lady Maroons.

The protagonists of the NBL finals meanwhile, will discuss their best-ofthree title series, with coach Allan Trinidad and players Mark Tamayo, CJ Gania, and Harryson Bautista representing the Pampanga Delta, and coach Bing Victoria along with players LJ Mayo, Helino Francisco, and Mike Sampuma coming in behalf of the Taguig Generals.

And to cap the busy session presented

by San Miguel Corp., Braska Restaurant, Amelie Hotel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, the 23-year-old Obiena tackles the preparation he’s been doing for the 30th Southeast Asian Games and next year’s Tokyo Olympics.

Heads of Delegation to the 9th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Sports pose during Monday’s meeting, kicking off a 5-day series of meetings of the ASEAN on sports.

DELEGATES from all Association of Southeast Asian Nation member countries kicked off the series of meetings for the 9th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Sports (SOMS-9) scheduled here in Manila from Oct. 6 to 10 with moves that serve to strengthen bonds and interaction within the region through sports cooperation.

The Philippines assumed chairmanship of the SOMS-9 today, turned over from past host Myanmar. SOMS-9 chairperson, Philippine Sports Commission Executive Director Merlita Ibay thanked all attendees and assured that “commitments made by the ASEAN member countries under the 5-year ASEAN Work Plan on Sports 2016-2020 will be continued and completed under the country’s chairpersonship.”

The meeting cast the spotlight on the preparation for the Joint Bid for the FIFA World Cup 2034 and the need to strengthen coordination with relevant stakeholders in this regard.

In the same meeting, it was also agreed that Malaysia will host the initial meeting for the establishment of the e-sports federation in the region as proposed by Malaysian Head of Delegation and Director General of the Malaysian National Sports Council Ahmad Shapawi Bin Ismail. All delegation heads expressed their support for establishing said ASEAN sports association.

Humbled Osaka reveals pressure of being no. 1 BEIJING—Naomi Osaka has opened up on the immense pressure she placed on herself earlier this year that contributed to a slump in form and the loss of her top ranking.

The 21-year-old Japanese continued her late season resurgence Sunday with victory over current number one Ashleigh Barty in Beijing’s China Open final.

It meant back-to-back WTA Tour titles for Osaka, who won the Australian Open in January, but then failed to match those high standards at the next three Grand Slams.

“I think this dip that I had really humbled me, it made me very motivated to be here right now,” she said after coming back from a set down to defeat Australia’s Barty.

Osaka, toppled as number one by Barty in June and now ranked third, said that after winning in Melbourne “I honestly was counting the ranking points.

“I was too stats-oriented after I won the Australian Open because there was this big thing about you’re number one now.

“Then I felt like I shouldn’t lose a match after that.”

Osaka, who burst to the fore by beating Serena Williams to win the 2018 US Open, said that she is trying to “care” a little less to take the pressure off.

It is a mindset that helped her triumph in her home Pan Pacific Open last month, but was not in evidence in the early stages against Barty.

Osaka said that she was so desperate to win the Beijing final that she was in tears as she lost the first set, although she managed to hide it well and recovered her poise.

“Honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever feel the same way that I felt again right after Australia,” she said of the sky-high expectations she placed on herself.

“There’s no way, no way that’s possible.” AFP

Ricamonte, Sangil rule Highlands Cup STA. Elena’s Carina Ricamonte flashed top form and carded a gross two-over 74 for a net 69 to capture the women’s crown while Ray Sangil won the low gross honors with 68 in the Highlands Ladies Cup at Tagaytay Midlands Golf Club over the weekend.

Davao’s Stella Barnes shot a net evenpar 72 from a gross 91 to clinch runnerup honors in the centerpiece division of the 14th staging of the event that featured the leading golfing ladies from the country’s top courses along with their guests from various sectors.

Korean Jung Hak Soo, a 7-handicapper, fired a gross 76 to bag the low net title with a 69 while Johann See also turned in a net 69 from a gross 79 to rule Class A with Dan Salvador finishing second with a gross 81 for a net 70 in the event backed by Gold sponsor IMG and Silver backers Baron Travel, CIF

by Unilever, New Golden City Builders, PLDT SME, Petron, Regent Travel, SHA-WRAP, SM Prime Holdings and Wuhan Fibrehome.

Other winners were Gerry Romualdez and Lito Maraña, who came up with net 70 and 73 to top Classes B and C, respectively, with Tato Mercado and Judge Nor Guanlao carding net 71 and 74 for runnerup honors, respectively, in the tournament supported by Wee Community DeveloPERS, AgriKultura Pilipina, Asia Brewery, Burlington Socks, C-Mon Trading, CaraDerme, Champion, Chroma Hospitality, Concrete Masters, DellaSolare, Dickies, Eagle Eye Int’l., Fiorella Chocolates/ WinWin Biscuits, Fitness First Alabang, GAC Motor PH, GRAB;

PH Golf Tour wraps up 10th season

Tony Lascuna

THE Philippine Golf Tour caps its milestone 10th season fittingly on a course making its first hosting of the country’s premier circuit—the ICTSI South Pacific Classic which gets under way tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct. 9) at the South Pacific Golf & Leisure Estates in Catalunan Pequeño in Davao City.

Coming off back-to-back victories in Taiwan and at Apo the last two weeks, Tony Lascuña easily stands out as the marked man in the P3 million event but the veteran shotmaker will be practically as clueless as the rest of the stellar international field on the challenges posed by the bunker-laden course hosting a tournament of this magnitude for the first time.

Another championship course developed by the Sta. Lucia Development, Inc. chaired by Vicente Santos and designed by Mike Singgaran, the par-72 layout opened its first nine holes in June 2016 with the other nine completed last Sept. 2018.

It features long par-4s and sleek surface with Bermuda 419 turf grass on the tees, roughs and fairways and Zoysia grass on the greens, according to VMJ Evergreen

Golf Maintenance and Construction Corp.

But with the pros in competitive form coming off a series of tournaments, a low scoring battle looms in all four days of the championship also serving as the fourth leg of the Mindanao swing of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. “What makes this event interesting is that no one holds an advantage at South Pacific—familiarity-wise. So it’s a question of course management and of course, putting,” said Lascuña, who nevertheless remained confident of stretching his win run to three in his eighth straight tournament.

The field tested the course in yesterday’s official practice round with Lascuña and a select number of pros gaining another chance to play it in today’s (Tuesday) pro-am tournament where they will be paired with guests and officials of the event’s chief backers, including ICTSI, Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology.

Keanu Jahns

Business

Axelum dips 6.2% to P5.29 in lackluster market debut B2

Foreign reserves increase to record high of $86.16b T

By Julito G. Rada

HE gross international reserves, which protect the country from external volatilities, climbed to a record high of $86.16 billion as of end-September from $74.94 billion a year ago, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show.

The figure eclipsed the previous alltime high of $86.139 billion registered in October 2016. It also increased month-onmonth from $86.03 billion in August.

“The increase in the GIR level monthon-month reflects the national government’s foreign currency deposits and BSP’s income from its investments

abroad,” the BSP said in a statement.

“However, the increase in reserves was partially tempered by payments made by the national government for servicing its foreign exchange obligations,” it said.

Data showed the GIR in September consisted of $73.44 billion in BSP’s foreign investments mostly in the form of US treasuries, $8 billion in gold holdings, almost $3 billion in foreign exchange, $1.17 billion in special drawing rights and $561 million in reserve position in the International Monetary Fund.

The Bangko Sentral said the reserve level provides an ample external liquidity buffer equivalent to 7.5 months worth of imports of goods and payments of services and primary income.

Data showed that the GIR exceeded the country’s external debt estimated at $81.3 billion as of end-June.

It is also equivalent to 5.4 times the country’s short-term external debt based

on original maturity and 3.9 times based on residual maturity.

Short-term debt based on residual maturity refers to outstanding external debt with original maturity of one year or less, plus principal payments on medium- and long-term loans of the public and private sectors falling due within the next 12 months.

Net international reserves, which refers to the difference between the BSP’s GIR and total short-term liabilities, also increased by $0.13 billion to $86.15 billion as of end-September 2019 from end-August level of $86.02 billion.

The strong reserve position allowed the BSP to manage the fluctuation of the peso against the US dollar this year despite the external challenges. The peso appreciated 1.4 percent since the start of the year to close at 51.86 against the greenback Monday.

The BSP was originally expecting the GIR to end 2019 at $83 billion, up from the 2018 closing of $79.193 billion.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

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ICTSI confident on P8.7-b bid to develop Port of Iloilo

By Darwin G. Amojelar PORT operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. is optimistic it will soon secure an original proponent status from state-run Philippine Ports Authority for an unsolicited proposal to upgrade and develop the Port of Iloilo for P8.7 billion.

“We are just waiting for PPA to confirm that the submission is complete.

We hope that the decision on being an original proponent come sooner than later,” ICTSI Global corporate head Christian Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez earlier said ICTSI planned to bring Iloilo Port to world-class levels by maximizing big-ship capability, installing ship-to-shore gantry cranes and continuously upgrading yard capacity aligned to traffic studies.

It also plans to build a terminal for cruise ship passengers to meet the objectives of the National Tourism Development Plan.

Gonzales said that under their development plan, Iloilo could become a major regional transshipment hub for

the Visayas.

ICTSI, the operator of Manila International Container Terminal and dozens of other container ports globally, reported a net income of $128.5 million in the first half, up 42 percent from $90.2 million in the same period last year.

Gross revenues from port operations increased 14 percent in the six-month period to $751.8 million from $661.8 million a year earlier.

Container port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. said Tuesday net income jumped 42 percent in the first six months to $128.5 million from $90.2 million in the same period last year.

“ICTSI’s performance in the first half of 2019 has been very positive. The group’s focus on generating high-quality earnings from our ports, ramping up activities at our newer terminals and strong cost control has enabled us to continue to deliver on our strategic objectives,” ICTSI chairman and chief executive Enrique Razon Jr. said.

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

CIRCULAR NO. 1052 Series of 2019

Subject: Dissemination of Relevant Information Relative to “Truth in Lending Act” Disclosure Requirement The Monetary Board, in its Resolution No. 1397 dated 12 September 2019, approved the amendments to the relevant provisions of the Manual of Regulations for Banks (MORB)/Manual of Regulations for Non-Bank Financial Institutions (MORNBFI) to provide guidance to banks, quasi-banks (QBs), Non-Stock Savings and Loan Associations (NSSLAs), pawnshops and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) as well as banks/non-banks operating as credit card issuers in disseminating relevant information about the “Truth in Lending Act” through various channels of communication.

Section 1. Section 306 of the MORB and Sections 4307Q/4307S of the MORNBFI are hereby amended to read as follows: “Section 306/4307Q/4307S “TRUTH IN LENDING ACT” DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT Banks/QBs/NSSLAs are required to strictly adhere to the provisions of R.A. No. 3765, otherwise known as the “Truth in Lending Act”, and shall make the disclosure of the true and effective cost of borrowing an integral part of every credit transaction contract. xxx Inspection of contracts covering credit transactions. xxx

BEST EMPLOYER. SM Prime Holdings Inc. and SM Supermalls are recognized for innovative initiatives across the employee life cycle and for the positive brand experience being created for the people and their contributions to talent management and development. SM Prime Group senior vice president and Chief HR officer Fides Tanay (left) receives Asia’s Best Employer Brands Award on August 15 in Singapore. The recognition adds to SM Prime Group’s previous wins this year, including HR Asia’s Best Companies to Work For and the Philippines’ Best Employer Brands Awards for SM Lifestyle Inc.

IN BRIEF

LBC withdraws plan to sell P1.5-b shares

Meralco announced last month a reduction of P0.5260 per kilowatt-hour, equivalent to P105 for households consuming an average of 200 kWh a month. Alena Mae S. Flores

BSP to produce 116m ID cards

LOGISTICS firm LBC Express Holdings Inc. said it withdrew its planned P1.5-billion share sale plan.

LBC said in disclosure to the stock exchange it filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission the withdrawal of its application to conduct a follow-on offering for up to 69.1 million shares as the company’s financial statements included in the registration statement became outdated.

“The company has decided to withdraw the application considering that the financial information stated in the registration statement should be as of a date not earlier than 180 days therefrom,” LBC said.

“However, the company’s financial statements which were included as part of the registration statement described consisted of those for the full-year ended 31 December 2016, 2017 and 2018, as well as the period ended 31 March 2019”.

The company said it needed to update the financial statements filed with the SEC. “The company anticipates that it will take some time to have its financial statements audited or reviewed, and for this reason has decided to withdraw its offer, without prejudice to a possible re-filing by the Company of such application at a later date,” the company said.

Jenniffer B. Austria

THE Philippine Statistics Authority tapped the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to produce 116 million pieces of blank cards over a period of three years to implement the national ID system.

BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno and National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa signed on Monday a memorandum of agreement for the printing of the blank cards at P30 apiece, or for a total cost of P3.4 billion.

Under the agreement, the BSP will produce 116 million pieces of cards over a period of three years.

The national IDs are nontransferable cards that will be issued for free to all Philippine citizens or resident aliens registered under the PhilSys. Around P30 billion will be needed for the full implementation of the national ID system.

Mapa said that once the BSP printed the blank cards, the PSA would handle the personalization of the cards. He said the people in charge of the personalization would undergo strict background investigations.

Diokno said the national ID system would be universally beneficial to all Filipinos because these would serve as their proof of identity and would also promote financial inclusion. Julito G. Rada

Power rates likely stable in October

Financial resources hit P31t as of March

POWER rates are expected to be stable in October after five straight months of reduction, an executive of Manila Electric Co. said Monday.

“Generation costs are projected to go down for October. However, this may be offset by the smaller NSS [net settlement surplus] refund that we will receive from PEMC [Philippine Electricity Market Corp.],” Meralco vice president and head of utility economics Lawrence Fernandez said.

“It will be recalled that part of the September reduction was due to an almost P700-million NSS refund, which ERC [Energy Regulatory Commission] directed PEMC to implement. The refund amount for October is anticipated to be smaller [less than P400 million],” Fernandez said.

PEMC is the governing body of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, the country’s trading floor of electricity where Meralco sources part of its power requirements.

“Given the two factors [lower generation costs but smaller NSS refund), we expect power costs to remain stable, after five consecutive months of reductions,” Fernandez said.

THE country’s total financial resources reached P31.044 trillion as of end-March 2019, according to the latest survey of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Preliminary results of the Other Financial Corporation Survey showed the total assets of depository corporations reached P23.068 trillion while the combined resources of other financial corporations hit P7.976 trillion as of the first quarter.

The Other Financial Corporation Survey is a comprehensive measure of the assets and liabilities of the other financial corporations. The survey is an important tool in identifying the concentration of vulnerabilities of the financial sector vis-à-vis the other sectors of the economy.

OFCs consists of trust entities; private and public insurance corporations; holding companies; government financial institutions, specifically governmentowned or controlled corporations engaged in financial intermediation; non-money market funds covering unit investment trust funds and investment companies; and other financial intermediaries and auxiliaries consisting of offshore banking units and non-banks without quasi-banking functions. Julito G. Rada

Dissemination of Relevant Information. Banks/QBs/NSSLAs shall ensure that all persons to whom credit is extended are well informed of the salient provisions of Republic Act No. 3765, otherwise known as the “Truth in Lending Act” as contained in the revised format of disclosure statement in Appendix 16/Q-11/S-4 through any acceptable medium of communication such as, but not limited to, posters, brochures, pamphlets, leaflets, educational videos, corporate websites, infographics and social media platforms. Said information must be conspicuously displayed and made available at all times, in physical or electronic format, to all persons to whom credit is extended by banks/QBs/NSSLAs subject to the consumer protection standards and social media risk management guidelines. Such medium of communication shall include an explicit notification that the disclosure statement in writing is a required attachment to the credit transaction contract which banks/QBs/ NSSLAs shall provide all persons to whom credit is extended with a copy of said disclosure statement prior to the consummation of the credit transaction.

Sanctions and penal provisions. xxx” Section 2. Section 312 of the MORB is hereby amended to read as follows: “Policy Statement. The Bangko Sentral shall foster the development of consumer credit through innovative products such as credit cards under conditions of fair and sound consumer credit practices. The Bangko Sentral likewise encourages competition and transparency to ensure more efficient delivery of services and fair dealings with customers. xxx Information to be disclosed. xxx xxx Dissemination of Relevant Information. Banks operating as credit card issuers shall ensure that all persons to whom credit is extended are well informed of the salient provisions of Republic Act No. 3765, otherwise known as the “Truth in Lending Act” as contained in the revised format of disclosure statement in Appendix 16 through any acceptable medium of communication such as, but not limited to, posters, brochures, pamphlets, leaflets, educational videos, corporate websites, infographics and social media platforms. Said information must be conspicuously displayed and made available at all times, in physical or electronic format, to all persons to whom credit is extended by banks operating as credit card issuers subject to the consumer protection standards and social media risk management guidelines. Such medium of communication shall include an explicit notification that the disclosure statement in writing is a required attachment to the credit transaction contract which banks operating as credit card issuers shall provide all persons to whom credit is extended with a copy of said disclosure statement prior to the consummation of the credit transaction.

Accrual of interest earned on loans xxx. xxx” Section 3. Applicability to pawnshops, NBFIs and non-banks operating as credit card issuers. The amended provisions on ‘Dissemination of Relevant Information’ under Sections 1 and 2 above shall likewise apply to NBFIs as follows: a) Amendment to Section 306/4307Q/4307S of the MORB/MORNBFI under Section 1 above shall be adopted under Section 4303P/4312N of the MORNBFI. b) The amendment to Section 312 of the MORB under Section 2 above shall be adopted under Section 4101C of the MORNBFI. Section 4. Appendices 16/Q-11/S-4 of the MORB/MORNBFI are hereby amended as shown in Annex A. This format shall also be adopted as Appendix P-15/N-15/C-3 of the MORNBFI. Section 5. Effectivity This Circular shall take effect fifteen (15) calendar days following its publication either in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

FOR THE MONETARY BOARD:

2 October 2019

(Sgd) MARIA ALMASARA CYD N. TUAŇO-AMADOR Officer-In-Charge

Note: This Circular along with its annexes can be accessed at the BSP website: www.bsp.gov.ph under “Regulations\Circulars.”

B2

Business

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market slips on profit-taking

S

HARE prices declined Monday on profittaking and mixed trading as investors opted to stay liquid, wary of a global economic slowdown.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slipped 21.38 points, or 0.3 percent, to 7,683.22 on a value turnover of P5.8 billion. Losers edged gainers, 97 to 86, with 57 issues unchanged.

Axelum Resources Corp., a leading coconut manufacturer and exporter, dipped 6.2 percent during its maiden listing despite expansion and acquisition plans. Axelum opened higher at P5.29 from an initial public offering price of P5 before closing at P4.69.

Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan dropped 3.4 percent to

P10.90, while BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, fell 2.4 percent to P140.

Nickel Asia Corp., the largest nickel mine, however, rose 3 percent to P4.19.

Meanwhile, most markets rose in Asia Monday after a mixed US jobs report eased worries about a recession in the world’s top economy but maintained expectations the Federal Reserve will press ahead with more interest rate cuts.

However, there was some nervousness after reports said China had cut back on the number of areas it is willing to discuss at this week’s top-level trade talks with the US, rekindling concerns about the chances of any agreement between the two.

After a string of below-par data last week that highlighted the impact of Donald Trump’s trade war on the key manufacturing and services sectors, Friday’s much-anticipated non-farm

payrolls figures showed unemployment at a 50-year low in September.

But the pace of job creation was the slowest in four months, wages fell and the manufacturing workforce also shrank for the second time this year.

All three main indexes on Wall Street rallied more than one percent as dealers breathed a sigh of relief that the jobs figures did not miss badly, with most still expecting another Fed rate cut at its next meeting this month.

“As the US unemployment rate dropped to its lowest level in 50 years, worries over US recession eased, but at the same time expectations for further rate cuts remain untouched,” Hideyuki Ishiguro, senior strategist at Daiwa Securities, said in a commentary.

Most Asian markets followed the lead from New York.

Sydney rose 0.7 percent and Singapore added 0.6 percent with Seoul gaining 0.1

percent, while Wellington jumped 0.8 percent and Taipei put on 0.4 percent.

Mumbai and Bangkok also rose.

Tokyo closed 0.2 percent down as the yen strengthened on bets for another Fed cut, while Jakarta fell. Hong Kong and Shanghai were closed for a public holiday.

Focus turns this week to the resumption of high-level trade talks between China and the United States in Washington.

However, while there has been a broad expectation the two sides are coming together in some areas owing to their economies stuttering, reports said Beijing was looking to narrow the remit of any deal.

Bloomberg News reported that top negotiator Vice Premier Liu He had said he would not put on the table reforms to Chinese industrial policy or government subsidies, a key source of anger within the White House. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 57 6,010 93 1,117,740 1.99 5,000 140 746,130 1.19 43,000 25 82,000 18.6 2,300 11.7 529,400 4.65 63,000 775 10 0.42 960,000 68 1,293,310 0.89 88,000 12.8 29,100 20.5 8,400 44 109,800 176.5 410 130 820 57.2 1,500 27 100 197 224,810 1,879 5 59.1 14,830

342,530 103,888,933 9,590 105,228,528 47,390 2,045,365 42,780 6,216,180 293,060 7,750 382,700 87,851,743.50 78,650 372,480 172,560 4,829,055 72,740 108,970 85,946.50 2,700 44,164,870 9,395 875,206

284,430 12,212,358.50 -17,090,355 599,860 37,200 101,634 11,642,389 0 3,310,140 26,750 -1,340 1,111,232 -722,954

INDUSTRIAL 36.5 1,063,700 15.9 206,100 0.68 96,000 1.3 10,000 4.69 188,153,500 0.247 10,000 95 550 2.42 1,700,000 14.86 491,900 8.01 542,900 18.78 2,800 31 3,400 69 620 73 1,440 2.08 48,000 6.14 18,600 5.9 300 8.64 448,700 15.38 39,100 10.06 179,200 7 1,318,500 1.59 70,000 24.45 1,057,300 78.85 6,270 47 7,600 2.38 11,169,000 14.48 570,800 7.8 86,800 1.52 93,000 220 1,867,940 5.35 98,900 8 8,300 19.86 399,700 13.3 79,600 18.02 703,200 362 54,500 0.188 60,000 5.35 2,300 1.67 1,755,000 4.4 1,000 5.04 833,900 9.5 10,800 2.24 12,526,000 11 71,100 33.95 242,800 5.32 44,600 5.1 28,900 1.88 912,000 2.3 10,000 1.03 18,000 11.24 215,400 90.7 35,260 7.34 27,400 0.125 10,000 1.05 413,000 157.7 1,133,150 2.42 10,000 1.17 2,079,000 1.1 6,177,000

38,814,645 3,269,468 63,480 13,000 891,721,805 2,470 49,860 4,083,230 7,304,306 4,374,495 50,940 104,470 42,256 106,704 99,530 109,680 1,775 3,872,153 592,136 1,825,962 9,234,866 112,460 25,663,410 492,258 357,610 26,633,600 8,207,320 671,568 137,000 413,335,610 525,313 65,892 7,941,708 1,057,282 12,675,786 19,732,910 11,320 12,205 2,888,080 4,400 4,173,818 103,500 27,981,640 777,902 8,178,320 236,965 147,390 1,653,130 23,000 18,060 2,445,052 3,167,043.50 201,770 1,250 421,580 178,276,640 24,200 2,444,030 6,618,090

-10,202,770 434,750 8,452,170 -2,325,960 5,264,052 33,769 -98,070.00 -1,979,400.00 484,006 -1,160,376 -4,029,763 6,148,280 -33,056 51,480 610,280 -2,536,844 -57,020 140,229,140 2,328 -6,966,826 -160,710 -11,289,016 -4,911,186 477,880 -354,290 452,700 2,983,140 150,955 -2,240,494 -1,329,562.50 86,761 51,000 -9,405,849 24,200 -63,590 -187,440

12,219,260 24,479,813.50 77,561,316 411,210 105,175 199,772 1,411,550 140,320 154,865,885 1,395,070 13,021,442 30,609,956 74,378 4,320 32,358,890 20,683,603.50 108,350 148,690 3,722,172 183,420 89,087,160 30,500 2,690 20,254,595 760,526,845 22,990 105,930 4,040 485,032 266,200 126,500

-958,750 -8,294,767 -33,870,706 -115,000 -49,249,635 -116,400 432,756 3,895,018 2,640 -3,169,105 -2,089,220 -21,860 -1,099,444 179,360 -5,159,750 -4,826,379 510,484,850 12,600 -

3,199,008 1,630,760 8,000 84,870 3,742,980 276,910,555 744,900 905,240 8,471,480 14,400 5,060 2,070 215,783 1,392,740 26,700 61,283,900 146,800 129,659,210 4,342,750 8,200 1,656,430 176,250

-180,480 -12,480 -33,444,485 -51,720 -10,350 14,400 3,320 53,588 725,510 -39,817,840 -50,366,710.00 17,700 -281,240 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

56 92.5 1.9 143 1.1 25 18.6 11.8 4.65 775 0.4 67.75 0.9 12.8 20.9 43.7 179 135 57.95 27 197.9 1,879 59.05

57.5 93.3 1.99 143.6 1.19 25.05 18.6 11.8 4.82 775 0.42 68.75 0.9 12.8 20.9 45 179 135 58.3 27 197.9 1,879 59.1

56 91.7 1.9 140 1.1 24.85 18.6 11.68 4.6 775 0.395 67.55 0.89 12.8 20.4 43.6 176.5 130 57.2 27 190.4 1,879 59

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

36.65 15.8 0.68 1.3 5.29 0.247 90.5 2.41 14.7 8.32 17.34 32.3 67.05 71 2.07 5.8 5.95 8.7 15 10.28 7.06 1.62 24.4 78.35 47.95 2.4 14.4 7.78 1.47 220.8 5.5 8.22 20 13.28 18.36 367 0.189 5.3 1.67 4.4 5.02 9.6 2.17 10.8 32.85 5.3 5.1 1.8 2.3 1.03 11.2 89.9 7.38 0.125 1.02 156.9 2.42 1.19 1.03

37.75 15.9 0.68 1.3 5.3 0.247 95 2.45 14.92 8.32 18.78 32.3 69 76 2.08 6.14 5.95 8.7 15.4 10.54 7.06 1.65 24.6 78.95 47.95 2.43 14.48 7.8 1.54 223.2 5.5 8.22 20 13.34 18.36 367 0.189 5.35 1.67 4.4 5.05 9.62 2.27 11 33.95 5.32 5.1 1.89 2.3 1.03 11.4 90.7 7.4 0.125 1.05 157.7 2.42 1.19 1.1

35.85 15.5 0.66 1.3 4.19 0.247 90 2.35 14.7 7.82 17.34 30.2 67 71 2.07 5.8 5.9 8.6 14.96 10.02 7 1.59 23.85 78.35 46 2.32 14.24 7.66 1.45 219.8 5.25 7.76 19.82 13.02 18.02 360.2 0.188 5.3 1.6 4.4 4.99 9.5 2.16 10.8 32.85 5.3 5.1 1.78 2.3 1 11.18 89 7.33 0.125 1.02 154.5 2.42 1.16 1.03

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

2.01 24.5 2.35 3.17 37.7 2.59 0.88 7.68 5.78

2.04 24.5 2.37 3.2 37.95 2.78 0.88 7.7 5.8

2.01 24.05 2.27 3.17 37 2.58 0.87 7.65 5.6

2.03 24.5 2.27 3.2 37.95 2.76 0.88 7.69 5.8

194,000 2,702,800 47,000 8,000 5,093,700 7,653,000 758,000 2,971,600 94,800

390,330 66,137,250 111,160 25,390 192,107,640 20,636,780 660,890 22,811,048 539,319

12,547,250 -11,750 9,510 74,273,350 -415,090 -86,000 -8,943,624 -

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

10.2 18 1.65 0.57 0.044 18.08 2.28 10.9 0.052 91.1 6.98 6.77 2 9.17 1,784 5.15 428 9.84 1.55 120.4 8 0.107 4.97 2.84 3 0.95 18.84 3.36 2.4 1.12 2.81 2.82 8.25 4.8 2.95 1,100 0.69 0.51 38.5 75.8 9.28 2.6 0.67 0.32 0.68 16.96

10.2 18.3 1.65 0.6 0.046 18.08 2.3 11.02 0.053 91.5 7.19 6.77 2 9.17 1,799 5.2 442.8 11.26 1.6 121.6 8 0.108 5.03 2.84 3.02 0.95 18.98 3.36 2.4 1.12 2.85 2.9 8.3 4.8 3.04 1,108 0.72 0.51 39.45 76.7 9.28 2.61 0.68 0.335 0.69 17

9.8 17.9 1.56 0.54 0.044 18.06 2.28 10.9 0.052 91.1 6.98 6.6 2 9.02 1,784 5.15 427 9.84 1.5 118 7.82 0.107 4.87 2.84 2.99 0.9 18.54 3.36 2.35 1.12 2.7 2.82 7.83 4.78 2.95 1,090 0.69 0.495 38.5 75.8 9.27 2.52 0.66 0.315 0.67 16.8

SERVICES 9.84 17.98 1.64 0.59 0.045 18.06 2.28 11.02 0.053 91.5 7.19 6.66 2 9.02 1,798 5.19 435 11.24 1.59 121.1 7.82 0.107 4.97 2.84 3.02 0.92 18.8 3.36 2.36 1.12 2.7 2.87 8.2 4.78 3.04 1,100 0.72 0.51 39.1 76 9.27 2.54 0.66 0.325 0.69 17

11,700 32,000 68,000 25,634,000 3,000,000 2,100 309,000 2,663,900 6,700,000 14,860 900 469,400 5,000 106,800 14,925 127,700 550 2,400 562,000 1,283,060 5,200 650,000 2,393,600 3,000 310,000 832,000 285,200 6,000 599,000 1,000 2,333,000 28,000 9,600 4,000 699,000 22,290 84,000 8,139,000 1,456,800 1,551,220 9,000 1,790,000 672,000 2,620,000 1,922,000 283,700

115,759 577,694 109,830 14,741,470 132,500 37,956 704,710 29,299,676 352,530 1,356,250 6,429 3,127,494 10,000 967,567 26,827,815 661,857 240,148 24,890 880,950 155,214,631 41,402 69,560 11,823,029 8,520 929,940 759,140 5,362,622 20,160 1,414,660 1,120 6,432,980 80,600 78,796 19,180 2,105,250 24,508,650 58,380 4,083,355 56,902,630 117,947,038 83,440 4,560,060 445,780 838,450 1,325,420 4,804,876

81,500 -1,593,000.00 1,806.00 13,838,426 -53,000 452,966 -214,343 -937,805 4,350 -125,731,672 1,145,570 179,400 1,040,934 -26,050 81,300 -2,820 -9,250 -755,030 -50,000 1,569,660.00 -21,234,105 2,433,210 -3,400 3,179,798

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

0.0017 1.13 2.51 11.9 2.62 1.66 0.226 0.109 0.11 0.0091 0.0092 1.15 4.08 1.13 0.51 0.9 0.012 0.011 8.12 3.52 11.46 21.85 0.0061

0.0017 1.15 2.51 12.88 2.63 1.69 0.226 0.109 0.111 0.0091 0.0098 1.18 4.28 1.14 0.51 0.91 0.012 0.011 8.81 3.55 11.56 22.2 0.0061

0.0017 1.13 2.5 11.7 2.61 1.65 0.213 0.104 0.11 0.0091 0.0092 1.12 4.07 1.11 0.49 0.9 0.012 0.011 8.1 3.5 11.2 21.8 0.006

MINING & OIL 0.0017 29,000,000 1.14 564,000 2.5 2,000 12.78 68,900 2.63 570,000 1.68 2,183,000 0.218 2,250,000 0.104 3,690,000 0.11 80,000 0.0091 2,000,000 0.0098 14,000,000 1.16 312,000 4.19 12,607,000 1.13 27,000 0.49 845,000 0.9 114,000 0.012 11,300,000 0.011 2,700,000 8.79 530,300 3.51 352,000 11.56 626,800 22.2 145,300 0.0061 11,000,000

49,300 642,510 5,010 832,164 1,493,100 3,654,430 485,970 391,000 8,820 18,200 129,400 360,980 52,763,350 30,550 416,690 103,280 135,600 29,700 4,500,328 1,235,440 7,133,420 3,207,220 66,600

-278,160 -26,200 8,349,400 -137,855.00 28,110 121,742 -31,870 -

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

500 101 110 5.13 970 995 96.5 1 101.5 1,038 1,046 1,080 101.1 995 77.95 75.2 75.6 76.2 75.35 75.5 76.5

500 101 110 5.17 970 995 98 1 101.5 1,038 1,046 1,080 101.1 997.5 77.95 75.3 75.6 76.2 75.35 75.5 76.5

500 101 110 5.13 970 995 96.5 0.99 101.5 1,038 1,017 1,080 100.3 995 77.5 74.95 75.6 76 75.35 75.2 76.5

PREERRED 500 30 101 20,070 110 1,000 5.17 125,500 970 280 995 20 98 10,300 0.99 41,000 101.5 40 1,038 55 1,017 1,060 1,080 5 100.3 220 997.5 800 77.5 113,280 74.95 38,080 75.6 1,250 76 31,000 75.35 50,000 75.2 4,950 76.5 240

15,000 2,027,070 110,000 647,254 271,600 19,900 994,212 40,710 4,060 57,090 1,078,310 5,400 22,090 797,495 8,797,427 2,856,963 94,500 2,357,050 3,767,500 372,450 18,360

353,084 77,700 -

WARRANTS LR WARRANT

1.56

1.56

1.52

1.53

20,000

30,820

-

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

6.43 9.5 0.9

6.5 9.5 0.9

6.35 8.88 0.88

6.45 9.1 0.9

219,400 906,400 1,920,000

1,404,157 8,308,846 1,702,340

-198 13,016 -

FIRST METRO ETF

115.8

115.8

114.5

783,126

-63,376

25,200

-

NAME

MS

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

0.83 54.5 11.1 0.73 6.94 13.38 1.15 1.15 845 3.48 6.5 8.46 13.4 0.216 840 69.1 0.5 4.37 13.9 0.56 4.91 0.039 1.35 165.5 986 0.85 1.26 404 222.8 0.222 0.23

0.85 54.5 11.1 0.73 6.94 13.38 1.18 1.17 861 3.48 6.6 8.64 13.4 0.216 848.5 70.95 0.53 4.38 13.9 0.6 4.91 0.039 1.35 166.8 991 0.88 1.27 404 231 0.234 0.23

0.8 52.6 10.82 0.69 6.65 12.74 1.12 1.15 845 3.38 6.5 8.4 13 0.216 837 69.1 0.49 4.37 13.66 0.56 4.78 0.038 1.34 164 975 0.85 1.26 404 222.4 0.222 0.23

HOLDING FIRMS 0.83 14,790,000 54 453,420 10.9 7,084,900 0.69 594,000 6.65 15,800 12.76 15,400 1.16 1,238,000 1.17 122,000 850 181,670 3.45 406,000 6.6 1,995,800 8.63 3,572,200 13 5,700 0.216 20,000 846 38,300 69.2 297,940 0.52 219,000 4.38 34,000 13.7 271,700 0.6 311,000 4.88 18,272,000 0.038 800,000 1.34 2,000 164 123,410 975 772,270 0.86 27,000 1.27 84,000 404 10 231 2,140 0.234 1,140,000 0.23 550,000

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

15.04 0.81 10 1.85 0.84 46.25 2.05 4.7 0.56 0.72 0.83 0.207 9.9 20.55 0.445 1.51 1.18 4.53 0.3 0.41 1.35 0.375

15.04 0.86 10 1.85 0.86 46.55 2.05 4.7 0.56 0.72 0.87 0.207 9.9 20.55 0.445 1.51 1.18 4.63 0.3 0.41 1.35 0.375

15.04 0.81 10 1.84 0.81 46 2.03 4.62 0.54 0.72 0.83 0.207 9.55 20.1 0.445 1.47 1.16 4.51 0.29 0.41 1.32 0.375

PROPERTY 15.04 212,700 0.83 1,938,000 10 800 1.84 46,000 0.83 4,549,000 46.5 5,971,300 2.05 365,000 4.65 195,000 0.55 15,234,000 0.72 20,000 0.87 6,000 0.207 10,000 9.8 22,300 20.45 68,500 0.445 60,000 1.48 41,278,000 1.18 125,000 4.6 28,300,000 0.3 14,750,000 0.41 20,000 1.35 1,236,000 0.375 470,000

USD DMPL A1

10.1

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

10.1

SHARES 6,398,428

337,423,275 57,258,730

PROPERTY

141,540,880

SERVICES

70,077,123

MINING & OIL

96,275,996

GRAND TOTAL

712,027,890

10

SME

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 115.4 6,790 10

DDS

2,500

VALUE 1,790 (down) 15.59 507,760,064.51 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,460.89 (down) 16.37 2,255,999,172.38 HOLDING FIRMS 7,504.25 (down) 47.33 1,332,391,651.81 PROPERTY 4,034.55 (up) 23.65 SERVICES 1,516.38 (up) 5.74 916,883,119.88 MINING & OIL 8,983.22 (up) 140.15 736,897,940.15 PSEI 7,683.22 (down) 21.38 77,725,376.122 All Shares Index 4,666.17 (down) 9.43 5,839,858,167.45 Gainers: 86; Losers: 97; Unchanged: 57; Total: 240

Axelum dips 6.2% to P5.29 in lackluster market debut

By Jenniffer B. Austria SHARE price of Axelum Resources Corp. dipped 6.2 percent Monday during its maiden listing despite expansion and acquisitions plans.

Axelum opened higher at P5.29 from an initial public offering price of P5 before closing at P4.69.

The company, however, remains bullish on prospects despite the disappointing market debut.

“We are pleased with the result of the IPO and the subscription we received from a number of funds, both domestic and overseas as well as individual investors. It’s very encouraging to see that investors remain optimistic and gave their vote of confidence in Axelum,” said Axelum chairman Romeo Chan.

Despite global concerns that continue to weigh down on the local equities market, Axelum’s IPO attracted a broad spectrum of investors from retail to pension and retirement funds, insurance companies, trust funds, banks and a number of private corporations, as well as foreign funds.

“We have already put up the necessary infrastructure to grow our business and with this IPO, we are confident that we are in a better position to pursue our expansion plans and capture the increasing demand for high value coconut products,” Chan added.

Luis Limlingan, managing director at Regina Capital, said Axelum fell in its first trading day as investors opted to stay liquid in the meantime.

“Though the prospects remain sound for the company, investors have been selling the market in general and the company may have been the result of collateral damage,” Limlingan said.

Meanwhile, Axelum president and chief operating officer Henry Raperoga said the company recently closed a new order for organic coconut milk powder to be used as ingredient in a skin care product or supplement.

The initial order, which is for export, amounts to 170 metric tons, or equivalent to $1 million to $1.5 million in sales.

“This contract is for another new application from the versatile coconut.

This line is among the high-margin products that we are pursuing. We can actually command a premium price for this product,” Raperoga said.

The company is also finalizing plans to build a P200-million coconut water concentrate plant within its its facility in Misamis Oriental. This will enable the company to turn the coconut water it is not processing right now into revenues.

D.M. Wenceslao, Nissan dealer sign lease agreement D.M. WENCESLAO & Associates Inc. through a unit signed a 10-year lease agreement with a Nissan car dealership within Aseana City in Parañaque City.

DMWAI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday that 50-percent owned subsidiary Bay Resources and Development Corp. informed it that a Nissan car dealership was rising on a 2,500-square meter property along BRADCO Avenue and within steps of Aseana Powerstation Building.

“We are excited to welcome Nissan to Aseana City and give its customers an opportunity to interact with the brand,” said DMWAI chief executive officer Delfin Angelo Wenceslao.

“Our goal is to help Nissan realize its strategy by making Aseana City’s modern and lively environment, global infrastructure standards and strategic location a seamless part of their distribution network,” he added.

The planned car dealership will start commercial operations by 2021. The lease period covers 10 years with an option to extend the lease for five years.

Wenceslao said the lease agreement would provide the company with additional source of revenue.

“We carry out an interim land use strategy with respect to certain land areas not slated for development in the next five to 10 years. We intend to make such land available for lease for a variety of purposes. We believe such a strategy will help increase the brand awareness of Aseana City, and also add another income source to our group” Wenceslao said.

Other car dealerships within Aseana City are Ford, Honda and Subaru.

DMWAI posted a 17-percent increase in first-half net income to P1.12 billion from P958 million year-on-year.

Jenniffer B. Austria

World IN BRIEF Killer murdered at least 50 people

WASHINGTON―A 79-year-old man murdered at least 50 people, making him the most prolific serial killer in US history, the FBI said Sunday.

Samuel Little confessed to 93 homicides―mostly of women―between 1970 and 2005, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said.

Although investigators have only confirmed his involvement in 50 of them, they believe all of Little’s confessions are credible.

The FBI has set up a website showing his videotaped recollections of unidentified killings, alongside sketches—drawn by Little—of the people he claims to have murdered.

“Many of his victims’ deaths, however, were originally ruled overdoses or attributed to accidental or undetermined causes. Some bodies were never found,” the FBI wrote on the website.

He was jailed for life in 2014 after being convicted of three murders.

“For many years, Samuel Little believed he would not be caught because he thought no one was accounting for his victims,” FBI crime analyst Christie Palazzolo said.

“Even though he is already in prison, the FBI believes it is important to seek justice for each victim -- to close every case possible.” AFP

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Climate activists begin protest

S

YDNEY―Dozens of protesters were arrested across Australia and New Zealand on Monday as Extinction Rebellion activists kicked off a fortnight of global civil disobedience demanding governments take urgent action on climate change.

Hundreds joined a sit-in on busy inner Sydney road, which police brought to an end by dragging away demonstrators. Thirty people were later charged.

A small group of activists also locked themselves to a bridge in Brisbane, where police said they arrested and charged seven people.

Meanwhile, demonstrators shut down part of Wellington, New Zealand’s capital, by chaining themselves to a bright pink car. Police said 30 people were arrested later in the day of protest, but

none were charged.

They were the start of planned disruptions in 60 cities around the world over the next two weeks by Extinction Rebellion, which is warning of a looming environmental “apocalypse”.

Thousands are expected to join other events this week in Australia, including a bee die-off enactment, a nude parade and a funeral procession for the planet.

“We have tried petitions, lobbying and marches, and now time is running out,” Australian activist Jane

Morton said.

“We have no choice but to rebel until our government declares a climate and ecological emergency and takes the action that is required to save us.”

Australia is ruled by a conservative government that has resisted taking comprehensive action to tackle climate change, while backing lucrative coal exports.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison last month snubbed a United Nations climate summit after he was not invited to speak because of his lack of new climate announcements.

“Our governments are lying to us about the state of the climate and ecological emergency,” Melbourne-based climate activist Christine Canti told AFP. “I have got four small young children and I want to be able to look them in the

HK protesters arrested for defying new face mask ban

Fake news sparks panic

JAKARTA―Thousands of Indonesians are still in shelters nearly two weeks after a deadly earthquake sparked a stream of fake news and hoaxes warning that an even bigger disaster was looming, the government said Monday.

The local government has declared a state of emergency until Wednesday, with nearly 135,000 people in evacuation shelters and tents.

Many displaced people are too scared to return to their homes in the remote Maluku islands after the area suffered more than 1,000 aftershocks following a 6.5-magnitude quake on September 26 that killed dozens and damaged scores of homes and other buildings, the agency said.

Terrified residents ran into the streets following the quake, which sparked landslides that buried at least one of the victims.

The strong jolt killed 37 people, including several young children, and injured dozens of others.

More than 6,000 houses were damaged, according to official figures.

Fears about aftershocks have been aggravated by a stream of hoaxes and fake news―mostly on WhatsApp and other messaging services―that warned a tsunami-generating quake was about to strike. AFP

US forces start Syria pullout QAMISHLI, Syria―US forces in northern Syria started pulling back Monday from areas along the Turkish border ahead of a feared military invasion by Ankara that Kurdish forces say would spark a jihadist resurgence.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said in a statement that “US forces withdrew from the border areas with Turkey” in northeast Syria.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor confirmed that US forces had pulled back from key positions in Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad.

The White House on Sunday said that Turkey would “soon be moving forward with its long-planned operation”.

It said US troops in northern Syria would no longer be “in the immediate area” near the border with Turkey, nor would they support Ankara’s operations.

On Monday, the US-backed SDF said such an operation would reverse years of successful Kurdish-led operations to defeat the Islamic State group and allow some of its surviving leaders to come out of hiding. AFP

eye and tell them when I found out the extent and the severity of the crisis... I did absolutely everything within my power to be able to try and reverse that.”

Extinction Rebellion’s tactics in Australia have prompted senior conservative politicians to call for protesters’ welfare payments to be cut and for public denunciations.

“People should take these names and the photos of these people and distribute them as far and wide as they can so that we shame these people,” Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said on radio last week.

“Shame them because of the actions they have committed and because they’re acting outside of the law and against community standards. Let their families know what you think of their behaviour.” AFP

CLIMATE REBELS. Protesters sit to block one of the roads around the Victory Column (Siegessaeule) to mark the beginning of the Extinction Rebellion protests in Berlin, on October 7, 2019. Extinction Rebellion activists began gathering in cities around the world on October 7 to kick off a fortnight of global civil disobedience demanding governments take urgent action on climate change. AFP

Nobel season opens with the Medicine Prize STOCKHOLM―The announcement of the Nobel Medicine Prize on Monday opens an unusual 2019 Nobel season in which two literature laureates will be crowned after a scandal postponed last year’s award, amid speculation Greta Thunberg could nab the prestigious Peace Prize.

The winner of the Medicine Prize will be revealed on Monday at 11:30 (0930 GMT) in Stockholm. It will be followed by the prizes for physics on Tuesday, chemistry on Wednesday, literature on Thursday, and economics on Monday, October 14.

In between, the Peace Prize will be awarded in Oslo on Friday, October 11, with Swedish teen climate activist Greta seen as the favorite on betting sites such as Ladbrokes.

Predictions about possible winners are notoriously difficult as the prizeawarding institutions keep the names of the nominees secret for 50 years.

For the Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has only disclosed that it received 301 nominations this year.

Traditionally sensitive to issues gripping the public’s attention, the committee has undoubtedly noted the recent “Greta phenomenon” and the enthusi-

asm she has sparked among young generations in her campaign to raise awareness about climate change.

Experts remain however divided on whether there is an actual link between armed conflicts and climate change.

The head of the Peace Research Institute of Oslo, Henrik Urdal, therefore deemed it “extremely unlikely” the 16-year-old would win, adding her young age could also work against her.

The youngest laureate so far is Malala Yousafzai, who won the 2014 Peace Prize at the age of 17.

Other names circulating are Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who clinched a peace deal with arch foe Eritrea, and NGOs such as Reporters without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists.

For the Medicine Prize, the Karolinska Institute has received 633 nominations.

According to Swedish public radio SR, the honour could go to Lebaneseborn American geneticist Huda Zoghbi for the discovery that a genetic mutation leads to the brain disorder Rett Syndrome.

Sweden’s biggest daily Dagens Nyheter (DN) meanwhile said immunologists Marc Feldmann of Australia and

Indian-born British researcher Ravinder Maini could win for their work on rheumatoid arthritis.

American Mary-Claire King, who discovered the BRCA1 gene responsible for a hereditary form of breast cancer, was also mentioned.

DN said meanwhile the Physics Prize could go to quantum physics research, citing US scientist John Clauser, Alain Aspect of France, and Austria’s Anton Zeilinger.

Ronald Hanson of the Netherlands could win for his work on quantum entanglement, SR said.

For the Chemistry Prize, American John Goodenough, who invented lithium batteries, could become the oldest ever winner of a Nobel, at the age of 97.

But it could also go to two women, Emmanuelle Charpentier of France and Jennifer Doudna of the US, for the gene-editing technique known as the CRISPR-Cas9 DNA snipping tool, a type of genetic “scissors” used to cut out a mutated gene in a human embryo and replace it with a corrected version.

Chinese-born American Feng Zhang also claims to have discovered the technique, which could also be eligible for the Medicine Prize. AFP

HONG KONG―Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters arrested for defying a new face mask ban appeared in court on Monday following a weekend of unrest that saw bloody clashes with police and widespread vandalism that crippled the city’s train network.

The international finance hub convulsed with three straight days of rallies and riots after its pro-Beijing leader invoked colonial-era emergency powers to ban face coverings at protests.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who has record-low approval ratings, said the measure was needed to try and quash four months of huge and increasingly violent pro-democracy rallies.

But the ban did little to halt the chaos or stop huge crowds of masked protesters from hitting the streets in defiance as opponents decried the move as a slide towards authoritarianism.

On Monday morning, a male university student and a 38-year-old woman were the first people to be charged with illegally wearing masks as supporters packed the courtroom, many wearing face coverings.

They were both charged with unlawful assembly, which carries up to three years jail time, and with defying the mask ban, which has a maximum one-year sentence. Both were released on bail.

Outside the court, demonstrators queued to get in, some chanting slogans like “Wearing a face mask isn’t a crime” and “The law is unjust”.

Many said they feared the mask ban was just the first of more emergency orders to come.

“It’s an excuse to just introduce other totalitarian laws, next is martial law,” one protester outside the court, who gave his surname Lo, told AFP. In a radio interview, a government cabinet member suggested internet curbs could be introduced, a move which would have profound repercussions for the city.

“At this stage, the government will consider all legal means to stop the riots,” Executive Council member Ip Kwok-him told Commercial Radio.

“We would not rule out a ban on the internet.” AFP

NBA Rockets exec says HK tweet not meant to offend SPECIAL ASSEMBLY. Pope

Francis speaks during the opening of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the PanAmazon Region on October 7, 2019, in the Vatican. Pope Francis is gathering Catholic bishops at the Vatican to champion the isolated and povertystruck indigenous communities of the Amazon, whose way of life is under threat.

AFP

TOKYO―The general manager of the Houston Rockets said sent the Rockets or the NBA.” The NBA issued its own statement, saying it recognized Monday a tweet backing Hong Kong protests that caused a major backlash was not meant to offend the NBA team’s mas- Morey’s views “have offended so many of our friends and fans in China, which is regrettable.” sive Chinese fanbase.

The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are due Daryl Morey’s comments came as the NBA issued a statement distancing itself from the offending tweet and saying it to play two pre-season games at Shanghai and Shenzhen in was “regrettable” that the posting had offended so many fans China later this week.

“While Daryl has made it clear that his tweet does not in China.

The Rockets have been in damage control mode since Mo- represent the Rockets or the NBA, the values of the league rey posted a tweet Friday featuring the message “Fight for support individuals’ educating themselves and sharing their Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong” that was subsequently de- views on matters important to them,” the statement issued by chief communications officer Mike Bass said. AFP leted.

“I did not intend my tweet to cause any offense to Manila Rockets fans and friends of mine in China,” Morey NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION Standard said in a tweet Monday morning in Tokyo, where the TODAY Notice is hereby given that the Amended Articles of Incorporation of Northbay Auto Parts Corporation shortening the term of existence, hereby dissolving the said Rockets are playing several matches this week. corporation.

“I was merely voicing one thought, based on one This announcement will serve as notice to all concerned of all legal dissolution of the interpretation, of one complicated event. I have had aforesaid corporation. a lot of opportunity since that tweet to hear and conNotice of dissolution of North Auto Parts Corporation . Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors and Stockholders of North Auto Parts Corporation at sider other perspectives,” he added. a special meeting held on September 19, 2019 have approved the dissolution of “I have always appreciated the significant support the Corporation and the amendment of the Articles of Incorporation to shorten its corporate term up to October 31, 2019. our Chinese fans and sponsors have provided and I This will serve as notice to all concerned of the legal dissolution of the aforesaid would hope that those who are upset will know that corporation. offending or misunderstanding them was not my in(Sgd) Adelaida R. Balete tention,” Morey said.

Corporate Secretary He also reiterated that his tweets “in no way repre(MS-OCT. 1, 8 & 15, 2019)

LGUs

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

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Caloocan hailed as biz-friendly

by PCCI anew

MAKATI FETES TEACHERS.

Makati Mayor Abby Binay (third from left) hands a teacher’s kit to one of some 3,100 public school teachers feted by the city government on Friday, World Teachers’ Day, at the Makati Coliseum. Each bag contained a Bluetooth speaker, wireless presenter, tumbler, Teacher’s Plan and Students Data Record, First Aid kit, Makatizens pouch with school supplies, notepad, 64GB flash drive, voice amplifier, laptop bag, and a Makatizen jacket.

Binay was joined by Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo, Rep. Luis Campos, DepEd Makati Superintendent Rita Riddle, and city councilors. Earlier, the mayor in an executive order suspended classes in all public schools in the city on Oct. 4 to give way to the day-long tribute to the educators. They were treated to a caravan of services ranging from free massage and spa to medical checkups, free medicines and eyeglasses, among others.

By Jun David THE City Government of Caloocan emerged again as a finalist in the search for the 2019 Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit.

Caloocan City Mayor Oscar “Oca” Malapitan said that from 2015 to 2018, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) has awarded them as being one of the Most Business-Friendly cities.

City Administrator Oliver Hernandez, who represented Malapitan, received the plaque of recognition last Wednesday evening at the PCCI Commerce and Industry Plaza McKinley Hill in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

“This honor we received proves that we are among the most progressive cities in the Philippines,” Mayor Oca said.

Under the leadership of Malapitan, the city government will continue initiatives and reforms in improving the delivery of service to the business community for the development of local economy and business sector.

The PCCI spearheads the annual search for the Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit Award to commend LGUs that have become successful in creating an environment that is conducive to business growth.

Meanwhile, Malapitan has formally opened the fourth Arangkada Motorsiklo Festival in Caloocan City on Saturday morning along 10th Ave. in Grace Park, Caloocan City.

Cebu shippers push domestic maritime safety CEBU-BASED Philippine Coastwise Shipping Association, the country’s largest shipping group, has expressed its all-out support to the Maritime Safety Summit for Domestic Shipping organized recently by the Department of Transportation.

Themed “Creating a Culture of Safer People, Safer Ships and Cleaner Environment,” the summit discussed government-private sector collaboration in ensuring the safety of the domestic shipping industry, to ensure stakeholder participation in identifying measures to address the challenges.

Formed in June, PCSA committed its partnership with maritime transport officials in creating a culture of safer people, safer ships and cleaner environment.

It sent the biggest delegation with 18 members coming from the Philippine RORO Operators Association (Philroro), the Visayan Association of Ferry Boat and Coastwise Shipowners Operators (Vafasco), and the United Trampers Association of the Philippines.

Its officers were inducted recently by its chairperson emeritus, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The summit was supported by DOTr’s attached maritime sector agencies Philippine Ports Authority, the Philippine Coast Guard, and Maritime Industry Authority, which presented the roadmap for maritime safety enhancement and ship safety process, which covers vessel acquisition, deployment, and retirement.

According to PSCA chairman Lucio Lim Jr. of Lite Ferries Corp, the Cebu-

C. Luzon gears up for expo

T

HE investment potentials of the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales will take center stage at the Central Luzon Expo (CLExpo) on Oct. 17 to 18 at the ASEAN Convention Center in Clark Freeport Zone.

Central Luzon is strengthening its position as one of the most dynamic investment destinations in the Philippines, with its strategic location as the gateway to Asia, accessibility to three international airports, expanding infrastructure facilities, and the highly anticipated full development of the New Clark City.

With its theme “Central Luzon: Opportunities. Progress. The Future,” CLExpo will gather international and

local business communities, potential investors, Philippine and foreign embassies, national and local government agencies, academic institutions, and other stakeholders to explore the potentials of the seven provinces.

Behind this pioneering project is the Central Luzon Growth Corridor Foundation, Inc. (CLGCFI), in cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry-Region 3 (DTI-3).

CLGCFI was created to provide policy decisions and to facilitate planning, coordination, and monitoring of trade and investment-related projects for the region. It is composed of the seven governors of the provinces, the DTI Undersecretary for Industry and Investments; and DTI-3 Regional Director.

“We have a vision for Central Luzon and we are committed to promoting and developing the region’s small and medium enterprises and enhancing the local government’s competitiveness, all for creating a business and investmentenabling environment and promote the region to local and international investors as North Luzon’s main busi-

ness hub,” said Tarlac Governor and CLGCFI President Susan Yap. The Expo will highlight the region in the areas of trade, tourism, and investment, host business-to-business meetings, and showcase provincial products, services and destinations.

The CLExpo, in partnership with the Department of Labor and EmploymentRegion 3 (DOLE-3), will also host a labor matching for job seekers and private companies in the region.

Another highlight of the event is the Industry Forum, where the region’s priority programs and investment opportunities will be presented to investors and the private sector.

CSSP hails Gregorio for PH rice research

HUNGARIAN-PH RELATIONS.

On the opening day of the OMÉK Agriculture and Food Fair in Hungary, Balazs Hendrich (left), CEO of HEPA, and Dave Almarinez, president and CEO of Philippine International Trading Corp., held a successful meeting about new business opportunities and cooperation between the two countries. The Philippine delegation had the chance to experience excellent Hungarian products at Bonafarm Csoport and Gyermelyi Company Group stand. During their tour, they also visited the Tungsram Group stand to explore new business opportunities with the company. Roy Tomandao

By Brenda Jocson THE Crop Science Society of the Philippines (CSSP) has awarded and recognized a scientist, research manager, and teacher in national and international public and private institutions as an Honorary Fellow.

The CSSP recognized Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio, currently the Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture, for his significant contributions to crop science through his pioneering breeding research.

The award was presented during the 25th Federation of Crop Science Societies of the Philippines (FCSSP) and 1st Federation of Plant Science Associations of the Philippines (FPSAP) Scientific Conference held on September 19 in Davao City.

Holding an annual scientific conference and publishing the Philippine Journal of Crop Science, the CSSP promotes human welfare through the discovery and dissemination of knowledge concerning the nature, utilization, improvement, and interrelationships of plants and their environment and the people.

SM Foundation promotes PWD inclusivity in Olongapo elem. school

By Butch Gunio OLONGAPO CITY—SM Foundation continues to promote the valuable contribution of all Filipinos in nationbuilding, including those who are differently abled.

For its School Building Program,

SM Foundation tapped the members of the Foundation for These-Abled Persons to make the teacher’s desk sets and student armchairs.

This strategy gives opportunities to persons with disabilities to be economically self-sufficient while showcasing their great talents and skills.

Senior citizens in participating barangays in Baliwag, Bulacan perform Christmas carols during the ‘Paskong Walang Kupas’ singing competition in SM City Baliwag that drew over 165 participants.

Jun David

SM Prime, through SM Foundation, recently turned over a twostory, four-classroom school building to Kalalake Elementary School in Olongapo City, which comes with 200 armchairs—some designed for left-handed students—and four teacher’s desk sets, all of which were

products of Foundation of TheseAbled Persons.

The school building is also complete with wall fans, concave blackboards, wall clocks, and a restroom inside the room. It also boasts a ramp and a toilet on the ground floor, which makes it accessible to PWDs.

Baliwag seniors sing Christmas carols CHRISTMAS came early as 165 senior citizens from selected barangays in Baliwag, Bulacan united for a Christmas Carol singing contest at the Event Center of SM City Baliwag.

Dubbed as “Paskong Walang Kupas” the event highlighted the seniors’ unique talents in singing classic Christmas songs such as “Noche Buena,” “Pasko na Naman,” “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit” and others.

Wearing colorful costumes and bright smiles, several groups competed in the challenge. Hailed as winners were Group 1 led by Natividad Cruz in 1st place, Group 4 led by Rizalina Antonio at 2nd, Group 2 led by Norma Ignacio in 3rd, and Group 3 led by Nar-

ciso Santa Juana, 4th placer.

“We are almost near to the most wonderful time of the year. As such, we would like to share the joy to the community by giving the stage to our beloved elderlies for them to express their talents in singing wonderful Christmas carols that we’ve grown up with,” shared SM City Baliwag Assistant Mall Manager Rodora Tolentino.

The event coincided with Grandparents Day, previously celebrated at SM City Baliwag with “Lolo, Lola and Me” Dance Challenge, featuring grandparents and their grandkids dancing together. The National Grand Fit Fest—the biggest gathering of senior citizens in Baliwag for a Zumba session—followed it. Jun David

Life

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

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

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Pink light shines for breast cancer awareness

By Bernadette Lunas

T

HE pink light, which Avon Philippines has lit up a year ago for breast cancer awareness, beams brighter and will spread further this year as the company, together with Color Manila, stages a night run and walk event.

Dubbed the Pink Light Night Run and Walk 2019, the event happening on Oct. 19 at the Filinvest City Event Grounds, aims to raise awareness of the disease— which remains the top cause of death among Filipino women—and remind women to do the breast self-examination regularly.

Avon has long been at the forefront of the fight against breast cancer. The Avon Breast Cancer Crusade, launched in 1992, has donated more than $800 million to breast cancer causes, educated 180 million women about the disease, and funded breast health screenings for nearly 20 million women.

In the Philippines, where the company empowers primarily women financially, several activities have been staged such as the symbolic lighting of notable buildings and landmarks last year. The company also holds fundraising campaigns and education campaigns in partnership with the Philippine Cancer Society.

“We do this because we believe you can’t have too much awareness of breast cancer. As long as there are Filipinas who don’t do the breast self-exam regularly, there is still work we can do,” said Avon Philippines general manager Razvan Diratian.

Diratian emphasized the importance of the continuing advocacy to promote self-examination as Avon found through a global survey in 2017 that therein remains a knowledge gap among women about the symptoms of breast cancer and how to lower the risk of developing the disease.

The global study found that only two in five women know the early signs of breast cancer, and most are unaware that their lifestyles could increase their risk of developing the disease.

According to Diratian, the Avon Breast Cancer Promise was born to make sure every woman is aware of the disease and how to fight it—at the core of every activity they do is awareness.

SELF-CARE STARTS AT SELF-EXAMINATION.

In its continuing advocacy to empower women and fight breast cancer, Avon Philippines teams up with Color Manila for the Pink Light Night Run and Walk which aims to raise awareness of the disease and promote the importance of breast self-examination.

The Philippine Council for Health Research and Development said one in 13 Filipinas will develop breast cancer in her lifetime; it also affects one in 1,000 men. Despite the alarming statistics, many Filipinas still do not do the breast self-exam, the surest way to detect the disease early, as they are either Standing together in the fight against breast cancer are (from left) Makati Shangri-La director scared or pressed for time. of communications Patricia Javier, Philippine Cancer Society executive director Dr. Rachael But if the exam was ingrained as a Rosario, Avon Philippines general manager Razvan Diratian, Avon celebrity ambassador habit among women, experts said, many Daniel Matsunaga, Color Manila co-founder Justine Cordero, Makati Shangri-La director of would be able to fight the disease before sales and marketing Cristina Ong-Cruz, and Color Manila president and co-founder Jay Em. it is too late.

“The most important piece [of this something, you can get medical sup“Signs and symptoms oftentimes advocacy] is [promoting] self-exam- port as soon as possible,” Diratian told come late; we want to catch this disease ination. Obviously when you detect Manila Standard. early that’s why we educate the public,”

said Philippine Cancer Society executive director Dr. Rachael Rosario.

Dr. Rosario reiterated the importance of self-examination, explaining that when the tumor is detected early, as in it is still small, the chances of getting cured are higher.

Proceeds from the upcoming Pink Light Night Run will be donated to provide assistance to the Philippine Cancer Society, Avon Philippines’ long-time partner in its fight against breast cancer.

One of the fruits of this partnership was the creation of the Avon-Philippine General Hospital Breast Care Center, which provides free breast health guidance, consultation, and check-ups to approximately 150 women a day.

“We’ve always cherished our relationship with Avon,” said Dr. Rosario. “They have been a constant and committed partner in our advocacy, and instrumental in establishing the Breast Care Center in PGH, which has helped save many women’s lives and continues to serve more.

Dr. Rosario added, “We hope that their campaign this year will invite more women to commit to their health seriously.”

Participants to the night run and walk will go through a fun course. They may choose to take the 3K, 5K, or 10K distances. Race kit package rates range from P950 to P2,000. Celebrities Jennylyn Mercado and Daniel Matsunaga will join the run.

“It’s not about performance, it’s about participation. It’s important that we bring our families, friends, communities to drive awareness,” said Diratian.

In addition to the run event, the SM Mall of Asia Globe will be once again lit up in pink this October, while Makati Shangri-La Hotel mounts an installation at its lobby as well as offers a Pink Afternoon Tea promotion featuring sweet and savory dishes in pink. The pink delicacies are available at the Lobby Lounge from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. until Oct. 31.

Snack to play

The play area, which Mondelez Philippines donated to Holy Spirit Elementary School in Quezon City, is made of eco bricks—plastic bottles filled with shredded plastic waste.

TURNING an environmental initiative into something engaging and fun was achieved through play areas made from recycled plastic waste.

Anchored on its “Snacking Made Right” goal, Mondelez Philippines, the company behind some of the famous snack brands, created and turned over recycled plastic areas made from eco-bricks.

“Our recycled plastic play areas, which are made of eco-bricks, are one of the ways we bring to life our sustainable snacking goal. The play areas create alternative uses for packaging material, which would otherwise have been waste,” says Mondelez Philippines country director Ashish Pisharodi.

Pisharodi continues, “At the same time, they help enable students to play more and be active. In this way we can reduce our environmental impact, and at the same time ensure that the students and our community become part of the cause of recycling as well.”

In January 2019, Mondelez Philippines and its partners First Balfour, Inc. and Philippine Business for Social Progress, started collecting eco-bricks. These are plastic bottles filled with shredded plastic. Each brick must weigh at least one kilo to ensure its strength for use as a building material.

Employees of the company, its partners, and the students and communities of the adopted Joy Schools pitched in to collect eco-bricks. At the end of March, 990 eco-bricks were collected, which equated to 990 kilos

of plastic packaging which have been recycled and put to good use.

The eco-bricks were used as construction material to create the play areas. A total of three Joy Schools received the recycled play areas— these are Camp Claudio Elementary and Rogelio Gatchalian Elementary in Parañaque City, and Holy Spirit Elementary in Quezon City.

“The aim of this project is to encourage our adopted students and communities to contribute to post-consumer waste management,” adds Pisharodi.

“In our manufacturing plant in Parañaque, we also have several initiatives in place to ensure we reduce our waste and carbon emissions, and our use of energy and water. As of 2019, 98 percent of the total waste from our operations are either recycled or recyclable.”

The company said it has switched to using 100 percent renewable energy through a partnership to utilize geothermal energy for its plant and office. It also has its own materials recovery facility inside its plant.

“This is only the start for us as we move towards our global goal of 100 percent recyclable packaging by 2025,” enthuses Pisharodi. “We have also partnered with the Philippine Alliance on Recycling and Materials Sustainability. Through this program, the alliance of private companies has created a plastic recycling facility in Parañaque in partnership with the local city government. This facility will provide recycled plastic materials shaped into building bricks to the schools, for their facilities improvement.”

Life

C2

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Raptors arrive in Sarangani R

Grey-face buzzard (Photo by M. Nishimura)

APTOR watchers recently flocked to Raptor Hill in Brgy. Rio del Pilar, Glan, Sarangani to watch these birds passing by southern Mindanao.

Every fourth quarter of the year, raptors from Taiwan and Japan fly long distances and cross oceans to find suitable feeding environments in the tropics. As these birds head to Indonesia, they pass by southern Mindanao to rest and feed before continuing their flight.

Raptors arrive in Sarangani twice a year, September to October and March to April, for their return flight. The birds are characterized by sharp vision that allows them to detect prey during flight, and often feed on rats and insects, thus serving as a natural pest control in the area.

Raptor Hill, the monitoring post of researchers from the Sarangani Provin-

cial Government’s Environmental Conservation and Protection Center, has been identified as among the major flyways of migratory birds as observed in their flight patterns for the past four years. The ongoing monitoring and study aims to generate scientific data that will help authorities understand raptor biology and migration behaviors, and help identify critical sites for conservation.

On the third week of observation, the team has already accounted 101,882

Chinese sparrowhawk (Photo by Ariefrahman)

rapt or s sightings composed mostly of Chinese spa r rowhawk , grey-faced buzzard, peregrine falcon, and western osprey species.

The birds look for thermal air currents which can be found in Mt. Latian Complex, a Philippine Biodiversity Conservation priority area identified by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

A study titled “Project Southern Crossing 2014: First Observations of Autumn Raptor Migration at Sarangani, Mindanao, Philippines” described the archipelago as an “important link in the East Asia–Australasian Flyway (BirdLife International 2015), a migration route involving long sea crossings.”

The monitoring season includes

Birdwatchers wait for raptors to pass by Raptor Hill in Glan, Sarangani.

a five-year reforestation initiative at the roosting sites in Mt. Taltak, in partnership with Raptorwatch Network Philippines and the Japanese Society for the Preservation of Birds.

The recently held Raptor Festival emphasized the importance of maintaining the environmental health of the area to keep the raptors from coming.

Sarangani governor Steve Chiongbian Solon said the provincial government is studying the requirements to improve Raptor Hill as a tourism site in Glan, a popular beach, culinary, and heritage destination.

HEALTH FIRST

HPV vaccination in school-based immunization in Antipolo ANTIPOLO City strengthens its immunization efforts to protect children and adolescents from vaccine-preventable diseases through the SchoolBased Immunization (SBI) Program recently kicked off at Bagong Nayon IV Elementary School.

Themed, “Back to BakUNA: Una sa Lahat, BakUNA,” the SBI Program of the Department of Health— Center for Health Development CALABARZON in partnership with the Department of Education and the Antipolo City government highlighted the role of parents in fortifying the health shield of their children through timely vaccination against diseases.

The SBI Program includes measles, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria (MR-TD), and human papillomavirus vaccines that are administered to eligible students in public elementary schools.

The inclusion of HPV vaccination in the SBI Program aims to protect young women from cervical cancer later in life, among other diseases associated with HPV. Under the DOH’s SBI Program, HPV vaccination is given to grade 4 based on DOH’s recommended age group to receive the two doses of HPV vaccine, six months apart, for protection against cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Filipino women, next to breast cancer. Over

7,000 new cases of cervical cancer are recorded every year in the Philippines. Of these cases, close to 4,000 lead to death, according to the DOH. HPV is primarily transmitted through skin-to-skin contact or sexual activity. It is extremely common that most people can get infected by the virus shortly after the onset of sexual activity. Most HPV infections clear up on their own, but there is still the risk that the infection may become chronic, and pre-cancerous lesions may later develop into cervical cancer.

Antipolo City councilors Enrico de Guzman and Susan Say led the kickoff of the program that aimed to boost the health services of the local government and deepen understanding of the value of immunization among students, parents, and teachers.

Vaccines have been proven as one of the most successful health interventions, second to clean water, in greatly reducing the burden of infectious diseases.

In the case of cervical cancer, the disease is usually diagnosed in its late stages, when the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body, making it more difficult to treat. Hence, immunization was identified as an optimal strategy in conquering HPV and the prevalence of cervical cancer.

Aboitiz Foundation and Bb. Pilipinas 2019 titleholders with Smile Train beneficiaries during the World Smile Day.

Every smile is beautiful IT WAS an afternoon filled with smile and art as Smile Train and Aboitiz Foundation celebrated World Smile Day with the former’s beneficiaries and the Binibining Pilipinas 2019 titleholders.

The World Smile Day, celebrated every first Friday of October, is dedicated to smiles and encourages people to do acts of kindness around the world.

Held at the office of Aboitiz Foundation at NAC Tower in Bonifacio Global City, over 20 Smile Train beneficiaries showcased their creativity in creating memorabilia plush toys with the help of Bb. Pilipinas Universe Gazini Ganados, Bb. Pilipinas International Patch Magtanong, Bb. Pilipinas Supranational Resham Saeed, Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental

Emma Tiglao, Bb. Pilipinas Globe Leren Bautista, Bb. Pilipinas first runner-up Aye Abesamis, and Bb. Pilipinas second runner-up Samantha Bernardo.

Aboitiz Foundation supports Smile Train by raising awareness and funds for children with clefts through KINDer by Aboitiz, an online platform where the public can donate to various advocacies.

In addition to Smile Train, KINDer supports other causes that benefit education, enterprise development, environmental, health, and other foundations.

“In less than a year, we have raised more than 60 percent of our target funds to support Smile Train and children with clefts through our KINDer website, which is part of our efforts to advance

business and communities by co-creating safe, empowered, and sustainable communities,” said Aboitiz Foundation first vice president and chief operating officer Maribeth Marasigan.

Marasigan added, “Smile Train Philippines supports more than 5,000 surgeries every year and we would like to inspire others to support their lifechanging work. We encourage more people to support Smile Train’s cause by donating through KINDer,” Since 1999, Smile Train, with the support of its donors and partners around the world, has supported more than 1.5 million cleft surgeries. In the Philippines, it has funded more than 60,000 cleft surgeries since 2001.

3 easy ways to ensure your heart is OK WITH heart disease leading the cause of death worldwide, taking care of our heart should be prioritized. Here are three ways to ensure your heart is a-ok.

Move it

No matter how much you weigh, sitting for long periods of time could easily shorten your lifespan. Those who work at a desk must remember to take regular breaks to move around.

Go for a quick stroll during lunch break—taking a daily half-hour walk has been found to be good for physical and mental health.

Avoid processed food

Antipolo City Councilor Susan Say (left) helps health officer Dr. Concepcion Lat (right) administer HPV vaccine to a Grade 4 student of Bagong Nayon IV Elementary School.

Processed food tends to be high in sodium and low in potassium. On the other hand, homemade meals are usually lower in sodium and higher in potassium. As much as possible, consider buying more fresh produce and making meals at home instead of purchasing on-the-go, overly processed meals.

Taking potassium supplement helps achieve the recommended daily dose of potassium to ensure optimal health.

Take a potassium supplement time to prepare healthy meals may take

Potassium, a mineral found in bananas, milk, and oranges, plays an important role in keeping bodies healthy.

This mineral is crucial for everyone, and disrupting optimal body levels of it can be very dangerous. Studies found that low levels of potassium are linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

Increasing potassium through diet is recommended in adults with blood pressure above 120/80 who are otherwise healthy. Those who do not have much

potassium supplement available OTC to achieve the recommended daily dose (3,500 mg according to WHO).

Neutra K, the country’s first potassium food supplement with no prescription needed, is non-acidic, has no artificial flavors and preservatives, and effectively promotes a more regulated acidity in the body to prevent the potential ill-effects of prolonged imbalance.

Neutra K is available in 300 mg tablets, in boxes of 100 or 12, exclusively at Mercury Drugstore branches nationwide.

Entertainment

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

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nickie.standard@gmail.com

Momoland surprises Pinoy fans with upcoming projects in PH POPULAR Korean girl group Momoland is now a certified Kapamilya as ABS-CBN signed a groundbreaking partnership with management company MLD Entertainment to co-manage the Korean idols’ career in the Philippines last Friday.

According to Laurenti Dyogi, the ABSCBN Head of TV Production, Momoland is a great addition to the Kapamilya network’s powerhouse roster of stars, and Pinoy fans should watch out for huge surprises that await them.

“This is part of ABS-CBN’s going global. You will see Momoland in a lot of our programs, in future collaborations with our artists, and in other projects that will involve our Kapamilya stars, including Star Music and Star magic artists,” said

the ABS-CBN executive.

Also present in the signing were ABSCBN chairman Mark Lopez, president and CEO Carlo Katigbak, COO for broadcast Cory Vidanes, head of treasury Rick Tan, Star Hunt business unit head Raymund Dizon, head of ABS-CBN Music Roxy Liquigan, and MLD Entertainment official Lee Hyoungjin.

Momoland was formed in the reality-talent show Finding Momoland and debuted in 2016.

The group became a household name with its hit dance crazes “Bboom Bboom” and “Baam” that gained international fame, including in the Philippines. Only three years in their careers, the all-girl group already bagged numerous awards from various award-giving bodies within and outside of South Korea.

JUDY ANN

back on primetime SCREEN queen Judy Ann Santos is excited about her latest television drama Starla where she plays a baddie role for a change.

“It’s a first in my acting career. The viewers will definitely see a different Juday in the show. I’m a ‘bida-contravida’ here. I play the role of a ruthless lawyer in the story. It’s something new for me, the reason why I got challenged and accepted the offer.”

Since it’s her maiden villainous portrayal, many ask if she has a peg on her latest boob tube character.

“Oh, yes! Have you watched the Hollywood film ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ in 2006? The character of Miranda Priestley there excellently portrayed by Meryll Streep is my peg. It’s a colorful and attention-catching role, the same as mine here in ‘Starla.’. Playing a ‘bidacontravida’ is just very challenging.

“I had to watch the movie over and over again to study her character. The way she walked, her posture, the way she spoke, all of that. Apart from this, I also had to study the movements of a lawyer especially in the way they speak or converse.

“I tell you it’s not easy! For one, their dialogues are so critical. You have to check if your English is okay. Then, you have to make sure that you’re credible in delivering all those legal terms which are used in the scenes.”

The critically-acclaimed actress reveals she found the initial taping days hard.

“I can very well remember, on the first taping day, I had no Take One scene! Yes! I was really struggling. Well, you have to take into consideration that I haven’t done a ‘teleserye’ for five years so it was as if I was starting all over again. I really couldn’t forget our first day of taping.

“I couldn’t perfect a scene in just one take. It’s either I forget my lines or I would just release myself from the scene mainly because I haven’t grasped my character yet. It would take four, five or six takes before I could complete a scene. It’s only after a few days when the character started to sink into me. It wasn’t easy but when I got accustomed to it, it’s also enjoyable to do.”

Juday is proud of the fact that Starla is her comeback vehicle in the soap scene.

“I really wanted something which is not a total heavy drama. What makes ‘Starla’ perfect is that it’s inspirational in nature.

It’s the kind of program that will bring hope back in the heart of every viewer.

It’s very timely, so to speak.”

To those thinking that she’s playing the title role Starla, the actress-TV host wants to correct the public notion.

“No, I’m not Starla. It’s child actress Jana Agoncillo. She is the wayward wishing star who wants to go back to star world. As I’ve mentioned earlier, I’m a ruthless lawyer here.”

Judy Ann is proud to be in the company of competent performers in the show. Co-starring with her and Jana her are Raymart Santiago, Joel Torre, Meryl Soriano, Joem Bascon, Enzo Pelojero, Charo Santos, and Tirso Cruz III. For the young superstar, she’s glad that at this point, she can choose the projects she wants to do even if it’s somewhat offbeat like ‘Starla.”

“That’s true! I’m already thirty-plus in the ‘biz. I think it’s high time that I make vehicles which I really want to do. Starla is one because it’s inspirational that when my children get to watch it, they’ll be proud of me,” Juday ends.

Judy Ann Santos plays a 'bida-contrabida' role in the latest ABS-CBN series, 'Starla.'

*** Kate Valdez sheds light on the issue that allegedly, she has an attitude problem.

“Actually, it has reached me that there are talks of my being ‘maldita’ or hard-to-deal-with. It’s not true! All I can say is that all of us have attitudes but they just vary. Perhaps, people say that I’m like that because of the roles I portray on screen. I’m happy because it means, I’m an effective screen villain,” she states.

According to speculations, the Kapuso young actress was removed from the musical show Studio 7 because of an attitude problem.

“The reason why I’m not seen in the program anymore is that my contract with them already ended. Instead, I focused on my studies.”

As to the controversy that she has misunderstandings with co-workers and staff members, Kate explains: “I’m really clueless where all these controversies come from. It saddens me. I’m shocked to be figuring into issues like this. For the record, I’ve not fought with anyone on the set of the shows I made. All these news are fabricated.”

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Tuesday, October 8, 2019

ACROSS 1 Bloodhound’s clue 5 Cul-de- — 8 Woe is me!

12 Water lily 14 Dueler with Hamilton 15 Helpful tip 16 Lancaster group 17 “All” as a prefix 18 Comic-strip dog 19 Swags 21 Havoc 23 Coffee server 24 PC button 25 Psychic power 26 Baby bed 30 TV teaser 32 Strode along 33 Gopher State 37 Nefertiti’s god 38 Long skirts 39 Iowa city 40 Author’s honored one 42 Curly-tailed dog 43 Mannequin 44 Off the — path 45 Undergrad degs.

48 Psst!

49 Auto 50 Houston team 52 Delta deposit

57 In — of 58 Mountains or river 60 Desirous 61 Blurted out 62 Huck Finn’s transport 63 Nab 64 Baxter or Bancroft 65 Paris season 66 Whirlpool DOWN 1 Norwegian monarch 2 Curved roof 3 Elevator guy 4 Iron oxide 5 Totals 6 Aleta’s son 7 Bright reds 8 Captain’s shout 9 Supple 10 Wagers 11 Walk noisily 13 Ought to 14 Beethoven’s birthplace 20 Source of metal 22 Pinnacle 24 Tennessee — Ford 26 Wearing clothes

27 Habitual 28 Copied 29 Tough fabric 30 Computer image bit 31 Honshu port 33 Friendly 34 Skip past 35 Pierre’s noggin 36 Slippery — — eel 38 Double-checked (2 wds.)

41 Salmon variety 42 Cliffside abodes

44 Naughty 45 Hobby shop wood 46 From India 47 Bierstube order 49 Druid 51 Discourteous 52 Vault 53 Long hair 54 Mild rejoinder 55 Oddball 56 Deuce successor 59 Betrayer

Members of the South Korean girl band Momoland

ALMA CONCEPCION S

crowned Ms. Grand Universe 2019

HE did not win in Miss Hawaiian Tropic in 1992 and in Miss International 1994, but twenty-five years later, Alma Concepcion, now 44, claimed her first international title at the finals of Ms. & Mrs. Grand/ Classic Universe 2019 pageant held recently at the Tanghalang Pasigueño in Pasig City.

Concepcion, wearing a yellow, seethrough, high slit gown, was crowned Ms. Grand Universe 2019. She competed on a platform of women empowerment. A separated wife, Alma raised her son on her own while acting in movies, receiving a Gawad Urian best supporting actress nomination for Sa Ngalan Ng Pag-ibig in 1996 and then pursued a degree in B.S. Interior Design at the University of the Philippines. She is now a licensed Interior Designer.

Her drug case in 1998 was also a hard lesson in life which she used in her anti-drug advocacy, as a spokesperson in the government’s campaign against drug.

Mrs. Philippines Leah May Luna Panisales was named Mrs. Grand Universe 2019 while Miss Japan Kayoko Asai won Miss Grand Universe 2019.

Mrs. USA Christa Maree Monteene Calalec PapaEly was named Mrs. Grand Universe-International 2019 and Mrs. Thailand Wipardvadee Mills was named Mrs. Grand Ambassador 2019. *** Mrs. Philippines Globe 2019 candidates named The press launch of the twenty-five candidates of Mrs. Philippines Globe 2019 was held at the Century Mall Events Center on Wednesday. Mrs. Philippines Globe 2019, on its 8th year, will crown its two winners, Mrs. Philippines Globe 2019 (23 to 43 year-old) and Mrs. Philippines Globe Classique 2019 (44 to 55), who will compete at the prestigious Mrs. Globe 2019 World Finals in Shenzhen, China in November 2019 and Mrs. Globe

PAGEANT CONCEPT ETON CONCEPCION

Former Binibining Pilipinas International Alma Concepcion wins her first title on the international pageant stage

Classique 2021 in California, USA, respectively.

Parading in their national costumes, the 25 aspirants will also vie for the coveted Woman of Substance title and other special awards which include, Career Woman of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Mother of the Year, Personality of the Year, Most Beautiful Face, Most Elegant Woman, Mrs. Body Beautiful, Supermodel Mom, Best in National Costume, Designer of the Year and Husband of the Year.

Mrs. Philippines Globe 2018 Anne Acuña and Mrs. Philippines Globe Classique 2019 Annalyn Marie Gayatin will relinquish their titles at the coronation night to be held at Marquis Events Place, BGC, Taguig City on Oct. 13.

“Our pageant theme for this year is inspired by Angels, as we believe mothers are the angels of our lives whose love and devotion are tested to be the strongest by protecting their children at any cause. This year, we will also launch our MPG Ambassadors, a roster of our fabulous titleholders who will mentor our candidates, promote our advocacy and endorse our sponsors,” said Mrs. Philippines Globe CEO and National Pageant Director Morena Carla Cabrera.

“As the premier and leading beauty pageant for married women and single mothers in the Philippines, we continue to renew our strength by locally adopting a new look from the Mrs. Globe brand and further revitalizing our online presence this year. We are more inspired to achieve our purpose to make the candidates feel worthier than they believe by developing them to be a woman of substance and a symbol of inspiration through their career, achievements advocacy and life stories,” said Dr. Mildred Vitangcol President Mrs. Philippines Globe.

The 25 candidates are Mariz Songcuan, Julieta Mirasol, Jenn Dizon, Marianne Rodrigo, Maria Jasmin Mateo, Anna Marie Ipapo, Jessa Linatoc, Jujelyn Ballon, Maria Theresa Celada, Justine May Yadao, Chatterlie Mae Gabay, Florivic Cruz, Annabelle Jimenez, Arlene Limboy, Joyce Villa, Lorellie Dumagat, Edelmira Montero, Anna Marie Santos, Jelliane Rose Villacuatro, Jennifer Flores, Kathy Jaravilla, Jane Jarencio, Andrea Angel Tan, Maricel Enopeña, and Joscille Obaob.

Mrs. Philippines Globe CEO and National Pageant Director Morena Carla Cabrera.

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

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Entertainment

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019

Elisse’s doll-like beauty CATHY Doll, one of the leading skincare brands in Thailand and Asia that is now in the Philippines for three years, has recently launched its Ready 2 White skincare line with its newest brand ambassador, Elisse Joson.

With a sweet, thoughtful and caring personality that radiates confidence, Elisse embodies Cathy Doll, a brand that is praised by Filipino women for its quick and effective results, budgetfriendly price, and creative packaging designs. The brand has been a favorite of many beauty enthusiasts and dollies on the lookout for the latest skincare innovation.

Various media outlets and digital beauty personalities are among the

attendees during the product launch held on Sept. 25 at Ayala Cloverleaf Activity Center, A. Bonifacio Street, Quezon City, where #CathyDollR2WxElisse was also unveiled.

The campaign banks on the concept of instant whitening results that most Filipino women desire and the concept that this doesn’t have to cost too much and take too long to achieve. That instant whitening benefit is the reason why it’s called “Ready 2 White” and the user will be ready to show off a whiter and brighter skin after the first application.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to represent a brand that I’m proud of. Apart from using their products

and getting my desired results, being the brand ambassador allows me to inspire many women to feel confident with the way they look,” Elisse told the press and bloggers present during the unveiling of the campaign.

Cathy Doll Ready 2 White series is available at Watsons Stores, 7-Eleven Stores, Mercury Drugstores, Robinsons Department Stores, SM Stores Rose Pharmacy and other leading department stores, supermarkets nationwide and online stores like Shopee, Zalora, and BeautyMNL. To hear more about this campaign, follow Cathy Doll Philippines on Facebook @cathydollphils.

#CathyDollR2WxElisse is the campaign name of Cathy Doll Philippines with Elisse Joson as its celebrity ambassador.

VERY WANG

A The newest celebrity endorser of Mobile Legends Nadine Lustre with the Moonton Marketing Manager Hanqing Mei after the event.

The newest face of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang FRESH from the successful launch of Mobile Legends: Adventure, Moonton continues to bring out surprises as they welcome multimedia artist Nadine Lustre as the newest ambassador of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang LIGA2.

“We are very happy to welcome her to the Mobile Legends family. She is not just a successful actress and singer but also a big fan of the game we created,” shares MLBB Vice PresidentCherry Xia. Nadine feels extremely grateful to be the face of the brand. “I’m very happy to be given this opportunity. Of all the

artists who can represent the brand, they chose me to represent the the mobile game. I’ve been playing ML for a long time, kaya iba yung feeling to be officially part of the family.”

In the recently concluded Mobile Legends: Bang Bang LIGA2 Kontrabida event last that took place on Sept. 28 to 29, Nadine hosted, participated, and even played Mobile Legends with gamers and fans present at the SM MOA Music Hall.

For more information, visit https:// www.facebook.com/MobileLegendsOnlinePH/.

EXTRA INTERNATIONAL

Thai cave film makes world premiere at Busan festival

NICKIE WANG

FTER making her mark as a TV star, Kyline Alcantara makes her big leap to the big screen. The young actress and singer plays the lead role in Black Lipstick, a film helmed by Julius Ruslin Alfonso, and will unspool in cinemas nationwide tomorrow, Oct. 9.

From Obra Cinema, the story is written by Maria Zia Garganera, Kaila Milos Factolerin, and Mark Stanley Mozo. The film is the millennial version of Seiko Film’s Blusang Itim that starred Snooky Serna, who at the same time plays a pivotal role in the upcoming movie.

“I never thought l’d be given the opportunity to do the millennial version of Blusang Itim. It’s flattering to be considered for the part,” said Kyline. “I was able to watch Blusang Itim on YouTube and instantly admired Ms. Snooky for her acting.”

In the film, Kyline is Ikay, a girl who becomes the butt of jokes at her school because of vitiligo, a condition where pale white patches develop on the skin.

“It’s a skin condition, but one afflicted by vitiligo can only do so much to conceal it. And that somehow lowers Ikay’s self esteem. My character feels so insecure, she doesn’t love herself because of her skin disorder. Apart from the story of Ikay, the film also touches on cyberbullying,” she explained.

Kyline started her career as a child star and when she turned 15, she auditioned for a role in the GMA series, Kambal Karibal.

She was only supposed to play a small role in the series but when GMA bosses saw how good she was in the audition, Kyline was asked to audition again and was given the role of Cheska/ Crisel.

Kambal Karibal became one of the highest rating programs of GMA Network and it propelled the young Kyline into prominence. Kyline impressed the viewers of the series with her superb acting. She won Best Drama Supporting Actress at the 32nd PMPC Star Awards for TV for the role.

She was the only Filipina actress who won Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Nationa Level) at the 1st Asian Academy Creative Awards (AACA) in Singapore in 2018.

Young actress Kyline Alcantara's 'Black Lipstick' hopes to highlight the importance of selflove and acceptance.

Directed by Irish-Thai filmmaker Tom Waller, the film is the first in what is expected to be a rollout of big- and small-screen treatments of the rescue of the 'Wild Boars' football team that gripped the world.

THE first movie centered around the cave rescue of 12 Thai schoolboy footballers and their coach made its world premiere on Saturday and there was one man in the audience for whom the experience proved as thrilling as it was nerve-shredding.

“You can’t help but re-live the tension and the fear we were feeling, but also there was that sense of excitement and relief when it was all over,” rescuer Jim Warny told AFP. The Ireland-based Belgian was among the crew of international cave rescue divers who plucked the “Wild Boars” and their coach from the Tham Luang Nang Non caves last year and he has travelled to the 24th Busan International Film Festival for the world premiere of the fittingly titled The Cave.

Warny plays himself in the film

and said the experience—his first in film—had been therapeutic.

“For me it’s not about making a profit it’s been about inspiring other people to show that great things can be achieved, against the odds,” said Warny. “Physically, I was back at work on Tuesday after I returned on Sunday. But it took six months to come to terms with it and I worked through a lot of it during filming too.”

Directed by Irish-Thai filmmaker Tom Waller, the film is the first in what is expected to be a rollout of big- and small-screen treatments of the story that gripped the world for the 18 days the group was trapped underground.

The Cave is set for release in Thailand on Nov. 28, with further international markets to follow. AFP

The cast of 'Black Lipstick' with Kyline, Migo Adecer, Manolo Pedrosa, Kate Valdez, James Teng, Chesca Salcedo, Nella Marie Dizon, Angel Guardian, Angellie Sano, Robin Guillamun, Chaming Laguslad, Patnicia Roxas, Nicole Villanueva, and Thia Tomalla

Kyline got another plum role in Inagaw na Bituin, opposite Teri Malvar, where she once again displayed her remarkable acting talent.

As a young girl, Kyline already imagined herself being in showbiz. Thus, it should not come as a surprise that when such opportunity beckoned, she grabbed the opportunity.

Joining Kyline in Black Lipstick are Migo Adecer, Manolo Pedrosa, Kate Valdez, James Teng, Chesca Salcedo, Nella Marie Dizon, Angel Guardian, Angellie Sano, Robin Guillamun, Chaming Laguslad, Patnicia Roxas, Nicole Villanueva, and introducing Thia Tomalla.